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restlessmaknae · 2 days ago

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Awwww so glad you loved it @markdorklee!❤️

Wow, the story was really fitting for you haha! You gotta self insert when you can 😉

Thanks so much for reading, reblogging and leaving feedback! It means a lot to me ❤️

a case of rising heart rate (beside you) // koga yudai (k)

The San Fransokyo Institute of Technology teams up with the Institute of Medicine for a project which involves you helping Yudai work on a healthcare assistant robot called Baymax. Little do you know, this is going to be about so much more than just the project...

➳ Characters: tech uni student!K x med uni student!female reader/you

➳ Genre: baymax au, canonical urban sci-fi, fluuuuuuuff, comedy

➳ Note on the AU: K is supposed to be Tadashi in this story and Taki is his little brother (Hamada), but I'm saying that it's a Baymax AU rather than a Big Hero 6 one is because K is alive and well in this, and there is no connection to the BH6 movie except that Taki gets into the Institute of Technology. But we do have Mochi (the cat) and aunt Cass from the original storyline!

➳ Words: 7.3k

➳ Warning: mentions of being on period and cramps, food, drinks, reader's ex is a douchebag, reader has peanut allergy and non-allergic rhinitis

➳ A/N: Happiest birthday my dearest @dat-town❤️ You guessed Baymax right, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. ;)

The grand towers of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology grazed the bright blue sky on this fine spring day. A sight you thought you would never see again welcomed you, and the flashback of your last visit here squeezed your heart.

Surely, he would not be here today. The university was big enough to not bump into him. Besides, what were you afraid of? He was the one who called it quits, and the one who put an end to your relationship on such a sour note. You weren’t supposed to feel scared, let alone guilty.

The gawking feeling didn’t leave you though, and while you were asking for a visitor card at the reception, crossing the corridor and getting into the lift to get to the fifth floor, you kept looking around yourself. Surprisingly, there were quite a lot of girls, something that you didn’t expect, especially after how your ex claimed that most girls weren’t smart enough to get into SFIT.

While most students walked around in lab coats at the San Fransokyo Institute of Medicine, here, most of the students wore casual clothes, but held different objects in their hands, under their armpits or over their heads. There was even one guy who had an object dancing above his fingers (in protective gloves) seemingly in the air. Another one managed to set something on fire on one of the benches but immediately managed to put it out with a hairdryer-like thing.

You shook your head and averted your eyes from the fire guy’s innovation, walking towards the lecture hall that you were supposed to go to. It was named after a professor who taught here according to the badge by the door, but you couldn’t tell who he was, even with the introductory lines. You really didn’t want anything to do with this school after your break-up, alas, here you were again.

You let out an aghast sigh before walking into the lecture hall. There was a group of students sitting close to each other and conversing between themselves in the third row, so you had a feeling that they were all from SFIT. You chose an empty seat for yourself in the fifth row, suddenly all too aware that you were an outsider here. Never mind, this initiative between the two schools seemed like a great opportunity to put yourself out there, to boost your CV and to make you stand out, and maybe even to prove to your ex that your medical knowledge could come in handy even in his field.

This initiative brought together students from the Institute of Technology and the Institute of Medicine who volunteered to be a part of a project - an innovation on the technology students’ side and the relevant medical knowledge to make the innovation work on the med students’ side. This was the third year the two institutions worked together in order to accelerate the healthcare system of San Fransokyo, to merge robotics, AI and big data with the relevant medical fields. Anyone from any year could apply, and based on the applicants’ expertise and ideas, the professors paired students with those who seemed most relevant to their innovations. Maybe that’s why you had to come to the Institute of Technology instead of the other way round.

Thankfully, you only had to suffer a few minutes wondering why you even applied in the first place before a line of professors showed up, and started introducing themselves. Afterwards, they started introducing the technology students’ ideas, and then called forward the pairs.

You were starting to get worried that maybe there was a slip-up, and your application didn’t go through because you weren’t called for a long time, but in the end, you were called last alongside a certain Koga Yudai.

You walked towards the podium, and shook hands with one of the professors who gave you a certificate for participating. Then, you stood to the side and turned around just in time to see your project partner do the same.

