I do not own Steven Universe, hence the 'fanfiction'. -sorrowXdarkness
Steven Universe- Roommates
Chapter 14: Making a Friend
oooOOOooo
"Jamie!"
Jamie turned and saw Barbara walking toward him. Today was another glorious day as a mail carrier. He woke up, had breakfast with his lovely girlfriend and left their place in a bliss. Every morning before he left the front door, he would receive a quick kiss from her. Despite the amount of times they kissed, every kiss they shared felt as fulfilling as the first. Nothing felt mechanical. Every gesture she made toward him, was made with emotional intent. Her gem represented the reservoir that required the daily reciprocal affections from a particular thespian source. He was happy. She was happy. Happiness was like a cloud that hovered over them, providing the apparent forecast of their days to be.
"Hey Barb. Still doing morning delivery I see." Jamie punched in for work and walked alongside Barbara who did the same. They were the usual mail carriers of Beach City and were quite proud of it. Everyone knew each other, and what came with the job (beside the task on hand) was the appreciation from all their friends and family. Barbara was actually the one that got Jamie into the group when he became able. So in a way, she represented Jamie as his mentor. Everything he learned, he learned directly under Barbara's eyes. She made sure to instill everything she could as if he was her own child. They went toward the back of the building to pick up their satchels and routes.
"Of course! Someone has to delivery these mails on time. Besides, it beats watching tv at home every day."
Jamie smiled. Barbara was indeed someone unable to not work. In fact, the day she died would be the day she worked for the final time. Even through the processing of the inevitable, she would probably power on through and deliver the mail. "I see..." Barbara always did things her way. Whatever it was, she did with maximum effort. A trait that became surprisingly fearful for both children of Barb (the biological and artificial).
"Oh, and I heard from a very reliable source that you got yourself a lady friend. Huh?" Barb said while lightly jagging his chest with her elbow. She smiled upon seeing the cherry marks across his face. Despite the years he had grown, he was a still boy at heart; innocent and sincere.
"Gee, I wonder who could have told you that..." There were only a few people, meaning it could be anyone in town. It only took one spark to start a forest fire.
"Does it matter? Heck no!" She slapped the backside of Jamie's body. Jamie kept the apparent pain within and gave a slightly tensed smile. "So tell me, is she really pretty?"
How could he even begin? Before they even became a unit, he saw the good and beauty in her. Her sincerity as they shook hands upon living together, gave him clarity. The one of many as he continued to dive into that seemingly endless pit. Her persona was no facade, but he could tell the tension within her that piled up through the many years she lived. Like an onion, he managed to peel the many layers of her gem, finding the monstrous and gruesome fate she endured.
Did he find her ugly? Did he pity her for her terrible experience? No. When they got together, under one house, under one room and above all, under one bed, he held her. His arms conformed to the shape of her body as they tightly kept her onto his person. He kissed her. Their lips both melted and molded. There was hardly a push or tug, but aspiration there was plenty. Unknown territory came with its fear, but they persisted. Perseverance was not a skill under one, but rather shared by two. They only had to remind each other and themselves, that their feelings were not simply given. They were interpreted and actualized. What they did together as roommates, gave them an opportunity for more. She gave him more. Eventually, he had to do the same. No matter his past torture with the auburn princess. The fall was over. Winter was here.
"Pretty? She's beautiful." He could clearly imagine her face in front of him. Her eyes were like the ocean blue that sparkled like the reflection of the sun from the water. Her lips resembled blueberries in term of color and in sweetness. Above all, her expression that filled her face with a tremendous azure streak. He would dare not look away. It was the uttermost beauty. Purely stunning and simple adorable, Jamie felt the need to capture that somehow. Every time he close his eyes, he could see the many variations of that expression. If he had to choose which memories to retain, let them be those.
There was also her touch from her fingers. She had a pianist's hands; delicate and precise. When they lay in a bad, she would sometime explore his body with her hands. She felt the groove marks on each of his hands several times along with his chest. He normally had a shirt when going to bed, but even with the fabric covering his skin, she still brushed her hand across. Her giggles knew no bound. They filled him with much glee as they snorted.
