The first time it happened was his cold after the event.
Hiro groaned softly, body aching with every shallow breath he took. It felt as if the heat was eating him alive. The young boy struggled against his blankets, trying to get free and to the one place he knew he would feel better.
Once he was finally free he shuffled towards the thin divider between the rooms, sluggishly knocking against its frame. "Dashi…" He whined, throat soar. "Dashi I don't feel good." The young male waited patiently before huffing tiredly.
"Dashi please." He whined softly. Still not getting an answer the young male pulled the screen aside, grunting softly at the weight.
"Da…" He trailed off, looking at the empty bed before him. His muddled mind final caught up with him and his body slid towards the ground, unable to hold his weight.
The sobs began as he curled into himself. "Ow." He called out. "Ow. Ow. Ow. OW!" Each time he spoke his voice got louder and louder, ignoring the way it burned his abused throat.
He was so caught in his pain that he didn't notice Baymax until the robot had him cradled in his arms. He began to so even harder, thin body shaking with the sound.
The large robot settled itself next the bed and held the young boy close, body glowing with heat. "You're temperature is elevated. Conclusion, fever."
Hiro only whined. "I miss him Baymax!" He cried out. The robot finally seemed to understand something. It looked towards the divided of the room.
"Tadashi is here." He said. Hiro tried to stop his sobs and placed a hand on the soft stomach of the robot, right where the screen always appeared.
"Yeah… Always." He muttered, finally falling into an uneasy sleep.
The robot once again looked towards the diver in the room, gently rocking the boy in his arms.
The next time it happened he was with his Aunt Cas.
They were laughing as she attempted to teach him how to make her special hot wings. He had already burned two batches and was annihilating the third.
Cas moved closed to help by Hiro flailed his arms. "I got this Aunt Cas!" He protested, as she laughed louder.
The woman turned her head to the right. "What are we going to do with him Tadashi?" It was a question she asked often in jest whenever Hiro was being stubborn and refused help with something.
It took them both a moment to register the silence that came after. Cas stiffened as the tears began to gather in her eyes.
Hiro quickly shut off the stove, eyes starting to feel that familiar sting. "Oh Hiro… I'm so sorry I-" She was cut off by the shorter male wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.
She quickly returned the gesturer when she felt his thin body shaking against hers. Together the pair cried for their missing family. It was something they had yet to do together. Hiro didn't want to burden his aunt and the older woman wanted to be strong for the last of her family.
Finally feeling the weight pressed down on her Cas slumped to the floor, bringing Hiro with her. "It's ok Aunt Cas." The brown eyed boy whispered. "I miss him too." He confessed in a heartbreaking whisper.
"I'm supposed to be strong for you. Not cause you to cry." She confessed, trying hard to stop her tears.
"I wish you wouldn't. He replied, finally making eye contact with his aunt. "It hurts. And if you can cry with me… That means I can cry with you… Right?" He muttered, sounding so young.
Cas pulled the young boy in closer, allowing a sob to escape her lips. "Right."
It was then that they felt the soft material of Baymax surrounding them, along with that comforting heat. "I was charging, but I scanned the home and noticed that the two of you might need my assistance. Please do not cry. Tadashi is here." He announced.
Almost in unison his Aunt and Hiro began to laugh, tears streaming down their faces.
"You're right Baymax. He is here. And he would mention how disgusting you cry. Buggers everywhere." She teased, causing Hiro to shove her playfully.
"Like you can talk." He shot back. The two slowly removed themselves from Baymax's grip.
"Fine, you can help." Hiro admitted softly. Cas shot him a smile before turning to Baymax.
"Thank you." She said, patting his stomach area before moving with Hiro to the kitchen.
Baymax tiled his head slightly and looked to the stairs before following into the kitchen.
It happened again almost a year later at the Nerd Lab.
Everything was crazy as usual, familiar arguments and joking was heard around the lab as Hiro continued to work with his nanobots.
It was only when he heard a familiar yelp coming from Wasabi did he leave his work room and venture towards the noise. "Come on Baymax. Let's make sure no one is hurt." The robot followed immediately, already doing a scan of the other room.
The sight that had greeted him caused a smile to spread across his face.
Fred was chasing his large friend around; it looked like he was flinging his underwear at the bigger man. Gogo was eating popcorn, cheering on Honey Lemon, who was attempting to stop him by throwing some her weaponized concoctions at him.
He waited until Wasabi passed him before reaching out and pulling Fred by the hood of his coat, making him trip and fall straight into Baymax's arms.
"Aw, boo. Way to ruin the party Tadashi." Gogo called out, horror growing on her face the moment the word's left her mouth.
Everyone stood still for a moment. Hiro was the first to move, heart clenching painfully in his chest. The young male turned and sped out of the room, ignoring the ones who called his name. Hiro ran, ignoring the sting of his muscles, the pain of every gasped breath.
