Chapter Text
He’s going to need new tires soon, he thinks, as the worn treads skid their way through the Beach City sand.
As Steven pulls up on the temple, he passes by a group of new Little Homeschoolers getting an introductory tour. In fact, everyone in the town is up and about; Peedee expanded his tot shop with the help of a couple of similarly fastidious Blue and Yellow Zircons and are advertising to passerbys, Nanefua has implemented new signage on the boardwalk that a few straggling human tourists crowd around, and there’s a Lapis Lazuli and an Aquamarine helping with hanging up banners in higher spots. On his left, Jamie and his growing theater troupe are practicing on the stage, a backdrop of the setting sun. He had even stopped by the Big Donut earlier, where he saw Mr. Smiley— finally able to take a lunch break while his battalion of quartzes (along with Little Larimar, of course) ran Fun Land in his stead.
When he spots the edge of Little Homeworld, and the hoard of gems milling about and decorating, he swallows. Maybe visiting during the beginning weeks of the semester was a bad idea. There’s so much going on. So much to do, to plan.
A lot of faces he doesn’t recognize. A lot he does. So many uncorrupted gems…
He turns his radio up and taps his finger double-time to the music, wondering why he’s so anxious all of a sudden. Why he dreads the idea of dropping by and saying hello to and checking up on and asking if there’s a way he can help everyone. Why he dreads the idea of introducing himself to gem after gem after gem after gem.
But he’s Steven. That’s like, his thing.
Well. It’ll be good to see the gems. His gems. Though, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are bound to be swamped with planning and scheduling and teaching and the like. There’s been more and more students every semester, with how word is spreading about the school on Homeworld, but also the seemingly endless introduction of corrupted gems into Era Three. There’s just so many, and so many who were soldiers sent to earth, steadfast in their loyalty to the diamonds till the blinding light struck from above. It’s a… tedious process, introducing them, acclimating them.
Oh, he shouldn’t have planned to visit now, when everything is obviously going to be busy!
He looks towards the grease-stained donut bag perched on his passenger seat. Takes a deep breath. Turns his eyes back towards the road. Watches in his rearview as his tires leave uneven lines in the sand behind him.
There’s no use worrying right now. Chill out, Steven! He’s about to see his family! Once he gets settled he can worry about how he can help with school stuff. And everything else.
-
The lights are off inside the house as he makes his way up the dune. He jumps and then squints as a light that surely is too bright for a beach already illuminated under moonlight blinks on. He shields his eyes. “Agh!”
Seems someone (Pearl) has installed motion sensor lights on the steps outside the house. Steven briefly wonders if it was for his Dad’s sake as his eyes water from brightness. He blinks a few more times and turns his head towards the now darkened beach, before deciding to run up the stairs before vertigo hits him.
An entourage of lights blink on as he climbs, and he regrets this decision immediately. “Ahhh, too bright!”
He reaches the top, panting and laughing lightly. The lights are still off inside the house. But are certainly still on outside. He goes towards the mesh door and pulls the handle.
“I’m baaack!” He singsongs.
He’s met with silence, and his heart skips a beat. “Helloooo?”
They knew he was coming now, right? He texted them the time and date and everything. Multiple times. Before he can wonder if it’s because he’s come at a bad time, or they simply don’t care, the indoor lights flicker on and he jumps again— this time from the noise.
“Surprise!” A cacophony of his family’s voices greet.
Pearl and Garnet stand behind the kitchen counter. Amethyst has turned into a confetti popper, makes a loud “Pop!” by smacking her lips, and then shifts back to throw little strips of paper in Steven’s direction. Lion opens his jowl wide, teeth bared, and yawns.
The light in the house is thankfully about 4 million lumens less than the glaring lights outside, but all the changes are screwing with his sight. He blinks, rubs his eyes, blinks some more. Things focus a bit.
His dad laughs and pats him on the back. “It’s good to see ya, schtu-ball! Sorry if we scared you.”
“I think the lights outside scared me more,” Steven retorts. His vision adjusts just in time to see Pearl blush a light blue. Seems he was right about that one.
He turns to look at his dad. His hair has grown. Steven comments as such, and his dad replies, “Not where I’d like it to, though,” patting the sunburnt skin on the top of his head. Still, he can tell his dad looks happy he noticed.
“Ugh, what’s with the small talk?” A voice interrupts, “Give me a hug already, dude!” and Steven has a second to brace himself before Amethyst flings herself toward him, and he instinctively wraps his arms around her. “I missed you, Ste-man.”
