Don't Fear the Reaper

96) Ring Ring Mofo

It was days before Nico even looked the others in the eyes. He skipped training and patrols, left the dinner table as soon as he was finished, and spent most of his time either locked in his room ignoring them or wandering the manor at night when they were either out or catching up on missed sleep.

He lived within his head, consumed by the everything and nothing that was swirling around up there. He existed within echoed memories and a reality that felt dangerous.

His nerves screamed at him that he needed to run. He needed to escape before the monsters came or the sky fell...

But, for the first time in maybe his entire life, he knew that they were lying.

He didn't feel safe—and even if he did, he wouldn't have trusted it—but he knew that running wasn't the answer. He'd run for so long already, and for once, he wanted to stay put. He felt the fear, but he knew that he could never outrun that restless terror that lived forever inside him, so why try?. It would always be there, so why leave behind the life he'd found there in Gotham when all it would mean was feeling that same terror, only then he'd be alone? 

The Waynes were... something. 

Not quite family, and yet far more than just acquaintances or friends.

They were just... something, and it had been a long time since he had anything at all...

He wasn't ready to give that up.

"Bruce," Nico said, forcing himself to step around the corner of the doorway and into the drawing room the man and a few of his kids were sitting in.

Bruce looked at him with both surprise and eagerness, probably excited that Nico was actually speaking again. "Yes, Nico?"

The demigod just watched him for a long, long moment, no one in the room daring to say a thing in case it scared him off.

"Can I have your phone?" The words were quiet and a bit gruff from his scarcely used voice, but they seemed to almost echo in the silent room. "And can you pull up Sally's contact?"

Bruce's eyebrows raised just slightly, but he still nodded, pulling out his phone and typing for a moment before he crossed the room to Nico. "Here you go—though, are you sure it's safe? If you want to talk to her, we can zeta or drive-"

"Tim and I figured out that the ringlets mask me," Nico said, taking the phone carefully and just staring at the screen. "I can use technology without risking a monster attack."

Bruce's eyes darted to Tim for a moment, the teen sinking lower in his seat just a bit at the way the others were staring at him, but the man quickly looked back to Nico with the same soft expression he'd had before. "I'm glad it's safe. You can use my phone for as long as you need. And, if you want, I can get you one of your own."

"Maybe," Nico muttered, forcing himself to actually blink a few times and look away from Sally's contact that felt like it was staring back at him, meeting Bruce's eyes briefly. "Thanks," he said in a whisper before quickly leaving the room, walking as fast as he could to his bedroom.

As soon as he was in the safety of the familiar 4 walls, he took a deep breath, and clicked the call button, giving himself no time to second guess.

"Bruce, is something wrong?" Sally's voice instantly said after only 2 rings, sounding vaguely panicked. "Did something happen? I can be in Gotham in-"

"It's me," Nico cut in quietly, trying to save her some panic. "Everything is fine."

He could hear Sally let out a breath of relief. "Thank the gods. I was worried that you were hurt or kidnapped or something like that—I mean, Gotham isn't exactly the safest place for a teen, let alone one who's living with the Waynes."