A/N Trigger warning for panic attacks.

Nico collapsed in a heap the second he saw Jason slam the door. What had he done? He hadn't meant to be such a dick to his friend, but the second he had asked if he was okay, it was like something snapped in him. Everything bubbled to the surface all at once.

The tears that he'd been holding back started to fill his vision, his nose and mouth burning with the need to let them all out.

When he heard the door to their suite slam in the distance, he couldn't stop them anymore, and they rolled freely down his face. He was all alone now. He'd gotten what he asked for, and he regretted it already. What if he'd pushed Jason away forever and he wasn't coming back?

"Enjoy your panic attack, you little shit."

His breathing had been erratic ever since Jason had told him that he didn't want to help him with his panic attacks, and it had only gotten worse when Jason said to enjoy the panic attack that he knew was coming.

That had hurt. The words themselves were like a dagger to the heart, and that dagger was given a firm twist because those words had come from Jason.

He closed his eyes and hugged his knees close to his chest, rocking himself in an attempt to calm himself down. It wasn't working. The immense guilt that clung to him made sure of that.

He had lied when he said he didn't need Jason. He needed him now more than ever. What he wouldn't give right now to hear Jason's comforting voice cooing sweet things in his ear, his strong arms wrapped around him, holding him firmly to his chest. With his ear pressed to his chest, so the strong rhythm of his heartbeat gave him something to hold on to as he tried to calm down.

But Jason wasn't coming. Jason had probably held him for the last time, and as the realization hit him his heart rate climbed even higher and he could feel his breath coming out in short pants. He wasn't ready to be on his own, not after a fight like this.

Percy.

Percy was still in the suite. He had never been great at helping him calm down, often freaking out himself, but anything would do right now.

Nico crawled his way to his bedroom door, hoisting himself up from the handle. He opened it and peeked into the suite, but as he looked around, he realized that it was empty. His coat was the only one that hung by the door.

He was truly alone now. This was it. His throat closed on him, and the room started spinning.

He sank to his knees and wrapped his shaking arms around himself, tears continuing to spill from his eyes.

He felt lightheaded, felt the blood rush around his body way too fast, his breathing coming in wheezing gasps now, but it did little to drown out the voice of Jason reverberating in his head.

"Enjoy your panic attack, you little shit."

He squeezed his eyes shut and curled up in a ball, letting out a loud wail. He felt like he was going to die. He was going to die and he would never get to tell Jason that he was sorry for being a jerk.

He gasped for air, trying to steer his thoughts away from Jason, and their fight. Memories flashed through his head, but he couldn't seem to focus on one for long enough.

After a few minutes of crippling panic, he grabbed on to a glimpse of a memory. It was hazy, almost blurred but he remembered a hand grabbing his wrist and placing it against a warm expanse of skin.

As time went on the memory became clearer, and he remembered. He remembered the gentle rise and fall of that chest. He focused on it as best he could, using it as an anchor to tie himself to.

After what felt like hours, he slowly started to realize that he was breathing in time with the memory, and that he could no longer hear the blood rushing in his ears.

He forced himself to stay with the memory as he slowly sat up, and started to focus more on his own breathing.

Breathe in slow. Hold. Exhale. Breathe in slow. Hold. Exhale.

He kept this up until he felt good enough to get up off the floor, and started thinking about a distraction. He couldn't let himself fall into those thoughts again or he'd be right back where he started. He wasn't out of the woods yet.

Wiping at his eyes with the hem of his shirt, his eyes fell on his guitar leaning against the couch. Before Reyna had called he'd been trying to come up with the chords to go with some lyrics he'd written the other day.

That's what he'd do. He walked back to his bedroom on shaky legs and grabbed his notebook off his nightstand.

"So, what's the big surprise?"

Cecil had arrived at Will's a few minutes earlier, along with a big pizza they could share between them. They were currently sitting on Will's couch, slice in hand.

"You're never going to believe this!" Cecil said around a mouthful.

Will pulled a disgusted face and waited until he'd swallowed his food until he spoke. "Well? Stop taunting me and spit it out!" He went to take another bite, but before he could he caught the look on Cecil's face. "Not the food!" He groaned. "Let's eat first and talk later, you pig."

Cecil gave him a stupid smirk, made even more ridiculous by the tomato sauce in the corners of his mouth, but they managed to eat the rest of their pizza in comfortable silence.

