Talk To Me

-You're My World-

Lapis remains by the door, trying to process what's happening. Her head feels dull and viscous with harried thoughts. The other gems in the room seem concerned, but hesitant to go up to her. Lapis gathers whatever resolve she has and tries to go back to the bathroom while being as unseen as possible. Unseen, but not unhearing. Snippets of curious conversation float towards her ears

"Oh, that angry orange one, the Jasper-"

"I don't like her very much."

"I don't think she's one of us."

Lapis couldn't agree more. Any moment she expected her to snap and start punching things (or gems). She hastened her pace at this thought and pushed the bathroom door open, quietly bringing it to behind her. She turned around to see Peridot crouched on the side of the bathtub talking to Pumpkin.

"Good morning, Lazuli,"

"...Morning."

Peridot raises her eyebrows in thought."Hmmm...Something's off."

"What. No," Lapis retorts as she shifts her weight on her feet, avoiding Peridot's scrutiny

"Yeah, something's definitely off about you! What happened?"

Lapis sighs and slides down against the door.

"Jasper is here."

"...WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! IN THE HOUSE?!"

"I know! Who thought it was a good idea to let her in?! Actually, it was probably Steven."

"Ohh, what should we do? I'd rather not talk to her, or see her, or well, anything!"

"Me either. Let's stay in here for the rest of the day," She replies and stands up, walks over, and climbs into the bathtub, letting her limbs spread loosely. Lapis settles into her new position, breathing shallowly. The two sit in silence for a spell. Peridot rotates to face Lapis and swings her legs over the inside of the tub, fidgeting with her hands.

"Are you okay?"

Her friend's expression changes from sad, too dark, and finally settles on a crinkled confusion.

"I don't know. I don't-I don't understand why I'm still so-" she cuts off and buries her face in her hands.

Peridot worries her hands even more, jerkily shifting to sit close to Lapis.

"Lapis, it's...it's going to be okay," Peridot hesitantly whispers as she tentatively puts her hand on Lapis' shoulder, not knowing how she will react. Lapis twitches briefly at the contact, and Peridot draws away. But Lapis raises her head from her hands and reaches for Peridot, shakily clasping her arms

"You don't-I-I," she struggles to find the right words, face contorting with the effort of coherent speech.

"No, really, Lapis. It's going to be okay."

Peridot gently loosens her forearms and finds herself holding Lapis' hands, fingers resting on her palms. Lapis finds herself welcoming it, a warm sensation blooming in her chest.

"...How can you be so sure?"

"Well...haven't we turned out good in the past? At the Barn, facing the Diamonds, when we fought back at Homeworld?"

Lapis nods slowly, now clutching Peridot's hands like a lifeline, a standing rock.

"Lapis, you're going to be okay."

At these words, there begins burning in Lapis, an ember as white-hot as all the stars in the galaxies. She doesn't know what it is, but wonders why it doesn't hurt, to burn like this. She looks at Peridot (as she looks at her) trying to see if she's burning too (maybe it's in her eyes, her gem). She is so aware of their hands, but she doesn't want to let go. She needs comfort, something solid. Peridot sees the half-formed tears in Lapis' azure eyes, like raindrops on the edge of a rooftop and is relieved to see them unfallen. Her skin feels as if soft beach sand is falling on it, warm and pin-pricky. Almost like sunshine, but there's only the ceiling light above and the blind slanted windows. She tries to quantify how she feels, searching her brain for an answer that even sort of compares, but nothing. How weird, how odd, how their closeness makes her feel so open.

"Uhh, Good morning?"

Their heads snap towards the door, hands awkwardly flying apart and settling themselves back to familiarity. Steven stands at the entrance with a change of clothes, hair still mussed from sleep. 

                                                               ***

After briefly discussing with Steven the predicament of Jasper and being politely shooed away so he could ready for the day Peridot and Lapis snuck away from the hubbub of gems, warping to the barn, where Bismuth was analyzing the leftover materials they left behind just a day ago.

The boulder-like gem brusquely turns and extends her arms in welcome.

"Well if it isn't Water Wings and Rock-Solid! What brings you here?"

"The house was full of other gems. Too overwhelming."

"Oh? I thought you would have gotten along with some of them! Peridot, you'd love Crazy Lace. Remind me to introduce you two," she picks up a pipe and examines it casually.

Lapis and Peridot glance at each other. Should I say? Does she know? Silently, they both decide best not to say so now. Peridot hops over to see what all the inspecting is about.

"Sooo, what are you working on Bismuth?"

"I've been having some ideas about what we could do with all...this," she flaps a hand at the despondent barn pieces.

"Instead of fixing it?"

"Yeah, like finishing repairing Steven's house, or making it bigger. And! All the rest of the Crystal Gems, they have nowhere to stay, right?"

"They've been camping on the beach for days."

"And on the roof."

"Mhm. Well, what if we used some of this, and a lot more of human building supplies-"

"To build dwellings for gems!"

"Exactly! You get it, Peridot!"

Peridot and Bismuth exchange hi-fives, Lapis chuckling at their enthusiasm. The three gather close, discussing project ideas and joking around. Across the horizon, the sun rises into the cloud swirled dome of the sky. Light shines onto the gems, and for two, inside their forms.

(Sorry to keep you lovely people waiting so long for an update! I hope you enjoyed the SU movie :D)