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.”

Children of Loss 53

Chapter 53

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coward.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Persephone.”

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

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

“Is he having sex with you?”

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

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

“B, where are you going?” He asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nico nodded with a smile. “Very much.”

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

Nico snorted. “Thank you, Bianca.”

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

“I will,” Nico assured her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Could she do that?

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

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

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

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

“But...”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Shut up,” Luke growled.

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

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

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

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

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

“Feel better?” Percy asked.

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

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

“Technically, Wednesday is tomorrow.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“How did you meet?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Billionaire,” Daedalus coughed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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