Tension | Garnet x Reader

Volleyball

Their nervous expressions locked onto you, as if your words were utterly... preposterous.

"Don't worry, Pearl. I'm not going to let one near-drowning incident make me afraid of the water forever. I mean, come on, I've been through worse situations before," you said, attempting to downplay the seriousness of the situation.

"But you were in real danger! Something terrible could have happened!" Steven chimed in with genuine concern in his voice.

However, you remained steadfast in your decision. "Garnet saved me, and you healed me. Let's not let this one incident ruin our day. We should enjoy the sunshine instead."

"Garnet... check the future, just in case," Pearl whispered, her voice low and anxious.

"What? Check the future?" You echoed, but the gems seemed to be paying you no heed as they stared into the distance.

Garnet nodded, much to Amethyst's dismay. "Alright, but I'll go along with you," Amethyst offered, transforming herself into a surfboard.

"Whoa!" You caught her in your arms. "Thanks, Amethyst!"

"Awesome! I wanna come too!" Steven exclaimed before the three of you disappeared into the water.

"Amethyst has been acting... strange lately," Pearl confided in Garnet once you had swum a fair distance away. Both of them sat comfortably beneath a massive beach umbrella, which was finally serving of a purpose.

Garnet clenched her fists. "Amethyst must be worried too. Steven cares deeply for her, and none of us want to see her get hurt. I'll save her as many times as we need. That's the bottom line." It was clear that Pearl had missed her point.

Still not fully convinced, Pearl began, "I think that Amethyst has a c-" but was interrupted by Garnet.

"I'm going to check on them," and with that, she abruptly left the conversation.

"This is so cool!" Steven exclaimed, riding atop Amethyst as you chuckled at their playful antics.

As you turned around, you noticed Garnet standing behind you, watching the scene unfold. Unsurprisingly, she exchanged a rather challenging glance with Amethyst, echoing the one from earlier that morning.

"Oh, hey, Garnet," you greeted her with a smile, though Steven and Amethyst remained oblivious to her presence. She simply nodded in response, leaving you feeling a tad nervous. "Uhm... Thank you for saving me... twice."

Once again, she nodded, making you give up on trying to start a conversation. Steven, now atop Amethyst who had resumed her role as a surfboard, joined you and Amethyst once more. "Hey, guys!" Steven called out. "Want to play some volleyball?"

"Sure," Garnet replied. You couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance that she would talk to everyone but you. Her voice was mesmerizing, and you couldn't quite understand her behavior.

"You guys go ahead; I'll fetch the ball," you said, walking toward Pearl, who was observing the game from the shore.

"Hello there. Need something?" Pearl asked, and you flinched slightly before her.

"Uh... I'm looking for the volleyball. Have you seen it?" you inquired as you scanned the area.

"Umm..." She hesitated before pointing toward the guys, who were using Amethyst as a makeshift volleyball. "You mean that?"

"Uhm, I mean, that should do it," you replied, sitting down next to Pearl as you both watched the game from a distance.

"I'm still surprised you went back into the water so soon. Most people in your situation would develop some kind of trauma," Pearl commented, initiating a conversation on her own.

"Oh, believe me, I've been to worse beaches," you responded nonchalantly.

"I suppose so," she said, her gaze fixed on the gems playing in the distance. "Tell me, do you have any interest in gemstones?"

"Uh... like the ones you guys are named after?" You replied, amused by the topic.

Pearl didn't return your smile. "Yes, named after... Those. What's your favorite gemstone?"

"Well... I don't know much, but I guess I like amethysts. They're pretty, and I like purple," you replied, smiling. "Why the sudden interest, though?"

"Just... curiosity. And what do you think of pearls?" She continued, her gaze confident.

"Um... I don't know much about them? They look nice in jewelry, I guess," you continued, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"And what about garnets?" Her look was definitive.

"Honestly, I've never heard much about those before. But I guess they look nice, I suppose? I always thought it was a color, and that was it," you confessed.

"What about rubies and sapphires? How do you feel about them?" Her expression softened, making you feel slightly less uneasy.

You thought carefully about your response. "Well... now that you mention it, my grandma used to have ruby and sapphire rings. They remind me of her, so yeah, I guess those are my favorites."

"Very well then," Pearl said with a mysterious smile that left you puzzled.

"Wait, do you guys know a Ruby and a Sapphire?" You asked, suddenly curious.

"That's information I can't share," she replied, sounding slightly uneasy.

"Are they spies or something?" You continued probing.

"You should ask Garnet; she knows them better than anyone else, believe me," Pearl asserted firmly, indicating that she wouldn't answer any more questions on the matter.

"But you know Garnet won't talk to me!" You protested.

"Then keep trying. Don't give up so easily," she urged.

"What's even the deal with her? What do you guys mean with this future vision thing?"

"Oh, well, she can see the future. Not too hard to figure out," Pearl said with a cocky grin, as if it were general knowledge.

"You guys are so difficult to get answers from!" With a scoff, you turned around to discover that the volleyball had been hidden behind a picnic basket the whole time.