Title: Wandering Heights
By: mickeylover303
Pairing: Ryan/Greg friendship
Rating: G
Words: 682
Summary: It was just one of those days.

“Greg, get down from there,” Ryan yelled, pulling at his hair and almost ready to tear out what little he had.
 
“Just a sec, okay? I need to get it before you have to go home.”
 
Ryan jumped, biting his lip when Greg nearly tripped as he began to move to the other side of the tree; leaves and branches temporary blocking his view of the other boy. “I’ll tell your mom if you don’t come down,” he tried to threaten.
 
“Well,” Greg sighed impatiently at Ryan, pausing with one hand on his hip as he tried to balance himself against the trunk of the tree. “Do you want me to get it or not?”
 
Ryan groaned. “Greg, I don’t-”
 
“You’re the one who threw it up here,” Greg interrupted, an accusatory note in his voice.
 
“I know...I know...” Ryan frowned, crossing his arms in irritation. “But I didn’t do it on purpose.”
 
“And you’re the one scared of trees.”
 
“Heights,” Ryan retorted, “I don’t like heights, not trees.”
 
Greg shook his head. “Same thing, Ryan. And that’s why I’m going to get it for you, okay?”
 
“Please – Please get down, Greg.”
 
“I’m trying to get your Frisbee.”
 
“We’ll call 911 or something,” Ryan suggested, trying to think of anything that would convince Greg to come back down. Ten was too young to be having grey hair.
 
“I can’t wait that long because,” Greg began, standing on the tip of his toes to reach for the Frisbee stuck between two branches above him. “Because I...there we go. See?” he said as he looked down at Ryan, languidly waving the Frisbee now in hand. “It wasn’t that hard at-”
 
“Greg?!” Ryan called out, mortified as he saw Greg’s foot slip off the branch, the other boy falling from the tree – heading straight towards him. Not having much time to think, he held out his arms. He closed his eyes for the inevitable when the impact pushed him to the ground, the weight on top of him causing him to grunt.
 
Opening his eyes, Greg stilled when he realised he wasn’t falling anymore. He whispered Ryan’s name hesitantly; panic beginning to set in when his friend didn’t answer right away. “Ryan?!”
 
Ryan made a noncommittal noise. “I didn’t know heaven was your-”
 
“Ryan,” Greg called out embarrassedly, shoving the other boy on the shoulder none too gently.
 
“Butt?” Ryan supplied, giving Greg a cheeky grin.
 
“And Papa says I’m the silly one.” Greg rolled his eyes, tone becoming more serious when he asked “Are you okay?”
 
“Ugh...fine.”
 
“Do you want me to call 911 or-”
 
“No, but what’s the bonus vocabulary word this week?”
 
“Irony?”
 
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
 
Greg looked at him with confusion before forgetting Ryan’s question completely. “You sure you don’t want me to-”
 
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Ryan groaned; supporting himself on his elbows as the effects of Greg landing on him actually began to sink in. “You didn’t fall that far.”
 
“Ryan, that was like thirty feet.”
 
“More like three, but can you get off me, now?”
 
“Oh,” Greg said, eyes widening in realisation when he noticed he was still sitting on top of Ryan. He removed himself quickly, smiling sheepishly as he offered Ryan a hand to get up. “Sorry.”
 
Ryan took the hand, letting Greg help pull him to his feet; surprised he didn’t fall over when he started to stand. He blinked when the other boy nudged him with something; the blue and yellow object Greg had climbed the tree to get. “Well, at least you didn’t come down without it.”
 
Greg sighed resignedly, an apologetic expression on his face. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you when-”
 
“Don’t worry about it.” Shaking his head, Ryan brushed the apology off; knowing they’d been in worse situations. He put his arm around Greg’s neck, placing his forehead on top of Greg’s as he tried to reassure his friend. “And you aren’t really that heavy, anyway,” he teased, grinning at the other boy.
 
“Okay,” Greg said softly as he returned the smile. “But Ryan...”
 
“Yeah?”
 
“Thanks for catching me.”