It was all so ridiculous.

Lapis had been broken up with Peridot for at least a month now, and Pearl was still complaining about it. Pearl was practically stalking after her as they made their way down the street, clutching Lapis's leather jacket with her thin fingers. They'd just come back from a wonderful night out at dinner and just as they had been leaving, Lapis had had to have mentioned Peridot's name in passing. Pearl just couldn't seem to let it go.

"I mean," Pearl ranted, "I don't even know what you saw in her. She barely reaches five foot and all she does all day every day is talk about the importance of biomaterials inside AI's when you dropped out of high school at age fifteen."

They entered their apartment block and Lapis was glad that they were inside. Pearl's ranting had gotten them several strange looks from people on the street.

"To be fair," Lapis said, "All you do is talk science all day every day. At least Peridot has nice tits."

Colour rose to Pearl's cheeks faster than Lapis could say OH!

Pearl looked away, stopping in her tracks. "At least I have respect for people. She treated all your friends like shit."

"Hey!" Lapis protested, "She was just getting used to everyone, you know that. She didn't like how you corrected her all the time. She stood up for herself."

Pearl crossed her arms in defiance. Lapis could almost feel the sneer coming on.

"Well maybe she needed to learn when she was wrong."

Lapis guffawed at her friend, her eyes wide. "How dare you- She was just trying her best." Lapis paused for a moment, regaining her composure. "What's gotten you all riled up anyways?"

"It's not any of your business." Pearl was adamant about not meeting her gaze and Lapis had to stop herself from hating how stuck up she could be.

"I'm your best friend," said Lapis. She thought that should be explanation enough - they told each other everything. At least she thought they did.

"You don't need to know anything." Pearl huffed. "You can have your stupid leather jacket back, by the way," Pearl retorted, tearing the garment from her body and tossing it at Lapis's feet. She stood there for a moment, taking in Lapis's shocked expression as if daring Lapis to do something. She cast a final look to the jacket before storming off in the other direction down the hallway.

Lapis sighed, watching her best friend stride away. She picked up her jacket and brushed off the dust and dirt. How could Pearl do this to her favourite leather jacket? After she had so graciously let Pearl wear it the entire way home?

Still, Lapis was less mad and more… frustrated. Pearl could be so hot-headed sometimes. She'd gotten used to it over the years of their friendship, but ever since Lapis had dated Peridot, Pearl just seemed to be getting more and more… Steamy.

She was glad that there seemed to be no one else out in the corridors at this hour. But still, she hoped they wouldn't get a complaint from anyone for being noisy. If they did, she would never let Pearl forget it.

She tossed the jacket over her shoulder and made her way to the elevator that would lead her to her apartment. That was when she realised.

Lapis and Pearl lived in the same apartment.

The only way up was this single elevator.

Lapis could only hope that Pearl had made her way into their flat already. Perhaps she had shut herself in her room to simmer off with a cup of tea. That's what she usually did when she got upset.

She was wrong.

Standing outside the elevator was the pink-haired lady, gazing at the elevator level-indicator.

Lapis thought she could hear Pearl mutter: "It's taking forever."

Pearl snapped her head around, noticing the awkward way Lapis was standing there. Her eyes widened for a moment but then her shoulders slumped.

"Oh," she said, "It's you."

"Who else lives with your sorry arse?"

Pearl glared and went back to staring at the elevator gauge again. Lapis stood beside her but kept her distance, not wanting to anger her friend any more than she seemingly had. She could almost feel the tension like a cold hand creeping up her back.

The elevator finally dinged and they both stepped inside. Pearl kept close to the control pad while Lapis stood a few feet away, not quite against the wall, to make it seem like she wasn't desperate to avoid Pearl. The ride began in silence, as Lapis had expected, and it continued smoothly, as Lapis expected. But what Lapis did not expect was for the elevator to stop three quarters of the way to their floor.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Pearl cursed. Her head swung round, her eyes wide and lips pursed like she was dreading having to spend another second in Lapis's presence. Lapis blinked.

"What do we do?" Pearl demanded desperately.

Lapis shrugged.

"That's all you're going to do? Just stand there?"

Lapis just shrugged again and looked at her feet. Pearl sighed in exasperation. "Fine. I'll call security."

Lapis scuffed her feet as Pearl made the call, arguing with the security guy as easily as arguing with Lapis had been. Pearl hung up and sighed, resting her head above the control panel.

"They're going to be at least an hour. And I'm still fucking cold."

Lapis rolled her eyes and tossed her jacket at Pearl. "Take it. I'm fine."

Pearl caught the jacket and stared at it for a moment before pulling it on. "Thanks," she murmured so Lapis could barely hear it.

"You know you wouldn't be so cold all the time if you wore proper clothes," Lapis said, looking at Pearl's shorts that could hardly be classified as pants and tank top that barely managed to cover her bra.

"You're wearing a fucking crop top Lazuli."

"But the difference between you and me is that I'm not cold. Ever," Lapis retorted.

"Why are you so rude about this?" Pearl demanded.

"Why are you so rude about Peridot? She was just trying to fit into the group but you kept pushing her away at every opportunity. Just because you can't get a relationship your-"

"Because I fucking like you you blue-haired shit."

Lapis felt like her whole world had stopped in its tracks, flipped upside down and proceeded to do the waltz. Pearl liked her. After all this time

Lapis stared at Pearl and then suddenly became very interested in the floor, her blue hair brushing into her eyes.

They had been friends for years - since the start of high school, and or course Lapis had considered it. She'd more than considered it. The past year had been filled with quick glances when Pearl wasn't looking - noticing the way her hair curled around her face and how when she talked about space her eyes lit up like stars. It was an easy kind of love that came with years of familiarity and the promise of a future together, no matter what.

But Lapis had given up waiting for Pearl to come around – so that's why she had dated Peridot. It wasn't like she hadn't liked Peridot, it was just that the way she felt about her was like the way she felt about eating healthy; she felt good about it because it was the right thing to do, to move on, but it didn't fill her with the thrill and excitement that she wanted. Sometimes it felt like she had just been dating Peridot to get Pearl jealous.

And now Pearl was saying she liked her? Then there was only one thing to do.

"I like you too Pearl. I always have," Lapis said. Again, she was scuffing her feet. She had to get out of that habit. It wrecked her shoes.

"No Lapis, I don't mean as friends I mean-"

"I know what you mean and I meant what I said."

Pearl just stared. Lapis just blushed. They both just stayed silent.

Lapis looked up suddenly, meeting Pearl's shy gaze. She strode over to the other girl's side of the room, stepping closer and closer until their noses almost met and Pearl was stepping backwards.

Pearl started blushing again, and leaned back a little like she was shrinking into herself. "Lapis," she said softly.

"Hm?" Lapis said, noticing up close just how pristine Pearl's skin was.

"Kiss me," she said. Lapis closed the distance between them and pressed her lips softly at first to Pearl's. It soon rose in intensity and Pearl was walking backwards into the control panel, the buttons clicking under her elbow. Pearl let out a muffled sound of surprise but Lapis just smiled against her mouth. Her lips were soft and all Lapis could smell was the equally soft scent of Pearl's rose perfume. Pearl eventually relaxed into the kiss and began playing with the back of Lapis's hair. Lapis placed her hands on Pearl's hips and –

They sprang apart as the elevator doors opened and from above came a gruff voice.

"I'm not interrupting am I?"