Children of Loss 45

  The next morning, Nico was pulled from his deep sleep when the bathroom door hit against the wall. The raven-haired boy groaned and rolled onto his stomach. He cracked an eye open when he realized the warmth from last night was gone.

As predicted, the bed was empty. Nico supposed that was to be expected, considering his roommate was around the bathroom. Letting out a yawn, Nico stumbled out of bed. He opened his door and scratched his head. A cabinet in the kitchen closed. Grumbling to himself, Nico headed in that direction.

Jason was dressed solely in a towel when Nico found him. The blond's hair was soaking wet, signaling his roommate's recent shower. When the blue-eyed Lost Boy turned around, he smiled when he found Nico there. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Nico grumbled, taking a seat at the kitchen island.

Nico's dark eyes drifted down to where Jason's towel barely held at his hips. On top of that, there was a droplet of water that slowly made its way down Jason's appealing stomach. Running his hand through his hair, Nico let out a sigh. “So, what time did you wake up?”

Jason shrugged. “Maybe thirty minutes ago?”

“And you didn't wake me up?”

The blond blinked at him. “Um, no?” Jason replied. “It's not like you have to work today.”

Nico rubbed his temples. Even though he hadn't drank at all last night, the boy felt like he was suffering from a hangover. “Well, thanks for stopping by last night.” He shook his head. “Last night was just sort of rough for-” Nico stopped when he noticed the confused look on his roommate's face. “What?”

“I didn't come by your room last night,” the blond admitted.

Nico's brow furrowed. “Um, yes, you did.” He motioned to his room. “You came in my room and curled up behind me.” Jason just shook his head. “Dude, I felt your warmth. I mean, it was warmer than usual, but I felt you.”

Again, Jason shook his head. “Nico, I just got back to the suite before I took my shower. I crashed in Thalia's room last night. I wanted to talk to her. I guess what you said last week sort of sank in, thought I'd make amends with her.” The blond motioned towards the door. “You can ask her yourself.”

Nico rubbed at his arm, suddenly getting a chill. If it wasn't Jason, then who was it? “So, um, who else can get in here? Leo and Rachel?”

His roommate shrugged. “Well, there's also Kronos.”

“Yeah, saying that doesn't make me feel any better,” the raven-haired boy groaned. Those were the only three that had key access to suites of the Lost Kids. Frankly, Nico seriously hoped it was either Rachel or Leo. Because the son of the devil did not sound like the most appeasing cuddle buddy.

Opening his mouth, Nico was interrupted by the sound of his cellphone. His brow furrowed as he scanned over a text from Rachel. Apparently, he was needed upstairs. Had he done something wrong?

“I'll be right back,” Nico mumbled as he went to his room.

Slipping into some loose clothing, Nico grabbed his wallet and headed for the front door. He felt very uneasy on the ride up to the manager's floor. If it was Kronos that wanted him, Nico would rather not be going, but he figured he had little choice. But their last conversation had not gone very pleasantly. Perhaps Kronos wanted to skin him alive.

Nico rolled his shoulders as he stepped off the elevator and immediately froze.

His brow furrowed as he watched people drag things around. A hotel cart wheeled some suitcases out of the room Kronos had been inhabiting during his stay. The sound of a steam cleaner could be heard from within the room. What was going on?

“Hi, Nico.”

Every fiber of Nico's being froze, his blood running cold. He knew that voice. But to hear it in person again was like music. Nico was too afraid to turn around, too afraid that he might not really be there. Taking in a deep breath, Nico pursed his lips and slowly turned around.

And there he was.

Percy Jackson himself, dressed in casual pair of jeans and a light blue shirt. The jerk even had a pair of sunglasses on top of his head. The guy didn't look professional at all, more like he had just gotten back from a vacation. But there he was, smiling at Nico with his hands in his pockets.

As Nico took a few steps forward, Percy's smile brightened. “Did you miss me?”

Without warning, Nico slapped Percy across the face. To say the young man looked surprised was an understatement. The young man rubbed his jaw as he gawked at Nico. The Lost Boy clenched his teeth, his fists tight by his sides.

“That's the first thing you say to me, really?” Nico growled.

Percy chuckled, still rubbing his jaw. “Well, I guess Rachel was right, you have grown some balls.” When Nico attempted to hit him again, Percy caught his wrist with a smile. “Striking your boss can get you fired, you know.” Briefly, those green eyes scanned Nico over. “You're not wearing the jacket I gave you.”

Nico jerked his arm away. “I just woke up.” Frowning, Nico rubbed his wrist. “Seriously, you couldn't even give us a notice that you were coming back? When did you even get in?”

“Last night.” Percy grinned and tilted his head to the side. “Well, you know, I dropped by last night, but you seemed pretty tired. So, I let you sleep.” The jerk actually had the audacity to stick his tongue out at Nico. “So, Jason's been sleeping in your bed?”

Nico's cheeks turned pink. “Shut up!” His entire face slowly turned red as he realized what Percy had just said. It had been Percy in his room last night? It had been Percy that cuddled with him? “Um, I-I'm glad you're back.”

Percy smiled and ducked his head, attempting to catch Nico's gaze as the boy hid his eyes behind his bangs. “Good, I was starting to worry.” His lips tilted down and he forced Nico to look up. “Are you okay, though?”

Did he know what happened? Nico gulped. Attempting his best smile, Nico nodded. “Yeah, of course.” He cleared his throat. “How was your trip?”

“It was good.” Percy obviously wasn't convinced. The way he kept looking at Nico gave it away. “I'll have to talk about it later. There's actually some things that I need to let everyone know.” The smile was gone from Percy's lips, a dark look in his eyes. But he was no longer looking at Nico. Nico spun around to find Kronos standing a few feet away. “All packed?”

Kronos's lips tilted up. “Almost. I suppose I'll be glad to be getting back to my own hotel.” While he kept smiling, the way Kronos looked at Nico sent shivers up the boy's spine. “I see you two are getting reacquainted.”

Percy nodded. The young man's lips tilted back up, slowly stepping around Nico to place his hand on Kronos's shoulder. But he didn't speak to Kronos. “Nico,” the green-eyed young man began, turning to look at the boy, “you can go back to your suite. We can talk later.”

Nico quickly nodded. “Yeah, sure.” He cleared his throat. “Of course.”

But Percy stopped him before the boy could get back on the elevator. “Come back in an hour, knock on my door.”

Taking in a breath, Nico nodded again and pushed the button to his floor. His shoulders relaxed when the doors closed. On the way down, though, Nico started to laugh. It was over. The nightmare that was Kronos was finally over. Percy was back and the hotel could finally go back to normal.

When the elevator opened, Nico found Luke and Octavian standing there. The younger brother quirked a brow at him. “What has you in such a good mood?”

“Percy's back!” Nico exclaimed.

A flood of relief could be seen in both blonds' stunned eyes. Luke pulled him aside. “You're serious? You saw him?”

Nico nodded. “He's upstairs. Looks like Kronos is going to leave today, too.”

Luke let out a sigh as Annabeth and Piper came up behind them. “What's up, guys?” Piper asked.

Nico had heard Luke laugh before, but it was usually done to mock someone. This was strange. The blond's lips tilted up as joyous laughter spilled out of his mouth. The girls looked at the guy like he'd grown a second head.

Octavian smirked and shook his head. “Percy's back.”

“Yes!” Piper held up her hands. Octavian let out a yelp as the girl wrapped her arms around him and lifted him off the ground in a giant hug.

After a moment, Nico noted that Annabeth was watching him. When she noticed this, she smiled and nodded. “I suppose we should let the others know.”

“We should have a party!” Piper suggested, dragging Annabeth into the elevator. Luke chuckled and stepped in after them, Octavian following in last. Nico smiled and waved at them before going down the hall to his suite.

As per the young man's request, Nico showed back up at Percy's room an hour later. After knocking, Nico stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned to watch the last of Kronos's things get taken out of the suite. Relief washed over Nico as he watched the scene. It was over, Kronos was finally leaving.

Well, this feeling was washed away quickly when Percy's door opened and he found both Percy and Kronos standing there. The spawn of the devil narrowed his eyes at Nico, though he quietly brushed past the boy. Percy smiled and tossed Kronos a wave.

“I'll see you here shortly,” the green-eyed young man said.

Kronos kept staring at Nico. “Of course. I'll see you in the lobby.”

Nico really wasn't sure which was worse from Kronos: the clearly angry side or the eerily calm one. Either way, Nico shivered as Kronos walked away. Percy smiled at the boy and motioned for Nico to come inside. Gladly accepting the invitation, the Lost Boy stepped around Percy and entered the suite. It had been a while since he had seen the room, which had been unoccupied during Percy's absence. Everything was exactly as Nico remembered it.

Percy walked back to his bedroom, fiddling with the cuffs of his dress shirt. While Percy did look good in it, the shirt merely reminded Nico that Percy was back to his business routine. He kind of liked seeing Percy so relaxed. Nico sat down on Percy's bed, while the young man dug around in his sock drawer.

“So,” Nico began.

Turning his head slightly to look at the boy, Percy smirked. “So,” he repeated. His eyebrow shot up. “I see you put on the jacket.”

Nico shrugged, smiling a little as he looked down at himself. The jacket was slightly big on him, but it didn't bother him at all. “Thank you for it, though.”

“It was just a present.” Percy ran his hand through Nico's hair before sitting down on the bed and putting his socks on. “I thought you might like it. But, as an added bonus for me, I get to look at you in it.”

The Lost Boy's cheeks lit up. “I, um...” He had to mentally slap himself. Nico had almost forgotten how easily Percy could charm someone. “Did you even stay the whole night, or did you leave when you realized I was going to sleep.”

“I stayed,” Percy admitted. He shrugged and stood up, walking over to one of his suitcases. Nico frowned as the young man pulled something out and slipped it into his pocket. “If you weren't so lazy this morning, you could have discovered that yourself. I woke up when I heard Jason come in, then I decided to head upstairs to make sure everything was in order.”

“How am I lazy if you only woke up ten minutes before me?” Nico flailed his arms with a huff. Percy smirked, moving closer. Nico narrowed his eyes, unsure of what the young man was up to. “So, Gaea let you come back?”

“Something like that.”

Nico arched a brow as Percy knelt on the bed, one of his legs in between Nico's. The brown-eyed boy leaned back a little. “Um, so, she doesn't think I'm an issue anymore? Did you tell her that there's no reason to be concerned?”

A spark flickered in Percy's eyes as the young man pinned Nico to the bed. The boy gulped when he felt Percy's knee press against his crotch. “Apparently, there are some that are concerned that you are a problem for me, that you are making me weak, Nico. Some want me to eliminate this problem.”

Something sharp and cold pressed against Nico's neck. Unsure of when they got there, Percy had a hand to the boy's throat, and in his hand was a very sharp knife. A cold, dark look filled the young man's eyes as he stared down at Nico.

