Chapter Text
10:32 PM. Pearl stared at the screen of her cell phone, the numbers dark over a picture of Amethyst making a silly face. She pressed the button at the top to turn the display off and paced around the fountain near the front of her room.
Water rippled around her feet as she walked, overflowing past the basin’s edge into the currents below. She saw the shallow pool sparkle under her, but her mind was in a different place entirely, somewhere not so far away from here.
Somewhere with dim fairy lights and a little radiator that made the cold of the world outside fade away. Somewhere with countless blankets and quilts arranged into an extravagant nest with rugs of all different colors and sizes layered over the cold wood floor to keep her feet warm. And something even more soft and warm than all of those things beckoning, inviting her in…
She combed a hand through her hair and hopped down to the pathway circling her room. It was terribly hard to wait. This was something she’d been missing for so long, and now that she’d finally gotten a taste, she couldn’t help but want more.
Pearl stopped and checked the display of her phone again. 10:37 PM. She sighed and returned the phone to her gem. That would have to do. Iridescent arcs of light burst from her gem and reflected off the walls as she willed the temple door to open in front of her.
The house was dark and still. She crept past the threshold and the sound of rushing water cut off as the door sealed behind her. Steven was snoring in his loft, asleep. Amethyst was probably in her room and Garnet was off on an evening mission. As she passed the living room she took a moment to peek up at Steven and make sure he was comfortable. He rolled over and mumbled something incoherent about the helicopter dog character he loved so much. Good.
She closed the door with both hands and made her way down the front steps, careful to avoid all the creaky spots. The moon was bright in the sky and lit her path, stretching across a darkened sea and sand that had been ruffled by thousands of footprints so many times. She found her way around the temple to the hill above, quickly padding through the grass on her toes.
The wooden house in front was now covered in lush mosses and flora, and light filtered through the leaves that crawled up the windows. She heard a laugh and some indistinguishable music as she tiptoed past. Peridot was probably busy on the tablet Steven had given her. She continued towards the stone tower and lifted her head to look toward the lantern room at the top. Her heart leapt when she saw a glimmer of lights reflected within and a single window left open. An invitation.
The bricks of the lighthouse were loose and worn from age and stormy weather. There were cracks and gaps in many places, which made for quite convenient footholds. She’d found her path up these bricks some time ago and had returned many times after. So she reached up and began to climb.
Pearl couldn’t remember what exactly had possessed her to scale those bricks the first time she came to see Jasper in the lighthouse, but she would never forget the moment that sparked the flame within her at the end of that night.
Jasper had been with them for several months, slowly adjusting to her new life on Earth. Her good mood after a sleepy, rainy day at the house had been cut short when she’d left by herself that afternoon. A corrupted gem monster had clawed its way up the beach from the depths of the ocean, caught her wrists and ankles with seaweed-like tendrils, and dragged her towards the dark churning sea. She had been just feet from the frigid waters before they heard the ruckus, freed her, and bubbled the corrupted gem. Jasper had sat unmoving on the sand, petrified until Amethyst eventually coaxed her into walking back to the lighthouse with her.
The sight of Jasper locked up in sheer terror when her feelings were always so well hidden beneath a proud bravado had left Pearl deeply distraught. She’d planned to just stop by and offer her support, but something nagged at her as she approached, something that said to be discreet, to not get caught. So in some odd stroke of inspiration, she’d scaled the stone wall of the lighthouse instead. At the top, her nerves frayed and freezing wind whipping through her hair, she had wanted to jump down and run away. But when saw Jasper’s form curled in on itself, hidden under heaps of bedding, she could not allow herself to leave. She’d swallowed her fear and tapped the window.
A flinch under the blankets. A lengthy pause. Then a streak of fiery red and flashing yellow eyes peeking out from between layers of muted fabric.
After another pause that had felt like forever, Jasper stood, heavy blankets tumbling around her, and Pearl’s pulse raced as she approached. They’d stared at each other, Jasper’s expression blank. She’d then pushed the window open, walked back to her fallen blankets, shuffled them around with her feet, and tucked herself against the wall facing away from Pearl. There was an empty space of blanket behind her.
The first, unspoken welcome. Pearl hadn't been sure what to do or even what Jasper wanted her to do, so she’d slipped through the window and settled for sitting quietly next to her. When Jasper did not move or speak, she shuffled closer and rested the side of her leg against Jasper’s back. Jasper stayed. So Pearl did too.
When the sun had begun to rise and Pearl got up to leave, Jasper finally turned to face her for the first time since she’d laid down. In that moment she did not hide. There was a beseeching look in her eyes, pained and lonely. That was when Pearl felt it. Her heart swelled and her throat grew tight. Her gem hummed with a warmth she hadn't felt for centuries. Jasper had ignited a spark, and Pearl wouldn't dare let it go out.
Midnight rendezvous became a part of everyday life after that. Jasper would leave her window open and Pearl would come. Pearl reached out with gentle touches and soft words, and eventually Jasper reached back in return.
Her whispers were rough and her hands nervous and shaky at first, but with time she became more confident. The more comfortable she got, the more she opened up. She talked in excited murmurs and made dramatic gestures for emphasis. She smiled wide and toothy and muffled rumbling laughs behind a hand when something was funny. She leaned an arm against Pearl when they sat side-by-side and always left plenty of blankets for Pearl next to her.
Casual affection turned into something different, something that made electricity crackle where their skin met. They’d walked a fine line, tension thick between them, but neither having the courage to push past. After what felt like an eternity, Jasper finally broke the wall down. It had been just a peck on the cheek—warm, soft lips meeting Pearl’s face for the briefest moment before disappearing again. She’d turned to Jasper in shock, who was suddenly very interested in picking at her nails, face flushed up to the ears.
Pearl’s excitement had gotten the better of her. She’d flung her arms around Jasper’s neck, kissed her hard, slid hands up her chest and tugged at her shoulder straps. When her lips met Jasper’s neck, she’d finally noticed the erratic heaving of her chest and the heartbeat pounding in her throat. She had been going too fast, much too fast. She eased up and pressed a chaste kiss to Jasper’s cheek.
Jasper had tried apologizing through heavy breaths, but Pearl hushed her and said, “You just tell me when. I’ll come back as long as you want me to, no matter what. Even if you don’t ever want that.”
Anticipation pushed aside Pearl’s reverie as she reached the top of the lighthouse. She swung herself over the gallery rail and peeked down into the room. There Jasper was, laying on her stomach and reading something she borrowed from Amethyst. A familiar giddiness bubbled up and Pearl pressed a hand to her chest. Stars, how she loved her.
Jasper noticed as soon as Pearl hopped down onto the especially fluffy rug placed under the window for her. A crooked grin spread across her face when she saw Pearl beaming at her from across the room. She tossed her book aside and lifted the corner of the quilt to let Pearl into the space at her side.
Pearl giggled as she kicked her flats off next to Jasper’s abandoned boots and leapt over to where they spent so many nights together. She tucked herself under Jasper’s arm and shimmied as close as she could, an intense warmth waiting for her there. She was determined to behave herself since she’d only just arrived, so she folded her hands together to keep them from wandering. She wanted to make certain Jasper did not feel pressured into a difficult position.
The vibrations of a quiet purr revved up against her side where she was pressed close to Jasper’s ribs. It was something Pearl suspected Jasper didn’t even realize she was doing (and of course would never admit to), so she felt very special to be able to earn such a relaxed, happy sound from her. She never heard her make any noise like it outside of when they were in their cozy den together.
Jasper lowered her arm over Pearl and let a hand rest on her waist. She started to fiddle with the fabric of her sash, scrunching it, tugging it, picking at it between her claws. Her head rested on her other arm as she watched Pearl with a peculiar look.
