Children of Loss 51

Chapter 51

Perhaps Nico should not think with his hormones, as the Lost Boy was finding out the next morning. He definitely did not get much sleep last night, if the pain in his lower back was any indication. The brown-eyed boy laid splayed across Percy's bare chest, while the young man had his arms wound loosely around Nico's waist. Really, Nico didn't want to even up his eyes, let alone move. He felt exhausted.

Even so, that did not stop him from waking up slightly aroused from being pressed up against Percy's body.

Five minutes after waking up, Nico finally pushed himself up to try and climb off of Percy, though he did not get far. “Where do you think you're going?” Percy mumbled, grabbing Nico by the waist and spooning the younger boy. The young man rested his nose in Nico's hair. “It's still early.”

Nico's eyes drifted over to the clock. “We're five minutes late for breakfast.”

A hand covered Nico's eyes. “Irrelevant. Go back to sleep.”

With a pout, Nico pushed the young man's hand away from his face. He rolled his head to the side and pressed his butt against Percy's crotch. “Well, you know, it might be a bit easier to sleep if I didn't have something poking me the whole time.”

A grin spread across Percy's lips and the manager finally opened his eyes. “Just comes naturally when I wake up to someone beautiful.”

Nico rolled his eyes and batted Percy's hands away. “You must wake up hard a lot then.”

“Hey,” Percy said, reaching out again, “don't be like that.” He pulled Nico into his lap. Percy grew hard, which caused Nico to bite down on his bottom lip to suppress a moan. “Do you feel like round number four?”

With a chuckle, Nico shook his head with amusement. “I'm starting to wonder if your whole business thing just made sure your sex drive was kept in check.”

Percy's lips tilted up in grin as he laid Nico down on the bed. “Can I take that as a 'yes'?” He asked. With a sigh, Nico nodded his head and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. Leaning down, Percy devoured Nico's lips in a heated kiss, his hand already snaking its way down between them to wrap around the Lost Boy's hardened erection.

Nico let out a gasp as a finger pressed against his entrance. Reaching over Nico, Percy grabbed the bottle of lube they had been using last night and coated his index and middle finger. With another kiss to Nico's lips, Percy went ahead and inserted his finger into Nico. The boy bucked his hips as he reached down and worked on rolling a condom onto Percy's erection.

Since they had only had sex a few hours ago, Nico did not need as much preparation this time. Percy grabbed Nico by his ankles. Nico's eyes widened a little as Percy pressed his feet to the mattress above his head. In all honesty, the Lost Boy did not even think he was that flexible; Percy proved him wrong. With one hand still holding Nico's ankles together, Percy used the other one to guide his erection into Nico.

Unlike the first time they had sex last night, Percy didn't remain still after getting it in. Instead, he gave a long thrust that had Nico's toes curl and the boy's head toss back in a gasp. Grinning to himself, Percy leaned down and kissed along Nico's neck. And then, without warning, Percy bit Nico's shoulder.

Nico's nails dug into Percy's back as the Lost Boy let out a loud moan that probably could be heard down the hall. Percy finally released his ankles and grabbed the boy by his hips. In one swift motion, Percy had Nico on his stomach and was positioned between the boy's legs. Nico's fingers curled in the sheets.

Percy pressed a kiss between Nico's shoulder blades. “Get on your knees.”

Doing as he was told, Nico got up. He reached behind him to guide Percy's mouth to his for a kiss. Nico moaned into Percy's mouth as the young man reached around and stroked Nico a little. Kissing Nico's shoulder, Percy grabbed onto Nico's hips and slammed into the thin boy. Nico screwed his eyes shut as he leaned forward and grabbed one of the posts of the canopy bed for support.

Sweat slowly began to form on Nico's brow as Percy slowly thrust into him, the young man's fingers digging into his waist. Biting down on his lip, Nico rested his head against the post. This was the fourth time they had had sex in under twelve hours, yet Nico did not find himself complaining.

Percy's fingers grabbed onto Nico's hair, tangling in his dark locks. With a small yank, Percy pulled the Lost Boy back by the hair and leaned in to latch his mouth onto Nico's throat. Nico's eyes rolled into the back of his head as Percy's teeth pressed against his throat with a deep thrust.

Percy rolled his hips slowly into Nico in long, deep thrusts. It felt amazing, but so very agonizing. Since it was the fourth time, Nico's legs began to shake. Percy's hand pressed to the small of Nico's back, urging the boy to arch his back a little.

By the time that Nico was nearing his orgasm, he was certain they weren't going to be making it to breakfast. Which partly made him wonder if Gaea or Kronos would come looking for them. At least Percy's door was locked, which would prevent Kronos from barging in on them...again.

When it was over, Percy cupped Nico's face with both of his hands and gave the boy a long kiss before getting off the bed. Nico fell back, his arms spread out at his sides and a huge grin on his face. He could most certainly get used to living with Percy in an actual relationship.

Rolling his head to the side, Nico watched Percy's firm ass as the young man padded into the bathroom. Percy stopped at the doorway and turned back to look at him. “Care to join me?” The green-eyed young man asked with a smirk.

Nico shot up, but stumbled due to his legs basically being limp noodles. Percy chuckled and helped the boy up. With a kiss, he swatted Nico's ass and sent him into the bathroom. A few seconds later, he joined Nico in the bathroom with a new condom.

“Really?” Nico asked, arching an eyebrow. “Five times?”

Percy just placed the condom on a nook in the shower before turning on the water. “After you,” he said, motioning into the already steaming shower. Once Nico was inside, he stepped in and closed the glass door behind them. Percy took his bottle of shampoo in hand and lathered up his hair. “And it's up to you. I don't want to wear you out too bad.”

It took about all of two minutes for Nico to get Percy to pin him up against the shower wall with his legs around the young man's waist. Nico wrapped his arms tightly around Percy's neck as the young man fucked him up against the shower wall with hard, rough thrusts. Several moans escaped Nico's mouth, until Percy leaned in and covered it with his own. Hot water hit them from everywhere as Percy slid his tongue into Nico's mouth, his hands tightening from where they held the boy's legs under the knees.

When they were done and went to get out of the shower, Nico's legs nearly crumpled underneath him. Percy caught him with a chuckle, helping to guide the boy back into the bedroom. Nico pouted as the young man dropped a towel on his head.

“Well, perhaps five times was too much for you,” the green-eyed manager assessed.

“Says you,” Nico replied, rolling onto his stomach and crossing his arms under his chin. His eyes followed Percy's nude form as the young man dried off and walked over to his closet. “You're leaving?”

Percy turned to glance at the boy for a moment. “Well, yeah. I have business that has to be taken care of. You and Luke are the ones on a vacation, not me.” He smirked at the frown on Nico's face when he emerged from the closet. “You're very cute when you pout.”

Nico let out a sigh. “When will I be seeing you?”

“Probably after dinner.” Percy pulled out a pair of pants and some underwear from the drawers in his closet. “Gaea's having dinner with some very important clients, and I need to be there.” The young man sat down at the foot of the bed. “You're more than welcome to come, but I didn't want to bore you with all the financial talk.”

Letting out a sigh, Nico nodded his head. “Yeah, okay. I'll see you after dinner then.” His dark eyes raked across Percy's torso as the young man worked on buttoning his shirt. Biting down on his lip, Nico reached out and hooked his fingers into the hem of Percy's pants.

Percy let out a soft chuckle as Nico slid across the bed, still on his stomach, and undid the button on his pants. “Still horny?” He laughed. “I thought you'd be burnt out by now.”

Nico's eyes just flickered up to meet Percy's sea-green ones. “Thought I'd give you something for the road.” Still holding Percy's gaze, Nico unzipped the young man's pants and pulled out his manhood.

Percy arched an eyebrow as he went back to buttoning his shirt. “I can't get undressed again, and I don't have time for more sex.”

“Good thing you don't have to do anything then,” Nico said, flicking his tongue across the slit of Percy's erection. The Lost Boy tilted his head to the side as he watched Percy just stand there. “Well, carry on with getting ready.”

Percy rolled his eyes as Nico slid his lips across the young man's arousal. One of Nico's hands slid up the bottom of Percy's shirt to caress the abs that could be found there. While Nico serviced Percy, the green-eyed young man reached over and grabbed his watch from the nightstand and put it on his wrist, though he really did not seem to be in a hurry anymore.

Nico hummed lightly as he took in as much of Percy's cock as he could. With a soft moan, Percy leaned over Nico and groped the boy's pale ass before placing a hand on Nico's head and guiding the Lost Boy down onto his shaft.

Taking it out of his mouth, Nico wrapped a hand around Percy's arousal and ran his tongue along the base of the shaft, his dark eyes clouded with lust as he stared up at the young man. But, finally, Percy finished buttoning his shirt. With a smirk, the young man fixed his hair a little before removing his cock from Nico's mouth.

Leaning down, he gave Nico a quick kiss. “I really do have to go.”

Nico pouted and sat up. “But you're hard, you should finish.”

“I'll be fine,” Percy chuckled. He buttoned and zipped his pants. “Try to get some more rest.” He pointed a finger at Nico as he backed towards the door. “I mean it, you need to rest. Feel free to mess around in the entertainment room. What's mine is yours and all that stuff.” He smirked as he opened the door. “And don't forget that you can order room service to be delivered over here. Also, you look very appealing right now and I'm sorry I have to leave.”

Nico let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Well then, I hope you suffer in your meetings while thinking about it.”

“Ouch.” Percy winked. “That's just so hurtful. What have I ever done to you?” He asked with a huge grin.

“Ha ha. You're so funny, Percy Jackson.” Nico flopped onto his stomach. “I wouldn't dare bring up the countless months of torturous teasing you put me through.”

With a wink, Percy closed the door. Nico groaned a little as he let his forehead fall against the mattress. Now that his hormones were gone, Nico was fully aware of how exhausted his body was, not to mention the sharp pain in his lower back. Perhaps five times really was too much.

A little over five minutes later, the door swung open. Nico looked up, expecting Percy, only to find Luke. “Haven't you ever heard of knocking?” Nico asked, flinging the covers over his naked body.

Luke arched an eyebrow and stepped inside. “Not like I haven't seen you naked before, kid. I know it probably slipped your mind with all the awesome sex you've been getting from Percy, but we did have sex.”

Nico sat up, straightening out the covers across his lap. “It's not like it's hard to forget. I did enjoy it, I will not lie there.” He let out a breath. “Anyways, what's up?”

“I need you to get dressed.”

The raven haired Lost Boy arched a brow. “For?”

Digging around in Nico's suitcase, Luke tossed some clothes at the other Lost Boy. “You're coming with me to see Cecil, since I apparently have to go check up on the French lightweight.”

Nico let out a sigh as he scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up. Grabbing his underwear, the Lost Boy slid them on. “And you need me to come with you...why?”

“Because, for some reason, the little asshole seems to like you.” Luke rubbed at his temple. “Just come, it's too early for this anyways, and I really don't feel like dealing with him. I'm hoping to distract him with your presence.”

For a moment, Nico just stood there and stared at the blond in the room. After giving Luke an odd look, Nico threw his shirt over his head and then put on his pants. “Can't you just...I don't know, be sociable with him?” A smirk spread across Nico's lips. “Who knows, you might enjoying what happens.”

