Ben didn't realize until she took his hand that he had been expecting some sort of resistance or protestation — he was, after all, stealing her away from her bedroom in the middle of the night without so much as telling her where they were going — but it was strangely warming that there was none. He wasn't sure how to interpret it, particularly — as adventurousness? as trust? as a sign of affection? — but in any case, it was probably a positive thing, and he felt the meaning of it even without being able to articulate why it was so powerful.

They didn't need to go far, as far as he was concerned — just out of view of the neighbors and passersby. Initially he steered the carpet up, towards the roof of her house, but thought better of it almost immediately. Getting out of sight was all well and good, but no amount of precaution would save them if he happened to station right atop her father's bedroom and be overheard through an open window. No, it would be better to put a little distance between them. He slipped a hand around Melody's waist (to ensure she was stable and secure on the carpet, really, though he didn't dislike the feeling of having his arm around her when she was so scantily clothed) and headed towards the off-street side of a neighboring rooftop. The house below had no open windows, that he could see, and no lights on — so provided they didn't make a scene, they should be reasonably safe.

Ben put a foot down gingerly to test that the roof was able to hold weight and tractable not to send them both sliding down to the garden below, and finding that it met both conditions, moved to help Melody off the carpet. "We should be able to talk here," he said as she did so. "I heard the news."