Children of Loss 3

Chapter 3

Nico was woken by some loud knocking coming from the front door. He groaned and dragged himself out of bed, not even bothering to put on more clothes. He yawned as he opened the door to find Apollo standing there in a tight red shirt and some black swim trunks. He gave Nico a quick once over before returning his gaze to Nico's eyes. “Aren't you adorable in the morning?” Nico tossed him a death glare. “And a morning person, too.”

Nico yawned again. “What do you want?”

“Some of us were going to go down to the pool. You're welcome to join us. It would give you a chance to meet some more of us.”

Nico nodded. “Yeah. Just let me change and get cleaned up a little bit.”

Apollo tossed him a smile. “Alright, dude. I'll see you down there.” With that the blond jogged off down the hall. Nico shut the door again and headed for the bathroom to get a quick shower. Nico didn't see a point in spending much time in it, since he was just going to need another one after swimming.

After he was done, he went back into his bedroom. He faintly recalled seeing a pair of swim trunks in that pile of clothes Leo had given him. After digging in his drawers, he was victorious in finding them. They were completely green, except for a white logo of the Lotus Hotel printed on the bottom of the right leg. He quickly slipped them on, grabbed a towel from the bathroom, and headed out the door.

When he got in the elevator, his eyes immediately landed on the seventieth floor button. It was like the button was taunting him. A quick peek wouldn't hurt, right? He slipped the card Leo had given him into the slot and his finger pressed the button before he could change his mind. The elevator came to a stop a moment later. The doors slid open to a dimly lit hallway. Nico inched out slowly. There were small podiums on the left and right corners where the hall split into two wings. He heard footsteps closing in.

He thought about returning to the elevator, but before he could even turn around, two people had come around the corner from the right wing. The first one he took notice of was a very tall girl, who made Nico think of an amazon warrior. She wasn't frail looking, like most girls. This girl could probably take a tough football player in a fight. She had her long brown hair tied in a ponytail. Her brown eyes reminded Nico of a wild animal.

Next to her stood a slightly shorter guy. He had jet black glossy hair. He was pretty thin, but there were hints of muscles beneath his loose shirt. One of his eyes was dark brown, while the other was covered by a black eyepatch. He was definitely of Japanese descent.

They both narrowed their eye at him. “What are you doing up here?” the girl asked, sounding angry. “No admittance until business hours.”

The boy nudged her. “No. I think he's one of Percy's.” The girl looked him over. “The one he was talking about, the one he found the other night.”

The girl seemed to ease up. “Oh, yeah.” She crossed her arms. “You aren't supposed to be up here at all, then. Percy's orders.” Nico stared at her in confusion. Why wasn't he allowed up here? The girl turned back to the boy next to her. “Go fetch Percy.” The boy nodded and ran off. Nico gulped as the girl just stared blankly at him. He was going to be in trouble. Percy had been generous and had taken him in, he had even provided Nico with a job, and Nico just had to go and get into trouble. Would Percy kick him out? No, Percy didn't seem like the type.

He heard quiet mumbling coming back down the hall and soon the boy with the eyepatch came back around the corner with Percy in tow. Percy's gaze immediately landed on Nico, his eyes clearly upset at him. “What are you doing up here?” Percy asked rather harshly.

“I-I'm sorry. I just got curious,” Nico stuttered. Percy's eyes didn't soften. He just huffed and walked forward. He grabbed Nico's arm and dragged him back into the elevator. Without even asking where Nico was going, Percy hit the button to the ground floor. Nico looked up at Percy in shame. Percy wasn't looking at him, his eyes bore into the elevator door. “I'm sorry.”

“How did you get up there anyways?”

Nico pulled out the keycard. “Leo gave me a spare until I got my real one.” Percy let out a low growl. Nico had the feeling that Leo was in trouble.

“Don't go up there again, Nico.” Percy's voice was still harsh. Nico didn't think it was that big of a deal. Why was he so angry? Percy glanced over at him, his eyes softening when he saw Nico's hurt expression. “Sorry for getting upset. You just don't need to be up there. I'm doing you a favor by keeping you out of there.”

Nico looked up at him, confused. “Why?”

“Just drop it, ok? Go enjoy your day off.” The doors finally opened and Percy pushed against Nico's back to tell him to get out. “Have fun with the others, I'll probably see you tonight.” Nico nodded, trying to offer a smile. Percy gave him a small wave as the door closed.

He made his way through the hotel until he found the entrance to the pool. It was an indoor pool, but the entire room was made of glass so that the sun could still shine into it, allowing people to tan if they chose. Since it was still early there weren't that many people there. It looked to be primarily the people that worked there. He spotted Apollo, who was busy laughing as he gave a playful lap dance to an unamused Thalia. He waved over at Nico when he noticed him, beckoning him over.

“Hey, Nico. What took so long?” the blond asked, getting off the scowling black haired girl.

“I-I got a little sidetracked,” Nico replied. Which was half true.

Nico looked around at the boys and girls who littered the pool. Apollo was in front, shirt now off. Nico realized he couldn't look too long or he might start drooling. The blond's body was beautifully sculpted. His eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Thalia picked up a book she must have been reading before Apollo had assaulted her. She wore a small blue two piece that barely covered anything.

The twins were laying by the edge of the pool. Connor's head lay on the edge of Travis's stomach. They had sunshades on, so Nico couldn't tell if they were awake or asleep. However, that was the extent of people that Nico recognized. Apollo seemed to remember that Nico didn't know anyone there. “Hey, everyone!” Apollo yelled. Heads all looked over in their direction. “Come say hey to the new kid!” People started climbing out of the pool or off of lounging chairs.

A tall boy of African descent was the first to reach them, immediately reaching his hand out and grabbing Nico's to shake. He was very tall, maybe an inch taller than Percy. He was very muscular too and his grip was strong. His hand completely enveloped Nico's. He had a crew cut and friendly brown eyes. His stomach was a chiseled eight pack. “The name's Charles. This here is my girlfriend, Silena.” He gestured towards a shorter girl next to him.

She had long black hair which hung nearly to her waist. She had stunning crystal blue eyes. She was extremely beautiful, and while Nico didn't really go for girls, he had to admit she was gorgeous. She could have easily been a model if she had wanted to. She smiled and held out her hand to shake. Nico returned her smile, blushing slightly, and shook her hand as well.

“Looks like we have a new Lost Boy,” she said playfully. Apollo and Charles chuckled, but Nico didn't get it.

A girl around Nico's height walked up to them gracefully. She had long, silky black hair. She had a perfect tan complexion with flawless skin. Her eyes were pure black and she had a slightly upturned nose. Something about her made Nico think she looked like a princess. Her voice was a soothing melody as it played in Nico's ears. “He looks a little innocent to be a Lost Boy.” This made Nico shake his head out of his daze. He didn't understand the terminology. She held her hand out and Nico shook it. Her skin was soft like silk. “Zoë.”

The twins had come over and sat down on the chairs on Thalia's left. They gave simultaneous waves to Nico. “Now then, let's get back to swimming,” Apollo said, picking Nico up bridal style and jumping into the pool. Nico scowled and splashed the blond when they broke the surface. Nico quickly turned away from a splash caused by Charles jumping into the pool. Silena and Zoë sat on the edge of the pool with their feet soaking in the water. The both of them would flip their hair over their shoulder from time to time. From what Nico could hear, they were talking about fashion.

Charles was attempting to wrestle Apollo, but the blond just kicked away and floated to the edge of the pool, out of reach. Nico couldn't help but smile as he watched his new family. He turned when he heard a shriek. The twins had picked Thalia up and were carrying her to the edge of the pool. Her screeching was silenced when she fell beneath the water. She emerged with a scowl, handing her sunglasses to Silena. The twins were rolling with laughter. They grinned at each other and jumped into the pool, splashing everyone.

After a few hours of swimming, things started to wind down. Charles and Silena had left half an hour ago, and now the rest of them were relaxing in the chairs by the pool. Something Nico had noticed during their time at the pool was that some of the other guests kept staring at them. Some of the guests even winked at the other kids as they passed them by. None of them seemed to mind, as they just waved and winked back.

A tall red haired girl made her way into the room and came over to them. She had frizzy hair and piercing green eyes. Her face was littered with freckles, and she kept tucking her hair behind her ear. She was carrying one of those detachable tablet laptops. She picked up the towel at Nico's feet and tossed it at him. “Sorry to cut the fun short, but I need Nico for a while,” the girl said.

“Aww. Come on, Rachel, we were enjoying the day off,” Connor whined.

