Chapter One
"Belle! Belle!" Steven called out, making his way out of his house and onto the balcony in search of his best friend.
He froze a smile forming on lips as he caught sight of her and took off down the stairs onto the beach where she stood.
"Belle!" He shouted giddily watching as her head tilted to the right at the sound of her name a smile playing on her lips as she caught sight of him.
"Steven!" She called back softly.
Steven stopped in front of her smiling brightly. "Did you want to go to the Big Donut with me?" He questioned nervously coming to a stop a foot from her, a small blush forming on his cheeks. "Sure." She replied softly ringing out her dress. "Just let me get changed then we can go."
"O-ok." He stuttered watching her walk past him, butterflies swarming his belly. Smiling Steven followed her to the house a blush painting his cheeks.
Steven didn't know what it was about her that caused him to blush and smile at the sight of her. Maybe it was the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled or laughed, or the way she looked when she smirked. Honestly she was one of the prettiest girls he'd ever met.
Belle walked out the bathroom wearing one of Steven's salmon colored shirts with a yellow star in the middle, black jean shorts, thigh high stockings, and sneakers.
The shorts had two holes cut into the sides to show off her gems. A sapphire on her right hip and a lapis lazuli on her left.
Steven pulled open the glass door of the Big Donut, holding the door open for Belle then walking in behind her like a gentleman.
"Hi Sadie, Lars." The two chirped in unison.
"Hey Steven, Belle." Sadie replied.
"Hey." Lars said.
Lars and Sadie were employees of the Big Donut, thats how Steven had previously met them and how he introduced them to Belle.
Sadie is a short and heavyset girl with shoulder length curly locks. She wore the Big Donut uniform that consisted of a periwinkle polo underneath a purple shirt, which displays the Big Donut logo (an image of a half-eaten donut that resembles the letters "B' and 'D'). She wears black leggings and pink-red shoes.
She stood at the front counter behind the cash register resting against the counter.
Lars is lanky, slim, and somewhat tall. He has stretched earlobes that he wears tunnels in. His curly, orange-brown hair is styled into a sort of mohawk. In regards to his shoes, Lars wears mint and dark-green high top sneakers. He wore his work uniform that consisted of a violet T-shirt with a half-eaten donut design on it worn over a pale cream long-sleeved shirt.
He was stocking the front part of the store with goods, carrying a large box in his arms.
Steven rushed to the side of the store where the coffee counter was, looking into a Cookie Cat mini freezer.
"NO-OOOO!" Steven screamed, as he saw the mini freezer was empty.
"This can't be happening! This has to be a dream!"
He ran from the freezer and wrapped his arms around Lars, "Lars, Lars please tell me I'm dreaming!" He cried dramatically.
"Get off me man, I'm stocking here!"
Steven slid to the floor as Lars walked away from his hug to continue working. Steven peaked up at Belle as she squated next to him and patted his back.
"I'm sorry Steven I guess they stopped making them." Sadie said.
"Stopped making them! Why in the world would they stop making Cookie Cats! They're only the most scrumptious and delicious ice cream sandwiches ever made! Don't they have laws for this" He cried pushing himself up into a kneeling position beside Belle.
"Tough bits man nobody buys them anymore. I guess they couldn't compete with Lion Lickers." Lars said kneeling in front of the coffee counter to restock the snacks.
"Ugh, not Lion Lickers. Nobody likes them. They don't even look like lions. Kids these days, I'll tell you what." Steven grumbled, standing in front of the Lion Lickers freezer. The lion ice creams mishapen and droopy.
"They're all droopy and sad lookin." Belle stated standing beside Steven as he grumbled to himself.
"Well if you miss your wimpy ice cream so much, why don't you make some with your MAGIC belly button." Lars mocked.
"That's not how it works Lars." Steven stated glancing down at his shirt. "right?" Steven questioned lifting his shirt above his to see his belly button gem. A pinkish rose quartz gem.
He squished his belly and released it letting it jiggle trying to activate his gem, causing a soft giggle to fall from Belle's lips. A blush painted his cheeks at her laugh, but it faded as he looked back at the Cookie Cat mini freezer.
