Interlaced By Hatred | Hidashi AU

| Chapter 8 |

These feelings occasionally act up once in a while, especially at night, when he would be lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. Everything about Tadashi, everything that he thought he hated about him suddenly became the most endearing thing he had ever seen.

It didn't take long for Hiro to know that he was falling way too fast. He was going to fall so hard that it was going to hurt horribly. Nobody was waiting for him on the ground. Nobody was going to catch him and yet, he was still letting himself believe that one day, that would change.

Sometimes, he would forget about these feelings and everything would feel normal. But then Tadashi would do something to remind him why he was possibly-in-love with him and everything normal would become different. His world didn't seem to make sense anymore.

It was like he was missing a part of himself and he finally found it, only for it to be unattainable because Tadashi was never going to give it. He was drowning sometimes in this fame, in this mess he called life, in these emotions of his that never made him feel at ease and every time, he wanted to go back to where he came from, to a place where everything made sense once.

The people around him didn't take a chance to know him, just assuming they knew everything about him just because they attended his fan meetings or read about him from a book. But his true self was still inside of him and Tadashi was ever the only one who came close to reaching the real him.

Hiro just wished that he could breathe without having to worry about anything anymore.

But there was no such luck in his life.

A flash went off before he could even realise it. He glanced up and noticed some people staring at him as he entered the restaurant. Their phones were out and people began whispering, talking about him like he wasn't there.

For a minute, he wanted nothing more but to walk up to them and tell them to shut up. The frustration started to peak when a few of them approached him, asking for a picture, asking for an autograph, asking for anything and everything all at once.

Hiro simply smiled back, gave them the stupid pictures and signed off his signature, hoping they would leave him alone. He just wanted to buy something to eat and leave. But even after twenty minutes and the crowd didn't relent, he was beginning to feel weary.

He was beginning to lose any sense of patience. His smile started to become plastic, sharped at the edges and his eyes no longer held the shine. He felt like he had lost a part of himself that he couldn't retrieve every time he had to wear this facade in public.

Just as he was about to finally snap, a hand landed on his shoulder, warm and comforting. "Please, he's all exhausted right now," Tadashi said, his voice coming out soft and gentle to everyone surrounding them. "Maybe let him buy something to eat?"

The crowd looked disappointed but they relented and slowly started to leave. They did ask for Tadashi for an autograph or two and then, they finally left them alone. The hand on his shoulder tightened, shocking Hiro from his trance at Tadashi's sudden appearance.

"Tadashi?" Hiro asked, his voice got stuck in his throat when Tadashi looked at him and grinned widely, showing off his pearly whites. The hand on his shoulder dropped and Hiro felt the sudden wash of disappointment at the lack of warmth.

His cheeks blazed at the thought as he took a step back. He dropped his gaze to the floor. His heart started to beat against his chest at their close proximity. "Hey," Tadashi said. "What coincidence, huh?" he joked, his voice coming out light.

"Y—yeah," Hiro said as he sighed gently, rubbing the back of his neck. Tadashi appeared when he needed someone the most. Like a knight in a shining armour, his mind supplied unhelpfully. Hiro's cheek reddened even more. His hands started to feel clammy and his mind whirled at the thought that Tadashi was here, with him.