A/N: A little fluffy drabble about Steven's anxiety

Pearl sat on the railing to the deck of the beach house, gazing longingly up at the stars. For as hard as she fought to get to stay here on Earth, there were days she truly missed being out there in the various galaxies. She didn't have much longer to ponder this, getting pulled from her reverie by a muffled sob.

She lept quickly and quietly to her feet, swinging the screen door open. "Steven," she called out in a gentle voice.

The weeping stopped, as if he was holding his breath. She moved up the stairs to his room to find him hidden under the blankets with his back turned to her.

"Steven," she murmured again, sitting beside his form on the bed, a hand reaching out to stroke his back soothingly through the material.

The boy snuffled loudly, unable to keep his breath in any longer. She peeled the blanket back from his face tenderly, using one of her fingers to gently brush away his tears.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he fibbed, voice cracking.

She arched her brow and half smiled down at him. "Working on your Crying Breakfast Friends impersonation, are you?"

He gave a weak, watery smile. "Yeah."

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?"

He nodded and they fell quiet, Pearl's long white fingers clasped around his hand, thumb drawing soothing circles on his palm. She knew he'd tell her soon enough.

After several minutes Steven finally spoke up. "It was a bad dream."

"What about?"

"You."

"Me?"

He nodded again, sitting up and crawling into the gem's lap much to her surprise. Her arms wrapped around his small body and cradled him close, her cheek on the top of his head.

"E-ever since that day at the sky arena, when the holopearl poofed you. I can't stop seeing it."

A fresh wave of tears soaked her shirt and she sighed a little. "Oh Steven, it's going to be OK. I can imagine that was really hard to see. But you know that our light forms are able to be reformed. I'm here now, right?"

"But you took so long!"

"I did take my time," she agreed. "But sometimes I need to go over a few things before I'm ready to come back. I'm sorry I was gone for so long."

He squeezed her around the middle and took a shuddering breath. "Could you stay? Just for tonight?"

She placed a loving kiss on his forehead. "Of course I can."

She tucked him back under his covers and laid beside him. "I'll be your dream warrior," she assured him.

Steven let out a yawn and curled into his guardian and was soon fast asleep in her arms.