He sighed and walked in front of the Cookie Cat mini freezer, "Oh sweet Cookie Cats, your crunchy cookie outside, your icy creamy inside, you were too sweet for this world." He drew a Cookie Cat on the fogged up glass of the freezer and kissed it sadly.
"Uh, Steven do you want to take the freezer with you." Sadie asked, her, Lars, and Belle weirded out by his sudden affection toward the freezer.
He nodded sadly, still holding the fridge. He picked up the fridge and with Belle's help, tied it to his back using its wire.
"Thanks Sadie!" Steven chirped.
"Bye Sadie, Lars!" Steven and Belle said in unison.
"Bye guys!" Sadie replied.
They left, with a wave good bye.
"Don't you think those two are weird." Lars said leaning against the front counter.
"Don't be so mean Lars, they're just kids."
Belle followed Steven back to the beach house as he hummed happily. Her side occasionally brushing against his as theh walked sending a fury of goosebumps to litter her left arm.
Belle thought Steven was annoying at times, but it didn't stop the flurry of emotions and reactions he unintentionally set off. The blushing, goosebumps, stuttering, and the need to be near him or have his attention. It scared and excited her at the same time.
This feeling she had was something Sadie desribed as a crush. To like or love someone and want to be with them as their partner.
What scared Belle about it was she didn't know how to act with her feelings. She felt like a total loser acting out from how she was used to being. When he smiled she couldn't help but blush and smile back and when he laughed it was like a swarm of butterflies invaded her stomach.
Steven was so different from Belle. He was always smiling, laughing, cracking jokes, and acting like a kid. He was innocent and childlike with a determination to be a hero who helped his family protect the earth and its inhabitants.
When they first met, Belle was shocked to find she wasn't the only Gem, human hybrid. Then she kinda kidnapped him to study him and learn what little information he did know. That ended in her being taken in by the Crystal Gems his caretakers.
Steven slammed the front door open to the beach house, "Guys you won't believe this!" He yelled, before getting shoved to the ground by a green and black centipede like creature dripping green goop from its mouth, it screeched at him as he held it back with his hands.
Until it was stabbed by an ice made spear created by Belle.
"Belle!" Steven yelled in surprise, watching her twirl the spear in her left hand as she stood in front of him protectively.
"Sup Steven, Belle." Amethyst greeted, sqeezing her whip around one of the centipede like creatures poofing it.
"Sup." Belle greeted back as Steven stood up behind her.
Garnet was using her gauntlets to smash and pull apart the centipede's with ease. Pearl stood in the back of the room on the warp pad stabbing and slicing through centipedes that surrounded her, poofing them. Amethyst sliced and squeezed the centipedes with her whip poofing them.
"Awesome, what are these things." Steven awed, untying the Cookie Cat freezer from his back and placing it on the window seat next to the front door.
"Ugh, sorry Steven, Belle. We'll get these centipeetles out of your room." Pearl held a ceptipeetle in her arms and it started to squirm and screech. "We think they were trying to get into the temple." She explained.
"Awe, you don't have to get rid of them. They're really cool!" The centipeetle in Pearls arms screeched and spit out a glob of green goop at Steven and Belle's feet. A hole burned into the wooden floor where the goop was. Pearl snapped the centipeetles neck and it poofed into nothing.
"Steven!" Belle cried clinging to Steven's arm, holding her spear to her chest. "That is so not cool."
Steven glanced at the room, centipeetles crawling over and into everything. He took Belle's hand taking her with him to the freezer as she still clung to his arm, "They got into everything, not cool!" He called out grumpily, looking into the freezer noticing a bunch of Cookie Cat ice cream sandwiches stocked into the freezer.
Belle looked at Steven curiously as he grabbed two treats for the both of them. "Woah, where did you get these, I thought they stopped making them?"
The gems quickly poofed the rest of the centipeetles before walking into the open kitchen, standing beside the kids.