Heavy eyelids, slightly parted lips, cheeks flushed a tinge pink, dark pupils blown wide with just a wreath of golden sunlight left around them.
Oh, no.
Wild, thick hair flowing every which way, low light catching the hard facets of her gem and contrasting soft skin colored like a sunset, the weight of a heavy hand and idle fingers pressing into her waist.
Oh, Jasper had no idea what she was doing to her, did she?
Pearl crossed her ankles together when she felt a twinge between her thighs. She took a deep breath and clasped her hands together tighter.
Behave, she reminded herself.
“So what have you been up to today? Reading something from Amethyst, I see,” she said, keeping her voice steady. Maybe if she got Jasper to talk she would stop giving her that look that made her feel all sorts of ways.
Jasper made an affirmative grunt and tilted her head to glance at the book.
“Slow day,” she grumbled. “Amethyst was gonna spar with me but she said she had to do something and told me to read that instead.” The cover had a stylized drawing of colorful human girls fighting in fancy dresses. Jasper grinned and shook her head, then shifted to look back at Pearl.
Pearl’s breath caught when she felt the hand on her waist start moving with purpose, pulling at specific parts, finding the places that held the ribbon secure.
“And you?” Jasper asked, her voice low and husky. She continued to work her fingers into the knot of Pearl’s sash while acting completely casual, as if she wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.
Pearl thought she was going to crack. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t taken her sash off around Jasper for comfort’s sake before, but Jasper never made a move to touch it on her own. Yet here she was, slowly loosening it bit by bit. Pearl could tell she was trying to be gentle, but even while holding back Jasper still managed to lift Pearl’s entire waist with each tug.
Jasper was strong. Very, very strong. Pearl started to imagine what kinds of things those strong hands could do and felt her face heat up. She’d have to act fast before she did something she’d feel very embarrassed about later.
“O-oh! Well, you know Connie comes over when she can to practice her sword techniques and of course I’m always happy to help, so we-” She could hear herself babble out of nervousness and Jasper just kept giving her that look as she scissored her fingers between the fabric.
“-in particular the specific, ah, positioning of- oh,” she faltered when she felt her tunic fall loose around her sides, no longer hugged tight by its usual binding.
With one swift motion the sash was pulled out from under her, making a light snap in the air. Pearl gasped and reached out to grab whatever part of Jasper she could reach.
She froze in horror when she realized what she had grabbed just so happened to be the part of Jasper’s uniform that sat right over the top of her breast. She stared wide-eyed at her own hand that held the entirety of the strap, tantalizing heat radiating from the soft skin squished against the back of her hand.
Pearl squawked and jerked away to hide her burning face with both hands. She knew she should probably leave, should probably try to give Jasper space after all her awkwardness at such a simple friendly gesture, but she just couldn’t bring herself to move.
There were a few moments of tense silence. Then, very softly, “No?”
Pearl lifted her head in confusion.
“What-?” she started, but then saw the disappointment in Jasper’s face, her deflated posture. The sash was still wrapped around her hand and she hadn’t bothered to fix her uniform, leaving that glorious extra inch of shoulder still uncovered.
Oh.
“Jas- oh, no I- that’s not-,” she stuttered, sitting up and flapping her hands about in panic. She stopped herself, closed her eyes, took a breath. When she opened them again, Jasper was leaned just a fraction closer, a fang worrying her bottom lip.
Pearl swore this gem would be the death of her. She groaned and looked anywhere but Jasper, covering half her face with a hand. Her fingers were cool and helped a little with the awful heat in her cheeks and neck.
“Jasper,” she said, “don’t you know? I’ve wanted to be with you for so long, but I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable or think I wouldn’t visit if you didn’t want to.”
She paused to peek over at Jasper. She was completely still, paying rapt attention, her gaze intense and magnetic. Pearl’s stomach whorled with anxious butterflies.
“I was waiting for you to tell me when you wanted to...” she trailed off and Jasper looked away, brows furrowed in thought.
Pearl fiddled with the hem of her shirt, willing herself to be patient and allow Jasper time to respond. She shifted her legs to one side and laughed nervously, hoping to break the tension.
“You know, you’re very hard to resist! You just look at me a certain way and I- well if I had known different I wouldn’t have held back.”
Jasper raised an eyebrow and looked at Pearl, a little color rising to her cheeks. She glanced down, then back up again from under heavy lashes, the alluring expression from when Pearl first arrived returning to her face.
Everything happened faster than Pearl was able to think. A hand wrapped all the way around her thigh and pulled her forward, the force of it making her fall back onto the floor. The impact knocked the air out of her, and her limbs splayed awkwardly on either side of her.
She was about to try and right herself but realized she was completely underneath Jasper, thick tresses of hair falling around them like a curtain. The hand that caught her thigh moved up to her hip and just under the edge of her shirt.
Jasper leaned down and their faces were just inches apart.
Pearl could see gold and amber flecks in her eyes, could feel the warmth of her body held just out of reach, could almost taste the intoxicating scent unique to Jasper, spiced and smoky. Voluptuous lips stretched wider into a sly grin, bearing a hint of the sharp fangs behind them.
A little closer. Pearl’s breathing quickened, her hands grasped at the blankets under her, she couldn’t keep holding back like this, she couldn’t–
“Then don’t,” Jasper whispered, lips barely brushing against Pearl’s as they moved.
Pearl crashed into Jasper with the tension she’d held in for months, closing the gap between them with every part of her body she could. She buried her hands into soft hair at the base of Jasper’s head and pulled her in, arched her chest up to press against Jasper’s, hooked her leg around a thigh.
Their kiss was sloppy at first, Jasper’s gem poked into her cheek and Pearl’s nose wasn’t quite angled right, but it was everything she’d wanted and waited for. Pearl tilted her head and moved her mouth against Jasper’s, getting a better position.
Jasper moved with her, taking in a raspy breath when she opened her mouth for Pearl. She nudged a knee between Pearl’s legs and let her hand roam over her stomach, pushing the shirt up as she went.
Pearl slid her tongue against Jasper’s and over sharp teeth she’d fantasized feeling for herself so many times. Everything was so much better than she imagined: Jasper’s full lips overwhelming hers, the humid breaths between them, tasting rousing pheromones she had only known through scent until then. When Jasper’s leg pressed between her thighs again, more insistent this time, her head fell back with a shaky groan.
Jasper took her chance and moved to Pearl’s neck, kissing her jaw and nipping at her neck. She pushed Pearl’s shirt the rest of the way up and grazed her thumb over a pert blue nipple.
“You want it off?” She gave the loose fabric a tug, her voice low in Pearl’s ear.
Pearl nodded, breathless, and lifted her arms above her head. Jasper leaned up to take the shirt in both hands and pull it over Pearl’s head. She heard Jasper chuckle overhead when the collar got stuck on her nose, but with a few extra tugs she was free, albeit a bit ruffled.
There was an instinctive urge to cross her arms over her bare chest, but before she could Jasper caught her wrists and pinned them above her head. A knot tightened in her stomach when she saw the coy quirk of Jasper’s lips and the dark smolder in her eyes.
The tip of a sharp nail traced up the center of her stomach to her sternum, making Pearl tremble and jump when it passed somewhere particularly sensitive. All the little hairs on her body raised when Jasper spread her hand over the entirety of Pearl’s chest. The hand was heavy and warm and despite the dangerous claws at the end of each finger, it made her feel oddly safe.
Jasper’s hand trailed back down, under her breasts, down her waist, over her hips. Her eyes drifted lower with her hand, admiring the open skin bared to her. She pushed at the edge of Pearl’s shorts, rolling them just under her hips.
Pearl squeaked when Jasper ground her thigh upward between her legs and, almost as if she’d expected it, Jasper’s lips were on Pearl’s again, pressing down hard.
