* * *
The older Hamada stretched, dropping his pen on the table, and his head in his hand. The clock read 7:45, but it felt like 10pm. The cafe was closed and his aunt should be all cleaned up by now. He was so tired. The day had been so long, with Hiro sleeping for most of it. Tadashi had taken a break, to clean their room a little and clean their bathroom, but at least Hiro stayed asleep. He walked to his side of the room and packed away the books he no longer needed. Looking at his bed longingly, he hoped he would get a better nights sleep. That both would get a good nights sleep. He rubbed his tired eyes and walked back over to the large desk, flopping down in the chair. He shut his eyes for a moment, resting them.
He was so glad he had the chance to talk with Hiro earlier, and had gotten what was bothering him off his chest. But still, why did Hiro think that he didn't want to spend time with him anymore? Sure the boys hardly talked with each other when they were alone, and if anything, it was one yelling at the other, but to think that Hiro thought Tadashi wanted to move on and leave him behind hurt him. At least it was all on the table now, and he was able to shred those thoughts and replace them with the truth, but still. To think he let Hiro carry those feelings for who knows how long. It's no wonder the boy would end up sick like this eventually.
Still resting his eyes, Tadashi was unaware of the world around him, and unaware of Hiro's change in face. After about 3 minutes, Hiro began to whine slightly, and thats when Tadashi was pulled back to reality. He jumped a little at the sudden noise, and looked over his shoulder at Hiro. His back was towards him, but he wasn't moving around or anything. Tadashi sat there for a moment, then picked up pen up again, turning back to his book. At that same moment, Hiro gasped, sitting up quickly, panting hard.
Tadashi jumped, quickly turning around to see what the fuss was. " Hiro?"
Hiro didn't even look at him, just sat panting. Sweat poured off his face, and his arms were shaking. Tadashi quickly got up and made his way around the bed, grabbing his sibling by the arms. He recoiled immediately at how hot he was to the touch.
" My god..Hiro?!" Hiro wasn't even aware of his older brother there. He just sat there, eyes closed, breathing heavy. Tadashi rushed a hand up to his brother forehead, and worry washed over him. He was burning up, badly. But he was fine before! Tadashi cried out in his head. He pushed his brother back down on the bed, and reached over grabbing the ear thermometer, and placed it inside his brother's ear. Hiro tried to pull away form the sudden chill in his ear, but Tadashi placed his hand on the other side of his head, keeping him still as he squirmed. Hiro whined and moaned alittle, as if still stuck in a dream. He was obviously delusional.
" It's okay buddy, it's okay. shhhh, I'm right here" Hiro tried to move, but Tadashi held him still, shushing him.
The devise beeped and reading it quickly, Tadashi could feel his heart drop. 103.5. Shit! How did this happen? Fevers always have a habit of going up before they go down to break it, but now wasn't the time to think. He was getting a bath whether he wanted it or not, and he was calling their aunt.
"..Alright buddy, you're not gonna like this, but I don't have a choice.."
" What's he not going to like? What's wrong?"
As if on que,Tadashi quickly turned around to see his aunt. He didn't even hear her come up. Relief washed over him though as she hurried over as soon as she saw Tadashi perched over Hiro's body. she looked worriedly at her young nephew, and immediately placed her hand on his forehead. Tadashi still held him down as he panted hard and squirmed a bit. She brought her hand back, and looked at Tadashi with deep concern.
" His fever's way too high. Tadashi, what's his-"
"103.5. I was just about to call you and run him a cold bath to bring it down."
Cass wrapped her arms around herself. " His body must be trying to break it.." Her heart broke as she watched her nephew struggle. All of a sudden, Hiro's eyes flung open and he sat up quickly. Before anyone could say anything, Hiro leaned over the side of the bed, and emptied his stomach on the floor.
Tadashi jumped up, and Cass ran over immediately, jumping into mother mode. She grabbed the bucket on the floor and placed it under his chin while she began rubbing his back, whispering words of comfort in his ear. Tadashi wasn't sure Hiro was even aware of his surroundings, but he ran into the bathroom knowing his aunt could take over. He immediately ran the cold water, and brought some towels back with him to clean up.
Hiro cracked open his eyes, but was hardly registering what was around him. Cass put her hands on his face, to try to make him look at her.
"Hiro, sweetie, I'm right here. Can you hear me?"
Hiro said nothing, until he muttered an almost inaudible "…'m hot.."
