*Gestures to my blog title.* This is just my lot in life, I guess. Blame @izzynuggets for being my enabler.
To say it took a long time for things to wind down would be an understatement. It took nearly two months to fully sort things out and then another to heal all of the corrupted gems. Eventually, though, the Diamonds went home with an agreement to keep in contact so as to maintain peace, and the Crystal Gems could start rebuilding their own lives.
A lot of them elected to relocate. The overwhelming majority, actually. Each had their different reasons, but when it came down to the wire there just wasn’t enough room. Beach City wasn’t big enough for fifteen people and an entire population of gems.
But each gem that left was equipped with a cell phone and a pamphlet on how to use it, so they would stay family no matter the distance.
As for those who had elected to stay, well. Let’s just say they-
“Dot!” Bismuth’s loud voice called from the house. “Can you take five from logging and levitate me up some nails?”
Peridot blushed and set down her new recorder. It had been a gift from Steven on the anniversary of her coming to earth. Her “honorific birth-day,” he’d called it. She’d disputed the idea of a birth-day, but she was loathe to treat the gift with anything less than reverence.
Feigning being casual, she walked over to where Bismuth was repairing the house. She levitated a cluster of nails out of the bucket and towards Bismuth.
Bismuth smiled cheekily. “Thanks, Dot!”
“You know, for maximum efficiency you could have just taken the nails up with you.” Peridot pointed out.
Heat rose in Bismuth’s cheeks. “I suppose, but efficiency never was my biggest goal. Besides, I’m working on your room, right now, and I wanted your thoughts.”
Peridot looked at the construction, peering at the framework of what would be her new residence.
“The framework looks sufficient.” She said. “Though I do think it a pity the upper covering of the structure will remain closed. I’ve grown used to looking at the stars.”
Bismuth stroked her chin thoughtfully before raising her shape-shifted fist and making the hammer grow. Without a second thought, she punched out part of the ceiling, making a rough hole just over where Peridot had been planning to put a fish tank.
She gave Peridot a wide smile. “There we go! Two second skylight for you.”
Peridot blushed again “Wow, thanks.”
“No problem!” Bismuth called back. “Thanks for the nails. You can go back to your log if you want to.”
Peridot shuffled her feet for a moment, but she couldn’t think of a good enough reason to stay, so she went back to her recorder.
“The gems that stayed have proven to be most,” She paused, trying to think of the word. “Helpful, in terms of remaking our base. Though I am as of yet unsure how I play into that, Steven has assured me that I am wanted here, and that I do not need to be useful to stay.
“Part of me regrets not returning to the countryside with Lapis, but it was agreed upon that the two of us needed some distance. I can only hope that she is doing well and that the plants are growing at the appropriate speeds. I will, of course, miss such things, but the gems of this beach city have shown me that there is something to stay for. One gem in particular seems to have made it her personal mission.”
“You talkin’ bout Bismuth?”
Peridot jumped at the sudden voice and whirled to face Amethyst. Heat rose in her cheeks at the insinuation and she started stammering.
“Wha- no!” She yelped. “What are you- how dare- I’m not one to-”
“Calm down, Peri.”
Amethyst hopped onto the table Peridot was sitting at and casually cast a glance at Bismuth.
“I’m really not one to judge,” She said. “But you are being super obvious about your crush.”
Peridot gasped. “I am not going to crush her! She’s three times my size, if I even tried, she would be the one doing the crushing.”
Amethyst laughed. “No, no. It’s a human word. Means you want to do romantic biz with her.”
Peridot’s eyebrows creased. “Romanticbiz? What is romanticbiz?”
“You know,” Amethyst said. “Like dates and holding hands and kisses and stuff. Like Ruby and Sapphire when they aren’t fused.”
Peridot considered that. She wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea. She wasn’t sure how she felt about fusion yet, but the rest of it sounded… nice. Spending time with Bismuth, letting the larger gem hold her. Bismuth’s lips pressed against hers…
“Oh my stars.” Peridot gasped. “I am crushing Bismuth!”
Amethyst chuckled. “Guess so. You wanna tell her or-”
“No!” Peridot blushed furiously. “No. We already have formed a tentative platonic friendship, that I very much treasure. I do not wish to ruin it by instigating something romanticbiz. I would like to grow closer before attempting anything like that. As… friends.”
Amethyst put a reassuring hand on Peridot’s shoulder.
“It’s alright Peri,” She said softly. “It can be our secret.”
