Nine minutes, twenty-seven seconds.
That's how long Sapphire had been gone.
'I need to go to the store. Steven is out of milk. I'll be back in 10 minutes.' Sapphire says it confidently, not even lingering in the doorway for a few minutes to make sure everything will be all right. She just glides out, blowing them kisses goodbye.
Nine minutes and twenty-seven seconds. And everything has gone to S#!%.
Ruby isn't really sure how she's gotten into this situation. One minute they're good.
Steven had just woken up from one his milk comas – the best time in Ruby's opinion. He makes the most ridiculous face; his tongue clicking around his gums and his eyes rolling in his head, he looks like he's laughing at the funniest joke ever heard. She had been tickling his belly, pressing shy kisses into between his giggles and then…
The next, she's filling the bathtub while balancing him on her head and doing her best to stop spreading the mess they're both covered in. Steven isn't helping because he's practically leaking baby powder through the towel she's swaddled him in and he keeps sticking his teeny little hands in her face. Ruby has almost got the whole tub filled when Sapphire floats into the bathroom, plastic bag full of formula in hand.
"There's a diaper stuck to your butt."
Ruby barely gets the whimper out before Sapphire is at her side, removing a wriggling Steven and pressing him against her side.
"Y-you're going to get dirty." Ruby whispered, clenching her fists and looking down at the water. Little bubbles start to form in the water where she stands.
"That's fine." Sapphire reaches out and caresses Ruby's cheek. "Were you trying to change his diaper?"
"Y-yeah, but it was IMPOSSIBLE cause he exploded! He exploded Sapphire; I didn't even know someone so tiny could make that much. But I did good on that part, I did just likeyousaid and I got most of it cleaned up and did the baby powder but the-then he started p-peeing and it went everywhere andI-I tried to not panic like you said, but th-then an-and I."
While Ruby stutters, Sapphire helps her out of the tub and drains the water. Steven babbles alongside her, nodding whenever Ruby pauses to take a breath. By the time Ruby manages to recap the whole experience, Sapphire has refilled the bath, stripped Steven's upper half and removed all the diapers and wipes on Ruby's person.
"You could've waited until I got back." Sapphire lifts Steven into the water and Ruby follows.
"But you already changed him earlier and you helped me burp him and you cleaned me up when he threw up on me." Ruby muttered, looking down at the growing soapy bubbles. Steven jabs at her foot with a ducky, grunting with a frown. "I just wanted to do something too."
"He wants your shoes off." Sapphire massages Steven's scalp with shampoo. Ruby's boots phase away and Steven grunts his approval. "And I don't mind doing those things and you've done plenty."
"I know you don't mind!" Ruby pressed her hands into her face. "You don't mind doing any of that stuff! You've been doing stuff all day, I haven't done squat! Whenever I try to help I just make it worse cause I SUCK!"
"You don't suck." Sapphire scooped a cupful of water, rinsed Steven's hair, and did the same to Ruby's hair.
"Yes, I do." Ruby mumbled, leaning forward until her face was submersed in the water. Steven climbed atop her thick afro, helping Sapphire's efforts by banging a tiny shampoo bottle against her thick curls.
"No you don't." Sapphire began to rinse them both off. "Babies are difficult, but future vision just helps."
"Future vision doesn't help you change diapers." Ruby sat up wiping her face, rubbing at her swollen eyes. "He stays still when you change his diaper."
"That's because you're behind me, making funny faces." Sapphire grinned.
"He burps for you." Ruby insisted.
"That's because of my hands." Sapphire giggled. "Having tiny hands has its advantages other than for you. There's a little space, right here," Sapphire pointed to the slight dip in Steven's back. "If you press here it helps. Your fingers are a little too big."
"B-but what about when he cries? He only likes it when you hold him." Ruby mumbled, Steven had crawled into her lap, swinging his duck around while babbling wildly.
"Do you know that song we sing, when we're Garnet? I can't help but hum that when he's upset. I'm sure if you did that, he'd calm down for you too." Sapphire delicately wiped Ruby's face. "He loves you too, Ruby. He loves me in one way and he loves you in another, that's perfectly fine. He loves tumbling with you, he loves eating with you, and he likes it when you nap with him. He doesn't think you suck and neither do I."
Ruby was quiet, staring at Steven's foot. He was pressing both of his little feet against hers, astounded by the size difference; he turned to Sapphire with his jaw dropped. Ruby held out her hand, smiling as he smacked both of his tiny hands into hers. Sapphire joined her own little hand with his.
"You did a fantastic job, today."
Ruby snorted. "I had powder up my nose and diapers in my hair."
"The last time Amethyst watched Steven, there were diapers on the ceiling, she threw away one of his wipes in the toilet and the house didn't have water for a week, and then she managed to set fire to his food in the microwave." Sapphire laughed, leaning in to kiss Ruby's cheek. "You did great."
"I guess if you say so." Ruby grumbled, kissing Sapphire's cheek too.
"UGHA!"
"Oh, sorry Steven. Kiss for baby too!"
A/N: I am deprived and scared. In Too Deep will probably have no fluff or cuteness, I write to prepare myself for it. Finals begin this week, so the chapter paired with this one 'Sapphire and Steven', will be here after I'm done recovering. Wish me luck.
Thanks for your favs, follows, and your reviews (I'll try to respond to them once the studying and examinations have ended).