"So," Cecil said, wiping the crumbs from his face with his sleeve. "You're going to love this! We get to go to a Thrice Greek show together!" His smile was so bright it could have lit up Will's entire apartment.

Will blinked once, twice, before he broke out in a grin that put Cecil's to shame. "How?! All the shows have been sold out! Did you manage to get tickets? When? Where?"

The smug look on Cecil's face made Will a little bit wary. "Private gig, I sold a kidney and they're playing on my birthday," he deadpanned.

Will pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, exhaling audibly.

"Okay, okay, fine." Cecil sat up straight. "They're playing at Lou Ellen's shop!"

Will's eyes went wide. How in the word had Lou pulled that one off? "What?"

"Like I said, they're playing at Lou Ellen's shop. She called me this afternoon. They're still working out the details, but it'll be a small acoustic show, and you can only win tickets. Of course I immediately blackmailed her into letting me in that day!" Cecil looked so happy, Will thought he might burst.

He could barely believe it. Every single time, shows would fall into his lap. Not just any shows, no, special ones, intimate ones. Thrice Greek was on the verge of becoming such a big name that their days of playing in tiny little venues were nearing their end. He was unbelievably lucky that he'd have the chance to see them so many times before they would inevitably play in nothing but stadiums and he would be forced to watch them from afar where they would be mere blips in his field of vision.

"No way, that's awesome! I could kiss your sister right now, Cecil!"

It was Cecil's turn to pull a disgusted face. "That's gross, dude. Please don't do that."

Will groaned. Leave it to Cecil to take things literally. "Of course I'm not going to kiss her, come on." He leaned back against the couch, pulling his feet up beneath him. "You said she'd let you in, but I'm honestly not sure if that laminate I've got works for special occasions such as that." As an afterthought he added "And I'm not going to be kept outside like an idiot because I didn't win a ticket."

Cecil frowned. "But, can't you find out? E-mail them or something? Send them a tweet?"

"Oh no," Will shook his head, sending his shaggy hair flying in all directions. "That's an awful idea. What would I say? "Hey, thank you for giving me this laminate but I want to know if it works for contests as well because I feel entitled to show up to every gig ever." That's not going to work. I'm not going to beg them to attend that one. I feel uncomfortable about that laminate as it is."

"Hrm," Cecil scratched at his head in thought. "Okay, I see your point. No worries, I'll just get Lou Ellen to let you in that day if your laminate isn't accepted. I'm sure she wouldn't mind, though she'll probably ask us to help out around the shop sometime."

Will shrugged. "There are worse things. I'd love to be at that show, especially if we can go together. It'll be great. They're so amazing live, Cecil!"

Cecil chuckled. "So I've heard. But you haven't heard the best part yet!"

"Yeeeees?" Will waved his hands around in a way that said 'go on'.

"Okay, are you sitting?"

Will sighed deeply. "You're on the couch with me, Cecil. You know that I'm sitting. Now tell me!"

He was about to burst, Cecil was keeping silent, knowing that it would bug the hell out of him. "Please?" He tried to sound as innocent as he possibly could, batting his eyes at his friend.

"Okay, okay! Damn, stop it with the puppy eyes." Cecil laughed. His friend could probably charm the pants off the pope if he gave him that look. "They're doing a meet and greet!"

Will froze. "A meet and greet? Oh no, no, no. I can't. Every time I make plans to talk to them, something awful happens."

He looked up just in time to see his friend wear an incredulous expression. "Are you serious right now, Will? There's no way you're getting out of this one. Besides, you're going to have to land your man sometime." Cecil wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and was immediately hit with a throw pillow.

"Land my man? Really?" He scoffed, but he could feel his cheeks heating up.

The grin on Cecil's face was sharklike. "Don't you worry your pretty little head, Will. I'll totally be your wingman."

Will gulped. This was a disaster waiting to happen.

Jason was nervous as he walked back to the hotel. It was time that he came clean to Nico, about everything.

He was scared that confessing his feelings would hammer the last nail in the coffin for their friendship, that it would drive Nico further away than he already had.

He guessed that his feelings wouldn't be returned, and he didn't quite know how to feel about that. But he needed to explain to Nico why he'd been so overbearing, as he'd put it.

When he came up to the hotel, his heart started beating faster and faster, his stomach twisting in knots. He briefly thought that this was how Nico must feel before a panic attack.

No.

He shook his head to get rid of the thought. He shouldn't compare his nerves playing up to what Nico had to go through.

