Steven Universe fic

Part 13 Chapter One: Diamond Pool

"I think this will work?" Steven pondered, as he and the Crystal Gems stood by the pool of Rose's tears.
Years ago all four diamonds had sat in the pool with all the corrupted gems, and it healed them.
So it could do it for Spinel, couldn't it?

In truth, it was the only option Steven had now. White surely would be opposed to healing any of his friends after what had occurred at the kindergarten. Hopefully the Diamond's combined essence hadn't somehow dissipated in the waters over the course of some odd four years?
He smiled at the pink gem, hiding his secret desperate hope as he directed her into the pool.
One thing he in need of alleviating was his constant guilt and worry over the gem becoming irreversibly corrupted.
His spit could only go so far, and only lasted so long.

Spinel stepped into the pool, letting go of Steven's hands and promptly sitting down. She looked around, waiting for something to happen, unsure what to make of the effort.

Her eyes met Steven's and she let out a discontent sigh, finding the endeavor to be a waste of time. She couldn't be healed, eventually she would become a disgusting muck monster for the rest of her existence, only to be inevitably poofed by him and his friends and subsequently bubble for every moment after.

"I don't think this-" the gem paused, putting her finger to her temple and rubbing it as she pondered the incredibly tiny change she had noticed. "That stupid noise is gone!"

Steven laughed, letting out a released sigh as the gem stood up and clambered out of the pool with a gleeful smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around him three fold and pulled him into a tight hug, extending the rest of her arms to bring in the other gems as well.

"Thank you! So much!" She laughed, on the brink of tears. She squeezed them tight before releasing her grip and stepping away.

Steven grinned, this surely would help her come to forgive him, one mistake had been righted.

"I didn't know if it would work, honestly, I'm glad it did though!" He laughed, grabbing Spinel's hand as she began to step aside, the gem paused, looking down, and slowly uncoupled her hand from his.
Spinel was grateful, yes, but she was ready to be close to Steven again.
Despite her constant longing for closeness, Steven still exasperated the flurry of emotions she felt around him.
His efforts were noble, and he had fixed one thing, but he couldn't fix the other.

He couldn't take back leaving her in the garden. Surely he knew that.

Steven quietly moved his hand to his side, not quite able to process her rejection. It wasn't enough. It could never be enough.
He knew that.

The gems made their way back to the beach house, the reconstruction and repairs of the home portion had been complete, but the infinity room was still on the fritz, opening up to random rooms that weren't connected to the gem who requested them.
At one point Peridot got trapped in Amethyst's room while trying to rewire the thing, it took fifteen tries to get back to her. Steven had used the failing room on several occasions to suggest Spinel sleep on the couch or in the greenhouse, he had even made a small bed for her in the event that she did sleep.
Though, she turned down his offers to stay with her so she wouldn't feel alone.
Amethyst however took every single mention as an opportunity to make fun of his desperate ply for her attention, going so far as to say Connie would be jealous.

Steven sighed, flopping onto his bed and sinking into the mattress, he was frustrated, but understood why Spinel was distancing herself from him. It had the horribly ironic affect of making him want to be nearer regardless. Maybe he needed advice from another friend. Perhaps Connie knew how to appeal to the gem more than he did.

She was always far more logical than Steven, and she would be able to at least understand where he was coming from. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed her number, waiting for the girl to answer.

"Hey Steven, how are things going?" Her voice rang joyfully in his ears. He let out a discontent sigh, providing enough emotional output to give her the notion of his emotions.

"Not so good, huh?"

Steven rolled over on his stomach, holding the phone up to his ear with his shoulder.

"It's Spinel, she's really mad at me and-"

"Did she explode on you or something?"

"No?"

"Did she break something?"

"No, she didn't try to hurt anyone- look, can we go somewhere to talk? I need help." He asked, exhaling nervously as he waited for Connie's response. There was silence on the line for a moment before she agreed.

Steven sat up, half smiling and slipping on his shoes as he leapt downstairs and headed out the door.

"So what's up?" Connie asked, meeting Steven at the edge of the crater in the hillside. The boy sat down, shaking his head in frustration as Connie followed.

"Spinel reformed and she's upset with me." He stated, picking at the grass as he recalled her somewhat cold behavior towards him. Connie sat down next to him, pulling her legs up to her chest.

"Its different from how she usually is- I apologized and she said she didn't want to forgive me..." he trailed off, looking at Connie for her reassurance, she was staring off at the sunset as it fell just below the horizon. "I healed her from the corruption- I've been trying to be close to her, but she doesn't want anything to do with me."

Connie nodded, resting her chin on her knees in thought, he seemed genuinely distressed by the thought, she had no idea what he wanted her to say, she had to try though.

"Well..." she mulled over her words, "you hurt her really badly, if it were me, I wouldn't want to be around you either." She answered.

Steven looked away, pulling the grass from the ground and letting it fly away in the light breeze. It didn't make sense though, she had comforted him, she protected him, how could she be upset still, he healed her- all he has been trying to do is prove to her that he was worthy of her.

"I've only been trying to make things better." He sighed.

"Maybe that's why she keeps being distant." Connie remarked, "you keep trying to prove things to her but she might not want that. So maybe stop?" Her words cut through him, despite her lack of intention.

He hadn't thought that she might not want to be around him because he was trying so hard, she could probably see right through it. Him healing her corruption was like a big neon sign that screamed 'FORGIVE ME' and he didn't even intend for it to be.

"Why do you want to be around her so much anyway?" Connie asked, she was not lost on how the gem seemed to consume his thoughts after she arrived back on earth, it didn't matter if he was happy with her or upset, he talked about her constantly, even when seeking comfort from herself, it was about Spinel.
She wasn't upset, but she could see very clearly how he had been so focused on the gem, and deep deep in the back of her mind she held a theory as to why.

"I just.." Steven fought with himself on how to word his feelings, he wanted to prove himself, he wanted to make her happy, he wanted her to like him.
He reminisced for a moment, back on the moment she had reformed after the kindergarten, the way she held him and rocked him and silently calmed his thoughts, how even in her own dismay with him, she found it in herself to hold him and be close to him.
And how it was the last time she willingly touched him.

"I want her to like me back." He attempted, though he wasn't content with his poor choice of words, he wanted so much more from the gem and he couldn't exactly describe it in a way that made sense.

Connie nodded, internally the small theory in the back of her head inched closer to the forefront of her thoughts. She let out a sigh and gently punched Steven's arm, pulling him from his jumbled thoughts.

"So stop trying so hard and just be honest." She answered, hoping it would alleviate his stress.
Steven stared at her in confusion. Stop trying?
How on earth would that help him?
He could handle being honest, but he had been so far, he told the gem of his feelings of guilt, he apologized, what more could he be honest about? How much he longed for her to be close to him?
Surely that would make her uncomfortable, given her current reaction to his attempted advances.
Be honest. Stop trying?