/crying bc I'm finally done with this ... I also feel like I'm the only one on this ship anymore ;w;

300 years was a long time to wait for someone - but that was sort of moot because Jack didn't really know that he was waiting. But when he saw Tadashi - all of 13 years old, lanky, and cute as hell - helping his little brother - who he would learn later on was named Hiro - how to ride his bicycle. It had training wheels of course, but Tadashi still explained carefully how to push the pedals and how to brake when he needed to stop. Jack watched them for a while, smiling when Hiro got excited over pedaling by himself and he was soon zooming around the yard, laughter bubbling out of him and making Tadashi laugh and smile too. It was heartwarming.

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When Jack next encountered Tadashi, the still-alive human was just shy of 16. He and Hiro were now living in a different place - in a house above a cafe, with their Aunt Cass, he found out - and Tadashi looked worn out and glum, but only when he was alone. Jack had taken to watching him for a couple days, noticing how, when Tadashi worked in the cafe, he was light on his feet and all smiles and cheerfulness even to the most outrageous customers. Jack couldn't help but feel for the teen when he observed him alone, angst and sadness and more often than not crying. Hiro would sometimes find him and curl up in his brother's lap, trying to make him feel better. Jack couldn't tell whether or not Tadashi was faking it, but he would brighten up with Hiro around.

When Jack found out about their parents, honestly, he cried.

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Right before the SFIT, Jack saw Tadashi and Hiro. They'd come a long way - Hiro looked like such the tiny genius. He knew Tadashi was proud of his little brother. They were both pumped up for the event - Hiro looking more worried than Tadashi - and they looked better than they had when he last saw them. Tadashi looked more around 21, and god, he was more than handsome. Jack felt like blushing.

The two brothers were wheeling what looked like recycle bins up to the SFIT was being held. A group of people with the same blue bins were walking with them. Tadashi was talking encouragement to Hiro, and Hiro was nodding. Jack followed silently, invisible. Inside, as inside as Jack dared to go, he saw a huge hallway that no doubt lead to the main hall - where no doubt that's where the event was. Jack ducked back outside and floated up onto the roof where he was able to see well enough inside through the glass skylights.

Jack watched them, grinning like an absolute fool at Hiro's successful invention - and Tadashi... Wow. He looked so proud. Jack chuckled and hopped off the side of the building, landing easily and climbing into a tree overlooking the river that ran next to the convention and the school. Jack watched as the two brothers moseyed over onto the bridge and talked happily with one another. Jack rested his eyes and relaxed, listening - and loving - the silky, slightly deep tone of Tadashi's voice. That's why he was so confused when a shrill alarm started ringing out into the night.

He sat up just in time to see the Hamada brothers running off back to the convention hall. Jack flew off, following but suddenly falling back as a wall of heat hit him. Winter spirits did not bode well with fire. Especially giant structure fires. He could only watch helplessly as Hiro tried in vain to keep Tadashi with him and from running in - Jack wondered with panic why Tadashi would even think about running in there.

It didn't matter anyway, because Tadashi had already slipped from Hiro's desperate grasp and was in the building, hat having blown off. The younger Hamada had the San Fransokyo cap clutched to his chest a moment before going towards the building. Jack panicked and shot down, grabbing a handful of Hiro's hood as blistering heat tried beating him back. The building imploded, throwing both of them back.

When Jack opened his eyes, he was lying flat on his back. Thankfully, Hiro was unharmed, laying atop the winter spirit. Hiro didn't even seem to notice, a cry erupting from him evident to that fact as he bolted up and stared at the building. Jack crawled onto his hands and knees, making it shakily to his feet before having the wind carry him off to a safer, less hot, location nearby. Icy cold tears slid down his cheeks as he watched the building slowly collapse in on itself and Hiro doing the same with broken sobs.

Tadashi was gone.

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The funeral was terrible. Jack felt as if he'd gotten his heart ripped out as he sat in the tree over Tadashi's grave. There was rain, but Jack didn't mind. He only minded the fact that Tadashi was gone.

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In the coming weeks, Jack tried to watch over Hiro as best as he could. There was, of course, the initial heart attack that Hiro had given him when he had first tried to go up again Callaghan, doing little things here and there to make sure Callaghan didn't hurt Hiro or any of Tadashi's friends. Hiro had honestly scared Jack when he had removed Baymax's healthcare chip. In the end, Jack found that everything had worked out accordingly. Callaghan would be put away and Abby, as disappointed as she was, would finally be able to get back to the real world.

The winter spirit was currently hanging round the ruins of the convention hall that had taken Tadashi's life – the one Robert Callaghan had set fire to in order to exact his revenge on Alastair Krei – hoping that if he stayed there long enough, maybe he could feel Tadashi one more time if he really tried. Just once was all he was asking for – which, if he really though to about it, was stupid seeing as he didn't even know Tadashi.

