Children of Loss 10

Chapter 10

Nico stood in the parking lot at school, waiting to see who would be coming to get him today. It would be so nice when he could get his own car, so he would not have to rely on people to get him to and from school anymore. Part of him was dreading the end of school, because it meant he would be going shopping with the boys, and they would probably be making him as uncomfortable as possible.

A silver Jaguar pulled up the curb in front of him. Nico raised an eyebrow, opening the door, and sliding inside. “Hey there, Nico,” Rachel greeted him, fixing her hair in the mirror. “Ready to go?”

“If you use the word loosely,” Nico mumbled back.

“That's the spirit.” Nico smiled and looked back out the window. Out of everyone, Nico had not seen much of Rachel or Leo since he had started working the bar.

“Rachel?”

Rachel kept her eyes on the road. “Hmm?”

“How come I don't ever really see you and Leo spending time with the other Lost Kids?”

Rachel clicked her tongue. “Complicated. Leo and I don't have to take our clothes off to make good money, and I think the others are a little resentful of that.”

Nico frowned to himself. “That doesn't seem very fair.” Rachel just shrugged. “Would they have treated me the same if I didn't get Percy to put me on the top floor?”

Rachel sighed. “Annabeth's right, you do ask a lot of questions. Look, Nico, the others are just complicated. We're all a family, but as you have taken notice of, the others are a lot closer. Try not to think too much on it.”

Nico huffed and pulled out his phone, glancing over his list of co-workers for tonight. He pocketed his phone and looked over at Rachel. “I'm supposed to go shopping with the guys today, how is that going to happen?” Nico asked.

“I'm taking you back to the hotel. I think that they have a hotel van to take you shopping. Percy wanted me to come get you, opposed to having a bunch of wild guys coming to pick you up.”

“Thanks for that.”

Rachel chuckled. “You're not like them,” she mused.

Nico cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“You're...normal. You don't try to be something you're not.”

“Will said something similar last night.”

“Then they have already noticed the difference between you and them.”

“And?”

“Nothing.” Rachel pulled into the parking garage and parked the car. She unbuckled her seatbelt and sat and looked at Nico for a minute. “It's nothing you need to worry about, Nico, just don't let them bother you. It's nothing you did, just know that.”

Nico looked at her funny, but before he could ask what she meant, Rachel got out of the car and headed for the elevator. She pulled a phone out of her pocket and started writing a text. She gave Nico a silent smile once they boarded the elevator.

They stopped at the main floor. Nico instantly spotted the Lost Boys grouped up in the middle of the lobby. Rachel tossed Nico a wave as he started walking out of the elevator. Before he got off, Rachel grabbed his backpack and took it from Nico's shoulders. “I'll drop this off in your room for you,” Rachel said with a smile. Nico nodded and waved at her.

Nico made his way over the Lost Boys, who were listening to the twins say something funny. “There he is!” Beckendorf exclaimed, pulling Nico into their circle.

“Ready to go?” Apollo asked.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Nico muttered. The guys all smiled at him. “No molesting me.”

“Take all the fun out of it, why don't cha,” Connor said with a pout.

“Relax, Nico, there will be no molestation, unless you count light groping,” Will joked. “We will be inspecting everything you try on.” Nico groaned.

“We're wasting time,” Luke stated, checking his phone. “Percy wants him back a few hours before his shift starts.”

“To the van!” the twins exclaimed, grabbing Nico and dragging him out the door.

“Help me,” Nico whispered to lady behind the desk as they made their way past her. Apollo and Will just smiled and waved at her, assuring her that Nico was fine. Butch held the sliding door open as the twins dragged Nico into the van.

The ride was relatively normal. They chose to talk about normal everyday stuff for the most part. Only a few times would any of the guys say something to Nico about stripping. Beckendorf finally pulled the van up to a small shop and the guys all piled out. Not giving Nico any chance of escaping, the twins once again grabbed Nico's arms and dragged him inside.

A thin blonde woman stood behind the counter. She had long golden hair, a large chest, and flawless skin. Her green eyes sparkled as she smiled at the boys. “Hey there, boys,” the woman said in a silky smooth voice. “What can I do for you today?”

Apollo walked up to the counter and placed his elbow on the surface, propping himself up on his palm. “We got a new guy with us today, Aphrodite. Think you could help us hook him up?” Apollo asked her.

Her eyes flickered to Nico, lighting up as she took notice of him. “Oh my, he's a cutie. Where did Percy find this one?”

“On the streets, the same as the rest of us,” Luke grumbled. Aphrodite rolled her eyes at him and sauntered out from behind the counter. She walked over to the door and changed the sign to closed.

“Feel free to take as much time as you need. I'll take a look around in the back and see what I can pull from back there.” She snapped her well-manicured fingers at Butch and Beckendorf. “How about you two big strong men come and help me move some boxes around?” Butch and Beckendorf nodded and followed off after the blonde woman as she disappeared into the back room.

“So what is this place?” Nico asked, picking up a pink feathered boa and eyeing it funny.

“This is Aphrodite's Boutique,” Octavian said, sifting through one of the racks.

“Percy has her on the pay roll to help us with our wardrobe,” Travis explained.

“So when we come here, we get the place to ourselves,” Connor added. “So, feel free to look around for anything you like.”

“Yes, 'cause this place screams my style,” Nico deadpanned.

Nico poked around the place for a while, not really finding anything he wanted to try on. The guys, however, had found plenty of stuff for Nico to try, choosing to dump everything they liked into one of the dressing rooms. When it had enough stuff placed into it, Will shoved Nico inside, closing the door behind him. Nico sighed to himself. He stood there for a moment, eyeing the pile of various clothing and objects the Lost Boys had picked out for him. He heard the others still moving around outside, obviously still looking for things for Nico to try on.

Nico hesitantly picked up the speedo on top of the pile. There was a knock at the door, which made Nico jump. “If you don't start trying the stuff on, I'll come in there and supervise,” Apollo warned.

“I've got it,” Nico complained, pulling his shirt over his head. He slipped his jeans off after that, not wanting to take his boxers off just yet. He sifted through the pile again, trying to find something appealing. He found several speedos, figuring he would need several of those, judging from the attire he saw on the top floor the other night. He picked out a few before he decided to show a pair off to the guys. If he didn't, they would probably come in after him. Quickly discarding his underwear, he slipped the speedo on. He slowly opened the door, finding the Lost Boys staring at him with wide smiles. The twins wolf whistled at him, earning them a glare from Nico.

“Don't be shy, Nico. Your body is sexy,” Connor assured him.

