It wasn't until the beginning of sophomore year that the rumors started.
Tadashi Hamada had just been elected Chief of the Lab, AKA "Lab Mom," and as such got a private room to himself away from the open cubicles in which to work. Everyone agreed that he was perfect for the job - nagging, an annoying attention to detail, a stickler for safety precautions, always had a first aid kit on hand…he was essentially the mom friend for the entire lab.
Everyone also agreed that it was best to give him a little more power in order to stow him safely away from everyone else. A nice, private room in the back of the lab where he wasn't constantly underfoot, constantly on the lookout for danger, constantly reminding them to be safe.
Sometimes they wanted their experiments to explode, okay?
Explosions were fun.
Anyways.
The new freshmen weren't entirely aware of the situation. With their ample free time and lesser responsibilities, they were able to spend more time in the lab than the upperclassmen. Which meant that they were often there during the day when no one else - save Tadashi Hamada - was.
Which meant that they heard everything.
"He's at it again," Todd stage-whispered to Claudia.
"What is he doing in there?" she whispered back, setting her battery on the table so she could peer at Tadashi's lab. She could hear the grunting through the closed door, and she knew how thick the walls were here. "I thought he was a programmer."
"Maybe he's masturbating," Todd said, shrugging idly.
He went back to poking at his rocket boots, apparently unbothered, but Claudia wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting. Tadashi would never do something like that."
Truth be told, she had a bit of a crush on the Lab Mom, not that she'd ever admit it to Todd, of all people. Tadashi was always so kind, so gentle, and so cute.
Todd just shrugged again. "I dunno. I mean, private room, explosion-proof walls, opaque windows…I know what I'd be doing in there."
"God, you're so gross," she groaned, wishing she had something she could throw at him. Why did Todd always have to be here when she was? And why couldn't he be more mature?
"Seriously, though, I heard he was building some sort of bot."
"Like…like a sexbot?" she whispered, scandalized. She had heard of them, mainly through pop-up adds on the internet, but she hadn't thought they were real. It was kind of like those "Meet a sweet Russian girl in your area!" adds - possible, but definitely fake.
"Maybe," Todd said, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows. "He calls it a healthcare bot, but-"
"Gross!" she yelled, unable to suppress the urge to lob a large bolt at him. It hit him square in the back of his head. What do you know, five years of baseball did come in handy.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"For being gross!"
"I'm only making conversation!" he yelled back.
"Well you don't have to be such a boy about it!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hey, is there a problem out here?"
They both stilled instantly, turning to face Tadashi, standing in the doorway of his lab with his arms crossed. His hair was sticking up like crazy, his face was flushed, breathing was fast and a bit shallow, clothes were rumpled…
"No, sir, we're fine."
"Just a little argument, sorry."
"Right, well try not to kill each other, okay? The paperwork for that is terrible."
His smile seemed a bit forced, but their automatic chuckles were even worse. A second later and the door was closed, the distinctive ker-thlunk of a lock clicking into place following soon after.
"Oh, my god," Claudia whispered into the sudden silence. "He's making a sexbot."
"I wonder if he'll let me use it."
"Gross," she hissed, throwing another bolt at him. He flipped her off in retaliation, but she wasn't paying any attention, too busy listening to the resumed grunting and moaning coming from the private lab.
Tadashi Hamada, the sweetest, kindest, most mature boy she had ever met was making a sexbot. Her dreams of cute dates on the pier, going to the movies, sharing milkshakes…gone. Destroyed by the reality that the Lab Mom was another sex-crazed college boy.
Gross.
Tadashi sat in his Anatomy and Physiology class, waiting for the professor to arrive. Professor Yakashima was notoriously late, usually by about five minutes or so, but Tadashi always liked to arrive early anyways. One never knew if the class would actually start on time, after all.
Someone tapped his shoulder, and he turned around, seeing a tall girl in a hijab who hardly ever talked in class. Her name wasn't coming to mind, so he just smiled politely.
"I-I, um…I heard about the robot you were building," she said softly. Was her name Aaisha? That seemed familiar…
"Oh, Baymax? I'm surprised. Professor Callaghan wanted to keep him kinda secret."
