Nico sat up in a bed that was most definitely not his and clutched his head in agony. He was pretty damn sure based on the throbbing base in his head that he was more than a little hung over.

He groaned at the cruel rays of sunlight that came in past the edges of the hotel room's blinds. That was just adding insult to injury. He had just been dumped by Will last week after being together for three years. They really shouldn't call it heartbreak, it's really more of an all-encompassing depression. He felt broken all over, and now his ex's father was poking fun at him through the windows. Everything was fan-fucking-tastic.

Nico almost felt like crying as he remembered those bright eyes and soft curls. He'd been dumped for Mitchell, that prissy son of Aphrodite. Why? He wanted to know that himself.

Nico tried to avoid his depressing thoughts by looking around the room. He spotted a balcony overlooking the city skyline through the bedroom doors and into the full kitchen. There was a very spacious bathroom to his left, and he was quite impressed by the massive television mounted on the wall across from the bed. Unfortunately none of this really distracted him from the dark thoughts that were dragging him down like the Cocytus all over again.

He'd thought about telling Hazel, but he didn't want to trouble her as she was planning her wedding right now. He'd been sorely tempted to shadow-travel to Jason, but he just couldn't bear the thought of the sad eyes Jason would give him along with some gut-wrenchingly sympathetic, but useless quote.

Reyna, of course, was on a quest, and he didn't want to bother her with his love life while she was working to restore the Oracle. Hades, he'd even thought about talking to Piper, asking her what the hell is wrong with her mom, but he knew he wouldn't get anywhere.

And then there was Percy. Percy was...

Oh shit.

Nico got sudden flashes of he and Percy in a bar, running around the Vegas Strip, making out under the glaring neon signs...

Nico realized for the first time that he was naked under the cover of the hotel sheets, but he wasn't cold because of the warm body next to him, the body of a certain son of Poseidon, still sleeping soundly, undisturbed by Nico's inner turmoil.

The moment Nico realized he was in bed with Percy, he almost shadow-travelled to China while trying to scramble out of bed.

Unfortunately he realized another problem with that as soon as he moved. A shooting pain ran through his lower body, and he nearly died in shame and embarrassment as he remembered why.

Oh gods. Did he really? With Percy? His first time and he was drunk off his ass.

Nico sucked in a breath, deciding to get dressed and silently disappear before Percy woke up and maybe spare them both the humiliation and awkwardness.

Nico silently cursed with every movement as he struggled to slide out of bed without waking Percy or killing himself and his aching ass.

His breath caught when Percy rolled over, one well-muscled and California-bronzed arm being thrown carelessly over his hips.

Then Percy curled closer, pulling the younger demigod against his chest. Nico had to admit it felt pretty nice, laying there against Percy's bare body, but then a morning problem poked him and Nico panicked, jumping up from the bed and yelling loudly as he clutched his behind.

Percy bolted awake, jumping to his feet, and Nico gulped, taking in the nude hero in all his glory. He had probably seen more of that last night, but he wasn't really remembering it.

Immediately after jumping up, Percy grabbed his head with a groan.

"Nico?" he asked in surprise as he took in the younger boy who was also quite naked. Both of them blushed as they realized what happened last night.

"I think we should just get dressed and pretend last night didn't happen. I'm sure you don't want to explain this to Annabeth."

Percy winced, but nodded. "I guess you don't to tell Will either."

Nico gulped. "Right... Will... Me..."

Percy blanched. "Did you two break up?"

Nico heaved a great sigh as he sat on the edge of the bed, reaching down for his boxers. "Yeah. He dumped me for Mitchell. After all those years, would you believe we never did anything more than kiss? I guess that should've told me something was wrong."

Percy sat on the opposite edge of the bed. "Yeah. I know how you feel. I came home early from work one day and found Annabeth sleeping with Bobby."

"The elephant wrangler?"

"Yeah," Percy spat. Nico could feel his heat, he sought it subconsciously, and his throbbing headache was soothed by the rich tone of his friend's voice.

"Three years. Three fucking years. And all for what? To have my heart crushed under his Nike sneakers. I was tossed like month old pizza."

Percy chuckled morosely. "Five years. All that time I spent falling in love only to have her ripped away. Would you believe I was about to propose to her? Nothing fancy, just a simple silver band with a few small diamonds embedded in it."

Nico felt his heart stop as he looked at his left hand. "Um...Percy. By any chance would this happen to be the ring you were going to propose with?"

Percy turned to face Nico for the first time since waking up, took one look at the ring, and keeled over laughing.

"Oh my gods. Did we really get married last night? Oh man, that's what I get for being drunk as all-get-out. I'd say that's not bad, seeing as I'm not your type and all." Suddenly Percy seemed to sober up. "Wait. I was super drunk. Why don't you remember anything either? I'm barely twenty-one. Did you use fake ID?"

