Children of Loss 31

Chapter 31

Quiet breathing filled his ears as Nico stared at the wall in front of him. He rested on his stomach, his arms resting under his head. He could not really say how long he had been awake, or even what had woken him up, but he knew it was still early in the morning. He also felt like shit. His head hurt, his stomach was in knots, and his body ached.

He was still tired, but as much as he tried, Nico was unable to go back to sleep. There was a dull pounding in his head as he lay there. He was alone in his room, and he was not even sure if anyone was in the apartment. If it was too early, Jason could have still been asleep.

With a groan, Nico sat up in bed. His stomach instantly lurched. Shooting out of bed and ignoring the pain coursing through his body, Nico made a run for the bathroom.

He hunched over the toilet just in time to expel the contents of his stomach into the bowl. He heaved a few times, but nothing else came up. He pressed his hands against his eyes as he fell back, landing against the large tub that rarely got used.

The sound of footsteps was heard from the hall. Nico pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his head. He let out a groan when he heard the sink get turned on next to him. In the next second, he had his head lifted up and a rag pressed to his head.

Percy's green eyes stared back at him, pressing the damp cloth to the boy's head. “You should get back to bed.”

Nico frowned at the young man, his face paler than normal. “You're still here?” With a quick glance over the young man, Nico found that Percy was in his pajamas and looked like he had barely slept at all. “What are you doing?”

“Well, I was catching up on some work.”

“You stayed the night?” Nico blinked. “I thought you went back to your room?”

Percy removed the cloth and felt Nico's cheek. “Well, I did go back when you fell asleep, but I just went to get my laptop and a few things.” Percy stood up and offered Nico his hand. “Come on.”

Slowly, Nico reached out with a shaky hand. Percy yanked him up and placed a hand on Nico's back to help guide him out of the bathroom. They entered the living room, where Percy left him for a moment to clean off the couch. A blanket looked like it had been in use, but had been tossed away randomly. Percy's laptop sat at the foot of the couch with a stack of papers and a pen. On the table sat a coffee mug.

Percy removed his things before motioning for Nico to get on the couch. “Stay here.” He handed Nico the remote for the TV. “Find something to watch, I'll get you some breakfast.”

“I'm not hungry,” Nico mumbled, rolling away from Percy.

He heard Percy blow out a breath. “Well you're going to eat something. I know things suck for you right now, but you have to deal with it.” The remote was placed in his hand again. “Find something to watch and enjoy yourself, you're staying in your suite today.”

Nico sat up and narrowed his eyes at Percy. “You're confining me to my room?”

“After last night and the events of the past week, I figured you could use some rest.” The manager simply shrugged and headed for the kitchen. “I thought I was being thoughtful. You have today and tomorrow, but you're going back to school and work on Monday. There will be no discussion about that.” Nico's eyes darkened as he glared at Percy's back. “So get some rest, you've been through a lot.”

Nico pursed his lips, staring down at the floor. He nodded, even though Percy could not see it. He was not sure why he was being so angry; he knew it was uncalled for. Still, part of him was upset with Percy about what happened last night. True, it had been his own decision that led to it all, but to push it so soon after the death of his mother felt harsh.

He let out a sigh and leaned back. Pressing a button on the remote, Nico flipped through the channels on TV. “So I can't do anything for the next two days?”

Percy glanced up at him from where he was peeling an orange. “You can do whatever you want, I just would like you to get some rest. Your body needs to recover.” He focused back on what he was doing. “Drink plenty of water and try to stay out of trouble.”

Nico rolled his eyes. Percy placed a waffle in the toaster. “You talk like I go looking for it.”

Percy shrugged. “You make me wonder sometimes.” He smiled when Nico glared at him. “Just being honest.” The green-eyed young man cracked his neck before reaching up to massage it. “I'll have some of the others drop by and check on you, so you aren't alone all day. You'll also be working the bar for a few nights when you start back.”

Nico focused back on the TV. His stomach was still not ready to settle, and his body now felt weak. He frowned at his arm, rubbing it lightly. “I'd rather be alone.”

The waffle popped out of the toaster. “You don't need to be alone.” Percy picked the waffle up and put it on a plate with the orange. He grabbed some syrup before walking back over to Nico and placing it in front of him. “Now eat.”

Nico stared blankly up at Percy. “I'm not hungry.”

“And I didn't ask if you were.” He pointed at the food. “I told you to eat.”

Nico sighed and swung his legs over the side of the couch. He pulled the table closer, grabbing the syrup and covering his waffle. “You don't have to treat me like a child.”

The manager quietly picked up his cup of coffee and raised it to his lips. “Then maybe you should make more adult decisions.” Nico dropped his fork and glared at him. “As of late, you've just done a lot of immature things.”

“I-”

“I didn't want you stripping, I didn't want you drinking, and I didn't want you to have to end up selling your body.” Percy's brow furrowed over the cup as he took a sip. “There's a lot I could have gotten in trouble for, but I was trying to do something good. I was trying to keep you together, so you don't end up broken like the others.”

Nico looked down, finding his feet interesting. Percy felt like a giant to him at the moment. He felt small, insignificant. Ungrateful. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, unable to meet Percy's gaze.

The green-eyed young man let out a sigh. Nico flinched when Percy reached out and patted his head. The contact burned, stinging at Nico's heart. He was just a disappointment, which was all he ever really was.

Percy's fingers tangled in his hair. “Hey.” Nico was forced to look up. The manager crouched down, squatting in front of the boy. “I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but I can tell it's nothing good.” Nico's lips continued to tilt down as he stared into those green eyes. “Stop being depressed, you're cuter when you smile.”

As much as he would have liked to, Nico found himself unwilling to smile. He was not sure if it was him, but things just felt so different today. The world felt a little less bright and there was just this empty feeling hanging in the air. And inside, Nico felt his body going to war with itself. Part of him wanted Percy to reach out more and hold him, but the other part of him wanted to shove the young man away.

Black bangs were pushed from Nico's eyes. “I've got to go,” Percy whispered. “There's a lot going on today. Gaea will be here in a little over two weeks, and I've still got a lot to get done.” Nico did not move. Percy sighed and stood up. “If you need anything, you know you can always call or text me, or any of the others.”

Stay, was what went through Nico's mind as he stared into Percy's eyes. There was something odd about how Percy looked at him, concern written on the young man's face. Running his fingers through Nico's hair one more time, Percy took his leave.

Nico stared at the remainder of his food, not sure if he was capable of finishing it. He found himself wishing Percy was back, or someone was there. The silence was deafening, torturous. Licking his lips, he made a face. He could still taste the vomit in his mouth.

The dark haired boy stood up and dragged his feet back to the bathroom. Grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste, Nico worked on cleaning his mouth. When he was done, he spit the contents of his mouth into the sink and cleaned off his toothbrush. Standing up straight, Nico froze.

A chill ran across his body as he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked horrible, but that was not what bothered him. There was a dark, empty look in his eyes. What was worse was that it reminded him of the look in his father's eyes at times. Was this why Percy had looked at him like that? Was he going to become like the others, destined to lose himself in this toxic environment?

“You look like shit.”

Nico's eyes widened as they made contact with Jason in the mirror. The blond was leaning against the doorway, eyebrow raised. Nico turned around and leaned against the sink.

“You look like one of those murderers in those horror movies, after they've killed their victims.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “You know how they always show the murderer looking into the mirror, while they clean the blood off?”

Nico crossed his arms. “Is there a point to this?”

The blond shrugged. “Just wondering if I need to hide the knives.” As he left the bathroom, Nico followed him. “So, I see you survived last night.”

Inside, Nico could feel his stomach twist into a knot. “I'm fine.”

Jason stopped in the kitchen, spinning around on his feet. He grabbed Nico's chin and forced him to look at him. The blond's eyes looked over his face, analyzing every inch of it. Jason finally let out a grunt and released him. “You sure look fine,” he said sarcastically. “So, how long did you spend in the shower last night?”

Nico opened and closed his mouth several times. Jason raised a brow before searching through their kitchen for something to eat. “I don't remember,” Nico mumbled, rubbing his arm.

“Don't sweat it too much.” Jason closed one of the cabinets. “I think I spent around two hours in the shower after my first time doing this.” Nico went to speak, but Jason continued. “Yes, the water was freezing.” Turning his head, he stared at Nico from the corner of his eye. “Helped dull the pain.”

