There was a sensation Lapis hadn’t felt in an age, a gentle sort of beckoning and Lapis couldn’t help herself. She shouldn’t have moved, she knew that, Blue Diamond had expected to her stay by the entrance with the rest of entourage. But, she felt the thread of power and slipped away, melting back through the shadows and she was half way into Pink Diamond’s palace before she’d thought any more about Blue Diamond.
By then, really, she may as well have gone the rest of the distance.
The Pink Palace was glorious, soft warping colours in all of the rooms, filled with exotic plants and items. Pink Diamond was far more active off world than Blue Diamond and every inch of her palace showed it. Although she was briefly tempted, Lapis didn’t stop to stare at the strange artefacts, nor touch the large leafy plants though. Instead she continued on, the odd sensation in her fingertips only increased the deeper in she went. She was practically buzzing when Lapis stepped carefully through an archway and found herself enclosed in a sea of foliage.
Greens and purple leaves hung overhead, barely masking the bright stars, but Lapis didn’t linger on the stars. Instantly she was caught on the thing that had been calling her, her feet slipping softly over the cool stones as she drew towards it.
A deep pool sung to her from the middle of a circle of trees. It's surface was a perfect mirror of the stars above, and the water itself was pure as anything Lapis had ever felt before -next to no chemicals in the entire pool. Lapis grinned, unable to help it moving forward to the water, feeling the water leap eagerly to her command, rising up in a elegant twist.
Water was rare, so rare and Lapis never got to feel this. She bent her wrist and the water bowed to her. Lapis mockingly dropped a curtsey back, and laughed as she made the water rush forward, form into a clone and grab her hand.
She spun a couple of times, joy sparking through her as she moved the water clone back and forth before she pulled back, and bowed to it. The water curtseyed back, and stepped back into the pool, spinning into a fountain, leaping into and out of the pool.
She didn’t think her smile could get any larger, dancing and water… it had been worth sneaking away, if only for that.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Lapis jerked at the sound, freezing the water in mid-air, she glanced around and almost sighed. It was just a pearl, looking a bit awed, standing alone in the pavement staring at her, hands tightly knotted in her skirt as she hesitantly stepped forward.
“I’m just having fun.” Lapis replied, and made a couple of tendrils spin up into the air together before joining and splashing back down, she shot the pearl a sidelong look with a smile, “Is that allowed?”
The pearl’s face tightened a bit and she stepped forward, hands coming up to rest on her hips.
“Not here it isn’t.” Pearl started, clearly picking up confidence, “You are-“
“So you never have fun?” Lapis interrupted, with a wave sending the water rising and falling in a wave, “Must be great working for Pink Diamond.”
Pearl puffed up, it was cute Lapis couldn’t help but think, following the Pearl’s progress from the corner of her eye as she watched her stalk towards Lapis. It was different too, Pearls were usually so timid.
“Working for Pink Diamond is an honour.” Pearl corrected, pride colouring her words and her chin up, just a touch, “And, for your information, I do have fun.”
A Pearl had fun? This one really was different, Lapis smirked spinning around, letting the water play behind her.
“Do you?” Lapis asked, sliding forward a step, head tilted, “What sort of fun do you have pearl?”
Pearl blinked, a pretty shade of blue flushing through her cheeks, “All sorts. I’m a very fun sort of person.”
“I can imagine.” Lapis smirked, because she was adorable, perhaps that was why Pink Diamond kept her around, “Cleaning, following orders, oh so much fun.”
She moved the water back and forth idly, pretending to be distracted by it, and Pearl stepped instantly in front of her. Inadvertantly she'd put herself between Lapis and the pool, and Lapis had to taper down her smile, because that was dangerous. A brave little pearl might get a little wet doing that.
Pearl glared at her for a moment, as if she was eyeing her up and Lapis twist her hand lightly, letting the water glide quietly together, pulling it into a single blob that started to rise from the pool
“Yes, sure I like those things.” Pearl defended, “But I like more than that.”
“Really, what else do you find fun?” Lapis asked, an idle question as the water formed a giant hand ready to come thumping down.
