Children of Loss 43

Chapter 43

“You're a man now. You've grown up on me. Next thing I know, I'm going to be bailing you out of jail for being drunk in public.”

Nico felt his eye twitch as he pried himself from Bianca's grasp. “I'm only seventeen, B.”

Patting him on the head, the boy's sister handed him her present. Nico smiled as he untied the green ribbon. As soon as he recognized what it was, Nico's cheeks flared up. From the box, Nico pulled out a small figurine.

Nico gave his sister an odd look. “This is Mythomagic, Bianca.”

The girl nodded with a giant smile. “It was the only one you never got, remember?”

Jason peered over Nico's shoulder with a raised brow. “What is it?”

“A figurine of Hades,” Nico mumbled. He sighed and scrunched his lips. He liked it, it was thoughtful. But it just made him think of his father. Nico would never understand how his grandparents could name their child after a Greek god. They were Italian, not Greek! Not wanting to disappoint his sister, the boy smiled. “Thank you.”

“Oh.” Bianca dug in her jeans. “Here, I brought you this, too.”

Nico's breath stilled. He could recognize that ring anywhere. The ring was made of pure silver, with a skull on the very top and two rubies for eyes. It used to belong to his grandfather before the man had died. It had since been with their father. Nico looked up with wide eyes. “What are you doing giving it to me? Dad would kill me if he knew I had it?”

Bianca scoffed. “Grandad always wanted you to have it, Dad was just too stubborn to ever give it to you.”

The raven-haired Lost Boy took in a deep breath before he slipped the ring on. He had always loved his grandparents, they weren't anything like his father. Back when they were still alive, Hades took them to Italy once a year to visit. But that had been back before they had died when Nico was like ten.

When Nico looked up, he found that Bianca was giving him an odd look. He blinked. “What?”

His sister frowned. “Are you limping?”

Nico felt his cheeks heat up. He shot Jason a glare when he heard the blond snort behind him. Bianca gave the boy a curious look, but Jason quickly looked away, whistling. As Nico continued to glare, a faint blush dusted over the blond's cheeks. “I wouldn't know how that could have happened,” Nico ground out, still glaring at the blond.

Earlier that morning, Jason had given Nico his present. That present happened to be birthday sex. Twice. Once in the bed, then Jason snuck into the shower with Nico. When Nico had questioned why Jason had done it after they were done, the blond had replied that everyone should get laid on their birthday. When Nico doubted him, the blond admitted that he was a little horny, but didn't want to go to the others to help relieve it. And so began Nico and Jason's awkward friendship.

Daedalus clapped Nico on the back with a grin. “Your brother applied for graduation today.”

Bianca shot her younger brother a knowing look, along with an appreciative smile. “Did he? Well, that's good to hear.” She slung an arm around him. “Now you just need to find yourself a university.”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered.

“But, you know, that other option is still open.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He chose to ignore the confused look from Daedalus. “I'm fine, I swear.”

Nico shot his roommate a look that screamed: help me! The blond chuckled and pulled out his keys. “Well, we need to get back. I think we're gonna throw a small party for your brother before work.”

This was the first Nico had heard of this, but at least Bianca agreed to let him go. She managed in one last hug before Nico could slide into Jason's car. Jason arched a brow at the box containing the figurine in Nico's lap.

“Dork,” he muttered.

Nico shot him a glare. “Jock.”

The blond wagged his brows. “You weren't complaining about it this morning.”

Nico rolled his eyes as Jason drove out of the parking lot. His gaze fell out the window, his lips tilting down. It had been about a week since Bianca had found out that Nico stripped, and he was already worried that she was going to keep persisting that Nico leave the hotel. Deep down, though, Nico knew that he probably should. Should was the key word. But Nico already had a history of bad decisions, so why should he change for this?

No sense in breaking tradition.

Jason tossed his roommate a brief glance. “What was that back there?”

“What?” Nico turned his head to face the blond. “Oh.” Nico let out a sigh. “My father told Bianca that I'm stripping. She wants me to leave the hotel and stay with Daedalus until I graduate.”

Those electric blue eyes shot back over briefly. “So why don't you?” He offered Nico a shrug. “It's not like it'd be bad, you'd be with Daedalus. Minerva would take care of you, she's a good woman.”

Nico's eyes were locked on his ring, twisting it on his finger. “Why don't you leave?” He mumbled.

A chuckle escaped the blond's lips. “And where would I go? Sure I could stay with Daedalus until graduation, but what then? I'm not as smart as you, Nico.”

The boy's eyes grew dull. “You make better decisions than me.”

“That's because there's a difference between street smart and book smart. You make better grades than me. Hell, Daedalus says you make better grades than your sister.” He grinned over at his roommate. “You might make poor decisions, but you're good with school. You could probably get into any school you wanted. I think the only people smarter than you at the hotel would be Rachel, Octavian, and Annabeth.” He nudged the pale boy. “Stop selling yourself short, man.”

Nico carelessly shook his head. “Doesn't really matter. Several of the others go to college. Any of them could find a future out of here as well.”

“But they don't,” Jason muttered. He sighed and cast Nico a brief glance. “From what I've heard from the others, there has never been a Lost Kid to leave Gaea's web once they are in it. I mean, look around. Ganymede, Dionysus, and Circe are still in the hotel. Aphrodite has her boutique in the city. We have a bank that caters to our needs, probably because someone in there has worked for Gaea in the past.

“Where do you think all of the Lost Kids go after they reach thirty? Annabeth, Luke, my sister, and Apollo weren't the first Lost Kids, they're just the oldest ones still working here. Thalia told me that one that left last year went on to become a manager up in Canada.” The blond shrugged. “They don't have the stripping and illegal business operations, but this is what happens to Lost Kids at some point.”

The car was silent for an awkward moment before Nico cracked a grin. “Maybe we should just run away together,” the brown-eyed boy joked. Jason arched a brow. “Yeah, just live on the road, just the two of us. We can get fake names and everything. Maybe grow a mustache.”

Jason snorted. “Can you even grow facial hair?”

“Shut up!”

The blond laughed. “And why exactly would we need fake names?”

Tapping his finger to his lips, Nico thought about it for a moment. “Maybe kill Kronos.” Jason frowned at him. “Not like anyone would miss him. The world would thank us.”

Jason sighed. “You don't mean that.”

“No,” Nico sighed, “but I'm pretty sure the thought has crossed most people's minds.” Jason grunted in agreement. “I don't know, I'm not sure I can see myself out of the hotel anymore.”

“But you don't want this life. I know you don't.”

The boy's lips tilted down. “Maybe not, but I don't want to leave. I think I'd miss everyone too much.”

As they neared the hotel, Jason reached over and squeezed Nico's hand. “You realize that we could probably still see you, right?”

Nico's dull eyes met with Jason's blue ones. “Do you really believe that? We don't exactly get much free time at the hotel, aside from the occasional weekend off.” He snorted. “And I doubt Percy or Kronos would let me come upstairs if I left.”

Jason didn't answer, and Nico didn't bother to let the conversation continue. It felt pointless. If he could leave, why couldn't they? Not like it really mattered at the moment, since Kronos wasn't letting them run off. He even kept them pretty restricted during their weekends off. And with Leo's theory that Kronos was going to implant them with microchips, nobody was really willing to chance anything. Nico, however, thought Leo was being an idiot.

When they got back to the hotel, Rachel stopped Nico from going into the conference room. Instead, she directed him to Kronos's office, who apparently wanted to have a word with Nico. Great, Nico thought, it was bound to be the best birthday present he could imagine. Not.

Nico took in a deep breath before he knocked. “Come in,” Kronos called from the other side of the door. Letting out a short breath, Nico stepped inside. Kronos didn't bother looking up from what he was doing. “Yes, celebrations and all that.” Kronos let out a breath before he dropped his pen and sat back in his chair. “As custom, you're getting the night off from dealing with clients.”

Nico felt a wave of relief flood through him at the mere sound of those words. But he did his best to contain his excitement, least Kronos decide to ruin it all for him. “Thank you, sir.”

The manager rolled his eyes and rested his elbow on the desk, propping his chin on it. “Don't get too excited, you're still expected to perform.” Nico gave a quick nod. Kronos leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. “And here I am without a present for you. I suppose the ordeal with your father can be enough of a gift.”

There was a twitch from Nico's lips. “You mean the thing you forced me to do?”

The annoying smirk appeared on the manager's lips as he observed Nico. “I made you? Did I now?” His grin grew, showing off his teeth. “I didn't make you do anything, it was your choice to stab your father.”

Nico's eyes narrowed. “You told me I had to,” he growled. “You told me to stab him or kill him. I'm not going to be a murderer, so I chose to stab him. What other choice did I have?”

Kronos shrugged. “I never saw you try to put down the knife and walk away.” Nico felt frozen. A faint chuckle escaped the manager's lips. “You never even tried to see what would happen if you didn't try either.”

“You said I didn't have a choice,” Nico whispered.

The manager tutted under his breath. “Now that just isn't true, Nico. After all, didn't my brother always give you a choice?” He grinned again, lacing his hands together in front of his face. “How could you possibly know, if you didn't try?” With a roll of his eyes, Kronos pointed a pale finger across the desk at Nico. “You expected me to just throw you over the side of the building for not cooperating? I'm a good brother, thank you very much. I don't break my brother's toys.” Those dark eyes shined in amusement. “How is it my fault that you didn't even bother trying? Now, who is really to blame here?”

Nico clenched his fists. “You're sick.”

A laugh so cold that it sent shivers all throughout Nico's body came from Kronos. His eyes were like daggers, just waiting to be thrust into the boy's throat. “Now, Nico, you really shouldn't go around blaming others for your own problems.” Finally, the young man stood up and walked around to sit on the desk. “But if anything, you should be thanking me, Nico.” The young man frowned, almost passing for sympathetic. It made Nico sick by how scary believable it was. “I allowed you to stand up to your father, and you repay me with this hate? I'm hurt, Nico.”

