Just The Darnedest Thing; Chp. 2- You Leave Me Dizzy
Squeak Squeak Squeak Squeak Squeak Squeak Squeak-!!
"C'mon c'mon c'moooooon slowpoke, we're almost there!"
"O-Okay, okay, calm down, I'm going as fast as I can without eating floor, you goober!"
"Liar! I've seen ya run much faster!!"
Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap-!
"Well yeah, when I had tennis shoes on; sandals aren't exactly the world's best running shoes on super-polished floors, you know!"
"Steven can run in them just fine!"
"He's goddamn Steven, Savior of the frickin' Galaxy, of course he can! Just because I can touch the back of my head with the tips of my toes doesn't mean I can compare to him~!" Was the breathless snark the dark-skinned human's companion received in return, dark curls bouncing wildly with every harried step. Her excitable pink guide looked back at her with a smirk as she continued to pull her forward by the hand.
"Yes, you can! Yer just modest!"
".....Touché! Now it's just around this corner, c'mon!" Speeding up with a giggle and rounding a glittering corner, the small jokester came to a sudden stop, causing Xana to have to pump the breaks hard in order to not bowl her friend over. Sandals and overly-smooth surfaces weren't the best combinations for traction though, and the awkward woman just barely managed to keep from slipping and landing on her behind by bracing her free hand against Spinel's shoulder. Pouting down at the way too innocent looking expression glancing up at her, having absorbed the shock from the human's stumble and moved not a single inch, she watched as Spinel gestured to their new surroundings with a bright grin. "Look dollface~."
Even though the human huffed and placed her hands on her hips as she played up her stern expression, it fell right off into blank astonishment at the exquisite sight before her.
It was... a massive courtyard dominated by a truly gigantic pool of water. At the bottom of the concavity lay thousands upon thousands of sparkling crystals, placed down in interweaving angular patterns in chromatic rhythm. And high above the surface, dozens of crystalline basins in different sizes and shades of blue, yellow, pink and white laid afloat in the air at different heights, serenely pouring the water within them into lower basins until it reached the bottom. In the middle was a spire topped by a delicate, abstracted figure sculpted in quartz so clear it looked like glass, one hand outstretched towards the sky while the other covered its eyes. Water poured from the obscured section, running down its body and into the highest basin to travel all the way back down to the pool in rivulets.
It was clear, due to the beauty of the entire room, that the popularity of the location was well-founded; several gems of all shapes and sizes were gathered around and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, joking and smiling amongst each other in small groups all around. It was such a nice sight to see, one that placed a small nugget of warmth beside her heart.
Seeing all these Gems relaxing and having a good time, it was sad to think there was a point in time, not so long ago, that such a thing was practically outlawed.
This was a much better sight, in her humble opinion.
"Sooooo~?" Spinel drawled out, hands clasped behind her back as she bounced on her feet in anticipation of her friend's answer. "Do ya like it~?"
"Like it?? Spins, I love it!!" Xana squealed in delight before slapping a hand over her mouth upon realizing just how loud she was. Twinkling eyes flickered back and forth to giddily take in every part the beautiful sight, her form bouncing on the balls of her sandaled feet as she fought the urge to immediately sprint for the clear looking water. The place looked like something straight out of a fantasy setting! "This is... Gorgeous~!" She managed to squeak out through her fingers, before looking back at Spinel with an excited grin. "Is this one of your favorite spots to hang out while you're home~?"
Such glee was infectious, especially to a Spinel; she grinned widely as she took a proud stance. "Got it in one, sugarplum! Playin' in the water is loads'a fun! Which is nice, cause we don't 'ave much of that around here, not like on Earth. But we've gotten better at it the past couple'a years!"
"That's great!! Whoever put this together, man, did they hit all the marks!" The young woman gushed, a hand pressed against her cheek as she returned the excited waves of a few pebbles wading in the shallower parts nearby. "This is just... Stunning!"
Oh boy, was it ever, but Spinel's gaze wasn't on the opulent ambiance in the slightest. No, no, the soft cafe colored human buzzing with all the energy of a young kitten held every last bit of the gem's attention. The tinted and refracted light that filtered through all the water and glass hit her face, her hair, her hands, her whole body... To her, Xana truly brought the whole thing together. The final stroke to complete a masterpiece, it was almost dizzying.
"Damn, too bad I don't have a swimsuit on me..." Drawn out of her reverie by the sound of disappointment in... ah, to hell with it, her human's voice (unacceptable!), she looked up to see one of Xana's cheeks puffed out in a cute pout as she looked longingly over the pristine water and glittering ledges before the two of them. "Cause I would sure jump in there otherwise..."