“Turn around,” Luke commanded, doing a circle motion with his index finger. Awkwardly, Nico spun around in place, until Travis grabbed his hips to make him stop. Nico groaned as the boys took their time critiquing the way his ass looked in the speedo.

“Get those,” Apollo told him, “and any other pairs of speedos that you like. Keep in mind you'll need a few, so take that into account.” Nico nodded and quickly vanished back into the dressing room. A schoolboy uniform and a man thong were tossed over the door.

“Oh hell no!” Nico shouted, dropping the thong on the ground.

“You have no choice on that one,” Octavian called back. Nico glared at the door, sliding the speedo off of him. He slipped his underwear back on, not wanting to be naked for too long. He created a pile on a chair in the corner. He dropped the black speedo and man thong on it before returning to the pile. He sifted through the speedos he had come across earlier, tossing a few different colored ones at the chair. He picked the uniform off of the floor and decided to try it on.

Nico once again emerged from the dressing room with an annoyed look on his face. “Damn,” Apollo mumbled, eyeing Nico over. “I approve.”

“I'll second that,” Luke said, staring at Nico's ass while he had his back to him, a wicked grin on his face. “He can be in one of my numbers.”

“I don't like where this is going,” said a disturbed Nico.

“These really fit your ass nicely, Nico,” Travis said, grabbing Nico's butt, which caused Nico to jump.

“I'm going to go change now.”

“You're getting that!” Apollo called after him.

“Yeah, yeah.” Nico pulled the uniform off, tossing it at the chair and looking for something else to try on.

“I found a few things,” Nico heard Aphrodite say, having come back from the back room. Nico groaned as a box was slid under the door. He peeled back the lid to see what was inside.

“I am not dressing as a bunny!”

“It'll be adorable.”

“No.” Nico kicked the box to the side, opting not to try it on.

“Fine, be a spoil sport. I found you the perfect attire for Halloween, though.”

Nico poked his head out of the door. “Halloween?”

“We do a special show on Halloween,” Octavian explained.

“So you'll need a costume,” Butch continued.

Nico sighed. “Alright, I'll look at it in a minute,” Nico agreed. He sighed in relief when he spotted a simple pair of black pants in the pile. He picked them up and slid them on, quickly noticing the velcro on the side of the legs. No question what that is for, Nico thought. He picked up a bow tie and quickly tied it around his neck. He stepped back outside, doing a quick model for the guys. They all smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Nico grumbled and stepped back inside.

“Do you want me to fetch him some Christmas attire while you're here?” Aphrodite asked. Nico sighed and let his head hit the wall. He heard Apollo chuckle.

“No that's alright, we'll bring him back when it gets closer,” Apollo told her.

Nico stripped the pants off and untied the bow tie. He dropped them on the growing pile on the chair. He went back over to the other pile and tried to find anything else he liked. A caveman outfit, a Robin costume, cowboy chaps, a cowboy hat, a loincloth, and a sailor outfit soon joined the pile on the chair. Nico decided to toss a few more speedos into the pile for good measure. He threw his clothes back on and exited the dressing room. “I think I'm done,” Nico said. “Everything I want is in the chair.”

Apollo nodded and went to retrieve said objects. He returned a few seconds later and dumped all the objects into a box. Luke tossed in a pair of handcuffs and a leash with a studded collar. The twins threw in some oil, a fedora hat, and a trench coat. Will threw in several lollipops, a few which were oversized.

Aphrodite smiled and handed Nico another box. “This will be perfect for your Halloween costume. It just fits you so well,” she said with a wink. Nico chuckled nervously and peered inside the box. He stared up at her in confusion. “You have no choice but to try it on.”

“But-” Nico started, looking at Apollo.

“No buts, Nico,” Apollo said, shaking his head.

“Except yours in that costume,” Will said with a wink.

Nico groaned and made his way back into the dressing room. He opened the box and pulled the pieces out of the box. He removed his clothing once again so that he could get this costume on. He slid the fabric over his head, letting it fall gracefully over his body. He grabbed a piece of rope and tied it around his waist, admiring himself in the mirror. He picked up and placed the final pieces where they needed to go before taking a final look at the finished costume. He smiled to himself as he stared at his reflection. It really wasn't that bad, he thought to himself. He slowly opened the door, the guys' jaws dropping upon seeing him. Aphrodite squealed behind the counter. “Adorable!” she exclaimed.

Percy called about an hour later. Apollo smiled, turning away from Nico and the others, and picked up the phone, putting it on speaker phone. “Hey, boss, how's it going?” Apollo asked cheerfully.

“I was calling to see how things were going,” Percy's voice came from the phone.

“Everything's fine, nothing to-”

Nico broke away from the twins and made a mad dash for the phone. “Percy, help me!” Nico yelled. The twins tackled him, and clamped hands over his mouth.

“Is that Nico?” Percy asked.

“Nico? No,” Apollo lied, shooting Nico a look. Nico kicked around helplessly as Will and Octavian tried to fit him into another outfit.

“What's going on?” Percy asked exasperatedly.

“Just getting him decked out.”

Nico broke away again, crawling across the floor with the pants to his policeman uniform around his ankles. He grabbed the phone from Apollo, falling back to the floor. “Percy!” Nico yelled.

“Hi, Nico,” Percy said cheerfully.

Luke and Apollo grabbed Nico's legs and dragged him back towards the dressing room. “Help me, Percy. They won't stop molesting me.”

“Okay, have fun.” Nico gaped at the phone as Percy hung up. Apollo grinned and plucked the phone from Nico's hands.

“Now then, get that uniform on. We need to be getting back,” Apollo commanded. Nico sighed and let his shoulders slump. “It's the last one, I promise.” Nico nodded and stood up, pulling the pants up to his waist. Butch tossed him the shirt, which he quickly slid on, buttoning it up. Travis placed the hat on his head. They all took a step back to admire Nico, all of them nodding in approval.

“Alright, I think we're done,” Beckendorf told Aphrodite. “Time to ring him up.”

Aphrodite smiled and scanned all of pieces of clothing, costumes, and objects for them. Nico fished his debit card out of his wallet and handed it to the blonde woman. After she was done, she handed Nico the bags and they were on their way out the door.

Nico sighed in relief as he sat down in the van. “That wasn't so bad, now was it, Nico?” Connor asked, a wicked grin in place.

Nico groaned and slumped down in his seat. “I feel violated,” replied Nico. The guys all laughed at him.

“You'll do just fine, kid,” Butch said from the passenger seat.

They rode back in silence. Apollo broke out in song once, which made Nico smile. The blond really did have a nice singing voice. Nico's eyes traveled from Apollo, in the seat in front of him, to Luke and Octavian, sitting beside the other blond. Luke had his head slightly turned towards Octavian, listening to his brother talk about the book he was reading. Nico smiled. It was nice to see the Lost Kids like this, when they were being themselves and had their guard down.