Nico snorted. "I used the Mist. I needed to forget Will, and I thought I'd try drinking away the pain, maybe a bit of gambling. I can afford that, being the son of the wealth god. Oh gods, my dad is going to kill me. Yesterday I was still a virgin and quite single. Now I'm married. And to you."

"You were a virgin? I'm so sorry. Hey, what's that supposed to mean, 'And to you?" Percy asked, offended.

"My dad hates you. Oh gods. When I came to Vegas to forget Will, I was NOT planning on marrying you!"

"Well I wasn't going to marry you either!" Percy retorted, storming off to the bathroom and locking the door with an angry click.

Nico sighed and deflated like a balloon. He struggled to his feet and put on his clothes, adjusting to the grimy day-old feel.

He could hear the water running from the other side of the door, and he took a minute to collect himself as Percy washed his face.

He did still harbor attraction toward Percy, and he'd never really fallen out of love with him, but Percy was as straight as a Floridian road. Nico groaned, running his hands through his hair as images of last night struggled to make themselves known.

Him finding Percy bent over the bar, drinking more than Dionysus. The two of them ordering more drinks. Them grinding on the dance floor as the latest indistinguishable music blared around them and their drunken minds struggled to do anything other than think about sex. Percy pinning him to the wall in the bathroom and kissing all over his neck, leaving marks that still hurt. The two of them making out all over the Strip. Them running to the chapel. Percy slipping the silver band over his ring finger. The Elvis impersonator taking their vows. Them getting a hotel room. The unbearable pain mixing with incredible pleasure. Them between the sheets until early morning.

When the water stopped running, Percy came out with a towel around his neck. He looked at Nico softly, his gaze imploring, but for what, Nico didn't know.

"We could get a divorce," Nico tried. He wanted to be positive, but somehow he wasn't sure he wanted a divorce. After all, he'd finally gotten a chance with Percy, as messed up as it was, he kind of wanted to let it last as long as possible.

"No," Percy said gently.

"Why not?"

"Do you want a divorce? I'm not sure I do."

"But you're straight. It must have been weird enough coming to terms with last night."

"What if I didn't have to come to terms with it? What if I liked it?" Percy challenged.

"Why would you like it? I'm just me. I'm Bianca's little brother. That kid who you found annoying. That kid you felt obligated by your hero complex to save. I'm Hazel's brother. I'm Will Solace's ex, but I'm nobody special."

Percy stared at him, and Nico didn't know if it was humanly possible for someone's eyebrows to go any higher than they were just now.

"'Nobody special'," Percy echoed. "Nico, is that really what you think of yourself?"

Nico stayed silent.

"You're the Ghost King. You are my friend. You saved my life just as many times as I saved yours, but I never did it because I felt like I owed you. I did it because I care. No matter how you can infuriate me, I care. Do you realize how flattered and surprised I was to hear that you had a crush on me? And then you smacked me over the head with it by saying I wasn't your type. Darling, let me tell you something; I'm not nearly as straight as you think."

"Do you remember Beckendorf? He was the first guy I found myself drawn to, but I wasn't into him romantically. Then there was Michael Yew, but he died in battle. And I've always joked that if Jason was up for it... But you were the first guy I really wanted. You were stable and loyal. And you are brainy. You are so cute, especially when you insist you aren't. And when you smile, I feel like everything will be okay."

Nico felt himself starting to cry. "Y-you really like me? As more than a friend?"

Percy cupped Nico's face and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Nico di Angelo. I'm just sorry that it took us both getting dumped and then getting drunkenly married in Vegas for you to hear it."

Nico laughed but kept crying. "I love you too, Perseus Jackson. And I lied about you not being my type. You were the first guy I ever fell in love with, and that was so hard to admit, coming from a time when that wasn't acceptable. How could you not be my type? You were the only guy I'd ever fallen for."

Percy chuckled as he leaned in, their foreheads resting together and their breath mixing. The gap was quickly closed as their lips met, dancing passionately and racing like fire through their bodies.

When they pulled apart, Percy grinned like an idiot as he stared at Nico's beautiful flushed face. "My husband," he murmured, tasting the phrase on his tongue. "I could get used to the sound of that. Mr. and Mr. Jackson. Mr. and Mr. Jackson- di Angelo?"

"Why not Mr. and Mr. di Angelo?" Nico quipped with a smirk.

Percy was about to make a comeback when he noticed something that sucked all the joy right out of him. Sitting on the little cherry-wood nightstand was a brochure, one featuring all the wonderful activities and amenities offered here at the hotel.

Nico quickly shifted to see what was distressing his husband and he felt his world shatter as he looked at the vivid image of a familiar and haunting flower.

On the cover of the brochure, these words were printed: Please enjoy your stay at the Lotus Hotel and Casino.