Ayyy yo it's ya boi Vani here with another fanfic. Don't worry guys, I'm still working on Gemswap Universe, I swear. For now, just enjoy this little drabble I came up with while pacing around in my living room.

Pearl liked holding Ruby's hand.

Whenever Morganite was around, she would always be rough with her; most of the time, her way of showing "affection" was not particularly sweet or gentle. Usually, on the rare occasion that Morganite would hold her hand, it would be less of a kind, caring gesture and more of a way to assert control over her.

"Don't just stand there, you pathetic Pearl!" she would snap harshly, yanking her over by the wrist. "I told you to follow me."

And Pearl would always lower her head apologetically, rubbing the spot where the Beryl had grabbed her, and mutter, "Yes, my Morganite. I'm sorry, my Morganite."

But every time, her commander would scoff and roll her eyes in annoyance. "I keep telling you to be more attentive. No one likes a Pearl who can't even walk fast enough to keep up with her owner."

Pearl would bite her lip and say nothing. She had heard this speech a million times, but it still cut deep every time it was delivered.

"You're lucky I keep you around. I don't think even the lowest-ranking rock on this entire planet would want a Pearl as foolish and incompetent as you."

"I know, my Morganite."

"You're useless."

"I am, my Morganite."

And, like always, the Beryl would stare at her for a moment, her face a stone cold mask concealing her emotions. Finally, with a sigh, she would turn around again and keep walking, motioning to her again. "Do try to keep up this time, Pearl."

"I will, my Morganite."

So, needless to say, Pearl would always flinch whenever she saw a hand moving towards her. Whether it really was the hand of her Morganite or that of another Gem, she found herself dreading each tiny mistake for fear of being pulled along again by whoever wanted to push her around.

But Ruby wasn't like that. If anything, she was quite the contrary. She would always give Pearl a shy, nervous gaze, rocking on her feet.

"C-can I...hold your hand?" she would stutter out anxiously, twiddling her thumbs. "I-i-if you're comfortable, that is. I don't want to upset you, or scare you, or hurt you, or-"

"No!" Pearl would say hastily, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. "I-i mean, yes, you can hold my hand, but no, you could never hurt me. D-don't worry." And she'd look down at the shorter Gem, a faint smile twitching at the corners of her mouth, before reaching out and tentatively taking the larger, calloused hand in hers.

Ruby's face would heat up (literally, in some cases, what with her pyrokinesis), and she'd give the tiny hand a quick squeeze. Pearl would smile. She always liked it when Ruby did that.

Morganite made her feel like nothing, that went without saying. But when she was with Ruby, she didn't feel like a useless Pearl anymore; she felt loved, and she appreciated that more than anything.

Ruby liked holding Pearl's hand.

She had a problem that she felt like no other Ruby in her squad had or would ever understand, and the soft grip of the taller Gem's hand interlaced with her own seemed to make all of her worries disappear without a trace. That problem, to put it quite simply, was one that had plagued her ever since she was made: being a soldier was terrifying.

For a unknown period of time, she had been told, an ever-growing group of rebels were trying to disrupt Homeworld's progress on a newly-claimed colony called Earth. By the time she popped out of the crust of her kindergarten, the world was already in a state of immense unease, and Rubies like her were forced to be on their A-game every minute. They never knew when the rebels would strike, and so far their targets seemed to be particularly important Gems...such as Beryls, hence Ruby's current position.

Maybe it was because she was new, or maybe it was because she simply didn't have enough battle experience, but either way, Ruby was scared out of her wits. Some of the other Rubies that she worked with claimed to have seen the rebels up-close, and their descriptions were horrifying: a Pearl gone rogue, becoming a fierce master of the blade; a Bismuth who used her brute strength and shapeshifting arms to crush her enemies like bugs; and their leader, a Rose Quartz, who could summon a shield big enough to deflect any attack.

Most importantly, however, was the story of the cross-Gem fusion. Ruby had fused before, but she had no idea that such a feat was even possible. When she was created, it was with the knowledge that only Gems of the same type could fuse. Out of all the stories, this one sounded the most outrageous, but her mind couldn't help but wonder what such a thing would look like.

As the attacks by the rebels became more prevalent and more violent, Ruby began to panic. What if they broke in while she let her guard down? What if they overpowered her in a fight? What if they shattered her?

But Pearl would lay all those worries to rest. Every time Ruby felt that sickening feeling of dread and anxiety, Pearl would gently wrap one of her hands into both of her slender pink ones and whisper, "Shh, it's okay. Everything will be fine."

Coming from anybody else, Ruby would have a hard time believing those words. But coming from Pearl, her beloved, her one and only out of the millions upon millions that were out there, she felt...safe.

So she would take her hand, squeeze it, and rub over it. After a while, she'd feel considerably more at ease, all thanks to Pearl. Her love. Her treasure.

And she would be willing to take on a thousand of the rebels, just to keep her safe.

Rutile snapped Rhodonite out of her reminiscing. "Hey, you doing okay?" the one on the right asked.

"You were doing that hand thing again." the left one said, chuckling at the adorable sight before her.

The fusion looked down, and sure enough, the thin set of arms attached to her waist were running up and down her toned upper ones, squeezing at her hands intermittently.

Rhodonite blushed and looked away, but she didn't let go of either of her sets of hands. "Actually," she said, sighing wistfully, "I think I feel better than I have all day."