My First Tiger & Bunny fic... and it's not even Tiger gen. OTL
Title: A Kiss From a Rose on the Gray
Pairing: Rose/Tiger (yes, she tops, yes I need to kill Mia)
Summary: Tiger's side to this & this and sequels.
Rating/Warning: PG-15, (bordering not Mags-safe), younger female (17/18, so legal, but hits some squick for folks given that Tiger is late 20s/early 30s/more) Spoilers for Episode 7ish
Disclaimer: Tiger & Bunny is owned by Masafumi Nishida & Sunrise. Licensed by Viz. This isn't a disclaimer as much as a "If you haven't heard it/seen it. GO FIND IT" XD It's a really good series about superheroes and has Hiroaki Hirata (SANJI) voicing Tiger & Marco's VA voicing Bunny. It's awesome.
Word Count: Just under 6000. God Tiger doesn't shut up. =\
Sometimes he caught her looking at him. Watching when she thought no one else was looking. She'd have a nearly blank almost day-dreamy expression on her face. If she was out of costume, sometimes she'd be twisting a curl, or playing with a pen to her mouth. He knew that kind of look by now. It was the kind of look girls wore when they got all dopey over his partner. Barnaby. Tiger had seen that look flicking all over Kaede's face lately. Unfortunately. So when he saw it on Karina's face, he assumed she was looking past him to Barnaby. Stupid stupid Bunny. The guy was probably gay and didn't care. Or worse. Asexual. Given how much time Kotetsu figured the blond spent on his hair, it had to be one or the other. Those boots didn't help either. New generation or not, there was a difference between dressing like Antonio or Kotetsu himself, or even Keith... vs. Nathan. And Bunny definitely fell on the Fire Emblem side. Or so his partner suspected.
Well, whatever. Rose was allowed to like whoever she liked. It was a little disheartening. After all, he thought he'd really gotten through to her about the reasons for being a hero. But after seeing Bunny's interview, maybe it was just Bunny and not Tiger's talk with her after all. Tch. Figures. Like Nathan had said, it was no use lecturing a girl that age. Sure, Tiger hadn't meant to lecture her, just open up a dialogue, and at the bar, he was so sure he'd succeeded. After all, she came to rescue them didn't she? And all stupid Bunny did was bet that she wouldn't even come and then he didn't even pay up. Cheapskate. Still, they were closer in age. And tragically they had more in common. A power couple amongst the Heroes would make headlines. Agnes would worry about the sponsors getting fussy, but it'd be amazing publicity for the show and both sponsors, so they probably wouldn't complain. Tiger just hoped he didn't get too far shunted to the side if it happened. Though, so long as Bunny really was asexual instead of his namesake, then Tiger was safe and Rose could look away. For now he put on a guarded smile about the idea and occasionally tried to encourage it. Partly so he didn't look bitter, and partly because he did want to be supportive. He couldn't help it, he just did want them to be happy, even if it meant Rose might slip back into caring all about the points like Bunny did. They were both distant enough that maybe it would warm them up. Or something.
Slowly it became a bit of a game between him and her. She'd watch, and Tiger would try to catch her whenever he felt those beautiful brown eyes on him. Or through him, really. Then he'd look up with a quick grin and she'd dart away, looking insistently anywhere else. It was cute really. And he mentally cursed finding it so adorable. She really was such an honest kid. He made it a point to come to all her shows when she was performing as Karina. When she was Blue Rose, he couldn't usually catch the stuff, but it mattered less then he thought. Her sponsors still often chose her playlists and rarely let her ever sing the songs she wrote. When she wrote things though, he made sure to catch them, even if he had to delay getting the ridiculously high-tech suit off. Still, it was as Karina that he most wanted to see her perform. It was as herself he felt it was most important to catch her songs. That was when her honesty shone like one of her falling snowflakes. He tried to drag Bunny to a few, but it was hard. Bunny claimed he didn't drink (what a kid) and therefore had no interest in bars, no in what happened there. When Kotetsu tried to explain why he should come, the idiot just dug his heels in deeper and explained he didn't want to get to know the other heroes out of work. Which was stupid. Why even refuse a disguise then? But... because he'd refused a disguise, it did make it tricky. If Kotetsu Kaburagi always hung out with a famous superhero and got treated the same way Wild Tiger did, people would wonder. So eventually Tiger gave up and dropped it.
He still went to all her shows though. Kotetsu figured Karina probably just thought him to be an alcoholic. To be fair, she wouldn't be too off the mark. Still, he wanted to support her. And to make sure that she knew she had one fan who preferred the real her as she wanted to be most of, and that it was okay to reconcile one's superhero life with their real one. Ah... maybe that was why she liked Bunny so much. Bunny never had to reconcile one life with the other, they were just one and the same to him weren't they? And maybe part of Karina really wanted that. Hn. Losing another kid to that line of thinking, wasn't he? It'd been so long ago now since Legend's famous days, maybe it wasn't really surprising anymore that it was considered old fashioned. Old fashioned huh? Like not killing criminals? Ridiculous. Bunny didn't have to wear a disguise, he didn't have family to protect. He'd accidentally hinted once that there was a reason he didn't wear a disguise. To lure out Ouroboros perhaps? Whatever. Karina did have family protect. And school friends. And she seemed to sort of want a normal life, which she could never have if she came out of the superhero or NEXT closet. Still wouldn't stop her from crushing on him though.
He hadn't even realized that after a while he was catching himself shooting her glances, just like kids in high school. Just like with his now gone wife. When she caught him, he just thought he was catching her about to look at Bunny and grinned like a knowing Uncle. She got growly and tsundere whenever Bunny was brought up, but if anything Kotetsu mistakenly thought that cemented it. She was embarrassed he knew and really too cute and shy to be willing to tell Bunny and risk things now. So adorable. And so Kotetsu lightly teased and hid the small cold distant part of his heart that wondered why he was so very unpopular. That wonder what the hell Bunny had that even his daughter could see and Kotetsu couldn't. Maybe trying hard and good intentions just weren't enough.
He was drifting over all kinds of these thoughts over a small (okay large) glass of wine in his apartment when Agnes rushed in. He tried to be polite and offer her something, though he was confused about why she was there. She went on and on about "the internet" and "fangirls" and when she started bringing up Barnaby, well he started to tune her out again. Fucking Bunny. Couldn't she have said it on the phone? Or at work? He did not need his forced partner in his personal life anymore than Bunny wanted Tiger in his.
"Are you listening?!" Agnes demanded.
