"Welcome to the Nerd Lab, new nerd." Gogo said, giving Takashi a playful punch on the shoulder. "Awesome you got in."
"Thanks." Takashi rubbed his shoulder. "Happy to be here… Well least for a visit today." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Professor Wylie just wanted me to come into pick a station and set up shop as it were, even though I don't start till next week."
"Well no shame in staking your claim. Plenty of empty stations, just don't get stuck with the one under the air conditioner… It's FREEZING."
Hiro shook his head from where he was. "Gogo we all know you're secretly eying that spot for next semester, don't' bother lying."
I just wouldn't mind one near Hiro's station…
"It's whatever he wants." Honey Lemon giggled. "There's plenty to choose from as we said."
"Right…" Takashi nodded.
"You mean like the one next to yours?" Wasabi smirked.
Honey Lemon blushed.
"W-What's that supposed to mean!?"
Takashi was turning a little red in the cheeks, but kept it hidden.
"Hah…"
"We've all seen how you look at him!" Fred grinned nudging her a bit. "You keep taking second looks."
Hiro put his face in his hands. "Guys… Come on, you're embarrassing him!"
"I-It's fine…" Takashi rubbed the back of his neck. "DVC is… a lot worse when it comes to girls and me."
"As in fangirls?" Gogo asked.
Takashi turned bright red.
"... Yep."
"Yeah hate to put a damper on it but." Gogo pointed over to some of the other girls in the lab. "I think you got a new one."
Takashi brought the brim of his hat over his face when he saw them all staring at him.
"Oh good grief…"
Hiro shook his head grabbing the young man's arm. "C'mon let's go shop for a work station for you. Girls, I know he's pretty but the other guys are gonna want him dead at this rate!"
The girls sighed, going back to work.
"Thanks…" Takashi whispered as he and Hiro looked around.
"Anytime." Hiro whispered back. "These girls just can't help themselves sometimes…"
"Yeah… so… know a good spot? I actually wouldn't mind my own space."
"Actually yeah... " Hiro looked around to be sure no one noticed before leading him to one, that looked like the door had been at one point locked. "Don't tell anyone, but since no one was using this space, I was kind of using it to stash some of my other projects that just never worked out." He fiddled with the lock before opening the door. "Here… Bit dark and I have no idea what's inside still since right after that Kokoro knocked me unconscious - Snuck up on me, but it's good."
Hiro flicked the light on as the room lit up. There was a few larger projects - Mostly what looked like prototype hoverboards and some rockets, but not much else in there. Some books and that was about it. "Well… Maybe I was wrong. Just… Don't touch my rockets. I'll get rid of 'em for ya."
"Sure." Takashi noted the hoverboards. "... Ever get one to work?"
"Yeah, but it wobbles a lot. It veers to the right." Hiro went to a dark blue model, picking it up. "I need to still work on it but…" He pushed a button dropping it as it hovered in place. "It gets the job done." He smirked. "Wanna take a test run?"
Takashi smirked back. "You're on."
He made his way over, getting on the board. It took a moment before he got his balance on it.
"Very nice."
"Thanks." Hiro grinned. "... Now make a lap around the room. You can stand on it all ya want but standing's easy."
Takashi nodded before trying it out. He struggled a bit, seeing what Hiro meant by it veering to the right but wasn't long before he got it to behave a little, finally making it around the room…. deciding to go again, trying some small tricks.
"Yes! Haha!"
Hiro laughed as he watched, taking a step back as he observed… Even seeing him kick off of it and land right back onto it without it wobbling at all. "AWESOME!"
Takashi laughed before stopping in front of Hiro, handing the board back to him.
"That was amazing!"
Hiro took it, grinning. "Thanks, glad you enjoyed it… Say… Maybe we could both work on them. I got plenty… Maybe we could even race!"
"Yeah! I know a good stretch of road back in San Ramon we could race on! And… Oh! Yeah! We can work on them at my place too! I've got my own little lab back at home.!"
