Zephyr threw his arms out to the sides the moment Sy released him. He slid another couple inches down the roof before he felt it.

His one chance.

The heel of his boot snagged into the free spot left by a broken tile. For a heartbeat, his life was balanced on nothing but the roof tile he perched upon.

And then it broke.

His foot caught the next one, and this one held. Zephyr released the breath he had been holding. Still laying as flat against the roof as he could, the young man took a moment to do nothing but breathe.

Sy's nervous, relieved laughter came from above. "Thank you, thank you!"

Neither boy was certain if Sy was talking to Zephyr or God.

"Are you alright?"

Zephyr nodded. "I'm fine. Give me just a moment for my muscles to relax. I think I know how to get up, Quasimodo taught me a few things about climbing on roofs."

"I'll have to write him a thank you letter first thing tomorrow," Sy answered. "And now I regret that I was never brave enough to let him teach me."

Zephyr just smiled. "You learned to walk a wire from Madellaine, though. Seems pretty brave to me."

"Walking a wire is very different than running around on rooftops. She never let me more than a couple feet off the ground. He had you up and about in true danger."

The chatter was a nice distraction, a good moment to breathe and to pretend, just for a moment, that Zephyr hadn't almost died. But now it was time to focus.

"Alright, Sy, can you lay on your stomach and just reach your hand down towards me? I don't need to use you for weight, just balance, okay? I'm just going to put a hand on you while I turn around so I can face the roof."

"Alright." Sy stretched out as instructed and inched himself forward just far enough that he could stretch his arm down as far as it would go. "I'm ready."

Zephyr reached up over his head. It took him a moment to find Sy's hand, awkwardly patting at clay and air as he searched for the only life up here with him.

For his life line.

Their fingers brushed each other. Zephyr grabbed on. The boys clasped hands, taking a second simply to breathe and to feel that physical reminder that they were still together.

Carefully, delicately, Zephyr eased himself over. His heart was in his throat, forever expecting the moment his foot slid on the wet clay, sending them both plummeting to the ground.

But his footing remained steady.

Slowly, carefully, Zephyr began his ascent.

Really, it only took a matter of seconds. Barely a few heartbeats, just a couple breaths, and Zephyr was up on the safe portion of the roof. But to the two boys, it had felt like hours.

Sy flung his arms around Zephyr's neck and squeezed. Zephyr didn't even mind being choked to death. It was better than falling to his doom.

For a moment the boys remained like that, locked together and just breathing together. Just relishing the fact they both were still breathing. Finally Zephyr set his hands on Sy's shoulders and gently pushed them apart. "I'm safe."

Sy drew in a slow, shaky breath and nodded. "Y-yeah." He wiped away the tears from his cheeks and offered a small smile. "You're safe."

Zephyr ruffled Sy's hair and sat down against the rooftop access entrance. "It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was!"

"You didn't shove me off, Sy," Zephyr couldn't help from laughing. The very notion that Sy was responsible was, well, laughable.

"Yes it was, I wasn't paying attention. I got distracted just thinking about…about nothing!"

"Hey, hey," Zephyr shook his head and took Sy's hands. "No. This is not your fault. You can't not think. It's late, we're both tired, I shouldn't have asked you to be on guard at this time of night. I know you've barely had any sleep, I shouldn't have put us in danger like that. I'm older, I'm senior, it's my job to keep us safe."

"And you should be able to depend on me. Being senior doesn't mean that everything is on you. I should be able to guard someone while they sleep."

Zephyr sighed softly. Sy was too stressed out for logic. Perhaps a change in topic instead.

"What were you thinking about?"

Sy glanced up at him. "I..don't know. Nothing in particular. Just life?"

Zephyr chuckled. "Yeah. I do that too. Mostly about if I'm messing mine up. Am I disappointing Grandpa, or Dad. Am I going to make something of myself. It's tough, you know?"

Sy nodded. Slowly the tension eased from his shoulders. He turned, sitting cross legged and facing Zephyr. Zephyr was leaning back against the wall, one knee bent with his arm propped on it, one leg dangling down the incline that had nearly claimed his life.

"I know. It feels like there's so much pressure all the time."

"Exactly." Zephyr tipped his head back, beginning to sing softly.

"There's a standard set in place,

A bar that has been raised,

We were not told how high,

Or even just how many,

Only that we must make our jump,

But if we can not stick the landing,

Then it feels like we are forever falling."

Sy winced at Zephyr's choice of analogy. Even so, he drew a deep breath and responded with a verse of his own.

"Falling forever with so much time to think,

About everything they say you have done wrong.

Failing to please is not an option,

Not a choice in the equation.

We must live up to the standards set by strangers,

And reinforced by holy blood ties.

How do we juggle all their cries,

As their tears run down our faces?"

Zephyr sat up straighter, his leg folding in front of him as he met Sy's eyes.

"Can't let tears to dry on our faces,

Imperfections are off the table,

There's no time when we are so unstable

On a disk that's always spinning,

Constantly sprinting,

Round and round and round they're rounding on us now,

Constantly watching, constantly judging,

We will keep it up or we will lose our place

And be sent spinning off into space

There are so many that are foaming at the thought of taking our place."

Sy straightened his spine and smoothed out his clothes. He folded his hands in his lap, as if awaiting instructions from an invisible person standing just out of sight.

"Taking our place at the table,

Sitting neatly waiting for the social cues,

Minding our manners and waiting to see if we are dining,

On our fears and insecurities.

Feeding the suspicions and exposing the abnormalities

Holding it together, putting on a brave face,

How can you save face when they're constantly chipping away to get to your disgrace?

Hide the shame, Hide the fear,

Show them what they want to hear."

Zephyr reached over and took Sy's hand between both of his.

"Show them what they want to hear,

Stand up tall and proud

When they speak be loud and clear,

And show them you've been put in place

In the place where you belong,

You must be strong,

To defend your position in front of the crowds,

Always leading, never falling, or they'll march over you to reach the clouds,

Every failure, each disgrace, is another step up for them to win the race

You must show them this is your true face,

You must convince them this is your place."

Sy squeezed his hand gently as he continued their duet.

"This is your place in life,

in school, in church, and at home.

But every home has its fami-lies,

The half truths and the hidden cries,

Standing united before the standards of strangers,

Reinforcing our holy blood ties,

And never letting them see when we cry,

The hidden tears are nothing but lies."

Zephyr joined Sy for the last verse, their voices entwining and filling the empty air around them.

"Nothing but lies,

Lies to you, lies to me, lies to our fami-lies."

"Lies to my face," Zephyr sang.

"Lies to my heart," was Sy's response.

Together they finished the last lines.

"Lies to ourselves and lies to each other,

Lies to the present and lies to the future,

And the truth lives in the past."