Cloud Watching
[Beckett Harrington x Emma Carlyle Masterlist]
Pairing: Beckett Harrington x Emma Carlyle (F!MC) Book: The Elementalists 2 Word Count: ~1,000 Rating/Warnings: general, none Submitting to: @choicesaprilchallenge24: Clouds ; @choicesficwriterscreations FotW; @choicesbookclub TE2
Synopsis: Emma tries to teach Beckett to cloud watch.
"Despite the slight distraction-" His cheeks flushed red as his gaze drifted to her lips. He swallowed hard and continued. He took a step forward, following the path back to the dorms. "I think we can say this was quite a productive study session."
Emma's gaze softened as she watched him process the academic merit of successfully completing the cloud shape-shifting spell. And yet, she couldn't help but wonder if he was missing something more important entirely.
"Haven't you ever just lied back on the soft grass on a sunny day and just watched the clouds drift by?" Emma held her finger up, quieting his reply before continuing, "-without magick?"
"What would the value of such an activity be?" His brows knitted together as he questioned the notion.
"To enjoy the beauty of nature."
"I suppose we could discuss the types and classifications of clouds and how they form. Nevertheless, that's rather elementary knowledge." He adjusted his blazer. "Knowing how to manipulate them and bend the air and water vapor to your specifications and designs takes far more knowledge and control."
"You're such a nerd." She shook her head gently. "Not everything has to be about learning or gaining knowledge of information. Some things can be for fun or to relax."
"Did you not have fun shaping the clouds?" A frown fell on his features. To him, mastering a new spell was the perfect amount of fun. It was productive and efficient without any of the more frivolous aspects of fun that caused others to lose control.
"It was fun, but sometimes, just pausing to breathe and enjoy the moment without anything other than nature's own magic is something special." Her gaze shifted to the heavens, letting the sun warm her face. A soft smile spread across her features. "Do you trust me?" Her attention returned to him.
"You need not ask for you know the answer is always." The tips of his ears turned pink despite his attempts to compose himself in her presence.
She held her hand to him, lacing their fingers with his. "Follow me."
Emma guided him off the path and across the quad, finding a spot where the grass was just right, not too short where it would be scratchy and uncomfortable or too long where it might threaten to tickle their skin with the breeze. "Perfect."
She sat on the soft ground, patting the surface for him to sit beside her. Despite his hesitance in getting his khaki pants grass-stained, he complied with her request.
"Now, lay back on the grass and just look at the clouds." Emma led by example, reclining on the quad. Her eyes fluttered closed as she breathed in the fresh air and the scent of the wildflowers dancing in the breeze.
She opened her eyes to find Beckett very much in the same seated position. Her eyes narrowed at him, insisting he follow suit.
"But my blazer!" His eyes widened in horror.
"Take it off if you must, but you're not getting out of this, Harrington. If anyone needs to learn how to cloud-watch, it's you!"
He grumbled slightly, though his eyes betrayed the sentiment. He mirrored her pose. "Okay, now that I'm lying in the dirt, what is it that I am supposed to do?"
"Just watch the clouds."
"Watch them for what?"
"Just watch how they move. How slowly. How swiftly. Do they dance across the sky? What can you see in them? Can you make shapes? animals?—without magick!"
Beckett propped himself up on his elbow, looking over to her with great skepticism. "Is this some sort of tuneless prank?"
"Not a prank."
"So this is something tuneless people do for enjoyment?"
"Some. Others miss the point."
"I must admit that I might be one of them."
Emma sighed before breathing in again, refusing to give up so quickly. She shimmied closer to him, resting her head against his. "See, that one there—" Lifting her arm toward the sky, she pointed toward a fluffy cloud. "—that one's a bunny."
Beckett suppressed the urge to protest. Squinting at the cloud in question, he turned his head to the left, then to the right, trying to see what she saw. "I suppose... if you squint and tilt your head like this, it is uh—vaguely...resembling of a rabbit..." He couldn't stop his analytical mind. "But, from a scientific perspective, clouds are formed by the condensation of water vapor in the atmosphere. Any thought that they form particular shapes is just the human mind searching for meaning. Cloud formation is dependent on temperature, humidity, and air currents." His voice trailed away as the potential of the air magick sparked at his fingertips. "Can't you feel the atmosphere all around us? The air currents pulling in the sky, forming the clouds, shaping them into what they are and could be?"
Emma laughed softly, brushing a kiss on his head. "I love your beautiful brain, but let's focus on trying to bring out your imagination." Her hands drew out a rainbow in front of her head. She knew he wouldn't understand the tuneless reference, but she had seen the meme too many times for her to say the word without the accompanying gesture.
His lips twitched up. "I admire your persistence." He pulled her closer.
Emma rested her head on his shoulder. "Try again." She searched the sky, pointing to the next one. "There. See. Right there, that one is a dragon."
His gaze flickered to her, watching as her face illuminated with wonder. He nodded, squinting as he followed where she gestured. He let the sun warm his face and nodded slowly. "If I squint and... turn my head...and—"
"It's okay." She snuggled into him, giggling at the steady concentration drawing almost painstakingly across his face. "You get an A for effort, Mr Harrington."
"OOo!" Her attention was captured again by the sky. "Now, it looks like it's breathing fire! ICE fire!"
"Ice fire?" His brow arched, amusement dancing on his lips. "I suppose that isn't entirely inaccurate. The clouds are made of ice crystals!"
"At least we can agree on something."
The pair relaxed on the quad, letting the sun caress their skin. With each gentle breeze, the clouds above shifted and danced, creating new shapes and designs for Emma to decipher, reminding Beckett of the magic that could be found in even the simplest moments of life.
A/N: Emma loves Spongebob. Once she learns a spell to make a rainbow, she'll be doing this all day and no one will get it but her and Atlas, because she introduced Atlas to Spongebob and she binged the first few seasons without pausing to sleep!