A ponytail flopping against her face as she tilted her head to the side, Spinel's brow furrowed momentarily as she frowned. Xana couldn't go swimming in what she had on now? She hadn't planned for this... "What's wrong with the clothes you have on now?"
"Hm? Oh," the woman turned to chuckle at the pink gem's befuddled face, gesturing to her dress, "this material isn't made to handle water for extended periods of time like swimsuits are; it'd soak up the water and get heavy and it would make the fibers it's made of easier to rip and tear. Plus, I don't have any towels or other clothes to change into, and... I'm guessing you wanna do other things after we're done here?" Squeaking furiously as she nodded her agreement, Xana hummed as if she expected that answer. "That's what I thought. Wet clothes aren't the most comfortable thing to just play around in."
"Hmm..." The pliable jester's frown deepened, tapping a finger against her chin in thought. "...You could always take your dress off and put it back on after?"
She hadn't expected for Xana to make a choked noise of extreme shock and fluster at the suggestion, blinking as she was promptly given a flushed stupefied look like the mere thought of such an action was incomprehensible. "Oh my stars, what?!?!" The human hissed in chagrin. "A-Absolutely not!!"
Eyes wide, Spinel held up her hands placatingly, clueless as to why her human looked about ready to poof her. "W-Why not? I don't-"
"Because!!" She yell-squeaked with discomfiture, hands flailing as she sputtered for words. "T-That's...! It's...! To do something like that in front of a whole bunch of people that you don't??? Know??? That's soooo not okay, it's not even funny!" Not to mention in front of her mega-huge crush?!?! She wouldn't do something like that even if a gun was being held to her head!
"....I'm so confused." The gem had to admit, she was very lost on this one. "How-"
"It's indecent!!" The sibilant instance cut her off, punctuated by the curvy organic being wrapping her arms around herself protectively and shivering in absolute horror. "I'd never do something like that, it'd be so embarrassing. I'd rather drop dead!"
The young human was sure that the blank stare she was receiving would have been hilarious in any other situation, but right now it was making her curse wildly at the existence of cultural barriers. The purest of relief crashed over her form as understanding flickered in Spinel's gaze, hitting her fist into her palm. "Ohhhhh... Is this about that modesty thing you told me humans care so much about?"
Xana grimaced and nodded, dragging a hand slowly down her hot face. "Incredibly so, you complete goof."
"O-Oh, heh, uh," The gem felt herself blush lightly, dismayed to know she made her bestie uncomfortable even for a second, "Sorry?? I didn't know... Didn't mean to make ya uncomfy or nothin', promise!"
"Hhhhhhhhhhhh-" Attempting to scrub away the heat from her cheeks with her hands, the femme allowed herself to release a somewhat strangled chuckle as she pinched at the bridge of her nose. Even if she had no clue what she had been suggesting, the very source of her ardor had literally just proposed for her to strip. If Pan-Panic(ᵀᵐ) had an example in a dictionary, it would be displaying Xana's current expression. "I know, I know, you're... You're fine! I'm just a bit f-flustered is all, I wasn't expecting... that."
"Shocked? Yes. Embarrassed? Absolutely. Mad? No, not even close." Shaking her head with a wired giggle, she ran her hands through her disorderly mane, rubbing at her scalp with her fingertips to try and calm herself down. "It's not like you said it cause you were being a pervert or anything." She sighed, unaware that Spinel's face had begun to glow a deep pink. That could've been construed as perverted?! "A-And to be fair, I don't really think there's a faux pas in your culture that really translates all that well to this particular instance considering Gems don't really, uh, wear clothes. You certainly couldn't have known, s-so it's okay!"
Even with the reassurance, Spinel couldn't help but feel incredibly meek about the misunderstanding. She ignored the few stares the two of them were beginning to get, pressing her pointer fingers together shyly. "Still... M'sorry darlin'. I just don't want ya ta miss out, I know how much you love playin' in water." She glanced a bit sadly around the room, disappointment settling so deep into her malleable features that Xana couldn't help but feel extremely guilty about her reaction. "I guess we could always find somethin' else ta do..."
Noooo, babey, dun look so sad, please-
Wanting to wipe the sad expression off her face quickly, the human wracked her brain furiously for a solution, glaring down at her dress as if it's very existence was offending her, which it currently was; Why couldn't reality just bend to her will for an hour or tw-
"No, wait!" She exclaimed, drawing Spinel's attention back towards her. Grinning widely at the look of question she received, she leaned over to grip at the hem of her dress on the right side. "I have an idea!"
