Pearl Gets Rock Blocked
(Author's note: This story is based on some interesting theories about Steven Universe I saw a few years ago. I hope to have presented the subject in good taste and don't mean to stir up any harsh feelings.
Sincerely, Violet/Rose/ThatBitchWhoProcrastinates.)
(P.S. No posers or preps allowed)
The temple was quiet. The sparkling ocean water hummed its lullaby as it slid up and down the beach sand. The air was cool where Pearl laid herself out on the deck. Her slim legs were stretched out along the beach chair and her back reclined at a comfy 30-degree angle. She gazed up at the stars and took in a content breath, savoring the taste of the moonlit, salt-laced air.
Steven wasn't home that night. He was spending the night with his father watching some movie or other. While Pearl did love Steven and all the weird parts that came with him, it was nice just to have some time to herself. Pearl slid her fingers up her chin and across her cheek, dipping down just enough to tug at her lip with her fingertips.
"Alone with my thoughts..." Pearl mumbled to herself. "Alone with myself..."
Her peace was interrupted when the screen door opened besides her. Amethyst stepped out, arms stretching behind her head with her eyes tilted up at the sky. The door squeaked while closing before making a soft thunk against the doorframe.
Pearl grumbled silently, expecting the short purple menace to break her from her night alone for some trivial, probably disgusting, matter. But as she sat there, Amethyst just kept staring up at the sky.
Pearl spoke up first. "Amethyst?" Asked pearl.
"Wuh?" Amethyst turned towards the slender woman and felt her face turn hot. "Ah, shit. Didn't know you were out here. Want me to leave?"
That was oddly polite of her, Pearl thought. "No, no. I was just wondering if you needed something." Pearl relaxed back into her chair, keeping her eyes on Amethyst while her head laid back.
"Mmm… No, I guess not." Amethyst replied, leaning her back against the door. "Just got a bit lonely, I guess. Wanted to look at stars."
Pearl was left surprised and didn't fail to show it on her face. "Amethyst, I didn't know you were a star gazer. Why, I could help you map out the sky in case there was a star you ever wanted to visit one day."
Amethyst gave a half-baked smile and shook her head. "Nah, not like that, Pearl. More like… I just like looking at 'em. It feels less lonely. Like I'm not by myself."
"Well, I'm here." Pearl slid her legs off the beach chair and tapped her hand on the empty spot next to her.
Amethyst watched for a moment in silence. Her eyes rested on Pearl's honest smile, beckoning her to move forward and take the offer. She sat down, the chair whining beneath her. Pearl's hand slipped over Amethyst's and pulled it into her lap.
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right? I feel like we've been changing over all these hundreds of years, and we haven't really kept up with one another." Pearl slid her thumb back and forth against Amethyst's hand.
Amethyst bit at the inside of her mouth and tugged against her lip with her teeth as if it to keep herself quiet. She ultimately opened her mouth and spoke to her friend. "It's just… It feels like our lives started being a lot more about Steven and what he's doing than what we want. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid, but we're hardly together without him anymore."
Pearl nodded in solidarity with her companion. "I know what you mean. I thought I just needed to be alone out here. Like I needed a moment to breath despite, well, being a gem and all." She shook her head and laughed at herself, letting her body tilt and rest her shoulder against Amethyst's. "Ah… I haven't been very good to you, have I? I push you away quite a lot, don't I?"
Amethyst felt her gem sink in her chest, but her wandering fingers touched it to see it was still in place. "W-Woah. Pearl, come on. I'm all gross and eat garbage. You're so… Clean and smart and pretty and… Junk. You don't gotta hang out with me if you don't want."
Pearl's cheek glowed teal and she sat herself up to look down into Amethyst's eyes. "Amethyst, no. You have habits I wouldn't partake in, but I still love being around you." Pearl's hand slid up Amethyst's arm and rested on her plump cheek. "Amethyst. You're a beautiful gem and I'm a luckier, happier person to know you and spend time with you." Pearl couldn't help but smile at her friend's face being lit up in the moonlight.
Amethyst returned the gaze, lips lightly parted as she saw that same moonlight bounce off the crystal waters and illuminate Pearl's already pristine form in waving lights. "I like you too." Was all she could say as her mind was left stunned by the moment.