Luke's brow furrowed. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” Nico chuckled as he slipped on his shoes. He patted Luke on the shoulder as he walked over to grab the key to Gaea's house from a small table by the door. “Nothing at all, Luke.”

When they knocked on Cecil's door, the brunet answered it with a glass of water in his hand. “Bonjour, mis amigos.”

Luke shot the brunet an annoyed look. “That's not even the same language.”

“So you do know some French,” Cecil chuckled as he stepped aside to let them in. The Lost Boy's head tilted to the side as he stared at Nico. “Did you get attacked by a dog since I saw you last night?”

Nico's face turned completely red. “Uh, no.”

A sly grin appeared on Cecil's face. “Then I can only assume you had a great night.”

A door down the hall slowly creaked open and a disgruntled Eros came out, dragging his feet behind him. He let out a long groan as he rubbed at his eyes. “Quel heure est-il, Cecil?”

The other brunet checked his phone. “A little after nine.” With a grin, he handed Eros the water and two pills that had been in the palm of his hand. “Take this. You need to shower and get something to eat, you have work in a few hours.”

Eros tossed back the pills and downed them with half the glass of water. With a very heavy sigh, the green-eyed boy shoved the water back into Cecil's hands. It was then that his eyes shot over to where Luke stood, his green orbs narrowing in anger. “You! Qu'est-ce que tu veux, bordel? J'essayais de pécho hier soir, et t'arrives et tu gâches tous!”

Luke crossed his arms and opened his mouth, though nothing came out. His face contorted in confusion before he turned to Cecil. “Um, what did he say?”

Cecil just shook his head and patted Luke on the shoulder. “Eros, en Anglais, s'il te plaît,” the brown-eyed boy muttered.

With a huff, Eros marched up to Luke and poked the blond's chest. “You are a fucking dick, ruining perfectly good sex like that.” Eros rapidly flailed his arms. “Did you see the muscles he had, he was going to give me rough sex. Cecil, tell this oaf how much I love the rough sex.”

It was apparent that Cecil was trying very hard not to laugh. “Oh yeah, it's his favorite.” He wagged his eyebrows at Luke. “If only we knew someone that was rough in bed, eh?”

Yet again, Nico was astounded to see a faint blush appear in Luke's cheeks. Coughing, Luke smacked Eros's hand away from him. “You were drunk, excuse me for stopping the guy from taking advantage of you.”

“You're excused,” Eros shot back, crossing his arms with a huff. His green eyes narrowed up at Luke, who was a little under a head taller than the brunet. “And what do you mean 'take advantage of me'? I seduced him, thank you very much. What does it do if I was drunk?”

Nico tilted his head to the side as he watched the two. “Congratulations, Luke, it looks like you've found someone to argue like an old married couple with now, too.”

Luke nearly choked. He whipped around to glare at Nico, who only grinned. “Don't fucking compare me to blondie and Santa's favorite helper, twerp!”

Out of nowhere, Eros grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him away from the blond. “Do not speak to him like that, American swine.” With a final glare towards Luke, Eros opened the door. “Come, Nico, you can accompany me to find food before my shift starts.”

Luke's brow furrowed as he took a step towards them. “Wait, wha-”

Eros shut the door, his eyes closed in a smile. “There, that's better.” He released Nico's arm and headed to the elevator. “Come, Nico, I must dress myself quickly, then we shall find something to eat.”

The French Lost Boy didn't take as long to get ready today, which was probably due to the hangover he was probably experiencing. Now that he was not arguing, Eros clutched his head a lot and hovered over the table they now sat at.

Eros's green eyes flickered over to two passing Lost Kids, at least Nico thought they were Lost Kids. Resting his chin on a palm, Eros let out a whistle. “Medea!”

It was the girl that stopped to look at them. She rolled her eyes and said something to the Lost Boy she was walking with before coming over to their table. She was very thin, with long, red fingernails. A tight black shirt rested over her torso, while a short skirt covered her lower half. The Lost Girl's black hair had been tied up in a bun and her arms were decorated by a lot of diamond bracelets.

She huffed and placed her hand on her hips. “What do you want, Eros?” She asked, narrowing her dark green eyes.

With a pout, Eros ran a hand through his hair. “Medea, my sweet, I don't suppose you would mind covering my afternoon shift for me, would you?” He batted those long lashes at the Lost Girl, who did not seem to be ensnared by the boy's charms in the least. “It was a very long night.”

“Aw, I'm sorry to hear that, Eros,” Medea said in a sickeningly sweet British accent. She ran her fingers through the Lost Boy's wavy hair until she took a firm grip of the back of his scalp. “Do I look like I give a damn? Get off your bum and do your own work.”

Eros flipped her off as she left. “Quelle salope.” The brunet cracked his neck as he raised his coffee to his lips. “I see you have a...” Eros motioned to Nico, “limp.” The French boy winked. “You had a good night, no?”

Nico speared a pasta noodle and shoved it into his mouth, his ears burning a little. “Something like that,” he mumbled. Eros arched an eyebrow at him. The pale Lost Boy rubbed his neck with a sigh. “I was hoping to talk to you about Percy, actually.”

“Oh?” Eros plucked a strawberry from a crepe that he was eating and bit down on the tip. “Ask me anything.”

“Well...where do I even start?” Nico sighed. He pursed his lips for a moment, trying to think of the best angle to come at this from. “Percy told me that he liked me when he returned in February.”

“Of course, I told him to grow some boules and get it off his chest.” Eros didn't even look surprised, just waited for Nico to continue.

Nico cleared his throat, his brow furrowed. “Anyways, it feels a little weird what's going on between us right now. It feels odd, because Percy isn't this affectionate with me normally. He's acting like an actual boyfriend would.”

Eros blinked a few times before his eyes started to dart around. “I fail to see the...how to say, dilemma here, mon petit.” The brunet rubbed at his eyes with a yawn. “Do you not wish for your prince to enter and sweep you off your feet and ride into the sunset?”

“Uh, in a place like the Lotus, I don't really see things like that happening.” Nico stared down at his food. “I'm just confused as to what brought it on. You seem to be good at...getting guys, even straight ones, so I thought you might could help.”

A smirk touched at Eros's lips as he cut up some of his crepe and placed it in his mouth. “I would suggest speaking to Percy himself.” The green-eyed Lost Boy crossed his legs, placing his hands in his lap. “I am quite certain that Percy is the only one to give you the answer you seek. But I am also certain that it is nothing for you to worry that pretty little head over.”

“I wish I could have your confidence,” Nico mumbled.

Eros's eyes seemed to dull, his lips tilting down. For a moment, he did not move, staring blankly into space. And then he cleared his throat and stared down at his lap. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Well, there is another problem.” Nico let out a breath. “It's about a Lost Kid from back home. I'm not quite sure what to make of her at this point, she's confusing.” He poked at his food, though he made no attempt to eat it. “She's been at our hotel even longer than Percy has, and she has feelings for Percy. I'm not quite sure how deep they are, but she definitely has feelings for him. And, well, she wants me out of the way.”

A spark ignited in Eros's eyes and his lips tilted back up into a grin. “So, you wish to crush her, yes?”

“Uh, well, I wouldn't go that far.” Nico cleared his throat. “I would just like some...safety precautions. I don't want her trying to ruin anything.” The boy shook his head. “What I really want is for Percy to bring the others here, even though I know it's just wishful thinking. Not to mention that Annabeth would then come with them.”

Eros tapped a finger to his lips. “Well, perhaps you should use your greatest weapon to get what you want.” The French Lost Boy tossed a wink across the table. “Perhaps you should use your...how to say, assets,” he stuck his tongue out playfully at Nico, “to get what you want.”

“You mean, seduce Percy into it?” Nico asked, his brow furrowed. “Would that work?”

“Ah, perhaps you do not realize the power you have, mon chéri.” Eros tilted his head to the side. “Percy might have grown up in this life, learned all the tricks of the trade, but he is still a man. He still has a penis, and he is very attracted by you. So, I would say, yes, work your magic on Percy to get what you want.”

Nico leaned on the table. “Well, that doesn't really help me with the more pressing issue. I couldn't just flat out ask Percy to keep Annabeth in America, if I wanted to bring the rest here.” His brow furrowed. “Though, she is under consideration to be the next branch manager.”

A devious smile was on Eros's lips when the other Lost Boy looked up. “That is quite easy. As you said, she is a potential candidate. However, I would suggest knowing all you can on your enemy before attacking.”

“Luke's brother suggested something similar.” Nico let out a sigh. “Well, he wanted me to talk to Luke about Annabeth. Apparently, Luke knows her very well, but Octavian seemed concerned about her past.”

“Excellente idée. Sounds to me like you already have a plan.” Leaning back in his chair, Eros lifted his coffee and took a long sip. “Though, I must ask something on your blond traveling companion.”

“Luke? What about him?”

Without missing a beat, Eros replied, “How is he in bed?”

Nico nearly fell out of his chair. “What?” His eyes bulged a little. “What makes you think I would know?”

Eros just blinked at him. “You implied it yourself. Yesterday, when we were dressing you up, you mentioned people told you and him that you two should have sex. I assumed that they no longer said it because you two did it like two animals in heat.” The brunet sat up in his seat, leaning slightly against the table. “So?”

“Uh, well...”

It was a little before business hours concluded that Percy, Nico, and Luke left. Luke ended up going back to his room, which left Percy and Nico to walk around the golf course alone. For a while, Nico just stared up at the sky and admired the stars. It wasn't until he felt Percy lace their fingers together that the Lost Boy looked down.

“So, how's your vacation going?” Percy asked.

Nico felt his lips tilt up into a smile. “It's great, thank you for bringing me.” The boy gave a shrug, staring down at the grass. “Perhaps a little strange, at least with you.”

Percy seemed to be surprised by that remark. The young man came to a halt, tilting his head to the side. “What am I doing to confuse you?”

“Just, um...” Nico motioned at the young man. “I don't know, just the way you're acting. You're being very affectionate.”

The corners of Percy's lips tilted up and he took a step closer, wrapping his arms around Nico's waist. “And that bothers you?”

“Well, you're not usually like this.”

Percy let out a chuckle. “I'm sorry.” Reaching up, the young man brushed some of Nico's hair out of his eyes. “Well, I don't have any responsibilities right now, not exactly anyways. I thought I could let you see how things will be when we move here.”

Nico pressed his lips into a thin line, not looking up to meet Percy's gaze. “And I am coming here with you?” His brow furrowed as he rested both of his hands on Percy's chest, taking a firm grip of the young man's shirt. “Or are you considering what Annabeth said? I want to come here with you, Percy, if that's what you're worried about.”

Percy tilted his head to the side. “I would just want what was best for you.”

As his eyes grew angry, Nico shoved Percy away. “No!” He finally looked up, his eyes burning with a deep irritation. “Don't talk to me about the future if you can't promise me that there will be a future for us! That's not fair to me, if you're planning on leaving me behind.”

Percy's eyes widened at Nico's outburst. Frowning, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I'm not going to stop you from coming with me, even if I think you might be better off with your sister.” The green-eyed young man reached out and tilted Nico's chin up. “You make your own choices. If this is what you want, it's what you'll have.”

“And what about what you want?”