"Huh? What are ya-" The gem's speech screeched to a sudden halt, eyes widening slightly as Xana exposed far more of her legs than she ever willingly had before now. Something in her chest flip-flopped and her face began to heat as she watched her human bunch the fabric up as much as she could in her right hand and pulling it taut before muscling it into a knot that rested on her hip.
The cocoa-skinned girl smiled down at her innovation, as her dress was now hitched up her thighs to the point where it couldn't get easily wet while still covering her modesty. Sure, her legs were bare and that was often something that made her anxious, but she certainly felt safe enough to allow this slight vulnerability (Gems of all people weren't going to care if her legs weren't covered and after Spinel's earlier naive suggestion, this was nothing). She gave the skin of her thighs she could reach in her upright position a gentle pat before twirling in place with a small giggle. "There! That should do it! Whatcha think Spinsy? I won't be able to full-on swim still, but I can at least get more than my feet wet with my dress tied up like this~!"
What did Spinel think? Oh, well, it was rather hard to tell through the loud perplexed screeching in her mind upon seeing more of Xana uncovered.
It made absolutely no sense as to why she was feeling so shaken and warm at the new sight. After all, they had just established that Gems didn't exactly have modesty and certainly didn't have clothes! Xana was particular about the clothes she wore, or so she said; to be honest, Spinel kinda forgot she actually had a solid body underneath all the flowy fabrics that were usually draped over her form. She hadn't really seen much more than her arms, face, and feet, so this? Being able to see parts of her sweet, gorgeous human she hadn't ever seen before??
It was strangely thrilling.
"A-Ah, you're... You're, uh, staring kinda hard, Spins..." Xana murmured shyly, starting to twiddle her fingers nervously and snapping the pink being out of her trance. "Heh... I, um, I've never shown this much skin before, huh? Is it... weird?"
"No!" Jumping slightly at Spinel's ardent denial, wide eyes watched as her bestie shook her head wildly, her hands hung in the air pleadingly as if urging her to stop that train of thought immediately. "Nononononono, I was jus'...! Surprised, thats'all sugar! You've... I-I've neva' seen so much o' ya before now and it's... Different? B-But it's good kinda different!" The jester rushed to assure, a nervous and crooked grin twisting her face as she witnessed that pretty red overtaking the human's cheeks again. "I guess yer jus' so pretty that I couldn't help but, uh, y'know... Stare."
Smooth. Sooooo smooth Spinel, honestly; 'good kinda different'? Truly the pinnacle of sophisticated compliments.
"O-Oh well... Eheh, uh, thanks~?" Xana responded with a demure flattered smile, reaching back to rub at the back of her head awkwardly. "I don't know about 'pretty', per se... But I do agree that my legs are my best feature! Thick thighs save lives and, ha, all that. I could almost rival Garnet!" She did a little wiggle of her hips, kicking off her sandals and finally skipping over to the nearest edge of the pool with a bashful laugh. As she peered around for a safe place to step into the pristine water, Spinel couldn't help but continue her staring from before.
She gulped harshly as her eyes traced the outline of the newly bared skin, feeling her Gem heat more and more the longer she gawked. Xana's legs were so lovely, imperfect and human and wonderful in a way that was solely her. Unique, one-of-a-kind, nothing compared to the smooth rigidity of a Gems' hardlight form. A shapely treasure that was just supple and delicate and-
"You coming Spinny?" The femme called back curiously as she eased herself into the pool, careful to make sure she didn't slip on the slick tiled flooring. Thank goodness it wasn't as sharp as it looked, that certainly wouldn't have been comfortable. Glancing behind her, she rose a brow in interest as the gem startled back into reality and gave a soft giggle. "You sure are daydreaming a lot all of a sudden. C'mon, the water feels great!"
Right! Water! To play in! Let's go!
Without a single word, she took a running start for the pool and with a high jump and a cackle, the pink prankster cannonballed straight into the pool, sending water flying in every direction.
Yelping a bit at the sudden action, Xana shielded her face from the large droplets the splash had sent in her direction. "Ohmigosh!!" Looking over her dress and clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction as seeing a few damp spots over the fabric, her pout came back full force as she looked over at her goofy friend sinking into the water with a loud snicker, the only part of her still above the clear liquid being the upper half of her face. "Spins!" She chided loudly, though the attempt at sternness was totally ruined by the happy smirk she was flashing. "And here I was trying not to get wet~!"
