Children of Loss 55

Chapter 55

It was the sound of dripping water that brought Nico to consciousness. He let out a groan as his eyes cracked open, only to be met with darkness. As he attempted to sit up, a searing pain shot through the back of his head. The raven haired boy hissed under his breath and pressed a hand to the back of his head. While he couldn't see anything, his hair was hard and stuck together.

Dried blood.

Well, it was a very likely possibility, given his situation. Nico peered around the dark room, trying to remember what had happened. His memory was a little fuzzy at what had happened. Perhaps if he went over what he did remember? Maybe that would help.

If today was still Monday, then yesterday had been Sunday. Everyone had been together for Clarisse's birthday party, which Chris and Silena had organized. And, when it came to an end, Beckendorf took Silena by the hand and asked her to marry him. Of course, as expected, the answer had been yes. They had also announced that they would be moving to Europe to get a fresh start with raising their family when the time came. Percy had also gone on to give Beckendorf a new job as his personal mechanic for the vehicles around the hotel, as well as the private jet that Percy would be getting very soon.

Before work, Percy had Rachel sit Nico down and discuss his university choices. Nico had applied to quite a few over the past months, and nearly all of them had accepted him. Rachel also went on to point out that Nico could still apply to universities in Europe, if he wanted, Percy would just need to make a phone call or two. It was definitely a lot to think about.

And while he hated the thought that he'd get accepted somewhere because of Percy, did Nico really want to go to school in a different continent from where Percy would be? It was just amazing to Nico that he actually got accepted to so many high rated universities. Before he came to the Lotus, Nico would have never dreamed at being accepted to places like Brown, Berkeley, or even Yale. It was a lot to think over.

Nico's brow furrowed as he tried to jump forward to Monday morning. He had gotten up and showered, and then he and Jason left for school. Nico's eyes snapped open. Police sirens. He remembered police sirens.

There was a cop behind Jason's vehicle. The blond had stopped to see what the problem was. Nico had never really gotten a look at the man's face, since the hat was mostly covering the guy's eyes. “What seems to be the problem-” Jason hadn't even gotten to finish his sentence.

Nico remembered panicking as Jason's head hit the steering wheel when the cop hit him directly in the head. The brown-eyed boy had bolted out of the car and tried to make a run for it. As he tried to get his phone out of his pocket, Nico's body was tackled to the ground. He remembered watching as his phone was slammed down onto the concrete, where it shattered into pieces. But before he could even roll over and try to fight back, an electric current made contact with the back of his neck.

Nico had blacked out after that.

And now he was trapped in some dark room with no windows, and no visible door. His only source of light came from a small lantern that barely lit a corner of the room. It was just quiet, other than the occasional drip of water. Nico shuddered and rubbed at his arms. The room was cold and Nico had not worn a jacket when he left for school. Well, in his defense, it wasn't like he thought he'd need one.

Letting out a breath, Nico rested his palm against the ground. His hand balled into fists, pulling up dirt. There was no actual flooring. Pursing his lips together, Nico slowly crawled with a hand outstretched until his palm made contact with a metal wall. Nico pressed his ear against the cold surface, seeing if he could hear anyone.

Nothing.

“Help me!” Nico yelled as loud as he could. “Someone, please help!” The boy banged his fists against the metal wall, trying to make as much noise as he could. “Is anyone out there?”

Silence. There was nothing. He couldn't hear a thing, not even footsteps. He reached into his pockets for things like his keys and wallet, but they were gone. There was no point in trying to find his phone, since it had been smashed. Whoever it was definitely wanted Nico, and didn't want the boy making contact with anyone.

Nico took in a deep breath to try and stay calm. He could already feel his heart beating faster. Who would have taken him? There were a few people that Nico would put on that list. His father was one, but the man that attacked him didn't fit his father's build. Kronos could have always hired someone, but Nico highly doubted it. Then all that was left was someone trying to get to Percy. There was also Mr. Callahan, Nico supposed.

Pressing his back to the cold wall, Nico slid down to the ground. His eyes closed and his head fell back. “Can anyone hear me?” When he was once again met with silence, Nico slammed his fist back against the wall. His throat was already starting to hurt from the screaming.

It was so dry. And that only ended up making his stomach growl. He had no idea how much time had passed, but Nico was definitely in need of some food and something to drink. Nico licked his dry and chapped lips. His pulse quickened and Nico found it hard to breathe. He felt dizzy and light-headed. The room probably wasn't ventilated that well, which meant his heavy breathing was only making it worse.

But he couldn't stop. Nico was panicking. What if he never got out of here? Was he going to die? Even if Nico was supposed to be taken for ransom, would whoever took him let him go if Percy paid it? Probably not. If Nico was let go, it would only make it easier for Percy to find out who did it. Nico would probably be killed if a ransom was paid, and he'd probably be killed if it wasn't paid. Or he'd just die slowly of starvation or a lack of air.

Was this to be his end?

He had gone through all that he had, finally gotten Percy, only to end up dying. How shitty would that be? No. He would not die so easily. Nico's eyes hardened and the boy got onto his knees. Turning around, Nico frantically dug his fingers into the dirt. He began to rake out as much as he could near the wall, hoping and praying that he'd be able to crawl under it.

Minutes or hours could have passed, Nico had really no way of telling. Sweat dripped from the boy's brow, some of it getting into his eyes. Inhaling sharply, Nico reached up and rubbed to clear it out of his eyes. Nothing. Nico frantically felt in the hole that he had been making. More wall. It was all he could find. There wasn't even a hint that he was close to a bottom.

Nico sat back and hugged his knees to his chest. His chest heaved as his vision clouded with tears. He was going to die down here, and nobody would probably know what became of him. He would die cold and alone, just like he had always thought would be his fate during his time on the streets.

In a state of panic, Nico went back to digging. He would not stop, he couldn't. There had to be a way out. Dig. He had to keep going. And so he did, even when his head began to spin. He did not stop until his body collapsed from exhaustion and he once again fell back into unconsciousness.

There was no telling how much time had passed since Nico passed out, since there was no source of light from beyond the room he was kept in. As Nico sat up, the boy rubbed some dirt and mud off of his arm and face. However, something was different about the room when he woke up this time.

Just a few inches beside him was a small tray with a cup of water and some mushed up substance that was supposed to pass for food. Not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, Nico pulled the tray closer to him and stuck his hand into the food. Without a second thought, the Lost Boy shoved the oddly colored food into his mouth.

He nearly choked.

Nico began to cough, his taste buds on fire. The food had been doused with a spice. Some sort of pepper. It reminded Nico a lot of what his mother used to put into the chili she made during the winter months. What had that been?

Cayenne pepper. Nico felt his stomach tie into knots. He looked down at his food and dropped what was left in his hand back onto the tray. Why would someone randomly put that into his food? Coughing again, Nico lifted the water to his lips.

And immediately spit it back out. Nico's face contorted in disgust as he took another sip. It was saltwater. It finally clicked. Nico was supposed to eat, so he could stay alive, but it wasn't going to be an enjoyable process.

The food was hot and spicy, which would make him want to drink something. Which was where the water came in. Saltwater would just make him more thirsty, giving him something to drink, but never satisfying his thirst. It was sadistic and cruel.

Nico's stomach growled, only reminding him of his hunger. When had he even eaten last? He hadn't had time to eat breakfast on Monday, and there was no telling how much time had passed. Sunday night would have been his last meal. Nico felt his throat tighten as he pursed his lips and grabbed another handful of whatever it was his captor had made for him.

It was so bland, whatever it was. The only taste that Nico could really distinguish was the cayenne pepper, which had him grasping for the saltwater after a few more bites. Whoever did this must have used quite a bit, because there was quite a kick to the food.

After he downed most of his water, Nico rested his head against his knees. Was this going to be common with all of his meals? Would he even get any more food or water? Nico did know that he couldn't survive on saltwater, not alone anyways. It basically came down to how slow Nico wanted to die.

Taking in a deep breath, Nico leaned his head back and let it out. Percy would find him, right? He just needed to be patient. Percy had the resources to find him, and surely he'd be looking. Jason would have reported what happened. Nico's eyes snapped open wide.

Jason.