Letting out a sigh, Percy sat back and frowned. The knife fell onto the bed. “The problem is that I couldn't go through with something like that, even if I wanted to.”

“I thought you were completely loyal?” Nico flinched. He told himself to shut up, not wanting to push his luck.

“To Gaea,” Percy chuckled. He sighed and placed his hands on either side of Nico's head. “She didn't ask me to do it. But, then again, I'm not sure if I could, even if she did.” The young man scrunched his lips. “Maybe when we first met, but not now.”

Nico rolled his head to the side. “You just want me to leave,” he whispered.

The green-eyed manager let out a heavy sigh. “You say that like it's a bad thing. Yes, I gave you that money to try to convince you to leave. I wanted you to graduate this whole time, yes. I won't deny that. But I also did it because I thought it was what was best for you. Even if you did decide to stay, I would still pay for your education.” He brushed some of Nico's hair from the boy's face. “Stop depressing yourself.”

In all honesty, Nico probably should have just smiled and nodded, but apparently he had developed into a masochist. “Is it true that you were going to bring my father to the basement and pretty much torture him?” Frowning, Nico pushed the young man off of him. “I thought I told you to just leave it alone?”

Percy's face was unreadable. “Well, I didn't, now did I?”

Groaning, Nico grasped at his hair. “That's not the point.” He sighed and sat down in front of Percy. “I just...would rather not have my father involved in my life, in any form.”

“Fair enough.” Percy gave a slight nod. “But, just so you know, I didn't ask for him to come upstairs. I never intended for him to find out what you do. When I found out he was talking to Persephone, I made a note to Leo and Rachel to instantly decline her request, should she ever ask to bring him to the hotel.”

There was a moment of silence, where neither of the two said anything. Nico didn't even meet Percy's gaze. It wasn't until Percy got off the bed that Nico finally looked up at him. “Did you know about the things that were going on here? I mean, if you even know now.”

Percy kept his back to Nico. With a sigh, the young man picked up his phone from his nightstand and slipped it into his pocket. “I had my suspicions.”

“And you were fine with it?”

Finally, Percy turned around with a slight frown. Frustration slowly became apparent on the young man's face. “It's not like I wanted to leave, you know. I didn't really have a choice, but I also knew that Kronos wouldn't do any real harm to you.” He shook his head, rubbing his jaw. “But don't worry, everyone that doesn't want to work the kink rooms is no longer required.” His eyes flickered down to where the boy sat on his bed, as if to say: that goes especially for you.

Nico was happy that Percy was back, he really was, but he also felt disappointed. He had expected Percy to come back and the two of them be happy. That was what the note was about, wasn't it? But here Percy was, and he hadn't even brought the note up. Should Nico ask about it?

He never got the chance, though.

Percy let out a sigh. “For the record, I'm not mad at you.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “About what?”

The young man gave him a serious look. “The drugs, Nico. I'm not stupid.”

“He told you?” Nico muttered.

“No.” Percy shook his head. “Nico, I'm not going to get mad at you over an accident. I am not unreasonable.” He sighed again and tilted the boy's chin up. “It really doesn't bother me, you had no idea what the stuff was.” His lips tilted up. “And, for the record, it was Luke.” Narrowing his eyes, he pointed at Nico. “Don't tell him that I told you.”

Slowly, Nico nodded. At least that was something off his chest, and it felt like a relief. Nico had been seriously debating if he should tell Percy when the young man got back, but was too nervous. “Thank you,” he whispered.

The green-eyed young man opened his bedroom door, but stopped and turned around when Nico stood up from the bed. “There is one more thing we need to talk about.” Nico couldn't help but smile, hoping that it was about the note. But the frown that set in on Percy's face couldn't disagree more. “You are to stay away from Kronos from this day forward, do you hear me? Do not go near my brother, under any circumstance.”

“I-”

Percy held up his hand, a dark look in his eyes. “I'm not finished talking.” Nico pursed his lips and nodded. “Starting from this point, when we go down to the lobby, do not speak to him. You are not to be alone with him, ever. The only time you can speak with him is when you have other people around you. Do I make myself clear?”

Gulping, Nico nodded his head. Fear was clear in the boy's eyes as he gawked up at Percy. The young man rarely spoke to him with such force, it scared Nico a little. But why was Percy getting mad at him? Kronos was the jerk that had been torturing everyone. So why was it that Nico got the heat for it?

“Okay,” Nico finally whispered.

Well then, Nico thought to himself as he followed the young man out of the suite, this was not how he imagined Percy's return to go.

In the elevator, Percy kept stealing glances at Nico. Not that Nico wasn't doing the same, he was just having a hard time accepting that Percy was actually there. Finally, the green-eyed young man tilted his head to the side and tapped a finger to his lip. “Did you change something about yourself?” He narrowed his eyes. “You just...look different. Are you okay?”

Pressing his lips together, Nico gave a small nod. “Well, I'm better now.” That made Percy smile a little. “It's really good to have you back.”

“I bet.”

“But I'm fine, I promise.”

Percy arched a brow. “You're better at lying, but not that good.” He smirked at the pout Nico gave him. “Keep in mind that I'm a professional liar, I know how to spot lies.”

Nico just shook his head. “You know, when you say things like that, you make it hard for others to trust you,” the boy sighed. Percy winked and wagged his eyebrows. Still as childish as ever, Nico thought to himself. “So, did anything exciting happen in Germany? I heard there was a new Lost Boy.”

“Yep.” Percy smiled a little. “He's fitting in fairly well, not really any problems at all. Apparently, he used to do go-go dancer before he ended up on the streets.”

Nico let out a small grunt of acknowledgment. “So, is that it?” He couldn't help but fish for information, since he barely got to talk to Percy in the past month. “Nothing important?”

“Not really,” Percy replied, his lips tilting down.

“Really?” Nico asked, unconvinced.

“Yeah.” Green eyes flickered away as the elevator opened. “It's not important, so drop it.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he followed after the manager. What was that about? Clearly, Percy was lying himself. But what could have happened? However, Nico was pulled from his thoughts as Percy pressed a hand to his chest. Blinking, Nico looked up to find a frown marring the young man's features. Percy blinked and pointed over to where the other Lost Kids were standing. Nico let out a sigh and trudged over to them, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his aviator jacket.

The second Kronos spotted him, the young man rolled his eyes at Nico. He clearly knew where Nico had gotten the jacket. But then Kronos just looked away and smiled at Percy. Nico let out a sigh, narrowing his eyes. That was not really the reaction he had hoped for. It was the day Kronos was leaving, when Nico had Percy back. Kronos would be leaving, which meant that he couldn't torture Nico. And while it probably was stupid, Nico was feeling a little brave.

Yes, Nico wanted to rub this fact in Kronos's face. He wanted to gloat a little that Percy was back and that he had held out in the end. But did he get anything? No! Just that stupid eye roll. It was like the fact that Nico was wearing Percy's jacket didn't bother Kronos at all.

But even still, all Kronos seemed to think of Nico as was an ant or some toy that belonged to Percy. However, Nico was pulled from all of this when he overheard something Kronos said to Percy.

“I guess I'll see you next month.”

“That's the plan,” Percy sighed. He smiled and hugged Kronos, which made Nico roll his eyes. How could Percy even be friends with someone like Kronos? Even if the guy's mother had saved Percy's life and been Percy's real friend. Details.

When Kronos went to leave, his eyes flickered over to Nico a final time with that annoying smirk of his. That smirk that he always gave when he felt like he had won something. He must have been so satisfied with himself, and Nico was just letting him pull his strings. Everything was just a game to the guy. The fact remained: Nico was just as messed up as Kronos kept saying. As much as Nico hated to admit this, it was the truth. Percy even noticed it straight off the bat.

Was he even any different than the others now? Was he just another soul that wound up trapped in the hotel, bound to wander its halls for the rest of time? Was it even possible to save himself at this point? Letting out a small sigh, Nico's eyes roamed over to where Percy stood. Maybe. But what was he even trying to accomplish for anymore? At least, for now, it was good to have a little light back in the hotel.

Percy walked Kronos out to the the limo that had been arranged to drive him to the airport. The second the young man came back into the hotel, however, he was swarmed. Percy quickly held his hands up in front of him to act as a shield as the guy was surrounded on all sides.

Since Nico had already gotten time with Percy, he let the others suffocate him. It was nice to see the others smile again. Relief was apparent in all of their eyes as they overloaded Percy with their unending amount of questions. However, it was Annabeth that noticed something about Percy first.

“Are you okay?” The blonde asked. Nico tilted his head to the side. She was right. Percy had a small frown on his face, and it seemed like he wasn't entirely there. Was he thinking about something? “Is everything okay?”

Nico went still when Percy's eyes flickered over to him. The young man's brow furrowed, like he was considering something mentally. “It's nothing.” Percy finally smiled, letting out a breath. “For the first time in a while, I think everything is fine.”

Travis let a small grin creep onto his face as he nudged their manager. “Something happen in Germany?”

The look in Percy's sea-green eyes was very distant, like he was somewhere else. Had something happened? But then the young man let out a sigh and smiled. A fake smile that he made no effort to mask. “Well, I can only hope that things turn out to be good.” He frowned when Annabeth opened her mouth. “I'll talk about it when I'm ready.”

“Yes, Percy,” the group all mumbled.

To Nico, though, it was just nice to hear Percy's name again. It was nice to have him back. Whatever Percy had to say could wait, as far as Nico was concerned. He just wanted to enjoy having the young man back. It was like a weight had been taken off his chest, like he wasn't on the verge of a panic attack anymore.

Unfortunately, the group didn't get to see much more of Percy the rest of the day. It wasn't until he came to the top floor during performance hours that Nico got to see him again. Although, Nico didn't get his table. Not that he could have, since the boy was on stage for the night.

And it was highly unlikely that Nico would be going to the backrooms tonight, since Thalia had caught him before work and told him that her, Apollo, Luke, and Annabeth were going to talk to Percy about letting Nico join the “big siblings” after work.

As Nico was about to go on, Will caught him on the way to the stage. “Good luck,” the blond mumbled.

It caught Nico a little off-guard. Will seemed unhappy and had barely spoken to Nico since Percy's return. “You okay?”

Will turned around and blinked, a little surprised. “I'm fine. I just...never mind.” The blond sighed. “It's not important.”

It didn't take much for Nico to realize why the blond seemed depressed. Yes, it was nice that Percy was back, even for Will, but he had also made the deal with Nico. And now Will probably wanted to see what Nico would say, probably dreading the answer.

But Nico wasn't entirely sure himself. Yes, Percy had been what he had wanted this whole time, and it was beyond amazing to have him back. But nothing seemed to change between them. After the note, Nico had hoped... Well, he had hoped for something different. But all he had really gotten was threats from Percy to stay away from Kronos. Not very romantic.

At the same time, though, there was something that still bothered Nico about Will. It wasn't the blond himself, just something felt off about them being more than friends. He really needed to figure out what was bothering him about the situation.

