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The sky was clear from any clouds and the sun was still shining high. The slight breeze from the morning had turned stronger throughout the day, becoming a powerful blow. From where he stood on the roof of the agency building, Izuku could feel its strength against his skin, feeling relaxed from the sensation and letting the wind sway his body from side to side.
He had always loved feeling like the wind could take him away into the sky, and he had always loved the sight of falling leaves swirling above the ground. His patrol was over and he had nothing to do, no one to save, so he could finally just be.
Since acquiring float, Izuku had taken a liking to flying through the air, discovering the new freedom and allowing himself to let go. What he loved the most was letting himself get transported by the wind and giving up control over where it would take him. That’s exactly what he was looking for at that moment, that well-deserved liberty after an excruciating day.
And so, he took a deep breath and walked closer to the edge, admiring the city that spread before his very eyes, the city he spent his entire days protecting. A sense of pride mixed with excitement filled his entire being. Izuku turned his back to the outstretched view and slowly let his body fall back into the emptiness.
He fell freely and kept his eyes on the sky, admiring the vivid blue through half-closed lids. After what felt like minutes, Izuku activated float and let himself get swayed by the wind. The feeling was like no other. It felt like he was out of his body like he could completely tune out without having to think about what to do next. He let himself feel that freedom before slowly taking back control.
Izuku leaped and turned into the sky in an almost bewitching dance and slowly felt the wind bring tears to his eyes. He saw leaves twirl around him, crossed paths with birds, and floated even higher into the sky, using the force of the wind to speed his journey into the blue vastness above him.
He felt like he could do this forever, this sky-high choreography so far away that he didn’t need to worry about people seeing him, so high that he could finally be himself without a care in the world. Lost in thought, he let calmness overtake him. However, that feeling was short-lived. Izuku whirled his head to the side when he caught a shadow moving past him, so fast he almost didn’t see it. Then, along came a booming sound and the sight of powerful flames. With his eyes wide open, Izuku admired the sight before him
Katsuki was graciously moving around him, a wide grin spread onto his face.
“What the hell are you doing up here, Izuku,” he said.
“I could ask you the same thing!” Izuku floated closer to his friend, making it easier to speak above the sound of the wind.
Katsuki smirked. “I was on patrol, looked up, and saw a nerd doing backflips into the air, and you wanted me to stay put?”
The smile on Izuku’s face grew even wider. “I guess you’re making a good point.”
“Are we going to stay there all day, or are you up for a challenge?”
“It depends, what do you have in mind?”
“The first one to reach the agency’s rooftop has to pay for dinner!”
“You’re on!”
In a matter of seconds, both boys were speeding towards the building, laughing freely and flying around each other, Katsuki with the force of his explosions and Izuku with the gentleness of the wind. The thrill of the incredible speed they were going at mixed with the adrenaline of wanting to win their race left Izuku in a delirious state, a level of happiness he hadn’t felt in a while, something he knew he could only feel when Katsuki was standing next to him.
Izuku’s ears were filled with his friend’s laughter and the harsh sound of the wind enveloping him. Seeing the building approaching, he increased his speed even more and saw that Katsuki had done the same. They flew the last bit to the building and both crashed onto the ground, rolling with the shock of the momentum and finally stopped a few meters away.
Izuku lay on his back and turned his head to the side, catching Katsuki’s gaze. They smiled at each other, chests rising as they caught their breaths before hysterical laughter rose up their throat.
“This was so stupid and reckless,” Izuku managed between hiccups.
“Who cares about that? What matters is that I won!” Katsuki wiped a stray tear from his face,
“You did not!”
“Did too!”
“I saw you! You crashed way after me!”
“First of all, I did not crash, I landed! Second of all, you’re full of it! I touched the ground first!”
Izuku sent him a deadly glare. “You wanna play it like that, I see.”
“I’m not playing with anything. It’s the truth.”
Izuku sighed, letting his eyes look back to the sky, “You know what? Let’s call it a tie.”
Katsuki pushed himself up on his elbows, looking down at Izuku. “I hate ties.”
“I know you do. We can split dinner tonight. What do you say?”
“Whatever, I’m picking the place. I don’t trust you and your shitty tastes.”
Izuku chuckled. “Sure Kacchan!”
They stayed there for a while, content to bask in the silence. After a while, Katsuki stood up, reaching out his hand to Izuku.“Come on, nerd. We need to get changed before we leave.”
Izuku grabbed the outstretched hand, standing up too.
To Izuku’s surprise, Katsuki was the first one to speak again on their way to the locker room. “We should do this again.”
Izuku stared up at his friend, nothing but fondness in his eyes. “I think so too.”
That night when he fell asleep, Izuku dreamt of flying birds and deep red eyes.