I'm Still Here (Hiro x Reader)

Chapter Fifteen

| Your POV |

"___, it's starting to rain. Dad is going to drop you off on his way to work. Okay?" You mom informs you through your closed door.

"Okay," you say tiredly. You pick up your comb and run it through your hair quickly. You stop and look into the mirror to observe your appearance. The black dress that you are wearing stops at your knees. Your black flats accompany the dress nicely, and you're wishing that the reason you're dressed nicely was a good one.

You'd been dreading this day ever since you got the information on when it was. Tadashi Hamada's funeral. You didn't want to go. You want to curl up underneath your blankets and never come out. The last five nights have been hard to get through. You have hardly slept, resulting in heavy purple shadows under your eyes. You need to sleep, but you can't. Other than trying to sort through your own pain, you're trying to help Hiro. You haven't seen him or heard from him since that night. He ignores your texts and calls. You're not mad at him, though. How could you be?

A knock on your door pulls your attention away from your thoughts. "___, are you ready?"

No, you think. "Yeah." You pick up your coat, umbrella, and phone and walk out of your room.

-

"Tadashi Hamada was one of the most kind, loving, and brilliant people on this earth. The loss will affect everyone in San Fransokyo, especially his family and friends. We take comfort in knowing that. . ." As the preacher continues to speak, you glance over at your friend. He's standing in the front with Aunt Cass. Someone is holding a black umbrella over their slumped shoulders. Cass looks defeated and exhausted. Hiro looks. . . completely empty. You sigh and look away. You don't even notice that you're crying until Fred wraps an arm around you and hugs you closely and Wasabi takes your umbrella. He holds it for you as Honey Lemon pulls a fresh tissue out of her purse and hands it to you. Go Go's hand lands on your shoulder and you are happy to be surrounded by your friends. Even they are dealing with their own pain, yet they comfort you, knowing that they are hurting.

After the service, Wasabi says, "Everyone is going to Aunt Cass's house. Do you need a ride?" You nod. Inside, the car is completely silent. You stare out the window and watch the drops of water slide down the glass.

-

Aunt Cass is talking to one of her friends. She is clenching a tissue in her hand and nodding to every word her friend says. She hugs her closely before pulling away and turning to you.

"Hi, Cass," youu say sadly. "I just want to let you know that I'm here whenever you need me. To clean, cook, help out. . . I'm here."

Aunt Cass blinks back tears and steps forward to hug you. She's sniffling when she pulls away. "Oh, ___, we're so grateful to have you in our life. Tadashi really loved you as a person, you know." She dabs the corners of her eyes and then smiles sadly. "The only thing I'm really worried about is Hiro." She glances up at the staircase. "He hasn't said a word in days. He has only had a couple bites of food. I'm so worried about him, ___."

"I'll go talk to him," you say.

"He's upstairs." Before you step away, she hugs you again. "Thank you for coming. You mean a lot to us, sweetie."

"It's not a problem, Cass," you say. You wait for her to pull away. When she does, you slowly make your way up the dark staircase.

Hiro is sitting on the top step, his elbows resting on his knees and his head hanging. You pause and frown before continuing up the staircase. You take a seat on the same step and just look at him. He doesn't respond to your arrival. You don't say anything. You look down at your shoes. A few seconds later, Hiro leans over and lays his head on your shoulder. You wrap your arm around him and hug him closely, remaining silent.