(I don't own Steven Universe)
X: Dependence, I
Unsure, she called out a name, hoping to find them. No voice returned her call, as mute to her ears as her own voice. The sound didn't feel like it was gone, though. Just… somewhere else. Somewhere more useful. After another glance at the diamond dust around her, she heard a sound. A word, more likely; maybe not from whom she expected, but still a reaction nonetheless. It placate her enough to know that the space-scape she found herself in was a good place to be.
More words echoed from the stars around her. Admittedly, they were a little hard to make out, but the message was still loud and clear. Reassurance, for the most part, but also a definite degree of… comfort. A kind of honest security she was hesitant to let go. The voice didn't go anywhere, though. It stayed with her, equal parts soothing and honest. Amethyst smiled.
Someone was missing, though. Just as she realized, the stars blinked out of existence, leaving her in a hollow void. The darkness furled outwards, surrounding her like a butterfly's wings. It was more than suffocating. She felt so small. Empty. Afraid.
Alone.
Amethyst's eyes shot open in an instant, the Gem bolting upright in Steven's bed. Still in a panic from the encroaching blackness, she desperately pat down the area next to her, hoping for any sign of that voice from before. Nothing but the soft surface of a mattress met her fingertips. She looked around, her newly functional heart thumping wildly in her chest as she searched the dimly lit room. In the dozen seconds of paranoia, she finally found Pearl, sitting on the edge of Steven's bed with her hands frozen around some rectangular device. A phone.
The two Gems stared at each other for a second, hearing each *thu-thmp* of Amethyst's rapid heartbeat gradually slow down. She still held herself in a tense brace as her eyes remained frozen. It wasn't exactly whom Amethyst expected to see.
"Oh, thank the stars!" Pearl exclaimed, nearly throwing her phone to the bed as she moved to hug Amethyst. The embrace had the kind of excessive snugness usually associated with Pearl's maternal attitude, though Amethyst was more used to seeing Steven experience it first-hand. Unfortunately, now wasn't the best time for the affair to be shared; a pained wince left Amethyst's lips as her arms were forced against Pearl's.
"Sorry!" she told Amethyst in the same second, backing up again with her hands still on the Gem's shoulders. Amethyst tried suppressing her pained expression, understanding the intent. At the very least, it helped her forget about the awful nightmare the last few seconds of her dream had turned into. Pearl spoke quietly in that slightly embarrassed tone of hers. "Even with you looking like that, I forget…"
Pearl's quiet graduated to silence. The Gem cleared her throat, then hummed, letting go of Amethyst's shoulders to motion towards her… everything, really. She looked over her own form in response. Though covered in various cuts and dirtied from her time on the island, the damage wasn't her point of interest. Amethyst's hue hadn't changed too much from last time, resembling a tanned color somewhat darker than Steven's own skin. A few strands of hair strayed in front of her eye, and— yep, still a charcoal black. Amethyst looked to the window of Steven's room, and on top of noticing the orange sky of sunset, saw the collection of discolored dots spanning her face in the reflection. Freckles, weirdly enough. As if to keep in line with the strangeness, Amethyst felt a question form on her lips without much thought.
"Where's Steven?" she asked Pearl, her voice strained and dry. A few coughs followed. Pearl put a hand back on her shoulder out of some motherly instinct, supporting Amethyst as she coughed. Her touch was purposefully more careful, the Gem probably hesitant to agitate the cuts over Amethyst's body.
"He's out with Garnet," Pearl told her softly. Evidently, she could sense Amethyst's priorities, though the Gem in question didn't care too much. She was too preoccupied with them in the first place. "They're— Hey!"
Pearl's sudden exclamation did little to halt Amethyst's movements, the Gem already throwing one corner of the blanket off of her and sweeping her legs towards the bed's edge. Immediately, a blunt ache burned over her skin, forcing her to stop with a pained wince. Not just her leg; simply moving the blanket had been enough to re-vitalize the awful soreness that had long since been diluted to a white-noise. A pale hand was over her shoulder again in the next moment.
"Take it easy," Pearl said, equal parts commanding and cautious. The tone was pleasantly familiar among all that's happened in the past day or so. Amethyst still wasn't eager to take her word, and tried moving a little further. Her limbs still didn't agree with the notion, once again flaring their ache into a painful strain. Some minor yelp escaped Amethyst's lips. The Gem forced herself to listen to Pearl, glancing at her from under the bangs of her hair. "You're still… you're not regenerating as normal."
Amethyst only hummed an obstinate acknowledgement, not giving that much more thought. There was a lot that had to be redefined as "normal", but certainly that couldn't have been more important than finding Steven again. Not having him be the first thing to see was surprisingly… well, it wasn't something Amethyst liked the feeling of. She explained as best as she could to Pearl.
