Being Human

43. Chille Ted

It was late and Pearl, Y/n and Amethyst, all three wearing life jackets are seen sitting in a life raft in the middle of the ocean. Amethyst is holding Steven, also wearing a life jacket, by the ankles and dunking him under the water.

Y/n and Pearl were looking over the edge of the life raft, with visible bags under their eyes

"Still no sign." Y/n says before he let out an unintentional yawn.

"Guh! This isn't getting us anywhere." Pearl groans.

 "What's the matter, Pierogi? You tired?" Amethyst asks sound sleepily herself.

Pearl gets annoyed. "I don't get tired, I get results."

Steven is looking from side to side underwater. He begins to gargle and reaches for his neck as he begins to run out of air. Wiggling his legs, he attempts to signal to Amethyst that he needs to be pulled up.

"Was the sign for "pull me up" one wiggle or two?" Amethyst ask speaking slowly with visible bags under her eyes.

"Amethyst he going to drown!" Y/n tells her.

Amethyst lets go of Steven's legs and shrugs at Y/n's response.

Pearl starts searching the water, using her gem as a flashlight. "For all we know, Lapis and Jasper's fusion could be right under our noses!" But she gasps as something appears beneath the surface.

Steven floats to the surface of the water with the aid of his life jacket. He gasps for air, spits a fish out of his mouth, then grabs it midair.

"This is why we wear life jackets." Steven says as he throws the fish away.

"Ah! A-are you alright?!" Pearl asks.

Garnet then emerges from underneath Steven, picking him up and climbing back on the raft.

Garnet lets out a sigh. "Nothing."

Garnet tosses Steven onto the raft, and he starts flopping around like a fish out of the water.

"Ugh, it feels like we've been searching for light years!" Pearl complains.

"Uh, light years measure light, not years." Amethyst tells her as she pokes Steven's stomach, causing him to spit out another fish.

Pearl throws her hands up in exasperation. "Guh!" She then tries to lean on the side of the raft but slips. "And I'm sick of these... life... diapers!"

"Safety is no punchline, Pearl." Steven says as he gets up and grabs a nearby life jacket to give to Garnet.

"Safety is our job." Garnet says before she throws the life jacket Steven gave to her overboard and summons her own. "We must find Jasper and Lapis. As it stands, their fusion is a ticking time bomb." 

"Is... Lapis going to be okay?" Y/n asks Garnet looking slightly worried now.

"She had control when she used her power to drag their fusion into the ocean. But, a fusion like theirs is unstable, bound together by anger and mistrust. If that bond snaps, their anger will take over, and destroy." Garnet explains.

Steven starts getting visibly tired. "Don't worry, Lapis, we won't let you sleep with the fishes..." He yawns.

"We're gonna have to keep looking. But first, let's bring Steven home." Garnet says as she looks at Steven fast asleep in the raft.

Steven abruptly wakes up. "Huh, wha—?" He stands up, one eye slightly closed in grogginess and drooling slightly. "No, I'm— I'm— I'm fine! Let's— let's go fishing!" He says and walks over the edge of the raft, sleepily mumbling "First one to catch something wins... " He falls over the edge.