Children of Loss 12

Chapter 12

Nico groaned as he dragged himself out of bed. The banging on the door was going to give him a headache. He flung the door open to glare at the offender. Connor grinned back at him from the other side of the doorway. Nico groaned. “How are all of you morning people?” Nico mumbled, running a hand through his morning hair.

Connor pouted as he followed Nico into his suite. “We aren't, we just know how to put on appearances,” he explained. “You should see Travis and I when we get out of bed, it's like a zombie apocalypse started.”

Nico giggled. “Do you have to go bang on his door too?” He walked into his bedroom, Travis following behind him. He went through his closet, picking out clothes for the day.

Connor grinned. “No, all I have to do is roll over to see what he looks like in the morning.”

Nico froze in place, his eyes having widened from the statement. “You sleep in the same bed?” Nico asked.

Connor frowned, cocking his head to the side. “Yeah, so? My brother and I have always been close, even before we came here. When you live on the streets together, you get used to sharing the same sleeping space.”

Nico pursed his lip, casting his eyes downward. He hadn't thought of that. “You were fortunate to have each other out there, though.”

Connor nodded. The twins were rarely ever serious, and it always made Nico uneasy when they were. “You ready for tonight?” Connor asked, changing the subject.

“I think so. What's going to be happening today?”

Connor clicked his tongue. “Getting everything organized upstairs.” He let out a long sigh. “It'll be a last minute time period to get schedules changed, for the rest of the weekend anyways, not tonight's schedule.”

Nico nodded. “What will all of you be doing? Besides...talking to Percy?”

Connor chuckled. “You are jealous,” he teased. Nico pouted. He gathered his clothes and headed for the bathroom. Connor leaned against the doorframe and continued talking. “The entire floor will be under maintenance, which basically means it will be getting cleaned and used for last minute practice.”

“What do I need to do when I get back?”

“You'll have to ask Percy, who will be up on the top floor, so drop by.”

Nico nodded. “Alright, well, I need to get a shower, so you can wait outside,” Nico said, shutting the door.

“But showers are more fun with company,” Connor whined through the door.

Nico rolled his eyes and slipped out of his underwear. He turned on the shower and slipped inside, letting the hot water cascade across his body. He was surprisingly calm, considering what he would be doing in a few hours. Well, he was only going to have to walk around in a speedo. He would probably be more nervous next week. Nico grabbed his shampoo and started to lather his hair.

After he was finished with his shower, Nico opened the glass door and grabbed a towel. He toweled his hair first before wrapping the cloth around his waist. He quickly brushed his teeth and reached for his clothes. He looked around in confusion, cursing when he realized he forgot to get underwear.

He cracked the door open, peering outside to look for Connor. “Connor?” he called out to try and get the brunet's attention.

Connor poked his head around the corner of the living room. “Yes?” he called back with a grin.

“Can you go bring me some underwear?”

Connor's grin became impish. “Why don't you just come out and get them?”

“Because, I'm naked,” Nico huffed.

“All the more reason to come out,” Connor teased, leaning against the hallway. Nico sighed and opened the door the rest of the way. He glared at Connor as he walked past him to reach his bedroom. Before Nico knew what was going on, Connor's fingers had slipped down to his towel and unfastened it from around his waist. “Whoops,” Connor said innocently as the towel fell the ground.

Nico's hands flew down to cover his crotch, leaving his ass completely exposed. Connor's eyes lit up as they roamed down to Nico's newly exposed flesh. “Connor!” Nico yelled, making a dash for his bedroom.

Connor followed him inside, grinning like a mad man. Nico huffed as he opened his drawer one handed, his other hand too busy covering himself. When he had some boxers picked out, he shut the drawer, tossing Connor another glare as he slipped his boxers on. He was surprised, however, to find Connor standing right in front of him. Nico's eyes widened as Connor flung him on the bed. Nico yelped as he landed on his soft mattress.

He looked up to find Connor crawling on top of him, once again reminding Nico of a cat. “C-Connor, I need to get dressed. I need to get to school,” Nico stuttered.

Connor pouted from his position above Nico. “But school's not as fun as what I want to do.” Connor's grin returned as he pressed his hips down against Nico's. Nico fought back a moan as Connor rolled his hips. Connor descended on Nico's nipple, licking the piece of pink flesh. Nico arched his back, his eyes now tightly shut. His legs unconsciously found their way around Connor's hips as Connor bit lightly on his nipple. Connor raised Nico's hips, grabbing the bottom of Nico's boxers with one of his hands. He slowly started pulling the fabric down.

Nico's mind caught up with him, his eyes snapping open. His hand flew down to the hem of his boxers, holding the fabric there. Connor pulled back from Nico's chest with a pout. “I r-really need t-to get dressed,” Nico stuttered.

Connor sighed and climbed off of Nico. “Fine, but if you ever change your mind, my brother and I would be glad to play with you.”

“I'm sure you would,” Nico grumbled as he adjusted himself in his boxers. He made his way back to the bathroom so he could hurry getting dressed. He was going to be late if he kept getting distracted.

The ride to school was fairly quiet. Connor kept the music on loud, and seemed to be in a world of his own. Nico would watch him from time to time, intrigued by his persona. The twins were probably the most unpredictable of the Lost Kids. The others probably didn't even know what to expect from them. It was moments like this that got Nico wondering what their real face was. Was it the mischievous side, or was it this almost dark and serious expression that Nico sometimes found on all of the Lost Kids. He wanted to believe it was the prior one, but given their past, Nico doubted it was that one.

“You and your brother are confusing,” Nico blurted out before he could stop himself.

Connor looked over at him and chuckled, his hand reaching over to turn down the volume. “I like to use the words fun and interesting.”

“I just don't understand you.”

Connor raised an eyebrow, returning his vision to the road. “I thought Travis told you about our history?”

“He did,” Nico started. “I just-you both remind me of imps, or something. You seem like you are always up to something, and I don't think anyone can predict what you two will do next.”

Connor hummed to himself, tapping the steering wheel. “I think that makes life more interesting, doing the unexpected.”

“But is it all an act? A mask to protect yourself?”

Connor chuckled. “What, because we are a little messed up, we can't have fun?” Connor's smirk lessened until it was barely noticeable. “We're all messed up, Nico. You just have to find a way to cope with the stuff we deal with.” Nico nodded. “The first thing you have to realize about this world is that people suck. People only care about themselves. They are greedy bastards, nothing more, nothing less. Every one of those people that come to the Lotus makes me sick. All they want is a good time, and they don't care how much it costs. They come in there demanding certain things be done to them, or they come in there to do shady deals. It's all about money, that's what people care about. That's what makes the world turn.”

Nico frowned as he watched Connor's face darken as he spoke. Connor's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. He let out a long sigh and glanced over at Nico from the corner of his eye before turning back to the road. “That's what you're jaded about?”

Connor blinked. “What?” he asked in confusion.

“Will said-”

Connor cut him off. “Ah, you mean, what we hate about the world. Yes, I hate greed. They all want for themselves. They could be helping the world, but instead they throw their money away for sex and illegal trades. It makes me sick, knowing that they could keep people off the streets, if they just used their money for something better.” Connor turned his head to look at Nico for a few seconds, a dark look in his eyes. “You better hurry, you don't want to be late,” Connor whispered.

Nico blinked and looked out his window. They were at school. He had not even realized they had arrived. He turned back to Connor and gave him a small smile, grabbing his backpack from the floorboard. “Thanks again for the ride, Connor,” Nico said as he got out.

“Don't mention it, Nico.” Nico shut his door and began walking towards his school. He heard a window roll down behind him. “Good luck at school today, sweetie! Make good choices!” Connor called after him. Nico groaned and covered his face. That didn't take long for the twin to get back to his usual self.

Nico knocked on the door to Percy's office. He had gotten a text while at school to drop by and see Leo, so he had dropped his backpack off and came straight to the office. He opened the door to find Leo and Rachel sitting at their desks, busily typing away at their keyboards. They looked up and greeted Nico, Leo rising from his desk.

“There you are. Percy said you'd be dropping by,” Leo said, holding his hand out. “I need your card.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “My card?” he asked. “What for?”

“Leo needs to give you an upgrade so that you can reach the top floor on your own,” answered Rachel.

Nico nodded and fished his card out of his wallet. Leo snatched the card from him and sat back down at his desk. “This will only take a minute,” Leo mumbled. “So, Nico, I haven't gotten to talk to you very much since you've been here. How have you been?”

Nico sat on the corner of Leo's desk. “I've been doing ok,” he replied.

“Ready for tonight?” Rachel asked, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.

“As ready as I'll ever be, I guess.”

“I'm sure you'll be more nervous next weekend.”

Nico groaned. Leo chuckled. “Don't scare him, Rachel,” Leo said. He slid the card through a machine next to the computer and handed the card back to Nico. “There you go. You'll do fine, I'm sure.”

Nico smiled. “Thanks,” he replied. He slipped the card back into his wallet and looked back at Leo. “So, I don't suppose either of you could help me figure something out, could you?”

“What's up?” Leo asked, sliding his chair away from the computer.

“I'm just confused about the Lost Kids. They and Percy keep sending mixed signals.”

