It's Becoming Crystal Clear (Jasper x Reader)

Chapter 8: In Love and War

You lay awake contemplating the words you had whispered to yourself. You had no difficulty admitting to yourself that you were very fond of Jasper, but did you actually love her? Was that even possible after only part of a day with her? True, you'd known about her for quite a while, but knowing of her wasn't the same as knowing her... was it? You were not a believer in love at first sight. And yet... no matter how you tried to rationalize your way out of it, it became increasingly difficult to deny that it was so.

You whispered those same words to the empty room once more and felt a sense of peace wash over you. You knew you could not act on how you felt, certainly not yet. To her, you were little more than an acquaintance - for now - and it furthermore occurred to you that she might not even understand the concept of love. Certainly it would not be something she had ever experienced. No matter. Whatever would happen would happen, and you knew how you felt. It might become necessary to rush a confession if she started to revert, but for now, she was sleeping peacefully across the hall, and you could do the same.

You shut your eyes and soon fell fast asleep. You were too tired and too deeply asleep to dream.

"(Y/N)?" a familiar voice called quietly, rousing you from your sleep.

"Yeah?" you murmured, half awake. You looked at the clock. It was 4:30 AM. "Ugh. Y'know, people normally sleep a lot longer than this."

"I disturbed your sleep?" Jasper's expression was one of horror.

"Yeah, but it's okay."

"How is it okay? You're going to die now, and it's my fault! I never wanted this. I never should have bothered you. (Y/N), I'm so sorry! I..."

"Jasper! Relax! It doesn't work that way. Yes, people need to sleep. But we can go a long time without it, we just might not function very well. And there's no harm done. Once we deal with whatever it is you need, I can just go right back to sleep."

"Oh, good. I didn't want to have to deal with that. Anyway," she said, pausing to sigh in relief, "I came to talk to you because I think I had one of those dreams you talked about."

You rose and swivelled so you were sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Not a very nice one, I take it?"

"You could say that."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

She hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Here, sit next to me and you can tell me all about it," you told her, patting the mattress beside you. It sank down under her weight as she sat to your right, causing you to involuntarily slide closer to her. Not that you minded in the least. "So what did you dream about?"

"I... I saw you shattered. Part of the reason I came in here was to make sure you were still alive."

"I thought you seemed a little paranoid about my wellbeing. You don't have to worry about that happening. Humans don't crack or shatter or get corrupted. We can get hurt and die, but it isn't like with gems."

"I know, but you weren't you. You were... someone from my past."

"Pink Diamond?" you guessed.

"No. A gem I fought alongside in the war... for a few days. Jaspilite. She's been gone a long time."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened to her? Unless you don't want to talk about that."

"It's fine. It happened nearly 6000 years ago. During the war, they sent a whole bunch of jaspilites in from Homeworld to join the fight. Battlefield assassins. They could slip unnoticed through rows upon rows of the enemy and take out a target without anyone being the wiser.