Steven Universe Fanfiction

My Pearl

Chapter 6: A Few Days of Off

Brief Author's Warning: We're getting Edgy with M here but nothing too explicit.


Patricia wakes up with a start, eyes wide. She sees the plain segmented ceiling of their room, gasping lightly. Slowly, she calms down, sitting up as she takes deep breaths. It has been a long while since she last dreamed and she still struggles with the phenomena. And if that's the case, then Edward should be around…that's when she feels arms envelop her gently in warmth. She sighs.

"So, that was new…" Edward begins.

"Mmm."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I…it's nothing. I guess talking about my past is what brought this on. The prospect of eventually facing the Crystal Gems doesn't exactly put me at ease either. But really, I'm alright," she assures Edward.

"Alright," he replies, hugging her a bit tighter. They stay silent for just a bit.

"You didn't shower last night, did you?"

"Excuse me for having a tender moment with my wife," Edward scoffs playfully.

Patricia gently pushes him away a bit, taking in his appearance. While she will always appreciate his shirtless body and may or may not at times appreciate his natural musk, she takes in the other aspects like the dark circles under his eyes and the disheveled hair with strands of it peeking out of his usually neat queue.

"You really shouldn't be up all night watching my dreams. I'd hate to mess up your sleep schedule, especially on a work day. Not to mention your health and…"

"It's fine. We can close up shop for the day and resume tomorrow. I think we can afford a day off, wouldn't you say?"

She opens her mouth to protest but thinks better of it. It has been a while, she thinks. What's the harm?

"You know, that sounds like a splendid idea. And I know just what to do today. You go clean yourself up while I get everything ready," she happily trills, already removing her nightgown and flashing on her usual dress.

"Join me?" Edward asks with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.

"Dirty man," she chuckles, "See you in a bit, darling."

And with a quick peck on the lips, she disappears down the stairs into the kitchen. Edward can't help his own chuckle, glad that his wife isn't too troubled by the dream. Then again, she could very well be just pretending it doesn't trouble her. He frowns at the thought but then shakes his head. If it should ever come to it, he will be there to comfort and help her get through it. Before that though, a good shower is in order; he does feel rather sticky after all.

In the kitchen, Patricia has just fitted a picnic blanket into a wicker basket when she hears her husband come down the steps with a slow steady gait, wearing light tan cargo shorts and a white tank top. Turning, she smiles as he yawns a bit and drowsily wipes away at his eyes; somewhat more alert after a bracing cold shower but still not quite all there.

"Letting your hair down, dear?" Patricia chuckles.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I figured why not; always good to let it breath, you know?" he replies, running a hand through the long flowing hair for tangles; he secures it with a hair tie, taming it into one very long ponytail that ends just below his butt.

"Shall we?" Edward asks as he offers the crook of his arm.

Their walk to the other side of town is slow and steady. Hoping to meet up with Greg, they make their way down the street only to find it once again closed; the jovial man nowhere in sight. They figure that he may be just be spending quality time with his son and continue on. They eventually reach the Boardwalk and peruse many of the establishments. At the T-Shirt Shop, Edward teasingly points out a hot pink one that reads "One Hot Beach" while whispering into Patricia's ear. Flustered but giggling, she retaliates with a powder blue shirt with a picture of an athletic woman on top of a mountain of volleyballs that reads "Dominated" and whispers something back. Edward flushes red before bellowing out in laughter, attracting curious stares from what few customers are there.

A little while later, the couple burst out of the store snickering; Edward wearing powder blue "Dominated" while Patricia has changed clothes wearing sky blue Capri shorts, pure white sandals, and hot pink "One Hot Beach." Continuing their walk, they see Nanefua passing out flyers with Jenny in front of Fish Stew Pizza. Their neighbors Mr. Fryman and Ronaldo are doing the same thing in front of Beach Citywalk Fries. They exchange pleasantries with each other, asking how they've been, business, amusing anecdotes, conspiracy theories from Ronaldo, and what-not. Jenny is quick to point out the t-shirts with a conspiratorial grin as Patricia separates briefly from Edward to whisper to Jenny and Nanefua, the women giggling as they leave the men to talk conspiratorially in return as Mr. Fryman heartily slaps Edward on the back. Nanefua lets out a cackle though as she launches into an amusing anecdote from her youth, involving one Mr. Pizza and Nanefua.

