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The wind chilled his skin. His breath fogged out before him. The world splayed out below. It was all blurry, the tears spilling from his eyes warming his face.
He was a failure, he was weak, and he couldn't take it anymore. As he looked down as his sure fate, he faintly became aware again of the ringing tone of his phone, he had dialed the only number he could. His savior picked up, yet unaware of the importance of tonight.
"Henry?" Jasper's voice was tired, Henry had woken him up it seemed.
Henry tried to steady his breathing, but he couldn't as he began to cry.
"Hello?" Jasper snapped him back into reality.
"…Hey man."
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah- er, well, no… can… can we just talk for a bit?"
Jasper paused, and Henry heard some shifting on the other end of the line.
"Of course, Henry. Where are you?"
Henry gave a weepy laugh, "Nowhere important. Hey Jasp?"
"Yeah Hen…" Jasper's voice seemed preoccupied, and there was more shifting.
"You know, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you for… ages now…"
"What's up, Henry?" on the other end, a door closing could be heard.
"I-…"
The words fought against a sob to come out first. The sob won.
"Henry… take your time…"
He breathed deep, finding the phrase again.
"I… love you."
Jasper made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a panicked gasp. His voice lifted urgency.
"Henry, where are you."
"Like I said…" he looked over the edge of the sky scraper again, "nowhere important."
Jasper groaned, the background noise indicating he was out looking for Henry now.
"Henry, I love you too, and that's why wherever you are I need to know."
"Jasper, can I ask you something?"
"Anything." Jasper was desperate, sounding now like he was running.
"Do you think my dad will miss me?"
"Don't talk like that." He was inside now.
"Do you?"
"…Yes. He would." The sound of feet on stairs could be heard, and Jasper was panting slightly.
"Do you think Ray will miss me?"
"Of course he would, what kind of question is that?"
"I mean, do you think he'll miss me, Henry. Not Kid Danger."
"Yes, Henry, he'd miss you."
Henry chuckled before the next question, "What about Ms. Shapen?"
"Fuck, Henry, this is sick…"
"Do you really think she would?"
"We're all going to miss you if you do this."
"Who's even 'we'… you? Charlotte? Fuckin'…"
"Henry." Jasper was scared.
"Piper… she would miss me…"
"Henry." Jasper was warning him. Of what? Neither of them were really sure.
"Hey Jasper?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you promise me something?"
"Anything in the world."
The door to the roof opened behind Henry. Jasper saw him sitting with his legs dangling over the edge, phone in hand, leaning to the side as though nothing ever mattered; as though he were merely talking about the school day with Jasper over homework.
"Will you take care of her? Of Piper?"
"Henry…" the voice didn't come from the phone.
Jasper was clinging to Henry, pulling him off the ledge and back onto the roof. Jasper held him tight, letting him sob into his shoulder. He rests his chin on Henry's head, hands on his back, arms around him, making sure he was wholly off the eldge, wholly with him, wholly safe.
"Let's go home."
As they walked, the silence between them spoke louder and more than anything ever could. At Henry's house, Jasper turned to leave at the door, only to feel a tug at his shirt. He turned to see Henry holding on, an unspoken 'stay.' Jasper obliged, entering and following Henry up to his room.
In Henry's bed, Jasper held him again. Henry quietly sobbed out apologies, Jasper responded with whispered love, until the whole room went quiet, and they both had fallen to sleep.