Steven had never felt so tense in his own home before. He was certain that every twitch of his muscles and every breath he took was being intensely scrutinized. The moment everyone had calmed down, and it looked like no fights would break out, his younger self eagerly dragged him up to his bedroom and started to give him a tour. Garnet and Pearl had stayed by the kitchen area but he could feel their eyes watching his every move. It was clear that they didn't trust him around his younger self and he was pretty sure that the only reason that he was even allowed near his younger self was because Amethyst was with them. Amethyst was the only member of the original crystal gems who did not seem to be suspicious of him. His younger self had shown him many of his old toys; some of which he had forgotten about. It was a strange experience to be given a tour of your childhood room. It had made him realize just how much his room had changed over the years. The most notable change being that he finally had a door for his room. Having some privacy was something he didn't know that he had wanted until he got it. Glancing over to the kitchen area where he could still see Garnet and Pearl staring at him made him realize that he certainly did not miss that his old room was open for all to see. He would have to thank Bismuth for her part in helping to renovate the beach house when he got back home which would hopefully be very soon.
"C'mon, there's gotta be something you can tell me about the future." Amethyst whined as she lazily flopped on top of his younger selves bed. She had done nothing but bombard him with questions of the future. Steven had told Amethyst that he didn't want to risk altering the future by accidentally revealing something before it was supposed to happen. He had hoped that she would stop asking him questions after that, but it had backfired horribly as Amethyst only seemed more determined to find out information about the future.
"I wanna know what happens in the future too!" his younger self excitedly exclaimed as he finished organizing some of his toys and turned to face him. "Is Connie the president? Do my Crying Breakfast Friends theories come true? Do I finally manage to teach Lion any tricks?" He rapidly asked.
"Yeah c'mon you can trust us, Big Steven." Amethyst assured.
"I really shouldn't say anyth- wait Big Steven?" he asked taken aback by the name.
"Yeah I figured that if you're going to be staying here for a while then you should have your own name." She looked over to his younger self who now appeared to be looking for something. Most likely another toy or book that he would eagerly show him.
"What do you think Steven?" she asked.
"Hmm…" his younger self momentarily paused his search as he considered the question.
"What about Esteban Universidad!" he exclaimed happily. "I always thought that would be a cool name if I ever needed to go undercover."
"But I already have a name and I like it very much." He didn't want to change his name. He was Steven Universe, not Rose Quartz, and definitely not Pink Diamond. The Diamonds were wrong. They even admitted it themselves.
"Well, you guys can't both be Steven that'll be way too confusing." Amethyst said. Steven frowned as he realized that she had a point. Having two Steven's around would get confusing very quickly.
"Oh I know!" his younger self exclaimed. "Give me a minute." he said as he ran to look for something. After a few seconds and lots of shuffling of items younger Steven proudly showed off a black marker.
"I'll be Steven one." he said as he uncapped the marker and wrote the number one on both of his cheeks.
"You can be Steven two. It'll be just like last time." he approached his older self and attempted to write on his cheeks.
"Is that really necessary?" he asked while avoiding contact with the marker. Luckily he was much taller than his younger counterpart so it was very easy.
"How else are people supposed to tell us apart?" younger Steven asked seriously. Steven looked at his younger selves face hoping to find a sign that he was joking. How would anyone confuse them? Sure they were technically the same person, but it was very easy to tell them apart. They looked more like brothers than the same person. Upon finding no trace of humor on his face Steven realized that his younger self was indeed serious. He sighed before taking the marker from his younger self and using it to write a moderately sized number 2 on his left hand.
"How's that?" he asked as he capped the marker and handed it back to his somewhat disappointed younger self.
"Works for me Twoie." Amethyst said sitting up.
"Twoie?" he asked saying the name slowly.
"Yeah, I figured it would be easier than having to call you Steven two all the time. You can be Twoie" she pointed at him. "and he can be Steven." she said as she pointed at his younger self.
"That's a great idea Amethyst!" Steven said as he turned toward Twoie to see his reaction. "Do you like it?" he asked.
"Hmm…" he paused before answering. The name wasn't bad and he liked it way better than Esteban Universidad. Plus it was unique and he didn't have any better ideas.
