shattered flowers ~ steven universe

1

you blinked in the morning light, the gentle noise of the car on the road luring you back to sleep despite the wishes of the bright sun. your only living relative, your aunt, had been driving you to beach city for your summer vacation where you'd be staying with her. you lived considerably far away, requiring a 6 hour drive to simply get there. you could hear her laugh a little to herself as you adjusted in your seat and said a quiet good morning.
outside the car, your surroundings were completely new to you. you were on a freeway still, though what had before been a city with countless skyscrapers and an everlasting nightlife, was now sparse small towns. very far in the distance, you could see the ocean. you pulled the blanket that had been wrapped around your shoulders closer as you rolled down your window to breathe in the cool and salty sea air that the residents of these towns had long since been used to. your car took an off ramp into a small city, beach city (quite on the nose with the naming).
as you arrived at your aunt's home, she helped you get your suitcases and get settled into your new room. her house was small, but it had everything you could possibly need. the front foyer was sealed off from the rest of the house by a door, making that the room where all the beach towels and shoes were. past that was an open and spacious living room, characterized by a fluffy couch with blankets folded on one end and a large tv on the other side of the room. even past that was a kitchen with a large pantry full of snacks and food waiting to be cooked. just beside the couch was a hallway, with a door on either side. those led to yours and her rooms.
your room was painted a light blue with beach-y decorations adorning the walls. a small bookshelf with seashells and numerous books on sea life and animals found around this area, stories of sailors and sea monsters, and an out of place book on gemstones. your bed was simple, a plain white frame and baby blue sheets. the real showstopper of the room was a floor to ceiling window that opened to a small patio with a white painted table and two chairs that looked out on the beach.
it was barely morning, the rest of the day was yours. yours to explore the town and begin to become acquainted with the citizens, meet the local gems, or even simply walk along the beach if you had time.
but right now, all that could wait. you were still in your pajamas, and it was barely even morning. your aunt had work, so she left you at home with a small note telling you where to find her if you needed it, and an extra key to her house in case you decided to go out later.
you collapsed into your new bed, pulled the covers over yourself, and slept.
-
steven sighed as he brushed through his curly hair with his hands. he'd been at home all day, just watching tv shows. even if there's nothing wrong with that, he'd been itching to get up and move around a bit. maybe he'd walk along the beach and collect shells, or go help the gems with whatever they'd been doing in little homeworld. all he knew was that he didn't want to just sit around and let the summer pass him by silently, another year wasted. he rolled out of his bed with a bored groan, pulled on his favorite pink jacket, grabbed his earbuds, and walked out of his home.
shortly after, amethyst found him, begging to be brought along with whatever he happened to be doing, because she simply didn't feel like sitting around either. steven agreed, suggesting they go walk at the pier and find something to do there.
-
by the time you woke up, it was late afternoon. with a light sigh, you rolled out of bed and grabbed your suitcase to start unpacking. your closet was small, but just big enough to fit all the clothes you'd brought with you. you quickly changed out of your pajamas, deciding to bring some food to your aunt at work, it was the least you could do after all. you were sure she'd appreciate a home cooked meal, you figured as you packed up the last of the food you'd made for her with a bottle of water. you put it in your backpack, grabbed your key, and walked out into the warm summer air.