Chapter Text
He was free for the first time in a while and could now focus on himself, living a moderately normal life. Sometimes he still had people stop him on the street, mostly kids and young women. They would usually ask for autographs and pictures. But, since retiring from the hero business, more and more women had begun to ask him out on dates, because it seemed that not being busy freed him up for a romantic life. Due to the women not being his type, he dated sparingly. Slowly, but surely, he removed himself from the dating pool. If he couldn't find someone that was right for him, he was better off being alone. Since he had no friends at the time, he was just fine with that idea. He had his father figure and his childhood nanny to keep him company. That was all he needed.
After recent events, those two people were not in his life anymore. But, through those struggles, he'd gained a handful of new friends that he could never bring himself to replace. They'd become a detrimental part of his life and he was glad that, even if it was due to the whims of another, he'd become a hero. They had still made time for him, even though he was now part of the populace they were protecting.
The retired hero spent most of his time with Pao-Lin. Still ever the tomboy, she enjoyed hanging out with him because he treated her like an adult and didn't tease her for not wanting to go out of her way to be girly. He enjoyed her company because she was quite mature for her age and didn't look at him as if he were a piece of meat.
There was a brief period where he'd dated Nathan. The flame user had been a doting partner and made the retiree feel like he was the only one that mattered. However, Nathan's overly flamboyant personality started to get smothering, so their relationship lasted only a few months, having not gone farther than dates on the town and cuddling. Nathan had been hurt at first, but grew to realize it was never meant to be. But that glimpse into romantic love he'd so long ago forgotten gave him the push he needed to get himself back out there. It had also given him time to reflect.
He remembered the man he used to work with when he was a hero. They bickered and fought plenty of times. No one thought they would make it. But the older man had slowly gained his trust, something the young man didn't give out easily. They'd suffered plenty of hardships. In fact, he was the reason the young man retired in the first place; he just couldn't imagine the life of a hero without the colleague he'd had since he started.
The young man thought back on the times they had been alone. Those few times he let people into his private life. There had been many moments that made him stop and think, his heart racing and his brain over analyzing. He would wave these feelings off after some time, but then would feel blindsided by another moment that made him feel the same confusion.
Nights they got drunk together. The days his friend looked after him during his time of need. When his friend held his hand during a hospital stay. There was just no denying the compassion that seemed to flow. But, sometimes, it just seemed to be a bit more than co-workers, more than just friends. However, time and time again, the younger man denied the reasoning behind the actions. His own actions couldn't have been any more than mixed signals either, but everyone knew his colleague wasn't exactly known to be intelligent. Of course, it took some time for him to finally admit what he'd been thinking and feeling all along.
Barnaby Brooks Jr. was in love with Kotetsu T. Kaburagi. But he was desperate to keep it a secret. He didn't want to ruin his friendship with the older man by this revelation and he couldn't imagine life without Kotetsu; he'd rather suffer by bottling it up and keeping their connection than to suffer alone. Life had already been hard. What was one more thing?