Matt's POV:

Dropping Leo off at the airport was harder than I thought.

I imagined a few tears and the idea of already missing Leo like crazy, but I did not expect the amount of heartbreak I got when they announced the last call for his flight.

He hugged me tight while I cried into his chest.

"Hey, it's gonna be ok, it'll be over before you know it," he mumbles against my hair where his head was currently resting.

"I know, I'm just gonna miss you too much," I answer against his neck, still secure in his embrace.

"Yeah, trust me, same here."

"Well, guess I should let you go now," I say and start pulling away, but still looking down, not wanting him to see my puffy red eyes, even though it's not the first time he's seen me crying.

"Yeah. Hey," he calls out gently and puts his hands on my face to mantain eye contact. "It'll be ok."

He kisses me, gently yet passionately, for a few seconds before pulling away once again and wiping away the tears that were staining my cheeks.

"I'll see you soon," he whispers against my lips, in what I assume is the last kiss for the next months.

"I'll see you soon," I whisper back.

And with that he pulls away and moves to the gate, looking back with a small sad smile on his face and a little wave.

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One month since Leo went to college. We talk every day. Either Skype, Facetime, phone calls or texts. It doesn't matter if it's just a "good morning, how is your day going" or just random things, we never go a day without talking.

I know that sooner or later that's going to end and I'm already preparing myself for it, but when the time comes it comes, for now, I'll just make the most of it. And seeing as New York is far from here, he won't be able to visit all that often, so the next time he visits will probably only be in December for Christmas and New Year.

So... only about 3 months left. 3 months without Leo's kisses, hugs or anything at all. I miss him already. I don't know how I'm gonna make it until then.

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Three months since Leo went to college. Our daily communication has decreased tremendously, just as I expected, but we still talk quite often. And we still end every conversation with an "I love you", so I guess that's good.

But it's definitly getting harder and just a normal part of our routine.

My mom is also getting better at being a mom, just like she was before my dad's passing, so I guess things are going up on that front. Thank God, at least not everything is bad. Day by day I start trusting her mre and more. I believe we'll get to the mother and son relationship we once had. She's definitly trying. And that's good. It gives me hope that I'll be able to go to college and leave Chris to be cared by my mom. I guess I'll have to see how she deals with everything this year.

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Christmas is here and I'm currently waiting at the airport for Leo, like we agreed. He should be here any moment and I'm anxiously waiting for a very handsome guy with a mop of messy black hair on top of his head.

After a few minutes of waiting I still don't see him, even though he should definitly be here by now. I'm starting to get worried. What if he changed his mind? What if something happened.

My phone dings, signaling that I got a mensage, so I take the phone out of the pocket of my pant and see I have a text from Leo.

Leo: Sorry I'm late, there's a hot guy in front of me, I'll just get my flirt on.

What?! Oh my God, is that how he's gonna break up with me?! Is this guy even for real.

Just as I'm freaking out a voice whispers in my hear from behind, "Are you a parking ticket? 'Cause you've got fine written all over you."

I jump about two feet and the air and turn around about to send whoever said that to Hell.

But as soon as I turn around the words die in my lips, because in front of me, for the first time in months, is Leonardo. 

I don't even think twice before I jump in his arms and hug the life out of him. I don't even think about the fact that we're in the middle of the airport, with hundrends, possibly thousands of people running around. I kiss him, right there and ignore everyone else.

He kisses me back with just as much passion and squeezes me tight against him, so I'm guessing he doesn't have any complaints.

"I've missed you so fucking much," he whispers against my lips, repeatedly kissing me on the lips and all over my face.

"I forget how breathtaking you are." He compliments. "How amazingly gorgeous."

He rests his forehead against mine after a while just taking each other in, until we decide we should probably get going.

He only brought a duffle bag and a back pack, so we didn't really have to wait for his luggage. 

He throws an arm around my shoulders and we make our way to the car together.

"So, what was with the pick up line?" I ask, with a gleeful smile on my face.

"What about it? Don't try and tell me you didn't like it! There's plenty more where that came from...It's my new thing."

"Oh no," I mumble, already knowing what's coming.

"I was wondering if you had an extra heart. Mine was just stolen."

"Ok," I answer indiferently, but with a blush on my cheeks, nonetheless.

"Somebody call the cops, because it's got to be illegal to look that good!"

"STOP!" I push his shoulder, gently.

"Did you seat on a pile of sugar? 'Cause you got a pretty sweet ass."

"Oh my God!"

He laughed at my embarrassment and kissed my temple. I couldn't be happier.

-------------------

Unlike last new year's that started terribly, this one couldn't be better. I spent it with Leo and all our friends. The one's here, that were seniors like myself, Macy, John, Ethan and Harry;  and everyone else came back, like Leo, Jackson and Carter.

As soon as they could, Harry and Carter ran off together. You could probably guess what for.

Unfortunately, Jackson and Jessie broke it off, seeing as she was also younger and they didn't want a long distance relationship. They were both happy with that choice, though.

Leo's dad has also come around with the idea of Leo studying Art and is paying for tuiton, so Leo is over the moon seeing as his relationship with his father is better than ever and he has his dad's support.

  It was an incredible night, all in all. Even if a bit nostalgic.  

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Leo went back to New York three months ago, once again.

It keeps getting harder and harder getting by without him. And even though we still talk most days, it just gets less and less frequent.

One day we were talking on Skype, and it was going great, until his roomate came inside. Now, I had absolutely nothing against his roomate, Bryan, in fact, I thoughthe was great, I did, however, have something against his twin sister, Gia. 

Gia was beautiful and she knew it. Not to mention incredibly smart. At least she looked smart the few times I talked to Leo and she was there. And it was quite often.