It was only when he tripped that he finally stopped, gravity taking him down. The teen laid there in the dirt, silent sobs once again shaking his body. Not only did he feel the loss of his brother, but being called that by Gogo brought forth one of his biggest fears…
That they only kept him around for Tadashi. They were his brother's friends first. Yes, they sort of adopted him, but they were his first. That was a fear buried until that moment, one that he pushed away every time it came up.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but his hands were cold and his body felt stiff. He was so lost in his thoughts and grief that he didn't notice Baymax land and his friend's rushing towards him. Gogo was the first to reach him, arms thrown around his body.
Hiro quickly pushed her away, anger bubbling inside. Standing took a few seconds but he glared at the group before him. "Why? Why bother coming out here?" He questioned anger clear.
"We were worried." Wasabi answered, attempting to take a step closer.
"Don't be. You've done enough. There's no need to take care of me! I don't need your pity! I don't need you hovering around me cause you feel some sort of debt to Tadashi!" He yelled out, breaths coming out in harsh pants.
"Just leave me alone." He whispered softly, eyes facing the ground.
He heard soft steps coming towards him and his body stiffened in response. A surprised cry left his lips as his head snapped to the side, the sound of skin hitting skin echoing around them. The group protested but Honey Lemon didn't move.
Hiro placed a hand on his stinging cheek, eyes looking up at the tall woman in shock. "Hiro. How dare you think like that? We are with you because we love you. Not just because Tadashi did, but because you won us over. We were his friends, but we are yours too." She explained in a firm but soft voice.
The younger male bit his lip, not wanting to shed anymore tears. "Little dude… You are one of us." Fred said, sliding up beside Honey.
"Hiro… It was a mistake. Sometimes I say his name. It doesn't mean that you are some place holder." Gogo explained; face looking unusually open and vulnerable.
Wasabi didn't add anything, just walked up to the smallest member and wrapped his arms around him. Hiro let out a shaky sigh and leaned into the warm hold.
"Hiro has pulled a muscle. I recommend keeping it cool and not putting pressure on it." Baymax announced, moving to take Hiro from the large man's hold.
Wasabi let the youngest member of their group go; smiling and he snuffled into the soft material the surrounded Baymax.
"Tadashi is here." Baymax said after a moment of silence. Everyone shared slightly goofy smiles.
"Yeah, he is." Wasabi said softly.
Baymax just held his charge slightly tighter, looking off to the edge of the woods.
Then, his Birthday.
From the night before they were feeling the sadness. It was the first birthday they were spending without him. Birthdays were always full day events. From the moment the sun came up there would be breakfast in bed, followed by shopping, which was followed by whatever activity the birthday person chose. Then the night ended with a family dinner, where they would gather around the livingroom and play corny family games until 11:00. The cake would be cut and they would talk about the highlights of the past year. At midnight they would all finally go to bed.
Hiro was up before the sun, standing before the screen that separated his room.
With shaky hands he slowly pulled it open, eyes scanning the room that they tried to leave untouched.
His eyes landed on a sweatshirt hanging off of Tadashi's chair. Feet slowly moved towards it. Once he was next to the chair he reached out a shaking hand and pulled the clothing to his face, inhaling the scent that barley clung to it anymore.
It was like every moment spent with his brother raced through his mind, every smile, every tear. The scent barley clinging to this sweatshirt was one that had been part of his daily life for so long. He hadn't noticed how much he missed that comforting scent until that moment.
The young male silently pulled the clothing on, surrounding himself in what was left of his scent. Hiro sat at his chair and booted up the computer he hadn't dared touch, determined to find something.
He quickly scrolled through the files until her found one that read 'Birthday Plans. Stay Out Hiro.'
With a slight grin he opened the file and printed it out. Grabbing the papers he quickly went to his room and grabbed the picture of his brother that he kept at his bedside.
The young male made his way downstairs and began to make breakfast as best as he could. Once he finished the slightly burnt eggs, bacon, and toast he placed it all onto a bed table and gently put Tadashi's photo next to the two glasses of orange juice.
The teen carefully climbed the stairs and crept into his Aunt's room. Said woman was sitting in her chair, head angled oddly as if she slept there. Hiro smiled sadly at the woman before placing the try down and gently nudging her awake.
"Aunt Cas. Wake up. It's birthday day." He whispered. The woman slowly awoke, blinking owlishly.
"I found this on Tadashi's computer." He confessed, pulling out the paper from his pocket.
Cas sluggishly took the paper and read it over three times before giving a soft smile.
"I made food." He added on, tilting his head towards the bed. The older woman stood, giving a soft sigh as her bones cracked softly. She walked over to the bed and picked up the picture. "Happy Birthday Tadashi." She whispered, gesturing for Hiro to join her on the bed.
Once breakfast was done the two accompanied by Baymax and Tadashi's photo, set off to do the shopping. Together they laughed and brought things on the list to place at Tadashi's altar when they returned home. Once everything was brought they decided to head over to the History Museum dedicated to all the past inventions.
When they arrived they ran into the Nerd Herd. They apparently knew of Tadashi's desire to go and had decided his birthday was the perfect time.
Together the group took the tour, laughing together and poking fun at some of the inventions of the past.
