A/N: Here is the first chapter of that dance AU I've been talking about. I didn't expect to be writing this before finishing Murder Suspect but SOMEONE (who totally knows who he is) has been very adamant about this story and so SOMEONE is getting his long awaited fic (Happy Birthday). This won't be as long as Murder Suspect (she said hopefully) but it is going to have multiple chapters, so I'll have to divide my time between the two stories. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

Chapter One: An Unexpected Meeting

Olympic Dance Studio. That was what the sea-green sign hanging over the front door read. The building itself was nothing too special, a single story probably only big enough for one or two dance rooms—or whatever they were called. The studio was placed neatly between a bakery and a baby clothing store and looked nothing at all like a place Jason wanted to spend his Thursday night.

Thalia so owed him for this.

Sure, Jason hadn't had any cement plans per se—as a full-time grad student working toward his masters in Classics, he rarely actually went out with friends, but he also rarely left his apartment to begin with. Naturally, a last minute outing to pick up his six year old niece from her dance class did not rank very high on Jason's list of fun.

Jason didn't see himself as having much of a choice, however. No one dared tell Thalia Grace no, and that included her younger brother. Heaving a great sigh, Jason walked through the front door.

The young woman sitting behind the welcome desk pushed her glasses up her nose and appraised Jason. "Can I help you?" She asked in a chipper yet somewhat confused voice. She probably hadn't seen many twenty-two year old guys pass through the studio in her days, Jason figured. Maybe she thought Jason was a pedophile. The whole ordeal did seem a little pedophilic, he had to admit.

"Uhhh, I'm here to pick up my niece?" Jason said, hating the way it sounded like a question. Yeah, I'm here to abduct a young girl. Got any of those? "Her name is Zoë Grace."

"Oh," the receptionist girl said, apparently relieved that Jason wasn't some kind of creep. "She's in room two, they should be done in five minutes or so. The room has a one-way mirror, if you'd like to watch." She motioned down a small hallway, where lo-and-behold, a group of seven or so woman stood watching with mild interest.

"Okay, thanks, uh…"

"Mellie," the girl chirped.

"Thanks Mellie."

Watch the little girls dance? Stand with the housewives and listen to them gossip? Yeah, Jason would go sit on one of those lovely and unoccupied benches.

He tried to imagine Thalia standing up there, with her choppy dyed black hair and ripped jeans and spiked leather jacket and nose ring. She probably also waited on the bench. If only she were here today, they could have started a club. Then again, if she were here Jason wouldn't need to be.

Speak of the devil, he thought as his prone vibrated in his pocket.

Hey, did you get there okay?

Yes, Jason replied, you better sing my praises for this.

I already sing your praises, little bro.

;)

"A homosexual, surely," one of the moms standing by the window muttered, causing Jason to freeze. Was she talking about him? All he had done was walk in and sit down. Could he be that obvious?

He didn't see how, considering his own parents hadn't realized until Jason's senior year of high school, when his stepmother arrived home early and accidentally walked in on Jason and his boyfriend at the time having sex.

Even that seemed like a fond memory compared to this. Sure, Jason loved spending time with Zoë, but being around the shallow housewives while they pretended that the other mothers' daughters were good dancers with their fake little smiles and transparent compliments reminded Jason of being a kid again. Reminded him of always going over to friends' houses and worrying that their mothers hated him, that somehow they knew Jason was unlike the other boys. He always felt like they were judging him.

He still did.

Only, these women weren't looking at Jason. In fact, he didn't think a single one had even noticed him. How curious. Jason stood, approaching the group of moms while still keeping a safe distance. He peered through the window-mirror for the first time. Through the glass Jason saw the other walls, also covered mostly by mirrors, which disoriented him momentarily. In the center of the room a dozen girls—all around six or seven years old—danced somewhat clumsily, kicking their legs up in what probably should have been unison, but wasn't. The sight made Jason chuckle. Zoë stood among them, a bright smile on her face as she glided forward. Funny, Jason could have sworn this was a ballet class, but the way they danced lent itself more toward jazz.

And then Jason's eyes landed on the instructor.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Jason hadn't known what he'd expected—an elderly woman perhaps, with some severe ballerina bun, or maybe a young high-school age girl with a perky upturned nose and overly wide smile.

He'd never imagined that the dance teacher could be a… guy.

A hot, hot, fucking hot as hell guy.

