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For Ruby and Sapphire, labels were annoying as hell (a phrase they learned from Greg).
They already had to deal with enough from Homeworld. How not just any Pearl could do this act, but a blue Pearl since the task involved water. Not just any Amethysts but a green one to do the rough, hard job. Not just any Ruby but the disposable ones. Not just any plain Sapphire but one of high cut and the deepest hue to serve amongst the Diamonds.
It had all been so stifling, and neither of them realized until they both tumbled down to Earth.
Years went by. Garnet stayed Garnet (and in a rare, blue moon did both the gems that made her came out to play) as the world spun around and around. Over time, people kept trying to stamp labels into her skin. Tall, too manly, too aggressive, too stoic, black, too weird, too freaky-
The first time both Ruby and Sapphire had been apart from Garnet, they held hands in a small park as the night fell around them. Their peaceful solitude was shattered by a passing human who spat at their feet and called them dykes. It was said in the same manner one Gem would call someone else a clod or worse-dirt.
They fused back together shortly after and decided against telling Pearl and Amethyst. Knowing the two of them, they both would want to find those humans and teach them a lesson. But, Ruby and Sapphire had a feeling what lead down the road for a human with hatred like that. They would remain bitter for the rest of their lives, and it would eat at them until they die. They have been so alone, so small that seeing someone be unashamed of their flaws brought out pure rage and disgust and confusion. And because no one is stopping this kind of cycle, it continues.
The labels keep coming-lesbian, gay, queers, queens, lovers, sapphics. All of them do settle around the duo but not Garnet. When she lets out a displeased humming noise, that is Sapphire when someone tries to explain why they should be called this. When she actually snaps back in a cold voice, that is Ruby coming to their defense. Bad enough that who they are would be called a fusion-a word said in either a cynical manner or with disgust.
For all of their lives, since the moment they existed, people have tried to carve labels into their very gems. Now, even as one wonderful person, it still was happening. Ruby and Sapphire were just Ruby and Sapphire, and without them where would Garnet exist?
Sometimes, it was more freeing than flying to walk around knowing you didn't have a stamp on you.