He stopped at the elevators, drawing a deep breath and letting it out slowly. The doors opened and he stepped in, hitting the button for the penthouse suite they called home these days.

Closing his eyes, he tried to psych himself up for the upcoming confrontation. Would it be a confrontation, or would it be a talk? He didn't know what to expect, and in what state Nico would be when he got to their suite. Would he still be angry? Would he have calmed down? Would he be in a panicked state? He didn't know. It could be either of those, or a whole slew of other things.

He was honestly a bit scared at what he'd find. Leaving Nico in a vulnerable state was a stupid thing to do. He should have gone to his bedroom, or to their kitchen. Anywhere but outside.

And it wasn't like he'd just left him. No, he had to pull the biggest dick move he could come up with in his anger.

He felt like throwing up when the elevator came to a gentle stop and the doors slid open before him. He could see the door to their suite on the end of a hallway.

His legs felt stiff and heavy as he started making his way towards it. This was it. It felt like he was walking towards his execution.

In a moment he'd go through that door and his life would change. He didn't yet know how, but he was sure it would. It could go in a million different directions from here, and all he had to do was walk through it. Turning back was not an option, he had to do this. He felt like he was at the entrance of a maze; so many possible roads to take, but only a few, or maybe only one would lead him to his goal.

He was just about to open the door, his hand already on the knob, when his attention was drawn by the sounds of an acoustic guitar being played.

Okay, that was good. If Nico were still angry, he wouldn't be playing the guitar. Well, maybe he would, but he doubted that the melody would be this… gentle.

With that in mind he slowly opened the door, carefully, as to not startle his band mate. Nico was always focused when he was playing and he had upset him enough for one day, probably the whole year.

He saw Nico sitting on the couch, his head leaned back in the big cushions. As Jason silently padded closer, he saw that the skin around his closed eyes looked raw and red, lashes clumped together with tears, and just seeing that, and knowing that he was the reason for it, made his heart break.

Swallowing around the lump that had wedged itself in his throat, he listened to the notes that floated around the room for a moment longer.

He was about to open his mouth and make his presence known to Nico, when the other man opened his mouth and started singing.

I've done nothing to prevent myself from slowly breaking down

I don't know when to stop or to begin

Unlike everything I do

This one proves too hard to figure out for me

Jason's face fell. He'd never heard this song before, and it wasn't like Nico to be so… forward with his lyrics. He knew the way he wrote songs. Half the time not even he could figure out what Nico was truly thinking when he'd written it, and he probably knew more about Nico than any other person.

And I let the river carry me to wherever it may take me

Too many questions remain unsolved and I wonder why

God knows I'm in desperate need of some sort of clarity

But I just can't make up my mind

He felt like was intruding. This felt personal, and it wasn't meant to reach his ears, especially not after their blowup. He should probably stop Nico, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he kept listening.

I've got all the answers

And I know how to fix this

But how come I never get around to really doing it

Too many choices to make

And time is slipping away from me

Me and I don't see eye to eye.

He didn't miss the tremble in Nico's voice during the last line, and he decided that enough was enough. He cleared his throat to make his presence known.

Nico had heard him. His eyes shot open and he lifted his head from the backrest, the last notes he played sounding very out of tune. He laid his guitar to the side and turned his head towards Jason, but he didn't speak.

His face was expressionless, if his eyes weren't bloodshot and the skin around them didn't look puffy and red, Jason would never be able to tell that he was upset. But he knew. Because he was the reason for it.

They stared at each other for long minutes, neither of them saying a word or even moving an inch, aside from the occasional blink.

Jason didn't quite know where to begin. Out of all possible scenarios, he didn't quite think that a stoic Nico would be the one he was faced with.

He knew he had to take the first step, Nico was nothing if not stubborn, and Jason knew that he'd have no qualms about standing there for the rest of the day, staring at Jason with those big brown eyes, waiting for him to make the first move.

He mentally pulled himself together, before taking a deep breath in through his nose. He closed his eyes and let the air escape from his lungs, pretending that it carried his nerves and reservations with it.

"Nico…" His voice was scratchy, as if it had been days since he'd spoken last.

"Jason." Nico's voice sounded unaffected. The guy was too good at hiding his emotions away. It gave Jason little to work with; he had to tread carefully here, in order to prevent himself from giving their friendship the kiss of death.

"Can we, uh, can we talk?"

