Cross Your Heart (Tadashi x Reader)

Chapter One: Lucky Cat Cafe

"How about an after school treat at the cafe?" Your mom asks as you buckle your seatbelt. "To celebrate your first day of first grade being over?"

You nod. "Where at?"

"Lucky Cat Cafe?" She suggests, her eyes finding yours in the mirror. "You can get your favorite cupcake."

"Yeah!" You exclaim, clapping.

Inside, your mother finds a table with two chairs. You play with the packets of sweetner as your mother orders her coffee and your cupcake. After the order is placed, she reaches out and touches your hand. "___, please be on your best behavior while I run to the restroom. Okay?" Your mother asks sweetly. "And when I come back, we can talk about your first day."

You smile and nod, leaning against the seat. "Okay, Mommy."

She smiles and grabs her purse. When she's gone, you look around. A lot of the people in the room are typing away on their laptops while munching on muffins or sipping coffee.

"Callaghan's Laws of Robotics!" You hear an excited voice say.

This catches your attention. You turn your head and see two little boys, one a little older than you, the other a little younger, gazing at a book. You slowly slide off of your chair and walk over to the table. The boys look up at you.

"What are you doing?" The older one asks. "This is a club! Not just anyone can get in. Do you think you have what it takes? Well do you?"

"I. . . uh. . ."

"Good, you're in." He smiles, like everything you just said to you was a joke. "Do you like robotics?" He asks.

You nod. You pull the back off of your shoulder and reach inside until your hand grasps the metal body of your robot. You place it on the table.

"Whoa. Did you build this?" The boy asks, carefully taking the bot in his hands.

You nod shyly.

"What's the matter?" He asks. "Don't you talk?"

You look down and blush.

"Hey, I don't bite."

"Wow, this looks sick!" The younger one exclaims as he leans over the other's shoulder.

"Yeah. How'd you do it?"

You remain silent.

He shrugs. "It looks cool. My brother and I invent a lot. Right now, we're working on making boots for our cat so he can fly."

Your eyes widen and you smile.

"Do you want to check them out?" He asks.

You nod.

"Awesome!" He slides off of his seat. "Follow me!" You follow him to the set of stairs in the back. He turns to you and adds, "My name's Tadashi, by the way." And then he takes your hand.

You stare at his hand wrapped around yours as he leads you upstairs, your eyes wide and your cheeks red. Completely forgetting about your mother telling you to wait, you continue up another flight of stairs until you're standing in a bedroom. Tadashi runs to his desk and picks up a cardboard box. He sets the box down and says, "These four are for Mochi. That's our Aunt Cass's cat. But these are for our shoes. One day, we're going to fly!"

Eyes wide, you lean in.

Tadashi suddenly gets an idea. "Hey, you want to try these out?" He asks. You nod. "Okay, just wrap these around the bottom of your shoe." Tadashi helps you wrap the strip of thin fabric around your foot. You bite your lip, a little concerned about how Velcro will hold on to your shoe. He clips the thruster right below your ankle and helps you up. "Great!" He grabs the remote. "Ready?" You nod again. "Oh, wait." Turning around, he lifts the small bicycle helmet and places it on your head. "Okay. There." Tadashi grabs the remote and flips the switch.

You find yourself being lifted off of the wooden floor. You flail your arms, trying to get used to this new sensation. Tadashi grins. "It works! Wow!" He leaps into the air and starts dancing, singing, "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" He composes himself and pushes a knob on the remote. You are jerked forward and find yourself bracing against the wall. Tadashi moves the knob again, and you hold your arms out in front of you and smile. "You're doing great!"

You look up as you circle the room. Suddenly, you feel a quick jerk. You turn your head and see the thruster smoking. You gasp. Tadashi notices and starts messing around with the remote, trying his hardest to get you safely on the floor. Instead, you find yourself being thrown forward, down the staircase. You scream as you continue down another flight of stairs, right into the cafe. You crash into the wall. A searing pain shatters through your arm.

"___!" You faintly hear Tadashi shouts. "Hang on, ___!"

"___!" Your mom screams, running to you. You open your eyes and see her, Aunt Cass, Tadashi, and Hiro all leaning over you.

Just minutes later, you're in an ambulance, clutching your broken arm to your chest.