Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Thirteen?
There was currently only thirteen swords in her pre-Colonial collection that she had summoned from her fountain, which was strange because she knew this set to have fifteen. She hadn't moved any of them in recent weeks-she had been practicing with her katana set. So she wasn't sure where she had placed the missing two. She may have stored them in her gem, but she would've remembered that.
Pearl closed her eyes and mentally searched through her extensive catalog of stored items. Her pocket dimension was extremely organized, so it didn't take her long to find that she had been correct in her statement, that she in fact hadn't stored those swords. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Rose may have borrowed them, but she usually asked about these things. Garnet had no interest in swords, she liked the directness of punching more than swordplay. The most likely suspect was Amethyst, the tiny troublemaker had probably stashed them somewhere in her room. Again.
Amethyst had always been messing with Pearl's things from the moment they had first met her. Pearl's hair, her swords, her shoes (Who even tries to eat shoes? Especially when they're on someone's feet!). Everything that came into Amethyst's possession-stolen or gifted, ended up in that dump which she called a room. Pearl fondly remembered how clean and beautiful Amethyst's room had been when it had first been made, but now it was covered in several millennia worth of trash.
There was no way, she was going to rummage through that dump of a room. The last time she had done that, despite her vigorous cleaning, she had smelled of wet dog and moldy mustard for several days, not to mention the melted caramel she had gotten in her hair. She would simply have to find Amethyst and ask that she return them immediately. That usually never worked, but it was worth a try.
Pearl stepped out of the temple tensely. This was around the time that Greg usually came and 'hung out' with Rose. He had been exhausted from his recently acquired job and Rose would let him rest in her lap. She would comb his hair with her fingers and when he fell asleep and went limp in her lap, she would kiss his eyelids tenderly. Pearl couldn't stand it. Pearl had witnessed Rose's affection towards the many humans she had participated with in relationships, but she had never seen Rose do it with so…much…warmth.
It made Pearl feel like crying and hitting something with all her might while tearing her hair out. She didn't know what to do when he was around. Everything in her basic programming demanded that she be courteous to any acquaintance of her master (even if Rose said that she wasn't Pearl's master). But that spark, that aching thing that easily separated her from every perfect Pearl produced-her defect; made it so difficult to accept. She didn't want Rose to love Greg, she didn't want to smile and bow like a good little Pearl should do and she hated that she couldn't just be happy for Rose. All Pearl had ever wanted was for Rose's happiness and now Rose was happy and Pearl was miserable.
But thankfully Mr. Universe was not there. Rose was, but there was no Greg in sight. Rose turned around at the sound of the temple door and smiled brightly. Pearl felt her middle drop into her feet and then her entire person warmed over. Rose had been a little worn after their mission, having received the brunt of damage from the monster they had been after. Pearl had been worried, her hands flapping uselessly over Rose's slightly ragged form-nothing that would require her to reform, but still painful nonetheless. But Rose looked ragged no longer, her skin supple and pale in the dim moonlight and her hair shiny and clean. Gorgeous without even trying. If Pearl had had a heart in her empty chest, it would be skipping all the way to Beach City and back.
"Hi, Pearl."
"Rose." Pearl said with a blush, walking until she was a few feet away. How did Rose make those two words sound so wonderful? She stood uncomfortably above Rose, not wanting to sit and forget about the task at hand. And she would forget if she sat down, Rose had that way about her; of clearing your mind and leaving you peacefully dazed. "Is everything all right? Where is Greg? He's late."
"He is, isn't he? Garnet told me Amethyst was getting him though. So I guess he probably fell asleep. He's been working really hard lately." Rose sighed, blowing her bangs from her eyes with a huff. She placed her round face into her strong, soft palm. "I didn't know humans had to work so hard for food in this day and age. Perhaps I should-."
Rose paused, sitting up and looking into the misty distance. A small, dark violet blur raced toward them, a spray of gray sand following in its midst. Amethyst raced towards them on all fours, something hanging from her mouth. She skidded to a stop in front of the temple, getting sand and grit on both Rose and Pearl. Amethyst collapsed on to her belly, needlessly panting.
"Hello Amethyst." Rose said pleasantly, patting the dirt off her skirt.
"Sup." Amethyst replied, spitting the bag out of her mouth.
"Must you use that indecorous language?" Pearl hissed, shaking her leg warmers of sand.
"Whatever P. Embrace the culture." Amethyst rolled her eyes, crawling easily into Rose's arms.
"I thought you were going to go wake up Gregory?" Pearl glared, crossing her arms.
"Uh…he's disposed."
"I think you mean indisposed."
"WHATever, Pearly." Amethyst snapped then turned to Rose and said calmly. "He's what she said."
Rose sighed quietly, letting her bangs fall over her eyes. Pearl knew that sigh. That was a rare sigh of disappointment. Rose was a very expressive gem. When she was happy, the world blossomed. Her anger tempered gem beasts and her sadness healed the broken. In all of her lifetime, Pearl had known Rose to be enthusiastically emotionally about everything (except the war). The gems, the humans, or the horrible music Greg produced-all met with real, unashamed emotion. Then Greg had waltzed into their world and Rose had become…nervous and restrained. When Pearl had asked about it, truly worried for Rose, Rose had explained that she didn't really have an answer.
