Children of Loss 50

Chapter 50

It was clear that there were some very enjoyable perks to waking up in Percy's bedroom for the rest of his life, as Nico quickly discovered upon opening his eyes the next morning. He cracked an eye open at the sound of the bathroom door opening, just in time to see Percy's nude form enter the room. The young man had a towel over his head, casually drying off his hair. He walked over to his closet and stepped inside, which still gave the boy in bed a perfect view of Percy's very nice butt.

When Percy emerged from the closet with a fresh change of clothes in his arms and the towel around his waist, he smiled over at Nico. “Are you staring at me, Nico di Angelo?” The green-eyed young man asked slyly, grinning.

Nico rolled his eyes and tossed over onto his stomach, crossing his arms under his head. Percy's bed was extremely comfortable, and Nico really did not want to leave its warm embrace. Not to mention the silk sheets felt amazing on his bare body. He had tried to go to sleep with some clothes on, but Percy had quickly done away with them. They didn't have sex, Percy just had a habit of groping Nico's ass during the night and in the morning. Apparently, clothes just got in the way, not that Nico objected.

Percy leaned over the bed and kissed Nico on his forehead. Nico hummed and rolled onto his back, which drew a smile from Percy's lips as the covers fell around Nico's waist. “How long have you been awake?”

The green-eyed young man shrugged. “Not long,” Percy replied. “You looked peaceful, so I thought I'd let you sleep.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “That was so sappy.”

In return, Percy grinned and winked down at Nico. He sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped into a pair of boxers. “You should get up and shower, breakfast will be served soon.”

With a groan, Nico pushed himself up. “Yeah, okay,” the Lost Boy grumbled.

Before Nico could get too far, Percy grabbed the boy's wrist. “Kronos should be here by now.” There was a serious look in those sea-green eyes as he stared into Nico's brown orbs. “Don't forget what I said.”

“I know,” Nico whispered.

He wasn't allowed to be alone with Kronos. It was not like he could forget such a request, nor did Nico want to really be alone with Kronos. The guy made his skin crawl. Percy released his wrist and Nico stumbled his way into the bathroom, his legs still slightly asleep.

After his shower, Nico felt amazing. Percy's shower was a unique design. It was primarily a full body shower, but the shower head above him could be adjusted to be more like a small waterfall or rain. Needless to say, it was relaxing. Nico would definitely be getting Percy in on one of his showers before they left Germany.

When he exited the bathroom, Nico found the room empty. As he got dressed, Nico stared out the window, which had a nice view of the woods and garden behind Gaea's mansion. For a while, though, Nico just remained on the bed, not wanting to go downstairs. It was far too soon, in his opinion, to see Kronos again.

Nico slowly made his way out of Percy's room and down the hall, until he got to the stairs. Taking in a deep breath, the Lost Boy made his way downstairs. Once downstairs, he followed the sound of voices from the back wing of the house.

The kitchen was very intricate. The counters were made of white marble, with a wispy gray pattern across it. The faucet over the sink looked to be touch activated, while all the cabinets were made of glass, so that people would always know what was inside. The refrigerator was made of metal and had three compartments, while there were two ovens nearby. The ceiling also caught Nico's attention, partly made of brick and curving upwards into an arch. Then there was a small door that led onto a patio.

Near the patio door was a booth shaped like the letter 'C', which was covered in food. It was also filled with the occupants of the house. Gaea sat in the very center, currently buttering her toast. Luke sat on her left, a cup of coffee in his hand. However, he did not look so happy. Which was probably due to the person directly across from him.

Kronos looked amused as he stared back at Luke and cut up a pancake on his plate. Much like Percy since their arrival, Kronos dressed more casual. It didn't make him any more pleasing to see. Percy sat beside him, currently busy shoveling food onto his plate. He looked up when he noticed Nico standing there, smiling fondly at the Lost Boy.

Unfortunately, Kronos also took notice of him. “Well, well, looks like someone finally decided to join us.” His eyes flashed dangerously at Nico. “Didn't feel like being on time for breakfast?”

Percy elbowed the young man next to him. “I let him sleep in, so be nice.”

“If that's even possible for him,” Luke mumbled.

Percy picked up a piece of bacon and stuffed it into his mouth. “Can we just eat in peace?” He let out a sigh and motioned for Nico to sit down next to Luke. “Get as much as you want.”

Nico quietly obeyed, sitting down and picking up the empty plate in front of him. It all looked good, so Nico added a bit of everything. He slowly chewed his food, partially savoring it and partially because Kronos's words just hit him. Were they expected to eat meals together on a regular basis while they were here? That would be great, if not for the obvious problem to that situation.

As Gaea poured some cream into her coffee, the woman's eyes shifted over to where the pale Lost Boy sat. “Nico, dear, I was wondering if Percy had you bring anything nice to wear?”

Nico just blinked for a moment. “Um, how nice exactly?” His eyes shifted from Percy to Gaea, and then back again. “Are we doing something?”

“I was going to have one of the Lost Kids here take him to get something later today,” Percy replied. He smiled over at Nico. “On me. It will, however, need to be a suit.”

Nico made a face. “Like black jacket and dress pants?”

Kronos rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Why is he going again?”

Ignoring him, Percy smiled across the table. “We're going to be going to dinner tonight, so you need to look nice.” His eyes widened momentarily. “Not that you don't always look nice.”

A smile touched at Gaea's lips as she sipped at her coffee. “Dinner will be on me, dear.”

“Oh, okay,” was all Nico could get out. He didn't really know what to say. This was all new to him, perhaps a bit strange. He blinked and then turned to Luke. “Did you pack anything?”

“Not going,” Luke grumbled as he took a bite of sausage. “Nor do I really have a desire to go.”

Normally, Nico would think that Luke was just trying to act tough, but something in the blond's eyes said otherwise. Nico suddenly didn't feel so good about this dinner. His forehead scrunched a little as he took a bite of his pancakes. He really did not like dressing up to such a degree.

After breakfast, Percy had Luke escort Nico up to the one of the floors designated to the Lost Kids. Apparently, they were to seek out Eros, who was about to start university in the fall for fashion design. Percy seemed to trust the French Lost Boy to be able to find something suitable for Nico to wear, so Nico did not object. However, Percy would not be joining them, as he had some other business to take care of around the hotel.

