Keep my Secret (pearlmethyst fanfic)

16. The Date

So I commented this on the last chapter but the next chapter comes the end of this particular book, because the whole point of the book would have been met. It's in more detail in a comment on the previous chapter, so for more details, go take a look. As for what's in the next chapter, considering how this chapter is going to reach the goal... that's for the next chapter! On with the story!

Pearl PoV

Me and Am went to Little Homeworld for our date. There was plenty of activities there, and I couldn't really argue with that. 

We painted at Vidalia's class first- some pictures of each other, some pictures not. (Yellow Pearl...)

Then we dropped by Peridot and Lapis's place to say hello. We didn't stay for very long, though.

Then we left Little Homeworld and went a little ways over to a hill.

The hill was tarnished. The destruction from the battle had been massive, more massive than we had initially thought.

There was a respected silence for the hill itself.

Then there was a small, quiet voice beside me.

"At least nobody was killed here."

There were a few things with that sentence. First of all... thank god there wasn't.

If  someone had died, on either side... well, our silence would be much greater.

Secondly... here. What if we got attacked again?

What if someone died then?

I subconsciously grabbed Am's hand.

She squeezed back.

Then a third thing occurred to me.

Someone nearly had died.

Someone right next to me, who wouldn't be here if I hadn't saved her.

After that realization, I had to work up my courage to speak again.

I managed to do that. "...Am?"

My voice sounded weak. With good reason, but... it was really noticeable and I didn't like it at all.

She turned her head to look at me. "Yeah?"

"Uh... is it okay if we leave this hill? It..."

"Understandable," she said, knowing somehow the way I felt.

We went to the ocean, and sunset was upon us.

It was beautiful.

We sat down, still holding hands, and watched the waves flow by in their mesmerizing way. It was nice and quiet, but not too quiet, if you know what I mean.

After a while, I worked up my courage to tell her.

"...Amethyst?"

With that, she knew I was being a bit more serious. "Yeah?"

I blushed pretty hard at what I was about to say.

"I... I love you."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

She couldn't muster any words, just hugged me tight.

It was all the answer I needed.

I gently kissed the top of her head and pulled her a little closer.

"I love you too, P. I've... loved you for a pretty long time."

I smiled a little bit, but also felt a small singe of guilt. This whole time, she'd been in love with me and I was so caught up with someone who was dead that I couldn't think about how she or anyone else was feeling.

That hurt a little bit.

She pulled back from my chest and kissed me. 

I kissed back, feeling overjoyed.

We pulled away, both blushing. "So, um, would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" I asked hopefully.

She smiled wide. "Yes." Then she hugged me and we stayed like that, on the ocean shore, for a few minutes.

"So how do we tell everyone else in a super-not awkward way?"

I snorted to cover up my laughter. "I don't know if that's even possible. With Lapis and Peridot, everyone was just kinda... there. And we all just sort of assumed that Steven and Connie were together."

"Oh jeez, you're right. That'll probably suck... a lot."

"It'll be fine. Surely it can't be too weird, right?"

She sorta shrugged. So... probably not.

We told them anyways, and it wan't too bad. Steven gave Amethyst a big happy hug and Connie gave us a thumbs-up (I'm beginning to believe that she's taking off of Garnet more than me).

Peridot was super excited for us, and Bismuth was pleased. Garnet did that excited smile she did when she first saw Stevonnie. Lapis seemed pleased by it, but also unsurprised, like she figured it'd happen eventually.

So it went well. And you know what?

I finally feel like the past really doesn't matter anymore.