The Idea of it
Pineapple skies- Miguel
He dreamt of flying on wings made of thunder and grace. Feathers from his wings cut the sky open opening up for him to go higher. White streaks raced each other fell with every flap of his wings. If you looked closely you could see that the racers were stallions running on white roads of lightning. Two stallions almost neck to neck, racing each other faster than the human eye could perceive until one after the other they struck a sleeping mother earth.
The moon hung by a wire in the sky. It seemed to stare at this man who flew with those beautiful wings, questioning as to why this ordinary man deserved to be this high to the heavens.
Don't go too high. The heavens will get mad, a voice in the back of his voice warned. It made him laugh, and he replied, "I am not scared of the heavens!" He challenged back to nothing.
The wind sounded like music in his ears the longer he soared. It worshipped his name, told him how beautiful his wings were and that he was mighty.
There came a crack like a whip from above him. Louder than the music in his ears.
You angered the heavens. They are coming, the voice in his head repeated itself. They are coming. They are coming!
The man looked at the moon and his eyes were filled with resentment. Three diamonds looked at this man insulted that he thought he could fly so high. A hand of white pointed to him, then blue, then yellow. All pointing at him as if they were delivering some verdict he didn't understand.
He would have none of it. With a hand, he beat a fist to his chest and roared to them, "My name is-" the beating of his wings drowned out his name but he knew it, that was all that mattered. With his wings, he flew higher and higher. He couldn't remember having anything in his hand but when he brought up a sword and shield to fight he was ready to fight them.
A dream it seemed.
Instead of waking up in the sky he woke up in a stream of white hair so soft he thought he was on a cloud.
Blinking the remnants of his dream away he sat up. The cloud he was sleeping next to was Jasper. Sound asleep like a big gem baby. Shadow grinned to himself, "how lucky am I?" He asked himself, nothing was his answer, but he already had one. Shadow laid back down and with great effort pulled her closer to him. Again he found himself on a cloud.
She stirred and humphed. "You woke me loser." Her voice was stern but he knew she was only being grumpy cause she wanted to be.
Shadow needed to hear her voice though. His fingers laced through hers. "I just wanted to hear my orange cloud talk." Shadow nestled his face in her hair.
"Cloud?"
Jasper squeezed back to show him she understood. "You had a bad dream didn't you?" Jasper already knew the answer so she didn't know why she bothered asking. The grimace he made, the forced grin on his face. She knew.
The sounds of the waves of the ocean hitting the shore reminded Shadow that they were on the beach outside the house. Staying with Steven and the gems was a blast but since being back, but, he hadn't spent any real personal time with Jasper. So he went out and bought a tent with what little money he had left. On the beach in a tent atop of blankets and the sound of waves made for a good nice quiet night. A peaceful time together.
Shadow nodded his head. "This time I was flying."
Jasper turned to face him. Her eyes glowed a fiery orange that made his heart flutter.
"You can fly?" She sounded like she disbelieved something that he wasn't able to do in the first place.
Still, he wouldn't mind it if he could. "I can't. But if I can…" His mind drifted off with the thought of flying, as did his words. When another crash hit the shore he finally realized he was in a conversation. Rude, as it was, he couldn't apologize before she spoke.
"I don't think that's you," Jasper said to him. "I think you are better on the ground."
Shadow didn't understand. He asked, "why? Just because I'm not able to don't mean I can't?" He couldn't help but feel offended at her assumption. "If I could fly I could fight the diamonds better."
Jaspers' mouth parted and her razor-sharp canines traced his neck to tease him. "I see now," her voice was calm and promiscuous.
"You're scared."
"No, I'm not!" He sounded too defensive.
Jasper chuckled at him. "Two years ago I would have killed you for talking to me like this. I still might," Jasper bit at his neck when he rolled his eyes getting a grunt out of him. "Birds can fly away from all their problems leaving everyone else behind. No one can find you in the sky if you go to high. You could escape. That's what cowards do and, you're no coward or bird."
Shadow took a second to think about her words as odd as they sounded coming from her. "Then tell me. What am I? I am truly having a midnight crisis right now." Shadow put his forehead to hers, he really started to feel the weight of the world crushing him and she was his anchor. She was right, he was scared. Thinking about what they did to him back at the Zoo caused a jolt of phantom pain to hit him. Even his time on homeworld started to make him sweat. She was right.
