Children of Loss 14

Chapter 14

“So, how was the lesson with Apollo?” Will asked with a grin, Connor snickering behind the blond. Nico groaned and buried his face in his hands. Did they have to share everything? Will chuckled and sat down next to Nico on the couch, slinging an arm around Piper on his other side. It was about time to start another night, and the floor workers were all gathered in the bar room. Surprisingly, Dionysus had been completely quiet. The only thing Nico really noticed, though, was the way Annabeth would glare at Dionysus anytime the man was about to speak.

“It was fine,” Nico mumbled into his palm.

“Really? Nothing revealing happened?” Hazel teased.

Nico sighed and let his head fall back on the couch. “I figured you would have let him take you on the couch, with the way you ogle him,” added Piper with a grin.

“Aw, we all know he really wants Percy,” Connor finished, sticking his tongue out.

“I hate you all,” muttered Nico.

Connor pouted and sat down in Nico's lap, wrapping his arms around Nico's neck. “Aw, Neeks, don't be like that. You love us, don't deny it.”

“I admit nothing.”

Will grinned and poked Nico in his side, making the raven haired boy squirm. “But we love you, Nico,” Will said.

Nico sighed when they seemed to let it go, Connor remaining in his lap. He stared over at Annabeth, the only one yet to speak. She was watching him like a hawk about to take down a mouse. There was something calculating in her eyes, Nico could see it. It made Nico squirm under her gaze, but she refused to ease up.

“Well, let's get to work,” Piper announced, finally pulling Nico's attention from Annabeth's eyes. Connor yanked Nico off the couch, slinging his arm around Nico's neck as they walked out.

Nico moved out from Connor's arm and grabbed a pen and pad, not wanting to waste time. He told himself he was going to get to wait Percy's table before the weekend over, so he had to get it tonight. He casually made his way through the room, quickly stopping at a table close to Percy's vacant booth.

He greeted the middle-aged woman with a bright smile and took her order. It seemed luck was on his side, too, as Percy came into the room just as he was finishing up. He sat down at his table, and before any of the other Lost Kids had a chance at making a move towards him, Nico moved the few steps over to Percy's booth.

“Someone played it smart tonight,” Percy chuckled.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Nico said innocently. Percy chuckled again and leaned back in his booth, resting his arm along the back. “Do you want some everclear?”

Percy tilted his head to the side with a smile. “You remember what I had last weekend?”

Nico nodded. “So?” Nico asked with uncertainty about his previous question.

Percy shook his head. “No, I only drink that when I'm upset.”

Nico blinked at him. “Well, why were you upset last week?”

Percy stared at Nico in silence for a moment. He clicked his tongue once before opening his mouth to speak. “Just get me a Jager Bomb,” Percy told him.

Nico nodded. “Tired?”

“Just something to make sure I stay awake. You'll probably end up on coffee or energy drinks eventually,” Percy said with a smile. “Especially if you make a habit of falling asleep in class.”

“It was just two times,” Nico pouted.

“Still, don't make a habit of it.”

Nico nodded. “So, what perks do I get for being your waiter?” Nico asked, biting his lip seductively.

Percy smirked. “Aw. They grow up so fast,” Percy chuckled. “Well, you can feel free to talk to me when you drop by.”

“Do I get to spend extra time with you, like, sitting with you?”

Percy chuckled again, looking down at the table as he tapped his fingers on the surface. “Well, I don't believe you saw any of the others getting to sit with me. So, what does that tell you?” Percy asked, wagging his eyebrows a single time. Nico sighed, resting his hands on the table to support himself. Percy ran his eyes down Nico's body, curving around to Nico's jutting out backside. He smiled upon returning his eyes to Nico. “You know, perhaps you should wear those more often.”

“I could have them on your bedroom floor, if you prefer?” Nico suggested with a sly smile.

Percy shook his head while chuckling. “You definitely seem to be getting the hang of things.” He licked his lips. “Just remember what I said.”

Nico nodded and walked off, looking up to receive glares from the other Lost Kids. That had gone about as well as he thought it would. He figured they wouldn't be too happy with him, with it being a battle royale to get to Percy's booth.

Nico pushed into the bar room and dropped off his two orders. Dionysus chuckled at Nico. “Got to Percy's table, I take it?” Dionysus asked.

