Children of Loss 53

Chapter 53

One thing that Nico would never understand was why Wile E. Coyote did not just take his business elsewhere, since the Acme Corporation clearly was not getting the job done for him. This was what ran through the Lost Boy's head as he sat on the floor, watching TV, with a glass of orange juice next to him and a blanket wrapped tightly around him. He was still sick, so Percy had kept him home from school under Will's orders. It wasn't so bad, at least not until Nico had to take his medicine.

The stuff tasted like the bottom of someone's foot.

Was it sad that Nico knew what that tasted like? His time with Kronos in charge had not been a pleasant one, not with some of the weird things that the clients down in the kink rooms wanted. At least that stuff was over.

Nico broke eye contact with the TV when the door opened. His lips tilted up at the sight of Percy coming back to check on him. Percy had let Nico sleep with him the night before and made Nico remain in his suite while the young man was at work.

Percy sat down on the couch beside Nico and the boy let his head fall onto the green-eyed young man's leg. “How are you feeling?” Before he even got an answer, Percy placed a hand on Nico's forehead. “You're still a little warm.”

Nico pouted as he tilted his head back to look at Percy, the blanket falling off of his head in the process. Percy smiled down at him and leaned in for a kiss, but Nico pulled back. “Are you trying to get sick?” Nico huffed.

Percy let out a sigh. “Well, not if you don't let me kiss you.” He rolled his eyes and grabbed Nico's head, holding the boy in place while he leaned down and pressed an innocent kiss to Nico's lips. “I'll take my chances. But you should go back to bed, if you're still feeling bad.”

“I'm fine.” Still leaving his head on Percy's leg, Nico turned his attention back to the TV. He smiled as he watched the coyote plummet off a cliff.

Percy grunted and leaned back against the couch. “Your sister is coming by after school,” the green-eyed boy announced. A very undignified noise escaped Nico's throat, which made his face turn red. He sounded like some pathetic baby animal. “She wants to check on you, since you're sick, and to see how your trip went.” Percy made Nico look up at him. “If I were you, I'd use this as a time to talk to her about moving. You're sick, she's not going to get angry with a sick person.”

Nico whined again, which did not sound any better than the last noise he made. He pouted when Percy laughed at him. This wasn't funny.

“Especially if you sound like that,” Percy continued.

Nico sighed and removed his head from Percy's leg. Glaring at nothing in particular, Nico pulled the blanket back over his head. “You're mean.”

Percy fell onto his side, so that his head was now on Nico's other side. From the corner of his eye, Nico could see the wicked grin on the young man's face. “And you're very cute when you're sick.”

Nico reached up and rubbed his nose. “Shut up,” he mumbled. The boy let out a breath and turned to face his sort of boyfriend. Nico really was not sure what he was supposed to call Percy for the time being. “Can I ask you something?”

Percy's eyes widened a little, blinking at the boy. His grin slowly slipped away. “Anything.”

“It's about this conference coming up.” Nico fiddled with a fraction of his blanket to avoid eye contact with Percy. “Luke's mother is going to be there, isn't she? That's what Kronos was tormenting him about, right?”

When Nico finally chanced a look, Percy had his brow furrowed. The young man reached and pushed the blanket off of Nico's head, letting his fingers tangle in strands of Nico's hair. “Yes,” Percy replied softly. “They'll probably see each other, but I've assured Luke that it would be for no more than a day or two. Plus, I will make sure they are kept apart as much as possible.”

“She doesn't know that her sons live here, does she?”

Percy slowly shook his head. “Not even an inclination.” He brushed a strand of Nico's hair out of the boy's face. “You shouldn't worry about it, I have everything under control.”

As Percy sat up, the young man pulled Nico into his lap. Their lips met and Nico let out a breathless moan. When they pulled back, Nico smiled a little. He maneuvered himself so that his head was in the young man's lap, his body completely relaxing when Percy slowly began to trace his fingers along Nico's shirtless back.

Later that afternoon, Nico laid on the couch in his suite. Why was he now in his suite? Because Percy apparently didn't want Bianca to have access to his floor after she heard Nico's news. So, he sent Nico back to his own suite around two hours ago with some medicine and the promise that Nico could come back to Percy's floor after it was over.

Coward.

