Children of Loss 30

Chapter 30

The sunlight was not kind on Nico's eyes the next morning. The boy's forehead wrinkled as he slid deeper into the sheets. He refused to open his eyes, only letting out a deep sigh. He was not ready to be awake. But it seemed he was not going to get to go back to sleep, as a phone went off behind him. This was when he was met with a surprise.

A pair of lips pressed against his shoulder, accompanied by some movement in the bed. He felt a body shift and the phone stopped ringing. “Hello?” Percy's groggy voice came from behind him.

Nico rolled over with a confused look. The manager was now sitting up in bed, phone pressed against his ear. Without even looking, he ran his fingers through Nico's hair. Nico's brow furrowed as he studied the manager. This was a first. He had been starting to think he would never get to wake up to someone in the bed with him the next morning.

“Give me an hour and I'll be there. Yeah, I know what time it is.” Percy groaned and leaned his head back. “We'll talk later, I'm busy right now.”

Nico's eyebrow rose as he watched Percy set the phone down on the nightstand. “You're still in bed.”

Percy smiled and slid back under the covers. “That I am.” With little protest on the brown-eyed boy's part, Nico was pulled against Percy's chest. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm okay,” Nico whispered. “Just...sort of wanting to not do anything today.”

Percy did not respond to that right away. He quietly rubbed circles into Nico's back. “Well, you should take it easy today, at least as much as possible.”

Nico frowned and rolled onto his stomach, resting his chin on Percy's chest. It was also just dawning on him that they were still completely naked. He might have taken advantage of that fact by pushing the sheets down Percy's body. The manager chuckled when Nico lifted the sheets.

“Find something you like?”

Nico's cheeks lit up. “Shut up,” he mumbled. “And yes.”

Nico's cheeks darkened further when Percy's hand slid down to feel his ass. “So have I.” The boy glared at him, though he did not stop Percy from what he was doing. “But you shouldn't try getting up too fast.”

“Why's that?”

“Oh, you'll find out eventually.” It bothered Nico slightly when Percy failed to add his signature grin to that. In fact, all traces of the manager's smile seemed to have vanished. “I am going to have to leave for work soon,” he pulled Nico closer, “but I'm also tempted to continue our activities from last night.”

Nico bit down on his lip. “No objections from the receiving party.” Percy laughed, allowing Nico to breathe easier. “How sore am I going to be, though?”

The young man blew out a breath. “Pretty sore, if we go again. That's why I'm debating if it's a good idea.” He grabbed Nico and laid him on his back, hovering over him. From this position, he also gave Nico a view of what rested under the sheets. “But, I think we'll wait for another time to do that again.” Percy's lips tilted down as he got up and sat on the edge of the bed.

He was stunning, Nico thought. Perfect. Every inch of skin was the same color, not even a hint of tan lines. And Percy's eyes seemed like two emeralds in the morning light. Though, they seemed to lack some of their usual sparkle. There was just something off about Percy's mood this morning. It was like he could not quite figure out if he was happy or sad.

This was when Nico noticed the red marks on Percy's back. His face turned red. “Um, I might have been a little rough with my nails last night.”

The corner of Percy's lips tilted up. “It's not a big deal,” he said calmly with a shrug. “Besides,” he grinned, “you've got a hickey, and bruises on your hips.” Nico's face resembled a tomato as he shot up. A sharp pain coursed through his lower back, and he let out a hiss. “Told you that you'd be sore.”

Nico glared at him as he stood up. Percy's eyebrows rose as he watched Nico's naked form get up and walk to the mirror. Nico let out a sigh as he observed the small hickey on his neck. It was not that bad, but it would be noticeable. At least he could hide the small bruises that were now on his hips. His eyes found Percy's in the mirror.

Percy offered him a lazy smile. “Have I told you how nice your ass is?”

The boy rolled his eyes. “You're horrible.” He winced and placed a hand against his lower back. “People are going to see the hickey.”

Percy released a long breath as Nico walked back to bed. “Oh, trust me, they'll know we had sex for other reasons.” Nico quirked an eyebrow at him. “You're limping.”

Nico collapsed on the bed, laying on his stomach. Percy hummed in appreciation as he felt of Nico's bare ass again. “I was hoping that it could just stay private,” Nico mumbled.

The hand on his body froze. “I, um, don't think that'll happen.” Nico rolled onto his side to look at the young man. “A deal is a deal, Nico, and you broke your end,” Percy whispered.

Nico curled up, his heart beginning to pound in his chest. What had he done? Percy reached over and placed the covers over Nico's body. “You-you can't...please.”

“I'm sorry, Nico,” Percy whispered. He was now sitting up, though he did not move from the bed. “I didn't want this for you. I asked you to reconsider.”

“I know.” Nico's eyes began to brim over with tears. If things had not been bad enough for him already, his mistake might end up destroying him. No, it had not been a mistake. He had wanted to be with Percy, but he had not wanted the consequences. Why did they have to be there? “Can't you just not go through with it?”

Percy let out a sigh. “I...can't. It wouldn't be fair to the others. I told you that you couldn't do something like this without consequence.” Raven haired locks shook as Percy's head did the same. “You had a special circumstance, and I needed there to be something in there to balance it out. I wish...I wish you hadn't of gone through with it.”

“You regret what happened?” Nico barely managed to get out.

“No, I don't.” Percy's hand rested near Nico's face, supporting the young man's weight. “I regret the circumstances, not the action.” Percy's head was lowered, searching the bed for something that was not there. “I'm just disappointed, that's all.” That stung. Nico's chest ached deeply. “Look, things are just complicated. You knew what this would mean.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. A lone tear slid from his eye. “I just wanted you, and I was upset.”

Percy's other hand reached over to brush some of the boy's hair away. “I know you were, and that's one of the reasons I did let it happen. But-this is what has to happen, I'm sorry.”

Nico was not sure if he should feel angry or depressed. And who with was the better question. Himself was the best choice, even if he did want to be upset with Percy. It had been what Nico had wanted, and Percy had simply given him that. And it was not like Percy was gloating over the fact that Nico now had to suffer the consequences of his actions.

“When?”

Percy sighed and pulled his hand back. “Tonight.”

Nico's stomach twisted into a knot. “Already?” He sat up, ignoring the pain. “Can't I have a few more days? I'm still healing from the fight, and my mom...” Panic had laced every inch of the boy's voice. He shut his eyes after hearing himself. He sounded near pathetic. Why had he been so stupid?

The manager moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “I'm sorry, Nico. It's best to just get it over with, trust me.” He stood up and walked across the room to find a fresh change of clothes. “The girls will help you hide your bruises.” When he turned back around, Nico was met with a blank look. “And I want you to see Octavian before dinner.” He broke eye contact as he slid a pair of boxers on. “Get dressed.”

Nico just sat, frozen, on the bed. His body shook. Percy, now with a pair of pants on, crouched beside the bed and wiped some of the tears from his eyes. “Percy,” was all the boy could get out.

“Everything will be okay, Nico. I'll be there when it's over, I swear.” He reached down and picked up the boy's underwear. “Now come on, I'll take you back to your room before I head to my office.”

When Nico found himself unable to move, Percy pursed his lips. Without any words of irritation, Percy calmly slid Nico's legs into his underwear. Nico's eyes met with Percy's when his head was slipped through the shirt he had worn yesterday.

A small kiss was placed onto Nico's palm. “You need to calm down. Just for tonight, and then I won't make you do it again until you've gone back to work.” He handed Nico his pants. “Okay?”

The boy wiped at his face before nodding. His eyes remained glued to the floor as he accepted his pants from the taller raven haired male. Without much effort, he slipped into them and stood up. Percy attempted to meet his gaze, but the boy would not look up. The manager finally sighed and reached up to button the boy's shirt.

“And you do have to be somewhere today.”

Nico frowned and finally looked up. Percy was slipping on his own shirt. “Where?”

“It's Leo's birthday, remember?”

Nico sighed and nodded. “I never got him a present,” he whispered.

Percy slid an arm around the boy's waist as he led Nico out of the bedroom. “Don't worry about that.”

Nico looked up. “Aren't you going to shower?”

The manager's other hand reached over and fixed a strand of Nico's hair. “I'll come back at lunch and take one.”

“Sorry for making you late,” Nico mumbled as Percy shut his door.

“Don't be.” Percy smiled at him, leading the boy towards the elevator. “I chose to stay in bed.”

Nico's heart was still in overdrive when he opened his door. Jason looked up from a bowl of cereal, still in his pajamas, and blinked at them. Percy tossed the blond a small wave from the hallway. Nico blew out a breath and turned away from his roommate. “Can I see you before?” He asked.

Percy nodded. “Of course.” Nico looked down when he felt his hand being squeezed. He looked up with a small smile. Percy returned it. “Get some rest, go see Octavian, and I'll see you tonight.” The smile he gave Nico was far from genuine. “Well, I'll see you shortly for the party, but you know what I'm trying to say. Try not to worry too much about it.”

Nico's head nodded. He let the door shut softly, letting out a small sigh upon its closing. He could feel another tear creeping down his cheek. When he turned around, Jason was staring at him. The blond sat there quietly, chewing his cereal. “Is that a hickey?”

Nico barely managed to choke back a sob.

“Sorry,” the blond mumbled, looking down at his bowl. “So, I guess you did the deed and will be joining the rest of us in our hell-I mean job?”

The raven haired boy found his hands shaking. “I really don't want to talk about it,” he whispered. “I'm sure the others are going to throw it in my face.”

Jason shrugged his broad shoulders. “If you're so upset about it, I just don't understand why you'd do it.” His blue eyes locked with Nico's brown ones. “Sex is not worth what you're going to have to go through, even if it was with Percy.” His brow furrowed. “Why would you give all that freedom you had up, for what we have?”

“I didn't feel very free,” Nico mumbled. He rubbed his arm and shifted his weight. His eyes shifted a few times, until they met Jason's. “I was upset, and I let feelings get in the way.”

“Crushing on the boss is not healthy,” Nico's roommate mumbled around some cereal. “Especially ours.”

Nico frowned. “Percy is not as bad as he makes himself out to be. He's a nice person.”