Nico let out a sigh as Will walked over to the couch and sat down. The raven-haired boy took his place on the stage moments before the music started. All of his problems and concerns had to be put on hold for the moment.

Clearing his head, Nico slowly rolled his head in a circular motion and raised his arms above his head as Goldfrapp's “Ooh La La” began to play. His hands slowly worked his way down his body, until the lyrics started and Nico jumped and spread his legs. Every time the words “switch me on” and “turn me on” appeared, Nico stopped what he was doing and made sure to shoot his legs apart, trying to do his best at a seductive expression.

He turned his back to the audience and bent over slightly, running his hands up his leg. From there, he jumped up and shot his legs apart again, this time sticking his finger into his mouth. Leaning back, the boy rolled his stomach and caressed his inner thighs.

As the song continued, Nico found himself on his side, sticking his leg into the air. The boy actually managed to raise it up enough and grab it with one of his hands. He was sure the audience enjoyed a nice view of his crotch and ass. Sliding to the edge of the stage, Nico allowed a woman near the edge to rip the silk pants he had on off of his body. Tossing her a wink, Nico jumped up and began to sway along to the music again. Rolling his shoulders, Nico managed to slide the vest he wore off of him.

Towards the end, when the part with “switch me on” appeared, Nico turned around during his jump and placed both of his hands on his ass. The boy swayed his hips around sensually, hooking his thumbs into the top of the fabric that clung to his body ever so tightly.

Sitting down on the stage, Nico bent his knees and spread his legs towards the audience. He slowly ran his hands from his feet up to his thighs. Groping his crotch, Nico let out a moan. Not that the crowd could hear it, but they could tell from his face what he had done. And, just as the song came to an end, rolled his speedo down ever so slightly, exposing just a hint of his ass to the audience as the song ended.

He tossed the crowd a wink as he made his way off the stage, pleased with the torture he probably instilled upon some of them. And, as a bonus, Nico wouldn't be going to the backrooms tonight because of what he had just done. It was a win-win situation. Well, for Nico anyways.

An hour later, Nico found himself sitting at a table with Thalia, Annabeth, Luke, and Apollo. Most of the others had already gone or were with a customer. Leo and Rachel were the only others upstairs, save for Percy and Dionysus. The newly returned manager was talking quite animatedly with Dionysus on the other side of the room, though it didn't seem to be anything bad. From the few things Nico could make out, Percy was just running through business transactions with the man, and Dionysus just nodded his head and answered when it was required of him. Nico tapped his fingers against the table's surface as he watched the two.

“So, is it true that Dionysus was supposed to be the manager before Percy?”

The other four looked over at him with confused expressions. Annabeth tilted her head to the side. “Where did you hear that?” She asked.

Nico casually shrugged. “Just something Dionysus said.”

Thalia chuckled a little. “Well, I'm sure he wanted to, but that information was wrong.” The girl placed her hands behind her head. “Sure, from what I've heard, the guy wanted to be manager, but Gaea never considered him.”

Annabeth nodded her head lightly. “She's right. When I got here, Dionysus was bickering with the old manager, mainly because Gaea had just informed the hotel that Percy would be transferred here. And I think everyone knew what was going to happen, so Dionysus just got upset.”

Apollo twisted one of his curls around his fingers. “Wasn't Gaea going to promote him, but then he ruined his chances for anything?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth muttered. She let out a sigh. “Long story, long before my time.” The Lost Girl shrugged at Nico. “He's bitter at Percy, but he only has himself to blame.”

Luke was the only quiet one at the table. When Nico looked over at him, the blond was trying to balance a water bottle on its side, using only his index finger. The blond let out a sigh, his blue eyes trained on Percy. It must have been a huge relief to have Percy back, Nico could understand that. It probably meant a lot to Luke. Nico also had to wonder what might have happened while Kronos was here. Luke wasn't one to talk about his problems, and Nico had to wonder if Kronos had said things to the guy when they were alone.

It was what Kronos had done to Nico, so it only made sense that the same had happened to Luke. The others had said that Luke was basically a toy for Kronos to play with, so Nico doubted that nothing had happened. So, seeing Percy again probably meant that a huge weight had been lifted from Luke. The most obvious was the fact that his and Octavian's mother could no longer visit the hotel.

When Luke noticed him staring, however, the blond got an annoyed look in his eyes. “What are you staring at, twerp?”

The raven-haired boy let out a sigh. “Nothing. But are you okay?”

“Of course,” Luke mumbled. “Worry about yourself.” His eyes flickered back over to Percy. “Just be glad Percy came back to save your sorry ass, sunshine. You got off easy from those kink rooms. The crazy amazon lady was probably the least of what you could have experienced.”

“Well, it's not like you weren't preparing me for it.” Nico stuck out his tongue.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because I totally showed you how things really were. If you thought what we did was rough and kinky, you are heavily misinformed about what goes on in those rooms.” The corners of the blond's lips tilted up. “But I'd be glad to show you.”

Rolling his eyes, Nico smirked. “I think I'll take a pass. What we did was about as far as I'd like to go.”

“Noted for later then.” Luke grinned and leaned back in the booth.

The group all fell quiet when Percy cleared his throat. When had he gotten to their table? Nico's ears turned pink. Had Percy heard what him and Luke had just been talking about? As if he could read the boy's mind, Percy arched a brow at him. Shit, Nico thought.

Unaware of Nico's mental turmoil, Apollo leaned forward on the table with a grin. “So, about what we discussed earlier. I just think that we've been underestimating this one,” the blond said, pointing his finger in Nico's direction. “I think he's finally gotten the hang of things around here.”

“Not everything,” Luke mumbled to himself. Everyone looked at the blond funny, but Luke just waved it off.

“It doesn't bother me,” Thalia spoke up.

“Same,” Annabeth added. She nudged Luke.

Luke let out a grunt, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. I suppose the kid managed to keep things in order while you were away.”

Percy smiled a little before glancing over at Nico. He scrunched his lips, like he was considering Nico. “Well, I suppose that's a decision for you guys. If you feel that he deserves it, I'm fine with it. It's never really been my decision to make.” The young man gave a casual shrug. “I'm not the one that gave you the titles you have, may I remind you.”

“Um, but I'm sort of the youngest, so how does that work for me?” Nico asked.

Percy smiled at him. “It's just a title, Nico, it doesn't really mean anything. It's not like you're getting a raise or promotion.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “All this means is that the others will come to you with their problems, and it's your job to help sort things out.” He smirked at the other four. “Usually behind my back, but I don't mind. That's what you're there for, to make my life easier. Basically, you want the others to come to you with their problems, instead of running to me. Although, if you find yourself in over your head, feel free to come talk to me.”

“Thanks,” Nico muttered. He smiled a little.

Percy reached out, like he was going to touch Nico's head, but stopped and dropped his hand back at his side. “I just wanted to say that I am impressed. It did surprise me a little when I heard you managed to talk the others into putting their disagreements aside for the time being.” The young man slipped his hands into his pockets. “I suppose it says something about the others listening to you. Perhaps they feel like they can trust you.”

Nico glanced at the other four. Thalia smirked at him and gave him a thumbs up. “We'll take him then!” The short girl exclaimed.

Percy gave a nod. “Good. Well then, if you'll all excuse me, I'm pretty exhausted from getting back into the swing of things today.”

“They got you lazy while you were in Germany, didn't they?” Annabeth teased.

Percy frowned at her before he smirked and rolled his eyes. “Goodnight, guys.” With a small wave, Percy headed for the stairs. With a small frown, Nico watched the young man go until Percy was out of sight. Luke practically shoved Nico out of the booth to allow himself to get up. Apollo chuckled and tossed Nico a wave, following after Luke.

Thalia stopped and clapped Nico on the back. “Welcome to the club, buddy.”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered. “Thanks.”

Smiling again, Thalia took her leave. Annabeth slowly rose from the booth, her eyes not really looking anywhere particular. “So, I guess everything can finally go back to the way it was.” The blonde let out a breath, slipping her hands into her pockets. “Percy seems refreshed, even if there is something clearly bothering him.”

“Yeah.” Nico rubbed his arm lightly. He pursed his lips, considering what he was about to say. “You remember when you used to give me advice on him?” Annabeth gave a small nod. “I don't suppose I could ask your opinion on something else, could I?”

Her grey eyes inspected him carefully. “Sure, I suppose. What's bothering you?” She pulled out a chair and sat down at the nearest table.

Nico pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table. “Um, you remember the jacket I wore today?”

“Yeah?”

“Um, well, Percy gave it to me. It belonged to his grandfather.” Nico let out a breath. “Anyways, he gave me a note with it, and ended it with a vague message. He said he realized something, but never said what it was about. Not even since he got back has he brought it up. I thought it might have been...” Nico blushed a little, “that maybe Percy liked me.”

Annabeth's face was unreadable. “So, what's your concern?”

“I just...thought that maybe things would be different when Percy got back.” Nico frowned a little. “I thought he'd treat me different. I mean, if I'm correct.”

“I think that's the key factor in this situation.”

Nico let out a groan. “I know. I guess I'm stupid for getting worked up over something that might not be anything.” The boy began to chew on his lip. “But, I mean, it sure sounded like he was trying to tell me that he liked me.”

For a long while, the room was quiet. Annabeth stared at the table, her eyes shifting back and forth. Finally, she let out a sigh. “Okay, let's say that he is trying to admit his feelings. Percy's not really...the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to romantic feelings and conveying them to others. The guy barely realizes when someone likes him.” She shook her head. “He didn't even catch on that Apollo liked him until I sat him down and explained the situation.

“My point is that you're going to have to probably take matters into your own hands. Lay out the cards for him. Let Percy know that this is frustrating you, he's pretty reasonable.” Annabeth reached over and squeezed Nico's hand. “I'm sure you can think of something.”

Nico let out a breath. “I'm not really sure.” He scrunched his lips. “Any suggestions.”

Annabeth smiled over at him before standing up. “Well, there's always your performances, and I think I know just the song.”

Children of Loss 44

Chapter 44

“You can't avoid the subject forever.”

“Twerp, if you don't stop bringing this up, you're going to get tied to my bed again.”

Nico smirked as he followed Luke down the hall after their daily practice session. A week had gone by since Nico's birthday, and the boy was relieved that everything now seemed normal again. Well, as much as could pass for normal at the Lotus Hotel. At least the fighting had stopped.

Luke spun around outside the door to the manager's office. He narrowed his icy blue eyes at Nico. “How many times do I have to tell you not to worry about it?”

Nico huffed and crossed his arms. “Would it kill you to let someone do something nice for you?” Luke just shrugged. “Jason and I are going to Disneyland tomorrow, do you want to join?”

A flicker of irritation went through Luke's eyes before he rolled them. “I'm not going to some park for kids.”

The brown-eyed boy scoffed as the blond reached for the doorknob. “Did you even have a childhood?”

