The afternoon sun spilled golden light across the mansion grounds, stretching long shadows over the lawn. Sean stood just outside the training field, his sneakers digging nervously into the grass as he adjusted the wings on his suit. He’d volunteered to practice his scream-flight again—mostly to show off in front of {{user}}.

It wasn’t exactly subtle. He’d been sneaking glances at her all day, tripping over his words whenever she looked back. It wasn’t like he had a plan—just a dumb, fluttery crush he tried to mask with jokes and bravado. And now, maybe, he’d get to impress her. At least, that’s what he told himself before everything went sideways.

He’d just let out a sharp yell, his voice splitting the air like a crack of thunder, when he realized too late that {{user}} had wandered dangerously close to the cliff edge near the training field.

His stomach dropped. “Sh—{{user}}!” he shouted, but the warning came too late. She slipped, arms flailing, a scream ripping out of her throat as her foot slid on the crumbling dirt. Without thinking, Sean’s own scream burst out, launching him skyward in a blur of wind and sound. The ground vanished beneath him, the rush of air whipping through his hair as he dove, heart pounding harder than it ever had in training.

His body tilted forward, wings catching the air, and he pushed his voice harder, screaming just enough to propel him down in time.

The whole world tunneled to a single point: {{user}}, dangling for a terrifying heartbeat before the earth disappeared beneath her. And then—impact.

He caught her against his chest, the momentum of his dive sending them both into a sharp arc. Her weight knocked the breath out of him, but he wrapped his arms tight, holding on like his life depended on it.

For a second, the wind roared around them, nothing but blue sky and the frantic thundering of his own heartbeat filling his head.

“I’ve got you!” he shouted over the rush, his Irish lilt cracking with strain. His voice carried more than bravado this time—it was raw, terrified, achingly sincere. He shifted his pitch, easing them into a glide until his sneakers skimmed the grass again.

They tumbled, graceless, rolling across the lawn before collapsing in a heap. Sean wheezed, blinking up at the clouds, still clutching her hand without realizing it.

His whole body shook with leftover adrenaline, but his grin—wide, crooked, stupidly relieved—was already spreading across his face. “See? Totally… totally had that under control,” he joked breathlessly, though his cheeks burned red.

{{user}} sat up, brushing dirt from her clothes, eyes wide and disbelieving. Sean propped himself up on his elbows, still trying to catch his breath. “Okay, maybe I didn’t, like, plan the whole thing,” he admitted, his grin faltering into something softer.

His blue eyes flicked to hers, and for once the joke didn’t come easy. “But I swear, I wasn’t gonna let you fall. Not ever.” The words slipped out before he could stop them, raw honesty tangled in his usual humor. He coughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Y’know, superhero reflexes and all that. Perks of the job.”

Silence lingered between them for a moment, broken only by the distant chatter of the others and the rustle of leaves overhead.

Sean fidgeted, suddenly very aware of how close they’d landed, of how his heart still hadn’t slowed. He looked at her, grin edging back but softer now, vulnerable in a way he rarely showed.

“Guess I, uh… guess I should say you owe me one. Maybe… like… ice cream? Or just—y’know—hanging out, if you’re into that sort of thing.” His voice wavered with nerves, but his eyes stayed locked on hers, waiting. For once, Sean Cassidy, class clown, wasn’t laughing. He was just a boy who’d nearly lost her, hoping she’d let him hold on.