Cass let worry and sympathy wash over her. " I know you are, honey. Tadashi's running you a cold bath right now okay?"
Hiro croaked out quietly "…dashi?"
Cass ran her fingers threw his hair. " Yes, honey. Tadashi's here and he's running the bath for you."
Hiro muttered something she didn't catch, and became unconscious. Cass waited with Hiro, watching him intently while Tadashi finished cleaning the floor and filling the tub. Once he was done, he went back to his aunt, who looked at Tadashi with worry.
Tadashi smiled, trying to keep her from worrying too much. " Well, I'm all set, so I'll take him from here. You may not want to stick around though.."
Cass smiled and nodded her head. " I understand, don't worry. I'm going to clean up in here and change his sheets. You….good luck okay? Let me know If you need my help. And sweetie, if this doesn't make his temperature go down, then we're going to the hospital."
Tadashi nodded, and walked towards his brother while Cass went downstairs to get fresh sheets. He was confused to why she wanted to clean alittle, when he just did, but whatever. His brother was passed out on the bed. Tadashi prepared himself for what would be the most challenging thing hes done all week.
* * *
Tadashi began to pull Hiro's shirt off of him, figuring it was a good place to start. He then tugged at his pajama pants and they slipped off with ease. He figured he could leave his boxers on. Not much different then swim trucks…and would save him the embarrassment, being 14 and all. The boy stayed asleep, and Tadashi breathed a sigh of relief. It would be easier without Hiro fighting for his clothes. Picking his brother up gently, Tadashi carried him bridal style and walked towards the bathroom. He stayed sound asleep. Good, Tadashi thought, as he pushed open the bathroom door. Aunt Cass was downstairs, and figured she would give the boys a few minutes to prepare before coming up to clean and replace the sheets.
Entering the bathroom, He stood for a moment, wondering if he should attempt to wake Hiro first. He didn't want him to freak out and panic at the sudden submerge in the cold, but he also didn't want him to refuse and fight him. Feeling his warm skin under him, he decided to just go ahead and slowly put him in. Maybe if he can slowly bring him back to consciousness, it would all be fine.
" Okay buddy, we're gonna do this slow, alright?" Tadashi bent down by the tub, and slowly began to lower his body in. Hiro didn't seem to notice at first, seeing how he was such a heavy sleeper anyways, but as soon as the water enveloped his waist, Hiro woke with a jump and gasped, successfully twisting out of Tadashi's arms and right into the cold water below.
" Whoa whoa whoa! Calm down!" Tadashi tried to still his flailing brother by hanging on to his shoulders, but Hiro would have none of it. He attempted to lift himself up by grabbing the side of the tub, but his hands kept slipping as he got everything around him wet. Puddles formed on the floor below Tadashi's knees, and soaked his shirt. Hiro took a handful of Tadashi's clothing, and tried to climb up, but the older Hamada grabbed his hands, trying to shush him. He kicked and pushed against the wall, but found he did not have the energy to escape whatever he got himself into. The flailing only lasted about 15 seconds, but Tadashi thought it felt more like 5 minutes. He waited until Hiro had calmed down, before saying anything else. Once the little brother stopped trying to get out, he sat there shivering, trying to catch his breath and regulate his gasping breathing.
Hiro started to wake up more as he took in why just happened. Looking down, he noticed all his clothes except his boxers were missing, and he was overcome with embarrassment. Drawing his knees up to give himself a little more coverage, he stared down at the water, still not use to the chill. His body was shivering all over and couldn't stop the shaking, It was all very unexpected, and he did not like it one bit. Once he was now fully aware, he looked over to see his older brother, who had his hands on his arms.
He wanted to kill him.
Hiro drew in a deep breath, and looked at Tadashi with complete shock. Teeth chattering, he managed to start trying to yell at him. "..A….are you…s..serious?! Whats the…m…matter w..with you?!"
Tadashi looked at his brother, and couldn't help but smile a little. At least his brother was fully awake and yelling at him.
" Sorry bro, but I didn't have a choice."
Hiro nearly lost it, and tried to climb out, only to be pushed back down.
" Tadashi, Let m…me out!"
Tadashi kept a stern voice. " No, you need to stay in till you cool down,"
Hiro clenched his teeth. " This is dumb! Why would you do that?! I was feeling fine!"