“How did you...deal with...you know, strangers doing that stuff to you?”

Jason stopped, pressing his hands to the counter surface. “A lot of practice and focus.” Nico's eyes stared down at Jason's hip, where his pajama pants were hanging loosely. The scars may have been almost gone, but it seemed the blond still carried them emotionally. “You get used to it, after a while.” He turned around, causing Nico's eyes to land on the blond's abs. Nico's cheeks tinged pink as he quickly looked up to meet Jason's eyes. The blond just shrugged. “Doesn't bother me.”

Nico pressed his lips together, shifting his weight slightly. “But it does bother you to be touched.” He noticed Jason stiffen. “Why?”

His roommate's head was down when he looked up, hiding his eyes from Nico's gaze. “It's different when it's not business. I don't like to deal with it when I'm off the clock.”

“You haven't...had sex with the others?” Nico asked. Jason shook his head. “Why?”

A hand came up to push the blond's growing bangs away from his eyes. Something seemed to be going on in the blond's mind, his eyes unfocused. His forehead wrinkled. “It's not something I have to do. I don't like sex, believe it or not.” Blue eyes closed until they were half-lidded. “At least you got paid for your first time, though.”

Why did that sound familiar? Nico's brow furrowed. Octavian had said something similar yesterday, had he not?

“You don't...need to be like me.” Jason's head was down again. His lips pursed as he shook his head. “Don't be like me, or the others. Once you're like us, you're trapped with all of this.” He finally met Nico's eyes, his eyes red. “I hoped that when my sister ran away...I had hoped she wouldn't have ended up in another version of our life.” Blond hair shook sadly. “But I suppose it was too much to ask for. Life isn't that kind.”

Nico moved to grab his plate from the living room. Walking back into the kitchen, he dispensed his leftovers into the trash before placing the plate into the sink. He now stood next to Jason, where he was being watched from behind blond bangs. “At least you found her again.”

“This place, this life, it corrupts you. It destroys you. It's like a toxin being injected into your body.” Jason finally looked up. “It's a cycle, just look at Ganymede and Apollo. I don't want my sister here.”

“So why don't you just take her and leave? I'm sure she has plenty of money by now. Surely you two could manage to find a place and make a life.”

“And do what?” Jason crossed his arms, staring at the boy with a blank look. “What can we do? Most of us that are here have never had a job before now. This is what we know, there's security here.” He pointed a finger into Nico's chest. “And you're going to be doomed just like the rest of us.”

Staring off to the side, Nico pursed his lips. He would not turn out like them. Percy had done so much for him, and he had done so little to show his appreciation. But this would be different. The one thing Percy asked of him was to not be like the others, to hold on to a sliver of his innocence. He would keep his word on that, he had to.

Jason glanced at the clock. “I've got to get a shower. I told Leo I'd help him decorate the lobby.” Nico stared down at the floor as his roommate walked off. “You can come down and help, if you find yourself bored.”

Nico plopped down on the couch once he was alone. He heard the bathroom door shut, the sound of the shower soon following. The boy placed his hand under his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Percy was right, he needed to act more responsibly. For all Nico knew, he was just being counterproductive to what he was aiming for.

Perhaps showing Percy that he was not a kid was not just about doing mature and adult things. Even if he did those things, even he had to admit that he acted like a child most of the time. He needed to be more responsible with his decisions, even if he had already dug his grave by this point. But it was still an opportunity in and of itself. If he could survive this, without becoming like the others, then maybe he really was not the weak person he made himself out to be. And it would be a chance to do something for Percy, and possibly make him happy.

After all Percy had done for him, what he still might do for him, Nico figured it was the least he could do to repay the young man.

Nico pulled himself up and headed for his room. The problem was that he really had no idea how to go about all of this. What was he supposed to do? Was it better to remain in his room and just think about everything that had happened, or should he socialize? He just did not want to end up crying in the lobby.

An uncontrollable cringe washed over him as he stood in his closet. It was like he could still feel that man's hands on him. And all that did was bring that man's face back to the front of his mind. He really could not see how this was supposed to get easier with time.

Nico gathered some loose clothing when he heard the shower turn off in the bathroom. Letting out a sigh, Nico stepped out of his room. Jason exited the bathroom at the same time, drying his still wet hair with a towel. A tight pair of briefs clung to his waist, his chest still dripping with water.

“You look sick,” the blond commented, eyeing Nico from the side.

Nico flipped him off as he brushed past his roommate to enter the bathroom. Jason raised an eyebrow at him as the door was shut in his face. Nico stepped out of his clothes. He stood there in his underwear and adjusted the shower. He felt exposed, even though there was no one in the room to look at him.

By the time he was dressed and out of the bathroom, Jason had already left the suite. Nico wrapped his arms around himself as he stood in the elevator, holding the sleeves of his black sweater in his grip. The elevator doors opened and the Lost Boy stepped out with a sigh.

He froze. Nico found himself gaping up at the giant Christmas tree now on display in the lobby. The top literally reached to the balcony on the second floor. The twins waved down at him while they threw some tinsel on the top.

Nico rubbed his arm and walked over to Leo. “Hey.” The Latino boy glanced up from a box with a smile. “Is there anything I can do?”

A grin broke out across the boy's lips. “Disobeying orders, eh?” The curly haired Lost Boy reached into the box and handed Nico a small box filled with candles. “Would you mind placing these around the lobby? I gave Hazel some, so you can just help her out.”

Nico stared around the lobby, box now in hand. A lot of green and red covered the large room. And, somehow, someone had managed hanging some mistletoe from the crystal chandelier above him. The boy blinked in surprise as Will pecked him on the cheek as he walked past. Nico's cheeks tinged pink, Leo snickering at him.

“So,” Leo said, focusing back on the box of Christmas decorations, “how're you feeling today?”

Nico focused his attention on the box in his arms. “I don't know how they do it, pretending like they are okay with all of this.” The boy's dark eyes followed two men dressed in business suits as they walked from the restaurant to the elevator. “I can't even look at the people here without wondering if one of them will be my next customer.”

“I don't know what to tell you.” The boy turned and grinned at him. “Maybe Luke will keep beating them up and you'll stop getting people requesting you.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Somehow, I don't think Percy would allow that.” His eyes found three children laughing and chattering, watching the Lost Kids decorate. “And I don't think Luke would do it anyways. I know he can be a nice guy, but he still has his tough love side to him.”

Leo hummed in response, nodding his head. “Take it easy today, Nico. You're getting a short break from all of this, but you'll be back in soon. And when that time comes, you're just going to have to deal with all that you're given.” The Latino Lost Boy offered him a lopsided smile. “Just keep your chin up and try to keep your mind off things.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered. His eyes found the floor as he walked off. Hazel was not hard to find, really. She was currently straightening some decorations in the lobby's lounge.

She smiled at him as he approached. “I see you decided to walk amongst the living today.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “You come to give me a hand?” Nico nodded. “Good. Let's hope you're better than your roommate, who can't be trusted to decorate properly.”

Nico placed one of the candles from the box on the small table between two of the couches. Hazel pulled out a lighter and ignited it with a warm smile. Even with the new source of warmth, Nico's body still felt cold. And empty.

“You okay?” Nico blinked, glancing down at Hazel's hand on his shoulder. “You look really sad.”

“Just thinking.”

“About last night?” Hazel kneeled down and placed a wrapped present under the small table. Nico was going to assume it was just for decoration. The boy nodded his head. “I figured. It's not easy, when you first go through it.”

Nico frowned. “But it gets better?”

“Well,” Hazel bit down on her lip, “I wouldn't say better. Easier, maybe.” She smiled and enveloped him in a hug. “But we'll help you get through it.”

The raven-haired boy rubbed his eyes, tears beginning to form. “Can I trust you guys, though?”

Hazel pulled back with a hurt look. She looked down with a sigh. “It's hard sometimes, you know? Looking at someone who went through a similar situation as you, and still coming out better in the end. None of us managed to stay the same while we were on the streets, and yet you made it.”

“It was only a few months.”

The girl shook her head, her cinnamon colored curls whipping about her face. “I was only out there for a few months.”

Nico reached out and touched the girl's arm. “But you went through horrible things before that.”