"I gotta see him," the Gem said simply, not turning to face her companion. Regardless of how much she could see right then, Pearl's slight stiffening was felt enough to know she understood at least some part of Amethyst's statement. "I gotta make sure he's okay, too—"
"Steven is fine," Pearl instantly reassured Amethyst, trying to pull her back to the more comfortable resting position she sat in earlier. Amethyst still sat upright. "He and Garnet are currently trying to calm down the rest of the Gems on that island."
Now Amethyst turned back to Pearl, some of her hair whipping around in tandem with her head. "He's still on the island!?" she asked incredulously. Her arm moved forwards again, though was forcefully halted by Pearl. She seemed to grab the least lacerated area on purpose. Again, she spoke with a palpable sense of urgency, knowing enough of Amethyst's stubborn attitude to take her movements seriously.
"He's fine," Pearl repeated, putting more emphasis on the second word. Her expression softened after seeing Amethyst's persistent doubt. The shining stone of her forehead reflected some of the orange sunlight from outside. "After all, he's with Garnet."
Seconds passed as Amethyst did her best to digest what Pearl was saying. Maybe Steven being with Garnet should've sated Amethyst's worry, but honestly, it didn't. Not nearly as much as seeing her companion directly would. The short Gem voiced her complaint after another delay.
"But—" —she coughed again, causing Pearl to put a steadying hand on her back— "—But why's he still there?"
Ironically, the question was nearly rhetorical, more accurately reflecting Amethyst's disappointment than her befuddlement. Pearl visibly hesitated for a moment, mulling over her words. "Some Gems are still… agitated. He's trying to get them to calm down. You should know how well he gets through to everyone, corruptions and people alike."
That part Amethyst understood like the cuts on the back of her hand. She was still tense from having Steven where he was, though. Not just on the island, but… away from her. Pearl put an addendum to her explanation after hearing Amethyst's dissatisfied hum.
"If it's any comfort," she told the Gem softly, "you should know he was very hesitant to leave your side."
Amethyst felt herself relax a tad. Honestly, that was a comfort; a significant one, at that. She mulled over the notion in her head for a few moments. Maybe that was why the nightmare portion of her dream was as short as it was.
"…how hesitant we talkin'?" she heard herself ask. As arguably strange as her interest was, Pearl didn't treat it with any derisive teasing. Instead, the Gem smiled, apparently glad that Amethyst wasn't trying to throw her broken body down the stairs in a concerned panic. Not that the idea completely left her head.
"Garnet practically had to pull him away," she told Amethyst, helping ease her into a more comfortable sitting position. She was much readier to comply. The cuts were still sore, though the distraction Pearl offered was welcome enough. Steven's bed being so soft helped. "I'm fairly certain the only reason he didn't yell was out of fear of waking you up."
A corner of Amethyst's lips pulled itself upwards. Something about Steven's conviction to stay with her was more than pleasing. Amethyst would even go so far as to call the action sweet of him, as much of a gag reflex as the word usually incited. Using it in Steven's case felt right, though. She was still too early in the process of waking up to care about the description.
Amethyst breathed out a calmed sigh, trying to shake off the rest of her sleep. Not that she liked having to take Pearl's word over her own, but checking over Steven could technically come later. Hopefully sooner rather than later. He had to leave her once to get the mom's Gem back, anyways. Leaving a second time felt more disappointing than dangerous. Conceding, Amethyst shook her head, recalling that she at least had more than one friend to worry about.
"And you?" she asked, her voice still dry. Warming up her vocal cords helped ease them, though not by much. She still sat upright as she spoke to Pearl. "You doin' okay too? Hope you didn't find any clusters out there. Those things suck."
Pearl didn't seem to expect the question. Amethyst got the idea it wasn't that often her voice sounded so worried, but in her defense, Steven had probably been rubbing off on her. Not that ironic, considering the current form she had now. She waited for an answer, feeling herself gradually loosen up as she tried rubbing the grogginess out of her face. It ached a little, too. Pearl fiddled with her ribbon for a few moments.
"I'm…" she began hesitantly. Shifting the worry to her instead of Amethyst's arguably more deserving condition didn't seem to be something she agreed with. Not right-away. After a brief hesitation, Pearl visibly deflated, the pale Gem nearly falling onto Steven's bed in the process. She let out a deep sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose as if to clear some of her fatigue. "Honestly, I'm just glad enough to be on solid ground. I've had enough of floating islands for several lifetimes."
Hearing such an exasperated voice from Pearl got a few laughs out of Amethyst. "Yeeaah," she drew out with a nod, "think that's fair. You were there for, what, like a day straight?"
Pearl grinned a little. "About that long, yes." She seemed to notice something after a delay, her back straightening itself again.
"Cluster?" she asked, a newfound interest in her eyes. Enough enunciation was put on the you part of Amethyst's hope that Pearl could tell what she meant. "You ran into a cluster?"
Amethyst's own smile disappeared. She wasn't taking Pearl's concern for granted; just that it wasn't exactly a pleasant memory, especially when the monster was so fresh in her mind. She hesitated, her fingers drumming against her leg through Steven's blanket. Briefly, Amethyst turned her head to glance outside, watching the sun set far out on the horizon, thinking over what to say.
