Children of Loss 46

Chapter 46

“Here, I got you this.”

Nico looked up from his phone to see some mint ice cream with a bunch of toppings on it. Furrowing his brow, Nico looked up at Will. “What is it?”

The blond smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I'm not sure what the technical term is for it, but Mitchell always liked it. I thought it tasted good, so I was hoping you might like it.” His smile only grew as Nico raised the ice cream cone to his mouth. “So?”

“Not bad,” Nico replied, nodding his head a little. Will beamed at that, which made Nico chuckle.

Will had picked Nico up from school because Jason had been taken to the hospital during his science class. From what Nico could gather, the idiot had sliced his hand open and needed stitches. So, when Will had shown up to pick Nico up, the blond had insisted they do something before going back to the hotel. The blond had taken Nico to a little ice cream shop that had some tables outside.

Nico tried some more of the ice cream. While it was okay, the stuff wasn't really Nico's favorite. Not that he would complain about free ice cream. “Did you used to come here with Mitchell?”

Will blinked, his tongue running against his own ice cream. “No, not here. The orphanage I lived at was a few hours from Los Angeles. But whenever we managed to go get some ice cream, he always ordered that.” The blond's smile wavered a little. “I'm glad you like it.”

The brown-eyed boy didn't really have the heart to tell Will it wasn't really the best. It was like one of those tastes that you can tolerate when given it, but wouldn't really go and request it. He was just bothered by Will's borderline depressive state. The blond had been like this since Percy's return, which meant it was obvious as to why Will felt this way all of a sudden.

Letting out a sigh, Nico glanced over at the other Lost Boy. “Are you okay?”

The blond looked a little surprised. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

“It's just...you seem a little down lately. I can't help but wonder if it's because of what we talked about a while back.”

Will's blue eyes dulled a little. “Oh. That.” He let out a sigh. “I mean, can I really compete with Percy?” It tugged at Nico's heart as Will forced himself to smile. “I can't even really feel jealous or upset, because Percy's a great guy. He's taken care of me, and I don't think I could ever be angry with him. But as long as you're happy, I'll be fine.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “I doubt anything will ever come of me and Percy.” The boy looked down at his nearly finished ice cream. “It is nice having him back, and I did miss him. However, something just feels different with him. Whatever happened in Germany seems to be bothering him.”

“I suppose so,” Will whispered. The blond shrugged a little. “But he's back, so it couldn't have been that bad. If it was severe, surely Gaea wouldn't have let him come back after just a month.”

“Maybe,” Nico muttered under his breath. He wasn't so sure. What could have happened to cause Percy to act differently. Sure, to the outside eye, Percy would seem the same. He looked the same and talked roughly the same, but all of the Lost Kids could see something was different with Percy. Two days had passed since the young man's return, and Nico had barely seen the guy. Any time he asked, Percy simply said he was busy catching up with work.

And the green-eyed manager barely spoke to him. Percy talked far more to the others in the past two days, but seemed to nearly be avoiding Nico. However, the way he looked at Nico was entirely different, less guarded. Emotions were more apparent, which let Nico know that whatever it was that was bothering Percy had to do with Nico. But what was it?

Sure, if it was over the movie set incident, Percy wouldn't have just been able to return so quickly, right? Or perhaps Nico would have been notified that he was being transferred or had to leave. It just didn't make any sense.

Will chewed on his lip. “Do I...have a chance?”

Nico's brow furrowed. It took him a few seconds to remember what their original topic had been. “Oh. Um, I really don't know. I mean, I suppose it's possible.” He offered the blond a smile, which only grew when the other Lost Boy smiled back.

He really didn't want to get Will's hopes up, though. Yes, Nico liked Will, but something still bothered him about the situation. And until he could figure out what it was, the best solution was to probably keep that answer as vague as possible. Nico didn't want to hurt Will, it was the last thing he wanted. Will was a sweet guy, and probably someone that Nico didn't even deserve by this point. The guy was like a ray of sunshine at the hotel. How the guy managed to still smile after all the shit he had been through, Nico had no clue.

After they were done—Nico managed to finish his first—Will drove them back to the hotel. Things were already returning to normal at the Lotus, and Nico didn't feel the sense of dread that he normally did when Kronos was there. Everyone's spirits seemed to be back up as well.

Will and Nico parted ways once they were inside the hotel. While Will headed to the Lost Kids' floor, Nico decided to head up to Percy's office. While he knew it was a very unlikely possibility, Nico kept hoping that Percy might want to do something with him on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, the green-eyed manager was on his way out the door when he arrived.

Percy smiled and ruffled Nico's hair as he walked by Leo and Rachel's desks. “How was school?” The young man asked.

“Fine,” Nico muttered, running his fingers through his hair to fix it. “So, got any plans coming up?” He stopped behind Percy, who placed something on Leo's desk. He was also fully aware of the staring coming from Rachel, the only other person in the room. “I don't know...maybe in two days?”

Percy turned around, his smile less prevalent. “Nothing really planned. Just work, like always.” The green-eyed young man shrugged. “Not really my favorite holiday.”

