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Jason Grace was dying. It was only a matter of time; in a couple of minutes, he would be in the Underworld.
It seemed ironic, the son of the king of gods, Praetor of Camp Jupiter, dying for a simple son of Hephaestus.
He would have taken the fall any day, as long as Leo stayed alive.
But…
Seeing Leo kneeling above him, tears streaming down his cheeks, heart broken, made Jason’s own soul crack.
Leo ignored the tears, letting them stream down onto the blood soaked ground, joining the dampness of Jason’s own blood.
He knew how hard this was for Leo, seeing his best friend die in front of him, knowing he couldn’t do anything. The wound was too big to patch up; the injury went right through his gut, blood pouring out of the open wound.
They didn’t have anything to pack or wrap the wound, and their best bet -- cauterizing the wound -- wouldn’t work, as Leo’s fire had run out of steam, having used it to take out the monsters that led them here.
Jason felt tears in his own eyes. It was too much, seeing how broken Leo was because of what had happened. He wanted to comfort him, but how could he? Jason was leaving Leo for the Underworld, and none of them could do anything about it.
In his last moments, Jason was determined to stay with Leo for as long as possible.
He prayed the gods would bless them with just a few more seconds… something, anything…
“Please…” Leo whispered desperately, hands at Jason’s wound, hopelessly trying to stop the bleeding. The blood, Jason’s blood, now stained his hands, a reminder of Jason’s fading life. “Stay with me…”
Jason swallowed, tasting the metallic flavor of his blood building in his mouth. He tried to speak, but blood forced itself out of his mouth, coughing.
Jason moved one hand, still stained with blood, to Leo’s cheek, cupping it.
His voice came out scratchy and rough. “Leo…”
“I’m sorry, I'm so sorry, I should have seen the monsters,” Leo rambled on, “You shouldn’t have to die because of me.”
“Leo, Leo…” Jason said softly. “This isn’t your fault.”
Leo looked as if he wanted to speak, but they both knew it was pointless; Jason wasn’t changing his mind, and they were running out of time.
“I love you, Jason. I love you so much, please, just stay a bit longer…” Their foreheads touched, and Leo squeezed his eyes shut, tears breaching through his eyelids.
The gods seemed to grant Jason’s wish in the most cruel way possible, as time seemed to stop for him.
How could he have waited this long? Waited to tell Leo about his feelings until this moment? His body was starting to go numb, his vision becoming hazy.
The time couldn't have been better, nor could it have been worse.
“I love you, Leo.”
His eyes opened; dying brown met dimming blue. He remembered how fiery those eyes would get when Leo was working on his projects, rambling on and on, the fires remaining with practically anything he did with a passion.
Now, those eyes burned brighter than before, and yet, looked duller than ever.
Jason couldn’t look any longer, and his eyes closed, his body growing weak. Such passion and devotion couldn’t be stared at forever. Its raw emotions couldn’t be handled, not for a son of Jupiter.
Not for a dead man.
Their faces moved closer, even with his eyes shut, he could feel the heat radiating off Leo’s body, a contrast with how Jason’s body was turning cold.
Their lips met, and for a moment, Jason felt whole again, warmth seeping back through his body. The kiss was filled with passion, but a longing for the other was always in the back of their minds, knowing what would happen when the kiss broke.
Jason’s blood stained the kiss, a lasting reminder that time was running out. He poured his heart and soul into the kiss, just to keep Leo alive, even for only a second.
But the moment couldn’t last forever.
As they separated, the warmth seemed to drain out of both of them. Jason’s body felt heavy, everything turning into a haze. He knew that Leo’s arms were wrapped around his body, desperately trying to hold on, but everything was numb.
“Don’t leave me alone again… please…”
It was a last ditch prayer, quickly falling apart, but it was the only thing he could do: praying for a miracle by the gods.
The Fates, however, had other ideas.
Jason’s hand finally fell from Leo, and the world fell around him.
Thanatos had arrived.