Immediately, you were bewitched by the sight of him. Models would be jealous of his height and proportions, not to mention his features. He was wearing dark high-waisted loose pants, a mixture of casual and formal, his slim waist highlighted by a belt. He wore a baby blue shirt that was tucked into his pants, its flowy design accentuating his broad shoulders. He looked more like a business student going for his internship at a multinational company than a tech one, but still, he looked the most stylish out of everyone here.

When he caught you watching him take his certificate, his lips curled into a gentle, friendly smile. Even his button-like eyes seemed to be smiling, and his whole face changed from solemn to soft within a matter of seconds. His whole demeanour radiated elegance and a kind of composed aura that you didn’t think anyone could possess, but he still seemed approachable and kind as he halted beside you and mouthed a simple ‘hi’, his hand raised for a little wave.

“Hi,” you whispered back to him, aware of the hustle-bustle around you two including the professors instructing everyone to stand closer to each other for a group photo.

“Can we have some students crouch down in front, so everyone could get into the frame?” One of the professors inquired, and a few students who were in the front started doing so. You were about to do the same in your knee-length dress when Yudai stopped you.

“No, no, no! I’ll do it. You don’t have to crouch down!” He objected fervently as if his life depended on it and helped steady you as you straightened your back. His touch and his words lingered longer on your skin even after he let go of you and crouched down in front of you. You could see that a few more of the other SFIT guys followed suit, and soon enough, you could all fit into the frame.

After the photos, the ceremony ended, so you had no obligation to stay longer. However, when Yudai turned to you to officially introduce himself and ask if you wanted to see his invention, you didn’t have the heart to say no. Especially after seeing how enthusiastic he was.

“It’s a robot, but not your everyday robot. I specifically want it to be a healthcare assistant robot, but obviously, I don’t have the knowledge for the healthcare part, so that’s where this project comes into play,” he admitted with a giggle as you followed him corridor after corridor. “His name is Baymax, and he’s an inflatable computerized robot made from vinyl which makes him this cute, soft and huggable companion. Baymax’s AI is based on a transcription chip that I’m currently working on, this guarantees that he’s used for the purpose I want him to be and not for something else. He can be programmed for multiple things at a time because you can insert up to four cartridge chips to contain his initial programming and any additional ones.”

He was honestly so pumped up about Baymax, it was endearing to see. You just listened to him talk and talk about what Baymax could do so far, what Yudai was currently stuck on, and what he thought the robot might be able to do with your help. At this point, he asked about your studies and what you liked researching about, and why you applied for this project.

So you told him that you were in your second year of your science training programme for immunology, and your interests lied in allergies and autoimmune diseases. He was equally as enthusiastic about your studies as he was about Baymax, and kept asking questions about how long this specialty training would last, and how you got to this point. His curiosity was understandable since the Institute of Medicine did offer a lot of different programs with varying lengths, and immunology was one of the longest ones but still shorter than most at other universities since in San Fransokyo, you already started clinical rotations from second year of your undergraduate studies.

You actually left the building you were previously in to get to the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab where Baymax would be. On your way there, you kept bumping into other students, even the fire guy with his hairdryer-like extinguisher.

“That’s Nicholas,” Yudai explained after he fistbumped the guy. “He’s working on a foldable, easily accessible fire extinguisher that anyone can use anywhere and it can fit into anyone’s bag,” he added with a smile before turning a corner.

You were definitely impressed by what was going on around here, but nothing could compare to the moment you met Baymax for the first time in Yudai’s lab room. As he pushed a button, the charging case of the robot started expanding until you were face-to-face with a huge white - indeed cute and indeed huggable - creature that was at least two heads taller than you. Yudai pushed another button, and its eyes started blinking.

“Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion,” it introduced itself with a little wave of his hand, and your hand flew to your mouth in amazement. “What may I help you with today?” Baymax asked as you stepped closer to it, your fingers itching to reach out to it.

“Go on. Try out a scenario with him,” Yudai prompted you as he leaned against the nearby table, his arms folded over his chest. He wore a laid-back, yet intrigued smile, something that made you feel a bit bashful.

