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omniscientspinelfanatic · 4 years

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Just The Darnedest Thing; Chp.1: Spinning In Circles

Xana didn't think she could ever really get tired of this view.

The sun slowly trailed across the mid-morning sky, its rays of warmth on the balmy fall day giving her the perfect homey feeling. When she breathed, she could taste the calming sea-salt from the ocean on her tongue, attempting to keep her relaxed as her eyes lingered on the light that reflected off the languid waves heading towards shore.

While normally a calmer individual, today the young woman couldn't help but feel somewhat restless as she rested her back against the Lighthouse and looked over the view past the cliff. This position and place had become quite common for her for the past five years or so-- Ever since she made friends that were of the Gem Species that lived peacefully among the human denizens of Beach City. Xana had always been intrigued by these aliens ever since she had heard about them one day on the news several years ago, and upon learning that a few had made a permanent settlement on earth, she had run away from her terrible home and made a new one in the quirky seaside town. Curiosity as her besetting sin, she had wanted to learn more and more about the extraterrestrial race, and as time passed and tensions with the main faction across the stars had eased and alliances had been formed, she became friends with quite a lot of them due to her fascination with their culture.

But there was one Gem in particular that Xana had become particularly attached to.

Spinel.

The woman had known of the stretchy elastic being's existence for a while (quite hard not to, considering the rather rocky introduction she had with the earth) but had only really been introduced to her after Steven's... Well, what could only be called an emotional breakdown and transforming into a gigantic pink kaiju, the poor guy. Steven had been one of her best friends since Xana had first come to Beach City, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to be there for him in his time of need--And as terrible as the situation had been, she was sure it was the only reason she had actually gotten to talk to the hyper pink dynamo.

Xana herself didn't know exactly what had drawn her so strongly to the squeaky Gem, but she had been taken with her from day one. Armed with a sassy Brooklyn accent and always down for a good laugh, Spinel could definitely be classified as goofy, but Xana knew a deep and complex individual when she saw one. It had taken them a few good months to be actual good friends, despite how friendly and cordial they were to each other, as Spinel had her own home on the Gems' Homeworld planet and Steven leaving Beach City to make himself a new life elsewhere had given her less of an incentive to pop down to Earth. They both had hang-ups from past painful experiences, and it had been hard for Xana to actually get completely comfortable with people; but as the seasons changed and the months passed, they had become a lot closer, to the point of being almost inseparable. And...

Well.

Xana was fucking smitten.

Not that she had any intentions at all to enlightening her friend to said feelings; ohhhh no, talking about love was the biggest no-no when it came to Spinel. Thanks to Pink Diamond (the one who literally abandoned the poor gem on a fucking floating garden in deep space for six thousand years, the absolute clod-), the subject of deep feelings was a suuuuuuper touchy one when it came to the lovable joker. She was the type to smile and laugh off any pain she was feeling, which the human woman couldn't really judge cause she was pretty much the same way. But even so, Xana valued Spinel's friendship way too damn much to let her awkward self ruin something so great by even hinting at the fact that she was craving more; especially not when friend-zoning phrases were practically coming out of the gem's metaphorical ears. It kinda hurt, sure... But it was definitely better than the worst-case scenario Xana couldn't help but cook up in her head.

She had been noticing something a bit different in their dynamic lately though... Sometimes, during their hangouts, Spinel would laugh particularly hard at a joke Xana would tell and lean her whole weight against her squishy human body trying to catch an unneeded breath, or linger just a tad too long in one of the hugs they'd share, or give her a compliment just to see her flush red, or she would catch the gem staring at her with an expression of fond quiet awe when she rambled on excitedly about one of the many useless facts she had stored in her brain, or lean in so very very close to her face and just stare at her with a mildly frustrated look as if the gem was trying to figure something out and her face held the key to the mystery answer.

Xana couldn't help but daydream that one day, maybe she would lean in just enough for their lips to touch, even for a simple reason like being curious and wanting to know how it felt... But the poor human woman was just resigned to the fact that she'd be pining after the magenta goober for the rest of her life.

But anyway, getting off-topic.

Spinel had made the habit of, for the past two years, coming down to visit every couple of days to hang out; while she liked visiting with the Crystal Gems, of course, Xana was her main reason to visit and the young woman couldn't help but feel an amazing kind of special to know that. They had been to every place in Beach City together at least ten times, but the Lighthouse was without a doubt their favorite place to hang around and enjoy each other's company.

Today, though, was ultimately a very special day.

It was the second year anniversary of the day the two of them had originally met, and when Xana had brought it up to Spinel about a week or so ago and jokingly said they should do something special to celebrate, Spinel decided to roll with the idea and come up with something significant for the occasion. The rosy jester had excitedly called her up last night (she would forever thank Bismuth and Peridot for setting up an inter-galactical communicator in her home) and told her to meet her at the Lighthouse for a surprise, and of course, the curious young woman had been totally game for whatever her friend had planned for the day. She wondered what the activity would be...

'Are we gonna visit one of our usual haunts?' Xana couldn't help but muse as she chewed on her lower lip. 'Maybe prank a few Gems? But we do stuff like that all the time, she seemed really really excited today, so that can't be it... Right? Hm.' Watching her feet sway side to side in front of her, a curious smile took her lips as a breeze flirted with her dark curly locks. 'Eh. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's gonna be lotsa fun as long as I'm with her.'

With a soft bittersweet and lovestruck sigh, her eyes fell shut as she let the sun's rays warm her mocha skin, the minutes ticking away as she fiddled with the hem of her violet sundress.

........

Behind her eyelids, the sun's insistent shine was suddenly blocked by a looming form. Frowning, she moved to open her eyes and saw a quick flash of pink before her eyes were covered by a pair of gloved hands. She squeaked and flailed a bit, panic rising in her throat before freezing as a distinctive voice giggled out teasingly above her.

"Guess who~?"

Unbidden, Xana's lips stretched into a wide smile and she relaxed automatically. Oh, she knew exactly who it was. "Hm, lemme think... Bismuth? Garnet? Oh, oh, I know!" The human teased back playfully, before snapping her fingers. "You're definitely Peridot."