“And you didn't? Your dad beat you for being gay, didn't he?” Nico opened his mouth, but shut it and stared at the floor. Hazel offered him a weak smile. “It's okay to talk about it, you know. If you expect to get the others to open up to you, you're going to have to be willing to share your own past.”

Nico pursed his lips. He stood there, frozen. Hazel smiled and touched his arm before pulling another candle from the box Nico brought and placed it on a small stand that sat against the wall. “It wasn't for being gay, at least not at first.” Hazel turned to stare at him. “I didn't tell my dad until much later. He never laid a hand on my mom or sister, mainly because they were girls, so I was pretty much the only option.” Nico could only stare at his shoes. “I, um, had figured it had been something I must have done. Maybe I had done something I wasn't supposed to, but Bianca kept reassuring me that I had never done anything.

“It was rare... at first, and never really that bad,” Nico continued. He looked up to find Hazel looking at him with her mouth open and some tears in her eyes. Nico's own vision blurred and he reached up to wipe more tears away, only for them to be replaced by new ones. “I'd get beaten for things like not getting an A or a B on a test. And then there was the time I refused to join any sports' team in school.”

“I'm so sorry, Nico.”

Nico shook his head. “It wasn't your fault, and I know now that it wasn't mine either. My father has his own issues that he needs to work out. Perhaps it was just stress from his job, I may never know.”

Hazel hugged him again. “It doesn't give him the right to abuse his child.” She looked up at him with a frown. “Don't make excuses for what your father did, I know I stopped trying to make them for my mother a long time ago.”

“What she did was horrible. She doesn't deserve your pity or excuses.” Nico sat down on the couch, Hazel joining him a few seconds later. “I just don't know how you do it.”

Hazel placed her hand on his back and began rubbing circles. “Do what?”

“Survive this life. I don't see how all of you survive this life. How did you manage living with your mother, with that life?”

The Lost Girl took in a deep breath. “You expect a parent to love their child, at least growing up.” She let out her breath. “But, then again, you believe a lot of things when you're younger. How did you deal with your father?”

The brown-eyed boy shrugged. “I just...let it happen. Like I said, I figured it was my fault. I still feel like a disappointment, especially messing up like I have recently.”

Hazel's brow furrowed, pursing her lips. “I don't think you're a failure, Nico. But I know how you feel. I didn't know what to think with what my mother did, but I still wanted to make her happy.” Hazel's hand found his, squeezing it softly. “I heard Percy offered to deal with your father.”

“It wasn't the answer. I didn't want him murdered for what he did.” Nico stared down at his and Hazel's hands. “He can't touch me here, and revenge isn't the answer.”

Hazel nodded her head. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I gave him the same answer, you know. But, unlike your father, my mother doesn't even know if I'm dead or alive. And I want it to stay that way.” She offered him a small smile. “Let's get back to work, yeah?” Nico smiled before nodding and standing up.

For once, Nico felt calm sitting on the top floor. He sat beside Percy, casually stirring his drink and watching Silena and Juniper dance around on the stage. And that was why he felt calm; he was sitting on the girls' side of the top floor. The only way any of these customers would be interested in looking at him would be if they were bisexual.

The boy rubbed his neck. After helping with decorations, Nico had spent the rest of his day in his room, sitting on the couch in the same position for several hours. It had not been kind on his body. He winced. Percy's fingers were pressing against his neck.

“You okay?”

Nico nodded, his eyes closed from mild pain. “Yeah, just a little sore.”

Percy smiled. “You should have laid in bed. But, instead, I find you looking like a zombie on the couch.” Nico scowled at him. “A cute zombie.” The comment did not cause Nico to falter with his glares. “Would you like a massage later?”

Nico looked up at Reyna, who was tending to Percy's booth. Her lip twitched as she set down Percy's drink order. “But I was supposed to come by later.”

Percy turned to face her, his hand still massaging Nico's neck. “I can spare a few minutes. We can still negotiate.”

The brown-eyed boy scrunched his lips. But, upon receiving a glare from the Lost Girl, Nico quickly looked away. Without saying anything, Reyna walked off to see to another table. Nico groaned as Percy squeezed his neck. “You really don't have to do that.”

Percy chuckled. “Yeah, well, I don't mind.”

Nico sighed, glancing at the stage briefly as the two Lost Girls finished their routine. “Percy?”

“Hmm?”

Glancing over at the young man, Nico found him looking over a stapled document. His other hand was still busy working the muscles in Nico's neck. “Why didn't you ever tell me it was Luke who made the deal? I thought it was you.”

Percy blinked and turned to glance down at Nico. “When Luke does something like this, he doesn't really like people knowing it was him.” Percy scrunched his lips, focusing back on his work. “As for the second thing, I didn't suggest anything, because I figured Luke would. I try to stay neutral as much as possible, and I know Luke well enough to predict when he will do something like that.”

“Oh.” Nico's face contorted in confusion.

Percy glanced at him with a smile. “I've known Luke for a little over two years now, he's one of my best friends. I knew I could count on him.” Percy shrugged. “You're sort of a bad reminder of his history, an old wound that won't quite heal, so I knew he would jump in. Dealing with you can be hard on him, and I think that's why he looks to give you a hard time, at least part of it.” The manager studied Nico for a moment. “You're like...a bad memory, no offense. He had been getting to a point where he could move on, but then you showed up. And, yeah, it was like reopening an old wound.”

“So, Octavian doesn't like me because I'm hurting his brother?”

Percy blew out a breath, trying to focus on his documents. “Not really. It's a little more complicated than that. I'm not really the person you want to talk to about that.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “But you know everything about the Lost Kids.”

The young man shrugged. “Not my place to talk about it.”

Nico let out a sigh and took a sip of his drink. Percy was right. Still, it would be nice to have an idea of what Luke's issue was with him. If he knew, perhaps he could do something to not be a problem for the blond.

The raven-haired boy let out a groan, receiving a pat on the back from Percy. “Why don't you go sit down in the bar?” Percy suggested. “I figure you don't want to be up here that much.”

Nico stared at the side of Percy's face. He really could not argue that. It was true, for the most part. For most of the night, he had found himself having a hard time even sparing a glance at the customers from either side. Not after last night.

The boy nodded his head. Percy smiled and stood up, allowing Nico to slip out of the booth. The young man slid his fingers into Nico's hair. “I'll come by your room later, okay?” Nico nodded again. “Behave yourself.”

Nico glared at Percy before taking his leave. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked down the stairs, moving to the side whenever a customer came across his path. Once inside the elevator, Nico leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms, his eyes becoming dull.

What was he supposed to be feeling through all of this? Because, what possibly scared him the most was that he was having a hard time feeling anything at all. At times, during the day, he would get upset. He spent an hour crying on the couch earlier, and then twenty minutes later, he was laughing at something on TV. And then, at times like right now, he found himself empty.

He had gone through another shower before he had come to the top floor. And, even after the three showers since it happened, he still felt unclean and violated.

Nico shook his head as the elevator opened to the bar. The bar was as crowded as always. But, even with all of the noise and people, Nico still felt safer here. Sure some of these people could always just go upstairs and be someone to request his private company, but he did not try to focus on that at the present moment. He had always seen the bar as a safe haven away from the world above them.

Chiron smiled at him as he wiped off a spot on the bar. “Good evening, Nico. What can I get for you?”

Nico sat down on the chair opposite the bartender. “I was sent down to be away from things.” He sighed and crossed his arms on the bar's surface. “Can I just get some tea?”

“Anything to eat? You're not looking so good.”

The Lost Boy scrunched his lips, unable to meet the man's gaze. “Maybe something small. I've not had much of an appetite.”

Chiron nodded his head, reaching out the pat the top of Nico's hand. “Hang in there, my boy.” Nico's brown eyes glanced up. “The lights are dimming on you, that is for sure, but I think you can manage holding on to a flashlight.”

Nico's face contorted in confusion. “Flashlight?”

“Find yourself something to ground you, get yourself a goal.” Chiron smiled as he took out a small mug and poured some hot water in it. “Always keep the goal in mind and head towards it. Use it as a light, to guide yourself through the darkness ahead of you.”

Nico's dark eyes watched Chiron take out a teabag and place it in the mug. His shoulders slumped. “And what if I get swallowed by the darkness? What if I'm not strong enough to make it on the journey?”

“Then I would say Percy made a misjudgment of character, and that's something that does not happen very often.” Chiron pushed the mug of tea across the bar. “Hang in there, my boy, I'm sure you can find the strength to get through your trials.”

