Children of Loss 48

Chapter 48

Surprisingly, the hotel remained fairly quiet for nearly a month. It was definitely not what Nico had been expecting. In all honesty, Nico had expected Annabeth to come after him with a large knife, judging by the way she had looked at him on the night of her stage disaster. It had taken a full two weeks for the blonde's face to clear up from the skin rash, something that not even the twins had any knowledge about. But from what Apollo and Thalia told him, Nico was under the impression that Annabeth thought it was him.

It wasn't, though! But could he tell her that? No. Not that he was sure he wanted to, in all honesty. After seeing her metaphorical mask crack, Nico was hesitant to be near the blonde. It did help that his relationship with Percy had improved upon the manager's return, so Nico was able to try to keep his and Annabeth's schedule separate as much as possible.

Percy asked Nico about it often when the boy had first started, but eventually the questions had stopped. If Annabeth really did have a crush on Percy, the manager didn't seem to have any idea about it. Perhaps it was better to keep it that way, as to not poke the bear more than it already had been.

Speaking of the green-eyed manager, Nico had started to spend most of his free time in the afternoons in the young man's office. Part of the time, Nico was just getting his homework done, but the rest of his time was filled with trying to study the German language.

Spring break would be here in just a few weeks, yet Nico still had barely any understanding of the language. It was now approaching time for dinner, and Nico had barely moved from his spot on Percy's office couch since he got back from school an hour and a half ago.

The book was suddenly plucked from Nico's hand. The Lost Boy looked up with a pout. “I'm trying to study that,” he whined.

Percy rolled his eyes and tossed the book over his shoulder. “I don't know why you're focusing so hard on this, it's just for a week.”

“But I will be living there starting in the summer. Don't you think it's best to learn German?”

The young man shrugged. “I suppose, but there is time for that later.” He leaned forward and placed both of his hands of the couch, on either side of Nico's head. “For the week that you are there, you'll have me to translate for you. Or Luke, should I not be around.” With a grin, he maneuvered the Lost Boy onto his back, sliding in between Nico's legs. “So, it's not like you'll be lost the entire time. Isn't there anything else you'd rather be doing right now?”

Nico just rolled his eyes with a smile. “I thought you were a master at being subtle?”

Percy's grin only grew. “Oh, I am, but you need to leave soon.” A warm hand ran underneath Nico's shirt. “You know, I've been back a month, yet you and I haven't had sex in that time.”

The brown-eyed boy shrugged, wrapping his arms around Percy's neck. With the news that him and Percy could sort of settle down come the summer, Nico just hadn't really felt the need to go looking for it. Percy had been more physical with him in other ways, and that was really all Nico wanted right now. Perhaps the revelation that Percy would still be having sex with the other Lost Kids until he took over for Gaea did not help Nico's desires, though. It did bother the boy, not that he would tell Percy that.

What could he say? “Don't do your job?” Yeah, that would go over great. If anything, Nico had learned it was best to hold his tongue in most cases. If it ever came up in a conversation with them, Nico would not hesitate to let Percy know. Until that time, Nico did not really want to start an argument with the young man.

Nico was yanked from his thoughts when his shirt was pulled over his head. Pale fingers tangled into Percy's black locks as the manager kissed and sucked around his collarbone. With a moan, Nico bent his knee around Percy's waist, trying to pull the manager closer.

Changing position, Nico pushed himself up and placed himself in Percy's lap. The young man arched an eyebrow at him, smirking. Nico leaned down and sealed their lips together. Percy wasted no time at all in sliding his tongue into Nico's mouth, while the Lost Boy unbuttoned the young man's shirt. Nico let out a small moan as his fingers ran down Percy's bare chest.

Breaking the kiss, Nico slid out of Percy's lap and onto his knees. The young man placed his hands behind his head as Nico unbuttoned his pants. Percy lifted his hips to allow the Lost Boy to pull down his pants and underwear. As Nico took Percy's hardened member into his hand, his eyes flickered up to the young man's face. Leaning forward, Nico slid his tongue along the base, watching Percy's reaction.

The young man bit down on his lip, letting his head fall back against the couch. Nico smirked and took the head of Percy's cock into his mouth, bobbing his head up and down on the shaft. He had done this to other people, but Nico could only recall giving Percy head once or twice before this. When they first started being sexual, Percy didn't even let Nico try it.

Yet, now here he was, between Percy's legs and the guy's dick in his mouth. He wondered how much he could keep Percy to their room when they got to Germany. Perhaps not that long, because Nico really did want to go out and see the city, or at least explore the hotel. Judging by what he had heard, the German hotel was supposed to be more of a resort.

Nico slid his tongue around the shaft, while his head continued to bob on it. Percy's fingers eventually wound their way into Nico's messy hair, gripping tightly at the black locks. With a smirk, Nico began to hum lightly, which drew a moan from Percy.

There was just something magical about staring at Percy Jackson completely naked. While Nico now had an understanding that Percy wasn't perfect, it didn't mean his body wasn't. From the top of his head, to the bottom of his feet, the young man was gorgeous. Every inch. Even the seven or eight inches in front of his face.

Percy pulled the Lost Boy back into his lap, removing Nico's pants in the process. Nico cupped Percy's face as they shared a deep kiss, though something did occur to the boy. “Condom?” He panted.

Percy let out a grunt before gripping Nico tightly around the waist. Nico's eyes widened in surprise as Percy stood up and walked over to the desk. He placed Nico on the corner of his desk, while using his other hand to move some things aside. Now that Nico had more room, he laid down on the desk, while Percy dug around in one of his drawers. After a second, Percy pulled out a condom and a bottle of lube.

Lifting Nico's legs, Percy applied some lube to his fingers and slid one inside. Nico bit down on his lip at the feeling of the initial penetration. There was just something so much more enjoyable when it came to sex with Percy.

After adding a second finger, Percy began to stretch Nico out. The boy let out a few moans, running his foot along Percy's side and back. The small curve of Percy's back was particularly fascinating to the Lost Boy. When Percy finally managed to draw a gasp from Nico, he pulled his fingers out.

Quickly sliding on the condom and putting some lube on his member, Percy raised Nico's legs onto his shoulders. It was kind of hot, having his boss fuck him on his desk. Percy leaned down and gave Nico a slow but brief kiss before sliding into the brown-eyed boy. Nico's nails dug into Percy's hips, though pulled him closer at the same time. Taking the hint, Percy buried himself to the hilt.

The manager leaned down and kissed Nico in the center of his chest, waiting for the boy to adjust. Not that Nico wanted to wait. He might not have been seeking out sex from Percy, but that didn't mean he hadn't missed the feelings that came with it. And if there was one thing to say about Percy Jackson, it was that he was damned good at sex.

Percy's face hovered ever so closely to Nico's as he slid in and out of the boy on his desk. Nico let out a few quiet moans as his hands raked across Percy's torso. Percy took a firm grip on his hips and jerked Nico back at the same time that he slammed into the Lost Boy.

After a few minutes of this, Percy bent Nico over the desk and began to pick up the pace. Due to this, Nico found it extremely hard to remain quiet. The office felt stuffy now and both of their bodies was beginning to show the signs of sweat. The desk began to shake as Percy rapidly thrust in and out of Nico.

As Nico got louder with his moaning, Percy chuckled and placed a hand over the boy's mouth. “I love it when you're loud, but I don't think Leo and Rachel really want to hear your colorful Italian.”

Nico's face turned red. Well, more than it already was from his current activities. He really needed to control when he did that. Although, as far as he could tell, he had only done it with Percy. However, it was kind of hot to have Percy silencing him like that. Nico moaned rather loudly into Percy's hand as the green-eyed young man slid in agonizingly slow.

A good ten or fifteen minutes went by with Nico getting pounded into Percy's desk. The boy felt drenched in his sweat, not that he cared. If he could only have sex with Percy for the rest of his life, Nico could easily be certain that he would be more than satisfied.

Nico felt like a rag doll, his bones now mush. His hair clung to his face from all the sweat, which also made it very hard for Percy to get a good grip on him anymore. Not that it stopped the young man. Percy had yet to slow down in his pace in the past ten minutes, nor did Nico want him to. Percy leaned forward and bit lightly at Nico's neck. Nico let out a gasp, which quickly became a moan.

