She Doesn't Hate Me!

A summary of what's been happening so far is that Amethyst and Pearl finally found out that their fears were for naught. Amethyst doesn't hate Pearl, and Pearl doesn't hate Amethyst. Though Amethyst knows that Pearl doesn't hate her, the smaller gem still can't shake the feeling that something is off. We left the scene with Pearl patching up Steven's blistered feet and Garnet consoling a sullen Amethyst. Let's see how the next part of this story plays out, shall we?

Pearl walked out of the bathroom with Steven in her arms, his feet having been covered in various ointments and cotton, bandages wrapped around them to keep the cotton in place. Pearl liked to be thorough. Though he was plenty old enough to not need to be carried, Pearl wanted to keep his feet from touching the ground at all costs.

"I'm putting you straight to bed, and you are not to leave for three days. Not to get food, not to go to the bathroom, not anything."

"But what if I need to eat? What if I really have to go? What about bathing?" Steven was pretty anxious about getting stuff done, especially when it came to the food. As Pearl started up the stairs to Steven's bed, she looked back at the other two gems.

"Well, Amethyst can get your food for you. Garnet can carry you places, and I'll help you bathe."

"I'm sure the little guy can wash himself, P." Amethyst piped up, earning a piercing glare from the pristine gem. She immediately apologized, sinking further into the couch.

"Amethyst is right." Garnet put her own word in on the situation, crossing her arms as she stood from the couch. "You and Amethyst will both care for Steven's food and take turns making sure he doesn't stand without permission. I will carry him where he needs to go, and he will undress, wash, and dress himself. Understood." It wasn't a question.

"I, well.. alright.." Pearl was disappointed, to say the least. She would have loved the time with her favorite person in the world. But Garnet was right, as usual. After all, Steven wasn't Rose.

"Thanks Garnet! No offense Pearl." Steven quickly said, looking up at the gem who was carrying him. She gave him a small smile, though on a slightly saddened expression.

"None taken, Steven. Now let's get you to bed." She started her way back up the stairs, Steven relaxing in her hold. He felt that he was pretty tired.. Two adventures in two days was exhausting.

Garnet looked back down at Amethyst.

"There. I've given you an excuse to be together. Now get this settled before our next mission." The tallest of the gems didn't want any emotions blocking the other two from acting in battle.

"Sure.. sure Garnet." Amethyst understood the importance of having a clear head, but it was still hard to even think about at the moment. The purple gem looked up at a smiling Garnet when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything's going to be alright. I promise." Then she let go of Amethyst, walking through her temple door. Ruby and Sapphire definitely needed a break from this drama.

Pearl came down from the stairs, taking a seat on the couch beside Amethyst.

"Steven fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.. If only it were that easy, right?"

"Heh, yeah.. Sorry about that." They both chuckled before silence fell once more. Amethyst was thinking while Pearl fidgeted with her fingers, trying to do anything to fill the silence on their watch of Steven. Finally, Amethyst spoke up.

"You gave me that look of yours again.." Pearl looked over at Amethyst, who still had her eyes facing the other way. The taller gem was surprised, and quite a bit embarrassed at that.

"I-I did, huh..? Well, I'm sorry if I did. I don't mean to make you feel like you do.."

"I know, P." Amethyst turned her head, a small smile on her face as she talked to Pearl, face to face. "It just feels like it does. Like I know you don't mean it, I know you don't actually hate me.. but somewhere, in the back of my head, I guess, I can't think of anything else but being afraid.. afraid of disappointing you, or making you mad at me, of forcing you to call me those names again.. I'm scared, P."

The words rolled from her lips so easily. she was surprised with herself, and even more so surprised that Pearl was listening so intently. They didn't break eye contact throughout the entirety of Amethyst's speech, and when the smaller gem finally finished talking, Pearl spoke up.

"I understand.. I understand you completely." Amethyst chuckled.

"No you don-"

"Yes I do, Amethyst!" Pearl almost shouted, her face tinting a light blue in a blush as she covered her mouth, stealing a quick glance in the direction of Steven's bed. She didn't want to wake him. Amethyst was taken aback, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. What was Pearl talking about?

"I do know how you feel.." Pearl spoke again after waiting to make sure that Steven wouldn't stir. "I know how you feel because I have that same fear. I always think that because I get onto you so many times in a day, you harbor a hatred for me, digging the hole deeper and deeper with every criticism. I don't want to scold you, I never do, it just.."

"Slips out?" Amethyst attempted to finish Pearl's sentence, which earned a nod from the pristine gem.

"And.. honestly.. I like when you act out." Pearl continued talking, a quiet Amethyst taking in every single word. "I like when you make your jokes, even if some are rather.. crude.. but I like it, nonetheless. I like it when you use my nickname, or Steven's, or say anything like that. I like that you're able to eat whatever you want without feeling disgust or getting hurt. I envy you on that last one.." Pearl said with a chuckle, continuing her speech. "If anyone else were to act like you do, I'd probably want to scold them. I'd feel.. as if they were copying you, I guess."

Pearl finally stopped speaking, her blush as bright as ever as she averted her eyes from Amethyst's for the first time. The silence that followed was almost deafening. Amethyst's brain was putting two and two together as if she were her own personal calculator. Slowly, the purple gem leaned forward, moving her hand to be gently placed over Pearl's on her lap. Pearl looked to her hand and the other one accompanying it, then to that hand's actual owner. It was the smaller gem's turn to speak. "P.. Pearl. Do you.. love me?"