Children of Loss 29

Chapter 29

The sound of Jason's window wipers was the only thing keeping the car from complete silence. It had been pouring rain since Nico had woken up, and it did not show any sign of relenting any time soon. While it had not really rained the day before, it had still been cloudy. Nico was starting to miss the sun, which was something he never thought he would ever hear himself admit.

“This rain sucks,” Jason grumbled, leaning forward in his seat to try and see. “They should just cancel school.”

Nico grunted and glanced out his window, cheek resting in his palm. “Would be nice, but then they would be doing something nice for us.”

Jason cracked a smile. “For someone taking advanced classes, you sure don't seem to like school.”

“You know, I'm still trying to figure out why Percy placed me in a lot of those.”

“Shit,” Jason cursed as a police car went flying through a red light, causing Jason to hit his break. “Assholes. If they don't watch it, they're going to cause their own accident.”

Thankfully, they managed to get to school before they were late. Nico raised the hood on his jacket before hopping out of Jason's car. The two roommates jogged from the parking lot, until they were standing under the metal awning. And, as they were walking down the sidewalk, a black car pulled up, nearly splashing them with water.

Nico glared at the black tented window as the back door opened. Much to Nico's surprise, Cal and Zethes stepped out of it, heads down. However, that failed in comparison to what Nico witnessed next.

Boreas himself climbed out from behind them, his face as alarming as the very clouds in the sky. The driver had managed to bolt around and was now holding an umbrella over Boreas's head.

“That's their father?” Nico hissed.

Jason arched a brow. “Yeah? You didn't know that?”

Time seemed to freeze when the two bullies locked eyes with Nico. But, instead of anger appearing in their eyes, the two grew pale. Their eyes immediately dropped, breaking their gaze from that of Nico. Their father crossed his arms and leaned in towards them, muttering something under his breath.

The two boys nodded before briskly walking away from their father. On their way past, they mumbled an apology to Nico. The raven hair boy just blinked and stood there, staring at Boreas in confusion. The man just stared back at him before nodding his head and getting back in the car.

“What the fuck did you do, Percy?”

Jason was laughing beside him. “Well, I guess that solves your problems.”

Nico turned to glare at the blond. “This isn't funny. I don't need Percy threatening people on my behalf.”

Jason continued to chuckle as they made their way towards the building. Daedalus was waiting for them at the door, a confused look on his face. “Did I miss something with Zethes and Cal today? They just ran by, looking like scared dogs.”

Jason just laughed, while Nico chose to sigh. This was not funny. He was going to have to talk to Percy about this. But, on the other hand, he would probably not have to deal with those two assholes again. Perhaps he should be thankful, instead of mad.

Now he was starting to think like Percy. That was surely not good. He already knew that was exactly what the manager was going to tell him, that he should be thankful.

By second period, the rain was still in a downpour. Nico let out a sigh as he stared out the large windows of the classroom. He would much rather be in bed, still in his pajamas, right now. Percy had been right, a storm had definitely hit. Just how many days was it going to last, though?

He looked away from the window when there was a knock at the door. The teacher told them to read while she answered the door. It was at this same time that Nico's phone decided to vibrate. But, before Nico could check it, the teacher had stepped back inside.

Her usual cheerful self had seemed to vanish. “Nico,” she said gently. The raven haired boy stared at her. “You're needed in the hall.” Nico stood up and was about to leave, but the teacher stopped him. “Take your things.”

He just shrugged and packed up his backpack. He placed his phone against his binder as he walked towards the door. The text had been from Percy. It read: Do you want me to come get you?

Nico's brow furrowed as he reread it. He closed the door behind him. When he looked up, he found Daedalus standing there. He blinked at the brunet. “What's up?”

The brunet took a deep breath. “Nico, you need to come with me. Just...shit, I don't even know.”

Without even asking, Daedalus took Nico's backpack from him. Nico was lost. What was going on? Nico decided to reply to Percy, letting him know that he was fine, and that Percy did not need to come get him. He knew it was raining bad, but he did not think it was that bad. Besides, Jason would have to get home, and the blond could easily drive.

So why did he feel nervous?

Daedalus seemed concerned with something, and Percy's text was a little unnerving. “Daedalus, what's going on?”

The brunet never answered him. He would not even look at Nico. He just kept walking, chewing on his lip. Something was troubling him.

When they got to the front of the school, he found his sister standing in front of the entrance. She was completely soaked. It appeared that she had not even bothered to grab a jacket. She paced back and forth, arms folded over her chest.

It was when Nico got closer that he noticed her chest heaving. Her makeup was completely smeared, though it seemed to be from tears, rather than the rain. Her eyes were bloodshot, and when she saw Nico, she just grabbed him and hugged him.

Nico just stood there, holding his sister, as she cried into his shoulder. A year ago, she would have had to bend forward a little, just to be able to do such an act. But, now, they were nearly the same height. It was then that he realized she was whispering something.

“Nico, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.”

The Lost Boy grabbed his sister's wet hair. “What happened?”

“I-it's mom. She-she had an accident.”

Nico's heart seemed to stop in his chest. The rain that had soaked into his shirt from where Bianca had held him felt like ice against his skin. “What?” Was all he could manage to get out. He could not have heard right.

“She didn't make it, Nico,” Bianca whispered.

Nico stumbled out of his sister's grasp. His head felt dizzy. This had to be a dream. This could not be real, it just couldn't. Daedalus was there and balanced him. The Lost Boy's breathing became more erratic as time went on, quickly becoming ragged.

He found himself crouched on the floor, his head in his hands. “No. No no no no no,” he kept repeating. “How?” He looked up with panicked eyes.

Daedalus had Bianca by this point. She sobbed as her boyfriend rubbed circles into her back. “A car-” More sobs. “A car hydroplaned and hit her.”

Nico began to dry heave. He felt sick. His mother was dead. He hadn't even gotten to see her again, and now she was gone. Forever.

“Come on,” Daedalus whispered, tugging on his shirt. “We're going to get you checked out. We can go back to my place.”

Nico just nodded and stood up. The brunet placed his hand on Nico's lower back, while grabbing Bianca's hand. The two siblings were quietly led towards the office. As soon as they entered, Daedalus began to sign them out. When he grabbed Nico's phone, the boy did not protest.

Daedalus scrolled through the phone before raising it to his ear. “Hey, Percy, this is Daedalus.” He paused, signing Nico's name. “Yeah, I've got him. If it's okay with you, I was going to take him and his sister to my house.” He blinked, listening to something on the other end of the phone. “Oh, yeah, I can just send you directions from Nico's phone. Yeah, okay, I'll see you in a few hours.”

Nico did not care that he was getting soaked as he walked outside. Some part of him kept hoping that the cold sting of the rain would wake him up, but it never worked. Daedalus helped Bianca into the passenger seat of his car before letting Nico into the back seat. He could see his sister crying again from the front seat, her head now buried in her lap.

Once seated in the car, Daedalus turned around. “Percy is going to come by later and pick you up.” The brunet patted Nico's leg. “If you want to crash at my place, you're more than welcome to.”

Nico nodded and Daedalus turned back around. When would he wake up?

On their way to Daedalus's house, Nico's phone began to blow up with texts. However, he could not bring himself to look at his phone at the moment. He knew they were probably from the Lost Kids. And he would check them later, just not right now. Right now he just needed to get his head around all of this.

Daedalus's mom's car sat in the driveway when they got home. Bianca was still crying as they walked up to the front door. Nico just remained quiet, his eyes unfocused. Daedalus had not finished opening the door before it was open. Minerva appeared, instantly grabbing Nico and Bianca and pulling them inside.

“I'll go get you all some towels,” she said quietly after seating them on the couch.

Daedalus stood in front of them, hands in his pockets. He was not looking at them, but searching the floor, as if it held the answers. Bianca had quieted down, now sitting like a statue beside Nico.

It was not until he felt the warmth of the towel around him that he realized he was shaking. Whether it was from being cold or from crying, he did not know.

Minerva crouched down in front of the two siblings and squeezed their hands. “If you two need anything, anything at all, do not hesitate to ask. I know this must be hard.”

Bianca managed to offer a weak smile, placing her free hand on top of Minerva's. Nico just kept staring ahead. He had wanted to see his mother again, but now it was too late. Why had he not acted sooner? It was his father's fault. If it were not for his father, he would have never been separated from Bianca or his mother. His mother had never deserved this, she had been a nice woman.

“I just saw her this morning,” Bianca whispered. “I had been running late to school, and she told me to be careful on the road.”

“I was going to try calling her this week.”

Bianca turned to stare at him with wide, tearful eyes. “Oh, Nico, I'm so sorry.”

The boy just leaned into his sister, his nose buried in her hair. He felt a tear hit his cheek, where it mixed with his own. Two cups of hot tea ended up on the table in front of them at some point, though Nico could not say for sure when they got there. And the rain still poured outside, no matter how much Nico wished for it to stop.

“Bianca,” she squeezed his hand as Nico spoke her name, “if you want dad here, I can-”

“No.” Bianca's grasp tightened. “I want you here. It's his fault we've been separated the past few months.” The brown-eyed girl rubbed at her eyes. “It's his fault we're still separated. And it's his fault you weren't able to see mom.”

Was it, though? He could have called her. He could have found a way, but he hadn't. Did that make him a bad son?