***
Bismuth flushed and looked away from where Peridot and Amethyst were talking, just outside her range of hearing. The two of them seemed so close. It almost made Bismuth jealous.
Not of their friendship. No, Bismuth had a whole rebellion full of gems that she called friends and often family. But whenever she looked at the two of them something green coiled in her stomach and she got the urge to burst in and join the conversation.
Bismuth didn’t like it, but it made Peridot laugh. And she’d do anything for Peridot’s laughter.
Garnet sat next to her, suddenly, breaking off her train of thought.
“Enjoying the view?” Garnet asked.
Bismuth started, her face flushing. “Garnet! I was just, uh- working on repairs!
She laughed nervously. Garnet’s face didn’t so much as twitch.
“I see,” She said. “But that doesn’t answer my question. Are you enjoying the view?”
Bismuth laughed again. “Oh, uh- Yeah. The beach looks really nice from way up here.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Garnet said.
She shifted into a more comfortable position and patted the wood next to her. Bismuth moved until they were sitting side by side on the half formed roof.
“So,” Garnet said. “You and Peridot have been getting along pretty well lately. What do you think about her?”
“Oh half-pint?” Bismuth chuckled. “Eh, she’s got spunk. She stood up to a Diamond and called her names to her face. Then she went toe to toe with one even though she was incredibly overpowered. She doesn’t know when to quit, even when it hurts. She-”
Bismuth blinked as a smile slowly grew on Garnet’s face.
“Sounds like you’ve gotten pretty close.” She said.
“Yeah.” Bismuth chuckled. “So, uh. Why’d you wanna know?”
Garnet looked out over the ocean thoughtfully. Looking at her it suddenly struck Bismuth that she was two people. Bonded together closer than anyone could comprehend in an endless conversation.
She wondered what they were talking about now. And what conversations she might have of her own someday.
“I am literally made of love, you know,” Garnet said. “I know it when I see it. But if you want it, you have to grab it.”
Bismuth laughed awkwardly. “Not- uh… not sure I know what you mean, Garrnt.”
Garnet clapped her on the back solidly. “Try Funland. She’ll enjoy explaining things. And you look best in silvers.”
She walked off, leaving Bismuth more confused than when she walked up.
She looked back down to the gems at the table. Amethyst was now rolling on the floor in laughter, Peridot squawking in an indignant tone just barely audible from where Bismuth was perched. She scooted closer, almost subconsciously, just trying to get a better earful of Peridot.
She liked listening to the small gem talk. She had a way of filling her sentences with jargon, but saying it in a way that made you pay attention. She spoke in long paragraphs that enraptured the listener and each syllable made Bismuth want to hear more. She could spend a hundred human lifetimes listening to Peridot and still want to hear more.
Oh.
Oh.
Heat rushes into Bismuth’s face at the sudden realization.
She stood abruptly and raced after Garnet, nearly crushing Pearl in her rush.
“Garnet!” She called. “I think I know what you meant, now!”
***
“Stupid humans and their stupid need for stupid sleep,” Peridot grumbled. “You lose so much time resting in the evening, why are humans designed to be inefficient? And why do you insist on wasting perfectly good cushion shelves on this activity?”
“Does that make this bed a yes?” Steven asked.
Peridot sniffer disdainfully. “I suppose it is sufficient enough for a fleshbag such as yourself. Gems, of course, are superior beings and do not require such items of comfort.”
Steven smiled knowingly. “Dad, can we get Peridot one, too?”
“Sure thing, Stuball.” Greg chuckled. “I’ll go pay and stuff, you two can head on home.”
Steven nodded and he and Peridot left the mattress store. The walk back to the temple was filled with Peridot ranting about the uselessness of sleep and Steven’s counter arguments that it felt good. She only relented when he pointed out that a lot of his physic powers came from his sleep.
Surprisingly enough, Bismuth was waiting for them at the steps. And she looked… uncomfortable. But also… good.
She was wearing one of Greg’s old sweaters over her usual apron, and the gray cable-knit was just a bit too small for her, hugging her muscular arms and her large frame and leaving very little room for imagining what was underneath it.
Not that Bismuth was shy about hiding that in the first place.
Strangely enough, though, her discomfort didn’t seem to come from the sweater. Her hands were clasped behind her back and there was a bit of sweat clinging to her temples.
“Bismuth?” Steven asked. “You okay?”
She nodded stiffly. “Just dandy, Steven. You mind giving us a minute?”
Steven shook his head and headed into the temple. He tossed a small wave at them before heading inside. Once he was out of sight, Peridot turned back to Bismuth, who only seemed more nervous.