“Sorry. Percy's orders.” Nico felt the blood drain from his face. Was he in trouble for earlier? He stood up and slid his shirt on. She took off walking towards the exit and he quickly followed her, tossing a final wave at his new friends. They boarded the elevator and Rachel slid her card into the slot and then hit the sixty-eighth floor button. The elevator began its long trek upwards. Rachel dug out a card from her pocket and handed it to Nico. “Here. This is your new keycard.” Nico took the card from her. “I'll need the other one.” She held her hand out and Nico reluctantly handed it over to her. He knew his new card wouldn't give him the same access, so there would be no more attempts at sneaking into the top floor. The red haired girl then offered her hand and gave Nico's a shake. “I'm Rachel, by the way.”

“Nico.”

She smiled. “I know.”

“So, where are we going?”

“Percy wanted to see you about some stuff you need to know.”

Nico's face fell. He was in trouble. The elevator finally came to a stop and the two exited. Instead of going right, to Percy's apartment, they went left. They came to a door, which Rachel opened. Nico walked in first and found an office like area. There were two desks on opposite sides of the room, Leo sat at one. He offered Nico a small smile when the boy came in. Nico mouthed an apology to him.

Rachel proceeded into the room and knocked on the back door. He heard Percy's voice from the other side telling them to enter. Rachel held the door open for Nico, and the boy hesitantly walked in, the door closing behind him.

Percy sat behind a large wooden desk, his eyes were busily roaming a computer screen. There were two chairs in front of the desk. There was also a long couch to the right of the room, underneath a window. Percy looked away from his computer and motioned for him to sit down. Nico did slowly, trying not to look at Percy once he was finally seated.

“You aren't in trouble, Nico,” Percy said firmly.

Nico glanced up at him. The older boy had no emotion on his face and it was impossible for Nico to read. “Then why did you call for me?”

Percy leaned back in his chair. “I needed to run over a few things with you. I talked to Apollo, he said he had already told you that you would be going back to school.” Nico nodded. “You will, starting tomorrow.” He slid some paperwork across his desk to Nico. “There is everything you need to know. It's a nice school, I think you'll like it. You are fortunate, unlike many of those here, to not have been out on the streets for too long. A lot of them were out there for years, or some their whole lives.”

“So, I go to school during the day and work at night?”

Percy nodded. “I'll see about you getting off a little earlier on school nights, but you'll still be working late. Probably around two in the morning.” Percy pulled a phone out of the top drawer on his desk. “Here, I had Rachel pick this up for you.”

Nico picked up the new looking smartphone and gaped at Percy. “You got me a phone?” he exclaimed.

Percy let a small smile spread across his lips. “Yeah. I mean, you'll need a way to get in touch with one of us. I already put in everyone's numbers. Enjoy.”

Nico gleamed down at his new phone. “T-Thank you!”

Percy just shrugged. “Don't worry about it. Now, I trust you got your new card?” Nico nodded. “That will get you most places like your room, the kitchen, the pool, to the bar, and this floor.” His expression grew serious. “As I said earlier, I don't want to find you back on the top floor. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Nico squeaked out. It made Percy smile again.

“Don't call me 'sir'. I'm only four years older than you, Nico.”

Nico's eyes widened a bit. “You're only twenty?” Sure he knew Percy was young, but not that young. He was running the North American branch office of an international hotel chain!

Percy cocked his head to the side. “Do I look old?” Nico shook his head furiously. Percy smirked and stood up. He came around his desk and sat on the front of it, leaning down towards Nico. “Here I thought you found me attractive, Nico,” he almost purred into Nico's ear. Nico blushed furiously, trying to scramble as far back in his chair as he could. Percy just laughed at him. “You are free to go.”

Nico didn't have to be told twice, he gathered up the papers and his phone, and headed out the door. He whisked past Leo and Rachel and out of the office. He slammed into someone as soon as he was out the door. “Watch it!” the other person yelled at him. Nico peered up at the other boy. He was around six foot one with tan skin. He had short-cropped sandy blond hair and sharp blue eyes. They reminded Nico of Octavian's eyes. Even though his face was currently scowling, Nico admitted he was attractive. The only disturbing feature on him was a long scar that ran from his right eye down to his chin.

“S-Sorry,” Nico fumbled as he stood up. The blond just grunted and pushed past him, going into the office. Nico gulped and headed for the elevator. That must have been Octavian's brother, Luke. Nico entered the elevator and hit sixty-seven. The door opened a moment later on his floor and the slightly frightened boy headed for his room. He spotted Apollo just as the blond entered his own room. The door to the tall boy's room clicked shut. Nico thought about going down to hang out with him, but decided he should get a shower before work.

Nico stepped out into the once again loud bar. Chiron greeted him as he came behind the bar to clock in. Zoë came up to the bar and placed her tray down, nodding in Nico's direction, but not saying anything to him. “I hate politicians,” she said plainly as Chiron looked over the drink order she gave him.

“Don't let them hear you say that,” he mumbled back to her.

“Can I have a shot? That fat drunk over there keeps trying to feel me up,” she said, pointing inconspicuously over her shoulder. Chiron slid a shot glass across the bar and poured her a drink of some clear liquid, which she tossed back. She made a face upon setting it back down, gave him her thanks, and took the drinks he had laid on her tray.

“Chiron?” Nico piped up.

“Hmm?” Chiron asked, cleaning a glass.

“How old are most of the kids around here? I saw Percy drinking last night, but he's only twenty.”

Chiron smiled softly. “Most of them are between eighteen and twenty. Only a small few are over. Luke is the oldest, at twenty-three. Charles is twenty-two, and Apollo is twenty-one.” He set the glass down next to a few others. “I'm sorry to say, lad, but the innocent world that you may have thought existed is a lie. Especially here.” He had a sad look on his face as he spoke. “Don't let this paradise fool you. The people who pay to come here may see it as one, but those of us who live here don't see feel the same way.”

“Why?”

Chiron didn't answer. He just pursed his lips and gave Nico some drinks and a table number to take them to. Nico huffed as he walked off with the tray of drinks. Everyone was so evasive about stuff. Chiron seemed to feel sorry for the kids here, but all of them seemed happy. He spotted one of the twins in the corner lounge. He seemed to be flirting with some business woman dressed in a suit. He smiled flirtatiously at the woman and winked at her before walking off, a sway in his step. “Hey, Neeks!” Nico could tell it was Connor now that he was closer. “What did the boss man want with you earlier?”

Nico shrugged. “Just giving me my new phone and paperwork for school. I have to start tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah? Bummer.”

“Do you and Travis not go to college?”

“Nah. We just work around here.” The blond from earlier brushed past Nico, bumping his shoulder roughly against Nico's. “I see you met Luke.”

“Is he always this cheerful?”

Connor chuckled. “Don't mind Luke. He takes some warming up to. Well, I'm not really sure when he warms up, because, none of us really have gotten there yet.”

“I thought you were all a family?”

Connor sat his empty tray down at the bar and handed a new order to Chiron. “Oh we are. He's just the brother that none of us asked for,” Connor said with a smile. “You'll get used to him.”

“How many people are in this 'family'?” Nico asked, making air quotes.

“Well, Chiron would be like our favorite uncle that everyone goes to for words of wisdom.” The man in question chuckled at the brunet's analogy. “This could be Neverland...wait would that make you Captain Hook?” Connor asked looking at Chiron, who rolled his eyes. “Anyways, Percy would be Peter Pan and we can be the Lost Boys.”

“Is that why you call each other that?”

Connor nodded. “Yeah, it's a running joke around here. Anyways, to answer your question, there're about twenty of us. That includes Leo and Rachel, who you already met, and Clarisse and Ethan, who work security. All of us pulled off the streets.”

“And what is Gaea in this analogy?” Chiron asked, eyes twinkling with amusement.

Connor seemed to ponder this for a moment. “Wendy?”

“I'm not sure Wendy pulled Peter off the streets in the actual story,” Chiron stated with a chuckle.

“Wait, Percy lived on the streets too?” Nico asked.

“Hmm. Maybe we should drop this conversation,” Connor said hesitantly. “Percy doesn't like to talk about his past.” He picked up his tray and walked off.

As the night went on, it remained uneventful. It was almost as miserable for Nico as the previous night. He managed not to drop a tray tonight, though. He did however mix up tables three times, get orders wrong five times, and got a customer annoyed with him. Apparently, Thalia hadn't been kidding when she said to keep his nose out of their business. He had frozen up when he heard the man say something he could have sworn sounded like arms dealing. The man had instantly noticed Nico staring at him and had gotten angry. Unfortunately, Percy wasn't here to save his butt like he had the night before. When he had returned to the bar Luke had been smirking at him for his mistake.

As he came back from a short break, Chiron directed him to a table where a middle-aged man sat by himself. He pulled out his pen and headed over. “Senator.” He looked over his shoulder to see Zoë standing behind him. “Good luck,” she said with an encouraging smile. Nico tried not to shudder from the way she said it.

“Hi there, my name is Nico and I will be your server today,” Nico said with a smile. The man looked up at him, immediately giving Nico a once over. His eyes lit up and came back to rest on Nico's face.

“New here? I don't believe I've seen you before.”