Miraculously, Luke did not seem to mind going with Nico to go get fitted for a tux. “More than likely, any store that we go to will serve us wine,” the blond had explained.

Percy had given them a card to get them onto the floor, so Luke swiped it upon arriving at the elevator. They had passed a few of the German Lost Kids in the lobby, and, well, it had not been the most pleasant thing. It was two girls, and they both gave Nico disapproving looks. It only got worse when Luke tried to ask for Eros's room number. Later, when Nico asked, Luke said they had basically told him to fuck off in German. Definitely not as friendly as the Lost Kids back home. And that was saying something, considering how welcoming they had been when Nico first arrived at the hotel.

Fortunately, they ran into Favonius as the Lost Boy was leaving his room. His lips tilted up when he found Luke and Nico looking around in the hallway. “Lost?” He grinned.

Luke rolled his eyes. “I'm supposed to find Eros. Percy wants him to help this brat with dressing up for dinner tonight.” Luke shoved Nico forward, which caused the very tall Lost Boy to look down at him with a smile.

“Ah, so you're Percy's squeeze.” A slight hint of Italian layered the young man's voice, though nowhere near as thick as some of Nico's family. He nodded his head at the suite he just came out of. “As fortune would have it, Eros is my roommate. I believe he's still in bed, though.” Favonius pulled out his keycard and opened up his suite for them, motioning inside.

The suites here were a bit bigger than the ones back home, and this suite was definitely decorated better than Nico's was. The kitchen was sectioned off into its own room, though there wasn't any door between it and the living room area. There was also enough room for a small dining table. Not only that, but they had a small balcony. Back home, only Percy's suite had a balcony.

Favonius banged on the wall in the hallway. “Eros, come and get your ass out here, there's company for you.”

Nico's eyebrows shot up when something hit the floor, which was followed by, what Nico could only assume was, loud French cursing. “Je suis occupé!”

A second later, the door swung open. Eros emerged from his bedroom, his hair heavily disheveled and an annoyed look on his face. The boy lowered a loose shirt over his torso. Aside from that, the only thing that covered him was a very small pair of black briefs. From behind him came Cecil, who was a little less dressed than Eros was, only clad in some old boxers.

Eros did not seem to be that bothered by the fact that Luke and Nico were both staring between him and Cecil. The French boy's annoyed expression slowly faded away. “Ah, Nico!” His sly grin spread across his lip. “What can I do for you, mon chéri?”

Nico felt his face heat up. It was just a language, there was no reason to get flustered. And it wasn't like Nico even felt anything for the French boy, but that accent was very pleasing to listen to. “Um, I need to get something to wear for dinner tonight.”

Visible excitement appeared in those green eyes. “And he asked me to dress you?” The brunet bit down on his lip seductively. “Ça va être amusant.”

Luke just blinked at Cecil. “Were we interrupting something?”

“Nope,” Cecil quickly replied. He grinned mischievously back at the blond.

Eros ran a hand through his wavy hair. “You are welcome to join us.” Green eyes raked across Luke's body. “It would be my pleasure.”

Luke's brow furrowed. “Can we just get going?”

“Dommage.” The French brunet let out a sigh. “I will have need of a shower and to change my clothes.” He wrinkled his nose as he turned to go back to his room.

Favonius shrugged and opened the door to the suite. “Well, I suppose I must take my leave as well.” He nodded his head. “Enjoy your day.”

Luke let out a grunt. Once the door was closed, he turned his attention back to Cecil, who stood there awkwardly in his underwear. “I take it you had a good night.”

Cecil shrugged. “Pretty good. How about yourself?” The brunet chuckled and put his hands on his hips. “We were talking last night, and I ended up falling asleep here.”

“Uh-huh.” Luke arched an eyebrow. “I thought you only really went for blonds?”

A grin spread across Cecil's face. “Aw, don't be so jealous, Luke. Your last visit was quite enjoyable.” With a wink, the Lost Boy brushed past Luke and Nico. “However, you will have to excuse me, I need to get dressed. Lou and I have the day off, so we might join you.”

Luke gave a nod as the brunet slipped out the door. With a sigh, he sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. Nico slowly made his way over, sitting down a couple of inches from the blond. A moment later, the door opened down the hall before another door closed, which most likely meant Eros was now in the bathroom. This was confirmed when the water turned on not long afterwards.

For a moment, the room was quiet. Nico just looked around, until he decided to address the blond beside him. “So, did you and Cecil have a thing?”

Luke rolled his head to the side and gave Nico an irritated look. “No, we didn't. Cecil and I have hooked up before, but that's about it.” He shrugged. “I was just surprised, because he usually just prefers blonds, aside from customers, of course. He reminds me too much of myself when I was younger for me to ever have an interest in. Besides, I don't date, remember?”

“And Lost Kids get time off here?”

“We do back home, don't we?” The blond countered.

Nico shrugged. “Just for a few hours, and usually just on weekends.”

Luke let out a sigh and placed his hands behind his head. “It's a bit different here, since they have a lot more Lost Kids. They are given a full day off every week, around three or four at a time.” Blue eyes wandered up to the ceiling. “I suppose that's something I wish we could do, but I prefer having closer bonds with the Lost Kids at our hotel. I wouldn't be surprised if they were to go out later tonight.”

“Could we go?” Nico asked.

“You'd have to take that up with Percy, kid.”

It took about ten minutes, but Eros finally emerged from the bathroom. However, he surprised them by coming into the living room in only a pair of dark blue briefs that hugged his front rather well. Both Lost Boys on the couch just kind of stared at the brunet, not really saying anything. Eros glanced down at himself, water dripping off his body.

“They look good?” Eros asked after a moment. He turned slightly, revealing the lack of a back on his underwear.

Nico had seen the brunet's ass last night, but it had been rather dark. Now it was in clear view, and it definitely had the ability to catch someone's attention. Nico felt his jaw drop a little. Luke blinked several times, now sitting at attention on the couch.

“Holy shit,” Luke hissed, which Nico barely managed to catch.

Eros grinned wickedly. “I imagine that they are good.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Arrogant little ass.”

The brunet blinked in confusion. He glanced around at his butt. “You don't like my ass?”

Quickly shaking his head, Luke stood up. “Why are we talking about your ass?”

