Watching Heirs Unnaparent

Razor's Edge (حافة الحلاقة)

"Nikolas! Nikolas! Wake up! You're going to be late for school again!"

"You were such a Pain"

Nicholas only chuckled

Birds chirped outside his window and below, the morning traffic alerted the sleepy city to the first lights of day, but Nicholas only groaned and rolled over, setting his headphones--filled with gentle white noise--more securely over his ears, a sleepy grin plastered on his face.

"Nicholas! Don't make me come up there and get you, young man!"

"Again such a pain" Ali agreed

The peaceful dream of action-packed adventures in the land of magical marshmallows suddenly shattered at his mother's persistent tone and Nicholas stirred, stretching his arms just far enough to reach his pillow and stuff it over his ears. It was far too early for him to wake up. Surely there was no way that they could expect him to--

"NICHOLAS LAHIFFE, get your rear out of bed before I come up there and drag you out myself!"

Nino started laughing "I would've loved to see that"

Nicholas grabbed Nino's shoulders and made him lay down only to tickle him "Nickie No!" Nino said while gasping for air

"what were you saying?"

"نيكي من فضلك توقف عن دغدغة!" Everyone stopped looking at the screen and at Nino while Nicholas and Layla beamed with happiness

"What did I just say?" Nino asked

"Akhi, you just told me to stop tickling you in Arabic"

And good morning to you too, Dad. Glad to see you up and cheerful this morning and blissfully unaware that I snuck out after hours last night to meet up with a man I am beginning to suspect is completely crazy who is actually not a figment of my imagination and who also happens to be a superhero and hey, by the way, I think I am a superhero too, SO glad you want me to be up and cheerful and ready for another day of monotony like always.

Oh yeah, that conversation would go over well. He couldn't even imagine his parent's reactions if he were to tell them what he'd done. They would be so upset with him which was another reason he decided he couldn't tell them anything.

"We Would be upset, but if you came home injured we would be fuming if we didn't know you were a superhero" Ali told him

But that also meant he had no reasonable excuse for being so tired as his phone wifi was set to shut off at a distinct time each night.

Layla looked like she was ready to smack him over the head

He rolled over with another tired sigh, twisting to block out his parents' commands and try to go back to his blissful dreams of sugar and sweets.

His father shouted something else but he ignored him. Please, just five more minutes and then I'll--OW!

Something hard and sharp suddenly plunged into his exposed ear and he shot up, swatting the offending object away with a loud yelp.

A scolding chitter resonated through the room as a blur of gold filled his peripheral and he irritably glanced over to the hovering bird who had very clearly nipped him and was finding something hilarious about that.