One story later, Edward and Patricia are a brightly colored couple of embarrassment as they retreat (politely) from the renewed cackling of Nanefua and the shocked guffaws of Jenny, gasping out a farewell. The Frymans are but pale shock-filled husks as they silently go back to their own business; Ronaldo muttering something about his blog. The couple returns the farewell shyly before walking (politely) as fast as they can away. It is only after walking past the Funland Arcade into a side street between it and Cone'N'Son do they embarrassedly laugh at the saucy old woman and her tales.

Calming down into snickers and giggles, the two continue their walk. The sun is beginning to set, bathing everything in a mixture of soft light and long shadows. As they make their way north on Chesapeake Street, they can see the Ferris wheel of Funland Amusement Park slowly moving. The sounds of whirring mechanics and gears of the other rides and the cries of jubilance grow as they walk. But that is not their destination. They instead turn on Waterman Street in the same direction of their tea shop and home, completing their circuit. But they do not end it there. Instead they walk past the shop and onto the beach. It is on this side of the beach with the Funland Amusement Park to one side and the destroyed remnants of what once was a dock on the other that they settle down with their basket.

Their picnic is a small one: white paper plates topped with crackers, and slices of ham and brie cheese; and a bottle of Moscato with two wine glasses; all of which are laid neatly on a plaid-patterned blanket of deep blue and white. Edward opens the bottle and carefully pours the bubbling liquor into the wine glasses. He gently hands one to Patricia, whom delicately grasps at the stem.

"To us," Edward toasts.

"To us," she replies, the glasses softly ting against each other.

The sun has nearly set now as it slowly disappears over the horizon and blue begins to flow over the shades of pink and orange. He offers some food to her but she politely refuses, citing her nonexistent need to eat. She is content to sip at the wine. They talk softly, their hands intertwined. Gentle kisses and sweet nothings are exchanged. Eventually though, Edward lets out a great yawn. Having stayed up for a majority of twenty-four hours can be rather draining. And so, they clean up what is left of their picnic and head up towards their home.

In their home, they go about slowly putting away everything and their nightly rituals. It is fortunate that they were in their room with the futon laid out for it was at this point that Edward had immediately surrendered to the sweet lull of sleep and face-planted into the soft bedding. A soft giggle on her lips, Patricia joins him; her arms gently embracing his head to her gem. Though unconscious, he nuzzles into her in return; sighing. So they lay, happy and content.


"Thank you, we hope to see you again," Patricia trills.

Another day of customers and tea comes to an end as she cleans up after the last one. She moves towards the glass doors, flipping the "Open" sign to "Closed," and locks the door. With a final look through the main room, she is satisfied that everything is in its place and clean. With the tray of the last used tea ware in hand, she enters the kitchen where Edward is stationed at the sink, washing and drying. Placing the tray on the counter beside him, she pecks him on the cheek.

"How are you, darling?"

"I don't know, think I need another kiss to answer that and not on the cheek," he chuckles, wrapping his arms around her waist and swooping in for a kiss on the lips.

She squeals playfully as they deepen the kiss, her own arms intertwining behind Edward's neck to draw him nearer. She moans as he grinds into her hips hard, shuddering at the contrasting smoothness of the silk and the rough force of his body. His kisses move towards her neck, nibbling and licking. She lets out a small gasp at the feeling before squealing as Edward begins to suck harshly, leaving a dark blue mark on her pristine neck. He trails down towards her gem while ghosting a fingertip up her back. Two hands smack themselves onto Edward's cheeks, bringing him eye level with his wife; a dark look in her eyes.

"Upstairs. Now."

Edward emits a growl as he bridal carries her swiftly up the stairs. As soon as they're in their room, he roughly backs her into the closet door and attacks. Lips locked, his tongue teases her lips as they knock for entry. She grants it, her own tongue dancing with his. While his mouth is busy, one hand roughly squeezes a cheek on her derriere through her dress. The other is desperately clawing at the closet door, looking for purchase to slide it open and get the futon out. In his lust-addled mind, he curses their futon for not being readily accessible and something behind his head coming undone? The thought is immediately driven out of his mind and the curse forgiven when he manages to slide open the closet door and throws the folded futon into a heap on the floor. The couple in heat soon follow, landing in the bunched up cushion of the bedding; Patricia straddling Edward as his ink-colored hair splats out on the heaped bedding.

"Cheeky bird," he rumbles.

Her reply is a feral grin. She slowly undoes the ties of his changshan, kissing and sucking at every bit of exposed skin that is revealed as more ties are undone; he moans as he savors every strong suckle of his skin. With the last tie undone, she whips open his shirt and exposes his lean wiry body. Edward wriggles out from it and tosses the changshan into the closet, mumbling how he'll get it later as he sits up to kiss Patricia once more. Desperate to feel her, be begins his own work.