"O-Oh. You're building him for Professor Callaghan?" She started blushing slightly, and Tadashi instantly felt ten times more awkward.
"Yeah, I mean sort of. He's my advisor on the project, so he has to oversee everything that I'm doing."
"Everything that you're…doing…" she trailed off, blushing harder and staring at the wall.
"Yeah, like how effective Baymax is and if my program is translating properly and just…how well he does in general," he said, shrugging. "Professor Callaghan has been really helpful, honestly. I wouldn't have been able to make my idea a reality without him."
The girl was still refusing to make eye contact, and Tadashi shifted slightly in his seat. "Look, don't feel bad that you know about Baymax. Professor Callaghan only wanted to keep him a secret until he was ready to be revealed. There's nothing to be ashamed of - it's all a natural process," he said, thinking of just how secretive some companies could be while developing new technology. Can't have someone stealing your ideas, after all.
She nodded several times, biting her lower lip. "Natural. Right, thank you. This has been very…enlightening. I didn't know you were so comfortable talking about this kind of thing."
"I mean, we talk about it in class all the time," he said, gesturing vaguely towards the lectern. Granted, not in A&P, but still. There were literally required courses for several majors that dealt with the entire process of getting your inventions or coding patented. "It's not like it's all some big secret, you know? Pretty much everyone does it." Here at SFIT, anyways.
"Indeed," she said, nodding quickly again. "Well, I'm sorry if I bothered you. I should head back to my seat."
"Oh, okay. It was nice talking to you!" he said, grinning as she hurried away. Professor Yakashima had finally arrived, and was currently trying to get the projector turned on. Tadashi drummed his pencil against the desk as he waited, wondering if he should tell Professor Callaghan that people knew about Baymax now. Probably.
Although as long as no one actually saw Baymax - or, more specifically, his coding - then Tadashi really didn't see the problem. It wasn't like his frame was anything special - it was the coding behind him that was so unique.
And it was kind of nice, getting attention for his inventions.
Aaisha sat down next to Claudia, leaning in close so they wouldn't be overheard. "He named it Baemax." She had to put a hand over her mouth to try and staunch the giggling. "Baemax."
"Oh, my God. I didn't think it could get worse."
"No, no, you haven't heard the best part!" she grinned. "Professor Callaghan knows! He's Tadashi's advisor, which means he has to evaluate it. He was to watch."
"Sweet Jesus," Claudia whispered, literally making the sign of the cross on herself. "I am so glad I don't have him as a professor. I'm never going to be able to look at him the same way ever again."
"Don't you have to take Ethical Robotics with him next year?"
"Shit. Do you think I can change majors?"
"To what? You've literally got a lab position making your fancy battery thing."
"You've got a point," Claudia said, frowning. "At least he's not my advisor. But God, I still have to look at Tadashi in the lab." She covered her head in her hands and moaned softly, and Aaisha gently patted the top of her head.
"At least you never ended up asking him out. That's one bullet dodged."
Claudia just moaned louder.
"What're you guys doing?" Sam asked, leaning over the back of Claudia's chair, resting his elbows on her back. "Bemoaning the overabundance of tests this week?"
"We're talking about Tadashi Hamada's sexbot."
"Wait, what?" Sam asked, immediately grabbing a nearby chair and whipping it around to face them. "The same Hamada that nagged at me for not wearing safety equipment while measuring out water in gen-chem last week? That Hamada?" Aaisha nodded, and Claudia could only shake her head sadly. "He's got a sexbot? I thought those things were myth."
"He's building one, actually. With Professor Callaghan."
"Well goddamn," he whispered, apparently awestruck. "I thought Todd was lying. Tell me everything."
And so she did, watching as Sam's smile grew wider and wider, taking on an almost animalistic glee. She had a feeling that things at SFIT were about to get a lot more interesting…
"Professor Callaghan?" Tadashi spoke tentatively, poking his head to peer carefully into his professor's office. He hadn't heard any voices indicating that he was on the phone or in a meeting with another student, but it never hurt to be courteous. "Do you have a minute?"
"Tadashi, of course. Come on in, son."
