A Cloudsdale Connection

by PseudoBob Delightus

Chapter 2

It was midnight. Sky Stinger was stoking the furnace for the night when he felt a gust, and heard a ruffle and a deep sigh. "Hey, Vape," he said, watching for the flame to catch.

"Hey," she mumbled, then quietly plodded across the apartment and into her room so she could peel off her flight suit.

Sky Stinger stared at the fire for a moment longer, then snuck into his own room, across the hall from hers, and retrieved the present from under his bed.

---

Vapor Trail held her present in her hooves, pressed an ear up to her door, and waited. Sometimes she wished Sky Stinger's walls were thinner, and made of something less sound-absorbent than cloud. But still, there was a bit of commotion, the shutting of a door, and then silence.

He'd be out like a light, so she only waited a few minutes before cracking open her own door, lifting it subtly so it wouldn't make any noise, and stepping out.

---

When they turned around from their doors, they nearly ran into each other head-first.

"Oh," they both said.

Vapor Trail swallowed, and explained first. "I was just going to leave this in your room."

Sky Stinger nodded. "Yeah."

"I-I have weather duty tomorrow, so, I don't think…"

"No, yeah. I have to help with the play, so, we're both out."

"Right."

They both looked at each other's gift, then back at their own. Each was a box of about the same size, wrapped in the same paper - the one kind they had - though Vapor Trail's was wrapped more tightly with cleaner folds, while Sky Stinger's had a little bow of ribbon around it.

Without saying another word, Sky Stinger hoofed his over to Vapor Trail, and she hoofed hers over to him, and they sat down on the hallway floor and started opening them.

"Wouldn't it be funny if-"

"-If it was the same thing?"

"Yeah."

But when Sky Stinger opened his gift, he worried. This was a CF-6 Series kinetic goggle, able to protect his eyes while keeping the visor free of ice and fog, all powered by the wearer's own movement - exactly what he wanted. "Wow, Vapor… This is…"

She was watching his reaction, her gift sitting half-opened in her lap. "Is it the right size?"

He put it on to show her: "No, it's one-size, see?" But his bug-like appearance while wearing it made her giggle. He smiled, and took it off, placing it gently back in the box. "It's great, I-" Don't say too much. "It's perfect."

"I'm glad you like it," she said, in that gentle voice that always made him feel funny, as she resumed opening her present - revealing a gray cylinder with a subtle checkerboard pattern, which she held quizzically. "It's a-" The top came off, revealing a necked screw-cap. "-A thermos?"

"Yeah!"

She unscrewed the cap, and peered inside, then frowned. "Aw, it's empty!"

He held his smile behind a hoof. "I-I'm sorry. But yeah, it's got some runic thingamajiggy in it that keeps it the same temperature for, like, days. I figured-"

"For weather work!"

"Exactly."

She beamed, at first, then her expression sank a little. "I think- I mean, it's great."

This is what he was worried about. He tried not to sound too worried. "Hm?"

She sighed. "They're kinda cracking down on what equipment we can bring on weather missions. Especially for Hearth's Warming. This might be…"

"What?"

"... Too big." She smiled sheepishly.

He replied, too quickly, "You can return it if you want."

"No! No, it's good. I like it."

"It's no issue if-"

"I can still use it."

"-There are smaller ones, I think-"

"It's good." Vapor Trail leaned forward to put a hoof on Skystinger's shoulder. Their faces were close. He tried not to notice. "It's a good gift. I'm keeping it."

"O-okay."

"Thank you."

"... Welcome."

With that, she let go of his shoulder, and stood up. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Sting."

He stood up, and nodded. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Vape."

And with that, they went back to their rooms.

---

It was past midnight. Cold arches and pillars drifted beyond the window, and a gray cylinder neither provided nor stole any warmth.

Vapor Trail laid awake hoping she didn't seem ungrateful to Sky Stinger.

---

It was past midnight. Moonlight poured in from the window, glinting off a pair of goggles.

Sky Stinger laid awake wondering how he would make it up to Vapor Trail.

Comments

[Yoshifan30]

Aww I would say this was a pretty cute way how they got their gifts from each other even though they thought it's not being too special but yet they liked it but it still feels like they want to do something more special for each other especially both of them are busy on Hearts warming eve I wonder what they're going to do

[Bicyclette]

ooh love the subtly observed characterizations here! this in particular is really good:

He put it on to show her: "No, it's one-size, see?" But his bug-like appearance while wearing it made her giggle. He smiled, and took it off, placing it gently back in the box. "It's great, I-" Don't say too much. "It's perfect."

and their mutual anxiety is so real. definitely have been on both sides of giving a gift that is not quite perfect