Leo gave a long sigh and Rachel buried her head behind her computer. “Long story,” Leo mumbled. “They're just complicated, Nico. They treat both of us the same way, but that's because we don't do what they do.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“We don't get on the stage and get naked,” Rachel replied.

“Or have sex with customers,” Leo added.

“So, they hold it against you?” Nico asked.

They both nodded. “It's complicated, like I said,” Leo sighed. “We make about the same as they do, while getting to keep our clothes on.”

“But that's because we do more work than they do,” Rachel continued.

“Yes, but they have the harder work.” Rachel raised an eyebrow at Leo. “What? I'm just saying I can understand their concern.”

“How come the two of you don't do that?” Nico asked.

“Well, Leo was underage when he got here, not to mention, very smart,” Rachel explained.

Leo shrugged. “I guess I was somewhat like you, Nico. I didn't really find myself angry at the world, like the others do,” Leo said, giving Nico a sad smile. “As for Rachel, she was smart and 'untainted' as well. The others probably couldn't do our jobs, and Percy saw promise with us when it came to this job. He needs people to help him run this branch of hotel chains.”

“He'd probably lose his mind if he didn't have help,” Rachel added.

Leo stood up, drumming his hands on his desk. “Well, I think you better get upstairs. It's always interesting to look at on weekends like this.”

Nico nodded and said his goodbyes to Leo and Rachel. He walked back out the door and to the elevator. He slid his card into the slot and hit the seventieth floor button. He smirked to himself when the elevator started rising. It was official, he was part of the Lost Kids.

The elevator opened to the split hallway, but there was no one currently at the podiums. Nico shrugged and stepped out of the elevator, heading down the right hall to the boys' side. He could already hear the music playing as he walked up the stairs, as well as a few voices. He stood in the middle of the stairs for a moment, trying to calm his nerves. It all felt real now. It was happening, he was going to be displaying his body for people's enjoyment in a few hours. He shook his hands and continued up the stairs, jaw dropping when he reached the top.

The wall that would separate the boys' side from the girls' had been moved away, displaying the full stage. The stage itself looked like something out of Carnevale. There were two giant antique mirrors hanging from the ceiling towards the back of the stage, one for each side. Four golden ropes descended from the ceiling as well, two of which the twins were currently hanging from. The wings of the stage were lined by fans made of feathers. Several masquerade masks had been pinned onto the curtains.

“Wow,” Nico sighed. He jumped suddenly when he felt an arm around his shoulders.

“Enjoying the view?” Apollo purred into his ear.

“I just like the theme.”

“It's pretty fun. We do this theme maybe twice a year. We'll have to get you a costume for the next time around, I suppose.”

“It's just fun to look at this. I don't know, it just seems like a fantasy, or something.”

“Our job is to entertain, Nico,” Apollo reminded him. “It doesn't mean we can't have fun in the process, though. You'll see that we actually enjoy the time on stage.”

“Why?” Nico asked, turning his head to look at Apollo.

“We just get to have fun on the stage. We aren't on our backs, having some old man try and get it up, we can just let loose up there. Dancing is fun. I mean, we are taking our clothes off, but there's just something fun in the performances we give.” He smirked at Nico. “Pay attention tomorrow night during my performance, and you'll see what I mean.”

Nico nodded and walked off, receiving a pat on the back from Apollo. He searched the room for Percy, wanting to find something to do like Connor had said. He found Percy in one of the booths with Annabeth and Luke, the girl practically in Percy's lap. Nico sighed, deciding to go ahead and walk over. He'd have to make sure not to look too directly at Percy right now. He knew he couldn't have the green eyed young man, but it still stung to see others throwing themselves at him.

When he reached the booth, Annabeth was in the middle of rubbing Percy's upper thigh, while Percy had his right hand slung around Luke's shoulders. He looked up when Nico reached them, giving Nico a smile. “Hey, Nico,” Percy greeted him. Nico waved, fidgeting slightly. Percy noticed this and cleared his throat. “Give me a moment,” he said, grabbing Annabeth's hand and placing it on the table. Luke and Annabeth tossed Nico a glare, pulling their phones out while Percy talked to Nico. “What can I do for you, Nico?”

“I was just wondering what I needed to be doing right now,” Nico asked.

“Hmm.” Percy tapped his finger on the table, looking around the room. “Just watch the others practice for a moment. I want you to get a better idea of what you'll be dealing with next weekend. After that, go help Silena and Piper backstage, they are sorting through the wardrobes and could use some help.”

Nico nodded. He walked over to the stage, where Will sat on the edge. Will smiled at Nico as the smaller boy approached. “Hey there,” Will greeted him. “How was school?”

“The same as usual,” Nico sighed, climbing up onto the stage next to Will. “So, I'm supposed to be watching you guys practice.”

“Ah, well, as you can see, Apollo's running through last minute changes to the routines. They'll get started in a minute.”

Nico glanced over to where Apollo stood in front of the other Lost Kids, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. “Apollo's in charge of the performances?” Nico asked.

Will nodded. “Percy put him in charge of routines shortly after he arrived, from what I hear anyways. Since he actually studies dance, he's the best suited for it. I hear Percy used to do it until Apollo arrived, but he let Apollo handle it after that. Percy's a busy guy, doesn't have a lot of time to teach us dance moves.”

Nico nodded his head. He glanced back over to where Percy, Luke, and Annabeth sat, a frown appearing on his face. Annabeth was actually in Percy's lap now, grinding her hips down onto Percy. Luke had made himself busy with rubbing Percy's chest, trying to keep Percy's attention on him. Nico let out a loud sigh to which Will chuckled at.

“Still jealous I see,” he teased.

“I just don't get why he won't do any of that with me,” Nico mumbled.

Will arched an eyebrow. “Percy doesn't really do anything with us, it's a matter of letting us do stuff to him. The only time he does anything is when it's time for the actual sex. He doesn't go to any of us for it, we go to him.”

Nico blew out a long breath, still staring at Percy. Will nudged him and hopped off the stage. Nico looked at him in confusion until he saw the Lost Kids were getting ready to perform. He climbed off the stage and followed Will over to a table. Apollo jumped off the stage and walked over to the table Nico and Will were now occupying. The Lost Boys walked over to their side of the room, sitting down on the stage to watch the girls perform.

Nico watched as the girls did their performance, shimmying their bodies, slapping their asses, and bending over to show their clothed butts. “It's much more exciting when it's the real thing,” Apollo whispered. “Wait until tonight when they're in their costumes, it looks nothing short of amazing.”

“I'm sure,” Nico replied with a smile. Apollo leaned back in his chair and slipped his arm behind Nico, pulling the boy's chair closer to him. As the song finished, Apollo stood up. Nico clapped with Will and Apollo as the girls gave a playful bow.

Thalia smirked at Nico when she saw him clapping. She reached for the hem of her shirt and lifted it up. Nico's face darkened as he got an eyeful of her see-through bra. The girls all giggled at him, while Will chuckled and pat him on the back. “You better get used to seeing stuff like that, Nico. You'll be seeing a lot more of it,” Will laughed.

“Good job, girls,” Percy said. Nico turned his head to the booth where Percy sat. Annabeth was already standing up and Percy was sliding out himself. He stood up and walked over to the front of the stage, where he started talking to Apollo.

Nico frowned, his eyes trained on Percy's crotch. Will leaned over and waved a hand in front of his face. “See something you like there, buddy?” he teased.

Nico's face felt burning hot. “I-I wasn't looking at...you know,” Nico stuttered.

Will's eyes widened in amusement. “Looking for a bulge?”

Nico pouted. “Why would you think that?”

Will arched a brow. “Well, you were staring right at his crotch.” Will leaned back in his chair, his eyes flickering to Percy for a brief second before they returned to Nico. “You're not going to see anything, though.”

“Why do you say that?”

Will shrugged. “Percy has control over his body. The only time he really gets hard is when it's time for sex. I guess it was all those years of practice just gave him have total control.”

Nico's lips curled down into a frown, his eyebrows furrowing. That really didn't make sense. “Are you sure?” Nico asked.

Will nodded his head, giving Nico an odd look. “I mean, Annabeth was practically fucking him right over there, but as you can see, he's flaccid.”

“Interesting,” Nico mumbled.

Will's face contorted further in confusion. He started to open his mouth to say something, but Percy suddenly appeared at their table. “Will, get to the stage, you need to practice,” Percy ordered. Will nodded and hurried off to join the others on the stage. Percy turned his gaze on Nico. He smirked and rested his hand on the table. “So, did you enjoy that?”

Nico nodded. “Yeah, I can't wait to see the real thing tonight,” Nico replied.

Percy's smirk grew. He chuckled and winked at Nico. “I'm sure. Now, I need you to get backstage and help Silena and Piper out. After that you can go get some food. When you come back, wear some loose clothing, just make sure to have the speedo on underneath the clothes.” He stood back up to his full height. “Go backstage when you arrive, the twins will have something for you when you get there.”

Nico nodded, standing up. His eyes raked over Percy's body once, still taking in what Will had said. Nico looked back up to Percy's face, where Percy was giving him an amused look. “Sorry,” Nico mumbled.