He smiled gratefully as he sat down in the armchair provided for students, looking around the small office. The walls were covered with blueprints that Professor Callaghan himself had designed and patented, as well as more artsy posters of the Pioneers of Robotics. His shelves were filled will well-used volumes on extremely complex subjects that Tadashi could only hope to one day understand.
And there, sitting on his desk, was the small bot toy that Tadashi had gotten him as a gift last semester, as thanks for helping him through his freshman year.
"Thank you, sir." He'd be lying if he said that he didn't get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside whenever Professor Callaghan called him son. He had a father, of course, but still…it felt good knowing that there was someone looking out for his well-being. Besides Aunt Cass, of course.
"What's brought you here today, son? Isn't this during your normal lab hours? Or did you hear I'd made a batch of cookies for my freshmen's test today?" He winked, gently nudging the tin closer to where Tadashi sat.
"Ah, no thank you, sir. I just…I had some concerns about Baymax."
"Is he acting up again? I told you it's nothing much to worry about - you can't be expected to get it right immediately after all."
"I know, I know," he said, nodding. "It's just, you said to keep him mostly a secret. And, well, a lot of people on campus seem to know about him now."
"What do you mean?" Professor Callaghan's attention sharpened immediately, and Tadashi squirmed in his seat from the laser-like glare he was receiving. "Did you tell anyone?"
"No one outside my immediate friends, and they all say that they haven't told anyone." He hadn't even told Hiro, although that was mostly because he wanted to surprise his little brother with a fully-functional Baymax than because of any need for secrecy.
Professor Callaghan sighed, rubbing his forehead absently. "You understand that I'll have to speak with them as well?"
"Of course. They're kind of expecting it already." Fred specifically had been extremely excited by the idea of a private chat with Professor Callaghan. Tadashi felt a bit bad for the professor, knowing that he was going to be peppered with questions on the scientific nature of super powers and whether or not Fred could ever acquire them.
"How much does the school know?"
Tadashi shrugged. "At this point, they seem to just know the basics? I figured it was fine, so long as they don't know anything about the actual coding involved."
"Yes, the coding is the main thing that I wanted to keep secret." He sighed again, then sat forward, watching Tadashi carefully with a small smile on his face. "Ah, well. I suppose it was only a matter of time before things got out. Thank you for letting me know."
"So…is it okay if I talk about Baymax now? Not any specifics or anything," he said hurriedly at Professor Callaghan's look. "Just the basics of what I hope to achieve with him, or what I hope he'll be capable of, one day." One day when he was past the annoying habit of screaming and flailing around every time Tadashi activated him.
The office was silent for a few seconds before Professor Callaghan nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose you can. I see no harm in it, as long as you don't share your coding with anyone."
"Of course not." The coding was the most important part - it had taken him the majority of last year to figure out, and even now he was making enormous adjustments to it.
Whenever he told people like Aunt Cass or Fred that he wanted to make a healthcare bot, they seemed happy and excited for him. But that was because they didn't really understand how impossible it was. Anyone with any kind of background in robotics always looked at him like he was insane.
Even the most basic of healthcare needs varied widely from person to person. A simple laceration could have detrimental effects based on where it was located on the body, how long and deep it was, the condition of the patient, and a multitude of other factors. The programming required for a robot to be able to recognize all of these variables, and then actually treat a patient? It was enormous. And that was just for a cut.
Tadashi wanted a fully functional bot that was capable of complete first aid, as well as at-home care for disabled or elderly people. Maybe even in-hospital care.
That was when people really started laughing at him.
Everyone except for Professor Callaghan.
He had taken a look at Tadashi's initial coding, pointed out several errors, and told him what was needed to make his goal a reality. Baymax would have to be able to integrate all kinds of information from the environment, process it, and understand how to apply it correctly.
Baymax would have to be able to think for himself.
It would be revolutionary.
That was why Professor Callaghan wanted to keep him a secret.
Because the thing was - Tadashi had been successful. Or, at least, he thought he had. Baymax was definitely responding to outward signs of distress, which was a very positive development. He just wasn't…helping much afterwards.
