Title: 1,000 Cranes
Series/Fandom: Heroes
Rating: PG/PG-13 (For mention of death)
Pairing: Hiro/Charlie
Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes or any of the characters therein. I just got hooked on the show and am a hopeless fangirl.
Author's Note: My first foray into Heroes fanfiction, just a short/sweet one-parter. Goes into the wonderful paradoxical world of time travel. Hiro's powers… well, rock, but are very mind boggling when you think about it.
He walked in the door just now, Hiro. He doesn't remember me. He warned me about this and at first I didn't even listen to him. I thought he was cute, maybe a little crazy, and definitely sweet when I met him six months ago at my birthday party.
He insisted it was October. It was April.
"Charlie, your order's up!"
"Okay, be right there!" I say and head on over and grab the plates. Oh there I go, almost forgetting to do my job. Funny thing is I have to read or study something to remember it. That's what makes this gift I have not a photographic memory. I know, I read up on that shortly after this started happening. I suppose the closest thing I could call this would be total literally and informational recall.
And thanks to Hiro I know it's not a side effect of my pending aneurism. Though if he's right, that's not going to be what kills me.
Before heading over to take Hiro and his friend's order I help a couple of regulars with a crossword puzzle. "If you really want to test me," I say, "You'll ask me if I remember your credit card numbers."
They laugh, but they don't ask. They've seen me do the trick three times already today. I know their numbers, the expiration dates, the little security number on the back, and I know that Bob signs his 'Super Trooper.' Though, everyone knows that last one, we just don't have the heart to tell him it's kind of stupid.
I go over to Hiro's table and I resist the urge to throw my arms around him and welcome him back, I have to remember he doesn't know me. I make small talk, and it feels bizarre.
Here's the man I love, back (or here for the first time I guess, now there's a brain killer!) and I can't tell him anything because he doesn't remember me because he hasn't gone back in time to save me yet. Which means…
…I'm going to die today.
The thought doesn't faze me like it does most people; I've been dying for months now. It'd only be a matter of time before this clot in my brain busts and I fall over dead anyway.
The knowledge of this being my last day sobers me up a bit though, and I know I have to spend as much of it as I can with Hiro. Between my orders I spend time with him and he teaches me Japanese out of the phrase book he bought me months ago.
When he says he has 'power too' he jokes his power is to teach Japanese to anyone. I want to tell him I love him, but I can't, so I call him sweet. Anata wa yasashii desu ne…
I have a couple more things to do, but when I get back to him I think I'll tell him anyway that the thousand paper cranes he hung from the roof of the diner to prove to me he could stop time are all in the living room and bedroom of my apartment.
After all, they granted me one wish, I thought as I started opening the can, they brought him back. Maybe they'll grant me another and they'll be a tomorrow with Hiro…