Work Text:
Gem tugged at her top, the fabric making her itch. She was slumped in a corner table, laughing with her old friends. Scar, one of her old classmates during high school, hosted a reunion. The place was fairly simple, as he rented one of the local bars. Although the flashing lights were making her overstimulated the entire night, a fair amount of drinks kept her distracted.
The loud music was overwhelmed by the laughter of her old peers, as they reminisced their past memories during high school.
“Remember when we had a band? Gem and the Scotts!” Scott giggled, already starting to get drunk.
Gem gasped, “We did have a band, I almost forgot! Man, we did make some pretty catchy songs.”
“By catchy you mean the amount of break up songs Scott wrote?” Impulse replied, making Scott yell a ‘hey!’ towards him, nudging him playfully on the shoulder.
“Your concerts were great! Why’d you guys stop?” Lizzie asked, swirling the glass she’s holding while her other arm is linked around Joel’s.
The three former band members looked at each other, making a face that seemingly only them could understand. Before one of them could reply, Impulse beat them to it. “We had some.. issues.” Impulse muttered, making them all stare at him to continue. “Inspiration and motivation was tough to find during those times, and with college.. We didn’t have much time.”
Gem sighed in relief, as she mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Impulse, who only nodded in return. Truth is, Gem could barely do anything after Pearl ghosted her after they graduated high school. She didn’t even bother to give her a heads up that she was moving away for college, only sending Gem a short break up text.
After that, Gem couldn’t get up in bed for days. Scott and Impulse tried to comfort her, but despite their best efforts it did nothing compared to the sheer amount of heartbreak she was feeling. Pearl might as well have punched her in the gut before leaving.
She slowly healed since then, but the hole it left in her heart was still throbbing. All of them knew about her and Pearl breaking up, but they didn’t let them know that it was the reason they couldn’t continue the band anymore.
Their band Gem and the Scotts was a huge part of her relationship with Pearl. With most of their songs that Gem wrote was about Pearl, she couldn’t dare to sing after that. Despite their band falling off, their friendship stayed strong nonetheless.
“College definitely took up most of our time. Although, do you guys have any plans of bringing the band back together again?” Lizzie asked.
Gem opened up her mouth, looking for the words. “..I mean we could?” She replies, glancing back at the other two for their opinion.
“Start anew? I would love that. But— Are you sure you’re up for it?” Impulse asked, doubt lacing in his tone.
Gem looked down, realizing that she was clutching her dress for comfort. She quickly shook them off, distracting herself with the drink on the table instead. “I think I am. We shouldn’t dwell much on the past, right?”
Scott formed a toothy grin, “Gem and the Scotts are back in business! We’re taking your word up for it Gem, don’t you dare take it back when you’re fully sober.” He yelled, making Gem laugh.
“Hey! I’m quite serious about this. Plus, I miss our gigs.” Gem shrugged, and it was true. She deeply missed their band. Maybe forming their band back together could stitch the hole of the past. Pearl made her hurt enough already, and she was done feeling that way.
“I think I just witnessed a legendary moment here. Cheers on that?” Joel smiled, raising his glass.
They all raised their glasses, grinning the entire time. “Cheers!” They clink their glasses together as their laughs fill up the bar.
Skizz joined their table, walking up near them. “Hey! drinking without me?” He yells playfully, crossing his arms. They all giggled in return, mouthing silly apologies towards the man.
“Wanna join us, Skizz?” Gem asked.
Skizz shakes his head, “I’m fine Gemstone. Y’know, all of you should get up there and dance! You can always slump on the tables later.” He replies, convincing them to join the dancing crowd.
After a few more tries, they all stood up to join the dancing. Gem bursts in true glee as she dances with her old friends again. It has been a while since they all hung out together, with all of their busy schedules and whatnot.
Gem continues to dance with her friends when she spots a familiar brunette.
Pearl.
Pearl, who left her suddenly. Pearl, her girl— no, her ex girlfriend.
Pearl, who made her feel the most loved and the most heartbroken person.
Her Pearl.
Seeing her made Gem freeze in position, standing still amongst the dancing crowd.