And a thing I hate about her: she had access to Leo's room.

Like right now, when Leo was coming at me, to what I think was phone sex, over Skype, when the door to his dorm opened and a beautiful Gia came in, with a very tight dress and an incredible cleavage.

This was no Laurel. She knew what she was doing, she wasn't going in blind and hope for the best. She was cunning and conoving. And I did not like her at all.

"Hey, Leo! We're going to a party, are you coming?" She asks while resting a hand on his shoulder, exposing her breasts even more to him.

"No, thanks," he answers with an obviously forced smile. "I'm talking to my boyfriend if you didn't notice."

"Oh, yes," she replies with a smirk, and starts rubbing her hand up and down Leo's arm, before he grabs her wrist and pushes it off. She still doesn't let that stop her and turns to the computer screen. "Jack, right?"

"Matt," Leo corrects. "And we were busy, so, if you don't mind, I'd like to go back to talking to Matt. You know...my boyfriend."

She gives a fake smile, too and leaves the room, but not before pecking Leo on the cheek. Well, trying, because Leo seemed to know she was up to something, because he moved his chair, that had wheels, backwards and she fell slightly forward, then dusted herself off and left the room with the amount of dignity she had left.

"I love you so much," I say, laughing, once the door closes.

"I love you, too, Matt. A lot."

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It was a Wednesday evening, when Leo and I were talking, that I couldn't take it anymore.

I missed him too much and I just needed him, more than anything. And he wasn't here.

All the questions and doubts came at once. I didn't know how long I could keep this up. How would we keep a long distance relationship, with all my insecurities coming at me at the same time. He was there, surrounded by beautiful, older girls, who could offer him so much more than I could. And I was here, alone.

I didn't even know if I was going to New York, even though I applied for their astronomy program. There were things I had to consider, people I had to think about. Like my mom and Chris, that were fine, and better than ever, but I still didn't want to leave them.

So with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes, when Leo answers the Skype call, I do the last thing I wanted to do, "I wanna break up."

The smile he had on his face when I called disappeared in a second after he had heard what I said. 

This is what I was worried about. My insecurities getting so bad that I had to break up with him over a video call. I couldn't even do it face to face. It was just eating me at my insides that it got to the point I couldn't take it anymore.

The first tear drops, "I'm sorry, Leo, I just can't do this anymore... I haven't seen you in months!"

"I know, babe, I do, but please, we'll figure it out when the time arrives," he says, a tear also slipping down his cheek.

"The time has arrived," I whisper, with multiple tears now running down my face. "I'm sorry, Leo, I really am."

"No, Matt, please, c'mon, baby, I love you, I need you," he pleads, a heartbreaking look on his face.

"I love you, too," I whisper. "Goodbye, Leo."

"Matt, wai-" I don't let him finish that sentence before I end the call. I was afraid that if I didn't do it then, I never would.

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Leo has been blowing up my phone since yesterday, but I don't pick up and I don't even look at the texts, not wanting to be even more hurt.

I'm already mopey enough as it is, I don't need the gut wrenching feeling I get everytime I think of him.

I have other things to worry about. Things I need to focus on. Like school. And the acceptance or rejection letters I've been waiting for from the colleges I've applied to.

So I got home, I showered to calm myself down. I got out, put on my comfiest pair of sweatpants along with Leo's hoodie, that still smelled like him, seeing as I have about 4 of his hoodies and I save two of them for when I'm feeling particularly down. And even though this reminds me of him, I need the comfort it brings me right this moment.

So I go outside, to the mailbox, and low and behold, three college letters lay there. Oh no, small envelopes. I heard those aren't great. Oh no, I didn't make it.

I make my way inside, still inspecting the letters in my hands and biting my lip, already making plans for my college-less future, when something blocks the door from closing fully.

I look down and see a foot. Not something I like to see, but I look up and there stands a breathless Leo. 

He seems speechless for a moment, so I decide to break the silence, "Leo. What are you doing here?"

Only after I talk, do I realise how breathless I sound.

He speaks up then, "Your lips look lonely, would they like to meet mine?"

"What?"

"Yor hand looks heavy. Can I hold it for you?"

I can't help but chuckle at that, my eyes tearing up, "What is with your obsession over pick up lines lately?"

He smiles, "Well, I need to think about something other that you, if I wanna be able to focus and do somethig productive."

"Leo, what are you doing here?"

"Please, don't break up with me, I can't, Matt, not again, not like this," he answers and takes my face in his hands, stroking it slightly, like he can't believe I'm real.

"Leo, I-"

"You're wearing my hoodie," he interrupts, looking at me with so much love in his eyes, it almost painful to look at him. "You still look better than I do in it."

"Yeah, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to it just yet."

"You don't have to say goodbye at all."

And then he kisses me. 

I want to say no, to resist, but the truth is, I can't. 

I need him.

He stops after a while and pulls me closer to him, hugging me, nuzzling my neck.

"What is that?" He asks, pointing at the letters in my hands. "Wait, are those from the colleges you applied to?"

I nod, nervously.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's open them," he says and pulls me to the living room couch.

I was gonna tell him I was about to, but he interrupted. Not that I mind.

I opened the one I was more anxious about first: NYU. 

Leo touched my thigh, probably as a way of showing support and we both read the letter. If I got accepted everything Leo and I had planned would come true. We would get an apartment together, kind of in the middle of the way of the colleges and we would make our lives there. Where Leo and I would be happy. Together.

I opened the letter.

I couldn't believe it.

I got in.

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A/N: This chapter wasn't supposed to exist, I just thought you would like a little info of what their year apart was like. I hope you liked it, despite the fact that it was a little rushed.

There's only the epilogue left. I'll  be posting it tomorrow! XOXO