“Uhmm… I have a headache.”

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain?” Baymax responded immediately as part of its chest turned into a touch screen with different emojis signalling the different levels of pain. You looked over to Yudai, and he nodded gently.

“Maybe a 7?” You half-said, half-asked as you turned back to the robot.

“I will now scan you for any injuries that might have caused your headache,” it instructed before a beeping sound was heard. “No injuries detected,” it announced as soon as the beeping sound was over. “Downloading database on headaches… Download progressing… Download complete. Things you can do to ease your headache include drinking plenty of water, getting plenty of rest, trying to relax, taking a painkiller and avoiding contact with others if you also have a high temperature or feel sick. Do you want me to locate the nearest pharmacy?”

Your jaw dropped when he started listing out tips to combat a headache. Sure, it did download a database on the said condition, but still. It even offered to help you find the closest pharmacy. It was even approachable and friendly, something that kids and the elderly would also appreciate.

“This is amazing!” You turned to Yudai who was fighting a proud smile seeing your perplexed state.

“I’m still working on a few things, but with your help, I believe we can make it even better,” he announced excitedly, pushing himself off the table and walking towards you. He stopped in front of you, and all you could do was to smile up at him, totally speechless.

“Do you want me to locate the nearest pharmacy?” Baymax repeated, waking you from your stupor. You shook your head and turned back to the robot.

“Oh no, thank you.”

“You need to say that you are satisfied with your service for Baymax to shut down,” Yudai helped you out, and you did as he asked. Then, Baymax walked back to its charging case and deflated itself until it fit into the structure.

“Wow, this is absolutely amazing!” You noted once again, and this time, the technology student didn’t refute.

“Well… thank you,” he replied, a shy smile tinting his lips.

Afterwards, you exchanged contacts, so you could decide on your next meeting and how you would approach this project. Needless to say, you went back home from the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology with completely different feelings than when you had arrived.

The next time you met, Yudai came to the reception to pick you up and guide you to the lab, and you were thankful for his assistance because the whole place was like a maze for you, and you didn’t memorise your route from last time.

While you were heading towards his own lab room, you bumped into a lot of students who seemed to be on good terms with Yudai because he kept introducing you to them. There was Megan who was showing you a pair of glasses that could improve dyslexia through a circular structure around the head that helped to change the brain functions while reading - a condition that she also had herself -, Euijoo who was working on therapy animal robots for the elderly that didn’t need care unlike a real pet but could be used to boost well-being and combat feelings of loneliness; Jake who was working on an additional part for wheelchairs that would help the patients get into the structure with the efficiency of real human hands, so they wouldn’t have to do anything themselves and wouldn’t need to be afraid of falling down.

It was amazing to see how many different things they could come up with that actually aligned with real-life problems, but of course, you were most excited to work on Baymax.

That day, you ran through a few more scenarios with Baymax, adding pointers as to what could be improved - such as blood pressure and pulse monitors and healthcare products like antiseptic and plasters already installed inside the robot -, and brainstormed about your direction of further research. You suggested that Baymax could be used for different areas such as immunology by detecting allergies, intolerances without a patient having to go through immense, faulty testing, and not being able to pinpoint what triggered their rise in histamine when so many things could point to them, plus inserting an Epipen inside the robot could potentially save lives combined with Baymax’s improved sensors; diabetics by tracking blood sugar levels, storing insulin and helping to use insulin especially on kids who couldn’t do it themselves or who had to do it at school, and even in dementia patients.

You ended up choosing immunology as this was your area of expertise either way, and you also had allergic and non-allergic rhinitis too, so you could use your own experience and symptoms to track the progress of Baymax’s work.

You were just about to suggest that you should have a break when an unexpectedly painful cramp rippled through your abdomen, and you had to gasp loudly. Baymax was immediately alerted, and started checking you for injuries before you admitted:

“I’m fine. I’m just on my period.”

You were used to awkward looks when you announced something like that, but Baymax could obviously not show any sign of awkwardness, and Yudai also didn’t seem fazed. He stepped up to his computer, and manually started downloading a database on periods, so Baymax could list out a few things that might help. Obviously, lying down, resting or having a hot water bottle weren’t your options given your circumstances, but when Baymax mentioned peppermint tea, Yudai immediately got to his feet.

