What Was He Like
Carrie is concerned of why Hiro is suddenly giving her the cold shoulder. However, she finds out that it's the day Hiro's older brother Tadashi died. She tries her best to get him through the day. To do so, she asks him what his brother was like. Despite being reluctant to talk about Tadashi, Hiro does so, and he finds the comfort and reassurance from Carrie that he had been seeking.
Rated K to T
Author's Notes: This is my first one shot. This one came to mind since Carrie was never able to know Tadashi. I may write one shots of different AUs that she does but I will say that writing this one was very touching. I like the idea of Carrie being there for Hiro when he is feeling depressed. There will be more one shots of Ciro aka Water Bot. These one shots also focus on Carrie's relationships with other characters that you will see. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one.
"That's odd, he hasn't replied about the upcoming event Professor Granville is talking about."
Carrie Francess stared down at her phone. There was a small frown upon her face while she was walking to San Fransokyo Institution of Science. She glanced up when she came to the main building and she decided to see if her boyfriend Hiro Hamada was in his lab room.
Carrie had been dating Hiro for months now. She had come to know whenever something was wrong. He never had any issues of texting her back. She sent a text asking if he understood about Granville's science event and she received no reply since. Sometimes, it wouldn't seem like a big deal and that most people would think she's just being paranoid. However, she sent the text last night and this morning, he still hadn't replied.
She went directly to the lab room Hiro used and she knocked on the door. There was no answer. She frowned and wondered if he was even in there. She glanced down at her phone and of course, he still hadn't texted her back.
"Carrie?"
She looked up to see her other friends, Honey Lemon, Go Go, Wasabi, and Fred, "Oh hey guys." Carrie waved.
Honey who had said Carrie's name asked, "Why are you out by Hiro's lab room?"
"I'm just wondering if he's in there. I sent him a text last night, but he hasn't responded. I guess I'm a little worried." Carrie replied, giving a shrug to show she wasn't exactly too worried.
"I wonder why. He always looks forward to you texting him." Fred said and Go Go frowned at a thought,
"Wait, guys, what day is it today?"
The others looked confused until everyone, but Carrie remembered, "No wonder. I can't believe it's been a year." Wasabi slapped his forehead.
"That explains everything." Honey whispered softly.
Carrie looked at each of her friends. She loved these guys. They had become her closest friends when they accepted her months ago. She couldn't ask for better friends since she had been bullied harshly in the past. Just seeing them all look down was really making her concerned. Even Fred, who has always been the upbeat optimistic one, was looking sad right about now.
"Uh guys, I'm totally lost here if you hadn't noticed. What's today?" Carrie finally asked after a slight awkward silence.
Go Go let out a sigh before turning her gaze to Carrie, "I guess we forgot that you came to this school after the fact. You never got to know him but a very good friend of ours…well he…" she looked off to the side.
Carrie understood what Go Go was trying to say, "He passed away on this day didn't he?" she finished and when she received nods from them all, she frowned, "But what does this have to do with Hiro? Was he really close to this best friend of yours?"
"More than you think. Did Hiro ever tell you about his older brother Tadashi?" Wasabi asked, and Carrie pondered over this.
She did recall Hiro mentioning his brother a couple of times, but he never went into detail about him. Every time he even said anything about him, she saw a distant sad look in his dark brown eyes. And she never once tried to force him to talk about it. She finally connected the dots and she let out a sigh,
"That explains why he didn't reply to me. He remembered today was his brother's passing and he's probably at home." She said, and she ran her fingers through her long brown hair.
"Yeah. He might have recovered but it still hurts him sometimes. He felt the loss the most because besides his aunt, Tadashi is the only family he ever had." Honey added, and she turned to the others, "After school, we should go visit his grave. We need to honor him after all."
"Good idea. Tadashi was our best friend." Fred nodded while Go Go and Wasabi agreed as well.
Honey glanced back at Carrie, who was staring at the tile floor, "Carrie, would you like to come? I'm sure Hiro would appreciate you being there. You've honestly made him feel much better since then." The tall girl questioned as she placed her hand on Carrie's shoulder.
"I…sure. Uh, excuse me. I have to go." Carrie backed up and started to rush away.
"Where are you going?" Wasabi called after her.
"I'm going to see Hiro." She responded before she was around the corner.
