So, this was just a random idea I had in class yesterday, cause… yeah, math bores me. And I have a test today I should be studying for, but I don't wanna. So I figured I'd type this up and share it with all of you guys! I wasn't sure what tags to put down though, so... hopefully these work! So, while I own nothing, I hope you enjoy!


Fear

Nobody else saw it. Nobody else thought to look for it, and Nora certainly never wanted to give anyone a chance to.

But Ren knew.

Ren knew that everyone else was wrong when they said Nora was fearless… because she was just better at hiding it than anyone else he knew.

Nora was afraid of the Grimm. She hid it well behind all that bravado and reckless behavior, but deep down -where maybe even she didn't see it anymore- the warning bells that rang only for large amount of attacking Grimm had her heart racing with memories she pushed back relentlessly.

She was afraid of rejection. It was understandable, after everything they'd both gone through after their parents died. And people always said she was just too close to Ren, that no one would ever be able to break past that bond… but Nora knew that if she never reached out to anyone else, there was never a chance of being pushed away.

Nora was afraid of death. Not hers -she was too reckless with her own life- but anyone else's. She cared -far too much for someone who didn't want to risk being too close to other people- and so, in her own way, she worried excessively for her friends, her teammates, and everyone out in the filed… terrified they might not come home and never telling them.

And somehow, she was afraid of life. Everything that came with it was a risk: people, emotions, the world… because Nora knew it could end all too quickly. If she got too attached, if someone else got too attached, then someone would get hurt. So Nora put on a mask: always happy, a little ditzy, just odd enough that most people wouldn't get too close. It was a defense mechanism against life, to protect herself from whatever could possibly hurt her.

Ren was the only one allowed close enough to see it, the only one who hadn't -and wouldn't- disappoint or hurt her. So he kept her secret, let others think Nora knew no fear… while he protected Nora from all of it.

And Ren's greatest fear? He only had the one: the only thing that terrified him was the thought of losing Nora- and while Ren was by her side, alleviating her fears, his were all but gone.


I honestly have no idea where this came from. Math makes me think of sad things, and weird things, and I don't know. I have this strong feeling Nora can't be as happy and optimistic as she seems, because in my experience, that's not normally the case. And then I started thinking of other sad things Nora could be afraid of without ruining the canon. But we do see the ear cover at the alarms, Nora's lack of a close relationship besides Ren, and thought these seemed reasonable.

Please, let me know what you think, and thanks so much for reading! I'll see you guys in the next story!