Happy (almost) Julance!!!

happy (almost) julance!!!

i’ll be using these prompts next month for my art and anyone* is welcome to use these too for art or writing :)) tag me if you do!

***shaladins and weirdos do not use***

week 1: ocean or stars

week 2: loverboy or goofball

week 3: music or fashion inspired

week 4: birthday!!

Haikyuu Doodles (Click for better quality)

Jasico Week 2024 - Day 5

Words: 1,913 Rating: General Audiences Type: Oneshot

Description: Jason Grace, college-bound, is the most nervous he's ever been. His boyfriend, Nico, helps him relax.

Sidenote: This fic was written for @jasico-challenges Jasico week 2024 event!

Full fic under the cut! The formatting is a little weird here on Tumblr, so I recommend reading it on AO3 if you're going to. But, if you can put up with the weird dialogue spacing, good on you, go for it

Jason was excited to go to college. He wasn’t so excited to leave Nico back at camp, though. 

He remembered when he had first started looking at colleges after graduating from Edgarton. He sat in the Zeus cabin at Camp Half-blood. While its high ceilings and fancy architecture had never been particularly welcoming, he found himself returning to it more often than not. 

Nico stretched out beside him on his bed. A laptop Leo had fixed up sat in Jason’s lap, likely overheating. He chewed his lip, staring rather intently at the New Rome University pamphlet beside him, and their webpage on the screen. 

He looked up ‘Colleges in California,’ and an abundance popped up, each one looking more appealing than the last. Nico stirred. He closed the tab, guilty for no reason. 

Nico must’ve felt his body tense or just had some keen sense of knowing when his boyfriend was upset because he eyed him curiously for a second before giving up and burring his face back in the pillows. Jason resumed his search. 

“You know you don’t have to go to New Rome, right?” Nico said, slightly muffled from the pillows. 

“What?” Jason asked, half because he couldn’t quite hear him and half because he thought that was a crazy thing to say. 

Everyone in the world had been asking Jason if he was planning on going to NRU. That was an exaggeration, but that was what it felt like to him. After Percy graduated and was proving successful, everyone just assumed Jason would follow in his footsteps. In fact, not following in them would be crazy. 

Nico lifted his head from the pillows. “You can go to a normal college.”

Jason stared at him blankly. “I…know.”

“You sure?” Nico smiled, raising an eyebrow. 

Jason huffed. Nico sat up, putting a hand over Jason’s. 

“You don’t have to be a demigod all the time. It’s fine to just be a person, Jason.”

Jason wasn’t sure when Nico got so profound, but over the years he was noticing that he suddenly had a lot more to say. He managed to read the son of Zeus like a book, constantly reminding him that he should do what he wants, and not what he thinks others would want. 

Nico rubbed Jason’s hand with his thumb. “I know everyone’s telling you to go to NRU, but you don’t have to do that if it’s not what you want.”

Jason intertwined their fingers. “We’d get to see each other more. You’d be at Camp Jupiter anyway.”

“I can teleport,” Nico reminded, leaning his head on his shoulder. 

Jason tangled a hand in his hair. “You shouldn’t. It’s bad for you.”

“We can Iris message.”

“It’s not the same.”

Nico let the silence pool around them for a second. Jason wished he didn’t. 

“I want you to be happy,” Nico said quietly, moving his other hand so Jason’s was sandwiched between his. 

“I know you do.”

“Then why won’t you let yourself?”

Jason looked down at him. He paused, letting the words sink in so deep they started echoing in his head. 

“I don’t know.”

Nico moved his head so he could see the computer screen. “Open the tab you closed,” he said. Jason groaned. “Yeah, you thought you were slick with that, huh?” Nico laughed, watching him open his history and click on the most recent search. Jason rolled his eyes, grinning. 

They spent the rest of the night looking at colleges, wrapped up in each other’s touch. 

A few months later, the two had just finished making their rounds at Camp Jupiter, informing everyone Jason was off to college. They settled into Jason’s brand new car, testing the capabilities of his equally new driving skills, and began the too-long trip to a nice little university on the coast. 

Nico sat in the passenger’s seat, legs crossed as he watched the hills roll by. Jason would’ve taken time to admire him if he wasn’t so busy trying not to crash. 