Was he even alive? What if the person that took Nico had killed the blond? Nico felt sick at the thought. Jason didn't deserve that. He had to believe that the blond was okay, and that he was trying to find Nico as well.

It was then that Nico's eyes snapped their focus onto something on the ceiling. His brow furrowed as he got to his feet. Walking over, Nico peered up. “What the fuck...?” Nico breathed out.

There, on the ceiling, was a small tube, around the size of his fist, poking out from the ceiling. There didn't appear to be any light coming from the other side, which either meant that it curved off somewhere or the other end was closed.

Nico turned back to the wall he had been digging at. Someone had come down here and delivered his meal, but they had not even bothered to refill the hole that Nico had dug. That did not bode well for the Lost Boy. Nico's eyes returned to the ceiling, his lips tightly pursed. There had to be some way in and out of this room, and that had been confirmed by the fact that someone came in with food.

There.

If Nico hadn't been looking for it, he probably wouldn't have noticed it. But there it was, a square sealed hatch on the ceiling, not all that far from the tube. He crossed his arms. How the hell had someone gotten a tray of food down from there without spilling it? Jumping would have left the person trapped in the room as well, while a rope or ladder would have made balancing the tray rather hard. Nico's dark eyes slowly fell to the floor beneath the hatch, right where his food had been placed.

Had they lowered it down? Nico frowned. How did he get down here? Dropping him would have surely woken Nico up, no matter how deep of a sleeper he was. Even though he knew the outcome, Nico tried to jump up and touch the hatch. Just out of reach. Nico yelped as soon as his feet hit the ground again, the mud causing him to slip and fall on his back.

Nico groaned, but made no effort to move. He wished he had some idea of what was going on outside of this room. At the very least, the boy wanted to know how long he had been trapped here. He wanted to just close his eyes and wake up back in his room at the Lotus Hotel. He just wanted this to be a dream. So close to the end, and it all just got ripped away from him. Or maybe he was ripped away from it.

With all the silence, it sounded like thunder, but Nico soon realized the hatch was being opened. He squinted and raised a hand to shield his eyes when a bright light hit his face. There was a loud bang and then the sound of footsteps on metal. When Nico pulled his hand away, he found that a metal ladder had been lowered into the room, where a tall man was now descending it.

He wore black leather gloves and his face was covered by a stitched hood, which looked like it had been made from an old sack. He stared down at Nico, who was frozen in place. Was he just going to kill Nico? Better than the slow death, he supposed.

But then the man thrust out his hand, which contained a metal flask. Nico arched a brow as the man tossed it onto the boy's chest. Slowly, Nico reached down and unscrewed the lid. He sniffed it for good measure. With a frown, Nico tilted the flask over his empty palm. His eyes widened as water poured out and spilled onto the dirt. Nico quickly raised his palm to his mouth, but he didn't get much. He tried the flask, but it was mostly empty. All he got was just a few drops.

A dry laugh from the man reminded Nico that he was not alone. “Figured you'd be cautious, so I put more than I intended. And you did what I thought you would.” Crouching down, he snatched the empty flask from Nico. “That was all you were gonna get, too bad you wasted it.”

That was all? Nico felt the color drain from his face. “What-” He licked his lips. “What are you going to do with me?” He got onto his knees, ready to tackle the man if he had to, in order to try and escape. “What do you want?”

Another laugh. “What I want is money, enough to live comfortably the rest of my life. And you are my ticket to getting that.” From the back of his pants, the man pulled out a gun and pointed it at Nico. “I wouldn't think about trying anything, not that it really matters. You see, I'm not stupid. If I let you go after getting your ransom, your beloved Percy will just find a way to track me down using whatever details you can give him. And, quite frankly, I'd like to live to enjoy what I've earned.”

“You're just going to leave me here then?”

The man's head tilted to the side as he backed towards the ladder. “Don't be stupid, kid, I'm sure someone would find the body eventually.” Nico couldn't see it, but he was certain there was a smirk on the man's face. “I don't plan on anyone finding your body.” As he climbed the ladder, he aimed the gun directly at Nico.

And with the pull of the trigger, a sharp pain coursed through his chest. Nico's vision faded until darkness took him.

The air felt tight when Nico woke up. But that didn't matter at the moment, because Nico was just happy to be alive. That bastard had used a tranquilizer gun. Why would he need to use one of those, and what had the asshole meant by nobody would find his body?

Nico tried to reach up and rub at his chest, but a solid force prevented him from doing so. Brown eyes snapped open. The color slowly drained from Nico's face at what he found.

The boy was still in the dark room, but now he was encased in a clear, solid box that was barely big enough to fit his body in. “No!” Nico yelled, pressing his palms to the surface. “Let me out! Please! I didn't do anything!”

The man with the mask came into view. He stooped over the box that Nico was in and hooked up a hose to the bottom. It did not take long before Nico felt something moving around his feet. He screamed and banged harder on the box. Looking down, the boy found several rats moving and sitting around his lower half.

Standing back up, the man removed the hood on his head, though the lack of a proper light source prevented Nico from making out a face. “They'll keep you company for now, but I'm afraid they will get hungry eventually. I hear death by rats is a very unpleasant way to die.”

Nico slammed his fists against the box. “Someone will find me, even if it's just my remains!”

“No, they won't,” the man replied calmly. He pointed over his shoulder, up to the tube that Nico had discovered. “I'm going to bury you down here in that box. And then I'll just cement the floor directly above this room, so nobody will ever know it's here. No one is going to find you. You are going to die down here, cold and alone. While I enjoy a nice, long holiday, paid for by your loving boyfriend.”

Nico could make out a smirk on the man's face. From a pocket on his shirt, the man pulled something out and dropped it on top of the box. Nico felt his face drain of color as he watched it fall and land on top of him. A single red rose.

Panic flooded throughout Nico's entire body as the man that had given him the rose at the hotel turned and climbed up the ladder. Without any concern for his hands, Nico banged as hard as he could against the surface, even tried pushing the lid off. Nothing. Not moments after the man was gone did dirt begin to pour through the tube in the ceiling. Rocks banged onto the surface of the box just above Nico's face, as dirt slowly became all that the boy could see.

A ringing formed in Nico's ears as everything began to spin. He was going to die down here, and nobody would ever find him. Soon the dirt had covered the box that Nico was in and all that Nico could hear was the sound of more dirt pouring into the room and the rats squeaking around his feet. Hot tears streamed down Nico's cheeks as he continued to bang against the hard surface of the box that would be his coffin, not even caring that his knuckles had started to bleed.

The boy yelled when one of the rats sank its teeth into his leg. Crying, Nico did his best to shake the rat off of him. “Please!” Nico sobbed. “Someone help me, please.”

He didn't want to die like this.

Nico's vain attempts at escapes came to a halt when he could no longer hear dirt pouring down on top of him. His throat hurt from all of his screaming, but he remained quiet and still. His breath hitched when something heavy landed directly on top of him.

He felt like he might hyperventilate when cracks of light broke through all of the dirt. But just as they came, darkness fell back over him. There was a voice, but it sounded so far away. Nico's head began to spin more. He could see light now, but it seemed fuzzy. A rat bit him on his arm and Nico barely moved. It took him a moment, but Nico soon realized that he couldn't breath. As much as he tried, there was no air.

How long had he been in the box before he woke up?

Was he going to die so close to salvation?

As light broke through onto Nico's face, a hand pressed against the other side of the glass. Someone yelled, but the ringing in Nico's ears was too loud to understand any of it. Nico's head lulled to the side and his eyes closed.

As his thoughts began to drift away, the banging got louder. Something else must have landed on the box, because it shook three times. Nico's eyes kept opening and closing. He wanted to hold on. If he could just make it a little longer. The dirt was ripped away from the lid and it was slid off of him. Dirt hit Nico in the face as the boy gasped for air.

Before he could properly open his eyes, Nico was ripped out of the box and arms wrapped tightly around him. “Here, we've got him,” a female voice said as a blanket was draped over Nico's shoulders.

Tilting his head up, Nico was met by the sight of vivid sea-green eyes and a smile. “Help me get him upstairs,” Percy said softly. “You're safe, Nico.”

