Day 63: Crossroad's Bar (Late Afternoon)

[baniichan]

Aside from Kotetsu's briefly negative response outside of the electronics store, the rest of the day passed without incident. They had decided to take turns in deciding where to visit next, and, predictably, Kotetsu had chosen the places Barnaby wouldn't have gone by himself. A trip to the toy store allowed the older man to find a cheap mask to replace the one he normally wore for his Hero work, though Barnaby couldn't say how effective it would be. This wasn't Stern Bild, where someone could easily assume he was a cosplayer or Wild Tiger wannabe.

On the other hand, Barnaby didn't have an identity to protect, nor was he under any obligation to continue acting as a Hero in an official capacity, so he didn't say much on the subject. If Kotetsu wanted to operate under aliases and masks, then that was his right.

Once they'd taken care of that, Barnaby hadn't wasted any time in finding a first aid kit. Although he still didn't think he had a solid idea of what they were up against, he figured it was better than having nothing at all in the event that either of them (or an innocent bystander) were injured. Of course, that meant he didn't have much money left on his card, but that didn't matter so much now that it was Kotetsu's turn to pick their final destination for the day.

Thankfully, it wasn't far from the hardware store. The strong, biting gusts of wind made it difficult to walk much further, but Kotetsu was perfectly happy to duck inside the place just down the street. It didn't take Barnaby long to figure out why -- he'd been talking about getting a drink for awhile now, and he still seemed eager to buy something for his partner.

Brushing some of his wind-blown hair from his face, Barnaby did his best to look presentable and warm up while he let Kotetsu decided where they ought to sit.

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[baniichan]

Gazing at his drink as though lost in its deep, pink color, Barnaby listened to his partner's words.

Although Kotetsu made a valid point by reminding Barnaby that he would have done the same thing for him, he still hated feeling so inadequate and so lost. A million questions pressed against his mind, seemingly sapping him of some of the energy he'd been struggling to hold onto since yesterday. They needed to talk, but he could understand Kotetsu's reluctance to do so in front of people they didn't know. The vivid memory of their falling out at the skating rink reminded him why timing mattered. At the same time, though, putting things off until the last possible moment had been a large contributing factor to that awful argument.

Kotetsu's awkward change of subject only seemed to emphasize that point. Like it or not, Barnaby knew he very well might have to become more forceful if he wanted Kotetsu to explain anything to him. But now wasn't the time to do that, and there was still a chance that Kotetsu would come to him on his own terms -- and, quite honestly, that was what Barnaby preferred.

He looked up from his drink, his expression growing more neutral to mask how vulnerable he felt right then. "It's fine," he murmured. "Not my favorite, but it's not bad, either." Barnaby picked up the glass and took a longer sip this time.

It occurred to him that most people would have asked about Kotetsu's beer as a nicety, but he generally couldn't stand that kind of small talk, especially for small talk's sake.

"You know, all of this would be much harder if you weren't here," he suddenly added in the same soft tone as before, turning to look Kotetsu in the eye. Barnaby realized it was a throwback to what he'd said before, when he'd foolishly told the man that life would actually be easier without him. But he meant every word right now. "I don't think I would have known what to do with myself."

[oyaji]

Kotetsu had finished his and was playing with empty beer bottle on the counter, spinning it gently and walking it against the lacquered wood like a restless child. Barnaby's last comment put a stop to that, though. In fact, he felt his face burn and he really hoped it hadn't been the beer because that would have been more than a little embarrassing at his age.

He opened his mouth, about to wave it off since they both knew he was the brains of this operation, but thought better of it. Barnaby didn't say flippant things; it wasn't in that vast vocabulary of his. Shrugging it off and telling him he was being dramatic or nice was just another slap to his face and the blond had had enough of those. Out of the two of them, Kotetsu still believed his partner was probably perceptive enough to figure a way out given enough time, though.

The problem was that he had no recollection of who put him here. Sure, he could blame Ouroboros, but that didn't ultimately mean anything. Without his memory, he was open and vulnerable to relapse or whatever hell this latest episode came from. Barnaby did need him and it was very flattering. Yeah, he could actually feel his ego inflating. It was the best feeling ever. But no! He had to accept this compliment gracefully!

"Ah, well..." For once, the former Hero was at a loss for words, even bad words. Instead, he took his empty beer bottle and clinked the neck against the wide lip of Barnaby's glass. "Thanks." Pretty damn adult of him he had to say. Barnaby was going to be all surprised and impressed, which would totally double his usefulness and thus his ego. Ah yep, now there was nothing to do but sit back and rake in the gold.

[baniichan]

If Barnaby was surprised or impressed, he certainly didn't show it. Instead, he calmly watched as Kotetsu clinked his beer bottle against the glass, more at ease about the man's seemingly quiet acceptance of what he'd said than anything else. He realized that, with the loss of his powers and his unwanted retirement, Kotetsu likely felt out of sorts and insecure about his worth as a man and his place in their partnership. The harsh reaction outside of the electronics store said as much.

Barnaby wanted him to know that, regardless of whether he had five minutes or ten seconds of Hundred Power at his disposal, the emotional support and stability Kotetsu's mere presence offered was of more value to him than anything else. After practically forcing that stopwatch onto him despite his misgivings, he felt like he owed him at least that much.

"There's no need for thanks," he intoned, not quite looking at the man beside him. Each word was slow, soft and deliberate. "It's the truth. When I first woke up in that bed, I honestly thought I belonged here. Finding you helped bring me back to my senses." Granted, he'd been angry with Kotetsu at the time, but they both knew that well enough without him saying it out loud.