You had never imagined yourself behind the controls of a dropship, but here you were, standing beside Raven Reyes, who was already scanning the dashboard like it was second nature

"Alright," she said, pushing her goggles up onto her forehead "first rule: don’t crash. Second rule: try not to scream."

You laughed nervously"Sounds simple enough."

Raven smirked, a teasing glint in her eye "Famous last words. Okay, step one: I fly, you watch… and learn. Step two: you try."

The first few lessons were awkward. You fumbled with the controls, twisted knobs the wrong way, and more than once, nearly sent the dropship into a tilt. Raven’s laughter filled the cabin each time you panicked

"Stop hitting that!" she shouted between laughs, grabbing your hands to steady them. Her fingers brushed yours, sending a tiny spark up your arm"Focus, co-pilot!"

As the days passed, training sessions became less about lessons and more about moments together. Raven teased you relentlessly—humming through the checklist just to annoy you, throwing playful jabs at your panic expressions—but always guiding, always patient. And you found yourself grinning more than you had in a long time

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and painted the sky with streaks of orange and pink, Raven leaned back in the seat, her hand brushing against yours

"Not bad today," she said softly"Better than yesterday."

You caught her gaze, heart racing"Maybe I’m finally getting the hang of it?"

Raven’s smirk softened into a smile "Or maybe… you’re just getting better at letting me help you."