Percy's hand slid up to cup Nico's cheek and he leaned in to press a quick kiss to Nico's lips. “As I said, I want you. I'm acting this way with you, because I thought it was what you wanted.” He let out a chuckle. “If you haven't noticed, I haven't even touched a Lost Kid since we've been here. If I didn't want to kiss you, I wouldn't. If I didn't want to touch you, I wouldn't. You are what I want, Nico. You make me happy, and I feel better about things when I have you around.” Smiling, Percy ruffled Nico's hair. “However, if you do want to come to Germany, I'll need you to tell your sister. You.” He held up a hand when Nico opened his mouth. “Those are my terms. If this is what you want, you have to be the one to lay it out for your sister. If you want to stay with me, I won't let her take you, but this is something you have to do.”

Letting out a breath, Nico gave a nod. “I know.” He chewed on his lip for a moment before looking into those sea-green eyes. “I will tell her, I just need to find the right time.”

Percy kissed Nico's temple. “Don't wait too long. I think it would be better the sooner you did it.” Taking Nico's hand in his again, Percy started to walk. “Just...keep in mind things will need to be toned down some when we get back home. So, enjoy the affection while we are here, but we still have to be professional back home.”

Nico let out a sigh. “What will be different?”

“This.” Percy held up their hands. “It's not that I'm ashamed of you or don't want to, but you're still my employee that has to do their job. The closer we appear, the more certain clients will seek to exploit a weakness. I'm planning on reducing your time as time goes on, but clients will probably request ridiculous amounts of time with you. The picture of us together the other night probably won't help matters, to be honest.”

“I understand,” Nico whispered.

“Good.” Percy's brow furrowed. “No kissing in public, or just don't expect much of it at all.” He glanced at Nico when the boy came to a stop.

“Why not just let me quit now then?”

A sigh came from Percy and Nico glanced up at him. “Because, I don't want it to seem like you're just quitting because you're with me now. I don't think you want the others to think that of you either. But, if that's what you want, I can allow it.”

For a moment, Nico really did consider it. “It'll just be less as time goes on, right?” He mumbled. Percy gave a nod. “I suppose I can deal with it for another two months.”

“Month.”

“What?”

Percy rubbed the back of Nico's hand with his thumb. “I only ask a month. I'll give you the rest of your time in Los Angeles preparing for finals and getting things in order.” He let out a sigh. “And, if I'm not busy with one of the others, you're welcome to come sleep with me.”

That made Nico smile for a little while, until Eros's words from earlier came back to him. “I'm fine with that, but I have my own conditions.”

“You do?” Percy arched an eyebrow at him. “I wasn't aware that we were up for negotiations on your part.”

“Well, we are.” Standing strong, Nico crossed his arms and stood up straight, even though it didn't make him near as tall as Percy. He still just barely fit underneath the young man's chin. “If you're asking all of this from me, then I feel it only fair that I do the same to you.”

Percy smiled a little, which made Nico melt. “Okay, go ahead.”

“As this time passes, and my time is reduced, then you have to conduct hour negotiations with the other Lost Kids less. Well, at least in your usual fashion.”

For a moment, Percy was his usual unreadable self. He just stared at Nico with his sea-green eyes boring into Nico's very soul. But then he smiled, which eased Nico's nerves a lot. “You have yourself a deal.” Reaching out, he shook on it. “However, you suck at negotiations, since I was already planning on doing what you just asked of me.”

It was Nico's turn to smile. Percy really was amazing. It was true that the young man could be terrifying when he wanted to be, but Nico stopped being afraid of him a long time ago. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and leaned up for a kiss. Percy's hands found their way to Nico's hips and the Lost Boy let out a sigh of contentment.

Pulling back, Nico opened his eyes to stare into Percy's eyes. Their faces were still close, Percy even had his forehead resting against Nico's. And, for the first time in months, Nico said the one thing that he had once been terrified to say to the young man.

“I love you.”

He didn't care what Kronos said anymore, Nico had moved past that. Perhaps when he first said it, the Lost Boy didn't know if he truly meant what he said, but now he did. Nico did love Percy. Not only that, he was in love with him. He wanted this, his heart wanted it. He wanted all of Percy and to never let him go.

Percy smiled and kissed Nico's nose. “I know,” he said, adding another kiss to Nico's lips. “I really do care about you, Nico.”

For some reason, it didn't sting when Percy didn't say it back this time. Percy had come a long way, and Nico knew he was the first person that Percy had really had romantic feelings for. He could understand if Percy was still trying to sort through some of his feelings. This was all new to the green-eyed young man and Nico would happily wait patiently for it to be said back to him.

And, once again, Nico had to wonder if Percy was able to read his mind. The young man cupped the boy's face. “I just... I don't want you to think that I'll never say it back, I just need some time.” With a sigh, he finally released Nico and took a step back. “You mean a lot to me, Nico, and I promise you that I will say it to you eventually. But only when I'm ready.”

A wave of warmth coursed through Nico's body. “I know,” he said softly. “Take your time, it's fine, really.” He offered Percy a reassuring smile. “I do understand, believe me.”

For a while, Percy and Nico just walked in silence. They didn't hold hands, but their shoulders brushed from time to time. Given what all he just heard, Nico had a lot on his mind. It was a lot to take in. Everything was falling into place, and it looked like he could have the happy ending with Percy he had always hoped for. There were just two pressing issues that he still needed to address.

“Um, there's something else,” Nico finally confessed. “It's about the others back home.” Letting out a sigh, Nico came to a stop and looked up at Percy. “Would it be possible for them to come here when we move, if they wanted to?”

Percy blinked and scratched his cheek. “Well, I mean, there are a lot already here. I can't just up and move them, there needs to be Lost Kids back in Los Angeles. I'm not sure if the ones here would want to leave.”

“But isn't it possible?” The Lost Boy pursed his lips. “You'll be in charge, don't you make the rules? If they wanted to come, couldn't you arrange for it?” He lightly shook his head. “I don't want to lose all of them, I don't want to say goodbye to them. Can't they come? Or at least some of them? There has to be a way.”

Crossing his arms, Percy looked down at their feet. “Is this what's been bothering you?” He asked. Nico nodded. Percy clicked his tongue and rubbed at his jaw. “Nico, you're asking something very big here.”

“Please?” Nico pleaded, reaching out to take Percy's hand. “I really want them to come. Can you please do this for me? I won't ask for anything else, I promise.”

Percy chuckled and reached up to run his fingers through Nico's hair. “Don't make promises that you know you can't keep.” He let out a sigh when the pleading look in Nico's eyes did not go away. “I'll think about it. I will talk to them and see what they want. If they do-”

“Yes!” Nico shot his hands into the air.

Percy narrowed his eyes. “If they do, I will try and work something out, so they can be transferred to the German branch. But you realize that this will mean rooting up a lot of Lost Kids from here to make this happen, right?”

“Yes,” the brown-eyed boy said softly. “I just...don't want to lose our family. More family, for me anyways. I know I have to give up my sister, but I'd like to keep the family I've made at the Lotus.” Nico's eyes sparked with intrigue, his lips settling into a thin line. There was one last thing he needed to do. “And what about your position? I was curious if you figured out who you would choose.”

Letting out a long breath, Percy massaged his neck. “I think you're going to give me sore muscles from stress, if you keep up with these questions.” He let out another sigh and fixed Nico with a look. “It's still possible that I could change my mind, but I think I have my choice.”

“And?” Nico blinked curiously. When he first arrived at the Lotus, there was no way Nico could have pulled off such a poker face. Yet here he was now, doing exactly that. If Percy saw through it, though, he showed no sign of it. “I mean, Annabeth seems like the best choice to me. She's really smart, not to mention she already works to keep the Lost Kids in line. She's been at the hotel a long time, and I think she would be a natural at the position.”

“Do you?” Percy arched a brow at him.

Nico gulped. Was Percy on to him? “Yeah, of course. Don't you agree?”

Percy's lips tilted up and he placed an arm around Nico's back, guiding the boy back to Gaea's mansion. The fact that he didn't say anything, though, worried Nico a little. This was what he needed. If Nico wanted to ensure that Annabeth couldn't screw up Nico's relationship with Percy, she needed to be out of the picture. She needed to be put in a position that kept her far away from Percy, at least for the majority of the year. All that was left was to uncover her story, which meant Nico needed to talk to Luke.

As it turned out, that conversation would have to wait.

The amazing night Nico was having quickly came to an end when they found Luke and Kronos at the foot of the stairs inside the mansion. It didn't matter that there wasn't shouting, Nico knew nothing good could come from those two being alone together. And Nico's concern only grew when he saw the dark look in Luke's eyes and the manic grin on Kronos's face.

“Luke?” Nico called out as Percy shut the door. The blond didn't turn around. His jaw clenched as he glared at Kronos, his fists tightening at his sides. “Luke, come talk to me, I need your help with something.”

But as Nico reached out for him, Luke ripped his arm away. “Don't touch me,” he growled, causing the brown-eyed boy to draw back in surprise.

Instead of saying anything, though, Percy just stood there and watched. His eyes shifted from Kronos to Luke, his lips tilting down into a frown. Kronos just smiled innocently back at the young man, as if he had done nothing wrong at all. However, Nico's concern remained with the blond, who was currently on his way out the front door.

Without waiting around, Nico went after the blond, leaving Percy to deal with his brother. Nico doubted Kronos would get punished or anything, but he did hope that Percy chewed him out a little. Wishful thinking, even if he knew it probably wouldn't happen.

Luke kicked harshly at the grass beneath his feet. “I don't want to hear it.”

Nico pressed his lips together. “Do you want to talk about it? What did he say?”

“It doesn't really matter, now does it?” Luke whipped around and glared down at the other Lost Boy. “Why don't you just leave me alone? You know, since this is your fault.”

Nico's eyes widened a little. “How is it my fault?” He asked in surprise.

“Because,” Luke yelled, “you're the one that brought me to this godforsaken hellhole!” With his eyes blazing in anger, Luke pointed back at the house. “You're the one that had me get invited on the trip, the one that brought me around him!”

“I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to make up for your lack of a birthday.” Nico rubbed at his arm, unsure of what else to do. “It's only a few more days.”

“Yeah, and you don't have to deal with him. He's not bothering you.”

That was actually very true. But, if Nico had to guess, it was probably due to the fact that he was usually around Percy. If not Percy, Nico was usually with someone, and Kronos seemed to target people more often when he could catch them alone. And Nico had really not been alone once since he got to Germany.

With a grunt, Luke turned and shoved his hands into his pockets, heading away from the mansion. Nico blinked a few times before taking a few steps after him. “Wait,” the raven haired boy called out.

“No.” Without warning, Luke stopped, turned around, and pushed Nico away. “Stay away. I'm going to the arcade, you can just go back inside and enjoy the rest of your night. Now get the fuck away from me.”

Nico did not try to follow this time when Luke walked off. He let out a heavy sigh before he turned around and headed back inside. This sucked. Why did Kronos have to be here?

When Nico stepped inside, he found Percy sitting on the stairs. The young man smiled and stood up, offering his hand out to Nico. “Everything okay?”

“No,” Nico whispered. He took Percy's hand and let the young man lead him upstairs. “Luke is upset, said he was going to the arcade.”

Percy nodded. “He just needs to cool off.” He glanced at Nico from the corner of his eyes. “If it's really bothering you, we can check up on him in the morning, after he's cooled off.” A smile spread across the young man's lips. “I have the day off, so I thought I'd take you around Berlin. You should actually see the city while we're here, not just see it through a car window.”

