Thank you to everyone that showed interest in this story. I love you.

This beautiful song is Dead Boy's Poem by Nightwish. It is absolutely one of those songs that speaks to people no matter what type of music they normally enjoy. I hope at least one person looks it up and listens to it.

Lyrics are in italics Bold italics are spoken

Dead Boy's Poem

"I live no more to shame, nor me, nor you, I'm sorry"

Harvey couldn't think of a word that would describe how he felt, seeing Mike kneeling before the rusted, half broken rail like it held all the answers to his problems.

Born from silence, silence full of it
A perfect concert my best friend
So much to live for, so much to die for
If only my heart had a home

He held the door ajar for a moment, unable to remove his only easy mode of escape. Again, he had a decision, close the door and be fully committed to whatever happened after Mike knew he was there, or slip off the roof and pretend that nothing had changed. He took a small step backward, but paused, pretending sounded so easy, but Harvey knew better. He would never be able to forget the sight before him. He would remember it every time he looked at Mike.

The thick silence of the roof was nearly enough to make Harvey leave despite that knowledge. He knew that Mike was almost never silent. He was always talking, humming, something. Even when he was chest deep in paperwork, Harvey always knew Mike was there because of the noise the paper made as Mike sped through them with unprecedented speed. Mike had the talent, the skills that he needed, he could be far better than anyone, Harvey included. When the lawyer looked back toward his too quiet associate, Mike was standing again, but still gripping the rail regardless of the rain.

Sing what you can't say
Forget what you can't play
Hasten to drown into beautiful eyes
Walk within my poetry, this dying music
- My love-letter to nobody

Harvey released a breath he didn't know he was holding, and let the door close, his decision made. He had followed Mike this far, equally for himself as well as the brilliant kid standing across the short expanse of metal. Mike jerked at the sound, eyes wide, and full of emotions that Harvey was all too familiar with. Loss, sorrow, despair, and loneliness flashed in the younger man's eyes, each one finding an echo in Harvey's soul. Harvey kept his eyes locked on Mike's blue ones, wondering how such sadness could make something look so stunning.

He almost spoke when Mike started shaking. Harvey wasn't sure if it was because of the tight grip he had on the broken rail, the rain, or from his emotions. He decided on the later when his eyes went back to Mike's face and he watched the younger man shatter. The sight rocked Harvey down to his soul, Mike's pain almost a physical strike to the older man. He saw the thoughts on Mike's face as easily as if the younger man had spoken them aloud. He saw, clearly, when Mike surrendered.

Never sigh for better world
It's already composed, played and told
Every thought the music I write
Everything a wish for the night

Harvey didn't know why he didn't say something. He wanted to, badly. But, it wasn't the time, the stubborn voice in the back of his thoughts insisted. Mike had to be the one to break the silence. The other voice, the one that had driven Harvey after Mike, had pushed him to follow the kid all the way up here swore that all the answers were there, Harvey just had to let them out. He sighed, just once.

Mike's face went blank, and he turned away, again staring out at the view, which was amazing, from what Harvey could see. The taller man took a couple of steps forward, the broken voice stopped him. Harvey had never heard Mike's voice sound that way, hollow and cracked. Never before and hopefully, never again. Had he ever sounded that way? Harvey couldn't remember, it had been too long since anything other than scorn had been allowed to seem into his voice.

When he answered, Harvey was shocked to hear how soft the words came out. "I'm... not sure..." He took another step, watching Mike carefully, but the only reaction was for the younger man to press against the rail a bit more. "Mike..." The name was spoken with more care than Harvey ever remembered using.

Wrote for the eclipse, wrote for the virgin
Died for the beauty the one in the garden
Created a kingdom, reached for the wisdom
Failed in becoming a god

"I know..." The reply was in the same tone, empty of everything Harvey normally associated Mike with. "You weren't supposed to be here..." The younger man seemed to curl into himself, like he was trying to become as small as possible, hide away from the world, from Harvey. "Please... just let me be, Harvey. You can tell me later how weak and foolish I am... just.. not now." The words sounded forced like something Mike felt he had to say, a script he had to follow.

Harvey remained quiet for another minute, trying to find something that would make Mike, turn around and see that Harvey had no intention of saying anything like that. "If feeling the way that you do makes you weak and foolish, then I would have no room to speak at all." He frowned a bit, the words sounded like something a councilor would say. So he continued, not letting himself stop and over think them. "I've broken too... More times than I can count." He had to say something that would get through to the other man, something that would show Mike that he wasn't the only one that felt the way the blond did. Harvey must not have found the right words, because Mike kept his face firmly turned away, even when Harvey moved to stand right behind him.

Never sigh for better world
It's already composed, played and told
Every thought the music I write
Everything a wish for the night

Harvey felt conflicted. He wanted to drop all his walls and just tell the younger man that it was okay, that they would be okay, but he didn't know how. It took everything that he had to stand there, watching Mike struggle with an emotion far bigger than he could handle. It still felt like a play, or maybe a flashback, because this felt like something Harvey has done before. When he spoke again, Harvey;s tone was completely different, more gentle, like the one Mike uses with small children. "I do understand you know."

He watched Mike's head snap up, and his hands clench the rail to the point that his arms shook from the pressure. "You don't. You can't. Because you would never have made the mistakes I did. You would have succeeded in everything I failed to do." The tone was bitter and filled with self-loathing. "You would never be a failure, Harvey..."

"How do you know?" Harvey kept his eyes on Mike when he asked, noting the younger man's face turn toward him. "I've failed before, Mike. I failed in something that you succeeded in." Harvey smiled slightly when Mike finally looked at him. "I let myself change... I turned into someone that can't even speak to another person without turning it into a battle." Harvey felt uncomfortable admitting it, it disgusted him really, knowing how far he had let himself fall.

"Don't... Don't become that... because. Once you do.. you can't undo it."

"If you read this line, remember not the hand that wrote it
Remember only the verse, songmaker's cry the one without tears
For I've given this its strength and it has become my only strength.
Comforting home, mother's lap, chance for immortality
where being wanted became a thrill I never knew
The sweet piano writing down my life"

Harvey closed his eyes, not wanting to see the look of scorn that was sure to be on Mike's face. He knew that he had no one to blame but himself. He got too caught up in the game, the thrill and wasn't able to back off while he still had some of his soul left.

"Teach me passion for I fear it's gone
Show me love, hold the lorn
So much more I wanted to give to the ones who love me
I'm sorry
Time will tell (this bitter farewell)
I live no more to shame nor me nor you
And you... I wish I didn't feel for you anymore..."

"I'm not myself anymore." Mike's voice washed over Harvey, like a soothing balm because there was nothing accusing in it. "I..." Harvey opened his eyes again, looking at the younger man, who was again staring out over the park. "I'm too broken now..."

Harvey stilled, then moved on a long buried instinct that he didn't remember having. He reached around Mike, carefully prying the younger man's hand from their death grip on the rail, and using them to turn Mike around. Harvey couldn't believe that of all the people in the city that it was Mike who was making him feel again.

A lonely soul
An ocean soul

Harvey wasn't sure what to do next. He knew that everything to this point was just a start. But, a lot of it depended on whether Mike trusted him enough to talk to him. Really talk. Harvey hoped that he would. He was tired of floating along, always sniping. For the first time in years, Harvey was prepared to let his defenses down, to let someone else in willingly, but Mike had to want it too.