Grinning, Eros placed a hand on his hip. “You are most welcomed to stare at my ass, beau gosse.”

A deep growl came from Luke's throat. “What does that even mean?”

Instead of answering, Eros clapped his hands with a smile. “Shall we go?”

Nico pointed down at the brunet's lower half. “I think you need to finish getting ready.”

Eros's eyes flickered down. His head tilted to the side and he smiled innocently. “Silly me, I suppose you are right.” He held up a finger as he headed for his room. “Une seconde.”

As the two were quick to learn, it took Eros a while to get dressed. According to the French boy, the clothes that he originally picked out were no longer to his liking, so he had to pick out something else. When he finally emerged twenty minutes later, the brunet was clad in a gray turtleneck and a pair of black skinny jeans.

They ended up meeting up with Cecil and Lou in the parking area. Lou offered to drive them into Berlin, which had them piled into a rather small car. Nico remained quiet through most of the ride, too busy staring out his window. No matter how long he lived here in the future, he wasn't sure that he would ever get used to how beautiful the countryside was in Germany. He would definitely be taking Percy up on that offer to tour Europe.

He asked if they could tour the city a bit while they were out, but Luke pointed out that they didn't have time. “Percy will probably take you on a tour later,” the blond grumbled when Nico pouted. Though, his attention was soon diverted when he had to swat Eros's hand off of his leg. The brunet just grinned sheepishly and winked. “I'm starting to have a distaste for the French,” Luke muttered as he crossed his arms.

They ended up parking outside of a stone building with a lot of windows. There was one word above the doors, and luckily Nico could read it.

Boss.

Instead of looking around downstairs, though, the group was ushered upstairs. Nico felt a little uncomfortable as he was pushed into an area that almost resembled a lounge. Luke quickly sat down in a black leather chair and popped open a bottle of wine that had been placed in a bucket of ice. There was a changing area in the room, which was sectioned off with a curtain. There were mirrors practically everywhere, and soft music played in the background. It was easy to say that Nico felt out of place.

A rack of suits was rolled into the room. A young woman that probably worked there talked quietly with Eros, who slowly poked through the selection that had been brought up. Whatever they said, Eros pointed over to where Nico stood. The girl nodded and took her leave, leaving the five of them alone in the dressing area.

Eros snapped his fingers, his back to Nico while he looked through the suits. “Nico, come.” The brunet made a foul face at some of the selections. “We should choose the dark colors. Black and gray go good on you.” He turned to Nico, blinking. “Do you agree?”

“Um, yeah,” Nico managed to get out, several suits now being shoved into his arms. He glanced over his shoulder at Luke as Eros shoved him behind the curtain. Luke just raised a glass of wine at him and took a drink.

When Nico emerged in the first suit, Eros wrinkled his nose. “Non, pas comme ça! Les Américains ne savent-il pas comment porter des costumes?” He quickly moved forward and tried to adjust the jacket on Nico. There was a lot of murmuring while he fidgeted about Nico, though the pale Lost Boy was unable to catch any of it. Finally, Eros let out a sigh. “You need more confidence, Nico.” He grabbed Nico by the chin and directed his face towards the others. “He is adorable, no?”

Cecil and Lou nodded with smiles. “He's something,” Luke grumbled.

Eros narrowed his eyes at the blond. With a huff, he held out a hand in Luke's direction, covering the blond from Nico's view. “Do not make attention to him, mon chéri. You are an image of beauty, and you should flaunt that for everyone to see it.” The brunet bit down on his lip and placed his hands on his hips. “You need to attract the attention. For example, you see how your blond oaf is currently staring at my ass?”

With a grin, Eros turned to look over his shoulder. Blinking, Nico leaned around the brunet to get a look at Luke. The blond quickly looked up, his brows furrowing. “I was not,” he grumbled, slumping down in his chair.

Nico let out a sigh as he looked down at himself. “I guess I'm just not that self-confident. I think I barely manage putting on the act for the customers.”

A sigh escaped Eros and he directed Nico back behind the curtain. Nico's shoulders slumped as he looked at some of the others that Eros had selected for him. This just wasn't him. Did Percy expect him to dress like this on a regular basis? Chewing on his lip, Nico peered at a price tag, his eyes instantly bulging.

“Holy shit,” the boy hissed. If he converted the price right, the suit costed over six hundred dollars. That was like a good portion of his paycheck!

When he emerged, the boy let out a sigh as he spun around for the others to see, his arms stretched out at his sides. Eros slowly shook his head from where he sat perched on the arm of Lou's chair.

The green-eyed French boy hopped up, pacing Nico slowly. Lou smiled softly. “Don't be so hard on him, Eros.”

Eros just gave her a dry look. He placed his hands on Nico's shoulders with a frown. “Why don't you act like a real model for us?”

“I'm not, though,” Nico complained. “I couldn't be.”

Eros wagged a finger. “Do not think such things. Many of the Lost Kids here in Europe do modeling on the side. I am sure that you could also, if you really wanted to.”

“I don't.” Nico looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't think he looked that bad, the suit just felt awkward on him.

While still staring at Nico, Eros snapped his fingers. “Some music, if you please, Cecil.” He held up a hand before Nico could complain. “You must do a fashion show for us, Nico. I will not accept a refusal from your part.”

Cecil ended up settling on Madonna's “Vogue”, which made Nico roll his eyes. He did a little spin before walking forwards with a slight mock to the way he moved. It managed to make Cecil and Lou laugh, and even drew a snicker from Luke. Eros, however, was not quite as amused.

The brunet jumped up again with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he moved to stop Nico. “I tell you what, I will do it with you.” He motioned for Nico to go back into the changing room.

When Nico emerged again, he found Eros missing. He looked around for a minute, until the changing room beside him swung open and the brunet emerged in his own tux. Biting down on his lip, the brunet placed a hand on the doorway of the changing room. Lou let out a whistle, while Eros grinned and seductively adjusted the cuff of his shirt.

To the music, the brunet moved across the floor, sliding along the tiles with a huge smile on his face. Every now and then, the Lost Boy stopped and posed for the group. But when he noticed that Nico was just standing there, the brunet sighed.

He motioned for Nico to join him. Nico quickly shook his head. “Come, Nico, you can't be so shy, not with our profession. This should not make you uncomfortable.” Eros placed a hand on his hip. “Work your sex appeal.”

