Notes:

"Fate has never ladled out hardship very evenly, and this frequently trips our often infantile sense of justice." — Jim Harrison

This is so sad. Alexa, play "Immortals" by Fall Out Boy.
(It's not a dead meme if you revive it.)

AND, OH MY GOD, I APOLOGISE FOR POSTING LATE. I DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER. AH! I'M SO SORRY. (ಠ╭╮ಠ) To answer the age-old question of whether it's possible to write a chapter and post it to Ao3 from mobile — yes. But with pain.

Tadashi's hat was still on Hiro's head. But the weight of the cap didn't compare to how heavy his legs felt moving down the stairs step by step. His friends were here. His brother's friends. He hugged the staircase handrail as a nervous smile spread across his face.

"What're you all doing here?" he grinned.

Honey Lemon made her way through their small crowd, "We just came to, you know, talk." Honey had her ways of easing Hiro's conscience. Especially when she offered a warm smile, somewhat hidden behind her wide-frame glasses. Still, it wasn't enough to calm him down.

His brother was upstairs, caked in foam, and unwilling to fork over information. The disappearing, the lack of answers, and the night before were starting to press him well beyond his limits.

Don't show them you're struggling, he thought. Keep your head down. Don't give them any signs of emotional turmoil. Hiro shoved his hands in his sweater.

"Oh yeah. Um, about what again?"

Gogo's face dropped, "About your brother?" His shoulders tensed.

That wasn't what they meant. He knew that.

"Right, right. Well, um, it's not a great time." Wasabi stepped up and placed his hands on top of Hiro's shoulders, completely weighing him down.

A stinging sensation spread throughout his arm. Dang it. He'd crashed into the staircase a few seconds ago, trying to rush for the extinguisher. And Wasabi held him down by his bruise.

"Hey, little man, don't push us away. We all know it's tough."

"Yeah," Honey Lemon added. "We all miss him."

The soft grin on Wasabi's face was meant to be comforting. Totally wasn't under any scrutiny of any kind. And they practically towered over him. Hiro was cemented to the spot.

But whatever. It didn't matter anyway. Hiro gritted his teeth and forced an awkward smile.

"I miss him too," he said. "But everything's fine."

"And where's your aunt?" Fred asked. "I mean, I know she says we can 'take anything' from behind the counter, but I don't wanna just take it for real, y'know?"

"She's, um, out. Something about shopping for groceries and restock all day."

"Plus, what was up with you this morning?" Gogo asked. "You haven't been acting like your usual self lately." Hiro squirmed his way out of Wasabi's grasp.

"I'm just... overworked. That's all." Wasabi went to pat him on the back, but Hiro dodged it. His friends swapped glances.

"Anything we can help with?" Wasabi asked calmly.

That was an easy one.

"Mm-nope!" Hiro said as he stretched his grin wider. Gogo narrowed her eyes at him.

"So, you didn't mean to call earlier?" The phone. Oh no. He didn't even remember hitting the 'call' button.

"Ah, well, that. That... was an accident. Did you... did you hear anything, by chance?" Gogo only squinted at him.

That was a 'no.'

Still, the thought of having yelled Tadashi's name through the call made him feel sick. "Doesn't matter," he said, shaking his head. "I didn't mean to, anyway. Relax, will you?"

"Nuh-uh," Fred said. "I know what those hunched-up shoulders mean! Something's definitely off!" The color drained from Hiro's face as Fred jumped from the pastry display and nearly slammed himself into his side. "Something's on your mind. I can feel it! Is it superhero-related?!"

"That's… not exactly it."

Gogo crossed her arms, "Then what is it?" Hiro huffed as he threw his hands in the air.

"I don't know! I mean, there's school and hero stuff and, and-" He groaned as he rubbed his face and pushed himself away from the crowd. "There's too much going on!"

"Well, is it finals?" Honey asked. If only it was an academic problem. Yet the glare from Gogo terrified him into speaking.

"Not really. I-I mean, I'm worried about Aunt Cass! Plus, there's family-related things... And Krei. Oh, don't get me started on Krei. I don't even see why he'd follow through with even half the blueprints he's approved. And his dumb project he's working on. His tech isn't even stabilized-"

"Wait, hold on," Gogo said, cutting him off. "What's wrong with Krei?"

Hiro blinked.

"N-nothing! He's just being stupid. He's not thinking clearly."

"Well, what can we do?"

