bunnylovebrooks:

BunnyloveBrooks: @bunnylovebrooks

flamboyantflame:

After nodding and quickly running out of the room, Nathan followed Barnaby’s instructions and located the freezer to grab an ice pack. He then spent a few minutes rumaging around in the bathroom, searching for a…

Nathan could only blink, almost dumbfounded, at how… openly affectionate Kotetsu was being all of a sudden! But just as he thought, the belligerant man was more than fond of his partner. This went past a silly little flittering crush.

What Kotetsu was saying showed how deeply this ran, and only further proved to Nathan that it was really important he did something about it. Before it messed him up even more…

So even though this wasn’t the ideal way for Barnaby to find out (not that his own methods were much better), at least he finally knew and things were going in a direction, of sorts.

“Ah…” Nathan cleared his throat, suddenly feeling incredibly like a third wheel. Like he was interrupting something. Like… he should just go.

“I-I’ll… GO MAKE SOME TEA!” he beamed with a sudden, giant smile. And without even waiting for a response he briskly left the room. Because it seemed like those two needed a minute or so.

Tora:

Tiger felt the pull on his wrist, his face was flushed and his skin was red all along the base of the shadow of where his hand fell. He momentarily allowed Barnaby to pull his hand away from the area of his face he had struck… and Bunny got a full on look for just a moment, and he could see it was turning darker shades of red. The impact wasn’t swelling, the blood flow was increasing because he slammed his nose hard.

What was the problem was-

He put his hand back on his face roughly and turned his head away.

“‘M okay-‘sokay….”

There was nothing to see here, nothing had happened, Tiger wanted to not be touched, but he needed to to be examined. He had allowed Bunny a peak but was now avoiding allowing a show of his brutal stupidity.

“‘M fine…” He repeated…talking hurt his jaw, had he struck that too? He didn’t remember where he had hit his own head… what a glorious injury. His body was curled into itself- 80 percent of something you say is body language, 20 percent is what you say.

Right now 80 percent of Tiger just wanted to curl up and be forgotten until his nose felt better. He was growling incoherently when Bunny’s hand hovered closer and he refused to allow the other man, or Fire for that matter, get too close.

Being sober would have done wonders- too bad he just wasn’t.

After nodding and quickly running out of the room, Nathan followed Barnaby’s instructions and located the freezer to grab an ice pack. He then spent a few minutes rumaging around in the bathroom, searching for a first aid kit. But all he wound up finding was a small pack of band aids (curiously animal-print themed) and some disinfectant. Not entirely sure if either was needed since it was more of a collission than a wound, Nathan tore off one band aid from the pack (leopard print?) and hurried back to the outside of the bedroom.

But before rounding the door frame (which apparently liked attacking Wild Tigers) and entering, he hesitated for a moment. He saw Barnaby carefully tending to Kotetsu who, in part, was trying his best to resist it. And Nathan couldn’t help but inwardly sigh to himself. Those two… they complimented one another so perfectly. Nathan was convinced that the first sign to their compatibility was how they were able to adjust to being partners, something that is difficult between two men of different ideals. The rest of their sync seemed to follow effortlessly despite the usual bumps in the road of getting to know someone. They just worked so well together… and he hoped that everything could somehow end well for the both of them.

Finally stepping into the room, he hurried to Barnaby and handed him the ice pack. “Here handsome, hopefully this will be all he needs~”

toratoratiger:

Barnaby was talking- that’s what Barnaby did sometimes, it wasn’t often, but sometimes when Barnaby would talk Tiger just wouldn’t listen because- well because he was Bunny and sometimes Tiger just forgot he was graced with the priviledge of his presence and just ignored something that was said.

Bottom line was- is he missed it, so when Bunny told Nathan to stay out of it Tiger rushed in.

“I’ll tell him I love ‘em when ‘m good ‘n ready!” Was the words that left his mouth before he turned to walk out the door, side stepped-

realized…what he had said…

*BANG*

Tiger fell back, and dropped to his ass hard. A hand flying up to his face as he rolled his head back, he didn’t know what had just happened but his face was on fire, his nose felt like it was splitting in half… When he pulled his hand away he immediately placed it back on his face. Removing it left a throbbing sensation he didn’t much enjoy.

“Nnngh….” His left hand pressed to the carpet, his eyes felt heavier than normal. He had literally JUST walked into the door frame-talking and walking at the same time—-

Apparently that was a combo breaker.