The fingers slackened slightly as she heard a raspberry being blown beside her ear, causing her to cackle and crane her head away from the ticklish feeling. "Boo. Yer terrible at this. Guess again! Here, I'll give ya one hint."

"So generous~."

"I know, right? But don't try ta weasel out of this! It's me, yer most special, irreplaceable friend!" The 'mystery' figure declared with an air of overdramatized smugness.

Xana snickered cheekily, shaking her head in fond exasperation. "Well, in that case, it couldn't be aaaanyone other than my absolutely adorable friend, Spinel, right??" She chuckled loudly as she moved to sit up out of her relaxed slump, moving a hand up to remove one of the hands from her eyes and taking a peek at the owner of the sweet, silly voice. Sure enough, standing proudly as can be before her with the oh-so-precious gem glittering enticingly in the sun, was Spinel smirking cockily down at her. She watched as her magenta pigtails whipped around gently in the mid-morning air, a slender hip cocked sassily to the side in her comely stance.

Just like every time she had seen her for the past half-year, Xana was hit with the same soulful longing that swelled so large in her chest it ached.

The gem giggled, quickly giving up any pretenses of annoyance. "Please, yer th' one that's adorable." Like clockwork, the human woman sputtered out a firm denial, making the rosy alien laugh aloud in glee. Extending her arms to wrap several times around the human's waist in a cartoonish embrace, Xana was lifted up off the ground with an easy strength and swung around in a circle with accompanying laughter. "Hiya toots!! I missed ya somethin' awful these past few days!"

The nicknames. If only she knew just how much the nicknames flustered the taller human. Ignoring the giddy fluttering in her chest at such a statement and her touch, Xana responded in kind. "I missed you too, Spins! Always do!" Wrapping her arms around Spinel's shoulders, she hugged her tight with a wide grin and giggle. "It's always a lot more boring when you're not around~."

"Aww, aren't ya just a charmer?" The smiling gem looked over her captive with an ecstatic blush and happy eyes, taking in how the human's eyes crinkled in that delighted way when she grinned. Spinel loved that smile; it was just so full and... genuine. "Y'ready for an adventure?"

"Sure am!" Xana nodded her head so excitedly, it's a wonder she didn't get dizzy. "You gonna finally tell me what we're doing today, Spinny? I've been dying to find out!"

The gem adopted a mock thinking pose made even more ridiculous by the fact that while her hand was at her chin, the rest of her arms were still looped around Xana; this made the human snort with amusement and that had clearly been Spinel's goal, judging by the triumphant grin stretching across her face. "Hmmmm.... nah! Not yet anyway!"

Xana made a noise of playful frustration and threw her head back dramatically with a groan, even though nothing could wipe the entertained smirk off her face. "Aw, c'mooooooon... I've been waiting patiently like a good girl! Have mercy!"

Snickering loudly at the lighthearted whining, Spinel smugly shook her head as her arms tightened around the woman just a little. "Nnnnnnnnnope~! You'll see when we get there--Otherwise, it couldn't be called a surprise, ya silly human~." Snickering turned to cackling as her friend promptly cried foul, but she lifted a hand to gently boop her captive's nose reassuringly. "Aw, don't be like that! It'll be worth th' wait, I promise; Yer gonna love it!"

A huffy pout was her particular reward as said nose was wrinkled at the sheer audacity of such treatment, but got an eye-roll of acquiesce soon after. "Yer puttin' me through the wringer here, Spins... But fine--I guess I can be patient since it's you asking me to be." She sighed with faux exasperation, before catching sight of Spinel's gleefully evil grin splitting her face. She blinked in slight confusion. "...What's with that look?"

"Look? What look~?" Spinel's grin widened even further, lashes fluttering with innocence so fake it could pass for botox, "I 'ave no idea what yer talkin' about.~"

Xana narrowed her eyes suspiciously, searching the gem's face as she whistled angelically but it suddenly came to her as Spinel's grip on her shifted; here she was, a rather frail human in comparison to Spinel's deceptively strong form, wrapped in a snuggly hold of said gem's arms at least a foot off the ground and absolutely no hope of ever escaping if her mischievous friend didn't allow it.

This was planned.

"Spinel." Xana murmured warningly, giddy alarm bells blaring in her head as she was visibly hoisted higher into the air above the gem's head, who's impish grin remained firmly in place. "Spinny. I know what you're thinking, don't you dare~!"

"What whazzat doll? I can't hear ya all the way up there~." Was the sly call she got as the gem turned towards the direction of town and strut around the Lighthouse, glancing up saucily. "Yer gonna haveta speak up fer me!"

"I mean it, you goober!"

"Whaaaaaaat~?! You wanna be carried through town?!" Spinel giggled deviously as she lowered into a running stance. "Why sweetheart, I was thinkin' the same thing! Good idea!" And with that, she sped off down the hill, arms trailing behind and above with a firm grip on the human, laughing uproariously all the while.

"Noooooooooooo, Spinny whyyyyy~?!?!?!" She shouted down with a breathless laugh as she wriggled half-heartedly against her friend's arms, trying her best to slow down her excited heartbeat at being lifted like she weighed little more than a paperclip. Xana had never been the lightest woman, so to be swooped up so easy like it was nothing did embarrassing things to her heart.

It didn't help that it was Spinel doing it either.

Trying not to think about it and hoping Spinel couldn't feel just how hard her heart was thudding in her chest, she patted at the Gem's noodle arms with a snicker as they reached the city limits. "You can't manhandle me like this, I have my rights~!"

"Yer human 'rights' mean nothin' ta me!" Spinel snarked back, speeding her way through town with gleeful laughter joining the human's own. She felt a warmth pulse one good time within her gem as Xana gripped at her unconventional binds in an ineffectual attempt to hold on, cause there was no way the pink jester was ever going to let her fall and get hurt. She'd be damned if her human got even a bruise on her watch.

Almost noticeably, the gem's stride stuttered as she immediately began to scold herself in her head for such a possessive thought.