"Yeah, sure," Tiger rubbed the back of his neck and then seeing Agnes' glare, reflexively straightened up and focused, "Of course."
She huffed, heaving air into her busty chest and back out. "Really? Because I thought there'd be more objections from you, that's why I wanted to do this in person."
Tiger leaned his head in his hand thinking hard, "What's to object to? You want me to get closer to Bunny onscreen, but it doesn't have to happen off camera you said. It'll 'please the fangirls' you said." Although so far it hadn't. More than one fangirl had openly wished Tiger out of the way and that they had Tiger's power so that *they* could be Bunny's partner instead. But whatever, more screen time would unpleasant, but maybe it would boost his ratings. God knows he needed the help there.
"BARNABY Brooks Jr." Agnes corrected out of reflex, "You can call him Bunny when you get lovey-dovey I suppose."
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. He was not drunk enough to be hearing these kinds of things. "Lovey-dovey?!" Kotetsu squeaked. What the fuck was going on in that producer's mind?
"AHA! You didn't hear a word I said!" she crisply protested, stomped a heel onto the floor -- nearly onto his TOES thank you very much -- and glared up at him furiously. "CLOSER, Mr. Kaburagi. CLOSER."
She couldn't... she couldn't. Tiger wanted to let out a mewling whimper and he didn't care how unmanly it was, this was worse than watching Saito burn up his old uniform. He was petrified. "P-producer!" he squeaked.
"A kiss. Holding hands. Long lingering looks and inching in close. It'll heighten your teamwork," she insisted.
Tiger was starting to get hysterical, somewhere torn between laughter and wanting to break down and cry. What would Kaede say? Oh right, she didn't know. But still. She'd hate Wild Tiger then. And fangirls would like this? Not the kind of fangirl Tiger would be hoping for. "I-Isn't that more Nathan's thing?" he squeaked, coughed, and cleared his throat to drop it back to a more manly octave. "That is... this has nothing to do with justice or being a superhero," he explained firmly, making his voice tough. Yeah, that was the ticket. Just stick to your guns Kotetsu!
She stomped the heel again, this time onto his toes. And as he winced and quickly clutched them to his chest, wishing he had shoes on, she continued yelling at him, "Idiot! Being a hero isn't JUST about justice and saving people! It's drama and action! It's the people who watch and support you! You don't have to want them to like you, I don't care, so long as they watch you!"
"And they'll watch me kiss Bunny?" Tiger frowned, wishing he could crawl into a corner of woe.
"Not only that, they will watch you more as a pairing and buy more merchandise afterwards," she impatiently explained as if getting tired with telling a five year old why he couldn't keep playing with his favorite toy during writing class. -- Tiger would know, he'd gotten plenty of those lectures about his Legend action figure.
Relying on Japanese evasiveness, Tiger politely nudged her to the door, "I'll think on it," he promised. Yes, he would think of ways to get out of it. Maybe if nothing else, at the last minute he could duck out pretending to be sick and let Nathan take his place. Even if Nathan wasn't really as promiscuous as he teased, Kotetsu had no doubt that Fire Emblem could take his place in a kiss like that and manage to enjoy it. Hell, it'd even be funny to see the shocked as fuck look on Bunny's face if that happened. Maybe it wouldn't have the long-term effect Agnes hoped for, since most people would see it as a joke, but she was kidding herself if she though Tiger and Bunny had any chance for long term. They fought too much. She'd just be making more editing work for herself.
Agnes looked at him suspiciously, but finally gave up and grabbed her coat to storm out. Then she dropped the final bombshell. "The fans already think you two are sleeping together anyways because you're always fighting." Well, that just settled it, fans were truly nuts. Watching her go, and trying to suppress his spluttering because that would ruin any of his cool effects, Tiger idly wondered if she'd even told Bunny or not. Probably not. Maybe she figured Bunny would do anything for the ratings. Hell, that idiot probably even would.
He sighed softly and blinked as Karina suddenly appeared before him. He'd given her his address once ages ago in case she ever needed it, but she'd only been there once that he remembered, the one time with Antonio checking on him after an injury. He couldn't help his small bit of flustered pleasure at seeing here there. After all the stupidity from Agnes, another Hero -- one who wouldn't want him kissing Bunny onscreen for any reason -- was a welcome relief. "Hey Karina, what are doin' here?" he hummed softly and tried to collect himself after the thing with Agnes. Was his apartment okay? How many bottles were around? Any of them? Please let him have cleaned up before the wine and pajamas. Tidy or not, he tugged her inside.
Even for an ice queen, she had to be freezing. It was too cold out for the thin jacket she was wearing, and given the way she shivering, he was sure it. He didn't see a car -- and in the city not many drove. She must have walked. Or taken a taxi. Given Karina? Probably walked. She was strong and independent like that. Never wanted to rely on anyone she didn't have to. Well, except maybe Bunny the way he rescued her, but then she never liked those, did she. Even if she liked Bunny, Tiger was sure she didn't like the rescues. She probably wanted to be strong in his eyes. How cute. He protective got out one of his sweaters and replaced it for the jacket. "And wear that, you're like a tombstone in winter." Was he being too fatherly? He couldn't help it. It was reflex. Kaede did shit like that to him all the time, showing up in whatever her grandmother would let her get away with and being ridiculous. Maybe it was a girl thing. Did they like being cold?
Luckily Karina didn't seem to mind. If anything she snuggled into the sweater. Damn it was cute. He waited patiently for an answer that didn't come. Instead, a growling icy tone instead. "Why was Agnes here?" He nearly winced. Did Karina already know? Had she heard the same rumors everyone else supposedly did? What if she was in on it after all? Still, Karina sounded jealous and Tiger was too honest to ever lie about even something like this.
"Ah, somethin' about how she wanted me to kiss Bunny 'r some bullshit like that, boosting figures I think. Also something about how the fans think we're sleeping together because we're fighting or some stupid thing like that," Tiger answered. Whatever Karina was here for, it probably wasn't to tell him not to do what Agnes wanted. Given her age, and how adult Karina was, it was bound to be more serious than that. Especially if she was seeking Tiger out of all people and not her usual confidant of Nathan or one of her school friends. Still, whatever it was, she could tell him in her own time, he wouldn't force her.