Pearl closed the freezer door that Steven left open, "Well, we heard that too and since they're your favorite-"
"We went out and stole a bunch!" Amethyst exclaimed jumping onto the kitchen island.
"Argh, I went back and paid for them." Pearl grumbled.
"The whole thing was my idea." Garnet said bluntly, magically poofing away her gauntlets.
"It was everyone's idea." Amethyst stated matter of factly.
"Not really." Garnet replied bluntly.
"All that matters is that Steven is happy." Pearl said, glancing at Steven with loving eyes.
'O-oooh he's a frozen treat with an all new taste!
Cuz he came to this planet from outer space!
A refugee of an inter stellar war!
Cookie Cat!
He's a pet for your tummy!
Cookie Cat!
He's super duper yummy!
Cookie Cat!
He left his family behind!
Cookie Cat!'
Steven sung, causing everyone to laugh and cheer at his performance. "I can't believe you did this. I'm going to save these forever right after we eat these."
Steven opened the ice cream and smiled nostalgic-ly, "Hello old friend." He took a bite of the ear humming happily, "Oh so good." He moaned, "I like to eat the ears first."
A pink glow imitated from under Steven's shirt where his gem was. "Uh, Steven." Amethyst said gently.
"Wha-"
"Your gems glowing!" Belle called out excitedly, holding her half eaten Cookie Cat to her chest.
"My gem!" He lifted his shirt showing his glowing gem. "Quick try and summon your weapon!" Amethyst said.
"I don't know how!" The gems glow began to fade. "Ah, its fading how do I make it come back!" He cried to Pearl, jumping foot to foot in panic.
"Calm down Steven, breath, don't force it." She spoke calmly as Steven silently panicked.
"Yeah and try not to poop yourself either" Amethyst teased.
"Please don't." Garnet said.
The light from his gem faded and he calmed down, sad he couldn't summon his weapon.
"Awe I was really close that time." He placed the Cookie Cat back in its wrapper. "Can one of you just explain how to summon a weapon?"
Pearl gasped, raising her hand in excitement, "Ooh, I'll go first!"
Belle finished the rest of her ice cream and dusted her hands of crumbs.
Pearl stood in front of Steven and Belle as the two sat on the ground beneath the Sakura tree. "Pay attention to this petal Steven," Pearl said gently noticing his gaze fixiated on the small brunette beside him as her hair was covered in petals.
Pearl pointed to a falling petal after gaining his attention, Belle giving Steven a questioning look.
"The petals dance seems improvised, but it's being calculated in real time based on the physical properties of this planet." Said petal danced gracefully in the wind slowly falling to the ground. Pearl summoned her spear and sliced through the petal. "Like so." She showed the petal in her hand sliced in two.
Steven cupped a bunch of fallen petals in his hands from where he sat on the ground glancing at it curiously.
"Do you think this'll work?" Steven questioned, Belle hummed in response as they walked away from the Sakura tree and Pearl. "Well, I think, there is no right way to summon a weapon. I think it's different for everyone." Steven glanced at her curiously, watching as she picked the petals from her hair.
"What do you mean?" Belle huffed and ran her hands through her hair as the petals became more tangled in her hair. "Emerald one of my guardian's had told me all about weapons and how Gems summoned them." Belle stated. They stopped walking as Belle shook out her hair, trying ridiculously hard to get rid of the petals. "Here let me help." Steven placed the petals in his hands on the floor and gental began pulling the petals she couldn't pull out, out of her hair. A blush painted Belle's cheeks, as she stood still.
Ok, she couldn't deny it. She kinda like his hands in her hair, it felt nice.
"Well, E-emerald told me its summoned through a feeling. I- I don't know what she meant, but that's how she described it. Like a feeling or need to protect someone or becoming one with the energy around you and summoning your weapon from that. She said it's different for every Gem."
Steven hummed gently raking his finger through her hair, fixing it. "How do you summon yours?" Belle smiled. "I don't have a weapon. I have the ability to of hydrokinesis, cryokinesis, and future vision. At least that's what Emerald said." Steven's face strunched up in thought, "What's that?"