Nico smiled. “I did,” he confessed.

“Well, I'm sure that went over well with the others.”

Nico sighed. “I don't know what their problem with me is. They didn't really do this until about a week ago.”

“Perhaps it would be because you are up here now?” Dionysus offered.

“Why would that matter?”

Dionysus began mixing Percy's drink, humming lightly to himself. “Because, you are a problem for them, just as you are to Percy.”

Nico frowned at the chubby bartender. “What do you mean? I haven't done anything.”

“Ah, well, there's your problem. You haven't done anything.”

Nico groaned. The man wasn't making sense. “Am I supposed to do something in order to fit in?” he asked.

“Oh, you could. I'm sure their rude nature towards you would vanish in a heartbeat.”

“I don't understand. Why does Percy feel the same? He-”

Dionysus cut him off. “Hasn't pushed you away? Hasn't seemed bothered by you? Hasn't seemed distant or cold towards you?” Dionysus glanced at Nico. “No, surely Percy would never be like that with you.”

Nico bit his lip. “How did you know he does that?” Nico asked.

“It's my business to know things, Nico.” He frowned at Nico. “Don't take it to heart, Nico. I'm sure they would just feel horrible if they knew you were getting upset by this. Perhaps they don't realize what they are doing.”

“If I just knew why they were acting like this, perhaps I could fix it.”

“I'm sure if you just let it go, it will fix itself,” Dionysus suggested.

Nico perked up slightly. “Really?”

Dionysus nodded and pushed the tray of drinks at Nico. “I'm very certain that they will handle this on their own.”

“Thanks,” Nico said cheerfully. He smiled at the bartender and picked the tray up. The door swung open in front of him, Hazel coming inside. She stared at Nico for a brief second before walking again. She brushed against Nico's shoulder, making him stumble a little. Nico caught himself, managing to steady the drink, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Oops, I'm sorry, Nico, I wasn't paying attention,” Hazel apologized, a frown gracing her lips.

“Uh, it's fine,” Nico mumbled. He glanced at Dionysus in confusion, but the man just smiled cheerfully back at him. Nico sighed and exited the room. The show had already begun, but he didn't really want to neglect his boss's order, so he didn't look at the stage. He dropped off the woman's drink first. “There you go, ma'am.”

“Thank you. I must say, I don't believe I've seen you up here before,” the woman said, eyeing Nico's exposed chest.

“I'm sort of new,” Nico replied. “Well, if there's anything else, don't hesitate to ask.” Nico winked at the woman and stepped over to Percy's table. Leo had come in and taken a seat at some point while Nico was gone. He was currently rambling to Percy about something on his phone when Nico arrived.

“Oh! Look who beat out the others tonight,” Leo teased.

Percy chuckled and took his drink from Nico. “Thanks, Nico,” spoke Percy. He winked at Nico and lifted his drink to his lips.

“So, I don't think I've asked before, but do I have to discuss hours with you now that I'm up here?” Nico asked.

Percy sat his drink down and cleared his throat. “I don't think you'll have to worry about that quite yet. Besides, I still need to see you on the stage.”

“And then?”

“It's not that important. I'll take care of your schedule, don't worry.”

“Um. Ok?” Nico tilted his head to the side and looked at Leo. “So, do you want anything?” he asked the Latino boy.

“Just a Red Bull for me, some of us actually have to be professional,” Leo teased Percy.

“I have a high alcohol tolerance, thank you very much,” Percy grumbled, taking another drink. Nico nodded and headed over to another table.

When Nico returned to the booth, a man was sitting down with Percy and Leo. He perked up upon seeing Nico and Percy sighed. “Actually, can I change to him?” the man asked, raking his eyes up and down Nico's pale body.

Nico fidgeted under the man's gaze. He looked at Percy, who was tapping his fingers on the table. Nico glanced to Leo, who frowned at Nico. Nico opened his mouth, but Leo shook his head.

Percy cleared his throat. “Well, I think you'd much rather spend some time with one of the other boys,” Percy stated, a blank look on his face.

The man looked back at Nico and frowned. “I don't know, he looks very appealing,” the man tried again.

Percy's eyes darkened. “I really don't think that's what you want. Oh, that reminds me, how is your wife doing again?”

