Notes:

"I usually solve problems by letting them devour me." - Franz Kafka

Y'know, I never think these chapters are ready when I post them. Let's see how this goes.

Welcome to the 'Siblings Forced to Get Along' update! I know the July release was a long wait.

And thank you to that one guest! You commented such a long time ago and I've been dying to say something. Thank you! I appreciate it a ton and I'm so, so sorry for the wait.

On the plus side, there's more content? This is my longest chapter so far. (Also the slowest burn I've ever written despite the pacing being everywhere.) You guys get two chapters presented as one this time.

[FYI: There's a ton of exposition before The Event. So, if you skim through text like I do, here's your front row ticket, I guess.] Absolutely loving the chaotic energy in this chapter. And yes, this is the original title from my drafts. Sorry about your boy.

...I could quote Callaghan here. I COULD. But I won't. I can't bring myself to do it. Man, now I'm sad. Pfft. Here's to you, Kafka.

Anyway, updates are officially on the 7th of every month starting this August- the universe decided to jump into maximum overdrive for the foreseeable future. So y'know. :)

Thank you again for having such an incredible patience for my new, weird update schedule. I truly appreciate all of you who interact both visibly and invisibly. As always, thank you to the moon and back.

The Lucky Cat Cafe appeared in the distance after what seemed like an eternity. The house looked lifeless - like no one was home despite the TV blaring through the first-floor windows.

Hiro unlocked from Baymax's magnetic holds as he began to peel off the armor. He was already trying to shove Krei's new portal technology far away from the forefront of his mind.

Not right now, he thought. Not when Tadashi and Aunt Cass were home. And besides, maybe there was a bright side to all of this. Maybe Cass had more info since they were the only ones home.

He made his way through the back alleyway as Baymax went to lift the garage door open. Only, the garage was already open. Baymax waltzed inside the house, ignoring the fresh black stain coating the cement.

Hiro had yet to notice. He was stuffing his armor behind the sofa as he slipped the briefcase behind a wall of empty water bottles and scrap pieces of notebook paper.

There. No one would find it there. Unless Aunt Cass stress-cleaned the garage for whatever reason - but no. That wasn't important.

Hiro hid the last pieces of his suit behind the couch cushions, barely noticing the two-seater pickup truck was missing too. The alleyway was completely abandoned.

Hiro peeked from the garage opening towards the front of the house.

"Baymax?" he called.

No answer.

He yanked the rest of the armor off as he made a run for the front door.

No, no, no, no. Please be here. Please be here. Hiro flipped his hoodie on as he tried to pull the cafe door open. Locked.

Agh, stupid barriers to entry. Cass had to be inside. Tadashi couldn't be home by , he was an adult, but the last 24 hours proved he was out of practice.

Hiro shoved the spare key from under the mat and swung the door open. The TV continued airing despite the cafe being deserted.

"Tadashi?" he yelled. "Aunt Cass?!"

Hiro rushed through the house as he checked every floor. No brother. No aunt. Not even the comforters he dragged down the stairs that morning were there. Hiro pulled his hair back with his fists.

Nobody was home.

N-n-n-no. This could not be happening. First Krei and now this?

He stumbled back into the living room, disoriented. No. He couldn't do this. And panicking didn't work anymore. Someone had to be here.

Hiro dropped his hands into his pockets and shoved the confusion down. He rushed throughout the house again, checking every room twice.

Again, no one. Every open door fueled his terror. And, of course, the crooked picture frames along the stairwell walls didn't help either. What was that even about?

Okay, start small. That's what Cass said, right? He just couldn't face reality all by himself. Not like this. And where the heck was Baymax?

A loud thud sounded off from the attic. Hiro snapped out of his thoughts and swiveled onto his feet.

"Tadashi?!"

He raced up the steps only to come face to face with a vacant room. Ugh, so much for finding his brother. Nobody was in the attic, excluding Baymax, who knocked down a pile of old textbooks near Tadashi's side of their shared bedroom. Disappointment replaced the fear as Hiro's shoulders sank.

This was bad. Very bad.

Not only was he the only one home, but Tadashi's entire half of the attic was destroyed bit by bit. The handful of boxes they set aside were unpacked entirely. His old bookshelf was empty. Plus, his clothes were laid out unevenly throughout the room in makeshift piles. Looking at his brother's room destroyed felt like losing a good thing.

Somehow, it wasn't the worst problem he was facing.

Hiro sat at the top of the stairs, thinking of every solution as rationale kicked in.

