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.