Granted, the coding was at a bare minimum at this point. He wanted to be sure that Baymax could recognize distress, activate, and perform the bare basics before Tadashi started really coding. Even that little bit had taken him all of last year.
Sometimes he thought everyone was right to laugh.
But then Professor Callaghan would pat him on the shoulder and tell him that he was doing amazing work and, well…everything became a little bit easier after that.
The impossible started looking a little more likely to actually happen.
"Thank you, Professor. I'm, ah, going to get back to work now."
"Of course, Tadashi. I'll run by sometime next week to see your progress. Thank you for informing me about everything."
"Yes, sir. And thank you for letting me talk about Baymax."
"Well, sometimes a bit of bragging can be beneficial," he said, chuckling. "Just be careful not to go overboard. And…try to be a bit vague. It couldn't hurt."
"Yes, sir," he said, grinning as he left the office.
He hadn't been mad that people knew about his project! And Tadashi could talk about it now! That eliminated the thoughts he'd been having about rudely shutting down curious people's questions. He could talk freely about Baymax, at least in layman's terms.
And if anyone came around asking about his specific coding, well. That was another matter. But curious students and entrepreneurs looking to steal his project for their own gain were completely different creatures. He knew the difference.
He could share his creation with others! After more than a year of close-mouthed secrecy around anyone other than his main group of friends, it was so freeing. It was like Baymax was actually going to happen.
Baymax would be real to more than just him. He'd be out in the world, at least as an idea, if not an actual functional model yet.
But ideas were no less real for not being physical.
He was so ready for this.
"Hey hey hey, are you that Hamada guy?"
"Um…yes?" Tadashi said, moving slightly off the sidewalk to get out of the way of the oncoming crowd of no-doubt-late-for-their-next-class seniors. He looked at the group of three people who had stopped him, wondering what they wanted. One looked vaguely familiar, like he might be in one of his gen-ed classes, but he couldn't be sure.
"Right, hi. I'm Melissa, this is Horace, and this is Dominic." the girl in the middle said, introducing the boys on either side of her. Dominic, that was it. He had been in his British Literature class his first semester. "We heard about that robot you were building, Baemax? And we were kind of wondering…"
She trailed off, looking like she couldn't decide on what words to use. "We were wondering if we could have a go with it!" Horace said, grinning unabashedly.
"Oh. Um. I mean, Baymax isn't really fully operational yet," he said awkwardly. "I appreciate your offer and everything, but he's still got a lot of kinks."
"Kinks aren't a bad thing," Melissa said.
"Yeah, man, this is a no-shaming zone! Kinks are natural!"
"Well, yeah, of course they are," he said, nodding. "It's just at this point in the process he's a bit…rough. He has a tendency to hit." Tadashi rubbed his shoulder absently where Baymax had nailed him upon turning on.
"Some people like hitting," Dominic said, shrugging.
"I…guess?" Hitting was the exact opposite of Baymax's purpose, but whatever. "A lot of his procedures just need some more finesse. Look, I really appreciate your eagerness to help me with Baymax, but it's really best if I deal with him alone for right now. It's safer that way."
"Yeah, I guess it is kind of a sensitive area," Melissa said, frowning thoughtfully. Tadashi nodded in agreement, knowing full well that if anyone besides himself got injured by Baymax, then he could easily be sued. Not to mention the trouble he'd get in with the ethics board.
"I guess we were just getting our hopes up," Horace sighed, patting a dejected Dominic on the shoulder.
"I can keep you guys in mind when he's a bit more practiced," Tadashi offered. He knew he'd have to do general population tests eventually, and their disappointment was hitting him hard. It felt so good to have people interested in his project, actually willing to help with it. And it absolutely sucked having to turn them down.
All three grinned at him. "Thank you. We look forward to the experience!" They waved and left, and Tadashi continued onto his next lecture feeling a bit lighter than he had before the conversation. People were interested in Baymax. People were excited for him.
They knew Baymax would help people.
They knew he could change everything.
And they knew Tadashi was the one trying to make it happen.
"Psssst."
Tadashi frowned, but ignored the annoying noise. He didn't recognize the voice at all, so they probably weren't trying to get his attention. He did wish that they'd be quieter in the library, though. This lab report was due at five and he still hadn't started on the results and discussion sections.
