Above the clouds
It was one of those evenings when the buzz in my head from endless reports and training sessions became louder than the noise of the city itself. I sat on the edge of the headquarters roof, my legs dangling into the void. The wind up here was cold and sharp, but it made me feel alive.
"Hey, be careful! If you fall, Sam will make me fill out three copies of the explanatory notes," a familiar voice said behind me, imbued with a touch of irony and warmth.
I didn't turn around. I already knew Joaquin was standing there, leaning against the doorway. I heard the barely perceptible mechanical click as his new wings folded, fitting snugly against his back.
He came over and sat down next to me. So close that I could feel the heat radiating from his shoulder. Joaquin was always like a battery—always in motion, always fixing something, adjusting something, flying somewhere.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, looking at the scattering of lights below.
"About how everything seems simpler from here," I answered honestly, hugging my knees. "Problems seem small. Like those cars down there."
"You know," Joaquin turned his head, and I caught his gaze. The taillights of the planes reflected in his eyes. "When I'm in the sky, it's just like that. But sometimes... sometimes I miss having someone there to just say, 'Look at that sunset.'"
He paused for a second, then added a little more quietly:
"Lately, I've been catching myself thinking that I want to show you this view."
I felt my heart skip a beat. Joaquin didn't know how to play games—he was too sincere for that.
"What's stopping you?" I tried to keep my voice firm, even though everything inside me was shaking.
Instead of answering, he stood up and extended his hand to me. His palm was warm and reliable.
"Will you trust me?"
I placed my hand in his. At that very moment, wings unfurled behind him with a sharp, powerful whistle. It was always a mesmerizing sight: high technology becoming part of a person. Joaquin grabbed me by the waist, holding me so tightly that I could feel every lamella of his flight suit.
"Hold on tight, Y/N. And don't close your eyes—you need to see this."
A jerk. My insides remained on the roof for a moment, and my body soared upward. I involuntarily screamed and buried my face in his neck, inhaling the scent of ozone and his perfume.
A minute later, we leveled out. We weren't just flying—we were floating in the air current. The city below us turned into a map of glowing threads.
"Look at me," Joaquin whispered.
I raised my head. The wind blew in my face, making it hard to breathe, but looking at his triumphant, wide smile, I suddenly realized I didn't need oxygen.
"This is better than any meditation," I exhaled, feeling my fear finally give way to ecstasy.
"This is my world," he said, slowing and hovering in the air. "And I want you to be a part of it. Not just up here. But down there, too."
He flew a little closer to the clouds, and for a moment it seemed as if we were alone in the entire universe. Joaquin gently touched his forehead to mine. His breath was hot on my lips. “Y/N, I may not be the most experienced Avenger, and my wings may not work sometimes... but I will never let you fall. I promise.”
I pulled him by the suit straps and kissed him—right there, thousands of feet in the air. It was a taste of freedom, adrenaline, and something very right. In that moment, I realized: I no longer needed to sit on the edge of the roof alone.