...Unfortunately, this had been becoming a regular thing for Spinel when it came to the goofy human. The sweet twenty-two-year-old woman had been by her side unwaveringly for two whole years at this point--Despite knowing she had tried to destroy all organic life on Earth at one point in time and all the abandonment baggage she had packed up tightly in her psyche. Regardless of whether Spinel needed a laugh, a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen to her vent, the unassuming shy human had been there for her through it all with a warm smile and caring gaze and expecting nothing for it in return. After everything she had been through, Spinel had never imagined that she'd find someone like Xana.

A true best friend.

Maybe that was why she had been feeling all weird around her lately. Actually, no, strike that--Spinel had always felt funny when she was around Xana, ever since they had first met; but she had originally thought it was because the human was always so nice and kind and attentive to her needs, and she just... wasn't all that used to it at first. Xana had been so shy when they first met but she was a great listener and damn, could she tell a mean joke. She was full of surprises; from being adept at something called 'gymnastics' (she had been in awe the first time she had seen the human contort herself out of a Quartz' wrestling hold like it was nothing) to the ease she could craft little trinkets and art out of seemingly worthless ingredients to the innate understanding Xana just seemed to have when it came to the feelings of others (an 'empath' was the word she used if Spinel recalled correctly), every day spent with the dark-skinned human with ultramarine eyes was... the best. Spinel couldn't remember ever feeling so free and cared for with someone before, not even back when Pink Diamond actually seemed to like her.

She was sure that was why she started thinking of the tall woman as hers, specifically. Her best friend and her... what was the word that Xana had used again? Crush? That was most likely the word. After all, feelings for friends eventually stopped growing at a certain point, didn't they? But not when it came to this human; every day they spent in each other's company seemed to drive her tender feelings to new heights. It was honestly terrifying. Even for Pink, the person she had been made to... love... the warm encompassing feeling Spinel felt when Xana smiled, laughed, teased her, hell, even when she got annoyed and made those cute puffy expressions far outstripped the feeling of satisfaction when she had made her Diamond laugh. Xana was everything she wished Pink would have been.

And she was so soft and warm! She had a feeling all humans kinda were, but her hugs would always be the absolute best. Not to mention she was incredibly pretty. She'd be the first to deny it though and that low self-worth just wasn't gonna fly with Spinel, no sirree--She did that enough herself, thank you very much. And after one certain rainy day she got to see the pain hidden behind the human's own smile, the gem made it her personal mission to make sure Xana knew just how special she was by giving her at least one compliment a day. And if Spinel's daily little ritual got her friend to flush that pretty red she always did when she was embarrassed, well, then...

No one had to know just how warm and tingly her gem felt when she saw Xana sporting her colors... Right?

"Heeeeey, Spinel!? Ya alright down there?! You blew threw, like, two stoplights and we're about to reach Little Homeworld!" Forcibly pulled from her reverie by the concerned shouting above her, she pumped the breaks on her running, skidding to a stop and looking around in confusion.

Huh... They had arrived at the outskirts of L.H. even faster than she'd expected. Perhaps she was having too much fun to notice. The alien hesitated a little at this, not really wanting to let Xana go but finally, Spinel decided to lower her, gah, the human back to her feet.

Giggling like a maniac when they came to a sudden stop, Xana stumbled slightly as she was placed on solid ground again but quickly regaining her balance as she leaned into her hyper companion. Shaking her head and blowing a twisted dark lock away from the space between her eyes, the organic being looked down at her smaller friend and grinned cheerfully as she shook out her unruly hair. "If I had known you were gonna do that to a girl, I wouldn't have bothered to comb my hair today. Now it's a mess!"

Ha! A mess?? Yeah, right. More like attractively windswept.

Not to mention her cheeks were flushed from all the laughter and wind, and her deep blue eyes glittered with mirth even as her nose crinkled in that cute way it did when she was trying really hard to fake irritation (an effort entirely wasted by the large grin on her face) and oh, there was that tight, warm feeling behind her gem again. Oh no.

Almost unconsciously, Spinel released her victim, only to take ahold of her hand and start pulling her into L.H.'s limits squeaking with each step. Now wasn't the time for such confusing stuff, dangnabbit! "Oh quit yer yappin' dollface, I know ya like it more than you let on."

Xana, on the other hand, felt her heart do ditsy flips as she was tugged further into Earth's Gem colony, holding back a squeal of delight. The pink dynamo must have been in a super good mood, and that fact only augmented Xana's own. She squeezed the gloved hand a bit tighter in her grasp, vainly hoping the moment would last forever.

And perhaps it would have if it weren't for their nosy friends hanging about.

"HEY LOVEBIRDS!!" Xana squeaked as she stopped and pulled her hand away from the elastic gem's grasp, not noticing the look of annoyed disappointment flashing quickly across her face as Xana turned to look towards the well-known forge, owned by Bismuth--Who, coincidentally, was peering out of the open doorway with a knowing and waaaaay too smarmy grin for the lone human's liking. "What naughty bismuth are ya up to today?!"

The woman snorted, snickering away at the buff builder gem (the joke was overused but it never got old, at least not to her) while Spinel felt her eye twitch just a bit; she loved Bismuth, really she did, but today was just supposed to be about her and h- the human. Xana was more of a conversationalist than she looked; if she got caught up in a chat with others it would take precious time away from her surprise!

The normally jovial jester thus responded back a little snappishly before Xana could open her mouth, reaching up to grip the confused human's arm and pulling her closer to her shorter form. "Nunya Bismuth!"

The woman blinked in slight surprise as Spinel's somewhat prickly tone, but the architect just took it like a good sport, laughing boisterously at the quick remark shot back at her. "Alright, alright! You guys just stay safe--And don't cause too much damage around here, mkay?!"

The pink gem's ponytails bristled slightly, but she huffed and yelled back as she pulled Xana further down the road. "We ain't even gonna be anywhere around here today, calm yer rocks!"

"Wait, we aren't?" She just barely managed to bite back a curse as her taller companion blinked curiously, eyes gleaming with the acquisition of new information. "Heh, then what are we doing around here then? Didya need to pick up something first or whatever?"

