Children of Loss 51

Chapter 51

Perhaps Nico should not think with his hormones, as the Lost Boy was finding out the next morning. He definitely did not get much sleep last night, if the pain in his lower back was any indication. The brown-eyed boy laid splayed across Percy's bare chest, while the young man had his arms wound loosely around Nico's waist. Really, Nico didn't want to even up his eyes, let alone move. He felt exhausted.

Even so, that did not stop him from waking up slightly aroused from being pressed up against Percy's body.

Five minutes after waking up, Nico finally pushed himself up to try and climb off of Percy, though he did not get far. “Where do you think you're going?” Percy mumbled, grabbing Nico by the waist and spooning the younger boy. The young man rested his nose in Nico's hair. “It's still early.”

Nico's eyes drifted over to the clock. “We're five minutes late for breakfast.”

A hand covered Nico's eyes. “Irrelevant. Go back to sleep.”

With a pout, Nico pushed the young man's hand away from his face. He rolled his head to the side and pressed his butt against Percy's crotch. “Well, you know, it might be a bit easier to sleep if I didn't have something poking me the whole time.”

A grin spread across Percy's lips and the manager finally opened his eyes. “Just comes naturally when I wake up to someone beautiful.”

Nico rolled his eyes and batted Percy's hands away. “You must wake up hard a lot then.”

“Hey,” Percy said, reaching out again, “don't be like that.” He pulled Nico into his lap. Percy grew hard, which caused Nico to bite down on his bottom lip to suppress a moan. “Do you feel like round number four?”

With a chuckle, Nico shook his head with amusement. “I'm starting to wonder if your whole business thing just made sure your sex drive was kept in check.”

Percy's lips tilted up in grin as he laid Nico down on the bed. “Can I take that as a 'yes'?” He asked. With a sigh, Nico nodded his head and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. Leaning down, Percy devoured Nico's lips in a heated kiss, his hand already snaking its way down between them to wrap around the Lost Boy's hardened erection.

Nico let out a gasp as a finger pressed against his entrance. Reaching over Nico, Percy grabbed the bottle of lube they had been using last night and coated his index and middle finger. With another kiss to Nico's lips, Percy went ahead and inserted his finger into Nico. The boy bucked his hips as he reached down and worked on rolling a condom onto Percy's erection.

Since they had only had sex a few hours ago, Nico did not need as much preparation this time. Percy grabbed Nico by his ankles. Nico's eyes widened a little as Percy pressed his feet to the mattress above his head. In all honesty, the Lost Boy did not even think he was that flexible; Percy proved him wrong. With one hand still holding Nico's ankles together, Percy used the other one to guide his erection into Nico.

Unlike the first time they had sex last night, Percy didn't remain still after getting it in. Instead, he gave a long thrust that had Nico's toes curl and the boy's head toss back in a gasp. Grinning to himself, Percy leaned down and kissed along Nico's neck. And then, without warning, Percy bit Nico's shoulder.

Nico's nails dug into Percy's back as the Lost Boy let out a loud moan that probably could be heard down the hall. Percy finally released his ankles and grabbed the boy by his hips. In one swift motion, Percy had Nico on his stomach and was positioned between the boy's legs. Nico's fingers curled in the sheets.

Percy pressed a kiss between Nico's shoulder blades. “Get on your knees.”

Doing as he was told, Nico got up. He reached behind him to guide Percy's mouth to his for a kiss. Nico moaned into Percy's mouth as the young man reached around and stroked Nico a little. Kissing Nico's shoulder, Percy grabbed onto Nico's hips and slammed into the thin boy. Nico screwed his eyes shut as he leaned forward and grabbed one of the posts of the canopy bed for support.

Sweat slowly began to form on Nico's brow as Percy slowly thrust into him, the young man's fingers digging into his waist. Biting down on his lip, Nico rested his head against the post. This was the fourth time they had had sex in under twelve hours, yet Nico did not find himself complaining.

Percy's fingers grabbed onto Nico's hair, tangling in his dark locks. With a small yank, Percy pulled the Lost Boy back by the hair and leaned in to latch his mouth onto Nico's throat. Nico's eyes rolled into the back of his head as Percy's teeth pressed against his throat with a deep thrust.

Percy rolled his hips slowly into Nico in long, deep thrusts. It felt amazing, but so very agonizing. Since it was the fourth time, Nico's legs began to shake. Percy's hand pressed to the small of Nico's back, urging the boy to arch his back a little.

By the time that Nico was nearing his orgasm, he was certain they weren't going to be making it to breakfast. Which partly made him wonder if Gaea or Kronos would come looking for them. At least Percy's door was locked, which would prevent Kronos from barging in on them...again.

When it was over, Percy cupped Nico's face with both of his hands and gave the boy a long kiss before getting off the bed. Nico fell back, his arms spread out at his sides and a huge grin on his face. He could most certainly get used to living with Percy in an actual relationship.

Rolling his head to the side, Nico watched Percy's firm ass as the young man padded into the bathroom. Percy stopped at the doorway and turned back to look at him. “Care to join me?” The green-eyed young man asked with a smirk.