Gripping Nico's hair, Percy yanked Nico's head back as he continued to plow into the Lost Boy. Nico wasn't sure how much longer his legs were going to hold up for him. And, as if to only torment Nico, there was a knock at the door. It was like they weren't allowed to have sex in the office, since this made the second time they got interrupted.

“What?” Percy called out, not even bothering to stop in what they were doing.

Nico opened his eyes, which had him staring directly at the door. As accustomed as he had got to this life, it still would have been awkward for him to have someone walk in on him in this situation. Here he was, completely naked and bent over his boss's desk, while said boss relentlessly fucked him in the ass.

While the door didn't open, Rachel did speak. “Annabeth is here to see you.”

Percy blew at his sweaty bangs. He paused for a second before continuing to slam into Nico. The brown-eyed boy's mouth fell open in a silent moan. Percy's hand slid down his chest, while the other continued to grip his hair. Slamming in as hard as he could, the young man finally replied. “I'm busy at the moment.”

There was a pause, and then, “She says it's important.”

“When you hear a loud scream or moan, I'll be done.”

Nico turned his head to give Percy a questioning look, but he didn't even manage to fully look at the young man before Percy began to piston in and out of him. Nico collapsed onto the desk, his nails scraping across the surface. Percy was slamming into him with such a force, yet he managed to hit Nico's prostate with every single fucking thrust.

A few minutes later, Nico couldn't hold it back anymore. He scrunched his eyes shut and climaxed on Percy's desk. Nico's body crumpled, though Percy held him up by the hips. With a few more thrusts, Percy seemed to finish as well. As he pulled out, he placed Nico in his chair while he deposited the used condom into the garbage. Percy slid on his underwear before tossing Nico his clothes.

Nico's bones felt like putty as he tried to get dressed. Percy wiped up Nico's seed with a paper towel before he too finished getting dressed. Once they were finished, Nico shakily got to his feet. Percy smiled down at him before leaning down and pecking the boy on the lips. Nico gave him a lazy smile as they walked to the door.

When Percy finally opened it, Annabeth glanced between them. She raised an eyebrow. “Charming,” she mumbled.

Percy let out a chuckle. “What can I do for you?”

Annabeth glanced at Nico for a moment before she stepped into the office. “It involves Nico, actually.”

Nico frowned. She wasn't going to accuse Nico of tampering with her makeup, was she? She didn't even have proof, not that he had done it. Either way, Nico had no desire to leave Annabeth and Percy alone with him being the topic.

“Oh?” Percy sat back down at his desk, attempting to fix his hair from the sweaty mess it was still in.

Annabeth closed the door, shooting her cold gaze over in Nico's direction. “Well, it's gotten out that you plan on taking him to Germany with you when you take over for Gaea.”

“What about it?”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Annabeth asked, placing her hands on the back of one of the chairs in front of Percy's desk. “I mean, the only real family that he has anymore is his sister, and you're just going to pack him up and ship him across the planet from her.”

Percy's eyes darted over to where Nico stood. Wait, he wasn't actually considering what she had said, was he? Nico frowned, narrowing his gaze at Annabeth. “I'm the one that chose to go,” the Lost Boy mumbled.

Annabeth's eyebrow shot up at that. “And that makes it better?” She sighed and turned back to Percy. “You have to admit, he hasn't had the best track record for making the right decisions. Bianca is graduating as well, she could take care of Nico.”

“I don't-”

Percy held up his hand, silencing Nico's protest. The Lost Boy huffed, but held his tongue. Percy sat back in his chair, lacing his hands together over his lap. “I get what you're saying.” Percy's lips pressed together until they formed a thin line. “I'll think about it.”

Ananbeth smiled sweetly and nodded. “That's all I wanted.”

Nico glared as the blonde took her leave. He glanced back at Percy. “You're not really-”

“I said that I'd think about it,” Percy mumbled, no longer looking at Nico. Instead, the manager was scribbling something down on a notepad.

Nico frowned. “Whatever,” he mumbled. Pursing his lips, Nico opened the door and stormed after Annabeth. He was not going to let her do this, just because she thought he had sabotaged her.

Rachel and Leo both looked up in surprise as Nico slammed Percy's door closed. With his fists clenched tightly at his sides, Nico stormed out of the office and marched over to where Annabeth was waiting at the elevators. She turned around as he approached, arching an eyebrow at him.

“Can I help you?” She asked.

“Funny,” Nico replied, his eyes as cold as ice, “considering I feel like you've been sabotaging me from the beginning.”

“Like you did the other night?”

Nico pursed his lips. “I didn't do anything. But if I'm right, then I'm glad your performance got ruined.” He exhaled, blocking her entranced to the elevator when it opened. “I don't know what I ever did-”

“That's just it, you didn't do anything.” Annabeth's lips tilted down. “You didn't have to, but Percy took you in and clung to you like some wounded lamb. I've been there for him since he got here, but Percy barely spared me a glance beyond friendship. The way he looks at all of us, it's enough to make each of us feel special. But then there's you. His smile could light up a room whenever he looks at you. He offered you something that none of us ever got, yet you turned it down. But did that change anything? No.”

“Why are you mad at me then?” Nico practically yelled. “Why do you hate me?”

“I don't!” Annabeth let out a long breath. “I like you, okay? But I always thought that if anyone would have a chance with Percy, it would be me. You didn't even have to try, yet he became smitten with you. But did he even realize it? No, of course not. Like I said, Percy sucks at realizing feelings.”

Nico's shoulders slumped. “Then why did you try to ruin my chances with him? What did I do?”

“You trusted me,” Annabeth whispered. Her gray eyes hardened as they focused back on Nico. “That's what made it easy.” The blonde scoffed at him. “You practically jumped when I offered my help, even though Apollo had just scorned you.” She pushed past the stunned Lost Boy. “You'll stay here, because Percy will realize it's what is for the best. Once that is taken care of, I can convince Percy to let Octavian run the hotel. That's the thing about being there for Percy the longest, he trusts me. And maybe when he settles in with his new life, maybe then he will figure out that I do have feelings for him.”

Nico put his hand in the doorway of the elevator, preventing it from closing. “That's really fucked up.” Nico's jaw tightened.

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, welcome to my world.”

“I've never done anything to you,” Nico practically whispered, a small pain growing in his chest. He didn't understand why she wanted to hurt him so much.

“I know.” Annabeth studied him a moment before she continued. “I'm sorry, but it's for the best. You'll thank me one day. You don't have what it takes to be by Percy's side at the top, Nico.” As if putting her mask back on, the blonde smiled at him. “Maybe we can be friends after it is over.”

Nico just glared at her as the elevator closed. He seriously doubted that. She was not going to win. Over his dead body. Nico took in a deep breath before pushing the button to summon another elevator. Why did this have to happen now? Things were supposed to wrap up, not spark out of control. Nico had been so close to the end, but then Annabeth had to come along and ruin it. No, not right now. She had been doing this for some time now. Nico had just been too blind to see it.

When the elevator arrived at his floor, Nico found Hazel and Octavian standing there, waiting. The Lost Girl's eyes widened a little at the sight of him. He must have looked pretty torn up, because Hazel wasted no time in wrapping him in a hug. “Nico, what's wrong?” She asked.

“Great, more tears,” Octavian muttered, which earned him a scowl from Hazel.

Nico let out a sigh. “I'm too trusting,” he muttered. “It makes me too blind, and then I just get hurt.”

“Nico, no.” Hazel squeezed him tighter. “That's one of your best qualities. Even after being here for so long, you still carry an optimistic outlook on things. You see the good in people. That is what keeps you even just a little innocent, and it's a great feature. It's refreshing, believe me.” She gave him a warm smile. “It's also what Percy admired about you, don't forget that. Even with the world crashing down on top of you, you still look at people and see the good in them. I think that's really awesome.”

Nico looked up from behind his dark bangs at the blond Lost Boy. Octavian arched an eyebrow at him. Nico frowned. “I need to talk to you.”

“Do you?” Octavian shrugged. He rolled his eyes at the dark look Nico gave him. “Fine.” He grabbed Nico's arm, pulling him away from Hazel. “Let's go talk then.”