“I’ll get some tea from the café. Stay here! I’ll be right back.”

“I’m really fine, you don’t-”

“It’s okay. I wouldn’t be fine if I could do something to help you feel better at least a little bit, and I didn’t end up doing it,” he shared gently, his lips curling into a kind smile. You were so touched by his gesture that you could only nod in agreement, no words coming out of your mouth.

Baymax didn’t leave it at that either, and asked all about your pain levels and even if you had enough pads/tampons on you or he could search for the nearest store where you could buy one. You had rarely felt so cared for during your period, and when Yudai came back with a cup of peppermint tea, you also voiced it out to him.

“It’s only natural, at least for me. Me and my brother, we live with our aunt who’s everything but quiet, so we kind of got used to the period talk at home,” he admitted with a little bit of a giggle, and as if on cue, he was reminded that he didn’t even tell you about his genius little brother, Taki.

So he started sharing stories and pictures of Taki, and how proud he was that he was also studying at SFIT despite his young age. His eyes were twinkling with glee, and despite the fact that he seemed upset that his little brother even got into illegal underground robot fighting - something you should never tell anyone, much less their aunt, of course -, you could tell that it came from worry rather than hurt. It was very heart-warming to see, especially because you had no siblings.

After the little chat about your families, you went back to work, and started writing down bullet points for the written report that you were supposed to hand in at the end of the project. It was the most boring part of the whole thing, but it had to be done, and Yudai didn’t complain either. He added notes for the technical part, and you added your part regarding the healthcare aspect.

When you called it a day, Baymax asked again if you needed him to check nearby shops for period products, and you thanked him for his services with a smile. Yudai told you to take it easy for the rest of the day, and you obliged. Your mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of him and your session either way.

The more time you spent with Yudai, the more you enjoyed the project.

You fell into a routine of meeting on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, often staying at the lab late into the night, late enough to have dinner delivered to you and for Yudai to walk you back to the metro station. You tested and retested scenarios, real and fake, to see how Baymax would react. Yudai implemented new sensors to check for vital signals, neurological aspects (such as reflexes, mental status and sensory perception), body temperature and histamine production. The latter came into handy when you were testing what triggered your rhinitis at a given moment, so more often than not, you were testing environmental factors such as strong odors, changes in temperature and humidity, eating certain foods (both hot and cold, spicy and bland), and even hormonal changes.

The condition you had was pretty rare; you were allergic to peanuts, but you could contain it quite well, so it didn’t usually pose a risk. However, you also had non-allergic rhinitis with eosinophilia syndrome (also called NARES) which was the trickier one.

“Eosinophils are a type of blood cell which are produced to combat infections, but research says that those who have this condition, have an elevated level in their nasal tissues, supposedly because the body mistakenly produces too much. Kind of how allergies work by the body releasing more histamine. However, with NARES, allergy tests always come back negative. There is limited research on the condition, but it’s said to be chronic and might have an autoimmune component to it,” you explained to Yudai when he asked you why it was so difficult to say what you were triggered by.

That is why you were testing out so many different things. Since research was limited, you could only rely on the list of triggers that were mentioned in those papers, but even those were quite difficult to reproduce and track, that’s why Yudai implemented more precise and more sensitive sensors on Baymax, making sure that both your body’s functions and your environment could be monitored.

He always told you to tell him if you were growing tired of the examinations or you felt uncomfortable, but to be honest, you were glad to contribute to something that will help those with this condition, not only you. You knew that it didn’t mean that Baymax would be mass-produced to help detect and monitor NARES, but if you could finish up on this project successfully, so many other conditions could be assisted and improved.

Apart from the project itself, you also became acquainted with those who studied here. Euijoo, Nicholas, Jake and Megan were only just a handful of the students who dropped by to have a chat with Yudai. His little brother, Taki, also visited a few times, and you found it adorable how the younger one always tried to dodge the older one’s headpats and cheek kisses.

