From Camp Half-Blood to Gotham (Nico x Batfam)

Heart-to-Heart (54)

Turns out nectar couldn't heal four broken ribs, a broken knee, a dislocated shoulder with a four-point five-millimeter gash in it, and severe acid burns in a timely manner.

So, Batman and Red Robin, while lecturing them so sternly, hooked them up to a bunch of medical machines, treating them the old-fashioned way. Well, he guessed it was technically the new-fashioned way since nectar and ambrosia have been around since the gods were 'created'.

"I haven't been in one of these things since I was eight." Leo's voice jerked Nico out of his slightly sour, post-parent lecture thoughts.

"I haven't been in one of these since I crash-landed near Camp Jupiter," Nico replied, smiling back at the memory like it was something fun. It wasn't fun. But he gestured to the IV stuck firmly in his elbow pit as a sort of joke. A brief second of Leo's heart monitor beeping filled the slightly tense silence.

"You really scared me then." Nico didn't like how quiet, and serious Leo's voice suddenly got. After knowing Leo as such an unserious person, it threw him off every time Leo actually seemed to put more than three brain cells into anything he said. "You scared me when your sensors went off telling me you would probably fall to your death. You scared me when you came to me with your helmet all smashed in. You scared me when you came back to Camp Jupiter with your armor all destroyed and your lil' shadow buddies looking like that. You scared me when... I first saw that stupid hero suit in your bag your first night at the bunker."

Nico didn't know what to say to that. He wasn't even sure Piper, the most emotionally comprehensive person he knew, would know how to respond to someone like Leo pouring that all out seemingly unprompted. Well, it actually wasn't really 'unprompted' to say but it was definitely odd.

"I guess what my stupid mouth is trying to say is that your stupid, dumb ass is a very annoyingly worrisome person to be around," Leo grumbled, his eyes finally leaving Nico's probably confused-looking face.

"I know that's not what you really want to say." It was obvious that Leo was nervous, and Nico knew it was best to respect that but a tiny- no, a medium-sized piece of him hated that Leo didn't feel comfortable telling him something.

Not that Nico had given him any reason to trust him with something emotionally important to him.

"I never really did get an answer." Nico immediately knew what he was talking about, and it kind of bugged him that he couldn't tell if the question was a topic change or not.

But the question sent a chill down his spine. This was not something they could talk about. Not here, not now. Not with dozens of cameras in the room, not when someone could walk in through those doors to check on them at any moment. Not when that person could be Bruce. A man who controlled his access to food, water, clothing, and shelter at the moment.

"Well, you didn't run out of the tent, screaming in disgust, but I also don't think 'maybe' is-"

"Stop. Just stop talking." The tiny smile that had been on Leo's face vanished immediately. "Don't do this here. Anywhere but here."

"Why-?" Leo was cut off by the door sliding open and Nightwing walking in, thankfully turning to Nico first to look at him, giving Leo time to force back the tears pricking at the corners of his brown eyes without being bombarded with questions.

"Nico, lay back down," Nightwing ordered mechanically. Nico obeyed without a second thought. "Leo, how are your vitals doing?"

"They're telling me I'm not dead yet, and I'm pretty sure that's a good thing and the best I can wish for." Leo croaked out in response. The few seconds Nightwing was bossing Nico around clearly wasn't enough to cover up. Thankfully Dick had enough sense to not say anything about it, which also made Nico feel like the worst, piece of shit person on the planet.