She didn't wait to hear any protests from her friends. She wanted to see her boyfriend. Over the course of time, she had come to really care for him. He was after all the very first friend who stayed true to her and never saw her any differently like others did to her in the past. It was one of the many reasons she even fell for him.
The one thing she hated was always seeing him so down. One of his best features was his smile. He was already considered a very cute boy who will certainly grow more handsome as he gets older. His smile always enhanced his features even more. She always tried everything she could to keep him from frowning so much. Today, she was determined to help him get through this day. She didn't really care about missing school for the day. She was sure that Granville would understand completely.
After at least a good twenty minutes, she was at the Lucky Cat Café. She wasn't surprised to see the place was closed. She only hoped that Cass would allow her in. She peeked through the door but could only see a dark café. She decided to try the other entrance. Only the family or close friends used it since it connected to the house part of this building.
She rang the doorbell and waited for anyone to answer. She was relieved to see Cass herself open the door. Seeing who it was, the woman brightened, "Why Carrie! What a pleasant surprise!" she greeted before she pulled Carrie into a tight hug, "I wasn't expecting you. What brings you here?"
"Hey Aunt Cass." Carrie said as she patted the kind woman on the back.
She had grown used to Cass's slightly unusual greetings at this point. When she first met her, Cass insisted she called her Aunt as well even though they weren't even related. It was clear the woman really liked her since she always like to hug her every time she came around. Carrie was a little unsure at first but in the end, she didn't mind.
"I just thought that since today is well…you know, I wanted to see how you and Hiro are doing." Carrie finally said why she came here.
Cass backed up, and the smile on her face was replaced with a sad frown, "Ah yes. I didn't think today would be hard, but it still hurts thinking about it," she let out a sigh, "Why don't you come in?"
"Thanks." Carrie walked inside, and Cass closed the door.
Carrie really liked this place. It was the combination of a house for a family to live comfortably and a warm café for people to enjoy. She looked back as Cass started to walk towards her kitchen, "Would you like something to drink first? Hiro is upstairs, but it looks like you could use some refreshments before you go to meet him. Not to mention probably fix yourself up a bit. You're a little sweaty."
Carrie laughed nervously, "Yeah sorry, I ran all the way here. Thanks Aunt Cass, can you make me a strawberry milkshake?"
Cass smiled once more, "Of course. You do love strawberries, don't you?"
"You bet. They're one of my biggest weaknesses." Carrie said proudly, and she followed Cass before she sat at the kitchen table to wait on the drink. She looked around the comfortable room. It was both cute and family orientated. It was clear Cass put effort to make her home well homey.
While Cass started to make the drink, she decided to talk so there wouldn't be such uncomfortable silence, "I do appreciate you coming over, Carrie. I was thinking of calling you, but I wasn't sure if you would agree. I mean, today is the day of my oldest nephew's passing and it's still hard on Hiro and I."
Carrie frowned, "Yeah, I didn't even know about this day until Honey Lemon, Go Go, Fred, and Wasabi told me about it," she looked down at the table, "I feel terrible because Hiro is well, my boyfriend so to speak and I should have known about his brother's passing."
Cass glanced back at the girl in worry, "Carrie, you shouldn't feel bad. I take it Hiro never told you?"
Carrie looked up to reply, "Well no. I mean, whenever Tadashi was mentioned, Hiro always looks upset. And I didn't want to push him, so I would let it go."
Cass sighed, "Yeah. He may have gotten better, but his brother's death is still hard on him," She took the strawberry milkshake she made and placed it in front of Carrie, "There you go."
"Thanks Aunt Cass," Carrie took a long sip through the straw and it was the best tasty strawberry milkshake she ever came across, "So delicious."
"Thank you." Cass replied.
After a minute for Carrie to fawn over the taste, she looked back at Cass, "I wish I could say I understand but…I can't. I mean, I still have my older sister and both my parents," Carrie decided not to mention her parents still having issues that they're contemplating a divorce, "I can't imagine how hard it must be for him that he lost not only his parents but his older brother. He still has you at least but…"
Cass nodded, "I see what you're saying, Carrie. It's true, you're considered lucky that you still have your family," she glanced down at her own cup that held her coffee, "You see, I lost my sister many years ago."
"Sister?"