Perhaps Luke's ass-like personality, was just his own mask. He seemed to let it slip when they were alone, especially when his brother was around. Octavian was the one person that Nico had never seen Luke be a jackass to. Maybe Luke was a big softie underneath all of that bitterness. Luke caught Nico staring at him and flipped Nico off. Or maybe he was just a jackass.

Beckendorf parked the van and the boys all piled out. Percy was waiting for them in the lobby, looking at his phone when the Lost Boys entered. “You're late,” he informed them.

Apollo frowned. “Only by fifteen minutes,” the blond replied.

“Go get ready for work,” Percy ordered. Without question, the boys left Percy and Nico alone in the middle of the lobby. Percy turned his gaze on Nico, eyeing the bags in his hands. “Have fun?”

Nico glared at Percy. “You heard me over the phone, and you let them have their way with me,” Nico huffed.

Percy chuckled and took the bags from Nico's hands. “Relax, I'd have said something if I knew they were really doing something to you.” Percy poked through the bag. Nico watched as Percy's eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face. “Nice choices. Now then, are you ready for your lesson?”

“Always.”

“Good.” Nico followed Percy into the elevator and the two rode up to the floor above them. They walked down to the gym, where Percy closed the door behind him. He sat Nico's bags down beside the door and pulled a chair into the middle of the room. “Sit.” Nico did as he was told, watching Percy pace around for a moment. “This will be out last private lesson.”

Nico frowned. “Oh.”

Percy grinned at Nico. “Don't look so happy about it. You'll just be busy tomorrow, we won't have time.”

“Busy with what?” Nico asked.

“Well, the boys are going to run over some last minute things with you, and then the girls are going to take you down to the spa.” Percy's grin grew. “I hope you don't mind a wax.”

“What are they going to do to me?” Nico asked in horror.

Percy chuckled and walked behind Nico, placing his hands around Nico's shoulder and resting his head on top of his arm. “Circe just needs to get rid of your body hair, and some other stuff to prepare you for Friday night.” Percy's hands trailed down Nico's chest until he got to Nico's lap, then he slid them back up, trailing his fingers along Nico's cheeks. “Now then, I think it's time we begin.”

“Anything specific on the agenda for today?”

“Just touching up on a few things, and we'll go from there.” Percy grabbed the back of the chair and spun Nico around, facing him away from the mirror.

“What did you do that for?”

“So you can't see my reflection.” Nico was about to open his mouth to respond, but he shuddered when he felt Percy's hand ghost over his shirt. “Touch can be very important, but you need to learn to do it just right. Too direct a touch can be boring, a light touch has a much more...intimate effect. Nico let his eyes close as he felt Percy's fingers trail across his neck. The hand then stopped touching him. Nico tried turning around to look at Percy, but Percy held Nico's face forward. “No peeking.”

Nico shivered at the feel of Percy's breath of the back of his neck. He let his body relax as he felt Percy's caress return to his chest. One moment Percy's hand would ghost over Nico's hand, the next it would be on his thigh, and then it would running up under Nico's shirt.

“However,” Percy started, placing Nico's legs on top of his shoulders, “sometimes a more physical approach is desired.” Nico moaned as Percy pressed himself against Nico's bottom. Percy smiled above Nico. “Sometimes, you'll have to be dominant.” Nico nodded slowly, mesmerized by Percy's close proximity. Percy's hand slid up Nico's shirt, pinching his nipples. Nico couldn't help himself, he rolled his hips against Percy. Percy's hands immediately latched on to Nico's hips. “Don't do that,” Percy growled.

“Why? I know you want to. I want to. What's the problem?” Nico panted.

Percy stepped back, letting Nico's legs drop from his shoulders. “Because I said no.” Percy straightened himself out before speaking again. “I'll try and give you a few more lessons next week. I want you to be able to do everything the guys and I have shown you before next Friday, understood?”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled, finally closing his legs and sitting up in his chair. Percy blew out a heavy breath. “Anything else?”

Percy smirked, finally looking at Nico. “That depends; can you control your hormones?”

Nico huffed and crossed his arms. “It's not like you're making this easy.”

“I'm just showing you how to do a good job on the top floor.”

“By giving me private lessons where you make things heated and then pull back.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “Would you prefer I not give you private lessons?”

“N-No, that's not what I meant. It's just frustrating.”

Percy crouched down in front of Nico, resting his arms on Nico's legs. “I'm just trying to help you out, Nico.”

Nico stared down at his lap. “I-I'm sorry.”

Percy cocked his head to the side. “For what?”

“For making this complicated? For reading the signals wrong.”

Percy smiled and patted Nico's leg. “Don't worry about it, Nico. Besides, who said I don't enjoy the attention?” Percy winked at Nico, who flushed red. “You're cute when you're embarrassed.” Percy stood back up and took a few steps away from Nico. “I think we'll call it here for today, though. How about you go drop your stuff off and you can go to dinner with me?”

Nico smiled. “I'd like that.”

Nico smiled at Percy as he spotted the black haired young man waiting for him outside the hotel's restaurant. Percy grinned back and led Nico inside. Nico had to bite back a frown when they sat down with Butch, Piper, and the twins. Percy did a fist bump with Butch and looked over his menu. Nico glanced over at the twins, who wore smiles and were giving Nico a thumbs up. Nico looked at them questioningly before looking at his own menu.

After they had all ordered, they all started falling into various conversations. “So, how is Nico doing?” Piper asked after a while.

“I think he'll do great next weekend,” Connor remarked.

“He'll do pretty well this weekend while he's serving drinks,” Travis added. “We got him all decked out today.”

“And those private lessons?” Piper asked with a smirk.

“Good,” Percy replied, taking a sip of his drink, but not looking at her. Piper frowned at the lack of detail. “Don't forget to remind the girls I listed earlier to take Nico to his appointment with Circe.”

“I remember,” Piper grumbled.

Their food eventually arrived and the table began eating. Nico didn't get much of Percy's attention during the meal, Percy focusing on Butch. If Nico didn't know any better, he would say they were old friends. Percy seemed eager to talk to Butch, mostly about sports, which Nico had a hard time following. Nico caught Piper giving him a sad smile as she watched him watch Percy. Was it really that obvious? Was it really that hopeless? Nico didn't know anymore. Percy was so confusing.

