[Yikes. He can imagine. He has no sense of spiritual energy or anything of the sort but he can't imagine this being easier on people like Rei who are sensitive to that sort of thing. Bad things are coming and they can't stop them. They're dealing in two different ways. His own mask is tied to his waist and pointedly facing the other way.
She's not wrong. The choice not to bring Baymax was deliberate and a way of saying he wasn't going to hide behind him or try to have him excuse his behavior. At the same time the hood makes him more comfortable and it's only been a few hours since he fell apart on Yu. He knows better than to fall apart on Rei, too.
At least he's able to look up at her then.]
Do you want the bullet points version or...everything? [He sighs quietly.] I'm still sort of piecing everything together myself. The short version? I panicked and it kinda escalated from there.
[Him falling apart wouldn’t do much good. It would just make things worse, really, more confusing. It’d be an excuse to close up, harden, and be more in line with Mars. But she does want to give the boy a chance to explain himself. He’s earned that much, at least. Not that it’s entirely satisfying, hearing that short version, but it does prompt another question.]
I do want the whole story, from your side of things. I need that. But we can take it slow. I won’t hurt you, and I’ll hear you out. I swear.
[She clasps hands around her cup, takes a breath, and…]
[Why? Heh. That's a loaded question, but at least one he's had time to think on over the course of the night and the morning.]
…it's always been me and Tadashi. Always. Me, Tadashi, and Aunt Cass. When Mom and Dad died and we moved in with her and that just became the norm. We're all really close.
And I know he's probably turned people down before…because of me. [His brother's not a bad-looking guy and he's nice and friendly and smart. It's not at all surprising he had a share of admirers.] Tadashi's always made me his priority to help take the strain off Aunt Cass. She wasn't exactly ready to be a parent when she got us. Maybe I just got used to it. Not sharing. Knowing that he'd be there for me and make me his priority.
[He can be frank about it. This isn't a sob story by any means. This is matter of fact.] …and then he died and things were just…hard. Still are, sometimes. Sometimes I really don't know how to talk to him anymore because he was here and he started building a life and then I showed up and kinda ended up relying on him again. [A pause.] I get it now. Why he didn't tell me, but when he did I guess I just sort of freaked out that we were still keeping secrets from each other. It's stupid, I know. I know she wouldn't replace me or whatever but…I want to spend as much time with him here as I can because when we all leave, I'm going to be the one who remembers him and has to live the rest of my life knowing he's gone.
[…ugh. This is so fucking stupid and he scratches at his cheek in embarrassment. There's more to it, but that's a start. And then, under his breath:] Pretty stupid, isn't it?
[It's a loaded question, yes. Intentionally so. She isn't going to go easy on him, because he has, admittedly indirectly, caused distress in the life of someone she would fight, kill, and die for. Someone she has killed to protect, and someone who she'll stand beside for millennia to come. But that doesn't change the fact that she cares about him too, or that it was over romance. Romance was rarely worth getting worked up over, and Rei was more practical than that. And opinionated.
Family was more important than romance...to the girl who had none. She could understand that explanation. She really could. In a way, Tadashi was as important to Hiro as Shingo was to Usagi, or Chibi-usa to Setsuna...and vice versa. A behavior she'd seen in others, she got it. At the same time, it wasn't something she could just brush off. She wouldn't. Not without more information.]
You were afraid. That's understandable, if a little childish. [Evenly, she adds:] You're young, and I can see why that would startle you. There's nothing stupid about wanting to spend time with your brother, though. And if he was keeping secrets, then I can doubly understand. I know how that would make me feel, and it's not a good feeling.
[Rei lays one hand out flat onto the table. And presses another button.]
Ami tells me he lied to you about her. Is that true?
[Selfishly, he'd say that his bond with Tadashi was even stronger than other people's bonds with their siblings. But he's trying not to be a brat today. He cares about his friendship with Rei enough to try and be reasonable about this and take her words with stride.
Of course it's slightly childish. And his face clouds over a little.]