And Pearl was staring right at her.
Gem could feel her hands start to shake, as her tears begrudgingly started to form. Pearl was still looking at her as her form started to get nearer and nearer towards Gem. It felt like she was stuck in a time freeze, her heartbeat seemingly getting louder than the blasting music.
Scott noticed her, asking what was wrong. He looked at the direction Gem was headed as he realized what happened. He looked back at her in pity, which finally made Gem move.
Looking towards Scott then Pearl, all she could do was run.
Run, run, run, run. That was the only thing Gem could decipher in her circling brain. She ran as fast as she could, even if she herself didn’t know where to go. Because times when she was hurt, she would always run to Pearl for comfort.
Now, she’s running away from her instead.
She finds a hidden corner, away from the others. Gem quickly sprints there, kneeling down. Before she could control it, she burst into tears.
Gem couldn’t stop crying, as she tugged on her hair to remain conscious. Seeing Pearl immediately made her sober up, which made things harder for Gem.
Trying to wipe her tears as it continuously falls, she sees a shadow appear in front of her. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
There was nothing but tense silence as Pearl stood there, staring at Gem. She forced her eyes shut, afraid of seeing Pearl.
This is what she wanted, right? To see Pearl, to beg for an explanation from the brunette woman.
So why can’t she even dare to look at her.
“..Gem?”
Gem sobbed even more, making the other woman flinch. She was now on the floor kneeling fully sobbing, her dress wet by the sheer amount of tears flowing.
“Gem, please.” Pearl whispers, shuffling to sit by her. Gem retaliates by trying to quickly move closer to the corner, not knowing where else to go.
Pearl was saying something, but all she could hear was muffled noises. Static floods through her brain, making it hard for her to think. She finally opens her eyes which are starting to blur as she tries to grasp reality. Finally, she could start to hear what Pearl was saying.
“Gem, breathe for me, please.” Pearl mutters repeatedly, making Gem try to inhale properly.
Gem starts to ground herself to reality as she starts to hear the music from the background. She could hear Pearl breathing heavily, which helped Gem even more without the other woman knowing.
“I’m sorry.” Was all Pearl could say.
She looks at Pearl, who had tears falling down her stupid pretty face. She notices the one freckle beside her eye that used to be fairly visible to Pearl’s face start to fade. She still looked slightly the same, the same Pearl.
After her tears started to dry, all she could feel was anger at the person who left her without saying goodbye. And that person was the one she thought she could trust for her entire life.
“..Gem, please say something.” Pearl whispers, her tears still continuing to fall.
Somewhere between Gem’s train of thought, something burst inside her. “Say something? Are you fucking kidding me, Pearl?!” Gem yelled, taking Pearl by surprise.
Pearl was about to open her mouth, but Gem wouldn't let her. No, Pearl doesn’t deserve to just show up so suddenly and make a mess of her again. Not again.
“You should be the one who said something! Do you not understand how shitty it feels for my girlfriend to break up with me so suddenly?!”
“Gem—”
“No! You had a full six years to explain yourself, and what did you do? Nothing! Pearl, you can’t just show up here and break my heart again!”
“Don’t you think it hurt me too, Gem? I was scared, okay?!”
“And what the hell made you that scared?”
“I was scared I would lose you once I told you I was moving to another college.” Pearl sobbed.
Gem only looked at Pearl, who was looking back at her with pure disdain. “Well you did exactly that, Pearl. And for the record? It’s a stupid excuse.”
“I know, Gem, I really do.”
“You’re really stupid and pathetic, you know that, right?”
Pearl chuckles, still finding humor after everything. “Yeah— I know that a lot.’
Gem stares at her, furrowing her brows before connecting their lips together. It was messy and sudden, but goodness she missed it. She missed this. She missed her.
She pulled back, tugging at the collar of Pearl’s shirt. Pearl doesn’t hesitate to kiss her again, making Gem feel electric. Pearl’s lips were slightly chapped, exactly like before. Despite everything, she still felt the giddy feeling she always felt when she used to kiss Pearl.
They both pulled back, Pearl staring at her full of awe. Gem distances away from her, crossing her arms. “Why? After everything, you’re back. Why?”
