"Steven! I can't possibly do this!" Peridot exclaimed, running her hands through her hair frantically as she paced the floor of the barn. "I mean, yeah, I kinda managed to flirt a tiny bit, but to go this far?! I would make a complete clod out of myself!"

"What if you didn't have to tell her directly?"

"What do you mean? How else would I tell her?'

"Well, you have your tape recorder. You've used that to play recordings for us before." Steven suggested.

"Well, yes, but then I'd still have to be there!"

"No, you don't. Leave the recorder and a note telling her to push play. Then, once she's listened, and she's ready, she'll come and talk to you. They're on a mission now. They should be gone for a couple of hours, at least."

"There's no easy way to do this, is there? That's why you haven't asked Connie out yet."

"Peridot! Why'd you have to go and call me out like that?!" Steven groaned. "That's beside the point. You've been doing good at building that connection with her. You don't wanna lose your momentum."

Peridot nodded, steeling herself. "You're right. I gotta do this now. Gotta strike while the iron is hot."

"Metal powers joke!" Steven laughed. "Alright, you got this! I'll help you!"

"Uh, Steven, I super appreciate your help and all, but there's noo fucking way I'm gonna be able to do this with you in here. You'll make me nervous!"

"Got it. Should I wait in the car and listen to it before you go drop it off?" He wiggled his eyebrows slyly, hoping she wouldn't pick up on his trick.

"No, you clod, you can still hear me in there. Now shoo! Let me get my rizz on!"

"Darn! Okay, okay! I'll go! But that's not how you use that word!" He called over his shoulder as he left the barn.

"I'll use it however I want!" Peridot sighed, turning her attention to the recorder resting in her palm. What have I gotten myself into? There's no way she's into me. I can't do it. She took a deep breath, her thumb hovering over the record button, hands shaking.

"Dear Amethyst... I don't really know how to say this, but. I just wanna tell you how much I've enjoyed our time together while I've been on Earth. Everyone knows I've had a hard time adjusting, but you- you've made it all so much easier. You make me feel like I'm at home, and that's something I never thought I would feel again. I- I guess what I'm trying to say is, I like you, Amethyst. Like, like you like you. You have completely captivated my attention. I feel like, with you, I could have a clean slate here on Earth. And I know that I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to romance, but when I read all these books you gave me, I think about us instead of who they're actually about. I don't know how you feel at all, but I just know that I have to try. You said the romance train missed your station, but, if you'll accept, I'd like to change that." She took a deep breath and let go of the record button, screaming. I can't believe I just did that. Now I just have to go sneak into her room and drop it off.

Peridot made her way out of the barn, recorder in hand. She walked through the grass towards the temple, a daisy in the grass catching her eye. She bent down and plucked it, twirling the stem between her fingers. I bet she would like this. She continued on, bounding up the steps and opening the screen door to see Steven sitting on the couch, a wide grin on his face.

"So, uh, I kinda forgot to mention that we can't get into her room. But we can leave it on the counter."

She frowned slightly. "Oh, great. Then everyone will see it. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Pearl and Garnet already know, Peridot. Remember? I promise you nobody else will listen to it. And you've already come this far."

"Okay, I'll leave it on the counter." She set the tape recorder down, laying the daisy across it. "Do you have something to write a note on?"

"Yep!" Steven produced an index card and a pen from his cheeseburger backpack and passed them to her. "Here you go!"

She uncapped the pen. "For Amethyst, from Peridot. Hit play." She passed it back to Steven, who put it back in his backpack. "So... now what?"

"Now's the hard part. You gotta wait for her."

"Okay. I'm gonna run away now. I'll be in the barn totally freaking the absolute fuck out if you need me byeeee." Peridot sprinted out the door, not waiting to give him a chance to respond. She ran to the barn, then up the stairs to the loft, flopping on the couch. I cannot believe I just did that! I made such a clod out of myself. How could somebody like her like somebody like me?