"No," he said, more sure of his words. "No, I can't just hand this off to you guys. You have finals too. Just give me some time to get our lives under control."

"Hiro," she pushed, "You can't let things build until it's too much to handle. We're here for you."

"Don't say that. Please, I don't want to hear that you're 'here.' Really, I appreciate it, but I just need some time."

"How much time?"

"A few days?"

Gogo crossed her arms, "A few days? To do what, exactly? Go solo? Or skip out on class?"

"You know that's not what I'm planning!" Hiro cried. "It's just… it's Tadashi's week! I want a time-out."

She twisted her mouth. That was a partial answer. And lying wasn't in his skillset.

"So you went to Krei's alone?"

"What?! No!" Gogo raised an eyebrow. "Yes. B-but, I'm still figuring it out, okay? I just need a moment to unravel everything."

"Hiro, we just want to help. You have to let us help you-"

"And I don't want you guys to worry about me right now!" Gogo took a step back before hardening her expression. "There's... there's just too much," he said quietly. "A few days won't hurt."

His hands found their way back into his pockets. Specks of lather from the extinguisher seeped into the edges of his sleeves and began to feel sticky.

But the tilted smile remained. They watched as he backed up against the cafe tables.

Hiro looked like he hadn't slept. Like he was terrified of closing his eyes and missing out on important information. His hair was a little wilder beneath the baseball cap, his clothes were crumpled, and the edges of his jacket were decorated with faded splatter marks.

And then his eyes fell to the floor.

"But say Tadashi was here," he mumbled, "what would you do?"

They looked at him in confusion. Gogo stared as she scanned him up and down.

"What exactly are you planning?" she asked numbly.

Hiro waved for them to lower their voices. "Nothing! I promise! Nothing! I'm just… working through some things right now. It's his anniversary. A-and I don't know how to feel anymore."

Gogo frowned. This was new territory, even for him. And Hiro could feel her gaze burning holes into his head. As if some masterminded plan would fall out. But he had nothing. Hiro was at the end of his rope.

Backpedal. Backpedal as far as possible, he could just run upstairs and stay there. Wait for them to leave. Worry about whatever that fire was and fix it somehow. His eyes were flickering back and forth with every idea.

Gogo put her hands on top of Hiro's shoulders too, making him jump. She tilted her head slightly up and stared at him. He wouldn't look at her, not while she wore her usual, cold glare.

"Hey, we lost him too, you know. We all wish we could have him back, but that's not how reality works, Hiro." He didn't respond. His eyes stayed glued to the floor.

She flipped to Wasabi, who looked unsure. Honey Lemon held herself in a hug, and Fred attempted to look away. 'Morally gray stuff' was for Gogo to handle when he went too far.

"Okay," she said, letting go. She wasn't going to get a straightforward explanation. "We'll give you space. Come here." She gestured for a hug as the rest watched.

Hiro leaned in, almost relieved. Yet Gogo moved out of the way before he could react - jabbing her fist directly towards the center of his bruise.

"Ow!" he yelled. "What was that for?!

"You're still lying! And you're hurt! What's going on, Hiro? The truth this time."

He looked at every one of them. The concern was written visibly across their faces.

He scrunched his face up angrily, "I'm... I'm..."

Why couldn't the words just fall out? Why couldn't he just say everything upfront? They were here to help. But a thousand eyes on him wasn't a solution.

He needed a distraction. Just until he figured out what happened to Tadashi. Just until the world became less confusing.

And the fake smile slowly returned to Hiro's face.

"I'm... I'm thinking about telling Aunt Cass," he said. The perfect reply; a half-truth could manage. "I wanna tell her about Big Hero 6." They stared back as he rubbed his arm. "And maybe I'll tell her about Krei and school and, and! I'm just tired of pretending like everything's better now. Like, the past isn't still with me, somehow."

"So, this isn't about being overwhelmed?" Gogo asked.

"N-no."

"Or needing help?"

"No."

"Or even Tadashi?"

Hiro tensed up, "No? M-maybe." He shoved himself away from the group as his voice cracked, "It's just... every day I have to think about what Tadashi left behind. What he's missed out on. And what if he lived? Wouldn't that be great?! Shouldn't I feel happy about that?" He slumped in one of the cafe tables and rubbed his eyes. His throat was beginning to burn.

Stick it out. Just a little bit longer. Excuses could work just this once.

However, his anger overruled his better judgment.

