Children of Loss 32

Chapter 32

Monday was torture. Every time someone bumped into him in the hall, Nico had flinched away. And Daedalus had taken notice of it. The brunet had followed Nico and Jason home to make sure the pale boy was okay. The part that annoyed Nico was that Kelli had followed them as well, having heard from Daedalus how nice the hotel looked.

Nico sat down at a table in the cabana area, placing his backpack on the ground beside him. Daedalus pulled out a binder and slid it over to Nico, so that the boy could copy the notes he had missed during his absence. He did not like that Daedalus's grey eyes kept staring at him. Nico looked up, meeting Jason's stormy gaze.

The blond placed a hand on Daedalus's shoulder. “He's fine, just still recovering from what happened with his mom.”

Nico mouthed a silent thanks when Daedalus turned around. Jason nodded at him. Kelli rolled her eyes and tugged on Jason's arm. “Jason, can I see your room?”

The blond pressed his lips together. “Maybe another time.”

Kelli huffed at that, but did not protest further. Nico's face paled when Ganymede appeared at their table. He grinned down at Nico. Kelli did not even bother trying to hide the fact that she was practically eye-fucking the dirty blond-haired man.

“Hello there, Nico, Jason.” He smiled brighter. “Who are your friends?”

“Just friends from school,” Nico mumbled.

Ganymede nodded. “Are you going to give them a tour of the hotel?” He wagged his eyebrows. “I'm sure they would enjoy seeing exactly where you work.”

Nico shot him a look, as if to say: keep talking, and I will end you. “We're just doing some studying. Daedalus offered to help catch me up with my classes.”

The man nodded. “Well, can I get any of you anything?”

Kelli went to open her mouth, but Jason cut her off. “Some privacy would be nice.”

The man's contact covered eyes gleamed in amusement. “You're no fun, Jason. Well, I'll be over there, if you can think of anything you need.”

As soon as Ganymede was gone, Kelli fell back in her chair. “Damn, he was hot.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “He's like thirty,” he mumbled.

“What my parents won't know, won't get him in trouble.”

Nico shook his head. The girl had issues. He glanced back down at his notes. Daedalus leaned towards him. “I'm sure you could have taken a few more days off.” He shrugged. “I mean, you seemed pretty freaked out today.”

Nico remained silent. Percy had made it clear he was going back to school today. And not only that, but Nico had midterms to prepare for. School would be letting out for winter break in fourteen days, and Nico had a lot of work to catch up on.

Nico pulled out his AP English Literature book and put it down next to his and Daedalus's binders. Daedalus, who sat beside Nico, opened the book to the chapter that their class had gone over last week.

“You know, Nico,” Daedalus said, glancing to the pale boy, “with your curriculum this year, you actually qualify for graduation.” Nico blinked at him. “I was talking with your sister when I was getting my notes ready for you, and she said your parents typically stuck you in a lot of advanced courses.”

“I guess there really is a difference between book smart and common sense,” Jason mumbled, not looking up from his own homework. Kelli, who probably did not even get the jab at Nico, laughed anyways.

Nico shot the blond a glare. “My mom just wanted me to succeed.” He returned his brown eyes to Daedalus. “I'm not sure I want to graduate. This year has been rough, and I don't know if it's what is best for me right now.”

The brunet nodded. “I understand. Still, perhaps it is something to think over. I guess Percy did his research, putting you into these classes.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled as he glanced over the chapter in front of him. He blew his lips. What was the purpose behind this? “I think I just want to take it easy next year.”

Daedalus shrugged. “You could graduate and just take a year off.”

“We'll see.”

Kelli flipped her hair over her shoulder. She reminded Nico of Drew when she did that. “So, Jason, would you want to go see a movie with me this weekend?”

Jason shrugged. “Kind of busy this weekend, sorry.”

Nico watched the blond from across the table. That was partly true. The lie was that they were busy every night. That was one of the social downsides to their job; they could never spend time with their friends. Nico chewed on his lip. He wondered if that would ever pose a problem for him. What if Bianca and Daedalus wanted to hangout with him one night? It might get suspicious if he had to keep saying no.

Over the course of the next hour and a half, Daedalus worked to drill every inch of missed material into Nico's head. Jason had taken Kelli on a tour of the ground floor of the hotel, partially to let Nico do his work and partially because the girl would not shut up about seeing the place.

Daedalus finally began packing up, much to Nico's relief. His head hit the table while the brunet was putting away his last textbook. Daedalus chuckled at him, patting him on the back. “Come on, Nico, it wasn't that bad.”

“It was torture.” Nico sat up, lips pursed. “Daedalus?”

The brunet looked up. “Yeah?”

Nico opened his mouth, but stopped. “Um...” The boy closed his mouth, swallowing a lump in his throat. He could not bring himself to ask. “Nothing,” he whispered. He looked up, giving his friend a small smile. “Thanks for helping me.”

Daedalus returned Nico's smile with one of his own. “Not a problem. Let me know if you need any more help.”

Nico sighed as Daedalus stood up. He had wanted to ask if the offer from the brunet's mother still stood. There was no problem with weighing his options, right? Still, the fact that he knew if he accepted the offer the hotel and everyone in it would be gone from his life bothered him. Would he even be allowed to set foot in the lobby?

Would Percy even acknowledge who he was?

Nico got up to walk the brunet out. There was a sharp whistle from behind him. He slowly turned to find Ganymede staring at him. Nico frowned and turned back to Daedalus. “Um, sorry, I've got to see what he wants.”

Daedalus smiled. “It's okay, I can find my way out.” He chuckled. “I'll see you at school tomorrow, Nico.” With a wave over his shoulder, the brunet walked out of the cabana area.

The pale Lost Boy's shoulders slumped as soon as he was alone. Well, not alone. There were other people around him, but his primary focus of concern was gone. Rubbing his arm, the boy walked over to the small, wooden bar.

The dirty blond leaned on the bar with a smile. “Your friend seems nice.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “He's my sister's boyfriend, back off.”

Ganymede chuckled. “Calm down, I wasn't trying to hit on him.” He pouted his lips and reached out to pinch Nico's cheek. “Don't worry, cutie, you're the only one for me.”

“Bullshit.” Nico sat down at the bar. A smile actually touched at Nico's lips, which ended up making the one on Ganymede's face grow. “Do you have a faithful bone in your body?”

The joy in the dirty blond man's eyes dimmed. Nico bit down on his lip, feeling he had said the wrong thing. The ex-Lost Boy sighed and ran a hand through his wavy hair. “I am quite faithful, thank you very much. Just not in the sense that you are probably thinking about.” He raised his hands in a shrug. “Not everyone believes in the whole idea of a completely monogamous relationship.” A tan finger reached out to roll an apple across the cabana's surface. “Some people just don't like having the same meal every night for the rest of their life.”