He could call Cass. She must've picked Tadashi up and taken him with her... probably. But she didn't text him or give him a warning or a heads-up for when he came home.

He whipped out his phone and scrolled down to Gogo's contact. Maybe he could get the entire team to search the city. Skip the explanation and make it a code red type of mission. No details. Just a search party. He clicked on Gogo's photo; the 'Call' button ready for use.

Or, better idea, he could use Baymax's scanner, just like he did for Callaghan - before he knew it was Callaghan.

The sound of vinyl shrinking snapped him out of his head. Hiro scrambled to his feet as Baymax began shrinking into his charger.

"N-n-n-n-no! Get up! I need you to find-!" Bang. The sound of the back door slamming shut ricocheted throughout the house. Hiro let go automatically, rushing down the stairs, skipping every other step. He turned the corner sharply, the tile squeaking beneath his sneakers. Already, he was mentally prepping to rip the door handle off before nearly crashing into Tadashi.

His shoes skidded to a halt. Hiro gaped at his brother, who somehow looked more exhausted than when he left him. Different shirt, different clothes, and that old sweatshirt he seemed to wear everywhere now made him look unfamiliar.

"Oh hey. You're home early," Tadashi said as casually as possible. Hiro stared back, slack-jawed.

"P-please tell me you weren't sneaking out?"

"What? No! No!" Tadashi gave him a half-smile only to deflate. "...Yeah. I'm sorry. I was taking care of something."

"Which was?"

"Something I'll tell you once Aunt Cass is here. She's, uh, not home yet, is she?" Hiro didn't answer. His shoulders tensed up as he glanced down to where his brother was clutching his side. And Tadashi caught his line of sight. His baby brother was staring; like he was trying to speak to him without having to say anything.

Just explain yourself, Hiro thought. Just get the hard part over with. But two years was enough to make those messages hard to hear. Instead, Tadashi maneuvered around him and headed for the stairs.

"W-wait!" Hiro cried, "Did anything happen? Are you okay?!"

"S'fine. Nothing to worry about."

"Then why are you holding your side like that?"

"It's just a cramp."

"Just a cramp?"

"What else would it be?"

"But Tadashi-!"

"Drop it, will you? Please? It's not for you to worry about." Hiro blinked; his brother was pretending everything was alright. As if. As much as Hiro wanted to let it go, he couldn't. He snagged his brother's arm as they headed for the attic.

"Please, Tadashi," he pleaded, "I can't keep doing this. Where did you even go? Give us something to go off of! At least let us help you or whatever!" Tadashi looked down at him, eyebrows furrowed.

His mission outside of the house failed spectacularly. He never had a chance to vent. Instead, Tadashi found himself squeezing back into alleyways and letting all tension go in small outbursts barely out of the sight of pedestrians. He wasn't going to get to the warehouses in time. Especially not during the day, during rush hour, and on foot. Tadashi fell into the same habits easily, and it bothered him. A great plan, really. He let out a noise of uncertainty.

"I-I can wait," Hiro said, breaking the stillness. "I promise, I get it. You need more time and want Cass here. But don't hide stuff. We're here for you, okay?" Tadashi looked away. His eyes searched the floor before looking back to Hiro.

"Yeah," he finally muttered. "Okay. I could use your help anyway. But first, I need to see Baymax." Hiro scrunched up his face. "Once Aunt Cass is home, I'll answer every question you have. But… I don't even know how to explain it. Just trust me, alright?" Hiro nodded, doubtful of every word. They both turned up the stairs, past the skewed picture frames and unpacked boxes.

What happened while he was gone? The house looked… strange. Like it morphed into an entirely new kind of mess. Tadashi still held onto his side as he pushed himself up the stairs with the aid of the rail.

Just wait, Tadashi mumbled to himself. Just a couple more hours. Everything would be fine. Sure, he had become the very forces he actively shielded his family from - devastation and destruction. But there was no best-case scenario. Not anymore. Tadashi was still trying to find the right angle to view his disappearance from.

He had two options: Explain it in one go or run. And running never seemed to solve anything. All it did was squeeze him back into tight corners and back alleyways. Yet if nothing worked, then he would keep improving. Again, and again, and - the beeping from Baymax's case cut off his train of thought.

The soft white ring of the charger was still the same despite the years of disrepair. He was unaware the Baymax inflating in front of him was an entirely different model. The original was most somewhere inside Krei's portal, most likely demolished by now. But that didn't matter. Tadashi didn't know any of that yet.

