They slowly got back into what an outsider would call "normalcy", but deep down Lapis knew that nothing was the same.

It was hard for her to not start bleeding raw emotion and thought the second they were reunited, but she could tell Peridot needed a little time to get used to her. But she was bursting at the seams; it was truly agonizing to be so close but yet so far from a person you cared deeply for, it was on par with being separated from her on that godforsaken moon.

Irrational thought and impulse never mixed well, and she was paying for it dearly.

Peridot and her did talk, but the green gem was so guarded it felt like nothing was ever said. The green gem was protecting herself, that much she knew, and she was protecting herself because of Lapis. And it was killing both of them. Lapis couldn't blame her, she hurt her. Badly.

They needed to talk.

She was desperate, she knew if she stayed like this she would surely die, no Diamond attack needed. They needed to talk, because if they kept at this, they would grow beyond the point of no return.

The opportunity arose when Steven and the Gems went out on a mission, the former subtlety nudging her to sort it out.

She couldn't be a coward this time, she needed to break the toxic (and frankly exhausting) habit of running from, well, everything.


"Peridot?" Lapis called out from the beach house, just outside the doorway.

Peridot turned and stopped what she was doing, seeing the blue gem flying towards her.

It set her on edge. don't leave don't leave don't leave

She steeled herself, It was hard not to just let her back in. It was hard not to flinch every time she saw her. And it was really damn hard not to break down right in front of her. She had a feeling Lapis was going to try to talk again, and she felt woefully underprepared.

"Peri?" she tried the nickname, spoken with clear hesitance, which kind of relaxed Peridot a little.

They both were really, really nervous. And really, really inexperienced.

They were quite a pair, truly.

"Could… uhm, could we talk?" Sure it was blunt, but Peridot thinks that in order to get through this with both of them feeling better about the situation, they'd have to be blunt. Clear, direct, and no misunderstandings.

Which might suck since Peridot was rather poor at explaining her emotions and needs clearly, and she was sure Lapis had trouble in that department too.

"Sure."

They both didn't move.

Finally Lapis sighed, "Look, I know this is going to be painful. I understand, hell, I probably deserve it after all the stuff I put you throug-"

"No. You don't." Peridot was even surprised herself, but she needed to push through, to just get through the first part. It will be easier later, she told herself, you'll be happier later.

Just get through this.

Lapis was caught off guard and still silent, so Peridot continued shakily, voice wavering and words slow,

"Lapis, one of the things that gets in the way of, well, yourself, is that you feel like you deserve it. You're angry, you're scared, but some part of you believes it. And I guess that was one of the reasons I was... afraid to help. I think I let too much of myself go trying to."

Her cheeks were a dark green, eyes firmly fixed on the sand cushioning her feet.

Normally, Lapis might've drowned anyone who thought they knew what was wrong with her. Jasper tried to break her down like that, taking the raw emotional power thrown at her and turning it on Lapis.

The older gem shivered, and said in a tiny voice, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm...I'm sorry."

"We're both going to apologize countless times throughout this conversation, but I want to get this out of the way. I... I forgive you."

Lapis smiled faintly, "Me too. Temple? I-We have so much to sort out."

She offered her hand, and Peridot took it, trying very damn hard not to cry while ignoring how her body buzzed with the slight contact, "To the Temple."


It was late when they got back, the corrupted gem Garnet had tracked down had friends that weren't very cooperative, to say the least.

Steven was, frankly, exhausted.

After he muttered a "goodnight" to the Gems (who looked about as tired as he did) he went to do his nightly routine.

The bathroom lights hurt his bloodshot eyes, and he squinted as he dolloped some toothpaste on his brush, groaning.

He spit, rinsed, and changed his clothes; going through the motions without much thought.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed that the tub was empty. Well, except for the blanket and pillows Peridot had been using for a temporary "home".

He decided that was a problem for Morning Steven. After all, where would she even have gone?

He yawned, leaving the bathroom, seeing Amethyst eating something near the counter.

"Psst. Hey Ste-man," Amethyst whispered, gesturing for him to come over.

"Wh-"

"I think they made up." She pointed to the couch, smirking.

Their they were, snoring (Lapis much, much louder than Peridot's occasional faint ones) with arms wrapped around each other tightly. Their faces were tired, decorated with dry tear tracks, but he could feel the contentedness radiating off the two them. They both didn't look like they had aged four centuries anymore, not when they were together.

"Yeah," he said, smiling, "I think they did."


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