"Kinda," she said quietly. If she was speaking honestly, most of the encounter blurred together in her memory, resembling a large smudge of the word "danger". Recounting any exact details wasn't something she fancied when she first woke up less than five minutes ago. All she trusted herself to recall about the memory correctly were the portions involving Steven, and letting that beast of a corruption get so close to him. Not really that great to start the day/evening to.
"…don't worry about it," Pearl suddenly said. The orange rays of sunlight had grown dimmer since Amethyst first woke up, subsequently making Steven's room a bit darker and Pearl's movements harder to pick up. Still, Amethyst felt her move a bit closer, reaching one arm to place back onto Amethyst's shoulder. Her eyebrows creased together in an evidently concerned expression. Curious, Amethyst tilted her head, staying silent as Pearl spoke. "You don't have to talk about it. Just focus on resting for now."
"It" really could've referred to a variety of things, but Amethyst knew Pearl long enough to understand her intentions. There was a lot to discuss about the mission; not just the island, but what exactly had befallen Steven and herself. The weird bubbles they'd produced only felt like the tip of the iceberg. Amethyst nodded gratitude to her companion, deciding she'd been right in her last statement. Resting was something her body agreed was a good idea.
"Thanks," she told her, slowly relaxing herself back under the bed's covers. The movement brought her eyes to her arms, reassessing the copious bandages adorning herself. Pearl seemed to notice, pausing as she reached back towards her phone. Whatever reassurance her expression held made way for another bout of timid concern.
"…Steven did his best," she told Amethyst quietly. It was like she just went back on her word, the tone was so regretful. Worried, Amethyst looked back to her, not immediately understanding what she was saying. The vague idea she got from the evidence was difficult to accept. Before she could question it, an explosion of light shot up from somewhere in front of her.
Not a literal "explosion", per se, but the sudden luminescence was so unexpected in the dim glow of fading daylight that Amethyst automatically brought up an arm to shield her eyes. Pearl didn't react as severely, though she didn't seem to expect the warp-pad's sudden glow either. The next thing Amethyst noticed was her own name being shouted through the Temple.
"Amethyst!" a pleasantly familiar voice exclaimed. Just as quickly as she brought up her arm, the Gem lowered it, scooting herself to the edge of the bed to make sure her ears hadn't deceived her. Pearl didn't stop her as drastically this time. By the time the light cleared, no one could be seen in the open living room below. The most Amethyst noticed was Garnet's stoic form still standing on the warp-pad some distance away. The fusion gave her a brief wave.
Amethyst waved back, still confused. That was his voice, right? After hearing it so clearly in her dream (more-or-less) she would've thought recognizing it would be second nature. Though, she did also hear a quick-footed pace stomp on the wooden floorboards towards her, so maybe she wasn't as crazy as she first thought. Following that was a loud creaking from some metal springs, similar to Pearl's subtle movements on the mattress. It sounded like someone jumped on a couch.
Some fingers immediately appeared hooked on the edge of the floor. Amethyst's eyes widened as the arms of her friend appeared next, hoisting himself up the edge of his room rather than taking the stairs like any sensible person. Steven lifted himself onto the floor over the next few seconds. He paused just long enough to notice the surprised gapes on Pearl and Amethyst. The former of the two let out a befuddled "Uh…"
"Amethyst!" he called again, almost as loud as his first yell through the home. Amethyst could only relax her arms for a second before Steven threw his own around her. The motion nearly sent them both out the window, he'd been so fast to jump onto the bed with her. Pearl rose a hand alongside a concerned warning to Steven about Amethyst's sensitivity. Still, his contact didn't seem to sting as much as Pearl's did earlier, despite how much more enthusiastic he was to bury his head into Amethyst's shoulder. The hug was so much inexplicably nicer that Amethyst felt the slightest heat rise to her cheeks, the Gem still working out her friend's presence as he squeezed himself around her. She stared at his curly hair for a couple seconds.
Then, after her groggy mind realized who was currently embracing her, Amethyst reciprocated the hug heartily. Even that didn't agitate her wounds as much as before. Whatever the reasoning for her sudden comfort, Amethyst appreciated it. Subsequently, she appreciated Steven a whole lot more, feeling a smile pull her lips into a content crescent as she tightened her grip. Past Steven's warm embrace was Pearl's own visage, notably improved after her own realization of Steven's presence. He seemed to have that effect on people.
Steven breathed out a deep sigh of relief. It was easy enough to notice regardless if Amethyst's eyes were closed from the comfort, given Steven's gusto to press their bodies together. Amethyst didn't mind. She doubted it came from any evil place. Her companion spoke softly, sounding both excited and exhausted.