Nico's body moved on its own, shooting up from the couch and dashing down the hall. He found himself kneeling in front of the toilet, hurling into the porcelain bowl. He felt sick and dizzy. Luckily for him, Minerva had come after him. The woman caught him as he fell back before helping him to his feet.

“There you go, sweetie.” She rubbed circles into his back as she led him away from the bathroom. “Don't blame yourself for any of this. There was nothing you could do.”

“I should have seen her.”

Minerva let out a sigh as she sat him down in the kitchen. When she was sure he was fine, she walked over to the sink and began to wet a rag. “I'm sure she would have understood.”

“She didn't even know I was still alive,” Nico whispered. “What if she thought I had died in some gutter?”

Nico frowned as the wet rag was pressed against his head. “Don't think like that, sweetheart.” Nico held the rag up as the dark haired woman stepped back over to the sink. He heard her turn on the water. She smiled at him as she grabbed a glass that she had filled and gathered some ice from the freezer. “None of this is your fault. I'm sure she would have been very proud of you.”

“Doubtful,” Nico muttered, though he doubted the woman heard him. His mother? Proud of him, with what he was doing? Doubtful. Sure she was loving and understanding, but what mother would be okay with their child being a stripper?

Hours passed by, though Nico could not say how many. He was currently lying on the couch, on his stomach. His eyes were staring, unfocused, at the wall across from him. Minerva had taken Bianca into the kitchen, probably to try and get his sister to eat something. Nico had already refused, even though the woman had spent nearly fifteen minutes trying to get something into his system. But he just was not hungry.

Daedalus sat on the arm of the couch, silently. What he was doing, Nico could not say. The only reason he knew the brunet was there was because he could see his friend's leg from the corner of his eye; that, and the brunet would let out a quiet sigh from time to time. He was just thankful that Daedalus seemed to understand that he just wanted to be left alone right now.

Nico vaguely heard the knock at the door. He did not move, though. Daedalus hopped off of the couch and walked out of the living room. “Hey, Percy,” came Daedalus's voice from the hall. Nico let out a sigh as he heard footsteps. “He's just been laying there for the past two hours.”

He heard Percy grunt. The green-eyed manager crouched down, bringing his face into Nico's line of sight. The manager crossed his arms and rested them on the edge of the couch. “Hey,” he said quietly. Nico did not reply. Percy looked up. “Has he eaten anything?”

Daedalus shook his head. “He drank a little water, but that's about it.”

Percy nodded. He looked back at Nico and tilted his head to the side. “Do you want to stay here a little longer, or do you want to go back to the hotel?”

Nico finally focused his vision, Percy smiled in response. “If I come back, can I just stay in my room?”

Percy let out a breath. “If you promise me you'll eat something.”

It was at that moment that Minerva came back into the room. “Oh, hello, you must be Percy.” The woman patted her hair upon inspection of the young man currently in her living room. “My son said you would be coming by.”

Percy smiled and held out his hand. “Percy Jackson. I guess I'd be Nico's guardian.”

Daedalus arched a brow, which went unnoticed by everyone except Nico. The brunet glanced down at the raven haired boy on the couch. Nico knew what was running through his friend's mind. He was questioning what Percy had just said. Daedalus knew how Nico felt about Percy, but not what was happening on the manager's end. Well, sadly for him, Nico did not even know that answer.

Minerva smiled and shook Percy's hand. “It's unfortunate that we have to meet under these circumstances. Still, I'd like to thank you for taking care of him.” She pursed her lips as she stared down at Nico. “I just hate what's happened to him, especially at such a young age.”

Percy reached into his pocket and slipped out a card. “If you ever need to reach me, there's my number.”

The woman smiled and took the card. “You seem quite young to be running a hotel.”

The green-eyed young man flashed a smile as he helped Nico up. “That's what I hear. My mother runs the business, and she just put me in charge here.”

“Ah.” Minerva eyed the young man again. “Well, I suppose you're doing a good job.”

As they reached the door, Bianca shot into the hallway and enveloped Nico into a hug. “Will you come to the funeral?” She pulled back, tears in her eyes. “I'll understand if you say no.”

“I'll be there,” Nico whispered.

Bianca nodded and let him go. Percy's lips were set in a thin line when Nico turned around. Minerva and Daedalus stood there and waved as Percy opened an umbrella and led Nico outside. In all honesty, Nico did not really care if he got soaked again. But Percy was being nice to him, so he was not going to complain.

“Why did you lie?” Nico asked when he finally got in the car.

Percy blinked at him as he backed out of the driveway. “Lie about what?”

“Your mom running the hotel.”

Percy's driving was a little slower than normal, Nico noticed. “And what part of that was a lie? Gaea is my mother, for all intents and purposes.” Without taking his eyes off the road, he arched a brow. “She did raise me and make me the man I am today.”

“But she wasn't the only one.”

The young man shrugged. “I guess I had some more help. Chiron's been pretty good with giving me advice.”

Nico sighed. That was not what he had meant. Percy's real mother deserved credit. Nico doubted Percy's personality and behavior was all credible to Gaea. No, the compassion that the young man held came from somewhere else, he was sure of it.

The boy reclined his seat. The day was nowhere near over, yet he felt exhausted. His eyes felt heavy, probably from the crying. “Tell me about her.” Percy briefly looked over at him. “Your mother, I mean.”

Percy blew his lips, hands firmly on the steering wheel. “Well, she took care of me when I was sick. She always tried to do what was best for me.” When Nico looked over at the young man, he noticed a smile on Percy's lips. “She was really great. Sucks I only get to see her a few times a year.”

“Percy,” Nico shot the young man a look, “I meant your real mother, not Gaea.”

The manager just rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged, remaining silent. Nico let out a sigh and rolled onto his side, away from Percy. Perhaps Percy truly was the equivalent of Peter Pan, who had forgotten about his real mother and lived his life in a fantasy world.

Nico's eyes landed on the window, where they watched the rain beat against the glass. “Can I get a ride to the funeral? From someone, anyone?”

Percy was silent for a long time, the only noise filling the car was that of the window wipers. “Are you sure that's a good idea?” Percy finally asked.

Nico turned his head to look over at his crush. “It's the last time I'll get to see her, I need to go.”

Green eyes flickered over to meet with brown. “If you think it best, then I'll accompany you myself.”

“You don't have to go,” Nico mumbled.

The boy blinked when Percy's hand reached over and touched his leg. “But I want to. Don't worry, I'm sure some of the others will volunteer to go.” The hand began rubbing soothing circles. Nico let out a content sigh. “You don't have to do any of this alone.”

Nico wiped at his eyes as fresh tears threatened to spill out. He had cried so much, enough that he almost forgot about all of his bruises. Almost. When he attempted to curl up, the bruises on his ribs decided to make themselves known once again. As he winced, Percy squeezed his leg.

More tears streamed down his cheeks, which he tried his best to wipe away. But, each time he did, more would take their place. “Why can't I just catch a break? I'm not sure who I upset, but I think someone out there hates me.”

There was a small chuckle from Percy. “I'm sure you'll make it.” Nico looked over at the young man, but Percy kept his eyes on the road. The hotel was now in sight. “You're not weak, don't make yourself out to be.” It wasn't until they pulled into the garage that Percy looked at him. “I think that you can handle pretty much whatever life decides to throw at you.”

Nico just nodded his head with wide eyes. Percy was being very nice to him. And while it probably was not the best time, it really was not helping his crush. Percy was out of the car as soon as he had it parked. Nico just blinked as he found the young man holding his hand out for him.

The brown-eyed boy leaned against Percy as they walked to the elevator, a heavy silence filling the air. When they were inside the elevator, Percy placed his hand around Nico's waist. Percy was warm, and it just made Nico want to fall asleep standing up. He could also smell the beach, like they were still out at the ocean. Why couldn't he just go back to that, when his mother was still alive?

Percy lifted his chin as they rode up. “Do you want to stay in my room? I'll have to work still, but I'll come in and check on you. And you can just sleep there tonight, if you want.”

Nico just shook his head, which surprised himself as well. Had he actually turned down sleeping in Percy's bed? “No, I just want to be alone right now.”

Percy's eyes reminded Nico of the ocean after a storm, a dark sea green. Though, Nico could tell the young man was not upset, like he usually was when his eyes were dark. The manager nodded. “Okay. Just let me know if you need anything.” He smiled and pulled Nico against him. “I'm only a phone call away.”

The shorter of the two nodded. “I just want to stay in my room.”

Percy made sure Nico held his gaze as the elevator came to a stop. “Just promise me you'll eat something. I don't want to come to check on you, only to find you've starved yourself.”

Nico pulled away and stepped out of the elevator. Percy just stood there, unreadable as always. “I'll be fine. Don't worry about me.”

The corner of Percy's lips tilted up before he slid a hand into his pocket and nodded. The two stared at each other until the metal doors closed. Nico stared down at the floor for a while before heading to his room.

He hated to admit it, but he cringed slightly when Butch and Beckendorf's door opened after he passed it. Before he could even turn around, a pair of arms had him in a hug. “Nico, I'm sorry to hear about your mom,” came Silena's voice in his ear. She turned him around to look him in the eye. “You must be upset.” There was a moment of silence, where Nico just stared up at her. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Nico just shook his head. “I just wish it was a dream.”

Silena pursed her lips and nodded. “Yeah. I'm sure she was a good woman.” There was a small smile on her lips as she combed Nico's hair to the side. “Do you have a picture of her?”

Again, Nico shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “I should have asked Bianca for one.”

