The very next day, after several hours of sleep, yet somehow a lifetime's worth of dreaming of Ruby masturbating, I begrudgingly get out of bed and wash up. I've never seen Ruby so horny. So needy. So thirsty. She was completely out of pocket last night and I don't know how she'll act today. Hell, I don't know how she'll act this morning.

If Lapis made her this crazy in one day, God knows what Ruby'll do the next. She'll probably march right down to the barn and beg Lapis to step on her or something. Whatever her next step is, it's not gonna be a good one. I might as well follow her and make sure she doesn't try anything. Suddenly, I hear a door creaking open. Some light steps creeping from them. The door, carefully shut. Footsteps hastely tapping the floor.

I peek through the cracks of my door and see Ruby tiptoeing out of the house. After she closes the door behind her, I spring from my room. The other gems must be either busy or asleep. Well, Amethyst's most likely asleep. The others are probably busy.

I slowly make my way to the door, looking out the screen before proceeding. Ruby was already gone by the time I got outside. Didn't matter. I know where that thot's going...Did I just say thot? Forget it. I jumped to the beach floor and ran to the barn. For two gems stuck in an unhealthy relationship, They really keep the farm well together. I hide in the tall stalks of the closest crops I could find. From them, I stare at the barn. Nothing. Nothing going on. The doors to the barn are still closed.

She couldn't have gotten that far ahead of me. Even so, you'd think Lapis and Ruby wouldn't try to cover this up so well. No moaning. No groaning. No banging. No commotion whatsoever. Lapis was never one to keep quiet, so why now? She must still be asleep and Ruby's somewhere around here...Wait. If Ruby got here first, where did she go?

"Gotcha!" Ruby grunted, grabbing my neck from behind.

"Gah! Ruby?!" I react.

At this point, I'm kicking and rolling around the crops with Ruby clinging to my throat.

"What do you think you're doing here, Steven?" Ruby asked.

"What? Can't a pimp- Gah!...Take a..morning stroll?"

"1. I don't know what a 'pimp' is. 2. I doubt your morning stroll would've involved following me. Now spill!"

"Ahg! Ok, ok, I was following you."

Ruby let me go and demanded an explanation.

"Listen, don't worry why I'm following you. Worry about what you're about to do with Lapis."

"What's that supposed to mean, Steven?"

"I...I saw what happened last night."

"..."

"..."

"Nice day out, isn't it? Heh.."

"I saw you, Ruby!"

Ruby covered my mouth and looked towards the barn. She shifted her head around for a moment and turned back to me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, because I was fast asleep last night. ALL of last night. And even if I wasn't, I'm sure you were. Right, Steven?" She said.

"That poor zucchini, Ruby. That poor, fucking, sexually-assaulted zucchini." I shook my head in disgust.

Ruby gasped.

"How could such a tiny, tiny, tiny space lesbian squirt so much? HOW?!"

"Shhh! My stars, you saw it all?! You pervert!" Ruby whispered.

"Oh, I'm the perv? After all that bullshit you did on the floor?! YOU FUCKED UP THE FLOOR! IT'S STILL STICKY!"

Ruby covered my mouth with both hands.

"Ok, you little gremlin. What do you want from me? What's gonna keep you quiet?" She asked.

I took her hands from my mouth.

"You know what I want, Ruby." I said.

"Ugh...fine. Make it quick."

She sat on me and slipped her shirt halfway off.

"No! Not sex, damnit. What's with you gems? Why is everything sexual?"

Ruby put her shirt back on and got off of me.

"Ah...oh. Oh. My bad." She stumbled.

I jumped up and dusted myself off, scowling at Ruby.

"You were just gonna fuck a 15 year old? Really? The fuck?" I scolded.

"Hey, I didn't know what direction this was going in! You're the one being vague." Ruby explained.

"Anyways, I followed you to stop you from fucking Lapis. I don't need you to add onto the problem between Lapis and Peridot's relationship."

"Wha- What?! In one night, she's stopped me from sleeping, relaxing, thinking clearly, and everything! No deal. I'm getting in-between those thighs. At least just once to put myself at ease."

"You either go back to the house to work on YOUR relationship issues or I'll tell Sapphire everything that's happened. Last night and this morning."

Ruby gasped sharply, a hand to her mouth.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare." Ruby menacingly whispered, stepping closer and closer to me.

"I. Wouldn't. Care." I responded.