That was right, Percy did not like the approaching holiday. Still, it was a little disappointing for him. If Nico could just get some answers, everything would be fine. “So, you don't even have a valentine?”

“Nope.” Once again, Percy slid his fingers through Nico's hair. “I'll see you later tonight, okay?”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered. As the door shut, the boy let out a groan of frustrating. Why couldn't things ever be easy around here?

Rachel let out a small chuckle from behind her desk. “Trouble in paradise.”

“If only it were.”

“Sit,” Rachel commanded, pointing to a chair to the side of her desk. Nico did as he was told without question. The Lost Girl didn't even look away from her monitor as her fingers typed rapidly across the keyboard in front of her. “Now is not the best time to be romantic with Percy.”

Nico let his shoulders slump. “What's his problem with the holiday anyways?”

Rachel's fingers stopped. Her lips pursed as she sat back in her chair. “It's about his mother, his real one.” The girl finally looked at Nico. “She died on Valentine's Day, right in front of Percy. I can only imagine how hard it was for him, because from the little he does talk about her, I know he loved his mother. After she died, Percy just always associated the holiday with negativity.”

“How did she die?” Nico whispered.

“Part of it was due to her being sick at the time. But Sally just didn't eat very much from what Percy says about it. He said she just gave all of the food they had to him, so that Percy would at least be able to eat.” Her expression softened a lot more than Nico could ever recall seeing. “It stuck with him. And I think that pain festered in his heart for so long that Percy didn't even flinch when he watched his father die. By all accounts, Poseidon was to blame for her death. She couldn't manage getting a job, and Poseidon put a lawsuit on her on top of that. As you know now, Percy's mother didn't have any other family that was alive. She was pretty much alone.”

It was like a knife had been impaled into Nico's heart. It stung to think about a young Percy that had no one else to turn to. A kid that had to watch his mother die, and probably felt completely helpless about the entire thing. Perhaps having Gaea kill Poseidon was Percy's way of doing something for the mother that he lost. Sally had given everything for him. And then, after she died, Percy was left alone to fend for himself as a child, at least until Gaea found him.

“I just,” Nico began, clenching his jeans, “I don't really understand him. He gave me this-”

“I know,” Rachel said softly. She had a small smile on her face.

Nico's brow furrowed. “He told you?” The Lost Boy asked. Rachel simply nodded, which caused Nico to sigh. “I just...wish I knew what he was thinking. I don't know what to think anymore.” The boy shook his head. “When I saw the letter, I thought that maybe I might have a shot with Percy, but he's pretty much avoided me ever since he got back. And he hasn't even brought it up once.

Much to Nico's surprise, Rachel snorted. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, for starters, there's the fact that he hasn't brought up the note. He's been avoiding me.” A frown had started to form on Nico's lips. “Percy's been acting strange ever since he got back. Obviously something happened in Germany. And any time that it gets brought up, Percy looks over at me. Not to mention that he freaked out at me over Kronos. Yeah, forbid me to ever be alone with Kronos.”

Judging by her expression, it was clear that Rachel had not heard about that part. “What exactly did he say?”

“Well, he told me to stay away from Kronos. I'm not even allowed to be in the same room with him unless other people are around.” That frown on Nico's face had only grown in the past few seconds. This part irritated him a lot, because he didn't understand why Percy was directing this at him. “Kronos was the one tormenting everyone else. Kronos threatened me. So, why does Percy come after me with this?”

Rachel simply shook her head. “Nico, you are still blind,” she sighed. Nico glared at her. “Percy wasn't saying that to you because he was angry with you. He said it because he doesn't want Kronos near you.” She actually reached over and smacked him upside the head. “He's trying to protect you, idiot. Percy knows some of what happened while Kronos was here by now, and he already suspected stuff going on, but it's his way of telling you that he doesn't want Kronos near you.

“Kronos is Gaea's biological son. Which means that, even though she loves Percy, Gaea would get very upset if Percy did anything to Kronos. Let me put it this way: If Percy punched Kronos: Gaea might toss him out on the streets with nothing. She would probably strip him of everything he's earned. Yes, Gaea loves Percy, but family is family.” She placed her hands of the desk a few inches apart. “It's sort of like when a family adopts a kid or does a fostering program. Typically, parents still show favoritism towards their actual offspring. It doesn't mean Gaea doesn't love Percy, but it doesn't mean Percy can just go around and do as he pleases to her son.”

“But-”

“And Percy's not stupid. He's not going to risk this Nico. If Percy can find a way to help you, without getting into a fight with Kronos, he will take it. Kronos is still his brother by adoption. He still holds loyalty to Kronos over the fact that Kronos befriended him after Gaea brought him to Germany.”

Nico let out a sigh. Perhaps she was right, but it didn't really help Nico. He wanted Kronos to be punished for what happened here while Percy was away. It wasn't fair that Kronos could just get away with it. “But it's not fair.”

