Children of Loss 57

Chapter 57

“You could at least think about it,” Piper huffed as she sat down next to Jason on the couch. She turned to the blond for support, but Jason just shook his head and held his hands up. “Nico, this is your prom. And, since you're graduating early, it'll be your only prom. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Go with me and Jason, it'll be fun!”

Nico stared blankly at her from where he was pouring himself something to drink in the kitchen. “First of all, it's tonight and I don't even have a tux.”

“We can go find you one!”

“Second of all,” Nico sighed, “I don't want to go.”

Piper rolled her eyes. “I'm sure Percy would go with you.”

“If they were talking,” Jason muttered, but Nico still heard him. The brown-eyed boy shot him a glare.

It was true, though. While Percy had been a little more talkative since the conference last weekend, the manager and Nico still had not made up. It probably had to do with them both being very stubborn, as to why they had not made up yet.

In truth, though, Nico was tired of fighting.

“My answer isn't going to change,” Nico finally answered before he took a long drink from his glass of lemonade. “Just go and make sure Jason has a good time.”

Piper looked at Jason again, who finally let out a sigh. “You know, Bianca is going to be there,” the blond supplied.

“It's not like I'm avoiding her.” Dark eyes focused on the drink in his hand. “Prom and dances just aren't my thing.” He let out a sigh and rubbed his neck. “Besides, I should probably start on packing.”

Finally admitting defeat, Piper got to her feet. “I'd like to point out that Jason and I are both moving as well, so packing is a poor excuse. But I will let you stay here instead, just don't say I didn't try.”

“I'll say you tried too much,” Nico mumbled as the Lost Girl shut the door on her way out.

From his place on the couch, Jason smirked at Nico as he reclined. Nico narrowed his eyes as he moved to sit down on the arm of the couch. “She means well,” Jason chuckled.

“Her and the rest of the girls.” Nico took a quick sip of his drink. “I think the girls are just looking for an excuse to give me a makeover. I will not let those jackals take me alive.”

With a smirk, Jason snatched the lemonade from Nico's hand and jumped up. Nico shot him a glare as the blond took a long drink before handing the drink back. “Well, one of us has to get ready for their prom. If you change your mind, you know where the prom is. Just try not to stay cooped up in this room all night.”

“Yes, mother.”

A few hours later, Jason emerged from his room in full suit and tie. Nico had to admit that the blond looked stunning in his black jacket and purple vest and tie. He had taken his glasses off from earlier and replaced them with contacts, while his hair clearly had some gel used on it. While the blond fiddled with his cuff links, Nico whistled in appreciation, which drew a small blush from the Lost Boy's cheeks.

Letting out a breath, Jason motioned to himself. “Do I look all right?”

All right was an understatement. If Nico wasn't in some weird relationship limbo with Percy, he'd probably have undone all of Jason's hard work right then and there. Instead of offering a real verbal response, Nico just nodded with an indistinguishable noise.

As Jason let out a small laugh, there was a knock at the door. Jason smirked at Nico and went over to open it, slightly surprised to find Thalia standing on the other side. The Lost Girl blinked at her brother for a moment before she raised a hand to cover her mouth, her eyes looking slightly misty. She quickly moved forward and hugged Jason.

“You look so handsome!” The Lost Girl exclaimed. “And now you're all grown up.”

Jason chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks.”

After a moment, Thalia cleared her throat and looked up at her younger brother. “Anyways, that's not why I came over here,” she said. Jason tilted his head to the side. Thalia pursed her lips for a moment, rubbing her palms together. “I made a decision about the transfers. I'm going to stay.”

“Oh.” Jason looked a little sad about it, but it didn't seem like the blond was going to comment. “Is this about Zoë?”

“Ah,” Thalia chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. They really were siblings. “I see you noticed.” Thalia let out a grunt. “Not that we were really being that discreet,” she muttered a moment later. She sighed and looked up at Jason again. “That's part of it, yes. But it's not the only reason.” Smiling, the short girl reached up to pat her brother's cheek. “You don't need me anymore, Jason, and you haven't really needed me since you got here. But you need to heal and grow more as a person, and I don't think you can truly do that with me hovering over your shoulder.”

“You're not-”

“You'll be fine, Jason,” Thalia smiled. “We'll still keep in touch and see each other, but I think I should stay here.”

Jason let out a long breath before he nodded. “Okay, as long as we stay in touch.” The two hugged again and then Jason pulled back. “As long as she makes you happy, I'm happy.”

Jason left with his sister to go find Piper, but not before saying a goodbye to Nico. The brown-eyed boy slumped down on the couch once they were gone, completely bored already. Life was not as hectic anymore, not since he stopped working. His nights were completely free, which gave him time to prepare for his finals that would be coming up over the next few weeks. But it also gave him time to spend time with Bianca, who was more than grateful to get to see her brother more before he left. While she was a little bummed that Nico wasn't going to prom, she understood and was content that she would still see him at his graduation and at the airport the day he left.

When it came time for dinner, Nico decided to head down to the hotel's restaurant. One of the Lost Kids would surely be down there and Nico could fend off the boredom with them until it was time for them to go to work. He didn't really bother dressing up, not even caring that his hair was slightly disheveled. Since it was a Saturday, he had not really gone anywhere.

Sure enough, the hostess at the restaurant gave him a distasteful look as he passed, though she knew better than to say anything to him. Unlike the guests, the Lost Kids never had to meet the dress code, though they usually tried to at least look presentable. Not Nico. Today, the boy had dressed in a pair of black cotton shorts and a dark red shirt that had been tattered around the sleeves. Not to mention that his hair could probably pass for a Hobbit from Lord of the Rings.

As luck would have it, Juniper and Silena were already at a table.

“Hi, Nico!” Juniper greeted him happily as he sat down at their table. The former Lost Boy gave a small wave as a waitress quickly came over to take his order. While most of the staff at the hotel didn't know Percy and Nico were fighting, they did know who Nico was. It was not something Nico was that thankful for. Juniper chuckled at the sour look on Nico's face after the waitress had left. “How are you?”

“I'm okay,” Nico sighed.

Silena brushed some of her hair out of her face. “I see Piper failed at getting you to go to prom.”

Nico leaned back and motioned to himself. “I don't know what you're talking about, I'm clearly ready to go.”

A small laugh escaped Silena's mouth. “Well, try not to be too bored tonight. You should at least try to get out of your room, since you've been cooped up there all week.”

“He has finals coming up,” Juniper pointed out. With a smile, she turned to Nico. “Oh, I meant to tell you that I decided to move back to Europe. While my family isn't in Berlin, it will still put me closer to them.”

Nico beamed at the news. “That's great! And, Silena, you'll be moving back as well, right?”

The raven haired girl nodded. “That's what Charlie tells me. It'll be good, since Percy offered him that job.” She let out a sigh and took a drink. “Not sure what I'll end up doing, though. Being a stripper and prostitute probably don't make for the best career, should we decide to raise a child,” she added a little more quietly.

“When is the wedding going to be?” Juniper asked as their waitress returned with Nico's drink.

After they all ordered some food, Silena let out a breath. “I think we are going to have it next year, probably in the spring.” Try as she might, the Lost Girl failed to hide the smile that appeared on her lips. “And Europe will make for a beautiful place to have a wedding. Traveling wouldn't be that bad, we could easily pick a place like Italy or even France.” As quick as it came, Silena's smile slowly melted away and she stared down at her drink on the table. “My mother always wanted to have her wedding in France.”