The man paled and cleared his throat. “Oh, perhaps you're right. He's much too...pale for my liking.”

Percy smiled and nodded. He nudged Leo. “Take care of the man, will you?” Percy instructed.

Leo nodded and ushered the man away from the booth. Nico frowned as he sat Leo's drink on the table. “What was that about?” Nico voiced.

Percy shrugged and took another sip of his drink. “Just a business discussion.”

“But you denied him.”

Percy's face hardened as he glanced at Nico from the corner of his eye. “Are you really complaining?” Percy growled.

“No, I didn't mean it like that,” Nico quickly amended.

Percy sighed and sat back in the booth. “It's just how things are handled here, Nico. If I don't want to adhere to a client's request, I simply find a means to deter him from it. Why do you think I have the Lost Kids pull dirt up on people?”

Nico nodded. It made sense, he supposed. “And if they still keep trying?”

Percy stared at Nico, tilting his head slightly to the side. He tapped his fingers in silence as he stared up at Nico. “Perhaps you should get back to work,” Percy ordered.

Nico nodded. “Uh. Just let me know if you need anything else.”

Nico scurried away from Percy's booth. He shook his hands by his sides, trying to calm himself down. That may have been one of the most intimidating experiences he has had with Percy. Nico was right in his assessment yesterday, Percy reminded him of a snake, venomous and deadly.

But, Percy didn't seem much of a violent type. He seemed to handle problems through other means. So, perhaps there was nothing to worry about. He was probably just overreacting. Still, Nico was starting to feel a little intimidated by the young man.

Nico collapsed once he was inside Butch's car, exhausted after a late night and long day at school. He let out a long groan and leaned his seat back as Butch pulled away from the curb. Nico's head felt a little dizzy and his stomach did not feel too good at the moment.

“Rough day?” Butch grunted.

“Yes,” Nico groaned. “I just want a nap.”

“Sorry, you got lessons.”

Nico groaned again. “How do you guys handle this all the time? I was doing ok while at the bar, but the top floor is murder,” Nico whined.

Butch shrugged. “You get used to it. Try coffee, or something.”

“That's what Percy suggested.” Nico's eyes widened as Butch took an unexpected sharp turn. “Wh-What are you doing?” Nico shrieked.

“Going to find you some coffee and energy drinks,” Butch chuckled.

Nico held onto his seatbelt with a death grip the rest of the trip to the store. “I don't think I need it anymore today.”

Butch smirked and ruffled Nico's hair. “You need to learn to live a little, kid,” Butch said as they got out.

“Living implies I'm alive,” Nico replied.

Once inside, Butch led Nico to the coffee and energy drinks. “Any preferences?” Butch asked.

“Uh, I've never had any.”

Butch frowned and looked back at the shelves. With a shrug, he scooped a few of each into his arms and headed to the register. Nico followed behind him, still in mild shock from the driving and Butch's latest action.

“That's a lot,” Nico deadpanned.

“Yes, it's so you can decide what you like,” Butch chuckled.

Butch stepped aside and Nico paid the lady behind the register. Butch smiled and winked at the girl, getting a faint blush from the girl's cheeks. He grabbed the bags, and he and Nico headed back to the car. Butch cranked the car and reached inside one of the bags, handing an iced coffee to Nico.

“Here, try this one,” Butch instructed. “You look like you're about to fall over.”

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled, taking the lid off and taking a sip. His eyes lit up and he drank some more. “This is delicious.”

“Well, we can put French vanilla down on your list.”

They pulled out from the store's parking lot and set off for the hotel, Nico drinking some of his new found love. Taking a sip, he looked over at Butch. “Can I, uh, ask you something?” Nico stuttered, fidgeting with his bottle.

Butch raised an eyebrow, but kept his eyes on the road. “Let me guess, you're going to corner me into telling you about my past?” Butch asked.

Nico pouted. “I haven't cornered anyone.”

“No, but perhaps you shouldn't go asking,” mumbled Butch.

“I just want to get to know everyone better.”

“Well, shouldn't our present be what you're concerned with, not our past?”

Nico frowned. He opened his mouth, but closed it, taking another sip of coffee. “Is there any harm with knowing the past?” He looked over at Butch. “I'd be fine with sharing my past.”

