illustration by jin kim
Summary: Hiro's first day at "Nerd School."
But first, some business--you can find the rest of the fic here:
Companion song for this fic is "Little Wonders" from Disney's Meet the Robinsons.
~Chapter Four: Always~
Unusually quiet, the five friends made their way out of the lab building, all a little lost in their own thoughts and trepidation. They rounded a corner and suddenly the memorial hall was looming in front of them.
It wasn't like they'd never seen it before; construction had gone on for while now and they often passed it on the way to classes. They'd contributed cheques for the building fund. Sometimes they'd stopped to watch the workers scurrying back and forth. The hall had been sitting quietly at the back of their minds ever since they heard the announcement that the city would honour Tadashi in this way.
Now, though, the workers had taken most of the scaffolding down, and although a few of the windows still had temporary opaque coverings, the small, softly rounded hall looked almost finished, gleaming in the dazzlingly bright afternoon sunshine.
Wasabi put a hand on Hiro's shoulder as the younger boy pushed the double doors open, and then they all seemed to gasp simultaneously, looking upwards in awe.
The strong golden sunlight fell through the latticed roof of glass and dark wood, casting long shadows on the marble floor and bringing out warm tones in the smooth wooden walls. A flock of a thousand copper-coloured origami cranes hung suspended in mid-air, as if about to break through the high, swooping ceiling. Rooms commemorating other notable people in the school's history opened off the main hall, filled with posters and displays. Voices from taped interviews of students and staff overlapped, forming a soft chatter in the background. While a few construction workers were still making the last adjustments, and the whine of a drill or sharp rapping of a hammer often sounded from one of the smaller rooms, the memorial hall was otherwise deserted.
Gazing around the hall, Hiro felt tears start to his eyes. Just great, he inwardly groaned. I haven't been here five minutes and I'm crying already.
Despite his mixed feelings, he still had to admit that the place was absolutely gorgeous. And as much as it hurt to have a permanent physical reminder that his brother was gone (and was never coming back), Hiro felt strangely proud that Tadashi would be remembered in this way.
This building meant that no one would forget him; that even as life went on a remembrance of him would always be here.
Then his eyes travelled to the far corner of the room, where a small alcove held a large photograph of Tadashi and a brass plaque. Hiro jumped as someone tapped him on the shoulder and turned to see Honey smiling sympathetically, the rest of the group close behind.
"Go ahead, Hiro," she said. "We'll wait here and give you some time alone."
~~~
Nodding mutely, Hiro headed towards the alcove while the others sat down at one of the many low benches that lined the room. He hesitated at the entrance, taking in the subtly layered cherry wood, the plaque that read Tadashi Hamada: 2014-2032 in engraved letters, and the softly glowing lamps that lit up the picture--
The picture.
Hiro remembered the picture. They'd taken it at the SFIT campus on Tadashi's very first day, when the boy had greeted his younger brother and Aunt Cass full of stories and enthusiasm. The blossoming cherry tress had framed Tadashi's smiling face, and he looked so happy and strong and alive that it gave Hiro a physical pain in the chest.
What was he supposed to do? What did people usually do to pay their respects? Did they bow? Light a candle? He honestly didn't know, until he remembered their visits to their parents' graves. He would usually sit there tongue-tied while Tadashi talked, mostly about his genius little brother, or about school.
Just say something, Tadashi had encouraged him. It doesn't matter if they can't hear you. Just let it out.
"Hi, Tadashi," Hiro said, stepping closer to the photograph, wincing as his voice cracked. He clamped his mouth shut, struggling with how he would have had so much to say--after his first day at SFIT, too--if his brother was actually here.
"So, my first day," he continued awkwardly, looking up at his brother's smile.
"I really enjoyed it. I learnt a lot."
A pause.
"It's a new feeling, you know? Actually learning while I'm at school?" Laughing nervously, Hiro scratched the back of his neck. "I get to see my friends, and I'm working in your lab now. I moved your stuff. I know you won't mind."
Another pause as Hiro met the warm brown eyes in the photograph. Go on, they seemed to say kindly.
"I really miss you, Tadashi. You and Baymax both. I'm sorry I lost him. You said you'd always be with me, but...you're not." Hiro's voice caught, and he rubbed his hand against his eyes.
"But I know neither of you would want me to give up on my dreams. I...I think I'm really going to like it here. I know I've said this before, but," Hiro went on, marvelling at how his brother's face seemed almost real through a haze of bittersweet tears, "I'm here because of you. Thanks...for not giving up on me."
As Hiro turned around, ready to go back to his friends, he pictured Tadashi that terrible night, a knowing grin on his face.
Welcome to nerd school...nerd.
~~~
Half an hour later, after they'd all paid their respects, the team left the memorial hall, sober and meditative.
Finally Fred broke the silence. "So," he began, shrugging a little, "how about that ice cream?" Glancing at Hiro, he added before the younger boy could speak, "I've got strawberry flavour too. And caramel."
"Actually," said Honey, tilting her head thoughtfully. "That sounds really good right now.I have to go back to the lab to wrap up a few things first though."
"Second," Go Go agreed. "I need to lock up my bike. I think someone's been messing with it after hours." She scowled, and Hiro smiled--that person was going to pay.
He didn't really have anything pressing to do, but he did want to rearrange the things on his desk around a bit more so he would have more space to work, so he followed the others back to the lab building and pushed open the door to what he had begun to call the Hamada lab.
His eyes instantly fell on the baseball cap and cardboard box, now illuminated in a small patch of sunshine.
And suddenly he really, really felt like a fistbump.
Laughing to himself, he heaved the cardboard box onto a table near the window and carefully, almost lovingly, pulled the rocket fist out.
Maybe it was a silly whim, but Hiro couldn't think of not ending the first day of school with a Hamada bros fistbump, and this was the closest he could get right now.
Hiro pressed his fist against the cold metal and let it go, wiggling his fingers. "Badalalala!" he whispered, making his friend's butchering of an explosion sound with a little half-smile.
Then the clenched fingers of the rocket fist slowly opened up, revealing something small and green and rectangular.
Could it be?
Breathlessly, Hiro picked it up. The slim green card had a smiling doctor graphic and the words "Tadashi Hamada" in his brother's familiar capitals printed on it, and felt light in his hand.
Hiro stared down at the nurse chip in disbelief. He thought back to that moment in the portal just before he let his best friend go.
Hiro, I will always be with you.
Notes:
1. Some of this is inspired by Hiro's Journal, a movie companion book, and, again, a really great read.
2. No pictures this time, sorry!
3. That's the end! Hope you enjoyed! I know I enjoyed writing it. :)
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