"Just why... why hasn't it gotten easier?" he asked without thinking. Gogo still glared at him from across the room with her arms crossed. "It's been... years now. I thought, I thought moving on was supposed to get easier. But, I can't do this. I just can't. I can't keep secrets like this anymore. Aunt Cass, she's the only family I can rely on."

Buy it. Please buy it. Before he said anything else that could give his brother away. Before the real tears kicked in and he couldn't stop it. The more he spoke, the worse he felt. And Tadashi was relatively within earshot. He was so close to just saying it. Tadashi was here. And Hiro couldn't pretend if his life depended on it.

"A few days, please," he pleaded.

Instead, he was met with silence.

Great. They thought he was off the deep end. He didn't have time for this.

Hiro was mentally mapping out his options months into the future.

He needed answers from Tadashi. He also needed to finish school, stop Krei, save the city, and do the household chores like cleaning the fire extinguisher foam off the bathroom walls. Everything was clambering for his attention.

He pushed the stinging feeling down and wiped his face with his sleeve. Gogo walked up to him, the frustration gone from her face.

"Hey, look at me," she said. Gogo held him by the shoulders again, his bruise still aching. "Everything is gonna be okay." She pulled him into a tight hug.

Hiro wasn't expecting it. It was a real hug. A rare hug. And it was the only break he had since he found Tadashi the night before. The group watched as he let his arms slack to the side.

"It just... hurts," he said into her shoulder. " It's all too much."

They each switched glances with one another.

"Well," Honey Lemon said, "whatever's going on, you can face it. We're with you no matter what." She wrapped them in another layer of the tight hug, the air squeezed out of him.

"Yeah," Fred said. "This isn't a one-man battle. We've got you." He nearly toppled them over as he rammed into the hug from behind. Hiro smiled. He loved the help, just not now.

Maybe he could push them out the door kindly. Send them off with a baker's dozen.

"Just know, whenever it becomes too much, we're not going anywhere," Wasabi offered, putting his hand back onto his shoulder. "And if Tadashi was with us, we're more than sure he'd be trying his best to make things better." That hit Hiro straight in his gut.

He didn't have to say that. He shouldn't have said that. Hiro's smile fractured for a second as emotions rose to the surface.

He was so close. Just a little bit longer. He tried to sniff everything away.

Gogo leaned back and tipped his hat upwards so his face was visible. A terrified expression stared back.

She gripped the sides of his face and looked him directly in the eyes."Stop worrying about what's gonna happen, okay? We'll get through whatever this is no matter what." They all leaned into the hug collectively. "And by the way, it does get easier."

Hiro could feel hot tears falling against his will. He leaned into the support full force.

"Never seems like it," he said, eyes closed tightly.

"I know. Sometimes, it is too much." She poked his uninjured arm roughly. "But, I know he's proud of you regardless." Hiro coughed out a laugh as he sank further into the comfort.

"Yeah, well, you know, it's a nice thought." Maybe it was okay to have his team around every once in a while. Just in-between the chaos.

Hiro attempted to smile one more time. His voice turned groggy as he finally began to lean away from them. He had to tell them:

Okay, thanks! Thanks for stopping by and letting me get that out of the way. You should leave. Like, as soon as possible.

Yet the words came out wrong.

"I-I miss him," he said quietly.

"We all do."

The hug fell apart after another few seconds. Gogo pulled his hat down over his face as everyone backed away.

"You win," she said, "for now."

Hiro was too busy pushing his cap up and wiping his eyes to hear, "Huh?"

"A few days won't hurt. But promise me, you'll stay out of trouble. And I mean it," she said pointing her finger, her voice turning serious. "If I find out your doing hero stuff, you're dead."

"Not even a little community service?" Gogo shot him a scowl as he laughed. "I promise, I won't. And, um, thanks. You know, for that."

"Oh, and one more thing," Wasabi said. "Let us handle Krei." Hiro's eyes went wide.

"Um, well, you know, I don't think you need to do that!"

"Why not?"

Because it's worse than Krei's usual antics. So, so much worse. Plus, he stole too much data already. Behind their backs.

"W-we could all use a break," Hiro said, the nervousness returning. "For a while, right? Just until things simmer down?"

Gogo's tough demeanor faded for a second.

"You're overwhelmed. We get it," she said. Hiro sighed as he slumped his shoulders.

"Thank you."

"But we're not going to allow you to isolate yourself."

"What?" he pushed. "That's not what this is about! I'm just, um, confused. I'm concerned. I'm really tired. This project- this mission... it's too risky. Trust me. Let me sort through it. It's... not good."

