Chapter 6:
Pearl POV:
It was four in the morning and a short lock of messy peach hair brushes against her cheek as she repositioned her head on a steadily moving mattress. Wait a minute!
Pearl slowly gained consciousness, mattresses don't move from what she'd been told. She was too reluctant to open her eyes to the unknown so she took a good sniff of her surroundings. BIG MISTAKE! Wherever she was smelled clod awful, definitely not her room. One last test, Pearl focused hard and willed her sleeping fingers to grip the mattress gently. The mattress was warm, and firm and was ..BREATHING! Her teal eyes snapped open to a dark purple wall, a swift movement and the purple turned to white. Pearl moved her arms off the mattress and used them to prop herself up. She really wished she hadn't opened her eyes.
A. Not a mattress, a couch.
B. Not a couch, a Gem.
C. Not " A Gem", Amethyst
Oh wait, one more observation, based on the fact she saw her own pale skin when she looked down, she was bare naked. Naked, sleeping on top of a sleeping Amethyst in Amethyst's room. She quickly put together the pieces. She hadn't just slept with Amethyst, she'd slept with Amethyst!
If Pearl wasn't so careful, who knows what would have slipped from her lips at that moment. Good thing she'd thought better than that and nimbly moved off the still unconscious warrior phasing into a new outfit and now standing began to pace in front of the couch as thoughts filled her head.
'Okay, think.' she tapped her shocked temple. 'Positives: Your headaches gone! That's good right! And Amethyst looks peaceful.'
She glanced down at the Gem who had her head leaning back on the couch arm and her arms had fallen to the sides when Pearl had gotten up but was none the less undisturbed,her messy hair framing a contempt face, mouth open slightly and softly snoring. Pearl felt a smile creep over her face looking down at her companion, Amethyst was certainly comfortable and happy and the more the pale Gem looked over her sleeping teammate the more she had to admit, she could have done way worse than this adorable mess.
Ugh mess, now she had to look at the negatives. 'Negatives: Major friction in the team dynamic. What would she say to Amethyst when she woke up? Would she want more? Did she herself want more? They certainly couldn't let Steven know what had happened. Would this change missions? Would this put lives in jeopardy?'
Pearl shook her head and turned away from the blissfully unaware Amethyst. Taking a deep breath Pearl decided she was a coward. She couldn't face Amethyst when she woke up, she had probably already overstayed her welcome. As much as Pearl hoped this wasn't a mistake, what if it was? What if Amethyst would want to forget this happened? Pearl didn't want to forget this. Pearl knew she'd hold onto the feeling of the closeness she had felt with the violet Gem in a similar way she held onto Rose's' memory only much differently. But Amethyst didn't appear to see sexual intercourse as connection. Amethyst was more experienced, and was taught to use it as recreation from what Pearl gathered. And in her weakness, she had given in and given Amethyst a way beneath her walls because she had feverently desired it. Could she/ would she use this against the pale Gem in the future?
If Pearl let on to the possibility of long term arrangements she was accustomed to believing came with sexual intercourse would the younger Gem laugh at her? Afterall, could a Pearls' devotion to a Quartz ever be returned? Rose had left her for a human of all things! And the Diamonds seemed downright neglectful of their Pearls. So although every bone in her body ached to see Amethyst wake up and her throat burned to ask the untamable Gem if she had performed satisfactory last night, she knew for her sanity she had to run away from the confrontation of her fears.
"Forgive the foolish me." she whispered half for herself and half for the unknowing Gem behind her as she walked slowly to the waterfall. She moved some old pizza boxes close to the wall and pushed a button protruding from the wall. Silently the water parted and steps appeared on the cliff. She had installed this when Amethyst had first come to live with them for emergencies, though they had never been used and eventually forgotten. Now slowly ascending the steps she saw cobwebs sweep by her feet and at the top an apple floated past her. Curiously she picked it up and read the note attached. She gulped and violently threw it down against the rocks. Reaching her room safely she retracted the stairs and walked over to her framed portrait of Rose Quartz.
"Have I done the right thing?" She looked up at the picture for a sign of an answer but knew none would ever come. A voice in her head told her Amethyst wasn't going to be too happy about their night together. It was time to do what Pearl always did, assume she had messed up and prepare for the worst. How to get Amethyst to forgive her? Hmm,edible goods! But the younger Gem had mindlessly consumed all the food last night. Looks like it was off to the market again. Pearl sighed and unlocked her door from the inside on yet another journey for peace offerings with … oh not good, she didn't even know what to safely call Amethyst anymore!
4 Hours Later
Amethyst POV:
A cold wave crashed over her, fight as she might she couldn't breath. Peridot's laughter rang above the roaring waves. "You clods! You believed in me and fell right into my trap! Like I'd actually want to be a 'Crystal Gem.' Now this whole planets going to die! And you along with it!"
Amethyst spit out some sea water hanging onto a wooden board of the destroyed beach house. She glanced up at Peridot standing besides Yellow Diamond and Lapis who was controlling the vicious hurricane, until Jaspers' shadow blocked her view.
"This warrior is my prize. Congrats, you get a quicker death because of your class. Now stand up and at least go down in dignity." The fully formed orange general laughed
Amethyst leaned against the board and tried to pull herself up but slipped and barely grasped the board again on her way down.
"You're pathetic. To think, we could have been equals." Amethyst looked away as the familiar scenario of a boot came down to crush her. But it didn't happen, there was a clash of metal and a loud sound but no death. Amethyst looked back to discover Pearl crouched with her spear between Jaspers boot and Amethyst.
"I left you once, I'm not leaving again. Get out of here!"
"No way! This is my death, not yours!"
"Death can't separate us, I'll reform again and return to you. Now go!"
Amethyst nodded knowing she couldn't persuade Pearl out of this and with what remained of her strength released the board to let the waves carry her to shore. Jasper screamed in rage and metal clashed with metal. As Amethyst drifted farther and farther away all she could think about was how she would never forget her...PANCAKES!
One smell Amethyst would forget her dream world for. Something smelled like a full on breakfast! She sat up and scratched her head, it hurt more than usual but that might have just been the odd position she'd fallen asleep it. Wasn't to say she didn't feel well rested, and only slightly paranoid about what was real and what wasn't. Peridot turning on them, real or nah? Unknown at the moment. Pearl coming to her rescue? Dream world. Pearl going crazy for her last night….Amethyst looked at the ground to see the remains of Pearls' bra. She picked it up and examined her own bite marks on the bridge. Oh yeah, that happened!
aA smug grin only lasted two seconds on Amethyst's face before she realized, Pearl had left her there. On the other hand, maybe she just wanted to bake the passionate Gem a thank you feast in return for the wild ride she'd given her last night. If that's the case, then Amethyst could accept it just this once. But she would have to make up for the lack of morning body warmth later. The black eyes gleamed as she stretched her arm over her head and existed her den.
The hallway lights were off now and natural light filled the hallway as she continued stretching towards the kitchen. A door on her left opened and Peridot came walking out with her new toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. The tiny one looked at Amethyst and held out her finger then peaked her head back around the corner and spit before starting a conversation.
"Salutations Amethyst. I'd say lovely weather we're having but that would be a 'fib' as Steven calls it."
Amethyst watched Peridot carefully trying to tell herself that the former Diamond messenger standing before her hadn't done anything to deserve her wrath, yet. "Uh, say what?"
"I'm merely implying that it appears atmospheric pressure is dropping and there's an unusual amount of moisture in the air suggesting a 'storm' as earth people call it is approaching."
Amethyst's ears perked up. "ohh yeah? And why are you telling me this?"
Peridot shrugged. "I'm told that being part of a team means 'looking out' for eachother. Consider this a friendly warning, don't go swimming."
Nope! To similar! This Peridot knew something! Amethyst's arms shot out and snatched Peridots' arms pinning her to the wall. "WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING!"
"I'M NOT PLANNING ANYTHING YOU CLOD! UNHAND ME!"
"THEN WHY TELL ME ALL THAT!?" Amethyst pounded her fist against the wall. "WHERE ARE THEY!?"
"WHERE ARE WHO?!"
Amethyst lifted her fist up again but it was restrained before she could place it down.
"Amethyst?! What has gotten into you?!"
The purple Gem looked up to see her couch mate from hours ago staring down at her. She gulped snapping out of her rage and turned back to Peridot, releasing her.
"I..I don't know. Just in my dream last night she..she betrayed the Crystal Gems."
Pearl crouched down to Amethyst's level "That must have been terrifying, but it was only a dream. As far as we know only Steven has realistic dreams, but the rest of the time he sees Dogcopter or some cheesy sitcom. It's no reason to blame your teammate for what they did in a dream."
Pearl released Amethyst's arm and Peridot raised her finger. "While I am a bit dismayed of your lack of trust in me, I must say I've given you reason to doubt me before. Also, I rather like being the mysterious one, watching you clods constantly trying to understand my motives. SO yes, be very afraid."
"You're not the mysterious one." Came Garnets voice from far off causing Peridot to blush and keep her head down.
Amethyst hadn't paid any attention to Peridot and wrapped her arms around Pearl. "You're right P, thanks."
Pearl felt a slight blush claim her face but she shook it off and while Amethyst was leaning up to kiss her cheek she stood up. "No reason to thank me, just didn't want you wasting your strength. There's an Earth breakfast in the kitchen if you're hungry."