Luke just grunted as they entered the office. Rachel and Leo were there, as usual, but it seemed that Kronos had currently stepped out. Not that Nico minded. Annabeth was also there, sitting on the edge of Rachel's desk. Luke walked over and dropped a folder that he had been carrying onto Leo's desk.

“Yay, more work,” Leo grumbled.

Nico poked at some of the paperwork. “What is all of this for?”

“Our busiest holiday is Valentine's Day, go figure.” The Latino boy worked to type something in on his computer. “Lots of paperwork to get rooms and stuff like that organized. Regular couples come pouring in to get our holiday specials on rooms.”

Rachel nodded casually. “Which means we have to section off about two or three floors for redecorating for the theme.” She let out a sigh and flipped the page of a document in her hands. “Which means that a lot of you will be working different places, including the cabana. But, lucky for you and Jason, you two have school.”

Annabeth chuckled at the smirk from Nico. “Don't get too excited, you'll still be given work once you're back. Plus the hotel's special on the holiday lasts all weekend, so you will probably end up working that Saturday or Sunday.”

“Or both,” Leo added.

“Joy,” Nico grumbled. He nodded towards the documents Luke had dropped off. “So what's all that for then?”

Luke sat down in an empty chair. “I was just picking it up for Leo. It's from the twins.” He placed his hands behind his head. “Just some requests by customers, plus a few new client requests for access to the top floor.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “What do the twins have to do with that?”

Leo grinned at him. “Remember when we told you that the twins sort of scope out new clients and all that?” The Lost Boy asked. Nico nodded. “Well that's just what this is.” Leo held up a page from one of the documents Luke had given him. “Let's say that one of the clients has a strange request to have one of you come to their room at night. It's the job of the twins to evaluate the safety of the request. We obviously don't want to send you to the room of some lunatic that might try smuggling you out of the hotel and keep you locked in their basement.”

“Speaking of possible lunatics,” Rachel said. “What did that client get you for your birthday?”

Nico simply shrugged. “Don't know, never opened it.” He sat down next to Luke. “I stuffed it in the back of my closet.”

Annabeth ran a hand through her golden curls. “Well, I wouldn't be too worried, it's just a present.” She held up a finger. “But just keep in mind that presents are where the obsessions start.”

Rachel tossed a finished folder to the side of her desk as the door opened again. Reyna popped in with two more folders in her hand. The red-haired girl let out a groan and slumped in her chair. Reyna chuckled and handed it over to the other Lost Girl.

“That should be the last of it,” said Reyna. She crossed her arms. “Everything should be there from Aphrodite, Ganymede, Circe, Chiron, and Dionysus.”

“Yeah.” Rachel let out a groan and rubbed her temples. “Hazel just brought up the files from the kitchen, Esperanza, and the gym. Why is there so much work?”

Nico blinked. “Where's Kronos?”

“Dealing with some other stuff,” Leo grumbled.

Rachel let out a breath. “Well, the good news is that, if you guys stick around, we might can talk to Percy.” The room seemed to perk up at the name. “I've got to call the German branch about some things, so maybe he'll be around.”

The room quieted down as Rachel dialed the phone. She put it on speaker as it started to ring. Nico pursed his lips and sat on the edge of his seat. Aside from the conversation with Nico, Percy had been pretty absent from their lives. Other than Nico, he had only called the office once or twice to check in with Rachel and Leo. His excuse was always the same, though: he was busy.

The phone picked up on the sixth ring. “Hello?” Came Athena's voice. The room let out an audible groan. The woman on the phone let out a sigh. “Nice to hear from all of you, too.”

“Sorry.” Rachel scanned over something on her computer. “So, I just wanted to let you know that the files that Gaea requested should be emailed over by tonight, and we'll fax you over a hard copy first thing in the morning.” The Lost Girl leaned back in her chair. “There were a few concerns, but I'm sure Gaea will find them herself.”

“Good, good.” If Athena's voice was anything to go by, she was just as exhausted as Rachel and Leo sounded. “Is there anything else?”

“Is Percy around?” Leo asked.

“Sorry, not at the moment,” the European branch manager replied. “He probably isn't going to have any free time today. He's a little tied up in his room at the moment. I believe he's with our newest Lost Boy.”

Rachel tilted her head to the side. “You got a new one?”

“Not too long ago.” The sound of shuffling paper could be heard from Athena's end. “He's a natural, I must say. Quite the charmer, and already popular with a lot of the guests.”

Nico frowned, his brow furrowed. So Percy was too busy having sex with the new Lost Boy at the German hotel to come talk to them? What else could he be doing in his bedroom with a Lost Kid? It had to make Nico wonder if that was what Percy had been doing the whole time. Was that what Percy meant by “busy”?

In all honesty, Nico had been hoping for the best after his present from Percy. If he was right about something, Nico could only hope it concerned Percy's feelings for him. But now Nico just found himself irritated with the green-eyed young man. But, really, what was Nico expecting? Even if, by some miracle, Percy did like him back, nothing would change between them.

And that was even if Percy ever came back.

“All right,” Rachel sighed. “Well, when he gets done, tell him we called and that we miss him.”

“I will. I'll call back if we have any questions about your files.”

“Okay.” Rachel groaned as she hung up the phone. “That boy is impossible to get a hold of when he's in Germany.”

“Always?” Nico asked.

Annabeth nodded. “Whenever Percy visits Gaea, he gets distracted and forgets to call most of the time.” The blonde Lost Girl shrugged. “But I suppose I can understand. I mean, while he's here, he has all this work, but he can just relax while he's in Germany.”

“Yeah.” Nico let out a sigh and stood to his feet. “Well, I think I'm going to get something to eat and get ready for work.” The others waved at Nico, but the boy just lazily nodded his head. He knew that he shouldn't let what Athena said bother him, but it did. Why did things have to be this way? It felt like the universe was just out to keep him and Percy apart. That was if Percy really did like him back.

“Nico.”

Nico stopped at the elevator when he heard Reyna's voice. He turned around and quirked a brow at her. “What's up?”

The Lost Girl seemed a little irritated, it caught Nico off-guard. “Why are you getting upset?”

“What are you-”

“Back there.” She frowned at him. “You're upset at the possibility of Percy having sex while in Germany. Don't forget that it's standard over here. I was starting to think that you were past the concept of romance and sex being the same thing.”

“I am.” Nico narrowed his eyes. “I'm not mad.”

“Yes, you are.” The Lost Girl blocked the elevator when Nico tried to board it. “You're being a hypocrite. Why are you getting mad at Percy, when you're doing the exact same thing? Luke, Percy, Will, and even Jason; are you just going to string them along?”

Nico opened his mouth to fire back a retort, but nothing came to mind. She was right, so right. He was mad at Percy having sex while he was away, but Nico was doing the exact same thing. Nico's eyes slowly fell to his feet. “You're right,” he whispered. The Lost Boy shook his head. “I don't know what I want anymore. I don't even know what I'm doing.”

Reyna sighed and shook her head. “Well, if you do manage to snag one of the boys, try not to cheat on them. Sex is one thing, but you can't really go around and have it with others if you're expecting your partner to give you a committed relationship.”

“It doesn't really matter with Percy.” The raven-haired boy let out a breath. “He's just a hopeless dream.”

Reyna quirked a brow. “I love you, Nico, but you are kind of dumb when it comes to street smarts. Percy loves us all, but he's never put himself in danger before. Not to mention that you're the only one that he's called, aside from Rachel and Leo, which was primarily about business.”

“So, you want me to stop having sex with the rest of them, and just hope for the best with Percy?”

“Didn't say that.” The Lost Girl crossed her arms. “Sex is fine, Nico, just don't get irritated if Percy does the same thing you're doing. It doesn't bother me that you're doing it. What bothers me is that you're getting irritated when Percy does it. Not to mention that you don't even know for sure that he is having sex.”

Nico scoffed. “What else would he be doing?”

Reyna tilted her head to the side. “You're talking about the same Percy that has never propositioned any of us for sex, but only does it to conduct business with us. What makes you think he would go around doing it when there was no business involved?”

The elevator dinged behind Nico. The Lost Boy heard the doors open behind him and Reyna's body stiffened. A chill ran across Nico's body. He didn't even need to turn around to know who was standing behind him.

“Are you two going to stand around, crowding my hall all day?”

Nico gulped and turned around to face their current manager. Kronos frowned down at him. For the past week, Kronos had been less prominent in the Lost Kids' lives. While Nico wasn't sure if Kronos knew that he was the one that got the others to stop fighting, but Nico had made it his goal to avoid the manager at all costs. He didn't want to be near Kronos, just in case the young man figured out who took away his favorite source of entertainment.

“One of you is bad enough to being staring at.” Kronos narrowed his eyes at Reyna. “Why don't you make yourself scarce?”

Reyna eyed the two of them before putting her arm on Nico's shoulder. “We'll just be going-”

“No.” Kronos smiled sweetly at the two of them. “You go, he stays.”

Nico gave a silent nod. Reyna pursed her lips and boarded the elevator, leaving Nico alone with the lion. As soon as the doors shut, Kronos smirked down at Nico. Nico let out a sigh. “What do you want?”

The manager's lips only twitched. “Now, Nico, that's no way to speak to your superior. And I mean that in more ways than just the job.” Smiling, Kronos placed his hands behind his back and slowly paced around Nico. “So, as I hear it, your friends have set aside their differences and returned to their warm and fuzzy family nature.” He leaned over Nico's shoulder and whispered in the boy's ear. “You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?”

“Of course not.” Nico's eyes were dull as they stared at the wall in front of him. “I'm just pathetic little toy that Percy can play with.” He turned and blinked at the young man. “That's what you said, wasn't it?”

That didn't seem to bother Kronos at tall. In fact, he looked even more like a snake than normal. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and dusted them off. “Don't sell yourself so short, Nico. You're quite the valuable little toy. Well, to my brother. Which is why I'm just concerned about your well-being.”

Nico brushed the young man's hands away. “Please, you don't care about me. You don't care about anyone, aside from Gaea and Percy.”

Kronos shrugged and inspected his nails. “Well, I suppose you've got me there.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at Nico's head. “However, I did alleviate your bullying problem for you.” The young man's lips tilted up. “But, then again, I do detest damaged merchandise.”

“And that's where you and Percy differ.”

“Please.” Kronos rolled his eyes. “This again? I just find it amusing at how you try to defend him, but call me a monster.”

“You are a monster,” Nico hissed.

“If I'm a monster, what is Percy?”

“A good person.” Nico clenched his fists. “At least he tries to help people.”

“Uh-huh.” Kronos chuckled. “And how many people before you do you think he tried to convince to leave?” Kronos leaned in and lowered his voice. “I'm afraid the number isn't high. Actually, it's more singular than anything else.”

Nico slowly let out a brother. “For someone that claims to love Percy, you sure do put him down.”