“I’m not a kid!” Taki would object at times like this, and Yudai would always say the same thing.

“To me, you’re still my baby brother, and you will always be!”

“Eww, gross,” Taki would then leave with a frown and you would just shake your head seeing their interaction.

You knew that Taki graduated high school early and got into the institute through their technology showcase fair and square, but you were glad that the new environment didn’t make him grow up too fast. It probably helped that his brother was always around, something that you wished you could have had when you had started med school. You even shared the same with your project partner, reminiscing about the time you had been too afraid to raise your hand in class and to go out and make friends. He listened to you attentively, never making you feel bad for sharing such things about your life.

Maybe that’s why you also dared to admit that your ex studied at SFIT, but when he heard Akira’s name, it didn’t ring a bell for him. At least, they didn’t know each other, that was good. In the sense that you were getting closer to Yudai, and the last thing you wanted was to bump into Akira with him by your side. Not that you thought that Yudai wouldn’t be the best boy that he already was if he ever met your ex, but because things were finally going well, and you really didn’t want this to ruin whatever that was going on between you two.

You were starting to get hopeful that maybe it wasn’t just you who felt this way. At first, you believed that Yudai was like this around everyone, and whilst he was kind with others too, he didn’t act the same way around others - especially girls - as he did with you.

Walking you to the metro station at night even when you insisted that it was a safe area? Always getting you something to drink from the café even before you arrived at the lab? Looking up things you mentioned the previous time, so he could understand the medical terms and conditions better? Making sure that anything he explained wasn’t too technical, even going as far as drawing on his trusty little clipboard and using Pokémon characters to explain concepts? Giving you stickers when you passed a round of testing, so that you could feel better even if the outcome wasn’t as good as you wanted? Tucking your hair behind your ear when it fell into your face while typing on your laptop? Holding your hand when you were checking your mailbox to see if you got into the clinic that you wanted for your next rotation?

He also probably didn’t share glances with others across the Periodic CaFé while he was waiting for his order, didn’t share his umbrella with others when walking home, didn’t help tie their hair up when it got stuck to their temple as the weather got warmer, didn’t celebrate their birthdays with an impromptu karaoke night and their favourite matcha pancakes when he got to know that their birthday was on the day they met up for their project.

So many big and little things alike, and yet, you tried your best to focus on your project instead of overanalysing every single thing because that’s what you were here for, right? On the other hand, sometimes you couldn’t hide the blush creeping to your cheeks or your legs turning to jelly when Yudai was close to you, and unfortunately, someone like Baymax whose job was to track your vital signals took note of it.

You were merely working on your written report that day, and forgot to turn the robot off, so when Yudai leaned closer to your typing self to check what you wanted to show him on your laptop screen, you felt your heartbeat pick up its pace.

Baymax did too.

“Y/N, there has been a sudden spike in your heart rate. It might be due to-”

The announced it in its usual neutral voice, but you immediately felt like the ground should swallow you up whole because that would be less painful than being told that your heart rate suddenly increased when the boy got close to you.

“That’s enough, Baymax,” Yudai cut the robot off with a knowing smile before he straightened his back.

“But this could signal some underlying problem such as…”

“I am satisfied with my service for today, Baymax. Thank you,” you tried to save yourself, but there was no use. Even after Baymax deflated back into its charging case, you felt your face flush and you needed to excuse yourself to use the bathroom before you could go back and concentrate on your report.

It was fine until you called it a day, and as always, Yudai left the laboratory with you. You had flashbacks to your close proximity and the way Baymax literally called you out on your project partner making your heart race, and you felt a wave of heat hit you yet again.

“Can I walk you back home today?” Yudai broke the silence, his voice quiet and gentle in the sunset-filled scenery. Even though the usual buzz of the early summer night could be heard, everything seemed to quiet down in that moment.

“W-why would you do that?” You stuttered, unable to meet his eyes to see his reaction. You were afraid that he would be able to see yours, too.

“I would like to spend more time with you. If you don’t mind, of course. If you feel uncomfortable, that’s fine, you can tell me,” he confessed, making sure that you could say no which you appreciated as always.

