Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

"Yellow! Blue! Do you know why we're called here by White?"

A loud and excited voice rang throughout the room. A feminine figure in all pink could be seen hopping up and down on her tippy toes, barely containing her excitement while a giant smile bloomed on her face. Everything about her was pink, from her diamond-shaped pupils, to cotton candy hair, and to her pink clothing.

"No Pink, we do not know why she called us here. All we know is that it's of the highest importance for us to be here. Now cease with your questions and your erratic movements." A giant woman the size of a building stood tall and covered in yellow, and spoke with power and authority while her hands were busily swiped away at holograms in the air in front of her. "It's unbecoming of a diamond to act that way."

"Bu-!"

"No buts Pink, you know what White expects of us."

The now-named Pink seemingly wilted, the air of excitement vanished as if it were an illusion. The jittering of her feet stopped and her head tilted down in shame. A tense atmosphere encased the room, leaving them in uncomfortable silence. Another figure equally as pink as her, Pink's Pearl, looked at her in concern. Fortunately, the unbearable atmosphere was broken when a blue woman, equally as tall as Yellow, spoke up after she finished talking to her Pearl.

"Now, now Yellow. I'm sure she was just excited about all of us being together after such a long time, after all! It has been a hundred years, and I have to admit, I do miss us all being together." She said while looking at Pink with a smile. Just like Yellow, she was a giant standing equally as tall as her fellow diamond, but unlike Yellow who was all yellow, she was all blue.

Pink looked up at her, a smile blooming on her face, happy that Blue took to her side. Usually, Blue would always side with Yellow and would rarely take to her side of things. The pink diamond hopped into the air, easily jumping onto the shoulder of Blue who towered over her.

Yellow looked away from a hologram that showed a picture of a planet fresh on resources. Her diamond-shaped eyes briefly looked over at her fellow diamonds before looking back at the screen. A look of longing flashed across her face in a microsecond, before her face returned back to a stern expression.

"What about you Blue? What do you think we were called here for?" Pink asks while hanging on Blue shoulders, her feet dangling in the air.

Just as Blue was about to answer her, she was stopped from answering her when the door to White's room opened unexpectedly, almost causing Pink to fall from Blue's shoulders.

Yellow merely looked up from her screens before waving them away and started walking towards White's room. Following her example Pink jumped off Blue's shoulder and started running towards Yellow in a hurry while Blue took to a more walking pace, their Pearls following close behind.

All three of them arrived in Whites' room only to see her sitting on her throne while softly humming a song to herself. Her eyes stared down at something in her hand with a fond smile. She was tall, taller than even Blue and Yellow, and just like the other diamonds she was all one color, pure brilliant white.

Blue and Yellow looked at each other, giving each other questioning looks, wondering what was happening. Pink, being the most excited of the diamonds, hopped into the air towards White in excitement, causing the other two diamonds to panic. They rushed to stop her, but unfortunately for them, she was too far out of reach for them to grab her before she landed on top of White's hand.

"White! You called us here out of nowhere! What is so important for all of us to be here!?" The Pink diamond questioned with a giant smile while looking up at White's surprised face. White looked down at Pink in confusion before the fond smile on her face came back.

"Starlight, you know it's impolite to ask questions before a greeting," White said before looking up away from Pink to see Blue and Yellow standing by the doorway. "And don't just stand there you two! I have glorious news!" Rising from her throne, White stood up with excitement. Hearing her excitement, Blue and Yellow rush to her side. Blue taking the left and Yellow taking the right.

"It's good to see you after so long White." Blue softly spoke while giving a small smile to the taller gem. White turned her head to look at her returning a smile to the blue diamond.

"I suppose it has been a while since we've been together, I've been so busy that my sense of time seemed to have left me."

"Why is it that you called us all here? All of us are wondering why especially Pink." Blue asked what all the diamonds were thinking.

"Blue!" Pink cut in with embarrassment. "You didn't have to tell White that!"

Pink waves her hands frantically, trying her best to wave off Blue's comment about her. Blue and White look at each other in amusement while Yellow stays silent, but with the barest hint of a smile on her face with Pink's antics.

"Haha! It's quite alright! I was just about to tell you," White declared. "Or shall I say, show you?"

She grandly raised the hand that held the object that she so fondly was staring at before Pink interrupted her. It was a floating, clear crystal white gem that gave off power in waves, causing the diamonds to flinch back at how much power it was giving off. Blue and Yellow gave the gem a wary look, cautious of it. Pink recovered quickly, her curiosity overpowered her sense of caution, and her diamond-shaped eyes turned into stars.

