A/N: So I thought a lighter toned chapter was in order after the angst conundrum I've drug you all through haha. Once more, this is a little longer than originally intended. But happier! Lapis' POV since we haven't had that in a while. Fair enough?

Great, thanks guys! Oh and big thanks to everyone who's voted and commented. It's really awesome that this is getting so much support. Enjoy! -Sara

"Hey, not on the counter!" Sadie managed through laughter, quickly backing up as liquid was spewed everywhere, a choking, laughing, coughing Lapis behind the disaster.

"God," she managed through another wracking fit of coughs and gags, "is your mother trying to kill you?"

Sadie snickered, shaking her head as she reached for a roll of paper towels she'd retrieved for this reason specifically. "Told ya you couldn't drink the whole thing. The woman can cook like it's no one's business, but this..." She trailed off, and even as Lapis steadied herself against the counter, they both broke into another fit of giggles when they shared a look.

"Dammit. Guess I owe ya twenty then, right?"

A wicked smile graced the blonde's lips. "That's what we agreed on, I believe."

The taller girl groaned, carefully pushing the half empty solo cup aside as she simultaneously reached for the roll being handed over. "Fine, fine. But at least I proved a point."

Sadie's eyebrows shot up playfully, arms crossing. "Oh really? Would that point be that you're an idiot, maybe?"

Lapis couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as she ripped one of the paper towels free, dropping it into the spreading mess. "Yeah, that too. But before that. About not being a chicken." She stuck her tongue out for good measure, childish and earning an eye roll.

The blonde shrugged. "Hey, I learned my lesson years ago. To this day I don't trust anyone's eggnog. But especially not hers."

They dipped into quiet as Lapis cleaned up her mess, and Sadie took the opportunity to transport the cup to the back, returning a moment later with a mop and bucket to clean anything that had gotten on the shop's floor.

Lapis moved aside, sliding behind the counter to replace the roll and grabbing the gross, balled up paper towels she'd already used. They were deposited in the waste basket just below the cash register, and she turned to head to the back to grab a rag.

"Don't worry, I've got it," the blonde spoke up, straightening up as she replaced the mop in its respective bucket. "Lars... rearranged things the other day. I'm still not sure where the basics are at the moment."

Lapis' brows furrowed as she leaned against the display case cautiously, careful not to press to hard or smudge the transparent glass. "Why don't you just fire the prick? He doesn't seem to even like his job here."

Sadie opened her mouth, lost her wording. Her lips pursed closed as she threw Lapis a glance too quick to catch. She began pushing the supplies back towards the back, not speaking until she was facing away.

"He's a good kid. Confused, but good."

It didn't take a genius to hear the undertone to her words. Even Lapis could catch it. She didn't comment on it, though. Not this time.

Instead, she found herself digging through her front pocket, pulling out a few wadded bills and smoothing them out, placing them directly beside the cash register. A moment later and the bell overhead the entryway was sounding out.

She couldn't help grinning back at the kid that very nearly gasped upon seeing her.

"Lapis!" the dark haired boy shouted, pumping his fists into the air as he rushed inside and right up to the counter, leaving a slower but chuckling Amethyst to stand in the doorway.

Lapis very nearly laughed at his antics, reaching out to ruffle his hair gently. "Hey, Steven, was it?"

The boy nodded vigorously, toothy grin and sparkling eyes in place. He scanned the area only a second as the sound of the closing door followed behind. "Do you work here now? Is that why Lars has been hanging around Funland more?"

"No, she doesn't work here yet," Sadie answered as she came from the back, damp clothe in hand, tossing it lightly to Lapis who caught it expectantly. "Not that I haven't tried talking her into it."

"I'd actually get fat if I was allowed to stay here all day," Lapis responded, wiping down the counter as she smirked at the boy, who laughed aloud good naturedly.

By this time Amethyst had made it to the front, and she tugged at the scarf wrapped around Steven's neck. "That's gotta be super hot Stee-Man," she commented, and he paused in his (practically) bouncing motion for her to remove it.

"I'll be right back. Think you can handle an order or two?" Sadie asked Lapis, snagging the clothe back when she saw it was no longer in use.

Lapis rolled her eyes at the blonde. "Sure, I'll try not to break anything."

She turned back to the two siblings as a chuckling Sadie disappeared once more. "So, what'll it be?"

