Children of Loss 24

Chapter 24

Nico forced a spoonful of mashed potatoes down his throat, trying to avoid Daedalus's watchful eyes. The brunet had been staring at him a lot since they sat down for lunch. Although, it was still better than the looks he was getting from Kelli and Tammi. Nico really didn't understand why they sat with them if they hated him.

“So, how long is Jason supposed to be out of school?”

Nico choked on his potatoes. “Um, possibly another week or two.” He grabbed his drink and washed down the food. “He's pretty sick.”

Tammi pouted. “Poor Jason. Maybe we should drop by and check on him.”

Nico fought the urge to groan. If there really was a god, he must hate Nico at the moment. Luckily, Kelli seemed to be on his side. The girl rolled her eyes. “I'd prefer not to catch what he has. Besides, you probably just want to get into his pants, again.”

Tammi flipped her hair over her shoulder with a huff. Daedalus rolled his eyes and turned back to Nico. “But he's okay, right?” He asked in a lowered voice.

The brown-eyed boy nodded. “Yeah, the doctor said he just needed rest. A lot of rest. And he doesn't need to get visitors.” Nico groaned as everyone looked at him weird. He was nervous, he couldn't help it.

Percy would kill him if he exposed the hotel. And knowing what he knew now, he didn't rule out the possibility of that statement being completely accurate. Even if everyone had been making the point that he shouldn't fear that Percy would hurt him, the fear still remained. It wasn't as prominent when Percy was actually there, smiling and being charming, but it haunted his mind when distant from the young man.

Nico sighed and looked back at the brunet across from him. “So, can I ask you a favor, Daedalus?”

The brunet shrugged and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Sure, if I can ask you a personal question.”

The short raven haired boy furrowed his brow. He wasn't sure if he was going to like this question. “Um, sure, I guess.” He clicked his tongue. “So, you know I'm taking Microeconomics, right?”

“I think you mentioned something about it before.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “Would you mind helping me? I think I might need a tutor.”

Daedalus chuckled and took a bite of his spaghetti. “I was actually surprised you were in there. Taking it early?” He scratched his head. “Why are you even taking it if it's giving you trouble?”

Nico shrugged innocently. “Percy set up my schedule here. I guess he figured I could handle it.”

The brunet sighed. “Well, you are a smart kid. But, sure, if you need some help, I'd be glad to help you out,” he said with a smile.

Nico brightened. “Great! So, what was it you wanted to ask me?”

Daedalus pursed his lips, twisting his fork around in his food. “Actually, it's good that you mentioned Percy, since it's about him.”

The raven haired boy bit down on his lip, nearly drawing blood. This wasn't going to be good. “What about him?” He asked hesitantly.

The taller youth tapped a finger on the lunchroom table while he stared at Nico. The others had, thankfully, distracted themselves with their own conversation. “Didn't you tell me you had a crush on someone named Percy?”

Nico felt his heart stop for a second, his blood running cold. This wasn't good at all. If this got back to Bianca...

“I, uh, might have said something like that,” Nico chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Daedalus blinked at him with a frown. “Does he know? Isn't that a little unprofessional?” He let out a sigh. “I just want to be better aware of things. After my last slip up, I don't need to mess up with your sister any more.”

Nico pursed his lips. “Percy's been nice to me. There's nothing to worry about.” Not really anyways, Nico thought. “And, yes, he knows I like him.” Nico poked at his food. “But I know nothing is going to come of it. It's just a harmless crush.”

The brunet nodded, some light reflecting in his glasses. “He hasn't been...inappropriate with you, has he?”

Nico, who had tried to take a drink, nearly choked. “No,” he hissed. He wanted to curse himself for having to lie. But it was for the best. Bianca definitely did not need to learn about what went on between Percy and Nico. If she ever found out about that, or what Percy had Nico doing for a job, she would flip her shit.

Daedalus eyed him carefully, apparently not convinced. “If something ever happens that you're not comfortable with, you should tell me. Your sister is a little worried about you living there.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “She's overreacting. There's nothing to worry about.”

Daedalus arched his brow. “Besides the place being run by kids?” He chuckled and shook his head. “Sounds like something someone should write a book about.”

Nico's eyes darted off to the side. If only he knew the half of it. Nico shrugged his shoulders. “Don't worry about me, I'm fine. And Bianca worries too much, she always has.”

The rest of lunch moved by rather quickly for Nico. Before he knew it, he was sitting in his last class of the day. Cal had glared at him when he had entered, but had kept quiet, much like he had been doing ever since Luke broke his nose. His class had been calm and normal, until the intercom turned on.

“Yes, can Nico di Angelo come up to the principal's office,” came a high pitched, nasally voice. It was obviously a male attempting to mask their voice as a woman. The voice snorted, trying to hide laughter. Nico's brow furrowed as he heard whispering in the background. “Yes, he's been terribly naughty and needs to come here at once.”

There was scrambling as a second voice came over the intercom. “What do you two think you are doing? I told you to wait right here-” Apparently the secretary turned off the intercom, because that was all that was heard.

The teacher blinked up at the ceiling, staring at the speaker in confusion. “Um, I guess you need to go to the principal's office, Nico,” she said.

There was some small laughter and whispers as Nico rose out of his desk and left the room. What the hell was going on? He slung his backpack onto his shoulder as he walked down the hall. He reached his destination and opened the door, his eye twitching as he saw who was waiting for him.

The secretary, who had sounded annoyed on the intercom, was now blushing and waving a hand in front of her face. The Stoll twins stood on the other side of the counter, smiling at her flirtatiously. Nico smacked his face and slid his hand down it.

“What are you two doing here?”

The two brunets turned around and smiled their signature Cheshire cat smile. “There he is,” Travis beamed.

The secretary cleared her throat upon noticing Nico. “Now then, you two need to behave yourselves. No more pulling stunts like that.”

Connor leaned on his brother's shoulder and smiled innocently at her. “We were just having a bit of fun.”

Travis winked at her before pushing his brother and Nico out the door. “Have fun at school today, Neeks? We thought we'd break you out early.”

Nico turned his head slightly to frown at the older twin. “Why do I have a feeling that Percy didn't approve this?”

Connor shrugged his shoulders, a huge grin on his face. “We won't tell if you won't. Besides, Percy is used to us doing stuff like this.”

Travis nodded his head in agreement. “He practically told us to do it when he asked us to pick you up.”

Connor grinned wickedly at his brother. “I couldn't agree with you more.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I swear, you two are a lot of trouble.”

The twins shrugged. “All the best and most interesting people are,” Travis retorted.

Connor's grin was replaced by a small smile. Nico's dark brown eyes drifted down to the twins' hands. Connor brushed his fingers against Travis's, attempting to hold his hand. Travis's eyes darted from his brother's to look around at their surroundings. He pulled his hand away and turned his head away from Connor. The younger twin frowned at his brother and sighed, but didn't say anything.

Upon arriving at their car, Nico slipped into the back, letting Connor sit up front with his brother. Were they going to start fighting again? Connor didn't seem to be angry, just upset. Maybe a little hurt. Travis adjusted the radio as he pulled away from the school.

The slightly taller brunet inched his fingers over to touch his brother's, which were resting on the side of the seat. Connor looked over at his brother, who was still watching the road. The younger twin rolled his blue eyes and hooked their pinkies together, letting their hands rest in between them.

Nico stared at the two of them in wonder. He really was starting to wonder if the two of them were really putting on an act, or if they really did have feelings for each other. The lines felt blurred. He couldn't distinguish what was an act and what was real with them.

Nico's eyes darted up to spot Travis watching him in the rearview mirror. His brow furrowed as he stared at Nico. The raven haired boy quickly looked away, feeling like he was intruding on something. He didn't really understand what was going on, but from what he had already gathered, neither twin seemed willing to open up about their situation.

Nico sat down on the edge of the stage. Will sat down beside him, handing him a towel. The brown-eyed boy smiled at him and began wiping the sweat from his face. Monday had gone uneventfully at the hotel, which somewhat surprised Nico. But, at the end of the night, Apollo had approached Nico about doing a number with him, Will, and Connor on Friday.

Will turned to him after taking a swig from his water bottle. “So,” he began.

Nico arched an eyebrow at the blond. “So?”

Will smiled. “I was wondering if you wanted to do another number, with just me.”

The shorter of the two shrugged. “Sure. Anything I need to know?”

Will's smile turned into a grin, his eyes roaming up and down Nico's body. “Just that you need to wear that schoolboy costume again for the number.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at the blond. “Why do I have the feeling I'm going to hate this?”

“Probably because he's going to molest you.”

They both looked up as Thalia approached the stage. Nico blinked at her. “What's up?”

Thalia tilted her head to the side. “You need to come with me,” she replied.

Nico frowned and jumped off of the stage, tossing his towel back for Will to catch. “Where are we going?” Nico asked as they descended the stairs.

Thalia turned her head to wink at Nico. “Well, for starters, we need to get you into some fresh clothes. After that, we're going to run you over to see Aphrodite. You need to be decked out for Christmas next month.”

Nico let out a groan as they stood in the elevator. “Great,” he mumbled.

He could only imagine what the crazy blonde woman would try to outfit him in. Although, she had given him a good costume for Halloween. One that had drawn Percy's attention. So, maybe this could work in his favor.

Once on their floor, Nico and Thalia entered his room. The Lost Girl glanced down the hall with a frown. “I guess my brother is asleep?”

Nico shrugged. “He's been pretty quiet since Saturday.”

Thalia nodded her head and sat down on the couch. “Hurry up and get changed, we only have so long before we need to be back for work.”

Five minutes later, Nico emerged from the bathroom, freshened up and in clean clothes. Thalia smirked at him as she stood up and dragged him out the door by his arm. As they were closing his door, Ethan stepped out of his suite. Thalia's eyes lit up.

“Ethan!” The girl yelled.

The Asian boy cringed and froze. “What do you want, Thalia?” He mumbled.

The girl attempted to sling her arm around him, although she could barely reach his shoulders, but he stepped away from her. The girl frowned at him. “So, I was hoping for a favor. You see, Esperanza is still working on my car, and we need to go shopping for Nico, so I was hoping you could help us out. That way, I don't have to get a taxi.”

Ethan let out a long breath. “Must I? I wanted to enjoy myself before going to work.”