"I like it." Twoie finally said while smiling at Steven who beamed back at him.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Steven shouted as he frantically reached into his jean pockets. "I need to take a picture." he said as he opened his camera app and sat on his bed near Amethyst.
"Connie's going to love this." he said excitedly as he gestured for Twoie to sit down by patting a space on the bed between himself and Amethyst. "You should be in the picture too Amethyst." he told her happily.
Twoie opened his mouth to refuse, but as if sensing his hesitance Steven began to unleash his ultimate weapon: his puppy dog eyes. Twoie looked at Amethyst for help, but she merely shrugged her shoulders. Unable to resist Steven's stare for much longer he sighed before walking over to the bed and sitting down in between Amethyst and Steven.
"Your posture Steven!" He heard Pearl's shrill reprimand echo in his head as he instantly began to correct his posture.
It was a bit difficult to keep his back straight and shoulders squared because of the wobbly surface of the mattress, but after a few seconds of shifting his position he was finally able to do so while still being somewhat comfortable. As Steven attempted to get the perfect angle and as Amethyst struggled to pick which goofy face to use in the picture Twoie glanced toward the kitchen where Pearl and Garnet were still seated. Pearl was clinging to one of Garnet's arms, glancing nervously between Garnet and himself. Steven squinted in an attempt to read Pearl's lips, but was unable to make out any words because of her rushed whispering. Twoie shifted his focus to Garnet and instantly regretted doing so; Garnet was staring directly at him. Her gaze never wavered and Twoie was certain that she didn't even blink under her visor. She would occasionally nod or shake her head at something Pearl said, but other than that she remained perfectly still. It was unnerving to say the least; he had seen Garnet give that same intense stare, but it was usually directed at an enemy and it had never been directed at him before.
"Alright, say cheese!" Steven said as he smiled brightly.
"Cheese!" Amethyst exclaimed as she stretched her arms so that they would be long enough to wrap around both Twoie and Steven's shoulders which resulted in everyone being pressed closer together.
"Cheese." Twoie said a little less enthusiastically as he forced a small smile. He quickly glanced back at the kitchen and his smile faltered a little as he realized that Garnet was still staring at him; if anything her stare had gotten more intense if that were even possible. Pearl was also glancing worriedly between him and Steven. She looked so tense and Twoie was certain that she would pounce at him the second he even glanced at Steven in a threatening way. Once the picture was taken and there was a little more distance between himself and Steven he saw Pearl relax slightly. Twoie felt a little hurt by her reaction. Did she really think that he would hurt Steven? The hurt quickly left as he glanced at his current outfit. He looked like a Diamond and Diamonds weren't exactly known for their kindness and restraint. Upon realizing this he scooted a bit farther away from Steven who was too busy texting Connie to notice. Amethyst, who noticed the stares, appeared to be annoyed by them. She descended the stairs that lead to Steven's room and quickly walked over to where Garnet and Pearl were still seated.
"-acting really weird." and "-something you're not telling me." were some of the only phrases that Amethyst said that Twoie was able to hear.
Twoie was not able hear whatever Pearl had said in response to Amethysts concerns, but whatever she said had upset Amethyst. She angrily retreated back to her room without even glancing back at him or Steven. Twoie frowned as he remembered how Amethyst and Pearl used to bicker all the time when he was a kid. Nowadays they would tease and give each other a hard time, but it was mostly playful. Their relationship had improved so much that it was jarring to see them act like this. Twoie understood Amethyst's frustration at not being told what was going on. He remembered when he was younger how he desperately tried to prove himself to the gems so that they would include him on missions. He wanted so badly to be seen as an equal, but more often than not he felt excluded from the team. He and Amethyst had bonded over the fact that they were the worst crystal gems; it had even become something of a joke between them. Things were different now Twoie knew that the gems saw him as an equal, but looking at the way the gems acted now really made Twoie appreciate how much they had changed. The sound of Amethyst's door slamming shut made enough noise to pull Steven's focus away from his phone.
"Huh? Where did Amethyst go?" Steven asked glancing at the empty spot on his bed where she had been sitting moments ago.
"Amethyst decided to go back to her room." Pearl quickly answered not wanting to upset Steven with the news that she and Amethyst were arguing again.
"What! Really?" he asked sadly. "But we were going to have a slumber party." Steven said as he began to yawn.
"You should rest Steven. It's getting late." Garnet advised Steven finally looking away from Twoie.