Nico let out a breath. “I'd like that.”

The next morning turned out to be quite eventful. Percy had let Nico sleep in, which meant that Nico missed breakfast. However, the way that Percy finally woke him up had been very enjoyable. But it was not until Nico and Percy knocked on Luke's door that Nico got the start to his very interesting day.

It took a few knocks, but Nico finally heard movement from inside Luke's room. The door finally opened, revealing a dark room and Luke, who was clad only in his boxers. His hair was a complete mess and...were those scratch marks on his chest? He didn't look irritated anymore, though, which was a relief.

“Um, good morning?” Nico mumbled, partially looking around Luke's room.

Percy had a slight smirk on his face. “Have a good night there, Luke?”

Stretching his arms over his head, Luke gave a shrug. “I suppose.”

“Uh-huh.” Arching a brow, Percy reached around the corner and flipped on the lights.

The bed looked like a complete disaster area. The comforter was mostly on the floor, which also contained clothes. Not just Luke's clothes either, but a second pair. Which brought Nico's attention to the brown head of hair that poked out from the mass of sheets that had been bunched up around the person laying there, who seemed to still be asleep.

It took Nico a moment, but then it hit him just where he'd seen that hair before. “Is that...Eros?” He asked, pointing to the bed.

Percy slipped his hands into his pockets. “I guess you did have a good night.” He grinned and kicked at Luke's shirt, which was still on the floor. “Mind explaining why your clothes are wet?”

Coughing, Luke rubbed at his arm. “We had a late night swim?”

“In your clothes?” Percy replied, unconvinced. “Eros would swim naked, so I'm not sure I buy that.” With a grin, he shook his head. “But I am glad to see that you're enjoying yourself.”

Nico was still having a hard time just wrapping his head around all of this. Luke...and Eros...had sex? The guy that Luke said irritated him? Well, he knew Eros had been interested in getting Luke into bed, so it seemed like he succeeded in his endeavors.

“Um,” Nico managed to finally get out, “I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to the arcade? Percy has some things he has to take care of, then we were going to go into Berlin, if you wanted to join.”

Uh...” Luke glanced over his shoulder, scratching at his head. “Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up.”

Twenty minutes later, Nico and Luke were out the door. Eros must have left at some point, because when Nico came back to fetch Luke, the brunet was gone. Luke had yet to comment on the whole thing. In fact, the blond barely took his eyes off his feet.

However, Nico came to a stop when he found the second part of his interesting morning. Across the way, several men were in the process of pulling a golf cart out of the pond that was between Gaea's mansion and the hotel. When he noticed it, Luke's ears turned slightly red. Nico just glanced between Luke and the pond. Oh yeah, they had a late night swim all right.

They had about an hour to kill in the arcade, which was just fine with Nico. But it seemed like more maintenance people were in the arcade as well. Lou was staring at the men as they worked on a pinball machine, which had its glass barrier cracked, like something heavy had been dropped on it. The back legs had also been broken, which seemed to be the primary concern of the maintenance workers.

“Something happen?” Nico asked the Lost Girl as they walked up to the counter.

Lou simply shrugged. “I found it like this when I came in this morning.”

Nico glanced over at Luke, who was not even bothering to pay attention to Lou or the machine. “Luke, didn't you come here last night when you got upset? Did you see anything?”

Slowly, Luke shook his head. “Nope, can't say that I did.”

And then walked in the cherry to Nico's morning. Eros came in with a huge smile on his face, his arms stretching over his head. He walked straight up to Luke and wrapped his arms around the blond's neck from behind. “Alors, on retourne sur le lieu du crime?”

Whatever Eros said, Lou narrowed her eyes at the two of them. “Did you...?” She shivered. “Gross. Come on, Eros, this is my work place.”

The brunet pouted, not even bothering to release Luke. “It's not like I have never covered for you before. And I didn't stop you when you-”

“Okay!” Lou's face turned a little red. She let out a sigh and rubbed her temple. “I'm going to have to sterilize that when they fix it.”

Sticking his tongue out at the girl playfully, Eros nuzzled against Luke's back. Finally, Luke huffed and pried himself free of the brunet's arms. “I don't recall signing up for all this affection when I fucked you.” The blond's blue eyes darted over to a woman that gasped and covered her son's ears as she passed them. “I don't like the touching.”

Biting down on his lip, Eros trailed a finger down Luke's chest. “That's not how it was last night.” The brunet rubbed at his back. “Though, I am still a little sore from the first and third time.” With a devilish grin, he winked at the blond. “Though, you were very gentle when you took off my wet clothes after getting back to your room. And you seemed to really enjoy the way I used my tongue to-”

“Shut up,” Luke growled clamping a hand over the brunet's mouth. “No more talking, asshole.” He glared down at Eros, who seemed much too pleased with himself. “Anyways, what the fuck are you doing here?”

“Oh.” Reaching under the counter, Lou pulled out a laser tag gun. “Eros monitors the laser tag area once or twice a week.”

With a grin, Eros pointed his newly acquired gun at Luke. “Pew pew.”

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes. “Why did I have sex with you?”

Eros bit down on his lip and held the gun behind his head. “I thought it was because I have a great ass and am amazing in bed, which we seem to have in common.” He only grinned more when Luke shot him an annoyed look. “So, my room or yours tonight?”

“Neither,” Luke grumbled. “It was just one night.”

Eros just tilted his head to the side. “We shall see.”

“Come on, twerp,” Luke muttered, taking Nico by the arm and taking him to the other side of the arcade.

Nico glanced at the blond as he started a Pac-Man game. “Um, I didn't think you would turn down sex.”

“Don't want to talk about it.”

“I mean, if you enjoyed it...” Nico trailed off. His brow furrowed when Luke didn't answer. “I think Eros likes you, or at least likes having sex with you. Well, I mean, he's been kind of taken with you since we first arrived.” Still nothing. He let out a sigh. “You're not interested at all?”

For a brief second, Luke glanced at Nico. “It was just sex, no need to go and add that feelings shit you're so passionate about.” Cracking his neck, Luke went back to his game.

Nico actually smiled at that. By now, Nico knew Luke well enough to see through his little act. Deep down, even if he didn't want to admit it, Luke had to have some sort of interest in Eros. Perhaps it was just sexual, or maybe there were real feelings involved. Either way, this was the blond's normal defense mechanism.

Which then made Nico frown. What was Luke worried about? Why did he feel the need to feel defensive? The raven haired boy's dark eyes watched the blond carefully. Well, perhaps there were two things that Nico needed to talk to Luke about now.

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

 
Translations:
Quel heure est-il, Cecil? [What time is it, Cecil?]
You! Qu'est-ce que tu veux, bordel? J'essayais de pécho hier soir, et t'arrives et tu gâches tous ! [What the fuck do you want? I was trying to get laid last night, and then you go and ruin it!]
Eros, en Anglais, s'il te plaît. [In English, please, Eros]
Quelle salope. [What a bitch]
boules[balls]
mon petit [my little one]
Excellente idée [An excellent idea]
Alors, on retourne sur le lieu du crime?[Back to the scene of the crime?]

Children of Loss 50

Chapter 50

It was clear that there were some very enjoyable perks to waking up in Percy's bedroom for the rest of his life, as Nico quickly discovered upon opening his eyes the next morning. He cracked an eye open at the sound of the bathroom door opening, just in time to see Percy's nude form enter the room. The young man had a towel over his head, casually drying off his hair. He walked over to his closet and stepped inside, which still gave the boy in bed a perfect view of Percy's very nice butt.

When Percy emerged from the closet with a fresh change of clothes in his arms and the towel around his waist, he smiled over at Nico. “Are you staring at me, Nico di Angelo?” The green-eyed young man asked slyly, grinning.

Nico rolled his eyes and tossed over onto his stomach, crossing his arms under his head. Percy's bed was extremely comfortable, and Nico really did not want to leave its warm embrace. Not to mention the silk sheets felt amazing on his bare body. He had tried to go to sleep with some clothes on, but Percy had quickly done away with them. They didn't have sex, Percy just had a habit of groping Nico's ass during the night and in the morning. Apparently, clothes just got in the way, not that Nico objected.

Percy leaned over the bed and kissed Nico on his forehead. Nico hummed and rolled onto his back, which drew a smile from Percy's lips as the covers fell around Nico's waist. “How long have you been awake?”

The green-eyed young man shrugged. “Not long,” Percy replied. “You looked peaceful, so I thought I'd let you sleep.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “That was so sappy.”

In return, Percy grinned and winked down at Nico. He sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped into a pair of boxers. “You should get up and shower, breakfast will be served soon.”

With a groan, Nico pushed himself up. “Yeah, okay,” the Lost Boy grumbled.

Before Nico could get too far, Percy grabbed the boy's wrist. “Kronos should be here by now.” There was a serious look in those sea-green eyes as he stared into Nico's brown orbs. “Don't forget what I said.”

“I know,” Nico whispered.

He wasn't allowed to be alone with Kronos. It was not like he could forget such a request, nor did Nico want to really be alone with Kronos. The guy made his skin crawl. Percy released his wrist and Nico stumbled his way into the bathroom, his legs still slightly asleep.

After his shower, Nico felt amazing. Percy's shower was a unique design. It was primarily a full body shower, but the shower head above him could be adjusted to be more like a small waterfall or rain. Needless to say, it was relaxing. Nico would definitely be getting Percy in on one of his showers before they left Germany.

When he exited the bathroom, Nico found the room empty. As he got dressed, Nico stared out the window, which had a nice view of the woods and garden behind Gaea's mansion. For a while, though, Nico just remained on the bed, not wanting to go downstairs. It was far too soon, in his opinion, to see Kronos again.

Nico slowly made his way out of Percy's room and down the hall, until he got to the stairs. Taking in a deep breath, the Lost Boy made his way downstairs. Once downstairs, he followed the sound of voices from the back wing of the house.

The kitchen was very intricate. The counters were made of white marble, with a wispy gray pattern across it. The faucet over the sink looked to be touch activated, while all the cabinets were made of glass, so that people would always know what was inside. The refrigerator was made of metal and had three compartments, while there were two ovens nearby. The ceiling also caught Nico's attention, partly made of brick and curving upwards into an arch. Then there was a small door that led onto a patio.

Near the patio door was a booth shaped like the letter 'C', which was covered in food. It was also filled with the occupants of the house. Gaea sat in the very center, currently buttering her toast. Luke sat on her left, a cup of coffee in his hand. However, he did not look so happy. Which was probably due to the person directly across from him.

Kronos looked amused as he stared back at Luke and cut up a pancake on his plate. Much like Percy since their arrival, Kronos dressed more casual. It didn't make him any more pleasing to see. Percy sat beside him, currently busy shoveling food onto his plate. He looked up when he noticed Nico standing there, smiling fondly at the Lost Boy.

Unfortunately, Kronos also took notice of him. “Well, well, looks like someone finally decided to join us.” His eyes flashed dangerously at Nico. “Didn't feel like being on time for breakfast?”

Percy elbowed the young man next to him. “I let him sleep in, so be nice.”

“If that's even possible for him,” Luke mumbled.

Percy picked up a piece of bacon and stuffed it into his mouth. “Can we just eat in peace?” He let out a sigh and motioned for Nico to sit down next to Luke. “Get as much as you want.”