Thalia batted her eyelashes at him, but Ethan didn't seem to be taken in by her charms. He did roll his eye, though. “Whatever. I need to go shopping for Butch's birthday anyways.”

Nico blinked. Why hadn't it ever occurred to him that he should find out when everyone's birthday was? He felt a little guilty about this. They were supposed to be his family, and he hadn't even thought to ask. “I, uh, suppose I need to go shopping for him as well,” he mumbled.

Thalia grinned. “Then it's settled.” She clapped Ethan on the back. “Thanks, Ethan.”

The Asian rolled his eye and grunted his response. The short girl winked at Nico before following the tall Lost Boy towards the elevator. Nico cleared his throat as they stood in the elevator. “I, um...” He frowned to himself. “So, I sort of need to-”

“Ask us about our birthdays?” Thalia chuckled. “It's cool, Nico. Leo and Rachel send out memos in our emails for these things. Not all of us can keep up with everyone's birthdays.” She shrugged. “But it's good that people like Ethan can remember, that way we can take care of shopping early.”

“I swear, if that woman touches me...” Ethan trailed off, fiddling with the keys in his hands.

Thalia waved him off. “Don't mind him.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “I don't really know what to get Butch.” He looked between Ethan and Thalia. “When is his birthday?”

Ethan stared at him with a bored expression. “The fifteenth.” The taller Lost Boy shrugged, stifling a yawn. “Just get him a gift card, or something.”

Thalia rolled her eyes. “What a completely guy thing to say.” She turned to Nico. “I'll help you find something, Nico.”

Nico smiled at her as they exited the elevator. Ethan clicked a button on his keychain to unlock his car. It was a rather nice looking black sports car, though, since Nico didn't know cars that well, he couldn't tell anything else really about it. Thalia let him slide into the front, while she climbed into the back.

Nico made a face as Ethan turned the volume up to near deafening levels as they pulled out of the parking garage. He traveled through a lot of stations before giving up and plugging in his phone to listen to his own music. Ethan liked rock music, or it seemed that way from the selection he had on his phone. All Nico knew was that every song that Ethan had was loud. Very loud.

They didn't talk the entire way to Aphrodite's Boutique, but perhaps that was the way Ethan had wanted it. Ethan parked the car and turned off the ignition. He stared at Thalia through the rearview mirror. “Well, here you are.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You can come in, you know.”

The Asian narrowed his brown eye at her. “I'd rather not.”

Thalia chuckled as she got out of the car. Without warning, she slung Ethan's door open and dragged him out of the car. “Come on, have a little fun once in a while.”

“There's a difference between fun and torture, Thals,” Ethan muttered as they crossed the street.

As they opened the door, they found the skinny figure of Aphrodite behind the counter, flipping through a magazine of half-naked men. She looked up from her magazine with a bored expression, though it quickly changed to excitement upon noticing them.

“There you are!” She exclaimed. She shimmied her way out from behind the counter. “So, I hear you are in need of some Christmas attire for little Nico here.” She winked one of her green eyes at the raven haired boy. “And I take it that your costume went over well with the boss?”

“I'm going to be sick,” Ethan groaned.

Aphrodite's bright green eyes drifted past Nico, to stare at the Asian Lost Boy. “Well, well, Ethan, it's been a while.”

Ethan narrowed his eye at her. “Not long enough.”

The blonde bit down on her cherry red lip and walked over to Ethan. “Still as grumpy as ever.” She smiled and ran a perfectly manicured nail down his chest.

Ethan's one good eye looked murderous as he grabbed Aphrodite's wrist and flung it away. “What have I told you about touching me?” He growled.

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. “Life of the party as always, Ethan.” She cleared her throat. “Now then, shall we find you something adorable to wear?”

Nico stared at her in annoyance. “I don't want to be some cute and adorable thing.”

The blonde tapped a finger to her lips. “What about some cute Santa shorts?” She walked farther into the store, mumbling to herself. “Maybe a hat to go along with it.”

While Aphrodite began roaming around the store, searching for anything that she thought might suit Nico, Thalia began poking around on the girls' side of the store. Nico arched an eyebrow at her. Having been in this business a month now, he still wasn't comfortable enough to casually browse around this place like it was a clothing store.

He glanced to his left, his eyes narrowing at a small piece of cloth with an elephant over the crotch area. It even had a trunk. Nico squeezed it and it made a squeaking sound. He let out a sigh before looking around the store. Ethan had moved over to a corner, where he stood with his arms over his chest.

“Hey,” Nico said quietly, approaching the other Lost Boy.

“Sup, little man?”

Nico let his fingers trail along the items of a nearby rack as he walked around the area Ethan stood. “So, you know Aphrodite? It sounded like you two knew each other.”

Ethan scratched at his head with a frown. “Something like that.” His dark brown eye roamed over to where Aphrodite was, narrowing at the sight of her. “I think she had a lot to do with me swapping professions.” He shook his head. “I don't have time to deal with people like her.”

Nico stopped moving and turned back around to face Ethan. “You used to strip?”

The taller Lost Boy brushed his thumb across his lip. “Yeah, for a little while. Not very long. Percy ended up swapping me out.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Why? You're...attractive.”

Ethan chuckled. “Thanks, little man.” He sighed and uncrossed his arms, leaning back to prop himself up with the wall. “Nah, Percy just saw that I wasn't cut out for the job.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “But then again, I wasn't supposed to flip clients over my head.”

Nico's eyes widened. “You...flipped a customer over your head? Why?”

Thalia turned her head at the sound of Nico's raised voice. Ethan frowned and waved his hand at her, signaling to her that everything was fine. He let out a sigh. “I didn't like them touching me.”

Nico took a step back. “Oh.”

Ethan chuckled, lighting up his features from his usual moody appearance. “No, you're fine. It's a little more complicated than that,” he explained.

The pale boy nodded. “Was Percy...mad?” Nico asked, barely above a whisper.

Ethan clicked his tongue, pressing his shoulder to the wall. “Maybe a little annoyed, but Percy is a man of patience.” The Lost Boy chuckled. “Clarisse said he actually laughed when he saw it on the video tape, before they came into the room.”

“What happened?”

The Asian young man shrugged. “The customer was upset, but mostly she was stunned. She wasn't stupid enough to press charges or anything, but Percy did offer to pay for her hospital visit.”

Nico blinked in surprise. “It was a woman?”

Ethan nodded, arching an eyebrow. “Yeah, why?”

“You did that to a woman?” Nico hissed.

Ethan nodded again. “What, are you going to complain about it? Clarisse and I have had to get physical with women in our jobs, you know.” He lifted his hands in a shrug. “For all their talk of feminism and equality, women still find it appalling if a man hits her, or something. They hit and abuse men, and it's just looked over, for the most part.” He rolled his good eye. “How is any of that equal?”

Nico's brow furrowed as he opened and closed his mouth, not really sure how to respond to that. He had never really given it any thought. His mother had just always drilled into his head what it meant to be a gentleman.

A hand was placed on Nico's shoulder. The shorter boy turned his head to stare at a smiling Thalia. “Is he on another rant on women?” She chuckled. She let out a dramatic sigh. “Ethan, you're going to take away all hope that he might ever come around to liking vagina.”

Both Ethan and Nico made a face at that. “We can only hope,” Ethan muttered.

Thalia grinned at him. “Come on, Nico, we need you to try some stuff on.”

When they neared the dressing rooms, they found Aphrodite already trying to fill up one with holiday apparel. Thalia shook her head. Nico looked at the Lost Girl with pleading eyes. He really didn't want to have to go through this horror again.

Thalia rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Aphrodite, but we're on a bit of a tight schedule today.”

Aphrodite came back out of the dressing room with a pout, a bell collar and antlers in her hands. “Damn,” she muttered. “Fine, fine. I did put some things in there. Go ahead and take a look, Nico.”

Nico quickly slipped past the blonde woman and closed the door behind him. He looked around the dressing room with a frown. Some things? How much did she consider a lot? The bench and chair had both been piled with clothes and accessories. He sighed and began sifting through everything.

“How much stuff do I need?” Nico called through the door.

“A few things, but make sure you get enough to cover for all three positions. You could end up working bar, so you should find something family friendly,” Thalia called back. “Maybe five or six outfits? You'll do several stage numbers if you end up stripping, so prepare for that.”

Nico sighed as he dropped an elf costume on the ground. He supposed it was decent enough to be worn at the bar. Nico held up a nutcracker costume and tilted his head to the side. This one wasn't so bad, and he could probably wear it on either the stage or at the bar.

As he was stripping himself, the door swung open and Thalia slipped inside. “What the hell?” Nico yelped.

Thalia waved a hand dismissively at him. She sat down on an empty chair. “Figured we could make this faster if I sat in here.”

Nico quickly finished getting the nutcracker pants on before glaring at her. “I don't know how I feel about this.”

Thalia tilted her head to the side, a smirk on her face. “What, the customers can stare at you, but one of your own can't?” She rolled her eyes before crossing her legs, in an unrefined manner. “I've seen all the other boys' junk, Nico, it's not something I haven't seen.”

“Unfortunately for you, I don't have to get naked.”

Thalia arched an eyebrow and waved a red speedo at him. It had a black line at the top, designed to look like a belt, and white fur around the leg holes. Nico narrowed his eyes at her and snatched them out of her hands. “I can try those on later.”

The Lost Girl rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever.” Her eyes flashed dangerously as Nico held up a skimpy looking Santa outfit. There was no shirt, only suspenders to place on his shoulders. The shorts probably wouldn't reach very far down Nico's thighs, but that was probably the point. “Try it on.”

Nico sighed and got out of the nutcracker costume, depositing it on the floor. He shimmied his hips into the tight shorts, frowning at his reflection in the mirror. He covered his crotch, afraid that something might fall out of his briefs and the shorts.

Thalia spun him around, and Nico turned his head to look at his backside in the mirror. The shorts clung to his rear very tightly, but complemented his ass. Thalia smirked and placed a Santa hat on top of Nico's head. The pale boy turned back around, where Thalia popped his suspenders. Nico glared at her.

“I like it,” the Lost Girl said with a smile.

Nico slid the suspenders off of his shoulders, his lips tilting down. “What's up with Ethan?”

Thalia frowned from where she was sitting, trying to sort through some outfit options. “What do you mean?”

“Does he not like being touched?”