Tadashi bit back a smart remark, and calmly, but sternly spoke. " Your fever spiked to 103.5 degrees, I had to do something! it was either this, or bring you to the hospital"
Hiro sat there staring at his brother, dumbfounded. It did? Even Hiro could admit that was not a safe temperature. He understood why..but he really hated it. Dropping his face to a look of disappointment, Hiro looked back down at the water. He had no idea it had gotten this bad. Last he remembered was Talking with Tadashi before, then he fell asleep. Tadashi's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he tuned back in to his brother.
" Things were pretty bad for awhile bro. Aunt Cass came running up to help. She's cleaning up now."
Hiro started to feel bad, but before he could let that emotion take over, Tadashi dipped a hand into the water, grabbed a washcloth, and laid it on Hiro's neck. The chill made him gasp, and he bit his lip to stop him from retaliating on him. Tadashi squeezed his shoulders, wanting Hiro to look at him.
" Before you go and start feeling bad, don't worry. Everything is all over with and under control, we are just waiting for your body to cool down a little." Tadashi smiled at Hiro, but he didn't return it.
After sitting in silence for a couple of minutes, Hiro finally spoke.
"…Can I get out now?.."
Tadashi shook his head. " Not yet bud, its only been about 6 minutes. I want to make sure it's working."
Hiro began to feel nervous. It just occurred to him that If this didn't work, he was sure to be rushed to the hospital. He really didn't want to go there, and figured he could tolerate a little cold water if it would keep him out of there. Sinking in a little further, Hiro closed his eyes and whined alittle. Tadashi rubbed his back sympathetically, as they waited.
* * *
Cass had changed Hiro's sheets out and re-cleaned the floor that Hiro had thrown up on. She also pulled away their laundry and quickly disinfected some surfaces. As soon as she had come upstairs, she could here shouting going on, and the sound of skin squeaking against the wet tub. She decided she didn't want to hear anymore, and got right to work. She made sure to always stay busy at times like this, because she was just as worried.
She knew that her nephews could tell when she would fret over something, so they made a habit of trying to hide certain things from her if they knew they could handle it themselves, without having to worry her. Little did they know, that she knew everything about what went on with her boys. She knew when Hiro had gotten those stitches in his arm when he cut himself at the lab. Tadashi had brought him over to the hospital, and they didn't tell their aunt about it. She knew. She also knew that time Tadashi had falling off the ladder in the garage trying to reach something, and twisted his ankle. Or when the boys play got too hard and one got pushed down the stairs. All the minor cuts, bumps, and bruises they had received, but tried to hide, she knew about. They were hers, and she promised herself she would get to know them in every way she could, like any mother would know. She had kept that promise.
She would call them out on it occasionally if things had gotten too far. She made sure to keep Tadashi off his feet when he hurt his ankle, giving him sit down projects to work on so he didn't suspect she knew. She made sure to have her back turned as Hiro struggled to put his coat on after he hurt his arm. It wasn't that she wanted to pretend to notice, but the kids seemed to smile more, knowing they did something stupid, but fixed it without putting worry on their aunt. As long as it wasn't dangerous or hazardous, She let them take responsibility for their mistakes, and played none-the-wiser.
The sounds coming from the bathroom settled down. She figured Tadashi had handled it, and she began to fix up Hiro's bed to make it more inviting. Truth was, she was scared. Scared that his fever wouldn't go down, scared that they would need to bring him to the hospital, scared of seeing him panic and scared of ever seeing him be in that much pain again. Physically and emotionally. When a child gets sick, of course the parents tend to worry. But Cass felt like she had more worry then their real parents would have, because they were her new responsibility. She worried about every cut they had, but never let it get to her or let it show. Kids will be kids, she believed that, but that didn't mean she couldn't ignore the fact that the minute one had a sliver, she wanted nothing more then to scoop the child up, cuddle them, and tell them everything will be okay.
"There! All done and ready for messing up" Cass clapped her hands together. After everything was all set and done, she laid out a new set of clothes for Hiro by the door, and retreated downstairs to heat up some more soup and some toast.
* * *
20 minutes had passed, and Hiro sat miserable in the water. Neither boy said a word. Tadashi had his back turned away, leaning against the side of the tub as Hiro stewed in anger. Figuring it would be best to give him some space, Tadashi chose to turn and focus on something else. Checking the time, he got up and grabbed a towel, alerting attention from the younger sibling. He opened the door slightly, to find some clothes set out on the floor. Bringing them inside, he held up the towel, looking at his brother. Before he could say anything, Hiro sat up, leaning over the tub to snag the towel. Tadashi rolled his eyes and grabbed a second one, helping him to stand up and sit on the edge, wrapping it around his shoulders.