“Don't be sorry,” Percy chuckled. He snapped his fingers. “Oh yes, before I forget, I need to talk to you about your schedule next week.”

“Okay.”

“Well, you'll still meet with the boys after school, but you'll have private lessons with Apollo in place of lessons with me.”

Nico pouted. “Oh.”

Percy chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. “Cheer up, I'll probably drop in on your lessons with him, just to make sure that you're getting the hang of things.” He grabbed Nico's shoulders and guided him towards the backstage door. “Now, off you go.”

Nico exited the elevator, Clarisse and Ethan were now at their booths. It would be another ten minutes before customers got to come up, so they were currently unoccupied. “Well, well, if it isn't the new kid. Finally made it up to the big boys' club, eh?” Clarisse said, scribbling something down on a clipboard with a smirk.

“I guess so,” Nico replied, walking past the booths.

Ethan chuckled. “Don't mind her, Nico. We're here to keep you guys taken care of. So, if you have problems with the customers, we got you're back,” said Ethan.

Nico gave him a small smile. “Thanks.” He hurried off down the hall, running up the stairs. The room was cast into the darkness it had been in the last time Nico had been up here during business hours. The wall was still open, so Nico was assuming that the Lost Kids would be performing together this weekend.

He headed backstage, where he found six of the Lost Boys. A door close to the one Percy had taken Nico down last time was opened this time. The boys looked to be getting ready, Butch and Apollo already in their speedos. The twins, Octavian, and Luke, were putting on costumes. The twins were dressed to look like jesters. They had on white tights underneath some black puffy shorts. Their shirts were white as well, with black designs elaborately embroidered over the fronts and backs. Their heads were covered with black and white hats, which had several pointy ends, each with its own bell. Their entire faces were covered in masks, each sporting a different one. The one Nico assumed to be Travis, due to the small variation in height, had a half sun on the left side of his mask, while Connor's had a crescent moon on the opposite side of his mask.

Luke's costume made him look like a Venetian noble from the pages of history on his way to a party. His pants were black with golden embroidering down the sides. On both of his hands he also wore black gloves. His shirt was blood red with a black crease running vertically down the center. His arms had black silk wrapped all the way down his arm and around his hands. Nico then noticed the blond was completely barefoot, which he thought was a little odd, until he noticed the same about all the boys in costumes. In his left hand was his mask, it was only large enough to cover from above his eyes down to his nose. Below each of the eye slots, there were gold designs hanging downwards.

Octavian had green tights on. There was a black belt wrapped around his waist with a golden belt buckle. His hands were covered with white silk gloves that extended up into a green coat he had on. The coat matched the pants, but it had green and white feathers lining the opening. One difference with his ensemble and the others' was that he did not have a shirt on, giving Nico a full display of Octavian's torso. Nico couldn't recall ever seeing Octavian shirtless, but he suddenly wished he had. He couldn't get a good look at it, but from what he could see, Octavian was defined, not as much as Will or Apollo, but he had some abs. Octavian's mask was white with green designs swirling across the sides and top of the mask.

“Hey, Nico,” Butch greeted him as he approached.

“Well, look who's finally here,” voiced Luke. “Ready to start playing with the big boys?”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “I'm sorry, I'm trying to take you seriously, but then I look at what you're wearing,” Nico replied.

Everyone but Luke and Octavian cracked up, the twins rolling in a fit of laughter. “Alright, Nico, you need your own mask,” Apollo chuckled.

“Percy said to see the Stolls,” Nico informed them.

“We have your mask right over here,” they said simultaneously. It still creeped Nico out the way they did that.

They walked over to a mirror and retrieved a mask off the desk. They jogged back over and handed the mask to Nico. The mask was like Luke's, in that it only covered the same portion of Nico's face. It was white with a small circle of blue tracing the left eye, while the right side of the mask was covered in blue. The right side was designed so that the blue descended away from the eye, until it reached the bottom of the mask, swirling inwards near the bottom. It was beautiful, Nico thought.

“You need to hurry and get out of those clothes,” Octavian mumbled, slipping his mask onto his face.

Nico looked down, uncomfortable with what he was going to have to do. He handed his mask back to Connor while he slipped his shirt over his head, earning whistles from the twins. Nico rolled his eyes and took the mask back from Connor. He slipped the mask over his face, which oddly enough, made him smile. It felt fun to be wearing it. Perhaps Apollo had been right about this part of the job being fun. He walked over to the mirror where he fixed his hair, having become messy when he pulled off his shirt. He slipped out of his pants and shoes, picking them and his shirt up, and setting them in a pile with the other boys' clothes.

“Now what?” Nico asked.

“Butch and I are about to head out onto the floor, so you can just follow us when we go,” Apollo said.

“We need to show him where to drop off and pick up orders,” Butch reminded the blond.

“Oh yeah, that's right, we haven't taken you by the other backroom. Well, it's not really a backroom. It's just a small room out on the floor. Come on, we'll show you.” With that, Apollo and Butch walked off, pushing the door open, and the three of them emerged back into the main room. A few customers were starting to come in, which meant Nico's night was about to begin. They headed towards two doors which would normally have been split by the wall that was currently gone. Butch pushed the door open for them, and Nico found himself in a room similar to the break room in the bar. This one however, had a variety of liquor bottles lining the back wall. Three large stacks of glasses sat on the right corner of the back wall. There was a sink nearby, on the left wall, and a refrigerator on the opposite side of that.

Hazel, Thalia, and Calypso sat on one of the two couches in the room, while a man that Nico had never seen before sat in a chair in the corner of the room, next to the small bar. Nico looked the man over, feeling an immediate sense of uncertainty about the man. There was just something about the way he looked at Nico, and the smile on his face, that made Nico feel uneasy.

He had a chubby face and a red nose, probably from alcohol consumption. His hair was so black and styled with gel that it looked almost purple in the lighting. His blue eyes were also horribly bloodshot. He was a little on the chubby side, and wore a tiger-striped button-up shirt and black pants.

His eyes crinkled at the sight of Nico, making the young boy fidget. “Oh, Apollo, who's this?” the man asked.

Nico glanced up at the blond next to him. Apollo's eyes had visually turned a darker shade of blue and his jaw had tightened. “This is our new addition, his name is Nico,” Apollo grunted. He turned his angry eyes upon Nico, nodding to the man. “Nico, that's Dionysus, the...bartender up here.”

Nico looked back at the man, giving him a timid wave. The man smiled back at him. Butch grunted and stepped in front of Nico, crossing his arms over his chest. “Oh, Butch, must we act so uncivilized?” Dionysus asked in amusement, pouring himself some alcohol.

Nico glanced at the girls on the couch, who seemed to be making a point not to look at Dionysus. They were dressed similarity to the boys, being in bathing suits. They also had masks, each of theirs placed in their laps. Thalia's looked unique, it was nothing but silver-looking metal crafted into the most beautiful designs. Instead of having something painted across it, there were holes to form the mask's designs. It seemed like all the people working the floor could only wear small masks, as her's also only covered a portion of her face.

Hazel's mask was also silver, with what looked like diamonds embedded around the eyes. The right side of the mask was what really drew Nico's attention. It was shaped so that it would curve around and up the side of the wearer's face. There was also a large black feather attached to the right side to complete its look.

Calypso's mask reminded Nico of the Jack-of-Blades mask from Fable. The mask was white for the most part, but had red, black, and gold, scattered across it as well. Lines were drawn between the eyes, looking like string tied into knots. Red spread across the top of the mask, right above the eyes and curving around the outside of the eyes. On the right side of the mask, a black rose was attached to it.

“Hey, Nico,” Hazel greeted him. Nico waved back.

“Are you ready for this?” Thalia asked.

“I think so,” Nico replied. He wasn't completely sure, considering his pulse was racing pretty fast.

Finally, Apollo and Butch put their masks on, allowing Nico a chance to see them. Apollo's had to be the most meaningful of the masks Nico had seen, a music sheet drawn across it. Gold lined the border of the mask, and spread out, covering some of the music sheet. The space over Apollo's nose was black with the gold border around it, forming a perfect triangle. It was beautiful to look at, and went well with Apollo's features. His eyes shined so perfectly through the mask.

Butch's mask resembled flames. Nico couldn't quite decide on the design, debating between an imp, goblin, or a representation of the Egyptian goddess Bast. Pointed ears were on either side of the mask. A golden 'V' ran down the center of the mask, right between the eyes. The eyes were also surrounded by gold. The rest of the mask, however, was colored red. It was interesting to look at, to say the least.

“Alright, we better get out there,” Calypso said, standing up. “Remember, Nico, this works the same as the bar downstairs, but you need to pay even less attention to their business.”

Nico nodded. He definitely knew better than to do that at this point in the job. “Your mask has to stay on at all times while on the floor,” Hazel informed him. He nodded his head again. Apollo pushed on Nico's lower back, ushering him to the door with the others. Nico turned his head back to look at Dionysus as he was going, receiving a crooked smile from the man.

The room had already filled while they had been in the bar room. Nico watched as the others grabbed a pen and pad from a table by the door, Thalia tossing him one for himself. Nico thanked her and began to walk off, but Apollo grabbed his arm in a tight grip. Nico turned his head to look at the blond in confusion, only to be met by a serious look on Apollo's face.