Nico quietly obeyed, sitting down and picking up the empty plate in front of him. It all looked good, so Nico added a bit of everything. He slowly chewed his food, partially savoring it and partially because Kronos's words just hit him. Were they expected to eat meals together on a regular basis while they were here? That would be great, if not for the obvious problem to that situation.

As Gaea poured some cream into her coffee, the woman's eyes shifted over to where the pale Lost Boy sat. “Nico, dear, I was wondering if Percy had you bring anything nice to wear?”

Nico just blinked for a moment. “Um, how nice exactly?” His eyes shifted from Percy to Gaea, and then back again. “Are we doing something?”

“I was going to have one of the Lost Kids here take him to get something later today,” Percy replied. He smiled over at Nico. “On me. It will, however, need to be a suit.”

Nico made a face. “Like black jacket and dress pants?”

Kronos rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Why is he going again?”

Ignoring him, Percy smiled across the table. “We're going to be going to dinner tonight, so you need to look nice.” His eyes widened momentarily. “Not that you don't always look nice.”

A smile touched at Gaea's lips as she sipped at her coffee. “Dinner will be on me, dear.”

“Oh, okay,” was all Nico could get out. He didn't really know what to say. This was all new to him, perhaps a bit strange. He blinked and then turned to Luke. “Did you pack anything?”

“Not going,” Luke grumbled as he took a bite of sausage. “Nor do I really have a desire to go.”

Normally, Nico would think that Luke was just trying to act tough, but something in the blond's eyes said otherwise. Nico suddenly didn't feel so good about this dinner. His forehead scrunched a little as he took a bite of his pancakes. He really did not like dressing up to such a degree.

After breakfast, Percy had Luke escort Nico up to the one of the floors designated to the Lost Kids. Apparently, they were to seek out Eros, who was about to start university in the fall for fashion design. Percy seemed to trust the French Lost Boy to be able to find something suitable for Nico to wear, so Nico did not object. However, Percy would not be joining them, as he had some other business to take care of around the hotel.

Miraculously, Luke did not seem to mind going with Nico to go get fitted for a tux. “More than likely, any store that we go to will serve us wine,” the blond had explained.

Percy had given them a card to get them onto the floor, so Luke swiped it upon arriving at the elevator. They had passed a few of the German Lost Kids in the lobby, and, well, it had not been the most pleasant thing. It was two girls, and they both gave Nico disapproving looks. It only got worse when Luke tried to ask for Eros's room number. Later, when Nico asked, Luke said they had basically told him to fuck off in German. Definitely not as friendly as the Lost Kids back home. And that was saying something, considering how welcoming they had been when Nico first arrived at the hotel.

Fortunately, they ran into Favonius as the Lost Boy was leaving his room. His lips tilted up when he found Luke and Nico looking around in the hallway. “Lost?” He grinned.

Luke rolled his eyes. “I'm supposed to find Eros. Percy wants him to help this brat with dressing up for dinner tonight.” Luke shoved Nico forward, which caused the very tall Lost Boy to look down at him with a smile.

“Ah, so you're Percy's squeeze.” A slight hint of Italian layered the young man's voice, though nowhere near as thick as some of Nico's family. He nodded his head at the suite he just came out of. “As fortune would have it, Eros is my roommate. I believe he's still in bed, though.” Favonius pulled out his keycard and opened up his suite for them, motioning inside.

The suites here were a bit bigger than the ones back home, and this suite was definitely decorated better than Nico's was. The kitchen was sectioned off into its own room, though there wasn't any door between it and the living room area. There was also enough room for a small dining table. Not only that, but they had a small balcony. Back home, only Percy's suite had a balcony.

Favonius banged on the wall in the hallway. “Eros, come and get your ass out here, there's company for you.”

Nico's eyebrows shot up when something hit the floor, which was followed by, what Nico could only assume was, loud French cursing. “Je suis occupé!”

A second later, the door swung open. Eros emerged from his bedroom, his hair heavily disheveled and an annoyed look on his face. The boy lowered a loose shirt over his torso. Aside from that, the only thing that covered him was a very small pair of black briefs. From behind him came Cecil, who was a little less dressed than Eros was, only clad in some old boxers.

Eros did not seem to be that bothered by the fact that Luke and Nico were both staring between him and Cecil. The French boy's annoyed expression slowly faded away. “Ah, Nico!” His sly grin spread across his lip. “What can I do for you, mon chéri?”

Nico felt his face heat up. It was just a language, there was no reason to get flustered. And it wasn't like Nico even felt anything for the French boy, but that accent was very pleasing to listen to. “Um, I need to get something to wear for dinner tonight.”

Visible excitement appeared in those green eyes. “And he asked me to dress you?” The brunet bit down on his lip seductively. “Ça va être amusant.”

Luke just blinked at Cecil. “Were we interrupting something?”

“Nope,” Cecil quickly replied. He grinned mischievously back at the blond.

Eros ran a hand through his wavy hair. “You are welcome to join us.” Green eyes raked across Luke's body. “It would be my pleasure.”

Luke's brow furrowed. “Can we just get going?”

“Dommage.” The French brunet let out a sigh. “I will have need of a shower and to change my clothes.” He wrinkled his nose as he turned to go back to his room.

Favonius shrugged and opened the door to the suite. “Well, I suppose I must take my leave as well.” He nodded his head. “Enjoy your day.”

Luke let out a grunt. Once the door was closed, he turned his attention back to Cecil, who stood there awkwardly in his underwear. “I take it you had a good night.”

Cecil shrugged. “Pretty good. How about yourself?” The brunet chuckled and put his hands on his hips. “We were talking last night, and I ended up falling asleep here.”

“Uh-huh.” Luke arched an eyebrow. “I thought you only really went for blonds?”

A grin spread across Cecil's face. “Aw, don't be so jealous, Luke. Your last visit was quite enjoyable.” With a wink, the Lost Boy brushed past Luke and Nico. “However, you will have to excuse me, I need to get dressed. Lou and I have the day off, so we might join you.”

Luke gave a nod as the brunet slipped out the door. With a sigh, he sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. Nico slowly made his way over, sitting down a couple of inches from the blond. A moment later, the door opened down the hall before another door closed, which most likely meant Eros was now in the bathroom. This was confirmed when the water turned on not long afterwards.

For a moment, the room was quiet. Nico just looked around, until he decided to address the blond beside him. “So, did you and Cecil have a thing?”

Luke rolled his head to the side and gave Nico an irritated look. “No, we didn't. Cecil and I have hooked up before, but that's about it.” He shrugged. “I was just surprised, because he usually just prefers blonds, aside from customers, of course. He reminds me too much of myself when I was younger for me to ever have an interest in. Besides, I don't date, remember?”

“And Lost Kids get time off here?”

“We do back home, don't we?” The blond countered.

Nico shrugged. “Just for a few hours, and usually just on weekends.”

Luke let out a sigh and placed his hands behind his head. “It's a bit different here, since they have a lot more Lost Kids. They are given a full day off every week, around three or four at a time.” Blue eyes wandered up to the ceiling. “I suppose that's something I wish we could do, but I prefer having closer bonds with the Lost Kids at our hotel. I wouldn't be surprised if they were to go out later tonight.”

“Could we go?” Nico asked.

“You'd have to take that up with Percy, kid.”

It took about ten minutes, but Eros finally emerged from the bathroom. However, he surprised them by coming into the living room in only a pair of dark blue briefs that hugged his front rather well. Both Lost Boys on the couch just kind of stared at the brunet, not really saying anything. Eros glanced down at himself, water dripping off his body.

“They look good?” Eros asked after a moment. He turned slightly, revealing the lack of a back on his underwear.

Nico had seen the brunet's ass last night, but it had been rather dark. Now it was in clear view, and it definitely had the ability to catch someone's attention. Nico felt his jaw drop a little. Luke blinked several times, now sitting at attention on the couch.

“Holy shit,” Luke hissed, which Nico barely managed to catch.

Eros grinned wickedly. “I imagine that they are good.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Arrogant little ass.”

The brunet blinked in confusion. He glanced around at his butt. “You don't like my ass?”

Quickly shaking his head, Luke stood up. “Why are we talking about your ass?”

Grinning, Eros placed a hand on his hip. “You are most welcomed to stare at my ass, beau gosse.”

A deep growl came from Luke's throat. “What does that even mean?”

Instead of answering, Eros clapped his hands with a smile. “Shall we go?”

Nico pointed down at the brunet's lower half. “I think you need to finish getting ready.”

Eros's eyes flickered down. His head tilted to the side and he smiled innocently. “Silly me, I suppose you are right.” He held up a finger as he headed for his room. “Une seconde.”

As the two were quick to learn, it took Eros a while to get dressed. According to the French boy, the clothes that he originally picked out were no longer to his liking, so he had to pick out something else. When he finally emerged twenty minutes later, the brunet was clad in a gray turtleneck and a pair of black skinny jeans.

They ended up meeting up with Cecil and Lou in the parking area. Lou offered to drive them into Berlin, which had them piled into a rather small car. Nico remained quiet through most of the ride, too busy staring out his window. No matter how long he lived here in the future, he wasn't sure that he would ever get used to how beautiful the countryside was in Germany. He would definitely be taking Percy up on that offer to tour Europe.

He asked if they could tour the city a bit while they were out, but Luke pointed out that they didn't have time. “Percy will probably take you on a tour later,” the blond grumbled when Nico pouted. Though, his attention was soon diverted when he had to swat Eros's hand off of his leg. The brunet just grinned sheepishly and winked. “I'm starting to have a distaste for the French,” Luke muttered as he crossed his arms.

They ended up parking outside of a stone building with a lot of windows. There was one word above the doors, and luckily Nico could read it.

Boss.

Instead of looking around downstairs, though, the group was ushered upstairs. Nico felt a little uncomfortable as he was pushed into an area that almost resembled a lounge. Luke quickly sat down in a black leather chair and popped open a bottle of wine that had been placed in a bucket of ice. There was a changing area in the room, which was sectioned off with a curtain. There were mirrors practically everywhere, and soft music played in the background. It was easy to say that Nico felt out of place.

A rack of suits was rolled into the room. A young woman that probably worked there talked quietly with Eros, who slowly poked through the selection that had been brought up. Whatever they said, Eros pointed over to where Nico stood. The girl nodded and took her leave, leaving the five of them alone in the dressing area.

Eros snapped his fingers, his back to Nico while he looked through the suits. “Nico, come.” The brunet made a foul face at some of the selections. “We should choose the dark colors. Black and gray go good on you.” He turned to Nico, blinking. “Do you agree?”

“Um, yeah,” Nico managed to get out, several suits now being shoved into his arms. He glanced over his shoulder at Luke as Eros shoved him behind the curtain. Luke just raised a glass of wine at him and took a drink.

When Nico emerged in the first suit, Eros wrinkled his nose. “Non, pas comme ça! Les Américains ne savent-il pas comment porter des costumes?” He quickly moved forward and tried to adjust the jacket on Nico. There was a lot of murmuring while he fidgeted about Nico, though the pale Lost Boy was unable to catch any of it. Finally, Eros let out a sigh. “You need more confidence, Nico.” He grabbed Nico by the chin and directed his face towards the others. “He is adorable, no?”

Cecil and Lou nodded with smiles. “He's something,” Luke grumbled.