Pearl closed her eyes as she squirmed and bucked against Jasper’s thigh to try and get some friction to little success. Her shorts were pushed down as far as they would go with her legs spread between Jasper’s and only proved to be in her way.
She whined when the sweet pressure between her legs disappeared and a hand firmly held her hips in place.
Jasper parted the kiss and let go of slender wrists to rest her hand on top of Pearl’s head, brushing light peach hair away from her forehead with a thumb.
“I wanna take these off, but you have to be quiet,” she said, tugging at Pearl’s waistband. “Can you?”
Pearl looped her arms around Jasper’s neck and tugged her close. She looked at Jasper with starry eyes and bit her lip, agreeing with a fervent nod.
Jasper smiled and ran her thumb over Pearl’s gem, then leaned up to kiss it.
“Good.”
Rapturous energy thrummed through Pearl’s body from her gem, filling her head and tingling down to the tips of her fingers and toes. She felt the vibrations of Jasper’s gravelly voice resonate through her and clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle the noises that so desperately wanted to escape.
Pearl loosed her arm from Jasper’s neck and let her palm slide over the tight, thick fabric of the uniform crossing broad shoulders and soft chest as Jasper leaned back. She realized with mild annoyance Jasper was still fully dressed and really wished she would fix that.
Her thoughts of Jasper’s current state of dress came to an abrupt halt when she felt her ankles gathered up and easily lifted into the air.
Jasper rested long legs on her chest and brought her hands to the rolled waistband. She took her time as she pulled stretchy fabric from Pearl’s hips and thighs, over her knees, down her calves, and finally tossed them off from her feet, leaving pink knee-socks in place.
A fresh wave of heat rose to Pearl’s face when Jasper laid between her legs and hitched her knees up over her shoulders. Jasper glanced down and hummed appreciatively, her breath a tease between Pearl’s legs. She used one hand to lift Pearl’s hips off the floor and the other to support her back, angling her up. Soft hair tickled Pearl’s thigh as Jasper rested her head there and admired her view.
“Well look at you,” she said. “You’re kind of a messy one, aren’t you?”
Pearl removed the hand from her mouth and leaned up to give Jasper as pointed of a glare as she could while her face still burned with embarrassment. Given Jasper’s smirk, it was not very effective.
“Look, it’s been a very long time and I, ohh–” her words cut short with a throaty moan as wet heat dragged up her labia.
Realizing her mistake, she smacked both hands back over her mouth as fast as she could. She looked at Jasper with wide eyes, silently pleading her not to stop.
Jasper licked her lips with a dangerous grin.
“Better be careful.”
A whimper caught in Pearl’s throat and she nodded vigorously, crossing her ankles behind Jasper’s head to urge her forward.
Jasper leaned back down, keeping Pearl’s hips in place. She started with a kiss to the top of her mound, then slid her tongue between the split of wet outer lips to tease her clit.
Pearl panted and huffed, digging her heels into Jasper’s back at the immense effort it took to keep quiet. She slid a hand up her face, palm pressed into her cheek, while the other still partially covered her mouth. A gasp shuddered through her when Jasper pressed down with the flat of her tongue and closed her mouth around what felt like her entire cunt.
Of course Jasper was big, but it was startlingly apparent when Pearl looked down to see her gazing back up, mouth easily covering all of what lay between her trembling thighs. Pearl whimpered and bit down on a finger, coiling heat building up inside her in a way it hadn’t for hundreds of years.
Jasper hummed, sending deep vibrations into Pearl’s core. She adjusted her grip and moved a hand to hold Pearl open with two fingers. The firm rubs on Pearl’s clit became long, slow licks up the length of her cunt, saliva mixing with excessive slick from her arousal.
Pearl felt a nudge against her entrance and her hands flew to Jasper’s head, tangling into her hair.
“Oh- yes, yes Jasper, please,” she begged, struggling to keep her voice low between heaving breaths.
Her hands trembled as she grabbed and pulled at Jasper’s hair, trying to bring her even closer than she already was. Pearl braced her feet against the strong planes of Jasper’s back and writhed against her face.
In the back of her mind, Pearl felt a twinge of embarrassment for how shameless and desperate she was being. She wasn’t sure if she felt so unhinged because it really had been that long or if Jasper was just that good. When she felt thick pressure slip inside and curl upward towards her stomach, she decided it was definitely the latter.
Her mouth opened in a silent scream and she arched in Jasper’s grip, clutching the back of her head like a lifeline, wanting it all as fast as she could give. Involuntary shudders wracked her body when Jasper retreated and plunged back in, fiery heat building fast in her belly.
Jasper made a minute shift in her position, tilted Pearl’s hips, then thrust as far in as she could go. She nudged her gem against Pearl’s clit and rubbed a thumb over Pearl’s hip where it rested, trying to give her a hint.
Pearl whimpered when she realized what she was supposed to do. She untangled her hands from the back of Jasper’s head and traced her thumbs over dark eyebrows, then affectionately pushed the hair away from her forehead.
Jasper stared back with wide eyes, caught off guard, and her cheeks darkened a shade. It almost made Pearl giggle that Jasper was blushing from a few soft touches instead of because of where her mouth was.
She felt a huff of hot breath on her cunt before Jasper closed her eyes, furrowed her brow, and pressed in deep and up, redoubling her efforts. A tiny noise escaped when Jasper nudged her gem against Pearl’s clit again and hard facets glided over sensitive flesh.
There was something about the fact that it was her gem, what made Jasper who she is, that made Pearl come undone. She had wanted this for so long, but not even in her wildest fantasies had she imagined that.
Everything but Jasper faded from focus and her head spun. White-hot lust took hold and pushed her closer and closer to the edge with each rut of her hips. She tugged at Jasper’s hair and bucked her hips, finding the perfect angle against soft skin and smooth edges.
With a few last stuttering jerks of her hips, Pearl gave in. Her back bent in a tight arch and her legs snapped around Jasper’s head, strained moans forcing their way out as she struggled to keep quiet. It rolled through her body in waves and made her fingers and toes curl.
Just when Pearl felt like she was coming down, Jasper ran her tongue all the way up to her clitoris and wrapped her lips around it, sucking hard. A second orgasm crashed over her just as intense as the first and she fell apart in Jasper’s hands all over again, completely overcome.
Then it was too much, too sensitive, almost painful. Pearl let her knees fall apart and gave Jasper’s head urgent pats to signal she was done.
Jasper lifted her head with a satisfied smile and used the back of her hand to wipe her face. With all the gentleness in the world, she set Pearl down on the blankets and arranged her legs in a comfortable position.
Pearl melted into the soft touch and lay relaxed, eyes closed, letting her breathing even out. She grumbled in protest when she felt her arms and legs being moved this way and that, then firmly tucked against her.
She opened her eyes to see what the fuss was about and found that Jasper had wrapped her up in a blanket and was just starting to nestle into her side.
“Jasper, what on Earth,” she squawked, flailing about in the cocoon of fabric.
Confused, Jasper scooted back to let Pearl move freely.
“What's wrong? We were laying together before so… I thought it was okay.”
“Well of course laying together is okay,” Pearl huffed, still struggling with the impeccable tuck around her legs. A few more tugs and she was finally free from the tangle of blankets and sat up. “But you started cuddling up to me like we were done,” she finished with a little laugh.
Jasper frowned, seeming lost.
“You came, though. Was it not good? Do you need another?”
Pearl stared in shock. Surely she had… no, it couldn't be.
“Jasper, has no one ever returned the favor?”
Jasper froze, a ruddy pink flooding her cheeks. Her mouth opened and closed a couple times before she was able to speak again.
