Will grumbled into his cup of coffee. Two more lectures, and he'd be done for the day.

He missed the holiday breaks, the days spent on the couch at Thrice Greek's hotel, days spent doing nothing but lounge around with Nico, hugging him, touching him, kissing him.

Even though the time he'd officially been together with Nico was short, it was hard to adjust to daily life again. College, lectures, cooking for himself instead of getting food delivered from the hotel's restaurant. His small apartment, rides on the subway, his empty bed at night.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go to college; he did, very much so. Being with Nico hadn't changed his desire to become a doctor in the least, but it was slightly disconcerting to go back to his 'normal' life.

It wasn't a big deal, he knew that, but the past few weeks had been amazing, and he knew he'd only have about two months left before Nico left for their summer tour, and he'd much rather spend the time they had left together, enjoying each other, instead of listening to his professor drone on and on about things he already knew.

He felt as though he was walking a tightrope. On the one side, he wanted to be with Nico every second he wasn't busy with college, to sleep in the same bed every night, not caring about how fast things were going, to cook for him, to snuggle up in front of the tv, to fuck him into the mattress every chance he got, to finally get that blowjob Nico had been teasing him about since they'd gotten together, but he knew he shouldn't.

He had to keep his distance, not because he didn't want to get too attached to Nico - he'd already passed that station weeks ago - but because it would be that much harder to settle back into his normal life when Nico left if he didn't. If he forgot about everything in his life that wasn't about Nico, he'd have nothing to fall back on when he'd have to say goodbye. Besides, he didn't even know how Nico felt, having him around all day, every day.

No, they each had their own lives, and it needed to stay that way. They'd work out a way to balance it, he was sure about that.

Neither of them had brought up the topic of Thrice Greek's summer tour, and even though Will knew they'd have to talk about it sooner rather than later, he hadn't been able to bring himself to mention it. They'd been together for about two weeks, it would be weird to suddenly start talking about something that was two months away, right? He didn't want to be forward, didn't want to assume that they'd still be together two months from now, didn't want the bubble he was living in to pop.

They were just a bunch of excuses - he knew that. The truth was that he didn't want to talk about it. Right now, he didn't even know the exact date that Nico would be leaving, though he did know it would be some time in the last two weeks of February. In the best case scenario, they'd have another seven weeks together - in the worst case, five. Crap. Five?!

Okay, this dancing around the subject thing they'd been doing needed to stop. They were adults, they could handle a simple conversation. Granted, a conversation neither of them wanted to have, but Will at least wanted to be prepared, to know what they'd be facing - and when.

He smiled when he pulled his phone out, being greeted by the picture he'd taken a few days ago, when Nico had snuggled up to him in his sleep. He'd woken up with a mouthful of Nico's hair - sticking up at odd angles as usual - and he'd taken a blurry selfie of the two of them moments before Nico had opened his eyes.

It was honestly a terrible picture, but it was all Will had. Nico was very careful when it came to taking pictures; he didn't want anything to leak to the media, and he'd even explicitly forbidden Percy to use Snapchat when Will was in their suite.

He'd have to ask Nico for a proper picture before he left. They shared the same views about being careful so their relationship wouldn't become the day's hottest news item, but before Nico left, he definitely wanted a decent picture to remember the good times by; it would be hard enough to stay behind, alone for months.

"Hey, you doing anything tonight?"

"Nope."

"You mind if I come over?"

"Sure."

Will frowned at his phone, quickly scrolling through their last conversations. Ever since he'd gone back home, Nico's answers had been short - if he even answered at all - which was very unlike Nico. He wondered if he'd done anything wrong. Granted, he still didn't know Nico all that well, they'd done little talking in the last few weeks, opting to explore the more… physical side of their relationship instead.

He couldn't tell if this was just Nico being Nico, or if it was because of him or something else. He didn't want to be overbearing, asking him if something was up, or if there was a reason for Nico to be so short.

Maybe he shouldn't be reading into things, but he made a mental note to at least try and figure out if something was bothering Nico. The last thing he wanted was miscommunication, especially this early in their relationship.

