I honestly just love how Tiger & Bunny 2 just hits harder with the queer subtext and coding this season. It’s practically text now, and I’ve seen a number of dudebros / shonen fanatics even noticing the subtext this season. I saw a Twitter post a week or so ago, where a guy was complaining about how the first season left more wiggle room to view and interpret Kotetsu and Barnaby’s relationship as not romantic, and that is such a fascinating (and wonderful) thing to read. Because, usually, it is the other way around.
Now, on to this fic that ended up taking on a life of its own. It wasn’t meant or intended to be this long, but that’s usually how my fanfic writing goes, they always end up being longer than I intended, lol. This fic takes place after Season 2 Part 1, so there are some slight spoilers for that.
Anyway, I’m off to bed now. Enjoy! <3
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It was an unspoken thing - the two of us being together. Everyone in his family knew about us, even Kaede, who didn’t seem to want to think about it too hard. I couldn’t blame her for that. Even Kotetsu seemed to be aware that it might be a little awkward for her to realize that her and her father shared the same taste in men, or, well, me. But, even though we never talked about it, I treasured every time she called to ask me about something, or when she trusted me enough to open up about the real reason why she visited Sternbild with her friend a year ago.
That day was a big breakthrough day, not only with mine and Kaede’s bond, but also Kotetsu and Kaede’s. I think it was the day when he finally realized that she wasn’t a little kid anymore. That the four year old he had to leave behind at grandma’s wasn’t really there anymore. I could tell it hit him hard, could see it in the lines of his face later that night. But I also knew that he was proud of how Kaede was growing up and maturing. He grew a lot that day too, finally facing up to the fact that he hadn’t been as active in Kaede’s life as he should have been, and that he hadn’t been listening to her enough. But he took the growth in stride, and my admiration for him just grew.
I sometimes let it slip out how much I care for and admire him. But if he ever knew how deeply it actually went…That would too embarrassing to even think about or imagine…A part of me thinks he probably knows anyway, he always seems to know stuff like that. Like how he knew I needed a break.
So he asked me to join him and his family. They were going to do an event at the park near his mother’s place.
“It’s hanami!” was all he told me at first. I didn’t know what that meant. But then he explained, “It means ‘flower viewing,’ though, really, it’s just an excuse to have a picnic and get a little tipsy under the cherry blossoms.” Kotetsu could be horribly indirect when it came to some things, feelings being number one, of course, but not when it came to explaining words and aspects of his families’ culture like this. Then he was always direct and honest.
“Seems sushi is starting to take off here in Sternbild. You should try one of the fancy sushi restaurants in town, not my crap version of it. The only thing I’m good at making is fried rice.” He told me that about a year or so ago, accompanied by a laugh. The fancy restaurant sushi was better, it was made by actual sushi chiefs after all, but that one (and only) time Kotetsu made it, stuck with me. So that fancy restaurant sushi just seemed like a substitute.
There was also that time when he taught me the Japanese word for “Cheers!” It’s “kampai” and I finally got to use it with him when we went and got our drinks together a little while after the incident with the twins. “Senpai” was another word that he taught me. For some reason, he thought I would really like knowing and using that one…To be fair, he wasn’t wrong. But, of course, he doesn’t know that.
Earlier in the day, when we were packing up the food and drinks in the basket to bring down to the park, Muramasa’s wife and I began chatting. I brought up how Kotetsu was teaching me some Japanese, and how he was good at giving me easy and direct definitions and meanings. Muramasa’s wife just laughed and then said, “I wish *my* husband would do that for me! You’re so lucky!”
The way it was said, the way she worded it - it was unspoken, but everybody knew it. The baby resting in Muramasa’s arms, while his wife read to the children under the cherry blossoms, likely even knew it too…
That was a dumb thought. Probably the influence of Ryan.
He still stops by Apollon Media from time to time just pester the both of us. He likely knows too…It’s unspoken and everybody already seems to know…Even someone like Ryan noticed. No one ever said it, except the two of us, in the privacy of one of our bedrooms or even in the slightly more voyeuristic location of the men’s locker room at the training center. We knew, and everybody else knew, but we never said or showed it to anyone in public.
That was, until today.
“Hey!” Kotetsu caught my attention, “You should stand up and take a closer look at the cherry blossoms, Bunny. They’re really pretty!” He said it with a wink. A huge grin was on his face, his eyes twinkled with hearts and cherry blossom petals, his hands relaxed in the pockets of his trousers, and his green necktie just hanging there, So easy to just grab and pull, which was exactly what I did.