"No, you're not, ya goober." The human huffed, grinning as she shook out her hair to get rid of any stray droplets.
"Yeah, yer right toots, I really ain't." Cackling underneath her breath, the stretchy gem fashioned her lower legs into a rudder and a fan and propelled herself around in the water while making motor noises, much to the delight of the young woman. She whistled a chirpy tune as she cruised around the centerpiece all willy-nilly, making 'toot toot' sounds as to warn others of her presence. Xana couldn't help but watch with twinkling eyes as she tried to follow as best as she could, much to Spinel's immense amusement. This devolved into a rousing game of Hide and Seek Keep-Away, with the human crying foul about how quick Spinel promptly used her elastic abilities for evil; which in this case, was pure evasion.
"No fair, Spinny!" Xana stamped her foot in displeasure, ignoring the small splash she made as she glared up at the lowest basin floating above the two of them where the wiggly gem had absconded to after she had gotten just a tad too close to catching the trickster for her liking; low though it was, it was still waaaay out of the woman's reach. "That's cheating!! You know I can't get up there!"
The pink jackass smirked like the little shit she was, peeking over the edge of the glittering stone bowl overflowing with water down at her and cackling like a hyena. "S'not cheatin' if they're my natural abilities, sweetheart! Don't be so salty~!"
"This powerless human will be as salty as she wants, thank you very much!" She complained with puffed up cheeks, turning away and holding her nose up in the air with a feigned sniff. The tall woman wasn't really angry of course, beyond a small bite of jealousy poking the back of her mind, but she couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit insignificant upon this reminder of her mediocrity.
Being a human with mostly average physical limits surrounded by essentially ageless aliens who could bench her whole weight without showing the slightest bit of strain was rather cool, sure, but it had its own special brand of sting; Xana wasn't ignorant to how Gems back home would look at her and her fellow humans as if a particularly strong summer's breeze would snap them in half if they weren't religiously watched like infants while hanging around the stronger race.
They meant well, Xana knew, but it still made her feel a bit sore. 'Here I am, with this boring human body...' She couldn't help but think, looking down at her reflection with a bit of shame and displeasure. 'Fragile and weak in comparison to her. What could she possibly like about all this squishiness? How could I even think I could ever be a match for her in the first place? Stupid, so so so stupid-'
"Doll? You okay?" Flickering her eyes away from the pensive blank stare she had unknowingly been giving the fountain's statue, the femme blinked upon seeing Spinel drifting down from the ledge above, one hand morphed into a small umbrella to soften the fall back into the pool. As she landed, hot pink eyes looked the human over with concern. "Did... I make ya mad? I was only jokin' with ya-"
"Pfff, nah," the curly-haired woman quickly shook her head, shooting her smaller friend a small smile to assuage her worry before turning her gaze back towards the statue with a thoughtful hum, "You're fine, silly. I was just... Lost in thought."
"Oh. Okay..." Spinel murmured a bit anxiously, clasping her hands together and brows furrowing. "A pearl for yer thoughts, maybe? I'm a pretty good listener all things considered, heh." The little entertainer smiled encouragingly as Xana returned her gaze to her friend. Upon seeing the uneasy care and kindness she was radiating, the woman's somewhat conflicted eyes softened.
'Bad Xana. Those are bad thoughts and you know it. She must like something about you, otherwise she wouldn't have stuck around you for two years. All that time has to count for something, right?' Sucking in a deep breath and holding it for a long moment, she exhaled with a vengeance, kicking out all the self-doubt causing discord in her head on its ass. 'Right. This is a good day, with your best friend, and you shouldn't let thoughts like that ruin your good time.'
"It's nothing, really." The woman then assured, reaching up to pet the pink comedian's head, who's eyes widened upon seeing a much more placid expression wipe away the half-pained, half-resigned one that had originally been there. "Just self-deprecating stuff... Thinking about how I'm not good enough, that sort of thing. You know how it is." Spinel frowned, but nodded; she knew that feeling well, after all. "But that stuff doesn't matter right now. What matters is that I'm here, with you." Xana smiled sweetly down at the gem's reddening face and chuckling. "My favorite person in the whole universe."
How was Spinel's gem not blinding everyone in the room right now? She could have sworn that any stray water droplets on her had evaporated into thin air with how hot she suddenly felt. "I'm... Yer favorite person? Me???"
No hesitation. "Yup~! No one else comes close."
"...W-What about Steven??"
Still no hesitation. "Second favorite."
"Well, he's the reason I got to meet you in the first place, isn't he?"
