Children of Loss 28

Chapter 28

Everything was perfect. It was a nice day, with storm clouds on the horizon. The waves of the ocean lapped at the beams that supported the pier that they were on, enjoying their ice cream. Nico's problems felt far off, for the first time in quite a long time.

The boy sat on the wooden railing of the pier, chocolate ice cream in his lap. His hair had already begun to dry and he could still feel some sand between his toes. He smiled and took another bite of his ice cream before looking at his companion.

Percy looked up at him from his own ice cream, blinking a few times. “What?” He mumbled around his mouthful of blueberry ice cream.

Nico smiled and shook his head. “Nothing, just enjoying the day, and the sights.”

Percy smirked at him before returning to his ice cream. “The storm is going to hit soon.”

It would not bother him if it did. He would still have Percy there, all to himself. The two had spent the afternoon together, just walking along the beach. Nico had not planned on anything to do, but the manager had requested they head to the beach the day before.

Nico looked back out, at the ocean. The wind blew at his hair. He was not ready to go back to school tomorrow just yet. Today had been fun, though. They had not talked about the hotel, Nico's family, or anything that had been troubling Nico. They had just enjoyed the day. Percy had even volunteered to turn his phone on silent.

But Nico also knew what this time with Percy would mean. The others would just want more time with Percy.

The boy frowned when he took notice of Percy stealing a spoonful of his ice cream. “Why do you always do that?”

The young man chuckled. “Because it gets a reaction out of you.” Nico's eyes wandered down to watch as the spoon slid into Percy's mouth. Percy smiled at him and scooped some of his own, holding it out for Nico. “You want some of mine?”

Nico narrowed his eyes, but leaned forward, letting Percy slide the spoon of ice cream into his open mouth. A wicked grin touched at the corners of Percy's lips, causing Nico's cheeks to tinge pink. The boy pulled back and turned away to face the ocean. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

Percy sighed and turned around, leaning back on the railing. “Nico, Nico, Nico, what am I going to do with you?” Nico frowned down at the green-eyed Adonis. “You're still not over this little crush of yours.”

Nico placed his feet on the railing below the one he sat on. He frowned down at the water. Why did Percy undermine his feelings like that? “It's not a crush,” he mumbled. “I really like you.”

“I know you think that, but-”

“There is no 'but', I know how I feel.” Percy blinked in surprise from the tone of Nico's voice. The boy clenched his shorts, staring down at his lap. “I'm not going to get over this, Percy, and I really don't want to. Maybe you're the one that needs to take a better look at their feelings.”

When Nico was met with silence, he turned to face Percy. The young man was staring at him with his brows furrowed. “You shouldn't take that tone with your boss.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Please, cut the crap. We both know that you're only formal and rehearsed when you have to be, or when you're trying to avoid something.” Percy's expression became blank. “Why can't you just talk about this with me?”

“There's nothing to talk about.” Percy frowned down at his ice cream before tossing it into the nearby trash. He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair before turning to face Nico. “Why is this so important to you? Why do you like me in the first place? I'm not the type of guy you want to be involved with, you know that.”

The boy's brow furrowed as he rested his arms on his knees. “You belittle yourself, you know that?” Percy remained silent. “You're not the bad person that you make yourself out to be. You're a nice guy, you helped me, and you care about us at the hotel. And I think you care about me.”

“I do-”

“You know what I mean.” Percy let out a sigh and rested his arms on the railing. “I'm not interested in your money or your power, I just like you for you. Why is it that you seem to have a hard time understanding that?”

Percy's eyes reflected the sea when they looked at him, so calm, yet so conflicted. There was something hidden there, something that the other did not want to say. What was bothering Percy? “And you know that none of that matters. I can't give you what you want.”

“Why not?” Nico frowned at him. Percy went to speak, but Nico beat him to it. “You're in charge. You make the rules. I don't understand why this is complicated.”

The storm finally hit, but not where Nico had expected. There was now an angry expression replacing the calm one that had been in Percy's eyes a second ago. “This is for your own good, whether you understand it or not. I'm just trying to do what's best for you.”

“Now you sound like a parent.”

Percy rolled his eyes and turned to face in the other direction. “You just don't understand,” Percy whispered, “but you will. You and I do not need to be together.”

Nico found it hard to swallow. “I don't believe that.”

The young man sighed. “Can we just...enjoy the rest of our afternoon?”

Nico just frowned and ate another bite of ice cream. He let out a sigh and went back to watching the waves. He flipped the plastic spoon in his mouth and pressed his tongue into the indent. The sun was already beginning to set on the horizon, its rays bursting through some of the clouds.

When Nico noticed Percy was being quiet, he shifted his head an inch to look at the manager from the corner of his eye. Percy was motionless, his eyes staring blankly at the spoon in Nico's mouth. When he caught Nico looking at him, his eyes simply shifted up to meet Nico's. They flickered back down for a split second before being cast to the water.

The brown-eyed boy sighed and tossed his empty cup and spoon in the trash before swinging his legs over the railing and hopping off. Percy eyed him briefly before standing to his full height and slipping his hands into his pockets. The two quietly strolled back down the pier.

“Thanks again for spending the day with me,” Nico said with a smile.

Percy offered him a smile in return, though it did not seem as authentic as some of his other ones. “It was my pleasure.”

“You wouldn't have any suggestions on what to get Leo for his birthday, would you?”

Percy shrugged. “You have until Friday.”

“Yeah, but I need ideas.”

The young man finally gave a real smile. “Maybe some tools? He likes to help out his mom, when he's not swamped with helping me.”

The raven haired boy gave a small nod. “What happened with them anyways? I figured all the Lost Kids lost or hated their parents.”

“A long story,” Percy sighed. “Leo never really had a good life, or had the luxury of growing up in a nice home.” Nico watched as the young man stared down at the street. “It's sort of one of the reasons I offered him the secretary job, over being a stripper. I figured he needed something better than that.”

Nico's lips scrunched up as he stared at Percy. “How can you be so down on yourself, when you care so much for those of us at the hotel?”

Those green eyes darted away from Nico. Percy's bangs fell into his eyes, casting a shadow over his face. “Some things are better left unsaid, Nico.”

The pale Lost Boy crossed his arms over his chest. This was not fair. Percy always avoided problems that seemed to occur between them. “Why can't you just be honest?”

“I am being honest!” Percy snapped, causing Nico to take a step back. Percy sighed. “Sorry. It's just...complicated. It's for your own good, as with everyone else.” He grabbed Nico's wrist to get the boy to stop moving. “The most I care to share is that, while I do care about you and the others, I need to keep my distance. I don't want you to get hurt.”

Nico sighed and began to rub his arm. “It also hurts when you do this.” His pained brown eyes met Percy's green ones. “If you want me to back off, to stop pushing, just say so. But I need you to mean it.”

Percy took in a deep breath. His eyes looked off into the horizon, his lips now scrunched. “Let's just...get you back to the hotel, yeah?”

They let out a collective sigh as they continued towards Percy's car. “When can I get my own car?”

Percy smiled. “When you can learn to drive.”

“Then why don't you teach me?”

Percy studied him from the corner of his eye. The young man finally shrugged. “We'll see. How about you take lessons and work on getting your license. If you do that, I'll work with you on getting you a car. Sound good?”