“Yes, sir,” Nico replied, trying to sound cheerful. He didn't like the way this guy looked at him.

“I may have found a new reason to come back,” was the man's reply. Which definitely made Nico feel uncomfortable. “I'll have a vodka martini with an olive.” Nico nodded and scribbled down the request. When Nico was about to walk off the man spoke again. “Tell Percy that I will wish to set up an appointment in the future.” Nico nodded in confusion and walked off. This place was just weird.

Nico walked over to the bar and slid the order across to Chiron. “I think I just got hit on,” Nico said. All of the others looked over at him.

“Really?” Chiron asked, a hint of something in his voice.

“The higher up they are, they more disrespectful of the rules they are,” Zoë said dryly.

“He also said something about setting up an appointment with Percy, but I didn't really understand that part.”

Connor pursed his lips and Zoë frowned. Chiron glared over at the man's table. “What are you all worried about?” Luke asked, unamused. “It's not like Percy is going to allow it.” He glared over at Nico. “Someone seems to be the boss's favorite.”

“What?” Nico asked.

“Nothing,” Chiron replied, tossing a warning look at Luke, who shrugged and walked off. “Percy will deal with him, don't worry about him.” Nico nodded. He picked up the man's drink and walked back towards his table, only to find Percy now sitting with him. While he looked calm, his jaw was clenched as he listened to the man. Percy rubbed his temple. Nico slowly moved towards them so he could hear.

“I told you before, Senator Johnson, that I don't discuss those things here. Now, if you would like to discuss it upstairs, that would be fine. Though, I'm not sure if your request is of a...suitable nature. Now, if that will be all?” Senator Johnson didn't say anything else, so Percy rose from his chair and headed over to the bar. His eyes landed on Nico for a brief second as he passed the younger boy.

Nico sat the drink down in front of the senator and the man thanked him, handing him a five. Nice tip, Nico thought, looking the bill over. When Nico had returned to the bar, Percy was sitting in the same spot he had been last night. He gave Nico a smile as the boy went behind the bar. “You look tired,” Nico stated, looking Percy over.

“Rough night,” Percy mumbled, taking a sip from his glass. Luke came up and sat down next to Percy, who grunted at the blond. “What do you want, Luke?”

“I just wanted to see if I could come by and discuss my hours a little tonight? I could use a few more, I think.”

Percy held up his hand to make sure the boy didn't keep talking. “I'm really not in the mood to talk about it tonight. Besides, last I checked, you get as many hours as Annabeth. I think that's fair.”

Luke leaned in closer to Percy. Nico felt a surge of jealousy run through him. “Can't I at least come talk about it?” Luke asked with a wicked smile. He let his hand rest on Percy's thigh.

“Tomorrow. Now get back to your job.”

Percy let his head fall on to the wooden surface. He held his glass out and Chiron refilled it. Nico fidgeted with his shirt. “A-Am I supposed to be negotiating hours with you?” Nico asked quietly.

Percy looked up at him with wide eyes. “No!” Percy practically yelled. Chiron raised an eyebrow at him and Percy sat up straight. “I mean, no. Don't worry about it. I have you taken care of.” Things were just so confusing around here. Everyone else seemed to want to talk to Percy about their hours, but Nico wasn't expected to? Maybe it was because he was new. Nico nodded and walked off with another order of drinks. He barely managed to catch the next thing Percy said to Chiron. “He is going to be the death of me.” He heard Chiron let out a chuckle.

Not much else happened the rest of the night. Everything went on as normal. Percy had left after about thirty minutes without saying anything else to anyone. Chiron finally dismissed Nico at two and Nico unfastened his apron and headed for the elevator. He was about to hit the button to his floor when he saw a man in his thirties heading for the elevator. Nico held the door open for him, but when the man saw Nico he stopped. “That's ok, you go ahead. I, uh, need to wait on a friend of mine,” the man said. Nico arched an eyebrow and hit the button. He yawned and stretched as he waited for the elevator to come to a halt. He exited on to his floor, which was dead silent. Everybody must be working. He couldn't see any lights on under doors.

He slid his card in and went into his place. He found a note on the counter of the kitchen.

Hey, Nico,

Percy told me to go grocery shopping for you. I didn't really know what you liked so I just picked up a few things. So, if you get hungry, and don't want to order from the kitchen, you have food stocked here.

-Leo

P.S. Sorry about giving you that card. I guess I wasn't thinking.

Nico sighed as he wadded up the note and tossed it in the trash. He looked in his fridge, and sure enough, there was an assortment of things inside it. He reached in and grabbed a bottle of water before retreating to his bedroom. He plopped down on his bed and flipped the TV on. He smiled to himself as he flipped through the guide and found one of his favorite shows, The Walking Dead. He opened his water and took a swig. He figured it wouldn't hurt to watch a little TV before bed.

Nico shot up at the sound of an alarm. Apparently, Leo also took the liberty of setting his alarm clock. He scowled at the contraption, contemplating tossing it against the wall. He hit the button to turn it off and dragged himself out of bed. He supposed it was a good thing, since he had forgotten to set one, and he didn't want to be late on his first day at his new school.

When he stepped out of the shower, he heard his phone going off. He reached over and looked at the caller ID. It read Apollo's name. He slid his finger across the screen to unlock it, and brought it to his ear. “Hello?” he asked, wrapping a towel around his waist.

“Hey, buddy. Do you want a ride to school? I was going to leave soon, and figured you might like a ride.”

“Um. Sure.”

“Great. Now, open your door so I don't have to stand around in the hall.” Nico rolled his eyes as he hung up. He made his way to the front door and opened it for the blond. Today he was dressed in a red polo and a pair of dark jeans. “Well, I think I can get used to our morning encounters, Nico,” Apollo said, looking at Nico's wet form.

“Do you flirt with everyone?” Nico asked, walking towards his bathroom.

Apollo chuckled. “Need to make those big bucks somehow. I only mean it for the cuties.” Nico could practically see Apollo's grin as he stood in the bathroom. “Don't take too long. I need to have you to school by eight.”

“Ok,” Nico called back to him, pulling his pants on.

He emerged a few minutes later with a dark blue t-shirt with a drawing of an owl printed on it. “Ready?” Apollo asked, gesturing to the door. Nico nodded, grabbing the new backpack that Leo had left him. He made sure to get his schedule from the folder Percy had given him yesterday and made his way out the door with Apollo.

Apollo hit the basement button and they made their long descent down to the parking garage. “You work last night?” Nico asked after a moment of silence.

“Yeah,” Apollo replied with a yawn. He did look tired. He probably hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Nico wondered how they all managed to work so late and get up to go to classes. They probably went for later classes.

Nico figured he might as well ask. “So, do all of you get up this early for college? I mean, you guys work really late. I figure it would be brutal to do this every weekday.”

“I only get up this early on Mondays and Wednesdays. So, I'll give you rides on those days. I think Charles has an early class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, maybe you can get a ride with him tomorrow.”

“What has you up so early? What do you study?”

“Well, I am at a school of the arts. I study dance and music.”

“What kind?”

Apollo smiled at Nico. “I study ballet and hip-hop for dancing. Then I have piano and singing for music.”

“That sounds cool.”

“Yeah, I love it. My-My dad didn't really approve of a lot of it. When I sat down and talked to him about it after I graduated high school he kicked me out. Well, it might have also had to do with me telling him I was gay,” Apollo said with a dry chuckle. This made Nico frown. “Don't worry about me, dude. Everything turned out fine.” The elevator came to a stop and they made their way through the parking garage. Apollo came to a stop in front of a red Maserati Spyder. Apollo smiled over at Nico's shocked expression. “What did you think we all drove junkers?”

“I-I just didn't think the job would pay this well,” Nico said, getting into the car.

“Well, the rest of us make more, but don't sweat it. You'll still make a good bit.” Apollo cranked the car and backed out. He didn't even bother to obey the speed limit as they zoomed down the streets. It made Nico a little nervous. He only stopped clenching his seat when the found too much traffic and had to slow down.

“So, do you miss anything about your old life?” Nico asked as they went under a green light.

“My sister. She meant a lot to me. We picked on each other a lot, but now that I don't get to see her, I really miss her. We were twins and really close,” Apollo said with a sad smile.

“What was her name?”

Apollo popped a piece of gum in his mouth. “Artemis. She was beautiful, just like her name. I had to play the jealous brother many times over the years.” The smile drifted off his face as he finished.

“Can't you find her?”

Apollo looked over at him. “Well, I kind of grew up in Florida. So, no, I haven't really been able to. I mean, I really don't know where to start. I guess I could ask Percy to track her down for me. I-I just don't know if I would want her to see me now.”

“Why not?” Nico asked, cocking his head to the side. Apollo made a point not to look at him.