" Tadashi, stop, I can do it" Hiro become frustrated with the help getting out of the tub, but without thinking before he opened his mouth, he realized that his legs were weak. It took everything he had just to sit up straight. He recoiled, wishing he had accepted the help so he didn't need to embarrass himself, but luckily Tadashi already knew that. He chose to ignore his little brother, and continued helping to save him anymore embarrassment. He rubbed the towel on hiro's head, drying his hair while taking a mental eyes were still glassy, but he looked a little better then before, and he was fully awake now.
" There, how do you feel?"
Hiro relied curtly. " Cold."
Tadashi rolled his eyes and passed Hiro this clothing. He turned around while Hiro slowly got dressed, which took about 5 minutes for 3 articles of clothing. the older Hamada figured it was wise to not rush him.
After Hiro was all set and redressed, Tadashi helped him walked back to bed. the room was really clean looking, and his bed looked so comfortable and clean. Eager to get back into it to sleep, Hiro climbed in.
* * *
Aunt Cass had come up the stairs a few minutes later to see Hiro all clean and nestled into bed. Tadashi was talking to him, passing him a water bottle. A smile crept on her face as she looked at them. Hiro looked like he was feeling better, and that was a relief. She sat down on the bed and placed her hand on his forehead. He still felt warm, but not like before. She reached for the thermometer and after setting it, gave it to Hiro.
" There! Now, lets see if that struggle was worth it."
Hiro looked away embarrassed and Tadashi laughed. A minute later they got their reading, and all three of them were relieved to read 102. It had dropped tremendously. It wasn't great, but much better then it has been. At this, Hiro perked up.
"Soo…no hospital? "
" No hospital. Unless it flairs up again " Tadashi replied, making sure to enunciate on the second half. That was enough for Hiro, and he relaxed alittle.
Hiro managed to eat his toast and a few spoonfuls of his soup before getting tired. Cass kissed her nephew on the head, and bid him goodnight as she carried the bowls downstairs. Tadashi sighed relieved. He was greatful to Aunt Cass for taking care of things here while he tended to Hiro. Hiro was nearly passed out sitting up, so Tadashi took the initiative and suggested they both get some rest. It was late, and he hoped they would both have a good night. Hiro fell sleep instantly while Tadashi shut things down.
Tadashi laid down in is bed, hoping to not awake until tomorrow morning.
Hiro only woke up once that night, tho It was only for a headache. He had managed to keep all his food down and his fever was down by morning. It was now Saturday, and the Cafe opened a couple hours later, so Aunt Cass was able to make a light breakfast for the boys, and take her time. She made her way upstairs to wake Hiro up, surprised to find her oldest nephew already awake.
" Hey, I'm surprised your up. I would think you would take this time to catch up on your sleep!"
Tadashi was working on making his bed when he turned and looked at her. " Yeah, well my internal clock wanted otherwise." With a slight chuckle, Cass put the food down and went over to help him.
" So how did last night go? He seemed to be much better before I left."
Tadashi nodded his head. " It went fine. He woke up once, trying to open the headache medicine which woke me up, so I helped him with that. But he went right back to sleep and didn't feel too warm."
" That's good to hear. You really needed to get more then a couple hours.." Cass looked at him almost apologetically. She had wished she could take on more and had been in Tadashi's place so that he could rest properly and focus on school. She knew he never would have let that happen, but she couldn't help slightly wishing it was her then him. Tadashi just brushed it off and smoothed his covers over.
" No, really I'm fine. And honestly, I'm glad. I think this little bonding time we've had was needed."
Cass just nodded her head, fully aware at this did need to happen. Of course, she had noticed that her boys weren't as close as they use to be. But they were boys, and both in school. They would be taking on their own lives, but as their Aunt, watching them drift apart without much she could do, was tough. She remembers fondly the days of them playing games and taking care of one another. Hiro would fall and scrape in knee in the park, and Tadashi was there no less then half a second, scooping him up and distracting him from the problem while he tended to his brothers wounds.
