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[neapolitanreads]

Rainy Nights in Cheap Apartments

Fandom: Steven Universe Setting: Alternate Universe (Human) Relationship: Lapis/Peridot Content Warnings: Mature themes, including mentions of sex

Synopsis: Lapis dries her hair while watching rain through her bedroom window. Peridot intervenes to share her confused feelings.

Strand after strand of electric blue hair was bundled up in Lapis’ hand and presented before the cheap plastic hairdryer. Her eyes gazed not out of the window but at it, curtains open to expose the raindrops painted onto it against a background of midnight blue. Though the tiny pings of water on the roof couldn’t be heard from the floor, the was a gratifying resonance every time another droplet was added to window, driving its peers down the glass like pucks running down a plinko board. Lapis always seemed to lose herself looking at water. Whether it was pouring down on her from a showerhead or cascading onto her bedroom window, everything else seemed to fade away when it met her gaze.

This was made obvious by her complete lack of awareness that her roommate and sort-of partner had entered the room and managed to make it only several steps away from her, only catching onto her presence when she so much as announced it with a loud clearing of her throat. Lapis’ head swivelled around, eyes wide for a split second before returning to her calm demeanor.

“What is it, Peridot?”

Her eyes were drawn to a hand raising between the two, fingers curling to leave one tiny index pointing off to her side.

“Are you trying to melt your eyeballs?” she heard in that obnoxious, near-constant sarcastic monotone. While it had a bit more life to it than the one she presented, it was far more grating than anything she could twist her vocal chords into. Before she lost herself pondering how she could put up with a roommate with such an annoying voice let alone develop the confusing mess of feelings she was currently stuck in, her eyes followed the finger up to her hairdryer, which seemed not to have followed her turning motion and way now blasting hot air directly into her face.

She let out annoyed groan as she recoiled, beads of water shaking free of her hair as she hung her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose, lowering her hand to heat the bedsheets. A smaller and clumsier hand dug its way into it, rough nails scratching her palm as it curled around the handle of the lightweight toy-like contraption.

“I’ll do it.” Lazuli could hear over the breeze, timid yet issued like a begrudging moan as it was finally tugged from her grasp. Her gaze returned to the window as the hot air ran up the towel and her exposed upper back to her hair, slowly running up and down her hair in a less elegant manner, the girl’s free hand resting on her shoulder.

“Why do you even have that open?”

She was drawn out from the rain’s hypnotizing patterns by the question, which once again had been contorted by her voice into one that lacked anything but sarcasm. Lapis’ brows knitted as she pondered it, feeling almost hurt that she had to do so. What was there to dislike about rain?

“I mean, it’s dark, it’s raining, someone might be able to see you...”

Her teeth were gritting now. She knew it wasn’t an offensive question - despite how antagonizing Peridot’s tone was - so why did it feel so hurtful to her? Why did it feel so personal?

“It’s just… Nice.”

Her answer greeted her with an increasingly warm spot in the back of her head which threatened to escalate to burning within seconds as the hair dryer paused in its motion, fingers digging in harder to her shoulder. Peridot’s jaw hung open, mouth stretching as it tried to pronounce words but emitting little more than silence until eventually it built up into a, “You’re just… Nice.”

Lapis pursed her lips, ignoring the pain on her scalp as she was overwhelmed by the level of cheesiness contained within that sentence. She couldn’t help but burst out in laughter, hands clasping her sides and pressing against her towelled bosom as she fell over next to a frankly very embarrassed Peridot.

“OH MY GO-HOHOHOOOOD!” she cried out, obviously overreacting to the situation but no less amused by it. To have someone as smart and respectable with disregards to her bratty nature use a line like that, it was hard to do anything else.

“You were - Oh my god - Were you actually trying to hit on me?” she asked up to the red balloon that was Peridot’s face, hairdryer still held in place like the girl had frozen in that instant. The hand that had until then rested on her shoulder ran up the length of her nose to push the rim of her large oval glasses back in, eyes running off to now take solace in the window she had been agitated by until this moment.

“Kind of…” Peridot muttered, her preschool-level fluster painted all over her face and words. Lapis sighed and pushed herself back up, hand casually tucking and reinforcing her towel.

“I thought we were still in the ‘I hate having to be your roommate’ phase?”

The hairdryer was lowered into Peridot’s lap, switching off before it could heat the denim of her jeans. There was a resounding sigh, resting on the side of the bed and legs dangling off of it.

“I mean, kind of… But after we… We… I mean, y’know…”

“Fucked?” Lapis interjected, recalling the rather strange event that seemed to be bred of little more than loneliness and tension.

“Yes. After we did that, I… Well, I think I’m more… Accepting of you as my roommate.”

“...And you want to be my fuckbuddy.”