From what Nico could remember, Silena did not seem overly fond of her mother. Other than that, all he knew was that the Lost Girl had a harsh time adjusting to the business at the hotel when she first arrived. And, now, all that was left was her story; Nico had heard all of the others by now.

“I don't think you've ever talked about your mother,” Nico said quietly, taking a sip of his drink. “Well, at least not to me, other than after my mom died.”

Juniper's eyes flickered over to where Silena sat, a concerned look in her eyes. But Silena nodded, pressing her lips together. “You're right.” She rubbed her hands together for a few seconds before she leaned forward on the table. “You know, when you first got here, a lot of us didn't want to tell you our stories, but now I think that was unfair. You had a point when you said that we all knew what happened with us, and it was like we were excluding you. It probably would have avoided a lot of tension if you had known, so you would know what not to bring up with each of us.

“My mother was a very bitter and shallow woman, who could not stand anyone being more attractive than her. Heaven forbid that another woman get attention that she felt that she deserved,” Silena continued. “I never knew my father. If I did, I would have tried to live with him instead. My mother... Well, she got around with a lot of men, so didn't really know who my father was. I'm not saying it's wrong that she had a lot of sex, I'd be a hypocrite if I did, but it would have at least been nice if she had been able to know which man was the father of her daughter.”

“You never really tried to get a test done?” Nico hesitantly asked.

Silena shook her head. “There wasn't really a point. My mother didn't want me to do one, and I didn't really care by the point I got here.” The Lost Girl let out a sigh. “By the time I hit puberty, my mother still had not changed. I never understood her. At first, she was proud that I was pretty, but then she wasn't. There were some real creeps that came through our door, and she hated it when I started to catch their attention. She became furious one night, started talking about how I stole her youth and beauty.”

“You mean like that old wives' tale?”

Slowly, Silena nodded. “Exactly. You know, some people say that if a mother has a daughter, she loses some of her looks. Which is bullshit, because my mother still looked hot.” She laughed dryly and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Well, surgery did help a little. She didn't stay satisfied with the way she looked for very long. Either way, she thought I was trying to steal her men away from her. She thought I wanted them!” Silena hissed. “So, to teach me a lesson, my mother helped men that wanted me hold me down and...have their way with me.”

“Oh my god,” Nico whispered before he could catch himself. Immediately, he covered his mouth. “That's awful. You didn't report her?”

“You know, it's only now just getting to a point where law enforcement will believe a child about such a claim. I felt scared at home after that. It started to get worse, and I ran one night, when my mother went to get a hot iron to 'make me less beautiful'. I didn't even stick around to take some things with me, I just jumped out my window and ran.”

It made sense. Silena had escaped a situation where she was having sex with people she didn't want to, into a business that required the same thing from her. It couldn't have been easy to adjust to. Then what changed?

“Dionysus told me a long time ago that you had a rough time adjusting here,” Nico confessed. “What finally got you to accept this life?”

“Luke talked to me,” Silena admitted. She took a long drink before she continued. “We talked for a long time, and then he told me that Percy could help me out. But only if I calmed down.” It didn't take much for Nico to understand what that meant, or what would come next in the story. “So, in exchange for me behaving, Percy payed off a plastic surgeon to...help my mother out, so to speak. Not sure what happened to her after that, never really kept a tab on her.”

Nico was not surprised by this point. It was very common that Percy ended up settling the score with the parents or people from the past of the Lost Kids. He could understand why, though.

“Why didn't you?” Silena suddenly asked.

Nico blinked in surprise. “Why didn't I what?”

Frowning, Silena tilted her head to the side. “You never asked Percy to do anything to your father, and I know he had to of offered you.”

“I just...” Nico fell silent, pushing some hair behind his ear. “I don't know, I guess I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I honestly can't tell you.” He looked up to find both girls staring at him intently. “I was angry, yeah, but I knew it wasn't something I could take back. What if I regretted it later? He might have hurt me and I still hate him for what happened, but I don't regret my decision to not get back at him. Besides, I couldn't live with myself if Bianca found out and hated me for it, let alone my mother...if she were still alive.”

Reaching across the table, Juniper took his hand. “That was very kind of you, Nico. Don't think that we think poorly of you.”

“On the contrary,” Silena added, “I think some of us wish we had done the same. It's easy to cause people pain for what they did to us, it's hard to let it go and move on.”

If he had gotten more sleep, Nico might have thought better about sitting on the edge of the roof, but he was still having trouble sleeping after his abduction. It wasn't like he was going to jump, the city just looked really beautiful at night from the roof. His room felt a little confining, so Nico had gone to get some air. He had already caught up with most of his studies, so Nico was pretty much left to be bored.

“You know,” came Percy's voice from behind Nico, startling the boy, “the last time I had a Lost Kid come up here, she ended up taking her own life.” As Nico turned around, Percy slipped his phone into his pocket, eyebrow raised. “Do you mind not sitting on the edge of the very tall building?”

Nico rolled his eyes, but got up anyways and moved to stand closer to the green-eyed young man. “I suppose it's a good thing I'm not a Lost Kid anymore.” Arching a brow, Nico crossed his arms. “That is, unless you're having second thoughts about that decision.”

“I'm not going to do something like that, just because we are fighting.” Percy smirked as he slowly paced around Nico. “Couples fight. If we didn't have arguments, then perhaps we both should worry.”

“Technically, it hasn't been made official yet.”

“I don't really like technicalities,” Percy mumbled, rubbing his jaw. He let out a sigh as he came to a stop in front of the brown-eyed boy. “But, if it will make you happy, I'd be glad to discuss it after we've made up.”

Nico's face remained blank as he stared up at Percy. “And when might that be?”

Percy let out another sigh. “I actually came to find you to apologize.”

“What?” That was...unexpected. Percy was the one apologizing? Both of them had been acting unreasonable, but Nico was also very stubborn and sometimes had trouble letting things go. It was an issue that Bianca strongly urged him to work on. “You're wanting to apologize...to me?”

Chuckling, Percy nodded. “I was wrong. I overreacted and I shouldn't have pushed you away like that.”

Holding up a hand, Nico shook his head. “That's really unnecessary,” he said quietly. “I just wish you'd open up more, Percy. It's really hard to read you sometimes. Would it be so hard to tell me why you're doing something?” Rubbing at his arm, the pale boy glanced down at his feet. “That's all I want.”

“You're right.” It caught Nico a little off-guard to hear those words come out of Percy's mouth. Not that the boy was about to complain, it felt nice. He just couldn't bring himself to smile about it. Percy ran a hand through his hair. “I'll try to do better, I promise.” He grinned down at Nico. “And if I fail to do so, you have my permission to knock some sense into me.”

Nico narrowed his gaze. “Don't think I won't take you up on that, Percy Jackson.”

The young man smirked in a way that Nico wanted to smack it off his face. “I wouldn't have it any other way.” As if he knew Nico's thoughts, Percy took one of Nico's hands and laced their hands together and brought them up to their shoulder area. Nico arched a brow at the young man. “Now, about the matter of your future education...”

“Still forcing me to go to school in Germany?”