This seems to break any awkwardness, and it’s only moments before Pearl and Garnet are also swooping towards him, embracing him just as tightly as Amethyst still is. His dad squeezes gently on his free shoulder. He spies tears at the corner of Pearl’s eyes.
She catches his own eyes and laughs. “Oh, Steven, I’m so glad to see you!” Everyone pulls away, still sticking close, as Pearl gives him a once-over. “You look… good! Has your hair gotten longer? Have you gotten taller?” Amethyst snorts, “Have you been eating well? You need lots of nutrients and proteins on a vegetarian diet!”
He nervously chuckles at her barrage. “Pearlll…”
“Oh, I know, I know. You can take care of yourself. You just look good. If a little unshaven,” Pearl adds sardonically, but smiles.
“...Happy.” She finishes, a slight lilt to her voice. Steven reassures her.
“Yeah.”
He looks towards the floor and is reminded of the bag clenched in his hand. “O-oh, I-uh. I brought donuts!
“Aw, Steven, you didn’t have to do that,” his dad says sweetly, but still grabs the donut bag and heads towards the kitchen counter. “But a man’s never gonna turn down a free donut. C’mere!”
While he walks towards the counter, Steven wonders aloud, “Why’d you guys ‘surprise’ me like that?”
“It was the most probable way you’d be caught off guard, but not too startled.” Garnet adjusts her visor, smirking.
“No, I mean, why the surprise? It’s just… me.” A panicked thought flashes across his mind, “Unless I totally just crashed someone else’s surprise party-!”
“Nope, kiddo, I’m afraid this party is just for you.” His dad pulls something out of the freezer. “But I am glad you brought donuts, since they’ll go great with this—” He dramatically slides a box out on the counter, “—cookie cat ice cream cake! This baby’s not officially licensed, but I knew a place in town.” His dad winks.
Amethyst hops on the counter and eyes the donut bag, which Pearl is now closest to, oblivious to the danger her position poses. Garnet comes up to the cake and cuts a slice from one of the ears. “We wanted you to know you’ve been missed. By everyone” She starts, answering his question from before. “So we threw you a party.”
Amethyst sneakily shapeshifts into a snake and starts to slither across the counter, bypassing the cake (for now). Garnet hands him the ear slice. His dad hops onto one of the bar stools.
“Why don’cha take a seat, bud.” Instead, Steven slides against the counter, cake slice in front of him. His dad continues, “Sorry if this ‘party’ isn’t really much of one, we just figured you’d be seeing everyone tomorrow.”
“No, this is perfect!” He answers, not too quickly. “I saw a lot of people earlier, too,” He justifies.
Amethyst takes his response as a distraction and charges at the donut bag, hooking it with her fangs. Pearl gasps and falls off the chair as Amethyst shifts back, snarkily laughing as she starts to paw through the Dewey half-dozen, swallowing down the first one she sees before Pearl can even stand back up.
She has the second donut raised to her mouth before Pearl swipes the bag back. “Amethyst! Those were for everybody!” She crosses her arms, the bag pinched avoidantly between two fingers. “You should at least say thank you to Steven.”
In retort, Amethyst takes a large bite of the second donut. This feels… familiar. Comfortable. Steven chuckles.
Through the crumbs in her mouth, and no willingness to keep her mouth shut, Amethyst spews a “T’ank Uoo!” that Steven has to look away from.
“Ew, gross!” He yells, waving his hand to shoo her, but it’s clear by his bubbling laugh that he doesn’t mind. At least, too much. He rethinks that as Amethyst makes a show of showing off the mushed up donut on her tongue, and walks towards him. “Ah- ha ha- G-get away!” He manages between breaths.
After he recovers, they manage to dole out the rest of the donuts between the remaining four of them— despite Amethyst's put-out expression— and Steven takes small bites of his Strawberry Dewey. Everyone makes a bit of idle chatter, and Steven’s surprised to see Pearl take a peck of the Plain O’ Dewey he had gotten with her in mind, though he doesn’t comment on it. For now, he just kind of… basks in the feeling of being home. For how much he wanted to get out of here a few months ago, it’s weird how nice it is to be back.
He must doze off for a bit in his own mind, because ringed hands drop on his shoulders, and while his hair stands on end, his body stays steady. “Steven.”
He blinks up at Garnet. She lowers her hands. “It’s late. You should rest.” She pauses, for a moment, hands still. And then, with a subtle tilt of her head, “Or at least sit down.”