Baymax stood up; somewhat the same from the memories he still had of him. A slight smile of recognition crossed his face.

"Hello, Tadashi. I am Baymax. I was manually alerted to your care. How can I assist you today?"

"I need another treatment," Tadashi said.

"Okay. Would you like treatment for-"

"Actually Baymax, I would just like to receive the cryogenics again. That'll work just fine." The robot straightened up and scanned him.

"Please take a seat," he ordered. "Receiving cryogenics in such a vulnerable state may cause a slight discomfort." Tadashi sat on the edge of his bed, nearly tripping over the stacks of books and old clothes he unpacked earlier. He groaned as he rolled over to the edge of the mattress as Baymax knocked his things over as well.

"What's wrong?" Hiro asked, noticing the aches.

"Tadashi's symptoms are: severe. Cryogenic therapy will help him release tension for another 2 to 4 hours. However, that is all I can administer today." Tadashi braced for the cold vinyl as a stinging feeling flooded his veins.

"Why only twice a day?" Tadashi argued through clenched teeth.

"Some athletes use this particular therapy daily. You are not an athlete. An overuse of treatment may lead to numbness, scarring, infection, damage to nearby tissues, or generalized pain."

"Well, thanks for the honesty."

"You are welcome."

Hiro didn't smile at the jab. Instead, he held onto the bed frame as tightly as possible.

It wasn't time for questions yet. That was fine. But Hiro was dying on the inside, waiting for some sort of explanation. If he couldn't force answers his way, he would need an entirely new angle. Tadashi's angle.

"Uh, what'd you do while we were gone?" Hiro fixed his grip on the wood as if it would keep their conversation grounded.

"I cleaned, I guess."

Hiro took in the mess covering every square inch of their room. The attic looked like it exploded into shambles.

Books fell to the floor. Clothes covered the bed. The floor was barely navigable.

"You cleaned?"

"Yeah, around the house. Why? Does it look bad?" Hiro looked over his shoulder at the unboxed items covering every available space of Tadashi's bedroom. "I meant downstairs, bonehead! Not up here!"

A small smile escaped him. Watching his older brother jolt up with the same bold energy he used to carry was comforting. Hiro could pretend everything would be okay, Yet when he turned back, he could see the pain on Tadashi's face. Moving too quickly seemed to hurt him.

Baymax gently shoved him back down.

"I was alerted to your-"

"Thank you very much, Baymax," Tadashi interrupted, "but I'm alright." Hiro watched his brother cover his face with his arm while waiting for the dull sting of the cryogenics to finish. On to upside, the treatment wasn't as intense as the morning therapy was, but still. It was something Tadashi was going to have to get used to.

Take it slow on the questions, Hiro thought. That's the only way this'll work without causing him some sort of pain too. Easy ones first. He walked past the makeshift piles, eyeing all the things he immortalized over the years. He picked up a Kentucky Kaiju action figure that his brother tossed to the side.

"What are you gonna do with all this stuff?" Tadashi glanced past Baymax to see the mound of old memorabilia he stacked throughout the morning.

"Oh, uh, donate it. Sell it. Put it in another box somewhere up here." Hiro held onto the action figure horrified.

"But this is your stuff!"

"Yeah, that's why I'm going through it," Tadashi said. "It's okay if some of this 'stuff' ends up somewhere else." Hiro shook his couldn't just get rid of everything. But he also... had a choice. "We can talk about it with Cass if you want," he said. "But, I'd like my room back."

Hiro's shoulders slacked. He clutched the action figure as he digested his words.

He wanted his side of the third floor. Finally, some good news.

"Yeah," Hiro said. "Yeah. Um, okay." Regardless of the accident, of Callaghan, the university, or even his older brother's sudden revival, they were still doing their best to make every day count. Hiro made his way towards his side of the divider, taking the Kaiju doll and a couple of other things with him. His brother's old action figures, a couple of shirts, and… well, the books didn't really matter.

Tadashi watched from his bedside as Hiro placed his things across his desk; the atmosphere still strained.

"What did you have to take care of again?" Hiro asked, frustration present in his voice. Tadashi put his hand up and stopped him.

"Hold on. My turn. I get to ask you a question this time." Hiro shoved his hands back into his pockets.

"Fire away."

"You skipped, didn't you?"

