When Worlds Collide

3) Nico Phone Home

A/N: please tell me someone gets the reference

Nico walked alongside Reyna, well... he crutches alongside her, as they moved throughout the shrines of New Rome. Jason had added a bunch of new ones since Nico's last visit, alone with redoing the Pluto Shrine with the help of Hazel.

"I heard Leo finished making your new leg?" Reyna asked as they walked.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Please, no leg talk. This is my first time leaving camp since everything happened and I really don't want to think about that right now." His crutch slipped slightly on a patch of ice, but he steadied himself before he could fall. "Though I am glad to be done with the training leg. It was made before Leo made a cast out of my 'residual limb' and it pinched like a bitch. That's why I have to take it off so often. The hope is that the new one can be worn almost full time."

Rayna chuckled slightly. "I'm glad you were able to visit for the weekend. I'm surprised Will let you shadow travel here."

Nico chuckled before feeling his phone, the new one Leo had made for him that was 'less breakable', buzz. He pulled it out, seeing that it was a call from Bruce, before silencing it and putting it away.

"Still haven't talked to them?"

Nico stilled, looking away from Reyna and out at the scenery. "I will. Just... not till I'm back to 100%."

Reyna glared at him lightly. "Nico, they are your family. Families support each other through the hard stuff, not hide it-"

"I know." Nico gripped his crutches tightly as he tried to push away the familiar anger that had begun to creep into every aspect of his life. "But they don't need that right now. They watched me die, they don't need to watch me struggle to fucking walk."

"Cutting people out of your life just because you're stuffing-"

"I know!" Nico burst before holding his breath for a moment, forcing himself to not yell. "I am aware that I can't just cut people off because I am struggling, but right now, this is all I can handle. I died and was revived. I lost my leg. I went from being a literal superhero to having to relearn how to walk. I can't handle looking them in the eyes and telling them what happened."

Reyna looked at him sadly for a moment before nodded. "I know. I'm sorry I pushed."

Nico looked up at her. "I know. I'm sorry I yelled."

Reyna smiled lightly at him. "I want you to know that all of us are here to support you. If you want us to tell them for you-"

"No. Not until I'm better. I want to tell them what I went through, not what I'm going through."

Reyna nodded. "Okay, then if you want one of us to talk to them about your boundaries for talking right now, we can. They don't have to know what happened, just that you don't want to talk about it. That way you can at least call them, let them hear your voice."

Nico sighed as he continued to walk, Reyna falling into step next to him. "Maybe. I'll think about it."

Reyna glanced at him. "Christmas is a few weeks away..."

"I'm sending them gifts. I had Leo make them celestial weapons with steel grips so they can actually use them."

Reyna made a sound to should she heard him, but it was obvious she was biting her tongue.

Nico sighed. "I'll have Percy call Bruce, he's been their main point of contact. I'll talk to them soon."

Reyna smiled lightly at him. "I'm glad."