“Well, that's life, kiddo.” She let out a sigh when she noticed the pout forming on Nico's lips. “Look, Kronos isn't going to bother you as long as someone like Percy or Gaea is around. So, if you ever see him again, just stay close to one of them. Percy is still trying to protect you, so just take it as a victory.” The Lost Girl smiled and shook her head. “So, do you still think things haven't changed?”

“It would just be nice to have some sign that there's hope,” Nico mumbled.

Rachel, who had gone back to typing, quirked a brow. “Oh, you mean like actually sleeping in your bed the night he returned?” She glanced at Nico from the corner of her eye. “In case you have forgotten, Percy doesn't sleep in the beds of the Lost Kids, they go to his bed and sleep. And it's usually just for sex before they have to go back to their rooms. The only time they get to sleep with him is when they are upset.” She stopped typing again and laced her fingers under her chin. “So, do you want to take back what you just said? I'd say you're doing pretty well.”

Nico let out a sigh. Once again, Rachel was right. And perhaps he could still get Percy to admit all of this after he followed Annabeth's advice. It was worth a shot. “Rachel, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Nico, what's up?”

“Well, you're pretty enlightened as to what goes on around here. And, now that I look back on it, I think you knew that Percy was going to be leaving for Germany before he told us.”

“Yeah,” Rachel admitted, her brow furrowing. “Is that what this is about?”

“No, not exactly.” Nico let out a sigh and pursed his lips. “A while back, when Gaea was here, I heard you talking with Percy. He sounded upset about something.” As Nico spoke, Rachel's face grew solemn. “Was he supposed to go to Germany before that thing happened?”

Rachel let out a little sigh. “Gaea wanted to talk to him about something. The managers had a private meeting, and I got to sit in on it.” She shook her head. “Something was brought up. I tried to talk to Percy about it, but he didn't want to listen at the time.” She held up a hand before Nico could ask her anything else. “He's going to talk about it tonight, just wait until then. Maybe then you'll understand.”

The nights where Nico got to work the bar were probably his more favorable shifts. The bar didn't feel sexual at all, and Nico didn't have that many people trying to grope him. Everyone at the bar was just there to get drunk, make conversation, and do business. It took a load off of Nico, to say the least.

There was also the fact that Chiron was a much better bartender than Dionysus was. It kind of said something when Percy allowed Chiron to socialize with customers, but kept Dionysus in a room by himself until a customer wanted to purchase drugs.

It also allowed Nico to get to talk more with Percy whenever the young man came by.

Tonight, the manager came by shortly before Nico's break. He sat at the bar, talking with Chiron like he normally did. It was nice to see Percy seem more cheerful after his return. It sort of made Nico wonder why whatever happened in Germany bothered Percy so much, if he seemed to be in better spirits.

“Hi,” Nico greeted his boss as he finished depositing some cash in the register.

Percy's lips tilted up as he leaned forward on the bar. “Hello yourself.” Nico had missed so much about Percy when the young man had been gone, and he had almost forgotten the effect a simple smirk could have on his body. “How's work going?”

“Same as always.” Nico smirked as he leaned on the bar. He didn't blush much these days, but Percy still managed to pull one out of Nico. In the low lighting, Percy's eyes were so intense. Nico kind of expected Percy to just push all of the stuff off the bar and take Nico right there. Not that Nico would mind if that were to happen. “So, I hear you want to talk to us tonight.”

“I do.”

“About?”

Percy smirked and raised his glass to his lips. “You'll see.” The manager didn't even try to hide it when his eyes roamed down Nico's body.

“So,” Nico began, biting down on his lips, “does that mean you won't have time for me later?”

Percy's eyes raked down Nico's body again as he bit his lip. “Is that your way of trying to negotiate hours with me?”

Not really. Nico just wanted Percy to talk about what he had said in the note. Nico figured getting him alone was the best way to do it. “Something like that, but I could really care less about hours.”

A smile crept onto Percy's lips. “Well, at least you still got some innocence in you.” He finished off his drink and gave Nico a final smile before standing to his feet. “I missed you,” the young man said before he left.

It took Nico a moment to move. Had Percy really just said that to him? That might have been the most Nico had gotten Percy to admit in person. It was a small victory, but he would take it. Percy's words had caught him so off-guard that Nico didn't even realize that Annabeth was standing next to him.

“You okay?”

Nico practically jumped out of his skin. “Yeah, I'm fine.” He cleared his throat. “Just talking with Percy. Maybe after my performance, things will take off.”

“Yeah.” She nodded her head towards the break room. “Wanna take your break with me? We can talk about it back there.”

Nico gave a small nodded and followed after the blonde. She opened the fridge once they were in the room and tossed a water bottle towards Nico. She sat down on the couch, while the Lost Boy sat down on the chair next to it. He pulled his legs up into the chair and opened his water, taking a long drink from it.

“So, do you think you have it all sorted?” The blonde asked.

The raven-haired boy gave a small nod. “I think so. I had Apollo give me a few ideas, but I kept it quiet.” His lips turned up. “Don't needing it getting back to Percy, like you said.”

The Lost Girl ran a hand through her long blonde hair. “Then I hope you can pull it off.” That was the plan, Nico thought. Annabeth tilted her head slightly. “I'm sure you'll do fine.”