"Hydrokinesis is the ability to create or control water, Cryokinesis it's the ability to create ice or freeze stuff, and Future vision is the ability to see into the future." Belle explained. "Though I haven't yet mastered any of them yet. I can barley control water. It took me forever to actually control it as well as I do today."
"That's so cool!" Steven yelled excitedly stars in his eyes causing Belle's blush to worsen. "Th-thanks I guess."
"Anyways, I'm done with your hair. All the petals are gone." Steven said gently brushing his finger through her soft hair, careful to not get them tangled.
Belle nodded and smiled at him, "Thanks Steven. Anyways, as I was saying before. I have powers. Some Gems have powers and some can summon weapons. I just so happened to have two gems with powers."
"At least your gems work." Steven pouted picking up the petals from the ground. "It's all about you Steven, how you summon a weapon. Everyone is different, so don't be so down. I'm sure you'll figure it out."
"Lets just try that petal thing Pearl told us. Maybe it'll help." Steven guided Belle to the Big Donut, not yet wanting to go home. Belle stepped inside to order donuts as he waited outside. Belle came around the corner with a bag of donuts for the two. Thats when Steven started to practice and threw the petals above his head watching as they fell around him. Not noticing Amethyst coming up behind him eating her own donut.
Amethyst swallowed the bit of donut in her mouth and spoke up, "Dude, did Pearl tell you the petal thing?"
He looked at her and sighed, "Yeah, I need to practice really hard so I can dance like a tree. I think."
Amethyst summoned her whip and slashed the Big Donut's dumpster in two. "See, didn't try at all."
"Not cool Amethyst." Belle scolded, hands on her hips. Amethyst shrugged, finishing off her donut ignoring Belle's scolding.
Lars came around the back corner and screamed at the sight of the dumpster, garbage bag in hand. "Again!"
"Welp, good luck Steven. Later Belle."
"Argh, sorry Lars" Belle huffed, "Come on Steven. This isn't going to do anything." Belle grabbed Steven's hand and walked away from the Big Donut towards the beach.
"What's wrong?" Steven asked gently squeezing on Belle's hand.
"I don't want to say anything. It might hurt your feelings or make you mad." She huffed.
"Come on, please." Steven begged pulling Belle to a stop just before they reached the sand. "No." She huffed bluntly taking her hand away from his. Steven frowned in response, letting his hand fall to his side, "Please Belle." He gave her his famous puppy dog eyes and stuck out his bottom lip. "Please."
Belle glanced at him and frowned, guilt pooling in her chest as she saw his sad puppy dog face. "Don't do that. I hate that face." Belle turned covering her eyes. Steven growing just a bit annoyed grabbed her and picked her up from behind. "Just say it Belle, please!"
"Fine! Just put me down!" Belle cried out blushing her hand gripping his arms in response.
She turned around facing him as his arm's crossed over his chest and he began tapping his foot like an impatient mother. "It's just, I think the Gems can be a bit careless of other's. Well more like their property." She mumbled, glancing at the floor not being able to look him in the eye, scared of how he'd react. "It's just, like they don't care about breaking or destroying others properties and they have you doing the same!" Belle exclaimed, glancing at Steven's face. "Remember Mr. Frymans counter." She added in quickly.
Steven's face warped from annoyed to sheepish, "Y-yeah I get your point, but it's not like the Gems mean anything by it."
"You're right they don't. But it doesn't excuse their behavior, Steven!" Belle yelled throwing her hands in the air dramatically. "I get it, they're Gems and don't know much about humans. But it's common sense Steven. They don't have to destroy a lot of the stuff they do and the same goes for you and I totally understand that part of it is because they are Gems and it has to do with the way you were raised. But it's still wrong!" Belle ranted.
"O-ok, ok, I get it. Amethyst didn't have to destroy that dumpster, I didn't have to break Mr. Fryman's counter, or Mr. Smiley's arcade games." Steven said, scratching at the back of his neck nervously. "I guess your right."