On the verge of responding to Barnaby that he hoped everything would be, er, worked out soon by just of them (because Kotetsu’s well being was very important and Barnaby knowing the truth was equally critical), Nathan suddenly become incredibly startled as Kotetsu’s confession burst out into the open (mistakenly, he very much assumed!). Wide eyed, he looked from Kotetsu to Barnaby to Kotetsu again. Had he really just…?

“Ah…” The word was almost silent, followed by a slow inhalation as watched Kotetsu stumble. He really did just….!

But the shock barely settled in before it was replaced by alarm as Nathan saw the drunken man bash into the door frame. Seizing up, he rushed towards Kotetsu and knelt down, carefully taking a hold of his shoulders. “OH MY GOD!!! Love!!! Are you you okay?! What am I saying, you probably aren’t, you hit the frame so hard!!” He looked back at Barnaby with worry, because being drunk and face-bashing into things was never a good combination.

“Can you help him up? I’ll go get his first aid kit and something cold!”

Tora: His head was smashedinto the door, and he was trying his damn hardest to listen in on the conversation happening- when he caught wind of-

positive feelings towards me

positive feelings towards me

positive feelings towards me

Every single strand on the back of his neck stood up. If he was a cat- like his name implied, he would be floofed up beyond recognition.

Back room-

alone with Barnaby-

Hushed voices.

“Nathan you ASSHOLE!” Tiger lurched up, FELL into the door, and pressed his lips to the wood as he clawed the knob. Throwing the door open and practically tearing it off the hinges as he made his way forward. His amber eyes slit the pupils small and he marched up to Nathan and confronted him head on.

“Wut got you off eh?? EH!? Makin’ all my personal life ever’one’s business!?”

He side stepped and then pointed at Bunny. “If he is gonna figure out ‘s gonna be from me- Bunny has bigger thins ta tendin!!” -He jutted a thumb at himself, implying…that Tiger was the thing Bunny needed to attend to.

“Of course he has to have some positive feelings towards me. You can’t build a good partnership out of apathy or animosity.”

Nathan nearly gaped at Barnaby. Somehow he misunderstood the message Nathan was trying to explain. Oh, boys these days! (Although he innerly had to admit such ignorance was cute. Both Kotetsu and Barnaby were so innocent to the situation, which made Nathan flutter a little. They would suit each other so well!)

But right when he was about to clarify that said “feelings” were more of a romantic type, a voice boomed through the door.

“Nathan you ASSHOLE!”

And there was Kotetsu.

Shit.

“O-oh, uh-” Nathan had a very guilty smile. “H-hello love, I-” But he quickly stopped talking as Kotetsu stormed up to him.

“If he is gonna figure out ‘s gonna be from me- Bunny has bigger thins ta tendin!!”

“I…” Nathan swallowed the lump that had grown in his throat. “Well, I suppose… but,” he paused, very hesitant about asking his next question. But he really felt he had to. “Does that mean you are going to tell him then?”

Tora:

Tiger sat there, his face nuzzled into one of the crimson red pillows that plushed his house. The world was spinning, everything was comfy and feathers. His hands smashed into his chest in a comfy manner.

QUIET…silence…No noise…dead silence.

Static….static…lots of -

Wait…

“Bunn-eeeee….”

Bunny had been there, and he didn’t wasn’t here now, but so had Nathan, and now they were alone-

alone and talking together…

about?

Tiger ambled up from the couch, crawling over the back end, securing a hold on the edge, and crashing onto the floor gracelessly.

“That was the opposite of what I wanted…”

He pushed up from the ground, shot up to his feet, dusted himself off, and straightened, his wife beater and everything. Strode over to the door…..and knelt down against the edge and pressed his hands against it.

Noticed drooling on his pant leg just now.

Wow he could be more sober than this…

TRYTOBESOBER—-TRYHARD.

Safely away from the Wild Tiger, Nathan had to act quickly. Even though the Kotetsu was intoxicated, things could still get bad very fast if he found out what was going on. Mind racing with how to word this right, Nathan suddenly blinked as Barnaby was trying to react to… a big misunderstanding!

“OH!” Nathan yelped, holding up his hands and shaking them. “No no no! Handsome, you are lovely, but this isn’t about such a thing!” Even though not a lot embarrassed the Fire Emblem, he had just realized from the other man’s reaction that this looked very awkward whatwith Barnaby having to exclude his partner from this situation.

