Work Text:
It was tradition. Wild Tiger would do an interview with Hero Daily every April 1st. It was just the way things were ever since that first interview eleven years ago, when he had announced he was going to be a father.
It had been an accident, a slip of the tongue. He had just been so excited, that when the interviewer asked him if he had any news he’d like to share, Kotetsu had proudly responded, “I’m going to be a dad!” Then he had immediately panicked afterwards, turning pale and slapping a hand over his mouth as if that would keep the words in. It did not, in fact, have the power to turn back time, much to Kotetsu’s disappointment.
The rest of the interview had passed in a blur, Kotetsu too focused on his blunder to properly concentrate. When it had ended, he thanked the interviewer and rushed out, not even bothering to remove his mask before calling Tomoe.
Once she picked up, Kotetsu explained in a panic, “I accidentally mentionedthatI wasgoingtobe a dad.”
“Try saying that again, Kotetsu, but slower.”
Kotetsu took a deep breath but didn’t calm down. He forced himself to talk slower, “I accidentally mentioned that I was going to be a dad.”
Tomoe took a moment to respond. Kotetsu imagined her twirling a finger through her hair as she thought, “So?”
“So? So?!” Kotetsu repeated incredulously, running a hand through his hair frantically, “What if I just put you in danger?! It’s not unheard of for people to go after a hero’s family!”
Tomoe giggled. She wasn’t taking this seriously, was she?! Kotetsu was about to start listing examples when she spoke again, “What day is it, Dear?”
“I- huh?” Kotetsu was thrown by the non-sequitur and stopped worrying for a moment. “April 1st, why…?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“And April 1st is?...” Tomoe questioned.
“April Fools day.” “April Fools day!” They said together, Kotetsu a bit louder than Tomoe.
“So, you see,” She continued, “There’s nothing to worry about. Now go back out there, Tiger, and do your best. Little Kaede and I will be fine.”
“You’re the best, Tomoe. Love you, bye.” Kotetsu smiled softly and waited for Tomoe’s own goodbye before hanging up. Wait… did she just say Kaede? Had she decided on a name?! With those thoughts in mind, Kotetsu happily continued on with his day as Wild Tiger, current favorite for the next King of Heroes.
The next year, Kotetsu’s first as King of Heroes, the interviewer winked and asked him about how “parenthood” was treating him.
“It’s great!” Kotetsu answered cheerily. “She was so small at first!” He gestured with his hands, indicating a size, “She’s still small, but she’s getting bigger every day! Did you know that baby clothes have a lot of different sizes?”
The interviewer shook her head. “No, I wasn’t aware.”
“Yea, I wasn’t either. But one day, she no longer fit in one of her usual onesies! Thankfully, we were able to dig up a bigger one from the baby shower.” Kotetsu smiled and continued, putting a hand in front of his mouth conspiratorially, “Don’t tell Rock Bison, but it was actually the one he gave us. It’s surprisingly cute.”
“Did you go shopping after?” She asked.
Kotetsu nodded, “We did. We saw this Wild Tiger onesie at the store and couldn’t resist.”
“You mean you couldn’t resist.” The interviewer shot back playfully.
He shook his head no, “I mean my wife really wanted it. So we got it.”
“But you wanted it too right?”
“Well, yes.” Kotetsu admitted, scratching his cheek bashfully. “But T- my wife was the one who picked it out!”
“Sure…”
“A-anyways,” He changed the subject, “I really like being a dad,” He grinned dopily. “Every time she wakes us up in the middle of the night is worth every moment and then some! I’m really happy right now.”
The third interview went just as well as the previous two. The interviewer was different this time. She introduced herself as Linda. Apparently, she had volunteered to do the interview today.
Linda must have watched the previous two interviews, because the first question she asked was, “How is your daughter doing?” The way she said it made Kotetsu wonder if she suspected he hadn’t been joking the previous two years.
He answered readily, excited to tell people about his little girl, “She started walking a few months ago. At first, she would only make it a step or two without falling down.” He paused a moment, a proud grin appearing, “She always got back up though.”
“Just like her father then.” Linda replied, smiling. “You always get back up when the villains knock you down with a Wild Roar!” She made some clawing motions in the air.