Amethyst watched, stunned at Pearls' sudden coldness, as the lithe Gem started to stalk off. But it was Peridot who spoke.
"Pearls have such strange mating rituals."
Both Crystal Gems turned around abruptly and stared open mouthed.
Peridot bursted out laughing "WHAT!? Did you two honestly think I wouldn't put cameras in all your rooms! Man! You wildly underestimated me!"
Amethyst gritted her teeth and Pearls jaw dropped but Peridot refused to quit.
"But,to be fair I wildly underestimated you two as well! I mean what an excitingly educational show last night!"
Thier faces glowed dark purple and dark blue as the one who lacked all respect of privacy babbled on.
"Not in my wildest dreams would I actually imagine a Pearl actually losing their virginity! But with the limitless rules of this planet you went ahead and did it anyways! You'd think if they were at least given the privilege of being a Quartz's sex slave on HomeWorld they'd be there to serve their master. But no! You guys surpassed that too because of how defective you are!"
Amethyst slammed her palm into her own forehead as Pearl kneeled onto the floor chuckling to herself her eyes rapidly darting back and forth.
Peridot wasn't done gloating and waving her arms energetically as she explained her new obsession. "Forget that lame camping show, that's the only footage I'm examining in the next 78 hours. I mean naturally I was repulsed at first but, I couldn't find the darn off button and eventually I realised how I would probably never see something like this again! Wait, will I?!"
Amethyst growled low and grabbed Peridot by the collar of her shirt, rage filling up her eyes.
"Listen Perinavder! You will erase that tape, you will take down your cameras. And we will never speak of this again!"
"Oh yeah? Make me. Go feral on me! I'm sure we'll all get a kick out of it." The green Gem smirked.
Pearl laughed and cried hugging her knees as Amethyst cocked her arm back.
"Um...guys?"
Steven looked up at his makeshift family with tears in his eyes. "W-what's going on here."
Pearl was too far gone into her mind to fix this situation so Amethyst would have to try her hardest. She put Peridot down and patted her shoulder.
"Nothing Steven, Peridot just told a really bad joke and it really cracked Pearled up but I'm really pissed at it. So it's been banned from this house." She glared at the smug Gem with the corner of her eye.
"Hey, I thought it was the best 'joke' I've heard so far! Want to hear it Steven?"
The small half Gem nodded quickly.
"alright so...MFFFFPHHH" Amethyst quickly covered Peridots mouth with her palm. "Banned...means...banned."
She looked back at Steven who was now drying his eyes and looked genuinely confused. "Sorry Steven, but I'm doing you a favor. Steven isn't ever to hear this joke, got it Peridot?"
The smaller Gem nodded and amethyst let go. "Alright fine, I won't tell him today. If...you say I'm more "cool" than you." Peridot crossed her her arms and grinned.
Amethyst groaned and mumbled looking at the opposite wall. "Fine...you're." This was going to be harder than the Quartz thought. "'cooler' than me. Alright! Happy!"
Peridot snickered. "Oh I am very satisfied. Now come on Steven, explain to me what this human tech in the bathroom is. I believe it is some sort of under performing heat ray."
Steven followed Peridot into the bathroom to explain to her that it was a hair dryer, leaving Amethyst and a delirious Pearl in the hallway.
The violet Gem sighed and sat down patting Pearl's head. "I'm sorry P, I had no idea she had cameras in my room."
Pearl laughed tucking her head into her knees.
"Uhh, P. You okay….." Amethyst coaxed the laughing Gems head to glance at her.
"Our lives our over!" Pearl giggled her eyes in swirls. "Garnet's gonna flip! Steven's gonna be corrupted! Peridots going to rule over us with the footage! All because we couldn't keep off of eachother!." she slapped her hand on the hallway floor and went into another laughing fit.
Amethyst stood up and walked into the kitchen leaving Pearl to run in circles lying down. She walked back in a minute later with a glass of water and poured it onto Pearls head.
The water hit Pearls neck and she cringed but it worked. She stood up and grabbed the younger Gem's shoulders. "What are we going to do Amethyst!"
"Don't worry P, I got this. I won't let her make a fool out of you." Amethyst grinned shifting into a purple rhino and charged into Peridot's room door. It didn't budge. She shifted back and sat on her butt holding her head, it didn't exactly help her headache. She looked up at the obviously unamused alabaster Gem with a guilty smile. "Plan B?"
Pearl tapped her foot and looked sternly at her...crap still didn't know what to call her. "We need to tell Garnet."
"Woah!" Amethyst stood up with her hand out. "Are you sure we should P?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense, maybe she can help."
"I can." The dumbstruck friends turned around for their final surprise of the evening. The dark crimson Gem stood leaning against the counter in the kitchen glaring right at them under sunglasses. "You two, need to love more."