He was pulled in for another hug. “It's all right, Nico. I'm sure you can still get one.”

Nico wiped at some fresh tears, nodding his head. “What...what happened to your mother?”

The Lost Girl became as still as a statue. Some of the color from the girl's cheeks vanished. “I wouldn't know. Haven't seen her since I left home.”

Nico just stared up at her in wonder. The girl plastered a completely fake smile on her face as she raked her fingers through Nico's hair. She patted his cheek before she turned around and walked towards the girls' hall. Odd, Nico thought.

The Lost Boy found Jason sitting on the couch when he entered their suite. The blond looked up at him, rubbing his legs nervously. “Hey,” Jason whispered.

Nico nodded his head in response.

“How are you?” The blond stood up and rubbed at his arm. He kept his distance from Nico, though.

Nico shrugged, opening up the fridge. As he looked around, he found nothing looked particularly appetizing. “What do you eat when you're not even hungry?”

“Who says you have to eat? Don't worry about it if you're not hungry.”

Nico sighed and closed the door to the fridge. “Percy wanted me to eat something. Just...not sure if I can hold anything down right now.”

“Yeah,” Jason said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Losing your mom isn't easy.”

The raven haired boy leaned against the fridge. He met Jason's gaze, though he remained silent for several long seconds. “How did you deal with it? Losing your mom, I mean.”

Jason sighed. He licked his lips before sitting down on the arm of the couch. “It's been a few years.” Sky blue eyes looked away, not really staring off at anything in particular. Nico simply stood there as his roommate sat there, contemplating things with his arms crossed. “Sometimes, I have a hard time even remembering her face.” Jason made a face. “I think the drugs helped with that lovely fact.”

“Is that why you did them?”

Jason shrugged. “Maybe a little. My life's never really been the most enjoyable experience.” The blond scowled, and Nico knew that they were beginning to tread into bad territory. “I mean, when you have a father that prostitutes his own children, you know you have the most loving family there is, right?”

“Your mother, Jason.”

The tan blond sighed. “Sorry, sorry. She was...disturbed, sort of. For whatever reason, she was in love with my father. The same man that made it very apparent that he wasn't planning on marrying her, or offer much assistance in taking care of her children. He had my bastard of a brother, what more would one need?” Nico frowned at the blond. “Right, mother, sorry. She wasn't a bad mother, but she was far from the best.”

Nico sighed. “Perhaps that was similar to mine. I mean, she wasn't insane or anything, but she could have done more, I guess.” His brown eyes became unfocused as he stared at the floor. “When I was younger, I remember her being much more vocal. She disagreed with my father a lot more.”

“So what changed?”

“My father.” Nico's eyes became nearly black as he focused back on Jason. “I don't know if he ever hit her. If he did, it was never in front of us. But something changed in my mother. My father is just an intimidating man, easily overshadowing my mother.”

Blue and brown clashed as the roommates watched each other. “She didn't ever stand up for you? Didn't try and stop your father from abusing you?”

“She would, at first. Mainly when it first started. But, as time went on, she became more and more quiet.” Nico sighed and shook his head. “There were times, when I would see her crying, and even once where I noticed her begging my father to stop. But it was always through a whisper.”

“Well, at least she tried. My mother had no objections letting our father whore us out, since it was what he wanted.”

“Did you love her?”

Jason scrunched his lips. “Maybe. Love is such a strange word for me sometimes. I liked her more than my father, but Thalia was more of a mother to me than she ever was.” Nico frowned when the blond scowled. “Until she left.”

Nico shoved off of the fridge, stopping in front of Jason. “I think you two should sort through your issues with each other.” He moved to touch Jason's arm, but the blond flinched away. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Jason whispered, already facing away from Nico. “Sorry, just not overly affectionate.”

“I could imagine. How do you deal with the job?”

“A lot of focus and willpower.” The blond sighed and stood up, causing Nico to have to look up. Jason rested a hand on top of Nico's head. “We can talk about my problems another time. You're going to be okay, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered.

Jason nodded and slipped past Nico to head to his room. Nico watched him go, until Jason turned the corner down the hall. A second later, the blond's door was shut. The raven haired boy let out a sigh before following in his roommate's footsteps. After he closed his door, he collapsed on his bed.

To put it lightly, Nico felt like shit. There was a loud pounding in his head, which did not seem to want to go away. He cracked an eye open, landing on his clock. It was nearly noon. How long had he been asleep? He let out a groan. He had been passed out for over twelve hours, and his stomach was actively reminding of how little he had eaten yesterday.

It was at this point that Nico came to another realization. The pounding in his head was not a headache. Someone was actually beating on his door. Letting out a sigh, he picked himself up and headed to the front of his suite.

His stomach lurched as he opened the door. Annabeth took a step forward when she noticed this action, her grey eyes blinking in surprise. “Is this a bad time?” She asked. Nico shook his head, but kept his mouth covered. The blonde reached out and felt his head. “Sweating a little bit, but you don't seem to have a temperature. Have you eaten?” Nico shook his head again. “Figured as much. I thought I should come and check on you.”

“Not sure if I can keep anything down.”

The Lost Girl gently pushed him out of the way, heading straight for his kitchen. “My mom, she used to have something to eat for every occasion. Let me see if I can whip something up.” She pursed her lips as she explored Nico's kitchen. “An orange might be good for you. Let's see...what about pancakes? Oatmeal?”

Nico just scrunched his lips. “Not really sure. Didn't do much cooking before I got here.”

“And you still don't,” Annabeth mumbled as she shut one of the cabinets. “You just need something simple.” She snapped her fingers. “Grilled cheese! Maybe some soup. It's time for lunch anyways.”

Before Nico could even protest or agree, Annabeth had him sitting at the island, while she went about cooking at the stove. She moved like a whirlwind across the kitchen, gathering supplies and flipping bread from time to time. It was almost motherly.

“Thanks, Annabeth,” he mumbled as a plate of grilled cheese was sat in front of him.

She smiled and went back to stirring the soup. “Not a problem, it's my job.”

“But why?” Nico blinked. Annabeth just stood there, her back to Nico. “Why do you, Luke, Apollo, and Thalia take it upon yourselves to do all this for the rest of us?”

The blonde sighed and sat the spoon he had been using for stirring down on the counter. “Because...sometimes we all need to be taken care of.” There was a sad look on her face as she finally faced Nico. “Sometimes you need to feel loved, whether it be similar to a parent or perhaps a sibling.”

“What about the rest of you?”

The soup was poured and, silently, the blonde slid it over to Nico. For a long time, Annabeth just stared at him, and Nico quietly poked at his food. He squirmed from time to time, unnerved by the girl's blank gaze. “It's where we get the most enjoyment.” Nico blinked and looked up, surprised by the response that finally came. “For all the pretending we do, we are still just a bunch of kids, hence the name. All the growing up we do, yet we're still the scared little children that left home.”

“Thank you.” Annabeth tilted her head to the side. “For everything that all of you do, that is.”

She let out a breath as Nico took a large bite from his grilled cheese. “It's our pleasure. It's the same with sex. It might be fun, and something to do, but it has another purpose.” Nico blinked at her, bread still hanging from his mouth. “It's a form of comfort. We make all of these people happy, loved, and yet we just want to feel the same. We want to be wanted, some more than others.”

“You want to be a family,” Nico whispered.

Annabeth nodded. “That's why, when it comes down to it, we watch out for each other.”

“What about Octavian?” Nico clenched his eyes shut as soon as the words left his mouth. Even though it had not come from someone he liked, he was learning that not all information was best shared.

“Complicated.”

“Why don't you like him?”

The Lost Girl sighed. “I'm not the one who has the problem. He's the one that doesn't seem to like me very much, possibly because of the fact that I'm the closest thing Luke has to a friend, besides Percy.” She gestured to the food. “You need to hurry up, Leo's going to take you shopping.”

Nico frowned as he picked up his spoon. “I don't want to go anywhere today.”

“It's for the funeral.” Nico sighed. Annabeth shrugged. “You need something to wear, and you haven't had an occasion to dress up yet.”

Nico nodded and stared down at his soup, stirring it around. Annabeth turned and began cleaning the stove. “Do you ever miss your family?”

He looked up when he was met with silence. Annabeth had frozen, her shoulders were now stiff. “Let's talk about something else, Nico.”

“I've only heard you mention your family once or twice, and it was always vague.”

Annabeth sighed, finally returning to her cleaning. “That's because I don't like to talk about them. Bad memories, and all that.”

Nico chewed on his lip. He furrowed his brow and shoveled a spoonful of hot soup into his mouth. “Where are they? Where did you grow up?”

She sighed again and pressed her back to the cabinets. “They're not with us anymore, which is partially why I ended up on the streets. I didn't know the rest of my family very well, and me and my step-mother never really saw eye to eye.” She shrugged, her eyes a shade darker. “She's still out there, though.” She made eye contact with Nico. “I'll never forgive her for what she did. If I had half a mind, I would have Percy make her suffer.”

Nico just stared at the blonde Lost Girl. “Why didn't you? What did she do?”

“Ancient history. Just because I haven't let it go, doesn't mean it should be brought up.” She tried to smile, but it came across as a forced, tired smile. “Trust me when I say that people should not be entirely trusted. Parents, they don't always fulfill their loving, protective role.”

