The Whole In Their Hearts
TheApexSovereign
Chapter 1: Tangerine
"Get open, get honest, invent yourselves together. That's fusion." - Garnet, We Need to Talk
"Why do you bother folding them?" Amethyst's uncovered eye opened and rolled upwards, gazing at the Gem seated beside her.
Pearl's hands worked robotically, skillfully folding the red shirt into a neat little square and placing it in the bin next to her, before reaching for the pile and grabbing another, repeating the cycle. "I like it," she said simply. Pearl smiled thinly. "And Steven appreciates it."
Amethyst playfully rolled her eyes before shutting them again, nestling deeper into her lounging position. "Of course he does, he's Steven. But you're wasting your time anyway. It really doesn't matter."
Pearl's rhythmic process already landed a seventh shirt into the bin. "There's never a good reason to be a slob," she said, folding away.
A snort beside her. "But these are already dirty. They're just gonna get wrinkled when you throw 'em in the wash."
"In the same way Steven's bed gets messy again when he goes to bed, yet he still puts the time in making it."
"For some reason," Amethyst muttered.
"Because he has manners. I figured humans ought to do the same with their laundry." With all of the dirty clothes folded and stacked in the laundry basket, Pearl smoothly rose from the couch, carrying it in both hands. "And feet off the sofa!" she snapped.
Pearl glared at Amethyst just long enough to see her lift and move her feet over to the edge of the couch, but as soon as she looked away Amethyst returned to her previous lounging, smiling impishly.
Pearl stepped up to the warp pad and waited, patiently. She found herself engulfed in light half a second later, and then appearing someplace else. Someplace where the waves roared ceaselessly hundreds of feet below, carrying with them the sharp, salty tang of the sea. Pear breathed in deep, then opened her eyes.
She loved this planet sometimes.
The sky burned orange, rippled with clouds shadowed a soft violet. The ocean below stretched into infinity, the sunset rendering it a sheet of beaten copper, or the silkiest of gowns glistening with countless amounts of... jasper.
Pearl swallowed. Suddenly, the laundry was much more interesting. Or it would be, if it hadn't already found its way into the washer without her noticing. Pearl was given a small start upon realizing this. Blushing, she then sighed quietly before pressing a button on the machine. The washer rumbled to life, just as a breeze picked up, ruffling her hair, and tugging at the scarf around her waist like a young, incessant Steven.
Oh Steven...
The poor boy, he had gone through so much, so quickly, and right under her nose. What between Bismuth, Pink Diamond, Jasper and Connie, coming to terms with what Rose had done in the name of humanity... and he bottled it all up inside, his feelings. Frighteningly well, at that. How could Pearl have been so ignorant?
Pearl sighed again. She will just have to try harder, for Steven. And for her.
Like she had so many times before, Pearl picked up the empty laundry basket in both hands and made her way over to the warp pad, albeit with a noticeable urgency in her step. In a flash of light, she fled the cusping hand of the temple guardian.
In anticipation, Pearl spoke upon exiting the warp, "I thought I said, feet of the sofa."
Pearl's eyes were shut, but she didn't need to see to hear Amethyst cry out indignantly, "Lay off, I'm not even on it!"
A short, sharp woof followed by a muffled thud said otherwise, and Pearl had to resist the urge to snicker, lest her scolding demeanor falter. "Besides," she resumed brightly, "check out who dropped by for a visit!"
As Pearl opened her eyes,
"Don't change the subject, Amethyst; do you know how badly your filthy feet scuff up the couch fibe-UAGH!"
...she very nearly shrieked. If she were a lesser being, she might have, but Pearl had thousands of years and a million battles under her belt, and so she did what any sane Gem would do upon seeing a hulking monster intruding on the home of her little Steven: she drew her spear and in a single, fluid motion had it pressed to the orange gemstone nestled on her... stomach.
Oh... Realization walloped Pearl in the gut, so hard she almost slacked in her stance in fear hadn't kept her rigid.
"Woah, woah P! Chill!" Amethyst always was slow for a Gem, though none could ever hope to be faster than Pearl, who took great pains five thousand years ago to make sure none could lay a finger on her beloved Rose Quartz. But in that moment, as Amethyst came running over, shoving herself between Pearl and the monster standing triple her size, Pearl wished she could excel at this one thing, this one time.