"Gah, you weren't s'posed to know that, but no! We needed ta come here first because we can't get there otherwise!" Glancing back and feeling satisfied upon seeing total befuddlement in the human's pretty blue eyes (she was so gosh darn cute when she was trying to figure something out), she led them forward to the center of L.H., ignoring the weird looks of those cliquey Lapises, the arrogant scoffing of that one Aquamarine and Ruby, and the intense stare/glare of the Jasper with the chip on her shoulder. Honestly, they needed to get a life already.

Though she couldn't help but giggle when Xana stuck her tongue out at them, daring them to say something with her own glare. It was HILARIOUS when her human's sass came out to play-

Agh! Not her human, not her human!! Damn it, she really needed to get better at that and fast--It'd be way too embarrassing if she accidentally said that out loud and Xana heard. Spinel was sure she'd poof from mortification if the young woman was offended by it...

"Huh...? Wait, Spinny, are we going to another place on Earth or something~?" The human asked as she seemed to put two and two together and realize their destination: The Warp Pad nestled in the very center of Little Homeworld. She looked somewhat confused but no less anticipatory. "We've never done that before!"

Spinel took a giddy sort of delight to mimic the sound of a buzzer, cackling at Xana's startled expression at the harsh sound. "Nope, wrong!! Yer gettin' warmer though, I'll give ya that toots!" Barely able to smother her snickers at the responding pout she was rewarded with, she finally came to a stop beside the warp and raised a brow at the uncertain organic being as she smirked. "Whatsa mattah, darlin'? Don't tell me yer gettin' cold feet on me--Our day hasn't even started yet!"

Xana's pout deepened into a frown as she regarded the giddy jokester before she glanced over the warp, crossing her arms and biting her lip. "Not really...? It's more like I just like to know where I'm headed. Not knowing just makes me a bit anxious, that's all..."

Her ponytails drooping a bit at this knowledge, Spinel felt a tiny sliver of guilt poke at her gem as she realized why Xana felt that way but she persevered. "Hey... I wouldn't take ya anywhere you could get hurt, ya know-"

"I know, ya silly slinky~. I trust you with my life." The woman chuckled as she looked at her feet, not noticing the light happy flush that rose to Spinel's face at those words. "It's just... Baggage. You understand. I'll get over it, I'm just being ridiculous." Taking a deep breath, she shook her head violently, tossing away all the uncertainties. She was with her best friend, she'd be fine! "Wherever we're going, you probably went through a lot of trouble to get it set up, so I'll deal with it. So, moving on!" Clapping her hands firmly, the squeaky jester watched with admiring awe as her friend bounced back from whatever uncomfortable thoughts were swimming in her head and gave her a shadow-free smile. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Giving a mock bow and gesturing to the Warp Pad in a silly way, she giggled slyly. "Cutie pies first~!"

...Was her gem glowing? She felt like it was glowing. Stars she hoped not, that would be entirely too embarrassing. Get yourself under control, BF-07! It was just a normal compliment!

At least the bow gave her a moment to regain her composure and even some of her mischief. "Ah, well, if you insist!" With those words, she lifted the human by the waist and deposited her neatly on the pad before stepping on herself. Trying very hard to calm the excited thrumming in her gem, Spinel lowered herself into a half-bow of her own, offering up a hand and a smile and speaking in an almost insultingly stereotypical British accent. "Shall we be off, m'lady?"

Ooh, the little sneak. Xana felt like her face should be melting with how hot it was from that little move. Ignoring the flustered mental screaming in her head, she played along as a way to distract herself from the giddy fluttering in her heart. "Oh, I do declare~!" She sighed dramatically in a Southern Belle voice as she placed the back of her hand against her forehead in a faux swoon. "When asked so kindly by such a cherished companion, how could I ever refuse~?!" She cracked open an eye to look at Spinel and winked cheekily as she took the gloved hand with excitement lining her movements. "Lead the way, sugar!"

'...Now that's just totally unfair.' The gem thought, sputtering a little. The playful tone, the sway of her hips, the clear amusement in the curve of her lips. It was too much. The warmth in her cheeks felt just short of burning now, and she was pretty sure her gem really was glowing this time.

Ah well, at times like this?

Distract through befuddlement.

With a quick pull, she minimized the distance between them to almost nothing, her free hand taking ahold of Xana's elbow, making sure she wouldn't lose her in the beam. Light engulfed them with three quick words: "As you wish!"

One moment the human woman was giggling at Spinel's absolutely adorable shy face, and the next, she was brought flush to her friend's form. Spinel's grip on her was firm as the ground beneath them disappeared and they were suddenly launched out of the stratosphere. Hoping the faint whistling she could hear in the distance wasn't the steam she just knew was bursting from her ears, Xana took the opportunity to wrap her arms around the flexible Gem's shoulders. It wasn't weird if warping was rather difficult to get a hang of, right?

But soon her attention was pulled from her embarrassment as they zipped past something absolutely massive; had that been an actual planet?!? Whipping her head to the side, the human stared with child-like wonder as celestial bodies wooshed past their rapidly traveling forms, missing just how invested Spinel seemed to be in her reaction. "Whoa..... What?! Omigosh, look at all of those stars...!!"

"Uh-huh..." Spinel responded absently, taking in Xana's illuminated features as she looked around in awe, "It's a sight a'ight." Knowing that the young woman was decently distracted, she shifted her hold from her elbow to around her waist and pulled her just the tiniest bit closer to herself. Something stuttered in her chest as she just focused on the feeling of her friend pressed against her.

The arms around her shoulders were warm - almost unbearably so - and soft, and oh so comparatively delicate. Everything a gem wasn't. Everything Spinel wasn't, all rolled into one beautiful packa- Oh look the ground, better land now! "O-Oh, uh, we're aboutta land dollface! Brace yourself!"

Brought back to attention by the call and the slight jarring of their forms, Xana's head whipped around to see the gigantic sight of the two of them closing in on a looming planet; with a loud gasp her arms tightened further around her friend as their speed stopped so suddenly upon reaching another Warp Pad, their forms floating above it for a split second before letting them drop and she did her best to land as gracefully as possible on the new surface.