Nico found himself at a loss for words. He just stared at the blonde, lips tightly pursed. He felt sad for her, for all of them. Once again, he was left questioning what had happened to yet another one of the Lost Kids. And he could not help but wonder if he would ever manage fitting all the pieces together of who these friends of his truly were.

It was not until he felt soft fingers in his hair that he realized he had drifted off. He had slumped at some point, and a frown now marred his face. “You okay?”

Nico looked up into Annabeth's grey eyes, giving a small nod. “Just thinking,” he whispered.

Annabeth let out a breath. “About your mom?”

Nico's frown increased. “Why did she have to die?” His vision blurred as he stared at the Lost Girl, but he did not care at this point. It hurt. It hurt deep in his chest, like someone had ripped his heart from his chest.

The blonde wrapped an arm around his head and pulled him into a hug. “You'll be okay, Nico, in time.” She offered a small smile and ruffled his hair. “But, right now, you need to get cleaned up and dressed.”

The worst part of all of this for him was that he had not been thinking about his mother at the time. How sad was it that the simple reminder that his mother was no longer with him set him into a fit of tears? On top of the tears, he also felt sick. Now that he was thinking about her again, he was beginning to fear that he would throw up the food he had just ingested.

He stumbled as he attempted to make his way towards the bathroom. But, with a little help from Annabeth, he managed to get inside and close the door. He sat down on the toilet for a moment and wiped at his nose. This was real. He did not want to accept it, but it was beginning to become impossible to deny. And by tomorrow, there would be no question about it. His mother was dead.

As much as he just wanted to simply sit there and feel depressed about things, he knew he needed to get moving. This fact also came from a knock on the door. Nico sighed and stood to his feet. Annabeth stood there, a few simple articles of clothing in hand.

“Thanks,” he mumbled before shutting the door again.

The water helped a little. The water and his body wash reminded him of Percy. Perhaps that had been the reason he had picked out that particular type of body wash. It smelled like the ocean, which, in turn, reminded him of Percy. Percy had a distinctive smell and feel.

While the young man had slightly rough and calloused hands, the back of them, as well as his arms, were soft. And a strong heat would often resonate from Percy's body. Percy's heartbeat was also enjoyable. The few times Nico had managed the opportunity, he basked in the sound of the beating organ. The young man's hair was also, surprisingly, soft. Not that Nico did not think Percy took care of himself, it was just really soft to the touch.

He was, for every available sense, intoxicating.

The most important thing about the shower was that it had gotten him to stop crying. That, or he had just failed to realize he was crying under all the water pouring down on him. He now wished that Percy was there, comforting him. As the boy stood there in front of the mirror, part of his large towel pressed against his face, he found himself wishing that Percy was there behind him. He wanted the manager's arms around him. Percy, without a doubt, was the person that Nico needed to go with him to the funeral tomorrow.

Nico winced as he wiped the towel across his face, where it made contact with the bruise on his cheek. The past few days, and the upcoming days, were not looking kindly on him. The brown-eyed boy just had to wonder what he had ever done to deserve all of this.

The Lost Boy frowned when he heard Annabeth's voice coming from the living room. And it sounded like there were other people now in the suite. The boy groaned, as he was not in the social mood. Who had come now? As far as he could tell, the others were being empathetic of his desire to be left alone.

All except the twins, apparently. Travis and Connor were doing their best to fight Annabeth as she struggled to push them out of the door. For two skinny boys like the twins, they sure were making Annabeth's job impossible. They even grinned down at her as they propped themselves against the doorframe, legs shoved opposite of themselves.

“Come on, Beth-” Connor pouted.

“Don't call me that.” The blonde glared at the grinning brothers as she shoved against their chests.

“We just wanted to see Nico.” Without much effort, Travis wrapped his arms around Annabeth and picked her up, depositing her a few inches to the right. The slightly taller brunet grinned and stepped into the room, his brother a step behind him. “Hey there, buddy.”

Nico frowned at him as he lowered his T-shirt over his body. “What do you two want?”

“Just wanted to see how you were doing.” Connor had already stepped away from his brother before he had even finished his sentence. Following after his brother, Travis stepped closer to Nico. The boy glared as the two wrapped themselves around him, one on either side. “If you need some company, you can just come and find us.”

Annabeth shut the door. “No. I know what you two are doing, and I'm not going to let Nico get tricked into getting into your bed.”

Connor pouted as he leaned his cheek on Nico's head. “Bethy, I'm hurt that you would accuse us of such vile acts.”

Travis smirked. “Besides, I'm sure he could use the distraction.”

“I don't want sex,” Nico mumbled.

“We won't tell, if you won't,” Connor whispered in his ear, while Travis grinned at the blonde at the door.

“I'm not sure if I believe that.”

Annabeth huffed and grabbed Nico's wrist, jerking him away from the twins. “I don't either.” She stepped in front of Nico and pointed a finger at them. “Look, I need to get Nico to Leo-”

“We'll do it!” The two brunets cried in unison.

Before either Annabeth or Nico could even blink, the twins had Nico by either of his arms and were dragging him out the door. Annabeth sighed. “You'll need this!” She called. Travis turned around and expertly caught Nico's wallet.

“I can walk myself.”

This did not seem to get either of them to loosen their grips. Neither did it do anything to diminish the large grins on their faces. It only seemed to affect one person, and that one person was Nico. The boy did not like this, mainly because he had learned a long time ago that the twins were the biggest trouble makers, not only in the hotel, but possibly the entire state.

“Don't look so scared, Neeks,” Connor chuckled. They finally stopped at the elevator, and Travis pushed the button to summon it. “We just want to help. And, since you've had all this going on, we won't even make a pass at you.”

“Unless you want it,” Travis added. Connor nodded.

Nico frowned as he was led into the elevator. “Don't hold your breath.”

“Frowning's not good for you, Neeks.” Connor draped his arms around Nico's shoulders and pulled the boy into his chest. “You need to lighten up, have some fun.”

Dark brown eyes met with sky blue ones. “My mother just died, I think I'm entitled to some time dedicated to moping.”

Nico made a face when Travis poked his stomach. “Well, when you're ready, you come find us. We are experts at cheering people up.”

Nico let out a sigh. He knew they meant well, but he really did not want to think about any of that right now. It would be a while, he knew, before he would get past this. Even if she had not always been there when he needed her, she was still his mother.

Nico let out a sigh, which did not go unnoticed by the twins. Travis tilted his head to the side. “What's up, Neeks?”

“Everyone's just being really nice.”

Connor squeezed his shoulder. “Well, what did you expect? We keep telling you that we're family, but you seem to always have this doubt.”

Nico gave him an annoyed look. “Gee, I can't imagine why I'd ever feel that way,” he mumbled sarcastically. The shorter of the two smiled and wrapped his arms around Nico. The brown-eyed boy glared at the other twin as Connor rubbed his cheek against Nico's head. “I will hurt both of you.”

Travis chuckled and grabbed Nico on the boy's other side. “Neeks, don't be silly, you're too small.”

Connor grinned wickedly. “Is he?”

Nico glared and grabbed the Lost Boy's wrist as he attempted to grab Nico's crotch. “No touching.”

The taller of the two twins shrugged. “From what I hear, he's not that small.” He winked and stuck his tongue out at Nico. “But not as big as some of the other guys around here.”

“You two will never find out.”

The Stolls grinned and slung their arms around each other's shoulders. “Never say never, Neeks,” they both chimed.

“We just might accept that challenge,” Travis added.

They all turned when someone cleared their throat. Apparently, the elevator had arrived in the garage, because Leo was standing there with his arms crossed. “Please, can you two behave for once? Nico has enough problems right now.”

Travis grinned and pulled Leo to him. “Now, Leo, don't be like that.”

Connor poked the Latino boy's side. “Yeah, you know you enjoy our company.”

The curly haired Lost Boy smacked Connor's hand away. “That is neither here nor there. The point is that I have stuff to do with Nico.”

Travis winked at Leo. “Oh, I'm sure.”

“Not that kind of stuff, ass.” Leo huffed and grabbed Nico by the wrist. “Come on, Nico. Let's get you away from these two criminals.”

The two twins narrowed their eyes. “Don't start with us...alien,” Travis growled.

Leo tossed them both the bird. “Fuck off.”

Nico blinked as he was led away. That had certainly escalated quickly. What had just happened? As far as Nico was aware, very few things managed to set the twins off. The raven haired boy stared at Leo as the other Lost Boy slammed the driver's side door shut.

“You okay?”

Leo shrugged. “Don't worry about it. They weren't being serious.”

Nico frowned. “They looked serious to me. What was that about anyways?”

“Like I said, don't worry about it.” Leo was frowning as he buckled his seat belt. “Just some old history. As I said, they weren't being serious.” He sighed. “Believe me, you'll know when the twins are upset.” The curly haired Lost Boy glanced at Nico before pulling onto the street. “You going to be okay for tomorrow?”

Nico stared down at his lap. “I don't know.”

“You'll have plenty of support. A few of us are going with you.”

“Are you going?”

Leo shook his head. “I'm holding down the fort while Percy is away.”

Nico perked up a little at that. So Percy was going with him? That was good. “Who else?”

The driver blew out a breath. “I think it's the four siblings: Luke, Annabeth, Apollo, and Thalia.” He shrugged and picked at a spot on his jeans. A fact that made Nico feel uneasy, considering the circumstances for his mourning. “I think of a few of them just wanted to make sure you don't have a confrontation with your father.”

“I don't really care about him,” Nico mumbled. “I mean, I needed to face him at some point, right?”