After the trip the group made their way to the Hamada household, and together they made dinner and gathered in the living room. They played games like scrabble and Charades. The house hadn't been full of such sound in ages, and Cas just sat back and took it all in.
At 11:00 the cake was brought out, and together they blew out the candles. For the next hour they laughed and cried as they each told stories about Tadashi. Baymax even had some videos to show, causing more laughter and tears as they heard his amazing voice again. Once midnight came around everyone but Hiro had drifted off.
The youngest just gathered up blanket, careful to cover everyone before grabbing the picture of Tadashi and heading up to his room, Baymax following silently.
Once he got upstairs he let a few tears escape as he stared down at the picture in his hands. "I miss you so much. Sometimes I wake up and forget you aren't here. There are times when I'm frustrated and all I can think about is how I wish you were here to help me shake it up. With every passing day I miss you more, but it gets easier to think of you."
His eyes began to sting as he felt that familiar scratchy feeling in his throat. "You were never just my brother. You were y world. From as far back as I can remember you were always so much larger than life. Always so smart and sure of yourself; people were drawn to you and I couldn't help but think of how amazing you were and how lucky I was that you were mine. When I had a bad day because the older kids were bullying me you always knew. You always were there to heal my hurts." He let out a soft sob.
"I remember the first time I saw you angry. I was so late because the bullies had me tied up on the football field. I remember the way you swooped in and fought them off. It was you against three but it didn't stop you. You were covered in bruises but you didn't say anything as you piggybacked me home. You washed me up and put me to bed. I remember thinking about how immovable to were."
Hiro took a deep breath. "There was once when I was in school that we were celebrating father's day. Everyone had stories about their dads, but I didn't feel left out. I talked about you. The other kids didn't really understand. But I knew. You raised me alongside Aunt Cas. So you see Tadashi. You were never just my brother. You were my Father. My best friend. The person I looked up to most in this world."
Hiro crawled into his bed placing the picture at his bedside. "I miss you. But with each day I work towards helping others the easier it is to think of you. One day Tadashi, one day I'll make you proud."
With those words Hiro shut his eyes and allowed sleep to overtake him.
Baymax looked towards the edge of Hiro's bed before waling over to his charging station.
"Tadashi is here."
Then, it didn't hurt.
It had been years since that fateful day. Now at 21 Hiro was finally moving out, having gotten a teaching position at the college that would allow him to keep his lab.
Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Gogo, and Fred were all there, helping him pack his things. Each person had grown over the years. Each had their separate lives, significant others, and Honey was round with her first child.
Even though they all took separate jobs, they still stuck close, still patrolled the streets as the Big Hero Six… Well, they tended to leave Honey at base now, worrying needlessly over her unborn child. Hiro was not the least bit ashamed of having Baymax constantly scan her… Just in case.
He looked out his window, watching as his best friend's goofed around. Although they had all grown they were still as crazy as before whenever they were together.
Hiro took a look at the empty space. Along with his things they finally packed up Tadashi's things. Most of which were going with him to his new home.
It wasn't an easy decision to move out, but his Aunt had finally found someone that she was getting serious about. It felt like he was intruding at times when they were both home.
With a small smile he walked to the door, turning and looking around one final time. Tears gathered in his eyes and it was like he could see his life with Tadashi play out before him.
"Hiro?" Baymax questioned. The young adult turned to his best friend with a small grin.
"Tadashi is here, right?" He said softly, using the words Baymax had used to comfort him over and over throughout the years.
"Yes." The robot replied. Hiro slipped passed him.
"Let's go slowpoke." He called as he walked down the stairs, smile playing on his lips.
Baymax turned to stare into the room again before slowly turning and walking down the stairs.
Once outside Hiro rushed to his Aunt and wrapped his arms around her, twirling her playfully. "One last hug." He joked.
Everyone laughed as they began to pile into the car. Feeling the hairs of his neck stand Hiro turned towards the house, eyes zoning in on his window.
He almost swallowed his tongue at the image that stared back at him.
Tadashi was standing there with two other who he vaguely recognized as his parents from pictures. The image at the window waved and mouthed words that were heartbreakingly familiar.
"Never giving up on you." He muttered to himself. Baymax stood next to him.
"Tadashi is here." He said. Hiro's heart began to pound as he realized what that meant.
His brother had never left him. He had continued to do what he had always done and watched over him.
Looking up at the three people in the window he couldn't help the few tears that escaped as he smiled so wide it hurt.
"Thank you." He whispered. His message seemed to get across because the images all smiled softly and waved before slowly vanishing.
"Aw, Hiro!" He heard his Aunt say. She quickly wrapped herself around him. "Forget it. If you aren't ready you can totally stay." She wiped the tears from his cheeks.
Hiro gently pulled himself from his Aunt's hold, gripping onto her hands. "I know now that I'm ready. Besides, it's only like ten minutes away." He said, heart feeling lighter than it had in years.
"Daylight it wasting!" Wasabi called from the front of the moving van, large smile on his features as he teased.
"Coming!" Hiro yelled as he and Baymax moved towards the truck.
He would never forget his brother, and one day… One day he hoped that he would be a great father to his children as Tadashi was to him.