Bright green eyes blinked curiously up at me, a large, wide grin on her pink-colored lips and her hands together right next to her chin as she asked with an innocent and excited voice, “So, when's the wedding?” 

   Honey Lemon is so sweet. My arm is in a cast, and after a long time living in the hospital, I'd just been driven to my house for the first time in awhile. Tadashi asked me on the ride if I wanted to stay with him, but I declined. All I felt like doing right now was laying in bed, breathing in the fresh, city air through the window beside my bed, and sleep. I hadn't expected, though I should've, to see Honey and Fred so soon after I returned home. Like, right when I walked in the door and got comfortable. “I just...got out of the hospital..” I practically moan, feeling the sleep slowly drifting from my eyes. 

   She gasps, suddenly ecstatic. “Can I be your wedding manager?!”

   I look at her incredulously. “Are you certified for that? Do you need certification for that? I have no idea how weddings work. I've never even been to a wedding.”

   “You've never-?!” She's sputtering in disbelief, following me into my living room as I plop down on my couch. 

   “Me either, honestly.” Tadashi says, sitting down beside me. 

   I continue. “Like do weddings even exist? I've only ever saw them on tv. Are they a myth? Weddings aren't real.”

   “Says the guy that believes in Bigfoot.”

   “Why wouldn't you believe in Bigfoot?” I ask, turning my whole body to face Tadashi. “How do you not believe in bigfoot? That's like not believing in Santa Claus!”

   “No one. Say. A word.” Fred says menacingly, coming in from the kitchen with a juice box I know I don't have a case of in the fridge. He stops behind Honey as she takes in a breath. 

   Tadashi laughs. 

   Honey starts jumping up and down in excitement, clapping her hands and grinning. “Ah! I'm so excited!” She squeals. “Ok, first things first- who are you inviting? Do you want it to be a small wedding? Ooh, have you thought of a place yet? A garden? A church? Is it inside or outside-?”

   “I was thinking a church.” I interrupt her before she pops a blood vessel. I look at Tadashi for confirmation. 

   He shrugs. “I don't mind.”

   Honey claps her hands together. “Alright, let's get to work!” She opens up the bag I gave her as a gift. It looks different, though. There's a hole in the side and the periodic table of elements is on the front, each element round like buttons. She pulls out a large binder that looked like it was about to explode. It barely fit in her purse. “Look at these and tell me what you like.” She pushes it into Tadashi's arms. 

   He opens it to reveal pages full of different wedding themes. “You've just been carrying this around?”

   Honey makes us work on wedding preparations for three hours till I finally get the will to tell her that the wedding isn't for another few years, if we even decide we want one. I've never seen her face drop so quickly before, like she was completely crushed by the prospect of us possibly not having a wedding. In a effort to cheer her up, I told her that if we were to have a wedding, she'd definitely be a bridesmaid(if that's how same weddings work).

   “At least we don't have to worry about signing invitations when the time comes,” Tadashi says after Honey and Fred leave. He's sitting on the ground over the coffee table with a bunch of pink, royal-looking invitations laid out on top of it. 

   “If we don't lose them by then.” I say, sliding down from the couch onto the red-carpeted floor. 

   “Tyrone,” his voice lowers. “I think we should talk.” He's looking down at one of the invitations in his hands. 

   “Go on?”

   He's silent for a long moment. I raise an eyebrow.

   "What really happened," he pauses, furrowing his eyebrows as he looks at me. "that night?"

   I blink, mind drawing a blank as my heart begins to pound more pointedly. He's talking about the...yeah, he is..he is talking about the-

   Getting my mind to work, I willed my chest to stop aching and try to talk. "You mean.."

   "Yes, the day of the-" He pauses again, "showcase."

   Fire, is what he was going to say. I ignore the need to tell him that it was fine. He could say it how it was. A fire. But maybe some part of him remembered me hating it so much. And maybe he hated it too, the word that caused us so much pain and distraught. But I'm ok. I repeat to myself over and over. I'm okay I'm okay I'm okay. 

   I am. I'm okay. 