Peridot recoiled, fingers gripping the hairdryer as her teeth clamped down on each other. “D-Do not!” she exclaimed, once again flustered and confounded by Lapis’ surprising openness. “Well, kind of…”

Lapis sighed as she pushed herself up, supporting herself by her hands as her gaze followed Peridot’s back out the window. For as intense as the situation itself was, things were surprisingly calm. It was hard to consider this an ‘awkward silence’ when the soothing sound of raindrops pattering against the wall filled that space between them. There was always a certain drop, a one-in-a-million that was slightly offbeat, yet in itself created a pattern which her breathing followed. Her chest rise and fell in rhythm to this, her moderate amount of breast constricting by her towel, only to be released with her next exhale.

“Well… What do you mean?”

Peridot was taken aback by her question. Even at their closest during that night and despite how friendly they might have acted towards one another, there was an underlying contempt with every word when they spoke. It was clear Lapis blamed her for the mess that was her last relationship and her current living situation, so it was even more surprising to hear her speak so softly about the idea of one with her.

“I… Don’t know.” she gritted her teeth and lied. Of course she knew what she meant. She had been thinking about it for days before working up the courage to enter her room again. Every single word had been planned out in immaculate detail, but it all disappeared when she was met with that hair of electric blue.

“I… I want something. I don’t want to be a rebound for Jasper but…”

Peridot tripped over her words again, releasing the hairdryer so that their hands could worriedly fidget in front of her much less respectable chest. She had stopped at the worst possible moment. She glanced up from beneath her spectacles as Lapis’ head turned, fully expecting to see sheer hatred in her eyes for so much as mentioning that name. While her eyes were cold, they were laced only with pain and apathy. It should have been a deterrent, but this was enough to bring out what Peridot really wanted to say.

“...I want to make you happy.”

The sound of rain once again filled the room. Lapis remained unmoving while Peridot sat in place, hands falling back to her lap as she hunched over and shook like a frightened housepet. Lapis’ eyes analyzed the terrified creature, hand rising agonizingly slowly. Her fingers curled to leave one nimble index extended, pushing up the girl’s chin and surprising her with a kiss. She had dived in so fast that Peridot had no time to look for any change in expression. While her lips pushed back, hungry for affection, she felt just as helpless as she had back then. She had no control, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t read Lapis. She didn’t know if this kiss was out of sadness, confusion or affection. Her fidgeting ceased, though her hands did little more than rest in her lap, useless as she waited for the kiss to end.

Her eyes opened as soon as she felt Lapis’ lips begin to part from hers, desperately searching for more detail. Peridot’s lips pursed, gulping as the girl rose back to her regular height, several inches above her even with a stack of messy, sandy curls on her side. All she could do was sit there and await judgement.

After several pants, Lapis’ breathing soon fell back into place with the rain. Her hand had remained under Peridot’s chin even though the rest of her had pulled away. It resigned much slower, trailing down the girl’s shirt, the cartoon design on it seeming significantly less unappealing to her now, and finding its way into her lap, dragging over the hairdryer to finally rest on one of her own. Her fingers laced together with Peridot’s, pulling it out to settle on the bed between them.

Peridot stared down at their combined hands, mouth open only slightly as she contemplated another question. By the time her head had raised back up, Lapis’ was already turned back to the window. Her own mouth closed as she joined her. Words weren’t needed. They sat together, staring out the window at the raindrops painted against a background of midnight blue. The weather had no intention of letting up, but together they could watch the raindrops collect on the glass. They might sit there or travel down to the windowsill in single trails or multiple streams, but they would always cross paths with another.

[neapolitanreads]

My Christmas Tree

Fandom: Steven Universe Setting: Alternate Universe (Human) Relationship: Ruby/Sapphire Content Warnings: None

Synopsis: Sapphire comes home to a rather unique sight on Christmas Eve. Ruby, who couldn't afford to buy her presents, is prepared to give her something much more heartfelt for Christmas.

Sapphire shifted her shoulders uncomfortably in her insulated jacket, adjusting to the bizarre air conditioning her low-rent accommodation provided. While the complex was never warm enough in winter to make her shed her outerwear, she would quite often find herself shrugging it from her shoulders for a minute or so, letting it hang from her forearms before slipping it back on. This wasn’t as viable an option with hands full of last-minute groceries that she feared would tear through their plastic bags before she reached her apartment, resulting in her stewing in a mild yet lingering discomfort as she carried herself to the apartment door. Her shoulderblades stung from the burdens they carried, drowning out the acoustic strumming that grew louder with each step that brought her to her door.

Her arm flexed as she raised at least 4 bags, rapping her knuckle against the door. No answer. She knocked again, this time with a calm yet demanding “Ruby!,” that she hoped would summon her girlfriend to the door. Her plump, coral-painted lips pursed, burying her frustration before she set the bags down. She was greeted with no traditional light in the room when she opened the door, instead met with the small colored spots that the christmas tree lights scattered across the floor. She had to squint to see inside, shocked to find the silhouette of her girlfriend sitting in front of their tree. This shock didn’t come out in a shriek or a noticeable physical reaction, but for a moment every hair on her body seemed to stand on end, her jaw hardening as her teeth clenched.

In their years together, Ruby had trained herself to see these small hints to her lover's emotions, extending an arm and holding out her hand, releasing a sheepish laugh along a nervous “uh, sorry. Didn’t mean to fright you. Uh… W-Welcome home, Sapphy.”

