Title: How We Roll
Fandom: Heroes
Characters: Hiro and Ando
Rating: G
Summary: Everyone starts somewhere.
Notes: I don't think this is in any way accurate to how this went. But I still wanted to write it.
Spoilers: 1x14, mostly character stuff.



I.

Everyone had heard of Hiro Nakamura. Mr. Nakamura, Ando's father had explained to him, was a very important man. A very rich man. It would be good, his father had said, if Ando were to be friends with Hiro Nakamura. It would give him a future.

Ando hit it off very well with a boy named Hiro, and three days later he learned this was Hiroshi Yamakawa, and Hiro Nakamura was the quiet boy no one talked to who sat in the corner reading American comic books. But Ando's father insisted, and Ando, knowing at twelve that his test scores were not good enough to secure a future that his father would approve of, did his duty as a son.

"What are you reading?"

"Spider-Man," said Hiro Nakamura. "Do you know Spider-Man?"

"I've seen the cartoon," said Ando cautiously. "He does the webbing, right?"

"Yes, but there is much more to him than that. He is righteous and good."

"He's a hero," said Ando.

"Yes. Do you want to read one?" asked Hiro.

Ando wanted to go talk to Hanako from class B, but his father's face haunted him.

"Sure."


II.

"Where are you going for high school, Ando-kun?" asked Hiro.

"I'm not sure yet," said Ando. He didn't want to admit he didn't have the options Hiro did, even though Hiro could see his test scores the same as everyone else could.

"You need to decide soon," said Hiro, flipping through his X-Men.

"I know, I know. What about you?"

"I'm leaving it to you," said Hiro primly.

"Hiro--"

"Ando-kun has good taste in classes," Hiro said. "It must be the same for high schools."


III.

"You're so good at English, Ando-kun," said Hiro despairingly. "It's so hard. I'm never gonna get to read American comics at this rate."

"You'll catch up. You're better than me at everything else."

"No I'm not. Ando-kun is number one at sports. And English is more important. If I'm going to go to America and write for Marvel, I gotta learn English."

"What about your father? Doesn't he want you to take over?"

"You know I'm no good at business, Ando-kun," said Hiro.

"Does he know that?" asked Ando. They didn't talk about Hiro's father's business much. Ando was mostly ashamed to know that if it hadn't been for Hiro's father's status, he never would have spoken to him.

"He'll find out," said Hiro, waving his hand unconcernedly. "He knows I don't like it. What about you, Ando-kun? You have a good head for business."

"Let me see that comic book," said Ando instead. "I'll translate it for you."

Ando knew he'd thrown his lot in with Hiro's a long time ago. He just wasn't ready for Hiro to know that.

IV.

After Ando's third fight with his father about hanging around with Mr. Nakamura's ambitionless son, he asked Hiro if he didn't think they might like to get an apartment.

"An apartment?"

"We're college third-years, after all!" said Ando. "We should be thinking of the future. Once we graduate we'll want our own place."

"That's a good idea," Hiro agreed. "Kimiko wants to go to the states for graduate school anyway."

"Kimiko does?" asked Ando, pretending to sound uninterested.

"She didn't ask about you this time either," said Hiro smugly. "Father is going to go with her so he can supervise Yamagoto's expansion there."

"So you were going to get an apartment anyway?"

"Not without asking you first. But you saved me the trouble."

When they started their fourth year, Mr. Nakamura and Kimiko left for the United States. Ando never commented on Hiro's moving out a year earlier than he had to.


V.

Ando's father became unable to ignore the rumors that Hiro was not looking to fulfull his potential after college, and presented Ando with an ultimatum. While Ando's test scores were high, they were still not high enough for his father's ambitions, and it became a simple matter of politics. Ando, his father said, needed a friend in high places. Hiro was obviously going no where.

At twenty-two, Ando had never really experimented with rebellion. He felt it was time to start.

"Hiro..."

"Ah, Ando-kun! You're just in time."

"In time? For what?"

"We have an interview."

"For what?"

"A job, of course. We're graduating soon, you know."

"But...aren't you looking in America?"

"No. I like Tokyo, you know? And I can import comics. I e-mailed Father, he's set us up jobs in sales here."

"Hiro..."

"It will be very boring, I'm sure, but I know since it's you we'll get by."

"Since it's me?"

"Maybe Kimiko will even ask after you next time she calls," said Hiro with a wink.

Ando was surprised to find he didn't really care.