Pearl stood on the tips of her toes in her water fall room. She danced and swirled elegantly along the top of the transparent water. She was strategically dancing to void her mind of thought and worry. The calming crash of the water falls and the small ringlets of water that her feet created soothed her.
She heard her door open and froze in a pose. She saw the large gem with multi colored hair come in her room. Bismuth looked up at one of the water falls, looking at Pearl's graceful stance.
"Yo, Pearl," Bismuth called up to her as she jumped to the waterfall Pearl was on. Pearl relaxed out of her pose but kept her back straight and stood up right.
"Hello, Bismuth," Pearl said as she gave a smile. Bismuth nodded and Pearl noted that the usually loud and vibrant gem was strangely quiet.
"Can we talk for a minute?" Bismuth asked and Pearl nodded, motioning towards the edge of the water fall. Bismuth walked towards it and sat down, letting her legs hang off the side. Pearl followed suit, sitting next to the extremely strong gem.
Pearl remained silent as Bismuth closed her eyes and bawled her hands into fists.
"It's been over 5 years since I reformed, Pearl. And, I still can't get over how much everything has changed," Bismuth said, squeezing her eyes further closed. Pearl placed her porcelain hand over Bismuth's scar covered one.
"It is a lot to get use too," Pearl said in a soft, comforting voice. Bismuth opened her eyes and looked at Pearl with a small smile.
"I just can't believe it...I mean Garnet use to look like blog of pink and blue and now she's solid red? It's crazy... Remember how she always use to catch frogs and show them to Rose? Ha ha. She was absolutely adorable," Bismuth said, reminiscing. Pearl nodded and smiled, reminiscing herself. Bismuth's face grew grim and her gaze starred at a nearby water fall, watching the water tumble, crash, and burst at the water below.
"...It's hard to believe that Bigs, Snowflake, and Crazy Legs are gone," Bismuth said, holding onto Pearl's soft hand.
"I wish I had been there to help," Bismuth said, regretfully. Pearl shook her head.
"If you had, you would have died too," Pearl whispered, quietly. Bismuth let out a large sigh of grief and slumped her shoulders.
"Nothings the same anymore... I mean it really doesn't surprise me that Rose gave up her physical form to create a human being. She always loved humans...But, I don't want to believe that she just left the Crystal Gems," Bismuth said and Pearl held back her tears as best she could.
"...She did it out of love," Pearl said, shakily. Her shoulders shook and tears fell down her cheeks.
"Oh man. No don't, Pearl," Bismuth said as tears streaked her own light purple cheeks. Pearl cried and tried wiping away her tears but they continued to fall. Bismuth grabbed the skinny gem in her beefy arms and pulled Pearl close to her chest.
Pearl cried deeply into Bismuth's gem and Bismuth cried as well. After a long time, Pearl pulled away with red eyes and tear stained cheeks. Bismuth's shirt was soaked in tears and Pearl wiped away her remaining tears.
"I...I'm sorry, Bismuth," Pearl said and Bismuth shook her head.
"Don't be sorry," Bismuth said and placed her purple hand on Pearl's head, a habit she always had when Pearl was distraught. Pearl's cool gem rested in her palm. Bismuth smiled, wiping a few stray tears from Pearl's cheek.
"You have changed too, Pearl. You are more independent and you seem happier then the last time I saw you," Bismuth said and Pearl blushed as Bismuth removed her hand from her forehead.
"You're like your own gem now," Bismuth said and Pearl nodded.
"I'm trying to be," Pearl said, quietly.
Bismuth smiled.
"Well, you're doing a good job Pearl," Bismuth said. Pearl smiled.
"Thank you," Pearl said and Bismuth smiled.
"The only thing that's changed about me is my physical form," Bismuth said.
"I don't really know if that's a good or bad thing," Bismuth said with a light smile.
"I think it's a good thing," Pearl said and smiled, brightly.
"Maybe. It seems that everything around me has changed but I'm still stuck in the past," Bismuth said and looked at Pearl's teal eyes.
"...Pearl? Is it okay if I ask you a personal question?" Bismuth asked, quietly. Pearl was hesitant but nodded.
"Even though she is gone, do you still have feelings for her like you did back then?" Bismuth whispered. And Pearl's shoulders pushed forward as she nodded. She put her head in her hands and sighed.
"I'm trying to change how I behave and become stronger but the passion I feel for Ro-...her wont go away," Pearl confessed. Bismuth nodded and placed her large hand on her shoulder. Silence covered the two.
"...My feelings for you haven't changed, Pearl. You may not feel the same about me, but I want you to be happy. That is if yoh would let me," Bismuth said and Pearl looked at her.
"I don't understand that. Why would you want to be with a defective Pearl?" Pearl said and shook her head in disapproval.
"We are all defective, Pearl. That's what makes us Crystal Gems," Bismuth says, encouragingly. Pearl nodded, slowly. Silence consumed the room again.
"Do you have any feelings for me? Even if they are small?" Bismuth asks and Pearl blushed wildly. She shook her head and looked away from Bismuth.
"Maybe a small part of me does... I don't know everything's so complicated right now," Pearl huffed out flustered. She paused and took a deep breath.
"... I just can't be with you right now, Bismuth," Pearl said.
"I understand that. I know you still love her and that you're trying to improve yourself... That's why I am willing to wait for you," Bismuth said with a small purple blush and a smile.
"I can't ask you to do that...I may never get over Rose," Pearl said as she brought her knees to her chest.
"I am willing to wait for eternity, Pearl. And if you never decide how you feel, then that's okay. I just want you to be happy with or without me," Bismuth said and Pearl shook her head.
"Why? Why do care so much about me? I am just a Pearl. I don't deserve love," Pearl said as she brought her hands to rest on the sides of her face.
"You have never been just a Pearl. You were always different from them. You were smarter and more beautiful. You had your own ideas and thoughts. You are amazing, Pearl," Bismuth said and blushed wildly but smiled. Pearl blushed and looked away.
"I care about you, Pearl," Bismuth said, placing her hand on Pearl's hand and she leaned over and kissed Pearl's blushing cheek. Pearl let out a small gasp and Bismuth stood with a smile as she prepared to leave.
"Goodbye, Pea-" Bismuth began to say but Pearl cut her off.
"Wait!... I mean..., " Pearl said as she stood up, standing next to Bismuth.
Bismuth raised her eyebrow.
" I wont be ready to fully love you for thousands of years but ...if you can accept that, I'd like to try and make this work," Pearl said, blushing and looking at the ground. Bismuth smiled brightly and nodded.
"Of course, I can," Bismuth said and Pearl took a step.
"I want to take this slow but... Can I try to kiss you?" Pearl asked, hesitantly and Bismuth nodded. Pearl stepped into Bismuth's arms and tilted her head up. She closed her eyes and Bismuth bent down. Their lips were inches apart and Pearl could feel Bismuth's hot breath on her lips. Pearl pulled away, quickly.
"I'm sorry. I. I just cant. I thought I could but I-" Pearl said frantically but Bismuth pulled Pearl into a quick hug.
"It's fine, Pearl. We have eternity together," Bismuth said and Pearl blushed.
The door to Pearl's room opened and Amethyst stood in the door way.
"Yo , P. Bis. We got a mission on Mosk Island," Amethyst called and Steven bounced up to Amethyst.
"Come on. We gotta save the world!" Steven said, excitedly. Bismuth smiled at Pearl and jumped down from the waterfall. Pearl placed her hand on her own chest and felt her heart beat. It wasn't beating rapidly but it was beating a little faster then normal. Learning to love Bismuth would be a long and hard journey, but wasn't all love that way?