Watching them grow and both be in school together was great, but she could see them slipping. They got along fine and well, but paid no extra attention to each other nowadays. Hiro was 14, now, and Tadashi in his 20s, It was important for them to hold the bonds with their worlds evolving so fast. It hurt Cass to watch them from a distance grow apart slowly. She definitely noticed a change in Hiro towards his brother. He seemed more quiet nowadays, and didn't want to ask for anything or get in anyones way. Cass would watch Hiro sit at the dinner table, glancing over at the third chair, waiting for Tadashi to get home after working late in the lab. She would also watch Hiro's face light up when he got home, only to fall with disappointment when he would have to rush back out again. Cass watched it all, but didn't blame Tadashi. She had tried to sneak in a couple words in-between, saying things like " when you get home, why don't we all watch a movie together?" or " Hey, the lavender festival is this weekend, who don't you take Hiro?" But he was so busy with perfecting his projects or being needed at the lab, there just wasn't any time for frivolities. Watching Hiro's look of disappointment was hard, but the hardest was seeing him with no emotions at all.
It got to the point when he expected Tadashi to not be home for dinner, or not see him on certain days. The boys were like strangers living in the same house. With their friends, it was fine, but alone they didn't seem to even noticed each other. That was the hardest thing for Cass to see. As much as she hated Hiro being so sick, she felt guilty admitting..that maybe she had wished for this to happen. It made both brothers remember what was important.
" I'm so glad to hear that" Cass looked at Tadashi and smiled, relieved. Tadashi smiled back, knowing that she was aware of Hiro's nightmares too. While he never discussed the meaning behind them, he knew she probably was aware of what was going on without being told. She always did have a knack for that.
Finishing the bed, Cass strolled over to her youngest nephew to wake him to eat.
* * *
Aunt Cass took Hiro's temperature after breakfast, and was pleased to find it back at a more comfortable level. Sighing with victory, she leaned back looking at Tadashi, who was looking at Hiro with approval.
" There! Looks like you broke the fever!" Cass beamed at Hiro who seemed slightly embarrassed at the big deal his aunt was making. Shifting uncomfortably, Hiro cleared his throat.
" So….can I get up then?"
"Nope!" Cass smiled at him, putting the device back down. Hiro frowned and dropped his shoulders, looking like he was about to argue. Cass continued before he could throw in his two cents. " Sorry Kiddo, you know the rules. One more day for good measure. but you've got plenty of homework to keep you occupied!" Cass patted his leg, and stood up. " As long as you eat normally today and keep it down, you good to go!"
Hiro rolled his eyes and gave her a smirk. "..okay." Cass bent down and brushed the hair off his forehead, giving him a kiss.
" I'm glad your feeling better, sweetie." With that, she turned and walked out, giving Tadashi a grateful look. Tadashi sat on the bed, looking at Hiro who was slightly pouting. Being sick and in bed was one thing, but when you felt better, but still had to stay in bed, that was another. Tadashi sympathized with his brother, and messed up his hair. Hiro swatted his hand away, and Tadashi laughed.
" Good to have you back, bro. Don't worry, you'll be up and about soon."
Hiro smirked and shook his head. " Yeah yeah…" He trailed off in his mind. Tadashi stood up and stretched. If Hiro was going to be in bed one more day, then he could be here too. Walking over to the desk, he began to rummage through his things, pulling out stuff to work on for him, and some of Hiro's work.
Hiro sat in his bed, rubbing his hands. He waited a few moments to build up the courage to ask, and took a deep breath.
"..Hey…Tadashi?"
Without Turning around, Tadashi hummed in question towards him, still sifting through his bag.
" Umm…D..did you really mean…what you said yesterday? About making more time to hang out and stuff?…"
Tadashi stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at his little brother. He avoided eye contact, and rubbed at his hands. Tadashi studied this for a second before answering.
" …Of course I did Hiro. Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?"
Hiro released the breath he was holding, and relaxed alittle. Truth was, he was afraid. Afraid that Tadashi would forget and let life go by like normal, or that after tending to his brother these past few days, he would be tired with him already.
Hiro smiled down at his blanket, sighing with relief. " Good, I was just asking.."
Tadashi waked over to the bed and sat down. He grabbed Hiro's face in his hands, and brought their faces close together.
" Bonehead. What? You think I would grow tired of you or something? Tough luck kiddo, like I said, you're stuck with me for life." He pushed Hiro back playfully, and Hiro playfully hit back, laughing. Tadashi laid back on Hiro's bed, lifting his arms over his head.
