Right In Front Of Me

"What do you see when you look at me?"

Wasabi looked up from the precision laser he had been tweaking and met Hiro's gaze. He tried to appear nonchalant and relaxed against the couch cushions he sat on, but felt his body go rigid. Hiro just knew he had an apprehensive look on his face, because even though he had asked the question and needed to know the answer, he wasn't all that sure he would like it.

Wasabi wasn't sure how to respond. What did Hiro mean? When he looked at him he saw…well, a kid with brown eyes, slightly messy black hair, and a brain that could dream up anything. Though, perhaps 'kid' was the wrong word. At eighteen years old, Hiro wasn't exactly a little kid anymore. In fact, he had gone through a growth spurt that left him almost as tall as Wasabi.

"What do you want me to see?" Wasabi countered, putting his tool back down. He made sure the wrench was inside the white lines before turning his gaze back to Hiro.

"I don't know. I just…I want people to see me for who I am."

"And what do you think they see when they look at you?"

"Tadashi."

Wasabi was surprised by the answer. Didn't Hiro want to be like his older brother? "What's wrong with that? Your brother was a great man."

Hiro narrowed his eyes and shifted uncomfortably before leaning forward, placing both elbows on his knees. He knew Tadashi was a great man, probably better than anyone else. Hiro practically idolized him when he was younger, and if he was being honest, he still looked up to him. He had always strived to be just like him, which is why he felt some guilt over not wanting people to see Tadashi in him.

"Yeah, I know. It's not that he's not great and all, but…I'm not…" Hiro reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right words. "I don't want to be just a replacement or a substitute. I'm Hiro, not just a smaller version of Tadashi."

Wasabi suddenly understood. For the past four years everyone had been saying how much Hiro was like his older brother. They thought he wanted to hear that, and it was true in some ways. Tadashi had been the one to hold their little band of misfits together. Who would have thought an adrenaline junkie, a comic book nerd, a neat freak, and a crazy chemist could ever be best friends? But Tadashi was like the magnet that drew them together.

And then, just like that, he was gone. Hiro came along, and suddenly, he was the one to fill the gap that Tadashi left. There was no vote or decision, but everyone knew that Hiro was their unofficial leader. After all, he was the one who brought them together as a team and made them their suits and weapons.

But Wasabi realized right then how much of a toll their encouraging words had taken on him. He just wanted to be Hiro, not Tadashi 2. His identity wasn't tied to his older brother…he was his own person. And while he may not know what Hiro was going through personally, he could sympathize with him.

Wasabi walked over to Hiro and sat down next to him. "Hiro, we see you for who you are. You have some of Tadashi in you, but we also like you for the things that make you…you."

"Are you sure?" His brown eyes held all the uncertainty he had been feeling for the past four years. "All Honey talks about is how I'm so much like Tadashi, or how I look like Tadashi. Does she even see me anymore?"

And then, Wasabi realized something else—it was Honey's words that hurt him the most. "You may not know this, little man, but Honey really liked your big brother. When she says that, she means it as a compliment."

Hiro crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. He wished he could believe Wasabi, but whenever he got compared to Tadashi—especially by her—he wondered if she didn't just see the Tadashi in him and not the things that made him Hiro. The comments that filled him with pride four years ago now had a different reaction.

"You should just tell her you like her," Wasabi said out of the blue, and Hiro's eyes snapped up, growing wide.

"Whoa, I never said—"

"You didn't have to. It's pretty obvious," Wasabi said, grinning at his reaction. Hiro's face grew red and he looked away. "Just tell her."

"But…what if she says no? And what if she says yes, but only because she sees me as some replacement for Tadashi?" he asked. "If she does say yes, I want it to be because she likes me."

"Then tell her what you just told me," Wasabi said.

Hiro rolled his eyes and leaned back into the couch. "I couldn't."

Suddenly the door swung open and GoGo walked in, carrying a black and yellow bag slung over her shoulder. She walked over to her bike. "Working on your final project?"

"I was. Now I'm giving Hiro some girl advice," Wasabi said, and Hiro shot him a look.

"About Honey?" she asked absentmindedly as she unhooked her bike from the rack holding it.

Hiro's mouth dropped open. "What? Does everybody know?"

GoGo gave a shrug. "It's pretty obvious."

Hiro ran both hands down his face. "Well, that's just great."

