Author's note: Hi all! So I am still a relatively new writer and haven't done much on this site yet. I'm also very bad at updating regularly due to lacking motivation and just life being life so this is the advance warning on that. If you do happen to like my writing then just know that I'll get to updating stories when I get to them. Anyway, I could keep going on but I doubt you're that interested, you just want a story so enough of my rambling.
Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe or any associated characters.
"Nyah!" Peridot squeaked in surprise, jumping backwards to avoid the creature that went flying past her when she stepped out of the barn. The corrupted gem was didn't resemble anything she'd seen on earth before or anything she'd been told about while on Homeworld. "Why can't you give a warning before you start fights outside my home?" She exclaimed irritatedly once she spotted the Crystal Gems.
"We'll make sure to ask the corrupted gems to call you before they run over here from now on then." Pearl replied dryly.
Peridot glared at Pearl. "That would be nice but your sarcasm is not appreciated, Pearl." She turned suddenly at the sound of heavy footsteps behind her and Amethyst's voice from beside Pearl.
"Look out!" The purple gem yelled, snapping her whip towards the corrupted gem. It wrapped around the deformed creature and she yanked it away from Peridot and closer to herself, Garnet, and Pearl.
The creature being farther away and out of the shadows of the barn allowed Peridot to get a better look at it. It looked similar to the corrupted gem that Jasper has attempted to fuse with, but sleeker and more like a canine. She was sure it resembled some Earth creature somehow, but she didn't yet know the names of all of the Earth animals so she couldn't place what this creature might resemble. The creature had a strange mix of blue and purple coloring, and from the angle she was standing at Peridot couldn't see its face to see what it's eyes looked like. Her observations of the corrupted gem were cut short by a familiar pink glow sliding across her field of vision, tinting everything pink. She shifted her gaze to see Steven standing in front of her, a determined look on his face as the protective bubble closed behind them.
"What do you think you're doing, Steven?" Peridot questioned.
"Protecting you!" Steven replied seriously, glancing up at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the battle at the top of the hill.
"That's very nice of you, but it's not necessary."
"It is! And if you got hurt I'd feel bad and miss you!"
"Steven, I'll be fine. Besides, I can regenerate and peridots are hard to poof in the first place."
Steven didn't respond and instead went back to watching the battle. Amethyst now had a second whip out and was trying to hold the corrupted gem down, Pearl had leapt onto its back and was trying to keep it distracted, and Garnet was attempting to poof it so it could be bubbled. Amethyst pulled more on the whips, finally forcing the creature to the ground. The Crystal Gems overpowered the creature a few moments later and poofed it. Garnet immediately picked up the gem, bubbled it, and sent it back to the Temple.
"Steven, you can drop the bubble now!" She called down the hill as she followed Pearl and Amethyst to Steven and Peridot.
Steven nodded, the bubble vanished and Peridot stepped away seeming somewhat annoyed that they felt she needed to be protected, but also a little happy that they actually cared. She looked them all over curiously, shrugged, and turned to walk back into the barn. She'd initially only come out because of the noises and since those were only the Crystal Gems and their fight, there was no need to stay out there.
"Hey, wait, Peri, where ya going?" Amethyst asked.
"Back inside." Peridot paused, glancing over her shoulder.
"Do you wanna come back to the Temple with us?" Steven asked excitedly.
Peridot turned around and raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?"
"Because it'll be fun! And you don't have to hide in the bathroom anymore! Oh! Maybe you could even have a room at the Temple!"
"Um. Steven I'm not sure that's exactly how that works." Pearl said uncertainly.
Steven turned to look up at Pearl, clearly disappointed and confused. "But when you and Garnet fused to be Sardonyx she had a room! So if Peridot came to live with us wouldn't the Temple somehow pick up on it and then she'd have a room!"
Pearl paused, trying to consider if Steven had a point or not. "You do have a point there Steven, it's worth trying." Garnet added.
"Hey! Who said I want to go at all?" Peridot exclaimed, raising her voice to be heard.
