A/N: Que pasa? I'm back from the land of the dead! (Also known as college prep, but it's close enough.) I think I've kept you waiting for long enough, so let's get straight into it. Enjoy!
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Thank you for your continued support!
Chapter 8: Together
The bond between Hiro and Penny only grew when they admitted their feelings for each other. It continued to grow and blossom over several years until the young couple could hardly stay apart. Penny had moved back to California with her mother and the pet trio into a country home that was a 45-minute drive from San Fransokyo. Penny had recently finished grade school and held a party at her house to celebrate.
"Hey, Pen!" Hiro greeted when he and Aunt Cass came to the front door of the Forresters' house. Hiro held a bunch of flowers and a card. Aunt Cass held Mochi in her arms.
"Hiro! Hey!" Pen said happily as she beckoned the two in. Penny's house was as modest on the outside as it was on the inside. Penny guided the newcomers to the living room, where Fred, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Gogo, Mrs. Forrester, and Bolt were all sitting on the sofas. Bolt, Rhino, and Mittens were watching the TV.
"Hey, there he is!" Fred said as he saw Hiro come in. Aunt Cass placed Mochi on the ground, and he walked over to join the pet trio.
"Welcome!" Mrs. Forrester greeted. "We're glad to see that you could make it!"
"Heh, hey everyone." Hiro said while running his hand through his hair. Hiro had changed quite a bit over the last few years. He now stood at 5 feet 7 inches, and his hair was still as messy as it always was. Hiro then handed the flowers and card to Penny. "Congratulations on your graduation, Pen."
"Thanks! I'm happy that I finally did it!" Penny had changed as well. She had grown to a modest 5 feet 6 inches, her red hair reached down to her shoulders, and she was more curvaceous than a few years ago.
"Man, Hiro." Wasabi said. "You just missed it!"
"Missed what?" Hiro asked.
"They rebooted the Bolt series!" Fred said while scrunching his face slightly.
"And it looks terrible." Gogo said nonchalantly. She blew a bubble with her gum.
"Really?" Hiro asked. He was amazed that they would try to continue the show after such a long time, especially after Penny retired from it.
"We watched the first episode." Penny said. She grimaced slightly. "They found a new person to fill in for me, but she and the other Bolt were kidnapped by aliens."
"...Wow." Hiro said. "How cheesy and desperate can you get?"
"I know, right?!" Fred said. "They completely butchered the show! I say that if they're going to make it as terrible as this, then they-"
"Hiro?" Penny whispered while tugging Hiro's shirt sleeve. "Can I talk with you? Alone?"
Hiro nodded as he and Penny silently slinked away with everyone's attention on the ranting Fred.
Penny and Hiro went into a hallway where they couldn't be seen or heard.
"Hey, what's up?" Hiro asked.
Penny took a deep breath and then looked Hiro in the eyes. "I got accepted to the San Fransokyo Acting Arts School! I'll be going there in the fall!"
Hiro gasped. The San Fransokyo Acting Arts School was one of the most prestigious performance art schools in the country. Getting in was near-impossible unless you were exceptionally talented.
"That's great, Pen!" Hiro said. "You're gonna do great in there!...but why are you being so secretive about it?"
Penny sighed. "You know that I'm still considered a famous actress, right?"
Hiro nodded. "But why is that a problem for college?"
"Well, I'm going to be going into the school under a pen name so as to not attract unwanted attention. You know how the media is these days."
Hiro groaned in agreement. Media people were like hungry wolves. If they wanted something bad enough, they would start doing some weird things to get it.
"So, who knows about this?" Hiro asked.
"Mom, Ms. Cassie, and all of our friends in the living room." Penny responded.
"No one else?" Hiro asked.
Penny shook her head. "I think it'll be nice to go to school without being drowned in a sea of reporters for once."
Hiro nodded. He then took Penny's hand in his own. "Pen."
Penny looked Hiro in the eyes.
Hiro took a deep breath. "You know that I'll always support you no matter where you go or what you do. I'm happy that you got in to SFAAS, and I promise that I'll never stop supporting you, even to the point of death."
"Hiro!" Penny suddenly cried. "You can't say that! Last time you did, you nearly died because of me! I can't lose you! You-you're important to me." Penny looked at the floor and blushed a bright pink as she said that.
"I know." Hiro said. "But I promise you this: I will never leave you. I will stay alive for you and cherish you as much as I can. But you have to do the same for me, promise?" Hiro held out his pinky.