Nico bit down on his lip to hide his smile. “Deal.”

“But, I mean, you already have a permanent ride to school.”

“Yeah, but Jason is graduating this year,” Nico mumbled.

“True.” Percy scratched at his chin. “Still, get the experience, I'll see how you're doing, then we'll work on that car.” They came to a stop in front of Percy's car. The young man pulled out his keys and pushed the button to unlock his car. He stared down at Nico before rolling his eyes. “And you should get a lesson in table manners.” Nico cocked his head to the side. “You've got ice cream on the edge of your mouth,” Percy explained, pointing to his own mouth.

“Oh.” Nico blinked and wiped at the edge of his mouth. “Better?”

Percy smiled and shook his head. “Other side, genius.”

Nico froze when Percy swiped his thumb across the corner of his lips. His heart began pounding in his chest from the contact and close proximity. He stared up at Percy, and the young man flicked his eyes up to meet Nico's brown ones. Nico wanted nothing more than to lean up and close the distance between them. But, did Nico really want to potentially ruin their day even further? Their earlier discussion had already put a sour mood on things.

“Can I kiss you?”

Nico pursed his lips as soon as the question escaped his lips. Percy's eyes finally fell from his, a smile on his face. He pulled back and shook his head. “Sorry.”

But, as always with Percy, his next action would do nothing but confuse Nico. As Nico was climbing inside the car, Percy grabbed his hand. Nico blinked as his hand was slowly raised to Percy's lips, where he received a kiss on the back of his hand.

He felt his face heat up as Percy smiled and closed the car door. Nico's head was still spinning when Percy climbed in on his side and started the car. What had just happened? Was he ever going to understand his manager? Doubtful, he thought.

“How are you anyways?”

Percy stopped the car in the middle of backing out to blink at Nico. “What?” He opened his mouth once before shutting it, his brow now furrowed. “I'm fine.”

“I just-you always seem so concerned about us, but I never really see anyone even ask how you're doing. I would imagine that you would have a lot of things on your mind.”

Percy glanced at him in brief intervals as he finished getting them onto the road. “Well,” he paused to shift his car into drive, “I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine.” He threw on a big smile, but Nico stared back at him, unconvinced. “Really, I'm fine.”

It was probably best not to press the issue right now. Still, Nico knew the young man was not telling him the truth. Even the others at the hotel had commented on Percy seeming stressed, though most did not seem to know why. What he did not understand was why no one seemed to want to talk to Percy, and see if he needed some help. It was like the young man was willing to put the entire weight of the sky on his shoulders, not wanting anyone to help him.

When they were on the beach, Nico would often note that Percy seemed sad. Everything would seem fine. They had been talking about happy, nice things. Yet, any time Nico would sneak a look, he would typically find Percy with a frown and a pained look in his eyes. Something was bothering him, that much Nico was sure of.

The rain finally hit while they were driving, calm at first, but it quickly turned into a downpour. Nico let out a sigh as he sat in the car, staring out at the rain. Percy turned on the radio to drown out the silence. Neither of them seemed to know what to say, at least Nico didn't. Why did things have to be so complicated with Percy?

He had just been suspecting more and more that there was something, anything, between them. Percy had to have some feelings for him, right? If not, why didn't he just ask Nico to back off? Maybe he was just too nice? But Percy never seemed to have trouble speaking his mind, especially over important issues. So why was he letting this continue?

Why should it matter what the other Lost Kids thought? Why should Percy let them effect his decisions? Why even make the agreement with them over Nico? If Percy was in charge, he shouldn't have to do things like that. Percy should be capable of doing what made him happy. And, yet, he seemed very hesitant about all of it.

And, while she had been gone for a month now, he could not help but think back to Koko's words. “I also wanted to wish you luck for when you meet Gaea,” she had told him. “Believe me, you're going to need it when she sees what I've seen.”

Perhaps Percy was worried about Gaea's visit? But why? Nothing was going on between them. Hell, Nico was still trying to figure Percy out. But whatever it had been, seemed to have something to do with Nico. He supposed the only thing there was to do at this point was to wait until the woman arrived for Christmas.

It had finally started to thunder by the time they pulled into the hotel's parking garage. Percy parked the car and turned it off, though he remained still afterwards. Nico turned to look at him, his door already open. “Everything okay?”

Percy blinked and turned to look at him before smiling and pulling out the keys. “Yeah, just fine.”

The brown-eyed boy frowned at him. “Percy, you can talk about your problems, you know? You're human, just like the rest of us. We all have problems that we need to talk about.”

“And that's what I have Chiron for.”

Nico sighed and climbed out of the car as Percy shut his door. “Maybe I want to listen to your problems,” he mumbled.

Percy stopped at the back of his car and tilted his head. “What was that, Nico?”

He just shook his head. “Nothing.”

Nico looked up to find Percy staring at him. He nodded his head towards the elevator. “Come on, don't want you to be late for work.”

The boy nodded as they boarded the elevator. “Yeah, I should probably get a shower as well.”

Percy smiled and looked down at his clothes. For some reason, Nico liked it better when the young man didn't dress up, like today. The green-eyed Adonis had worn a dark blue, sleeveless shirt and a pair of ripped, white shorts. Flip-flops were on his feet, while a pair of blue tinted sunglasses sat on top of his head. For some reason, just looking at him like this made Nico's heart beat faster. Percy was never anything short of breathtaking.

Upon reaching Nico's suite, Percy remained at his side. Nico stared up at him as he opened the door. “Yes?”

The young man smiled. “I just wanted to drop in on Jason. He wanted to talk to me this morning.”

“Oh.” Nico let his boss enter. “So, why didn't you already talk to him?”

“I was leaving my room, to take you to the beach.”

Why did Percy always seem to make him blush? He felt his cheeks burn as he looked away and cleared his throat, well aware of the grin on Percy's face. “I'm, um, gonna go get that shower.”

Percy chuckled as Nico ducked into his room. He heard the young man knock of his roommate's door while he gathered his clothes. Maybe the playing field was not completely unbalanced. He needed to talk this over with Annabeth.

Percy had already disappeared into Jason's room by the time Nico emerged from his room. The boy shut the bathroom door and turned on the shower before stripping himself of his beach clothes. What would have been really nice was if Percy had held off on seeing Jason to join Nico for a shower. But, he supposed that was too much to ask for. His sexual encounters with the young man seemed to depend solely on Percy.

He finally emerged from the shower, fresh and clean. He had one eye shut as he toweled his hair. When a pair of arms grabbed him, he let out a yelp. “Percy,” he whined, trying to pull away from the young man.

There was a light chuckle in his ear. “I was just about to come in and say goodbye. But, unfortunately, you decided to end your shower.”

Brown eyes glared up into green ones. “I hate you sometimes. And, besides, it's not like it would have mattered. All you would do is torture me.”

Percy shrugged. “That is always up to you, Nico.” He arched a brow and ruffled Nico's, still wet, hair. “I've got a lot of paperwork to catch up on, so I might not see you tonight.”

“Maybe you shouldn't be lazy with your work.”

The young man rolled his eyes. “You sound like Rachel.”

Nico smirked up at the green-eyed young man. “Just trying to be helpful.”

