( A little time has passed )
Steven woke up on the temple bed, his eyelids feeling heavier as he tried to open them. Steven looked down as he felt something press against his sides. He quickly shifted his blanket, throwing it off of him when he realized who it was. It was Garnet, and she had taken off her visor. Garnet got closer when she saw Steven shift upwards like an enraged tiger.
"Steven!" Garnet quietly shouted with enthusiasm. Steven felt a swirl of oddness pass through his core as he widened his eyes and took a deep breath, "Garnet! Is it morning already?" he asked. Garnet smiled as she took a deeper look at Steven, "It's midnight. Happy Birthday, Steven."
Steven rose his hands to Garnets cheeks as he focused on all of her eyes at once, "Oh man, are you finally going to tell me that you're a fusion of the gems Ruby and Sapphire like you promised?"
"You already know about that Steven," Garnet replied, keeping her smile evident as Steven fell backward, his head landing on his pillow.
"It's true," Steven sighed.
Garnet put her hands together as she looked back at Steven, "but what you don't know is how Ruby and Sapphire first met."
-(Hours Later)-
The sun had finally shined through the window and awoke Steven from his nap. Steven opened his eyes with enthusiasm as he shifted through his sheets, accidentally tearing his blanket in half as he struggled to get out from the knots. Steven widened his eyes when he heard the sound of tearing, "Ah! My blanket," he mourned. Steven lept off his bed and landed perfectly on his feet. Steven turned around to check the damage and was surprised to see the blanket in pieces. Steven frowned as he brushed his hand against the ripped edge, 'I really liked that blanket too,' he thought as he sighed aloud.
Stevens' mood was shifted as he heard a faint voice call out to him. Steven smiled as he realized who it was. It was Peridot, the tiny green gem with the cute eyes and soft cheeks. Steven quickly jumped down the stairs, grunting from the fall before turning towards the door and bolting out of it. Steven smiled as he looked around for Peridot, but formed a confusing frown when he couldn't see her. Steven put his finger to his chin as he looked at the blue sky that had been lacking in clouds.
"Grrah!" Peridot shouted as she fell from the sky. Steven felt a shiver rocket down his spine as he turned around and spotted Peridot jumping at him. Steven quickly fell to his butt, closing his eyes before grunting in slight pain.
Peridot had done this a few times before as a matter of fact. She seemed to want to prove herself as a useful member to the team even without her limb enhancers. The only problem about today was that Peridot never really came to the temple. She usually stayed by the barn in case anything bad happened, or if she was needed or maybe even in timeout.
"Muahaha! Feel the power of my unbridled rage!" Peridot frolicked towards the sky before looking back at Steven. Peridots face turned to worry as she noticed that Steven had yet to open his eyes.
Since this wasn't the first time that Peridot had tried to attack Steven with her stealth tricks and was told repeatedly to stop by both Garnet and Pearl, Steven decided to play along. So he pretended to be unconcious.
"Steven?" Peridot wondered, scared that she might've actually hurt Steven, her only real friend since her capture. It wasn't hard to tell that Peridot and Steven had a weird connection since the beginning, in fact, they had fused when they first properly met. All of the other crystal gems wouldn't argue to each other about how they felt about their fusion, agreeing that is was simply inept and naive.
Steven tried his best not to laugh when Peridot started poking Steven in every place imaginable. Peridot poked him around his cheeks and gem in the attempt to wake him up but failed to get through to him. Peridot finally had enough and was starting to give in as she shook Stevens' cheeks with ferocious speeds. Peridot kept shaking him back and forth as she started to regret her, 'powerful attack.'
"My strategy was too perfect! I should've calculated that this would-" Peridot wailed until Steven started to chuckle. "Heh?" Peridot chattered as Steven started to lean upwards with his hands on his stomach, laughing as hard as he could, his eyes closed to the intensity of the laughter. Steven laughed and laughed before finally wiping a tear away from his cheek, "You really do care about me, don't you?" Steven teased as he lowered his hands to the wooden flooring. Steven opened his eyes when Peridot started to growl and raise her hands.
Peridot blushed as she rapidly poked on Stevens' stomach, "I do not you filthy clod!" she shouted. Steven started to laugh as the punching started to feel like tickles, "Stop! Stop!" Steven begged. The tickling and the look of an angry Peridot was too much for Steven as he started to feel his head begin to implode.
Peridot smiled as she contorted an evil laugh, assuming that she had convinced Steven of her importance due to her current winning status, "Muahaha! Beg for mercy you pebble!" Peridot thought she might've found Stevens' weakness as she continued to scrub her hands against his stomach and sides. This continued for a few seconds until Steven kicked back and made Peridot fall onto her back. Peridot grunted when she hit the ground. Steven, now gaining the advantage, placed his hands on her stomach. In that very instant, Peridot felt something she had never felt before, and it made her want to laugh. She had honestly never been touched on the stomach, or anywhere, without it being battle related. It was also due to Peridots weak and small physique that her body was so sensitive. Peridot belatedly realized that this is what Steven must have been feeling when she attacked him. Peridot shivered at the thought of what he would do next. Peridot looked into Stevens' eyes with regret.
"Wait no! Don't do it, I-I won't-" Peridot pleaded, but it didn't matter as she instantly collapsed into uncontrollable laughter upon Stevens touch. Steven started tickling her, moving from left to right, and eventually under the armpits which really got her kicking. Peridot felt her entire body glitch for a slight moment when Steven switched from her sides to just below the neck, one hand on the left and one on the right. Before Steven could even lay a finger directly on her neck, her whole body glitched as she continued to laugh. Steven playfully smirked when he realized that this was her ticklish spot. Steven slightly prodded her neck, sending jolts of battle-like reflexes to her head. Peridot giggled as she closed her eyes and tried to push his arm away, but he was too strong.