A few seconds after our dramatic standoff, Ruby grabbed my hand and slipped it under her shirt and over her boobs. She closed my hand around her right titty and moved it around before I could yank my hand from her.

"Gah! Really?!" I asked.

"Hah! Now I dare you tell someone about this, cause as soon as you do, I'm telling everyone you groped me!"

"You're insane, Ruby! You aren't you anymore!"

"Oh, I'm me, Steven. Believe that. It's just I need to take my mind off of Lapis by fucking Lapis. Makes sense if I do say so myself."

"You're cheating on Sapphire. Do you even care about your relationship?"

"Wha..Of course! That's why I-I'm..doing all this. Just to get over it...Oh, when did you start caring about others' relationships?!"

"..."

"Yeah. That's what I thought."

"Whatever, Ruby. Go. Go ahead and fuck up your relationship. I don't care anymore. I shouldn't have cared in the first place." I start heading back home.

"Thank you." Ruby said.

I turned around, ready to scold her some more, but found that she had already got into the barn. This thirsty little hot sauce packet...Ugh! Why am I doing this? Should've stayed in bed.

~You're doing this because it's the right thing to do.~

Not you again.

~Yes me again. You know you have to help them. Fix them. Better them.~

Why is it my job? This was yours, not mine. You fucked up and now I'm dealing with it.

~The curse of being a parent. A parent that helped others and not herself...A parent that ran away from her own problems...~

..What? Y-Your own problems?

~It's up to you. Please. Save them.~

I rubbed my neck and my eyes. Her problems? Her..problems...

"Ok. Fine."

I walked down to the gaping barn entrance. I hid behind one of the doors and carefully listened in. From what I heard, Ruby rocked Lapis a bit to wake her up. I peered over to find no Peridot. In her place...dark, glass bottles of escape. Many of them. I shook my head behind the door, baffled by what could've happened.

"Lapis. Psst! Lapis! Wakey wakey, make me shaky." Ruby whispered into Lapis's ear.

Lapis groaned awake, blinking several times until Ruby came into vision.

"What do you want, Booby?" Lapis hazily asked.

"It's Ruby, but if you want, you can touch a booby." Ruby said, caressing Lapis's hand.

"Huh? Ughh...What time is it? Why are you coming to me so early for this?"

"A little...ecstatic."

"'Insatiable,' more like."

"So, how about it? Feeling frisky?" Ruby flirted.

"Go away already. Nhhg. Ugh, god, my head. I'm not in the mood." Lapis sluggishly rejected.

I sigh in relief. Whatever happened, it's soured her sexual appetite.

"B-But why?" Ruby asked.

"I'm just not, ok? Damn. Just leave.."

Good. It's over. Lapis isn't having it. Now Ruby will just have to make up with Sapphire like a normal person. Gem. Uh...space rock.

"...It's her, isn't it?"

Lapis's eyes open wide for a second or two. She softly buried her head back into her pillow.

"What did Peridot do, Lapis? Where is she?"

"Nothing and nowhere."

Ruby wrapped her arms around Lapis and nudged Lapis's neck with her head.

"Something and somewhere. Come on. Please..."

"...She's upset." Lapis responded.

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"She's mad...because of yesterday. Because I said I was gonna fuck you...I-I flew back to t-the barn and..a-and..and...and I saw Peridot stomping away from the barn. I tried to stop her. Told her to lighten up. Make up sex. Feel better...She told me to go fuck myself with a bottle of carpet disinfectant."

"What else?"

"She..She said she wasn't a pair of clothes to be worn and hung up when I felt like it. She told me she wouldn't be one of many. She yelled at me. Pushed me...Touched me...Touched me everywhere.

"What?"

"She...She...She made me her bitch. Told me she show me how it felt to be one, but not the only one of hers. How it felt to be promised loyal dominance, just to be given unfaithful submission. And now she's off somewhere, fucking someone else when I should be fucking her..."

Lapis teared up and rose up, Ruby sliding down off the bed.

"When she should be fucking me!" Lapis yelled out, throwing a beer bottle out of the barn. And another. And another. And another.

Lapis fell into her hands, sobbing. Ruby gently grasped Lapis's hands and pried them from Lapis's face. Ruby put her hand on Lapis's cheek.

"Who says it should just be her?" Ruby asked.

Ruby brushed strands of Lapis's hair back, revealing more of Lapis's face.

"And who says you can't have a substitute?"