Jasper just chuckled and headbutted him. "Quit it Shadow. You ask too many questions and it is too late for all that. You are you, make yourself what you want to be."
"As long as it's not a bird?"
She humphed and chuckled. "As long as it's not a bird." She agreed.
Shadow stood outside the tent. The ocean wind ran through his thin white button up and khaki shorts. Unlike the breeze from the ocean the sand was hot to his bare feet, he had to shuffle his feet into the sand to escape the heat. It did little but better than nothing.
Looking across the vast horizon he tried to think of a better place he could be right now. He couldn't. As much as he asked the question he still came back to the same answer. The question being is this paradise? The answer being yes. Back at home, he had a constant reminder of his past. Here was able to forget the past and be around people he could call family.
Behind him he could hear her scuffle then her head came popping out from the tent.
"Come back to sleep," her eyes weren't even open. "Let's sleep a little bit longer."
Shadow rolled his eyes. "Love it's one already. Everyone is up except you.
One eye opened to look at him. "Well I'm not everyone," she scowled. "Come cuddle with me, I'll even say please." the promiscuous look she was giving him made the beast inside him stir. It was too late to do anything too inappropriate. Steven was running down the stairs towards him. A contagious smile on his face that made him smile.
"Hey, good afternoon little man." Shadow put his fist out and Steven returned the gesture with a bump.
When he saw Jasper he chuckled and leaped into the tent knocking her back.
"What… you little runt." Jasper poked her head out with a little Steven attached to her, he was almost hidden in her hair. When he chuckled at the pleading look on her face she rolled her eyes.
Shadow slowly sat down to talk at eye level with the kid. "So what's going on today in the life of Steven Universe?" Gonna go to the moon and building a house? Fight some volcano monster or something?"
"Nope and nope. I am going on an adventure with Connie and you two are invited!" Steven rolled off of Jasper to stand. "Wanna come?"
Jasper shot Shadow a look of uncertainty. He didn't need the look to know she didn't feel comfortable with that. Adventures with this guy were sure to end up turning into a long long day.
"Yes," Shadow answered. "We will both go." When he said that he was looking at Jasper. The gem scowled again but didn't verbally refuse so he took that as consent.
Steven ran off leaving the two alone. Shadow resumed his ocean gazing. With his eyes closed, he took a deep breath. Last night's conversation with Jasper was still heavy on his mind. With every breath he tried to let his worries go, it wasn't working.
"Stop doing that. You sound annoying." Jasper was standing behind him in her normal attire. One hand was on her hip and the other one moved to ruffle his hair.
Shadow was to fast rolled to his feet. "Quit it." He said. "I just have a lot on my mind."
Jasper turned her head to the ocean. When he looked at her she could see the water in her eyes, they put out the fire in them and gave her a look of someone who could truly let everything go. That was probably how he looked, maybe she was even asking herself the same question he kept asking.
"Being out here. Looking at the ocean like this. I can see why you wanted to come back. I've never known a calmness like this my entire life. I feel like this chance I'll be able to make the best of things, with you. If that is what you want?" She sounded so uncertain and that hurt him. It shouldn't of but he was still a human.
He took her hand in his. Her larger one almost completely covering his which made for a funny sight. "I've told you what I wanted Jasper. We met each other as barely friends and you almost killed me," he laughed, she didn't. "But," he continued. "We're going to make it work. I'll give my left eye if need be, my heart and soul for us to be together in peace like this. I'm here to stay and I know you are too." It had been a long time but his cheeks started to warm with embarrassment. "Maybe even forever."
That took Jasper back. The mighty gem warrior was at a loss for words. When she finally found her voice it was too late, Steven was running across the sand with Lion. When a pink lion was running across the sand you know it was time to go.
"Come on, let's go see what Steven has in mind for us." Shadow took his hand back slowly and started for Steven.
Jasper stood frozen, looked down at her still warm hand then back to the horizon. Forever, the word in her made her feel warm and afraid. It wasn't time to think of such things though. She needed to a straight mind for a visit to space which was sure to be taxing. More than she could have predicted.
Author notes:
Hey, I apologize for the long hiatus. As always busy with work and just other regular nasty human stuff. I was trying to jump back and forth from my RWBY fic and this but having to type about two different characters and a whole new crew is actually kind of hard. Saying that I will be sticking with Of Gem and Man for now since I may do a third story *wink* As always thank you for reading this short ass chapter and please have a nice day.
Shadow out...