Penny looked at Hiro's finger, and then she nodded in agreement. "Promise." She curled her own pinky around Hiro's. She then leapt forward and tackled Hiro in a bear hug. "Thank you, Hiro. I love you."
"I love you, too." Hiro replied as he returned the embrace.
A few years later...
Penny had just finished classes for the day. The 21 year-old redhead walked out of the lecture hall with her backpack slung on her back while chatting with her friends. Penny, under the pen name of Abigail Woods, had made some new friends while at school. After spending several years with them, she trusted them enough to let them know who she really was. They were amazed, but they kept it a secret between themselves for Penny's sake.
Alice was the talkative one. She had bleached white hair with purple highlights and wore glasses. Whenever she was with other people, words had to keep spewing out of her mouth or she would go into a nervous shock.
Meena was very quiet; the polar opposite of Alice. She had short blonde hair, and she talked very little and had a soft voice. If people knew Meena well, they would know that she was very wise and had a sweet personality.
Jordan was the largest of the group. He had short brown hair. His arms were massive and packed enough punch to smash chairs into splinters. Penny had actually seen it firsthand once, and as scary as the sight was, it was rather impressive.
Will was the nerd of the group. He had brown hair, and was currently reading a book on the history of plays and wasn't paying attention to the vicinity in front of him. Every so often, he bumped into a passerby and he muttered an incomprehensible apology. The group was currently walking away from the lecture hall.
"Ohmygosh!" Alice ranted. "That lesson was SOOOO boring. I can't remember a single syllable of what Mr. Gunderson said!"
"Y-yeah." Meena said while clutching her books to her chest.
"No kiddin.'" Jordan said. "If I stayed still for one minute longer, my leg woulda fallen asleep. That's never a good feelin'."
"Sorry." Will murmured as he bumped into a bench.
Penny laughed. "Will, maybe you should take your nose out of your book every once in a while."
"Uhhh...wha?" Will looked up.
Penny giggled. "Never mind."
Will shrugged and dove back into his book.
"Hey, Penny!" Alice suddenly. "What're your plans for tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" Penny thought for a moment. "Actually, I have someone staying over at my place today and tomorrow. Why do you ask?"
"We were gonna hit downtown tomorrow, y'know?" Jordan said. "Wanna come with us?"
"Well, I promised my guest that I would hang out with him tomorrow, so I don't think I can-"
"Wait a minute!" Alice suddenly interrupted. "You said 'him?'"
"Y-yes?" Penny replied.
"Who is this guy?" Alice demanded. "And you say he's gonna stay at your house?"
"Alice, it's fine." Penny assured her friend. "I've known this guy for a long time, and I trust him. He's my best friend."
"But who is he?" Jordan asked, slightly curious.
Penny opened her mouth to respond when a small beeping sound came from the nearby street. Penny turned her head to see a two-seater scooter roll up. Its rider, who was 22 years old now, was wearing a white helmet with a green stripe. He dismounted the scooter, took off his helmet, and walked over to Penny's group. He had a mop of messy black hair.
Penny smiled. "That's him." She then walked over to Hiro and the two embraced each other. "Hey, you." Penny greeted.
"Hey, Pen." Hiro said. "How are you?"
"I'm fine." Penny said while separating from Hiro and smiling. Hiro's heart quickened its pace when he saw Penny's smile. Hiro swore that her smile could light up the darkest room.
The rest of Penny's group walked over.
"Uh, hello." Hiro greeted. He gave a small wave and smiled awkwardly.
"Are you Penny's best friend?" Alice suddenly asked.
"Wha-" Hiro started.
"Yep! This is him!" Penny proudly smiled while wrapping her arms around Hiro's neck.
"Hey man, you look familiar..." Jordan scrutinized Hiro over. Meena did the same.
"Uh..." Hiro began to feel uncomfortable under their stares.
"What's your name, bro?" Jordan finally asked.
Hiro looked at Penny, and she nodded.
"I'm Hiro." Hiro extended his hand. "Hiro Hamada."
The entire group perked up at that. Even Will looked up when he heard Hiro say his name.
"Y-y-y-you're Hiro Hamada?!" Alice suddenly asked, her voice jumping up several decibels. Several heads turned their direction. Alice pointed a shaky finger at Hiro. "A-as in the 'Graduated highschool at 13' Hiro Hamada?! The SFIT Prodigy of the Century Hiro Hamada?!"