Jason's eyes flickered up, mouth open, ready to eat another spoonful of his breakfast. “You don't...actually like him, do you?” When Nico did not respond, Jason eyed him over. “Oh my god, you do.” His spoon was dropped back into the bowl. There was something new in Jason's eye now, something Nico had not really seen there before. “Well, it's not like he's going to reciprocate anything.”

Nico sighed and popped the first two buttons on his shirt as he headed towards is room. “People keep saying that, but I'm not sure they are right.”

He turned to find Jason looking at him over his shoulder. The blond's jaw seemed locked, chewing on his lip. No words were spoken further between the two, yet Nico felt an air of tension fill the room. He broke eye contact and slipped down the hall, shutting the door to his room behind him.

After getting himself a shower and a fresh change of clothes, Nico headed for the elevator. Jason had already vanished by the time the raven haired boy exited the bathroom. Probably already headed to the party, Nico thought.

The party had been set up in the same place that Butch's had been, in the conference room. Leo's mother was present, as expected, and was busy taking pictures of the large cake that had been purchased and now sat on the long table in the room. And, as far as Nico could tell, all of the Lost Kids were present, even Apollo.

Speaking of the blond, Apollo was being surprisingly friendly towards Leo. “Seems you got a lot of presents this year,” the blond observed, sitting on the edge of the table, right next to Percy. The Latino boy even made the effort to put on a smile and chuckle in return.

“Hey, Nico.” Nico groaned and turned around. The twins stood in the corner, grinning wickedly at him. “Did you sprain an ankle?” Travis snickered.

“Aw, our little Nico is growing up,” Thalia joined in, pinching Nico's flushed cheek. Her finger was then pressed into his slender neck. “Look, he's even got a hickey.”

Nico's brown eyes flickered over to where Percy was perched on the table. The manager watched them without any expression. He just simply sat there, sipping away at the cup of punch in his hand. It irritated the boy a little. The irritation only began to boil within him when he saw Percy quirk an eyebrow.

Nico began to seethe when an arm was slipped around his shoulder. He looked up to find Octavian taking a sip from his cup. “And I hear I have the absolute pleasure of having your company in my room later this afternoon.” Nico chose to remain silent, his eyes like daggers as they tore into the blond. “Oh, don't worry, all clothes will be staying on. You'll have plenty of time to have them off later tonight.”

A small plate with a piece of cake was thrust into Octavian's hands. “Be nice.” Juniper's lips were tightly pursed as she sent the blond a warning glare. “He's probably nervous enough as it is. Is it really necessary to torment him further?”

“And that's our fault? It was his choice.” Nico followed Luke's voice and found the blond standing with Annabeth, who was palming her face. Luke's icy gaze was trained on the pale boy, his jaw firmly set. “I guess we get to hear you whine and cry some more, eh, twerp?”

Nico managed a glare, though he felt a heavy weight on his chest. “Is it so hard for you to learn a simple name?”

“Maybe if I actually cared.”

That hurt. But Nico held it together, standing his ground in front of Luke and the others, who had become completely silent. “Maybe if you did a better job at being the older brother, Octavian wouldn't have turned out to be such a dick. But I guess that just runs in the family. You abandon him, too?”

If possible, the room became even quieter. Even the twins were holding their breaths, eyes as wide as they could go. Percy, for his part, kept his eyes on Luke. Octavian, surprisingly, stood there, shocked, his mouth hanging open. But Luke was the one that had Nico frozen where he stood.

Luke was fuming. His hand shot out and grabbed Nico by the collar of his shirt, his teeth gritted. “You fucking little bitch, you must want to get hit more. No wonder you got those bruises, you can't keep your mouth shut.” His head cocked to the side. “Or your legs closed it seems, when it comes to Percy.” And to Nico's horror, the blue-eyed Lost Boy's gaze fell upon Percy. “What, did you even attempt to push him away this time, or did you take advantage of his current state?”

“Luke,” Annabeth hissed.

Percy let out a breath. “I'm going to let that one slide, since you're upset.” Blue and green eyes clashed. “But don't speak to me like that again. What I do is my business,” he nodded his head over to Nico, “as is his.”

“So confident in your little, innocent angel,” Luke mumbled. “Seems he's nothing but a disappointment.”

Percy sat his cup down on the table beside him. “I think you should go get some air. Cool off, come back for work.” Luke squeezed his fist tighter. “Now.”

Luke let out a grunt, but offered no further protest. But as he exited the room, Nico found himself following after him. He drew back slightly when the blond reached the elevator and slammed his fist into the call button.

“What the fuck do you want?” He did not even look at Nico, did not even bother turning around.

“What is your problem with me anyways? I've never done anything to try and piss you off, yet you've always seemed to have it out for me.”

Luke let out a dry laugh and boarded the newly arrived elevator. Nico shoved his way onto it as well. The blond's eyes felt dead as they stared into Nico's brown orbs. “You are my problem. Your very existence irritates me, because you can't seem to appreciate what you have. You're ungrateful, selfish, immature, and an idiot.” Nico was shoved into the wall. “And for whatever reason, Percy's getting all soft over you. But you just seem to have that effect on people, easy to talk to and easy to get people to let their guard down.

“You want to be part of us so badly, yet we all want what you had. If you think we just love letting strangers have their way with us, you've lost your mind.” Luke's lip tilted down in a sneer. “Have you even thanked him for what he's done for you? Because you sure as hell don't show it. You're nothing but a disappointment.” Luke's fist slammed into the wall beside Nico's head, causing the boy's eyes to widen. “You don't appreciate what he's done for you; you just toss it all aside. Do you even see how much you've disappointed him?”

Nico found a heavy lump in his throat when he went to speak. Luke just rolled his eyes and pulled away, leaning himself against the opposite wall. “Then why hasn't he said anything?”

Luke chuckled, only serving to irritate Nico further. The boy wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk from the blond's face. However, he had seen what Luke could do, and he had no desire to get injured further. “You know, when Octavian and I were back at home, I'd always try telling him not to do something when we were little.” The tall Lost Boy cocked his head to the side. “And do you know what I eventually did, when he wouldn't listen?” Nico shook his head. “I stopped lecturing him. I found that, sometimes, he just needed to learn things for himself.”

It took Nico a moment, but he eventually realized tears had begun streaming down his cheeks. “You're just upset...because I'm encroaching on your territory.”

The blond scoffed. “Please. If you want jealousy, go talk to Apollo. Percy is just my friend, aside from the sex.” There was so much coldness in Luke's eyes and voice. It was like a dagger, piercing him straight through the chest, to listen to the older Lost Boy. “Aside from the amazing sex, our relationship is strictly platonic. The way I care about him is vastly different from the way you...apparently feel about him.”

Nico found his stomach tighten, his heart pounding in his chest. Why was Luke so angry right now? It was not his mistake, it was Nico's. And why did it even matter to the blond? “What does it matter how I feel about him? It's not hurting anyone.”

“See now, that's where you're wrong.” The elevator came to a stop, and Luke moved to stand at the exit. “You're hurting Percy. And I rather not see what happens when other people see what he's becoming.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Percy's not changing because of me. He even made all those efforts to push me away.”

The blond rolled his eyes. Nico huffed and followed him off of the elevator. Luke's pace seemed to quicken as they walked through the garage full of cars. “How stupid are you anyways, brat?”

“I'm not stupid!”

Nico's blood was now pumping with anger. He was tired of this. Luke had no right to speak to him like this. The blond was being an asshole, and Nico did not deserve it. Luke simply scoffed and opened his car, pulling out a motorcycle helmet from the passenger seat. He shoved past Nico, sending the small Lost Boy stumbling backwards, and took the few steps over to where a parked motorcycle sat. Without hesitation, the blond tossed the tarp onto his car, revealing the stunning bike underneath.

It was slender and black. The handles were a sharp silver, and polished to perfection. The entire body looked like it could have just been bought from the store. The back jutted out and the logo sat on the side. The word 'Ninja' ran across its black surface in a fine, silver print.

Luke slipped his head into his helmet, completely masking his face from Nico's eyes. The small Lost Boy fidgeted as Luke brought the beautiful machine to life. “Is that even yours?”

Luke turned towards Nico. In the reflection of the helmet, Nico could see himself. He looked a mess. His eyes were red and his hair was slightly disheveled. “Always picking your sorry ass up from school, I never get to use it much.”

The blond did not even bother waiting for a reply from Nico before shooting out of the parking space and flying out of the parking garage. Nico stood there for a long time, just staring at the exit. He had never pictured the day after losing his virginity to have gone so poorly. And the worst part was that it was far from over. He dreaded the end of the night.

With a deep intake of breath, followed by its release, Nico slowly turned back to the elevator. He no longer cared about the pain in his chest, or the tears that continued to fall from his eyes. He no longer knew what to do. No one was going to help him, nobody wanted to. They had wanted this, they had said so themselves. And he had just screwed everything up. Was that all he could ever manage to do?

And, yet, through all the hurt, he felt a hint of anger. Luke's words still infuriated him, and the others and all their past conversations came crashing down on him all at once. He even found himself irritated with Percy. If the manager really did care about him, why would he let all of this happen?

To make matters worse, the elevator stopped at the lobby and a family of four boarded the metal box. The parents eyed him over, and the mother even went as far as to offer him a tissue. Nico managed a small smile. Thankfully, though, their floor was on the lower levels.

He debated just going back to his room, but it was Leo's birthday, and Leo had not really done anything bad to him. He was not really surprised or disappointed to find that no one was waiting there for him upon his return. He did, however, hear the sound of all the other Lost Kids laughing inside the conference room. Nico made little noise as he slipped back inside. And, as per usual, he pulled it off flawlessly.

“Nico!”

Nico's eyes widened as Leo's arm swung around his shoulders. “What?”

“Thanks for the present, man. You didn't have to get me anything.” The Latino boy flashed him a bright smile. “But this is awesome.”

The raven haired Lost Boy blinked and looked down at Leo's hands. Sitting there was a small, metallic dragon. Its wings were spread wide as it stood its ground upon the roof of a ruined building. Two red gems sat in the dragon's eye sockets.

“But I-”

Percy clamped down a hand on his shoulder, squeezing firmly. “Just wanted you to have something nice.” Nico's brown eyes locked with Percy's green ones. The manager winked at him. And, if it was even possible, the contact he was receiving made him feel slightly better. The green-eyed Adonis smiled when Nico wiped at his face. “Everything okay?”