His voice cracked, "Ah, well, I mean, technically, no but kind of. Yes. I-I mean, it doesn't really matter that much. I can make it up next week! It's just… it's just nothing. It's a slow week. And I'm not skipping as long as I'm not missing anything. My grades aren't even affected! Totally doesn't qualify as, like, Cass' version of 'skipping.'" Tadashi smiled with every word.

"So that's a yes?" he asked.

"That's… okay, yeah, that's a yes. ...But, so what? There are more important things, anyway."

"Still makes you a dork, though." Hiro scoffed.

"Not as much as you were! Half of the junk in this room is textbooks!" A tired grin plastered across Tadashi's face. He watched Hiro pick up a spiral notebook and held it up like it was a biohazard. It was some midnight scribbling from years ago that somehow survived years of being shoved to the back of the bookshelf.

He tossed the notebook onto the desk and rubbed his eyes. The non-questions were getting old. Hiro inched his way closer to Tadashi's bed, struggling to find something that couldn't be dodged. He plopped himself onto the edge of the comforter.

Another question was about to stumble it's way out when his phone buzzed. Hiro cast his eyes down towards the screen.

"It's Cass. She says she won't be home 'til later. Something about needing groceries for a plus one and a horde of college students possibly showing up in tears sometime soon," Tadashi tried to humor him. The stress of going through introductions again was terrifying. Tadashi could only assume his old friends missed him. Their faces faded from his memory; all he could picture were a handful of stories and blobs of color at this point. There was more anxiety to come.

"I want to be back. I really do. But," he sighed, "it's all a little too much. How soon did she say?"

"Sometime this week?"

"It's barely Tuesday."

"I can convince her to wait until the weekend?" Tadashi furrowed his eyebrows as he thought it over. He stared down at his hands. "I mean, I don't get it," Hiro said. "Why do you keep putting things off?"

Tadashi looked up. The teenage version of his younger brother watched patiently. He was trying to piece together a puzzle while the pieces were still missing.

"Everything's different. Everyone is different." He shoved his head into his hands. "What are they gonna think? That I wanted to miss everything?"

"I, uh, well... I think maybe... they'll be happy. They'll be happy to see you again. Definitely." Tadashi smiled at him genuinely. But the grin dimmed as Hiro jerked away from the bedside.

"Uh, wait here." He rushed to his side of the room as Tadashi listened. The sound of papers ruffling and stuff falling over made him frown. Hiro's shoes squeaked again as he stopped beside the shoji with something in his hands. He kept opening his mouth, but no words came out. There were too many things he wanted to say.

"This, um, this belongs to you," he finally managed. "You lost it a while ago." Hiro handed it to Tadashi, who took a moment to recognize what it was. He looked down at a worn-down baseball cap. An orange and yellow 'SFN' stitched across the front.

"Thought you might want it back. Had it for safe-keeping." The memory didn't click right away, though.

Hiro waited for a reaction - something, anything. Tadashi thumbed the embroidered logo and smirked.

"Oh hey, I kinda remember this. Thanks, for this." He set it to the side as Baymax began to back away. Hiro trailed around the bed closer to Tadashi's side and held onto the bedframe once more.

Tadashi didn't put it on. But, that stupid hat was with him all the time.

"Aren't you gonna, y'know?" Hiro gestured for him to slip it on. His brother gazed back. He was giving him that look; the one where he wanted Tadashi to make some sort of wise decision. Maybe he could make things better or lessen Hiro's worry, even if it was by millimeters. He tightened the ball cap around his head.

Yet the smile he offered was fake.

Hiro took a step back and swallowed. Tadashi didn't remember. He didn't even recognize it as a part of his persona. The air in his lungs seemed to disappear.

Tadashi couldn't be… this. He was some weird fragment of himself. He finally had his brother back in the flesh. But whatever happened while he was gone, whatever kept him away for two years, didn't leave him without changes.

The baseball cap didn't look right anymore. Maybe it was Tadashi's tired-looking face or his big, stupid brain that couldn't remember how to wear a hat correctly. Maybe his hair was too outgrown, or this was possibly something entirely psychological. Whatever it was irked Hiro to his core. It didn't look like him anymore.

"I can make us lunch," Tadashi interrupted. Hiro shot his head up and glared.

"Why'd you have to leave the house, huh?"

Tadashi blinked. The outburst caught him off-guard.

"I just needed some air." Hiro glowered. "Oh, don't give me that look." He sighed as he sat up, the treatment done, and pushed himself off the bed. "I get it too. Waiting isn't fun. I just went out for a walk. It'll make sense later. Please, leave it for tonight. There's nothing I can say to justify leaving."