"Psssssssssssssst. Hey, you!"
He frowned again, tapping his pencil on the table a few times before deciding to have one big results/discussion section, instead of separate ones. The papers always seemed to flow better that way, and that would ultimately make it easier to write. Dr. Larocca hadn't specified which method she preferred, after all.
"Hey, c'mon. I know you can hear me!"
"Can you please keep it down?" Tadashi asked, finally turning around. "People are trying to work."
"Well if you'd answer me, I wouldn't have needed to make so much noise!"
"You were trying to get my attention?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Do I know you?"
He didn't think he'd ever seen this guy before - he definitely wasn't the type that Tadashi hung around regularly. He looked kind of like Fred, with baggy clothes, long hair, and a distinct hippie vibe. But where Fred was clean shaven and, well, relatively clean, this guy looked like he hadn't taken a shower in a month.
"Nah, man, probs not. But I know you, and that's the important part here!"
"Right," Tadashi whispered slowly. "What exactly do you want here?"
"Ah, man, I'm sorry. Not being very clear here, am I?" He stood up and moved to sit next to Tadashi, and he eyed the guy carefully. There was a distinct odor of marijuana, although it was faint, his eyes were slightly bloodshot, and his pupils were dilated. His hands shook while he drummed his fingers nervously on the table. This guy was into more than just pot. "Look, okay, I heard about your bot? That thing you're building? I was wondering - can it get me off?"
Tadashi blinked several times, his mouth hanging slightly ajar. This guy - a complete stranger - was coming to him for help on getting off drugs? Damn, he was not ready for this.
"I-I don't think Baymax is quite ready for that yet, I'm sorry. I mean, I've been thinking about doing some programming for that but…"
"Man, getting people off is the most important bit! How could that not be the first thing you worked on?"
Tadashi frowned. This guy might not have meant any harm with the comment, but he also knew nothing about Baymax or what he was meant to do. Or what it took to actually program this type of procedure.
"Look, I appreciate your concern, but he's just not ready for that type of activity yet. You should probably see a professional." Even if he'd programmed Baymax with this, he was really more of a first-aid robot. Sure, Tadashi had plans for making programs for more long-term applications - drug rehab among them - but at this stage Baymax wasn't even working properly with the basics. There was no way he could help this guy.
The guy snorted. "A professional. Right. They're too expensive and you know it. I'll just do it myself," he grumbled, standing up and slouching off. "Thanks for your help," he muttered sarcastically as he left.
Tadashi sighed, running a hand through his hair. That really hadn't gone well, but there was nothing he could do, aside from encouraging the guy to get help. Baymax just wasn't capable of it yet.
One day, he promised himself as he turned his attention back to his report. One day Baymax will be able to help a lot of people. That day just isn't today.
"So this bot you're making," someone said, sliding up to Tadashi in the back of the lecture hall. He barely managed to contain his reflexive groan as he smiled at the guy. Sure, he was happy that people were interested in Baymax, but did there have to be so many people? Lately it seemed like he couldn't get through the day without at least one person pestering him.
"What about him?" he asked, words clipped but tone carefully neutral. Why did the majority of people interested in Baymax seem to be male? It was weird.
"Well, I was wondering. You call this Baemax a nursebot, right? Which is cool and all, a lot of people are into that. But like…does it have to be a he?"
"Oh." Tadashi paused, thinking for a second. "Yeah, actually. I guess he could be anything you wanted?" Tadashi had been using he/him pronouns arbitrarily, but he supposed Baymax was technically genderless.
"Anything?"
Tadashi shrugged. "Yeah, I don't see why not. Just let him know and he'll try his best." He'd have to do some more programming - add it to his ever-growing list, but being able to switch pronouns might be a good thing. Some people would probably feel more comfortable with Baymax being a "girl" or a "boy," even if he was technically neither.