“This is about…” His voice dropped to a murmer, worried that somehow the man outside would overhear. He nodded at the door “…him. He… he showed up at my place the other day. He had been drinking again, and he… he told me some things. Now, normally I would never repeat such a thing, but he is carrying such a heavy burden. He is trying to keep it a secret, but I could see it in his eyes. It’s hurting him, Handsome! And he won’t do a thing about it! He doesn’t know what to do, and he is suffering so much. I have been thinking about what I could do to help, but the only way for him to stop being stagnant is for you to know. Then maybe, once he knows your… aah… opinion, he will know what to do and have a direction he can go in. You see…” Nathan ridgedly swallowed. “He… he has feelings for you, handsome.”

Tora: “Shimatta!” Kotetsu stumbled away and found his way back to the couch, not because he wanted to, but because the oak floor….slid….him onto it.

Darn oak floors.

“‘SOKAY!! ‘M OKAY!!!” -waves a hand.-

Bunnylovebrooks:

“…” There was a long moment in which he was trying very hard to decide if he should just leave Kotetsu to his own devices or help him to bed. “It’s Wednesday.” He replied with a huff of exasperation, stepping around the table so that he could reach Tiger without glass furniture between them.

However, just as he was stepping closer towards his partner, Nathan burst into the Kotetsu’s home without so much as a knock or a ring and Kotetsu fell back down to the couch. Why was he always forced to work with such… people.

“Whatever you need to tell me, you can tell me here.” As in, you could say it in front of his partner because Barnaby was NOT keen on being alone with Nathan anywhere. Not because he thought the man was dangerous but because he just didn’t have enough patience to deal with all that flame right then.

Tora:

-

And then he proceeded to arrange pillows in order to make everything look particularity conveniently purposeful. Arranging pillows…yes a pillow fortress…FORT KNOX!

By the time he was done…he had stretched across the couch and nearly fallen on the floor in order to retreat back- with six pillows, neatly piled up.

“Kakeh…..my fortress….NONE SHALL PASS!”

He grabbed Barnaby’s shirt the moment he got closer.

“CEPT BUNNY! CUZ BUNNY IS A BOY!”

“No girls allowed!”

He pointed at Nathan with a wink, then grabbed Bunny and pulled him to sit down amongst the cushion barrier. The Kotetsu fort.

“BunnyBunnyyyy….bun-EEEEE~~~~”

If only the Wild Tiger’s anticts could faze him fom his mission, Nathan might have relaxed a little and been less hurried. But since this drunken behavior was all too familiar, he could still barely acknowledge the other man and instead only focused on Barnaby. Ever since Kotetsu left his house he had been wracking his mind to figure out something, anything that would help this situation. And after thinking for days about a solution, he could only come up with one idea.

Dropping his head a little lower, he nearly mumbled “Handsome, I… I can’t. This is something that needs to be between only you and me. And…” Straightening up, he didn’t wait for permission before hasilty grabbing Barnaby’s hand (er, well, more like his entire forearm) and pulling him up. “…IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT I SPEAK WITH YOU!” With that he once again gave a strong tug while leading Barnaby over in a rush to the nearby bedroom, flicking on the light and quickly shutting the door in a fluid motion so the drunken Tiger wouldn’t follow them inside.

toratoratiger:

“…. You forgot about the non-profit dinner? ” His eyes narrowed with irritation at the irresponsibility unfolding before him. “You owe me big time for this.”  The flat line of his lips spoke volumes to his displeasure.

“It’s becuz it’s hurda thursda….” -He twirled his finger and then chuckled to himself before a hand was placed on his own face and he attempted to get up. He sludged forward, is the best way to describe it- even though ‘sludged’ is not a word. The drunken man made a brash motion to stand.

“I cn’ still dance… wunna dance with me Bunny~~~” He raised his hands, went to step towards Barnaby, side stepped, and nearly fell into the coffee table he owned.

Lovely.

At that very moment, the door BURST open. Nathan waltzed without so much as a knock, striding up intently to Barnaby and not even glancing at Kotetsu. “HANDSOME! I need to speak to you!” Nathan cried. “It’s very important! Before…” he then eyed Kotetsu. Again?! He is drunk -again-? But then, that may make things easier. “…before it’s too late! Something terrible could happen!” He clenched both fists at his chest and gave a slight wriggle in haste.

toratoratiger:

Flamboyantflame

After a moment of taking in Kotetsu’s reaction, Nathan let out a long, slow sigh that was reminicent of one who was starting to feel a calm after ages of fear and worry. Maybe, eventually, he could help him understand… but as the minutes ticked on it was becoming more and more apparent that Kotetsu could not go down this road in his current state. He needed to absorb what was actually happening, yes, but it seemed it would be almost impossible to do that whatwith the plague of alcohol.