She sighed and pursed her lips. “It's just one of those things, Nico. Complicated.” She tossed some things aside. “He has some issues, just like the rest of us do.” She looked up at Nico with a serious expression. “Just please don't go bluntly asking him about his past, like you do with some of us.”

Nico frowned as he slipped on another outfit. “That bad?”

“Yeah,” Thalia whispered. Her brow furrowed.

“So, is he gay?”

Thalia clicked her tongue and tossed a small hat at Nico's face. “Something like that.”

It took nearly half an hour after that before Nico convinced Thalia that he had enough things. As they were being checked out by Aphrodite, the woman sighed. “I suppose I won't be seeing you again until Valentine's Day, little Nico.”

Thalia slung an arm around his shoulders. “Unless we need to get him some more outfits.”

“I can only hope,” Nico said sarcastically.

Aphrodite clapped her hands together. “Don't worry, Nico, I'll find you something super adorable to wear for my favorite holiday.”

“Oh god, please don't.”

The woman smirked to herself as she slipped Nico's receipt into his bag. She winked at Ethan as he grabbed one of Nico's bags. The Asian made a face and flipped her off. “See, that wasn't so bad,” Thalia mused as they exited the building.

“I think I lost a few years off my life,” Ethan grumbled. He cracked his neck and unlocked his car. “At least it's over and we can go shopping for Butch.”

They had barely buckled up before Ethan shot out of the small parking lot. Nico's eyes widened as Ethan zoomed around some cars. Thalia, on the other hand, looked perfectly calm as she messed around with her phone.

It took nearly fifteen minutes of bickering before Thalia and Ethan could decide on a good store to try. Finally, Ethan caved and pulled up to a store that Thalia had picked out. They all got out and Thalia slipped some quarters into the parking meter. The doors slid open as they walked in, and both Lost Boys were dragged into the store by the Lost Girl.

Ethan and Thalia found something for Butch rather easily, but Nico was having a hard time with it. He suddenly felt like he knew nothing about Butch, and perhaps he didn't. He sighed heavily as he looked around the shelves in front of him.

“Problem?” Thalia voiced, stepping up beside Nico.

“I don't know what to get,” Nico confessed. He blew out another breath. “Is it going to be like this for everyone?”

Thalia shrugged. “Maybe. Leo's birthday is at the end of the month, so get ready to relive this.”

Nico groaned. “When is Percy's birthday anyways?”

The Lost Girl chuckled at him and ruffled his hair. “Figures you'd want to know that.” She shrugged her shoulders. “You actually just missed it before you got here.” She grinned wider when Nico frowned. “Yep, just a few weeks prior to your arrival, the eighteenth of August.”

Nico pursed his lips and continued looking around the store. Thalia finally smiled and picked up a box, handing it to Nico. His brow furrowed as he looked at the box. “This? It's a set of horse bookends.”

Thalia nodded. “Yeah. Butch loves horses.”

The raven haired boy waved the box in front of her face. “But bookends?”

She shrugged. “He likes to read.” The girl chewed on her lip as the began walking again. “I mean, he didn't get the chance to read very much growing up. So, when Percy helped him learn, he sort of made it his hobby. He loves them, and comics. He just likes to read.”

Nico slowly nodded and clutched the box closer to himself. Perhaps this was a good present then. Ethan was waiting for them at the front of the store to check out. “Can we go home now?” Ethan grumbled as the checkout girl finished up with Thalia's purchase. She smiled flirtatiously at both of the Lost Boys, but Ethan seemed to ignore her.

Thalia rolled her eyes before thanking the clerk. They walked out of the store and made their way back over to Ethan's car. “You should get out more,” Thalia sighed, sliding into her seat.

Ethan turned around to place his purchase into the seat beside Thalia, making sure to sneer at the girl as he did so. “I'm happier at the hotel.”

Nico walked into the Lotus on Friday, having been dropped off by his sister. He stopped when he spotted Percy sitting in one of the lounge areas with that young man that Nico had seen with Clarisse the other day. Chris? Percy was discussing something with him.

Nico hadn't seen much of Percy over the past week, and he really didn't know why. It didn't feel like the young man was avoiding Nico. But he had, maybe, managed to see the manger three times during the entire week. And only brief moments.

Nico walked over to them hesitantly. He never knew when he might be stumbling on something secret with the people around here. But Percy just smiled at him and signaled to him that it was okay to approach. He tugged on one of Nico's belt loops when the brown-eyed boy was close enough, yanking Nico down on the couch beside him.

“Nico, this is Chris,” Percy introduced them.

Chris smiled at Nico. “We've met.”

Percy tilted his head to the side and looked at Nico, who nodded. “Yeah, a few days ago, when Clarisse was taking me to school.”

Percy's lips tilted up as his green eyes darted back over to Chris, who ducked his head. “Is that so?” Percy said with a grin.

Chris shrugged. “Just talking.”

Percy slowly nodded his head. “Of course. So you've said before.”

Chris just rolled his eyes and leaned across the space between the couches to shake Nico's hand. “Still, it's nice to formally meet, Nico. We didn't get much a introduction last time.” He leaned back and smiled. “Chris Rodriguez.”

Nico nodded. “Why aren't you a Lo-”

Percy's hand was clapped over Nico's mouth, a charming smile on his lips. “Chris was very fortunate to not have to endure a life on the streets.” He shot Nico a look to keep his mouth shut.

Nico nodded and Percy took his hand away. Chris eyed them funny. “Yeah. It really sucks that some of my co-workers weren't as fortunate,” he replied casually.

Percy rested his elbow on the arm of the couch, dropping his cheek onto his fist. “Chris works under Clarisse and Ethan for my security team, and he's been helping me keep an eye on Jason when I'm busy.”

Chris smiled and stood up. “Speaking of which, I guess I need to go do that. Thanks again for offering me a promotion, Percy. I'll think it over and get back to you.”

Percy nodded and Chris walked off. He slid an arm around Nico's shoulders, his eyes drifting closed. “You need to watch your mouth.” He smirked. “There are staff members in this hotel that don't know about the top floor, you know.”

Nico pursed his lips and nodded. “Sorry, it won't happen again.” He turned his head to watch Chris board an elevator. “What kind of promotion is he getting?”

Percy opened his eyes and looked down at Nico. “I was thinking about exposing him to what really goes on around here. But, that's his call. Clarisse and Ethan need some more help, and I think he's a good man for the job,” the manager explained. He let out a long breath. “Perhaps certain Lost Kids won't be happy about it, but I feel it's a good call.”

Nico tilted his head to the side as he stared up at Percy. “Who would complain?”

A smirk crept onto Percy's lips. He leaned in closer, until Nico could feel the young man's breath on his face. “Don't worry yourself over that,” Percy whispered. He leaned back and smiled. “How was school?”

“Boring, as always. Daedalus has started to tutor me in Microeconomics.” Nico scratched his cheek. “I'm going to go over to his house next Sunday for tutoring.”

Percy smiled. “Good. I'm glad to hear that you're taking the initiative on keeping your grades up.” He ran his middle finger along Nico's thigh. “Also, I look forward to your performances tonight. I hear they will be quite interesting.”

Nico rolled his eyes with a smile. “Maybe you should get a private show.”

Percy chuckled. “Maybe another time.” Percy grunted as his phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared at Leo's name on the screen. “Yeah? What's up?” He patted Nico on his thigh before standing up. “Yeah, I asked her to drop by today. I wanted to make sure she was okay for the party.” The green-eyed young man rubbed at his eyes, stifling a yawn. “Okay, I'll be right up.” He hung up the phone before sliding it back into his pocket.

“Business calls?” Nico asked, arching a brow.

The young man smirked at him. “You're learning.” He bent down so that he was at eye level with Nico. “I'll see you later tonight.”

Nico waited until Percy had gotten on an elevator before standing up. He slung his backpack onto his back before heading over to the elevator himself. But, before he reached the elevators, he decided to change course.

He made his way through the hotel, until he reached the door to the outside bar. He was hoping that Ganymede was working. He had wanted to ask the bartender about something that he needed answered. And, to his luck, the dirty haired blond was standing in the small cabana, clad in a grey and white striped tank top.

But, before Nico could make his way over to the cabana, Leo flagged him down. The short Latino was sitting at a small table with his mother. He stepped over to their table, having been noticed by Ganymede by this point. The ex-Lost Boy smirked at Nico as he worked on someone's order.

“Hey there,” Nico said.

Esperanza smiled at him. “Come, mijo, sit.”

Leo frowned as he sucked on his smoothie. “Mom, he's probably busy.”

The woman frowned and offered Nico a chair. “Nonsense. Come, sit, sit.”

Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, guess I can spare a few minutes.”

He turned his head to look at Ganymede, who had his head propped up on his palm. He watched Nico in amusement, probably suspecting why Nico was there. That, or Nico was giving him the wrong impression. And in this place, the latter was probably the more likely.

“So, Nico,” Esperanza began, her accent coming out quite thickly, “Leo tells me you've found your sister again.”

Nico smiled and nodded. “Yeah, she's dating my friend at school.”

The woman nodded. Her face was a little dirty, probably from working on something. “Good, that's very good. I trust that you're going to keep in contact with her.” She waved an authoritative finger at Nico. “Never forget that family is important.”

“Unless they are assholes,” Leo mumbled.

Esperanza smacked him upside the head. “Watch your mouth. You know my rule about language in front of me.”

Leo ducked his head. “Yes, ma'am.”

Nico attempted to hide his laughter. Esperanza smiled at her son. “But, I suppose he's right. Some of those parents are pendejos.”

Nico nodded his head. “What about you two? Did Leo find you after coming here?”

Leo mumbled something in Spanish. He then remembered Nico couldn't understand him and cleared his throat. “Not quite. Percy just happened to bump into me one day. No big deal.”

The Latina woman said something that Nico guessed was profanity in Spanish. “'No big deal', he says. Ha.” She turned her finger on Leo. “You collapsed on the street and Percy saved your butt.”

Leo rolled his eyes, earning him another smack to the back of his head. “Ow!”

“I've told you about rolling your eyes at me, Leo Valdez.”

Nico smiled. “I like your mom.”

Esperanza smiled. “Thank you, sweetie.” She took a sip of her drink. “I haven't seen you down at the shooting range. Did Percy forbid you from coming down there? He looked pretty upset about your injury.”

Nico shrugged. “Just haven't come down, I guess. Shooting guns isn't really my thing.”