Eros narrowed his eyes at the blond. With a huff, he held out a hand in Luke's direction, covering the blond from Nico's view. “Do not make attention to him, mon chéri. You are an image of beauty, and you should flaunt that for everyone to see it.” The brunet bit down on his lip and placed his hands on his hips. “You need to attract the attention. For example, you see how your blond oaf is currently staring at my ass?”

With a grin, Eros turned to look over his shoulder. Blinking, Nico leaned around the brunet to get a look at Luke. The blond quickly looked up, his brows furrowing. “I was not,” he grumbled, slumping down in his chair.

Nico let out a sigh as he looked down at himself. “I guess I'm just not that self-confident. I think I barely manage putting on the act for the customers.”

A sigh escaped Eros and he directed Nico back behind the curtain. Nico's shoulders slumped as he looked at some of the others that Eros had selected for him. This just wasn't him. Did Percy expect him to dress like this on a regular basis? Chewing on his lip, Nico peered at a price tag, his eyes instantly bulging.

“Holy shit,” the boy hissed. If he converted the price right, the suit costed over six hundred dollars. That was like a good portion of his paycheck!

When he emerged, the boy let out a sigh as he spun around for the others to see, his arms stretched out at his sides. Eros slowly shook his head from where he sat perched on the arm of Lou's chair.

The green-eyed French boy hopped up, pacing Nico slowly. Lou smiled softly. “Don't be so hard on him, Eros.”

Eros just gave her a dry look. He placed his hands on Nico's shoulders with a frown. “Why don't you act like a real model for us?”

“I'm not, though,” Nico complained. “I couldn't be.”

Eros wagged a finger. “Do not think such things. Many of the Lost Kids here in Europe do modeling on the side. I am sure that you could also, if you really wanted to.”

“I don't.” Nico looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't think he looked that bad, the suit just felt awkward on him.

While still staring at Nico, Eros snapped his fingers. “Some music, if you please, Cecil.” He held up a hand before Nico could complain. “You must do a fashion show for us, Nico. I will not accept a refusal from your part.”

Cecil ended up settling on Madonna's “Vogue”, which made Nico roll his eyes. He did a little spin before walking forwards with a slight mock to the way he moved. It managed to make Cecil and Lou laugh, and even drew a snicker from Luke. Eros, however, was not quite as amused.

The brunet jumped up again with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he moved to stop Nico. “I tell you what, I will do it with you.” He motioned for Nico to go back into the changing room.

When Nico emerged again, he found Eros missing. He looked around for a minute, until the changing room beside him swung open and the brunet emerged in his own tux. Biting down on his lip, the brunet placed a hand on the doorway of the changing room. Lou let out a whistle, while Eros grinned and seductively adjusted the cuff of his shirt.

To the music, the brunet moved across the floor, sliding along the tiles with a huge smile on his face. Every now and then, the Lost Boy stopped and posed for the group. But when he noticed that Nico was just standing there, the brunet sighed.

He motioned for Nico to join him. Nico quickly shook his head. “Come, Nico, you can't be so shy, not with our profession. This should not make you uncomfortable.” Eros placed a hand on his hip. “Work your sex appeal.”

When Nico didn't move, Eros ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. Pursing his lips, the French Lost Boy moved behind Nico and swayed the boy's hips. “Wh-what are you doing?” Nico gasped.

“You need to decontract!”

Nico's brow furrowed as he turned to look at the brunet. “I need to what?”

Cecil fell back in his chair, laughing. “He's saying that you need to loosen up,” he explained. Eros gave a nod of confirmation.

“He's right, Nico,” Lou chuckled. “If not tonight, you will eventually wind up in front of the media's cameras. You have to look confident.” She laced her fingers in front of her face as she leaned forward. “Don't be so tense.”

Over the course of five minutes, Eros worked on correcting Nico's posture. He forced the boy to stand up straight and worked on teaching him how to stand. Honestly, Nico didn't see how standing would be important. But, eventually, Eros let him change again, though this time was a bit different.

Eros came back with him, sitting Nico down in a chair, while he sorted through the remainder of the suits. He finally handed an all black one to Nico. However, Eros was unwilling to let Nico dress himself this time. He stood behind Nico and moved around the boy as he worked on getting Nico into the tux. The only thing Nico was able to put on himself were the shoes that went with it. When he was finally content, Eros pushed back the curtain and guided Nico out for the others to see.

The jacket fit him rather nicely, though the black tie felt a little uncomfortable around his neck. The black dress shirt was actually comfortable, much to his surprise. And the dress pants clung to him in all the right places. Well, for the most part. It was like they knew his size perfectly. Really, it wouldn't surprise Nico by this point if he were to find out that Percy had called them with Nico's measurements.

However, Nico wasn't given the luxury of getting comfortable. A woman came in a moment later and took over for Eros. She guided Nico in front of a mirror, while the others watched. She had a small cart with her, which contained a grooming kit.

While the woman worked on fixing Nico's hair, a few other girls came in and worked on his nails while he was still standing. The boy gulped and looked at the others for help. This was not what he had signed up for.

Luke, however, was too busy glaring at Eros, who had perched himself across the blond's lap and had stolen the wine Luke had been drinking. “There are plenty of other places for you to sit,” Luke huffed, pushing the brunet off of him.

Eros bit down on his lip as he bent forward, placing his palm on the seat cushion directly between Luke's legs. The blond leaned back with a gulp, his eyes a little wide as he stared into Eros's bright green eyes. “Don't pretend that you didn't like to have my ass on your crotch.” His eyes flickered down to Luke's lips as he leaned in further, until there was only a few inches between him. “It sure felt like you enjoyed it,” he whispered before pulling away with a smirk.

Cecil leaned back in his chair with a smirk. “Why don't you two just shag?”

“Shut up,” Luke grumbled.

Nico smirked. “People used to say the same thing to me and him.”

Luke narrowed his eyes at the back of Nico's head, but the Lost Boy caught it in the mirror. The pale boy winced as the woman working on grooming his appearance took a brush to his hair, trying to get rid of the knots in his dark locks. Whoever said that beauty was pain was so right.

By the time they left the store, Nico was starving. Fortunately, the others felt the same way, so the three European Lost Kids set out on finding a place for Luke and Nico to try. Nico had a hard time looking away from his reflection in the mirror. His hair had been gelled to the side, and he had been forbidden to remove his shirt without help to prevent it from being messed up. His face still tingled from where the women at the store had washed it for him.

They ended up sitting outside of a restaurant that Nico had an impossible time pronouncing. Lou described the food for him and even conveyed his order to their waitress when the time came to order. Nico ended up with something called sauerbraten, which Lou said was a sour pot roast. Though, the sauerkraut and dumplings did give him pause for a while.

As luck would have it, the three were planning on going out tonight. “Yeah,” Cecil nodded, “I think we were going to go out to a club.” He glanced at Eros and Lou for confirmation. Both of them nodded. “Yeah, you two should come with us.”

“Um.” Nico glanced down at his plate. “Aren't I a little young?”

Lou grinned. “Not here. Technically, though, you would need to be out of the club by midnight, but most clubs don't really care.” She shrugged. “You can even drink, so long as one of us buys it for you.”

He did want to experience things here, so he supposed he might talk to Percy about the possibility of it later. Nico just hoped that he wouldn't get separated from the group and lost. That would not go well, especially if Bianca found out Percy let Nico get lost in Berlin.

When it came time for dessert, all of them except Eros split a small German chocolate cake. Nico frowned at the brunet as he ate a piece. Eros just sat there, his chin propped up with his palm. The way he stared at the cake was like the dessert had publicly offended him. Nico tried to offer him some, but Eros quickly shot him down.

“Infect,” Eros mumbled in French. The brunet wrinkled his nose and shoved the plate away from him. “It is not surprising you Americans have a obesity problem, you eat this stuff.”

Cecil blinked at the green-eyed Lost Boy with a fork in his mouth. “I thought the French loved chocolate?” He mumbled.

Eros eyed the cake with distaste before standing to his feet and turning around to place a hand on his ass. The boy gave his buttocks a squeeze, huffing. “This ass is too good to ruin on such a foul thing.”

Nico chuckled a little at that comment, though Cecil and Lou didn't seem to find it as funny. Lou's brow furrowed as she stared across the table at Eros, who refused to meet her gaze as he went back to blankly staring off into space. Nico glanced over at Luke for some help, but the blond was too busy stuffing his face with cake. Eros's green eyes flickered over to the blond, his nose wrinkling and his tongue sticking out in disgust.

“Tu manges comme une vache affamée,” the green-eyed boy muttered as his eyes flickered back to the streets.

That evening, Percy offered to help Nico change into his suit. Percy had been a little busy when they came back and had been in the process of talking to someone that was probably very important. Not that it really stopped Eros from interrupting when Percy failed to comment on Nico's appearance. Nico's entire face lit up as he was forced to stand there in embarrassment as Percy and the person at the table with Percy stared at him. Percy's lips had tilted up in a warm smile. “You look beautiful.”

Now they stood in Percy's bedroom, in front of a mirror, with Percy helping Nico into his dress shirt. They managed to avoid messing up Nico's hair when they pulled off the boy's T-shirt, thankfully. With a smile, Percy leaned in and pressed his lips to the crook of Nico's neck, drawing out a sigh from the Lost Boy. Percy's arms tightened around Nico's waist.

This forced Nico to bite down on his lip. They didn't have time for this, much to his disappointment. “We have to go.”

Percy chuckled. “We're fine,” he replied.

Percy was already dressed, and did he ever look like the embodiment of sex. If they weren't about to go out for dinner, Nico would have ripped the suit right off of Percy and dragged the young man to the bed. There was just something about the way that Percy's dress pants hugged him that made Nico want to constantly stare at the green-eyed young man's butt. The dark blue shirt conformed to fit Percy's chest to absolute perfection. Though, unlike Nico, his hair wasn't gelled, just swept to the side. But Nico really wanted to grab the guy's tie and just yank him down for a kiss.

So, when Percy finally got Nico's shirt on, this was exactly what the Lost Boy did. Percy's eyes widened momentarily, but his hands soon found their way to Nico's waist and he kissed Nico back. When he pulled back, the young man hummed lightly. “It seems like someone is in the mood,” Percy chuckled.

“Maybe.” Nico bit down on his lip, still holding on to the young man's tie. “Um, I was wondering if you were busy tonight?”

Percy blinked, tilting his head to the side. “I'll be with Gaea and Kronos, watching the performances.”

“Oh.” Nico released the tie and turned to stare at himself in the mirror. “Eros, Cecil, and Lou invited me to a club tonight.”

“Oh?” Percy fixed his tie before walking over to a desk, where his jacket was perched on the chair. “As long as you are careful and don't wander off.” Swinging the jacket around him, Percy easily slid his left arm into the sleeve and let it settle across his torso as he worked on getting his right arm in the sleeve. “And remember not to drink anything that anyone else offers you.” His eyes narrowed. “Or that Cecil offers you.”

Nico smiled a little. “Thank you.” He leaned up and pecked Percy on the lips. “But you can't come?”

Percy let out a sigh. “Sorry, I can't. But you should go and have fun.” He handed Nico his jacket. “Just don't tell your sister I let you wander into a Berlin club without my supervision, or just in general.” He grinned down at the boy. “You know, she's probably going to find out that you're about to start dating your boss.”