Nico shot up, but stumbled due to his legs basically being limp noodles. Percy chuckled and helped the boy up. With a kiss, he swatted Nico's ass and sent him into the bathroom. A few seconds later, he joined Nico in the bathroom with a new condom.

“Really?” Nico asked, arching an eyebrow. “Five times?”

Percy just placed the condom on a nook in the shower before turning on the water. “After you,” he said, motioning into the already steaming shower. Once Nico was inside, he stepped in and closed the glass door behind them. Percy took his bottle of shampoo in hand and lathered up his hair. “And it's up to you. I don't want to wear you out too bad.”

It took about all of two minutes for Nico to get Percy to pin him up against the shower wall with his legs around the young man's waist. Nico wrapped his arms tightly around Percy's neck as the young man fucked him up against the shower wall with hard, rough thrusts. Several moans escaped Nico's mouth, until Percy leaned in and covered it with his own. Hot water hit them from everywhere as Percy slid his tongue into Nico's mouth, his hands tightening from where they held the boy's legs under the knees.

When they were done and went to get out of the shower, Nico's legs nearly crumpled underneath him. Percy caught him with a chuckle, helping to guide the boy back into the bedroom. Nico pouted as the young man dropped a towel on his head.

“Well, perhaps five times was too much for you,” the green-eyed manager assessed.

“Says you,” Nico replied, rolling onto his stomach and crossing his arms under his chin. His eyes followed Percy's nude form as the young man dried off and walked over to his closet. “You're leaving?”

Percy turned to glance at the boy for a moment. “Well, yeah. I have business that has to be taken care of. You and Luke are the ones on a vacation, not me.” He smirked at the frown on Nico's face when he emerged from the closet. “You're very cute when you pout.”

Nico let out a sigh. “When will I be seeing you?”

“Probably after dinner.” Percy pulled out a pair of pants and some underwear from the drawers in his closet. “Gaea's having dinner with some very important clients, and I need to be there.” The young man sat down at the foot of the bed. “You're more than welcome to come, but I didn't want to bore you with all the financial talk.”

Letting out a sigh, Nico nodded his head. “Yeah, okay. I'll see you after dinner then.” His dark eyes raked across Percy's torso as the young man worked on buttoning his shirt. Biting down on his lip, Nico reached out and hooked his fingers into the hem of Percy's pants.

Percy let out a soft chuckle as Nico slid across the bed, still on his stomach, and undid the button on his pants. “Still horny?” He laughed. “I thought you'd be burnt out by now.”

Nico's eyes just flickered up to meet Percy's sea-green ones. “Thought I'd give you something for the road.” Still holding Percy's gaze, Nico unzipped the young man's pants and pulled out his manhood.

Percy arched an eyebrow as he went back to buttoning his shirt. “I can't get undressed again, and I don't have time for more sex.”

“Good thing you don't have to do anything then,” Nico said, flicking his tongue across the slit of Percy's erection. The Lost Boy tilted his head to the side as he watched Percy just stand there. “Well, carry on with getting ready.”

Percy rolled his eyes as Nico slid his lips across the young man's arousal. One of Nico's hands slid up the bottom of Percy's shirt to caress the abs that could be found there. While Nico serviced Percy, the green-eyed young man reached over and grabbed his watch from the nightstand and put it on his wrist, though he really did not seem to be in a hurry anymore.

Nico hummed lightly as he took in as much of Percy's cock as he could. With a soft moan, Percy leaned over Nico and groped the boy's pale ass before placing a hand on Nico's head and guiding the Lost Boy down onto his shaft.

Taking it out of his mouth, Nico wrapped a hand around Percy's arousal and ran his tongue along the base of the shaft, his dark eyes clouded with lust as he stared up at the young man. But, finally, Percy finished buttoning his shirt. With a smirk, the young man fixed his hair a little before removing his cock from Nico's mouth.

Leaning down, he gave Nico a quick kiss. “I really do have to go.”

Nico pouted and sat up. “But you're hard, you should finish.”

“I'll be fine,” Percy chuckled. He buttoned and zipped his pants. “Try to get some more rest.” He pointed a finger at Nico as he backed towards the door. “I mean it, you need to rest. Feel free to mess around in the entertainment room. What's mine is yours and all that stuff.” He smirked as he opened the door. “And don't forget that you can order room service to be delivered over here. Also, you look very appealing right now and I'm sorry I have to leave.”

Nico let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Well then, I hope you suffer in your meetings while thinking about it.”

“Ouch.” Percy winked. “That's just so hurtful. What have I ever done to you?” He asked with a huge grin.

“Ha ha. You're so funny, Percy Jackson.” Nico flopped onto his stomach. “I wouldn't dare bring up the countless months of torturous teasing you put me through.”

With a wink, Percy closed the door. Nico groaned a little as he let his forehead fall against the mattress. Now that his hormones were gone, Nico was fully aware of how exhausted his body was, not to mention the sharp pain in his lower back. Perhaps five times really was too much.

A little over five minutes later, the door swung open. Nico looked up, expecting Percy, only to find Luke. “Haven't you ever heard of knocking?” Nico asked, flinging the covers over his naked body.

Luke arched an eyebrow and stepped inside. “Not like I haven't seen you naked before, kid. I know it probably slipped your mind with all the awesome sex you've been getting from Percy, but we did have sex.”