"My sister was Hiro and Tadashi's mother. She and her husband were killed in a car accident when Hiro was only 3 and Tadashi was 8. I took them in and I swore to look after them to the best I could do. It wasn't easy, especially with raising Hiro. He was born a genius. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of it. But sometimes he would, well, do things that almost set the house on fire. A good example is that he tried to make the toaster work better only for it almost explode. He did love inventing things and not just robots." With a small smile, Cass looked out the window.
Carrie tried to picture a tiny Hiro doing such things and this made her giggle, "I can see that happening."
"Yes. You see, Carrie, because Tadashi and I were the only family he had left, it would be natural for Hiro to attach himself to those close to him. Tadashi took it upon himself to look after Hiro and encourage him to do great things as well as use his genius mind. But he also made sure to stay a good role model," Cass let out a sigh before continuing, "That's why Tadashi's death was hard on him. He wouldn't leave his room for almost over a month after the whole ordeal. I tried my best to encourage him to go out but always keep my distance, so I wasn't always prying on his life. I guess it must have worked since he eventually did go out and apply for SFIT."
Carrie wondered if Cass's encouragement really did help Hiro go out, "What about Baymax?"
"Oh yes, Tadashi's Health Care Robot. I think he had a big role in that too. To be honest, I'm glad to have Baymax because it still feels as if Tadashi is here," Cass smiled sadly at Carrie, "I wish you could have met him, Carrie. I have a feeling he would have liked you very much. Plus, ever since you came into Hiro's life, I don't think I have ever seen him so optimistic in such a long time. While his friends as well as Baymax did help him improve in his depression, I can tell there is still a sad feeling lingering around him. Then you came along, and he always seems so cheerful and ready to start the next day. Even more so after you two became a couple."
Carrie felt her cheeks flushed at this and she looked down at her almost empty cup, "I really had no idea I was such a big deal to Hiro."
"You are, dear. It's nice to see him smiling again. That's why I am really grateful for you." Cass said, her smile showing her appreciation.
Carrie laughed softly, "Thanks. That's good to know."
"Hiro told me how you used to be bullied so much in the past. So, I hope he and the others managed to show what true friends are."
"Believe me, I am lucky to get to know them. I love them all and I will always be there for them just like they are always there for me. Speaking of which," Carrie stood up and smiled down at Cass, "I must go see my very first true friend also known as my boyfriend. Thanks for the milkshake, Aunt Cass. I can wash it for you."
Cass shook her head, "No need, sweetie. I will clean it. Besides, go see my nephew. He hasn't left his room and he could use a pick me up." She smiled before taking the empty cup.
"Okay. Thanks again." Carrie turned and started for the stairs that led to where Hiro's bedroom was.
Cass watched her go before looking down at the table, "I have a feeling Carrie is just the person to help Hiro get through this."
Carrie made sure she fixed herself up before going all the way up the stairs. She didn't want to look like she just ran a marathon here. She was also glad that the milkshake as well as the cool temperature in this building cooled her down. She sighed before she was at the top and she peeked into the slightly dark room. She could barely make out the messy room. She didn't see her boyfriend though. She wondered where he was. She knocked on the wall before she walked in further,
"Hiro? It's Carrie. You in here?" She called and waited for a response.
After a moment, she heard a familiar slight deep voice coming from around the corner, "Carrie?"
She heard shuffling and she almost laughed when she saw him appear looking pretty shocked, "Surprised to see me?" she asked as she took in his appearance.
It was apparent that he hadn't left this bedroom since he got up. His hair was messier than usual if that was even possible. And he was still wearing his pajamas which consisted of a t-shirt and shorts and she noticed they were imprinted with robots. That was seriously cute.
"Well yeah! If I had known you were going to be coming over, I would have gotten dressed." Hiro was rushed over to one of the many piles on the floor that had his clothes.
Carrie shook her head, "I did try to text you, but you never responded. I got worried, but the guys filled me in on what's up."
Hiro stopped what he was doing and glanced back at Carrie, "Oh right."
Carrie's smile faded to a frown, "That's why I came over. I just wanted to see how you were holding up."
She really didn't want to bring up such a painful event however, the concern she had for him was having her want to comfort him and get him through this. Hiro stared down at the pile of clothes before he shook his head, "I'm doing okay, I guess."