When Jason opened the door, he looked surprised to see him. "Hey! Nico didn't tell me you were coming over." He pulled the door open wider. "Come on in, man."

Will stepped inside, smiling when he saw the stack of books on the dining table, the empty plates and coffee cups around the sleek laptop an all too familiar sight. "Hard at work, I see."

Jason nodded, letting out a sigh. "Let me tell you, don't ever join a band. Juggling this life with getting a degree? Damn near impossible." He dropped into his chair with a groan. "Sometimes I wish I could just take a break, you know? Just focus on my studies for a little while."

"I can't even begin to imagine how stressful that is," Will said, leaning on the back of a chair. "I stress myself out enough as it is, and I don't have a band to play in. But I think it's admirable, studying even when you've already made it."

Jason closed his laptop, shaking his head. "This isn't going to last forever," he said, gesturing around. "I'm enjoying myself to the fullest, but I'm only twenty-three, and with the state of the music industry, I'll be lucky if we're still able to live this life when I'm thirty." He shrugged. "I just want something to fall back on, but I think I've told you that already."

Will nodded. "Yeah, you did. But still, it's smart."

"I thought so." Jason smiled. "Anyway, Nico's in his room. I think he's working on some songs, so go in quietly. He startles easily when he's in 'the zone'." Jason emphasized with air quotes.

"Thanks, I'll do that." Will gestured to the mess of books on the table. "Good luck with the studying."

Jason nodded in thanks, tucked a pen behind his ear and opened the laptop again, squinting at the screen.

Will was halfway to Nico's room when he stopped, looking back over his shoulder. He closed his eyes for a moment, before walking back to the dining table. "Jason?"

Jason didn't even look up from the screen. "Hrm?"

"I-" Will hesitated. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find the right words, but he ended up shaking his head. "It's nothing. Never mind."

Jason closed the laptop and scooted his chair back a little, rubbing at his eyes. "C'mon, have a seat. You want coffee or something?"

Will shook his head, frowning as he looked at Jason.

A small smile played on Jason's lips as he gestured at the chair across from him. "What happened?"

Will was confused. Was he really that much of an open book? And why was Jason, of all people, sitting him down to what- talk? He slowly walked over to the chair and pulled it out, before sitting down, letting out a deep breath.

Jason repeated his question. "Did something happen between you two?"

Will's eyes widened before he shook his head. "No! Of course not!" He sighed. He didn't really want to talk about it with Jason, but it seemed a better option than talking to Nico, even though he really didn't want to go behind Nico's back. If there was really nothing going on, he'd rather make an ass out of himself in front of Jason than in front of his boyfriend. He heaved a sigh and looked down at the table. "I'm just scared."

"Scared?" Jason asked. "How come?"

"Well," Will started. "I know we've only been together for a really short time, and I feel kind of stupid for feeling like this, but since I went home, he's been, well… He hasn't really responded to my texts and when he did they were just one word answers."

"Ah," Jason said, "Silent treatment. Let's talk."

Will raised an eyebrow. Where would he even begin? Was there even something to talk about?

"Nico's sweet," Jason started, much to Will's relief. "He's my best friend, but he's a little…" He paused and bit his lip, trying to find the right words. "Awkward, especially about his feelings. You already know about his anxiety."

Will nodded. Nico's anxiety was the reason they'd grown closer together, so how could he forget?

Jason offered a warm smile. "I can't pretend to know what he's feeling, or why he's being so short with you, but chances are it's because he's anxious about something."

"That makes two of us," Will muttered under his breath.

"Talk to him," Jason said. "About whatever it is you're worried about. If there's one thing I know about Nico, is that he needs to have things spelled out for him, so he can't twist it into something else completely." He smiled. "Nico's a man of what-ifs, and I think you can relate to that. Don't leave things hanging between the two of you, or they'll fester into worries and anxieties that can be avoided with a simple conversation. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

"I just…" Will shook his head. "I wish we had more time to get to know each other before…"

Jason smiled sadly. "Before we leave."

"Yeah."

"Have you discussed that yet?"