When they finished eating, the group stayed at the table to talk for a bit longer. Everyone seemed eager to have Percy's attention, as he drifted from one conversation to the next. While Nico did not seem to get any time to talk to Percy, Percy did lay his hand across Nico's knee under the table. It made Nico smile to himself, yet hurt his head at the same time. An hour ago, Percy was telling him he shouldn't be trying anything with Percy, but now here Percy was being touchy with him.

Percy eventually had to bid them farewell, as he had to go get ready for the busy night ahead. “And so the long weekend approaches,” Travis muttered, eyeing some of the guests. Nico had noticed that the hotel seemed to be getting packed over the past two days. He guessed that meant that most of these people would be up on the top two floors.

“At least we get a bigger paycheck when they happen,” Piper reminded him.

“True.” Travis leaned back in his chair. “You going to be ready, Neeks?”

“I hope so,” Nico replied.

“You'll do fine, dude,” Butch assured him. “I mean, you've got Percy as your private tutor.”

“Yeah, none of us got lessons from him,” Connor added.

“Yes, but none of us were as innocent as Nico,” Piper chimed in. She stared at Nico for a moment and made a face like she had something bad in her mouth. Nico frowned at her. She noticed his reaction and took a drink of water. “Bad aftertaste I guess.” Nico continued to frown, unconvinced. What was that about?

“What's so great about getting private lessons?” Nico asked, turning his attention away from Piper.

“Dude, Percy was like the best back when he worked our jobs,” answered Connor. “At least that's what Annabeth says.”

“Speaking of jobs, we should get going,” Travis reminded them, standing up.

Nico walked nervously around the bar. The other night had been so awkward for him, and tonight was no different. Now, knowing what went on upstairs and what the place really was, Nico could not help looking at everything differently. He felt like all of the customers looked at him like a piece of meat, waiting to pounce on it. He even looked at his co-workers differently, knowing it was all just an act.

Nico carried a tray full of empty glasses back to the bar. He sat the tray down, letting Chiron unload the glasses. “Does this ever get easier? I just can't help looking at this place differently,” Nico confessed.

“You get used to it,” Calypso assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Try not to let it get to you.”

“Nico, you have nothing to worry about down here. All of the customers have been explicitly instructed by Percy that they are not allowed to touch any of you anywhere outside of the top floor,” Chiron assured him.

“Or the kink room,” Luke added, dropping off a drink ordered. “Whining again?”

Nico huffed. “No. This is just different for me,” Nico shot back.

“I told you that you wouldn't be able to handle it. Maybe you should have listened to Percy.”

“I didn't say I couldn't handle it.”

Annabeth came up and smacked Luke on the back of his head. “Play nice,” she warned the blond.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Luke said with a grin, earning him a glare from Annabeth.

“Can't you say anything nice to him?” Calypso asked with a frown.

“Like that thing you said about him last night?” Calypso went pale. Luke just rolled his eyes and glanced over at Nico. “I've been plenty nice to him in sessions.”

“That's enough out of all of you,” Chiron warned them. “Now, get back to work, and start acting like the family you're supposed to be.”

“Yes, sir,” they all mumbled, walking off, leaving Nico alone at the bar with Chiron.

Chiron picked up one of the glasses and started cleaning it. He glanced up at Nico to notice his frown. “Everything alright, child?” Nico nodded his head. “Don't let them get to you. It's not your fault.”

“That's what Rachel said, but I don't understand what it means,” Nico replied.

Chiron sighed, setting the cleaned glass down. “The Lost Kids are complicated, Nico, in ways that will take you some time to understand. You have an effect on them, just ride it out, and they will all come around.”

“They are confusing. They've been so friendly, with the exception of Luke, and sometimes Octavian, but today it's like they dislike me.”

“They don't dislike you, Nico,” Chiron assured him. “Not even Luke dislikes you. They are just dealing with some things.”

“Like what?”

Chiron shook his head. “It's not my place to talk about.” Nico frowned, but nodded his head. He picked up a new set of drinks and headed back to the crowd of tables.

Nico sighed in relief when his break finally rolled around. He walked into the break room to find Annabeth and Luke already occupying it. Annabeth had her legs across Luke's lap. Luke was listening to Annabeth talk as he twirled a piece of her hair around his finger. Annabeth stopped talking when she noticed Nico in the doorway. “I think I better be getting back to work,” she said, rising from the couch. She gave Nico an unreadable look as she brushed past him, stopping in the doorway. “Behave yourself,” she warned Luke.

Luke rolled his eyes and waved for her to leave. Nico walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He walked over and sat down in the chair. Nico fidgeted with his water bottle, fully aware of Luke's eyes on him. He didn't want to start another argument at the moment, so he tried to ignore the blond.

“What's your problem with me?” Nico finally blurted out, regretting it the moment the words left his mouth.

Luke just smirked at him at first, leaning back against the couch and resting his arms across the back of it. “Just that. You. You're my problem,” he replied with a cocky smirk.

“But I didn't do anything to you. Have I done something wrong?”

“No, and that's the problem.” Nico huffed. Luke's smirk finally dropped, his face becoming serious. “You're nothing like us.”

“What's that even mean?”

“If you have to ask, you'll never know. Who says that I'm the only one that has a problem with you? You should thank me for at least being blunt with you about my feelings, opposed to the others trying to make you feel like family while they try to make you feel like an outcast at the same time.”

“They don't make me feel like an outcast,” Nico argued.

“Not yet, but they will.”

“Just tell me what your problem is with me.”

“No,” Luke said defiantly.

“Then how am I supposed to do anything about it?”

 Luke shrugged. “Not my problem,” he sneered at Nico. “Figure it out for yourself. I'll just be here, enjoying the show as you get your feelings hurt. And not just by the other Lost Kids, Percy too, and that will be the best part.”

Children of Loss 9

Chapter 9

Nico slid his books into his locker, thankful that school was over. He zipped up his backpack and slung it back over his shoulder. He pushed the door open to go outside. He slid his headphones in his ears and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through the new music that Apollo had given him, finding a song he had yet to listen to.

Nico yelped when someone yanked on his backpack. He fell to the ground, only to find Cal and Zethes laughing above him. “Looks like your boyfriend isn't around to protect you today,” Cal remarked, cracking his knuckles.

“He's not my boyfriend,” Nico muttered, picking himself off of the pavement.

“Makes little difference to us,” remarked Zethes. Everyone turned their head at the sound of a throat being cleared.

Annabeth stood a few feet away, sliding her sunglasses on top of her head. Her eyes were wide and near to tears. She ran over to Nico and pulled him into a hug. “Nico, what's happening?” she asked innocently. She looked over at Nico's assailants. “You aren't hurting my sweet Nico, are you?”