“Good, keep your nose clean.”

“Okay, mom, I think we bothered Nico for long enough,” Leo mumbled.

Esperanza smiled. “Don't be a stranger now, Nico. If you ever get bored, come see me.”

Nico chuckled as he stood back up. “I'll keep that in mind.” He smiled politely. “It was nice talking to both of you.”

Leo and his mother smiled at him as he walked off. Nico slowly made his way over to the cabana, where Ganymede was waiting for him with a blueberry smoothie. “I thought you might want another one of these.” The blond leaned across the counter. “Unless you came here for more...personal affairs.”

Nico narrowed his eyes as he slid the drink over to himself and took a sip. “I just wanted to talk. Thanks for the smoothie, though.”

Ganymede smiled at him. “My pleasure.” He drummed his hands onto the counter. “So, what can I do for you?”

“You used to be a Lost Kid, right?”

The man shrugged. “Yeah, why?”

Nico frowned as he traced the top of his glass with his finger. “Is this what Lost Kids do after they reach thirty?”

Ganymede flashed a bright smile. “Is this about some of the other staff?”

The raven haired boy nodded. “It's just that some of them, like Circe, remind me of some of the Lost Kids, by their actions.”

The bartender nodded. He tapped his finger to his chin. “Well, Circe was actually a Lost Girl when I first arrived here. It wasn't until about five years ago that she took up the position at the spa,” he explained. Nico nodded, quietly sipping away at his smoothie. “And Dionysus quit a few years before that.”

Nico choked on his drink. Ganymede had to slap him on the back to get him to stop. “Di-did you say Dionysus?” Nico asked in disbelief. For some reason, he had a hard time picturing the chubby bartender as a Lost Boy.

Ganymede shrugged. “Yeah?” He rested his arms on the counter, leaning in towards Nico. He smiled again. “He wasn't always overweight, you know. He was actually pretty cute when I first got here.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “But you still look amazing, as does Circe.”

Ganymede grinned at him and struck a pose, like some Adonis statue from a Greek museum. “Thanks, cutie.” He let out a sigh and returned to his previous position of leaning on the counter. “Well, some of us have a hard time coping.” The blond made the action of tossing back a drink.

Nico's brown eyes widened slightly. “Alcoholism? I thought Percy-”

“Percy wasn't here back then,” Ganymede reminded him. He shook his head with a shrug. “Not every manager has those rules, you know.” He waved a hand dismissively. “But, yeah, he got into drinking. That, and some other problems.”

Nico's eyes scanned the counter, as if it would show him the answers to all of his questions. “Wow,” he breathed out.

The tall bartender nodded, a faint smile on his face. “So then, how was your day? You're still in high school, right?”

The raven haired boy nodded. “Yep. It's been a little quiet, surprisingly.”

Ganymede grunted. “Give it some time, I'm sure the hotel will fix that.”

Nico shrugged. “Not much happened this week for me. I went over to Aphrodite's Boutique-”

The man brightened. “Oh yeah? How is she?”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Did you used to go to her when you were a Lost Boy?” Aphrodite didn't look that old. But, then again, Ganymede had just resigned earlier that year.

Ganymede chuckled. “No, no. Well, yes, but that was towards the end of my time. We used to perform together a lot during the bigger weekends.”

Nico's eyes widened. “She was a Lost Kid, too?” He hissed.

The man raised his hands in a shrug. “Are you really surprised?”

Why hadn't anyone mentioned this to him before? Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised, though. Things like this were becoming very common around the hotel.

Ganymede leaned in closer. “So, I hear Apollo took you under his wing when you first got here. I did the same with him when he first arrived.” The blond tilted his head to the side. “But you don't seem to act like either of us.”

Nico's eyes moved down to his drink. “We had a bit of a falling out.”

The blond's eyebrows rose. “That's right. I heard about that little ordeal.” He drummed on the counter. “Hate to cut this short, cutie, but I need to get back to work.”

Nico sighed and nodded. “Can I come back and talk again?”

The man scrunched his lips and shrugged. “Sure.” He smirked at Nico. “I do enjoy the company of attractive people, such as yourself.”

Nico went back into the hotel and headed up to his floor, where he was greeted by Octavian and Piper. The girl had a large, white beanie on her head, while the blond had accessorized with a grey tweed cap. In the Lost Girl's hand was a backpack. As Nico made to walk past them, they grabbed him by the arms to stop him.

“Nico!” Piper greeted him. “Come eat with us.”

Nico hesitated. He glanced from Piper to Octavian, arching an eyebrow at the blond. He didn't seem to be paying Nico that much attention, busying himself with adjusting his bangs that were poking out from behind his cap. He smirked, catching the brown-eyed boy staring at him.

“We just got back from shopping,” Octavian said.

Piper tapped Nico's shoulder. “You should come with us next time.” She smiled. “You should get yourself some winter fashion.”

Octavian scrunched his lip as he tugged on Nico's shirt, looking him over. “I'm thinking a scarf and a beanie. Black, maybe grey.”

Piper rolled her eyes. “How original.” She frowned at Nico. “You should look into some other colors. You already wear a lot of dark colors.”

Nico stared down at his dark red shirt with black designs on it. “I like dark colors,” he frowned.

The girl tugged on Nico's dark locks. “Way to not fit the goth and emo stereotypes, Nico.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at her. “I am neither of those, dammit.”

They both chuckled at him. “Anyways, food?” Piper asked.

The brown-eyed boy rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, just let me put my bag in my room.”

The two other Lost Kids stepped into step beside him as he walked towards his room. “You should just get changed now,” Piper suggested. She held out her backpack. “You can toss your wardrobe choices for the night in here.”

Nico blew at his bangs, setting his backpack on the floor. “Fine. Just give me a minute to change my underwear.”

As he was shutting his bedroom door, a pale hand shot out and stopped it from closing. The brown-eyed boy looked up, in the middle of pulling his pants off. Octavian slipped inside and shut the door. Nico arched his eyebrow as he tossed his jeans onto his bed.

“Can I help you? I need to change?”

Octavian stared at him in silence. He finally inhaled deeply. “I wanted to talk to you,” he said quietly.

Nico's brow furrowed. “Well, can you at least turn around?”

The blond rolled his icy blue eyes. “I've seen the others naked. Grow up.” Nico grunted and started going through his underwear drawer. He pulled out a speedo, only for Octavian to grab it and toss it onto the bed. “Wear something else.”

Nico blinked. “Like what? I always wear speedos.”

Octavian sighed. “Exactly. Try something else.” He moved forward and pulled out a black thong. “Here you go.”

Nico made a face, refusing to take the offered garment. “No way.”

The taller Lost Boy placed a hand on his hip. “Stop being a baby and put it on. If you want to be one of us, you need to start learning to wear things like this.” He spun Nico around and yanked down the back of the boy's blue boxer-briefs. “You have a nice ass, use it. Show it off.”

The brown-eyed boy pouted as he sighed and took the offered piece of clothing. “Okay, well, I need to change.”

Octavian grinned at him before shoving Nico onto the bed. He ran a hand up the boy's thigh and grabbed the blue boxer-briefs. He rolled himself into Nico, yanking down the underwear in the process. “There, I helped you with something,” Octavian said with a grin.

Nico glared up at the other Lost Boy. “This isn't what I wanted, jerk.”

Octavian grinned more and leaned down to lap his tongue into Nico's bellybutton. “Are you sure?” He bit down on his lip, his gaze traveling down. “It sure seems like you want it.”

Nico shoved Octavian off of him with a huff. “I'm a teenage boy, that doesn't count.” He slid on the thong that Octavian had offered him, while the blond stared down at Nico's exposed body. The raven haired boy sat down on his bed. “What did you want to talk about anyways?”

Octavian blinked. “Oh, yeah.” He took a deep breath. “I just...sort of...wanted to thank you about last weekend.” He gestured with his hand. “With Luke, I mean.” He made a face, like his next words were hard for him to get out. “Maybe you're not so bad.” He sighed dramatically. “I need a drink.”

Nico arched an eyebrow and chuckled. He shrugged his shoulders. “Luke is my friend. I didn't want him to be upset.”

Octavian's brow furrowed. “Friend?” He held his chin and tapped a finger to his cheek. “I see. Interesting.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “How about a deal? I call a truce, if you do a better job of avoiding my brother?”

The brown-eyed boy's brow furrowed. “Why? I didn't do anything. I like your brother. He's fun to be around, when he's not being an asshole.”

Octavian looked at Nico, his eyes a sea of clouded emotion. “Things are just complicated, okay? You'd be doing me a favor.”

“But-”

“Just think it over. You'll have me off your back, and I think I could help you with some things you might not know about around here.”

There was a knock at the door. “Are you two done in there? Stop messing around so we can eat,” Piper called through the door.

Nico rolled his eyes and slid his jeans back on. “You can come in, we're not doing anything,” Nico called back as he finished buttoning his pants.

Piper opened the door with an arched eyebrow. “What's a girl to think when Octavian follows you back to your room, knowing you're going to be getting naked?”

Octavian smirked. “Believe me, it wasn't from a lack of trying.”

Piper frowned as she looked Nico over. Her eyes traveled back up to his face, studying him for a moment. “Well, I suppose we should get going.”

Nico quickly grabbed the outfits he would need for the night and tossed them in Piper's backpack. As they were leaving Nico's room, Jason's door slowly opened. The blond was being held up by Chris, who had Jason's arm draped over his shoulder.

“Hey, Chris,” Piper greeted him with a smile.

Chris smiled warmly back. “Hey, Piper.” He attempted to straighten the blond out. “Just helping Jason get himself to the bathroom.”

Piper pursed her lips as she looked Jason over. “Poor guy. Maybe he'll be better in another week.” She patted the dark haired young man on the shoulder as he neared the bathroom. “Take it easy, Chris.”

The young man nodded at them. Nico sighed and followed after Octavian and Piper. He wasn't so jealous of Jason at the moment. The blond wasn't even capable of standing by himself. He slowly slid the door shut behind them, his lips tightly pursed.

“You okay?” Octavian asked.

Nico blinked and looked up. “What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine.”

The other two eyed him for a moment before leading him towards the elevator. They boarded in silence, which persisted all the way to the hotel's restaurant. They sat down at a table, Piper depositing her backpack in a spare chair.