The Emblem couldn’t help but feebly smile at the man giving his sentiments. That is so very him, Nathan thought as he momentarily closed his eyes. Always fighting his problems with kindness to others.

As Kotetsu leaned against his chest, his features relaxed and changed to their usual softness they always held. He reached one arm up and carefully, to not disturb Kotetsu’s position, patted the now barely coherent man softly on the top of his head. He was always fighting so hard to protect everyone. Nathan was actually somewhat fearful for him since he could not handle such a drastic predicament like this all on his own, but he would rather suffer silently than willingly get the help he needed. However at the same time, Nathan was a bit relieved he knew and the Hero didn’t have to shoulder this burden completely alone, even if he was trying to. And boy was he trying… But now that Nathan heard all of this from Kotetsu himself, perhaps he could still help him.

“Of course I love you, Handsome,” he finally said. “That is why I want you to be happy. But-” Shifting to help the other man straighten up a little, his smiled broadened a bit more. “You won’t be able to handle anything in this state. Here.” He tried guiding Kotetsu by the shoulders back to the couch to sit down. Nathan could almost swear he could see stars bursing in the man’s discombobulated eyes at this point.

“Why don’t you take a seat for a little bit? It would probably cause more trouble allowing you to go out again like this, you know,” he added with a soft laugh. He was fully intending on fetching him a blanket and pillow until Kotetsu was coherent enough to make his way home, because as it was the man could barely stay upright. Although, that was completely understandable after such a night.

Tora:

“We’re goin’someres?” The words were questioning, falling from lips that were then pitched to rub together, patted down with a slightly dry mouth. A tongue still salted with the sandpaper of discussing something so serious. Even if it was for a moment.

It was painful still, to think about what he had just done, how he had just attempted to share his problems, his burdons; with someone else. Something he would regret later, feel guilty for.

Cover up stay dark, don’t move. No one will know they are there- those problems that ghost the exterior of your eyes, crest the visual of your reception. Dance to the drumbeat of your desires, smolder your passage through life.

Just as those thoughts of darkness were receding his frontal lobe, he crouched into the couch. Much as a cat would as it descended to a low descent, moving to catch its desired prey. With that he tangled himself into the couch, burrying his face into the corner, turning a curved back to the world. Pressing his legs to tangle into each other… and closed his eyes.

The world went dark…almost right away. Those thoughts, Kotetsu prayed, would go with it.

Flamboyantflame:

“Just take a minute, relax,” Nathan said quietly, although he fully expected Kotetsu’s sobering to take longer than that. He disappeared to grab the mentioned pillow and blanket, returning after only a moment and tucking the pillow under the incoherent man’s head. While opening up the blanket and fluttering it over his frame, Nathan have a light huff.

Well, this was some predicament.

He couldn’t help but feel that Kotetsu taking a step forward and, if anything, hearing Barnaby’s opinion about all of this may get some clarity. That may have seemed ridiculous, but it was much like those gradeschool crushes: they could be endless if gone unmentioned, but sometimes confessing one’s feelings and getting either accepted or rejected helped a person move on to a new stage in their emotions. It was difficult though, since Kotetsu’s situation was much more complicated than admitting a simple crush. That combined with the man’s need to please everyone made Nathan fear for the worst, that these feelings would eat him up inside…

Nathan pulled over a chair to sit near the couch while absentmindedly grabbing a corner of the blanket to tuck it around the nearly sleeping man’s shoulders for extra warmth. Not entirely sure if Kotetsu was still in the land of the coherent, he nearly whispered, “You know love, all of this will work itself out eventually, right?” Even if the man didn’t hear them, Nathan hoped with all his will that he could somehow believe that.

toratoratiger:

Flamboyantflame

Drawing in a slow breath, Nathan ridigedly stood where he was. Kotetsu had to realize… he just had to.

But how much would it take? Just how much would the world have to push on the man for him to realize what was really important to him? Pleasing everyone else? Or venturing down a road that could lead him to true happiness.

Nathan’s face was almost blank now, his mind reeling about what he could do. This man had been through so much and had always tried so hard to be there for everyone close to him. Why was he so blind to see what was important to him? If it was superficial, Kotetsu wouldn’t have let this fester for so long.

