Am I satisfied with this chapter? Not really. One would think that after being gone for such time, I would have come up with something more satisfying than this. Sadly, this is all I could give, so I'm sorry for that. At the very least, I hope you enjoy this half-baked thingie I managed to write. :)

I would apologize in advance if there are any error present. I would appreciate it if you would point it out if you found one. Thank you.

Disclaimer: This is a Fan fiction. That being said, we all know what it means.

P.S There would be some telepathic conversation in here. For everyone's benefit, it shall be in italic. ("Hello")

Everything about the room still remained unchanged after all these years: the position of the piano and the sofa, the position of the picture frames that placed orderly atop the cabinets and the position of the huge painting that decorated the majority of the wall.

The said painting depicted two boys playing in an open field, their faces marred with bright smiles as their eyes shone, as if mimicking the painted sun that oversaw their playfulness from above. The gray gave off an illusion of it swaying in the direction of the wind, a sense of fluidity and continuity.

Sometimes, he wondered how he never get tired of looking at a seemingly mundane piece.

"Your eyes must be dry by now." A playful voice cut through his silent musing. "You've been here since morning, and I was told you haven't had breakfast."

He spared the newcomer a quick glance before his eyes turned back to the huge painting before him.

"I think I found them." He stated plainly. "But I'm not so sure at the moment."

"What do you mean? You found them?"

"I said, I'm not so sure." He pursed his lips into a thin line. His eyes narrowed and took note of every single detail—how a red splat was barely visible on the green tree or how the wind was painted dramatically—like he would do every time he gazed at the piece of artwork.

She rolled her eyes in return. "Whether or not you're sure, I know that you won't say that unless you saw an evidence." She made a beeline towards the sofa behind him and flopped down.

"I'm not getting any younger." She whined, blowing a strand of her light hair out of her face. "Neither are you."

He knew that. Of course he did. And yet, every time he looked in the mirror, he's faced with a contradiction. Smooth skin and tinted hair that hid the reality of his life—an image that would have looked normal and right to him had it been a number of decades ago. But decades ago is not now; and now, it is certainly so wrong.

Still, is it really time to move on and give up? After all these years that they've searched, should they really leave all of it behind?

He pursed his lips.

"Leiko's been looking for you. You've been here for hours." She hummed nonchalantly amidst his silence.

He blinked.

Huh, has it really been that long?

"Where's she now?"

"Out. The girl had been busy these days. Really, she should enjoy sleep while she actually has time for it."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is she still Drag racing?"

She smiled innocently in return.

Today wasn't a good day for the part-time superhero group. While they had been doing a fine job at balancing their schedules ever since they started, the toll it can take on them was enough to justify some bad days.

They had just gotten back to SFIT after intervening on a bank robbery that went out of hand—one that the police was capable of handling and not passing unto a group of teenagers—when Hiro began to feel nauseous. And it was only after Baymax had pointed out the change in his body temperature that he actually began to notice it.

Luckily for him, they managed to resolve the trouble before things turned ugly, so they were able to changed back and go on with their normal lives.

Hiro had just exited the restroom after emptying the contents of his stomach when he caught sight of Gogo leaning by the wall close to the entrance of the girl's comfort room.

"Hey, Gogo."

The older teen turned, and immediately, her expression turned sour at the sight of him. "What the hell was that?" Gogo hissed, making a beeline towards him and grabbing his shoulders roughly.

If Hiro stilled at the tone of the voice, he didn't show it. Instead, he took a deep breath and, with a frown, stared straight into the older teen's eyes. "What was what?"

"That." Gogo stressed out. She crossed her arms before her. "Last week."

"Last week?" He echoed back. Last week? What happened last week?

"How should we know? It's you that she's pissed with." A grumble voiced out in his mind.

"Maybe you stole her pack of gum?" Shiro quipped innocently. "Or...Or! Maybe you...ah! You made a scratch on her bike!"

"...or maybe you should have kept your mouth shut, Shiro."

"Exactly what am I going to keep close?"

"Hiro." Came a hiss.

Hiro jumped on his place. Right, he was talking to Gogo—much more important that the banter in his mess-up mind.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

She stared at him intently, something crossing her features before she pursed her lips, uncrossed her arms and turned around.

"Hiro!" Honey Lemon emerged from the entrance of the restroom, her face graced with a bright, but obviously tired, smile. "Are you okay? I heard Baymax's diagnostic earlier."

"Just sleep-deprived." Hiro grinned. "Nothing to worry about. It's not like its the first time."

"Are you done, now?" Gogo turned to Honey with a quirked brow, and when she received a nod, spared one last glance at Hiro then shook her head slightly.

"Never mind. Let's go."

"Make sure to rest, okay Hiro? See you later!" Honey added before she and Gogo bid their temporary goodbye to go back to their activities.

He watched them go before making his back to his own lab.

"...maybe you rejected her without you knowing?" Shiro supplied unhelpfully once they're inside the lab.

Hiro groaned in exasperation at the comment. It's been five years since he woke up with two additional existences in his head that could also take control of his body, and while he had gotten used to the peculiar turn that his life had taken, that doesn't mean that he didn't get exasperated.

Don't get him wrong. On normal days, he wouldn't even paid any mind on the constant exchange between the two, but right now, he's on one of his sleep-deprived days. That said, on such days, his patience is on thin ice, so he can't be bothered by additional headaches.

"You're starting to sound like Ku-chan." Shiro mentally pouted.

