Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe or any of the characters. It all belongs to the amazing Rebecca Sugar.

Home

The night blew in a peaceful wind. With it were leaves and the slight chill of autumn, bringing a fresh smell that Lapis could only describe as Earth.

It had only been a week or two since she had made her residence here at the barn. In that short time, she had established a sort of nightly routine, one she followed with a new found happiness. Every night, after the sun had set, she would venture near the silo and lay. She would feel the grass between her fingers. She would lift her head to the sky. She would close her eyes to the moonlight and bask in it.

Tonight though, she was not alone. Leaning against the silo next to her was Peridot. Much to Lapis' surprise, she was silent, doing nothing more than star gazing. She had to admit, having company was nice, especially quiet company.

"Hey, Lazuli."

Scratch that. Peridot could never stay silent for long.

Lapis sighed. "Yes?"

Without taking her eyes off of the sky, Peridot slid down the silo until she was sitting, her legs underneath her. "Look, a little to the left. There's Homeworld's galaxy."

Lapis lifted her eyes to where the green gem was looking. With widening eyes, she realized she could see it. It was there, twinkling in the night air, beckoning her closer. She could taste the air on the tip of her tongue, like a long forgotten dream waiting to be discovered once more.

She resisted the urge to reach her arm out. "So you can."

"Do you miss it?" Peridot asked, her voice soft.

Lapis shifted slightly in her position on the ground. The grass tickled her back where she was laying, brushing against her gem. "Do you?"

"Yes."

Her answer was immediate. Lapis looked at her face, really looked.

You should have at least gotten to know her before you decided you didn't like her!

The look of longing on Peridot's face made something twinge inside of Lapis. She recognized that look. She recognized the feeling.

"We can't ever go back."

Peridot scoffed at Lapis' words. Or it might have been a snicker. Lapis couldn't tell.

"I know. I'm a traitor, you're a refugee, Yellow Diamond is a…clod." She made a choking noise that Lapis supposed was a laugh at the word clod, as if calling her former superior that was still an act of irredeemable treachery.

"I still don't get that word." Lapis crinkled her nose. Her companion only rolled her eyes.

A moment of quiet passed between them as another breeze blew in. Lapis inhaled deeply, holding the new air.

"I do miss it."

Peridot turned around, alarmed. "You-you do?"

Lapis closed her eyes. "Of course, but I miss it…differently than you do."

Even though she couldn't see it, Lapis could hear Peridot's questioning eyebrow raise in her tone of voice. "What do you mean?"

Her fists clenched a bit over her stomach, but she refused to open her eyes. "Homeworld, now, is so different than what it used to be when I was around. The technology, the gems themselves, it's all so…strange, different." Her voice broke slightly. "I lost my home before I even realized it."

Lapis expected to hear Peridot try to console her, rambling about how this could be their new home. However, she was slowly starting to realize that Peridot never quite followed what she thought.

"I…know the feeling."

Lapis opened her eyes and turned her head to Peridot, encouraging her to continue. Peridot turned her gaze from the stars to Lapis, then down to the ground, slightly uncomfortable under the blue gem's stare.

"I contacted Yellow Diamond, before we finished the drill. I thought, maybe if I talked to her, she might understand, and I might get to go home. But when I talked to her, when she wouldn't listen to the "puny thoughts of a Peridot"…" Her voice became softer than Lapis had ever heard it go. "I realized that the home I thought I had, was never really mine in the first place."

A pause. "I guess you were right."

Peridot finally looked at Lapis again. Her eyes looked dangerously wet. "About what?"

"We're more similar than I thought."

Peridot smiled, and she felt her face drift into a light smile too. The wind blew again, bringing with it red and brown leaves that swirled in the air around them. Without another word, they both turned to look at the sky again.

It was a few moments before Lapis started snickering. She could feel Peridot's questioning gaze.

"The liar and the traitor, sitting together as rebels on a lost gem colony. Did you ever think you would be here?"

"Nope." She popped her mouth on the p. "Never thought you'd be talking to me this much either."

"Careful, Peridot. Bitterness is my thing."

They both laughed at that.

After they quieted, Peridot sobered a bit, leaning her head back against the silo. "Hey, Lazuli. Can I ask you a serious question?"

"You'll ask anyway, so go for it."

"We're really far from Homeworld, aren't we?"

Lapis turned toward the galaxy in question, staring for the longest time. She thought she detected a second meaning to her words. "I suppose."

"Do you think that's a bad thing?"

Lapis looked once more to Peridot. She could see the galaxy in her eyes, shining with a greenish tint. She thought for a moment. About the chaos of Homeworld, the changing leaves of Earth, the shining city Steven had shown her, the stars reflected in Peridot's visor.

There was freedom here that Steven had shown her. The freedom of change and renewal. Of new beginnings and comfort.

"No, I don't think it is."

A/N: Hello all! It feels good to be back! This is something I've been toying around with for awhile. I wanted to write at least a little something for Steven Universe, so I thought some one-shots would be nice and fun. I hope to continue writing entries for this, and I hope to stay as in character as I can. I wrote this chapter while listening to Home by Lisa Hannigan. In fact, I even got inspiration for the title from it. I would give it a listen, it really is amazing. Oh, and before I forget, I hope to be posting something else soon Steven Universe related, so be on the look out for that! Until then...

Music's Passion logging out!