AN: Hi. This is another SU story (surprise, right?). I was planning this to become a strict Ruby/Sapphire story, but then it casually evolved into this. So now it's more of a family thing than actual romance? I don't know. The story just evolved that way. Hopefully none of the characters are OOC (it's been far too long since I actually watched the series. Maybe I should rewatch it for the sixth time, aha).

Anyways this story includes my headcanon surrounding how Ruby and Sapphire first fused into Garnet. Hopefully you guys enjoy it. Maybe I'll make a story of the events prior to this one.

Ciao. c:

"You know, the Crystal Gems have been here for a long time. Long before Mayor Dewey's ancestor—William Dewey, was it?-settled his pitiful self onto the sands of what is now Beach City. Back then the Crystal Gems were made up different members. Amethyst wasn't there; Rose Quartz, Pearl, Ruby, and Sapphire were. They settled down and built the Temple on the beach, where they resided to fight off the Homeworld Gems. For many, many years, the four of them were engaged in a war fighting for the Earth. They didn't fight alone, however. There were other Gems that agreed with their line of thinking and took their side against the Homeworld.

"But the battles were long, and they were brutal. Many Gems poofed, and while some regenerated, many were shattered. Some were even missing in action. Despite all that was happening, neither side gave up. Homeworld wanted the Earth to decay and die, to use it for their own actions. The Crystal Gems wanted the Earth to survive and prosper, for the beauty that was already living to grow even larger.

"Eventually the war was dubbed the Rebellion. Each passing battle grew bloodier, and more Gems were shattered on both sides. There were many skirmishes here and there, but an iconic battle happened in the Gem Battlefield. The Crystal Gems were beginning to lose the Rebellion, but this was an event that turned the whole tide for them. This was a turning point in the war. And it certainly had a very personal impact for Ruby and Sapphire.

"You see, Ruby and Sapphire are what you would call...lovers. But it took a very, very long time for them to get where they are now. Many years ago, back when they lived on Homeworld, they barely associated with each other. Why would they? Ruby is brash and hotheaded, working on instinct rather than intellect. Sapphire is the opposite, distant and cold, taking care to look through her options before choosing what to do. It took years until Rose Quartz called for war against Homeworld did they actually speak with one another.

"There was a slow growth, one that took years to bud, and many more to bloom into romance. But their relationship grew into something that the both of them cherished. They were together, on the battlefield and off, brimming with joy simply basking in each other's presence. They loved each other with all of their heart and foolishly thought that they could never be separated.

"That was, until the Gem Battlefield occurred.

"They were both severely injured, and were on the verge of poofing. They were surrounded all around. The both of them were positive that this would be the end. With the last of their strength, they held each other's hands.

"'Hey, Sapphire," Ruby uttered her breath, "I...I want to tell you something.'

"'I had a feeling you would,' Sapphire gasped, a puff of air coming out as a replacement for a laugh. A meager smile came on her face. 'What is it?'

"'I love you,' the red Gem mumbled, tears rolling down her eyes. Her clutch on Sapphire's hand tightened. 'So, so much….'

"Sapphire's smile faded quickly. 'I do too….'

"With that simple response Ruby turned onto her side and cupped her lover's cheek. With tears in her eyes she grinned. Her shoulders shook and eventually, chuckles began to wrack her small frame. Those chuckles turned into laughs, which later turned into guffaws. Sapphire, albeit a little confused, began to join in. The Homeworld Gems balked at what was happening. This proved to be a fatal mistake.

"As Ruby and Sapphire began to share their elation with one another, a bright glow surrounded the both of them. Their bodies became intangible forms of light, which bent and melded into an unknown form. Soon their voices began to merge as well, and as the form of light began to grow larger, one Gem with two gemstones took their place.

"That Gem was-"

"Garnet!" Steven yelled with excitement, snapping into a sitting position. His eyes glittered with the strength of stars and the energy of a puppy who ate too much sugar.

The Gem in front of him stared through shades, then chuckled in a very distinct accent.

"Yes, Steven, that Gem was me." Garnet chuckled and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair in an effort to get him to lie back down. Steven did, but his excitement hardly dimmed.