Nico sat up, straightening out the covers across his lap. “It's not like it's hard to forget. I did enjoy it, I will not lie there.” He let out a breath. “Anyways, what's up?”

“I need you to get dressed.”

The raven haired Lost Boy arched a brow. “For?”

Digging around in Nico's suitcase, Luke tossed some clothes at the other Lost Boy. “You're coming with me to see Cecil, since I apparently have to go check up on the French lightweight.”

Nico let out a sigh as he scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up. Grabbing his underwear, the Lost Boy slid them on. “And you need me to come with you...why?”

“Because, for some reason, the little asshole seems to like you.” Luke rubbed at his temple. “Just come, it's too early for this anyways, and I really don't feel like dealing with him. I'm hoping to distract him with your presence.”

For a moment, Nico just stood there and stared at the blond in the room. After giving Luke an odd look, Nico threw his shirt over his head and then put on his pants. “Can't you just...I don't know, be sociable with him?” A smirk spread across Nico's lips. “Who knows, you might enjoying what happens.”

Luke's brow furrowed. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” Nico chuckled as he slipped on his shoes. He patted Luke on the shoulder as he walked over to grab the key to Gaea's house from a small table by the door. “Nothing at all, Luke.”

When they knocked on Cecil's door, the brunet answered it with a glass of water in his hand. “Bonjour, mis amigos.”

Luke shot the brunet an annoyed look. “That's not even the same language.”

“So you do know some French,” Cecil chuckled as he stepped aside to let them in. The Lost Boy's head tilted to the side as he stared at Nico. “Did you get attacked by a dog since I saw you last night?”

Nico's face turned completely red. “Uh, no.”

A sly grin appeared on Cecil's face. “Then I can only assume you had a great night.”

A door down the hall slowly creaked open and a disgruntled Eros came out, dragging his feet behind him. He let out a long groan as he rubbed at his eyes. “Quel heure est-il, Cecil?”

The other brunet checked his phone. “A little after nine.” With a grin, he handed Eros the water and two pills that had been in the palm of his hand. “Take this. You need to shower and get something to eat, you have work in a few hours.”

Eros tossed back the pills and downed them with half the glass of water. With a very heavy sigh, the green-eyed boy shoved the water back into Cecil's hands. It was then that his eyes shot over to where Luke stood, his green orbs narrowing in anger. “You! Qu'est-ce que tu veux, bordel? J'essayais de pécho hier soir, et t'arrives et tu gâches tous!”

Luke crossed his arms and opened his mouth, though nothing came out. His face contorted in confusion before he turned to Cecil. “Um, what did he say?”

Cecil just shook his head and patted Luke on the shoulder. “Eros, en Anglais, s'il te plaît,” the brown-eyed boy muttered.

With a huff, Eros marched up to Luke and poked the blond's chest. “You are a fucking dick, ruining perfectly good sex like that.” Eros rapidly flailed his arms. “Did you see the muscles he had, he was going to give me rough sex. Cecil, tell this oaf how much I love the rough sex.”

It was apparent that Cecil was trying very hard not to laugh. “Oh yeah, it's his favorite.” He wagged his eyebrows at Luke. “If only we knew someone that was rough in bed, eh?”

Yet again, Nico was astounded to see a faint blush appear in Luke's cheeks. Coughing, Luke smacked Eros's hand away from him. “You were drunk, excuse me for stopping the guy from taking advantage of you.”

“You're excused,” Eros shot back, crossing his arms with a huff. His green eyes narrowed up at Luke, who was a little under a head taller than the brunet. “And what do you mean 'take advantage of me'? I seduced him, thank you very much. What does it do if I was drunk?”

Nico tilted his head to the side as he watched the two. “Congratulations, Luke, it looks like you've found someone to argue like an old married couple with now, too.”

Luke nearly choked. He whipped around to glare at Nico, who only grinned. “Don't fucking compare me to blondie and Santa's favorite helper, twerp!”

Out of nowhere, Eros grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him away from the blond. “Do not speak to him like that, American swine.” With a final glare towards Luke, Eros opened the door. “Come, Nico, you can accompany me to find food before my shift starts.”

Luke's brow furrowed as he took a step towards them. “Wait, wha-”

Eros shut the door, his eyes closed in a smile. “There, that's better.” He released Nico's arm and headed to the elevator. “Come, Nico, I must dress myself quickly, then we shall find something to eat.”

The French Lost Boy didn't take as long to get ready today, which was probably due to the hangover he was probably experiencing. Now that he was not arguing, Eros clutched his head a lot and hovered over the table they now sat at.

Eros's green eyes flickered over to two passing Lost Kids, at least Nico thought they were Lost Kids. Resting his chin on a palm, Eros let out a whistle. “Medea!”

It was the girl that stopped to look at them. She rolled her eyes and said something to the Lost Boy she was walking with before coming over to their table. She was very thin, with long, red fingernails. A tight black shirt rested over her torso, while a short skirt covered her lower half. The Lost Girl's black hair had been tied up in a bun and her arms were decorated by a lot of diamond bracelets.

She huffed and placed her hand on her hips. “What do you want, Eros?” She asked, narrowing her dark green eyes.

