Consequence of Nightmares

Pearl was awake in her bed. It was 2:00am and she was still reading the novel she'd found in the town's library: Love Bomb by Jenny Mclachlan (book 2 in the series) currently illuminated by the fancy globe-like bedside lamp. It was a new extension to the town (The Library) just as the human like rooms to the temple had been. Steven thought that they, for whatever reason, needed rooms like his own for sleep, rest and relaxation, but she rarely slept and found nothing wrong with her own room on it's own, but after losing an argument, and a hefty construction montage, here the extensions were. Truth be told, she did very much enjoy the big single bed that'd been supplied to her. It was comfy and a nice place to retreat into when you wanted to be alone or in her case it would be to read (thanks to Connie who got her hooked on books in the first place). She'd ploughed through dozens of books on this thing alone-most in a single night. She found she'd read more on it, under the blankets with her gem acting as a headlight, than she ever did anywhere else... Then there was actually sleeping. She'd fallen asleep one time on this bed and it was only because it'd been a stressful day and she was very "tired". The others had mocked her for it for going from watching people sleep to physically experiencing it. She still wore the teal nightgown every night though that'd also been supplied to her; it felt warm and...snugly and pretty damn cosy like a motherly hug. Sleep wasn't as bad as she thought especially when wearing such an expert creation of human textiles and silk sewing mastermanship. Maybe these rooms weren't a complete waste of time, energy and resources, but they weren't exactly used for their real purpose. Except for Amethyst who slept like a literal rock (how punny) now she had a proper bed (a bunk bed to be exact with the bottom littered with children play things). Her other room was still a cesspit of rubbish and reeked of mouldy food. Eugh, it was disgusting, unlike Pearl's sophisticated room that matched her personality and tastes perfectly, down to the bed frame, duvet, pillow, lamp, wallpaper and to every other last, tiny, minuscule detail, as all rooms did including Garnet's which was very... Garnet like... Then, out of the blue, she suddenly yawned. Ugh, it was a horrible-secretly pleasant-feeling; all human feelings and sensations felt like that with her especially eating. She knew and dreaded what was coming next: tiredness followed by exhaustion until the inevitable, yet bliss, release of sleep. Why did her physical form have to act like this? She'd frequently question herself.

"Great." She yawned to herself. She struggled to focus on the tiny words in front of her, but her eyes were fluttering/demanding to close. But it was battle she knew she couldn't win. She sighed, turned off the light, put the book away and made her way to get up and out of bed to replenish her body, but her bed was too much as she ended up collapsing the back of her head into the pillow. Oh it felt so good. It was now only a matter of time before her body would surcome to the world of dreams. Could Gems even dream? She couldn't recollect if she had last time, but she'd soon find out. Maybe she could ask Amethyst in the morning, but for now it was time to rest. Her eyes ended up closing on the ceiling as her body drifted off to sleep as her mouth lazily opened.

Her silent slumber lasted a full 81 seconds before the sound of footsteps approaching on the carpeted and wooden floors, the rustling of a duvet being pulled up and the feeling of something wrapping it's limbs around her crystal stiff body awoke her. She slowly opened her eyes as to not alert the intruder who had, as humans put it, "snuggled up into bed with her". She looked down, slightly lifting the duvet, to see a smaller frame clad in pjs embracing her tightly with it's head resting on her chest with only the top half of the head visibly sticking out and a dismay of white hair littered across it. She could feel the plush material of a teddy bear the intruder held against her side and she could hear the soft, scared, startled breath of what currently hugged her as if it'd been hyperventilating, screaming or just exhausted whereas she remainder as hard and as stretched as wood. Then she felt something damp take form on her chest just as she was about to start questioning. Amethyst had begun the process of silently crying. Pearl had absolutely no idea what to do so she just stared down with wide eyes and lush green cheeks. Her comrade was clinging on to her for dear life, petrified over something, and crying into her. What would you do?

Pearl desperately looked around the room for an escape route as she had a heavy thing for personal space and having her body touched by anything, but there was none unless Amethyst was forcefully removed, but she couldn't do that to her in a situation like this no matter how much she wanted to. So she accepted defeat, sighed, and closed her eyes to go back to sleep. She was against it, but her arms ended up hugging her back when the temperature dropped and the two quietly slept together minus the soft snoring Amethyst gave off.