“No, no, that’s fine, really. I feel the most comfortable around you,” you objected, and you looked up at him, only to catch a beautiful, kind of coy smile reaching a full bloom on his lips. He seemed to be dazzling in the burgundy-orange shades of the setting sun, his eyes twinkling like little fireflies. You allowed yourself a smile in return before you had to look away because your heart just couldn’t take the sight anymore.

Thankfully, you managed to pacify your heartbeat for the rest of your trip back home, chatting about everything that came to your mind both on the metro and while walking towards your house. Yudai was an excellent company; he was chatty, but also listened attentively when you spoke up, and he was super curious and enthusiastic about everything he wasn’t familiar with. Which you appreciated because you used to feel so bad for not knowing what Akira had been talking about and he had never gone out of his way to explain them to you either, so you had just stayed quiet after a few attempts at asking questions that only ended in one thing: “that you wouldn’t understand either way.” So his willingness to learn instead of being ashamed of his lack of knowledge made you feel better about yourself when you didn’t know something either.

You halted in front of your house, shyly tugging on your light cardigan as you looked up at him. He looked down at you as if you were something precious, something that he wanted to protect, and you wouldn’t dare to question him if he said the same thing.

“You know…” He started, an amused smile playing along the curves of his lips. You had a hard time concentrating on his eyes instead of his lips when the words rolled off his tongue like that, but you had to look up to save the last of your dignity.

“Hmm?”

“I purposefully didn’t want to say anything when Baymax noticed the spike in your heart rate because we were working on the project, and I didn’t want to disturb the atmosphere,” he remarked, that smile not leaving his lips. You immediately gulped at the mention of the incident, your face suddenly feeling hot. “But I have to tell you that you weren’t the only one whose heart raced,” he admitted, reaching back to scratch the back of his neck as a light-hearted giggle escaped his mouth.

Oh.

You froze in your stance even though your heart was hammering away rapidly as if you had been running around the house for a while now. You blinked up at him, unable to utter anything because you were trying to wrap your head around the fact that it meant that Yudai was feeling the same way.

That. He. Was. Feeling. The. Same. Way.

If it was even possible, your heart beat against your ribcage even more fervently as he leaned forward, leaning closer to your face. You could see the miniature version of yourself in his deep, dark, but warm eyes, see the creases on his forehead and the slight blemishes on his skin. You could see the lines his smiles left behind and the way his pupils dilated ever so slightly when he noticed that you didn’t back away or push him away.

Then, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against your forehead. Quiet, gentle, yet ever so consuming, you felt warm from the place of his forehead kiss to the tip of your toes. Not just warm, electrified would be a better word. As if you were charged, feelings exploding.

“Good night, Y/N!” Yudai whispered into the warmth of the summer night, a different kind of smile propped up in the corner of his lips. This time, it was a somewhat bewitched one.

“Good night, Yudai!” You wished as you smiled at him with the same kind of expression that stayed on your face long after he left.

Next week, he didn’t just walk you back home, you were holding hands while doing so. The week after, you finished earlier than usual to celebrate the end of the semester, and went out for dinner together instead of getting takeaway. It was a date. Slow but sure steps towards something that made you feel all giddy inside like a teenager in love.

With Akira, it felt like you had loved the idea of being noticed because you had been a quiet, studious girl whom boys had not really approached. You had tried so hard to stay the same, to not argue with him, to not stand out. With Yudai, it was more about loving spending time with him, and loving the way you could be yourself beside him without wanting to hide any part of yourself. You didn’t need to try to be someone else, and this kind of freedom was something that you would never take for granted again.

With the semester ending, you started your summer rotation, so you could naturally spend less time together - both by working on the project and spending time outside of it. However, you only worked in the morning on Fridays, so you had the afternoons to the project.

Yudai went from waiting for you in the lab to waiting for you in front of the clinic, so you could get lunch together before heading to the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab together. The last thing you expected to happen during one of these cosy Friday afternoons was to bump into your ex in the corridor when you were leaving Baymax behind for the day, holding hands with Yudai.

However, there he was, Akira in all his glory, his eyes narrowing at the sight of you. Judged by the way he halted at the same time as you, you knew that he also recognised you.