Nico's cheeks heated up again when he was pulled into a one-armed hug. He felt Percy's hand on his lower back, threatening to slip under the fabric. “I'll see you later, Nico.”

Nico just nodded back as Percy released him. Why did he do this to Nico? He knew Nico liked him, and this was just encouraging things. Nico let out a groan as the door closed behind Percy. This was going to give him a headache, he just knew it.

Nico let out a sigh of contentment as he savored the delicious wrap in his hands. A few of the Lost Kids had decided to eat at the hotel's small deli, which had been an excellent decision, in Nico's opinion. The eating area was housed by large glass windows and the doorway, leading to the rest of the hotel. Outside the storm was still going strong, which was why they had opted to not sit in the fenced in area.

Silena sat across from him, currently engrossed in the vegetable loaded sandwich in her hands. Ethan sat beside him, munching on a bag of chips. The young man had been fairly quiet, and had even gone as far as to slide his chair away from Silena. And, rounding off their small group, was Butch, who had loaded down his tray with two sandwiches, filled with pretty much everything imaginable.

“Things going good with your Charlie-Bear?” Butch asked before biting down on one of his sandwiches, which made a crunching sound. Nico eyed him funny. Did he actually load his sandwich with chips?

Silena rolled her eyes before biting off a corner of her own sandwich. “Sorry to get your hopes up, buddy.”

Butch cracked a grin. “No harm in asking.”

“My answer will always be no,” Silena replied, singing the 'no'.

“What?” Nico asked around his wrap.

“Butch is just butthurt that I won't participate in fulfilling his needs.”

“Whatever, woman.” The muscular Lost Boy grunted at her before placing his food down. “There's no harm in it.”

Silena sighed. “I just prefer our current arrangement.”

“Doesn't stop you from messing with Percy,” Ethan mumbled, placing another chip in his mouth.

The Lost Girl shot him a dirty look. “And Charlie is involved with that.”

Butch shrugged, placing his elbow on the table. “Hey, I'm willing to include Beckendorf.” His large finger was pointed towards a chuckling Silena. “Just say the word.”

“I think I'll pass.” She rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. “You don't need it, you know.”

“Need what?” Everyone turned to look at Nico. “What are we talking about?”

Silena glanced over at the muscular Lost Boy next to her. “Just some ghosts that he needs to work out.”

Butch shrugged in return. “Cuddling never hurt anything.”

“And why don't you ever ask Nico?”

Butch grunted before biting off a large chunk of his sandwich. “Because I already know what his answer will be. Sadly, I don't think I'm his type.”

Nico's face began to burn. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

The Lost Boy shrugged. “Don't sweat it, man. But, some good affection never hurt anyone.” His brow furrowed as he turned back to Silena, waving the remaining portion of his sandwich in his hand. “And it's not like you've never messed with the rest of us. I got here before your boyfriend, I remember how things were.”

The girl placed her hands on the table. “And now I'm happy and content with how things are. And I wasn't dating Luke, we were just close.”

Ethan let out a grunt. “That's putting it lightly.”

Silena sighed and pressed her fingers to her forehead. “And he and I are past all that,” she frowned when she received a look from Ethan, “sort of.”

The Asian Lost Boy held his bag of chips above his head to finish them off. When he was nearly finished chewing them, he frowned. “You know, I still don't see what you liked in him anyways. I mean, you were all devastated when Octavian arrived, and all Luke's attention fell away from you.”

“He's not as bad as some of you make him out to be,” Silena mumbled.

Nico frowned and put down the rest of his wrap. “Why does Beckendorf have such an issue with Luke anyways?”

Silena blew out a breath before staring down at her tray. “Just...a long story. He didn't like how close Luke and I were, even before we started dating. But, I didn't want to just turn away from Luke like that. I owed him a lot, and I couldn't hurt him.” She sighed and glanced up at Nico. “Luke took care of me, and I will never be able to repay him for some of the things he did for me.”

Butch cleared his throat. “Just don't let the brooding blond hear any of this. He's not much for having his soft side talked about.”

Nico nodded. He was already well aware of Luke's need to seem tough. That was not to say that the blond wasn't tough, but Nico also knew that Luke was more caring that he would often let on.

“If I were him, I'd hold a grudge against you,” Ethan grunted. “I'm surprised Percy and Luke are as close as they are, after what Luke did for you.”

“I didn't ask him to do it.” Silena glared at the Asian Lost Boy. “I didn't expect him to do it.”

“And, yet, you managed to put a target on his back from Kronos.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Kronos has it out for Luke, or something?”

Butch let out a breath and scooted himself closer to the table. “More like a sick, hate-hate relationship. In the rare instances that the two see each other, Kronos goes out of his way to torment Luke.” The large Lost Boy began to crack his knuckles. “I think Percy took notice of it, and that's why he won't take Luke on trips with him anymore.”

“Can't really do anything about it when Kronos comes here,” Ethan mumbled, finishing what was left of his own sandwich. When he was done, he pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “Well, I've got to get to work, as do all of you.” Picking his tray up, his eyes turned to Nico. “Ready?”

“Um, sure.”

Nico quietly got up and dumped his trash in the garbage, placing the tray on top of the disposal unit. Nico was rarely alone with Ethan, so their trip to the elevator was a little uncomfortable. However, out of the two security guards, he would have to say Clarisse intimidated him more.

As they rode up, Nico took note of the Lost Boy inspecting himself. And, for the first time, found that they did, in fact, carry weapons. Under his shirt, a knife was strapped to his chest. A long, pale scar was also noticeable there, almost hidden behind the black harness. Around his ankle, Ethan carried a small pistol.

“Do you always carry those around?”

Ethan shrugged. “Not really. I usually put them on before I eat, so I can go straight to work.” He leaned back, against the wall. “If there's an emergency, I usually am near a place to grab a gun, so it's no big deal. Clarisse usually carries, though.”

Nico looked away from the unnerving look that he was receiving from Ethan. At times, he was not sure whose eyes could get to him more, Percy or Ethan's. Percy's were forever changing, while Ethan's was usually dark or empty.

A frown began to form on Ethan's face. “You don't have to be afraid of me, you know. Everyone else seems to be bothered by me and Clarisse, but we're not going to kill you, or anything.” He let out a sigh, his one good eye darting away from the small, pale boy. “It just bothers me sometimes, the way some of you look at me.”

“I don't really know anything about you, other than you work security and aren't afraid to kill someone.”

The dark eyed young man ran his tongue along his top row of teeth. “When you have close encounters with death, it doesn't seem so hard to pull that trigger anymore.” Nico heard Ethan tapping his fingers onto the wall of the elevator. “Sometimes, I wish I could have had that outlook earlier, might have helped.”

The younger of the two lightly chewed on his lip. “That doesn't really help me understand you. Maybe if you opened up more, the others wouldn't be so nervous around you.”

“What makes you think they don't already know what happened to me?” He glared at Nico as he touched his eyepatch. “They already know how I got this.”

“But I don't.” The boy let out a sigh. “And you don't make things easier on yourself when you act and talk like that.”

Ethan stared back at him for a long time before sighing and relaxing his shoulders. “Maybe one day.” The doors opened to the top floor. Ethan stared down at him before placing a hand on top of Nico's head. “Just for now, know that I'm watching out for you, kid.”

