Cracks and Fissures

Concerned

(I will apologize beforehand to Steven and the readers for how sad I'm going to make this. Sorry.)

The Cookie Cat alarm clock on the 10 year old's bedside table read "2:00 AM" as calm waves finally rolled onto the beach after a late night storm. The thunder and patter of rain had put the boy to sleep the night before, and he had slept calmly until now. The boy's face twitched and frowned with unsettling dreams of a blue friend of his. Or, green, now.

The somehow solid-feeling water splashed under his feet, and glowed with greenish light all around him as he searched for his friend. He had began to breathe heavily, so he stopped running and simply stood.

"Lapis!" Steven called into the greenish horizon around him. He spun once, his dark eyes searching far and wide for another glimpse of her. Lapis Lazuli hadn't revealed herself to Steven in weeks, and he was starting to become worried for his unwanted protector.

The whole situation was unwanted, really. Steven just wanted to save her, but she had had her mind set on saving him from her fusion partner, Jasper. When she had told him she didn't want Steven's help, it nearly killed something inside of him. But it didn't, and the something struggled on, persistent, looking for his friend.

And it was still doing so. After a second, he called once again, "Lapis! Where are you?" No reply. Only an echo. He began to tear up, and he closed his eyes and took a breath.

When he opened them, he was back in his bed, the calm waves crashing over the shore. He sighed and turned over to look at the ceiling.

Just a over a year ago, he'd only been concerned about if his Cookie Cats would melt, if he would have time to go to the Big Donut, and other things that were absolutely nothing like this. This was worrying about the return of an intergalactic space war, and a fusion gone wrong with his friend in it, and living up to his mother, and things that were awfully complex. He wondered if he'd ever be as close to normal as he was just over a year ago. He didn't think so. He didn't think he'd be able to make or let his life go back to "normal"-- he'd seen and heard and done and felt too much.

He gathered his sheets in his arms and brought them close to himself, wishing he'd just go back to sleep, like normal.

But I'm not normal, said a little voice in his head. I won't be. This is my life now.

But it was too late for this. The small human-gem hybrid simply closed his eyes and wished for better in the morning.

(Was this too short? I want to make it more, but this seems like a good ending spot. Let me know in the comments below!)