Nico glared up at the green-eyed young man as he worked on getting his jacket on. “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Thankfully, there was no media when they walked out of the hotel and got into the limousine. Gaea and Kronos sat in the very back seat, while Athena took the seat on the right side of the limo for herself. Percy helped Nico to get inside and guided them over to the left seat.

The others all seemed so causal about being dressed up and going to some super expensive restaurant in the back of a limousine, but not Nico. The boy fidgeted with his hands for most of the ride, while staring out the window in wonder. Berlin had been beautiful in the day, but it seemed even more so at night. Unfortunately, though, Percy was kept preoccupied by one of the other people in the car, so his attention was rarely able to be on Nico.

Not that Nico wasn't used to this sort of thing, it was fairly normal for how they usually were back home.

Nico was forced to take deep breaths as time went on. He really didn't think that something like this would ever happen to him. Never in his life had Nico imagined that he would end up in front of cameras, but somehow that was exactly what was about to happen. Maybe they wouldn't pay attention to him, though. It was Percy and Gaea that they cared about, right? Nico was just a nobody in their shadows.

Finally, the limo began to slow down in front of a bright restaurant at the corner of a street. Nico inhaled deeply as he stared out the window at the line of reporters and photographers that had gathered around the restaurant's entrance. A little concerning was the fact that there was no rope to keep the media separated from Gaea and the group. When the limo came to a stop at the curb, the herd only gathered closer.

Gaea fixed her hair with a sigh, a look of detestation on her face. But as soon as the door opened, she smiled brightly and climbed out, giving small waves to the crowd of media. Athena followed right behind her, her face neutral and her eyes watchful of their surroundings.

Kronos shot a smirk over at Percy before he followed after his mother. The young man adjusted his jacket once he was standing, smiling like some movie star and gladly accepting pictures being taken of himself.

Percy gave Nico's hand a squeeze before he motioned for them to get out. Nico gulped and filed out of the limousine, sticking close to Percy's back. Percy rolled his shoulders and fixed his jacket like some model at a photo shoot, throwing on a million dollar smile for the crowd. The questions were immediately thrown at him, though Nico was unable to understand any of it. Even if the questions had been English, Nico had the feeling that he wouldn't be able to keep up with all the questions that were being hurled at the green-eyed young man.

Percy did his best to answer as many questions as he could, while moving slowly towards the restaurant. Nico had to cover his eyes most of the time, due to all the cameras flashing in his and Percy's direction. It was partially why Nico tried to hide behind Percy the best he could, not that the young man seemed to notice. The good news was that the media was at least nice enough not to crowd them, keeping several feet in between themselves and Percy.

As they were nearly there, Percy pulled Nico close for a picture with him, Gaea, Kronos, and Athena. All of them managed to look so glamorous for the cameras, but Nico was barely to keep himself from shaking. His eyes were probably wide, showing how scared he really was.

Gaea finally moved to enter the restaurant, and Kronos and Athena quickly followed after her. Percy smiled down at Nico, and, with the cameras still flashing at them, took the Lost Boy's hand in his and headed for the restaurant. Nico raised a hand to cover his face as more cameras started to flash.

Nico's nerves only calmed down when they were seated at their table. The restaurant was dimly lit, much to Nico's relief after so many bright lights had been flashed in his face. Percy ordered for him, which Nico really didn't mind at all. He let the others talk, keeping quiet as much as possible.

Was this what his life was going to be like from now on? Something about that scared him. He knew that the media back home in the United States was much worse than it was here. Were they going to show up at his school? Why did Percy have to hold his hand out there? Nico slumped down in his chair.

“Stop worrying so much,” Percy whispered, leaning in close to the Lost Boy. His warm hand squeezed Nico's leg under the table. “Don't worry about the media, you shouldn't care what they think.”

That was easy for Percy to say, Nico thought to himself.

“So, what were they asking out there?” Nico asked when the other members of the table were distracted in their own conversation.

Their food had arrived a few minutes earlier, so Percy had been a little distracted with his meal. The young man glanced over at him, a little sauce dripping from his mouth. Nico smiled, remembering why Percy wasn't completely like the life he lived in.

“Oh.” Percy swallowed his food. “They were just wanting to know how I was handling the news of my promotion. Um, things like that. A lot of it was them just asking if they could ask me questions.”

“Really?” Nico arched a brow.

“Yeah,” Percy chuckled, scooting a little closer to Nico. “Um, the media isn't nearly as intrusive over here, like it is back in America.” He eyed Nico carefully. “If it gets too bad when we get back, tell me and I'll handle it.”

“What, are you going to shoot them all in the knees?”

“No.” Percy rolled his eyes. “But I might have Jason or one of the others keep a close eye on you before and after school.” A grin spread across his lips. “Though, their jobs could come into question if they fail to leave you alone.”

“How sweet,” Nico said dryly with a roll of his eyes.

Much to Nico's relief, the media was gone by the time they left the restaurant. When they got back in the limousine, Nico leaned against Percy's shoulder as the young man spoke to Gaea about some business partners that he would have to contact about his promotion.

Part of Nico just wanted to go back to Gaea's mansion with Percy and help the young man get out of his clothes. When they arrived back at the hotel, Percy got out of the limo and began to loosen his tie, which was a little arousing to watch. However, what they found in the lobby proved to be a little more entertaining.

“What are you even saying?” Came Luke's angry shouting as soon as they walked in the doors.

Nico's eyes widened as he came to a stop at the entrance of the lobby. The two were already dressed to go out tonight. Luke hadn't put much effort into what he wore, but Eros had. If it was possible, his jeans were even tighter than the ones he had on earlier, and these were slightly ripped in places in the front. His shirt was of the same ripped condition, exposing hints of the brunet's torso. Luke was standing there with his arms crossed and his nostrils flared. In front of him was Eros, who grinned innocently back at the blond. The two had managed to cause several guests to stop and stare.

“You know I don't speak French, so why do you persist on following me around and muttering in the language?” The blond growled.

“On baise?” Eros giggled, sticking out his tongue a little, like some amused child. He crossed his arms like Luke and imitated the blond's irritated demeanor. The brunet was a very brave soul indeed to antagonize Luke, even though it was clear that the blond was on the verge of wringing his neck. “On baise?”

Right before Luke could get his hands on the brunet, Percy intervened by stepping in between the two. He glanced over to Gaea, giving the woman a nod. She blinked once before leading Kronos and Athena over to the elevator.

Percy let out a sigh. “What is going on?”

Luke growled and pointed his finger in Eros's direction. “Tell me what this fucker said. If he's got a problem with me, I want to know.”

Eros blinked innocently up at the blond, making a show of batting his eyelashes. Percy just rolled his eyes at the brunet. “Qu'est-ce que t'a dit, Eros?” The young man asked.

The green-eyed brunet tilted his head to the side and raised his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “J'ai juste demandé s'il voulait coucher avec moi. Je trouve ça juste tellement marrant qu'il ne me comprenne pas, cet idiot d'Américain.” He winked over at Luke, who narrowed his eyes at him. “Il est potable.” With a grin, he looked the blond up and down. “Je le baiserais bien.”

Percy began to laugh, which caused Luke to drop his irritated demeanor. Nico's eyebrows shot in the air as he stared up at the young man. What had Eros said? For a moment, Percy just chuckled and shook his head. Letting out a breath, his lips tilted up and he patted Luke on the back.

“Have fun at the club,” he laughed before walking towards the elevator, leaving a baffled Luke behind him.

Nico quickly recovered and walked after the young man. “What was that about?”

Percy glanced down at the Lost Boy. “You should change if you're going to a club.”

Before Percy could reach the elevator, Nico tugged on his shirt. “Come back to your room and keep me company while I change.” Really, Nico just wanted some privacy with Percy for a little while. They didn't have time for sex, but Nico could still get his message across that they would not be sleeping when he returned. “So, what did Eros say?” He asked when Percy smiled and motioned for them to walk.

At the back of the hotel, Percy held the door open for Nico and collected a golf cart for them. “It's nothing bad,” the green-eyed young man chuckled. Percy hummed as he started to drive them to Gaea's mansion. “I suppose I should make sure Luke's room is stocked with some condoms, unless they use Eros's room.”

Nico's eyes widened drastically. “Wait, Eros wants to have sex with Luke?”

Percy nodded with a smile. “Beau gosse, the thing he keeps repeating to Luke, is French slang for calling a boy hot. But now he's just tormenting Luke, since Luke doesn't speak French.” The young man shrugged. “Back there, he was asking Luke if he wanted to have sex. Probably after the club, if I had to guess based on Eros's behavior when I was here a few months ago.”

“Oh.” Nico's brow furrowed. “So, did you and him...”

It took Percy a moment, but he eventually turned his head towards Nico, which caused the golf cart to jerk. “What? Oh! No, we didn't have sex.” The young man's lips tilted up. “Uh, no, I just got along really well with Eros. At most, I see him as the younger brother that I never had.” He chuckled at Nico's pouty expression. “Were you jealous of him?”

“No, don't be ridiculous.”

Percy slowed down as they neared the mansion. “I told you,” he said softly, parking the car and turning to face Nico, “sex with others is usually just business. And if I don't have to, I won't do it.” His thumb brushed against Nico's cheek. “You're the exception to that rule, as I've purposefully sought you out to have sex.”

Leaning in towards Percy, Nico closed his eyes and pressed their lips together. With a little help from Percy, Nico climbed into the young man's lap and cupped his face. They should probably go inside, but Nico didn't want to wait. Percy, however, still had his senses.

“Not that I really object to messing around out here, but we should probably get inside so you can get ready,” Percy chuckled. “I imagine the others will want to leave soon.”

Nico took hold of Percy's tie and crashed their lips together again, rolling his hips into Percy's lap, which pulled a moan from the young man's lips. Percy's hands came to rest on Nico's hips as the young man guided Nico's hips into a rhythm. “Or we could just stay in your room for the rest of the night,” the Lost Boy whispered.

With a groan, Percy held Nico back by the shoulders. “Believe me, I really want to, but I don't get that luxury until I take over.” He gave Nico a brief kiss on the lips. “When that time comes, we can stay in our bed and have sex as much as you want.”

Nico's cheeks flushed. Our bed, Percy had called it their bed. “What about when I get back?”

Grinning, Percy lifted Nico out of his lap and got out of the golf cart. “If you're still in the mood when you get back, and not exhausted, then I'm perfectly willing to oblige your request.” He winked as he opened the door to the mansion. “But if that happens, don't expect to get much sleep.”

“Worth it,” Nico muttered as he followed Percy into the house.

Nico had never been to a club, but it was not so different than what he was used to, working the top floors of the Lotus. Just more crowded and even louder music, and a lot of flashing lights. But there was alcohol and dancing, so it felt right at home. Not that it made the Lost Boy comfortable in the slightest, though.

Lou was going to be the designated driver, so it did not take Cecil and Eros long to find some alcohol upon their arrival. Somehow, Eros had coerced some guy that looked a few years older than Percy into buying him something to drink after only being in the club for five minutes. Nico would have to ask the guy for some pointers later. Not for getting alcohol, but just some tips to make things more interesting with Percy.

Nico tried to stay close to Luke, who had taken up a spot at the bar. Unlike normal, Luke didn't complain at all about having Nico stick to his side. Which Nico appreciated, since they were in a different country and Nico really didn't want to get kidnapped.

