Hiro couldn't breathe. It was finally here- his graduation from college. After this he would be considered an adult- since he was actually 18 now.

But... it was here.

And it felt wrong.

Tadashi wasn't there to congratulate him- to graduate with him.

It just... felt wrong. Everything felt wrong.

"And Hiro Hamada!"

Tadashi.

The crowd almost exploded.

Hiro almost didn't go on- honestly, he didn't want to go on. He didn't want to graduate, even if Honey and Gogo and everyone else were. He just wanted Tadashi to be with him, graduating alongside him.

His heart was pounding furiously, making him feel dizzy. He hoped he didn't faint on stage- god please don't let him faint on stage...

Hiro took deep breaths, telling himself to breathe. He could almost hear Tadashi in his ear, telling him to breathe. It was hard to believe it had only been 4 short years since Tadashi had been standing out in the crowd, telling him to breathe while he showed the world his microbots for the first time, before anything bad happened.

Before the showcase...

Before the fire...

Hiro sighed, telling himself to stop thinking about Tadashi. Anything but Tadashi- he didn't want to burst into tears on stage.

He could hear Aunt Cass cheering loudly from the crowd, yelling stuff like, "YEAH HIRO!" and "I LOVE MY FAMILY!" over and over again.

He smiled a little, looking out at the crowd and waving a little. The crowd cheered louder, but Hiro's eyes focused on one person.

Tadashi.

Tadashi.

The entire world seemed to stop. All that Hiro could see was that his brother- his brother- was standing out in the audience, clapping and cheering with his dumb smile on his face... He hadn't changed at all... He pointed out, directly at Hiro, like he had at his high school graduation. Hiro couldn't hear what he was saying, but he could read his brothers lips well enough to watch him say, "I knew you could do it, bonehead."

That's when Hiro tripped over his obnoxious robe.

And fell in the orchestra.


Hiro didn't really remember graduation after that- he didn't care that he was legally 18 and out of school now. That he was supposed to get a job- no, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Except Tadashi.

It didn't matter how he was alive, only that he was. That he was there, alive, with Hiro.

And Hiro cried- he cried like he was 14 again.

Because god.

He had missed his niisan.