"But...But I-"

"Shouldn't be restraining yourself to one flavor, when you can have much more. I'll hold you tighter, kiss you sweeter, fuck you harder. Love you not more...but most."

Ruby leaned in and gently collasped her lips into Lapis's. Lapis never fought back. Not even for a second. Ruby climbed into Lapis's bed, hopping on top of Lapis. I rush into the barn to try to interrupt them.

"Stop this! Ruby, think about what you're doing!" I said.

Guess what those motherfuckers did...Have you guessed yet? No? Bitch, guess. Whatever, I didn't really care if you did or not. They didn't do anything. In fact, they progressed! Ruby started fingering Lapis and tearing off her bra while Lapis grabbed Ruby's ass through her shorts.

"Come on! You're just gonna ignore me?"

Obviously so, as they drowned me out with moaning. They're hopeless...No, wait. Not...hopeless...Almost, I guess. Oh, why bother? They're not budging. I'd be better off trying another time.

"...Fine."

I walked out the barn, slamming the doors shut. I turned away and made the trek back to the temple. Ugh...Goddamnit. What's with gems nowadays? So damn emotional and...confusing. How does a wifebeater like Lapis become the beaten wife? How did Peridot, the beaten wife, become Since when did loyal Ruby become unfaithful? Why was sensible Sapphire so enraged, blind, fucking unstable?!

~It's the way it's always been, Steven.~

What do you mean? They've never been so flawed.

~They were always flawed. Like me. Like you. Like all gems. When I was here, I used my flaws to better theirs. Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst...Ruby...Sapphire...Bismuth. All of them. I did what I could to fix them. Help them...and I ended up hurting them. I left them and gave them you. And you?~

...

~You just my way of saying 'goodbye.' I wanted you to help them. To be like me, yet yourself. And you didn't. You weren't. And because of my misjudgment, they only got worse. Brought others along for the train-wreak of a ride.~

Yeah. Thanks for that, mom.

~I love them all, but...they are just sponges, ready to soak up anything they can...I don't think they can be how they were. Not anymore.~

Of course they can. All I have to do is seperate Lapis and Ruby, have Lapis and Sapphire make amends, fix Lapis and Peridot's relationship, and then we can get things back to how they were.

~..Heh. Ha, ha...ahhh..If only, Steven. If only.~

Trust me, things will go back to normal. Damn. Have some faith. Thought you were a leader. Not some depressing emo.

~You haven't seen the things I've seen. Heard. Done. But trust me...you'll feel them. You'll suffer for it. You'll change because of my mistakes...So please, if you do me one favor, let it be this: Survive everything and bring everyone with you...~

"That's two things, mom." I joked, my gem glowing softly.

It was almost like i could feel her stifling a laugh.

~Don't be a smartass.~

My gem stopped glowing abruptly just as I grabbed the doorknob. The door swung open as I was pulled into a group hug. Amethyst, Pearl and Sapphire asking where I was all day.

"We've been looking everywhere for you, Steven!" Amethyst said.

"Why have you been away so long without telling us?!" Pearl asked.

"What's the matter with you, you little-" Sapphire asked, hugging tighter.

"Ah! Damn. Get off me. Can't a guy take a fucking walk? Geez. I was at the barn." I told them.

"Let me guess. With those two?" Sapphire sneered.

I've been with those two alright. Oh ho ho, she has no fucking idea.

"Oh yeah. I have."

"I won't tell you how to waste your time. You've seemed to have great ways to waste it on your own."

"I'm just playing counselor. I'm more worried about you and Ruby."

"Speaking of which, where is Ruby?" Amethyst asked.

Ah shit...

"Uh, Ruby? No idea. Haven't seen her all day, really. Then again, I've just been at the barn. How could I know where she is?" I lied.

"Well, wherever she is, I know she'll be back. I hope I didn't push her away." Sapphire said.

When push comes to shove, you pushed Ruby so she could shove Lapis. Hard.

"Oh, I'm sure she's alright, Sapphire." Pearl reassured Sapphire.

"I mean, where could she go? She'll be back." Amethyst added.

Yeah. She'll be back...back in the house...wait. What if..she stays in..the..barn? Mmmmmy god. What if her dumbass stays in the barn for a while? Well, maybe she will be back soon. Yeah, yeah. Soon. To fuse with Sapphire...and become Garnet...and..still feel the same way about La...pis.

Oh fuck.