"What is that White? A new type of Gem?" Pink shouted out, fascinated by the gem. The brilliant white diamond looked at Pink, an unknown emotion twinkling in her eyes.

"It's so much more than a Gem, Starlight. He's been with me ever since the beginning of time, laying dormant. Only now is he ready to be awakened, when all four diamonds are together will he be awake." White spoke as if reminiscing while explaining to the other diamonds. "Or so that man said..."

The diamonds were stunned by what they heard. A gem as old as White? The first ever Gem? That couldn't make sense! How could there be another gem as old as her!? Pink reacted first by preparing to jump off of Whites' hand to get a closer look at the Gem. Blue and Yellow eyes bulged out when they noticed and tried their best to stop her, but like before they failed to stop her.

Landing on White's other hand, Pink noticed something she didn't notice before.

"It's made of... steel?" Pink thought to herself while gazing at the steel gem. Her reflection was staring back at her with her star-gazing eyes. A strange feeling overcame her, it was an intense desire to touch the gem in front of her. Pink hands raised reaching out towards the gem. So lost in thought, Pink never noticed her own gem giving off a pink light or the gem in front of her glowing.

"Pink! You can't just use White's hands as you please to jump everywhere! And get away from that! We don't know what it can do!" Yellow was outraged as she reached out to Pink to get her away from the gem.

"Don't touch random things Pink! Apologize to White for your behavior!" Blue shouted out in equal parts worried and displeased, also reaching out to grab the Pink diamond.

Just like Pink, Blue, and Yellows, gems began to glow in their respective colors, causing the steel gem to glow even brighter as it sensed the diamonds reaching out towards it. White looked on with anticipation, excitement, and exhilaration coursing throughout her body.

The three diamonds noticed too late as the powerful gem's light began to reach its apex. The diamonds shielded their eyes from the piercing bright light, the only one unaffected was White who continued to look on with wonder.

The ancient diamond watched as the gem's light began to dim, and started to take form. Pink, blue, yellow, and white light encased the gem as it formed.

When the overpowering lights finally began to dim down. Warm golden-brown eyes opened for the first time since the creation of the universe. The gem donned a blood-red cloak, with black body armor inside along with boots that matched. Like his cloak, the gem's hair was bright red and was rather untamed.

The gem stood at a height equal to that of quartz and with a powerful figure to match its height. The diamonds noted that the gem took a form that was more of the male type, with more features more similar to that of a male.

The steel gem excluded power that came off of him in waves more intense than when it was before, making Blue and Yellow step back while Pink looked at him in awe.

The newly formed gem looked at the pink diamond in front of him innocently with his head slightly tilted. Taking the first-ever step of his life and reaching out to her. The other diamonds, except White, tried to stop him before being halted by the larger diamond who raised her hand.

Pink leaned down to the gem without a hint of worry or concern, wondering what he was going to do. She watched in fascination as he touched her face while closely examining it. She watched as his eyes traced every inch of her face while his hands felt around, touching her nose, lips, and hair. This went on for what felt like an eternity before he stopped when their eyes finally met, pink irises met gold.

"Are you my Diamond?"

I don't see a lot of Steven Universe fics and that disappoints me, so I decided to make one myself. I just got done watching Steven universe and I got to say, I'm starving for MORE! So I'm going to give this a shot. If there's anything I need to improve on, leave it in the reviews. Peace! As for my other stories, I'm just about done with the next Spider-Man one.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

“Are you my Diamond?”

…

The silence was deafening as the Diamonds stared at the gem, stunned—well, except for Pink. Who was hopping up and down on her tippy toes while stars shined in her eyes.

“Haha! Yes! I am your Diamond!” She smiled happily, grabbing his hands, which were still on her face, and began jumping up and down.

Golden brown eyes followed her actions before copying it, also jumping up and down with an expression as blank as a white piece of paper. 

The other diamonds stared down at them, two in disbelief, and one in amusement.

Yellow reacted by grabbing on to Pink, much to the pink diamond's surprise, and pulled her up by her dress.

Unfortunately for Yellow, the strange gem was also dragged along by Pink who refused to let go of him, and said gem was now limply hanging on and was staring at the Diamonds blankly. 

“Pink! Let go of it this instant!” Demanded Yellow, who was glaring down at the Diamond and gem in her hand. 

“What? Why!?” Pink exclaimed, struggling to get out of her fellow Diamonds hold, while the gem in her own hold was looking around in curiosity, paying no mind to the situation he was in.

