A/N: Tonight's episode of Heroes just sort of gave me and idea for a cute and fluffy one shot. Slashy because of a sword. (You perverts!) Maybe slashy between Hiro and Ando if you like to see things that way. Your choice, really. I don't push one way or another. I just find them cute and fluffy. Enough said.
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes. If I did...I would own Ando and that would make me a very happy woman.
If you read, please review! I would do the same for you :-)
"Here it is!" Hiro peered at the sword with full-moon eyes.
Ando let his gaze flash over the blade, trying not to let his emotions show through. He smiled tight lipped and reassuringly, the corners of his lips tipped down as he nodded his head. He knew he couldn't say anything. Nothing at all. Hiro just looked so overjoyed and ecstatic.
Truthfully, Ando had never been more terrified in his life. Of all of the people in this tangled mess, Hiro really should not have been the one with the sword.
"It's my sword! My very own sword!" The metal made a slight hiss when he popped it from the scabbard with his thumb.
Ando closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Honestly, did Hiro not remember school at all? All boys going to school in their prefecture were mandated to study Kendo in PE for at least one year. Sure, Hiro had looked very dashing with the katana in his hand, but even with the practice bokkan, made of bamboo, Hiro never failed to produce a spectacular show. Whether it was falling flat on his face as he jab stepped, getting a splinter, or dropping his weapon by mistake, Hiro had never been the master swordsman.
Hell, Ando wasn't the best fighter either, his strengths tended more towards the patience and accuracy demanded of a traditional archer, but at least he could hold on to the damn thing!
Hiro had plastered a poster of a T-Rex on their living room wall and was now facing it with his mouth set in a determined, yet to Ando, extremely laughable expression. Squaring his posture, he unsheathed the blade and pointed the tip at the computer animated reptile.
"Ha!" Hiro exclaimed as he slashed into the air, stabbing desperately at his two dimensional foe. "You are wanting to fight with great and all powerful Hiro? Well you will lose!" he roared as he grimaced.
Ando saw it as quickly as Hiro spun around, the oblivious man entranced by the music of the blade swishing through the air. The rug crept up in its silent attack, catching the toe of Hiro's shoes on the braided but unsteady rim. Gravity called to Hiro and Hiro was far too clueless to rebuff any of her tantalizing advances.
The quieter Japanese man leaped forward, catching Hiro's body in one arm, pointing the sword away from the two of them with the other. The weight of the falling man made Ando crumple to his knees, so that Hiro's head lay cradled against his shoulder and the small of his back was supported by his bracing thigh. Ando could feel the sword quivering as he stopped it's effortless cleaving of the air. He panted, trying to catch his breath from his panicked sprint.
Though Ando could barely hear anything at first over the frenzied beating of his own heart, he came back to earth at the sound of laughter. Hiro's laughter. Was this man insane?! Sometimes, Ando had to wonder.
"Oi, Ando! Good Catch!" Hiro stumbled back up to his feet, pulling Ando into him in a giant heartfelt hug. Ando frowned initially, but patted his friend on the back reassuringly.
"You have to be careful when you fight with these. They aren't toys," Ando warned. He took the blade from his friend's hand and sheathed it, placing it on the table. Hiro nodded respectfully in agreement.
Why of all things did the painter have to show Hiro with a sword? Why did future Hiro have to appear to Peter with a sword slung on his back?
Why? Why! Why?!
Hiro reached for the sword again, the hilt in his hand making him giddy with excitement. Suddenly, every meal Ando had eaten in the past week seemed to be collecting and fermenting in the pit of his stomach.
"Hiro...what are you doing?" All of the muscles in Ando's body tightened in fear.
The energetic man smiled, almost maniacally if Ando didn't know him better. Perhaps the sword in the painting was a plastic sword, or better yet, even just the original sword hilt, just exaggerated. It was a painting, you couldn't really tell. Please say it wasn't real! Please?
"You saw me earlier," Hiro said puffing out his chest proudly. "I must become a master. For that I must practice. The future is now!"
Ando ran his hands through his hair as Hiro continued his ritual of making fake but flashy jabs at the poster once more. When he got to the ends of the strands, he pulled lightly at first, then harder and harder, until he was sure that he would not scream anything irrational.
Oh boy. Hiro had a sword.
Ando had a headache.