"Really!?" Hiro's eyes lit up. "That's awesome! What kind of equipment do ya got?"
"3D Printer, some basic tools." Takashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Lots of things I'm still finding out about. It was a gift from one of my mother's friends."
… What kind of mom does he have? "That sounds so cool." Hiro chuckled. "I got a workspace at home, but nothing super grand. 3D printer and some computers but that's about it." Had to borrow some stuff with Fred's permission to make our suits… Man was that nuts.
"Well if you're ever interested I can let you hang around in mine."
"Really!?" He gave him a surprised look. "You wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all. Be nice to have another person working in it besides me. My sister does take interest but she's more medicine than tech. She also prefers watching me work than trying to do it herself."
Hiro smiled, offering him a hand. "It's a deal then Takashi… I'd really like that."
Takashi shook his hand.
"Just pick any day you like and I can bring you over."
"How about Friday?" Hiro asked bouncing in place a little, ideas already running through his mind.
"Friday should be good. Only have one class that day. Well last class at DVC anyway. Just wrapping things up."
"Got ya… It wouldn't be too much trouble right? I don't wanna make you go out of your way-"
"No trouble at all, really." Takashi ruffled his hair. "I'll pick you up here and we'll head to San Ramon."
Hiro chuckled smoothing down his hair a bit. "It's a deal then."
Takashi nodded.
"In the mean time… Mind helping me clean out this lab here?"
"Of course!" Hiro grinned before starting to pack up his things that were there. "You can keep one of the hoverboards, just pick whichever one."
Takashi eyed one that was green in color, snatching it quickly.
"I'll keep this one."
Hiro chuckled. "It's all yours."
They went about cleaning out, the rest of the space, talking and joking around a bit as they did. "Yeah my Aunt Cass was ticked at me last week. I had been experimenting last year with putting forks on little rockets… I forgot a few… She found 'em. As they went off."
Takashi covered his mouth, laughing hard.
"Oh goodness! She okay!?"
Ah rocket forks… they came back to haunt… Good times…
Hiro threw his head back as he laughed.
"Oh she was just fine! They missed her… They didn't miss the ceiling though and got stuck. I had to climb on the counter all the while she was waiting arms outstretched in case I slipped to get them down!" He tried to give his best mock horrified look. "HIRO HAMADA WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"
"Ha! That's awesome!"
"It was GLORIOUS!" Hiro tried to calm down to catch his breath. "She did not expect that and I'm pretty sure she is convinced that I was pranking her. I really didn't, I just forgot there was some still hanging around."
"Oh goodness." Takashi wiped away a tear. "Poor lady."
Hiro chuckled. "She puts up with me. I remember someone asked her once how can she put up with me… "He's so darn cute."
"Heh… Sounds like a nice lady."
"She is… She's done a lot for me and my brother over the years… She's basically my mom…" Hiro frowned a bit. "I don't remember my real mom all that much… Some tiny stuff but not enough. I only remember her."
Takashi frowned a bit, squeezing his shoulder.
"She's something though, and that's what counts."
Hiro nodded. "Yup… And I love her a lot… I try to be better about things then how I used to be… Sometimes still get on her nerves a bit, like… Heh… Got a bad habit of banging on pots and pans when I'm bored and doing the dishes… Threatened to send me to band camp."
Yup. That's Aunt Cass.
"Heh… fun."
"It's just our own kind of normal… We're all we got now so we stick together… Erm… Sorry… Didn't mean to pour all this out." Hiro rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don't' worry about it." Takashi gave a gentle look. "I get it."
Bzzt bzzt.
Takashi sighed, pulling out his phone, checking his text messages.
"Ah geeze…"
Hiro raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"
"Mom's working emergency shift tonight which means it's just me and Lily and that means I better head back soon." Takashi ran a hand through his hair. "That's all on top of stuff I need to pick up from DVC."