Octavian ordered himself a glass of wine, while Piper and Nico declined. “Sure you don't want some?” Octavian asked Piper, waving his glass in front of her face.

Piper wrinkled her nose at the crimson liquid. “No thanks. You know I hate the stuff.”

Octavian let out a sigh. “It's not going to hurt you to drink on occasion.”

The Lost Girl shrugged. “And I choose not to. It's not a big deal. I'm fine, Octavian.”

The blond deposited his cheek into his palm, taking a small sip of wine. Piper poked around at her sushi, choosing to avoid further eye contact with the blond. Nico eyed both of them. “Don't all of the Lost Kids drink?” He mumbled.

They both blinked and turned their attention on him. “Not all of us,” Piper replied. “I don't, and neither does Juniper.” She shrugged. “Will doesn't drink that much, only on really bad days.”

“I think he's trying to quit,” Octavian added.

Piper smiled and nodded. “Good for him.”

The blond rolled his eyes. “Your hatred for the substance never ceases to amaze me.”

The brunette frowned. “I don't hate the substance. I dislike what it does to people.”

Nico swallowed a bite of his food. “Why?”

Piper chewed on her lip nervously. “I don't want to talk about it right now, Nico. It's not a good topic for public ears.”

Octavian looked around incredulously. He gestured around them wildly. “Them? What are they going to do?” He asked, raising his voice slightly. “They don't give a shit about us, other than...you know.”

Piper slid down into her chair, trying to hide her face. “Stop that,” she hissed, “people are staring.”

The blond rolled his eyes. “I can't believe you're not over this yet.”

The Lost Girl glared at Octavian. “It's not that, and you know it.”

The tall young man waved a hand dismissively. “Fine, fine. My apologizes.”

The girl sighed and went back to eating her food. Nico stared over at Octavian, who watched Piper intently. The blond had his lips pursed and his finger tapped against the table. The table fell into an awkward silence, no one moving to say anything. Finally, Octavian stood up.

“I need to go change.”

Nico frowned as the blond walked off. “Why didn't he do that earlier?”

Piper shrugged. “He's working the bar tonight. I suppose he didn't want to eat in his work clothes.”

Nico swallowed and nodded. “So, what's up with him anyways? He doesn't seem to like me being around his brother. He's sort of an-”

“Asshole?”

Nico chuckled. “Yeah. Sometimes.”

Piper smiled and nodded. “Yeah, they both can be.”

“Luke's not so bad, when he's not around his brother.”

The Lost Girl chuckled. “I suppose that's true. Luke just cares about his brother. Octavian has his brother wrapped around his finger, and he knows it.” She scrunched her lips. “Luke just feels guilty, so he tries to do everything he can to make Octavian happy.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Why would he feel guilty?”

Piper shook her head. “You don't want to go there, Nico. Luke and Octavian's story is one you really don't want to hear.”

“Thalia said something similar about Ethan.”

The brunette nodded, her face solemn. “She's right. The Castellan brothers, Ethan, and Annabeth; they are all stories you don't want to hear. Trust me, you really don't.” She licked her lips, poking around at her food. “Silena's wasn't much better. But, you already heard Hazel's. And then there's...mine.” Her lips tilted down.

“I've heard a lot of bad stories already,” Nico whispered.

“You don't want to make us relive these stories, Nico,” she said so quietly that Nico almost missed it. She stared down at her plate. “Your dad wasn't a monster, Nico. You haven't seen what a real monster is just yet.” She looked up at him with dark eyes. “And let's hope that you never have to.”

Nico rubbed his arm to get rid of a chill he was feeling. He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Why does Octavian want me away from Luke, though?”

Piper pursed her lips, her brow furrowed. She opened her mouth, but didn't say anything for a moment. “He didn't feel jealous before. He didn't have to share his brother. Luke's not that social. He only is when he needs to be.”

“So, he's jealous?”

“In a sense,” Piper replied. “He's worried, I guess.” She shook her head. “I really don't want to talk about it.” She smiled at him warmly. “But he can't really keep you away from Luke.”

Nico frowned. “Why not?”

“Because, he knows Luke's position here.” She shrugged. “Luke's one of the four siblings. He's the sword and shield. Apollo is the emotional support, Annabeth mitigates with us-and some with Percy, and Thalia makes sure everyone tries to stay in a good mood.” She smiled. “So, Octavian knows he can't keep Luke away from you. The blond has a role to fill.”

Nico frowned as he picked up his drink. “He can still pawn me off,” he mumbled.

The girl pursed her lips. “I suppose they can. But Luke will be there if you need him. He can be a royal asshole at times, but he cares about his family.”

“He did punch that bully for me.”

Piper nodded. “And made sure you were taken care of when Apollo pulled his stunt.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I don't place the blame solely on him, you know.”

The Lost Girl forced a smile onto her face. “I figured as much. Anyways, it doesn't change my point.”

“He said it was for Percy.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you really think Luke's going to be sappy? Sure, some of it was probably for Percy, but he's protective.”

Nico chewed on his lip before smiling. “I don't think he'd like to hear this.”

Piper chuckled. “No, he really wouldn't. So, please, don't mention it to him.” With a sigh, she stood up. “We need to get to work.”

Nico grabbed the backpack for her and they headed out of the restaurant. Once at the top floor, Piper followed him up the boys' stairs. They walked backstage, where Piper deposited Nico's clothing onto the couch before heading through the door to the girls' side.

Apollo, Will, and Connor were already there and dressed for their first performance, the group number. Apollo sighed. “Hurry up and get dressed, Nico,” he said.

Nico slipped his shirt over his head. He kicked his shoes off and began undoing his pants. As they were nearly down to his knees, he remembered he had a thong on. He quickly pulled the pants back up, but it was too late. The others raised eyebrows at him, grinning broadly.

“I like the clothing choice, Nico,” Apollo chuckled.

Nico glared at him, searching for a place to change. Will moved over to the boy and slid his arm around Nico's shoulders. “Come on now, Nico, we're just going to see it on stage.” Will's eyes lit up. “Oh, and good for me, I've got you in a separate number.”

Nico's eyes widened, stumbling back, away from Will. “Dammit,” he cursed under his breath.

Apollo rolled his eyes. “I've already seen you naked, Nico. And Will and Connor have both seen you in your underwear.”

“No, I saw him naked,” Connor interjected.

Apollo frowned. “Oh, that's right.”

Will frowned at Nico. “How come they got to see you naked?”

Nico rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Whatever,” he mumbled, letting his pants drop.

Will bit down on his lip as he walked around to look Nico's backside over. Nico stood there, doing his best not to seethe. He jumped when he felt Will's warm hands rub his butt cheeks. The blond hummed in his ear before wrapping his arms around Nico's waist. “My room later?” He purred.

Nico turned his head to glare at the blond. “Doubtful.”

Apollo and Connor laughed at Will's failure. Apollo shook his head with a smile. “What did I tell you, Will?”

The blond rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Charming.”

The curly haired blond walked past, patting his roommate on the shoulder. “Just be yourself,” Apollo whispered into Will's ear, but Nico managed to catch it.

He whined and struggled his way out of Will's grasp. He grabbed his black velcro pants from the pile and slipped them on. Nico grabbed the bow tie and stepped over to the mirror, where he attempted to put it on.

When Apollo saw him struggling with it, the blond walked over. “You really need to learn how to do this,” the blond mumbled. “I believe we've had to help you every time you have had to wear one.”

“Not my fault, no one ever showed me how to tie one.”

The blond nodded. “Well, I suppose I'll give you a lesson then.”

Nico watched and listened as the blond went about tying his tie. The blond finally smiled at him in the mirror. “Thanks,” Nico said with a smile.

Apollo smiled again and placed a hand in Nico's hair, attempting to style it. “You know, looking at you, I can't help but see the improvement in you. It feels like just yesterday that you came in here, starved half to death. And look at you now.”

The brown-eyed boy gave him a small smile and turned around. “Thanks, for everything.”

Apollo's eyebrow rose slightly, his lips thinning. “You shouldn't thank me, and you know that.”

“I get it, though. About Percy, I mean.”

The blond's blue eyes seemed to grow deeper. He nodded his head lightly. “Again, I'm sorry.”

Nico pursed his lip. “I think I'm ready to move past it,” he sighed.

Apollo's brow furrowed. “Really?” His lips tilted down and he began rubbing his arm. “That's...great.” He chuckled when Nico looked at him curiously. “Sorry. I just wasn't expecting that, you know.”

The shorter of the two nodded his head. “Well, you were right the other night, I pretty much act like a kid still. Maybe I need to do some growing up.”

Apollo let out a long sigh. He leaned in closer. “Trust me, you're not the only one. Besides, you already are growing up, whether you see it or not.” He placed a hand on top of Nico's head. “You've also grown an inch since you've been here.” He cleared his throat and took a step back. “Come on. We have a show to put on.”

The Lost Boys made their way out onto the stage. The curtain was still closed, so they had to stand around in darkness. Nico took his place beside Apollo. Will stood on his roommate's other side, while Connor stood on the far end. Beyonce's “Crazy in Love” began to play, just as the curtains rose.

As the trumpets played in the song, all four of them took their poses and waited. Jay Z began singing the opening of the song, while the Lost Boys continued to stand there, the stage still dark. As soon as Beyonce began singing, the lights flashed on and the boys began moving.

Nico placed his hands on his head and shook it back and forth. All of them slowly slid their hands behind their heads and tapped their right leg. Every so often, they would have to freeze and strike a pose. Nico slid his hand up into his hair, circling it around to the other side before bringing it down in front of his face.

Apollo and Nico slid to the left, while the other two slid to the right. Will and Apollo took Connor and Nico's respective hands and lowered the boys to the floor. Nico and Connor slowly guided their legs into the air provocatively. Will and Apollo grabbed onto Nico and Connor's ankles, raising their legs into the air.

Nico and Connor had to pull off a handstand, which Nico had to bite his lip through. Apollo spread his legs, while running a hand down the back of his thigh. Nico was just glad that the audience couldn't see his strained expression. Apollo shoved his legs off to the side, helping him get back onto his feet.

The blond moved in behind him and placed his hands on his hips, while Nico had to sway them back and forth. Apollo grabbed a chunk of Nico's hair and pulled the boy's head back. Nico masked his facial expression with one of pleasure as the blond acted like he was biting his neck.