Hiro sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Am I known like that? I had no idea-"
"Dude!" Jordan grabbed Hiro's hand and shook it up and down rapidly. "What an honor! I can't believe I'm meeting another celebrity!"
Hiro looked at Penny in confusion. "I'm not really that famo-"
"Can you sign this?" Will handed Hiro a piece of paper while turning back to his book.
"Uh, sure?" Hiro took the paper and signed it with a pen. He then handed the paper back to Will, who quickly shoved it into his pocket. "Not sure why you'd want it tho-"
"Wow, it's Hiro Hamada!" A student said to her friend from a short distance away.
"He's even cooler-looking in person than on TV!" another student remarked.
"He's kinda...scrawny, though."
"Well, duh! What super-smart person isn't?"
"That's kinda prejudicial, isn't it?"
"I'm just sayin'!"
"I wonder if he'll shake my hand..."
"I wonder if he'll sign my belly!"
Hiro rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at the small crowd that formed around him. Hiro wasn't used to this much attention from other people. In fact, Hiro expected to be criticized and told off by the students since that was how Hiro spent most of grade school. Being the center of attention was never Hiro's favorite position.
Penny glared at some of the nearby female students who were giving Hiro a hungry look. She then tightened her arms around Hiro's neck to send a message.
"Do you see that?" One student asked.
"Hiro and Abigail are a thing!"
"Wow, She's so lucky!"
"I would give anything to be in her place right now..." One student fell over while having blissful thoughts about Hiro.
"You think he'll sign my belly?"
Hiro then turned back to Penny's group of friends and cleared his throat. "Well, it was really nice to meet you all, but I think it's time for me and Penny to head out."
Penny let go of Hiro's neck and waved to her friends. "Bye, guys! Have fun tomorrow!"
"See ya!" Alice smiled and waved. "Stay safe!"
"Bye." Meena let out a timid smile and a small wave.
"Catch ya later." Jordan waved.
"Sorry." Will said as he walked into a bicycle that was chained to a bike rack.
Penny smiled and followed Hiro to his scooter. Hiro sat down, put on his helmet, and offered a red helmet to Penny. "Ready?"
Penny accepted the helmet and sat down behind Hiro, putting her arms around Hiro's torso. "Let's."
Hiro blushed slightly at the contact, but then he pressed the starter and started driving. As Hiro was leaving, he could hear a voice shouting behind him.
"Wait! Sign my belly!"
Hiro groaned and was suddenly relieved that they were finally leaving. Penny laughed when she heard Hiro's groan.
By the time Hiro arrived at the Forrester's residence, the sun was beginning to set. Hiro drove up the road and saw Penny's house. He rolled up the driveway and stopped behind the Forresters' car. He got off, took off his helmet, and offered a hand to Penny as she dismounted the scooter.
"Why, thank you." Penny giggled as she stepped down.
Hiro blushed again, and then walked to the front door with Penny in hand. He pressed the doorbell, and a barking could be heard from inside the house.
"Bolt!" Penny said happily as the door opened. Bolt happily jumped at Penny, and Penny caught Bolt in her arms. "I'm home!"
Bolt barked a happy greeting and licked Penny's face. Penny laughed as she set Bolt down and wiped the dog drool off of her face.
"Welcome home, dear." Mrs. Forrester smiled as she came out onto the front porch. She was holding Mittens in her arms and was gently stroking her back. "How was your day?"
"Great!" Penny replied.
Mrs. Forrester nodded and turned to Hiro. "And you, young man. Was the drive here safe?"
"Yes ma'am." Hiro replied. "I even got to meet Penny's school friends. They're a real nice group of people."
"Just like your friend group." Mrs. Forrester beamed. "You two know how to find good friends, don't you?"
Hiro nodded while Penny turned to him. "Do you have everything you need?"
"Yeah, I do." Hiro replied. "It's in my scooter."
Hiro was staying over at the Forresters' place while Aunt Cass went out to meet a friend in Canada. Hiro could have stayed at the Lucky Cat Cafe while she was gone, but since Aunt Cass took Mochi with her, only Baymax would have been able to keep him company. Hiro then asked if he could spend a few nights with the Forresters, and they agreed.
Hiro walked over to his scooter, opened the storage area, and took out a backpack. He slung it over his shoulder and walked back to the front door.
"Well then, come on in!" Mrs. Forrester opened the door all the way and allowed Hiro, Penny, and Bolt to walk in.
