𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘, 𝖺 𝗀𝗅𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝖻𝗎𝗆

🪐 he shook my hand

Later that evening, after dinner and half a dozen sarcastic comments from Gally about the "pirate electrician,"

Nico found himself wandering up the old staircase to the rooftop of the safe house - a place where the stars felt just a little closer, and the air felt less heavy.

Bea was already there.

She was sitting on the ledge, knees pulled up to her chest, her bow lying beside her, unstrung.

She looked over when she heard him, the faintest smile curving her lips. "You've got that look," she said.

"What look?" Nico asked, settling beside her.

"The 'something happened and I'm pretending it wasn't a big deal' look."

He huffed a short laugh, staring out at the moonlit sky.

Bea waited, patient.

Finally, Nico ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "Minho shook my hand today."

Bea blinked. "He what?"

"Yeah." Nico scratched the back of his neck. "I fixed the generator, and I guess he saw. Came over. Said I wasn't bad to have around. Just... shook my hand. Like it meant something."

Bea turned fully to face him, her eyes soft. "It does mean something."

Nico didn't respond at first. He looked down at his palms, the same hands that once held rope, knives, stolen compasses... now smeared with grease and soot from fixing a generator for the people who once thought he was a threat.

He finally said, "I spent years doing everything to survive. Never cared what anyone thought. Never thought I'd want to belong anywhere."

His voice dipped lower. "But I do now. And I didn't realize how much until he said that. Until he treated me like I belonged."

Bea smiled, warm and proud. "You've changed, Nico."

He looked at her, brow raised. "You said that before."

"And I'll say it again," she replied. "Because you keep proving it."

There was a pause.

Then Bea leaned her head lightly on his shoulder.

"Next thing we know, Thomas will start calling you 'bro.'"

Nico laughed, really laughed, for the first time in a while.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he murmured, but the smile lingered.

And under the stars, without saying it directly, they both knew: he belonged here now.

★