Steven suppresses the urge to argue, and is helped by his Dad’s interjection: a yawn, mimicking Lion’s before— mouth wide, beard scrunched, those gold and silver plates on the back of his teeth glimmering in the exposed light. He stretches hairy arms above his head. A dad in its natural habitat.
“I think it’s about time that I hit the hay. Your old man’s not as young as he used to be,” He winks with that Universe charm, Steven entranced by his hair flip, “But he’s still got his rockin’ good looks!” it seems to only extend to diamonds, judging by everyone else’s lack of reaction.
“Alright, alright, I’m humbled,” His dad grumbles, after a few moments of dead stares from the gems.
Steven’s momentarily confused as his dad walks toward the living room space. There’s a TV on the coffee table, more comfortable looking pillows, a few VHS tapes he recognizes as his dad’s strewn about. “Wha… Where-”
“Should I take the couch?” His dad offers, and his brain short circuits as he remembers, duh! His dad lives here now. It finally, actually hits him, knowing that if he goes upstairs he’s sure to find a room full of Kerry Moonbeam posters, old Suspects merch, older Mr. Universe merch, stacks of sketchbooks and pastels, and probably a fair bit of laundry on the ground, since Pearl’s less inclined to clean for Greg than Steven.
The comforting aura of being home shifts askew. Still there, but…
“No, no, dad,” He recovers, “I’ll take the couch. It’s… It’s your room now, after all. It wouldn’t feel right.”
Steven’s still expecting his dad to leave and head back to his van. It’s not going to feel more ‘right’ if he sleeps in someone else’s bed.
His dad levels him with a stare. It still lacks sternness. “Are you sure? It was your room first, kiddo. I don’t mind roughing it out here for the night.”
He’s more confident in his response this time. “Yeah, of course, dad.”
Steven watches as his dad’s face visibly relaxes. “Oh, thank goodness. I hate to play the old man card twice, but my back’s been killing me, Steven! Thank you.” His dad yawns again and scratches his back. “I promise we’ll get you a better set-up sometime tomorrow, schtu-ball.”
As his dad walks upstairs, floorboards creaking under uncharacteristic weight, Steven puts down the rest of his donut on the plate next to his cookie cat cake slice. Amethyst kicks at the ground, and a few of the paper pieces she threw as confetti earlier blow up before drifting silently back towards the ground. “Ugh, I guess we should clean this up.”
Pearls tsks disapprovingly, and Steven winces in sympathy for Amethyst. “You mean you should clean this up?” She bends down and picks up a shred. “What even is this, anyway?”
“Oh. Just some calendar pages I saw lying around. No biggie.”
Just as Amethyst says this, Pearl has managed to put enough of the pieces together— both figuratively and literally— that Steven can tell from her sniff and eye twitch that she is upset. How serious remains to be seen.
Pearl whips towards Amethyst. “No ‘Big E?’ Uh, no! This is a very ‘Big E!’ Amethyst, those were the calendar pages we’ve been working on all week!”
Steven is still gauging how bad this is. Amethyst is probably not helping. “So?” Before Pearl can take her spear out, she adds, “Just print out another copy.”
“There are no other copies.” Garnet emerges into the conversation.
Amethyst looks lost. “Heh. What?”
He can’t suppress his curiosity any longer, “What? Copies of what!?”
“Copies of nothin’, ‘parrently,” Amethyst adds unhelpfully, while Pearl simultaneously says, “Of the Little Homeschool Homecoming Celebration Weekend!”
“The what?”
“The- everything that’s happening right now,” Amethyst offers vaguely, before immediately redirecting her attention to Pearl. “What do you mean there’s ‘no copies?’”
Thankfully, Steven is very good at extrapolating (a word that he, rather ironically, read in a book somewhere and had to ask Connie for the definition of), and is able to deduce that Amethyst just destroyed the entire calendar for this seemingly very important weekend? Which Steven is now realizing is busier than he thought. Which was already pretty busy. “Wait, Little Homeschool, Home- what now?”
But Pearl and Amethyst are still going back and forth— something about ‘what’s the point of having of computer if you don’t save anything on it,’ and ‘I don’t… know how,’ and ‘don’t you literally teach the class on human communication devices,’ and ‘it’s not very intuitive… and we haven’t reached that chapter yet!’
