Children of Loss 49

Chapter 49

Jet lag sucked. Percy had given Nico a pill to knock him out halfway through the flight, yet Nico still felt tired when they arrived in Germany. It felt like Nico had lost his entire Friday, though Percy assured him that everything would sort itself out when they went back to California.

They got picked up in a limo. Well, more precisely, they were picked up by a blond kid that reminded Nico a lot of Annabeth. Same shade of hair and they even had the same gray eyes. Though, when Nico asked, the German Lost Kid, Malcolm, swore that he had no relation to Annabeth.

Malcolm seemed nice enough, just too distracted by his tablet to really pay attention to any of them, aside from Percy. The entire ride to the hotel, the blond kept talking to the green-eyed young man about just about everything that came to mind.

Luke, on the other hand, had barely spoken a word. When Nico looked over at him, the blond was busy staring out the window of their limousine. Nico just hoped that the blond would enjoy himself during this trip, even if Kronos was supposed to be there.

Germany was chilly, even in April. Growing up in Los Angeles, it didn't really take much to make Nico feel cold. Percy had chuckled at him when they had stepped out of the airport to get into the limo, saying that Nico would need to get used to it, because it got worse in the winter.

Then there was the hotel.

Nico caught sight of it from a few miles away. The main building of the hotel rose up into the sky, towering above the surrounding trees. The Lotus Hotel here had been built a few miles outside of Berlin, which was how it allowed for a resort to be built with the hotel.

And when they did finally drive up to the hotel, Nico had his breath taken away. The place was massive. The main building was in the very center, towering above everything to house the lobby, rooms, the suites, the live-in staff's rooms, two floors for the Lost Kids, the bar where the private clients went, and then two floors towards the top for the Lost Kids to perform and do business. And at the very top, with giant glass windows was the floor for Gaea and Athena's offices.

Attached to the back of the hotel was an indoor pool, while another pool lay just outside of the glass of the indoor one. The spa was housed in a smaller building on the resort grounds, which even had a place to do yoga outside. A large portion of the resort grounds was made up of the golf course—most likely the one that Percy was infamous for running a golf cart into a lake. A volleyball court was near the outdoor pool. Then there was an average size building just to the side of the hotel building.

“What's that?” Nico asked, pointing at said building.

Percy glanced out the window. “Ah, it's the arcade building. You can find video games, card tournaments, laser tag, and stuff like that there. There's also a store inside that sells some video games and cards, if that stuff interests you.”

Nico scrunched his lips. He wondered if they sold Mythomagic cards there. He hadn't played in years, but it did still peak his interest. Perhaps he could find some time to drop by there before they left.

Finally, there was a mansion at the very back of the resort. Several expensive cars had been parked out front, the garage doors that probably housed them were open just behind them. The lawn and hedges had been trimmed to perfection, while the massive fountain that sat in the center of the small driveway that led up to the mansion added a finishing touch to the place. The mansion was two stories tall, with three wings to it. If Nico had a guess, he could only assume this was Gaea's house.

The car finally came to a stop in front of the hotel itself. Malcolm got out first and told them to leave their luggage in the car. After they all got out, the limo drove off towards Gaea's mansion. Nico was surprised when he felt warm fingers lace through his own. Looking down, Percy gave his hand a squeeze. And when he looked up, Percy smiled and nodded towards the steps of the hotel.

Nico's heart was pounding in his chest as they entered the lobby, which was at least double the size of the one back in Los Angeles. The receptionist behind the desk looked up from typing at the keyboard, but Malcolm just waved at her and she went back to work.

Nico would have wandered into some luggage, if Percy hadn't caught the back of his jacket and pushed against the boy's back to direct him to the elevator. The place was just breathtaking. The ceiling had been painted to resemble the Sistine Chapel, though the art looked more Greek than Christian.

The elevators were against the side of the hotel. A portion of them were made of glass, which allowed the people riding in them to look out at the resort. Which was something that Nico eagerly took the opportunity to do. The place was both amazing and breathtaking, he could certainly get used to living here in a few months.

Percy wrapped his arms around Nico's waist as the boy looked out of the elevator, resting his chin on the Lost Boy's shoulder. “Enjoying the view?” He whispered.

Nico gave a small nod. “Yeah, thanks for bringing me.”

“My pleasure.” Leaning in, Percy pressed a quick kiss to Nico's cheek.

Glancing at the other two in the elevator, Nico blushed. Luke just rolled his eyes, while Malcolm did his best to look like he wasn't paying attention to the two of them. Nico glanced up at Percy with wide eyes and admired the young man for a moment. The stress that usually weighed on the young man seemed to have stayed behind in California.

When Percy pulled back, he glanced over at Malcolm. “Is Kronos here yet?”

Looking up from his tablet, Malcolm lightly shook his head. “He's not due to arrive until tomorrow afternoon.”

Luke let out a long breath, which only Nico noticed. At least that was something, right? They got a day in Germany without the devil's presence.

When they arrived at the top floor, Nico had to take a moment to look around. Most of the main area was a lobby, which contained very expensive sculptures and paintings. Directly forward was a set of doors that had no handles on it. Down the left hall was a set of glass doors, which Nico could spot a desk. Beyond the glass doors was another door that was fairly translucent.

“That would be Athena's office, which is where I spend most of my days, at least until dinner,” Malcolm pointed out, stepping up beside Nico. He turned and pointed down the right hallway. “Down there is where Athena lives.” Placing his tablet under his arm, the blond walked up the door in the center. “And here we have Gaea's office. She's already expecting you.”

Directly to the left of the door was a thumb scanner, which Malcolm placed his thumb on. After a faint chime, the double doors slid open. Percy gave Nico a quick smile before he followed Malcolm inside. With a grunt, Luke followed after him. Nico stood there a moment, trying not to have a panic attack. Letting out a small breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding, Nico stepped forward.

The office felt rather massive. A large glass desk sat towards the back of the office, just a few feet away from the large, glass windows. There was a giant TV embedded into the wall just to the left, while the other wall housed an assortment of liquor and wine. A long black couch had been placed next to the alcohol, though there were no actual chairs in front of Gaea's desk. Surrounding both sides of the door that they had entered from was an assortment of photographs of both Percy and Kronos during their younger years. Percy looked fairly similar, though he looked a lot less weighed down by things in the photos.

Then there was Gaea, who had her back to them as she stared out the massive window of her office. She wore a dark green pantsuit, while her hair had been tied in a braided ponytail. When Malcolm cleared his throat, the woman turned around to look at them.

“Percy!” The owner exclaimed, opening her arms up and handing a drink she had been holding to a Lost Boy that had been in the room with her. She quickly closed the distance between her and Percy. A smile appeared on Percy's face as the woman enveloped him in a hug. “How was your trip?”

“Good.” Percy pulled back and crossed his arms. “Sorry for the last minute addition, but I thought Luke could use a vacation as a late birthday present.”

Nico narrowed his eyes up at the young man. It was his idea. With a grunt, Nico elbowed the young man, who chuckled sheepishly at him.

Gaea just blinked at them before smiling. “It was no trouble at all.” She placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. “Besides, Nico here will need someone to keep him company while we take care of business.”

Figures, Nico thought to himself, he didn't think he would be getting Percy all to himself the entire time. Besides, they were here for Percy anyways. It wasn't about Luke or Nico at all.

“Percy!” Came a rich and very French voice.

For the first time, Nico took in the form of the Lost Boy that had taken Gaea's drink. He seemed rather excited to see Percy, reminding Nico of a fashionably dressed, giant ball of energy. His skin was lightly tanned, while his hair was a wavy, light brown that barely cut across his eyes. The boy's eyes were what truly stuck out, a vivid green color. He had a small nose and a smile that reminded Nico of a small child. Which didn't seem too far off, as the boy could probably pass for Nico's age, if not younger. The Lost Boy was just slightly taller than Nico, with a thin frame to him.

Before Nico could even blink, the boy charged Percy. If Luke hadn't pulled him back, Nico probably would have gotten trampled. The Lost Boy jumped at Percy, who caught him with a laugh. Yep, definitely reminded Nico of a child. Dusting himself off, Nico shot the brunet a glare.

“Good to see you, too,” Percy chuckled. As he put the boy down, the raven haired young man faced Nico. “So, this is Nico, the boy I was talking about.”

With much excitement, the brunet pulled Nico into a hug and kissed both of his cheeks. “Bonjour! Percy m'a si souvent parlé de toi. Tu es encore plus adorable que prévu.”

