Lapis hugged her knees to her chest, a frustrated groan slipping between her lips. She shouldn't have left like that. Jasper must think that this was all her fault. Why wouldn't she, Lapis was the one who trapped her as Malachite for all that time. It should've been obvious that Jasper's first reattempt at fusion would end disastrous if it was with her. Lapis held her knees tighter to her body, trying to banish all thought. Her eyes followed the floating alien in the tank mindlessly. They would have to replace it soon, the fish were starting to attack the stuffing and had already pulled most of it out.
The sound of a soft song playing brought Lapis back to the barn. She turned her head and looked at the closed barn door with a frown. There was flickering light peeking out from the small gap where the door met the floor. Lapis got up on her feet and walked slowly to it, intent on telling Peridot to please let her be. It already took a lot of effort for Lapis to stay at the barn and not fly off somewhere.
The music grew louder as Lapis approached the door. She laid a hand on the wood and struggled to fight back the impulse of running away again. Steeling her resolve, Lapis pushed open the barn door, the words asking whoever was out there to please leave on her lips.
Jasper immediately looked up when she heard the barn door open. She was just about to set down the phone to get Lapis herself. Beside her was a homemade fire cackling quietly. It took some time for Jasper to find all the stones to make a proper pit and more to set up the fire. Luckily, Amethyst had ran into the beach house to fetch some logs that Jasper could use and an iron poker since she could no longer move the burning logs by hand.
Lapis still held the door but she couldn't make herself speak the words or move. She settled on staring at the iron poker in Jasper's hand, reminded of the gem destabilizer. The water gem shook herself to forget the thought and looked about. She could just see Peridot's silhouette in the distance and the sight of it comforted her.
"Lapis," Jasper said, breaking the silence. She set the iron poker carelessly near the fire and strolled over to the gem. She made sure to keep her usually long strides shorter so she wouldn't scare off the gem. Lapis lifted her eyes from the dim light emitting from the phone to look at Jasper, discomfort clear on her features. Jasper wanted to cup Lapis's cheek and tell her everything was going to be okay but she held her arms to her sides, knowing that both of them were too smart to believe that.
Lapis let go of the barn door to cross her arms, her eyes hardening with ease from practice. She didn't like setting up the walls around her heart but she didn't know what else to do. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice almost stoic if not for the touch of melancholy.
Jasper took her time to think of the right words before answering. "I want us to dance. Just one more try." She did lift a hand to brush against Lapis's cheek, smiling softly when the water gem leaned into the touch. "Please, Lapis."
Blue eyes closed and a sound of weariness rose from Lapis's throat. She was so conflicted at the moment. It would have been easier if the two were still at the beach house, surrounded by the other gems, but Lapis just had to fly off and Jasper just had to come running after her. Lapis opened her eyes and laid a hand on the orange one still touching her cheek. "Just one?" she whispered.
"Just one," Jasper agreed. She led Lapis outside slowly, making sure that each step the water gem took was on her own accord. Jasper wasn't going to force this on her. "You can make us stop anytime you want," she said, resting a hand on Lapis's shoulder, much like before.
Lapis nodded and placed her hand on Jasper's waist, reaching up with the other one to grab Jasper's free hand. They laced their fingers and Lapis was almost taken aback by how much bigger Jasper's hand was compared to hers. The quartz gem could only squeeze lightly and Lapis's hand would be crushed, but Jasper's grip was relaxed and gentle. She gulped down her fear and took a step back, Jasper following. Lapis lead the dance this time and like before, found her worries melt away as the song took its hold on their bodies. She ignored the words and focused only on how she felt at that moment. The water gem felt safe with Jasper looming over her, holding her like she was a flower. She wasn't afraid of Jasper anymore, of what they might become. Lapis smiled at the realization.
Jasper noticed the smile and sported her own grin, bending over to dip Lapis. When she pulled her back up, she started to hum to the melody of the song. It was nice, and the fact that it was made by humans almost made it even more interesting. Jasper lazily spun Lapis in a circle, her eyes taking in how the flickering light of the fire seemed to dance on her skin and dress. She wondered for a moment how it would look on Peridot's skin, her eyes glancing up to the shadow of the green gem. Peridot stayed where she was, giving them space to be alone. Jasper appreciated the gesture and made a mental note to pay back the green gem. She looked down and as the song began its last chorus, lifted Lapis up and spun around on the spot. The water gem wrapped her arms around Jasper's neck on instinct, a carefree laugh bubbling up from inside her. Jasper responded with her own chuckle before pressing her lips against Lapis's as the song ended. Lapis returned the kiss, her fingers tangling themselves in Jasper's hair. It was so much softer than she had first expected and the way Jasper whimpered made her want to never let go.