“I guess we’re both just stubborn.” Kotetsu responded, laughing a bit. “You should see her go now though. She’s practically zooming around the place with all the walking she does.”
“Do you have a video of her walking that I can see?” Linda asked, intrigued. “I remember when my son was around that age, I always had to keep an eye on him to keep him out of trouble!”
Kotetsu reached for his pocket to pull out his phone before thinking better of it, “Perhaps after the interview is done, Linda.” He sat back in his seat in his best mock interviewer pose, folding his arms, “So, how old is your son now?”
Linda, clearly not expecting the tables to be turned on her, let out a startled laugh, “He’s in high school now.” She shot a playfully stern look at him, “But this interview is about you, not me.”
“Alright, alright.” Kotetsu held up his hands in placation. “So, what would you like to know?”
After the interview was complete and the microphones turned off, Linda came up to him. “Your daughter is really lucky to have you as her father, you know.”
Although he had expected it, he was still caught off guard by the certainty in her statement, “How’d you know?”
“The way you talk about her. You clearly love her.” Linda patted him on the arm before walking away. She called out one last thing, “It’s the same way I talk about my son.”
As he stared at her in stunned silence, his only thought was, I forgot to show her the video.
During the fourth interview, Kotetsu was subdued at first. Tomoe wasn’t feeling well at the moment, so he was worried. At least his mom was willing to babysit Kaede for a few days until Tomoe felt better. They didn’t want her to catch anything if it could be prevented.
He perked up a bit when he saw that Linda was the interviewer. Last time she had interviewed him had been fun. She was willing to joke around with him which was always a plus in his book.
Linda started out the interview small, asking him how he’d been. He hesitated a moment before answering that he was great. There was no need to mention Tomoe being sick. She would be fine. Anyways, Kotetsu liked to talk about happy news during these April Fools’ Day interviews, when they wouldn’t compromise his secret identity.
He couldn’t usually talk about Kaede publicly without potentially putting her in danger, so when he could…
He was more than happy to talk about her when asked, “She’s doing great, thanks for asking!” Kotetsu grinned broadly, mood restored.
“Of course,” Linda smiled back. She thought for a moment before asking, “What was her first word?”
“Her first word was ‘mama’!” He replied happily, thinking back to the moment. It had taken them off guard to hear Kaede say an actual word. Afterwards, Kotetsu had tried to get her to say ‘papa’ afterwards, but to little success.
Linda chuckled a little at his expense, “Not ‘papa’?”
“Unfortunately not.” Kotetsu nodded in mock sadness, “We only got her to start saying ‘papa’ a few months ago. She kept calling me by my first name before that.”
“At least she wasn’t calling you ‘Tiger’. That might have been a little hard to explain in public.” Linda laughed at her own joke.
“True,” Kotetsu shuddered at the thought of sweet, little Kaede accidentally revealing his secret identity. It was a good thing Tomoe rarely called him Tiger in front of her. Something occurred to him just then, “I’ll have to tell her one day, won’t I?”
“Hmm?” Linda raised her eyebrows questioningly.
“It’s nothing.” Kotetsu replied. That’s a conversation he wouldn’t need to have for years.
The fifth time Kotetsu does an interview on April 1st, he leaves early. Linda asks him about Kaede, how his daughter is. It’s an easy answer, she’s staying with her grandmother for the week. He doesn’t mention that “the week” has turned into multiple months already. After she implies that he must be enjoying the alone time with his wife, Kotetsu just- can’t. Not right now. He wants to tell her. He doesn’t. Conflicted, he runs.
The sixth interview took place two years later. Kotetsu was a no show the previous year. When he arrived, Linda pulled him aside and told him bluntly, “You look like crap.”
Kotetsu looked down at himself. He did, indeed, look like crap. His shirt was wrinkled, his tie undone, his brown hair in disarray. It was too bad he just didn’t care. He was only here because Ben insisted. It would do, “Let’s just get this over with.” He started to stride over to the set.
“No.” Linda stood in his way. When he tried to edge past her, she shuffled to the side, blocking him. “You need to clean up.”
“I don’t.” Kotetsu attempted to pass her again and failed. He stopped, frustrated. He briefly considered using Hundred Power to get around her, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Instead, he simply asked her a question, “Why?”
