I started this because I wanted to write more regularly, and because I wanted more Pearl whump. I won't do all the prompts because there are a lot of them and all not all of them apply to Pearl. If you're familiar with the blog, you can use the chapter select to see what prompt numbers I've done. these one shots are not connected unless there's a note that says otherwise.

NOTE ON RATINGS: While I've rated this fic T overall, individual chapters are probably going to vary wildly. This first one is as light and fluffy as whump gets, but I might write something totally depraved for a later prompt. So, each chapter will be rated individually using FF .net's own rating scale, and the prompt will be copied and pasted at the top of the page.


Prompt: Character A wakes up periodically with a scorching fever, hallucinations and begins slurring about how much they love the people in their life; while Character B sits there crying over how sweet the words that are being said are, all the while trying to bring down Character A's fever.

Rating: K

timeline: post-future


It was morning at the beach house. Garnet was drinking coffee. Amethyst was getting ready to go teach a class. Pearl was reading a book on the couch.

Or at least she had been. Pearl's eyes were closed, and she was slumped against the back rest. The book was dangerously close to sliding out of her lap.

Amethyst wandered over to her and flicked a smile back at Garnet. "Look who's a sleepy head." She whispered.

"Hmm." Garnet frowned slightly. "That's not like her."

Amethyst looked back at Pearl. She did seem a bit flushed and sweaty. A little shape-shifting to extend her arm, and purple fingers were able to reach Pearl's forehead.

Groggy eyes blinked open and struggled to focus. "Am-thyst you're... purple."

"Yep. Hey, G! We need an ice pack over here!"

Garnet obligingly grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and tossed it across the room. Amethyst deftly caught it and pressed it against Pearl's head.

"OH, good catch! You've got really good reflexes." Her voice was somewhat raspy and slightly slurred.

"Um, thanks."

Pearl slumped over onto her side. "I'm so glad we found you. You gave us... so much... hope." She slid back into sleep.

Amethyst rubbed at suddenly misty eyes. "Damnit, Pearl. I have to go out and teach a class and be normal!" There was no response of course. "Well, uh, I should get going."

Garnet waved her on. "Go ahead. I'll keep an eye on her."

Amethyst left, and Garnet sipped her coffee. While she watched, Pearl's gem started to glow subtly. The bright sunshine pouring through the windows washed out the blue of Pearl's projection, so it couldn't be seen. However, Garnet's future vision informed her that the dream had high odds of turning into a nightmare within the hour.

That wouldn't do. The gem leader took her mug with her as she walked over to the couch and set it on the coffee table (on a coaster of course, lest she incur Pearl's wrath later). Gently, she removed the book and set it on the table, then sat down and put the sleeping gem's head in her lap.

Pearl made a soft noise and reached out blindly. Garnet allowed her arm to be caught and hugged. Pearl seemed to relax, and future vision confirmed that a nightmare was now far less likely.

A couple of hours passed. Garnet flipped through Pearl's book to occupy herself, though advanced engineering was not her usual choice of reading material.

The sun shifted enough that Pearl's dream became visible. It was of the two of them, riding that old penny farthing bicycle.

"Miss riding with you." Pearl mumbled, approximately 40% conscious. "Really fun."

"I'm sure we still have the bike around somewhere. We can dig it out and take it for a ride when you're feeling better." She realized that the ice pack had melted, so Garnet took it in hand. She concentrated on channeling Sappire's powers and in short order had the pack refrozen.

Putting it back on Pearl's head caused the hologram to shut off and her eyes to open. At first they were clouded with confusion, but then they widened with horror. Pearl released Garnet's arm and scooted away across the couch. "I'msorryI'msorry I didn't mean to!"

Garnet repressed a sigh. Pearl had seemed like she was doing so much better in the self-esteem department lately. Then again, that had always had a tendency to tank when Pearl wasn't feeling well, and the fever had clearly addled her gem. "You don't need to apologize. You haven't done anything wrong."

Garnet had a second to wonder if she'd said the wrong thing when Pearl teared up. But then she burst out with, "You're so good! You're a great leader and the most supportive friend ever and you've done so much for me! I-I'm sorry I nuh-never t-told you!"

"Oh, come here."

Having received an unambiguous invitation, Pearl flung herself back into Garnet's arms. Readjusting the ice pack and patting hitching shoulders provided an ideal distraction from her own stinging eyes. After a few minutes, they sat back together with Garnet's arm around Pearl's shoulders.

The sick gem was starting to drift off again when a ringing phone pulled her back.

It was Steven on video chat. "I just saw Amethyst's text. Is Pearl OK?"

Pearl jerked forward, wildly reaching for the phone. "My baaaaaaby!"

Garnet brought the phone closer but didn't let go of it. Pearl's hands were shaking too badly. "She's alright. She's just a bit feverish and it's making her more emotional than usual."

"I can see that."

Pearl was babbling, mostly incoherently, about how much she loved Steven and how much she missed him.

Steven blushed and started to tear up too. "Aww, Pearl I love you too! I promise I'll visit soon."

Garnet smiled and made a metal note to make Pearl drink some water. She was bound to be getting dehydrated from all this.