Cal and Zethes were both ogling Annabeth. Cal licked his lips. “Uh. What's he to you?” Cal asked, scratching his head.

“He's my boyfriend,” Annabeth stated. Nico's eyes widened when she leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. She pulled back with a smile. “You won't hurt him, will you? I'm sure if you were nice to Nico I could see if any of my friends would want to spend some time with you.” Annabeth winked at them. Cal and Zethes gulped.

Zethes rubbed the back of his head and kicked the pavement. “Oh, we were just messing around,” said Zethes.

Annabeth smiled even brighter at them. “Well, I need to take Nico along now. I need some alone time with him before his parents get home.” Annabeth wrapped one of Nico's arms around her waist and started walking.

“Lucky dog,” Nico heard Cal mutter as they walked off.

Once they were in the car, Nico looked at Annabeth. “What was that for?” he asked.

“Apollo informed us that you were having bully problems,” she stated.

“That doesn't explain all that.” Nico flailed his arms as Annabeth pulled out of the parking lot.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “I helped your reputation. You can thank me later.”

“Do you guys have any shame in using seduction on people?”

“None,” Annabeth replied.

Nico let out a long sigh. “Thanks, I guess.”

Annabeth shrugged. “I'm sure it won't permanently fix things, but it'll give you a break from those brutes.”

“I'm just glad I'll be getting to relax tonight. No work for me tonight,” Nico stated happily as he leaned back in his seat.

“Yeah, a lot of the kids have tonight off. You won't be getting a weekend break this time.” Nico frowned. “We have a busy weekend scheduled ahead of us. Percy usually gives the people a night off during the week if they are working on the busy weekend.”

“So, we are going to go do something?”

“I think Percy was planning something for tonight, actually.” Nico nodded. “I, however, will not be joining you.”

“Work?” Annabeth nodded. “Can I ask you something, Annabeth?”

Annabeth looked over at Nico briefly. “Sure, what's up?”

“You worked at the Lotus before Percy became manager, right?” asked Nico.

“Yeah, Gaea brought me in about five months before Percy got promoted. Why?”

“How old was Percy when he got promoted?”

Annabeth was silent for a moment. Nico figured she didn't like this line of questioning. “He had just turned eighteen when he became manager. It was a birthday present from Gaea.”

“How old were you when you started?”

Annabeth looked at Nico from the corner of her eye. “Why do you ask?”

Nico shrugged. “I figure you are around Percy's age. I was just curious at how old you were when you started.”

Annabeth let out a puff of air. “I'm twenty, just like Percy. So before you ask, yes I was underage when I started. Most of the others were seventeen when they started. A few of them were a little older and legal.”

“How did you end up in this life?”

“No.”

“No? No what?”

“We're not talking about this,” Annabeth replied, pulling into the garage. “I don't really like talking about it.” She parked the car and they both got out. Nico frowned at her as they got into the elevator, but she chose to ignore him. They rode up to their floor in silence. Once the elevator stopped, Annabeth looked at Nico. “Good luck in training. Oh, and try not to freak out too much.” Nico was about to question her, but she walked off, tossing a wave over her shoulder.

Nico sighed and made his way down to his suite. Sliding his card into the slot, he opened his door and stepped inside. He sat his backpack down on the couch and went to his bedroom to change. He opted for a loose black shirt and grey track shorts. Grabbing his phone and card, Nico headed back to the elevator.

Upon arrival at the gym, Nico found all the Lost Boys already waiting for him. “Good afternoon, Nico,” they all said cheerfully. Nico stared at each of them with curiosity. They were up to something. They each had wide grins plastered on their face.

“What?” Nico asked, closing the door behind him.

“Guess what you get to learn today?” Connor asked, laying his arm across Nico's shoulders. Nico shrugged.

“You're going to learn how to strip!” Travis exclaimed.

“Already? Can't we do a little bit more lecturing on it?” Nico asked, looking nervous.

Apollo shook his head, pulling Nico away from Connor. “Nope. There's no better way to learn than by doing. Don't worry, we won't drool over your half naked body too much. No promises on groping, though,” Apollo said with a wink.

“That's so thoughtful of you,” Nico mumbled. Apollo just grinned back at him and slapped Nico on the ass to send him on his way. Nico frowned, rubbing his butt, and went to stand in front of the large mirror.

Will was leaning against the mirror, grinning at Nico. Apparently they all found this very amusing. “Don't worry, Nico, we'll be stripping with you,” Will informed him.

“Why?”

“You can use it as a distraction,” Octavian said. He sat in a corner, currently engrossed in a book. “Besides, it'll help you learn.”

“How will that help?”

“Just watch the way we move,” Luke whispered in Nico's ear, causing him to shudder.

Apollo rolled his eyes and came to stand next to Nico. “Now then, this isn't very hard. You just need to move your body just right. Make sure you are slow about taking your clothes off,” Apollo informed him. “Alright, let's get started.” All of the guys stood around Nico. Some music started and Nico watched as their hands slid across their bodies.

“You need to be seductive in your movements. Lure them in,” said Travis. Nico bit his lip and let his hand travel down to the hem of his shirt. He jumped when he felt two pairs of hands on his hips.

“You need to move your hips while you strip,” Luke told him. He and Apollo guided Nico's hips to the rhythm of the music until Nico had it under control. “Good. Now lose the shirt.” Nico let out a silent breath before returning his hands to the hem of his shirt. He made sure to keep his hips moving while he slid it slowly up his torso. His eyes drifted over to some of the others as they were doing the same. They each had a wide array of body types. They ranged from Beckendorf's muscular stature, to Apollo's lean body, and finally to Connor's thin physique.

Each of their bodies was mesmerizing. He got so distracted that he stopped lifting his shirt. Will nudged him, bringing him back to reality, a blush now adorning his cheeks. Nico finally lifted the shirt over his head, letting it fall to the ground. The music picked up and the Lost Boys quickened their movements. Nico tried mimicking their movements, letting his hand move across his chest like some of the others.

He blushed when he felt his own ass. He figured it was the appropriate move considering others were doing it. “To the ground,” Apollo ordered. Everyone got down on the ground. Their hands rested below them, supporting them up, while their legs were extended out. Nico blushed as he was made to do several pelvic thrusts. He did stop moving when the boys stepped it up a notch. They slid a few inches forward and slapped the ground with their hands. They spun around and stood back up. It was interesting watching them. It seemed more than just taking off your clothes, it was a well-planned performance.

Nico picked up following the others when they started moving their hips again. His hand traveled to his pants when the others started playing with their hemline. Watching the different ways to take off pants was interesting to Nico. Some got back on the ground, while others stayed standing. Apollo lay on his back as he slid his shorts slowly lower down his legs. When they were below his knees, Apollo yanked them off while managing to jump back to his feet. Butch took a different approach. He simply ripped the fabric off, revealing the underwear underneath.