Steven's smile widened if it were possible, and he held up two fingers. "Two donuts please. Extra sprinkles."

Amethyst barely contained an eye roll, and Lapis chuckled as she nodded. "Kay, you got it."

She took a moment to find the tongs, very nearly hidden under an avalanche of napkins, and carefully selected two of the sweet treats, placing them delicately on one of the many napkins and handing it over. She reached under the counter and pulled out the little shaker of sprinkles she knew resided there, handing them over.

She glanced back at the back, then leaned in conspiring-like, and Steven followed suite. "Sprinkles are supposed to be extra, " she whispered, "but I think we can let it slide this time." She winked as if to confirm it.

The boy laughed quietly, nodding and shooting a glance back to Amethyst, who had heard everything. She only looked like she wanted to smile, lips caught somewhere between a smirk and sneer.

"Do you think we should let her in on the deal?" Steven asked, eyeing the girl up and down.

Lapis opened her mouth to answer, but Amethyst cut in by leaning in close and whispering rather loudly. "You better, considering I'm the one paying, you dope."

They all broke into a fit of chuckles, and Lapis couldn't help that she felt her mouth curve up further when Amethyst winked her way.

"You know," the short girl voiced as she pulled out a couple of bills from her back pocket, counting them, "you're really not so bad, Lapis."

The blue haired girl quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Amethyst rolled her shoulders, slapping the money down on the counter. "Yeah. I'm not gonna lie, you were kind of a bitc-"

"Language," Steven interjected, donut halfway to his mouth and eyes glaring at Amethyst.

The girl held up her hands in surrender, letting the smirk become just that. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, pipsqueak." She turned back to Lapis. "Anyways, I didn't like you. And I was starting to worry you were, like, bad or something. For Peridot, I mean."

The mention of her name caused the smile that had started growing on Lapis' face to weaken a tad, going unnoticed but still bringing a pang with it. She felt guilty. For the way she'd left things hanging between them that last day of school. For the way she couldn't really do anything about it. She wasn't sure where Peridot lived, hadn't gotten a phone number. And even though the town was smallish, it wasn't a guarantee they'd keep bumping into each other regularly.

"But you're pretty alright," Amethyst finished, unaware of the inner monologue sifting through the other girl's brain.

Steven, however, seemed all too aware, as he eyed the taller girl with question. And concern, she realized, when her eyes met his. She tried pushing off the feeling that he could see everything inside her head, but that was easier said then done when amber melted into understanding that shouldn't have understood.

It was eerie. She had to look away.

She shook her head. "Yeah, you're pretty okay yourself," she returned, forcing it to sound something close to genuine. Because suddenly it didn't feel genuine, and she couldn't be sure why, exactly.

Steven, bless him, saved her from a longer conversation with the girl (that she found maybe she didn't exactly need) by suddenly tugging on Amethyst's shirt hem. She looked at him questioningly.

"Can I use your phone? Pleeeeaaasee?" he whined, giving puppy dog eyes that could melt the coldest of hearts.

Amethyst, however, seemed unfazed. "No way. You've got your own, why do ya need mine?"

"Cause yours has that awesome game," he explained, pitching a look towards Lapis, "and I really wanna show Lapis how it works."

Amethyst shrugged him off. "Come on, you can totally get it on yours. Besides, she doesn't wanna watch you play some sad spinoff of dungeons and dragons."

Steven huffed a moment, cocking his head. Then, he lifted up the donut he still had left. "Please?" he tried again.

Amethyst stared at the offered food. She looked back to him. She groaned as she tugged out her phone from her back pocket and handed it over begrudgingly. "Fine," she muttered, snatching the donut, "but go through my stuff and I'll murder you. Kapeesh?"

Steven grinned. "Kapeesh." He turned his attention back to Lapis. "Come on, it's really cool! You can start off as an elf or orc or warrior, and you have to get to the end to save the kingdom from this massive invasion."

His eyes lit up as he talked, animatedly, arms waving with each sentence. Lapis shook her head slowly and slipped from behind the counter as Amethyst passed her. She threw a glance towards the taller girl.

"Mind keeping an eye on him? He'll talk for hours if you let him."

Lapis shrugged. "I don't mind, no."

Amethyst nodded and heading into the back, as Lapis followed over to an already sitting Steven and took the seat directly next to him. But when he pushed the phone her way, it wasn't some crudely animated forest background or character designer or weapon selection screen. It was a list of contacts.