Hiro followed him, "That's not... that's not an answer." He watched as Tadashi ignored him and headed down the stairs. "Baymax also said you suffer from combustion. Is that, like, a breakdown or something?"

Tadashi turned on his heel awkwardly, stiff from the treatment.

"That's… a 'wait for Aunt Cass to get home' question. Just a couple more hours. Please." More words dared to spill out, but Tadashi's smile faded into a thin line. Hiro could wait.

That didn't stop him from examining every step Tadashi took down the stairs, though. Uncoordinated. Off-balance. Not the same neat and orderly brother he was familiar with.

Tadashi could feel the attention. He tried to smile through it every chance he was given. Despite his best efforts, Hiro knew. Their lives weren't the same. Any time together would be spent testing each other out.

"Okay," Hiro finally said. "I trust you. But next time, can you tell me when you're going to do something crazy? Like, disappear without warning? Or if you're going to keep more secrets? 'Cause I think we both know it's not gonna end well." Tadashi smirked.

"Yeah," he laughed. "Yeah. So, are we done here?" Hiro gave him a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"One more. Can you, uh, at least tell me why you waited? To come home after the accident, I mean?"Tadashi stopped. He turned to look at the older version of the 14-year-old he partially remembered.

"I really didn't mean to hurt anyone," he said. "I thought I was doing the right thing. Still room to improve, I guess?" Hiro took a moment before nodding his head, 'yes.' Yes. Of course, Tadashi didn't have to be perfect.

But all Hiro could see was the same nerdy college student he looked up to for the past decade. The stranger in front of him didn't match his memories. He was unaware of the numerous mental hurdles his brother was jumping through. Still, the dodging continued.

"And I've got one more question for you," Tadashi said. "Hungry?" Hiro barely managed to nod his head. "Oh, and I think you want this more than I do. You haven't stopped staring at it."

Tadashi snagged his baseball cap off and sat it on top of his little brother's mop of hair as he continued into the kitchen.

"Fits you better." Hiro stopped in his tracks. His throat wanted to burn. Ugh, stupid. It didn't mean anything. Yet, he could see traces of the old brother he already grieved. Tadashi was here, just not the way he wanted.

Cass wasn't supposed to be late. Like, super, mega late. Plus, the text updates were no help.

Every message came with a shaky photo of a terrified Cass being annoyed by store clerks and unstocked inventory. Too many, 'Almost done's and 'Are you okay?'s flashed across Hiro's lock screen.

Her to-do list was supposed to end after 12. Then 12 became 1:30, and then 1:30 became 3:00. Her chores somehow morphed into a weeklong itinerary.

Plus, the outdated text lingo and the overwhelming amount of emoticons didn't offer any relief. The boys' only moderator wasn't going to be home for another hour supposedly.

But it was fine. Texting too much was what Cass did when she was worried sick.

Tadashi was doing alright aside from his morning episode and so-called 'walk.' Time passed slowly as the two tried to avoid being awkward.

Every conversation led nowhere. Hiro ran out of generic, soft-ball questions far too soon.

'You doing okay?'

'Um, still okay?'

'Well, it's gonna be okay. You know, like, maybe.'

Comforting wasn't his strong suit, anyway. The noise from the TV was a lifesaver by its own merit. And despite not having an appetite since yesterday, Tadashi planned to pop a tray full of whatever Hiro picked out of the fridge without hesitation.

It was dessert. Of course, it was dessert.

As if stress-eating would help anything. Still, it would be something.

Hiro handed him a box of premade cherry tarts - ones he claimed Tadashi used to like when he was in a studying rut. Except, Tadashi didn't like cherry, and he didn't like sweets. A frozen pizza would've been better.

But whatever. Tadashi was casually trying to hide his pyrokinesis by not saying anything throughout the afternoon. Which made things tenser. It was easier than working through all of the uncomfortable prods and pushes again. Arguing over food wasn't worth it.

However, the food and small talk weren't consuming the bulk of his attention. Tadashi was focused on something far more dire than Aunt Cass' texts and the preheat oven dinging 'ready.'

The past 30 minutes were spent trying to ignore the ache in his side that seemed to be shouting 'fire' louder and louder.

He gripped onto his side as another throbbing sensation passed through the scars lining his side. Just wait a little bit more. Come on. He was almost home-free.