Meanwhile, Blue and White watched as Yellow struggled to get Pink to let go of the gem in equal parts worry and amusement.

“Because I said so!” Yellow yelled out, now grabbing the gem by his feet to tear him out of Pink's grip, only to find resistance.

Pink tightens her grip not wanting to let go.

“I don’t want to! Besides I already said that I was his Diamond, you can’t have him!” Pink screamed out while closing her eyes and refusing to let go. 

“Let go Pink!”

“No! You let go!” 

“Pink!!!”

“Yellow!!!”

This went on for five straight minutes neither one wanting to let go.

The red haired gem in their hands continued to look around before once again his eyes landing on the yellow diamond. 

Shing!

White light suddenly encased him, surprising the diamonds that were fighting over him causing them to let him go.

The sudden flare of energy startled the two bickering Diamonds, causing them to finally release their grip.

Blue instinctively tensed, ready to intervene—but before she could move, White held up a hand, stopping her. Blue shot her a questioning glance, but White merely smiled knowingly.

The light grew stronger.

Brighter.

Bigger.

The gem’s form expanded rapidly, his height growing until he rivaled White Diamond herself.

Finally, the glow faded—leaving the now towering red-haired gem standing in his place.

“W-What is this!?”  Yellow screamed out in shock, Pink also screamed but for her own reasons.

“Sooo cool!” The stars in her eyes shined like never before. “What else can you do!?”

She leaped up into the air and landed on the giant gem's hair, grabbing onto the locks and began hanging in front of his face.

“T-This shouldn’t be possible! No gem can become that size!” The yellow diamond was shocked by what she just witnessed.

Blue was equally shocked, never before seeing a gem grow to that size without fusion! White merely smiled as if she knew all along that he could do so. 

The gem remained silent, simply looking at the pink diamond hanging in front of his face, before looking at Yellow. 

“…am I not supposed to?” He asked innocently while tilting his head to the side making Pink swing along with his hair, causing her to let out a squeal of excitement. 

The gem raised his hand and gently took the excited diamond off his hair, where she promptly latched onto his thumb and refused to let go, just in case Yellow wanted to snatch her away again. 

The Yellow diamond could only let her mouth hang. Not only because of the gem asking such an idoitic question, but also because of Pink's audacity to stick her tongue out at her and hide behind said gems thumb!

The white diamond couldn't hold in her amusement any longer and let out a giggle.

“Oh! This is too much!” White giggled out, covering her mouth with her hand.

She moved closer to the gem all the while. 

Yellow moved respectfully out of the way, moving to stand next to Blue. If one were to look close enough they would see a small pout on Yellow's lips.

“He isn’t just any average gem, he is so much more than that!” White said, standing right in front of the gem and stared into his eyes. “His name is Shirou and he will be our protector who shall help us in our endeavors!” 

“S-Shirou?” Blue mumbled, unsure of the unusual name that the gem had.

Yellow was silent as she couldn’t comprehend what White just said.

Protector? Him!?

She looked at the gem to try and find any sign that he could be the one protecting them ! 

Spoof!

Only to find him in a tangle of limbs as he shrank back down to his original size abruptly, with Pink alongside him laughing all the while.

…

“You can't be serious.” 

A few minutes later

Blue was unsure as to what to do. 

She was currently walking down the hall of her ship with her pearl walking close behind.

Along with the gem, the source of her uncertainty, who was lagging behind.

White said she was in charge of the gem, which meant to teach him everything he needed to know and what his role is, much to her confusion.

All gems were supposed to know what they were made to do the moment they were born.

All gems ranging from Rubys to Pearls were like this, so why is he different?

She opened the door leading to the ship's control room, where an emerald could be seen ordering jaspers and rubys.

She paid them no mind as she headed towards the giant throne that was in the middle of the room.

Blue sat down and a hologram appeared in front of her showing the planters that she had conquered.

A moment later the gems stopped what they were doing and greeted their diamond.

“My diamond!” Was said all at once to show their respect and adoration for their diamond, crossing their arms in a diamond form while doing so.

The Emerald stood straight and firm before her diamond with a wide toothy smile on her face, ready to serve her diamond with all her being.

She was entirely green, from her spiky green hair to her light green boots that reached all the way up to her thighs and to the green gem that was her eye.

She was, like all gems, beautiful.

“I have the ship ready for the next plant to conquer my diamond!” She shouted out in excitement while crossing her arms in a diamond ship like the other gems.