Before Carrie came up the stairs, when Hiro got up, he went to the part of the bedroom of where Tadashi used to sleep. He may have gotten over his brother's death, but the pain was still there. And this day that he passed, it seemed to hit him the hardest. He couldn't believe it had been a year since then. Time was going by way too fast. He also didn't think he would be so sad and yet he was.
Carrie being here really did catch him by surprise. A part of him was glad she came while another wished she didn't. He didn't want to burden her with his depression. Besides, she still had her older sister and her parents. He hated to admit it, but this made him a little jealous of her. In a situation like this, she would probably be the last person he wanted to be here.
"Hiro, I can see Tadashi's death is still hard on you. I may not have known him like you but…" Carrie began before Hiro cut her off,
"Carrie, no offense, I can see you're trying to help me, but it would be better if you didn't. You're right that you didn't know him. But getting over his death isn't easy for me."
"I never said to get over his death."
"Then what are you going to say? That you understand how I feel? That if it was you and your own sister died, you would be depressed but learn to not be any more in record time?" Hiro deep down wasn't sure why he was snapping at Carrie.
All she did was come over to see how he was doing just like a good girlfriend and here he was giving her a hard time. Carrie was silent from his angry rant. Seeing as she wasn't going to respond, he kept going,
"Carrie, you have no idea how lucky you are. I have seen how you and Lilly get along. It reminds me of how Tadashi and I were. And you still have your parents. Mine died when I was three. I may have been young, but there are times I still think about them. Aunt Cass is really the only family I have left. I'm sorry if I'm not at my best today but I have every right to be angry and sad about this."
"You're right, you do."
Hiro wasn't expecting that response. He looked back and he saw Carrie was looking at him not out of pity or even anger from his harsh word but her own sadness, "I didn't come here to say I understand. You're right, Hiro. I will never understand what you had to go through. I will never know Tadashi. His death is still hard on you and I would be surprised if you managed to get over it so quickly. I do feel lucky that I still have Lilly and my parents. That's why I feel no matter what I say, it will never be enough for you. But the main reason I came here is because I was worried about you and that I just wanted to comfort you in your time of need."
Her words caught him by surprise. Most people would say they understand his grief when they never will. Carrie was really the only one to ever say she will just try to comfort him. At this point, he really had no idea what to say or even do. He looked back at Tadashi's empty bedroom before he shifted his gaze at the floor.
"If you need a shoulder to cry on, I will be there. If you need someone to talk to, I'm there. If you want me to leave, that's fine too. We all handle our grief differently. At this point, it seems you don't want me here. I'll leave you alone." Carrie was sad upon her saying this, but she wasn't going to push Hiro. He's been through enough already.
She turned to walk back down the stairs when she heard a faint, "Wait…" before she could turn around, she heard shuffling and then a pair of slim arms wrapped tightly around her torso, "Don't go, please."
Upon seeing Carrie leave caused Hiro to rush to her. He may have wanted to not burden her with his grief at first. But her words earlier made him realize how stupid he was being. He hugged her tightly while trying to keep from crying. He didn't know why it almost scared him to see her go. It wasn't like she was going anywhere.
He felt her move and at first, he was scared that she was uncomfortable in his grip. He loosened his arms, but she merely turned to smile sadly at him, "I won't go if you don't want me to." She said softly while placing a hand on the side of his face. Hiro smiled back before hugging her again. Carrie did the same and she whispered, "If it's not too much for you, can you please tell me what he was like?"
Hiro wasn't expecting this request. He wasn't sure if talking about Tadashi will help him. But he can imagine his brother scolding him for not even mentioning him to his own girlfriend. Besides, this is the day he passed away. Maybe this will be in a way of honoring him instead of just visiting his grave.
"Uh sure. Let me just get dressed first."
"Sounds good. I will go downstairs to give you some privacy."
"Carrie, you will be going to grave with me, right?" Hiro called after her just as she was heading for the stairs again.
She looked back to give him a smile, "Of course. I want to personally say hi to Tadashi anyway."
Hiro felt a smile spread on his face from her response. Once he was dressed, he and Carrie sat on his bed before he began to talk about from the very beginning about his older brother. To his surprise, talking about Tadashi wasn't as hard as he thought originally. All the happy memories he shared and even the toughest times seem to make him feel that his brother was still here. Carrie never said a word and only listened.