Not that he was much better. The Lost Boy instantly tensed when there was a knock at his door. With a deep breath, Nico slowly got up and walked over to open the door. Bianca smiled at him and enveloped him in a tight hug. “I'm so glad that you're home,” she said, squeezing him even tighter.

“I feel like we're back to where we started a few months ago,” Nico wheezed out.

“Sorry.” Bianca chuckled and released her brother. “So, what did you get me?”

Nico rolled his eyes and motioned to the coffee table, where he had placed Bianca's souvenirs. He got her a coffee mug, a new purse, some postcards, and a new dress. The last one definitely caught her attention, if the size of her eyes was anything to go by.

“Nico, how much did this cost?” She asked, holding the dress up to her body.

Her brother just shrugged, rubbing at his neck and keeping his eyes on the floor. “It's really not important.” He had been smart enough to remove the price tags earlier. She probably would have had a heart attack if she learned the price.

Her eyes narrowed and slowly drifted over to her brother's nervous face. Nico pursed his lips tightly and tried his best to look innocent. This was not good. “Nico, does this have anything to do with those tabloids that I've been seeing? Daedalus got harassed at school because people wanted to know where you were.” She let out a sigh and put the dress down. “You are on the front pages and even on the occasional news program. Dad was very furious when he saw that, but his new girlfriend-”

“Persephone.”

Bianca blinked at him. “Right, I forget that she's the reason Dad found out.” The girl shook her head lightly. “Either way, you can thank her for talking our father out of calling the police to inform them that Percy is having his way with you. That's what he thinks anyways.” Her dark eyes narrowed when Nico averted his own eyes. “Nico...please tell me that your boss is not being inappropriate with you. Daedalus told me that you had a crush on Percy in the beginning, is that true? Has he touched you? Is he taking advantage of you?”

Nico gulped. His sister looked ready to murder. “Um, well,” the Lost Boy rubbed his neck, “I wouldn't really say that he's taking advantage of me.” He chewed on his lip for a second before chancing a glance at his sister. The look of madness that they had inherited from their father was there in full force. “I do like... Um, well, he's being really sweet, and-”

“Is he having sex with you?”

Well shit. This could only end badly. It was nice knowing you, Percy. Hell hath no fury like Nico's sister. Better Percy than Nico, right? Percy would be fine. Probably. Hopefully.

Nico's hesitance was clearly not the right answer. Before Nico even realized what was happening, Bianca had the door open and was heading out into the hall. The brown-eyed boy shot into the hall and grabbed his sister's arm.

“B, where are you going?” He asked.

She whirled around on him. “To kick your boss in the balls. That way, he will be reluctant to take his junk out of his pants whenever he sees you.” She marched onward to the elevator. “He'll remember that my brother should not be used like this, simply because he offered you a place to live. You can just move in with Daedalus until you graduate, if that's the issue.”

Nico began to panic. “Bianca, wait!” That got her attention. His older sister came to a halt and slowly turned to face him again. Nico took in a deep breath. “It's not like that. Can we just...go back to my room and talk? Please?”

She complied, though the girl was clearly not happy about it. Bianca followed Nico with her arms crossed over her chest. When they got back to his room, Nico closed the door. Bianca was already pacing furiously at the foot of Nico's bed.

Nico took in another breath and motioned for Bianca to stop her pacing. “Percy is going to be taking over the hotel chain, just like the media has been saying. Yes, I've been working here and doing things that I know you don't approve of, but the situation has changed. Is changing.” Nico relaxed his shoulders. “Percy offered me a committed relationship. He wouldn't be taking advantage of me, I wouldn't even have to keep working like I am. I would be taken care of.” He searched his sister's eyes, but they were unreadable. “I care about him a lot, B, and he likes me back. So, I accepted his offer when he asked. It was my decision, one that he offered me. Percy has never forced himself on me, or even done anything that I didn't want. If anything, you should be mad at me. I'm the one that tried to get into his pants to begin with.”

“You can't be serious!” Bianca replied, throwing her hands into the air. “Nico, you are underage. He could go to jail, I don't understand why he would suggest something like this. He could just be using you.”

Nico snorted. “For what? I don't have anything valuable to offer him, B.” The raven haired boy plopped down on his bed. “And I don't think he's too concerned about the police, to be honest. Really, it's fine, you don't need to worry.”