“But we were going to eat,” Hazel pointed out.

Octavian was already opening his suite. “I'll catch up to you.” With that, he tossed Nico inside and shut them both inside. Turning on the lights, Octavian regarded the other Lost Boy. “What?”

“You know what I want to talk about.” Nico took a few steps to his right, his eyes drifting around the room. “You messed with Annabeth's makeup.”

“Oh no, you caught me,” Octavian said dully, rolling his eyes. “It's not like you were going to see her for what she is any other way.”

Nico let out a sigh, looking down at his feet. “What is her problem anyways?”

Octavian inspected his nails. “Sorry, I'd rather not get into it.” He quirked a fine eyebrow at Nico. “And I would exactly go up to Annabeth and ask her yourself.” The blond rubbed his neck. “Talk to Luke while you are visiting Germany, perhaps he will tell you.”

Nico slowly nodded. “So, what, you've been helping me this whole time? I didn't think you liked me.”

“I have neutral feelings about you,” Octavian corrected him. The blond crossed his arms, keeping his cold eyes on Nico. “Besides, it wasn't my idea. Luke was the one that asked me to help you out. He was the one that wanted me to give you lessons, it wasn't my idea.” The Lost Boy placed a hand on his chest. “I thought it was a little amusing to watch you stumble around with Annabeth's advice, not realizing that she was setting you up.” He finally let out a sigh. “But even I had to admit that she would have crushed you to a pulp without any help. Besides, I always do enjoy a not-so-friendly competition with our girl genius.”

Nico frowned a little, unwilling to meet the blond's gaze. “Why are you so bothered about my friendship with your brother?”

For a moment, Nico thought he had asked the wrong question. The blond's gaze was like a sharp piece of ice, threatening to impale Nico through the chest. But then, right before Nico thought he was going to snap, Octavian let out a sigh. He ran a hand through his silky hair and scrunched his lips. “Because of what he calls you,” the blond said softly. Nico quirked a brow. “How many times has he even called you by your real name?”

Nico blinked. Had Luke ever referred to him by his real name? In all honesty, Nico couldn't recall a single time. “Um-”

“Exactly.” Octavian chewed lightly on his lip. “He used to call me those same names, you know. I used to be the twerp. He used to come home from school, ruffle my hair, and call me names like that.” The blond Lost Boy pursed his lips. “He only called me by name if I was in trouble or he was being sentimental. So, yeah, it kind of stung when I heard him calling you those names all the time.”

Nico just stood there, pursing his lips. He had never considered Luke calling him those things to be anything special, Nico usually got annoyed by the fact that Luke called him all of those names. Perhaps it all made just a little bit more sense now. “I didn't know,” he finally whispered.

Octavian shrugged. “I know.” He let out a sigh. “Stop worrying about what other people think, Nico, or stepping on toes.” Those blue eyes fixed him with such a stare that Nico found it hard to move. “If you don't stop, you'll never stand on equal ground with Annabeth. She might be right about what she said to you, but so is Hazel. Stop beating yourself up because you're trying to get along with everyone. Annabeth is going to be out for blood.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Do you want to screw up what is coming to you? I was just helping you see all of this.”

“Fantastic job,” Nico muttered. “You drove Annabeth into Percy's bed.”

“Can't win every battle.” Octavian blinked a few times. “If he is yours at the end of the day, that should be all that matters. Besides, it's only a few more months. Focus on the Annabeth situation, not about Percy doing his job.”

Eight days later, Nico found himself waiting in line at a movie theater with Clarisse, Chris, Will, Thalia, and Zoë. Clarisse and Thalia had picked out the movie. It was a hardcore action movie, no surprise there. Will had objected about all the violence, but the two girls quickly shut him down. And now said girls were trying to raid the concessions stand.

Nico arched an eyebrow at Will, who was slightly pouting beside him. Without saying anything, Nico held out his box of candy. “Thanks,” Will grumbled as he took some.

As it turned out, Thalia convinced Clarisse to make Chris carry the snacks they had acquired. Zoë seemed like she didn't really want to be there, though the girl never said anything. A day away from the hotel was always good, regardless of what they did.

Once they were in the theater, Nico sat down next to Will, who offered the brown-eyed boy some of his popcorn. Nico smiled and took a handful.

The movie wasn't that bad, not particularly Nico's taste, but it wasn't bad. It wasn't really hard to keep up with either. Clarisse seemed to be enjoying it. Nico also noticed that Chris put his arm around the Lost Girl halfway through the movie. Will had to keep telling Thalia to be quiet, because the girl was persisting that Zoë try some of her chocolate covered raisins.

“Just tell her to try some,” Thalia argued.

“They sound disgusting,” the other Lost Girl countered.

Will rolled his eyes and put a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Nico, who was still trying to watch the movie, reached over without paying attention. Their hands brushed for a moment. Nico blinked and looked over; Will just smiled sheepishly at him. The corners of Nico's lips tilted up. Will was pretty adorable at times, he could admit that.

It made him a little sad, because he didn't think Will needed to be at the hotel. True, Nico probably shouldn't be there either, but there were moments that Will just reminded him of a child. In a good and endearing way, not an immature way.

Nico wanted him to be happy, even if he couldn't give it to him.

Twenty minutes later resulted in an outburst from Clarisse. “What the fuck?” She was quickly shushed by several other people watching the movie. “You shut up!”

As it turned out, the end of the movie concluded with a sappy romance subplot. Clarisse hated it, apparently. Thalia just sat there and cackled, though Zoë quickly shoved some popcorn into the girl's mouth to shut her up.

Will finally seemed to be enjoying the movie. The blond just kept stuffing popcorn into his mouth, sitting on the edge of his seat as he watched the female lead untie some guy that she had liked for some time now. Nico just smirked at the other Lost Boy. “Enjoying it now?”

“Yeah, Mitch,” Will replied before stuffing more popcorn into his mouth.

Nico blinked in surprise. Will didn't even seem to catch himself. Had he just referred to Nico by Mitchell's name? It finally hit Nico what was bothering him about their whole situation. Was Will just trying to fill the void that Mitchell had left? Was Nico just some compensation? Did the blond even realize any of this?

Silently mulling this over, Nico sipped at his drink.

As the credits began to play, their group got up. Clarisse grumbled as she exited, while Chris tried to calm her down. Thalia slung an arm around Zoë, who quickly knocked it off her shoulder. When Nico didn't get up, Will turned and blinked at him.

“You okay there?”

Nico's eyes widened. “What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine.” He smiled for a brief moment as he got up. “Just taking in the movie.”

Nico chewed on his lip as they walked out of the movie theater. Maybe it was just a slip. Those happened, right? Still, why did this bother Nico anyways? He was going to move to Germany with Percy, so why did it bother him? Perhaps some part of Nico seriously had considered what things would have been like with Will. And Jason. Nico's life was not simple, okay?

At dinner, Nico ran into Leo at the hotel restaurant. Originally, Nico had been planning on getting something and taking it up to his room, but the short Latino seemed rather distracted as he poked at his food. So, Nico just calmly sat down across from Leo.

Leo glanced up with a depressed look. “Yo,” he mumbled.

“You seem awfully down for someone about to have their boss go away for an entire week.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Just sad that you'll be missing my awesome party.” He swirled his straw around in his drink. “Meanwhile, you will be relaxing by a massive pool and basking in some needed sun.”

Nico let out a chuckle. “If I wanted to freeze.”

“You only live once.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Please, do not use that phrase. I'm about ready to strangle half the kids at school because they decided to start using it.” A waiter came by and took Nico's order. After the young man had walked off, Nico turned back to the Latino Lost Boy with a serious look. “Now, really, what's bothering you?”

Leo just sat there, staring innocently down at his food. “Nothing in particular.”

“You're such a liar.” Nico rolled his eyes. “Does this have anything to do with Apollo?” Leo was about to open his mouth, but Nico cut him off. “You got irritated that one night that Apollo willingly went to the backrooms with Robert, so I can only assume it has to do with Mr. Sunshine.”

“He is rather cheerful, even in the morning.” Leo just shook his head with a sigh. “Rather annoying. Who could possibly like that?”