Once traffic had cleared and they were on a smaller, less stressful road, Nico spoke up. 

“Are you excited?” He asked if only to fill the silence. 

Jason nodded. “Yeah,” he smiled, watching Nico move so he was leaning on the armrest. 

“Nervous?”

“Very much so.”

Nico smiled. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. However, if you join a fraternity, I am legally obliged to break up with you. Sorry.”

Jason rolled his eyes, hands relaxing on the steering wheel. “Darn. There go my plans.”

Jason looked Nico over, now given the chance without the stress of other drivers. He looked so casual, feet perched up on the seat, smiling as they talked. 

“How’s school for you?” Jason asked. Nico had recently started using a homeschooling program with Sally Jackson as his non-legal guardian—the school didn’t have to know that they were of no relation. 

“Good. I like it,” Nico said simply. 

Jason didn’t know how Nico was so casual about things like that. He never shied away from a challenge, even if he was nervous deep down. Jason wished he could do that. 

“What if I don’t like my professors?” Jason said suddenly, vocalizing his fears for no real reason other than knowing Nico would soothe them. 

“Switch classes,” Nico said. “Or, complain about them on Rate My Professors.”

Jason hummed. He’d had bad teachers in school before, how much worse could a professor be? He leaned back in his seat before deciding something else was nagging at him. 

“Do you think I’ll make friends?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Jason hummed again, trying to focus back on the road. His mind wandered yet again. 

“I don’t even really have a major picked out…”

Nico put his hand over Jason’s arm. “Jason.”

“What?”

“You’re freaking yourself out. It’ll be ok.”

He sighed, leaning back into the seat. “Yeah. I know.”

Nico rubbed slow circles into his forearm, watching the road for him. “Let yourself have fun with this.”

Silence filled the car again. Nico used his passenger princess privileges to take hold of the aux chord, subjecting Jason to the depths of his playlist. Jason didn’t actually mind as much as he pretended to, mostly because he got to watch Nico’s eyes light up as he explained in painful detail the backgrounds and facts of his favorite bands. 

They finally found themselves parked just outside the dorm building. Orientation was a few days ago, and Jason had attended and visited the dorm hall, so he had the key to his dorm practically burning a hole in his pocket. Nico carried a box with nearly all of Jason’s earthly belongings in it, while Jason had a clothes hamper full of everything he wore balanced on his hip. 

He finally managed to unlock his dorm, then turned to Nico before he opened it. 

“Oh my gods,” he said quietly. “What if I hate my roommate?”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “What?” he said back, not whispering. 

“You heard me!” he hissed. 

Nico chuckled before reaching over and opening the door himself. “You, Jason Grace, are not capable of hate. Besides, it’ll be fine.”

The door swung open, revealing a plain room with one desk and…one bed. It was a single room. 

Nico punched his arm playfully. “Boom. Just like I said. No problem.” He sat the box down on the floor, looking around. He tugged open the blinds, looking out at a bunch of concrete and the brick on the other side of the building. “And what a great view,” he joked. 

Jason rolled his eyes for the millionth time and walked over to wrap his arms around his boyfriend. 

“Are you going to be pessimistic all day?”

Nico feigned offensive. “I’ve been the picture of optimism all week, Jason. I’m wounded.”

Jason looked over at the slightly pathetic twin XL. An idea sprung to mind. 

“You should stay the night with me tonight.”

Nico laughed. “I don’t think that’s allowed.”

“When have you ever cared for rules?”

Nico laughed, letting Jason pull him into the middle of the room. He pulled Nico flush against his chest, wrapping his arms around him. 

“I don’t think we can both fit on that bed,” Nico said, a smile evident in his voice. 

“You can sleep on the floor.”

“I regret offering to help you move in.”

Jason laughed, and they got to work decorating his dorm with the few things he’d brought with him.

Once they were done, the sun had long set and it was far past visiting hours. Somehow, they hadn’t gotten caught yet. 

They both sat on the edge of the bed, talking absently about nothing and everything at the same time. Jason looked at the clock now on his nightstand and decided it was late enough to justify wrapping his arms around Nico and tugging him to lie down. 

Nico laughed as he was dragged, letting Jason put his head on his heart. Jason felt the laugh reverberate in his chest and decided it was his favorite sound. 