" Ohh man…what a crazy week. You've got so much work to do, dude"
Hiro face-palmed and shook his head. " Great.."
Tadashi laughed and continued. " Your professor liked your paper by the way, but he told me that he didn't like you sleeping in class, and if you ever do it again, your out of there."
Hiro scoffed. " Yeah, well If he wasn't so boring, I wouldn't of fallen asleep in class."
Tadashi corrected him. " You mean If you had just told me you didn't feel good and stayed home to rest, then you wouldn't of fallen asleep in class."
Hiro bit his lip and turned his head. "..That too.."
Tadashi smiled and sat up. " Well, hopefully next time, you'll come forward and just say what on your mind. Don't make me worry or wonder why you won't come to me. I feel like I haven't done my job as your older brother."
Hiro stared at him in shock " …Tadashi, I'm sorry….I never mea nt to -"
"It's alright!" Tadashi interrupted. He knew Hiro didn't mean to make it seem like that. " I understand, trust me. Just, know that I'm looking out for you, and even if you hate it, I can't help it. I know you'd do the same for me."
Hiro smiled. His brother was amazing.
Tadashi stood up, and grabbed a pile of books and papers, and set them down in Hiro's lap.
" These are for you! You have the weekend, so take your time." Tadashi placed his hands on his hips, and stared at the work, happy it wasn't his. Hiro groaned and placed them on the table next to him. lame.
Tadashi looked towards the stairs, and paused for a moment, wondering how to bring this up with his brother.
"..umm..hey, Hiro? Can I ask you something?…"
Hiro's head snapped up. " yeah, sure."
Tadashi looked around. " Now, please don't take this the wrong way..but, are you okay now?"
Hiro stared at Tadashi for a moment, confused. " What? Yeah i'm fine. " Hiro slipped out one of his books and opened it up, flipping through the pages. " How could I take that the wrong way"
Tadashi rubbed his neck and spoke quietly. " Thats..not what I meant..". The older Hamada sat back down on Hiro's bed, earning a look from his brother, followed by a sarcastic eye roll.
" Tadashi, c'mon, I told you I'm fine!, you worry too much bro!"
Tadashi bit his lip, looking away. Hiro sighed and put the book down. " Okay, you have my attention. What do you mean? and yes, I will answer you."
Tadashi hesitated for a moment, then got right to the point. " I know your afraid I'm going to leave and not come back. At least, that's what your dreams were about, and they made you worry. Are you okay with us being separated now? With me leaving again?"
Hiro paused for a moment. He really wasn't ready for that type of question, and to be honest, he still felt silly about it, even though it was a true feeling. The nightmares he was having were fake situations, but they made him realize that there very well could be something that could take his brother away in a heartbeat. He never really thought about it before, and that realization hit him hard. But of course, he couldn't nor wanted to cling to Tadashi's side forever. His mind would be at ease, but very unhappy.
Tadashi was asking an honest question, and one he had all the right to ask. It would be unfair for Hiro to laugh about it, about the fact it was "just a dream" and of course he would be fine, why wouldn't he? But he knew that what happened bothered Tadashi as much as it did Hiro, but In a different way. Tadashi saw the realization that he may not be here one day on Hiro's face, and to see his little brother panic over the fear of loosing him was enough to break Tadashi down and vow to never let him out of his sight. Hiro knew he needed to explain that it was okay for him to leave, but it was important he talked about the depth of it. It was only fair for both of them to be on the same level of understanding. For Hiro to know it was okay for his brother to leave, and for Tadashi to have some insight that Hiro still needed him in his life.
Hiro closed his eyes and sighed, closing his book completely. At this, Tadashi really had his attention on Hiro, sensing that there was more then a simple yes or no. Hiro rubbed up his arm and spoke quietly.
" Well…yeah. I mean, of course you can go do your things and whatnot. You have your own life too, one that shouldn't always revolve around me. I guess it's just…" Hiro paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts and taking a deep, shaky breath. Tadashi waited patiently, giving his brother a smile, pushing him to continue.