Taking a step back, Nico narrowed his eyes. “What, you did it to help me?” He scoffed. “I don't believe you have a sympathetic bone in your body. You're a monster.”

He half expected the young man to hit him, but it never happened. Instead, Kronos smirked. “You know, Nico, if this wasn't your first job, I might be harder on you. Hasn't anyone ever told you not to talk like that to your boss?” His hand shot out so fast that Nico couldn't even react. It gripped him by the jaw, pulling him closer. “Unless it's my mother or Percy, I don't help people. Why would I waste my time?” He brought Nico closer, until they were mere inches apart. “But, at least this way, you aren't so pathetic. You need to grow a backbone, you ungrateful little brat, and embrace who you are.”

“And who is that?” Nico practically spat out.

The young man's lips tilted up. “Surely you see what you're becoming. Just embrace it, Nico.” Letting go of Nico's jaw, Kronos fixed some of Nico's hair with a smile. “This is power we're talking about, Nico. Everyone likes power. All you have to do is let go of that conscious of yours, it really just gets in the way. You might think it's wrong, but think about all the possibilities. Nobody would ever bother you again. Your bullies, even your father. They'd all leave you alone forever. You can even dictate their lot in life.”

With a frown, Nico smacked Kronos's hand away. “I'm not like you,” he whispered. He took a step back, reaching for the door. “I don't want to hurt people like you do.”

The grin didn't fade as Nico opened the door. “You mean like Percy?” Nico froze. “Your dear, sweet Percy. If I'm a monster, what does that make him?” Kronos grinned as the color drained from Nico's face. “What, you thought it didn't get to me about what you told him?” He chuckled. “You're so pathetic.” The manager slowly shook his head with a wicked smirk. “You think he hesitates when he kills? You think he didn't enjoy killing his brother? How about how he seized power, not even caring how it effected the person that was selected to take over this hotel before him? You know, your sweet Percy.”

Nothing came out of Nico's mouth. He didn't know what to say. With a gulp, Nico shut the door. Leaning against it, the boy realized he was shaking. He hated being around Kronos, the young man always had a terrible way of getting under Nico's skin. If Percy knew what everyone liked, Kronos knew their vulnerabilities.

Nico quickly made his way out of the office and opened the door to the conference room. “Surprise!” Everyone yelled as the boy stepped inside.

Nico managed a smile as some confetti fell onto his head. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

With the exception of Drew, Octavian, and Zoë, all of the Lost Kids were there. Nico never really expected everyone to be there, since it was before working and three of the Lost Kids had to work the lunch shift at the bar. After his talk with Kronos, though, Nico found it hard to be in a good mood. He already knew what he was going to be wishing for.

“Happy Birthday, Nico,” Juniper said to him, smiling as she placed a chocolate birthday cake on the large table, right next to his pile of presents.

After Leo lit the candles—because he demanded to do it himself—Nico got to blow out the candles. He leaned in and closed his eyes before blowing out each one. “So, what did you wish for?” Leo asked eagerly.

Piper smacked the boy upside the head. “If he told, it wouldn't come true.”

Nico chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “I don't think it takes a mind reader to know what I wished for.” The others all nodded in a silent understanding. It was nice to have them all together, though Nico could practically feel the tension in the room. Everyone that was fighting stood away from each other, which meant that practically everyone was standing at least three feet from the next Lost Kid.

Due to all the conflict, the room was deathly quiet after the cake was distributed. Nico found himself sitting on the edge of the table with Hazel and Juniper. The Stolls sat a few chairs away, but everyone else practically kept to themselves, save for the small groups that weren't fighting. Surprisingly, though, Nico didn't find himself disappointed. In all honesty, he had expected it to go something like this, since nobody had made up yet.

But the cake was delicious.

Halfway through his cake, a blue box was dropped in Nico's lap. He blinked at it for a moment before he looked up. Luke stared down at him with a blank expression. Slowly, Nico opened the box. He practically choked when he pulled out a Nintendo DS, which contained several games underneath it. With wide eyes, Nico looked up at the blond.

The youngest Lost Boy got up to hug the blond, but Luke held out a hand. “Don't go sentimental on me, brat, it's just a present. Maybe now you'll have something to do, rather than bother me all day.”

Nico just smiled and gave the blond a small nod. There was a flicker of happiness in the blond's eyes, relief that Nico had actually liked the present. But after Luke walked off, Nico shook his head. Luke really didn't need to spend that kind of money on him. Something simple was fine.

Will was next. The boy held out a small box, which made Nico's heart stopped. It looked like it came from a jewelry store. Sure enough, it was jewelry. A silver necklace laid within. Two angel wings that hung down, practically forming a heart. Nico looked up in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

Will grinned sheepishly. “Your last name means 'of angels', right?”

“Something like that,” Nico chuckled. Will moved forward and fastened it around Nico's neck. The younger Lost Boy held it out to look at. “Thanks.” When he looked up, the blond leaned in and pecked Nico on the cheek.

The gifts that Nico received were a pretty wide array of different things, ranging from different sizes to different prices. Thalia had gotten him a pair of brass knuckles to defend himself with, just in case Nico had anymore trouble at school. Annabeth had bought him a bound copy of all of Edgar Allan Poe's work. The most embarrassing had been from the twins: an actual dildo. When Nico had said it just meant that he'd just be less likely to have sex with any of them, Will punched Travis in the arm. Jason had purchased the two of them tickets to Disneyland, which the blond said they'd go see on their next day off.

He found himself surprised when Clarisse handed him a small box at the end of the party. Most of the others had left, and the few that remained were cleaning up. Clarisse was probably one of the least likely people he had been expecting to get a present from, Drew having achieved the most unlikely. It wasn't really that much, just a gift certificate to the mall, but it was still nice. Honestly, Nico probably would have been fine without any form of celebration.

He smiled up at the girl. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, don't mention it.” The girl frowned down at him. “Bring back memories from home?”

“Ah.” Nico scrunched his lips. “Not really.” He let out a dry chuckle. “My dad didn't really bother too much with presents...you know, since I was just a disappointment to him. My mother and Bianca were the ones that gave out presents. And, well, I wasn't really popular at my old school, so I didn't really have any friends. Saved some money as far as parties went, though.”

The Lost Girl grunted. “Sounds like my school.”

“Must have been hard,” Nico sighed.

Clarisse gave a shrug. “Got left alone, punched anyone that tried to bother me.” A grin spread across the girl's lips. “Not that my mother liked it very much, but screw her.” She kicked the tip of her boot at the leg of Nico's chair. “Most of us find holiday and birthdays more enjoyable here, compared to our old lives.”

Nico shrugged. “It could have been better if everyone wasn't fighting.”

“Eh, screw that. It's good to get let people know how you're feeling.” She grinned wickedly and swiped her thumb across her nose. “You know what my mother gave me for my seventeenth birthday? Nico shook his head. “Kicked me out of the house.” Clarisse grunted. “Not that I was planning on staying, the woman was unreasonable.”

Nico put the gift card with the rest of his presents. He slowly turned his head back to Clarisse with a frown. “Your mother kicked you out? With nothing?”

“Yeah, well, my dad was the only person that could keep us from tearing each others' throats out.”

“Oh.” Nico's brow furrowed. “Didn't Percy say you act like your father? Did he know your father?”

Clarisse's lips tilted down. “No.” Her hands dug into her pockets. “My dad was in the army, died two years before I got kicked out.” The girl gave a casual shrug. “She eventually remarried, didn't like the guy. Kept getting in fights and talking back in class, so my mother and I started fighting.” The Lost Girl chuckled. “That's when my step-dad decided that he wanted to try his hand at parenting. So he hit me. And, well, I hit back. Ended up breaking his arm.”

Nico's mouth fell open a little. “Y-you broke his arm?”

“Not that my mother caught the part where he hit me first, but she did see me snap his arm.” The Lost Girl shrugged. “Kicked me out. Never really looked back after that. Didn't even try to bother having Percy look into either of them. As far as I'm concerned, they're dead to me.”

Judging from what he already knew of Clarisse, Nico wasn't all that surprised by this turn of events. But it did feel unfair to him that Clarisse got kicked out over a misunderstanding. He didn't feel as sad about it, though. But perhaps that was due to Clarisse's lack of emotion when she had told the story. It didn't really seem to have bothered her, unlike with everyone else. Even Luke had endured a hard time reliving his past with Nico. If anything made him feel bad for her, it was how little Clarisse seemed to care.

Eventually, Nico tried to take his presents upstairs, though he was quickly stopped by Rachel. “Don't worry about that, Nico, I'll have them taken up to your room,” she assured the boy. Turning with a grin, she snapped her fingers at Luke. “Hey, you want to help me drop these off?”

The blond, who had been wiping down the table, narrowed his eyes. “I'd rather swallow dirt.”

Rachel smiled sweetly. “I'm sure that can be arranged.”

Luke sighed and shook his head. “Fine, whatever.”

Rachel smiled and grabbed a handful of boxes before heading out the door. Luke grunted and walked over to take a few more. “So, Luke,” Nico began, “what would you want for your birthday?”

The blond stared at him for a moment before picking up three boxes. “That all depends.”

“On what?”

“Are you going to be around for another year?” Luke asked. Nico blinked at him. “My birthday was at the beginning of the month.”

Nico gaped at the blond. “What? How come we didn't have a party? Nobody said anything!”

Luke just shrugged as Nico held the door open for him. “I guess we were just distracted with other things.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Why what happened?”

Luke let out a breath. “It was the day Percy left the hotel.”

“Oh.” Nico felt his blood run cold. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“Don't worry about it,” Luke mumbled as he boarded an elevator.