The bed was mildly uncomfortable, and they were practically on top of each other to fit. Although, they probably would’ve ended up like that anyway, so it didn’t matter all too much. 

“Do you remember, on the Argo, the night after the…” Jason trailed off. 

“Cupid incident?” Nico offered. 

“Yeah. When we stayed together in my room because I didn’t want you to take the couch again, but it was super awkward because we both had to fit on my bed.”

“I’m well aware. I was so embarrassed I thought I was going to die.”

Jason laughed. He was also pretty mortified at the time but was at least glad that Nico was getting some sleep. 

“That was when I realized I liked you,” Jason said. 

Nico looked down at him. “Really?”

“Yeah. You looked cute sleeping.”

Nico rolled his eyes, shoving him playfully. Jason pushed him back, starting a war. They had to stop pretty soon into their roughhousing, though, as they realized they were probably going to get caught if they kept being loud. 

“When did you realize you liked me?” Jason asked, moving to see Nico’s face. 

His cheeks twinged red. “It’s super dumb and embarrassing.”

Jason laughed, “I don’t care.”

Nico pushed him again, a little softer. “It was also on the Argo, near the end of the quest. I was sitting up in the crow’s nest, watching you and Leo talk on the deck. I was running on, like, ten minutes of sleep and it was late, so you were just in pajama pants, no shirt.”

Jason laughed, holding him tighter. “All it took was me being shirtless.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. I was just sitting there and thinking, mostly about you, then I looked down and you were just standing there. I had an ‘ah shit’ moment where I just kinda short-circuited.”

Jason laughed again, leaning against him. Nico huffed. “It’s not that funny,” he chuckled. 

Jason pulled him impossibly closer. “This really is just like old times.”

“The mattress is just as uncomfortable as the ones on the Argo.”

They continued their reminiscing late into the night, and mentally kicked themselves when Nico had to wake up early to catch the bus back to Camp Jupiter. 

Somehow, in the darkness of his dorm that night, Jason found all his worries melting away. He was starting something new, but, for once, he was excited about it.

It's finally here! The Interest Check for the Voltron Writers Zine is now open and will continue to be until the 18th of July!

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Jasico Week 2024 - Day 2

Words: 1,212 Rating: General Audiences Type: Oneshot

Description: Jason doesn't know what a nickel allergy is, but he does know the bracelet Nico gave him kinda itches.

Sidenote: This fic was written for @jasico-challenges Jasico week 2024 event!

Full fic under the cut!

Jason never wore jewelry. It was half because he didn’t have any and half because he could never seem to find anything that looked quite right on him.

His frame was too broad for delicate pieces, and his personality was too soft for anything big to look natural. So, he settled on nothing.

Nico was quite the opposite. He had a ring on his hands and a bracelet around his wrist all hours of the day no matter what. Jason could agree that he just didn’t look himself without something to decorate his outfits.

It wasn’t a huge surprise when Nico gave Jason a simple bracelet for their anniversary. He was known among their friends for gifting jewelry and shiny things in general, much like a crow.

They had been curled up in Jason’s college dorm. Nico shadow traveled from camp, despite Jason’s reprimanding for using his powers when not totally necessary.

When presented with the bracelet, Jason studied it carefully. It was a simple golden chain with a heart-shaped charm in the middle and Nico’s initial carved into it. Nico held up his wrist, providing a clear view of his own. His was silver, with Jason’s initial where his was.

Jason grinned, allowing Nico to help his inexperienced hands put it on, and didn’t take it off for weeks.

There was the problem.

Weeks. Jason had gone weeks without looking all too closely at his arm, just looking at the bracelet.

One night, after slaving away on a model due for his architecture class, he found his hands covered in glue. He walked through the dorm halls until he got to the bathroom and briefly took off his bracelet to wash the glue off his hands and wrists.

That was when he saw it, a ring of red irritated skin. Jason pulled his wrist to his face to closer examine it. He pulled up his glasses as if that would help.

After a few seconds of staring, he decided it was nothing, put his bracelet back on, and walked to his dorm.

Jason was not a smart man.

He fell asleep, and the next morning started the way back to camp via every form of public transportation available for fall break. Could he get a driver's license? Yeah. Was he going to do that anytime soon? Probably not.