Nico's hand jumped around behind him to cup Apollo's hips. He tugged the curly blond's pants off of him, while Connor did the same to Will. Nico had to fight the urge to do a double take when he saw what Will had on under his pants. A jockstrap. He cleared his throat as he realized his eyes had widened.

His pulse quickened as Apollo's fingers worked to play with Nico's pants. The raven haired boy rolled his shoulders in a lewd manner. He caught Percy's eye in the audience, just as Apollo yanked his pants off. Those green eyes of Percy's slowly drifted down Nico's body, a smirk on his lips. He looked back up at Nico's face with an arched eyebrow.

All four of the Lost Boys separated again and went back to their individual dancing. Nico knew his hips would probably be sore after this performance, as they usually ached after each of their practice numbers. The song called for him to continuously pop his hips back and forth, in the signature Beyonce booty shake.

He was just thankful when the song finally came to an end. He did a small bow with the rest of the Lost Boys before gathering his pants and getting off the stage. He walked backstage, all the while trying to get himself back into his pants.

“Schoolboy uniform, Nico,” Will purred into his ear.

Nico glared at him as he passed. Connor quickly slipped himself into a basketball uniform and went back onto the stage. The raven haired boy let out a sigh as he walked over to the couch and found the schoolboy uniform that he hated so much.

Will still hadn't told him anything about the routine. He had just requested that Nico wear the costume. Basically, he didn't like it. When the Lost Kids plotted, bad things happened. Shaking his head, Nico slipped into his costume and waited.

After Connor was done, the curtains closed again. Nico narrowed his eyes as some things were moved onto the stage in the dark. The blond that he was performing with gestured for him to come over. He hesitantly walked over, where the blond grabbed him and took him onto the dark stage.

Will leaned him up against something cold and metallic. Nico narrowed his eyes in the dark, but, of course, Will couldn't see it. It was light enough that Nico caught the blond's smile. “Stay right here,” Will whispered before leaving Nico alone on the stage.

When the curtain opened and the lights turned on, Nico saw that he was standing up against a locker, like one he would find in his high school. His eyes darted from side to side as he looked around. There was a bench to his left, but that was about it. He had a bad feeling about this.

Nico arched an eyebrow as Kiss's “Calling Doctor Love” came on. Nico's eyes widened as Will walked out onto the stage. Oh dear god, Nico thought. The blond was dressed in a blue football jersey and a pair of tight, white football pants. The blond had even drawn black lines under his eyes and carried a helmet under his arm.

The blond walked up to Nico and closed his mouth, which he hadn't even realized had been open. Will shoved him up against the lockers, dropping his helmet in the process. He turned Nico around and yanked his hips back. Nico then felt Will run his hands up Nico's legs, and then up to his ass.

Nico was jerked back around, where the blond bit down on his lip and leaned against the lockers. Nico's eyes were still wide by this point. As much as he hated jocks at school, this was kind of hot. He swallowed and turned his head to look at Percy, who was staring at him in amusement. He chuckled and whispered something to Leo, who grinned back.

Nico's eyes returned to the blond in front of him as Will ripped the front of his jersey open. A moan escaped from Nico's lips as he stared down at the blond's lean torso. Will smirked and leaned in, running his tongue along Nico's parted lips.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, the crowd seemed to love it, as a lot of money was being tossed onto the stage. This was also followed by whistles and loud noise. Will popped the buttons on Nico's shirt and let the material fall off of his shoulders.

Will then turned around and began swiveling his ass. The blond bit down on his lip and hooked his thumbs into the back of his football pants. Nico swallowed a lump in his throat as Will peeled back the white fabric, exposing the jockstrap and the top of his ass. Nico watched, mouth agape, as Will continued to swivel his hips in a lewd fashion.

The blond leaned forward slightly and yanked the pants off, leaving himself in nothing but the jockstrap. He ran his fingers down Nico's torso before shoving the shirt off the boy completely. He pressed himself up against Nico, rolling his hips into the brown-eyed boy.

Will leaned in and rested his mouth near Nico's ear. “Are you sure you don't want to come to my room tonight?” He whispered.

Nico felt his legs shake and the blond grabbed him. He heard Will chuckle in his ear. “I, uh...I don't think that's, um, a good idea,” Nico fumbled quietly.

Will groaned quietly before pulling back. Nico swallowed another lump as the blond leaned in. Their lips ghosted against each other as the song came to an end. Nico was in the process of leaning forward when Will pulled back. He let out a groan as the blond smirked and waved at the audience, shaking his ass for good measure.

Will helped Nico gather their things so they could get off the stage. “I hate you,” Nico breathed out.

Will smiled. “Don't be mad, Nico.” He winked. “I had fun tonight. I think that might be one of my favorite performances.”

Connor appeared beside them and slung an arm around Nico. “So, when are you going to perform with me and Travis? I already have some ideas.”

“Dammit, I regret this already,” Nico grumbled. The other three Lost Boys grinned at him.

When things were starting to wind down, Luke came backstage to go to the backrooms. Connor sighed when Leo came backstage to tell him to do the same. Nico ended up breathing a sigh of relief when they were done for the night. He was still a little turned on from Will's performance, but mostly, he was tired.

“I'm so glad it's the weekend,” he yawned.

“Amen to that,” Will said quietly.

Nico brushed some of his bangs out of his eyes. “Is there anything going on this weekend?”

Apollo shook his head. “Not really. You should just get some rest, catch up on some homework.”

The brown-eyed boy let out a moan. “I don't plan on waking up until work tomorrow night.”

The two blonds chuckled. “Sounds like a good idea,” Apollo agreed.

Nico stretched his arms above his head. “So, is there anything I should know about this pa-” There was a scream that came from behind the door to the backrooms. “What was that?”

Apollo's brow furrowed, already making his way towards the backrooms. Nico and Will followed after the curly haired blond. Apollo took off running when another scream pierced the air. Nico jogged to keep up, bolting around a corner. His eyes widened.

Luke and Connor were holding a tall, muscular man back by his arms. His shirt was undone and his hair a mess. Across from him was Silena, pressing herself into the corner behind her. The girl was topless, covering her chest with her arms. She had a pair of panties on, but that was the extent of her clothing.

Annabeth was crouched down next to Silena, whispering something to the girl. Reyna did her best to stand in between the man and Silena, yelling threats and obscenities at the man. Apollo instantly jumped in to help hold the man back. Nico stepped forward, but Will placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Silena!” The man yelled, struggling against the Lost Boys. “Just tell them. Be with me, baby. I can take care of you.” He grunted and attempted to yank his arm free. “You don't need this life anymore. I love you!”

The dark haired girl pressed her hands to her temples and frantically shook her head. Annabeth took off her shirt, leaving herself in a bra, and handed the shirt to Silena. The blonde had to help the other girl into the shirt, as she was too distraught to do anything about it.

“I said no,” Silena hissed, glaring at the man with tears in her eyes. “You're crazy.”

The man frantically shook his head. “No, baby, I'm not. You know what we had in there was real. You said you wanted me. You said all those things. I know you meant them.” He attempted to elbow Luke in the stomach, but the blond twisted his arm. “You just need to see, Silena. Nobody makes me feel like you do.”

Nico jumped and turned around when the door behind him swung open so hard that it sounded like a gun went off. Percy, Ethan, and Clarisse stormed towards them. Before either Ethan or Clarisse, or anyone in the room for that matter, could react, Percy had shot forward and jerked the man out of the Lost Boys' grasp.

As if the man weighed nothing, he slammed him against the wall. Percy's eyes blazed with an anger that Nico had yet to see. “What did I tell you about this shit, huh?” He yelled.

“She loves me. I keep trying to tell- Ah!”

At some point, Percy had pulled out a knife. He pressed it against the man's throat and held it there. “I don't give a shit about what you think, Mr. Simmons. I told you not to cross the line. We've had this discussion before, several times.”

The man swallowed, causing the knife to cut into his skin. A faint red line formed on his throat and blood began to trickle down. Nico caught his hands shaking. He looked around. No one was moving, no one attempted to say anything. They just stood there, even Clarisse and Ethan.

“Get her the fuck out of here,” Percy growled. “Now!”

Luke moved forward and Silena shot into his arms. His brow furrowed as he wrapped an arm around her. They moved past everyone to leave the hall. As they walked by, Nico caught Silena's eye. The girl looked terrified. Her eyes were full of tears and her body was shaking.

Percy moved the knife up to the man's cheek, sliding it across his skin. “Now then, if I ever catch you around here again,” he jabbed the knife into the man's arm, “I'll kill you.”

Percy yanked the knife out and shoved the man over to Ethan and Clarisse. The two of them dragged the injured man from the hall without any resistance. Percy rubbed a hand down his face. His dark green eyes turned on Nico, like he had just noticed the boy there.

The manager stared at him with his cold gaze. “Get him out of here,” he whispered. His gaze flickered to Apollo. The blond was shaking, his eyes frantic. His fingers were threaded into his hair. “Apollo!” The blond's eyes widened and turned to Percy. “I said get him out of here. Take him to his room, calm him down.” He looked Apollo over. “Both of you calm down.”

The curly haired blond swallowed and nodded. “Come on, Nico,” the tall blond whispered, tugging on the boy's arm.

Nico let himself be led away, frowning at Percy as he did so. The others gathered around him just as the door shut behind Nico and Apollo. The blond didn't even stop to grab their things. He just pulled Nico along until they reached the elevators.

It wasn't until they were in Nico's suite that Apollo let go of him. The blond began pacing around, taking deep breaths. Nico pursed his lips, watching the blond. “Apollo,” he whispered. The blond didn't seem to hear him. Nico reached out and grabbed the blond by his arms. Apollo stared back at him with wild eyes. “What is going on? I mean, I get that the man was crazy, but-”

“He was obsessed.”

Nico let his hands drop from Apollo. “Obsessed? Is that sort of like when Lost Kids get presents? Hazel talked to me about that.”

The blond shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “Worse.” He sighed and sat down on the couch, practically burying his face into his lap. “Our jobs are complicated, Nico.”

The raven haired boy swallowed. “Does this happen a lot?”

“Thankfully, no. It's worse than the presents.” The blond wet his lips. “The presents are usually the first sign. You learn to get worried when you get them.” He pursed his lips and looked up at Nico. “But they just don't get it sometimes. They become truly obsessed...with this fantasy that can never be. We're just doing our jobs.”