Jason and Luke took Nico from Percy, much to the boy's protest. It took some effort, but Jason finally helped get Nico onto Luke's back and the blond climbed up the ladder. Nico was placed on the floor until Percy and Thalia climbed out after them. Nico shot up into Percy's arms and buried his face into the young man's chest, not even caring that he was crying in front of other people.

When Percy pulled back, he tucked Nico against his side. Nico blinked up as he noticed that they were surrounded by police officers and a S.W.A.T team. “Bring him to me,” Percy practically growled.

Not two seconds later, the man that had taken Nico was dropped at Percy's feet. There was a severe gash on the man's head and a bullet hole in his left leg. “How could you have possibly have found me so soon?” He demanded.

Percy glared down at the man, his arm around Nico tightening. “Which way would you like? Your purchase of all the dirt, which I had to do several traces to track back to your real identity? There's the false identification that we uncovered that you used to gain entry to my establishment. I had someone locate all the phones in the area during the time that my friend here, who you knocked out,” Percy motioned to Jason, “provided me. You might have not been using it, but that doesn't mean I can't track it. It also meant I could track it here.”

“How long was I down there?” Nico managed to get out, his voice hoarse.

Percy continued to glare at the man, who remained silent on the floor. “Answer him!” The green-eyed young man yelled in a angry tone that Nico could never recall having heard before. It made even the S.W.A.T team flinch.

“Two days,” the man on the floor hissed.

Pulling Nico back a little, Percy looked down and examined the boy. “Are you okay?” His voice was much more gentle than it had been a few seconds ago. Nico just nodded, too drawn in by those sea-green eyes to give a proper response. Not that his voice would probably allow for one anyways. Percy breathed a sigh of relief and tucked Nico under his arm. “At least I found you in time.”

Nico closed his eyes and clung to Percy's shirt. He just wanted to make sure this was real and not his imagination playing a trick on him. As he took in a deep breath, the smell of the ocean hit him. No, this was definitely real.

Holding Nico close with one arm, Percy reached to the back of his pants. When Nico's eyes shot open, he found Percy had a gun in his hand. The man on the floor's eyes went wide, but he was restrained by Luke and Thalia. Nico's breath hitched as Percy turned the safety off.

“Percy, wait!” Nico tried to yell, but it was too late.

The gunshot rang out and filled Nico's ears. The boy felt like ice ran all along his body as the sound echoed in his ears, unable to take his eyes off the man that had been holding him hostage. Luke and Thalia released the man's body, which slumped to the floor. As Percy pocketed the gun again, his eyes made contact with one of the cops. With the heel of his foot, Percy kicked the man's dead body into the hole that they had brought Nico out of. “Turn it back on,” Percy said darkly.

Briefly glancing at each other, one of the cops reached down and turned on a machine, which began to guzzle more dirt into the room below. One of the S.W.A.T. members removed his helmet. “Sir, we could use the boy for some questioning.”

Percy's arm did not budge from around Nico's back. “I'm taking him back to my hotel. He was never here, is that clear?” There was a frighting tone in Percy's voice, but Nico could not pull away. His eyes were still glued to the hole that the man had just been dropped in. “Are we done here?”

The police all nodded. “The building is condemned,” one of them supplied. “It'll be torn down and paved over.”

Percy nodded. “Good. Now, if you'll excuse me...” Without removing his arm from Nico, the young man led the brown-eyed boy outside. Instantly, Nico had to bury his face into Percy's chest to shield it from the sun.

“Here,” Jason said. Nico looked up and the blond's sunglasses were placed over his eyes.

“Thanks,” Nico managed to whisper as he was placed into the back of a car. Percy climbed in beside him and Nico instantly curled against the young man's side. Jason took Nico's other side, while Luke and Thalia got into the front. With a brief glance back at them, Luke cranked the car and drove.

As they drove, Nico looked down at his hands. They were shaking. It was hard sometimes to remember that there was this side to Percy. Yet, for whatever reason, Nico didn't feel threatened. But it didn't make what he had just witnessed any easier to deal with. Percy killed people sometimes, Nico needed to always remember that, but it didn't mean he would hurt Nico. Perhaps he was delusional for thinking that, but it was what he felt deep down.

Warm hands enveloped Nico's shaking ones. The boy looked up with wide eyes as Percy placed the Lost Boy's hands against his chest. Letting out a sigh, Nico leaned over and rested his head on the young man's shoulder. The rest of the world might have been in danger from Percy, but it didn't seem like the young man would ever do Nico harm. Nico groaned a little and buried his face against Percy's shoulder.

He sounded like someone out of some sappy romance novel.

Yet it didn't change his feelings. Perhaps he was a little scared, but fear was not always a bad thing. He tilted his head to the side to steal a glance at Percy. Those sea-green eyes were already staring back at him in an unreadable silence. It was a little frustrating how Percy could do that, even after all this time. What was going on in that head of his?

Once they were back at the hotel, Nico was handed over to Jason. “Make sure he stays in your suite and eats as much food as he wants,” Percy ordered without even looking at Nico. It made the boy frown, though that didn't even get Percy's attention. “I've got to run and make a few last minute arrangements for the convention.”

Thalia gave a nod. “Nico needs a few nights off from work. Do you want-”

“He's not working anymore,” Percy interjected, already staring at his phone. His face was so blank and he acted like he had just announced something completely normal, but everyone stared at him with the same emotion. Shock. “Is there a problem?”

“No,” Thalia quickly replied, recovering from her shock. “Um, I'll have Leo or Rachel contact the school for you, if you want, and have them informed that Nico will be out of school for the next few days.”

Percy simply nodded and stepped through the doors of the hotel. Luke stared down at Nico for a moment, his brow furrowed, before he followed after their boss. Jason nodded to Thalia. “I've got him,” the blond said softly. Thalia pursed her lips and dashed after the two young men.

Nico's eyes remained on the floor as Jason helped him to the elevator. If it had been two days, then it was now Wednesday, sometime in the afternoon. This meant that the conference would be on Saturday, and Gaea would be arriving the day before.

As soon as they were back in their suite, Jason let Nico collapse on the couch. The boy just sat there, staring off into nothing. He was still in shock, even as Jason called down to order Nico some food.

Nico...wasn't working anymore?

His brow furrowed. The date they had set for Nico to quit hadn't arrived just yet. Nico was supposed to work at the conference, tending to the politicians and other important people. But that was no longer the case now? It felt strange, but a relief. It was still weird hearing it from Percy, because the young man never really made decisions for Nico. But this did not seem to be up for discussion.

Nico didn't even bat an eye when Jason placed some orange juice in front of him, too busy wrapped up in his own head.

“Guys, I'm sure that Nico appreciates all the concern, but Percy will kill me if I don't have him get some rest,” Jason announced, ushering several of the Lost Kids towards the door.

Over the course of the afternoon, most of the Lost Kids had dropped by to see Nico. Even Annaberth, though Nico was not really sure if it was out of genuine concern or to keep up appearances. The only person that Nico really hadn't seen was Percy, which rather bothered Nico, if he were being honest. Even Dionysus had dropped by, offering Nico some alcohol to take any edge off that the boy might have.

“Why don't you come by and sit with us backstage?” Hazel suggested as she dropped a thermos full of soup on the coffee table in front of Nico. Said table was also completely hidden by a layer of food that the others had brought, which had buried the food that Nico had originally ordered for dinner from the restaurant downstairs.

“I'll think about it,” Nico sighed. His face scrunched a little as he picked up a dish that Juniper had brought him. Whatever it was, there was haggis in it. “Not like I have anything else to do, I guess.”

Annabeth ran a hand through her hair. “Well, you do have your finals coming up.”

There was that. Nico sighed and nodded. For the most part, the others had not really commented about Percy's sudden decision. Drew made a few snippy comments and Nico could tell that Annabeth silently disliked it, but that was about the extent of it. The others just seemed to be about as stunned about it as Nico himself was.

Jason had just finished shutting the door behind Hazel and Annabeth, when it swung open and hit him in the face. Nico's eyes widened a little as Rachel poked her head in. “Sorry, Jason,” she casually apologized. The blond shot her a glare as he rubbed his forehead. The girl turned to Nico with a smile, sitting down on the edge of the couch. “Percy wanted to know how you were doing.”