 “Oh, look, we're at your new school.” Nico looked out his window and sure enough they were pulling up to a large high school. Apollo pulled up to a curb and stopped the car. “Well, good luck with your first day.” Apollo gave him a smile. Nico picked up his backpack and got out of the car. He waved at Apollo as the blond drove off. He let out a long sigh as he turned to look at his new school. It was probably twice the size of his old one, and much nicer. This one had to get a lot of funding. He slowly made his way up the sidewalk into the main building. He was already ready to get this day over with.

Children of Loss 2

Chapter 2

It was around ten when the elevator dinged again. Nico looked up as he placed the last chair on the floor. A girl and two guys exited the elevator. The boys looked completely identical, the only difference being one being a mere inch taller. They had curly brown hair that hung down into their blue eyes. They wore identical mischievous smiles. If they had been on the streets, Nico would have guessed that they were pickpockets. The girl had shoulder length brown hair. She was dark skinned, possibly of Native American descent. She was a head shorter than the two boys next to her. Her eyes were a deep hazel like color, Nico wasn't sure if her eyes were brown or green. They were very pretty, though.

The twins said something and made the girl laugh as they set their things down at the bar. The shorter twin nudged his brother, having noticed Nico. The taller one looked down and the shorter one jutted his chin out in Nico's direction. Now all eyes were on Nico, making him fidget under all the attention. Chiron came to his rescue by clearing his throat. “It's about time you all got here. Now, as you can see, we have a new person on staff. I'd like all three of you to welcome Nico.” Nico gave a small wave at them.

The three of them made their way over to Nico. The girl's smile was warm and friendly, while the two boys still sported crooked grins. “Hello, Neeks, I'm Travis,” the taller twin said. He held his hand out and Nico shook it. “So, your Percy's new adoptee, eh? He sure knows how to pick 'em.”

The girl rolled her eyes, elbowing Travis in the ribs. “Don't mind him, Nico, the two of them are nothing but trouble. I'm Piper,” Nico smiled at her and shook her hand.

“We take offense to that, Pipes,” the shorter twin said. Piper tossed him a glare, but he didn't seem bothered by it. “Don't listen to her. We're awesome. The name's Connor, by the way.” Nico shook his hand as well and went back to fidgeting with his shirt.

“So, is he...?” Piper asked curiously, looking back at Chiron.

The man shook his head. “No. Percy told me he will be at the bar only.”

The twins grinned wickedly at Nico. “Lucky dog. You must have really drawn Percy's attention,” Connor stated.

Piper rolled her eyes again. “That doesn't have to be the case. So, how old are you, Nico?”

“Sixteen, but I'll be seventeen in a few months.”

“See. There's your explanation.”

The twins simultaneously placed their hands behind their heads. “Whatever you say, Piper,” they said at the same time. It creeped Nico out.

“You've gotten to know one another, now, it is high time you got to work,” Chiron interrupted, wiping down the bar. “The customers will be getting here soon.” The three newcomers nodded and scurried off around the bar. “Here, Nico.” Chiron held out a black apron for Nico to take. Nico tied it around his waist. There was a pen and pad in one of the pockets. “Now, I need you to go set up the board at the entrance so that it displays tonight's drink specials.” Nico nodded and scurried off.

As it approached noon the first customer arrived. He was a middle-aged man with thinning black hair and a scruffy beard. He was a little on the pudgy side. He took his place at one of the tables. Nico looked nervously at the man, unsure of who was supposed to go take care of him. Piper saved him and walked up to the man, smiling warmly at him. She wrote down the man's order and walked off to the bar, tossing a wink at Nico on her way.

The elevator dinged again and a few more people scattered themselves about the bar. Nico sighed, grabbed his pad and went over to one of the tables. His table consisted of two women, probably in their early thirties. Both of them were dressed in expensive business suits. “Hello, my name is Nico, and I will be your waiter today,” Nico said with a bright smile, willing himself to sound friendly to these strangers. The two of them looked up from their menus to stare at Nico, making him uncomfortable. He didn't like the way they stared at him. It wasn't rude or anything, there was just something unspoken in their eyes that made him uncomfortable.

The woman on the right, a blonde, looked back at her menu. “Yes, I'll have a number five, a water, and a margarita.” Nico nodded, scribbling down the woman's order.

The woman on the left, a brunette, stared at Nico a little longer. “You're new here?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Nico answered politely.

She nodded her head in approval. “I'll have a Cesar salad with dressing on the side and a diet coke.”

“Will there be anything else?” Nico asked. The women shook their heads and Nico walked back to the bar. He typed the order in to the computer like Chiron had showed him. It sent the order down to the kitchen where the staff would deliver the order up to the bar. He jumped slightly at the sound of music. He turned to find Connor adjusting the sound system.

“Jumpy much?” Connor chuckled. Nico shrugged. “Yeah, well, you better get used to the noise. It'll be pretty loud tonight.” He finally seemed to be satisfied with it and backed off the system. “Though, it doesn't compare to the noise level upstairs.”

Nico eyed him out of the corner of his eye as he prepared the women's drinks. “What's on the top floor?”

Connor grinned at Nico, looking like the Cheshire cat. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Time slowly drifted by and it neared Nico's break time. He would get a few hours off until he had to report back for the night shift. Something he had noticed was some of his three co-workers' customers were very generous with their tips.

Leo showed up to collect Nico at four. He signed out and quickly followed the boy back to the elevator. “So, how was your first shift?” Leo asked once they were inside.

“Not too bad.”

“Night shift is always more hectic. Let me see who you'll be on shift with tonight.” Leo pulled out his phone and scrolled through it. “Hmm. You are on duty with Reyna, Octavian, Thalia, and Apollo tonight.”

“Any tips?”

Leo slid his phone back in his pocket as they exited on to the sixty-seventh floor. “Yeah, Apollo and Thalia will be your go to people. Thalia is a tough girl, and nobody really messes with her. She's friendly, though. Apollo is like the big brother around here. Reyna isn't so bad, but she can come off as a little cold. I'd suggest staying away from Octavian. He's one of the Castellan brothers I mentioned.” Nico nodded his understanding. They came in front of a door and Leo slid a keycard into the slot. He opened the door and handed the card to Nico. “Welcome to your new home.”

Nico looked around the place. It wasn't as nice as Percy's, but it still was better than his parents' house. He had a flatscreen opposite the couch. There was a nice kitchen over to the right. In the back were three doors. “Do I share this with anyone?”

Leo shook his head. “Nope, it is all yours. Well, for now anyways. You're lucky enough to be the odd man out. Until we get another boy, you'll be here by yourself. You can pick whichever bedroom you like, and the middle door over there is the bathroom.” Nico made his way to the first door on the left. He opened it to find a really nice bedroom. The bed was king sized with five pillows on it. There was another TV in this room as well, but it was a few inches smaller than the one in the other room. There was an opened door leading into a walk-in closet, it had a full length mirror on the inside of the door. In a corner a box caught his eye. He picked it up and put it on the bed. He opened it to find an assortment of clothes and toiletries. “That should get you by for a while. You can go shopping on your own when you get your first paycheck.”

Nico smiled as he fell back on his new bed. It was like a cloud. He sighed contently. Maybe suffering on the streets had been worth it after all. This was heaven. Something did bring him down from his high, though. He looked over at Leo. “Leo?”

The boy looked up from his phone at the dark headed boy. “Hmm?”

“What's on the top floor?”

“Oh. It's nothing important. Don't worry about it. You'll never have to go up there.”

Nico frowned. Why were people being evasive about this question? “So, what is there to do around here?”

“You have access to everything the hotel has to offer. Most of the stuff is on the lower levels. The pool, the game room, spa, and much more. You can even go to the kitchen and request whatever you want. As one of Percy's finds, you have pretty much unrestricted access to things around here. There are a few obvious exceptions like the top floor and Percy's office. You can only go to Percy's office with an appointment, which you can make through me.”

Nico nodded. “So, I'm free to do what I want until I go back at six?”

“Yep. So, make yourself at home and just make sure you get back to the bar on time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to Percy.” Leo tossed him a final smile before leaving the room. Nico heard the front door shut and let out a loud sigh. He stood back up and figured he might as well unpack his new things.

The sun had started to sink below the horizon. Nico watched it from his place at the window. The view of the city was so amazing from up here. Nico couldn't help smiling to himself. He checked the time, he had ten minutes. He figured he should get up to the bar and get ready.

He closed the door to his new place behind him and got back in the elevator. He inserted his keycard and when he went for the button his finger lingered over the button to floor seventy, but he shook his head and hit sixty-nine. When the doors opened again Nico found the bar much more crowded. Connor had been right about it being louder at night. With all the new people and the music playing it was almost deafening. Piper and the twins were still running around, serving the customers. He made his way through the crowded area to the bar. He signed in and tied his apron back around him.

“Back for round two?” Chiron asked next to him, a smile on his face.

Nico nodded. Piper sighed, coming to stand next to Nico. He moved aside so she could sign out. “Wish me luck tonight, Chiron,” she said.