"Oh man… I'm sorry about that. I'll finish cleaning up here for ya, make it usable…" Hiro squeezed his arm. "Just be careful out there."
"I will." Takashi quickly got his stuff together. "I'll see you later."
"See you." Hiro nodded as he left.
He's a bit of a weirdo… But he's a nice one…
oooooo
Friday came quickly for the two. Takashi was excited about it, making plans as best as he could. Though there would be a stop to DVC along the way, least it would be a short one. Either way, it was time with Hiro… Time he wanted.
He waited patiently outside the lab doors, looking over messages on his phone as he waited.
It wasn't long before Hiro ran out of the lab hauling his backpack onto his shoulder. "Sorry, sorry! I got tripped up since Honey's chemicals went flying again!" He explained meeting up with him, panting a bit.
"Hey, all good buddy. Just keep in mind I have to make a stop at DVC. Forgot something and well, my friends are waiting for me to pick it up."
"Totally understandable." Hiro smiled. "Well… Shall we?"
Takashi smiled.
"Right this way."
He lead him to one of the street pathes, his red moped parked along the side.
"Hope you don't mind mopeds. Never really liked cars." Takashi said, offering a helmet to Hiro.
"Hey it's all good. I'm pretty familiar with them." Hiro slipped the helmet on, getting on the back… Feeling a pang of nostalgia.
"WHO NEEDS CARS? THIS IS WAY BETTER!"
"You dork!"
Takashi got on, revving up the engine.
"Hang on."
Hiro did so as they sped off, the teen looking around as the city passed by them...The nostalgia just getting stronger. He remembered doing things like this with Tadashi, just running errands, or going for joy rides when they had free time… When Tadashi wasn't bailing him out of trouble.
Gosh I was such a brat…
Takashi glanced back at Hiro, smiling a bit, nostalgia in his own eyes. He turned his attention back to the road.
The city scape soon faded into a more suburban area. More humble looking houses and a lot more mountains at that. More open space.
"San Ramon Valley." Takashi said as they motored about the area. "Not as big as San Fransokyo, but it's nice."
"Agreed. Seems like a nice place to live. How far in is your house?" Hiro asked taking in the sights and sounds around them. It was a lot quieter then the city they had just left… Not as many people walking around. Whereas back home, you got people going everywhere, every which way…
"Just near the hospital on a hillside. But first…" They pulled up to a small college campus, two people waiting at the entrance. "Just need to pick up my thing."
The two people in question made their way over to him. A young woman with dark skin smirked as she offered a backpack to him.
"Of all things to forget, you forgot this darn thing."
Takashi rubbed the back of his neck.
"It happens Zoey. I was just excited."
"True, it's happened before anytime you were excited. Right Jacob?"
The young man next to her nodded.
"Everytime." He looked to Hiro. "This the squirt you keep talking about?"
"H-Hey!" Hiro turned a little red. "I'm not that short!"
Zoey looked at him, squealing a little.
"Aww! He's cute!"
Hiro's face turned a little redder. Takashi patted his head.
"Hiro, these are my friends. Zoey and Jacob. Pardon them they're kind of weird."
"Said the pot to the kettle." Zoey smirked. "You're just as weird."
"And I take pride in it."
"Well nice to meet you both." Hiro fixed Jacob a look. "And I'm not gonna be short forever!"
"Oi-vay, he sounds like your sister." He laughed.
"It's a chibi thing." Takashi got back on his moped. "You two are just sad because I'm leaving."
"Yeah, traitor." Zoey huffed. "Leaving us at DVC to go to Nerd School! The GALL." She brought a hand over her heart. "I'm wounded!"
Jacob wagged a finger at him. "You are just evil Mr. Sky. And after all we did for ya… I even kept my EYE on you!"
"Both literally and metaphorically."
"... Wait what!?" Hiro looked to Takashi and back to the two. "What do you mean literally!?"
