"Damn!"

Kotetsu kicked a crumpled pop can out of his way and slumped into the Heroes Bar, grumbling curses to himself. Again with all the damn damage payments... really, it'd ONLY been a couple of airships! Those things were like bad chewing gum; people lost interest in their flavor and threw them away all the time. And they wanted so much... he'd dished out less for entire buildings!

Granted, those had been unused warehouses that were empty of anything useful... but still!

"An IncrediCola and whiskey, please," he sighed to the bartender as he sat at the bar. The man inclined his head and turned away. Kotetsu put his chin in his hand and let his eyes stray to the big screen at the end of the room. It was a recap of today's chase; a slow-mo video of him, in full hero suit, breaching an airship's skin when the criminal had dodged him. The voice-over was almost cheerfully insulting him for his slowness and having to pay damage fees. Yet again. The entire bar laughed at a particularly clever joke that Kotetsu didn't catch.

He turned back to his drink and sipped it sullenly. How depressing. Why did everyone always feel the need to make fun of him? It wasn't like he was as bad as Origami...

Kotetsu scowled and bit his tongue in punishment. That was just cruel. Poor Ivan didn't deserve his scorn. He really was trying his best. His best was just slightly embarrassing, which everyone understood and no one talked about.

"Ten years..." he sighed to himself, taking another gulp and letting the whiskey burn down his throat. "Ten years ago this damn thing started. Why do I even bother anymore?"

"Because of that promise," he answered himself, in a whisper. "Because it's so much more than everyone else's opinions and the damn point system. It's about saving people's lives. It's about protecting the city." his grip tightened dangerously on his glass, making it creak. "I have to remember that. I have to keep that in mind." he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, strangling down his anger and hurt. Slowly, it lessened its grip on his heart, and he smiled into his drink, feeling relaxed and happy once again.

Of course, someone chose, at that moment, to throw their glass at the screen and shout "You SUCK, Wild Tiger! Just quit already!"

"Hey... that's a bit harsh..." someone else commented weakly, but Kotetsu suddenly went deaf. The smile fell from his face, and he downed his drink with unnecessary haste, wiping his mouth roughly on his arm. "Hit me again," he croaked, shoving the glass towards the barkeep. He raised an eyebrow, but complied. Kotetsu managed to get half of it down before the anger closed his throat. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the heels of his palms, bracing his elbows on the bar, and let down his barriers, letting himself feel the rage fully.

"Fucking bastards," he whispered, a snarl twisting his face, "Fucking bastards don't understand. They don't give a fucking damn. They wouldn't last one day in my place. I'd like to see them try to catch a cat-burglar while two hundred feet off the goddamn ground." the rage faded, leaving him tired and sad. He could never hold on to anger for long. There was always something to distract him, or it just... left him. His mother had said this was a good thing. He wasn't very sure, himself.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?"

Kotetsu raised his head wearily and blinked at the young man standing beside him. "Huh? Oh... I guess," he mumbled, picking up his drink again and taking a swallow. "It's not like anyone else is sitting there."

The young man raised his eyebrows, but sat all the same. "Just a water, please," he addressed the bartender. "I'd like to start slow tonight." he smiled, and the bartender returned the expression.

Kotetsu sighed inaudibly. The recap was finishing, closing with Blue Rose's performance. As always, she seemed to be dancing too suggestively for a highschool girl. Kotetsu snorted and looked away. He must be getting old, if a few gyrations and a bit of hip-swaying was "suggestive" in his mind. He ran his finger around the rim of his glass, no thoughts at all in his mind, staring dully at the woodgrain of the bar. He didn't think he had the heart to finish drinking. He was depressed enough as it was.

"What's your name?"

"Hah?" he started and looked up at the man beside him. "Uh... Kotetsu. Kaburagi Kotetsu."

The other smiled at him. "I'm Barnaby Brooks Jr. Nice to meet you." he held out his hand, and Kotetsu, feeling a little awkward, shook it.