“Well, we already have a vague idea on what happened. We usually all end up on the streets with a horror story, but in this case, those you've already shared a little with have spread it around.”

“Well, that doesn't seem fair,” Nico complained. Butch glanced briefly at Nico. “How come you guys can share info about me, but it's different when I ask?”

Butch tilted his head off to the side in acknowledgment. “I guess you got a point there, kid,” Butch agreed. “The others are right; you're too smart for your own good.”

Nico smiled and sat back, taking another sip with a prideful smile. “So, what about you?” Nico already knew Butch had been raised on the streets, but he also knew that Butch probably wouldn't like the fact that Dionysus had given Nico a glimpse into the young man's past.

Butch squeezed the steering wheel tightly in his grasp, the whites appearing in his knuckles. He let out a long sigh as he continued to watch the road. He took one hand off the wheel and rubbed a hand down his face before glancing at Nico.

“If you really don't want to talk about it-” Nico began, but Butch cut him off.

“I grew up on the streets, like Percy. My mother was a druggie, to put it nicely. We lived in some run down houses while she got her fix. At the time, I didn't really understand where she got the money. It wasn't until much later that I could put the pieces together.” Butch licked his lips. “She wasn't much of a mother, you know? She wasn't warm and loving like you expect a mother to be. She just worried about getting her next dose.”

“What happened?” Nico whispered.

“I got a little older. I took care of myself, for the most part I had to learn to defend myself. I had to resort to stealing, amongst other things, perhaps things I'm not too proud of. But, you got to do what you got to do, right?” Butch's eyebrows furrowed. “I don't know, somewhere in all of that, I just got tired of having to take care of her. I just left one night while she was asleep, hoping to get away from all of that.”

“I'm sorry.”

Butch shrugged. “It was shit. I always had to watch myself, even in the abandoned houses. I freaked out every time I found a needle on the floor. I suppose the fact that she had no regard for my well-being or safety made me come to despise her a little,” Butch explained.

“How did you find Percy?”

“I lived on the streets, by myself, after that. If things had been different for me, I'd like to believe that I would have felt guilty for the stuff I did back then, but I was raised to survive, nothing more. I never even set foot in a school. I picked up speech from my mother and other people. Usually, I just grunted at people.” Butch was quiet for a few moments, until he saw Nico looking at him with concern. “I ran into Percy one day by chance. It seemed I had run into someone he wanted to collect money from. The problem was that I had killed the guy for that money.”

Nico felt himself gulp unconsciously. It sent a chill down his spine to hear that news. When he first arrived at the Lotus, it might have fazed him more, but he was starting to come to terms with how tragic and messed up the Lost Kids' pasts really were.

Butch chuckled. “Normally, I would have probably tried to kill him too, but there was just something about the way Percy carried himself that day that told me I'd be better off if I didn't try. He was completely alone out there in the worst neighborhood in the city, but even back then, I think I knew better,” Butch continued.

“What do you mean?” Nico tilted his head to the side. Percy was intimidating, sure, but what Butch was saying felt weird to Nico.

Butch tapped his finger against the steering wheel as he threw the car into park. “Percy isn't all he seems to be, Nico,” Butch mumbled. “Trust me on that one.” Without another word, Butch got out of the car and headed to the elevator.

Nico got out, grabbing his stuff, and followed after the muscular young man. He frowned at Butch's back as they walked to the elevator in silence, wanting to press the issue, but knowing better than to try. They rode up in an awkward silence, or at least for Nico it was, Butch didn't seem bothered by it at all. That was something slightly odd that Nico found about all of them, they all recovered from bad moods rather quickly.

Butch remained at the elevator while Nico ran to his room to drop off his stuff. Upon his return, he found Butch talking with Octavian and Will, both Lost Boys sporting cheerful faces. Nico greeted them as they all boarded the elevator to descend to the gym.

Nico cleared his throat. “So, Butch, you said you picked up speech from your mother, but you seem to talk fine,” Nico blurted out.

All eyes drew to Nico as the black headed boy waited to hear Butch's answer. “Pushed you into telling your past too, I see?” Octavian mumbled, leaning against the wall of the elevator.