“So, what do you think Percy wants to talk about?”

The blonde simply shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. I might have an idea, but I'll just wait and see.” She smiled over at the boy. “If I'm right, then I have nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine.”

“Do you think it's bad?”

“I hope not,” Annabeth sighed. “It seems to bother Percy, but that guy can look miserable about practically anything. If I had a guess, it's something he doesn't want to do, but knows it's for the best.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Nico mumbled. His lips tilted down and his eyes grew dull. He was just ready for the secret to be over. Nico didn't like seeing Percy like this half the time.

When their break was over, Annabeth rose from the couch, dropped her empty bottle in the trash, and headed for the door. On her way out, she nearly bumped into Octavian, who narrowed his eyes at her. The girl just blinked at the blond Lost Boy before she brushed past him and left.

Octavian turned to Nico with a frown. “What was that about?”

Nico gave a casual shrug as he rose from the chair and headed for the door. “Annabeth was just helping me out with something. Nothing to worry about.”

The blond's lips tilted down as he narrowed his eyes at Nico, inspecting him carefully. Nico shrugged again and headed for the door. At some point, Nico really needed to figure out why those two didn't like each other.

It was around three in the morning that Nico found himself back in the conference room. The last time he had been here had been when Percy announced he was going to Germany. This room did not hold good memories for Nico. And, unlike last time, Nico had school tomorrow, so it wasn't like he could be up all night.

Apollo seemed pretty cranky tonight as well. Nico watched silently as the blond rambled to Thalia about something that had happened. Robert's name came up, which only made the issue more concerning. Nico let out a sigh. Nothing good, he knew that much.

Eventually, Percy came into the room with Leo and Rachel. The secretaries sat down at the table with everyone else, while Percy paced around to the side of the room. It was very quiet in the room as all eyes followed the young man. Was this going to be some more bad news? Percy just got back, more bad news was not what they needed.

Finally, Percy let out a breath and turned towards the table. “So, I'm sure you're all wondering what I called you here for.” His lips turned up. “No, Kronos is not coming back to serve as manager.” A collective sigh went out through the room. Percy just rolled his eyes and continued. “But something did happen while I was in Germany. I've been trying to think of the best way to bring this up.”

“Just spitting it out is a start,” Leo grumbled.

Rachel elbowed the Latino. “Shush, he already told you. Let him tell the others,” she chastised him. Leo just grumbled and slumped in his seat. If Leo wasn't happy about it, this couldn't be good.

Percy nodded. “So, there's no easy way to tell you this. But, come the summer, I'm not longer going to be the manager of this hotel. I will be moving back to Germany, and I will be staying there this time.”

There was a heavy silence in the room before Annabeth spoke up. “Why exactly? Have you done something wrong?”

“No.” Percy's brow furrowed. “Quite the opposite, actually.” He cleared his throat and paced a little more. “Gaea plans to retire over the summer.” The young man lifted his hands in a shrug. “And, well, she sort of asked me to take over for her.”

Unlike the last few revelations in this room, what Percy had just informed them came with a mix of emotions. There were obviously those that were happy with Percy, but also some that were nervous.

“That's great” Thalia declared.

Beckendorf was the first to get up. He walked over and clapped Percy on the back. “Congratulations, man. You deserve it.”

Will grinned. “You're like the best person for the job, dude!”

Then came the others. Luke's brow furrowed. “And what about us?”

There it was. Realization finally hit the entire group. Nico had realized it already. If Percy wasn't happy about this, there had to be more to it. What became of them in this situation? They were family to Percy, so leaving them behind would clearly not be easy on him.

Percy gave a small nod. “As you know, there are Lost Kids in Germany, and we still need Lost Kids here. I'm not sure who will replace me yet. I'm supposed to gather up some candidates and offer Gaea a name by late March or early April.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “I really do wish I could take all of you with me, though. But I promise you that I'll pick a good manager that will treat you right. More than likely, it'll be one of you. Probably one of the older ones, or maybe Annabeth or Octavian. We'll just have to see.”

Gaea was going to retire this summer. Percy would be taking over for her, which was a fantastic choice, but Nico didn't want to give him up. Was this just a way to keep Percy and Nico apart? No, probably not. If Percy was being promoted to head the entire hotel chain, this wouldn't be done for something like that. But Percy would be leaving them, this time for good.

Percy did not speak again after that, nobody did. Some stayed behind, but most left. Percy was the first to leave, not saying a word as he went. The Lost Kids, however, were a mixture of emotions as they left. The twins were very quiet, not even looking up as they left. Butch seemed angry, punching the door on his way out. Then there was Annabeth, who cupped her hands around her mouth and closed her eyes before getting to her feet and leaving calmly. Calypso just shook her head and got up, placing a hand on Piper's shoulder to pull the other Lost Girl from her thoughts. Piper pressed her lips tightly together before nodding and following after Calypso.

The room whittled down until it was just Nico, Luke, and Apollo. The latter was the first of the three to get up. He rubbed his neck as he walked to the door. “Well, tonight just keeps getting better and better.”