.....Which was not all that much. She stumbled, her weak knees buckling a bit as the new gravity and air pressure hit her, squeaking as she practically clung to Spinel and attempted to fix her jelly legs. Having expected this from hearing Steven's childhood anecdotes, Spinel tightened her hold on the human, although it also imbalanced her, making her loom above Xana as she kept her grip around the woman's form. Knowing she probably looked ridiculous, Xana looked up at Spinel with a wide grin and laughed. "Haha! I don't know if my body will eeeeever get used to Warping!"

The goofy pink being snickered in return as she carefully lifted Xana back onto her feet and kept her stable so she could find her balance. "Oh, you just need practice. Your squishy organic body will be fiiiiine." She emphasized this by poking the woman's cheek playfully.

Xana giggled as her cheek was squished by Spinel's blithe gesture, finally being able to put pressure on her legs again without wobbling (too much). "Well, with someone as great as you helping to look after it, how can it not be?" She teased, grinning as her friend puffed up proudly at the light-hearted but genuine praise before their positions finally came to her attention.

The gears in her head slowly turned, as if trying to understand how and why Spinel was suddenly looming over her until it registered just how close their faces... hell, their whole bodies were! Red crept along her face as that little lightbulb in her brain flickered on.

"O-Oh gosh, I'm so sorry-" Xana swallowed a bit hard as she made the distance between their noses better suited for polite company, chuckling with fluster as her arms (though twitching a bit as if she wanted to squeeze tighter) slowly slid from around Spinel's shoulders. She had a feeling today was going to really test her sanity. "H-Hehe, ah, thanks for catching me!"

Spinel smiled, mentally dropkicking and suppressing the twinge of disappointment that accompanied the pleasant ache in her chest. She really didn't want to step away or let go, but seeing that cute little blush over her human's face was worth the loss of contact. "Anytime sugarplum! Now look, look! We're here!" Watching her blink and turn away to look at her surroundings, the gem gently slapped herself upside the head with a mental rebuke. Focus you utter pebble, stars!

"...Spinel... Wh-Where are we...?" Coming to attention at the soft astonished reverence that settled into Xana's voice, Spinel cartwheeled off the warp to come to a stop in front of her, her arms lifted up in a cheerful 'ta-da!' pose.

"Weeeeelcome to Homeworld, Xana! I'm so excited to finally have you here!" Taken aback, Xana's eyes went wide with surprise before she took another good look around at their awe-inspiring surroundings with new knowledge in her dark blue eyes.

This... was Home Planet of Gems??? That was just... wow! It looked so bright and clean and... free! Were those trees?! It didn't look anything like Steven had described to her during his 'coronation' two years or so ago!

"Sooo, whatcha think?? Pretty cool, riiiiight?!" Spinel bounced giddily on her pointed feet, grinning from cheek to cheek at Xana's stupefied expression. Said grin faltered slightly as apprehension appeared on the young woman's face, worry pinching at her Gem. Did she not like it...? "What's wrong, sweetheart? This... This is great, right? I mean, we've been rippin' and runnin' all over your home, so I just thought that... I'd uh, show you mine now! Homeworld!" She clarified, trying hard to keep their gazes connected and hoping her sudden insecurity wasn't showing. "That... That's a'ight with ya, ain't it?"

"Wh-Oh, no, no, this is amazing, I'm honored!! Really!!" Xana was quick to assure, twiddling her fingers anxiously as Spinel gave her a slightly nervous smile. "It's just that, ah..."

Humans didn't really get to go to Homeworld; not unless they were really good friends with a Gem that lived there, and even then visits were rare and had to be sort of coordinated to do. While the Gem Race as a whole was a lot more tolerant of Humans than they had been in the past, they still viewed them as... odd. Which she could understand of course, but...

Ooh boy. She was going to get stared at a lot, wasn't she?

"S-Spinny, sweetie, is this... Okay?? I mean-" Xana sort of stumbled with her words, feeling herself blush further as she gave Spinel a concerned look of her own. "I'd be happy to go anywhere with you, trust me, but uh... Bringing me here isn't gonna get you in trouble... Will it? I'd hate to cause a fuss..."

Ohhhhhhhh, so that's what it was.

Golly, she was just.... too cute. Always worrying about others, how in the universe did this sweet being come to be? Spinel's eyes softened, smile turning reassuring as she bounded back over to her friend's side and gently took her hand, "Of course, there won't be any trouble at all. Besides," she gave an exaggerated wink and a grin, along with a pose to match, "I'm friends with the Diamonds! Even if we get into trouble, I can get us out of it no problemo!" Finally, she gave the woman her brightest smile as her expression relaxed, hold tightening around her slender fingers. "So don't worry, a'ight? Lil' ol' Spinel's got everythin' covered, I promise."

'Well, she definitely has a point...' Sighing softly with relief at this, Xana gave a slow nod, allowing herself to relax. As long as she stuck with Spinel, everything would be just fine. Bashfully making eye-contact, she smiled back trustingly. "Whatever you say, hon." The term of endearment came out with little thought, and as she realized exactly what she had said, she cleared her throat and glanced away as she tried to play it off by giving her a playful nudge with her hip and grinning. "Howzabout a tour then?"

"Hell yeah, let's go! I've got so much to show you!" She exclaimed, once again excitedly pulling her forward down the walkway and up the steps, just barely able to keep in mind that she had to keep a steady pace for the human. She slapped her hand against a terminal placed before the grand entrance to Homeworld's main center, giggling gleefully as the massive doors opened and she pulled her friend inside.

They entered a large, glittering, green and blue hall filled with warp pads, the walls covered in murals depicting scenes of gem and earthern history. Spinel let her friend look her fill, pleased as punch at the excitable expression the usually shy human was pulling, before walking decisively towards one of the many heavily adorned exits. She pointedly ignoring the stares and whispers of other gems, keeping Xana close to her side. Bringing organics to Homeworld wasn't exactly unheard of anymore, not in Era 4, but it was also certainly not common.

