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.