I know I took a super long time to update. I'm really sorry. Things are tough for me right now. I'm trying to lose myself in my writing, but sometimes, it feels like my writing is some of the problem. I have to get better, but I'm just never happy.

Chapter 7

Hiro POV

Hiro restlessly paced from one side of the room to another, dodging any displaced items that he or Tadashi, (mostly he -from trying to learn) had left down. His scarred feet not slowing their pace for longer than a split second. Tadashi had left him at home today, and without him, the young boy could not force himself to stand still. Aunt Cass was downstairs, but he couldn't convince himself to go down to her. He was not yet comfortable being alone with her. Her eyes smiled kindly, stirring something long forgotten inside him. Looking at her smile, he always saw another woman...his arms ached to wrap around her, but still…

He was just too scared. Outside, in the world beyond, Hiro's ears picked up on loud sounds that blared all around, and one was so drawn out and long that Hiro moved away from the window. His palms were sweaty, and his stomach was clenching in a way it would do on the island whenever he sensed or saw danger. Danger was everywhere here, in every nook and cranny, and his nerves were frayed from the constant feel of it.

There was a loud thump from downstairs, that Hiro now recognized as meaning that Aunt Cass had dropped something. His friend ran off downstairs, ears up, and tail wagging, eager to see what had been dropped. His friend liked this place, Hiro knew. And so did Hiro, he really, honestly did. Tadashi was here, and so was Aunt Cass, who he liked, even if he was still a little cautious. And food was easy, and he didn't have to fight other creatures for it, or kill. His sleeping spot, which Tadashi called a bed, was very soft and warm, and their shelter looked like it would hold through all the seasons to come. His life wasn't really in constant peril, even though he could feel danger everywhere.

Following his friend slowly, Hiro's thoughts were full of his brother. Tadashi never felt like danger, even though he was much bigger than Hiro. Not since the moment Hiro had seen him. Well, a split second, upon first seeing him, maybe. But then he had smiled, and spoken and said his name.

And everything had changed, in ways that his family didn't even know.

The older boy only felt like a warm day shining down on you, warming your bones.

So Hiro was very glad he had come with Master-

Oh right, just Fred.

Hiro was very glad he had come with Fred here.

But…

He did miss the island. He missed running freely across the ground, his friend keeping pace beside him, even as the years went on. And the warm spring where he washed. They had a warm spring here too, called a bath, but it was much more confined, and Hiro didn't have nearly as much room to stretch out and relax in it. And there wasn't close to enough room for his friend to join him, though they did try often, which usually led to unhappy looks from Aunt Cass, who now that he thought about it, might just be called "Cass." Maybe "Aunt" was a word only they said, like how only Heathcliff called Fred "Master."

Hiro rolled his eyes, subconsciously knowing the movement went with what he was thinking. Which was, "humans are so much more complicated."

And the sky here wasn't as beautiful, because Hiro couldn't see all the lights in the sky at night, stretching on for longer than Hiro could imagine. There were other lights here, and they moved across the sky, blinking. Hiro knew those were what were called Planes and Helicopters. He'd flown in one when coming with Fred. Tadashi said that planes were usually carrying lots of people, not just two or three, and that they used them to travel all across the world. Some had passed over the island, always too high for Hiro to really begin to understand. And when they were low, he'd always run, hiding until it was long gone. He hadn't known then that they might have taken him back to his brother.

"Hiro? Are you hungry?"

He'd appeared in the cafe, and was now standing at the foot of the stairs, looking blankly ahead as his thoughts consumed him. He hadn't realized it until then, but now that she'd asked, his stomach growled, and she smiled.

"I'll whip something up for you nice and quick!"

He nodded, then looked around for his friend. He spotted him, going from table to table, sniffing at people and wagging his tail until they gave him food. One boy, with hair the color of the sea, didn't seem to notice him, but his friend didn't give up, putting his head on the chair the boy was sitting on. When this still didn't work, his friend let out a low bark. It was only then that the boy seemed to react, looking down, and pulling something white out of his ears. He stared down at Hiro's friend for a second, before looking around the room, his blue eyes settling on Hiro.