Kronos's eyes practically turned to slits as he shoved Nico up against the wall. “Don't ever try to insinuate I don't care for my brother.” Clearing his throat, Kronos took a step back. “I just find it amusing that you can't accept that Percy and I are the same. You don't think he probably knows I've put you all to work in those kink rooms? You'd be lying to yourself if you thought he didn't.” Smiling, Kronos straightened out Nico's shirt. “In fact, he probably thinks you have encountered drugs while you were down there. Not that I told him. Or do you think he didn't know Persephone had started to see your father after your mother died? But he didn't tell you, did he?”

“You don't know that.” Nico glared up at the young man.

“Don't I?” Kronos said slowly. “Funny, since he had it on file. Or what about the part where he wanted to have Ethan and Clarisse bring your father to the hotel, so that he could...discuss the fact that it would be in Hades's best interests to never bother you again. Without your knowledge, of course. But, as you know, other circumstances came up before then.” Kronos smirked. “But, make no mistake, Percy was going to beat your father until he was nearly dead, all without your knowledge. Don't worry, though, because I let him know your father would no longer be an issue.”

Nico bit his tongue. He wanted to punch Kronos, even though he knew it was a bad idea. His teeth were clenched as he stared down at the floor. Percy was nothing like Kronos. Percy didn't go around saying things like this to the Lost Kids.

Kronos smiled and held up his hands. “Sore spot, eh?” He shook his head. “So sorry, truly I am.” The young man's dark eyes flickered with amusement. “What about your present, though? You think he gave you those checks out of the kindness of his heart? Not what he told me. According to him, he wanted you to leave the hotel. It was his way of trying to entice you to leave.” The young man rolled his eyes. “He wanted to protect that little innocence of yours.” Nico glared as Kronos snapped his fingers. “Oh, but how could I forget your classes. Have you not figured out that he wanted you to graduate early all along? Again, he wanted you to leave. He wanted you away from him, out of his sight.” Kronos leaned in with a grin when Nico glared down at the floor. “He told you how disgusted you make him feel just at the sight of you, didn't he?”

Nico slammed his hand against the elevator call button behind his back. He needed to get away from Kronos. He glared coldly up at the young man as the elevator arrived. “I need to go get ready for work.”

Kronos smirked and slid his hands into his pockets. He leaned in and brushed some of Nico's hair away from his ear, whispering, “Don't ever get involved in situations that don't concern you again, little dove.”

Nico shuddered and slid backwards into the elevator. He rapidly pushed the button for his floor until the doors shut, removing the sight of a satisfied Kronos from his gaze. Nico let out a breath and relaxed against the wall as he rode to his floor. He didn't know how much longer he could take being around Kronos. As the days passed, living with Daedalus seemed more and more appealing.

When he got back to his suite, Nico found Jason lounging on the couch. “Hello there, sunshine,” the blond greeted him.

Nico scowled at him as he took a seat on the couch as well. “Fuck you.”

“If you insist.” Jason stuck out his tongue and flipped the channel. He quirked a brow at the other Lost Boy. “What's wrong with you?”

“As if you even had to ask.”

Jason nodded in understanding. “Kronos tormenting your soul?”

Nico let out a sigh. “The devil should hire him to run hell.” Nico leaned his head back with a small groan. The aviator jacket sat on the back of the couch, right where he had left it after school. Ever since he got the present, Nico had made certain that Kronos would never catch him wearing it. He wasn't sure if the young man knew who the jacket had belonged to, but Nico didn't want to chance it. If Kronos saw him in it, there was no telling what he would do to Nico. Better safe than sorry.

The blond stretched his arms over his head. “So, are you read to journey on our Disney adventures tomorrow?”

Nico managed a smile as he rubbed his neck. “You have no idea. It'll feel so good to be away from here for a day.”

Nico's dark eyes watched the blond man in front of him as he undressed. Nico just sat on the edge of the bed in his underwear, uncertain of how he felt about this. Out of all of his past clients, this one already felt very awkward. More so than most. Perhaps it was because this client used to date one of his friends. Perhaps because this client was Robert.

The blond smiled at him. “Excited?”

“You have no idea,” Nico mumbled, arching a brow.

Robert's green eyes shined down at him in the low lighting. “You'll have to try better than that, if you're going to convince me that you are.” Nico just stared up at him. Robert shrugged off his shirt. “But that really won't be necessary.”

“I don't get you,” Nico confessed. He tilted his head to the side, running his eyes over the blond's firm chest. He would give Apollo one thing, he had good taste in men—at least as far as appearances were concerned. “You've been so friendly with Apollo lately, so why request time with me?”

Robert shrugged, stepping out of his pants. “I will admit that you've interested me since we first met. Something about you just reminds me of the old Apollo.”

As if Nico hadn't heard that from plenty of different people concerning various people he knew at the hotel. “So why not just go for the real thing? Unless you just like them young, which makes me concerned.”

The blond chuckled. “Funny.” He stretched his arms over his head. “Well, Apollo was still in high school when we first started dated, and I was a sophomore at my university. I suppose it's not the worst political scandal out there, but I'm sure it could do some damage to my career.”

“Would it?” Nico smiled innocently up at the man.

Robert chuckled and shook his head. “Really, Nico, you're going to have to do better than that. I already know what you're after in here. Apollo and I agreed a long time ago that he would be compliant with my time with him, as long as I willingly gave up some information.” His smile truly stood out in the dark room, though Nico noted just how fake it looked. A true politician's smile. “No need for acting.”

“You're one to talk then, if we're being honest.” Nico leaned back on the bed, spreading his legs slightly. He bit down on his lip as he stared up at the blond from behind his bangs. “Politicians don't really have a habit of being anything but fake.”

“I suppose that's true.” Nico frowned as the man crawled on top of him. “So, how about this arrangement? You and I do what I paid for, and then I'll tell you something as we're getting dressed.” The urge to cringe screamed through Nico's body as he felt Robert's hand slide across his body. “Deal?”

“Whatever you want,” Nico practically purred.

Nico dipped his head to the side as Robert kissed along his neck, all the while sliding his hand underneath Nico's underwear. Robert was attractive and he seemed pretty good with this sort of thing—from what Nico had merely seen so far—but Nico was already not enjoying himself. On the bright side, though, Robert was probably one of the youngest clients he had endured, and one of the most attractive.

The blond hiked Nico's legs onto his shoulders and yanked off the Lost Boy's underwear. Nico smirked and traced his big toe down the blond's chest, stopping once his foot rested against the bulge in Robert's boxers. At least Robert was something to look at, Nico thought. Most of the customers at the Lotus were in their late thirties or above. And the few that were still in their thirties were very, very few. Robert on the other hand was still new to politics, still in his late twenties. It made Nico wonder how much Gaea had this guy by the balls, considering how much of a voice Nico heard Robert had in the political world.

Nico's mouth felt numb as Robert shoved his tongue into the boy's mouth. The boy chuckled a little as Robert pressed up against Nico. To be honest, Nico had not been pleased about this turn of events, and neither had Apollo. And what Robert didn't know was that Nico had drank a few shots before coming to the room. Not that many, though, as Nico was still trying to figure out how much alcohol he could handle.

It also helped to take Nico's mind off of the slight pain that shot through his body as Robert slid the first finger in. Nico was pulled into Robert's lap as the blond worked on stretching Nico out. The Lost Boy wrapped his arms around the blond's neck and moaned into his ear.

Nico could say one thing for Robert, though. He could last a lot longer than his other clients. Nico figured that the men that came by were too sexually repressed, or didn't get any at home, so they didn't last long. And the women were just left unsatisfied by their husbands. Either way, Robert lasted a whole lot longer than the other customers. Not including foreplay, Robert had lasted nearly forty minutes after penetrating Nico.

The blond smirked a little as Nico released a breath, running a hand through his hair. “So, as promised, I owe you some information.” He worked on buttoning his shirt as Nico sat up and grabbed his underwear. “Gaea wants to look into that judge that she had Percy get appointed the year before last. He's doing some deals under the tables that probably don't benefit the woman that put him there.” He winked down at Nico, slipping on his shoes. “Just a fair warning.”

“Thanks,” Nico breathed out. The Lost Boy leaned his head back. Out of all his times with clients, this one might have actually been enjoyable. Not that he would admit it. While it was good, it had left Nico with a weird feeling. Sort of like his first night. Perhaps it was because he felt like he was sort of betraying Apollo.

Robert pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket and offered Nico one. The boy shook his head. “Suit yourself.” The blond smirked down at him before heading to the door. “It's been a pleasure, Nico, we'll have to do it again. But, if you'll excuse me, I like to have a smoke after good sex.”

The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes as the door shut. Though, he had barely gotten his shirt on by the time that it opened again. He didn't even have to look up to know it was Apollo. “Sup?” The brown-eyed boy asked.

“So, how did it go?”

Nico let out a sigh. “Not too bad. I'll give you one thing, you can pick a man that's good in bed.”

Apollo let out a small chuckle. “Well, he was good at that. Still a jerk.”

“Yet you've been talking to him lately.”

“Yeah.” Apollo wrapped his arms around himself as Nico slid into his shorts. “We're still a little complicated.”

Nico frowned and stood up. “You're not going to buy his bullshit if he tries to keep you on the side, like most politicians would, are you?” Apollo was rather quiet, staring at his feet. Nico narrowed his eyes. “Apollo?”

The blond let out a sigh. “You want to go down to my room? I could use a drink.” Nico didn't budge. “We can talk down there, come on.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but followed after the blond. While the sex had been good, it had left Nico with a figuratively bad taste in his mouth. If Robert had not been involved with Apollo in the past, if didn't know Robert was a dick, then Nico might have not been bothered by it all. But he was that guy, which made Nico feel a little unclean.

Apollo's suite was vacant when they arrived, or at least Will had already passed out. Either way, the two found a quiet suite when they arrived. Apollo wasted no time in getting two glasses and a bottle of Jack Daniel's before heading to his room, Nico hot on his heels.

The blond flipped on his TV and plopped down on the bed. “So, you enjoyed it?”

Nico shrugged and laid down on the bed. “I mean, not as good as I've had with Luke, Jason, Will, or Percy, but still good.”

Apollo poured himself a drink. “Much more enjoyable back when he was younger, if I'm being honest. Letting him take out the stress of the workload from his university was amazing.” Nico smirked as the blond downed his drink. “And he had a desk in his room that he liked to bend me over. It was pretty good.”

Nico took the other glass and Apollo poured him some. “How young did you look back then?” He chuckled. “Robert talked like you looked kind of like me.”

“Not pale, no. But I guess I've always had a youthful face and sort of soft features, like you.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “I do not!”

The blond chuckled and winked at him. “It's cute, plus it'll get you plenty of attention.” Apollo downed another shot. “Especially with the closet cases that don't want to accept they like men yet.”

“Not helping,” Nico muttered. The boy let out a sigh and took another sip of his drink.

“Was he at least nice enough to get you off?”