Straightening the ruffles of her violet summer dress, the young woman did her best to keep up with Spinel's confident strides through the glimmering halls. Xana's eyes roamed with amazement with the futuristic architecture, wondering what materials Gems must have used to build such strong-looking structures. Maybe she could ask for a few materials to make some knick-knacks back home? Would that be weird to ask about? She could make several gorgeous things she was sure...

She was so taken with the sights, the woman didn't realize at first that the two of them were being watched as they took their stroll through the corridors until a flash of out of place color caught her eye.

Oh.

Xana tightened the grip of her hand involuntarily around Spinel's as she spotted a few passersby staring their way, some looking surprised, others looking curious, and much to her delight, even a few smiles of welcome. She smiled shyly at those looking on, giving a small wave of hello but also speeding up her walk to stick just a tiiiiny bit closer to her pink friend's side at the one or two sneers she had also caught pointed their way.

Not all Gems had been satisfied with the turn around that the Diamonds and Steven had made (particularly those that were considered high class and the mercurial types such as Jasper), and even if they weren't going to complain and cause a fuss, they still had their hang-ups. Humans were a tense topic with dissenters these days...

Spinel glanced back at her companion as she shambled closer, forehead creasing momentarily. She squeezed back comfortingly, gritting her teeth at the sight of a few snooty busybodies clearly whispering to each other and glancing their way. With an irritated baring of her teeth and a quick 'try me, clod' glare, they quickly turned their attention elsewhere, tittering nervously.

Huffing with smug satisfaction, the pink gem started up a ramble of inane chatter with wide, exaggerated gestures. She wasn't even sure what she was talking about, although it may or may not have involved that mean Iolite they had just passed by that manned the Blue Arm's navigating system and a bunch of chickens she'd 'borrowed' from Earth, but paid close attention to Xana's expressions from the corner of her eye as she talked.

This was supposed to be a fun outing and she'd be damned if she let a bunch of party poopers ruin it for her friend.

Being brought out of the self-deprecating thought path her mind was heading towards, Xana's form unknowingly relaxed as she returned her attention wholly to Spinel. Xana hadn't been all that sociable before she had moved to Beach City, much too scared of rejection and hate to really reach out to others. She had changed much over the years of living there, blooming out of her wallflower stage, but new places and people always seemed to bring that shyness back just a bit.

Xana felt super comfortable around Spinel though. The two of them had shared so many moments, from happy to embarrassed to dark repressed memories, that she never felt safer than when she was with her flexible alien friend. The human's expression warmed from anxious to entertained so quickly that you could almost believe the self-doubt on her face had simply been part of your imagination.

"Haha, what is it with Gems and chickens~?!" Xana couldn't help but cackle out as Spinel finished with the story's punchline, grinning at her teasingly. "Chickens are cool, sure, but you guys seem to be really taken with them!"

"They're so weird! Birds are s'posed to fly, yeah? That's what Pearl told me, at least. But they? Don't??? They're just loud and mean, but they still have feathers! What's the point of havin' them if they can't fly?!"

"Most birds do fly, yeah, but there's a fair amount of species that don't. There's Kiwis, Ostriches, Emus, Cassowaries... Where their ancestors lived, they didn't have the need to fly in order to escape predators, so they just... Grew out of it over many years. The beauty of Evolution, I guess." The woman shrugged, still snickering. "I can't claim to know why it went like that, I'm just an ignorant little human."

"Oh, come off it! You literally just named several different bird species that can't fly like it was nothin'! 'Ignorant little human', my facets!" Spinel complained in a lighthearted manner, throwing up a hand in exasperation but smirking at Xana's tickled pink frame. "Besides, you humans eat their babies! How is that not weird!?"

"Well, Gems don't need to eat to survive, so of course it's gonna be weird to the lot of you. And hey, eggs are tasty. Great source of protein for our muscles." The curly-haired woman lifted up her free arm and flexed her bicep, cackling away at Spinel's completely unimpressed expression. She supposed in comparison to a Quartz, it was a very mediocre sight; limber though she was, her muscles were a lot more lean and unassuming. But Xana liked it that way. "Don't get me wrong, I respect those who don't eat meat like Steven, but I very much prefer having meat in my diet. Humans are top of the food chain for a reason."

"Pfff, those things are tiny compared to some of the other organisms on your planet. I remember ya tellin' me there are many animals could rip a human to shreds. How in the name of the Universe did your species come out on top of Earth's food chain???"

"There's something to be said about intelligence. And thumbs." Getting an amused snort in reply, Xana couldn't help but smirk smugly at her disbelief. "We also did something called Persistence Hunting."

"...The hell is that?"

"We stalked after our prey at our own pace until it got tired, gave up, and accepted death."

................................................................

"....Wait, really???"

"Yyyyyyup."

...............................................................................................

"...That's... Terrifyin'. Barbarians, the lot of ya!" Xana exploded into silvery peals of laughter at Spinel's disturbed expression, muffling her wild giggling by slapping a hand onto her mouth as the gem very maturely stuck her tongue out the highly amused woman before chattering on, elaborating on the further weirdness of penguins as they continued their stroll down the glimmering halls. Xana vaguely noticed that Spinel had yet to let go of her hand, but said nothing as she simply gripped it tighter within her own; she was loving life at the moment. She was sure nothing could blow her high.

...Xana may have thought this a bit too soon though, as they came to a sudden stop courtesy of the hyper dynamo.

Blinking as Spinel paused in her speech, she looked over at her gem friend in confusion. "Spins? What's the matter?" She didn't receive a reply however, her expression blank and attention clearly caught by something off to her left. Frowning, the woman was swift to look for the reason of the sweetheart's distress.

And immediately stiffened upon seeing what could be the only explanation.

A garden. Clearly recently established, it was a communal garden that several gems could be seen relaxing inside and enjoying the fruits both figuratively and literally of said labor inside. There were several kinds of flowers on display, but what was closest to the entrance were the well-known pink flowers called Hibiscus. Which was apparently the favorite flower of Pink Diamond, and Spinel's most hated for very obvious reasons.

