The One That Got Away... (A Jasico fanfic)

Chapter 16

Jason pov

"Nico, I told you, I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me!" I was apologizing over and over and over again to Nico, who always turned his nose in the air and left. I watched his figure climb up Half-Blood Hill dejectedly, noting how his sword always was hitched a bit too high on his hip so it wouldn't fall off, how his jacket was shed and tied around his waist, showing off his surprisingly taut arms.

What had I done to screw this up? How had we gone from in love to the cold shoulder? 

Thankfully, Will wasn't making a hassle, saying how I had the right to be mad. I even heard him trying to get Nico to talk to me a few times, but it was useless. Nico was downright ignoring me. He never bat an eye when I tried to talk to him, much less talk back. I was so desperate I could even settle for a simple, 'How are you?'. But alas, my luck has never failed to wrong me.

"Hey, man, how're you holding up?" Leo walked towards me, grinning. He had been possessed by an eidolon, which was why his eyes were blue. If I had noticed his eyes were blue, then I wouldn't have trusted him, then me and Nico would still be perfectly fine... 

"Jason? Jason, you okay?" Leo was waving a hand in my face, his usual grin turned upside down. "Look, bro, Nico loves you. He wouldn't leave you for something as insignificant as a punch." I sighed and threw a pebble at the lake.

"But he won't talk to me, Leo. He's been giving me the cold shoulder," I whined, not caring how childish I sounded. "He needs you. When you walk out of the room, he practically wilts. He needs his Superman." I glanced up at Leo. "You think so?"

Leo smiled. "I know so. Now go and score your homie a big one!" he yelled, smacking my butt. I yelped and slapped him. "What was that for?"

"Emphasis, Sparky. It's all about the emphasis," Leo told me seriously. I burst out laughing and ruffled his hair. "Thanks, Leo."

"No probs. Now go and get some Nico booty!" I laughed again and turned to leave. Gods, Leo could be a hot mess sometimes.

Nico pov

I watched Leo and Jason laugh at the edge of the lake, wincing when Leo smacked Jason's butt. 

"Nico, dwelling over the problem never helps. At least, not in this case." Will was trying and failing to hit the bulls eye in the archery range.

"Said the person who spent an hour trying to not fail at archery." Will shot me a look and picked up another arrow. "My dad is the freaking god of archery. Why do I suck so bad?" I laughed at him. "I dunno, Will. Why do you suck so bad?" 

"I don't even want it to hit bulls eye anymore. I just want it to hit the stinkin' target!" He shot the arrow. It flew about two feet before face-planting in the earth.

"Will. We've been here for an hour." He was hopeless at archery. Not that I was any better, but he sucked even more than I did. 

"Nico!" Gods, couldn't Jason just leave me alone? Will nudged me. "You'll need to talk to him at some point. May as well do it now."

"What?" Jason stopped in his tracks, probably shocked that I was talking to him. "What do you want, Jason?" 

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit Will! Leo said that you two were kissing, and I didn't want to lose you - "

"But you still trusted him more than me," I finished, rather loudly. Will started to pick up the arrows that he had shot and putting the intact ones back in his quiver.

"I didn't want to lose you so soon, Nico. I've already almost lost you, twice, so you can't exactly blame me for not wanting it to happen again - " I turned my back on Jason.