He got to camp at an awful hour of the night and proceeded to essentially break into Nico’s cabin and crash out next to him, hardly taking the time to change into his pajamas. Nico was dead asleep but didn’t seem to mind the cuddling. He woke up briefly to press a kiss to Jason’s cheek, but the second his boyfriend quit moving around, Nico was out again.

The next morning, Jason opened his eyes to Nico also awake, wrapped around him and playing a game on a gameboy with dubious origins. He pulled him closer, burying his face in his chest.

Nico laughed, the sound reverberating his chest against Jason’s ear. “‘Morning,” Nico said, stooping down to kiss Jason’s head. Jason could hear the smile in his voice without even having to look at him.

Jason grumbled in response and would’ve fallen right back asleep then and there if Nico hadn’t dragged him out of bed for breakfast. Nico got dressed, Jason did not.

They walked out, blinking against the morning sun, and reached the breakfast line. A few people greeted Jason, telling him how much they missed having him at camp. He was too tired and poorly dressed to have much comment but did his best to match their energy.

They sat down at the Hades table. Seeing as Jason was a guest, he could sit wherever he wanted. Also, he’d be damned if he came all the way to New York only to be forced to eat breakfast away from his boyfriend. The harpies could eat him whole for all he cared, he would sit where he damn well pleased.

Nico finished his food and played with Jason’s hand absently as he waited for him to finish his. It was a subtle routine. Nico liked to keep his hands busy, and he quite enjoyed non-extreme PDA, so hand-holding evolved into Nico toying with Jason’s hands from time to time.

Nico’s hands suddenly stopped, and he leaned down to examine Jason’s hand. After a few minutes of careful scrutinizing, Jason was starting to miss the sporadic nature of Nico’s physical touch.

“What?” Jason asked, attempting to rub sleep from his face. Nico held his hand down so he wouldn’t retract it. “What’s going on with your wrist?” Jason looked down, following Nico’s gaze. “Oh, I dunno. It just started doing that.”

Nico reeled back, looking up at his face. “And you didn’t…I don’t know…think it had something to do with the bracelet?” Jason returned his eyes to his breakfast with a shrug. “It’ll go away.”

Nico examined a little closer, taking off the bracelet and laying it on the table.

“Does it itch?” he asked. Jason sighed. “Sometimes. It’s fine though. It does that sometimes.” “When you wear jewelry?” Nico asked.

Jason sighed again, a little louder to get the point across. Then, he realized Nico’s question wasn’t all that dismissable. He wracked his brain for a moment before concluding that his answer was affirmative.

“Yes,” Jason said slowly. Nico snickered. “Jason, light of my life, my love, you have a nickel allergy.”

Jason looked down at his wrist again. “I do?” Nico nodded. “Mhm. The bracelet was not real gold.” “It wasn’t?”

Nico laughed again, this time slightly louder, as if that was a funny statement. Jason furrowed his eyebrows, but couldn’t help the smile that crept up his face.

He shook Nico’s leg. “What? What’s funny?” “Nothing, nothing,” Nico said, ending his laughter. Jason shook him again. “Why’re you laughing?” “It’s just-” Nico started snickering again. “You seriously didn’t think anything of it?”

Jason threw up his hands in feigned annoyance before returning to his oatmeal. Oatmeal could not save him from his giggling boyfriend, though.

A few weeks later, when Jason came back to camp for winter break, he spent the whole thing in Nico’s cabin.

About halfway through an Italian movie Jason did not understand but was happy to be a part of, Nico suddenly stood. “Oh, I forgot. I got you something,” he said, walking over to his desk and digging around for a minute. He returned, plopping back on the floor in front of Jason’s school-issued Chromebook. “Hold out your arm,” he instructed.

Jason did as told, pulling his arm from under the pillow he was lying on and holding it in front of Nico.

“Close your eyes,” Nico said again. Jason obliged like he always did when it came to Nico.

When he opened his eyes again, a bracelet made of purple thread adorned his wrist, no nickel to be seen. Nico held up his own wrist, showing his black matching bracelet.

Jason smiled. “Did you make these?” He asked, examining the slightly botched threading. Nico nodded, slight hints of embarrassment playing in the red of his cheeks. “Yeah.”

