Hiro's birthday was fast approaching and Karmi was running out of time to make her decision. The problem was, she knew the moment she saw him again, she'd instantly fall in love all over again. Then things had to get real. Very real. And there'd be no going back. Rewind 10 months ago and Karmi would never have even imagined that she'd ever be in a relationship with Hiro Hamada. It was quite bizarre when she thought about it. Bizarre, but exactly what she didn't know she wanted. With every passing day, she thought about all the memories she had created with Hiro over the 4 months they dated. From the arcade, to Christmas day, to New Year's day, to their first date. Then the memory of seeing Megan kiss Hiro ruined Karmi's pleasant trip down memory lane. She remembered every last detail of it and even though she knew Hiro had no part in it, the mere thought of it still made her grind her teeth. She thought they'd most likely still be together now if it hadn't happened. Everything was perfect. Well, other than the big superhero problem.

Part of Karmi was using the kiss as an excuse to stop herself getting too attached to Hiro. She really cared about him and wished he didn't have to be so damn brave and put himself in danger all the time. Correction. She STILL cared about him. A great deal. He was already a hero in her eyes anyway. He didn't need to be an actual superhero. Then again, she did think the Captain Cutie side of him did make him even more attractive… Especially when he put the voice on… and the way he took out the droids was pretty awesome… and she even sort of strangely liked it when he got mad at her for intervening… it was kinda hot… Karmi immediately shook her head and snapped out of her thoughts, upon realising that she had stopped thinking about going to party all together. Was it really that easy for her to get distracted whenever she thought about this annoyingly handsome doofus? Apparently, yes. And that was indeed her answer to the question she had been asking herself all week.

The night before, Hiro reminded Karmi about the party and told her he would be waiting for her. Even if he had to wait all night. He would be there. Karmi told him she still wasn't sure as she didn't want to let him down by saying yes, when she may not come at all. And that was the way the call ended. Hiro let out a sad sigh and started fearing the worst. Karmi wasn't the only one with insecurities. What if she found someone else closer to her? What if it had been too long since they last saw each other and the spark had gone? What if she just didn't want to come and she was just saying all this because she didn't want to hurt Hiro's feelings? The anxieties spiralled around in his head and made him feel sick. Then Hiro slapped himself and stopped overthinking it. Whatever the case, he made a promise to himself and he wasn't about to break it now that he could be so close to getting Karmi back. He had to keep fighting for her, however much it ripped him apart inside.

The next morning, Hiro woke up to several happy birthday texts. He scrolled through the notifications, eagle eyed and looked for the only name in his contact list beginning with K. And then right at the bottom was Karmi with a red love heart emoji next to her name. She had been the first one to say it. Hiro couldn't stop himself from smiling and took that as a good sign she may come, or had at least given it careful consideration. He replied immediately to Karmi and made a mental note to get back to everyone else later. He leapt out of bed, with Baymax rising from his sleep as he did.

'Good morning. Happy birthday, Hiro.'

'Morning! Thanks, Baymax.'

'Will Karmi be joining us today?'

'Uh… I'm really not sure, buddy. Maybe. Hopefully.' Hiro gave him a wry smile. Baymax blinked.

'Well, I am always here for you if you need me, Hiro.'

'Thanks, buddy. I might need someone to eat a tub of ice cream with if she doesn't come,' joked Hiro with a light chuckle.

'I am unable to consume human food, but my data banks on heartache suggest this is a perfectly normal thing to do. So I will sit and listen and provide comfort.'

'Well, let's hope Karmi shows up. That's all I want for my birthday… Anyway, I'm going to freshen up. You can go and see if Aunt Cass needs any help. She's probably already up and cooking.'

'Certainly. Have a nice shower and remember to scrub behind your ears. Human females tend to like it when human males smell good. Oh. And make sure to dress well, comb your hair and spray aftershave after. Females also like this.'

Hiro laughed and reassured Baymax that he won't forget to do it all. Baymax still didn't have a clue about love, but he certainly understood how important Karmi was to Hiro, so felt the need to offer little bits of advice. Even if she wasn't coming.

Once Hiro was washed and dressed and did everything Baymax told him too, he slumped on the living room couch and switched on the TV. Five minutes later, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Cass, which simply just said: BREAKFAST IS SERVED! Hiro rubbed his hands together in glee and wondered what it could be as he ran down the stairs. As soon as he entered the café, he saw birthday banners and balloons. No one was around. Then suddenly Cass and Baymax jumped up from under the counter.

'Happy birthday!' they both said in unison.

Cass was holding a tray full of pancakes, with waves of silky maple syrup running down it like a chocolate fountain.

'Oh wow! Thanks, Aunt Cass!'

'Aww, you're welcome sweetie. I just can't believe you're 16 today! You've grown up so much in the last year. I'm so proud of you!' Hiro laughed nervously.

'Yeah, I guess I have. Thank you. That means a lot, Aunt Cass.' They smiled at each other.

'Well, come on then! Sit down, birthday boy! I'll bring your food over.'

Hiro sat down and Cass brought over the pancakes. She sat down with him and Baymax stood beside Hiro. Hiro tucked in and shovelled the first pancake down his throat, feeling like a king in a castle.

'Enjoying it?'

'Mmm! Yeah, they're delicious!' said Hiro with his mouth full.

'Excellent! I've closed the cafe today. So we can do whatever you want until your party later. I want you to have the perfect day!' Hiro swallowed his mouthful.

'Sounds good to me! I did want to go and see something at the cinema. So we could do that.'

