STEVIDOT MONTH: WEEK 1

Cuddles, Confession, Love at first sight

Steven sat quietly on the brooding hill, reminiscing on the events of the evening before. He still felt his emotions swirling from what had happened at his trip to homeworld.

It had played out wonderfully. The diamonds had healed the corrupted gems, White diamond had turned into a good friend, and the diamonds had finally set homeworld and it's gems free! Steven was quite content with his work.

But there was still something on his mind.

Someone, one of his closest friends, had lost the place in his heart, and was replaced by another. The latter….. he didn't quite know yet. The former had become quite clear to him.

Throughout his time on homeworld, Connie had began to become someone that he couldn't look to and trust anymore. He began to realize this not too long ago.

She had embarrassed his image in front of the face of homeworld when he most needed it. And hell did he need it then. Through the rest of their adventure after that, he began to realize everything.

She had become obsessive, clingy, and self-centered. The opposite of the friend he once knew and loved.

He didn't think him and Connie would ever be the same friends they were, it was too late for that.

So Steven sat solemnly on the hill, getting lost in his own thoughts. The wind rustled his hair and sweetly whistled. Steven sighed. This was it. Everything was perfect. Peaceful, nice, safe, healthy-

"Steven!"

"W-woah!" Steven turned towards the voice. Quickly realizing that it was the familiar face of Peridot. She was looking sideways and held her arm nervously.

"Peri! W-what's up?!" He said in shock and nervousness. He put up the most chill smile he could muster and looked awkwardly to the side. This was a first. He had never freaked out like that with Peridot, let alone anyone before.

"I…. I need to ask you something. A-and-", Peridot clenched her fist and closed her eyes, her face contorting before returning to normal. She breathed out before continuing. "Please. B-bare with me." Steven then gestured for her to sit next to him. Peridot followed suit and sat down quietly.

"What's going on? Not too long ago you were hanging out with Lapis, having fun!" Peridot flinched at the sound of Lapis' name.

Steven had noticed this action however, and didn't hesitate in asking why. "Peri, this is about Lapis, isn't it?"

"Am I really that readable? Ugh. You're partially right. There's something on my mind…. And I'm not wasting anymore time telling you." Peridot's eyes stared deep into Steven's, intoxicating him with their deep green color. He was so lost in them that he didn't notice the blush creeping on his face. Snap out of it Steven! He thought before he phased back into reality.

"You can tell me! Don't worry! I'll listen!" Steven smiled kindly at Peridot, making her blush.

Peridot nervously twiddled her fingers before straightening her posture and beginning.

"Lately, or more like since Lapis returned, I've been realizing that she did something to my mind. She really hurt me in more ways than one. She was so…. Selfish and controlling to me, and I never realized it. Now that I have, talking with her has been awful… This emotion I'm feeling towards her….. I loathe it. Or do I loathe her?! I'm confusing myself and I don't know what to do!" Peridot finished with a sigh. Her head was lowered and her eyebrows were furrowed.

Steven put his hand on Peridot's shoulder and tried to look past the sadness he was feeling for her situation and smiled. "Hey, I'm right there with you. I also just realized that someone close to me wasn't treating me so good and-"

"No Steven! You don't get it! I thought I loved her! I lived for her! I sacrificed my own happiness and life for her! And if I didn't love her, than she wouldn't even like me anymore! And now I have this-" Peridot got on her knees and gestured towards her chest, "Hole in my heart, and I-it can't be filled with Lapis anymore! I've tried, and it just doesn't work!". Tears were leaking out of her eyes.

"Peri…. You should have told me, or Pearl, or Garnet! The place you were in wasn't healthy at all! I-we could have helped your situation." Steven looked at her in worry.

"It's not just that that's the problem! My heart! Whenever I'm hurting, thoughts of her don't even calm me down like they used to. It's….i-it's... always been…. It's always been you Steven. A-and-I…" The tears were flowing steadily down her face now and she clenched her fists even tighter. "This feeling is….. ripping me from the inside out! And I was so. STUPID! Enough so that I didn't realize that it wasn't Lapis. It was never Lapis! You've been keeping me sane. Alive even! Ever since you said those Intoxicating words back in the Earth's mantle! And they keep playing and playing and playing and PLAYING! And they WON'T. STOP!" Peridot had began to sob frantically, her hands now covering her ears and her whole body trembling.

Steven didn't know what to say. He was in shock and awe over her words. But still...they fulfilled something in him he didn't know he needed.

"Peri… You have no idea how much you mean to me. Back then, I was naive. Naive enough to not realize how...she… Was hurting me. But there was one thing I was smart enough to do then." His words must have slightly calmed Peridot, enough so to have her lift her head and look at him.

"W-what's that?" She said, still spewing small tears.

"Saying those words to you." Steven said with a smile. He leaned over and hugged Peridot, snuggling up to her. She was warm, but pleasantly so. She was still shaking, but the hug had significantly lessened the tremors.

The next few minutes were spent listening to the ocean waves crashing against the sandy shore, feeling the breeze on their skin, and calming one another with their warmth and slow breathing. Peridot's tremors had come to a stop and she had seemed to have calmed down, returning Steven's hug.

Feeling as it was necessary now to put all of Peridot's worries behind her, Steven whispered in her ear, "I love you, Peridot."

"I love you too, Steven."

And right then and there, they had filled the void in their hearts with the people they didn't know they had all along.