"I'm so glad you're awake," he told her, eventually loosening his grip a tad. Still, he kept them both in a snug embrace, only moving back far enough to face Amethyst directly. "I got worried you might've been in some weird…"
Steven trailed off uncertainly, then shook his head. He moved it back over Amethyst's shoulder just a second later. "But you're awake now. *Whew…*"
Amethyst pat his back, still not finding her cuts that agitated. Something about Steven silenced whatever complaints they might've had from the harsh contact. Pearl nodded from some undefined approval, glancing back towards her phone. An incredulous expression rose one of her eyebrows, the Gem muttering about how she only sent the message three minutes ago.
"So, you're okay?" Steven suddenly asked. It was impossible to ignore how his concern had remained so constant for so long. He moved back to face her again, another grimace adorning his features. Amethyst was starting to fear the crease of his frown would get stuck there. "Not… sick, or paralyzed, or anything?"
Eventually, he relaxed enough to sit in front of Amethyst instead of nearly on top of her, probably wanting to see proof of whatever Amethyst answered with. His hands trailed from her back to her own palms in the process. Amethyst glanced at the persistent contact for a second, then recalled she had ears as well as hands. After a delay she could only describe as suspicious, she nodded, trying to focus on something other than the mountain of relief Steven's own had caused.
"Mostly okay," she told her friend, shrugging as best as she could. Both Pearl and Steven hummed; the former of the two sounded skeptical, while the latter sounded disappointed. The tone was so atypically regretful that Amethyst felt another reassurance escape her mouth. "But, really, nothing I can't handle. I'm the scrappy one, 'member?"
Barely, Steven nodded, looking over the damage adorning Amethyst's arms. His grip tightened in tandem with the inspection. Whatever doubt she'd lifted from his features returned alongside a frankly upsetting degree of discomfort.
"I'm… sorry," he apologized out of nowhere. Between that and Pearl's conspicuously easing tone, Amethyst connected enough dots to know why she had more bandages than a boxer from one of those Japanese cartoons. She paused for a second before opening her mouth.
"Healin' spit fritzed out?" she asked quietly. The Gem moved herself a tad closer to Steven, regardless of how close they already were in the first place. Pearl looked to the side, her posture losing its stiffness as she rubbed the back of her neck. Garnet's approaching footsteps could be heard downstairs. It wasn't that easy to see Steven nod, but his grimace conveyed more than any simple head movement could. There wasn't much room for misinterpretation anyways.
Amethyst looked back at the cuts of her arms again. "Tears too," she said more to herself than anyone else. Again Steven nodded in that hard-to-accept way that made him look ashamed of his malfunctioning abilities. He moved both of their hands towards himself, pulling them a fraction closer together. An awkward silence followed.
"Don't apologize," Amethyst granted, looking back to Steven. She highly doubted that he didn't try, probably in excess. Now that she thought about it, the bandages did feel a little damp. Steven still looked guilty enough to force an encouraging smile on Amethyst's features. It didn't seem to have much of an effect. "We both know you did what you could."
"But it worked before!" the young Gem suddenly burst out. Amethyst recoiled from the evident despair in his voice. Maybe she wasn't the best at reading people, but something about how obviously distraught he was didn't mesh well enough with her image of Steven for the paradox to be taken lightly. A worried pout settled on her features. Pearl's own form went through a similar transition, the Gem reaching forwards to place a hand on Steven's back. Even Garnet appeared from seemingly nowhere, putting a hard palm on Amethyst's shoulder. Steven continued, an obvious guilt chaining his eyes to the floor.
"Why would it work then?" His frown intensified, mirroring how frustrated his voice became over the next few words. "How come it worked in the warp-pad, but not now?"
None of the Gems offered an immediate response. Pearl let out a deep sigh as she rubbed Steven's back, obviously trying to comfort him. He barely seemed to notice.
"We don't know, Steven," she answered honestly. Her voice was almost as frustrated as Steven's, though she did seem to make an effort in keeping his spirits up. Well, higher, at least. "This is the first time any of us have seen something like… this."
Amethyst hummed. "Maybe…" she began, uncertain on what to say. She had the feeling Steven and the others already had a version of this conversation while she was out cold. Reminding them of the fact probably wasn't the nicest thing to do. Still, Amethyst spoke to herself, trying to find an explanation that fit with all the weirdness of the past day and a half. "Maybe it still only works when it really matters. Life and—" —she paused for a moment, hesitant to continue— "—…life and death stuff, y'know?"
Abruptly, Steven removed one of his hands from hers, now grasping an undamaged part of her arm. "This really matters!" he argued back, raising the limb a little. Amethyst noticed Pearl glance to the side again, and didn't have to look up to know Garnet had done something similar. "You shouldn't be hurt at all. I just— I don't know why I can't…"
He sounded on the verge of tears. A faint line ran down either one of his cheeks, giving Amethyst the idea that he'd already stepped over that verge plenty beforehand.