She stepped closer then up on tiptoes and pulled his head down closer to hers -- he thought to whisper something, so when she kissed him, he was completely taken aback. She might have been cold, but the kiss was warm and it was like everything crashed in on Kotetsu's head. He was too conflicted to give the right kind of kiss back at first. She was young. He really hoped he wasn't her first kiss, though the idea tickled him. He kisses back chastely and gently, but she let out such a pleased sound, he melted a little more into it and growled, causing her to shudder. He was sold on that, not really daring to hope she was kissing him out of a pure driven need to that'd pent up over months of wanting to, but still a little too unwilling to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he momentarily ran on instinct. Might as well make a proper adult kiss out of it. None of this innocent kid stuff. He backed her up against the wall next to the shut door and leaned himself on arm resting over her head so that he could get a better leverage and kiss a bit more firmly. The deeper he kissed, the more she kissed back, licking his lips and getting less and less innocent which each passing instant. His chest was pressed against hers and -- oh god help him -- he couldn't help but notice the way she breathed, the way her breasts bounced and the soft feel. He tugged her a little closer by the waist and purrs softly in spite of himself, just too damn happy to be alive and in this very moment.
Of course Rose broke away from the kisses first, stilling some of the pleased noises and she just panted softly to regain air as her brown eyes stayed squeezed shut. Well, first kiss or not, Tiger took a special kind of pleasure in knowing at least she hadn't been kissed like that before. Still... this was dangerous. He was desperate. Too desperate. He shouldn't even be thinking about her like that, or anyone her age for that matter. Maybe not anyone at all. If he'd been her father, he would have taken one look at Kotetsu and thrown him through several buildings. She deserved better than him. And he couldn't pull away either. "Karina," his throat was still rough and growly as he rumbled in her ear. He was a little frustrated with himself, but damn if he didn't love the way her name sounded, even from his own voice. It was such a beautiful name. For a beautiful girl. She shuddered at the sound and it was intoxicating. He wanted more. Dangerous, dangerous.
"Yeah," she looked up at him with those gorgeous brown eyes.
He can't bear to look in them, afraid he'll see innocence and youth, or worse warmth and compassion and admiration and shit, then he wouldn't be able to treat her like a mixed up soon to be graduating student. Then he might cave. Damn it, she was so adult sometimes, more mature than the rest of them combined, but she was still young. Still he moved a hand on her leg and pulled her up high for better leverage. "What do you want from me?" he asked in a low voice and nibbled her earlobe, just in case it was all going to end soon. Just in case that first kiss was meant to be something sweet and reassuring and he'd read too much into it. Still... why come here for just something like that? No, it had to be more. Didn't it? And yet... and yet... Of all the people in the world Blue Rose could have, Wild Tiger was the last he expected. Of all the men who'd proposed or tried to give her their phone number or surely asked Katarina out, what the hell could she see in Kotetsu? He would have loved to list the reasons he was better than those guys. All of them. But all he had was heart and part of it was wrapped up to a dead woman and his kid, and the sadness that went with the loneliness. Not something he should let a young woman handle, however mature she was. "Why me?" he kept his voice steady though his confidence was breaking.
"Shut up," she snapped in her usual tsundere way though it was less cold and unfriendly than he was used to. "You think too much." She threw her body at his, crashing into him with an ever harder, more demanding kiss than before and Kotetsu couldn't help kissing her back just as hard. He loved dominant women. Dominant women who could be cute. Always the best. She rolled tight against him and he growled once again, aggressive to play off her own strong kisses and he lightly nipped her bottom lip, tugging with his teeth before she assaulted him with her tongue and he kissed back, trying to claim dominance. She let out a loud moan and pushed herself against him again, and just like that... his confidence really did break this time. For a moment... when she did that... he thought of his dead wife. He hadn't meant to, and Karina wasn't a replacement. But maybe he cared too much about Karina to let her be the first one after his wife's death. Maybe he really should have started dating some years ago, but he hadn't been ready. Still wore the ring. Half of the time still felt married. Kotetsu gently set Karina down and patted her head. He forced himself to breathe carefully though he couldn't help the blush to his cheeks or the sheepish look. He grinned and shook his head. He wanted Karina. He really did. And that was just it. A small break. He had to think this through better. Give her time to think. She was still young enough that hormones were raging and could make any uncertain decision a suddenly bad one.
He hummed softly and shook his head. Damn she was a thing to behold. Another time, another place, if she were just a few years older and he'd have been all over that before anyone could think to hold him back or say "Down boy." "C'mon, lets get you a drink," he suggests a little breathlessly but with a grin, shoving his hands in his pockets and ambling towards his kitchen. He needs to talk to her. To know that this is more than something crazy. Something real. Ah fuck, maybe he's a girl.
"No, I'm fine, I should go,” she insisted, back to the icy cold tone so fast that Tiger got freezer burn.
All the warmth that had been flooding him moments earlier from great sensations, wine, the knowledge that someone didn't think he was too old for well... something... the fact that someone actually liked him and the sheer physical feel of her body pressed tight against his; it all went flooding out in that instant, leaving a cold wind sweeping over him inside. Shit. Was she mad he'd stopped? Was she realizing it was a bad idea to even come there? "You sure you don't want a drink?" he offered trying not to be hopeful. It was the least he could do and maybe then they could figure things out.
"Very," she stared him down evenly and the icy look wasn't one he was used to seeing with the brown eyes; only the blue from when she was a superhero and using her powers as a NEXT.
He was crestfallen, but rolled with it. Her decision, and perfectly reasonable given the circumstances, "Do you need a ride home?"
"No I don't," she muttered still as frosty as a New England February. He tried to understand what she was thinking. Was she mad for kissing him in the first place? She didn't look like that so much as... so much as what? She must have felt it though, the way he'd felt her eyes on him all those times in the past. At least... now he hoped it was him. Could he even hope that yet? "Thank you however. It won't happen again--”
Oh. That settled it. He glanced down and quickly mumbled, "It's not you Karina." He hadn't even meant to say it out loud. Just too honest not to. She started tugging off the sweater and he frowned. It was too cold and she looked too amazing in it. "Keep it," he insisted, reaching to pull it back down.
She flutters and starts to flush, and for a brief moment, Kotetsu swore he'd done a good thing and made her happy. And then she tried to punch him in the face. He already had his hands up from being about tug the sweater down though so he caught the fist gently in one hand and kissed the top of it. Now see that whole thing with the sweater? That was cute. Stupid un-cute Bunny. Why kind of Bunny wasn't cute? "Give me a moment to get my keys," Tiger insisted and went to go get them and real shoes. At least this way he could try to talk to her a little more. It wasn't like he wanted to say no entirely -- okay maybe his willpower was pathetically weak, but he had his reasons and they went beyond that she was hot and that he was lonely, so that had to count for something -- but he couldn't just do this without knowing why. If she wanted to use him to make Bunny jealous, well fuck him, he might do it. Okay probably not that far. But he'd help her. He'd help her with whatever she let him, but he couldn't if she was just going to shut him out. He needed more than that.