"Er... likewise." to have something to do, he picked up his glass and toyed with it, wondering if this weirdo was really going to try to initiate conversation.

"I'm new here, so forgive me if this is common knowledge," Barnaby began, "But what's Hero TV? It's advertised everywhere."

"Oh... it's just a stupid show." Kotetsu drained his glass and beckoned to the bartender, who refilled automatically. "See, there's these NEXT that have sponsors, and they're the heroes of Sternbild. They're kind of like walking billboards. Anyway, it's their job to fight crime and arrest criminals and save civilians, yadda yadda yadda. Hero TV is a bunch of cameras that float around and follow them. It's like... it's a gameshow, but it's a competition, and the heroes are playing for points with people's lives." the corners of his mouth turned down as he took a sip. "It's one of the most popular forms of entertainment in this city. It's ridiculous, and wrong, and it teaches those who should be protecting people because they're people that they're nothing more than a few hundred more points. But... the heroes do perform an important function. So it's slightly justified." he looked down at his cola and whiskey, surprised to find it half gone. He didn't remember taking a drink.

Barnaby's smile was gone. He looked deadly serious now. "What do the heroes think of all this? Do you think they really see human beings as just more points? What's the reason for the point system, anyway?"

"The hero with the most points becomes the Hero king or queen." Kotetsu drained his glass and pointed to one of the posters plastered to the wall. "The current king is that guy, Sky High. His NEXT power is wind control. As for the heroes' ways of thinking, I can't answer for them all, but I'm pretty sure a lot of them don't care either way. As long as they get to show off, they're happy. You can't survive in that environment without being a bit of an attention whore. Oy, barkeep, let's have a gin-and-juice next, yeah? Thanks."

"What does it mean, to be Hero King? Does that give you special privileges?"

"No. It just makes you famous." Kotetsu licked his lips appreciatively as the gin-and-juice slid down his throat. "Damn, that's good. No, you don't get anything for being the King. You might get some more advertisement deals, and make some more money, and maybe score some, but nothing significant changes."

"I see." Barnaby swirled his water, thinking, it seemed. Kotetsu glanced at the tv. An ad for Blue Rose's next concert was just ending. He looked away, feeling tired and sad again. Barnaby suddenly spoke again, startling him. "How does one become a Hero?"

"Ah... you have to be a NEXT, obviously." Kotetsu rubbed the back of his neck, perplexed. "Then you have to find a sponsor. It's usually the biggest companies, but there are one or two small ones shunting their folk into the limelight. After that, you just send an application to Mr. Maverick and his team, and they'll review you. If they say you can go out and be a hero, you go out and do it. It's not that hard, really. But they look at everything, and I do mean everything. They almost turned me down because I sent a kid to the hospital when I first discovered my powers..." he stopped, his mouth hanging open. "Ah... um..."

"So you're a hero?" Barnaby breathed, eyes widening. "Which one?"

"I... I'm not supposed to tell, it's company orders..."

"Please tell me! I want to know. I promise I won't tell anyone else. Who would believe me if I told them I'd talked to a hero?"

"Quite a few people, actually..." Kotetsu answered uncomfortably, glancing around nervously. "And can you keep it down? If these guys find out who I am, they'll probably tear me limb from limb."

"Why? You're a hero, aren't you? Isn't that a good thing?" Barnaby frowned as Kotetsu shook his head miserably. "...it's not? But you just said..."

"There are favorites among the heroes. There are people who are loved by everyone, for some reason or another." Kotetsu swirled his drink moodily, glaring sullenly at it. "...And then there's me."

"...Wild Tiger?" Barnaby whispered. Kotetsu hunched his shoulders and nodded.

"You see? Even though you're new here, you know. It doesn't matter what I do, how I try to change my way of doing things, I always end up pissing someone off. Nobody takes me seriously, and I don't have anyone to blame but myself." he rested his forehead in his hand, avoiding Barnaby's eyes. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm even still in this damn city."

"So why don't you quit?" the blond asked softly, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Wouldn't it be easier to just quit?"