“Y/N… What are you doing here?”

“I’m working on a project with Yudai,” you explained, keeping your voice neutral. Yudai squeezed your hands a little tighter, signalling that he was there for you. He didn’t need to be told who was in front of you; you had already talked about your ex and how he had made you feel.

“But you don’t go to this university… right?” Akira furrowed his eyebrows, insufferable until the end. You wished you could have rubbed it in his face that you did go here after how he had claimed that you weren’t smart enough to date him. Alas, this was not the kind of news you could bring him.

“No. My med school has an initiative with your school where we look at the healthcare aspect of technological advancements,” you concluded indignantly. Even though you were nowhere near offensive, your tone was more chipped than usual, and the guy who was used to your shy self who wouldn’t go against anything he said appeared appalled.

“Woah, I was just curious. No need to be so rude to me.”

Maybe that’s why it hurt you so much that he called you rude when you just stated facts. He had said way worse things in way worse tones, he had no right to get offended. Or maybe it was because you had gotten used to the opposite beside Yudai; of being heard, seen and cared for, of being able to be loud and disagree and still not feel bad about it.

“That’s rich coming from someone who dumped me right in front of this institute because I’m not smart enough to be with him,” you dropped the bomb on him, but before your ex could speak up, you turned to your boyfriend, and told him that you should go. Yudai looked at you like he would get the stars just for you, and the thought broke your heart a little but mended it right after.

Akira must have been too shocked by the way you talked back to him because he just stood there, frozen, watching you two leave, but before you could get out of his sight, Yudai halted, and turned towards your ex. You had never seen him so stern, he was usually bubbly and kind to everyone, but now, his jaw was clenched and his eyes narrowed on Akira.

“She’s the smartest girl I’ve worked with, and just because she excels in a different field than you doesn’t mean that she isn’t smart,” he defended you, but didn’t leave time for Akira to come back at him, he already turned around.

You followed him out of the building, occasionally glancing at him, but he stayed quiet until you got outside, and he made sure that you were far away from your ex. He started going on about how Akira was out of line, so you shouldn’t listen to him, and how glad he was that you stood up for yourself because he deserved to be called out like that.

You just listened to him, your heart full with gratitude towards this boy who showed you how you deserved more and better. He didn’t even fight or shout when defending you, he let his words register in Akira, cool and composed. You truly admired him.

“I wish Baymax could be here to give you a hug,” he ended his monologue, his lips curling into a slight pout. You tugged on your intertwined hands, shaking your head.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” he insisted, and took a step closer to be the one to hug you instead of Baymax. You melted into his embrace, inhaling in his woody scent, your heartbeat slowing down with each second passing by. You lost count of how many times Yudai just knew what to say, what to do to comfort you, to make you feel better, and at times like this, it was easy to forget that you were ever made to feel otherwise.

“Thank you,” you murmured into the crook of his neck, quiet but sincere. There was so much loaded into those two words, and he knew it for he hugged you tighter, closer to his chest, closer to his heart.

Your relationship with Yudai bloomed into a beautiful, trusting, attentive one. A space where you could be yourself, and you could be loved for that. You were eternally grateful each and every day that you were assigned to such a smart, talented student for the project, because though you were taking steps together to deepen your relationship, the project was still something that you both took seriously.

During the summer, you could naturally spend less time on the project due to your clinical rotation, but Yudai used your Friday sessions to take note of any possible improvement points, and worked on them during the week. With the summer ending, your summer rotation ended as well, and you were back on track with the project. You had some more intensive weeks before you could hand in your final written report, and you could present your project in front of the panel of professors.

“No matter what they say, we’ve done our best, and that’s what matters. There’s no one else I would have rather worked on Baymax with than you,” Yudai reassured you before the presentation, and you hugged him as an answer.

In the end, the feedback was very positive. The professors were very impressed with the way you tested Baymax real-time in front of them, and the implications of further research in both your area of studies - immunology - and other areas. They were also super impressed with the technological aspects, and even pointed out some human-like approachable features that you purposefully implemented like Baymax giving out a lollipop after an examination or telling you that you did a good job before retreating back to its case for the day.