She didn’t answer. Linda studied him for a moment, considering. When she finally spoke, it was with a gentle tone, “What happened, Tiger?”
Kotetsu carefully avoided her eyes. He didn’t want her sympathy, having had enough of it from everyone else, “What do you mean?” He tried to keep his voice level but failed.
“You were happier before. Livelier.” Linda frowned, crossing her arms, “You take more risks now as well. The public is worried about you.”
Kotetsu scoffed, “The public.” The public had noticed that something was off all right. But instead of being concerned about him, they were coming up with all kinds of ridiculous theories as to why. Sure, there were a few articles that sounded genuinely worried, but they were few and far between all the tabloid stories. Everyone wanted an explanation for Wild Tiger’s sudden fall from grace.
Linda rolled her eyes, “I’m worried about you.” She sighed, saddened, “What happened to the Tiger who would always get back up no matter what?”
“I-” Kotetsu started, unsure what to say.
“Shush.” Linda interrupted him. “Listen. You aren’t always the most impressive hero when it comes to catching the villains. You don’t have a flashy power like some of the others.”
Kotetsu visibly deflated at her words. Wasn’t this supposed to be a rousing speech to bring him to his senses?
“But-” She continued, “That’s not what’s important. Seeing you get back up again and again, no matter what, is. It gave me hope that I could do the same. You’re inspiring, Tiger.” Linda’s eyes flicked up and down his rumpled form, “I can only hope that you continue to be.” She started off towards the set.
He stared after her for a moment before glancing at his wedding ring. A wave of sadness washed over him, but he steeled himself. Tomoe wanted him to continue being a hero. As Linda had mentioned, there was more to that than just arresting the bad guys. Kotetsu would have to try. With that thought in mind, he set off after her to ask her where the bathroom was.
It was surprising just how much better a fresh change of clothes and a shower could make a person feel. Kotetsu felt human again as he combed his hair and carefully affixed his mask back in place. There, perfect. For the first time in what felt like ages, he felt ready to face the world. Hopefully the feeling would last.
The borrowed suit didn’t fit quite as well as one of his own, but it was a far cry more impressive than the wrinkled one he had passed out in last night while drinking. Linda had asked one of her interns to find him something suitable to wear while he freshened up. Apparently, Kotetsu wasn’t the only one who had ever come to do an interview with a sloppy appearance, hence the shower in the building.
Kotetsu took a deep breath and exhaled. It was time. Linda had already pushed back the interview half an hour. After one last glance in the mirror, he made his way to the set where Linda was waiting.
She greeted him with a small, relieved smile, “Tiger!” As he sat down, she shot a serious look at him, “Are you ready?”
Kotetsu nodded and gave her a double thumbs up.
“Great! We’ll start in 3, 2, 1…” Linda counted down with her fingers and signaled one of her crew, “And we’re live! Today, I’m here with Wild Tiger.” She gestured at Kotetsu, and he waved at the camera. “As you may know, it’s become a tradition for Hero Daily to do an interview with him every April 1st! Before we get started on the questions, do you have anything you’d like to say, Tiger?” Linda pointed the microphone at him.
“Oh! Um,” Kotetsu stuttered, put on the spot, “Nice weather we’re having today?” He felt a strong urge to facepalm after saying that but resisted. Barely.
“Indeed.” Linda laughed, not bothering to hide the mirth in her expression. She was having fun with this. She picked up a tablet from beside her and showed the screen to him, scrolling a bit, “We’re changing it up a bit today. All our questions are from our watchers!”
He gulped as he saw the massive number of comments beneath Hero Daily’s post. Surely, he wouldn’t have to answer all of them? No, of course not, they wouldn’t have time. Linda would pick and choose.
“Ok, first question.” Linda scrolled for a bit then stopped, “Let’s start out with something easy. What’s your favorite food?”
“Fried rice.” He answered immediately. Kotetsu continued self-deprecatingly, running a hand through his hair, “Probably because it’s the only thing I know how to cook.”
Linda hummed thoughtfully and replied, “Or maybe you know how to cook it because it’s your favorite.” She paused for a moment as she found something else to ask.
