The midday sun shined bright on the steps of Sternbild's local hospital as Barnaby Brooks Jr. sat, leaning against the railing; feeling the warms rays on his face.

It had been nearly 4 months since Hugan and Mugan's attack on the heroes of Sternbild and those injured in the fight were finally making their final steps to recovery, the original buddy hero team being among the recovered.

"Sorry, Bunny!" A voice called out from behind the young N.E.X.T.

Barnaby turned to see his partner, Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, otherwise known as the hero Wild Tiger, descending the stairs of the hospital while fumbling with his jacket and trying to carry two bottles of water. He smirked and stood, walking up to his partner and grabbing one of the bottles of water out of Kotetsu's arms, "Can you try to take it easy for once, Kotetsu? We barely got cleared for release."

Kotetsu finished putting on his jacket and smiled, "I know, I just can't help it, I'm so excited. We're finally going to get those drinks!" The older hero said happily, practically skipping past Barnaby. "To think, it took those two psychos to get us to finally get some time to do this." As Kotetsu descended the stairs, with Barnaby on his heels, both heroes fell silent.

The fight against Hugan and Mugan was a brutal one, probably the most fierce battle they had ever experienced since they fought Jake all those years ago. Kotetsu and Barnaby nearly lost their lives, along with all the other heroes of Hero TV. The fight was long, and many feared that this would be the end for all of Sternbild's heroes, but in the end justice reigned supreme. The true fate of Hugan and Mugan was a mystery as they were later discovered dead, but Agnes had forbidden the heroes to investigate for the time being. Something about it being 'out of their jurisdiction'.

Kotetsu and Barnaby walked along the bustling streets of Sternbild, stopping to take selfies and sign autographs for fans, both silently musing to themselves.

"So uh," Kotetsu said, breaking the silence, "where were you thinking of grabbing drinks, partner?"

Barnaby turned to Kotetsu, "I thought you would have an idea in mind, considering this was your idea in the first place, Kotetsu."

The duo went silent again.

"It's kinda early for the bars to be open," Kotetsu mumbled to himself, scratching his beard.

A soft smile appeared on Barnaby's face as he watched Kotetsu grumble to himself, racking his brain for an appropriate spot for their long awaited 'drinks night'. Kotetsu was loud, and brash, but he always tried his best to be considerate of those around him, even if he managed to achieve the exact opposite in the process. That was always something Barnaby admired about the older hero.

"How about we just go to my place?" Barnaby offered, swinging the water bottle in his hand.

Kotetsu's grumbling faded into a look of shock as he turned to his young partner. He walked a few steps ahead of Barnaby to stand face to face with the younger hero. "That's a great idea Bunny!" he exclaimed, eyes practically sparkling with excitement. "We can stop by the supermarket and pick up some ingredients, and I'll cook us some dinner while we drink!"

Barnaby scoffed and walked past Kotetsu, "If anyone is cooking it'll be me. If you're left in charge we'll be eating nothing but fried rice."

"Hey, you love my fried rice. Better yet, why don't you make the fried rice? I'll be able to see if you've improved from last time," Kotetsu added, catching up to Barnaby. He chuckled, "I still can't believe I actually got to see perfect Lil' Bunny get so nervous that he burned the rice."

Barnaby's cheerful faced soon faded to a scowl, "Maybe we should reschedule these drinks after all," he said, picking up his pace and speeding away from Kotetsu.

Kotetsu felt a sinking feeling in his gut, same as any time Barnaby got upset with him. "Hey, you know I was just messing with you, right Bunny? Hey? Bunny?!" Kotetsu cried as he chased after his grumpy partner.

A few hours later

Kotetsu and Barnaby approached Barnaby's apartment, arms filled with grocery bags. "I'm not sure how many people you're planning to feed with all this food, Kotetsu," Barnaby said, as they neared the door.

"You said I couldn't just make fried rice, and I got a bit carried away thinking about other options," Kotetsu retorted from behind his grocery bags.

