Continuing To Heal

Chapter 2: One Day At a Time

Note: Trigger warning that there is mention of self harm. It is in the section that starts with mentioning screaming into a pillow.

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As requested, his friends and family were rotating out to be no more than 2 or 3 people with him at a time. Luckily every day wasn't as busy as this one because the morning was time with Peridot & Lapis Lazuli. Then lunch with Connie and Pearl. And in the evening, one on one time with Bismuth at her forge assisting her in making a surprise gift for Pearl.

Steven met up with Peri and Lapis at little homeschool's greenhouse. "Well, I'm here. " Steven tried to make himself sound energetic and eager.

"Now, no using your powers on the plants!" Peridot warned with a pointed look toward the boarded up areas that hadn't yet been repaired from his mob of Steven-shaped plants that had run amok.

Steven held his hands up, "Don't worry, my powers and I are barely even on speaking terms right now. I'm just here as a standard issue human."

"Can I hug you?" Lapis asked and when Steven gave the ok, Lapis wrapped her arms around Steven and said, "Even if you somehow became fully human, you'd still always be more to us than 'standard issue.'"

"Aw, thanks, Lapis," Steven hugged her back.

"Yes," stated Peridot, walking over to join the hug, "You will always be a superior specimen to us, Steven. "

"Thanks, guys, " Steven said with a smile on his face, but inside he was feeling something different. He felt like an undeserving loser who shouldn't be treated so kindly. "So, what's the plan?"

*You deserve their love and kindness.*

**No, I don't.**

"Well," Peridot was leading them over to a laptop set on a desk in the corner of the greenhouse, "I've taken control of the Camp Pining Hearts wiki and I was thinking we could use our two hours collaboratively to correct all the egregious errors riddling the site."

"Sounds like fun."

"Yes," Peridot nodded in agreement, "Correcting the mistakes will be the most efficient enjoyment of our time today."

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Pearl had taken upon herself to master cooking to prove she could make things not only nutritionally balanced, to make sure Steven was getting all his necessary nutrients, but also that it would be edible and palatable. Connie's presence was both a way to spend time with Steven, despite her studies, and also to be a second taste tester so that Connie could give any helpful critiques that Steven would be too overly polite to bring up himself.

"How's the day going so far?" Connie asked as Steven sat on the stool beside her at the kitchen counter while Pearl put her final touches on the plates of food she would be presenting.

"Well," Steven rubbed the back of his sore neck, "I just spent the last couple hours helping Peridot and Lapis hijack the Camp Pining Hearts wiki, so..."

Connie laughed, "Wow, hopefully you're not too worn out from that fast-paced adventure."

Steven joined in her laugh, "Actually, it was a bit scary. Those two get **intense** when it comes to that show.

"Voila!" Pearl said as she set plates in front of them with a flourish. It appeared to be mac'n'cheese with various additions to it. There seemed to be mushrooms, broccoli and spinach mixed in, if not other things as well. "I thought to start off, I'd go with a human 'comfort food', but make it more nutritionally robust, so I've added vegetables for nutrition and fiber. I made sure to get vegetables that are mentioned online as being especially good when paired with cheese. Dig in!"