Her Other "Friend" {Spinel X Reader}

Chapter 4: You Mean to Tell Me...

"So, when do you have to be back on Homeworld?" You ask, glancing up at the humanoid ship planted in front of Steven's house. The two of you had continued to walk around town together, except this time you noticed the reactions of the locals. You watched as they would cross the street to avoid you guys, or shoot a nasty look in your direction. Internally, you were seething. If only these people had known what she's been through. If only they knew, but they didn't.

Sure, she may have tried to kill everyone and everything, which in and of itself isn't cool and you were aware of that. But things had worked out in the end! Spinel had changed from her past self it sounded like... Steven was always fighting to show the change in people. Why couldn't he do it for her?

Spinel shrugs and follows your gaze. "Whenever they're ready to leave."

"Do you want to go back?"

That was a loaded question. You could see the conflict in her expression as she thought of an answer to give you. Spinel reaches up to grab one of her twin tails and twirls the end of it in her glove. "I don't know. It's hard for me t' feel like I belong anywhere..." She trails off with a nervous laugh, and you look at her with pitiful eyes. 

Suddenly, an idea forms in your head. "Do you... Think they'd let you stay? If you asked them?"

Spinel waves a hand at you dismissively. "Even if they'd let me stay here, I ain't got no place to stay." Her accent weaves through her words as she looks down in thought.

You elbow Spinel lightly and grin at her. "Maybe you can stay with me? Just for tonight?"

Bold, you think to yourself. Spinel raises a brow at you, and you notice her cheeks flushing a deep magenta over her markings. The gem scratches the back of her head and nods, expression grateful. The two of you slightly change direction, taking a right turn at the mention of your apartment.

"Maybe, if you're feeling up to it, we can talk to Steven and the other gems tomorrow," You offer, but she shakes her head at you.

"The whole reason I live with th' Diamonds in th' first place is 'cause I don't belong here. I'm a screw up. They know that now. I can't jus'... pretend like what happened didn't happen."

Blinking at her, your face falls. She's too humiliated to go back and face Steven and the others, even though you knew they would forgive her. They had to, right? Pity gnaws at your stomach and you sigh.

"Spinel..." You start, but she stretches a hand into one, two, three loops only to place it in front of your face to silence you.

"I'm not ready yet," Spinel states, stretching her limb back to it's regular shape.

You're about to retaliate, but you stop yourself before you reply with anything. Deciding to drop it, you shrug and look straight ahead. You can't force her to do something she isn't ready to do, and that was final. Spinel had to decide that on her own. If she didn't want to talk to Steven then it was her own loss.

You still feel as though she deserves a chance to be redeemed, even if she didn't see that in herself.

You two had been walking in the direction of your apartment ever since the topic came up, and now you were finally back. Silently, you're celebrating. Your feet are killing you.

Jamming the key in the lock haphazardly, you twist and unlock the door with a click, stepping aside to allow Spinel to walk in first. Following behind her and shutting the front door, you switch the light on with one finger. As the light flickers to life, it spills over your newly furnished living room, some fluorescent light leading to the kitchen. In all honesty, the place didn't look bad. It was just obviously new and lacked the comforts of a more lived-in apartment.