With a pout, Eros ran a hand through his hair. “Medea, my sweet, I don't suppose you would mind covering my afternoon shift for me, would you?” He batted those long lashes at the Lost Girl, who did not seem to be ensnared by the boy's charms in the least. “It was a very long night.”

“Aw, I'm sorry to hear that, Eros,” Medea said in a sickeningly sweet British accent. She ran her fingers through the Lost Boy's wavy hair until she took a firm grip of the back of his scalp. “Do I look like I give a damn? Get off your bum and do your own work.”

Eros flipped her off as she left. “Quelle salope.” The brunet cracked his neck as he raised his coffee to his lips. “I see you have a...” Eros motioned to Nico, “limp.” The French boy winked. “You had a good night, no?”

Nico speared a pasta noodle and shoved it into his mouth, his ears burning a little. “Something like that,” he mumbled. Eros arched an eyebrow at him. The pale Lost Boy rubbed his neck with a sigh. “I was hoping to talk to you about Percy, actually.”

“Oh?” Eros plucked a strawberry from a crepe that he was eating and bit down on the tip. “Ask me anything.”

“Well...where do I even start?” Nico sighed. He pursed his lips for a moment, trying to think of the best angle to come at this from. “Percy told me that he liked me when he returned in February.”

“Of course, I told him to grow some boules and get it off his chest.” Eros didn't even look surprised, just waited for Nico to continue.

Nico cleared his throat, his brow furrowed. “Anyways, it feels a little weird what's going on between us right now. It feels odd, because Percy isn't this affectionate with me normally. He's acting like an actual boyfriend would.”

Eros blinked a few times before his eyes started to dart around. “I fail to see the...how to say, dilemma here, mon petit.” The brunet rubbed at his eyes with a yawn. “Do you not wish for your prince to enter and sweep you off your feet and ride into the sunset?”

“Uh, in a place like the Lotus, I don't really see things like that happening.” Nico stared down at his food. “I'm just confused as to what brought it on. You seem to be good at...getting guys, even straight ones, so I thought you might could help.”

A smirk touched at Eros's lips as he cut up some of his crepe and placed it in his mouth. “I would suggest speaking to Percy himself.” The green-eyed Lost Boy crossed his legs, placing his hands in his lap. “I am quite certain that Percy is the only one to give you the answer you seek. But I am also certain that it is nothing for you to worry that pretty little head over.”

“I wish I could have your confidence,” Nico mumbled.

Eros's eyes seemed to dull, his lips tilting down. For a moment, he did not move, staring blankly into space. And then he cleared his throat and stared down at his lap. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Well, there is another problem.” Nico let out a breath. “It's about a Lost Kid from back home. I'm not quite sure what to make of her at this point, she's confusing.” He poked at his food, though he made no attempt to eat it. “She's been at our hotel even longer than Percy has, and she has feelings for Percy. I'm not quite sure how deep they are, but she definitely has feelings for him. And, well, she wants me out of the way.”

A spark ignited in Eros's eyes and his lips tilted back up into a grin. “So, you wish to crush her, yes?”

“Uh, well, I wouldn't go that far.” Nico cleared his throat. “I would just like some...safety precautions. I don't want her trying to ruin anything.” The boy shook his head. “What I really want is for Percy to bring the others here, even though I know it's just wishful thinking. Not to mention that Annabeth would then come with them.”

Eros tapped a finger to his lips. “Well, perhaps you should use your greatest weapon to get what you want.” The French Lost Boy tossed a wink across the table. “Perhaps you should use your...how to say, assets,” he stuck his tongue out playfully at Nico, “to get what you want.”

“You mean, seduce Percy into it?” Nico asked, his brow furrowed. “Would that work?”

“Ah, perhaps you do not realize the power you have, mon chéri.” Eros tilted his head to the side. “Percy might have grown up in this life, learned all the tricks of the trade, but he is still a man. He still has a penis, and he is very attracted by you. So, I would say, yes, work your magic on Percy to get what you want.”

Nico leaned on the table. “Well, that doesn't really help me with the more pressing issue. I couldn't just flat out ask Percy to keep Annabeth in America, if I wanted to bring the rest here.” His brow furrowed. “Though, she is under consideration to be the next branch manager.”

A devious smile was on Eros's lips when the other Lost Boy looked up. “That is quite easy. As you said, she is a potential candidate. However, I would suggest knowing all you can on your enemy before attacking.”

“Luke's brother suggested something similar.” Nico let out a sigh. “Well, he wanted me to talk to Luke about Annabeth. Apparently, Luke knows her very well, but Octavian seemed concerned about her past.”

“Excellente idée. Sounds to me like you already have a plan.” Leaning back in his chair, Eros lifted his coffee and took a long sip. “Though, I must ask something on your blond traveling companion.”

“Luke? What about him?”

Without missing a beat, Eros replied, “How is he in bed?”

Nico nearly fell out of his chair. “What?” His eyes bulged a little. “What makes you think I would know?”

Eros just blinked at him. “You implied it yourself. Yesterday, when we were dressing you up, you mentioned people told you and him that you two should have sex. I assumed that they no longer said it because you two did it like two animals in heat.” The brunet sat up in his seat, leaning slightly against the table. “So?”

“Uh, well...”