“Yeah, but I was just kind of wanting it to be over,” Nico admitted. He shrugged at the odd look Apollo gave him. “It just...felt weird. I guess it was because I knew who he was. I never really imagined myself sleeping with my friend's ex.”

Apollo let a grin slide across his lips. “And you expected to be taking your clothes off for money when you thought out your life?”

“You know what I mean.”

Apollo held up the bottle and Nico let the blond pour him some more. “So, would you have had sex with him if you'd had a choice? I mean, looking back on it, knowing that it was good.”

Nico eyed his drink for a moment. “Probably not.” Nico downed his drink and placed a hand behind his head, leaning back against the blond's headboard. “I just...wasn't comfortable with it. Don't know, I think I'd have been more comfortable with one of you.”

“Like me?” The blond Lost Boy grinned at him.

Nico knew his friend was teasing, but he still shrugged. “Probably, yeah.”

Apollo downed a good bit of the bottle, making a face afterward. “Well, I probably am better in bed than him.” Nico snorted at that. “The student has now surpassed the teacher, or so it would seem.”

“You know, I find it funny that you used to try so hard to get into my pants, but you haven't tried for a long time.” He grinned over at the blond. “I'd almost be offended.” Nico downed more of his drink. “To be honest, I had a pretty big crush on you when I first got here.” Apollo smirked. “I probably would have let you had your way with me, if you had kept trying.”

Apollo winked at him. “Is that an invitation, my dear Nico?” The blond purred. Nico eyed his empty glass with a shrug. The older Lost Boy chuckled and poured him some more. “Well, that is entirely up to you. Sex is still sex, but I'm content with not getting in your pants. I need to be a respectable big brother, after all.”

Nico rolled his eyes and tossed his glass back. “Please.” He let out a sigh and glanced over at the blond. “Don't make yourself sound like the respectable citizen.”

Apollo actually laughed at that. It was nice to see the blond smile. Nico always thought Apollo had a beautiful smile. “But, of course, there's the factor of my roommate,” Apollo brought up.

“I thought sex was just sex?”

“I didn't say it would stop me, if you wanted it.” Apollo rolled onto his back, twisting the cap back on the bottle. Nico wasn't sure about Apollo, but he was contently buzzed. “Do you want to have sex with me?”

Nico blinked several times. He smirked, probably from the alcohol. “Well, I did tell you that I'd let you, if I were to ever start having sex with the other Lost Kids.”

“And you have.”

“I have,” Nico nodded. He rubbed his face. Without meaning to, he dropped his head on Apollo's chest. The blond wrapped his arms around Nico's waist, and Nico let his fingers trail under the older Lost Boy's shirt. “I mean, it probably wouldn't hurt anything. And you are hot, and I do like to keep my promises.”

Apollo chuckled at him. “We don't have to if you don't want to, Nico.”

Nico just hummed and tilted his head up to look at the blond. Without saying anything, Nico leaned in. Apollo reached up and cupped Nico's face, running his tongue along Nico's lips. With a moan, Nico opened his mouth to allow the blond entrance.

The next thing Nico knew, Apollo was on top of him. Nico spread his legs a little to allow the blond to position himself in between them. Pulling back from the kiss and opening his eyes, Nico was greeted by the truly angelic sight that was Apollo. Nico reached up and ran a hand through the golden curls above him.

Nico's shirt was off before he could even blink. Apollo leaned down and trailed kissed down Nico's chest, stopping to dip his tongue in Nico's bellybutton. Apollo was a lot warmer than most that Nico came in contact with, like a fraction of the sun's heat rested underneath the blond's skin. It didn't leave a tingling sensation like Percy normally did, but it was still very warm.

Nico raised the blond's shirt up, giving Apollo the hint that he wanted the shirt gone. The blond complied by leaning back and yanking it over his head, tossing it behind him. The raven-haired boy's fingers instantly reached up to touch Apollo's chest. Apollo really did have a nice body. While he didn't want to date Apollo, or really have the romantic crush anymore, Nico would admit that he saw Apollo as the most attractive guy at the hotel, aside from Percy. It was like Apollo had literally been crafted to perfection.

And, as Apollo got out of the rest of his clothes, Nico could attest to the fact that the blond's body was capable of making any mouth water. Apollo was healthy with a natural glow to his body, but not the muscular stature that even Luke carried. He had the lean body that gave him enough strength to hold his own in a fight, but all of that dancing had left the curly haired Lost Boy with a slim stature.

Though, while Nico preferred his position on bottom, he could admit that he found himself admiring his friend's ass when the blond turned around. As biased as Nico probably was towards Percy, even Nico could admit Apollo's ass took the cake.

Apollo sealed their lips together when he climbed back onto the bed. He hooked his fingers in the hem of Nico's underwear, slowly rolling them down until they were off the boy's hips. With a grin, the blond tossed them over his shoulder and pressed himself against Nico's nude body.

Nico's brain barely had time to process what was happening before the blond shifted down to take Nico's erection in his mouth. Make that another thing Apollo excelled at. While he did not beat Percy, Apollo gave incredible head. But perhaps comparing people to Percy was unfair, since the young man had been raised to be the best at this sort of thing. Either way, Nico rolled his head back with a loud moan, his fingers digging into the blond's mass of curls.

Apollo pulled off of Nico's erection with an audible pop. Reaching over to his nightstand, Apollo pulled out a condom and a tube of lube. Opening the bottle, Apollo gripped the brown-eyed boy's manhood again and returned to his earlier activity. Nico bucked his hips up when Apollo's nose made contact with his crotch. And then the cold feeling of Apollo's finger appeared at Nico's entrance as the blond slid in the first finger.

“Guess you don't need to stretch me out that much,” Nico joked.

Without taking his mouth off of Nico's erection, Apollo winked at him. Then he licked it from the base to the tip. “You might consider doing this after your time with clients.”

“Why is that?”

Apollo licked the shaft again. “Because, let's face it, clients don't usually satisfy us, and we have our own needs. Besides comfort and fun, one of the reasons we have sex with each other is to satisfy our needs. Because, we're in there to satisfy clients, and they're usually not that good. Which means we are left needing to be taken care of ourselves.”

Nico's fingers dug into the sheets as a second finger entered him. “I suppose that's true,” he gasped.

When the blond's fingers brushed against his prostate, Nico bucked his hips again. Taking that as his cue to get to the real stuff, Apollo gave the tip of Nico's cock a final lick before opening the condom. Once it was on his own shaft, Apollo positioned himself at Nico's entrance and raised the boy's legs over his shoulders. Nico let out a long moan as he felt the blond's shaft slide into him.

Since he had just had sex an hour before that, it wasn't painful. Which was sort of a relief for Nico, seeing as how he was able to move straight into the pleasure portion of the bottom's sexual experience. Which was why Nico did not complain when Apollo immediately began to slide back out of him, only to slide forward again a moment later. Nico's legs were pointed straight at the ceiling, while the boy on the bed enjoyed the sight of Apollo's muscles tightening. The blond sat up straight on his knees, holding Nico's legs in place, all the while thrusting in and out of the shorter boy.

At first, the pace was on the verge of being agonizingly slow, but still hitting all the right spots. But Apollo slowly worked his way into a faster pace, eventually putting both of Nico's legs onto one of his shoulders and slamming forward into Nico. When Nico reached up to touch at the blond, Apollo leaned in and pressed his lips to the side of Nico's hand.

It kind of made Nico's heart melt.

Apollo was adorably romantic, there was no denying it. In that moment, Nico wished things could have just stayed the way they were before the incident with Apollo all those months ago. He wondered what it would have been like if things had gone differently between them. But there was no way that would have happened, and Nico realized it was for the best.

Apollo finally leaned down and pressed a kiss to Nico's forehead. He adjusted Nico's legs, so that one was on each shoulder, both hovering over Nico's head. The raven-haired boy's hands were pinned on either side of his head, Apollo giving them a squeeze as he intertwined their fingers. All the while, Apollo had sealed their lips together in a very passionate kiss. Nico opened his mouth to allow the blond entrance as the blond's erection brushed against his prostate.

One of Nico's hands was brought up to Apollo's lips, where the blond proceeded to trail kisses along Nico's wrist before running his tongue against the sensitive skin.

From there, Apollo pulled Nico into his lap, sitting back on his haunches. The blond took a firm grip of Nico's waist and thrust into the boy. Nico's nails raked across the blond's sweaty chest, while Apollo reached up to brush the wet bangs from Nico's eyes. The brown-eyed boy wrapped his legs tightly around Apollo's waist and clung to the tan back. One of Apollo's hands reached down to stroke Nico's erection.

Apollo kissed along Nico's neck, slowly working his way up until their lips met. Nico's fingers tangled into the blond's curls as he was brought down onto the cock inside of him. He moaned into the blond's mouth as Apollo hit his prostate at the same time that he squeezed Nico's erection.

Nico's climax hit him out of nowhere. Apollo just managed to hit his spot just right and then Nico saw white. He moaned loudly as Apollo placed him back on the bed, kissing Nico softly. With another thrust, Apollo moaned back and released himself.

The two took a moment to catch their breaths before Apollo rolled off of Nico and collapsed on the bed beside him. With a groan, Apollo reached down and removed the condom, tying it up before tossing it in the trash. Apollo rested a hand on his chest, wiping at the sweat that was there a little. To say that Apollo looked good after sex was an understatement. It should have bordered on illegal.

The blond's chest glistened and his curls were matted to his head, while his penis lay limp against his lower abdomen. And the way Apollo placed his arm above his head only made Nico think even more that the blond should have been a model.

But the moment was brought to an end when Apollo got out of bed. Not that Nico complained, since he got to watch Apollo's ass as the blond walked out of the room. Upon his return, Apollo held two bottles of water in his hands. He offered one to Nico with a smile.

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled, sitting up to fetch his underwear. After they were on, Nico sat down next to the blond, who merely covered himself with the sheets of his bed. Nico took a long swig of water. “Well, I guess you are better in bed than your ex.”

Apollo chuckled. “Thanks.” He let his head fall against the headboard. “I'm so tired, though.”

“Same.” Nico took another drink. “So, do you want to talk about what I said earlier? About you and Robert, I mean.”

A sigh escaped Apollo's lips. “I don't know.” For a second, Nico thought the blond meant that he didn't know if he wanted to talk about it, but that didn't seem to be the case when the blond continued. “I guess first loves are hard to get over. You know, back then, I was so stupid. I actually thought Robert and I would last forever. A hopeless dream, I suppose.”

“It doesn't have to be.”

Apollo let out a soft chuckle. “Not with him, as much as part of me still wants him.” The blond shook his head. “No, Robert hurt me too much. But, at the same time, I just want to go back to the way things were.” The blond looked up from his water bottle to frown at Nico. “Is that weird of me to say?”

“I don't think so,” Nico admitted. “But Robert wasn't who I meant.”

