When We Met (Tadashi x OCreader)

Down One

***

I wake up to someone shaking me.

"Erin! Get up! This is serious!" GoGo whisper-shouts at me.

I open my eyes and squint at the clock. "GoGo, it's 1:22 in the morning. What do you want?" I say, annoyed. I turn on the lamp by my bed, and as my eyes focus, I notice that GoGo has been crying a little. I soften my tone, "Jenny, what happened?"

Shaking her head, she turns on the TV in my room and goes to the news. There are firetrucks surrounding a building, putting out a fire. On the bottom of the screen is a ticker tape with Breaking News, it reads: 8:15. Explosion at SFIT showcase building. 1 presumed dead, no body found. Just then, a photo of Callahan appears on the screen.   "Oh my gosh." I say, covering my mouth.

She starts tearing up again. "How did this happen? WHY did this happen?" she takes a deep breath, "I mean, I wasn't that close to Callahan, but being my professor and all, he still means - meant - something to me." 

I wrap her in a big hug and pat her back. "It's ok Jenny; just let it all out." I sit there hugging her, as she cries on my shoulder for a few minutes.  

"Thanks," she says, sniffling and wiping away the tears on her face.

Who did this, I wonder......and why?

***

[Two weeks later]

Today is the funeral. Although I didn't really know Callahan, I went, for GoGo and the others. I wanted to be there for support and a shoulder to cry on. We first went to the arches outside the Robotics building and everyone laid down flowers and/or a candle, then it was the burial. Afterwards, we gave our condolences to the family and went to the Lucky Cat. Due to the funeral, Cass closed the café for the day, so we had it to ourselves. When we got there, she made tea for us and we all sat around a table sipping our drinks, barely saying a word to each other, which was expected. We didn't really want to hang out, we just to be together, alone; just have each other's presence. After a while of sitting in silence, we all got up, ready to head home. We all went around hugging each other before filing out of the café.

***

It's been a few weeks since the funeral. The first week back was rough. We didn't have classes the first couple days back just because it was so sudden. Once we did get back into the swing of things, things were going well. A couple more weeks pass, and everyone is doing better, moving on with their projects. 

I try to get to the lab two or three times a week after my classes to see everyone and see how they're doing.  Everything seems to be running smoothly now; just as it did before the fire happened......well, almost everything.

I make my rounds, saying hey to everyone. The last person I acknowledge is Hiro. I then realize someone is missing.

 “Hey, where’s Tadashi?” I ask him, “each time I visit, he hasn’t been here.”

A frown appears on his face. “He hasn’t been here at all these last three weeks. He rarely misses classes, let alone this much. It hit him pretty hard. He really looked up to Callahan.”

“Oh..I hope he’s doing ok.”

“You know, you should go check on him. The rest of us are kind of busy at the moment, and can't really get away,” he says, “actually, why don’t you take Baymax to Tadashi? I think he would really appreciate that.”

“Ok, sure.” we go into Tadashi's lab and he hands me Baymax in his little red carrying case and I head on my way.

***

When I get to the Lucky Cat, I am greeted by Cass, “Hello! It’s nice to see you again.”

“You too. I, uh, brought Baymax,” I say, holding up the small red box, “Hiro said that I should bring him here, for Tadashi.”

“Aw, that’s nice of you. Yeah, he's just upstairs in his room. He may or may not be awake, though. Hiro’s probably told you by now, or you’ve noticed his absence, but ever since the funeral, he's been pretty much bedridden. All he does is stay in his room and sleep; he barely eats. I'm worried about him.”

We’re both silent for a second.

“Ok, well, um, I’ll just leave Baymax down here and I can come back later.” 

Trying to hold back tears, Cass just nods. I set Baymax down by the front counter, and wrap Cass in a nice, big hug. “Thanks,” she breathes out. 

I go out the door to my motorcycle. Before I head off, I look through the window and watch as Cass takes the little red box up the stairs to Tadashi.

When I get home, I go to my room and sit on my bedm playing my guitar. Not even 20 minutes later, I get a text: Hey can you come over?    It’s Tadashi.

I wonder what he wants. Maybe he just wants to say thank you…but he could have just done that through text. I don’t know; I guess the only way to find out is to go.    Yeah. Be there in 5

Just as I reach for the door handle, the door opens as GoGo walks in.

“Where are you going?”

“Well, hello to you too."

"Yeah, whatever....sooo?" 

"I'm going to the Lucky Cat.”

“Oh, I see.” she says in an eeire tone. ((You know, that tone people use when they know you like someone and you're going somewhere they're going to be..))

"No, no. Nothing like that. Tadashi texted me and wants me to come over. Probably just to talk."

"Mmhmm.."

I look at her and raise an eyebrow. “Yeah, um, ok.....I'm just gonna go now.” 

***