Percy gently shook his head as he placed his other hand on Nico's waist. “No, I've decided on a compromise.” Oh really? Nico had to hear this. Percy let out a breath. “You go to a university in England. One of your choosing, whichever one you want. You can pick whatever major you want. This way, you won't have the language barrier, and I'll have the peace of mind about having you relatively close by.”

Nico opened his mouth to respond, but Percy pressed on.

“Look, I can't always be there to protect you, I know that, but this will help ease my mind.” Percy let out a breath. “I don't want anything like that to happen to you again, and I let you down by thinking that you were untouchable through the fear that people have of Gaea and her associates. But I didn't really count on someone that doesn't really know how deep our influence runs trying something.” It was hard to look away from those sea-green eyes when Percy stared at him so intently. “I can protect myself. And I'm not saying you are weak or defenseless, but you're not a killer. Unlike myself, I can't always protect you. I don't really want to think about what would happen if I did lose you.”

Oh. Nico felt his face grow hot as his mouth hung open ever so slightly. “Um...” Wow, he could not form words right now. Leave it to Percy to say something sweet while he was admitting he was wrong. “Okay, I can... I can go to school in England, if it'll make you feel better.”

Percy smiled. “It would,” he nodded.

It finally hit Nico just what was happening as Percy tightened his grip on Nico's waist and hand. As he blinked, Percy began to slowly turn them in a circular pattern. Nico's face grew hot again as he narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Percy laughed. “I was wondering when you'd notice.” The young man had started to slow dance with Nico. “It's your prom night, and while you might not want to go, you should still have a dance.” It was such a simple movement, but it still made Nico's heart beat faster. “You know, I used to really suck at dancing. Kronos used to say that I had two left feet, and actually protested letting me working for his mother. Said that I would just embarrass Gaea's business.”

Neither part really surprised Nico, to be honest. But he didn't say anything, he was just happy that Percy was sharing pieces of his past with him. Sighing to himself, Nico brought his free hand up to rest it on Percy's shoulder.

The two were quiet as they slowly rotated in a circle, swaying slightly. Nico had never really slow danced, but it didn't seem that hard. Besides, Percy was leading anyways. It was a simple dance, but Nico didn't want it to end. Warmth practically radiated off Percy's body and Nico didn't want to lose it. He hummed lightly as he rested his head on Percy's shoulder.

Following Percy's movements, Nico took a step back. Smiling, Percy spun Nico out before pulling him back in, but this time Nico was pressed with his back to Percy's chest. Nico turned his head to look at Percy, and the young man wasted no time in leaning in to press their lips together. As Nico sighed into Percy's mouth, the young man used the opportunity to slip his tongue in, drawing a soft moan from the brown-eyed boy.

Nico slowly turned around in Percy's arms and wrapped his own around the young man's neck. Percy leaned Nico backwards, holding tightly to the boy's slender waist. When they finally broke the kiss, Percy cupped Nico's face and pressed another kiss to the boy's forehead. “I hope you enjoyed your dance.”

Nico gave a dazed nod. “I did, thanks.” He bit down on his lip as he grabbed Percy by the shirt and pulled him down for another brief kiss. They hadn't kissed in a while, and Nico found that he really missed getting to do it. He had missed Percy.

Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when Nico was unable to stifle a yawn when Percy tried to kiss him a third time. Blinking, Percy pulled back and brushed Nico's bangs to the side. “Nico, you look awful.”

Narrowing his eyes, Nico pushed against Percy's chest, though the young man didn't budge. “Gee, thanks,” he muttered sarcastically.

“Why haven't you gotten some medicine to help you sleep, if you were having trouble?”

“I didn't want any.”

It was a lie, but Nico didn't want to explain that he was afraid that he would wake up and this would all be a dream. He still felt like he might be back in that box, waiting to run out of air and die. Ever since he had been pulled from that nightmare, Nico had probably only managed to get three hours of sleep a night. Sometimes even less, or sometimes maybe an hour more at most. His blood had probably turned to coffee by this point, considering how much of the stuff he had drank.

With his brow furrowed, Percy took Nico by the hand and led him to the door to get off the roof. Nico didn't offer much protest. He was too buy yawning and rubbing his eyes to really put up much of a fight. Ever since the slow dance, the warmth from Percy's body had made Nico want to just fall asleep on his feet.

They ended up back in Percy's room. The young man placed Nico on the bed before he worked on getting Nico's shoes and pants off. He left Nico in his loose T-shirt and underwear to reach into his pocket and pull out his phone. He sent off a quick text.

Nico blinked up at the young man. “What are you doing?”

“Letting Leo and Rachel know I won't be back upstairs tonight.”

Nico let out a sigh and sat up. “I don't want to go to sleep, I'm not tired,” he tried, but another yawn betrayed him. “I really don't want to go to sleep.”

Percy sat down, pulling off his own shoes. “And why is that?”

Nico didn't answer. Percy stared back at him for a moment before he yanked his own shirt over his head and undid his pants. He crawled onto the bed, while Nico raked his eyes down the young man's body, paying extra attention to Percy's ass in the tight blue boxer-briefs he was wearing. Percy leaned Nico back down on the bed, laying on top of him. He pressed a kiss to Nico's neck.

“Before we move, is there anyone I should get in contact with for you?” Percy mumbled into the boy's neck. Pressing another kiss there, the green-eyed young man pulled back and stared down at the boy. “Maybe a friend that you want to say goodbye to?”

As his lips drew into a thin line, Nico gently pushed Percy off of him. Not really something he would have ever dreamed of doing when he first me the green-eyed young man, but things had definitely changed between the two of them since then. “I didn't really have friends,” the boy whispered, causing Percy's eyes to widen slightly. “Dad didn't really let me venture out of the house much. And, well, nobody wanted to really be friends with the antisocial, ghost boy.”

Although he let Nico have his space, Percy slid his hand across the bed and interlaced their fingers. “I'm sorry.” The young man smiled sadly and toyed with Nico's hair. “That must have been very lonely. No friends at all?”

“If you count the people that made fun of me for a stupid card game that I used to play.” Nico let out a long yawn and rubbed at his eyes, which clearly did not go unnoticed by the young man beside him, who frowned. “What about the mysterious Percy Jackson?” Nico smiled lazily and let his hands fall into his lap. “You don't talk much about your past, all I really know are fragments.”

There was a distant look in Percy's eyes as he simply reached out and played with a strand of the boy's hair. “I don't really like to think about it.” His eyes met with Nico's and a sad look appeared in those sea-green orbs. “It's just confusing, you know? I loved my mother, she was a good woman, but that was a bad time in my life. Like you, I was alone after she died.” The young man's lips tilted down. “Instead of sending me to an orphanage or foster care, she kept me. I think she wanted to believe that things would get better for us, and didn't want to lose me. She didn't deserve the life she was given, and I could never forgive my father for ripping her away from me at such a young age. It wasn't even about living on the streets myself, or even danger I felt most of the time when I laid down to sleep at night. I wanted him to die for her.”

Nico's eyes flickered over to where the pocket watch Nico had fixed for the young man rested on the nightstand. Humming lightly, Nico crawled over and picked it up. Percy reached out to take it back, but the boy pulled it out of reach. “She was very pretty,” Nico said gently as he opened the watch. His breath hitched a little when he found a new picture inside.