Whack
"Ow!" Jamie said, rubbing the throbbing pain above his cranium. Barbara retracted her arm upon seeing the success in her action.
"You were doing it again." Barbara said, staring at him. Whenever he goes to the "Drama Zone" or simply contemplate, all outside forces became nonexistent. All except for pain, hence the bump on the noggin.
"Sorry..."
Barbara peered through her eyes, seeing how apologetic the mailman was. Then again, she could see how bashful his face was being. Probably from processing the question, and experiencing whatever it was once again. "Don't be. I got to see a pretty stunning face from you kid." They picked up their satchels and route on paper, and were about to depart. "She must be pretty special for you then."
"She is."
Barbara chuckled. Jamie was beaming a wonderful smile, whether he realized it or not. "So, are you thinking about marrying her yet?"
Before he could answer, the bell rang. The time for chitchat was over. They both nodded to each other before leaving the edifice.
Taking opposing directions, Jamie began to think about Barbara's question. Marriage. The unification that bound two people together. Honestly, the thought did occur to him a few times. They were sleeping, but his mind could not succumb to the sandman's will. He felt a mess of feelings. He was happy. He was ecstatic. What he wanted was simple. He wanted more. That meant he needed to give more. Lapis needed to know. He wanted her to know. Only then could he prepare the proposal of his lifetime. That and the consumption of time. There was no need to dash through. It was only two months since her arrival. They were facing their first month as a unit and despite the amount of layers peeled, there was many more to explore. Even though his thought process ended on that note, he couldn't help but to imagine Lapis in a wedding dress.
It was going to be truly a sight to behold.
oooOOOooo
"Are you sure this is alright?"
"Of course it is. You got the invitation, right?"
"Yeah, but you didn't."
"Fine. I guess I should leave before they arrive."
"No! I mean, I'm sure they won't mind."
"Okay. So where are we going?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe a walk around the city? I'm not really sure what teenagers do for fun."
They pondered on that. Their only reference they had, was their soap opera they watched during their time together at the barn. Still, did it depicted how teenagers actually were? The setting was different, and the original airing of the show was well before the early 2000s (human's timeline). Before they knew it, a group of teens were heading toward their direction. It all started yesterday.
Kiki suddenly approached Lapis after the end of a practice day. She reached out her hand, saying her name in a friendly matter. Lapis understood the gesture of Kiki's hand (thanks to Steven). She took it warmly and recited the phrase as per Steven's instruction.
"Lapis Lazuli. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Kiki smiled. "Truth to be told, I don't quite trust you. I don't even like you, but we both have something in common."
"We do?"
Kiki nodded. "I know Jamie for over ten years. He's like the brother I never had." Kiki noticed the confusion that swirled around the blue gem's mind. "The point being, I know when something is up; and there is."
Lapis understood though only partially. "Are you saying he's not happy with me?" Lapis had a sour expression that was directed toward the girl. There was also the implication that the root cause of his suffering fell on Lapis, but before her mind could lead her toward that idea, Kiki stepped in.
"No, he's definitely happy with you. It's actually making me jealous." Kiki revealed, feeling a bit bashful. She preferred not to talk about it in front of her sister and friends, but Lapis was about to take action. When she made a fist, Kiki's instinct kicked in. With a genuine smile, yet small, Kiki spoke her intentions. "I want to be friends with you for Jamie's sake, but more importantly, I want to know if I can trust you. Jamie's heart and welfare comes first in my book. If you make it worse, then I won't be holding back."
That certainly startled Lapis. Why on earth would she hurt Jamie in any way? Quite the opposite really. She wanted to smother him in joy and utter bliss. He deserved nothing less. "I love Jamie. He's the reason I managed to settled down on this planet. He is what gives me strength to try anything, including acting." Lapis had her hand on her bosoms, feeling the pulsation of her being as she did her declaration. "I want nothing more, but to be with him. FOREVER."