Butch shrugged. “No harm in it. He might as well hear it from the horse's mouth, instead of somewhere else later,” Butch reasoned. He turned to Nico to address the question the dark haired boy laid out for him. “After I got taken in by Percy, he saw to it that I improved on my speech. Couldn't have me running around grunting and sounding like a cavemen to the customers, now could he?”

Nico nodded. Butch turned back around and stared at the door, but Nico kept looking at the taller Lost Boy. It was nice of Percy. He made sure all of them were taken care of upon their arrivals. The elevator door opened and the others stepped out, but Nico's eyes took notice of one detail.

Octavian was limping. Nico felt his face heat up at the realization of what the two blonds had probably been doing before they had come to the elevator. Nico blinked and followed after the three other Lost Boys, his eyes occasionally moving back to Octavian's lower half. He glanced at Will, looking the blond's body over. Will was attractive. Nico would probably say he was the second most attractive of the Lost Boys, Apollo being first, and not including Percy. Percy definitely was the most attractive person in general at the hotel, and probably the most attractive person Nico had ever seen in general.

As luck would have it, the green eyed god was in the room with the others when Nico arrived. He had a bright smile on his face and his eyes were shining in amusement. The other Lost Boys were laughing at something that Percy must have just said before they entered, and Nico found himself wishing he knew what it was. Percy took notice of them as the door closed behind Nico, his smile remaining firmly in place.

“There you are. What took so long?” Percy asked Butch.

“We stopped off and got him some life energy,” Butch replied.

“A hyper Nico,” Travis began.

“Could be an interesting Nico,” Connor finished, both of them grinning at Nico.

Nico tossed them a scowl, walking towards Percy. Which probably wasn't the best move, as he noticed the others shift in their moods. Percy's eyebrows rose at them and he cleared his throat. “So, I need all of you to get this one in shape for Friday,” Percy announced, placing a hand on Nico's shoulder. “Make me proud, and all that.”

“We offer nothing but the best,” Travis purred, leaning his head on Percy's shoulder.

Percy chuckled and ran a hand through the tall brunet's hair. “Oh, I'm well aware of that, Travis,” Percy returned with a wink and a smooch in the brunet's direction. “After that, Nico's to remain here for lessons with Apollo.” Percy pointed a finger at the blond. “I need you to work out a routine for him by Friday. That's what I want you working on him with during your private lessons.”

Apollo nodded, grinning back at the black haired boss. “I'll work him extra hard,” Apollo replied.

“Business,” Percy reminded him. “There's time for personal time later. Although, remember what I said.”

“I remember. We've been playing fair.”

Percy sighed and rolled his eyes. “I know,” Percy droned, “that's why I worry. Now then, Nico, you need to do everything they say, and give it your best.”

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Nico pointed out. Percy smiled.

“He's always gets in a good mood after a big weekend,” Octavian answered.

“More income,” Luke finished for his brother, smirking at Percy.

“And that means a raise for you,” Percy added. He patted Nico's cheek playfully. “So, make me proud.” He grinned at the Lost Boys and made his way out of the room, tossing them a wave over his shoulder.

“Alright, we need to get started,” Apollo announced once the door closed. He grinned at the short pale boy. “We only have a few days to get this taken care of, and you need to be a good dancer and stripper by the time Friday rolls around.”

“Joy,” Nico mumbled.

“If you would prefer we told Percy you weren't up for it...” Beckendorf trailed off, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I didn't say that,” Nico quickly amended. “I'm just sure this will be the most pleasant experience during my time here to date.”

“That's the spirit, Neeks,” the twins chimed, wrapping their arms around Nico's waist.

Nico looked at Apollo. “So, where do we begin?”

“Oh, so eager,” Will purred in Nico's ear, chuckling at the blush that spread onto Nico's cheeks.

Apollo shook his head with a smile. “Anyways, we'll start simple, working with what I showed you the other night. We'll just keep progressing over the days until you are ready. I don't expect absolute perfection in five days, but I do expect you to be able to get the job done by then,” the blond said.

“But Percy said-” Nico began, but Apollo cut him off.

“And I'm not Percy. He's strict with this stuff, you have to understand, but that's how we work. Think of me like the good cop in this situation.” Apollo chuckled. “You'll be fine. I don't expect you to be able to manage getting the customers to drool over you during your first performance, but I need you to be able to handle the performance.”