He had black hair, and not the dyed kind either, genuine black hair, which was pulled back into a small ponytail and only marginally darker than his eyes. Jason watched in awe as he danced with the kind of focus usually reserved for brain surgeons. Smoke alarms could be going off and the dark haired dancer wouldn't even blink. While the little girls were unbalanced and slightly unsynchronized in their motions, the teacher's lithe form moved like water, gliding through the moves with a fluid grace that completely dominated Jason's attention.

And all Jason could think was: please, for the love of gods, be over eighteen. Jason could barely remember the last time he'd wanted someone so badly.

He tore his eyes away long enough to message his sister.

Holy shot.

Holu shit*

Holy shit!*

He could barely keep his eyes on the cell phone. Not while he could be admiring him.

Thalia texted back almost immediately.

Lol, I'll take it you noticed the instructor?

!

Back in the room, the dance came to an end, much to Jason's disappointment. His phone vibrated again.

His name is Nico. He's gay. And in college. You're welcome.

Nico. Even his name was appealing. Yeah, Jason could definitely fuck a Nico.

Wait a minute… Jason glanced between the phone and Nico.

That little evil mastermind.

You didn't even have to work late, did you?

Nope. You're welcome! ;)

Jason didn't know if he wanted to kill his meddling sister or hug her.

Then he glanced down at his own appearance—gray sweatpants, navy hoodie, wearing his glasses instead of his contacts—and decided that he'd definitely kill her. She could have fucking warned him he'd be meeting the hottest gay guy this side of Berkeley.

The girls gathered around and began to head for the door, with Nico at the back of the group. He appeared to be telling the girls something, but Jason couldn't hear him. Gods, he could only imagine what Nico's voice sounded like.

The door opened and the first of the girls came skipping into the waiting area. The fourth one out was Zoë, who completely lit up upon seeing Jason. "Uncle Jason!" She squealed, jumping up for a hug. Jason chuckled and caught her, momentarily distracted from his Nico fixation.

"Hey, shorty," he said, hugging her briefly before placing her back on her feet. The six year old crossed her arms.

"Uncle Jason, I'm one of the tallest girls in class. You're just a giant!"

Jason prepared to tell her that she would always be short to him when Nico finally exited the dance room. It was a good thing he'd already returned his niece to her feet or he just may have dropped her. If possible, Nico was even more gorgeous close up. His pale skin glistened—probably with sweat, but that didn't matter to Jason. It was hot the way strands of hair stuck to his forehead. In fact, Jason wouldn't mind to see the dancer sweaty in a whole other environment. Get your mind out of the damn gutter, he chided himself.

Suddenly, those big dark eyes locked on Jason and the dancer stumbled forward on his next step, his eyes widening in the most alluring way. Jason figured he should like, smile at him or something, but he couldn't seem to make his mouth muscles work. Wow, he thought. Despite the fact that they were surrounded by little girls and their uptight mothers, Jason wanted to go up to Nico, push him against the nearest wall, and kiss him senseless. And well, maybe a little more than just that.

About five seconds later he came to his senses and realized he was still staring at the dance teacher. Patting Zoë's head affectionately, he steeled up his nerves and approached Nico, who also seemed to have composed himself. The young man had an indifferent expression on his face, so much the opposite of the passion and focus from when he'd danced before. Jason yearned to see that intensity again—wondered if he'd look like that in the bedroom.

Okay, maybe thirteen months had been a little too long to go without sex, Jason realized. This guy was literally a complete stranger and here Jason was, imagining all the things he'd like to do with him.

Jason came to a stop in front of the dark haired male, cursing himself for deciding to come flirt with the hot dancer while he was in such ratty clothes. Not to mention that with his glasses on Jason probably looked like an absolute fucking idiot. Certainly, Jason could have made a better first impression than this.

"Hi," he greeted. Not even a hey. Who even said "hi" anymore? Gods, he probably already sounded like a loser. "I'm Jason, Zoë's uncle."

Nico quirked an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. "You and Thalia hardly look alike," he observed, which wasn't untrue. Other than the vivid blue color of their eyes, Jason and Thalia couldn't look less alike. Jason's friend Piper has one said that Jason had the typical All-American boy look going on (If the All-American boy were gay, she had laughed), while Thalia resembled some sort of punk rock fairy.

"Yeah, I'm a little taller," Jason replied, which was probably the worst joke in all of history.

Nico looked confused. "Is there anything I can do for you, Jason?"

Holy shit yes, repeat that statement on your knees while you're pulling my pants down.