She found the stories about Tadashi fascinating. She was glad to know he was always there for Hiro no matter what. It also turns out that the poor boy was bullied as well due to his genius IQ. Tadashi did everything he could to protect him just like Lilly did for Carrie. She laughed at the story of how Hiro and Tadashi ended up getting arrested because Hiro was out bot fighting.
"I'm surprised he didn't kill you." Carrie said trying to control her laughing while Hiro rubbed his hair,
"He almost did. You should have seen the look he gave me while we were stuck in our cells. If looks could kill, he would have."
"Can't blame him to be honest. What you did was reckless…and illegal."
"Hey bot fighting is not illegal. Betting on a bot fight, that's illegal. Besides, I don't even do that anymore. You know that." Hiro corrected while Carrie rolled her eyes,
"Sure. Anyway, you said your brother is the reason you got into SFIT?"
"Yeah. I thought at first going to college was just another place they will teach me everything I know. But I was wrong. Tadashi introduced me to his friends, which they later become mine and yours. And I saw how sick the place was. That's also where I met Baymax." Hiro went on and Carrie nodded,
"I know the feeling. After Professor Granville showed me the campus, I wanted to go there myself. I'm so glad I did."
"Me too. Before Professor Granville came, there was another teacher there." Hiro looked away, his expression darkening.
Carrie noticed, and a frown appeared on her face, "I take it this is where Tadashi…"
"Yeah. In order to get into SFIT, I had to present a breathtaking awesome display to a man named Professor Robert Callaghan."
Carrie's eyes widen, "Callaghan? The Callaghan?" She saw him nod, "I heard about him. He's supposed to be a genius at robotics. But I saw on the news that he was arrested for the destruction of Krei Tech Industries and the attempted murder of it's founder Alster Krei."
"Yeah. That's him."
"But…why would he do that? And what does he have to do with Tadashi's death?" Hiro let out a sigh. He took this moment to think it over. The events happened almost a year ago and yet it was like he was almost reliving it once more. Carrie noticed, and she frowned, "Um, if you want to stop here, we can."
"No. I can talk about it. You see, Krei made a portal that was supposed to teleport anyone to another part of the world. However, it was unstable. He had a pilot by the name of Abigail Callaghan go inside to test it. She was Callaghan's daughter and only family. Like me, Callaghan lost his only family and set on revenge on the one man who started it. It blinded him that he went out of his way to even do away with anyone who dared crossed his path. That would include me and the others.
"The day I made a display on microbots, which has the ability to make anything you want as long as you had a telepathic headband transmitter. Callaghan stole my microbots and started a fire at the showcase building to make himself disappear. Tadashi and I didn't know that, and my brother went in to save Callaghan. The fire was so much that the building exploded. It killed my brother and at the time I thought it killed Callaghan too."
Carrie was shocked to hear this, "Oh my gosh…"
Hiro shook his head as he recalled the look Tadashi gave him before he went running into the building, "I tried to stop him, but he said Callaghan was in there and needed help. It was stupid I know but it was something Tadashi would do."
"I had no idea Callaghan would do something so…sinister. I was always told he was a good man."
"Maybe he was, but apparently revenge on Krei was way more important than the lives of innocent people. It still makes me angry that my brother died for nothing. Baymax and the others managed to teach me that revenge would never solve anything otherwise I would have been just like Callaghan."
"What do you mean?" Carrie questioned, and she watched as Hiro leaned over to put his face into his hands.
"Carrie, if you see me differently, that's fine. I didn't think I would ever tell you this but…I almost killed Callaghan."
"What?"
"I almost killed him. I wanted revenge on the man who killed my brother as well. I made the team Big Hero 6 only to find the one who took one of the most important people away from me. After I discovered it was Callaghan and saw how he didn't seem to care that Tadashi wanted to save him, I went into rage."
"Hiro…"
Hiro looked back at Carrie, his dark eyes showing his anger and sadness, "My brother went into that flaming building to save Callaghan. He ended up losing his life over it and Callaghan didn't even care! Do you know how that made me feel?" He looked back at the floor, his jet-black hair falling into his face, "I took out Baymax's Healthcare chip and ordered him to kill Callaghan. He would have too if it wasn't for Honey, Go Go, Fred, and Wasabi. I was so angry that I yelled at them for stopping Baymax."