"Oh. W-Well, I mean, I... I guess..." The entertainer averted her eyes to the side, seemingly engrossed by whatever she thinking about. Her eyes flickered over their reflections thoughtfully before moving her hand to take Xana's own. "...Yer my favorite too, Doll, y'know that...?"
...This was officially the best day ever.
"I-I am?" The lone human managed to squeak out, face pinked and cobalt eyes glittering happily in the refracted light washing over them both. Spinel's own flush deepened as she stared hard at their image, but she nodded while muttering under her breath as if such a thing was hard for her to admit.
"Uh-huh..." Xana couldn't help it; giggles bubbled up her throat and past her lips as she pressed her empty hand against her face in pure elation. Spinel watched, perplexed, and maybe even a little worried. "What? What's wrong??"
"Nothing! I just... Haha, oh wow-" Glancing back at her through her splayed fingers, she smiled bashfully like the awkward creature she was. "I've never been anyone's favorite anything before!"
The small jester stared, wide-eyed, before a determined expression twisted her rosy mien--Her arms stretched out and looped around Xana's squishy form before pulling the human into the biggest hug she could manage. "Well, that's jus' stupid! Yer wonderful an' everyone should be able ta see it! Is everyone blind or somethin'?!" An amused snort was her answer, royal blues rolling playfully back at her.
"Not eeeeveryone I meet needs to like me, Spins." Xana crooned teasingly, snickering as she patted her back to mollify her ire.
"I don't see why not!" Spinel responded, incensed and frowning with a condensed brow. The gem honestly looked offended on her behalf. "Yer amazing! Anyone would be lucky ta have ya as a pal!"
"It would honestly be weird," The tall woman answered, shrugging her shoulders with a smile, "I don't need a nation's worth of fair-weather friends. Not when I have a handful of people so good to me that I consider them family. Who needs 'em when I have the Crystal Gems?" Without even thinking about it, she lifted a lithe hand to cup it gently against one of Spinel's streaked cheeks, humming gently at the pretty scarlet they promptly turned at the touch. She seemed conflicted as to whether or not she wanted to lean into the contact, especially when Xana started to rub gentle circles against the streaks with her thumb. "Not to mention you."
For a split second, Xana thought the gem's rosy pupils flickered into the shape of hearts but the frankly charming sight was gone before her brain could properly process it.
The comedian glanced away self-consciously, giving an embarrassed chuckle. "M'sure m'not all that great compared to the otha's but m'still glad ya think of me that way, Toots." She flinched as the human made a sound of acute outrage at in response, her hand moving to grasp the pink dynamo's chin and turn her head so she could look her dead in the eyes sternly.
Xana knew that this moment was drifting dangerously far away from being just a strictly 'friendly' heart to upside-down heart... And she wouldn't lie, her head was screaming at her to shut the hell up before she said something too revealing.
The woman couldn't help but think. It was clear that today, while meant to be an innocently affectionate outing celebrating their time together, was turning into something a bit more... intimate. Which while flustering the hell out of her, Xana couldn't help but feel hopeful about. Spinel was a kooky and wild little rascal of a gem, but she was anything but stupid; Xana's earlier idiotic slip of the tongue (well, way more than a slip really) was a hopelessly obvious sign that she was longing for more than just a friendship with the rosy entertainer and considering her aversion for anything at all stronger than friendship, Spinel hadn't been? Dismissive?? Quite the opposite, in fact, even if she had panicked very quickly after her own little slip. And even as oblivious as she herself was, the human had noticed the gem's excessive staring when she thought she wasn't looking.
So she couldn't help but have the incredibly implausible and shakingly brittle optimism that maybe, just maybe, her beguin possibly returned her tender feelings.
The dark-skinned human had known that she had deep feelings for her pink friend for about six months or so now. And it was rather unlikely that Spinel would be the first to say anything; if she really did feel the same way, that is. And though she was absolutely terrified of being rejected, the human woman was starting to feel like that maybe she was more afraid of never telling Spinel the truth.
Xana hated being dishonest. It went against every single one of her morals; she had promised herself, at a very young age, that she wouldn't be anything like her derisive father or her vagabond mother. They were liars, traitors, the truest scum of the earth. She always told the truth, even if it was to her detriment because she knew that her parents could never do the same.
And wasn't keeping a secret technically lying? What if it was her brain that was holding her back and her heart was the one in the right place?