Nico narrowed his gaze. “You have the exact same energetic level, though you just have a tendency to make horrible jokes.”

Leo clutched his chest, slumping down in his chair like he was dying. “You wound me, Nico.”

The pale Lost Boy let out a sigh. “Yeah, he's used that line as well.” He arched an eyebrow. “Why don't you just talk to him?”

“There's nothing to talk about.”

“Liar,” Nico mumbled. “I saw you two getting along back when you were having him help you sort out that paperwork. Personally, I think he's beating himself up too much about the entire situation between you two to bring it up.” Nico scrunched his lips. “The hotel should be a little calm while we're gone, right? Primarily just regular families?” Leo gave a small nod. “So, use the down time to talk to him.”

Leo frowned, his eyes blazing. “Why should I even care?”

“Because, Robert is trying to take Apollo away from here and make him his 'mistress'. He was going through a rough time back then, but we both know that he's a sweetheart deep down.” Nico ran a hand through his hair. “Just try. If you don't, it might be too late.”

Leo did not comment further. Nico's food arrived soon after that, and Leo blatantly changed the topic. He made sure to remind Nico to pick him up a souvenir from Germany.

Today was the day. The weeks had flown by, and now spring break was finally here. Percy had let Nico miss school today, which was perfectly fine by the Lost Boy. Both Luke and Nico had slept in until close to ten. From there, Nico finished packing and ate a quick lunch before hopping into a limo to go to the airport.

Nico was a little more than nervous. Flying seemed a mixture of terrifying and exciting. He wasn't exactly sure which was the more dominant at the moment. Still, it would be awesome to be away from the hotel for an entire week. Not only that, but he would have Percy off the clock, which Nico hoped they could be more like the couple they planned to be in the near future. Not only that, but Nico and Luke would be staying in Gaea's personal house, which was behind the hotel. Nico was excited about it, but Luke wasn't.

It had taken a while, but Nico eventually remembered that Kronos was supposed to be there. No doubt that this little fact had not slipped Luke's mind. It would be an interesting week.

Rachel had accompanied them to the airport, finalizing some details with Percy before the young man departed. Nico leaned lightly against Percy's shoulder as he ran over those details with the Lost Girl. He watched Luke out of the corner of his eyes. Luke had barely said a word, and had now taken up staring out the window.

Nico had talked to Daedalus about the trip yesterday. He had told Bianca a few weeks ago, though his sister was iffy about the entire thing. In the end, she realized there wasn't much she could do about it. She had just asked that Nico take a lot of pictures for her. She also said they needed to talk when he got back. If anything, she probably had questions about why Nico was getting to go to Germany in the first place.

He would have to tell her eventually, but Nico was trying to put it off. When he got back, then they would have the talk. Bianca needed to know that he was leaving. In all honesty, Nico had no idea what his sister was going to say. More than likely, Bianca would get upset. Nico would be leaving her to move around the world. It would probably only get worse when Nico confessed that he'd be doing the move with Percy. That would be fun to explain.

Once they were at the airport, Rachel walked them inside to say goodbye. She wiped a fake tear from her eye. Nico and Luke rolled their eyes, while Percy just smirked at her. She adjusted the strap on Nico's carry on bag. “All of you better behave yourselves,” she said in her motherly voice. “Don't get abducted and sold into human trafficking.”

Nico looked up at Percy like it was some joke, but the young man gave him a look that told him that she was being pretty serious about that part. The young man leaned in as Nico's face paled. “You'll be fine, nobody is going to touch you at Gaea's hotel.”

Rachel beamed and waved at them. “Have a safe trip.” As they turned around, she called out to them. “Make good choices!”

Luke turned around and flipped her off.

They didn't have to wait in line, though they did have to drop off their luggage. All Percy had to do was flash some ID and the three of them were cleared to go past security. Percy dropped Luke and Nico off at a waiting area before heading for the bathroom.

“Excited?” Nico asked.

Luke shot him a dull look. “Ecstatic.”

Nico's lips tilted down. “It won't be that bad. I'm sure you won't run into Kronos that much.”

“As long as I stay away from Gaea's house and Percy as much as possible.”

That put a knot in Nico's stomach. How much would he be able to see Percy? The green-eyed young man had expressed his desire for Nico to stay away from Kronos as much as possible, but Luke was probably right, Kronos would be close to Percy a lot. That sucked.

Luke slouched in his seat. “Why did you even invite me to go?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Because, you deserved something nice for your missed birthday.”

“Yay, so you got me a trip to see my least favorite person in the world.”

“A simple 'thank you' would suffice.”

Luke let out a sigh. “Oh, what poor manners I have. Thank you for having me be tortured for a week.” He leaned forward on the table. “I don't really care about any of the Lost Kids at the German branch, they get along worse than we do half the time.”

“They have a new Lost Boy, maybe you could-”

“Oh yay, another scared boy to take care of.” Luke rolled his eyes. “I don't give a shit about some prat that probably thinks he's better than most of the people around him.”

“I'm sure most of the Lost Kids there could say the same thing about you.”

“My point exactly,” Luke mumbled. “None of the European Lost Kids like us that much. We are 'stupid Americans'. The new kid can kiss my ass along with the rest of them.”

Nico huffed. “You know, it wouldn't kill you to-”

Percy dropped his carry on bag in the middle of the table. “I could hear you from halfway across the room.” His eyes darted between them. “Do I need to separate you two children?”

Luke dropped his cheek onto his palm. “Your boyfriend is getting on my nerves.”

Percy just glanced down at Nico and smiled. He ran his hands through Nico's hair before taking a seat. “Our flight will be boarding soon, so try not to kill each other until we land in Germany.” The young man pulled out his phone with a sigh. “Malcolm is picking us up.”

“Who?” Nico asked.

“Athena's secretary,” Luke mumbled.

When their flight started to board, the three of them got to go on first. They got to ride first class, something Nico never thought would happen in his life. Percy swapped tickets with him, so that Nico could sit by the window. But, judging by the slightly green complexion in Percy's face, Nico figured it was a little more than that.

Luke sat down on the other side of Percy, putting in some headphones. Nico frowned at the blond as Percy finished storing their carry on luggage. “How do you even know German anyways?” The brown-eyed boy asked.

Luke grunted as he pulled out one of his earbuds. “Because, I had a smart brother growing up, who thought it was a great idea to learn every language before starting his freshman year at high school.” Luke gave a shrug. “But also because I travel with Percy during the meetings.”

Percy gave Nico a smile as he sat down in between them. “Ready?”

“I suppose,” Nico replied.

The green-eyed manager pulled out his tablet and opened up one of his game apps. “Try to get some sleep on the flight. It'll be morning by the time we arrive, so try to go to sleep.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “When would be a good time.”

Percy smiled and rubbed the back of Nico's hand with his thumb. “I'll let you know.”

The most nerve wracking thing, Nico found out, was the liftoff. Nico had clenched his seat severely. Though, he felt much better after he looked over at Percy and found the young man with his eyes shut. Nico smiled at the young man when those sea-green eyes finally did open.

“Bad experiences with flying,” Percy explained. He let out a breath. “I'll be fine when we settle in the air.”

Nico wasn't particularly fond of heights himself, but even he was amazed by what he saw out the window. Once they were in the air, Nico couldn't look away from the view for over half an hour. It was so beautiful, yet terrifying.

However, Nico couldn't help but feel a little sad. He would only be gone a week, but somehow this felt like his real goodbye. Nico would have to say goodbye to not only his sister, but the people he had called a family for the past several months. All he would have would be Percy. It was enough, but it didn't make any of it less depressing. He would miss everyone. Sure, they could see each other, but it wouldn't be the same. Nothing would ever be the same once June arrived and he graduated.

Nico finally tore his eyes away to glance at Percy. He bit down on his lip as a thought popped into his head. Unless...

Children of Loss 47

Chapter 47

The next morning, Nico woke up like he normally did—on his side, curled up. The only difference was that he was not in his bed. The boy let out a groan as he heard Percy's voice, which seemed to come in and out, like the young man was moving around in the rest of the suite. Well, at least until the door was flung open.

“Yes, I'll make sure he goes to see a doctor. No, we don't need him getting the other kids infected.”