Nico gave a small nod. “Yeah.”

The boy's eyes grew wide as Leo practically tackled him with a hug. The Latino boy chuckled, having been caught by Percy, so they would not go toppling over. “This was really great, Nico. How did you even know I liked dragons?”

Nico's mouth floundered. “Um, lucky guess?”

Percy smiled. “He had some help.”

Leo hummed in response before dashing off in a whirlwind of energy. And then it was just Nico and Percy. The boy tilted his head back to look up at Percy. The manager draped his arms around the boy. “You could have told me you were going to buy him a present for me.”

“You had a lot going on,” Percy whispered in his ear. “You were upset, and I didn't want you to worry about other issues. I had it delivered yesterday.”

“Thanks.”

Percy nodded in response. “So, how did your talk with Luke go?”

Nico pursed his lips and straightened his neck. “Fine.” He let out a sigh. “Are you disappointed in me?”

When he was met with silence, he chanced a glance back up at the manager. He bit down on his lip when he found Percy's eyes to be dull. “I had hoped that things would not have escalated like they had.”

“So you are,” Nico whispered.

Percy grabbed Nico's chin and forced him to look up. “Don't get upset. Yes, I am. But I also know you're human and you make mistakes. I don't expect you to be perfect.” The Adonis let out a heavy sigh. “I just trust that you'll learn from this, and learn to listen to me.”

Percy's arms wrapped tightly around him and pulled him into a hug. He let out a sigh. Even if he was not receiving a kiss, he could feel Percy's lips against his forehead. The hot breath from Percy's nose sent a shiver down his spine. But, much to his disappointment, Percy released him. He tossed Nico a smile before stepping over to Beckendorf and Thalia.

A heavy sigh escaped the youngest Lost Boy's mouth. Even through all of this, Percy still had such a strong effect on him. More and more was he convinced of his feelings for the young man. And, yet, it was still painful. Painful, knowing that Percy could, or would, probably never be his. That he would have to suffer being alone, in this new situation he had gotten himself into.

“Mmm. Cake?”

He blinked as a fork with a chunk of cake on it was shoved into his face. Rachel stood there, watching him expectantly. He quickly shook his head. The girl shrugged before shoving the fork into her mouth.

“You should try some, it might make you feel better.”

Nico shook his head again. “I don't think any kind of cake would help.”

“It's got weed in it,” Travis snickered, walking by with his brother.

Rachel rolled her eyes and waved them off. “Pay them no mind, they are idiots. Seriously, it's just cake. You sure?” Nico nodded. “Okay, more for me,” she mumbled, shoving another piece into her mouth. “So, that was something with Luke.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. “What's up with him? And when did he even get a motorcycle?”

Rachel smirked. “Birthday present from Percy.” The girl's tongue darted out to lick her fork. “Why wouldn't Luke be upset about what happened?”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What's that supposed to mean? Does Luke actually like me?”

Rachel's bright, green eyes darted over to him. “Well, I don't know about the way you're thinking, but I figure he likes your company. Just don't try getting him to admit it.”

Nico shook his head. “But it makes no sense. Why is he so angry about me having sex with Percy? I thought all of them wanted to see me slip up.”

Rachel blinked at him for a moment before sitting her empty plate down and wiping her hands together. “You don't know, do you?”

“Know what?” Nico asked cautiously.

“Who do you think made the deal with Percy in the first place?” Rachel flickered her eyes over to Percy, then to Apollo, and finally over to Annabeth and Thalia. “It wasn't Percy. Apollo and Thalia were the ones that suggested making you sell your body.” The girl's head of red hair shook with her head. “Luke suggested the compromise. So, take that into consideration next time you have a fight with him. At least he had faith, for whatever reason, that you could uphold your end of the agreement.”

Nico's mouth opened and closed several times, unable to find any words. His brain was giving him a headache from how fast it was trying to process all of this. It made no sense to him. Why would Luke, the guy who loved to see him suffer, want to help him like that? Nico had just figured it had been Percy. But, no, it was Luke. Why? It just did not make sense.

“I don't understand.” Nico's eyebrows knit together. “Why would Luke do that?”

Rachel placed her hand on the Lost Boy's shoulder. “That, my dear Nico, is something you'll have to take up with him.” She blew out a breath. “Though, I'd wait until he's cooled off about it first.” She poked a finger into Nico's shoulder. “Oh, and you do realize the full implications of what you've gotten yourself into, right?”

Nico shrugged his shoulders, his heart hammering in his chest once again. Was there more bad news? “I have to sell my body?”

The Lost Girl nodded. “Yes, but there's more to that. Remember that you will have female customers, more so than men.” Nico let out a groan, his face paling. Why had he not thought of that? The girl smirked and squeezed his shoulder. “Yep. I hope you're ready to get a good taste of vagina, Nico.”

Nico's stomach lurched. “Do I have to? I don't think I can.”

Rachel scratched her cheek. “I don't think you really have a choice at this point. Besides, several of the others have been in your shoes, and they all got past it. Try talking to Apollo. See what he has to say.”

Nico managed to nod his head, though his entire body was screaming from panic. It was hard to breathe all of a sudden, and he stumbled until he caught the table behind him. Rachel motioned to someone. Everything seemed to tone out for Nico. His breathing sounded very loud in his ears, bringing everything else down to a dull roar to him.

He nearly jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around him. “What's up?” Will squeezed him closer. “You don't look so good, Nico. Well, I mean aside from the bruises.” When Nico did not answer, Will turned to Rachel. “What's wrong?”

Rachel sighed. “I just told him that he would be having sex with women.”

Will turned the smaller Lost Boy around to face him. “How about I take you back to your room? I need to do some doctoring to your injuries anyways.”

Nico's stomach lurched again, preventing him from answering. He did manage to nod his head absently. Will wove his arm around Nico's waist, leading him from the conference room. Nico was beginning to worry that he was going to have panic attack from how hard and fast his heart was pounding. All he wanted to do was curl up in his bed and stay there.

But instead of being taken to his room, he ended up standing in front of Will's door. The blond fished out his wallet and slid the key into the door before pressing on Nico's back and bidding him to go inside. The door closed behind him, but all Nico could do was stand there like a zombie. Truth be told, that was what he was starting to feel like.

Will left him standing there to go to the bathroom. He was back moments later with a first-aid kit. He walked Nico over to the couch and got the boy to sit down, while crouching on the floor himself. Nico leaned forward and took several deep, ragged breaths.

Will let out a sigh. “You need to calm down. It won't be as bad as you think.”

Nico looked up. “Really?”

“Well, perhaps your first time.” He chewed on his lip. “And maybe a few times after that. But it'll be like nothing at all, after a while.”

Nico watched as the blond Lost Boy opened the first-aid kit. “I screwed up. Why can't I have another chance?”

Will blew out a breath and lifted Nico's shirt. He tugged a bandage off above the boy's ribs before pulling a new one out. Pursing his lips, he replaced it and looked up at Nico. “Why did you have sex with him?” Nico opened his mouth, but Will continued on. “Why not me?”

Nico frowned. Was that what the blond was upset about, that it had been Percy and not him? “Really? I'm about to deal with all of this, and you're going to get upset about that?”

“I wouldn't have told anyone.” The blond Lost Boy shook his head as he stood to his feet. Nico watched him walk over to the fridge. The blond pulled out a ziplock bag from a drawer before opening the freezer. From it, he pulled ice cubes and dropped them in the bag until it was nearly halfway full. Without a word, he returned to the couch and placed it against Nico's cheek. “What makes Percy so special?”

“This coming from the person who seems to be addicted to having sex with him.” The boy pressed his lips together. “Wasn't it you who told me how great sex with him was?”

“I didn't think you'd go through with it.” The blond's eyebrows knit together. “What cost did it come at? You could have just had it with me, and none of this would have happened.”

Nico's brown eyes darkened. “Is that all you care about? Are you even upset about what I'm getting into, or are you just upset that it wasn't you who got me out of my pants first?”

Will's lips tilted down and Nico felt him press the ice more firmly against his cheek. “Of course I'm upset about what you're getting into.” Nico doubted that. “I just don't understand why you threw it all away.”

Nico shoved Will's hand away, taking the ice for himself. “I don't really want to talk about it. If you want to be helpful, you can start by helping me to prepare for this.” Blue and Brown eyes locked with each other. “I'm terrified, Will, and I need help getting through this.”

The blond nodded his head lightly. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “You just...sometimes we have to do things with people that we don't want to.” The taller Lost Boy released a breath. “You're attractive, and believe me, people do notice. But trust me: it's not always a good thing to look good.” There was something there in the blond's eyes. A hint of real sadness and pain. “You get a lot of attention that you don't always want, or perhaps people hate the attention you get. Both together are never good things to deal with.”

Will let out a breath and turned forward on the couch, clasping his thighs. Nico frowned at him, still pressing the bag of ice to his cheek. “Will?” The blond did not answer. “Is everything all right?”

The other Lost Boy finally nodded. “Just thinking.” He turned to Nico, though something felt different about him all of a sudden. “Just be careful. I know I hurt you, like the others, with my stunt. And I do know what it feels like to go through that.”

“They did something like that to you?”

The blond shook his head. “No, not them.” Nico shot him a concerned look. Will reached up and rubbed at his hair. “Just, um, don't worry about it. You'll, um...get the hang of it, I'm sure.”

Nico reached out and touched Will's arm. The blond did not react to it. “Will, you seem upset. What happened?”

“Nothing,” Will answered, shaking his head. “It's nothing.”

Nico nudged the other Lost Boy's knee with his own. “Why are all of you so evasive? I feel like walking on egg shells sometimes.” The blond's eyes looked at him in sadness. “None of you ever want to talk about your problems.”

Will looked at him from the corner of his eye, avoiding full eye contact now. “Some of us don't like thinking about our old lives, Nico.”

“You're the one who made the sexual innuendo about your old life the other week.”

Will stood up and shrugged. “Humor just makes things easier, just ask the twins or Leo.” Nico's eyes fell away from the blond as the slightly older boy walked into the kitchen, retrieving an iced coffee for himself. “I think you're supposed to be seeing Octavian shortly.”