The black ribbon is the first to go, rudely untied and thrown away as it disappears into glittering stardust. Her blouse goes much the same way as he rips the front open, buttons shooting out haphazardly. Her naked pert breasts tipped with pink nipples revealed, he does all that he can with his mouth: he kisses them, licks, nibbles with lips and teeth, suckles, between, around, to the sides.

"Edward…" she rasps out.

She feels a particular hardness grinding against her, a warmth blooming in her core. She cannot help the giggle that bubbles forth as she grinds against it in return, eliciting a growl from her lover. He works the blouse off her body, she raising her arms to accommodate as it also disappears.

Now only the skirt is left. Calloused hands slowly glide their way up her thigh; her moans getting just a bit louder as she grinds against him again. His right hand continues to cup one of the cheeks to her soft butt. The other delves deep, meeting a wetness that coats his fingers. Whatever he was doing with his mouth comes to an end, as he brings his hand to his face. He twiddles with them, feeling the moisture and observing the strands that form when his fingers part. She groans.

"Dirty bird, I could understand no bra but no panties too?"

"I thought you might appreciate it. Madame Bellamy told me every man does," she smirks.

"…She and I are having words the next time we are in Charm City."

"Whatever you say dear but," this time when she grinds against him, it is hard and rough; he can feel the wetness soakings its way in, "I believe you have more 'pressing' matters to deal with now, hm?"

"That's just not fair," he growls as he flips their positions, him now being on top of her as her peach colored tresses fan out as his own long ink-colored hair curtains their faces, "And I will make you pay for that."

She giggles in response but it is quick to become a moan; something he makes sure to hear again and again until it eventually becomes screams, gasps, and sweet lustful words.


"As much as I love our bouts in bed, what brought that on?" Patricia asks languidly as she lays half on top of Edward, drawing circles against his sternum.

"Do you want the short answer or the long answer?"

"I believe you gave me the 'long answer' earlier but if you could give me an abridged version of your verbal long answer, I'd appreciate it," she replies, looking up at him with a grin.

"Cheeky bird," he chuckles but the humor is short-lived as a somber expression overtakes his face, "But to answer your question: fear for the future, fear for you, fear for…everything and anything about us."

"Edward…" Patricia begins.

But she goes no further, not when a Boom rips across the night sky. Edward's heart seizes, his eyes pinpricks.

"GET DOWN!" He immediately covers her body with his, breathing harshly and quickly; too quickly.

There's a ringing in his head, his vision is swimming. He smells burning wood and gasoline, he can hear the cries. He feels the blast of burning air. He sees a nun, golden-haired and blue-eyed smiling gently at him before she bursts into flames. What is that terrible screaming!?

"Edward!? Edward, please!"

What is this coldness embracing his face!? Death, is that you?

"Edward, please, come back to me! Wherever you are, it's not real!"

No, no the voice is right. This is not real…or it was, but not now, never again. He's not back there, never again, he's here. He's here in Beach City with…

"…Patricia?" he asks.

His vision becomes clearer, his breaths becoming slower. He's on top of her, his arms supporting his weight at either side of her. There is fear in her eyes; oh god, the fear.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I…" He sobs. Her hands gently bring him in; his head nestled in her bosom.

"Shhh…everything is going to be alright, Edward. Just breath." She consoles, her embrace being just a bit tighter.

He cries himself to sleep in that softness, cursing his weakness. There is no peace this night, not even in the darkness of dreamless slumber.


As days go by, there is a melancholy that follows him that even the customers begin to wonder. He and Patricia wave off their inquiries, saying it's nothing, that he's just under the weather. He is still polite, keeps up conversation and remembers certain details about customers; he even smiles but it is the one thing that fails to reach his eyes. His hair isn't even in his queue; just a wave of darkness that follows him. Patricia can only watch though as she attends to her own duties in the shop.

On this night, it is quiet but there are still some hours left before closing the shop. Edward has just seen off Nanefua, who had patted his hand sympathetically and wished him well. It is only five minutes after she's left does Edward sigh. Patricia embraces him from behind.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"…No. Not tonight at least. Just…give me some time to collect myself."

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Shutting me out from your past," she distances herself from him and she notices his twitch at the loss, "It doesn't seem fair that you know mine while I know next to nothing about yours."

"You lived in a time of war. I merely lived on the streets, hustling for money, and doing stupid shit with my gang."