When Nico didn't move, Eros ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. Pursing his lips, the French Lost Boy moved behind Nico and swayed the boy's hips. “Wh-what are you doing?” Nico gasped.

“You need to decontract!”

Nico's brow furrowed as he turned to look at the brunet. “I need to what?”

Cecil fell back in his chair, laughing. “He's saying that you need to loosen up,” he explained. Eros gave a nod of confirmation.

“He's right, Nico,” Lou chuckled. “If not tonight, you will eventually wind up in front of the media's cameras. You have to look confident.” She laced her fingers in front of her face as she leaned forward. “Don't be so tense.”

Over the course of five minutes, Eros worked on correcting Nico's posture. He forced the boy to stand up straight and worked on teaching him how to stand. Honestly, Nico didn't see how standing would be important. But, eventually, Eros let him change again, though this time was a bit different.

Eros came back with him, sitting Nico down in a chair, while he sorted through the remainder of the suits. He finally handed an all black one to Nico. However, Eros was unwilling to let Nico dress himself this time. He stood behind Nico and moved around the boy as he worked on getting Nico into the tux. The only thing Nico was able to put on himself were the shoes that went with it. When he was finally content, Eros pushed back the curtain and guided Nico out for the others to see.

The jacket fit him rather nicely, though the black tie felt a little uncomfortable around his neck. The black dress shirt was actually comfortable, much to his surprise. And the dress pants clung to him in all the right places. Well, for the most part. It was like they knew his size perfectly. Really, it wouldn't surprise Nico by this point if he were to find out that Percy had called them with Nico's measurements.

However, Nico wasn't given the luxury of getting comfortable. A woman came in a moment later and took over for Eros. She guided Nico in front of a mirror, while the others watched. She had a small cart with her, which contained a grooming kit.

While the woman worked on fixing Nico's hair, a few other girls came in and worked on his nails while he was still standing. The boy gulped and looked at the others for help. This was not what he had signed up for.

Luke, however, was too busy glaring at Eros, who had perched himself across the blond's lap and had stolen the wine Luke had been drinking. “There are plenty of other places for you to sit,” Luke huffed, pushing the brunet off of him.

Eros bit down on his lip as he bent forward, placing his palm on the seat cushion directly between Luke's legs. The blond leaned back with a gulp, his eyes a little wide as he stared into Eros's bright green eyes. “Don't pretend that you didn't like to have my ass on your crotch.” His eyes flickered down to Luke's lips as he leaned in further, until there was only a few inches between him. “It sure felt like you enjoyed it,” he whispered before pulling away with a smirk.

Cecil leaned back in his chair with a smirk. “Why don't you two just shag?”

“Shut up,” Luke grumbled.

Nico smirked. “People used to say the same thing to me and him.”

Luke narrowed his eyes at the back of Nico's head, but the Lost Boy caught it in the mirror. The pale boy winced as the woman working on grooming his appearance took a brush to his hair, trying to get rid of the knots in his dark locks. Whoever said that beauty was pain was so right.

By the time they left the store, Nico was starving. Fortunately, the others felt the same way, so the three European Lost Kids set out on finding a place for Luke and Nico to try. Nico had a hard time looking away from his reflection in the mirror. His hair had been gelled to the side, and he had been forbidden to remove his shirt without help to prevent it from being messed up. His face still tingled from where the women at the store had washed it for him.

They ended up sitting outside of a restaurant that Nico had an impossible time pronouncing. Lou described the food for him and even conveyed his order to their waitress when the time came to order. Nico ended up with something called sauerbraten, which Lou said was a sour pot roast. Though, the sauerkraut and dumplings did give him pause for a while.

As luck would have it, the three were planning on going out tonight. “Yeah,” Cecil nodded, “I think we were going to go out to a club.” He glanced at Eros and Lou for confirmation. Both of them nodded. “Yeah, you two should come with us.”

“Um.” Nico glanced down at his plate. “Aren't I a little young?”

Lou grinned. “Not here. Technically, though, you would need to be out of the club by midnight, but most clubs don't really care.” She shrugged. “You can even drink, so long as one of us buys it for you.”

He did want to experience things here, so he supposed he might talk to Percy about the possibility of it later. Nico just hoped that he wouldn't get separated from the group and lost. That would not go well, especially if Bianca found out Percy let Nico get lost in Berlin.

When it came time for dessert, all of them except Eros split a small German chocolate cake. Nico frowned at the brunet as he ate a piece. Eros just sat there, his chin propped up with his palm. The way he stared at the cake was like the dessert had publicly offended him. Nico tried to offer him some, but Eros quickly shot him down.

“Infect,” Eros mumbled in French. The brunet wrinkled his nose and shoved the plate away from him. “It is not surprising you Americans have a obesity problem, you eat this stuff.”

Cecil blinked at the green-eyed Lost Boy with a fork in his mouth. “I thought the French loved chocolate?” He mumbled.

Eros eyed the cake with distaste before standing to his feet and turning around to place a hand on his ass. The boy gave his buttocks a squeeze, huffing. “This ass is too good to ruin on such a foul thing.”

Nico chuckled a little at that comment, though Cecil and Lou didn't seem to find it as funny. Lou's brow furrowed as she stared across the table at Eros, who refused to meet her gaze as he went back to blankly staring off into space. Nico glanced over at Luke for some help, but the blond was too busy stuffing his face with cake. Eros's green eyes flickered over to the blond, his nose wrinkling and his tongue sticking out in disgust.

“Tu manges comme une vache affamée,” the green-eyed boy muttered as his eyes flickered back to the streets.

That evening, Percy offered to help Nico change into his suit. Percy had been a little busy when they came back and had been in the process of talking to someone that was probably very important. Not that it really stopped Eros from interrupting when Percy failed to comment on Nico's appearance. Nico's entire face lit up as he was forced to stand there in embarrassment as Percy and the person at the table with Percy stared at him. Percy's lips had tilted up in a warm smile. “You look beautiful.”

Now they stood in Percy's bedroom, in front of a mirror, with Percy helping Nico into his dress shirt. They managed to avoid messing up Nico's hair when they pulled off the boy's T-shirt, thankfully. With a smile, Percy leaned in and pressed his lips to the crook of Nico's neck, drawing out a sigh from the Lost Boy. Percy's arms tightened around Nico's waist.