Kiki looked at Lapis and her stance. Did she understand what she was saying? They carried many implications, that led Kiki to wonder how far have they progressed in their relationship. Something must be said. "Isn't it too soon to be talking about marriage? You two just got together, right?"
"I don't know what that is, but if it means the eternal unification of Jamie and I, then YES." Lapis said. The power of Bashful was immense. She tried to conceal his effects, but one stood mightier than the rest as it danced across her face with such an azure zing.
It was earned by a gasping Kiki. "Oh my goodness." She clamped her mouth with her hands. "That's way too early for that!" She said, pressing her hands on Lapis' shoulders firmly. "Don't you know that most humans wait for an average of five years after being in a relationship before getting married. DON'T DISRUPT THE NATURAL FLOW OF THINGS!" Kiki demanded, shaking Lapis around; a gesture that resembled a young girl shaking her rag doll around.
That only made Lapis to swim further into the pool of confusion. Did what she say not made sense? Was it not natural to wish eternal fusion between two beings that loved one another? She was sure that Jamie felt the very same.
"Girl, we need to educate you with some basic human concepts. First, marriage is not to be discussed so early in the relationship. Most guys would run away with the mere sound of the word."
"Jamie isn't like most guys." Lapis declared. Her tone made a sudden impact on Kiki's chest. What she said, was deemed fact. The source of verification was displayed in Lapis' eyes. This can't be happening, thought Kiki.
"You hardly talk to any human beside Jamie, Steven and Connie. Right?" Kiki said, ignoring what Lapis just said; for now.
"Yes?"
"Then how about tomorrow, we'll go out with some friends. They're mostly my sister's friends, but I go out with them from time to time."
Lapis agreed, which brought them back to their current predicament. Those friends were around Lapis and Kiki's physical structure (height), making Peridot upset right off the bat.
"Why do I have to go?" A rather large man said, trying to pull away from Kiki's grip.
"Because, you owe me for giving you the password to my dad's wifi for his restaurant." Kiki said, dragging Ronaldo like an upset toddler.
"Hey y'all" Kiki's lookalike said with a small wave. "This here is my friend, Sour Cream. Buck couldn't come because of some last minute meeting that his dad wanted him to attend."
"So Ronaldo is here to take his place." Kiki said, adding to what her sister just spoke.
"Why do I even have to be here? There's no-" Ronaldo turned to noticed Peridot. "Oh my gosh! You're that smart alien from the rehearsal. I wanted to talk to you since day one." He said, pushing his way to stand before her.
"Really?" Peridot asked. Why on stars would anyone human want to talk to the great and lovable Peridot? He was obvious excited, as he took out a notepad and pencil.
"Of course! You're amazing! If possible, I would love to do a special segment on you for my blog." Ronaldo said, earning a giggly Peridot. Lapis smiled when she saw how comfortable Peridot felt in talking about herself despite how inaccurate her characterization of herself was. Before she knew it, she shifted her attention to Kiki as Kiki did the same.
The group decided to try out a few places nearby. Their first stop was at Mr. Smiley's Arcade by the boardwalk. When asked, both Peridot and Lapis shook their head no. They went to many places in the past, most of them with Steven like Funland Carnival, the cities nearby and even to a "mall". Kiki led the group as she latched herself onto Lapis. Surprised and confused, Lapis simply shrugged her shoulders. Kiki was Jamie's best friend, so she didn't mind being dragged around by her.
Although originally worried for her fellow gem friend, Lapis sighed. When given a chance, she turned her head to see Peridot continual explanation of their anatomy to Ronaldo. Throughout the entire conversation, Lapis could hear Ronaldo endless chuckle that somehow reminded her of Peridot's annoying and even more endless chuckle. As they continued their walk, Lapis overheard the rest talking about a new game that was recently added in the arcade.
"Oh yeah, I heard about that. It's some kind of dancing game. Right?" Jenny asked, receiving a nod from Sour Cream. That quickly attracted Lapis' attention.