"No, I'm fine. The night's still young" he said as another yawn escaped him. "I feel great." he said fooling no one as he began to rub at his eyes. Twoie suppressed a chuckle, he had forgotten how bad of a liar he used to be. The only person worse than him at lying was Pearl who would turn into a nervous mess when she attempted to fib.
"Garnets right Steven your human half needs sleep in order to function properly." Pearl said.
Steven looked at him as if seeking his opinion on the matter. He glanced out the window before nodding at him. It was pretty late and sleep was important. Twoie suppressed a yawn; he was starting to feel rather tired as well. Even before he arrived in the past he had not been getting as much sleep as he knew he probably should have. One time he had even gone a few days without sleeping and he might have continued doing so were it not for the gems noticing the bags under his eyes. They forced him to sleep and made him promise to take better care of himself and since then he did make an effort to sleep everyday, but it was usually only for a few hours. He had reasoned that since he was half gem, half diamond, that he didn't really need as much sleep as a typical human did.
"Sleep is a curse, and yet a curse I need to live." Steven said rather dramatically as he got up from his bed and approached his dresser. He pulled out a pair of yellow pajamas that Twoie recognized as his banana pajamas.
"I'm going to go get ready for bed." Steven announced as he exited his room and made his way over to the bathroom. "You can borrow some of my pajamas." Steven told him before disappearing completely into the bathroom.
The next couple of minutes were the most painfully awkward ones of Twoie's life. With Steven gone the tension in the room drastically increased. Twoie was frozen in his spot on Steven's bed. Pearl and Garnet were both staring at him and he was unsure at what he was supposed to do. He wanted them to trust him, but he knew that would be very difficult considering what clothes he had arrived in. He was certain that Steven and Amethyst had believed him when he told them that he didn't know why he was dressed so strangely, but he knew that Pearl and Garnet were not so easily lied to. He glanced at Steven's still open dresser silently contemplating whether or not to borrow some pajamas like Steven had suggested. He ultimately decided against it as he was fairly certain that Steven didn't have any pajamas his size. He mentally sighed when he realized that he would have to sleep in his current outfit. Twoie slowly rose from the bed afraid that if he did so too quickly he would startle Pearl and Garnet. He descended the stairs in what he hoped was a non threatening way, but he probably just looked silly. He hesitated when he reached the bottom of the stairs. He wanted to grab the spare pillow and blanket that he knew should be in the closet near the stairs, but he didn't know how Pearl and Garnet would react to him rifling through Steven's things. He knew it was a silly fear as they were technically his things as well, but he didn't want to further antagonize himself in their eyes. He approached the closet and rested his hand on the door, but didn't actually open. He glanced at Pearl and Garnet, they had both stood up.
"I'm just getting the spare pillow and blanket." he explained as he awkwardly pointed toward the closet. Other than Garnet stiffly nodding at him they did not react to what he said. They also did not sit back down which told him that he was failing horribly at being non threatening. He opened the closet and was rewarded with a loud creak. Had this closet always creaked this loudly? He could hear his heartbeat increase in speed and wondered if Garnet and Pearl could hear it as well. It was so quiet. He walked over to the couch and began to set up what would be his bed for the night. He glanced at the temple door; he could probably sleep in his room in the temple. It would certainly be more comfortable than the couch and he could actually have a bed. He quickly banished the idea from his mind as he realized that it would make Pearl and Garnet extremely uncomfortable. He fluffed his pillow one last time before sitting on top of the white blanket. He went to take off his gloves, but hesitated as he did so.
"Pink, quit fooling around! You have to present your best possible self at all times." he heard Blue Diamond's reprimands echo in his head.