Right behind the face of the clock was a picture of Nico. Slowly, Nico tugged on the clock to reveal the new photo inserted into the lining of the back of the watch. “I wanted it to have the most important people in my life in it. So, when you gave it back to me, it wasn't complete.”

Nico smiled and leaned over, placing two fingers under Percy's chin to press their lips together. Why had he even been mad at Percy again? Nico let out a long sigh as he pulled back. “That was really sweet.”

Clearing his throat, Percy placed the pocket watch back on the nightstand. “You know, when I was younger, I was that kid that had the toothy smile and stayed in trouble all the time. I probably gave my mother quite a few gray hairs, but she always smiled when she looked at me.” Percy chewed on his lip, his eyes staring off to the side. “I really liked seeing her smile, it always made me happy.” He finally let out a breath and turned back to Nico. “You know, when you first got here, I ended up breaking a mirror. I just couldn't stop seeing that kid that I used to be staring back at me, like I had let him down.” Percy's brow furrowed. “Like I was some kind of monster.”

Nico took Percy's hand and gave it a squeeze. “I think she raised you well, and I think her morals stuck with you. It's probably why you didn't turn out more like Kronos.”

Percy smirked a little. “Gaea wasn't that bad. Kronos can just be...an acquired taste.” He shrugged. “Never met him, but Gaea never spoke fondly of Kronos's father. I don't think he's still alive.”

Nico scooted over and rested his back against Percy's chest. The young man smiled and brushed some of the brown-eyed boy's hair out of his face. Before he could catch himself, another yawn escaped Nico's mouth. Percy immediately frowned.

“You look so exhausted. Why aren't you sleeping?” Percy shook his head. “You've been like this since I got you away from that creep, and it doesn't look like you've gotten much sleep since then.”

Nico opened his mouth to argue, but Percy cut him off.

“Don't give me any bullshit, Nico.” The softness of Percy's voice was gone, replaced by concern and agitation. “You should have gotten some sleeping pills, if you were having this much trouble getting sleep.” He tilted his head to get a better look at the boy in his arms. “What's bothering you? The guy is dead, he's not going to hurt you ever again.”

“It's not that,” Nico breathed out. He tilted his head back, reaching up to caress Percy's face. It was real. “I just... I was afraid I'd wake back up in that box, like all of this would have just been some sick dream I came up with. When I do get some sleep, I just dream about being buried alive again.”

Percy's arms tightened around Nico. “Do you want me to let you see a therapist?” He whispered in the boy's ear.

“No,” Nico said, shaking his head. “I just...need to know that it's real.”

Percy shifted, so that Nico laid on his back. As the young man hovered over the boy, Percy brought their faces within inches of each other. “I would give you anything,” he said gently. “Ask for the world, and I'd give you the moon to go along with it.” Percy pressed a gentle kiss to Nico's lips, causing the brown-eyed boy to sigh. “Just tell me what it is you want.”

Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and pulled the green-eyed young man down on top of him. “You. I want you.”

“I'm all yours,” Percy said as they kissed again. “I always have been and I always will be, until you are tired of me.”

Nico's heart fluttered as Percy's fingers slid up his shirt, ghosting over Nico's skin. Their lips crashed together and Nico eagerly opened his mouth to allow Percy's tongue entrance. As Percy shifted down to kiss along Nico's neck, the boy mumbled, “I don't think that will ever happen.”

Nico's shirt quickly found its way onto the floor, which was soon followed by his and Percy's underwear. Percy roughly pulled Nico into his lap. His lips moved agonizingly across the brown-eyed boy's chest, while his fingers traced circles on the small of Nico's back. The boy's finger's tangled in Percy's hair and Nico couldn't help but shudder as Percy softly trailed a finger down the spine of his back.

It didn't take long for Nico to find himself on his back with his ankles on Percy's shoulders. And judging by the way Percy was going at his collarbone, Nico would probably be left with a mark.
The good news was that Nico could probably cover it up with a shirt, not that he would have complained at the moment if it had been in a more visible spot.

“You seem a little eager tonight,” Nico breathed into Percy's ear, his hands with a firm grasp of the young man's hair.

Stopping for a moment, Percy pulled back to look at Nico and blinked. “Why do you say that?”

“I don't know,” Nico replied, no longer meeting the green-eyed young man's gaze, though his grip did not untangle from Percy's hair. “It's just that with me, and the others, your sex drive seems to usually be sated.” He smirked a little and looked back at Percy as the young man rested his chin on Nico's chest. “The last time you were this eager for sex was back in Germany, when you-”

“Weren't having sex with the others?” Percy arched a brow and leaned down to press a soft kiss to the center of Nico's chest. With a wicked grin, he pulled back and lifted Nico's legs back onto his shoulders. “That's because I haven't been having sex with the others. Haven't really been since around the time you got abducted. I advanced the time frame we set for you quitting, so I felt it was only fair to do the same with your stipulation.”

Soon after, Percy had a condom on and had himself lined up at Nico's entrance. As Percy slid into Nico, the boy's nails dug into Percy's back and Nico bit down on his bottom lip. Nico pressed his palm to Percy's hip once the young man had buried himself in all the way, just to signal that he needed a minute to adjust. Percy smiled and leaned down to kiss Nico's forehead, which was already showing signs of sweat.

With a quick kiss to Nico's lips, Percy slowly began to drive his hips into Nico. The brown-eyed boy shifted his legs to Percy's hips, where he wrapped them tightly around his lover. Percy wasn't so slow this time. Normally, he waited a while to pick up the pace. Not this time. Tonight, he gripped Nico's hips and slammed himself into the boy, who tossed his head back with a gasp.

Nico's mouth fell open in a moan at the same time that Percy made a direct hit to his prostate and shifted his hands down to squeeze Nico's ass. Nico's hands fell to the sheets, where they gripped the fabric tightly. Percy just smirked as Nico's mouth continuously hung open with endless moans.

“It seems like someone really needed to get laid,” Percy chuckled huskily in the boy's ear, drawing another moan from Nico. Percy bit down on his lip and thrust again, causing Nico's toes to curl.

Percy was not easing up. It was like he was on a mission to hit Nico's sweet spot with every single thrust. And, well, he had yet to miss.

With a low growl, Percy flipped Nico over and had the boy get on his hands and knees. He placed a hand on Nico's stomach and another on Nico's shoulder. Nico buried his face into the sheets and screwed his eyes shut. Removing his hand from Nico's stomach, Percy placed both hands on the boy's shoulders.

Nico's toes curled again as he was slammed back onto Percy's arousal. Percy gripped Nico's hair and tugged the brown-eyed boy's head up. As he let out a moan, Percy bit down harshly on his neck. Slowly moving his hand down Nico's chest, Percy took Nico's arousal into his hand and gave it a few strokes.

As Nico neared his climax, Nico was turned around and Percy sat back against his headboard. Nico bit down on his lip as his hips were guided up and down on the young man's manhood. Nico leaned down to press their lips together as he wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. The brown-eyed boy tugged on Percy's bottom lip as they separated and Percy took Nico's arousal into his hand, giving it a few strokes.

Nico buried his head into the crook of Percy's neck as he felt his orgasm approach. “Percy!” Nico moaned loudly as he expelled his seed into the young man's hand and onto his chest. Percy shut his eyes and gripped Nico by the hips, slamming into Nico a final time before he came.