"What?..." she mumbled, taking the phone regardless and staring at the screen in non-understanding. The boy chuckled quietly and glanced toward the back before leaning over and tapping a contact headed "shorty".

A number greeted her, and she looked up at Steven, curious.

"You looked kind of sad when Amethyst mentioned Peridot," he explained, voice low as he watched just behind her, in case either of the two decided to come back up to the front. "I thought maybe you'd lost her number or something."

Lapis blinked, looked back down. This was Peridot's number. She was looking at Peridot's number. She could call, text. She could talk to her, without having to worry about random encounters. Something in her stomach jumped.

"Thank you," she mumbled, and she knew she was smiling again. Couldn't help it.

It made Steven chuckle again, and she looked back up in time to see him giving her a look she couldn't really define. "No problem. Tell her I said hi, when you talk to her. She doesn't come over much anymore, and Amethyst doesn't take me over there."

Lapis nodded, dropping her eyes back to the glowing screen. "I promise."

You'd be surprised what you can learn from a simple phone number. Addresses pop up right along side them if you know just where to look. And, when dedicated, Lapis certainly knew where to look.

That didn't change the fact that she was, quite understandably, nervous as she stood on the front stoop of a rather nice but small house smack dead in the center of a street filled to the brim with practically identical houses. The only way to tell them apart, if you didn't live here she supposed, were the cars in the driveways, maybe a roof a different shade (but just barely), maybe even a lawn decoration or two.

Overall, it was actually pretty spooky. She was sure the inside was probably so much better, but it was the matter of getting inside that had her wringing her hands. What if Peridot answered and slammed the door in her face? What if Peridot's mother or father answered, and they didn't like the way she looked?

She was seriously reconsidering the way she'd dressed. Black tank top and navy blue over shirt, and her best pair of jeans, only slightly faded at the knees. Beanie to keep her hair, which she couldn't stop messing with, in check. She'd even taken out her earrings and navel piercing in case they were a problem.

She could hear voices inside, for a few moments when she'd first shown up catching the last notes to what sounded like a piano being played. She was sure she looked strange. A random chick just standing on the front porch like an idiot, staring at a door that remained shut tightly no matter how she willed it with her mind to inch open.

She very nearly gave in and ran.

But, with whatever gracious courage someone somewhere offered her, she raised a fist. Lowered it. Raised it again.

And knocked.

Slow and steady, purposeful, thrice in a row before dropping her hand and gaze like they were boulders she couldn't shoulder. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until the door creaked open, and she suddenly felt far too lightheaded.

She thought she was pretty tall. Or, at least a little above average.

But this woman... dear god.

She was a head taller than Lapis, straight backed and neutral faced, with eyes the deepest shade of grey she'd ever witnessed and hair a shade she'd never seen, but supposed must be something similar to platinum blonde.

This... wasn't the woman she remembered.

If she was remembering correctly, of course. That night at the town hall, the music event thing, it had been so long ago, though.

"Yes?"

It was so stern and so empowered and so... so...

It broke Lapis from her thoughts, and she subconsciously straightened in spite of the fact her hands were actually shaking and she was having to look up to see into the woman's face.

"U-um... Hi. I'm Lapis, a-a friend of... Peridot? Are you, um, a-are you her mother?"

She hated the way her voice betrayed her. Hated that she was so nervous to begin with when da**it! this didn't even matter. So what if Peridot's mother liked her? Since when had parental approval ever matter? And why would she need it anyways when Peridot obviously didn't even like her enough to like her?

What the fuck was she doing here in the first place?

Dear god she was an idiot!

A chuckle.

And it chilled her, she froze as she looked back up, her gaze having drifted down as her mind berated her over and over and over. Her eyes widened as she witnessed the woman before her shake her head, a small quirk tugging at thin lips that portrayed some sense of humor.

"No, no. I'm her aunt. Come in, dear, it's cold out here." And she moved aside, offering Lapis the chance to come in.

And it didn't matter that Lapis couldn't remember why she was here. Not even that the contrast as she stepped through the entryway was so sudden that it made her shiver, the change from cold to hot almost unpleasant in its intensity. She was shrugging off her coat at the insistence of the woman before she could respond.