But so few people in his life could show him the proper way to travel in this new direction. Perhaps subconsciously, Kotetsu showed up at Nathan’s door because he knew that as well. Even though the instructions to go down that new road seemed ridiculous in the “Oh, just THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY” kind of way, it was what had to be done…

Because if Kotetsu ignored this like he had been trying to, he would be living a lie. He would be living as an empty shell, the way the world wanted him. And Nathan cared too much for him to let that happen.

“You are the same,” Nathan finally spoke, his words still flat. “You haven’t changed, you are still the same person. But what has changed within you… it is okay to accept that. Everyone changes in one way or another, and they are still themselves. But how you change is your business and yours alone. No one else who you feel obligated to stifle yourself around has any right to tell you what to do. Yes, it’s not easy to make this choice to be who you are, utterly and completely, and unfortunatly the bonds that are already fragile in your life may fall apart because of it. However, those who really love you will stick by you and figure out how to make this work. I know you want to act like there is no situation here, but you are not fooling me. You are not happy like this, and trust me: you will never be happy like this until you allow yourself to be yourself. I…” Nathan trailed off, eyes darting away. “..I have felt very similarly to you. After a while, it may just eat you up inside.”

Tora:

“You wann’ know wuts eating me up inside? this hunger! Yanno i’m done, ya can put a fork in it right?” Kotetsu shelved everything for later, pushed back into a space and time so deep that it could not be identified or reasoned with. He was the epitome of conclusion.

Fingertips splayed across a sinfully angular jaw, brushing dusted pigments upon his beard. Tiger hadn’t meant to be rude, but the alcohol had rendered him particularily rougher around the edges than what would be foreseen.

“I known you love me…. an’ I love you too…I’ll talk to him mm’b you’ll feel better’n’ win-” Index finger thrusted towards Nathan’s face. “Win?” Tiger’s fingertip moved back towards his own as a sheepish grin spread across his features.

(Pretend that bracelet is not there LOL)

“Yer’ a good friend Nathan, but worryin’ too much…over dis guy… it’ll work i’s’self out, ‘m not a child. ‘M thirty nine.”

Deflection, anything to get Nathan to stop pressing so hard. “Yer gonna give me a stroke ‘er somethin’ easy now…” Fortitude, he could stand against this all night if you gave him the chance. He was choosing now to show Nathan a compromise, since the flamboyant best friend was being so overprotective, unwilling to let Tiger give it a rest.

“‘S fine…eaz” a hiccup “nnngh… easy…” A slow pat was delivered twice to a broad firm shoulder of Nathan’s, before Tiger began to lean forward, just dropping his head against the man’s chest. Resting it there for a moment, the world was spinning still. One could wonder if he wasn’t losing himself in it.

Flamboyantflame

After a moment of taking in Kotetsu’s reaction, Nathan let out a long, slow sigh that was reminicent of one who was starting to feel a calm after ages of fear and worry. Maybe, eventually, he could help him understand… but as the minutes ticked on it was becoming more and more apparent that Kotetsu could not go down this road in his current state. He needed to absorb what was actually happening, yes, but it seemed it would be almost impossible to do that whatwith the plague of alcohol.

The Emblem couldn’t help but feebly smile at the man giving his sentiments. That is so very him, Nathan thought as he momentarily closed his eyes. Always fighting his problems with kindness to others.

As Kotetsu leaned against his chest, his features relaxed and changed to their usual softness they always held. He reached one arm up and carefully, to not disturb Kotetsu’s position, patted the now barely coherent man softly on the top of his head. He was always fighting so hard to protect everyone. Nathan was actually somewhat fearful for him since he could not handle such a drastic predicament like this all on his own, but he would rather suffer silently than willingly get the help he needed. However at the same time, Nathan was a bit relieved he knew and the Hero didn’t have to shoulder this burden completely alone, even if he was trying to. And boy was he trying… But now that Nathan heard all of this from Kotetsu himself, perhaps he could still help him.

“Of course I love you, Handsome,” he finally said. “That is why I want you to be happy. But-” Shifting to help the other man straighten up a little, his smiled broadened a bit more. “You won’t be able to handle anything in this state. Here.” He tried guiding Kotetsu by the shoulders back to the couch to sit down. Nathan could almost swear he could see stars bursing in the man’s discombobulated eyes at this point.

“Why don’t you take a seat for a little bit? It would probably cause more trouble allowing you to go out again like this, you know,” he added with a soft laugh. He was fully intending on fetching him a blanket and pillow until Kotetsu was coherent enough to make his way home, because as it was the man could barely stay upright. Although, that was completely understandable after such a night.