…that's what he told her? [He frowns. That probably didn't sound great.] He told me he was at the carnival with somebody else when he was with Ami, so yeah, he lied about that. And he didn't tell me that they were hanging out and going on dates after work and stuff. But I also didn't ask.
[That was his fault.] He lied to my face by just leaving out part of the truth because he was trying to protect me and trying to figure out how to tell me so this didn't happen. ["So he didn't piss me off and hurt my feelings." And suddenly he tenses up, giving her an unreadable look.] Are lies of omission still considered lies? If they're protecting someone you care about.
[Rei's voice takes on an edge, the first time she's really given a whole lot of emphasis on anything since this started.]
Lies of omission are lies when they hurt someone. They hurt Ami, who I hold near as dear to my heart as Minako and Usagi. She is my sister, and what he did...not being truthful...that's shameful. By omitting that, it makes it seem like he was ashamed, that Ami is something to be hidden away. That's the problem, as I see it. But that isn't something you did. That's on your brother, and that's not something you can apologize for.
[She huffs, looking down at her hands, intently studying the table.]
Hiro. You didn't mean for this to happen, did you? And you don't bear Ami any ill will, I assume?
[…Tadashi you idiot. He'd only told Hiro that he called it off, not what was said. Now he knows why. He straightens up a little when her voice takes on that edge but he's not afraid.]
He was never ashamed of her. I can tell you that much. [A pause.] He felt like he wasn't good enough for her and he probably feels like that now, too. She made him happy but he's…doing what he knows best. [Accepting things. Sacrificing his happiness. And re-assessing.] But I know him. It's going to take a long…long time to fix things. If they're fixed at all.
[And the implication is that he'll be there to help him.] There are things I have to do to help him, too. But I'm not ready. [He looks back at his lap instead.] I didn't mean for this to happen. And I didn't want him to hurt her. But I don't know if I'm ready to talk to her either. That's okay, isn't it?
But you realize, Hiro, what it looks like to someone else. That's not okay. You understand that, don't you?
[The harshness drops from her tone as she regards the boy. She closes her eyes, honestly thinking, accessing things. This was a gigantic mess. But that's a satisfactory answer, at least. She knows his heart well enough by now to know he means that, that he didn't want to hurt her. That's just the side effect of romance.]
I do...sometime...want you to apologize to her for indirectly causing her pain. But not now. I know it's hard, believe me I do. When you're ready, you can. I won't push.
[She rubs at her temple, eyes creaking open.]
The heart of the matter is that Tadashi did something to hurt my sister in arms. Not you. You were a factor, but you're not at fault. He could have approached this a dozen other ways, but he blundered. That happens, I don't think...that he's a bad person either. But he's not welcome in our home any longer. And I think that it's best if he and I don't have much further contact until something changes.
[Shifting, her gaze snaps back to him.]
That doesn't extend to you, though. I don't think you've done anything wrong intentionally, and the true wrongdoing in my eyes here you had no hand in. I'm hardly about to cut ties with you...if you can accept that Tadashi and I won't be speaking until he manages to find a way to set things right.
Yeah. [It's a simple word, but it has enough gravity behind it for her to be assured he truly does understand what it looks like and how bad it is. He frowns heavily, thinking on the idea of apologizing even though he knows he should.] I know...I need to. That was my fault and it's not really Ami's fault that she happened to be caught in the crossfire or whatever. I'll fix it and apologize to her after some time apart. I can't right now. It'd seem fake.
[For him to say it when he doesn't quite mean it yet, and for him to do so so soon after they'd ended things.]
Tadashi tries but even he can't please everyone. ["Especially himself, apparently." But he nods.] I understand that. I wouldn't expect anything else. But...I think that's completely fair. I think he'd feel the same.
[And finally he shakes his head to tilt the hood back just a bit to see her better.] I really am sorry about all of this.
You need to give her space, yes. She's angry enough without seeing you right now. A sad truth, but she'll calm down. She always does.
