Work Text:
To the outside world, Yellow Diamond was sitting in her command chair, scrolling through reports; but her Pearl knew better.
Even though she looked in the direction of the hovering screen and moved her fingers as if she was working on what they showed, her eyes were fixed on a spot beyond.
From her command chair she could overlook the gardens - Blue Diamond had made sure of it when she designed this particular outpost.
So in between redirecting incoming calls and processing data, Pearl made sure that her Diamond wasn't disturbed from watching Blue Diamond teach Pink Diamond about astral projection. Every once in a while, Pearl glanced up at Yellow, trying hard not to smirk at the seemingly stoic look on her face. She knew her Diamond better than not to notice the tiny things that gave away her real feelings.
The way the corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly before she reminded herself not to smile, the way she rested her head on her hand to stop herself from reaching out. Pearl would never question her Diamond, but sometimes she found herself wondering why she hid this side of herself from everyone including her now. There had been a time, eons ago, when she hadn't.
Pearl missed that Yellow Diamond. It was nice to see her again every once in a while, even if it was for just a few moments.
An unexpected note popped up on her screen, bringing Pearl out of her musings. Gathering up her courage, she tried to get her still distracted Diamond's attention by clearing her throat.
"What?" Yellow's voice was stern, her glare softening a fraction when she noticed Pearl's raised shoulders.
"Forgive me, my Diamond, but it appears the report on Citrine production is going to be delayed. The colony is dealing with a tectonothermal anomaly." Pearl saw Yellow's jaw muscles clench and tried not to flinch.
"Did they give an estimate on how long it will take for them to finish it?"
"No, my Diamond. But it's safe to assume that it won't be ready until the end of their solar circle."
Yellow's brow rose, "And how did you reach that conclusion?"
"I'm basing my assumption on the timeframe of the subsequent filing following the colony's last tectonic trouble." Pearl smirked and was rewarded with an amused huff and a nod.
"Fair enough. Make sure to inform their Agate about my severe displeasure on the matter."
"Yes, my Diamond."
After giving Yellow a moment to get used to the situation, Pearl spoke up again, doing her best to keep her comment as objective as possible. "Of course this will leave you with a dent in your schedule. Would you like me to reallocate the reclaimed twenty-seven minutes to a different task?"
Yellow stared at Pearl for several precious seconds before making up her mind. Looking back at where Blue and Pink were still sitting in peaceful silence, she realised the opportunity this granted. "That won't be necessary, Pearl." She got up but hesitated. Meeting Pearl's oddly shiny eyes, she furrowed her brow "Twenty-seven minutes you said?" She watched Pearl nod enthusiastically and couldn't stop her lips from curling up. "Thank you, Pearl. That will be all for now."
~*~
Yellow Diamond had long forgotten how to stroll. She couldn't walk in casual bee lines or whistle innocently, pretending she had just accidentally stumbled upon someone.
Instead she took measured steps, straight towards her goal, hands locked behind her back, her spine rigid and her head held high.
This was how she arrived at the spot in the gardens Blue had chosen for Pinks lesson today.
Blue smiled tenderly when Yellow came to a halt behind Pink, her voice showing her delight about the unexpected visit. "Yellow."
It didn't take more than the mention of her name for Pink to lose her concentration, her eyes snapping open, squealing in excitement, "Where?!" Pressing her hand against the side of her head, she closed her eyes again, her shoulders raised, hissing, "Ouch!"
Blue reached out in concern, curling her fingers around Pink's wrist, pulling her hand away from her head and the young Diamond onto her lap, hugging her. "Pink." She scolded mildly, kissing her forehead. "You mustn't jump between realms like that; you might lose yourself."
Pink gazed up at her with wide eyes. "That can happen?"
"Yes," Yellow's tone was harsh in contrast to Blue's. She hated herself for it. Pink had turned in Blue's arms, looking at Yellow with something akin to an apology, chewing on her lower lip.
Yellow tried to make her voice more gentle when she continued. "You must be careful when dealing with the aural realm. You've seen it; it's nothing but emptiness. If you stray from the path or, as in your case, stumble from it, you might get swallowed by the darkness."
Pink shivered, feeling Blue's arms sneak around her, hugging her from behind. She met Yellow's gaze, "But you could bring me back, right?"
"We would most certainly try." Yellow decided to crouch down, so she was at eye level with the other two. "But it would take time. And it would leave scars."
"Like on your hands?"
The question was so innocent, Yellow stopped herself in time before lashing out at the mention of her imperfections. Instead, she locked eyes with Pink. "No; not physically. But in here," she touched her gloved fingers to Pink's forehead. Dropping her hand, she pressed it against Pink's gem. "And here."
Pink wasn't used to Yellow touching her. The physical contact etched the warning deeper into her mind than anything else could have. She nodded. "I understand."
Yellow's eyes softened, "I know you do." Pulling away from the young Diamond, she graced her with a rare smile before her gaze travelled to Blue's.
In moments like these she could almost forget that she was supposed to be perfect.
"Ooooh, I feel that." Pink's eyes were wide as saucers, her lips forming a perfect O.
Yellow frowned, "Feel what?" Her confusion lessened, when she felt Blue's presence caress the back of her mind.
"I think she meant this." Smiling tenderly at her companion, she leaned her cheek against the top of Pink's fluffy head.
"Yeah." Pink had closed her eyes, grinning widely, her aura dancing around theirs giddily. "It felt warm. And... happy!" She opened her eyes to beam at Yellow and giggled at the sight of her. "Yellow. You're blushing."
"I am not." Yellow bristled, closing off her mind to the gentle, purple hued waves that nudged at it from random directions.
"Awwww, c'mon, Yellow. Don't be like that?"
She could feel Pink's aura, exploring excitedly. There was so much joy and awe emanating from it, it was endearing. Still, Yellow got up and folded her arms over her chest, looking down at the young Diamond sternly. "You need to get back to your studies." Feeling Blue's eyes on her, she glanced at her partner. "And I need to get back to work."
The way she could make even a smile look sad was uncanny. Still, she left.
~*~
Watching Yellow walk away, Pink's shoulders sagged. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Of course not, treasure." Blue kissed Pink's curls and hugged her closely. "Yellow's just very busy."
Looking over her shoulder at the other Diamond, Pink pouted. "But I felt it."
"Her joy, yes." Blue waited for Pink to reposition herself, so they were facing each other again. "It's quite rare."
"Why?" She cocked her head to one side.
"You know Yellow. She doesn't like showing her emotions. And you," smiling tenderly, she booped Pink's nose, "called her out on it."
She giggled at the gesture, wrinkling her nose, but sobered after a second. "So I upset her?"
"A little." Blue shrugged, "Don't worry too much about it. She'll get over it."
Thoughtfully chewed on her lip for a moment, Pink smiled up at Blue. "I want to feel it again."
"And you will. Next time just enjoy it."
Pink gave a determined nod. "I won't say anything about it." Her grin widened. "Then she'll not hide it and we can just be happy together."
Blue laughed at the enthusiastic plan that had been shared with her. "Sounds like a great plan to me."