Bianca let out a long sigh and sat down beside her brother. “I will always worry about you, twerp.” She placed a soft hand on his back and rubbed small circles. “You don't have to do this regardless, because you could just go to school and leave this place behind. You don't have to have Percy to get out of this life.” Her brow furrowed as she studied his expression. “Tell me that you were planning on leaving.”

“Um,” Nico licked his lips, “about that.” He let out a long breath, his shoes suddenly very interesting. “See, Percy is going to be moving to Germany when he takes over.”

Bianca just shrugged. “Then you shouldn't worry about him, he'll be half a world away.”

This was much harder than he realized it would be. “Bianca...”

His sister's face paled. “Nico, please tell me you're not about to say what I think you are.” When no answer came, she placed her hands over her face and took a deep breath.

“I want to move, B. It would be a fresh start. I could be so far away from our father, and I wouldn't have to worry about surviving. Percy isn't going to hurt me.” Nico pressed his lips together, his brow furrowed. “Well, not intentionally. He wouldn't mean to hurt me. Really, Percy actually tried to push me away, thinking he wasn't good for me.”

Bianca had her lips tightly pursed. She didn't look at Nico, wouldn't look at him. Nico felt a lump in his throat. “I...” Bianca began. “Well, I guess I can't stop you, and I can't make decisions for you your whole life.” She lowered her gaze. It hurt a little that she wouldn't look at him, but Nico knew how hard this probably was for her. They wouldn't see each other but a few times a year. “If this is what you really want...”

A smile became plastered on Nico's face. If anything, this was the closest he could get to parental consent. It was really the only family member's opinion that Nico cared about. “Thank you!” He threw his arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “I promise that you don't need to worry about me.”

Bianca rolled her eyes and patted her brother's back. “Yeah, yeah. Just tell Percy that he better take damn good care of you, or I will come hunt him down in Germany. I don't care how rich and powerful he is, I'll cut his balls off if he hurts you.”

Nico slowly pulled back. “Are you sure you're okay with this?”

“The Germany part? Not so much.” She let out a sigh. Much to Nico's surprise, a smile formed on her lips. “However, I am glad that you are happy. With him, not this place. And he better not have you still strip. You best be keeping your clothes on now, aside from Percy. No point in telling you not to do that, since you two have already did the deed.” She ruffled her brother's hair. “He does make you happy, right?”

Nico nodded with a smile. “Very much.”

Bianca nodded and stood up. “I think I'm going to go for a long walk, maybe take up drinking.”

Nico snorted. “Thank you, Bianca.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don't forget about how awesome I am.” She smiled and leaned down to kiss her brother on the top of his head. “Make sure you call or message me somehow once or twice a week while you are over there.”

“I will,” Nico assured her.

With a final nod and a hug, Bianca left and Nico was left alone in his room. The boy let out a long breath, falling back on his bed. He needed a massage. That had been way too stressful, but at least it was over. And Percy still had his balls. That was always a plus, Nico supposed.

His head fell to the side, his eyes opening on his closet. The boy blinked, his brow furrowing when his gaze locked on to a small box on the top shelf of the back portion of his closet. Nico slid off the bed and entered his closet. Standing on his tiptoes and stretching his arm, Nico pulled the box down. It was rather small, but Nico still remembered it.

It was strange to think that something so small could cause so much distress. When he had gotten the box, Nico had refused to open it. The thing just sat on his dresser, taunting him. When that got to be too much, Nico had stuffed it into his closet and had long since been forgotten. At least until now.

Scrunching his lips, Nico debated just leaving it unopened. It wasn't like he would probably use whatever it was. And if it was something out of the ordinary, Nico would just go back to being afraid that he had one of those creepy obsessed people for a client.

No, Nico was stronger than this, he was better than this. Without any more hesitation, Nico tore off the top of the box. His eyes fell upon the object inside and the Lost Boy just blinked at it. Reaching in, Nico pulled out a laced red thong.

Nico snorted and dropped it back into the box, sealing the lid back on it. Not so much something from an obsessed person, but rather someone that just wanted to see Nico in something perverted. He would not be using them. Nico groaned and dropped the box in the trash. When all of this over, he would probably toss out about half of the underwear he had.

