Chapter 7: Recovery and First Kiss

Topaz immediately ran towards the fallen body of Lapis, who was completely unconscious by this point. The golden gem gritted his teeth as he fell to his knees in front of the blue gem, before picking her up and holding her tenderly. Lapis groaned softly, indicating she was not so heavily wounded as to have had to retreat into her gem.

Topaz grunted as a few stray tears leaked from his eyes, dripping softly into the clear, white sand and leaving blemishes. He did not realize that gems could cry, himself included, but had stimulated him to shed these drops of water like a pathetic human?! The bounty hunter shook his head as his armor retracted from his body, as there was no further need for it.

He slowly looked over Lapis's body, golden eyes tracing the tears and rips on her dress, as well as the various scars and cuts all over her body from the collision of sea and earth. Instantly his heart wrenched as guilt slowly settled in his mind. He was responsible for hurting her, the very target he had developed such strong feelings for…

He quickly turned, searching for any area where he and his new companion could rest. Nightfall was starting to descend around Beach City, and the golden gem knew with both the Crystal Gems along with Jasper and Peridot, he and Lapis could not stay in the open for too long. Suddenly his scouter began flashing as it discovered a small cave on top of a nearby cliff.

"Perfect…" Topaz whispered as he sprinted over to his hammer, careful not to disturb Lapis, and dissipated the weapon using the power of his gem. He then turned and held Lapis in the crook of one arm as he drew back the other and punched forward, cracking the air and causing an entire staircase of rock and stone to form, leading up to the cliff. Topaz grinned as he began to stalk up the stairs, holding Lapis tenderly in his arms.

30 minutes later…

Lapis slowly opened her eyes and groaned in pain as a pounding headache set in. The last thing she remembered was her hydrokinesis clashing with Topaz's geokinesis, and being hurled away by the force of the blast while her opponent withstood it easily. She had thought all was lost… but instead of finishing her off, the golden gem had come running towards her with tears in his eyes, clearly showing regret.

"Why… did he save me so many times?" Lapis thought as she slowly got up, rubbing her head with a hand as she slowly looked around her surroundings. She realized she was in a cave, judging from the gray walls, but where was the bounty hunter that had saved her. "You finally awoke Lapis Lazuli." A deep voice rumbled.

She looked around in shock to see the golden gem propped up against the wall, his arms crossed over his knees as he stared at her with his golden eyes. She gave a small shriek of surprise as she scrambled away from the golden gem, retreating to the far corner of the cave. The bounty hunter's eyes softened as he realized she was still not fully settled to his presence, considering the massive pummeling he had given her with his geokinesis.

"It's alright Lapis Lazuli… I will never hurt you again." The golden gem reassured her. She narrowed her eyes as she slowly touched the scar on her right arm from where a shard of stone had cut her. Could she trust him? He may have saved her a total of three times, yet she could not shake off the fact that he had tried to kill Steven. She couldn't care less about the Earth or the Crystal Gems, but to Steven, she owed a debt for befriending her and freeing her from that accursed mirror. She slowly got up to a sitting position, before gasping slightly in pain as she nearly fell to the ground from the pain in her legs. Topaz noticed and quickly leaped to her side, wrapping both arms around her and bringing her to his chest.

Instantly another light blue blush formed across Lapis's face as she realized how close of a proximity she was to the bounty hunter. He stared at her lovingly, his golden eyes glimmering with regret and hope that she might forgive him. "Than… Thank you…" She managed to stutter as Topaz gently released her. She sat down, as did he.

Topaz smiled back at her, a faint blush gracing his own cheeks. "It was my pleasure Lapis…" He said softly, using only the first part of her name for the first time since they had met. She gave him a small smile back, before they both awkwardly stared at the ground, Lapis trailing her hand in the small pool of water in the middle of the cave, while Topaz crossed his arms across his chest as he stared up at the ceiling, the blush still refusing to leave his face.

"Topaz…" Lapis whispered, enjoying the taste of his name on her tongue. It just felt… right. The golden gem turned to face her. "Yes Lapis Lazuli?" He responded, his golden eyes surveying her form. She still had numerous scratches and cuts all over her body, along with a torn dress, but he knew she could regenerate them easily due to her shapeshifting ability. Another wave of guilt slammed him as he knew that it was by his own doing that he had caused her to sustain such wounds. He did not get it though, why would she risk fighting him if she knew she would lose just to protect some human?

That Steven character… what was so unique about him that made the Earth-despising Lapis Lazuli want to fight to protect him? He would never know unless he asked the blue gem herself, even if it would make her angry again. He had to know. By now he knew that Jasper and her accomplice that "Peridot", would have contacted Homeworld due to the latter's superior technological skills.