Nico's brow furrowed as he opened his eyes. This proved to be a mistake, as Percy flung open the curtains at this exact moment. Nico let out a groan, shielding his eyes. Percy smirked and held the phone closer to the bed.

“He does sound horrible.” Percy smirked as Nico glared at him. “Okay, thank you. I'll have him back in school on Monday.”

As Percy hung up the phone, Nico sat up, letting the sheets fall from his torso. “What was that about?” He asked, rubbing at his eyes.

“Your school,” was Percy's response. The manager sat down on the edge of the bed, which was fine by Nico, because Percy was only wearing his boxers. “You slept in, so I called in sick for you.”

Nico scratched his head. “I did? Why didn't you wake me up?”

“I was sleeping, too.” Percy winked and stuck out his tongue. Nico rolled his eyes. “Anyways, you're fine. Jason will let you know if your teachers have any assignments for you.”

Nico let out a grunt, rubbing the back of his neck. Last night seemed more like a dream to him. If not for the fact that Nico was still in Percy's room and still in his underwear, Nico might have a hard time believing it. His head hurt a little, but that could have been from the small amount of alcohol Percy allowed him to have. The young man didn't comment on it, just seemed surprised that Nico wanted some. However, Percy did cut Nico off when the giggling started.

Nico crawled onto his knees and moved to sit behind Percy, draping his arms around the young man. Percy reached up with a smile, squeezing the boy's hand. Nothing really happened last night, though. Well, that was partially true. Percy had succeeded in getting Nico out of most of his clothes, and even got the boy off by fingering him. But that was pretty much the extent of it. They had both been tired and it had been a long night, so sex was put to the side.

While Nico was in his own thoughts, Percy turned around and lowered them onto the bed. Nico blinked in surprise. The Lost Boy scooted up to rest his back against the headboard, while Percy decided to use Nico's lap as a pillow.

“Thanks for letting me sleep up here,” Nico mumbled.

Percy had his eyes closed. Nico might have thought he had fallen asleep, if not for the small smile that appeared after hearing Nico's words. “You don't have to thank me.” With a sigh, green eyes blinked opened and focused on the brown orbs above him. “Do you have any plans for spring break?”

Nico shook his head. “Not that I'm aware of. Why?”

“Well,” Percy began, “I'm supposed to go back to Germany to sign some papers for Gaea soon, and I was wondering if you wanted to go. If you do, I can move back the date until you're on break.” He smiled up at the Lost Boy. “So, do you want to go? You can keep me company, see Germany, meet some of the other Lost Kids. You will get to relax the entire time!”

Nico chuckled before he let out a groan. That actually sounded amazing. An entire week without school or work? Sign him up! “You twisted my arm.”

“Awesome!”

Nico smiled and rested his head against the headboard. He would just have to get through March, and then he could visit Germany. After that, it would only be two months until he graduated high school. He wondered if that was why Percy had chosen to take over for Gaea during the summer. Was he hoping that Nico would accept?

Unfortunately, his mind didn't allow him to remain in his euphoria for too long. An idea suddenly popped into his head, something he had been meaning to fix. He let out a breath, glancing down at the young man resting in his lap.

“Um, Percy?”

The manager blinked and tilted his head to the side. “What?”

Nico cleared his throat. “Um, I was sort of wondering if...it would be okay to bring Luke along?” He asked. Percy quirked a brow at him. “It's just that...his birthday was the day you left for Germany, and it kind of sucked. He didn't even want a celebration. I kind of felt responsible, since-”

Percy reached up and covered Nico's mouth with his hand. “That wasn't your fault, Nico.” He let out a sigh. “If you want him to come, I have no objections. I'll just have to figure out a schedule that will work with two guys gone for a week.” With another sigh, Percy sat up. “I feel like you're just asking to get a target on your back now. I already feel a little nervous with how the others will react to me taking you to Germany for spring break, not to mention the eventual move. But I suppose Luke really does deserve something.” Percy finally nodded. “All right, you can ask him.”

Nico got onto his knees with a smile. He wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. The green-eyed manager rolled his eyes before leaning down to kiss the corner of Nico's mouth. It was short, far shorter than Nico would have liked, but he would take it. Still smiling, Nico jumped off the bed. He couldn't wait to tell Luke the good news.

A second later, Percy moved to his closet. Nico followed after him, leaning against the door frame. “So, since I have the day off, what am I supposed to do?”

Percy now had a shirt in his hands. He arched a brow at Nico, throwing it over his head. “Um, I imagine whatever you want to do. You're welcome to stay here and sleep some more. There's the pool, the spa, the arcade, you can get a taxi and go shopping; you know, for starters.” He let out a small chuckle as he grabbed a pair of pants. “You can go find something to do in your room, or you can even come by my office. Doesn't really matter to me. Catch up on homework, if you need to.” He ruffled Nico's hair on the way out of the closet. “Enjoy your day.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “You could spend it with me.”

“I can't,” Percy sighed. He grabbed the boy's chin when Nico frowned. “I have to work, okay?”

Nico slowly nodded. Percy smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. Before he could leave, though, Nico stopped him. “Wait,” the Lost Boy said. Percy turned around. “Can I ask something?”

“Of course.”

Letting out a breath, Nico looked up at the manager. “I was just curious...about Dionysus.” Percy made a face at that. Nico chewed on his lip for a second before proceeding. “He claimed that he should have been manager, but some of the others said that Gaea didn't want him to be the manager. What happened exactly? And why do you even still keep him around?”

Percy let out a sigh. He stepped back into the room and sat down on the edge of his bed, dragging Nico into his lap. “I didn't choose to be manager in the first place, Gaea wanted me to do it. I was surprised, but she had faith in me.” He brushed some of Nico's hair out of his eyes. “As you know, Dionysus used to be a Lost Boy. He looked a lot different back then.” Percy smirked a little. “Actually, he was about your size, just a bit taller. But that was several years ago now.”

“So, what happened?”

“Well, Dionysus originally wanted to leave,” Percy explained. “I mean, it comes up sometimes with the Lost Kids. Managers tend to have different opinions over it all, but my predecessor was pretty fine with the idea. The problem was nobody ever left.” The young man gave a shrug. “As you've seen, the hotel has a way of getting to the Lost Kids. For Dionysus, he turned to alcohol and gambling to try and fix his problems. That was fine, until the drugs came into the picture. Dionysus thought we could have a good business market on it, but he made the mistake of getting addicted to the merchandise.

“Well, during this addiction, he started selling some of the drugs behind Gaea's back. So, basically, Gaea saw no profit from it. Half of it was being consumed by Dionysus, and the profit from the other half was being used to fuel Dionysus's addiction.” Percy rubbed the back of Nico's hand. “As it tends to go, Gaea found out about it. As you might imagine, she wasn't happy. However, she let him stay on as a bartender, so long as he got cleaned up. And you pretty much know the rest of the story. Dionysus works as a bartender, selling drugs for Gaea on the side.” The young man shrugged. “Gaea wasn't going to let a drug addict run one of her branches.”

Just sadistic assholes, Nico thought to himself.

Percy ran a hand along Nico's bare leg. “Can I ask you something now?”

Nico gave a small nod. “Anything.”

The two stared at each other for a moment before Percy finally spoke. “Why do you want me anyways? I'm not good for you, yet you're so persistent.”

Nico had to frown a little at that. He figured this conversation would come back eventually. “You remember when we talked about you not being a knight in shining armor?” The boy asked. Percy nodded, running a hand through his hair. “If the armor is shiny, it hasn't seen a battle yet, it hasn't been put to the test. Put them to the test, they might fall.” Nico reached up and touched Percy's face. “But a knight that has seen action...they're someone you can rely on. Someone that can look out for you.”

Percy smiled a little, kissing Nico's palm. “I don't think you really need someone protecting you anymore.”

That made Nico smile. Perhaps it was true, but he still liked that Percy tried. It was the fact that Percy admitted that Nico didn't need someone to protect him that made the difference, it was what set him apart. Nico didn't want to feel like some damsel that needed rescuing, but it was still nice when the guy occasionally tried.

“I think,” Nico continued, “that you at least try to do what's best for me.”

