Who We Are (Hiro x Reader)

chapter twenty-three

That night, the rain starts again. It's peaceful, as it blocks out any sounds from creepers passing by. It also helps you out; they can't hear noises from the van, where you're staying for the night, with the rain pounding on the roof.

Which is a good thing, since Hiro's snoring.

You smile and look down at him. He's curled up in a loose ball, the top of his head just centimeters from your leg. His arm is draped over your lap, as if he's afraid to let you go while he sleeps. You play with his hair as you watch the rain fall from the passenger window. Your fingers get tangled in his long, matted locks. You chuckle and spend the rest of your time trying to gently comb through it with your fingers. Eventually, you stop and just rest your hand on his back.

"Why'd you stop?" Hiro mumbles quietly.

You smile. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

Hiro blindly searches for your hand. When he finds it, he takes it in his and lifts it near his hair. "Don't stop, okay?" he asks.

"Okay, I won't," you breathe. You lean down and kiss the side of his head. Shifting, you move yourself onto your side. Hiro is snoring again when your fingertips start to move through his messy hair. Your forehead is touching his temple, your eyes closed. There was something about laying here next to him, while he was sleeping and vulnerable, that made your heart love him ten times as much.

You absentmindedly start humming a song. It was an old song that your Mom used to sing. You can't even remember the name of it or the words, just the tune. It calms you, though, and it makes you feel at home. You're picturing your old house, the one you lived in when you were six. Cup of milk in hand, on Mom's lap, Mom's hands twisting your hair up into a braid, the perfect melody of that song coming from her throat. Six year old you shuts your eyes, gently swaying to the comforting sound of your mother's singing.

You jerk out of the memories. Tears prick out of your eyes. Sick of crying! So sick of it! You wipe them quickly and start to sit up. You look out the window as your clear your face, trying desperately to keep your emotions pushed down.

"What... what is it?" Hiro mumbles, slowly sitting up.

You sniffle and say, "You're supposed to be asleep."

"Well, you stopped," he says.

"Sorry." You wipe your nose.

Hiro immediately picks up that something's wrong. "What is it?" He sits up and moves closer to you.

"Nothing, just go back to sleep, okay?" you grumble.

"No. No way. Not until you feel better." He wraps his arms around you and pulls you into the space between his legs. You lay your face on his chest and shut your eyes. "What is it? You know that I'll understand."

"I just... I want to go home," you say, your breath hitching in your throat. "I know that I don't have a home anymore and that my family is dead, but I just miss them. Please don't be mad."

Hiro lets out a deep breath. He pulls you closer to him until your head is resting on his shoulder. "What-? Why would I be mad?"

"B-Because I don't want you to think that you're not good enough," you explain. "Hiro, you're more than I could've ever asked for. I love you more than anything, but-"

"But you miss your family," Hiro finishes for you. "And you have every right to. ___, I'm not kidding, not even a little bit, when I say that I am so in love with you. I don't know what you did, but you really did change me. You're my entire world now. I promise, I will try to make you as happy as I can."

You nod and wrap your arms around his neck. "I'm such a terrible person. You do so much for me."

"You're the best person I know." He kisses your cheek and lays back down. You lay next to him, your forehead touching his and his hand around yours.

"What are you thinking about?" you whisper.

"Hm... the future."

"There isn't one," you mumble.

"You know, a beautiful girl that I hardly knew once told me that she didn't believe that. What changed?" he asks.

"I watched the dead kill your family," you say coldly. "I couldn't do anything to stop it and then I realized that I couldn't save everyone. That's what changed."

Hiro sits in silence for a moment. After a long minute, he asks, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Huh?"

"Like, after all of this. After we save the world and live like normal people again."

"Um..." you ponder. "I think... well, I've always wanted to be an artist. I wanted to put something beautiful in this world. I guess the world really needs it now, huh?" You laugh to yourself before continuing with, "I don't know, I needed lots of practice with art and I wasn't even brave enough to pick up a brush and attempt it. I'd probably be flipping hamburgers or mopping bathroom floors in a gas station."

Hiro chuckles. "You know what I want to be?"

"What?" you ask curiously.

"I want to be married to you," he whispers. "I want to have a small house in a small town. I want to take you on dates and make dinners for you and hold you and not have to worry about losing you. I want to be yours forever and have lots of babies and grandkids and just build a family."

You sit up and look at him. "Hiro-"

"We both lost our families," he reminds you. "We're all alone unless we stick together. You don't want a family?"

"It's not that," you assure him. "I want that, too."

He smiles. "Good-"

"But you have to realize that it probably won't happen. One of us is going to die one day. It'll be an accident. The wrong move... being at the wrong place at the wrong time... we could give up-"

"No," Hiro snaps. He pulls you against him and shakes his head. "No, I-I can't stand the thought of losing you. Not now. Not after everything."

"I'm sorry," you breathe, tilting your head up and kissing his neck. "I'm here, and that should be enough for right now."

Hiro nods. After a long silence, he says, "I never wanted anything like that before. You've changed my life, ___."

You smile and shut your eyes. "You've changed mine, too, Hiro."

"If you leave me, I-" he cuts himself off and pulls you tighter against him. "If I lose you, I don't think that I'll have the strength to go on."

"You'll have to," you whisper.

"No-"

"You have to," you repeat in a stern voice. "Just like if I lose you. We both want each other to live long, happy lives. One of us dying shouldn't change that. Whether you're with me or I'm with you or not, we need to stick with our promise to try our best."

Hiro sighs.

"Okay, new rule," you say. "Starting tomorrow, no tears. No crying from either of us. Got it?"

Hiro chuckles. "Got it."

"We're just gonna be two happy people, beating up the undead so we can live."

"Sounds like the perfect life to me," Hiro says. He leans in and kisses the tip of your nose. "Goodnight."

"Night." And because you know he'll ask, you start playing with his hair again. It was insane, but as long as Hiro was next to you, you'd be okay if the world ended a second time.