"...Yes." Kotetsu smiled wryly. "But if I did that, my family would say I'd brought shame upon them. My best friend would probably shun me forever. And I'd be breaking my promise. I can't break any promises. I swore I would always keep my promises. Another gin'n'juice, please?" he added in a louder voice.

"Promise?"

"Yes. Can we not talk about it, anymore? It's... not a good topic for me." he gulped his drink and rubbed his forehead wearily. "Damn... that's enough for tonight. I'd better stop..."

"Talking, or drinking?" Barnaby asked, surprised.

"No, silly, breathing." Kotetsu pulled a face at him. "Both of them. My boss will probably kill me anyway, for saying so much, and my daughter will hate me for going to a bar after she expressly forbid me to. Dammit! Stop looking so innocent, it makes me want to talk!" he slid off his stool and flung a couple dollars on the bar. "Keep the change," he told the bartender shortly, "Good night, Jose."

"Always a pleasure, Kotetsu." Jose replied with a smile, sliding the notes towards himself. Barnaby made a noise of protest and tucked a few dollars of his own under his glass before following Kotetsu to the exit.

"Wait, please. I didn't mean to pry-"

"Of course you didn't. If you did, you would have been more subtle." Kotetsu rubbed his temples, wincing as the first wave of dizziness hit. "Look, I need to go home. I'm buzzed, and I've told you too much. Can you please leave me alone?"

"No. I don't want to." Barnaby stepped forward suddenly and hugged Kotetsu, resting his head against his shoulder. "You might be the most hated hero," he breathed, "But you're certainly not the ugliest."

"Um." Kotetsu felt himself flush as he smelled the alcohol on Barnaby's breath. "You've already been drinking, haven't you? Get off of me, this is embarrassing. We're in public, you know."

"We don't have to be." Barnaby raised his head and smiled into Kotetsu's eyes. "Would you like to come home with me?"

"N-no, not particularly," Kotetsu stuttered, but something below his concious mind was telling him that yes, he did want to. He wanted to go somewhere that didn't reek of beer, fried rice, and failure. He wanted to be with someone other than Ben, or his fellow heroes. He wanted to forget about life, if just for a little while. Even if that meant having to have sex with a stranger.

"You're lying," Barnaby observed, smile transforming into a smirk. "You do want to come home with me."

"So? What does it matter?" Kotetsu muttered, glancing around nervously. The street was dark and deserted so far, but that didn't mean it would stay that way. If only they could duck into an alley to continue this conversation, or something... "We shouldn't. We shouldn't even be talking."

"What does it matter?" Barnaby echoed. "You've talked to me. I like how open you are. Also, you are very attractive at the moment. So will you come stay the night or do I really have to go home alone and unsated?"

"I..." Kotetsu hesitated and swallowed, hard. "I... I guess... it doesn't really matter, does it?" he muttered, relaxing slightly as Barnaby nuzzled his neck.