“Wh-what? What do you- I don't need anything, I just-” She chuckled nervously and waved a hand in front of her face. “No, I'm good at giving, you don't have to- hah, not to me. Here, we can- we can just lay down, it's nice,” she said giving the open space next to her a couple of pats.
Pearl shook her head in disbelief. How many gems had Jasper been with that took from her and didn't give back? How many had used her to satisfy their own needs and never even offered to help with hers? How many selfish, greedy gems had Jasper been so generous to that she would think that was normal?
“Jasper, no,” Pearl said, taking Jasper’s hand in both of her own. “You do know that I want to touch you, don't you?”
Jasper let her hand rest in Pearl’s, but still gave her that funny look.
“I thought you knew that when you first kissed me and I, ah, got a bit too excited,” she said, still a bit sheepish about the incident.
Jasper bit the inside of her cheek and looked away. She curled one of her fingers around Pearl’s hand.
“I thought...” Jasper started slowly.
She paused again and Pearl waited patiently, rubbing soothing circles into her palm.
“I thought maybe you just wanted me to get you off and then you wouldn't come back.” She fidgeted, still avoiding Pearl’s gaze. “I got scared because I thought it was gonna be over. But then you said you would come back even if I didn't want to, but I did want to, and- I don’t know, that’s just always how it’s been for me with other gems.”
She glanced up at Pearl with a casual shrug.
“Besides, it’s not like they’d wanna touch a beta quartz from Earth. It makes sense.”
Pearl suddenly felt like screaming and sobbing at the same time. She gritted her teeth and squeezed Jasper’s hand tight in her own.
“No, it does not.” Her voice shook with anger at how unfair it was, at how much Jasper had put up with to think she didn’t even deserve it.
She thought about how she must have been treated on Homeworld. A lone quartz transplanted from the Diamond Authority’s biggest failure, Earth. No matter how hard she worked or how much she accomplished, she would never even be considered as good as lower-rank gems from superior kindergartens. Never fitting in, never enough.
She thought about Jasper’s comparatively short time on Earth and all the times she was isolated and abandoned here. Trapped in a watery grave so long she forgot how to breathe without water in her lungs, throwing herself towards suffering in search of worth and purpose, succumbing to centuries of grief in sun-streaked canyons she once called home, infected with corruption. And the most difficult of all, the loss and betrayal of her Diamond.
Oh, Pearl knew that well: loyalty, love, and self-sacrifice ardently given, only to be met with the empty space where a gem once was. Pink of course had loved her too, but there was always something missing, something that didn’t fit between them. They never saw the same stars, never swam the same current, never heard the same whisper in the breeze.
Pearl looked at the warm hand held between her own. It was enormous compared to hers, harsh claws made to shred contrasting placid fingers made to be folded in a lap. They were supposed to be intimidating and dangerous, but all Pearl could think of was how careful and kind they were to her.
Jasper was different. She could see it, could feel it, the fire she had wanted so much from Rose burned hot in Jasper. When Pearl felt a spark, she saw one in fierce scarlet and orange rivaling her own. When they were together she felt a resonance between them, an intimate wordless understanding she’d never known before. Their energy worked in tandem, giving and taking, waxing and waning, twisting up and weaving into something indescribable between them.
Yes, Pearl was angry that the gems before her had hurt Jasper so much, but it only served to fuel the vehement passion boiling inside her.
She would never leave her, never take advantage of her, never selfishly use her. She was breaking the cycle right here, right now.
Pearl realized she had been gripping Jasper’s hand much too tight when Jasper sat up, worry lacing her features.
“Hey, it’s okay. I know you’re not gonna leave or anything,” she said. “We can just lay down like we always do and you can tell me about Connie’s practice or do that thing you like with my hair.”
Pearl shook her head again and dropped Jasper’s hand to cup her face instead. She rose onto her knees and pressed a kiss to the stripe on her cheek.
“Oh, Jasper…” she whispered. “You deserved so much better.”
Jasper said nothing, the dim string lights catching luminescent specks in her eyes like burning stardust shooting across an amber sky.
“Will you let me take care of you?”
Pearl kept still, giving Jasper time to process.
It was probably very overwhelming being offered something she’d always given but never thought to have for herself. And of course it would be frightening to trust someone to treat her body kindly when no one else ever had. Pearl was completely prepared to accept if Jasper was not ready, and would be happy to lavish her in affection in other ways.
Jasper’s face was flushed under her fingers and Pearl gave her an encouraging squeeze. Her eyes flicked down, then to the side, then back to Pearl.
“... Okay,” she rasped.
Pearl beamed and squished Jasper’s cheeks, making her lips pout a bit, and kissed her.
“You have so much courage, do you know that?” she said, tracing the strong jaw under her fingertips.
Jasper grimaced, the skin around her gem wrinkling a little as she shifted.
“So what am I supposed to do anyway? I’ve only ever done quick stuff for teammates.”
She anxiously picked at the leg of her uniform between her nails and kept her gaze averted. Despite her even tone, it was clear she was very apprehensive about the whole thing.
Pearl stood up and circled around to Jasper’s back. She could see her muscles tense, but she did not turn around.
“All you have to do is relax,” she said, soothing and low. She worked her fingers into thick hair at the crown of Jasper’s head and lightly scratched down.
Most quartzes had tough scalps to accommodate the special hair they used in combat, but in Pearl’s experience playing with their hair still never failed to be comforting. She knew many teams of quartzes instinctually bonded through hair grooming and maintenance, so it was only natural.
She also knew Jasper had not been welcome to these bonding sessions as an outsider to the already tight-knit teams she was assigned. When Pearl eventually learned this, she made a habit of fussing with Jasper’s hair much more often. She could tell it made her happy, even if she didn't say so.
Her fingers wove through fluffy locks that stuck up every which way and began sectioning small parts off. Pearl could see Jasper’s posture start to relax as she worked.
“We’ll go nice and easy.” She finished off her first braid and set it over Jasper’s shoulder before reaching to do the same on the opposite side.
Pearl managed to finish a fourth narrow braid before Jasper’s shoulders slumped forward and a quiet purr rumbled in her chest again. Pearl smiled. Good. It wouldn’t help anything if Jasper was a nervous wreck.
She let her knuckles gently brush across Jasper’s jaw, then down her neck as she swept all of the loose hair up along with the smaller braids and pulled it behind her shoulders.
“And you can always tell me to slow down or stop if you don’t feel good or get nervous, okay?”
Jasper hummed and gave a little nod.
Pearl gathered all of the hair up in both hands and tied it together into one big, loose ponytail with the finished braids. She set the bulk of it over Jasper’s shoulder and smoothed her hands over the sides of Jasper’s neck, pressing thumbs into the pressure points on either side of her vertebrae.
Her hands were firm and steady as she kneaded up to the base of her skull, then over bands of muscle stretching down her neck. Clever fingers found their way between thick uniform straps and warm skin and pushed them down over broad shoulders.
The subtle purr that rolled through Jasper turned into something new, a noise Pearl had never heard before. It was like a deep shivering sigh, little involuntary huffs in quick succession, her chest shuddering along with it. Pearl decided she very much liked that noise.
She knelt down behind Jasper and slid her hands over the slack muscles in her arms. Pearl admired them often from afar, straining and glistening with sweat in the midst of a sparring match or a fierce battle on a mission, but being up close and actually feeling the strength that lay in their defined contours never failed to leave her awestruck.
Her fingers ventured down to sturdy ribs, then further yet to a soft, pliant waist and she pressed her bare chest against the exposed skin of Jasper’s back. Pearl wrapped her arms around the smallest part of Jasper’s waist and spread her hands over her stomach, earning an involuntary twitch and a sharp breath in response.