Nico's lips quickly tilted down. “Why doesn't he just come and find out for himself, like he normally would?”

“Ah.” Rachel chuckled nervously, scratching her cheek. “Percy is rather swamped at the moment, but it was important to him to know how you were feeling.”

Nico grumbled and opened the thermos that Hazel had left him. “Tell him come see me, if he is so concerned.”

Rachel opened her mouth, but Nico shot her a look that clearly said he'd rather be left alone. He didn't really mean to be rude, this was just bothering him. Percy had seemed so affectionate and concerned when he had found Nico, but then had been so distant once they made it back to the hotel. It was almost like he wasn't himself. If this had been some science fiction novel, Nico would probably think a body snatcher had gotten to the green-eyed idiot.

Jason arched a brow as he got up from the floor. His blue eyes drifted over to the door as Rachel made her way out before they quickly fell back to the raven haired boy on the couch. “You okay, buddy?”

“Why doesn't he just come see me in person?”

The blond let out a sigh. “Wish I had an answer for you. You know, maybe he really is swamped. I mean, the conference is this weekend.” Rubbing his cheek, Jason sat down next to his roommate. “Or maybe something is bothering him.”

“Maybe,” Nico muttered.

Something was indeed wrong.

Nico ended up taking Hazel's advice and going upstairs. Unlike most nights, Nico dressed in casual clothing, which earned him several looks from people that had probably seen him working there in the past. Nobody said anything to him, though, even as he pushed his way up the line.

Ethan let him pass without any questioning and Nico headed up to the left side, where the girls were. Nico spotted Percy rather easily. The young man was standing around with a tall man that was probably in his late forties. The young man's sea-green eyes flickered over to the now ex-Lost Boy. Nico held up his hand in a small wave, but Percy did not return the gesture. Instead, those eyes looked Nico over, like the boy was under the microscope. Nico bit down on his lip and rubbed his arm.

Sucking in a breath, Nico headed over towards Percy.

But he didn't make it very far. Percy leaned over and whispered something to Chris, who happened to be standing a few feet behind him. The brunet arched a brow and followed Percy's gaze over to Nico. With a brief cock of his head, Chris gave a nod and walked in Nico's direction.

Nico could already feel a lump forming in his throat. “Is everything okay?” He asked, peering over Chris's shoulder to where Percy was sitting down in a booth. The young man propped his chin up with his palm. “Can I see Percy?”

Chris rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, Nico, but Percy's rather busy at the moment.” He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. “Maybe you could go backstage and the others could keep you company?”

Nico couldn't help but huff. “Is he avoiding me?” Brown eyes grew dark. “He's not doing anything, just sitting there.” Chris didn't budge. “Fine, whatever. Tell him that if he so unconcerned about me, then perhaps he should have just left me with the guy that was trying to bury me alive!”

Chris's mouth floundered as Nico stormed off, letting the door slam against the wall as he went backstage. With a final glare, Nico turned back to Percy as the door swung back and forth, slowing down every few swings. There was a brief flash of pain in those sea-green eyes before they broke away from Nico and found something else to hold their attention.

For most of the night, Nico remained backstage. Some of the Lost Boys came over and sat with him whenever they could, but it was mostly the girls. Silena kept offering him water bottles to the point where Nico thought he might drown. “You're going to want a lot of water,” she kept telling him.

Nico laid down on the couch while the girls went and did a group number. With a sigh, he propped his feet up on the back of the couch, blinking up at the ceiling. What the hell was Percy's deal? This was no time to go back a few steps on the board. And it would kind of be nice to have Percy to lean on right now. Releasing a breath a breath, Nico held up a hand to his face.

They were still shaking.

He hadn't said anything, but Nico was still expecting to open his eyes and find himself back in that box. Perhaps that was why he hadn't shut his eyes when Jason had him lie down for a few hours. He didn't want to sleep, not with the risk of waking up back in that room.

“You okay, little man?” Came Beckendorf's deep voice.

Nico tilted his head back to look at the Lost Boy. “Just thinking.”

Sitting down on the edge of the couch, Beckendorf handed him a bottle of water. “I can see that. Care to share your thoughts?”

Nico eyed the water. “Your girlfriend keeps giving me water. I actually haven't finished the last bottle she gave me.” With a grunt, Nico put the bottle on the floor. “I'm just trying to wrap my head around things.”

“You should take Silena's advice.” Nico tilted his head to look at the muscular young man, but those brown eyes were on the floor. “She had to look out for herself a lot growing up, since her mother was...a bit unpleasant. She got dehydrated a lot, so I'd imagine she's just looking out for you.” He gave Nico's shoulder a hard pat. “Heard you made quite the outburst earlier. You're going to be on edge a lot for a few days.” Leaning forward, Beckendorf looked Nico over. “You should also have Will give you some sleeping pills, because you look exhausted. I get it, though, you don't feel safe falling asleep.”

Nico blinked a single time. “Have you ever been in a situation like that?”

“Not exactly like that.” Beckendorf looked down at his hands. “It's just that... Well, I grew up in a bad neighborhood. I'd often wake up to gunshots and police sirens.” The young man shrugged. “My brother inducted me into a local gang when I was a few years younger than you. It got bad. I remember one night my mother had to come and drag me out of bed, because someone had thrown a moltav into our front window. I never really admitted it, but I was scared. Hell, I was scared that I even had to sleep with a gun under my pillow.

“I thought it was cool in the beginning. You know, I was just a kid, I didn't know any better.” Beckendorf gave a small chuckle. “It wasn't until my brother got shot that I think it really sunk in. My mother was devastated, begged me to quit the gang life, but it wasn't that simple. You didn't just quit the gang life. Besides, I wasn't going to let what happened to my brother go unpunished.”

Nico slowly sat up, his brow furrowed. “What happened? You ended up on the streets, right? I mean, Percy did end up finding you, so it only makes sense.”

Beckendorf gave a small nod. “Yeah. We hit up an abandoned factory, shot a few guys and burned the place down. The bitches had been selling some drugs there, so we destroyed their merchandise on top of that. But...”

“But?”

“When I got home, the windows of my house had been shot out and the door was kicked in.” Beckendorf shook his head, his jaw tight. His large fist clenched around his knee. “The rest of their fucking gang had hit our neighborhood while we were gone. Of course the cops never showed up, at least not until we got back there. They shot all of them. My mom had been sitting up, waiting for me, knitting or some shit. They shot her in her rocking chair. Every house got hit. And, of course, the cops show up around that time, start doing what they do best and trying to take us in for murder and vandalism. Being charged for the shit that happened in our own fucking neighborhood!” Beckendorf let out a breath. “So, I ran. Left the neighborhood, left the city. Left all my contacts behind and disappeared.”

Nico frowned. “You never went back?”

“No,” was Beckendorf's reply. “There was nothing to go back to, not with my mom and brother dead. Before I got into all that, though, I had wanted to do some mechanic work, like my old man did before he passed away. Didn't think I'd ever see that happen, until Percy came along. I was about to be arrested for a grand theft auto when he simply addressed the cops and said that I was with him.” Beckendorf rolled his eyes. “Wanted to hate him and thank him at the same time. Back then, I thought he was just some entitled rich kid that wanted me to score some drugs for him.”

With a smirk, Beckendorf patted Nico on the knee and stood up. Nico rubbed at his neck, sitting in silence as Beckendorf walked a few paces away. “What happened to the other gang?”

The muscular Lost Boy came to a stop and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I let Percy take care of it for me. The same policemen that had come to shoot and arrest us that night got charged to go to my old rival gang's neighborhood and return the favor they gave us. After they returned to the station, each of the cops taken into a room and beaten, and then they were fired.” Beckendorf shrugged. “Guess we can't really say that Percy doesn't look after his own.”

Nico let Beckendorf leave. With a frown, Nico brought his knees up to his chest. It was odd to think about how desperate he had been to hear all these stories almost an entire year ago, and now here he was, wishing they could be wiped from his memory. He knew all of them now, save for Silena. Back then, when he first got here, Nico didn't really understand just how traumatic everyone's past really was. Not that his own had been that great.

