Author's notes: This has been sitting in my laptop for almost a year. I didn't want to publish it until now cos... my writing has been suffering and I'm pretty much starting to re-evaluate it.
(I've been trying to continue 'moments with you', but for some reason or other I can't quite capture the same lighthearted humour in the chapters than before. If anyone has any suggestions; feel free to include it in your review or PM me).
Anyhow, this has been on a hiatus for long enough. It's pathetically short, but, hopefully, still as emotional in a different way.
"Shhhh," Hiro says, even if there is no need to do so. His hands are hovering over the doorknob as he tries to deduce whether Aunt Cass is in the kitchen or not. Even though it's been almost five minutes since he started straining his ears for any sounds.
Hiro stands behind the door, a troubled expression still on his face.
Tadashi stands behind him with his arms crossed, an eyebrow quirked in disbelief.
Baymax stands behind the both of them, blinking slowly.
"This, is where I'll be staying?" Tadashi gives the entrance of the Lucky Cat Cafe a disparaging glance. "There's a professor-turned-criminal out there who'll probably come after me when he finds out I didn't die, and this shabby cafe is where I'm supposed to stay?"
"Shhhh!" Hiro hisses louder this time, even though Tadashi's blatant contempt for his former home hurts more than it should. "It could help in–"
"Hiro? Is that you?" He stiffens. It's Aunt Cass. She heard them.
"Yea, I just... I just got here," he stammers loudly, racking his brain for an excuse. "Are you... Are you cooking tonight?"
There's a clanging of a bowl, which Hiro takes as confirmation. He eases the door open, wincing as it creaks, and urges Tadashi and Baymax to hurry in before Aunt Cass sticks her head pass the stairs to check on him.
"You've been working so hard at the university recently," Aunt Cass shouts. "So I'm fixing you a nutritious dinner..."
Hiro starts to ascend the stairs.
Aunt Cass' back is turned when they finally reach the top, Hiro hesitates, wondering whether to make a break for it or stall for a while longer. He has one foot out of the stairwell when Aunt Cass turns around at the exact moment. Hiro nearly falls over himself shoving Tadashi and Baymax into obscurity. He shoots her an uncomfortable grin when she sees him.
"Hiro?" Aunt Cass beckons for him to come closer. Hiro obligates, mouthing at Tadashi and pointing discretely at the opposite set of stairs. While he distracts Aunt Cass, he wants Tadashi to pull Baymax along until they reach his room.
"Yeeeessss? Aunt Cass?" Hiro hurries over to Aunt Cass' side breathlessly. Out of his peripheral vision, he can see Tadashi tugging at Baymax's arm insistently, irritation written across his face. Baymax waddles by him, oblivious to how his movements are painfully slow and clumsy in the secrecy of the situation.
"I know things have been really hard since... Since Tadashi's gone." Aunt Cass swallows. "And I just want you to know that... I'm proud of how hard you're trying to move forward after it," she manages a watery smile, and all Hiro thinks is oh god no please not now–
"Sometimes, I still think that this is all a dream, and that Tadashi would come walking through the door at any moment."
Hiro feels his heart nearly stop.
Aunt Cass stops herself and laughs, even though it sounds sad, even though they both know she will never be over the death of her older nephew. And the guilt threatens to make Hiro spill everything out. About his late night escapades, Tadashi's current fate, the sheer danger of the situation they're in right now and how Aunt Cass may come home one day to news that her younger nephew is gone too.
It'd be easy, Hiro thinks, telling her the truth. Aunt Cass is his guardian, he shouldn't be hiding secrets from her – much less one of this magnitude. And most importantly, Aunt Cass deserves to know that Tadashi is alive.
As Aunt Cass closes her eyes and sighs, Hiro tries to smile comfortingly.
But he doesn't say anything.
"I won't keep you waiting," Aunt Cass changes the subject. "I know you still have a lot of work to catch up on–" Hiro's heart jolts when he realises that's the lie he gave the last time he snuck Baymax into his room.
"Wait, well, Aunt Cass, since I'm a growing boy – and you're such a great cook," Hiro beams so brightly that he thinks his face might crack. He wonders when he became such a smooth liar. "Can I have two plates of that?" To his immense relief, Aunt Cass doesn't ask; only smiles cheerfully and agrees to his request.
"I'll bring the plates down when I'm done!" Hiro yells down as he hops up the stairs, hoping the volume can drown out the guilt smothering him.
When he bursts into the room, Tadashi is staring at his side of the room quietly. For a while, Hiro watches silently, not knowing what to say.
"Looks like you found your room," he finally mumbles. Tadashi shoots him a blank gaze, and Hiro hastily hands him a plate of Aunt Cass' food.
"Eat. You'll feel better." At least, it's what Tadashi used to tell him anyway. Tadashi pokes at the plate of in mild suspicion, and it is only when Hiro starts wolfing down the plate, ravenous from the day's activities, that he finally takes a single bite.
Tadashi gives a half smile once he chews his food and swallows. Hiro tries not to smile too hard at that. It's the most normal expression he's seen on Tadashi so far.
"I miss..." Tadashi starts to mumble, and Hiro waits for him to continue, his eyes hopeful and wide because if Tadashi misses something, then maybe, just maybe–
"... Not having to eat stolen food." Tadashi clears his throat. "Callaghan... Callaghan always made me steal food from diners and restaurants when I was hungry. He said it was good training. And less costly."
Hiro deflates. But at least Tadashi is talking more. He gives a hesitant smile, hoping to catch his eye, but Tadashi only looks away, staring at what used to be his bed. He places the plate on the ground and seats himself on it, letting out a long, defeated sigh before closing his eyes. Hiro feels the hundreds of questions bubbling on his lips as he sees the dark crescents under his brother's eyes – not unlike the one he used to spot after a series of days where he had to bail Hiro out of late night botfights continually.
It makes Hiro think of how Tadashi always used to bail him out all the time, no matter how tired he was from University. And that memory is enough to strengthen his resolve – to help Tadashi recover his memories, his former life, and to make Callaghan pay for all the pain he subjected them to.
And Hiro's willing to do all that for Tadashi. Even if it means having to maintain a facade in front of Aunt Cass.
He bends to pick the empty plate up. The cutlery makes a tiny 'chink' when he shifts them slightly, and he pretends not to see Tadashi's eyes fly open and his body to tense. He tries not to think about how Callaghan had trained and conditioned him. But the one thought that refuses to leave his mind was how Callaghan had been Tadashi's teacher in more ways than one.
After returning the plates (without any questions from Aunt Cass, thankfully, seeing as she went out to shop for groceries), Hiro locks the door quietly, knowing that as tired as he is, he's not going to be sleeping for the next few hours – not with the worry weighing heavy on his shoulders, not with the secret he's keeping from Aunt Cass eating him up alive.