Jason's greatest enemy was silence, aloneness. While he didn't mind it with you, he didn't want to wake you to save him from his thoughts, a battle he's lost time and time again.

He roamed the empty streets of New Rome, he couldn't wish more for the small talk of neighbors that would occasionally annoy him when the sun was out.

The city looked like it was straight out of a painting, Ancient Rome with a sprinkle of modern efficiency. It was truly beautiful, home to seasoned demigods and minor gods alike. Of course, now that you two were married and adults, you fell into the former category.

Things didn't play out as he expected all the time, but this unfolded exactly as he wished it.

Sometimes, he couldn't fall asleep unless there was some sort of noise in the background and sometimes sleeping on the cold, hard floor would help. Unable to sleep unless in harsh conditions, the reason was a blessing to many but the after effects were a curse to him.

Every once in a while, he'd leave the moment you fell asleep to walk around the city until he could no longer stand up straight. Unfortunately, he found himself back in front of your doorstep again, sleep still just out of his reach.

He sat down against one of the pillars of your domus, staring blankly ahead of him. What to think about, what not to think about. Battles that could have been better, decisions that should have been different.

He slowly became aware of your footsteps as his mind cleared with each approaching one. He wasn't taken off guard by your presence, but too exhausted now to acknowledge it.

Jason sat still, leaned against the pillar. To anyone else, they could tell he was tired but sleep wouldn't alleviate that need for him anytime soon.