Nico shrugged, but didn't back down. His eyes remained fixed on Jason's. Instead, he got off the couch and came to a stand just a few feet from where Jason was standing. "We're talking, aren't we?"

"A-about earlier, I meant."

To the rest of the world, he seemed like he always had everything figured out. He was thought of as the stable one of the band, balancing out Nico and Percy, who seemed like polar opposites most times.

He didn't mind that one bit. He liked having the world think that he had all his shit together.

But it was a far cry from the truth. He had his own demons to battle, he just preferred to do it privately. In that was he was a lot more similar to Nico than people thought he would ever be.

Nico was one of the few people that he dared bare his demons to. He regretted that he'd started treading on eggshells around him, keeping his feelings hidden. Not just his romantic feelings, but his fears as well.

This would have been an easier confrontation a year or so ago, before he had decided to close himself off from his best friend, hoping that he wouldn't be pushed away.

He now realized that it had been a stupid thing to do, and it had screwed him over in more ways than one. He was nervous about opening up, because he'd hidden so much away.

Nico shrugged once more. "If you want."

"Nico…"

"Yes?"

Jason cast his eyes down, took another deep breath before he dared look into Nico's eyes again.

"I'm sorry."

All it earned him was another shrug, which again, was something that he did not expect. This was not going to the way he wanted it to, and fear started building up in his stomach. Was it really over?

"Will you please say something?" He was starting to get frustrated already, and despite his inner monologue about no longer hiding himself away, he felt like it was a bad idea to show it. He had no right to get upset about something like this, not after what he'd done before.

Nico's lips curled into a wry smile that didn't even reach his eyes.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" His voice was level, and Nico looked more stable and determined than he had in a long while. "Yep," he popped the p at the end. "Sucks when people aren't clear about their feelings, isn't it, Jason?"

Oh.

Okay, he had that one coming. Nico was giving him a taste of his own medicine.

He hung his head low in shame. Having his own actions mirrored against him made it all the clearer how Nico must have felt.

"I- I just- Nico-" He groaned, rubbing at his face in frustration. The words wouldn't come out.

Nico only raised an eyebrow, making it very clear that he wasn't going to be the one to take the next step. He was going to make Jason work for it.

Jason's palms were turning warm and sweaty, and he didn't know what to do with his arms. He didn't know if he wanted to pace, or stand, or sit. His throat was starting to feel constricted, and he was all too aware of the blood gushing through his body.

"Nico, I… I'm just so sorry. For everything. I-I… I've been a dick and you didn't deserve it," he barely managed to stop himself from tripping all over his words.

Nico folded his arms across his chest, lifting his chin up in a rare display of confidence. "Don't."

Jason felt like he was hanging on by a thread. If Nico rejected his apology, what was left?

"Nico, I-"

"No."

There was anger in Nico's eyes. Jason was relieved that there was some form of emotion on his face right now, but it didn't help much; anger was what he'd expected.

Jason allowed himself to think for a minute, and decided to take his own advice from earlier.

His eyes narrowed and he looked at Nico with resolve clear on his face. "Yes. You and I are going to sit down and talk about this like the adults that we are." He gestured at the couch.

That finally seemed to incite a reaction from the other man. He looked surprised for a brief moment, before the motionless expression returned. Only a hint of a smile was different from the earlier one. "Okay."

They made their way over to the couch, each deciding to sit on opposite corners.

"So," Jason began. Being able to gauge Nico's responses made him a little bit more confident, and the fact that he was willing to listen made all the difference. This might be his last chance and he wasn't going to waste it.

"I have some things to say to you," he reached for Nico's hand that laid on the armrest, frowning when Nico jerked it back out of his reach. He swallowed thickly. "But first, let me say that I'm really sorry. For earlier. I shouldn't have said those things to you."

Nico nodded, but didn't move to speak.

"I was way out of line, and you were right to throw me out." He looked up at Nico hopefully, wishing that he gave him something to go on. He didn't want to dump everything on Nico all at once.

"Okay." Nico sighed. "I'm sorry too. Maybe I overreacted. It's just…" He broke his insistent eye contact with Jason and stared at a hole in his jeans, muttering something under his breath.

"Hrm?"

Nico groaned quietly. "I'm not weak." His voice sounded so fragile that Jason had a hard time believing that this was the same man he shared a stage with, the same man that could sing so beautifully.

