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Connie was roused from her slumber by a series of quiet squeaking noises. Letting out a small groan, she rubbed her eyes and peered around the room. The moonlight pouring in through the window gently illuminated her surroundings. She had never understood how Steven was able to sleep without total darkness, but it had only taken her a month or so to get used to it after she moved in. In the gloom, she could make out the shape of Steven lying beside her, his body rising and falling rhythmically with each breath. She couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth at the sight of him; she suspected that feeling was never going to die down no matter how long they slept in the same bed.
As her eyes adjusted to the low light she finally caught sight of a figure standing a couple of feet from the end of her bed. For most people, that would probably be a rather frightening sight in the middle of the night, but Connie was rather used to it at this point.
"Urgh, Pearl, if you're watching Steven sleep again I swear to god-"
"Um… actually…" the figure replied with a high-pitched New York accent "it's me." Spinel stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight glinting off her inverted heart-shaped gem. She didn't make eye contact with Connie, instead doing her best to appear riveted by a patch of floor while nervously twiddling her fingers.
"Oh, hey Spinel" Connie replied, flipping on her bedside lamp and reaching for a glass of water. "What brings you to Earth? It's the middle of the night here. –Not that you aren't always welcome" she hastened to add.
"Well, I was just wondering…" Spinel began timidly "can I sleep with you?"
It took every ounce of effort Connie could muster not to theatrically split her mouthful of water across the room. Once she had stopped choking, she turned back to a slightly concerned-looking Spinel. "I- I'm sorry?" she managed to blurt out. Spinel stood silently, her face a mixture of guilt and confusion.
Steven stirred beside Connie with a groan, mercifully ending the uncomfortable silence. As he groggily opened his eyes, his gaze fell on Connie, then quickly flitted to Spinel.
"Oh, hey Spinel" Steven said nonchalantly. "Having trouble sleeping again?" He asked as though the fact that she had showed up unannounced in his bedroom was of no concern.
"Yeah…" Spinel admitted, nervously stroking her own arm. "I… I had the dream about the garden again." Steven's face shifted to a sympathetic smile in response.
"Steven, what's going on?" Connie inquired, her natural calmness managing to reassert itself.
Steven shifted in the bed to face Connie, his eyes now fully awake. "Ever since Spinel went back to Homeworld with the Diamonds, they've been doing their best to spend time with her, but they still get busy sometimes, even in Era 3. Sometimes, there's no one around to play with her, and that's when…"
"That's when I get kinda overwhelmed" Spinel finished for him.
"Exactly" Steven continued. "So, I suggested that she should take up sleeping; it's been helping her fill the hours when there's no one around, and she usually has pretty fun dreams. It's just that…every once in a while…"
"I dream of the garden" Spinel interjected again on Steven's behalf.
Connie was beginning to understand the problem. Not really knowing what to say in the moment, she simply nodded for Steven to continue.
"I know that nightmares are just a normal part of sleeping" Steven went on "but she's been through a lot, and she's still new to all this. So, I told her that whenever she had nightmares she could… come and sleep in the bed with us is she likes?" He phrased the end of his sentence like a question; an unspoken plea for Connie to not be mad. Of course, he needn't have worried.
"Oooohhhh" Connie said, turning to Spinel. "You meant sleep with us." Steven's eyes snapped open for a moment as he realised how Spinel's request must have sounded.
"Yeah… isn't that what I said?" Spinel replied, looking confused.
"Don't worry about it!" Steven cut in with a nervous chuckle. "Anyway, Connie? Are you ok with her joining us tonight?"
Connie only had to glance at Spinel's imploring gaze once before giving her answer. "Of course! I mean, you should have told me about this first Steven, but she's welcome any time."
Spinel's face snapped into an ecstatic grim as she leapt with a comedic springing noise onto the bed and lay down between Steven and Connie. "Aw, thanks you guys" she said, before snuggling under the covers. "I…kinda needed this."
"No problem" Connie said with a light chuckle. "Are you ok for me to turn off the light?" Spinel gave an emphatic nod in reply, and the room was returned to darkness, lit only by the moon outside. As Connie and Steven lay back down, they allowed Spinel to make herself comfortable between them, and watched as she drifted almost instantly into a calm, tranquil sleep; one that this time, wouldn't be plagued by dreams of Pink, or the garden, or anything else that might have troubled the playful Gem.
Steven was soon fast asleep too, his superhuman ability to doze off as impressive as ever, leaving Connie lying awake in the bed. She watched as Steven moved to cuddle Spinel gently in his sleep, and she couldn't help but grin as Spinel's unconscious face shifted into a content smile. She couldn't help but wonder if this was what it was going to be like if and when she and Steven ever had a child. If so, then she was just fine with that. Allowing the embrace of slumber to claim her too, Connie allowed her own arms to wrap around the sleeping Pink Gem. Soon, all three were breathing calmly as they slept in each other's' arms.
None of them heard the quiet rustling as Pearl emerged from her hiding place inside Steven's laundry basket. "Aw… that's adorable."