Chiron chuckled, pouring a drink for someone. “You don't need luck, girl. All of you have natural talent.” The twins came over and peered upside down at the computer to sign out.

“Have fun tonight, Nico. Don't miss us too much,” Travis said.

“I'll try my best,” Nico mumbled back sarcastically.

Connor laughed. “I like him already.”

Two girls came through the crowd and came behind the bar. Nico guessed they were two of his co-workers. The taller of the two had long black hair with tan skin. She had piercing dark eyes, which slightly reminded Nico of Percy's eyes, but weren't as warm. There was a small tattoo on her right wrist. It looked to be a crossed sword and torch. She wore a very serious expression on her face as she signed in, not paying Nico any attention as he stared at her.

The shorter of the two, however, had her gazed locked on the new boy. She had shoulder length black hair, which was spiked out at the tips all around her head. She had electric blue eyes that pierced through Nico as she watched him. Her attire set her apart from any of the others Nico had seen. She was dressed in punk clothing, tight fitting black shirt, loose jeans, and combat boots. She had a few freckles scattered across her face and a tiny nose ring in her right nostril.

“Who's the new kid?” the shorter girl asked. The taller one finally looked over at him, looking as if she hadn't even noticed him there before.

“He's Percy's new boy toy,” Travis said with a sly smirk. This earned him an elbow to the ribs from Piper.

“Percy found him last night. He's our new family member,” Piper stated. “Bar only.” The two new girls nodded an understanding, something that Nico wondered at. Why was it important to know he only worked in the bar?

The punk girl held her hand out to Nico. “The name is Thalia.” Nico shook her hand with a small smile. There was something about the girl that he liked.

The taller one extended her hand next, and Nico took it and shook it. She had a firm grip. “Reyna.”

“Well, sorry to run, but the three of us have to get to the night shift,” Piper informed them. The two girls nodded at them and Nico gave them a small wave as they exited to the elevator.

Nico walked out from behind the bar and headed over to a table that two men had just sat at. “Hello, I'm Nico and I'll be your server this evening.” The two men nodded at him and gave Nico their drink orders. Nico looked up from his pad as the elevator dinged again. A tall blond made his way through the crowd and behind the bar. The boy was skinny, but with the looks of a runner. His blond hair hung down into his crazed looking blue eyes. He had a bored expression plastered on his face. His pale skin stood out in the dark lighting. Something about his appearance made Nico feel uneasy.

Nico walked over to Chiron and gave the man the new drink orders. “Nico, this is Octavian,” Chiron said, gesturing to the blond tying an apron around his waist. The blond didn't say anything, just nodded his head in Nico's general direction, not even looking at the new boy. He took his pad and went out into the crowd to start taking orders. “Don't mind him. He and his brother aren't the friendliest.”

“So I've heard,” Nico mumbled back. Chiron handed him the two drinks and Nico took them back over to the table. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the man on his right lean over to check out his back side. Nico fought the urge to place his hands over his butt to cover it. The man made a face of approval and pulled a five out of his wallet and slipped it to Nico. He stared at it for a moment before slipping it into his apron and walking off.

When Nico returned to the bar with another order, another tall blond sat at the bar chatting with Chiron. Nico thought he was a customer at first, until he saw the apron around his waist. He was close to Percy's height, probably around six foot two. He had gorgeous cerulean eyes that shined like a sapphire gleaming in the sun. His smile was breathtaking and his teeth were pure white. He had sun kissed skin and a swimmer build. His curly blond hair sat perfectly on the top of his head.

“Well, who's this cutie?” the new guy asked, taking notice of Nico.

“Ah, this is our newest addition. Nico, this is Apollo,” Chiron said, gesturing between the two of them. Apollo tossed Nico a bright smile and held his hand out. Nico shook his hand, but before he could pull it away Apollo pulled it up and kissed his hand with a wink.

“Percy sure knows how to pick them.”

Nico blushed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks,” he mumbled, making Apollo's grin grow. He took the drinks Chiron handed him and went back into the crowd of people.

Around midnight, Percy came into the bar. He sat down at the bar in front of Chiron. Nico headed over to give Chiron another order, but stopped a few paces away when he heard Apollo talking to Percy. “So, Percy, how about we talk about getting me some more time in the big boys' club.”

Percy let out a sigh. “You know I don't like to talk about that outside of my office or upstairs. Your time slots are fine. Why the complaints?”

Apollo shrugged. “One can never have too much time. School is expensive, you know. Then there is that car I was talking to you about.”

Percy chuckled at him. “Fine. I'll put you down for tomorrow night. You can come by my floor after you get off and we'll figure something out.” Apollo winked at him and walked off. Nico let out a breath and walked up to the bar. Percy smiled at him when he noticed him. “Hey, Nico, you enjoying your new life?”

Nico gave Percy a nod. “Yeah. Thank you so much.”

“Don't mention it,” Percy said, taking a drink from whatever Chiron had given him. Chiron handed Nico a new set of drinks and Nico picked them up. Percy gave him a wink as Nico walked off. Nico was blushing as he was walking and not paying attention to what he was doing. He clumsily tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground, drinks flying everywhere. A nearby man got drenched and started yelling at Nico.

“I'm so sorry!” Nico exclaimed, quickly standing up and trying to clean up his mess.

“Why don't you watch what you are do-” the man started, but trailed off as he looked over Nico's shoulder. Nico was shocked at first, but looked over his shoulder to find Percy glaring at the man. The man gulped and sat back down. “It's fine. Don't worry about it.” Nico fumbled to pick up the broken glass. He managed to cut himself trying to pick up one piece. Someone's hand reached down to pick up the remaining pieces.

Nico looked up to see Thalia crouched down in front of him. “Don't sweat it, Nico. We all messed up on our first day here.” She chuckled. “This probably won't be your last slip up. It takes a lot of practice.”

Nico nodded at her. “Thanks,” he said as she sat the last pieces of glass on his now empty tray. “Any advice?” They stood back up and she walked with him back to the bar so he could dump the broken glasses.

“Keep your tables memorized. Keep your nose out of the customers' business. Your job is to make them all happy, so put on a pretty face and give them what they want.” She gave him a once over. “You're cute, so you can try working your looks to get better tips. It's all about playing the game right. Do it right, and you make some big bucks.” Nico nodded again as he dropped the broken glass in the trash.

Chiron already had remade the drinks when Nico was done dumping the shards. “Don't sweat it, Nico. You'll get the hang of it,” Percy said. Nico ducked his head to hide the blush, but Percy seemed to notice it and smiled brightly at him. Percy placed some bills on the counter and stood up. “I gotta get back to work. You'll take care of him for me, won't you Chiron?” Chiron smiled and nodded a single time, busy pouring some more liquor. Percy winked at Nico and walked off.

“My my, aren't you the boss's new favorite play thing.” Nico looked up to find Octavian scowling at him. “So, you must have a pretty good ass if he's giving you so much attention.” A loud thud came from behind him and Octavian screwed his face up in pain. Apollo was standing behind the other blond, a dark glare in place on his face.

“Leave the kid alone. Now, how about you take your dirty mouth off of Percy's dick and get your ass back to work, or is it too abused for you to manage walking?” Octavian's nostrils flared and he mumbled something under his breath. However, he didn't say anything else to Nico and walked off. “Don't let him bother you, kid. You should meet his brother. Octavian is rainbows and sunshine compared to Luke.”

Nico placed some drinks and food on his tray while watching Apollo talk. “Thanks. So I've heard everyone refer to this as a family. Are all of you close?”

Apollo gave a nod. “Yeah, we all came from similar situations. So, we sort of bonded. We would even stick our necks out for Luke and Octavian, as hard as that may be to believe. Everyone looks out for each other here.” He stared off blankly at nothing in particular with a short pause. “You sort of have to, in order to make it through things.”

Nico picked the tray up, almost tipping it over, but Apollo grabbed it and steadied it. “What do you mean? Everything seems so nice here.”

Apollo gave him a small smile. “Ah, the life of a newbie.” He patted Nico on the shoulder. “Don't lose that innocence, kid.” Without another word he turned and walked over to a table full of women, who laughed flirtatiously at Apollo as he joined them. Nico forced himself to look away and make his way back to the crowd of tables and people. He stopped for a moment, trying to remember which table had given the order. His eyes came across Reyna, who pointed to her right. Nico looked over to find it was the table he was looking for. He mouthed a thank you to her, which she shrugged off.

Nico set the drinks down and placed the plate down in front of a heavy set woman. “Actually, I'm the one that ordered that,” the man across from her said. Nico felt his cheeks burn at his mess up.

“Sorry about that,” Nico replied, correcting his mistake.

The last customer finally boarded the elevator and the doors shut. Thalia let her head fall on to the wooden bar and groaned loudly, Reyna patted her on the back. Chiron was busy counting out the money as the younger workers stood around on the outside of the bar. “So, how was your first day, Nico?” Apollo asked, turning to look at Nico with his chin propped up by his palm.