Besides, human life was short. Fragile. Startingly inconsequential in comparison to a Gem's practically immortal lifespan. Humans risked their lives every day by simply breathing. Xana knew she could be dead and gone tomorrow from a mere stupid accident or from some random person who didn't give enough of a damn about those around them. That was something she had learned and accepted at a very young age. She had seen what regret could do to a person; seen grief and sorrow and rage twist and warp a good person's psyche until they were bitter and practically unrecognizable. Risk was inevitable. Unavoidable.
You either took a chance to improve your life or learned to live with the regret of never taking the opportunity.
So the real question was...
Could Xana live with that regret if she stayed quiet for the rest of her life?
"If the only Gem I could see on a daily basis for the rest of my life was you, I'd be the happiest human to ever exist." The woman boldly proclaimed, her answer giving her the confidence to force the words from her lips. She flushed as Spinel's eyes promptly widened to the size of saucers but she held firm, maintaining eye contact. "You give me something to look forward to when I wake up in the morning and I know I'll be able to see you."
Xana felt her stomach quiver and tremble with anxiety as the pink gem simply stared, slack-jawed, and she felt her confidence waver enough to make her look away, even though her hand remained on her friend's jaw brushing away what spare droplets landed close to her thumb. "Sorry if that's embarrassing or weird to hear, but, uh... It's true."
For a long jittery moment, the only sound between the two of them was the roaring of various Gem-Made waterfalls hitting the bottom and the distant quiet conversations of the other Gems nearby; Xana's chest felt tight with building panic and just barely managed to hold back a flinch when a gentle touch fluttered against the skin of her cheek.
"Ya... Really mean that." Azure eyes flickered back up to spy the warm, almost disbelieving countenance searching her own, as if she just couldn't understand how or why Xana could think so highly of her. "Ya really like bein' around me that much...?"
Relaxing with understanding, the curly-haired woman nodded once, wondering if her blush had stained her cheeks permanently yet. "Mmhm~. My favorite person, remember? I always enjoy myself when I'm with you."
This time, Xana knew for a fact Spinel's eyes morphed into hearts, compounded by the wobbly (lovesick? or was she reading too much into it?) simper that she was sporting as well.
Still, not wanting to overwhelm her, Xana backed up a step, smiling assuringly at the somewhat dazed and delighted expression hazily watching her movements. "Besides," A content sigh left her as she refocused on the feeling of the water brushing up against her ankles and then her calves, smiling as she leaned down to cup a bit of water into her palms and then toss it into the air with a happy shout that snapped the gem out of her distracted rumination, "A day playing in water is never not fun!"
Eyes sparkling with admiration and a wide grin stretching her face, Spinel whooped for joy at the infectious enthusiasm. "H-Haha, you said it!" She cheered loudly, speeding around Xana like the roadrunner before grabbing onto one of the higher basins and flinging herself up, landing inside with a spin and slinging water a great distance all around her. She received several complaints from nearby gems who consequently got splashed for her efforts and replied very maturely by sticking out her tongue and making faces at them, gleefully cackling as she turned to finally grin back down at Xana.
The femme smiled back, watching her infatuation bound around the tiny floating islands with a soft knowing chuckle; that had been... a bit heavy. The little jester probably needed a bit of time to process all of that.
But!! Spinel's reaction!! Was not at all discouraging!! That was... just incredible to Xana! Maybe she had a chance after all!
However, she had to be subtle--Being too bold or too forceful could end up with Spinel being scared off and Xana certainly didn't want that. She was prepared to play the long game for this one. After all, she had waited two years to get a clue and woman up; she'd wait as long as she'd need to.
For Spinel, it'd be absolutely worth it.
They weren't sure how long they played in the ever-moving waters of the fountain, laughing and playing little games with each other, but it was for quite a while. Spinel could have stayed there for another 6000 years with Xana and she wouldn't have noticed time passing them by.
And that really said it all, didn't it?
As she watched Xana study the architecture of the fountain with fascinated eyes and shyly converse with a few curious Gems that had never seen a human before, the elastic jester sunk a bit deeper into her floating pool a ways above and let herself... ponder. About her human.
Today had been a bit of a rollercoaster so far. Being around Xana always tended to make Spinel feel like she was dizzy or drunk with happiness, but this was way different. She had bounced from excited to embarrassed to smug and just cycled through those emotions like that one spinning ride back at Beach City's Funland.
At the moment though? She was... content. Yeah, that was the word. This was a quiet kind of joy, and that was okay. She didn't have to try to be entertaining or try to do what she was originally made for when it came to Xana--They just complemented each other. Xana soothed the dark thoughts that always brewed in the back of her mind, while Spinel gave her the confidence to shine like the star she had always knew she was. The valleys of self-doubt felt less steep when her human was there beside her, while the mountains of their combined glee made Spinel feel like she was soaring.