Luke arched a brow. “Something happen?”

“Just Robert being a royal jackass.” Apollo's lips tilted down. “Wanted to take me on a cruise and spend the day with me on Valentine's Day. I told him to go fuck his wife and buy her some roses.”

Luke groaned as he popped his neck. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, I told him that I'd rather not be with him again if he's still with his wife.” Apollo turned his attention to Nico. “You were right, and I should have never opened this door again.”

Nico gave a small nod as Apollo left the room. The youngest Lost Boy let out a sigh and propped his elbows on the table. “Tonight sucks.”

“You're telling me, kid,” Luke sighed.

The raven-haired boy's eyes are still on the spot he last saw Apollo. As a thought popped into Nico's head, the boy clicked his tongue. A smile crept onto his lips as he turned his attention towards the only other person in the room. “Hey, Luke.”

The blond looked up, saw Nico's expression, and narrowed his eyes. “No.”

A pout formed on Nico's lips. “You don't even know what I was going to say!”

“It couldn't have been anything good.”

Rolling his eyes, Nico stood up. “I just think that Apollo needs help. He just needs to fix things with Leo and be happy,” the boy sighed. Luke glared up at him. “Don't look at me like that. I have a plan.”

Rubbing his head, Luke let out a groan. “It's far too late and I'm far too sober to listen to this right now, twerp.”

Slowly, Nico grinned. He sat on the edge of the table, right in front of the blond. “But you're going to be helping.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Over my dead body.”

“I hate you so much right now,” Luke muttered.

Nico frowned as he looked away from Apollo and Leo, narrowing his eyes at the older Lost Boy in front of him. “But, look, they are talking and spending time together on Valentine's Day. This is good.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “They are working.”

“It's a start,” Nico reminded him. The blond just grunted and folded his arms across his chest. Nico smiled and went back to staring at the two across the cabana area. “We just need to get Apollo to leave Robert alone and make amends with Leo about what happened.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.”

Nico elbowed the blond next to him. “We're helping, get over it.”

Leaning his head back, Luke let out a loud groan. “Why am I even here?” He narrowed his eyes at the youngest Lost Boy. “You clearly have this under control.”

Nico turned an annoyed glare on the blond at his table. “Because, you're friends with Apollo. You and I are also friends.” Luke went to argue, but Nico held up a finger. “You can just deal with it, because it's the truth, and you know it is.” The boy sighed and propped his chin up on his palm. “Besides, everyone at the hotel deserves to be happy.” Brown eyes flickered over to the grumpy blond. “And that includes you.”

Luke didn't argue any further, though he did grumble quietly as he watched Leo and Apollo. Today was already turning into an exhausting day, and Nico had only been back from school for only thirty minutes. He had never really been a fan of this holiday, as it served only to remind him of his single status. But it was nice to see some of the others be happy on this day.

Some roses had arrived earlier for Hazel from Frank. The Lost Girl wore the biggest smile on her face as she quickly found a vase to put them in. After coming back from school, Nico had spotted Connor walking around with a box of chocolates, most likely from his brother. Judging by the limp Connor was sporting, the two had already celebrated the holiday at least once today. Finally, there was Chris and Clarisse, who still weren't back from their lunch date. As long as other people were happy, Nico would find a way to endure through the fact that he was alone. At least he had company in his misery.

Not even five minutes after Leo and Apollo went separate ways, Luke got up from the table, announcing that their little spy mission was over. There was talk of heavy alcohol mentioned under the blond's breath as he walked away. Nico smiled as he got up and walked over to the cabana.

Smiling, Nico sat down on one of the stools. “So, how's your holiday going?” He greeted Ganymede.

The man smirked as he wiped down the bar. “Been busy all day. But, unlike the rest of you, I actually have nights off, so I can have a real date.”

“You have a date?”

“Maybe.” The man smirked as he tossed the rag he had been using onto his shoulder. “Nothing serious, so don't cry about it. I'll still save a place for you in my heart, cutie.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well, I suppose that's the most I'll get for myself today.” He let out a sigh and leaned onto the bar. “So, I noticed Apollo and Leo were talking.”

The corner of the ex-Lost Boy's lips tilted up. “Yeah, you weren't obvious at all with your little stakeout. The real question is: how did you manage getting Luke involved?”

“Bribery,” Nico grinned. “Well, I forced him, but I know he didn't really mind.” The boy let out a small breath. “But can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Do you think there's hope for the two of them?”

Ganymede blinked a few times. “Apollo and Leo?” He asked. Nico gave a nod. “I suppose.” The man shrugged. “They have some things to work through, but I think I could see it. Honestly, though, if you want to get them together, you'll have to get Robert to leave Apollo alone. Until something is done on that front, Apollo is just going to cling to the past.” He gave a soft smile. “I've tried talking to blondie myself, but he doesn't want to listen.”

“Lots of work then,” Nico mumbled. He blew out a breath and ruffled his hair. “I'll just be spending the day alone, worrying about the love lives of others.”

Ganymede smirked, but his eyes flickered over Nico's shoulders. Arching a brow, the man only grinned more. “Oh, I don't know about that.”

