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Nina never expected her first flight to start in the middle of an argument.
“You cannot just disappear in the middle of a sentence,” she said, arms crossed, voice low but sharp. “That is rude.”
Awan stood on the edge of the rooftop, city lights stretching endlessly behind him. The night wind tugged at his jacket, dark hair already tousled. He looked caught between amusement and something far more serious.
“I was trying to protect you,” he said.
“That is not an excuse,” she shot back. “You do not get to decide what I can handle.”
He studied her for a long moment, eyes softening. “You are right.”
That alone made her pause.
“I should have told you sooner,” he continued quietly. “I just did not want the world to take something from us before we had a chance to choose it ourselves.”
Her heart stuttered. “Awan.”
He took a breath, then stepped closer. Close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him, steady and grounding.
“May I show you something,” he asked.
She narrowed her eyes. “That sounds suspiciously like trouble.”
A faint smile tugged at his mouth. “Just trust me.”
She hesitated only a second before nodding. “Okay.”
He reached for her, hands settling carefully at her waist. She stiffened on instinct, then relaxed when she felt how gentle he was, how deliberate every movement seemed.
“Hold on to me,” he said softly.
“Wait,” she blurted. “Are we about to do what I think we are about to do.”
“Yes.”
Her breath caught. “You better not drop me.”
“I never would,” he promised.
Then the ground was gone.
Nina gasped as they lifted into the air, fingers clutching his jacket as the city fell away beneath them. Her stomach flipped, a rush of fear and exhilaration crashing through her all at once.
“Oh my god,” she breathed. “Oh my god oh my god.”
Awan adjusted instantly, one arm firm around her back, the other bracing her securely against his chest. “I have you,” he said, voice calm and steady. “You are safe.”
The wind roared past them, cold and sharp, but somehow she did not feel afraid. Not really. She pressed closer without thinking, heart racing as the skyline spread out before her in ribbons of light.
“This is insane,” she said, laughing breathlessly. “This is completely insane.”
He chuckled softly. “You are doing very well.”
She dared to look down, then quickly looked back up at him. “Do people ever get used to this.”
“I do not think you are supposed to,” he said.
They rose higher, the city growing quieter, smaller. From up here, Metropolis looked fragile and beautiful, like something precious instead of overwhelming.
Nina loosened her grip just a little. “You have been seeing the world like this the whole time.”
“Yes.”
“And you still come back,” she said softly.
His gaze stayed on her. “Because you are down there.”
Her chest tightened.
They slowed, hovering above the river as moonlight reflected off the water below. For a moment, there was nothing but the hum of the air around them and the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear.
“I trust you,” she said quietly.
His arms tightened just a fraction. “That means more than you know.”
When they finally descended, he set her gently back onto the rooftop, hands lingering at her waist until he was sure she was steady. She swayed slightly, legs weak, then laughed.
“I cannot believe I just did that.”
He smiled, bright and a little awed. “You were incredible.”
She looked at him, really looked at him, seeing all the pieces finally fitting together. The man who worried. The hero who watched from the sky. The one who always showed up.
“So,” she said lightly, though her heart was anything but. “Does this mean I get more flights.”
He leaned closer, voice warm. “Anytime you ask.”
Her smile softened. “Good. Because I think I am already spoiled.”
Above them, the city pulsed with life, and Nina knew one thing for certain.
She would never forget the feeling of flying with him.