Percy groaned and let his head fall onto Nico's shoulder. “The best thing I could do for you is to have you leave. It's what I should have done a long time ago.”

“Do you really mean that?” In truth, what Percy had just said stung. A lot.

Percy looked at him, a pained look in his eye. “You would have been better off. However, I find it hard to let you go anymore.” He brushed at Nico's hair. “I wanted to look out for you, it's why I just had you work the bar. I didn't think the rest of this would happen.”

Nico slowly nodded, not really meeting Percy's gaze anymore. “Maybe,” he mumbled. “Perhaps it would have been best, but it's too late now. The hotel is my home, and the Lost Kids are my family.”

Without warning, Percy let out a laugh. Nico tilted his head to the side, giving the young man an odd look. Honestly, he didn't see what was so funny. Nico thought it was a nice sentiment.

Percy's laughter slowly died down, until only a smile remained. “You know, I'm technically your guardian.” He winked and groped Nico's ass. “How fucked up does that make our situation?”

Nico let out a small chuckle, nodding. He wrapped his arms around the young man. “I wouldn't really expect anything less from this hotel.”

As it turned out, Nico would be working the bar for the next few nights, at least until Percy got the mess with Nico's performance the previous night sorted out. Not that Nico minded, it was actually a relief. Now that he knew that he would soon be able to put all of this behind him, the boy would take all the time off of the stage that he could get.

However, Nico was surprised to see a familiar face at one of the tables. It was just a relief that she was alone. Nico slowly approached the table. “Persephone?”

The woman turned her head, her eyes widening at the realization of who said her name. “Oh, Nico, I'm glad I managed to catch you tonight.” She patted the chair beside her. Hesitantly, Nico took a seat. “I just wanted to apologize about your father. Had I known, I would have never brought him.”

Nico frowned a little. “Why did you bring him?”

“Well, to be honest, I have been seeing your father for some time now. As it turns out, your mother was in the other car of the accident my late husband was in.”

Nico already knew this, but he didn't tell Persephone that.

“I thought he could use something to take his mind off things.” The woman let out a long sigh. “I didn't tell him about the hotel's influence or the prostitution, so you don't have to worry. I just thought he could have used a night of drinks and entertainment. And since the hotel had been featuring the boys and girls together, I thought it would be a good show for both of us.”

Nico waved her off. “It's fine. I'm fine.” He managed a weak smile. “No harm done.”

Persephone ran a hand through her hair. “At least not to you.” She held up a hand at the look on Nico's face. “Your sister has no idea that you injured your father.” She leaned back in her chair, staring at the Lost Boy curiously. “I must ask, do you mind that I'm seeing your father?”

Did it? Honestly, Nico hadn't given it any thought. He disliked his father after everything that had happened, but he also knew that his father could be a decent man at times. If the man treated Persephone well, then it really didn't concern him. After all, Nico was trying to put his father out of his life.

“No,” he finally answered. The boy let out a sigh, standing to his feet again. “Just one thing. Make sure Bianca is taken care of. I haven't told her yet, but I might not be around her come the summer. I just...want to know that she will be fine. At least until she can be independent.”

Persephone stared at him curiously. “Won't be around? Are you all right, Nico?”

He let out a small chuckle, rubbing his neck. “Yes, I'm fine. Um...I'm going to be moving to Germany.” The boy bit down on his lip. “I haven't told her yet.”

The woman nodded. “How much does your sister know?”

“She knows that I strip,” Nico sighed. He pressed his lips together, glancing off to the side. “She doesn't know about the rest, or even the kind of business the hotel deals with. I'd like to keep it that way. I don't even want my father to know more than he already does.”

Persephone reached out and squeezed Nico's hand. “Well, I suppose that is for the best.” She smiled up at him for a moment before continuing. “Perhaps this will be my last time to come around here then. Your father doesn't need to know more, and I don't think he would like me coming here anyways. So, I suppose this might be the last time we see each other.”

Nico normally did not like physical contact with customers, but he actually did lean down and hug the woman. She was nice, one of the nicest clients he had ever dealt with. “Take good care of my family.”

As Nico walked off, Persephone called out to him. “Take care of yourself, Nico.”

Unfortunately, Percy seemed to have his hand full upstairs. The shift was nearly halfway over, yet the manager hadn't shown up at all. Normally, Nico might get nervous that he had done something wrong, but somehow he doubted that was the case this time. For the first time since they met, Nico felt certain that he and Percy were on good terms.

At least for now.

During his break, Nico got to enjoy some time with Juniper. He told the Lost Girl that he would be going to Germany for spring break, so she had gone into a little detail about her time over there. There were quite a few more Lost Kids at the German branch, at least from what Nico could gather. Juniper said that it had both pros and cons to it. Most of the Lost Kids weren't as close over there, but it made it harder for clients to notice each individual Lost Kid with so many there. From what Juniper said, she often had an entire week sometimes where she didn't have to have sex.

“You never really told me what happened with your family,” Nico pointed out.

“Oh.” Juniper closed her eyes with a warm smile. “I'm just trying to help them out. My family fell on some hard times a couple of years ago. Gaea offered me a way to make some money for myself and my family.”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “And now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Um,” Nico began, “why do you still do it?”

There was a very long pause from the Lost Girl, and Nico had to wonder if she had really ever given it much thought. “I just—my dad needs to find a job.”

Oh. Nico pursed his lips together. Sometimes, Juniper was too nice for her own good. The girl's father was probably taking advantage of the situation. There was no way the man couldn't have found a job after all this time, right? Still, perhaps it was best if Nico didn't mention anything. He smiled a little and nodded. “That's very kind of you.”

Nico rested his chin on his palm, staring off to the side. Was it too much to ask for to hear at least one semi-happy story from the others? Perhaps he should just have expected the worst from the start. For some reason, though, Juniper's bothered him more than some of the others. The girl was too nice to see the truth. But perhaps Nico was wrong, and he really hoped that he was. Maybe he should ask Percy about the situation.

Letting out a sigh, Nico's eyes found their way back over to the Lost Girl. “So, how did it all start?”

“It was kind of a slow process,” Juniper began. “At first, my dad lost his job. Then, slowly, my mother wasn't able to support us all. We almost ended up on the streets. I tried to find work, but didn't have much luck. Then I ran into Gaea, who offered me a job with her.” The girl looked down at her lap with a far off look. “I didn't really feel like it was even a choice, since my family was getting to a point where they were looking for food from the trash out behind restaurants.”

As the night went on, Nico found that several customers did stare at him a lot. The way they looked at him was what really bothered him, though, like he was some kind of steak on the table in front of them. Perhaps it was a good thing that Percy was keeping him down in the bar for a few nights.

Chiron ended up letting them off as the last of the customers were leaving. As Nico was about to board the elevator, he found one of the men that had been staring at him already inside. Nico's stomach sank. He sort of stood there for a moment, unwilling to get on.

He quickly checked his pockets. “Almost forgot my wallet,” he mumbled. He hadn't really forgotten it, but Nico really did not want to get on that elevator. The way the man looked at him made Nico very uncomfortable.

“That's okay,” the man's voice said from behind him. Nico stiffened when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Nico turned around with wide and panicked eyes. “You can always just come by my room.”

Nico chuckled a little. “Um, no, my wallet is just back there.”

The man's eyes roamed down Nico's body, causing the boy to shiver. The Lost Boy felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. Even though he was in the hotel and this was supposed to be his job, Nico was still afraid. The bar was supposed to be a safe place away from the sex part of the hotel. Nico gulped as he felt the man's grip tighten on his shoulder.”

Out of nowhere, a hand clamped down on the man's wrist. Nico blinked in surprise as he looked up at Beckendorf. The other Lost Boy had a scowl on his face as he stepped in between Nico and the man. “I think he'll be fine,” Beckendorf practically growled.

Nico and the customer both looked shocked at the other Lost Boy ripped Nico away and stepped into another elevator with him. Nico blinked up at the muscular young man. “Um, thanks.”

“Don't mention it, shortie.”

Nico slid his card through the slot and hit the button to their floor. “So, Beckendorf, why didn't you end up working security?”