Nico groaned and hit his head against the wall. That had to of been the worst birthday ever! He needed to make it up to Luke. The blond had been a good friend to him, even if he didn't like to admit it, so Nico needed to fix Luke's lack of a proper birthday. He practically jumped out of his skin when a hand came down onto his shoulder.

Apollo chuckled at him. “Did someone get put in timeout?” He chuckled. Nico shot him a glare. Apollo slung an arm around the younger boy, pulling him onto the elevator. “Come on, Ganymede said he got you a little something.”

Nico frowned. “Apollo, why didn't we do anything for Luke's birthday?”

The blond sighed. “We tried. Annabeth tried to convince him, but Luke was in a pretty bad mood that day.” He shook his head. “The guy insisted that we not do anything.”

Except, Nico never made it to Ganymede.

The two Lost Boys made it to the cabana area, sure, but Nico found someone else there. Mrs. Castellan sat at a table between where Nico stood and the actual cabana. Deep down, Nico knew it would probably be best to just ignore her, but something in him wouldn't let him do that. Without even knowing the woman, Nico felt anger towards her. This would be one of her last days at the hotel, and something in Nico felt compelled to talk to her.

“You go ahead,” Nico whispered to Apollo. His eyes never left the woman. “I'll be over in just a second.”

Apollo frowned, following the boy's gaze. “Nico, I don't think-”

The brown-eyed boy finally looked up and smiled. “I'll be fine, I promise. I won't say anything stupid.”

Apollo stared at him for a long time before he nodded. The blond left the boy standing there to go over to the cabana. Taking a deep breath, Nico took the first step towards the woman. From the way she dressed, Nico would have never imagined her to be so crazy. Nico stood by her table a moment, going unnoticed by the woman.

Eventually, Nico put on one of his fake smiles. “Excuse me,” the boy began. Mrs. Castellan looked up at him. “Are you Mrs. Castellan?”

The woman shifted in her seat, so that she now faced Nico. “I am. What can I do for you?”

Nico's smile never faltered. He rubbed his arm shyly. “I'm just a big supporter of your work, and I just wanted to come over here and thank you.” There was a smile on the boy's face, but his eyes were full of venom.

Mrs. Castellan wiped her hands on a napkin before reaching a hand out to shake. Nico smiled brightly as he shook it. “It's so refreshing to see our youth supporting the cause.” She let out a sigh as she draped an arm across the back of her chair. “I tell you, it seems like more and more these days, our youth are turning towards this ungodly lifestyle.”

Nico quickly nodded. “I completely agree,” he lied. Placing his hands behind his back, Nico smiled again. “Do you have an children yourself, ma'am?” This was why Nico wanted to talk to her. He wanted to know what she told people about her two sons.

There was a long silence, where the woman seemed to be thinking about something. Her lips formed a thin line as she reached for her glass of water and raised it to her lips. “I used to, but they are no longer with us.” She shook her head sadly. “There was an accident, claimed both of my sons' lives.”

Her entire demeanor made Nico want to throttle the woman. She was lying, like it didn't even matter. She didn't have the courage to tell people she had driven her own children away? Did nobody know that her own craziness had caused her own children to run away? Nico's nails dug into his arm from behind his back. He felt a deep desire to tell the woman that he knew her children. Or perhaps that Luke was good in bed. That would have surely been a sight to see on her face.

But Nico knew that he couldn't do that. He wouldn't let the woman know that her children was somewhere in the hotel. So, instead, Nico just smiled synthetically. “I'm sorry for you loss then.” He shook her hand a final time. “Well, I just wanted to come over and say hello, I'll let you get back to what you were doing.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Castellan said. “Keep up the good fight of spreading the cause.”

“Will do,” Nico mumbled, his smile faltering once he had his back to her.

By the time Nico got to the cabana, Apollo and Ganymede were already in the middle of a conversation. The ex-Lost Boy leaned against the counter, a slightly annoyed look in his eyes. Apollo frowned back at the man. “You need to let this go. How can you not see that you have something better waiting for you right in front of your face?” Nico came to a quick stop at Ganymede's words.

Apollo looked away, still frowning. “Because it's stupid and pointless.” He straightened on the stool with a sigh.

Ganymede rolled his eyes as Nico sat down beside Apollo. The youngest Lost Boy blinked. “What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing,” both of them quickly stated.

All Nico wanted to do was go back to his room and sleep. The rest of the night had been exhausting, but at least he didn't have to worry about dealing with a customer tonight. However, it seemed that Nico was to be subjected to being alone with Dionysus for a short amount of time.

Like most nights, the few Lost Kids that were lucky enough not to go deal with customers helped clean up the top floor. Nico helped out by taking the dirty glasses to the bar room. Unfortunately, this gave Dionysus a brief window to speak with Nico. Like clockwork, the man didn't fail to disappoint.

“And how was your birthday, Nico?” The man asked as Nico was about halfway towards the door.

Nico came to a stop with a sigh. “It was okay, just like any other day.” The boy turned around, regarding the man carefully. “Why?”

“Well then, that's good to hear.” The man kept his back to Nico, too busy washing glasses and plates in the sink. “Nasty business with your father, eh? To think, it was Persephone that your father was seeing this whole time.” The man's lips tilted up. “Who could have ever seen that coming?”

Nico crossed his arms. “You. But, then again, I'm not surprised. You love seeing everyone squirm, it's why you get along with Kronos.” The boy narrowed his dark eyes. “I can't wait until Percy is back. Because dealing with you and Kronos at the same time is quite the headache.”

At the mention of the green-eyed young man's name, Dionysus's lips tilted down. “Yes, your little golden boy. Everything is always better with him around, isn't it?” Scoffing, Dionysus picked up a drink he was still drinking and swallowed the contents of the glass. “He's nothing to worship. It's disgusting how he can just charm anyone with just a smile. 'Oh, he's such a hero.'” The man scoffed. “It was sickening to listen to people talk about him when he first arrived here.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “What's your problem with Percy? He lets you run your little business here and puts up with you. Yet you dislike him.” The Lost Boy's lips tilted down. “I doubt he's even done anything to you.”

The man pointed a finger at Nico. “You see, that's where you're wrong. He stole everything from me.”

There was a perplexed look on Nico's face as the man turned back to washing the dishes. “I don't see-”

Nico fell silent as Dionysus's back straightened. Without saying anything, the man bent over and pulled out a neatly wrapped box from beside the chair he usually sat in. “I almost forgot,” the man said with his normal smile, “this is for you.”

Frowning down at the box, Nico turned it over. “You got me a present?”

The corner of Dionysus's lips tilted up. “Don't be silly, Nico.” The boy blinked up at him. “It's from a customer, of course.”

Slowly, the color drained from Nico's face as he stood there, frozen. A chill crept across his body, slowly rising from his feet. “O-oh,” Nico stuttered. He gulped and slowly backed towards the door. “Um, thank you for...giving it to me,” the brown-eyed boy whispered.

The man only grinned back at him. “Always a pleasure, Nico.”

Nico was gone from the room a second later. His pulse was racing as he stared down at the box. This was the last thing he had been hoping for. Ever since the incident with Silena, Nico had hoped this day would never come. Not paying attention to where he was going, Nico tripped down the stairs.

Letting out yelp, Nico went flying through the air. The next thing he hit was hard, but not the ground. Pale hands tightened around his shoulders, straightening him out. Icy blue eyes stared down at him in annoyance. “Why don't you watch where you are going, twerp?”

Nico sighed in relief, simply thankful that his feet were once again touching the floor. He nodded his head. Luke's eyes flickered down to the box in Nico's hand. “Um, thanks,” the raven-haired boy mumbled.

Luke rubbed his jaw. “Where'd you get that?” Icy blue eyes flickered back up. “I thought everyone already gave you their presents?”

“Um...” Nico looked between the present and Luke. “A customer, apparently.”

Luke seemed to understand, probably from the look of terror in Nico's eyes. “It's nothing to worry about.” His brow furrowed. “Just keep someone posted if a client starts acting funny around you.”

Nico nodded. “I ran into your mother earlier,” the boy confessed. Luke instantly frowned. “Did you know she tells people you and Octavian are dead?”

Luke snorted and gave a nod. “I'm aware.” He rubbed the back of his neck as the two started down the stairs. “It was actually on the news. That woman should be on Broadway with all those tears she was able to put out.”

“How could they just say something like that?”

The blond shrugged. “Don't really care. As long as she stays away from me and Octavian, I'm happy.”

Luke ended up stopping to talk with Ethan at the podiums, while Nico went on to the elevators. Lucky for him, the twins had just boarded one and he managed to catch a ride with them. He was also aware that they were staring at him. Connor grinned from where he had his head on Travis's shoulder.

“You know, Nico,” the shorter brunet began. His blue eyes sparkled over at the raven-haired boy. “Our offer for teaching you about threesomes still stands.”

Travis wrapped an arm around his brother, pulling Connor closer. He grinned at Nico from where he perched his chin on Connor's shoulder. “We can give you the hands on method.”

Nico rolled his eyes and snorted. “I bet you would.” Travis just grinned and nuzzled his brother's neck. “I just don't understand why you two just sort of have sex with others? I mean, aside from customers.”

Connor shrugged. “Sex and romance aren't the same.” He patted his brother's cheek. “I love my brother. I love the others as well, just not like I love Travis.” At this, the older twin leaned in and pecked Connor on the lips. “But that's not to say some day we might decide otherwise. We're young, we want to enjoy our youth.”

“Then why did you two fight before?”

Travis hummed quietly. “That was a different matter. More of a misunderstanding, really.” He hugged his brother tighter. “But there are days where we decide that we don't want the other having sex with someone else. It doesn't usually bother us when this happens, though. It's just sex, after all.” He smiled over at Nico. “You just have to remember to keep the person you care about in mind. That's especially true for when threesomes come into play.”