"Dancing game?"
"Yeah, it's pretty popular. We should give it a try." Jenny said, noticing Lapis sudden change in expression.
"Sure, it's a good start." Kiki said, feeling Lapis picking up the pace and was now doing the tugging. The way Lapis' eyes began to sparkle left Kiki to smile. Maybe there was a reason why Jamie fell in love with Lapis. Kiki pushed that thought to the back of her mind as she returned to a somewhat excited Lapis. It never occurred to her that the blue gem girl had an interest in dancing. She regained control as she reminded Lapis that she didn't know the way, but commented how much she liked her enthusiasm.
"We're all pretty excited to try out that new game. Right everyone?"
Everyone cheered; well except for Ronaldo who was still jotting down everything he could about what he learned from the little green gem. When they finally arrived, Peridot was amazed by the electronics within that building. The sound of working electrical circuits and the wonderful light emitted by the expanded glass tubes around each contraction made for a happy and excited Peridot.
Lapis, on the other hand, kept her focus on looking for that dance game. All she could see, were the many sea of people hugging around the different stations. There were barely any room to move ahead, much less see. "I don't see it." She said openly as the feel of disappointment was spread around her face.
"See what?" Kiki asked.
"That game we were talking about."
"Oh that...they usually keep the new games all the way in the back. Come on." Kiki said, making their way through the many people and contractions in the building. Lapis looked around and found that the deeper they went, the more lights she saw and fewer the people. It seemed like most of the regular customers already established their choice of games; most of which were intentional positioned toward the front. As the surrounding space became bigger and bigger in vacancy, so did the suspense. Lapis could feel her gem lighting up any moment; something that could actually collide well with the lights around. When they stopped, she knew that they finally arrived. The station accounted for about 5 of the other stations. It was bigger than Lapis imagined.
"Oh snap, we're here. Dance and Dance 4." Jenny said, reading the name on top of a banner. It read that a total of two players may participants in BATTLE MODE.
Lapis' eyes resembled stars as she looked at the station. Each player had a pad with different symbols on the floor with metal rails covering half the small parameters. In front of them were two huge long screens that displayed WAITING FOR PLAYERS.
Before she could take a step forward, a pair of twins approached the station first.
"Want to give it a shot?" Kiki asked politely.
Jenny smiled as she stared at her sister. "Girl, do you even have to ask?"
Both girls walked up the small staircase, cheered by their group as they stood in each step pad. They looked at each other with a smile before inserting two coins into the machine.
PLAYER 1 FOUND PLAYER 2 FOUND
CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
They both picked medium; surprisingly at the same time.
CHOOSE YOUR SONG
Lapis held her inflated cheeks, trying to find within herself to cheer them along with the rest as the twins were discussing what song to dance to. After making their pick, they both waited for the actual game to start. Peridot was making analyze of the station and how surprisingly amusing the simple, yet primitive, game was. As the music began, so did the step symbols on the screen.
Lapis, despite her disappointment of not going first, realized she knew not what to expect. With the twins going first, she could take mental notes on how to play the game before she finally took a turn. For every step on the screen that appeared, both players had to press the corresponding symbols. At first, Lapis thought it would be boring since the objective was simply to press the symbols, but then she found that it also involved moving in a certain way that made the whole process ran more fluently. Kiki and Jenny did more than pressing buttons, they were dancing while performing it. Lapis found that both girls were synchronized as they moved exactly the same matter and the same tempo. Both with smiles on their faces as they continued to progress through the song. After well over three minutes, drips of sweat could be seen on their faces until finally it was over.
Player 1- 1050 pts
Player 2- 1050 pts
"Oh shoot. Tied again." Jenny said, disappointed.
"Well, maybe next time." Kiki said, not too upset herself.
"At least none of us lost."
"True."
Both girls stepped down as they were given a round of applauds from everyone nearby; including their group. Lapis clapped softly as she waited for them to completely leave the station.