Barnaby sighed and opened his apartment door with a chipper, "I'm home," and held the door open for Kotetsu.

The older hero was momentarily confused. 'Did Bunny ever mention living with someone? Did he get a roommate?"Kotetsu's questions were soon answered as Barnaby removed the groceries from Kotetsu's arms and his grocery bag-free vision was greeted with an apartment covered head to toe with plants of all sizes and species. "Uh, Bunny, did you turn your apartment into a greenhouse or something?" he asked, eyes darting around the room, trying to take everything in. There was barely a surface, wall of part of the ceiling that wasn't covered in some kind of greenery. He couldn't help but wonder what had inspired Barnaby to take up gardening.

Barnaby returned from the kitchen, looking around his apartment, "I thought it would liven the place up a little. You were always complaining about how empty my apartment was."

'But isn't this a little overkill?" Kotetsu thought to himself, though the thought was quickly overshadowed by the realization that Barnaby had actually listened to him and taken his advice for once. He looked over at Barnaby, who was busily watering his plants and whispering to them, ready to make a comment about how the younger hero never listened to him any other time. Just as he opened his mouth Kotetsu noticed the happy expression on his partner's face and a small smile creeped onto his features. It wasn't often he saw Barnaby genuinely happy, and if these plants brought his partner joy, that was alright with him.

Kotetsu rolled up his sleeves and made his way to the kitchen, "If you're busy with the plants, I'll get started on dinner."

"I'll be done in a few minutes and then I can help," Barnaby offered, which got him a wave of dismissal from Kotetsu.

"Don't worry about it partner, you can rely on me for this. You just worry about your plants," Kotetsu finished, disappearing into the kitchen. He looked out at the many grocery bags on the counter and placed a hand on his chin. 'Now, what to make for Bunny?' he thought to himself. Kotetsu's specialty was making his signature fried rice, but he felt that was too plain for his and Barnaby's long awaited night of drinks. The older hero's eyes drifted to the mountain of grocery bags, 'I could always try something fancier' he mused. Then again, Kotetsu's definition of fancy and Barnaby's were so different they might as well be on opposite planets.

Before Kotetsu had even realized, Barnaby had finished watering his plants and was now staring at his lost-in-thought partner with mild amusement. "So, are we eating anytime this century?" the blond asked, a small chuckle in his voice.

Kotetsu's attention immediately went to Barnaby, fighting an embarrassed blush from showing on his face. He rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a small chuckle of his own, "I know we bought all these groceries, but I gotta be honest with you Bunny," Kotetsu paused as he reached into one of the many bags and pulled out a bag of rice, "all I'm really good at is fried rice."

Barnaby smiled softly, adjusting his glasses. It's not like he hadn't seen this coming, he knew his partner's excitement gets in the way of his rational thought. He took off his jacket, hanging it on a nearby chair and pulled a hair tie out of his pocket. "Can't be helped, you make your fried rice, and I'll make something to eat with it. I'm sure I can figure something out with all the food you bought," he said, tying his hair up as he moved to the counter full of items.

A smile formed on Kotetsu's face and he gave a cheerful thumbs up, "Sounds good to me, partner!"

The duo set to work on their separate dishes, Kotetsu making fried rice like it was second nature to him and Barnaby crafting together a light soup to pair with it. They worked as well in the kitchen as they did in the field, moments of great partnership paired with endless banter and arguing. Yet somehow, they managed to make their dinner within an hour.

As the two were finishing up their separate dishes Barnaby suddenly paused, standing completely motionless as his soup threatened to boil over. Quick to notice, Kotetsu shoved his partner aside and turned off the burner, removing the pot from the heat source and covering it with a lid. "Bunny, what happened to you? We nearly lost half our dinner!" Kotetsu said, wiping sweat from his brow.

