Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe.
A/N: Follows directly after the last chapter "Happy Birthday!".
Through closed eyelids and a sleep clouded mind, Steven heard rustling.
"Ruby." Someone hissed, "Ruby!" The voice quietly yelled again.
"Shhh."
"Stop that, it's creepy. You'll frighten him."
"He'll think it's funny."
"Just get over here and help me."
"…"
"Now, Ruby!" The voice was soft yet unyielding.
Steven stirred. He wasn't ready to get up just yet. But "So much noise." He groaned, turning on his side.
Someone giggled, "Such a cutie."
Deep Red.
That's what Steven saw through blurry eyes.
"Ah" The young gem screamed.
"Oh. He did get scared." Ruby realized.
Steven heard Pearl's voice from down the stairs, "I don't do that kind of thing anymore." She seemed proud of herself.
"Ruby?" Steven rubbed his eyes, "I… I didn't think I'd see you again so soon."
Ruby offered the boy a piggy back ride down the stairs, which he accepted.
"I was surprised too." Amethyst was lounging on the couch watching Sapphire cook and Pearl contribute to the food making process, "But enjoy it. They probably won't stay this way long."
"Who says?" Ruby let Steven climb off to the safety of Pearl.
Even with such a scary expression, Amethyst was in no way afraid of Ruby. Ruby could be intimidating, that was for sure, but she was much more bark than bite.
"Yo" Amethyst held her hands up, "Just saying the truth. Betcha you couldn't last the whole rest of the day unfused."
Ruby was annoyed at the accusation, but competitive energy overwhelmed her, "Is that a challenge?"
"Oh dear." Pearl rolled her eyes.
"Maybe it is." Amethyst said smugly, knowing her friend would not back down.
"Ruby." Sapphire called out to her partner, "Please don't act to rashly, you need to think this through."
Steven wondered for a moment if Sapphire would discourage the situation.
But instead, the blue gem's lips bloomed in an oddly wicked grin that Steven could not have imagined the stoic gem to have. Sapphire turned to Amethyst, "What do we get if we win?"
"Nice thinking." Ruby nodded back at the blue gem with a grin to match. Once again turning her focus to Amethyst, "You heard the Gem." Ruby crossed her arms in challenge, "Whatcha got?"
"Hmmm" Amethyst thought on it, "How about if you can stay unfused till sunrise tomorrow, I'll-"
"Not talk back to Pearl for a whole month." Sapphire offered.
Pearl perked up, "Yes!"
"No!" Ruby and Amethyst objected at once.
"It needs to be better than that." Ruby tried her hardest to think of a suitable prize.
"What if Amethyst has to do a silly 'looser' dance?" Came Steven's idea, "She would have to wear a funny costume and everything!"
"Yahaa" Ruby agreed.
Sapphire shrugged, looking to Pearl, "I tried."
"Deal." Amethyst held her hand out, Ruby shook on it. Steven placed his hand on both of his friend's hands.
As though the earth too understood the intensity of this bet, it shook.
"A monster?" Pearl asked the gem she knew would know.
Sapphire nodded.
"Do you know where?" Amethyst asked Sapphire.
She did, "It's not too far and not too strong either."
"We need to take care of it right away!" Ruby exclaimed, running to Sapphire's side.
Amethyst shifted her weight, blowing a strand of hair out of her face, "Knew I'd win."
Ruby froze, turning to confront Amethyst, "But this is-"
"Perfect." Sapphire whispered.
"Huh?"
"Pearl and I can take care of things." Sapphire directed, "Ruby, Amethyst and Steven will stay here."
Pearl looked worriedly for a moment before shooting a glare at Amethyst.
Amethyst did not notice, "You really don't-" She began. But Sapphire turned to her sharply. Amethyst had never been able at reading Sapphire, but something about the expression on those blue lips told Amethyst not to question.
Ruby looked unsettled as Sapphire took the gem aside. Steven watched them both discuss something just out of earshot. The discussion seemed emotional and the young gem grew worried. Sapphire and Ruby didn't appear to be fighting, but they didn't appear to be happy either.