A salad was placed in front of him, and when Nico looked up, he found Piper standing beside him. Chiron smiled and went back to taking orders from people at the bar. “So, how are you?” Piper asked, leaning on the bar.

“Fantastic,” Nico mumbled. He motioned to his face. “Can't you tell?”

Piper smiled and picked a crouton off the boy's plate and tossed it into her mouth. “Yeah, you do look like crap.” She handed him a fork, which he took. “But I'm sure you'll be fine, or should be. You're not the first of us to have to go through this, and not all of us took it smoothly. I didn't. I threw a fit afterwards, kicked and screamed all the way back to my room. I wanted to punch the man that touched me.”

“What changed?”

The Lost Girl shrugged. “Sometimes, what you really want is some attention. Having the attention on stage is nice, right?” Nico shrugged. “It was just...nice, having someone completely willing to show me affection and give me their time.” Piper let out a sigh. “I suppose it's a little sad, but I'm not the only one that had this epiphany about this life.”

Nico glanced at a bottle of brandy as Chiron poured it into a man's glass. “I don't know how I'm supposed to move on from where I am right now. How do I come to a point where I don't feel disgusted with myself?”

“That's something I can't really tell you. It's just something you have to figure out for yourself.” She shrugged. “Most of us came to accept things in a different way, and I'm sure the same will apply to you. For those like Luke and Octavian, they realized it was a way to take action against the things they hate.”

“Like?”

Piper let out a small chuckle. “Well, Octavian's not the biggest fan of politicians, so if he can give Percy any information that could cripple them down the road, then he's usually content.”

Nico blinked as he speared some of his salad. “But he wants to be one.”

“If you have a problem with something, wouldn't you want to change it?” Piper cocked her head to the side. “But that's saying that Octavian would ever follow through with that idea. Remember: once a Lost Kid, always a Lost Kid. It's just this place,” the Lost Girl motioned around them, “it doesn't exactly let you leave. You can't let yourself leave.”

Nico glanced up from where his tea sat on the bar, at a bottle of vodka. “Yeah,” he whispered.

Piper followed his line of sight. “Don't.” Nico blinked and turned to look at her in question. “You don't want to start drinking, it'll just lead to things you don't want. And it'll just be another means of keeping you here. If you want to know how not to become a prisoner in this place, you need to not do certain things that are expected to happen. Drinking is one of those things.” The girl's brow furrowed as she stared at the bottle. “It's a bad habit anyways.”

An hour passed by in the blink of an eye for the boy at the bar. Nico sat, staring at his finished plate. He let out a sigh and looked up, glancing around the room. The place was still packed, as was expected. It was only nearing midnight, after all. Blowing out a breath, Nico debated leaving. Something caught his eye, though.

Chris waved at him from a table in the corner, farthest from the bar itself. Nico picked his empty plate and mug up and deposited them behind the bar. From there, he weaved around Drew and some customers that were heading to the elevators, making a beeline for Chris.

The young man smiled at him as he sat down at the table. “Haven't seen you around the past few days.” He scrunched his lips as he took a sip from whatever he was drinking. “Sorry to hear about your mother.”

Nico shook his head. “Don't worry about it.” He stared down at the table. “How are you?”

“Adjusting.” A crooked smile appeared on Chris's lips. “But I suppose that's all you can really do around here. And I suppose that's what you're trying to do.” He made a noise as he sat his drink down. “You know, I was kind of surprised when I found out you were involved with what went on upstairs. Well, was, and then Clarisse told me you weren't being a prostitute.” Nico bit his lip. “But then she tells me you sort of chose to be one anyways.”

“I was stupid.”

The young man chuckled. “Yeah, perhaps. I don't think I'd choose to do something like that.” Nico cringed as Chris popped his knuckles. “You don't really seem like you belong in a place like this. But, after learning everything I have, I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised by anything that goes on here.”

“It was a stupid mistake.” Nico shook his head, glancing off to the side. “I haven't really been appreciative of what I had, and now I lost it. And now I feel like a child, and I wonder if I'm being laughed at by the others. They seem to do things so easily, like this doesn't even bother them.”

“Well, not anymore.”

Nico frowned. “What does that mean?”

Chris shrugged. “I mean, I've worked here for about a year now, and I did see Will and Hazel when they first arrived. They were different back then, yet still sort of the same. I guess it's hard to explain. They seemed happy, yet you could tell something had happened to them, something was bothering them.” The security worker rubbed his neck. “When they first arrived, they were happier. And then, one day, something changed. I would assume, knowing what I know now, that they met with a client.”

“But were they like me?”

Chris looked at Nico. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “You're not quite like any of them, Nico. And, I mean, I didn't see a lot of them when they first arrived, but I just get a different vibe from you.” He chuckled and took another drink “This just doesn't seem like the place you belong.”

Nico shook his head. “Well, it's not like I can just leave.”

“Can't you?” Chris raised a brow. “I'm sure you've got some money saved up, unless you've blown it all.”

Nico's eyes were dull as they stared at the table. “No, it's just sitting in the bank. Don't really need anything.”

“See.” Chris sat his drink back down. “Why not just leave? I don't think Percy would stop you, and from what he's told me, he doesn't want you turning out like the others anyways. So, why not just pack up and go? Surely there's somewhere you could stay.”

Nico chewed on his lip, his fidgeting with each other on the table. “I just-yeah, I guess there's somewhere I could go.” Daedalus. “But-”

What about the others? What about Percy? Would he ever see them again?

In all honesty, Nico had not thought about leaving. Sure, Minerva had suggested it. But, at the time, Nico was quick to dismiss it. He had wanted to stay with Percy. But here he was, whining about hating how things were turning out for him, when he had a way out the whole time. He could have just left, instead of doing what he did last night. He could still leave.

“I don't know,” the Lost Boy whispered.

Chris chuckled. “Nico, I don't think you should try enduring this place. You seem like a nice kid, the world could use all the nice people it can get.” He sighed and looked around. “And, looking at this place, I say that more than ever. This is not your world. I may not be a Lost Kid like Clarisse and Ethan, but I can tell you that this is not where you need to be. Kid, you've got an entire life ahead of you. I mean, even the others don't want you turning out like them. So why risk it?”

Nico's hands shook, a chill running across his body. He blinked back some tears that were threatening to spill out. “I'll think about it.”

Chris leaned on his hand, still watching Nico. “If it was me, I'd just pack up and leave. This place is like a hive of everything that is wrong with the world. Sure Gaea and Percy are collecting information, but what are they really doing with it?” The young man blew out a breath. “They're just using it for their own gain. Why not use it to better the world?”

“Then why did you accept the full job here?”

It took Chris a moment to reply. “I'm still human, just like everyone else. I guess I didn't think it would be as bad as it was.” He shook his head. “But, I mean, it's not as big of a deal for me. I can handle myself. You...you just need to get out while you can. You can get by. You can find somewhere to stay, you can finish school, and then you can get a normal job. You can have a normal life outside of this place.”

But he would probably never see Percy again, was all that ran through Nico's mind. And what about the others? These people were important to him now, even if they had hurt him. But was Chris right? What if he could not do what Percy wanted? He would become like the others, and then he would truly be lost.

Suddenly, the title became more accurate, more real. It was not that they were lost, like in the story of Peter Pan, they were lost in the place they were, lost who they were. The hotel took these already damaged individuals, and simply made them worse. Did Nico really want that to happen to him?

What would Percy had been like if his life have been different? What would any of them have been like?

Later that night, Nico stood outside his door, trying to fish his wallet out of his pants. Sliding the card in, Nico slipped inside his suite. But, before he could shut the door, a hand shot out and pressed against the surface. Nico slowly opened it again.

Percy smiled down at him cheekily. Nico eyed him for a moment before stepping aside and motioning for the young man to enter. Percy closed the door behind him. Rubbing his neck, the young man walked over to lean against the wall in the hall. “So, how was your night?”

“Considering I didn't have a man on top of me, just peachy,” Nico mumbled, crossing his arms as he walked past Percy to enter his bedroom. He heard Percy chuckle from the doorway. Nico ignored him and stripped off his shirt. Shooting Percy a pointed stare, he poked through his dresser, looking for something to sleep in. “It's not funny.”

