Before You Go | A Prequel

1.7 | The Park

RELIEF FLOODED OVER NICO as he hugged either of the twins. He squeezed his eyes shut just as tight, and he prayed he could get his mind to stop spinning as he repeated the comforting mantras to himself over and over.

"Okay. It's okay." A deep breath. "Everything's okay. We're okay. Everything's okay."

He hoped that maybe if he said it enough times, it would become the truth. If he could just get himself to keep believing it, or at least keep pretending like he believed it, then everything would be okay. They would be okay.

-"Hi Nico!"

His youngest sister's voice drew him back to their very not-okay reality. The world in which he and his siblings were essentially the band of misfit orphans, and he was Peter-Fucking-Pan with no other options.

Another shuddered breath reeled out of him and he pulled back from the twins at once.

"You're okay?" He murmured, although his question came more as an observation as he gave a once over to either of the twins, turning them by their shoulders and checking for any obvious signs of harm or injury. "Nobody's hurt? No one's... you're okay? Yeah?"

Ellie made a small 'Ow,' when he plucked one of the burrs from her hair, but she and Gus both nodded. They were okay.

"My shoes are wet." Gus mumbled, hardly above a whisper. Nico looked at the boy's sneakers and he nodded.

"It's okay." was still all he could manage to say. Maybe he was still in shock. He felt out-of-body, like he was still coming down from the adrenaline high, and coming down fast. But it was okay. Everyone was okay. That was all that mattered.

"Okay." He said again and he swallowed. "Okay. Alright. Come on." He stood and he took either of their small hands, and they started walking.

-"Ni-co?"

His brain could hardly register the swinging at his left arm, save for responding to the little girl's voice responsible for it.

"Ni-co, where are we going?" She asked again. "Ni-co—,"

"Home."

-"Awwww! Do we have to?"

His teeth gritted together. Eyes remained fixed on the path ahead of them. All he needed to do was keep walking. Just keep walking. Everything was okay. They were okay.

-"But we don't wanna go home just yet! We didn't even get to really finish playing! Right, Gus?"

She glanced over at her usual partner-in-mischief, but the latter said nothing. Instead, his nose remained pointed at the ground as they shuffled after Nico. The back of his free hand wiped under his nose as he sniffled, still refusing to give his twin the time-of-day.

Her shoulders fell and she frowned, disappointed by his sudden lack of enthusiasm. They had games to play— and so many places still left to explore! She would cheer him up. A grin crept onto her face with her latest bright idea.

"No... home! No... home! No... home—,"

"Stop. Please." Nico gave her palm a squeeze and shook his head once. She either didn't clock it or chose to ignore him, because the chanting only got louder, and even more spirited as she swung his arm.

"NO... home! NO... home! NO—,"

"I said stop it!" Nico halted and he stared at her. The child blinked in surprise at first, but her brow furrowed under the weight of brewing defiance as she glowered back at him.