"I don't think Honey knows," Wasabi said, offering a small comfort.

"She's completely oblivious," GoGo confirmed, giving Hiro a nod.

"I was just telling Hiro here he should tell her about his feelings," Wasabi said.

GoGo gave a nod of agreement, "He's right. Woman up and tell her you like her." She jerked the kickstand free and then leaned against her bike. "If you don't, some other guy might ask her out."

Hiro let out a sigh. He knew they were right. Honey was smart and beautiful—a rare combination. Any guy would be lucky to date her, and he knew that if he waited long enough he would lose his shot. But it wasn't as easy as they made it out to be. Sure, he could ask her out, and she just might say yes, but he didn't want her to date him because she saw Tadashi. He didn't want to be the leftovers, or the second place prize to her. He just wanted to be what she was to him—everything. And right now, he wasn't even sure if she liked him like that.

"I'll tell her…tomorrow," he said, but he knew he wouldn't.

"Why not go and tell her now? She's in the chemistry lab," Wasabi said, giving a nod down the dimly lit corridor. Amusement crossed his face when Hiro's eyes grew wide.

"Wait, are you kidding? Why didn't you tell me she was here? What if she had walked in while I was talking?" he snapped.

"Then we wouldn't be listening to your whining right now," GoGo said as she pulled one of the wheels from her bike.

Hiro shot her a dirty look. GoGo only spared him a glance before blowing a bubble and popping it.

"Look, man, just turn on the charm I see you use on all the other ladies," Wasabi said encouragingly.

But Honey wasn't just one of the other girls he so easily flirted with. She was…he wasn't even sure he knew how to describe it. The best explanation he could think of was that his charm was like a machine, he could turn it on and off, but when he was around her it short-circuited. She was special.

"Just do it," GoGo said, nodding towards the room down the hall.

Hiro stood and walked down the hallway. He was tired of everyone bugging him about it, and it was that rush of irritation that finally sparked a bolt of courage. He finally came to a stop outside the room. Through the glass panels he could see Honey Lemon working inside. She wore an oversized yellow sweater that went down to her hips. It was so big that one of the sleeves hung off her shoulder, and it was matched with a bright pair of pink tights on underneath, with fur-lined boots.

He looked around the room and saw that her white lab coat hung all but forgotten on a peg by the door. So much for lab safety. But he knew that in her excitement, she sometimes forgot to use safety precautions.

With a deep breath, he pushed the glass door open and took a step inside.

Honey was working late in the labs, testing a new chemical liquid she had designed. She had her earbuds in, putting all her concentration into mixing in just the right amount of each chemical. She was so into her work that she didn't notice when Hiro walked in. It was only the greeting he gave that finally caught her attention—though not in a good way. A sudden hand on her shoulder caused her to jump and drop more than the required dose of chemicals into the glass.

The liquid reacted immediately, shooting a stream of chemicals into the air. Honey jumped back, and then felt an arm around her waist as Hiro spun her around so that she was behind him, shielding her from any of the potentially dangerous liquid. Thankfully, it was all harmless, and the stream quickly died down. It bubbled and flowed over the edge of the glass, spreading all over the table and splashing onto the tile floor.

Hiro turned around with an equally guilty and embarrassed look on his face. "Sorry."

She pushed back the hair that had fallen into her face and pulled out her earbuds, stuffing them into her pocket. Honey wanted to groan when she looked at all her hard work spill across the tiles, but Hiro had apologized, and she didn't want to make him feel any worse by saying so.

"Oh, it's all right."

His eyes turned to the blue liquid seeping across the floor. "It's not dangerous, is it?"

She laughed. "No, in fact, it'd probably make your skin a lot smoother if you touched it."

A lopsided grin worked its way across his face, but then slid into a frown as he glanced around awkwardly at the mess. "I'll go get some towels."

He rushed out of the room and Honey walked over to the vial, bringing it over to a sink so she could rinse it out. When Hiro returned they bent down and began to clean up the mess. The vial had been small, so most of what they had to clean up was bubbling foam.

"Did you want something?" Honey asked as she mopped up the blue liquid under the table.

"Huh?"

"You came here for something, right?" Honey clarified, looking up to gaze at Hiro.