Pearl paused for a second, head still high, eyes still on Lapis. Then suddenly she blushed, looking to the side.
“I like to dance.” Pearl said, studying the garden behind Lapis’s shoulder like it was all so interesting.
Shock went through Lapis’s systems, and she dropped the water with a bit of a crash that made Pearl jump slightly. She was different, and she liked to dance…
“Show me.” Lapis said, then blinked at herself because stars that was rude, “I mean… could you show me?”
Pearl went even more teal.
“W..why?”
Lapis should leave this, should leave now but…
“To prove it.” Lapis said, stubbornly, vaguely aware she had to have a yellow tint in her cheeks.
Pearl glanced away, “There is no music.”
Lapis waved at the pool and the water jumped at her instance, forming a water organ. She strengthened the water that made up the organs, and made the rest softly press in and out of them, slowly filling the garden with their deep ethereal sounds.
Pearl stared at it, a bit opened mouthed, and Lapis offered her hand. When Pearl didn't immediately move, Lapis tilted her head down so she could meet Pearl’s gaze.
“So shall we?” Lapis asked.
She would probably refuse, Lapis knew. Pearl had her hand pressed to her own chest, gaze flickering over to the archways, like she was looking at an escape route.
But then, when Lapis was contemplating pulling back her hand, Pearl reached forward, softly placing her hand in Lapis’s .
“Just one dance.” Pearl said, and she was nervous Lapis could see.
Lapis smiled back, hope and joy warring in her chest, it had been so long since she’d danced last. She tilted her fingers and the organ picked up pace into a easy sort of waltz.
They came together, Lapis’s free hand finding Pearl’s waist, and Pearl’s hand resting light as air on Lapis’s shoulder. The dance was structured, easy to move into, a swing of steps, running back and forth, and Pearl let her lead. Lapis smiled as they moved around the garden, let the music twist into something else.
The cha cha didn’t even make Pearl pause, instantly reacting when Lapis started to swing her hips, her own movements, were admittedly a little stiff, but she twisted out when Lapis gave her the option and there was a half smile on Pearl’s face as she changed it up by being the one to tug Lapis in. Lapis didn’t hesitate, pulling herself close to Pearl and switching the music again.
She pulled them into a tango, forcing Pearl’s hand to her waist as she slung a tight leg around Pearl’s as they twisted into it. Pearl’s eyes were bright as she slowly lowered her, but when they reached the bottom Lapis smirked, releasing her leg from pearl, switching it behind her, and dragging Pearl slowly over.
Pearl didn’t hesitate, falling into her grasp like she’d been waiting for it.
So Lapis kept dancing.
Their moves got harder and harder, but Pearl didn’t flinch, didn’t back away until they were swinging tightly together, stepping fast to avoid hitting each other. Pearl’s eyes met hers, and Lapis knew what was coming. Pearl twisted and Lapis caught, then they were spinning with Pearl completely off the ground, Lapis had one hand in the crook of her knee, one in the middle of Pearl’s back and Pearl draped herself, completely trusting in her hands.
The music slowed, and Lapis stopped their spinning, slowly lowering Pearl’s leg to the floor, and let Pearl’s hands drag her up, to the final beat, their foreheads pressing together.
Lapis’s gem felt warm, felt Pearl’s warm against her, and felt something twist in her gut, like the urge to pull Pearl the last few centimetres towards her-
To fuse or to kiss her-
Maybe both-
They flickered together, bright as anything, and Lapis reached, hand pressing lightly on Pearl’s jaw. Pearl’s eyes were wide, staring at her like something beautiful.
Then Pearl jerked suddenly out of her grip, face entirely blue.
“We shouldn’t.” She stuttered.
Lapis felt her absence immediately, crossing her arms tight in front of her. Embarrassment a wash in her chest.
Fusion, how stupid was Lapis. A fusion here with a pearl she didn’t know, even if she’d… kissed.. her, it was still so forbidden. Lapis was Blue Diamond’s, Pearl was Pink Diamond’s, they weren’t even the same gem type.