Pearl kissed her spine and slowly slid upward over soft padding covering the strong abdominals of her core. When she found the seam supporting full, heavy breasts, she cupped her hands under them and followed their natural curve upward. She squeezed them flush to Jasper’s chest and pulled her close, then rubbed outward to sensitive nipples that stiffened after a few circles of her fingers.
Jasper let out another quaking sigh and goosebumps rose on her skin. She shifted her legs and hips, fidgeting again.
Pearl tried to lean up and peek at Jasper’s face without removing her hands, but found she was too small to see her from behind that way. She peppered a few more kisses down Jasper’s back as she continued to massage over her breasts, well aware that she was pushing and pulling the uniform down further as she went. While Pearl would be quite happy to sit there all night and savor the faltering breaths and quiet, trembling noises she plucked from her, she knew it wasn’t fair to keep her waiting.
She withdrew her hands from under Jasper’s arms and stood to circle back around her. With a foot planted on either side of Jasper’s hips, Pearl brushed the ponytail back and rested her hands on open shoulders, gently pushing back.
Pearl could not have moved Jasper on her own even if she wanted to, so it was always Jasper’s choice to move and bend where she was guided, or to stay put. When she let herself be laid down, arms open and surrendering at her sides, Pearl’s heart fluttered.
Trust. Jasper trusted Pearl with everything she had, everything she was. Her face blushed deep, chest rising and falling in a light pant, lips parted just enough to show the points of her frontmost fangs.
Blooming affection mixed into a familiar cloying feeling that pooled between Pearl’s thighs, urging her on. She trailed her hands over straps that were already more than halfway down Jasper’s chest, took two handfuls of fabric, and looked at her in question.
Jasper nodded and wriggled her arms free, helping Pearl pull it down to her ribcage.
Pearl had to pause a moment once Jasper was free. “Stars, you are incredible,” she whispered as she ran her fingers along the stripe that hugged the underside of her right breast.
Jasper sucked air in between her teeth and grabbed at the blanket from the sudden cool touch.
No one had ever touched her under her uniform before. In fact, Pearl wondered when the last time was Jasper even touched herself under her uniform.
Loosened fabric slid easily over a pinched waist, revealing another stunning red stripe sweeping across soft, vulnerable stomach. The material stretched tight again when Pearl started working it down hips twice as wide as her whole body. She knelt between Jasper’s legs to get better leverage to pull it the rest of the way down.
A few more firm but useless tugs proved her efforts were in vain. Pearl rested her head on Jasper’s hip and muffled a laugh with the back of her hand.
Jasper leaned up with a huff and frowned.
“What's so funny?” she grumbled.
Pearl pulled at the bunched uniform as hard as she could, gesturing at Jasper’s hips when it still didn't budge.
“Well you’re just, you're very well endowed,” she said. “I need your help.”
Jasper flopped back down with a groan and rubbed her hands over her face. She laid still for a while, a growl in the back of her throat. Pearl noticed her ponytail had started to come apart as she raked at her hair in frustration.
Perhaps she needed a little extra encouragement.
Keeping her eyes trained on Jasper’s face to watch for any signs of discomfort, Pearl abandoned the stubborn uniform and slid her hands over Jasper’s hips instead, following their curve to the crease of her legs. She caught an almost inaudible gasp and a slight bend in Jasper’s back as she fanned her fingers out over the insides of her thighs. Powerful legs trembled on either side of her head when Pearl dipped down and kissed Jasper’s mound and lightly ran her thumbs over plump outer lips.
She lingered there, breathing the enticing scent so specific to Jasper, and used her thumbs to spread her open as much as sturdy fabric would allow. The small but distinct noise that followed sent a jolt of heat through Pearl.
Jasper was wet. Very wet.
A choked noise made its way out of Jasper through gritted teeth and she tugged at her own hair, palms still pressed against her forehead. She dug her heels into the floor when Pearl moved her thumbs in languid circles, pushing slippery folds together then pulling them back apart.
Pearl steadied a hand on the crook of hip and thigh to pet Jasper through her uniform, gentle and smooth. She traced her middle finger along the split of her sex while the others rested on either side, coaxing out quiet noises and sharp breaths.
Sappy wetness started to soak through thick fabric as Pearl teased her fingers along the line of Jasper’s cunt, swollen with arousal. A hunger that had been lurking deep down took hold of her, wild and untamed. She was quite done with all this material being in her way.
Pearl shoved Jasper’s thighs open as far as she could with both hands and ground her own slight hips against the damp, scorching heat between unsteady legs.
Jasper squirmed against Pearl and bit down on her fist to muffle a groan. She looked down with imploring eyes, wordlessly begging with a desperation that poured into Pearl and filled her with urgency.
“I want these off,” she growled, wrenching at the bunched fabric still confining Jasper’s hips.
Oh, but she wanted so much more than that. She wanted to bend Jasper until she broke, to make her come apart at the seams, to open her up and lave into the soft places she so carefully hid from everyone else. She wanted to pull ragged breaths and needy moans from lungs that gasped for air, see the stripes on her skin shift over her body, writhing with molten pleasure that destroyed coherent thought. She wanted to split her open with gliding fingers, to bury herself into tight heat dripping with need, to devour feverish skin glistening with sweat. To see her claws dig into the floor, hear her shout Pearl’s name, and whimper and plead and scream–
“Hey, Jasper!”
They both froze at the nasally voice shouting from the floor below and stared at each other, stunned.
Jasper snapped out of the initial shock first and instinctively grabbed armfuls of blanket from around her to hold to her chest.
“Y-yeah?” She winced at the sound of her own unusually high voice and quietly cleared her throat.
“Me and Amethyst are going to a human performance with loud rhythmic noises and synchronized body thrashing, do you want to come?”
Jasper let her head fall backward towards the doorway to respond and Pearl bit her lip. Despite the situation, she couldn’t help but admire the lines from bared throat to open collarbone, to sternum and the soft curve of breasts swathed in blankets.
“No, I’m fine, but wow thanks,” Jasper answered, keeping her head tilted to wait for a reply.
There was a small pause, then concerned, “Are you sure? Do you want me to come up there?”
Jasper clutched the blankets closer and tried to fold in on herself, self-consciousness and doubt starting to seep in through vulnerable cracks.
“No! I- no, don't come up, I just want to, uh,” she said, frantically scrambling for an excuse.
Pearl patted her stomach to get her attention, and Jasper jumped as if she’d forgotten Pearl was even there.
“Read your book,” Pearl mouthed, pointing toward the discarded book for emphasis.
Jasper realized what she meant and nodded, then tilted her head back to yell back at Peridot again.
“I'm in the middle of that book Amethyst gave me with the pink girl, you know the one. I wanna see what happens.”
Peridot make an excited noise before shouting back, “Oh, I completely understand. See you later then!”
Jasper made a vague grunt and they both waited, listening to the soft patter of Peridot’s socked feet as she left.
As soon as they heard the door shut downstairs, Jasper dragged the blankets up around her and stuffed her face into them. She rolled onto her side and drew her knees together in front of Pearl, a muffled groan coming from behind bunched up fabric.
Pearl knew how hard it was the first time, being so vulnerable and open to someone else. Adding that Jasper had little confidence in her attractiveness outside of battle, it made sense for her to feel nervous when the heat of a passionate moment cooled down. Pearl would simply have to build her confidence back up.
She crawled up from below Jasper’s knees, sat next to her head, and began combing through her hair again.
“Are you feeling alright?” she asked softly.
“I was weird,” Jasper said, sounding more confused than upset.
“What do you mean?”
Jasper sighed in exasperation and propped her chin up on the bundle of blankets.
“I felt like I wanted you to… hold me down, I think. Or just be close? I don’t know.”