"Is this your dog?" he asked. Hiro understood most of it, then tried to judge how the boy might feel. He didn't sound angry.

"Yes. It...is. I'm sorry if he…" it took Hiro long enough to remember the next word that by the time he did, the boy he was speaking too was looking a little confused. "Bothered you."

"No, it's alright. I like dogs." the boy picked a piece of his food off of his plate, and fed it to Hiro's friend. "He's a husky, right?"

"A...husky?" Hiro turned the word over in his head, but was coming up with little in the form of results.

"Yeah. Isn't that his breed?"

"B-bleed?" Hiro's eyes swept his friend for signs of injury, but there were none.

The boy was looking very confused now, and he shook his head. "Breed. Breed of dog. Husky is one of them. You know, the way not all humans are one color, neither are dogs. That sort of thing."

That had been way too many words to follow, so Hiro bit his lip, wishing Tadashi was there. Luckily, the next best thing appeared at the boy's table, smiling in a friendly manner.

"Sorry, Christian, but Hiro doesn't understand English very well yet." Aunt Cass said, and the boy looked back at him, suddenly looking much more interested. "Wait, you're Hiro Hamada? The boy who went missing for like, ten years?"

Hiro nodded, not knowing most of those last words, but understand his name, and at the same time, Aunt Cass said, "Yep, that's him."

The boy, who Aunt Cass had called Christian, whistled a long, drawn out noise of amazement. "Well then, you actually speak English surprisingly well, for someone whose been here...what, a week? How have you picked it up that fast?"

"Tadashi taught me."

"Still, to be able to speak it this well, you must be some kind of genius!"

Genius? Hiro had been watching a movie earlier, trying his hardest to follow along, and it had kept saying something called a Geenie, or something like that. From what Hiro had managed to put together, the Geenie could grant wishes. Was this the same thing? Did Christian think Hiro could grant wishes?

"Geen...i...us?"

"Actually, he is." Aunt Cass said, beaming proudly. "When he was a child, he was so smart for his age. Why, he had the whole alphabet memorized by the time he was three, and was already learning to read! Not only that, but sometimes, when he would be in the cafe with me, he'd beat the register in telling people their change!"

Now Hiro was really confused. Geenie and Geenius were clearly not the same thing. Geenius seemed to mean that he had been capable of great stuff, if Aunt Cass' pride was anything to go by. Had he been really smart, before he'd ended up on his island? And if he was then, was he still now?

Christian listened to this, his mouth dropping open. Once Aunt Cass was finished, he turned back to Hiro. "Wow! Are you planning on going back to school?"

School. That was where Tadashi was at right now. Was he able to go back?

"Tadashi?" he asked, not sure if his question was clear. But Aunt Cass seemed to understand, and she shook her head.

"There are way more schools than just Tadashi's, Hiro, honey. Hundreds just in this city. Thousands and thousand all over the world. You have to be older to get into Tadashi's school."

"Oh." Older meant bigger, because everyone he'd met so far that was older was bigger. So he just had to get bigger, right?

"So, what's your dog's name?" Christian asked, putting a hand on his friend's head and scratching behind his ears. His friend wagged his tail and leaned into the contact. Hiro watched, silent for a couple seconds before he spoke again.

"Tadashi."

"Tadashi's at school, but he'll be back soon." Cass said with a smile.

"Well, I have to get going, but you're welcome to join me Hiro."

Cass stiffened, and Hiro did too. A boy his age was inviting him out, and that was good, it meant he was normal enough for normal people to want to hang out. But there was no way he was up for it. But he also really wanted to see this world more.

"I...want to...but..." Hiro looked at Aunt Cass, who was watching closely. When Hiro turned to her, she smiled brightly, and nodded enthusiastically. "I think it would be great for you to go out Hiro, and with a friend too. But please don't go too far."

"No problem. We'll just go a few blocks." Christian said. He looked at Hiro, who was still looking back.

"You wanna?"

Hiro took another pause. "My friend...can come?"

"Your dog? Of course."

Christian started walking out of the shop, and, after checking that his friend was with him, Hiro followed.