“Shouldn’t what. We haven’t done anything.” Lapis looked down at the ground hard, “It was a dance.”
Pearl stared at her for a moment, going impossibly bluer as her hands found each other, knotting tightly in front of her chest.
“Yes… Yes.” Pearl agreed, “A dance. That’s all.”
Lapis felt like someone was sitting on her chest, “Yes, a nice dance, um. Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure.” Pearl said immediately, “I mean, um.”
Lapis glanced up at her, flustered and shocked and unlike any gem Lapis had met before.
“I shouldn’t be here. Sorry.” Lapis murmured, “I’ll go.”
She shouldn’t have explored. Lapis started to move off, eyes set on the archway she’d come through and stopped abruptly when a hand touched her elbow.
“That was…” Pearl started, and then stopped herself.
Something in Lapis tugged and she touched Pearl’s hand, brushing a soft kiss briefly against it, removing it softly from her.
“It was fun.” Lapis said, and smiled at her, and yes, she was so very yellow then, “I was wrong about you.”
Then she left, Pearl staring at her back.
Lapis left hoping Blue Diamond would need to go back to Pink Diamond’s palace. But the time never came.
-=-
It was centuries ago, such a long time, that Lapis had cleared it from her mind.
She and Steven sat on the couch, a set of cards in their hands with inane instructions on them. The aim, Steven had explained, was to loose the cards in your hand. However Lapis had had no such luck.
“I’ve got another black card.” Lapis said, staring at it.
Steven groaned, hand to his head.
“No you aren’t meant to tell me.” Steven sighed, and eyed his own two cards and put them facedown on the table shifting to level Lapis a gauging look, “Okay. So muno wasn’t for you. Maybe….”
Steven hopped down, racing over to the cupboard, digging through his assorted games and amusements. Lapis watched him bemused. They all seemed alien to her, but Steven was happy so…
There was a faint strain of music outside and Lapis perked up, despite herself.
Steven was occupied, half buried in the closest muttering about bakeries or hotels, so Lapis slipped to her feet. She moved to the window, looking down curiously.
The Dad human had left his van outside, and Crystal Gem’s Pearl was fixing it. But Lapis’s eyes fell not on the van, but on the small music device on the chair beside Pearl. It was playing a sultry sort of rhythm, one that wouldn’t be out of place for a flamenco. Lapis found herself tapping along to it, eyes slipping to the horizon.
It had been so long since she’d danced, not for fusion, but just for sheer joy.
There was movement from the van, and Lapis glanced back down.
Pearl was moving, as she worked, feet in the sand, a swing to her hips as she came out put down a tool. Before she picked up the next one, she spun, elegant even in the sand, stretched out her arm, looking down to her finger, neck a graceful line, and pulled into a crouch, before pulling herself fully up-
There was something about that move… something about her movement-
Lapis froze, hands clenching tight around the window frame.
No.
It wasn’t.
The Crystal Gem’s pearl couldn’t be the same as Pink Diamond’s Pearl, cause that would mean- But that also meant-
Lapis flung open the door, barely hearing Steven ask after her. She hit the sand running, seeing Pearl spin on her own, and she slid in, perfectly in time to catch her hand and pull her towards her.
Pearl’s eyes shot wide, but she let Lapis wind her in. She had a question clear in her face, but Lapis had to be sure. She kept her own face carefully set and pulled Pearl back for a fast couple of steps, feet sinking in the sand. Pearl moved with her, and when Lapis stretched her hand out to the side, Pearl wrapped hers around it, and they danced in a tight controlled swing, heads angled away from the other.
The music swelled, and they both dragged their feet back, straightening so they were dead on. Lapis could see something horribly like recognition sparking in Pearl’s wide eyes. This time Pearl pulled her back for a couple of steps, then in sync, they ducked down together, right legs digging a line in the sand as they drew backwards from them. Lapis twinned an arm around Pearl’s neck as they straightened to the end of the song, heads tilted toward each other, breaths fast and uneven between them.
There was no temptation to fuse, not with Lapis’s emotions tumbling over each other, not with Pearl all but vibrating in her arms.