"I'm sorry Steven." Belle frowned. "Just no more destroying anything anymore that isn't yours. I'll understand if it's during a fight and it couldn't be helped, but doing it for the sake of getting what you want or just for the sake of it, is wrong. Now come on lets go see Garnet. We wasted enough time babbling when we could be finding a way for you to summon your shield." Belle grabbed Steven's hand and smiled at him sheepishly, "Sorry about going off on you. It's just, I was raised to respect other's property and to behave a certain way."
"What do you mean?" Steven asked.
"I'll tell you some other time, let's go."
Steven and Belle stood in front of the beach house with Garnet.
"So, I'm supposed to work really hard and not try at all, at the same time?" Steven asked Garnet.
"Yes." She stated bluntly.
Steven stared at her blankly, not knowing what to say.
"Or link your mind with the energy of all existing matter, channeling the collective power of the universe through your gem. Which results in." She summoned her gauntlets with a fancy arm dance, "At least that's my way of doing it."
Steven sighed and slumped at Garnets description, before walking towards the house, Belle and Garnet following.
Belle couldn't help but think back on what Garnet said, 'Link your mind with all existing matter and channeling it through your gem'
It sounded like meditating and becoming one with the world. Something she had once tried and well it ended with her losing her since of reality and freaking out.
Everyone gathered in the kitchen as Steven spoke, "I think my best bet is to recreate the last time my gem glowed."
"So, Garnet and Amethyst were here." Pointing to the island. Amethyst jumped on the island, Garnet to her right. "Pearl was in front of the fridge." Pearl took her place at Steven's instructions.
"And you were here." He stated, grabbing Belle's hand and placing her in her spot beside him.
"Your arms were crossed." He said to Amethyst and she crossed her arms. "Ok your majesty."
"And Pearl your foot was like this", He shifted Pearl's right foot to the left. "I don't think it works this way Steven." Pearl said.
"And Garnet." He grabbed her face tilting it up before confirming its position hesitantly.
He reached into the fridge and grabs his half eaten Cookie Cat before reciting its commercial song with less enthusiasm than before. "It was fun the last time." He lifted up his shirt to see no glow and huffed. "Maybe I'm not a real Crystal Gem."
Pearl kneeled to his height, "Don't be silly Steven, of course you are."
"And your fun to have around, even if your gem is useless." Amethyst cut in. Pearl growled. Belle wrapped her arms around Steven, "Pearl's right Steven, you just have to find your own way of glowing."
Steven nodded a small smile painting his lips as he blushed. "Thanks Belle."
He gave her a side hug and bit into his Cookie Cat, "So good." He hummed happily, his gem began to glow. A shield appeared held by a light his gem imitated.
"It's a shield." Belle said in awe. It was a pink translucent shield, with thorned vines curling into the middle.
"Woah, what, I get a shield!" He threw his arms up in excitement and his shield was sent flying, bouncing off the walls causing damage to the house before getting stuck in his tv.
Amethyst laughed kicking her legs as Pearl gaped in awe. "The Cookie Cat!" Steven yelled coming to a conclusion, "I summoned my weapon by eating ice cream!"
"What's in these things?" Pearl picked up its wrapper from the floor and stared at it questionably.
"I don't know Steven, it doesn't seem right." Belle said concerned, glancing at the ice cream in question. "Come on Belle, you said I had to find my own way to glow and I did! This Cookie Cat was what made me glow!" Steven exclaimed excitedly.
The house shook and screeches resonated from outside, large shadows appeared over the windows scuttling up towards the roof.
"What was that?" Steven questioned. Belle cried out nearly falling over before an arm wrapped around her waist catching. "Steven!" She clucthed onto his shirt and righted herself before Steven took off towards the window holding Belle's hand.
Garnet ran out onto the balcony staring up at the temple, Pearl and Amethyst following.
"It's the Mother." Said Garnet before she jumped into the air and onto the house catching the Mother centipeetles attention. It followed her to the front of the house onto the beach screeching. Pearl and Amethyst jumped down from the balcony and stood behind Garnet staring the creature down.
It growled and with a screech shot acid at them, but they jumped away before it could touch them. They had no way of fighting it off without getting shot at with acid.
