Dear Guest (#2) and 'for gods sake',
For the sake of this response I will assume you are one person. Till I'm Gone is a story about recovery. But for there to be something to recover from, something first must be lost. While we know what this arc will lead to (see first chapter), we did not know at that point what led this story's Hiro to attempt suicide. I felt it would be best to show this slow decent and the (eventual) recovery process instead of wrapping it up in a simple paragraph or more stating that that incident lead to the creation of Baymax. This story has touched people. People who have gone through similar things as this version of Hiro and have told me as such in their reviews. Some of what they have told me has brought me to tears at points. This story shows that they are not alone. That is the point of this story. And for you to say that I shouldn't write depressing things, when I myself also have been moved by the story and other outside sources, it is unbelievable. I respect your opinion but I ask you, will you stay with us until the end? Because this story at its core is about hope and enduring. It's about moving on and finding the strength to live again. It's not about the depression, though it may seem that I am harping on it all too much. It's about the recovery that happens afterwards. I know that some people aren't that lucky to have that recovery and support system. I write this because their stories need to be told too. So I ask again, dear Guest, will you stay until the end? Or will you hit the backspace and pretend you never read this? The choice, as always, is yours.
Yours truly, Sora Matasuki.
With that out of the way, enjoy the story!
Till I'm Gone
Sora Matasuki
Chapter Eight
Tadashi glanced up from where he was leaning against the car and felt his breath catch in his throat and his heart stop in his chest.
"Hiro!" he yelled, pushing off the car and racing to his little brother's staggering side. "What happened to you?!"
Hiro weakly grinned up at his older brother through a split lip, the left side of his face red and puffy. "Word to the wise, never get into a fight with a speeding soccer ball." The twelve year old gave a pained little laugh at his own wit.
Tadashi bent down and carefully cupped his little brother's bruising face in his bigger hands. Gently, he tilted Hiro's face from side to side, examining the place of injury with a scrutiny that would rival any medically trained doctor. He reached out a thin finger and lightly brushed against Hiro's swelling shut eyelid, tenderness in the touch and pouring out of his eyes as they bored into the twelve year old's face, observing his injuries.
Despite himself, Hiro felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. Tadashi immediately noticed, his thumb brushing away a tear that had managed to squeeze out of his right eye.
"Hey… does this hurt?" the sixteen year old asked, concern in his voice.
"A little…" Hiro admitted sullenly, a weary smile stretching the scab forming on his lip.
Tadashi frowned and did a once over before letting go. "Looks like you earned yourself a black eye, kiddo."
Hiro rolled his good eye. "Yay… somethin' I always wanted…"
"C'mon bonehead, let's get you home so we can ice that battle wound of yours." With minute hesitation, Tadashi reached up and ruffled his little brother's fluffy hair.
"M'kay…" the twelve year old mumbled, leaning into Tadashi's touch and making the sixteen year old frown deeper in concern at the uncharacteristic action.
Taking his little brother's face in his hands once more, Tadshi peered even more closely at Hiro's half lidded eyes and at the pain held within those brown eyes. "Hiro, c'mon buddy… look at me. I need to check that you don't have a concussion from being hit in the head."
Hiro let out a token mumble of protest but looked at his brother with an exaggeratedly wide eyed look, opening them as far as they could go. He winced as his swelling left eye twinged painfully at the action.
Tadashi peered into his little brother's wide eyes as he ignored the sass he was given, eyes flickering to observe every minute flash of pain that filtered through Hiro's face. With a sigh of relief, the sixteen year old found nothing abnormal with the younger Hamada's pupils.
"Well, looks like all you have is a blooming black eye, not a concussion like I feared." Tadashi grinned, before gently maneuvering his little brother into a hug, careful to have the right side of Hiro's face pressed against his chest.
"Mph! Tadashi!" Hiro spluttered, his protest muffled by his elder brother's shirt as he flailed slightly in surprise before settling in Tadashi's arms completely self conscious of the fact that the whole school was able to see them getting mushy. "Tadashi… I'm…. I'm okay."
Tadashi put his chin on top of Hiro's fluffy head. "They shouldn't have hit you in the face with that ball, bonehead. When I find out who hurt you I'll -"
Hiro pulled out of the hug, rolling his good eye before giving his older brother a sceptical look. "You'll what? Tadashi, it was an accident. I'm okay. Stuff like this happens." He leaned to the right slightly, putting his weight on one of his feet with his arms dangling. "Esssspecially when the guys get ahold of a soccer ball." Hiro's arms crossed over his midsection as he slightly hunched in on himself. "Man… they're real crazy about their sports… A… little too crazy…"
Tadashi grumbled but reached up to ruffle Hiro's fluffy hair once more. "Still, those guys should apologize to you. No one hurts my otouto and gets away with it."
Tadashi never saw the way Hiro froze with a pained grimace as the sixteen year old had already turned around to get in the car, having deemed the conversation over. Hiro's heart sunk as he heard the door slam shut, only to brighten slightly when his older brother's head popped out of the window, looking back at him.
"Hiro! You coming? We need to get you some ice for the bruising!"
Hiro shook himself and gave a pained grin that Tadashi attributed to the bruising on his face.
"Just hold your horses Tadashi, I'm coming!" Hiro called before walking over to the passenger side. He slid into the passenger seat, backpack settling near his feet as he slammed the door. "Let's go!" he said, dramatically pointing forwards and making Tadashi laugh as he started the car.
"As you wish, bonehead." Tadashi said easily.
Hiro lay on his bed, staring up at the darkened ceiling as he pressed a ice pack wrapped in a towel against his eye. A frown claimed the form of his lips as he reflected on what had happened during PE.
