Chapter Text
Tim looked up from the batcomputer, lazily greeting Batman and his brothers. He ducked his head back down, returning to his work, before glancing up in confusion. No, he hadn’t counted wrong. There were four figures, not 3.
“Tim, can you call Jason and Alfred?” Asked Dick. “I have an announcement to make.”
Tim sent a quick text to the pair, surprised but extremely curious. This ‘announcement’ had to do with the stranger, didn’t it?
Tim observed the newcomer, dressed in black from head to toe. His hood was pulled back and he removed his simple domino mask, as did Robin, Nightwing and Batman. So the figure knew their IDs. That was new.
Something tickled at the back of Tim’s head,but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Something about this kid was familiar, but he didn’t know what.
He looked to be about Dick’s age, with black hair, ghostly pale skin and almost black eyes. He was obviously of Italian descent and was rather short, yet he stood by Dick almost protectively. Who was he?
Jason clambered down the stairs noisily, followed by an ever-silent ninja butler. When he spotted the dark figure he paused, confused, but walked up beside Tim anyway, hopping up to sit on the desk.
“So, is he what this ‘announcement’ is about?”
Dick nodded.
“Guys, I’d like you to meet Nico Di Angelo, my brother.” he paused, smiling uncertainly. “Nico, this is Jason Todd and Timothy Drake, two of the brothers I spoke of.”
“Wait, what?” asked Jason. “Dickie-bird has another brother?”
“Yes.” replied Dick, looking down. “I knew him while I was with the circus. When Bruce adopted me, we got separated. I just found him again.”
“So,” verified Tim, “You haven't seen each other in 7 years?”
Nico and Dick nodded.
“Oof.”
---
“Nico,” asked Bruce at dinner a couple days later, “I wanted to apologize.”
Nico looked up, confusion lassing his features.
“I should have adopted you. I saw you too, that day, holding Dick as he cried into your shirt. I watched as you blocked his view, as you resled him away from their bodies, as you comforted him. I should have taken you in too. I never should have kept you apart.”
Nico blinked back unexpected tears.
“It’s okay, really.”
“No, it’s not.” interrupted Bruce. “And I’d like to make it right. Nico, may I adopt you, like I should have done 7 years ago?”
Nico glanced at the calendar, tears pricking his eyes. Bruce was right, it was 7 years ago. To the day. He stared at Dick, then at Jason, Tim and Damian. They’d only been together a few days, but they already felt like family. Like home.
Nico nodded, barely holding back tears. “Yes. Yes, I’d like nothing more.”
Bruce walked over to him and wrapped him in a bear hug, holding on like he would never let go. Dick was instantly beside him, adding his warm big-brother love to the group. Tim joined after a minute, then Damian, and finally Jason.
Nico relished the feeling of the warm bodies around him, the feel of the love radiating from them in waves. He had a family, a home. He had brothers and a father. He belonged.
He gripped them tighter, wanting to show how much they meant to him. He’d never had this before, this belonging, this family. And as he held them, he let it all go.
White hot tears streamed down his face, sobs racking his body. He made no move to wipe his tears, to hide his pain. Because this was his family. This was his dreams, his hopes, his future. This was where he was meant to be. And never, was he going to hide from them again.