Bismuth cleared her throat nervously. “Dot we’ve, uh… we’ve been getting pretty close lately and Garnet made me realize something about it. I spent so much time in war that I never thought about what I’d do after it. And yeah, the job isn’t done yet, it may never be. But spending time with you has made me think about… what I want to spend my life doing. What I fought for and the choices I can make.
“What I’m trying to say, I guess is… Peridot, would you like to go to the Funland with me? On a date?”
Peridot blinked. “I… what?”
Bismuth’s shoulders hunched and she blushed. “Well… it’s this human thing Pearl told me about. It’s when two people who like each other spend time alone to figure out if they wanna stay together forever. The way Ruby and Sapphire are. Only not always fused, I guess. Since humans can’t fuse. We don’t have to fuse either, I was just-“
“Oh!” Peridot interrupted, excitement growing. “Amethyst told me something similar as well! I forwent elaborating on “dates,” but she explained the rest of the romanticbiz to me when I…”
Peridot paused, flushing.
Bismuth looked at her curiously. “When you what, Dot?”
Peridot looked away. “When I realized I was crushing you.”
Bismuth was quiet for a moment, clearly trying to translate the Peri-speak. When it finally clicked her eyes lit up.
“You have a crush on me?” She asked quietly.
Peridot crosses her arms. “Yes! Clearly that’s what I was attempting to convey!”
Peridot’s eyes widened and she looked up at Bismuth. “Really?”
“Really!” Bismuth laughed. “Why Do you think I got all fancied up to ask you to Funland? I even got you a- oh!”
Bismuth withdrew her hands from her back. In one of them was a cluster of small blades wrapped in a cloth at the handles. They shimmered in the sunlight, rainbow beams reflecting off them.
“Pearl says that humans give each other’s bouquets sometimes,” Bismuth explained. “I didn’t know what flowers you like, but then I remembered you can’t make your own weapon. So I made you these. You can toss ‘em around with your metal powers.”
Peridot’s eyes sparkled and she clasped the bouquet. Her hands brushed against Bismuth’s and she was abruptly reminded how much the larger gem dwarfed her. One arm was roughly the size of Peridot’s entire body. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to lift her and holding her would be practically no trouble at all.
Bismuth was strong, but she’d proven often that she could be gentle, too. She could throw, Peridot, yes. Easily. But Peridot wondered if those arms would also make decent pillows. If they did she might consider taking up sleeping after all.
She flushed and turned her attention to examining the weapons.
“These are incredible,” She said. “Your craftsmanship is as impeccable as always, Bismuth.”
Bismuth’s cheeks colored and she rubbed the back of her neck.
“So… is this a yes to Funland?” She asked.
Peridot blinked again. “Well...I must admit you performed the courtship rituals accurately enough. And I have been crushing you for some time now. Therefore it is only logical that the two of us should engage in romanticbiz as indicated by human customs. Bismuth, I would like very much to be your “date” to the Funland.” She blushed. “Um- if you still want to.”
Bismuth laughed and scooped her into her arms. Peridot flushed as they twirled, the knives clanking together with the momentum.
When Bismuth finally settled down, Peridot cleared her throat.
“If you will let me down, please?” She asked. “I wish to change into attire that is properly romanticbiz.”
“Oh!” Bismuth exclaimed. “Yeah, sure.”
She set Peridot down gently and Peridot smiled at her.
“I shouldn’t need too much time,” She said. “Simply allow me to change and place my bouquet in water. Are you willing to remain out here until I return?”
Bismuth nodded and Peridot scurried into the house. She raced past Steven and Amethyst, hurriedly filling a vase with water.
“She asked me to engage in a human courtship ritual,” Peridot explained in a rush. “I will be accompanying her to the Funland as soon as I change into appropriate attire.”
“Wait,” Steven said. “Peridot, did Bismuth ask you out on a date?”
Amethyst barked out a laugh. “I knew it! I knew she liked you back, Peri. Oh gosh, we have to celebrate!”
“We can celebrate afterwards,” Peridot said, dumping the bouquet in the vase. “And only if this courtship ritual functions at optimal positivity. If things don’t go well…” She hesitated. “Would the two of you be there afterwards to comfort me?”
They nodded eagerly.
“Yeah, of course!” Amethyst said. “I’ll make some ice cream for if things go south and some popcorn if it goes well. You better be ready to dish later, either way, Per-bear.”