Leo turned to stare at him briefly. “It's not always cowardly to run. Sometimes...sometimes it's for the best.”

Nico watched Leo as he drove. For such a simple statement, it seemed like it held a deeper meaning. What had happened to Leo and his mother? “Why did they call you an alien? I don't think they meant the green kind from space either.”

Leo let out a sigh. “Long story, and I'm not.” His brow furrowed as he turned his head to look at Nico for a brief second. “Well, technically, I'm not. My mom, she wasn't really born here, you see.” There was another sigh as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I mean, I guess it's not hard to tell, with her thick accent, and she sometimes slips into Spanish without realizing it.”

“So she crossed the border, what's the big deal? She wanted a better life.”

It was odd seeing Leo without his smile. Like the twins, a smirk was Leo's usual setting. “Yeah, well, not everyone agrees. She didn't do it legally, so that's why we ran a lot.” The Latino shook his head. “I just remember being unable to sleep most nights. I was just afraid they would come and take my mother away. Me? I wasn't really sure what to think about myself. Would they take me? Would I get left here and put in the system?”

Nico swallowed as he watched the side of Leo's face. “And Percy offered you protection?”

Leo nodded. “For the first time, I felt safe. Originally, the deal was just for me. But I couldn't just leave my mother out there, so I bargained for her safety. It was just...not as soon as I would have liked.”

“You didn't come here with your mother?” Nico's brow furrowed. Leo shook his head. “So how did you pull it off? For some reason, I don't see it being that easy.”

“Yeah,” Leo whispered. “As you can imagine, it's not easy to pull off a deal with Percy, especially one working in my favor.” The Lost Boy shrugged. “Fortunately for me, I had already begun working in the office. Come on.”

Nico blinked. When had they parked? “So what was it?” He asked upon getting out of the car. Leo arched his brows. “What was it that got you to be able to make the deal?”

“Oh.” Leo finally smirked, which made Nico feel a little better. “I found out that someone that was working for Gaea was embezzling some of her money. A good bit of it, too.” He turned his head to grin at Nico. “She was most pleased with my performance, told Percy to give me whatever I wanted as payment. Naturally, I only wanted one thing.”

“And Percy didn't know about this? I mean, it had to be happening here, or close by, right? How did he not already know about it?”

The other Lost Boy chuckled. “Who said he didn't?” Nico quirked his head. Leo chuckled again. “It was just this smirk that he gave me when we got done calling Gaea. I thought I had caught something big, like I had made a huge discovery. But, sometimes, I think he planned it all.”

Nico held the door to the store open for Leo. He frowned as he stepped in behind his fellow Lost Boy. “So, why did the twins get offended by the criminals remark? You were just joking, right?”

“Sort of,” Leo mumbled. “I wasn't being entirely serious, but I knew it would get to them.”

“Did they get in trouble, or something?”

Leo scrunched his lips, not meeting Nico's eyes. He nudged Nico and headed over to look at some dress shirts. “Not anymore. Well, sort of. You see, the twins may have their jobs, but they also work as profilers for Percy. With their history, they are good at reading customers. They can know if it's best to keep people out, or who could be a big spender. If you want to know how we get our special customers, those two are your answer. Percy has them keep an eye on potential clients, either within the hotel, or other places, and they report back to him.”

Nico frowned as Leo pressed a sleeve into his chest. The Latino shook his head. “So, did they get arrested, or something? Before coming to the Lotus, I mean.”

“Um,” Leo began. He picked out another shirt, a white one, and held it up to Nico. “I think that's a conversation you need to have with them. Yeah, they got in trouble. They don't know this, but Percy was already aware of who they were before he bumped into them on the street. I didn't understand why he had an interest in two thieves. He just kept telling me that they were interesting.”

Nico let out a sigh as Leo held up a black shirt with a few white trims up to him. It looked nice, he supposed. “I'm starting to realize why everyone says things are complicated.”

Leo just smirked at him. “I think this shirt will do.” He tossed the black shirt at Nico. “Let's get you a tie and some pants.”

“And shoes,” Nico mumbled.

Leo smirked. “Those too.” The boy sighed and ran his fingers along one of the racks. “So, how are you holding up?”

“I'm...holding. It just really sucks. And your birthday is in two days, and I feel like the mood is ruined now.”

Leo stopped walking and looked at Nico with a concerned stared. “Hey, man, don't beat yourself up like that.” He smirked again. “Besides, you've already been beaten up enough.”

“Shut up.” The short raven haired boy took a swing at the other Lost Boy. “It's not funny. And I still need to get you something.”

Leo shrugged. “Don't worry about it, dude. This is important.”

Nico poked around at the tie rack. He had never really liked them, prior to his arrival at the hotel. Not much had really changed about it since then, but he now knew they were sometimes appropriate to wear. And his mother had always joked that she never got to see him in enough of them. Maybe, if there was a heaven, she could get to see him in one tomorrow.

“Where's your father?”

Leo looked up at him from over the rack. He frowned and returned to browsing. “Don't know. Mom never really talks about him.”

“You never met him?”

“No. Not sure I want to.” Nico gave him an odd look. “Why would I want to meet someone who abandoned a pregnant woman? My mom did a great job at raising me, and did her best to fill both parental roles.”

The raven haired boy let out a sigh as he fingered a dark red tie. “She seems like a nice woman.” What he did not want to say was that Esperanza sometimes reminded Nico of his mother, in some ways. More in his younger years, before his father “broke” her.

Leo gave a small smile. “What was your mom like anyways? We know your dad's an asshole, but you never talked much about your mom.”

Nico's brow furrowed. He decided to go with the red tie, so he placed it around his shoulders. “She was a quiet woman. When I was little, I had a lot of memories of her. Her smile was always my favorite thing to see. But, as I got older, I remember seeing it less and less.” He sighed and let his shoulders slump. “Bianca says that she was always very attentive of me.” He finally smiled. “I was a small child.” Leo chuckled at him. “I know, it's hard to imagine.”

“Were you trouble?”

The boy scrunched his lips. “Bianca says I was. When she hit puberty, she kind of pushed me away. But when my father got worse, and my mom got more reclusive, Bianca began to step in.” The two walked away from the ties and went in search of shoes. “Bianca says I'd always try and find ways to get in trouble when I was little. Apparently, I liked to go places that would just wind up getting me in trouble.”

Leo smirked and stroked his chin. “Innocent Nico getting in trouble? That's hard to imagine.”

Nico glared at him. “I hate you.”

Leo nudged him. “Oh, whatever, you love me and the others.”

Nico chose to ignore the remark. “I just wish I knew if he hit her. I know he hit me, and I know why he did it, but I don't think I could stand for it if I were to find out my dad hit my mom.”

Leo crouched down in front of one of the shoe aisles. “Did you ever see bruises?”

The raven haired boy shook his head. “But, there are other ways to abuse people. My dad has always been a stressed out man. I mean, we weren't poor, but I do know that he worked himself extra hard to make sure everyone was taken care of.”

Leo tilted his head back to frown up at Nico. “Don't tell me you're defending him. He hit you, Nico!”

Nico gave Leo a look, letting the other know to keep his voice down. “I know that,” Nico hissed. “I'm just saying that he was usually tired when he came home. He didn't really hit me much, until I tried coming out to him.”

“Much,” Leo muttered. “Still means he hit you.”

“Just...I don't know. It wasn't that bad. He was just upset with me, because I wasn't the epitome of masculinity that he wanted me to be.”

Leo sighed and stood up, shoving a pair of black shoes at Nico. “And who is to say what defines a man anyways? A real man doesn't hit his children, or belittle his wife.” The Latino Lost Boy took a few steps before turning around to point a finger at Nico. “A real man is there when their children and spouse need them. Your father has no business telling anyone what a real man is.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he held Leo's gaze. “I wasn't trying to defend my father. The man is an ass, and I don't even love him.”

“Really?” Leo studied Nico, sounding unconvinced. “We'll see. Nico, you need to be ready for tomorrow. Something tells me you're going to have some choices to make.”

The casket was closed. That was what Nico found himself most upset with. He knew it had been a car accident, so they probably had a hard time getting his mother to look presentable, but now he was truly never going to get to see her again. He sat at the back of the graveside funeral, though Bianca had insisted that they sit together.

Nico's dark eyes found his father's back and he glared at the man. As far as he was concerned, his father was to blame for all of this. It was his father's fault that Nico had not seen his mother for the past few months. It was his father's fault that Nico had been torn away from his sister and mother in the first place.

Percy squeezed his thigh, probably sensing his anger. The boy's dark eyes darted over to meet calm green ones. Percy arched a brow at him, his lips tilted down. Nico looked down as the tall young man leaned towards him. “Calm down,” Percy whispered.

His other hand was currently being held by Annabeth, who was gently patting it. Thalia, oddly enough, had been quiet ever since they arrived. Well, other than quietly hissing things to Luke. But most of all, Nico noticed the hateful glares Thalia gave Hades. When Nico had first pointed out his father, Thalia had attempted to jump on the man. If it had not been for Apollo grabbing her, she might have succeeded.

Nico wiped a fresh set of tears away before nodding to Percy. He had been doing his best to ignore the priest from the church his father used to always drag him to, but the man was beginning to grate on his nerves. He did not want to hear about God right now. If there was a god, Nico wanted nothing to do with him or her right now, not after they took his mother.