   "Nevermind. If you're not ready I won't force you." The regret in his expression was evident as he stared down at his knees with a tense jaw. At this point I've seen the expression so much that I'd gotten used to hating myself. Well, maybe hating was a but too far, but definitely disliking. He used to wear it a lot in the loops(but we're out of that now, right? Right) but I haven't seen it since I was admitted into the hospital(this time around). And it's always my fault that he looks like this. Always. I'm always making mistakes that make Tadashi upset, and it's all on me. 

   I put my hand that's not in a cast over his. "No, it's fine. I'm cool."

   He raises an eyebrow at me. "You're cool?" His voice is dry. 

   I give him a smile and a single furrowed eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm cool! It's me. C'mon."  I squeeze his hand. I hadn't told him, or the others, the whole truth. And by 'the whole truth', I mean that I didn't tell them that Tadashi died. It seemed like too much to take in at once, considering I'd just practically came back from the dead myself. 

   Realizing that Tadashi has been staring at me this whole time, I ready my heart for what comes next. "So, before you found me, I was in a time loop."

   "Yeah, I know this," he nods. 

   "And in those time loops, I saved you from the fire." I peer at him, but he stays quiet. "Which means," I continue, slowly, "that there was a time when I.." And here it comes, "didn't."

   But Tadashi doesn't seem surprised. 

   His hand is warm in mine, unshaking and still. His expression is blank for the most part, like he's thinking of what to say. 

   "Well..?" I furrow my eyebrows in concern. Was he ok?

   "Oh," he finally says.

    That was it. That's all he said. 

   "Oh?" I repeat, incredulous. 

   "I mean, I feel like," he struggles, taking his hand away and scratching his head. "I already knew that..?"

   A wave of silence looms over us as I take in what he said. Neither of us say anything for awhile.

   "Huh." I manage. "Ok."

   I guess I did sorta tell him once, didn't I?

   The moment passes and I take the chance to change the subject. "Anyway, ziplining?"

   Geez, I can't wait for this all to blow over.

✝

   My church is a small one in the suburbs filled with black women getting on in their years and their tall, lanky husbands that went on and on about their grandsons and daughters in college(or those who weren't) and that also knew how to play Our God Is An Awesome God on the ukulele. The windows were stained and the floor was mahogany carpeted with oakwood pews. Chandeliers hung from the arched ceiling and a large white cross rose above the altar at the far end of the church. 

   Tadashi came with me that Sunday to the first service I've been to since I was hospitalized for the first time. People I hadn't seen in almost a year, but to them has only been a few months, rushed to greet and embrace me. I introduced them to Tadashi and as social as he is, he got along with them immediately. Later, after we were all sat down ready for service, he told me how he hadn't expected them to accept him so fast. 

   "You didn't see the pride flag in the yard?"

   "The what?" 

   After the service, we talked to my pastor about marrying us off to each other, to which he heartily accepted. He was disappointed to hear that the wedding would be so far from now, but didn't pressure us to make the date closer. 

   "Well by the time it gets here, I'll already be with the Lord!" He laughed. 

   Tadashi chuckled nervously. 

   "Don't say that! You can't go until I do." I gave him a wholehearted smile and put my able hand in my pocket. 

   He burst out into laughter again, head back and everything. It was one of the nicest things about my pastor; he laughed hard for anything, even when it's not that funny. "Well, you better take care of yourself from now on, then!" He patted my good shoulder. 

   "I will," I said. "Well, we should head out."

   "Where are you off to now?"

   I glanced at Tadashi. "Oh, I gotta go to a check up for my arm. I'm gonna need it to be healed for the zip lining trip my friends and I are going on in a few weeks."

   I wouldn't tell him, but Hiro's request really stuck with me. We haven't talked in awhile, but it seems like he's finally come around. I mean, why would he help save my life if he hadn't felt some kind of warmth for me? And bringing it back to the ziplining trip we never got to go on? Peak character development. Geez, I remember him glaring at me like it was just yesterday. 

   "Already?" He raised his bushy eyebrows. "Take your time healing, son!"

   I shrugged. "Worst case scenario, we go and I'll just watch from the sidelines." 

   He nodded with something shiny in his eyes and a soft smile on his face. "You're doing the Lord's will, son."

   I grinned and leaned my head on Tadashi's. "I sure pray so."

