Title: Left with Nothing
Rating: K+
Warning: Break-Up, Angst
Note: I forgot to mention in the last chapter that I picture Charlie as having a little bit of codependency issues. I don't know if that affects how you view these drabbles, but that's the perspective that I write most of them from. Inspired by "Breakeven" by The Script. Written for the "Stratified Agate Competition." Prompt: Write about your pairing breaking up.

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Charlie knew that long-distance relationships were difficult. That was why moving to Romania was one of the hardest decisions he'd ever made. He didn't want to leave Percy, but at the same time, he couldn't be one of those people who sat around waiting for someone else. He had to live his own life, and Romania was an amazing opportunity to do something that he was passionate about.

Percy was going to be in school most of the year anyway, so it wasn't as if Charlie was giving up on spending every day with him; that wasn't even an option. He had hoped - foolishly - that Percy would eventually join him. He knew it would be hard, but he was determined to make it work. Regardless of the temptation, he knew that his love for Percy was unwavering.

He never assumed that Percy didn't feel the same way. He wasn't expecting his brother to lose interest; naively, Charlie thought that if anybody lost interest, it would be him. Percy, who always looked up to him and adored him, couldn't possibly move on.

He had been so wrong. He tried to pretend that nothing was wrong when Percy's letters came less and less, getting shorter each time. Charlie still wrote the same amount every single day. Even when he could barely keep his eyes open from the exhaustion of a grueling day at work, he still stayed awake long enough to finish his letters.

When Charlie finally received the letter, he felt like he had been smacked in the chest by a dragon's tail. Percy couldn't do it anymore; the distance was too hard. He said that he wanted "space". It seemed ironic, considering that space was the problem – at least, Charlie hoped it was. He didn't want to think about why else Percy would end things.

He cried that night, for the first time in so many years that it felt unnatural. He felt empty, alone, and confused. By the time his tears stopped, he was left with nothing but numbness that took over his mind. He knew that their relationship was wrong from the moment it began; it was sinful and disgusting, but it felt so right. Maybe they were doomed from the start, but it didn't feel that way. It felt like they were meant to last forever. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

He wondered if things would be different if he had stayed, but deep down, he knew that they wouldn't be. He felt like an idiot for thinking that they could actually make it; a fool, blinded by love. He wanted to believe that this break-up was just temporary - that they would get past it - but in his heart, he knew this was the end.

No matter how much he didn't want it to be over, he didn't have a choice in the matter. Percy made a decision that affected them both. It didn't seem fair. He gave Percy his heart, and his brother just threw it away. Charlie would never be whole again, but he doubted that Percy even cared.

How was it possible that Percy was perfectly fine while Charlie was breaking into little pieces? Percy got to keep both of their hearts while Charlie was left with nothing.

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A/N: Reviews are always lovely, unless they are spam about how gross incest is.