Nico was unsure of what to do or say as the other Lost Boy walked off, sliding his hands into his pockets. Nico let out a sigh and stepped out of the elevator. Ethan kept his eyes on a clipboard as Nico walked past him and up the stairs, almost ignoring Nico's presence entirely.

Nico drowned out most of the performances for the night, including his own. There was one that had stuck out to him. During one of his solo performances, a dark haired woman had given him a large tip in his speedo, and had even gone as far as to grope his ass.

As he was going on break, he caught the woman staring at him while heading to the bar room. He was not sure if he was creeped out by it; the woman seemed relatively harmless. And, after all, wasn't the point of his job to get attention?

Putting it to the back of his mind, he entered the bar room. Annabeth had seated herself in one of the chairs, apparently waiting for a large order from Dionysus. Zoë seemed to be on break from her night of dancing. Her body was covered in sweat, while she held a water bottle to her forehead. And then there was Luke, who was strewn across the couch, face buried into cushion.

Zoë noticed him first, though she did not speak to him. Her dark eyes met his before a dull look came over them and she looked away. It sort of reminded Nico of when someone would grow bored with something.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled, raising a hand to give a small wave.

Luke rolled his head to the side to give Nico an annoyed glare. “I have a headache, shut up.”

“Don't mind him.” Annabeth rolled her eyes. “He's just having a bad night with customers.”

Nico cocked a brow. “No one wants the bad boy blond?” He asked mockingly.

In return, he received another glare, though the blond made no effort to lash out at him. “Not in the mood to deal with you, twerp.”

Annabeth patted the blond's leg, which was jutting out in the air. “He just has a busy schedule lined up for tonight.” She turned a smile on Nico. “How's your day been?”

“Good.” He glanced at the other two in the room. “I actually needed to talk to you about my day.”

The blonde girl's grey eyes flickered over to the other two Lost Kids before glaring at Dionysus, who was not even bothering to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping. She stood up and nodded to Nico, motioning towards the door. Nico walked over to it, while Annabeth collected her tray of drinks. The two stepped into the girls' side, Nico following after the blonde. Nico frowned as several men whistled at Drew, as she twirled around the pole.

“Here?” Nico yelled over the music and noise. “It's a little loud.”

“You wanted to talk, and I've still got work to do.” She smiled at a table full of men as she deposited their drinks. Nico sighed as he hurried after her, to another table. “So, what's up?”

“It's Percy.” The Lost Girl stopped and frowned at him. “I think things are improving.”

“Why do you say that?” She yelled over the noise.

Nico scrunched his lips. “Well, he blew off Jason to spend time with me today.” The girl's brow furrowed before she nodded. “But he's so confusing. He claims we shouldn't be together, but he keeps sending me mixed signals.”

“Like what?”

The boy pursed his lips. Perhaps this had not been the best idea. If they found out that Percy had kissed him, even if it had just been on the hand, there were surely to be repercussions for him. He already saw the disaster from them finding out he had went on a “not-date” with Percy.

“He, um...you know, he's just confusing. Just the way he talks sometimes, or something he does. I just don't get him.”

Annabeth eyed him funny for a second before nodding. She did not seem very convinced. “Well, I've known Percy for a while now, and I can say that understanding him does not get much easier.”

Nico sighed and clutched back of his hair. “So what do I do?”

The blonde frowned as she dropped off the last drink on her tray. “Act fast? I don't know. From the sounds of it, you might have a window of opportunity over Jason.” She sighed and held the tray against her stomach. “He needs to know you're serious about all of this, which could take something big to get through his head.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “Love him to death, and while he is smart, he's not bright on things like this. Took him several months to realize that Apollo still had a crush on him.”

“Thanks.” Nico stood there and began to rub his arm. Annabeth cocked her head to the side. “Why are you helping me, anyways?”

The Lost Girl let out a sigh as they headed back to the bar room. “In a place like this, people need to find happiness.” Her grey eyes found Nico's brown ones. “But that's not to say that I won't still conduct business with Percy. The others won't stop, even if you do manage to hook him, and I'm not willing to let my work suffer.”

“Yeah,” the boy mumbled. “Still, thanks.”

She nodded back at him before shoving him into the bar room. Nico was immediately greeted by a intense stare from Luke, who was still lying on his stomach. Zoë had left by this point, leaving Nico alone with Dionysus and Luke. He held Luke's gaze as he sat down in the chair that Annabeth had previously been occupying.

“What was that about?”

Nico just shrugged, not bothering to look at Luke. He was well aware of the blond's eyes being narrowed. “Is there a problem with me talking to Annabeth?”

The tall Lost Boy grunted and sat up, a frown marring his face. “Not a problem at all.” The blond's hand ran through his hair. “I want you to take my brother up on his offer. You need to learn to adapt better to this place.”

“Your brother is being an ass, and I don't like his terms.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “If you're getting your hopes up on us living happily ever after or something, don't. You're a twerp, nothing more.”

Nico frowned over at the blond. “I question that sometimes.”

The blond rolled his eyes. “Please tell me you don't think I'm falling in love with you, or something.”

They both glared over at Dionysus when the man snorted. “Sorry,” the bartender chuckled.

Luke sighed and stood up. “Do what I said,” he continued, eyes intently staring at the boy in front of him.

Dionysus chuckled again. Luke turned around and glared again. “Sorry, sorry, I just find it hard to swallow. I just bet that you want him to seek your brother's counsel.”

“No one asked you,” Luke growled. His nostrils flared as he turned back to Nico. “And keep away from this bastard as much as you can.” With that, he stormed out of the room.

“My, my, someone seems to be in a bad mood tonight.”

Nico sighed and let his eyes fall upon the bartender. “Do you just make it your life goal to torment all of the Lost Kids?”

The bartender finally turned around, a grin plastered on his face. “Now, Nico, what have I ever done to torment you? Here I thought I was giving you good advice.” Nico rolled his eyes when the man placed a hand over his chest.

“What I don't understand is why you stay here, when you don't seem to like Percy that much, and you don't seem to enjoy the rest of us either.”

“Why, Nico, I'm offended.” The man grinned and rested a hand behind him, on the bar. “I have the utmost respect for our superb manager.”

“That doesn't mean you like him,” Nico pointed out, already rising to his feet. Perhaps Luke's advice was for the best.

The bartender poured himself a shot and downed it. As he wiped a hand across his mouth, he turned back to face Nico. “Ah, Nico, you're not as stupid as some of the others. And that is what makes your time here the most enjoyable.”

“The others aren't stupid!”

A sly grin spread across the man's face. It caused Nico's scowl to lessen, unnerving him. “And, yet, they are still here, destroying themselves and each other. They hate the world, and are no longer capable of blending in with the rest of society.”

“That's not true.”

“Oh? Isn't it?” The man rubbed at his chin. “They've become distrusting, paranoid, and irrational. They could snap at the slightest thing. Or what if they got stalked by a client? Percy would not be there to protect them.” Nico shifted as the man's beady dark eyes stared into his soul. “They are broken. Broken, little puppets, incapable of surviving on their own anymore.”

Nico held the man's stare until he was standing at the door. He pushed it open before turning to face Dionysus. “You're still here,” he reminded the man before leaving.