Nico opened his mouth to speak again, but Jason tackled him in a hug before he could get the words off his tongue.

Jasico Week 2024 - Day 6

Words: 2,396 Rating: General Audiences Type: Oneshot

Description: Nico “needs” a date for his work party. His best friend, Jason, agrees to tag along. Little do they know, they’ll be forced to face the feelings they’ve been avoiding for one another since high school.

Sidenote: This fic was written for @jasico-challenges Jasico week 2024 event!

Full fic under the cut! Small warning, the formatting is a bit weird here and I do prefer AO3 lol

Nico was successful. More so than he really liked being. 

He liked his job plenty. Being a lead programmer for a major video game company not only paid well but was also his dream. He got to sit at a desk in front of a computer alone all day. Heaven. 

Hell, in his best friend Jason Grace’s opinion. He always did nag Nico about things, from needing a more ergonomic desk chair to needing to invest in blue light glasses. Jason was somehow his biggest supporter and his number-one hater. 

They went out for coffee every Friday that their schedules would allow. It definitely wasn’t a date—although, they took turns paying and more often than not made some more than friendly comments. Nico was choosing to ignore that for now, though. 

He had a ginormous crush on Jason and had since they met in high school. Right now, though, his job left no room for commitment and his own personal struggles certainly couldn’t handle that kind of stress. So, his feelings were put on the back burner. 

Nico sat in the coffeehouse, currently thinking about that very problem like he always did before seeing Jason. He looked up as the bell on the door rang, and he locked eyes with the man himself. Somehow, he managed to pack his feelings away like neatly folded origami deep into the corners of his mind. That didn’t make it go away, though. 

Jason clapped him on the shoulder. “Hey,” he said, sitting down in the seat beside Nico rather than the one across from him. He always did that. Nico never knew why. 

Nico sipped his coffee. He didn’t actually like coffee in the slightest, but Jason did. “Hello,” he said back, eyes flicking to look at him. 

Jason wore a pretty regular outfit for him, blue jeans and a light purple hoodie. He had a hat with some sports logo on it Nico couldn’t bother to recognize. Somehow, he made basic clothing look like an angel’s robes. At least in Nico’s opinion. 

“How was work so far?” Nico asked, knowing Jason was on his lunch break currently. 

Jason groaned, sitting back. “No one told me I had to be good at math to be an architect,” he smiled. 

Nico snickered. “I remember telling you that.”

“You’re crazy. That didn’t happen.”

Jason ordered his drink before coming back. Nico tried not to watch. 

“How has work been for you lately?” Jason asked, settling back down. 

Nico practically winced. “Fine.”

“You sure?”

Jason could read him like a book, and Nico was not fond of it. 

Nico put his hands up dramatically. “Fine. Ya got me.” He sighed, starting a rant that had been bubbling inside him for quite a while. “There’s this work party coming up, and I have to go because, y’know.”

Jason nodded. He did know because he always knew when it came to Nico. 

“And I’d usually just have Hazel come as my plus one, but this is a Valentine’s Day-themed thing, and it was kinda implied that it was a couple plus ones only. And since I don’t want people to think I’m ’Sweet Home Alabama’-ing my sister, I just have to go alone. Which is gonna suck.”

Jason sipped his drink and nodded as Nico talked. He knew about Nico’s aversion to attending events alone, mostly because he had always been that way. Jason couldn’t think of a single time that Nico had willingly gone anywhere that included other people without begging someone to come along. Nico referred to it as the buddy system. Jason and Nico’s therapist referred to it as social anxiety. 

“I could go with you,” Jason proposed. 

Nico raised an eyebrow. “Jason. We’re not…together,” he said, half a statement and half a question. 

They had a pretty questionable past. A kiss in high school that they both brushed off as nothing and some here and there tipsy flirting were huge roadblocks in their ‘totally normal friendship’. They never bothered to address their own concerns, seeing as they didn’t think the other person minded. They both most definitely minded. 

“I’m aware,” Jason smiled. “Your coworkers don’t have to know that, though.”

Nico couldn’t help but smile back. “How rebellious.”

They went on about their conversation like nothing had happened, even though both their cheeks were a little redder than how that had started. 

A day later, Jason called to confirm their heist. Nico sent him the times, day, and dress code. 

Their stunt was working wonderfully. 

