His ghostly-white feet glided smoothly along the cool marble balcony. Dreamily, he regarded the lush, inviting landscape as his lips twitched into a smile. Blossoming fruit trees swayed gently to and fro with the fresh spring breeze—the manner in which they moved made it seem as though they were waving to him, beckoning. The grass below shone radiantly with life and a stunning array of wildflowers mingled ecstatically among the lively emerald blades. Happy tears stung his half-lidded gaze; the gorgeous view relaxed him, made him feel safe and welcome. Soothingly, a sweet bird's song reached him from beyond the balcony, enticing him to leave it.

Oliver removed a foot from the marble…

…and descended. The air embraced him as a mother would a child, with all the love in the world; trees, flowers, and grass alike greeted him with their waves; in his ears the birds sang comfortingly, almost hypnotically, in order to keep his mind focused only on the beauty rushing about him.

A strong hand grasped his thin wrist suddenly, jolting Oliver out of the wonderful delusion. The singing ceased. Fearfully, pristine blue eyes widened as a surge of reality broke through. The breeze that had so tenderly handled him before now howled savagely as it stung and bit at his freckled skin; a torrent of freezing, raging rain aided the furious winds in their harmful agenda. Whipping his head around, he noticed the landscape that previously held so much allure appeared forbidding. The trees lashed about in a crazed fashion, scattering broken leaves in the muddy and flooded ground below.

"Ollie, what the hell were you doing?!" a frantic, familiar voice drew his eyes upward. His fears were melted away instantly.

Oliver smiled, ignoring the frightened tone of his lover. "Love, you've saved me once again."

Allen's expression was pained as he looked upon the other, and a twinge of guilt pricked Oliver. "Darlin', I was almost too late…you can't keep doing this. What if I don't catch you next time?"

He didn't answer; he merely continued to smile, as if to lighten the atmosphere. Allen tried to offer a smile in return, but his efforts ended in a mournful frown. Carefully, Oliver was lifted over the railing and held tightly in his lover's arms.

"I love you, poppet. I'm so sorry that I frightened you like that," he whispered, hoping that Allen could hear him over the roar of the storm. "I never meant for it to happen…it's just…I can't…"

Allen kissed him affectionately on the forehead. "Shh… I love you too, Ollie-Pop. It's ok…I'm here now."

Oliver released an exhale of relief and relaxed in Allen's embrace. He was safe; he had almost leaped off of that balcony again, right into the cradle that the earth seemed to invite him into. But Allen had saved him from that. He was Oliver's hero, a knight in shining armor who battled the demons lurking in the crevices of Oliver's damaged mind.

"Oliver! Shit, Oliver, don't move, darlin'. I'll be right there!" Oliver heard Allen's voice shout over the heavy rain, tone laced with undeniable fear, but his lips hadn't moved. Something wasn't right.

The one holding him abruptly vanished and Oliver was falling—falling back down, except the elements were turned against him now. There was nothing to comfort him on his way to the ground this time, nothing to distract him from the pain he would feel. His stomach dropped in fear and his heart rose in his throat as he opened his mouth to utter a blood-curdling scream, waving his arms frantically in a desperate attempt to find something to grasp but to no avail. No sooner than he hit the ground did he find himself back atop the balcony, disoriented.

"Ollie, stay right there… I'm coming to get you down. Just stay still, darlin'. You're going to be ok."

"Allen?" Startled by the voice of his love, Oliver quickly whisked around to see if he were truly there. His foot slipped on the wet marble.