"Hiro, come with me." Penny motioned to the stairs. "I'll show you where to put your stuff."
The two then walked up the stairs while Bolt walked over to the living room, where Mrs. Forrester had the TV running. Rhino was in front of the TV as a news channel played. Mrs. Forrester then sat on the couch in front of the TV while still stroking Mittens' back. She then smiled to herself. 'Penny and Hiro have been spending lots of good times together, recently.' She thought as she looked at the TV screen. 'Maybe one day they just might...'
Hiro followed Penny until she opened a door in the hallway and walked in. Hiro followed. When he went into Penny's room, Hiro took a quick look around. The room was relatively average for a bedroom in terms of size. There was a single window, a desk covered with books and papers, a couch, and a single bed. There was also a closet, a bathroom, and a fan on the ceiling. There was a laptop on Penny's desk, and all of the photos that Penny had had in Bolt's trailer were on the wall near the head of the bed. The walls had pink and purple stripe designs, and the floor was hard wood.
"You know." Hiro said as he looked around. "I think this is the first time I've ever been in your room."
Penny laughed as she sat down on her bed. "You're right. What do you think?"
"What do I think?" Hiro was caught off-guard by the sudden question. "Uh, I think it's great! It's a whole lot tidier than my room so..." Hiro looked around. "There's only one bed, so I guess I'll sleep on the couch?"
Penny had a thought go through her head, and thinking about it suddenly made her face heat up. Penny took a deep breath. "O-or, you could, uh, s-sleep on the bed? W-with me?"
Hiro turned to look at his friend. His brain slowly processed what Hiro had just heard. Hiro face started to go red. "Wh-what did you just say?"
"Y-you could..." Penny stammered. "S-sleep with me? On the bed?"
Hiro and Penny both went redder than a tomato. Hiro suddenly felt his knees begin to shake.
"W-where did that idea come from!?" Hiro suddenly said. Sure, he and Penny had hugged and even kissed before, but this was seriously taking it to a whole new level.
Penny covered her face in embarrassment. "T-the thought just occurred to me! W-was it a b-bad idea?"
Hiro tried to regain his composure. He then cleared his throat. "W-well...I guess it could work. Beats sleeping on the couch, I guess..."
Penny nodded and clutched her arm while looking at the floor. Hiro ran his hand through his hair as he tried to calm his heart.
"Penny? Hiro? Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Forrester called from below.
"Coming, mom!" Penny called back as she stood up and walked to the door. She then grabbed Hiro's hand. "Come on, let's go."
"...yeah." Hiro said while putting a smile back on his face and following Penny.
Dinner had been amazing for Hiro. Mrs. Forrester had whipped up a bunch of Penny's favorite foods, and was scrumptious. Hiro and Penny hadn't talked to each other very much during dinner, both still shaken over the most recent event. After dinner had concluded, Penny and Hiro went upstairs to get ready for bed. Penny showered first, and Hiro went in after her. Penny was sitting on her bed while Hiro washed up. She wore a white T-shirt and black short-shorts.
"..." Penny was thinking to herself. 'I told Hiro that he could sleep in the bed with me. Why am getting so worked up over it?' Penny suddenly flushed bright pink again. 'I told him he could sleep with me. Did I make it sound like we were gonna-' Realization hit like a truck and Penny suddenly covered her face with both her hands and started shaking her head violently.
"What's wrong?" Hiro asked while walking out of the bathroom. He was wearing a black tank top and sport shorts.
"Ah!" Penny snapped out of her thoughts and started waving her hands rapidly. "N-no! Nothing! I-I was just-"
Hiro then walked over to Penny and placed a finger on her lips, immediately silencing her rant. He then smiled at her and sat next to her on the bed. "Pen, you know you can tell me anything, right?"
Penny paused, and then sighed while settling back down.
"How is school going for you?" Hiro asked.
"I-it's going alright, I guess..." Penny replied. "How about you? Aren't you finishing grad school soon?"
Hiro smiled and nodded. Hiro had stayed at SFIT for 4 years of undergrad and two years of grad to get a Master's. "I'll be graduating soon. You'll be there to see me, won't you?"
"Y-yeah! Of course!" Penny said.
Hiro then ran his hand through his hair. "What about you? Aren't you auditioning for movie roles soon?"
"Yeah, I am." Penny replied. Penny was still in school, but she would soon be auditioning for world-renown studio productions. There were hundreds of studios fighting each other to get a chance for Penny to film with them once she graduated. "Both of us are realizing our dreams, aren't we?"