Nico blew out a breath. “Don't really want to go to that,” he muttered.

Will cracked a smile. “You're welcome to hide in my room.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I'm sure you'd like that.” With a sigh, he stood up. He smiled and handed the melting bag of ice to his blond friend. “Will I be seeing you tonight?”

The blond Lost Boy nodded. “Yeah, I'll be working upstairs.” Nico could feel the blond's blue eyes on him as he made for the door. “Take care of yourself tonight, Nico. Just try not to think about it.”

Nico stopped to turn around. He kept his mouth closed, but nodded. As soon as he was out the door, his heart began pounding into overdrive once again. He was not sure how much more of this he could take. How was he supposed to get through tonight, when he could barely manage his breathing? That was the main question he was going to have to find an answer for over the next few hours.

Nico stood there in the hallway for about thirty seconds, just debating going back to his room and locking the door. If he did not think Percy or one of the others would not take the door off its hinges to get to him, he might have actually gone through with that plan. However, he decided against it and continued down to Luke and Octavian's suite.

As luck, or perhaps bad luck, would have it, Octavian was there. The blond rested his arm on the door as he stared down at the boy. “Well, well, come to learn the big boys' game, eh?”

Nico rolled his eyes and slipped past the other Lost Boy. He frowned as he looked around, Luke's door was wide open. “Where's your brother?”

The slender blond's eyes narrowed as he stood there. “Still out, cooling off, I'd assume.” He raked his pale fingers through his hair. Blond locks fell over his blue eyes. “Now then, you need to know something about what's going on tonight.”

“You mean besides letting some old stranger have their way with me?” Nico grumbled.

Octavian flashed a smirk. “Not my problem. So, while you're getting defiled and crying tonight, please do remember that we have another job to accomplish in those rooms.” Nico quirked an eyebrow at him. Octavian sighed with a roll of his eyes. “You're there to gather information. Do you think Percy really cares if they get their needs sated? He's after any source of information that could benefit him or Gaea's business.”

Nico sat himself on the arm of the couch. “I'll try to remember that while I'm fighting the urge to vomit.”

“Oh,” a wicked grin crossed over Octavian's lips, “I'm sure you'll be doing a lot more than that. Just remember not to throw up on the customer. As much of an annoyance as you are, you don't need to get yourself thrown out of here.” The blond's blue eyes traveled down to inspect his nails. “You're just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. We don't need you failing to do your job, simply because you're curled up in a corner.

“I take it you remember all the lessons we gave you when you first started stripping?” Nico slowly nodded his head. “It's pretty much just like that, except you have to be a little more discreet with your words.” Octavian made a gesture with his hand, as if indicating someone beside him. “You can't just go up to them and say, 'Oh, kind sir, would you mind telling me the account info to your company's finances, or perhaps the location to all your weapons of mass destruction?'”

Nico frowned, glaring up at the blond. It did not have the desire effect on Octavian that Nico had hoped for. The blond simply dusted off his shoulder. “I know that, ass. How about you try being a decent human being, and try to remember what it was like when you first came here.”

“Oh believe me,” Octavian's eyes pierced him like an icy dagger as he spoke, “I didn't get paid like you're going to be when I had to first experience this. Don't come whining to me about your problems, when you don't even know half the shit the rest of us had to go through.” Nico sat back, closing his mouth. “I'd like to see how you handled our situations. I wonder if Percy could still find that innocence in you. But after tonight, it probably won't even matter, now will it?”

Once again, Nico found himself angry. “I won't give you the satisfaction of that happening.”

The blond tilted his head to the side. “Maybe then my brother will lose this fascination he has with you. Do you even know what it's like, feeling like an echo?” The blond was practically shouting now. “He's wrong about you.”

“I don't even know what you're talking about.”

Octavian shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed. “Just forget it,” he breathed out. “We have other things to worry about right now, and you're far from ready.”

“Are you even willing to help me, or should I expect the same treatment I got from Apollo during my first night stripping?”

Octavian narrowed his eyes. “Firstly, don't throw me in with his brain-dead ideas. I just kept my mouth shut about it. If I really wanted to ruin you, I'd use a more tactical approach.”

“But you just told me your method,” the younger Lost Boy mumbled.

“Maybe I'm not out to destroy you.” Octavian eyed Nico over before rolling his eyes. “Yet.” He let out a sigh. “There's not much I can do for helping you survive the night. All I'm here to do is make sure you know your job. I'm sure someone else will take you aside before you do anything and make sure you have tips for staying calm.” Letting out a long breath, Octavian pulled a chair out from the kitchen's island. “Okay, let's begin.”

The ticking of the clock that hung from the cafe's wall was starting to drive Nico mad. He found it hard to look away from it, watching as the minutes went by. Octavian's lesson had been nothing short of nerve wracking. And now here he sat with Zoë and Apollo, waiting until the moment of his doom.

He had barely touched his food, finding himself unable to stomach anything. He felt sick and dizzy. Maybe if he threw up, he would not have to do this tonight. It felt as if a fist had taken hold of his stomach, and was twisting it into a knot. He slumped lower into his chair with a heavy sigh.

Zoë regarded him from the corner of her eye, but chose not to say anything. Apollo took a large sip from his cup of coffee before turning to the small Lost Boy. “You know, you could always get wasted beforehand. Maybe then you won't have to remember it.”

It took Nico a moment to even process what the blond had said. He finally blinked and looked away from the clock. “I don't know. I've already screwed up enough, I don't think that's going to help matters.” He sighed and pushed his food away. “Though, it does sound appealing right about now.”

“Yeah,” Apollo whispered. “Just...don't think about it.” The blond took another sip of coffee. “Just think about something else. Distract yourself. Do whatever it takes to help you in this situation.”

“But I'm supposed to.”

“Percy's not going to care if you don't do the full extent of your job on your first night.” It surprised Nico a little to have Zoë jump into the conversation. The girl speared a piece of fruit with her fork before placing it in her mouth. “It's your first time. Percy knows how you're going to be feeling. Trust me, take Apollo's advice, you'll be better off for it.”

Nico's brown eyes met Apollo's blue ones. “But I can't do that forever.”

The curly haired blond sat his coffee down. “No, but it's a start. Just this one time. By the time you have to do it again, it'll give the rest of us some time to get you situated into the role.” He placed a hand on the other Lost Boy's shoulder. “Just get through tonight. And whatever you do, don't cry. You have to hold it in until the customer leaves the room. You can't shove them away either.”

“No matter what your body screams for you to do,” Zoë added. Apollo nodded in agreement.

“And what about afterwards?” Nico whispered.

Apollo sighed. “Just worry about getting through it first. We can worry about the rest later.” None of this helped Nico calm his breathing, and the blond took notice. “You'll be fine, Nico. If things go horrible, we'll step in.”

Nico still felt terrified, but he nodded his head anyways. Zoë wiped her hands with a napkin before standing up. “Don't forget to come by and see us girls before we have to go to work tonight. You need to get those bruises covered up.”

Apollo tossed her a small wave before she walked off. He nudged the Lost Boy next to him. “You haven't really eaten anything.”

“I can't right now,” Nico confessed. “I'll just throw it up if I do.” His frightened brown eyes found Apollo's form. “How did you get through your first time?”

“The same way you're going to.” Apollo sighed and stood up, picking up Nico's food and placing it on his tray. “Don't worry so much, it's not good for you.” Nico just sat there as Apollo took their trash and threw it in the garbage, depositing the small tray on top of the garbage bin. “Come on, you've got a little more time before you have to see the girls.”

Nico frowned and stood up, following after the tall blond. “Where are we going?”

“To get you something sweet, that maybe you can hold down.”

They ended up walking out to the cabana, where Ganymede was finishing up with a customer. The woman that stood at the counter giggled as the dirty haired blond slid her drink across the counter with a wink. He flashed her a bright smile, which vanished the second she had turned her back.

Ganymede arched a brow as the two Lost Boys stepped up to the counter. “And what can I do for you two today? It's rare that I get to see you at work, Apollo.”

The curly haired blond flashed his pearly white smile. “That's because I don't really do sweets, aside from the healthy ones you do on occasion.”

“I've got something healthy for you, if you just come up to my room.” Ganymede winked.

Apollo chuckled. “Not tonight. I'm actually here for Nico.”

The bartender blinked and swapped his gaze to Nico. “What's up, cutie? I hear you're getting thrown in with the rest of them.” He scrunched his lips up. “A shame, and here I thought you'd make it without getting into all that.” He raised an eyebrow and looked Nico over. “You don't look so good.” He glanced back to Apollo. “Does he need to lie down?”

Apollo sighed and ran his fingers through Nico's hair. “He'll be fine, I hope. He's not really eating, so I thought you could make him something.”

Ganymede clicked his tongue. “It just so happens, cutie, that I have just the thing.” The man flashed Nico a bright smile. “Just a second.” He busily moved around the cabana, all the while Nico's stomach kept feeling worse. The boy was beginning to feel like passing out. “So, how was it?”

Nico blinked. “What?”

Apollo rested his elbow on the counter. “He wants to know about last night.”

“Um,” Nico rubbed the back of his neck, “that's kind of private.” He watched as Ganymede's lip tilted up. “I don't really want to share that. It was nice, let's just leave it at that.”

The ex-Lost Boy scrunched his lips. “That's no fun. How are you supposed to make it as a Lost Boy, if you can't even act like them?”

Nico shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe it's time to change things.” Ganymede's eyes crinkled in amusement. “But it got me into all of this.”

The man sighed. “Not really, that was your own fault.” Nico frowned at him. “You are the one that made the decision, after all.” He started the blender before walking back over to Apollo and Nico. “Baby boy, I just didn't figure you'd do it, feelings for the big guy aside. You just don't seem cut out for this kind of stuff.”

As much as Nico wanted to be offended by that, he knew it was true. He should also probably take it as a compliment. He knew he was not like the others. Deep down, he had come to accept that a long time ago, even if he did want to fit in better. The others were right in their judgment of him on that regard.

Ganymede smirked and poured a smoothie into a glass. Wagging his eyebrows, he slid it over to Nico. “Well how are you feeling about tonight?”

“Like throwing up,” Nico mumbled, stirring his drink lightly.