"What's going on?" Steven asked his other two guardian gems hesitantly.
Amethyst looked to Pearl as the slender gem looked down at her hands. "I'm not good with explaining these kinds of things." Amethyst stated. She had been a young gem at the time, but was well aware of the repercussions, "It used to be a lot harder." Amethyst mused.
"What was?" Steven asked again.
Pearl knelt down by the boy, "You know how some … bad things happened on this planet a long time ago?"
Steven nodded.
"Something particularly sad happened a long time ago. Something that scared Ruby a lot…It scared all of us a lot."
Steven listened on, waiting for more. Pearl felt at a loss. This was not her story to tell.
"Ruby, she still scared."
"Even after all that time?" Steven asked. He couldn't even begin to imagine what could have scared the strong gem so.
Pearl nodded, "Sapphire tries her best, but I think she must feel responsible."
"Even though she is in no way at fault." Amethyst quickly added.
"No one was at fault." Pearl agreed, "Thank goodness for Rose." The words overflowed with respect and devotion.
"My mother?"
"Ya!" Amethyst got all excited, "And since you've got her gem. You'll probably be just as super awesome as she was one day!"
Steven smiled.
"Pearl." A voice from behind the young human returned his attention back to the two paired gems.
"Yes?" Pearl stood, dusting herself off.
It had been Ruby, she was touching her forehead, "Fight with all you've got, alright." She motioned to the tiny blue gem that now stood by the door.
"Al-Alright." Pearl took off.
"We'll be right back." Sapphire's composed voice called out, with not a hint of uncertainty that they would in fact be back. "Take care of them, Steven."
"Right." Steven puffed out his chest. He enjoyed being part of gem business, even if that meant keeping an eye on the base.
Amethyst walked over to Ruby, "Soooo" She started awkwardly.
Ruby was intently studying the floor. Her brow fused in a pained way.
Luckily Steven was the gem in charge, "I don't really know what's happening." He admitted. "And seems like it's hard to be here right now."
Amethyst's face twisted, eyes going wide as she wondered just what would come if this.
"But Sapphire and Pearl will be back soon." Steven was sure.
Ruby touched her forehead again, in the space a single kiss had been left. A kiss that allowed her to see just how alright everyone really would be. The red gem closed her eyes, took a large breath in and-
Screamed
Steven covered his ears at the sound.
Ruby released everything in that single vocalization.
As the scream faded, it turned into distinguishable words, "Alright then!" She looked to Steven, with focused but watery eyes, "What should we do?"
Steven raised his arms in the air, "Who wants to make breeeakfast!"
Amethyst blinked as the two walked over to the kitchen area.
"You coming, Amethyst?"
"Ya."
At every creak in the floor and every gust of wind at the pane, Ruby looked up a bit too expectantly. When there was no sign of the one she wished to see, she took a breath before returning to Steven's super breakfast making team.
Steven would talk to Ruby and Amethyst, ask questions and simply be Steven. The half human boy enjoyed their attention and in somehow seemed to capture all of it.
Eventually, as the visions all had, Pearl and Sapphire came back to them. To Steven it truly had seemed like no time at all had passed. To Ruby it felt far too long. She was relieved to see the two gems enter the temple, both untouched in the slightest.
Ruby swallowed hard. When had her mouth gotten so dry? Why had she not noticed? Why did she only notice now how lovely the food they had prepared smelled?
She only remembered a sick feeling to her stomach. Remedied slightly only by Steven's mind-numbingly horrible breakfast puns.
"We're back." Pearl announced.
"Welcome back!" Steven waved to them in return, "Look at what we made."
"A mess?" Pearl noted.
Amethyst grinned, "That part was me."
Sapphire quickly glided to the kitchen, wrapping her arms around the red gem who happily mirrored the action, "I promised." Sapphire remind kindly.
Ruby nodded, moving her face into Sapphire's shoulder. She felt silly for tearing up but the more she thought about the other gem being back with her, the worse the tears threatened.
Steven watched the two with interest. Sapphire noticed the boy and spoke to him, "Thank you. You did a wonderful job."
Steven beamed at the praise.