He also knew that his defection would have caused Yellow Diamond's rage to skyrocket. There would be no telling what the Diamond Authority member would do now that she realized her most loyal and strongest bounty hunter had abandoned her cause. He knew that he would have to be constantly on the move in order to protect both himself… as well as his former target.

Lapis took one look at the guilt and regret in Topaz's golden eyes and knew that his feelings were genuine. He had not meant to hurt her, but her stopping of the killing of Steven had both shocked and dismayed him, so his natural lust for battle had returned as a temporary solution his emotional turmoil. Suddenly he interrupted her thoughts with a soft question.

"Lapis Lazuli… may you please tell me your story?" The blue gem stared at him in surprise. Why would he want to know about her past? She then looked down in surprise as Topaz gently held her delicate hand in his bigger, battle-scarred one. She then looked back up and stared into his eyes with shock. They were filled with a softness his reputation would not have allowed.

"Please Lapis… I need to know…" He pleaded. Lapis closed her eyes and took a slow, shuddering breath, before she started to explain her past. Her beginning was unique in the fact that her creation was personally oversaw by Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond's younger sister, as well as being the personal right hand of said diamond around 10,000 years ago. She had gained the ability of hydrokinesis instead of a normal gem weapon, as to help regulate water content in Homeworld as well as providing a means of self-protection.

Life had passed normally, until the fateful day Pink Diamond, otherwise known as "Rose Quartz" to her followers, had turned on the Homeworld when they attempted a cleanup of the planet Earth's native population, the human race. She had somehow found enough beauty and such in these creatures to turn on her own sisters and race…

Casualties were horrible on both sides, from both the Homeworld's forces as well as those "Crystal Gems", or what the followers of the former Pink Diamond called themselves. Lapis, saddened by the needless death of her fellow gems, had volunteered to go to Earth and use the very oceans of the planet to deliver a decisive blow against Rose and her followers.

Once there, she had delivered devastation to the Crystal Gems with her immensely powerful control over the waters, with many perishing in disastrous tsunamis and powerful waterspouts. It was finally Rose Quartz herself that had ended the mayhem the blue gem was causing, by stabbing her through the gut with her sword after using her phytokinesis to entangle the ocean gem in thick vines.

As her physical form retreated into her gem, Rose had sealed her in the mirror as a means of precaution, as who knew what could happen if she was left to regenerate. Topaz's hands curled into fists as she went over the events from Steven having found her all the way to her forced fusion with Jasper. A few tears leaked from her eyes as she described the way everyone around her had treated her as a prisoner… All but Steven…

Topaz now realized why the young hybrid was so important to her… He had saved her from eternal imprisonment in that damned mirror. He now realized the true bond between the blue gem and Rose Quartz's son. Despite this, the golden gem knew that all Lapis wanted was to be free… and by all means… he was going to give it to her.

Lapis slowly closed her mouth as she finished her tragic background, before staring at the ground blankly. Suddenly, she felt a pair of muscular arms wrap themselves around her waist, before she was pulled gently against Topaz's chest.

She looked up in pure shock and surprise as the golden gem stared down lovingly at her. Words could not describe the beauty of Lapis Lazuli's navy-blue eyes to Topaz. It was like staring into the depths of the ocean as he continued looking straight into her blue orbs.

"Topaz… wh… what are you doing?" She whimpered softly as he lowered his head to hers. "I swear by the honor of a brave gem… I will make sure no one ever makes you a prisoner again Lapis Lazuli…. Over these past few days… I realized… that… I… love… you." He whispered softly, conveying his feelings to her in that one speech.

Lapis's eyes widened as she realized what he promised. Here was someone besides Steven that would make sure she was no one's prisoner ever again… Before the blue gem could react though, Topaz had leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, as he gently pushed her to the ground, staying in their passionate liplocking all the while.

Lapis closed her eyes as she moaned softly, enjoying the feeling of the golden gem's lips against her own. The feelings coursing through her as he kissed her, no words could describe. She knew he loved her…

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he tightened his hold around her slender waist, never separating from each other. After a few minutes of passionate kissing, Topaz slowly pulled Lapis into his chest, as the blue gem closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him.

"I love you Lapis…" Topaz whispered. She stared back at him with love in her own eyes. "I love you too Topaz…" she whispered sleepily, before resting her head in on his chest as she fell asleep. He gave a soft smile before resting his head against the top of her head and fell asleep as well.

He would never let anyone harm her.

She completed him…

Ah! I love fluff! You guys had better enjoy this chapter as I spent a lot of time writing it!