The gems quickly thinking hid behind a stone hand embedded into the sand in front of the beach house.
"We could really use Steven's shield right about now!" Amethyst yelled, acid shooting at the stone hand they hid behind.
Steven grabbed his mini freezer and shoved the Cookie Cats in the mini freezer before hurrying outside. "Hey!" Steven threw a rock at the Mother catching her attention, she turned acid dripping from her mouth. Steven slammed his Cookie Cat freezer into the sand beside him before stuffing a Cookie Cat into his mouth to try and summon his weapon, "Nothings happening!" Belle cried from the balcony. He stuffed more into his mouth hoping for his shield to summon.
He screamed picking up his freezer and took of running as Mother screeched at him realizing he was no threat. "Steven!" Belle cried, jumping over the balconied railing and into the sand leaving ice wear she once stood, her hand shooting toward the creature water formed from thin air into a large hand grabbing the creature and holding it down into the sand.
She cried out happily, as she was able to use her powers. She jumped onto Steven not noticing the water hand freezing over, "Please don't do anything stupid like that again!" She cried, tears pricing her eyes.
Steven looked down frowning at the tears in Belle's eyes and wrapped her in his arms, "I-I was only trying to help." She sniffled and squeezed him tight. "I know."
"Guys are you two ok?" Pearl asked as the Gems walked out from behind the hand.
Mother screeched and squirmed at the ice hand, using the acid from her mouth to break through the ice. Belle unconsciously letting the ice hand turn to water and drop to the ground at the loss of concentration.
The Gems jumped back as Mother shot acid at them. "Get into the house you two, hurry!" Pearl yelled.
Mother was quick to return her attention to Steven and Belle, shooting acid at them, they dodged it in time, but the Cookie Cats took the hit. The machine and ice cream melted under the acid, however the freezer had sparks of electricity shooting from its melted parts.
"No, no, no, no, no, no." Steven cried, kneeling in front of the broken machine. He reached out to touch it before reclining his hand to not get electrocuted or hurt by the acid.
The Gems were dodging Mother's acid attacks, not being able to get close enough to hand a hard enough blow to poof her.
Pearl shot Mother with a beam of light from her spear, Garnet launching her Gauntlets like rockets at her, and Amethyst whipped at its back trying to keeps its attention away from the other two.
Steven stood up anger written clear on his face, before he shouted,
'Cookie Cat he's the pet for your tummy
Cookie Cat he's supper duper YUMMY!"
He grabbed the wire of the freezer as he started towards the Mother centipeetle.
'Cookie Cat he left his family behind!"
"COOKIE CAT!" He threw the broken freezer at Mother electrifying her, she screeched in pain.
"Yes!" Amethyst cheered.
"Gems Now" Garnet called out.
They ran at the electrified Mother and with a bright light she was poofed. Garnet bubbled Mother, a Nephrite gem, before looking to Steven as he buried a Cookie Cat wrapper that hadn't been destroyed.
"Fair well sweet Cookie Cat, I'll always remember the time we spent together." His stomach grumbled and he shushed it, tears falling down his cheeks. "Are you crying?" Amethyst asked kneeling next to Steven. "Only a little!" Steven cried.
"Its ok Steven we could always make them." Belle said placing a hand on his shoulder as she sat beside him.
"Well I guess your powers don't come from ice cream." Amethyst said.
"Of course they don't come from ice cream." Pearl said, placing a hand on Steven's head, "Don't worry Steven, I'm sure someday you'll figure out how to activate your gem."
"Yes in your own Steven-y way." Garnet smiled.
"I'm ok guys, I just-" His stomach grumbled harshly and he groaned. "I think I ate to many Cookie Cats."
They all laughed before Steven turned his head, emptying out his stomach in the sand.
"Ew."
"Gross dude."
"Steven!"
"Poor baby."
The moon was shining brightly in the sky lighting up the darkness of the night. Belle sat on the couch wrapped in a blanket gazing out the front door, the door screens making it easy to see outside.
