A Moment We Change

Everything after the Crystal Gems had finally defeated the cluster had felt off. Sure the gems had celebrated their big success on the drill, but two gems had felt different.

Steven and Peridot had said some things in the drill down in the earth's crust, and now could barely stop staring at each other. Both Steven and Peridot would blush when their eyes made contact, and they would sit far apart.

The other gems didn't seem to notice their strange behavior, and were too focus on Lapis still asleep in the barn after being separated from Jasper. After everyone had let Steven sleep in the barn truck and left to the temple, Peridot came to him to talk.

She whispered, "Steven…"

The boy in the truck got up and called back, "Peridot…"

Peridot came over and waited until Steven signaled her to come on the back of the truck. When she finally sat next to him, Peridot spoke. "So…I've been wondering about our relationship Steven."

The boy fondles with his thumbs, "Yeah, me too."

Peridot looked straight at the floor, "I recall that you said something in the drill, and… I'm wondering…"

"What…" Steven looked at Peridot with a curious look.

Peridot blushed but looked into Steven's eyes, "Is…what you said true?"

Steven knew what she was talking about, how could he forget, he told Peridot that he loved her. Steven remembered the feelings he was going through when he thought of dying right then and there: Sacred, Shocked, Sad, and Guilt.

Then he remembered the one thing that was on his mind: Peridot.

Steven swallows a hard lump forming in his throat, "I…I-I do mean it …Peridot"

Peridot didn't response, waiting for him to finish his thought. Steven looked away and mumbled something, Peridot couldn't hear him.

"What was that?"

Then the boy turned back, blushing like mad and grabbing her shoulders before speaking a little louder, "I love you Peridot."

Peridot didn't say anything as she blushed a darker shade of green. Steven blushed a tomato color and lets go of her. Steven couldn't help but let go of her and grab a fist full of his shirt, "I'm…I'm s-sorry Peridot… I shouldn't have said t-that…you might not feel the same way."

Then he grabs his head and yells, "I'm such an idiot!"

"No, you're not…"

Steven looks at Peridot wondering if he really just heard that. Peridot wasn't sure Steven heard it so she repeated, "You're not an idiot."

Steven just stayed quieted, really wondering if he was dreaming right now. He just confessed his love for Peridot, a new crystal gem that had tried to kill him before, and Peridot didn't call him an idiot. The boy's heart rate was hitting high speeds.

Peridot spoke again, "I know what this 'love' is you speak of Steven."

Steven was confused, "You do?"

She nods, "Yes, the fusion told me what love is between two people. The feelings, the wants, and… what you do… when you feel it."

Steven's eyes wide, fully understanding what the green gem was saying. He whispers, "Peridot…"

She looks up at the boy in front of her and whispers back, "Steven…"

He swallowed that lump again and moves closer to Peridot so he didn't had to speak so loud. "Do you love me?"

Peridot squeaked hearing him say it out loud. Blushing all over, she nods.

Without even thinking twice about anything, Steven kisses Peridot's cheek. Steven was blushing, but he didn't care. This felt so right to the boy, Peridot's cheek was warm to his lips, and grew warmer when he kept kissing it.

Peridot didn't move, she didn't speak, the action Steven just did set her as still as a statue. Her insides were on fire! She knew she would like the kiss, but she didn't know how much she would. Time seemed to froze, the kiss only last a long minute, but to the two gems it felt like years before Steven pulled away.

When Steven opened his eyes, he realized that Peridot's face was so close to his, making him blush like a tomato. Peridot realized the same thing and tingled when she felt Steven's breath on her cheek. She closes her eyes and moans, not really knowing why.

She opens her eyes again when she felt hands on her visor. It was Steven; he was lightly brushing the sides of her visor as he kept looking at her eyes.

Steven seemed hypnotized by them when he asked, "Can I see your eyes?"

Peridot smiles and nods at his request. Steven then very slowly took off her visor and gasped at the beautiful eyes. One was lovely lime green, and the other was bright sky blue. Steven couldn't help but smile at the two eyes, he never seen such pretty jewel ords.

Steven must have stayed quiet too long, because Peridot whined, "Come on Steven! Say some thing!"

The half gem spoke, "So pretty… Your eyes are so beautiful. You're so beautiful."

Peridot pushes away from Steven, scaring the boy. He didn't know what he said wrong. "Peridot? What- what…"

"I'm not beautiful!"

Peridot is blushing in such a dark green color that Steven thought she would pass out. She grabs her visor and speaks, "I'm not beautiful Steven."

"Of course you are…"

"No" She turns away from him and whispers, "I'm not. I'm a Peridot, Steven. Even if you're half quartz you're still a higher rank up gem than me. You deserve someone better than me."

"That's crazy talk!"

Peridot whips around to see a blushing yet angry looked Steven. He was upset at what he was hearing from her, "I don't want anyone but you!"

He then grabs Peridot's hands and pulls her closer to him again, dropping her visor. He cups her right cheek and looks deep in her eyes, "I don't want another quartz, I want you. I want you to be my Peridot. I want you to be my gem."

Peridot bit her lip, "What about the other human?"

He gives her a confused look, "What other human?"

"The one at your 'birth' date celebration."

Steven knows the one she's talking about, "You mean Connie?"

She nods, "You two seem perfect together. Way better then me. You're both humans, and around the same age. You even fused with her from what I was told from Amethyst. You guys would-"

He shakes his head, "No, stop. Stop! I don't want Connie either. I like her as a friend, but I don't love her."