Nico picked him up thirty minutes before they had to be at the venue, very pointedly ignored how good his neat blue button-up looked on him, and parked his car right outside the front doors. 

“This will be hell. I won’t think any less of you if you jump ship now,” Nico said, putting his car in park. 

“I’m sure it can’t be that bad,” Jason laughed. 

Nico shrugged, getting out of the car and leading him inside. Almost immediately, it was hell. 

The music was too loud for Nico’s taste, even though it truly wasn’t all that loud. The food was questionable at best. Worst of all, everyone seemed very interested in who Jason was. 

Nico stood beside him in a corner, currently getting mobbed by two of his nosiest coworkers. By mobbed, they were just standing near them and whispering. However, Nico felt berated. 

Jason, out of habit, draped his arm over Nico’s shoulder. While it was definitely selling their clever lie, it was also only worsening Nico’s embarrassment. 

Nico leaned up to talk to him in an attempt to end his screaming thoughts. “Is this everything you dreamed of?” 

Jason snickered. “You weren’t lying. I see why you always bring a plus one.”

Nico’s attention was evaded as the cork of a bottle of wine was popped. The two turned their heads, ears assaulted by the cheering of a few coworkers. They watched as wine was poured into a few glasses, then another bottle was popped and more was poured. 

They looked at each other, grinned, then proceeded to make their way over. 

The second they reached the table, Nico’s boss clapped him on the shoulder. Jason’s face flashed with something Nico couldn’t quite pin. 

“Di Angelo,” he grinned. “Good to see you. Spouse?” he asked, pointing to Jason. 

Nico wasn’t sure why, but he nodded. “Boyfriend,” he said with enough ease to convince anyone it was true, including himself. 

He knew deep down he didn’t have to say that. This wasn’t truly a couple’s exclusive event, and no one would’ve cared if he just brought a friend. However, maybe he wanted to pretend, if only for a few hours, that Jason was more than that. Maybe Jason was ok with that too. 

Jason outstretched a hand to greet his boss, smiling a corporate smile. “Nice to meet you.”

The man smiled back, clapping his shoulder. “You too, sir.”

He said something Nico wasn’t fully listening to and wandered off to talk with more people. 

Nico practically chugged a glass of wine, using Jason for cover from watching eyes. Jason laughed, sipping his own like a normal person. 

“This does not taste good,” Nico said, putting the glass down. 

Jason nodded in agreement, putting his glass down still half-full. “Not as good as your fancy pants Italian ones.”

Nico rolled his eyes playfully, looking out at the sea of coworkers. Jason’s arm stayed around his shoulders as they talked, occasionally interrupted by people interacting with them. Almost like that’s what you’re meant to do at a party. 

One gross glass of wine later, and Nico was pretty sure he was dead and in hell. The conversations droned on, the people somehow got annoyingly louder, and worst of all, this was seriously cutting into the time Nico had set aside to nap on his couch and watch horrible reality TV. They had to get out of here. 

Then, one of their social media managers walked over, grinning like she always was. 

“Nico,” she smiled, “great to see you!”

Nico nodded back, less enthusiastic. “You too, Olivia.”

She addressed Jason, who had partially forgotten his arm was still around Nico. “And you are?”

He held his hand out. “Jason. Nico’s boyfriend,” he smiled back. 

She clapped her hands together before shaking his. “Oh, that’s lovely!”

Nico wasn’t sure where she got the energy to be so bubbly, and he was jealous. 

“Nico, I didn’t know you had a partner,” she said, turning back to him so fast the ruffles on her dress swished around. This was a nice way of saying “Nico, I thought all you did was work.” At least, that’s what Nico was pretty sure she meant. 

He nodded. “Recent development,” he smiled, leaning into Jason unintentionally. Jason put two hands on his shoulders to steady him, and hopefully hide how much wine he’d had tonight. 

Olivia nodded, grinning still. “Can I ask how you two met?” she asked, as always looking for a scoop. 

Nico faltered, but Jason spoke quickly. “Childhood friends,” he said, “I’ve had a crush on him since college, but he’s truly oblivious.”

Nico could feel his face getting red. He decided that the last part was unnecessary, and Jason just tossed it in to mess with him. Totally not a confession. Definitely not. He was just overthinking it. 

