What Lies Beneath

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe Future. It belongs to Rebecca Sugar. I only own the OC characters.

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Steven lay curled on his side in his bed, picking at clumps of lint on his sheets. He made sure that his claws didn't pierce the fabric. He'd ruined one set of bedspreads already.

He sighed, thinking about the events that had led up to this. He supposed he should have expected that some gems preferred the way things used to be and wouldn't take kindly to his new policies. Bluebird was proof of that. But somehow, she had gathered enough gems across the galaxy who shared her views to participate in her rebellion. They had attacked liberated colonies, building their own bases. It was clear that they were making their way to Earth. The Diamonds were too busy trying to quell the uproar on Homeworld, so they were of no help. Because of that, the Crystal Gems had put constant surveillance on him, making sure that someone was always with him when he left the house. He knew they were just trying to protect him, but it felt suffocating. He could take care of himself.

That was probably the final trigger that led to his current state. Ever since Spinel almost destroyed the Earth, he realized that his mother was a much more complicated person than anyone thought. He didn't know how he felt about her. He didn't even know why she even had him in the first place. Was he meant to be a scapegoat for her problems? Or were the things she said in the tape true? He would never know, and those thoughts sunk their thorns into his mind and festered. He didn't want any of the gems to worry about him or blame themselves for how he was feeling. This was his mess, after all, and he had to fix it.

But that couldn't last forever. In hindsight, he should have known that. How could he have been so stupid? When he noticed the first dark purple spot, he didn't think much of it. Acne, probably. He was a teenager, after all. It was normal. But then more spots had spread across his skin and slowly expanded. He couldn't hide it anymore when the horns started growing in. Everyone was, understandably, shocked. He tried not to flinch at Pearl's berating words, demanding why he hadn't told them sooner. He just shrugged, not in the mood to talk. The uptight gem begrudgingly dropped the subject, realizing that there were more pressing matters at hand. However, nothing worked; not the Diamond essence or the fountain. He could practically feel everyone's despair. He felt guiltier than he did before.

The only one who tried to keep his spirits up was Destiny. He remembered the way she cradled his body close to hers as he sobbed, gently stroking his hair. He could still hear her soft, gentle voice as she sang a lullaby that she sung to her younger siblings. She was the second oldest out of four children, so she probably learned it from her older sister. It succeeded in lulling him to sleep, and he had the first peaceful night he had in weeks. He woke up the next morning in his bed.

Of course, nothing slowed the rate of the corruption. At this point, his nails had turned black and sharp. He vividly remembered gouging scratch marks into the wood floor of the bathroom, frustrated at his failed attempt to heal himself. He felt terrible, emotionally. The dull throbbing of the horns growing in had faded a long time ago. The fact that he couldn't be healed weighed heavily on his mind. Maybe he deserved this fate. White Diamond was right. He just made everything worse.

"You awake, kiddo?" a voice called from his bedroom door. He turned over to see his latest visitor. The moonlight streaming through his window illuminated the room enough to clearly see the details. "Yeah," he answered, knowing there was no use in hiding. Destiny strode into the room, circling the bed so that she was facing him. She had a warm look on her face. Her pajamas were crumpled, which suggested that she had gotten out of bed just now.

"Can't sleep?" He glanced up at her with his pink, diamond-shaped pupils and black scleras. She blocked the moonlight with her body, but details were still visible. He nodded, once. Destiny's expression grew fond. "Me neither," she said. "Mind if I join you?" Steven hesitated for a moment before he pulled back the corner of his comforter, inviting her in. She slipped underneath the sheets, laying down on her side to mirror his posture, their faces inches away from each other.

Steven was the first one to break the silence. "I heard the gems talking about a base here on Earth. Are they going to investigate?" Destiny hesitated, wary about sharing the details of the rebellion with him. She knew the boy was sensitive right now. But not telling him would make him worry even more. "Yeah," she answered. "They left awhile ago. When they get back, we should totally tell them how Peridot nearly destroyed the new sanctuary at Little Homeschool." They chuckled with each other, the young woman's light green eyes bright and merry. She tucked a strand of her mouse-brown hair behind her ear. As they wound down, Steven's mood turned sour once more, returning to his constantly churning thoughts.

"Hey, Destiny?" he asked softly, as if afraid of the answer she might give. Her expression settled, listening intently to the young hybrid, the freckles dotting her nose and cheeks accentuating the sparkle in her eyes. "Do you think I'm a monster?"

Destiny frowned. "Do you think you're a monster?" she asked. Steven didn't meet her eyes, shrugging his shoulders. It was hard to tell how she felt about the situation. He needed to know that he still mattered to somebody, at least. The young woman across from him sighed. "Steven," she said, "you know that none of this is your fault, right?"

The boy curled a little tighter into himself, tears burning his eyes. Of course, this was his fault. He was the one who did this to himself. All because he couldn't get it together. He felt Destiny shift. "Hey," she said, sharp and crisp. He glanced up at the sound, meeting the gem host's steely gaze. "Everything's going to be alright. The rebellion will be over before you know it. And once it is, the Diamonds will heal you. And if by the slightest chance that something goes wrong, we'll be there to help you. I'll be there to help you. You got that, Even Steven?" She ended that statement by gently tapping his nose. He couldn't help but smile at the use of the kid name that Destiny had for him. He didn't feel hope, but he felt comfortable, for once. He nodded once more, snuggling himself closer into the young woman's body. He felt her arms wrap around him, securing him in a comforting embrace. He breathed in the scent of clover and the shampoo she used. It calmed him, putting his mind at ease. He felt protected in her arms, the kind of protection he wished he could have felt from his mother.

Satisfied that his horns weren't poking her chin, they both drifted off to sleep.

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Author's Note: I'll admit, this is not turning out how I originally planned.

Basically, my OC made her organic body Jasper's physical form while the gem was corrupting during the episode where Smoky first appears (I forget the episode title). Yes, I know that by lore standards that that's not possible, but it's my AU, so deal.

Let me know what you think of her. I'm debating whether I should make her a bisexual character.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower