Backstage Protection
A Steven Universe Fanfiction
Chapter 3
A/N: Sorry for the break everyone, I've had some pretty bad writer's block. Some of the portions in this chapter are referring to my one-shot Home, which is also uploaded here, so please check that out before continuing. At the time I'm writing this, the regular time I went to bed was 22 minutes ago, so please forgive any grammatical or continuity errors. I'm taking up too much time, so this chapter is short, but expect a longer one tomorrow!
The following day was long for Lapis. Helping Peridot sort through everything they had collected, occasionally accidentally looking at her a bit longer than she meant to. Handing the green gem assorted pieces whenever needed until the sun had gone down and neither of them had any energy left to continue. Eventually, the cold had set in, and Lapis – being not only the older gem, but a survivor of the previous war – had been set in charge of lighting a fire and making this more of a camp than it had appeared at first.
Admittedly, she had let her guard down. Her trust in Peridot had been utterly shattered when she went back on her promise not to go to Earth personally, and Lapis had sworn to herself that she wouldn't let it happen and let her feelings for her get out of hand again. She'd cut whatever they had off and she intended to keep it cut off.
The ocean gem carefully laid some more underbrush over the fire, making the flames leap a bit higher. A quick glance was all she graced the other gem with, and she was pleased to notice that she was distracted; entranced by the light, maybe.
"Do you think we should even go home?"
Surprisingly, it wasn't her own voice that broke the silence above the crackling of the heat source. Dark blue eyes quickly, confusedly, shot up. Homeworld was all Peridot had ever known.
Lapis hesitated, poking at the flames with a long stick, before she spoke up.
"I think you should."
"What about you?"
Even more hesitation. She didn't know. She didn't know. She wished she could give a direct answer, but she knew she would be labelled as a traitor if she returned, and having that sentence thrown at her twice was not something that she wanted to live through.
"I'm not sure," she responded in a quiet voice, "I don't know if it's the best place to return to right now."
"Well, if you're not going back, then neither am I." Peridot replied in an uncharacteristically stubborn tone, crossing her arms.
"Why?" Lapis raised an eyebrow, not understanding.
"Look, I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry. I was under orders. I was under orders to do all that." The green gem glared at the fire, orange flickering across her visor. "And... I've been questioning the Diamond Authority since the first time you went missing. I don't want to lose you again, I can't afford to. Especially if it's just because I was ordered to do something that damaged your trust." A long pause. "I'm worry, Lapis."
The blue gem felt where her heart would be warm with affection, but she shook her head to chase it off.
"Look, Peri. I appreciate it. But... orders or not, I can't go back to whatever we had before. I can't do that to myself. I don't know if I can trust you again."
She could almost feel the other's sadness in the air, and that crushed her.
"I'm still sticking by you. I don't think I want to go home anyway."
"Peridot, it's all you've ever known."
"What's life without a few risks?"
Lapis glanced back up at her and smiled faintly, shaking her head fondly a bit. "Okay. Your choice. Not going to argue."
Something neither of them noticed, however, was that the leaves behind them were being crushed by something far larger than the both of them put together, dark grumbling accompanying the footsteps.