Immortals (Big Hero 6 Fanfiction || Sequel to 84 Times)

Chapter 5: The First Clues

Rose breathed out slowly, her breath turning into puffs of white swirls as she walked down the sidewalk. The sun had already set several hours ago, and the coolness of the evening was beginning to set in, the frigid air now starting to peck at Rose's cheeks and nose. She shivered slightly and reached up with her left hand to adjust the scarf that had been wrapped around her neck several times, pulling it up a bit so it covered her nose. The scent coming from the piece of fabric was soothing, and she couldn't help but reminisce of the treasured days of the past. Another shiver danced along her spine, forcing Rose to be pulled out of her sentimental thoughts. 

        "You okay?" Another voice chimed in, ringing through the desolate streets.

Rose felt her right hand being squeezed as Hiro walked alongside her with a soft expression painted onto his face. She nodded swiftly and dropped her free arm to her side as the two continued to walk down the sidewalk, hand in hand. 

        "Just thinking."

        "Thinking about what?"

        "The past."

        "What about the past?"

        "Like how you used to be short and as cute as a button." Rose teased, giggling softly.

Hiro chuckled and jokingly stuck his tongue out at her, puffing his cheeks promptly afterwards into a feigned pout. A sudden feeling of sadness struck a chord within the girl, and she stopped smiling. She looked away and pressed her lips together, letting go of Hiro's hand. Instead, she gripped hold of the hem of her sweater and stood still. It still hurt... The events of her past were still strongly connected to her, lacing her heart with a thin wire that cut into her if certain subjects were approached too impulsively. In this case, it was Hiro's uncanny resemblance to Tadashi. She knew he couldn't help it and it was only natural that the two acted like one another considering the fact that they were brothers, but she still couldn't get over the fact that she had lost Tadashi.

Somewhere in that fire where he was presumed dead for the longest time, she lost him. His exuberant and altruistic personality was gone forever... only to be replaced with an apathetic and reclusive one. 

        "Rose...?"

Finally she looked up, not realizing how cold it was now that she had stopped walking and had let go of Hiro's hand (which was surprisingly very warm and comfortable to hold).

        "Are you alright? I'm sorry if I said something..."

She grimaced and dropped her head, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the crying.

        "You... It's not you. You didn't do anything Hiro. It's me... and I'm so sorry."

        "Hey... there's no need to cry!" She could hear the worry in the male's voice as he closed the distance between the two of them. Pretty soon she was being pressed against Hiro's chest, his arms wrapping around her in a tight squeeze.

        "You idiot... why are you sorry? You've done nothing wrong. I mean if my hands were that sweaty you could've just told me." The male joked quietly, causing a smile to begin to creep onto Rose's face. However, now was not the time for games and jokes. This was a serious issue that she had been evading for quite some time now- her feelings for Hiro. 

        "I... Hiro." She started, finally working up her confidence to address her emotions directly. Rose gently pressed her hands against Hiro's chest and pushed away. As much as she wanted to stay there in the comfort of his warmth, she needed to clear her mind if she wanted to speak what was truly on her mind.