He was a couple feet away, with his head bent and long black bangs falling into his eyes. Honey didn't realize she had been distracted by him until she felt her hand touch something cold and wet. She looked down and realized she had missed a spot. She quickly mopped it up, and when she finally lifted her gaze again she found Hiro's deep brown eyes staring back into hers.

"Can't I just come and visit?" he asked.

"Oh, of course. I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't. I love having you around," she said, giving him a smile.

He returned the smile easily, and Honey wasn't sure, but she thought she caught the faintest of blushes creeping across his cheeks. She immediately shook away the thought. His cheeks always had that coloring to them. That faint reddish tint that made it seems like he was always blushing, or had been out in the cold air recently. It shouldn't be that surprising, considering it was winter and the weatherman had predicted a cold front moving through.

"By the way, thank you…for pushing me out of the way." She reached up and tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind one ear. "You really didn't need to do that, though."

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I couldn't let you get hurt."

Hearing that warmed her heart, and she felt a blush creeping across her own cheeks. "You're so much like your brother. He was always putting other people first as well."

"I don't put just anyone first," he rebuffed. "I put you first, and you're not just anyone. You're…" She saw his jaw clench and his eyebrows knit together in a clear display of anger. Did she say something wrong? She had intended it as a compliment.

"Yes…?" she prodded gently, but he just leaned back and stood up, tossing the soaked towel into a nearby trash bin.

"Nothing. Forget it," he said, turning his head away from her gaze. She crawled out from under the table and walked over, dropping the towel into the bin as well.

She looked at the now clean table and floor. Well, she would have to start over from scratch. She was almost done with her experiment when Hiro walked in. After she used a certain chemical she always put it away, not wanting to leave it sitting around in a clutter. She saw her large bin of vials and liquids over on the other side of the room. As she crossed the room she heard footsteps follow her, and when she bent down to lift the bin, Hiro was right there beside her.

"Here, let me get it," he said, picking up the heavy box. Whatever had him angry a few seconds ago had seemed to vanish, and she offered him a smile before leading the way back to the table.

"Thank you," she said, placing an arm on his hand once he put the bin down.

"No problem. Hey, maybe I can help. I was the one who caused the accident, so I owe you."

"All right. I just need to double check the ingredients on the computer before we start." Walking over to a computer that jutted out from the wall, she typed in a few codes and brought up the ingredients list.

As her eyes scanned over the needed items she felt a sudden heaviness on her shoulder, and turned her eyes to see Hiro. She could feel the warmth from his body radiating behind her, and felt the slight stubble on his chin prickle her bare skin as he rested it on her shoulder. When their eyes met he gave her a wicked grin, like he was amused. She let out an amused snort and turned her face back to the screen.

She didn't mind the physical contact. After all, wasn't she the one who grabbed Hiro two seconds after meeting him to kiss both cheeks? She came from a family who showed affection by physical contact, so boundaries were a hard concept for her to grasp.

She was still surprised by Hiro's actions, though. He had always been the one who leaned away when someone got too close—who needed space sometimes. But lately he had become touchier with her, but only with her. Around the others he was the same as always, but the physical boundaries between them seemed to be lessening. She could be sitting somewhere with the group and Hiro would throw an arm around her when she found another guy staring at her. And recently he'd link his arm through hers when they hung out as friends. A year ago he wouldn't have dared do something like that, but now he was resting his chin on her shoulder, and a second later she felt arms wrap hesitantly around her waist, encircling her stomach.

"Shouldn't you be wearing your lab coat?" he asked, his voice low. A sudden shiver ran down her spine, and she had to glance up to make sure she wasn't standing under a vent. Maybe she should put her lab coat on, if only to keep herself warm.

She moved her shoulder out from under his chin and slipped on the crisp white coat before walking over to the table. Hiro walked over and stood next to her, helping when she asked for a certain chemical, or handing her any equipment she required. With his help, she managed to finish it quicker than the other one.

When she finally held up a vial of the finished liquid, Hiro smiled. "So…what does it do?"

She set it down on the wooden table and went over to the supply closet, grabbing a bag of disinfectant wipes. "I'll show you."

She walked over to him and grabbed his arm, pulling up the sleeve of his dark grey sweater.

"What are you doing?" he asked, leaning away, but she held his wrist in her tight grip, cleaning a spot with a sanitizing wipe. Then she grabbed a scalpel from the tools lying on the table.

"Don't worry, this will only hurt for a second."