Nico gave a slow nod as the elevator came to a stop. “As long as you two are happy, I guess.”

The twins bid Nico goodnight and headed down to the end of the hall. Nico slipped into his suite. Jason's door was open. The blond sat on his bed with his laptop, headphones in his ears. He looked up when he noticed Nico, tossing the pale boy a smile and a wave. Nico smiled back before going into his own room.

Turning around, Nico froze.

There, on his bed, sat a large box with an envelope on top of it. The box itself was green, while a deep blue ribbon sat on top. Nico frowned and stepped closer, putting the mystery customer's present down. He slowly reached out and removed the envelope from the top. His fingers closed around a small card attached to the box. His name was on the top portion, while the name at the bottom made Nico's heart stop.

It was from Percy.

Taking in a deep breath, Nico untied the ribbon and opened the lid. His heart shot into his throat. It was a jacket. An aviator's jacket, to be precise. Nico reached inside and pulled it out. It was still in good condition, and also looked like an authentic World War II aviator jacket. But it didn't make sense. Why would Percy give him a jacket from a war? He frowned and tilted his head to the side.

Then it hit him. It was the jacket that Percy had mentioned in one of their conversations, the jacket that had belonged to Percy's actual grandfather. Nico's throat tightened. Why was Percy giving this to him? None of it made any sense. Nevertheless, though, Nico felt a pain inside his chest. His fingers tightened around the jacket, wishing that Percy was there to give it to him, instead of having it delivered by someone else. He really missed Percy.

Taking in a deep breath, Nico sat the jacket aside. His eyes fell upon the envelope before picking it up. The Lost Boy frowned as he heard Jason's feet move down the hall. The door to their suite opened, and then there was silence. With a sigh, Nico unsealed the envelope and pulled out a letter. It was also from Percy, but what it said only hurt all the more.

Nico,

I hope that this found its way to you okay. I instructed Rachel to bring it to you if Leo forgot.

I write this, knowing full well what I'm about to go down the hall and talk to you about in that conference room. I just wanted to make sure I remembered to put together your present, so you would have it after I'm gone.

Ever since earlier today, my mind has been racing. But it made me realize how much I didn't want something bad to happen to you. I'm not sure what's going to happen while I'm in Germany, but I'm glad that you are still in one piece. I don't know when I'll be back, or even if I will be coming back, but I want you to know that none of this is your fault.

I hope you like your present. And, also, I might have realized something in that moment after pushing you out of the way. You were right.

-Percy

A wet spot formed on the letter, just above Percy's name. Nico reached a hand up, only to realize that he was crying. For some reason, it hurt more reading the letter, than it had talking to Percy over Skype. Percy had actually taken the time to write him a letter before their meeting that night? But the last thing in the letter, it didn't make any sense.

Nico flipped the letter over, hoping that there was more, but there wasn't. What did it mean? He was right? Right about what? Another tear fell from Nico's cheek. He sat down on the edge of his bed, pulling the jacket into his lap. Nico's fingers tightened around Percy's letter, clinging to it like it was keeping him from dying. His eyes scanned across each word that Percy had written several more times before he heard the shouting.

Frowning, Nico looked up. There was a commotion from the hallway, but he couldn't make anything out. But there was definitely shouting. He slowly got up, putting the aviator jacket back on the bed. His eyes widened when something broke. Nico opened his door and stepped into his suite, where he found the front door open.

Wiping his eyes, Nico headed for the door. It sounded like their entire floor was out there, and all of them were fighting. Which was completely accurate. Once Nico was in the hallway, he found ever single Lost Kid standing in the hall, some still in their work clothes and others in their pajamas.

A picture had gotten knocked off of the wall, which was what Nico had heard break. It had also barely missed Ethan, who was on the ground in a pile of broken glass. Nico covered his ears. It was so loud. Everyone was yelling and in each others' faces. No longer was anyone excluded either, as the twins, Juniper, Ethan, and even Hazel had somehow gotten dragged into it all.

“Why don't you actually grow some balls and get involved,” Clarisse sneered down at Ethan.

Luke threw a punch at Apollo, barely catching the other blond in the jaw. “You can't fucking bruise him!” Leo yelled at Luke. “He has to be able to work.”

Luke sneered. “Yeah, I'm sure that's why you care.”

“You fucking whore!” Piper yelled, probably directed at Drew.

Nico shut his eyes, his hands clinging to his head. Everyone kept yelling, and it all started to jumble together. Why did they have to fight? This wasn't solving anything. If anything, it just made it all worse.

“Don't fucking touch him!”

“Bitch!”

“Gonna cut my throat, like she cut your mother's?”

Nico's eyes snapped open at that one. He zoned in on Zoë, who had directed her comment at Annabeth. The blonde glared back at the other Lost Girl with a burning hatred. “Well it's not my fault that you kicked my roommate out of your room because you can't accept the other half of her!”

Nico let out a sigh as the situation continued to dissolved. He felt so helpless, nobody was even paying him any attention. Perhaps that was a good thing, though, since he really didn't want to fight with anyone. But this needed to stop, it had to.

“What do you even know?”

“Why don't you go cry to your mommie while she's here?”

And then, “Shut up!”

The entire hall fell silent. Nico slowly opened his eyes, only to find everyone staring at him in shock. He blinked a few times before he realized it had been him that had said it. His cheeks darkened slightly. This was bad. Several of the others were even glaring at him.

“What did you just say?” Clarisse growled.

Nico's throat felt dry. “Um,” began Nico. He closed his mouth, pursing his lips. Panic filled his eyes as he stared back at the others. His hands tightened, which was when he realized what he was still holding. Percy's letter. Taking in a deep breath, Nico relaxed. “We need to stop fighting.”

Luke looked at him dully. “Just stay out of it, brat.” Octavian gave him a shove, which caused Luke to glare at his brother.

The boy's eyes darkened. “No!” He shouted. Nico rubbed the back of his neck at the dark look he got from Luke. “It's just that...no one is really helping the situation. We need to calm down.” His fingers tightened around the letter. “Don't you guys see? This is what Kronos wants.” He shook his head. “You guys said it yourselves on the day Percy left, but it's like you forgot. We need each other if we're going to survive the rest of our time with him. We're stronger together, we can have support. Fighting isn't the answer. Letting our differences and arguments cause this much conflict within our ranks just gives Kronos satisfaction. He's the real enemy here, not each other.”

Nobody said anything. Nico bit down on his lip. He just waited for someone to drag him into the middle of their turmoil. They weren't going to listen to him. Why would they? He had done nothing but screw up, so why would anyone want to take his advice? Nico looked down. He should have just kept his mouth shut.

“We should-” began Apollo.

Luke nodded. “Cool off.” The blond reached up and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes locking with Nico's. “Everyone go back to your rooms, take the night to cool off.”

There was a lot of mumbling, but everyone slowly did as they were told. On his way to his room, Apollo shot Nico a small smile and nod. Eventually, Nico was left alone in the hall with his roommate. The blond nodded towards their suite. Nico gave a nod and followed Jason inside.

“This has been a really exhausting day,” Nico muttered as he shut the door.

Children of Loss 42

Chapter 42

Nico was woken up even earlier than he normally would during a school day. He groaned and knocked the hand away that was trying to shake him. “What?” He mumbled, rolling onto his stomach. He just wanted to sleep. Tomorrow was his last day of being suspended from school, and all he really wanted to do was relax as much as possible. Last night had been extremely stressful.

But it seemed it just wasn't meant to be. Once again, Nico felt himself being shaken awake. He cracked an eye open to find Jason frowning down at him. “You need to wake up,” the blond said softly.

Rubbing his eyes, Nico glanced towards the window. It was still dark, the sun barely up. Why was he expected to be up at this hour? Nico didn't even wake up this early to go to school. Sitting up, the covers fell off of the raven-haired boy. “What's going on?”

Jason's expression remained solemn. “You need to get down to the lobby.” That didn't sound very appeasing to Nico. “Your sister is here, and you need to calm her down before Kronos wakes up and finds her here.”

A heavy lump quickly formed in Nico's throat. Oh no, he thought. His father had told Bianca, hadn't he? He rubbed his arms as goosebumps slowly formed on his skin there. Pursing his lips, Nico practically fell out of bed. Jason helped him up and Nico quickly slipped on a shirt and some cotton shorts. Not even bothering with his shoes, Nico grabbed his wallet and made a dash for the door.

His pulse went into overtime as he took the elevator down to the lobby. It was still quiet on the Lost Kids' floor, as most were still asleep. Nico wanted someone to need an elevator, causing his ride down to take longer. He wasn't sure he was ready to have this conversation with his sister just yet, if it did indeed turn out to be because of what his father found out. But there was no way it couldn't be, Nico just knew it.

And he was right.

Bianca was heavily pacing the lobby when he arrived. Nico's face went pale as she spotted him and made a straight line for him. This was bad. She looked angry, just like she had the night their father had kicked Nico out. He couldn't help but flinch when she stopped a foot away from him.

She let out a long breath, covering her face with her hands. “Nico,” Bianca said softly, “please tell me it isn't true?”

Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. “I—what do you mean?”

His sister took a firm grip on his chin, tilting Nico's face up to look at her. “Nico, this isn't a joke.” Her eyes burned into him with an intense fire. Whether it was directed at him or not, Nico couldn't say. “Are. You. Stripping?”

It took Nico a moment to even process the question in his head. This was the last conversation he wanted to have with his sister, but it was also the one he feared would be inevitable. “I...” Nico closed his eyes and nodded.

Bianca buried her face in her hands and turned away from her brother. “Nico, why? How could you not tell me?” She turned around, her face red. “You are underage, Nico!”

“Shh!”