Jack kicked a piece of debris, cursing a bit under his breath, and then he felt it. Warmth, not uncomfortable but… Something he hadn't felt in a long time. Comfortable, enveloping, like he wanted to curl up and sleep soundly. Jack followed that feeling up a decrepit staircase and to a half collapsed room that looked like a utility closet – but a little bigger. It got a bit warmer up here.

"Hello?" Jack's voice resonated through the room. He strained to hear anything and was just about to turn and leave when he heard a cracked, "He-llo?"

Jack saw something in the shadows shift, and he grew instantly alarmed, thinking it was Pitch again. But as the moments ticked by in a defensive stance, Jack suddenly realized that it wasn't the Boogie Man. If not Pitch, then who…?

"H…Hello-o?" the voice asked again, whoever it was sounding as if they were testing their voice after a long time of not using it.

Jack relaxed slightly and said, "Come into the light..."

There was a small shuffling sound and then a green sneaker – slightly scorched – came into view in the moonlight. Jack felt a small pang of familiarity. The figure slowly came into the light fully, and Jack felt the grip on his staff loosen. He didn't even hear the hollow bounce it made on the floor.

Amber eyes looked at Jack, confused and obviously out of place. Jack could see a smolder in them, could practically feel the fire that lurked deep down.

"Tadashi?"

Said man looked on uneasily, nodding after assessing Jack.

"My… my nam-me is Tada-ashi," he said, voice cracked and sounding scorched. Jack frowned at the wince Tadashi gave. He walked carefully over.

"It's alright. You don't have to talk if you don't want to." Tadashi nodded almost gratefully. Icy eyes looked into fire and Tadashi allowed Jack to set a hand on his cheek.

"Have you been here long?"

Tadashi blinked and shook his head uncertainly. Jack figured he had a lot of confusion – Jack could relate.

"Mo-oon…" the inventor tried. Jack nodded. "I know."

Tadashi suddenly flinched, then his eyes went wide, exclaiming, "Hiro!" Immediately after, he gripped his throat in pain. Jack held him steady.

"It's okay… Calm down. Hiro's fine. He's fine. Do you wanna go see him?" Jack asked, ignoring the sudden spike of heat rolling off of the inventor. Tadashi nodded, worry scrawled all over his face. Jack nodded as well, taking Tadashi's hand.

"We'll go see him… Now, don't let go of my hand, okay?" Tadashi looked at him a bit strangely but nodded anyway. When the wind took them up, Tadashi freaked for a moment, his grip like a vice on Jack's hand. "It's okay! Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall…"

Tadashi took a breath and let Jack know that he was good to go. And then they were off.

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Jack landed them on the roof of the diner, silent as the night. Tadashi blinked slowly, looking around before dropping Jack's hand and sneaking over to Hiro's window. The sight of his baby brother working diligently on what looked like homework made him smile. It looked like nerd school was working for Hiro after all.

"Can I say hello to him?" Tadashi asked in a raspy whisper – it didn't hurt as badly if he didn't talk loudly. Jack looked… sad.

"You can… but he probably won't be able to hear you…"

The look of heartbreak on Tadashi's face when he explained why wanted to make Jack jump into a volcano.

"I really am dead…" Tadashi said, resting his hand on the window and staring longingly into his old room.

"At least you remember everything," Jack said, patting Tadashi's shoulder.

"I wish I didn't."

"No, you don't."

Tadashi huffed softly, looking at Jack with a hard gaze. It melted to one of defeated and suddenly Tadashi looked rather tired. Jack didn't blame him.

"It'll get easier. Come on." Jack offered his hand to Tadashi as he said this, and Tadashi, not having really much else to do, took the winter spirit's hand. Hiro looked out the window, thinking he had seen something there. By the time he had decided it was probably just a bat or something, Tadashi and Jack were already high over San Fransokyo.

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In time, Jack would tell Tadashi how he'd been watching over him and Hiro since they were small, and Tadashi would eventually become more comfortable with Jack – even teasing him about his "stalker tendencies." They would go on to explore Tadashi's powers and even hang around with the rest of the Guardians when they could. Although Tadashi was still upset over not being seen by Hiro, he was always reassured by Jack.

"Just give it time," the winter spirit would tell him when they were sitting high in a cherry tree, watching Hiro goof off with Tadashi's old gang. Tadashi would eventually doze off to the comfortable feel of Jack running his fingers through his hair and the sound of happy, idle chatter from the group below them. And all Jack could think about was that now, 300 years wasn't such a long time to wait after all.