Chadverse Mini Stories

Earring

The first time it happened it was on purpose.

Star had woken up shaking and gagging for the last time. He'd been so exhausted and angry and the hurt was so loud he'd yanked it out, slightly tearing the hole.

It wasn't like it was an easy process to get it off. Peridot had made sure the earrings were screwed on, and Connie would occasionally check them both.

Taking off the earring wouldn't mean anything good, for either of them. As much as Star could not live without his Diamond half, his Diamond half could not survive without him, there was too much human coding mixed into him.

Today had been a pretty ordinary day.

Diamond was in the kitchen making pastries in such multitudes they'd have to freeze some of them. He'd been a little slow today, but ultimately the same.

Connie was spreading out textbooks on the floor from at least four different classes and chewing on the end of her pencil with concentration.

But Star didn't feel right. He felt like there was a hole in his stomach. Breathing was hard. Moving was worse. He'd slept in until nearly 4pm and he was still barely able to stay awake.

"Guys?" His voice was weaker than normal, and the two turned to greet him. Connie gasped and Diamond dropped his rubber spatula in horror. "Something's wrong."

Connie exploded into a scramble towards him and Diamond followed suit. She guided him back to bed and asked a plethora of questions.

"Star, when did you start feeling like this?" She rubbed the darker than usual circles under his eye with worry.

"I just woke up feeling weird." Star breathed in a series of short gasps as he felt an acute starvation for air. "I'm scared!" He felt like a child afraid of the dark, and the dark was coming for him.

Connie's brows furrowed over slightly wet eyes. "Relax, Star. You're going to be okay, baby."

Diamond had been standing over them, but lifted Stars legs so he could sit under them. His touch was far more delicate than Star was used to. Tender even. But Diamond always preferred to stand, especially when one of them was feeling ill. It was instinctual for him to keep watch for danger and to be ready for anything, so it took Star aback to see him acting out of character. He looked a little uncomfortable even, winded maybe despite having no need to breathe.

Star groaned and coughed, the suspicion dissipated at the feeling of his lungs spasming more violently. He turned his head away from the two and when it subsided he whimpered, "I feel like I'm dying."

Connie choked on a gasp and grabbed for his head roughly. He expected her to be looking at his face but she turned it to the side, her hands shaking so violently it was making his headache worse. "Where is it?" She whispered in sharp terror.

Diamonds eyes followed hers and widened. "You promised."

"Where is it?!" Connie's voice rose suddenly into a terrified shriek.

Star tried to push through the brain fog and sit up. "What? What did I do?"

"Your earring." It was barely intelligible past her hyperventilating, but his hand shot up to his ear in a panic and found she was right.

His earring was nowhere to be found.

"Guys... no, I didn't do it on purpose again... I-I swear!" He struggled up, reaching for her and Diamond. "I promised you I wouldn't," He croaked in desperation. His throat was dry but he needed them to know he wasn't trying to escape.

Connie looked up at Diamond, who sighed guiltily. "I've been feeling off, too. But not like Star. My form feels... unstable." As if to punctuate that, he glitched like his gem was cracked and Steven yelped in pain.

"Why–? Why didn't you say anything?" She cried, pulling his face down to her level.

"I hadn't noticed until I saw Star," He murmured. "It hadn't even crossed my mind."

She tried to slow her breathing and reorganize her brain. Priorities. She stood and crossed past Star, motioning for Diamond to pick him up. "Gently. B-be gentle." Somehow her mind was more calm now, taking on the situation headfirst knowing he hadn't tried to kill himself made things easier. Still, they didn't have much time.

She stripped the bed of pillows, and then ran her hands along the top of their comforter. Then, she moved to the second layer.

Diamond kissed Stars forehead, trying to ease off the pain and rapid progression. Star cried like a baby, coughing into his hands and grimacing at the blood speckles. "Connie–,"

"I'm working on it! I'm looking, don't you see me looking?" She tugged the sheet off of the mattress, slumping when she came up with nothing. Her next plan was to crawl around the floor and see if he had dropped it. She crouched low and peered under the bed, nothing she could see matched what she was looking for and every passing second she got more panicked.

"I love you guys," Star whispered.

Diamond gave him another kiss and prolonged the contact past another, smaller but still agonizing fazing. "Don't say that. You're gonna be okay." He'd forgotten about his needs entirely. No he hadn't. He needed to keep Steven conscious and alive. "I love you too."

"Shhh, things happen. You're going to be fine and we love you too." Connie was doing her best to sound not panicked but she was, and her search was becoming more frantic.

She peeked on top of the bed again and a sharp stabbing got her attention fast. "Ouch!"

Diamond snapped to observation and his eyes traveled to her knee. "Stop."

She froze at his heavy tone. "What?" Her hand went to her knee and she yanked it back up, the earring in hand.

Stars eyes were closed but he reached up to lightly tap Diamonds chest.

"She found it, Star." Diamond smiled and rubbed Stars head gently. "She went to go disinfect it."

When she handed Star the earring he clumsily shoved it into the tiny hole, gasping with satisfaction. "A-ah! Guys. Hold me." He was still trembling as their connection restabilized and they held him as closely and lovingly as they ever had. Before he passed out from exhaustion, he felt tears dripping onto him. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself staring into his counterparts as he blankly, quietly cried out the dulled emotion of relief.