Prompt - Clouds
"What does that look like to you?" Ruby raised a hand, pointing up at a mess of incoming rain clouds.
Weiss watched as they gently sailed past, floating along currents of air, and unhelpfully blocking out the shine of the midday sun. "It looks like it's going to rain soon," Weiss replied. That meant their time together was at an end. Yet, when she tried to rise from her spot on the cool grass, Ruby pulled her back down.
"That's not what I meant!" The redhead giggled, holding steadfast to her wrist, keeping her locked in place. Not that she truly cared. Loath as she was to admit, she had often enjoyed these moments with her best friend. And the feeling of her warm hand on Weiss's cool wrist was enough to send her heart fluttering in joy and stomach twisting in panic.
Ruby pointed up in the same general direction where she had pointed to before. "C'mon Weiss-y. What's it look like to you?"
"A dark cloud," Weiss responded dutifully. "And I hate that nickname."
"No you don't. And no, like the shape."
"A big cloud?" Weiss guessed, sneaking a confused gaze at Ruby.
"Weiss. Have you ever looked for pictures in clouds before?"
"Erm- I've looked at pictures of clouds before. Does that count?" Weiss was delighted that her little joke earned a beautiful chuckle from the young Reaper laying beside her. "I've had a very sheltered childhood. You know that."
"I do, but Weiss. It's like the easiest thing ever. Just… just look at that one over there. See the big bit over there, and then the little wispy bit at the end. Oh, and those lighter longer bits in the middle. Doesn't it look sorta like a dragon to you?"
Even following Ruby's finger, Weiss scrunched her eyes. She just could not see anything in it, other than clouds. She heard Ruby huff, realizing that Weiss was still lost.
"How about this one. See that big cloud that looks like a circle?"
Weiss nodded, "I do."
"Well, it's a circle! Congratulations, you've just witnessed your very first cloud shape!"
"Ruby!" Weiss squealed, feeling a thin finger poking her cheek. She rolled over onto the young reaper, as the girl descended into laughter, barely listening to Weiss's retorts. With a devilish smirk of her own, Weiss jabbed a finger into Ruby's side, sending a shiver through her body and even harder laughter at having been zapped.
Happy giggles continued; for how long, neither were quite sure. But eventually, the bright sounds tapered off into a quiet hum from Weiss and hiccups from Ruby.
"We should do more of this," Weiss said, rolling onto her back, turning her head to gaze into Ruby's sparkling silver eyes.
"Hmm?" Was Ruby's charming reply. "More of what?"
"Of this," Weiss gestured around the two of them. "Of just spending time together. No classes, or homework, or…"
"Or sisters and sister's totally-not-a-girlfriend of a partner?" Ruby laughed, which caused a short chuckle to erupt from Weiss.
"Indeed."
"I'd like that."
Weiss's heart was pounding. Ruby had said 'girlfriend'. It was very much not in the context that she had long since hoped for, but just hearing that word from those perfect lips was enough to said her heart aflutter and cheeks aflame. And those two dashing eyes were still looking into her own. So happy, so vibrant, so completely filled with life's joys. She only then realized that they were holding hands.
Not that she minded. Not that she would ever tell Ruby that she did not mind. At least… at least not yet.
There was a much more important topic to be brought up before they spoke about specifics of touching, and it involved the word that had sent her mind in a tailspin. She knew what she wanted, but it was becoming easier each day to bring herself to say it. But that time wasn't yet here. That was alright with her. Weiss was laying next to a beautiful girl, their hands clasped together, though Weiss made sure to look like she had not realized. And it was a beautiful day. Warm, but not too hot. A gentle breeze rushing through the grass, sending up delightful smells and calming sounds.
It would have been a great day for a picnic. Especially one with a significant other.
Finally having enough of her spiralling thoughts, Weiss broke eye contact with her friend and looked back up into the sky, hearing Ruby sigh and do the same. The silence which lingered wasn't quite as calming as the one which had just preceded it. Though their hands were still clasped, the lack of talking felt stifling. As if a silent question had been asked and left unanswered. Weiss was unsure who was the querier and who was the queried.
"It's a cowboy on a horse," Ruby muttered glumly, not even bothering to point to the cloud or clouds she was looking at.
Weiss scrunched up her nose, trying hard to spot what her friend was seeing in the clouds. "I think I see it." Weiss didn't.
Ruby let out a half-hearted snort. "You scrunch up your nose before you tell a lie."
"I do not!" Weiss huffed indignantly.
"You just did it again."
"Fine," she rolled her eyes and Ruby squeezed her hand. Weiss let go.
Almost immediately, Weiss felt emptiness. Lacking that feeling of warmth on her palm, as well as the pressure of their interlocking fingers. It was like she was missing a puzzle piece that completed her. In less than a second, she felt lacking. She felt purposeless. She felt dozens of fleeting emotions, which all could be neatly summarized in sadness.
It frightened her how much that loss of contact was effecting her. How much stronger those feelings were than they had been only a few days before. Stronger than they had been only a day before. She was confident that they would be stronger tomorrow.
"I see a… " Weiss's eyes swept through the sky. White puffs of cloud were mixing with the darkening greys of storm clouds, crossing over one another into beautiful abstract shapes. None of which, to Weiss's eyes looked anything akin to real life. She sighed, finally giving up. "Fine. I can't see anything. It all looks like blobs to me. Happy now?"
"A little. I would never have expected that great and beautiful and perfect Weiss Schnee to admit she couldn't do something," Ruby retorted.
"I'm not perfect," Weiss breathed out, her lips contorting into a tight frown.
"I know. But you are my partner and my best friend. And that makes you perfect enough for me."
Oh Ruby, you don't even know what you're doing to me. Weiss turned so Ruby couldn't see the blush which filled her face. She placed her hands over her chest, trying in vain to slow her pulsing heartbeat. Then a new thought occurred to her. There they were. Alone together. Looking at clouds, bodies and faces so near. They had spent time holding hands, feigning that they hadn't been. And Ruby was not smiling as much as she had been only moments before.
With as much courage as she could muster, she turned, blushing face and all, to look at Ruby. In another feat of bravery, she reached over to grasp her hand.
"Feel that?" Weiss could feel her own pulse through her palm. It felt like a loud rhythmic beat in her ears So loud she was confident Ruby could hear it, let alone feel it through their clasped hands.
"I do," Ruby whispered, looking into Weiss's eyes with curiously hopeful orbs of silver.
"It's what you're doing to me. We're lying here and I have no bloody clue what's going on up there, but I do know what's going on down here. Or, at least I'm starting to."
Weiss paused and let Ruby suck in a loud breath of air through her nose.
"I really do think we should do this more often. And I really want to. With you only. Not with your sister, or your sister's girlfriend. Though… I wouldn't mind doing this with my girlfriend. If you would have me?"
Ruby looked down at their connected hands, then back up to her eyes. She inched her way over until their shoulders rubbed up against one another and gave Weiss a full smile. There were no more words shared between them that afternoon None were needed.
All they had left to do was continue looking at the clouds. And whether they could see any new shapes in them, it no longer mattered. Because on the ground, something better was taking shape.
This was a bit more somber than I was going for, but that's what happens when you write at 4am.