The dirty haired bond motioned to the drink. “Apollo's right, though, you need something in your stomach.” He leaned on the counter as Nico sighed and took a sip. “You might throw it up afterwards, though. Just make sure you drink plenty of water before you go to sleep tonight.”

Apollo scrunched his lips. “And you'll probably want a long, hot shower. It's to be expected.”

Ganymede nodded in agreement. “If I do recall, Silena and Will had to be dragged out of the showers.”

“Yeah,” Apollo mumbled. Nico quirked an eyebrow over at the curly haired blond. “Old ghosts. Their first time working here did not sit well with them.”

Nico found it odd how similar, yet different, the two blonds were. Ganymede had the more defined features, that was certain. Apollo's eyes were the more vibrant, even if Ganymede were to take his contacts out. And there was the fact that Ganymede had two inches over Apollo in height. But, around the face, Nico thought they looked a little similar. Their smiles were definitely the same.

But there was something else about them, something different. Ganymede felt worn, but not broken. Apollo, on the other hand, felt alive, yet broken. Even if the curly haired blond seemed in pieces, Nico could see the blond's light buried underneath. But this place was suffocating, Nico could see that. It did not matter, though, things would not change around here.

Fear, sexual dominance, and comfort. What an odd combination to keep the employees in line, Nico thought. Why did it have to be this way? Perhaps it was due to some of those classes that Nico had been thrown into, but he did not feel this was necessary.

The boy blinked, nearly choking on his smoothie, as Ganymede waved a hand in front of his face. “You okay there, cutie?”

Nico let out a string of coughs, while Apollo patted his back. “Just,” another cough, “thinking.”

“What's on your mind?” Apollo inquired.

Nico stared into the blond's sapphire eyes for the longest time. It felt so unimportant really. Percy would not change the way the hotel was run, and so none of what he had been thinking about would ever matter. Hell, Nico did not have it all pieced together. He knew certain measures were necessary, but to do what was being done to him felt unfair.

Not in the regard of breaking the agreement, Nico knew he had messed up on that end, but with how soon it was following his mother's death and burial. It felt cold, it felt unloving. It felt cruel. But what was he going to do about it?

“Nothing,” Nico finally answered. He sighed and took another sip of his smoothie. All of this thinking was beginning to hurt the Lost Boy's head. It felt like he was missing a piece to a puzzle. There was just something missing about all of this. He could not even fully place what he was confused about.

The sudden thought on wanting to change things, it had just made him question being placed in his business class. When Apollo gave him an odd look, Nico looked down at the bar and worked on finishing his smoothie. Perhaps he was missing more than one piece.

When the boy was finally finished with his drink, Ganymede slid the empty cup across the bar and deposited it into the sink. Apollo swiveled in his seat to look at Nico. “You should probably go up and start getting ready. The girls will be expecting you soon. And you don't need to make them late for work.” He smiled. “Just enjoy yourself tonight, at least until later. For the most part, you'll just be sitting around with Percy.” He rolled his eyes when he saw Nico's lips tilt up minutely. “I figured that'd get a reaction.”

Nico hopped off the stool he had been sitting on. Ganymede tossed him a wave. “Bye, cutie. Try not to throw up on the customer.”

Nico let out a groan. Apollo chuckled. “Don't listen to him. Now, go get ready.”

The trip up to his room turned out to be relatively quiet and uneventful. Families went on with their lives, a few kids even ran around the lobby. There were a few people at the front desk, waiting to get their keys. But all Nico could think of was: were any of these people going to be his first customer? What if it was one of these people that he was seeing at the moment.

By the time he boarded the elevator, his heart was pounding once again. He ran a hand across his face, feeling a small layer of sweat there. His stomach, once again, was in knots. The sun was almost gone from the sky, and in a few short hours, he would be sitting around to be bought out by a customer. Honestly, he could not figure out which he was more nervous of it being a man or a woman.

He let out a small breath as he pushed the door to his suite open. It was quiet inside, signaling Jason was not there. He tilted is neck to the side, reaching a hand up to rub it. His body stiffened when a pair of hands began massaging his shoulders.

Nico shuddered when Percy's chuckle was heard in his ear. “How are you feeling?”

Nico turned his head and shrugged. “Been better. Haven't really managed to eat anything all day. I feel like throwing up.”

Percy slid past him and Nico shut the door. “You'll be fine. And just remember, I'll be there when it's over.” The young man shrugged his shoulders. “If you're lucky, it won't take long.”

“That's so comforting,” Nico mumbled. He frowned and walked to his room, Percy following after him. He turned his head to look at the young man when Percy shut his door. “The thought of having sex with a woman just makes my stomach lurch. I'm gay, I don't even know if I can get it up for a woman.”

Percy chuckled, which only served to irritate Nico. “You'll be fine. If it is a woman, just close your eyes.” His lips tilted up when he saw the look Nico was giving him. “If it's that big of a deal, we can give you something to help you out. Sorry to say, but you just have to deal with it.”

Nico rubbed at his face and sat on the edge of his bed. “What were you before all of this anyways? Straight, bi, or gay?”

The manager stood there for a moment. He looked deep in thought, tapping a finger to his lip. “You know, I don't really remember. I was still relatively young when Gaea took me in, and sex and dating was the last thing on my mind while living on the streets.” The green-eyed young man shrugged. “I guess I didn't really have an orientation until the job, and even now I don't really think of it as having one.”

Nico stared up at him with a frown. “But if you were to find yourself in a relationship, do you have a preference?”

Percy stepped up to him and Nico placed his hands on the back of the young man's legs. Percy hummed and slid his fingers through the brown-eyed boy's black locks. “Curious, aren't we? Well, I'm sure I know what answer you want to hear, but I'm sad to say that it isn't the case.”

“Oh.” Nico frowned.

Percy smiled and tilted his chin up. “I'd want to be with someone who made me happy, regardless of gender. I don't really care if it's with a man or a woman, as long as they are right for me.” He let out a sigh and stood to his full height. “But, as I've said, dating is not the best thing for me right now.”

“So, you're just going to be alone? Forever?”

The young man sighed and climbed onto the bed. Nico bit down on his lip and leaned back, until he was flat on his back. “I'm not alone, I have all of you. And Chiron, Circe, Ganymede, Gaea, and Kronos. I have my family.”

Nico's fingers lightly traced Percy's stomach through his shirt. “You don't want someone who will love you, and you love back?”

The young man leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of Nico's head. “I love Gaea and Kronos, as I do all of you.”

Nico's brown eyes flickered down to Percy's lips. “But it's not romantic love.”

Nico closed his eyes as Percy leaned in. His head tilted to the side, feeling the young man's breath on his neck. His stomach tightened when he felt Percy's fingers run under his shirt. When Percy rested himself against Nico's crotch, the Lost Boy lifted his hips and bent his legs on either side of Percy's waist. Percy smiled down at him when Nico let out a quiet moan.

The boy finally opened his eyes when he felt Percy's arms cross over his chest. He blinked, finding Percy resting his chin on his arms and staring down at him. “You're a curious little thing, aren't you, Nico? Why are you concerned about me?”

“Because I care about you.”

The manager did not respond. He held Nico's gaze in utter silence. It unnerved the boy slightly, the way Percy watched him. It was something about his eyes. There was just something there, something Nico could not quite place.

Nico cleared his throat and slid out from under Percy. He pulled his legs up to his chest, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. “I'm going to need to get ready.”

Percy smiled. “You can change in front of me.” He sat back on his knees and grinned. “Besides, I needed to talk to you.”

Nico frowned. Percy crawled around behind him and draped his arms around Nico. “What is it?”

In the mirror, Nico saw the sinister grin that plastered Percy's face. It made his heart race. This was not going to be good, whatever it was about.

Percy leaned in, until his every breath could be clearly heard by Nico. “It's about your father.” Nico leaned his head away, slightly shifting his body away from Percy. He did not like where this was going. “He did say this was not over. But, Nico, I don't want him causing any more problems for us.” The way Percy's body moved reminded Nico of a snake, slithering along the ground. “I don't think you want him to take you. I know you don't want to go back to living with him, not when you know what he might do to you.”

Nico chewed on his lip. He eventually turned his head to stare at Percy from the corner of his eye. “What are you suggesting?”

Percy's eyes were a dark green. His lips were slightly parted as his eyes traced every inch of Nico's face. “Just what I offer to all of my Lost Kids. I can make sure your father never bothers you again, if that's what you want.” He took Nico's hand, pressing his larger palm to Nico's and intertwining their fingers. “Is that what you want, Nico?” By this time his face was mere inches from Nico's own.

Nico's heart pounded in his chest. From what, he did not know. It could have been the fact that Percy was so close to him, touching him, or it could have been from what was coming out of the young man's mouth. “You're suggesting murder. You want to kill my father?”

“I promised to keep you safe, and he is threatening to jeopardize that.” Percy's ran a hand along Nico's cheek. “Is it what you want?”

“No.” They both blinked at his quick response. Honestly, he had not even had to think on it. He knew the answer, even after all his father had done. “I just lost my mother, Percy. He might be an asshole, but he's still my father. And he's taking care of Bianca.” The Lost Boy shook his head. “I don't want to be like that, to have my father murdered. I've already messed up, and I've disappointed you a lot, I know that now, but I know this is not the path I want to take.”

Percy was still for a moment, but a smirk finally touched at his lips. “Good. At least you're learning.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Wait, what?”

Percy pulled away from him with a smile. “You might have been slipping up lately, but I know you, Nico. And as much as I'd love to hang your father from my balcony, I knew what your answer would be.” He shrugged. “Unless you really have lost your innocence. But that's what I'm hoping you hold on to, even after everything you're about to go through.”

When Percy turned to leave, Nico reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt. “Percy.” The young man quirked a brow. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“What is it?”

“I'm...sorry.” Nico chewed on his lip. Percy tilted his head to the side. “I've screwed up and I've disappointed you. I made mistakes, and I'll probably make more. You've done a lot for me, and I haven't really shown any appreciation.” He let out a sigh and lowered his head. “I threw away what you gave me, and I'm sorry. And I think...I think I understand what went on during Thanksgiving.”

Percy had his arms crossed now. “Oh?”