Nico sat down beside the blond. He stayed silent for a while. He just couldn't find the appropriate words or questions. “Why?” Was all Nico could think of to ask.

“We're easy to fall in love with, some of us anyways. I mean, I guess that's why. Some of the others don't have the problem, people like Luke.” The blond leaned forward. “It's our angle that appeals to them.”

“You're a romantic.”

Apollo turned and blinked at him. He opened his mouth once, only to close it.

“Hazel told me.”

The blond pursed his lips. “She's a sweet kid. She shouldn't have to go through this.”

“Why should any of you?”

The older Lost Boy swallowed a lump. “Maybe I deserve it?” Tears were starting to appear in his blue eyes. “I just need a distraction sometimes...from Percy. He's something I can't have, and the customers are a good distraction.” He turned a harsh gaze on Nico. “Don't ever do this if you end up where we are. Do you hear me?”

Nico nodded his head. “Yeah.”

The blond stared into Nico's brown eyes for a while, searching for something. “You're a sweet kid, Nico.” He smiled and patted Nico's leg. “You don't know how easy someone might fall for you.”

“This happened when I first got here, didn't it? I saw Calypso's wrist.”

Apollo's brow furrowed for a moment before realization hit him. “Yeah,” he finally whispered. “The guy just got a warning. First offense.” He sighed and ran a hand down his mouth. “Just remember, just because we can separate our feelings during all of this, doesn't mean the clients can do the same. They will fantasize about you, desire you, and worst of all, they could snap.”

“Is there anything else?”

Apollo wiped at his eyes before standing up. He turned back around with a sad smile. “Yeah,” he breathed out, “when you tell them to stop, they are supposed to stop. While they can purchase time with us, we do decide where boundaries lie within this business.”

Nico's heart pounded in his chest as he stood up. “Thanks for talking with me.”

Apollo gave a single nod. “You needed to know.” He smiled and ruffled Nico's hair. “Take care of yourself, Nico. And get some sleep.”

Nico smiled and nodded. Apollo walked away and opened the door. With a wave, the blond disappeared out the door. Nico's shoulders slumped as he rubbed at his face. Why couldn't things just go back to the way they were when he first got to the Lotus?

As he made his way back to his room, Nico thought about setting up an appointment at the spa. He could use a massage and a day of relaxation. Life around the hotel was so hectic and chaotic, he thought. He closed his bedroom door and collapsed onto his bed. He pulled his leg up and began taking off his shoes before moving on to his pants.

After a quick trip to the bathroom to brush his teeth, Nico stripped himself of his shirt and slid under his covers. He chewed on his lip, just sitting there for a moment. Now that everything had calmed down, his arousal had returned.

His hand traveled down his stomach and reached into his boxer-briefs. He peeled the fabric back and exposed his erection. It was the weekend, so it wasn't like he couldn't stay up a little longer to take care of himself.

His eyes drifted closed as his hand pleasured himself. A small moan escaped from his lips. His other hand traveled lower, pressing a finger against his entrance.

“Having fun?”

Nico jumped and covered himself, looking up with wide eyes.

Percy had his shoulder pressed against the doorframe, a smirk on his face. He arched an eyebrow at Nico before taking a step into the room. “Oh, don't stop on my account. I was enjoying the show.”

Nico scowled at Percy, pulling up his underwear under the covers. “Don't you know how to knock? What gives you the right to just barge in like that?”

Percy crawled onto the bed, hovering over Nico. The brown-eyed boy swallowed, doing his best to hold Percy's gaze. Percy smirked at him. “Well, that's simple, Nico. Because I wanted to.”

Nico felt his eye twitch. “You're so frustrating.”

Percy tilted his head to the side, a smile on his face. He let a finger slide down Nico's pale chest. “Don't be mad. Like I said, I was enjoying the show. Maybe you should do this for me more often.”

Nico crossed his arms over his chest, sitting up against his headboard. “I'm assuming you had something you actually wanted to talk about?”

Percy chuckled and sat between Nico's legs, his legs resting underneath him. “I just wanted to make sure you weren't freaking out too much. I assume Apollo calmed you down? Or perhaps you calmed him down.”

Nico pursed his lips. “He did talk to me about everything,” he answered. He looked into Percy's eyes. “Did you have to stab him, though?”

Percy frowned at Nico before brushing some of the brown-eyed boy's hair out of his face. “I already warned him several times. Last time, I threatened him financially. As you can see, that didn't work.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Sometimes, physical threats are more effective. Besides, he won't be back.”

Nico chewed on his lip, nodding his head in response. He sat up more and crossed his legs, letting the cover fall into his lap. “I'm guessing you don't have to get violent with customers that much?”

Percy smiled. “No, not really. Most people know better. It's just the-”

“Obsessed ones?”

The green-eyed young man chuckled. “Yeah, them.” Percy cleared his throat. “I brought your stuff back. It's in the living room.”

Nico smiled and nodded. “Thanks.” As Percy was climbing off his bed, Nico grabbed his wrist. The manager blinked at him before returning to his place in front of Nico. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Percy shrugged. “Sure. Ask me anything.”

Nico fiddled with the covers in his lap. “So, uh, I was wondering...would you want to do something sometime? Maybe spend some time with me, just the two of us?”

Percy smirked and leaned in towards Nico. The brown-eyed boy leaned back, letting himself be pressed against the headboard. “I suppose something can be arranged.” His tan hand pulled the covers back and tugged on Nico's underwear. “I mean, I have some time, if you want to do something right now.”

Nico blushed and shook his head. “No. I-I didn't mean like that. I just...thought we could spend some time together, like we used to. Non-sexual.”

Percy blinked. He pulled back, his brow furrowing. He gave Nico an odd look, like he didn't understand what the boy had just said. “What?” He finally blurted out.

“Maybe go get dinner? Outside of the hotel, if you can.” His cheeks turned pink. “I-I mean, not like a, uh, date, but just hanging out.”

Percy continued to stare at him like he had grown a second head. He sat back on his haunches and scratched his head. “You want to spend time...with me? Just hanging out?” His brow furrowed again. “And you don't want to do anything sexual?”

Nico nodded.

The green-eyed young man's mouth opened, only for him to shut it. “Are you sure that's all you want?”

Again, Nico nodded. “I understand if you're busy.”

Percy shook his head, a frown now on his face. “No, it's...it's fine.” He scratched the back of his head again. “I'll clear my schedule for later today.” He smiled. “I'll take you out to eat. How about that?”

Nico nodded, a bright smile on his face. “That would be great.”

Percy chewed on his lip, his brow furrowing again, and tilted his head slightly to the side. “I guess I'll let you get back to what you were doing,” he said, finally standing up. “I'll see you later today.”

Nico nodded as Percy walked towards the door. The young man gave him another odd look before turning off Nico's light and closing the door. Nico heard Percy open Jason's door. He smiled and slid into his bed, rolling onto his side.

Nico sat across from Percy, feeling slightly underdressed. The young man hadn't told him he was going to take Nico to a five-star restaurant. The green-eyed young man wasn't dressed that differently than Nico, but the boy just felt awkward. He had had enough sense to dress nicely, but it didn't feel like enough.

Percy smiled at him from across the table. “You're fine, Nico. I wasn't expecting you to dress up super fancy. I don't want you to.”

Nico let out a small groan and pursed his lips. “I don't fit in at places like this,” he mumbled.

The young man across from him arched a brow and took a drink. “Why would you ever want to fit in? You're meant to stand apart from the crowd.”

The brown-eyed boy let out a sigh. He really didn't have a response to that. He chewed on his lip in silence until the waiter brought them the bill. He went for his wallet, but before he could grab it, Percy slid his card into the bill folder. Nico frowned at the young man as the waiter walked off.

Percy smiled and crossed his legs, leaning back in his chair. “Calm down. I do this with all of my Lost Kids whenever I go somewhere with them. You're not burdening me, if that's what you're thinking.” He shook his head. “Besides, I'm much better off financially than you.”

Nico sighed and took a sip of his drink. “Can we do something else before we go back to the hotel?”

The young man shrugged. “Sure. What did you want to do?” He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. “I think we could squeeze in a movie.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “How cliché. Good thing this isn't a date.”

Percy chuckled. He thanked the waiter when the man returned with his card. Percy gave his signature before standing up. He held out his hand and helped Nico up before leading the boy out of the restaurant. The two fell into step beside each other, walking down the sidewalk. The sun had started to set while they had been inside.

“Well,” Percy began, “I suppose it's a good thing it's not a date. I really wouldn't have a clue what to do on one.”

One of Nico's eyebrows rose. “Haven't you ever been on a date?”

Percy gave a small smile, swiping his thumb across his lips. “Not particularly, no. I've never been in a relationship with anyone.”

Nico's eyes widened and he froze for a second. He quickly caught back up to Percy and frowned up at him. “The Percy Jackson has never even been on a date?” He chuckled when Percy gave him a dirty look. “Sorry, it's just hard to believe.”

Percy let out a long breath. “Well, I didn't really have an opportunity. I was already working for Gaea by the time I went through puberty. I didn't even go to public school.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Then how did you learn? You seem pretty smart.”

The tall young man slid his hands into his pockets, letting a smile grace his lips. “Gaea had me taught from her home. I had some of the best tutors you could imagine. And, by the time I was sixteen, I was already going to a university.”

Nico blinked a few times. “Damn. So young?”

Percy shrugged. “Like I said the other week, Gaea had been preparing me for this for a while.” He clicked his tongue. “I didn't get to finish my education in Europe, though. Since I transferred here before my eighteenth birthday, I picked up my education out here.” He turned his head to glance down at Nico as they continued to walk around the city. “My predecessor was very nice about it all, and he even stayed on part time when I took over, so that I could finish up with my education.”

“So, what did you do before you had Leo and Rachel?”

“Drank myself away.” Percy chuckled at Nico's face. “Kidding. I had my predecessor's secretaries. After I found Leo and Rachel, they were replaced.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “You just let them go?”

Percy scrunched his lips. “Not exactly. I'd never just toss someone out. I make sure my people are taken care of.”

“Like with Aphrodite?”

Percy stopped and smiled at Nico. “Yeah. Well, technically I was still a Lost Kid when I got her a job. But, my predecessor let me make the call, since I was going to be taking over for him soon.” He shrugged. “She was good with wardrobes, so I got her the job doing what she loves.”

