Love isn't easy. It's a constant give and take between hearts, a battle if you will.
And it's a hard one to fight alone, that's why if you find yourself fighting it one sidedly- well then….
It's not love after all.
The tape ended, Pearl's final self-therapy recordings coming to a bittersweet, but ultimately healing end.
"But it still hurts, doesn't it." A mature young woman said, looking up at her mentor turned lover with hurt, half-lidded eyes.
A sigh fell from the taller's lips.
"Yes, yes it does Connie."
Brown eyes shifted over the form holding her. Sliding slowly from the peaked and still ever neat peach hair, to her blue shining eyes that told of generations of pain and struggle and intelligence beyond all others. Her eyes curved along her sharp jaw and fell to the lithe muscled shoulders, pale in the sun's setting rays as it always seemed to be but still a testament to their hidden strength. She admired her scars, so many more than her own and faintly caught in the dimming light as raised, light peachy streaks.
Connie had been a simple girl before meeting Steven, much had changed in her and her life as a consequence.
But nothing compared to how Pearl changed her. What she did to her. For her.
"Do you ever miss them? The others? We hardly see them since moving." Connie all but whispered, fearful of the answer as she looked up into those sky blue eyes once more.
The pair was sitting in the dying light of the day, atop a hill will a few cherry blossom trees Pearl insisted Connie help her plant. Their shared home sat behind them. A small and simple dwelling on the outside- it was both minimalistic and efficient in its nature. Just like they themselves were. Though the outside was small and quaint, the inside was like that of the Temple about an hour and a half behind them in Beach City. Complete with its own magic door leading to different rooms and such, except for underground, as to not have anything big or telling behind it surface wise.
The move was a conscious decision of the two. After realizing that Home World could always be a threat to the team the last thing Pearl wanted was for Connie to be near the danger. Connie had finally realized her mentor was right but couldn't stand being so far away from her new found love. Finding they both felt the same it was decided they would be re-located to a place of their own. For privacy and safety's sake they even kept the warp pad from outside eyes, choosing to have it inside rather than in plain sight outdoors. It made for easy travel between their new home and Beach City should anything troublesome arise. But normally they just drove if it came to simple visits or trips to the small beach-side city. It was of no trouble as they both found it relaxing. And besides, Pearl was paranoid about anyone of "interest" sensing the magical output.
It had been eventful, their coming together. Connie's parents were still for the moment in the dark, Connie not having the heart to hurt them after announcing she would spend her life being a protector of Earth at the Crystal Gems side rather than be a doctor.
The gems on the other hand were happy for the pair and though it was hard eventually even Steven came to understand Connie's change of interest romance wise. Deciding to simply be content with the one he loved finding someone she was happy with.
Pearl had found immense strength and a change in her own perspective in seeing this from the now grown man, and often wondered in private how much pain could have been avoided had she done the same with his mother. But Connie helped open her up in ways even Rose couldn't for thousands of years through her patient and loving care. It had been her idea to have Pearl record her own thoughts and feelings in a journal-like fashion after seeing Peridot's apparent success with such a method. Sure enough it had worked wonders, though it took time, and the two now shared in listening to them over and over again to reinstate the messages within each one.
They had just finished the last chapter in Pearl's logs, none having been recorded since Pearl finally had a breakthrough and now felt content and at peace with herself. There were still times when things would get rough and she would re-lapse a bit, but with Connie at her side she hadn't had to touch the recorder in months.
"Do you find something you like in my eyes, dear Connie?" Pearl murmured sweetly, cupping the startled girl's face as she tried to back up, her face flushing as she realized she had been lost in thought and staring into Pearl's eyes the whole time. Normally one would find the gaze uncomfortable and break it earlier. But Pearl and Connie were both people of great devotion and had an immense love for one another, meaning long periods of looking into one another's eyes felt like mere seconds to them.
"O-Oh, sorry Pearl. I did it again didn't I?" Connie said shyly, nuzzling into the cool hand still cupping her flushed face, smiling a little up at her through love-struck eyes.
"I never mind it Connie, I enjoy every second I get to be under that gaze of yours." Pearl chirped lovingly, her own eyes growing hooded and calmer than their current mirth filled glinting. "I will never tire from how you make me feel my sweet, wonderful Connie."
Connie let out a gushing sigh, subconsciously leaning towards those blue orbs and watching them fade from her vision as her eyes slipped closed of their own accord.
She felt her inexperienced mouth make contact with Pearl's hard lined, yet somehow so very soft lips.
Connie was lost in a moment. All she could see was the dark behind her eyelids, though she felt Pearl's gaze on her face and her cheeks flushed darker at the fact. Pearl liked to keep her eyes open longer than most, enjoying every sight and feeling Connie's love provided her. Sometimes Connie would pull away knowing full well that Pearl's eyes never closed during a kiss, but she found she never really minded. In fact, she only felt all the more special to win the attention and affection of a being as incredible as Pearl.
As the kiss got more heated Connie felt herself being picked up, placed in Pearl's lap a moment later.
She broke the kiss with a gasp as she felt her body being moved but in an instant was caught back in her love's all-consuming kiss.
The world was spinning.
Air couldn't be caught between kisses fast enough.
Connie had given everything up for this.
She could never go back.
The world was spinning.
And she didn't want it to stop.