Welcome back, friends! Today this chapter is about Steven playing with Tourmaline…it's a cute little one. Enjoy! Onto the story ~.
Chapter Three: The Playroom & Family Fun
Steven was now one year old.
It had been such a fun journey to keep him growing and healthy. One year old was a good age for Steven. It was a good age to teach him how to socialize as well, and he would be really good with playing with Tourmaline. Tourmaline only got her ears tugged on, hard massages on her back, and got petted with little sticky fingers (Steven drooled all over them). She didn't mind. As long as she got affection, love, a roof over her head, a warm bed, and some food, she was forever happy. The only thing she didn't like was when Steven chewed on her ears. Other than that, she didn't really mind anything else. She did feel sad when Steven cried, though. Tourmaline liked to be called Tori for short, it made her feel sad when Steven cried, and she didn't really like to smell stinky diapers, but everyone knew she cared for and loved Steven. One thing Tori absolutely HATED was when Steven spilled his formula on her fur, especially when she was trying to clean herself. She smelled like spoiled milk until her bath time, but felt much better when Garnet or Pearl bathed her. Amethyst never bathed her yet.
One thing the gems considered though was getting Steven a playroom. Many children love to play and socialize, and since Steven was half-gem he could now say only a small portion of words. He would call Tourmaline "Towi," he would call Pearl "Pal," Garnet "Gant," and he would call Amethyst "Ameh". Steven was only one, so usually at his age he shouldn't have been able to speak, though the gems were very lucky to have a smart child along with a smart family pet. How remarkable! And who knew a leader could take the form of a small baby child who could barely talk? This was pure remarkable!
While Steven was nonchalantly scribbling a sloppy picture, Tourmaline trotted over to him. "Towi, I daw faly!" he screeched. He proudly showed Tourmaline a picture of the Gems. Pearl, obviously had an oversized nose, Garnet was a stick figure, and Amethyst was taking a nap. Greg was smiling in the corner, and Tourmaline was doing flips. "Good dawing?" Steven asked, smiling. Tourmaline gently nudged him, which encouraged him to show everybody. "Pal! Ameh! Gant!" Steven shouted, running in the living room. "I daw faly!" "How sweet," Garnet giggled. "Show us your drawing, cutie pie." Pearl and Amethyst were surprised. The boy was only one year old; how was he drawing already?!
"Oh, what's this drawing?" Pearl blabbered. She was interested, but she wondered what Steven would be like when he was much, much older. "Show us!" Amethyst encouraged. Steven shyly and reluctantly handed Garnet a paper. When Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl observed the drawing, they each had different reactions. Garnet blushed and giggled, and hugged the drawing close to her. Amethyst smiled and began laughing, because of how relatable the drawing was. Pearl blushed and stuttered. "M-my nose is not that big!" she muttered, but she loved the drawing anyway. Greg smiled. "My growing kiddo," he said, ruffling Steven's hair. Tourmaline licked Steven's hand.
Even though Tourmaline was still a puppy, she acted mature. She wanted to set a good example for Steven, and she had done a good job. When Steven turned two, Tourmaline was watching Steven playing with his little LEGOS, and Amethyst was playing along with him. "Are you having fun, lil' buddy?" Amethyst asked with interested. Steven nodded excitedly, and continued trying to build his castle. What was odd, was that Steven's castle had looked way better and detailed than her failed attempt. What a smart little man, Amethyst thought as she watched Steven build a swing.
He had grown so much, and Tourmaline did, too. She even gave Steven little rides, with Pearl's safety gear, of course. "Tori, go fast!" Steven yelled. "Be safe!" Pearl yelled. Tourmaline gently trotted around until Steven grew tired. "Nap time for you!" Pearl chuckled, and took Steven to his little crib. She sung "Silent Night, Holy Night" until he fell asleep. "Rose would be so proud of you," she said quietly, and she gave him a tiny kiss. "Goodnight, Steven." That night, she watched him sleep peacefully while the house grew quiet.
I hope you liked it! Stay tuned for chapter four! Sorry that this one was short!