Nico's brown eyes returned to his father's back. The man was slouching, which was uncommon for him. He was visibly upset, from what Nico had seen, another thing that was uncommon for the man. Nico just wanted the service to end. He wanted to go to his mother's casket, and he wanted his sister with him. He wanted to be beside his mother, one last time, before they lowered her body into the ground.

It was not a large service, nor was it a small one. His mother had been a likable person, and all of her close friends had come, as well as some family. And Nico wanted to be away from all of them. There would surely be questions about his whereabouts, should he be seen.

He wiped at his nose again and stared at his mother's black casket. Nico just wanted to see his mother again. Why couldn't he be a kid again, hugging his mother's leg as she baked? He just wanted to be able to look up and see her smiling down at him. She did not deserve to have her life ripped away like this. If it had to be one of his parents, there was one he would have preferred.

Nico sighed and stared down at his lap. He shook his head. He did not need to be thinking like that. His mother would be very disappointed in him if she had heard him thinking like that. But, then again, there were probably a lot of things his mother would be disappointed in him about, if she was still alive for him to tell her.

As the service concluded, some of the people began to make their way back to their cars. Some people walked by the front row, paying their respects to the family that sat there. No one came to Nico, though, if they even knew he was there. Perhaps they did not know he was there, and perhaps it was better that way.

Bianca turned to look at him while some old woman stood in front of her and Hades. She looked a little familiar to Nico. Possibly a distant relation? Nico stared back at his sister for a long time. He knew she wanted him to come up there and be with her, but Nico also knew he could not do that. Hell, Percy and the others probably would refuse to let him go up there.

“Thank you for bringing Nico, Percy.”

Nico frowned and broke eye contact with his sister when a soft hand stroked his hair. He looked up to find Minerva standing over him. He felt Percy pat his leg before the young man stood up.

“It was the least I could do,” Percy said, holding his hand out to shake Quintus's hand. “You must be Daedalus's father?”

The man nodded. “Yes,” he replied before turning his attention to Nico. “I didn't get a chance to speak with you the other day, Nico, but I'm very sorry about your loss.”

Nico offered up a weak smile before looking down at his lap. The tips of Percy's fingers brushed through his bangs. “I'm going to make sure he's taken care of, don't worry.”

“Oh.” Minerva reached into her purse. “I don't suppose I could get some additional contact information, could I?” Percy smiled at her. “Well, I mean, I'm sure Nico is just fine there, but it would just ease my mind if you were able to contact me if something were wrong.”

“Of course.” The young man nudged Apollo's foot. “Keep an eye on him, I'll be right back.”

Apollo nodded. Thalia let out a sigh and stood up, walking around to stand behind the curly haired blond's chair. Annabeth stared down at her own lap, picking at her black dress, though there was no imperfections to be found on it.

Annabeth reached down and picked up her purse. From it, she pulled a red rose. “Here, for your mom's casket.”

Nico pursed his lips and silently accepted the flower. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“I'm sure she was a very nice lady.” Apollo gave him a lopsided smile. “I never really knew my mom, she died giving birth to me and my sister.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “How is that supposed to help anything?”

“It's fine,” Nico muttered. “It doesn't bother me.” He felt Thalia squeeze his shoulder. “Thanks for coming.”

Annabeth slid her arm around him. “We figured you could use all the support you could get. Just be glad the whole lot of us didn't come.”

Suddenly, Luke shot to his feet, muttering a curse under his breath. Nico furrowed his brow and followed the blond's gaze. His face instantly paled.

Nico's father was heading right for them, looking as angry as the night he had kicked Nico out. “What the hell are you doing here, queer?” Nico heard Apollo growl. “I thought you were dead. Why couldn't it be you, instead of her?”

“Sir,” Annabeth began, “I think you should go back to your family.”

“Yeah,” Apollo growled.

Hades glared down at his son. “This...abomination has no business being here. He is no longer part of this family.”

Nico's eyes widened as Hades made to move towards Nico. However, the man was met by Luke's firm chest. The blond narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think you better leave...sir.”

“None of you have any business getting involved in any of this. Who are you people anyways?”

“The people that are about to kick your ass.” Nico's eyes widened again as Thalia made to dive over the chairs. Apollo managed to get to his feet and restrain her, though the raven haired girl continued to kick and claw in Hades's direction. “You fucking asshole. Who the hell gives you the right to treat your child like that?”

Hades glared at the short girl, who did not seem to be bothered by the large height difference between them in the least. “God did. His kind have no place in this world.”

“Dad!” Bianca was there now, glaring at their father. “Leave him alone.”

Hades turned around, but pointed at Nico. “Did you know about this?”

“Yes,” she replied, crossing her arms. “And I'm glad I found him.”

The man bristled and turned back to Nico. “I want you to stay away from my daughter. You've already done enough, I don't need more problems from you.”

Apollo slapped a hand over Thalia's mouth before she could yell at the man. Hades was then blocked by Luke's chest again, cutting his vision off of Nico. Annabeth, however, still appeared to be calm. Out of the four of them, she was the only one not glaring at Hades.

Annabeth finally took Nico's hand and got them to their feet. With Luke still blocking Hades, Annabeth began to lead Nico away from the scene. With much resistance, Apollo dragged the kicking Thalia behind them. Nico looked back to find Luke still standing there. He slowed down, which Annabeth noticed.

“Luke, come on.” The blond Lost Boy turned his head to stare at Annabeth. “Stay out of trouble.”

Luke grunted before walking away from a fuming Hades. Nico wiped at his eyes and gave a small wave to his sister before letting Annabeth lead him towards the van. Why did his father have to bother him? All he had wanted to do was pay his respects to his mother.

“Nico!”

Nico slowly turned to see what his sister wanted. His eyes widened as he found his father coming towards him again, his fists clenched this time. He jerked Nico away from Annabeth. Luke turned and began to step in, but stopped suddenly. They all stood there. Hades drew his hand back and Nico shut his eyes. “No son of mine is going to be a faggot.”

When the punch never came, Nico cracked an eye open. Hades was still standing in front of him, but someone had grabbed his arm. Nico removed himself from Hades's grasp and took a step back. Percy stood behind Hades, a firm grip tightly wrapped around the man's wrist.

“Who the hell are you?” Hades asked as he jerked his arm away from Percy.

Percy shrugged as he walked around to stand behind Nico. “I suppose you could call me his guardian. You know, since you abandoned your own son to survive on the streets.”

“To die,” Thalia growled.

Percy's green eyes tossed her a look from the corner of his eye. The raven haired girl pursed her lips and took a step back. When Percy returned his gaze to Hades, Nico found them to be several shades darker. Not good, Nico thought. He had learned by now that, while Percy could appear calm, his eyes would always reflect his true emotion. And right now, Percy was furious.

“Now,” Percy continued, “I don't appreciate you trying to strike someone that is under my care.” Nico tilted his head back to get a better look at Percy. “And I've made several promises, to Nico and others, to make sure he stays safe.”

“Looks like you've done a great job,” Hades spat.

“Like you even care,” Thalia snapped.

Percy let out a sigh. “If we're done here, I'd like to get going.”

“No, we are not.” Hades glared at Percy. “This child needs to be cleansed. I'm going to send him off for therapy.”

The next few seconds went by in a flash. Hades made to grab Nico, but Percy put his hand in a death grip. Nico was pulled back, into Percy's chest. Percy's free hand was tightly wrapped around Nico's waist, while the young man held Hades's gaze.

A shiver ran down Nico's spine as he looked up at Percy. The manager finally released Hades's wrist and wrapped both of his arms around Nico. There was a dangerous look in the young man's eye, and Nico half expected to see a forked tongue shoot out from between the Adonis's lips. Once again, Percy reminded Nico of a snake, ready to strike the man in front of them if he dared to grab the boy in his arms.

“Nico is not yours anymore.” Hades narrowed his eyes, but Percy did not release his hold on Nico's waist. His voice was firm and challenging. Nico became painfully aware of the fact that he was shaking, though he felt perfectly safe. Percy smirked and rested his chin on Nico's shoulder. “Nico. Is. Mine.”

Everything was eerily silent. The Lost Kids seemed hesitant to move, let alone speak. Bianca stood there with wide eyes, eyes drifting between Nico and the young man holding him. Even Daedalus and his parents were standing there, watching them.

And Hades was fuming. His face was red, fists clenched tightly at his sides. “This isn't over,” he spat at Percy, pointing a finger in the young man's face, before storming off.

The young man finally released his hold on Nico's waist. Nico looked up to find his eyes hidden, but a smirk on his face. Annabeth looked a little pale as she gently took Nico by the wrist and led him towards the van. As they walked past, Nico found the other three staring at Percy in bewilderment.

It was not until they were in the van that it all finally hit Nico. What had Percy said to his father? Mine. That was what Percy had said. But did he mean it, in the way that Nico wanted him to? When Percy got in the van, he hoped for an answer, but the young man just cranked the vehicle and drove.

The drive back was awkwardly silent. During the drive, Nico had realized he was still holding the rose that Annabeth had given him, though he had, apparently, broken the stem at some point. By the time they got back to the hotel, Nico felt sick.

Apollo helped him out of the van, immediately feeling his head. “You don't look so good.”

Percy stopped and stared at Nico. “Help him up to his room.”

Nico shook his head and grabbed Percy before he could walk away. “I want to stay in your room tonight.”

