Chapter Text
Peridot sat in the bathroom tub, curled up in her blankets and pillows as she listened to the sounds of water running though the house.
Lapis was really gone. Her home.. her everything.
it was so wonderful, living with Lapis.
untill it wasn't.
“I just...I miss her.” Peridot murmured into her blanket nest. She knew that no one could hear her but for a moment it felt good just talking to someone else. “It's not fair…"
The rotting feeling deep inside her grew, eating away at her happiness as she thought about the home and gem she was missing.
it was all gone.
She felt like screaming but instead, she burrowed further into herself until she felt almost like she couldn't breathe if she had lungs. The tears wouldn't stop coming out, despite how much she wanted them to stop, so Peridot let them run down her face as she waited for the sadness to fade away into something less painful.
She just hoped that maybe, somehow, this would all be okay when Lapis got back, because it wasn't fair.
It's your fault. A voice whispered into her mind, the same voice that told her every time that she tried to keep something. Your fault, your fault. It was all your fault that Lapis was never coming back, ever again. It was your fault she left you alone and broke your heart when you were so happy.
She didn't want that to happen again.
Not again.
Not ever again. Never again.
She hated crying.
She hated emotions.
This pain was bad enough already without having to feel sad too.
Just as the pain started to become bearable once more, there was a knock on the bathroom door.
“Peri? Are you okay in there?" Steven asked through the door.
He sounded worried.
Peridot swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yea," she said after a moment. She forced another smile on her face, wiping some of the tears from her face as best she could before the boy could see. He opened the door, sitting down on the floor beside the bathtub.
“I-" she began, before she felt something rise up in her throat.
she abruptly coughed, something lodged in her throat. suddenly, three perfect blue flower petals came out of her mouth, fluttering down onto the ground.
Steven looked, puzzled. "What.. Did you just cough up petals?"
Peridot sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "No," she lied. "They were stuck in my throat." She reached over, trying her best to pick the petals up but only managing to scatter them across the tiles.
Steven didn't say anything, not wanting to know. Maybe Amethyst made her eat them or something..
eventually Steven and left, leaving Peridot to her own depression.
she felt more petals rise up in her throat, and she coughed them out with confusion.
there layed a beautiful blue flower on the floor.
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It was a normal day. Peridot was sulking away in the bathroom like normal, Garnet and Pearl were trying to make Amethyst stop eating everything, and Steven was watching a show on the tv.
but then Steven heard the shower curtain fall.
at first he didn't care: maybe Peridot had climbed up there and made it collapse: it was better then her just crying and being depressed all day.
But Amethyst was starting to go into the bathroom, so Steven came with to see what was happening.
Peridot was on the floor, shaking violently. she coughed, nearly what looked to be 20 Blue flowers spewing out from her mouth, fluttering to the ground as the Gems was reduced to her hands and knees, crying out.
Peridot finally stopped, her body dropping limp against the tile as she heaved a large amount of air out into the room. Steven ran forward and grabbed Peridots arm.
"Peri!" he said urgently, pulling the gem up.
she weakly groaned as she tried to push herself up, before her mouth opened.
out came hundreds of flowers, spewing onto the ground as she screamed, Amethyst rushing over and pulling the limp gem against the bathtub.
"What happened?!" she shouted, staring at the mess around the room in horror. Peridot cried out again as Amethyst put her hand under her head and supported her head so she wouldn't slip. "Oh shit oh fuck oh god what is wrong with her?! Is she okay!? Oh my fucking god-" Flowers coated the bathroom floor, more tinier ones coming out of the gems mouth, the Peridot on her head starting to grow tiny buds.
Pearl and Garnet, who were starting to hear the commotion, walked into the room. "Whats- oh my stars!" The two Gems rushed to help Steven, who was trying to hold Peridot, who's breathing was now coming in ragged gasps. They scooped the gem up and held her close, trying their best to comfort the small gem. They'd known the gem was upset over Lapis lately, but none of them were prepared for this. Flowers landed on the floor, a strange blue liquid starting to leak from her gem as flowers cracked through it.
"Her gem!"
finally, the Flowers ceased, leaving Peridot to abruptly pass out and slump against the bathtub, getting caught by amethyst as the gem lied her arms.
she seemed to have passed out due to shock and exhaustion, her head laying awkwardly over her arms. Steven took the opportunity to look at the Gem's chest - which had a new, darker blue, almost black flower blossoming there.
he frowned as Peridot began breathing hard once more, her fists and jaw clenching in pain.
the Gems were all worried and freaked out. They quickly ran from the bathroom into the hallway so they could get some water while Steven and Amethyst kept Peridot stable, holding her close while the others were busy trying to find something to treat the damage.
Peridot's gem had become more cracked, leaving a panicked Steven licking his hand and putting the healing substance over her gem.
"please..."
Her gem sealed, the buds and flowers falling down onto her face.
Steven gently pushed them off of her, wiping at the wetness with the towel draped over the toilet seat.
"Come on, Peridot, wake up." he pleaded, looking at the Gem anxiously, hoping beyond hope that Peridot would snap out of it soon.
She woke, coughing and choking.
"hey Peridot," Steven smiled nervously, helping to prop Peridot against a wall. He held onto her arm, supporting her weight as her head lolled around tiredly.
“S...Sorry, guys... I can’t do this…” Peridot choked out hoarsely, before a gagging sound came from her, a single large blue flower spewing from her throat. Another blue rose.
“Oh my goodness!” Pearl cried. "Peridot what's happening to you?"
“I.. don’t know..” the other gem muttered, leaning heavily against the wall.
“it hurts.. everything hurts…”
“I think it's the flowers.” Steven mumbled.
Garnet frowned with concern as the gems eyelids began to drop, before shooting open wide again as she violently coughed up more flowers. Her eyes began to close once more, her hands curling into fists as she tried to catch her breath.
“what are we supposed to do now?” Pearl cried.
“I... I don't know,” Garnet said quietly.
they watched silently as Peridot slowly slipped into unconsciousness.