The Tiger's Bunny

Chapter 8

          When Kaede woke up, she smelled katsudon being cooked and smiled softly; that was her favorite meal. She sat up and looked around. She saw that this room had been carefully decorated to accommodate for her being a teenager soon. She smiled happily; he was finally beginning to stop treating her like a baby. That was when she noticed the bed spread; it was white with rainbow tiger stripes, and it was plush. She could tell this one was Barnaby's doing, which made her smile. The second she got out of bed, she heard a cry of surprise. "KOTETSU!!!" She heard Kotetsu laugh. "Take it easy, Bunny. The food is fine. See? It's not burned. Wait. Come here!" She heard footsteps and when she walked in there, she saw Kotetsu applying aloe vera to Barnaby's hand. "S-sorry.... I'm not that great at cooking... I didn't even see when the grease had begun to pop from the heat..." Kotetsu shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Mistakes happen. As for your cooking, you're doing great. The food isn't burned. This is still gonna be amazing katsudon... And to think I'm teaching my adorable boyfriend how to make it makes me happy~" Barnaby blushed but smiled and kissed him softly. 

          When they broke the kiss, they noticed Kaede leaning against the doorway with a smirk. "You two make an adorable couple, ya know," she said before going over and hugging Barnaby, "And thank you for wanting to learn how to make katsudon.... It's my favorite dish." Barnaby smiled lovingly down at her and hugged her back. He had asked what her favorite was so he could try to cook it as a "welcome home" meal. He rubbed her back softly. Kotetsu smiled over at them. "So did you sleep well?" Kaede smiled happily and nodded. "I did! Also, I love my room. Thank you for decorating it according to my age. It means a lot..." Both men smiled happily. They were glad that she liked it;it took them days to get that room finished. Kotetsu took over cooking for Barnaby, who watched closely.

          It didn't take long for it to finish cooking, so Barnaby and Kaede set the table. Kotetsu set the bowls on the table, and everyone sat down to enjoy the meal. Barnaby looked at Kaede and Kotetsu, smiling happily. They were a family. He finally had a family again. This fact hit him hard, and he looked down, his eyes filling with tears that soon fell onto the table. Both Kaburagi's rushed and hugged him tight. He hugged them both tightly, "I'm sorry.... It's just.... I finally have a family again.... And I'm one of the parents..... I love you two.... More than anything....." Kotetsu smiled; they had been together a week, but they had been in love longer than that. He kissed Barnaby's temple. "We love you, too, Bunny....." Barnaby smiled and wiped away his tears. Once they were sure that he was alright, Kaede and Kotetsu went back to their seats and went back to eating. "This is amazing, you two!" Kaede said as she took a bite of katsudon. Barnaby smiled softly; he was glad she enjoyed it.

            The rest of dinner was uneventful, and once everyone was finished, Barnaby cleared away the dishes from the table and took them to the sink. Kaede went to her room to video call her friends back home, and Kotetsu went into the kitchen. "The dishwasher works... We'll fill it and run it... I need to talk to you..." Barnaby got nervous but nodded. They filled the dishwasher, and Barnaby went outside with Kotetsu. "What's on your mind, Kotetsu.....?" Barnaby asked. Kotetsu looked up at the night sky then at Barnaby. "I think you should move in with us... Your apartment is so empty, you have to be lonely there.... Besides, I'm gonna need someone here to help me keep Kaede out of trouble...." Kotetsu said with a smile. Barnaby's eyes widened then he smiled a big, happy smile. "I'd like that...." Kotetsu smiled and kissed him lovingly. The two went back inside and cuddled on the couch as Kotetsu turned on the TV.