"It's so nice to meet you. Peridot doesn't talk about her friends much. It's more school and music than anything." The woman glanced towards what Lapis assumed was the kitchen, judged solely from the mouth watering aroma coming from that direction. "Her mother is so insistent on her education. I agree it's important, but I'm so glad she has people to relax with, too."

And it shocked Lapis more than the woman was so... open. Openly speaking to her, still neutral expression and same overwhelming tone, but... inviting? It was... confusing.

"Miri, darling, who was at the door?" another voice called, and Lapis could just faintly recall that voice. Yes... yes, she'd heard that one before. Backstage, before Peridot had walked off. Cold and fierce.

"A friend of Peridot's," the woman, Miri, Lapis mentally named, answered.

A pause, and then the sound of what could only be heavy metal against metal, before quiet again. And Peridot's mother stepped from around the corner both Lapis and Miri had been watching.

And geez, Lapis had forgot how terrified those eyes made her.

They were livid in the worst of ways, a swimming, molten lava of sickly yellow that seared you alive if you looked too long. Her hair was a tad shorter, awkwardly parted bangs and curled edges that just barely reached her jawline, wrapping around and framing her face, making it's oblong shape that much more apparent.

Her sister was definitely pretty, even though it was obvious through age lines that she was older.

The woman smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Hello, dear, and who might you be?" And it was sickening how sweet her voice was supposed to be. Amusing just how far it failed to be so.

"Lapis, ma'am," she murmured, and it bothered her that her hands still hadn't stopped shaking, or that her legs felt glued to the floor like a sandpit was tugging her in, forever trapping her in that glare. "A friend of your daughter, Peridot." But it did impress her that her voice didn't waver. Maybe because she'd seen this act before. The sizing up thing. It didn't effect her nearly the same as the natural aura that surrounded the woman's sister.

Who, if she wasn't mistaken, was still standing behind her, her coat in hand, watching the little interaction.

Peridot's mother brought her hands up, cupping them before her stomach. "Delighted, I assure you," she offered, bowing her head briefly. But her tone spoke volumes her tongue didn't have the venom to spew just yet.

She clapped her hands once, and it was loud, making Lapis wince. "Peridot!" Her mother shouted, loud enough to be heard throughout the entirety of the house.

A faint, "Coming, mother!" could be heard from somewhere overhead, and Lapis both relaxed and tensed more knowing that Peridot was just a floor away from her.

Yellow eyes loomed back over her, and Lapis nearly smirked at the way a nose scrunched at her. So the woman didn't like the way she looked regardless.

"Hats off, in this house."

Lapis blinked, hand raising automatically to her head. The beanie. "Oh," she voiced, yanking it off and shaking her head to somewhat make her hair more presentable. "Sorry?" It came out more a question than intended, but Peridot's mother only waved it off.

It was only where the quiet that settled around the three still figures felt too heavy and too much like awkward regret that Peridot came bounding down the stairs, one hand gliding along the banister. The second her feet hit the landing she was looking up and smiling (quite fakely, Lapis noted).

"Yes mothe..." Her voice trailed off, and a look of mixed horror and surprise graced her features as she stared, wide eyed, at Lapis. Who only smiled gently and mouthed, after glancing quickly to make sure no one was looking, 'miss me?'

"Lapis," the blonde choked out, and Lapis could just see the way the gears in her mind were working, wondered what methods of murder she was devising behind that false bravado. "It's... great to see you."

"Same, I just came by because of that project. You know, the one for English? You promised to help me with it." It was an easy lie that slipped off her tongue without much consideration, and she was amused at the way emerald eyes narrowed and she caught sight through the corner of her eye of Peridot's mother stiffening.

"A project? You never said anything about that, Peridot."

The blonde floundered, lost between shooting hate filled glances Lapis' way and guilt laced one to her mother. Lapis actually felt sorta bad, and butted in before Peridot could get herself in trouble.

"Oh, no ma'am, Peridot doesn't have to do one."

Yellow and emerald eyes alike trained on her. "No?"

Lapis shook her head. "No ma'am. I'm behind a bit, because I was out sick a week. So this project is to bring my grade up, and Peridot offered to help me with it."

"Oh isn't that lovely," Miri mused, drawing all of their attentions. "Then you two head on up! There's still an hour before dinner. Lapis, dear, would you like to stay for it?"

Lapis stared a moment, mouth opening to respond, but she was beat to it.

"Miri, I'm sure her family is expecting her back before then. Perhaps another time?"