Pursing his lips, Nico rested his head against his knees. He had told the others some about what had happened to him, but not even Percy knew everything. Some of them had asked or Nico had mentioned some things here and there, but not really to the extent of what he had always asked of the others.

Releasing one last sigh, Nico got to his feet. He wanted to go back to his suite. Not to sleep, but just to get away from everyone for a while and have some actual quiet time. He needed time to think. He needed to get the past off his chest in order to truly put it behind him. It seemed important now that it be shared, especially with Percy.

If Percy was ever going to talk to him.

Children of Loss 54

Chapter 54

It did not get much easier at school for Nico as the week continued. On the bright side, it was finally Friday, which meant that Nico could stay out of the public eye for two full days. He probably should have just gone straight home after school, but Bianca and Daedalus had convinced him to go down to the beach with them. Naturally, Jason had volunteered to come along, since he was actually Nico's ride back to the hotel.

While the others had gotten into the ocean to swim, Nico remained on the shore and worked on a sandcastle. One thing was for certain, Nico didn't see himself becoming an architect anytime soon. The boy smiled a little when he noticed Bianca waving at him happily.

He had almost finished the northeast tower of his castle when Jason sat down across from him. “You going to join us?” The blond asked, running a hand through his short blond hair. “Unless you're finally trying to get some color in your skin.”

Narrowing his eyes, Nico tossed a handful of wet sand at the blond's bare chest. “Never heard you complain about how pale I am.”

“It does suit you, I suppose.” Jason grinned and adjusted some sunglasses across his face. Apparently, the blond had also gotten himself some glasses while Nico had been away, though he only wore them at school or when they weren't working. Will had claimed it was due to some possible abuse from Zeus, though it eventually came to light that Jason had once had an accident involving a brick. Nico felt it best not to question it. “Anyways, you coming in?”

Nico lightly shook his head. “I think I'll pass. Water and I never really got along, at least not the ocean. Give me a pool any day.” Letting out a breath, the brown-eyed boy went back to scooping up some wet sand for his castle. Nico let out a grunt as Jason placed his sunglasses on top of Nico's head.

As Jason got up to return to the others, Nico looked over his shoulder with a frown. He chewed his lip for a moment as his eyes scanned over the beach. The Lost Boy had a very strange feeling, like someone was watching him. But from what he could see, nobody was paying him any attention. A small group of girls waved awkwardly at him, but it was probably because he had been staring. Shaking his head, Nico dumped a pile of sand down for his southwest tower.

“Is Percy Jackson's adorable squeeze having a secret fling?”

Nico looked up as a bright light flashed in his face. What the hell? A second flash went off, which Nico was lucky enough to prepare himself for. With his hand over his eyes, the Lost Boy was able to make out a pair of black sneakers in the sand.

“Is this trouble in paradise?” The same female voice asked as another flash went off.

Nico reached out to smack the camera away, but his hand just swept through the air. “Can you stop taking my picture, or at least chill with the flashes?” He mumbled, quickly lowering Jason's shades onto his eyes.

The woman looked relatively young, her frizzy black hair pulled into pigtails. A thick pair of glasses rested across her nose, which she quickly pushed up her nose. But it was kind of the crazed look in her eyes that worried Nico the most.

“Who are you?” Nico grumbled. With a huff, he reached behind him and grabbed his shirt.

“Keto George,” she beamed, looking proud. Nico just gave her a dull look as he slid on his shirt. The woman needed to get out of his personal space. She was literally just a few inches from him, her left foot touching the edge of his castle. “And you are Nico di Angelo, the boy that is dating Perseus Jackson himself.”

Nico smacked the woman's shoe with a plastic shovel he had been using. “If you ruin my sandcastle...” He forced himself not to growl when she merely took another picture of him. “You know, I could always call Percy and have him confiscate that camera.”

“Interfering with the public's right to information.” Another picture. Nico was seriously getting irritated. Not only would she not leave him alone, but she would not back away from him. “So, does Percy know about your other man?”

“Um, Jason works at the hotel, so I'd assume that Percy knows who he is.” Nico blinked. “I'm not seeing Jason, so get that out of your head.”

Keto had a very annoying smirk appear on her face. “Oh! A secret romance! This will sell quite a few copies.”

He really wanted to smash that camera, but Percy had told Nico to behave himself around the press. “Sure, if you want to lie.” Nico began to chew on his lip as his brain ran through ways for him to politely make this woman go away.

Thankfully, he didn't have to come up with anything. “Hey!” Jason barked as he made his way over to them from the ocean. “Is this reporter bothering you, Nico?”

“A secret romance right under Percy's nose. How scandalous!” With a manic smile, Keto snapped a few pictures of Jason's wet and half naked body. “This could make the front page!”

While Nico and Jason had to behave, Bianca was under no such instructions. Before Nico even realized that his sister had left the ocean, Bianca had snatched the camera out of Keto's hands and tossed it over to Daedalus. “Leave my brother alone, right now!” She yelled. “He is not doing anything wrong, we are just trying to enjoy our afternoon. Now leave!”

Keto huffed and held out her hand. “Only once that kid over there hands me my camera,” she said, motioning to Daedalus.

“If you don't leave,” Daedalus took a few steps back, extending his arm over the waves, “I'll just drop it.”

“But-” Keto pursed her lips together. “That camera costed me a lot of money!”

Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, well, maybe you shouldn't use it to harass people.”

With a final huff, Keto spun around on her heel and marched off. “This isn't over!” She yelled. “I will have my story!” Her exit was ruined after a few steps, when she tripped in the sand and ate a mouthful of the stuff. She tossed a glare over her shoulders as Jason, Daedalus, and Bianca burst out laughing. Nico remained quiet, his lips pressed in a firm line until the woman was out of sight.

“I want to go home,” he announced.

“But-” Bianca started, but cut herself off when Daedalus rested a hand on her shoulder. “Okay.” With a small nod, the dark haired girl worked on packing their stuff up with the help of her boyfriend.

Jason plopped down next to Nico. “You okay?”

“I will be,” Nico mumbled. He looked up at the blond. “Just take me back to the hotel.”

Jason gave a small nod. He wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulder once they were both on their feet. “Hey, I'm going to go ahead and take Nico back, if that's okay with you two.”

“Yeah, of course,” Daedalus answered.

Bianca gave Nico a big hug before he left with Jason. This was never going to end, was it? At least not until they moved to Germany. Nico could deal with the press in Europe, they were nice. But all of this would just happen again when Nico came to visit his sister, or Percy had business here.

Once they were back at the hotel, Nico went straight up to Percy's office. He wasn't sure if Percy could be affectionate with him at the moment, but the Lost Boy just felt that the young man could at least ease his nerves. But his nerves only got worse when the door opened and out walked Annabeth.

“Enjoy another day of getting swarmed by press?” Came a snippy greeting from the blonde.

Nico felt his eye twitch. “Did you enjoy picking up your application?” His hands balled into fists. “Oh wait, you can't get one, because you're going to be stuck here.”

Annabeth's eyes flashed dangerously at the pale boy. “Actually, I just had sex with Percy. You know, your boyfriend. His desk is very durable, by the way.”

Nico's eyes grew very dark, though he refused to fully look at the Lost Girl. “Enjoy it while you can, because you won't be getting it much longer.” Nico spun around when he saw Annabeth about to snap back at him. “Go ahead, say something. I can always just go in there and tell Percy that I don't want to go through the remainder of my days as a Lost Kid and for him to stop conducting his business like that with the rest of you. You know, because he already told me I could ask that of him back in Germany. Which was amazing, by the way, as we had a lot of sex. Sex that Percy came to me for, and I didn't even have to ask him, like you do.” His eyes were practically black as he glared at the blonde in front of him. “So, keep talking, let's see how that goes for you. I am not in the mood for you right now.”

Annabeth never even got to try and respond. The door opened behind Nico and Hazel poked her head out. “Is everything okay out here?” She asked.

“Just fine,” Annabeth replied, her face already back to a neutral mask. “Nico here is just having a bad day.”

Hazel glanced at Nico, who smiled a little. “Yeah, a reporter showed up at the beach and got in my face.”

“I'm sorry.” Hazel reached out and squeezed his shoulder, a huge grin on her face. With much excitement, the Lost Girl held up a piece of paper. “I got my application. Asia, here I come!”