It was a little before business hours concluded that Percy, Nico, and Luke left. Luke ended up going back to his room, which left Percy and Nico to walk around the golf course alone. For a while, Nico just stared up at the sky and admired the stars. It wasn't until he felt Percy lace their fingers together that the Lost Boy looked down.

“So, how's your vacation going?” Percy asked.

Nico felt his lips tilt up into a smile. “It's great, thank you for bringing me.” The boy gave a shrug, staring down at the grass. “Perhaps a little strange, at least with you.”

Percy seemed to be surprised by that remark. The young man came to a halt, tilting his head to the side. “What am I doing to confuse you?”

“Just, um...” Nico motioned at the young man. “I don't know, just the way you're acting. You're being very affectionate.”

The corners of Percy's lips tilted up and he took a step closer, wrapping his arms around Nico's waist. “And that bothers you?”

“Well, you're not usually like this.”

Percy let out a chuckle. “I'm sorry.” Reaching up, the young man brushed some of Nico's hair out of his eyes. “Well, I don't have any responsibilities right now, not exactly anyways. I thought I could let you see how things will be when we move here.”

Nico pressed his lips into a thin line, not looking up to meet Percy's gaze. “And I am coming here with you?” His brow furrowed as he rested both of his hands on Percy's chest, taking a firm grip of the young man's shirt. “Or are you considering what Annabeth said? I want to come here with you, Percy, if that's what you're worried about.”

Percy tilted his head to the side. “I would just want what was best for you.”

As his eyes grew angry, Nico shoved Percy away. “No!” He finally looked up, his eyes burning with a deep irritation. “Don't talk to me about the future if you can't promise me that there will be a future for us! That's not fair to me, if you're planning on leaving me behind.”

Percy's eyes widened at Nico's outburst. Frowning, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I'm not going to stop you from coming with me, even if I think you might be better off with your sister.” The green-eyed young man reached out and tilted Nico's chin up. “You make your own choices. If this is what you want, it's what you'll have.”

“And what about what you want?”

Percy's hand slid up to cup Nico's cheek and he leaned in to press a quick kiss to Nico's lips. “As I said, I want you. I'm acting this way with you, because I thought it was what you wanted.” He let out a chuckle. “If you haven't noticed, I haven't even touched a Lost Kid since we've been here. If I didn't want to kiss you, I wouldn't. If I didn't want to touch you, I wouldn't. You are what I want, Nico. You make me happy, and I feel better about things when I have you around.” Smiling, Percy ruffled Nico's hair. “However, if you do want to come to Germany, I'll need you to tell your sister. You.” He held up a hand when Nico opened his mouth. “Those are my terms. If this is what you want, you have to be the one to lay it out for your sister. If you want to stay with me, I won't let her take you, but this is something you have to do.”

Letting out a breath, Nico gave a nod. “I know.” He chewed on his lip for a moment before looking into those sea-green eyes. “I will tell her, I just need to find the right time.”

Percy kissed Nico's temple. “Don't wait too long. I think it would be better the sooner you did it.” Taking Nico's hand in his again, Percy started to walk. “Just...keep in mind things will need to be toned down some when we get back home. So, enjoy the affection while we are here, but we still have to be professional back home.”

Nico let out a sigh. “What will be different?”

“This.” Percy held up their hands. “It's not that I'm ashamed of you or don't want to, but you're still my employee that has to do their job. The closer we appear, the more certain clients will seek to exploit a weakness. I'm planning on reducing your time as time goes on, but clients will probably request ridiculous amounts of time with you. The picture of us together the other night probably won't help matters, to be honest.”

“I understand,” Nico whispered.

“Good.” Percy's brow furrowed. “No kissing in public, or just don't expect much of it at all.” He glanced at Nico when the boy came to a stop.

“Why not just let me quit now then?”

A sigh came from Percy and Nico glanced up at him. “Because, I don't want it to seem like you're just quitting because you're with me now. I don't think you want the others to think that of you either. But, if that's what you want, I can allow it.”

For a moment, Nico really did consider it. “It'll just be less as time goes on, right?” He mumbled. Percy gave a nod. “I suppose I can deal with it for another two months.”

“Month.”

“What?”

Percy rubbed the back of Nico's hand with his thumb. “I only ask a month. I'll give you the rest of your time in Los Angeles preparing for finals and getting things in order.” He let out a sigh. “And, if I'm not busy with one of the others, you're welcome to come sleep with me.”

That made Nico smile for a little while, until Eros's words from earlier came back to him. “I'm fine with that, but I have my own conditions.”

“You do?” Percy arched an eyebrow at him. “I wasn't aware that we were up for negotiations on your part.”

“Well, we are.” Standing strong, Nico crossed his arms and stood up straight, even though it didn't make him near as tall as Percy. He still just barely fit underneath the young man's chin. “If you're asking all of this from me, then I feel it only fair that I do the same to you.”

Percy smiled a little, which made Nico melt. “Okay, go ahead.”

“As this time passes, and my time is reduced, then you have to conduct hour negotiations with the other Lost Kids less. Well, at least in your usual fashion.”