“Rough. Is it always busy like this?” All of them nodded. Nico groaned, letting his head fall back.

“This is nothing,” Octavian scoffed. Thalia shot him a look, which Nico thought looked like a warning. “What? I didn't say anything. I'm just saying that this isn't the hard job.” Apollo raised a half-finished drink to his lips and took a long quaff.

“Amen to that,” the other blond stated. He raised his glass. “To the jobs that pay the bills.” He had a sly smile on his face. The others smiled at him and started laughing. Nico just stood there in confusion.

Chiron eventually dismissed them and they all boarded the elevator. Nico stared at the button for the seventieth floor as Reyna hit the button for the sixty-seventh floor. “So do you guys work during the day?” Nico asked as they rode down.

“On weekends. That or we catch up on sleep,” Thalia said, leaning against the wall of the elevator. “Most of us actually go to college.” Nico made a face and they all laughed.

“What? You thought because we all were on the streets that we were uneducated? No. Percy encourages us to go to school and get an education, letting us study whatever we want,” Reyna said.

“I-I didn't mean it to sound like that,” Nico said quietly.

“It's cool, dude,” Apollo said, slinging an arm over Nico's shoulder. “Not all of us choose to go, but most of us do. The ones that don't will usually work with you during the weekdays.” He paused, looking Nico over. “How old are you anyways?”

“Sixteen.”

“Then, Percy is going to pretty much force you into school,” Reyna stated. It kind of came to a shock to Nico. He had thought his education was over, but now, on top of all this wonderful stuff, he was going to get to stay in school. The door dinged open and they all stepped out. The girls bid them farewell as they went down the hall opposite from the boys'.

“So, I'm expected to stay in school?”

The two blonds looked over at him. “How long were you on the streets?” Apollo asked. “Most of us don't say we get to 'stay in school'. Most of us were out on the streets for a very long time before Percy found us.”

“Some never even went to school at all,” Octavian added.

“I was on the streets for around three months,” Nico replied.

“It sucks, for whatever reason you were out there. People just don't understand what living out on the streets is really like. Especially in a city like this,” Apollo said, with a hint of bitterness in his voice. “Well, then yes, Percy will make sure you stay in school. He'll enroll you in one nearby, more than likely. That way you can have the full new life experience.” Octavian stopped at his door and the two bid him goodnight as he entered his room. Nico caught sight of someone inside, but the door shut before he could get a look at the boy.

They made their way down the hall and stopped at Nico's door. “Well, this is my room,” Nico said.

“I'll be sure to keep it memorized,” Apollo said with a smile. “If you need me, I am down the hall on the right.” Nico nodded and opened his door. Apollo waved at him as he shut the door. Nico let out a long sigh as he fell back against the door. It really had been a long day. He groaned as he looked over at the clock. It was nearing five in the morning.

He shed his clothes as he made his way to his new bedroom. He would clean them up later to give back to Percy. Right now he just wanted to sleep. He plopped down face first on his bed and sighed contently at the perfect feel of it. He rolled over to the box that Leo had given him. He pulled out a toothbrush and toothpaste from inside of it.

He dragged himself off the bed and out into the hall. He stepped into the bathroom for the first time. It was heaven sent. The sink had a porcelain top to it and dark wooden cabinets below it. There was a vanity mirror above it. On the other side of the bathroom was a shower with see through glass walls. There was a large bathtub next to it. It wasn't like Percy's bathroom, but it would certainly do. He ran his toothbrush under the faucet and brushed at his teeth as he looked around the beautifully sculpted room.

 He came back into his bedroom and turned off the lights. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers over him. It was even better laying underneath them. They were so perfectly soft. He usually didn't sleep with so many pillows, but each of them were so different and yet so perfect that he couldn't bring himself to take any off. He sighed a final time as he quickly drifted off into a well earned sleep.

Children of Loss 1

Author Note: All right, so a lot of you are probably here from fanfiction.net, but some of you might just run across my stuff. Either way, welcome! This story was recently taken down from the fanfiction site, but it will be posted back-edited, of course. If you don't want the filters or edited versions, then I suggest you read the chapters here. This site does seem to have a review system, so you'll be able to do that here as well.

I'm just using this as something positive. I now have a site I can post all of my work, whether it be a PJO fanfic or my own piece of literature. Anyways, I'm in desperate need of sleep, so I'm going to end the note here. Whether you've already read this and are reading it again, or reading for the first time, I hope you enjoy. If it is your first time reading through this, know that my writing drastically increases by the time the story reaches chapter 20.

Warning: Brief nudity, language, innocence lost sort of story.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, they are all owned by Rick Riordan.

Chapter 1

Three months. That was how long Nico had been out on the streets after his family kicked him out. His father hadn't about to tolerate a “queer” living under his roof. The man had never been loving, anyways. The bruises that had faded were proof of that. His stomach growled for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour. Nico hadn't eaten anything in almost a week. His body was shaking from his lack of sleep, just wanting to collapse wherever he might lie. Most nights he sat in dark alleyways, crying and flinching anytime a noise was heard nearby.

He would have rather been miserable lying to his family than being out here alone. Other homeless people were not friendly. He couldn't go to them, asking for food or shelter. He stayed away from them at all costs, to prevent being rolled for the clothes on his back.

The streets of L.A. were now his home. How was he supposed to survive in such a place? Gangs, rapists, drug dealers, the possibilities of getting killed were endless. Did his parents care so little for him that they had no problem tossing him out into this place? Nico felt the tears building up in his eyes again. Why was he fighting the inevitable? If he just curled up and died this would all be over. He could probably find some broken glass in a dumpster.

Nico bumped into someone roughly. In his weakened state it caused him to fall to the ground, landing in a pile of trash bags. The man that had bumped into him grumbled at Nico, brushed his shirt off, and kept walking. The tears started to fall from Nico's face as he lay in the pile of trash. Why was this happening to him? What had he ever done to deserve this? He was a good kid. He had made good grades in school. He had stopped going after being kicked out. What would be the point in going? Nico was never one to get in trouble. His sister, Bianca, often teased him about how innocent he was. He hadn't even had sex yet, and he was nearing seventeen. So, why had fate deemed it necessary for him to suffer like this?

Sniffling, Nico pulled himself out of the pile of garbage. He stumbled, nearly falling into a streetlight. He looked around at his surroundings. He appeared to be in the high-class part of the city. Maybe he could get lucky and find some leftovers behind a restaurant. Rich people wasted food, right? Nico could only hope they did.

Trying to will his tears away, Nico continued down the sidewalk. He wasn't really familiar with this part of the city, so he wasn't sure where he could go looking for food. He doubted he could find a generous restaurant employee or manager willing to give him a free meal. Not in this city. As Nico was making his way across a street, a taxi sharply turned the corner, Nico dove out of the way, but was splashed by some water as the car drove by. He shook his head, trying to shake the murky water out of his hair. It wasn't like it was going to worsen his appearance. He was already covered in dirt. He hadn't bathed in days. The only chance he got was finding some random source of water and simply drenching himself. He missed his warm shower. He sighed and continued on his way down the busy streets.

As he reached the heart of the rich district, he took notice of a tall hotel building. He estimated it to be around seventy or eighty floors. He wandered closer to the bright building, looking in one of the windows. The room he was looking at was a restaurant, a very nice one. It could be no less than five stars. The people were eating lobster and steak as they carried on in their conversations. It made Nico's mouth water. He forced himself to look away, knowing he couldn't have it. He glanced up at the hotel sign. The Lotus Hotel.

His legs screamed in pain as he tried to walk again. His body was so tired. Just curl up and die, he thought again. It would be easier, and his parents wouldn't miss him. Nobody would. He collapsed against the wall of the hotel, slowly sliding down it until he sat on the ground. He pulled his knees up to his chest and began to cry again. He buried his head into his knees so people wouldn't see him cry. He heard a door swing open, but didn't look up. He looked underneath his arms at the person that walked out, only seeing up to the stranger's knees.

“No, everything is going fine.” It was a guy. “Yes, he dropped the package off a few hours ago. I'll ship it over to you if you want.” The guy sighed. “No, it wasn't like that.” Another pause. “No. He tried grabbing her ass while she was on stage. There was no negotiation with me.” He paused again. “Yeah, I...informed him as to the instability of his company's stocks .”

Nico scolded himself for picking this spot to collapse. He didn't want someone to see him like this. People passing by were different, this was someone up close. Something about the boy's voice pulled Nico in, though. He wanted to look up and see who was talking, but didn't want to chance him making eye contact. He would rather the stranger just ignore him and go back inside.

Nico figured he should get up. Try to get away unnoticed. When he moved to stand his head began to spin and he collapsed on to the pavement. His cheek was now throbbing, but he didn't care. He just wanted to lay there. His eyes became heavy and he let them fall shut.