A lot of eyes watched Percy as the young man stared down at Nico. The young man finally gave a nod, easing Nico's nerves. He felt even better when Percy held his hand out for Nico. The boy stepped away from the others and let Percy drape an arm around Nico.

He found himself being stared at by the other Lost Kids during their time in the elevator. The one that bothered him the most was Annabeth, who looked like she was examining everything about Nico and Percy. But none of them said anything, which sort of surprised Nico. He figured they would have some words of protest.

When Luke and Nico locked gazes, the boy shuddered. The blond looked irritated. His eyes kept drifting between Nico's eyes and the hand on the boy's shoulder. Percy cleared his throat when the elevator stopped. “All of you need to get to work.”

Without objection, the elevator emptied. However, Percy did not speak again. They rode up a floor in silence, and even walked down the hall in the same fashion. Nico shifted his weight between his legs while Percy pulled out his keycard. During this time, Rachel came out of Percy's office. She froze and blinked at them for a moment. Percy just stared back at her with dull eyes before pushing Nico into his suite.

Nico made a noise in his throat when he felt Percy touch his chin. The young man forced Nico to look up at him. But, before Nico could question him, Percy wiped at Nico's eyes. Nico frowned when Percy stepped away to get some tissues. During this time, he touched at his face. A warm wetness met his fingers. He had not even realized he had been crying.

Percy held out the tissue for Nico, which was taken with a weak smile. The boy sniffed and wiped at his eyes, though more tears just appeared to take their place. “Come on,” Percy whispered. He led Nico over to the couch, where he had the boy lie down. “I'm going to be in and out of here for most of the rest of the day, but if you need me, you can just call me.”

Nico nodded. Percy brushed at Nico's bangs before standing up. He handed Nico the TV remote and walked towards his bedroom. Nico just sniffled again and stared at the ceiling. “Can't you just stay here?”

“I can't, I'm sorry. But I'll be coming in and out to check on you. And I'll be back as soon as we close upstairs.”

Nico sighed and curled up into a ball. He felt the couch shift, and he looked down to stare at Percy. The young man smiled at him while he worked on his tie. Nico slid himself up, letting himself end up brushing Percy's shoulder.

The young man hummed and ran a hand down Nico's back, while his other hand worked to get his shoes on. He was so warm, Nico thought. The boy just wanted him to stay there with him, to keep him warm and safe.

Before he could really think about what he was doing, Nico positioned himself to sit in Percy's lap. A soft smile touched at Percy's lips as he rested a hand on Nico's waist. “You okay?” Percy whispered.

Nico nodded before wrapping his arms around Percy's neck. He let his head fall onto the Adonis's shoulder, his legs now underneath him, on either side of Percy. “I just want you to stay here, though.” Percy stared back at him, letting Nico run his fingers through the back of his hair. “Please stay?”

The young man sat back against the couch. “I'll see if I can come back early, okay? I'm going to be here for you, but I also have a business to run.” Nico sighed, letting Percy run his calloused fingers through his hair. “You going to be okay without me for a while?”

The Lost Boy frowned, but nodded. He let his head fall as Percy took a hold of his waist. With a quick peck to the side of Nico's head, Percy plucked him from his lap and sat him aside. Nico let out another sigh, already missing the young man's warmth.

After Percy left, Nico was left in a depressing silence. He tried to watch TV, but found it did not satisfy him. He wanted human contact, he wanted comfort. He wanted Percy. And, as he watched the clock, he realized it would be a while before the young man was done for the night.

Unfortunately, Percy did not come by to check on him. Instead, Leo, Rachel, Clarisse, or Ethan came by to check on him. The first two were very talkative, but the latter two just seemed interested in if he was still breathing or not.

“Why hasn't Percy come down yet?” Nico sighed as Leo made to leave.

The Latino boy sighed. “He's just busy, and stuff.”

Nico frowned. “'Stuff'? What 'stuff'?”

Leo blew out a breath. “Just busy with work, nothing to worry about.”

The pale boy hung his head and nodded. “Okay. Just let him know that I'm still breathing.”

“You'll be all right, dude.”

Nico sighed and fell back on the couch after Leo shut the door. Perhaps he would have been better off in his own suite. Though, it would just be as empty as this one. At times, he wished it was fine for him to have company over. But, that could very well lead to questions he was not ready to answer.

The hours crept by at a snail's pace for Nico. A little after midnight, Nico padded down the hall, and crawled into Percy's bed. He did not get under the covers, just curled up in a ball and cried some more. He missed his mother. He missed her cooking, her perfume, her smile, and her touch.

He got so caught up with crying, that he did not even hear the door open. It was not until he felt fingers brushing through his hair that he realized Percy had returned. He wiped at his eyes and looked up, being met by warm, green eyes.

“Hey,” Percy whispered.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled.

The young man laid down behind Nico, propping himself up on an arm. “I heard you wanted my attention.”

The boy just grunted. Percy sighed and began stroking Nico's hair. It was a soothing touch, one that managed to wash away a lot of Nico's current depression. He felt better when Percy was around, especially close by.

Nico's heart was pounding in his chest as he lay there, letting Percy play with his hair. A lot of things had been going on through his head during Percy's absence. And, if he were in a better state of mind, perhaps he would have thought better about what he was about to do, but he really did not care at the moment. He just wanted Percy, and the comfort that came with the young man.

Percy blinked at him as the boy rolled over. It was the smile that Percy gave him that finally made up his mind. It was a genuine one, Nico's favorite. Without putting further thought into it, Nico moved forward and pressed their lips together.

The green-eyed young man was completely still for several seconds, which made Nico nervous. But then the young man kissed him back. It was quick, and over much sooner than Nico's liking, but it was better than nothing.

Percy frowned as he sat up and pressed his back against the headboard. “Nico, you don't need to do that,” he whispered.

Nico sat up and crawled forward, so that he was seated in the young man's lap. He frowned as he took a firm grip of Percy's shirt. “Yes, I do. I really need you.”

Both of Percy's hands reached up to hold his. “You're upset, and not thinking clearly. Nico, think about what you're doing.”

“I have. I want you, Percy. I've wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and I just wish you would see me as more than an employee.” The young man froze when Nico reached out and touched his cheek. “You can deny it all you want, but I know you have feelings for me. I know you want me.”

There was no trace of a smile or frown on Percy's face now. He just stared into Nico's brown orbs with an emotionless stare. “I've never denied that I wanted you, Nico. I plainly said that you were a big temptation for me. But that doesn't mean we need to do this.”

“Please,” Nico whispered.

It was at that moment that Nico realized something shocking. Percy was shaking. He did not look scared, nor did he look angry, but he was shaking. The young man finally sighed and dropped his hands from Nico's own hands.

Nico continued to hold Percy's gaze. “There's nothing I want more. I just...need this right now. I need you right now.”

In an instant, Percy shot forward and captured Nico's lips. The shaking stopped, Percy's hands now cupping Nico's cheeks. The boy sat there in shock for a few seconds, while Percy closed his eyes and moved his lips against Nico's.

The boy finally sighed and opened his mouth, allowing Percy's tongue to slide inside. He gasped when Percy flung him on his back, sliding a hand under the boy's dress shirt. “Why haven't you gotten out of this uncomfortable thing yet?” Percy rasped in his ear.

Nico just panted and rutted his hips up into Percy's crotch. Percy's fingers expertly worked down each of the buttons on Nico's shirt, until Nico's pale chest lay beneath him. The Lost Boy's breath hitched when Percy's fingers slid down his soft stomach.

“Percy,” Nico panted, digging his nails into Percy's clothed back.

The young man pulled back, a smirk plastered on his lips. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the boy's soft lips. “Are you sure you want to do this?” He whispered.

Even though there was a smirk resting on Percy's lips, Nico felt as if it did not belong there. The sound of Percy's voice, it gave it away. He sounded concerned, almost hesitant. Nico ran a hand under Percy's shirt, feeling the young man's perfect stomach.

His answer came in the form of a kiss on Percy's lips. He grabbed the young man by the back of the neck and pulled Percy down, deepening the kiss. He wanted Percy. All of Percy. One by one, each of Percy's buttons were undone before Nico. The young man sat up and slid the fabric off his shoulders.

Nico reached out and traced each of Percy's abs. The young man smiled and leaned forward, capturing Nico's hand. The Lost Boy watched in wonder as the manager raised his pale fingers up to be kissed. From there, he placed Nico's hands above his head and hovered over the smaller boy.

Nico let out a loud moan as Percy descended on his neck. During this, Percy worked to remove Nico from his pants and underwear. Percy grunted and pulled away. Nico frowned at him, but understood what the young man was doing as soon as he got lower.

The Lost Boy chuckled as he watched Percy work to get his shoes off, which earned him a glare. “Don't laugh. I hate shoes during sex, they are too clunky.”

“Kiss me,” Nico breathed out.

Percy was back on top of him in an instant. Nico moaned and wrapped his arms around Percy, as the young man kissed his neck, chest, and lips. While this went on, Percy also worked to remove himself from his own pants. Once finished, he pressed his knee between Nico's legs. More precisely, against the boy's crotch.

Nico found himself being pulled into Percy's lap, where the manager devoured his neck. A tan hand found its way to Nico's backside, where it groped both of the boy's pale cheeks before sliding a finger between them.

Percy's eyes were dilated when Nico pulled back. The young man sat there before him, lust-filled eyes, panting, and almost naked. “Off,” Nico whined, tugging on Percy's green boxer-briefs.