Percy shrugged. He slipped behind Nico, winding his arms around the boy's slender waist. “No, but you're cute when you're aggravated.” Nico turned his head to glare at Percy. “So, why are you getting dressed?”

“Because some of us like to go to bed at a decent hour.”

Percy ran his hands down Nico's arms. “But then I can't give you that massage.” Nico bit down on his lips as Percy worked on his neck with his hands. It did feel really good. “Go lie down on the bed,” the manager whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down Nico's spine.

The boy obeyed, lying on his stomach, his arms resting below his head. “You don't have to do this.”

Percy gave a shrug, slipping out of his shoes. He crawled on the bed, pulling on Nico's waist. Nico let out a gasp as his ass was pulled against Percy's crotch. “But you'll have to get out of these jeans.” Without waiting, Percy worked to unbutton and unzip Nico's jeans. Nico rested his forehead against the mattress, as his jeans were slowly pulled down his legs. Percy chuckled and tossed the tight pair of jeans to the side. “Much better.”

With a little prompting, Nico lay flat on his stomach, while Percy hovered over his legs. Nico moaned into his pillow as Percy began working on his back muscles. Percy's hands felt amazing. They were not rough, like that of Beckendorf or Butch, but they were not soft like Travis, Connor, or Will either. They were firm and strong, and knew how to perfectly work his back muscles.

Nico's eyes closed on their own accord, his body fighting to stay awake. “That feels really good,” he mumbled.

Percy chuckled. Nico laid his head to the side, glancing at Percy from the corner of his eyes. A small smile rested on the young man's lips as he massaged Nico's back. This was what Nico wanted; this was what he wanted it to be like with Percy. He wished it could stay like this forever, and that the world around them would just cease to exist.

As Nico's eyes threatened to flutter close, the boy was reminded of his conversation from earlier. Letting out another small moan, he stared at the door to his room, his eyes half-lidded. “Percy?”

“Hmm?”

The Lost Boy chewed on the inside of his cheek. “If I ever left, would I be able to see you again?”

When no answer came, and the hands working on his back stopped, Nico shifted so that he could look at Percy. The young man was staring at him with an unreadable expression. “Why do you ask?”

Even his tone was unreadable. Nico's lips tilted down as his eyes fell away from Percy's gaze. “Just...wondering,” he whispered. “I'd miss you.”

Percy pressed his palms against Nico's lower back, working the muscles there. “I think...I think you'd be better off moving on and forgetting about me, if that were the case.” Nico lay back on his stomach, a distant look now in his eyes. “Stop your frowning.”

Nico let out a sigh. “At all? I could never see you? Just like that, you'd be gone from my life?” Nico bit down on his lip. “You wouldn't miss me, or want me to stay? Even see me?”

Percy's thumb brushed against his face as his vision blurred. The young man leaned forward. “It's not about what I want, it's about doing what's best for you.” With a sigh, Percy jumped off his back. He reached down to run his fingers through the boy's hair. “Get some sleep.”

Nico sat up. “Can you stay with me?” The Lost Boy reached out and grabbed Percy's fingers before he could leave. “It's just...after last night...”

“You have to learn to deal with it, Nico,” Percy whispered. He tilted the boy's chin up. “I can't, I have some business to take care of. I'm not going to be able to stay with you after every experience. You'll be fine.”

Nico's eyes dulled as Percy's fingers fell from his grasp. The boy's head fell as the door closed, the light being turned out as the manager left. He had his answer, though it was not quite what he wanted to hear. Nico curled up on his side, clutching the spot where Percy's hand had been resting on the sheets just a moment ago.

Percy was right, though, he needed to be able to deal with this. But, at the same time, he knew it was not going to be enough. He needed to become stronger, but he also knew he had to retain who he was. Enough mistakes had already been made to last him a lifetime. And, while he knew more would probably be made in the future, he also knew it was time to start acting like the adult he talked about being.

The next day, Nico found himself learning how to dodge. It seemed like the entire hotel had broken out into chaos. Decorations were going up all over the place, Leo and Rachel were running around to collect paperwork from the different sections of the hotel, and the staff seemed overly stressed. No one even apologized when they bumped into him.

He was starting to regret his decision to leave his room. After his journey around the lobby had almost resulted in him getting trampled, he had gone to the top floor, hoping to find a more peaceful environment. He had been mistaken.

Drew had elected herself as dictator of getting the entire floor decorated. “Nico! Good, you can help, too.”

Juniper was the first to his defense. “Leave him be. He's barely taken any time to heal after everything.”

The Asian girl was busy inspecting her nails. “And that's my fault, how?” She rolled her eyes and glanced over at Nico. “Fine, whatever. Just stay out of the way.”

Nico tossed Juniper an appreciative smile. She patted him on the back before jumping onto the stage. Nico sat down at one of the tables, burying his face into his hands with a groan. He had barely slept at all last night. All he could think about was his discussions with Chris and Percy.

“If you want quiet, why not just stay in your room?”

Nico peeked out from between his fingers. Drew sat down across from him, crossing her legs and digging out a nail file. Had she even done any work herself, or did she just make others do it for her?

“The quiet was driving me insane,” the boy mumbled, letting his head drop to the table. “But everything is so chaotic downstairs.”

“Percy's stressing himself out over Gaea's arrival. She'll be here around the twentieth, so our hero wants everything perfect.” Drew shrugged. “It's whatever. I guess it gives us something to do.”

“You look so busy,” Nico droned.

Drew tossed him an evil glare. “Which also means more customers. And if I'm good at anything, it's getting what I want.” She smirked as she worked on her nails. “It's why I was picked to come here. I'm the best at what I do, and this is Gaea's favorite and most profitable branch. So, naturally, I would get picked to be transferred.”

The brown-eyed boy lifted his head, resting it on his palm. “So, when did you first meet Percy and the others here? I suppose it was after you got taken in?”

Drew ceased her movements. She looked shocked, like no one had actually asked her that question before. “I-I...” She dropped her nail file. But, before she could reach down and grab it, Nico had it in his hand. Their eyes met as Nico handed it over to her. “It was in the winter.” She nodded her head, placing the file on the table. “Gaea had been in Japan at the time, and had brought along Percy and Kronos.”

Nico shuddered at the name. If he dreaded meeting anyone, it was Kronos. Nothing good had been said yet about Gaea's real son.

“Frank, the current manager of the Asian branch, had been with them, tending to his predecessor,” Drew continued. “It was snowing that day, quite heavily. And, you have to understand, Tokyo is very crowded.” She pursed her lips, spinning the nail file on the table. “But he saw me. He walked over and offered me some of his hot chocolate.” Drew pointed a finger over to him. “He was about your age at the time, perhaps a year older.

“I wanted to hate him.” Drew tapped the file against the table. “He was dressed so nice with his scarf and expensive looking coat. And then there was Gaea with her diamond everything, fur coat to go along with it.” She shook her head. “But it was that smile. It was so friendly and warm, inviting even. I couldn't bring myself to hate him.” She let out a long breath. “I took the hot chocolate and haven't looked back since I got in the limousine with them.”

Nico looked away from the girl, staring down at the table and running his finger along its surface. “Why are you telling me this?”

“You're the one who asked?” She replied, arching a brow.

She shook his head with a shrug. “But you just told me. I...didn't really think you would open up.” He looked up at her finally, eyebrows knitted together. “Why tell me, the one you probably know least of all?”

Drew sighed, inspecting her nails again. Her icy look had returned. “Why not? You're not quite like the rest around here. All you seem to do is listen and keep it to yourself.” Nico frowned at her. “Maybe you're the first person to really ask me something like that,” she whispered before standing to her feet. She glared, pointing the file at his face. “Repeat anything I just said, and I'll claw out your eyes.”

Nico shook his head, watching the girl walk over to where Juniper and Beckendorf were hanging some tinsel. Maybe she just needed a friend, he thought. A very patient and enduring friend.

The Lost Boy stiffened as a pair of arms wove around his neck. “Hello there, sexy,” Will's voice whispered in his ear. Nico squirmed. Will frowned and loosened his hold on Nico. “You okay?” He rubbed Nico's shoulders. Nico shut his eyes and curled in on himself. “Nico?”

The boy's stomach did a flip. He knew it was Will, but he kept seeing that man's face, could feel the man touching him. “Please stop,” he whispered.