The older Lost Boy clutched his chest. “Ouch, shortie. I know I'm not your type, but I at least like to think I'm handsome.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I didn't mean it like that, and you know it. Besides, Rachel and the others are attractive, though I don't think Clarisse would like to be told that.”

“At least not by anyone that isn't Chris,” Beckendorf joked.

“True.” Nico smiled a little. “It's just that...you don't seem scared by any of the customers, and you're rather muscular. I know it can appeal to people, but why not just work security?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Where did you learn to fight and stuff anyways?”

“The streets.” Beckendorf shrugged a little, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Not like the actual streets, like I lived there. But, I mean, more like the neighborhood I grew up. You had to be tough, or else the other kids would come and start a fight with you.” The Lost Boy rubbed some of the scuffle on his chin. “Not the best place to grow up.” As the elevator came to a stop, he smiled and squeezed Nico's shoulder. “We can talk about it another time, when I'm not ready to pass out.”

Nico nodded a little, smiling. He followed after the muscular youth, taking note of Beckendorf's stature. Almost two Nicos could fit across Beckendorf's back, how sad was that? The boy frowned down at himself, feeling very tiny.

As the two were turning to the corner to their hall, Nico heard voices. Slowly turning around, he found Luke and Annabeth in the hallway. The two looked to be in the middle of an intense conversation, neither of which looked very happy. Annabeth shook her head at something, while Luke looked flat out frustrated.

However, Nico remembered that he needed to talk to Annabeth. Perhaps it was best to break up their discussion before it turned into a fight? Pursing his lips, Nico took a few steps towards them. “Um, Annabeth?” He said quietly. The two snapped their heads in his direction. Annabeth looked surprised, Luke just looked annoyed by his presence. “Can I talk to you a moment?”

Annabeth looked between Luke and Nico for a moment before she nodded. “Sure, Nico.” Her gray eyes flickered over to where Luke stood. “I'm done talking anyways.”

Luke just rolled his eyes and bumped past Nico. The raven haired Lost Boy frowned and rubbed his shoulder. He would never understand Luke, not in a million years.

The blonde Lost Girl let out a long, heavy sigh. “What can I do for you, Nico?”

“Um,” Nico glanced over his shoulder as he heard Luke's door shut, “I just wanted to talk about that advice you gave me.” Annabeth just blinked at him. “Well, at first I thought it backfired on me, but I think it worked out.”

Annabeth actually seemed surprised, which Nico thought was a little odd. “Oh really?” She finally smiled, though it too felt strained. “That's good, I'm glad I could help.” She shifted her weight, her face losing the strain that it held. “So, what happened?”

Nico stared at her for a long while, baffled by the girl's quick change in demeanor. He shook his head. “Um, we just talked. He does actually like me back, which I'm just glad that we finally got that out in the open.” The Lost Boy rubbed the back of his neck. “He actually, sort of, offered to take me to Germany with him.”

Annabeth just blinked at him, her face blank. “And?”

Nico shifted a little. “Well, I said yes.”

“Oh.” The blonde nodded for a moment before smiling. “That's good.” She patted the boy's arm. “I'm glad things are looking up for you, Nico. I guess it is possible to get a happy ending around here.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. The two stood there for a moment, until Nico motioned over his shoulder. “Well, I think I'm going to head to bed. I just wanted to thank you for the advice. He was irritated about the performance, though.”

There was a soft chuckle from Annabeth. “Sorry about that. I guess my idea wasn't flawless.”

“Right.” Nico gave a nod. “Well, goodnight.”

Annabeth raised her hand in a small wave. “Night.”

Eight days passed in the hotel, surprisingly pretty quiet. Not completely, though. Word had seemed to spread around the hotel that Nico would be visiting Germany for his spring break, which came with mixed feelings.

Silena had been surprised, but didn't really mind—since she was committed to Beckendorf. Rachel kept giving him looks that said: I told you so. Leo and the Stolls would make lewd comments and laugh as they passed Nico in the halls. Hazel and Juniper had been very supportive and happy for him, and he tried to convince both of them that they could have something like that of their own if they tried. Even Apollo was surprisingly happy for him. Nico knew that Apollo used to have a thing for Percy, so it came as a bit of surprise. When he asked, the blond just said that at least it meant Nico could sort of get out of this life.

Then there were the not so happy ones. Will had barely spoken to Nico in the past three days, too busy sulking over the news. Drew, while not really mean, still gave Nico a hard time about it. She theorized that Nico must be really good in bed. Clarisse had started to call him the “trophy boyfriend”, though Chris assured him that she wasn't serious about it. Reyna had tried to talk him out of it, though Jason seemed to think that she was just trying to look out for Nico. It was because Percy was “dangerous”. Yeah, Nico knew this, but he wasn't afraid around Percy anymore. After the stunt with the knife, Percy just seemed less intimidating to the brown-eyed boy.

Luke had failed to comment altogether. When Nico finally broke down and asked, Luke just said that he really didn't care what Nico decided to do. Then there was Octavian and Annabeth, who probably bothered him the most. Neither of them had said anything to him about it, but it was just the looks they gave him. Honestly, Nico wasn't sure what to make of it. At most, he figured they might try bribing him to put in a good word to Percy about getting the manager position. It kind of scared Nico a little, because he wasn't sure if he could just have that conversation with Percy.

Nico had finally gotten to go back to work on the stage, after a long lecture from Percy. He had also received a harsh “do not try my patience again after getting your ass out of the fire” look from the manager before he had gone backstage. From what Leo and Rachel told Nico, Percy hadn't gotten a single comment from the other Lost Kids about the taking Nico to Germany news. It just went to show that the Lost Kids were still intimidated by the young man.

As Nico was fixing his hair in front of a mirror for his next performance, the twins popped up behind him with huge grins on their faces. Nico arched a brow at them. “Can I help you?”

“Actually,” Travis began.

Connor threw his arm around his brother. “We were wondering if we could help you.”

Nico turned around and blinked in confusion. What were they getting at now? Travis just grinned at him. “Well, you're getting all cozy with Percy now.”

“We also think we see where this is leading,” Connor said.

Travis nodded. “We figure you're roping Percy into a monogamous relationship.”

Nico's eyes flickered between the two brothers. “And?”

“So it is true?” Connor exclaimed with a wide grin. He leaned against his brother, who wrapped an arm around the younger twin's waist. “We've thought of a fun way to go out on your whole life here.”

“Since you're probably not going to be having sex with others anymore,” Travis finished for his brother.

“I'm not following,” Nico said plainly.

“A threesome!” Both twins cried at once.

Nico just blinked. “What?”

“Yeah, it'll be fun. Besides, you were wanting to try it out.” Travis pulled his brother closer. “So?”

“Pass.”

Connor pouted. “We could make it a party and include Percy.”

Nico let out a sigh, smiling a little. “Thanks, but I'll pass.” He turned back around to finish getting ready. “It's not that I'm not curious, or even that I don't want to have sex with either of you. It just sounds like a lot of work, to be honest. Pass.”

“Damn,” Travis muttered. The grin on his face failed to falter. “Well, can't blame us for trying.” Lowering his hand that was around his brother's waist, Travis squeezed Connor's ass. “Well, I guess I'll just have to have hot sex with my brother by myself.”

Nico just rolled his eyes as the two walked off. Yeah, the thought of seeing or being involved with the twins having sex did sound appealing, but a threesome sounded far too complicated for Nico's liking. Besides, he was trying to stop himself from falling over that metaphorical cliff into something he wasn't sure he would ever be able to come back from.

An hour later, Nico got to take a short break before another performance. However, there was two people blocking the door that led from the backstage to the floor. Robert practically had Apollo cornered, leaning in really close to the other blond. Apollo wouldn't look at the man, his jaw locked tight.

“What do you want from me?” Robert finally shouted.

Apollo pushed the other blond away, glaring hatefully. “To stop playing this fucking game. Either leave me alone, or leaving that fucking cow-”

“Don't call my wife a cow.”

Apollo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because you clearly care so much about her. That's why you keep coming back to see me, right?” With eyes full of rage, the blond reached forward and grabbed Robert's crotch. “We both know who really pleases you. I'm tired of your stupid game, just because you're too ashamed to come out from Narnia.”