"But, how do you know it's 'not good?'" Honey asked. They turned to Hiro. He ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm working on it," he spit out. "I just came across some blueprints, is all. Can't stop a project if it doesn't exist, right?" Gogo swapped a glance with Wasabi. She understood taking a mental health break, but she also knew Hiro.

She didn't buy it. He liked to hide things.

"I think we could all use a break," Wasabi said, disguising his intentions. "Just til' things calm down." He looked directly at Gogo when spoke. Which was code for 'Private Discussion At Fred's House.' She nodded, as they watched the youngest of them crack beneath an unimaginable amount of pressure.

"Don't think you're going to do this alone," Gogo said. "But this thing, you need to face it. As for your aunt, we'll back you up. You say the word and we're there."

"Thank you," he said.

"And Krei... well, I guess he can wait too. Can't he?" Her face hardened as she said it. Yet Hiro didn't notice. A wide smile crossed his face.

They bought it.

"Think so."

"So, you wanna talk about 'the thing?'" she asked, this time with more patience.

"Not really," he smiled. "Just, give me a week."

"A week?"

"A few days." She thought about it before nodding uneasily.

"Just don't do anything stupid," she said, snapping Hiro out of his overthinking.

"I won't! Really, I won't."

The rest of the Big Hero team stepped back slowly and headed for the door. An anxious feeling still hung over them.

Something was still off.

Honey Lemon huffed as she turned on her heel. Hiro was scooped into another bear hug as she pushed back tears.

"We love you, Hiro." She pushed up her glasses as she sniffed away her concern. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" He patted her back.

"Yeah, I'm absolutely sure." Honey let go and tried to read his expression.

"I promise, I really am fine. I'm… I'm better than fine." Honey gave him a timid smile as she headed for the door. A flooding sense of relief filled Hiro as he watched them wave goodbye.

Wassabi held the door open and turned one last time, "We'll see you soon?"

Hiro nodded.

"Of course. Thanks for checking up."

Gogo left last. She turned back and scanned him up and down.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Hiro nodded, "Yeah. I promise. I won't do anything dumb. And I'll make this right. I can handle this one, really."

She shook her head as the cafe went silent as they left. The door chime rang as a final farewell.

Hiro really was okay. He knew that. The half-smile now stuck on his face was proof. There were finals, Krei, and Tadashi's return. Each issue was stuffed into the same slot. However, the team's check-up fractured the intensity. Everything would be addressed in time.

He turned towards the staircase. His legs still felt heavy but the shock melted away. Hiro would be okay. Everything, somehow, would be okay. He trekked back up the stairwell, his legs still heavy, where Baymax stood outside the bathroom door as a makeshift guard.

What was he supposed to say? Questions were a terrible idea. Where were you supposed to begin? Tadashi's decision to stay away from his friends and family hurt, yes. And here he was, standing in front of a closed door, thinking of what to say.

Tadashi was frazzled, unsure, and prone to error. He wasn't the same. And yet, Hiro didn't want anything else. His brother was back and alive. And, his brother needed help.

Maybe that's what the new-Tadashi, slouched in the bathtub, soaked and covered by a fire retardant, wanted; no help, just the bare minimum of understanding.

To skip past the embarrassment and shame and go back to some semblance of normal. The anger Hiro felt made that difficult. He was back at square one:

Why?

What do you need?

Do you regret it?

They had to start fresh. He would swing open the bathroom door and try not to stare.

Hiro would view the situation from a different angle; Tadashi's angle. Addressing his brother was a now-or-never kind of thing.

He mustered up all his leftover courage as he twisted the door handle.

"H-hey," Hiro said as his voice cracked.

Notes:

CONGRATULATIONS! You've earned ONE group hug!

The gang is definitely, DEFINITELY, going to talk about this over at Fred's house. Hiro's decisions are canonically… unpredictable. He's volatile and reckless on a regular basis. However, they all know he's a good kid with good intentions. He just has trouble conveying that through his actions.

Do you see the parallels of Hiro not handing stuff over and Tadashi also not handing off any extra weight off either? (*I say as I point to my conspiracy-esque board.) Do you see the dots connecting?!
DASHI, IT'S TIME TO GIVE IN TO THE METAPHORICAL PLOT-RELATED HUG.

Also, totally didn't blitz-write this chapter close to the posting date. Pfft! Pfft! A-pfft! Roast me, plz.