Nico was about to question what the man meant, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Spinning around, Nico came face to face with Percy Jackson. His eyes widened a little as he blinked up at his boss. “Hi.”

Percy gave him a soft smile. “Hi.” His green eyes shot over to Ganymede, who chuckled and turned around to clean behind the cabana. “So, what are you doing?”

Nico shook his head. “Nothing at the moment.”

“Good, then you can come have dinner with me.”

Heat quickly rose in Nico's cheeks. Was Percy asking him on a date, on Valentine's Day? “Um, sure.” The boy quickly nodded his head, climbing to his feet. “Right now?”

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Percy gave a small nod. “Unless you do have something that you need to do.”

Nico quickly shook his head. “No, I'm completely free.”

The two ended up in the hotel's restaurant. As they sat down, Nico spotted Beckendorf and Silena in a corner, sharing a bottle of wine. Since Percy was the manager, it did not take them long at all to get a waiter to their table. And, after the waiter left, it was just the two of them. Percy smiled across the table at Nico.

Nico pressed his lips together, finding it very hard to meet Percy's gaze. “So, thank you for dinner.”

“It's not like you don't get free food here anyways,” Percy reminded him. Those eyes were still trained on Nico, unnerving every fiber of the Lost Boy. “But I actually wanted to talk to you.” He let out a sigh and tilted his head to the side. “I just sometimes wonder if I'm making the right choice with this decision.”

“Oh.” Nico fidgeted a little. “Um, well, were there any other candidates?”

Percy's lips tilted up into a smirk. “Well, Kronos, obviously, so not really.” The young man rubbed his face. “I just feel weird about uprooting my life and going back to Germany. Everyone is here, and I sort of worry that I'll do a poor job.”

Really? How could Percy worry about that? Nico frowned. “Percy, you'll be an amazing boss. You're already the boss of all of us, so what's the real difference? You have all your district managers to see to everything. What is it that Gaea does, aside from drop in for the yearly meeting?”

Percy gave a casual shrug. “I suppose you have a point. I'd be free, for the most part. And I know that, but it still feels odd.” He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “It sort of just feels like the weight of the world is suddenly on my shoulders.”

Nico smiled at him, lifting his drink to his lips. “Well, it's not like you won't have help holding the weight.” He wanted to tell Percy that he would miss him, but Nico didn't want to put anymore weight on Percy than there already was. “I think she made the right choice.”

“Thanks,” Percy smiled.

The entire dinner was peaceful and almost natural after that. Percy asked about what had happened while he was gone, but Nico kept the subject to things other than Kronos. He told Percy that he was going to graduate early, and that he was already applying to several universities. Percy felt confident that Nico would get in wherever he applied, which made the Lost Boy a little suspicious if Percy had rigged his applications.

But it was nice to have Percy back. It was nice that things were beginning to fall back into a sense of normalcy, even if it was only for a few more months. Nico let out a sigh as he finished his drink after he was done eating. What would he do when Percy left? Should he stay? He was going to be in college come the fall, perhaps he should just leave and try and live a normal life. Bianca would probably move out, so the two of them could probably get an apartment together.

Percy told him a little about Germany, mainly about what he got to do in his free time. It now made sense why Percy had been so busy. Gaea had probably kept him swamped with learning how to become the new her. But in his off time, Percy seemed to get into trouble.

“So, they had to get a truck to pull the golf cart out of the lake,” Percy finished his story.

Nico chuckled a little. He wanted to look happy for Percy. The young man didn't need anyone feeling sad for him right now, not with how obvious it was that Percy was hesitant to take the job. He didn't need anyone to hold him back. Nico knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Percy would do a phenomenal job.

Eventually, Percy reminded them that they had to get going. On they way up to his room, Nico was beginning to have second thoughts about his performance. Rachel was right, perhaps things really were different now. Perhaps Nico didn't need a flashing sign to let him know this anymore. But Annabeth's words still worried him. He frowned up at the young man next to him in the elevator. Percy was dense when it came to romance, right? So, perhaps he still needed a little clue that Nico needed some reassurance.

Nico needed to talk to Annabeth.

So, when he got upstairs, the blonde was the first person that Nico went to look for. He had to go to the girls' side to find the Lost Girl, who was already serving tables. Nico managed to pull her aside after she finished up with one.

“Hey, can we talk?”

The Lost Girl blinked in surprise. “Of course, Nico, what's up?”

Nico let out a sigh. “I just... I'm sort of having second thoughts about this performance.” He ran a hand down his face. “I could always not do it, and just try and figure out another song real quick. It wouldn't be that hard, right?”

“Whoa, calm down there, buddy,” the blonde chuckled. She brushed some hair out of her eyes before placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. “It's fine to feel nervous, but I still think you should go through with it. If you don't, you're just going to risk Percy stringing you along in this back and forth state that you're in. Do you want that?”