The briefs, boxers, boxer-briefs, and things like speedos were fine. Thongs just were not Nico's thing. Even after adjusting to this life, Nico hated putting them on. It wasn't about his masculinity, Nico had never really figured trying to preserve that image was important. No, it was just the simple fact that Nico did not find thongs appealing.

He would much rather wear something that hugged his ass tightly, than have something that worked like dental floss when he walked.

Nico did not get to go upstairs for the performances that night. Percy had forbid it, so that Nico did not risk getting the clients sick. Great priorities. It was so nice to see what was truly important. Percy had just grinned when Nico had told him all that. But Percy was happy to hear that Bianca had given Nico her blessing to move to Germany.

Still, Nico was dragged to the conference room across from Percy's office after all of the Lost Kids were done for the night. It was time to announce Percy's replacement. Nico could not help but watch Annabeth very carefully as they waited for Percy to arrive. Her face was blank, but she tapped her finger insistently on the wooden table. The question was: Was she doing it because she wanted the promotion, or was she anxious because she was hoping Percy would pass her up?

The other Lost Kids really did not seem concerned over it, save for Octavian. The blond had his arm rests in a death grip. The twins had busied themselves with trying to toss jellybeans into each other's mouths. Then there was Luke, who was too busy staring at his phone to even look up when Percy entered the room.

Other than Leo and Rachel, Nico was the only one that knew that Percy actually had two things to tell everyone. Luke knew that the subject was up for debate, but the blond did not know that Percy had made up his mind. It would make things more difficult with Annabeth when she learned. What if she got the position and gave it up?

Could she do that?

Percy shifted his weight onto his right hip and placed his hands behind his head. “So, as you know I need to name my replacement.” The young man popped his lips. “However, it's not the only thing I need to tell you about.” His eyes flickered over to where Nico sat, and the look in those sea-green eyes let the Lost Boy know that Percy had not told him everything. “There are two other things.”

Nico sat up in his chair. Two? Percy had not mentioned anything else. What the hell did Nico not know? Was this going to screw things up for Nico's plans?

Percy blew out a breath. “So, I guess I should start with the replacement.” He nodded his head lightly. “It really wasn't that hard of a decision. Annabeth,” Percy said. The blonde tensed and held her breath. “You will be an amazing branch manager, Annabeth.”

Nico released a sigh of relief. Everything was good. Annabeth would stay here and Nico could be happy. He had won. And Annabeth did not look happy about that. She did smile, but the look in her gray eyes clearly told a different story.

“But...”

Nico felt his face pale. This was not going to be good. The raven haired boy buried his face into his hands.

Percy pointed over to Ocatvian. “However, there was something else discussed at the manager meeting. Athena wants to retire in another year or two.” Percy lifted his hands in a shrug. “So, Octavian, it might be possible for you to get that position, if you wanted it. You speak plenty of languages, so it's not like you aren't qualified.”

Nico was not sure if he wanted to be relieved just yet. While everyone else was focused on Octavian or Percy, Nico had his gaze trained on Annabeth. The blonde did not seem so irritated any longer, and Nico had a good hunch as to why.

“But, of course, the position will be picked from all the hotels, so there's no sure guarantee,” Percy continued. He scratched at his cheek. “The other part is something for all of you, except Annabeth, since she will be taking my place here.” A smirk touched at the young man's lips. “I want to open the doors for transfer. This can apply to any Lost Kid. From any hotel, to any hotel. If you want to come to Germany with me and Nico, you are welcome to put in an application.

“I will work with the particular branch manager and work out arrangements for swapping Lost Kids. Like, say that five of you want to come to Germany, I will have to make sure five get placed here from the German branch, unless Annabeth can round five new Lost Kids up around here. Everything still needs to be balanced, just keep that in mind.” Percy smiled over at Nico, which some of the Lost Kids did seem to catch. “I want this to be sort of a new day for the Lotus Hotel. Leo and Rachel will make sure that forms are available in my office in the next week or two.” Those green eyes slowly moved their way around the room, giving each of them an unspoken message. “Some of you may finally be able to be where you want to be, maybe even with someone that you want to be with.”