Hiro had gone upstairs, laundry basket in tow, as well as Baymax. A perfect, unplanned distraction. And Aunt Cass would walk in any minute now. Just a few more minutes. Soon. Possibly. You know, like, maybe.

Tadashi's two hours were up. His hands tightened around his scars. But Baymax said he could last for up to 4 hours-!

The throbs turned to burns. Tadashi grabbed the countertop for support.

He watched as the robot patiently wandered down the stairs with an empty laundry basket in hand. The sick feeling overruled his thinking.

"Baymax," he called, "please, I need another treatment." His old SFIT project meandered his way towards the kitchen.

"Unexpected outbursts related to pyrokinesis do not overrule my program-" Tadashi jumped to cover his speaker, and it hurt. He was hours away from telling his family himself. He couldn't mess up so soon.

"Do you have any other options?" he whispered. "Diagnoses?"

"Stress may increase your chances of combustion. Seeking help from…" Baymax's voice was drowned out by the sound of the sink. Hopefully, Hiro wasn't listening in.

Nevertheless, Tadashi could still feel the pressure mounting internally. Yeah, the treatment could cause complications; that didn't matter, especially now. Not when he was so close. The pain threatened to reveal too much.

"I understand, and I wish to proceed."

Baymax tilted his head, "I'm sorry. My protocol does not allow for overindulgence in medical treatments such as cryogenics. Perhaps-" Tadashi rubbed his face as his body temperature rose. The chaotic nature of the day made his stress meter go up.

He thought he had time to go somewhere secluded. He barely made it halfway across town. That burning feeling he knew so well came a couple of hours earlier than he anticipated. And he allowed the fire to surround him earlier. How was that not enough for at least another day?

The same hollow, nauseous feeling gradually settled inside.

Forget this.

He couldn't wait. His symptoms were too severe.

Garage. No, towels. O-o-ow! Okay! Okay! Okay! He needed something more effective. He looked towards the sink.

Water. He could cool down with water. And the food would cook while he fixed this.

Tadashi wouldn't need the oven mit anyway. The metal scraped loudly as he tossed the tray onto the metal rack and nearly slammed the oven door closed. He turned towards the clock.

Still too early.

Yet now he had a more reliable plan that wasn't 'just wait.' He made his way towards the fridge. Ice packs. Just until they said 'hello.'

He twisted the 45-minute mark onto the cat-shaped baking alarm that was weirdly memorable. He flung it onto the marble as he held onto the kitchen counter tighter than usual. Definitely not trying to will Aunt Cass into existence as the timer ticked down.

"Thank you, Baymax. I'm satisfied with my care." He wasn't. However, he couldn't risk fueling his own breakdown. He made his way towards the fridge and slid the freezer open.

Tadashi's shoulder's slacked. Jackpot. The plastic-wrapped ice bags were a relief. Good. Progress. But, how was he going to use them? He couldn't lay on the floor and use them like a blanket. One, that was weird, and two, that raised too many questions if anyone walked in on him.

Didn't matter, though.

There was only one tool in the world that fixed problems without a struggle. He threw open the junk drawer and pulled out an answer: Duct tape.

Good. Just hurry. Come on. Come on. Come on.

Tadashi pulled his sweatshirt off and flipped it inside out. The ice packs lined the entirety of the fabric's torso. This could work. Temporarily. He swung the sweatshirt over his head before being hit with a pang that knocked him off his feet.

Fire shot out of his hands for a brief second.

No, no. He could make it. He could force it to go away. The sink was still on. He looked between the stairs, the ice packs, and the running water. He could regret bad choices later. Tadashi stuck his head beneath the faucet to cool down. Nothing. The pain stayed. And Cass wasn't back home yet.

"Hiro?" Tadashi finally called from the kitchen. Repercussions weren't on his mind anymore. Safety protocols took over. "Hiro!"

"What is it?" he yelled back, unconcerned. So much for the help. Tadashi gnashed his teeth while gripping the edge of the kitchen countertop. He could wait a day more. He just had to push through it. Just wait. Just wait.

The sound of plastic tupperware crashing was enough to launch Hiro out of his room and downstairs. He walked in on a hunched over Tadashi duct-taping more cold packs on the floor to the inside of his sweater.

"What are you doing?" Hiro asked, dumbfounded.

"Lowering body temperature," he said through gritted teeth. "Combustion."

"What're you talking about? You're soaked! Are you okay?!"

"No!" Tadashi said with more force than was necessary. "Look, I just need to cool down. The shower. Help me upstairs." Hiro grabbed him by the arm and hauled him towards the bathroom.