Pearl felt a little leap in her stomach at the suggestion, but stayed quiet and kept petting her hair.
“The other gems were rough and fast and didn't make much noise. I thought maybe you were different because you’re not a quartz, but then I was… I wasn’t anything like them.”
“Is that a bad thing, though?” Pearl asked, plucking hairs away from Jasper’s furrowed brow. “I’m sure those other gems weren’t there to be with you considering they all just left once they were done.” She spat the last part and hoped her word’s venom would somehow reach them galaxies away. “They just wanted a quick way to relieve pent up feelings and aggression. That's not what we’re interested in though, right?”
Jasper grumbled.
Still not convinced. Pearl hummed in thought, then tried again.
“Things will sound and feel different when you spar with Garnet versus when you spar with me. You and Garnet are more serious and competitive with each other, but you and I can't help but tease and flirt. When we feel differently about our partner in sparring or in sex, we react differently to them, which is a good thing.”
Pearl craned her neck to try to see Jasper’s face better, but the blush creeping up the back of her neck and ears made it obvious she was just more embarrassed than ever.
“You know, it’s completely okay if this is still a little fast for you, we don’t have to-”
“No!” Jasper shouted, twisting around to face Pearl. Realizing she’d given herself away, a new wave of heat rose to her cheeks. “I mean- no, it's not too fast. I don’t wanna stop, I want to feel like that again. I liked it. I just…”
Another pause.
“What if you don’t like it, after I’ve always been so… y’know. Tough,” she finished awkwardly.
Pearl spluttered, taken aback.
“Don’t like it? Stars, Jasper, I like everything about you. Seeing you let go of your worries and feel good it- it’s-” she gestured vaguely to try and convey feelings she didn't have words for.
“From the first time you let me through your window you’ve trusted me with so much and, oh-” Pearl reached down to cup ruddy cheeks in her hands. She knew each moment of weakness was a risk for Jasper, a terrifying leap into the unknown, but still she trusted Pearl. She let her in and trusted her with the secrets she’d kept inside for millennia. It was only fair that Pearl had the courage to do the same.
“The more I learn about you the more I love you. I'm always going to like when you show me something new and different about yourself, because it's more of you, and that's what I love.”
Jasper stared, mouth open in shock.
“You lo–” she started, but was cut off by Pearl pulling her into a kiss.
Winding fingers found their way back into fluffy white hair and Pearl held her close, almost afraid to let go. Jasper relaxed against her, pushing forward into the kiss. It was like honey dripping into tea, warm and slow.
When Pearl pulled back, Jasper’s eyes were still closed, her lips parted as she breathed deeply, her head slightly tilted back. Pearl knew that was how Jasper detected scent, though for whatever reason, perhaps embarrassment or simply inconvenience, she often did not. She felt warmth in her chest seeing such a natural, open reaction from her.
She decided to have courage once more and found the cool facets of Jasper’s gem in a tender kiss.
The response was immediate. Jasper’s body trembled with a deep wavering breath, dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks, thick brows knitted together. Pearl felt an effervescent hum of energy at her lips, an immense life force drawing in her own. A bright glow sparked in Jasper’s gem and cast across her face, warm oranges and yellows playing against her skin like sunlight.
Time slowed. Energy zipped across Jasper’s skin to her own, and from her own to Jasper’s where they touched. It would be so easy, so natural. She could reach out with her light and hold her, could swirl and melt into her and feel Jasper course through her in return. She could protect her and be a part of her at the same time.
They could be something new, something beautiful and exciting, unlike anything either of them had been before.
But Pearl knew, no matter how wonderful it may be, it was not the right time. She didn’t know how Jasper felt about trying to fuse again, even with someone she trusted. She had only just started opening up about the pain of her first fusions. Perhaps someday though, maybe even sooner than Pearl had ever dreamed, they could come together as a new experience. One of love and happiness, one where she could share how fusion is supposed to feel.
For now, Pearl retreated. Jasper opened her eyes, her expression dreamy. A smile tugged at Pearl’s mouth. Stars, she really did love her.
“Do you want to try again?” she asked, brushing a thumb across Jasper’s cheek.
Jasper nodded, a dazed grin spreading across her face. Pearl laughed and touched a hand to a hip still covered in bunched fabric.
“Alright, well we still need to take care of this. Do you want to help me pull it off or do you want to shift it off?”
Jasper glanced down thoughtfully before she closed her eyes and the rest of her uniform disappeared in a flash of light.
Pearl swallowed. That was not the response she had expected, but she couldn’t say she wasn’t pleased by it.
She tried to be inconspicuous, but failed miserably as her eyes roamed across tempting expanses of open skin. The blankets Jasper had gathered up in her arms hardly covered her, instead draping over the curves and dips of her body like an alluring gift to unwrap. She glanced back up at Jasper’s face and thought she might faint.
Jasper gazed down at her, arms resting comfortably above her head. Sandy white hair flowed around her like rolling clouds in a pink sunrise. Her chest rose and fell lightly with each breath, waiting.
A stripe curving under her breast, one hugging the dramatic bend of her waist, one painted over her upper thigh, one covering her shin all the way down to her toes.
Pearl made her way to each of them, sweeping her hands over tapering lines and circling bands, moving blanket aside as she went. She eventually tucked herself into the crook of Jasper’s waist and kissed the tender spot just under her breast.
Jasper’s breathing came quicker now, and she rested her arm around Pearl, holding her tight.
“I’m nervous,” she whispered.
Pearl kissed Jasper’s ribs a few more times and laid her head there.
“Do you want me to stop?” she asked, gently rubbing her stomach.
“No, don’t stop.”
Pearl’s hand trailed lower and she pressed her palm to the plush of Jasper’s mons and buried her fingers into the soft give of outer lips. Jasper made a little surprised noise and Pearl hesitated.
“Ye-yeah, it’s good,” she rasped.
Pearl hummed and continued on. She took her time exploring the wet heat that lie waiting for her. A single finger slid between Jasper’s labia, testing, smearing generous slick that dripped from her core up the length of her cunt.
Two more fingers joined the first, spreading velvety petals apart and tracing their edges, finding the ways they opened and gave in to her. Pearl used four fingers now and dragged them up with purpose, finally giving much needed attention to Jasper’s clit.
The little noises that slipped from Jasper’s throat turned into a shuddering moan as Pearl rubbed practiced circles to the sensitive nub that stiffened beneath her touch. Jasper’s back arched and she moved the hand she had been holding Pearl with to brace herself against the floor behind them.
Pearl grinned against Jasper’s side when she noticed her toes curl and calves strain as Jasper pressed her feet into the floor, tangling blankets when they slipped under her. She eased up and switched to a light pressure, tracing idle patterns with just a fingertip.
A high, thin whine Pearl almost wouldn’t have believed came from Jasper broke into whimpering, shallow panting. Pearl ventured further, past sopping folds to nudge against her entrance.
“Please, please–!”
Jasper had been so quiet Pearl almost hadn’t heard her, but as soon as she did she waited no more. She slid all four fingers inside, steady and persistent, making it up to the knuckle with ease.
Jasper tossed her head back with a guttural moan and tilted her hips into Pearl’s hand, still seeking more.
Pearl panted with her, feeling a knot tightening in her stomach again. She scrambled up to straddle Jasper’s leg for better leverage and pulled her hand out slowly, feeling inner walls clench around her to try and pull her back in.
The next thrust was merciless. She plunged in as far as she could reach and rubbed hard against the rough patch inside. A howl tore from deep in Jasper’s chest and she kicked her legs, clawing at anything she could reach, almost throwing Pearl off balance.
As Pearl crooked her fingers inside she felt distinct contractions, wave-like squeezes pushing down against her hand from Jasper’s innermost depths towards the outside. She slowed her movements and Jasper writhed her hips, her chest heaving in a desperate sob.