When he said that, Percy had looked straight at Hazel. The girl did her best to suppress a smile. She wanted to go be with Frank. It made Nico a little sad to realize that, knowing that he wouldn't get to see her after they moved if that was the case. He just hoped that some of the others would take the offer.

“Wait,” Annabeth said, holding up a hand. “You said that you and Nico would be moving to Germany.”

That definitely caught everyone's attention. Will glanced over at Nico, his brow furrowed. The twins grinned wickedly. “Is the boss finally settling down?” They both asked in unison.

Percy let out a sigh and rubbed at his neck. “I was going to bring that up later. Um,” his eyes flickered up to where Nico sat, “yes, Nico is going to be moving to Berlin with me. Um, I, sort of...like...him.”

Nico was really not sure if he had ever seen Percy blush like this before. The young man's cheeks were a bright pink, which really amused Nico. The tables had turned.

“So, you're going to have an open relationship?” Annabeth asked. “I mean, you have business to conduct here and all. And what about when you move?”

“Uh,” Percy chuckled, rubbing at his neck. “Well, I guess the way I conduct business here with all of you is going to be coming to an end over the next few weeks. Nico and I talked, and it was something we agreed on. And, of course, there is no need for me to be anything but committed once we move.”

“No more sex?” Drew shrieked. “That is so unfair!” She shot Nico a dirty look. “Percy's body is too hot to not share with the rest of us. Totally selfish.”

Will looked like someone had kicked his favorite puppy. Nico would have to talk with the blond soon, clear the air between them. But the majority of the Lost Kids did not seem that concerned. Thalia even patted Percy on the back, congratulating him. Beckendorf gave Nico a thumbs up and a wink.

“Okay, everyone settle down,” Percy said above all the commotion. “It's late, we all need some sleep. Just remember about the forms and be thinking it over.” He snapped his fingers and motioned towards the door. “Meeting adjourned.”

As they all filed out, Nico managed to catch Luke. “Hey,” the shorter boy said quietly.

Luke just grunted at him, not even bothering to look up from his phone. “What do you want, twerp?”

“I wanted to know if you decided on the transfer thing.”

“Not sure.” For a brief second, those cold blue eyes flickered over to stare at Nico. “It really doesn't matter.”

Nico pressed his lips together. He held his tongue until they were on their floor and could talk without everyone else listening to their conversation. It was really just a miracle that Luke didn't leave Nico standing there in the hall.

The brown-eyed boy tilted his head to the side when the last door closed. “What about Eros?” He asked, studying Luke's face.

The blond paused. His lips tilted down and he pocketed his phone. “It was just sex. Why have you been trying to make such a big deal out of it? We only knew each other a week.” The older Lost Boy shook his head. “Just let it go, kid.”

Nico let out a breath and nodded. “I know, but that doesn't mean you can't like him. I think you're afraid to like someone.” He shrugged. “It's understandable. I mean, you got hurt the last time you did.”

“Shut up,” Luke growled.

Nico bit down on his lip, taking a step back. “It's fine, Luke. All of that is in the past, you don't need to get angry about it.” Nico swallowed a lump in his throat. He waited for Luke to blow up at him, but the blond just stared down at him with an icy gaze. “You should at least try. See where it goes. Who knows, you might actually be happy. There's no harm in trying. If you moved, there would be nothing stopping you from trying.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “And if nothing comes of it, then I moved for nothing.”

Nico simply shrugged. “You can still have sex with him, since you did seem to enjoy that.”

Luke just grunted and opened his door. Before he disappeared inside, though, the blond glanced over his shoulder and studied Nico for a moment. His brow furrowed, and then he was gone. The door closed gently behind him. Nico let his head fall back with a sigh of relief. Luke really did deserve to be happy. Maybe it was just sex, but that didn't mean something couldn't grow from it.

It wasn't long after Nico got back to his room that Percy opened his door. He smiled at Nico as he closed the door behind him. Nico smiled back, busy working on getting his pants off. He just wanted to crawl under his covers and pass out until he felt better.

“Feel better?” Percy asked.

Nico shrugged. “A little.” His fever had gone down, and now Nico was just left with a mild headache and a runny nose. “Do I have to go to school tomorrow?”

Percy chuckled. “I'll let you have another day off, but you do need to go back by Wednesday.”