“Have you ever tried?”

There was a small smirk that touched at the man's lips. “Once, but that was a long time ago, when I was just a few years older than you.”

Nico crossed his arms on the bar. “Didn't work out?”

Ganymede tilted his head to the side, touching a finger to his lips. “It was just a case of young love. He was rich and handsome, and promised me a lot of things that I thought he could actually follow through with.”

Nico blinked. “So what happened?”

The tall man chuckled before clearing his throat. “His fiancée did not like it when she found out.” The blond waved his hand dismissively. “I suppose that's where I got my whole ideology about relationships, though it was more out of spite at the time. I wanted to hurt him, which I did.” He shrugged. “He looked quite devastated when he came home to find his now wife in bed with me.”

“Sounds like real love right there,” Nico mumbled sarcastically. Ganymede chuckled. “Apollo and I had a talk yesterday.”

The man brushed some of his hair out of his face. “Yeah? What did blondie have to say to you?”

Nico shrugged. “He wanted me to leave. Not the first in the past few days to say that to me.”

Reaching for a plastic cup, Ganymede went about preparing a smoothie. “Well, I suppose it's something to consider. But wouldn't the real test of character to be to stick it out?” He turned on the blender before placing his hands on the counter and stared at Nico. “If this place does anything, it toughens you out. Sure you can go and have a normal life, but you could stay here for the rest of high school and make some money. You could take care of yourself. You wouldn't need to worry about working your way through an education at a university.”

The Lost Boy let out a sigh. “Not everything is about money.”

A laugh escaped the man's lips. “What world are you living in? Have we been working at the same place?” His eyes gleamed over with amusement. “The world is corrupt, everything is broken. Power and money get you places.”

“But I don't want those things.”

Ganymede turned off the blender with a small laugh. “Yet you're going after Percy.”

Dark eyes narrowed at the man across the bar. “That's because I genuinely like Percy. I don't care about his money or his power. I'd still like him if he was poor.”

The blond man poured the contents of the blender into the plastic cup he had pulled out earlier. With a smile, he pushed it across to Nico. “Enjoy, free of charge.” He leaned on the counter. “Just don't get yourself hurt, Nico.” His lips tilted up. “And I mean that in the emotional and physical sense.”

Nico held the cup up, like he was toasting Ganymede. “I can take care of myself.”

“We'll see,” Ganymede called after him as Nico walked off.

The smoothie tasted a little bitter in Nico's mouth. Whether it was made that way, or it was in Nico's head, he did not know. He grunted when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling the phone out, he found a text from Apollo to let him know he had to practice tomorrow.

He knew he could not avoid it, but Nico really was not looking forward to getting back on that stage. He no longer had that protective barrier against customers. Nico was now fair game. And it was that thought that made him shudder.

When Nico reached the lobby, his face paled slightly. Speak of the devil, he thought. Persephone pushed the door to the lobby open. Removing her sunglasses, the woman looked around the decorated room. She was wearing a lot of black, Nico noted.

She smiled as she neared him. “Oh, Nico. What are the odds running into you here?” She asked in her honey-like voice. Now that she stood closer to him, Nico could now see that her eyes were red and a little puffy. “Just here to do a little business.”

The Lost Boy nodded, letting the woman hook her arm through his. He led her towards the elevators. “Isn't it a little early for that?”

A small laugh escaped her mouth. Raising a hand to her nose, Nico noticed she carried a tissue. She had been crying. “Not that kind of business. Just signing some documents, things like that. Nothing to trouble your pretty little mind over.”

He managed to smile at the woman. “I just don't like to see pretty women cry.”

She wiped at her eyes, a small smile on her lips. “You're a sweetheart.” Stepping into the elevator, Persephone reached out and swiped a card through the slot before pressing the button to Percy's floor. “Would you mind showing me to your boss?”

Like Nico needed more convincing to go see Percy. “Of course.”

When the elevator finally stopped, Nico led the woman out and towards the hotel's main office. He opened the door and Rachel and Leo looked up at him, both arching brows. Rachel stood up and walked in front of her desk. She reached out and shook Persephone's hand with a smile. “Persephone, thank you for coming. Percy is expecting you.”

As if on cue, the door opened and the manager himself appeared. His eyes met Nico's as he straightened the tie that he was wearing. He nodded towards the boy. “Nico.” A spark of amusement flashed in his eyes before he turned his attention to the woman on Nico's arm. “If you'd just step into my office.” He stepped aside and motioned inside.

Persephone detached herself from the boy's arm before slipping past Percy and seating herself in front of his desk. Percy turned to smile at Nico, pulling the door shut. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

“Taking a shine to women now, are we?” Percy asked in amusement. Leo and Rachel snickered.

Nico shot both of them dirty looks. He crossed his arms and faced Percy. “I was just doing my job.”

The manager nodded with a smile. “Well thank you for showing her up.” Moving forward, he paced around Nico with his arms still crossed. “As you know, Christmas is quickly approaching. Also, as you probably guessed, we will be having a Christmas party.”

Rachel cleared her throat. “Everyone buys a present for everyone else, and we open them and make a thing of it on Christmas Day.”

Leo continued to type on his computer. “All the Lost Kids, of course, Dionysus, Chiron, Circe, Aphrodite, Ganymede, and Percy.” He looked up with a grin. “And if you want to get on her good side, Gaea.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “But you're not expected to get her anything.”

Nico bit on his lip, mumbling his next words. “What about the other managers?”

The green-eyed young man shrugged. “They don't really care about getting anything. And I wouldn't expect you to, really.” He scratched his cheek. “I can understand that it's already a big list with everyone else, plus you'll probably want to get your sister and Daedalus something.” His perfect smile was flashed before Nico. “So don't worry about it.”

Nico slowly nodded, his mind feeling hazy. “So I can take a day to go shopping?”

Rachel picked up a piece of paper from her desk. “Annabeth is taking a few of the others to shop tomorrow, if you want to tag along.” She handed Nico the paper. “Here's a list of things to consider for Gaea, since you haven't met her. Or you can ask the others for suggestions.”

Percy's arms wove their way around Nico's waist. Nico could feel Percy's breath on his neck. “I already did my Christmas shopping.” Nico felt Percy's lips tilt up from where they pressed against his ear. “I do hope you like what I got you,” he whispered into the boy's ear. Chuckling, he pulled back. “All right, I've got some business to attend to.”