I reached out and took hold of his green necktie and pulled him to me. Gently and softly, of course, and then I kissed him. I heard Anju give a surprised, but pleasant hum behind me, Muramasa’s and his wife’s laughter, likely as a response to Kaede’s groan and sound of disgust. “Ugh, no! Get a room, you two! Parents kissing in public is so gross!”
What she said there didn’t really register until later that night, in the bedroom, when Kotetsu and I talked about the day’s events. Rooms were often where we said that unspoken thing and did various unspoken activities together. But today I wanted it to be spoken, I wanted one of those unspoken things to happen under the sunlight and cheery blossoms, outside of the room, where Kotetsu looked so beautiful and the moment just felt so right.
My kiss in that moment hadn’t been our first. We had many before that. But it was the sweetest.
After the shock, after the blushing, after the baby clapping away in Muramasa’s arms - I finally said those things that I wasn’t supposed to. Those things that were better left unspoken, “I love you. You’re my partner. So marry me.”
I didn’t ask it as a question, and Kotetsu didn’t seem to mind that. He had that oh-so-rare pensive look on his face, as he glanced down at the ring on his finger. He twisted and turned it for a moment, a flash of a melancholic expression flittered across his face, and then the big grin of his was in place again as he kissed me back.
“I love you too, Bunny. You’re my partner. So, of course I’ll marry you.” He sat down beside me on the picnic blanket, then he held my hand as he looked over at me, “What a silly thing to ask!”
It was a silly thing indeed, I couldn’t argue with that, but even more so than him saying “yes.” I was just glad that those unspoken things were finally spoken. It was long overdue and just needed to be said.
Now, on to this fic that ended up taking on a life of its own. It wasn’t meant or intended to be this long, but that’s usually how my fanfic writing goes, they always end up being longer than I intended, lol. This fic takes place after Season 2 Part 1, so there are some slight spoilers for that.
Anyway, I’m off to bed now. Enjoy! <3
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It was an unspoken thing - the two of us being together. Everyone in his family knew about us, even Kaede, who didn’t seem to want to think about it too hard. I couldn’t blame her for that. Even Kotetsu seemed to be aware that it might be a little awkward for her to realize that her and her father shared the same taste in men, or, well, me. But, even though we never talked about it, I treasured every time she called to ask me about something, or when she trusted me enough to open up about the real reason why she visited Sternbild with her friend a year ago.
That day was a big breakthrough day, not only with mine and Kaede’s bond, but also Kotetsu and Kaede’s. I think it was the day when he finally realized that she wasn’t a little kid anymore. That the four year old he had to leave behind at grandma’s wasn’t really there anymore. I could tell it hit him hard, could see it in the lines of his face later that night. But I also knew that he was proud of how Kaede was growing up and maturing. He grew a lot that day too, finally facing up to the fact that he hadn’t been as active in Kaede’s life as he should have been, and that he hadn’t been listening to her enough. But he took the growth in stride, and my admiration for him just grew.
I sometimes let it slip out how much I care for and admire him. But if he ever knew how deeply it actually went…That would too embarrassing to even think about or imagine…A part of me thinks he probably knows anyway, he always seems to know stuff like that. Like how he knew I needed a break.
So he asked me to join him and his family. They were going to do an event at the park near his mother’s place.
“It’s hanami!” was all he told me at first. I didn’t know what that meant. But then he explained, “It means ‘flower viewing,’ though, really, it’s just an excuse to have a picnic and get a little tipsy under the cherry blossoms.” Kotetsu could be horribly indirect when it came to some things, feelings being number one, of course, but not when it came to explaining words and aspects of his families’ culture like this. Then he was always direct and honest.
“Seems sushi is starting to take off here in Sternbild. You should try one of the fancy sushi restaurants in town, not my crap version of it. The only thing I’m good at making is fried rice.” He told me that about a year or so ago, accompanied by a laugh. The fancy restaurant sushi was better, it was made by actual sushi chiefs after all, but that one (and only) time Kotetsu made it, stuck with me. So that fancy restaurant sushi just seemed like a substitute.
There was also that time when he taught me the Japanese word for “Cheers!” It’s “kampai” and I finally got to use it with him when we went and got our drinks together a little while after the incident with the twins. “Senpai” was another word that he taught me. For some reason, he thought I would really like knowing and using that one…To be fair, he wasn’t wrong. But, of course, he doesn’t know that.
Earlier in the day, when we were packing up the food and drinks in the basket to bring down to the park, Muramasa’s wife and I began chatting. I brought up how Kotetsu was teaching me some Japanese, and how he was good at giving me easy and direct definitions and meanings. Muramasa’s wife just laughed and then said, “I wish *my* husband would do that for me! You’re so lucky!”
