Don't Fear the Reaper

81) Parents... Am I Right?

A/N: tis very short and tis not edited so... it pemdas-es out

Nico slowly made his way through the halls of the manor, eyes darting at every creak and rattle of wind against the windows. He didn't want to see any of the others, but he couldn't be in his room any longer.

He crept his way to the kitchen, sure that it would be empty so late at night, but as he approached the doorway, he heard shakey breaths from inside. He debated just turning around and going back to his room, or maybe just finding somewhere else to hideout, but instead he peeked in.

Duke sat at the kitchen island, eyes distant and chest stuttering from uneven breathing. There was a cup of water in front of him, but it looked untouched. The teen was just staring off, trying to keep his breathing steady.

Nico bit at the inside of his cheek, not sure what to do, but he let out a breath and stepped into the room anyways, purposefully stopping his steps from being silent.

Duke's head whipped around to look at him, worry in his eyes first at the idea of being caught, but then a look of surprise took over. "Nico... I, uh-"

Nico didn't say anything, just walked to the cupboard and grabbed a glass. He filled it up with water before silently sitting down next to Duke.

"You don't have to sit with me. I'm fine," Duke said quietly. "I know you probably don't want to be around anyone and-"

"I'm staying," Nico stated, leaving no room for argument. He took a sip from his water, looking pointedly at Duke's untouched glass.

Duke watched him for a long moment before he let out a breath and picked up his glass. They just sat in silence for a while, both just staring off in front of them, lost in their own minds.

"I'm not great at comforting people," Nico said hesitantly, not really sure what he was doing. "But I can listen, and I can keep a secret. You don't have to tell me, but you could... if you wanted to."

Duke seemed to think on it a while before he glanced at the demigod a little. "It was just a bad dream. They happen—it's just a part of life."

"Yeah... still sucks though."

Duke cracked a small smile, nodding a bit. "Still sucks though."

Silence fell between them again, but it was no longer as awkward as before.

"It was from the day I lost my parents—a Joker attack." Duke's voice was quiet, eyes distant. "I just keep watching happening again and again in my head, thinking about all the things I could have done. I know I was just a kid when it happened—I wasn't trained back then like I am now—but I just keep watching it, seeing all the things I missed. And... it feels almost worse that they didn't die. The joker venom drove them crazy, ripping away who they were. I... I still visit them, but they don't know who I am."

Nico felt the urge to try and tell him that it wasn't his fault—that he did everything he could—but he'd heard those words hundreds of times and it never helped. Being told that you tried means nothing when you still failed.

"If you ever want company, I'll go with you."

Duke looked at him in surprise. "You don't have to."

"I know," Nico said quietly, looking down at the glass in his hands. "The offer still stands."

Duke watched him, confusion clear in his eyes. "Why?" he asked in barely a whisper.

Nico just shrugged a little. "We've all lost people, but... I don't think the others fully remember what it is to keep on losing. They mourn and they keep going. They still feel the pain, but it's different. You lost them, but they're still there. You know they're still there, just... out of reach."

"You sound familiar with that," Duke said, a sad but fond smile on his lips.

Nico just shrugged again. "I've lost a lot of people, but my people... they're still out there. I fought by their side for years and now... it's a weird type of loss to lose people who are still alive. My situation is different than yours but..."

"But you get it," Duke said, looking down at his hands. "I was gonna go visit them later today, but I know you just got back and-"

"I'll go."

"Are you sure?"

Nico glanced over at him. "Yeah, I'm sure." He looked back out in front of him, eyes looking st nothing and everything at the same time. "We all need some support sometimes."

~~~~~~~~

Bruce stood anxiously outside the garage, watching as Duke drove off. He knew it would be fine, but that didn't stop his skin from crawling with nervous anticipation.

"They'll be fine," Jason said, making his presence known as he leaned against the side of the house. "It's a good sign that Nico is willing to leave with him."

"I know that, it's just..." Bruce didn't know what he wanted to say. He didn't know how to explain himself. "I don't want him to get overwhelmed and going to the Ward with Duke might be too much."

"Maybe, but Nico chose to go, so we just gotta trust him," Jason said with a shrug. "He isn't the same loose cannon he used to be. Something is different."

Bruce nodded, letting out a long breath. "Yeah, something is definitely different, and I'm hoping it's different in a good way."