Peridot smiled gratefully. “Wow, thanks. Okay. I think I’ll go change now.” She squealed happily. “My neurons are firing so fast I think I might explode!”
She listened to their good-natured laughter as she entered the bathing room, and they were still giggling when she left it, now clad in a blue sundress Connie had left behind. It was a bit snug in some areas, but Amethyst said it made her look like her temperature had raised, which was evidently a good thing.
With her friend’s approval and good wishes, she raced back down to Bismuth. She took a moment to regain her breath, then smiled brightly.
“Alright, ready to head out!”
Bismuth chuckled and they started for the boarded walkway.
***
Funland was just as busy as Peridot remembered it. Which is to say, it wasn’t. Half the population of the beach city was there, but that only amounted to roughly eight humans and five gems.
That said, the runner of the Funland looked just as haggard as always. Especially when he caught sight of Peridot.
She ignored him and dragged Bismuth to the ring game with the swollen-headed plushies.
“I have discovered that in all of the Funland, this game has the most desirable results.” She said.
Bismuth studied the plushies. “They kinda look like you, Dot. Only- uh- you’re a whole lot cuter.”
Peridot blushed and looked away. Remembering the purpose of the game, she grinned and held up the money Steven had given her.
“This is human currency paper,” She explained. “Humans spend their lives acquiring more of it because it can be traded for objects or experiences they desire. Observe.”
She slammed the money on the countertop in front of the smiling man.
“Your finest rings, sir!” She said. “I am going to win a plushie!”
Mr. Smiley sighed and traded her money for the rings, then sat back to watch.
It was a sign of Peridot’s continual improvement that he didn’t even notice she was using her metal powers. She threw each ring from her hand then stubley guided it to the desired bottle with her outstretched hand.
Once all the rings were placed Mr. Smiley congratulated her and gave her the object of her desire. She beamed and handed it to Bismuth with a bow.
“For me?” Bismuth asked, surprise evident on her face. “You don’t just want me to hold it?”
“Why would I want that?” Peridot asked. “You aren’t a pearl, and this isn’t Homeworld anyway. It’s a gift. You’re supposed to give gifts to people whose company you enjoy, and then they reply with “Wow, thanks.” And, well… I have grown to greatly enjoy your company, Bismuth. So I would like to gift this to you.”
Bismuth blushed and carefully took the toy until it was cradled in her arms.
“Wow, thanks.” She said softly.
She cleared her throat. “So what else is there to do around here?”
***
Three hours later Bismuth had an arm full of plushies based on various earthen fauna. Peridot had a few of her own after they found out the hard way that she was not built for the strength games, but that they were exactly up Bismuth’s ally.
They were walking towards the beach, forgoing the rides as Peridot was too short. After she fell behind for the third time, Peridot found herself scooped into Bismuth’s arms among the plushies.
Bismuth chuckled. “There! You fit right in.”
Peridot huffed. “Please. I am far superior to all these beasts, especially in their stuffed forms.”
Bismuth laughed. “True enough. Man, I don’t even know what half of these are.”
“Well, I have some experience with them,” Peridot lifted up an orange plushie with triangular ears. “This for example, is a fox. I find them respectable because they are one of the few beings as clever as myself. In addition, they understand life here very well, which is why they spend so much of their time screaming at each other. And this,” She lifted a green one with long legs. “Is a frog. All they do is jump and lick the air. Hardly respectable, but they remind me of a gem I once vanquished.”
She paused, suddenly aware of her own rambling. She glanced at Bismuth, looking for the usual glazed-over eyes. But instead her eyes were alert and interested. She seemed… engaged.
“Hold on,” Bismuth said.
She set Peridot and all the plushies on the sand, spreading them out around Peridot until she had a full view. She settled herself on her stomach next to Peridot and pointed to a plushie with black fur and pointed ears.
“Okay, so is that a fox too?” She asked.
“No, that is the specimen known as cats,” Peridot said. “They are the same species as the Cat Steven back at the temple.”
“Oh, that’s why he’s called that!” Bismuth said. “I wondered. What’s that one?”
“That’s called a dog,” Peridot said. “They’re similar in manner to Pumpkin, but with more fur and less intelligence. They live in opposition to cats and annoy them at any given opportunity.”
Bismuth smiled. “Neat! Guess they’re something to look out for. What about… That?”
Peridot hummed thoughtfully. “I think it’s called a horse, but I’ve never seen one with that many stripes. Humans bred them to cart them and objects around, sometimes objects as big as a house! Once, as a competition, thousands of humans took horses and carts to a place called Or-Gone-Tail to prove which horses were superior. It was a difficult journey, but the horses that made it to the end were declared Gold.”