[Rei sucks in another breath and nods slowly, finally taking a sip of her coffee.]
It's his fault, not yours. You really haven't done anything really bad, it just seems like it right now. Lying was his choice, and it was a stupid one.
Can't imagine why. [It's a bitter little quip. He knows. She has every right to be angry, but on the other hand he's a little sore about the whole subject, too. Everybody just needs time to cool off. It'll be fine, he thinks.
Probably.]
...maybe it'll be okay someday, but that doesn't change that there's a lot deeper stuff going on here, too. We're not getting that much closer to figuring out what's coming for us. We should be sticking together, not coming apart. Even if we have to kind of avoid certain things, I want to make sure the four of you are okay.
Of course. [He looks up at her, turning to also get to his feet.] To all of that, I guess. We'll just have to push this stuff aside for right now and really focus. [And a tentative smile follows.] I'm not so worried about that now. Thanks, Rei.
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She's not wrong. The choice not to bring Baymax was deliberate and a way of saying he wasn't going to hide behind him or try to have him excuse his behavior. At the same time the hood makes him more comfortable and it's only been a few hours since he fell apart on Yu. He knows better than to fall apart on Rei, too.
At least he's able to look up at her then.]
Do you want the bullet points version or...everything? [He sighs quietly.] I'm still sort of piecing everything together myself. The short version? I panicked and it kinda escalated from there.
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I do want the whole story, from your side of things. I need that. But we can take it slow. I won’t hurt you, and I’ll hear you out. I swear.
[She clasps hands around her cup, takes a breath, and…]
Why did you panic? Let's start there.
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…it's always been me and Tadashi. Always. Me, Tadashi, and Aunt Cass. When Mom and Dad died and we moved in with her and that just became the norm. We're all really close.
And I know he's probably turned people down before…because of me. [His brother's not a bad-looking guy and he's nice and friendly and smart. It's not at all surprising he had a share of admirers.] Tadashi's always made me his priority to help take the strain off Aunt Cass. She wasn't exactly ready to be a parent when she got us. Maybe I just got used to it. Not sharing. Knowing that he'd be there for me and make me his priority.
[He can be frank about it. This isn't a sob story by any means. This is matter of fact.] …and then he died and things were just…hard. Still are, sometimes. Sometimes I really don't know how to talk to him anymore because he was here and he started building a life and then I showed up and kinda ended up relying on him again. [A pause.] I get it now. Why he didn't tell me, but when he did I guess I just sort of freaked out that we were still keeping secrets from each other. It's stupid, I know. I know she wouldn't replace me or whatever but…I want to spend as much time with him here as I can because when we all leave, I'm going to be the one who remembers him and has to live the rest of my life knowing he's gone.
[…ugh. This is so fucking stupid and he scratches at his cheek in embarrassment. There's more to it, but that's a start. And then, under his breath:] Pretty stupid, isn't it?
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Family was more important than romance...to the girl who had none. She could understand that explanation. She really could. In a way, Tadashi was as important to Hiro as Shingo was to Usagi, or Chibi-usa to Setsuna...and vice versa. A behavior she'd seen in others, she got it. At the same time, it wasn't something she could just brush off. She wouldn't. Not without more information.]
You were afraid. That's understandable, if a little childish. [Evenly, she adds:] You're young, and I can see why that would startle you. There's nothing stupid about wanting to spend time with your brother, though. And if he was keeping secrets, then I can doubly understand. I know how that would make me feel, and it's not a good feeling.
[Rei lays one hand out flat onto the table. And presses another button.]
Ami tells me he lied to you about her. Is that true?
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Of course it's slightly childish. And his face clouds over a little.]
…that's what he told her? [He frowns. That probably didn't sound great.] He told me he was at the carnival with somebody else when he was with Ami, so yeah, he lied about that. And he didn't tell me that they were hanging out and going on dates after work and stuff. But I also didn't ask.