Barnaby's glasses were covered in steam, hiding the younger hero's eyes. "I don't have a table," he finally said, which only earned him a confused look from Kotetsu. "Well, I do have a table, but it's only big enough for me and-" Barnaby cut himself off, seeming lost in thought. "Anyway," he continued, "we prepared this dinner but I'm not sure where to eat it now."

The two stood in silence before Kotetsu let out a small laugh. "It's not the end of the world Bunny," he said as he turned and started rifling through Barnaby's cabinets to find dishes to serve the food on, "worst case scenario, we eat on the floor."

Barnaby scowled, "I don't think the situation is so dire we'd have to resort to eating on the floor," he grumbled, pushing past Kotetsu to get to the cabinet that held his dining ware, "And I don't recall giving you permission to rifle through my cabinets either." Now that his face was hidden from view, Barnaby let a small smile creep onto his face. Kotetsu was always one to find the positive despite any situation, not that having no table was a world ending problem. Either way, Barnaby started to realize how much Kotetsu's relentless optimism truly affected him.

Meanwhile, Kotetsu decided to head into the main room and find a suitable place for the duo to eat. It was hard not just because Barnaby didn't own a proper table, but also due to almost every other surface in the apartment being covered by plants. "Hey Bunny," Kotetsu called over his shoulder, "how comfy are your floors?"

20 minutes later

"And that's when Antonio and I decided to sneak off the the Hero Academy," Kotetsu laughed, placing an empty dish beside him. "Our parents nearly wrung our necks when they found out what we had done." The older hero finished his story with a sigh, swirling the can of beer in his hand as the liquid inside sloshed around.

Barnaby sat silently next to him, slowly drinking a glass of rose wine. He recalled earlier, when they were setting up their dinner on the floor of Barnaby's apartment and the younger hero had been left to bring out the drinks. He had reached into the fridge expecting to pull out nothing but beer, since that was all he had ever seen Kotetsu drink, but was surprised to find a bottle of rose wine.

Kotetsu had poked his head around the corner and Barnaby recalled the worried expression on his partner's face as he asked if Barnaby was upset at the wine choice, to which Barnaby had replied that he was not and instead asked for a hand in bringing out the drinks.

'I don't remember telling him that I liked rose wine' he thought, swirling the drink in his glass. He gaze fell onto his partner, who was busily cracking open another can of beer tossing the empty one he had into an ever growing pile behind him. Barnaby scowled, thinking how he was most likely going to be the one to clean that up later, but it's not like it was anything new to him. Oddly enough he had gotten used to cleaning up after the older hero, and he didn't mind it.

"Did I ever tell you that I liked rose wine?" Barnaby asked, the question burning a hole in his brain. His partner wasn't the type to just randomly guess people's likes or preferences, and he had to know why the beer-loving Kotetsu had bought wine.

The noise of a beer can opening followed Barnaby's question as Kotetsu took a quick swig of the drink. He exhaled sharply after finishing his sip and placed the can beside him, staring up at the ceiling. "Well," the older hero started, "I wasn't really sure what you liked to drink, so I went around asking the others about what you might liked." Kotetsu laughed and scratched his nose, "Most of them had no clue, but Nathan was the one that gave the best idea. They said that I should check one of your interviews, saying something like 'Interviewers ask all sorts of questions, his favourite drink has to be one of them'." The hero smiled, "So I did." Kotetsu went on to say that he went through many magazines and articles, hunting down interviews to find the answer to his question, until he finally found it. "In the interview I found it just said you preferred wine but I remembered last time I was here I saw a bottle of rose wine in your fridge, so I figured that was a safe choice," Kotetsu finished with a smile, looking over to his partner, "I'm glad I was right."

Barnaby stared blankly at Kotetsu. He had done all that, just to figure out what Barnaby liked to drink? The younger hero chuckled as he placed his glass to his lips, "If only you were this serious about your actual work," he remarked, taking a sip of wine. For some reason, it tasted even better than before now.