“Oh, I met a Gold once,” Bismuth commented. “She was pretty stuck-up though. Are horses stuck-up?”
Peridot strokes her chin, thinking. “Yes.”
Bismuth laughed and rolled over onto her back.
“Is there anything you don’t know, Dot?” She asked playfully.
Peridot chuckled. “Well, I will admit I have a great deal of earth knowledge, but the thing about this planet is that it is constantly changing. Nothing stays the same, and there will always be more to learn. And I want to try to learn it all.”
She started, noticing Bismuth’s stare. She blushed, heat rising in her face.
“Wha- why are you staring at me?” She asked.
“I just…” Bismuth paused. “I’ve made a lot of things. Worked with metal my whole life. But I think your brain is the most beautiful thing in the galaxy.”
Peridot’s face got even hotter and she buried it in her hands.
“Then you should really look in the earthen object known as a mirror,” she muttered. “It is a reflective surface designed to look at oneself.”
She peeked between her fingers to see Bismuth’s face coloring as well. Ha! Another victory for The Great and Lovable Peridot! Take that, strange reactionary feelings!
Bismuth laughed, suddenly. She straightened and offered Peridot her hand.
Peridot accepted and stood as well, though her hand remained in Bismuth’s, small as it was.
“Peridot, would you dance with me?” Bismuth asked. “We don’t have to fuse or anything, but I’d like to just… dance for a little bit.”
Peridot’s mouth formed an ‘o’ and she felt some of the blush recede.
“This is one of the few areas I don’t excel in,” She warned.
Bismuth smiled gently. “You know, I think that’ll be okay.”
Peridot smiled back and nodded.
She pulled her Eye-Pad from her gem and selected one of her favorite songs. The gentle melody wafted around her and Bismuth and they slowly swayed back and forth, feet shuffling through the motions Peridot has seen some of the others doing.
Eventually, it evolved into something else. Something of its own. Peridot grew more confident, Bismuth grew more bold, their steps were more sure.
And the dance was entirely them and theirs.
Bismuth twirled Peridot under her arms and Peridot came to rest wrapped in them. They swayed there for a moment, until the song drew to a close.
It was quiet for a long while after, and the two watched the sun set over the ocean.
At some point, Bismuth shifted until they were sitting down among the plushies again, Peridot on top of her legs and still wrapped in her strong, reassuring arms.
When the sky turned red, Peridot craned her neck upwards to look at Bismuth’s face. The other gem was already looking at her, which made something warm bubble in her stomach.
“Bis?” She asked quietly. “I think I would enjoy more of these dates.”
Bismuth smiled. “Me too, Tiny. Me too.”
Peridot reached upwards and hooked her arms around Bismuth’s neck. Bismuth, understanding, leaned closer. Until their lips met in the middle.
Every bit as sweet as Peridot has thought it would be.
After long shifts at work, Rosalie liked just to sit and relax for a while, before having to do anything like preparing dinner. Perhaps make a cup of tea, and read a chapter (or two, or three...) of whichever book she was reading at the time. Or have a cuddle with one of her cats, if they were in a friendly mood. She certainly didn't want to come home and have to chase one of them.
For reasons unknown, one of her two cats had taken to surprising her when she was coming home, though not in the welcome back I've missed you sort of way she would appreciate. Instead of coming to greet her, sweet Daisy darted around her to escape out of the apartment and into the hallway. Rosalie didn't know why – both were indoor cats, and she thought her apartment plenty cosy for them – but Daisy insisted on occasionally going on an impulsive adventure.
"Aww, hi, Dais– again?!" Rosalie cried, exasperated, as she juggled grocery bags as she let herself in one late afternoon, catching a blur of fur dash past her in her peripheral vision. Carelessly setting her bags down by the front door, she made sure she had her keys before pulling the door closed behind her, lest her other cat became inspired to escape as well. Rosalie looked both ways down the hall for her spirited feline, though she already knew which way she had gone: for the stairs, the cheeky thing. She hurried after her, the soles of her Oxfords tapping loudly with each quick step. "Daisy! Daisy, get back here!" she called, as if any cat would really listen. She just had to catch her before she made it down too many flights of stairs and managed to escape out the building; the thought had her moving down the stairs faster, which nearly made her lose her footing. Grabbing the banister frantically for balance, at least she knew which cat wouldn't be getting a treat today.