[That was his fault.] He lied to my face by just leaving out part of the truth because he was trying to protect me and trying to figure out how to tell me so this didn't happen. ["So he didn't piss me off and hurt my feelings." And suddenly he tenses up, giving her an unreadable look.] Are lies of omission still considered lies? If they're protecting someone you care about.
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[Rei's voice takes on an edge, the first time she's really given a whole lot of emphasis on anything since this started.]
Lies of omission are lies when they hurt someone. They hurt Ami, who I hold near as dear to my heart as Minako and Usagi. She is my sister, and what he did...not being truthful...that's shameful. By omitting that, it makes it seem like he was ashamed, that Ami is something to be hidden away. That's the problem, as I see it. But that isn't something you did. That's on your brother, and that's not something you can apologize for.
[She huffs, looking down at her hands, intently studying the table.]
Hiro. You didn't mean for this to happen, did you? And you don't bear Ami any ill will, I assume?
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He was never ashamed of her. I can tell you that much. [A pause.] He felt like he wasn't good enough for her and he probably feels like that now, too. She made him happy but he's…doing what he knows best. [Accepting things. Sacrificing his happiness. And re-assessing.] But I know him. It's going to take a long…long time to fix things. If they're fixed at all.
[And the implication is that he'll be there to help him.] There are things I have to do to help him, too. But I'm not ready. [He looks back at his lap instead.] I didn't mean for this to happen. And I didn't want him to hurt her. But I don't know if I'm ready to talk to her either. That's okay, isn't it?
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[The harshness drops from her tone as she regards the boy. She closes her eyes, honestly thinking, accessing things. This was a gigantic mess. But that's a satisfactory answer, at least. She knows his heart well enough by now to know he means that, that he didn't want to hurt her. That's just the side effect of romance.]
I do...sometime...want you to apologize to her for indirectly causing her pain. But not now. I know it's hard, believe me I do. When you're ready, you can. I won't push.
[She rubs at her temple, eyes creaking open.]
The heart of the matter is that Tadashi did something to hurt my sister in arms. Not you. You were a factor, but you're not at fault. He could have approached this a dozen other ways, but he blundered. That happens, I don't think...that he's a bad person either. But he's not welcome in our home any longer. And I think that it's best if he and I don't have much further contact until something changes.
[Shifting, her gaze snaps back to him.]
That doesn't extend to you, though. I don't think you've done anything wrong intentionally, and the true wrongdoing in my eyes here you had no hand in. I'm hardly about to cut ties with you...if you can accept that Tadashi and I won't be speaking until he manages to find a way to set things right.
Is that alright?
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[For him to say it when he doesn't quite mean it yet, and for him to do so so soon after they'd ended things.]
Tadashi tries but even he can't please everyone. ["Especially himself, apparently." But he nods.] I understand that. I wouldn't expect anything else. But...I think that's completely fair. I think he'd feel the same.
[And finally he shakes his head to tilt the hood back just a bit to see her better.] I really am sorry about all of this.
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[Rei sucks in another breath and nods slowly, finally taking a sip of her coffee.]
It's his fault, not yours. You really haven't done anything really bad, it just seems like it right now. Lying was his choice, and it was a stupid one.
[But she won't sit here and badmouth him.]
It'll be okay, Hiro. Really.
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Probably.]
...maybe it'll be okay someday, but that doesn't change that there's a lot deeper stuff going on here, too. We're not getting that much closer to figuring out what's coming for us. We should be sticking together, not coming apart. Even if we have to kind of avoid certain things, I want to make sure the four of you are okay.
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[Quietly, she sets down her cup and rises, walking around the table to stand beside him.]
Your efforts are appreciated. Really. And don't worry. We'll be just fine. All of us. You included.
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[It has to.]
Thank you, too. For coming to me and owning up.
[She stoops and pulls him into a little hug, arms wrapping around.]
I'm glad at least you and I can see sense.
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Somehow we usually do. [Just a matter of fact.] Are you ready to head back?
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Yeah. I'll see you soon, Hiro. Take care.