Adopted from KudaKano with their permission. Originally posted on AO3.

Hiro was very busy with school and he hadn't noticed at first that he'd grown taller. It was his third month at San Fransokyo Tech and he was too wrapped up in his classes and projects to focus on much else. Homework wasn't really a big deal. Most of the kids were behind on it, including Tadashi, but Hiro usually got it done the day it was given out. It was easy and he liked to get it over with so he could have more time to experiment with his robotic designs. He had so many ideas he wanted to work on, including advancements on his microbots. He was usually working on several different projects at once and his space in the workshop was littered with drawings and random materials.

In fact, he barely left the school's workshop. If it weren't for Tadashi coming to get him before they walked home, Hiro would probably just spend the night there.

Hiro was walking towards Wasabi's tool desk to borrow a wrench when he accidentally bumped into Gogo. The girl patted his shoulder in apology but he stopped in his tracks and stared at her because he just now realized that her eyes were level with his own.

"Gogo…did you get shorter?" Hiro asked without thinking.

The girl popped her gum and quirked her head to the side, fixing him with a funny look. "You're the one going through puberty, robot boy." She replied with a smirk.

Hiro blinked and then looked down at himself. He couldn't believe he was now the same height as Gogo. He heard Tadashi laughing as the older Hamada walked up behind him. "Haven't you noticed you're getting taller, Hiro?" Tadashi asked before handing the boy a sandwich.

Hiro's stomach grumbled as soon as he smelt the food and he immediately started shoving it into his mouth. He would probably forget to eat altogether if Tadashi wasn't constantly bringing him meals from the school café.

"f-ink I'll get as f-all as –ou?" Hiro asked with a mouth full of food. He was now comparing himself with Tadashi and using his hand to mark his exact height against his brother.

"Maybe even taller." Tadashi chuckled and handed the boy some napkins. "Growth spurts are pretty surprising. You could grow as tall as Honey Lemon."

Hiro swallowed and his eyes widened. "No way!"

He was excited now. He was used to getting funny looks from people for being the shortest member of the school, though by now everyone knew he was a genius fourteen year old, it was still a little embarrassing when he had to use a stool in the library or when the professors couldn't see his raised hand behind much taller students.

He wanted to look like he fit in with the rest of the school, but even more so, he wanted to look like Tadashi.

They were brothers, so Hiro was bound to grow into the same body type, right?

A week went by and none of Hiro's clothes would fit him. He could barely button his shorts closed and his belly could be seen underneath every shirt and sweater.

Tadashi walked in on him just as he was trying on one of his big brother's shirts. Hiro smiled stupidly and then puffed out his chest, causing the shirt collar to slip over his shoulder.

"I think you've still got a few years before you can start barrowing my clothes." Tadashi said with a laugh.

Aunt Cass took him shopping later that day. Apparently she had been saving up money specifically for when Hiro hit his growth spurt.

"Your older brother just about sucked my wallet dry when he started growing." She explained in the car. "I had to buy him new pants every other week! Well, not this time. I'm prepared for you." She stuck a finger at Hiro and he smiled.

He was alive with excitement as they entered the clothing store. He was practically skipping along and his aunt was constantly smacking his hands away as he tried to touch everything in the store.

"College men don't play with the clothing racks." Aunt Cass reminded him as she pulled him towards the boy's section.

She had him try on jeans because they were more appropriate for school but Hiro's enthusiasm died when he tried on the first pair in his size.

"Those are so cute!" His aunt stated while he stared at himself in the mirror. Hiro frowned and rotated his lower half while inspecting them. He didn't like the way these jeans hugged his hips…they looked…

"Aunt Cass…these pants make me look like a girl." Hiro replied.

"Oh, I don't think it's the pants sweetie." She snickered and patted him on the thigh. "I think you've got genes from my side of the family.

Hiro started up at her in horror and she chuckled.

Hiro ripped those jeans off and tried on another pair but this one fit exactly the same. He took those off and tried on every single pair of pants in his size but every single one made him look…girly.

Aunt Cass ended up buying him four pairs of jeans and a pile of shirts but Hiro was no longer excited when they got home.

He tried on his new clothes again in the bathroom and just started at himself in the mirror. It wasn't the clothes that were making him look feminine, it was his body.

