Blooming Blue [Pearl x Fem reader]

Avoidance ends here

The waves rolled onto the shore, threatening to touch Y/n's toes. She pulled her feet closer to her, digging them into the wet sand as she dragged her pencil across her sketch pad, adding hatch marks to rough sketches of seagulls that floated amongst the waves.

The four of them had returned from Empire City two days ago and the memories were still ever-fresh in Y/n's mind. When she closed her eyes for than more than a second, her mind raced back to the sensation of a hand covering her mouth or the sleek edges of her attacker's weapon. Her throat can't help but tighten as she tries not to think about what could have happen.

"Y/n?" Y/n focused her eyes on her sketch pad, the once graceful lines had now turn shaky. She lifted her head up towards the Steven who called for her. Her lips curved into a smile, but it never reached her eyes.

"Oh hey Steven." She waved softly, cocking her head up at the boy.

Steven eyed her for a moment, there's the slightest pause in his movements and Y/n's swallowed hard as she can't help but feel like she's being examined. "Whatcha drawing?" He peaked over her shoulder, his eyes widening at the sight of birds. "Wow! Can I see?"

Y/n repressed the urge of biting the inside of her cheek and passed her sketch book carefully over to the preteen. "Sure."

Steven flipped through, his eyes glancing over sketches of random characters, portraits, landscapes and animals. "You drew all of these?"

"Most of them." Y/n spoke softly as she watched him. She pushed herself up to her feet, dusting the sand off her jeans. "What's up?"

Steven gently flipped the sketch book closed and held it back out to his cousin to take. "Me and Aymest are going to go to the big doughnut and then Funland. You wanna join us?" There's stars in his eyes which makes it all the harder for Y/n to sigh with a shake of her head.

"Sorry bud, I told your dad I would help him at the wash again." It was a lie, but it was the perfect coverup from letting Steven see Y/n in a state she didn't want him to see her in. "Which I should head there now..." she mumbled, slipping on her sandals and reading the time on one of Steven's old watches. The material was a bit bulky, with the theme of the watch being Cookie-Cat. It no doubt looked as if it did not come straight out of a Cookie-Cat package like some sort added prize for a child, but at least it still could give the time.

"Oh... okay?"

Y/n reached up and patted Steven's head with a smile. "Have fun, and make sure you put on sunscreen." She slightly lectured and gave a gentle tap to Steven's forehead. "You're still A Bit red from yesterday."

Steven gave a dismissal wave in response. "Nothing but alittle sunburnt." Y/n's rolled her eyes. "But I'll make sure to put some on." He beamed. "You know, you sound like Pearl."

Y/n nodded silently, not sure how to respond. Pearl and Y/n still hadn't spoken to one another and it was because of Y/n's own avoidance.

It wasn't like it was Pearl's fault that Y/n had gotten mugged. Y/n had unfortunately been in the wrong area at the wrong time, and that was partly due to her own mess of emotions. If she hadn't had ran off, she wouldn't have face such consequences, and yet it wasn't her fault either. Greg had tried to assure her that, even Pearl had.

Yet it didn't matter, the ride back to the hotel had been mainly silence with Y/n's mind still convincing her otherwise. How she was weak, foolish and how like with most things, it was her fault.

"Good," Y/n finally spoke. She cleared her throat as the words started out of her throat sounding slightly raspy. "Maybe you won't look like a tomato then." She ruffled Steven's hair and slid her sketch pad in her small tote bag that still sat in the sand. Y/n yanked it up by one of the straps, shaking the sand of it as she settled the strap on one of her shoulders. "I'll catch up with you later okay?"