The Lost Boy let out a heavy sigh as he looked down at his feet. “No, I don't.” She was right, of course. From what Annabeth had told him, this was the best way to get Percy to see that Nico was getting tired of being treated this way. He chewed on his lip. It was just that...Nico didn't want to chance ruining the small changes that had apparently developed since Percy's return. But if this worked, everything would be different. “You're right.”

Annabeth smiled. “Good.” She spun Nico around and shoved him off. “Now then, go get ready before it's time for performances to begin.”

By the time Nico was supposed to perform the number Annabeth had picked out for him, the Lost Boy's nerves were still wearing thin. This was a bad idea, he could feel it in his stomach. But Annabeth knew Percy pretty well, right? If she thought this was a good idea, then Nico would just have to trust her.

Fortunately, Percy was on the boys' side during Nico's performance. If he hadn't been, Nico's entire plan would have been for nothing. Perhaps this was a good sign then. Letting out a breath, Nico took his place on the stage. The curtains opened, but the lights remained dark while the opening of The Cab's “Temporary Bliss” began to play.

The lights came on when the lyrics played. A lot of the performance consisted of moves that made Nico look like he was having spasms. Sort of. The way Annabeth had described it, he needed to move like the Oracle in the 300 movie. He was also instructed to keep a sort of frustrated expression on his face, and make lots of eye contact with Percy.

As they lyrics to the chorus began, Nico griped his hair and rolled his head in a circle. Then came the hip pops. Not Nico's favorite move to do during a performance, but they were required every now and then. Nico wasted little time in ripping open the shirt he wore and got down on the stage, spreading his legs. The boy slammed his palms down on the stage, cutting his eyes over at Percy. Annabeth made it clear that Nico needed to look at the manager during the part of the song that talked about sleeping in the other person's bed.

At the part about slipping under the sheets, Nico leaned back and rolled his stomach, running a hand down until it slid underneath the loose shorts he had on. From there, Nico rolled onto his hands and knees. He pushed himself along the stage, until he came to the very edge. Nico managed to bring himself up to his feet without falling off, something he had not really mastered during practice.

However, Percy did not look that happy. Annabeth had predicted this, though. The young man practically had slits for eyes as he watched Nico slide across the stage. Leo looked very pale next to the manager. Gulping, Nico turned his attention away from Percy's booth and went back to his dance. He just had to stick it out, Nico reminded himself.

Nico stretched one of his legs out, running his hand along the skin. He slowly slid down the side of his shorts, letting them fall off when he straightened his posture. Nico grasped the back of his neck, cupping his ass with his other hand.

As the song reached its end, Nico leaned back and rolled his stomach again. Then came the final words of the song. As they played, the Lost Boy raised a hand and pointed straight at Percy's table. As instructed, of course. The song ended and Nico stood there, catching his breath. His eyes locked with Percy's, slight irritation filling his brown orbs.

Though, Nico's confidence was short lived. The boy paled as Percy downed a shot that was in front of him before getting up from his table and heading for the backstage door. Nico gulped and gathered up his clothes, making a dash off the stage.

He really wanted to hide now. Annabeth had said Percy might get annoyed, but right now Percy looked pissed. And if he was coming for Nico, the Lost Boy did not want to be around when the bomb went off. Nobody said a word to him as Nico struggled to get into his clothes. Even Apollo was speechless, his jaw hanging open slightly. Only one thought kept repeating in Nico's head: This was a very bad idea!

Unfortunately, before Nico could cross over to the girls' side and make an escape through there, a hand clasped down the back of his neck. “Going somewhere?” Percy practically growled in his ear. He roughly spun Nico around, the Lost Boy finding himself pinned by a pair of intense sea-green eyes. “We need to talk.”

Percy dragged Nico out of the backstage area. A lot of people stared as they watched Nico get dragged by tables and booths, though nobody said a word. A large part of Nico wanted one of them to flag Percy down for some time with Nico. It was sad that Nico sought refuge with a customer, but right now Nico was kind of desperate. There was an anger in Percy's eyes that Nico could not recall ever seeing before.

Even Clarisse and Ethan froze when Percy pulled Nico towards the elevators. Nico mouthed for some help, but both of the Lost Kids shook their heads. Nobody wanted to get between Percy and Nico right now, not with that look in Percy's eyes. It truly said something when even Clarisse was scared of Percy Jackson.

To Nico's surprise, Percy brought them to his suite. The young man practically tossed Nico inside once the door was open, causing the boy to stumble a little. Nico flinched as Percy slammed his phone down on the kitchen island.

“What the hell was that?” Percy yelled. Nico had never heard the manager sound so angry. “What the fuck were you actually thinking, directing a stupid performance at me? Do you realize all the stupid repercussions you could have just caused?” Very harshly, Percy reached out and forced Nico to look up at him. “Do you even realize that you probably just sent some mixed signals to the customers up there? There are some fucking insane assholes that do business here, Nico, and you just performed a song that implied that you wanted to stop playing games and go for something serious.”