Pearl felt tight in her chest. The tension had been built up and now she didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. She just kept smiling and admiring everything she loved in Amethyst's face. She wanted to be closer. Pearl leaned in, her lips parting and her eyes shutting. Amethyst felt magnetized and fell in step, leaning closer and shutting her eyes just before-
"Hey, guys! I'm back! What're you up to?" Steven shouted as her ran up the deck stairs.
Pearl and Amethyst fell from each other, Amethyst hitting the floor and Pearl reclining back into a tense replica of how she was gazing at the stars earlier. "Oh, Steven!" Pearl replied. "You're home! Great… Where's Greg?"
Greg, Steven's father, came up the stairs just behind Steven with a punctuated huff for air. "Ahh… H-Hey, Pearl. Fhew… Steven, you gotta slow down a bit for your old man here."
Steven just stood there and smiled at no-one in particular.
"So, uh… I thought you guys were watching a movie. What happened to that?" Pearl asked with a forged smile and earnest curiosity that may have been fueled by annoyance.
"Pearl, it's past Midnight. We left when the sun was still out. How long do you think movies last?" Greg asked, not realizing they had interrupted something until he saw Amethyst picking herself up off the floor. "Oh! Was I supposed to keep Steven the whole night? Were you guys doing something? You know I don't mind having my son for longer, right?"
Amethyst got up and shook her head, flailing her long hair about before looking back at the pair of humans. "Pearl just said you guys were gone for the night. I thought she knew how long you guys would be out for."
Pearl clenched her teeth and directed her eyes somewhere else as she realized her mistake. "Eeeuwww uhhh…. Right. I guess that's on me. Well, welcome home, Steven. I suppose it's bedtime. Why don't you-"
Pearl didn't even get to finish before the child ran inside and went to do his nightly rituals for sleep-time. Pearl watched in quiet contemplation before looking back over to Greg. "Is… He okay?"
Greg also turned her head from where his child had gone and faced Pearl. "Huh? Oh, sure. He's just been getting into some new TV shows, I think. Oh, gosh, while we were driving to the theater, he asked me if I planned to re-marry! Can you believe that? Gotta say, I think I lost a few more hairs to that one… But he liked the movie. I think he's just excited to be home after a long night. Well, I'm gonna hit the hay, too. See you guys later." Greg walked back down the stairs, leaving Amethyst and Pearl alone again.
Pearl sighed and made her way to the door. "Have a good night, Amethyst. I'm going back to my room if you need me."
Amethyst nodded and cracked a half-smile. "Yeaaaah… I guess I'll head in for the night, too. Thanks anyway, Pearl."
Pearl smiled back and they both went into the temple, separating into their rooms for a while.
Later that night, Amethyst had made her way through the vein-like tunnels of the temple to arrive in Pearl's room. She looked around the floating disk-shaped pools of water and accompanying crystalline waterfalls. She saw Pearl standing on a high, central pool. Her eyes were closed and her body moving like a living music box ballerina.
Amethyst jumped from one pool to the next, keeping her steps light and her noise to a minimum as she approached Pearl. She stepped down onto the rippling disk of water that Pearl balanced in the middle of. Amethyst's own footstep created new ripples that bumped up against Pearl's, sending the smooth waterfall into a shimmering new pattern of falling waves.
Pearl opened her eyes and peered behind her to see Amethyst standing there like a meek rabbit. "Amethyst?" Pearl asked. "Are you okay?"
Amethyst forced a smile and slid her foot across the smooth, aqua surface. "Yah… I'm fine. Just didn't want to be alone tonight. You know. After what happened."
Pearl returned a soft look of understanding to the smaller woman. "I understand. Come here and we can wait for the sun together." Pearl relaxed her body, sliding down from her upright position to rest her hip against the water's surface in one smooth motion. She held out an inviting hand to Amethyst, quietly calling her closer.
Amethyst, fidgeting, and eyes drifting to nowhere, walked forward and carefully got down to her knees next to Pearl's waiting form. "Thanks, Pearl." She whispered, still not fully looking into Pearl's sky-blue eyes.
Pearl slid her hand over Amethyst's hip and gently pulled her down to rest her besides her. Amethyst moved without resistance, closing her eyes, and allowing Pearl to guide her body. Pearl's hand dipped into the waters just beyond Amethyst's belly, pulling up a trickling handful of water and letting it pour over Amethyst's curvaceous body.