Nico collapsed onto Percy's chest, not even caring about the mess. Percy kissed the brown-eyed boy's forehead, stroking softly at Nico's hair. “Let me get a towel,” Percy whispered as he rolled Nico onto his back. The boy made a face at the warm sticky feeling that was now on his stomach.

Percy climbed off the bed and removed the condom, tossing into the trash. He left the room for a moment to retrieve a towel, which he handed to Nico upon his return. Nico had barely managed to clean himself up, when he felt his eyes begin to droop. Percy took the towel back with a smile, tossing it to the floor. He turned off the light and crawled back into bed with Nico, who already had his eyes closed. Nico let out a sigh of contentment when Percy pulled him against his chest and placed an arm around Nico's waist. Nico rested his hand on Percy's chest and the young man kissed his forehead. It did not take Nico long at all to fall asleep after that.

If there was one thing that Nico was certain of, it was that he hated wearing a cap and gown. Yes, graduation had finally come two weeks later. In truth, the time had gone by in an absolute blur. The morning after the prom he missed, Nico ended up sleeping in until around three in the afternoon. Percy had said that he had been exhausted, so he had no intention of waking Nico up. Not that Nico really could complain, since he felt so much better after waking up.

That following week had consisted of his final exams, which he had crammed for the best he could. He ended up staying in Percy's suite most of those nights, so he could study without being bothered, but Percy often came back from work to find Nico passed out on his notes. The week of graduation had been nothing but boring. He had begged to just skip the last few days, but no dice. They didn't even do anything! The teachers had pretty much just let them sit there and do as they pleased, so long as they were not too loud. So, Nico had been forced to wake up early for the past week, just so he could go read in class, opposed to sleeping in and doing something similar after waking up at a reasonable time.

And now here he sat, waiting for his name to be called to get his diploma. Since Lost Kids from other hotels had started to arrive over the past few days, all of the Lost Kids that Nico actually considered family were able to attend, while the newly arrived ones worked the lunch shift. Which was why Nico kept glancing up to them, because Bianca was sitting by Percy, and he was afraid she might still be a little unhappy about the move that was happening tomorrow.

It was strange, knowing that tomorrow Nico would be flying to a different country to start his life there. Percy promised they would have plenty of time together, but the young man also had a lot of work to do once they arrived. The summer would be when things transitioned, and Percy would take over in August, sort of a birthday present from Gaea. All the applications had been turned in by the Lost Kids that were wanting to transfer. A few, like Drew and Butch, would be staying with Annabeth at the American branch. But then there were those like Hazel and Calypso, who were just moving elsewhere altogether. While Hazel was moving to Asia to be with Frank, Calypso had recently announced that she wanted to try Australia and work under Demeter.

Ethan had ended up deciding that he wanted to stay where he was at, though Percy did end up asking him to be Nico's bodyguard when he was at school. That had not set very well with the brown-eyed boy, but the two did not start another fight over it. But that did not mean the issue was over.

“Nico di Angelo.”

Nico nearly jumped out of his chair when his name was called. He just wished that he could have realized that he would not make it to the stage without something embarrassing happening.

“Nico, yeah!”

“The march of victory!”

“Félicitiations, mon petit chou!”

It took everything Nico had just not to trip. His eye twitched as he looked up at the bleachers, where Eros and the twins were being yanked down from their standing positions by Luke, Piper, and Silena. He wasn't even going to question how they managed to get the giant poster with colorful lettering that said 'Nico survived the school-ocalypse' in big, bold letters into the damn gymnasium.

Unfortunately, while Jason and the others were trying to restrain Eros and the twins, Leo jumped up and yelled into a megaphone. “Nico's the man!”

“Be quiet!” The principal yelled.

“I'm so sorry,” Nico whispered quietly to the agitated man once he was on the stage. He shook the principal's hand and accepted his diploma before hurriedly making his way off the stage, his face now slightly red.

After they tossed their caps and the ceremony ended, the floor was flooded by the family and friends of the graduates. Nico himself nearly fell over when his sister jumped onto him with a big hug. “I'm so proud of you, baby brother!”

“You're crushing me,” Nico wheezed. Daedalus chuckled and tucked his own diploma under his arm before helping to remove Bianca. “Besides, I'm taller than you now.” Nico and Bianca both stuck their tongues out at each other.

Bianca ruffled his hair as Daedalus's parents approached. “You'll always be my baby brother.”

Minerva hugged her son as Quintus took a picture of them. “Nico, congratulations to you, too,” the woman greeted him.

“Thank you, ma'am.”

A hand was placed on Nico's head and the boy tilted his head back to be met with a quick kiss from Percy's lips. Nico's face turned so red and he quickly pushed Percy away. He wasn't entirely sure if they should be so affectionate in public, especially in front of his sister. But Bianca just arched a brow at them.

“Relax, twerp, Percy and I came to a very good understanding before your graduation started,” Bianca informed him. Nico paled a little at that. He wasn't sure if he liked this subject. “Just keep it clean when I'm around, I don't care if you two hug, kiss, or hold hands.”

As if to prove a point, Percy laced their hands together. It still bothered Nico a little, because Daedalus and his family were right there, and they didn't know half of what Bianca knew. And Bianca didn't even know half the truth.

Bianca lunged forward and enveloped him in another hug. “I'm so proud of you! You graduated early and are about to start college!” She squeezed him a little tighter. “You know, when we first talked about you graduating early, I got excited that we might get to start at the same college together.”

Nico felt his stomach dropped as he buried his nose into the crook of his sister's neck, taking in her scent. He clung to her like his very life depended on it. This would be their last day together, at least until Nico got to visit, or the other way around. “I'm still seeing you tomorrow at the airport.”

“I know,” Bianca replied in almost a sob. “I'm just not ready to let you go.”

He wasn't sure she just meant in the sense of their hug.

As they walked back to their cars, Nico walked alongside Apollo, hands in their pockets. The blond haired Lost Boy turned his head slightly and arched an eyebrow at the raven haired boy. “What's up?”

“Nothing,” Nico replied, shaking his head. He was relieved to be out of that stupid gown. “So, we're leaving tomorrow...”

“Yep.” Apollo smiled and glanced over at Leo, who widened his eyes and tried to look annoyed at the curly haired blond. Apollo just smirked and shook his head. “I'll be happy to have that fresh start.”

“Um, have you thought about saying all your goodbyes, though?”

Apollo gave him a strange look. “Well, considering most of my friends are moving with me, not really. I mean, I said goodbye to the ones that wouldn't be joining us, like Thalia, but-”

“I meant your sister,” Nico interjected. Apollo's forehead crinkled. “You never even told her that you're still alive. She hasn't heard from you since you moved. Why didn't you just try to get in contact with her when Robert tossed you out?”

“Because, I was ashamed,” Apollo whispered, making sure that nobody else could hear them. The two came to a stop, and Apollo waved to the others to continue without them when they got a few glances. The blond crossed his arms. “She told me not to trust Robert, she told me not to leave with him. I didn't listen, and I paid the price for it. And how can I face her now, with what I've done for the past few years?”

Nico smiled and touched Apollo's arm. “I think she'll just be relieved to know that you're still okay. She's probably been worried, not knowing what happened to you. She doesn't have to know everything.” Nico motioned to his sister, who had stopped to talk to Daedalus. “I know I'm glad that Bianca and I found each other again. It's not like you have to move and be closer to her, I'm just saying that you should consider getting back in touch with her.”

