If You Should Fall by scheherezhad
Rating: G
Author's Notes: An idea that hit me at the park the other night. Very teensy slash implications.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or other recognizable bits, nor am I making money off of this.
Feedback: Please. Praise me, criticise me, outright flame me. I don't care; I just want to know what you really think. scheherezhad@yahoo.com
"Okay, just a few more steps - watch out, there's a drop off. All right, you've got it...stop. We're here."
"Where exactly is 'here,' Oliver?" Percy asked testily. He wanted this blindfold off now.
Oliver sighed near his right ear. "Just relax, Perce. I think you'll like it; it's one of my favourite places."
"Will you take the bloody blindfold off, already? I'm going to fall into some sewer grating or walk into a lamp post with it on."
"All right, all right. One...two...three." Oliver removed the blindfold, handed Percy his glasses, and stepped back. They were standing in a schoolyard playground near the house Oliver had grown up in; more precisely, they were standing next to the swings. "What do you think?"
Percy frowned. "You brought me to a...what is this, exactly?"
"It's a playground, Percy. Children come here to play." He sat down on one of the swings and pushed off lightly. "I used to come here when I was little, and my dad would push me on the swings. It was almost as good as flying," he said, a wistful look in his eye.
With no warning, Oliver stopped himself and jumped up, pushing Percy down onto the next swing. The redhead eyed the swingset with some trepidation. "Ol!"
"Come on, I'll teach you how." He reached down and took Percy's hands, placing them on the chains suspending the swing. "Hold on tight, and I'll push you. Just pump your legs out and back."
Percy felt Oliver's hands move from his shoulders to his hips, then he was moving. His hands clenched around the chains as his world went swaying forward, then back. On the backswing, Oliver pushed him a little harder, and he went higher. Percy's head swam, his eyes closed, and he held tighter to the chains. He'd always hated flying - this horrid contraption was just as bad.
Abruptly, he stopped moving. For a second, he thought Oliver had stopped the swing, but there had been no backward motion that time. He opened his eyes slowly, but he saw nothing unusual...until he twisted to look behind himself. Oliver stood behind him, eyes wide and mouth open in surprise, holding onto an empty swing. Then Percy dropped ungracefully to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Oliver asked, darting to his side.
"A bit bruised and traumatised, but otherwise fine," he replied shakily. His friend helped him up, apologizing.
"I had no idea that would happen. I'm sorry, Percy, I really am." He brushed the woodchips off of Percy's jumper. "You're sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine, Oliver."
"Try again?" Oliver smiled hopefully.
Percy sighed deeply; Oliver knew he'd never been able to resist that smile, even when he knew it was leading to trouble. "Slower this time? I don't like heights."
"Slower. Got it," Oliver said, grinning.
Percy cautiously retook his seat on the swing and wrapped his hands around the chains. He shifted nervously as Oliver's hands went back to his hips, then gently pushed him. The arc of the swing was much smaller this time. It stayed low for a while, and he started to enjoy the gentle motion. Oliver moved out from behind him and took the second swing.
"Just pump your legs a little, and you'll keep going," Oliver advised, pushing off again.
Oliver kept going higher with each swing, reaching heights that Percy thought must surely be unsafe. His friend didn't appear to mind; on the contrary, he looked wildly happy. When he had gone as high as he could, he let go of the chains on his next arc, eyes closed and arms flung out to the sides.
"Oliver, you're going to fall!" Percy cried in alarm.
"No, I'm not," he replied. "It's okay to let go. Let go, Percy."
Oliver jumped off his swing to stand behind Percy, and the redhead persuaded himself to go higher, then a little more, then...he let go. A knot of fear coalesced in his stomach until he caught a glimpse of Oliver's arm. It was okay to let go. It was okay, because Oliver was there to catch him if he should fall.