"So you were created on Earth?" Steven asked, finally calming down.

Garnet gave a silent hum, holding her chin in thought.

"In a way, yes."

"So you're kinda like Amethyst, huh?"

The Gem smiled. "If you want to put it like that, yes, I am kind of like Amethyst. But not exactly."

"Oh yeah, I know. It's 'cause she was made in the Kindergarten and you weren't." Both of their smiles faded at the mention of the Kindergarten, and a tense silence passed through. Despite thousands of years had passed since the Kindergarten was disabled, it was still a very taboo subject among the remaining Crystal Gems. Especially when it came to the mention of Amethyst.

Steven sat up once more, the rustling of the sheets breaking the silence. "Garnet?"

The Gem gave a hum of acknowledgment as a response.

"Do you remember the time Amethyst and I ran away together?"

Garnet stayed silent but nodded. Pearl had reported to her everything that had happened in the Kindergarten, from the fight to the reconciliation, when they had gotten back. The fusion had foresaw something similar happening a few days prior, but had never expected it to be at such a degree. She was glad that both Pearl and Amethyst managed to be back on good terms with one another.

"Well during the fight between Pearl and Amethyst," Steven looked down at his comforter, "Amethyst said something about hating herself and how she never asked to be made." He looked up at Garnet with wide eyes. "Have...you ever had thoughts like that? Because, like, I heard from Pearl that Homeworld looks down on fusion, so…." He trailed off into quietness.

Garnet readjusted her glasses, feeling somewhat perturbed by Steven's line of questioning. While, yes, Steven had asked her rather personal questions about fusion, she had never seen the boy like this before. "Not...necessarily. Not to the degree that Amethyst meant, but..." She paused, trying to find her words, "I—as did Ruby and Sapphire—did feel afraid about what the others would think."

Steven finally looked up and crinkled his nose in confusion. "The others?"

"The other Crystal Gems," she elaborated, "While they had rebelled against the Homeworld, some still had some of Homeworld's ideals about fusion. They believed that fusion was something that should be done in order to get stronger. But in reality, it isn't just black and white as it seems. It's a choice, and Ruby and Sapphire decided to stay fused even after the war had ended because they felt right. They believed that something as pure as loving someone with all of your being, up to the point to spend the rest of your lifetime with them, is nothing to be ashamed about. That's why you and I,"-she reached out to ruffle Steven's curly hair-"should not be ashamed of being us because we are made out of love." Garnet smiled warmly. "Does that make sense?"

The boy managed to crack a smile and nodded. "Yeah, I think I get it." He said, his smile eventually fading. He removed Garnet's hand from his head and stared at the gem in the center. It was Ruby's gem, having a square facet with a pinkish aura around it; Steven never noticed the glow around the gem before. "Do you think I'm weird? Because I'm not like the rest of you guys?" He asked, never taking his eyes off the gemstone.

Garnet stayed for a minute before reaching out to cup Steven's face, forcing him to look straight at her visor. "While it is true that you're the first half-human, half-Gem I've heard of, I don't think you're strange," the Gem took this time to grin widely, "I just think you're Steven. And that's all that matters."

The boy continue to stare at Garnet before breaking into a grin that matched hers.

"So, what happened after Ruby and Sapphire fused for the first time?" Steven asked, breaking away from Garnet's contact and lying back down. "They were—I mean, you were surrounded, right? What did you do?"

"I beat them up."

At this, the boy laughed then yawned, fatigue finally settling in. Garnet noticed tears twinkling in the corners of the boy's eyes.

"You should probably go back to bed," the older Gem said, running her hand through Steven's hair once more.

"Can you stay here until I fall asleep?" He mumbled, closing his eyes.

Garnet did nothing but hum, watching as Steven fell back asleep, chest rising and falling with every breath.

As she continued to look at him, Garnet recalled something Rose had told her, long before Steven had entered this world.

"Garnet, when I'm gone and Steven is here, I want you to teach him how to love. Especially himself."

The Gem gave a small smile to herself as she looked down at the palms of her hands. Both Ruby and Sapphire's gemstones twinkled in the faint moonlight.

Garnet had a feeling that Steven was learning very quickly.