"That we are." Hiro said while remembering a distant time. "Hey, Pen. Do you remember that day? When we first met?"
"I do." Penny smiled. "I was only eight at the time, but meeting you was probably the best thing that's happened to me."
Hiro blushed slightly. "I remember when I first saw you."
"Hmm?" Penny tilted forward slightly to look Hiro in the face. "And what did you think?"
Hiro nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, uh, well..." Hiro took a deep breath. "I thought that you looked beautiful."
Penny gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.
Hiro decided to go a step further. "I thought that you were the prettiest girl I'd ever seen before, and after I got to talk with you, you were the sweetest girl I'd ever met. Every other girl that I'd been around ignored me or teased me, but not you."
Penny blushed. "You...you really think I'm pretty? And sweet?"
Hiro placed an arm around Penny's shoulder and rested her head in the crook of his neck. "If I said you weren't, I'd be lying."
Penny then closed her eyes and processed everything Hiro had just said. She then smiled. Hiro was a wonderful person, and she was lucky to know him. Hiro and Penny stayed together for a while, and then Hiro looked at the clock on the desk.
"Hey, Pen." Hiro said. "It's getting late. I think it's time for us to hit the hay."
"Oh, alright." Penny agreed that it was getting late. The two of them looked at the bed. "Y-you want this side of the bed?"
"Uh, sure." Hiro replied. After an awkward standoff, the two crawled under the covers. They then turned their bodies so that their backs faced each other, both too embarrassed to face each other. Penny then turned off the lights, and the room became dark. The only sounds that could be heard were from the crickets outside, chirping their night song.
"..." Hiro tried to go to sleep, but the sheer awkwardness of the situation made it difficult.
"..." Penny was in a similar predicament. Maybe sleeping in the bed together wasn't the greatest idea after all.
Hiro was thinking to himself. At this rate, neither of them were going to get any sleep. The possibility of falling on the floor due to being so close to the edge of the bed wasn't really helping, either. Hiro then decided to act. "...Penny." Hiro suddenly said. He turned his body to face Penny.
"?" Penny turned her body as well.
"I just wanted to make it official to you now." Hiro said while sitting up. Penny sat up as well, and she could see him blushing a crimson red despite the darkness. Hiro then reached out and grabbed Penny's hands in his own. "We've been friends for a long time, and we've gone through a lot together. Actually, I'd say we've been more than just friends for a while now."
Penny gasped. "Hiro, what are you-"
"I've already said this before, but this time, I really mean it." Hiro then reached out and placed his hand on the side of Penny's face. "Penny Forrester, I love you. With all my heart and being, love you. You are the one who makes me happy in my life, and I want you to be happy too."
Penny froze for a moment, and then tears started to well up in her eyes. She then covered her face with her hands as she began to sob silently.
Hiro began to panic internally. 'Did I say something wrong?'
Penny then lurched forward and threw her arms around Hiro while continuing to cry. "Hiro, I-I..." Penny hiccuped as she tried to find the words. "I love you too. You're the best human friend I've ever had."
Hiro smiled. "I promise to be with you and support you, no matter where we are or what we do."
"Yes, that sounds great." Penny replied as Hiro gently rubbed her back. Neither of them remembered lying down and falling asleep. Penny and Hiro fell asleep in each other's arms, and the embrace seemed to help lull the two into a peaceful rest.
Penny looked around her. It was pitch black. There was absolutely nothing to be seen. "Hello?" She called into the darkness. "Hiro? Anyone?!"
A bark could be heard in the distance.
Penny gasped. "Bolt?" She started running towards where she heard the bark. There was another bark, and another. Each time, it sounded closer. "Bolt!"
A white shepherd dog finally came into view. Bolt turned around to see Penny. He seemed to be worried about something.
"Bolt!" Penny kneeled next to her beloved pet. "Where are we?"
Bolt turned around and barked again. Penny looked at where he was barking, and she felt her heart race. Before her was a burning building, and it was not just any building. It was Sparkling Core Films studios sound stage 7. The glow from the flames lit up the darkness, and Penny could feel the heat from the blaze. Penny then began to have some unpleasant memories. She clutched her head as the memories began to reappear. The fire. Getting trapped. Hiro injured. Almost suffocating. Penny's breathing began to become more rapid. Bolt suddenly barked and ran towards the studio.