"Steven," she found herself saying. Something about Steven's regret forced the words out of her mouth. He paused, looking to her as his grip relaxed. In spite of the others' presence, an earnestly encouraging tone fell over her voice. "It's okay. There's a lot we don't know. But we'll figure it out, alright? I'm still breathin'."
Steven paused for a moment, staring at Amethyst. The sight didn't dissuade her from speaking further; if anything, it's what persuaded her to continue. "You've already done more than enough, anyways. Can't owe ya much more than my life, y'know?"
Fittingly, the sun chose about that moment to complete its journey under the horizon, the last streaks of orange rays disappearing in tandem with Steven's expression of grief. He didn't necessarily seem reassured, but the surprise on his features was definitely preferable to his self-imposed anguish. Amethyst glanced down for a second, moving her eyes to the star of his shirt. He still wore the same one as before. Wordlessly, Amethyst moved her newly tanned hand to the torn hole of the fabric, gently touching the subtle scar that ran underneath. The contact seemed to make him hesitate.
"…you know you don't owe me anything," he returned. Though still audibly glum, the change was a step in the right direction. Amethyst took hold of the opportunity, moving her hand around his instead of the opposite. Steven looked at their shared contact for a brief second. "I just… my spit— or tears— they were the one thing that couldn't change. I couldn't let them, because that'd mean…"
Something tugged at Amethyst's Gem. Though, she had to think it was more accurate to say it tugged at her recently gained heart.
"I know," she returned quietly. Garnet's grip intensified on her shoulder. The fusion stayed silent, as if letting Amethyst continue. Pearl gave a similar offer in her own silence. Unlike usual, Amethyst didn't need to be alone with Steven or to even take a preparatory breath to speak further. The hand on Steven's shirt drifted away to clasp around his own hand. "I know you keep wanting to protect me. I get it. But don't think you have to, because you don't. Remember?"
Steven, though looking like he wanted to argue back, remained quiet. As did Garnet and Pearl. Amethyst didn't pay them enough mind to notice the sincerity of her tone until Steven nodded again. The earlier promise Amethyst held him to didn't seem to stick that well in his memory, but reminding him now had enough of an effect. Barely, his grasp on her hand relaxed, now just tight enough to offer security without worrying anyone. Garnet's hand seemed to hesitate on Amethyst's shoulder. She nodded alongside Pearl, both Gems quiet while the shorter two of the four talked.
"…right," Steven eventually breathed out. He shifted his hand from Amethyst's arm to his side after another pause, not moving his eyes off of Amethyst's. She was glad enough just to get rid of his distress; replacing it with an empathic understanding was a bit of a bonus to her. "But, I still want to."
"Understandable," Amethyst quickly returned. Not wanting to pass up another opportunity to ease him, she shrugged. "I am pretty great."
Somehow, Amethyst (of all people) managed to get a laugh out of Steven with nothing but her words. Then again, her grasp might've helped. Even Pearl smirked, rolling her eyes. Garnet hummed, though her hand itself felt like it was smiling.
"You are," Steven agreed, the slightest smile widening his cheeks. Amethyst took the compliment wholeheartedly. It wasn't that often a simple assurance had lifted her mood by that much. In fact, the occurrence was so infrequent that Amethyst actually couldn't recall any previous time that such a basic form of flattery had made her feel so good. Regardless, she had a best friend to comfort, so she did her best to suppress the deeper red in her cheeks as she spoke.
"And, hey," she started. For a second, she hesitated, moving some black bangs of hair from her face as she thought on her words. "Whatever happens, we'll figure out this weird hybrid stuff together."
Now Steven was smiling completely, like the doom and gloom earlier had just been a figment if the Gems' collective imagination. He nodded, evidently understanding enough of Amethyst's message to reciprocate it. "Right," he said. "Together."
There was the confidently optimistic Steven that Amethyst knew and loved. She mimicked his earlier nod, albeit with a satisfied hum and a lot more confidence. Something she had Steven to thank for, ironically enough. Whether he was actively reassuring her or vice versa, that was something that always seemed consistent across their brief conversations. Amethyst cleared her throat, tilting her head towards Garnet's bespectacled visage.
"But, uh," she started, her voice returning to its usual casualness, "wouldn't mind a pointer 'r something from you, G."
Amethyst turned back towards Steven, looking over his shoulder to Pearl's features. They were all raised in a definite expression of surprise. "Same with you, Pearl."
Both Gems had taken after Steven's silence, each with varying degrees of incredulity. Out of all that's happened, Amethyst being so honest was what stole their voices? She might've laughed at the matter; in fact, she did, if only to give them something familiar to respond to.
"Well?" she tried again. The dark of the room didn't seem to have any effect on her ability to see her companions' surprise. "C'mon, can't do all this heartfelt junk on my own, guys."
That eventually did something. Garnet laughed in that succinct way of hers, lowering herself onto Steven's bed as her arms reached around the both of them. Her contact was purposefully gentle. Barely, Pearl moved similarly, sliding herself closer to wrap her own pale arms around Steven and Amethyst under Garnet's grasp. She let out a content laugh as well. With Steven sharing the center of their mass embrace with Amethyst, he was much gentler in hugging her, but the notion was nice enough regardless. The mattress underneath creaked from the Gems' combined weight.