Pearl blinked, then shook that horrible thought from her head. She blushed doubly hard as she drew back and pushed the spear into her gem, trying to hide the cyan shame ravaging her face. Amethyst, meanwhile, stated the obvious.
"This is just Steven and Jasper."
Why thank you Amethyst, Pearl thought, as if the gemstone on her face wasn't an obvious clue-in as well.
That's right; it's just Steven and Jasper. It's just her little guy with her former enemy. It's just Rose... son...
...fused...
With Jasper.
Pearl gazed upward into those yellow eyes, drinking in the crooked smirk that suddenly appeared, as if this fusion was suddenly embarrassed for being the cause of such a scene... Stars, it really was Steven in there. And yet, the star on her crop-top just looked so wrong clashed with that orange skin, and aside from the curly mane of white hair Pearl saw more Jasper in this fusion than Steven, quartz-shaped gem against a rather impressive six-pack notwithsanding.
What's your name?
So when did this happen?
How do you feel?
These questions all rang throughout Pearl's mind, but each time one trailed to the tip of her tongue and she'd open her mouth to speak, it would shut again, and she'd continue staring wide eyes.
She just couldn't believe it.
Steven fused.
With Jasper.
This went on for just a few seconds, but it was long enough for the fusion and Amethyst to give her funny looks.
So Pearl did what she always did, wishing desperately all the while that Garnet was here.
"I thought I made it explicitly clear that I didn't want Jasper to be alone with Steven!" Of course, Pearl assumed that it was her friends being irresponsible, that Steven put himself in danger trusting that monster with something so... so...
...personal.
But she couldn't help herself, as she was wont to do. And Amethyst rolled her eyes, groaned, as she was wont to do. "You kidding me?" Amethyst mumbled to herself, gazing off to the side.
Pearl half expected her accusation to bring out the beast in Jasper, that the sudden shift in one of the halve's moods would be enough to split the fusion of Steven and the war-bred quartz.
The same quartz who not long ago got herself corrupted in her efforts to destroy that vile Rose's son.
The one he was fused with now.
But the fusion surprised Pearl with a wide grin instead. She threw two of four beefy orange arms around Pearl's shoulders and pulled her in for a noogie using a third. "Aw, c'mon Pearlmeister! You know Jasper loves the little guy!"
That's a laugh, thought Pearl. Though in deep her heart she knew it to be true. He was Steven, and he saved Jasper's life in more ways than one.
"And, oh man!" the fusion continued. "Steven's always wanted to be super-strong, right? And look at this!" She gestured to her impressive build. "I feel great! Don't I look great!?" She was flexing her one free arm and admiring it.
Steven's enthusiasm and Jasper's roughness. She had all the makings of a personal trainer, mind and body. Pearl did her best to push her away, but the fusion didn't seem to know, or perhaps care, of her own strength. "That isn't the problem!" she squeaked into her bicep. "I told her-!"
Amethyst, as was her nature, put it a tad more bluntly. "Come on, P! It's not like this is Malachite! It's..." Amethyst's face clouded with confusion. She gazed up at the towering fusion, who finally released Pearl upon hearing the name of that hateful, ugly fusion, discomfort clear on her face from the memory. "Sorry, what's your name again, bud?"
The fusion's face brightened at the sudden change in subject. She gave a short laugh, both sets of arms folded against her breast. "Tangerine Quartz is my name! You want to see my weapon?"
"No," Pearl said steadily, much to Tangerine's evident disappointment. Though she was somewhat curious of how a war-helmet and shield combo would work.
"What's with the hostility, Pearl?" said Amethyst, arms folded behind her head. "Isn't this, like, exactly what you and Garnet wanted? For Jasper to begin reforming after Steven managed to cure her corruption?"
"Of course I wanted that," Pearl said, indignantly. A hand went to her forehead. "But this fusion, it's too much, too fast! I feel you rushed into this way too quickly. Why wasn't anyone else with you?" She gave a skeptical look, one leg crossed over the other.
"Peridot was there," said Tangerine. Her face then turned bashful. "And so was Lapis... from far away... but she still kept an eye on them!" The fusion laughed. "Believe me, I wouldn't be existing right now if she saw Jasper so much as glance at Steven wrong."
"That's not the point!" Pearl exclaimed. She gestured wildly to the fusion, to her four arms, her size, her self. "This is highly inappropriate! Unacceptable! Where was Garnet? I thought I asked her to keep an eye on Steven."