Cecil, Lou, and Eros had gone onto the dance floor, though Nico could clearly see them from where he and Luke stood. They tried to motion him over, but Nico just shook his head. Performing was one thing, but Nico had never danced like this before. He watched with interest as the other three danced on each other. With his back to Lou, Eros rolled his body against her and let his hands wander back to feel her head. Cecil was much the same, though the brunet danced behind the Lost Girl. The way they moved seemed free, almost uncaring of what others thought of them. But it did look provocative, which Nico supposed was the entire point.

Eros, however, did not seem content with letting either of them just stand at the bar. The brunet appeared at their side, his bangs slightly sticking to his head from sweat. With one swift move, he grabbed the beer in Luke's hand and took a long drink from it. Luke narrowed his eyes and went to snatch it back, but Eros disappeared back onto the dance floor. With a growl, Luke went after him. Nico, with no other option, chased after the two of them.

Nico moved in between people until he found Lou and the others. Luke had managed to get a hold of Eros, though the brunet seemed like that was his exact intention as he giggled and held the bottle away from Luke. Eros ground his front against the blond, which caused Luke to freeze while reaching for the bottle. Grinning and knowing that he had won, Eros brought the bottle to his lips and took a swig. He willingly offered it back to Luke when he was done, though the blond made no move to leave the dance floor.

Lou grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him in to dance with her and Cecil, though the pale boy's dark eyes kept wandering back over to Luke and Eros. The French boy now had his back to Luke and an arm wound up around the blond's neck. A little to Nico's surprise, Luke had a hand in the hem of Eros's pants. Catching Nico's eye, Eros winked over at the raven haired boy. Using his arm that was around Luke's neck, the brunet pulled Luke down and stuck his tongue into the blond's mouth.

“That was fast,” Lou chuckled and held out a hand to Cecil.

Grumbling, the brunet pulled out some money and slipped it into Lou's palm.

As the night went on, they managed to lose Eros for about half an hour. Cecil didn't seem that worry. “He'll pop up eventually,” he had chuckled. The rest of them sat at a table, resting so they could do more dancing.

Luke and Cecil had let Nico try some of their drinks, but Nico hadn't really liked either of them. They offered to buy him his own drink, but Nico had declined the offer. He knew that he was safe with them, but Nico didn't want to get drunk in a club in a foreign country.

Nico was, however, the first to spot Eros. The brunet had perched himself in some guy's lap and was cheerfully accepting the drink offered to him. None of the other guys at the table even seemed to care that there was another guy sitting in their friend's lap and flirting with him.

Nico's brow furrowed. “This isn't a gay club, is it?”

Lou blinked and followed Nico's gaze over to Eros. “Oh, no, it isn't. But, I mean, gays and lesbians do come here.” She waved a hand over at the French Lost Boy. “You'll find that European boys aren't as homophobic, and a good portion of them will even kiss other guys. It would probably be much easier to talk a straight guy out of his pants in Europe, rather than one from back home.”

Nico glanced back over to Eros, who was sucking a lime from the guy's mouth. The brunet grinned wickedly as the guy groped his crotch. Interesting, Nico thought to himself.

Twenty minutes later, Eros was with a different guy. This one had not seemed as willing to accept the brunet's advances, but then Eros had leaned in and whispered something to him. Nico had watched as the guy's eyebrows rose up and then eventually hand Eros a drink. And the guy just stuck his hand down the back of Eros's pant as the brunet happily sipped at the newly acquired drink. Nico shook his head in disbelief. How the hell did Eros even manage this? Nico was still amazed he could seduce Percy, and here Eros was getting straight guys to buy him drinks and hit on him.

After a few more hours of dancing and drinking, Lou decided it was time for them to head back. The problem was they hadn't seen Eros in a good hour. They scoured the dance floor and double checked the bar, but the brunet wasn't there. Lou sighed and pulled out her phone, dialing the brunet. He didn't pick up.

Nico glanced over at Luke, who was sternly staring at a doorway in the back. “Where does that go?” He asked.

Lou pocketed her phone. “Oh. Um, people go back there to hook up.”

With a nod, Luke started directly towards the door. Nico decided to follow after the blond, while Cecil and Lou continued to search the dance floor for their friend. Luke pushed his way past a few couples in the hallway, and completely walked between what looked like a threesome about to happen. Their search, however, was not in vain, as they managed to find their target at the very end of the hall.

Eros was up against a wall, a guy that Nico had not seen him with sucking on his neck. The brunet's pupils were heavily dilated and an empty beer bottle rested lazily in his hand. The guy worked on unbuttoning Eros's jeans as the brunet tilted the stranger's head to the side and sucked on his lips.

Luke grumbled to himself, rubbing his forehead. “Eros!” He yelled over the loud music. Neither of them acknowledged the blond's presence. “You fucking French twat, get your ass moving, we're ready to leave!”

The guy pulled away from Eros. The brunet blinked at Luke, though he seemed rather dazed. His wavy brown hair was tousled and wet from sweat. “But...sex...” His eyes were dark with a mixture of lust and alcohol as he pulled the tall guy back in for another kiss. “And he is...how to say...hot.”

Luke moved forward and grabbed Eros's head, tilting the brunet's chin up. “How much have you had to drink?”

Eros smacked his hand away, glaring up at the blond. “Leave me alone.”

“You heard him,” the guy latched onto Eros said, his accent a thick German one.

Luke's eyes momentarily flickered to the stranger before returning to Eros. “You're drunk.”

“I can help him out.”

Luke's eyes blazed at the other guy. “Yeah, I can see that. He's drunk, and you're taking advantage of him. Where I come from, that's rape.” With ease, Luke ripped Eros away from the other guy. The brunet stumbled until Nico helped steady him. They other guy moved to get Eros back, but Luke shoved him away, shoving a finger in the guy's face. “Don't fucking touch him,” the blond growled.

“Whatever,” the guy mumbled. Bumping Luke's shoulder, he left and headed back to the dance floor.

Nico put an arm around Eros, while the brunet loosely hugged him, his body slumping. Luke's eyes studied the brunet for a moment before helping Nico walk him back to the others. Right before they left the hallway, though, Eros's legs crumpled. Before Eros could fall to the floor, Luke had bent down and scooped the brunet up bridal style.

Lou's eyes widened a little when she spotted them. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah,” Luke muttered. “Can we go?”

When they got back to the car, Eros clung to Luke's neck as the blond tried to put him in Lou's car. “Do you want me?”

Nico froze at the tone of the brunet's voice, almost like a frightened child. It was...startling. In the short time that he had known Eros, Nico had never heard him talk with such a lack of confidence. And the way he stared up at Luke, like he might break if Luke didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear.

Luke's brow furrowed. “No, you're drunk. Get in the car and shut up.”

With a little help from Nico and Cecil, Luke was able to get Eros in the car and buckle him in. During the drive, though, Eros's head fell on Luke's shoulder. The blond glared down at the French boy, but let the boy's head remain on his shoulder. Nico leaned forward to look at Eros, but the guy's eyes were closed. Had he fallen asleep?

Once they were back at the hotel, the four of them helped get Eros into the hotel. Cecil smiled and waved at the woman behind the desk, who had stopped typing at the computer to gawk at them. They let Lou and Cecil carry Eros the rest of the way once they were at the elevators.

“He'll crash with me tonight,” Cecil said. “I'll make sure that he is taken care of.” His eyes flickered up to Luke. “Thanks.”

“For what?” Luke grumbled.

Cecil gave the blond a knowing look. As far as Nico knew, the European Lost Boy hadn't seen what went on, but it was like he knew what Luke had done. “Come by in the morning.”

“Why?”

Rolling his eyes, Cecil hit the button to their floor. “Just do it and stop sounding like a prick.”

Once they got back to Gaea's mansion, Nico opened the door with a key that Percy had given him before they left for the club. They quietly walked up the stairs and headed for the left wing, though Nico stopped Luke before the blond could disappear into his room.

“You never quite cease to impress me,” the younger Lost Boy said.

Luke narrowed his eyes. “We are not speaking about this again.”

Nico's lips tilted up. “It was the right thing to do, and very respectable.” He tilted his head to the side. “I won't go ruining your badass image, but I thought you should know that. You're a great guy, even if you don't want to admit it to yourself.”

Luke let out a breath through his nose as he quietly stared down at Nico. “Whatever, brat,” he mumbled before disappearing into his room and shutting the door. Nico stood there and smiled for a moment before continuing to his and Percy's room.

The room was dark when he opened the door. Checking the time, Nico figured Percy would be back shortly. Closing the door behind him, Nico yanked his shirt over his head. He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a quick shower to get the smell of the club off of him.

When he emerged from the bathroom completely naked, Nico was delighted to find Percy waiting for him on the edge of the bed. He smiled over at Nico, beckoning him to the bed. Nico closed the gap between them, sliding into Percy's lap. Percy's hands wasted no time in feeling Nico's naked and still wet ass.

With their lips only a few inches apart, Percy grinned. “I take it you're still in the mood?”

Nico bit down on his lip and nodded. Percy sealed their lips together, his finger brushing against Nico's entrance. In one swift move, Percy had Nico on his back. The young man trailed his fingers along pale, slightly wet skin. Nico's hand gripped Percy's tie, pulling it loose and letting it fall to the side. From there, he worked on unbuttoning Percy's shirt, while the young man entertained himself with Nico's body.

Once they were both completely naked, Percy crawled on top of Nico and slid their lower halves under the sheets. With a grin, he got up on his knees. Normally, Nico might complain about Percy pulling away when they were about to have sex, but not at the moment. Right now, he was just enjoying the great view of Percy's nude form, taking in every inch of the young man's torso and eventually letting his eyes wander down to Percy's manhood.

Percy reached over and turned off the light before leaning down and sucking on Nico's neck. Nico might have been exhausted when he got back, but this was completely worth losing sleep over. Percy lifted him off of the bed and pressed the boy's back against one of the posts of the canopy bed. Nico wrapped his legs around Percy's waist as the young man dug around in his drawers for a condom and lube.

Wrapping his arms around Percy's neck, Nico leaned in and kissed the young man, running his tongue along Percy's bottom lip. With a moan, Percy opened his mouth and let Nico explore his mouth.

Pulling back, Nico grinned as he eyed the contents of Percy's hand. “I do hope you have plenty of condoms.”

Percy chuckled. “Don't worry, I brought plenty.”

 “Good, because I don't plan on going to sleep anytime soon,” Nico whispered into Percy's ear.

----------

Translations:
Je suis occupé!" [I'm busy!]
mon chéri (my dear/darling)
Ça va être amusant. [This will be fun]
Dommage. [Pity]
Une seconde. [One second].
Non, pas comme ça! Les Américains ne savent-il pas comment porter des costumes? [No! not like that! Do Americans not know how to wear suits?]
Infect.[Revolting]
Tu manges comme une vache affamée. [You eat like some overly starved cow]
On baise? (Wanna fuck?)
Qu'est-ce que t'a dit, Eros? [What did you say, Eros?]
J'ai juste demandé s'il voulait coucher avec moi. Je trouve ça juste tellement marrant qu'il ne me comprenne pas, cet idiot d'Américain. [I just asked if he wanted to have sex. I just find it amusing that he can't understand me, the silly American.]
Il est potable (He's fuckable. Literally: He's drinkable)

Je le baiserais bien(I'd fuck him) {Not necessarily meaning Eros wants to be the top}