For a moment, Percy was his usual unreadable self. He just stared at Nico with his sea-green eyes boring into Nico's very soul. But then he smiled, which eased Nico's nerves a lot. “You have yourself a deal.” Reaching out, he shook on it. “However, you suck at negotiations, since I was already planning on doing what you just asked of me.”

It was Nico's turn to smile. Percy really was amazing. It was true that the young man could be terrifying when he wanted to be, but Nico stopped being afraid of him a long time ago. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and leaned up for a kiss. Percy's hands found their way to Nico's hips and the Lost Boy let out a sigh of contentment.

Pulling back, Nico opened his eyes to stare into Percy's eyes. Their faces were still close, Percy even had his forehead resting against Nico's. And, for the first time in months, Nico said the one thing that he had once been terrified to say to the young man.

“I love you.”

He didn't care what Kronos said anymore, Nico had moved past that. Perhaps when he first said it, the Lost Boy didn't know if he truly meant what he said, but now he did. Nico did love Percy. Not only that, he was in love with him. He wanted this, his heart wanted it. He wanted all of Percy and to never let him go.

Percy smiled and kissed Nico's nose. “I know,” he said, adding another kiss to Nico's lips. “I really do care about you, Nico.”

For some reason, it didn't sting when Percy didn't say it back this time. Percy had come a long way, and Nico knew he was the first person that Percy had really had romantic feelings for. He could understand if Percy was still trying to sort through some of his feelings. This was all new to the green-eyed young man and Nico would happily wait patiently for it to be said back to him.

And, once again, Nico had to wonder if Percy was able to read his mind. The young man cupped the boy's face. “I just... I don't want you to think that I'll never say it back, I just need some time.” With a sigh, he finally released Nico and took a step back. “You mean a lot to me, Nico, and I promise you that I will say it to you eventually. But only when I'm ready.”

A wave of warmth coursed through Nico's body. “I know,” he said softly. “Take your time, it's fine, really.” He offered Percy a reassuring smile. “I do understand, believe me.”

For a while, Percy and Nico just walked in silence. They didn't hold hands, but their shoulders brushed from time to time. Given what all he just heard, Nico had a lot on his mind. It was a lot to take in. Everything was falling into place, and it looked like he could have the happy ending with Percy he had always hoped for. There were just two pressing issues that he still needed to address.

“Um, there's something else,” Nico finally confessed. “It's about the others back home.” Letting out a sigh, Nico came to a stop and looked up at Percy. “Would it be possible for them to come here when we move, if they wanted to?”

Percy blinked and scratched his cheek. “Well, I mean, there are a lot already here. I can't just up and move them, there needs to be Lost Kids back in Los Angeles. I'm not sure if the ones here would want to leave.”

“But isn't it possible?” The Lost Boy pursed his lips. “You'll be in charge, don't you make the rules? If they wanted to come, couldn't you arrange for it?” He lightly shook his head. “I don't want to lose all of them, I don't want to say goodbye to them. Can't they come? Or at least some of them? There has to be a way.”

Crossing his arms, Percy looked down at their feet. “Is this what's been bothering you?” He asked. Nico nodded. Percy clicked his tongue and rubbed at his jaw. “Nico, you're asking something very big here.”

“Please?” Nico pleaded, reaching out to take Percy's hand. “I really want them to come. Can you please do this for me? I won't ask for anything else, I promise.”

Percy chuckled and reached up to run his fingers through Nico's hair. “Don't make promises that you know you can't keep.” He let out a sigh when the pleading look in Nico's eyes did not go away. “I'll think about it. I will talk to them and see what they want. If they do-”

“Yes!” Nico shot his hands into the air.

Percy narrowed his eyes. “If they do, I will try and work something out, so they can be transferred to the German branch. But you realize that this will mean rooting up a lot of Lost Kids from here to make this happen, right?”

“Yes,” the brown-eyed boy said softly. “I just...don't want to lose our family. More family, for me anyways. I know I have to give up my sister, but I'd like to keep the family I've made at the Lotus.” Nico's eyes sparked with intrigue, his lips settling into a thin line. There was one last thing he needed to do. “And what about your position? I was curious if you figured out who you would choose.”

Letting out a long breath, Percy massaged his neck. “I think you're going to give me sore muscles from stress, if you keep up with these questions.” He let out another sigh and fixed Nico with a look. “It's still possible that I could change my mind, but I think I have my choice.”

“And?” Nico blinked curiously. When he first arrived at the Lotus, there was no way Nico could have pulled off such a poker face. Yet here he was now, doing exactly that. If Percy saw through it, though, he showed no sign of it. “I mean, Annabeth seems like the best choice to me. She's really smart, not to mention she already works to keep the Lost Kids in line. She's been at the hotel a long time, and I think she would be a natural at the position.”

“Do you?” Percy arched a brow at him.

Nico gulped. Was Percy on to him? “Yeah, of course. Don't you agree?”

Percy's lips tilted up and he placed an arm around Nico's back, guiding the boy back to Gaea's mansion. The fact that he didn't say anything, though, worried Nico a little. This was what he needed. If Nico wanted to ensure that Annabeth couldn't screw up Nico's relationship with Percy, she needed to be out of the picture. She needed to be put in a position that kept her far away from Percy, at least for the majority of the year. All that was left was to uncover her story, which meant Nico needed to talk to Luke.