Kotetsu scoffed, "I am serious about my work, just less so paperwork," he mumbled, laying down on his back.

"And who's fault it is that you have so much paperwork," Barnaby retorted, finishing off his wine and getting ready to pour himself another.

The older hero sat up, pointing an angry finger at Barnaby, "Hey, you don't get the name 'Crusher of Justice' without crushing things in the name of justice!" In a huff, Kotetsu turned away from his partner and picked up his beer can, chugging the rest of the drink and quickly reaching for a replacement. "You're starting to sound like you did back when we started being partners," he muttered under his breath.

He hadn't been as quiet as he had thought though, as the remark he made earned him a frown from Barnaby. Before the blond could retort, Kotetsu loudly put down his beer can and turned to Barnaby. "Can I ask you something, Bunny?"

Slightly shocked, Barnaby simply replied, "Sure, I don't see why not." This was odd for Kotetsu. He was normally pushy and always trying to get into Barnaby's business without asking permission, so it felt odd that his partner was genuinely asking him something for once.

"Why did you come back?" Kotetsu asked, simply. Barnaby furrowed his brow. "Don't get me wrong," Kotetsu continued, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, "I like being your partner and I'm glad you're still a hero, it's just a little thing that's been bothering me. You got your revenge and everything, and I know you've said it before that you want to help people but-" the older hero cut himself off, frantically running his hands through his hair. After a few moments of silence, Kotetsu sighed, "I guess what I'm really trying to ask is why did you choose to be my partner again? You probably could've had a spot back in the First League if you'd asked, since it was still near the beginning of the season. You didn't have to join the Second League."

That took Barnaby by surprise. He'd never expected Kotetsu to ask such a personal question, especially one concerning himself. Everyone at HeroTV knew that as much as Kotetsu encouraged others to open up and express themselves, he was never one to follow his own advice. The only ones who really had an inkling of Kotetsu's personal life was Barnaby and Antonio. Maybe the alcohol was making him loosen up with his personal feelings.

Barnaby faced forward, holding his wine glass with both hands and staring at his reflection in the liquid. A small laugh escaped his lips, "I knew if I left everything to you, Sternbild might not be standing anymore."

"Bunny," Kotetsu said sternly.

The younger hero looked up to see Kotetsu staring him down. His partner was waiting for a serious answer.

Barnaby sighed, placing his wine glass to the side. "If I'm being honest, I'm not really sure myself," he replied. "When I started being a hero, I was only concerned about revenge. Nothing else mattered. I wasn't there to make friends, I became a hero to get myself into the public eye and catch the attention of my parents' murderer." His gaze drifted over to Kotetsu, who appeared to be hanging on to his every word. "And then I became your partner."

Back then, Barnaby had thought it might as well be the end of the world, being partnered with the uncontrollable Wild Tiger. Their personalities clashed, they didn't listen to each other and they always seemed to be butting heads about some issue, whether it be on the job or in their personal lives.

"After the fight with Jake, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest, however temporary that was," Barnaby continued, running a hand through his hair. "Back when my real memories were coming back, you did your best to help me, despite what you were going through with your powers. And when I found out that you were quitting, I acted selfishly."

Kotetsu frowned, "Well, it's also my fault for putting it off for so long," he mused.

"Regardless, I shouldn't have acted the way I did. Yet, looking back, I was less mad that you were keeping it from me, and more mad about the fact that you were leaving," Barnaby added.

After so many years of distancing himself from others and only relying on Samantha and Maverick, Kotetsu came barreling into his life, trying to forcibly break down the walls he had so desperately built around himself. When he had learned Kotetsu was going to quit being a hero, it struck something deep within Barnaby. It felt like he was being abandoned, that Kotetsu didn't trust him enough to tell him anything, that he was going to lose someone important to him all over again.

"You helped me learn what it meant to be a true hero, and you stayed by my side and believed in me no matter what," the younger hero said, as he felt his chest tighten, "You were always there to support me, even when I tried to push you away."