He was hoping that his shoulders would grow broader like Tadashi's, but they hadn't grown at all like his hips had. His hips had grown as wide as his shoulders, but he was still a toothpick in the middle, so it caused him to look very…curvy. And if that wasn't bad enough, his arms were still thin like string beans but his thighs had gotten thicker just like his hips. He honestly looked more like Aunt Cass than he looked like Tadashi.

He was still starting at himself when Tadashi walked into the bathroom. His brother paused, prepared to compliment Hiro on his new clothes but he looked at the boy's jeans and his eyes widened.

"Whoa…you look—"

"—Like a chick," Hiro finished for him. Seeing Tadashi next to him in the mirror, all broad and masculine, made him feel twice as bad and his shoulders deflated.

"It's not so bad." Tadashi stated. "Maybe you'll get some free drinks." Hiro turned and punched him in the arm and Tadashi laughed. "I'm kidding! Honestly Hiro, you don't look bad at all!" He walked up behind him and placed a large hand on the boy's shoulder. "Besides, you still have a lot of growing to do. You could look completely different in a few weeks."

Hiro nodded, but he still had a scowl on his face.

Tadashi seemed determined to cheer him up, and they ended up going out to eat that night. Hiro didn't feel like being out in public, but his brother had was very self-aware at first as he walked through the restaurant in his new clothing, but Tadashi started talking about school and soon they were both wrapped up in conversation.

"Did you ever have the duck teacher?" Hiro asked resulting in a bark of surprised laughter from Tadashi.

"I don't remember any of my freshmen professors having feathers, no." His brother chuckled.

"I had him as a sub in Robotics Lab today." Hiro scrunched his face up and puckered his lips out. "He looks exactly like this." Tadashi covered his mouth to try and suppress his laughter as Hiro continued with the impersonation. "Don't forget to wear you mask when using the welding torch, Mr. Hamada!" Hiro stuck his elbows out like wings and quacked.

Tadashi chuckled as they both took a seat at an empty booth. He took his hat off and set it on his knee. "Wait till you have Professor Baboa." Tadashi said. He straightened and held his arms out, adopting a very cautious expression. Hiro was already laughing. "S-s-s-s-stop n-now s-students, t-the c-c-c-chemicals." Tadashi's stuttering turned into laughter and Hiro's voice rose in pitch. "He's a really good teacher, though!" Tadashi corrected himself, not really wanting to talk bad about his professors.

"Well, so is the duck teacher, but it doesn't change the fact that he's a duck." Hiro laughed and wiped at his eyes.

They were still snickering when someone came up to take their order. "Can I get you something to drink, cutie?"

Hiro did a double take when he realized the question was directed at him and not Tadashi. He was even more surprised when he saw that their server was a boy in his late teens. He had spiked, blue-dyed hair and several piercings in his nose and ears and he was looking at Hiro with a suggestive smile.

Hiro's eyes widened in surprise and he let out a bewildered laugh. "Wow…definitely something with alcohol." He replied sarcastically. However, the teen seemed to take him seriously and grinned wider.

"I suppose I could forget to ID just this once," The teen replied. "I could mix you up something real tasty and-"

"Bring us both a soda, please." Tadashi interrupted him. His words were polite but his tone was harsh. Hiro looked up in surprise to see his brother glaring at the blue-haired teen with narrowed eyes.

The server met Tadashi's gaze with a glare of his own before he turned to Hiro with a sweet smile. "I'll be right back." He then twirled around and sauntered back to the employee area. Tadashi watched him leave with a scowl.

"I thought you were joking about the whole free drinks thing." Hiro grumbled.

"I was," Tadashi replied.

Hiro swallowed and brought his arms close to himself. His happy mood disappeared and he stared accusingly down at his new clothes.

"It's not you're fault we got a creepy waiter, Hiro." Tadashi said quietly when he noticed the boy's movements. The older Hamada was having fun seeing Hiro talk lively and be himself. It was hard not to be angry with the waiter for instantly killing the boy's mood. Tadashi frowned as he watched Hiro picking nervously at his nails and scoot further into the booth in an attempt to hide.

He'd never seen the Hiro look so…self-conscious.

"I watched Gogo get hit on by a waiter once," Tadashi stated to break the silence.

