Title: fire and foolishness
Author: ness
Disclaimer: I disclaim ownership.
Email: nessbut@yahoo.co.uk
Category: j/h
Rating: PG-13
Thanks: Big thanks to Elisheva for encouragement.
"You sure about this?" Scout asked.
"I'm sure about this." Hamilton slammed the door behind them.
"Because you don't look sure about this."
"Scout, he's sure about this. Look. Window. Balcony. Great outdoors."
"We're a storey up from the ground."
"So we climb down. It's like a ladder for godsake. The outer wall's all .." Jake did a weird flailing gesture "handholds."
"It's designed to get climbing plants up it." Hamilton was looking distant.
"Yeah probably." Jake studied him.
"Well c'mon then" said Scout.
"You first. We'll be right after." Jake continued to watch Hamilton.
Since they'd left the boy's bedroom it had all been smoke and emergency lights. Now she could see his face again. - unreadable as ever of course. Can't blame the grime either. He's got that aloof thing going. We don't have time for this - "What?"
Hamilton grimaced. "I feel bad about this now."
"Spill."
"I have issues."
"Issues" Jake repeated flatly.
"Height issues. Vertigo. I don't think I can do this."
Jake exhaled hard enough to set off a coughing fit. - sooty phlegm. ew. I disgust myself - "Hamilton" she said when she could. "You've got to. Nobody can do this for you. But I'll stay with you, every step."
Hamilton thought - he's smaller than I am, and kind of scrawny. If I lose my hold I don't see him being able to help. Oh. Can't say that -
"Theres a lot of light coming in from the trucks on the ground. It's like, floodlighting or something. We'll be able to see everything as we go down."
Hamilton winced. - this is not helping -
Jake pulled him to the edge. "Come on." She scrambled over and stood on the edge of the balcony holding onto the railing from outside. Facing Hamilton she glanced sidelong down at the wall's surface. "Yeah, okay."
"Okay?"
Jake stared at him. "Follow me."
Hamilton was paralysed.
"Don't you have any issues around burning to death?" Jake snapped. "Just sit on the rail. I'm this side of you. Swing round .. I've got you. Feel down with your leg. Got it? Riiight. I haven't got the reach you have so I'm gonna have to move to one side of you. Can you feel my hand on your back?"
"Don't you need it? you know, to hold on?"
"I'm cool. If I talk you down is that annoying or helpful?"
"Please."
"Hey I talk to you the whole time anyway." - oh look this is Jacqueline getting body contact with Hamilton. Note to self: put more small print in my wishes in future. This is not my original smutty girlish dream - "Reach over with your left foot for a lower toehold."
"I can't."
"I have my arm round the other side of you. You're not going anywhere."
Hamilton didn't move.
"You're really not going anywhere."
"I can't. What are you doing?"
"Moving down a step. Your left foot goes two inches left and then skim the wall downwards. Put your weight on the edge of the foot nearest the wall."
The climb seemed to take forever. Will and Scout helped them the last few feet.
"Vertigo huh" began Scout.
"One word of teasing and I'll kick your ass" Jake said with absolute sincerity.
"No. I will." Hamilton wasn't meeting anyone's eye but he spoke firmly.
"OK, fine" said Will. "We should check in with Finn as fast as possible. He had to contact Rawley. Your parents are frantic."
Jake squinted and winced. To her own surprise, for the first time she wasn't hoping that this was the start of her mom coming to get her out. She was starting to wonder how being a boy would play if her masquerade ran on.
"You sure about this?" Scout asked.
"I'm sure about this." Hamilton slammed the door behind them.
"Because you don't look sure about this."
"Scout, he's sure about this. Look. Window. Balcony. Great outdoors."
"We're a storey up from the ground."
"So we climb down. It's like a ladder for godsake. The outer wall's all .." Jake did a weird flailing gesture "handholds."
"It's designed to get climbing plants up it." Hamilton was looking distant.
"Yeah probably." Jake studied him.
"Well c'mon then" said Scout.
"You first. We'll be right after." Jake continued to watch Hamilton.
Since they'd left the boy's bedroom it had all been smoke and emergency lights. Now she could see his face again. - unreadable as ever of course. Can't blame the grime either. He's got that aloof thing going. We don't have time for this - "What?"
Hamilton grimaced. "I feel bad about this now."
"Spill."
"I have issues."
"Issues" Jake repeated flatly.
"Height issues. Vertigo. I don't think I can do this."
Jake exhaled hard enough to set off a coughing fit. - sooty phlegm. ew. I disgust myself - "Hamilton" she said when she could. "You've got to. Nobody can do this for you. But I'll stay with you, every step."
Hamilton thought - he's smaller than I am, and kind of scrawny. If I lose my hold I don't see him being able to help. Oh. Can't say that -
"Theres a lot of light coming in from the trucks on the ground. It's like, floodlighting or something. We'll be able to see everything as we go down."
Hamilton winced. - this is not helping -
Jake pulled him to the edge. "Come on." She scrambled over and stood on the edge of the balcony holding onto the railing from outside. Facing Hamilton she glanced sidelong down at the wall's surface. "Yeah, okay."
"Okay?"
Jake stared at him. "Follow me."
Hamilton was paralysed.
"Don't you have any issues around burning to death?" Jake snapped. "Just sit on the rail. I'm this side of you. Swing round .. I've got you. Feel down with your leg. Got it? Riiight. I haven't got the reach you have so I'm gonna have to move to one side of you. Can you feel my hand on your back?"
"Don't you need it? you know, to hold on?"
"I'm cool. If I talk you down is that annoying or helpful?"
"Please."
"Hey I talk to you the whole time anyway." - oh look this is Jacqueline getting body contact with Hamilton. Note to self: put more small print in my wishes in future. This is not my original smutty girlish dream - "Reach over with your left foot for a lower toehold."
"I can't."
"I have my arm round the other side of you. You're not going anywhere."
Hamilton didn't move.
"You're really not going anywhere."
"I can't. What are you doing?"
"Moving down a step. Your left foot goes two inches left and then skim the wall downwards. Put your weight on the edge of the foot nearest the wall."
The climb seemed to take forever. Will and Scout helped them the last few feet.
"Vertigo huh" began Scout.
"One word of teasing and I'll kick your ass" Jake said with absolute sincerity.
"No. I will." Hamilton wasn't meeting anyone's eye but he spoke firmly.
"OK, fine" said Will. "We should check in with Finn as fast as possible. He had to contact Rawley. Your parents are frantic."
Jake squinted and winced. To her own surprise, for the first time she wasn't hoping that this was the start of her mom coming to get her out. She was starting to wonder how being a boy would play if her masquerade ran on.