"And why do you think is that?" Kuro deadpanned in return.

He bit the inside of his cheek as a way of self-control. He can't have an outburst inside the lab—that would attract too much attention, and he doubt anyone would appreciate it if they a teen shouting to someone that isn't physically there. Besides, he dealt with days like these before, so he had enough self-control not too make a fool out of himself.

Maybe he should call it a day and go home. It wasn't like he was going to get anything done if his eyes would drop every minute. It's a wonder how he managed to go through and finish all his lectures for the day.

"Are you forgetting something?"

He hummed in question as he made his way to his desk to grab his backpack.

"That Gogo, remember?"

Ah. Right.

Whatever Gogo was talking about, it seriously made her pissed at him. It wasn't like he knew what it is, and even if he tried to look back to whatever happened last week, he doesn't remember doing anything to her to make her irritated.

"Hm, come to think of it, she did start acting strange—" His eyes widened, followed by a string of curses under his breath.

"But that can't be! Only Sato-kun can do that!" Shiro whined.

"It's rare, not impossible." Kuro interjected. "And if it is true, then we have a problem."

"And how, exactly, is this a problem?"

"She irritates me."

"That's bad, Ku-chan!" Shiro exclaimed with a pout.

"This is why I hate getting sick. It's easy for you to takeover when I don't want to. And when I want to, you don't even want to. How is this fair?" Hiro grumbled. "Can we go home now?"

Shiro sling the backpack over his shoulders. "Ow."

A beep, followed by the sound of something inflating. Soon, Baymax was blinking back at him. "Hello, Hiro. It had seemed that your temperature had risen as compared to earlier. Plently of rest and fluids is adviced."

"Hi, Baymax!" Shiro smashed his face on Baymax's stomach, tightly hugging the robot. "You're squishy as usual!"

"Shiro, focus."

"Right." He grinned. "Can we buy some apples first?"

"Money's on the front pocket."

He went to grab Baymax's charging station and skipped on his way out.

The moment Shiro stepped inside the room and had Baymax recharging on the side, he dumped the backpack on the floor and dove straight into Hiro's bed, burying his face on the pillows before shifting his weight and facing the ceiling. He reached for the plastic bag that dangled on his hand and pulled out an apple which he began to eat.

"I haven't been out in a while." He grinned.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Kuro scoffed. "It wasn't like you took a detour around San Fransokyo to get home."

"Is Hi-kun asleep?"

"Physically or mentally?"

"You know what I mean, Ku-chan."

"Then, yes."

Shiro turned his head, immediately catching sight of the curtain that separated the room in two. He knew that behind it is another bed, another set of things that had remained unmoved but regularly cleaned by the owner of the house. The tinge of pain that accompanied such thought made its way known, and he found himself staringly forlornly at it.

"It's hard being reminded of how short and fickle human lives are, right, Ku-chan?" He sat up. "Like a lit candle whose flames can be put out even if it hasn't been used up yet."

"Such wise words." Kuro intoned. "It's not like it's anything new, Shiro. You and I both know that."

"But," Shiro sniffled as he bit onto the apple again. "Just thinking that Hi-kun would...you know, would...Hi-kun would be like that too in the future...It makes me sad!"

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, don't get attached. What will it take for that lesson to be ingrained into you, Shiro?"

"You say that but you still use that name even if Hiro isn't here to hear it." Shiro mused. "Is it really that hard for you to make your existence worthwhile by actually appreciating the people we meet?"

A few minutes of silence passed between them, with only the sound of the crunching apple heard in between.

"Just sleep. Hiro's body needs it."

Shiro smiled knowingly. As he was about to lie down, the phone on his pocket vibrated and lit up. He pulled it out and stared at the screen before his smile widened.

"Who did you text?"

Satoshi looked up from his phone with a nonchalant shrug. "A friend." He pocketed the said device.

"A friend?"

"Yep."

"Okay. Anymore that you need to pack?"

He rolled his eyes playfully at the question. "It's not like you'll be any help in that condition." He looked out of his window and noted the darkening sky. "Better finish this up."

He picked up his duffel bag then set it besides his futon. Looking around, he noted the number of boxes that the movers will be picking up tomorrow, checking if all of them had been sealed shut properly.

"You know, you looked like a kicked puppy." He mused while began moving the boxes and placing them atop each other. "It's not really adorable."

"I'm just...sorry. I mean, you wouldn't have to move if it were not for me."

Satoshi rolled his eyes at that. He'd constantly heard the same apology for the past month; and while his friend got a point, but it wasn't like it was a bad idea. Besides, he already found a job thay pays well and is close to his new place, so he wasn't really complaining. If anything, he's thankful because his salary just got a bit higher.

"I said, don't mention it. I needed change of scenery anyway, and going back to San Fransokyo sounded neat."

"I'm just sorry—"

"Hay!" Turning on his heel, Satoshi made a beeline towards the figure standing besides his fridge. If he had the ability, he would have grabbed the young man by the forearm and shake some sense into him, but, alas, he doesn't. Instead, he settled for pointing a finger at him. "Don't be sorry for something that you had no control of. Instead, be sorry because you were stupid. Now, stop making my place be gloomy and actually make yourself useful by not moping around."

The young man opened his mouth, as if to say something, before he closed it and nodded.

"Good. Now, don't go having second thoughts because in a few days, you'll be seeing your family again, Hamada."

Criticisms are welcome so as long as they are constructive. :)