“Don't shush me.” Bianca smacked his hand away when he tried to grab her. “You're my brother, and too young to be doing something like this. You don't need to do this! Why haven't you told me?”

“Because, I knew you'd get mad,” Nico whispered.

“Of course I would!” Bianca shook her head. “You could have stayed with Daedalus! And Percy...” Her eyes narrowed. “He better be thankful that he's not here.” She pursed her lips as she looked Nico over. “I can't believe he would do something like this.”

“I-” Nico wasn't sure he could handle telling his sister that it had been his decision. At least not yet. “Bianca, can we please go somewhere else to talk?”

“Why?” She practically yelled.

Nico flinched. “Because, I don't want either of us to get in trouble,” he whispered. Bianca didn't budge. “Please.”

Letting out a sigh, Bianca nodded. Nico took her to the second floor's gym, where the guy's used to practice with him. It was quiet for a long time, and Nico paced around. He didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to tell her? When Nico turned to face Bianca again, he found tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Nico, this isn't you. This isn't what you need to be doing. You're smart, you have potential, you don't have to go around selling your body. We can figure something out for you.”

“Bianca, I'm fine,” Nico whispered, rubbing his arm.

“No, you're not. This isn't okay, Nico. Stop making it out to be something normal.” Her brow furrowed as she looked at him. “I just...I don't even know what to think right now. To think that I've been blind to this the whole time.” She let out a breath, grabbing her brother's wrist. “Come on, we're going to go upstairs and get your things.”

Nico didn't budge when she tried to leave with him. She looked back at him in confusion. The Lost Boy quietly shook his head, his lips tilted down. “No,” he whispered. He finally looked up with a firm stare. “I'm not going.”

“Nico,” Bianca began, but Nico cut her off.

“I'm not going, Bianca.” He pulled his arm away from his sister. “I'm fine, really. I know I could have probably asked Daedalus to let me stay with him, but I didn't.” Swallowing a lump in his throat, Nico shook his head. “This was my own decision, my mistake.”

Bianca stood there, frozen. “You...you chose to do this?” Her lips parted in shock. “Nico, why?” When he didn't answer, she shook her head. “It doesn't matter. You don't have to live with your mistakes, Nico. We can still get you out of here.”

Looking down, Nico balled up his fists. “I don't want to go.”

Bianca shook her head. “I just want to take care of you. You don't have to do this.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

Nico's lips tilted down, refusing to look up at his sister. “I...can't go.” He bit down on his lip. “This place is a mess right now. I don't want to abandon the others. They helped and took care of me when I needed it. Sure it's not ideal, and they've done some things to hurt me, but the others here have sort of become a family to me.”

Bianca reached out and touched his shoulder. “And what about me?”

The Lost Boy couldn't help but smile at her. “You'll always be my sister, B. But I just can't abandon them right now.”

His sister let out a long sigh, shaking her head. “I don't like the thought of you resorting to this kind of thing in order to survive.” Her shoulders slumped. “What happened to my little brother that wouldn't even let mom take a picture of him without his shirt?”

A soft chuckle escaped the brown-eyed boy's lips. “I guess I'm just...changing.” His gaze softened and he hugged her. “I'm fine, Bianca, really.”

“I'm just...disappointed.” That stung. Yet again, Nico felt like that was all he was good at. But Bianca hugged him tighter. “But that doesn't change the fact that I still love you.” She leaned in, wiped her face, and whispered in her brother's ear. “If you ever change your mind, I'll be here to come and get you.”

Nico gave a small nod as she pulled away. “I know you would.” He squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

A few more tears slid down the girl's cheek as she ran her fingers through her little brother's hair. “I just want to protect you, but you're growing up. I suppose it's time for me to let you make your own decisions now, regardless of how I feel about them.” She blew out a breath. “Just...I don't think I should be around the others right now, especially not Percy. This is...a lot to take in, and I don't think I'll be willing to look him in the eye without punching him for a while.”

Nico gave a nod. “I understand.”

Bianca grabbed his shoulders. “Just do me one favor,” she said. Nico quirked a brow at her. “Daedalus told me you have the option to graduate early. The deadline for that is not far off, so please go through with it. Graduate early and pick a good school with the money Percy gave you. You can leave all of this behind you and move on with your life.”

Closing his eyes, Nico nodded. “Okay,” he whispered.

The two siblings sat in the room talking for nearly an hour after that. As much as Nico hated it, he did lie to her on a few things, like when he told her that he had never gotten fully naked on stage. Or that there was any prostitution involved. There was no way Bianca would have let him stay if she knew that, regardless of how much Nico would have argued. Eventually, though, Bianca had to leave for school. She didn't say anything when he told her that he was going back to bed, which probably meant that Daedalus had told her about the fight.

When Bianca finally left, Nico dragged his feet back to the elevators and took the first one that arrived back up to his floor. He let out a yawn on the way up. He had a lunch shift today, since he wasn't able to go to school today, so Nico knew that he wouldn't be able to get much more sleep if he went back to bed. Didn't mean he wouldn't get what he could, though.

But as he got back to his room and went to lay down on his bed, Nico frowned at a strangely familiar noise. It had been a long time since he had heard it, but the Lost Boy recognized it as the sound of a Skype call. Quirking a brow, Nico slowly crawled off his bed and walked over to where he normally left his laptop. He must have forgotten to close it the last time he had used it. Which wasn't very often, if Nico was being honest with himself. There were some days he even questioned why he had gotten it.

Nico moved his finger across the touchpad, which lit up the screen. And, for a moment, Nico's heart stopped. It was from Percy. Grabbing his laptop, Nico sat down on his bed and accepted the call via video chat.

The screen of Nico's laptop was taken over by a lot of blue. It took Nico a moment to realize it was the curtains of a canopy bed. But more importantly, there was Percy's face. The young man sat back after adjusting something and smiled at Nico.

“Hi,” Percy said.

Nico's shoulders relaxed. “Hey,” he breathed out.

“I'm not waking you up, am I?”

Shaking his head, Nico smiled. “No, I've been up.”

Percy slowly nodded. “Okay.” His eyes flickered up. “I heard you got in a fight, wanted to make sure you were okay.” He chuckled. “I didn't believe it when Kronos told me, but I guess you did come out on top of the fight.” A faint grin spread out across Percy's lips as he shifted slightly. “Should I be worried about this new violent streak you have?”

Nico looked down, paling slightly. Had Kronos told him about the incident last night? “N-no. I was just-”

Percy chuckled. “Relax, Nico. I'm happy that you defended yourself.” He tilted his head to the side. “I was going to have a talk with Boreas when I got back, but Kronos assured me that he had the situation under control.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. He let out a breath. “So, how are you?”

While Percy did smile back at him, Nico could see the dark circles under his eyes. Percy looked exhausted. “I'm fine, just been busy.” It didn't do much to ease Nico's nerves. “Gaea's just had me busy, which is why I haven't had time to call anyone before now.” He smiled, which melted all of Nico's fears away. “But I just wanted to check up on you, especially after the fight.”

Nico let out a breath, nodding. “Do you...know when you'll be back?”

“No,” Percy mumbled. He gave the boy a lopsided smile. “Are you okay, though?”

Nico nodded, not really meeting Percy's gaze. “Yeah, I'm fine,” he muttered.

The smile slowly slipped off of Percy's lips and the young man tilted his head to the side. “Are you sure?” He frowned. “Did something happen?”

He tried not to, but Nico found himself chewing on his lip. “No,” he lied. “I'm fine, I promise.” Percy wasn't convinced, he could tell. “You know, it's just that some of the others are fighting a little. It's nothing to worry about, though.”

“Oh.” Percy blinked. “I hadn't heard. But it's not severe?”

Nico forced himself to smile, shaking his head. “No, we're fine. They'll sort it out.”

Percy looked over the the camera and Nico heard a door open. There was another voice, but Nico couldn't quite make it out. It did sound vaguely like Athena, though. Whatever it was about, Percy nodded. “Okay, just give me a minute.” The door closed and Percy turned his attention back to the Lost Boy on the computer. “I have to go in a second.”

Nico gave a small nod, trying to hold his smile in place. “I understand. I-we miss you.”

There was a brief silence, where Percy just sat there. But then he pursed his lips and offered the boy a lopsided smile. “I'll be back as soon as I can.” He let out a breath. “I'll talk to you later, Nico.”

“Bye,” Nico whispered.

When the call ended, Nico's smile disappeared. That had been more painful than he thought it would have been. It already hurt enough, not having Percy here. If Percy could just come back, the hotel could go back to normal and everything would be fine. But it didn't seem like that was going to happen anytime soon.

It was inevitable, Nico knew that, but it still did not make him feel any better at being in the kink rooms again. The entire floor gave him a very claustrophobic vibe, and it was not easy to see much of anything in the rooms. Mainly due to the colored lights, which made him have to squint in order to see anything distinctly.

When he had arrived, there had been a pair of black, leather underwear on the bed. Not the best way to enter a room, he thought. But Nico still put them on and waited. Looking down at himself, Nico had to wonder what would happen if Nico from a year ago walked in right then and saw him like this. There was no way he would have sat anywhere in just some leather underwear, regardless of if he was alone or not. But here he was, and it was happening.

The door opened and Nico turned his head to get his first look at his client.

Nico's eyes widened. Oh dear god, she was an Amazon. She reminded him of an older Clarisse, just not as scary. He paled as she just looked at him and pointed at the leather rack in the room. “There. Now,” she ordered in a thick Russian accent.

The color seemed to drain from Nico's face as he stood up. This woman was going to break him in half. As she strapped him to the thing, Nico had to wonder just what was going to happen. He wouldn't really be surprised if she got undressed and Nico found that she had a penis. Wouldn't surprise him at all.