Will's hands fell to his side. Nico shifted in his chair to look at him. The blond stood there with a hurt look. “I'm sorry,” the blond Lost Boy whispered. His face contorted into confusion. “I thought...I thought you were okay with being touched.”

Nico flinched when Will reached out to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. “I can't help it,” Nico whispered.

Will's lips tilted down, pulling a strand of Nico's hair away from the boy's face. “You were okay with Percy touching you.” Nico's head jerked up to look at the blond in confusion. “Why is it okay for him to touch you?”

Nico's eyes darkened “Can nothing stay private around here?” The other Lost Kids stopped what they were doing to look at the boy in surprise. Will's eyes were wide, stumbling out of the way when Nico stormed towards the stairs.

He huffed at the elevator, hitting the button to summon it to him. He raised a hand to weave into the front of his hair. This was not how he needed to handle this situation, Nico reminded himself. The boy blew out a breath and boarded the elevator, pushing the button to Percy's floor.

Nico had just told himself last night that he needed to act more mature, and here he was about to blow up at Percy over a small issue. He wanted Percy to see that he was actually trying to appreciate what he still had, not act like a child. Because that was what he had been acting like lately, even if he hated to admit it. He now understood the problem was with himself, not with the others.

The door to Percy's office opened before he could grab the handle. Travis stood in the doorway, having stopped when he nearly ran into Nico. He smiled and waved, stepping around the raven-haired Lost Boy to make his way to the elevators.

Nico watched the brunet until he was out of sight, a distant look covering his face. Rachel glanced up from her computer as he closed the door, not halting in her rapid typing. “Hello, Nico. I suppose you want to see Percy?”

The boy nodded. “If he's not busy.”

“Um,” Rachel pressed a finger to her lips, “let me go check.” She stood to her feet. “I just handed him some paperwork before Travis came in, so he's probably looking that over right now.” She opened Percy's door and poked her head in. “Hey, Nico is here to see you. Do you have a minute?”

Percy mumbled his response, preventing Nico from hearing it. The groan, however, did not escape his notice. Rachel pulled her head out and smiled, nodding towards the office. Nico nodded and stepped around the girl, pushing the door open and slipping inside.

Percy sat at his desk, his face buried in his hands. A pen sat between his fingers, while stacks of papers were piled on his desk. The young man was dressed rather casual. Nico would not have guessed what had just gone in this office a few moments ago, if not for Travis's departure and the can of air freshener that sat on the corner of the desk.

The green-eyed young man sat back in his chair, pushing his bangs to the side. “Just sit over there for a minute. I need to finish up with this and then I'll be right with you.”

Nico nodded and walked around the desk to sit on the couch. Percy flipped the page of the stapled document in his hands. Nico scrunched his lips, tugging at the sleeves of his black sweater. He watched the young man work in peace. Percy's brow furrowed as he circled a few things before signing his name. He dropped the document on a growing pile in the far corner of his desk.

Percy folded his hands in front of him, spinning his chair to face the Lost Boy in his office. “Everything okay?”

Nico could hear the exhaustion in the young man's voice, as well as see it in his eyes. He nodded. “Just wanted to talk to you.” Percy's lips tilted up. “You look tired.”

The manager motioned to his desk. “Lot of work to do. I do have Leo and Rachel, but I need to look everything over before Gaea gets here.” He rubbed his neck. “And there's all the sections in the hotel, not mentioning the other businesses we own.”

Nico brought a hand up to chew on a nail. “I guess it helps to find some ways to unwind.”

Percy raised a brow, smirking. “Is that a jab at Travis's visit?”

“What if it is?” Nico held Percy's gaze. “Speaking of, don't I need to negotiate with you now?”

The young man leaned his chair back, eyeing the boy in amusement. “I'm sure you're looking forward to that. But, I suppose you do. It's your call, though.” He waved a hand absently. “As you know, I do try to give fair hours and placement to everyone. The negotiations are just to help get on stage more often. So that's up to you.”

Nico stood up, stretching his arms above his head, and walked over to Percy's desk. He sat down on the edge with an innocent look, resting his hands in his lap. “And if I am fine working the bar, but still want to have some fun with you?”

The Lost Boy smiled as Percy's eyes raked down his legs. “Is that what you want?”

Nico's eyes inched down to stare at Percy's perfectly shaped lips. “I'm happy just being with you.”

Percy's fingers brushed against Nico's arm, pushing the black fabric up to feel the boy's arm. “I still find it amusing when you say things like that. You're learning.” His eyes met Nico's brown ones. “Saying things like that are surely to make plenty of women drop their skirts for you.”

Nico wrinkled his nose, causing Percy to laugh. “But I was being serious.” The manager calmed his laughing, letting his head tilt to the side to smile at Nico. “So I just do it whenever I feel I need to?”

“That's all up to you,” Percy whispered. “You don't have to, if you don't want to.” Nico placed his hand on top of Percy's hand, which was still brushing against his arm. “Your hands are cold.”

The Lost Boy narrowed his eyes. “That's not why I came up here, though.” Percy nodded his head, glancing at his computer. He started typing, his eyes moving across the screen. Nico crossed his ankles, his hands now resting behind his back. “Can I ask something?” Percy glanced at him from the corner of his eye, not ceasing in his typing. “Why did you tell the others about last night?”

Percy stopped, leaning back in his chair. “You mean about the massage?” Nico nodded. The green-eyed young man shrugged. “I didn't.” Nico's brow furrowed. “That would have been Reyna, who was at my table when we were talking about it.” He smirked at Nico.

“But Will mentioned that I was okay with you touching me.”

“I was asked how you were.” The young man shrugged. “I didn't see the problem in giving a reply. All I said was that you seemed to be doing better and that you were calm.” He quirked a brow at Nico. “Why, did something happen with Will?”

The boy looked down, rubbing his arm. “I kind of freaked out when he touched me,” Nico mumbled. “He wasn't happy that I was calm when you touched me, but not when he tried.”

Percy rested his elbow on his desk, planting his cheek on his palm. “And why is that?” His eyes flashed dangerously at Nico. “Why does it seem like I'm the only person you're fine with touching you right now?”

“I, uh, don't know.” Nico could feel his cheeks heat up.

The corner of Percy's lips tilted up. He inched forward, hovering close to Nico now. The boy swallowed a lump in his throat, leaning back. “Tell me, Nico,” Percy whispered in a husky voice. He inched the boy's legs apart with his knee. Nico had to support himself with his hand, Percy now hovering over him. Percy lifted Nico's right leg to sit on the corner of the desk, the manager's hand running along it. “Why are you fine with this? Why are you comfortable when it's me?”

Nico's vision grew hazy. His brown eyes focused on Percy's parted lips. So inviting, so alluring. The hand that he was not currently using to support himself reached out to press against the young man's chest, balling in a fist to clutch the dark blue shirt.

“I don't know,” Nico whispered.

“You do know.” Percy leaned in to nuzzle Nico's neck. A hand came around Nico to press against his back. “Tell me,” he whispered in Nico's ear. “You need to be comfortable with everyone. Why is it just me right now? You're clearly still upset, so why is it okay for me to touch you?”

Nico's hand shook as it still held onto the young man's shirt. He rested his head on Percy's shoulder, closing his eyes. “Because I love you.”

Percy's body froze. He jerked back to look at the boy with surprise. “What did you say?”

Nico's head shot down. His face was burning, now resembling a tomato. “Don't make me say it again,” he mumbled.

Percy tilted his chin up. “You don't mean it. You can't-”

“I do.” Nico's eyes were dark as they battled with Percy's, currently a light shade of green. “I know how I feel. I wasn't planning on telling you.”

“Look, you're still young-”

“Percy.” Nico's brow furrowed. “Please stop treating me like a child. If you don't want me to act like one, then shouldn't you stop treating me like one?”

Percy was staring at Nico's lap, his bangs now hiding his eyes. “Maybe I need to stop teasing you so much.” He wiped a hand across his face. “Fuck.”

Nico reached out and grabbed his hand. “I don't want you to. I'm not going to let it get in the way of anything, I promise.” He bit his lip. “I don't want you to pull away from me again, not like when I was first here. Remember the movie night?” Percy nodded, his eyes still hidden. “Yeah, that hurt.”

“I'm sorry,” Percy whispered. He finally glanced up, studying Nico. “Just don't let it hinder your performance as my employee. You're going to paint another target on your back if you do.” He reached out and patted Nico on the cheek. “Dammit, Nico, you're going to be the death of me.”