“I don't know.”

“We are leaving tomorrow. You might want to do some quick thinking.”

Eros and Octavian conversed the entire way back to the hotel, which seemed to irritate Luke, who just grumbled under his breath and slumped down in his seat. “Why are you two so chummy all of a sudden?” The older of the brothers had asked. Eros had just patted him on the head.

“At least someone is making you happy,” Octavian had told his brother when they arrived back to the hotel and Eros had skipped off to chat with Juniper.

“Nico, congratulations on getting out of high school,” Chris greeted him when in the lobby. Though she had not originally agreed to it, Chris had ended up convincing Clarisse to have them move to Europe with the majority of the others.

“Everything packed up?” Percy asked, carelessly tossing his phone in one hand.

“Good to go.” Chris grinned and shook Percy's hand. “Thanks again for the promotion,” he added, patting Percy on the back before he grabbed Clarisse and headed for the restaurant.

Nico furrowed his brow. “What's happening?”

“Oh. I asked Chris if he wanted to be a, sort of, bodyguard for me in Germany.” Percy casually shrugged. “It'll pay better, and I know Clarisse wouldn't want to be tied down to one person like that.” A chuckle escaped his lips. “Well, other than romantically, obviously. I promoted her to head of security for the Berlin hotel.”

“Don't let her hear you saying things like that.”

Percy's laughter slowly died down and he cringed a little. “Yeah, you're probably right. It'll stay between us.” Percy slipped his arm around Nico's waist. “So, what were you and Apollo talking about back at the school?”

“Oh.” Nico rubbed at his arm. “I was just trying to get him to consider contacting his sister, letting her know that he's still alive. Only if he wants to.”

Percy stared at him for the longest time before a warm smile spread across his lips and he ran some fingers through Nico's hair. “You do that a lot.”

“What?”

“Give advice to others.” He tilted his head to the side with a small chuckle. “I could always hire you on as a bartender after you finish college, since Chiron pretty much dealt out advice for people around here. I mean, if you'd be interested.”

Nico's mouth fumbled. “I- Um, yeah, that would be great.” Nico bit down on his lip to contain a smile. “But don't you have a bartender at the Berlin hotel?”

Percy shrugged. “Well, I mean, nothing is definite in three or four years, so we will see.” Leaning forward, the young man pressed a quick kiss to Nico's temple. “You'll also need to learn how to mix drinks properly.”

Later that night, Nico had pretty much finished all of his packing. He let out a sigh as he looked around his nearly empty room. Most of his things were in boxes and suitcases, while the other half had already been shipped ahead to Germany. Jason had left to spend some time with Leo and Piper, since he had done all of his packing the day before. Half of the Lost Kids had the night off, letting the ones from the other hotels fill some spots for the evening. And before bed, everyone was supposed to meet upstairs for a short goodbye party.

There was a brief knock at the door, which Nico got up to answer. Hazel smiled at him from the doorway, stepping around Nico to enter the suite. Nico felt a small knot form in his stomach as he shut the door. Aside from the rare visit, this would be the last night he'd be with Hazel. Through everything, Hazel had just always been one of the few that Nico felt he could trust in the hotel, and now she was leaving.

And as soon as the sad smile appeared on the girl's face, Nico knew they'd both be crying before they left the room. “I'm going to miss you,” Nico couldn't help but announce. “I'm happy you're going to get to be with Frank, but I'm really going to miss you.”

“I know.” Hazel shot forward and wrapped her arms around him. “I'll miss you, too. It seems like just yesterday you came here.” She laughed, hints of tears already forming in her eyes. “I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd make it that long here, none of us did. But, I mean, look at me. I made it, so I had the hope that maybe you'd be able to pull through. I was just upset when you chose to throw yourself with us, because I didn't want you to have to go through what we did.”

“None of you really deserve lives like this.”

Hazel smiled again. “We make due with what we are given.” She took a step back and motioned to him. “Look at you, you ended up with Percy, even though everyone told you not to bother. You did what everyone thought was impossible, and you technically escaped the cycle Lost Kids all go through.”

Nico pressed his lips together. “I might not be working like I was, but I'm still part of the hotel. I sleep in the same bed as the person that now runs the entire operation.” He simply shrugged. “It doesn't really feel like an escape, not that I guess I wanted to escape. I could have left, if I had really wanted to.”

Reaching out, Hazel took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I think it's good, in a way, that you didn't. Percy has changed a bit, he's started opening up more and smiles more.” Another squeeze to the hand. “I don't think he'd be quite like this if you had not come along, or if you had walked away.”

The two ended up talking for about an hour, until they had to head upstairs for the goodbye party. They both had to wipe their faces first from the tears that had been shed, and it took several hugs before they left the suite. To Nico, it was just a preview for what it would be like tomorrow when he had to say goodbye to Bianca.

“Why are you all leaving?” Aphrodite wailed. She might have had a little too much to drink.

“Because we want to get away from you,” Luke grumbled as he pried her latest mixed drink out of her hand, which resulted in a shriek from the woman. “Let it go, woman!”

Eros chuckled as Luke was tackled to the ground by an angry Aphrodite. Smiling, he wrapped an arm around Nico. “Nico, I am very happy that you will come home with me!”

“Yeah.” Nico sipped at a drink that Thalia had given him earlier. The first time he had drank from it left him coughing, so the boy had kept to small sips after that. “I'm sure I'm not the only one you're looking forward to having there.”

Eros grinned wickedly back at Nico. “Do you think Luke would want to share a suite?” The brunet tapped his chin while in deep thought. “We had a few noise complaints from the other Lost Kids while he visited, and Octavian sometimes gives me dark looks in the mornings.”

Nico let out a chuckle and tapped his glass to Eros's own. “I'm sure you could coerce him into it, especially if you're naked.” Nico nearly jumped when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Looking up, a smile spread across the boy's lips. “Hi, Chiron.”

Standing up, Nico gave the man a warm hug, though he barely met Chiron's shoulders. “It seems like just yesterday you got here, my boy, and now you're flying from the nest.”

“And leading an army of birds with him,” Travis joked in passing.

Nico glared at the brunet before smiling up at Chiron again. “I'm sorry you won't be joining us, Chiron.”

“Ah.” Chiron shook his head. “No, my place is here. Percy asked my opinion on your job opportunity, and I thought it was a wonderful idea.” Putting an arm around Nico, the man pulled the boy closer. “Make sure to look after all of them and keep them in line...especially Percy.”

Nico chuckled. “Will do.” Nico gave the man another warm hug. “I hope this won't be a true goodbye. I suppose it won't, if Percy ever feels the need to come back here for business, or if I want to visit my sister. But you could always take a vacation.” Nico arched a brow. “In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you take a day off.”

Chiron let out a warm laugh. “I like to keep busy.” He squeezed Nico's shoulder and smiled. “Take care of yourself, my boy, the world can be a large and frightening place.”

Nico's eyes widened in surprise when a pair of arms wrapped around him. “And I'd hate for you to get stolen again, cutie,” Ganymede said cheerfully. Nico rolled his eyes and smiled at Chiron, tossing the man a wave as he walked off. Ganymede rested his chin on Nico's head, staring over at Eros. “You must be the French boy. Very cute.” Ganymede smirked eyeing Eros up and down. “Say, if you want to go down to my room- Ow! What the fuck, Luke?”