Nico nodded, slipping his shoes off. He smiled at the blond, getting himself a smirk in return. “So, I won't get in trouble?”

Apollo smiled. “No, you'll be fine.” Apollo tapped his finger to his mouth and glanced at Luke.

Luke rolled his eyes. “He's probably going to nag you about improving, but you won't get in trouble. All he's going to care about is you doing your job,” Luke jumped in.

“There's time for perfection later,” Butch added.

“How awkward is this going to be?” Nico asked, frowning at Apollo.

“This will be fun, Nico,” Octavian grinned.

Nico groaned and let himself be placed in front of the mirror by Beckendorf. “So, we already gave you a little practice last week, and I gave you a quick lesson the other night, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal,” Apollo stated. “Just remember the things I told you.”

Travis started the music and swayed his hips as he made his way over to the group, holding his arms over his head. When the song picked up, the other Lost Boys started moving along with the music. Nico stood there for a moment to watch them in the mirror, becoming mesmerized by their movements.

“You just have to go with the music, Nico,” Will chuckled.

“While keeping it sexual,” added Octavian.

Nico nodded, following along with the group as they ran their hand down their chest, though, his came out a little awkward. Luke rolled his eyes and grabbed Nico's hand, guiding it slowly down Nico's chest. “Move it slower and more sensually,” Luke instructed. Nico nodded, unable to meet the intense blue eyes staring at him.

He had realized that that was one of his problems. They could reduce him to a blushing pile of mush just by uttering a few words and looking at him. How was that even fair? It was frustrating, but Nico didn't know what to do.

Once he had the hang of it, Luke released his hand, letting the raven haired boy do it himself. The Lost Boys swiped their hand around the back of their head, messing their hair up a little in the process of the action. One by one, they each reached for the hems of their shirts, slowly raising them up to expose their torsos. Nico licked his lips, averting his eyes from the mirror in order to keep himself from staring at the skin. He raised his own shirt over his head and let it fall to the ground with the others.

The Lost Boys started to shake their hips when the song hit a series of quick beats. Nico groaned in frustration, placing his head in his hands. “Calm down, you'll get the hang of it. Just watch and try to imitate,” Butch assured him.

Nico sighed and nodded. He looked back at the mirror, watching as others. His eyes seemed to linger on their hips, drawn in by the shaking movement they were performing. It was an enticing movement, to say the least.

Nico got down on the ground with the rest of them, propping himself up on his hands. He blushed as he rolled his hips as the others did, receiving many grins from the other Lost Boys. Will in particular caught Nico's eye, the blond wagging his eyebrows as he rolled on top of Nico, settling between the pale boy's legs. He rolled his hips against Nico, making Nico's face heat up even more.

He began to shift away, but Will grabbed him. “Just go with it, Nico,” Apollo instructed. “You'll have to learn sooner or later.”

“Besides, we need to break this feeling of uncomfortableness you seem to have with the rest of us pressing against you,” Luke mumbled.

Nico groaned, Will still smirking above him. “Relax, Nico. This stuff is enjoyable, once you get comfortable with it,” the blond chuckled.

Nico blew out a breath as Will continued to move against him. He glanced at Apollo from the corner of his eye. “How long do I have to do this?” he asked.

Apollo shrugged. “Until you break out of that shell of yours,” Apollo replied with a grin.

Nico pouted and looked back at Will. “Am I that bad, Nico?” Will purred into Nico's ear. Nico felt his cheeks blush once more and he shook his head. “Do you like it?”

Nico bit his lip to keep a moan in, feeling Will's cock press against his ass. Will chuckled at him, knowing he was driving the smaller boy insane. Nico glared up at him and decided to try and turn the tables. He tightened his legs around Will's waist and wrapped his arms around Will's neck, using it as leverage to pull himself up against Will's thrusts.

The action caught Will off-guard at first, his eyes widening at Nico, but he soon recovered, his smirk once again returning. “That's better,” he chuckled.

“Your job is to entice the audience through action,” Octavian pointed out. “Use whatever you can at your disposal.”

“Your body is your greatest weapon in this profession,” Travis continued.