"I just wanted to say that I saw you dancing at the end. You're really good."

Jason needed to get a grip. He was far too horny all of a sudden. Soon enough it would start to show. Probably not a good idea to get turned on in a dance studio full of little girls…

"Well, I'd hope so," Nico retorted, though he didn't meet Jason's eyes. Had his ears been red before? He pushed a damp bang away from his eyes. "I am the teacher. And a dance major."

"Do you go to Berkeley? I do, but I'm getting my master's now."

"Congratulations. And yes, but that's kind of implied considering we're all of one and a half miles from campus, isn't it?"

Jason's cheeks flushed with warmth. "Oh, right."

"Uncle Jason!" Zoë called, coming up behind him and tugging on his hoodie, "Did you see me dance? Mr. Nico started teaching us this new routine and we're going to have a recital in December! You'll come, right?"

"Of course I will," he replied, looking away from Nico momentarily to smile at the girl. Even if it hadn't been for the hot teacher, Jason would have been happy to support his niece. Zoë had been one of Jason's most important people since the day she was born. Growing up without any father in the picture, he felt a special responsibility to her.

She hugged him tightly. "Yay! Yay! I have to get my bag! I'll be right back. We better get ice cream!" The girl scampered off.

Jason turned back to the dark haired boy, who appeared rather indifferent. Not exactly the easiest guy to talk to, Jason mused. "So," Jason said, "Do you like ice cream? Or like, dinner? Or uh, I mean, do you… date?"

Oh yeah, Jason was the smoothest.

Both of the dancer's eyebrows shot up. "You're asking me out?"

Jason felt far too warm in his hoodie and sweatpants. "Uh, maybe. I mean, I don't normally look like this. I mean, I clean up nicely, uh…" Shit, Jason had no game. None at all. Once upon a time he'd had little trouble talking to hot guys. Once upon a time he got laid more than once every thirteen months.

Nico looked at Jason as if he were some particularly confusing dance routine. Around them, mothers and daughters were leaving, the little girls yelling out goodbyes to each other while their mothers typed away on cell phones. And Jason, Jason was frozen.

"You don't even know me," Nico stated.

"Well, I'd be interested in getting to know you…" Jason smiled genuinely at the dancer, which wasn't a lie. There was something intriguing about Nico, and it wasn't just the fact that Jason wanted to get him in his bed.

For a moment, both of them were silent. Then Nico schooled his features and declared, in one breath, "I don't have time to date, especially not the uncles of my students."

He walked away without a word. Jason deflated, his shoulders slumping and his eyes hopelessly following the awkward escape the younger man was making. The fluidity of his body during the dance routine seemed like a distant memory now. Just like Jason's dignity.

...

"Complete rejection, Thals. I totally fucked up. Like, I could barely even talk. It was humiliating."

Thalia Grace stretched out her legs across the couch, sipping her wine casually. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad, Jay Jay."

Jason rubbed his forehead. Maybe he needed some wine before he left, too. "No, it was literally that bad. And I told you, stop calling me that, I'm twenty-two years old, not eight."

Thalia snorted. "You ever consider you're just being a drama queen? Hey, remember the time Dad actually gave decent advice? What do you do when you fall off the horse?"

"Sue the person who sold you the horse?" Jason offered, pouring himself a glass of Merlot.

"Jason, stop being such a quitter!" Thalia scolded, smacking his arm lightly. "You're young, you're good looking, you're smart, and you know, you used to have a sense of humor. At one point."

Jason bristled. "What does that mean?" Just because Jason cared about school and spent a lot of time studying, didn't mean he was a complete stick in the mud.

He hoped.

"It means that you've been out of the game for a while. You're out of practice, but I know for a fact that you can be funny… and charming, too. What you're lacking, little brother, is some confidence."

"Complete rejection, Thalia. He said he doesn't date people with relations to his students, remember?"

The black-haired girl rose and reached for the TV remote, switching it off. "That's such a bullshit excuse, Jay Jay. There's no rule against it. My bet is that, as cute as he may be, that little dance teacher is just as removed from the dating world as you are. He might even be more wound up than you."

"Ha ha," Jason remarked.

"Just try, okay? If you want to get to know him, or date him, or whatever you want to do with him, try again. I'm pretty sure Mr. 'I'm Getting My Master's Degree' doesn't give up so easily."

How could Jason say no to that? "Fine, fine, I'll give it another shot. But I doubt anything will come from it."