Oh shit.

"Spinel. Spinel, honey, can you hear me?" Xana jostled a pink noodle arm, trying to redirect her attention away from the possible trigger and back to her. "I'm here. You're okay and I'm here, breathe." At the soft command, Spinel sucked in a deep breath, blinking away the hurtful memories that had whisked her several light-years away from the present and shaking her head.

'I'm not in the Garden. I'm on Homeworld, with my true best friend, and showing her around my home. I'm safe, cared for, and loved.' Gulping down the painful lump in her throat, she exhaled slowly, letting her eyes fall shut as she admonished herself mentally for letting her trauma sneak up on her.

Now wasn't the time for baggage, it was time for fun. Fun with her Xana.

Spinel very pointedly looked away from the entrance to smile widely at her human, fake cheer attempting to cover up the raw anguish that settled in her voice. She had gotten pretty good at it over the last couple of years, even if there was no fooling Xana. "H-Heh, sorry 'bout that dolly~! I just... Got caught off guard is all, but I'm alright! Dontcha worry about lil' ol' me, mkay?"

The young woman simply stared back, deep concern and understanding swimming in her gaze, and Spinel felt it that much harder to keep up her blaze grin. She felt herself fidget under the knowing look and glanced down at their joined hands with a bit of shame.

"Hey, Spinel." Glancing back up sheepishly, she had no time to react as Xana let go of her hand only to throw it over her shoulders and pull her close, squeezing her tightly in a side hug affectionately. She gasped, the move so unexpected that Spinel basically fell into her side, flushing a deep red as her eyes went wide. Her mind skipped a beat in thought as Xana smiled down at her, warm as can be. "Did you know humans also made a language out of plants?"

"W-Wha???" The sudden topic change along with the close contact clearly left Spinel floundering, but the human was going to try her best to take her friend's mind off the past. She watched as the gem spluttered, clearly trying to think of something to say before she slowly shook her head from side to side. "Ah, uh, I... I didn't!... B-But that sounds really interesting!" She was quick to latch onto the generously given out though, her smile weakening into something a little more vulnerable and shy as she nestled in closer to Xana's pleasant temperature. "...D-Do you think you could tell me about it while we continue walking...?" She asked softly, trying her hardest not to look over at the garden entrance again.

Later on, when the day was done, Xana was sure she'd scold herself later for the utterly ballsy move of hugging her friend out of her dark thoughts without permission, but for now, she was just happy that the pain on the pink sweetheart's face was starting to drain away. So she nodded and led her forward away from the large doorway, allowing herself to babble about her own random topic now and dutifully doing her best to distract the small alien.

"I'm not exactly sure how it first started, but humans have been using flowers and plants to state their intentions to others for... Hell, before history was being written down! Of course, the meaning can change somewhat according to culture, but overall, we somewhat agree on their meanings. I've studied it for years, ever since I was a kid; My family owned a flower shop a long time back before y'know... Mom ran out on Dad and I." The woman gently waved away Spinel's concerned look, smiling assuringly. The event was so long ago that she couldn't even conjure her errant mother's face in her mind. It didn't really bother her all that much anymore, at least most of the time. "If someone couldn't figure out what words to say to a friend or a lover, or they just wanted to make a statement about themselves or their current situation, they would use flowers or plants instead! It's not common knowledge these days anymore, but it's quite fascinating!"

Having been slowly led away from the garden as the cute human rambled on, Spinel felt herself relaxing due to the increased distance and the human's soothing, passionate voice. She had always adored the enthusiastic and animated glimmer in Xana's eyes whenever she was talking about something she was interested in. "Yeah...? But wouldn't it be a moot point if th' recipient doesn't know what the flowers are s'posed ta mean?"

"Yeah, it's a bit disappointing... But it can be really romantic if people put thought into it for the ones they love." Xana agreed with a soft defeated sigh, before raising a brow as Spinel made a quiet noise of question.

"Ah, so... Dat one flower you like so much? What's it called, uh... Delphinium?" Surely if such a sweet human liked a certain flower a lot, it had to have an equally sweet meaning, right? "I don't really remember what it looks like, but... What's that one mean? S'it a nice meanin'?"

"Oh!! The Larkspur!" Spinel's smile turned genuine as Xana's face brightened significantly at the mention of her favorite flower in the whole entire world. "Larkspur's commonly a purple flower, but it can also come in blue, red, yellow, and white. It holds the meaning of ardent attachment, but also stands for levity, fun, joy, and big-heartedness." Just as she thought; they were sweet meanings, just as sweet as Xana. She startled a bit as the taller woman suddenly gasped gleefully as if a great idea came to mind. "Oh hey! Maybe I should make small larkspur crowns for your pigtails! Or maybe scrunchies!" She giggled, and Spinel flushed pink in surprise as dark slender fingers reached up to gently stroke one of the soft bundles of hair resting atop her head. "The meanings fit you perfectly in my opinion!"

Her blush darkened from pink to red as she clasped her hands together, fiddling with her fingers as she smiled shyly. "You'd... Make somethin' for me...?"

"Of course, I would! I've only drawn stuff for you before, so why not make something that'd accent your cuteness~?"

"Oh golly, that... Haha, t-that'd be just swell!" The magenta jester giggled excitedly at the offer, feeling something light and bubbly stirring behind her Gem (a gift from her absolutely adorable human? She couldn't wait, she'd treasure it forever!) until the earlier words fully registered in her mind and she skid to a stop once more. "Wait... The... Th' whole meanin' fits?" She found herself owlishly staring into Xana's vibrant eyes, feeling a slight blush rise to her cheeks. Levity, fun, joy, big-heartedness; those words made the warmth inside her chest expand, but... That first part...

Was it possible that she'd...?

"Eh?" Xana blinked in surprise as she was brought to a halt again, before giggling as she rose a brow down at the elastic being. "Of course the whole meaning fits, silly, why do you-" her words died a swift death in her throat as their gazes connected, finding herself taken by the swirling emotions in her friend's rosy eyes. Confused for a long moment as to why she was being looked at in such a way, it was then that the true weight of her own words hit Xana with full force.