Hiro's eyes grew wide. "Wait, what?"

Before he could pull his arm away her hand shot out and she nicked his skin, making a small cut on the inside of his arm. He let out a yelp and yanked his wrist away, glaring daggers at her.

"Ow! What was that for?"

She grabbed a dropper filled with the concoction she'd made and grabbed his wrist again. He tried to pull away, but she yanked his arm forward. As soon as the liquid was dropped onto his skin he felt a brief sting…and then the pain seemed to fade. The blood stopped seeping through the cut, and he felt a weird tingling feeling. For a few moments they both stood there, then Honey grabbed another sanitizing wipe and cleared the blood away, revealing an already forming scab.

"Wow…that's amazing!" Hiro exclaimed, looking back up to see her excited expression. Before she could respond, he frowned and held up an index finger. "But no more cutting me!"

"I promise," she said, and then turned her emerald gaze to the dropper she held in one hand. "Isn't it great? The chemical solution accelerates blood coagulation to more than ten times its normal rate, and then a regenerate chemical in it accelerates growth of new cells below the surface to quickly form a scab." She frowned. "There's only one problem though—it doesn't work on people with type O-negative blood."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. You always do," he said with a shrug.

She grinned. "You always know the right thing to say."

Suddenly, his grin disappeared, and his gaze drifted to the window. "Not always." Before she could respond he blurted out, "What do you see when you look at me?"

She paused for a minute, studying his face. "What do you mean? I see a lot of things when I look at you."

"What do you see most of all?" He smiled wryly. "Or maybe I should ask who you see?"

It suddenly clicked in her mind—he wanted to know if she saw Tadashi in him. Well, she couldn't blame him. It had been four years since the accident, but she knew he still missed his older brother terribly. As far as looks went, he looked a great deal like him. Same brown eyes, same black hair, same smile. Even parts of his personality reminded her of him. Truthfully, she liked when she caught glimpses of Tadashi in him. It had been four long years, and even though the raw pain had dimmed to a dull aching, she still missed him.

"I see Tadashi in you."

No sooner had the words left her lips, did he turn away with an angry noise. She took a step back. What did she say now? For a few weeks she noticed Hiro had been acting a bit strange around her, but now it seemed to be coming to a head.

"What's wrong, don't you want to be like Tadashi?" she asked, taking a step towards him.

"No!" he snapped, spinning around. "I mean, yes—but not to you!"

She felt a sting deep inside, trying to decipher his words. Did this have something to do with her—did she do something wrong? "What do you want to be to me, then? You're also one of my best friends."

"I don't want to be that either."

That hurt her. She tried to blink away the tears that were quickly forming in her eyes. For years now he had been her rock, the person she trusted the most. Wasabi, GoGo, and Fred—they were all there for her, and she loved them, but Hiro was the one she connected with the most. To hear him say that he didn't even want to be her friend hurt her to the core.

"Why don't you want to be my friend?"

"I want more!"

Suddenly, everything clicked for her—the anger, the touches, the questions he asked. For once, she was speechless. He seemed to be waiting for some sort of reaction—an answer, maybe. But she didn't have one. Honestly, she wasn't sure she could give him the answer he needed. For the last four years she had been mourning her first big crush—Tadashi, and now here was his younger brother, all grown up and confessing his feelings for her. She was so confused.

When his declaration was met with silence, he let out a painful sigh, closing his eyes as he turned away. Honey's heart squeezed in pain at the sight. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him any sort of pain, but then what should she do?

"Hiro, wait. I…" she said, but trailed off. Because really, what could she say to make it better? Tell him she had feelings for him as well, when she wasn't even sure how she felt? Honestly, she always saw Tadashi in him, but was that good enough to tell him she felt the same way?

Before she could think of something, Hiro spun around and closed the space between them in three long strides. Two calloused hands shot out and pulled her face forward as his lips crashed into hers. Honey was too shocked to do anything at first. Her mind was spinning out of control, trying to process what was happening. This was Hiro who was kissing her.

The warmth from his hands on either side of her face seemed to seep into her skin and spread throughout every part of her body. All the muscles that froze when he kissed her suddenly relaxed, and she felt her eyes flutter closed. She suddenly felt lightheaded, but in a good sort of way. The stubble on his chin prickled her skin and sent shivers down her spine, and she could feel his lips curve into a smile against her own.