"My turn!" She chimed excitedly as she climbed up. She had enough of Peridot and her vocal observations. She turned to her right as she saw her competitor going up the stairs himself. He didn't seem all that enthusiastic as she was. Instead, he kept his cool as he pulled out his sweater and left it by the metal rails. He positioned himself as he got out two coins from his pants.
Lapis then realized something. "Wait! I don't have a coin." How disappointing, she thought. Without a coin, she was not able to participate. Steven gave a brief explanation on how human use coins and green papers to perform different transactions. They somehow held monetary value determined by the majority. Apparently one must work in order to obtain said money, but Lapis did not work.
"Don't worry, I got you covered." Kiki said, putting out two coins and giving them to Lapis.
"Thank you!" Lapis said happily.
Kiki couldn't help but to be flushed. Lapis, in a sense, reminded Kiki of a young child or perhaps even a foreigner amazed by what their country had to offer. "You're welcome."
Inserting her coins, she turned to her competitor with Sour Cream nodding as he did the same.
PLAYER 1 FOUND
PLAYER 2 FOUND
CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
Lapis turned to Sour Cream as he simply gave a shrug. Kiki shouted out that Sour Cream was up for anything. Nodding, Lapis decided to pick medium (like Kiki and Jenny before them) to get a feel of it.
CHOOSE YOUR SONG
Unfamiliar with the selections, Lapis allowed Sour Cream to choose.
Alright dancers, are you ready? 3...2...1...DANCE!
oooOOOooo
Bored. I was completely bored today. I found that I had nothing to do at all. I got a new car imported from Europe, courtesy of my dad, and I was still bored. I decided to talk around the boardwalk to see how I would spend my time. Passing by the arcade, I found a bunch of people huddling close toward the back. Some that were walking by (like myself) were talking about some girl that was really killing it in the game. Curious, I began to make my way to the back. Everyone was so hyped up by this, that I wondered if it was some sort of celebrity in Beach City. Pushing my way through the crowed with ease (even ecstatic, they knew to move aside when I was walking). I finally made it to the center.
I found myself standing by the dance machine that recently came out. So this was what everyone was excited about? I turned to notice Jenny and her group.
"Hey babe, what's going on here?" I asked, pushing forward my charm at the girl. She noticed my glorious presence and rolled her eyes. God, she was so obviously into me. She was trying too hard to detest me.
"Nothing much. Just showing some new people the arcade. She's really good at it too."
I saw how impressed Jenny was. I turned to see the two that were dancing. I spotted Sour Cream dancing. He seemed a bit frantic; trying to keep up with the beat. We battled before, and even I found him to be a challenge. What surprised me the most was how much he was struggling. He usually kept it at his pace, but someone must be really doing good to get the tempo up.
"Go Lapis!" I heard the crowd saying. Lapis? Standing there above at the player 1 spot was a weird blue girl. I only said "weird" because her skin, dress and hair were blue. That was the only thing strange about her. Somehow through the chaos of the crowd and the speed and difficulty of the game, she held a strong smile as she continued to match the beat perfectly. She had over 200 perfect com- 247 combos! The number only got higher. I leaned closer, intrigued and saw something. She was actually having fun. Not a bead of sweat on her face. She was surprisingly barefoot as she continued to dance.
She was wicked pretty as she flaunted her hair around; left to right, and right to left.
"Cute."
"Huh?" I turned and saw some beach junkie looking at her. He was clearly infatuated with her. He was nowhere at her level. But I am... I smiled. I found what to do for today.
PERFECT GAME
Player 1 WINS
Everyone roared at the amazing display by the new girl. Sour Cream struggled to get down as buckets of sweat fell from his entire body.
Wheezing, he managed to speak. "M-Man...half an hour straight and not a single mistake. Mah mah mah mahmah mah mah. I need to take a seat man."
The girl came down and met with Jenny's group. Jenny came and embraced the new girl as she was showered by many compliments by everyone. Her sister appeared before to help the tired loser.
