Work Text:
-oOo-
It must be a dream.
He must be dreaming right now.
Because, there, he saw Hiro. He was standing there right in front of him. Giving him his warm smile. The smile he had longed since that day. The day where he thought he had lost him forever.
But, as much as he felt happy to see him again, it was impossible! He had deactivated Hiro and destroyed all of his body parts with the metal shredding machine. He didn’t even try to rebuild Hiro. So how was that possible? How was that possible to see Hiro who was standing, right in front of him?!
He could feel his tears streaming down on his cheeks. He put aside his questions from his mind. He stood up, and walked toward Hiro. Slowly. When he was finally in front of him, he pulled Hiro into a tight hug. Hiro was surprised at Tadashi’s sudden hug, but he just smiled and returned his hug.
They stood there, hugging each other. After a few moments of hugging, Tadashi pulled away. He put his hands on Hiro’s cheeks. Examining the Hiro in front of him. Questions filled his head.
Tadashi could feel Hiro’s chubby cheeks. His eyes weren’t glassy like robot’s eyes. His hair was as messy as it used to be, only it felt like real and natural hair. He could feel Hiro’s flesh under his skin through his hands. And most importantly, Hiro was breathing.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Hiro asked, tilting his head to the side.
Tadashi was pulled back from his thought. He even sounded like the ‘Hiro’ he knew. And, this ‘Hiro’ knew him, too. He even called him ‘bonehead’. A nickname his android brother used to call him.
“You.. Are you really Hiro?” he finally asked.
That ‘Hiro’ raised his eyebrow, “Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Tadashi’s jaw dropped. His hands trailed down until they reached Hiro’s hands. Tadashi looked down as he held those small hands. They were skinny, and felt so real. He looked up to Hiro again. “You.. are a.. human?”
Hiro was a bit taken aback when he heard Tadashi’s questions. He smiled again then answered, “Yes. I am a human, Tadashi.”
Hiro freed his hands from Tadashi’s hold. His hands reached up to Tadashi’s face and wiped the tears with his thumbs. “Stop crying. Aren’t you happy to see me?” he asked. His smile suddenly started to fade, “Or, maybe you don’t even want to see me?” Hiro’s smile fell, and it seemed as if there was a cloud of storm around him.
“No!” Tadashi said loudly, making Hiro flinched a bit. “No. I really, really want to see you. You didn’t even know how much I missed you,” Tadashi confessed as he hugged Hiro again. Tighter than the first hug.
Feeling his body was once again enveloped into a tighter hug, Hiro just smiled again and hugged him back again. Feeling the warmth he felt from Tadashi’s body. They stayed like that for like another minute. That was until Tadashi broke the hug, “Okay, I really have so many questions running inside my head right now. But this is not a good place for that. So, where do you live?”
“Where I live?” Tadashi nodded. “Well, to be honest, I’m not from here, San Fransokyo. I’m from Metropolis City,” Hiro told him.
“Metropolis City?! That’s like more than a hundred kilometres from here!”
“Hm, it’s 186 kilometres to be exact. By the way, it’s getting dark. Can you help me to find a motel to stay?”
Tadashi narrowed his eyes, “No. Not a motel. You can stay at my place.”
“Tadashi, I don’t want to be a burden to you. And besides, your aunt didn’t really like me,” Hiro looked a bit sad. Tadashi just shook his head, “No, you’re not a burden. I can explain to her later, so don’t worry.”
“But-” Tadashi cut him, “No buts! You stay at my place and that’s final. Come on,” Tadashi said. He grabbed Hiro’s hand and dragged him to where he parked his moped. He put on his helmet and a spare helmet on Hiro’s head. After both of them hopped on, they rode away back to Tadashi’s home.
-oOo-
Hiro was sitting in Tadashi’s room now, on the other bed android Hiro used to ‘sleep’. Earlier, when they just arrived and spotted Aunt Cass in the kitchen, she froze. She thought her nephew rebuild Hiro. Tadashi said no, and asked her to make dinner for Hiro, too. After that, they went upstairs to Tadashi’s room.
