"So, who's ass do I need to kick?"

Peridot looked up from her picked at sandwich, catching Amethyst's eye. She blinked, the stupor she'd let herself fall into flaking away as she then looked around the table and found all eyes on her. That wasn't super uncomfortable or anything.

She shrugged her shoulders, let her elbow rest beside her tray. "It's nothing. I just didn't get enough sleep last night," she mumbled.

She heard a scoff before her friend was closing the space between them, hip bumping into her own and arm coming up to wrap around her shoulders. She wanted to push it off but bit the inside of her cheek and didn't. She wasn't in the mood for an entire interrogation today.

"Was it Lapis? That why she isn't here today?"

The blonde jerked her eyes up, glaring at her friend through narrowed eyes. "No. Look, I just want to curl up somewhere and die. Peacefully."

Amethyst stuck out her tongue like a child but let her arm fall back to her side, scooting away. "Fine, fine." Then, not a moment later, "So it was your mom, this time?"

Peridot's groan was only covered up by the smacking sound her head against the tabletop made.

"Come on, let up," Ruby finally butted in, throwing a wadded up napkin Amethyst's way. The girl only laughed and flipped her off, so she continued. "How would you feel if we got all up in your business?"

"Like you don't already! You can't sit here all innocent like and tell me with a straight face that Ms Psychic over there doesn't share her other worldly knowledge with you every time she catches dirt on one of us."

Sapphire looked up, and it was almost uncomfortable when a smirk blossomed across her face. "That depends, Amethyst. Should I tell them about who you met on your vacation? Maybe the fact that that person's number is now in your contacts?..."

The smile along Amethyst's face faltered. But then she was scoffing and throwing the same wadded up napkin towards the bleach blonde, which Ruby blocked what seemed too easily. "I call B.S., Sapphire. You know that was for Steven 'cause he was too chicken to ask for her number."

Peridot glanced up, furrowed her brow. "Woah, what? Since when has Steven been too scared to do anything?"

"Since he got old enough to like girls." Amethyst snickered. "You shoulda seen him. He got all flustered. Started stuttering like a loony."

The blonde rolled her eyes, reached over to push the girl lightly. "Mhm. And so we're supposed to forget that you did the exact same thing when you first met Pearl."

Ruby nearly choked on her water as she laughed. "Oh man, I remember that. You were a total sleaze, Ames. Couldn't even look at her without saying something stupid. Well, stupider than normal."

Amethyst scoffed, turned to face Peridot with arms crossed. "Well what about you, Ms Perfect? At least I didn't stab myself with a pen watching Lapis walk across the freaking classroom."

Emerald eyes narrowed. "That was a one time thing. And I wasn't watching her!"

"Oh ho, coulda fooled me."

"Shut up! You punched a jock for looking at Pearl!"

"That was justified, he was totally talking smack to his friends about her! You fell down the stares trying to pick Lapis' textbook up!"

"You literally tripped me, that one is so on you!"

"Guys!" Ruby called, smacking her hand down across the tabletop. Both sets of eyes turned to her, simultaneously asking, "What?!"

The girl looked between each of them, then smirked, then busted out laughing. "You should see the look on your faces," she cackled, leaning back in her seat.

Peridot grumbled something incoherent as Amethyst took the hint and laughed as well, pushed from the table and stood sharply. All eyes fell back on her and she raised a hand to run through her hair, looking away, towards the doors. "Look, I... have homework to finish. I'mma head to class early."

She bent to grab her bag as Sapphire spoke again, catching her attention. "Ruby and I were going to the Big Donut after school. Would you like to join us, Peridot?"

She paused, looked across the way to the two. "Wouldn't I be intruding?"

Ruby quickly shook her head. "Nah, it's cool. And it'll be on me."

Amethyst perked up at that. "Dude, can I come, then? I never say no to free food."

Sapphire nodded, then looked back to the other blonde. "Will you?"

Peridot threw the strap over her shoulder, shrugging it into place. "Yeah, okay. I'll meet you outside the band room and we can head from there."

She didn't wait for a response before turning and walking away.

She had one foot out the door before turning back, leaning against the door frame and watching as Lapis finished wiping down the counter with a dry paper towel. "You sure you're okay with me leaving? I can call the gang back and tell them I can't make it."

"No, don't worry about it," Lapis mumbled, looking up from her task. "I can hold down the fort a while. What with all these lovely customers, though, I just might work myself to death." She motioned to the otherwise empty shop and both girls shared a quiet laugh before Sadie huffed.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and shrugged, looking out the door and down towards the beach. It was a colder afternoon, but she could still see a few people playing in the water and enjoying the sand. "Tell me about it." She tapped her foot, turned back. "Well, if you need anything you know my number. And even though he'll grumble and complain, I'm sure Lars would be willing to take over if you need him to."

Lapis nodded, threw the balled up paper towel into the trashcan beneath the counter. "Yeah, okay. Now go, have fun."