He sighed and walked across the floor, his vision locked on the floor. What had caused this conflict between Dionysus and the others? Why did the man dislike Percy? And why did Percy keep him around? It was not like Percy seemed to like Dionysus that much either.

He stopped when he was met by a pair of long, hairless legs. He looked up to find Apollo fidgeting in front of him. “What's up?”

Apollo let out a sigh. “You need to come with me. Just...don't freak out.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he was led backstage. Percy was there, arms crossed. His eyes flickered up when he spotted Apollo and Nico. Nico cocked a brow as the young man rubbed at his mouth. “Nico, you're going to the back rooms.”

The boy's brown eyes instantly grew fearful. “Wh-what?”

Apollo sighed. Percy eyed him funny, uncrossing his arms. “You're not going to be having sex, Nico,” the manager explained.

Nico instantly breathed a sigh of relief. “Then what's going on?”

“You've got a customer,” Apollo answered.

Percy opened the door and gestured inside. “It's just a lap dance. When you get to the rooms, it'll be the third door on your left.” Nico frowned as he took a step into the dark hallway. “Good luck,” Percy whispered before letting the door shut.

While Nico knew it was just a private dance, he still found his legs not wanting to cooperate. His breathing had become uneven at some point. He knew this day would probably come at some point, he had just hoped it would not be anytime soon.

And the hallway seemed to go on forever. Or perhaps it was because his legs still were not moving. Why was this such a big deal for him? It was not like had not already taken his clothes off in front of strangers. Why was this circumstance any different?

Looking behind him, the Lost Boy found that he was still standing in front of the door. “Stop being a girl,” Nico hissed under his breath. If he just got it over with, maybe it would not be so bad. And it was just one dance...right? Well, Percy had never specified, but he was going to assume it was only one. Surely, Percy would not be cruel enough to make him stay in there for a very long time, simply to perform several private dances. It was his first time after all.

He awkwardly got down the hall, freezing at the corner. The customer was only three doors away now. The Lost Boy's shoulders tensed as the very door he was supposed to go to opened, and the very woman that had been staring at him earlier poked her head out.

“Ah, there you are, you adorable boy, I thought you might have got lost.”

Nico swallowed before flashing a bright smile. “Sorry, didn't mean to keep you waiting.”

She was fairly tall and thin. Even in the dark lighting, Nico could tell she had been drinking from her brown eyes. She was very radiant, though. She smelled like fresh flowers. Her black hair was curled, flowing across her shoulders. An odd noise emanated from her mouth as she cleared her throat, straightening out her dress from the couch she now sat on.

The problem with this was that he had yet to be coached on doing this sort of thing. And, while he was fairly sure it was not anyone's fault in particular, he could not help but wonder if this was another attempt to lash out at him. But, he was going to keep his faith and believe that the others had just not foreseen this happening so soon.

Nico fought the urge to tense up as music began to play in the room. The bass was loud, and the song reminded him of something that would play during a stage performance. Maybe if he just tuned it all out. It was not like the woman was actually going to notice, right?

Taking a deep breath, Nico reached down to the hem of his thin, loose shirt. The woman's eyes were locked onto his stomach the second the shirt was pulled over his head and tossed onto a small chair in the corner. He smirked and ran a hand through his hair, biting down on his lip.

He swayed his hips back and forth as he maneuvered closer to the seated woman, one of his hands drifting towards his navel. As the loose fabric that he called shorts fell from his hips, he straddled the woman's lap, making sure to keep from seating himself. He winked at the woman and wagged a finger when she attempted to place her hands on his stomach.

How he was pulling this off was beyond him, considering how scared he was at the moment. His heart had to be beating a million miles an hour. He made sure to keep from standing still, so the woman would not notice that he was shaking. He chewed at the edge of his lip as he ran a hand down his sides. It felt foreign and very awkward for him, even though he had done similar things on stage. It was just that the fact that he had someone mere inches from him currently enjoying this particular dance.

“I would very much enjoy having you around the house on a daily basis,” the woman chuckled, slightly fanning herself. “Though, I don't think my husband would approve of it very much.”

Nico felt a lump in his throat. He managed to keep moving, turning around in the woman's lap. He bent forward and touched the floor. “Well, he doesn't have to know about this little rendezvous.”

The woman scoffed. “Oh, I'm sure he's somewhere up here, probably eyeing some of the girls.”

Nico frowned, unseen by the woman. How sad, he thought. Was this woman even happy? Why not just get divorced? Money, perhaps?

Nico managed to smile before turning around again. He grabbed her hand and placed it in the center of his chest. “Well, you don't have to think about him right now. It's just you...and me.”

She grinned up at him and squeezed the area around his ribs. “How about we talk to your boss about some more time with me?”

Nico's foot slipped out from under him. He had been wanting to stand up straight, to toy with his speedo, but the woman's words had caught him off guard. He nearly yelped as he landed face first into the woman's breasts. “I, um...I'm sorry.”

The woman laughed. “Oh, sweetie, don't apologize. You just gave me more action than my husband has in five years.”

“I, um, don't know about the, um, intimate time...” He trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck.

She smiled and stood up, patting him on the cheek. “Sweetheart, you are just adorable. It's fine, though. Your boss already said that nothing else would probably happen with you. Still, a woman can dream.” She smiled and pulled out a card from her purse beside the couch, handing it over to Nico. “If you ever change your mind, let me know.”

Nico just nodded at her as she picked up her purse and left the room. He frowned as he looked down at the card. “Persephone. That's a nice name.”

She smiled and touched his cheek before heading towards the door. “I hope to see you again.”

Nico looked back down at the card when the door closed. She seemed nice, he thought. He reached over and grabbed his clothes from the chair. Slipping the business card into the hem of his speedo, Nico opened the door. He looked down the hall, to the rest of the rooms, but was unable to distinguish anything. Were some of the others working?

When he got back, the other Lost Boys were getting dressed. Apollo looked up at him. “He's finally done.”

Connor came up behind him and slung an arm around him, pulling Nico against his chest. “How was it? Did you faint? Did you get molested?”

Nico just rolled his eyes. “It wasn't that bad.” He removed Connor's arm and worked on dressing himself again. “I mean, I messed up a little, but it wasn't that bad.”

Apollo blew out a breath as he rubbed his neck. “Good. I'll make sure to tell Percy.”

“He isn't here?” Nico frowned up at the blond.

The curly haired Lost Boy shook his head. “Nope, he had to run just before you got here.”

Connor grinned and poked at Nico's side. “He did watch your dance, though.”

Nico blinked, feeling his cheeks burn. Percy had been in the security room. “Why?”

Apollo shrugged. “Percy usually keeps an eye on our first times with things. I guess he saw you were fine, or didn't need him, and left.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he frowned at nothing. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so casual about the whole thing. But, Percy did know his customers, so maybe he knew the woman would not be any trouble for him. Still, it was a little disappointing to learn that he could have, possibly, had some extra time with Percy.

He let out a yawn and Apollo smiled at him. “You should go get some rest, we're done for the night.”

Nico's body felt exhausted. His shoulders were sore and his eyes were threatening to close. So, he was not going to be one to object to Apollo permitting him to head on to bed. He just did not want to have to go to school tomorrow. His Thanksgiving break had been relatively enjoyable, and he was not wanting it to end. Mondays were rarely pleasant, and he was sure tomorrow would be no exception.