The way it was said, the way she worded it - it was unspoken, but everybody knew it. The baby resting in Muramasa’s arms, while his wife read to the children under the cherry blossoms, likely even knew it too…
That was a dumb thought. Probably the influence of Ryan.
He still stops by Apollon Media from time to time just pester the both of us. He likely knows too…It’s unspoken and everybody already seems to know…Even someone like Ryan noticed. No one ever said it, except the two of us, in the privacy of one of our bedrooms or even in the slightly more voyeuristic location of the men’s locker room at the training center. We knew, and everybody else knew, but we never said or showed it to anyone in public.
That was, until today.
“Hey!” Kotetsu caught my attention, “You should stand up and take a closer look at the cherry blossoms, Bunny. They’re really pretty!” He said it with a wink. A huge grin was on his face, his eyes twinkled with hearts and cherry blossom petals, his hands relaxed in the pockets of his trousers, and his green necktie just hanging there, So easy to just grab and pull, which was exactly what I did.
I reached out and took hold of his green necktie and pulled him to me. Gently and softly, of course, and then I kissed him. I heard Anju give a surprised, but pleasant hum behind me, Muramasa’s and his wife’s laughter, likely as a response to Kaede’s groan and sound of disgust. “Ugh, no! Get a room, you two! Parents kissing in public is so gross!”
What she said there didn’t really register until later that night, in the bedroom, when Kotetsu and I talked about the day’s events. Rooms were often where we said that unspoken thing and did various unspoken activities together. But today I wanted it to be spoken, I wanted one of those unspoken things to happen under the sunlight and cheery blossoms, outside of the room, where Kotetsu looked so beautiful and the moment just felt so right.
My kiss in that moment hadn’t been our first. We had many before that. But it was the sweetest.
After the shock, after the blushing, after the baby clapping away in Muramasa’s arms - I finally said those things that I wasn’t supposed to. Those things that were better left unspoken, “I love you. You’re my partner. So marry me.”
I didn’t ask it as a question, and Kotetsu didn’t seem to mind that. He had that oh-so-rare pensive look on his face, as he glanced down at the ring on his finger. He twisted and turned it for a moment, a flash of a melancholic expression flittered across his face, and then the big grin of his was in place again as he kissed me back.
“I love you too, Bunny. You’re my partner. So, of course I’ll marry you.” He sat down beside me on the picnic blanket, then he held my hand as he looked over at me, “What a silly thing to ask!”
It was a silly thing indeed, I couldn’t argue with that, but even more so than him saying “yes.” I was just glad that those unspoken things were finally spoken. It was long overdue and just needed to be said.
Tiger & Bunny show creators: Okay so this is the first time our two main characters meet. It has to be memorable, and it absolutely has to set the tone for the rest of their relationship. What should we do?
Barnaby is holding a white rose in this illustration for an upcoming T&B 2 interview with Hirata-san and Morita-san.
White roses represent purity and are often used at weddings. They represent: youthful innocence, young love, and loyalty.
Your honor, they’re married and in love.
Okay, so, I’ve had tea and breakfast now, so I’m awake. Looking closer at the preview text they provide, the article also has a section where they (the magazine) write about how Kotetsu and Barnaby would be as marriage partners (like, in general, not necessarily to each other or anything like that, lol).
First there are little blurbs about the characters this season. Kotetsu’s mentions how he is doing yoga for his health at Kaede’s insistence, but that he isn’t very health conscious with his food intake. The fact that they are mentioning this here is just adding fuel to the fire, for me anyway, that Kotetsu is going to have some kind of health scare in the second cour. Especially since he is only two years away from 40 years old now.
About him as a marriage partner, we have:
A previously married single father!
If you were to marryKotetsu…
It seem that he’d always be happy to help you out!?
While Kotetsu does have his share of flaws, his very nature is that of a man you can rely on! Being depended on appears to be something that makes him happy. So it would probably be in your best interest to actively depend on him when you are distressed or in trouble!?
For Barnaby, they mention how Thomas calling him an old man shocks him, lol.
About him as a marriage partner we have:
If you were to marryBarnaby…
You would need to prepare to be the spouse of a popular hero.
At events you will be barraged with questions by fans, many people will be there for meet-and-greet sessions, and Barnaby will remain as popular as ever. If you were to marry him, then it looks like you would have to prepare yourself for that kind of celebrity status lifestyle!?
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I love how both Kotetsu and Barnaby have basically done both of these things. Barnaby learned how to actively rely on Kotetsu when he is in distress and trouble, and Kotetsu has acclimated himself to Barnaby’s celebrity status and fame and all the lifestyle stuff that comes with it.
Basically, in conclusion…
Your honor, they are married, in love, and are each others ideal partners!
I just doubled down on my previous assessment, lol.