"No. It doesn't."

~~~\0/~~~

Kotetsu was still in a bit of a daze at the suddenness of everything (he wasn't used to one-night stands) when Barnaby started kissing him. He fell against the wall and let him, returning the favor the best he could. Perhaps those few beers before he went to the bar had been a bad idea...

"Mmm... waitaminute, waitaminute," he mumbled, pulling away reluctantly, "Isn't this a corporate building? You really live here?"

"Yes." Barnaby kissed him again, seemingly okay with explaining while making out. "My uncle got me a job here. My apartment is up on one of the top floors."

"Oh... okay. Mmph, hold up, one more question." he rested his head on Barnaby's shoulder, trying to catch his breath. "Ah... sh-shouldn't we get to said apartment before d-doing this?"

"What? Kissing? No, it's fine. The guards and I have an... understanding." He ran his fingers through Kotetsu's hair, smiling as the older man shuddered and moaned faintly. "But maybe we should get going..."

They practically fell into the elevator, but this time Kotetsu pushed Barnaby up against the wall, and he liked that. He liked being in control, for once. He liked feeling the other's arms around his neck, their mouths and hips grinding together, the heat pounding through his whole body and radiating off of Barnaby. He'd forgotten how good it felt to be turned on.

Reaching Barnaby's apartment was made difficult by the fact that they were still lip-locked, and their eyes were closed (at least Kotetsu's were), and at least one of them was always getting weak at the knees. Finally, though, they were pressed up against a door, and Barnaby was fumbling a combination on the number pad. Kotetsu pulled away for a second, to catch his breath again, and Barnaby pressed his thumb against a scanner, causing the door to slide open. They almost fell through; Kotetsu yelped, and Barnaby grabbed the door frame, laughing as Kotetsu clung to him for a moment longer, so he could be sure his feet were placed securely. "You're pretty clumsy, aren't you?" he murmured in the older man's ear, making him shiver.

"Only when I'm standing up," he replied in a growl, kissing him hard. "I have it, ahhh, on good authority that, mmmph, I'm pretty damn coordinated lying down."

Barnaby's breath caught, and Kotetsu chuckled darkly, moving his attentions to the younger man's throat. "Oh- well- I guess I'll take your word for it," Barnaby gasped, as the door slid shut and they were enclosed in darkness.

Until a light flicked on, startling them.

Kotetsu looked up, surprised, and Barnaby gasped again. "Uncle Maverick! Um, ah, I-"

"My apologies, Barnaby." Mr. Maverick smiled serenely, ignoring the fact that the two men not ten yards away had, until a few seconds ago, been sucking each other's faces off. "I wanted to speak with you, but since you were not home, I let myself in. Who's your... friend?"

"Um," Kotetsu untangled himself from Barnaby and whipped off his hat. "Uh, I'm Kotetsu, sir. Kaburagi Kotetsu? I'm Wild Tiger."

"Ah. I see." Maverick's smile stretched further. "Yes, I remember you. I'm sorry to hear about the damage fines. What was the total, again? Seven million?"

"Only six," Kotetsu corrected him weakly, clutching his hat tightly to his chest. "And I never meant to break those airships."

"I never said you did." Maverick levered himself out of the chair he'd been sitting in and put his hands behind his back. "Barnaby, may I speak with you? Privately?"

"Ah..." Barnaby glanced at Kotetsu, who tried not to meet his eyes. "Um, yes. I suppose. In here..." he led the way to a room off from the main one. Maverick followed, still serene and unoffensive.

Kotetsu made his way to the single chair and flopped into it, feeling distinctly weak-kneed. Now that he wasn't in a fog of desire, he began to think about his and Barnaby's previous conversation, the one about heroes. The one in which he'd revealed the secret.

Why had Barnaby asked him such things? Why was he half-drunk when he entered the bar? Why had he invited Kotetsu back to his place? Why was Mr. Maverick apparently so close to him? Why, just why? So many questions, and he didn't know which to ask first, or when to ask them. He was so confused...

One thing, however, was certain; he had to tell Mr. Maverick about how he had told Barnaby that he was a hero. He had to. If he tried to hide it, it would come out eventually, and he'd be punished. Maybe if he explained now, they'd let him off lightly. Maybe. Did they punish heroes for revealing their identities to non-heroes? He'd have to ask Ben next time he saw him...

Next time he saw him.

Tomorrow.

He had work tomorrow.

"Oh... oh god," he whimpered, stumbling to his feet, "I've gotta go home, I've gotta go to bed, I've gotta wake up early and go to work and shit, I'm gonna have a hangover, I know I am-" he had just jammed his hat on his head and was reaching for the door when Barnaby and Maverick re-entered the room. Kotetsu yelped and jumped, snatching off his hat again.