“Congratulations, Hazel,” Nico beamed, giving the girl a warm hug. She rubbed his back and headed for the elevator, leaving Nico alone with Annabeth. Nico's eyes grew dark as they fell back upon the blonde. “I look forward to this being over. Maybe then we can put all of this behind us.”

“Maybe.” A blonde eyebrow shot up. “However, keep in mind that Athena is retiring. Perhaps I'll see about getting transferred to take her position.” She casually waved her hand. “Octavian could just have this position.”

The two separated without another word. Annabeth headed down the hall to the elevator, while Nico went into Percy's office. Leo looked up at him as the door slammed shut behind him. “Have a bad day?” The Latino boy asked as he shuffled some more applications on his desk.

“You could say that,” Nico sighed. He rubbed at his temple. It was noticeable that several forms had been taken, since only enough for each of the Lost Kids at the hotel had been printed. Not that many, but Nico could estimate that around five or six forms were gone. “Is Percy available for a minute?”

“Um, yeah, I believe so.” Leo got up and walked over to Percy's door. Knocking, Leo poked his head inside. “Nico's here to see you.”

“Send him in,” came Percy's calm voice.

Leo pulled his head out with a grin. “You heard your man.”

Nico rolled his eyes as he stepped into Percy's office. “Hey,” he greeted as he caught sight of the young man behind the desk. Percy's hair was a little messy , either from a long day or from what he had just done with Annabeth. “How are you?”

A smile touched at Percy's lips. “A little tired, but I'll survive.” He leaned back in his chair, his eyebrow shooting up when Nico let out a sigh. “Everything okay?”

“A reporter harassed me at the beach, no big deal.” Nico trailed his fingertips along Percy's desk as he walked around to the other side. He blinked at the piece of paper in front of the green-eyed young man. “What's that?”

“Oh.” Percy picked up the paper and shrugged. “It's just the guest list for the conference in a few weeks. I need to look it over and make sure everything is in order.” Turning his chair slightly towards Nico, Percy let the paper fall back onto his desk. “What happened with the reporter?”

Nico shrugged as he sat down on the edge of Percy's desk. “Bianca took her camera and made her leave.” He held up a hand when Percy opened his mouth. “I was on my best behavior.” Nico rubbed the back of his neck when he got a disbelieving look from the young man. “I mean, for the most part I was. She was a little crazy, and I don't think she's giving up.”

With a grin, Percy slid his hand underneath Nico's shirt and traced his fingers along the boy's stomach. “Would it make you feel better if you stayed with me tonight?”

“Are you asking?”

“Maybe.” Percy pulled Nico's hand closer and placed a kiss on the back of it. “Sorry I've been busy this week.”

“Partially with some of the others.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “If you would rather stay in your room...”

Nico groaned pitifully and slid into Percy's lap, letting his body relax against the young man's chest. With a sigh, he buried his face into the crook of Percy's shoulder. “Don't be mean, I've had a bad day. Your bed would definitely improve my current mood.”

Getting completely wasted sounded really amazing to Nico at the moment. It probably didn't help that Ethan and Reyna both had something to drink while they ate dinner. But, since Nico was still underage, he wasn't allowed to drink outside of the upper floors. Stupid Percy and his stupid rules. A little alcohol wouldn't hurt anything.

It was stupid, but Nico couldn't get over what Annabeth had said to him. He had been right, the blonde was going to try and get Athena's position. Perhaps it was stupid to worry. After all, it was possible that Percy wouldn't allow it, since Annabeth just got his old position. Maybe he'd see her as ungrateful. Still, the two of them had been friends for over two years.

What Nico really needed was to plug the hole in the dam, so to speak. He needed to find someone that he could get Percy to replace Athena with, someone that was anyone but Annabeth. Perhaps he should start with Octavian.

“You're staring at my drink like you want to have sex with it,” Ethan mumbled as he tossed the bottle back.

Reyna arched her eyebrow at Nico as she cut up her food. “Are you okay, Nico?”

“I'll let you know in another month.” Nico groaned and propped his chin up with his palm. As much as he hated leaving some people he cared about behind, the boy could not wait to move to Germany. Sure he wouldn't be able to understand a lot of the people half the time, but at least things would be different there. “So, have either of you decided about moving?”

While Ethan shrugged, Reyna wiped at her mouth. “I think I will. I think moving to Europe could be a good experience. And, if I don't like it, I suppose I could just come back,” the Lost Girl stated. She skewered a carrot with her fork. “If not, I'll figure something out.”

Several hours later, when performances were over, Nico found himself in one of the back rooms. The man that had purchased time with him was far from Nico's type. Not only was the man slightly older than his father, he looked rather creepy, like someone his mother would have told him to stay away from. Of course, most of the people that visited the top floor of the Lotus could classify under that same category. At least he still had a full head of hair, but he was much larger than Nico in terms of muscular stature. If the man tried to lay on top of Nico, the Lost Boy was certain he'd come out as a pancake.

On a brighter note, the man had wanted to drink and had offered Nico some wine. While Nico was still wary from his last experience with the stuff, he gladly accepted the dark liquid. It just would have been better if the man didn't stare at him like some creep the entire time Nico drank from the wine glass.

He didn't get to finish.

Apparently, the man got impatient with Nico's slow drinking. He got up and snatched the glass out of Nico's hand, while working on his zipper with the other hand. Nico was forced onto his knees by the strange man by his hair. After opening his eyes from wincing, Nico found himself facing the man's arousal. As with most cases, the man wasn't that impressive, at least not compared to the other Lost Boys or Percy. Especially Luke.

“Now suck it and earn your money,” the man commanded, shoving Nico's face into his crotch.

It was a lot more aggressive than Nico was used to, at least since Kronos left the hotel and Nico was not required to work the kink rooms. He still had some bad memories involving a particular Russian Amazon woman.

Nico was jerked out of his thoughts and squeaked, due to the fact that the fucking asshole of a client had pinched and twisted his right nipple. “Does that feel good?” The man asked. “You like that, don't you?”

He really did not. “Yeah, it feels great,” Nico lied through his teeth, while using his hand to reach up and stroke the man's shaft. Whatever it took to please this man and get him off. Because, really, Nico knew by now that most of the male clients did not last very long.

Very roughly, Nico was yanked up and forced to bend over the bed, while the man jerked down the shorts on the Lost Boy's slender waist. Without warning, the man took a firm grip of Nico's ass and squeezed. But did not stop there. Nico was forced to shut his eyes and wince when the man shoved a dry finger into his ass.

Right now, Nico really wished people didn't like his butt so much. Because this was not enjoyable, not in the least. But it wasn't really about his enjoyment, now was it? No, this was about the client, who Nico really wished would hurry the fuck up.

Though, given what happened next, Nico would have preferred the guy kept molesting his ass. The man was very rough when he got Nico to give him head. While Nico was just trying to do his thing, the guy pressed on the back of Nico's head and pushed it all the way down. He did not let Nico pull back for a while, until Nico was practically choking and tears began to form in his eyes.

And the client kept a firm grip on Nico's hair when the Lost Boy finally got to pull back. All Nico wanted was to knock that stupid confident smirk off the man's face. “You want more?” The stranger had the audacity to ask.

Nico breathed heavily, his dark eyes all but glaring up at the man in irritation. For a brief moment, he debated taking a page out of Ethan's book and fighting back. He did not like people like this, people who tried to control other people and make them feel like less than what they were. Because, unless the other person truly consented that was all it really was. Unfortunately, due to his current profession, Nico didn't really have the option of not giving permission.

Well, he did, but he was only supposed to use it if things got too bad. And it mustn't have been too bad, or someone watching from the monitor room would have busted in by now and yanked the man away from Nico.

However, just when Nico thought it had been bad enough, the asshole had the audacity to yank his hair until Nico had to open his mouth from pain and then spat into the Lost Boy's mouth. For a few seconds, Nico could only see red. He really wanted to get up and punch the guy right in the jaw. This was not okay.

Nico wasn't allowed to think over the situation much further. The client jerked on his hair and forced Nico back onto his erection. “That the best you can do?” The man asked harshly. “Do you not want to get paid? Now suck it like you mean it, or I'll go get one of the others to do it for you.”