“Technically, Wednesday is tomorrow.”

The young man shrugged. “You're the one that said tomorrow, I said I'd let you have another day off.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Touché.” He let out a sigh and leaned back on his palms. “So, what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Just wanted to check on you,” Percy replied. He reached out and brushed Nico's bangs away, feeling the boy's forehead. “I have some business to take care of, or I'd let you sleep upstairs.”

Nico felt his smile falter. “With one of the Lost Kids, you mean,” he muttered.

Percy let out a sigh. “We talked about this, Nico.” His brow furrowed and he slipped his hands into his pockets. “Why is it bothering you?”

“Talking about and going through it are two different things.” Nico chuckled to hide the pain that he felt right now, though it probably did nothing to convince Percy. “Can't you tell them no and let me come sleep up there? I'm sick.”

Percy chuckled and shook his head. “You are just trying to play the guilt card now. That's low.” The young man tugged at a strand of Nico's hair. “Don't be like this. It'll all be over soon and we can go back to how we were last week, forever.” Smiling, Percy leaned down and kissed Nico on the lips. “Smile.”

Nico threw on a fake one to appease the young man. With a grunt, Nico rolled onto his side and turned his back to Percy. It was probably Annabeth, trying to ruin Nico's victory.

Percy opened Nico's door. He let out a sigh when Nico did not roll over to look at him. “In case you've forgotten, I don't kiss the others outside of sex. Just something to think about.” With that, he shut Nico's door and left the suite.

Nico rolled over and frowned at the door. His shoulder slumped with a sigh. Maybe he was acting like a child. He just really wanted for this to be over and the rest of his life to begin.

There was nothing Nico wanted more than to stay inside Jason's car when they arrived at school on Wednesday morning. Not only was nearly the entire student body waiting in the parking lot, but so were a mass of media and press. Before Nico could even get out of the car, there were cameras flashing in his direction.

Nico lifted an arm and did his best to hide from the cameras, but they came at him from all sides. There was a faint ringing in his ears as the hoard descended on him, trying to yell over each other to ask Nico an endless stream of questions.

“Is it true that you are in a relationship with Percy Jackson?”

“Where are your parents? Do they not care?”

“Over here! Are you aware that having sex with you could mean that Percy would go to jail?”

Nico felted his legs sway as he tried to squeeze through them all. He nearly walked into a pole because of the blinding lights of the cameras. Escape, Nico wanted to escape. This was too much. How was he supposed to live like this?

“Is it true that Percy is taking advantage of you as a minor?”

“How did you meet?”

“What is Percy Jackson really like? Give us the scoop.”

If it weren't for Jason and Daedalus, Nico probably would have collapsed on the spot. The two grabbed him and shoved their way through the crowd, knocking several reporters over on the way. It didn't get any better, though. After the media came the students, who all had their phones out to take pictures or record Nico.

Why were they doing this? Nico was a nobody. He wasn't important, he was just involved with someone important. Why did they have to harass him? Nico had been invisible before this.

It did not get better as school went on. Before his classes and in the halls, people would come up to Nico and ask for a picture with him. Even though he managed to complete all his missed homework, his teachers all told him not to worry about it. This new treatment really did not sit well with him. He just wanted to be normal again.

At lunch, Nico, Jason, and Daedalus were joined by Kelli and her little group. Unlike before, Kelli and Tammi seemed a little too friendly towards Nico. “Nico, we're so glad you're back,” Kelli said in a sweet tone.

“We hope you're feeling better. Did you have a fun break?” Tammi added.

“Cut the crap,” Jason mumbled. Kelli shot the blond a dirty look.

Tammi rolled her eyes. “Nico, if you ever need a lift or anything, just let me know. I can give you my number. I'd be so happy to come pick you up.”

Jason chewed his food, giving the cheerleader a dull look. “They wouldn't even let you in the lobby.” He glared back at the two when the cheerleaders gave him another dirty look.

“That's really not necessary.” Nico poked at his food, trying to do his best not to make eye contact. “I just find it funny how everyone is interested in me now that they think I'm dating a millionaire.”

“Billionaire,” Daedalus coughed.

