It was a couple of weeks later and Steven was with Lapis and they were harvesting some fruits and vegetables that she'd tenderly brought up to ripeness. Steven was wearing his overalls, gloves and a straw hat. He sang while he harvested.
"I got tomatoes in my breeches!
If you want some, just go ask Lapis!
They're healthy and red, and they're good for your bones!
Hey, looky there, I think we got watermel-ones!
We got a pumpkin in the wagon!
I could'a sworn that they only grew in fall,
But it doesn't matter cuz Lapis is the best!
She can grow anything and they'll turn out the best!
I just rhymed using the same word!
And I don't really care cuz rhyming is for nerds!
I just told a lie, we should rhyme all the time!
Now, here I go, I'm gonna start down the line:
I got tomatoes in my breeches!"
When Steven ran out of half-way decent rhymes, he just hummed the melody. Lapis smiled because of him; he was the only one that could do that, he noticed.
After farmer Steven and "Green Thumb" Lapis Lazuli-despite her insistence that her thumbs were indeed blue and not green, and that Steven needed to get his eyes checked-had finished harvesting the month's bounty, they wheeled it back to the barn. The rickety wagon that may have been for single bales of hay, that they had salvaged from the barn squealed under their assortment of fruits and vegetables. Although it wasn't filled to the brim, all in all, it was an impressive turnout, if one had asked for Steven's opinion.
This was the ritual Lapis and Steven had each and every month since last month. This month's produce was more colorful as the last.
Peridot and Lapis don't eat, so Lapis gave the fruits and vegetables to Steven, which he'd wheel over to the nearest warp pad when he was good and ready to leave. But, for now, he brought the wagon to a whining halt under the shade of the barn.
Steven followed Lapis inside. They were going to watch a movie together. Steven brought a couple of his dad's old movies, since all Lapis and Peridot had was a VHS player. Today's films were a horror movie called Prawns, and a Western called A Fistful of Diamonds.
When Lapis started up the ladder to the barn's hay loft (where their TV was), Steven said hi to Peridot. She was over on her half of the barn, tinkering with something at her soldering desk. She didn't respond or notice him.
Steven shrugged it off. It wasn't the first time Peridot had been so absorbed in her work that she didn't pay him mind. He started up the ladder.
Steven always let Lapis have the ultimatum of which movie they should watch. Always, she told him she didn't mind which. Granted, she didn't have much experience with Earth cinema, so Steven never pressured her.
He was in a funny mood, so he went with the more fun-looking movie.
Steven force-fed the VHS player. He called out, down below, if Peridot wanted to watch with them.
"FOIEFNOIWENUIVURGFIOPEAPONLGF IP!"
Steven conceded, and crawled back over next to Lapis.
They watched their movie. Steven enjoyed it, but Lapis was confused. She asked him if humans normally got as excited watching members of their own species get hurt and murdered.
Steven chuckled, "No, not in real life. This is just a movie. It's not real life. We wanna see the good guy win!"
"Why would the good person want to kill?"
"Well, because he's gotta fight the bad guys."
"So, bad people deserve to die," acceded Lapis.
"Oh, no," said Steven, "nobody should have to kill anybody else in real life! It's a movie! It's not real!"
"Then, why make something that does not represent real life?"
"For funzies!"
Lapis pondered. "...Killing for funzies..."
Steven blinked. Twice. Thrice.
"Peeerriidoooot! Whatcha doiiiiin'?!"
"OI*()R$VBJOIGPOIHRGG$*VHPIOPASH!1!"
Steven chuckled again. He climbed down from the hay loft and strolled over to the angry little slice of Key Lime pie.
He met Peridot at her working desk, which was an old miniature picnic table made for small children; scorch marks, steel tools and copper wiring had replaced Crayon doodles and plastic tea cups. Steven popped a squat next to her.
Peridot sighed. "Personal space..."
"Oh," intoned Steven, scuttling over. "Sorry." Peridot went back to soldering circuits. "Whatcha workin' on?"
"Just making another F.A.R.T."
Steven tittered.
"What is so hysterical about that?" clipped Peridot. "Does it mean something that I don't understand?"
"I-I... W-well, uhh..." Steven adjusted the straps to his overalls. "Is something bothering you?"
As if on cue, as Peridot answered no, Lapis, at the same time, answered yes from above.
"No one's talking to you, you blue-footed booby!"
"Green little toad!"
"TOILET WATER!"
Lapis shook her head. "She's been like this for weeks, and she won't get over herself."
"I'm sorry," said Peridot, "I don't remember toilet water being able to speak. Trust me, I would know!"
Steven watched Peridot clutch her soldering iron and thrust it back into her circuitry. There were wrinkles in the corners of her lips. Her eyebrows twitched under the weight of her forehead. "Is there anything-"
"No. I don't want to talk about it. End of story." Peridot went back to F.A.R.T.-ing.
Steven watched Peridot's hands at work. They seemed perfect for building circuits. They were so small and nimble, and, to Steven, it felt like she'd been making electronics for 100 years. Maybe she had, but Steven wondered if circuits even existed on Homeworld.
Steven hadn't thought much about it, but he hadn't a clue how old Peridot was. He felt her as being around his age, but maybe that was because she was small and often ignorant. For all Steven knew, Peridot could've been 100 years old, maybe older.
A year ago, Peridot was unopen to talking about anything. Then, it was understandable, but, now that she was family, it seemed that hadn't much worn off. Peridot still didn't let on too much about herself, if Steven thought about it. She talked a lot, sure, but, anything personal and she became dismissive. Maybe Peridot was more Steven's age.
"You know," said Steven, "talking about things doesn't make you weak."
"Steven..."
"When something's bothering me, I like to talk about it. I'll talk to Connie, or my dad, or Garnet. Maybe Pearl or Amethyst. I guess it depends on what it is, really, that's bothering me."
"That's great," said Peridot. "Now, please..."
"It helps me figure things out, or what I should do about the thing that's bothering me, if anything." Peridot rudely sighed. "Instead of just letting it sit inside you, whatever it is, and letting it hurt you for longer than it needs to. That's what I've learned. Talking is helpful."
"Yes, okay," said Peridot. "I appreciate your concern, but your concern is not needed nor is it warranted."
Steven sighed. He got up from the picnic table. He came up behind Peridot and hugged her big, pushing his face through her triangle hair to plant a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you," said Steven.
Peridot squirmed. "OFF! GET OFF! Personal space!"
Then, Steven went to go hug Lapis. It was time farmer Steven took his hat and gloves and produce and moseyed on home.
Before wheeling his rusty wagon down the hill, Steven told Peridot he would be there for her if she wanted to talk, and bid both her and Lapis a hearty farmer's farewell (which was simply Steven slipping his thumbs under the straps of his overalls and adding the phrase I reckon before and after every sentence).
"I reckon I best get this here yield on home before late, I reckon. ...Pearl gets kind of upset if I'm late for dinner."
Lapis cooed, "Ya'll come back now, ya hear."
"I reckon it'll be sooner than later, I reckon." Lapis waved him goodbye, and Steven tipped his hat to her.
It most certainly would be sooner than later, because Steven forgot his movies.
...