Their rocky beginning, Jake, Maverick, the Second League, and countless squabbles in between, the Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr. duo had seen its fair share of problems, yet their partnership was stronger than ever. Neither was sure how they lasted this long, but it was because of how well they worked together that the Buddy System had been put in place and it seemed to be working for all the heroes.

"I once made a promise to someone," Kotetsu mused, laying on the ground and folding his hands behind his head. Barnaby turned to look at his partner, who seemed oddly serious for once. "I promised them no matter what, I would never stop being a hero," the older hero continued, "and honestly, I was planning on doing this gig until the day I kicked the bucket." He paused to chuckle, then resumed his serious expression. "When my powers started fading, and I was told that I had the potential to lose them for good, I got scared. I wouldn't be able to keep my promise anymore. But it wasn't all bad, I'd be able to spend more time with Kaede, I could help my mom..." he trailed off, staring blankly at the ceiling. "That time spent in my hometown, I think I wasn't really happy. And I think Kaede could tell the most, that's why she told me I wasn't cool, to get me back into being a hero."

Barnaby could only listen in stunned silence. Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, the man known for being the least open about his personal life, was be completely open with Barnaby. A sense of pride welled up in Barnaby's chest, thinking that his partner had come to trust him so much, until his eyes drifted to the pile of beer cans next to Kotetsu that was taking up its own space on the floor and thought maybe alcohol had something to do with how open Kotetsu had become.

"Ah, whatever," Kotetsu said as he waved his hand in the air, "I'm sure you're tired of listening to an old man's problems. What are kids into these days? Let's talk about that!" The older hero let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes, "You got a girl you like?"

"No," the younger hero replied immediately, without even thinking.

"Wow, not even a crush?" Kotetsu continued to pry. "You're still pretty young, and its not like there's any shortage of girls looking to date the handsome hero Barnaby Brooks Jr," he said, rolling onto his side and poking Barnaby's arm.

"I'm not really interested in dating," Barnaby said, taking a sip of his wine. The silence between the two became deafening.

"Alright then, what about what you would look for in a person?" Kotetsu asked, resting his head on his hand, "I'm sure you know by now I'm completely obsessed with that actress I've been seeing in my dreams, I buy all her magazines." He smiled as he recalled her wavy blond hair, how whenever she played a character with glasses they framed her face perfectly, she almost reminded him of Barnaby.

Barnaby mentally rolled his eyes. He had never really taken the time to focus on a love life, since he had lived only for revenge. Now that he no longer had that, he had devoted himself entirely to being a hero. Between his packed schedule of interviews and photoshoots, field work and taking care of his plants, Barnaby didn't see the need to bring someone into his life. He had Kotetsu already-

The blond's eyes widened. 'I already have Kotetsu?' he questioned himself. What did he mean by that? Kotetsu was his partner, they spent so much time together that having him near Barnaby felt completely natural. Everyone always said they argued like a married couple but that didn't mean that they really acted like... or did they? Barnaby's brain began spiraling as this newfound revelation branched out into more and more thoughts. But it all culminated when Barnaby remembered how he felt when they fought H-01, how he felt as he held Kotetsu's limp body in his arms, fearing the worst. It was that day that Barnaby decided that he would do whatever it took to be someone that could protect others. He would never let anyone get hurt as long as he could prevent it. Especially, someone he cared about.

"Kotetsu, I-" Barnaby started but was interrupted by the sound of crashing beer cans. He immediately leapt to his feet, only to see a sleeping Kotetsu. Apparently the older hero had passed out and crashed into the pile of beer cans he had amassed, leaving small traces of beer everywhere.

The younger hero softly smiled and shook his head, he had known he was going to have to clean everything up. He knelt beside Kotetsu and grabbed his partner's shoulder, gently shaking him. "Kotetsu? Kotetsu!" he said, trying his best to wake his partner, with no luck. With a sigh he gave up, staring at Kotetsu's sleeping face.

