I'm Still Here (Hiro x Reader)

Chapter Twenty

| Hiro's POV |

"Let me get this straight. A man in a kabuki mask attacked you with an army of miniature flying robots," the police officer states.

"Microbots," Hiro corrects. He can tell that the police officer isn't buying it. He had hoped that they would do something, but when two teenagers and a robot come into the station with a story about a yokai attempting to murder them, that does sound insane.

"Microbots," he repeats.

"Yeah! He was controlling them telepathically with a neurocranial transmitter. Baymax, ___, tell him!"

"It's true, officer!" you insist.

"Yes, it's tru-ue. . ." Hiro turns his head. Baymax is leaning over, his body less inflated.

"What's wrong with you?" Hiro asks.

"Low battery," Baymax announces before he starts sputtering nonsense. He drops to the floor. You lift him up and wave Hiro to go on.

Hiro sighs. "I know it sounds crazy-"

"Kid, look. Are you two siblings?" The cop points his pencil at you and Hiro. You don't respond. "Well, why don't you write your name and number down-"

"Sir, please!" you say breathlessly, trying to lift the robot. You glance at Hiro. He sighs and jerks his head forward, signaling you to follow him.

"Write your name and number down and I can get a hold of your parents. That way we can-" When the sheriff turns around, the three of you have already disappeared.

-

"Okay, ___, Baymax, if my aunt asks, we were at school all day. Got it?" Hiro instructs. You nod. He shuts the door gently. Baymax topples over and lands on the hard wooden floor. You help him up.

"Hiro? Are you home, sweetie?" Aunt Cass calls from upstairs.

"Uh- that's right!" He says. He holds a finger up to his lips. "At school all day," he repeats. You nod.

"We jumped out a window!" Baymax exclaims.

"Shh! You can't say things like that around Aunt Cass!"

Baymax drops his voice to a whisper, "We jumped out a window."

Hiro smiles and nods. He starts up the steps and you follow behind. Hiro makes it to the top and leans against the railing. "H-Hey, Aunt Cass."

"There's my college man! Wings are almost ready." She notices you and smiles in surprise. "Oh! You didn't tell me that you were inviting company over."

He elbows you. You clear your throat. "Yeah, I visited his lab and everything."

"Sounds cool," Aunt Cass says. "I'll make an extra plate just for you then."

"Wings!" Baymax sings in a high pitched voice. Hiro shoves him down the steps.

"Yeah, wings!"

Hiro and you both grab Baymax's arm and force him up the steps. "Alright, kiddos. Get ready to have your faces melted!" She turns around. You and Hiro are at the foot of the steps, standing awkwardly close. Hiro takes a step to the side.

"The thing is, Aunt Cass, since I registered so late, I have a lot to catch up on."

"And I'm going to help him," you add. Hiro nods. There's a loud thump from upstairs. Hiro winces. Hopefully Baymax didn't break anything.

"What was that?" Cass asks.

"Mochi!" Hiro lies. "Oh, that darn cat!" He feels you elbow him roughly. He shoots you a dirty look. You point to the floor, where Mochi is tangled around your feet. In a rush of panic, Hiro scoops that cat up and tosses him up the stairs.

"Oh. Well, take a plate for the road, at least." Aunt Cass turns around with two plates of wings.

Hiro walks over to her and takes them. "Thanks for understanding."

"See you later, Aunt Cass," you say.

Hiro walks up to his bedroom and drops the plates on the small table. "Help yourself," he says back to you. He helps Baymax up. "Come on, buddy. One step at a time." When Baymax is in his charger, Hiro backs up to his bed and falls back. He lifts the small microbot and shakes his head. "It doesn't make any sense."

"We'll figure everything out," you assure him, leaning against the wall.

Hiro gives you a small smile and nods. It's silent for a moment until Hiro hears Baymax say, "Tadashi."

He slowly sits up. "What?" He follows Baymax's gaze to the dark side of the room.

"Tadashi," Baymax says again.

Hiro slowly gets up. "Tadashi's gone."

"When will he return?"

"He's dead, Baymax," Hiro answers brokenly. He looks at Tadashi's hat that rests at the foot of his bed. Sighing, he slides the paneling closed.

"Tadashi was in excellent health. With a proper diet and exercise, he should have lived a long life."

Hiro walks to his desk. "Yeah. He should've. But there was a fire and now he's gone."

"Tadashi is here," Baymax insists.

"No!" Hiro replies, "Everybody keeps saying that he's not really gone as long as we remember him." He falls back in his chair and swivels it around. "It still hurts." The anxiety returns, chilling Hiro's hands and shaking his body. He squeezes his eyelids shut and the whole scene replays in his head.

Hiro open his eyes and looks over when you kneel down beside him. Your hand touches his and you intertwine your fingers with his. Your warm hands feel nice around his cold ones. His shaking slows. Hiro's lips pull up into a thankful smile. Your eyes leave his brown ones and you say, "Baymax?"

Hiro turns around, still keeping his hand in yours. Baymax is touching the computer. Files flash by on the screen. "Baymax, what are you doing?"

"I am downloading a database on personal loss," Baymax explains. He removes his hand from the machine and nods. "Download complete. Treatment for personal loss requires contact with friends and loved ones. Your contact with ___ is helping."

Hiro's heartbeat increases and his eyes drop to your hand that is still holding his. His cheeks heat up and he drops your hand.

"I am contacting your friends," Baymax states.

"No, no, no, no!" Hiro exclaims.

"Your friends have been contacted."

Hiro turns around and rolls his eyes. "Unbelievable." Baymax's arms wrap around him suddenly. Hiro squirms in the grasp. "Now what are you doing?"

"Other treatments include physical reassurance," he says. "You will be alright. There, there."

Hiro can't help but laugh. He looks over at you, who joins in on laughing. You step forward and wedge yourself in the hug. You wrap your arms around Hiro and say, "I'm here for you, too. Whether you like it or not."

Hiro lays his cheek against the top of your head. "Thanks," he says softly. He slowly moves out of the hug.

"I am sorry about the fire," Baymax adds.

"It's okay. It was an accident." Then something sinks in. The microbots. It was no accident that they were making more. Maybe the fire was started by someone who wanted his microbots. "Unless. . . it wasn't."

"Hiro?" you ask. "Of course it was."

"Think about it, ___! Someone is making more microbots in the city. Someone tried to kill us! We've got to catch that guy." He turns to Baymax. "If we're gonna catch him, you're gonna need some upgrades."