If he thought it'd be a good chance to get conversation out of her, he was shit out of luck. She stared out the window the whole time at the passing streets and buildings, all the way up to her parents' house. She was about to leave without so much as a word and he got frustrated. Was she just going to walk out without even trying to explain herself to him? Leave him wondering all night? She was honest, so devious plans didn't suit her, and yet, what was she up to? "Karina," he growled and when he turned back to him with a hopeful look he couldn't help himself kissing her forehead. He kisses down her nose to her lips because she doesn't push him away, because she's so close, because she smells so fantastic that he wants to try once again to send her the real message he'd meant to before. But then she punched him again, this time he hadn't expected it and it sent him reeling back and she ran out. Well. Fuck. That could have gone better. He started re-thinking all of it. He shouldn't be kissing someone that young, shouldn't be thinking worse things like how amazing her chest and thigh had felt -- would feel in his hands or pressed against various parts of him. Normally he would have walked her up to safety, but after the punch she was gone too fast and by the time he pulled himself together she was inside. He gave up and drove back home.
It was hard to sleep. He never really slept great at home unless they'd been working late the night before or he was drunk enough. He missed his wife. Missed even having a wife. Fuck his life. Finally he drifts off, blissfully blank and resolves himself to figure out Karina's motives tomorrow. If she's being tsundere as she usually is, but genuinely likes him, then he just needs to know. Otherwise, he owes it to her to help out whatever the case may be.
The next day working out was a nuisance. Tiger rarely bothered doing any extra exercise than necessary, and that day was no different, especially how tired he was from the night before. So he cat-napped throughout the day, kept a wary out for Nathan and Antonio's suspicions and just in case Bunny had gotten the word from Agnes and thought it was a good idea. Eventually it cleared out until only Kotetsu and Karina were left. He took that moment to strike, pouncing like a tiger and moved her up against a wall, playing on a hunch based purely on his instincts that she did like him physically if not much else. "Karina," he growled again and lightly pawed his hands on her hips. He was right, if anything she seemed mesmerized, not mad by the kisses, so it must have been the lack of kisses that did it. Now to get the rest of the story from her. As she started to reach for his chest, he pinned her hands up above her and pulled back from the kisses a little to make her talk. "Why me?" It was important. Of all the billions of people she could have, Kotetsu could barely think of a good reason to pick him. And he was he was his own biggest fan aside from his mother and ex-manager. Not exactly objective character witnesses there.
"Why not you?" she reflexively answered and tried to get more kisses.
He kissed her back out of reflex at first, but this was important damn it. He really needed to know if he was a stepping stone to her. He'd let himself be one, but he needed to know otherwise he'd do something dumb and fall head over heels for her. Maybe introduce her to Kaede, maybe think it was all real and long lasting. She was his first in a very long time, and he needed the truth. "Why me?" he insisted, feeling like a rope drawn very taut. He was ready to spring into action like the tiger he felt like, but not yet.
"Kiss me," she demanded with a breathless pant and beautiful brown eyes narrowed on his amber ones.
He wanted to oblige to that order, if he'd been any other straight man in the world he was certain he would have. But he was getting frustrated with all of it. With her refusal to answer that started to seem like more than tsundere and trying to hide something that would hurt him. Frustrated with his own weakness to be able to just take what she was offering for what it was worth and not worry he'd be crazy about it. But he had a tendency to like things hardcore and go all out. Especially people. Even he knew that. "Why me, Karina? Why me and not someone else? You think it's funny toying with a old man?" he growled voicing the taut frustration.
She just smirked, pink lips deepening red from the kisses and making her mouth even more mesmerizing when she smiled. She hooked a leg around him to tug him close and threw him a little bit off balance. He'd been expecting to stay on the offensive for this, not have it turned on him. "I like you, idiot," she said as if explaining to him that clouds float like ice on water. "I really like you."
Amber eyes widened. It was too good to be true, wasn't it? He'd thought he was getting through to her, but he hadn't thought it'd worked so well. She liked him. No one liked him. He had the least amount of fans, and yet someone with the most, someone as stunningly brilliant and independent and beautiful as her liked him. A rumbling tiger noise built up inside him along with the happy feeling like a hot air balloon was rapidly inflating in his chest. He kissed her back instantly -- how could he not? And moved to put her up on a shelf that held dumbbells, he couldn't stop kissing her, touching her, reminding himself this was real and she was solid and this was here and it existed, and how amazing it felt. He let out of the rumbling growling purr and nibbled and sucked on her throat. Fuck it, she was honest, so she must like him. And if not, if it was a game, then he would make damn sure to help her make anyone else who was jealous, absolutely green with envy. He bit and sucked all over her neck and she rolled her head to give him access. It wasn't mature what he'd done, but as he moved back to look at the small budding marks, he was damn proud of it, ridiculous as it was. She whined, desperately wanting more and the sound alone was enough to send a shiver down his spine.
Still, he reminded himself, she was young, hormonal, and as mature as she was, she didn't always handle things perfectly. If she'd merely talked with him last night he'd have given her hundreds more kissed to try to satisfy her. He whispered in her ear with a small purr, "Don't run away next time," and pulled back to do almost just that. They had a fundraiser to be at tonight and while Tiger was never much of one for those things, Blue Rose certainly was. He might be willing to bruise her neck a bit and force her to wear a choker or show the world for all it was worth, but he wasn't going to let her play hookey like he always did. Besides, this was for a good cause, and he always showed up to those. Even if he did spend most of it trying to master Ivan's art of invisibility. He head off to go take a shower and get changed, pleased as punch with himself. Hell, now that he had a reason to pay closer attention to what was going on, it might even be kind of fun.
"Go to hell you bastard!" she snarled after him, and he was glad his ankle was out of kicking range.
Still, without even turning around he chuckled and waved back at her. "I'll dance with you if you show up." He would too. He was a good dancer, so long as anything from at least a decade ago counted. Given that it was a fundraiser, the music and dances were bound to be even older than. At first he almost wasn't sure why he'd offered. It just seemed the thing to do, and he really did hope she'd let him dance with her. He didn't bother looking back to see if she was going off to get ready or would accept the invitation. His instincts had been right about her, and he was sure she wanted that dance. He'd see her there, no doubt about it.