“I need to talk to you real quick,” Apollo said.

“What about?” Nico asked.

“I figured someone had told you about Dionysus, but I guess not. You need to talk to Percy, tomorrow. Just don't take anything from Dionysus.” Nico looked back towards the door, but Apollo grabbed his chin and forced him to look back at him, a fierce look in his eyes. “I mean it, Nico. Nothing. If he offers you something, don't take it. Do you understand?”

Nico nodded his head slowly, a little confused by what was happening. Apollo hadn't even been this upset when he saw Nico was being bullied. “I promise I won't.”

Apollo let out a long breath, releasing Nico's arm. “Good, just see Percy tomorrow. It's time you learned the rules around here.”

“There are rules?” Nico asked, arching a brow.

“Not many,” Apollo chuckled, his face soon returning to its dark expression. “You just need to hear this stuff from Percy. Just listen to my advice, ok? The others will tell you the same thing. Be careful with that man.”

Nico nodded again. “Okay, I'll be careful.”

“Thank you,” Apollo sighed in relief. “Now that that is out of the way, let's get to work.”

It was around the second table that Nico went to that he noticed a difference in business up here, compared to business in the bar. For starters, a lot of the customers did not look as friendly as the ones downstairs. He tried not to overhear, really he did, but he just could not help it. By the sound of what the two men at his table were talking about, Nico wasn't sure if they were dealing in slavery or a prostitution ring. Either way, it made him feel uncomfortable serving them, and even more uncomfortable when they looked up at him.

Percy came in right before the show was going to start, and Nico saw the Lost Kids all start to make their way over to him. Were they going to fight to the death for the chance to be Percy's waiter, or something? He tried to make his way over as well, but Thalia beat them all to him. Nico let out a long sigh as the black haired girl smiled and leaned over Percy's small booth.

“You'll have to be quicker on your feet next time, Nico, if you want that job,” Butch said, patting Nico on the back.

“Why is everyone fighting over him?” Nico asked.

Butch smirked. “It's just how we are. It's sort of a bloodbath up here. All of us want to work up here because both the floor and the stage pay better.” Butch leaned in closer to whisper to Nico. “It also allows Percy's server to have more time to talk to him, in case they want to work on their hours.”

Nico nodded as Butch walked off. He stared back at where Thalia was still flirting with Percy. He was going to get that position this weekend, if it was the last thing he would do. The room suddenly fell quiet as the lights darkened even further than it already was. Nico stood where he was, wanting to watch the opening for tonight's show. He wanted to see how they would kick tonight off, considering the theme.

Two spotlights turned on as the music began, focusing on the two ropes hanging from the ceiling. Nico recognized the song as David Guetta's “Turn Me On”. As the beats of the song began, Travis and Connor started descending, upside down, from the ropes. They landed gracefully on the ground, crossing each other with backflips. Once they finished the curtain in the back was opened, revealing the stage to the audience. The Lost Kids were on stage, in their full costumes. They stood frozen like statues until the line, “Make me come alive”, played in the song.

Up on the stage with Luke, Octavian, and the twins were Silena, Piper, Reyna, and Annabeth dressed just as extravagantly as the boys. Silena wore a golden dress with black fur around the shoulders. Her mask was golden as well, taking the form of a butterfly. Piper's outfit was pure white. The dress was large and puffy, with silk and lace scattered across it. Her mask was similar to the one Hazel wore, except hers was pure white, with a white feather on the side. Reyna's was a matching outfit to the one Octavian wore, except hers was a dress, obviously. It looked like she had an umbrella stuffed up under her dress from the way it spread out. Her mask was green, but did not cover her left eye, curving in a crescent shape around it. Annabeth's dress seemed to wrap around her, completely black. There was some transparent purple silk wrapped around her shoulders, that traveled up to her head. Her mask was white, with purple designs drawn across it. A single purple teardrop was drawn right below the left eye.

They carried an air of being marionettes as they began to move, dangling their arms every time they moved. Luke started out by slouching forward, his arms swinging in front of him. Silena's head fell off to the side to give a similar effect. It was actually entertaining to watch them put on a performance with this theme. Finally, they reached up and acted like they were tearing the strings away. They approached the front of the stage, lining up in a row. The twins stayed together, leaning against one another, while Octavian had an arm wrapped around Reyna's waist, dipping her back a little. As the beat picked up, they dropped to the ground, pounding the floor with their palms.

As they rose back up, they removed a piece of clothing. A belt, some silk, hats, and an umbrella skirt were thrown to the side of the stage. They all leaned forward, running their hands down their right or left leg, splitting half each, and then slid it back up, caressing their upper thighs as they ascended once again.

The girls popped their hips out and fell backwards, one of the guys catching each of them. The girls reached up and ripped the shirts away from their respective guys, giving the audience a nice view of each of the guys' torsos. Dresses were then removed, leaving the girls in fishnet stockings and tight corsets.

The girls fell into the guys' chests, raking their hands down the firm torsos. The guys spun the girls around and they spread out a few inches. They stomped their left and then right foot as the song hit two thumps during the song. When the lyrics from earlier repeated, the guys ripped their pants off, now leaving them in either speedos or man thongs. The only real thing now covering the kids, were the masks and the underwear.

Silena and Connor got down on the ground, crawling across the stage. They laid themselves on their sides, raising their legs up in the air. Nico's eyes widened a little as he watched both of them stick their legs straight up. Luke and Travis hovered over them, dropping down to the floor on top of them. They ran a hand up Connor and Silena's legs, thrusting their hips down in time with the music.

Nico felt his face heat up as he continued to watch the Lost Kids. He yelped when he felt someone press up against his behind, turning around to find a grinning Apollo. “Enjoying the show?” Apollo asked over the music.

“It's interesting, to say the least,” Nico replied.

Apollo chuckled. “Wait until tomorrow. I have a better opening planned.”

“Why not have it for tonight, since it's the actual opening night?”

“Because I want to be in the performance,” Apollo said with a wink. He hummed to himself, still pressed against Nico's bum. “You know, Nico, you have a really nice ass.”

Nico's face turned even redder, turning his face away from the blond. “Shut up,” he mumbled.

“If you ever wanted to lose that virginity of yours, I'd be glad to help you out,” Apollo whispered in his ears before chuckling and walking off.

Nico glared at the blond as he sauntered over to one of his tables, his eyes falling down to Apollo's perfect butt, that the speedo very much complimented. Nico sighed to himself. His attention returned to the stage as clapping erupted in the room. The Lost Kids all stood frozen in place for a few seconds before blowing kisses to the audience and walking backstage.

Nico got himself back to work as they prepared for the next performance. He didn't need to get in trouble on his first night, and he knew that several eyes would probably be on him to see how he did. Checking his suspicions, he glanced over to Percy's booth, where sure enough, Percy's eyes were trained directly on him. Percy smirked at him and raised his glass up at him. Nico blew at his bangs and went to his next table.

Nico threw on a flirtatious smile as he came to the table. Two women sat at the table, one black headed and the other a brunette. “Hello there, my name is Nico. Is there anything I can get you very fine ladies to start off with?” he asked, adding a wink for good measure.

The women did not act like the ones downstairs usually did, who were usually more subtle when they eyed the workers. These women had no qualms about raking their eyes up and down Nico's near naked body. “Well, aren't you...adorable,” the brunette said, biting her lip.

Nico could already tell this job would be different from what he had been accustomed to at the Lotus. He now knew why Percy had told him several times to keep his innocence. It was probably going to be a challenge to keep it. Nico quickly hid the frown that he could feel appearing on his face, replacing it with the standard flirty smile.

Throughout the night, Nico became more and more aware of the behaviors of the people up here. He was also aware of all the looks he was getting, most of them coming across as predatory. He felt like a gazelle about to be taken down by a lion.

The night finally came to an end at three in the morning. Nico collapsed into a booth with Octavian, Apollo, Thalia, and Luke. His head landed on Apollo's shoulder, completely exhausted. He let out a groaning noise as Apollo started rubbing his back. The door to the break room opened and Percy came out with Dionysus. The room seemed to grow eerily quiet as the Lost Kids watched the two, a heavy tension in the air.

Dionysus slipped a wad of cash into Percy's hand and Percy mumbled something to the chubby man. Percy's eyes narrowed at the man as he fished something out of his back pocket and handed it to Dionysus. He pointed a finger at Dionysus and said something else, not looking too happy about whatever they were discussing. The two then glanced over at the booth, looking straight at Nico. Percy grabbed Dionysus jaw roughly and turned Dionysus's chubby face to look back at his, whispering something else to the man.

“What's going on?” Nico whispered.

Luke looked up from his phone, looking bored, and glanced over at the scene. “They're just doing business,” the blond said, returning to his game.

“Don't worry about that stuff, Nico,” Thalia added, giving him a stern look.

Percy walked off from Dionysus and came up to their booth. He grabbed the glass that Octavian was in the process of raising to his lips, and took a sip for himself. “Yes, Percy, you can have that,” Octavian mumbled as Percy handed it back to him.

Percy smirked. “Sorry, just needed something and didn't want to order something new,” he apologized.