Will shook his head. "No, that's why I'm here, actually. I don't even know when you guys are leaving, and what we're going to do when we're apart. And I don't want to wait until the last second." He groaned and buried his head in his hands. "But I don't know how to bring it up without making a big deal out of it. We've only been together for two weeks, who am I to start talking about two months from now? What if he doesn't mean for it to go that far? What if-"

Jason cut him off. "Will, relax. Talk to him. You'll figure it out, I'm sure. It probably won't be easy, but you two can make it work, I know so. Don't assume there's a time limit on you two being together, okay? If Nico ends up going for something, he throws his whole body and soul it." He checked his watch. "I'd love to talk more, but I really need to get back to studying. But don't worry, Will. Just talk it over."

Will got up and nodded his thanks to Jason. "I appreciate it."

"Anytime, man," Jason said, smiling, before turning his attention back to his laptop.

As he made his way over to Nico's room, the knot in his stomach felt a little less tense. Jason was right, of course. Nico hadn't chosen to be with him just to mess with his head; he didn't strike Will as the type to just ditch him when he'd had his fun. Nico had feelings for him, just as he had feelings for Nico, and it was time he stopped worrying.

"I don't know what you want me to do anymore," Percy admitted, staring at the carpet between his feet. "I don't know how to win your trust back."

He looked up when Annabeth replied, so quietly that he had to strain to hear it. "I don't know either…"

"So I guess we're stuck."

Annabeth nodded. "I guess we are."

Percy truly didn't know how to handle himself anymore. He wished he knew what Annabeth wanted from him. He knew being on his best behavior for a little while wouldn't bring back the trust that he'd broken, wouldn't solve the situation they were in. He knew it wouldn't make her love him as much as he loved her.

Ever since Christmas, they'd had conversation after conversation after conversation, and each and every one of those had ended the same way. I don't know. He didn't know, Annabeth didn't know, and he just hoped she'd make up her mind soon.

It wasn't fair to ask her for answers when she had none to give, but he wondered how long the two of them were going to stay in this limbo. He was reaching the end of his rope, out of apologies to give and out of ideas on how to proceed. The ball was in Annabeth's court.

He sighed and looked up, seeing the same thing he'd seen again and again in the past few weeks: Annabeth, slouching on her couch underneath a blanket, staring out the window at the building opposite hers, as if it held all the secrets in the universe. God, he'd give anything to make that frown disappear, to make her smile again.

Deciding to take a chance, he gathered the throw pillows on Annabeth's couches and sat down beside her, pulling the blanket away from her, earning himself a wary glance.

"What are you doing?"

He smiled and gently pulled Annabeth away from the armrest, propping some pillows against it before doing the same on the other side. "Come on, you remember this, right?" He smiled and threw the blanket over the backrest of the couch, completely covering them. "We used to make blanket forts all the time and tell each other our secrets."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows and sat up a little. "Percy, we're adults now."

"So?" He shrugged and reached out to take her hand in his. To his surprise, she let him. "I've got some secrets to share, if you'll let me."

Annabeth nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"I'm terrified," Percy confessed.

"Of what?"

Percy shook his head, chuckling bitterly. "Of so many things. I'm scared that you won't want to be with me, even if I'll have it coming. I'm absolutely terrified that I'll be a useless dad; that our kid will end up hating me. I'm scared that Nico and Jason will throw me out of the band for all the trouble I've caused. That the press will make your life a living hell." He sighed. "And so many other things. But what scares me the most right now is that we can't seem to find a way out of this mess we're in."

"Percy…" Annabeth said softly, and the guilt in her voice was like a punch to the face.

"No, don't. Don't feel guilty about it." He managed a smile. "No matter how we're going to find our way out of this, and what the outcome will be… Don't let me influence you. I don't want you to be with me out of pity." He took a deep breath and squeezed her hand. "If you do make that choice, I want it to be because you want to start a family with me."

"I'm scared too," Annabeth whispered, squeezing his hand back. "What if I'll be a terrible mother? What-" She shook her head, looking down.

"Hey," Percy said softly. "Don't think like that." He carefully wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, tucking her against his side. "You're going to be a great mother. The best. Little Percy or Annabeth junior couldn't wish for a better mom." He smiled at her, hoping to show that he meant it, before he sat up a little. "Can I ask you something?"