"You make me feel like I'm at home, and that's something I thought I would never feel again..." Amethyst paused the tape for a moment, tears gathering in her eyes as she cradled the daisy carefully in her fingertips. She did all this... for me? I can't believe it. She resumed listening, a bright grin forming on her lips. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, rewinding the tape to listen again. She had been drawn to Peridot from the moment she first saw her. Even with her short stature, she commanded power. She made a name for herself by defying Yellow Diamond, and then she was hooked, drawn in by her fighting spirit and piercing green eyes. I have to go see her. She tucked the daisy behind her ear and left her room with the tape recorder in hand. She practically bolted out the screen door as she rushed to the barn, stopping in front of the door and calling out to her. "Peridot? Are you in here?"

Oh fuck. Maybe I should hide. Is it too late to hide?! Shit, she saw me. "Um, I'm up here." She waved shyly, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes. I'm upstairs." She turned to face the staircase, blushing furiously as she saw the daisy tucked into her hair as Amethyst sat beside her. "I see you found the recording... I'm sorry if I was out of line, I just- Steven made me do it!" The words fell out of her mouth in her sheer panic before she could stop herself.

"Peri, it's okay. Really. I thought it was sweet. Nobody's ever done anything like that for me before."

"Really?"

"No, never." She shook her head. "So, you think about me when you read those dirty books, huh?"

Peridot gasped in shock, her face heating up. "Oh my stars, Amethyst, I didn't mean it like that! I didn't even think of it that way! I'm so sorry, I-"

Amethyst burst into laughter, turning to sit sideways to face Peridot. "No, I'm sorry, Peri. You were so nervous I thought you'd spontaneously poof yourself. I had to lighten the mood a little bit. And you're cute when you blush."

"No, you're cute when you blush." Peridot pouted, frowning slightly.

"So. You're telling me that you didn't think about me at all during the good parts? Not even once?"

"That- That's not what I said either!" Her face grew even hotter.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Peri. I don't want to be mean, I just- I'm not good at this stuff, you know. Being serious about my feelings and all. That's why I joke around so much even when I know I shouldn't. But you're not a joke to me. I hope you know that."

Peridot nodded. "We don't have to talk about it yet if you're not ready. I don't want to impose on you."

"I mean, we don't have to talk, per se."

"What are you implying?" She studied her expression nervously, searching for an answer. She noticed her gaze shifting downwards to her lips, and she froze. "I- I've never done anything like this before. I don't think I know how."

"It's okay. I can teach you. But only if you want to."

Peridot nodded shyly, trying to scoot closer to her but wobbling slightly. Amethyst motioned for her to come closer, and she slid a leg over the tops of her thighs, moving to rest on her lap, wrapping her arms around her neck. She looked at her nervously for a moment as the earth seemed to stop spinning, and the only thing that existed was the radiant gem in front of her, the flower hanging loosely in her hair. Amethyst cupped the side of her face in her palm and looked into her eyes for a moment, then gently closed the gap between their lips, moving her hands to rest on her lower back. Peridot leaned in, and Amethyst instinctively pulled her closer, chest to chest. She moved her hand to her thigh, a shiver running up Peridot's spine.

All too soon, she pulled away shyly. "Amethyst..." She said breathlessly. "That was- I don't even have the words for it."

"That good already, huh?" Amethyst laughed softly. "You still wanna tell me you don't think about me when you read those dirty books?"

"Oh shut up, you clod." She leaned in and kissed her again, running her hands through her hair. "I still don't know if I'm doing this right."

"You're doing just fine. It only gets better with time. And I have a few tricks up my sleeve I can show you later." Amethyst smirked playfully.

"You mean you want to do this again? Are we like, official now?"

"Only if you want to be. We don't have to put a label on things right away."

"I do. I'm glad I left you the tape recorder."

"Oh, that's right. I brought that to give back to you." The tape recorder lay on the couch cushion next to them, completely forgotten.

"That's okay. I can think of a few other things I'd rather be doing than a log date right now."

"Oh really now? And what would that be?"

"You'll see," Peridot slid off her lap and down the stairs, closing the door to the barn. She tossed the tape recorder off the couch and gently pushed Amethyst down on her back. "In fact, I have a much better idea."