This awkward experience for Nico continued for about an hour before Apollo dismissed the Lost Boys. He smiled at Nico as the others filed out of the room, leaving them alone. Apollo ran a hand through his hair as he circled Nico. “Not bad,” the blond stated. “We still have a lot of work, but not bad.”

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled, rubbing his arm.

“Now it's time for more one-on-one time, which means more touching.”

“Yay,” Nico droned.

Apollo chuckled and stepped up behind Nico. “You seemed to enjoy it the other night,” he whispered in Nico's ear, causing Nico to shudder.

“So, what are we going to be doing during the private lessons?”

Apollo blew out a puff of air. “I'll just be giving you more attention. What we just did was more for you to watch us. This is for me to work on you. So, basically, I'm going to be watching you put the skills we've taught you to work.”

Nico nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. “Ok.”

Apollo pat him on the back. “Don't look so nervous, Nico, I'm just trying to help. I promise not to make it hard on you. I won't laugh, I swear,” Apollo said seriously.

Nico took a deep breath and nodded at the blond. Apollo gave him a bright smile in return, taking a seat a few feet away. “So, I just begin?” Nico asked.

“Whenever you're ready.”

Nico nodded again. He began by moving his hips and sliding his hands up his thighs. “So, am I going to be able to do what you do?” Nico asked as he continued to move.

“What do you mean?”

“You just perform differently than the others. You have an air of grace about you.”

Apollo smiled. “That's just from my dance lessons.”

“Are you going to go professional?” Nico asked.

Apollo frowned and shook his head. “No, I don't really want to ruin my feet,” he said, making himself put on a smile. “That's why I don't do the toe stands very much. I try to keep it simple.”

Nico nodded, sliding his hand up his chest. “What about Thalia?”

“She takes a ballet class with me in order to perform with me on the big weekends. It's something fun for us to do and bond over.” Apollo chuckled. “I had to force her to take the courses with me originally. As you can probably tell, she's not a girly girl. She's warmed up to it, though.”

“So, I won't be able to do that stuff?”

Apollo scrunched his lips. “Well, you could always take some classes, but I don't know when you would have time. I could teach you a little, but it's a lot of work. I'd suggest just sticking with basics. You need to find your own style. Don't worry about trying to be like one of the rest of us,” Apollo suggested.

Nico nodded, bending over, but keeping his vision on the blond in the chair. From time to time, Apollo would stand up and walk over to Nico, correcting something about his posture or a move the pale boy had just made. Nico would nod and fix whatever it was the blond pointed out. Apollo smiled at him and returned to his chair after each thing was fixed, waiting until he noticed something else to repeat the process.

After about another hour of that, Apollo dismissed him. Nico frowned at the blond as he slipped his shoes back on. The blond sat in the chair, staring off into space, having become oblivious to Nico's presence after dismissing him.

Apollo ran a hand through his hair, resting it in his golden locks, and tilted his head to look at Nico. “You should hurry, you need to eat before work,” Apollo whispered.

Nico chewed on his lip and nodded, not certain what to say to the blond adonis. He pushed the door open and headed back to the elevator, pulling out his phone on the way. He called down to the kitchen to place an order for room service to deliver for him and rode up to his room in utter silence.

Something felt weird all of a sudden, and Nico couldn't quite place it. Ever since Friday, something had just seemed to begin to feel wrong. Apollo's demeanor just then had especially concerned Nico. He was always cheerful. The only time Nico had really seen him depressed had been their day at the beach, when Nico had talked to him about his past.

He exited the elevator and made his way to his room, passing Butch and Beckendorf's room on the way. The door was open and the two roommates stood in the middle of their living room with the twins, all of them falling quiet at the sight of the black headed boy. Nico made his way passed the doorway, glancing down at the ground as he finished walking to his door.

Once inside, he sat back on the couch and turned the TV on. That was another thing that had been bothering him since the weekend began. The Lost Kids were being blunter in this sense of distaste for Nico. The glares, stares, and hurtful words were there more often. Nico wasn't sure what he had done, but obviously he had done something to offend them.

 It was like they were watching and waiting for something. But what? Was Nico supposed to do something? Some sort of initiation? Obviously he had missed the memo if that were the case. It felt a little unfair that they acted like this and wouldn't tell him what the problem was, or what they were waiting on. There was not much he could do, though. He would just have to take Dionysus's advice and let it sort itself out.