“Are you okay with coming out for me?” Pearl asked, voice low.
She moved her fingers in long strokes, dragging against where she knew the rest of Jasper’s clit was hidden, tucked inside her body.
Pearl knew she was asking a lot of Jasper to trust her in such a vulnerable state, for access to something always kept safe and protected. It was another intimate level of trust, both promising to take care of Jasper when she everts, and trusting Jasper with her body in return.
“You- want-?” Jasper managed between ragged breaths, lifting her head to look at Pearl with glassy eyes.
“Yes, yes, I want it, let me see you,” Pearl said, picking up her pace again.
It didn't take long once Pearl found the right spot. She flattened her fingers and reached deep, coaxing her out with persuasive rubs and curling fingers.
Jasper’s head fell back and she took sharp gasping breaths as if she couldn't get enough air. Her thighs shook and her hips jerked back and all at once her muscles tensed in powerful waves, pushing her forward inch by glorious inch.
Pearl watched in awe as a small bud bloomed into the beginnings of a thick shaft. One soft ridge, then two, then another and Pearl could almost feel them from the inside as they pushed their way out. A single red stripe swiped in a short spiral near the base, slick coating the length in lazy viscous drips.
Finally, the rhythmic contractions eased and she was everted. Pearl gave Jasper a few more upward strokes deep in her cunt, unwilling to leave the tight heat hugging her hand just yet.
Jasper looked down at herself and made a funny noise, then another shaky breath. Her hips bucked weakly when Pearl eased her hand out and traced up her labia.
“Goodness,” Pearl breathed. “You’re big.”
She wrapped her fingers around the base of Jasper’s fully emerged clit and realized with a pang between her legs that she could only manage to reach part way around. She stroked upwards from the firm shaft up thick length, to the tip that was normally just a small flushed nub peeking between pretty apricot lips.
The ridges around each side almost looked sharp like barbs, but when Pearl felt them pass over her palm they were soft and malleable, dragging against her skin in a pleasant way. Pearl couldn't help but smile as it naturally curled against her hand and tried to wrap around her fingers.
Jasper was very big, there was no doubt about that. But she still had an exceptional mix of impressive strength and soft, squishy padding there, just like the rest of her body.
“Stars, and so pretty, too,” Pearl murmured.
She looked up at Jasper who had her eyes squeezed shut and was biting down hard on her fist, trying to stay still. She took advantage of the moment and quietly got up onto her feet and positioned herself just above Jasper’s hips.
“Jasper,” she cooed, bracing a hand on Jasper’s stomach and gently tugging at the arm she was using to muffle herself.
Jasper let her arm be pulled away and cracked her eyes open. Her breath quickened when she saw Pearl hovering just above her.
“It's okay, no one else is here.”
Pearl smiled and looked up at Jasper from under her lashes. She placed her other hand on Jasper’s stomach to join the first, and as soon as she began to lower her hips, she felt the substantial press against her cunt. She took a steadying breath and pushed down, feeling a delicious stretch the further she went.
Jasper panted and grunted, claws digging into the floor as she struggled not to move.
Lowering herself onto Jasper felt like freedom, like fiery rebellion boiling in her stomach, each flare squeezing inside her and dragging along slippery folds.
Pearl's patience wore thin, each little noise Jasper made, each extra inch inside spurred her on. Suddenly it was too slow, agonizing, she knew there was more waiting and she wanted it, all of it right now.
She let gravity pull her the rest of the down way with a huff, finally feeling Jasper’s hips against her. Jasper gasped and Pearl doubled over with a moan. Stuffed completely, stretched to her limits, finally, finally satisfying. Everything was wet and messy between them. She felt the twisting and pressing of Jasper’s dick moving of its own accord deep inside and threw her head back, another groan pulled from her lips.
“Pearl- Pearl, I gotta-” Jasper choked out, her hands hovering over Pearl’s hips, waiting for permission.
Pearl looked back at Jasper, took both large hands in hers, and guided them down. Jasper’s fingers easily wrapped all the way around Pearl’s waist, thumbs resting on her stomach.
“Shh, you're doing so good, but I just want you to see,” Pearl said, moving Jasper’s thumbs down the subtle bulge at her lower stomach.
She arched her back to try and make it more obvious, a whimper escaping as Jasper’s length pressed against where the rest of her own clit lay, still resting inside.
“Look at you, that's you inside me,” she said, touching it with her own hands as well. “Look how big you are, the perfect size for me. I’ve got you.”
Jasper was chuffing and whining, squirming underneath Pearl, gripping her waist hard. Each place she pressed, the pads of her fingers almost bruised the skin underneath, yet she was still cautious to never let sharp claws pierce skin. She was so, so good.
Planting her hands on the floor on either side of Jasper’s waist, Pearl beared down and let out a growl of her own.
“Now do it,” she said, lifting up just an inch just to slam her hips back down with a wet smack.
A ferocious snarl tore through the air and the world tilted. Her vision filled with cascades of white, save the fiery orange shoulder she found herself instinctively grip. There were teeth at her throat that rested there, not pressing down, almost as if a warning. Her legs split to accommodate the width of massive hips and thighs, her own narrow hips tilted for a thick press deeper than she ever thought possible.
Low, sultry groans rumbled from Jasper’s chest, hot breath puffing against Pearl’s neck. She held Pearl fixed against her, putting immense effort into being slow and careful, still unable to stop herself from rolling into Pearl with wavering hips.
No, no more hesitations. Pearl was done waiting and Jasper needed to be, too.
“Give it to me,” she demanded, gathering up a fistful of hair and yanking it back.
In less than a second, fangs sank into her neck and Jasper pulled out almost completely before ramming back in with the tremendous strength she’d held back.
All the air was forced from Pearl’s lungs and she gasped to try and get it back, only to have it tumble out again in broken moans, faltering with each snap of Jasper’s hips. Excessive slick dripped between them, making obscene wet noises at their joining.
The angled flares of Jasper’s cock tugged Pearl’s folds on its way out and sent sparks through her when they nudged her clit sinking back in. At some point the sharp teeth at her neck were replaced with soft lips and tongue. The heat of rasping, needy moans against her throat drove Pearl further into her frenzy, and she dug her heels into the dip of Jasper’s back, trying to force her further in. She clawed at sinewy shoulders, leaving reddened welts where blunt nails dragged.
“Yes- good g- ah, Jas-per!” Pearl cried, her voice wavering in time with the rhythmic slap of skin against skin.
Jasper plunged deep, deep inside, squeezing herself in all the way to the thick base of her cock, the supple give of her outer lips squishing against Pearl’s at the end of each thrust.
Pearl could feel herself getting close again. Her legs strained open, eyes fluttered closed, liquid fire building and threatening to spill over any moment.
She wrapped her arms around Jasper’s head to keep her close and tried to hold out, but once she started tipping over the edge it was all over. She heard herself shout Jasper’s name and a flurry of incoherent noises poured out of her mouth as everything crashed down around her.
Stars burst in front of her eyes and she felt herself contract and spasm around Jasper, as if to hold her in place. She tugged soft, thick hair, clawed frantically at anything she could reach, hooked her ankles around Jasper to keep her there, writhed in bliss against the heavy body leaning into her.
Through the haze of her own release, she heard breathy, stuttering moans at the crook of her neck and felt a rush of burning heat gush inside her. Jasper arched over her and held her waist tight as she filled Pearl and continued on well after. Hot, viscous liquid dripped between them once Pearl could take no more, mixing with the thinner fluid of Pearl’s release.
One final involuntary squeeze inside, one last rush of liquid, and her body finally began coming down.
Everything was quiet for a moment. Just panting breaths and their chests pressed close.