Nico let out a groan as he blinked and found the figure leaning over him. He felt a warm hand brush his bangs out of his face. “Are you ok?” he heard the voice from a moment ago ask.

The door opened again and Nico could make out a smaller figure come out and approach the previous stranger. “Percy, Luke was asking for you. What are you doing out here?”

“Talking to the boss.” Nico felt arms reach under him. “Can you get the door for me, Leo?”

The smaller figure stood back up and moved over the door. Strong arms wrapped around Nico and pulled him up to the stranger's, who's name must be Percy, chest. “Sure, boss, but what are you doing with him?”

Nico groaned again, blinking up at this Percy. His face was lifted, so Nico couldn't really make out many features, other than dark hair. “Taking care of him. He looks like he needs food and a place to sleep.”

“But-”

“No buts. You act like this is something uncommon around here.”

Nico made out the figure of Leo. He was around the same height as Nico. He was of some Hispanic origin. His eyes were peering up at Percy. Percy made his way into the hotel and Nico had to screw his eyes shut from the bright lights above him. Nico heard an elevator ding open and figured they had stepped inside of it. He unconsciously shifted closer to the warm chest that he was being pressed against. Nico blinked his eyes open for a moment. They were in an elevator. Leo looked over at him, giving him a friendly smile. “He's conscious.” Nico looked up at his rescuer. Percy glanced down at him. Nico's eyes began to shut again. The last things he saw were warm green eyes staring down at him.

Nico blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright room. He was in some kind of fancy suite. His nose immediately caught scent of something cooking. He glanced down at the sofa he was laying on. Everything in this place was nicer than anything his family had back home. He heard a plate clatter against a surface. Out of curiosity, Nico pulled himself off the couch and shuffled through the doorway, lurching towards the smell of food. He found himself in the kitchen. A few loafs of bread sat on a small plate. There was a pot of what was probably soup on the stove. Standing in front of an opened fridge was the tall boy that pulled him off the streets.

He had his back turned and was digging inside of the fridge for something. He finally pulled back, a bottle of water in his hand. He turned back around and immediately noticed Nico in the doorway. “You're awake,” the boy said, sitting the bottle on the counter next to the bread. He watched Nico curiously as the small boy stood there, staring at the stack of bread. “It's for you.” Nico's eyes snapped up to the tall boy in front of him.

“Wh-What?” Nico choked out, his voice irritated from the lack of use.

The black haired boy turned around and pulled the pot off the stove, pouring its contents into a bowl. He grabbed the bowl and sat it beside the bread and water. “Eat.” He gestured at the food in front of him. Nico was going to say no, but his stomach protested. The boy gave him a sympathetic smile and gestured at the food again. Nico silently shuffled on to a stool and pulled the food over to him. He picked up a piece of bread first, slipping it into his mouth. He moaned as it slid down his throat. The other boy silently watched him with interest as Nico ate. “So, what's your name?”

Nico glanced up at him as he swallowed a spoonful of soup. “Nico.” He took a swig of water, pulling his eyes away from the other's stare. Percy's gaze was piercing, and and the way his eyes watched him made Nico feel uncomfortable. “Th-Thank you for all of this.”

The boy waved it off. “Don't mention it. It isn't an uncommon occurrence around here.” Nico went back to chewing on some bread. “I'm Percy by the way.”

“T-Thank you, Percy. I guess I'll be on my way after I finish eating.”

Percy looked at him curiously. “Why?”

What did he mean why? “Because, I-I don't want to be a burden.”

Percy smiled at him, chin supported on his palm. “You are welcome to stay. I don't really feel right tossing you back on the street.” His gaze traveled up and down Nico. “How would you like a job? You'll get a free place to live.”

Nico nearly choked on his food. This guy he just met was going to offer him a place to live and a job? “I-But you just met me.”

Percy shrugged. “Like I said, it isn't an uncommon occurrence around here. Most of the people that work here came from where you were. Now, how old are you, Nico?”

“Sixteen.”

Percy nodded. He mumbled something under his breath. “Well, I suppose I can put you in the bar. How do you feel about being a busboy?”

Nico's eyes widened. He nodded his head eagerly. “Yes! That's fine. I'll do whatever you want!”

A sly smile spread over Percy's lips and Nico noticed him bite down on his bottom lip for a brief second. “I'm sure,” Percy said with a wink. “Now, finish eating and we'll get you cleaned up. You can stay here tonight, and I'll find you a place to stay in the morning.”

Nico nodded. He went back to working on his soup as Percy stepped out of the room. He heard Percy move around in another room. When he was done he went in search of the taller male. He found Percy setting some clothes on the sink in a very large bathroom. The centerpiece of the room was a large square Jacuzzi styled bathtub with two shower heads and a variety of dials coming out of the walls that stood over the tub. Percy looked over his shoulder at Nico and motioned for the boy to come in. Nico rubbed his arm as he walked forward, clearly uncomfortable. He hadn't really had any social interaction since he had gotten kicked out, and it felt odd to him now.

He came into the bathroom and stood in front of Percy. He now noticed how tall the boy was. He had to be around six foot three. Nico barely came up to the boy's shoulders. He smiled down at Nico before lifting the boy's shirt over his head. Nico turned red as his shirt was tossed to the floor. He squeaked as he felt Percy's hands on the button of his pants. He tried to pull the hand off, but Percy swatted Nico's hand away. “Relax. I'm not going to rape you. Your body is still exhausted, though. You probably aren't going to be comfortable with it, but I'm going to stay in here to make sure you get cleaned up. I don't want you passing out while you are in the tub.” Nico gulped as he stared up into Percy's eyes.

Percy finally got his pants off, pulling each of Nico's legs up and tossing the jeans next to Nico's shirt. When he moved for Nico's boxers Nico instinctively clutched them. Percy let out a chuckle. “I-I can do this myself.”

Percy moved his hands back, holding them up defensively. “Fine, but I'm still going to watch and make sure you get yourself cleaned up.”

Nico nodded his consent. Percy stepped around Nico and stood in the doorway. Self-consciously, Nico slid his boxers off, feeling Percy's gaze on him. When he moved to turn on the water Percy stopped him. He adjusted the water to what he felt was appropriate and stepped back once again. Nico slowly lowered one leg into the water, flinching a little at the warmth.

As he slid the rest of his body in, he let out a long sigh. He could already see the dirt coming off of him and dirtying the water. A rag was lowered in front of his face. “Thanks,” Nico mumbled as he took the rag from Percy. There was a long silence as Nico went about cleaning his body. “Why are you doing this? You don't even know me.”

Percy had an unreadable look on his face as he stared into Nico's eyes. “I don't have to know you to know what you have gone through.” The two went back to silence after that. When Nico set his rag down, Percy stepped forward to drain the tub. Nico's eyes widened as the boy slid his shirt off.

“Wh-Wha-What are you doing?”

Percy reached down and pulled Nico up into a standing position. He reached out and turned on the shower head. Nico flinched as the water hit his skin. He hated being this exposed in front of someone he had just met, but Percy was at least being nice enough to keep his eyes averted from his lower body. “You need to wash your hair and finish getting off any dirt off your body.” Percy handed Nico some shampoo.

The entire time Nico washed his hair, Percy kept a calloused hand resting on his back. After he was done, Percy leaned Nico's head forward to wash the shampoo out himself. After that he shut off the water and stepped out, handing Nico a large towel. Nico sighed into it as he pressed it against his face. He heard Percy chuckle. He raised the towel to his hair and quickly dried it the best he could. After that he quickly wrapped the towel around his waist, finally glad to be covered once again. “Thanks again,” Nico said politely.

Percy gave him a lopsided smile. “I laid you some clothes here. You can borrow some more of mine in the morning. I'll have Leo go get you some stuff to hold you over for a few days until you can support yourself here.”

“Thanks,” Nico replied, brushing his black hair out of his face. Percy nodded, turned around, and walked out of the bathroom. Nico sighed in relief. Percy made him uncomfortable. He was a stranger sure, but his eyes were just so seductive. Nico didn't even think Percy was trying, he just radiated sex appeal. He was definitely the most attractive guy that Nico had ever laid eyes on.

Nico picked up the clothes that Percy had laid out on the sink. A dark blue shirt, a pair of blue boxers, and some black track shorts. Nico removed the towel from around his waist. He grabbed the pair of boxers and had just slipped them on when Percy returned. He smiled at Nico before reaching down and picking up Nico's clothes. “I'll wash these for you. If you want to keep them,” Percy said, looking at Nico.

Nico shrugged. “I guess. So, I don't have to burden you for clothes.”

Percy looked back down at the clothes. “Well, they are pretty torn. I think I'd prefer you wearing mine. I'll just toss them.” Nico nodded and Percy left again, clothes in hand. Nico slipped the rest of the clothes on and went to find Percy again. He felt like a lost puppy.

