Me, Myself, and Him

Chapter 19: Change in management

Lapis POV

Things between me and Peridot were better after that day. We spent a lot more time together, doing whatever came to mind: Farming crops, making meep-morps, to even just enjoying each other's company while watching CPH. Things were nice.

I still wanted to spend time with Steven and the other Gems, if not just to apologize, but Peridot said this wasn't a good idea. She didn't want them hurting me any more than they already have. A part of me wanted to disagree, but I eventually said yes. I wanted to spend my last few moments alive happy, not arguing with friends. Besides, Steven was the only one I really cared about, and if wanted to see me he would come visit.

For a while, I was really enjoying life, Peridot was a lot happier, and we were both at peace.

But, Gray... He was a different story.

Ever since that night at the barn where me and Peri confessed, Gray seemed to be more and more recluse and mysterious. Every morning when I woke up, he would ask me to spread all of the research notes out so he could read them. Then he would just... stay there, reading the notes. He wouldn't talk to me or Peridot, and when I tried to talk to him outside of this, he would just mumble a noise in response and go back to reading.

I was actually starting to get worried. I didn't why he was acting like this, and I started to get more jumpy and panicky. This panicking, at one point, almost triggered my symptoms and it took a couple hours of Peridot holding me close and rubbing my back to soothe me.

I decided to ignore him. If he wanted to be a reclusive creep, let him be. I got back to spending time with Peridot again, and things were good. 

But then... strange things started happening. Well, stranger things. I started gaining a strange need to do certain things. I constantly felt cold, I started hearing music out of my ears, and I got a strange cravings for an Earth food called 'Spaghetti' (Which was actually pretty good, to be honest). Then I started waking up in strange places, or I would 'zone out', as Steven would say, and do things without thinking. It was frightening, but nothing inherently evil. Peridot upped my medicine intake, and these occurrences seemed to die out.

And then came the day Gray finally talked.

I had just woken up and taken my medications (I still needed them to quell my symptoms), and was prepared to go back to cuddling Peridot when I found out she wasn't there. I looked around the barn until I found a small note.

Lapis,

I am going into Beach City to find more meep-morp parts, as it seems we are running low due to our recent endeavors. I will also be getting more of that "Sagetti' stuff you seem to be more obsessed with. I'll be back in only half an Earth hour. 

I Love You,

Peri~

H-Hey Lapis...

I jumped and whipped around to face Gray. He finally decided to start talking to me again, and he chose to do this by sneaking up behind me and scaring me.

"JEEZ, GRAY! Don't scare me like that!" I screamed.

S-Sorry. I just... I needed to talk to you.

"Oh, so now you want to talk? You know you gave me panic attacks with how you were acting, right? Don't think you can just come back from that. What even happened to you?"

I... I found out some stuff, about myself... Listen, can we just... talk?

"I, uh... Okay, sure?"