If You Loved Me (Tadashi x Reader)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

| Tadashi's POV |

"Aunt Cass?" Tadashi calls for his aunt as he walks down the stairs.

"In the kitchen," She says. "I'm making chicken wings for dinner."

"Um, can you save a plate for me? I'm going out to dinner with ___."

"Oh." She smiles. "Special occasion?"

"I. . ." Tadashi steps forward and leans over the counter. "I want to ask her to marry me."

Aunt Cass drops the plastic bowl of flour. Tadashi kneels on the floor to help her clean it up. Aunt Cass sits in front of him, setting a dustpan on the floor. "T-Tadashi, are you sure? I mean, you've only been with her officially for three months!"

"I've never been more sure about anything," He tells her. He lifts up the bowl and sets it in the sink. "You don't think she'll say no, do you?"

"Definitely not." She shakes her head. "But, Tadashi, you're still in college! I mean, what are you going to do? Juggle your work, your classes, and your love life?"

"I'll figure it out, Aunt Cass." He grabs the broom. Cass takes it. "___ and I will figure it out together. And who knows - if she says yes - when our wedding will be."

"Oh, sweetie. You know that I want the best for you. . . but this is so soon. You're so young."

"I love her, Aunt Cass. She is everything to me. I've thought about it and . . . I can't picture myself with anyone else."

Aunt Cass smiles and blinks away tears. "Oh, Tadashi!" She jumps forward and hugs him tightly. "I'm beyond happy for you. I know that she makes you happy. And I know that you love her. If you think that you can do this. . . well, I can't stop you."

Tadashi pulls away. "Thank you, Aunt Cass." He turns away, then turns back. "Wait." He wraps his arms around Aunt Cass again. "Last hug." He turns back.

"Oh! Tadashi!" Aunt Cass says. She walks to the foot of the steps.

Tadashi stops going up the steps. "Yeah?"

"You should probably talk to your brother. About the engagement." She smiles.

Tadashi returns the smile. "I will." He starts marching up the stairs again.

"I love you," Aunt Cass says.

Tadashi smiles again. "I love you, too, Aunt Cass."

Tadashi steps into the room he shares with his brother. Hiro is sitting on his bed, fixing up his bot. "Hey, Tadashi. Aunt Cass is making chicken wings tonight."

"Yeah, I heard. She's setting a plate in the fridge for me."

"Oh." Hiro rolls his eyes. "Dinner with ___ again?"

"Yeah," He says.

"What's the occasion this time, big bro?" He gets up and goes over to his desk.

"I-I'm going to ask her to marry me, Hiro," He says.

Hiro freezes. Tadashi flinches when he hears the bot crash to the floor. "You're what?"

"Going to ask her to marry me," Tadashi says.

Hiro turns to face his brother slowly. The sadness displayed on Hiro's face breaks Tadashi's heart. "But-"

"I love her, Hiro."

"Y-Yeah but I. . ." He shakes his head. "I just thought that you would wait a while. And I would have time. I'm not ready to lose my brother, Tadashi."

"Hey," Tadashi says. He walks up to Hiro and places a hand on his shoulder. "You're not going to lose me. I'll always be your big brother. I'll just. . . live somewhere else."

"And have a new family," Hiro says, crossing his arms.

"Well. . . yeah. Kinda. We're still in the same family. All of us. The family will just be bigger."

"I like it with just the three of us."

"Me, too, Hiro. But I really love her."

Hiro sighs. "I know you do."

"If she even says yes," Tadashi says with a stressful sigh.

Hiro smirks. "Yeah. But don't worry, bro. If she says no, there's always robots to build."

Tadashi glares at his brother. "Geez. Wow. That sounds like a great life."

"Right?" Hiro laughs. Tadashi rolls his eyes. Hiro playfully hits his brother's shoulder. "Hey, don't stress it. If she says no, she's crazy." Tadashi nods. Obviously, he's nervous. "And," Hiro continues, "thanks. For coming to me and letting me know. I really think you two are perfect together."

Tadashi smiles. "Thanks, knucklehead."