Jacob smirked. "... Should I?"
Takashi grinned. "Eye eye captain."
Jacob gave a bow before reaching up to his left eye…. And pulling it right out as he held it out to Hiro. "Hold this for me will ya?"
Hiro jumped looking horrified for a second before he looked back at the eye… Seeing it was a fake one. "Um… Sure?"
Zoey and Takashi threw their heads back laughing.
"Got ya!"
Jacob laughed before popping it back into place. "And now you know what I mean by keeping my eye on you… I do it quite literally… Especially to my friends."
"That is both creepy and awesome at the same time!" Hiro laughed getting back onto the moped as well.
"Yeah." Takashi looked to them. "I'll see you around. Don't be strangers to my house ya hear?"
"Heaven forbid we do that… You're one of our best friends." Zoey smiled.
"Besides that… Your mom cooks better than both of ours combined-"
WHACK!
"OW! I WAS BEING HONEST ZOEY!"
"You dork."
Takashi gave a wave before speeding off.
"Like an old married couple those two."
Hiro glanced back.
"... Just like Fred and Gogo can be."
"That so?" Takashi asked.
"Yep. Fred dreams big, Gogo sometimes has to ground him back into reality… And sometimes he has to remind her that messing with Wasabi by taking his tools after he JUST organized them MAY or may not give him an aneurysm one day."
"Got ya." Takashi chuckled. "So yeah… Those are my college friends."
"They seem like they'd fit in juuust fine in our group…. Fred would LOVE that eye trick."
"It's just Jacob being Jacob." Takashi smiled. "Owns up to his scars and laughs at himself."
"It's a good mindset to have." Hiro smiled. "If you can't laugh at yourself then well you're just a stick in the mud." He chuckled a bit. "Right?"
"Right." Takashi sped up a little. "Alright, my place now."
It took a little bit before they pulled up to an area of houses at the top of a hill. It was nice little home. Only one story high but it still looked pretty big.
"And here we are." Takashi got off his moped, slipping his helmet off before putting his ball cap back on. "Not fancy, but it's cozy."
Hiro slipped off his own helmet hopping off and falling into step behind him. "Seems nice."
Takashi didn't even get the door fully opened before a blur rushed over to him practically tackling his legs.
"HERMANO!"
Takashi chuckled, scooping Lily into his arms, hugging her.
"Imouto!"
Lily giggled, kissing both his cheeks.
"Welcome home!" She looked to Hiro. "Hiya Hiro!"
"Hey kiddo." He waved. "Been good?"
"Uh-huh! Just been cleaning a bit while Mom's been out."
"That's my sis." Takashi kissed her head before setting her down. "Hiro wanted to see my lab so we'll be down there."
"Can I come too?"
"Of course! We'll just be working so…"
"I don't mind." Lily skipped on ahead. "Let's go!"
Takashi chuckled, following after her. "Right this way."
Hiro followed them… Jaw dropping when he saw the workspace. "Oh… My… Gosh…"
There was the promised 3D printer… As well as many other tools and equipment… Some on the same level as SFIT... And some Hiro had never even seen in real life.
"This is yours…?!"
"Yup." Takashi set his backpack down on a desk, turning on some of the monitors.
"One of the coolest labs ever!" Lily giggled, sitting on a table.
Hiro looked around walking in further. He was just in awe looking at everything… And looking closer at some of the insignias on it. "Wait a sec… This says Stark Industries… Their stuff is so pricey… How did your mom's friend get ahold of this!?"
"Well… about that…"
"Oh come on Takashi just say it. Oh you won't so I will." Lily grinned. "Tony Stark himself constructed this lab!"
"... WHAT!?" Hiro dropped his backpack as his head snapped back to the two eyes as wide as plates. "You're kidding me!"
"She isn't." Takashi pulled up a photo on one of the monitors. It was a picture of him and Tony smiling at the camera while inside the lab.