As it turned out, that conversation would have to wait.

The amazing night Nico was having quickly came to an end when they found Luke and Kronos at the foot of the stairs inside the mansion. It didn't matter that there wasn't shouting, Nico knew nothing good could come from those two being alone together. And Nico's concern only grew when he saw the dark look in Luke's eyes and the manic grin on Kronos's face.

“Luke?” Nico called out as Percy shut the door. The blond didn't turn around. His jaw clenched as he glared at Kronos, his fists tightening at his sides. “Luke, come talk to me, I need your help with something.”

But as Nico reached out for him, Luke ripped his arm away. “Don't touch me,” he growled, causing the brown-eyed boy to draw back in surprise.

Instead of saying anything, though, Percy just stood there and watched. His eyes shifted from Kronos to Luke, his lips tilting down into a frown. Kronos just smiled innocently back at the young man, as if he had done nothing wrong at all. However, Nico's concern remained with the blond, who was currently on his way out the front door.

Without waiting around, Nico went after the blond, leaving Percy to deal with his brother. Nico doubted Kronos would get punished or anything, but he did hope that Percy chewed him out a little. Wishful thinking, even if he knew it probably wouldn't happen.

Luke kicked harshly at the grass beneath his feet. “I don't want to hear it.”

Nico pressed his lips together. “Do you want to talk about it? What did he say?”

“It doesn't really matter, now does it?” Luke whipped around and glared down at the other Lost Boy. “Why don't you just leave me alone? You know, since this is your fault.”

Nico's eyes widened a little. “How is it my fault?” He asked in surprise.

“Because,” Luke yelled, “you're the one that brought me to this godforsaken hellhole!” With his eyes blazing in anger, Luke pointed back at the house. “You're the one that had me get invited on the trip, the one that brought me around him!”

“I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to make up for your lack of a birthday.” Nico rubbed at his arm, unsure of what else to do. “It's only a few more days.”

“Yeah, and you don't have to deal with him. He's not bothering you.”

That was actually very true. But, if Nico had to guess, it was probably due to the fact that he was usually around Percy. If not Percy, Nico was usually with someone, and Kronos seemed to target people more often when he could catch them alone. And Nico had really not been alone once since he got to Germany.

With a grunt, Luke turned and shoved his hands into his pockets, heading away from the mansion. Nico blinked a few times before taking a few steps after him. “Wait,” the raven haired boy called out.

“No.” Without warning, Luke stopped, turned around, and pushed Nico away. “Stay away. I'm going to the arcade, you can just go back inside and enjoy the rest of your night. Now get the fuck away from me.”

Nico did not try to follow this time when Luke walked off. He let out a heavy sigh before he turned around and headed back inside. This sucked. Why did Kronos have to be here?

When Nico stepped inside, he found Percy sitting on the stairs. The young man smiled and stood up, offering his hand out to Nico. “Everything okay?”

“No,” Nico whispered. He took Percy's hand and let the young man lead him upstairs. “Luke is upset, said he was going to the arcade.”

Percy nodded. “He just needs to cool off.” He glanced at Nico from the corner of his eyes. “If it's really bothering you, we can check up on him in the morning, after he's cooled off.” A smile spread across the young man's lips. “I have the day off, so I thought I'd take you around Berlin. You should actually see the city while we're here, not just see it through a car window.”

Nico let out a breath. “I'd like that.”

The next morning turned out to be quite eventful. Percy had let Nico sleep in, which meant that Nico missed breakfast. However, the way that Percy finally woke him up had been very enjoyable. But it was not until Nico and Percy knocked on Luke's door that Nico got the start to his very interesting day.

It took a few knocks, but Nico finally heard movement from inside Luke's room. The door finally opened, revealing a dark room and Luke, who was clad only in his boxers. His hair was a complete mess and...were those scratch marks on his chest? He didn't look irritated anymore, though, which was a relief.

“Um, good morning?” Nico mumbled, partially looking around Luke's room.

Percy had a slight smirk on his face. “Have a good night there, Luke?”

Stretching his arms over his head, Luke gave a shrug. “I suppose.”

“Uh-huh.” Arching a brow, Percy reached around the corner and flipped on the lights.

The bed looked like a complete disaster area. The comforter was mostly on the floor, which also contained clothes. Not just Luke's clothes either, but a second pair. Which brought Nico's attention to the brown head of hair that poked out from the mass of sheets that had been bunched up around the person laying there, who seemed to still be asleep.

It took Nico a moment, but then it hit him just where he'd seen that hair before. “Is that...Eros?” He asked, pointing to the bed.

Percy slipped his hands into his pockets. “I guess you did have a good night.” He grinned and kicked at Luke's shirt, which was still on the floor. “Mind explaining why your clothes are wet?”

Coughing, Luke rubbed at his arm. “We had a late night swim?”

“In your clothes?” Percy replied, unconvinced. “Eros would swim naked, so I'm not sure I buy that.” With a grin, he shook his head. “But I am glad to see that you're enjoying yourself.”

Nico was still having a hard time just wrapping his head around all of this. Luke...and Eros...had sex? The guy that Luke said irritated him? Well, he knew Eros had been interested in getting Luke into bed, so it seemed like he succeeded in his endeavors.