Carrie said nothing and only watched as Hiro let out a deep sigh before he continued, "Baymax later showed me clips of my brother making the robot himself. I realized what a mistake I almost made. Revenge wouldn't have brought back Tadashi. Besides, my brother's dream was to help people. That's why he created Baymax. Knowing that, the others and I went to finally take down Callaghan. We managed to outmaneuver him and take out the microbots. In doing so, Baymax and I went into the portal to save Abigail once Baymax saw she was still inside the portal. Abigail and I got out, but Baymax didn't."
"What? But Baymax is…"
"Here yes, but his original body was destroyed inside the portal because I didn't see debris heading for us. It damaged Baymax's armor that he couldn't use his rocket boots. He managed to convince me to leave him in the portal. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. And it felt like I was losing my brother all over again."
Carrie carefully placed a hand on Hiro's back to show she was still here for him. To be honest, him ranting out about this story must be really hard on him, "Go on…"
"Abigail and I made it back and Callaghan was arrested for what he did. I learned that no matter what, Tadashi will always be with me. I don't know how, but Baymax managed to put his healthcare chip within the rocket arm he had on and I used to recreate him. It was great to have him back and we assembled the Big Hero 6 again to fight crime in my brother's honor."
"I see…"
Hiro sighed before looking at Carrie, "Sorry for going into such a long rant. To be honest, I didn't think I ever would share this story with anyone. And I was hesitant to even tell you about this in the first place."
"Why?"
"Because of what I did, or nearly did. I almost killed a man in cold blood. If it hadn't been for Baymax, I would have been no better off. There are times I still think that I am nothing like Tadashi because I know he would have forgiven Callaghan. Me, I still don't, and I still am angry at what he did. Maybe I am a monster…"
"Hiro, you're not a monster. And to be honest, what you did was really to be expected. Tadashi's death may have been in vain but honestly, he would understand why you are still angry at Callaghan," Hiro looked up to see Carrie frowning at him, "What he did was wrong. Revenge is never the answer. You managed to get through it and see Callaghan was brought to justice. You even risked your life to save his daughter even though you could have easily just have left her in there. But you didn't."
"Carrie…"
"Again, I may not know Tadashi personally, but from the stories you have told me today I know for a fact he would be proud of you. You have a good heart, Hiro, just like your brother did."
"Why would you even say that?"
"Are you kidding me? Hiro, I can't tell you how happy I am to have you in my life. You know I was bullied a lot, even by my own cousin. I have trust issues and it took me some time to warm up to you. But you showed that you truly do care about me. You and the others are the first real friends I have had outside my older sister. I have always wanted real friends who won't treat me any differently because of my strange ability to control water or my genius IQ. You didn't care about that and treated me like a true friend.
"I feel like going to SFIT was the best decision I ever made in my life because I got to meet people who like me for me. And I am also thankful for Tadashi because he convinced you to go that school as well. If it wasn't for him, I might not have met you at all. You may not think you're a good person, but you are. And I am thankful to have you in my life."
She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. Hiro felt his cheeks flush at both her kiss and words. He never thought of it that way. He was grateful to have Carrie in his life as well. She certainly brightened up his days whenever anyone else couldn't.
"Thanks, Carrie. And thanks for having me talk this out. It felt good to get it off my chest. Plus, I thought talking about Tadashi would make me feel worse. But honestly, it was like he was still here." He admitted, and Carrie smiled,
"You're welcome. And I am glad to hear."
"Hiro! Carrie! Are you coming down? Your friends are here and we're going to be heading to the cemetery!" Aunt Cass called up the stairs.
"We'll be down in a moment, Aunt Cass!" Hiro shouted before looking back at Carrie, "Come on, we better get going."
"We better bring Baymax as well." Carrie pointed out and Hiro nodded.
After having the robot inflate out of his luggage, the trio headed downstairs. Cass along with Honey Lemon, Go Go, Wasabi, and Fred were all waiting. They looked anxious before Hiro reassured them all that he was fine. He held Carrie's hand all the way to the cemetery of where Tadashi laid. No one said a word. They all stood there just thinking of the great memories Tadashi shared with them all.