Amethyst looked at her, slightly concerned realizing that she had a point and she'd never actually said she wanted to go with them. "Well, I mean, it just seemed fair to assume that you'd come with us. What have you even been doing out here by yourself? At least, I'd assume you're by yourself since Lapis doesn't seem to be around."
Peridot shrugged. "She likes having her own space, she goes off on her own sometimes. And there's plenty here to keep me entertained…"
"You've been out here for weeks at least. There's only so much junk in the barn" Steven protested.
"Hey, I happen to like the junk in the barn!"
"So I'm going to assume no on coming to the Temple with us then?" Amethyst asked, sounding disappointed.
Pearl and Garnet had both been watching quietly and looking back and forth between the three. Neither really wanted to interject in this conversation. Peridot sighed, giving in somewhat regrettably.
"Alright, fine, I'll go to the Temple with you."
"Great! I promise it'll be fun, and we've all missed you!" Steven exclaimed.
Peridot looked at him uncertainly. "Don't make promises you aren't sure you can keep."
Garnet turned to lead the way to the nearest warp pad. "You'd be surprised how good he is at keeping promises."
The Gems reached the warp pad and warped back to the Temple, where Lion was waiting expectantly for them. He yawned and gently headbutted Steven before wandering out the door and down the beach.
"Ok, see you later, Lion!" Steven called after him before turning to Peridot. "Don't mind Lion, he's always wandering off. I don't know where he goes most of the time."
"Do you ever follow him?" Peridot asked, stepping off the warp pad. Garnet left to go to her room and Pearl moved to sit on the couch, wanting to stay close by in case she was needed. Amethyst seemed content to just lean against the wall and watch.
"Why would I do that? He can have his own space." Steven shrugged.
"To make sure he isn't secretly someone sent by Homeworld to spy on you and isn't leaving to report back to whatever diamond he works for?"
"That seems…. A bit paranoid. Besides, Lion holds all of mom's stuff! She wouldn't have given it to him if she didn't trust him!"
"I still don't think that Rose ever had a lion…" Pearl murmured.
"I'll be paranoid if I want to, you can't stop me from being paranoid." Peridot replied, roaming the house to investigate various objects she hadn't looked at before.
Amethyst suddenly spoke up. "So… How do we figure out that whole room thing?" She asked, trying to change the subject.
Peridot continued investigating various objects. "I mean, I suppose I'd have to decide to actually to live here. I'd been pretty happy with the barn. And if I move here then Lapis will be by herself."
"You just said that Lapis was gone all the time anyway! I doubt she'd notice that much. You could have whatever you have in the barn here, and then you could help us on missions more and we could help you with learning about Earth and stuff!"
"Clearly I'd be no help to you on missions if you feel that Steven needs to protect me with his bubble at my own home!" Peridot retorted.
Pearl looked up and raised a hand hesitantly. "That was my suggestion actually."
"I don't want your help, Pearl."
"You're stuck with it while you live on Earth, where you are also stuck."
Peridot stopped her random investigations and turned to face her abruptly. "That isn't helping the cause of your friends to convince me to stay here at the Temple."
"Hey! Please don't argue! I wanted this to be fun and if you're gonna be like this then there's no point in us trying this all! Pearl, you and Amethyst didn't get along for the longest time and now you're fine with each other, who's to say that the same won't be true for you and Peridot?" Steven cut in.
"Steven…. That's not exactly the same thing. Amethyst and I had known each other for years already and Peridot-"
"What?" Peridot demanded.
"It's just different." Pearl sighed.
"I don't understand how it is. Could you just try? For me? Please?" Steven pleaded.
"Ok, ok, fine. We can try." Pearl sighed again.
Peridot started to protest but a look from Steven caused her to give in and nod. "Alright, I guess."
Author's note: I hope you enjoy so far! As for updates, again I don't know when I will be updating, but reviews make me smile and help motivate me! I also appreciate constructive criticism! Thanks for reading!