Edwin followed behind Jason, his walking a lot slower than it used to be due to the effects of growing old. He coughed a few times and collapsed to his knees, sending his husband into a state of panic which wasn't unusual nowadays given Edwin's old age. Eyes wide with worry and still holding the essence of youth, Jason dropped his usual tough guy act and dropped down next to Edwin, shaking him gently and asking him if he was okay, internally trying to convince himself that everything was fine. Edwin merely smiled and shook his head, knowing he didn't have much longer left, his face wrinkled with the weathering of the years but his hair the same snowy white it had always been, unaffected by the years of growing up a mortal, which had done little to improve him height wise. Edwin has been expecting this time for a good while now, preparing himself because there was nothing he could do to change it. Every day he looked in the mirror he was given reminder of who he really was, no longer the embodiment of the eternally-young and inspired artist he was inside, but now an old man, his fingertips still constantly stained by paint, as was the way he liked it, as art comforted him many a long night alone and helped him through many tough times in his life, an undying passion which was all he felt he was and would ever be. He looked around for a second, taking in the scenery around him and coming to grips with it probably being the last he would ever see, what a beautiful, bitter-sweet art is was, how ironic that the place he was to die in happened to be such art, splendid and magnificent in all of its natural glory, the two of them having taken a slow, relaxing walk in a nearby forest trail, Edwin wanting to go on an adventure and relive his youth years, if somewhat more slowly and clumsily footed. He snapped back to reality as he stared up at his husband's concerned face, worried streams of profanities spilling from his mouth; some things never changed.

'Calm down.' Quite words broke the line of curses and they both fell back into silence as one accepted and one denied what was going to happen, their eyes meeting. Jason didn't see the old man that was present before him, but rather the small and young and wild braided boy he had fallen in love with so many years ago. Although the years had seemed like a flash to him, still being blessed, or cursed, with immortality, depending on your personal views. Being the first to break the heavy silence around them, Jason spoke with a cracking voice and teary eyes:
'Don't leave me…'

Edwin merely stated that Jason knew this was going to happen and there was nothing that could be done to stop this.

'You're strong, so strong. I know you are. And I know you can get through this, I love you, and I will always love you, Jason Jones, never forget that.'

Jason shook his head and denied that he was strong, because he wasn't, and he couldn't take this, he wanted to be with Edwin forever, in their little world away from the fast-paced movement of life. Edwin quietly reached up and stroked his cheek, whispering declarations of love as the light began to fade from his eyes, promising Jason that this would not be the last time they would meet, and Edwin would be back for him, he promised Jason this. Eventually his breathing began to slow down and his eyes began to close, the hand slipped from Jason's cheek and his heart stopped, falling into the void of nothingness, letting death take him. The micronation of Molossia looked down for a few seconds before taking the sunglasses from his face and sobbing into the limp body of the man he had loved so dearly.

10 years later Jason was flicking through a photo album of his and Edwin's life together, running fingers over the photographs longingly, his face still as young and unwrinkled as ever, immortality seemingly lasting too long. Edwin had never returned.