Annabeth nodded against his shoulder.

"You know you don't have to, you know… have the kid."

When Annabeth looked up, frowning, Percy was quick to elaborate. "I'll support you, whatever choice you make."

"I…" Annabeth hesitated, and Percy kept silent, allowing her the time to think. "I know I don't," she finally said, after a little while. "But I want to. And-"

Percy shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "That's all I need to know. If you want to have this baby, I'm right there with you." He tilted his head. "But what about your career? You've wanted to be an architect ever since you came over just to play with my Legos."

She shook her head. "I'm still young. I can work from home." She set her jaw, determinedly. "I can do this. I don't have to give up one for the other."

"What if…" Percy mumbled. "What if their dad was around to take care of them?"

Annabeth looked up, her grey eyes glinting. "Y-you mean…"

"Maybe," Percy whispered, hunching his shoulders. "You're not the only one who has some thinking to do." He took a deep breath. "But those are minor details, and we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves." He offered a faint smile. "For now, let's just see what we're going to do about us."

"Yeah…"

Another silence, but this one didn't feel as cold as the ones Percy was used to. Maybe they were finally moving in the right direction. Moving as slowly as they humanly could, sure, but progress was progress.

"If you want to, I'd like you to come by the hotel sometime soon. Meet Jason and Nico." Percy squeezed her hand again. "I'll treat you to dinner."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, looking up at him in disbelief.

"N-not as a date, of course! Just…" He smiled sheepishly. "As friends."

"Friends, huh?"

"Yeah. I-I mean… We could at least try to work towards that, yeah? You've always been my friend, and more than most…" He looked down, lacing his fingers with hers. "I miss that."

It was unmistakable. The twinkle in her eyes, the slight scrunge to her nose, her lips; Annabeth was smiling. It wasn't a full-on toothy grin, but Percy considered it a win. Maybe chasing a relationship had been the wrong move from the get go; maybe he just had to let things come naturally, and what better place to start than a friendship? It was what they were most familiar with, after all.

Annabeth closed her eyes, nodding minutely. "Friends."

Nico had been strumming on his guitar for god knows how long when there was a knock at his bedroom door. Just as he looked up, it opened, revealing Will in the doorway.

"Hey. Uh, Jason let me in."

Will looked a bit awkward, hesitant to come in, and aside from the anxiety that surged through his system at that moment, Nico thought it was endearing. Despite everything that had gone on in the very room they were standing in, Will was still shy - maybe a little too shy. Why wasn't he coming in? Why was he still standing there, looking like he had something to say that he didn't want to?

He took his headphones off and laid them down beside him before taking his guitar off, propping it up against the nightstand. "Hey."

"Are you okay?" Will asked, tilting his head a little as he did every time he was curious. It reminded Nico of a puppy.

He nodded, sitting up against the headboard. "I'm fine. Come on in."

Will closed the door behind him before he cleared his throat. "I uh, I think we need to talk."

"About?" Nico couldn't help but frown. One of his worst habits was always expecting the worst, even from the people he knew cared about him. He wished he could have a more positive outlook on things, knew not to trust the nagging voice in the back of his head that poisoned his thoughts, but it was hard. He was learning, but it was a slow process.

The first time Will had said they needed to talk, it had led to the start of their relationship, even when Nico has assumed the opposite, and yet, he couldn't help but assume that this time, things wouldn't end in something positive.

"Us," Will said quietly. "What we're going to do when-" He shook his head sadly. "When you leave."

Nico scooted over, patting the space next to him. One part of him was relieved, though another part of him wanted to strangle Will for his tendency for using breakup phrases for non-breakup situations. "I know," he said, looking down at his hands after he'd folded them in his lap. But I don't want to.

Will sat down beside him, but the space he'd left between them felt cold and harsh to Nico. All he wanted was for Will to tell him everything would be okay, that they'd get through it without a problem, that he'd wait for him to come back, but he didn't want to ask so much of Will. Even if he wanted to, he'd never find the courage to ask.

