Beautiful ~A Pearl X Gem!Reader Story~

-3- True Love and True Joy

~Pearl's POV~

"What was that!" Amethyst rubbed her head.

Connie spoke up next after helping Steven up, "More important, Who was that?"

Steven had this hurt look on his face, I almost couldn't stand to see it, "Do any of you guys know what that was about? I've never seen (Y/N) so scared."

Amethyst answered him, "I've never really seen her so emotional in any way really."

Garnet was next to speak, "The only time I saw her emotional was when she was overjoyed taking care of you as an infant."

That was true. The only real happiness I had ever seen in her was when she took care of Steven as a baby. It brought her so much joy seeing Steven giggle in her arms.

You almost had to force her to give Steven back to Greg. She almost constantly was taking care of the little guy. After Steven was born, she spent almost all her time with Greg and the baby. At that time you couldn't convince her to go on a mission with us.

"I'm useless to you guys anyway!" That's what she told me when I went to convince her to join us a few months after Steven came into being, she had this look on her face. Udder sadness, and despair, "I can't fight! I never have been able to fight Pearl. If I'm going to be able to help in any way, this is it."

I remember that look. It was etched into my memory. From time to time, (Y/N) would help me with coping with the fact Rose was gone. Every time that happened, she had always seemed so strong, so invincible. But that look she gave me when she told me that, it showed a new side of her.

And that look when that gem showed up, it was a hundred times worse than that. It was pure fear.

"I have to agree, I've never seen her so upset," My voice came on it's own as my mind wandered.

"We have to go after her!" Steven burst out, dragging Connie along, "We have to figure something out!"

I got an idea, "The Rubies' ship!"

With that, we rushed off to the barn.

~(Y/N)'s POV~

My head rung. We had stopped the ship on some planet. Flashes of the thing I once called love.

I can't believe I once thought that this abuse was true love. She made me believe that is what love really is. Her constant calls, her possessive nature, and her burning abuse. It wasn't love. It was never love.

I guess, I only realized this the first time I saw Steven. A true product of love. Sure I saw Garnet, and I knew they were in love. But, since I never saw them apart, I never really saw their love.

But seeing the little human/gem, it made me happy. I felt the love, I knew that true love wasn't what I had.

True love. True love was trusting one another. True love was caring for one another. True love was protecting one another, not harming them. True love was this feeling of pure joy. I guess in a sense, I felt true love for Steven, true platonic and family love that is.

"You look so beautiful with my mark all over your form."

Sphene had entered the prison hold. Her mere presence filled me with fear.

"Don't touch me," I backed into the corner of the cell, not the most confident position, but the most defensive, it made me feel a tad bit safer, "Stay away from me you sicko."

My gem started to glow faintly, a fear reflex. I wanted nothing more then Steven to burst in here, shield at the ready, Connie and the other gems in tow. I wanted Amethyst to cheer me up with her jokes and let her carefree nature take me from this place. I wanted nothing more than Garnet to use that 'stronger than you' love to break this entire ship apart. I, more than anything, wanted to be alone with Pearl. I wanted to do just as I had back then, letting Pearl confide in me. Is it selfish of me to want to be depended on? Is it selfish of me to want to be wanted?

Is it selfish to need to be needed?