Pairing: Rose/Tiger (yes, she tops, yes I need to kill Mia)
Summary: Tiger's side to this & this and sequels.
Rating/Warning: PG-15, (bordering not Mags-safe), younger female (17/18, so legal, but hits some squick for folks given that Tiger is late 20s/early 30s/more) Spoilers for Episode 7ish
Disclaimer: Tiger & Bunny is owned by Masafumi Nishida & Sunrise. Licensed by Viz. This isn't a disclaimer as much as a "If you haven't heard it/seen it. GO FIND IT" XD It's a really good series about superheroes and has Hiroaki Hirata (SANJI) voicing Tiger & Marco's VA voicing Bunny. It's awesome.
Word Count: Just under 6000. God Tiger doesn't shut up. =\
Sometimes he caught her looking at him. Watching when she thought no one else was looking. She'd have a nearly blank almost day-dreamy expression on her face. If she was out of costume, sometimes she'd be twisting a curl, or playing with a pen to her mouth. He knew that kind of look by now. It was the kind of look girls wore when they got all dopey over his partner. Barnaby. Tiger had seen that look flicking all over Kaede's face lately. Unfortunately. So when he saw it on Karina's face, he assumed she was looking past him to Barnaby. Stupid stupid Bunny. The guy was probably gay and didn't care. Or worse. Asexual. Given how much time Kotetsu figured the blond spent on his hair, it had to be one or the other. Those boots didn't help either. New generation or not, there was a difference between dressing like Antonio or Kotetsu himself, or even Keith... vs. Nathan. And Bunny definitely fell on the Fire Emblem side. Or so his partner suspected.
Well, whatever. Rose was allowed to like whoever she liked. It was a little disheartening. After all, he thought he'd really gotten through to her about the reasons for being a hero. But after seeing Bunny's interview, maybe it was just Bunny and not Tiger's talk with her after all. Tch. Figures. Like Nathan had said, it was no use lecturing a girl that age. Sure, Tiger hadn't meant to lecture her, just open up a dialogue, and at the bar, he was so sure he'd succeeded. After all, she came to rescue them didn't she? And all stupid Bunny did was bet that she wouldn't even come and then he didn't even pay up. Cheapskate. Still, they were closer in age. And tragically they had more in common. A power couple amongst the Heroes would make headlines. Agnes would worry about the sponsors getting fussy, but it'd be amazing publicity for the show and both sponsors, so they probably wouldn't complain. Tiger just hoped he didn't get too far shunted to the side if it happened. Though, so long as Bunny really was asexual instead of his namesake, then Tiger was safe and Rose could look away. For now he put on a guarded smile about the idea and occasionally tried to encourage it. Partly so he didn't look bitter, and partly because he did want to be supportive. He couldn't help it, he just did want them to be happy, even if it meant Rose might slip back into caring all about the points like Bunny did. They were both distant enough that maybe it would warm them up. Or something.
Slowly it became a bit of a game between him and her. She'd watch, and Tiger would try to catch her whenever he felt those beautiful brown eyes on him. Or through him, really. Then he'd look up with a quick grin and she'd dart away, looking insistently anywhere else. It was cute really. And he mentally cursed finding it so adorable. She really was such an honest kid. He made it a point to come to all her shows when she was performing as Karina. When she was Blue Rose, he couldn't usually catch the stuff, but it mattered less then he thought. Her sponsors still often chose her playlists and rarely let her ever sing the songs she wrote. When she wrote things though, he made sure to catch them, even if he had to delay getting the ridiculously high-tech suit off. Still, it was as Karina that he most wanted to see her perform. It was as herself he felt it was most important to catch her songs. That was when her honesty shone like one of her falling snowflakes. He tried to drag Bunny to a few, but it was hard. Bunny claimed he didn't drink (what a kid) and therefore had no interest in bars, no in what happened there. When Kotetsu tried to explain why he should come, the idiot just dug his heels in deeper and explained he didn't want to get to know the other heroes out of work. Which was stupid. Why even refuse a disguise then? But... because he'd refused a disguise, it did make it tricky. If Kotetsu Kaburagi always hung out with a famous superhero and got treated the same way Wild Tiger did, people would wonder. So eventually Tiger gave up and dropped it.
He still went to all her shows though. Kotetsu figured Karina probably just thought him to be an alcoholic. To be fair, she wouldn't be too off the mark. Still, he wanted to support her. And to make sure that she knew she had one fan who preferred the real her as she wanted to be most of, and that it was okay to reconcile one's superhero life with their real one. Ah... maybe that was why she liked Bunny so much. Bunny never had to reconcile one life with the other, they were just one and the same to him weren't they? And maybe part of Karina really wanted that. Hn. Losing another kid to that line of thinking, wasn't he? It'd been so long ago now since Legend's famous days, maybe it wasn't really surprising anymore that it was considered old fashioned. Old fashioned huh? Like not killing criminals? Ridiculous. Bunny didn't have to wear a disguise, he didn't have family to protect. He'd accidentally hinted once that there was a reason he didn't wear a disguise. To lure out Ouroboros perhaps? Whatever. Karina did have family protect. And school friends. And she seemed to sort of want a normal life, which she could never have if she came out of the superhero or NEXT closet. Still wouldn't stop her from crushing on him though.
He hadn't even realized that after a while he was catching himself shooting her glances, just like kids in high school. Just like with his now gone wife. When she caught him, he just thought he was catching her about to look at Bunny and grinned like a knowing Uncle. She got growly and tsundere whenever Bunny was brought up, but if anything Kotetsu mistakenly thought that cemented it. She was embarrassed he knew and really too cute and shy to be willing to tell Bunny and risk things now. So adorable. And so Kotetsu lightly teased and hid the small cold distant part of his heart that wondered why he was so very unpopular. That wonder what the hell Bunny had that even his daughter could see and Kotetsu couldn't. Maybe trying hard and good intentions just weren't enough.
He was drifting over all kinds of these thoughts over a small (okay large) glass of wine in his apartment when Agnes rushed in. He tried to be polite and offer her something, though he was confused about why she was there. She went on and on about "the internet" and "fangirls" and when she started bringing up Barnaby, well he started to tune her out again. Fucking Bunny. Couldn't she have said it on the phone? Or at work? He did not need his forced partner in his personal life anymore than Bunny wanted Tiger in his.
"Are you listening?!" Agnes demanded.