Hiro looked at it, just feeling a sense of awe coming over him. "That's… That's amazing… Tony Stark… Just… Wow…!" He looked back to Takashi. "He's legit a close friend huh?"
"Yeah, my mother worked on helping get his heart fixed." Takashi leaned against his desk. "And well… he owed her a favor."
"I'm also best friends with his daughter!" Lily chirped. "I get to visit her sometimes in Malibu!"
"That's amazing and awesome" Hiro looked back to the picture. "I mean… He's one of the greatest inventors of our time…" And he got to meet him…
"He is, and kind too…" Takashi smiled a little. "He still visits from time to time you know…"
"Really?" Hiro smiled. "That's really cool…"
"Yeah… not like you'd want to… I dunno. Meet him or something."
The boy turned to him completely and gave him a puppy eyed look. "Please? Pretty please?"
"Heh, of course!" Takashi ruffled his hair. "I'm sure he'd love to meet you!"
Hiro chuckled. "That'd be so cool! And watch the hair!" He laughed.
"Get 'im Hermano!" Lily cheered.
"Rah!" Takashi brought Hiro into a headlock, messing up his hair more. "Hahahaha!"
Hiro cried out as he laughed. "Noooo! That tickles! HALP!"
"No one can save you!" Takashi laughed.
"Got you Otouto!"
"NUUUU! NIIIII-SAN!"
"Wah!" Hiro laughed squirming a little. "Noooo! NOT AGAIN! HALP!"
Takashi eventually stopped, letting the boy go before relaxing in a chair.
"Oh man…"
Hiro sat down himself, laughing a bit as he tried to catch his breath. "That was fun… Ya nerd." Heh...That was just like…. Like when Nii-san did that…
"Right back at ya, nerd." Takashi smiled.
"You're both silly." Lily giggled.
Hiro smirked. "... May I?"
"Get 'er."
Hiro jumped up scooping up Lily before running around the room with her. "RAAAAH I'M GONNA EAT YA!"
"OH NO!" Lily squealed. "NOT THE HAIRY MONSTER!"
"Om nom nom!" He stopped, nuzzling her. "Tastes like gummy bears!"
Lily giggled, nuzzling him.
"Hehe…" She ran a hand through part of his hair. "So soft… like a kitty… Just like Takashi's hair!"
"Hehe… That so?" Hiro smiled softly holding her a bit closer. So little…
"Yup." Lily cuddled up to him. "It never smooths out. It just stays fluffy."
"Sounds like mine pretty closely… It really never smooths down all that much." Hiro stroked her hair leaning against one of the tables. "And your brother's a pretty cool guy ya know."
"Yup… he is."
Takashi smiled, chuckling a bit.
"Just me…"
"Not everyone would jump on one of my hoverboards willingly." Hiro smirked ruffling Lily's hair a bit before setting her down. "Now go on, give him a hug Chibi."
Lily nodded, doing so.
"Te amo Hermano!"
Takashi smiled, hugging her close.
"Te amo, Hermana…"
Hiro smiled softly at the sight.
"Love you Nii-san!"
"I love you too Otouto… So much…"
Tadashi…
He turned away looking around letting them have their moment… Unable to help but feel a small pang of jealousy.
I don't get to have that anymore… Not their fault… Just…. Wish I could've said to Tadashi that I love him one last time…
But I'm not jealous of them… I'm not….
Takashi looked to Hiro before looking to Lily and lowering his voice.
"Let's not get too huggy while he's here… Okay?" He whispered.
Lily nodded. "Okay." She hopped out of his arms.
Takashi got up and made his way over to Hiro. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Hiro gave a smile, but there was some pain in his eyes… Takashi felt some guilt go through him as he ruffled his hair.
"How about we get to work? … Can't impress Tony with just showing up empty handed."
Hiro's eyes lit up giving a quick nod.
"Yes!"
Takashi grinned. "Let's get started then."