Nico flinched when Percy raised a hand, though he used it to cover his own face. “I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. “I just thought-”

“Clearly you weren't thinking. I haven't taken the time to talk about the note I left you, so you decide to make a public statement. How about this? If, by some chance, anyone up there figured out that you were directing that at me, do you even realize what doing something like that could do to me?” He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don't want people to think that I can't handle my employees. Do you want Gaea to think I can't keep you in line? I just had to explain the entire movie set situation to her a month ago. I guess I might as well turn around and talk to her about this now while I'm at it.”

Nico clenched his fists. His patience were at an end. “I just wanted you to fucking talk to me about what you said in your note!”

An incredulous look took over Percy's face. “So, you decided to do this, instead of just coming to me and talking like a civilized adult?”

That hurt. It hurt because Percy was insinuating that Nico was a child again. But this was just another one of his mistakes, wasn't it?

Percy held up his hands. “Do I actually have to come out and say it? Sleeping in your bed, saying that I missed you, the jacket, or even the note weren't good enough for you?” Percy sighed and shook his head. “Fine, how about this?” He straight his shoulders, though he still looked pretty angry. “I like you, Nico di Angelo. I realized this when you almost died because you weren't paying attention to your surroundings. I almost died for you, and I don't regret it. You make me uncomfortable and sick with myself, but I have trouble imagining my life without you around the hotel now. I'm...happy.”

The young man let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. He mumbled something under his breath as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out some alcohol. Not even using a glass, Percy tossed the bottle back and downed a fourth of it.

“Why didn't you just tell me?” Nico whispered, rubbing his arm.

The manager ran a hand down his face, exhaustion replacing the anger that had consumed his eyes. “I've said this before, I don't think I'm good for you. Even when I started realizing that I had feelings for you, it didn't matter, because I couldn't give you what you wanted.” He shook his head. The next he spoke, Percy's voice was much softer. “But Gaea wants me to be happy. We talked a lot about me doing things for myself, instead of doing what I'm told. If I'm supposed to be in charge, I need to make my own decisions.” His eyes flickered over to where Nico stood. “You make me happy.” A dry chuckle escaped Percy's lips. “Well, when you aren't frustrating me.”

“I'm sorry,” Nico whispered. He let out a sigh and took a seat at the kitchen island. “I shouldn't have done that. You're right, I should have just talked to you about it. But, in all honesty, I didn't think you would.”

“Honestly, I wasn't ready to talk about it.” Percy took another drink from the bottle. Something else was weighing on the young man, Nico could see it. “I needed some time to think. I wanted to ask you something, but I wasn't sure if it was what was best for you.”

“It was just driving me a little crazy. The note was a little vague. I hoped it was what I was thinking, but then you came back and acted like nothing had changed.” Nico bit his lip. “And I was just too dense to notice the small things.”

Percy let out a breath, nodding. “Then let's talk about it.” He cleared his throat. “I want to offer you a choice, Nico.” The young man held out one hand. “You can choose to stay here at the hotel, and your life will continue as it is now. You'll still strip and deal with customers. You can also choose to leave, and go live with your sister when she graduates. You'll never have to worry about doing any of this again, and my deal will still stand to pay for your education.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Is that it?” He didn't understand. If that was his only two options, why was Percy so concerned about this?

“No,” Percy sighed. He placed the bottle of alcohol down and put the cap back on. Nico's heart pounded in his chest as Percy walked over to Nico. The young man tilted Nico's chin up. “I do like you, Nico. A lot. You were right about that. But those aren't your only two options.” The young man took a seat next to the boy. “I want to give you the option to move to Germany with me during the summer.”

Nico blinked, stunned. His mouth fumbled for several seconds before his brain managed to form any words. “I-what?”

“I could take care of you, and anything you would ever need. You'd never have to strip or sell your body again, if you chose this.” Percy ran the back of his hand against Nico's cheek. “I mean, this is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted me exclusively, and now I can offer it to you.” He smiled a little as he brushed some of Nico's hair out of the boy's eyes. “Well, once summer gets here I can.”

Nico's brain felt like it might explode at any moment. Had he heard all of that correctly? This had to be a dream, right? “You're...serious,” he breathed out.

Percy smiled softly, nodding. “We can get you a tutor to help you learn German and the other European languages. You can eventually go to a university over there, if you want to.” He sighed. “But, I mean, you'd obviously be across the planet from your sister. I just didn't know if you would be okay with that.”

“I-” Nico closed his mouth. The Lost Boy took in a deep breath before he slowly released it. “It's just a lot to take in. I mean, yeah, I'd like to stay near my sister.” He pursed his lips. “But I've also wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

That made Percy smile. The young man leaned down and pressed a brief kiss to Nico's cheek. “You can take some time to think about it, if you need to.”

Nico quickly shook his head. “No...I don't.” He ran a hand through his hair, getting to his feet. The boy nodded his head. “I want that.” He motioned at Percy. “I want to go to Germany with you. I want to be with you.”

Perhaps today wasn't so bad after all. And, while Annabeth's advice had almost backfired for him, it worked out in the end. But how was Nico going to tell Bianca that he was moving to Germany this summer?

All of these thoughts faded away as Percy tilted Nico's chin up. The boy blinked for a second. His eyes widened as Percy slowly leaned down and pressed their lips together.