Their relationship was easy. Natural. Equal.
In two years, a human had done what a Diamond couldn't do in two thousand.
And those years had flown by so fast. To Spinel, it felt like she had blinked and all that time had just disappeared. Granted, such little time was like a single grain of sand on a beach to a gem, but to a human? Such time was precious, for they had so little of it.
And Xana had given it to her like it was nothing. And declared she'd continue doing so without a second thought.
That... That meant a lot.
'Even with how wrong and damaged I am,' Spinel thought, head placed on her crossed arms as she surveyed Xana gently tracing one of the colorful murals displayed with a slender finger, 'she's stayed by my side when she didn't 'ave ta. Even when I yelled, or pushed her away, or cried for whole days at a time... It's rare ta find a person willin' to do all that for ya, isn't it...?' She exhaled deeply through her nose, eyes softening as she witnessed Xana pick up a group of pebbles gathering around her feet and start chatting with them excitedly, clearly taken by how small and cute they were. 'Is that what people who love ya do?'
The thought came unexpectedly, giving her pause.
...Funny how certain words just kept turning up.
It was like the whole universe was trying to tell her something. And Spinel knew what that something was.
She was just afraid to face it.
The word itself still felt a bit... Raw to her, like something abrasive was being scratched against her gem. After all, she had been made to love unconditionally from the very beginning, to be a friend that would always be there, and had only received indifference and betrayal in return for it in the past. The idea of setting herself up for that again frightened the hell out the comedian. She had gotten better with being friendly with others, sure, and she was rather proud of that, but that wasn't the problem. Making friends was easy.
That was a whooooole other ballgame.
Even with the Diamonds, who had been nothing but sweet and kind to her when they took her home with them so long ago, she wondered every now and again if when they looked at her, they saw the second chance they never got to have with Pink.
But Xana was different. She had been a clean slate, and even if she had fucked up a couple of times with her, her human hadn't thrown her away. She stayed.
What compelled her to stick by her side for so long?
Hm. Maybe... She supposed it was hard not to, all things considered; but just pity couldn't justify two whole years, right? No, there had to be something else.
Maybe it was because their traumas were similar to a degree; birds of a feather and all that... But no, that didn't make much sense either.
Spinel soon had the thought that maybe Xana was waiting for Spinel to be the one to leave first so she wouldn't hurt her feelings, and shamefully thought about this a bit longer than she should have before dismissing that answer. She knew Xana, and Spinel felt guilty that she had thought so little of her for even a second. The human had an integrity that was extremely hard to find; she said what she meant and didn't beat around the bush, even if she knew how to sugarcoat and soften the blow of honesty's sting. She wasn't a liar.
So then... What could the reason be?
Was that really what it was?
"...I'm in love with my best friend, aren't I...?" She whispered to herself, a whole cocktail of emotions roiling around in her unseeing gaze at the ripples of water far below. "...Am I really going to let myself make that mistake again...?"
This... This wasn't a mistake.
Xana couldn't be anything classified as a mistake.
This had occurred naturally, hadn't it? It wasn't something she felt obligated to feel. She hadn't forced this. She hadn't wished for this.
It just... Happened. At its own pace.
Like everything else had when it came to her relationship with Xana.
Spinel took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, feeling something inside her tighten at this realization but also... Calm? As if she was relieved?? Just how long had she been denying herself that release?
Finally coming back to reality, Spinel sat up out of her recline with a purpose and blinked when she realized Xana was no longer where she saw her last. A small worry flared up behind her gem as her eyes flickered around for her friend's form, relief soon shooing it away upon seeing her form sitting near the ledge where they had first entered with only her feet submerged in the crystal clear water. She had her foot thong thingies close to her hip, eyes closed with a relaxed smile on her lips, and feet lightly kicking at the water. Her hands seemed to be massaging at her legs...
Concerned, the little comedian lurched to her pool's little lip and forcefully shook herself dry before springing over the basin and landing with a noisy squeak beside the human woman. "Heya sugarplum, is somethin' the mattah'?"
Xana stiffened, her eyes flying open with a startled gasp before whipping her head around to give Spinel an 'are you serious?!' kind of look. "Spinny! By the stars, you scared me..." She griped, a hand coming up to clutch at the space above her heart with a pout. "Didn't I tell ya to warn a gal before you do something like that? You know I don't do well with being scared."