They all stopped moving when they noticed Nico watching them. They stood still with grins plastered on their faces. Octavian pointed down at Nico's shorts. Nico groaned. They were going to watch him take his off. Licking his lips, Nico returned his hands to the loose fabric that was his shorts. While continuing to move his hips, Nico lowered the fabric off of his hips. He thought back to some of the things they told him yesterday and bent over to lower them the rest of the way. This earned him some whistles and claps from the boys behind him. He stepped out of his shorts and turned around to face the Lost Boys, now regretting wearing boxer-briefs.

“Aw, Nico, don't be so shy. We've all seen each other naked,” Will said with a wink. He looked down Nico's body. “Besides, you've got nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Down, Will,” Apollo laughed. “Remember what we were told.” Nico cocked his head to the side.

“You can calm down, dude. We're not gonna make you take those off,” Beckendorf stated, pointing at Nico's underwear. Nico nodded and let out a breath.

“You just need to learn to be comfortable with your body.”

“So, we're all gonna stay like this,” Travis said, slinging an arm around his brother's waist. They weren't going to make this easy on him.

“You're going to have to learn to be comfortable with not only your body, but other people's bodies as well,” Luke said, crossing his arms over his lean torso. Nico had to look elsewhere to keep from lowering his gaze on each of them. The fact that they all wore tight underwear really was not helping things.

“Don't be shy. You can look, Nico,” Apollo whispered in Nico's ear. Nico jumped, not having noticed the blond approach him. Nico slowly let his eyes wander down to look at each of their covered lower extremities. Some of them definitely looked to be pretty well endowed. Nico blushed when some of them turned around to show off their backsides to Nico, Connor even bent over for him. “Come now, Nico, there's nothing to be afraid of. We'll even let you touch.” Nico's eyes dilated from the seductive tone in Apollo's voice.

He licked his lips and stared down at Apollo's crotch. Apollo grinned when Nico let his hand wander out towards his crotch. Nico's hand hovered over the clothed area for a few seconds, debating if this was a good idea. He jumped at the sound of someone clearing his throat.

Percy stood in the doorway, an eyebrow raised at Nico. “I see the lesson is going well,” Percy mused. Apollo just grinned and put his hands behind his head. Percy sighed and motioned for the door. “That will be all for today.” Nico watched as the Lost Boys got dressed and headed out the door. He reached down and was about to pick up his shorts when Percy grabbed his wrist. “Time for your private lesson.” Percy grinned. “You can leave those off.”

Nico blushed when Percy yanked his shirt over his head. “An-Annabeth said you were planning something for tonight?” Nico asked, eyeing Percy's navel.

Percy tossed his shirt aside and looked back at Nico, who immediately covered his crotch. Percy rolled his eyes and moved Nico's hands away. “Yeah, I was going to have a movie night in my room. You want to come?” Nico nodded. “Good. I'll save you a seat.” Percy winked at him, causing Nico to blush again. “Now then, your body seems to be developing nicely. I think I'll do an assessment, to know how to play you off to the customers.”

Nico's blush spread down to his neck as Percy looked him over. Percy moved Nico's black hair out of his eyes, a small smile spread across his face. “I thought I wasn't working the back rooms?”

Percy chuckled, letting Nico's bangs fall back into place. “You aren't, but usually everyone has a theme. Will was right, the innocent look works for you.” Percy slid his hands across Nico's shoulders and down his torso. “You have very soft skin.”

“T-Thanks,” Nico stuttered as Percy's hands reached his stomach.

“You have nice features. Dark looks, pale skin, innocent, and nice lips.” Percy brushed his thumb across Nico's lips. “Body type, good.” Percy ran his hands down Nico's sides. “Ass.” Percy's hands traveled behind Nico and groped his butt. Nico gasped and fell into Percy, letting his hands rest on Percy's bare torso. “Very nice.” Nico blushed as he felt Percy's firm chest, letting his hand slide down it a few inches.

Nico shuddered when Percy gave his ass a squeeze. He bit his lip to keep himself from moaning. “Percy,” Nico whispered into Percy's chest.

Percy let his hands travel beneath the fabric of Nico's underwear. “You see, this is how you need to be when you perform. You don't need to be shy about your body. I want you to be comfortable with things like this.” Nico went to wrap his arms around Percy, but Percy knocked them away. He stepped back from Nico, causing the smaller boy to groan. “Problem?”

“Obviously,” Nico mumbled. Percy chuckled.

“Do I need to give you a moment so you can take care of that?” Percy raised an eyebrow while looking down at Nico's current problem.

“Maybe if you weren't such a tease.”

Percy grinned back at him. “But it's what we are good at here. You're going to have to do the same thing, Nico. You need to turn people on and leave them hanging.”

Nico strolled up to Percy and placed his hands on Percy's chest. He decided to try playing at Percy's own game. “Or you could help me out with my problem,” Nico whispered.

Percy chuckled and removed Nico's hands from his chest. “Nice try. Not bad, I'll give you that.”

Nico groaned, letting his head fall back. “So not fair. You have sex with the others, why not with me?”

Percy's eyes darkened. He pushed Nico up against the wall, lifting Nico off the ground and wrapping Nico's legs around his waist. Percy used one of his hands to tug the back of Nico's underwear down and grab his ass. “Is this what you want?” Percy growled into Nico's throat, biting down softly on his shoulder. Nico arched his back, letting out a loud moan. Nico nodded his head. Percy pulled his head back to stare into Nico's eyes for a moment. He tightened his jaw and dropped Nico back to the ground. “Why are you so eager?” Percy asked.

“What?” Nico blinked at Percy as the black haired young man went to retrieve his shirt.

“You wanted to be a stripper when I offered to let you remain in the bar. Now, you want me to fuck you. And when I came in a moment ago, you were about to grab Apollo's dick.” Percy slid his shirt back on. He ran a hand through his hair and looked back at Nico. “I told you to hang on to your innocence, yet look at what you're doing.”

Nico chewed on his lip as Percy stared at him, waiting for an answer. “I-I thought-never mind.” Percy sighed and placed a hand on the wall beside Nico's head.

“Nico, I know the others told you I don't get involved with anyone. How would that be fair to them with the life I live? Everything else is just business. You're innocent, Nico. That's why I kept you out of the strip club. You're the only one to come in here that wasn't already damaged by the world. Can you blame me for wanting to protect that innocence? I had hoped that I could get you by for two years and you'd head out on your own, without getting involved in all of this.” Percy sighed. “Never happens, though. Once you're a Lost Kid, you never leave.” Percy gave Nico a long stare before pushing off the wall and walking out the door, leaving Nico standing there in confusion and shock.