Before he could think, Nico had gotten to his feet and was pulling up his shorts. “Yeah, maybe you should.” With anger in his eyes, Nico slipped on his shirt and headed for the door.

“Get back here, we aren't done yet!”

“Yeah, we are,” Nico mumbled and slammed the door.

Before Nico had even reached the end of the hall, the security room opened. Leo came out with wide eyes. “Nico, what are you doing, man?”

Nico shoved his hands into his pockets. “I'm done.”

The door behind Nico was flung open and out came the asshole, who was now fully dressed. “Is this the kind of service your boss offers around here? His whore thinks he's something special because of his publicity?”

Nico must have looked very angry, because Leo didn't even open his mouth. The Latino quietly stepped back as Nico turned to glare at the asshole. He was probably already in trouble, so what would be the harm in getting in a little more?

However, as Nico raised his fist, his arm was grabbed and yanked backwards. Brown eyes blinked in surprise as Nico was met with Percy. The young man's dark green eyes stared down at him with a little irritation and just a hint of amusement.

“Is this the kind of service you offer around here?” The man asked, pointing to Nico, who was behind Percy.

Percy let out a sigh and adjusted the cuffs of his shirt. “You know, I might tolerate that kind of talk from Gaea's more important clients, but let's be real here, Mr. Callahan, your business is not crucial to the Lotus. And since I'm, technically, in charge now, I don't have to put up with it.” He arched an eyebrow at the look of fury on Nico's client's face. “I believe I also told you to keep it fairly simple if you want to reserve a room up here.”

“I paid for some time with that little bitch, and I-”

“Do not speak that way about my employees,” Percy growled, quickly shutting up the man. “Now, get out of my sight before I have security toss you off of my balcony.”

While he didn't argue further, Mr. Callahan mumbled under his breath as he walked past Percy and left. Nico's breath hitched as Percy slowly turned to face him. Without uttering a word, Percy motioned over his shoulder and Leo quickly made himself scarce.

Percy blinked once down at the boy in front of him. “Do you want to keep doing this?” He asked, but continued before Nico could offer a response. “Because, quite frankly, I can't put up with this behavior if you do.”

Taking in a deep breath, Nico looked down at his feet. “I don't know.”

Nodding, Percy reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Here.” He shoved his access card into Nico's hands. “Go wait in my suite until I'm done. We'll talk more once I'm there.”

Nico slowly nodded and brushed his bangs out of his face. “Thanks,” he mumbled as he headed for the door.

“Go take a shower, try to clear your head.” Percy was still watching him when Nico turned around. “Personally, I am not mad at you for acting out with the client, but you also have to understand that things like this don't need to happen while Gaea and I transition me to ownership of the entire hotel chain.”

When Nico got back to Percy's suit, he debated making himself throw up to get the man's spit out of his mouth. Instead, Nico got a soda out of the fridge and downed half of it in one gulp. Even though Nico had stood up to the man, Mr. Callahan had made Nico feel rather worthless. Who treated people like that? Most of Nico's clients at least tended to be polite to him when they were in the backrooms.

After a few minutes, Nico stripped himself of his clothes and went to the bathroom. Before he got into the shower, the Lost Boy brushed his teeth. Since he had been staying with Percy on and off since they got back from Germany, the brown-eyed boy had bought himself a second toothbrush that he kept in Percy's room for the nights they slept together.

Nico spat several times into the sink, making the extra effort to try and scrub his tongue the best he could. He felt a little sick and disgusted with himself. It wasn't due to what he had done, but the way the client had treated him.

After he was satisfied with his clean mouth, Nico turned on the shower and stepped into it. He ran his hands through his hair as the water fell over his body. Letting out a long breath, Nico massaged his shoulder. Did he want to quit and put all of this behind him? Would it make him look weak? Well, he knew Percy would allow it, but what would that mean for Percy? Would Percy then not hold up his half of their agreement. That was definitely not something Nico wanted, not when he was so close to having their exclusive relationship.

It would only be for a few more weeks, right?

And it wasn't like he would likely get another client like that. Nico could put up with the average client for a little while longer. Perhaps it had just been the stress that had gotten to him.

Nico had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door open. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Percy wrapped his arms around the raven haired boy's waist. Chuckling to himself, Percy pressed a kiss to Nico's shoulder. Nico relaxed against Percy's body, humming lightly.

It was a lot different than the first time Nico had set foot into this shower. That night seemed like a distant memory, in a completely different life. He had been so scared and nervous that night, completely oblivious as to what really went on in this hotel. They were also a lot more physical now, compared to how Percy had professionally treated Nico on the night they first met.

Turning Nico around, Percy cupped the boy's face and leaned in for a searing kiss. Nico moaned a little as his back was pressed against the shower wall. With one hand on Percy's shoulder, Nico's other hand traced the muscles of the young man's chest.

Nico was the first to get out of the shower, while Percy actually worked on scrubbing himself off a little. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Nico headed for the bedroom, where he grabbed a fresh, comfortable shirt from Percy's closet. Nico frowned a little as the shirt practically hung off of his left shoulder. He had just sat down on the bed, when a dripping wet Percy entered the room.

Smiling, Percy toweled his hair as he got back into his underwear. He didn't even bother putting on a shirt, simply sat down behind Nico on the bed. Nico pressed his lips together and turned to face the young man, uncertain of the conversation that was about to be had.

“So?” Was the only thing Percy said.

Nico let out a breath. “I'm sorry I did that, it won't happen again.”

Percy shrugged, massaging his neck with one arm. “Well, to be honest, Mr. Callahan had originally requested you for down in the kink rooms, but was informed that you don't work down there.” Reaching out, Percy adjusted the shirt on Nico's shoulders. “So, to be fair, I should have known what was going to happen when he said he was fine going to the backrooms with you. He's done this three times in the past, so I apologize for letting it happen.”

“You know, you don't have to talk so professionally to me when it's just the two of us.”

A smirk crossed Percy's lips as he leaned down and kissed Nico on the shoulder. “Would you rather I have gotten angry?” He let out a sigh. “I just need to know what you're going to do.”

Nico pressed his lips together, his brow knitted together. “Can I think on it?” The Lost Boy fell onto the sheets with a groan. “I'm not in trouble?”

Percy ran his fingers under the shirt that Nico had borrowed, tracing his fingers along the boy's stomach. “I doubt it. Gaea will probably just ask what happened, and I'll explain the situation. It'll be fine.” With a mischievous grin, Percy smacked Nico's stomach. “Come on and get to bed.”

Grumbling with a glare, Nico did as he was told. He let out a long sigh as Percy got up to turn off the lights. As Percy settled in next to the Lost Boy, all Nico could think about was how their move to Germany could not get there fast enough.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Will asked as he shut the door.

Nico rubbed at his face as he sat down on the blond's bed. This was not really a talk that he wanted to have, but it was definitely one the two needed to get out. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Will had to know the truth of this somewhere inside of him. Unless he truly did not realize the feelings that he was displacing on Nico.

“It's about me and you,” Nico finally said gently. He looked up through his bangs, pressing his lips together. “You remember when we went to see that movie a while back?”

Will reached up to scratch at his cheek. “Yeah, of course. What about it?”

It would be fine, Nico reassured himself. “You didn't realize it, but you called me Mitchell.” Judging by the surprise that crossed Will's face, it was clear that the blond really did not notice what he had said. “It's fine, really, but it got me thinking about the possibility that you might be transferring your feelings for Mitchell onto me.”

Will's fumbled for a moment, unsure of what to say. “I'm not- I just...” Sitting down next to Nico on the bed, Will ran a hand through his hair. “I know I haven't gotten over him, but that doesn't mean I didn't have an attraction to you.”

Nico smiled and patted the blond's leg. “I know, and I like you, too. But I think it's just a small crush. And I think, for you part, your displaced feelings are making you think that you have more feelings for me than you do.”

Falling back on his bed, Will let out a sigh. “I'm sorry. Maybe you're right.” A smile touched at his lips for a few seconds. “And, I mean, I think we all figured you'd end up with Percy. Nobody really had a chance once things worked out between you two.”

