A Diamond That Doesn't Shine

Alone Together *rewriten*

2 Weeks before the accident.

The Gems are teaching Steven and me how to dance to music playing softly in the background.

"Pearl snaps her fingers, "A 5-6-7-8!"

Steven and Amethyst attempt to dance in unison, with Garnet entering to observe.

"Synchronize!" Pearl commands, still snapping her fingers.

Amethyst tries to lift Steven, but ends up dropping him, and they both burst into laughter.

"Pearl sighs irritably. "Be serious!"

Undeterred, Steven and Amethyst continue dancing while Pearl keeps time with her snapping fingers. Amethyst manages to lift Steven successfully, but they break into laughter again.

Spinel looks visibly uncomfortable and only danced with me after I insisted firmly. However, her limbs stretch unexpectedly, causing me to stumble and fall. Perry, always kind-hearted, rushes over to comfort me.

"S-So many limbs..." I shiver, overwhelmed.

Pearl stops snapping her fingers and frowns in annoyance. Taking charge, she steps in to demonstrate with Garnet.

"Pay attention now, both of you," Pearl instructs.

Pearl and Garnet gracefully perform a ballroom dance, with Garnet twirling and lifting Pearl around effortlessly. The dance culminates in Garnet gently pinning Pearl against a wall, her hands on either side of Pearl's head, and Pearl blushes slightly at the close contact.

Pearl turns to us, beckoning with gestures. "See?" Steven stares wide-eyed for a moment, then nods determinedly. "Hmm."

"Here we go again," I mutter as I get up and sigh.

Steven attempts to dance with Pearl, mimicking Garnet's movements. Garnet assists him with some of the poses, adjusting for his shorter stature. Pearl smiles tentatively and glances at Garnet as Steven, being shorter, tries to mirror Garnet by pinning her against the wall.

Next, Amethyst and I dance together, moving through a playful routine akin to the "Macarena". I manage to keep up reasonably well, though I'm not as flexible as Amethyst.

Steven then pairs up with Garnet, striving to emulate her dance. However, he struggles to match the speed and precision of her hand movements.

Attempting a ballet duet with Pearl next, Steven finds himself accidentally struck in the face by Pearl's leg due to his height, causing him to fall to the ground. Pearl looks apologetically at him.

The Gems then try to synchronize their movements with Steven. They snap their fingers in rhythm, but Steven is slightly offbeat. While the Gems step forward with their feet, Steven extends his hand instead.

As the Gems exit stage right, moving in perfect unison, Steven initially heads the wrong way, quickly correcting himself to catch up with them. They execute a synchronized slide, leaping up to strike a midair pose together. Steven attempts to jump and pose as well, but ends up falling to the ground.

The Crystal Gems make their way to the kitchen, seeking a break.

Steven, with a towel draped around his neck, sighs, "I thought I was so close..."

Pearl settles beside the kitchen counter, reassuringly saying, "Steven, nobody expects you to master fusion right away."

Amethyst bounds onto the counter, adding, "Yeah, it's tough even for us!"

Garnet leans casually against the cabinets, asserting, "Not for me." Well you are a fusion so that's not fair. I cross my arms at the thought.

"We'll keep practicing the dance for now. Who knows, in a few years..." Pearl pauses, contemplating aloud, "I wonder if Steven's organic half affects his ability to fuse. Fusion merges the physical forms of gems, but Steven..."