Hiro lied his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. While Tadashi was changing his clothes. When he was done, he walked to the other bed and sat down next to Hiro who he sat up after seeing him. They were silent for a while, until Tadashi broke the silence, “So, you really are a human.”
“I thought we were already done with that part,” Hiro raised his eyebrow.
“I know,” Tadashi sighed. “But I’m still wondering how this is possible.”
Hiro didn’t say anything. He was thinking about something. “You know, I’m also wondering on how you could make an android that looked exactly like me. Have you seen me somewhere before?”
He shook his head, “No. I just remembered my mom’s image and thought I could make an android little brother that looked like her. Since I look like my dad, I thought it would be fair if my little brother had her face. And I made some resemblances to me so we would look like real siblings.”
“I see.”
“But, I’m still confused. I never thought that I actually made an android that looked like a real person in real life.”
Hiro chuckled, “I know. And that android knew how to feel emotions.”
“Yeah, that too. It’s still a mystery to me,” Tadashi sighed as he pinched his nose.
There was a pause between them. Hiro gazed up, staring outside the window, “You know, maybe it had to do with the accident that happened to me.”
Tadashi abruptly turned his gaze toward Hiro, “Accident? You had an accident?”
Hiro nodded. “Yeah. My parents and I went on a vacation along with my parent’s friends. It was sunset that time. We found a good spot to take a photo with the sunset view, and it was near a cliff. We were actually a bit far away from the cliff. But somehow, suddenly a landslide happened and we fell off the cliff.”
He took a deep breath and continued, “I woke up and found myself in the hospital room. The doctor told me that I was in coma for more than a month. My parents were still in comatose when I woke up. But a few hours later, they died. The social workers held their funerals after I was released from hospital three days later.
“I lost my parents. I had no one. My parents both were orphans, so we don’t have family relatives. I locked myself at home after their funerals. Grieving of their death. And two days later, the social workers came again to my house. They said, the house will be under my name after I turn eighteen. But until then, I must live in orphanage just as the law stated.
“They were nice enough to me to give me a chance. A chance to find someone who will be willing to be my guardian until I reach my legal age. They gave me two weeks, and if I don’t have someone to take over my guardianship, I have no choice but to live in orphanage.”
Hiro paused for a while. He knew Tadashi was still listening to his story. “A week had passed, and I still didn’t know what to do and who is willing to be my guardian. Then, I started having that dream. A dream of living as an android little brother of someone. From the first time he activated the android me, till he chose to deactivate me because of my bad attitudes.
“At first, I thought it was just another weird dream because of the stress. But that dream lasted for three days in a row. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I tried to do some researches about that. Then I found something. It said, when someone slips into coma, the soul will leave the body and roaming around places. Not knowing whether he is still alive or already dead.
“Then I remembered the dream. I remembered I saw the date and if it was real, I was still in coma that time. And maybe, my soul was really roaming around until it found the android you built that really looked like me and mistook it as its body. So I guess, because of that, I lived for more than a month as an android with you. An android with a soul. Someone’s soul who was on the bridge between life and death.”
Tadashi was still listening to Hiro’s story. “Then, I remembered everything. Everything I did while I lived as android. And, I remembered you,” Hiro said as he looked at Tadashi.
“I only have a few more days left before the social workers pick me up and put me into the orphanage. So, I decided to go here and pay a visit, just a few days. At first, I only wanted to see you from afar. But, you really looked so sad. Unlike the cheerful you in my memories, and I didn’t know why. That’s, until you went to that park.
“The park where I went for the first time after you built the android me. The memory of us having fun there that time. It came to me. And I didn’t like to see you sad and on the verge of crying when what I remembered was having fun together. When you clumsily tripped and fell down, I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to stop watching you from the far and approached you.”
Hiro shrugged his shoulders, “Although, I’m not sure why you looked so happy to see me and the next second, you examined me as if I’m not real. Like you thought you were hallucinating. With that horrible last memory, I thought you would hate to see me again and wanted me to go away from you and your life forever. But now, here I am, dragged by the clumsy bonehead who is sitting right next to me.” Hiro finished his story as he smirked toward Tadashi.