Blinking, Nico glanced between the strange brunet and Percy. After a moment, realization seemed to dawn on Percy's face. “Oh, right.” He let out a small chuckle and placed his hand on the small of Nico's back. “Nico here doesn't speak French.” With a grin, Percy cleared his throat. “He said that he's pleased to meet you.”

Glancing at the other boy, Nico slowly nodded. “Um, pleased to meet you, too.”

The brunet just grinned at him, though not the same innocent smile that had been there a moment ago. There was definitely a deep mischief hidden behind that grin. Somehow, Nico had the distinct impression that this guy would get along great with the Stolls.

“Oh.” Percy motioned to the brunet. “I almost forgot to introduce him. Nico, this is the newest Lost Boy that I mentioned to you, Eros.”

With his grin still in place, Eros ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. “It is...how to say, nice to meet you, Nico.”

“Uh,” was all Nico could get out.

He had never met a French guy before, but Nico could definitely see the appeal to them. This guy could probably charm customers out of their money, without even having to have sex with them. That accent was hot.

Percy chuckled at Nico's flustered expression. “Eros isn't completely fluent in English yet, so you might have to bear with him.”

It was then that Eros's eyes landed on Luke, his eyebrows slowly rising as he took in Luke's form. Those green eyes flickered back to Percy in amusement. “Putain... Quel beau gosse.”

Percy and Gaea let out a small laugh, while Malcolm snorted. Nico and Luke just sort of stood there in confusion. Well, it seemed like French wasn't a language that Luke had managed to learn. At least Nico wasn't the only one feeling lost about what was being said.

Narrowing his eyes, Luke grunted. “Does he have a problem with me, or something?” He growled.

Percy just patted the blond's shoulder. “I wouldn't worry too much about it. You'll be fine.” Percy blinked and turned to look at Eros, who was grinning mischievously. “Actually, I'm not completely sure about that.”

Gaea cleared her throat. “Well then, I suppose I should let you all settle into your rooms.” She slowly walked the three of them to the door. “But once you get a minute, Percy, I'd like for you to come back by my office, so that we can run over a few minor details.”

Percy gave a nod. “Sure thing.”

Placing his hand on Nico's back, he guided Nico and Luke out of the office. They quickly boarded the elevator, while Percy just smirked at Luke, who had a grumpy look on his face. “What did that asshole say?” The blond asked in irritation.

“Nothing to worry about,” Percy chuckled. “Really, I promise. He doesn't hate you or anything.”

Once they were back on the ground floor, Percy borrowed one of the hotel's golf carts, much to Nico's hesitation. “You're not going to run us into the lake or a window, are you?” The Lost Boy asked.

“No,” the young man replied as he sat down in the driver seat. “Well, at least that's not in the plan.” With a grin, the golf cart shot forward in the direction of Gaea's mansion. “You two can feel free to explore the resort while I'm talking with Gaea.” He smiled down at Nico. “Luke knows the hotel pretty well, so he can show you around.” There was a grunt from Luke, who sat in the back. “He loves it here, don't let him fool you. You can also make yourself at home in the mansion, Gaea won't care if you eat the food or mess with the entertainment stuff.”

The mansion was massive. When they walked in, Nico felt like he was entering a museum, rather than a home. The place was littered with sculptures and art of various assortments. A marble staircase was directly in front of the entrance, while many doors were on both sides of the first floor. Instead of showing them around, however, Percy just walked up the stairs.

Nico hurried after the young man, reaching out to take Percy's hand. He turned down the left wing of the mansion, which slowly morphed in artwork. The paintings that Nico had managed to get a glimpse at in the entrance and up the stairs had been a vast array of paintings, but this wing seemed to only include fish and other various aquatic creatures. There was even a giant fish tank embedded into a portion of the wall that they passed. Finally, Percy came to a stop.

“Here's where you'll be staying, Luke,” Percy said, pushing open a door on the left.

Luke was inside and had the door shut in a heartbeat. Percy just chuckled and shook his head. He motioned down the hall, where Nico followed him. The green-eyed young man came to a stop in front of a set of double doors, which had a dumbwaiter directly across from it. With a smile, Percy pushed the doors open.

Nico must have died and gone to heaven. Percy's bedroom was about two or three of the Lost Kid's suites back at the Los Angeles Lotus Hotel. Suites, not bedrooms. And there was just about everything that anyone could ever want inside.

First there was the canopy bed, which had dark blue curtains surrounding the bed. Many pillows littered the bed, which Nico already had a good idea was going to be incredibly comfortable. Then there was a massive TV on the wall directly across the bed, around the same size as the one in Gaea's office. A closet full of movies had been placed next to the TV. Books on Greek mythology, marine biology, business, and various other books had been placed on bookshelves in the front right corner of the room.

Another aquarium was in Percy's bedroom, this one slight bigger and containing more fish. A walk-in closet that could have been the size of Nico's bedroom back at the other Lotus was to the left, close to the door to Percy's own private bathroom. Nico would have to look at that later. Then there was another door that caught Nico's attention. Poking his head inside, Nico was not disappointed.

It was a game room. First there was the giant couch and gaming chairs that was towards the center of the room. Then there was the giant TV, which was probably only a few inches smaller than the one in Percy's actual bedroom. Directly under the TV was just about every game console that had ever come out since Nico had been born, which included an open closet of just about every game that anyone could ever want beside the TV.

Also included in Percy's game room was a pinball machine, a Foosball table, a very expensive desktop computer with two thirty-two inch monitors, and a pool table. There was even a Pac-Man machine!

Nico just stood there, stunned. It was easy to forget sometimes just how rich people like Gaea and Percy were, and then Nico was brought back to reality when he was shown things like this. Percy's suite back at the Los Angeles hotel was already impressive enough, this was just someone's personal heaven. Nico bit down on his lip and rubbed his arm. All of a sudden, the Lost Boy was aware of how out of place he truly was. This wasn't his world, yet he was expected to live in all of this very soon. It was amazing, to say the least, but also very terrifying.

With a deep breath, Nico stepped back into the bedroom portion of Percy's room. Percy had already plopped down on the bed while Nico had been exploring. He smiled over at Nico with his hands behind his head. Slowly, Nico made his way over and laid down next to the young man, who wrapped an arm around Nico to pull him closer.

As he stared up at the top of the canopy, Nico sighed in contentment. Part of him could not wait until summer arrived, because it just meant that he could have more nice moments like this with Percy. They were going to be a couple, an exclusive one. That wasn't really something Nico had ever imagined possible when he had first arrived at the hotel. In truth, it all still felt like dream. A dream with many nightmares along the way, but still a dream.

Nico rolled onto his stomach to look at Percy. “Is this where we'll be living when we actually move here?”

“Probably,” Percy mumbled with a smile. “It's not too much, is it?”

“Uh.” Nico glanced around the room. “Well, yes, but I'll get used to it.” He let out a sigh and rested his chin on Percy's chest. “It's just a lot, and I'm not used to this, even as a Lost Kid.”

It was totally different. Lost Kids had money, but not nearly enough to afford places like this. When they retired around thirty, they would still have enough money to last them almost the rest of their lives. All their needs were taken care of by the hotel, which only left personal things for each individual to pay for. But, even so, none of them lived like this.

And Nico...

Well, Nico had never come close to anything like this before he had gotten tossed out. Back then, or even on the streets, he would have never dreamed that he would soon be living in a place like this. It just seemed so...foreign.

Percy pulled Nico's hand to his lips to kiss the boy's knuckles. “I mean, we'll have plenty of privacy. The only other person that would be living here all the time would be Gaea. Athena lives in the hotel, and Kronos only visits two or three times a year.” He wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. “You and Gaea can take up golfing, since you'll both probably end up getting bored without anything to do.”

“And you?”

“I'll have a lot more time to spend with you than I do in my current position.” Leaning down, Percy kissed Nico's forehead. “Gaea only really has to oversee things and get involved when she feels the managers need a little help. Most of the time, she just gets to relax.” Rolling on top of Nico, Percy traced his fingers along Nico's stomach. “So, maybe we could travel and see the world.”

“I'd like that,” Nico whispered.

Percy pressed a quick kiss to Nico's lips. “You can have anything you want, anything at all.”

Nico sealed their lips together again. “I just really want you.” With smirk, he pecked Percy on the lips. “But I'm sure I can get used to things.”

Chuckling, Percy leaned back. “Glad to hear it.” The young man let out a groan and rested his head on Nico's stomach. “I hate to do this, but I should go see Gaea. But I'll be back shortly before dinner. If you want, I can take you and Luke into Berlin to have some local food.”

Nico bit down on his lip to contain his smile. “That would be great.”

Percy grinned and pecked Nico on the lips before climbing off the bed. “Great! I'll see you later then.”