Olivia smiled so wide Nico thought her face would rip in half. “Well isn’t that sweet!” she looked over her shoulder at some commotion behind her. “I’ll get outta your hair now. Enjoy the party, you two,” she called, already walking away. 

As soon as she was out of earshot, Nico leaned up to Jason to whisper to him, “Let’s get out of here before my brain melts out of my ears.”

Jason laughed, significantly less tipsy and significantly less bothered by social interaction. “How could you say that, they just opened up the mic for your beloved coworkers to try their comedy skills out.”

Nico groaned, accidentally grabbing the attention of an intern he didn’t know the name of. “I need you to throw me out that window and into the highway, Jason.”

Jason laughed again, a little more sincere. “I can’t do that, then I’d have to actually buy a suit for your funeral.”

The seconds Micheal from art picked up the microphone, Nico decided that was enough for him and started shuffling towards the door. 

He waved bye to anyone who he knew would be texting him pictures from the party the next day and practically shoved Jason out the door. 

As soon as they were outside, they both sighed into the cool night air. 

“Give me your keys,” Jason said, holding out his hand. 

Nico raised an eyebrow, already starting to walk to the driver's side. “Why?”

“Because you’re tripping over your feet and I’d rather not get arrested tonight.”

He rolled his eyes but tossed him the keys and resigned himself to the passenger's side. 

Jason let the drive go by in silence, knowing that was how Nico liked it. Nico, meanwhile, was having a crisis. 

He just couldn’t wrap his mind around how they had done that so easily. It hardly even felt awkward. They didn’t even tweak how they acted with each other, they just said they were dating and everyone believed them just like that. 

Maybe it was the wine in his system, but Nico felt something nagging at him he just couldn’t ignore. 

“Hey,” he said, looking over at Jason.

His face was illuminated by street lights and whatever shone in from the city into the highway. “Hey,” he said back, smiling. His voice was soft, which wasn’t helping Nico’s dilemma. 

Nico shifted in his seat to see him better. “What was up with the college thing?” He asked, trying to sound nonchalant despite the screaming inside him. 

Jason stared straight ahead at the road. “Just telling the truth, Nico.” 

Nico tensed slightly. He couldn’t tell if Jason was joking or not. 

“What?” He asked, not thinking straight enough to see the glimmer of resignation in Jason’s eyes. 

“I wasn’t lying,” Jason repeated. 

“Oh.”

Jason looked at him, a quick panicked look with the closest thing to fear Nico had ever seen on him. 

Jason opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to backtrack. Nico put his hand over his mouth, face reddening by the second. 

“No, shut up,” Nico said, but there was no bite to his tone. “I’ve had a crush on you since high school.” 

Jason looked back to the road briefly. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

They sat in silence while Jason pulled into Nico’s driveway, faces red as they tried to think of what to say next.

Jason looked over at Nico quickly, trying to decipher his emotions. “For the record,” Jason started, “I’m not trying to guilt you into a relationship right now.”

“I know,” Nico nodded. 

He leaned back. “Cool.”

“Cool.”

Nico paused. Their situation was almost comical but in an awful kind of way. 

“And, also for the record,” Nico said softly, “the only reason I never confessed was because I didn’t think it was the right time…for either of us.”

Jason nodded. They both avoided each other's gaze. 

“So, what now?” Jason asked. 

Nico thought for a second. “I don’t think I’m ready, I don’t have the time to date. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

Jason hummed, though he looked disappointed. “Right. Me neither.”

Silence. The silence was painful, only the sound of the car running and Nico’s dog barking in his backyard bounced between them. 

Either the alcohol was getting to him, or Nico was losing his mind. “Hey, Jason?” Jason looked up, a glimmer of hope behind his usually confident eyes. “Can we just pretend? For tonight?”

Jason smiled. “Yeah. I think I’d like that.”

They stumbled inside, and for the rest of the night, they were lovers. It didn’t matter that they had work the next morning, and it didn’t matter that they had responsibilities to get home to. What mattered was they fell asleep beside each other, content for once. 

The next morning, when Nico woke up tangled in bedsheets, Jason was gone. They met up for their regular coffee day later that week and acted like nothing had happened. 

Maybe it wasn’t the right time just yet, but if they waited, maybe it would be.