He'd tried to think about it after Will had left earlier in the week, when he'd finally had a chance to let everything that had happened since Christmas sink in, but he'd quickly forced the thoughts away. If there was one thing he was good at, it was living in denial. Maybe if he pretended he wouldn't have to be apart from Will, it wouldn't happen.

He really wished he had a decent answer for Will, that he knew exactly how they were going to handle being apart, that he had everything figured out, but the truth was that he didn't. He could barely admit to himself that he was terrified of thinking about it. What if they couldn't deal with being on opposite sides of the planet for long months? There were too many variables, too many possible outcomes. It was impossible to plan it out, and that, above all, scared Nico immensely.

A warm hand settled on top of his, jarring him out of his thoughts. Will was smiling ruefully when Nico looked up. "I don't want to think about it either," Will admitted.

"But we have to..."

Will nodded, letting out a deep sigh. "I just want to get the facts straight, so I'll know what we're up against. I don't even know when you're leaving."

Nico let out a bitter chuckle. "Want to hear something funny? I don't know either."

It was Will's turn to frown.

"I haven't asked," Nico admitted. He'd gotten plenty of chances to ask Reyna, and he was pretty sure their summer itinerary was sitting unopened in his inbox, but knowing would make it real. "I've never really cared about when we're leaving or where we're going. It's all equally exciting. Jason usually tells me when to start packing a few days in advance." He shook his head. "This time, I think I care too much, though." He looked over at Will, trying for a smile. "But I'll find out. I promise."

Will smiled at him. "Thank you. I just don't want to be caught off guard, like 'oh, hey, by the way, we're leaving next week'."

Nico searched for Will's hand. "I'll make sure to email you our itinerary tomorrow." He gave Will's hand a squeeze and scooted a little closer. "You really think we can do this?"

"I don't know," Will said. "It's not like I have any experience. But… But I want to find out." He nodded to himself. "I have some time off this summer, and if flights are cheap, I should have enough savings to try and visit, if you want. And we can Skype, and text, and call." He gestured between them. "It wouldn't be the same as this… And I'd miss you a lot, but we can stay in touch."

Nico smiled brightly. Will was thinking about sacrificing his savings to come visit him in Europe? Just a little while ago, he thought Will was going to tell him that he couldn't do it, couldn't handle being apart for so long, and now, Will was talking about visits, and possible ways they could stay in contact. It warmed him to his very core.

He leaned over and kissed Will on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered.

Will raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Nico shrugged. For having faith in us, he thought. "I just wish we had more time together before…"

"Me too." Will closed his eyes. "I feel like we barely know each other, you know? And you're going to be gone soon and…" He sighed, hanging his head.

Nico raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean, we barely know each other?"

"Well, for instance, I know you have that mole right underneath your left buttcheek, but I don't know a lot about you as a person, you know?" He grimaced. "Not that I'm saying you should just tell me everything, because I'd much rather find everything out naturally, but…" He sighed deeply. "I just wish we had more time, but we don't, so it's kind of useless to dwell on it."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Will said. "You have your job, I have classes. That's the way it is."

Nico nodded and leaned against Will, resting his head on Will's shoulder. "We should go on a date soon."

Will looked down at Nico, confused, which made Nico grin.

"I mean… Not like, outside or anything, because, you know…" Nico gestured around, smiling sheepishly. "Maybe we can go to the hotel bar again, or have a super fancy candle-light dinner here, or-"

"Or," said Will, "you could come to my place again, and I'll cook. We'll watch stupid movies and fall asleep on the couch again." He blushed a little. "I really enjoyed the last time so I thought-"

Nico pressed a soft kiss to Will's lips. "It's a date." He swung his legs over Will's and wrapped an arm around his torso, gently nosing along the side of Will's neck. "I absolutely loved our last date at your place, and I fully intend to make the most of the time we have left."

The laugh that bubbled up out of Will's throat made Nico feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He was still a little apprehensive about leaving Will behind for the better part of the year, and he still had his doubts to whether or not they could make it, but right now, he was happy. Maybe a future would be in the cards for them, maybe they could make it through the summer and come out stronger on the other end.

Whatever the case, he'd meant what he'd said. He was going to enjoy the time they had left, starting with now.

Happy holidays, and please leave a review!