The blonde wrinkled her nose. "Oh yeah. Oodles of fun. I just love when my mom comes to our rehearsals."

"At least you know she cares."

"Yeah. Maybe too much." She shrugged again then stood straight, rolling her shoulders. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, Lapis."

"In a while, crocodile," she mused, resting her chin in her hand as she settled her elbow along the counter. She watched as the blonde gave a wry smile, finally ducked out. The door swung shut behind her and Lapis was left alone, quiet and bored.

She hummed under her breath as she pulled out her pocket and turned it on, looked up at the clock on the far wall to see if the time set on it was correct. It wasn't.

For a full minute she scrolled through her Facebook before deciding that was awful. But when she clicked back to her home screen, her finger hovered over the shortcut to her contacts list. Peridot hadn't texted her, or called, in a full day. Where a part of her was glad she didn't have to explain what had happened last night, she also felt guilty. She wanted to text her, truly she did. But if Peridot had wanted to talk then surely she would have done something about it by now.

Lapis bit at the inside of her cheek and cut her phone back off, shoving it in her back pocket and standing straight, breathing out in a huff and running her fingers through her hair. She shuffled in place, considered maybe turning on a playlist and listening to that until someone showed up. But she really wasn't in the mood for music, either. To be completely honest, she kind of wasn't in the mood for work.

But Sadie had asked. And she couldn't bail on the girl now.

With a low groan she ran her hands over her face and leaned back against the counter.

Only to be startled upright by the front door being forcefully pushed in, loud, boisterous voices filling the once quiet. She turned to see who it was, and her blood ran cold.

It was Peridot's friends. Ruby and - gosh, what was the other girl's name? - and Amethyst. And...

Lapis had to swallow something bitter when Peridot followed them all in, grumbling something she couldn't make out and angrily pulling her lime green jacket, which Lapis was pretty sure was new, as she hadn't seen it, closer to her body.

"Dude, you can't seriously believe that!" Amethyst was arguing, and Peridot opened her mouth as if to respond but the second her eyes landed on Lapis anything she had been preparing to say died along her tongue.

Their eyes met. All other eyes landed on her. Lapis felt like her entire body itched.

"Lapis! Well I'll be damned!" Amethyst burst out, grinning as she passed the couple and came up to the front counter, leaning against it heavily. "What, you work here now?"

It took every ounce of self will she possessed to rip her eyes away from the floundering blonde and look to the girl in front of her. Her mouth felt weird and uncooperative as she struggled for an answer. "I uh, y-yeah. Yes, I do. I-I mean I... Today was supposed to be my off day but Sadie needed me so... Yeah." She wanted to smack herself in the face.

Amethyst chuckled. "That's pretty awesome, congrats on the job. That means you can give us discounts then, right?"

Lapis blinked. Furrowed her brow. "I never-"

"Don't worry about it," Ruby stated, stepping up next to her friend and slapping down a handful of bills. "Not like you're paying anyways, you bum." She playfully elbowed the girl and they shared a laugh even as Amethyst sprouted out something about how she would normally pay.

Lapis wasn't really listening after that. Her focus was on the awkwardly standing, shuffling blonde standing just shy of the first table. Her tongue felt heavy with things she wanted to say but couldn't.

She was brought back from her stupor when Ruby began ordering. She took the money and rang up the cash register and began handing out the sweet treats, nodding along to whatever Amethyst was saying while otherwise completely ignoring it. When asked what she wanted, Peridot merely shook her head and declined. So Ruby ordered her something chocolate and told her she wouldn't hear any complaints.

"Yo, you wanna sit with us? Not like much else is happening around here," Amethyst said as she pulled out a chair, Ruby and her girlfriend already seated and Peridot uncomfortably pulling out a chair of her own.

Lapis considered the situation a moment. Either way was destined to be excruciatingly awkward, and either way she knew she'd have to answer questions she wasn't ready for. So, with a heavy sigh and cumbersome shrug, she bit the bullet. "Sure, yeah, just a sec."

To say things were unpleasant would be an understatement. A really, really big one.

Peridot fidgeted in her seat next to Lapis, eyes on the tabletop. Lapis was tapping her fingers along her upper arm and trying to keep from glancing over. And Amethyst, Ruby and Sapphire were all sitting there, looking at the two, wondering what had happened or what was happening or if they say something.

Of course it was Amethyst that finally opened her mouth, hand running through her hair as she leaned over the table and glanced between both silent girls. "Dude, I don't know what happened, but this is super freaking awkward. Someone do something."

Peridot scoffed and raised her hand, flipped off her friend. But her eyes couldn't help glancing over the same time as Lapis', and they shared a short look before emerald was back to the table and cerulean was back to the far wall.