Monday had been, as predicted, horrible. All of Nico's teachers were beginning preparations for winter finals, and some were giving them heavy loads of homework. Nico let out a groan and let his head fall on the lunchroom table as he tried to think of a way to complete it all. The worst part? School was only halfway over.

Jason arched an eyebrow at him as he scarfed down the rest of his pizza. Daedalus just chuckled and patted him on the head. “I'm sure you'll be fine,” the brunet assured him.

The only blond at the table frowned and stared off in the distance. Nico's eyes flickered away, landing back on Daedalus. “Maybe we could do a study session, or something? With work, I don't know how I'll have time to focus on some of these projects, especially if I do them at the hotel.”

The brunet smiled and nodded. “Yeah, and I'm sure my mother would love having you over again.” He nudged the blond next to him. “You want to join?”

Jason grumbled something before turning to stare at his best friend. “What?”

The grey-eyed boy sighed. “I asked if you wanted to join me and Nico for a study session sometime this week.”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Jason mumbled. Nico frowned when the blond's blue eyes focused back onto whatever it was he had been staring at. “Somebody didn't have a good holiday.”

Nico swiveled in his seat. His face paled slightly when he caught sight of Cal snatching a slice of pizza from a freshman's tray. The small boy whined, but was shoved out of his chair in return. Zethes cackled behind his brother.

Everything was fine, until Cal caught sight of Nico. The boy's brown eyes widened as the two bullies headed in their direction. Jason's lips tilted down as he sat his food down. “What do you want, Cal?” Daedalus asked when the two tall seniors stood at the edge of their table.

Cal leered, slamming his hands on the table. “This fag here needs to keep his eyes to himself.”

“Why don't you just back off?” Jason growled, shooting to his feet.

Daedalus pushed his glasses up and stood up as well. “You both need to move on. Nico hasn't done anything to you.”

Zethes scoffed, resting an elbow on his brother's shoulder. “Well, you see, my brother here doesn't appreciate being stared at by queers.”

“Believe me, he's not my type,” Nico mumbled, his eyes on the table.

Cal's nostrils flared as he clenched the table. “What did you say to me, faggot?” The large boy's hand shot out, but was blocked by Daedalus. Jason shoved the table, putting a barrier between Nico and his bullies. Two teachers stood up. Cal eyed them before returning his gaze to Nico. “You better watch yourself.” He shoved away, glaring at the two athletes standing between him and his prey.

Daedalus sighed, shoulders relaxing. He pushed his glasses up and offered Nico a small smile. “I'd be careful today. Cal seems to be having a very bad day.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he observed the two bullies leaving the cafeteria. “What did I even do to put such a target on my back?”

The brunet shrugged. “You shouldn't try to rationalize bullies.”

The raven haired boy let out a sigh as he went back to his food, frowning when he found the remains of his food scattered all over his tray. For some reason, he had the feeling that he was not done seeing Cal today.

His answer did not take long to find him. As soon as he separated from Jason and Daedalus, he was grabbed and slammed against the lockers. He cracked an eye open to find Cal holding him, while Zethes just grinned down at him.

“There you are, fairy. We thought you'd never ditch your valiant knights.”

Nico gave a dry look to the more slender, tall of the two brutes. “I'm surprised you know what valiant even means.”

Zethes sneered at him. “Can I have the first punch?”

“No, he's mine,” Cal growled, slamming Nico against the lockers again. The raven haired boy's vision blurred as his head made contact with the metal.

From what he could tell, none of his fellow students were bothering to help him. Though, they all seemed content with watching it all take place. He let out a sigh and let his shoulders slump. What could he do? If he fought back, he would probably lose, and still be punished back at the hotel. He could not get in a fight, he reminded himself. Percy would have his head if he did.

Cal's fist slamming into the locker beside his head brought him back to reality. “Pay attention, faggot. Maybe if you learn your lesson, this won't have to happen again.” He leaned in and grinned. “Doubtful, though. I think I'm going to enjoy myself.”

And then there was searing hot pain in Nico's cheek. His eyes wrenched shut as he raised a hand. Before he could touch his new sore, he was lifted up and thrown to the floor, his back grazing each locker he passed.

The two were not ready to relent. Before Nico could pick himself up, he received a swift kick to the ribs. He winched and doubled over, now finding it hard to breathe. He cried out in pain when the heel of Cal's shoe dug into his wrist. Another sharp breath as a hand yanked his hair and dragged him up. A large hand squeezed his jaw, surely to leave another bruise.

Nico saw stars as his head was slammed against the lockers. He wanted to check for blood, but he could barely balance himself. Another punch, this time to his stomach, knocking the remainder of his breath out.

He was not sure what happened, but the next thing he knew, there was a blur tackling Cal. He could make out the color blue, but his vision was too blurred to make out a definite image. Zethes moved to step in, but was yanked backwards by another figure.

“Stay the fuck off him!” He heard someone yell. Jason? It sure sounded like his roommate.

When Nico finally got his bearings back, he found it was Jason that had tackled Cal off of him. The large brute glared at the blond as he swiped a hand across his mouth. Daedalus had Zethes pinned against the lockers, his arm pressed to the bully's throat.

Zethes saw that his brother was backing off and shoved Daedalus away. The brunet moved to help Nico up as the two brutes took their leave. Jason, however, didn't move from where he stood. “Are you okay?”

Nico looked up at Daedalus and nodded. “Yeah, what happened?”

The brunet placed a hand on Jason's shoulder, getting him to relax. He smiled and turned back to Nico. “We heard the commotion, figured they had made their move, and came running.”

Brown met blue as Nico and Jason stared at each other. “You're not supposed to get in fights.”

The blond just shrugged. “And Percy would have been furious if I let them beat you within an inch of your life.” He eyed Nico over, pressing a thumb to the boy's forehead. When he pulled it back, Nico found some blood. “Family, right?”

Nico nodded. Daedalus placed an arm around Nico. “Come on, we'll take you to the nurse.”

It didn't take long for someone to come for Nico. It was Clarisse, who remained quiet as she checked him out. She looked him over after she was finished, but did not say anything. She just frowned and nodded her head towards the door.

When they were outside, Nico finally spoke. “Can we not tell Percy?”

“Afraid he already knows.” Her dark eyes found his. “He is your emergency contact, after all.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “Is he mad?”

“You can see for yourself.”

Nico did not like the way that sounded. Was he going to be mad at Nico for getting in a fight? For the bruises that now covered his body? Or was he going to be angry at Cal and Zethes? Nico was not sure which he dreaded more, but he decide on the latter. If he was angry enough, would Percy kill them?

During his stay in the nurse's office, he had gone over his injuries. There was a small cut on his forehead, the back of his head was extremely sore, his cheek was slightly swollen and bruised, and his ribs were dark with several bruises. Thankfully, none of his ribs had been broken.

“Just be glad I'm the one that came for you,” the Lost Girl mumbled when they were in the car. “When the others found out, some of them volunteered to come and get you, simply to hunt down your bullies.”

Nico frowned at the young woman. “Like who?”