"I did." Garnet suddenly entered the house, shades concealing any hint of emotion she felt in that moment. Despite that Pearl heard the pride that subtly laced Garnet's leveled tone of voice.
She was positively ecstatic.
And Pearl was all alone. "Garnet!" she cried with indignation. "How can you trust Jasper after everything she's done?!"
Now Garnet was frowning. Noticeably. And Pearl's nonexistent stomach was forced down alongside the mood of the room.
"You don't approve," Garnet stated simply.
But Pearl would not be deterred. It had nothing to do with fusion! This was Jasper! Jasper! Pearl attempted to say these words, but choked, and her words came out a quiet squeak. Why couldn't she just say it!? 'It has nothing to do with fusion!'
'It has nothing to do with fusion!'
...Right?
Her face twisted. "Of course I don't!" Pearl stopped herself, reeled back, blushed. She stammered. "I mean, what if she still has corruption?" Everyone looked to her, doubtfully. Pearl felt herself shrinking. "How could you all trust Jasper with something like fusion?"
"How could you not? You didn't mind with Peridot, or Lapis!" Amethyst's eyes widened slightly, and she looked as though Pearl suddenly said something offensive. "Or me. So what's the problem? Why is this such a big deal?"
"Hey, yeah!" Tangerine cut in with a shaky smile. "I mean, this is a time to celebrate! We should be happy for Jasper and the little shrimp, eh?"
Pearl hugged herself. Her nails stabbed deep into her arms so hard she trembled.
"If there's food, I'm in!" said Amethyst.
"Slow down everyone," warned Garnet, "we're getting ahead of ourselves." A subtle smile. "Though I am proud of Steven, and Jasper."
"Oh man, can I show Connie? She's gonna flip when she sees me!"
Garnet placed a calming hand on Tangerine's shoulder, which seemed to work as she visibly relaxed, though excitement still twinkled brilliantly in her lightning eyes. "I think we should spend a quiet evening home. You should get used to how you're feeling, Tangerine. You are Jasper and Steven, after all."
"I feel like I could take on the world, Garnet!" Tangerine breathed in deep, her chest filling with air and quickly expelling it in a laugh. Then her gaze shifted to Pearl. "Oh, I almost forgot! Pearl, Amethyst, you guys gotta hear how Steven and Jasper fused toget-"
"NO!" Everyone froze. Tangerine lurched back. Pearl was still clawing her own arms. "No!" she sobbed. "I want you two unfused, this instant!"
"Pearl-" Garnet started.
"You shouldn't exist!" She jabbed a finger at the gem on Tangerine's face. "You shouldn't be here, you hear me?! She barely even knows him!"
A meteor could've crashed into the planet and no one would notice. Tangerine Quartz drew back, disgusted, the first negative emotion visible on her face since she was formed. "Excuse me?" she growled, and in a flash of light Pearl got her wish: Tangerine was split into two, Steven plopping down on his butt beside Jasper, who stood tall with her chest puffed out, meeting the nervous, now-shamed gaze of Pearl.
Jasper took a single step forward, and swooped down right to Pearl's face, who attempted to hold something firmly together, but it fell apart in a breakout of sweats. "You don't know anything about me, Slave Gem." Pearl lowered her head, making sure no one saw her face after that.
Jasper brushed past Pearl, roughly shoving her aside. Pearl staggered slightly, but held upright, her head hung low all the while.
"Wait, Jasper!" Steven cried, running forward. He stopped beside Pearl, as that was as far as he got before Jasper's long legs took her to the warp pad and she disappeared, presumably to her private home in the Beta Kindergarten.
The house groaned, settling.
Pearl covered her mouth with both hands, trembling. Amethyst followed Jasper's path, but kept walking to the door of the temple, never stopping except to say, "Nice one, P," before vanishing into her room. Garnet stood in the doorway, quiet as ever, imperceptible.
Steven finally looked up at his other caretaker, brown eyes shimmering, betrayed. Hurt. By Pearl.
Yet his harsh gaze, or as harsh as Steven Universe could manage, softened when he noticed Pearl shaking. "Pearl?" he squeaked. "Are you crying?"
Pearl dashed out the house, hoping she muffled her sobs long enough for the door to slam shut behind her.