While what he had told Tadashi about the source of his injuries were true, the intentions behind the ball to the face were not. Hiro knew it hadn't been an accident the ball had been sent careening to his face. He'd seen the smirk a split second before the impact. That smile had honestly scared Hiro, had jolted his heart to attempt gymnastics and fail miserably.
He remembered the way his head had snapped sideways and back a bit from the force of impact and then how he had fallen over from the shock of it. Hiro had been lucky to have fallen forwards onto the grass and not backwards onto the asphalt.
Hiro's frown grew deeper as his phone's timer chimed, signalling the end of his ten minutes. Stupid bullies. Now he was here at home treating his own stupid black eye, having to put an icepack on his face in ten minute cycles.
Another thing that bothered Hiro was his inability to man up and tell Tadashi what was going on in his life. It was stupid! Logically, the twelve year old knew that it would be best for Tadashi to be aware of what was going on and all but something inside him just wouldn't let him!
What if Tadashi finds out and he thinks I'm pathetic? Hiro questioned to himself and the thought made him tremble and tears prick at the corners of his eyes again. If that were to happen, it would be too much. Not when everyone around him was saying such horrible things… Things he was starting to believe.
Then another thought struck him. What if Tadashi already knows, and those words were just for show? His trembling turned into full on shudders as Hiro choked down a sob. What if Tadashi really doesn't care? Is that why they got so bold as to shove my head in the toilet and film it? With shaking hands, Hiro covered his mouth to muffle his cries as the dark thoughts kept coming.
Tadashi doesn't care. Tadashi doesn't care. Tadashi's never going to help. He doesn't care. He thinks I'm pathetic. He thinks I'm a worthless know it all. He probably hates me. He…
With a whimper, Hiro curled up on his right side and let the tears fall.
He fell asleep to the thoughts of Tadashi never cared, rolling around in his head.
"Hey Tadashi, can you go take this up to Hiro? I know he's had a rough day so they're his favorites."
Tadashi looked up from the table he'd been cleaning at Aunt Cass' request and nodded with a grin as his eyes took in the steaming plate of Hiro's favorite type of hot wings in her hands. "Sure Aunt Cass. Just let me finish wiping down this table then I'll take it up."
Aunt Cass sighed gratefully, setting the dish down on an unoccupied table for him to pick up when he was finished. "Thank you, you're an angel Tadashi."
Tadashi grinned at the praise then focused on wiping the last bits of crumbs off the table that the previous customer had left. Once that was finished he dumped the dirty rag into the box full of dirty dishes. With that secured to his hip, Tadashi grabbed the plate of hot wings in his free hand and trooped off to the kitchen to dump his first load off.
Once the box full of dirty dishes was put safely onto the counter, Tadashi peeled off the black apron and headed towards where the stairs were located.
He jumped up them two at a time, careful not to spill his little brother's dinner as he did so and paused as he noticed the darkened lights. With a rueful smile and a shake of his head he crept into the room as he noticed the blinds were drawn.
"Oh Hiro…" Tadashi sighed, setting the food down on the desk as he saw his little brother had fallen asleep. Walking over, Tadashi sat down on the edge of the bed and noticed how his little brother's phone was chiming in an alarm, the icepack not on his face.
Reaching over, Tadashi grabbed the discarded icepack and gently put it on the bruise, putting a soothing hand on the small of Hiro's back between his shoulderblades as the twelve year old stirred with a murmured protest.
"Shh… I'm here, otouto, I'm not gonna hurt you. Just rest. I'll take over for now." Tadashi whispered into Hiro's ear. The boy whined slightly before snuggling deeper into his pillow. Tadashi stood up and observed the fact that Hiro had left his shoes on. With a rueful sigh, Tadashi set to work on getting his little brother out of them so he could put the covers over him without getting anything dirty.
That done, Tadashi gently lifted his little brother up, shooshing him softly as the youth stirred with a mumbled protest once more. "I've got you, kiddo…"
"Mhph…" Hiro sighed quietly, snuggling into Tadashi's arm as the sixteen year old dug around to pull the covers back, the twelve year old being awkwardly propped up in a curled position by the elder's leg as he jammed it against the bed frame to keep it at the right angle.
"Alright… here we go…" Tadashi sighed as he laid his brother down on his uninjured side, pulling up the covers as he placed the towel wrapped ice pack on the bruise once more.
Tadashi sat down on the bed and leaned over to kiss the crown of Hiro's head. "Love you kiddo…" he murmured sadly as he set the timer to sound off at a softer tone.
AN: Hey guys! I'm surprised I pumped this out as fast as I did! Also, be still my rapidly beating heart! We've broken 100 reviews! I'm floored! This has never happened to me before! Thank you all so much! I've never expected for my small insignificant headcannon to get noticed like it has! So thank you for sticking with me!
The biggest "thank yous" gooooo tooooo: Snowflake, Esax12x, Guest, umdiddle, Gazingatmoons, Highcrest Tomoko, darknessprincess1990, Hiro Hamada (aaaye see what you did there~), BlueD, DreamweaverAki, waterlilly49, DisneyandWildKrattfangirl, LizzyAnnG, KanaMac, Lappamara, Devil Red, Wheee, Chibi Atriel Tsukai, Silverstream, LadyWendy202, Ellamena, Ajhappyfeet, aaaand Bighero6lover (you got your wish my friend XD)!
SERIOUSLY THOUGH, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! YOU ALL ARE AWESOME! You've all made my day so much happier in comparison to yesterday, so THANK YOU! Thank you soo much for your sweet words and wonderful feedback! (...I dare say I'm rather addicted to them now...)
*sends out hugs and cookies to everyone* Thank you again for making my stay here in the fandom so wonderful!