"I don't know Pearl. It's so...so very strange. I don't think I've been this nervous since officially initiating the war against Homeworld." Rose had weakly chuckled, her arms soft around Pearl's thin middle in a hug. "I'm anxious Pearl. What if he doesn't want to continue this? He's so human and I'm so…not. They always end up leaving, but I really don't want Greg to leave."
Rose rarely doubted herself and Pearl hated the stress that Greg was causing her leader. How dare he skip out on their nightly session? Indisposed? With what exactly, the man didn't have anything else to do. Except sleep and eat and be noisy.
"May I ask what he's indisposed with?" Pearl sneered.
"Um…with stuff, you know." Amethyst shrugged, looking away from Pearl's intense glare. Amethyst grimaced, Pearl was not letting this go as easily as Amethyst had hoped.
"If he's so indisposed, how did he acquire your candy?" Pearl asked, only inching closer.
"I don't know P. I didn't ask." Amethyst muttered.
"Amethyst," Rose whispered softly, her rose scented breath brushing against Amethyst's sandy cheeks. Amethyst froze, turning her gaze to the dark ocean quickly. "Is something wrong with Greg?"
Amethyst looked down to her lap, messing with the cheap plastic bag filled with her candy-it had seemed so appealing earlier.
Amethyst was an excellent deceiver. She could be guilty of a number of small crimes and shift her entire character to match that of someone innocent. Her size and undeveloped fighting skills should've meant she should've been shattered not long after her birth in the kindergarten, but this skill had been her true strength. Hiding things was her specialty. Hiding things from Rose though…that never ended well.
"He…he didn't want me to tell you." Amethyst murmured, feeling bad outing her new friend. Greg probably wouldn't buy her food let alone want to hang out with her anymore.
"Why not, little one?" Rose pressed her cheek against Amethyst's. Amethyst squirmed uncomfortably, torn between telling Rose and keeping quiet for Greg.
"Why doesn't he wish to see Rose?" Pearl asked, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her long foot.
"Did I do something wrong?" Rose asked, aching sadness heavy in each word. Amethyst groaned aloud, slapping her palms to her face. Rose pried Amethyst's stubby fingers from her face and kissed each of her hands-Rose didn't approve of Amethyst hurting herself.
"He wants to see you." Amethyst said. "He does, but just not right now."
"That," Pearl scoffed. "Does not make any sense. If I had the opportunity to see Rose, regardless I would take it."
"Yeah, youuuuu would, wouldn't you?" Amethyst sniggered. Pearl blushed and looked as though she was about to reprimand Amethyst all the way back to the Kindergarten when Rose spoke.
"Is he tired? From the work? I didn't mind him falling asleep on my lap. Oh, do you think he thinks I was upset by that?" Rose worried, her eyes downcast.
"Amethyst just tell us what's wrong with the boy?" Pearl gasped, finally exasperated. Rose was looking more and more apprehensive, her mask cracking.
"I can't tell you!"
"And why exactly is that?"
"He gave me extra candy, if I promised I wouldn't tell you." Amethyst snapped, holding the bag closer to her body.
"You're betraying Rose's trust for human food?"
"I AM NOT BETRAYING HER TRUST!"
Rose easily held Amethyst back from launching herself at Pearl. Both gems' teeth were angrily bared and a few more words and Rose would have a full scale battle on her hands. Rose hated when they fought, she had seen enough fighting amongst gems to last her a lifetime.
"Pearl, please calm down. You too, Amethyst. There's no need to yell." Rose said, placing her hand on both Pearl's and Amethyst's shoulders. "Amethyst, I know Greg trusted you not to tell me and that you don't want to jeopardize your friendship. But this is important, if something is wrong with Greg, I need to know."
Amethyst looked at Rose rather reluctantly. Rose's eyes said it all. Big, dark and begging. Rose's lip pouted slightly, a minor tremor running through it. She blinked and her thick eyelashes framed her shiny eyes. It was the most desperate Amethyst had ever seen Rose outside of battle.
Rose would cry, it looked like she might right now. Sure Rose cried a lot, people's pain was her pain. Rose thought something was really wrong with Greg and if Amethyst didn't fess up then if Rose's tears didn't kill her-Pearl surely would.
Amethyst felt her insides freeze and she swallowed heavily. Keep Greg's secret and further their new friendship or tell Rose and relieve her pain. She didn't want to lose Greg-hanging out with him and Vidalia these past few months had been her first real experience with humanity without a constant, caustic comment from Pearl. They didn't judge her when she ate, or slept, or acted generally like a human child; she wasn't a gem to them, just a friend. If she lost them, she didn't know what she would do.
But upsetting Rose, lying to Rose or hiding anything from Rose wasn't something Amethyst was physically capable of. Rose always had a way of knowing, and she knew now. Rose had given her everything and she was the only gem who didn't mind Amethyst's wild, immature tendencies.
She didn't know what to do…no she did. She knew what she should do or rather what she had to do, but it meant hurting someone she cared about.
Amethyst just hoped that that forgiveness thing everybody always talked about was real, because she was gonna need a heck of a lot of it.
A/N: Okay, I admit this is moving rather slow and I apologize. But the chapter after next, Rose and Greg will have some face-to-face. Also, the point of view in these stories kind of switches between people. I don't really say when it does, but it does. If you guys have a hard time following, please tell me if I need to make it more obvious by telling you when it changes.
Thank you for the favorites, the follows and the wonderful reviews. It makes me inexplicably happy to hear your opinions and comments on the story, so if you please could take the time to review-I would be super thankful!