For kurokocchiiii

They won my random reblog/ask giveaway for Share a Table on tumblr. They requested a story from their ghost-tadashi AU. :3 Hope I did it justice!

Summary: Tadashi was Hiro's invisible friend. It was only when Hiro was older that he realized that Tadashi was a ghost. The truth behind Tadashi's death, though, hit much closer to home. It started with a single photo…"That kid looks like me." "I think it is you."

So I would do it for you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on,

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long after you're gone

And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

Gone, Gone, Gone – Phillip Phillips

"What's this?"

Hiro looked up at his ghost friend. Behind him Tadashi floated, peering over Hiro's shoulder at the large box Hiro had out in front of him.

"I don't know," Hiro said. "Aunt Cass said to clean out the closet."

"Maybe there are robot parts in it?" Tadashi said.

That was why Hiro liked Tadashi. Tadashi had been in his life since Hiro was three. At first Hiro had thought Tadashi was an invisible friend that no one could see (imaginary friend, Aunt Cass said). It wasn't until a year ago that Hiro had managed to figure out that Tadashi wasn't so much invisible, but actually a ghost who didn't know how he died or why he was still stuck to this plane of existence.

Hiro was selfish enough to think that was a good thing. After all Tadashi was his only friend, a big brother that he didn't have, and honestly the best thing to happen to Hiro after his parents' deaths. Sure, he wanted Tadashi to be happy, to move on to be with his friends and family who probably had long pass instead of a lonely existence where no one but Hiro could see him. But Hiro was selfish enough to want Tadashi to stay.

Inside the box was a book. Hiro lifted the dusty tome, turning it over in his hands. Printed neatly on the cover read: 'Photo Album'. Slowly, Hiro opened the book that revealed a picture of his parents holding a baby.

Hiro's heart skipped a beat; his breath caught in his throat. He had very few memories of his parents; couldn't even recall what their faces look like without having to look at the sparse pictures in the house. Aunt Cass was a wonderful mom, but sometimes, sometimes Hiro wished he could at least remember his parents more.

"You're a cute baby," Tadashi remarked.

"Shut up!" Hiro said, choking out his words. He flipped to the back of the book, wanting to see the later pictures (and hopefully past any potential embarrassing baby pictures that Tadashi might tease him about).

He gave pause at the picture on the page. In the picture was a birthday party. His mother cutting cake and his father was placing a present on the table. Only, it wasn't Hiro in the center of the picture. Instead, there was another child, one with neat hair instead of messy dark locks like Hiro, one that looked...

"That kid looks like me," Tadashi said, eyes wide.

Hiro drew in a sharp breath. His eyes flickered back and forth between the picture and Tadashi. It wasn't just similarities, it was the same person.

"I-I think it is you," Hiro said in a shaky voice.

Written below the picture in his mother's neat cursive handwriting was a simple caption. 'Tadashi's 14th birthday party'.

"Hiro…" Tadashi said softly.

Thousands of thoughts swam in Hiro's head. How many times did he wish that Tadashi was his older brother? That Tadashi was alive? Yet here was proof, proof that once upon a time, Tadashi would have, should have been Hiro's brother. There couldn't be two people who looked exactly the same. What had happened? Why was Tadashi dead?

"Aunt Cass should know," Hiro said, voice more steady. Aunt Cass had to know.

He grabbed the photo album and ran down the stairs, aware that Tadashi was floating behind him.

"Aunt Cass!" Hiro called out.

Cass looked up from the bowl she had been mixing. She had been planning on baking some cookies for tonight's dessert. "What's up Hiro?" she said cheerfully. "Do you want to bake so-" Cass trailed off as she noticed the photo album in Hiro's hand.

"Oh sweetie," Cass said softly. She wiped her hands on a towel and walked over to Hiro. "I was wondering where that went. I guess that was in the closet I told you to clean out, huh?"

Hiro could only nod. Cass nudged Hiro to sit down at the dining table before taking a seat herself. She laid out the photo album on the table.

"I guess it's time you knew," Cass said. She flipped open to a picture of a smiling Tadashi being carried by Aunt Cass. "This is your older brother Tadashi. He died right after you were born."

Hiro watched a stunned Tadashi floating out of the corner of his eye. "How?" Hiro asked.

A sad smile appeared on Cass' face. "You see, when most kids find out they're gonna be big brothers or big sisters, they get insanely jealous of the new baby. Not Tadashi though. He was so excited to be a big brother. He use to tell me all the time how he was going to be the best big brother to you, show you how to ride a bike, take care of you when you were sick, and protect you from bullies."

Hiro's breath hitched. Because Tadashi had done that. His older brother had died and returned to watch over Hiro as a ghost.

"The day your mom was in the hospital giving birth to you, Tadashi had been in school when they informed him that you were on the way. Tadashi had rushed over from his school, and in his haste, he crossed a street just as a car came out of nowhere," Cass said softly. "The doctors couldn't save him, multiple organ failure, too much blood loss. The best they could do was make him comfortable."

Cass flipped to another photo. In it was a very beaten, bandaged Tadashi holding a baby Hiro in his arms. He looked like he was in so much pain, yet a wide smile was on his face.

"This is the only photo of you two," she whispered hoarsely. "Tadashi died just a few minutes after that. He had been so happy that he got to hold you, even if he was sad that he wasn't going to be a big brother to you."

Hiro felt the tears welled up, threatening to fall over. "Can… can I keep this Aunt Cass?"

She nodded, blowing her nose into the towel she had been carrying. "Of course, dear."

Hiro grabbed the book and wandered back upstairs; Tadashi's ghostly form following him.

Plopping down on his bed, Hiro opened the photo album once more skimming through the pictures. Tadashi's first bike ride. Tadashi in the school play. Tadashi and his parents at Christmas.

"I think I remember," Tadashi said quietly, floating on the other end of Hiro's bed.

Hiro looked up at him, wishing not for the first time that he could actually touch Tadashi.

"I think that's why I came back as a ghost," Tadashi said. "I really wanted to be a big brother. I'm really sorry Hiro."

Tears were streaming down Hiro's face at this point. He shook his head. "Don't be, you idiot. You came back. You're the best big brother ever. Nothing is going to change that. You did everything, watched over me when I was sick, cheered me up I was feeling down, played with me, everything."

A smile spread across Tadashi's face. "Thanks Hiro."

Tadashi was the best big brother in the world. It was a simple fact.