The pain of ignoring you

The birthday introduction

No POV

Everyone is given a piece of jewelry at age 16 as a birthday present. Nobody knows where it came from, but it is believed that two people with the same stone are soulmates.

Y/n is that mystery person. They have the ability to see soulmate strings and they decided at the age of 10 to help out anyone who was having trouble with their soulmate.

Anyone with a red string has a romantic tie to their soulmate - while pink meant a platonic relationship.

Your POV

Today was Steven's 16th birthday - August 15. You could never clearly see his string's path. So, when the time comes for presents, you panic. You give Steven a rose quartz earing (yes, only one) and you realize after he opened it how big of a mistake you had just made.

You knew that Steven was very sensitive to stuff tied to pink diamonds and rose quartzes. You also knew that it was possible that Steven wouldn't wear the earing because 1) There was only one instead of two 2) How the hell would it stay on his ear if he didn't have an earring hole??

You were shocked when he just stuck it in his ear, not even sparing a second thought. You had almost forgot how desperate he was for love, and you bet money that he was hoping Connie had the same then he had - even if it was just platonic.

You had found that if Connie and someone have a good bond, and even if they weren't gifted with a soulmate string, they would make good friends. They would end up foraging a pink sting of fate together as time went on. (But this was once she turns 16)

Anyways - the other problem was YOU were the one that had the other part of the pair. You weren't thinking straight, and you had completely forgotten that you had the rose ring in that pair. You were officially his soulmate now, and there was nothing you could do to change that unless you wanted to get caught.

You didn't mind, hoping that when you and Steven met for the first time properly, a pink string would form instead of red. The people that could see soulmate strings couldn't see where theirs went, so your first thought was: 'This'll be interesting.'

Your string turned red, and you could see it leading to Steven (all soulmate strings are black until they are paired). Your second was: 'I need to avoid him as long as humanly possible.'

You had a small pink shard on the back of your left shoulder blade. That's probably why you could see the strings, although you never knew how you got it. From learning about Steven, you have to be born into a hybrid. You didn't have parents, nor a home. Nobody knew you existed - and you wanted to keep it that way.

Now, you were panicking. Once people got the jewelry, they suddenly became aware to the red string tied around one of their fingers - usually the pinky. They start to send messages to their soulmate telepathically.

Then you realized: 'Steven just heard that.'

'Right you are. Mind explaining? You're worrying, I can feel it.'

The voice says, and you know it's him. You don't respond, blocking him out from your brain. It only works every hour, so once you start hearing his thoughts, you cut the connection again. You would usually greet him, then say goodbye, not even attempting to hear his response.

You were starting to fall for him - but you knew that you needed to focus on the people in beach city. New people are coming all the time - and now, you had to prepare for the next 16 years. The gems had come, and since they all became uncorrupted on the same day, you had to give millions of gems presents on that same day 16 years from now.

You were stressing out because you didn't have the needed materials. You had decided since they were gems - the ones you gave them - you were worried they would fuse with the jewelry on accident. So instead, you were stealing small amounts of silver from everywhere.

"Bismuth!" you call as you entered the forge. It was the middle of the night. You handed her a bunch of forks, spoons, and butter knifes that were stolen from houses.

Bismuth had been the first to find out that you existed. She found you in the forge - and you were forced to explain what was going on. Since then, you found the rocks, she made the jewelry. 

After she volunteered to be a teacher at little homeschool, she couldn't use the steel she usually would. So, that resulted you with a bag of meatal utensils. Funny, right? "Geez, Y/n!" she sighs, "Third time today."

You speak, "Everybody deserves to know who their soulmate is. Even gems." Bismuth smiled. She always liked how noble you were, but hated how you couldn't tell her who her soulmate was earlier than the others.

The truth was you didn't know. There were so many possibilities. You were originally going to pair her and Pearl together with a pink string, but you had done that with Amythyst already. Now, you didn't know. You would have to decide within 3-4 years, her day was coming up soon (you don't know her birth date, but you do know the day she was led out of lion by Steven).

You handed her the bag, and she got to work, making simple rings. You put on some fire-proof gloves and got to work. She made the rings, you designed them. This pair was for a snowflake obsidian and a Larimar.

You used a meatal stick on the melting (newly formed) rings to make snowflakes. You would write the other's name on the ring, because gems usually had the same name, and you wanted to make it easier for them because of that.

Your eyes lit up once you threw them in the water. "I know who your soulmate is." you said with giddy to Bismuth, who looked at you in shock, "You just found out? Whoo??" you shook your head and giggled. "I won't make any more rings for you." she threatens, and you give in. "Biggs." you whisper. She doesn't hear.

"I told you! If you didn't hear, that's your fault!" you scold, and she pouts. "Wait 3-4 years!" and you punch her shoulder. She hands you the next pair. It was for a Serpentine and a Beryl. You drew small swords and wrote names. You tossed them into the water bucket.

This goes on for a few hours, and soon, you retreat to your treehouse at the bottom of the volcano. That's a lot of walking from beach city to the forge. You had some help. Specifically, from lion, whom you had decided to pair with another in his pack. He was forever grateful, so he helped you when he could.

You slept.