Chapter Text
Nico tore his last bread piece in two and handed the slightly bigger half to Livio.
“C'mon. I know ya haven't eaten lunch yet and it's already noon. Eat.” he said flatly around the bread stuffed in his mouth.
Livio huffed but took the offered food anyway. He was getting better at taking what he was offered and Nico almost felt proud.
“Ms. Melanie said not to talk with your mouth full.” Livio retorted as he started to break the bread into smaller pieces to toss in his mouth little by little.
Nico jabbed him in the side with his elbow in return and Livio ducked away to avoid the blow but the subtle smile on his lips didn’t waver, it just got a little wider if anything. Nico counted that as a win.
Nico had noticed this habit by now, even if Livio had started to accept food in bigger chunks, he usually broke it down to smaller pieces when he ate it. Some kind of mental safety net, Ms. Melanie had tried to explain when Nico complained that he didn't understand it, Livio's brain telling him to keep a reserve or not take too much lest he get burned or something like that.
Unlike Nico who took what he could when he could and tried to make sure every kid got their fair share too. Ms. Melanie had laughed and compared him to a sheepdog once when he'd fussed about Livio keeping to himself and not eating with the rest of them. Nico had decided to be offended by that, even if he didn't know what a sheepdog was or even what sheep meant.
Nico just had to be patient with Livio. He'd come around, Ms. Melanie had assured him and she was right. He was coming around, little by little. Bite by bite.
The two of them startled as they heard a great commotion from around the corner. Livio froze in his eating and his shoulders bunched up defensively. Nico stood to his feet and ran down the steps where they sat but before he could turn the corner, a great, blue, squawking stormcloud came out of nowhere and hit him right in the chest.
Nico fell right on his ass from the impact, an “oof!” noise escaping him as the wind got knocked out of him.
When he blinked his eyes around the settling dust he found a little bundle of claws and feathers sitting in his lap, staring at him with big, wild eyes.
Nico stared back, just as confused as the creature.
“Nico!” Ms. Melanie shouted when she rounded the corner. The creature jumped at the noise and started to hike up Nico's shoulders with a great amount of squawking as more blue fluff clouds followed behind where Ms. Melanie came, running in all directions.
Nico flailed his arms at the critter as it scaled over him. “Are you alright?” Ms. Melanie asked as she tried to help him up but he scrambled to his feet himself and immediately bee lined for the escaping fiend. “Nico!” She shouted after him again.
“Nico? What's happening?” Livio asked him as he rushed past the steps. The tension had mostly melted from his shoulders, Nico noticed with the momentary glance he spared him.
“Baby toma got out again!” He yelled over his shoulder at his brother.
Nico complained about the poor design of the pen and the bad attitudes they must be breeding into these things every time the adolescent toma chicks pulled some kind of stunt but really he enjoyed the chase that ensued every time. He got to help by running around chasing rogue chicks and then handing them very proudly to Ms. Melanie, and something about the adrenaline and releasing of energy made him feel alive.
If he were any younger he'd make it into a game, pretend the toma were outlaws and he an infamous bounty hunter here to claim their heads. But he was too old for those kinds of games now, and the toma had sharp claws so really, younger kids than him shouldn't be trying to catch them.
Livio didn’t join in the chase with him and Ms. Melanie's helper of the day, which disappointed him just a little but that was okay. The assistant had never faced this situation before so Nico felt a sense of pride in being able to catch way more chicks than her. She was supposed to be the one helping Ms. Melanie around the house but he was helping too, if not more.
They eventually managed to wrangle all but one. Nico got the last one pinned in a corner, after it eluded him for a good ten long minutes. It was the face-off of the century; who was the quicker creature?
Nico triumphantly displayed the defeated outlaw to Ms. Melanie and Livio. He was panting from the exertion but his heart pounded proudly in his chest at his victory.
Livio started to clap but quickly stopped when Ms. Melanie started to fuss over Nico. He lowered the chick he had pinned by the wings, revealing his own grinning face behind it.
Livio looked concerned so he followed his gaze down to where Ms. Melanie had started to inspect his scratched up forearms, muttering concerns under her breath. Nico just grinned wider, which made Livio brighten up too.
If this wasn’t living, Nico didn’t know what was.
“Livio c'mere, lemme show ya how to hold a baby tomas!” he shouted over to Livio, who obediently trotted over. “Ya see, ya gotta pin down the wings, then they can't wriggle as much,” Livio nodded along to his explanations as Ms. Melanie shook her head and dragged the two of them back to the tomas pen to return the chick.
Nico felt alive.
Alive alive alive!