“And Dionysus and Circe?”

The taller of the two nodded his head again. “I see you've been finding some things out recently.”

Nico stared up at Percy, who just stood there, staring at him with his hands in his pockets. “I finally figured out what you meant by being a Lost Kid forever.”

Percy's lips tilted down. He reached out to touch Nico's face, but tilted his head to the side and let his hand drop back to his side. “You shouldn't aim to do the same, Nico. You don't belong here.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Maybe I want to be around you.”

Percy's forehead wrinkled as he gave Nico an odd look. “I'm not worth throwing your life away for, Nico.” His lips formed a thin line. “I don't want this place to destroy you.”

Nico rubbed his arm, but not from the chill in the air. He looked back up at Percy with a frown. “You seem fine with keeping Jason there.”

Percy's lips turned back up. “Jealous?”

The shorter of the two scowled. “No,” he mumbled. “You just spend a lot of time with him. He gets a lot of attention. When I first got to the hotel, you handed me off to the others.”

Percy smiled and placed an arm around Nico, pulling the brown-eyed boy against his chest. Nico felt Percy's chest rumble as he laughed. “You are jealous.” Percy started walking again, pulling Nico along with him. “Jason needs help right now, Nico.”

“But-”

“You didn't. You're capable of taking care of yourself.” Percy let Nico move away from him. “I had faith you'd be strong enough to handle the place without me breathing down your neck all the time.” He smiled. “But, I was there when you needed me.”

Nico stared up at Percy from behind his bangs. That was true, Percy had been. His first night there, Percy had been there for him when that customer had been yelling at him. Nico let out a long sigh. “What about Chiron?”

Percy scratched at his nose. “I can't say that Chiron has ever been in my bed.”

Nico made a face. “That's not what I meant!”

The manager smiled. “Calm down. I know what you meant.” He slipped one of his hands back into his pocket. “Chiron was never a Lost Kid. He used to work at the bar that is attached to the hotel's restaurant, but I had him moved up to where he is now when I took over.”

“Why?”

Percy shrugged. “He's good with the Lost Kids. He helped me out a lot when I was working, so I thought he could do more good working more closely with my Lost Kids.” The green-eyed young man rubbed at his neck. “He doesn't judge you, he just listens. He's a source of emotional support that the others sometimes need. He can be there when I can't.”

The Lost Boy pursed his lips. “So, you want to do the same with Chris?”

Percy blew out a breath. “No, not the same. I just could use more security working around the Lost Kids. He would be nice to have around the bar, or maybe the kink room. Clarisse and Ethan can only do so much, covering three floors.” A small smirk played across Percy's lips in the fading light. “But, it's also for fun.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Fun?”

The young manager nodded. “Yeah.”

“You said someone was going to be upset with you about it.”

Percy nodded. “It's for their own good, though.” He stopped moving, as did Nico. Percy ran his fingers through his bangs. “Come on, we need to get you back before work.”

Nico smiled and started walking back to Percy's car. “Thanks for spending some time with me, Percy.”

The drive back was relatively quiet. Once they were back, Percy walked Nico to his suite. They stood in the doorway, Percy leaning an arm against the frame. “Have fun at work tonight, Nico,” Percy said with a smile. His eyes flickered down to Nico's lips. He leaned in closer and Nico felt his heartbeat quicken. But Percy never kissed him. He stood there with a sly grin. “Bye.”

Nico gawked as Percy began to walk off. “Is that it?”

Percy turned around and started laughing. “What's wrong, Nico? You look like you were expecting a kiss.”

Nico made a face, gesturing wildly, as if to say: duh!

Percy shrugged, his smirk back on his face. “But you said it wasn't a date.”

Nico's mouth fell open. “Are you serious?” He glared at Percy. “So, if I had called it a date, you would have kissed me?”

Percy shrugged as he started to walk backwards towards the elevators. “I suppose we'll never know. Sorry, Nico.”

Nico shut his door rather harshly, leaning back against it with a loud groan. He raked his fingers down his face, feeling extremely frustrated.

Nearly a week later, Nico found himself in the conference room. The fifteenth had finally rolled around, and now it was time for Butch's birthday party. Nico had actually never been in the conference room before. It was on Percy's floor, directly across from the young man's office. He had wondered what some of the other doors on the floor were used for.

Nico sat at the long table, with Hazel and Travis. Butch stood at the head of the table with Percy, Reyna, and Will. The birthday boy had his arm around Reyna's slender waist, though his eyes followed Percy around whenever the manager moved about the room.

“So, Travis began, “I hear you went on a date with Percy.” The brunet rested his temple against his index finger. He stared at Nico with a blank and dull expression.

“It wasn't a date,” Nico mumbled, taking a sip of some of the punch they had.

The brunet rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Neeks.” He frowned at the pale boy. “A little unfair, though.”

“Why?”

Hazel patted Nico's shoulder. “No one has ever gone on a date with Percy.”

“It wasn't a date!” Nico slapped a hand over his mouth. Everyone turned to stare at him, including Percy. The green-eyed young man raised a brow at him. Nico slumped in his chair with a groan.

Hazel chuckled as everyone went back to their conversations. “Well, whatever you call it, it typically doesn't happen.”

Nico frowned. “But he said he paid for everyone when they did stuff.”

Travis arched a brow. “Yeah, when he takes us places. You asked him.” The brunet sighed. “Well, did you two finally do it?”

Nico scowled at him. “None of your business.”

The taller Lost Boy grinned at him. “Isn't it, though? I would so enjoy working with you, Neeks.”

The brown-eyed boy let out a huff. “We didn't have sex.”

Travis shrugged. “Oral then. Still, lucky dog.”

Nico sighed, getting pat on the shoulder by Hazel. Was it so hard for them to believe that Percy and Nico spent time together without it involving sex? Hazel clicked her tongue. “Do you think we could take Percy on not-dates?” The Lost Girl pondered.

Travis straightened in his chair. “That's a good idea.”

Nico let out a breath, frowning to himself. What had he done? He had just wanted to get to know Percy better, while spending some time with the guy. Now, they were going to use this to their advantage, which meant having more sex with Percy.

Nico decided to stand up, so that he could give Butch his present. He walked over and held the wrapped box out. Butch blinked down at it before accepting it with a smile. “Thanks, shortie.” He reached out and squeezed Nico's shoulder, letting it linger there for a moment.

As the buff Lost Boy began unwrapping his present, Nico began chewing on his lip. “I hope you like it. I didn't really know what to get.”

Butch held up the unwrapped box and stared at it. A smile finally graced his lips. “I like it.”

Nico breathed a sigh of relief. Reyna chuckled. “Don't worry, though, Nico, Percy probably outdid you. He usually goes for big presents.”

Percy smiled and leaned back on the table. “What did you get him, a trip to go ride horses?” Will asked.

“Not quite,” Percy replied.

Butch chuckled before wrapping an arm around Reyna again. He sat down on the table next to Percy, bringing the Lost Girl in between his legs. Nico watched as Butch let his shoulder brush with Percy's. The large Lost Boy turned his attention back on Nico.

“Still, thanks for the present, man. It was thoughtful.”

Nico wanted to open his mouth and ask questions, but reconsidered. It was the guy's birthday, he didn't need to be burdened with questions that might upset him.

There was a knock at the door. Leo poked his head in and searched the room until his eyes landed on Percy. “She's here.”

Percy stood up. Butch's brow was furrowed as Percy took a few steps away. “Who?”

Percy turned back around with a frown. “I just need you to stay calm, okay?”

Butch stood up, guiding Reyna out of the way. “Percy, what's going on?”

Percy pursed his lip. “Promise not to be mad? I can explain afterwards.”

Butch sighed and nodded. Percy nodded back and walked over to the door. He leaned his head out the door and whispered to someone. Everyone in the room fell quiet, all of them wondering what was going on. Percy finally leaned back into the room and closed the door slightly, standing in front of it. He let out a long breath before standing aside and opening the door.

An olive skinned woman walked into the room. She had long black hair and warm brown eyes. A pair of glasses sat on her nose. She was of medium height, standing as tall as Nico. She was relatively thin and had a small smile on her face.

Butch's face hardened. “Hello, mother,” he grunted. The Lost Boy crossed his arms over his chest tightly.

A lot of the Lost Kids went back to talking and eating cake, pretending like they weren't watching the scene in front of them. Percy cleared his throat. “Surprise.”

Butch's gaze turned on Percy. “What the hell, Percy?”

“Butch,” his mother began.

The Lost Boy growled. Percy sighed. “Your mother is better now, Butch.” He placed a hand on the woman's back. “Isn't that right, Iris?”

The woman gave a small smile, nodding her head lightly. “Percy found me and put me through rehab.”

Butch frowned and looked between the two people in front of him. “Why didn't you tell me?”

The green-eyed manager raised a brow. “I wanted it to be a surprise for your birthday.”

Iris pursed her lips. “Sweetie, I know you're probably angry with me right now, but-”

“Just a little bit,” Butch interrupted.

Percy sighed and shook his head. “But, we both think that you two should spend some time together. Try to patch things up. She is your mother, and she wants to make amends.”

Butch frowned. “I'm not leaving the Lotus.”

Percy held up a hand in defense. “I'm not asking you to. I just want you to spend some time with her.”

“It would mean a lot to me,” Iris added. “I know I was a bad mother growing up, but I'm not using anymore. And Percy even helped me get a nice job.”

Butch's brow furrowed as his gaze turned on Percy. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

Percy gave a single nod. Iris's lips tilted up on one side of her mouth and her head tilted off to the side. “You've grown up to be such a handsome young man.”

Butch rubbed the back of his neck, a minute smile on his face. Percy smiled and slid his hand into his pocket. “Happy birthday, Butch,” he said, clapping the young man on the back. He walked over and sat down on the table again.

Nico blinked at Percy. “Wasn't that risky? What if it had gone bad?”

Percy let his head dip to the side. “I know my Lost Kids.”

Nico nodded. He wondered how well Percy knew him. He had only been at the Lotus for nearly three months now. It didn't seem entirely fair, though. Percy knew them so well, it seemed, but Nico, and possibly the other Lost Kids, probably didn't know anywhere near half of what there was to learn about Percy.

Nico's eyes focused on Percy's lips as they tilted up into a sly smirk. It was like the young man knew what he was thinking.

 Maybe he did.