Tadashi retched forward, still holding untapped ice packs near his chest. Hiro watched in horror, unsure of what to do.

"What's...? I'm... I'm gonna get Baymax." Hiro darted out of sight, leaving his brother on the staircase. Okay, he was doing this alone for the moment. Tadashi navigated steadily towards the restroom and collapsed into the bathtub. The ice packs joined him.

The rules Tadashi set for himself were practically gone. He was off-guard, in a small space, and was at the whim of his pyrokinesis. Things could still work out, though.

Without a second thought, Tadashi plugged the tub and twisted the knob. The showerhead came on.

Wrong faucet. He left it on from this morning. Water drenched his clothes. A pounding headache overruled his thinking.

Alright. Alright. So it wouldn't work out in his favor this time. Like Hiro said, he couldn't keep putting it off. It was time to explain .

Tadashi accepted his fate beneath the freezing, overhead stream as he sunk into the tub. The pain in his side continued to build as he thought about how he would explain this to Cass.

Then the ache in his side snapped.

It scared him at first. Fire covered his entire person as he sank further into the tub; trying to avoid touching anything flammable. Should have guessed it. His will to fight his own capabilities faded. Tadashi relaxed as the fire surrounded him, forgetting everything. The flames weren't high enough to reach the ceiling. A win in his book. He was safe in the bathroom.

Avoid pain and avoid disaster. That's what these two years were. And yet, the mistakes found a way to catch up and throw him off-guard. But at least he was home. It was progress. Despite the hurt, the outcome would be worth it.

And somewhere within the mess, he completely forgot Hiro was there too.

As soon as he finished the thought, Hiro kicked the door wide open. His little brother's eyes widened in terror.

Fire. And lots of it.

"Close the door!" Tadashi yelled. Hiro didn't react. "Close the Door!" He slammed it shut as the images registered.

Fire. Like, real fire.

But, Tadashi.

But also fire.

Tadashi was on fire.

Panicked screams slowly sounded off. He blanked.

"Baymax-!" Hiro cried as he raced down towards the cafe, "Help!" He jumped down the stairwell and accidentally rammed his shoulder into the handrail. There was no time to notice. He needed assistance. He needed a fire extinguisher.

Hiro never imagined needing to rip the canister off the wall, though.

Baymax barely managed to twist the handle as he climbed his way back upstairs. Without any hesitation, Hiro kicked the door open fully and threw the key out of the extinguisher. Foam covered his brother instantaneously.

Tadashi yelped in surprise and out of shock.

"Ah! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" he shouted repeatedly, hands blocking the brunt of foam. Hiro didn't let go of the handle. The extinguisher poured out against Tadashi's will. "It's okay! It's okay! I'm okay!"

The extinguished spattered out. He emptied the can in one go.

Hiro lowered the canister after shooting a wall of froth all over the bathroom. He struggled to breathe as he wiped the hair out of his eyes. The wind seemed to disappear from his lungs.

Tadashi didn't move. His head lowered in his hands as the shower continued to berate him. Hiro shut off the water as he edged closer.

"You, you okay?" Hiro asked timidly. He watched his older brother nod 'yes.' "Heh, good. Good." He rushed to his side, unafraid of the foam staining his clothes. "A-are you hurt? Did you get burned?" Tadashi shook his head tiredly.

"No. Not burned. Far from it, actually." Hiro shook his head frantically.

"Okay. O-okay. That... that... that doesn't make any sense. W-what was that?"

Tadashi groaned in response, "What? That? It's nothing. Don't... don't be such a big baby."

"What?! I'm the baby?! Who's the childish one here?!"

Tadashi looked up and rubbed foam away from his eyes and mouth. "Cass said we could talk... 'bout later."

"W-well, I need answers now," Hiro said as he sat along the rim of the tub. "My brother dies, and now he's back with, with-" The front door cafe bell rang.

Aunt Cass, thank God.

Hiro turned reluctantly to his brother, who had placed his head back into his hands.

Yet instead of his aunt, it was Honey Lemon's voice that called from downstairs, "Hiro? You home?"

Oh no. Chatter filled the cafe as he heard the rest of the gang welcome themselves inside. "Hey, if not, no problem! We'll just come back at a better time." The sound of them fighting to stay sent Hiro into a spiral.