Nico glanced down from Percy's eyes again, studying the manager's lips. Percy's eyes flickered with amusement. Nico yelped as he was shoved onto his back, Percy now on top of him on the desk. “What are you doing?”

“It's okay for me to touch you, right? You're okay with it. And I guess then I can do whatever I want to you.” Percy's fingers ran under the front of Nico's shirt.

The boy frowned up at him. He pressed his hand to Percy's chest, bringing the young man to a halt. “You're doing it already.” Percy frowned at him. “Just because I like you, doesn't mean I always want to have sex with you. I don't think that would be love, if that were the case.”

“No, then you'd be more like Apollo.” Percy smirked down at him. “But you do want something from me right now.” Nico arched a brow. “You want me to kiss you.” Another blush spread across the Lost Boy's cheeks. “You keep looking at my lips.”

Nico cursed silently, realizing he had been doing it again. “Sorry.”

Percy crawled off of him, allowing the boy to sit up. Nico let out a sigh. Percy sat down in his chair again. “Maybe you'll get lucky and catch me under the mistletoe.” He folded his arms and inspected Nico. “You're so confusing. I don't even know how to deal with you.”

Nico shrugged, smirking at Percy. “I'm just waiting for you to admit that you have some sort of feelings for me.”

Percy narrowed his eyes, his lips still smiling. “I think you'll have to keep waiting.” He reached out. Nico raised his hand, extending his palm. Percy slid his fingers between Nico's. “Your hands are still cold.”

“Can't help it. My hands and feet usually are cold in the winter.”

Percy groaned and rubbed his face. “I really don't want to get back to work.”

Nico glanced at all the papers that rested on the desk. “Looks like you still have a lot. And I imagine there's more work on the computer.” He glanced down at one document that rested near his hand that was pressed against the desk. He quickly glanced back up and met Percy's eyes. “Sorry.”

Percy shook his head. “It's fine. A lot of this stuff the others already know about, so it wouldn't hurt you to learn about some of it.” He leaned back in his chair and picked up a sheet of paper. “You could stay and keep me company, so I don't go bored out of my mind.”

Nico smiled to himself as he sat back on the desk. Percy scratched his head as he attempted to decipher something on the document in his hands. He was cute, when he was not being so formal. It reminded Nico that, even if Percy did do some horrible things, there was still a good person underneath it all. Someone who was still lost.

The pale boy hopped off the desk and spun around. He glanced at a document that sat at the top of one of the piles. Nico glanced curiously at it before picking it up. There was a photo of a man in the top left corner. Nico's brow furrowed. “Who is this? Has he been to the top floor?”

Percy looked up and nodded. “Yeah. He's a client that travels a lot. He runs a corporation out in the Middle East, but does a lot of business here in America.” The Adonis shrugged. “I'm stuck with doing his paperwork because of that little fact. But Gaea wants to cut him from some of her business. She isn't sure if he's a stable investment at the moment.”

Nico turned the paper back towards himself. His eyes glanced over the numbers and words that covered the pages. “I think we studied this guy in class.”

“Not surprising.” Percy pushed his finger to the bottom corner of the page to glance at the page Nico was looking at. “The man is usually really good with investments and stocks. He pretty much controls the Foreign Institutional Investor. But he seems to have made some bad investment calls on Gaea's behalf, and she's not too happy about it.”

The Lost Boy took another look at the paper in his hand. “Why not give it a little more time? It looks like her investment is starting to make a profit.”

“True,” Percy sighed. “However, Gaea doesn't dabble in small investments.”

“Well, my teacher talked about this guy a few weeks back, and we even had a discussion on his business.”

Percy crossed his legs and spun his chair to face Nico. “And what was your opinion.”

Nico quickly looked away from Percy's gaze. What was with the attention? Why did Percy care about his opinion on the issue? Nico was in high school, Percy had gone to a university to study this stuff. “Um, I thought he was a smart businessman. He made a name for himself, sort of like Gaea, and now I guess I can see why she might do business with a guy like that.” He chewed on his lip while he looked over a chart that was in the document. “I don't think Gaea should pull her investment. My teacher said that this guy's stocks were probably going to shoot up in the next few months.”

Percy scrunched his lips, taking the document from Nico's hands. His green eyes scanned over it again, his foot tapping rapidly. “I'll give him an extension. But if he costs Gaea money, he'll be worrying about more than his business.” Those green eyes stared into Nico's brown ones. “She won't be happy about me giving him an extension, and it'll be worse for him if this doesn't pay off.”

“Why not talk to him the next time he comes in for business?”

“He keeps assuring us that everything will pay off.” Percy shrugged. “Gets a little old, when there's nothing to show for it.”

Nico walked behind Percy and rested his arms on the back of the young man's chair. “Maybe you need to learn to put your trust in people. Not everyone is bad or out to get you. And a smart person would look to get in on Gaea's business, not try to sabotage her.”

Percy leaned back and hummed. “You know, this is why I was disappointed in you.”

Nico's eyebrows rose. He blinked a few times, staring at the back of Percy's head. “Why's that?”

“Because I know you're smart, you prove that you are smart, and yet you make stupid decisions.”

Nico glared. “I'm still young.”

“And yet you want to be treated like an adult.” Percy crossed his arms. Nico could feel the grin on Percy's face, even if he could not see it. “And all the more reason for me not to get involved. After all, I'm a respectable citizen, who doesn't want to get thrown in jail for pedophilia.”

Nico huffed. “First of all, it's legal because you're twenty. Secondly, it wouldn't matter to you even if you were thirty-eight.”

Percy chuckled, bringing music to Nico's ears. “I suppose you're right about that.” He rubbed his face. “All right, back to work.”

A comfortable silence washed over the room. Nico stood behind Percy, resting his arms and chin on the back of the chair. Percy picked up his keyboard and placed in his lap, typing numbers into an Excel document. He did not pause in his work until Nico ran his fingers into the back of Percy's hair. Percy moaned and lolled his head to the side.

“I need to work,” Percy chuckled.

“Sorry.” Nico removed his fingers. “Do you want me to stop?”

“I said I need to work, not that I want to.” The young man rubbed his eyes. “But that felt good.”

Nico realized his heart was beating fast. He bit down on his lip before draping his arms around Percy. He crossed his arms just under Percy's chin, his upper torso leaning over the chair and his nose resting in Percy's hair. “If I'm distracting you, let me know and I'll stop.”

“I don't mind,” Percy replied, picking up another document from his desk.

“You used to mind when I touched you,” the boy mumbled into black hair.

“That's because I'm not used to getting hugs.”

“Sorry.” He gazed down to watch Percy's fingers run across the keyboard. “I'm not usually a hugging person. It was just that you were the first person to do something so nice for me.”

Percy leaned back and turned his head, bringing his face only a few inches away from Nico's pale one. “Your sister is nice, and it sounded like your mother was a nice person as well.”

“But you didn't even know me, and you took me in and offered me a place to stay. You fed me and made me feel safe. You offered me a source of income-”

“Yeah, I liked it better back then.” Percy turned his chair away again.

Nico blew out a breath. This visit was turning out to be a roller coaster with him and Percy. But, then again, wasn't that always the case with the two of them? It seemed like the course of their interactions changed on a daily basis at this point.

The brown-eyed boy walked back over to the couch and leaned back, scanning the ceiling. He let out a sigh and collapsed onto his side. His eyes fell upon Percy, who was still typing away at his computer. It stung a little, having his feelings dismissed so easily. But what could he do? Percy already seemed stressed out enough as it was, he doubted he needed Nico badgering about his love for the manager.

Nico let out a yawn, his eyes feeling heavy. Percy glanced over at him and smiled before returning to his work. The Lost Boy curled up on the couch and closed his eyes.

The next thing Nico knew, he was being stirred from his slumber. Normally, he probably would have been very grouchy about this. However, when he cracked his eyes open, he found Percy sitting on the edge of the couch he was still laying on, running his fingers through Nico's dark locks.

“How long was I asleep?” Nico mumbled groggily.

Percy shrugged. “About two hours.”

“Why didn't you wake me up or have me go back to my room?”

Again the young man shrugged. “You weren't really hurting anything by sleeping in here. I still got a lot of work done.” A small smile spread across the manager's lips. “Sleep well?”

