Shameless self-indulgent fluff after working on Dream a Dream so much. Post-series.

It was a treat to watch Pearl sleep, and years ago, Garnet would have considered it a breech of trust to watch her dreams as they projected on the walls of their shared room in the Temple. But then, years ago, Pearl's dreams had been riddled with memories Garnet didn't want to see, big fluffy curls that belonged to another Gem, and some strange tendency for Greg to pop up in the fringes of dreams just before they turned nightmarish. Back then, Pearl sleeping was a rarity; she'd barely learned, after all, and that meant projecting things too raw, too personal for her to articulate.

It was amazing how much progress they could make—together—in the span of five short years.

Now, though she still had nightmares, Pearl's dreams were rooted in the present, and Garnet allowed the smaller Gem to curl into her loose embrace, sound asleep, projecting visions of daily life on the opposite wall. She didn't snore, not really, but she sighed when she breathed—when her body remembered to—and sometimes she would slur quiet half-formed thoughts in a breathy whisper. Garnet liked to listen for those, liked to coax her into talking in her sleep by whispering back, even though that risked waking her.

Garnet knew better than to let resentment simmer when the name on Pearl's lips was Rose's. After millennia, it made sense. And more often than not, uttering Rose's name was a cue that Pearl was about to slip into a nightmare, that it was time to wake her before her subconscious replayed the thousand year war over and over.

But some nights, Pearl would mumble her partner's name in her sleep, and Garnet's heart would swell with happiness at the smile on Pearl's pale face. With a mischievous smile of her own, she'd lean in, nuzzle Pearl's cheek, and try to coax more from her; Pearl was an open book when she was properly relaxed, and sleep was part of that. The slighter Gem sighed blissfully, fingers twitching loosely in their joined hands, and if Garnet was lucky, she'd nuzzle back. More often, she'd get to see Pearl's projection flicker on the wall, and if Garnet glanced away, she'd see her own face in Pearl's dream, just where she wanted to be.

Pearl dreamed often of the final battle against Yellow Diamond, too, but Garnet knew that there was no avoiding that. What touched her heart was the image of the two of them fighting side-by-side, back-to-back, sometimes as Sardonyx; Pearl hadn't sacrificed herself recklessly against the enemy then. She'd had someone she wanted to protect now, and the strength to do it; it was different than five thousand years ago, and Garnet was thankful. If the dreams got too dark, Garnet would rub her back, soothing her back to the realm of wakefulness and reality. They weren't at war now. They were finally at peace.

Tonight, Pearl had one hand in hers, against the bed, and the other draped over her narrow waist. She had been sprawled out—an indignity she only allowed in Garnet's presence—but was on the move, gradually coming closer with each shift. Garnet didn't mind; she was waiting for the opportunity to pull her in, to be sure she was asleep enough that she wouldn't wake if she were moved.

Pearl was perfect asleep, and that perfection was too good to pass up. Garnet shifted slightly to lean forward, easily encompassing Pearl's small body under her free arm, and Pearl made a noise of joy in her sleep. The Fusion looked up to see Pearl's dream shift to something featuring the two of them together, doing laundry—of all things!—up on the hill where the lighthouse still stood. Garnet smiled, turning her attention back to Pearl's sleeping face, with strawberry blonde eyelashes that fluttered against faintly blue-tinted cheeks. It was impossible to resist the urge to steal a quick kiss—one she knew Pearl would have offered freely—and she indulged herself in two more, for Ruby and Sapphire as well.

The projection flickered, and Garnet turned to glance up again, in time to see it fade.

"Garn'…?"

Pearl's eyes were heavy with sleep, and it was abundantly obvious that she was only barely awake, despite having caught her lover in the act. Garnet smiled, shifting Pearl into her arms. The smaller Gem snuggled in, all but melting against Garnet's bust, face tucked into a bared shoulder.

"Mm," Garnet murmured, stroking Pearl's shoulders gently. "Pearl?"

"Oh… 's nice…" Pearl was fading fast, back to dreamland, and she pressed her mouth to Garnet's skin in what was likely meant to be a kiss. The effect was the same; Garnet shivered appreciatively, tightening her hold on Pearl's smaller frame. She smiled a little, remaining tension leaving her body in a sigh. "Love you… Garnet…"

"Love you too, Pearl," Garnet said quietly, knowing that Pearl was already too asleep to hear it. She settled back then, finally, closing her eyes as well. She could count on having good dreams of her own, now, with Pearl happily asleep in her arms.

The confession helped, too.