Sapphire piped up, then, silencing her girlfriend before Ruby could even begin. "It'll be okay. Just talk about it." Then, she pushed from the table and stood, reaching for and taking Ruby's hand and tugging gently. "Amethyst, I believe we promised to visit Steven a little while ago. Perhaps we can do that now."

"Uh, yeah, okay," she mumbled, standing as Ruby did. She looked down at the still sitting couple and grinned half-heartedly. "See ya later, guys. And Per?"

"Yes?" the blonde answered.

"Maybe you can stop by later, too, yeah?"

Peridot smiled lightly, nodded. "Yeah, sure. After dinner, if that's okay."

"'Course it is."

Lapis watched silently as the four said their goodbyes, Sapphire leaning in to hug Peridot sideways and whisper something she couldn't make out in the girl's ear. Then they were being left alone at the table, and as soon as the door clicked shut behind Peridot's friends, the store suddenly seemed a lot more claustrophobic.

Lapis swallowed and cleared her throat, looked to the blonde. Peridot had resorted to entwining her fingers, twitching her nose as she watched her hands atop the table. A tiny smile tugged at Lapis' lips at the sight of how adorable her girlfriend's face was.

Until that word sank in, and then she was frowning again. Was... She didn't want to think if what had happened last night meant Peridot would throw that term away.

She needed to say something. She breathed in through her nose and turned slightly in her seat, so that she could really look at Peridot. Only to find Peridot already looking at her. With this sad, confused look. It hit her hard.

"What... happened?" the blonde murmured, then looked away and furrowed her brow. That confusion turned to anger faster than Lapis could comprehend. "I didn't... Whatever I did, Lapis, I'm sorry."

Her gaze fell to the tabletop as her jaw clenched. She hesitated before reaching out and brushing her fingertips over Peridot's still entwined hands. The blonde flinched but didn't pull away.

"I..." Lapis sighed uneasily, shook her head. "You didn't do anything, Peridot. It was all me."

"What the hell happened?"

"I don't-" No. No, Lapis stopped herself because she wouldn't lie. She knew what had happened but she didn't know how to explain it without telling Peridot everything. And it was too soon and she didn't know how to and what if Peridot realized what a bad idea it was to get involved with her and-.

"Lapis." Lapis looked up at the sound of her name, met emerald and had to let out a breath that turned into something more akin to a sob. She didn't even realize she was crying until Peridot reached up and wiped at her cheeks with gentle fingers. "Hey, no, i-it's okay."

Lapis choked and shook her head, gave no warning before she jerked forward and wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders, a yelp the only sign Peridot gave to her shock. A moment. Then the blonde's arms were around her and she was burying her face along the girl's neck to stifle her whimpers.

Peridot kept mumbling, things she couldn't make out but that told her it was okay, and Lapis shuddered when hands began gently rubbing along her back. She knew she didn't deserve this, didn't deserve sympathy or even pity. But she would be lying if she said she wasn't grateful for it.

"Lapis, hey, stop. It's okay." Peridot didn't know what to say. She just kept trying, trailed her hands up to run through her girlfriend's hair. "Shh, it's okay." She flinched when Lapis' nose brushed against her collarbone but sighed and leaned into the girl, closed her eyes and frowned. She should be the one upset right now. She should be the one all emotional. But... she couldn't stop herself from caring too much to just let Lapis sit here wallowing in whatever bad she had to wallow in.

It took more than a moment for Lapis to stop crying. In fact, it took so long that Peridot's leg has started to go numb and her side had started to hurt from the angle she was leaning at but she waited still. When finally Lapis pulled back, eyes puffy and cheeks tinted, she smiled awkwardly and sniffled and muttered, "Sorry."

Peridot sighed, let her fingers run up the girl's neck and catch the tears along her jaw. She twisted up her face in this way that she hoped looked somewhat serious. "Lapis. If you'd just talk to me, you'd feel better. We both would."

The girl shook her head, reached up and grasped at the blonde's wrists and looked down at where their hands met. "I don't... You wouldn't understand, Peridot. No one does."

Peridot huffed and leaned forward, let her forehead rest against Lapis'. "Maybe you're right, but I don't understand things any better this way, either. And I don't... I need to know what goes on in that fat head of yours."

She couldn't stop the small scoff that left her, sniffled and squeezed the wrist in her grasp. "But what if you can't handle what happens in there?"

The blonde smiled gently, pulled back. Waited for Lapis to look up before leaning in and placing a chaste kiss against the girl's lips. They tasted like salt. When they parted, she hummed quietly and met her girlfriend's gaze. "That's a chance I'm willing to take. Peridot Rabar doesn't let anything get to her."

Lapis snorted. Pushed the blonde gently. "I freaking hate your last name, Peri."

Peridot hummed again. Bopped her nose against Lapis'. "Yeah, so do I. But stop procrastinating."

Those endless eyes met her own. A sad, timid smile. More sniffling. And then, finally, the smallest of nods.

"Okay."