They continued like this for a good twenty minutes until Linda asked, “Who’s your favorite hero?” She winked and added, “Besides yourself of course.”
This was another easy answer for Kotetsu, “Mr. Legend!” He said emphatically, pumping his fist excitedly.
“Oh?” Linda looked surprised, raising her eyebrows, “I would’ve guessed your favorite is Rock Bison, given how close you two are.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Bison’s great.” Kotetsu grinned proudly, “He is my best friend after all. But Mr. Legend-” He paused for emphasis, “He was the hero I saw growing up.”
“Ah.” Linda made a noise of understanding, pointing at him, “You’re a Mr. Legend fanboy!”
He sputtered, “That’s not quite how I would put it-”
“But it’s the truth, is it not?”
Kotetsu sighed and scratched at his beard, “I guess so. Mr. Legend, he-” Kotetsu looked Linda in the eyes as he said this next part, “Inspired me. He taught me that my power wasn’t a bad thing.”
“A bad thing?” Linda prompted.
He looked down at his hands and answered, “It may come as a surprise, but I used to hate my power. What good was being able to lift a car when most everyone hated and feared me? Especially when I couldn’t control it yet.”
“Oof.” She winced, “Unfortunately anti-NEXT bullying is still happening in schools, although heroes such as yourself have done a lot to fight the stigma against NEXT.”
“Yea, that is part of the reason I became a hero.” Kotetsu spoke seriously, “I don’t want kids to have to go through what I did.”
“And the other reasons?”
Kotetsu grinned, “To help people of course!”
After the interview was finished, Kotetsu pulled Linda aside and thanked her. She acted like it was nothing, but Kotetsu had a feeling she was secretly pleased. It seemed like he wasn’t the only fan here.
Things don’t get easier magically. Before Kotetsu knew it, another year had passed. He still filled his days by throwing himself into his hero work, visiting Kaede, and drinking. On the surface, it’s not too different than the year before. On the emotional level however, Tomoe’s death is no longer the open wound it used to be. Being unexpectedly reminded no longer knocked him off his feet; It just brought him down to his knees instead.
The seventh interview takes place a week after he received an injury in the line of duty. Fortunately, it was only a sprained wrist, relatively minor compared to what it could have been. What it did mean, however, is that he just had the week off, having had no tv or advertising appearances scheduled. Kaede had been delighted to have him visit. He really needed to go back more, but hero work kept interrupting him.
Linda greeted him at the door with a warm smile and an approving nod at his outfit, “Tiger!”
“Linda!” Kotetsu grinned back at her, “How are you today?” Despite their few interactions, he considered her a friend. Especially with how she had motivated him last year. Plus, she was fun to talk to.
“I’m doing well. I got promoted a few days ago!” She shared excitedly.
“Oh?!” He smiled wider, “Congratulations!” Kotetsu opened his arms wide, offering a hug. After a second, it occurred to him that not everyone wanted hugs. Before he could close his arms however, Linda took him up on it.
“Thanks,” She replied, pulling back from the hug after a couple of seconds. Linda started towards the set, gesturing for him to follow, “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
The interview progressed smoothly. The two talked about this and that until the subject of Kotetsu’s injury came up, “That was quite the fall you almost had last week. It was quite lucky that you managed to get your grapple off in time.” Linda paused, “Although, from what I’ve heard,” she glanced at his wrist brace, “And seen, you did not survive unscathed.”
“Yea,” Kotetsu held up his right wrist for the camera to catch the brace on it. “It’s just a sprained wrist, but I’ve been told not to do anything to aggravate it. That includes fighting.”
“What do heroes do when they’re not fighting?”
Kotetsu awkwardly mimed writing with his left hand, “Paperwork. That or advertisements. Since I didn’t have any lined up this last week, and paperwork is out for an obvious reason, I got the time off.”
“Oh?” She grinned and leaned in conspiratorially, “And what did you get up to in your off time?”
“I spent the time with my daughter.” Kotetsu smiled happily, “I don’t get a lot of time off, so it’s good to spend it with her when I can.”
“Awww. That’s so sweet.”
They wrapped up the interview shortly after. On the way out the door, Kotetsu froze in place. He had an idea.