Lapis looked up, not sure what emotion was on her face, meeting Pearl’s stunned gaze easily.
“You are that Lapis.” Pearl said, as if she was strangled, “Oh my stars, you were…”
“Pink Diamond was…” Lapis cut herself off.
Pearl nodded finally, eyes wide.
They didn’t know. Lapis thought at herself, long since hearing the Crystal Gems side of things, and mostly accepting it. Knowing Pearl was… was her Pearl, made no difference. It shouldn’t make a difference.
Lapis had missed dancing.
The tangle in her chest only tightened, and she moved forward as if to rest her forehead to Pearl’s like they’d done once. At the last moment she held off, preserving that last vestiage of space between them. Pearl’s face only tinged the softest of blues, and her eyes were wide, flickering across Lapis’s face like she couldn’t believe it either. It couldn't have been her, it shouldn't have been her, but it was and Lapis's fingers trembled.
The music changed tracks, to something tighter, faster paced. Pearl’s gaze snapped away for the moment, back to the music, and then back to her. There was something uncertain and breakable in her smile.
“I still like dancing.” Pearl said, voice almost drowned out by the music, “What about you?”
“I still find it fun.” Lapis said, smile irrepressible, her chest tightening for another reason all together, she tilted her head slightly at Pearl, looking at her through her lashes.
“Show me.” Pearl said, voice lilting like a joke.
Pearl moved as if to disentangle them, for another dance, and Lapis had missed her opportunity once, and didn’t hesitate again.
Her hands slipped up cup Pearl’s face, stilling her instantly, and Lapis smiled at her.
“I’ll show you.” Lapis said, more of a whisper than anything else.
Then she closed the last distance between them, pressing her lips chastely to Pearl’s for a moment. She pulled back, not very far, just far enough to see the way Pearl’s blush had risen again, the way her gaze had gotten wider, and a touch wilder.
This time it was Pearl who kissed her, and the kiss didn’t stay chaste, not with Pearl’s hands pressing into her back, her laughter creeping through each time they separated or changed angles. Lapis couldn’t blame her though, joy was a noxious weed threading through her and Lapis knew she was tinged yellow, and laughing as she kissed Pearl back, and there were twirling in an odd, kissing sort of dance.
Terrible footwork eventually showed and they tripped over each other, going down in a heap into the sand, rolling away from each other. Lapis’s felt happiness spill from her, Pearl reflected it, grinning back.
Then her eyes slipped over Lapis’s shoulder and every inch of Pearl froze. Dread filling her chest, Lapis glanced over her shoulder.
It was Steven, Steven who was stock-still standing on the stairs. His hands were up over his face, like he'd meant to cover his eyes but clearly failed, his fingers were splayed wide and his eyes were the size of dinner plates between them. He wasn't moving, either towards them or away from them and nerves like Lapis had rarely felt them seized tight and uncomfortable inside her.
Lapis cleared her throat, pushing herself upright into sitting position, seeing Pearl do the same, hands up in her hair flicking sand away hurriedly. As if she could hide the evidence of what they would be doing.
“Um. Sorry I ran out on you then Steven.” Lapis said and had to duck her head so not to look him in the eye, she was probably the shade of the sun then, “I… we can return to our game if you want?”
There was a soft padding footsteps and Lapis blinked when she felt her hand picked up. Steven had her hand in his, his other hand reaching for and receiving Pearl’s. Pearl looked like she was close to tears, but the looked like happy tears rather than sad tears? Or Lapis hoped they were. Or she was even a worse kisser than she thought.
Which she might have been. It had been a very long time.
“When did this happen?” Steven asked, excitedly, holding both of their hands tightly, “Oh I am so happy for you!”
“Er.” Lapis looked at Pearl.
Pearl went even more teal, “Well, Steven, its.. er… a more recent…”
Steven’s mind was clearly passed his question though and he glanced at both of them, a bit tentatively.
“So, um…” He paused, shifting, “Does this mean you are going to be like Sapphire and Ruby and be a permanent fus-“
“No!” Pearl and Lapis cried at the same time.
