A/N: Hi! First SU story, just a Pearlnet one-shot. Mild corporal punishment warnings. This episode was rough and I wanted Garnet to have some comfort because Garnet deserves good things. And Pearl does too. God I love these characters.

No part of the SU franchise belongs to me.

Onto the story!


"Do you want to talk about it?"

Pearl's voice was quiet, non-intrusive, so classically pearl in that it took up as little space as possible. For some reason, this made Garnet's head hurt. Everything that Homeworld did made Garnet's head hurt. She stared at the gems on her hands, unresponsive.

Pearl came up closer. Hesitant. "I can... if you want to be left alone, I – "

"No."

"Alright." Pearl cast a sidelong glance at the fusion gem. "Steven told me that you froze up earlier."

Garnet made a low sound in her throat, something like a whine, something like a bargain. Pearl nodded, carefully placing her fingers against the taller gem's chest. "You were scared. You are scared. I know what that feels like, Garnet."

She trembled uselessly, tore herself away, sitting with a thump on the carpeted floor. "I don't want to – we don't want –

"I know. Shh, I know." Pearl pressed her body closer. Commiseration and intimacy had meant the same thing for the two of them more than once. More than ten times. More than Pearl could count. And she so dearly liked to keep track of things.

"Please... I don't want to see anymore."

Pearl nodded. "Close your eyes, my Garnet." Leaning in, she traced her cheeks, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and removed her visors. Hot tears tracked down Garnet's face. Pearl kissed each and every one. She was no stranger to the taste of salt and skin.

Reaching down, Pearl pulled her yellow sash off in one fluid motion, still holding Garnet's face tenderly. One eye blinked open, just for a moment, and Pearl slapped her hard, earning a genuine cry of pain. "No. All of them closed. You do as I say."

"Yes, Pearl," came the quiet response.

"It's better this way, my Garnet," Pearl cooed, tracing the outline of her palm where the blow landed. She tied the sash around Garnet's forehead, resting it over her eyes. "Even if you open them..."

Garnet breathed out evenly. The yellow cloth felt comforting. Symbolism counted. "Thank you."

She nodded, saying nothing for a while. Then, "do you need anything else, tonight?"

The taller woman sighed. Pearl sat quietly, awaiting the response. And then Garnet shifted so that her head was in Pearl's lap.

"Stay."