Did... Did I just accidentally confess without even thinking about it?!?!

'Nice going, you complete Space Cadet!!!!' The human screamed at herself mentally as she felt her face flush a deep hot red, before she looked away with a nervous laugh and snatched her arm away from Spinel's shoulders as though it was burned. Gotta play it off, gotta play it off...!! "Y-Yeah! Makes sense, ya know? After everything we've been through together, hehe~!" Oh no, oh no, oh nooooo, she really hoped didn't get the wrong, or rather, the right idea of how she felt about her; she could lose her friend forever if she didn't word this right!

Spinel watched blankly as Xana panicked, launching straight into another info babble. "Oh, hey, don't make fun of me for this, but you know those flower patches I have in my yard back home?" She rambled on as she rubbed the back of her neck, trying her best to salvage her dignity without lying. She really hated being dishonest, but damn was that virtue working to her detriment at the moment! "Each one represents the people I care about most, and the flowers in them represent what I think about them. Dorky, I know~."

Ahhhhh, she was in trouble. She was in sooooo much trouble. The way she nervously fidgeted, hands moving every which way, speaking so lovingly about her flowers and what they represented in her heart, Xana was sure it was quite the amusing sight. Any moment Spinel would burst out laughing at her, calling her silly for even suggesting the highly ludicrous thought-

"....Heh." A gloved hand brushed across her cheek to slip a stray dark curl behind her ear, the touch causing Xana's whole body to freeze in place. "So endearin', babydoll."

...

At that moment in time, the record in Xana's brain didn't just skip. Oh no, the entire record player was thrown against a stone wall and smashed into itty bitty pieces. Struck dumb, she simply blinked blankly at a nearby wall for several quiet seconds while her brain did a reboot from its' blue screen of death.

Did...

Did she just say...?

No... No way, she couldn't have-

But she did...!

She couldn't have meant it like that!

....Could she?

Slowly looking up to peer at over at the pink dynamo, she was greeted by the sight of fond eyes widening in dismay and a soft smile going rigid. For once, it seemed Spinel found herself at a loss for words, mouth flapping open and closed unflatteringly like a fish. The two of them stared at each other with fear and anticipation lacing every shaky breath they took in that single tense moment.

"....What... W-What did you say...?"

"A-Ah, I, uh, I s-said... U-Um..." What the hell had she been thinking? Oh, wait, Spinel already knew the answer to that--Absolutely jack all, that's what!! The words had slipped out with absolutely no provocation, not even a tiny reason as to why she shouldn't just blurt out such an intimate sounding phrase when Xana was just looking oh-so-adorable and sweet and precious, and now here she was due that oversight; regretting her very creation! What the utter fuck?!?!

In a fit of sheer panic, the gem just said the first thing that came to mind at that moment-

"Fountain!!"

-And headed down the corridor swiftly, unwittingly dragging the reeling human woman along with her.

"Whoa!!" Just like that, whatever spell between them shattered like a mirror, and Xana was left wondering what in the fresh hell just happened. Thrown extremely off-kilter, she clutched at the space above her galloping heart, silently hissing out a breath in an attempt to calm herself down. Adrenaline was racing through her veins, the nape of her neck was prickling with the beginnings of sweat, and she had the idle passing thought of how she was sure the current heat of her face could compare to that lava pool the Crystal Gems had in their temple.

Endearing...?

Is that what her friend thought of her?

Stars... She could feel her stomach doing flips as that soft fond look Spinel had given her flashed across her memory...

Today was starting to get reeeeeeally dangerous...

'I'm fine...! Everythin' is completely fine! Nothin' is wrong in the slightest!!' Spinel repeated like a mantra within her mind, her face burning with mortification. Now if her gem would just stop glowing and humming, she'd be perfect. Wracking her head for a distraction of some kind, she tried to ward off risky, unsafe thoughts as well as wipe that blank emotionless look from her human's face, was she even breathing still?! "Y-Y'know, I c'n make flowers grow too!"

"H-Haha, uh, t-that right?" Xana gratefully took the out, absently patting at her cheeks with her free hand to will away the red blush staining her tanned skin.

"Sure can!" The gem exclaimed, lengthening and twisting her fingers into a nondescript, balloon-like bouquet, "They, uh, t-they don't mean much of anythin', though... But still, pretty cool right?!"

Taking a moment to chuckle weakly, the woman felt something ease juuuust a bit at the familiarity of their usual goofy banter. "W-Well... Every flower had no meaning at one point in time! We could always, um, m-make something up for them?" She snickered a bit hesitantly, looking over at Spinel's hand and starting to relax back into her teasing. Her flexibility never ceased to amuse the powerless human. "Uhhh, ever-changing? Adaptable? Resourcefulness? Feel free to stop me if I'm just being stupid."

...What? Oh hell no- "Stupid? Yer neva' stupid, Xana." Spinel slowed down, looking back at her straight in the eye, trying to find an answer in a storm of offense on the pretty human's behalf. "Yer one of the smartest people I know! And... It's nice that ya wanna give my silly finger flowers a meanin'." She couldn't help but look away with a smile, scratching one of said flowers against her cheek, "It's very, um... Sweet."

"E-Eh...?" Blinking slowly in incomprehension a different type of timidity took the human woman's face at the compliment, her shy fidgeting trying to hide her flattered smile as she looked down at her feet. Even now, after everything Xana had gone through in life, compliments were... difficult for her to accept.

When you were told for the majority of your years that you were worthless by many people, you kinda figured it was just the truth.

"W-Well, coming from someone as witty as you, I can't think of a better compliment!" Xana decided to just take her usual route of making light of such nice words, before speeding up and pulling excitedly on Spinel's hand. "B-But anyway... You said something about a fountain~?"

"Ah! Right! Um, it's just down this hallway, c'mon~!!!"

#spinel steven universe #spinel su #spinel x xana #spinel x self insert #spinel x oc #steven universe #fanfic #ao3fic

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