Hiro smiled up at him curiously, knowing that Gogo did not take nicely to advances from boys. "And?" Hiro pressed.

"How do you think she reacted?" Tadashi asked while leaning into the table. He had a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Um, knowing Gogo, I would think she would've told him off." Hiro replied with a chuckle.

"Oh, she didn't say anything," Tadashi laughed. "She just stood up, grabbed him by the shoulder and kneed him in the crotch so hard he fell on the ground crying."

Hiro burst into laughter and then covered his mouth when he remembered they were in a public area."Then what happened?" Hiro asked. His face lit up and Tadashi smiled.

"Nothing, she just sat back down and continued eating." They were both laughing now and Tadashi was struggling to continue his story.

"The other waiters…" He paused to catch his breath between laughs. "The other waiters had to pick him up and take him to the back of the restaurant, he was making a scene."

"I've got to ask her about that tomorrow." Hiro snorted and wiped his eyes. He fell silent when he noticed their waiter return to their booth with a tray of teen set a soda in front of Tadashi but for Hiro he set down a bright green martini glass with a lime and an olive sticking out of it.

Hiro stared at the drink with wide eyes and then looked back and forth between his brother and their flamboyant waiter. Tadashi stared at the glass, his face held a look of surprise mixed with irritation. Then he looked up and fixed the waiter with a sharp stare.

"Did you just serve alcohol to a fourteen year old?" He asked.

The teen shrugged and then winked at Hiro. "Maybe you should take a sip and find out. I made it special."

Hiro looked away and stared into the table, stunned. Tadashi smiled bitterly and paused to brace his hands against the table, as if to collect his thoughts. "Alright then…can you send out a manager, please?" He spoke with sarcastic enthusiasm.

"Whatever," The waiter replied before leaning in closer to Hiro. "I'll see you around, cutie."

Hiro leaned away from him with a mortified expression but the waiter drew even closer. It was only when Tadashi rose to his feet threateningly that the teen retreated and walked quickly back into the kitchens. Tadashi sunk back into the booth and shook his head in amazement.

"Let's just go." Hiro said quietly. Tadashi studied the boy and frowned at how uncomfortable he looked. He had his arms wrapped around himself and his knees pulled together. "I don't want to be here anymore."

Tadashi tried to think of something to cheer him up but then he sighed realizing that coming to this restaurant had only made Hiro feel worse. "Okay."

Tadashi stood up and left some money on the table to cover their drinks. Hiro stayed close to him as they walked out and Tadashi put a comforting hand on the boy's back. "Don't let some jerk make you feel bad." He said softly as he guided his brother out the door.

Hiro didn't reply. They walked home in silence.

Tadashi was hoping that Hiro would feel better after a good night's rest, but the boy's attitude remained bitter when they awoke for school the next morning. His expression was glum as he slipped into some new clothes and examined himself. The jeans he had on now were tight on his legs because none of the baggier pairs had fit him and he swore his hips looked even wider than they did last night. It didn't help that the long sleeved, black tee he wore was tight on his waist and made him look extra curvy.

He didn't want to hurt Aunt Cass's feelings, but he really should have double-checked these shirts before he let her buy them.

Tadashi was waiting for Hiro when the boy walked down the stairs and into the café. He was about to compliment Hiro's outfit but the gloomy expression on the boy's face made him bite his tongue and direct his attention to the lovely ceiling tiles.

Aunt Cass hugged them before they left. She squeezed Hiro excitedly and straightened his shirt. "Look at my cute little college man!" She cooed, and Hiro grimaced.

"See you, Aunt Cass." Tadashi said as they shuffled out the door. He was eager to get to school, thinking that being back in class would help put Hiro's mind at ease. He frowned when he noticed how closely Hiro was walking next to him.

Usually the boy was all over the place, running around and kicking at leaves. He always jumped onto the hand railing when they walked over the bridge and balanced his way across but today he was like a statue. He had his book bag pulled close the side and he stared at the ground as they walked.

Tadashi leaned over and picked up a pinecone before tossing it in Hiro's direction. It bounced off of the boy's head and he blinked and looked over at Tadashi in surprise. His eyes narrowed playfully.

"Oh, real mature, college student," Hiro said.