"Steven, n-not there!" Peridot begged.
Steven shifted his hands closer to the center of her neck as he gave her an honest look. "Do you promise to stop sneaking up on me?" Steven asked after folding his arms. Peridot nodded furiously but came to a stop when Steven put his fingers back onto her neck and continued to tickle anyway. Steven tensed his hands before wiggling his fingers at the speed of light, causing Peridots body to shudder once more.
"I can't t-take it anymore! S-Stop! I give in! I give in!" Peridot declared while laughing. Peridot twisted and turned, repeatedly slamming her hands and legs against the wooden deck. Steven stopped when he realized that Peridot was beginning to form tears in her eyes. Whether it's from being tickled, happy, or sad, he didn't like seeing tears on anyone. Steven slowly took his fingers off of her neck and placed his hand on the back of his head.
"Sorry, I can get carried away sometimes," Steven apologized as he formed a light blush. Peridot never needed air ever in her life, but she needed it now more than ever. Peridot quickly leaned upwards and faced Steven with a wild lime on her cheeks, still desperately trying to grasp onto reality. Peridot had the expression of an embarrassed child as she stood to her feet and turned away from Steven. She wanted so badly to call him a clod and wack him in a non-playful-way, but every time the idea came to mind, it hurt her, and she didn't know why.
"I'm sorry," Steven apologized. Peridot turned towards Steven trying her best to come up with something to say but nothing came to mind.
Steven inhaled before continuing, "I and Pearl used to have tickle fights all the time when I was younger, but... I guess it all ended when I started to become more involved with them." Peridot hung her head to the left as she responded, "Are you mad at me now!? I didn't mean to engage in battle or anything, I swear!" Peridot shouted in distress. Peridot was a cheeky one and definitely knew her way around danger, but she was basically always surrounded by danger, so she had to be cautious with what she did every step of the way. This was one of the main reasons as to why Peridot was always so worried about her surroundings.
"It's not like that Peridot," Steven cut in. Peridot felt a sweat of relief drip down her face as she waited for him to explain.
"It's like playing a game but with physical contact, and whoever gives in, loses," Steven horrible explained with a simper. Peridot hummed in confusion before looking back at Steven, "So we didn't fight? You aren't mad at me for the mistakes I've made?" Peridot asked. Steven giggled as he pulled Peridot into his side and gave her a noogie.
"No Peridot, and, everyone makes mistakes, so don't be upset," Steven replied. Peridot blushed and formed an embarrassed smile. This wasn't the first time she was given a noogie so she was used to it by now. Steven released her from his noogie and began to walk towards the temple door.
Steven walked to the door and held it open, waiting for Peridot to follow behind him. Peridot felt like she owned the place whenever the other gems would do things for her, so she smirked when Steven kept the door open for her. It gave her a feeling of authority and importance.
Steven jumped onto the warp pad and spread his arms, "I'm glad you're spending time with us," Steven mentioned as he stretched his arms out and activated the warp pad. A bright blue light struck the pad beneath them before instantly fading away just as fast. Peridot shrugged as she looked into the abyss outside of the warps stream, "I would rather work on the drill as instructed, but I think I should get used to Earthly customs first."
Steven tilted his head at Peridot as the blinding light vanished from sight, and they were closer to the barn than before. Steven and Peridot walked off of the aqua ramp with enthusiasm when they saw the others huddled around a table decorated with balloons and a single pinata within the barn. These objects hurdled Peridots curiosity as she squinted her eyes at them. Steven looked back at Peridot and spoke, "Earth-ly Customs?" Steven wondered as he brought a finger to his chin in thought. Steven quickly put his hands back down when he saw Peridots mouth open and close.
Peridot looked at the blue sky, wondering if Steven was wanting an explanation or a change in subject.
Peridot crossed her arms, "In terms of our partnership, the fusion Garnet demanded that I take a break from personal activities and learn more about the Earth," she explained. Peridot quickly shifted her arms to her sides as she looked back at Steven. "T-that doesn't mean that I'm not interested or anything... I've been having... fun, I guess," Peridot stuttered. Peridot shook her head, "No, I shouldn't be- I wasn't made to have... fun."
Steven put his hand on Peridots shoulder as he held her still, "You can feel whatever you want, Peridot. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Peridot felt her head turn warm as she looked into Stevens' eyes. Steven simply chuckled before looking at the dirt trail ahead of them. Peridot stayed quiet as she stayed close to Steven and slowly examined him.
"I probably should've asked you sooner, but, how's it going with the other gems?" Steven asked randomly.
Peridot shuffled her shoulders, "It's alright, I guess. Amethyst is by far the easiest for me to be around, she's entertaining I guess."
"What about Garnet and Pearl?" Steven asked.
"They don't like me, so I don't like them," Peridot pouted.
Steven put his hand in his hair as he looked back at the trail, "Well, you did try to kill us..." Peridot sighed and looked at the ground, "I guess you're right."
"It'll be fine Peridot, just give them a chance and they'll warm up to you," Steven responded.
Steven rose his hand to Peridots gem and playfully flicked it as he chuckled. Peridot blushed as a surge of electricity ran down her hologram, causing her to digits to flicker. Peridot began to growl as her cheeks turned into a bright blue, "Hey!" she howled with her eyes still shut. Steven started running, "Catch me if you can!" he shouted. Peridot stomped her legs on the ground and gave chase, "Gah! Wait up!" she shouted, her voice cracking into a squeak near the end.