“You were constantly disappointed in my mistakes. I asked to be a stripper, I was trying to have sex with you, I drank wine, and then we had sex. You were trying to keep me from living a life like the rest of the Lost Kids, and I showed you no appreciation for it.” The boy finally looked up, barely meeting Percy's gaze. “I'm sure you were tired of trying, of my mistakes.” He bit down on his lip. “I just don't want you to give up on me.”

Percy pursed his lips, his arms dropping to his sides. His head lightly nodded, his eyes not meeting Nico's own. “Show me that you can keep your innocence intact. Show me your strength, and you'll have my trust.”

Nico nodded his head. He got off the bed and wrapped his arms around Percy, who widened his eyes. The young man eventually wrapped his arms around Nico. “I'm sorry,” Nico mumbled into the warm chest in front of him.

“You're fine, Nico.”

Nico looked up at him with wide eyes. “But you're disappointed with me.”

Percy chuckled and patted Nico's head. “Nico, you act like this is the first time I've ever been disappointed in one of my Lost Kids.” The young man arched his brow. “Does your first night on stage ring any bells?” He grabbed onto Nico's shoulders and held the boy at a distance. “Don't worry so much, it's not good for you.”

Nico nodded and Percy smiled again. With a quick pat to Nico's cheek, the manager took his leave, leaving Nico alone in his room. The boy sat down on his bed with a sigh. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of the door shutting, signaling Percy's full departure.

He chewed on his lip for a few seconds before hopping up and grabbing a change of clothes from his closet. Making sure he had everything, Nico exited his room. Once in the hallway, the Lost Boy walked out of the boys' hall and headed across to the wing the girls inhabited.

The youngest of the Lost Kids knocked on Calypso and Zoë's door. It took a few seconds, but the door was finally opened. And before Nico could even react, he was pulled inside. Thalia cracked her knuckles in front of him. “Time to get to work.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I don't trust you with this.” Though, when Drew came in with a backpack full of nothing but makeup, Nico reconsidered where his trust should be placed. “Um, actually never mind.”

Silena smiled and ruffled his hair, coercing him to sit in the chair by the couch. “Don't worry so much, Nico, Drew is an expert with makeup.”

“And besides,” Piper added, “we'll be supervising the entire time.”

Drew sneered at the other Lost Girl. “Please, I don't need any of you to help me. I can make him look brand new.”

Nico frowned as she pulled out a brush. “Do I really have to wear makeup?”

Zoë rolled her eyes from the couch. “Do you really think you're the only one of the boys that has had to do this before?”

Annabeth let out a sigh from beside her, flipping through a book. “Several of them have had to do this.” Closing the book, she placed it in her lap. “Luke was aggressive, Will got in a fight or two at school, Beckendorf and Luke actually got into a fight once.”

Nico noticed Thalia shoot Silena a look. Calypso lightly nodded her head. “And we've had to use the stuff for our own needs. The customers aren't always gentle.” All of the girls nodded in agreement. “If you want to see Percy angry, wait until a customer is stupid enough to actually try and cause harm to one of us in the rooms.”

Thalia made a face as she picked up a tube from Drew's bag and inspected it. “But it's not just us. I remember Connor's first time with a male customer.” Annabeth let out a sigh and pursed her lips. “Travis nearly went ballistic.”

“Took a chunk of hair from the guy,” Reyna mumbled.

Drew dusted her brush and tilted Nico's face up. “You should go ahead and remove your shirt. You probably won't be needing it tonight anyways.”

Nico's eyes were wide and questioning as they turned to Annabeth. The blonde let out a sigh. “You're being advertised tonight, Nico. Even if you're not going to be on stage, or working the floor, you have to be presentable.”

“Basically,” Thalia added, “you're not wearing your shirt.”

Nico let out a sigh and slumped his shoulders. He lifted his shirt over his head and sat it to the side. Drew pushed him back and began applying some concealer to his chest bruises. “At least the ice has been helping,” Drew mumbled.

A bowl of fruit was held out for him. He looked up to find Juniper smiling at him. “You should eat something. Zoë and Apollo told us how little you've eaten today.” Nico shook his head. “Just try a few pieces.” The boy sighed and accepted the small bowl. “On the bright side, though, you'll be in dark areas the entire time, so you won't have to have a ton of makeup.”

“If your bruises are still hurting you, you can keep them from touching you there,” Piper suggested, “as long as you do it right. You can't just smack their hands away, or snap at them.”

“Unless they're into that.” Thalia grinned over at him. He just frowned and let Drew do her job.

Drew tilted his chin up, her lips a thin line. The girl seemed in deep concentration. Her eyes did not even meet Nico's once. He found himself grateful for the brief moment of silence. Though, he also worried that Drew might feel how fast his heart was beating. His time was nearly up, and he would soon be sold off like some pig to a farmer.

“Here, take this.” Reyna held out a small pill for him.

Nico reached out with a shaky hand, nearly knocking it from Reyna's grasp, and grabbed it. “What is it?” He winced when Drew applied some pressure to the bruise on his cheek.

Reyna sat down on the arm of the couch. “A nerve pill. Nico, you look like you're about to have a nervous breakdown.”

Nico's eyes began to brim with tears. “I don't want to do this.” Drew grunted when he leaned forward and held his face in his hands. “I screwed up. I can't do this.”

Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder. “It's too late now, Nico. We all have consequences that we have to live with. There are things that we do, not because we want to, but because we have to. And, while they may seem bad, sometimes they are for the best.”

“This can't be for the best,” Nico hissed. He rapidly shook his head.

Drew put a death grip on his chin, glaring down at him. “If you start crying, you'll ruin the makeup, and then I'll have to end you.” She shoved a manicured nail into his face. “Man up and stop acting like a child. Save your tears for when it's over, because trust me, you'll need them.”

Nico pressed his lips together, nodding his head in the Lost Girl's grasp. Annabeth stood to her feet and looked him over. “All done?” Drew gave a nod, pulling back. “Come on, Nico, I'll walk you upstairs.”

Nico quietly got to his feet. Hazel and Juniper surrounded him for a big hug. But Nico did not respond to it. He simply stood there and let it happen. He felt a little numb, his heart sinking in his chest. A few of the others smiled at him, placing their hands on his shoulder.

Calypso opened the door for him and Annabeth. She smiled and hugged the Lost Boy herself. “You'll be okay, Nico. It'll be over before you know it.” She pulled back with a sad smile. “Good luck.”

Nico forced a smile, which he knew would never pass for being real, and nodded his head. He followed Annabeth out the door and gave a small wave to the girls before walking towards the elevator. He felt like he was walking to his doom. Out of all the bad decisions he had ever made in his life, he was sure this would prove to be the worst.

And it only was made worse by the silence. Annabeth did not speak, and since he was behind her, she was not looking at him. He looked down at his fist, which was still clamped around the pill that Reyna had given him. He would take it later.

When the elevator doors opened, he actually found himself hoping the silence would continue. Octavian stood there, arms crossed and scowl in place. His eyes found Nico first, before shifting over to Annabeth. “Leading the lamb to the slaughter?”

Annabeth sighed and shoved past Octavian. The blond sneered at her, taking a step back. Annabeth motioned for Nico to get on, which he did, albeit reluctantly. “Just shut up, Octavian. He doesn't want to hear your cruel jokes.”

“Oh, that's so sweet of you, Annie.” He narrowed his blue eyes. “Watching out for the poor unfortunate soul, are we?”

“Someone has to.”

The blond chuckled dryly. “Yes, I suppose someone does.”

Nico's eyes shifted between the two. The two had their gazes locked in a stare off. Octavian's lip tilted up in a small smirk. Annabeth's jaw tightened in response. The two really did not like each other.

Annabeth ran her fingers through her hair. “Why don't you try acting like a civilized human being for once?”

“Oh, you know how much I love my role around here.” He chuckled again. “It isn't always about what he wants, you know.”

Annabeth narrowed. “And what would you know about that?”

The blond Lost Boy just smirked. The elevator opened and he stepped out. Annabeth rolled her eyes and turned to Nico, motioning for the young Lost Boy to follow her. Octavian was already up the stairs and out of sight by the time they were making their way up them. Nico's vision began to sway, and he ended up having to reach out for the railing. Annabeth stopped and put an arm around him.

“Come on, Nico. You can just sit down the entire night.” She gave a small smile and motioned to his hand. “Just make sure you take that before the end of the night.”

Nico took in a deep breath and nodded his head. He hated this. He felt so weak and pathetic right now. But who in their right mind would be anything other than terrified, put in his situation? Surely, the others felt like this for their first time doing this, right?

Percy stood beside his booth. Nico looked up to receive a small smile from the young man. “I'll take him from here, Annabeth.” The blonde smiled and nodded. As she began to walk away, Percy's hand grasped hers and gave her knuckles a small kiss. “Thanks for looking after him.”

“Not a problem.” Annabeth smiled again before leaving. Nico watched her leave. Even if she was going to just be over on the other side, Nico wanted to go with her. Perhaps even make a run to the elevator.

Nico sat down at the booth, hands clamped down on the table. The pill Reyna had given him sat in front of him. Percy eyed it, but chose not to say anything about it. He simply sat down next to Nico. He cleared his throat and placed his arm along the back of the booth. It would have been nice, given better circumstances. Nico could have just leaned back and enjoyed the young man's warmth.

But all he could find himself focusing on was the dread of what was to come.

By the time Leo showed up an hour later, Nico was still frozen where he sat. The Lost Boy had turned down anything to eat or drink when Travis came by to take their orders. The brunet had just given him a sympathetic look before taking his leave.

Percy sighed as the Latino boy sat down across from him. His fingers found their way into the back of Nico's hair. “Everything taken care of?”

Leo's eyes darted over to Nico, a sad look emanating from inside them. “Yeah,” he mumbled.

It only served to make Nico's heart sink further. It did not take a genius to figure out what they were discussing. “A-and?”

Percy's hand gripped Nico's shoulder and bid him to lean back. The young man's arm continued to rest around him. “Calm down. Leo was just making it clear to parties that might be interested that they can have some time with you.” Nico let out a small whine, his shoulders trying to brush off Percy's arm. It did not sit well on him to hear that. Percy sighed and leaned in to whisper to him. “Just relax. I know how it sounds-and I'm sorry-but this is business. I promise that you'll get through this.”