Sapphire’s hairs settled back down. She released a sigh as she pulled the key from the door, picked up her bags and carried them in. Her finger reached for the light, only to hear a loud, “Wait!” She turned back to Ruby, blinking as her single functioning eye fixed on her. Even in the dark Ruby’s abashedness was easy to spot, always having to force out a laugh or scratch into her massive afro.

“What?,” Sapphire asked, her cold tone making her sound frustrated.

“Uh, can you come sit here?” Ruby patted the floor in front of her.

Sapphire raised one of the bags in her hands. “I have milk.”

Ruby patted more vigorously. “C’mon, it won’t take more than a minute!”

Sapphire sighed, setting her bags down next to the door and shutting it behind her. After taking her place in front of her girlfriend, she blinked, eye growing accustomed to the darkness that surrounded her and Ruby’s silhouette starting to fill out, along with a large acoustic guitar resting in her lap. Her eyes widened. “Why do you have that?”

“Oh.” Ruby’s mouth hung open, head turning down and hands turning the instrument up to face her. “Uh. Well. The guitar dude next door let me borrow it.”

“Mr Universe?”

“Yeah, that guy.”

“Did he… Teach you?”

“Oh. No.” Ruby’s face flushed, hand once again scratching into her hair. “Couldn’t afford his lessons. I just looked up tutorials on my phone.”

Sapphire quirked an eyebrow, giving a small smile. Something about Ruby’s lack of foresight, while a slight annoyance in some cases, was endearing more often than not. “So,” she asked, “why did you borrow it?”

Ruby’s hand gripped the neck of the guitar, lips pursing as she looked over the instrument. “Uh… Well, I’m broke-”

“I’m aware,” Sapphire interjected.

Ruby’s face burned even harder at the comment. “And uh, I still wanted to do something for Christmas. So…” She could feel her girlfriend’s eye on her as she pulled the pick from between the frets, awkwardly strumming it against the strings. Her confidence picked up as she fell into the tune she had devised, ‘ooo~oo’s in place of lyrics following.

‘What’s that smell I smell on you? Is it magic pe~erfume?’

Not even 2 lines in, and Sapphire was already laughing. Ruby’s fingers stopped at their places on the fret, head turning away. It did little to hide how red her face was, even in this light. She was guided back to the guitar by a small hand taking her wrist, turning her back to face her lover. “I’m sorry,” Sapphire apologized. “Keep going.”

Ruby cleared her throat and started strumming again, slowly building back up to the lyrics.

‘Cause I swear to god, you smell just like Christmas, to meeee~eee~ee.’

There was another pause, though this one wasn’t driven by embarrassment. Ruby let out yet another ‘uh,’ fingers working up and down the fret as she tried to remember where the next verse started.

‘Yeah, well… You, are my, Christmas Tree.’

Ruby seemed to be fully pulled out of her embarrassment, eyes lifting from the guitar’s frets to her girlfriend, smiling at her and seeing an even bigger smile in return, singing even louder.

‘You mean everything to me. You mean everything to meeee.’

Something in her heart leapt as she saw Sapphire’s expression. A blush, small but unmistakably there, and her lips quivering, constantly trying to break into a smile had made her months of practice worth it.

‘And you, are my, shooting star. If you shoot me in my heart, then I’ll fall apaaaa~haaaart.’

Sapphire’s blush now matched Ruby’s, the two sharing awkward and admittedly silly looks, Ruby now unable to stop smiling as she sung.

‘You pick me up when I’m down, oooo~ooo~oo.’

Her song was interrupted again by Sapphire’s hand, though this time it rested on her knee. It wasn’t a hug or a kiss, but it was the most physical intimacy she could provide without obstructing Ruby’s playing.

‘You pick me up off the ground, aaaa-aaa-aa.’

Sapphire lips pursed, allowing Ruby to admire their softness as she let out a giggle.

‘And I don’t know if it’s such a good idea, ‘cause you’re way down there, and I’m, way up here, yeah.’

There was another pause as Ruby tried to find the next note. Sapphire didn’t seem to notice this though, interpreting the pause as the end of the song. She pulled back her hands, clapping and quietly cheering. Ruby laughed and reached out with her other hand, pushing her hands back down and leaving Sapphire with a rather quizzical expression. “Hold on, there’s one more verse.”

Ruby’s attention then returned to the instrument, tongue sticking out to one side as she tested the different notes. “Hold on, you’re gonna love it,” she assured, eventually letting out an ‘aha!’ when she found it.

‘You have really small hands, so why don’t you use them to hold me tiiiiiiight…’

The outro dragged on for a while after that line, but Sapphire was already giggling, snorting, cheering and crying from one eye. The second Ruby set down the guitar, Sapphire’s arms were around her, driving a kiss right onto her lips. Ruby laughed against her lips, securing her arms around her waist in return and kissing her with all her might. “Merry Christmas, Sapphy,” she whispered as she pulled away.

Sapphire gave another quick kiss to Ruby’s cheek, along with a small “thank you,” before burying her face into the crook of her lover’s neck. “Merry Christmas, Ruby.”