Tadashi looked up and silently pleaded for Hiro to keep his mouth shut. Don't tell them. Not yet. Explaining the foam was one thing. But his sudden not-so-dead status was too much to handle in one day. Yet clearly, the waiting wasn't working.

"Can you make it to my room?" Hiro asked. Tadashi glanced up at him unamused. He went to push himself up and slipped in the lather. An empty rack of shampoo bottles sounded off as Hiro pulled his hair back anxiously.

"Hiro?" Wasabi called. He flipped between looking at Tadashi and the door.

"I'll be here," he ushered. "Just keep Baymax upstairs with me. Go. Talk to them." Hiro took a deep breath as he made his way past the doorframe. His shoes felt like lead as he made his way downstairs.

This could not be happening.

The entire team lit up when they saw him. "Hey!" Honey Lemon said with a wide smile. "We just came to check up on you!" Hiro hoped he wasn't caked in fire extinguisher foam like the stranger upstairs. He forced a smile to surface.

"H-hey guys."

Notes:

Do you guys ever think about the fact the Hiro has to remember Obake's replica of his brother every time he decides to trust the real version? That maybe somewhere in his subconscious, that little "this-isn't-real" voice is somewhat stronger and he has to ignore it. And therefore, Hiro doesn't treat Tadashi as a normal person but as a memory that needs to be protected? Because, like, I do.
Huh.

ANYWAY, this family is a mess and I love them for it. Especially how Hiro just wants to rip the band-aid off while Tadashi treats the issue more methodically. And the word count... (0_0) I'm literally dead.

The duct tape scene is also something I imagine would happen to any college level scientist. If you ever get the chance, hang around engineering majors. I promise you there is something built out of duct tape, circuit boards, and a dying sense of hope hidden away in a notebook somewhere. University students are fun like that.

Q&A:
Why is this update so long? - Yes, this chapter contains two halves. And it should be two seperate chapters but I made a "promise" of-sorts. AKA A/N. It honestly went through an entire rewrite and doubled in sized. Old drafts included Tadashi climbing through the 3rd story window, the cat almost catching on fire, and a literal, whole excerpt about Hiro being able to cook now. Like, I cut a bunch of stuff. How did this thing get LONGER?

Tadashi doesn't like cherry? Why is that so specific? - Because 3AM Me decreed it law.

Is Hiro taking advantage of the fact Tadashi can't remember anything so he can have some comfort food made by his brother who he still can't grasp is, like, alive? - Yes. 100%. Buddy? Buddy. I need you to look me in the eyes - It's 100 percent. (It means the world that its Tadashi angrily tossing dessert in the oven. It's like having one more day with some one you really love but with more ANGST. My thesis in support of this detail is ready. And somebody please give this boy a hug.)

Why is Aunt Cass taking forever? - Heh, heh, heh. ;) It'll pop up soon but also, everyone deserves to have a moment to breakdown in a crying fit in a pickup truck. Local mother-figure pulling it together by the bootstraps.

Why won't Tadashi just get he hard part over with? - Aside from the initial confusion, terror, and varying mental approaches, I do think Tadashi is trying to roleplay as a caricature of himself. But, like, how do you move forward not only from grief but as a living, physical reminder of a decision gone wrong? Tadashi doesn't remember the accident. Yet Hiro does.

As an older sibling myself, there is always an element of trying to guard your loved ones from this weird, harsh reality. And it's not possible. It works when they're young but then there's the questions. So. Many. Questions. And you try your best. There comes a point where you both have to accept the growth, the changes, and find a way to keep moving forward. Respect each other not as ideas or memories, but as real people. He's just not there yet. Tadashi has to handle something extremely complex while simultaneously holding up this shield that doesn't work anymore. So... yeah. :)

Are you doing okay? - Surprisingly, yes. I love coming back to this fic despite how much I loathe sitting down to edit. It is my joy and it does make me smile randomly throughout the week.

Are, like, my comments okay? - OH MY GOD, YES. I LOVE THEM. EVEN THE ONES THAT JUST SAY, 'UPDATE.' LIKE, YOU'RE THE FUEL TO MY RICKETY ROCKETSHIP. THE WIND TO MY SOGGY PAPER AIRPLANE.

Also, if you have some bigger questions you care to know about or want a more in-depth reply than what I leave in the comments (because I throw English out the window in the comments), go for it. This is literally just me shouting into the void.

Don't I get some thanks in this family? - Yes. I appreciate you - both in this world and throughout the multiverse. *Big hug!*

Can you chill in the Notes? - No. :D