Nico nodded, looking up at the young man from behind his bangs. He turned and took his leave from the office, tossing a wave at the three in the office before shutting the door. Nico leaned against the wall as waited for the elevator. The boy's head fell back to hit the wall.

He knew that his crush on Percy was unhealthy, but he could not help it. It was the young man's fault really. If he were not so charming, Nico would not have fallen for him. So this was all Percy's fault, not his. He rolled his eyes.

His pulse was still racing as he boarded the elevator and waited to be taken to his floor. It was not until he felt something wet trailing down his cheek that he froze. He reached up to find a tear there. Wiping his eyes he looked at himself in the metal paneling of the elevator, not bothering to get off when the elevator door opened.

And it was as if seeing the tear caused the dam to break, because more tears began to follow. Nico did not understand, he had not even been sad a second ago. And now panic began to course throughout his mind as he clutched his head and crouched down in the elevator.

As the elevator door began to close, Nico reached out and caused the sensor to trigger to keep it open. Wiping at his eyes, the Lost Boy removed himself from the floor and quickly made his way towards his room. He did not want to be seen like this, not when he could not even control his own body. He could not be this broken.

But before he could reach the door to his suite, Nico was grabbed and pinned against the wall. Nico scrunched his eyes shut to keep whoever it was from seeing that he had been crying. “What do you want?” He snapped.

A large hand was placed against his crotch. “Just making sure you remember your job.” It was Butch. Nico kept his eyes shut, but tried to break free. However, Butch was much stronger than him, so it did not amount to much. “You do remember your job, don't you?” He was closer to Nico's face now.

“Just leave me alone, I'm not in the mood.”

Butch chuckled. “Doesn't matter. See, we have a job, and you may find yourself not in the mood a lot.” His hand tightened on Nico's wrists. “You think that matters? No. You're not just in there to let them have their way with a young guy. You're in there to get information, which means you can't just lay there, trying not to cry.”

Nico's jaw tightened. “I haven't forgotten. I'm sorry that I was upset over everything that has happened to me the first time I had to sell my body to some rich pedophile!” Nico's eyes snapped opened to glare at the taller Lost Boy.

Butch blinked down at him. “Have you been crying?” His grip finally released Nico's wrists, which fell lifelessly to the boy's sides. “Nico?”

The boy stared down at his feet. “I'm fine,” he whispered.

“Is this about your mom?” Butch tilted his head to the side to try and meet Nico's eyes. “You could try talking to Annabeth or Apollo. They both lost their mothers. I'm sure they wouldn't mind talking with you.” The older Lost Boy reached out and placed a hand on Nico's arm. “Or is this about the job? Percy?”

Nico looked up with dark and tear-filled eyes. “I don't want to talk about it.”

Butch pursed his lips. “I understand, you know. I had a crush on Percy when I first got here.” He shrugged. “Percy just has that charm.” A small smile spread across Butch's lips. “But I realized it was just that I liked the attention Percy gave me. You know, growing up like I did, I never really got much attention. My mom was always using and I had to take care of myself, but you don't really want to let too many people close to you when you're on the streets. For all you know, they might just stab you and take what little you have.”

The black-haired boy did his best to hold back fresh tears. “It's not the same. I'm not getting over Percy. All of you keep saying that I will, but it hasn't happened yet.” The shorter of the two wiped at his eyes. “Now, is there a reason you had to stop me like this?”

Butch rubbed his large arm. “Um, well, I was sort of instructed to by Percy.” Nico's eyes darkened. “He sort of...felt you might not be ready, with what happened with you and Will yesterday. And apparently you're having trouble letting people touch you.”

Wrapping his arms around himself, Nico averted his eyes from Butch. “Can I go now?”

Butch stared down at him for a moment before wiping a hand down his face. “Yeah,” he breathed out. He stepped aside to let Nico go. “Sorry about that.”

The brown-eyed Lost Boy inched his way around Butch, hugging the wall as much as possible to avoid coming in contact with the larger Lost Boy. He fished his card out of his wallet and slipped it into his door, casting a look at Butch before closing the door behind him.

Silena had a nice voice. Nico had discovered this while listening to her hum on the way up to the top floor. The Lost Girl hummed to herself as she ran her fingers through her dark hair. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink when she noticed Nico staring at her. “What?”

Nico smiled and shook his head. “Nothing, you just have a nice voice.”

She draped her hair over her shoulder. “Thank you. I sang in choir back in high school, even though momma didn't support it.” The Lost Girl briefly chewed on her lip. “But that's in the past, and that hobby has long been put to rest.”

“You could pursue it,” Nico offered. “Some of the others are going to school. Beckendorf is. I'm sure-”

“It's just a dream, Nico.” Silena's eyes took on a sad look as they stared at the wall. “The others just like to dream. We all know we're never going to escape this place.”

Nico blinked once at her. “It doesn't hurt to dream. Besides, you never know, something might happen.” He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “Don't you want to have a real life with Beckendorf? Maybe start a family?”

Silena seemed to tense up at that. “I don't know. It scares me to think about being a parent.” The black-haired girl slowly rubbed her palms together. “You know, it's just something that all of us are just nervous about.” She pursed her lips. “We don't want to turn out like our parents,” she whispered.

“That's something you can control. I mean, I don't know what happened to you, but if you try hard enough, I think you could make a good mother.”

Silena's crystal blue eyes darted over to him. “It would be nice. Charlie-bear would make a good father.” She let out a long breath. “It would take a lot of work.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “How do you even do it?”

Silena turned to look at him in confusion. “Do what?”

“Pull off being together in this place?” Nico shook his head. “With everything like it is, I don't see how you do it.”

A small smile appeared on the girl's lips. “A lot of effort and trust. Typically, we don't have sex apart from each other, not counting Percy or the customers. And even with Percy it's together.” The Lost Girl's head hit the metal wall behind her. “Believe me, it can get exhausting. And there are times, like a couple of weeks ago, where Charlie might toss that rule we have out the window. He can be a little hot-headed sometimes.”

Nico pressed his lips together. The elevator came to a stop. Silena made to get off, but Nico spoke up. “Still, you two care for each other, I can tell. Wouldn't it be better to try and leave? I'm sure you two could survive.”

Silena did not respond or turn around to acknowledge she even heard him. She was still for a second before continuing on her way to the stairs. Nico sighed when she was gone. He shook his head and exited the elevator himself.

But before he could get past the booths, Clarisse pressed a hand to his chest. “What did you say to her? You trying to get her to leave?”

Nico gulped. “Wouldn't that be better for her? She could start a real life.”

The giant of a Lost Girl narrowed her eyes. “Don't go sticking your nose in things you don't understand. We take care of her here, and we can't do that if she leaves.” Clarisse's nostrils flared. “Do you even understand how messed up everyone is here? And you're over here trying to send them on their merry little way into the world?”