She had reacted so negatively when he expressed his desire to dress like he usually did. She was still in denial about Pink Diamond's death at that point, but even after she had begun to see him as Steven she still insisted that he dress like Pink Diamond. Anything else would be considered 'inappropriate' especially if it hid his gem. According to Blue and Yellow Diamond he should never cover up his gem; he was a Diamond and as such he should proudly show off his gem not conceal it. To do so would be considered 'disgraceful' and 'behavior not befitting a Diamond'. Twoie shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was being silly; no one here would care if he took off his gloves or shoes. How would he sleep comfortably if he had them on. He took off his gloves and neatly folded them before he placed them on top of the coffee table that was near the couch. Next, he eagerly took off his footwear which had been bothering him even before he touched the artifact that got him in this situation. He placed them on the floor near the end of the couch. With that done he sat awkwardly on the couch and resumed his strange staring contest with Garnet. He straightened his back again even though he knew that his posture was fine and folded his arms in his lap. He desperately wanted to say something to clear the tense mood, but could think of nothing. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth with the intent to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening. After what felt like an eternity, but what was probably only a few minutes, Steven finally emerged from the bathroom dressed in his banana pajamas. As if a spell had been broken on her Garnet finally pulled her intense gaze away from him and focused her attention to Steven.
"Twoie, you're not wearing pajamas. Oh sorry!" he said as he lightly slapped his forehead. "Were you waiting to use the bathroom." he said apologetically.
"...Twoie?" Pearl repeated slowly looking at Steven for an explanation.
"It's what we decided to call him. I'll be Steven one" he said as he pointed at himself. Twoie realized that he no longer had the number one written on his cheeks. He must have washed them off while he was in the bathroom. "And he'll be Steven two or Twoie for short." he explained proudly as he pointed at him.
"Oh… that's nice." Pearl said with a barely concealed tinge of disappointment. She was probably hoping that his new name held more information about him, but it was just a made up name.
"None of your pajamas will fit me." he answered Stevens previous question.
"Can't you just shapeshift so they'll fit?" Steven asked him. Twoie paused as he considered the question. He probably could shapeshift into his younger body, but he was uncertain if he could maintain that form while sleeping. Plus the last time he had changed his body for that long he turned into a baby. He grimaced as he remembered the incident that happened during his birthday party.
"I don't like shapeshifting." he said finally.
"Oh, yeah…" Steven said seemingly understanding his hesitance as he briefly glanced at his fingers. He must have been remembering the whole cat fingers incident. Twoie looked at his own hands still neatly folded in his lap. That incident had been very traumatizing for him and it was something that he did not like remembering. The memory was probably still fresh in Steven's mind. It probably happened not long ago for him, but Twoie hadn't really thought about it for years. That reminded him that he should probably ask Steven for his age at some point so that he could figure out what was going to happen soon. Steven looked about twelve or thirteen, but Twoie wasn't sure his exact age.
"Don't worry we can go visit dad tomorrow. I'm sure he'll have some clothes that will fit you." Steven said perking up again. "But I should probably go to bed." he said as he let out another yawn.
Twoie felt himself stiffen a bit at Steven's suggestion but still managed to smile in agreement. He hadn't seen his dad in months. It's not as if he didn't want to see his dad, but he was just so busy with all his duties as a Diamonds. He was also helping with the construction of little homeworld, a place on earth were gems could learn to be themselves. His dad told him that he understood and was supportive of him which only served to make him feel more guilty. When he got back home the first thing he would do was visit his dad.
"Goodnight Garnet, Pearl." Steven said as he struggled to hug them both at the same time.
"Goodnight Steven." Pearl and Garnet said as they awkwardly tried to hug him back which was made difficult by their huge difference in height. Twoie smiled at the sweet display.
"Goodnight Twoie." Steven said as he moved to hug him. He stiffened a bit before relaxing into the hug. He had not expected Steven to hug him, but he was not completely surprised by the fact that he did. He used to be so sweet and affectionate. When had that changed? He ruffled Steven's hair because he remembered he always liked it when Garnet did that. Steven seemed to like too as he gave him a bright smile before heading to his room, Twoie heard the sound of the lights being turned off and the ruffling of blankets signifying that Steven had gone to sleep. He allowed himself to yawn as he got underneath the covers and closed his eyes. Just as he was starting to get comfortable he realized that Pearl and Garnet had not left the kitchen. He gulped before slowly opening his eyes again and in although it was now dark he could faintly make out an outline of two people in the kitchen. Twoie was in shock. Were they just planning on watching him sleep? That was insanely creepy and something he would only expect of Pearl, but even she had stopped watching him sleep when he had asked her to. Twoie rolled over so that his back was facing the kitchen and the two gems who were in the kitchen. He didn't have the energy to care about them right now and even though he could still feel their eyes on his back his exhausted body had no trouble falling asleep. He would deal with them tomorrow.