"So what was it?" Amethyst and Pearl began to discuss events, Pearl moving about the kitchen with her own new 'mission'.
Mission: Clean up.
"Grrrrgl"
A loud nose cut through all.
All the gems looked to the sources.
Steven chuckled, "Must be hungry."
Pearl dropped everything, "Then you must consume sustenance."
"Does anyone want to join me?" Steven asked, looking at the feast on the counter.
Amethyst quickly raised her hand.
Steven looked around to find Ruby peek over at them, "I'll eat."
"I will as well."
"Great!" Steven joyously climbed on the counter for four plates, "It will be like the together breakfast we couldn't have last time."
The group sat around the small table, talking about this and that. Steven shared the newest episode of Crying Breakfast Friends with the group.
Pearl continued to tidy up. She joined the group every now and again to take away dirty dishes and place a cup into Sapphire's awaiting hands.
After this happened a few times, Ruby became curious, "Pearl?"
"Yes."
"Is that coffee?"
"Yes it is." Came a matter of fact answer.
And it was the answer Ruby was afraid of. "Sapphire…" The red gem reached over in an almost timid way, "Hand me the cup."
Sapphire slid herself away from her partner.
"Don't make me have to take it from you."
Just then Amethyst let out a large snore from the couch, as though reminded the group of her presence.
"I'm still fine." Sapphire assured, bringing the cup slowly to her lips.
"You'll give us- I mean, yourself a headache." Ruby groaned, her illusion of a body remembering the dull sensation well.
"Oh, right." Pearl remembered, "It's been so long, I forgot about-" She froze, remembering even more coffee related horrors. The slender gem robotically walked over to the kitchen, taking the rest of the coffee and disposing it in the sink.
Sapphire lowered the cup, placing it on the table gently.
Ruby smiled in a thankful way.
Steven continued to make his observations as Pearl set out doing the dishes.
"You sort of act like Connie and me." Steven observed, "But we're only good friends." He added, blushing.
"So are we, Steven." Sapphire acknowledged.
How could that be? Steven wondered, "But I thought you were both in a relationship."
"We've been friends much longer than that." Ruby told the boy, "That part hasn't changed."
"Friendship turning into love…" Steven's eyes turned as bright as starts, "Like Lisa and Archimicarus!"
"Who and what?"
"Never mind." Steven said quickly, not wanting to spoil the ending if the gems ever decided to read the series.
"Relationships are complex, Steven." Sapphire explained, "Not to mention the differences in our gem culture versus this world's ideas and traditions."
"That sounds difficult." Steven looked nervous, but was also growing extremely interested.
Ruby shrugged, "Apathy to understanding, understanding to friendship and friendship to love." The red gem tried to simplify, "But of course isn't not always straightforward." She added.
Steven nodded, understanding a little more, "But how will I know?"
"You learn." Sapphire stated bluntly.
Pearl wrapped her arms around the little boy in a motherly embrace. She had been overseeing the conversation and decided it was time to interject, "And luckily you will have those who care about you by your side to guide you."
Amethyst snored again, as tough agreeing with the slender gem.
Pearl looked at the slumbering figure. A serene expression crossed her features until she remembered, "I know it's still very early, but-" Pearl looked at red and blue, "If you want to fuse already I don't think Amethyst would even know. She seems out of it."
Sapphire looked skeptical.
Ruby had finally become comfortable again after the morning's events… and she was unsure she wished to risk one of Sapphire's coffee headaches. She would be much better use to her lover separated should one occur.
Fortunately there wasn't an option.
"You know I'm just playing pretend right." Amethyst informed through closed eyes, "Also, way to go Pearl. Guess I know who you want to win."
Pearl jumped at the voice. "You're just-"
Amethyst giggled, "I know." before letting out another loud snore.
A/N: Who's interested in knowing why Ruby is so wary of letting Sapphire off by herself? This chapter was not too fluffy. There will be a follow up chapter to this one as well, one that delves into the rebellion a bit. But I promise to write a fluff filled fic directly after that one! We could all use a little more fluff~
Now for sleep -_-Zzzz