"…It's just that…that stupid dream made me realize that you're not going to be around forever…..and I knew that…but it was shoved in my face. And that at any moment..like, a freak thing could happen, and you could be gone just like that. Any of us can. It just….s..scared me when I didn't think about how easy it was to loose someone. I mean, I know that exact thing happened to Mom and Dad, and you were older so I know that you know, but..I don't know, I was three…so…" Hiro rubbed the back of his neck. " Yes, I'm not afraid of you leaving like when I woke up and the feelings were still there fresh…but I don't know…it still scares me that the quick goodbye or wave to you, could be the last one…"
Tadashi was overwhelmed with sympathy. It must have been truly difficult for Hiro to admit this. This whole event started with his fear of getting detached from his brother, and had to escalate to full blow sickness and bad dreams to make him understand this simple life lesson. Yes, one day he would not here here, and there's always that chance that something could happen very unexpectedly. But that didn't mean Hiro needed to live in fear that his older brother would die on him every time he left the house or his sights. No one could live like that, and still live.
When Tadashi's parents died, he definitely learned that lesson at a young age. Live your life with no regrets, and show the people you love that you love them everyday. Cherish each moment with them, the good and bad. Hiro really never learned that lesson. To tell him it, and to learn it were completely different. Hiro just now had learned his lesson. Tadashi needed to help Hiro not only branch out to not be afraid to live life, but to learn it was okay to worry about others, but not in a way that affected your own life. At that point, Tadashi knew he would do more to reassure his little brother that he was okay and happy. Giving Hiro a weak smile, he set his hand on his knee, making the boy look up at him.
" Listen Hiro, It's true that I may not always be here, or that some freak thing could happen and I could be gone." Hiro looked at Tadashi worriedly. It was harder to hear it being told to you. Tadashi continued, squeezing his knee. " But I don't want you to live in that constant fear. It's something that everyone goes through okay? I did when mom and dad died, but you and Aunt Cass helped me. I knew that I still had you guys, and our friends, and I learned to appreciate everyday. Even when your a pain in the butt I still love those times." Tadashi laughed slightly, earning a small smile form his brother. "I know that i've been gone a lot lately. Like you said before, we are both busy with our own things, but along with setting time aside to hang out together, I could probably text you more about when I'm heading home, or how much longer I'll be….we can plan things better so no ones left guessing, okay?"
Hiro smiled and let out a small, airily laugh " Okay, yeah that sounds good." Hiro looked at Tadashi with appreciation, and Tadashi leaned forward, wrapping his little brother in his arms. Something the older sibling never expected, was for Hiro to return his hug so fiercely. It wasn't like his other hugs like if he was scared he would cling and hold on tight. No, this one was different. You could feel the love behind it, the reassurance that his brother was still there. Hiro was making a memory, implanting this moment so far into his brain that when he thinks back on it, he will feel it too. Tadashi hugged him tightly, holding that back of his brother head, and pressing him harder into his shoulder.
Tadashi broke the silence with a quiet whisper " Love you, little brother."
Hiro grinned, feeling a little awkward, but happy. He definitely needed this. " Love you too, bro" He spoke quietly, and with that, Tadashi separated them, pushing Hiro's head to the side for good measure. Hiro grinned and slapped his hand away. Tadashi stood up and stretched.
" Okay, I need some coffee. I'm gonna run down and get some, you need anything?" Tadashi slowly headed to the stairs, waiting for Hiro to place and order.
" Naw, I'm good. Should get started on some of this work.." Hiro looked at his stack pathetically, wishing that Tadashi had forgotten to pick up any of it. With that, Tadashi turned and went downstairs.
Hiro stayed in bed all that day, finished up the school work he quickly ran through. Tadashi stayed up with him, doing more of his work and goofing off with Hiro. The boys hung out all day, playing games and even brainstorming for ideas of a new project they could start together. Aunt Cass came up partially through the day, and towards the evening she came to check Hiro over one last time.
His fever was gone 100% and back to a healthy number, giving him the okay to get up for the rest of the evening. His appetite had returned 10 fold, so Cass decided she would make her nephews favorite dinner that night, and suggested they all watch a movie. The cafe was just closing, so with that going on, Hiro managed to make it downstairs ( With the watchful eyes of Tadashi following close behind) and into the living room. Tadashi watched while Hiro picked out a movie, then went downstairs to offer to finished cleaning up while Cass prepared dinner. The weekend was quiet, but nice as the Hamada family spent it together, playing games and taking walks. It was back to school tomorrow, and as sunday night hit, it occurred to Hiro that things would go back to normal.