Nico rolled onto his stomach and waved as Percy went to leave. When the door closed, Nico collapsed onto the bed with a sigh. He was enjoying Percy like this, the young man seemed much more relaxed and happy. If this was what he had to look forward to, then Nico could find a way to endure whatever the next two months threw at him.

After about five minutes, Nico got off the bed to go find Luke. Once he was in the hallway, Nico looked around for a minute. He just didn't understand why there was so many rooms if only three people lived here. Stepping up to the room that Luke had disappeared into, Nico raised his hand and knocked on the door.

After about ten seconds, the door opened and Luke leaned against the door. “What do you want, twerp?”

Nico frowned at the name. “Can't you just call me by my actual name?”

“I could,” Luke tapped a finger to his chin, “but that doesn't sound very fun.” He rolled his eyes and stepped back into his room, where Nico followed him. “Anyways, what do you want?”

Nico fidgeted a little. This room didn't have as much in it, nor did it have all the different extensions. It did come with the walk-in closet and private bathroom, though. It also had a giant TV on the wall opposite the bed, which also had a canopy.

“I was hoping you would show me around.” Nico's eyes slowly drifted across the room. “Percy said he was going to take us into Berlin for dinner.”

Luke grunted with a nod. “Figured.” The blond let out a sigh as he sat down on his bed. “I was just getting comfortable, too. I forget that you need someone to hold your hand in new places.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “You know, we're alone, you don't have to sound like a jerk all the time.”

The blond just smirked at him. “But I am a jerk.”

“Yeah, uh-huh, keep telling yourself that.”

Luke rolled his eyes and opened up his suitcase. “Go put your swimming trunks on, just in case I decide we're stopping at the pool.”

“But it's cold outside,” Nico whined.

“The indoor one,” Luke sighed.

Nico's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as Luke undid his pants and let them drop to the ground with his underwear. Casually, Luke walked over to his suitcase and pulled out his swimming trunks. Clearing his throat, Nico turned around and left the room to retrieve his own trunks.

Percy had left the golf cart for them, which Luke insisted they use. “The place is too big, nobody just walks, unless the place they are going is close by,” Luke pointed out.

They started off touring the golf course, which was mostly being used by older men. Nico's face scrunched up as he watched one man hit the small golf ball. The sport seemed rather dull. “Have you ever played?”

Luke glanced out at the field. “Only if I'm extremely bored. My parents used to take me and Octavian golfing. Especially my dad, when he spent time with his friends.” He gave a casual shrug. “It can be relaxing, though I prefer sex if I'm trying to relieve stress.”

As they passed by the spa area, Nico spotted a very large crowd for yoga lessons. Teenage girls, young women, older women, and even a few men had formed a small army there. It seemed a little odd, until Nico spotted the yoga instructor.

The guy was rather tall and lean, with a smile that could light up the night sky. Black curls sat on top of his head, while a pair of light blue eyes could be found hidden behind some of his curls. He had long legs and seemed to be very flexible.

Nico nudged Luke. “Who is that? Is he a Lost Boy?”

Luke slowed down the golf cart to glance at the yoga instructor. “Yes, his name is Favonius, he's Italian.”

Nico made a face. “I hope he doesn't expect me to talk Italian with him, I'm not that good.”

“Fortunately for you, he doesn't actually speak Italian. His parents left Italy when he was just a baby, and they died when he was pretty young.”

As he stood up from bending over, Favonius took notice of them. He smiled brightly at them and tossed them a wave. Luke raised a hand in a small wave before he drove off.

Nico glanced up at the blond next to him. “So, what really is the difference between our group and the group here?”

“Our group is different than most of the others,” Luke pointed out. “Don't expect any of them to stick their necks out for each other. They are more like friends, instead of being a family.” Luke ran his tongue along his bottom lip. “The German branch has the largest pool of Lost Kids. While they do have close bonds, they are more like cliques. They only help out those that fall into the clique they are in. It's very high school.”

As they passed by the game building, Nico convinced Luke to make a stop. Reluctantly, Luke followed an excited Nico inside the building, which was primarily filled with teenagers and kids. Bypassing most of the arcade games, Nico made a beeline for the counter, where he inspected their assortment of cards.

Sure enough, they did carry Mythomagic. Nico's eyes bulged a little as he looked over their single cards that were on sale, some of which he had only dreamed of owning back when he played. Nico reached for his wallet, until he remembered that he had left it back in Percy's room.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Just tell them to put it on Percy's tab.”

“But-”

With a grunt, Luke placed his hands on the counter. A girl with bright green eyes popped up from behind the counter. Her long black hair fell behind her back like a waterfall. She was rather pale, just like Nico was. There was a small piercing in her nose, while her arm bore a black pentagram tattoo.

Her lips tilted up when she saw the blond in front of her. “Luke! So, the rumors were true, you are paying us a visit.”

Luke grunted. He motioned between the girl and Nico. “Twerp, this is Lou Ellen. Lou, this is the twerp.”

Her eyes widened a little. “Oh, so you're Percy's new squeeze.” She reached out and pinched his cheek. “Cute.”

Nico glanced at Luke. “I thought you didn't like the Lost Kids here.”

Luke tossed him a glare, while Lou cackled. “Ah, well,” she laughed, “I just happen to be one of the few he tolerates around here.” She leaned on the counter with a smile. “Some of us are cool, but others can be...less than pleasant. Michael can be hard to get along with.” Her lips turned up in a wicked smirk. “Clarisse is actually not allowed here at the moment because the two practically trashed the laser tag zone over a competition.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Luke grumbled. He let out a sigh. “Anyways, the kid here was wanting some cards.”

Lou stood up straight and blinked at Nico. “Oh yeah? Which ones?”

“Um, I was just looking,” Nico mumbled. “I don't really play anymore.”

Lou gave a shrug and opened the display case. “No shame in buying cards to collect. Which ones would you like?”

After picking out five cards, Lou put all of them in protector sleeves and handed them over to Nico. As they left the store, Nico looked over each of his new cards in great detail, his eyes wide from excitement. Luke just stared at him and shook his head as they climbed back in the golf cart. There was a very small glove compartment in front of the seat that Nico was in, so the boy shoved them inside. Since Luke had the key to the golf cart, it wasn't like someone was just going to come along and drive off with it.

“Are we allowed to see the Lost Kids' floors?” Nico asked.

Luke just shrugged. “You'll need to be with one of them. I don't have an access card to get us up there, and I doubt Percy would just give you one.” The golf cart came to a stop at the back of the hotel, where the blond climbed out with a towel that he had brought from his room. “Come on, we're going swimming.”

Grabbing his own towel, Nico followed after the other Lost Boy.

The doors swung open for the two Lost Boys as they entered the indoor swimming area. The roof and the walls bordering the outside were entirely made of glass, which made it feel like they were still outside, just in a warmer environment. The pool wasn't overly crowded, though it would be hard to crowd, since it was a pool and a half compared to the one they had back in Los Angeles.

Luke motioned over to where two boys were. One happened to be the Eros boy from earlier, though he was currently too busy on his phone to pay attention to them. The other seemed to recognize Luke.

The guy had dark brown hair that was cut short, with a pair of matching brown eyes that screamed trouble. His skin was fair, while his face was dusted with light freckles. He had a rather lanky body and a toothy grin.

The brunet jumped up from where he was sitting next to Eros. “Luke, so you did make it!”

At the mention of the blond's name, Eros looked up, his sunglasses falling a little to reveal his vivid green eyes. He too stood up, leaning against the other brunet. With his shirt off, Nico could see just how skinny Eros was. He wasn't unhealthy skinny or lanky like Nico, but his hips were practically thin enough that someone could touch their fingers if they placed their hands on both hips. He even had a faint outline of some abs, as well as a 'V' shape to his hips.

Eros pouted and wrapped an arm around the other brunet. “Tu le connais? Il faut qu'on parle.”

The other brunet chuckled and nodded. “Ouai, j'imagine. Sois gentil avec lui, si jamais t'arrives à le baiser.” He winked at Nico and Luke. Grinning, he held his hand out to Nico. “The name's Cecil. I take it you're this Nico we've been hearing about.”

“Yeah.” Nico glanced up at Luke, his brows furrowed.

Luke just shrugged. “Don't look at me, your man is the one that talked about you.” He grinned and clasped hands with Cecil. “How are things?”

“Oh, you know, just keeping everyone on their toes.” The brown-eyed European boy struck a pose. “They just don't know what hits them most of the time.”

“Sounds about right.” Luke, however, had his eyes on Eros, since the French boy was grinning at him like Luke was about to be hit with a water balloon. “Can I help you?”

