The mission had been a success. Kotetsu and Barnaby had apprehended the villain and saved the day, but the unspoken words from the rooftop lingered in Kotetsu's mind. The next few days were a blur of training and patrols, yet Kotetsu found his thoughts increasingly drifting to his partner.

One evening, Kotetsu decided to meet up with his old friend Antonio Lopez, also known as the hero Rock Bison, at their favorite bar. Antonio was a big, burly man with a heart of gold, and Kotetsu knew he could always count on him for advice.

After ordering their usual drinks, they settled into their familiar booth. Antonio immediately noticed Kotetsu's pensive mood.

"Alright, spill it," Antonio said, taking a swig of his beer. "You've got that look on your face. What's bothering you?"

Kotetsu sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's Barnaby. I think... I think I'm starting to have feelings for him."

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "Feelings? Like, romantic feelings?"

Kotetsu nodded, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Yeah. I don't know how it happened, but I can't stop thinking about him. He's not just my partner—he's become someone really important to me."

Antonio leaned back, considering his friend's words. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that, Kotetsu. Barnaby's a good guy. The real question is, what are you going to do about it?"

Kotetsu groaned, taking a long drink from his glass. "That's the problem. I don't know if he feels the same way. And what if it messes up our partnership? We've got a good thing going right now."

Antonio nodded thoughtfully. "True, but you'll never know unless you talk to him. Keeping it bottled up isn't going to help anyone."

They continued talking, the drinks flowing freely as Kotetsu poured out his worries and fears. Antonio listened patiently, offering words of wisdom and support.

Several hours later, Kotetsu was thoroughly drunk, his usual composure replaced by a relaxed, almost giddy demeanor. Antonio, ever the responsible friend, made sure Kotetsu got into a cab safely, giving the driver his address.

As the cab pulled up in front of Kotetsu's apartment building, Kotetsu stumbled out, waving a sloppy goodbye to the driver. He managed to fumble his way to his apartment door, finally getting the key in the lock after a few failed attempts.

Inside, he collapsed onto the couch, his mind still spinning with thoughts of Barnaby. Despite his inebriated state, one thought stood out clearly: he had to tell Barnaby how he felt, consequences be damned.

With a determined, if somewhat unsteady resolve, Kotetsu drifted off to sleep, the image of Barnaby's smile the last thing on his mind.