Nico lightly nodded his head. He was not really paying attention to the stage, or even who was on it. He was, however, grateful that he was not being made to get up there and strip as well. This was already enough, and he was still unsure if he could endure this.

But Percy had faith in him, as did the others, so he needed to at least try. He stiffened when Percy placed a hand on his leg. He looked down, realizing that it was tapping on its own. The Lost Boy stopped it and let out a small breath.

Percy was handed some paperwork by Leo and the manager's hand was removed from the boy's leg. Nico's eyes roamed to the young man that sat next to him, watching as the Adonis massaged his temple as he read of the contents of the document.

When Travis went walking by, Percy flagged him down. The brunet made a quick turn and came over with a smile. Percy propped his chin and sighed. “Can I get a bottle of Everclear?”

It took Travis a second, but he blinked and nodded. “Yes, sir. I'll get right on that.” Percy gave a nod and the brunet hurried off to the bar room.

Nico's eyes were dull as they watched the green-eyed young man next to him. “I thought you only drank that when you were really upset?”

Percy smirked and turned to face Nico. “You do have a good memory, or so it would seem. You're going to make me feel special, keeping track of my habits like that.”

Nico exhaled through his nose and rested his chin on his crossed arms. His eyes stared emptily at Will, who was currently working the stage. “That's because I do care about you.”

“And that's going to hold true after tonight?” Percy's brow furrowed. “I figured you'd hate me or something, since I'm making you do this.”

“You're just being an honorable man of your word. I am upset,” the boy mumbled, “but it's my own fault.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “I just want to get it over with. Thinking about it is starting to drive me insane, and I don't know how much more I can take.”

Something that only drove Nico more insane was the fact that there was no clock in the room. And by the time Nico checked the time on Percy's phone for the fifth time, it was taken away from him by the manager, who had just finished his sixth shot of Everclear.

Time ticked on and the hours passed by. Leo was called away from the table from time to time to deal with customers and their requests. Nico's stomach only managed to clench further. He had Travis bring him a glass of water, and he was now staring down at the pill that Reyna had given him.

With a heavy sigh, he downed it, following it up with a large swig of water. Why had he let this happen? Why had he not thought his actions through better? But it was too late for questions. None of that mattered anymore.

Leo returned to them a little after midnight. The Lost Boy looked over at Percy, giving the manager a small nod. Percy glanced back down at his documents with a nod of acknowledgment. Nico just sighed and hung his head. His fate was sealed, he knew it. Percy reached over and patted his hand, but did not spare the boy a glance.

Luke walked by their table, on the way to deliver an order. It stung a little when he did not even spare a glance in their direction. Nico hung his head and pursed his lips. He wanted to cry. No one would really notice, not with the music as loud as it was.

Apollo had taken the stage at some point, and was busy showing off his body for the crowd. The curly haired blond slid along the edge of the stage, ending up on his back. He slid along the ground until he grabbed the pole and pulled himself up.

To Nico everything was beginning to become mushed together. People passed by the table like blurs, the music now a dull roar in his ears. He did not even acknowledge it when Percy rubbed his back. His time had run out and there was nowhere that he could hide. He bit down on his lip and clenched his eyes shut, curling in on himself.

He became vaguely aware that Percy was saying something, but he had begun to cry and no longer was able to make anything out. He felt someone grab him and lift him up. He came face to face with Travis, who flashed him a smile. Leo and the brunet got on either of Nico and helped him walk to the back. Nico looked up to see that Apollo had stopped moving on stage.

The blond's eyes darted from Nico over to Percy. The green-eyed Adonis gave the blond an annoyed look and pointed in Apollo's direction. The blond Lost Boy pursed his lips and went back to gyrating his hips on the pole.

Travis and Leo led him into the back, where the other boys were. They glanced up and stood to their feet. “What's going on?” Will asked as the two dragged Nico towards the back. “Is it already time?” Nico's heart sank a little.

Leo sighed and shook his head, holding up a hand. “He's just having a hard time. We're just going to take him to the back, where he can lie down. You can come see him before anything happens.”

Will did not seem happy about it, but he nodded and stepped aside. Travis opened the door and allowed Leo to step in with Nico. Another door was opened, and Nico was placed on the bed. He could not help but cringe upon contact, knowing full well what he would soon be doing on it.

Travis patted his leg, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Going to be okay there, Neeks?”

“I'm sorry,” Nico mumbled into the mattress.

The brunet tilted his head to the side, sparing Leo a glance. “Why? What did you do?”

“I just feel...feel so weak.” Nico was painfully aware of the tears that were streaking down his cheeks, but he no longer cared. “I'm sure all of you think I'm,” his chest racked in a fit of sobs, “pathetic.”

Travis's brow furrowed as he leaned in, the playful and mischievous boy gone. “You don't need to think like that. Nico, you might be surprised, but I think I can speak for the rest when I say that I think we all acted like you are when we had to do this for the first time.” The brunet squeezed his hand. “I would not even speak with my brother the entire day before it happened. I was in my room the whole time, locked away and barely eating.”

Leo nodded. “This isn't unusual. You can ask the others, they will tell you the same thing.”

Travis pulled the boy on the bed in for a hug. “You're going to be okay, and you're not weak.”

Leo frowned and pulled out his phone, which was lit up. He sighed as he looked at it. “We've got to go.” He gave Nico a weak smile. “Travis is right, you'll be okay. But it's time now. Percy and a few of the others will be in shortly, though.”

Nico wiped the tears from his face and sat up with a nod. Travis gave his shoulder a pat before standing to his feet and walking from the room. Leo stood in the doorway a moment, giving the boy a nod before exiting as well. Nico was left alone, his head dropping to stare at his lap.

He leaned his head back, against the wall, and closed his eyes. Why did this happen now? Maybe if he had been given more time, he could have prepared himself better. The boy shook his head. No, he thought, that would not have helped. He would have just stressed it more.

He opened his eyes when the door opened again. Percy, Apollo, Juniper, and Silena entered the room. Apollo and Juniper sat on either side of him, taking a hand each. Percy paced in front of Nico, clasping his chin. Silena kneeled in front of him and squeezed his knee.

Nico took in several breaths, finding a fresh pain in his chest. It was hard to breath, like there was not enough air in the room. His chest ached deeply and a fresh set of tears burned his eyes. Juniper pulled him to her.

“It'll be okay, Nico,” she whispered into his hair. “It'll be over before you know it.”

Silena nodded, tearing up as well. “Just think about something else, something happier.”

Apollo locked his jaw and turned to Percy. “Are you really going to make him do this? He's upset, he can't handle this.”

Percy stopped his pacing to stare back at Apollo. “I do believe it was you that suggested this in the first place.”

Apollo pressed his lips together. “I'm changing my mind.” He motioned to the boy next to him. “Are you not upset about this? Don't make him do this. Please.” The blond shook his head. “Things have changed and I've changed my mind. He doesn't deserve this.”

Percy's eyes shifted over to where Nico lay, curled up into Juniper. The manager showed no response. He ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth. “My mind has already been made up. He knew the consequences.” He shrugged. “You were in his place once, and you got through it.”

“Maybe I don't want him turning out like me anymore.”

Nico gave Apollo an odd look through his tears. Juniper stroked his hair softly. That had been slightly unexpected, to say the least. Percy's brow furrowed as he studied Apollo. Silena squeezed his leg again with a weak smile. “Focus on something else, Nico. It's what I used to do.”

She was the first to leave. Apollo was next, giving Nico's hand a small squeeze. He let the young Lost Boy's hand drop into is lap as he got to his feet. Juniper continued to stroke his hair. She watched Percy with a frown. “Can I talk to you in the hall?”

Percy gave her a dark look. The girl held her ground, though. Percy inhaled deeply before wiping a hand across his mouth and nodding. He nodded his head towards the door and Juniper got up, but not before hugging Nico again. Nico sat up straight, staring at the young man in front of him. Percy crouched down in front of him.

“You going to be okay?”

Nico nodded his head. “Will you be here when it's over?”

“Yeah,” Percy whispered. “I'll be in the surveillance room the entire time. If he takes it too far, I'll pull you out.”

Nico's heart sank. It was going to be a man then? He supposed he should be thankful that he was not expected to have sex with a woman for his first time doing this. He pursed his lips and closed his eyes, nodding his head. His heart was now pounding in his chest.

Percy stood to his feet. Nico held on to his hand until the last of Percy's fingertips fell from his grasp. When Percy opened the door, Nico reached out for him. “Please don't go. Please.”

Percy shut the door, pressing his back against it. He sighed and walked back over to Nico, sitting beside him. Nico buried his face into Percy's chest. The young man wrapped an arm around him. “I have to, Nico. I know you're stronger than you give yourself credit for.” He tilted the boy's chin up to look at him. “Show me I'm right.”

Nico's heart dropped again as Percy rose to his feet. The young man tossed Nico a final glance before walking out the door and closing it behind him. Nico was alone, and the next person that walked through that door would be his client. It was all Nico could hope for that the door would not open, that no one came in. He only hoped that Percy would come back in and tell him it was not really happening, that he was not going to be subjected to this.

His was out of luck, though, when a middle-aged man opened the door and smiled at him. He plastered on his own smile, his fingers gripping the sheets beneath him. The man's hair was beginning to thin out in the front, while a small set of glasses rested on his face. He was dressed up nice, wearing a coat and bow-tie.

His hand was cold to the touch as it made contact with Nico's shoulder. “You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?”

“Thank you,” Nico whispered.

Nico lay back on the bed. He gripped the sheets again to keep his hands from shaking. The man removed his glasses and folded them before sitting them on a nearby table. Nico's eyes fell upon the ceiling as the man began undoing his tie.

“You're a lot quieter than the others.”

Nico continued to stare at the ceiling. “Sorry.”

“No, no, don't apologize. The others are always so talkative, so interested in my life. It's a little nice to not have all that.”

The bed shifted and Nico briefly closed his eyes. Every inch of his body screamed when the man ran his hand down his chest. He finally rolled his head to the side to look at the man. The man sat on the edge of the bed, clad solely in his underwear.

Nico's stomach lurched when fingers found their way to his waistline. “And you're almost undressed. Why don't we just get you out of these?”

Nico managed a smile and lifted his hips. He shut his eyes and pressed his lips tightly together, fighting every urge to cover himself. His shorts and underwear were tossed aside, and he now lay, naked, before the man.