Cecil snickered. “So, I take it you have already met Eros.” He slung his arm around the green-eyed boy. “He's a handful.”

Eros pouted, shifting his sunglasses to rest on top of his wavy hair. “That is so...hurtful, Cecil.”

Nico couldn't help but sigh, a dopey smile on his face. He could get used to listening to Eros talk, even if he couldn't understand him half the time. He glanced up at Luke, who was looking said brunet over. The blond quickly cleared his throat and broke eye contact with Eros, who just smirked.

Eros placed his hands on his hips, which made Nico hyper aware of the fact that the French Lost Boy was wearing a speedo. A very tight, green speedo. When he saw not only Nico staring, but Luke as well, Eros grinned and bounced on his heels. “You like?” With a sly smirk, the brunet turned his body slightly to give them a view of his ass in the speedo. “Does it not just fit so well?”

“Uh,” Luke fumbled, his eyes still locked on the brunet's very nicely shaped ass. “Yep, they definitely fit nice.” Coughing, Luke looked over at the pool.

Nico gave the blond an odd look. Was Luke actually blushing? Nico blinked a few times. He wasn't sure that he had ever seen the blond blush before.

Chuckling, Cecil patted Luke on the back. “Come on, let's go swimming.” He grinned over at Eros, who narrowed his eyes at the brown-eyed boy.

After a few minutes of swimming, Nico heard Luke let out a growl. Turning in the water, Nico located the blond, who had a grinning Eros at his side near the deep end. “What the hell are you even saying?” Luke finally asked, his voice slightly raised.

Cecil jumped into the pool, where he swam over before emerging beside the two. Nico made his way over as well, curious about what was going on. Cecil moved in between the two boys, chuckling. “What exactly did he say, Luke?”

Luke narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “He's like...trying to ask me for a blowjob in the middle of a public pool.”

Nico arched his brow. “I didn't think you'd turn someone down for sex.”

“It's just weird, because I don't know what he's saying.”

Eros blinked over at Cecil. “He called me weird?” He asked, drawing out the word.

Cecil just grinned. “What did you say to him?”

Eros turned his grin onto Luke, slowly running a finger down his chest. “BG. Je ne vois pas pourquoi ceci est un problème. BG.”

Luke huffed and pointed his finger at the green-eyed boy. “There, see, he said it again.”

Cecil snorted a little. “Ah. Um, yeah, the French 'g' sounds like a 'j'. BG is short for beau gosse.”

Nico blinked at Eros, analyzing the brunet. “He said that earlier.”

“I bet he did,” Cecil grinned. He patted Luke on the shoulder. “You have fun.” With that, Cecil swam off.

Grinning to himself, Eros pulled himself out of the water and sat on the edge of the pool. Nico couldn't help but stare a little, admiring the Lost Boy's wet body. At least he wasn't the only one. Glancing over at Luke, Nico had to reach over and shut the blond's slightly agape mouth.

After dinner, Nico got to watch the performances with Percy and Luke. It was rather nice, not having to worry about performing or customers. Percy and Luke ordered some beer, though Nico declined. However, Percy offered Nico some of his after a few sips.

“You sure you don't want some?” Percy grinned at him. “I mean, you can't just come to Germany and not try the beer.”

Luke inspected his own beer. “It would be like not trying the wurst.”

Nico frowned as he inspected the golden drink. “Well, the wurst I had for dinner was pretty good.” Glancing up at Percy, Nico raised the drink up to his lips. Immediately, Nico's face contorted and he shoved the beer back towards Percy. “It tastes like horse piss.”

Percy laughed as he took a sip of the beer, not even bothered by the taste. Nico wrinkled his nose and pushed Percy away when the young man tried to lean in for a kiss. Not after drinking that stuff.

Luke tossed his beer back, downing half the glass. “And how would you know what horse piss tastes like?”

Nico rolled his eyes at the blond. “It's just an expression,” he grunted. Luke grinned at him. “But you already knew that, asshole.”

The two floors where the Lost Kids performed was a bit bigger than the top floor at the Lotus back in Los Angeles. For starters, there was nothing to divide the girls from the boys, since they performed together on one big stage. Apparently, according to Percy, people in Europe really didn't care as much about sexuality. Percy had agreed to keep an eye on this floor, while Gaea and Athena were a floor below them.

Luke was right about one thing, there were a lot of Lost Kids here. After about thirty minutes of performances, Nico still had not seen the same Lost Kid more than once. According to Percy, they just ran up and down some stairs backstage to get between the two stages. Sounded rather rough, in Nico's opinion.

Their table quieted down as the guitar intro to Marina and the Diamond's “How To Be a Heartbreaker” began to play. The lights slowly brightened, revealing several Lost Boys moving their bodies seductively. The boy in the center, however, was Eros, who bounced on his hip to the beat of the music, an innocent smile on his lips.

As the lyrics began, Eros raised his hand with only his index finger raised to go along with the music. With the word “fun”, Eros leaned back and pressed himself against one of the other Lost Boys. During the next line, the brunet added a second finger and shoved the Lost Boy he had been leaning against away.

The stage brightened even more as the chorus began to play. Several Lost Girls flooded onto the stage as Eros slipped his arms above his head, his lips moving along with the song. All the while, the other Lost Boys flexed and struck poses, while Eros moved flirtatiously across the stage.

A pair of very loose, cotton shorts were on his hips. And with each little movement, it looked like said shorts were about to fall off. One of the Lost Boys pulled Eros in and dipped the brunet, while Eros looked out at the audience and mouthed the words “At least I think I do.”

Pulling away from the Lost Boy, Eros swung around on a pole, the back of his shorts now exposing a hint of his ass. Did he even have underwear on? Once the chorus began again, Eros actually stepped off of the stage and jumped across some of the tables. Everywhere he went, people tried to reach out and touch him, though the boy's only response was to grin mischievously and move on.

A few of the girls joined him, jumping up and down on the tables as the chorus came to an end. As the song slowed down, Eros reached their table and fell to his knees. Slowly, the brunet ran his hands through his wavy hair, biting lightly at his bottom lip. From his hair, the Lost Boy moved his hands down to the hem of his shorts, which he lightly pulled down to expose a jockstrap.

Smiling innocently, Eros rolled onto his stomach and stuck his right leg up into the air. He winked over at Percy, who just gave the brunet a lopsided smile. Nico narrowed his eyes at the French boy, crossing his arms over his chest.

From there, Eros slid off of the table. Directly into Luke's lap. Nico blinked a few times, running over what had just happened. Eros had moved like a snake, slithering its way into the blond's lap. Somehow, he managed to get out of his shorts, which he dropped on Luke's shoulder with a wicked grin. The blond just narrowed his eyes and stared back at the green-eyed boy.

Leaning forward, Eros rolled his hips, which drew a sharp intake of breath from Luke. As the slow part came to an end, Eros began to drum his fingers on Luke's chest. Jumping up, Eros spun around to give their table a nice view of his ass in the jockstrap. And damn, did the boy have a nice ass. It could quite possibly take the cake for the best one that Nico had ever seen, and this included Apollo and Percy's.

Eros actually strutted back up to the stage, where the Lost Boys were still flexing, while the girls just laughed and peeled off some of their clothing. On the final part of the song, Eros stood in the center of the stage and ran his hands across his torso, crotch, and hair. And on the final words, Eros raised a finger to his lips with a childish laugh.

Luke rolled his eyes as customers practically threw money at the French Lost Boy, who was bowing and blowing kisses at the audience. “He seems like a little shit,” the blond mumbled.

Percy shrugged and drank more of his beer. “He can be an acquired taste.”

Eventually, Nico ended up back in Percy's room with the green-eyed young man. Nico sat on the bed, watching Percy walk around the room as he got undressed for bed. When Percy caught sight of him staring, the young man smiled and walked over to the bed.

As he crawled under the covers with Nico, Percy leaned in and sealed their lips together in a quick kiss. After the kiss, Nico slowly opened his eyes with a smile now on his lips. He could most certainly get used to this.

Nico slowly shifted his posture until he sat cross-legged beside Percy. “Can I ask you something?” He blurted out.

Leaning back to lay his head on the pillow, Percy blinked up at him. “Of course. You can ask me anything.”

“Why me?” Nico's brow furrowed as he stared down at the sheets. “What makes me so different? I mean, I get the whole innocent thing we talked about, but why does that make you interested in me?”

A soft chuckle escaped Percy's throat. The young man wrapped his arms around Nico's waist, pulling the boy to lay down beside him. A soft kiss was placed right next to Nico's ear. “That's an easy one. You want to spend time with me.”