“I couldn’t take it for much longer. After these years, I thought I could move on!” Pearl says, before taking a pause. “But I was foolish to think that. Gem, you have been plaguing my mind the entire time.”
“Pearl, you can’t just suddenly turn up here after suddenly breaking up with me six years ago. Don’t expect I’ll be crawling back to you that fast even if I love you.”
“..You do?”
“Do what?”
“You love me. After everything?”
“..Don’t get too excited you idiot.” Gem grumbles, making Pearl tear up even more.
“I love you too.”
Gem wanted to hear that her entire life.
“..Was it really just because of college? That you left me?”
“You were so excited for the both of us to go to the same college, Gem. I couldn’t bear to tell you that we were moving.”
“You knew, the entire time? And you still didn’t tell me?”
“I knew. I was just too scared to say. I deeply regret everything Gem, I really do.” Pearl replies, wiping off her tears with her hand.
“Did you become a painter?”
“I— Yeah, I actually did. I dedicated one of my paintings to you.”
Gem froze. “Really?”
“Mhm. I never showed it to anyone, but I look at it everyday.” Pearl admits, making her cheeks blush.
“You should show it to the world, Pearl. I mean, I don’t know what it looks like, but I know it looks good.”
“How are you so sure it’s good?”
“Because you’re you.” Gem replies, rolling her eyes affectionately.
“..Right.” Pearl says, slightly chuckling. “Gem, I’m really sorry—”
“Yes, you’ve said it a million times.”
“I know. You can’t stop me from saying it over and over again.”
“I don’t think I’m ready for.. this. For everything.” Gem whispers, like it's a secret she doesn’t want anybody to know. But Pearl still understood.
“That’s okay. I can wait.”
Gem giggles, “You think you can wait until six years?”
“I can wait until I die. Even I can still wait in another life.. If you let me.”
“Good." Gem chuckles, before looking back at the others. "I don’t think I want to go back to the others yet.”
“Me too. You should’ve seen the way Scott looked at me. I feel like I got stabbed.”
Gem laughs, “Serves you right.”
Pearl laughs too, and for the first time in six years, they both sit in comfortable silence. Gem still feels hurt after everything, and she has every right to be.
“Gem, thank you. For everything. I know I really messed up.”
“I don’t think I can easily understand why you did that, Pearl.”
“I don’t even understand myself!” Pearl laughs bitterly.
“But, if you promise me to never do that ever again, maybe I can make some adjustments.”
“I promise. I promise my whole life.”
“Good. That's good to hear.” Gem says, and she directly forms a genuine smile to Pearl after years.
Pearl smiled back at her, studying her face. “I can’t believe you got even more beautiful when I last saw you.”
______
It had been two weeks after Gem reunited with Pearl, and they started to take things slowly between each other. They were catching up with the past six years they weren’t with each other. Still, after everything, she can’t admit to Pearl that she missed her. Her stubbornness was not falling for it.
Suddenly, she hears a notification ring coming from her phone. Pearl.
Pearl
Pearl: hey
Pearl: Come to this address
Pearl: ****** ******
Gem: Am I getting kidnapped?
Pearl: Haha, no! Just trust me on this.
Gem felt suspicious of Pearl, but decided to go either way. She quickly got ready before going out.
After driving towards the mentioned address, she comes across an art museum. She double checks if this was the correct address before heading in.
Once she stepped a foot into the museum, she was quickly bombarded with such beautiful paintings. But then, she saw it.
She saw herself.
Gem stares into such a detailed painting of her she was sure it wasn’t anybody else. It was delighted and full of colors, every stroke of it meticulously and delicately painted on.
It was beautiful.
It was a portrait of her smiling, as the whole background is filled with sunflowers. Her favorite.
She then hears another ping from her phone, smiling as she realizes who it was.
Pearl
Pearl: Did you see it?
Gem: Yeah
Gem: Pearl, it’s so beautiful
Pearl: I'm really glad you like it
Gem: I love it
Gem: Oh and pearl
Pearl: Yeah?
Gem: I missed you too.