Lucky for him, or perhaps unlucky as she did have a vagina, Nico watched her get into a leather suit and grab a whipping cane from the table. As she looked back at him with a grin, Nico felt sick. But he was now bound, so there was nowhere for him to go. Not that he probably could get away. If he tried, Nico could only imagine that she'd lift him up and carry him back into the room like some Barbarian.

“Let's see how red we can make that flesh of yours.”

Nico wanted to cringe, but his restraints didn't allow for it. Lucky for him, Leo had informed him that there wasn't really anything that he had to worry about as far as information gathering. He found himself very thankful for that now, since the woman might rip his head off for asking too many questions.

The Lost Boy gritted his teeth as the thin, black cane cracked against his stomach. How did people enjoy this? Sure Nico had enjoyed it rough with Luke, but this was just unpleasant. There was no pleasure for him in this. Another strike, this time to his chest. From there, she struck him across the back and on his legs. If she expected anything from him as far as sex was concerned, Nico hated to tell her that she wasn't gonna get it.

His body was far too sore by the tenth strike to get anything up, even with a pill. It was at this point that she ripped the back of his underwear and struck him across the ass. Letting out a hiss, Nico's body attempted to draw away from the woman the best it could. It didn't get very far, and the woman didn't seem very happy with.

“Stay still,” she growled, striking him across his butt again. Nico pursed his lips and nodded his consent. Anything to make her stop faster.

Nico did learn one thing while in the room: the woman seemed to feel superior to men. It was just a hunch, though.

“Tell me who is better,” she commanded as she struck Nico on the stomach again.

“You!” Nico yelped.

“That's right.” She pointed the cane in Nico's face, narrowing her eyes. “They told me I couldn't compete with the men, but I show them. I put them all to shame.”

Nico didn't like being this close to the scary woman. If she didn't break him, Nico was afraid she might try to have sex with him. He honestly didn't know which was worse. But by this point, Nico was fighting back tears.

“Bah,” she scoffed and put the cane down. “You puny boy, just like all other men.”

Nico's body was practically limp as he watched her change back into her clothes. He attempted to raise a questioning brow, but the Lost Boy honestly didn't have the energy. His entire body felt like it was on fire. Right before she left, the woman untied Nico's arms, where he fell to the floor.

The boy groaned as the straps around his legs caught while falling. She just scoffed at him again and left the room. Nico struggled to push himself up and he looked at the door. Was that it? He looked around for a second. Was she trying to trick him, or something? After thirty seconds had passed, Nico quickly untied his legs and got out of the underwear.

Slipping back into his clothes, Nico let out a hiss. Moving hurt, as did the feel of his clothes against his body. From what he could make out, his body was also severely covered in red marks. Whimpering slightly, Nico opened the door and slipped into the hall.

Clarisse looked up from where she sat behind a small desk, a bowl of popcorn in her lap. Some action movie was on the small TV she had with her, though the volume was turned down. “Have a good time?” She said with a grin.

Nico didn't have the energy to even glare at her. “My body hurts.” Nico practically collapsed on the desk. “But I don't understand, why did she just leave like that?”

Clarisse gave a shrug. “Just the way some customers are. We got some weirdos around here, let me tell you.”

The Lost Boy let out a hiss, his hand shooting down to his stomach. “What am I supposed to do about all these marks? What if they bruise?”

She arched a brow and stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth. “Have Will look at them.”

Nico gave a lazy nod. “Okay.” He tried to leave, but his body wouldn't cooperate.

“But he's seeing a client upstairs, so you'll just have to wait. Try his room. I think Apollo already left the top floor.”

“Will do,” Nico whispered, rubbing his neck.

As he dragged his feet towards the elevator, the doors opened and Chris stepped out. He stopped when he noticed Nico. “You look like you just came from a five hour run.” The young man tilted his head to the side when he noticed Nico limping. “Customer must have been good,” he chuckled.

“Didn't even have sex,” Nico groaned.

“He just got whipped,” Clarisse said casually.

Nico let out a hiss as Chris lifted up his shirt for inspection. The brunet let out a low whistle. “I'd get that looked at.” Nico nodded. The young man smiled and patted him on the head, which was the only place really safe to touch Nico. “Have a good night, Nico.”

“Thanks,” Nico muttered as he boarded the elevator.

As the doors closed, Nico's eyes flickered up to watch Chris sit down beside Clarisse, tossing an arm around her. He smiled a little as the elevator began to go up. At least there was still some happiness around here. Still, the Lost Kids as a whole did not look good. Nico wasn't sure what was going to happen to them. It didn't seem like Percy was going to be back anytime soon, so were they just going to tear each other apart. Was no one going to stop it?

Arriving on their floor, Nico walked down to Apollo's door and knocked. It took a few seconds, but the blond eventually opened the door with a green bottle in his hand. “You look like shit,” the blond greeted him.

Nico mustered up a glare before slipping past the older Lost Boy. “I need to see Will. I just got through with a client that wanted to whip me.”

“Damn.” Apollo motioned to the couch, which was when Nico noticed that Calypso was also there. The girl smiled over at the two of them. “He should be back soon, if you don't mind waiting.”

Nico nodded and sat down beside the Lost Girl. Apollo grabbed a few more bottles from the kitchen before sitting down on the other side of Nico and leaned against the arm of the couch. Without saying anything to the other Lost Boy, the blond pulled Nico to lean against his chest. Nico was about to complain, but then Apollo began to massage his shoulders. Who was he to complain then?

Calypso picked up one of the bottles that Apollo had gotten from the kitchen and uncapped it. Nico silently watched the girl as she raised the bottle to her lips and took a long swig. Nico was about to fall asleep, when Apollo finally spoke.

“So, how goes the war?”

Calypso rolled her eyes and took another drink. “Drew is like a child. I mean, she doesn't even realize when she's being offensive.”

Nico stretched out his legs, letting his head fall onto the blond's shoulder. Apollo's hand came up and began to massage the boy's hair. “How's Piper doing?”

The Lost Girl let out a breath. “I think she's too angry to feel upset right now.”

“What happened anyways?” Nico mumbled.

Calypso gave him a warm smile, reaching over to run her fingers through his hair. “It was just something Drew said to Piper about her father. I was already irritated with Drew, so I told her that she was probably too insecure to let people see her without makeup.”

More petty quarreling. From what Nico had gathered, this was the case for most of the fights between the Lost Kids. Only a few actually had severe and understandable events that had initiated them. As Nico was not wanting to get into his own argument, he decided to keep his opinions to himself. “I mean, is that true?”

Calypso gave him a curious look. She sighed and shrugged. “Possibly. More than likely.”

Apollo deposited his empty bottle on the table in front of them before grabbing another. Before uncapping, though, the blond held it out to Nico. “Want one?”

Nico stared at the bottle being held in front of his face. His last drinking experience had not turned out well at all, and he really didn't want to disappoint Percy again. But he couldn't lie, the bottle did sound appealing. The others used it to take their minds off things, so why couldn't Nico?

It was then that something dawned on him. Percy's order had never been to not drink, had it? No, Percy had only told him not to develop a drinking problem. And there it was, laying out in front of him. Dionysus was right about one thing, Percy really did have hidden meanings. It was never that Percy wanted Nico to refrain from drinking alcohol, but rather that he didn't want Nico to become an alcoholic.

Nico briefly wondered if Percy knew everything about his father. Did Percy know that Hades used to have a drinking problem? Nico scoffed. Used to. He said it like the man had done it so long ago, yet the man had been drinking a few times during the week that Nico had finally came out to him.

And why would Percy consider drinking wrong anyways? Nico shook his head. He felt stupid for not realizing this sooner. Percy would never tell him to refrain from drinking, as it wasn't something Percy viewed as wrong. Because it wasn't wrong. Nico had never really believed it was wrong himself, but perhaps he just didn't want to turn out like his father. But as long as it didn't become an issue, Nico didn't see why he couldn't drink every now and then.

Without saying anything, Nico slowly reached out and accepted the green bottle from Apollo. It surprised the blond at first, but he eventually smiled and grabbed another bottle for himself. Nico raised his bottle to his lips. The taste was a little stout, and burned a little. Nico briefly made a face before taking another drink.

He had no intention on getting drunk, but it did help the boy take his mind off things for a little while. And that was really all he could ask for. The hotel had felt so hectic ever since Percy left, and it was nice to just escape from it all for a few moments.

“How is it?” Calypso asked after a few drinks.

“Not bad.” Nico tilted his head back to look at the blond behind him. “What's in it?”

Apollo grinned and slid an arm around Nico's waist. “Some vodka and fruit. Good, yeah?”

Nico nodded and tilted the bottle back again. He sipped at it mostly. It did scare him a little, but mostly because Nico didn't want to turn out like his father. But at the same time, something like that shouldn't keep him from doing something. He just needed to remind himself that he was nothing like his father.

After taking another sip, Nico looked up at Apollo. “Can I ask your opinion on something?”

The blond blinked down at him. “What's up, buddy?”

Nico let out a breath. “Is this fighting going to keep going? Don't you think it's getting out of hand? You, Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia should put a stop to it all.”

Apollo pursed his lips and took another drink. “I don't know what to tell you there,” the blond whispered. “I don't have answer for that, Nico. Probably whenever one of us can grow up enough to get everyone to put their differences aside.”

“Not a very easy task,” Calypso mumbled.

The blond nodded in agreement. “On the bright side, at least the blame isn't being directed at you, Nico.” Nico glared at him. Apollo let out a chuckle. “I'm just being honest. Now it seems other things are bringing out everyone's issues.”

“If we don't kill each other before that happens.”

The Lost Boy knocked his bottle together with Calypso's. “True enough.” He let out a sigh. “I mean, the only other possibility that I can see is that Percy comes back.”