Nico blinked in confusion. “What?”

Percy just smiled at him. “It's not always about sex with you.” He grinned and squeezed Nico. “Much better than when you were a virgin, trying to jump my bones at every available opportunity.” Percy caught Nico's wrist as the boy went to smack him. Still grinning, the young man kissed his palm. “You show concern for my well-being, and I think I started liking you truly the night you asked me to spend time with you without having sex.” Percy's eyes seemed to grow distant as they stared up at the top of the canopy. “The other Lost Kids have never really asked that of me before. I mean, I've spent time with them and not had sex, but they have never asked to just spend time with me. You don't seem to have any ulterior motives either, like you don't want me for my money or power.”

“I don't really care about that stuff.”

“I know,” Percy chuckled, “and that's part of why I like you. You're different.”

Nico let out a sigh, a soft smile now playing at his lips. “Thank you for telling me.” Relaxing his shoulders, Nico leaned back against Percy's chest. “Um, but there is something else that I sorted of wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” Percy blinked at him, waiting for the boy to continue.

Nico let out a long breath. “It's about the others. What happens to the others back in California when we actually do move here?”

Pursing his lips, Percy shrugged. “I suppose they will remain there. After all, the German branch already has all the Lost Kids that it needs.” He tilted his head to get a better view of Nico's face. “Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering,” Nico whispered. He chewed on his lip as Percy reached over and turned off the lamp beside their bed.

----------------------------------------

Translations:

  "Bonjour! Percy m'a si souvent parlé de toi. Tu es encore plus adorable que prévu."
--> Hello! Percy spoke so often about you. You are even more adorable than expected.

"Putain... Quel BG."
--> Fuck... What a hottie. [BG being short for "beau gosse" = hottie]

"You know him? We need to talk later."

--> "Tu le connais? Il faut qu'on parle."

--> "Ouai, j'imagine. Sois gentil avec lui, si jamais t'arrives à le baiser."
Yes I imagine (same meaning as i bet we do). Be nice to him (this is said mockingly) if you manage to sleep with him.

"Je ne vois pas pourquoi ceci est un problème."

I do not see why this here is a problem.

Children of Loss 48

Chapter 48

Surprisingly, the hotel remained fairly quiet for nearly a month. It was definitely not what Nico had been expecting. In all honesty, Nico had expected Annabeth to come after him with a large knife, judging by the way she had looked at him on the night of her stage disaster. It had taken a full two weeks for the blonde's face to clear up from the skin rash, something that not even the twins had any knowledge about. But from what Apollo and Thalia told him, Nico was under the impression that Annabeth thought it was him.

It wasn't, though! But could he tell her that? No. Not that he was sure he wanted to, in all honesty. After seeing her metaphorical mask crack, Nico was hesitant to be near the blonde. It did help that his relationship with Percy had improved upon the manager's return, so Nico was able to try to keep his and Annabeth's schedule separate as much as possible.

Percy asked Nico about it often when the boy had first started, but eventually the questions had stopped. If Annabeth really did have a crush on Percy, the manager didn't seem to have any idea about it. Perhaps it was better to keep it that way, as to not poke the bear more than it already had been.

Speaking of the green-eyed manager, Nico had started to spend most of his free time in the afternoons in the young man's office. Part of the time, Nico was just getting his homework done, but the rest of his time was filled with trying to study the German language.

Spring break would be here in just a few weeks, yet Nico still had barely any understanding of the language. It was now approaching time for dinner, and Nico had barely moved from his spot on Percy's office couch since he got back from school an hour and a half ago.

The book was suddenly plucked from Nico's hand. The Lost Boy looked up with a pout. “I'm trying to study that,” he whined.

Percy rolled his eyes and tossed the book over his shoulder. “I don't know why you're focusing so hard on this, it's just for a week.”

“But I will be living there starting in the summer. Don't you think it's best to learn German?”

The young man shrugged. “I suppose, but there is time for that later.” He leaned forward and placed both of his hands of the couch, on either side of Nico's head. “For the week that you are there, you'll have me to translate for you. Or Luke, should I not be around.” With a grin, he maneuvered the Lost Boy onto his back, sliding in between Nico's legs. “So, it's not like you'll be lost the entire time. Isn't there anything else you'd rather be doing right now?”

Nico just rolled his eyes with a smile. “I thought you were a master at being subtle?”

Percy's grin only grew. “Oh, I am, but you need to leave soon.” A warm hand ran underneath Nico's shirt. “You know, I've been back a month, yet you and I haven't had sex in that time.”

The brown-eyed boy shrugged, wrapping his arms around Percy's neck. With the news that him and Percy could sort of settle down come the summer, Nico just hadn't really felt the need to go looking for it. Percy had been more physical with him in other ways, and that was really all Nico wanted right now. Perhaps the revelation that Percy would still be having sex with the other Lost Kids until he took over for Gaea did not help Nico's desires, though. It did bother the boy, not that he would tell Percy that.

What could he say? “Don't do your job?” Yeah, that would go over great. If anything, Nico had learned it was best to hold his tongue in most cases. If it ever came up in a conversation with them, Nico would not hesitate to let Percy know. Until that time, Nico did not really want to start an argument with the young man.

Nico was yanked from his thoughts when his shirt was pulled over his head. Pale fingers tangled into Percy's black locks as the manager kissed and sucked around his collarbone. With a moan, Nico bent his knee around Percy's waist, trying to pull the manager closer.

Changing position, Nico pushed himself up and placed himself in Percy's lap. The young man arched an eyebrow at him, smirking. Nico leaned down and sealed their lips together. Percy wasted no time at all in sliding his tongue into Nico's mouth, while the Lost Boy unbuttoned the young man's shirt. Nico let out a small moan as his fingers ran down Percy's bare chest.

Breaking the kiss, Nico slid out of Percy's lap and onto his knees. The young man placed his hands behind his head as Nico unbuttoned his pants. Percy lifted his hips to allow the Lost Boy to pull down his pants and underwear. As Nico took Percy's hardened member into his hand, his eyes flickered up to the young man's face. Leaning forward, Nico slid his tongue along the base, watching Percy's reaction.

The young man bit down on his lip, letting his head fall back against the couch. Nico smirked and took the head of Percy's cock into his mouth, bobbing his head up and down on the shaft. He had done this to other people, but Nico could only recall giving Percy head once or twice before this. When they first started being sexual, Percy didn't even let Nico try it.

Yet, now here he was, between Percy's legs and the guy's dick in his mouth. He wondered how much he could keep Percy to their room when they got to Germany. Perhaps not that long, because Nico really did want to go out and see the city, or at least explore the hotel. Judging by what he had heard, the German hotel was supposed to be more of a resort.

Nico slid his tongue around the shaft, while his head continued to bob on it. Percy's fingers eventually wound their way into Nico's messy hair, gripping tightly at the black locks. With a smirk, Nico began to hum lightly, which drew a moan from Percy.

There was just something magical about staring at Percy Jackson completely naked. While Nico now had an understanding that Percy wasn't perfect, it didn't mean his body wasn't. From the top of his head, to the bottom of his feet, the young man was gorgeous. Every inch. Even the seven or eight inches in front of his face.

Percy pulled the Lost Boy back into his lap, removing Nico's pants in the process. Nico cupped Percy's face as they shared a deep kiss, though something did occur to the boy. “Condom?” He panted.

Percy let out a grunt before gripping Nico tightly around the waist. Nico's eyes widened in surprise as Percy stood up and walked over to the desk. He placed Nico on the corner of his desk, while using his other hand to move some things aside. Now that Nico had more room, he laid down on the desk, while Percy dug around in one of his drawers. After a second, Percy pulled out a condom and a bottle of lube.

Lifting Nico's legs, Percy applied some lube to his fingers and slid one inside. Nico bit down on his lip at the feeling of the initial penetration. There was just something so much more enjoyable when it came to sex with Percy.

After adding a second finger, Percy began to stretch Nico out. The boy let out a few moans, running his foot along Percy's side and back. The small curve of Percy's back was particularly fascinating to the Lost Boy. When Percy finally managed to draw a gasp from Nico, he pulled his fingers out.

Quickly sliding on the condom and putting some lube on his member, Percy raised Nico's legs onto his shoulders. It was kind of hot, having his boss fuck him on his desk. Percy leaned down and gave Nico a slow but brief kiss before sliding into the brown-eyed boy. Nico's nails dug into Percy's hips, though pulled him closer at the same time. Taking the hint, Percy buried himself to the hilt.