"Yeah, sure," Tiger rubbed the back of his neck and then seeing Agnes' glare, reflexively straightened up and focused, "Of course."
She huffed, heaving air into her busty chest and back out. "Really? Because I thought there'd be more objections from you, that's why I wanted to do this in person."
Tiger leaned his head in his hand thinking hard, "What's to object to? You want me to get closer to Bunny onscreen, but it doesn't have to happen off camera you said. It'll 'please the fangirls' you said." Although so far it hadn't. More than one fangirl had openly wished Tiger out of the way and that they had Tiger's power so that *they* could be Bunny's partner instead. But whatever, more screen time would unpleasant, but maybe it would boost his ratings. God knows he needed the help there.
"BARNABY Brooks Jr." Agnes corrected out of reflex, "You can call him Bunny when you get lovey-dovey I suppose."
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. He was not drunk enough to be hearing these kinds of things. "Lovey-dovey?!" Kotetsu squeaked. What the fuck was going on in that producer's mind?
"AHA! You didn't hear a word I said!" she crisply protested, stomped a heel onto the floor -- nearly onto his TOES thank you very much -- and glared up at him furiously. "CLOSER, Mr. Kaburagi. CLOSER."
She couldn't... she couldn't. Tiger wanted to let out a mewling whimper and he didn't care how unmanly it was, this was worse than watching Saito burn up his old uniform. He was petrified. "P-producer!" he squeaked.
"A kiss. Holding hands. Long lingering looks and inching in close. It'll heighten your teamwork," she insisted.
Tiger was starting to get hysterical, somewhere torn between laughter and wanting to break down and cry. What would Kaede say? Oh right, she didn't know. But still. She'd hate Wild Tiger then. And fangirls would like this? Not the kind of fangirl Tiger would be hoping for. "I-Isn't that more Nathan's thing?" he squeaked, coughed, and cleared his throat to drop it back to a more manly octave. "That is... this has nothing to do with justice or being a superhero," he explained firmly, making his voice tough. Yeah, that was the ticket. Just stick to your guns Kotetsu!
She stomped the heel again, this time onto his toes. And as he winced and quickly clutched them to his chest, wishing he had shoes on, she continued yelling at him, "Idiot! Being a hero isn't JUST about justice and saving people! It's drama and action! It's the people who watch and support you! You don't have to want them to like you, I don't care, so long as they watch you!"
"And they'll watch me kiss Bunny?" Tiger frowned, wishing he could crawl into a corner of woe.
"Not only that, they will watch you more as a pairing and buy more merchandise afterwards," she impatiently explained as if getting tired with telling a five year old why he couldn't keep playing with his favorite toy during writing class. -- Tiger would know, he'd gotten plenty of those lectures about his Legend action figure.
Relying on Japanese evasiveness, Tiger politely nudged her to the door, "I'll think on it," he promised. Yes, he would think of ways to get out of it. Maybe if nothing else, at the last minute he could duck out pretending to be sick and let Nathan take his place. Even if Nathan wasn't really as promiscuous as he teased, Kotetsu had no doubt that Fire Emblem could take his place in a kiss like that and manage to enjoy it. Hell, it'd even be funny to see the shocked as fuck look on Bunny's face if that happened. Maybe it wouldn't have the long-term effect Agnes hoped for, since most people would see it as a joke, but she was kidding herself if she though Tiger and Bunny had any chance for long term. They fought too much. She'd just be making more editing work for herself.
Agnes looked at him suspiciously, but finally gave up and grabbed her coat to storm out. Then she dropped the final bombshell. "The fans already think you two are sleeping together anyways because you're always fighting." Well, that just settled it, fans were truly nuts. Watching her go, and trying to suppress his spluttering because that would ruin any of his cool effects, Tiger idly wondered if she'd even told Bunny or not. Probably not. Maybe she figured Bunny would do anything for the ratings. Hell, that idiot probably even would.
He sighed softly and blinked as Karina suddenly appeared before him. He'd given her his address once ages ago in case she ever needed it, but she'd only been there once that he remembered, the one time with Antonio checking on him after an injury. He couldn't help his small bit of flustered pleasure at seeing here there. After all the stupidity from Agnes, another Hero -- one who wouldn't want him kissing Bunny onscreen for any reason -- was a welcome relief. "Hey Karina, what are doin' here?" he hummed softly and tried to collect himself after the thing with Agnes. Was his apartment okay? How many bottles were around? Any of them? Please let him have cleaned up before the wine and pajamas. Tidy or not, he tugged her inside.
Even for an ice queen, she had to be freezing. It was too cold out for the thin jacket she was wearing, and given the way she shivering, he was sure it. He didn't see a car -- and in the city not many drove. She must have walked. Or taken a taxi. Given Karina? Probably walked. She was strong and independent like that. Never wanted to rely on anyone she didn't have to. Well, except maybe Bunny the way he rescued her, but then she never liked those, did she. Even if she liked Bunny, Tiger was sure she didn't like the rescues. She probably wanted to be strong in his eyes. How cute. He protective got out one of his sweaters and replaced it for the jacket. "And wear that, you're like a tombstone in winter." Was he being too fatherly? He couldn't help it. It was reflex. Kaede did shit like that to him all the time, showing up in whatever her grandmother would let her get away with and being ridiculous. Maybe it was a girl thing. Did they like being cold?
Luckily Karina didn't seem to mind. If anything she snuggled into the sweater. Damn it was cute. He waited patiently for an answer that didn't come. Instead, a growling icy tone instead. "Why was Agnes here?" He nearly winced. Did Karina already know? Had she heard the same rumors everyone else supposedly did? What if she was in on it after all? Still, Karina sounded jealous and Tiger was too honest to ever lie about even something like this.
"Ah, somethin' about how she wanted me to kiss Bunny 'r some bullshit like that, boosting figures I think. Also something about how the fans think we're sleeping together because we're fighting or some stupid thing like that," Tiger answered. Whatever Karina was here for, it probably wasn't to tell him not to do what Agnes wanted. Given her age, and how adult Karina was, it was bound to be more serious than that. Especially if she was seeking Tiger out of all people and not her usual confidant of Nathan or one of her school friends. Still, whatever it was, she could tell him in her own time, he wouldn't force her.