“Eh, don't sweat it.”

“You guys did great tonight.”

“Thanks, boss,” the twins sang in Percy's ears, suddenly appearing beside him. They rested their heads on Percy's shoulders, lacing their fingers together around his body.

Percy finally turned his attention to Nico. “I'm actually impressed, Nico. You did well tonight. Let's hope you continue this streak for the remainder of the weekend,” he said with a smile. He glanced at Apollo to speak to him. “Don't forget, you need to work with him this coming week. I need him able to dance like the rest of you by this time next week.”

Apollo nodded, giving Nico's shoulder a squeeze. “I'll work him extra hard,” Apollo teased with a wink.

“What happens tomorrow?” Nico asked. It was the weekend, so he didn't know what he could expect this time around.

“We'll be back up here after lunch, so come back up here after you eat and help out,” Percy said, slapping his palm onto his fist. Percy's smile suddenly fell. “And you'll need to come by my office as well. Do that first, then you can come up here to work.”

 Nico nodded. Tomorrow sounded like it would be another interesting day, but then again, what day wasn't interesting at the Lotus? 

Children of Loss 11

Chapter 11

Thalia ushered Nico into the gym, smiling at the Lost Boys. “He's all yours, boys. Just make sure he's down for his appointment on time,” Thalia called before she shut the door. Nico's shoulders slumped as he made his way to the center of the room. Apollo came up behind him and ushered him to the center of the boys, who were all standing in front of the mirror.

Apollo gave Nico's shoulders a squeeze before taking his place next to Nico. “Alright, Nico, this will be your final lesson before you work upstairs tomorrow. We'll all be too busy preparing and everything tomorrow to have a lesson, so we need to cover more on your behavior today,” the blond informed him.

“After that, we'll cover more on stripping, since you have to be perfect before next weekend,” Luke added. Nico nodded his head. Luke rubbed at his face with a sigh. “Alright, we've covered the basics with you, today we need for you to show us what you've learned.”

“Show us talking, walking, and any of the techniques we talked about,” Travis listed off on his fingers.

“Ok. How do you want me to show you?” Nico asked.

They all grinned at him. “You get to practice on us, of course,” Will said, slinging his arm around Nico's shoulder.

Nico groaned, causing the others to chuckle at him. “Do I have to? It feels embarrassing.”

“Now, Nico, if you can't do it on us, how do we know you can accomplish this with the customers?” Octavian said.

Nico sighed and nodded his head. All of the guys pulled up a chair and they each sat down in front of Nico. Nico glared at them, but they just grinned back at him. They weren't going to make this easy on him, they never did. “What do you want me to start with?” Nico mumbled.

“We'll start with something easy, and less torturous for you,” Butch stated. “Show us how to walk.”

Nico nodded and took a deep breath. This was so humiliating. He tried to think back on everything they had said about walking in his head. He nodded to himself and started his walk.

“Move your hips a little more,” Apollo said, holding his chin. Nico nodded at him.

“Too much,” Will stated. Nico groaned and took another deep breath.

He straightened his shoulders and added a small sway to his step. He kept his hands to his sides, only swinging them lightly as he moved. He glanced over at Apollo to see if he was doing ok. Apollo tapped a finger to his lips, but didn't say anything. Nico exhaled slowly and kept moving.

Luke tossed a pen onto the floor in front of Nico. “Pick it up,” he ordered.

Nico nodded and slowly bent over, facing his butt towards the guys. He reached down and plucked the pen off of the floor. He stopped and looked to back to them. “Very good,” Apollo stated with a smile.

Octavian sat forward in his chair. “Now comes the fun part. You need to show us how to talk, on each of us,” the blond ordered.

“Feel free to use contact,” Connor added.

“But not too much,” Travis finished.

Nico nodded and decided to just go down the line. He stepped up to Will first, who had a huge grin on his face. Nico scowled at him before he began. He lightly placed his hand on Will's arm before he addressed him. “Is there anything else I can get for you?” Nico asked, trying to sound sexy, but it came out more awkward.

Will cracked up, and buried his face in his hands. “Oh god, Nico. You have to try harder than that,” Will said during his fit of laughter.

“I'm not used to this,” Nico whined.

“It's ok, Nico. You'll get it. That's why we're practicing,” Apollo said soothingly. “Try again.”

Nico took a long breath and straightened himself back out. Will calmed down and sat back in his chair again. Nico once again touched his arm. “I don't suppose there's anything else I can get you, is there?” Nico asked, bringing a finger up to his lips.

Will nodded his head and clapped. “Much better,” he said, smacking Nico on the ass as Nico went to the next Lost Boy.

Nico stepped up to Butch, who sat solemn in front of him. At least he was trying to ease the pain for Nico. Nico sat down in Butch's lap, but the taller boy pushed him off. “Don't ever do that,” Butch told him. “Too much touching. You need just the right amount.”

Nico nodded and started again. He walked behind Butch and trailed a finger along his shoulders before coming to stand in front of him again. “Well, hello there, big boy-” Nico started, but Butch cut him off with a fit of laughter.

“No, no big boy. Cutie, or something like that if you are going to use nicknames.”

“So what would be something more appropriate?” Nico asked, rubbing his arm.

Beckendorf hummed. “Try stud. That one is more appropriate,” Beckendorf suggested.

Nico nodded and began again. He stepped behind Butch and trailed his fingers along his back again. He came back to the front of Butch and smiled suggestively at him. “Hey there, stud, I'm Nico, and I'll be your server tonight.”

Butch nodded. “Good job,” he said with a smile.

Nico moved on to Beckendorf. He pondered it over for a moment, trying to figure something original to say. “Don't take too much time,” Octavian interjected. “You need to come up with your lines on the spot.”

Nico sighed and went for it, letting his instincts work for him. He moved his bangs out of his eyes and smiled down at Beckendorf. Beckendorf nodded and smiled, letting him know that he was doing fine. “I'm Nico, and I'll be taking care of you tonight,” Nico whispered seductively, bending over to be at face level with Beckendorf, “and if there is anything I can do for you, let me know.” Nico finished with a wink, standing back up.

“Approved,” Beckendorf said with a thumbs up.

Nico moved on to Octavian, who smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. Nico chewed on his lip as he tried to figure out the best approach for this one. “Your taking too long again, don't think, just do,” Octavian reminded him.

Nico nodded and decided to dive right in again. He ran a hand along Octavian's cheek and went back to play with his hair a little bit. “Now what brings you here to a place like this?” Nico asked seductively, letting his hip fall to the side.

“Good,” Octavian stated, pulling Nico's hand off of his face and dropping it. Nico frowned at him, but Octavian had stopped looking at him. Nico moved on to the next target, the twins. He wasn't sure if he should try them both together, or separate. They had their usual Cheshire cat grins plastered onto their faces as they watched him.

Nico sauntered around them, placing his arms along their backs. He ran his hand up into the back of their hair. He bent over so that he could whisper in their ears. “Having fun tonight boys? I'm sure you could always use some more fun.”

They leaned their heads back to look up at him with grins. “Good job!” they exclaimed.

“But you don't have to try selling the 'merchandise',” Connor added with air quotes.

“They know what they can purchase there,” Travis continued. “Try saying something like, I'm sure you'd enjoy some of our other services.”

Nico nodded and moved on to Luke. Luke arched an eyebrow at him, waiting to see what Nico would do. Nico took in a deep breath before he dove in. “Well aren't you yummy?” Nico said, biting his lip. He ran his arm up Luke's arm as he spoke.

Luke grinned and pulled Nico into his lap. Nico yelped. “Now, what do you do if one of the customers tries to get handsy?” Luke asked, groping Nico's backside.

Nico squirmed in Luke's arms, but the blond refused to let him go. “I don't know, you guys never covered it,” Nico whined.

Luke clicked his tongue and released Nico, but kept him on his lap. “Don't get violent, that's the big rule.”

“Get attention to yourself,” Apollo added. “They aren't allowed to grab you like Luke just did.”

“Get Percy or Luke's attention, or one of us,” Beckendorf stated.

“If you're not able to get yourself free that is,” Butch added. “If you can, just get yourself free and go find someone.”

“Leo and Percy are usually wandering around on the floor, and you'll have co-workers wandering around as well,” Octavian continued. “If you can't get free, don't get violent, but draw attention to yourself.”

“Flail around if you have to,” Travis added. “Try whistling, or call the closest person you can see over.”

“They know the rules, and they know to back down,” Will finished. “They should even know not to try something like that, but sometimes, the new customers will attempt stupid shit.”

“What happens when I get help?” Nico asked.

“Security is called. We have bouncers. That's what they are there for,” Butch informed him. He pointed a finger and Nico warningly. “You keep your hands clean.”

Nico nodded and pulled himself from Luke's lap. He stepped up to the final Lost Boy, Apollo, who winked at Nico as he approached. “Last one, and then you're done,” the blond informed him.

Nico bent over and ran his finger down Apollo's near perfect lips. He leaned in closer so that their lips were a few inches apart. “Is there anything else you would like this evening?” Nico whispered. Apollo grabbed Nico's head and smashed their lips together. Nico's eyes widened and he started flailing his arms around. Apollo finally released him and fell back into his chair, laughing. “What was that for?”