Ethan placed a hand on the Lost Girl's shoulder. “Let him go Clarisse, he has to get to work.”

The girl turned her animal-like eyes on her fellow security worker. “Don't defend him. He's going to destroy this place and everyone in it if he keeps on with this. You might as well put a bullet through his head right now.” She gripped Nico's shirt. “Don't fucking say things like you just did when Gaea gets here, or you might find yourself back on the streets. That is if you're not dead.”

“Clarisse,” Ethan growled.

The Lost Girl kept her dark gaze on Nico. She grunted before releasing him and shoving the pale Lost Boy towards the stairs. Nico nearly tripped as his feet made contact with the first step. He looked back with a frown. Ethan was watching him, while Clarisse was now choosing to ignore him.

Nico hurried up the stairs and made his way to the bar room. He quickly came to a halt. Jason stood against one of the walls, glaring daggers at Dionysus. The man stood at the bar, mixing a drink with a smile. As soon as he noticed Nico, Dionysus picked the drink up and downed it.

“Ah, Nico my boy, glad to have you back.”

Nico regarded the man with caution as he made his way over to the couch. “What's going on?”

Connor, who was taking up most of the couch, rolled onto his side to glance down at his feet to where Nico now sat. “What he's always trying to do, start trouble.”

The man at the bar looked like he wanted to dump the bottle of vodka in his hand onto the brunet's head. “Your words are so hurtful, Connor. Why can't you love me like you do your brother?”

Connor rolled his eyes. “First of all...” A brief gleam flickered in Dionysus's eyes, which caused the brunet to close his mouth and look away. “Never mind,” Connor mumbled.

Nico's brow furrowed. “It's not like anyone around here cares.” The pale Lost Boy shot the bartender a warning look. “Leave him alone.”

Connor sat up and gave Nico a small smile. Silena, who had been standing quietly in the corner, ran her hand through Connor's curly hair. “You know we love and support you, Connor,” she whispered to the brunet.

The brunet's blue eyes remained on Nico. “Thank you.”

The door pushed open to reveal Travis, who immediately took notice of his brother. The slightly taller brunet frowned. “What's wrong?”

Connor shook his head. “Nothing.” Travis did not look convinced. “I promise. Dionysus was just being himself.”

Travis shot the man a dirty look, though it did little to bother the man, who was already downing another drink. “Maybe you should go see to a table.”

The younger twin nodded and got up. Sparing one last glance at Nico, he disappeared out the door, Travis following after him. Silena quietly made her way out of the girls' door. Nico glanced up at Jason, who nodded. Letting out a sigh, Nico stripped himself of his shirt and pants.

Jason headed for the door, and Nico, stumbling from getting his pants off, moved to follow after him. Adjusting the speedo that he wore, Nico looked up at his roommate. “Everything all right back there?”

“Like Connor said, just Dionysus being himself.” Jason glanced at the shorter boy from the corner of his eye. “And drugs. Drugs were also involved.”

“Still trying?”

There was a small nod from the blond. “He's persistent, I'll give him that.” Nico inched closer to the blond as several guests turned to stare at them, though the blond seemed oblivious to this. “Though, I suppose if one good thing came of your screw ups, it would be that I've learned that Dionysus is not to be trusted. He is enemy number one.”

Nico came to a stop and crossed his arms. Jason grinned down at him. “I'm so happy that I could be of service to you,” the raven-haired Lost Boy mumbled.

The blond raised his hands in a shrug. “Hey, you were warned not to trust him. Not to mention that several people—myself included I do believe—told you that several things that you were doing were bad ideas.”

“No one warned me about what Apollo had been planning.”

“That was before I got here.” Jason rubbed at his neck, closing his eyes. Nico took a second to glance his roommate's body over. It had just a hint of less muscle than Percy, though their builds were relatively similar. There was even a small 'V' shape at his hips. “As with everyone else, my body is only for sale. Though feel free to stare, I did work hard for my body.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He turned to walk off, Jason's laughter filling his ears as he headed for his first table. The man was watching the stage, watching Apollo and Luke put on the first performance of the night. Nico cleared his throat, staring at the back of the man's head. “Good evening, sir. My name is Nico. Can I start you off with anyth-” Nico's notepad nearly fell out of his hand, the color in his face draining.

“Oh, Nico, it's good to see you again.” The man from months ago, the guy that Percy had turned down to spend time in the back rooms with Nico, sat in front of him. The senator.

Nico's stomach did a flip. He quickly recovered, clearing his throat. “Senator Johnson, it's good to have you here again.” The Lost Boy only hoped that his lie was believable. “C-can I get you anything?”

“Well, I was going to request some of your personal time tonight, but your manager says that you're taking a few days off from the rooms.” A smile broke out across the man's face. “I was just happy to hear that you were now working back there. Someone as delectable as you should not be kept in a cage.” The man's words made Nico's skin crawl. “I assure you, though, I will be back to partake in what you have to offer.”

Nico smiled at the man, refusing to show his teeth. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth the contents of his stomach would find their way onto the man's face. “It's only for a few days.” His stomach lurched again at the thought of being with the senator. Percy passed him by, glancing at Nico from the corner of his eye. Nico's brown eyes followed the young man. “Just let the anticipation hold you over for now.”

Mr. Johnson laughed. “Hopefully it won't be a long wait.”

After taking the senator's order, Nico slipped his notepad into the back of his speedo and walked his way over to Percy's table. The young man looked up at him with the raise of his brow. “Yes?”

“Did you know he was going to be here tonight?”

Percy nodded. “Didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal. I trust that you can handle it?”

Nico rubbed his shoulder. “Not happy about it, though.”

The green-eyed young man pushed his black bangs from his eyes. “It's not about being happy, it's about business, and I need to know you can handle your job.” He tapped the pen that was in his hand on the table. “There will probably be a lot of customers that you don't like or find attractive, but it doesn't mean that you can let that get in the way of your job.”

“I know, I know,” Nico sighed. “He just creeps me out.”

Percy smiled. “Well if you're scared that he is going to kidnap you or something, I can assure you that he's pretty harmless.”

“Besides,” Leo interjected, “they're too scared of Percy to try taking a Lost Kid from the hotel.”

Percy shot Leo a dirty look. “I'll have you know that I'm very professional.”

“And you have the blood stains to prove it.”

Nico chuckled at that. Leo grinned up at the raven-haired boy. Nico leaned on the table. “And how long do I have exactly before I have to worry about...taking care of him?”