“Will looked pretty angry. I think the twins were plotting something, I saw some balloons and there was mention of finding some dog shit. But, Percy would not let them.” She shrugged. “Luke looked like he was going to kill them himself. Thalia was at the door with her brass knuckles when I left.”

Nico winced when he touched the bruise on his cheek. “I'm not going to be working for a while, am I?”

The dark haired girl shrugged again. “Probably not, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. You'll still get paid.”

“But I'm not going to be working,” the boy mumbled.

“Well, it's not like you can help it.” She looked at Nico again. “Besides, those guys did a number on your face. You could get around with just working in the bar, but you have the dark bruise under your eye.” She rubbed her knuckle against her palm on top of the steering wheel. “Sadly, Percy told me I couldn't put a bruise on them to return the favor.”

“You seem to like fighting more than Ethan.”

Clarisse shrugged. “Grew up around it. Played a lot of contact sports, like violent movies, and violent games. My dad was fine with it all, but my mom...” The girl locked her jaw. “Well, she and I never really got along.”

Nico blinked at her. “Did you get in a lot of fights?”

“My dad, when he was home, would always want to hear the details.” She huffed and swapped lanes very fast, receiving a honk from the car behind her. “My dear sweet mother, she would always have something to say about it, 'This isn't how a lady is supposed to act,' she would say. She didn't really like it when I flipped her off either.”

Nico's brow furrowed. What happened to Clarisse? “Did you run away?”

The Lost Boy took note when Clarisse clenched the steering wheel. “Something like that. My mother and I, we had a bit of a falling out towards the end of our days together.”

The Lost Boy wondered if he should admire her. Part of him had to wonder if he would have been able to leave home on his own. But, was Clarisse's situation as bad? He doubted her father beat her, from the sounds of it. And, unless her mother was as large as her, he doubted Clarisse's mother hit her. So, why? Why leave?

Nico's heart began to pound as they pulled into the hotel's garage. He was nervous about facing Percy, about finding out the young man's reaction. He received an eye roll when he let out a groan. “Stop being a pansy.” She shut off the car and sat back in her seat. “Percy's waiting for you in the second floor lounge. I've got to run something to Silena, so you're own your own.”

It was then that Nico remembered a question he had long forgotten. “Why do you room with Silena?” Clarisse stopped in the middle of closing her door to blink at him. “I mean, Leo and Ethan room together, but you room with one of the people that you, supposedly, don't get along with.”

The Lost Girl crossed her arms. “And who says I don't get along with them? I room with Silena because she asked me to.” Nico pursed his lips from the girl's glare. “Is that good enough for you?”

Nico nodded his head and hurried towards the elevator. Once inside, he rapidly hit the button for the second floor. If looks could kill, Clarisse would have probably wrapped him in his own intestines. What was up with her?

Nico took in a deep breath when the doors opened. He inched out and looked around. A portion of the second floor overlooked the lobby downstairs. A lounge had been set up, so people could sit and enjoy the view. Currently occupying it were Percy and Zoë. The two were laughing and smiling. It calmed Nico down a little, to see Percy relaxed. Maybe things were not going to be bad.

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

The second Percy's eyes landed on him, he noticed the manager's jaw tighten, his good mood instantly gone. Zoë looked over and pursed her lips. “You okay there, Nico?”

He nodded his head. Percy remained silent, looking him over. “Lift up your shirt,” he whispered, rubbing at his mouth.

It surprised Nico to hear how calm the young man sounded. But he did as he was told. There was a hint of something dark in those green eyes as he looked Nico's bruised form over. Out of everyone, Percy was the main person that he had wanted to avoid after the fight.

“And them?” Nico just blinked in response to Percy's question. The young manager exhaled, his jaw still firmly set. “I asked what happened to them, Nico.”

Though he still appeared calm, Nico picked up on the venom that laced the green-eyed young man's voice. He was angry, that much was obvious. “They, um, didn't get anything. No teachers saw it, so Jason's not getting punished either.”

Those green eyes were like knives as they stared into Nico's brown orbs. Zoë placed a hand on Percy's leg, giving it a squeeze. The action, however, did nothing to ease Percy's mood. Percy laced his hands together in front of his face. “Zoë, can you hand me my phone?” Percy asked, his voice calm yet again.

Nico began to fidget as Percy typed on his phone. What was going to happen? Nico chewed on his lip and met Zoë's gaze. The Lost Girl just pursed her lips, giving him a small look, letting him know to keep quiet.

When he was done typing, Percy pocketed his phone and shot to his feet. Nico's eyes widened as he was grabbed by the arm. He was surprised, though, to find a smile now on Percy's face. “Come on, you can sit with us.”

Zoë plastered on her own smile. “We were just talking about our days in Germany.”

For some reason, it was just now dawning on Nico that the two had probably been at Gaea's hotel at the same time. Why had he never connected those dots? Percy had even requested Zoë come to his hotel. Surely they would have known each other prior to that.

The Lost Girl playfully punched the manager's arm. “And you have no room to talk. If I recall, you would come home with a bruise on your cheek quite often.”

Percy chuckled. “Gaea did not like that very much.”

Nico blinked up at Percy, slightly leaning on his shoulder. “You got into a lot of fights?”

“Sometimes. More in my younger days with her.” He rolled his eyes. “It happened sometimes after Zoë showed up, but most of what she's saying is just from talk. I was much worse when Gaea first took me in.”

Nico let out a small sigh when he felt Percy's fingers in his hair. “So, what happened?”

He felt the young man laugh. “Gaea. She cracked down on me. She was not going to put up with that kind of behavior.” He shrugged. “So, she made me into a gentleman.”

Zoë rolled her eyes. “I'd hardly call you that.”

Percy grinned and winked at her. “Behind closed doors is another matter entirely.”

“I'll never understand how you worked your charms on all of those customers. I mean, considering how you sometimes acted around the rest of us.”

The manager scoffed, a smile touching at his lips. “Please, I'm a very likable person. You like me, after all.”

She sighed and smiled. “At times. You have your moments.”

Nico hummed in satisfaction as Percy played with his hair. “Well, Nico here enjoys my company. Right, Nico?”

The boy smiled over at Zoë. “You have your moments.” The two Lost Kids shared a laugh, while Percy glared at them. Nico frowned when Percy dropped his hand from his hair. “I was only joking.”

Percy frowned at him before returning to his soothing treatment. Nico let out another sigh, just wanting to fall asleep right there. “You should let Will look at those, see what he can do.” Nico nodded against the young man's shoulder. “And you're going to take a few nights off, to heal.”

“I figured,” Nico mumbled. He pouted when Percy grabbed his chin and made him look up. “What?”

“Just looking.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he studied Percy, though the young man was not meeting his gaze. Once again, Nico took note of the dark gleam in Percy's eye. The issue was not over.

Percy's phone went off and the young man released Nico's chin. He slid his phone out of his pocket and held it up to his hear. “Hello?” As Nico observed him, he noted the dull look appear in Percy's green eyes. “Yes, just come up to my office. I'll see you when you get here.” With a sigh, Percy removed his arm from Nico and stood up. “I'll see both of you later, I have some business to take care of.” His eyes roamed over Nico a final time. “Go get a smoothie or something, enjoy your night off.”

