Darkest Desires

Aftercare (Trial #3 Complete)

There was never a time where she ever thought of needing aftercare when he finally stopped crying, his healing tears pushed most afflictions to the side save for her soreness.

This was his time.

She let him cling to her for hours. Sometimes when he took a deep breath, it would release in a shutter. Sometimes it would release in a sob. Either way, she let him cling. She let him cry. She gave him no sweets to drown his troubles in sugar, nor advice on the future or the complexities of self love. She let him grieve, something she knew the Crystal Gems and his father were still learning.

They showered together and his solemn face told her he was thinking. The steam rose around them as she washed his body, scrubbing the soap into his skin while he stood motionless. He was almost handsome, even in his broken state of mind. His natural smolder was ridiculous, as a teen he'd done it so much when he was upset and when he'd aged it became as sexy as it was harrowing.

This time, the deep breath was a predecessor to words. "You made me human."

Her eyes drifted to his, now having to look over his shoulder as he was turned around. "Oh?" Let him talk.

"I would have never have been human without you. You showed me myself." He almost sounded unhappy until he whispered, "Thank you. I never got to say thank you."

His words echoed slightly in the bathroom, the sound of water hitting porcelain slightly covering the sound. "I never got to thank you either."

He snorted. "For what? Dragging you into a bunch of problems that aren't yours? Okay, Pearl."

"Not funny, Steven."

"Sorry."

"No," She dipped down to run the loofah over his thick legs and thighs. "You showed me I could be more than human."

"But why would you want to be?" He asked with an exasperated huff, shifting and grunting when her fingers brushed against his balls. "Why would you want to be more than human?"

She giggled. "The joke I want to make is such a dick move, so I'm not going to." She'd almost called him Rose, as it was certainly a Rose Quartz thing to say. "No, being a human is terrible. There's upsides and downsides to everything. Like, not to compare but if you'd been born Nora, imagine how every period would affect you mentally."

"Oof. I certainly know how it affects you. You get bite-y, playful and weepy at the same time, and very explosive." He laughed flatly. "I've been almost at the wrong end of your sword too many times."

"See? S'not all bad. Plus," She kissed his back, licking her lips to taste his now clean skin and barely soapy water. "I've never looked at anyone the way I look at you. I'm not like the other Crystal Gems. I don't see you as a Diamond. I see you as my best friend, my partner, my goofy human who cries at puppies and chick flicks and fucks like a freight train."

His exclamation of chuckles was far more genuine now. "Hey! I do more than cry or fuck!"

"Do you?" She egged.

"Yes! I eat and sleep and write music and grow, I'm always growing it feels like, and– and I... I..." He slowed to a stop. "Holy shit you set me up."

"You set yourself up. No one can do those things like a human." Her fingers pushed into the matt of curls that dangled down to his shoulders in wet thick strings. "No one can do those things like Steven Universe, half human body, whole human heart."

The stars in his eyes said enough. It would come up again undoubtedly, but for now the pressure was replaced with content.