Apollo shook his head, still chuckling. “Sorry, Nico. Couldn't help myself. You did well,” Apollo said with a smirk. “Not bad on the kiss either.” Apollo winked at him.

Nico scowled and straightened himself back up, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. He had to admit, Apollo was a good kisser. He cleared his throat and looked back at the blond. “Are we done?”

“Not quite yet,” Apollo replied, his big grin still in place. “We just need to run over a few more points, nothing you'll need to act out with us, so you can take a seat if you want.” He patted his lap, but Nico just glared at him. Nico marched over to the wall and grabbed a chair, placing it in front of the guys. Apollo pouted at him. “Fine, ruin all the fun.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Can we just move on?” he asked, rubbing his temple. He locked eyes with Nico. “Don't forget to keep eye contact, and make sure you keep your looks flirtatious.” Nico nodded at him.

“Try and say something flirtatious every time you have to go to a table, no matter if it's greeting them, taking an order, or checking on them,” Will added.

“Don't be shy, you need to draw attention to yourself,” spoke Travis.

“If they aren't looking at you, you're not doing your job,” Connor added.

“Is that all?” Nico asked after they got quiet.

Apollo let out a long puff of air. “I think that about covers it, just remember everything we taught you and you'll be fine. I want you to practice talking and walking before you go to bed tonight, and yes, someone will be dropping by for you to practice on,” he said seriously.

“There is no room for mistakes up there, Nico,” Octavian continued, just as serious. “You'll have to keep your body looking the way it does, and you'll have to make sure to do everything just right. Percy does not tolerate mistakes up there. No matter how much he favors you, he will force you to drop what you are doing, and put you off the floor.”

Nico bit his lip as his heartbeat picked up. He couldn't mess up? It was his first time! Why was there no room for error? He started hyperventilating. Apollo and Will got out of their chairs and crouched down in front of Nico.

“Nico, calm down. You're going to do fine,” Apollo assured him, rubbing his back gently.

“That's what we have been here to make sure of this past week,” Will added with a warm smile.

“We're a family,” the twins said.

“We look out for each other,” Butch added.

“You'll be fine, and we'll make sure that you don't slip up. We have your back,” Apollo said soothingly. Apollo pulled Nico to him and gave him a small hug. “Trust us, you'll do fine.” Nico nodded, letting out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Nico exited the elevator onto the bottom floor. He headed in the direction of the spa, immediately spotting a few of the girls waiting for him. Thalia, Piper, Silena, and Annabeth stood just outside the door, grinning maniacally at Nico when they spotted him. “There he is,” Thalia said, grabbing Nico. “Ready to have all that pesky body hair removed?”

“All of it?” Nico asked, fidgeting nervously.

“All of it,” Piper replied.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Don't worry, we won't be in the room while Circe waxes you,” she informed him.

“So you don't have to worry about us looking at your man parts,” Silena teased.

“Alright, ladies, we need to get him started. He's already a few minutes behind schedule,” Piper interjected, pushing Nico into the spa.

Circe was in the middle of reading a book when the kids entered. “Good afternoon, Circe!” Thalia exclaimed happily, slamming her hands down on the counter.

Circe's eyes widened and threw her book behind the counter. “Oh good, you're finally here,” she said, voice cracking.

Thalia arched an eyebrow. “Were you reading what I think you were reading?”

Circe cleared her throat. “Of course not, don't be silly, child.” She stepped out from behind the counter and placed a hand on Nico's back, pushing him towards the back room. “Now then, we need to be getting started.”

The girls followed after them. “Percy will be down to inspect him around six, just giving you a heads up,” Annabeth informed the woman. Circe nodded and ushered Nico into one of the changing rooms.

Nico quickly disrobed, opting to leave his underwear on for now. He grabbed a robe and slid it on, tying to rope around his waist. He opened the door and stepped back out. The girls had all sat down in the room on the opposite side of the hall. Nico frowned and walked inside. Circe pressed a hand against his chest.

“They are going to wait here while I see to your waxing,” Circe informed him. “If you'll please follow me.” Nico gave the girls a frightened look, which they all responded to with a thumbs up before going back to their magazines. Nico sighed, hanging his head, and following after Circe. Once Nico was inside the room, Circe shut the door behind him. “If you'll please disrobe and lie down on the table.” She gestured at the table.

She handed him a towel as he slid his robe off. He wrapped the small piece of cloth around his waist and lay down on his back. Circe walked over to a microwave and placed a container inside of it. She pressed a few buttons and started the microwave. She went over to a drawer and pulled out a small wooden spatula and some cloth strips. Nico was taking deep breaths while watching her, not at all thrilled to be having his body hair ripped out.

She opened up a cabinet, humming to herself, and pulled out a pair of tweezers. She sat the pair of tweezers next to the cloth and spatula. She opened another cabinet and pulled out some powder. The microwave beeped and Circe walked over to retrieve the melted wax. She sat all of her objects on a cart and wheeled it over to the table Nico was on. She dipped the wooden spatula into the wax and started to stir it.

“Have you ever had a wax before?” Circe asked. Nico shook his head. Circe looked him over carefully. “You don't seem like you need much of one, you don't have very much body hair.” She sat the wax down and grabbed Nico's chin, tilting his head up. “Do you shave?”

Nico shook his head. “No, ma'am,” he mumbled.

Circe nodded. “That's good. That'll be one less place to wax for you.” She let out a single laugh and Nico smiled a little. She ran a hand across Nico's chest. “No obvious chest hair, but we'll cover it just to make sure.” She ran a finger back and forth on Nico's arms. “Very sparse hairs on your arms. You might turn out to be one of my favorite Lost Boys to work with.”

She hummed to herself as she picked up the powder and dusted some of it across Nico's arms, chest, and legs. She placed the powder back on the cart and picked up the wax and the spatula. She got some wax on the spatula and started to apply it to Nico's right arm. She smoothed it out, making sure it covered all of the skin there.

She picked up one of the cloth strips and placed it over Nico's arm. She smoothed it out and looked at her watch. “We'll let that cool for a few seconds,” she informed him. After she was satisfied with the time, she placed her hand at the bottom of the strip. “This may sting a little bit.”

Nico scrunched up his eyes and bit his lip as Circe ripped the strip away. “Ah!” Nico yelled, but covered his mouth with his free hand. Circe went back to her humming, pressing her hands against Nico's newly waxed skin. She inspected the arm for any stray hairs, but found none. She repeated the process to Nico's left arm, and thankfully he didn't scream this time. She lifted Nico's arms and did the same to Nico's underarms.

She wheeled the cart farther down the table and applied the wax to Nico's legs. “The legs will take a few strips each, so this will be slightly more painful.” Nico nodded as she applied the first strip to his left leg. He bit his lip harshly when it was ripped away, doing his best not to scream. She grabbed the tweezers and plucked a few strays hair from his leg. She repeated the process several more times to his left leg before moving to the right leg.

When she was finally finished with his legs, she came back to Nico's upper half. She applied some of the wax to Nico's pale chest, covering it with a few strips. Nico yelped as the strips were ripped away. He sat up a little to look down at himself. He still had his small treasure trail descending from his navel, but that was the only piece of hair that he could see.

“Remove the towel,” she instructed. Nico nervously reached down and slipped the towel off, exposing himself to Circe, but she was professional about it. She walked over and pulled some shaving cream and a razor from a cabinet.

“I-I can do that myself,” Nico stuttered.

Circe smiled at him and sprayed some cream onto her hands. “Relax, boy, I just am going to show you how to do this, and you'll be responsible for it from here on out.”

“But-” Nico started, but Circe fixed him with a glare. Nico sighed and fidgeted around on the table. Circe spread the cream over Nico's pelvic area. Nico's face darkened severely as he lay there uncomfortably. Circe took the razor and swiped it across Nico's skin, removing his pubic hair.

“Do keep this maintained, the Lost Kids don't have an inch of body hair,” she told him. Nico nodded his head, not able to speak at the moment. He shut his eyes, skin darkening more, as she placed the cream on his balls. He covered his face with his hands as she shaved his genitals clean of all traces of hair. Once she was done, she wiped all the remnants of the cream off with a towel. She grabbed the wax again and applied it to Nico's pelvic area.

She placed strips along Nico's treasure trail and pelvic area. Nico whined, still burying his face in his hands, as Circe ripped the strips away. Nico bit his lip and his pelvis shot off the table from the pain. Circe chuckled and tossed the last strip.

“All done with this side, now you need to roll over,” she commanded. Nico did as she said and rolled onto his stomach. “Damn, you really are nearly hairless. Naturally smooth.” Nico's cheeks lit up again, knowing she was referring to his ass. He laid there and let her rip away the few places she still needed to get. Finally, she chucked the last strip and pushed the cart away. “All done, your eyebrows don't seem to need any waxing.”

Nico let out a sigh of relief and climbed off the table, grabbing his robe from the floor. He slipped it on, opening up the front to stare at his reddened chest. “Will this go away?” he asked.

“You're pale skin might make it last a little longer, but it should be gone before you go into work tomorrow.” Circe opened the door and Nico headed back to the girls. They all looked up at him as he entered the room.