*ba-dump*

Barnaby's face flushed and he quickly turned away from Kotetsu. He still didn't know what to call these feelings he had for Kotetsu, but it was something he would rather keep to himself for the time being. He fanned his face and turned back to Kotetsu, scooping up the older hero in his arms. "You really have gained some weight, partner," Barnaby chuckled, imagining Kotetsu scolding him for his comment. Aside from his comment, Barnaby picked up his partner with ease and carried him to the bedroom. He placed the sleeping Kotetsu on his bed and pulled the covers over him. Barnaby stood in the darkness of the room, watching over Kotetsu. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair out of the sleeping hero's face, which caused Kotetsu's face to scrunch up and the hero rolled away from Barnaby's touch.

Barnaby merely shook his head and smiled, leaving the room to go clean up their mess. He would deal with his feelings on his own, no need to drag Kotetsu into it until he figured it out.

The Next Morning

Kotetsu yawned as he rubbed his eyes, though his peaceful awakening was soon interrupted by a pounding headache. 'Wow, I haven't been hungover in a long time' Kotetsu thought, massaging his temples. He looked around the room, not recognizing his surroundings. "Wait a second," he mused, "am I in Bunny's room?" The alcohol fog covering his brain seemed to clear immediately, as a wave of embarrassment washed over him. He couldn't believe he passed out in front of Barnaby on their long-awaited drinks night, not to mention it seemed that he had hogged Barnaby's bed, considering the younger hero was nowhere in sight.

He quickly scrambled out of the bed and made his way to the main room. Kotetsu found his partner, sound asleep on the lounge chair in the main room. Walking over to his partner he noticed that the younger hero had fallen asleep with his glasses on. 'It's probably uncomfortable' Kotetsu realized, 'Barnaby wouldn't mind if I took them off and placed them on the table, probably'. Without giving it much of a second thought he walked up to Barnaby as quietly as he could, and reached for his glasses. As Kotetsu's fingers brushed up against the frames on either side of Barnaby's face, his eyes groggily opened.

"Hey Bunny," Kotetsu said, surprised, "Sorry for waking you and taking up your bed, I can help you-" the older hero was cut off by Barnaby reaching around and grabbing the back of Kotetsu's head. He leaned up and the two were quickly locked in a kiss.

Kotetsu's eyes widened in shock, too stunned to move as he stared into Barnaby's tired eyes. Suddenly, Barnaby's expression matched Kotetsu's and he quickly released the older hero, scrambling to his feet. "Kotetsu what... I can explain," Barnaby started, approaching his partner. As he opened his mouth to continue speaking, the duo's wrist comms went off.

The sound of beeping was the only thing in the room as the partners stared at each other, motionless.

"We should... probably see what Agnes wants," Kotetsu offered. Barnaby did not reply. "I'll um... see you on the field," he finished as he calmly made his way to the door. Kotetsu left, gently closing the door behind him, leaving Barnaby alone.

The younger hero sank to his knees in shock. Did he really just do that? Did he kiss Kotetsu? Barnaby placed two fingers on his lips, remembering the feeling the kiss. It had tasted of beer, yet Barnaby thought it was the sweetest thing in the world. He chuckled, placing his head in his hands as the comm on his wrist blared endlessly.

"I'm in love with Kotetsu," he sighed. This was going to be a very awkward work day.

A/N: Hello all, what better way to start Pride Month than with a Tiger & Bunny fanfic? Also sorry if this seems a little rough. I hit a major slump in life and took a looooong break from writing (a few years now) and it might take me a while to get back into the groove. But watching the new season of Tiger & Bunny after waiting for so many years gave my the inspiration I needed to get back into writing. I'm not sure whether to leave this as a one shot or to fully develop it, so let me know in the comments.

Thank you all for reading! And remember to stay safe!