Jason set down his hand of cards, studying Nico across the kitchen table. Nico pretended not to notice in the hopes that he could avoid whatever question the other guy was about to ask.
"Nico, who is that girl?" Jason asked.
"What girl?" Nico fenced, and Jason gave him a knowing look. He'd gotten good at it, especially since mastering the eyebrow twitch. "The girl who's always leaving the shack just as I come in. Is she your girlfriend?"
Nico almost snorted. "She's my cousin."
"Oh." Jason picked up his cards again, then set them down. "How do you know her?"
"She's my cousin," Nico repeated. Jason nodded absently. "I see. That's nice," he said. He put a card in the center of the table.
"That isn't the right suit," Nico said. "And it's my turn."
Jason picked up all of the cards and stacked them into a deck. "Actually, I'm done playing for now, Nic, okay?" He stood up, chair scraping against the tile floor, wallet chain jangling entirely too loudly for comfort. Everything about Jason was noisy; even when he was standing still, not saying anything-his clothes were loud, his attitude was loud, his whole appearance was like getting struck by lightning. Lots of times, Nico wished it was Jason he had grown up with instead of Percy. He thought, maybe, that Jason's love would have been sturdier, less sea-tossed and wind-blown than Percy's absent-minded affection.
He always felt guilty afterwards, but it never stopped him from wishing.
"Where are you going?" he asked, getting up to follow.
"Out," Jason said, and then added, "I need to be alone."
Nico fell back, steps slowing, then halting. Left behind.