OUTSIDE
"I think that story is a little ... beyond your age," Garnet says as she and Steven make their way back to the temple.
"Awe, please Garnet?" Steven begs but Garnet stands her ground. Steven looks down at the ground. "Can I get the version that's meant for my age?"
Garnet regards Steven's question for a moment.
"Alright, but wouldn't you like to hear it told by both me and Jasper?" Garnet questions as they make their way across the beach.
"Yes! Story for Steven!" Steven says with stars in his eyes.
"Alright then," she says as they make their way up the steps and toward the house.
"Oh, good morning Steven, Garnet," Pearl says as she walks out of the temple.
"Morning Pearl," Steven says as he makes his way to the counter where Pearl has set his breakfast.
"Morning," Garnet lets out as she takes a seat on the couch next to a wide awake Peridot. "Peridot."
Peridot doesn't say anything but nods at the fusion.
"You're up and about early Garnet," Pearl comments. Pearl turns briefly away from Steven to look at Garnet.
"I wanted to spend a little time with Steven," Garnet replies.
"Oh. Did y'all have fun?" Pearl asks.
"We did! Garnet promised to tell me how she and Jasper started dating!" Steven exclaims jumping down from his seat at the counter. Steven tries to quickly make his way over to Garnet when Pearl stops him.
"Steven, where do we put the dishes when we're done using them?" Pearl questions.
"Oh. Sorry," Steven says as he turns around and moves his plate back to the sink.
"Garnet, do you think that story is really suitable for Steven, at his age?" Pearl questions her leader as Steven puts his plate in the sink.
"I'll be sure to give him the PG version," Garnet says as Jasper steps out of the temple doors.
"Jasper!" Steven yells as he spots the Home world gem.
Jasper doesn't respond but nods her head in acknowledgement of his statement. Jasper quickly makes her way over to Garnet and sits down next to her lover.
"Morning Jasper," Garnet says and grabs Jasper's hand. Jasper smiles and kisses Garnet softly on the lips.
"Are you going to tell the story now?" Steven asks and Jasper looks confused at Garnet.
"I promised him we'd tell him how we started dating," Garnet tells Jasper.
Jasper smiles at Garnet's statement. "Oh, that's a great story."
"The PG version," Pearl quickly adds and Jasper looks over at her warily.
"Yes, the PG version," Garnet confirms.
"Who all are we telling our story too?" Jasper asks as Amethyst exits from the temple and Lapis walks in the house from the beach.
"What's going on?" Amethyst questions rubbing the sleeper from her eyes.
"Jasper and Garnet are going to tell me how they started dating," Steven says.
"For real? I want to know too!" Amethyst yells.
Jasper turns to look at Garnet and raises a brow. "Are we ..?" Jasper trails off.
"Aside from Lapis, because I'm sure you know a little bit more than they do, Amethyst and Steven, would you two also like to hear how Jasper and I came to be?" Garnet questions Peridot and Pearl.
To her question, they nod their heads; Peridot's head jerks forward slightly, Pearl's head hesitantly jerks forward to in a more noticeable way.
"Okay," Garnet says. Steven and Amethyst quickly rush to sit in front of Jasper and Garnet; Steven on the table and Amethyst, as a purple cat, snuggles on his lap.
Garnet looks at Jasper and smiles. Jasper smiles back before leaning into whisper, "How we met or how we started dating?" in Garnet's ear.
"We'll tell both," Garnet says back. "You want to start?" she asks Jasper.
"Sure." Jasper straightens up. "We first met 7300 years ago. I was just coming out my room when I spotted her walking down the hall toward Sapphire's room." Jasper stops to look at Garnet. "I knew you were going there because Sapphire's door is the last door and it's all the way at the end of the hall. You just passed my door." She turns back to the other gems. "I followed her. I never saw her so I confronted her on it."
"More like picked a fight," Garnet lets out with a smile. "She attempted to question me but she messed up when she grabbed my wrists."
"Yeah and you punched me and it's then I knew you were a fusion. I guessed right when I assumed you were a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire."
"Yeah, and then you hit me with that 'fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak gems stronger' statement." Garnet turns toward Jasper and smiles. "I was not surprised to hear that from you when we fought in the ship." Garnet then turns back to the other gems and starts again. "We started fighting after that." Jasper cuts in.
"And I was winning" Jasper adds.
"Until you kissed me, then I won," Garnet says with a smile and turns toward Jasper.
"What can I say, even back then you were my weakness," Jasper says smiling and leans in to kiss Garnet.
Garnet kisses Jasper back, twisting her torso slightly to deepen the kiss. After a while, one of the gems clears their throat.
"Sorry," Garnet mumbles.
"So, when you found out it was Ruby and Sapphire, you didn't have a problem? And didn't Ruby not like you?" Steven questions Jasper.
Jasper turns to look at Garnet before looking at Steven. "Yeah, Ruby didn't like me and she still doesn't. She just puts up with me for sake of Sapphire and Garnet," Jasper says. "And I didn't care that she was a fusion of them. She was someone that I …" Jasper struggles to find the words and is stopped by Garnet's hand.
"By all means, Jasper didn't have a problem with it, but it did take some convincing on my part to try something with her," Garnet says honestly.
"So Garnet, you didn't want to date? Hmm, that's actually not surprising," Steven says rubbing his chin as he remembers Garnet's reaction to Jamie's crush on her.
"Yeah, and it did take a lot of convincing," Jasper says and wraps an arm around Garnet's waist. "But I got her."
"Sooooo … are y'all gone tell how you convinced Garnet?" Amethyst throws out.
"Steven, are you ready for the movies?" Connie asks as she comes bouncing in the house only to skid to a stop. "Did I come at a bad time? Is everything okay?"
"Hello Connie," Pearl starts.
"Jasper and Garnet were just telling us how they met and got together," Steven says.
"Yeah, and we're just waiting for the 'how they got together' part," Amethyst huffs out.
"Oh, so, does that mean you don't want to go to the movies anymore Steven?" Connie asks.
Steven looks between Connie and Garnet and Jasper. He really wanted to hear Garnet and Jasper's story, but he did promise Connie they'd go to the movies today.
"It is okay, Steven, go with Connie. We'll finish tomorrow," Garnet says.
"Awe man!" Amethyst complains and Steven and Connie both look down at their feet.
"Amethyst!" Pearl berates her.
"Steven, it is fine. Have fun at the movies with Connie. Our story is not going anywhere and this is the last day to see the movie, you said so," Garnet tries to heal the wounded situation.
"O-Okay," Steven starts. "Come on Connie, we should hurry." He runs up the steps to grab his backpack. As he reaches the bottom steps, he heads for the kitchen packing snacks in his backpack. "Ready?" Steven questions and he and Connie run outside to find Lion.
"So, can I hear the real version?" Amethyst questions snapping everyone's attention to her as she stretches her back still in her cat form.
"That was the real version," Jasper lets out.
"Please, I know a PG version when I hear it. So, what juicy bits did y'all leave out?"
Garnet, not usually one to laugh, actually lets out a short chuckle. It's been a while since she's told a story to Amethyst. The last one was Ruby and Sapphire's and she asked the same thing years after they told her it.
"Amethyst, that's a story I'd rather keep to myself. I gave in last time," Garnet finally lets out.
"Seriously?" Amethyst makes her way to Garnet's leg. She bats at it with one's paw and Garnet stretches it out so Amethyst can walk on it. Once on the leg, Amethyst makes her way up to curl into Garnet's side. Jasper looks at her from the side.
"Seriously," Garnet says and scratches Amethyst behind the ear making her purr.