This forced Nico to bite down on his lip. They didn't have time for this, much to his disappointment. “We have to go.”

Percy chuckled. “We're fine,” he replied.

Percy was already dressed, and did he ever look like the embodiment of sex. If they weren't about to go out for dinner, Nico would have ripped the suit right off of Percy and dragged the young man to the bed. There was just something about the way that Percy's dress pants hugged him that made Nico want to constantly stare at the green-eyed young man's butt. The dark blue shirt conformed to fit Percy's chest to absolute perfection. Though, unlike Nico, his hair wasn't gelled, just swept to the side. But Nico really wanted to grab the guy's tie and just yank him down for a kiss.

So, when Percy finally got Nico's shirt on, this was exactly what the Lost Boy did. Percy's eyes widened momentarily, but his hands soon found their way to Nico's waist and he kissed Nico back. When he pulled back, the young man hummed lightly. “It seems like someone is in the mood,” Percy chuckled.

“Maybe.” Nico bit down on his lip, still holding on to the young man's tie. “Um, I was wondering if you were busy tonight?”

Percy blinked, tilting his head to the side. “I'll be with Gaea and Kronos, watching the performances.”

“Oh.” Nico released the tie and turned to stare at himself in the mirror. “Eros, Cecil, and Lou invited me to a club tonight.”

“Oh?” Percy fixed his tie before walking over to a desk, where his jacket was perched on the chair. “As long as you are careful and don't wander off.” Swinging the jacket around him, Percy easily slid his left arm into the sleeve and let it settle across his torso as he worked on getting his right arm in the sleeve. “And remember not to drink anything that anyone else offers you.” His eyes narrowed. “Or that Cecil offers you.”

Nico smiled a little. “Thank you.” He leaned up and pecked Percy on the lips. “But you can't come?”

Percy let out a sigh. “Sorry, I can't. But you should go and have fun.” He handed Nico his jacket. “Just don't tell your sister I let you wander into a Berlin club without my supervision, or just in general.” He grinned down at the boy. “You know, she's probably going to find out that you're about to start dating your boss.”

Nico glared up at the green-eyed young man as he worked on getting his jacket on. “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Thankfully, there was no media when they walked out of the hotel and got into the limousine. Gaea and Kronos sat in the very back seat, while Athena took the seat on the right side of the limo for herself. Percy helped Nico to get inside and guided them over to the left seat.

The others all seemed so causal about being dressed up and going to some super expensive restaurant in the back of a limousine, but not Nico. The boy fidgeted with his hands for most of the ride, while staring out the window in wonder. Berlin had been beautiful in the day, but it seemed even more so at night. Unfortunately, though, Percy was kept preoccupied by one of the other people in the car, so his attention was rarely able to be on Nico.

Not that Nico wasn't used to this sort of thing, it was fairly normal for how they usually were back home.

Nico was forced to take deep breaths as time went on. He really didn't think that something like this would ever happen to him. Never in his life had Nico imagined that he would end up in front of cameras, but somehow that was exactly what was about to happen. Maybe they wouldn't pay attention to him, though. It was Percy and Gaea that they cared about, right? Nico was just a nobody in their shadows.

Finally, the limo began to slow down in front of a bright restaurant at the corner of a street. Nico inhaled deeply as he stared out the window at the line of reporters and photographers that had gathered around the restaurant's entrance. A little concerning was the fact that there was no rope to keep the media separated from Gaea and the group. When the limo came to a stop at the curb, the herd only gathered closer.

Gaea fixed her hair with a sigh, a look of detestation on her face. But as soon as the door opened, she smiled brightly and climbed out, giving small waves to the crowd of media. Athena followed right behind her, her face neutral and her eyes watchful of their surroundings.

Kronos shot a smirk over at Percy before he followed after his mother. The young man adjusted his jacket once he was standing, smiling like some movie star and gladly accepting pictures being taken of himself.

Percy gave Nico's hand a squeeze before he motioned for them to get out. Nico gulped and filed out of the limousine, sticking close to Percy's back. Percy rolled his shoulders and fixed his jacket like some model at a photo shoot, throwing on a million dollar smile for the crowd. The questions were immediately thrown at him, though Nico was unable to understand any of it. Even if the questions had been English, Nico had the feeling that he wouldn't be able to keep up with all the questions that were being hurled at the green-eyed young man.

Percy did his best to answer as many questions as he could, while moving slowly towards the restaurant. Nico had to cover his eyes most of the time, due to all the cameras flashing in his and Percy's direction. It was partially why Nico tried to hide behind Percy the best he could, not that the young man seemed to notice. The good news was that the media was at least nice enough not to crowd them, keeping several feet in between themselves and Percy.

As they were nearly there, Percy pulled Nico close for a picture with him, Gaea, Kronos, and Athena. All of them managed to look so glamorous for the cameras, but Nico was barely to keep himself from shaking. His eyes were probably wide, showing how scared he really was.

Gaea finally moved to enter the restaurant, and Kronos and Athena quickly followed after her. Percy smiled down at Nico, and, with the cameras still flashing at them, took the Lost Boy's hand in his and headed for the restaurant. Nico raised a hand to cover his face as more cameras started to flash.

Nico's nerves only calmed down when they were seated at their table. The restaurant was dimly lit, much to Nico's relief after so many bright lights had been flashed in his face. Percy ordered for him, which Nico really didn't mind at all. He let the others talk, keeping quiet as much as possible.

Was this what his life was going to be like from now on? Something about that scared him. He knew that the media back home in the United States was much worse than it was here. Were they going to show up at his school? Why did Percy have to hold his hand out there? Nico slumped down in his chair.

“Stop worrying so much,” Percy whispered, leaning in close to the Lost Boy. His warm hand squeezed Nico's leg under the table. “Don't worry about the media, you shouldn't care what they think.”

That was easy for Percy to say, Nico thought to himself.

“So, what were they asking out there?” Nico asked when the other members of the table were distracted in their own conversation.

Their food had arrived a few minutes earlier, so Percy had been a little distracted with his meal. The young man glanced over at him, a little sauce dripping from his mouth. Nico smiled, remembering why Percy wasn't completely like the life he lived in.

“Oh.” Percy swallowed his food. “They were just wanting to know how I was handling the news of my promotion. Um, things like that. A lot of it was them just asking if they could ask me questions.”

