#i have barnaby feelings too though like i saw this manga artwork and had two reactions

[thingswhatareawesome]

spicy chicken instant ramen for the soul

title: spicy chicken instant ramen for the soul fandom: Tiger and Bunny pairing: Barnaby/Kotetsu (taibani) world count: 1082 summary: It was amazing how a few small items could lift Kotetsu’s spirits so much despite how awful he felt. (or, the one where Barnaby brings home a few treats for his sick spouse.)

For the March Flash Fiction day three prompt: Wish granted.

Barnaby let himself into their apartment, toeing off his shoes as he called out, “I’m back.”

From down the dim hall he heard a muffled, hoarse “Welcome home.” Kotetsu was awake then. That was good. But as he walked into the dim living area and saw the TV was once again turned off, he gave a sympathetic look to the blanket-covered lump on the couch. His husband had his arm covering his flushed face. His head must be hurting again, and his fever was still definitely lingering.

Setting the plastic bag from the nearby corner store on the end table, Barnaby went to find the pain relievers, and to check if Kotetsu needed his next dose of medicine. He’d come down with a particularly nasty respiratory infection recently, and while in his younger days Kotetsu would have just triggered his Hundred Power to heal himself, repeating it as long as it took for the cold to be gone, he was a bit older now, and a minute didn’t heal as much or as thoroughly as five minutes used to. Instead it just left him more drained and fatigued each time he used it.

So now Kotetsu was on antibiotics and bed rest, and Barnaby could tell how truly lousy he felt with the marked lack of protest or attempts to be active and work as if nothing was wrong.  Pills and a glass of cool water in hand, he returned to the couch where Kotetsu lay, placing them next to the bag from the store. He nudged the older man gently, wondering if he’d dozed off again already.

But Kotetsu pulled his arm back from his face, peering blearily up at Barnaby. “What?” he grumbled, voice barely more than a painful sounding croak.

“I have these for you.” Barnaby held the medications and glass out to Kotetsu, waiting patiently as Kotetsu slowly levered himself into a sitting position, his already wild and spiky hair a rumpled and sweaty mess. Once this dose took effect, Barnaby thought, perhaps he could persuade Kotetsu to try a shower, or at least run him a warm bath. Kotetsu gingerly swallowed the pills, visibly barely holding back a wince as he did so, but how tightly he scrunched his eyes closed revealed how much his throat obviously hurt.  Barnaby sighed in sympathy. If only he could make this all go away faster. A handful of years ago and Kotetsu would’ve shrugged off major, if not catastrophic, injuries with an insouciant grin and a thumbs up. Now a case of strep throat and a sinus infection left him reeling.

With another quiet sigh, Barnaby unloaded the items from the convenience store from the bag. Originally, he’d not understood Kotetsu’s craving for junk foods when he’d started feeling unwell, but then he’d mumbled about how when he was a young boy, back before his powers had manifested, his mother would buy all the comfort foods a school age child loved best when he was sick, in addition to the nutritious soups and tea she’d make for her son. Upon hearing that, Barnaby couldn’t help but want to indulge him, to try to help him feel better in whatever small ways he could.

First out of the bag were several spicy instant ramen bowls, then the multicolored sugary popsicles, and finally bottles of fizzy clear soda and ginger ale. Kotetsu made a garbled happy noise as he drank the last of the glass of water, eyes caught on the small treasure trove Barnaby had stacked on the table.

“Bunny,” he rasped, leaning forward to press himself against Barnaby’s leg. Nuzzling him, Kotetsu rumbled, “Bunny…” again, drawing it out.

“All your wishes granted, yes?” Barnaby couldn’t help but smile softly at his husband. It was amazing how a few small items could lift Kotetsu’s spirits so much despite how awful he felt.

“Yes, thank you, thank you, Bunny.” Kotetsu wrapped an arm weakly around the leg he was leaning against, reaching his other hand out for one of the still-chilled sodas. “You’re the best Bunny and I love you.”

“Do you want any of these now, or later? I could start the kettle if you’d like some ramen?”

Kotetsu shook his head, which unfortunately rubbed his sweat-damp forehead and hair against Barnaby’s jeans. Definitely a shower or bath was necessary, once the latest dose of pills set in. “I want to sleep more. A little bit. Ramen later.”

Barnaby stroked his hand over Kotetsu’s head, felt the expression on his face soften even further as he looked down at the other man. Oh well. Cleaning up could wait just a little bit then. “Let me put everything in the kitchen, and then I can sit with you if you’d like.”

“Yeah. ‘d like that.” Kotetsu leaned back, eyes sliding closed as he slouched against the couch cushions.

It took only moments for Barnaby to collect up the food stuffs and put them where they needed to go in the kitchen, but by the time he returned, Kotetsu was all but asleep again, the partially drunk bottle of soda recapped and over on the end table. Seating himself, he tugged carefully at Kotetsu’s shoulder, guiding him down so his head was pillowed on Barnaby’s lap. As he straightened the blanket covering his husband, Kotetsu curled onto his side and scooted closer until his forehead pressed against Barnaby’s stomach.

“Would you like the television on again?” he asked, though Kotetsu just shook his head.

“Just need you.”

“All right, that’s fine then.” Barnaby draped his arm over Kotetsu’s shoulders, hand stroking idle patterns on his back. “Sleep all you need. I’ll be here.”

Silence fell, and Barnaby let himself relax as Kotetsu sank once more into slumber. Even as bad as Kotetsu seemed now, he’d been worse when this started; with just a few days of antibiotics, he was already showing some improvement. They just needed to wait a bit longer and be patient until the prescription was done—a week, ten days at most, and Kotatsu would be on the mend.

He’d be better soon, he reassured himself once more. It would just take a little more time. And when it came to this man he loved so much, Barnaby would always gladly take all the time in the world for him.