While normalcy was good, he would miss spending all this time with Tadashi. While it was an unfortunate circumstance, lets be real, Hiro got to spend almost 5 full days with his brother. The weekend was fun because they all did stuff as a family. He was just afraid that with school happening again, that Tadashi would forget his promise.
Hiro's alarm rang again, signaling it was the 3rd time he should have gotten up. He reached over and slowly shut it off, moaning loudly and he dragged the blankets off his body. At that moment, he could hear the familiar sound of the water turning off in the bathroom, signaling Tadashi was finishing his shower. Slowly sitting up, Hiro tried to open his eyes, but it was no use. As much as he's had lots of time to sleep, he was still tired. His body aches were nearly gone, and his sore throat was now better, but he still found it hard to wake up in the morning, he was not a morning person after all.
Heading to his drawers and closet, he pulled his clothes and sat back on his bed, staring at the clothes in his hands. God he really didn't want to go back. His thoughts were interrupted as Tadashi pushed open the door, with a towel around his neck, all ready for the day. He saw his little brother finally awake, and bid him a good morning.
" Well it's about time you got up! All ready to go back to school?"
" Yeah yeah.." Hiro quietly muttered, as he picked himself up and slowly made his way to the bathroom to get ready.
By the time he was out, Tadashi was already downstairs. Hiro grabbed his shoes and book bag, now even heavier with the extra books in it, and followed him down. On the table waiting was a couple of eggs and toast. Hiro really didn't feel hungry, but it was only because he hated eating as soon as he woke up. He had been awake for not even 10 minutes, and he needed at least 20 before he could eat. Sitting down with a thump, Tadashi tore his eyes away from the paper he was reading and watched his brother.
" Someone didn't want to wake up this morning"
Hiro just grunted in response, looking at the food, and reaching for his juice instead. Tadashi watched this with a curious eye, then dared to ask Hiro the question.
" Everything okay this morning?"
" Everything fine" Hiro muttered as he gingerly picked up a piece of toast to put in his mouth. He then reached down and began tying his shoes on. Looking at the clock, he knew if they didn't leave now, they would be pushing being late, and Hiro knew Tadashi wouldn't want to be late. Tadashi noticed Hiro being quiet, and stood up to put his own shoes on.
The older Hamada watched as Hiro shoved the rest of the toast in his mouth and quickly drank down his juice. Grabbing a bag of food for lunch, he shoved it into his bag. He was beginning to feel a little more awake now that he had eaten and moved alittle, and made his day to the stairs, grabbing the keys to Tadashi's moped.
" C'mon Tadashi, we've got to go"
Tadashi watched his questionably, raising his brow at him. " Are you sure your okay? Your not still sick are you? "
Hiro laughed. " Tadashi, I'm fine! really, but look at the time, dude."
Looking at the clock, the older Hamada realized he was right, and snatched the keys out of his brothers hand and made their way downstairs. Giving their aunt a hug goodbye, the boys jumped on the bike and were on their way.
By the time they arrived, They has a little time to spare. Pulling into the parking lot, Hiro could see their friends standing in a group outside, talking. Hiro jumped off the bike, fastening his bag on this shoulders, and looked ahead. Tadashi got off and pulled his bag on, looking at his brother. He knew he probably needed a little push to get the momentum going again.
Setting is hand on Hiro's shoulder, he bent down and talked next to his ear." Hey! theres our group, wanna go check out Wasabi's new laser before your class starts?"
Hiro had forgotten all about that, and was eager to take a look. Nodding a quick yeah, the boys took off after their friends. Hiro stopped, dead in his tracks and thought for a moment, waiting for his brother to stop too. Sensing Hiro had stopped following, Tadashi slowed down and turned around to find Hiro standing still, looking at the ground. " Hiro?" Tadashi walked back to his brother, and rested both hands on this own knees. " What's up?"
Hiro avoided eye contact for a moment, thinking of how to say what he wanted to say. Then he realized tho, there was no special way to say it. It had meaning, and he knew Tadashi would understand his appreciation for all hes done for him.
Looking up, he met his brothers slightly concerned eyes head on, and recited the phrase he had been wanting to say to his brother.
" Thank you"
Tadashi smiled, and rubbed his brothers head. Hiro just let him, smiling under the mess. Tadashi kept his hand on his head, and replied with a quiet, sincere, " You're welcome." Tadashi straightened up and pushed his little brother forward, making their way to the school. Eager to check out the new projects, Hiro bounded forward to meet with the group to see what they had in store for him.