Diamond Loyalty (Stevidot)

Silenced

Steven's P.O.V

You can imagine how angry I was when they brought Peridot back into the cell block, seemingly knocked out, and threw her onto me in my own cell before reactivating the energy barrier. I told them that they were lucky I had this suit on, otherwise I'd walk right through that thing and personally beat them until they apologized. But the two Amethysts just laughed it off and walked away, throwing more insults at me on the way out. I then had to temper myself and put my desire to hurt them for hurting Peridot on the back burner since Peridot herself was unconscious in my arms and I needed to ensure that she wasn't fatally injured. I gently and carefully looked over her body to see if they were any crack marks or signs of injury that should worry me. Thankfully, I found none and she woke up right as I was concluding that she was merely knocked on the head.

Peridot instantly wrapped me in a hug, happy to see me again and also quick to notice that since she's seeing me face to face inside the cell block that we've been put in the same cell together. She unconsciously goes for a kiss to, but stops herself when she remembers that I have this face shield on. Brief disappointment flashes across her face when she realizes it, but I tip her chin up with my fingers and rest my head against hers as a sign of affection. Peridot then went on to explain what happened to her after she was pulled out of her cell and taken by the Amethysts. She said that they took her to Jasper, she saw a huge gorge with lots of gems working on machinery meant for war, Jasper revealing her intentions behind all of this, Jasper's failed attempt to make Peridot switch sides, and seeing S4INT flying away to Earth. It was a mixture of amazing, frightening, understanding all rolled into one. I never thought that Jasper would aim that big or would even have the mental capacity to think that big to begin with. But I suppose I underestimated her in that regard.

Peridot asked me what we should do and said, quite nervously, that she didn't want to die. I did my best to console her and promised her that she wasn't going to die and that I wouldn't allow it while I was still living. I tell her that S4INT hasn't let me down yet and that I'm sure that she reached the Gems by this point and was already on her way back here with them to save us. I had to give her hope, because without hope, there's almost no point in even trying to avoid our deaths. If Peridot and I gave up and felt completely hopeless, they might as well kill us at this very moment because hope is a powerful thing and lacking hope means lacking the very thing to keep us going in times like these. And though I sensed some hesitation in her, Peridot still responded sounding like she accepted what I said. I then began yawning and expressed to her that I was feeling tired. She suggested that I get some sleep, but that she wasn't moving off of my lap for the rest of the time we would be in this cell together. So, with her staying true to her word and planting herself firmly on my lap, I scooch over to the left corner of the cell opposite the barrier and get myself as comfortable as possible, at least as much considering that I'm sitting on hard rock. Peridot then turns her body sideways and lays herself against me, clearly more comfortable than I was, but I wasn't going to complain since she was still nice and cuddly.

And I really did try to sleep, but even when you've accepted the fact that tomorrow's the day that people have said that you're going to die, it really does make it hard for you to truly relax and put your mind at ease. And as a result, I ended up fading in and out of dreaming as the night stretched on. It would go like I'd be dreaming for a bit, then wake up, talk with my girlfriend, go to sleep again for a short period of time, then wake up again. Eventually, I gave up on fully going to sleep and just talked in hushed tones while Peridot continued laying against me. She would often shift herself and snuggle up closer or get into a more comfortable position as she was conversing with me. I was content with just stroking her hair and feeling the weight of her body against the suit, the physical contact itself being the most soothing aspect I could've possibly asked for. I was hoping that maybe we'd hear the sounds of a fight occurring outside the cells and that the Gems would walk in any moment and rush us out of here quickly, but no one came. And while that didn't make me start losing hope, it had me promise something to myself, that even if the gems didn't come and I had to fight and die so that Peridot could escape this planet on one of those ships that rest down in that gorge, I would do it. Then at least I'd be dying for a reason and not one serving a gem's personal need for vengeance.