Apollo smirked at him. “Do you want me?” Nico narrowed his eyes, which made Apollo slump in the bed. “Look, I screwed up with Leo a long time ago, and I was dumb enough not to fix things after it happened. That bridge got burned a long time ago.”

Nico didn't seem convinced. “I doubt that.”

“Look, I'm not healthy, Nico.” The blond motioned to himself. “Luke and I aren't so different. Perhaps not in the ways you might think, because we are different, but I don't think I'm capable of sustaining a healthy relationship anymore.”

A frown formed on Nico's lips. “You can't think that. It's not true, because you're still a sweet guy.” He nudged the other Lost Boy's shoulder. “I think things could work out if you just tried.”

Apollo sighed as he stared at his bottle of water. “I don't know,” he muttered. “Leo gets mad if I even mention that night.”

“What happened anyways?”

There was a pained look in Apollo's eyes. Was it that bad? Letting out a breath, Apollo glanced up at the TV. Nico had honestly forgotten that it was still on. “Where do I even begin? I sort of used Leo as a distraction from both Robert and Percy when the kid first arrived. I flirted him, perhaps not so differently than I flirted with you originally. At first, he just wanted to kiss, even though I tried to get more out of him. I spent time around him, mostly to try and convince him to come back to my room.”

“But?”

The blond flinched. “Well, I sort of...started to like the kid. I don't know, he was quirky and upbeat, and I liked it. But I suppose it's now my fault that he's angrier than when he first arrived. I mean, he used to joke a lot more, but now he's...” Apollo motioned a little at the air. “Well, you've seen him. That's my fault.”

Nico frowned. “I've never heard him blame you for that.”

“No, he's never come out and said it, but he definitely is mad about what happened between us.” The blond scrunched his lips. “Anyways, I finally got Leo to have sex with me one night. The problem was that I just wanted to lay there and stare at him while he slept.”

Nico just arched a brow. He didn't see a problem really. “And?”

The blond let out a sigh. “I got scared. So, I ran, figuratively speaking. I kicked him out of my room that night and didn't speak to him for several weeks after that.” Apollo reached up and ran a hand through his curls. “The hurt look on his face was painful to see. I felt horrible, but I couldn't get myself to do anything about it. I was still angry about what happened between myself and Ganymede, all under Percy's orders. I was angry at both of them, and I just wanted to get back at them. And it didn't help matters for Leo that I nearly got him in trouble with his job.”

Well, that part Nico had already heard from Ganymede. Not that Apollo needed to know that. “Why don't you just explain things to Leo?” He shook his head. “He's an understanding guy, Apollo.”

Apollo took in a deep breath before resting his head against the headboard. “It doesn't matter.” He gave the other boy a weak smile. “Don't worry about it, Nico, I'll be fine.”

“You're not really convincing me with that.”

Apollo chuckled and shrugged. “Well, I guess I can't really fool you anymore.” He ran his tongue along his lips, staring down at his lap. “It's really not a big deal, don't worry about it.” Nico frowned, standing to his feet and putting the rest of his clothes on. “You know, perhaps we should make room for another brother.”

Nico quirked a brow, slipping his shirt over his head. “What do you mean?”

“Annabeth, Luke, Thalia, and I were all fighting, yet you managed to get everyone to see reason, including us.” He brushed some of his curls out of his face. “Just a suggestion, but I think we can all agree that everyone is starting to confide in you a lot more. You've comforted and given advice quite a bit recently, so I wouldn't mind having you as another support system. Lord knows that we have our hands full while Percy is away.”

Nico smiled a little. “Thanks.” The raven-haired boy slowly walked over to the door, pulling his card out of his pocket. “I guess I wouldn't mind, if it's what you guys want. I guess I just don't really feel like I should be considered one of the siblings of the Lost Kids, since I'm one of the newer ones.”

Apollo stood up, sliding into his own underwear. “I don't think that really matters, especially not if you manage to keep your head while the rest of us are off fighting.” He reached over and squeezed the boy's shoulder. “Look, Nico, whether you want to see it or not, if you hadn't stopped us, we might have continued to fight until Percy came back. And I can promise you that it probably would have only gotten uglier as time progressed. You did a good job.”

Nico had only ever been to Disneyland once in his life, and that had been when Bianca had taken him during summer break four years ago. Jason had woken Nico up pretty early on Saturday and had dragged Nico to the theme park. The two had spent most of the day there, but would soon have to go back within a couple of hours. The two had made an agreement not to purchase any merchandise until they were ready to go, as well as to refrain from the water rides until the very end.

Chasing after his roommate, Nico glared and tried to swipe the picture from their last ride from Jason's hand. To little avail, since Jason was still several inches taller than Nico. “I look horrible, get rid of it!”

“No,” Jason chuckled. He smirked and examined the picture above his head. “I think I'm going to put it on our fridge.”

“Not if I burn it first.”

“Rude.” Jason stuck his tongue out as he pocketed the vile picture. “So, how about a water ride before we have to go back?”

Nico let out a breath, already trying to think of the ride he wanted to go on the most. “Fine, but I'm also okay with just living out the rest of our days here.” Jason chuckled. “How about Grizzly River Run?”

“Sounds good to me.” Jason placed his hands behind his head as he walked in the direction of Nico's selected ride. Jason's attire for the day consisted of a loose, light blue tank top and a pair of khaki shorts. The blond's sandals clacked against the concrete as they walked. Jason had been getting a good bit of attention over the course of the day, but Nico couldn't really blame the people from staring. Even he had to admit that his roommate was wet fantasy material.

The line isn't too bad when they arrive, but they do find themselves standing there for a little over twenty minutes. Nico rubbed his neck as they waited. “I feel like I need more days like this while Kronos is here.”

Jason grinned. “It is nice. But I think I'd expand that to just every now and then in general. It is much more relaxed when Percy is at the hotel, but it's great to have a day completely away from the Lotus.”

Nico took a few steps forwards when the line moved. “This was very awesome, though. Thanks for bringing me.”

Nico might have felt like a twelve year old boy again when him and Jason emerged from the ride. The two came out soaked after the ride was over. Not that Nico was complaining, since Jason's shirt now clung to his body. He sort of found himself distracted by that fact as they shopped in one of the stores.

After nearly forty-five minutes of shopping, Jason and Nico headed out of the park. They were still wet, but the sun was already working on drying them. Luckily, Jason had brought two towels along to place in the seats.

When they finally got back to the hotel, Nico had started to feel cold. The air in the elevator didn't really help matters either. So, by the time they got up to their suite, Nico was shivering. Jason smiled at him as he closed the door. “Cold?”

Nico narrowed his eyes, rubbing his arms. “Gee, I don't know, what do you think?”

The raven-haired boy frowned and worked on pulling his shirt over his head. As it was still wet in some places, it got stuck coming over his head. Nico heard Jason laugh again before a new pair of hands helped him pull off the shirt.

Nico's eyes widened as Jason's lips met with his the second the shirt was off. Nico's eyes slowly opened as Jason pulled away to pull off his own shirt. Smiling, Jason walked down the hall. “You coming?” He called back to Nico.

Unbuttoning his shorts on the way, Nico followed after his roommate. Jason was already out of his clothes by the time Nico arrived in Jason's room. Jason wrapped his arms around Nico and pulled the shorter boy onto the bed, sliding them under the covers.

“Better?”

Nico attempted to glare, but he was pulled too close to Jason's chest for the blond to see it. “Maybe,” he mumbled instead. His eyes closed as Jason's hands rubbed softly at his back. Since they were both naked, Nico could feel Jason's manhood press against his abdomen. “I don't want to go to work.”

Jason chuckled against Nico's neck. He rolled them over, so that he was on top of Nico. “Well, we can take a nap, if you're tired.” Nico let out a small moan as Jason pressed against him. “Or we could do something else before that nap.”

Nico spread his legs, bending them at the knee. “You do make a compelling argument.” His manhood hardened as Jason's erection brushed against his entrance. “Condom, now.”

Another chuckle escaped Jason's lips as he fished out a condom and a bottle of lube from his nightstand. Spreading some lube on his fingertips, Jason slid the first finger into Nico's entrance. Their lips met as Jason rubbed their erections against one another. Jason's skin was soft from his still drying skin, something that drove Nico a little wild. His hands tangled into Jason's short, blond hair. The blond chuckled as he slid in a second finger, immediately hitting the boy's prostate.

Out of all the Lost Kids, Nico expected Jason to be the most familiar with his body, since this was not the first time they had messed around. Unlike Will, Luke, or Apollo, this made the fourth time that the two had messed around. And Jason never disappointed. While Nico and Jason had both agreed that they didn't think that they could have a romantic relationship, Nico could admit that it felt more natural with Jason than it did with even Will. Percy, on the other hand, was different, something that made Nico feel complete.

Nico let out a small whine when Jason removed his fingers, only to replace it with the head of his cock a few seconds later. The raven-haired boy's nails dug into Jason's back as every inch of Jason's length entered him. Jason propped himself up, while Nico made sure to keep his leg bent to give Jason access. With hazed eyes, Nico watched as the muscles on Jason's arms and chest tightened with each thrust.

When Nico rolled his head to the side to let out a string of moans, Jason moved in to suck at the boy's neck, which only made Nico moan all the louder. With a direct thrust to Nico's prostate, Jason bit the boy's neck. He felt the blond smirk at the near deafening moan that escaped his lips from the combination of the two actions.

Gripping Jason's hair was the only thing that stopped Nico from cumming right there.

It had felt really good, okay? Jason pulled back, and the look in his blue eyes was enough to make Nico moan again. The blond leaned down and captured Nico's lips as his hips moved in a rhythm in and out of Nico. Jason slid his arms under Nico's legs and raised them on top of his shoulders. Jason crouched above Nico, raising the boy's hips, so that he could thrust directly downwards.

Hard, quick thrusts were delivered to Nico's prostate. He would give Jason one thing, the blond could remember where Nico's prostate was. Every single thrust managed to hit. This was exactly how it was after Jason found it during their first time having sex. During the second time in the shower, Jason had managed to go without missing the raven-haired boy's prostate a single time. And it seemed Jason was going for a repeat, as every single thrust he delivered to Nico's increasingly sweaty body made direct contact with his prostate.

Nico placed his hands under his head as Jason's fingers dug into his hips, using it as a way to slap deeper into the boy beneath him. Nico let out a moan as a bead of sweat dropped off of Jason's forehead and hit him on the chest.

Another thing Jason was good at was that he could make Nico cum without being touched. This time proved to be no different. The second Nico attempted to reach down and stroke himself, Jason pinned the boy's hand against the pillow. Nico let out more moans as the blond rapidly thrust into him. Jason's thrusts were wild, and those blue eyes reminded Nico of a wolf as the blond stared down at him with a dark, lust-filled gaze.

Nico's legs tightened around Jason as he tossed his head back with an incredibly loud moan. His seed shot out of the tip of his erection and splashed across his stomach. Jason let out a grunt and delivered three more harsh thrusts before he too climaxed.