Jason's heart shattered into a million pieces. Never, ever had he thought that Nico was weak or anything of the sort. He was strong, stronger than Jason, who hadn't even been able to muster up the courage to tell him that his feelings had never gone away. While Nico tried to deal with his demons, Jason hadn't moved from where he was left two years ago. No setbacks, no progress.

"Nico, I don't think you're weak. I've never thought that you're weak. You're the strongest person I've ever met. Look at all the shit life throws at you, and you're still standing. I think you're brave and I wish I had half your courage."

Nico's head snapped up, incredulity plastered all over his face.

"I don't think I've told you that enough times, but it's really what I think. And on top of everything you have to deal with the biggest asshole in the universe." His eyes, wide with guilt, met Nico's.

"You don't have to try and cheer me up, Jason." Nico looked down again, hands coming up to pull at the drawstrings of… Was that his hoodie?

Jason didn't have time to think about the stupid hoodie, at this particular moment, he felt rather confident.

"I am trying to cheer you up, but not by lying. I meant every word I just said, Nico."

Either Nico didn't want to or didn't know how to respond, because he remained silent.

Jason scooted a bit closer, carefully watching if Nico would give any reaction. "Listen, you were right." The tone of his voice had changed; It was no longer firm or gentle, but hesitant instead.

Nico's fists clenched around the drawstrings. "About what?"

Jason sat up straight, but kept his head bent low so he could keep looking into Nico's eyes. "About what you said earlier, during the... " he gestured with his hands, uncomfortable with voicing that it had been a fight. "I've been overbearing. I see that now. I tried to keep you safe and comfortable and I ended up smothering you and holding you back." He sighed deeply. "But please know that I meant well. Just because it was selfish doesn't mean that I didn't want the best for you."

Nico's eyebrows furrowed, and he appeared to be deep in thought. His voice was barely a whisper when he spoke next. "Selfish?"

The lump in Jason's throat had returned with a vengeance. He swallowed around it as best as he could, closing his eyes for a moment to work up the courage to say what he needed to. "Yeah. Another thing you were right about. I was… I was jealous."

By now, Nico was frowning so deeply that there was a deep groove between his eyebrows, and Jason wanted nothing more than to make that frown disappear and for his gorgeous features to smooth themselves out. "Why?"

This was it.

"After last saturday, when I knew you were going to be okay, I- I just…" He trailed off before taking a deep, slow breath. "Seeing you with- with Will, I know he just calmed you down but…" He held up a finger, indicating to Nico that he wasn't done speaking. The other man had his mouth already open, just waiting for an opening, and if Jason didn't get this off his chest now then he might lose the courage to ever do so. "That used to be my thing, you know?" He started rubbing at his eyes. "I know it makes no sense, believe me, I know, and I don't mean to imply that I want you to have panic attacks because… Nico, I just want you to be happy. I want the best for you because you deserve it and… I was afraid that you'd pull away from me. Seeing someone else having what I had, so easily, I just…"

His own words were making no sense to him.

"I just don't want to lose you. I went overboard in trying to prove to you that I could still take care of you." He closed his eyes, not sure if he would be able to handle seeing Nico's expression after what he was going to say next. "I don't want to lose you, because I'm still in love with you. I haven't stopped loving you, and I'm so, so sorry."

He couldn't stop the tears from forming. Jason had never been one to outright show his emotion, but something in him just broke. He didn't feel liberated, or lighter. The weight on his shoulders was still there.

To his surprise, Nico scooted closer, and he felt his arms wrap tightly around his shoulders. Nico's hand pressed down at the base of his neck and guided him to lay his head down on the other's shoulder. Slender fingers started making their way through his blond locks, and he heard the gentle sounds of Nico quietly shushing him. He didn't realize that he had started crying until he felt the fabric of the hoodie getting moist under his skin.

"It's okay, Jason. I know," he cooed softly, and if Jason's head had been clear at that moment, he would have found the situation to be ironic in a bitter way.

Nico let Jason continue for a moment, not saying a word outside of whispering sweet words of comfort.

When the tears started drying up Jason lifted his head from Nico's shoulder and leaned back a little. He wiped at his eyes and sniffled a little, letting out a bitter chuckle. "I'm sorry, Nico."

Nico offered a small smile. "I know, Jason. I'm sorry too."

After that little cry, Jason actually felt a lot better. He knew what was going to come next, and in his head he had already accepted it. "I don't suppose you…"

Nico's smile was empathetic, but he shook his head. "I'm sorry Jay, but I don't."