"Bolt!" Penny ran after her dog. "Come back!" Bolt ran into the burning sound stage. Penny hesitated for a moment, and then ran in after Bolt. When she made it inside, the smoke and heat almost overwhelmed her. Penny coughed and looked around for Bolt, but she didn't see him anywhere. What she did see made her stomach wrench.
"Hiro!" Penny spotted Hiro trapped under several pieces of debris. She ran over to him fearing the worst. 'What's going on?' Penny thought to herself. 'It's almost a complete reenactment of the fire all those years ago!' Penny reached Hiro and looked him over, he looked terrible. His lower half was buried under the pile of debris, he had burn marks all over his face and arms, and he was covered in soot.
"...Penny?" Hiro looked up weakly. His eyes were barely open.
"Hiro, don't worry!" Penny cried. "I'm going to get you out of here!" She then reached out to pull a piece of debris away, but her body suddenly froze before she could grab it.
'What's going on?' Penny thought to herself. 'I can't move!' Penny suddenly felt herself moving backwards due to some invisible force. She tried to reach out to Hiro, but her body refused to move. "Hiro!" Penny struggled to reach out to her friend as she continued to move away, moving faster and faster. Penny tried to kick, squirm, anything to try and reach Hiro. Penny just kept moving faster and faster away until she flew out of the sound stage.
"No!" Penny shouted as she tried to go back into the stage. Tears started falling from her eyes. "He needs my help!" Penny suddenly halted a small distance away from the outside of the stage. Before she could process anything else, the stage suddenly exploded in a fiery blast that made everything in Penny's vision go white. The last thing she could hear was Hiro screaming in pain.
"NO!" Penny shouted. "HIRO!"
Then, everything went black.
"AAAHHHHH!" Penny bolted upright in her bed while shrieking. She then placed a hand on her head as she tried to take in her surroundings. She was in her bed, in her room, in her home. She was safe. It was still dark outside, and the crickets were still chirping. No fire, no explosions.
"Pen?" Hiro, who had awoken from Penny's sudden outburst, sat up and looked at his dear friend. "What's wrong?"
Penny suddenly turned and crushed Hiro in a tight embrace. "You're here. You're safe. Thank goodness." She then began to sob in relief.
Hiro was confused, but he returned the embrace and gently shushed Penny while rubbing her back. After a while, Hiro let go of Penny and looked her in the eyes.
"What's wrong?" Hiro asked softly. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Penny silently nodded.
Hiro then placed a hand on Penny's shoulder. "You want to talk about it? You don't have to tell me if you aren't comfortable talking about it."
Penny hiccupped and took a deep breath. "I-I had a d-dream. It was ab-bout y-you."
Hiro raised an eyebrow.
"There w-was a f-fire." Penny continued while shaking. "Y-you were stuck under a p-pile of debris. I t-tried to get y-you out, but...I...I..." Penny covered her hands and continued to sob. It was too painful to try and remember. She felt Hiro's arms wrap around her.
"Pen, I know that you're concerned about me, but I'm concerned for you too." Hiro spoke gently. "I know that you feel guilty for me getting hurt in the fire, but I told you, it's okay. I'm fine. I don't blame you for it. I'm here for you, Pen." Hiro then rested Penny's ear on his chest. Penny could hear Hiro's heart beating at a steady rhythm.
"I'm here, Pen. Here for you." Hiro reassured. "It'll be okay."
Penny then calmed down and looked at Hiro. "You haven't forgotten our promise, right?" She held up her pinky.
"Of course not." Hiro held up his own pinky. "I'll always be here for you."
The two curled their pinkies, and Hiro smiled. He brought Penny's head to his, and his lips captured her's in an intimate kiss. Penny wrapped her arms around Hiro's head and deepened the kiss, neither one wanting it to end.
Several Years Later…
Hiro and Penny were sitting on a bench in the park together. Hiro, now 25, was a rising inventor and CEO of the growing Hamada Corp. He managed to secure a patent for Baymax and mass-produce him for hospitals and health care centers all over the world, fulfilling Tadashi's dream.
Penny had fulfilled her own dream of becoming a famous actress. Now 24, Penny was regarded around the world as a one-in-a-billion talent. Penny had acted in several films already, and each one did better than the previous film. The media absolutely adored Penny's talent in acting, and many fans regarded Penny as one of the youngest and most successful actresses in all of history.