She stepped closer then up on tiptoes and pulled his head down closer to hers -- he thought to whisper something, so when she kissed him, he was completely taken aback. She might have been cold, but the kiss was warm and it was like everything crashed in on Kotetsu's head. He was too conflicted to give the right kind of kiss back at first. She was young. He really hoped he wasn't her first kiss, though the idea tickled him. He kisses back chastely and gently, but she let out such a pleased sound, he melted a little more into it and growled, causing her to shudder. He was sold on that, not really daring to hope she was kissing him out of a pure driven need to that'd pent up over months of wanting to, but still a little too unwilling to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he momentarily ran on instinct. Might as well make a proper adult kiss out of it. None of this innocent kid stuff. He backed her up against the wall next to the shut door and leaned himself on arm resting over her head so that he could get a better leverage and kiss a bit more firmly. The deeper he kissed, the more she kissed back, licking his lips and getting less and less innocent which each passing instant. His chest was pressed against hers and -- oh god help him -- he couldn't help but notice the way she breathed, the way her breasts bounced and the soft feel. He tugged her a little closer by the waist and purrs softly in spite of himself, just too damn happy to be alive and in this very moment.
Of course Rose broke away from the kisses first, stilling some of the pleased noises and she just panted softly to regain air as her brown eyes stayed squeezed shut. Well, first kiss or not, Tiger took a special kind of pleasure in knowing at least she hadn't been kissed like that before. Still... this was dangerous. He was desperate. Too desperate. He shouldn't even be thinking about her like that, or anyone her age for that matter. Maybe not anyone at all. If he'd been her father, he would have taken one look at Kotetsu and thrown him through several buildings. She deserved better than him. And he couldn't pull away either. "Karina," his throat was still rough and growly as he rumbled in her ear. He was a little frustrated with himself, but damn if he didn't love the way her name sounded, even from his own voice. It was such a beautiful name. For a beautiful girl. She shuddered at the sound and it was intoxicating. He wanted more. Dangerous, dangerous.
"Yeah," she looked up at him with those gorgeous brown eyes.
He can't bear to look in them, afraid he'll see innocence and youth, or worse warmth and compassion and admiration and shit, then he wouldn't be able to treat her like a mixed up soon to be graduating student. Then he might cave. Damn it, she was so adult sometimes, more mature than the rest of them combined, but she was still young. Still he moved a hand on her leg and pulled her up high for better leverage. "What do you want from me?" he asked in a low voice and nibbled her earlobe, just in case it was all going to end soon. Just in case that first kiss was meant to be something sweet and reassuring and he'd read too much into it. Still... why come here for just something like that? No, it had to be more. Didn't it? And yet... and yet... Of all the people in the world Blue Rose could have, Wild Tiger was the last he expected. Of all the men who'd proposed or tried to give her their phone number or surely asked Katarina out, what the hell could she see in Kotetsu? He would have loved to list the reasons he was better than those guys. All of them. But all he had was heart and part of it was wrapped up to a dead woman and his kid, and the sadness that went with the loneliness. Not something he should let a young woman handle, however mature she was. "Why me?" he kept his voice steady though his confidence was breaking.
"Shut up," she snapped in her usual tsundere way though it was less cold and unfriendly than he was used to. "You think too much." She threw her body at his, crashing into him with an ever harder, more demanding kiss than before and Kotetsu couldn't help kissing her back just as hard. He loved dominant women. Dominant women who could be cute. Always the best. She rolled tight against him and he growled once again, aggressive to play off her own strong kisses and he lightly nipped her bottom lip, tugging with his teeth before she assaulted him with her tongue and he kissed back, trying to claim dominance. She let out a loud moan and pushed herself against him again, and just like that... his confidence really did break this time. For a moment... when she did that... he thought of his dead wife. He hadn't meant to, and Karina wasn't a replacement. But maybe he cared too much about Karina to let her be the first one after his wife's death. Maybe he really should have started dating some years ago, but he hadn't been ready. Still wore the ring. Half of the time still felt married. Kotetsu gently set Karina down and patted her head. He forced himself to breathe carefully though he couldn't help the blush to his cheeks or the sheepish look. He grinned and shook his head. He wanted Karina. He really did. And that was just it. A small break. He had to think this through better. Give her time to think. She was still young enough that hormones were raging and could make any uncertain decision a suddenly bad one.
He hummed softly and shook his head. Damn she was a thing to behold. Another time, another place, if she were just a few years older and he'd have been all over that before anyone could think to hold him back or say "Down boy." "C'mon, lets get you a drink," he suggests a little breathlessly but with a grin, shoving his hands in his pockets and ambling towards his kitchen. He needs to talk to her. To know that this is more than something crazy. Something real. Ah fuck, maybe he's a girl.
"No, I'm fine, I should go,” she insisted, back to the icy cold tone so fast that Tiger got freezer burn.
All the warmth that had been flooding him moments earlier from great sensations, wine, the knowledge that someone didn't think he was too old for well... something... the fact that someone actually liked him and the sheer physical feel of her body pressed tight against his; it all went flooding out in that instant, leaving a cold wind sweeping over him inside. Shit. Was she mad he'd stopped? Was she realizing it was a bad idea to even come there? "You sure you don't want a drink?" he offered trying not to be hopeful. It was the least he could do and maybe then they could figure things out.
"Very," she stared him down evenly and the icy look wasn't one he was used to seeing with the brown eyes; only the blue from when she was a superhero and using her powers as a NEXT.
He was crestfallen, but rolled with it. Her decision, and perfectly reasonable given the circumstances, "Do you need a ride home?"
"No I don't," she muttered still as frosty as a New England February. He tried to understand what she was thinking. Was she mad for kissing him in the first place? She didn't look like that so much as... so much as what? She must have felt it though, the way he'd felt her eyes on him all those times in the past. At least... now he hoped it was him. Could he even hope that yet? "Thank you however. It won't happen again--”
Oh. That settled it. He glanced down and quickly mumbled, "It's not you Karina." He hadn't even meant to say it out loud. Just too honest not to. She started tugging off the sweater and he frowned. It was too cold and she looked too amazing in it. "Keep it," he insisted, reaching to pull it back down.
She flutters and starts to flush, and for a brief moment, Kotetsu swore he'd done a good thing and made her happy. And then she tried to punch him in the face. He already had his hands up from being about tug the sweater down though so he caught the fist gently in one hand and kissed the top of it. Now see that whole thing with the sweater? That was cute. Stupid un-cute Bunny. Why kind of Bunny wasn't cute? "Give me a moment to get my keys," Tiger insisted and went to go get them and real shoes. At least this way he could try to talk to her a little more. It wasn't like he wanted to say no entirely -- okay maybe his willpower was pathetically weak, but he had his reasons and they went beyond that she was hot and that he was lonely, so that had to count for something -- but he couldn't just do this without knowing why. If she wanted to use him to make Bunny jealous, well fuck him, he might do it. Okay probably not that far. But he'd help her. He'd help her with whatever she let him, but he couldn't if she was just going to shut him out. He needed more than that.