“Really?” Nico arched a brow.

“Yeah,” Percy chuckled, scooting a little closer to Nico. “Um, the media isn't nearly as intrusive over here, like it is back in America.” He eyed Nico carefully. “If it gets too bad when we get back, tell me and I'll handle it.”

“What, are you going to shoot them all in the knees?”

“No.” Percy rolled his eyes. “But I might have Jason or one of the others keep a close eye on you before and after school.” A grin spread across his lips. “Though, their jobs could come into question if they fail to leave you alone.”

“How sweet,” Nico said dryly with a roll of his eyes.

Much to Nico's relief, the media was gone by the time they left the restaurant. When they got back in the limousine, Nico leaned against Percy's shoulder as the young man spoke to Gaea about some business partners that he would have to contact about his promotion.

Part of Nico just wanted to go back to Gaea's mansion with Percy and help the young man get out of his clothes. When they arrived back at the hotel, Percy got out of the limo and began to loosen his tie, which was a little arousing to watch. However, what they found in the lobby proved to be a little more entertaining.

“What are you even saying?” Came Luke's angry shouting as soon as they walked in the doors.

Nico's eyes widened as he came to a stop at the entrance of the lobby. The two were already dressed to go out tonight. Luke hadn't put much effort into what he wore, but Eros had. If it was possible, his jeans were even tighter than the ones he had on earlier, and these were slightly ripped in places in the front. His shirt was of the same ripped condition, exposing hints of the brunet's torso. Luke was standing there with his arms crossed and his nostrils flared. In front of him was Eros, who grinned innocently back at the blond. The two had managed to cause several guests to stop and stare.

“You know I don't speak French, so why do you persist on following me around and muttering in the language?” The blond growled.

“On baise?” Eros giggled, sticking out his tongue a little, like some amused child. He crossed his arms like Luke and imitated the blond's irritated demeanor. The brunet was a very brave soul indeed to antagonize Luke, even though it was clear that the blond was on the verge of wringing his neck. “On baise?”

Right before Luke could get his hands on the brunet, Percy intervened by stepping in between the two. He glanced over to Gaea, giving the woman a nod. She blinked once before leading Kronos and Athena over to the elevator.

Percy let out a sigh. “What is going on?”

Luke growled and pointed his finger in Eros's direction. “Tell me what this fucker said. If he's got a problem with me, I want to know.”

Eros blinked innocently up at the blond, making a show of batting his eyelashes. Percy just rolled his eyes at the brunet. “Qu'est-ce que t'a dit, Eros?” The young man asked.

The green-eyed brunet tilted his head to the side and raised his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “J'ai juste demandé s'il voulait coucher avec moi. Je trouve ça juste tellement marrant qu'il ne me comprenne pas, cet idiot d'Américain.” He winked over at Luke, who narrowed his eyes at him. “Il est potable.” With a grin, he looked the blond up and down. “Je le baiserais bien.”

Percy began to laugh, which caused Luke to drop his irritated demeanor. Nico's eyebrows shot in the air as he stared up at the young man. What had Eros said? For a moment, Percy just chuckled and shook his head. Letting out a breath, his lips tilted up and he patted Luke on the back.

“Have fun at the club,” he laughed before walking towards the elevator, leaving a baffled Luke behind him.

Nico quickly recovered and walked after the young man. “What was that about?”

Percy glanced down at the Lost Boy. “You should change if you're going to a club.”

Before Percy could reach the elevator, Nico tugged on his shirt. “Come back to your room and keep me company while I change.” Really, Nico just wanted some privacy with Percy for a little while. They didn't have time for sex, but Nico could still get his message across that they would not be sleeping when he returned. “So, what did Eros say?” He asked when Percy smiled and motioned for them to walk.

At the back of the hotel, Percy held the door open for Nico and collected a golf cart for them. “It's nothing bad,” the green-eyed young man chuckled. Percy hummed as he started to drive them to Gaea's mansion. “I suppose I should make sure Luke's room is stocked with some condoms, unless they use Eros's room.”

Nico's eyes widened drastically. “Wait, Eros wants to have sex with Luke?”

Percy nodded with a smile. “Beau gosse, the thing he keeps repeating to Luke, is French slang for calling a boy hot. But now he's just tormenting Luke, since Luke doesn't speak French.” The young man shrugged. “Back there, he was asking Luke if he wanted to have sex. Probably after the club, if I had to guess based on Eros's behavior when I was here a few months ago.”

“Oh.” Nico's brow furrowed. “So, did you and him...”

It took Percy a moment, but he eventually turned his head towards Nico, which caused the golf cart to jerk. “What? Oh! No, we didn't have sex.” The young man's lips tilted up. “Uh, no, I just got along really well with Eros. At most, I see him as the younger brother that I never had.” He chuckled at Nico's pouty expression. “Were you jealous of him?”

“No, don't be ridiculous.”

Percy slowed down as they neared the mansion. “I told you,” he said softly, parking the car and turning to face Nico, “sex with others is usually just business. And if I don't have to, I won't do it.” His thumb brushed against Nico's cheek. “You're the exception to that rule, as I've purposefully sought you out to have sex.”

Leaning in towards Percy, Nico closed his eyes and pressed their lips together. With a little help from Percy, Nico climbed into the young man's lap and cupped his face. They should probably go inside, but Nico didn't want to wait. Percy, however, still had his senses.

“Not that I really object to messing around out here, but we should probably get inside so you can get ready,” Percy chuckled. “I imagine the others will want to leave soon.”

Nico took hold of Percy's tie and crashed their lips together again, rolling his hips into Percy's lap, which pulled a moan from the young man's lips. Percy's hands came to rest on Nico's hips as the young man guided Nico's hips into a rhythm. “Or we could just stay in your room for the rest of the night,” the Lost Boy whispered.

With a groan, Percy held Nico back by the shoulders. “Believe me, I really want to, but I don't get that luxury until I take over.” He gave Nico a brief kiss on the lips. “When that time comes, we can stay in our bed and have sex as much as you want.”

Nico's cheeks flushed. Our bed, Percy had called it their bed. “What about when I get back?”