Steven blinked, overwhelmed with the sudden response, then smiled a bit, “Oh, okay.”
Pearl met Lapis’s gaze and they both had to look away. Stars.
Steven was not done however.
He pulled them both in, putting his arm around both their necks and proceeded to try to hug the living daylights out of both of them at the same time. It was a good thing Lapis didn’t need to breathe, because the way they were being crushed…
“I’m just so happy that you two are happy.” Steven declared.
Lapis deliberately did not look at Pearl, not even with her face so close, it was too… awkward.
“Who is happy?” Amethyst’s voice interrupted.
Of. Course. Damn her timing.
Lapis and Pearl were instantly released and Lapis all but fell back into the sand, accepting her lot in life, where Pearl was half hunched, eyes wide staring at - yes, Amethyst and Garnet, who were both watching them all bemused.
“Lapis and Pearl!” Steven announced beaming.
The two other gems clearly didn't get the meaning Steven was trying to imbune into the 'and', Amethyst just cocked her head grinning and Garnet just waited for Steven to continue. Something Steven didn't seem to pick up either as he just continued to stand there, grinning his head off like it answered everything.
“Um Steven?” Pearl tried to interrupt, voice squeaky.
“Why are they happy?” Amethyst asked, breaking their stand off with a teasing grin shot Pearl's then Lapis's direction, “Is the house perfectly symmetrical and flooded?”
Lapis shot Amethyst a look.
“No silly!” Steven said, and he was all but jumping out of his skin.
“Really Steven, I think we need to-“ Pearl tried again, gaze flickering back and forth between Steven, Garnet and Amethyst, and Lapis.
It felt all oddly like the moment right before diving into a lake, and realising a second before you hit the water that it was actually a very shallow lake and landing was undoubtably going to break your nose.
“They are a couple!” Steven announced.
Lapis let her head hit the sand again.
There was dead silence for a good moment.
“He means couple as in couple numbers wise, like two is a couple of numbers!” Pearl joked suddenly, voice high, “Ha, ha, very funny.”
It was worth a shot. Lapis looked up, eyes sweeping from Amethyst's frozen expression to Garnet's utter stillness. And yup, no one was buying it.
“He doesn’t.” She told them, because apparently she was screwed either way, “He means it as in he saw us kissing for the first time.”
She didn’t confirm the couple thing though.
“First?” Pearl asked lowly, looking like she was about to have a heart attack but still managing to be correct.
Lapis shrugged, “Close enough.”
“So you were kissing.” Garnet stated, voice neutral.
Pearl looked so blue she was practically a Lapis herself. She looked everywhere but Garnet.
“Yup.” Lapis answered for her, meeting the fusion’s gaze head-on.
Amethyst’s jaw finally lifted from the ground.
“So how long has this been…” She said, waving between the two of them.
“Five Minutes.” Lapis said at the same time as Pearl responded, “Just over 7 thousand years.”
When Lapis cocked an eyebrow at Pearl, Pearl just hid her face in her hands, clearly deciding it was too much.
“Its complicated.” Lapis decided on.
Steven clutched her hand again, beaming. Stars in his eyes.
“Its an age old love story.”
Lapis grimaced, “Er.”
“Just shatter me now.” Pearl whimpered into her hands.
Still feeling everyone’s eyes on her, Lapis couldn’t help but lean over, reaching out to touch Pearl’s shoulder softly.
“Can’t do that. You owe me 7 thousand years worth of dancing.” Lapis teased her lowly.
Pearl’s head poked out of her hands, and she smiled, shy and pretty as anything.
“I think we were still testing if you could keep up.” Pearl reminded, just as teasing back.
“Oh my GOD.” Amethyst yelled and Pearl’s face was back in her hands in a heartbeat, “Steven you are right.”
Pearl let out a noise of agony and Lapis turned her head up to deliberately stare at the sky.
Steven cheered.
It was definitely a different ending then their last dance. But, Lapis decided feeling Steven wrap around his arms around her and seeing Pearl being knocked over by an enthusiastic Amethyst, it was much better.