The blond leaned down and kissed Nico before pulling out and removing the condom. Nico's eyes drooped a little as he watched Jason pad across the room, admiring the blond's nude form. When Jason returned, he handed Nico a towel. The boy mumbled his thanks before rubbing his stomach and ass clean. He handed the towel back with a heavy exhale. Jason smirked as he tossed the towel aside and collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to get under the covers.

One of Jason's arms draped across Nico's stomach as the two laid there. Nico ran his fingers across the blond's arm, though he did not choose to remain above the covers. When he looked over, Jason had already dozed off. He smiled a little. Jason looked a lot more childish when he slept, something that Nico thought was cute. It made him a little sad to think about, but Nico sort of wished things could have been different for the two of them.

In another life, one where Jason hadn't endured what he had, Nico wanted to think that perhaps the two of them could have gotten together. Jason was a nice guy, and Nico had no doubts that Jason would have made him happy. But it wasn't to be.

Figuratively, Jason would always be the one that he would always wonder what could have been. Perhaps even the one that got away, even though Jason was right there in front of him.

Perhaps this was how Luke felt towards Nico. The feelings should be there, but there was just something that kept them from actually having romantic feelings towards each other. It sort of sucked, because Nico knew that it would have been easier to be with Jason than even with Percy. Jason just came naturally.

Nico was shaken awake almost two hours later. The boy rubbed his eyes, only to find Jason's wet form above him. “Hello, sleepy. You should hurry and grab a shower, it's almost time for work. If you hurry, we can still go get something to eat.”

The raven-haired boy yawned and sat up. Jason padded over to his closet, removing the towel that was around his waist. Nico rolled out of bed and left the blond's room, making his way towards the bathroom. He still didn't want to go to work, but he knew that he had to.

The two ate dinner in the hotel's restaurant, enjoying their last thirty minutes before work. On their way back up to the top floor, Jason smiled at Nico. “So, did I do a good job for a present?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I feel like your present was more about sex, since we had sex twice on my actual birthday, and then again today after we got back from Disneyland.” He narrowed his eyes at the smug look on the blond's face. “But it was fun, yes. I had fun at the park.”

Jason winked at him as the elevator came to a stop. “Well, maybe we'll see about a round two today, but only if I'm not tired after work.” The blond slung his hands behind his head as they exited the elevator. “But, either way, I might come by your room, unless I'm dead on my feet.”

Nico ended up stuck at Kronos's table. It was not that he tried to get the table, it was more that Kronos called him over to ask for a drink before even sitting down. Either way, Nico was just relieved that Kronos was pretty passive tonight. He barely even looked at Nico, keeping his eyes on either the stage or the paperwork in front of him.

“Oh, Nico,” Dionysus greeted him upon entering the bar room, “always a pleasure.”

Nico tilted his head to the side, inspecting the man. “Are you drunk?”

Sure, Dionysus usually drank during work hours, but Nico had yet to see the man actually intoxicated. But here the man was, red eyed and swaying a little. He hadn't seemed very pleasant since the Lost Kids stopped fighting.

“Are you just a disappointment?” The man frowned at Nico. “And here I thought you'd end up being the ultimate entertainment, but you just disappointed me.” Nico let out a sigh as he dropped off a few orders. “But I'm glad Kronos is here, this hotel can finally see the potential I wanted it to have.”

Wrinkling his nose, Nico took a step back. The man's breath reeked of alcohol. “What are you even talking about, Dionysus?”

Not like he needed it, but Dionysus downed another drink. “That little brat...Peter Johnson...” The man narrowed his eyes, like he lost Nico for a second. “He had to come along and ruin what was promised to me.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Wait.” He pointed over at the man. “You. You were supposed to be the manager of this hotel?”

Dionysus took a small bow. “At your service.”

It was very hard, but Nico managed not to roll his eyes. “Well then, I'm thankful that you didn't get the position. And with any luck, we'll be free from Kronos soon enough.”

The man motioned to Nico, sloppily pouring a drink for one of the orders Nico had brought him. “Who needs Percy around when the others have you to quell their fights?” He blinked over at the boy. “Surely you are capable of handling things.”

“Percy didn't steal anything from you.” Nico crossed his arms. “You probably didn't deserve it. He's a good manager, and he handles us a lot better than Kronos does. People like him better.” Dark eyes narrowed at the man. “And you especially don't deserve the position now. I'm sure you'd have done nothing but torture everyone until Gaea was forced to remove you.”

Dionysus rolled his eyes, shoving a tray of drinks to the side. Nico eyed him a moment before walking over to pick it up. “You probably don't even see how far you've fallen. Do you really want Percy to come back?”

Nico debated ignoring him as he made his way to the door. That urge did not win out. “Of course I want him back.”

“Even if he was disappointed with what he saw?”

A cold spike shot down Nico's spine, though he fought the urge to shiver. He pursed his lips tightly as he glared at the door. Dionysus was just trying to bait a reaction out of him. Taking in a deep breath, Nico pushed out the door, ignoring the smug look on the man's face. Dionysus was just bitter, Nico wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

The majority of Nico's night was actually rather quiet. Dionysus kept to himself after his talk with Nico. If he gave the others trouble, they didn't show it. None of the customers gave him any trouble, and one lady even gave him a big tip because she thought he was “the cutest thing that I've ever seen”. Nico had smiled and happily accepted the twenty bucks.

Kronos had pretty much ignored Nico, keeping it to simple requests for the duration of half the night. He actually thanked Nico when the Lost Boy dropped off a drink for him. Honestly, it left Nico more than stunned. Perhaps Kronos was just swamped with work, which Nico wasn't about to complain about.

All of that changed halfway through the night.

After getting off the phone, he sent Rachel away. The girl had sat there for a moment, just blinking, but finally got up. As she left, Kronos's dark eyes fell on Nico. “So, I was thinking about our little conversation earlier.”

Great, Nico thought to himself. He managed to put on a smile. “And?”

“And...I completely forgot to mention how little you know about Percy's past.” The young man put on an obviously friendly smile as Nico frowned. “Like I said back at Christmas, you barely know about half the things he's done. Yet, for some reason, you think you love my brother. It's touching, really it is, but I can't really see how you think you're in love with him.” The corners of Kronos's lips turned up even. “I mean, I get how easily it is to fall for him. Percy is charming and attractive, always drawing attention. I think you're just suffering from a simple crush that you need to get over. Because, let's face it, you can't really expect to love someone that you barely know.”

Slowly, Nico nodded his head. Kronos smiled for a moment, until Nico opened his mouth. “Yeah, I don't really care about what he's done in his past. I like the Percy I know now, and that's all that matters.” As Kronos narrowed his eyes, Nico shrugged. “I'm sure Percy has done some horrible things, but the difference between you and him is that I can see that it bothers Percy. I'm not sure if you're capable of even feeling emotions.”

“Is that so?”

Nico nodded a little. “Percy's past is where it should be, in the past.”

With a smirk, Kronos looked down at his phone with a content sigh. “Nico, you're always a breath of fresh air.” The glint that was in the young man's eyes when he looked up sent shivers down the Lost Boy's spine. “Goodbye, Nico.”

Pursing his lips, Nico walked off with a huff. Once again, he was reminded how infuriating the manager could be. It was to think about how someone could take so much satisfaction from just pulling a reaction from someone. Nico had to wonder if he had only fulfilled what Kronos wanted by giving the answer he had.

At the end of the night, Nico got back to his room a little after two. He had ended up with a client at the end of his shift. Thankfully, a woman that was incredibly easy to satisfy. But none of that changed that fact that Nico felt completely dirty.

He chewed on his lip as he walked from his bedroom to the bathroom. Nico hadn't thought much about it at the time, but he had experienced a lot of sex over the past two days. This made the fourth time he had sex during that time frame, all with different people. He had also been scratching at his arm since he left the top floor. Needless to say, he had ended up with red skin and a small cut.

Running his tongue along the inside of his mouth, Nico shut the mirror after getting out a band-aid. He barely recognized himself anymore. His head fell back, letting out a long breath. Who was he anymore? He wasn't Nico, at least not the same Nico from his old life.

He wanted to be scared, but the boy barely felt anything. He felt empty inside, completely numb. It was that fact that actually did scare him. Well, Nico thought, at least he got what he wanted. Nico wasn't an immature little kid anymore. Yanking off his shirt, Nico stared at his reflection.

It pained him to think that he could see his old self staring back at him, smiling. Perhaps that kid was dead, never coming back. Reaching up, Nico lightly touched at his face. What was he doing? This wasn't him. The old Nico would have never been so careless about sex. It was the main reason he attached himself so fiercely to Percy to begin with.

Back then, Nico had just wanted one guy that could make him happy and take care of him. If that Nico could have only seen him now. Did he even care that he was becoming exactly what the others had said he would, the thing he had insisted that he would never become? Was it too late to save himself?

Perhaps Percy would be disappointed with what he saw, if he ever came back.

Nico's chest hurt as placed a hand over his heart. And, when he looked up, it only hurt worse. For the first time, Nico wasn't crying. His body felt like it was, or at least wanted to, but there were no tears that came out. His eyes weren't even watery. They were just...cold.

Closing his eyes, Nico let out a sigh. He stepped out of the rest of his clothes before getting in the shower. Right now, he really just wanted to try and wash this unclean feeling off of his body. For the most part of the shower, though, Nico just sort of leaned against the wall and let the water run down his body.

What was he supposed to do? Was it too late for him? How could he fix this? It felt so dark around him now, like he was lost. Nico really wished he had that flashlight Chiron had talked about a while back, because things were looking pretty grim for him.

After a good twenty minutes, Nico stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He slowly made his way back to his room, where he slipped on some cotton shorts. A good portion of his body was now pink from the hot water, though he had barely flinched under it.

Scrunching his lips, Nico turned out the lights and climbed into bed. He let out a sigh as he curled up under the covers. The door opened a few minutes later, which made Nico let out a small groan. He had been on the verge of sleep when the noise brought him back to reality.

To be honest, Nico had forgotten that Jason said he was going to drop by after work. So, Nico just snuggled closer to his pillow. “Not in the mood for sex, Jason,” the boy mumbled as he heard a zipper.

Slowly, Nico heard clothes hit the floor, and then the bed shifted. Even in the darkness and with his back turned, Nico could feel the smile that the blond was giving him. If he wasn't so exhausted, Nico would have rolled over and shoved the guy out of his bed.

Nico took in a deep breath as a body pressed against him. Arms wrapped around Nico, and the boy began to hear the faint sound of breathing against his ear. Whatever, he thought, as long as Jason didn't try to have sex. Not that he should have expected it, since Jason wouldn't try and initiate sex if Nico wasn't in the mood.

However, Nico was thankful for the warmth that he felt. Jason was very warm tonight, and the faint breaths was very soothing. It did not take Nico long to drift off into a deep sleep.