Fire and Ice (Tadashi Hamada X my own OC)

Chapter 7: It's Been A While

Cass, Hiro, and I walked into Tadashi's room, I looked up as we did, and the fire system they were using was mine. The Tadashi system. I was here. I was at the hospital when he was, but I never knew. Tadashi looked different, but I was clearly him. He looked so confused after seeing Hiro, he grew up, a lot. He grew taller than I was. He then looked to Cass and smiled a little. She hadn't changed much except for a few gray hairs thanks to stress. Then over to me. He looked up and down at me, seemingly confused by my attire of a leotard with a skirt, converse, and his sweater, still not buttoned.

"How long?" He asked softly and weakly, it was all he had.

"Year and a half..." I replied softly, putting my head down.

"Outfit?"

"Oh, I'm figure skating again. Remember I told you I used to figure skate?"

He nodded. "That all?"

"That I've done? No," I said as I glanced at the fire alarm. "I actually designed a fire system and got it implemented... I named it after you..."

"Why?"

"Well, we were all told that you were dead. I didn't want anyone else to die how you did. Well, now how we all thought you did."

He nodded before looking over to Hiro, holding a hand out to him, which Hiro walked over to, tears in his eyes.

"Hey," Was all he said.

"You grew," was Tadashi's response before hugging him. He brought Cass into it as well, once I moved her closer to him. I didn't go over since it was a family hug. I just sat in a chair and didn't say anything.

After about ten minutes of a hug, Cass said that she was tired and probably should get some sleep, and that Hiro needed sleep too. I gave them my keys and said I'd call them if anything new happened. They agreed, took my keys, and left. Leaving just me and Tadashi.

"Neva?" He asked weakly once they left.

"Yes?" I replied, happy he was talking to me.

"You've probably moved on, huh. Why would you be mourning me for a year and a half?"

"Tadashi, if you're asking if I'm dating anyone else, that's a no. I was working on my system, and then I got into skating again." This was a lie, I was forced into an abusive relationship, but he was careful to only hit me where it could be visible with my skating.

"Oh. I doubt you'd want to date me still. I won't blame you if you don't."

"Tadashi, why wouldn't I? I just need to talk to Hiro quickly if I do."

"I'm probably really ugly now, I haven't actually seen my face, and I can't feel most of my body. Even if I could, the feel of my burns can't be nice."

"Dashi, you're still you. You're still the brilliant guy you were before everything. You're still you, and that's what matters."

"Really?"

"If you can understand that I just lied to you and why. Not about you, but to a question you asked."

"What question?"

"I was forced into another relationship, and he won't let me leave, so I was going to talk to Hiro about having him help me since he knows about it..."

"About what?" He sounded calm. Calmer than I would have expected.

"It'll be easier if I show you, but I can't with my leotard on." I went to the bathroom with my sports bag to change into sweatpants and a shirt, coming back with the sweater on again.

"This is the you I remember," He said with a soft smile.

"Hopefully not this part though," I mumbled as I lifted up my shirt to show an array of bruises, all in different stages of healing, on my abdomen.

"The asshole hits you?"

"I shouldn't have told you, or even Hiro, you're both in danger now..."

"Neva, what can he do to me? He took you, I can't move a lot, and I also can barely see."

"He could still kill you."

"Right."

I smiled softly, putting my shirt down before holding the sweater. "I kind of moved into your room..."

He held a hand out to me. "Could you ever love me again? How I am now?"

I took his hand while my eyes were tearing up. "I never stopped loving you, Tadashi. And you're perfect. You're alive, which is better than I could have ever imagined."

"You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I just wish I had known you were alive because I'd have come here to talk instead of where your headstone is."

"Do you want to sit next to me?"

"Can I?"

He nodded, so I sat next to him. Then my phone rang again. It was my boyfriend.

"Tadashi, it's him. Be quiet, he thinks that Hiro's sister, he doesn't know about us."

He nodded and was quiet.

I answered my phone, "Hey, Alex, what's up?"

"You're not at your house, where are you?" He immediately questioned.

"I'm at the hospital. I just found out that my brother who died in that fire at my school, actually survived, he's just in a coma at the hospital. I was planning on just staying here."

"Why? You should just come to my place so we can hang out."

"Alex, please, I just found out that my brother has been alive for this year and a half, but no one knew who he was."

"So I'll come stay with you."

"I don't want you to see me like this, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey, you can't just say no! You're mine! You're going to come home now!" He was yelling.

"Okay, please stop yelling. I'll leave soon, but I'll have to walk."

"Fine, if you're not home in an hour, you're over."

"Bye," I hung up and practically broke down in tears.

Tadashi patted the bed next to him, so I laid down next to him, hugging him, still crying.

"Dashi, can I borrow your phone?"

"Of course, why?"

"I recorded that phone call..."

"So you wanted to call the police?"

I nodded.

"My phone is on that table. I haven't been on it since I woke up. Only the doctor has. I also haven't seen what I look like."

"Dashi, I don't care what you look like, I love you."