If he thought it'd be a good chance to get conversation out of her, he was shit out of luck. She stared out the window the whole time at the passing streets and buildings, all the way up to her parents' house. She was about to leave without so much as a word and he got frustrated. Was she just going to walk out without even trying to explain herself to him? Leave him wondering all night? She was honest, so devious plans didn't suit her, and yet, what was she up to? "Karina," he growled and when he turned back to him with a hopeful look he couldn't help himself kissing her forehead. He kisses down her nose to her lips because she doesn't push him away, because she's so close, because she smells so fantastic that he wants to try once again to send her the real message he'd meant to before. But then she punched him again, this time he hadn't expected it and it sent him reeling back and she ran out. Well. Fuck. That could have gone better. He started re-thinking all of it. He shouldn't be kissing someone that young, shouldn't be thinking worse things like how amazing her chest and thigh had felt -- would feel in his hands or pressed against various parts of him. Normally he would have walked her up to safety, but after the punch she was gone too fast and by the time he pulled himself together she was inside. He gave up and drove back home.
It was hard to sleep. He never really slept great at home unless they'd been working late the night before or he was drunk enough. He missed his wife. Missed even having a wife. Fuck his life. Finally he drifts off, blissfully blank and resolves himself to figure out Karina's motives tomorrow. If she's being tsundere as she usually is, but genuinely likes him, then he just needs to know. Otherwise, he owes it to her to help out whatever the case may be.
The next day working out was a nuisance. Tiger rarely bothered doing any extra exercise than necessary, and that day was no different, especially how tired he was from the night before. So he cat-napped throughout the day, kept a wary out for Nathan and Antonio's suspicions and just in case Bunny had gotten the word from Agnes and thought it was a good idea. Eventually it cleared out until only Kotetsu and Karina were left. He took that moment to strike, pouncing like a tiger and moved her up against a wall, playing on a hunch based purely on his instincts that she did like him physically if not much else. "Karina," he growled again and lightly pawed his hands on her hips. He was right, if anything she seemed mesmerized, not mad by the kisses, so it must have been the lack of kisses that did it. Now to get the rest of the story from her. As she started to reach for his chest, he pinned her hands up above her and pulled back from the kisses a little to make her talk. "Why me?" It was important. Of all the billions of people she could have, Kotetsu could barely think of a good reason to pick him. And he was he was his own biggest fan aside from his mother and ex-manager. Not exactly objective character witnesses there.
"Why not you?" she reflexively answered and tried to get more kisses.
He kissed her back out of reflex at first, but this was important damn it. He really needed to know if he was a stepping stone to her. He'd let himself be one, but he needed to know otherwise he'd do something dumb and fall head over heels for her. Maybe introduce her to Kaede, maybe think it was all real and long lasting. She was his first in a very long time, and he needed the truth. "Why me?" he insisted, feeling like a rope drawn very taut. He was ready to spring into action like the tiger he felt like, but not yet.
"Kiss me," she demanded with a breathless pant and beautiful brown eyes narrowed on his amber ones.
He wanted to oblige to that order, if he'd been any other straight man in the world he was certain he would have. But he was getting frustrated with all of it. With her refusal to answer that started to seem like more than tsundere and trying to hide something that would hurt him. Frustrated with his own weakness to be able to just take what she was offering for what it was worth and not worry he'd be crazy about it. But he had a tendency to like things hardcore and go all out. Especially people. Even he knew that. "Why me, Karina? Why me and not someone else? You think it's funny toying with a old man?" he growled voicing the taut frustration.
She just smirked, pink lips deepening red from the kisses and making her mouth even more mesmerizing when she smiled. She hooked a leg around him to tug him close and threw him a little bit off balance. He'd been expecting to stay on the offensive for this, not have it turned on him. "I like you, idiot," she said as if explaining to him that clouds float like ice on water. "I really like you."
Amber eyes widened. It was too good to be true, wasn't it? He'd thought he was getting through to her, but he hadn't thought it'd worked so well. She liked him. No one liked him. He had the least amount of fans, and yet someone with the most, someone as stunningly brilliant and independent and beautiful as her liked him. A rumbling tiger noise built up inside him along with the happy feeling like a hot air balloon was rapidly inflating in his chest. He kissed her back instantly -- how could he not? And moved to put her up on a shelf that held dumbbells, he couldn't stop kissing her, touching her, reminding himself this was real and she was solid and this was here and it existed, and how amazing it felt. He let out of the rumbling growling purr and nibbled and sucked on her throat. Fuck it, she was honest, so she must like him. And if not, if it was a game, then he would make damn sure to help her make anyone else who was jealous, absolutely green with envy. He bit and sucked all over her neck and she rolled her head to give him access. It wasn't mature what he'd done, but as he moved back to look at the small budding marks, he was damn proud of it, ridiculous as it was. She whined, desperately wanting more and the sound alone was enough to send a shiver down his spine.
Still, he reminded himself, she was young, hormonal, and as mature as she was, she didn't always handle things perfectly. If she'd merely talked with him last night he'd have given her hundreds more kissed to try to satisfy her. He whispered in her ear with a small purr, "Don't run away next time," and pulled back to do almost just that. They had a fundraiser to be at tonight and while Tiger was never much of one for those things, Blue Rose certainly was. He might be willing to bruise her neck a bit and force her to wear a choker or show the world for all it was worth, but he wasn't going to let her play hookey like he always did. Besides, this was for a good cause, and he always showed up to those. Even if he did spend most of it trying to master Ivan's art of invisibility. He head off to go take a shower and get changed, pleased as punch with himself. Hell, now that he had a reason to pay closer attention to what was going on, it might even be kind of fun.
"Go to hell you bastard!" she snarled after him, and he was glad his ankle was out of kicking range.
Still, without even turning around he chuckled and waved back at her. "I'll dance with you if you show up." He would too. He was a good dancer, so long as anything from at least a decade ago counted. Given that it was a fundraiser, the music and dances were bound to be even older than. At first he almost wasn't sure why he'd offered. It just seemed the thing to do, and he really did hope she'd let him dance with her. He didn't bother looking back to see if she was going off to get ready or would accept the invitation. His instincts had been right about her, and he was sure she wanted that dance. He'd see her there, no doubt about it.