Demigod in Gotham

16) Sad Boy Era

A/N: currently at level 10 delulu. It's 2am and I'm still doing this. I started at like 5 pm.

Nico had no idea how long he had been gone. He had been right when he told the vigilantes that he would be all over because over the last however many days, he had travelled all across the country. At first, he was just going to leave. He didn't want to face the fact that he was losing a family he never even had, so he was just going to run. And then he remembered what he said to Nightwing on his first night in Gotham. He had told the vigilante that he wasn't running away, but towards solitude. As he sat in the middle of the wood, somewhere on the east coast, he realized that it was the same thing. He left camp because he couldn't stand the idea of messing up and ruining everything, but he thought he would be better in Gotham. He was doing better. He was on a quest to help demigods and while doing that he saved two vigilantes. Wasn't that enough to prove that he didn't need anyone?

Nico had stayed in those woods for a few days, spiraling. He was angry, and sad, and, for some reason, guilty. He knew it was rude to just leave without a word to them, but they knew him for a day, they would forget him soon enough. And then he remembered the way they had rushed in when they heard that he had woken up and the plate they had found for him so he could make offerings to the gods, despite the fact that they didn't understand why. Is the plate still on the table? He wondered, are they planning for the Saturday meal that I agreed to go to? What would they do when I didn't show?

It took him a week in those woods to even decide that he should talk to someone. First he went to New Rome with the intentions of talking about it with Percy, Annabeth, or Reyna. He knew that Percy understood his struggles with the idea of family. Annabeth had her own problems with maintaining a relationship with her father and step-family. Reyna just understood him. He had traveled to the Pluto Alter and began the walk toward the city. He had made it all the way to the street that Percy's apartment was on when he stopped. The shop across the street's door opened and out walked a familiar family. They didn't notice him, they wouldn't considering they didn't even know who he was, but Nico knew who they were. Sam and Alex, and their two year old daughter Maria. The first time Nico had seen the kid, he knew who it was. Her name was pure coincidence, the couple randomly picking it not knowing that it was the name of their child's mother in a past life. Sam and Alex were both legacies of Vulcan and Minerva respectively, so he knew she would grow up safe. She was adopted so Nico had no idea if she was a demigod, but it didn't matter. The boy watched as they walked down the street away from him. All the fight he had worked up left him. He was just going to leave until he heard a familiar voice.

"Nico, what are you doing to here?" Percy said as he bounded over to the Italian. When he didn't receive a response he looked to where Nico was staring and recognition filled his eyes. "Hey, let's head to my apartment."

Percy grabbed the sleeve of Nico's jacket sleeve to urge him forward, which the boy was thankful for. The Seven, Will, and Reyna had been the only people that he mostly trusted his standing with. They had seen him at his worst and weathered the storm. The also knew his boundaries better than anyone. Percy had always been especially good about letting Nico initiate physical contact. The son of Poseidon knew when to push him and when to let him be.

Nico remained in a haze until he heard the door of Percy's apartment close and he realized he was no longer outside. Percy gestured him towards the couch while he walked into the kitchen. Nico numbly walked over and sat on the couch, pulling his knees to his chest. Percy returned a moment later, setting two glasses of water on the coffee table between them and sat in the armchair directly across from him.

"What's up? I know it's rough for you to see her, but you haven't reacted like this since the first time." Percy said, he's voice serious.

Nico stared at the floor for a long moment. "It's just bad timing."