Nico stood up as Percy walked off. He looked down at Zoë, who forced herself to smile. She seemed to be thinking about something, though Nico could not tell if it was good or bad. When she did not say anything, he turned and walked off.

He knew what he would be doing soon. He was going to take some medicine to dull the pain and call it an early night. Or perhaps sit and enjoy some TV, whichever made him feel better.

When he got downstairs, he placed his hands on the cabana. Ganymede had his back turned to him, the music a little loud. Nico narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. “Sorry, I didn't-” The man began, but stopped, eyes wide, when he noticed Nico's appearance. “What happened to you?”

“Got in a fight.”

The dirty haired blond nodded his head. “Want a milkshake? On the house.” Nico nodded. The ex-Lost Kid eyed him occasionally while he worked, but remained quiet. Once finished, a chocolate milkshake with a cherry sat in front of Nico. “So, did you win?”

Nico sighed and slid the treat closer to himself. “Does it look like I won?”

“Guess not. Percy already see?”

Nico took a sip and nodded. “Yep.”

Ganymede raised a brow. “Mad?”

“Not sure. Possibly furious.”

“Ouch.” The man pressed his palms to the counter. “So, how are you?” Nico arched a brow at him. “I mean besides the bruises.”

Nico sighed, in the middle of a long sip. “Been better,” he mumbled around his straw. “Percy's been confusing.”

The blond smiled. Nico took note that he had his contacts in. “Maybe you're not the only one who's confused.”

Nico blew out a breath. Why did everyone have to speak in riddles? Why were there always more questions? Could he not just get plain answers for once? “I don't know,” Nico mumbled. “He tends to avoid the issue whenever it comes up.”

Ganymede sighed. “It should be a crime to mess up such an adorable face.” Nico glared at him when the blond reached out to pinch his unbruised cheek. “Somebody's cranky.” He pushed the milkshake closer. “This'll make it better.” A wicked grin spread across his lips. “Or, you could come up to my room, and we could play doctor.”

Nico shot him a chilling stare. “Not if you want to keep your man parts.”

Ganymede grinned at him, leaning closer. “Oh, but, Nico, you'd so enjoy my parts.”

Nico grinned and sipped on his drink again. “As I'm sure your prison mates would, when you get sent to prison for having sex with a minor.”

The man snorted. “Yes, I'm sure. In a place like this, I completely have to worry about that.” He threw a wink Nico's way.

“Percy can do it legally.”

The blond chuckled. “Not that he would care either way. He had sex with people older than me, when he was younger than you.” He sighed and leaned on his palm. “How long are you going to be off work?”

Nico shrugged. “Not sure, Percy never said. I guess when the bruise is gone?”

“Doubtful,” Ganymede mumbled. “You'll probably go back to work when the girls can manage hiding the bruise with makeup. As for working the top floor, that might be some more time, depending on how well those bruises can be hidden.”

Nico let out a heavy sigh. “Great. Do you think I'll be able to go upstairs?”

“Talk to Percy about that one.”

Nico let out a groan, drinking more of his milkshake. “I hated it the last time I was not working. Life is dull here, when you can't really do anything.”

The man chuckled. “I doubt he's going to prohibit you from having fun around the hotel. He's just going to keep you off the floor for a few days.” Nico swatted the blond's hand away when it pinched his cheek. “Just need to let that cute face heal.”

“So,” Nico began.

A lazy smile crept onto Ganymede's face. “So,” the man repeated.

The Lost boy rolled his eyes. “You've been here a while. I was sort of wondering what you could tell me about Luke. Or, maybe just about what's the deal with him and Silena?”

The dirty blond man chuckled. “You're such a curious little thing, aren't you?” He ran a tan hand into the back of his hair. “Well, they were much closer before Beckendorf came along. When Silena and him started getting close, Beckendorf sort of made it apparent he did not like how close Silena and blondie were.”

“What's the deal with them, though?”

“Well,” Ganymede rubbed at his face, “she was one of the few people that could manage calming Luke's temper.” Nico cocked a brow. “Yeah, when Luke first got here, he was a regular ball of anger. I think Percy considered placing him elsewhere at times.” Nico observed as Ganymede's brow furrowed. “They never dated, but I think Silena wanted to.”

Nico chewed on his straw. “But Silena wasn't here when Luke first got here.”

“This is true.” The man flashed a bright smile. “But Annabeth was.” He sighed and shrugged. “Still not sure what the deal with them is. Some of us thought they liked each other, while others thought they had a sibling thing going on. Either way, Annabeth is probably the closest Lost Kid to Luke.” The blond's eyes locked with Nico's own. “And Octavian doesn't like Ms. Wise Girl very much. Jealousy does not become that one.”

“But I've never seen them fight.”

A dry laugh escaped from Ganymede. “Oh, Nico, you still are new to a lot of this.” He leaned onto the bar and smiled. “You're never going to see it, but those two severely dislike each other. Think of them like the politicians you see come here, they just put on big smiles and act like two loving friends. But, really, how often do you see the two of them interacting with each other, willingly.”

Nico stared down at his milkshake. Now that Ganymede mentioned it, he had a hard time recalling the two really spending time together. There were only a few occasions that came to mind. One was the mall, which Thalia and Luke forced him into. The other was the water park, and Nico now questioned if Octavian would have gone if Luke had not gone.

Ganymede reached out and patted his shoulder. “Well, I'm sure I gave you plenty to think on. However, I've got to get back to work, and you need to go enjoy the rest of your shake.” He winked when Nico grunted. “Let me know if you reconsider that game of doctor.”

“Don't hold your breath,” Nico mumbled as he walked off.

It hurt a little when he walked, mainly around his ribs. His legs were a little sore, but they were nothing compared to the sharp pains that would run through his sides every few steps. And there was the dull throbbing in his cheek, constantly reminding him of his visible wound.

This was not good for him. And, yet, at the same time, maybe it was. He had wanted a break from work, and now he was getting it. It just meant a bit of isolation for him. But, this time he was not fighting with the other Lost Kids, so he would have plenty of people to spend free time with.

Once inside, Nico stopped at the elevator. He stared and blinked, straw in his mouth. Waiting there was the man he had waited on yesterday, the man Hazel had called Mr. Boreas. He was dressed in a full business suit today, like he had just gotten out of a meeting. He tapped his foot as he stared at the small screen above the elevator that let people know which floor it was on.

“Hello there, Mr. Boreas.”

The man swiveled and faced his upper body towards Nico. Nico scrunched his lips as the man took in his appearance, noting an odd look appear in the man's eyes. “Oh, hello there, young man.” He pointed a finger out. “Nico, wasn't it?”

Nico nodded, offering a small smile. “Come for dinner?”

The man cleared his throat and straightened his tie. “No, I, uh, have some business that needs to be taken care of.”

Nico nodded as the elevator doors finally opened. Boreas let him press his button first, before he hit the button to Percy's floor. Nico's brow furrowed as he stared at the highlighted button to the sixty-eighth floor. But, he ended up simply shrugging. Perhaps the man wanted some special time with one of the Lost Girls, and wanted to negotiate it in advance.

 He smiled at Mr. Boreas as the elevator came to a stop on his floor. The man gave a small nod before the doors closed. Nico sighed and headed down his hall. Well, he thought, at least he would have some more time to work on all of those assignments he needed to get done.