Steven interrupts as Pearl is trying to convince Amethyst that a teacher should always be learning, too, and says, “It’s okay, guys. Let me go grab my laptop from the car, I can help you work on salvaging this!”
Somehow Pearl’s own laptop has made its way to Amethyst via Garnet, the former sitting on the ground next to the living room table frantically clicking the mouse pad. Pearl ignores this, “Steven-”
He’s already pulling his car keys from his pocket, “Pearl. I promise I remember what I’m doing! I did used to run Little Homeschool’s entire scheduling department.”
Though he means to reassure her, Pearl looks more confused than anything. His eyes flicker to Amethyst, who’s still angrily focused on the laptop screen, and has now started shaking it every few seconds. “I- uh. I mean. Steven. That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“I know, I know,” he waves a hand, and Pearl’s shoulders relax slightly as he breathes in, but straighten out again as he continues, “This is bad. Having to reschedule a weekend this busy would normally take days, but I think we can do it..” By the end she’s as tense as she started.
He looks towards Pearl’s face to see if she’s been consoled at all. Her pale eyes widen minutely when he meets them, and flicker down as she tilts her chin.
“No, Steven. I know you would do an excellent job helping us. I was just…” The lightest tinge of blue heats her face, but settles almost immediately. “We were looking forward to spending some time with you.”
He’s somehow so blindsided by this admission that he barely reacts when Amethyst, oblivious to what they’ve been talking about, slams her fists on the table. “This blows!”
She stands up and marches over to where he and Pearl are standing. “Ugh, screw Little Homecoming. Peeps can just figure stuff out themselves. No way we’re spending your first night back working!” She nudges his arm. “Right Steven?”
Pearl gives him a knowing look. His face flushes. “Oh. Um. Right.”
Amethyst is roused even by his less-than-enthusiastic response. “Yeah! Let the crowds wander aimlessly and let the tourists cause havoc! Schedule? Psht.” She snakes an arm around him, the other doing a one handed wave, shoulder to fingers, “We’ll do things based on vibes.” Pearl’s face creases.
Garnet, ever mysterious, seems to have grown bored of watching them panic. Or has finally found the answer. “No need.” She struts over to the laptop to point at it. “It Autosaved.” An enigma, how Garnet knows the things she does.
Amethyst hops back over to the laptop, and after a few clicks she emits a long ‘oohhhh,’ as the schedule easily flares to life on screen.
“Thank the stars,” Pearl breathes out, and another, smaller, relieved breath leaves her once she walks over to the laptop and confirms that the schedule is correct and intact. She seems to have an epiphany. “Aha!”
A large, and voluminous text book emerges from Pearl’s gem, and she skims through many pages before abruptly stopping and placing her finger down. Smugly, to Amethyst, who just shrugs— “Chapter Twelve.” She closes the book with a thud and stores it away again.
-
They play cards then Citchen Calamity, and end with a long, arduous, and tearful game of PolyPoly (which itself ends about 10 turns prematurely when Garnet ‘accidently’ flips the board). After that, it’s late, and the gems decide to call it quits for the night. Big day tomorrow, and the next. Which is really their polite way of saying ‘go to bed, Steven,’ in so many words.
He acquiesces, though, because he is tired, and did just come from a long day of driving and visiting some friends on the outskirts of town. While he changes in the bathroom, Pearl warps away and returns with his old comforter bundled in her arms. He makes his way back to the couch and yawns. It’s pleasantly warm, just out the dryer. As she drapes it over him, Steven’s body hums with warmth.
He sleepily thanks her, blinking slowly, a little embarrassed by how tired he is. Lion curls up on the floorboards by the bottom of the couch. If he closes his eyes, he can almost imagine that he’s thirteen and the fireplace is warming the room with gentle hues and he’s surrounded by family as the lights flicker back on.
But this time the lights turn off, and when he opens his eyes there’s a TV on the table, and the fireplace is dead. But his blanket is still warm, and his family is still there.
He hears them. In the way they stand, their breaths, their steps as they tread lightly when they approach. He had once told Lapis how nothing was ‘still’ on Earth. And if it’s true of Earth, it’s certainly true of his house. But his gems, his guys, still try and temper the storm for him.
Steven exhales deeply, the edge of consciousness blurred by the fireless warmth, teetering on the brink of sleep. Faint murmurs echo in his ears.
They wish him goodnight. They tell him they love him. They bid him well.
They promise him a normal day tomorrow, and that they’ll keep him safe.
Which is odd. But Steven’s already drifting off before he can think about it.