Nico propped himself up on his elbow. “Why don't we just get started?”

The man grinned at him and stood up. “All business, eh? I like that.”

Nico just grunted and lay on his back again as the man finished undressing. He cringed a little when the man hovered over him, skin brushing against him in several places. The portion of the ceiling he was focused on no longer was appealing to him, now that the man's face inhabited it.

The Lost Boy's body was screaming at him to shove the man away and run from the room, but he could not do that. His legs were squirming beneath the man. The older man's hand reached out and touched Nico's cheek, the boy shut his eyes in response. “You are just a jewel.”

The bed shifted again, and was soon followed by a familiar sound. It was one that he had heard the night before, when Percy had torn open the condom wrapper. A faint click filled Nico's ears. The man grabbed his legs and lifted them. Nico pressed his arms over his mouth, partially to muffle any cries, and partially to hide behind.

Nico rolled his head to the side and stared at the wall. He thought back to his day on the beach with Percy. He had been happy then, not so many problems. He thought of Percy's bright smile and the way the departing sun reflected in his sea-green eyes. He thought back to the first time he laid eyes on Percy, back when the young man had found him on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. All of that seemed so far away now, like a far off dream.

A sharp pain in his lower region brought him back to reality. He bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood, and it was no surprise to him when the taste of copper filled his mouth. The insertion did not take as long as it had with Percy, and Nico praised whoever might hear him for the man's lack of size.

The man panted and breathed in his ear, thrusting into the boy on the bed. But Nico, though his body was moved with each thrust, kept his eyes on the wall. A tear fell from his eye, staining the pillow he lay on.

It hurt, but not in the way it had last night. This hurt emotionally. Nico's heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest. He wanted to roll over and expel the contents of his stomach onto the floor. He felt sick. He felt anger, towards the man. Nico wanted the man off of him, he wanted this to stop.

The man moaned above him. It was not enjoyable, nowhere near the experience he had the night before with Percy. This felt wrong, it felt disgusting. He felt disgusting. He felt unclean. The man's touch felt like a searing fire, scalding his flesh.

His lip trembled, holding in a sob, when the man delivered a hard thrust into him. Nico squirmed on the bed, clawing at the sheets. He wanted to sink his nails into the man's eyes to get him to stop, simply to make it stop. A bead of sweat dropped onto his chest, which made him cringe.

Every second that passed felt like agonizing torture. He tried to focus on other things, his eyes dull as they stared at the wall. He tried, he really did. But everything that was happening made it difficult for Nico to concentrate. His mind was screaming, and little else could work its way through.

Only one thing kept him composed: Percy's face. Not the serious, business one that the young man was known to put on. It was the one that Nico preferred, the one where Percy's genuine smile could light up an entire room, where his eyes were their normal sea-green color. He thought back to the feel of Percy's lips pressed against his, and the feel of Percy's hand massaging his back as they fell asleep last night.

Nico felt the man convulse above him and he pursed his lips tighter. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand, another tear falling from his eyes. The man panted several times before leaning back and removing himself from Nico. The boy on the bed shook lightly as the man dressed himself again.

The man pushed his glasses up and headed for the door, but not before smiling at Nico. “Perhaps I'll see you again.”

Nico could not even muster a smile in return. He just pressed his lips together and nodded. The door shut, but soon something made contact with it, causing a loud thud. Someone said something from outside. Nico finally released a sob and curled up in a ball.

Tears began steaming down his face. It was so hard to breath. His chest heaved in harsh, raspy breaths. He kicked at the sheets, scrambling off the bed. He crawled over to a corner and pulled his legs to his chest. The boy began scratching at his arm harshly.

The door opened again and footsteps fell upon the floor in quick succession. A hand reached out and grabbed his hand, preventing him from clawing at his arm. Nico looked up with wide eyes. Percy was crouched in front of him.

“It's over, Nico,” he whispered. Nico buried his head into his hands and released more tears. Percy reached out for him, but Nico jerked away. The young man sighed and held out his hand. “Nico, it's just me. Come on, I'll help you get dressed so you can go back to your room.”

“I don't want you to leave me.”

Percy stared back at him, his eyes a dark emerald in the low light. His black bangs hung into his eyes. “I'm right here. But we need to get you back to your room, okay?”

Nico nodded. His chest continued to heave as Percy reached over to grab his boxers. The young man slipped Nico's feet through the holes. The boy lifted his body to help. As soon as they were on, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Percy, burying his face into his chest. The young man rubbed small circles into his back and let Nico cry.

Percy finally pulled Nico away and pulled out a blue shirt with the Sea World logo on it. “Here, I brought this for you.”

Nico blinked and wiped at his eyes. “This isn't one of my shirts.”

“I know,” Percy smiled, “I brought it from my room.”

Nico just sat there and let Percy slip it on his body, lifting his arms when he needed to. Percy stood up and held his hand out. Nico sat there a moment before reaching out and taking it. Percy yanked him to his feet with a smile. Nico's stomach lurched again and he ran for the bed. Sitting down, he grabbed the trashcan and leaned forward, expelling the few contents in his stomach into the wastebasket.

Percy opened the door while Nico was still heaving. Thalia, Juniper, and Apollo stepped inside. Percy rubbed at his face. “Would the three of you help him up to his room?” Nico looked up with wide eyes. Percy sighed. “I'll be up shortly, I promise. I have to have a talk with Luke, so I'll be right back.”

Nico frowned as Percy walked out and shut the door. He rubbed at his mouth and sat the trash can down. “What did Luke do?”

Thalia chuckled, cracking her knuckles. “Probably dislocated your client's shoulder.”

Apollo shook his head. “He came into the security room after finishing with a client and saw that the guy was finishing up. And before we knew it, he was gone. Next thing we know, Luke bumps shoulders with the man rather harshly.”

Thalia cackled. “Wasn't too happy about it either. But Percy talked him down, and Luke claimed it was an accident.”

Nico's stomach lurched again. He leaned forward, but nothing came up. Juniper rubbed his back gently. Apollo handed him his shorts, but allowed the boy to put them on himself. He felt empty and broken. He felt unclean as well. He needed a shower as soon as possible.

Nico stood to his feet and pulled his shorts on. “I'm ready,” he whispered.

Juniper took his hand and walked with him out the door, while Apollo and Thalia followed behind him. No one was around when they left, not even sitting at the tables. The Lost Kids were already gone, or still doing business.

Once back inside Nico's suite, Juniper sat him down on the couch. “Sit right here, I'll make you some warm tea.”

Nico could not even get himself to nod. His body was shutting down on him, and his limbs felt like lead. He was sore and disgusted with himself. His face ached from all of the crying, but no more seemed to come.

Apollo sat down beside him. “You okay?”

“No.”

When Apollo reached out, Nico drew back. “Sorry. I didn't really wanna be touched after my first time either.” He handed Nico the blanket that sat on the back of the couch. “I think you did a good job, and don't let anyone tell you different. Most of us reacted the same way you are after our first time.”

Thalia sat on the other side of the blond, on the arm of the couch. “Well, except for maybe Butch or Beckendorf.”

Apollo shot her a look. “Beckendorf punched a hole in the wall, and Butch...well, Butch just has his own problems that he's still sorting through.”

Thalia leaned forward, towards Nico. “You really did do a good job, at least for your first time. And Apollo's right, we all cried, even me. And even those like Hazel and Silena, who had to go through all this before coming here.”

“Thalia,” Juniper hissed from the kitchen. “Private is private.”

Thalia held her hands up. “Sorry, sorry.”

Nico's brow furrowed. He sniffled as he looked at Thalia. “What happened to Silena? I already knew about Hazel.”

Juniper walked back over and handed him his tea. “Here drink this. Don't worry about any of that right now. You need to drink this and then get a shower.”

“And sleep,” Apollo added.

Juniper nodded. “You'll feel better in the morning.”

Nico sipped at his tea, watching the others over the top of it. “Thank you,” he mumbled, thumbing he mug.

Apollo gave him a lopsided grin. “We're family, we got to stick together in the hard times.”

A nice, warm feel washed over him as the warm liquid slipped down his throat. He breathed out a long breath and took another sip. His body felt numb, for the moment. His eyes still held their dull, lifeless quality that they had for the past few hours. He felt empty.

After finishing his tea, the boy stood up and wrapped his arms around himself. “I-I'm going to take a shower.”

The three stood to their feet with nods. “Get some sleep, Nico,” Juniper said, touching the boy's arm. “Make sure to come find us in the morning. You're going to be upset still, but you don't need to be alone.”

Nico nodded. The three left him standing there, where he remained for a full minute before walking to the bathroom. He slipped out of his clothes, wrapping his arms back around himself afterwards, and stepped into the scalding shower that he had set up.

More tears finally came, mixing in with the water that was turning his skin pink. He sat down on the shower floor and let the water hit him in the face. With a washcloth in hand, the Lost Boy began scrubbing every inch of his skin profusely. But no matter how much he tried, the feeling of being unclean would not leave him. It was like it was seared into his very flesh, never to leave.

When he finally emerged, half an hour later, he found Percy sitting on his bed. The young man looked up with a small smile. “Feel any better?”

“No,” Nico whispered, shaking his head. “I can't-” Nico rubbed at his arm. “I can't get this feeling off of me. Will you stay here tonight?”

Percy sighed and pulled Nico to the bed, getting the boy to sit down. He smiled and fingered the shirt Nico wore. “You're still wearing my shirt.” He sighed and looked up. “I'll stay until you fall asleep.”

It was better than nothing. Nico nodded his head and laid down, curling up in a ball. Percy pulled back the covers and placed them on top of the boy. He slid up the bed, behind the boy, and draped an arm above his head. Nico felt him shift, so that he was lying down. And then Percy's fingertips were brushing against his arm.

It was surprisingly nice. And more surprising that he did not pull away. Nico let out a sigh and relaxed his tense shoulders. This was only the beginning, a voice inside his head reminded him. It was only going to get worse from here. But at least he had Percy there, at least for the moment.

 A tear slid down Nico's cheek. The boy sighed and let his eyes close. It was not until that moment that he realized how tired he was. It was not long before sleep claimed him, Percy's soothing fingers still running through his hair.