"Well put," Pearl granted, sounding proud. It wasn't often Amethyst heard those words without sarcasm. Garnet hummed agreement, mentioning that Amethyst did a fair job acting as Steven's stand-in. The Gem in question nodded, now smiling at Amethyst with such a pleased grin that she found it impossible not to reciprocate it. "Pleasant" didn't begin to describe how the curve had made her feel. That feeling's existence seemed amplified by how everything else should've dampened any positivity. Rather than scared or finding the future ominous, whatever came next currently felt… inconsequential, almost. Like the moment now invalidated any potentially dire moments later.
"Thanks, Amethyst," Steven told her softly. Being so close to him, both physically and otherwise, helped in hearing the message. Not strictly what he was saying with his mouth. There was a definite message in the sparkling hazel of his eyes.
"I needed that."
"No problem," Amethyst returned, about as softly. "Figure you don't gotta be the peacemaker all the time." A genuine relief washed over her, affecting not just her features, but also her voice. Hearing as much was pretty easy when their shared hug tuned out most outside noises. "I got'cha, bud."
For a moment, the Gems paused. It felt as though Garnet was considering tightening her embrace, but she thankfully decided against it. Amethyst was a little grateful. The grip still stung a little, however much hugging together diluted her arms' complaints. After another delay, Garnet relaxed her arms, allowing Pearl to follow suit. Steven took considerably longer to let go, but it wasn't as though Amethyst focused on his hesitation or anything. She definitely didn't focus on her own, either.
"Eugh," Pearl abruptly recoiled, as though she stepped on a day-old egg with socks on. Curious, Steven turned around, moving his gaze alongside Amethyst's. Pearl glanced over her arms with a suppressed disgust, probably finding the dirt adorning her skin a little repulsive. Behind Amethyst, Garnet moved to turn on the lamp on Steven's nightstand, bringing the rest of the dirt on her attire to light. It was an impressive amount. Amethyst whistled an aptly impressed tune.
"Good ol' dirt bath," she joked. Pearl seemed unamused, even by the half of a laugh Steven tried holding back. "That's a good look for ya."
A faux laugh from Pearl brought a real one out of Steven. The Gem rolled her eyes, trying to dust off the muddy brown staining her outfit. Whatever teal of the fabric lay underneath remained buried. With a groan, she scooted herself a small distance away from Steven, raising her arms outwards to either side as she moved. She closed her eyes over the next few moments. Her Gem glowed for a second, momentarily brightening the room further. Then, her entire form flashed a bright white.
The light wasn't enough to cause Amethyst to flinch, though she had to admit that finding Pearl's purpose took a bit longer than usual. Steven seemed to reach his own understanding at about the same time. Pearl let out a relieved sigh, looking over her newly cleaned arms again. Her form nearly sparkled from the pristine paleness.
"Much better," she breathed out, readjusting her now spotless attire. Even her ribbon seemed to receive a polish. Amethyst booed, finding a usual disappointment in Pearl's preference to cleanliness. The rougher look she had didn't last very long at all. Steven mentioned something to a similar effect.
"Good idea," Garnet said aloud, accruing the gaze from Steven and Amethyst. Now that she was comparatively closer than the first time Amethyst had seen her, noticing the dirt of her own form was much easier. There seemed to be a few branches and leaves sticking out of the cube of her hair. All things considered, Amethyst was surprised she didn't look worse. Garnet had a way of magnetising any kind of mess to herself whenever a fight was involved. The fusion held her palms out as she stood up from Steven's bed, a little more purposeful than Pearl in her movements. Like before, she paused for a second in focus. The Gems in her palms glowed before transferring the brightness to the rest of the fusion's body.
What dirt she had was also gone in the flash, alongside the minor foliage dotted through her hair. A loud *thunk* above moved each of the Gems' eyes upwards. Some wooden shards vibrated to a stop in the wooden rafters above. Garnet glanced at the protrusions for a second, humming. The Gems stared upwards for a couple more seconds before recognizing the branches now sticking out from the ceiling. Rather than be evaporated (or disintegrated, or moved, or whatever happened to the dirt cleaned from Garnet) the larger bits of twigs and branches must've shot outwards into the ceiling above in being removed from Garnet's hair.
"I'll get those later," she announced to them. Pearl let out an uncertain hum. Then Amethyst hummed a more thoughtful tone, moving her eyes to herself again.
"Guess it couldn't hurt to get cleaned up," she muttered, looking over her own form. Even if her skin color more closely matched the grime gained from the island, she looked far from "clean." She still wore the same tank-top as before, now cut and torn in various places. The off-white color did little to hide any dirt staining it, and there was a lot. Weirdly, the major tear just next to her magenta-colored Gem seemed the most clean. The areas around her cuts had been somewhat less dirty, too. Though, the same couldn't be said of her hair. She was pretty sure she had her own collection of tree bits hidden in the locks.
