Heavenly Bodies
It was the first time of the season that the desert night was without a breeze, and the stillness invited crickets and coyotes to sing together from across the brush. Canyon cracks, rivers of cold air, split the earth in unbound tangents.
Amethyst sifted through the sand above on the plain, kicking with her boots at the warmth underneath. The sun had gifted the ground with its heat, retained underneath the grains as the coolness of twilight crept up on her. Away from the bustle of humans, the sky spread without competition for light or space.
The Gem looked up to the thousands of stars, crossing her arms over her chest. So many of them could be undiscovered worlds, dead light from lifetimes away. Amethyst brushed her hair from in front of her eyes as she tilted her head back before sitting on the sand. It was dizzying to be able to just look up straight into space like this, without clouds or a roof or anything. The world was completely unprotected.
With the sun fading, there was only the paleness of the moon to guide her eyes over the desert and its distorted shapes. Amethyst jumped at the sound of the warp pad behind her, the one she had just stepped out of, the sudden blueness overcoming the light of the desert. She turned and rubbed her eyes, grimacing at the abrupt change.
Pearl stepped onto the sand, her concern outlined even in the shadows of the night. It wasn't as if Amethyst had expected this to be a secret outing, but the companionship was a surprise. In the new silence, Pearl glanced around, scouting for some danger, perhaps, for some immediate threat.
"Amethyst, what are you doing out here?" Her murmur carried over the red rocks with hardly any effort. "It's awfully late to be – well, what are you doing, anyway?"
Amethyst turned back to the desert. The breath of the mountains touched the edge of her hair and her shirt, the smallest wind bending around the pair.
"I came out here to be alone. What's it matter?"
"It's just a little… It's not the first time you've done something like this, but it's been happening more and more, and even Steven's noticed. He woke up and came to ask me to investigate."
"Seriously?" Amethyst said, hiding a smirk. "I thought he could sleep through anything."
Pearl didn't reply, but came forwards with her eyes locked on Amethyst and her fingers laced together. The purple warrior sat back on the ground, trying to be nonchalant.
She bristled as she felt another back against hers. Pearl's knees were tucked up near her chest as she sat, leaning against her companion. Amethyst didn't resist, but she shifted uncomfortably, making a groove in the sand. Pearl was not the most physically present of any Gem she had met, or any human for that matter. It was not unusual to be touched, but the solitude of the desert made the touch different, somehow.
"Come now, Amethyst. If you wanted to be alone, you have your room and the whole of the town. Why come all the way here?"
"Sometimes it's good to be alone! You know, a change of scene, change of pace and stuff," Amethyst replied. "Don't you go off and meditate?"
Pearl gave an acknowledging laugh, a concession – rare to hear from her, rarer to hear when conceding to present company.
"That's true. But I do it to clear chaos and cobwebs and all that. On the other hand, this – "
"Why do you care?"
There was a hesitant silence as the insects of the night returned to their symphony. The low roar of mountain winds urged an answer. Pearl tensed for the first moment, and Amethyst turned her head expectantly. Her interruption had been sudden, and Pearl had clearly been avoiding the subject. Finally, the Gem sighed, a deep breath against Amethyst's back.
"I'm proud of you."
It was Amethyst's turn to tense, her fingers digging into the sand.
"I mean it," Pearl continued. "You've grown so much from when we first found you. And it hasn't been easy, especially between us. But I am proud of you, for being able to teach us all what it means to be Crystal Gems. Steven's learned how to express himself because of you. Garnet – well, I'm sure she's learned something. And I've…"
Amethyst turned completely, staring at Pearl through her bangs.
"You've what?"
Pearl was clearly uncomfortable, but not the kind of uncomfortable that Amethyst had known. No, this was different, more emotional. Even though her face was turned, she was sure that Pearl was in that painful crux of words, trying to find the right sounds and having them stumble out of the mouth in an awkward parade.
Finally, Pearl took in a deep breath, and turned herself, her hand resting on top of Amethyst's knuckles. Each pale finger was precise and pointed, curling around her companion's hand.
"I suppose I've learned how to let go and have fun. That's…another reason that I came out here tonight, Amethyst. I wanted to see if you were planning any late-night rendezvous, some kind of adventure. Your kind of adventure."
Amethyst tried not to flush, but her cheeks betrayed her; thank goodness for the night. But she couldn't help but laugh softly, shaking her head.
"Nah, nothing like that!" she said. "Just good old-fashioned stargazing."
"It's certainly calmer than your usual outings. Certainly not wrestling or anything."
"Well, I – "
Could she say it? It was embarrassing, but so was being caught in her private time like this. But Pearl deserved as much, more so considering the circumstances. Amethyst took one more deep breath, letting her hand return the touch, turning the palm so that their fingers interlocked.
"I thought that – like, when I see you all calm and stuff, sometimes I want to be like that for a bit and not feel restless or whatever. You know? When you brain wants to do things but you just want to…not move for a while."
Pearl's soft giggle made Amethyst hold her breath, a half-second of indecision before she could tell if Pearl was being genuine or not.
"I know exactly what you mean," she said.
Even though she couldn't see the cheeks in the night, Amethyst felt Pearl's burning shyness even down in her fingertips. With a calculated turn, Pearl put her other hand on top of Amethyst's, moving her body in the sand so that the two Gems were side-by-side, shoulder to shoulder, facing the desert canvas.
"Wanna stay for a bit with me?"
"I'd love to, Amethyst."
The question had been answered before the words had left Amethyst's mouth, but hearing them aloud meant so much more. She leaned her head on Pearl's shoulder as they looked up together, staring at the vastness of the desert sky.
She bet that Pearl could name all the constellations, all of the star clusters and the galaxies visible from this planet. Maybe she could even point in the direction of Homeworld, of the other planets she had seen. Maybe, long after all this was over, they could go out there.
But that was for the future. In the moment, Amethyst was content to let the stars and the moon remain their only witnesses as they held hands and rested their minds. Pearl let out the softest sigh, her body, for once, truly relaxed. The chorus of mountain winds and shifting sands sang a wordless ballad in return.