"Oh my stars, that was really fun." The girl said. "Anyone else wants to give it a shot?" She asked her group. Peridot and Ronaldo shook their heads, along with everyone else. Lapis was a little "too advanced" for them.
This was my opportunity. Kevin lived to challenge himself. "I challenge you to a dance off." I pointed at the new girl. For a moment, I was stunned by her eyes. Even they were blue.
"So, do you think you can beat Kevin in an endless dance off?" I asked.
Everyone was whispering around us, already excited for the upcoming match. The girl, on the other hand, was a bit puzzled by my approach as I saw Jenny whispering to her ear.
"Oh. You want to play too?"
"Play? Babe, I want to share a dance...and win." I presented her with my winning smile; displaying my wonderful set of teeth.
"Okay?" She seemed unfazed by my smile. Maybe she was more nervous than I thought.
"Don't play poker with me now. I know you want a piece of the Kevin."
Jenny whispered again. The girl nodded, understanding what was said through Jenny as she received two coins from her. "I'll take on your challenge Mr. Kevin."
"Alright. Ready when you are."
We both stood in our spot as we inserted our coins.
PLAYER 1 FOUND
PLAYER 2 FOUND
CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
"I hope you don't mind, but I'm picking expert."
CHOOSE YOUR SONG
Being the generous person I was, I allowed her to pick out any song from the list. The crowd became even rowdier than before as they all realized who was now dancing; me. Taking one last look at the pretty girl, I saw utmost excitement.
Alright dancers, are you READY? 3...2...1...DANCE!
She was genuinely excited as the symbols quickly descended, only to be sent further down through my moves. I never lost to anyone before, but I would come to see that there was a first for everything.
oooOOOooo
I finally returned to my humble abode as I ascended the stairs only to take my sandals off and drop onto the soft cushions of my mattress. Today was a glorious day filled with fun and excitement. I didn't think I would fit right in with the other humans, but to my surprised, I was surrounded by them as they cheered me on. I could feel their energy as I continued to move, not allowing any symbols to pass me.
Best of all, I made a friend.
I looked up and saw the clock on the wall. Jamie should be coming home any minute now. Then the thought occurred to me. I thanked the twins for the coins, but maybe I should get a job. Today I used 8 coins from both Jenny and Kiki; 4 coins trying to win something for Jamie. I discovered that Peridot enjoyed the pleasure of displaying her "magnetic power" in front of their friends. Although she offered, I refused any help. After 2 tries, I decided to end my attempts. Kiki tried to give me one more try, but I simply thanked her. I wasn't sure their value, but I wished to repay the twins. Actually, the top person I should thank was Jamie. He allowed me to stay and occupy his place; something that I now realized should be compensated with "money".
"But what sort of job can I get here?"
oooOOOooo
Omake:
"Wait!" I was not letting go of this chance. After gathering my strength, I ran up to that blue girl. After our battle, with my surprise loss, she regrouped with her friends. They were about to leave from the arcade until I approached them.
"Yes?" The girl spoke, turning her attention to me as did the rest of her group.
"I admit, you're good babe. So at least do Kevin the honor of knowing the babe's name."
"Babe? My name is Lapis."
"Lapis? What a cute name. We should really talk about it some more. Maybe at a cafe?" I took a few steps closer and gave my best face. No one could refuse when I poured out the magic.
"No, I'm good. I have to get going."
"Huh?" I didn't realize how tired my legs were until she spoke those lines. She refused me as everyone else began to scatter. When I was left to myself, I found myself uttering that phrase. I never thought I would say those words again.
"I'm in love."
-END OF CHAPTER
Author's Notes:
Kevin finally makes his debut. I do apologize for my huge delay. I originally wrote the first draft in August, but I found it distasteful. Kevin was too much like Jamie, in the sense of using articulate words. He needed to be more egotistical and pretty narcissistic. Next thing I knew, I had issues at home that distracted my creative flow so all stories were put on hold. Eventually, in the midst of October, I managed to channel that flow and return writing the later half of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think. -sorrowXdarkness