Grinning, Percy lifted Nico out of his lap and got out of the golf cart. “If you're still in the mood when you get back, and not exhausted, then I'm perfectly willing to oblige your request.” He winked as he opened the door to the mansion. “But if that happens, don't expect to get much sleep.”

“Worth it,” Nico muttered as he followed Percy into the house.

Nico had never been to a club, but it was not so different than what he was used to, working the top floors of the Lotus. Just more crowded and even louder music, and a lot of flashing lights. But there was alcohol and dancing, so it felt right at home. Not that it made the Lost Boy comfortable in the slightest, though.

Lou was going to be the designated driver, so it did not take Cecil and Eros long to find some alcohol upon their arrival. Somehow, Eros had coerced some guy that looked a few years older than Percy into buying him something to drink after only being in the club for five minutes. Nico would have to ask the guy for some pointers later. Not for getting alcohol, but just some tips to make things more interesting with Percy.

Nico tried to stay close to Luke, who had taken up a spot at the bar. Unlike normal, Luke didn't complain at all about having Nico stick to his side. Which Nico appreciated, since they were in a different country and Nico really didn't want to get kidnapped.

Cecil, Lou, and Eros had gone onto the dance floor, though Nico could clearly see them from where he and Luke stood. They tried to motion him over, but Nico just shook his head. Performing was one thing, but Nico had never danced like this before. He watched with interest as the other three danced on each other. With his back to Lou, Eros rolled his body against her and let his hands wander back to feel her head. Cecil was much the same, though the brunet danced behind the Lost Girl. The way they moved seemed free, almost uncaring of what others thought of them. But it did look provocative, which Nico supposed was the entire point.

Eros, however, did not seem content with letting either of them just stand at the bar. The brunet appeared at their side, his bangs slightly sticking to his head from sweat. With one swift move, he grabbed the beer in Luke's hand and took a long drink from it. Luke narrowed his eyes and went to snatch it back, but Eros disappeared back onto the dance floor. With a growl, Luke went after him. Nico, with no other option, chased after the two of them.

Nico moved in between people until he found Lou and the others. Luke had managed to get a hold of Eros, though the brunet seemed like that was his exact intention as he giggled and held the bottle away from Luke. Eros ground his front against the blond, which caused Luke to freeze while reaching for the bottle. Grinning and knowing that he had won, Eros brought the bottle to his lips and took a swig. He willingly offered it back to Luke when he was done, though the blond made no move to leave the dance floor.

Lou grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him in to dance with her and Cecil, though the pale boy's dark eyes kept wandering back over to Luke and Eros. The French boy now had his back to Luke and an arm wound up around the blond's neck. A little to Nico's surprise, Luke had a hand in the hem of Eros's pants. Catching Nico's eye, Eros winked over at the raven haired boy. Using his arm that was around Luke's neck, the brunet pulled Luke down and stuck his tongue into the blond's mouth.

“That was fast,” Lou chuckled and held out a hand to Cecil.

Grumbling, the brunet pulled out some money and slipped it into Lou's palm.

As the night went on, they managed to lose Eros for about half an hour. Cecil didn't seem that worry. “He'll pop up eventually,” he had chuckled. The rest of them sat at a table, resting so they could do more dancing.

Luke and Cecil had let Nico try some of their drinks, but Nico hadn't really liked either of them. They offered to buy him his own drink, but Nico had declined the offer. He knew that he was safe with them, but Nico didn't want to get drunk in a club in a foreign country.

Nico was, however, the first to spot Eros. The brunet had perched himself in some guy's lap and was cheerfully accepting the drink offered to him. None of the other guys at the table even seemed to care that there was another guy sitting in their friend's lap and flirting with him.

Nico's brow furrowed. “This isn't a gay club, is it?”

Lou blinked and followed Nico's gaze over to Eros. “Oh, no, it isn't. But, I mean, gays and lesbians do come here.” She waved a hand over at the French Lost Boy. “You'll find that European boys aren't as homophobic, and a good portion of them will even kiss other guys. It would probably be much easier to talk a straight guy out of his pants in Europe, rather than one from back home.”

Nico glanced back over to Eros, who was sucking a lime from the guy's mouth. The brunet grinned wickedly as the guy groped his crotch. Interesting, Nico thought to himself.

Twenty minutes later, Eros was with a different guy. This one had not seemed as willing to accept the brunet's advances, but then Eros had leaned in and whispered something to him. Nico had watched as the guy's eyebrows rose up and then eventually hand Eros a drink. And the guy just stuck his hand down the back of Eros's pant as the brunet happily sipped at the newly acquired drink. Nico shook his head in disbelief. How the hell did Eros even manage this? Nico was still amazed he could seduce Percy, and here Eros was getting straight guys to buy him drinks and hit on him.

After a few more hours of dancing and drinking, Lou decided it was time for them to head back. The problem was they hadn't seen Eros in a good hour. They scoured the dance floor and double checked the bar, but the brunet wasn't there. Lou sighed and pulled out her phone, dialing the brunet. He didn't pick up.

Nico glanced over at Luke, who was sternly staring at a doorway in the back. “Where does that go?” He asked.

Lou pocketed her phone. “Oh. Um, people go back there to hook up.”

With a nod, Luke started directly towards the door. Nico decided to follow after the blond, while Cecil and Lou continued to search the dance floor for their friend. Luke pushed his way past a few couples in the hallway, and completely walked between what looked like a threesome about to happen. Their search, however, was not in vain, as they managed to find their target at the very end of the hall.

Eros was up against a wall, a guy that Nico had not seen him with sucking on his neck. The brunet's pupils were heavily dilated and an empty beer bottle rested lazily in his hand. The guy worked on unbuttoning Eros's jeans as the brunet tilted the stranger's head to the side and sucked on his lips.

Luke grumbled to himself, rubbing his forehead. “Eros!” He yelled over the loud music. Neither of them acknowledged the blond's presence. “You fucking French twat, get your ass moving, we're ready to leave!”

The guy pulled away from Eros. The brunet blinked at Luke, though he seemed rather dazed. His wavy brown hair was tousled and wet from sweat. “But...sex...” His eyes were dark with a mixture of lust and alcohol as he pulled the tall guy back in for another kiss. “And he is...how to say...hot.”

Luke moved forward and grabbed Eros's head, tilting the brunet's chin up. “How much have you had to drink?”

Eros smacked his hand away, glaring up at the blond. “Leave me alone.”