"Could it do like…roleplay?" The guy looked a bit too into that question, and he was honestly starting to make Tadashi uncomfortable. But…
"Like voices and things? That would actually be a really good idea…" Children especially might feel more comfortable if Micky Mouse was cleaning up their scrape, rather than Baymax's normal soothing voice. He started jotting down notes in the margins of his paper, thinking out loud. "Voices and mannerisms…I could add in some visuals when his screen is working properly, maybe have a selection of characters to choose from?"
The guy patted him on the back. "Glad I could help, my man. You're doing the lord's work here, truly."
Tadashi nodded, barely hearing him, still scratching notes frantically before class started. "Thanks."
Maybe having a load of people throwing ideas at him wasn't such a bad thing. It certainly led to improvements.
Which meant more work. But Tadashi was more than willing to put the effort in if it meant Baymax could help people.
"I have some concerns."
"Oh god, not again," he whispered to himself, closing his book. He'd thought no one would notice him in his little corner on the quad, but evidently he'd been too naive.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing," he said, smiling at the guy standing in front of him. He wasn't even remotely familiar with this guy - did he even go to SFIT? He looked old enough to be Tadashi's father.
"Good. I was wondering what this bot you're building had for video options? It's a very important component."
"Oh, I agree completely," Tadashi said, nodding. "The video was the first thing I made sure was fully functional. Baymax is programmed to record everything while he's active." If it was an emergency situation, Baymax would be able to record everything for paramedics or doctors. And if Baymax did something wrong, people (or Tadashi) would be able to review the recordings and better understand how to fix it.
Plus all healthcare providers were required to keep documentation on what was done with the patient. Since Baymax couldn't physically write, videos were the next best thing. If not better.
"Is there any kind of instant playback feature?"
"Um, yeah, actually. He can immediately replay anything that you want."
"Good, good," the man said, nodding. Who was this guy, anyways? So long as he wasn't asking about the coding, Tadashi supposed it was fine… "Here's my card, kid. Give me a call when it's done, and I'll see about buying a few units."
"Oh, um, thank you," he said, looking the card over. "Thank you very much, Mr. Books."
"No, kid. Thank you."
Huh. Tadashi watched as he walked away before turning his attention to the card again. It was really generic, only listing the guy's name and contact information. Maybe he was just an interested buyer after all. Professor Callaghan had said that some people would approach him soon.
He still couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something major as he went back to his book. Something was…off.
Whatever. He'd figure it out later.
"Awwww, c'mon, man!"
"Please! Just a few minutes with him!"
"You've had him to yourself for long enough!"
"Yeah, dude! Try sharing once in a while!"
"Sharing is caring, Hamada!"
Tadashi sprinted across the quad, desperately trying to hold onto his bag while losing the crowd that was chasing him.
Why were so many people this desperate to be treated by a giant marshmallow? He just didn't understand.
College students were freaking weird.
And fast. Tadashi picked up the pace, praying to any god that would listen that there were no track kids behind him.
Gogo grinned at the group surrounding Tadashi, and he had the distinct feeling that she knew something that he didn't.
"Oh, yeah, I've definitely used him," she said, winking at the girl.
"That's no fair! Hamada won't let anyone use him."
"It was an emergency!" Tadashi protested. "And I wasn't even there!" Gogo had crashed her bike during a test run and scraped her arms up pretty badly. Wasabi had run into Tadashi's office and activated Baymax, and he'd actually responded relatively correctly for once. His language had been completely garbled, but his actions had been correct.
It had definitely been progress.
Gogo just shrugged, popping her bubblegum. "Friend's privileges."
"What was it like?"
"Oh, I've never had such a good time in my life," she said, moaning slightly. "It was heaven."
Everyone started whispering amongst themselves at that, and Tadashi was trying to contain his confusion. How was being patched up by a walking marshmallow heaven?
"Was he really that good?" Tadashi asked quietly, but he had the feeling that everyone around him was listening raptly.
"God yes." she said, grinning madly. "The best three minutes I've ever experienced. I'd do it all over again if I thought my body could handle it."
Tadashi blinked a few times at her, at a complete loss for words. What was going on?
"Oh, I forgot to mention. He gives the best massages too."
"He gave you a massage?" Tadashi asked. Had he programmed that function yet?