From across the conference room, Luke stood with his eye twitching. At some point, the blond had thrown a book at Ganymede's head, which hit the man square in the face. “He doesn't want to go to your room, pervert.”

Eros's eyes widened in amusement. “I doubt you have room to talk, especially with what you tell me in the bedroom.”

Luke's face turned red. “Shut up. Do you want to go with him, or something?”

Eros turned to Ganymede, who winked. “I'm told that I'm a lot of fun.”

The French boy tapped a finger to his lips before tilting his head to the side and smiling. “No, Luke does a good job of taking care of my needs.” Luke looked like he wanted to strangle the brunet. Eros just chuckled at him. “You are very cute when you're jealous.”

From the corner of his eye, Nico spotted someone sitting alone. Not all that surprising, since it was Dionysus, and people tended to like Drew more than they liked Dionysus. Regardless, Nico slipped away from Ganymede and the others to go stand in front of the man. Dionysus looked up from his glass of crimson wine and smirked.

“The golden boy has finally deemed me worthy of conversing with.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well you failed to crush my spirits, or whatever your game was.”

Dionysus snorted and downed some more wine. “Not at all, Nico, I never tried to crush your spirits. I just liked watching you go to the verge of self-destruction and then scramble to put everything back together again. Especially when it involved Percy.” The man nodded. “Those were the most entertaining moments.” He grunted at the annoyed look on Nico's face before taking another drink. “Oh don't be so glum Nico, it's a day of celebration. You are victorious! But I wouldn't say that you made it through this small adventure unscathed. You're definitely not the same, cheerful boy that Percy brought in here almost a year ago.”

“No, I suppose not.” Nico let out a breath and sat his drink on the conference table. “But I'm not some sadistic drunk, who only takes joy from watching others suffer.” Nico shrugged. “You know, I wouldn't be surprised if Annabeth tossed you out of here. She isn't Percy, after all. I suppose it's a matter of what Percy and her agree on.”

“Perhaps with a few small nudges from a particular boy, who is surprisingly better at manipulation than people seem to give him credit for.” Dionysus sat back in his chair. “You know, Nico, I never expected you to survive this place, you were just too nice when you first got here.” The man's eyes flashed with amusement. “But you are just full of surprises, aren't you? Annabeth sure realized that.”

“Maybe there's more to me than you gave me credit for.”

“Perhaps.” Dionysus slowly nodded. “Now I'm curious as to what else happened to you before you arrived on our doorstep.” Dionysus raised his glass to Nico. “I will say that you were never dull. Don't be a stranger.”

As the party came to a close, Nico left to go finish packing. However, he barely made it to the elevator when he got stopped by Annabeth herself. Great, he thought. His annoyed look died, however, when she handed him a German dictionary. Nico arched a brow at her.

“What's this for?”

“Learning the language,” the blonde replied plainly. “You might not be going to school there, but you will be there a lot, and then permanently when you finish college. Better start learning.” She let out a long sigh before turning her sharp gaze back on Nico. “Look, I know we have our differences. I know we've been fighting a lot and I haven't been the best of friend.” She pursed her lips. “My main wish is to see Percy happy, and he is...for now. But that doesn't mean I can't be there if things go wrong between you two. Athena's position is opening up soon, as you know.”

“Maybe, doesn't mean you'll get the job.” Nico tucked the dictionary under his arm. “But I appreciate the gesture, Annabeth. I know that it isn't easy for you, seeing me with Percy, I mean.” He scrunched his lips, his jaw locked. “I just hope you're being sincere this time.”

Annabeth simply shrugged. “Perhaps you're not the only one full of surprises. For what it's worth, I have considered you a friend, and it hasn't always been me trying to sabotage you.” She held out her hand. “It's been a pleasure to know you, Nico, you were a worthy rival and friend.”

Nico hesitantly extended his hand and shook the Lost Girl's hand. “Congratulations on your promotion, Annabeth.”

Whether she was sincere or not did not matter. After they parted ways, Nico stayed up in his living room, searching through a list of people employed by the Lotus Hotel chain. It wasn't until Jason came in around three in the morning that Nico realized how late it was.

“What are you doing?” Jason asked with a raised brow.

“Nothing,” Nico muttered as he flipped yet another page. He let out a sigh as his eyes began to scan the page on the left. At least it contained base qualifications. “It's just something that I need to take care of.”

Jason gave him an odd look. “Well, don't stay up too late, we have to be at the airport early in the morning.” He sighed when Nico didn't even look up from the book. “Nico, are you listening? It's super late already. You need to sleep.”

“Huh? What?” Nico looked up in a daze, blinking. “Sorry, I'm distracted.”

Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. With a yawn, he headed down the hallway. “Just don't stay up all night.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico mumbled. His eyes were already glued back to the book. They flashed to a name, his brow furrowing. Slowly, a grin spread across Nico's lips. Oh yes, this could work. It was perfect. With a tired laugh, Nico slammed the book closed and got up from the couch, turning off the lights and heading to his bedroom.

Checkmate.

Saying goodbye involved far too much hugging for Nico's liking. The only reason he had not complained was because the person currently grasping him for dear life was his sister, and he was probably going to miss her most of all. Nico smiled and wrapped his arms around his sister again, smiling at Persephone, who stood a few feet away. The woman had brought Bianca and Daedalus to say their goodbyes, though she had not said much herself.

Daedalus and Jason strolled over after their own goodbyes. Daedalus adjusted his glasses and patted Nico on the back. “Take care of yourself, buddy.” He nudged Jason playfully. “Maybe you should keep an eye on him.”

Jason laughed and Nico scowled. “Hey!” The raven haired boy complained. “I'll be just fine. See if I let you visit.”

Daedalus smiled warmly. “Look after Jason as well. We wouldn't want him getting hit with another brick.”

“Wow, bro, harsh.” Jason rolled his eyes, his own glasses sitting lazily on his face. “It was just one time.”

“And all the sport injuries.”

Jason glared at the brunet. Before they could continue, Nico moved forward and hugged Daedalus, who blinked in surprise. “Thank you,” Nico said quietly.

The brunet tilted his head slightly to the side. “What did I do?”

“You stopped and helped me when we first met.” Nico shoved his hands into his pockets. “You didn't have to stop, you could have kept going. You didn't. And you tried to be my friend, offering to eat lunch with me.” He smiled over at Bianca. “Besides, if it weren't for you, I might not have found my sister again.”

Bianca took her boyfriend's hand and kissed his cheek, causing the brunet to duck his head sheepishly. “It's been a pleasure, Nico.” He gave a lopsided smile. “Seriously, take care of yourself. And if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to get in contact with me or Bianca.”

It finally came time for them all to part ways. Bianca pulled Nico in for one last hug, a few tears in her eyes. “Take care of yourself, twerp. I'm only a flight away, if you need me,” she said, which made Nico smile. “I'm going to miss you so much!”

“I'll miss you, too,” Nico mumbled into his sister's shoulder. “We can Skype, so we can still see each other. And I'll visit when I can. Maybe you can fly out for Christmas.”