"Nonsense! Why else would she be here so late?"

Lapis cast a look Peridot's way. She received a pleading, desperate expression that had her smirking. So what if Peridot's mother hated her for it?

"Dinner actually sounds great, thank you," she answered, and the tension in the woman's broad shoulders was enough to make it worth it that Peridot just might never speak to her again after this.

Miri clapped her hands. "Lovely! I'll be sure to set out another plate, then. Come, Patti, I'm sure we have room."

Peridot's mother's eyes narrowed menacingly even as her sister waltzed past her. "Of course." She didn't say anything further to Lapis as she turned and followed.

And Lapis was left with Peridot standing awkwardly, looking down at the floor, hands clenched at her sides. They didn't speak for a long moment, until Lapis looked up from the hardwood, taking in the white walls and clean, surprisingly spacious way.

"Nice place," she commented.

Emerald eyes whipped up, and she really hadn't ever seen such anger in them. It made her wince, taking a step back.

Peridot stepped forward, jaw clenching, grabbing her wrist and jerking her, none too gentle, forward. Before pausing, glancing down, and growling out, "No shoes in the house."

Lapis blinked, kicked off her shoes quickly and pushed them aside, next to another pair that were far more formal and in much better shape than her worn converses. She wasn't given a second more before she was being drug up the stairs, which were actually cushioned and pretty soft, and down another hall.

There were pictures everywhere. But not the family pictures you normally saw in a house like this. No first steps, family portraits, wedding photos, piano recitals. Just nature backgrounds and hand painted landscapes and the occasional intricate design that had you twisting your head around to try and desperately tell what the hell you were looking at, because it had to be backwards or upside down or sideways or something.

They stopped at a door, but one glance in told Lapis it was definitely a bathroom and not a bedroom.

She was a little disappointed, but also relieved because nails had dug into her flesh mercilessly and it stung quite a bit, when Peridot finally released her wrist. She rubbed it with her other hand as she turned in a circle in place, looking around.

Neither spoke a long moment. When they did, it was Peridot to break the silence.

"What do you want from me, Lapis?" And even though the anger was still so certain and so alive, it was so unsure and depressed at the same time. And she remembered that same question, too, from before. How she couldn't rightfully answer then. How she still couldn't.

Instead, she shrugged, stopping her circling when she was once more facing the blonde. "So your mom hates me. But your aunt is pretty cool."

Peridot glanced up, back down. "She's... tolerable. More so than mother."

Lapis nodded in agreement, cocking her head. "Are we gonna stand in the hall the next hour or you wanna show me where your room is?"

This time when Peridot looked up, her gaze didn't drop again. Her jaw was set and she shook her head vigorously. "No one goes in my room. Ever."

A pause, then the taller girl was rolling her eyes and huffing. "Boy you're just a ball of fun," she muttered, shoving her hands in her jeans' front pockets. "Okay, well, we could always go back downstairs. I'm sure you've got a tv down there somewhere."

Peridot's eyes widened. "No way! You-" And she stopped momentarily, eyes very suddenly narrowing. "You made them think we have a project to work on. My mother would kill me if she knew I was lying to her."

Lapis smirked. "Looks like we don't have much of a choice." Her eyebrows lifted. "Unless you have a computer we can use somewhere else."

Peridot's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. It was adorable and made her look so childish in the best of ways. She scoffed and crossed her arms tightly, tapping her foot, looking anywhere but at Lapis.

The sound of soft meowing caught Lapis' attention. She turned on her heel, eyes scanning the hall. From out the corner of a room came a cat, a very large cat. He was an off, yellow-orange that looked more like finger paint gone wrong than natural color, and bright eyes looked at her lazily as he half meowed, half... whatever that sound was. She wasn't actually sure, but it made her chuckle.

She couldn't help squatting, raising her hands out in front of her and motioning him over. "Come here, come here kitty kitty," she murmured quietly, clicking her tongue.

Peridot groaned behind her. "Don't call him that. That's Pumpkin. And leave him alone. He doesn't like strangers, anyway."

Lapis only shifted forward, more focused now. "Come here, baby, it's okay," she mused, smiling gently at the animal.

It looked at her curiously, meowing once more and rubbing up against the wall. Then, padded over to her, no rush. She smirked as her fingertips brushed along the top of his head, dipping below his ear.

"Doesn't like strangers," she muttered, tempted to turn and stick her tongue out at Peridot.