"Leaving so soon?" Maverick chuckled. "Don't let me spoil anything! If you need me to, I can make your excuses to Agnes. She'll listen to me."

"Huh? Really?" Kotetsu stared at him, aghast. "But... I mean, I should be at work tomorrow, I can't be late or, or skip out, that'd just be... I mean..."

"It's alright." Maverick came forward and rested his hand on Kotetsu's shoulder, smiling. "I won't hold it against you if you're late. Sternbild won't either. Even heroes need to take a break once in a while." he removed his hand, nodded to Barnaby, and left, the door whooshing softly as it closed behind him.

Kotetsu let out the breath he'd been holding. Maverick was a rather intimidating and powerful presence in whatever environment he happened to be in. Barnaby cleared his throat, making him jump.

"Are you really leaving?" he asked softly, his eyes hidden in shadows, despite the light from the one lamp. Kotetsu swallowed hard. How in the world could someone look so cute and yet so dangerous at the same time?

"Um... well. I. I probably should." he twisted his hat nervously in both hands. "I mean, I've got work, and all. Agnes will want to kill me no matter if Maverick talks to her or not. And... and the others will probably be mad too..."

Barnaby strode forward suddenly, and Kotetsu unthinkingly shrank from him, bracing himself for a punch or a kick or a slap. Instead, he got a kiss.

"Please don't leave," Barnaby murmured into his mouth. "You haven't even seen the bedroom yet."

"Ah... well then. Um... o-okay, I guess I can stay." Kotetsu wrapped his arms around Barnaby's waist and hugged him tightly for a minute, leaning his forehead on his shoulder. "Just... just, can you please forget about me being a... a hero? I'm not supposed to tell. I don't think there are rules against it, but it's kind of unspoken that you're not supposed to."

"Why not?" Barnaby combed his fingers through Kotetsu's hair, kissing his ear softly. "Actually, no, don't answer. I don't want to talk anymore. Let's just... you know. Come on." he pulled out of Kotetsu's embrace and tugged him towards the bedroom. Kotetsu laughed hoarsely.

"What, you can flirt like a bitch in heat, but you can't say sex?" he asked, willingly following. Barnaby flushed and shook his head.

"No, it's not that... it's just, it sounds so vulgar. And I can't say 'make love' because that's more... more personal, more intimate than just... um..."

"Screwing someone you just met?" Kotetsu suggested. Barnaby shook his head again. "No, that sounds even more vulgar."

"Well, I can't think of anything else besides fuck and procreate, and since we're not making babies and fucking is when you're doing it with someone you don't want to do it with, neither applies." Kotetsu kissed Barnaby's wrist, smiling as he felt his pulse. "Hmmm... does 'doing it' work, d'you think?"

"Huh. Maybe." Barnaby stopped pulling him forward as they reached his bed. Even here, there were few personal effects, and the furnishings were sparse. The bed itself was a four-poster, with a canopy in some light color that Kotetsu couldn't make out. He stopped trying to when Barnaby unzipped his jacket and let it fall to the floor. "Do you need help undressing, old man?" Barnaby teased, smiling.

"No, thanks." Kotetsu flung his hat away and unbuttoned his vest, pulling off his tie at the same time. "I'm actually pretty good at it by now. It's the whole getting dressed in a tasteful way that gives me heartattacks." he liked talking constantly before sex. It helped fill awkward silences, and it gave him something to focus on. He didn't know why, but he was always embarrassed by removing his clothing in front of people. Once he was naked, he had no shame, but he didn't like the transition stage. It was an odd little quirk that Tomoe had often teased him about.

Barnaby had taken off his shirt, and Kotetsu tried not to stare as he shrugged out of his own. 'God, he looks like he's twelve,' he thought giddily to himself, 'Don't tell me he's actually gotten into that whole shaving your entire body trend? That's so weird! If he doesn't have pubes, I'm out of here, fuck the pretty face and sexy ass.'

"I hope I can find my clothes again in this mess," he commented sarcastically, "I can barely see the floor or walls, you've got so much junk in here."

Barnaby stepped towards him and undid his belt for him. "Yes, well, I like it dirty." he replied, and grinned. Kotetsu gulped, trying not to think of all the ways that could be thought of as sexual.

"D-do you, now?" he muttered, tugging on the waistband of Barnaby's jeans. "How interesting. I do too."

"That is perfect." Barnaby purred, leaning against him as Kotetsu slid his hands down the back of his jeans. "I think we'll do pretty well together, don't you?"

Kotetsu grinned down at him, the wild, adrenaline-filled grin that exposed his rather sharp canines and had given him his hero name. "Oh, yes, I do believe we will," he answered huskily, and devoured Barnaby's mouth.

