(Alternate) Steven Universe x Corrupt gem reader Insert

part 9: cheer up!

later that day, you laid out on the beach, watching the rolling waves with a plaintive glint in your eyes, which was shielded from view from your bangs. centi would have loved it here. you somberly thought to yourself, resting your chin on your forearms. we should be relishing in our victory of successfully retrieving the shooting star... you shivered as the sharp sting of grief stabbed you in the chest. but... no... you whimpered, covering your head with a hand, as tears made their way down your cheeks. it takes all your willpower not to wail your grief all out across the ocean for your lost teammate. instead, you just lay there, sobbing quietly to yourself, animalistic whines and groans escaping your maw as you tried to keep your crying at a low volume. centi... why did it have to be you?

why not me..?
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from afar, Steven watched as your form shook and twitched as you cried to yourself, frowning in pity for you. "poor (name)... she really misses centipeedle." garnet, who was standing beside him, placed a hand on his shoulder. "don't worry. she'll be okay." she reassured. "she's got you after all." Steven smiled up at the tall gem for a moment, opening his mouth to say something only to be interrupted by something brushing past him. "huh?"
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your crying finally dies down and you just look up at the setting sun, try to calm yourself, or at the very least distract yourself from guilt's grip. the sunset... it was absolutely stunning. colors of red, orange, and yellows perfectly blended together in the ever darkening sky, reflecting against the water's surface beautifully. you sighed, wiping your face with a broad arm, before resting your head on your arms again. this time silent tears rolled down your face as you just watched the sun seemingly sink into the water. you shut your eyes, groaning miserably. You would have loved this, centi...

you suddenly felt a warm, soft mass press against you, followed by a faint rosey scent. mildly startled, you turned your head to be greeted by that the sight of that large pink lion.

he was laid down beside you, his soft, fluffy mane pressed against your shoulder. and while most would see a vacant lion expression, you saw that he had pity in his eyes for you. you blink in minor surprise at this sudden action, but, honestly, you were up for any kind of company at this moment. you whined and rested your head on his forepaws, brushing your head beneath his chin, whimpering lightly, taking in his sweet comforting scent. after a moment of surprise, lion rests his head on the nape of your neck, giving it a soft nuzzle of comfort. you shut your eyes, letting out a small sigh before letting yourself fall asleep.
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"aaaw, look at (name) and lion!" steven cooed, squishing his cheeks with stars in his eyes. garnet nods, smiling herself. she taps steven's shoulder. "come on. let's leave them be for now." she then walks into the house. Steven stares at you both a moment longer, a light wave of pity washing over him. your first day as a crystal gem, and you've already experienced a tragic loss. first your identity, now a close companion? that's gotta be tough... "don't worry, (name)." he whispers, like you can hear him. "we're gonna help you. and then, you'll be better than ever. someday." with that, he walks into the beach house, shutting the door behind him.
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next morning, you awoke to a gritty feeling rubbing against your cheek. after a few strokes, you'd feel a cold mass press against it before the gritty stroking repeated. you groaned lightly and open opened an eye to see lion licking your cheek gently and pressing his nose against it. clearly, he wanted to wake you up.

but... you didn't want to. you.. just didn't feel motivated to do so.. you grunted in irritation and lightly brushed the big cat away from your face. why should I even bother?

"good morning, (name)!" you heard steven's cheery voice chirp as he walked up to your front. this alone ALMOST convinced you to lift your head, but you were still rather drained from yesterday's events. but, sure enough, he did find a way to gain your attention. because, while you couldn't see it, but he was holding something. and you could smell it. and by the stars, it smelled DELICIOUS. sweet with a salted spike. what could THAT be? he reaches with a freehand and parts your bangs, smiling lightly at your tired yet curious eyes peering back. he turns his attention to lion and gives his mane a few strokes. "it was really nice of you to spend the night with (name), lion!" he praises cheerfully, earning a passive grunt in response. turning his attention back to you, he kneels down in front of you. "I figured that today you wanted something other than chips. so I made you this!" he sets the sweet smelling object in front of you, prompting you to lift your head and peer at it in astonishment.

on a plate, were a stack of steaming golden brown waffles drenched in sweet brown syrup. topping it was fluffy white whipped cream, sprinkled in popcorn and capped with a ripe red strawberry.

Your eyes widened at the creation, feeling a bit of dribble running down your lip. What is THIS?

"this is what's called a together breakfast!" he elaborated. your eyes look up at him in question, in which he continues further more. "this was originally made to be eaten with the others gems in the house..." he starts up. "...buuuut, I think you deserve to have this to yourself..." he looks up in thought. "I guess I can call it... (name)'s breakfast!" he giggles lightly at this while you pulled the treat upto your muzzle and dug in. he pats your head lightly, smiling as you purred in enjoyment at the delicious flavor your breakfast had. "glad you like it."

He claps his hands once. "okay, so... today... instead of going on missions... why don't you just... hang out here and relax with lion?" he strokes your head a few times. "leave the craziness to us for today. okay?" you looked up at the boy for a moment, licking syrup from your lip, before shifting your gaze to lion, who was grooming himself. You gave a soft nod.

sounds doable enough...
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later that day, you spent most of your time in the house. while you did occasionally walk around, you didn't really do much activity. you mostly just laid on the cool wood floors, allowing lion knead your thick mane, while steven tried to break you out of your mournful fog. you didn't think it would truly work, but his constant stroking of your mane, soft, comforting pep talks, and promises of getting you 'fixed up', he did indeed manage to raise your spirits. you even managed to give a little grin in reassurance from the boy, making him smile even more. "that's the spirit, (name)!" he said, pressing his face into your fluffy chest fur, hugging you as best he can. you smiled even more at the warmth his small body gave. "because, don't forget; you're not a monster. you're a crystal gem." yeah... you managed to let a purr rumble in your throat. yeah... he's right. I may not know exactly who I am.. but... with him, I'm sure to regain it. and everything will be great again.

I am a crystal gem after all.