"Don't mind me," Pearl started casually with her other arm now curled over Amethyst's chest, hugging her to Pearl's bosom and keeping her trapped in place. She then went low to Amethyst's ear, casting a whisper, "I've always wanted to wash you off." Pearl couldn't help but offer a quiet giggle, teasing Amethyst as she sleeked the glassy water across the gem's plump body.
Amethyst relaxed into Pearl's caressing arm and placed her head against Pearl's shoulder. The cool water made her feel soft and bright the way she always thought of Pearl. The feeling of flowing water running down her body made her thoughts slow like her mind were resting passively in a lazy creek.
Pearl rubbed her hand along Amethyst's wetted belly, lightly pushing down and creating a pleasant dent in her soft body. Her hand explored further, gliding down with light pressure until she passed by Amethyst's waist. Her fingertips were close now. Her gentle touch was ready to place itself against Amethyst's-
Steven's head shattered the water's surface and presented his wide-tooth smile in front of the gems. "Hey, guys! Water feels great, yeah?"
Pearl screamed and Amethyst dropped into the water as if she hadn't been laying on it a second before. "Fucking christ, Steven-" Pearl caught herself and darted her head away with a hand slapped over her lips. "I mean… Steven, what are you doing in my room? It's dangerous for you to be in the belly of the temple by yourself."
Amethyst's head popped out from the water, a grumpy scowl now on her face as she watched Steven float there.
"Just making sure everything's ship-shape with the Crystal Gems!" Steven replied, pivoting to his back and reverse paddling away from the girls. "Can't be letting anything foul run amuck around here, amiright?"
Pearl scrunched her nose and pinched between her eyes, trying to hold back her immense frustration. "Steven… I'm fine. Amethyst is fine. We're both fine. Please, would you go back to your room and ASK before entering our rooms again."
Steven continued to smile at Pearl before sinking back down into the water. Pearl and Amethyst both watched in discomfort before hearing the temple door open some ways down and away from the pool they were on. They watched Steven leave with his bathing suit on and the door closing behind him.
Amethyst pulled herself back up to the surface of the water and sat on the edge of the pool, looking worried towards Pearl. "That's too much. Steven is acting all weird. I think we should talk to him about boundaries."
Pearl sighed and stood up, stroking her fingers across her face. "That was incredibly uncomfortable, yes… I'll talk to him. You go ahead and relax. You can stay in my room if you want, and I'll be back in a little bit."
Amethyst gave a somber, "Alright." And let Pearl hop down from the pools of water to head through the door.
Pearl walked through the temple door and held her hands on her hips as she looked for Steven. "Steven, where- Oh, there you are." She said when she saw the glow of Steven's TV and him sitting in front of his with that same smile she saw earlier that night. "Steven?" Pearl asked carefully as she walked below his elevated room. "What are you watching on TV this late? You're usually so good about going to bed."
Steven barely even acknowledged Pearl. His eyes were fixated on the screen as a man walked back and forth on a large stage with a book in one hand a microphone in the other. He was saying something, but it came out as garbled nonsense for the most part.
"Steven?" Pearl asked again. "What are you watching?"
Steven turned to Pearl. "It's so obvious, Pearl. It all makes so much sense now! It's me! I'm him!" He said excitedly, bouncing up and down while seated on his bed.
Pearl watched in a mix of confusion and fear. "You're… who, Steven?"
"The Messiah, Pearl! I'm the second coming of Christ!" Steven shouted with jubilation as he picked up a King James bible from his bed and ran down to meet Pearl with it. "Look! It's all right here. Mom came to Earth 6000 years ago. Then around 2000 years ago she freed the people of Earth from their sins! And when she left, I appeared! It all makes so much sense! Why I'm here, what my purpose is! I must bring in the new age of man and teach the good word to prevent corruption! That means stopping any sins from occurring whenever I can prevent it. I can't let my best friends fall to dark pagan rituals now, can I?"
Pearl's face dropped to an absolute 'are you kidding me' look. "Steven. Is that why you kept showing up when me and Amethyst were being private?"
"Yeah!" Steven said, delighted.
"Steven, I'll talk to your father in the morning. Go to bed. I'm grounding you from religion." Said pearl.
"Awww…" Steven replied.
The next morning, Steven, the Crystal Gems, and Greg had a long talk about the formation of religion and what boundaries are.
The End.