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.