femslash february 2022 prompt 1: clouds.

Contouring Beyond Her Expectations

It wasn't often when all of the Titans gathered together for a day of leisure. Trouble never rested, and evil never slept. As a former villain, Jinx knew that to be true. She rarely wasted a second of her valuable time. Whether she was scheming to rob a jewelry store with her cohorts or enacting a spur-of-the-moment attack downtown, she was always on the move toward her next crime.

But it was Robin who invited everyone to the party in the park. It came as a surprise to Jinx when she received the invitation. She had known Robin as a workaholic, the one who poured over clues to find the culprit until one of his friends physically dragged him to bed. He was never one to relax for even a second, but watching him grill burgers on the knoll had her second-guessing what she knew about him.

The theme for their assemblage was a potluck in the park. Everyone was required to bring one food item. The picnic tables were loaded with their catering, filling the air with the scents of rich meats and delectable sweets. In comparison, she believed her plastic container of store-bought sugar cookies still sufficed. Placing it next to Starfire's gelatinous monstrosity filled with green jello, baked beans, and a lump of questionable meat amplified their preferability and lightened their cheapness.

But as she surveyed the dishes and listened to the surrounding conversations, she spotted someone odd. Most of the Titans had come together in groupings. Some played together, such as Kid Flash racing Mas and Menos countless times throughout the park or a neighboring city. Others convened based on activities. Raven led a group meditation session farther inland underneath shady trees, Lightning emitting sparks as he struggled to curb his boredom. Speedy had set up target practice for those interested in archery, to which he yelled at Bushido for insisting on using his sword.

And yet, there was Kole. She sat by herself on the top of a hill overseeing the picnic. Her usual companion, Gnarrk, was nowhere in sight. When Jinx gave a cursory glance at the party, she discovered him in the parking lot with Cyborg. He handed Cyborg various tools while they worked together on the T-car. With Gnarrk located, she turned her attention back to Kole and examined her, arching an eyebrow at the befuddling sight of the conversational girl abnormally alone.

She didn't appear to be agitated. Her head was tilting to the bright blue sky. Jinx looked as well, but she didn't find anything of interest. She saw an airplane heading north, and if Kole, who had spent many years underground, was fascinated with something that trivial, then Jinx worried for her mind.

Her curiosity piqued, Jinx marched up the hell. Her platform heels pushed her forward, and she unclenched her fists, a habit she needed to break when she walked. She had heard civilians found her rather imposing, and she kept her fingers splayed by her sides, not wanting to frighten Kole when her shadow loomed over her.

"Hey," she called, and Kole blinked, snapping out of what might have been a trance. "Are you sleeping with your eyes open, or are you usually so out of it?"

Kole's brow wrinkled, and her smile waned. Jinx internally pressed her hand to her forehead. She also needed to correct her pattern of issuing potentially harmful and backhanded statements.

But Kole seemed to give her the benefit of the doubt when her grin returned. "A girl can't take the time to relax?" she asked, a playful air to her question.

She rolled with it. "Well, not when you're acting like you're about to fall asleep with your eyes open."

Kole chuckled and patted the grass. Jinx took the hint and sat down, folding her knees to her chest. She lightly drummed her fingers on her shins, keeping her focus on her fellow Honorary Titan.

"So, anyway, I was watching the clouds. There's a nice variety of them today," Kole cheerfully explained.

Jinx swallowed her surprise. As Kole stared at the sky, she slowly raised her gaze as well. Countless clouds ghosted across the horizon. Heavy, white clouds amassed in clumps, reminding her of melted marshmallows. In the few spaces in-between them, high, wispy clouds seemed to hustle as quickly as they could beyond the gaps.

"The ones closer to us are called cumulonimbus, and the ones above them are cirrus clouds," Kole explained, pointing.

She rolled her eyes. "Duh. I'm pretty sure we learn about different types of clouds in elementary school."

Kole lowered her finger and frowned. "Oh, well, excuse me for being a little interested and telling you a tiny bit of background on them as someone who didn't get the chance to see clouds every day." She smirked. "Y'know, because I was hundreds of miles underground away from society to avoid cruel experimentation."

Jinx bit her tongue both metaphorically and literally. She snaked her hand behind her neck, her cheeks flushing rosy red as Kole sneered at her. She cleared her throat, dispelling her embarrassment and sighing, muttering an apology under her breath.

As Kole chuckled, Jinx asked, "Still, why does it fascinate you that much? They're just clouds. You see them all the time now, right?"

Kole hummed. She clicked her tongue then flopped onto her back. She spread her arms out, keeping her attention on the clouds as the sunlight filtered through the cirrus clouds. "Well, yeah, but it's still special being out in nature. I just wanna enjoy it. Sure, it sounds boring, but it's what I want."

Her honest answer struck Jinx as even stranger, but before she could reply, Kole patted the ground again. Jinx pursed her lips. Hesitation followed her movements as she let her legs slacken. With a slow nod, Jinx laid down next to Kole, careful to avoid her arm, but Kole placed her hand on Jinx' shoulder, giving her a light squeeze.

Together, they watched the clouds garner a golden hue. As the sunlight stretched across the clouds, they gained various tints of orange and scarlet. It was as if a painter had brushed color onto their white outlines, enhancing their simplistic beauty, and Jinx' eyes widened, mesmerized by something she had ignored for most of her life.

"Man, you only see these kinds of pretty clouds in parking lots," Jinx said.

Kole paused. She immediately jerked her head and stared at Jinx. Then, after inhaling deeply, she burst into laughter. She rolled to the side, heaving out a shrill squawk of a giggle. She pounded her fist on the grass and kicked her legs, her face glowing crimson from how hard she laughed. Flipping over, she grabbed Jinx' shoulder again and cried, "You're right! You're so right!"

Up close, Jinx felt Kole's cool breath tickling her chin. Her eyes were the deepest blue she had ever seen. Her lips were chapped and coated in a cherry chapstick. While she continued laughing, Kole's hand slid down to meet Jinx' knuckles, and Jinx felt her mouth lift in a smile, her fingers curling around Kole's palm.

It was a gesture uncharacteristic of Jinx, but she enjoyed it all the same. Listening to Kole catch her breath, she asked her if she knew any more facts about clouds. Kole sighed and nodded, and Jinx listened without a care in the world, sharing in the gentle joy of nature with her.