Kelli rolled her eyes, inspecting her nails. “I mean, it's not like we didn't know you were super gay.” The girl tried to reach over and take Nico's hand, but the Lost Boy drew it back. “My cousin is totally gay, so I'm cool with it.

Dylan, who had too busy eating to contribute, finally decided to weigh in. “I don't understand why you didn't tell everyone you were dating a rich person a long time ago. Everyone would have been your friend.”

Jason aggressively bit off a carrot from his fork. “Maybe because he's not shallow and isn't trying to impress anyone.” He dropped his fork on his tray and leaned back in his chair. “It's not like anyone would have believed him anyways.”

“Besides, nobody knew who Percy Jackson was two weeks ago,” Daedalus added.

Nobody unimportant, Nico added in his head. Only people that seemed to matter to the Lotus's business seemed to know who the branch managers were, and they also knew to fear them. The general populous did not know that information, which Nico knew could lead to very dangerous situations for some of those media vultures that were still circling the school.

Around two, Nico got pulled out of class. Since the press was still outside, Ethan had been sent to pick Nico up from school. Nico remained quiet through the entire car ride, his brain too exhausted to think of something to talk about. He was just thankful to be away from school, at least until tomorrow.

How was he supposed to get by like this until May?

Once he was back at the hotel, Nico stopped by Percy's office. The young man was on the phone, but Rachel let him go in and wait. Percy smiled across the desk at him as he finished up his phone call, but his smile slowly fell as he took in Nico's exhausted appearance.

“I'll have to call you back,” Percy said to whoever he was talking to. Hanging up, Percy leaned on his desk. “Is everything okay?”

No, not really. Nico's entire body was sore from the stress of today. Nico slumped down in the chair and groaned. “Are you concerned at all about the media? They wouldn't leave me alone today.”

“I know, which is why I had you picked up early.” The young man spun his chair from side to side, giving Nico a lopsided smile. “It'll get easier, I promise.”

In response, Nico dropped the latest tabloid with them on the cover onto Percy's desk. “I don't see how. They are asking questions about my sex life.”

Percy simply shrugged, lacing his hands together in front of him as he rested his back against the chair. “I'm not concerned, and you shouldn't be either. Just don't admit to actually having sex with me.” With a long groan, Percy propped his feet up on his desk. “Not that I'd be worried if any of the press did try to insinuate such a thing, it would just mean the end of their career. The same applies to any cop stupid enough to try and arrest me. However, it would be easier if they didn't have your statement on the matter. They can't really do anything about us seeing each other, so long as it's innocent, unless your father pressed charges. Which, really, it wouldn't get him very far either.”

“You're so reassuring,” Nico droned. He pouted and dropped his head onto Percy's desk. “Do I have to go to work tonight?”

“It's just the floor, Nico,” Percy reminded him. “It's not like you'll be taking your clothes off.”

“But I can still be taken to the back rooms.”

Percy pressed his lips together. “I'll give it another day or two for that, just to be sure about your cold.” He rolled his eyes when Nico smiled at him. “You're welcome.”

“Thank you.” Standing up, Nico leaned over the desk and kissed Percy briefly. “And I'm sorry about the other night.”

Percy waved it off. “Don't worry about it.” He nodded to the door. “Go relax, enjoy yourself until work.”

Not going to argue, Nico ended up at the cabana to get a smoothie from Ganymede. “Cutie, you're back!” The man greeted him. “I heard you have been sick and confined to your room.”

Nico nodded. “Yeah, but I'm feeling better. It's just school, it was horrible today.” The Lost Boy rubbed at his neck, wincing at the tight muscles he felt there. He really needed a massage. “The paparazzi won't leave me alone.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about your little media explosion in Europe.” Ganymede grinned at him as he worked on making a smoothie for the raven haired boy. “Congrats on reeling in Percy.”

The brown-eyed boy chuckled a little. “Berlin was actually a lot of fun, though. I made three friends and I'll get to move over there once I finish high school.”

Ganymede pouted as he slid the smoothie across the counter. “Aw, I'll miss you, cutie. What will I do without you around?”

“Carry on like normal, I'd imagine.” Nico took a long sip. “I feel like I missed a lot around here while I was gone, though.”