“Um,” Nico managed to finally get out, “I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to the arcade? Percy has some things he has to take care of, then we were going to go into Berlin, if you wanted to join.”

Uh...” Luke glanced over his shoulder, scratching at his head. “Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up.”

Twenty minutes later, Nico and Luke were out the door. Eros must have left at some point, because when Nico came back to fetch Luke, the brunet was gone. Luke had yet to comment on the whole thing. In fact, the blond barely took his eyes off his feet.

However, Nico came to a stop when he found the second part of his interesting morning. Across the way, several men were in the process of pulling a golf cart out of the pond that was between Gaea's mansion and the hotel. When he noticed it, Luke's ears turned slightly red. Nico just glanced between Luke and the pond. Oh yeah, they had a late night swim all right.

They had about an hour to kill in the arcade, which was just fine with Nico. But it seemed like more maintenance people were in the arcade as well. Lou was staring at the men as they worked on a pinball machine, which had its glass barrier cracked, like something heavy had been dropped on it. The back legs had also been broken, which seemed to be the primary concern of the maintenance workers.

“Something happen?” Nico asked the Lost Girl as they walked up to the counter.

Lou simply shrugged. “I found it like this when I came in this morning.”

Nico glanced over at Luke, who was not even bothering to pay attention to Lou or the machine. “Luke, didn't you come here last night when you got upset? Did you see anything?”

Slowly, Luke shook his head. “Nope, can't say that I did.”

And then walked in the cherry to Nico's morning. Eros came in with a huge smile on his face, his arms stretching over his head. He walked straight up to Luke and wrapped his arms around the blond's neck from behind. “Alors, on retourne sur le lieu du crime?”

Whatever Eros said, Lou narrowed her eyes at the two of them. “Did you...?” She shivered. “Gross. Come on, Eros, this is my work place.”

The brunet pouted, not even bothering to release Luke. “It's not like I have never covered for you before. And I didn't stop you when you-”

“Okay!” Lou's face turned a little red. She let out a sigh and rubbed her temple. “I'm going to have to sterilize that when they fix it.”

Sticking his tongue out at the girl playfully, Eros nuzzled against Luke's back. Finally, Luke huffed and pried himself free of the brunet's arms. “I don't recall signing up for all this affection when I fucked you.” The blond's blue eyes darted over to a woman that gasped and covered her son's ears as she passed them. “I don't like the touching.”

Biting down on his lip, Eros trailed a finger down Luke's chest. “That's not how it was last night.” The brunet rubbed at his back. “Though, I am still a little sore from the first and third time.” With a devilish grin, he winked at the blond. “Though, you were very gentle when you took off my wet clothes after getting back to your room. And you seemed to really enjoy the way I used my tongue to-”

“Shut up,” Luke growled clamping a hand over the brunet's mouth. “No more talking, asshole.” He glared down at Eros, who seemed much too pleased with himself. “Anyways, what the fuck are you doing here?”

“Oh.” Reaching under the counter, Lou pulled out a laser tag gun. “Eros monitors the laser tag area once or twice a week.”

With a grin, Eros pointed his newly acquired gun at Luke. “Pew pew.”

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes. “Why did I have sex with you?”

Eros bit down on his lip and held the gun behind his head. “I thought it was because I have a great ass and am amazing in bed, which we seem to have in common.” He only grinned more when Luke shot him an annoyed look. “So, my room or yours tonight?”

“Neither,” Luke grumbled. “It was just one night.”

Eros just tilted his head to the side. “We shall see.”

“Come on, twerp,” Luke muttered, taking Nico by the arm and taking him to the other side of the arcade.

Nico glanced at the blond as he started a Pac-Man game. “Um, I didn't think you would turn down sex.”

“Don't want to talk about it.”

“I mean, if you enjoyed it...” Nico trailed off. His brow furrowed when Luke didn't answer. “I think Eros likes you, or at least likes having sex with you. Well, I mean, he's been kind of taken with you since we first arrived.” Still nothing. He let out a sigh. “You're not interested at all?”

For a brief second, Luke glanced at Nico. “It was just sex, no need to go and add that feelings shit you're so passionate about.” Cracking his neck, Luke went back to his game.

Nico actually smiled at that. By now, Nico knew Luke well enough to see through his little act. Deep down, even if he didn't want to admit it, Luke had to have some sort of interest in Eros. Perhaps it was just sexual, or maybe there were real feelings involved. Either way, this was the blond's normal defense mechanism.

Which then made Nico frown. What was Luke worried about? Why did he feel the need to feel defensive? The raven haired boy's dark eyes watched the blond carefully. Well, perhaps there were two things that Nico needed to talk to Luke about now.

----------------------

 
Translations:
Quel heure est-il, Cecil? [What time is it, Cecil?]
You! Qu'est-ce que tu veux, bordel? J'essayais de pécho hier soir, et t'arrives et tu gâches tous ! [What the fuck do you want? I was trying to get laid last night, and then you go and ruin it!]
Eros, en Anglais, s'il te plaît. [In English, please, Eros]
Quelle salope. [What a bitch]
boules[balls]
mon petit [my little one]
Excellente idée [An excellent idea]
Alors, on retourne sur le lieu du crime?[Back to the scene of the crime?]