All of the girls gave him a once over, nodding their heads in approval. “Much better,” Annabeth commented.

“You're on your way to becoming one of us, Nico!” Thalia exclaimed, jumping up and hugging Nico. Nico looked over her shoulder to see Silena giving him an odd look. He sighed to himself, deciding to try and ignore it. Ever since he had talked to Luke last night, he couldn't help but notice the negative reactions they would give him from time to time.

“You're going to have to be responsible for scheduling waxings on your on,” said Piper. Nico nodded and sat down in one of the chairs.

Circe came in with another cart. She grabbed a stool and sat down next to Nico. “Now we need to see to your nails,” Circe said, grabbing Nico's right hand. Nico watched as the woman went to work on each of his nails. When she was done, she moved to Nico's other side, taking his left hand. Nico looked at his right hand. His nails were cleaned and trimmed to near perfection.

Circe finished up with his hand and moved down to his feet. She hummed to herself again as she gave him a pedicure. She placed Nico's feet into some water, and let them soak for a few minutes. She stood up and went over to one of her cabinets. She pulled out a small box and handed it to Nico. “Teeth whitening?” Nico asked.

“You have to look perfect,” answered Annabeth.

Circe took Nico's left foot and pulled it out of the water. She sat it in her lap and started to massage it. She trimmed and cleaned each of the nails before dropping the foot back into the water. She picked up Nico's right foot, repeating the process with it.

Just as Circe had finished up and Nico had stood up, Percy walked into the room. He walked up to Circe and Nico. “Well?” he asked Circe.

“He didn't require that much work,” Circe responded. “Not very much body hair. Annabeth told him he had to make his own appointments. We just finished up seeing to his nails.”

Percy nodded and stepped in front of Nico. He placed his hands on Nico's shoulders and pushed the robe off Nico's shoulders, where it fell around his waist. Percy held Nico's face, tilting it upwards. “Good, you didn't do anything to the face.”

“No, sir. He didn't have any facial hair.”

“I noticed that. I just meant that you didn't trim his hair, I like it like it is.” She nodded. Percy ran his hands down Nico's arms, feeling the new hairless soft skin. He held Nico back, looking at his chest. He blew out a long puff of air. “Well, he doesn't have to worry about the reddened skin tonight, since he'll be at the bar, and it should be gone by tomorrow, so I guess there's nothing to worry about with that.” Nico peered up at Percy's face, wanting Percy to just look at him, but Percy was being all business. He grabbed Nico's hands and inspected them. “I have to say, you did an excellent job, Circe, as always.”

“Oh, well, thank you, sir,” Circe said, covering a blush on her cheeks.

Percy's eyes finally drifted up to Nico's. He gave Nico a smile before lowering his gaze again. He stepped back and placed a hand to his chin. “Alright, everything seems good.” He spun around and faced the girls. “Would all of you mind getting him back to his room? I need to go take care of something.”

“Of course, Percy,” Thalia said, slapping hands with Percy as he passed her on the way out. She smiled at Nico. “Well, that went well. Alright, you heard him, Nico, up to your room. You need to get changed and get something to eat before work.”

“About time you showed up,” Travis grumbled as Nico clocked in.

Nico blinked at him in confusion. “I'm sorry, we lost track of time at dinner,” explained Nico. Travis's expression bothered Nico. He had never really seen either of the twins look serious, but Travis was clearly not happy with Nico at the moment.

“Whatever,” Travis mumbled and walked off. Nico stared after him, very confused by what just happened. It didn't seem like that big a deal. Luke's words from the previous night kept playing in his mind. Were they really going to turn on him? He didn't even know what he had done! He dropped his head onto his arms, which were lying on the bar.

Chiron came up and patted him on the back. “Cheer up, my boy, they will ease up eventually,” Chiron said soothingly.

“I just do not understand them. They said they were going to treat me like family, but then they act like that,” Nico grumbled.

“I was under the impression that families bickered.” Nico peered up at Chiron from the corner of his eye to see the man smiling. “They're closer to each other, yes, but you'll get there. They just have some personal stuff to work out.”

“Is it something I did?”

“No, my dear boy. You did nothing wrong, do not ever think that.”

“I wish one of them would just tell me what their problem was with me.”

“I am afraid that is something you will have to talk to them about,” Chiron told him, grabbing a glass and filling it with some alcohol.

Nico nodded and walked out from behind the counter to go take some orders. This would be his last night here for the next few nights. It felt a little weird. He noticed a few heads turn his way as he walked through the crowded room. He smiled a little to himself. He guessed the techniques were working, but this was only the bar, tomorrow would be the real test.

Nico's break finally came, and he exhaustedly dragged himself through the door to the break room. Zoë sat gracefully in the chair, sipping at a bottle of water. She watched Nico like a hawk as he made his way to the fridge to pull out his own bottle of water. He fell onto the couch and cracked open his bottle to take a drink. He looked up to see Zoë still staring at him. He really wished he could figure out what their problem with him was.

“Adapting?” Zoë asked suddenly.

Nico blinked at her, taking him a few seconds to register that she had said something. “Uh, yeah, I think so. Maybe getting by is a better way of putting it,” he told her. She nodded in understanding. “Zoë, can I ask a little about yourself? I feel like I don't really know you that well.”

She stared at him, emotionlessly, for a few seconds before responding. “What would you like to know?”

“How did you end up here? I guess that's a good place to start.”

Zoë nodded. “My family kicked me out when I was about your age. It's a long complicated story, but I'll give you a short version. My father was not a very nice man. He was a very crooked businessman. I was dating this guy at the time, whose father worked with my father, and my father did not approve of the relationship. Well, one day, he swapped some files around and planted some incriminating evidence in my boyfriend's father's office.”

“That's horrible,” Nico told her.

Zoë nodded her head absentmindedly. “My boyfriend's father was arrested, leaving his family devastated. Well, I couldn't sit by and let all this happen, so I showed my boyfriend some evidence to prove his father innocence, but would incriminate my father. I didn't care, though. I gave it to him, letting him run off and turn the tables on my father. My father was hauled off to prison, and my sisters ended up hating me. They kicked me out and told me that I was no longer part of the family.”

“Oh my god, how could they do that? How could-never mind, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this point. So, you just ran into Percy?” Nico asked.

“Not exactly. I sort of stole a lot of my dad's money before I left, so I hopped on plane to Europe.”

“Why Europe?”

“Who doesn't want to see Europe?” she replied with a smile.

“True.”

“Anyways, I was fine there for about six months, but I ended up getting robbed one day, losing all the money I had. I lost everything, and ended up on the streets. I lived there for almost a year, until Gaea found me one day.”

“Gaea's the one that found you?” Nico asked in astonishment.

Zoë nodded. “She did, and I got put to work in her hotel, trust me when I say that that hotel is even better than this one, and this is a very nice hotel, only second to hers.”

“Does she work as that manager, like Percy does here?”

Zoë shook her head. “No, she just runs everything. She is over all the branch managers, but she doesn't do what Percy does. She has a manager to handle her hotel for her. Anyways, she took me in and I worked as I do now while I was there. I worked there until a year ago, when Percy requested that I work here. Gaea didn't have a problem with it, so she shipped me back here, and I started working for Percy.”

“That's a wild story,” Nico said with a small smile.

“Well, we all have one,” she replied, letting her face return to an emotionless mask. She stood up and stared at Nico for a few seconds before walking out of the break room.

Nico sighed and lay down on the couch. He had sort of been hoping that there would be a clue in their pasts that might could help him figure out their problem with him, but nothing really stuck out to him. The only similar factor in their stories was that Percy brought them all here at some point. There had to be something he was missing, he just had to place his finger on it.

Nico and Travis bid Zoë and Hazel goodnight, as two walked down the hall. “You ready for your last minute practice?” Travis asked, gesturing towards their hall.

Nico sighed, letting his head drop. He had been hoping that they would all forget, but he wasn't lucky enough for that. Nico heard a door open and close and then Hazel and Zoë talking to someone. He turned to find Percy standing outside of Piper and Rachel's room. Percy nodded at whatever the two girls were saying to him. He smiled and shook his head, gesturing for the girls to get to their rooms. He ran a hand through his hair and headed towards Nico and Travis.

“Hey, boss,” Travis said cheerfully.

Percy nodded back at him in return. “What are you two doing?” he asked.

“Apollo wanted me to run over Nico's lessons with him before he went to bed, you know, since we won't have time tomorrow.”

“That's ok, I'll take care of it,” Percy told him, placing his hand on Nico's back.

“But-”

“That'll be all, Travis.”

Travis pursed his lips and nodded his head. He glanced at Nico before heading down their hall. Percy and Nico followed closely behind. Nico watched as Travis reached the end of the hall and slid his card into his door. He turned to Nico with a wink before heading into his suite.

Nico let out a breath and slid his own card into its slot. He stepped inside, holding the door open for Percy. Percy walked in, pulling his phone out of his pocket and sending a quick text message. When he finished he set his phone down on the stand beside the door.

“So, what were you doing back there?” Nico asked. “I thought you were usually up on the top floor.”

Percy smirked and walked over to the couch. “Had to take care of some business,” he explained.

