I Love You
"So, you're Ruby and you're Sapphire?"
Ruby rolled her eyes and scoffed for the umpteenth time. Sitting on the couch that sat in their living room, Sapphire and Ruby had un-fused to meet their favorite person in the galaxy. Steven Universe.
"But why did you wait to tell me until now? I mean, I didn't think there was a special reason on why Garnet had so many eyes. It just made her cooler."
Ruby smirked a little at this but she could see the confusion in Steven's features. The feelings of hurt, slight rejection, and sadness passing through those eyes that she loved so much. Wanting to reach out to touch his cheek, Sapphire beat her to it instead. Like this, they were all around the same height. So it wasn't difficult for her to wrap her arms around the boy's neck and pull him into a hug. Steven's eyes were wide and he looked at Sapphire from the side before engulfing her in a hug. Climbing down from her perch, Ruby joined the hug pressing the both of them close to her. Her most important people.
"We love you, Steven. But at the time, you needed more than just four strangers raising you. You needed someone who could be a mother for you, the mother that you didn't have. I know it doesn't make up for keeping a secret from you, but we only did what we had to because we love you."
Sapphire's voice was calm and cool as she spoke and even Ruby felt the power in her voice. Steven's hold on them tightened a little. Ruby bit the inside of her cheek before looking to the side, her cheeks darkening into a carmine red.
"Besides, how can you tell a little baby about this kind of stuff anyway?"
Steven leaned back to look at her and Sapphire giggled. Ruby's blush only deepened as she retracted her arms and folded them.
"I mean, compared to us, you're just a little baby still. So don't get so uppity about it."
Steven's eyebrows knitted together in confusion but Sapphire gave him a light pat to the arm with a finger to her lips. Leaning over when Ruby wasn't paying attention, she pressed a kiss to the other's cheek. Ruby's body went rigid and a silly smile formed on her lips as she lazily stared at Sapphire. Normally, kisses were rather weird things to do in front of a kid. But Steven couldn't help but smile and watch them as they looked at one another. Is this what Garnet had been made up of? So much love and happiness that was contained in such small people?
Even more than that..
"What did you guys mean by.. 'we already love you'?"
Ruby and Sapphire looked at him almost in unison and Steven could feel his heart drop into his stomach. Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and Sapphire gently smiled. But they both reached out for him, Ruby's hand on his head ruffling his hair like Garnet always did and Sapphire's on his cheek cupping it and causing him to smile and blush.
"Exactly what we said, we love you, Steven."
Their voices sounded just like Garnet's in unison and he couldn't help but feel his eyes overwhelm with tears. A light flash and the two had become one, Garnet kneeling before him with her sunglasses in place. Steven wrapped his arms around her torso and pressed his cheek against her chest with small tears falling.
"I love you too, Garnet."
The fusion smiled softly and hugged the boy close to her giving Pearl and Amethyst a glance as they stood around the corner. She gave them a thumbs up before returning to hugging Steven.
Best birthday ever.