🌞 🌞 🌞

   Fred hoots at the top of his lungs as we enter the somewhat busy ziplining park. It takes us a while but finally we make it to the start of the line and sign up at the registration center. I pay for the group as they sign a waiver(and coax a nervous Wasabi into signing the waiver) so that we can't sue the place if something were to happen. Sky-Lines was pretty good at not getting anyone killed. I'd know; I've been coming here for years. 

   Some of the workers here even know me by name, one of them(with the most generic name I can't even remember the name of; Adam? Bryan? John?) coming up to me with worry, saying he heard about what happened in the news and couldn't believe it was the same person as me. 

   The tour group takes us hiking up a mountain where we are surrounded by a forest with exotic birds we can hear but can't quite get a glimpse of. Wasabi seems to get more and more nervous as we walk up the stairs, and me more tired. It's not like I had a lot of exercising options while in the hospital and while waiting for my arm to heal, which it still isn't. The cast is gone but my arm is still stiff and I don't wanna test it just for a temporary bliss.

   "Hey, big guy! It's gonna be alright. You can always back out if you want to." I console Wasabi as he trembled harder the further up the makeshift stairs we get. 

   "You can hang out with Mn, while everyone else has fun on this paid vacation." Gogo smiles condescendingly, looking at Wasabi with raised eyebrows. He had said he wouldn't be bothered by it before we got here, and while I didn't blame him(I pretty much expected it), Gogo was the one to voice her discontent.

   I'm panting now, struggling up the stairs and holding on to the wooden rail. I stop and gasp out, "You might have to stay down here with me if that's the case, cause I'm not getting up all these stairs."

   "Come on, we're almost to the top," Tadashi says from the front of the group. 

   And so we(struggle) walk the rest of the way up to the platform. A long wire started from the middle of the platform all the way down to another a good few yards down, and then another farther from that, and so on. I spotted one of the birds in the trees above me before it flew away, chirping. 

   "I'm surprised your brother didn't come with us," Wasabi notes, looking anywhere but the ledge. 

   "Oh, Kachi? Uh, yeah," I say, focusing back on them. It's been awhile since I've been here, but it's always nice to look around. It smells like nature, and this place always feels like another home. It's nostalgic, in a way. "He isn't particularly fond of forests at the moment."

   "Him and me too, man." A single sweatdrop drips down Wasabi's face, but not for the humidity or the exercise, unlike me, but for nervousness. 

   "It's alright, buddy. We'll take good care o'ya." Says our guide, patting the much taller Wasabi on the shoulder before going on about safety tips and different techniques. 

   I take the time to zone out. My brother's still live with me. I don't think they're planning to go anywhere for awhile, though. Canba and Kachi hang out somewhere during the day, and Chase and his husband are either working or flying across the universe, probably. Chase will probably go back to his old home in a few months, though, if he thinks everything's ok with me. When Kachi gets bored, which he will, he'll go to Africa or somewhere and live his own life as a nomad again. 

   The crowd, with their gear, follow the instructions for checking their harnesses. I watch, since I have nothing else to do. Wasabi checks, double checks, and triple checks.

   Dude, didn't he, like, save the city? What is he so scared about? He's a superhero. I look the gang over. All of them are superheroes. Even Hiro. Though, he didn't get on the news, did he? Not this time. He was the first time, when this all started. When I finally was on my last leg building Fredrick to go back in time for the first time, the band of superheroes called Big Hero Six was all over the news. People couldn't stop talking about Callaghan and his daughter the entire day. I was a shut in and could hear it through the walls, all the gossip.

   Callaghan's daughter. 

   , they didn't save her this time, did they?

   I look around, as if to see her standing here, on this platform. One by one, each person in our tour group begins their descent to the next platform. 

   Where even was she? It was somewhere crazy, wasn't it? I can't remember. I didn't get any details. I hadn't even tried to pay it any attention; I was so caught up in my grief for Tadashi. 

   I mean, at least Callaghan's in jail now, and I got my Tadashi back, but what about Abigail? That was her name, right? I rub the sweat from my face. Shiiiit, why did I have to remember her name!

   We seriously didn't save her.. She's still out there somewhere, alone. Holy , I'm a up…!

   Person after person slid from one platform to the other, until it was just my group left. 

   "Alright, who's next?" Asks our guide. 

   Wasabi audibly gulps and steps forward. He stares, transfixed, at the end goal, eyebrows furrowed and face flushed. "I'll do it."