Robert cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. “I'm fucking offering to put you up in a place of your own. I could come see you whenever I get the chance.” The blond motioned to the area around them. “You wouldn't have to work in this place anymore.”

“No thank you,” Apollo said calmly, holding his ex-boyfriend's gaze. “Make a decision, I'm tired of your bullshit.”

Robert lowered his head, clenching his fist. His other fist slammed into the wall beside Apollo's head, though the curly haired blond didn't even flinch. His eyes flickered over to Nico, though he didn't say anything. Without saying another word, Robert pushed the door open and left.

Apollo let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “You know, you have this really bad timing for walking in on people's conversations.”

Nico smirked a little. “Call it a gift.” He nodded towards the door. “What was that about? Robert trying to make you his mistress.”

“Something like that,” Apollo mumbled. He rubbed his neck, not meeting Nico's gaze. “It's not what I want, but he doesn't seem to comprehend that.”

“And if he actually left her?”

Apollo remained silent.

“What about Leo?” Nico whispered.

Apollo pursed his lips. “That is never going to be anything but complicated.”

“You were talking to him alone just the other day.”

The blond smiled a little. “Completely business.” He walked towards Nico. “And don't think I didn't see you. Though, I can't really gather how you roped Luke into it.”

Nico just smiled. He patted the blond's shoulder as they passed. “I'm sure it'll work out.” He pushed the open before turning around. “But...you might want to give Leo some more thought. At least he wouldn't treat you like that.”

When Apollo didn't say anything, Nico exited the backstage area. Now that things were working out for him and Percy, Nico wanted to believe that the same could be said for some of the others in the hotel. And Apollo was one of the main people that he would like to find happiness with someone else. The blond had been hurt a lot by guys that he liked. True, he had hurt others as well, but Nico could still see that scared boy inside the blond's eyes. When Apollo had told him a while back that he didn't think he was capable of being with someone, it just didn't sit right with Nico. The same could be said for when Luke had said it, though Nico didn't really think Luke would go for anyone at the hotel.

When Nico arrived in the bar room, he found that Dionysus was nowhere to be found. Piper sat on the couch, a mug of coffee in her hand. She leaned back against the arm, sipping at it, while watching the boy enter the room.

Opening the fridge, Nico pulled out a bottle of Gatorade. “Where's the devil?”

Piper chuckled a little. “Doing business with a client, so I suggest you enjoy your break while he's gone.”

“Noted.” Nico took a seat at the other end of the couch.

Piper took a long sip of her coffee before placing it in her lap. “So, I hear you're getting a nice vacation to Germany.” She arched a brow at him. “Something you want to share with the class?”

Nico blushed a litle. “Um, well, he asked me to go.”

“Uh-huh.” Piper chuckled a little. “Percy is supposed to be going for business, yet he only takes Lost Kids when it is to one of the meetings.”

“He thought it would be a fun spring break trip?”

Piper didn't seem convinced. “It's Jason's break as well, yet Luke is the other one going with you.”

“So, why am I the one getting the heat for it?”

Piper shrugged. “Doesn't bother me, I'm just curious.” She slumped further down. “Besides, we know that you asked Luke after Percy asked you.” She smiled at him. “Have fun.”

Nico let out a long breath. “Have you ever been?”

“To Germany?” Piper asked. Nico gave a nod. Piper let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, but it was when I was still living with my dad. Well, I should say living in the house my dad was supposed to call his home.”

“He wasn't home a lot?” Nico inquired.

“Not really.” Piper sighed and finished off her coffee. “Being an actor, my father stayed busy a lot. He tried to make it up to me by taking me on trips around the world, but that was just never my thing. The Hollywood life never really appealed to me.” She chewed on her lip for a moment before continuing. “It only got worse when he started to spend the time when he was home with a bottle of alcohol.”

Oh. Nico's eyes widened a little. That was why Piper didn't like drinking.

The Lost Girl pulled her legs up to her chest. “You know, I just wanted my father, like any other kid would. That's all I wanted. But then when the drinking started, I was happy when he wasn't at home.”

Nico frowned. “Did he hit you?”

“No.” Piper lightly shook her head. “No, not like that. It was like I wasn't even there. Even with him there, it was like I was alone. And I think that was worse than when he was gone.” The girl fiddled with the braid in her hair. “The life of the rich and famous isn't all the glamour it is made out to be.”

Nico just sat there for a moment, processing this information. “So, I'm guessing he didn't kick you out?”

Piper shook her head again. “No, he didn't.” She got up to put her mug in the sink. “Eventually, I got tired of it all. I guess I wanted some attention from my father, any kind of attention, just to know he still cared about me.” Her lips formed a thin line. “He did look for me, but not very hard. He gave up before a year had even passed.”

“Have you ever tried to get back in contact with him?” Nico whispered.

“No,” Piper replied. “But, then again, I don't think I really want to. At least here I have a family. You know, people that actually care about me and want to pay attention to me. People that don't care more about their career.”

After Piper left, Nico sat on the couch and mulled over what he had just learned. At least until Dionysus returned, then he promptly got off the couch and left before the man could think of something rude to say. He didn't really want to sound rude about Piper's past, but he would have taken a father that ignored him over one that beat him any day. It still sucked and was wrong, though.

As the night came to an end, the real eventful moment happened. Nico was getting ready to head back to his room, when the door burst open. Annabeth came out, shrieking. He had never seen the blonde so angry in his life. Not only that, but the girl's face had red blotches covering most of it. A customer came out behind her, looking unhappy.

Percy looked surprised as he got up from his booth and went over to talk to Annabeth, while Rachel intercepted the customer to talk. Apparently, Annabeth wasn't having a good night. After the performances were over, Piper had told them that Annabeth's heel had snapped during her final performance and the blonde had fallen off the stage.

Flickering his eyes back over to the blonde, Nico was surprised to find Annabeth pointing angrily at him. He blinked in surprise. Was she angry with him? What had he done? Whatever they were saying, Percy just looked back at her and shook his head. He finally sat her down at a booth near where Nico was sitting. Leo showed up, handing Percy a bag of ice.

Percy sat down beside the blonde and held the ice to her face. “This is twice in one night, Annabeth.”

The girl glared at him. “It wasn't my fault.”

Percy let out a sigh, not seeming all that amused. “It's your responsibility to check these things. You should have checked your shoes.”

“Someone tampered with my makeup!” Annabeth practically shouted. The normally calm Lost Girl seemed to have cracked, a flicker of madness briefly appearing in her eyes. Nico pitied whoever had done this to her.

Percy drummed his fingers on the table, glancing at the blonde next to him. “I'm disappointed that you let it happen. You should have kept a better eye on it. I thought you were better than this, Annabeth.” The girl sat there, frozen, as Percy got up from the booth. He let out a sigh and offered his hand to the Lost Girl. “Come on, we'll see about getting that taken care of in my room.”

Now it was Nico's turn to get upset. He was about to open his mouth, but the manager seemed to be on his game tonight. Percy's eyes darted over to him, fixing him with a glare. He was clearly not in the mood for Nico's jealousy tonight. Nico huffed and slumped down in his chair.

So, what, Percy was just going to keep doing the negotiations with the other Lost Kids? Nico had hoped that it would end, since Percy was about to get a promotion. Why couldn't they at least be secretly exclusive? The customers didn't need to know that Percy was seeing Nico just yet, but it would be nice if Nico didn't have to endure these last few months with his sort of boyfriend sleeping with the other Lost Kids.

As they passed, Nico froze. Annabeth's gray eyes pierced him like a dagger. As she passed, Nico got the most hateful look from the Lost Girl. But beyond that was what really bothered the raven haired boy. It was like her mask had cracked and Nico finally got a glimpse at the Annabeth beneath the mask. There was a crazed spark in her eyes as she looped her arm through Percy's and walked away.

Nico sat there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Then it hit him.

Percy. The person that Annabeth liked was Percy. It was like the floor had been swept out from under him. Had she been trying to sabotage him? How could he have not seen it? He didn't even want to believe it!

Slowly getting to his feet, Nico looked up to meet Octavian's gaze. Right before the blond walked down the stairs, he gave Nico a small nod. It seemed like Nico wasn't quite finished falling down the rabbit hole just yet.