The manager leaned down and kissed Nico in the center of his chest, waiting for the boy to adjust. Not that Nico wanted to wait. He might not have been seeking out sex from Percy, but that didn't mean he hadn't missed the feelings that came with it. And if there was one thing to say about Percy Jackson, it was that he was damned good at sex.

Percy's face hovered ever so closely to Nico's as he slid in and out of the boy on his desk. Nico let out a few quiet moans as his hands raked across Percy's torso. Percy took a firm grip on his hips and jerked Nico back at the same time that he slammed into the Lost Boy.

After a few minutes of this, Percy bent Nico over the desk and began to pick up the pace. Due to this, Nico found it extremely hard to remain quiet. The office felt stuffy now and both of their bodies was beginning to show the signs of sweat. The desk began to shake as Percy rapidly thrust in and out of Nico.

As Nico got louder with his moaning, Percy chuckled and placed a hand over the boy's mouth. “I love it when you're loud, but I don't think Leo and Rachel really want to hear your colorful Italian.”

Nico's face turned red. Well, more than it already was from his current activities. He really needed to control when he did that. Although, as far as he could tell, he had only done it with Percy. However, it was kind of hot to have Percy silencing him like that. Nico moaned rather loudly into Percy's hand as the green-eyed young man slid in agonizingly slow.

A good ten or fifteen minutes went by with Nico getting pounded into Percy's desk. The boy felt drenched in his sweat, not that he cared. If he could only have sex with Percy for the rest of his life, Nico could easily be certain that he would be more than satisfied.

Nico felt like a rag doll, his bones now mush. His hair clung to his face from all the sweat, which also made it very hard for Percy to get a good grip on him anymore. Not that it stopped the young man. Percy had yet to slow down in his pace in the past ten minutes, nor did Nico want him to. Percy leaned forward and bit lightly at Nico's neck. Nico let out a gasp, which quickly became a moan.

Gripping Nico's hair, Percy yanked Nico's head back as he continued to plow into the Lost Boy. Nico wasn't sure how much longer his legs were going to hold up for him. And, as if to only torment Nico, there was a knock at the door. It was like they weren't allowed to have sex in the office, since this made the second time they got interrupted.

“What?” Percy called out, not even bothering to stop in what they were doing.

Nico opened his eyes, which had him staring directly at the door. As accustomed as he had got to this life, it still would have been awkward for him to have someone walk in on him in this situation. Here he was, completely naked and bent over his boss's desk, while said boss relentlessly fucked him in the ass.

While the door didn't open, Rachel did speak. “Annabeth is here to see you.”

Percy blew at his sweaty bangs. He paused for a second before continuing to slam into Nico. The brown-eyed boy's mouth fell open in a silent moan. Percy's hand slid down his chest, while the other continued to grip his hair. Slamming in as hard as he could, the young man finally replied. “I'm busy at the moment.”

There was a pause, and then, “She says it's important.”

“When you hear a loud scream or moan, I'll be done.”

Nico turned his head to give Percy a questioning look, but he didn't even manage to fully look at the young man before Percy began to piston in and out of him. Nico collapsed onto the desk, his nails scraping across the surface. Percy was slamming into him with such a force, yet he managed to hit Nico's prostate with every single fucking thrust.

A few minutes later, Nico couldn't hold it back anymore. He scrunched his eyes shut and climaxed on Percy's desk. Nico's body crumpled, though Percy held him up by the hips. With a few more thrusts, Percy seemed to finish as well. As he pulled out, he placed Nico in his chair while he deposited the used condom into the garbage. Percy slid on his underwear before tossing Nico his clothes.

Nico's bones felt like putty as he tried to get dressed. Percy wiped up Nico's seed with a paper towel before he too finished getting dressed. Once they were finished, Nico shakily got to his feet. Percy smiled down at him before leaning down and pecking the boy on the lips. Nico gave him a lazy smile as they walked to the door.

When Percy finally opened it, Annabeth glanced between them. She raised an eyebrow. “Charming,” she mumbled.

Percy let out a chuckle. “What can I do for you?”

Annabeth glanced at Nico for a moment before she stepped into the office. “It involves Nico, actually.”

Nico frowned. She wasn't going to accuse Nico of tampering with her makeup, was she? She didn't even have proof, not that he had done it. Either way, Nico had no desire to leave Annabeth and Percy alone with him being the topic.

“Oh?” Percy sat back down at his desk, attempting to fix his hair from the sweaty mess it was still in.

Annabeth closed the door, shooting her cold gaze over in Nico's direction. “Well, it's gotten out that you plan on taking him to Germany with you when you take over for Gaea.”

“What about it?”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Annabeth asked, placing her hands on the back of one of the chairs in front of Percy's desk. “I mean, the only real family that he has anymore is his sister, and you're just going to pack him up and ship him across the planet from her.”

Percy's eyes darted over to where Nico stood. Wait, he wasn't actually considering what she had said, was he? Nico frowned, narrowing his gaze at Annabeth. “I'm the one that chose to go,” the Lost Boy mumbled.

Annabeth's eyebrow shot up at that. “And that makes it better?” She sighed and turned back to Percy. “You have to admit, he hasn't had the best track record for making the right decisions. Bianca is graduating as well, she could take care of Nico.”

“I don't-”

Percy held up his hand, silencing Nico's protest. The Lost Boy huffed, but held his tongue. Percy sat back in his chair, lacing his hands together over his lap. “I get what you're saying.” Percy's lips pressed together until they formed a thin line. “I'll think about it.”

Ananbeth smiled sweetly and nodded. “That's all I wanted.”

Nico glared as the blonde took her leave. He glanced back at Percy. “You're not really-”

“I said that I'd think about it,” Percy mumbled, no longer looking at Nico. Instead, the manager was scribbling something down on a notepad.

Nico frowned. “Whatever,” he mumbled. Pursing his lips, Nico opened the door and stormed after Annabeth. He was not going to let her do this, just because she thought he had sabotaged her.

Rachel and Leo both looked up in surprise as Nico slammed Percy's door closed. With his fists clenched tightly at his sides, Nico stormed out of the office and marched over to where Annabeth was waiting at the elevators. She turned around as he approached, arching an eyebrow at him.

“Can I help you?” She asked.

“Funny,” Nico replied, his eyes as cold as ice, “considering I feel like you've been sabotaging me from the beginning.”

“Like you did the other night?”

Nico pursed his lips. “I didn't do anything. But if I'm right, then I'm glad your performance got ruined.” He exhaled, blocking her entranced to the elevator when it opened. “I don't know what I ever did-”

“That's just it, you didn't do anything.” Annabeth's lips tilted down. “You didn't have to, but Percy took you in and clung to you like some wounded lamb. I've been there for him since he got here, but Percy barely spared me a glance beyond friendship. The way he looks at all of us, it's enough to make each of us feel special. But then there's you. His smile could light up a room whenever he looks at you. He offered you something that none of us ever got, yet you turned it down. But did that change anything? No.”

“Why are you mad at me then?” Nico practically yelled. “Why do you hate me?”

“I don't!” Annabeth let out a long breath. “I like you, okay? But I always thought that if anyone would have a chance with Percy, it would be me. You didn't even have to try, yet he became smitten with you. But did he even realize it? No, of course not. Like I said, Percy sucks at realizing feelings.”

Nico's shoulders slumped. “Then why did you try to ruin my chances with him? What did I do?”

“You trusted me,” Annabeth whispered. Her gray eyes hardened as they focused back on Nico. “That's what made it easy.” The blonde scoffed at him. “You practically jumped when I offered my help, even though Apollo had just scorned you.” She pushed past the stunned Lost Boy. “You'll stay here, because Percy will realize it's what is for the best. Once that is taken care of, I can convince Percy to let Octavian run the hotel. That's the thing about being there for Percy the longest, he trusts me. And maybe when he settles in with his new life, maybe then he will figure out that I do have feelings for him.”

Nico put his hand in the doorway of the elevator, preventing it from closing. “That's really fucked up.” Nico's jaw tightened.

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, welcome to my world.”

“I've never done anything to you,” Nico practically whispered, a small pain growing in his chest. He didn't understand why she wanted to hurt him so much.

“I know.” Annabeth studied him a moment before she continued. “I'm sorry, but it's for the best. You'll thank me one day. You don't have what it takes to be by Percy's side at the top, Nico.” As if putting her mask back on, the blonde smiled at him. “Maybe we can be friends after it is over.”

Nico just glared at her as the elevator closed. He seriously doubted that. She was not going to win. Over his dead body. Nico took in a deep breath before pushing the button to summon another elevator. Why did this have to happen now? Things were supposed to wrap up, not spark out of control. Nico had been so close to the end, but then Annabeth had to come along and ruin it. No, not right now. She had been doing this for some time now. Nico had just been too blind to see it.