“Hey, I’m not clumsy!” Tadashi pouted. “Well, that was unbelievable. I mean, I built an android that looked like a real person without me knowing it. And now the real person is here, sitting right next to me. Although, I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Nah, it’s fine. Everyone has their own time, you know,” Hiro said, smiling weakly.
Tadashi noticed the hint of sadness behind his smile. He pulled Hiro into a tight hug. He tried his best to comfort him through his embrace. Hiro hugged him back. Tadashi could feel Hiro’s body was trembling. He knew Hiro was fighting his urge to cry.
“Hiro, if you want to cry, then cry. Don’t hold it back. I’m here for you,” he told him softly. Hearing that, Hiro’s last wall of dam crumbled down. He started crying in Tadashi’s arms. While Tadashi rubbed his hand on Hiro’s back, attempting to give the boy in his arms a comfort. Trying to assure Hiro that he was there and wouldn’t leave him alone.
He cried for a while in Tadashi’s arms. He felt calmer and more comfortable after crying in his arms and acknowledged Tadashi’s attempts to comfort him. He cried, until he unknowingly fell asleep. Tadashi who noticed this, just smiled and laid Hiro on the bed, gently. He covered the little boy’s body with the blanket and kissed his forehead. Tadashi then walked out quietly, trying not to awaken the sleeping boy.
-oOo-
“Oh, hey, Tadashi. Dinner will be ready in five minutes,” Aunt Cass said after she saw Tadashi walking down to the kitchen.
“Aunt Cass, Hiro is sleeping. So I guess we will have our dinner without him.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I will save his dinner. Make sure to reheat the foods and make him eat them all. I don’t want him to skip dinner.”
Tadashi smiled at how caring his aunt was, “Okay.” He took a seat on one of the chairs, his hand supporting his chin. He fell into a deep thought without him realizing it. And of course, Aunt Cass noticed this. She put the plates of food and their drinks on the table. When she was done, she sat on her chair and asked, “So, what do you have in mind that makes you lost in thought like that, hm?”
He blinked, “Huh?” Aunt Cass sighed, “You’ve been lost in thought for the past five minutes, Tadashi. And don’t say it’s nothing. I raised you since you were still little and I know that face you’re showing at me right now. So, tell me.”
“My face does say a lot of things, huh,” Tadashi said with a sheepish smile. “Well,” he started, “Earlier, Hiro and I had a talk. About everything. About more than a month ago, he just lost his parents. He slipped into a coma and when he woke up, they passed away. He is an orphan now. With no one and nowhere else to go. He remembered about me and decided to pay a visit before he finally has to go back and get sent to orphanage by the social workers.”
Aunt Cass felt sad for the boy. “Is there anything we can do to help him? I feel really bad if he really gets sent to orphanage. With his age, no one will want to adopt him.”
“Actually, he mentioned something about that,” Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck.
“What is it?”
“He said, he won’t be sent to orphanage if someone with at least a legal age takes his guardianship until he reaches his legal age,” he told her.
“Did he say he wants us to take his guardianship?” Aunt Cass asked in concern.
Tadashi sighed again, “No. He didn’t say anything like that. I guess, he will let them send him to orphanage eventually.”
Both of them turned silent. Unsure of what to say. Tadashi glanced at his aunt and called her, “Aunt Cass?” She looked up to him, “Yes?”
Tadashi took a breath before he finally asked her, “Can I be his guardian?”
Aunt Cass was taken aback hearing this. “Why is that?”
“Aunt Cass, as I told you, he has no one and nowhere else to go. I was in his place once. But the different is, I had you that time. While Hiro doesn’t have anyone. I don’t want him to spend four years in orphanage. I know how he feels and I don’t want him to go through the hard times all alone. I want to help him. And I want to be there for him so he knows that he’s not alone and will keep on going with his life. He has a bright future ahead of him. Please?”