The young man smiled and grabbed Nico's hand. With a quick kiss to it, he placed it to Nico's side and grabbed his own underwear. Jumping off the bed, he slid the fabric down, revealing his naked form to Nico. Much too soon for Nico's liking, Percy was back on top of him. Not that he did not like the young man's touch, it was just he wanted to admire the body more.

He let out a quiet moan when Percy brushed his fingers against his entrance. Closing his eyes, he let Percy do the work. He heard the drawer open, and he instantly knew what was coming. Not long after, the cool feel of lube touched his entrance. Percy leaned down and captured Nico's lips as he pressed a finger inside.

Nico's breath and hips hitched when Percy hit a spot inside of him. He let out a long moan and sucked on Percy's bottom lip. Percy smiled down at him and pecked him quickly on the lips. One of Nico's hands wandered down and wrapped around Percy's rather large manhood, giving it a few strokes. Percy let out a breathy moan and thrust his hips into Nico's hand.

There was so much warmth radiating from Percy's body. They had not even fully begun yet, and Nico was already beginning to show signs of sweating. Nico let out another moan, Percy's finger brushing against that spot inside of him again. When Percy moved to lie on top of him more, Nico reached around and grabbed Percy's smooth, firm ass, pulling the young man closer.

With a quick peck to the lips, Percy pulled away. Nico whined, while Percy leaned over to open the nightstand again. However, this did provide Nico with a good view of Percy's nude form. His eyes locked on to the manhood that rested between the young man's long legs.

Percy soon returned to his resting spot between Nico's legs. He pressed a hand beside Nico's face and hovered over the boy. “I really want you to think about this before we go farther, Nico.”

Nico frowned as he stared up at Percy. The young man's black hair hung in his face, blocking Nico's view of his eyes. The boy reached up and brushed the strands of hair away to find hesitant eyes. “I've thought about this for a long time, Percy.” He reached up and pulled Percy down for a quick kiss. “I've thought long and hard about it, and who I wanted my first time to be with. I just...I want this.”

Percy remained still. The boy beneath him fidgeted under the intense gaze he was receiving. Percy finally tilted his head to the side and leaned in to capture Nico's lips once again. In the back of his mind, Nico heard the distinct sound of the condom wrapper tearing, but Percy's lips were managing to keep the bulk of his attention. It was not until he felt the tip of Percy's head pressing against him that he truly acknowledged what was happening.

But, instead of proceeding, Percy just hovered above him. When Nico looked into his eyes, there was a brief second where the boy caught the dull glimpse that was coming from within those green orbs. He was not really looking at Nico, but perhaps through him.

The green-eyed Adonis finally let out a sigh and lifted Nico's legs up. “This is going to hurt a little.”

Nico had expected as much. He was very thin, after all. And Percy, well, he was not that small down there. However, he had not expected the sting that hit him the second Percy pushed into him. He bit down on his lip to prevent a scream.

“Shh.” Percy soothed him with a kiss. “The head is always the worst part.”

Nico winced again when Percy pushed forward more. “How much more?”

A small kiss to the boy's forehead. “I've only just started. Are you sure you don't want to stop?”

Nico nodded. It did not seem to convince Percy that much, probably since Nico's body had begun to shake. But Percy continued. He placed his hands on either side of Nico, causing Nico's legs to rise more, and slid deeper into the shorter male. Nico, on his part, clamped down on Percy's back, digging his nails into the young man's shoulders.

It stung. A lot. But Nico was going to endure the pain, because he knew pleasure would follow eventually. He just wished it would be sooner, rather than later. Percy's tongue slid into his mouth. And Percy's hand began to rub at his side, probably in a distraction attempt. How much longer was this going to go for?

Percy pulled back from the kiss with a moan. Nico was panting on Percy's pillow. It took him a few seconds, but he finally realized Percy had stopped moving. The young man brushed his cheek before leaning down for a quick kiss. “There, the worst part is over. Just give it a second, and tell me when to move.”

The boy on the bed just reached up and pulled Percy down for another kiss. He just wanted them to remain like this for a moment. He was being intimate with Percy, he wanted it to last. But he decided to go ahead and nod, giving Percy the okay to proceed.

For all Nico had seen in the video with Luke and Percy, the young man was being very slow and gentle. Percy even leaned down to kiss Nico's shoulder at one point. After several excruciatingly slow thrusts, Percy took a hold of Nico's hips. When Nico looked up, he found Percy gritting his teeth.

“What's wrong?”

Percy shook his head. He dropped, so that his head was on the pillow, beside Nico. “You're just...really tight. And I'm trying really hard not to go too fast.”

Nico kissed the side of the young man's head. “You can go faster.”

Percy pushed himself up, his eyes were now hazed over. “I don't want to hurt you. This is your first time, and your hips are very small. If I go too hard or fast, you'll be feeling it in the morning.”

The boy ran his fingertips over Percy's bare arms, enjoying the feel of muscle. “It's not like I'm going to be doing anything-ah!” Percy smirked down at him. He could have warned Nico about the oncoming thrust. He went to open his mouth, but Percy began slowly rocking his hips into Nico's small frame.

The pain, while still present, was not as unbearable as it had been. Now, it was more like a fingernail digging into his skin. A very large fingernail. But Percy was being patient. Nico felt so small, though. Percy, hovering over Nico, seemed so much bigger than him. Also, Nico was finding out that he could, in fact, put his legs over his head.

Percy had him pressed into the mattress by this point, sweat starting to form on his chest. Nico was probably the sweatier of the two, as his hair was completely matted down to his forehead. Percy continued to thrust in and out of the boy, eliciting a moan each time he drove in.

Very slowly, Percy's hips began moving faster. And, through it all, he did not lower Nico's legs from his shoulders. Their faces constantly remained inches apart, which Nico took advantage of immensely. Percy's kisses were soft, yet feverish. He seemed to enjoy playing with Nico's bottom lip.

Nico clamped his eyes shut, digging his nails into Percy's arm. Percy, on his part, had made a direct hit to Nico's prostate, and a very loud moan escaped the boy's lips. That seemed to also let Percy know that he could go faster, because that was exactly what he did.

He maneuvered a hand up to cup Nico's cheek, kissing the boy deeply. It was broken, however, when Percy delivered a deep, hard thrust into Nico. The boy's head fell back in an open, silent moan. His eyes saw white for a few seconds. But it did not hurt. No, it felt...amazing.

If this was what he could expect from sex with Percy, he understood why the others had called it so addicting. Percy was a drug, pure and simple. A drug with high stamina. Nico was now wondering if he was going to end up regretting what he said about making things last. From what he could tell, Percy was going to last for a while.

But another kiss from Percy made him stop caring about that fact. He just shut his eyes and let out moan after moan, as Percy slid into him.

Eventually, Percy got on his knees, Nico's legs now aimed directly to the ceiling. The young man took a firm grip of Nico's weeping member and began to stroke it. Nico moaned long and loud, as Percy delivered several fast, and precise thrusts. By this point, they were both covered in sweat. Percy looked arousing, though. With his hair matted down, and his body covered in sweat, Nico found it to be a heavy stimulant to look at.

Nico gasped as Percy continued with his thrusts and strokes. This caused Percy to moan as well, as Nico began to tighten around his member. Nico let his head fall back and he released the loudest moan he had all night. His seed shot out, covering Percy's hand and Nico's stomach. But Percy, he was not done.

Nico's loud moan turned into breathy gasps as Percy continued to drive into him, over and over again. He finally found his voice and moaned again as Percy picked him up. He clung to Percy's back, letting the young man lower and raise him onto the large dick inside of him.

Percy let out a moan, and Nico pulled back to look at him. The young man had his eyes tightly shut, as well as a death grip on Nico's thin waist. He would probably have a bruise there in the morning. Percy grasped the back of his head and slammed their mouths together, immediately beginning to devour the boy's lips.

The green-eyed Adonis released a moan into Nico's mouth and thrust a final time. Nico moaned back, feeling Percy's arousal spasm inside of him. Percy released him, letting Nico fall onto the bed. A few seconds later, Percy was laying on top of him, breathing heavily in his ear.

He did not think it would be a big deal, but when Percy removed himself from Nico, the boy found himself a little sad. It was like feeling whole, and then having a portion taken away. But Percy was still close by, so he did not think much more on those feelings.

The young man sat on the edge of the bed and tossed his used condom in the trash. With a content sigh, he hopped up and left the room, only to return seconds later with a towel. He leaned in and kissed Nico, while he worked to clean the boy up.

But, when Percy pulled back, instead of being met with a smile, he found a frown. And Percy just sat there, staring at him. Nico let out a breath and trailed his fingers down Percy's bare chest. He could feel the young man's heart still pounding heavily in his chest. Nico's own was doing the same, though he soon realized it was for another reason.

Or perhaps a problem. One that part of him hoped would never arise. Things were already complicated enough for him, he did not need this to add on to it.

Percy kissed his forehead and got up again. Nico decided to take the opportunity to enjoy the sight of Percy's firm ass walking away. And it was an opportunity well invested. The young man's body had to have been sculpted, there was no other explanation for it.

The lights were turned off, and Nico soon felt the bed shift beside him. He scooted over and was prepared to lay on his side, away from Percy, but was immediately pulled towards the young man. He sighed and let his head rest on the still sweaty chest, chewing on his lip. As exhausted as he was, he was not going to fall asleep that easily tonight. He had a problem.

 Nico di Angelo was in love with Percy Jackson.