Nico lazily nodded his head. He curled up more, frowning when he felt something on his lower half. He raised his head to glance down at himself. A thin blanket was covering him from the waist down. “Thanks,” he said, meeting Percy's bright green eyes.

“Don't mention it.” Percy smiled again and ruffled Nico's hair. Standing up, the Adonis stretched his arms above his head. Stepping over to the door, he opened it. “I've got some business to go take care of.” Nico sat up with a yawn. Apollo stepped inside the office with his hands in his pockets. Percy nodded his head towards Nico. “You mind taking him back to his room?”

Before Nico had the chance to get up, he was scooped up, bridle style, and taken to the door. “Sure thing.” Apollo grinned down at Nico. “I'll take care of him.”

“Behave.” Percy gave him a pointed look, rubbing at his eyes and yawning. Nico frowned at the manager. Percy reached out and patted the boy's cheek. “Get some more sleep, if you're still tired.”

Apollo carried him from the office, not letting the boy out of his arms until they stood at the elevator. Nico glared as he was dropped to his feet. “You didn't have to carry me.”

The blond smiled down at him as he ran a hand through his curls. “You just looked so cute back there, I just had to do it.”

“I will stab you.”

Apollo chuckled and entered the elevator. “You don't strike me as the violent type, Nico.” The boy arched a brow at the blond. Apollo rubbed his jaw. “Okay, point taken.” He shrugged. “Still, it's just something you'll have to live with. That is your angle, sort of a schoolboy persona.” He pinched Nico's cheek. “A very cute schoolboy.”

Nico smacked the blond's hand away. “You're going to lose that hand.”

“I always forget how cranky you are after waking up.” Apollo cupped his chin. “Does Nico need help waking up? I hear a good round in bed will do the trick?”

“Funny,” Nico mumbled, pressing the button to the second floor. Apollo arched a brow, but did not question the action. “And that's bullshit, because I'm well aware of the fact that it makes you tired.”

The blond shrugged. “Can. It's a good workout, you should try it sometime.”

“I did.”

“Well, I mean on a more common basis.” The blond waved a hand. “The customers are no good. Most of them are old and don't really...'do it' for you, so it would be better to have your needs sated elsewhere.” Leaning an arm against the wall, Apollo winked at Nico. “I'm sure some of the other guys would be happy to help you out.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I'm sure they would. Doesn't mean I'll take them up on it.” He pressed a finger to Apollo's chest. “And the girls just need to get through their heads that I won't do that with them. I'm going to have to endure having sex with a woman for the job, I know that, but my personal life is a different matter.”

“Good for you.” Apollo had a cocky smirk on his lips. “No really, I think it's good for you to set goals like that. It's like a nice way of holding on to a part of yourself.” The grin seemed to fade away as the curly haired young man rubbed his face. “I don't think I was too concerned with doing that back when I came here. See, you were lucky, you had a decent job here already, so you weren't desperate for money when it came to the real deal. It gave you time to think about this stuff.”

Nico chose not to respond to that. Apollo's blue eyes sparkled as they stared at him from across the elevator. Nico crossed his arms and watched the numbers decrease on the elevator. The elevator stopped at one point and picked up a woman on the phone. She stood in between the two Lost Boys, secretly eyeing the blond next to her.

Apollo did not seem to pay her much attention, though. He was too busy watching Nico in amusement. The elevator finally reached their floor, Apollo managing to walk out first. Nico sighed and followed after the blond.

The older of the two stopped and spun around, motioning for Nico to lead the way. Nico eyed him before walking around him and heading for the balcony that partially sat over the pool and cabana area. Apollo walked over to the railing and rested his arms on it, the wind lightly blowing his curly hair.

Nico did the same, resting his arms on the cold metal and lowering his chin to rest on top of them. His brown eyes stared out at the road, watching traffic slowly pass by. “Apollo?”

Apollo let out a heavy sigh. “Why do I feel like I know what you're about to ask?”

“Probably because you do,” Nico mumbled.

Apollo glanced down at him, smiling. “What changed?” Nico nodded his head in response. Apollo tapped his fingers against the railing for a moment, the wind slightly picking up. “I got scared, I guess.” The blond shrugged, not meeting Nico's eyes when the boy looked at him. Instead, the blond was looking at the gated cabana area that was directly beneath them. “It just kind of reminded me of how terrified I was on my first night in those rooms, and how I just wanted someone to make it all stop.”

“But you made the deal in the first place.”

Apollo turned his head away from Nico. He reached out to touch some plants that the hotel grew for display. “I did. But so did Thalia. At least I tried to stop it in the end.”

“Sounds like you're trying to make yourself look like the hero.” Nico sighed and looked up at the cloudy sky.

“I made that deal a while back, before I apologized for what had happened.” Apollo scrunched his lips. “I was scared last night. Scared that I was just creating a cycle. That's all this place is really.” The blond finally glanced at him with surprisingly dull eyes. “I was just going to be creating another version of myself, like I was made after Ganymede.”

Nico leaned in towards Apollo, letting their shoulders brush. “Did you ever hate him?”

Apollo nodded. “Yeah, for several months.” The blond's lips became tightly pursed. “I didn't...I think I just want you to leave here.”

Nico looked hurt. He went to speak, but Apollo raised a hand.

“I don't mean it like that.” Apollo closed his eyes and sighed, threading his fingers into his golden curls. “I wanted you to become like us, thinking that might solve this spite I developed towards you.” The blond shook his head. “That wasn't going to solve anything. But, maybe if you left, you could still have a life ahead of you, and then I wouldn't feel that desire anymore.”

Nico regarded the other Lost Boy carefully before reaching out and touching his arm. “I just think you're human.” Apollo blinked at him in surprise. “I don't think any of you are particularly evil, just that you've all got some issues that need to be worked out.” The raven-haired boy smiled. “And I think you all have enough abandonment issues right now that you don't need me leaving.”

Apollo rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the busy streets of Los Angeles. “You can't tell me that you haven't thought about leaving.”

“Perhaps,” Nico shrugged, “but for now, this is my home. And you guys are my family.”

Apollo smirked and put an arm around the boy. “Your strange and dysfunctional family.”

“So we're normal then.”

The two smiled at each other. “Yeah,” Apollo whispered. He patted the boy's hand and turned around, leaning against the railing with his elbows. “Just promise me one thing then.”

Nico arched a brow at him. “And what's that?”

“Just...try and do what Percy asked of you.” Apollo's lips thinned. “I think the one thing I'd like to see in this place before my time as a Lost Boy ends would be to see change. And maybe do something good.”

“Thanks,” Nico said hesitantly. He brushed some of his hair that the wind had messed up behind his ear. “You know, I think you're the only one of the group that I keep finding a new way of looking at.”

The blond chuckled and lolled his head to the side to smile at Nico. “And why is that?”

“Well,” Nico began, “when I first got here, I thought you were very hot and thoughts about us doing something together were definitely there.” Apollo smirked at that. “And then I wanted to punch you, which I did. I was angry with you, but then you apologized. So then I was just cautious of you. And then we had that nice conversation backstage.”

“So how do you see me now?”

Nico hummed, tapping a finger to his lip. “Like my older brother.” He glanced at the blond. “My very hot older brother.”

Apollo chuckled and nodded. “Fair enough. And those sexual urges?”

Nico took a moment to think. In all honesty, it was something he should have realized by now. But it took being asked for him to actually think about. He met the blond's eyes. “Don't really know. Maybe one day I would be willing to do something with you or the others, but right now...” Nico trailed off, tapping a hand to the railing. “I guess you guys just don't have that effect on me anymore.”

The corner of the blond's lip tilted up. “I know.” He looked away. “You don't blush around us really anymore, or get embarrassed over something sexual.” He glanced at the boy from the corner of his eyes. “Can't really tell though with Will. It's kind of like a playground crush, where I can tell there's an attraction, but it's innocent. And then there's Luke.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “What about Luke?”

“You two have a lot of pent-up sexual frustration.” Apollo smirked at him, making Nico want to smack him. “Honestly, I don't see how you two haven't seen it yet. I also don't understand how you two haven't fucked.”

“I'm not even surprised anymore that the people around here can manage to turn a very nice conversation into something perverted.”

 Apollo laughed at that. Reaching out, the older Lost Boy ruffled Nico's hair. “Maybe I'd miss your attitude too much if you left.”