Redemption [h.s]

fifty

Later that night, I had just finished working, and I was about to go home. It had been an exhausting day, I hadn't even had time to take a look around for the whole shift. I couldn't wait to go home and go to sleep. With Harry next to me, if it was possible. I shivered at the simple thought of having to leave the warmth of the building to embrace the freezing cold of the streets. I couldn't have been more thankful that I had taken my car to go to work.

I was the last one at the restaurant, since everybody else had already gone away, and I had to close the place, since it was midnight.
During summer we stayed open for longer, but on that cold night of early January, the warm weather seemed so far away, almost unreachable. Walking on the streets, you could still see the city flickering at the remembrance of the just ended holidays.

I was about to go away, but then I remembered to check the balcony door. Not that someone could've actually got in from there, the restaurant was on the seventh floor. Just - the sky was heavily clouded, no stars could be seen. If it had started to rain, the wind could've opened the door and it could've rained inside. And speaking from personal experience, having to dry up a puddle of water in the few hours before the opening of the restaurant is not easy.

I checked it. It was open. Weird, we never opened it in winter, and I didn't remember having let anybody outside.

But then again, a little lock on the door was the only thing that was keeping it closed, everybody could've opened it. I decided to check outside, just in case.

There was someone sitting on top of the thin railing of the balcony, their legs towards the city side.

"Hey" I called out softly, not wanting to scare them. The sound of my voice was lost under the one of a lightning, that enlightened the dark sky for a brief second. Even though the cold droplets of water were yet to hit the ground, I could tell it was going to rain soon.

I debated if I should've walked out on the balcony or not. They were in a really dangerous position, they could have fallen.

The person didn't reply, but stood up. Feet on the thin edge, the hands gripping the railing behind them being the only thing keeping them from falling. Their back was to me, they were quite tall. Despite the freezing air, they weren't wearing a coat. Another lightning ripping through the sky allowed me to spot it, abandoned in a dark mess on the floor.

At the sight, a cold realisation took place in my chest. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the fast beating of my heart.

"I'm coming closer" I told them, starting to understand what was about to happen. I carefully stepped out on the balcony. A single drop of water joined my foot on the dark floor. I walked slowly towards them, until I was next to them. I looked at them, and a cold shiver ran down my spine when I recognised the chiseled features.

He glanced up, towards the sky. "Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just let go" he said.

I followed his gaze to the dark sky. Another rumble was heard from far away. Cold water hit my nose, and I looked down again. Right underneath us, there was a sleeping London. The dark streets seemed completely deserted, but little lights were seeping through some windows, just like little stars. For a few seconds, I almost felt like the sky and the earth were inverted, and unfolding below us there wasn't the harsh ground, but the depths of the empyrean.

I moved my hand behind him, ready to catch him if he had done something stupid.

"Then you wouldn't know what life has in store for you" I replied, watching him carefully.

He turned his head towards me, and his green eyes looked straight into mine. They looked so dark in the dim light coming from the restaurant. They held a firm look, one that I couldn't recognise. One that I had never seen before, in my entire life. His pupils were wide, piercing into mine. His nose was red because of the cold, but his cheeks were milky white.

A paralysing feeling, that I could only identify as fear, took place into my chest, making it harder to breathe. But it was much more than fear. It was chthonic, absolute, overpowering. It washed over me, and inside of me, leaving a cold emptiness in my heart. I wondered if he could feel it as well.

Even though I wanted to touch him, to wrap my arms around him and never let him go, I didn't dare to do it, scared that he would've let go. But that didn't stop me from moving closer to him, feeling the warmth of his body almost grazing mine.

"What if I don't want to?" He asked faintly, so lightly that the cold wind almost blew his words away before I could even hear them.

And then, he let go.