Bianca nodded, smiling and wiping tears from her eyes. “Yeah, totally.” She gave her brother a final squeeze. “You better do well in school, or I'll come over there and kick your ass.”

Jason and Nico waved at Bianca and Daedalus before stepping into line. As they passed through security, Nico turned to wave at his sister one last time. Taking in a breath, Nico turned to follow Jason over to where the others were waiting for their flight to board. Percy and Gaea were nowhere in sight, which probably meant they were discussing something privately. Nico just sat down next to Apollo, who kept fidgeting.

“You okay there?” Nico asked with a raised eyebrow.

Apollo nearly jumped out of his seat. “I don't feel well.”

“Nervous flyer?” Nico chuckled.

Apollo shook his head. “It's not that.” He turned and looked at Nico, his lips in a thin line. “I, um... I'm not going.” Apollo chuckled at the questioning look on Nico's face. “Relax, I'm just not coming today.”

“What are the bags for then?”

Apollo kicked his backpack gently. “I took your advice,” the blond replied, chewing on his lip. “I mean, I haven't contacted her yet, but I'm going to head back to Florida.” He ran a hand through his curls. “Percy's tracking her down for him. I'm just hoping she's still there, or I'll be getting on another flight. I just wanted to...talk to her again...before I made this move. I don't know if I'm ready to tell her what happened to me, at least not everything, but I think it is time I bring her back into my life. If only I had listened to her in the first place...”

Nico turned slightly to hug the blond Lost Boy, who smiled warmly. Apollo embraced him in return, rubbing small circles into the boy's back. “I'm proud of you,” Nico whispered.

“I'm sorry.”

“For what?”

“You know, for how things went between us for a while.” Apollo scrunched his lips, his eyes darting up to Leo as the Latino boy hugged his mother goodbye. “She gave me a very long talking to this morning, while we were loading the vans. I didn't understand most of it, as it was in Spanish, but I feel like most of it involved me having my balls cut off.” He chuckled and stared down at his sandaled feet, his arms resting on his knees. “I just want to try and do better. I was always just afraid of turning into Ganymede, or just an angry, heartless person. I'm still terrified about getting into this relationship. What if I mess up? What if-”

“Apollo,” Nico chuckled. “You'll be fine.” He smiled and squeezed the blond's hand. “I think Leo's forgiven you, and so have I. You should put more faith in yourself. The mistakes we make help us grow as people.”

“Thank you,” Apollo said softly, his eyes sparkling like sapphires from the sunlight shining in from outside. “I'm glad I met you, Nico. Just try to make sure I don't screw things up with Leo too bad, will ya?”

Nico chuckled. “I'll try my best.”

It wasn't long after that when Apollo, Hazel, and Calypso all had to get ready to board their flights. Nico hugged Apollo again, telling the blond that they would see each other soon. Nico wished him good luck with his sister, which made Apollo smile. Surprisingly, Apollo leaned down and kissed Leo right there in front of everyone, which made the Latino turn a very bright shade of red.

When it came time for Calypso to head to her flight, she pulled Nico into a tight hug and whispered into his ear. “I wanted to thank you for being there for each of us, even when we might have not wanted you to be. You tried to help us, all of us, and I really appreciate that.” She held him out at arm's length with a smile. “We might not have spent as much time with each other as we should have, but I'm happy with the time I had with you. You were a good friend.” She cupped his cheek. “I wish you the best in Germany, and don't be a stranger. Take care of the others, especially Percy, he can be a handful.”

While he and Hazel had said their goodbyes the night before, it did not stop the two from hugging each other for a good five minutes. Thalia and Jason actually ended up having to pry them apart. Eventually, though, the three Lost Kids left for their individual flights, leaving the remaining to wait for their own flight. Nico took in a deep breath as he watched some of them say their last minute goodbyes.

It was sad, especially, to watch Jason and Thalia. While they had fought a lot after being reunited, the two had finally come to terms with each other. And now they were separating again. Due to their height difference, it required Thalia to stand on her tiptoes and Jason to lean down a ways for them to actually hug properly. Jason wished her luck with Zoë and Thalia wanted to make sure that her little brother would be fine in Berlin.

After Butch, Zoë, Ethan, Esperanza, and Thalia had all said their goodbyes, the five left the rest to wait. The only one that actually hadn't come today had been Drew, who was still sleeping, according to Juniper. A great weight settled in the pit of Nico's stomach as the small group disappeared from sight. This was it.

A lot of the group had gotten coffee at some point that morning, but not Eros. He was just naturally energetic. The brunet had mostly spent the morning talking Luke's ear off. And, by now, Luke had just started nodding to everything Eros said to him. At least until Eros suggested they share a suite. “Wait, what?” Luke practically yelled when that question came up.

“Don't worry so much,” Juniper tried to tell Will, who would not stand still for more than two seconds. He kept pacing back and forth, until Luke got frustrated and shoved the shorter blond into a chair. “Berlin is such a fun place.”

“I've just never been.” Will frowned at Luke, who glared when Will tried to stand up again. “It's a new experience. I don't know most of these other Lost Kids. Are we still going to be as close when we get there? What if the ones there hate us?”

Eros chuckled. “It is a fun place, there's much more to do at the hotel. And driving to different countries is so easy.” An excited look overtook his face. “Let us all make a trip to France soon!”

“Ah, no,” Luke replied, smirking when Eros glared.

Eros rolled his eyes and turned back to Will, grinning. “However, I know someone that has a thing for blonds.” He winked over at Will, who did not look convinced. Luke leaned over and whispered in Eros's ear. Whatever was said, Eros nodded with a wicked grin.

Octavian had been very quiet during their wait. He carried a folder full of college brochures, which fell out of his lap when their flight was finally announced. As a lot of the others hurried to board, Nico crouched down to help the blond gather up his things. “I'm fine,” Octavian muttered.

“And I'm happy to help.” Nico held out several brochures for the blond to take.

“Thanks.” Octavian sighed and stood up. “I just... I think I want to go back to school.”

“I thought you were already in school, studying politics?”

Octavian scrunched his lips as he showed his ticket to the woman behind the small desk. “I was. It's just that... I don't know, Robert got to me a little bit.” The blond looked at Nico from the corner of his eye. “I was thinking law. I mean, it's not much better than politics, but I could still help out around the hotel.” He shook his head. “I just don't want to disillusion myself into thinking I'll always be able to live like this. I don't want to end up like Dionysus, Aphrodite, Circe, or Ganymede. I want to be something more. Maybe Percy could hire me on as a lawyer, or something.”

Nico smiled as he and Octavian slowly walked towards their seats. “I think that would be a great idea. I know you'll do fine.”

Octavian just grunted and took his seat next to Luke and Eros, who was still talking the ear off of a very annoyed looking Luke. Nico smiled warmly as he slid past Rachel and Percy to take his seat by the window. Percy turned from his discussion with Rachel to smile at him.

“Ready to go?”

Nico nodded, relaxing in his seat. He stared out at the ground in what would be his last few moments in California for a long time. It had finally come time for this new life to begin. Was this where he was always meant to be? He did feel a wave of comfort wash over him as Percy took his hand.

“Yeah,” Nico whispered.

----

Translations:

“Félicitations, mon petit chou!”- [Congratulations, my little cabbage (=darling)!]

 “Tu es très mignon quand t'es jaloux [You are very cute when you're jealous]