Thalia smirked to herself, looking more smug than the Cheshire Cat. Jason gulped. That was the face of a woman up to no good. "Well, if anything does come from it, I'm expecting you to take Zoë and I out for a steak dinner."

"Fine."

"I think I'll order a filet."

…

Looking back on the evening, Nico di Angelo wished he hadn't even gone in to work at all. Balancing college classes, dancing, and work was enough of a challenge for Nico without throwing hot and apparently gay guys into the mix. No. No no no.

After all, Nico had decided after his last shitty attempt at romance that nothing would ever be put in front of dancing again. Nothing that would even partially distract Nico from dance could be tolerated.

And that giant dorky blond had "distraction" written all over him.

Gods, it had sure taken Nico long enough to get his bearings, though. Yes, Nico always lacked the same grace in his actual life that he had while dancing, but he normally didn't stumble over his own feet at the sight of an attractive guy. Okay, a really attractive guy. Shit, how did anyone make a hoodie and sweatpants and glasses look good? Was he a college student or a damn Abercrombie model? And how could a guy that looked that good ever look at Nico and want to ask him on a date? Nico, who had undoubtedly looked like a sweaty mess.

Jason probably had an ulterior motive, which was even more the reason to say no. Nico had more dignity than that.

Now, that didn't make him want to jump the blond guy's bones any less, but he'd keep trying to convince himself otherwise. Nico's sex drive did not control him. He wouldn't let that happen.

There was simply no time for Jason Grace in Nico's world, and that was life.

Still, Nico couldn't help but think about the guy the entire walk back to his apartment.

When he arrived home, Nico found his roommate Reyna angrily flipping the pages of a textbook.

"Careful, or you'll rip a page," Nico teased, kicking off his shoes. Reyna evil-eyed him.

"I hate this class," she lamented. "How was work?"

Nico shrugged, passing by the couch and heading for his bedroom. "Fine," he lied.

"Uh huh, what happened?" Reyna said, stopping Nico with the power of her words. Sometimes Nico hated having such an insightful best friend. If Percy were his roommate, Nico could get anything past him. Though, he supposed Percy was distracted by other things these days. Or rather, people.

"It's nothing, really. Some guy was picking up his niece and he tried to flirt with me, I guess."

"You guess?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shouldn't you be studying or something?" Nico asked, nodding at her discarded textbook and trying not to picture Jason's intense blue eyes or irresistibly dorky smile.

"Was he hot?"

"Maybe a little. Doesn't matter anyway."

"When's the last time you went on a date?"

"When's the last time you want on a date," he retorted.

"Fair enough," she conceded. "Though, to be fair, I don't have apparently attractive men hitting on me."

"I told you, it really wasn't anything. Don't make a big deal of it."

Reyna shrugged and picked her book back up. "Okay, if you say so. But if you do want to talk…"

"Yeah yeah, you'll be the first person I go to."

Sometimes Reyna acted like more of a big sister to Nico than his own big sister. Ironic, since Nico and Reyna were actually the same age. In the over five years Nico and Reyna had been friends, Reyna had made it her job to look out for Nico in all aspects of life—dating included.

Octavian probably still couldn't chew right.

Nico shook the thought away. He didn't let his mind wander down that path anymore.

Reyna had gone back to studying, so Nico retreated to his bedroom.

He'd told Reyna what happened with Jason earlier hadn't been a big deal, but didn't know how true that statement actually was.

Jason could present a problem if he continued to pursue Nico. Just a minute long conversation with the guy and Nico had been playing it back in his head for the last hour. The gods only knew what would happen if they spoke a second time. Though, maybe Nico was getting worried over nothing. In the five months that he'd been teaching Zoë Grace, this was the first time Nico laid eyes on her sexy uncle, and it was likely to be the last time, unless Jason turned into a first grade girl and enrolled in the class.

Crisis averted, then. I'll never have to see him again.

Or at least, so he thought.

A/N: This chapter is just kind of setting everything up, the other ones will probably be longer. If this is the first time reading a story by me, I'd like to take this opportunity to go ahead and tell you to follow me on tumblr at nephilimgirlbooks. I always say when I'm updating my fics plus I post teasers and it's a great way to contact me. I always tag posts about my writing as #nephilimgirlbooks. This fic can also be found on AO3 at CarleeAdison. Okay, I hope I'm not forgetting anything. Oh! A note to all my Murder Suspect readers, check my author page or my tumblr account in the next day or so for a surprise ;)