For the eighth interview, Kotetsu made sure to bring a surprise. It was securely tucked in one of his breast pockets for safe keeping. He didn’t want the card to fall out.
Once the cameras went live, Linda began her normal start of interview speech. But then- She went off script, “Just kidding! Today we’re doing something different-”
Kotetsu interrupted her, patting his pockets in search of something, “Wait, wait, I have something for this.” He fumbled around for a moment before a card fell out of his pocket. “Whoops,” Tiger chuckled, bending down to pick it up. He proudly showed the camera the back of an Uno card.
“An Uno card?” Linda questioned, a laugh escaping her.
Kotetsu looked at the card for a moment before realization struck and he turned it over, “Not just any Uno card.” He paused dramatically, “Uno reverse!” Kotetsu stuck his hand holding the card out and put his other to his hip and laughed maniacally, “Muahahahah. I’m the interviewer now.”
Linda gasped in response. “Oh noooo,” She cried out, the back of one hand resting against her forehead, “Whatever shall we do?”
After a moment, both broke out laughing. Once they finally stopped, Kotetsu put down the card and leaned in, “So tell me, Linda…”
The ninth interview had a more serious tone. They were talking about how Kotetsu’s duty as a hero affected his day-to-day life.
“It’s hard to make friends outside of your hero work.” Kotetsu explained, combing a hand through his hair in frustration, “If you make plans with someone and then a villain starts causing trouble? Well, you either end up cancelling your plans or running off during them.”
Linda nodded in understanding, “Which doesn’t leave a good impression.”
“Exactly!” The hero agreed emphatically, “For example, my daughter is currently mad at me cause I had to cancel our shopping trip last minute.” Kotetsu sighed dramatically, “She went with her grandma instead.”
“She doesn’t know?” Linda inquired, surprised.
“No.” Kotetsu shook his head, “She’s only eight. She shouldn’t have to worry about me like that.”
Linda pursed her lips in thought, “Have you decided when you’re going to tell her?” She looked him in the eyes, “You can’t keep her in the dark forever.”
“I-” Kotetsu started and then stopped, thinking about the question. “I don’t know yet, sorry.” He looked down.
“That’s alright. Just think about it, ok?” Linda replied gently. “You don’t want her to only learn you’re Wild Tiger after something bad happens, do you?”
His eyes widened in horror, “Of course not!”
“That’s what I thought.” Linda said, “Now what else can you tell me about the challenges of being a hero?”
“Well,” Kotetsu began, only to yawn. “We don’t have a regular sleep schedule.”
Barnaby called out to Kotetsu on his way out the door to his tenth interview, “You’re not leaving me with all this paperwork, are you, Kotetsu?”
“Sorry, Bunny.” Kotetsu replied, not really sorry. “I gotta go!” He jogged in place a bit, antsy to get moving, but not willing to make Barnaby angry at him.
“Go where?” Barnaby replied, puzzled. He didn’t even bother to call him out on the nickname, much to Kotetsu’s secret delight.
Kotetsu puffed up proudly, “I’ve got an interview. You can watch it live on Hero Daily in about 30 minutes!”
The other hero looked at him for a moment, before checking the date on his phone, “It’s April 1st, Kotetsu. Are you sure this isn’t a prank?”
“That’s the point, Bunny. It’s a tradition.” Kotetsu checked his watch, winced, and ran out yelling, “See ya later, Lil’Bunny.”
Thankfully, Kotetsu managed to make it on time to the studio. He waved at the employees and even called out to some of them by name as he made his way to the set. If you interviewed somewhere enough times, you got to know people.
Upon arriving, Kotetsu made a beeline towards Linda. She was busy talking to someone, so he hung off to the side for a minute. While waiting, one of the set staff approached him.
“Mr. Tiger!” An earnest voice called out.
Kotetsu turned to see a young man running up to him excitedly. A fan? He grinned, “Yes?”
“I just want to say, your partnership with Barnaby is really inspiring!”
“I-” Kotetsu blinked, “Thanks?”
Linda called out to him before Kotetsu could ask the kid exactly what he meant, “Tiger, we’re ready for you!”
“Be right there!” The hero responded, glancing back in the direction of the young man. He was gone. Huh.