"Yeah," she said, nodding eagerly as the crowd hung on her every word. "My muscles were sore after all that exertion, and he knew just where to press. He's really gentle though, don't worry."
"What about…capacity?" a girl spoke up. "Can Baemax handle more than one person at a time?"
"That - That shouldn't really pose any problems," Tadashi said, shrugging. "I haven't really tested that yet, but I'll add it to the list."
"How much are you going to charge?"
"Charge? No, no, Baymax is free, at least right now. He's for the benefit of everyone." In the future when he was more complete, Tadashi would probably start selling to hospitals and care facilities - maybe even to individuals. But there was so much testing that had to be done first that that kind of thing was years and years in the future.
"How often do you use him?"
He wasn't sure whether the question was directed at Gogo or him, but he answered anyways. "Almost every day," he said. "Between the general testing and the modifications I have to make…it's a lot of work."
"Does he ever, you know, take you to bed?"
Gogo was actually giggling beside him, and he was finding it extremely difficult to shake the feeling that he was missing something here. "Once, yeah. That was a rough night." He'd pulled two all-nighters in a row, and passed out right on top of Baymax. The next morning, he'd woken up on the lab couch with 24 messages from Aunt Cass wanting to know why he hadn't come home.
The crowd started to reluctantly peel away as the professor came in, and Tadashi closed his eyes for a moment. This was getting so tiring, constantly being cornered and interviewed. Hell, even Gogo had been dragged into it this time, although she seemed to be enjoying herself far too much.
Maybe he should do that article for the school newspaper after all, so people would have all of the information at their disposal. Although having an article about Baymax just might make more people interested…
Tadashi sighed as he followed Gogo to their usual seats. He just didn't know what to do.
"We need to tell him," Honey said quietly, poking a stray part of Gogo's newest wheel.
"But it's so much fun," Gogo complained, idly slapping her girlfriend's hand away from her work. "He's so clueless."
"Yes, Tadashi is adorable," Honey said. "But one day someone is going to burst his little innocent bubble and he'll be crushed. He thinks everyone is interested in Baymax because he's a wonderful invention that'll help numerous people. When he finds out everyone thinks he's a sexbot…"
Gogo sighed. "You want us to deal with the fallout?"
"I just think it'll be better if he hears it from friends, instead of horny strangers."
"Yeah, you're right," she said. "I hate it when you're right. Can't we keep it up for a few more weeks? Just until the end of the semester?"
"You know how finals make people act," Honey said, frowning. "He'll be mobbed. And if he finds out right before a big test or project…"
"Yeah, yeah, alright. Such a spoilsport. Should we get everyone together tonight, or wait until later in the week?"
"The sooner the better," Honey said. "I'll call them now!"
"You ruin all my fun!" Gogo yelled at her retreating back.
"You love it!"
"Yeah, yeah…"
"They think Baymax is a what?"
"A sexbot," Wasabi said slowly, holding his palms out like he was trying to calm a rabid dog. "We don't know how the rumors started, but-"
"And you didn't tell me?"
"Well, we thought you knew for a while? And by the time it became apparent that you didn't it was kind of too late…"
"Plus it was fucking hilarious," Gogo said, earning an elbow jab from Honey Lemon.
"What she means is that we're really sorry, but we didn't know how to tell you."
"Yeah, sure. That too."
"C'mon, man, it's not such a bad thing!" Fred said, patting Tadashi on the back. "You're famous on campus now, at least! Plus he's still technically a secret like Prof Callaghan wanted. It's a great plot twist, you gotta admit."
"Oh no," he said putting his head in his hands. "Everything I've said…everything they've said…all these months…" He raised his head suddenly, glaring at Gogo. "You encouraged them!"
She grinned unabashedly. "Yeah. I quite enjoyed myself."
"Oh no," he repeated. "The whole school thinks I'm a sex-crazed maniac. Do my professors know? God, what if my professors know?"
"At least you know where the money lies in the robotics business now," Gogo said, cackling.
"Not helping," Wasabi whispered while Honey Lemon elbowed her again.
"I'm screwed," he said throwing up his hands in defeat. "Completely and utterly screwed."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what the entire student body thinks at this point."
"Gogo."
"It's funny!"