Who's a Hiro?

The Talk

When she stepped into the room, she felt everything go quiet. As she closed the door she kept her eyes on the floor. There was no way she was going to force an identity reveal. Not like this.

"Karmi."

His voice, scratchy and quiet, made tears well up in her eyes.

"I-I saw the news," she started, feeling like she owed him an explanation. "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Then why aren't you?"

His question almost made her look up. Almost.

"What?"

"Why aren't you looking at me?"

She didn't answer. Wide eyes and fluttering heart, she couldn't speak.

"Come here, please."

She shuffled over to the bed next to him, looking at his arm. It was wrapped in bandages, as was his torso. She felt her tears fall. Still she didn't look at his face.

He reached out to her and gripped her hand, squeezing it weakly.

"Karmi, this is what I wanted to talk about." He took a deep breath. "I want to tell you who I am."

She sucked in a breath, throat tight.

"We've known each other for a few years now, but we haven't spoken in a while. You moved away from the school we attended and the city we lived in. You didn't like me very much. Not really sure how you feel about me now," he chuckled, and she sqeezed his hand as disbelief filled her thoughts. "I wish I had told you before. When we first argued about Sycorax." That did it.

Her head snapped up and she stared into the dark brown eyes she had both loved and loathed for so long.

"...Hiro?"

He chuckled again, tired eyes filled with mirth as he watched her. He was still so pale. The scratch on his cheek was clean and closed; not as bad as it had looked yesterday. His hair was different - an undercut, most likely to relieve any extra heat and sweat that would gather there, seemed to make the rest of his hair look longer, falling into his eyes.

She reached out with her free hand, brushing his hair back gently before she realized what she was doing and pulled back abruptly.

"Thanks, I've been meaning to get that out of my face," he commented lightly, a smirk toying with his lips.

Karmi's face flushed.

"So, are you not going to say anything, or...?" Her eyes widened a bit again before finally processing what he had said.

"YOU'RE CAPTAIN CUTIE?!"