Then Jasper whimpered and arched again, the length that was buried in Pearl retreating back to its resting state in her body. She let go of Pearl’s waist and braced herself against the ground with a few heavy breaths.
Pearl almost wished she could have kept her there longer, held her close just like that.
Instead she sighed as it slid out of her, gently tugging and pulling one last time before it’s warm pressure was gone completely.
Jasper groaned and rolled onto her back next to Pearl.
Pearl was very grateful Jasper had enough coherence left not to simply flop down and trap her, even in her exhaustion.
She lifted herself up on wobbly arms and took a deep breath to gain her bearings. Still dazed, she noticed a spot between Jasper’s outstretched arm and her breast, just Pearl’s size. Without another thought, she tucked herself there and closed her eyes, nuzzling her face into Jasper’s neck.
Just as she started drifting off, something wet hit her face. She opened her eyes and blinked in confusion. More wet, on her hair this time. She leaned back up to see what it was.
“Oh…”
Jasper looked at her, seeming content, if not mildly inconvenienced that Pearl had moved. Yet heavy tears rolled freely down her cheeks. She blinked a few times and frowned, bringing a hand to her face. More fat drops welled up and fell.
“Uh?” She touched her fingers to her cheek and looked at the wetness she found.
“I don’t-” she said suddenly overcome, voice thick. “I don’t know why-”
Pearl descended, holding Jasper’s face in her hands and placing countless kisses everywhere: her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead, her jaw. She tried using her thumbs to wipe away tears, but they were so big she just ended up smearing them across Jasper’s face. She settled for kissing them as they came instead.
Jasper rested a hand on Pearl’s back and made a funny noise. When Pearl leaned back to look, she realized Jasper was laughing, a smile stretched across her face. It was infectious, Pearl couldn’t help but giggle a bit too.
“Are you okay? Those aren’t upset tears, are they?” she asked, cradling Jasper’s head in her arms and squeezing tight.
“No, I don't feel bad.” She tried to scrub the tears away with the heel of her hand. “I actually can’t remember ever feeling that good.”
Jasper flipped onto her side and buried her face into Pearl’s stomach, encompassing her in a heavy embrace. Her face was still damp against Pearl’s skin, but the swell of emotion seemed to have passed. A slow, steady inhale, and a content, sighing exhale.
“Good,” Pearl said, giving Jasper another reassuring squeeze.
A satisfying exhaustion settled over Pearl like thick, humid steam from a warm bath. As her consciousness ebbed away, she curled into Jasper’s arms and pet the soft hair under her hands.
“Good….”
-----------------
Pearl couldn't say for sure how long they stayed that way. It could have only been 30 minutes, or it could have been 4 hours. The first thing she noticed was the cries of seagulls outside. How irritating. Seagulls should not be noisy so late at night.
A comforting weight was draped across her waist and her face pressed against something soft. She opened her eyes to be met with orange.
Pearl remembered where she was. They must have shuffled around as they slept, because she was now held snugly against Jasper’s breast, their legs entwined.
How nice…
She was almost lulled back to sleep by the slow rise and fall of Jasper’s chest and the light snore just above, but she noticed something odd.
The fairy lights were dim, yet everything looked bright. She twisted around in Jasper’s arms, trying to get a better view of the room.
Sunlight. Bright, unfiltered sun shone through the windows above them, illuminating the circular room in a way Pearl had never seen before. She had never been in the lighthouse during the day.
She wasn’t supposed to be in the lighthouse during the day.
She was supposed to be in the temple, making pancakes for Steven. Given how high the sun was in the sky, there was no chance he was still asleep.
Panic struck and Pearl tried to pry herself from Jasper’s arms as quickly as she could, tapping her waist to try and wake her.
“Jasper. Jasper! Wake up, you have to let me go, we fell asleep and it’s the middle of the day,” she whispered.
There was only a wordless grumble and arms hugging her even tighter.
Pearl grunted and wriggled against Jasper with even less success than before. She looked around for something to help with her predicament when she realized her hands were still settled at Jasper’s waist. With one determined motion, she gave Jasper’s ribs a harsh pinch.
Jasper jerked back with a bark of laughter and released Pearl. She scrambled up to a sitting position and stared at Pearl wide-eyed, clutching her sides protectively.
“Whadid you–?” she slurred, still groggy with sleep.
Pearl stood and reformed her clothing in a burst of energy. “I’ll tell you later, but right now I have to get back to the temple,” she said, brushing hair away from Jasper’s forehead to kiss her there. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
She walked across the way, gave her own hair a few pats to smooth it out, reached up for the window to leave and–
“Wait.”
Jasper looked at her, hesitant. Her face was tinted pink and she sat, her mouth slightly open, but for some reason unable to speak.
“Uh. I mean, yeah. See you,” she mumbled.
Pearl knew that wasn’t what she wanted to say, but she’d let it go for now. She smiled and hopped up to grab the window sill, pulling herself up and kneeling on the ledge of the gallery. Jasper gave her a sheepish grin and offered a small wave that Pearl returned with enthusiasm. She then hoisted herself onto the railing and leapt.
All the warmth and comfort she felt from being tucked between Jasper’s arms left with the cool air that rushed past in her descent. As soon as Pearl hit the grass with a soft thud, knots of anxiety twisted in her stomach. She’d have to figure out what to say to everyone, how to explain her absence that morning.
Perhaps she could say she’d gotten carried away on a morning walk along the beach and met some interesting aquatic species on the way. It felt like a weak excuse, but it wasn’t as though that didn’t happen on occasion.
She made her way around the lighthouse, following the wood walls of the house where countless flowers and plants climbed and sprouted. Pearl thrummed her fingers against her cheek, deep in thought.
Maybe a stop at the Big Donut would help smooth things over. Steven was always happy to have some of those.
“Hey, Pearl.”
What were the ones he liked again? Syrup something, with some kind of meat product…
“Hello, Peridot.”
Yes, Peridot did keep the garden quite well.
Pearl froze. Peridot. A sinking feeling of dread settled and she looked toward the source of the voice.
There Peridot sat, cross-legged among a patch of mint she was pruning, looking all too smug. She fiddled with a leaf between her fingers in a way that Pearl might have thought was meant to be suggestive, but she was much too stunned to pay it any mind.
“I- uhh,” Pearl faltered. Her cheeks were hot, already giving her away. “Well, you see, I was just um-”
Peridot held her hand up to stop Pearl. “I already know. Did you honestly think I couldn’t hear you two rolling around up there and giggling all this time?”
Pearl held her burning cheeks, mortified. Of course Peridot knew. All the times there was a loud laugh that had to be hushed, a thump when Pearl stumbled on her way through the window, when Jasper climbed up to the gallery and they spoke loud, unrestrained. How could she have been so foolish to think otherwise.
“Peridot, I don’t know if Jasper is ready to-”
“I know, I’m not going to tell anyone,” she sighed, tossing the leaf aside. “I don’t care about the specifics, but I can tell Jasper’s been a lot happier since you started coming over, so...” she paused, looking away awkwardly. “You should keep coming over.”
Pearl balked. This was not the conversation she had expected after being caught. She jumped when Peridot pointed an accusatory finger at her, her own face donning a deep turquoise flush under her visor.
“But just come through the door like a normal gem! You don’t have to creep around like some kind of- some kind of creep!”
“Thank you, Peridot. I will.” Pearl pressed a hand to her chest, her heart still racing.
Peridot made some kind of irritable grumbles under her breath and ducked her head down to refocus on her plants, so Pearl took that as her cue to leave.
She started down the hill towards the Big Donut, a spring in her step.
Maple bacon.
Pearl had never been so glad to be on her way to buy sugary meat sprinkled pastries in her life.