She was exhausted, but couldn't sleep after the days events. Steven himself was sound asleep, the Gems were in their temple rooms for the night.
She shook off the blanket and stood from the couch to walk up the small staircase to Steven's loft.
Steven slept peacefully snuggled into his blanket as if nothing's wrong. She knew well enough she shouldn't dwell so much on these things, but couldn't help it. She was scared, she'd almost died, Steven almost died, and the Gems almost died.
Belle bit her lip and bent over, brushing her fingers over Stevens cheek gently. His face scrunched up at the sensation before relaxing.
A need to make sure he was safe and unharmed had begun to engulf her being despite already knowing he was fine.
'I'm sorry Steven, you were so stupidly brave today. But I can't help but worry.'
She pressed her lips to his forehead, waking him in the process. He blinked sleepily slowly registering the sensation of lips on his forehead. Belle pulled away and jumped back noticing his eyes open and on her.
"I-I'm sorry!" She cried out softly blushing profusely.
"W-why did you-"
"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Belle turned on her feet racing to the couch embarrassed, hiding under her blanket.
"I-It felt nice." Steven spoke softly but loud enough for Belle to hear.
The duo blushed more and an awkward silence filled the room, "I couldn't help it." Belle spoke, "I worry a lot, even more so over people I care about. You just got into a fight with a Gem creature and right after acted as if nothing happend. I get it, there is nothing you can do about it. But it was your first time, you were reckless and stupid." Tears pooled in the girls eyes.
"Yeah, you won, but what if it happens again and you don't come back as unharmed as you did today. The Gems said nothing about your reckless behavior and rewarded you so easily. You could've died Steven, don't you understand that!" Belle hid her face letting tears fall, her soft voice becoming shakey, "I get it, I do. This is how it is for Gems and most people. There is nothing you can do about it. But it doesn't excuse the fact that you acted so recklessly. So many people die fighting in wars, even small fights, but it scared me Steven."
Belle stopped talking as her voice grew to shaky and high pitched for her to speak. Arms wrapped around her form as she hid in the blanket, a sob coming from the owner. "I-I'm sorry!"
Belle uncovered her head ignoring her tears. Steven was kneeled beside the couch hugging her wrapped up form crying into the blanket that muffled his sobs.
Belle placed her free hand on his head feeling guilty for making him cry. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." She whispered, messaging his scalp with her nails. He shook his head in response, "You're right! I was terrified when I couldn't summon my shield. I thought, I could, I thought I could help and be a real Crystal Gem, like Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl!"
"But you are a Crystal Gem Steven. Look at what you did without your powers. You took down a giant bug-peetle with out even trying. Though it was mostly because of the Cookie Cat machine. But you were smart enough to use it to your advantage, not many would have done what you did. You saved the Gems and helped them poof the centipeetle. You did so good without your powers, I bet with proper training you could be even better."
Belle gently undid his arms from around her and stood up, grabbing his hand taking him back to bed. "Lay back down." She sat beside him as he tucked himself in. "I just hate that you risked your life, just because you wanted to be like them. I was so scared you would get hurt or worse. You mean so much to me. I know we haven't known each other for long. (Six months) But I care about you a lot, you're my first friend, my best friend, something I never had growing up." She gripped his hand in her gently, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. "I never got to be a kid and with you I have a chance to be a kid, have fun, and learn to be myself without upsetting anyone."
She lifted his hand to her lips, kissing his knuckles, tears falling down her face as she did it. Before opening his palm and rubbing her cheek into it. Something Emerald used to do when she cried, rub her cheek and kiss her knucles in affection.
Steven blushed and messily wiped away his tears with his free hand. "N-no its not. I'm sorry, I scared you. I just wanted to help so bad." Belle nodded, rubing the tip of her nose along his palm as the tears stopped falling. "Go to sleep Steven, It's late." She pulled away and wiped at her face, "We can talk tomorrow." She hugged him, rubbing her cheek against his, like a cat would its owner. "Night Steven."
"Night Belle."
Belle pulled away and walked down the stairs of the loft cleaning her face. She fell aleep, feeling just a bit lighter than before.