When the elevator arrived at his floor, Nico found Hazel and Octavian standing there, waiting. The Lost Girl's eyes widened a little at the sight of him. He must have looked pretty torn up, because Hazel wasted no time in wrapping him in a hug. “Nico, what's wrong?” She asked.

“Great, more tears,” Octavian muttered, which earned him a scowl from Hazel.

Nico let out a sigh. “I'm too trusting,” he muttered. “It makes me too blind, and then I just get hurt.”

“Nico, no.” Hazel squeezed him tighter. “That's one of your best qualities. Even after being here for so long, you still carry an optimistic outlook on things. You see the good in people. That is what keeps you even just a little innocent, and it's a great feature. It's refreshing, believe me.” She gave him a warm smile. “It's also what Percy admired about you, don't forget that. Even with the world crashing down on top of you, you still look at people and see the good in them. I think that's really awesome.”

Nico looked up from behind his dark bangs at the blond Lost Boy. Octavian arched an eyebrow at him. Nico frowned. “I need to talk to you.”

“Do you?” Octavian shrugged. He rolled his eyes at the dark look Nico gave him. “Fine.” He grabbed Nico's arm, pulling him away from Hazel. “Let's go talk then.”

“But we were going to eat,” Hazel pointed out.

Octavian was already opening his suite. “I'll catch up to you.” With that, he tossed Nico inside and shut them both inside. Turning on the lights, Octavian regarded the other Lost Boy. “What?”

“You know what I want to talk about.” Nico took a few steps to his right, his eyes drifting around the room. “You messed with Annabeth's makeup.”

“Oh no, you caught me,” Octavian said dully, rolling his eyes. “It's not like you were going to see her for what she is any other way.”

Nico let out a sigh, looking down at his feet. “What is her problem anyways?”

Octavian inspected his nails. “Sorry, I'd rather not get into it.” He quirked a fine eyebrow at Nico. “And I would exactly go up to Annabeth and ask her yourself.” The blond rubbed his neck. “Talk to Luke while you are visiting Germany, perhaps he will tell you.”

Nico slowly nodded. “So, what, you've been helping me this whole time? I didn't think you liked me.”

“I have neutral feelings about you,” Octavian corrected him. The blond crossed his arms, keeping his cold eyes on Nico. “Besides, it wasn't my idea. Luke was the one that asked me to help you out. He was the one that wanted me to give you lessons, it wasn't my idea.” The Lost Boy placed a hand on his chest. “I thought it was a little amusing to watch you stumble around with Annabeth's advice, not realizing that she was setting you up.” He finally let out a sigh. “But even I had to admit that she would have crushed you to a pulp without any help. Besides, I always do enjoy a not-so-friendly competition with our girl genius.”

Nico frowned a little, unwilling to meet the blond's gaze. “Why are you so bothered about my friendship with your brother?”

For a moment, Nico thought he had asked the wrong question. The blond's gaze was like a sharp piece of ice, threatening to impale Nico through the chest. But then, right before Nico thought he was going to snap, Octavian let out a sigh. He ran a hand through his silky hair and scrunched his lips. “Because of what he calls you,” the blond said softly. Nico quirked a brow. “How many times has he even called you by your real name?”

Nico blinked. Had Luke ever referred to him by his real name? In all honesty, Nico couldn't recall a single time. “Um-”

“Exactly.” Octavian chewed lightly on his lip. “He used to call me those same names, you know. I used to be the twerp. He used to come home from school, ruffle my hair, and call me names like that.” The blond Lost Boy pursed his lips. “He only called me by name if I was in trouble or he was being sentimental. So, yeah, it kind of stung when I heard him calling you those names all the time.”

Nico just stood there, pursing his lips. He had never considered Luke calling him those things to be anything special, Nico usually got annoyed by the fact that Luke called him all of those names. Perhaps it all made just a little bit more sense now. “I didn't know,” he finally whispered.

Octavian shrugged. “I know.” He let out a sigh. “Stop worrying about what other people think, Nico, or stepping on toes.” Those blue eyes fixed him with such a stare that Nico found it hard to move. “If you don't stop, you'll never stand on equal ground with Annabeth. She might be right about what she said to you, but so is Hazel. Stop beating yourself up because you're trying to get along with everyone. Annabeth is going to be out for blood.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Do you want to screw up what is coming to you? I was just helping you see all of this.”

“Fantastic job,” Nico muttered. “You drove Annabeth into Percy's bed.”

“Can't win every battle.” Octavian blinked a few times. “If he is yours at the end of the day, that should be all that matters. Besides, it's only a few more months. Focus on the Annabeth situation, not about Percy doing his job.”

Eight days later, Nico found himself waiting in line at a movie theater with Clarisse, Chris, Will, Thalia, and Zoë. Clarisse and Thalia had picked out the movie. It was a hardcore action movie, no surprise there. Will had objected about all the violence, but the two girls quickly shut him down. And now said girls were trying to raid the concessions stand.

Nico arched an eyebrow at Will, who was slightly pouting beside him. Without saying anything, Nico held out his box of candy. “Thanks,” Will grumbled as he took some.

As it turned out, Thalia convinced Clarisse to make Chris carry the snacks they had acquired. Zoë seemed like she didn't really want to be there, though the girl never said anything. A day away from the hotel was always good, regardless of what they did.

Once they were in the theater, Nico sat down next to Will, who offered the brown-eyed boy some of his popcorn. Nico smiled and took a handful.

The movie wasn't that bad, not particularly Nico's taste, but it wasn't bad. It wasn't really hard to keep up with either. Clarisse seemed to be enjoying it. Nico also noticed that Chris put his arm around the Lost Girl halfway through the movie. Will had to keep telling Thalia to be quiet, because the girl was persisting that Zoë try some of her chocolate covered raisins.

“Just tell her to try some,” Thalia argued.

“They sound disgusting,” the other Lost Girl countered.

Will rolled his eyes and put a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Nico, who was still trying to watch the movie, reached over without paying attention. Their hands brushed for a moment. Nico blinked and looked over; Will just smiled sheepishly at him. The corners of Nico's lips tilted up. Will was pretty adorable at times, he could admit that.

It made him a little sad, because he didn't think Will needed to be at the hotel. True, Nico probably shouldn't be there either, but there were moments that Will just reminded him of a child. In a good and endearing way, not an immature way.

Nico wanted him to be happy, even if he couldn't give it to him.

Twenty minutes later resulted in an outburst from Clarisse. “What the fuck?” She was quickly shushed by several other people watching the movie. “You shut up!”

As it turned out, the end of the movie concluded with a sappy romance subplot. Clarisse hated it, apparently. Thalia just sat there and cackled, though Zoë quickly shoved some popcorn into the girl's mouth to shut her up.

Will finally seemed to be enjoying the movie. The blond just kept stuffing popcorn into his mouth, sitting on the edge of his seat as he watched the female lead untie some guy that she had liked for some time now. Nico just smirked at the other Lost Boy. “Enjoying it now?”

“Yeah, Mitch,” Will replied before stuffing more popcorn into his mouth.

Nico blinked in surprise. Will didn't even seem to catch himself. Had he just referred to Nico by Mitchell's name? It finally hit Nico what was bothering him about their whole situation. Was Will just trying to fill the void that Mitchell had left? Was Nico just some compensation? Did the blond even realize any of this?

Silently mulling this over, Nico sipped at his drink.

As the credits began to play, their group got up. Clarisse grumbled as she exited, while Chris tried to calm her down. Thalia slung an arm around Zoë, who quickly knocked it off her shoulder. When Nico didn't get up, Will turned and blinked at him.

“You okay there?”

Nico's eyes widened. “What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine.” He smiled for a brief moment as he got up. “Just taking in the movie.”

Nico chewed on his lip as they walked out of the movie theater. Maybe it was just a slip. Those happened, right? Still, why did this bother Nico anyways? He was going to move to Germany with Percy, so why did it bother him? Perhaps some part of Nico seriously had considered what things would have been like with Will. And Jason. Nico's life was not simple, okay?

At dinner, Nico ran into Leo at the hotel restaurant. Originally, Nico had been planning on getting something and taking it up to his room, but the short Latino seemed rather distracted as he poked at his food. So, Nico just calmly sat down across from Leo.

Leo glanced up with a depressed look. “Yo,” he mumbled.

“You seem awfully down for someone about to have their boss go away for an entire week.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Just sad that you'll be missing my awesome party.” He swirled his straw around in his drink. “Meanwhile, you will be relaxing by a massive pool and basking in some needed sun.”