Carrie at first thought she was going to be the only awkward one there since she never knew the young man personally. However, having Hiro hold her hand made her feel like she had always been a part of this group. After about twenty minutes, everyone but Hiro and Carrie started to leave. Aunt Cass questioned if they were going to be coming, but Hiro declined that he wanted him and Carrie to stay there for a little longer. He said Baymax can accompany Aunt Cass back home. What Hiro wanted to do will be a little more personal.
He let go of Carrie's hand to kneel down before the gravestone that read: "Tadashi Hamada. Great friend. Good brother. Good nephew."
He let out a sigh, "Hey Tadashi. How's it going? Sorry if I hadn't visited you in well a year. But I've a very good excuse for that. You probably won't think I'm telling the truth but whatever. Anyway, there's someone I want you to meet. You always kept teasing me that I was probably never going to get a girlfriend. But surprise, surprise. I do. Her name is Carrie and she's really the most amazing girlfriend I could ever ask for." Carrie's cheeks flushed red at this compliment but said nothing as she watched Hiro talk to his brother's grave, "I think you would like her."
Carrie kneeled beside Hiro. Normally in any other situation, this scenario would be a little embarrassing. However, she didn't mind since this is the day Tadashi passed and besides, she felt this was going to be the closest she will ever get to meeting this once great man, "Hi Tadashi, I'm Caroline Francess, but I prefer Carrie. It's nice to meet you. I want to thank you so much for getting your brother into SFIT. If it wasn't for you, I think I would still be lonely at the school. Your brother is sweet, and you should be proud of him. He's making you proud and I feel lucky to be with him."
Hearing this made Hiro smile in gratitude. For the next few minutes, the two stood there by the grave talking to it before the sun was starting to set. It was time to head home. Hiro decided to walk Carrie home since he didn't feel having her be alone out on the streets was safe.
Once they got to the building house Carrie shared with her sister, Hiro said, "Carrie, I want to thank you for listening to me today. I thought this day was going to be really hard, but you managed to help me get through it."
"It was no problem, Hiro. I hate seeing you upset." Carrie began but was cut off when he leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. She noticed that for one thing, he was starting to get taller and for another, his kisses were always amazing.
"I'll see you in school tomorrow. And don't worry, if you text me again, I will be sure to respond this time." He said once he backed away from the kiss.
"You better. You know how worried I tend to get." She said, giving him a pout.
He laughed at this, "You got it. Night Carrie."
"Night. Be careful walking back home." She said, and he smirked at her,
"I used to wander on these streets when I was only 13. I can handle myself."
"You almost gotten beaten up by bigger guys." Carrie responded looking unimpressed by his bold statement.
"Only because I was bot fighting. But in seriousness, I will be fine. If it will make you feel better, I will text you later."
Carrie rolled her eyes, "Okay sure. Night Hiro." She gave him a light punch on the shoulder before she walked inside.
Hiro watched her go inside for the moment. He then turned and started to walk away. He really was grateful for Carrie. He felt lucky to have her in his life. He didn't know what the future lied ahead but he only hoped that Carrie will be in it always. Once he got home, Baymax was still out and he was currently petting Mochi the cat. Aunt Cass was making dinner,
"Oh hi Hiro. Is Carrie back at her home, safe and sound?"
"Yeah." Hiro nodded looking a little dazed.
Aunt Cass smiled, "I'm so glad she came over. That was really nice of her, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. I wasn't expecting it."
"Neither was I. Sweetie, I think you have a real good one here. Please don't ever let her go."
"Let her go?" Hiro repeated.
"I believe Aunt Cass is saying would be that Carrie is considered a good life mate for you." Baymax responded causing Hiro's face to go red,
"You've gotta be kidding! I just turned 15 and Carrie is 16! We're both too young for that!"
Aunt Cass let out a soft chuckle, "Oh Hiro, you never know."
"Right, let me know when dinner is ready. I will be upstairs. I have to send Carrie a text to let her know I got home safe and sound." Hiro turned and started up the stairs.
Baymax followed after the teenage boy while Aunt Cass smiled. She was glad to see her nephew in better spirits. It was thanks to Carrie. Despite Hiro's claims, the woman can really see a great future between the two.
"Oh Tadashi, if you were here, you would think the same. Carrie really is the one Hiro has been looking for." She whispered.