"Uh..." Steven slowly let out with an assessment of his own. Amethyst couldn't have been any more disheveled than she usually was following a mission, but between the difference in colors and exact scale of their latest mission, every patch of soil seemed a bit more noticeable and a bit dirtier as an effect. Steven's case was similar, sporting about as many grass-stains and spots of muck on his own attire. He didn't seem nearly as beat up, though. "Yeah. Couldn't hurt."
Steven paused for a second, frowning out of some contemplation. "But, uh, maybe you shouldn't try to use your Gem."
It didn't sound as though he was warning Amethyst. More like he was advising her. The advice was a little redundant, but she still appreciated it nonetheless.
"Yeah," she agreed, nodding sheepishly. Pearl slowly stood up from Steven's bed, grabbing her phone as she rose. The Gem looked like she was about to copy Amethyst's words. "Probably ain't gonna try any kinda shape-shifting any time soon."
Garnet pat her back. "Shouldn't risk it," she said, adjusting her sunglasses. The beach outside wasn't that dark, though a cool blue was reflected from the mirror-like effect regardless. Amethyst would've guessed it was around five, depending on the month. Whatever that was. She usually left Pearl to keep track of time.
"You can use the shower," Steven offered. He was making a noticeable effort to rub away what dirt he could from his arms and face. Really, it just spread the mess out further, but Amethyst wasn't going to be the one to tell him. Steven eventually gave up on his effort to look back at Amethyst, curious. "You… know how a shower works, right?"
Amethyst had to laugh. "Nah," she answered jokingly. Steven took her answer seriously for a couple seconds, resulting in a bit more laughs. "Kidding. Yeah, 'course I know."
An obvious relief relaxed Steven's features. He shook his head, stretching out his shirt to get a better look at it. Half of the yellow star adorning the front had become covered in the grey-brown color of soil. "I should probably take one, too."
"Yes," Pearl agreed, almost pleading. She tried dusting off some of the grains and pebbles that had fallen onto the bed. "It'd be a good way to start relaxing again. You could both use a break after today."
Despite missing at least half the day, Amethyst had to agree to that, too, if only to get Steven to relax. Her own rest hadn't been particularly restful, anyways. Steven looked back to Amethyst, now wearing that subtle grin that always seemed to ease everyone in the room. At the very least, it eased Amethyst.
"Ladies first," he told her, motioning towards the stairs of his room. Garnet was already halfway down the steps, probably preparing something for the future. She tossed a casual farewell behind her, like she was just heading to the store for a short while. Considering her record, the arguably sudden absence wasn't all that worrisome. Amethyst, making a note of how much better her voice felt now, focused back on Steven.
"That's my line," she returned with a roll of her eyes. Steven only smiled in response. Shaking her head, Amethyst forced herself to break away from him and moved towards the edge of the bed. Pearl looked at her for a brief moment, pausing as she followed after Garnet. She hesitated for another moment, glancing towards Amethyst's arms. Steven sensed enough of her pause to move alongside her.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, audibly quieter. It wasn't a dire question on her condition overall. Amethyst got the sense he was simply asking about whatever limitations her wounds might've imposed. Pearl seemed worried about that as well. Still, Amethyst was confident.
"I'll be fine." Amethyst moved her legs again, testing exactly how strenuous the simple act of moving was. The blunt ache from before didn't feel nearly as severe. Now her arms felt sore rather than torn open. Maybe it was just Steven's presence that granted as much, but it still eased her enough for a simple shower to be more than possible. Amethyst rose a hand towards Steven, reassuring him. "I know my way around first-aid. We'll replace the bandages and everything. Easy-peasy."
The reassurance did seem to calm him. Steven visibly relaxed, nodding. He glanced towards her Gem for a second. Though, after a double-take, Amethyst realized he was just looking up and down her attire. It was still about as dirty as she was.
"You're gonna need some clothes, too," he eventually realized. Amethyst frowned, sizing herself up. It'd probably make the shower redundant if she just re-dirtied herself with the same outfit as before. Not to mention how much less practical that outfit was, what with the copious tears and frayed ends torn into it. Pearl reanimated herself again, placing a thoughtful hand on her chin. She muttered something about not having a whole lot of clothing just lying around. Abruptly, Steven snapped his fingers, then got up from the bed he and Amethyst sat on.
Pearl glanced at him as he strode past her and down the stairs. His brisk pace might've been a race for how purposeful he'd made it. After his form had disappeared under the edge of his room, Amethyst rose an eyebrow to Pearl, who could only shrug in response. Both Gems heard a subtle squeak of a door hinge. Then, after another few moments, Steven reappeared at the top of the stairs, holding something recognizably pink and yellow in his arms.