Lapis was the one who broke the kiss, frowning. Jasper was starting to set her down when the arms tightened around her neck in protest, so she continued to hold the smaller gem. "What's wrong?"
'We didn't fuse." Lapis sounded so confused. She stared at the gem that poked out from under Jasper's shirt. It was bright and shiny as before, but not glowing at the hint of fusion. Lapis reached between them to stroke the gem, not missing how Jasper's breath hitched at the act. She looked back up and read the beginnings of arousal in the quartz's eyes but it was overpowered by the concern. "We didn't fuse," Lapis repeated, as if saying the words again would give her the answer.
"I didn't want to." The honesty of the answer shocked both gems. Jasper sighed and set Lapis down, the water gem letting go of her neck this time. "I do want to fuse with you," she tried explaining, "but not now. Not when she can happen again."
"She?" Lapis asked, already knowing who Jasper was referring to.
"Malachite," Jasper growled, the name dripping in contempt. She raked her fingers through her hair, struggling to get her thoughts in order to speak. She made so many mistakes but that fusion was the biggest and ugliest one. "Those gems," she didn't call them traitors but she couldn't bring herself to call them by Crystal Gems, "they showed me that I can be Jasper, just Jasper. As Malachite, it was like I lost myself but not like fusion should be." Jasper gestured in the direction of the beach house. "They say how it's supposed to be so wonderful, and the sapphire and ruby stay fused as the garnet all the time but when we were Malachite, there was nothing great about it." Jasper wanted to stop and she knew Lapis did too by the grimace tugging her lips but she couldn't. "We were so angry at each other and that anger fused our forms together like some fucked up glue. There was no me or you; there was only our hatred and fighting to gain dominance over one another. I was your prisoner and you hurt me so much but I took it because I was weak." Jasper paced back and forth in front of Lapis, she couldn't stay in one place. The water gem however stood like she was frozen to the spot, her eyes following the quartz gem. "I didn't realize how wrong it was!" Jasper continued. "How wrong Malachite was! I don't want to ever feel like that again." Her feet halted and she turned to face Lapis, her eyes desperate for something, anything that the water gem could give her to sooth the wound their fusion made. But Lapis's eyes only reflected that desperation. Jasper took Lapis's hands into her own, staring at them like they were the only thing that mattered in all the universe. She lifted her eyes to hold Lapis's. "I don't want you to ever look at me like that again," Jasper finished, giving Lapis's hands the barest of squeezes.
Lapis didn't know what to do or say. Hearing everything, having Jasper reveal the final shard that Lapis had thrusted into her heart, made Lapis's throat close up. She caused this, all of it. And yet, Jasper was still here, touching her with not an ounce of malice. And if she turned her head, Lapis could see Peridot who stayed even after Lapis tried her hardest to make her leave. Lapis looked down at the hands. "I don't understand," she whispered at last.
"I don't either," Jasper admitted. She let go of Lapis's right hand in favor of running her fingers through the water gem's hair. She leaned down to kiss Lapis again, realizing that the song was playing again in a loop. Jasper broke the kiss to retrieve the phone, aware of the strain in the front of her pants. She grabbed Lapis's hand and smirked down at her. "Inside," she beckoned.
The two entered the barn and not bothering to close the door, climbed up the ladder, or rather Lapis did, Jasper jumped. The quartz gem was sitting cross legged on the mattress, waiting for Lapis impatiently. As soon as the water gem came within touching distance, Jasper pulled her into her lap. Lapis blushed at how her skirt was pushed to her hips. Jasper felt her chest rumble with a purr of satisfaction and quickly pressed her lips to Lapis's neck. She groaned at the sounds her tongue and teeth brought forth from Lapis and the hands tugging at her hair. Jasper let her fangs brush against the hollow of Lapis's throat and growled at the sharp intake of breath from Lapis. She kissed the spot where her fangs threatened the skin and moved down, having to lift the water gem to press her lips on each available spot of skin. When her lips brushed against fabric, Jasper grabbed one of the laces at the back of the top and pulled, feeling the clothing suddenly go slack. She pulled down the rest to expose Lapis's breasts, eagerly taking her right nipple into her mouth and palming the unattended breast. Lapis cooed as her hips bucked up, feeling the heat in between them rise to uncomfortable levels. The water gem hissed in pleasure as she felt Jasper graze the tip with a sharp fang. Lapis tugged at Jasper's shirt, silently begging the bigger gem to phase out of her uniform. The responding chuckle would have made Lapis roll her eyes but she couldn't concentrate on the action as one of Jasper's hands glide lower to play with the tops of her skirt. "Please," she breathed, rocking her hips up in hopes to get the quartz gem to touch her intimately.