Percy glanced Nico over. “Um, a few days? You'll be back on stage tomorrow, but I'll probably give you until the end of the week before sending you back into the rooms.” He reached out and ran the back of his fingers along Nico's arm. “Try not to have too much fun until then. Maybe try practicing with some of the other Lost Kids.”

“Oh, you mean like with Butch?” Nico narrowed his eyes.

Percy shrugged. “Just trying to help. You do have a job to fulfill.” Yanking on Nico's arm, Percy pulled the Lost Boy down to whisper in his ear. “Really you should be thanking me. If you can't handle this by the time Gaea gets here, we'll both be in trouble. Now, I'm actually going to ask for this favor, since I did so much for you and you chose to ignore most of it. I need you to shape up and be able to handle this.”

Percy released Nico, who pulled back to stare at Percy with a hint of fear. “Yes, sir.”

Percy laced his fingers in front of his face. “Good. I do hope you don't disappoint this time.”

Nico scurried away from the table and headed for the bar room. He waited on the couch for Dionysus to get Mr. Johnson's drink ready. “Trouble?” Dionysus asked.

“Not in the mood right now,” Nico mumbled.

The man sighed. “No one seems to be in the mood to let me have any fun tonight.” He shook his head, mixing the drink. “I do need some form of excitement, if I am to survive this place.”

“Why not just do everyone the favor and leave?”

“My, you do have a sharp tongue on you tonight, Nico.” Sliding the drink away from himself, Dionysus leaned on the counter. “Still sore from getting fucked by the boss?”

Nico's dark eyes shot up to glare at the man. Dionysus only raised a drink he had mixed for himself, smiling in Nico's direction. “What would you even know about how I'm feeling right now?” Nico hissed venomously. “Do you even feel anything anymore? Could I even consider you human?”

Dionysus blinked in surprise. He sat his drink down and held his arms out for Nico. “My boy, you're finally becoming part of the family. Come here.”

“I'd rather not.” Nico let his head drop, hiding his face from the man. He stood to his feet and went to grab the drink, only for Dionysus to grab his wrist.

The bartender forced Nico to look up. “There it is, the look that I see in all of their eyes. I saw the same look in my eyes when I first started here. You're finally starting to accept things, Nico. The world is an ugly place and doesn't deserve your kindness. Percy is incapable of reciprocating your feelings, and that hurts. And the best way to pay the world back is to let them have all of your pain back. Spite is the best stress relief.”

“Hey!” Reyna stood in the doorway, arms crossed. “What the hell is going on in here? Let him go, or I'll break your arm.”

Dionysus released his hold on Nico's wrist, grinning. “Just having a small talk, welcoming Nico to the family really.”

Nico grabbed the drink order and briskly walked towards the door. He stopped when he stood next to Reyna. “Thanks,” he whispered. Reyna nodded at him. Nico lowered his gaze and pushed his way out the door, letting it swing shut behind him.

Returning to the senator's table, Nico placed the amber drink onto the table. Mr. Johnson looked up at him with a smile. “If you ever decide this place isn't for you, I wouldn't mind having you at my house to greet me when I got home from work.”

Nico pressed his lips together. He could feel himself about to throw up. “I, um, think I like it here. But thank you.” He managed a smile.

Mr. Johnson nodded. “I see. Does this have anything to do with your boss?”

Nico jerked his head around to look at Percy, barely catching the young man look away and start talking with Leo. Nico pressed his lips together, tilting his head to the side.

“Since he came in, he keeps looking over here,” Mr. Johnson informed Nico. “If I recall correctly, he did the same the last time I was here. Not to mention when you went over to his table. Can't quite place my finger on it, but it seems like he's almost affectionate with you. If I didn't know better, I would have thought there was something there. Honestly, I was surprised when he said you weren't for sale the last time.”

Percy glanced back at Nico. The Lost Boy gave him a small wave, which Percy smiled at. The corners of Nico's lips tilted up. “There's nothing going on between us.”

“Ah, well then, I suppose there's no need for me to feel nervous about purchasing some time with you.”

Nico was thankful when the music started back on for the next performance. He was not really feeling up to continuing this line of discussion with the senator. His eyes briefly roamed over to where Percy sat. The green-eyed young man was sipping on a drink, his eyes intently watching the three Lost Boys on stage.

Apollo, Luke, and Travis stood towards the center of the stage, letting their hands move sensually across their bodies and above their heads. They moved slowly, tugging on their sleeveless shirts every so often. When Usher's “Love in this Club” picked up, the Lost Boys began bouncing and swaying back and forth. A blue light was hitting them from above.

Their hips gyrated to the music as their shirts were slowly lifted over their heads. Travis spun his around before tossing his green shirt into the audience. Apollo began running his hand up his leg, pulling the fabric of his shorts up ever so slightly.

Nico nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Mr. Johnson's hand on his ass. Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to the man. He leaned down. “I've got to go see to other customers, but I'll be back.”

As soon as he was far enough away, Nico let out a sigh. At the moment, he would have rather been on the stage. At least there was less of an opportunity for him to be touched there. Nico rubbed his hands together, frowning to himself. The night could not end soon enough.

“I'm sorry, why don't you just get less attractive? I can help with that, if you feel you're getting too many customers!”

Nico blinked with wide eyes. He sat in one of the booths, hands clamped on the table. Luke stirred a drink next to him, a bored look on his face as they watched Apollo and Leo bicker. Apparently, Apollo was feeling exhausted from having to work the back rooms every night for the past week.

Apollo placed a hand on his hip, his bare chest still sweaty from just having finished with a customer. “I would just like a night off. But I couldn't expect you to know what the rest of us are going through.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Of course not. How could I imagine what it could possibly be like not to get a night of rest? I mean, all I have to do is sort out all the paperwork, see to all of you, answer calls, count the cash, arrange services for the customers, and run errands for Percy. Oh and let's not forget that I had all those sleepless nights while my mother and I were moving around without a real home.”

Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. “Shouldn't someone break them up?” He whispered to the blond next to him.

Luke glanced up briefly from the drink that he had yet to actually pick up. “Not my concern.”

Nico rubbed his face. Percy was not around, as he was seeing to an issue with the girls at the moment. Nico focused his brown eyes back onto the bickering Lost Boys.

Apollo sneered at the short Latino boy. “Probably something to do with you. Enjoying the show from the security room?” He motioned to his body. “Missing my body already?”

“You wish!” Leo jutted his chin up, straightening his shoulders. “I don't have any interest in doing that with you again. With how many people you've been with, I just might catch something.”

“Careful now,” Luke grunted.

Leo held up a hand. “Sorry.” He glared up at Apollo. “Maybe you should just get over yourself. All you have is your looks anyways.”