Predictably, once the interview started, Linda went right into asking him questions about his partnership with Barnaby. Kotetsu told the truth, as he always did at these April Fool interviews.
“We actually didn’t get along at first.” Kotetsu admitted, shaking his head ruefully, “I only started warming up to him after-” He paused, not wanting to say he saved my daughter’s life. “After the ice rink incident.” Kotetsu finished.
“Oh? That’s surprising,” Linda mentioned, “A lot of people theorized that you’d actually known each other for a while given how well you worked together at Fortress Tower.”
“Nah.” Kotetsu shook his head, “We only met when he caught me at the end of the last season.”
“Speaking of that, that’s twice now that he caught you, right?” Linda leaned in and giggled, “In a princess carry at that.”
“I suppose you could call it that-”
She cut him off, “I’m sure everyone would like to know, Tiger. What’s it like to be princess carried by Barnaby?”
“What? It’s just like being carried by anyone else.” Kotetsu answered automatically. Then he thought about it. The first time he had been grateful at first and then annoyed. The second time… He had felt a lot safer once Barnaby caught him. He blushed a bit. “A-anyways,” He continued, “We cemented our partnership while dealing with Jake Martinez.”
“And the people of Sternbild are forever grateful for both of your heroics that day,” Linda smiled at him. “So, if you had the choice to, would you switch partners or work alone?”
“No.” Kotetsu’s response was immediate, “Bunny’s my partner now.” He scratched at his beard and smiled softly, “I couldn’t imagine working without him.”
She raised her eyebrows in question, “Bunny?”
“Oh!” Kotetsu chuckled a little, “It’s a nickname.”
“I figured as much,” Linda rolled her eyes. “The question is why?”
“Weeeeeell.” Kotetsu put both hands up and mimed bunny ears on top of his head, “His suit looks like it has bunny ears.”
“I can see it.” Linda admitted. “It has a nice ring, you know? Tiger & Bunny.”
A lot had changed since the last time Kotetsu visited the studio of Hero Daily. It had only been a year, but it felt longer. Not only was he now retired as a hero, but everyone knew that he had been Wild Tiger. It was either that or be thought of as the murderer who killed Samantha Taylor. Kotetsu knew which one he preferred, and so he had gone through with all the press required to fix his image.
It had come as a surprise when Hero Daily had called to set up their yearly interview. Apparently, a tradition was a tradition. Plus, people were interested in seeing Wild Tiger (AKA Kotetsu Kaburagi) after his all too sudden departure from the public eye following his return to his hometown.
Kotetsu had been all too happy to agree. Not only would it be a great reason to get out of the house and visit the city, he’d also be able to see Barnaby. In fact, Kotetsu was staying with him while he was in town. The other hero had offered him a place to sleep upon hearing about the interview.
Now it was time for the interview. Kotetsu winced as he was called by his real name by the employees as he walked in. Ugh, he’d never get used to being called Kotetsu while in the mask. It felt surreal. Was this how Barnaby felt all the time? No, he was way more popular than Wild Tiger. It was probably worse for him.
Linda called out to him as he entered, “Tiger!” She waved him over.
Kotestu grinned as she used his hero name. Finally, someone who respected his wishes of being called Wild Tiger while in the mask. However… Kotetsu could make an exception for her, “You can call me Kotetsu.” He told her once he was a few feet away.
Her smile widened and she stuck out a hand, “It’s nice to meet you, Kotetsu! I’m Linda.”
Kotetsu rolled his eyes but shook her hand anyways, “I already knew that.”
She smirked in response, “Ready?” Linda gestured to the set.
“Yep.”
The interview went as expected at first; Linda asked Kotetsu about the events that led him to retire. He explained the whole thing from his point of view as concisely as possible. When they were done with the topic, she asked him how retirement was treating him so far.
“I miss being a hero.” Kotetsu admitted to her, “Don’t get me wrong though, I love getting to spend more time with my daughter.”
“You probably have a lot of free time, huh?” Linda asked him, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
“More than I’d like.” He answered, scratching his beard, “I have a looooot of time to think.”
She took a moment to think about her next question, “Find out anything new about yourself?”