Steven lets go of Peridot and stares down at the floor of the back of the truck. A long pause happens before Steven spoke again, "When we were down at the earth's core to stop the cluster, and that earthquake happened, I thought I was a goner…"

Peridot nods at this, she felt the same way.

He continues, "I saw my life flash before me, and when I was thinking of what I wanted to do before I die, you were the only thing on my mind."

Peridot feels the fire in her stomach again.

"And when you said to say my last words, I could only think of those words. I could only think of you."

Steven looked up at Peridot again with determination in his eyes. He spoke with boldness, "I don't love Connie. I don't love anyone the way I do for you. I love you Peridot. You're funny, cute, and smart. I want you, and no one else."

Steven held her hands and looks deep in her eyes again, "You're my universe. I love you."

Peridot felt like fireworks exploded within her, she couldn't believe what she heard from him. He loved her, her. Every since she learned love, she always felt Steven was the only one who got her, who knew her. She thought that Steven couldn't love a weak, helpless, ugly gem like her and just was kidding herself. But this wasn't true, he did love her.

Steven loved Peridot.

She couldn't think of anything else when she wrapped her arms around Steven's neck and kissed him right on the lips.

Steven was shocked by her sudden action, but then wrapped his arms around Peridot's small waist and kisses her back with the same force. His heart burned with passion and his stomach did flips. He didn't want this to stop. This was his heaven.

Peridot felt her body glow and burn with the heat of a hundred suns. She could only think on how Steven was kissing her back. She felt all of her problems wash away through this kiss alone. She couldn't even remember where they were. Only Steven and his lips processed in her mind.

They both pull away at the same time to look at each other. Their blushes were gone, their eyes looked deep within each other's, and their arms didn't move off of the other. The just stared at each other until Peridot spoke, "I'm sorry…"

Steven smiled at her, "Don't be…"

Peridot's blush came back, "What are we going to tell the gems about you and me."

Steven thought this over a bit. He wanted to tell them, but he knew how they still treated Peridot badly around him. Only Amethyst seemed to be nice to her, and Garnet just seems on the neutral party. Pearl was the only one still being upset with the green gem being near Steven. There was a question he had been meaning to ask though about something.

"I want to tell them Peridot," Steven says, "But if you don't want to right now, then I get it. I just have one question though."

"What's that?' Peridot asked.

"Why didn't you stay at my birthday? If you already liked me, why didn't you come?"

Peridot bit her lip at this, but since Steven was looking at her with almost pleading brown eyes she gave in. With a sigh she speaks slowly. "Cause of what Pearl said…"

Steven just held her tighter and whispered back, "What did she say Peridot…?"

"When Amethyst told me about your birth party…. Pearl pulled me into the barn and… threaten me… to stay away."

The brunette couldn't believe what she was saying. Pearl threaten Peridot. Steven had to hold himself calm to make sure he didn't start going nuts. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking back into those beautiful mismatched eyes. "What did Pearl say to you, Peridot? Please… tell me."

Peridot was a bit scared, but just held in her fear as she explained, "I was going to go to your birth party. I wanted to get you a 'gift', as Amethyst called them, and everything…. but Pearl didn't like that. She told me I was still a danger to you and the others. Pearl said to not get close to you, and once the cluster was dealt with... to leave. I was angry, but then she said about you and the other human being together and I snapped." Tears were forming in her eyes, breaking Steven's heart in two.

He waited as she continued. "I put on a face, but really… after you left the barn… and stayed by the other human female… I cried in the barn the whole time. After you turned back to normal I stayed away, but you kept getting close to me. I'm sorry…"

Steven shook his head at that and wiped the tears that fell off her cheek. He spoke firmly to her, "There's no reason to be sorry. If anything, I'm sorry. I should have seen something was wrong with you not there. I never thought of you as a threat Peridot. I love you. I don't care what Pearl said. She can't protect me forever. I'm 14, and need to take care of myself. I want you to be my gem; my little Peri. Will you be with me?"

Peridot smiled and kissed his cheek. "You don't even have to ask. I want you to be my quartz soldier. Will you be with me?"

"Of course!"

The kiss one more time and break off. Peridot grabs her visor, and was going to leave until Steven pulled at her hand. Steven blushed at her and asked, "Could you…" he stayed quiet.

"What Steven," Peridot says sweetly.

"Could you… sleep with me tonight?"

Peridot smiles and gives Steven a peck on the lips, "Sure Steven. I could try sleep with you."

Steven blushed and moves aside to let Peridot in the covers. She comes in and snuggles up in Steven chest, hearing his fast heart beat. "Steven, come down…"

Steven wraps his arms around Peridot, "I'm sorry, I never share a bed with someone."

"You shared one with that Connie girl."

Steven blushes again and speaks a little too loud, "That was different! I was a baby at the time!"

Peridot giggles, "That's okay Steven, so how do you sleep."

"Oh, well you just get comfortable."

"Like this," she snuggles closer to Steven's chest.

He starts to feel warm too, "Yeah, then you just… think of nothing."

Peridot is confused and looks up at Steven, "How do I do that?"

"Just don't think."

Peridot is still confused, but nods and tries to think of nothing. It happened faster than she thought it would because in two minutes she passed out. Steven chuckles and kisses her gem, making Peridot hum at the feeling. Steven gets nice and cozy before whispering "Love you", and falling asleep.