Yeah, because that was going to happen soon, Nico thought bitterly. Nico shook his head with another sip of his drink. His eyes drifted up when there was a noise at the door. The faint click of a keycard unlocking the door was heard right before the handle turned.

Will stepped inside, arching an eyebrow at the three on the couch when he noticed them. “Are we having a party?”

“Something like that,” Apollo mumbled, finishing off his drink.

Will smirked at seeing the bottle in Nico's hand. “Having another go at the whole drinking experience, eh?”

Nico's lips tilted down. “Rough day,” the youngest Lost Boy muttered.

Will chuckled and walked over to the couch. He bent over and plucked the bottle out of Nico's hands before taking a small sip. Nico glared up at him as the blond handed the bottle back to him. Nico would have complained about the whole thing, but Will looked exhausted. He also had a contagious yawn that slowly spread from person to person in the suite.

Catching Nico's gaze, Will nodded towards his room. “Can we talk for a minute?”

Nico quietly nodded and deposited his bottle on the table. Apollo shot Will a grin as the blond disappeared down the hall, which earned him the bird in response. Calypso smiled and waved at Nico before the boy could follow after the younger blond.

Once inside Will's room, the blond shut the door. Nico's eyes flickered down when the blond wasted no time in ridding himself of his shirt and shorts. The blond briefly disappeared into his closet before returning dressed in a sleeveless green shirt and white cotton shorts. Will plopped down on the bed, though he did not look at Nico. Letting out a sigh, Will ran a hand through his hair.

“Are you mad at me?”

Nico leaned back, resting on his elbows. He tilted his head to the side to meet the blond's gaze. “I talked with Luke.” Will pursed his lips. Nico let out a sigh. “Why are you fighting with him over me? You shouldn't be jealous.”

“I can't help it,” Will muttered. Nico watched as the tan blond picked at his sheets. “I just thought that...with Percy gone...maybe I stood a chance.” Will let his head fall back with a groan. “That sounds horrible, like I'm glad he's gone. I'm not. I just...didn't feel like I stood a chance with him around.” He let out a chuckle. “And, I mean, it's Percy. I can't feel jealous of Percy, he's always looked after me.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well you shouldn't feel jealous of Luke either. Nothing is going on between the two of us.” The boy's cheeks lit up at the memory of the previous day. “Well, nothing serious. Nothing romantic.”

The blond's brow furrowed. “Did you...?” He trailed off. Nico was quiet, but his blush gave him away. Will's shoulders slumped. “Oh. I just want a chance, Nico. That's all I'm asking for.” The blond Lost Boy's gaze softened and his lips formed into a pout. “Just give me a chance, at least until Percy comes back. If you still want Percy by then, I'll back off.”

Why was it that Nico's love life seemed to be insane ever since he arrived at the hotel? Back when he was still at home, Nico never really got attention from guys. And now he was having a hard time keeping up with all of them.

Letting out a breath, Nico collapsed on the bed beside the blond. Will smiled over at him and pulled the raven-haired boy closer. Nico didn't struggle, instead sliding his arm around Will's back. The blond's arms engulfed him, pulling the small boy into the firm chest in front of him. Nico let out a sigh. He liked Will, he did, but there was just something that nagged at him from the back of his mind.

It wasn't Percy, Nico knew that much. Well, perhaps part of it was because of Percy, but there was something else. Nico just couldn't put his finger on it.

Still, Will made him feel warm and safe, and it felt easier than with Percy. The green-eyed young man was something far from obtainable, something that there was no way to get unless one worked for it. Will just came naturally. It was nice, almost peaceful.

Nico hummed a little as Will's fingers slid under his shirt and traced across Nico's soft, pale back. The blond chuckled when Nico let out a groan. “Your back is tense.”

“No shit,” Nico mumbled into the warm chest in front of him.

“Do you want a massage?”

Like he would turn that down? Nico wasted no time complying. He rolled onto his stomach, while Will sat down on his butt. Nico's shirt was tugged over his head. Will leaned forward and chuckled in Nico's ear, but Nico found himself too distracted by what was now pressing against his ass. Will hummed lightly as his hands began to work on the smaller boy's shoulders. A long moan escaped the youngest Lost Boy's lips as the blond worked his way down Nico's back.

“I see you were in the kink rooms tonight,” Will whispered. Nico gave a small nod. The blond jumped off his back. Nico frowned and tilted his head to locate the blond, who was pulling out some lotion. He smiled at Nico briefly before going to the door. “I'll be right back.”

Nico could hear the sink running from the bathroom. Then there were footsteps, though Will didn't come back to the room. Judging by the sounds of it, Will had gone to the living room, since Nico could hear Apollo and Calypso talking to Will. After that, the blond finally returned with a wet washcloth and a bowl of ice.

Nico quirked his head. “What's all this for?”

Will slid onto the bed, depositing everything he had gotten next to Nico. “Well,” the blond began, “the lotion has some epsom salts in it to help you relax. Then I got this warm washcloth to help improve the circulation, while the ice is to help reduce swelling and visibility.” The cloth was pressed to Nico's back. “These need to heal as fast as possible.”

Nico's body felt like jelly as Will went through his routine. He started with Nico's back. First, the blond pressed the warm cloth to each bruise that Nico had acquired from the insane woman from earlier. From there, Will applied the lotion and massaged it into Nico's back. It was a little rough, but Nico supposed that was from the salts that the blond had said was mixed into it.

Will then instructed Nico to roll onto his back, so that the blond could take care of the boy's chest. After that was done, Will grinned. He placed a kiss on Nico's stomach, slipping the boy out of his shorts. Nico just blinked up at him, not really certain if he wanted it to stop or not. Will reached out and took an ice cube from the bowl beside Nico's head.

Nico shivered as the ice was trailed down his stomach. Will grinned up at him, following the cold with his warm kisses. Nico eventually had to roll onto his stomach again, so that Will could take care of his back. The ice sent shivers all throughout his skin, while the warmth of Will's mouth sent euphoric explosions all throughout Nico's entire being. He didn't even notice that Will was sliding his boxer-briefs off until he felt one of the blond's hand slide along his bare ass.

Not that he stopped the blond after realizing it.

Will picked up another ice cube and grinned down at Nico again. Nico's eyes fluttered closed as the ice was trailed down Nico's spine. And then lower. It kept going until the blond slid it along the crack of Nico's ass. Will's tongue followed after it, licking at the wet trail the ice had left behind.

Will laid down on Nico's back, though he made sure to keep most of his weight off of the bruised boy's back. Nico rolled his head to the side and Will captured his lips with his own. Nico rolled over and wrapped his arms around the blond's neck, while Will slid his hands along the raven-haired boy's sides.

Nico's hands mindlessly worked on getting the blond's shorts off, while Will rid himself of his shirt. Nico broke their kiss to get a look at the body that lay in front of him. And he was not disappointed. Will was lean, but he was also one of the Lost Boys with the least muscle. Not that Nico minded, he didn't really care for too much muscle. In truth, Will's body reminded Nico a lot of Percy's body with its lean and swimmer-like structure.

The next thing Nico knew, Will was on top of him. Small kisses were placed along the brown-eyed boy's neck as the blond wrapped Nico's legs around his waist. Part of Nico's mind screamed for him to stop it before it went too far, the other part told the first part to shut up and let it happen.

Take a guess at which part won the argument.

One of Nico's hands tangled in Will's hair, his other hand trailed fingers down the blond's lean torso. Will pulled back with a small smile. “Can you get a condom and some lube from my nightstand?”

Nico quirked a brow, but complied. He rolled onto his stomach and slid up the bed a little to reach the drawer. As his fingers made contact with a condom, Nico's eyes snapped open with a gasp. Will had taken the opportunity to spread Nico's cheeks apart and press his tongue against the boy's entrance. With a chuckle, Will pulled back and groped the brown-eyed boy's ass.

“You have a really nice ass.”

Nico rolled his eyes and grabbed the bottle of lube. “Here.”

He went to roll back over, but Will held him in place and pressed his tongue against Nico's entrance again. Nico's fingers tightened in the sheets as Will prepared him with his tongue. During this time, Will reached out and grabbed the bottle of lube from where it laid on the bed. Snapping the bottle open, Will applied some of the clear gel to his fingertips. Pulling back, Will pressed a brief kiss to Nico's lower back.

Nico was rolled onto his back, where Will inserted the first finger. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol in his system, but Nico didn't really feel any pain as Will stretched him out. He wasn't drunk, not even tipsy, but he did feel a slight buzz.

Will kissed him again. “Do you want to stop? I'll understand, since you had a client earlier.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “She and I never did anything,” the boy panted. “And you're one to talk, you literally just got back from your own client.”

The way Will grinned at him made Nico melt a little. “Yeah, but I actually want to have it with you. Besides, I'm still young.” Nico arched a brow at him. “Okay, and I didn't actually get off with her.”

Nico chuckled as they kissed again. “Well, maybe we should fix that.”

“I think I like this change.”

After applying a second finger and managing to find Nico's prostate, Will slid on the condom and spread Nico's legs. There was a dull ache that coursed through Nico's lower half as Will slid into Nico. The brown-eyed boy opened his mouth in a moan, which Will used as an opportunity to slide his tongue into the younger boy's mouth.

Nico's fingers gripped the blond's hair as the other Lost Boy finished sheathing himself. A moan escaped Nico's lips with the first real thrust. “You okay?” Will whispered when Nico clung tightly to the blond's back. Nico gave a small nod. Smiling, Will leaned down and kissed the boy's forehead.

Out of all the sexual encounters Nico had experienced so far, Will definitely touched him the most. But it didn't feel as calculated as with Percy. Will was beyond affectionate with his caresses, but something was different. Every touch from Percy could set a fire within Nico's body. Every little touch and motion with Percy always had an affect on the boy. It was like Percy knew what Nico wanted, while Will was just being overall caring. And neither of them were as rough as Luke. In fact, quite the opposite was the case with Will.