Jasper felt herself begin to lose control at the plea. She let go of Lapis's nipple with a wet pop, her chest rumbling with a growl. The quartz gem wrapped her arms around Lapis and tried to flip them over so she had better leverage but blue hands slammed into her chest. Jasper was so shocked that she was knocked down with Lapis staring widely down at her. "No!" the water gem screamed. Jasper gaped at the water gem, her chest rising and falling rapidly as adrenaline coarse through her veins. She gripped at the mattress beneath her to stop herself from attacking Lapis.
Lapis realized what she had done and shakily brought her hands back to herself, the arousal that was building inside her doused by her own actions. She shook her head as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "I'm sorry, I just- I have to be on top." Lapis wiped at her eyes before any of the tears escaped, hating how Jasper followed the movement of her hands like she was about to summon chains made of water. "I wasn't thinking. I-I have to have control."
There were no other sounds between them after Lapis's confession for a very long time. The natural noise of night life pervaded their bubble of tension. Jasper was the first to react; she leaned up slowly and gently pulled Lapis's hands away from her face. "Look at me," she whispered. It took a few moments but blue eyes cautiously met golden. Jasper brushed away a stray tear from Lapis's cheek. "It's okay, Lapis." She leaned forward to kiss the shell of Lapis's ear and whisper into it afterwards, "I'm here." Jasper laid back down and with a grunt of concentration, phased away her uniform. Lapis couldn't stop the gasp from escaping at feeling Jasper's naked body underneath her own. Jasper rest her hands on Lapis's hips, smiling up at the water gem. "You won't hurt me."
Lapis gulped at the trust in Jasper's eyes and nodded. She took a deep breath and phased away her own clothing, groaning at how Jasper's tentacle immediately prodded at her sex. Lapis had to reach down and guide the head to her entrance and sank down. She stopped when it was halfway inside her, placing a hand on Jasper's abdomen to steady herself. Lapis had no idea how Peridot could take all of the quartz gem! She already felt so full and Jasper wasn't all the way in.
"You don't have to take it all, you know," Jasper said, apparently reading Lapis's thoughts on her face. She rocked her hips up and groaned, her head falling back in pleasure. "This is more than enough for me," she murmured.
"I don't want it to be," Lapis said back, moving up and down to get more of Jasper in her. She wasn't about to tell Jasper she couldn't take her, especially after Peridot did. Lapis loved the green gem but there was no way she was going to let her beat her at this. The water gem whimpered as she felt herself get stretched but she didn't stop rocking up and down until her hips pressed firmly against Jasper's.
The quartz gem didn't try to stop Lapis, in fact she was curious to see how far the water gem was willing to go. She watched Lapis slowly sheath her and the sight made her want to fuck the water gem as hard and as fast as she could. Jasper knew it the primal side speaking to her and she pushed it down. Lapis needed this; she needed to be the one that dictated how much pleasure each gem felt and know that Jasper was willingly giving her this power. Jasper realized with a start that she needed this too; she needed to give her trust to someone to do right by her. Lapis rocked her hips down, one of her hands reaching up to press at Jasper's gem with her fingertips. The quartz gem squeezed her eyes shut as a moan was ripped from her throat. "Yes," she growled, feeling herself rise ever closer to her peak.
Lapis must have noticed it too because she sped up her rocking. She had no idea how amazing it was to have a gem like Jasper under her and do so freely. The water gem gasped and had to rest both hands on Jasper's chest for better leverage. She blushed at the sounds she was making but she couldn't stop making them. Lapis groaned and sank down fully on the tentacle as she fell off her edge. She stayed still and allowed Jasper to fill her as the quartz gem found her own release.
Once the orgasms faded, Lapis collapsed on top of the bigger gem, smirking at the sweat that clung to both their bodies. She peeked up at Jasper and did roll her eyes at the smug look on the quartz gem's face. "We should get Peridot," she murmured, not wanting to leave the mattress ever.
