Demigod in Gotham

26) Gotta Love When Your Angry Cousin Shows Up

A week. It had only been official for a week before a blurry picture of him in the mall was everywhere. It wasn't even a new photo, it was from when he went shopping for clothes and decorations for his room when he had first moved in like 3 weeks ago. Nico was thankful that they didn't know his name yet, but he knew that that would change soon.

"I know you don't want to, but it's important for us to keep up an image." Bruce had been apologizing about the upcoming gala to introduce Nico to society all week. "All the boys had one and we don't want people to think we're trying to hide something."

"I know. I just don't like talking to strangers," Nico grumbled, a little embarrassed that he was struggling so much with the idea of something that was so normal for them. "I could barely talk to Duke, Barbra, and Steph, how am I supposed to talk to random rich people?"

"You forgot Cass," Jason said helpfully from his place on the couch opposite the pair.

"No I didn't, I just didn't have any problems talking with her." Nico rolled his eyes. "But that was mostly because it was signing, not talking."

"If it makes it easier for you, you can sign the whole time. Or you can speak Italian, or Ancient Greek, or any other language you know." Bruce gave him a look that was so genuine, Nico didn't know what to say. "I want you to be as comfortable as possible. If that means you speaking another language, then I am more than okay with that."

"Everyone is going to think I'm deaf," Nico mumbled. "That or they'll think I'm weird for speaking Italian or the other languages I know."

"How many languages do you know?" Tim sat up from his place lying on the carpet.

Nico shrugged and counted on his fingers while he mumbled to himself before looking back at Tim. "I speak 5 fluently, and then I know around 4ish passively."

"What?" Dick said from his spot next to Jason. "How has this never come up? What do you speak?"

"I'm fluent in Italian, English, ASL, Ancient Greek, and Latin. And then I kinda know Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, and Cantonese. I can understand them well, speak them okay, but I have no clue how to read them. I know a little bit of some other ones just because of exposure, but I don't really count them. I spent enough time with Leo before he moved that I know a decent amount of Spanish. Piper gave me a crash course in French. I picked up a lot of basics for the languages the kids I taught spoke as well."

"You speak Arabic?" Damian's eyes looked a bit excited. "لماذا لم تخبرني" (why did you not tell me)

Nico shrugged. "أنت لم تسأل" (you didn't ask)

Bruce let out a small laugh at how off topic they had managed to get. "Okay, back on topic. If you want to speak any of those languages, do it. I will personally kick out anyone who gives you trouble over it. And as for ASL, I can just tell them that it's easier for you to sign than speak English at times."

"When I was at my introductory gala, I switched back to Romani a lot. Bruce just translated what I said for me. You can have one of us by your side the whole night." Dick tried to reassure his brother that it was totally fine, but Nico was not convinced.

"I don't know how to talk to rich people."

"Do you know how to lie?" Jason asked.

Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm a demigod who was born in Mussolini's Italy in the 1930s; yes I can lie."

"Then you're all set."

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as the others laughed. "I promise that you'll be fine. We'll be by your side the whole time."