The Wise Hare - Cp. 1

Blonde on brunette, quivering lips on dampening hair, gasps on fire. Hearts pounding like they had never  beat before. The music of flesh on flesh humming throughout a dark, shady rendezvous. The risk of being uncovered by the media, the thrill of the suddenness of it all, the everything perfect. The hard body on top of his own, the grizzly brown beard and the mature muscles sliding across his own – two washboards beating against each other. Pounding rhythms leaking from the back door of Hero's Bar, cheers sounding from inside as a busboy opens the door to throw away garbage. The monophonic beep of their call watches - both go unanswered.

“You're not supposed to do this to your co-worker,” the older breathed hard, his actions contradicting his words absolutely beautifully. “Shut up,” the younger rasped and knocked the hat off his head. “Since when did you want me so badly?” the older growled. The younger paused for only a moment - “None of your business...” he answered, “and since when did you care, old man?”

“None of your business.” the older of the two grinned. Barnaby's  young pulse quickened drastically. “But uh, hey listen, Bunny...” Kotetsu ventured, “can I get your autograph?”

The younger faltered, “Get my autograph?” he panted, “what do you need with that? Not another one for your daughter, is it?”

“Ugh!”

Barnaby's eyes shot open to see a young woman standing in front of the table with her eyes glistening – she looked as if she had seen Jesus walking. “E-excuse me?” Barnaby stammered, his heart  pounding as quick as a rabbits' against his ribs. The young woman's face scrunched worriedly, “I s-said, can I get your autograph, p-please, Mister Barnaby?” She took a step back as if she had offended the the Lord himself.

Barnaby blinked rapidly, clearing the dream away from his head – it terrified him. “Yes, of course.” he replied numbly, regaining his composure slowly but surely. He slipped a card from his coat and quickly sent her on her way with a signature and a hollow smile. “Sorry for waking you up, thanks again!” she called over her shoulder, falling to pieces as he caught her eyes. “No, thank you...” the blonde muttered to himself and caught the waiter on his way by.

As he jogged his way out the door toward his apartment, he could think only of talking to one other person about his nightmares – Samantha, his old house keeper and stand-in mother. The thought of her guidance warmed his spirits, and before he knew where he was headed, his legs had carried him like the wind to the front of his large apartment door. Slowly, he crept inside.

'I need a drink...' he thought to himself. He pulled out a bottle of beer and thirstily drank it down  down before  grabbing another and turning towards his comfy black chair by the window.

“What the hell was that, anyway...” he wondered briefly, his socks catching the rub below his feet. This was not the most graphic of his dreams about Kotetsu in the past. “I've known the guy for a year... why now have I been dreaming this … weird shit.' His skin crawled, 'I'm not even gay...”  

Raking his slim fingers through his hair, the six foot dream-God turned to sit down – as  a rasping knock came from the door. Ice rushed throughout Barnaby's brain like he had downed a quick Slurpee, and he could taste his own fear as a cat would. As a bunny would.

He gulped, half off the couch, looking for some nonexistent protection from this intruder – some protection from even so much as the couch cushions. 'Look at them,' he thought desperately, 'sitting there limp, no worries in the world!'

“Knock knock! I know you're in there, Bunny!”

'Shit,' The blonde cursed and sprang to his feet, panic rising fast from his gut. “O-one minute, Kotetsu!” he yelled shakily and ran towards the bathroom. He ripped open the medicine cabinet and took a look at himself in the mirror – the strain was all over his face. 'He'll know something's up - he always knows when something's up, damn him.' Quickly he flipped the sink on and showered his face with a rushed splash of water to rid of the shock. The deep, delightful voice at his door brought the dream back to the forefront of his mind all over again, chills crawling their bumpy way up his skin.

“I don't have all day, Brooks!” Came another assault from the door. Barnaby grabbed a towel on his way out and flew across the bare apartment to the door, the front of his hair was soaked. It took only the sound of Barnaby attempting to unlock the door before Kotetsu was impatiently rattling the knob.“S-Stop it!” Barnaby called shakily through the crack in the door and was soon on the verge of cardiac arrest as the other laughed even harder.

“I can't open the door, I'm serious!”

Kotetsu, figuring he had messed around long enough, dropped his hand from the knob. “What's wrong lil' bunny? Are you afraid of the big bad tiger outside your door?” he taunted airily, “Scared I'll eat you for breakfast!” the older man asked maliciously and scraped his fingernails hard down the door frame.