Kotetsu considered the question for a moment before an answer came to him. Yes, yes he did. He liked Barnaby. As more than a friend. It had taken him awhile to realize it, as he thought he would never fall in love with anyone again after Tomoe. Barnaby had proven him wrong, as he did with many things.
He glanced around as he wondered if he should mention it. As he did so, his eyes alighted on two young men standing together holding hands, watching the interview. One of them looked familiar. The encounter came back to him in a moment, “Your partnership with Barnaby is really inspiring!” Oh! So that’s what he meant.
Inspire. That is what a hero did. If his story helped others… well, how could he not tell it? Mind made up, Kotetsu turned to Linda and finally answered, “I realized I have feelings for someone.”
Linda’s eyes widened, “Oh?” She recovered quickly, “Who’s the lucky person?”
“That’s a secret.” Kotetsu winked, “I don’t know if he feels the same way yet.” Off to the side, Kotetsu saw the two young men give him a very enthusiastic thumbs up. He smiled in their direction before looking back at Linda.
She had a wide smile, “I’m sure I speak for us all when I say I wish you the best of luck in your romantic endeavors.”
After the interview ended, Linda pulled Kotetsu off to the side, “Barnaby, huh?”
“How did you-” Kotetsu straightened up in surprise.
Linda chuckled slightly, “I didn’t. Now I do.”
“Whoops.” He laughed himself, running a hand through his hair, “Good thing I don’t mind you knowing.”
“So,” She leaned in, “What do you like about him?”
“Everything.” Kotetsu sighed, “Ok, maybe not everything, but a lot. I trust him.” He smiled softly.
“That’s wonderful.” Linda grinned, “I haven’t seen you this happy for a long time.”
“Oh.” Kotetsu responded, momentarily shocked. Should he tell her? He remembered back to when he had run out of the interview a few years ago. Linda hadn’t mentioned his wife since. Had she suspected? It didn’t matter, he wanted her to know, “Yea, not since Tomoe…” He trailed off.
“Tomoe?” Linda prompted.
“My wife.” Kotetsu glanced down at his wedding ring, “She…” He hesitated for a moment, “Died. Cancer.” A moment later, he added on, “I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to Bunny.”
“Oh, Kotetsu.” Linda hugged him, “Thank you for telling me.”
After a minute Kotetsu pulled away, “Thanks, Linda.” He smiled shakily at her and wiped away some tears with his hand, “I think I’ll be alright.”
A couple days later, Kotetsu had a follow up interview with Hero Daily. Apparently, the internet had gone wild after his latest interview with them. After he had come out.
At first people had thought it was a joke. It had been April Fools’ Day after all. But then someone had dug deeper and linked Wild Tiger’s previous interviews with Hero Daily and stated, “Tiger didn’t lie during his previous interviews, why would he now?”
The responses to the comment on the hero forum were varied, but positive:
“Oh shit, you’re right. We found out he actually has a daughter recently. Everyone just thought he made her up as an April Fools’ joke.”
“Trueeee. Anyways, Tiger knows better than to lie about something like this.”
“Genius, Tiger, genius. Only talk about your family on the one day people won’t believe you about them so you don’t compromise your identity. Oh wait…”
“Hahahahahha he fooled us this whole time by telling the truth!”
“I bet he’s talking about Barnaby! All my friends ship them.”
Kotetsu sat down with Linda once again. Barnaby was out of frame watching as the interview started.
After Linda said her opening lines, she got to the point, “So, Kotetsu, people are wondering if what you said a couple days ago was just an April Fools’ joke.”
He shook his head, “It wasn’t.”
“And there you have it!” Linda smiled at the camera, “Now, I’m going to ask what we’re all dying to know: did you ask him out?”
Kotetsu chuckled, “No, I didn’t.”
“Really?” Linda raised her eyebrows and glanced at Barnaby meaningfully.
“Yea.” Kotetsu smiled widely. He was looking at something over her shoulder.
Barnaby came over and sat next to Kotetsu, “I asked him out after seeing the interview.” He explained, linking his hand with Kotetsu’s.
Linda’s expression cleared, “Oh!” She started, looking at the two of them for a moment, “You two are adorable together.”
Kotetsu scooted closer to Barnaby and smiled at Linda, “So, what else did you want to know?”