Prompt- "Dotnet: Watching TV together, Peridot gets a little overexcited."
oOoOo
Carried Away
It was dark when Steve arrived back at the barn on Lapis's back. He was shivering from the chill of the upper atmosphere, his clothes were damp with moisture, and his stomach growled with hunger. He didn't mind, though; it was all more than worth it to get completely lost in flight with his friend.
"That was great," he told her, hopping off before wrapping his arms around her waist in a hug.
"It was," she said, hugging him back. She looked off towards the hill where the nearest warp pad lay. "I guess you'll be heading home?"
"Soon. But first, I wanna say hi to Peridot. See how that TV marathon went." She'd discovered a new show, a potential successor to CPH. Steven wasn't sure what show exactly, yet, because she'd been halfway through an episode earlier and refused to talk, but it had involved what looked a bunch of police officers getting into wacky hijinks.
The same show's theme-song was blaring when the pair of them pushed open the barn doors, so Steven kept his voice quiet when he said, "Hey Peri, we're back!"
There was a sniffling sound, and a voice said, "Hey."
It was not Peridot's voice. It wasn't the voice of anyone they knew.
Lapis immediately tensed, her wings whipping out as she leapt up towards the TV loft.
"Who are you?—" she demanded, and then immediately cut herself off.
She didn't seem afraid. Just surprised. Curious, Steven jumped up after her, landing lightly on the wood floor above.
On a too-small couch there sat a fusion, all patchy reds and greens, her four arms wrapped around her legs, smiling brightly despite the tears rolling down from behind her huge goggles.
Steven blinked.
"They kissed," she cried, triumphant, "Annie and Jane kissed! It took them nearly three seasons, but they did it, they got together! You should have seen it!"
Steven felt the smile spreading across his face. "Oh. Em. Gee. Look at you!"
"You fused," said Lapis, voice stunned.
"Oh? Oh, yes, I did!" The fusion flashed a bright smile, pushing back her frizzy abundance of hair with one hand while another fiddled with the remote. "I'm rather excellent, I know. Never mind that right now, you really do need to watch it. Not right away, of course, it won't have the proper emotional connection if you don't have the correct context. I'm compiling a short list of the most essential episodes right now— come, come, sit, plenty of room—"
"Uhhhhh," said Lapis.
"I kinda wanna have dinner," said Steven, sheepish.
The fusion blinked at him, and for a moment, he was afraid she'd be upset. But then she smiled, something softer this time. "Of course you do. And no need to hurry this. Come, let us prepare you something to eat, and we can make efficient use of your time by combining the two activities. We can invite Pearl and Amethyst too."
Halfway through the fusion's speech, Steven found himself picked up, and placed squarely on her head as she carried him down and out of the barn. Lapis flapped after them, giving him a slightly-alarmed look.
He smiled back at her. He didn't mind at all. It was comfy up here, and he knew he had nothing to fear, nothing at all, from Garnet and Peridot.
There was one thing he wanted to know though.
"Oh!" said the fusion. "You're about to ask my name! It's Heliotrope."