“Quit it!” Barnaby hollered, frustration and anger ringing out of his mouth like the most violent of trumpets. The panic in his voice was evident, and it left him standing there awkwardly vulnerable. His chest rose and fell irregularly, resentment written across his eyes for the fact that this mumbling dork was making him so shaky. “Just stop it with your joking around all the time.”

The noise died down on the other side of the door.“What's wrong Bunny? You okay?” Kotetsu's muffled voice asked through the door frame.

Barnaby seriously considered running away – considered maybe even jumping out the window - it would have been possible with the strength of his Hundred Power in effect. 'You know you're desperate when...'

The door swung open and there was Kotetsu, his partner in crime, his friend - his tiger. “Nothing's wrong.” Barnaby  lied instantly, his usual cold stare back in its place. “You just, uh...” Barnaby took a quick look up at his partner's face – he did not look convinced - “You scared me. The noise scared me.”

Kotetsu gave Barnaby a hard look up and down. Shining amber eyes burned through his own, through his outer shell, through his soul. 'How does he do that?' Barnaby wondered absently as his pulse quickened. Quickened... quickened. That word brought back his dream – that stare brought back his dream. Barnaby forced a gulp down, his eyes hard so not to betray his fright.

A fleeting moment traveled between the two partners that almost stopped Barnaby's poor little heart. Once again he found himself wondering, 'How does he do that?' but before he thought hard into it, Kotetsu was grinning and pushing his way past him. “Phew,” the tiger puffed out loudly, “Nothing serious, good, just made the bunny jumpy.”

'More than you know,” Barnaby fumed and swung the door shut. “I was busy before you barged in, what do you need here so late?” Kotetsu rummaged through the cold shelves of the fridge until he reached a freezing can of beer. “A place to crash,” he replied and cracked the lid open. “I was drinking near by and I can't drink and drive. It'd be a bad example.” he smiled and cross the room.

“H-Hey!” Barnaby called and pointed to the ground. “Take your shoes off, you’re wrecking the carpet!” By now he was an unflattering shade of scarlet, (especially for blondes,) with anger, and took a step forward. Kotetsu froze and visibly swayed. “Oh sorry, Bunny.” he mumbled and brought his leg up untie his shoe.

Balance is a funny thing... especially when drunk. Barnaby took a fleeting moment to observe what a great Leaning Tower Of Pisa Kotetsu would have made – had Kotetsu stopped at just swaying. But shortly after lifting his leg, (which also included grumbling and a hiccup,) he began to lean too far forward, and in no time at all his hands were reaching out for anything to grab. Barnaby danced soberly out of the way and shook his head, flustered. 'Oh brother...'

“T-tis but a flesh wound...” Kotetsu laughed tipsily and pulled himself onto his bottom. “Kaede's got me playing too many video games lately.” he grinned and slapped the floor with his right hand. 'That's from a movie, doofus...' Barnaby rolled his eyes pointedly. “I'll just sleep on the floor,” Kotetsu called, “ Really, it's no big deal.”

And then Kotetsu turned his sun kissed face up to Barnaby's, and then he smiled the most genuine smile one single man could ever possibly hope to see in his life, and then Barnaby's wall crumbled. And then it crumbled. Crumbled straight to the ground. The blond closed his eyes for half a second, forcing himself to quit the replay of Kotetsu's happy face in his mind. To quit it. To be mad once more. 'If I let him off too easy, he'll think he can do this anytime. This isn't a homeless shelter for drunks.'  He opened his green eyes slowly to see that the other had flopped over, his hat rolling half way across the room.

“I never said you could stay here...” Barnaby muttered and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose angrily. Kotetsu cradled his head under his arm and stared up at the ceiling, a somber kind of emotion washing over the others face. “You're not much older than Kaede...” he commented to himself.

'No not at all, only ten years or so...'

Barnaby left the other alone, headed in the direction of the bedroom. Hastily he rummaged through his garage-sized closet for an extra blanket and pillow. He was lucky to find one, for since he had been alone all his life with no mother or father or sibling, he barely had extra of anything lying around. 'Nothing except for extra space...'

While he made his way back, he stopped to look at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was shocked to find a small smile on his lips where a frown had dominated only seconds ago. He blinked a few times, his long eyelashes stimulating the top of his cheekbones. 'He's like no one I've ever met before.'

He's like no one I've ever met before.