Peridot huffed, and kicked a small pebble into their smaller than average lake. She was upset, it was easy to see. A chilly breeze ruffled her soft blonde hair, a few red and gold leaves drifting in the wind. Something the humans called "fall" was upon them, Peridot liked this season, it was around the time when Lapis started to live in the Barn.

Speaking of her roommate… Lapis had found a small black "cat" (apparently a creature she was often compared to, she'd have a word with the Crystal Gems later) wandering around the Barn. Now, Peridot had expected this to go down much like the time they'd found a raccoon. It had gotten mean and Lapis' water powers had made it go away. This time? No. This time, the blue gem seemed to be infatuated by the tiny monster creature, she followed it around, tried to give it water, food, toys, anything Steven suggested to her.

Peridot had been happy, Lapis found something she really liked! That was always a good thing… But now… It was all she wanted. She spent so long fawning over that damned cat, she didn't want to watch TV, or make meep-morps, or just… Play around anymore. The small gem sat down, hugging her knees.

"Here kitty! Where are you?" Lapis called. Hm, maybe the stupid fuzzball ran away again. Peridot hoped it would STAY gone. She didn't like it anymore, she had no idea why. Lapis hung out with the others sometimes, and she felt perfectly fine, but then that cloddy, fuzzy little beast had stolen all of her attention, and that was just something Peridot didn't feel fine with. She tried levitating a small can, but to no avail, her emotions were too scrambled and unidentifiable to use her powers.

"Stupid, furry, lousy little clod." She cursed, "Lapis was my best friend, now she wants nothing to do with me. Dumb cat, I hate it. Smelly, ungrateful, rotten fuzzball, probably doesn't even now how great Lapis is. She's doing so much to make that cat her friend, and it doesn't even care, just runs off when she gets close!"

"Meow."

Peridot's eyes widened, speak of the proverbial devil. It was staring at her with those creepy golden eyes, chest puffed out, face smug as it licked its lips. Lapis must have given the damn thing "tuna". It smelled gross and looked even more disgusting.

"Go away." The technician hissed. "I hate you. Go cough up a hairball." She snarled more and more insults and threats, she had no idea why she hated this creature so much, all she could think about was that this was the time of day she and Lapis liked to play in the cornfield. It still sat there, grooming its paw. "I said… GO AWAY!"

She reached a foot out to kick it. In the blink of an eye the cat not only hissed loudly at her but swiped out its paw. Peridot didn't know cats had such sharp claws, it ripped through the thin clothing she had, and slashed her bright green skin open. Teal blood welled up, along with a few tears as the little green gem cried out in pain.

Lapis chose a bad time to come out of the Barn, or maybe it was the best time. She'd been trying to find Fluffy, he'd run off again, but Steven said he might eventually get used to her.

Though earlier she'd been a bit upset, the Ocean Gem had just realized that, through tying to bond with the little creature she found somewhat cute, she'd ignored her best friend. Peridot had been wanting to play earlier, and Lapis had practically ignored her, she felt… Awful.

She didn't want to ignore Peridot, that was wrong. The blue haired gem wanted to say sorry, but how?

During her thoughts however, she'd heard Peridot scream at something to go away before crying out as if it had struck her. Lapis ran outside to see Peridot sitting in the grass, Fluffy right in front of her, hissing and growling as the tiny gem sniffled.

Her leg was bleeding… This sweet, playful, wonderful Gem, she'd been jealous of the cat. It attacked her… It attacked her Peridot. (Her Peridot? Where did THAT come from?)

Slowly, with an angry frown and her famous eerie death glare, she raised a large water hand from the pond. "You… You mangy little BEAST!" Lapis snarled. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

She brought the hand down, swatting at the cat, pushing it back a few feet and drenching it in the water. It hissed furiously, Lapis flicked the small pebble in the water at its head. The cat ran off, never to be seen again.

"L-Lapis…. *sniff* I'm so sorry, I know how much you liked the cat." Peridot sobbed, the blue gem knelt down and looked at the three cuts on her leg. Taking a bit of the water, she gently washed them before ripping her skirt (she could repair it, it was just a part of her projection, she didn't really care) and tying it around the blonde's leg.

"I don't like it anymore. Are you okay?" She asked, but when Peridot didn't respond she pulled the little gem towards her into a hug. "Peri… I'm the one who should be sorry. I ignored you, and that was awful. I promise, I'll never do that again." She spoke with a soft, gentle tone, and tightened her hug, smiling a bit when she felt arms around her neck.

"Why did you like the cat so much in the first place? A-and what changed?" Peridot asked.

Rubbing her back and keeping a bubble of cold water close to Peridot's leg Lapis responded. "At first, it… It reminded me of you. It's not fun when you go on missions with the others, I'm all alone here, I don't want you to stop going because it makes you happy, but I thought it would be nice to have something around that reminds me of you." The bluenette explained. "And what changed? Well, it hurt my favourite gem."

She felt Peridot stiffen a little, and was afraid she'd crossed a line. "Your favourite?" The tiny gem was looking up at her, her head on Lapis' shoulder. "Are you sure? You really mean it?"

The water gem giggled and snorted at the technician's expression, eyes wide and twinkling as if they were filled with stars. "Yes, I'm sure. You're so much better than some… What did you call it when you thought I wasn't looking?"

Peridot started to blush. "I um… I called it many things. One such name was, um, ' Stupid, furry, lousy little clod'…" She admitted, and looked down again at her leg. "It hurts…"

Lapis frowned at that, she squeezed the gem in her arms, a warm feeling pulsing through her gem as Peridot nuzzled into her collarbone. "Now, I'm not Steven, but I think there's something I could do to make you feel a bit better."

The blonde went shy, curling up a bit. "If you're going to apply a k-kiss… To my wound, y-you know it won't work." She said softly. Lapis nodded, she knew that she couldn't heal wounds the way her little buddy did, but… At least she knew a way to bring comfort.

"I won't kiss your cuts Peri." She told her. "I just wanna kiss you."

There was a soft squeak, but not from Peridot. The second those words had left the blue gem's lips the tiny gem in her arms had kissed her, and in that moment Lapis knew that she would never be alone again.

Lapis loved Peridot, and Peridot loved her right back.