After Tadashi finished, she didn’t say anything. Yes, her nephew was in Hiro’s place once. So she was pretty sure he could understand the little boy’s feeling right now. Though they had some bad experiences with android-Hiro, but she knew Hiro was actually a nice kid. And if by having him as their additional member of the family could make her nephew happy, then she would gladly accept the boy.
“You can. But, I guess that should be up to him whether he wants you to be his guardian or not. We can’t force him, you know. And, if he lets you take his guardianship, make sure to be a good role model for him, okay?” she said with a smile.
Joy filled Tadashi’s heart. His face was beaming with a happy smile on his face. “Thank you, Aunt Cass.” She just gave him her sweet smile, “Okay, let’s eat our dinner, now, shall we?” Tadashi nodded to her. He couldn’t wait to have this talk with Hiro soon.
-oOo-
Hiro’s eyes fluttered open slowly. He sat up and yawned. Looking around and he saw no Tadashi in that room. Just as he was about to call Tadashi, the person himself walked into the room, a plate and a glass of water in his hands. “Oh, you’re awake,” Tadashi said as he walked toward Hiro.
“This is your dinner. I already reheated it for you. Don’t skip dinner, it’s not allowed.”
And, a loud growl was heard, coming out from Hiro’s empty stomach. Hiro blushed while Tadashi chuckled at him. “Betrayed by my own stomach. How uncool!” Hiro stated, deadpanned. Tadashi put the plate on Hiro’s lap, “Here. Just eat before you get another betrayal.” Hiro punched his arm, pouted. Tadashi only laughed at him. But he ate the food anyway.
“You eat like a pig.”
“Oh, hush! Just shut up. I’m starving.”
“You didn’t skip lunch, did you?”
“……”
“Hiro…,”
“……”
“Unbelievable. No wonder you’re as skinny as a skeleton. I guess all the nutrition from the foods you ate went straight to your hair instead,” Tadashi ran his hand down on his face.
“I feel insulted somehow. But I forgive you. Your aunt’s food is delicious. I’m glad this isn’t a burnt pretzel,” Hiro smirked at him.
“Gee, thanks. And I burnt a pretzel one time! Why does everybody keep on reminding me about that?!” Tadashi whined. Hiro grinned, still eating the dinner Tadashi brought to him. When he finished his dinner, Hiro noticed that Tadashi was in a deep thought. He put the empty plate on the table beside him and asked, “Have something in mind?”
Tadashi looked at Hiro in the eyes. And it made Hiro felt nervous somehow. “Hiro,” Tadashi said, “It’s about our talk earlier.”
“Huh? What about it?” Hiro tilted his head in confusion.
“Are you planning on living in orphanage till your legal age?”
“Well,” Hiro shrugged, “I have no choice. I don’t have anyone after all. It’s better than living on the street.”
Tadashi hold Hiro’s hands, squeezed them. His face was unreadable. “Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong?”
“Hiro, actually, I had talked about this to Aunt Cass. But she wanted me to ask this to you instead.” Tadashi paused for a while, then he continued, “Can I take your guardianship? To be your guardian?”
At this, Hiro’s eyes widened. “W-what? Tadashi, you’re joking, right?”
“No, Hiro. I’m serious.”
“Tadashi, I’m just a no one to you. You don’t have to be my guardian. I’ll tell you, if you become my guardian, it means you will get responsibilities. And it will be a burden to you. Tadashi, I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
“But, I want it, Hiro. I would rather have those responsibilities and you burdening me than knowing you living in an orphanage. I know how it feels to be in your position. I was in that position years ago. The difference is I had my aunt that time, while you don’t have anyone.”
Hiro stared at Tadashi with sad eyes, “Why? Why do you want to do this? Is it because of a pity? I don’t need you to have a pity on me. I don’t need your charity either. Don’t worry, it’s just four years. I can go through with it.”
“I don’t do this because of pity. I want to ask you something, do you remember the memories back then? When you were my android brother?” Hiro only nodded. “You acted bad, like a brat. Even going to bot fights even though I always warned you. Why?”