Apollo's eyes widened. The blond grabbed the curly haired Lost Boy by the front of his shirt. “Look here-”

Nico shot up from the table and pushed the two apart. “Whoa, please calm down.” The two glared at him. “Um...” Nico suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. “I think you both just need to cool off.”

“Stay out of this, Nico.” Apollo's dark blue eyes flickered back to Leo. “This doesn't concern you.”

Nico huffed as he was pushed aside. “You two bicker like an old married couple!”

The two froze. Nico heard laughter from behind him. Turning around, he found Luke laying his head on the table with uncontrollable laughter. Leo and Apollo stared at him, mouths agape and with wide eyes. Clearing his throat, Nico took a step back.

Leo and Apollo turned away from each other, still in shock. There seemed to be a faint coloring to their cheeks now. Apollo was the first to speak. “That is so not true.”

Luke was still dying of laughter. He wiped at his eyes. “Oh man, that was good, shortie.” He glanced at Apollo, still grinning. “What's wrong, blondie, don't like what he said?”

Nico fumbled with his mouth. “I, um...”

Luke placed his hands behind his head, reclining in the booth. “My night just got better.”

“Shut up, Luke,” Apollo growled. “All you do is take joy from the misery of others.”

“Oh yeah, I never do anything helpful,” Luke said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Since you think the brat and I need to bang, then I'd say the same to you and the chihuahua over there.”

Leo glared at Luke, though his face darkened even more. “Shut up, Luke!” He turned back to Apollo. “Why don't you just go to bed then, since you feel so overworked.” The Lost Boy's brown eyes narrowed at Luke. “And you can just go to your room, so I don't have to put up with you anymore.”

Luke shrugged and hopped up from his seat. Placing his hands in his pockets, he headed for the stairs. “Come on, kid, let's leave the lovebirds alone.”

“Fucking hell, Luke! Shut up!” Leo yelled after the retreating blond.

Nico bit back a laugh as he moved to follow Luke. As the descended the stairs, he looked up at the blond. “Do you believe what Apollo has said?”

Luke raised a brow at him. It took a moment, but realization soon hit the blond's face. “Oh, you mean about me and you?” Nico nodded. Luke shrugged. “Not interested, if you're wondering.” He stopped at the elevator and pushed the call button. “Sorry to break your little schoolgirl heart.”

Nico let out a breath. “You're always just so charming. I don't know how I'll ever be able to survive the news,” he grumbled sarcastically.

Luke grinned. “I know. I'm just so irresistible.”

“More like obnoxious.”

As soon as the door opened, Luke pushed Nico inside. Elbowing the button to their floor, Luke pinned Nico to the wall, shoving his knee between the boy's legs. “Doesn't mean I wouldn't fulfill your fantasy of having me on top of you. I'm sure you dream about it every night, begging me to go deeper.”

Nico turned his head away. “Only in your dreams.” He managed to push Luke off of him, though it was probably more from the blond being willing to be moved. “What is your deal with me anyways? I don't get you.”

Luke touched the back of his hair. “Not much to get. You annoy me and I can't wait for you to leave.”

“Yeah, you're quite full of shit.”

The blond sighed. The elevator came to a stop. Luke eyed Nico for a second before stepping off. Nico furrowed his brow and followed. “You're a kid, you make that quite clear with your actions. You are not cut out for this place.” He suddenly stopped moving and put a firm hand on Nico's chest. “And maybe I don't want to see a Lost Kid off themself because they can't handle this place. Not again.”

Nico's mouth felt dry all of a sudden. “Someone committed suicide here?”

“Not that it was ever released to the public or the clients that come here.” Luke shook his head. “No, that would look bad for business.” The blue-eyed Lost Boy ran a hand through his hair with an exasperated look. “And maybe one or two of the current ones actually tried to. And maybe I don't really wanna see that happen again.”

Nico felt cold. It was like a cold hand was dragging its nails down his back. He shivered. When he looked up to meet Luke's gaze again, he shifted uncomfortably. “Who?”

“Not going to say,” Luke whispered, not breaking eye contact with Nico.

It was like he was unable to look away from the intense gaze that Luke was giving him. Nico could not even move. “I'm not going to...do that.” His voice barely came out as a whisper. “I'm trying.” He finally found the power to look away, down at his feet. “I'm trying to do better. I know I screwed up. I failed and broke the deal.” He pursed his lips. “But I wanted to thank you anyways, for at least trying to help me out.”

“Don't expect it again.” Luke had a dark look in his eyes. “I don't like wasting my time, which is all that amounted to. But I should have known, with how you look at Percy. I'm not stupid like the rest of them, I know you're not just crushing on him.” The blond shook his head. “I do think you're stupid. Having feelings for Percy is dangerous. But I am not here to tell you to get over your crush.” Luke ran his tongue along the back of his teeth. “Just be ready for the consequences that come with it.”

It was at this moment that Nico realized how hard his heart was beating. “I have no regrets.”

“Yet,” Luke whispered.

“Y-you sound a little jealous,” Nico stuttered, his voice cracking.

Luke chuckled dryly. “Please, brat. I told you, I'm not interested in you the way everyone seems to think I am.” Turning his back to Nico, Luke reached for his door.

Nico held out a hand. “Wait.”

Luke glared at him. “What is it now? I'm tired, kid.”

Nico opened his mouth, but quickly pursed it. Luke motioned for Nico to hurry up. Nico let out a breath. “I, um, was sort of wondering something.” Luke turned back around, giving Nico his full attention. “What made you leave home?”

Nico bit his tongue as soon as the question left his lips. He meant it to be harmless, but he knew it was personal. It was just that Luke's conversation with him from the water park still bothered Nico. He felt there was something missing, something right in front of his face. Could it have been the reason Octavian seems to dislike him so much? Or perhaps why Luke gets annoyed with him? It was important to Nico.

Luke crossed his arms. “None of your business.” It was not said with anger, though. There was a firmness in Luke's voice, the underlying message to leave the issue there plainly stated for Nico. Luke sighed when Nico's shoulders slumped. “Look, the day I left was the biggest mistake I have ever made. I don't like talking about it.” He slowly nodded. “We were talking about regrets? Well that's mine. If I could have gone back and changed it, I would have. I shouldn't have left Octavian with our mother.”

Nico rubbed his arm. “She did something to him?”

“Only got worse when I left.” Luke rubbed his face. “Very religious woman; didn't mix well with a very opinionated son.” His blue eyes darted back to Nico. “Are we done now?”

Nico gulped and nodded. “Night,” he whispered. Luke grunted in return before disappearing into his suite.