The kiss was like nothing she had ever expected. It made her feel things she didn't even know she could feel, and made her body react in ways that she had no control over. One of his hands reached down and pressed against the small of her back, pulling her body against his. Her head was spinning and she felt like everything was spiraling all around, but the arm wrapped around her kept her grounded and centered. She was being pulled towards him like the moon towards the earth. It was centripetal motion at its finest.

And then, in that moment, everything shifted. It was like she had been looking at the world upside down before, and now she was standing up, seeing things right for the first time. Her hands tentatively reached up and rested on his chest. She knew she should push him away. This was wrong, wasn't it? But she couldn't remember the last time something had felt so right, or the last time she felt this free.

When he finally pulled away her eyes snapped open, staring at him in surprise. They were still standing close, with only inches between them. Hiro's hand had moved from her face to her shoulder, and felt as heavy as a weight. When he let out a breath she felt it fan against her lips, which sent another shiver throughout her body. Since when did he have this effect on her?

And suddenly, one thought that should have been obvious all along, flashed across her mind: this wasn't Tadashi—it was Hiro, and he'd been there all along. Now, standing so close to him—their foreheads touching and breath mingling—she saw it, everything she had missed before.

"I would apologize," he said, taking a step back, and as he did it felt like all the warmth went with him. She suddenly realized that she missed that warmth…and wanted more of it. "But I'm not really sorry…and you haven't slapped me yet, so I'm going to take that as a good sign."

She still didn't know what to say. The kiss had left her breathless and sent her into what felt like cardiac arrest. Instead of talking, she took in every feature. It was then that she realized that what made Hiro…well, Hiro, were things she had seen all along.

His black hair that always seemed to stick out in every which direction; the way his eyes lit up with a mischievous sparkle whenever he got a new idea; the small gap between his teeth that showed whenever he smiled; the blush in his cheeks—all the things that made him special in his own way.

Tadashi was trusting and naïve—almost to a fault. He wore his heart on his sleeve and never turned anyone away. Hiro was suspicious and acted tough so no one could see the things that hurt him. He had walls up to keep his innermost feelings hidden. Tadashi was always the one with a subtle approach to things, while Hiro just went and did what needed to be done. He was blunt, and could be calloused at times, but he had a heart that was fierce and loyal if you got to know him well enough.

She knew Tadashi never would have kissed her like that. So much passion and fire in one kiss, and he didn't ask for permission or wait for any clue to urge him on. He had a habit of throwing caution to the wind and taking the leap. That was just his way of doing things, and even though it got him into trouble sometimes, she realized she loved that about him. He wasn't Tadashi, he was Hiro…and there he was, right in front of her. She didn't want a replacement for Tadashi—she wanted Hiro.

"I don't want you to apologize," she said, and watched as his face lit up with a huge smile, showing that cute gap between his teeth.

This time, it was Honey who pulled him close, placing a soft kiss on his lips. It was so unlike the heated, desperate kiss before. When she pulled away she saw a little bit of uncertainty in his eyes, and knew what he must be thinking.

"And just so you know, I see you as Hiro. I mean, it's kind of hard to see Tadashi when you kiss me like that."

He laughed and wrapped both hands around her waist, pulling her closer to him. That mischievous glint in his eyes was back, and he leaned forward.

Suddenly his eyes slid past her, and widened. His arms went a bit slack, and she turned around to see Wasabi and GoGo standing at the glass door. They were turned towards each other, sharing a high-five. Honey blushed when she realized they must have seen everything that happened. When they turned back to the glass, they realized Honey and Hiro had noticed them. Wasabi sent them a small, embarrassed smile, and then gave Hiro a big thumbs up. GoGo stood beside him, grinning while she pumped a fist in the air in victory. When they finally walked back down the hall, Hiro and Honey both started cracking up.

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about how to tell them," Honey said.

Hiro laughed. "Trust me, they already knew. Though, I wonder what Fred will think."

Honey didn't have time to reply before Hiro pulled her back to him, joining their lips.

There is a big lack of Hiro/Honey stories out there. I found like, four or five, and that's about it. And I've always loved the quote by Toni Morrison, "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." So here's my little contribution, and I hope all you fellow shippers out there enjoy.

I also sneaked a Faith Hill song reference in there. Sorry, couldn't help it. Thought it fit the overall mood. Anyone notice it?