Nico pursed his lips and nodded. He figured it wasn't a good idea to press further into the matter. “So, why the interest in my late night lesson?”

Percy's smirk grew. He leaned back on the couch and spread his arms across the back. “Just trying to be helpful. I mean, if you would prefer someone else...”

Nico shook his head. “No, you're fine.”

“Just fine?” Percy inquired, arching a brow.

Nico's cheeks darkened. “You're doing it again,” Nico mumbled.

Percy chuckled. “Sorry, you're just fun to tease.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “So, what are we doing?”

“Well, what did Apollo want you to do?”

“Just talking and walking,” Nico told him.

Percy crossed his leg over his lap, gesturing at the floor in front of him. “Then by all means, get started.”

Nico pouted at Percy. “You're enjoying this too much,” he mumbled.

“Well, I have yet to see what you can actually do. I've had to take the Lost Boys' word for it. I want to know that you'll be ready.”

Nico nodded his head in understanding. “Well, I guess I'll start with walking.”

Percy nodded and tapped his foot in his lap. Nico fidgeted nervously for a moment, uncomfortable about doing this in front of Percy. It was slightly embarrassing. It was like in school when someone didn't want to embarrass themselves in front of the person they had a crush on. What if Percy laughed at him? Well, if things ended up like their usual lessons, Percy would turn it sexual. Percy raised an eyebrow at him.

Nico let out a breath and nodded his head. He walked from the kitchen over to his window, letting his arms swing lightly as he walked. He made sure to sway his hips slightly as he moved. When he went to walk back, he glanced over at Percy, who had his eyes on his hips. Percy's eyes flickered up to meet Nico's, causing Nico's cheeks to heat up.

Percy smiled and stood up. “Not bad. I think you got the hang of it,” he said. He stepped up to Nico and let his fingers play with the belt loops on Nico's pants. “I'm impressed, you picked it up rather quickly. Perhaps there's hope for you yet.” He smiled again, reaching up to grab Nico's chin. He turned Nico's face slightly to look at Nico's cheek. “You know, considering your angle, I actually don't mind that you blush. Or is that just for me?”

Nico shrugged, not knowing what to say. His breathing had picked up from Percy's proximity. He could smell Percy. He smelled like the ocean, and it was intoxicating. “Is-Is that all?” Nico asked, fidgeting nervously.

Percy chuckled. “You want me to leave?” He leaned in closer. “I'm hurt, Nico. I thought you enjoyed,” Percy leaned into Nico's ear and whispered the last part, “my company.” Nico's pupils dilated and his eyes became half-lidded. He rested his hands against Percy's chest. Before he could stop it, a moan escaped Nico's lips. Nico's eyes widened and he slapped a hand over his mouth. Percy stepped back and chuckled. “Perhaps we should get back to work before I give you something you'll need to take care of,” Percy said with a wink.

Nico rubbed his arm awkwardly. He watched Percy walk back over to the couch and sit back down. “I guess I need to practice my talking now?”

Percy nodded. “Now that I think about it, what I just said sort of fits for this.” Percy grinned at Nico and winked again.

“You're enjoying this way too much,” Nico grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Percy pursed his lips, trying to hide a grin. “I don't know what you're talking about, Nico. I'm just making sure you are ready for tomorrow night.”

“By tormenting me.”

“All you have to do is talk, Nico.”

“Are you going to molest me like Luke and Apollo did during lessons today?”

Percy ran a hand along his chin. “What?”

“Well, Luke didn't really do anything, he just pulled me into his lap, but Apollo attacked my face.”

“He kissed you?” Percy asked.

Nico nodded. “Just a brief one.”

Percy nodded his head. “I see.”

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

Percy shook his head. “Nothing. Let's get back on track,” he supplied.

Nico sighed and blew at his bangs. “What do you want me to do?”

Percy shrugged. “Just do to me what you did with the guys.”

Nico nodded and thought to himself for a moment. Percy's grin returned and he pat the space on the couch next to him. Nico sighed and walked over to the couch, sitting down beside Percy. “This is awkward,” Nico mumbled.

Percy raised a brow. “If you're having trouble, perhaps we should rethink-”

“No!” Nico exclaimed. “I can handle it.”

Percy nodded. “Well, then begin.”

Nico nodded and rubbed his hands together. He turned and faced Percy. This felt so much harder with Percy. He just didn't want to embarrass himself. He didn't know what to say. He could always let his emotions talk for him, but then he might get off on how he wanted Percy to bend him over the couch at the moment.

How was he even supposed to address Percy? What word would fit in this? He was panicking. This wasn't good. He didn't know what to do! Why did Percy have to make him so nervous? Percy smiled at him. He placed a hand on Nico's leg. “Relax, Nico. Just take a breath,” Percy said gently.

Nico nodded his head absentmindedly. He glanced at the floor for a few seconds before coming up with something to say. “Well, hello there. My name is Nico and it will be my pleasure to serve you tonight,” Nico said, leaning closer to Percy. He reached up and pushed some of Percy's hair behind his ear, now practically in Percy's lap. “If there's anything, and I do mean anything, I can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know.”

Percy grabbed Nico's shoulders to keep him from leaning closer. He grinned and leaned his face closer. “Careful, Nico,” Percy whispered.

“Well, I'd imagine we'd be careful. That's what condoms are for.”

Percy started laughing, pushing Nico off his lap. “Cute.” He pulled Nico's legs up onto the couch, situating himself between Nico's legs. He leaned in, pressing his hands on either side of Nico's head. “Careful what you say, Nico, or you might end up in a situation you aren't ready for.”

Nico grabbed the hem of Percy's pants and pulled his hips closer. “But I am ready for this,” he replied.

Percy rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I didn't mean with me. I mean, careful what you say to the customers, or you might end up in a situation you aren't ready for. Don't make suggestions that could imply that they can purchase time with you. That would just be false advertisement.”

“Sorry,” Nico mumbled.

Percy shrugged and sat up, Nico's legs still around his hips. He reached down and grabbed the hem of Nico's shirt, yanking it up and over Nico's head. Nico's eyes widened, but didn't say anything. He wasn't about to chance saying something that might make Percy stop. Percy's hands moved down to the button on Nico's pants. He yanked Nico's pants down. Once they were around Nico's knees, Percy pulled Nico's legs up and pulled the fabric the rest of the way off.

Nico's cheeks darkened as he lay there in front of Percy in nothing but his boxer-briefs. Percy trailed his fingers across Nico's chest. “Good,” Percy finally said, breaking the silence.

“Good? What is?”

“Your skin isn't red. I was afraid that with your pale skin, you might stay red a little longer than the others do.”

Nico groaned, covering his face with his hands. That's why Percy wanted to undress him? Percy chuckled, noticing Nico's reaction. “It's not funny, Percy,” Nico grumbled.

Percy leaned down, hovering his face inches above Nico's. “Sure it is. You're cute when you're frustrated. But you shouldn't be eager to toss your virginity away so easily.”

“Apollo and Will told you?”

Percy nodded. “Are you really surprised? The Lost Kids report nearly everything to me. It's part of their job.”

Nico crossed his arms over his chest, trying to cover himself up. “I just don't understand why you treat me differently.”

“Because you are different,” Percy replied.

“Why is that all I get lately from you guys?”

“It's not something you should worry about,” Percy said, running a hand down Nico's stomach. “What can I do to make it better?”

“Have sex with me?” Nico supplied.

Percy chuckled and shook his head. “Try again.”

Nico frowned. “A kiss?”

Percy shook his head again. “Not getting that either.” Nico frowned, letting out a sigh. Percy rolled his eyes. “Here.” He grabbed Nico's head and turned it to the side. He leaned down and pressed his mouth against Nico's neck. Nico was about to question what he was doing when Percy bit down on his neck. Nico's legs tightened around Percy's waist. He thrust his hips up against Percy as Percy continued to nibble on his neck. He couldn't help but let out a moan, and he could feel Percy grin against his skin when he did.

“Percy,” Nico moaned, wrapping his arms around Percy's back.

Percy pulled back, removing Nico's hands from his body. “How was that?”

“Good,” Nico panted. “More?”

Percy grinned, but shook his head. “Sorry, that's all you're going to get.”

Nico groaned. “That's just not fair. You're such a tease.” Percy squeezed Nico's thighs before getting off the couch. He straightened himself out. Nico's eyes traveled down to Percy's crotch as the black haired young man adjusted himself.

Percy glanced back at Nico, who glanced up to meet his gaze. “Well, I suppose we are done for tonight, so I'll be seeing you after school,” Percy stated. Nico sighed and nodded his head. He stood up and walked with Percy to the door. Percy opened the door and looked back at Nico. “Goodnight, Nico.”

 “Night, Percy,” Nico replied, closing the door behind Percy as he walked off. Nico groaned and leaned back against the door. He ran a hand through his hair. He needed to be in bed. He had school in the morning and it was already three in the morning. Hopefully he could get a nap in tomorrow after school. Nico pushed off the door, heading towards his bedroom. Well, he was going to need to take care of another problem before he got the rest he needed. “Damn you, Percy,” Nico mumbled as he shut his bedroom door.