-

It was raining the next day. Pearl watched, with half open eyes, as the droplets pattered against the kitchen window at 9 in the morning with a mug of coffee cupped in her hands. Eating she couldn't stand, but drinking was bearable especially when it came to something like coffee and...oh boy did she need it after carrying that large purple boulder of a person/life form back into their own childlike room and tucking them into a top bunk just a few minutes ago. She could still faintly feel sweat beads on her forehead and her slightly aching muscles-what little she had.

"Good morning!" Beamed Steven. Pearl boringly looked up at him standing in a star position and with a big grin on his face on the edge of the second floor where he slept. She then nonchalantly sipped her coffee and resumed her stare at the rain.

"Good morning, Steven." She drearily said as if talking to her reflection. She wasn't tired, but bothered. She had a lot on her mind right now and he wasn't helping.

Steven's joyful position and expression slowly dropped and he made his way downstairs. "You okay?" He asked her as his slippered feet hit the wood.

"Yeah." She answered. That was a lie and he could tell. Something, a nuisance, was etching away in her head, but before he could ask what it was Amethyst walked in in purple pajamas. They were like his own, but suited to her.

"I woke up in my own bed, Pearl." She yawned and stretching back her arms. "Care to explain?" She then asked.

"Why wouldn't you?" Asked Steven.

"STEVEN!" She screamed, quickly backing up until her back rested on the counter. She hadn't seen him on her way in and as a result she was blushing right at him.

"Uh...ok." He said. He was confused now.

"She wouldn't because she slept with me." Pearl said, sipping, still not looking away from the rain. She could see the two fine in reflection. They both looked at her; one blushing wildly whilst the other had joy on his face.

"Oh my God!" He shouted. "Amethyst, why'd you do that?" He then asked her. Such joy and happiness and excitement riddled through his body.

"That's what I was going to ask, but you go ahead Steven." Pearl commented. She sounded so monotone and her face was the human equivalent to the weather outside: dull, grey, boring and unenjoyable. Steven stared at Amethyst with glinting eyes, patiently waiting for an answer, but she couldn't see him because she was looking at Pearl. She looked hurt, disgusted and angry all scrunched up into a single face. "Go on, Amethyst. Steven asked you a question." The right side of her face said. She now looked in the direction of the door. "I'll leave if it helps." She said back to the rain.

"I... I needed someone." She meeped. She looked close to tears or about to wail out on the floor.

"Why?" Steven asked. He didn't know he was pushing, but nothing was stopping him.

"I... Nothing's been the same since Peridot." She said. Now Pearl turned to look at her concerningly and Steven stopped being so happy. They both knew now something wasn't right as that green dorito wouldn't have been mentioned otherwise. "I actually thought I was going to die on that beach. Or when we got to Homeworld... Or even at The Kindergarten. And my mind just...." Her body had become much more relaxed. "I..." She trailed off. She was really, really close to crying.

"Steven, can you-" Pearl began, looking over to him, but he was already gone. She heard the temple door close behind him as he retreated into his room so they could get some space. Instead of finishing her coffee she put her mug down and put herself down onto her knees directly in front of Amethyst who looked away when their eyes met. "You had a nightmare, didn't you?" She asked. Amethyst nodded. So Gems can dream. "Was it bad?" Another nod. Pearl sighed and physically, but gently turned Amethyst's face to meet her own. She held it firmly with both hands before smiling and then hugging her tightly just like the night before. Amethyst slowly returned the embrace and then, finally, begun crying. Of course she'd been having nightmares. The less and less she slept, the way her emotions flew out randomly, the way she got closer and closer to the others all the time as if she relied on them and why she had recently hated being alone at night. Pearl just hoped that the time Garnet catched her after she presumably 'fell off a cliff' wasn't an attempt at suicide. "It's okay." She muttered, stroking her hair. She didn't want to know what nightmares Amethyst had been having, but they seemed bad by the way she acted.

"I'm sorry I put you through that last night, Pearl. I know you-" She began before Pearl released her and looked right at her. Then she gently pecked her forehead causing her to blush wildly. She didn't want her to feel bad.

"You've got nothing to apologise for." She said sweetly before hugging her again. She just wanted her to be okay.

"Thank you, Pearl."

"You're welcome...just don't mention it to Garnet!"