The gem smiled apologetically, a guilty blush staining her face as her ponytails drooped at the deserved reprimand. "Sorry, toots... Didn't mean ta startle ya, promise. Jus' noticed you were rubbin' at your legs a lil' there, an' I got a bit worried." She replied, glancing down at said motion. She tried her hardest not to stare for too long. "S'wrong? C'n I help wit' anythin'?"
"Ohhh. Nah, it's alright. My legs just started getting tired because I was standing up for so long, so I sat down." The wild-haired woman shrugged, before smiling at the gem. "Thanks for caring though! That's sweet of you."
"'Course Dollface, s'my pleasure." Spinel chuckled softly, casting a shy look towards the water before looking up as Xana poked her in the arm to regain her attention.
"So, uh, hey, you said you wanted to do something else after this right? Don't get me wrong, I'm loving this place, but I wanna see everything you had planned before I get too tired." The tall woman reminded before lifting a hand to her mouth, managing to suppress a tiny yawn. "Human limitations and stuff, y'know?'
Oh, right. Crap. She forgot Xana needed that sleep stuff. "O-Oh yeah, right! Um. Hmmm. I didn't really 'ave anythin' else planned other than just wanderin' around and seein' the sights... I guess we could go to my room if you want to?" As soon as Spinel suggested the idea, she coughed a bit as she remembered a slightly important detail she had managed to forget and tried to backtrack. "There's, uh, not much ta see in there though..."
Ha, fat chance. It was clear Xana had latched onto the suggestion immediately, evidenced the excited and mischievous glint in her deep blue eyes.
"Hey now, you're not gonna get out of this THAT easy!" Xana cackled with glee, grinning over at the wily gem with a great amount of anticipation in her eyes. "Even if there's not much in there, you can tell a lot about a person by looking in their room! Besides, you practically ransacked mine the first time I invited you into it~."
She just haaaaad to bring that up, didn't she? Spinel's cheeks flushed red as she gave a pout, embarrassed. "Yer neva' gonna let that go, are ya?"
"I'll let it go when I'm six feet under." Xana snorted, pulling her legs out of the water and hauling herself up with a soft groan. She waggled her feet to flick off any remaining droplets clinging to her skin before putting on her flip-flops again with a raised brow pointed back down at her little pink friend as if to say 'Well? Whatcha waitin' for?'
Triumph flashed in her eyes as Spinel promptly threw her head far back with a loud groan. "Fiiiiiiiiine, whateva'!! But if yer gonna insist-" Making a quick bounce off the floor, the pink alien did a somersault in the air to land seated on the human's shoulders, much to her immense surprise.
"There, that's bettah'!" With a loud cackle as Xana stumbled before catching her balance, she pointed off in the direction of the corridor opposite they had arrived from. "Onwards my noble steed!"
Barely managing to right herself, she puffed out her cheeks in a pout and glared up at the little magenta heathen, exasperation in her gaze. "I don't recall agreeing to be a taxi service!"
"It was in th' contract of demandin' to see my livin' space." Not that Spinel was complaining too much; only she and the Diamonds were allowed in her room and she knew the Diamonds currently weren't around. At the very least, it would give Spinel a private place to try and talk to her human.
"I didn't sign anything, I am not legally bound in the slightest." The woman huffed, yet still wrapped her arms carefully around the dangling legs on her shoulders to keep the slinky from falling off as she walked off in the direction indicated. "Fine, ya menace, but only because you're you."
Smirking smugly, she flopped her upper half against the back of Xana's head and giggling mischievously as she gave an annoyed grunt. "Good girl~. Jus' listen ta what I say, and yer gonna be juuuuus' fine."
The dark-skinned female knew, of course, that Spinel had meant that in a joking way but apparently her heart hadn't received the memo considering the stuttering it gave at the somewhat suggestive sounding statement. "Of course your majesty~." She cooed back in a snarky way to keep any possible attention away from her reddened face as they come upon a set of truly gigantic doorways. "Whatever Princess Spinel doth require, I am bound to comply~."
The gem snorted in reply, "Hey, I ain't a princess! The closest thing we have ta a princess is Steven. If anythin', M'a great an' brave knight!" She declared with an air of great self-importance.
"Hehe, I feel like if I tell Steven that, he'd get annoyed." Xana thought aloud with a snicker. "Do forgive me, my lady! Spinel the Just I shall refer to you then!" The two of them bantered back and forth as they left behind the fountain, both caring a newfound knowledge within their minds as they did.
And the waters trickled on sweetly.