The boy let out a groan as he stumbled his way to his suite. Pulling his shirt up, he wiped his face with the fabric. Nico let out a yawn as he opened the door, his eyes feeling heavy. The Lost Boy shut the door and stopped. He could hear heavy breathing coming from down the hallway. Frowning to himself, he slowly moved closer, rubbing his eyes.

He stopped in front of his door and turned to look at Jason's room. The door was open, though Nico was currently wondering if that was a good or bad thing. Good news, he found the source of the heavy breathing. The bad news? He wished he hadn't.

Jason was on his hands and knees, biting down into his sheets, while Percy straddled him from behind. The blond's hair was matted down. Percy yanked the blond's head back as he continued his movements.

Nico rubbed his eyes and opened his bedroom door. He cleared his throat. “Can you two keep it down, or at least close your door? I would like to get some sleep.”

Jason nearly jumped out of his skin. He jumped back, nearly hitting Percy in the face. The green-eyed young man ended falling off the bed. Jason let out a yelp as Percy's manhood was yanked out of him. The blond's mouth hung open as he massaged his ass. “Jesus, Nico.”

“Maybe you shouldn't keep your door open,” the raven-haired roommate mumbled.

Percy yanked his boxers on before jumping to his feet. “Stay put,” he said, pointing to the blond on the bed. The manager stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Nico raised a brow as the tall young man approached him. “Looks like you were having fun.”

Percy ran a hand through his wet hair. “I think I'm going to have to get you a bell. You keep walking in on me during sex.”

“Maybe I should get you one.” Nico leaned against his door. “After all, you're the one who keeps sneaking up on me. Maybe then I could defend my snacks.”

Percy smirked. He tilted Nico's chin up. “I kind of like the idea of you wearing a bell. Maybe a collar.”

The Lost Boy smacked the hand away. “Not my sort of foreplay. I thought you were seeing to the girls?”

The young man chuckled, leaning against the wall next to Nico's head. “Finished up early. Besides, your roommate wanted to see me.”

“I got to see you as well.” He glanced down Percy's bare chest. “A pleasure as always.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “I'm not sure how I feel about this new take you have on this. You used to get freaked out when you walked in on me. What happened to the good old days when you locked yourself in your room? Now I get sarcastic remarks.”

Nico scrunched his lips, his eyes not meeting Percy's green ones. “I thought I was being funny.”

Percy narrowed his eyes, though he was clearly not upset. “You can be very frustrating. You know that, right?” He sighed and pulled out his phone. Nico watched as he tapped the screen a few times before slipping it back into his pocket. “As long as you don't start becoming an exhibitionist.”

“I thought you would like something like that. You don't want to stare at me?”

Percy chuckled and leaned closer. “It lets me rest a little easier with your nature still being intact.” Nico turned his head slightly to meet Percy's gaze. The boy licked his lips. Percy grinned. “I better be going,” his eyebrow shot up, “unless you want to help me finish.”

Nico bit down on his lip. His hand was already gripping Percy's shirt. Percy's face was so close to him. If he wanted to kiss the young man, all he had to do was move his head an inch to his left. The boy let out a breath. Pursing his lips, he pushed on Percy's chest. “Not tonight. I'm really tired.”

Percy nodded his head. He smiled and ruffled Nico's hair. “That sounds like a good idea.” Jason's door opened. The blond emerged, now fully clothed. “Sorry, Jason, looks like our fun must be put on hold.” He glanced at Nico again, his eyes smiling. “I'll let you two get some sleep.”

Nico watched Percy go. He scrunched his lips when the door was shut. Jason was glaring at him. The brown-eyed boy frowned. “What?”

Jason continued to glare. “Thanks a lot. I was close to finishing. Way to give a guy blue balls!”

The shorter of the two rolled his eyes. “I'm sure you'll be fine. You have a hand, use it.” Nico turned to open his door, but Jason slammed his hand against the wall. “What is it now?” He glared at his roommate. “I'm not helping you finish.”

“Tempting.” Jason glanced Nico over. “And I'm sure you would, if I offered. I've seen you stare at me. You like my body.”

Nico shrugged. “So? Just because I like it, doesn't mean I want to get down and suck your dick.”

“I give you a few months before you end up actually doing that.” Jason rolled his blue eyes and turned to head back to his room.

“I thought you said you didn't have sex with the others?”

Jason stopped and turned to face Nico again. The blond crossed his arms. “With the Lost Kids. Percy is not a Lost Kid, at least not anymore.” Nico took a step back as Jason quickly invaded his personal space, shoving the shorter boy against the wall. “I told you, I'm fucked up. I can't stand the thought of someone, anyone, putting their hands on me. The thought of doing anything sexual with another human being makes me sick.”

The pale Lost Boy shoved his roommate back. “Yeah, it looked like you were so miserable. Was that why you were biting the sheets there?”

The blond's nostrils flared. “I wouldn't expect you to understand. No, you're just Percy's little angel. How could you really understand the issues that the rest of us deal with?”

“I'm not fucking perfect!”

Jason chuckled dryly, walking backwards to his room. “Obviously. If you were, then you wouldn't have disappointed Percy so much.” He grabbed the doorknob. “That must really get to you, right? Make you do things that you might not normally do? Welcome to the family.”

Nico flinched as the door was slammed shut. He suddenly felt cold. Chewing on his lip, Nico slipped into his room. He sat on his bed for a long time in his underwear, trying to wrap his mind around things. But there seemed to be so much to try and understand. His heart hurt, there was no denying that, though. Try and hide as he might, seeing Percy with Jason had still hurt. Nico eventually gave up and collapsed onto his back. The boy stared at the dark ceiling until his eyes grew heavy and he fell asleep.

Nico cupped his hands to his mouth, blowing hot air on them. It was fairly chilly out today, at least what could be considered as such by California standards. A black scarf hung from the boy's neck as walked the streets with Annabeth, Juniper, and Octavian.

They had already acquired a few bags back in Octavian's car, but there were still more people to shop for. Nico blew out a breath. He had never had so many people to do Christmas shopping for. And the bad part was that he still had no idea what to get Percy.

He frowned as he turned to Juniper. “What do you get someone who has everything?”

Juniper let out a melodious laugh. “I think Percy will like whatever you get him.”

Nico kicked at the ground. “Yeah, but it's not about that. I want it to be something special, something that he'll really like.”

“Why don't you just tie yourself up and go sit under the tree,” Octavian mumbled from in front of them.

Juniper playfully hit the blond in the back. “Don't listen to him. I'm sure you'll find something.” The Lost Girl flashed him a bright smile.

Annabeth came to a stop. “Here we are.”

