Work Text:
Prologue
It’s raining. The rain pelts your skin, drowns your hair. Before, you would care. You remember caring. The raincoats, the boots, even the umbrellas.
You walk up the stairs, a cell phone pressed to your hand. The hand pressed to your ear.
You makes it to the roof, a little out of breathe.
“It’s okay, really.” The man says. You lower your hand. He’s sitting down, his back facing the ledge.
“ I understand now,” he continues.
“Zack, is it?”
He looks at you, nods.
You open your mouth to speak—
“No. I get it, I mean. I understand,” he says. “ And, you know, thank you…for trying.”
He gets up, turns around, takes a step up.
“Wait!”
He turns and looks at you.
“Is there nothing I can do?”
He stares at you. “No.”
You look at him, see his resolve.
You sigh, resigned. “Okay.”
Then you run toward him and pull him with you over the ledge.