~~~\0/~~~

"Hoy! Where have you been?" Antonio demanded, scowling at Kotetsu as he skidded through the door. "I thought you said you'd be here by seven!"

"I know, I know," Kotetsu sighed, tugging his vest straight, "I got held up. Well, not really, but I wasn't late of my own accord. Not really. Sort of?" He grinned apologetically as Antonio glared at him. "Oh, come on! I finally got laid last night, take pity on me!"

"MO! You went and had sex with someone who wasn't me?" Nathan gasped, appearing suddenly at Antonio's elbow, his hands flying to his face in an expression of horror. "Kotetsu-kun, how COULD you!"

"N-now, now, Nathan, it wasn't like that-" Kotetsu protested, reaching out to comfort the taller man, "He jumped me, I swear, and I was drunk and I wasn't thinking clearly-"

"You horrible man! How DARE you cheat on me!" Nathan howled, throwing himself away from Kotetsu, sobbing into the crook of his arm as he raced delicately away, bawling.

"No, wait! Nathan, come back!" Kotetsu fell to one knee, his expression desolate and pained. "I didn't mean it! Please come back! I swear I only love you!"

"You two are just so creepy..." Karina muttered as she passed. Antonio laughed as Kotetsu glared at her.

"Ah, you know she's right. Honestly, I don't even guess at what your relationship with him truly is, anymore." He hauled Kotetsu to his feet by the back of his collar. Wild Tiger sniffed disdainfully and brushed off the invisible dust.

"Idiot. It's obvious that we are soulmates. We are one body, one mind, one heart. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go change so I can get all hot and sweaty without ruining my good clothes." he swaggered towards the locker room, calling out in a drawl as he went "Nathan my love, come back to me! My soul yearns for you to be close by me again!"

Antonio shook his head and walked away, sighing heavily as a grin curled up with corners of his mouth.

Kotetsu felt very good today. Even if he did have a slight hangover, he was perfectly okay with that. Barnaby's company last night had been absolutely fantastic, and he did not regret a single moment of it. In fact, he had almost eagerly agreed to meet up with him again tonight, though he had felt guilty about blowing off Antonio and Nathan for the second night running. But that guilt was gone now.

He realized he was grinning giddily as he stretched, and tried to school his features into his usual slight scowl, but he just couldn't. He was actually HAPPY. This hadn't happened in years. Maybe he really did need to get laid more often. Maybe he should take Nathan up on his offer sometime... except Barnaby had certainly made it clear that he wanted to maybe extend things past a couple of nights in bed together.

Maybe it was just that someone had been truly nice to him for once.

He had friends among the heroes, sure. Ben was his best buddy, as well. But none of them were NICE. They all got exasperated with him, and they all always seemed at least a little disappointed in him. He didn't blame them. But Barnaby had been nice. He'd been kind, and friendly. That was something different. He hadn't gotten angry when Kotetsu confessed to having been married and being a father. That made him different from the others, who had all said "Why didn't you TELL us?" when the subject had finally come up.

Kotetsu was actually looking forward to today.

He bounced to his feet, unable to hide his grin and suddenly not caring, and headed for his favorite machine, humming to himself. He didn't know what tune it was, but he was sure it was some kind of love song that he'd heard on the radio as a kid. Either that or a heavy-metal song that his friend from highschool, Derek, had made him listen to. It didn't matter anyway. He wanted this feeling to last, though he knew, realistically, that it wouldn't. Hopefully it'd get him through to the next call from Agnes.

Keith stopped and stared as Kotetsu began to whistle as he worked. "Well, you're certainly in a good mood!" he announced, planting his hands on his hips. "What's got you so chipper this morning?"