“You heard him,” the guy latched onto Eros said, his accent a thick German one.

Luke's eyes momentarily flickered to the stranger before returning to Eros. “You're drunk.”

“I can help him out.”

Luke's eyes blazed at the other guy. “Yeah, I can see that. He's drunk, and you're taking advantage of him. Where I come from, that's rape.” With ease, Luke ripped Eros away from the other guy. The brunet stumbled until Nico helped steady him. They other guy moved to get Eros back, but Luke shoved him away, shoving a finger in the guy's face. “Don't fucking touch him,” the blond growled.

“Whatever,” the guy mumbled. Bumping Luke's shoulder, he left and headed back to the dance floor.

Nico put an arm around Eros, while the brunet loosely hugged him, his body slumping. Luke's eyes studied the brunet for a moment before helping Nico walk him back to the others. Right before they left the hallway, though, Eros's legs crumpled. Before Eros could fall to the floor, Luke had bent down and scooped the brunet up bridal style.

Lou's eyes widened a little when she spotted them. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah,” Luke muttered. “Can we go?”

When they got back to the car, Eros clung to Luke's neck as the blond tried to put him in Lou's car. “Do you want me?”

Nico froze at the tone of the brunet's voice, almost like a frightened child. It was...startling. In the short time that he had known Eros, Nico had never heard him talk with such a lack of confidence. And the way he stared up at Luke, like he might break if Luke didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear.

Luke's brow furrowed. “No, you're drunk. Get in the car and shut up.”

With a little help from Nico and Cecil, Luke was able to get Eros in the car and buckle him in. During the drive, though, Eros's head fell on Luke's shoulder. The blond glared down at the French boy, but let the boy's head remain on his shoulder. Nico leaned forward to look at Eros, but the guy's eyes were closed. Had he fallen asleep?

Once they were back at the hotel, the four of them helped get Eros into the hotel. Cecil smiled and waved at the woman behind the desk, who had stopped typing at the computer to gawk at them. They let Lou and Cecil carry Eros the rest of the way once they were at the elevators.

“He'll crash with me tonight,” Cecil said. “I'll make sure that he is taken care of.” His eyes flickered up to Luke. “Thanks.”

“For what?” Luke grumbled.

Cecil gave the blond a knowing look. As far as Nico knew, the European Lost Boy hadn't seen what went on, but it was like he knew what Luke had done. “Come by in the morning.”

“Why?”

Rolling his eyes, Cecil hit the button to their floor. “Just do it and stop sounding like a prick.”

Once they got back to Gaea's mansion, Nico opened the door with a key that Percy had given him before they left for the club. They quietly walked up the stairs and headed for the left wing, though Nico stopped Luke before the blond could disappear into his room.

“You never quite cease to impress me,” the younger Lost Boy said.

Luke narrowed his eyes. “We are not speaking about this again.”

Nico's lips tilted up. “It was the right thing to do, and very respectable.” He tilted his head to the side. “I won't go ruining your badass image, but I thought you should know that. You're a great guy, even if you don't want to admit it to yourself.”

Luke let out a breath through his nose as he quietly stared down at Nico. “Whatever, brat,” he mumbled before disappearing into his room and shutting the door. Nico stood there and smiled for a moment before continuing to his and Percy's room.

The room was dark when he opened the door. Checking the time, Nico figured Percy would be back shortly. Closing the door behind him, Nico yanked his shirt over his head. He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a quick shower to get the smell of the club off of him.

When he emerged from the bathroom completely naked, Nico was delighted to find Percy waiting for him on the edge of the bed. He smiled over at Nico, beckoning him to the bed. Nico closed the gap between them, sliding into Percy's lap. Percy's hands wasted no time in feeling Nico's naked and still wet ass.

With their lips only a few inches apart, Percy grinned. “I take it you're still in the mood?”

Nico bit down on his lip and nodded. Percy sealed their lips together, his finger brushing against Nico's entrance. In one swift move, Percy had Nico on his back. The young man trailed his fingers along pale, slightly wet skin. Nico's hand gripped Percy's tie, pulling it loose and letting it fall to the side. From there, he worked on unbuttoning Percy's shirt, while the young man entertained himself with Nico's body.

Once they were both completely naked, Percy crawled on top of Nico and slid their lower halves under the sheets. With a grin, he got up on his knees. Normally, Nico might complain about Percy pulling away when they were about to have sex, but not at the moment. Right now, he was just enjoying the great view of Percy's nude form, taking in every inch of the young man's torso and eventually letting his eyes wander down to Percy's manhood.

Percy reached over and turned off the light before leaning down and sucking on Nico's neck. Nico might have been exhausted when he got back, but this was completely worth losing sleep over. Percy lifted him off of the bed and pressed the boy's back against one of the posts of the canopy bed. Nico wrapped his legs around Percy's waist as the young man dug around in his drawers for a condom and lube.

Wrapping his arms around Percy's neck, Nico leaned in and kissed the young man, running his tongue along Percy's bottom lip. With a moan, Percy opened his mouth and let Nico explore his mouth.

Pulling back, Nico grinned as he eyed the contents of Percy's hand. “I do hope you have plenty of condoms.”

Percy chuckled. “Don't worry, I brought plenty.”

 “Good, because I don't plan on going to sleep anytime soon,” Nico whispered into Percy's ear.

----------

Translations:
Je suis occupé!" [I'm busy!]
mon chéri (my dear/darling)
Ça va être amusant. [This will be fun]
Dommage. [Pity]
Une seconde. [One second].
Non, pas comme ça! Les Américains ne savent-il pas comment porter des costumes? [No! not like that! Do Americans not know how to wear suits?]
Infect.[Revolting]
Tu manges comme une vache affamée. [You eat like some overly starved cow]
On baise? (Wanna fuck?)
Qu'est-ce que t'a dit, Eros? [What did you say, Eros?]
J'ai juste demandé s'il voulait coucher avec moi. Je trouve ça juste tellement marrant qu'il ne me comprenne pas, cet idiot d'Américain. [I just asked if he wanted to have sex. I just find it amusing that he can't understand me, the silly American.]
Il est potable (He's fuckable. Literally: He's drinkable)

Je le baiserais bien(I'd fuck him) {Not necessarily meaning Eros wants to be the top}