It stung to hear that, but Nico knew it was true. It was always going to be true. At least until the day Percy started to act like Kronos, then Nico's feelings might change. It hurt a little to be in this place in his life. Admittedly, there were several Lost Boys that Nico would have dated if things were different between him and Percy. And it hurt to have to have this talk with the ones like Will, who was a very sweet guy that Nico knew that he could also be happy with.

But first Will would have to move on from his lost love, if he ever hoped to find happiness with someone else again.

“Are you okay?” Nico asked after a long silence.

Will didn't move from where he lay on the bed. “Yeah, I'll be okay.” His blue eyes flickered over to Nico. “We all said you were different, but I don't think any of us actually ever imagined that you'd actually achieve your goal of being with Percy. Especially in a committed relationship with him.” The blond Lost Boy's smile crept back onto his face as his eyes slowly closed. “I remember that movie night forever ago, up in Percy's suite, and I never imagined something like this would happen. Percy had never shown any interest in any of us.”

“Well it wasn't exactly a dream come true in the beginning.”

“At least Percy took interest in you. Some of us barely got a few words with him during the week, yet he usually sought you out nearly every day. Not only that, but he didn't want you in our line of work. It might have frustrated you, but he didn't try to have sex with you.”

The corner of Nico's lips tilted up into a smirk. “So, are you going to be coming with us to Germany?”

“I don't know just yet,” Will sighed. He jumped up and picked up a piece of a paper from his nightstand, handing it to Nico. It was the form for being transferred. “I did go ahead and pick the application up. It would be good for me, I think.” Will slowly blew out a breath. “I think it would be good for me to get away from everything here, mainly my past. My parents, the orphanage, Mitchell... Just everything.”

“I'm sure you'll make new friends in Germany, should you come.” Nico smiled and handed Will the form back. “Plus, you'll have me and some of the others there.”

A few hours after his talk with Will, Nico got to eat dinner with Percy, Zoë, and the Stolls. It was all going great, until the twins decided to hand Percy a small gift bag. Percy arched an eyebrow as he shuffled some of the paper around inside, reaching for the gift at the bottom. His brow furrowed when something metal rattled inside.

“What the hell?” Percy mumbled as he pulled out a small plastic ball and metal chain. He placed the gift on the table, where Zoë picked it up and inspected it for any inscriptions that might be on the ball. “Why did you guys give me this?”

“Well,” Connor began.

“Because, you're chained down to Nico now,” Travis finished

The twins chuckled loudly, drawing a few stares from the people in the restaurant. Connor grinned and winked at Nico. “He's your ball and chain, Percy.”

Percy rolled his eyes and shoved the gift back into the bag. “I shudder to think what Germany will be like when you two move there.”

Nico perked up. “You two are moving?”

“Of course,” Travis snorted.

Connor stuck out his tongue. “Do you think we'd pass up the opportunity to terrorize all of Europe?” He shrugged. “Plus, maybe we'll miss you and Percy. But mostly the first part.”

Resting her chin on her palm, Zoë let out a sigh. “At least things will be quieter around here.”

It was kind of a bummer to hear that, but Nico realized that he couldn't expect everyone to make the move. At least it seemed like the ones he was closer with would be moving. His brow furrowed. But if the rumors were true, and Thalia was seeing Zoë now, would the other Lost Girl stay here as well?

When it came time to go to work, Percy rode up the elevator up with Nico, who was working the bar tonight. As the elevator was nearing its stop, Percy tilted Nico's chin up and pressed their lips together. Nico let out a moan into Percy's mouth as he was leaned backwards. Fumbling around blindly, Nico managed to grab the railing in the elevator for support.

Percy pulled back just as the doors opened, grinning. “Have fun at work tonight.”

Nico was very certain that his eyes were clouded with lust. He really wanted to grab Percy by the collar and pull him back in for another kiss, which Percy seemed to catch on to. Chuckling lightly, Percy pressed the button to close the doors. Wasting no time, Nico grabbed Percy's shirt and crashed their lips together. And, feeling a little bold, Nico pressed his palm to Percy's crotch.

The young man groaned into their kiss and this time it was Nico that pulled away with a smirk. “You have fun, too.”

Percy chuckled and shook his head. “There are times I miss your innocent angel side.”

“We could take the night off and go back to your room.”

“We could,” Percy hummed, “but I really don't need to.” He pressed a brief kiss to Nico's lips and released the button on the elevator. As the doors opened again, Percy pushed Nico gently out of the elevator. “But I wouldn't mind if you came by my suite after work. Just come upstairs after you get off.”

Nico nodded and tossed a wave over his shoulder as the elevator doors slowly shut. Releasing a breath, the Lost Boy walked over towards the bar to clock-in. He couldn't help but smile. As annoying as things could be with the publicity and the job, things with Percy were better than Nico could have expected. Percy was opening up and letting Nico closer to him.

Everything was fairly quiet at work, until a guy at the bar spoke to Nico. “You're the kid on the covers of all those magazines, aren't ya?” He asked, swaying a little in his seat. Nico's eyes flickered down to the half empty glass in his hand. “Working so hard while dating a billionaire.”

“Um, thank you?” Nico wiped down the surface of the bar, his brow furrowed. “I think you've had enough to drink, though.”

The man reached out, surprising Nico by grabbing the boy's arm and spilling a little of his drink. “He must worry about your safety a lot.” The stranger nodded lightly. “I'd imagine so. With Percy being who he is, and you're close to him...”

Nico managed to yank his arm free. “Um, I don't really know what you mean. Percy doesn't need to worry about me, not that it is any of your business.”

“I'm willing to bet that quite a lot of people would do anything to get some leverage over your Percy.” The man nodded, raising his glass to take a drink, only to discover it to be empty. “Can you give me a refill, boy?”

Chiron stepped in before Nico had the chance to even touch the glass. Instead of refilling it, the tall man set it aside and gave the man across the bar a firm look. “Do not harass my employees, sir. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

The man looked applaud. “On what grounds?”

Chiron waved over to Chris to get his attention. “Because you are threatening my employee here.”

Chris got the man to his feet, who stumbled in an attempt to get free of the brunet's grip. “I was just making an observation is all, meant no harm.” He dusted himself off and narrowed his drunken eyes at Chris. “I'm perfectly capable of showing myself out, thank you very much, ma'am.”

Chris just blinked and raised a brow as the man stumbled out. “He really did have too much to drink,” he assessed before going back to his table.

Nico was still a little shaken up when it came time to get off work. Chiron didn't make him wait around while they closed up the bar, instead sending the boy upstairs to meet up with Percy. However, he had barely gotten off the elevator when he froze in place.

Apollo and Robert were standing in the hallway. Robert made to advance closer to the curly haired blond, but Apollo raised a hand to put distance between the two of them. “Don't touch me,” the blond Lost Boy whispered.

“You could at least think about it!” Robert shouted. “After what I just did, it's the least you could do for me.”

Apollo's eyes widened a little, shocked. “I never said I wouldn't.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Just let me think, okay?” He motioned towards the elevator. “Just go. Please?”

For a few seconds, it didn't look like Robert was going to leave, but then the blond leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Apollo's cheek. “Let me know when you make a decision,” Robert whispered as he pulled back.

If it hadn't been so quiet, Nico wouldn't have been able to hear half of the conversation. Apollo took in a deep breath as Robert walked towards the elevator, which was still occupied by Nico. Robert came to a complete stop when he noticed the brown-eyed boy standing there. But he didn't say anything, just gave a small nod to the Lost Boy as they passed each other.

Nico turned to watch the elevator close, slowly backing towards Apollo. His brow furrowed once the doors had shut. Whipping his head around, Nico turned his full attention to the curly haired Lost Boy in front of him. “What was that about?”

Apollo didn't respond. He stood there, chewing on his lip. His eyes darted around for a few seconds before they snapped onto the raven haired boy in front of him. “Hey, Nico,” Apollo said softly. “It was nothing.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “It didn't seem like nothing.”

Inhaling deeply, Apollo ran a hand through his hair. He nodded without saying a word. As he leaned back against the wall, Nico caught sight of the look in the blond's eyes. Panic. What had happened? Finally, Apollo cleared his throat and looked at Nico.

“Robert left his wife.”