Tadashi grinned when he saw the boy lean down to start gathering ammo. Then Tadashi was running forward and dodging pinecones as they came sailing towards his head.

Hiro eventually caught up to him but since he was out of ammo the boy jumped onto Tadashi's back and hooked his legs around his brother's waist. "Surrender!" Hiro shouted and bit into his brother's shoulder.

Tadashi mocked a cry of pain and then started laughing as he brought his hands down to Hiro's legs to keep the boy in place. Hiro was lanky, so he wasn't very heavy, but for a moment Tadashi was taken aback by how thick Hiro's thighs were until he remembered the boy was hitting his growth spurt.

He was definitely getting genes from Aunt Cass's side of the family.

Hiro giggled and snaked his arms around Tadashi's neck. He let himself be carried into the school's courtyard until someone whistled loudly in his direction. He scrambled off of Tadashi's back and spun around in alarm. His brother looked back at him in concern and then smiled sympathetically.

"That…probably wasn't directed at you," He stated.

"Right." Hiro nodded, but his back was straight and his eyes were searching around wildly. He didn't see any girls walking near them.

They parted since they attended different classes and Tadashi watched as Hiro quickly walked down the hallway towards his first class. His brow furrowed when he noticed a few heads turn, random eyes scanning up and down Hiro's form.

Tadashi was finding it hard to focus though his classes as his mind kept drifting back to his little brother. Maybe Hiro would feel better once he got to his favorite class, Robotics Lab.

Tadashi's third lesson had ended early, and he snuck off to see how his brother was doing.

He peeked his head into the Robotics Lab window and searched the classroom. He smirked when he saw the substitute teacher who surprisingly did look like a duck, but he frowned when he couldn't spot Hiro. He was starting to wonder if the boy had skipped class until he spotted him in the back row of seats.

Usually Hiro was towards the front and standing on his chair so that the professor could see his raised hand, but today he was sunk back, practically invisible. He had his bag pulled over his lap and his head was down. He didn't raise his hand once during the entire lecture.

Tadashi rested his head against the window and continued watching as the boy doodled absent-mindedly in his notebook. The first few months of school had been great for Hiro. He loved it and was excited to be there, just as Tadashi had expected him to be. He loved being amongst other people who had similar interests and he enjoyed attending classes that pushed him to go further with his ideas. He had perfect grades in every class and since he always got his homework done early, he was constantly working on extra projects. Tadashi couldn't be more proud. But today was the first day Hiro looked miserable.

Tadashi sighed and tried to think of a way to help boost his brother's confidence. He couldn't come up with anything and simply waited for the class to end and met Hiro at the door. He chose not to ask Hiro about the rest of his classes as they walked down to the labs to meet their friends.

Apparently the gang didn't have much to work on because they were huddled in a circle chatting when the boys approached.

Honey practically shrieked when she saw Hiro and she instantly ran up to him. "Hiro, you look so cuuuuute!" She yelled as she kneeled down and pulled the boy into a hug. Hiro's cheeks burned, and he smiled nervously as the girl squeezed the life out of him.

"Wow!" Fred stated in surprise as he looked up from his comic book. "I thought you were Gogo for a second," He said while looking Hiro up and down.

Wasabi smacked Fred's beanie of his head and Hiro sighed and moved his bag forward to cover his waist.

Gogo walked up to him and rested an elbow on his shoulder. "And what's wrong with looking like a girl?" she questioned him. "Girls are the tougher gender," She stated, and brought her fist forward.

"There wouldn't be anything wrong with it if I actually was a girl." Hiro grumbled.

Tadashi gritted his teeth and then smiled sheepishly at their friends, silently asking for help.

"It's okay Hiro, I had a tough time with puberty too," Honey stated as she hugged the boy's arm.

Hiro looked up at her in confusion. "But you're beautiful." He said it in such a matter-of-fact tone that Honey blushed and smiled sweetly at him.

"My growth spurt was a train wreck, though!" She stated enthusiastically and gestured with her hands. "I got teased all the time! They used to call me the human walking stick." She stood up and spread her arms out. "It took a few more years before I grew into this masterpiece!" She snorted and giggled into her hand. "Just kidding!"