    "Alright!" Fred says as Gogo claps. 

    "You're gonna do great!" Honey grins and pats his back cheerfully. 

    He steps closer to the edge and the guide hooked him to the zipline. "Just stay calm." The man says. "Jump when you're ready."

   Wasabi squeezes his eyes shut, blowing out his cheeks, and mouthing the words to himself. After a few more seconds of self comfort, he leapt off. 

   All my thoughts seem to leap off with him. I'm dragged back to reality instantly as his screams fill the air. 

   He hoots and hollers all the way down with terror that gradually turns into excitement. 

   "Wasabi! Wasabi! Wasabi!" Fred starts chanting. Gogo joins him, then Hiro. Soon all of us are chanting his name as he slides down, pumping our fists in the air as he keeps going...and keeps going..and-

   "Put on the brake!! Press the brake!!" The guide was trying to scream over us, but we heard it too late, our yelling slowing to a stop as he slides passed the rest of the tour group and the next platform, still hollering in delight with no idea of what he was doing. 

   "Err," Fred cringes as Gogo bares her teeth in a frown. "I'm next!"  His mood completely changed in a fraction of a second. The guide helps him connect his harness to the line and he's jumping in his slacks, eyes as wide as his grin, when the guide finishes. He leaps instantly out of the guides grasp and into the air, barely letting the poor man let go and thus surprising him.

    Fred's legs swing forward and he slides down, yelling, "Whoohooo- aw-! Aww man! My beanie!" 

   Tadashi laughs and the guide sighs in exhaustion as the hat floats down into the forest somewhere a little off from the stairs. 

   Honey moves forward. "My turn!" She takes less help connecting to the line than Fred and Wasabi, and she slides down relatively elegantly. She pointed the tip of her shoe to the landing spot and zipped down as if she were on swings, screaming her own little whoohoo!

   Gogo steps up. "Me next." She pops her gum one last time before spitting it out into a wrapper and putting it in her pocket. She quietly gets hooked up and slides down, too cool to scream or do a cool pose-

   Oh, no, nevermind. She flashed the middle finger at the last second. 

   The only ones left are Tadashi, Hiro, and me. 

   "Who's next?" The guide asks. 

   Tadashi looks at me, and I look at him, before looking at Hiro, who looks at me, then at Tadashi. 

   "I'll go," Tadashi volunteers. He smiles at me in a weird mischievous way, getting hooked to the line and sticking his tongue out at me as he walks off the ledge. I watch him twist around in circles as he slides down, laughing in delight with his eyes squeezed shut. 

   Holy , I'm in love. I'm seriously in love, hopelessly, with this guy. Geez...

   "Hey, um," Hiro starts, getting my attention. His eyes were on his gear, then on the platform below. "Take care of my brother, alright?" He met my eyes with a strange look in his own. Worry, maybe. Or..hm, vulnerability? Either way, I nod and put out my fist. 

   He looks at it for a long moment. I smile in what I hope is an encouraging way, and a second later, he smiles back and bumps it. 

   He pulls his hand away, letting it flow through the air, wiggling his fingers as I pull my own arm back as well, straight as an arrow, faking the sound of an explosion at the same time that he says, "Falalalala."

   I watch as he is lifted up and hooked to the line, and send him one more smile as he zips down. "You still , though!" He exclaims before cheering in delight. 

   I smile and get ready to go down the stairs. 

   "You sure you don't wanna go?" The guide asks. He's holding up an extra harness. 

   "Oh, I, uh, I can't." I hold up my arm. "Wouldn't want to risk messing up the healing process."

   "You can always just do the Superman." He suggests, raising an eyebrow and the harness closer to me. 

   I can't help staring at it. It's a tempting offer, but I already resigned myself to not doing it, and at this point it would seem kinda stupid to change my mind. 

   But also… I love ziplining. 

   A harmonious sound catches my attention and I look down at the platform to see the guys cheering me on:

    "Mn! Mn! Mn!" Fred's grinning. Tadashi's pumping his fist, and beside him Hiro is following his lead. 

   They're all rooting for me. 

   "Alright, ok, sure," I say and let him help put the harness on me and hook it up to the line. The Big Hero Six crew cheers some more. 

   A bird chirps from close by as I breathe out a slow breath...and then take a leap.