DISCLAIMER: I don't own Percy Jackson nor do I own Ouran High School Host Club
Nico was getting accustomed to life as a host. All the attention had made him uncomfortable at first, but he'd learned to hide that. For some reason, girls seemed to like that he kept secrets. Tamaki had told him that it made him seem mysterious, but Nico thought that was bull. He was mysterious anyway, keeping secrets didn't make him that way.
He'd I-Med Percy to let him know where he was and what had happened. His cousin still seemed to get unnaturally worried for him, even after the Titan war. He had, however, withheld his suspicions of Arya; he needed more evidence until he approached her about being a half-blood.
Lessons with Haruhi had been the most enjoyable thing about the host club. She was smart, funny and beautifully sarcastic when she wanted to be. Her and Nico got on like a house on fire. Because of her teachings, his Japanese had improved greatly, and due to his lessons, Haruhi could now hold a conversation in English.
Today, however, wasn't lesson day. Tamaki had decided that Nico would be working today and tomorrow so he changed out of his battered aviators jacket, black t-shirt and jeans and into the school uniform. He still felt uncomfortable wearing it because he didn't fully belong in the school; he didn't fully belong anywhere except the underworld... And maybe Percy's mum's dinner table but he'd never say that.
The day after tomorrow was the physical exam. Haruhi had informed Nico about the fiasco of the previous exam and told him not to worry about it. He shrugged, wondering why the school needed two physical exams in a year. He stopped thinking about this as his firsts guests arrived and he had to concentrate on working.
"So Nico, where do you come from in America?" Asked one of the girls. She was pretty, Nico guessed. Long black hair, fair face and bright brown eyes.
"Around Washington D.C. But I moved a lot when I was younger. I spent a long time in Las Vegas. Now I live in New York."
"Wow, you really did move around. So what caused you to move? Your farther's job?" Asked another girl. She had a similar look to the first girl, slightly different facial structure and different hair, soft brown and shiny.
Nico met her eyes, then said quietly, "family matters that I'd rather not talk about. All you need to know is my mother died and my sister and I were left to fend for ourselves."
The girls around him cooed with sympathy and offered their condolences.
"So where is your sister now?" The last girl asked. She had blue-black hair and deep green eyes.
"She... She died, a few years ago." Nico said, choking on the words. Although he pretended otherwise, Nico had not yet given up hope of bringing Bianca back. He hadn't let her go just yet, and because of this, the pain of her death still plagued him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." She said, her deflating.
Nico tried for a smile but only half succeeded. "Not your fault, she brought it on herself. She did something that she shouldn't have, but gave up her life to save a friend. She died well." He felt little emotion saying the practised phrase. He'd said it so often to people now.
The girl didn't seem to know how to respond to that and so say quiet for a while. The second girl switched the subject.
"So Nico, how old are you? You look quiet young."
Older than you, and your parents to boot, was what he thought, but said "twelve, I'll be thirteen soon."
"That's a bit young to be a host, don't you think?" The first girl said. She seemed shocked, which was expected; Nico always tried to look older than he was. Sometimes he didn't need to try.
"Nah, there isn't much else a twelve year old can do." I could be training, he thought. I could be messing about with Percy at camp or hunting monsters. Instead, I'm stuck here in Japan, selling myself for tea and cakes. Though they are good cakes...
And so the rest of the day passed in the same fashion. Arya visited him again and they talked at length about school and her family, although Nico avoided all of her attempts to learn more about him. He wondered if he was doing this right, I'd never been on an undercover operation to search for half bloods. What if she thought he was a monster in disguise? Should he call Chiron? No, discussing sensitive information like that across an Iris message could be dangerous, who know who else might be listening...
When the host club closed at the end of the day, Nico began to pack up and get ready to leave the school. He was staying in a hotel not far from the grounds, although he'd had to manipulate the Mist to get himself a room. It was difficult keeping the deception going, but he didn't really want to sleep on the streets.
"Hey Nico!" He turned to the voice. Haruhi was walking over, concern on her face. "It's just occurred to me; where are you staying?"
"Errr... In a hotel." He said evasively.
"How are you paying for that without any money?"she asked shrewdly.
Dammit, he thought. He stayed silent trying to work out what to say.
"So you aren't? Well, I can't let you live like that. Come with me, you can stay at my place for now." She said, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder before walking to the door. She paused and looked back at Nico, who stood shell-shocked by this act of human kindness towards a relative stranger. "Well? Come on!" She said, smiling. Nico smiled back and followed her out of the room.