It was too cute when Peridot instead gasped. "Pumpkin!" she whined, "you traitor! You're supposed to be on my side!"

Lapis smiled as she scratched at his chin, down his throat, before standing straight again. "He's really cute," she said as she watched him watch her, eyeing her and stepping up to rub against her leg.

She heard the blonde sigh, felt a tug on the hem of her shirt. She turned her head to find Peridot unable to meet her gaze.

A beat of silence. A quick, skirting glance. The jerk of a head as the blonde turned to walk only a door down. "My room," she muttered, pushing the door open and standing in the opening. Waiting on Lapis.

And Lapis couldn't help smiling. She mentally apologized on leaving so soon to the cat and followed Peridot's lead, stopping just outside the entryway. She half way expected the most girly of rooms.

But, instead of flowery pink and sickening supermodel posters, or even those really corny science and math posters and a mini science lab, she was met with... well... normal.

The walls were a darker shade of beige, comforting. The curtains matched the bedsheets, a rolling green that was, a little shockingly, actually quite pretty. Tiny night stand with a black alarm clock and very basic, white lamp fixture. No posters or mirrors or, really, any decoration, save a lone rug tacked up that had on it what looked like something from a video game. And of course the most cluttered of computer stands, paper and writing utensils everywhere.

No dirty clothes on the floor, or sheets unmade. No dirty dishes tucked back just out of sight. Almost... like it was unlived in.

"It's nice," Lapis found herself saying as she walked in, taking a quick look around before pulling out the swivel chair from it's place and sitting backwards in it.

Peridot winced but took a seat a ways away, on the edge of the bed. "Thanks, I guess."

They lapsed into silence then, but it was that uncomfortable sort of silence. The one where you're looking for any distraction because honestly, it has to be better than what's happening.

Lapis found that by deciding it was now or never to apologize.

"Listen, about Friday," she started, only to be stopped by the raising of a hand.

"No, don't," Peridot muttered, lowering her hand back down to her lap. There, it joined the other, twisting and twining nervously. "I-it was my fault. I shouldn't have snapped like that."

Lapis scoffed. "You had every right to snap. I was the one being pushy."

"Because you didn't know what else to be," came the reply, and it silenced them both. Only a moment though. Then another sigh. "Lapis... I... We're not..."

And it trailed off, because neither of them knew what they were and what they weren't. Neither knew why they were, why they weren't.

"It's okay. If you don't like me," Lapis finally said, and in her stomach that something that had jumped earlier sank. "But I still like you."

And Peridot was smiling, sadly. "I know. And maybe that's why I can't like you." It was a whispered confession, hanging by a thread they both knew was too eager to fray and snap.

Lapis eyed Peridot weakly. "Can't?" she questioned.

For once, she was grateful for the distance between them.

Because when emerald met cerulean, there was something there that had her breath catching. Something that had her digging her nails into the back of that chair, because it wasn't fair.

"You know what I mean."

Lapis swallowed. "Do I?" she croaked.

Emerald melted. Vanished as a heavy head dipped down, palms coming up to push glasses out the way and rub at tired eyes. An exhale, steady but still uneasy.

"You don't understand, you don't know me," Peridot whined. And that's all it was, a whine. "And I don't know you."

She was too far away again.

"Then let's get to know each other. How hard can that be?" It sounded pathetic and pleading even to her own ears. But she didn't take it back.

Peridot made a noise that could have been a scoff, could have been a groan. Could have a laugh or a sob. Lapis wasn't sure even when emerald eyes once more came up to look at her, a smile gracing thin lips.

"You don't give up, do you?"

And it was Lapis' turn to make that sound, even though it was still a mystery as to what it meant. Her head shook.

"Not when I want something, no."

Peridot's grin dipped, resteadied itself. "And what do you want, Lapis?"

Lapis looked at Peridot. At the way her hair fell to almost shoulder length when it wasn't fully spiked up with gel. At the way her glasses slipped down a nose too thin for their wire rimming. At the way her mouth screwed up at the corners, no matter what expression, making her always look slightly irritated. At the way her t-shirt was a size too big and an ugly shade of taupe and her sweats were stained with what looked like food.

And Lapis sucked in a breath, breathing in the smell of an off brand of perfume just barely present and something else, something metallic. Something completely and solely Peridot.

She answered honestly.

"You."