Jason nodded, it hurt, but he had been preparing for this. "Can I still be your friend, now that you know the truth?"

Nico's eyes went wide and he took Jason's chin between his fingers, lifting it up so he could meet his eyes. "Jason, you're my best friend. Do you honestly think that I'd kick you to the curb after one shitty fight and a love confession?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders, letting out another bitter chuckle. "I didn't know what to expect. I was so scared that I'd drive you away that I guess I kind of… latched on."

Nico nodded, gently squeezing Jason's shoulders. "We both let things go too far. We should have spoken up sooner and it escalated. I'm sorry too. I felt cornered and I lashed out, and I shouldn't have."

It was Jason's turn to nod. "So, we're good now? I mean…"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I'm glad." Jason felt the knot in his stomach untangle itself, finally relaxing a little. He wasn't going to lose their friendship and that's what mattered the most. "Nico?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you- I mean- After I left-"

Nico looked down, causing Jason to stop speaking. "I'm sorry."

He was rewarded with a firm shake of Nico's head. "Shut up, Jason. I know. I had one and I made it through." His eyes glinted with pride for just a small moment. "I'm okay now."

Jason reached out and draped his arms over Nico's shoulders, pulling him close to his chest, smiling at the way Nico fit under his chin just right. He'd always thought of it as proof that they belonged together, and in hindsight it seemed a silly notion.

"Is this okay?"

Nico pinched Jason's side in answer. "Jason, if you're going to start asking me if everything you do is okay from now on, I'm going to hit you. Trust me when I say that I'll let you know when I don't want something."

Jason chuckled, raising a hand to rake his hands through Nico's unruly hair, he tried to be gentle when his fingers hit a snag, and gently untangled whatever knots he could find. They stayed like that for a few minutes, both of them needing the warmth and the comfort that the other provided after all that had gone down that day.

It was Jason who broke the comfortable silence that had settled over them.

"Is that my hoodie?"

Nico tensed, refusing to lift his head from Jason's shoulder. "It was in my room… Forgot to give it back to you. It's warm and comfy." He would have shrugged if Jason's arms hadn't prevented him from doing so.

"Okay. Keep it, then." Jason suspected that Nico wasn't telling the whole truth; he was pretty sure that it was the same hoodie that he'd given to Will on that saturday.

The realization sent a stab of jealousy through him, and he unconsciously tightened his hold on Nico, who shrugged him off just a few seconds later.

The other man sat up, fidgeting with the sleeves of the hoodie that was about 3 sizes too big for him. "Jason?" He paused until he was sure that he had Jason's full attention. "You know we can't…" His cheeks took on a faint pink hue. "We can't have sex any more."

Yeah. He'd figured as much. He sighed deeply and tried not to sound sad. "I know. We're officially over now." They were. It was the end of a chapter in Jason's life, but he was sure he would mourn it for a while longer. It wasn't about the sex itself, but the intimacy, being close to Nico in a way that no one else would, feeling special and in return trying to make Nico feel even more so - he'd miss that.

Nico smiled at him and nodded, and there was that proud glint in his eyes again. The smile didn't leave his face as he leaned in close to Jason and cupped his face with sleeve-covered hands, only the tips of his fingers feeling cold against Jason's heated skin.

Jason was taken aback when he felt Nico's chapped lips press carefully against his own, which felt like they were burning from all the times he'd licked them in his nervousness. He closed his eyes without thinking about it and didn't dare kiss back with any more fervor than Nico. It was a sweet, chaste kiss, just their lips moving together for a few long seconds.

It was over all too soon when Nico leaned back enough to whisper "Goodbye, Jason," onto his lips.

Jason was dumbstruck, his eyes shooting open just in time to see Nico getting up off the couch. "Wh-Where are you going?"

Nico crossed his arms in front on his chest with a smug smile on his face. "Just thought it'd be a poetic way to end our relationship. I'm going to get a snack. You coming, or are you going to sit there like an idiot for the rest of the night?"

Jason huffed out a quick breath, shaking his head. He got off the couch and followed Nico to the kitchen.

This was a long one, and I promise that the angst will be over for a little while. Please review! Was it too long? Too short? Too emotional? I want to know! I'm always willing to talk about this fic (in fact, I love it!) and if you have any questions regarding the plot I'll be happy to answer them, as long as I don't have to spoil anything.

So please, take a minute of your time to let me know what you thought about this chapter.