"Oh, nothing," Kotetsu replied, ready to be nice even to Keith today. "Just stuff that happened last night."

"See? I told you he was a cad!" Nathan wailed, again popping up from out of nowhere, it seemed. Kotetsu immediately leapt to his feet and knelt before him, looking up imploringly.

"My darling! Hath thou returned to me? My love for you blooms eternal in my breast, this I vow! Forgive my disloyalty, for I hath been punished enough by the sadness in thy eyes!"

Keith's jaw dropped to the floor as Nathan turned away, sobbing. "No! Speaketh not to me, foul cad! You hath torn my heart in two, and that, I shall never forgive! Beat my body, break my bones, bend my mind, but do not harm my heart! I go now to seek a true man who shall love me truly! Begone, fiend of the underworld!"

"Sweet Nathan, dear Nathan-"

"Speaketh not!"

"I meant only to relieve the pain of mine own despair! Sweet lover, how canith I regain your trust? Only speak it, and it shall be done!"

"First, stop talking like you're from a Shakespeare play," Pao Lin growled as she passed. "It's kind of annoying."

"Cruel wench! How dareth thee insult our love!" Kotetsu leapt to his feet and waved an invisible sword. "Engard! Come at me, foul demon!"

"My favor, brave knight," Nathan said gravely, handing over his towel. "Wear it beside your heart and think of me!"

"Always, my love," Kotetsu replied with the same gravity, slinging the towel around his shoulders like a cape.

Keith rubbed his eyes, hard, and turned back to staring as Kotetsu pretended to menace Pao Lin with a sword. She stuck her tongue out at him and skipped out of reach of his invisible thrust, while Nathan clasped his hands beneath his chin and wailed in a suitably maidenly way.

"When are they gonna just give it up?" sighed Karina as she stepped up beside him, shaking her head. "That joke is dead and rotting."

"Maybe they really feel that way?" Ivan suggested tentatively, also watching the show. "I always thought so."

"Nah, they're just playing around." Antonio assured them all, cracking his neck. "If Kotetsu was really flirting, you'd know it. Trust me. I went to school with him, I was there when he first discovered girls. No tact, that one. Anyway, if they don't stop by noon, it'll be a miracle. And if they start acting like this in costume, just make sure no civilians are around. Kotetsu HATES it when people he doesn't know watch him play-act."

"And why should we do that?" Karina demanded, frowning. "I say, if he doesn't like it, he shouldn't do it where people can see."

"Nathan usually starts it." Rock Bison rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "He'll start it, and Kotetsu will keep it going. Usually they lose interest after a few hours, but on a good day, they'll go on and on and on... once, Kotetsu even actually fought a duel with some girl who claimed to be Nathan's number one fan. He won, of course, since he was in kendo club all through school. But it's kind of their thing. They don't like stopping. It's a weird relationship."

"You're telling me," Ivan muttered, watching as Pao Lin got tired of the game and delivered a leaping kick to Kotetsu's chest. The man gasped dramatically and dropped his invisible sword, clutching his chest and staggering backwards.

"A mortal wound!" he wheezed, falling to one knee. "You hath slain me, noble warrior. Oh, the horror!"

"My love! No, it cannot be!" Nathan caught him as he fell backwards and knelt, cradling Kotetsu in his arms and sobbing. "This cannot be happening! O Lord! Please let this not be true!"

"No... my dear... do not cry for me..." Kotetsu coughed, raising one hand and touching Nathan's cheek. The pink-haired man grabbed his hand and sniffled. "Death... is not the end... you will find another..."

"No! No one but you! You are my one true love!"

"Peace, darling... I must go now..." he pulled his hand from Nathan's and reached for the ceiling, widening his eyes dramatically. "The light... it is so bright...! So beautiful...! I..."

He collapsed limply in Nathans arms, eyes rolling back in his head. Nathan howled his grief, which abruptly turned into laughter. Kotetsu grinned and sat up, shifting out of his friend's lap. "How was that? Better?"