Hiro laughed and then Wasabi walked up to him. "Honey's not the only one, I got teased a lot when I was growing up," Wasabi stated.

Hiro quirked up his eyebrow and gazed up at the man's muscular physique. "No way."

Wasabi grinned and patted his chest. "It's true! Before I hit my growth spurt I was just a string bean like Tadashi here." He poked Tadashi in the arm and the older Hamada chuckled and swatted him away.

"Wow…puberty really works wonders." Hiro said before looking over and Fred and Gogo. "What about you guys?"

Fred set his comic down and grinned. "Oh I always got picked on at school, but it wasn't for how I looked." He gestured to the issue of Giant Mutant Alien Men he was reading. "It was for talking about comics all day." He then pointed a finger at Gogo. "But I'm pretty sure everyone was too afraid to pick on Gogo here."

Gogo smirked and crossed her arms. By her expression, Hiro assumed that Fred was correct. Tadashi smiled warmly as he noticed Hiro's mood start to change.

They continued joking around with each other before a girl with a camera walked up to them and greeted the odd group of college kids.

"Hello!" She smiled nervously and walked up to Tadashi. She had blonde hair that was pulled back into a braid and her face was littered with freckles. She wore a San Fransokyo sweater with a pink, frilly skirt. "I'm taking pictures of student couples for a Valentines Day project." She stated with a nervous laugh. "Would you mind if I took your picture?" She held her camera up towards Tadashi.

Tadashi looked surprised and started shaking his head. "Oh, I'm not really…" He trailed off and looked at Honey and Gogo, wondering who had been mistaken as his girlfriend. However, the girl soon turned and gave Hiro a huge smile.

"I saw you two around campus today and I think you're just an adorable couple!" She looked back and forth between Hiro and Tadashi.

The group went silent as what she said sank in and then Fred burst into laughter. He fell out of his chair and continued laughing on the floor. Wasabi scolded him at first but then he started chuckling, voice slowly growing in volume.

"Unbelievable," Hiro stated. He was frozen in place, completely dumbfounded. Honey and Gogo couldn't help but smile and even Tadashi was using his fist to try and muffle his laughter.

The poor girl suddenly recoiled and looked at the group in confusion. "I'm a boy!" Hiro jumped in front of her and used his hands to pull his hair back, showing off his thick eyebrows.

The girl went pale and her face melted in horror. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" She apologized. "B-but you know there isn't anything wrong with being homosexual." She tried to save the situation and only made it worse.

Gogo was slapping her leg and laughing out loud now and Honey was trying to hide her giggles behind her purse. Hiro smacked himself in the forehead and Tadashi walked forward and placed a strong hand on the girl's shoulder. He looked down at her with sympathy.

"He's my brother," Tadashi explained with a gentle smile.

The girl blinked and was suddenly blushing like mad; her eyes were wide and regretful. "I'm so sorry!" She practically screamed and Tadashi patted her on the shoulder, still laughing.

Eventually the girl was too embarrassed to be in front of them and she scurried off, clutching her camera desperately. "I'm glad you're all enjoying yourselves." Hiro stated as he spun around and looked at his friends accusingly. They were still laughing and trying to catch their breath.

"Okay, but you have to admit, that was a hilarious." Fred stated as he picked himself off of the floor.

Hiro turned towards his brother with a scowl. "Can we go home now?"

Usually they hung out at the school for a bit longer. They would either get wrapped into a conversation with their friends or stick around for a few extra hours to work on their projects but Tadashi could tell that Hiro was having a bad day and just wanted it to end. They said goodbye to their friends and started walking home. This time, Hiro kept his distance from his brother. Tadashi assumed it was because he didn't want to be mistaken as his brother's girlfriend again.

Tadashi was about to tell him that it was a common misunderstanding but…it really wasn't common and it probably wouldn't have happened a few months ago when Hiro still looked like a little kid.

He sighed and broke the silence as they walked. "Since when does it matter what look like, Hiro?" Tadashi asked but Hiro glared at the ground and simply drew his book bag closer to his body. "You're brilliant! You're an absolute genius and a fantastic student!" Tadashi's voice grew softer with sincerity. He was trying his best to raise the boy's confidence. "But now you've grown taller, you barely look any different, and you're-"

"That's easy for you to say," Hiro interrupted him. The boy's eyes met his older brother's for a moment. They weren't angry or filled with venom they just looked…hurt.

