Jason goes rigid, stomach dropping, terrified at the very idea of it. Logically, there's nothing left to be scared of. His parents know. They've graduated. Notre Dame is a bust, since it's not like his parents are going to pay for it anymore. But the instinct is there, warring against the other instinct to immediately promise anything, whatever Peter needs if it means he'll stay, because he can't start promising things and go back on them later. Not when it's this important.

He takes a deep breath, almost visibly trying to fight through it. "I want -- I want to. I can try, I'm just. I'm still a fucking coward," he finishes, with a surge of bitterness he doesn't really mean to be there. All directed at himself, of course, because it's not Peter's fault that Jason's fucked up over this.