Lapidot one-shots

.:+ Tonight +:. ✅

As soon as the nightmare ended, Lapis bolted upright in cold shock with an exasperated gasp, the sickeningly dark images of Peridot's shattered gem still fresh in her mind. Her chest was tight, and the air she took in felt thin, hallowing a feeling of panic inside of her that whirled like a winter storm. The blanket slipped from her shoulders as she shivered violently, the pitch of fear clouding her vision as the dark grew even darker. The hammock she was suspended in swayed as she teetered to one edge, her eyes darting madly about as she searched for a familiar figure.

It wasn't long before the rapid tapping of tiny footsteps became audible from around the corner, the shadowy silhouette of another gem plastered on the hallway wall. Peridot skidded to a sloppy halt outside the door, her forehead creased with worry as she examined the shaken gem from head to toe. "Lapis, are you ok?!" She squeaked, her voice quivering with concern as she spoke. The blue gem only managed to lock eyes with Peridot for a heartbeat before her eyes became blurry with warm tears, dropping her gaze and swathing herself with her arms. A strange wave of understanding washed over the small green gem, and her face softened from fear to worry. Clasping both of her hands together, Peridot inched closer to Lapis, who was now visibly crying as her body shook with each exaggerated breath, a faint sob or two escaping from her lips, despite her poor attempts to hide them.

"Lapis, what happened?" Peridot asked in a softer tone, placing both hands on the rim of the hammock.

Lapis looked up with a tear streaked face, meeting Peridot's eyes with her own dull blue ones once more as her mouth struggled to create coherent sentences.

"I-" was all she could manage, slumping over into her hands as she shook her head and muttered more things she couldn't hear. With a small hop, Peridot scrabbled against the air as she tried to pull herself up into the hammock, clawing at the other end. Usually Lapis would give her a boost, but this time there was no supportive hand to grab.

Finally, the small gem flopped in beside Lapis with a sigh, crawling over closer to her. She graced one of Lapis' hand with a gentle brush, lifting it up and giving it a delicate kiss. "Hey, I'm right here." She spoke with a meek smile, sneaking forward until she was resting against the distraught blue gem's legs. Peridot closed her eyes and started to purr, something Lapis seemed to enjoy.

Lapis sighed with a smile, pulling Peridot in close, making the little gem squeak in surprise. She closed her eyes as she buried into the crook of her companion's neck, a soft blue blush blossoming along her face. Peridot bundled up closer, content in Lapis' arms as she raised a hand to timidly comb her feathery blue hair.

"It was just a bad dream ok?" Peridot murmured as she felt the blue gem begin to tremble, tightening her grip . What had gotten her so worked up? She knew she'd been getting night terrors, but they seemed to have died down over the last few weeks. Besides, none of them ever made the water gem this much of a mess. Once her rapid breathing began to slow, Peridot and Lapis pulled away in sync, still clinging tightly to each other.

"Do.. you want to talk about it?" Peridot asked with worried green eyes, the corners of her mouth drawn into a frown. Lapis met the concerned gem's eyes before looking away briskly, blinking back a new wave of tears. How on earth would Peridot react if she told her about what she'd seen?

"Not.. not really. Can you just.. stay with me for a bit?"

Peridot gave a small nod, letting Lapis sink back into the hammock before busying in besides her, sneaking under her chin once more as she returned to her purring.

Lapis curled around the little gem protectively, her back facing the doorway. Usually she hated exposing her gemstone, but tonight was different.