Nico looked up. A fairly large department store rose into the sky above them. He quickly followed after the others, who were already going through the revolving doors. There was an escalator near the front, and beyond that there was an elevator. Glass display cases lined the tile floor in front of them.

Nico stayed close to Octavian and the girls, fearing the smiling women with perfume samples that they had to pass by. Octavian glared at Nico, prying the boy from his arm. He shoved the raven-haired boy off and pointed up the escalator. “Up there you'll find some music stuff. I'm sure you can pick something out for Apollo.”

Letting out a sigh, Nico stepped onto the moving stairs. Juniper waved at him as he ascended to the next floor. There was a piano that sat on a rotating platform towards the center of the section. Instruments hung from the ceiling, as well as on stands. Along the wall, Nico found books full of sheets of music from every movie, Broadway play, and just about every song that he could ever recall hearing about.

The question was: what to get the curly-haired blond. Nico let his head fall back in a groan. Christmas shopping had never really been his thing. The Lost Boy scratched his head and threw himself into searching around the area.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, Nico still had not found anything that felt right. He held a thick book that was filled to the brim with music sheets. It did not feel right, though. He needed something Apollo could enjoy, not something that would allow the blond to entertain the guests with. And he really only saw Apollo play the piano when it was for the guests.

“Here, try this.”

A beautifully crafted violin was now being held in front of him. Nico could almost see his reflection in it. It was a work of art. The top was even shaped like a lion. Nico carefully took it in his hands before looking up, his breath hitching.

“R-Robert,” Nico stuttered, nearly tripping as he stumbled backwards.

The blond man held out a gloved hand. “Glad you remember me. I saw you, and was hoping I was right in remembering you from the hotel.” He smiled and slipped his hands into his coat pockets. “I assume you're doing some Christmas shopping for Apollo?”

Nico slowly nodded. “What are you doing here?”

“Shopping for my little girl. She's turning out to be quite the musician, and I thought I'd get her a new instrument to learn.” He flashed a white smile at Nico. “Apollo will appreciate the violin. His father broke the one he had before leaving home. The man did not take the news of his son being gay that well.” The man's green eyes flickered down to the wooden instrument in Nico's hands. “As far as I know, he never got a new one.”

Nico brought the instrument closer to his frame. “What do you even care about him? You broke up with him. And as I hear it, you've taken some heavy anti-gay leanings.” The boy shook his head. “And on top of that, you come to the Lotus.”

Robert let out a sigh. “As you probably know, politicians have little control over things sometimes on matters of leanings. I do get paid quite a hefty sum to support those anti-homosexual agendas.”

“Doesn't change the fact that you've indulged in those very things.”

The blond glanced around to make sure no one was listening to them. “You kind of remind me of him, at least before he was taken in by Percy.” He shook his gelled blond head. “Who do you think informed Percy on where to find Apollo? I didn't want him to die on the streets. But I couldn't be with him, and he knows that.”

“How very kind of you,” came Octavian's sarcastic voice. Robert let out a sigh and turned to face the other blond. “You must be a saint, like the rest of your kind.”

The corner of Robert's lips tilted up. “A pleasure to see you, Octavian, as always.”

“Why don't you run along?” The shorter of the two blonds crossed his arms, glaring into the green eyes of the other blond. “I'm sure there's some orphanage that you need to have torn down, or perhaps cut some arts funding. You made Apollo really happy with that one, didn't you?”

Robert gave a cold smile. “Still a fan of politicians, I see.” Slipping a hand into his pants, the blond shrugged. “It got revoked, like I knew it would. Sometimes you've got to get your hands a little dirty, Octavian. How can you ever expect to do anything in my line of work if you don't?” He smiled at Octavian. “I have seen your applications to intern in my office.”

“Don't flatter yourself, I sent some to a lot of people.”

Robert chuckled dryly. “The world's never going to change, Octavian. You've got play like everyone else if you want to get ahead in life.”

Octavian's eyes flashed dangerously at the other blond. “Careful now, I'd hate to end up shouting out some things for people to hear.”

Robert closed his mouth. He glared at the skinny blond before turning to face Nico again. “I suppose I'll have to cut our talk short, but maybe I'll see you again.” His lips tilted up. “Have a Merry Christmas.”

Robert shouldered past Octavian roughly. Octavian rubbed his shoulder as he glared after the man. Nico stared down at the violin in his hands. “Get it,” Octavian mumbled. “The man disgusts me, but he knows Apollo. Blondie will love it.”

After a quick purchase of the instrument and about ten minutes of searching, the Lost Boys found Annabeth and Juniper looking at some jewelry. Nico stepped up to one of the glass cases and peered inside to where some very expensive looking watches were on display. He blew his lips. What was he supposed to get Percy?

Annabeth brushed his shoulder with a small smile. “Having trouble?”

Nico pouted. “I don't know what to get Percy. He can buy whatever he wants. How do you buy for someone like that?”

The blonde chuckled. “Well, you could do a watch. I suppose he could always use one of those.”

“That's what he has a phone for,” Nico mumbled.

“Yes, but watches look professional.” The Lost Girl blew out a breath. “I suppose it gets easier with time. I've known Percy a little over three years now, and figuring something out him does get easier after time.”

“I don't even know what to do about him in general. He's so confusing.”

Annabeth smiled, nodding her head. “He can be frustrating. Percy can be a little...oblivious when it comes to dealings of the heart.” The girl tapped her nails against the glass. “He has lived his whole life without companionship outside of what Gaea, Kronos, and the rest of us have offered him that he doesn't give thought to how he might feel about someone.”

Nico raked a hand through his hair. “How do I get his attention? I just... I don't know, I'd just like for him to see what everyone else seems to see.”

The girl's grey eyes roamed over to the pale Lost Boy. “Getting his attention won't be that hard, if you know how to go about it.” She tilted her head to the side. “You just have to be creative. Be blunt with him. If you're tired of the mixed signals he's sending you, let him know. I mean, there are ways to go about it, if you don't want to just walk up to him and throw it in his face. I'd honestly recommend not doing that.”

“I guess,” Nico whispered. He pursed his lips as his eyes stared down at the watches. “Right now I just want to figure out what to buy him.” Both of them shared a laugh. “Is there anything... I don't know, sentimental that he might like?”

“Um.” The girl tapped a finger to her lips. “Put some thought into that. Maybe you can think of something from his time in Germany? Talk to Zoë, maybe?” The blonde placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. “I'm sure you'll think of something.”

 “Thanks.” Nico's brow furrowed as his eyes settled on a rotating watch. The face of the watch had been lifted up, revealing a compartment for a photo to be placed underneath. “Maybe I will figure something out,” Nico mumbled to himself. He needed to talk to several of the Lost Kids.