Disclaimer: I do not own Tiger & Bunny.
A/N: Decided to write a fan fic after all this time. Maybe this will be long maybe a one shot.. don't know as of this moment. Hopefully since I have a two week break I can start my gravitation fic again…Enjoy!
Karina Lyle kneaded her left hand within her right nervously. Being in such close proximity to him made her positively nervous. She swallowed heavily and forced herself to breath normally. She lifted her eyes, watching the man beside her throw back a beer. She ran her hand through her golden hair and focused her blue eyes once more on her juice.
How she had wound up in this situation she would never figure out!
She was alone. Incredibly alone with him.
Karina leaned forward reaching for her scan of juice, almost knocking it over as her fingers visibly trembled.
"Oi, Karina-chan…" Tiger called out, setting his beer down.
She jerked out of her nervous stupor and knocked over the juice. Karina yelped. "Oh, damn..." She muttered and reached for a napkin to mop up the spilled juice with one hand , up righting the can with the other one.
"Are you all right?" He asked.
"Y-yeah…I'm fine." She began to sweat bullets.
Her heart began to pound wildly. She felt as if it was going to burst through her chest.
He peered at her with a look of concern glossing over his face.
"Are you sure?"
No..No she wasn't fine. Her hands were trembling, her heart was rapidly speeding up, and she swore she could feel her face getting red. She instinctively moved to touch her cheek but restrained herself.
It was weird. She didn't know how to control how she felt. Didn't know what to do. Being so close to him. So near him was thrilling, intoxicating, and nerve-wrecking—all at the same time! Inwardly, Karina knew she was being ridiculous…she knew at the same time that how she felt was very real. She was absolutely in love with the man next to her! There was no doubt in her mind about that.
Yet, she often worried.
Her classmate told her it wasn't love. That Karina couldn't be in love.
She worried. Not about whether that was true or not. She worried about what people would say. What would be their reaction? She was well aware of the years separating her and Wild Tiger.
No, not Wild Tiger.
Kotetsu.
Kotetsu Kaburagi.
Her faced seemed to burn hotter.
Kotetsu was vastly older than she was; she'd be the first to admit it. He was well into his late 30s and she only sixteen. He had been married before and had a daughter from that marriage. A daughter. She gnawed on her bottom lip. People would be the first to point that out. They would use it as a way to talk her out of it. Her friends would be shocked. They probably assumed she had fallen for a boy her age. They would have never have guessed that she had fallen for an older man. And fallen hard.
A warm feeling settled over her hand and Karina opened her eyes, staring into the eyes of her companion. His forehead was pressed against hers. She jumped back, startled at the proximity. He had been so incredibly close and she hadn't even noticed!
"You looked warm." Kotetsu explained, settling back.
"I'm-I'm fine." She stammered.
"You don't look fine." He countered. "Do you need something more to drink?"
She shook her head. "No thank you."
He frowned. "If you're sure."
She nodded.
He leaned back, reaching for the microphone that was on the table. "Well, I think I'll get started." He leaned forward to punch in the code.
Karina watched him move.
What was wrong with her! Was she really in love! Did one behave so foolishly like this? Why? She began to doubt herself. Why did she love him? He was clumsy and childish and reckless. She didn't quite know what she saw in him!
Her eyes drifted up towards him as he began to belt out an unfamiliar tune.
He stood proud hollering into the microphone. Karina watched the way his body moved, noticed how the light seemed to reflect stunningly in his light golden eyes, and his strong hand with long fingers tapped against his thigh.
Oh, who was she kidding? She loved him. Loved him so deeply it hurt—and he was none the wiser to her feelings. Yes, he was childish, but at the same time, he was sweet and endearing, compassionate and concerned, loyal and strong. His manner of dress was unique. He always wore dark green pants with a shirt that resembled a golfing one. A matching hat always perched atop his medium brown hair. His neatly trimmed goatee would be the only thing she didn't like, but Karina admitted she had learned to tolerate it over time.
The question was how would she tell him and would she tell him at all.
She set back, pursing her lips.
His voice was very nice to listen to as well. It had a deep rumbling melodious tone to it. He closed her eyes, listening to his voice raise and lower as he sang. She couldn't quite pinpoint the song he'd chosen but that didn't quite matter to her. She just loved listening to him.
He wasn't bad looking at all, she supposed. For a man his age that is. He might even be considered handsome. Karina could only imagine what he had looked like in his youth.
"You look happy." A voice broke into her thoughts.
"Do I?" She announced calmly. "I was just thinking how nice it's going to be getting away from you for two weeks."
Why had she said that?
Karina got up from her seat.
"Oi!" He hollered after her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She looked back opening the door.
"You figure it out." She said in a dead-pain voice.
"What did I do?"
He followed her out of the room.
"Oi. Karina-chan."
"Be quiet! And quit following me."
What was wrong with her! Her mind practically screamed. Is this how you treat the one you love?
Karina couldn't help but inwardly beat herself up for her comments. Inside she thought the world of him, and her feelings had been pure, true and unfettered. Yet, when she opened her mouth all that seemed to come out was attitude.
"Oi! Wait a second." He called out.
Why wouldn't he take a hint? Why wouldn't he leave her be?
DONE! Well, that's just part of it. Not sure I got the character right…but I hope I did them justice.