Greg Universe, post-Bluebird. Who is he now? Angst, Greg/Rose, and a little father-son bonding. 1568 words.
He’d been fifteen years old when he’d last gotten a haircut. Younger than Steven was now. The thought struck him as almost funny as he stood in Steven’s bathroom, his scalp aching, his eyes puffy, his head feeling strangely light. Greg ran a hand through his shorn hair and winced, long strands coming away between his fingertips.
The van revved, a harsh sound all the louder for coming from inside the living room. He’d have to thank the Gems once they managed to get it back outside the house, but for now he grimaced, shoulders jerking. He tried not to think about Bluebird dangling him twenty feet above the ground, but it was hard not to when his scalp still throbbed.
And when he looked in the mirror.
“You can do this, Universe,” he muttered. He’d barely been able to look at himself after Steven had told him to go inside – he’d called him Father, what the hell was up with that? Still, Steven had had a point. All Greg had been able to do was listen to his kid and hide in the bathroom, crying from the unexpected shock of the fight and the horrible sight of his long hair held in his arms.
But the adrenaline was over now. He’d seen Bluebird fly off into the distance, and he’d let his hair go into the sea, and he’d leaned on his son in a way he never had before. Now all that was left was the clean-up.
“Come on guys, help me get this up onto the warp –” Greg heard Steven through the bathroom door.
“I’m trying,” Amethyst grumbled. There was a horrible skurr noise. He hoped the van would survive their attempts to move it.
Greg thought briefly of going out to see what they were doing, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to help. Sometimes he felt so human around them.
He still wasn’t sure how Bluebird had gotten the van inside in the first place, anyway. All he remembered were the van doors flying open and a nasty little hand grabbing his leg. He bent down stiffly and lifted up his pants leg, unsurprised to see a ring of bruise marks around his ankle. He straightened back up, resolving not to tell Steven about it.
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