Nico knocked on Percy's door. He could hear some laughter coming from inside. He was hoping this wasn't going to be an orgy. He really wasn't sure if that would be up their alley or not anymore. Percy answered the door, giving Nico a small smile. Nico moved past Percy, looking around at the room. Luke sat on the right side of the couch, looking bored. On the far left side of the couch was Will. Butch, Piper, and Thalia stood around the island in the kitchen, pouring some drinks. Percy's balcony door was open, Zoë and Travis stood outside having their own conversation.

Percy pressed on Nico's lower back, ushering him into the kitchen. Butch, Piper, and Thalia all greeted Nico. “Want something to drink?” Thalia asked, holding a red cup out to Nico.

Percy took the cup before Nico could grab it. “He's not drinking,” Percy replied. Nico frowned at Percy, who chose to ignore him and take a sip of alcohol.

“Here, Nico, you can have one of these,” Piper said with a smile. She held out a finger sandwich for Nico to take. He smiled at her and took the sandwich, raising it to his mouth to take a bite.

“So, what are we watching?” Nico asked after he finished the sandwich.

“The Woman in Black,” Percy replied, watching Nico with interest. Nico made a small groaning noise, which earned him a grin from everyone in the room.

“Horror really isn't my thing.”

Percy leaned in so that only Nico could hear him. “Don't worry, you'll be sitting next to me.” Nico licked his lips as Percy pulled away. He glanced over at the other three, who attempted to look distracted, but had large grins on their faces.

“How about some help with these?” asked Thalia, gesturing to the drinks they had poured. They all picked up two cups and headed back into the living room. “Movie time!” Zoë and Travis came inside and plopped down on a chair, Zoë sprawled out across Travis's lap. Luke grinned at Percy as the green eyed boy sat down beside him. His happiness was short lived however when Nico sat down on Percy's other side, changing his grin into a frown.

“Oh, Nico, Apollo wanted me to tell you that we are going to go shopping instead of having lessons tomorrow,” Will informed Nico.

“Shopping?” Nico asked.

“You need to get outfitted, remember?” Nico nodded.

“You're also working upstairs all weekend,” said Percy while he was setting up the movie.

“Already?”

Percy rolled his eyes, still looking at the TV. “Serving drinks, and stuff. I'll wait another week before I put you on stage.” Percy skipped the commercials and went to the main menu of the DVD. “It'll do you some good getting started on a busy weekend.” Percy leaned forward. “Everyone ready?” When nobody said anything, Percy hit the play button. He leaned back on the couch again. Butch turned off the lights, casting them into darkness. Thalia came back into the room, having gone to make some popcorn. She plopped down in front of the couch between Luke's legs. Luke leaned forward and scooped a handful of popcorn, earning a scowl from Thalia.

Nico was already nervous by the time the first scene was finished, having watched the girls jump out the window. He let himself ease closer to Percy, who was too distracted with the alcohol and movie to notice. Nico jumped during the part of the movie where Daniel Radcliffe’s character inspected the house. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt an arm slide across his shoulders. He looked over at Percy, whose eyes were still on the TV. Percy pulled Nico against him, letting the boy rest his head on Percy's shoulder.

Percy kept his arm wrapped around Nico, every now and then looking to see how Nico was doing. Nico didn't seem to be as scared now. He didn't feel scared with that arm around him. He smiled to himself when he felt Percy's hand move up to play with his hair. Percy kept shifting between playing with Nico's hair and playing with his ear. It made Nico happy. Maybe there was hope yet.

Nico's happiness was short lived, however, when Luke rested his hand on Percy's leg. Percy blinked and looked over at Luke. Luke leaned in and Percy leaned towards him. Luke whispered something in Percy's ear. Percy whispered something back to Luke with a small smile. Nico frowned as Percy's arm removed itself from around him. Percy's attention had shifted to Luke, now wrapping an arm around the blond. Nico pouted to himself.

He heard chuckling beside him. He looked over to see Will smiling at him. Will leaned in to whisper in Nico's ear. “Don't be jealous. Percy cuddles with everyone.” Nico sighed and frowned. “If it makes you feel any better, you kept his attention through half the movie. That's a new record.”

Nico leaned in closer so he could talk to Will. “So, Percy will do this with the rest of you?” he asked. Will nodded. “Is there anything he won't do with all of you?”

Will frowned. “You make it sound so hurtful, Nico. You're gonna have to get over that crush. Percy just doesn't have relationships with us. This is going to sound like I'm rubbing it in your face, but I'm not. Percy's really good in bed. I mean, yes, we do it to get better hours, but sex with Percy is a little addictive.”

“You're right, that does sound like you're rubbing it in my face.” Will chuckled. “So why are you telling me this?”

“I feel like it might help you understand some of us. Sex is business, but it is also something fun to do. I was straight before I came here, but now I'm bi. Though, you kind of have to be for this business.” Will nodded at Luke. “Luke feels threatened by you.”

“Why?”

Will shrugged. “I don't know. Something's...never mind. I shouldn't say. Luke just likes sex with Percy. Think of it like the animal kingdom, you're threatening his territory.”

“But I thought Percy didn't date his employees?”

“He doesn't,” replied Will. “You're different, Nico. You're not like the rest of us.”

“What do you mean? I'm going to be a Lost Boy. I'm going to strip.”

Will smiled at Nico. “But you're not like us.” Will's smile dropped. He stared off to the side while speaking. “We're complicated. You'll learn soon enough how tainted we are. We hate the people that come here, they make us sick. Yet, we have to put on a pretty smile and make them happy. Each and every one of us has something unique about us when it comes to the people of this world.”

“Like what?”

Will just smiled and patted him on the leg. “You'll learn soon enough. Now then, you're welcome to cuddle with me,” Will said with a wink. Nico rolled his eyes and leaned back towards Will. Nico thought he saw Percy turn his head just a little to look at them for a brief second before turning his attention back to the movie. Will wrapped his arms around Nico as the smaller boy leaned against his torso.

Nico figured he should get used to life like this, being cozy with the other Lost Kids. He looked around at the rest of them, and everyone was cuddled up with one of the others. He guessed it really didn't matter to them who it was with, they just enjoyed each other's company. They were all alike, and they bonded through that.

Luke, Silena, and Will's words kept playing in his head. Luke had told him that he would keep falling down this hole until he saw them for what they really were. Will had just told him that they hated the people that came here, stating that they were tainted. Silena had told him that they all wore masks to hide how they really felt. This was all a masquerade to them. They wore masks so people couldn't hurt them. Was that it? Were they protecting themselves from people?

