friends? || lapidot

Chapter 12:You're safe

Lapis' P.O.V

I lie on the floor next to Peridot in the homemade castle we built out of couch cushions, blankets, and chairs as support. It was barely big enough to fit the both of us inside as we lay inches away from each other in separate sleeping bags. The cool breeze of the air conditioner froze my face, I could barely feel it as the air peeked through the holes of our kingdom. I turned to my side facing away from Peridot to check my phone beside me to see the time. 12:02 am flashed across the top of my screen, the background of me and Peri's selfies in a collage. I sighed swiping to the right and typing in my passcode to check social media. I endlessly checked through Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter over and over again to distract me from my thoughts.

As a kid I used to lay in bed staring at the ceiling counting how many times my fan spun around until I fell asleep. Nowadays I'm a lot older, I've matured a lot more, and so I have more knowledge about this world, knowledge I wish I could erase from my brain forever. Every single night when I'm at home in bed I try to stay on my phone as long as possible until I feel my eyes heavy and my thoughts foggy before I drift off to sleep. If I'm not on my phone I begin to wonder, question myself, question existence itself. I think too deeply that sometimes a shock of fear will run through me and when it does, all senses in me freeze and I begin to have a panic attack right before my eyes. I think about old memories of mine, some good ones but mostly bad ones. Things like the fusion with Jasper that introduced Malachite, the horror and pain of not being able to rest for one second, trapped in a void with strains pulling at me for control-

*Boom* a unexpected sound of lightning burst through my thoughts and sets me free from my dark mindset. I click my phone on again and scroll through apps until I reach the weather app to check how things are going. The app reads "Heavy thunderstorms" with winds up to 40 mph. Wow, looks like a heck of a thunderstorm is headed our way tonight. I didn't really mind the storm though, things like bad weather didn't frighten me, after all I can control water so I could always find a way through the storm. Just then I felt a tap at my shoulder and turned my body to face a pair of legs. I looked up to find Peridot standing before me, the look of fear in her eyes.

"H-hey Lapis, you don't mind if I... or well perhaps may I sleep with you?..not in that way! But maybe beside you in your sleeping bag?" I could easily tell she wasn't a big fan of thunderstorms and she most likely had a great fear of thunder and lighting. The sleeping bag I was in was fairly big enough to fit us both, almost like it was designed to fit two people in it! "Of course, is the thunderstorm bothering you?" I asked with a smirk. I feel like I smirk too often at the wrong time, its just a natural habit of mine that I can't get rid of. Sometimes I'll chew on the inside of my lip when I'm nervous, I hate it when I do that because sometimes I end up bleeding leaving a irony taste in my mouth. It also makes my lips feel all bumpy and gross when my tongue slides by the torn skin.

"Yeah I'm not a huge fan of bad weather.." Peridot said with a crooked smile while stuffing herself beside me in the sleeping bag. The feeling of her smooth skin rub against mine sent a chill down my spine. She lie next me looking a bit embarrassed but a lot safer feeling. I was glad I made her feel safe, I'll always keep her safe. "Don't worry Peri, I'll protect you" I said with a soft smile as I began to reach over Peri's waist to pull her closer towards me. She realized what I was doing and quickly stiffened in embarrassment but that didn't stop me from letting go. We lay in the sleeping bag together in each other's warmth, breathing the same air, hair in each others faces and grasp for cuddles. "Good night Peri"