"Best death scene yet! We really have to write this down or something." Nathan stood and pulled Kotetsu to his feet, taking the opportunity to kiss his forehead, ignoring his scowl. "Mo, I can't believe you weren't in drama as a child!"

"I wasn't. I just read a lot of Shakespeare and Dante and all that." Kotetsu pulled his hands out of Nathan's, turned to their audience, and performed a sweeping bow towards them. "Ladies and gentlemen, the show is over. Please enjoy the ten-minute intermission before the next scene, in which the brave knight is brought back to life and the maiden turns her back on him once again."

"What? You mean this goes on?" Keith gasped, eyes shining. "I must record this! My mother will be enthralled!"

Everyone stared at him. He stared back. "What? My mother is a fan of plays and drama. She'd love to see some improvised acting. And anyway, it's mother's day soon."

"...As long as it's just your mother," Kotetsu warned, pointing at him and narrowing his eyes. "I don't want you showing all your friends outside work and putting it up online and all that. I'd like to keep this a secret from Agnes, please. God knows she'd find a way to work it into the show, and this isn't a public type of thing."

"No, it most certainly isn't," Nathan agreed, nodding sagely. "I don't like sharing Kotetsu, anyway."

"Ahh, yes. About that..." Kotetsu looked down and rubbed the back of his head, shifting his weight nervously. "I think you're gonna have to start sharing..."

"WHAT! The maiden is displeased!" Nathan roared in a most un-maidenly way. "Is this the incident that made you late today?"

"Well... yes." Kotetsu sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "We'll talk about it later, but yes."

"What, did you finally manage to scrape up a girlfriend?" Karina muttered, turning away. "Shouldn't we all be preparing for if Agnes calls? We've only got a few more minutes of morning warm-ups before we have to work on the tough things, you know."

"She's right!" roared Keith, leaping forward, "My friends, I must ask you to announce when the next act comes on, for I will be too preoccupied to attend otherwise. Thanks, and thanks again!" with a bound and a leap and little bit of magical idiot stardust, Keith was across the room and madly pumping iron, his usual vigor returning at an explosive rate. Everyone exchanged glances.

"He'll calm down," Pao Lin sighed, "But until then, we should all get to work."

They all drifted to different stations, little chatter passing between them. They might all be friends to some extent, and certainly they could get along if they had to, but the minute they turned their backs, they were all rivals.

Kotetsu remembered this as he claimed a treadmill, but he didn't much care anymore, to be honest. He was perfectly alright with that. He remembered the man at the bar last night, the one who'd screamed for him to quit, and smiled. Maybe he would quit, someday. But not now. Not soon.

There was so much work to be done.

~~~\0/~~~

"Hey."

"Hey." Kotetsu grinned and slid onto the stool beside Barnaby, careful of the bruises all along the right side of his torso from yet another daring chase. "So, did you start without me?"

"Yes, but I haven't gotten very far." Barnaby gestured to the three bottles arrayed before him. "Grey Goose is half-price tonight. I've never had it."

Kotetsu shrugged and beckoned Jose over. "Me neither. Wanna try some?" he grinned again, trying not to show how impatient he was. His mood had soured after having an I-beam swung into his right side, and he was anxious to get his mind off of it, in any way possible. Barnaby smiled back.

"Sure. By the way, my uncle sent me an early release of that new movie that just came out. Do you want to come over and watch it with me tonight?"

~~~\0/~~~

Yupyup, writin' more Tig and Bun~

I kind of really love the images that go through my head when Kotetsu and Nathan start play-acting together. XD All I see is Nathan in a beautiful Victorian gown and Kotetsu in a French courtier's outfit, puffy shorts and all, posed dramatically, as if they were the stars in a ballet or dramatic Shakespearian play.

Can anyone say Romeo and Juliet LOLOLOLOLOLNO.

Also, um, I don't really like this story... and I'm only on chapter two, writing-wise, so please, do forgive me if it takes forever for a second chapter to come into being... ASDFGHJKL IT'S JUST SO CUTE IN MY MIND I HAD TO SHARE IT.

(*the world loves you!*)