Written for Femslash February 2019's sixth prompt: Moon.
Through the Clouds
The side of her helmet brushes against Lili's shoulder, but she makes no attempt to pick move away. Chloe keeps her gaze fixed on the moon through her telescope. She squints, trying to make out the lunar maria, but the clouds accumulate and coat the moon in grayer hues. The moon becomes obscured behind velvet darkness and ugly puffs of storm clouds, blotting out her gentle glow and rolling plains.
She hears Lili turn the page of her comic book. The paper flaps in the wind, and she glances down, following Lili's hand press against the creased page. Lili fixes her flashlight on each panel as she reads, kicking her legs off the side of the small cliff and letting flecks of dirt fall to the cabins below when her heels brush against it.
Chloe straightens and sets her telescope on her lap. "Earth's nightly cycle is terrible."
Lili closes her comic, bristling from the wind's humid caress on her bare shoulders. Flicking her pigtail out of her face, she glances at the sky. "Are the clouds in the way again?"
"Unfortunately, yes, and it's only getting worse." She taps her telescope against her palm. "These cumulus clouds, they're just in the way of my observations."
"At least they don't look like rain clouds. We wouldn't even able to look at the sky if it was raining like a few nights ago."
Chloe sighs. She can still feel the rain beating down on her arms and helmet, fogging her vision. That irritating incident had led to Lili guiding her hand-in-hand back to the cabin area. Running her thumb over her palm, she recalls the warmth of Lili's hand firmly holding her as she led her down the dirt path to their cabin. A hint of a smile creases on her face.
"That's true. The frequent rain is another nuisance on this planet."
Lili chuckles. "Earth has a lot of problems, huh?" Rolling her wrist, she offers her hand to Chloe. "Can I take a shot with that?"
Her wording makes Chloe's eyes widen, and she raises her hand as if to let Lili grab it. When Lili gestures at her telescope, she ignores the faint sensation of heat pooling in her cheeks. She supposes she still needs to learn earthling lingo and hands over her telescope.
She wouldn't trust anyone else with her telescope. Lili is calm and collected, knowing the ins and outs of Whispering Rock. She understands the foolishness of humans despite being one. Compared to the other misfit children, she's special in a way that makes Chloe feel wanted, accepting her for who she is rather than for what others think she might be.
Lili tilts her head, her pigtail brushing against Chloe's helmet. She maneuvers the telescope in a few different directions, and Chloe frowns. She's looking away from the moon despite it being right in front of them, hidden by persistent clouds. She's ready to ask for her telescope back, a nag whispering in the back of her mind that Lili might be mocking her already starting to annoy her.
"Hey, look there," she orders, breaking Chloe out of her rising confusion. She points to a dark spot that has split open from the clouds. She stuffs the telescope back into Chloe's hands. Wrapping her arm around her shoulder, Lili pulls her closer and keeps pointing, her grin stretching into her cheeks.
Lili's closeness brings a strange sense of security. Other humans touching her would immediately be met with adverse repulsion, but she trusts Lili. She knows Lili wouldn't hurt her in the way other humans might have tried to do like schoolyard bullies breaking her radios or smaller telescopes. With Lili, she's safe to act in her own way, and she chastises herself for letting her wariness try to goad her into thinking otherwise.
Lifting the telescope to her right eye, she's immediately met with wonder. Within the strip of darkness is a glowing golden dot. It shines brighter than the other stars. They pale as if awed by the new presence, shying away and letting the light overpower them.
"Venus," Chloe whispers, her breath caught in her throat. She exhales her shock in a quiet sigh. "I wasn't expecting to see Venus tonight. I must've missed it in my astrology readings."
"That's Venus, huh?" Lili hums. "It looks like a tiny little sun."
"Well, it is a yellow and orange planet all around. The comparison is reasonable."
"It's pretty."
Chloe shifts her gaze to Lili. She takes in her smiling face and her hand gently holding her shoulder. She imagines it must be warm on Venus, but right now, she thinks Lili is warmer than the sun. Leaning in, Chloe smiles and lets Lili pull her closer, the side of her helmet resting against the crook of Lili's neck.
"Yes. It is a pretty sight."