“What happened to your arm?” Nick demanded. “Did I do that with the book? I’m so sorry. Crap, Seth, that looks like it hurts—”
“It’s fine,” Seth said, smiling, though it didn’t seem to reach his eyes. “It’s fine. I just bumped my arm a little while ago. You didn’t hurt me at all.”
“Bumped your arm,” Nick repeated dubiously.
Seth nodded. “Oh, yeah. You know how I am. Clumsy me. Tripped over my own feet and fell into my closet door. It’s not a big deal. Barely even feel it.”
Now, Nick knew he wasn’t the smartest person in the world. His strengths lay in such places like idea boards and fanfiction and taking care of his dad because no one else would. But he was the son of a cop. He had a bullshit detector ingrained in his head. “Some of that looked newer than the rest.”
Seth’s smile faded a little. “I bumped into a lot of things.”
Nick nodded slowly. It wasn’t—he knew Seth’s aunt and uncle. They were good people. Kind and caring and thought the world of Seth. He didn’t think they were the type to hurt anyone, much less Seth. Or so he assumed. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”
Seth looked away. “I know, Nicky. I tell you everything I can.”
“That.”
“What?”
“What you just said. You tell me everything you can. What does that mean?”
Seth sighed. “Look. I’m working through some stuff right now. It’s not bad. I promise. Once I figure it out, you’ll be the first one I come to, okay?”
That didn’t sit well with Nick. “Is someone hurting you?” he asked, hands curling into fists at his sides. “Because I swear to god, if someone is hurting you, you better tell me who it is so I can knock them into next week. If it’s your secret girlfriend and/or boyfriend, that’s not cool. Like, at all. You don’t need to—”
Seth choked out a laugh. “I’m not being abused. I don’t have a secret anyone.”
Nick stared at him suspiciously. “You promise.”
“Yeah. I promise.”
“But there is something happening.”
“Something is always happening, Nick. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you scream like you did when the cricket jumped at your face.”
“Shut up,” Nick muttered. “It was attacking me. I did what I had to in order to defend myself.”
“At least Jazz was here to spread it all over your pillow.”
Nick groaned. “I’m going to have to do laundry because of her. I hate doing laundry.”
“Later, though, huh? I feel like it’s been a while since we’ve been able to hang out, just the two of us. Wanna read comic books and be stupid for a little while?”
Nick grinned at him. “That sounds awesome. We should go way back and read the Onslaught arc again. That’s one of my favorites.”
Seth looked relieved for reasons Nick didn’t understand. “Sure, Nicky. Sounds good.”
It wouldn’t be until much later that Nick would realize how neatly Seth had deflected him.
* * *
“It’s been a while since Seth was over,” Dad said that night when it was just the two of them. Cap had said he needed to get home to the missus, and Seth was going to have dinner with his aunt and uncle. He’d looked like he was going to say something else while standing on Nick’s porch, but then he’d shaken his head, smiled, and said he’d text Nick later. Nick watched him walk down the sidewalk until he couldn’t see him anymore. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah,” Nick said, walking to the couch where his father sat. Dad had his socked feet propped up on the old coffee table. He looked relaxed, something Nick thought he needed to do more. “At least, I think so.”
Dad arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Nick thought for a moment. Then, “It feels like he’s keeping something from me. I don’t know. I thought maybe he was dating someone, but he says he’s not.”
Dad snorted. “Kid, I can pretty much guarantee that he’s not dating anyone else.”
“Why?”
“I think he’s got everything he needs already. He’s just … biding his time, I guess. Waiting for things to become clear.”
“What things?”
“Yeah. He’s definitely waiting, all right.”
Nick scowled. “Why is everyone always speaking in code around me?”
“I’m allowed to because I’m an adult and also your father. It’s my job to be maddeningly vague.”
“Well, you’re doing a good job at it.”
“Thanks, kid.”
Nick hesitated. “The dad stuff too.”
Dad smiled. “You’re not so bad yourself. Wanna watch a dumb movie where things blow up in slow motion?