Jasper nodded and wrapped an arm around Lapis possessively. "Peridot!" she roared, too lazy to get up to search for the green gem. They heard a crash and a string of low mutterings as Peridot ambled into the barn. The technician continued to mutter under her breath even after she climbed the ladder to look at the two but Jasper and Lapis could read the arousal poorly hidden in Peridot's eyes. Jasper made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat and pulled Peridot down, much like she did to Lapis before.
"Unhand me you striped clod!" Peridot yelled out after falling ungracefully near Jasper's side. She sat up to glare at the quartz gem who chuffled at the reaction.
"If you want to sleep by yourself then that's fine," Jasper said calmly. "But I'm staying here with Lapis so you'll sleep outside."
For her credit, Peridot actually seemed to consider her options before flopping back down, turning her back on the two. Lapis grinned and ran her fingers along Peridot's side. "You're wearing too much clothing." Peridot turned her head to glare daggers at Lapis but phased out of her uniform. "Good," Lapis said. The water gem carefully got off of Jasper, much to the quartz gem's disagreement, to search for a blanket to cover the three. After having to endure Jasper's constant shivering from the first night, Lapis borrowed one of Steven's old blankets in case the quartz gem ever slept over again. She used the term borrowed loosely as she had no intention of bringing it back unless Steven explicitly asked her to. Just when Lapis started to worry that Pearl had found out about the blanket and stolen it back without her knowledge, she saw a blue corner stick up from behind some paint cans. She grabbed the blanket and made her way back up to the mattress, smirking when she saw what Jasper and Peridot were up to.
Peridot let out a mew as her body bowed into Jasper's fingers, a hand already tangled in the quartz gem's locks. Jasper wore a haughty grin as she plunged her middle finger inside the squirming gem up to the knuckle, the digit almost filling her. She was careful of the claw inside Peridot but less so of the ones on the hand holding the technician's right leg down. They scratched at the skin, never breaking it but leaving deep green lines, and instead of making noises of pain, Peridot would gasp and stutter, her hips jolting up at each new scrape. Jasper turned her head to look at Lapis and jerked her head, inviting the blue gem.
Lapis dropped the blanket so it could lay on the floor, forgotten, as she crawled towards Peridot. The smaller gem had an eye peeked open to watch Lapis, the other shut tight in pleasure. Lapis shared a quick kiss with Peridot, drinking the loud moan Jasper pulled out of her with a curl of her finger. The water gem made her way down Peridot's body to kiss and suck at her nipples, a hand reaching down to rub at her clit.
"T-too much!" Peridot gasped, her back arching. She didn't know what to focus on, Lapis's lips, her fingers, Jasper's arrogant smirk, or the finger buried inside her. She felt too hot and yet not hot enough. Her hips were frantically thrusting into their hands, her body winding up rapidly to snap. Peridot looked at both of them and tried to tell them what was happening but the words were choked by a keening whine. Her fingers tightened their hold on Jasper's hair as her free hand grabbed the back of Lapis's head. The two seemed to know what Peridot was trying to convey because they redoubled their efforts.
The green gem didn't last long after that. With another curl of Jasper's finger, Peridot gave a whimper as her body locked up. She rode out the orgasm as best and as quiet as she could, but her body wouldn't stop trembling and her mouth wouldn't stop praising their names. As the orgasm ebbed away, she laid down to catch her breath. Peridot looked up to see Lapis sucking Jasper's finger clean of her slick. The way that the quartz gem's eyes bulged showed that even she was surprised by the water gem's bold actions.
Before long, the two bigger gems joined Peridot; Jasper laying on one side and Lapis the other. "That was fast," Jasper commented, her words suspicious. Peridot only blushed and the quartz gem knew immediately why. "You were listening on us," she accused with a glare, but her eyes only held affection.
"Quartz clod," Peridot muttered, turning around to face Lapis. But the water gem sported a knowing smirk of her own. "Water clod." The technician gave an aggravated groan and laid on her back, frowning up at the ceiling. Both Jasper and Lapis noticed that Peridot didn't actually deny anything. Lapis laughed and kissed Peridot's cheek. Sometimes the small gem was too adorable for her own good. Jasper also leaned down to kiss her other cheek, chuckling when a hand swatted at her.
Jasper yawned and bent up to grab the blanket Lapis had brought. She covered the three of them, surprised that the thing was big enough for them. The quartz gem reached over to pull the two closer to her, her chest reverberating with a purr. "Night," she told the two as she rested her head on her arm. Before sleep took her, she heard Lapis whisper a thank you to Peridot and Peridot replying with a kiss.