Hiro was fidgeting with his fingers, seemed nervous, “Tadashi, I didn’t do it in purpose. It was because of my real personality, I guess. I was born a genius. I graduated from high school last year, when I was thirteen. But because of my brain, I never had friends, even just one. The kids in my school always picked on me, bullying me, from verbal to physical abuse. I know I acted like a brat, cocky and all-mighty. But, I did that so those kids wouldn’t know that I actually felt scared, and I wanted to look like I was strong and wasn’t scared to face them even though I was alone and had no one to defend me, to protect me.”
He looked up to see Tadashi, who was listening closely to him. “I wanted to tell my parents about it, but I couldn’t. They worked really hard so I can get a proper education and have a nice life, unlike them in the past. Seeing their tired face always made me didn’t want to tell them. I just smiled and tried to look like nothing wrong was happened, so they didn’t need to be worried about me.”
“But,” Hiro’s eyes became glassy, “I really am sorry. Because of that attitude, I gave you hard times. I realized how I became such a burden to you when you wished to have a little brother, a good one. Your aunt and friends were worried about you, and they got angry at me. I went bot fighting because I need money. You’re a really good big brother. I wanted to give you something, to tell you how grateful I was to have you as a big brother.”
Tears started rolling down on his cheeks. Tadashi’s eyes grew wide. “I stole some cash from your aunt for my first bot fight, and returned it after I went back. That’s why no one knew. I only did that to earn money, so I could give you something I created by myself. In the end, not only I became a burden to you, but also a bad little brother you didn’t even want. You’re a nice person, Tadashi. You deserve nice things in your life. While me, I’m not nice, and I don’t deserve you. If you still want to have a little brother, you can just simply go to an orphanage here and adopt one, with good personalities so you don’t have to worry every single minute you’re away.”
“Hiro, I-”
“I’m sorry. I really am sorry. Even my good intention burdened you.”
Tadashi couldn’t take it anymore and pulled Hiro into a tight hug once again. Hiro was surprised at this, but he was still crying. He wrapped his arms around Tadashi’s waist, feeling the warmth that reached into his heart.
“Hiro, stop saying that. Please. You were never a burden to me. Even now. I’m doing this because I care for you. You act like a brat, it’s normal. Every little sibling acts like that sometimes. And it’s understandable, because they have their own reasons, including you.”
He continued, “I want to be your guardian not because of pity or thinking you need charity. But because since the day you woke up as my android brother to this day, with your human self, I’ve already seen you as my own little brother. I don’t care about your past. I don’t care about what people say about you. All I care is you.”
Hiro pulled away. His eyes were on Tadashi’s, searching any hint of lies in them. But he didn’t find any. There was only sincerity there. Tadashi did mean his words.
“So, what’s your answer? Do you want to be my real little brother this time?” Tadashi asked, wiping Hiro’s tears with his thumb.
Hiro sobbed again. But this time, his eyes shined with happiness. His answer finally came out, “Yes!”
-oOo-
In Sakura Park, Tadashi was staring up to enjoy the Sakura flowers above him. The beautiful pink flowers that gave him a warm feeling. The gentle breeze blown around him. The fluttering petals down the ground. They all reminded him of things.
‘Ah, it’s been a year since that day. I never thought this day would come.’
Yes. It had been a year since Tadashi went to Metropolis City with Hiro. It had been a year since he talked to the social workers there. It had been a year since he became Hiro’s legal guardian. Hiro’s name was still Hiro Takachiho because he couldn’t really adopt him as little brother. But it didn’t matter for Tadashi. Because for him, Hiro was still his little brother, regardless blood related or not.
“Hey, Tadashi! If you don’t get here in five seconds, I’ll eat all your ice cream toppings!” Hiro shouted from afar, calling him with two ice creams in hands.
“Hey, those toppings are my favourite, you knucklehead!”
“I’ve already started counting~” Hiro sang.
“Alright, Alright, I’m coming!”
“You better hurry, or you’ll lose them~”
Tadashi sighed. Then he walked toward Hiro. His eyes bright and smile grew on his face. Tadashi was happy. And he wouldn’t trade it with anything else.
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“I’m coming, little brother.”
-oOo-