Tadashi sighed and went silent and as they continued walking. Tadashi didn't reply because Hiro was right. He had no idea what his little brother was going through. Tadashi's growth spurt had been different. He couldn't come up with a single idea to make the boy feel better and frowned bitterly at his recent lack of creative thinking.

Hiro wanted nothing more than to go to his room and curl up in bed but when they reached the café, they could see that Aunt Cass was swarmed with customers and she greeted them with a tight smile and begging eyes. She needed their help.

Hiro groaned as he retrieved an apron from the closet, quickly tying the strings around his back. He assumed it looked just perfect on his brand new, girly waist. Tadashi did the same and started taking customer's orders.

Hiro walked up to the counter and began preparing drinks and after a few minutes he actually felt better. It was kind of nice to have a task to distract him from his crappy day and soon enough he was smiling at customers and greeting people at the door.

Aunt Cass passed him with a tray full of lattés and she used one hand to ruffle his hair. "Thank you so much for helping!" She stated before rushing off to a table. Hiro smiled and filled up the next batch of drinks.

The café was busy for a few more hours but it eventually settled down and the three off them worked together to get the place cleaned up. They only had a few customers was sweeping the floors and Hiro was busy wiping down tables and collecting dirty dishes.

Hiro was walking back towards the counter with a tray full of half-empty drinks when he felt a thick arm circle his waist. It stopped him in his tracks, causing all the dishes on his tray to slide forward and crash into the floor. Hiro's head spun around in shock and he stared at the person who had grabbed him. It was an older man, probably in his late thirties, with grayish hair and a creepy, wrinkly grin.

The man's arm lowered to graze against Hiro's backside and the other hand came up and slid underneath Hiro's apron to slowly caress his inner thigh.

Hiro knew quite a bit of self defense moves from Tadashi, but he was so caught off guard that he couldn't move. He simply stared, frozen in place as the man pulled him closer and rubbed his face against Hiro's hip with a smile.

Tadashi must have heard the sound of the dishes breaking because he was there a second later. He grabbed the man's wrist firmly and twisted it before tearing it away from his younger brother. The man cried out in pain but Tadashi continued dragging him out of the café and promptly shoved him out the door.

Hiro was on the floor, trying to clean up the broken dishes when Tadashi came running back to him.

"Are you okay?" His brother asked with a worried expression.

"P-peachy." Hiro replied. He was trying to sound sarcastic, but his voice was shaking a bit. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heartbeat.

Tadashi studied him before gently talking a piece of broken plate out of Hiro's quivering hands and pulling the boy in for a hug. Hiro sighed and rested his head against his brother's shoulder until his pulse slowed down and he could speak normally.

"I'm fine, really." Hiro said as he pulled away from Tadashi's arms. "I just wasn't expecting to deal with any drunken old men today." He bit his lip and continued picking up broken dishes.

"You should never have to deal with drunken old men." Tadashi stated with a humorless laugh.

They continued cleaning until the café was completely spotless and ready for the next workday. Hiro helped Aunt Cass put the dishes away and was thankful that she hadn't seen the old man groping him. He didn't want her to worry and hereally didn't feel like talking about it.

Tadashi stopped him at the foot of the stairs just before he retreated to his bedroom. "Are you sure you're okay?" His brother asked. His eyes were full of concern and they were watching his expression carefully.

"I'm fine," Hiro grumbled. "I'm just ready to grow out of this stupid body." He walked up the stairs without another word.

Tadashi watched him go with a sigh. He sunk down on the stairs and scratched Mochi behind the ear as the cat rubbed up against his leg. It would be different if Hiro was just unhappy with the way he looked. But the boy had already been harassed more than once since his body started changing. No wonder Hiro was becoming discouraged.

Tadashi had to think of a way to boost his brother's confidence…

But how?

So I know that KudaKano was kind of on the fence about making this Hidashi and maybe some of you were thinking that it wouldn't go past brotherly love. i just want to tell you now that I'm going to make it Hidashi and maybe throw in some dirtiness and whatnot, so if you're not into that, please don't continue to read this. Sorry.

(Just kidding. No, I'm not.)