'Anything you want, honey! I just hope the party goes well… I mean. Is she coming?' Hiro stopped eating and put his fork down.

'I honestly have no idea. It's one of those make or break things. If she comes, it could really bring us together again. If she doesn't… Well… It could be the end for us.' Cass nodded sympathetically.

'Right, okay. I see. Look, I don't want to get too involved with your personal life, but I do need to know you'll be okay whatever happens. I never want to see you stuck in your room again. Karmi is a very nice girl and I know you have feelings for her, but I don't want her hurting my baby again.' Cass grabbed Hiro's hands and looked at him in the eye with concern.

'I understand, Aunt Cass. It's a tricky situation because yes, I do really like her... A lot. But I promise I'll be okay and you'll never see me like that again. If she doesn't come, I'll just have to accept it and move on.' Cass was pleased Hiro had such a mature response to it and was put at ease.

'Well, I'm glad to hear that. Come here. You're not too old for a hug from your aunt.' Hiro got up to hug her.

'Aw, I hope it all goes well for you. And hey, even if Karmi doesn't show, it just means it's her loss. You deserve to be loved by someone who truly loves and adores you, Hiro. And you will be. Any girl would be lucky to have you. And I'm sure Karmi knows that.'

Whether Karmi came or not, Cass just wanted the best for Hiro. His happiness was her main priority. Especially since Tadashi died. She felt she always had to make double the effort to compensate. He was the only one left in her care, after all.

'Thanks, Aunt Cass. You always know the right things to say.'

'No problem. I'm always here for you whatever you need.' She kissed Hiro on the head. 'Alright! Well, quickly eat the rest of your breakfast and then we'll head off to the cinema!' Hiro smiled and finished off his pancakes.

After the film, Hiro was treated to whatever he liked in the finest dessert shop in town and decided to get a salted caramel cheesecake. They even found time for some bowling after. The time had flown by and it was coming up to 5.30 now. It was time for Hiro to head to the venue for his party. He had trusted Fred and Olivia with setting everything up. He knew he could count on Fred, especially lately. He'd been a rock for Hiro through the break up period.

'And that's that! I won by 7 points. I really gotta go now. Fred's waiting for me outside. Thank you for an amazing day, Aunt Cass.'

'Aw, well I'm glad you had a good time, honey. I hope you have an even better time at your party. And try not to beat yourself up too much if Karmi doesn't come. But good luck!' Hiro hugged her.

'Thanks, Aunt Cass. I'll be back by midnight.'

'You better be! If not I'll be phoning Fred!' Hiro laughed.

'I know! See you later.'

'Have fun!'

Hiro smiled and walked out the bowling alley. Heathcliff was parked outside in the limo. Hiro got in and saw Fred and Olivia grinning at him.

'Happy birthday!' they both shouted.

'D'aw. Thanks guys! Thanks for everything. You guys have really been there for me.'

'No problemo!' said Fred. 'Everything's good to go. I got your suit ready. Baymax and Minimax have got the tunes all set up. And you, my friend, are gonna get your girl back tonight!' Fred winked at him. Hiro half smiled.

'God, I hope so. I mean, it's now or never…'

'Don't worry. Anyone can see that she really loves you, man! She'll come. Trust me.'

'Well, we'll see…'

'Everything's gonna work out for you tonight, man. I just know it! You deserve it! Now! Pick any drink you like from the cooler and sit back and enjoy the ride! Heathcliff! You know where to go! Put track 5 on!' Heathcliff nodded and put the music on. 'Let's par-tay!'

Heathliff drove onwards. Hiro got out a grape soda and chugged it down, while Fred and Olivia started dancing and singing to "Can't Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake. Hiro had a pensive look on his face, but eventually started to relax and sing along with them. He told himself he was going to enjoy himself, no matter what happened.

20 minutes later, the party limo had arrived at its destination. 1 Titan Lane. AKA Basemax. The perfect venue for a superhero party. Of course that meant it was an exclusive party. They got out of the limo and walked in, Heathcliff included because he was working the bar tonight. The security system had been disabled for the night, to allow for guests to arrive. But there was a backup system in place, in case any unwanted guests arrived. Hiro really wanted Karmi to see the place in all its majesty. He hoped she'd be able to find it on her own, she was a smart girl after all. Basemax was almost pitch black as Fred guided them through to one of its many rooms.

'Right, your suit's in the changing room here,' said Fred. He pointed towards a small room. 'We'll meet you in the dancehall when you're ready.'

'Alright, thanks guys. Can't wait to see what you've done with the dancehall.' Fred smirked and closed the door.

Hiro switched on a light and found an outfit hanging up on a hanger. It was a lot more casual looking than the one Hiro wore on the date. There was a dark blue suit jacket and trousers, with a red shirt and yellow tie. Casual but smart. Hiro wanted his 16th to be memorable, so dressing for the occasion was important. He got changed into it. Hiro was more than satisfied with it as he looked at himself in the mirror and adjusted his tie. He stepped back and noticed how much he'd grown this year. He stroked his chin, where a little beard was growing. He did the same to his moustache, making sure not hair was out of place. Then he remembered Baymax's advice from this morning and re-applied some more aftershave. Next, he checked his breath and sprayed some mouth spray for good measure. Once he was happy with himself, he took a moment to breathe and think. This was it. He had to try to prepare himself for all possible outcomes. Maybe she wouldn't come at all. Maybe she would, but only want to be friends. Or maybe. Just maybe. This could turn the page to a whole new chapter for their relationship. Hiro closed eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. He figured the best thing to do now was to put it down to fate and just try to enjoy the night as much as he could.