“Not too much excitement,” Ganymede assured him. “Apollo and Leo seemed to work through things, though Robert has been around a lot. I feel like tensions are high right now between the three of them.” He grinned. “Try to keep your head down. Zoë has had Thalia over for a night or two, or so I hear. Possibly some romance there, maybe?”

“Really?” Nico scrunched his lips and then shrugged. “Good for them.”

“Annabeth and Octavian were nervous about the job thing, but I think Octavian has gotten over it.” The dirty haired blond leaned on the counter, resting a rag on his shoulder. “Jason and Will hung out a lot, mostly basketball.” The man snapped his finger suddenly. “Ah, yes, how could I forget? So, you didn't hear it from me, but word is that Beckendorf bought a ring. There might be some wedding bells in the future.”

Nico couldn't help but grin. “That's great! Nobody has told Silena?” He asked. Ganymede shook his head. “Do you know when Beckendorf is going to ask her?”

“Not a clue.” The man tapped a finger to his lips. “Probably soon, if I had to guess.”

While at work, Nico's fatigue did not go away. It was kind of hard to, when customers were always demanding service and beckoning him over. He really wanted school to be over, so that this could all be behind him. He could be relaxing by the pool in Germany right now if that were the case. Instead, Nico settled for rubbing his neck and dropping off the latest set of drink orders for Dionysus to fill. He didn't even wait around for the man to make some backhanded remark to him.

And then came the surprise. He got to his newest table, where a man sat alone. There was nothing unusual about the guy. His hair had a slight curl to it and his skin was a light bronze. His hands were also nearly double the size of Nico's. But it was what he gave Nico that caught the boy off-guard.

Nico blinked down as the man held out a single red rose. “Um, thank you?” He said with a smile, accepting the flower. Nico turned it slightly in his hand. “It looks really pretty.”

“I thought you might like it,” the man replied with a warm smile. “You always look quite handsome, and tonight I felt brave enough to give you that.” The man chuckled and leaned on the table. “I must confess, I'm not used to places like this, but I would not mind entertaining you some night.”

Nico smiled and looked down at the rose. The man seemed nice enough, so Nico let the comment about having to have sex with the guy slide. “Perhaps we can work that out.” He glanced up again, studying the man's face. “I just don't remember seeing you around here before.”

It was strange, because the guy said tonight he felt brave enough to give Nico the rose. Something like that made Nico think the guy had been here for a few times and had admired Nico, but the Lost Boy had never noticed him. The man had definitely never requested time with the brown-eyed Lost Boy. Perhaps he had just admired Nico from afar, maybe even asked one of the other Lost Kids about him? Hell, for all Nico knew, this guy had given him that present.

“I don't suppose you've given me anything before, have you? Maybe just not in person?”

The man shook his head. “No, can't say that I have. But I definitely have my eye on you now.” He smiled warmly again. “I wouldn't expect you to remember my face anyways, it's not that memorable. Besides, I'm sure you have to deal with a lot of people around here.”

Nico lifted the rose with a nod. It was true, he supposed, the man's face was not very unique. He looked normal, not even that old. Judging by his appearance, Nico guessed that the guy was just a few years younger than his own father. “Thank you again for the rose.”

He ended up putting it in a glass of water and placing it in the small fridge they had in the bar room. Nico would probably take it back to his room later. He wasn't sure if he should really keep it, but the boy did not see any real harm in it. It was a pretty rose. Standard, but still beautiful.

Octavian took Nico aside later in the night. “What's up?” Nico asked after they had moved close to a wall.

The blond rubbed lightly at his forehead. “I just have to ask, what happened in Germany?” Octavian tilted his head to the side. “I just don't understand it.”

“What do you mean?” Nico arched a brow. “I thought Percy told you all, we are-”

“Not about you and him,” the blond hissed. He rolled his eyes at the raven haired boy and pointed to his brother, who was currently on the stage. “What happened with Luke? He's barely put his phone down since he got back. And just yesterday, I caught him taking a picture of his dick. If it was for someone here, Luke would have just gone and messed around with whoever it was.”

Nico couldn't help but smile. His dark eyes traveled up to the stage to watch the blond slowly work his way out of his clothes. Nico knew full well who Luke was messaging, not that Luke would ever admit it. But this was good, very good. After his long day, Nico felt a little better.

Whether he knew it or not, Luke had given Nico the answer to his question the other night.