"Here," he offered, holding out the shirt. Amethyst's eyebrows stayed elevated in surprise. Pearl stifled a minor laugh of her own, but it was heard all the same.
"You are about the same size," she reasoned, motioning towards the shirt Steven held out. He nodded, holding out a familiar pair of jeans as well.
"And we both still have short legs," he added. Amethyst still stared at the denim, bringing more words out of Steven's mouth. "It's a good look, trust me. Very fashionable."
A brief smirk was all Amethyst could muster at the moment. Logically, Steven's outfit was a step up from her torn and grimy attire, but something about borrowing her best friend's clothes felt… weird, in a way. Almost as though she was overstepping some unspoken boundary. Maybe she was reading too much into the offer. Seeing her skeptical expression, Steven spoke up again, sounding surprisingly eager.
"We can get you your own clothes later." He shook the articles of clothing for a second, obviously expecting Amethyst to take them. She did, eventually. It was impossible to shake the odd feeling as she tentatively grasped the fabric. Steven nodded dutifully, placing his hands on his hips in a fittingly dutiful pose. Pearl resumed her pace, patting Steven's back as she moved past him.
"We'll try to keep your style," she told Amethyst. The tone was filled with her personal brand of mischievousness, making the short Gem narrow her eyes in suspicion. Steven heard it as well, giving his own skeptic leer as Pearl strode down the stairs. After a few moments, Amethyst loosened her grip, laying the clothing over her legs as she looked back to Steven.
"Please don't let Pearl pick my threads," she pleaded. Whatever her "style" was, she wasn't ready to have it chosen by Pearl. It was pretty obvious they had a different interpretation of the term. Steven, being the only person whom she trusted enough, listened carefully. "Or Garnet. I'll look like a six-sided disco diva."
Evidently, Steven understood the importance of his role. He saluted, humming a determined confirmation. "I know exactly what to get," he assured her. The action looked comically serious between the fading light outside and the intensity of the lamp on his nightstand. As funny as he looked, Amethyst still found herself grateful for him. Again. Though, if she was being honest, Amethyst wasn't entirely sure she knew what went well with her more human look. Did they sell tank-tops to specifically go with freckles?
Downstairs, Garnet's voice called to Steven, causing both Gems to raise their heads. They looked at each other for a second. That previous weirdness reemerged in the sudden quiet following, but judging by Steven's features, the oddity was one-sided. Subsequently, that made it feel even stranger to Amethyst. Some more time passed as she realized what the call was for.
"I, um..." Steven began slowly, still standing in front of Amethyst. His form looked frozen in a hesitant pause. Amethyst knew she was in about the same state. "I gotta go make sure you don't look like a six-sided disco diva."
Amethyst didn't move for some time. She remained a statue on his bed, only hearing a distant rush of water from the faucet of the kitchen sink. It sounded almost too muffled.
"Right," the Gem eventually breathed out. She glanced at the clothes again, shook her head, and stood up slowly. Unfortunately, her legs functioned fine, the minor ache in them notwithstanding. After another hesitation, Amethyst wondered why that was a bad thing. Then she got her answer when Steven suddenly wrapped himself around her in another embrace.
Though not as enthusiastic as their first hug, nor as dramatic as their second, the third hug Steven offered had the strongest impact of the three. It was anyone's guess as to why. Like the first time, Amethyst felt an uncertain warmth rise to her cheeks, and she looked at their shared contact as best as she could. This time, Steven's arms were under hers, allowing her to move more freely. She didn't. In fact, she didn't move at all.
"We'll be back soon," Steven assured her. If he thought her hesitation to reciprocate the hug was odd, he didn't show it. Before Amethyst thought to mimic her companion, he loosened his grip, giving her a wide grin. "Won't even know we left."
Another "Right," was all Amethyst could give. Steven nodded one last time, then turned around to head back down the stairs himself, leaving Amethyst alone in his room. To be fair, she could've walked down with him given her own destination, but she found her legs no longer functioning fine. Not out of pain or soreness, thankfully, but they were still immobilized. The faint rushing of the kitchen faucet halted, allowing the quiet tide outside to take over.
Briefly, Amethyst glanced towards the clothing in her hands. One starred shirt, and one pair of blue jeans, both partially illuminated in the lamp's light. She thought for a moment, feeling a grimace pull her eyebrows together as her grip tightened. Her eyes moved to the tanned skin of her hands, then to magenta Gem in her chest. Eventually, she found her gaze settle on the cut in her top, just next to her Gem. The door opened downstairs as she stared at the rip. The wood swung shut not long after alongside a collection of footfalls, each audibly different. More time passed. Amethyst let out a deep breath, shaking her head.
She had a shower to take.
A/N: New act, new scenes, new perspectives! Been wanting to change it up for a while and I figured now was the best time to do that. Pretty ironic if you knew what I did. Which is kinda scary if you actually did know what I do. Who let you into my brain? I sure didn't!
Anywho, I hope you liked the chapter, and I hope to see you around in the future! Have a good day! :D