Nico smiled up at the blond. “You can go faster.”

Will kissed his chest. “I don't want to hurt you.”

Wrapping his legs tighter around the blond, Nico pulled Will's hips forward. The blond's head fell against Nico's chest in a moan. “I'm not made of glass, Will,” Nico panted.

Will's fingers dug into Nico's hips as the blond thrust forward before pulling back out. During all of this, Will ran a hand along Nico's inner thigh, slowly moving to wrap a hand around Nico's member. Reaching up, Nico placed his hand on the back of the blond's neck and pulled him down for a long kiss.

The slightly older Lost Boy remained at an agonizingly slow pace, though. Nico's head fell back with a mix of a groan and moan. It was beyond frustrating that Will wouldn't go faster, but at the same time, it felt incredible. In a lot of ways, it was what Nico had been seeking all this time. He knew that Will could probably care for him and look after him, it reflected through all of the blond's affection towards the raven-haired boy. But that didn't stop the nagging in the back of Nico's mind.

Though, the constant kisses he received with each thrust was pretty nice. Running his fingers into the back of Nico's hair, Will finally picked up the pace a little. Not much, but it was better than nothing. Nico found it hard to keep his eyes open. Not because it hurt or anything, but because Will stared at him the whole time. It wasn't a bad thing, it just made Nico feel self-conscious. Those blue eyes stared down at him with such intensity.

Will finally lifted Nico's legs onto his shoulders and leaned directly over the boy underneath him. Nico's mouth fell open in a quiet moan as the blond's erection made direct contact with his prostate. Will grinned before leaning down for another kiss. Nico moaned into the older boy's mouth as the blond wrapped a hand around his member and began to stroke him.

With another hit to Nico's prostate, Nico's mouth fell open and Will slid his tongue in. The blond's free hand wrapped underneath Nico's lower back, using it to pull Nico onto his cock. Nico's eyes scrunched closed as he kissed the blond back vigorously. And, with a final thrust, Nico's head fell back as he reached his climax. At the same time that the door opened.

“Hey, do either of you want-” Apollo froze as Nico let out a moan and shot his essence on his stomach. Will pressed his hands on either side of Nico, panting heavily. He tossed his head to the side to glare at his roommate. “Um, never mind.”

Will dropped beside Nico as the door shut, chuckling lightly. Nico let out a breath, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn't like it was the first time someone had walked in on him during sex. He supposed it was just karma getting back at him for walking in on everyone else. Will chuckled and let out a breath before reaching over the edge of the bed to grab a towel.

Nico reached up for it, but Will batted his hand away. The blond kissed Nico as he wiped the pale boy's stomach clean. After he was done, Will pulled off the used condom and tossed it in the trash. With a groan, the blond fell back on the bed and draped an arm across the raven-haired boy's chest. Nico smiled as he slid his fingers along Will's arm.

“I feel like I could sleep for a few days,” the blond mumbled into Nico's shoulder. Nico smiled and rolled his head to the side. The blond laid on his stomach, his cheek pressed firmly into the mattress and one arm wrapped around Nico. This also gave Nico a spectacular view of his friend's ass. A perfect ten, by the way. Nico had yet to find a swimmer or surfer that didn't have a nice butt.

Nico rolled over, so that part of his chest lay across Will's back. His fingertips slowly trailed their way across the blond's smooth back. Will hummed in contentment.

“You're welcome to sleep here.”

Nico smiled. “That sounds really tempting, you have no idea.” He let out a sigh. “But it's just been a really long day, and I kind of want some time to myself to do some thinking.”

Will gave a slow nod before rolling onto his back and enveloping Nico into a hug. “Well, if you need me, don't hesitate to call.”

Nico dropped his head onto the older Lost Boy's chest. “Thanks. And I mean that for being there and what just happened.”

Will chuckled. “It was my pleasure. I'm just happy to get a chance.”

“I just don't want to lead you on. I don't want to end up hurting someone.”

“I know,” Will whispered. He ran his fingers through Nico's dark locks. “I'm a big boy, though.” Grinning, the blond's hands came down onto Nico's ass and squeezed. “I guess you should get going then.”

Nico sighed before getting onto his knees. Will smirked as his cerulean eyes trailed down the pale boy's body. Just a few months ago, Nico would have found himself extremely uncomfortable at being so exposed, but it didn't really bother him at all right now. He quickly leaned down for a brief kiss.

After getting dressed, Nico exited Will's room. Calypso was already gone, but Apollo sat on the couch with a sheet of paper. Nico quirked a brow. “Whatcha doing?”

The blond looked up. “Just writing some music.” He shook his head. “Nothing really important.” A sly grin appeared. “So, you two finally did the deed.”

“I suppose so,” Nico whispered. The boy shook his head. “Now only you and Octavian can't say you've been with me.”

Apollo winked at him. “Let's keep in mind that I was the first to get you out of your clothes. Besides, you told me that you'd let me know when you were willing to try having sex with people other than Percy.”

Nico gave a nod. “I did say that.” He shook his head with a smirk. “We'll see. I just...” his smile slowly faded away, “need to do some thinking. A lot on my mind.” He bit down on his lip. “Have you ever felt like you were losing yourself?”

Apollo tilted his head to the side, setting the paper in his lap aside. “Everything okay there, Nico?” The blond's lips tilted down. “We've kind of been getting worried about you, what with your new behavior lately.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. He let out a sigh. “Maybe I'm just meant to turn out like everyone else.”

The young man on the couch stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I think that's still your decision to make, dude.”

“Am I a horrible person?” Nico's hand clung tightly to his shirt, unwilling to look up from the floor. “I'm a little scared of what I'm becoming. What if I turn out just like my father?”

Nico's eyes widened as a pair of arms enveloped him. “Nico, I don't think you are capable of turning into your father.” The blond's tan hand griped the back of the boy's black hair. “No matter what you become, I wouldn't think any less of you. You're a good kid, Nico, and you have a good heart deep down.” He leaned back, tilting Nico's chin up. “I think that counts for something. If it's any consolation, I don't think you're too far gone to turn around if you chose.”

Nico stared up at the blond with wide. “You think so?”

A small smile crept across the blond's lips. “I do. I think you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, or perhaps stronger than you realize.” Rubbing Nico's back, Apollo let the boy go and walked him to the door. “Just...whatever path you choose, don't come to hate yourself. I think that's the worst thing you can do. Fall that far and...well, you'll end up like Percy.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered. He brushed some of his hair out of his face before he stepped out the door. Turning around, he offered Apollo a weak smile. “Thank you.”

Apollo gave a nod. “Take care of yourself, Nico, and get some sleep.”

With that, Apollo shut the door. Nico took in a deep breath before walk towards his door. As he took out his keycard, the elevator dinged. Quirking his head to the side, Nico stopped in the hallway.

Butch walked around the corner. “Hi,” Nico greeted him.

The older Lost Boy stopped and blinked at Nico. “What are you still doing up, shortie?”

Nico blinked. “I could ask you the same question. It's like...” Nico pulled out his phone, “nearly four. You okay?”

“Yeah,” the muscular Lost Boy muttered. He sighed and turned to face Nico. “Just been doing some thinking, trying to clear my head. Went for a walk outside.”

Nico gave a small nod. “Yeah, I know the feeling.” Nico slipped his card back into his pocket. “Is it about all the fighting?”

A sigh escaped Butch's lips. “Partly. Part of it is my mother. I still feel so awkward around her. I don't know what to say to her half of the time.”

Nico ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I'm sure she's happy just getting to spend time with you.” A sad look overtook Nico's dark eyes. “I just wish I could have something like that with my mother now, even if it was strained.”

“I'm sorry,” Butch muttered.

Nico shook his head. “You don't have to apologize. It wasn't my fault, I know that. There wasn't anything I could have done. If I had told her, there was a chance she would have come looking for me. Or worse, she might have told my father.” Letting out a sigh, Nico looked up at the muscular Lost Boy. “I think you should keep at it. You might come to regret it if you don't.”

Butch frowned at the younger boy. “Nico, are you okay?”

Nico chuckled, though he kept his eyes hidden from the other Lost Boy. “Yeah, totally fine,” he lied. He pursed his lips tightly, willing himself not to cry. The smile remained in place on Nico's lips. “Trust me. I wasn't willing to even try with my mother.”

“Your father didn't need to find out,” Butch rationalized.

“But it's all okay now.” Nico smiled, his eyes still hidden. He clapped Butch on the arm before he faced his back to the taller Lost Boy. “My biggest regret is that I let her go to her grave, believing that her son might have been dead.”

A hand came to rest on Nico's shoulder. “I think your mother would understand, Nico. Don't beat yourself up over it.”

Nico finally looked up at Butch. His face was a mask, the smile eerily masking the feelings behind it. “Don't worry about me, I'm perfectly fine,” he tried to reassure the young man.

“Yeah,” Butch whispered. His brow furrowed as he observed Nico's face. “If I didn't know better, I'd believe you. Nico, you don't need to keep all of this bottled up, man. It's not good for you.”

Nico slowly nodded, pulling his key back out and sliding it into its slot. “Yeah, because all of you are just experts at not doing that.”

Butch frowned as Nico opened his door. “I think you're in the worst argument out of all of us, Nico.” The brown-eyed boy frowned and turned his head to stare at Butch. “You might not have killed your father, but you're killing yourself. Beating yourself up is the worst fight to get in, because no one is going to criticize you as harshly as you will yourself.”

Butch disappeared into his suite, leaving Nico alone in the hallway. The raven-haired boy frowned and wrapped an arm around himself as he slipped into his own suite. Reaching up, Nico touched at his face. He felt cold and empty. Everything had fallen apart.