He nearly bumped in to Percy as he made his way down the hall and back into the kitchen. Percy smiled down at him, causing him to blush. Damn him and his sex appeal. Percy held the water out to him. Nico took it and mumbled his thanks. Percy grinned wider at Nico's shyness.

Percy moved into the living room as Nico followed closely behind. He sat down on the couch, patting it for Nico to sit. As Nico sat down beside him, Percy flipped his TV on. It was bigger than all the TVs in Nico's parents house combined. It had to be at least fifty inches. Percy silently flipped through the channels trying to find something to watch. “You'll have to work on your shyness,” he said while keeping his eyes on the TV. “You'll be dealing with a lot of people up in the bar.”

“Ok,” Nico mumbled. “What do you do around here?”

Percy hummed to himself. “I...sort of run things around here. I manage everything at this hotel, as well as some of the other branches.”

“How many are there?”

Percy laughed. “Well, they are all over the world, but I am in charge of the ones here in North America.” Nico gaped at him. The person in charge of this place had taken him in? “I found a lot of the workers here like I found you.”

“You just take them in off the street? What if they robbed you?”

Percy eyed him funny, trying to hide a smile. “Are you going to rob me?” Nico shook his head, and Percy burst out laughing. “I was kidding. No, I don't worry about that. My boss, she kind of has a way with people to make sure they know to behave. She's cool, though. You'll love her. She is the one who started the hotel chain. She is the only person I have to answer to, which is cool. She visits, from time to time, but her main facility is in Germany.” Nico nodded, trying to fight a yawn. Percy smiled and patted his leg. “I'll let you get some sleep,” he said, turning off the TV.

He walked out of the room and came back soon after with a blanket and a pillow. He handed them to Nico and went into the kitchen to turn off the light. “Thanks again, Percy. This means a lot.”

Percy gave him a sad smile. “Don't thank me just yet, kid.” With that he turned off the light and went back into his bedroom. Nico just lay there in the darkness for a while. What did that mean, “yet”? Nico didn't have long to dwell on it, as he felt his eyes grow heavy and he quickly drifted off into a deep sleep.

Nico was startled awake by the sound of the door closing. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He stretched, allowing his bones to pop. He swung his legs over the side of the couch. He heard a loud clang come from in the kitchen and decided to go check it out. The short boy from the night before stood in the kitchen, currently flipping pancakes. “Morning,” he said cheerfully.

“Morning,” Nico mumbled back. He shuffled to the stool he had sat on last night and watched the boy work. “Are you Leo?”

The boy flashed a bright smile. “Yep, that's me. Percy told me to get you some breakfast.”

“Was that him leaving?” Nico asked, gesturing towards the front door. Leo nodded. He sat the pan with the pancake on it back on the stove. He pulled off another pan with some bacon on it. He scooped them off and placed them on a plate, sliding it towards Nico.

“Percy told me to tell you to eat that slowly, least you wish to throw that back up. Your stomach is gonna take some time to get used to eating again.” Nico nodded. He picked up a piece and broke off a small piece into his mouth.

“So, what is it you do around here?”

“I'm Percy's secretary. I run errands and answer some calls for him. Deal with emails for the hotel. Basically, I just make his job as easy as possible. I'll drop you off with your new boss after you eat and get cleaned up. Percy said he left you a change of clothes in the bathroom.”

Leo picked the pancake pan back up, gave it one more flip, and scooped the food out to put on Nico's plate. He slid some syrup over for the boy to use. “My boss?” Nico asked, mouth full of bacon. “Percy isn't my boss?”

“Well, yes and no. He's the boss of everyone around here, but he has people running parts of the hotel. You will be working with Chiron, the bartender. He's really nice. You'll like him.” Nico nodded.

“So, Percy does this a lot? Take in people from the streets.”

Leo gave a nod. “Yeah, most of the young people around here, which are most of the people you'll be working with.”

“Why does he do it?” Nico asked, cutting a small piece of his pancake.

Leo fumbled with the spatula. “I-I don't know if I should talk about it. Long story.”

“Oh.” Leo cleaned up the kitchen while Nico finished eating. He took Nico's plate when he was finished, and Nico got up to go get a shower. Sure enough there was a change of clothes sitting on the sink when he arrived.

He showered as quickly as possible without exerting himself too much. He looked at himself in the mirror when he stepped out. His body had suffered from those three months on the streets. His ribs had begun to show, and there were dark circles around his eyes. He looked so frail. He got dressed so he wouldn't have to look at his body.

The clothes were obviously too big for him. The shirt was probably one of Percy's old shirts, because it was only slightly big on him. The pants, however, were threatening to fall off his waist. He walked back into the living room and found Leo on the couch watching TV. “I need a belt,” Nico stated. Leo looked over at him and hopped off the couch.

“I think I can find you one. Wait right here.” He disappeared down the hall and into Percy's bedroom. Nico was curious as to what it looked like, given the extravagant look of the rest of the place. Leo emerged moments later with a black belt. “Here you go.” Nico took the belt, sliding it through the loops of the pants. “I actually brought you something from my room.” Leo walked over to the front door and pulled a pair of shoes from the floor. “I didn't think you'd be able to wear Percy's shoes, so I brought you some of mine.”

“Thanks,” Nico said with a smile. “Is everyone nice around here?”

Leo rubbed the back of his head. “Everyone except the Castellan brothers. You'll meet them eventually. For now, try and stick to me and Chiron. Apollo is really nice too, if you can find him.”

“What about Percy?”

“You'll probably have the hardest time seeing him.” Leo gave Nico a look. “You don't...have a crush on him, do you?”

Nico felt his cheeks heat up. “N-No! He just saved me, that's all.”

Leo gave him a cheeky grin. “If you say so. I'll just say be careful if you do have one.” Leo cleared his throat. “Anyways, I should get you down to Chiron. I have to get going so I can do some shopping for you.” Nico nodded and the two made their way out of the suite. They made their way down the hall towards the elevators. Leo pressed the button when they arrived. “If you do need to find Percy, or myself when I'm working, you'll find us here. Percy lives and works on this floor.”

The elevator dinged and opened. They walked in and Leo slipped his keycard into the slot below the long list of buttons before hitting the button to the floor above them, the sixty-ninth floor. They stepped out of the elevator and into the bar. The bar itself ran the entire length of the far wall. Behind it were shelves covered in every type of alcohol in existence. There were expensive looking wooden tables all around the room, with chairs placed on top of them. In the two corners not being taken up by the bar were lounging areas with the same type of couches that were in Percy's living room. A few pictures hung around the walls for decoration. Five TVs sat around on the walls. Three on the outer walls and two behind the bar.

A tall man with a small beard stood behind the bar, scrubbing a glass. He looked up and smiled warmly at Leo and Nico as they approached. “I take it this is my new charge?” the man asked.

“Yep, he's all yours Chiron.” Leo pulled out his phone to check the time. “Well, I need to get going.” He patted Nico on the shoulder and headed back to the elevator. “Take care of him, Chiron.”

Chiron chuckled and looked back at Nico. The man had a warm face. He had deep brown eyes that reminded Nico of a warm fire. His brown hair was well groomed. He was tall, taller than Percy. Probably around six foot five. If he didn't appear to be so warm natured Nico would have been intimidated looking up at him. He also had a small scruffy beard. All in all, Nico would have to say the man came across as a father figure. He already liked the man better than his own father, and this guy hadn't even spoken to him directly yet.

“Well then, shall we get you to work?” Chiron said, placing the glass back on to the bar. “More will be coming up to get to work soon. I just need to give you the run down before everything starts up around here.” He placed his hands on the bar and smiled at Nico. “Now then, things will be very busy around here at night. You will work into the late hours of the morning, so expect to get off no earlier than three or four.” Nico let out a groan. “Welcome to the night life, child.” Chiron gave a chuckle.

“What kind of people can I expect? This place looks like it would be expensive.”

 “That it is. However, that means you'll find yourself with a nice paycheck. As for customers, we get all kinds of men and women. Businessmen, politicians, actors, musicians, you name it and we probably cater to them. Now, as I said, you won't be working alone. We are pretty busy at night, so there will be a few people running around with you. They, uh, change from night to night, depending on the schedules Percy gives them.” Chiron clapped his hands together. “Now then, let us get you to work. I need you to start setting those chairs down. We will start seeing customers around lunch, so hop to it.” Nico nodded quickly and set off to work.

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So, I'm kind of liking this. This site actually picks up on the places I have a scene change. That is quite nice, so I don't have to go through and put them in manually like I normally do. Since I'm hard at work on two Halloween fics, posting all the chapters back will be a nice time off to give myself some time to work on those. Also, sorry for any grammar in my author notes here. It's very late, or should I say early, and I have yet to sleep. Anyways, I'm going to be working on fixing up my little blog here for the next few days, so it can be something nice for you guys to look at when you visit. Until next time!