Nico let out a chuckle. “If I wanted to freeze.”

“You only live once.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Please, do not use that phrase. I'm about ready to strangle half the kids at school because they decided to start using it.” A waiter came by and took Nico's order. After the young man had walked off, Nico turned back to the Latino Lost Boy with a serious look. “Now, really, what's bothering you?”

Leo just sat there, staring innocently down at his food. “Nothing in particular.”

“You're such a liar.” Nico rolled his eyes. “Does this have anything to do with Apollo?” Leo was about to open his mouth, but Nico cut him off. “You got irritated that one night that Apollo willingly went to the backrooms with Robert, so I can only assume it has to do with Mr. Sunshine.”

“He is rather cheerful, even in the morning.” Leo just shook his head with a sigh. “Rather annoying. Who could possibly like that?”

Nico narrowed his gaze. “You have the exact same energetic level, though you just have a tendency to make horrible jokes.”

Leo clutched his chest, slumping down in his chair like he was dying. “You wound me, Nico.”

The pale Lost Boy let out a sigh. “Yeah, he's used that line as well.” He arched an eyebrow. “Why don't you just talk to him?”

“There's nothing to talk about.”

“Liar,” Nico mumbled. “I saw you two getting along back when you were having him help you sort out that paperwork. Personally, I think he's beating himself up too much about the entire situation between you two to bring it up.” Nico scrunched his lips. “The hotel should be a little calm while we're gone, right? Primarily just regular families?” Leo gave a small nod. “So, use the down time to talk to him.”

Leo frowned, his eyes blazing. “Why should I even care?”

“Because, Robert is trying to take Apollo away from here and make him his 'mistress'. He was going through a rough time back then, but we both know that he's a sweetheart deep down.” Nico ran a hand through his hair. “Just try. If you don't, it might be too late.”

Leo did not comment further. Nico's food arrived soon after that, and Leo blatantly changed the topic. He made sure to remind Nico to pick him up a souvenir from Germany.

Today was the day. The weeks had flown by, and now spring break was finally here. Percy had let Nico miss school today, which was perfectly fine by the Lost Boy. Both Luke and Nico had slept in until close to ten. From there, Nico finished packing and ate a quick lunch before hopping into a limo to go to the airport.

Nico was a little more than nervous. Flying seemed a mixture of terrifying and exciting. He wasn't exactly sure which was the more dominant at the moment. Still, it would be awesome to be away from the hotel for an entire week. Not only that, but he would have Percy off the clock, which Nico hoped they could be more like the couple they planned to be in the near future. Not only that, but Nico and Luke would be staying in Gaea's personal house, which was behind the hotel. Nico was excited about it, but Luke wasn't.

It had taken a while, but Nico eventually remembered that Kronos was supposed to be there. No doubt that this little fact had not slipped Luke's mind. It would be an interesting week.

Rachel had accompanied them to the airport, finalizing some details with Percy before the young man departed. Nico leaned lightly against Percy's shoulder as he ran over those details with the Lost Girl. He watched Luke out of the corner of his eyes. Luke had barely said a word, and had now taken up staring out the window.

Nico had talked to Daedalus about the trip yesterday. He had told Bianca a few weeks ago, though his sister was iffy about the entire thing. In the end, she realized there wasn't much she could do about it. She had just asked that Nico take a lot of pictures for her. She also said they needed to talk when he got back. If anything, she probably had questions about why Nico was getting to go to Germany in the first place.

He would have to tell her eventually, but Nico was trying to put it off. When he got back, then they would have the talk. Bianca needed to know that he was leaving. In all honesty, Nico had no idea what his sister was going to say. More than likely, Bianca would get upset. Nico would be leaving her to move around the world. It would probably only get worse when Nico confessed that he'd be doing the move with Percy. That would be fun to explain.

Once they were at the airport, Rachel walked them inside to say goodbye. She wiped a fake tear from her eye. Nico and Luke rolled their eyes, while Percy just smirked at her. She adjusted the strap on Nico's carry on bag. “All of you better behave yourselves,” she said in her motherly voice. “Don't get abducted and sold into human trafficking.”

Nico looked up at Percy like it was some joke, but the young man gave him a look that told him that she was being pretty serious about that part. The young man leaned in as Nico's face paled. “You'll be fine, nobody is going to touch you at Gaea's hotel.”

Rachel beamed and waved at them. “Have a safe trip.” As they turned around, she called out to them. “Make good choices!”

Luke turned around and flipped her off.

They didn't have to wait in line, though they did have to drop off their luggage. All Percy had to do was flash some ID and the three of them were cleared to go past security. Percy dropped Luke and Nico off at a waiting area before heading for the bathroom.

“Excited?” Nico asked.

Luke shot him a dull look. “Ecstatic.”

Nico's lips tilted down. “It won't be that bad. I'm sure you won't run into Kronos that much.”

“As long as I stay away from Gaea's house and Percy as much as possible.”

That put a knot in Nico's stomach. How much would he be able to see Percy? The green-eyed young man had expressed his desire for Nico to stay away from Kronos as much as possible, but Luke was probably right, Kronos would be close to Percy a lot. That sucked.

Luke slouched in his seat. “Why did you even invite me to go?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Because, you deserved something nice for your missed birthday.”

“Yay, so you got me a trip to see my least favorite person in the world.”

“A simple 'thank you' would suffice.”

Luke let out a sigh. “Oh, what poor manners I have. Thank you for having me be tortured for a week.” He leaned forward on the table. “I don't really care about any of the Lost Kids at the German branch, they get along worse than we do half the time.”

“They have a new Lost Boy, maybe you could-”

“Oh yay, another scared boy to take care of.” Luke rolled his eyes. “I don't give a shit about some prat that probably thinks he's better than most of the people around him.”

“I'm sure most of the Lost Kids there could say the same thing about you.”

“My point exactly,” Luke mumbled. “None of the European Lost Kids like us that much. We are 'stupid Americans'. The new kid can kiss my ass along with the rest of them.”

Nico huffed. “You know, it wouldn't kill you to-”

Percy dropped his carry on bag in the middle of the table. “I could hear you from halfway across the room.” His eyes darted between them. “Do I need to separate you two children?”

Luke dropped his cheek onto his palm. “Your boyfriend is getting on my nerves.”

Percy just glanced down at Nico and smiled. He ran his hands through Nico's hair before taking a seat. “Our flight will be boarding soon, so try not to kill each other until we land in Germany.” The young man pulled out his phone with a sigh. “Malcolm is picking us up.”

“Who?” Nico asked.

“Athena's secretary,” Luke mumbled.

When their flight started to board, the three of them got to go on first. They got to ride first class, something Nico never thought would happen in his life. Percy swapped tickets with him, so that Nico could sit by the window. But, judging by the slightly green complexion in Percy's face, Nico figured it was a little more than that.

Luke sat down on the other side of Percy, putting in some headphones. Nico frowned at the blond as Percy finished storing their carry on luggage. “How do you even know German anyways?” The brown-eyed boy asked.

Luke grunted as he pulled out one of his earbuds. “Because, I had a smart brother growing up, who thought it was a great idea to learn every language before starting his freshman year at high school.” Luke gave a shrug. “But also because I travel with Percy during the meetings.”

Percy gave Nico a smile as he sat down in between them. “Ready?”

“I suppose,” Nico replied.

The green-eyed manager pulled out his tablet and opened up one of his game apps. “Try to get some sleep on the flight. It'll be morning by the time we arrive, so try to go to sleep.”

Nico scrunched his lips. “When would be a good time.”

Percy smiled and rubbed the back of Nico's hand with his thumb. “I'll let you know.”

The most nerve wracking thing, Nico found out, was the liftoff. Nico had clenched his seat severely. Though, he felt much better after he looked over at Percy and found the young man with his eyes shut. Nico smiled at the young man when those sea-green eyes finally did open.

“Bad experiences with flying,” Percy explained. He let out a breath. “I'll be fine when we settle in the air.”

Nico wasn't particularly fond of heights himself, but even he was amazed by what he saw out the window. Once they were in the air, Nico couldn't look away from the view for over half an hour. It was so beautiful, yet terrifying.

However, Nico couldn't help but feel a little sad. He would only be gone a week, but somehow this felt like his real goodbye. Nico would have to say goodbye to not only his sister, but the people he had called a family for the past several months. All he would have would be Percy. It was enough, but it didn't make any of it less depressing. He would miss everyone. Sure, they could see each other, but it wouldn't be the same. Nothing would ever be the same once June arrived and he graduated.

Nico finally tore his eyes away to glance at Percy. He bit down on his lip as a thought popped into his head. Unless...