"Stop doing that. Your problems are not so insignificant that they mean nothing to me. I am your wife and I will always be there for you, just as you've been there for me," she declares, taking Edward's hands in her own, "Besides, what I saw was not a man fondly recollecting his youth. What I saw was a man absolutely terrified of what he remembered that he broke down in my arms."

He so very much wants to deny it but knows that he can't. Ever since he met Patricia, nothing has ever reminded him of that day. Hell, he can't even remember every crying in front of her like that. And the pointed hypocrisy is also true but then again, his past doesn't and will never show up as a video hologram that lights up from a gem in his sleep. Still…

"Patricia, I…" But he is interrupted; Patricia's dainty finger placed softly on his lips.

"Please, don't force yourself. If you really want to tell me, do it when you're ready."

Edward numbly nods. He doesn't deserve her. Seemingly satisfied, Patricia cleans up after Nanefua's visit and moves to the kitchen. But the ringing sound chimes out when someone else enters.

"Hello and…oh, good evening, Steven. How are you?" Edward asks.

The boy appears to have his own sadness weighing upon him but there is a determination in his eyes, ready to fix whatever it is.

"I'm…alright. I guess things could be better though," the boy replies, looking around the shop.

"I know that feeling a little too well," Edward chuckles mirthlessly, "Normally I'd get you your usual iced tea but a thought occurs to me, especially since we planned on debuting it tomorrow. How would you like to be the first customer to try our new item bubble tea?"

The result is instantaneous as the boy gasps and his eyes shine, star-struck. Edward chuckles again but this time, there is happiness in it. It's as if he handed the boy a kingdom of sweets rather than just the one tea.

"What's bubble tea?" he asks excitedly.

"Hmmm…I suppose the best way to describe it is a much sweeter version of iced tea. The recipe differs from what tea infusion is used and what fruit flavor you want but it's all generally sweet tasting. What makes it bubble tea though are these balls of chewy tapioca that…well, look like bubbles so bubble tea. Then again, what we're making isn't exactly called bubble tea either, it's really boba tea but not a lot of people are aware of the difference so we just kind of…" Edward notes the confused look on Steven's face and has to stop himself, "…Sorry, rambling. This is the new menu with the flavors on it so take your time and choose," Edward says.

"Strawberry-banana please!" Steven shouts. Huh, guess he didn't need that much time.

"Coming right up," Edward laughs. Truly, this boy's energy and joy was infectious.

"Oh wait, can I get two? I'm meeting someone here."

"Oh? And who might you be meeting with here in this humble shop?" Edward grins.

"That's…" How quickly the joy fades from his face, "…a secret, kinda'."

"Is everything alright?" Edward asks. Once again, the hypocrisy of it all screams at him but he manages to ignore it for the boy's sake.

"Well, I'm kind of sort of having a secret team meeting here and I dunno…"

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Edward asks as he sits across from the boy.

Whatever it was that was troubling must've been great because he launches into his explanation with gusto: how he, Amethyst, and Pearl were messing around with a bubble containing gem shards, how it had popped and they had escaped, the formation of a secret team to gather everything before Garnet found out, how he missed the whole bonding and camaraderie of the secret team, and how he tried to get them back together by leaving his favorite fedora at the Big Donut but that failed miserably.

"I mean, they're always arguing but when they work together, it's like they become best of pals and they work together really great like the time we went to get the Heaven Beatle and they had to form Opal. And then there was…" Steven rambles on; it's a wonder he hasn't run out of breath yet, "So that's kind of why I asked to meet Garnet here."

"Wait what?"

There is a chime as the door opens and someone enters. At the entrance stands a tall curvaceous figure in a red and black body suit wearing shades that completely covered her eyes and her hair in a cube-like afro. Despite the barrier, he can feel her eyes burning into him.

'Oh Hell…'


Author's Note: I had some difficulty with this chapter for several reasons. The foremost being the near-sex scene: too much/explicit? Believable? Read too much like the trashy romance novels that everyone and their mother (whom secretly loves it) reads? Another thing was Gem Clothing: after re-watching several episodes and..."sub-text"...I've decided to go with the idea that their clothes function like regular clothes but because they're made of light, they are ridiculously durable and dirt-repelling. If it turns out their clothing functions differently (like show-Peridot said), I have another scene prepared for that but still: is suspension of belief there and enough? Edward's panic attack: was that believable in any way or was that like "You know nothing about this subject matter, you twit"?

Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter and those to come. See you all next chapter.