To celebrate the success, Yudai invited you to his aunt’s café called the ‘Lucky Cat Café’. On your way there, he was chatting about the origin of the café - it was named after their cat, Mochi -, and his aunt, and that you should be prepared for many questions from her because she was dying to meet you. Though you were official by this point, with the project and your rotations and his aunt working seven days a week, it was difficult to arrange a meet-up, but now was the perfect time to meet her.

You were immediately welcomed by a colourful and cosy interior, a lazy cat lounging on a beanbag, and Taki working on his laptop when you stepped inside the café. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t even notice your arrival. There was a middle-aged man making an order at the counter, so you halted behind him, your hands in Yudai’s.

As you stepped up to the counter, his aunt was about to say her usual cheery “Welcome”, but it turned into something like:

“Welco- Oh my gosh, you’re here! You’re so pretty! Oh wow, we finally meet, I’m so happy!” She greeted you beamingly and ran around the counter to be able to hug you before going back again, taking your order.

“I’ve always thought Yudai would die as a bachelor because he’s always been working on some kind of project ever since he was young. Back in the days, he just glued together seemingly irrelevant pieces, and then, he spent all day every day on his computer, and now he’s working on robots. He grew up so fast,” she chirped, a reminiscing smile playing on her lips, while you were looking at the options on the chalkboard behind her.

“Oh come on, aunt Cass!” Yudai rolled his eyes in an affectionate way.

“Don’t give me that look! You say the same about Taki!”

“But he’s really grown up so fast.”

“You guys are so dramatic!” Taki grumbled with a slightly judgemental stare before he put on his noise-cancelling headphones and averted his eyes back to his laptop’s screen.

You watched the scene unfold with an amused smile, and after a bit more family teasing, aunt Cass took your order and handed you your matcha latte and cinnamon bun, prompting you to check out their flat upstairs instead of just sitting here with the other guests. Yudai also said that he wanted to show you around, so he took the tray of your orders and brought you upstairs.

This was the first time you were actually inside the other’s house because though the boy always walked you back home, he never wanted to come inside because it was already late by the time you reached your house. So you took the time to look around, smiling at the childhood photos of the boys and the mess of Taki’s room that you saw en route to Yudai’s room.

Your boyfriend’s place was very much like him: a bit nerdy with sketches of early Baymax designs glued to a clipboard, soft with soft coloured walls, scented candles and a used journal sitting on his bed, and social with pictures of friends and family scattered around every surface from his desk to his monitor and windowsill. And then, your eyes caught sight of a bunch of photos with you.

“You printed them out?” You inquired, remembering each and every photo like it was yesterday that you went on your first date or you sang at the karaoke bar on your birthday or you went to the theme park.

“Yes. I prefer to print them out instead of only having them on my phone,” he answered, a tad bit shy, before he came up to you to hug you from behind. He then rested his chin on your shoulder, while you were looking through the printed pictures. You occasionally giggled at the ones he chose because they were so silly or you made funny faces, but all of them showed that he cared, and you were very touched by this little carousel of shared memories.

When you finished looking through the pictures, you turned around to face him. He adjusted his arms to hold you yet again, and looked down at you, his eyes twinkling with affection. You swore you could get lost in those eyes, in his care, in his love. No matter how much time passed by since the first time he let you know about his feelings, you still felt electrified from head to toe when you looked at him.

“I love you,” you confessed gently, your heart so full of your feelings towards him, you felt like you could combust any minute now.

“I love you, too,” he whispered back, his lips pulling into a smile before he reached out to cup your cheeks. Then, he leaned forward for a long, soft, gentle kiss, something that melted you on the spot.

You had nowhere to rush, nowhere to go, you were home. Safe and sound in his arms, and you could not ask for anything else.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this story of mine! Let me know what you think!

The condition reader has (NARES) is not very well researched and understood for now, but I've tried to explain it as much as I could. This year, I was diagnosed with this condition myself, so I've incorporated my own experience as well.

Header taken from the 'Aoarashi' MV

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Hope you have a lovely day/night! Take care! ❤️

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