Despite their busy schedules, Penny and Hiro always managed to cut time out to spend with each other. The young couple had been dating for about a year now, and they were tight with each other. On this particular day, Hiro had asked Penny out of the blue to come to the park with him. The two were sitting together with Hiro draping an arm around Penny's shoulders and Penny leaning against Hiro's chest. They were both happy to be in each other's presence.
Penny was glad to be with her beloved, but the sudden calling out to the park was a bit unusual. Penny and Hiro usually set up plans a few days in advance at least. 'I wonder what the occasion is.' Penny wondered to herself.
"Hiro." Penny suddenly said while sitting up straight. "Is there are particular reason why you called me here?"
Hiro chuckled. "Indeed there is." Hiro then stood up and pulled Penny up by the hand so she stood with him. Hiro now stood at 5 feet 11 inches, and Penny at 5 feet 7 inches. Hiro looked Penny closely in the eye. "Penny, we've been together for a long time now, and I want to further our relationship with each other."
Penny then noticed some movement in the bushes near the bench. Two figures suddenly popped up and revealed themselves. Penny gasped at who it was.
"Ms. Cassie? Mom?"
The two women nodded while smiling. "Not just us." Bolt, Mittens, Rhino, and Mochi were near the feet of the two women. They all looked very happy.
Eight more heads made themselves know one at a time. Penny was shocked at the small crowd of people that had emerged. Fred, Gogo, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Alice, Meena, Jordan, and Will were all there. Will was actually not reading a book for once, and he looked incredibly fidgety because of it. All of the people greeted Penny warmly while smiling.
"Guys? You're all here?" Penny turned back to Hiro. "What's going on?"
"Hiro asked us to be here!" Aunt Cass replied with a smile.
"It's gonna get better, Penny." Honey Lemon added. "Just wait for it."
Hiro cleared his throat. "Penny, I have been with you for a long time now, and I think that it's high time that I did this." Hiro then got down on one knee and fished around in his pocket.
Penny gasped. 'Is he going to...'
Hiro finally pulled a small box out of his pocket and presented it to Penny on one hand and opened it up to reveal a small silver band encrusted with a single diamond.
"Penny Forrester, I love you with all of my heart and I wish for the both of us to be happy together." Hiro declared. "I want to be your partner in life now and for the rest of my days. So, will you make me the happiest man in the entire world? Will you marry me?"
Penny covered her mouth in shock and stayed very, very still. Tears started streaming out of her eyes as she finally said, "YES! Oh, Hiro, yes! I will!" She accepted the ring and placed it on her finger. Hiro stood back up, and Penny smothered him in a massive hug, which Hiro happily returned. The crowd around them started clapping their hands.
"My baby's all grown up." Mrs. Forrester sniffled while clutching Aunt Cass' arm. "She looks so happy."
"I'm proud of you, nephew!" Aunt Cass called out.
"Congrats, Penny!" Alice said while hugging her friend.
"Great job." Meena said while smiling.
"Nice catch, Penny!" Jordan laughed. "He's the perfect guy for you!"
"Yeah, great." Will muttered while trying to smile.
Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino went up to Penny, and she laughed while hugging them all. "Thank you, everyone."
"Way to go, little man!" Wasabi gave Hiro a noogie while laughing.
"Not bad." Gogo smirked while giving a small smile.
"Yeah! Nice job!" Fred congratulated while whooping.
"We're so proud of you, Hiro!" Honey Lemon smothered Hiro in a hug of her own.
"Heh, thanks." Hiro said sheepishly. "I didn't know I had it in me."
Penny and Hiro finished thanking their friends for coming, and soon, the only ones left were Hiro, Penny, Aunt Cass, Mrs. Forrester, and the pets.
"This way, I can better keep our promise." Hiro said while holding out his hand, which had a ring identical to Penny's on the ring finger.
Penny laughed while grabbing his hand. "Thank you so much, Hiro. You've been so good to me ever since we've met."
"And now," Hiro said while pulling Penny in for a hug. "We'll be together. Forever."
"Mmhm!" Penny agreed as she returned the hug. Aunt Cass and Mrs. Forrester stood nearby with happy faces.
Penny and Hiro are now engaged. And what comes after engagement? The next chapter will probably be the last one, so I'm just giving a heads-up. I hope that everyone liked the chapter (sorry if it seemed excessively sappy). If you liked the chapter, please consider leaving a comment. I will try to get the next chapter out soon, so sit tight! Until next time, peace!