Percy's words to him earlier came to mind. “Once a Lost Kid, you never leave.” What was that about? Did they not leave? Why would they want to stay here forever? Nico admitted that the sense of family was comforting, and all of the Lost Kids were a lot of fun, but why stay?

Before Nico knew it, the movie had ended. Everyone complained as Butch turned the lights back on. Nico pulled himself out of Will's embrace, stretching his arms above his head. “Everyone enjoy the movie?” Percy asked, stretching as well. Nico's eyes drifted to the tiny bit of stomach that had become exposed.

“Yeah, it was awesome!” Thalia exclaimed. The others nodded their agreement.

“I guess we can call it an early night?” Butch asked, cleaning up the empty cups.

Percy nodded. “Yeah, go get some rest,” he said with a lazy smile.

Everyone started heading out the door. Percy stood by the door and said goodnight to each of them. Nico sat on the couch, seeing if he could get some time with Percy. Luke didn't seem to want to give Nico what he wanted, though. “I could stay, if you wanted,” Luke said seductively, running his fingers down Percy's chest.

Percy smiled and rolled his eyes. “Not tonight. I'm pretty tired. You should get some rest.” Luke pouted, but headed out the door after shooting Nico a dirty look. Percy shut the door behind Luke, chuckling softly. “Crazy night.” Nico nodded. “You should be getting to bed too.”

Nico bit his lip. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Percy plopped back onto the couch, resting an arm on Nico's leg. “What's up?”

“What did you mean earlier when you said the Lost Kids never leave?”

Percy frowned. He stared blankly at his hand on Nico's leg, which was rubbing circles across Nico's leg with his thumb. “Don't worry about it, ok?” He offered Nico a smile.

“You can't tell me? I thought you wanted me to be different?”

“I did, and I do. I have faith that you'll manage this on your own.”

“You said I should keep my innocence. How am I supposed to do that while doing all of this?”

Percy smiled at Nico. “I'm not the one who made you get involved in all of this, that was your choice. You just made it harder on yourself.” Percy leaned his head on the couch, bringing his face closer to Nico. He let out a sigh. “It won't be easy. If you can manage coming out of this with even a shred of innocence, I'll be happy. The difference between you and the others is that you don't hate the world. You aren't jaded like the rest of us. You're happy. Don't lose that while you're here.”

Nico nodded and gave Percy a small smile. “I promise I'll work on that.”

“Good,” Percy said with a smile. Nico stared at Percy in silence for a moment. He let his hand travel across the back of the couch to play with Percy's hair. Percy eyed him funny for a moment, but soon relaxed, letting his eyes close. Nico thought he'd be daring. He leaned in closer to Percy until he felt Percy's breath on his face. When Nico was only a few inches from Percy's lips, Percy opened his eyes. He pulled back until he was sat flush against the arm of the couch. “You should go get some sleep.”

Nico sighed. “Can you just tell me why you do this with me?”

“I'm not doing anything with you.”

“That's what I mean. Why them, but not me?” Nico tried scooting closer to Percy, but Percy held out an arm to block him from getting closer.

“Maybe I don't want you,” whispered Percy.

Nico bit his lip. “Then why do you act like you do sometimes? I feel like you lead me on, and then you just pull away.”

Percy refused to look at him, keeping his eyes on the floor. “I'm done talking about this, Nico.” He stood up, walked over to the door and opened it. “Go.” Nico gave Percy a hurt look, which he refused to meet. Nico slowly made his way out the door. He looked back at Percy one last time before heading down the hall. He heard Percy let out a long sigh, and barely managed to catch the last thing Percy said before he shut his door. “It's for his own good.”

Nico wiped at his eyes as he slid his card into the elevator slot and hit the button to his floor. Why was Percy being like this? When the elevator door opened again, he was surprised to find the Lost Kids from the movie running around in the hall. A pillow flew out of Thalia's hand, hitting Nico in the face. “Nico, there you are!” Piper exclaimed. “Come join the war!”

“What's going on?” Nico asked, holding the pillow in his hands.

“We thought we'd have some more fun,” Travis said with a smile. “The others won't be down until really late, and they'll just want to go to bed, so we thought we would run amuck while they are away.”

Nico just blinked at them and maneuvered past them, letting the pillow fall to the floor. He heard loud noises coming from the first room on the left on the boys' hall. The door was wide open. He poked his head inside to find Luke and Will sitting on the couch playing a video game. “Hey, Nico,” Will called, glancing over at the new arrival.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled back.

“You don't last very long in bed, do you?” remarked Luke. Will elbowed Luke while keeping his eyes on the TV.

“We didn't have sex.”

Luke shrugged. “Not surprising.”

“What is everyone doing?”

“Just having a little fun before bed.” Luke picked up another controller from the floor. “You want in?”

Nico walked farther into the room. He glanced over at the TV. The characters on the screen shooting aliens while dressed in heavy armor. “This looks like Halo.”

“Halo 4 to be exact,” Will stated.

Nico's eyes widened at the screen. “But that doesn't come out until next month!”

Luke and Will shrugged. “Percy has connections,” Luke said simply. “So do you want to play, or not?” He waved the controller in the air. Nico jumped over and grabbed it, sitting between the two on the couch. Luke exited them out of the campaign so that Nico could start it from the beginning. Nico customized his Spartan really fast, and the trio set forth into the game.

“So, you excited about going shopping tomorrow, Nico?” Will asked after a while.

“That depends on if you will all be in the dressing room with me or not,” Nico shot back.

“Aww. Don't take the fun out of it. A massive orgy in the dressing room, now that would be interesting.”

“None of you have any shame.”

“Makes things more interesting.”

Nico played with Luke and Will for a few more hours. He finally looked at his phone and realized it was nearing midnight. “Shit, I need to get some sleep,” said Nico, setting his controller down.

Will grinned at him. “Wow. That might be the first time I've heard you cuss.”

“No, he does, when he's whining like a girl,” replied Luke, propping his feet on the table.

“I do not whine like a girl,” Nico said with a glare.

“Sure. Anyways, hurry up and go. I think Will and I need to have some privacy, unless you want to stay and watch.”

“Or join,” Will said with a wink. Nico blushed and shook his head. “Alright. Night, Nico.”

 Nico waved as he made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind them. They really did have sex with each other. The others had moved their roughhousing down to the girls' hall. Nico watched them while he slid his key into the door and opened it. He sighed and closed the door behind him. Well, at least he was getting a few extra hours of sleep.