Blue absently nodded her head to show some form of attention to the emerald. 

Shirou watched all this happen, paying rapid attention to everything happening around him.

The steel gem’s attention was caught when he noticed a red gem tapping away at a screen,  he walked up to the controls and observed a ruby tapping away at buttons that he had no clue of what they do.

Becoming curious, he picked the ruby up and turned her around to face him, causing the ruby to let out a gasp of surprise.

“Wha-! Hey! Put me down!” She yelled out while squirming to get out of his hold, but was finding it difficult to do so. 

Shirou looked at her in fascination. He could feel the energy emanating from her, while small compared to the diamonds, was still enough for him to notice.

It felt warm, like a fireplace, and he couldn’t help but be drawn to it.

She was small compared to the other gems and her hair was in the shape of a square, much to Shirou’s fascination, as he couldn’t help but pet her head, all the while ignoring her indignant cry.

“S-Stop that!” She yelped, batting away his hands that were patting her head.

“Who even are you?!” She shouted out to the one holding her.

“Shirou.” Came a rather plain reply as he continued to pat her head. He could feel heat emitting from her and could feel it reaching its boiling point.

Most would put the ruby down from how much heat she was generating, but instead of feeling pain from the heat Shirou instead felt warmth. 

“Hey! Put that ruby down this instant!” Emerald ordered as she came marching towards the two.

“I am the commander of this ship and I will not tolerate insubordination!”

“Commander! I don’t know who he is! He suddenly picked me up and won't stop patting my head!” The ruby said to her commander, all the while trying to break free.

She stood in front of him with her arms crossed, trying to appear intimidating, but was failing miserably as the gem was taller than her by a good foot.

Shirou looked at her and back at the ruby in his hands and decided to ignore her, continuing to head rub the ruby.

A small smile could be seen on his face as he did so.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!” Emerald shouted out in anger, but ignored her, he did.

He sat down on the chair the ruby was previously sitting on and put her on his lap and hugged her, it oddly felt familiar.

“What do these buttons do?” He asked the red gem in his lap while still patting her head, much to her embarrassment.

Ruby wanted to fight back and refuse to answer him, but she found that she couldn’t. 

When she first felt him pet her head she was shocked annd angry, but as he continued to do so, his touch would send a shiver of delight down her back each time he pet her.

The hug gave her an even greater feeling of warmth, it made her feel safe and protected, as if no harm would come to her if she stayed in his arms. 

“I-I t-they-” Ruby stuttered out trying to answer him, while also trying not to.

Shirou looked at her and he couldn't help but smile at her, a feeling of affection quickly forming.

“Don’t give him any answers! That is an order!” Emerald ordered the ruby as she went up to them and spun the chair they were sitting on to face her.

“Alright wise guy, I don’t know who you think you are! But I am the commander of this ship and when you are on my ship, you will follow my orders! Do I make myself clear?!”

Shirou stayed silent as he quietly looked at her and nodded his head in agreement. He would follow her every order when he was on her ship.

“Good! Now put that ruby down so she can go back to work!”

…Well, he would follow most of her orders.

“I said put that ruby down! And stop petting her already!” 

Shirou spun the chair around and looked back at the controls.

He once again urged the ruby to teach him about the controls, which was unfortunate for the ruby as she was now in the line of fire of the Emerald who ordered her not to.

Blue watched this all unfold and couldn’t help but sigh to herself.

She realized why White chose her out of the three diamonds to teach him.

Pink wouldn’t bother to teach him anything important and would rather play around with him and have fun.

Yellow could be a good choice, but unfortunately, she was too impatient and far too busy to be able to teach.

So that left the responsibility of teaching him to her.

“PUT HER DOWN DAMMIT!!!”

Blue could already tell it was going to be a long process.

Chapter Text

Wow... It's been a looooonnnnggggg time since I updated this one, huh? 

Chapter 3

The room was in chaos.

Emerald was practically vibrating with rage, waving her arms as she tried to pry Shirou off the flustered Ruby, who was now sporting a face as red as her gem.

Meanwhile, the other gems on the ship had stopped what they were doing, watching in stunned silence as this bizarre scene played out in front of them.

The Steel Gem was utterly unfazed, continuing to absentmindedly rub Ruby’s head as he examined the ship’s controls.

Blue Diamond, seated on her throne, exhaled softly, resting her cheek against her hand.

She had experienced many things in her long, long life, but she had never seen anything quite like this. 

A newly-formed gem, one apparently as old as White herself, completely disregards traditional gem hierarchy, acting like a child with no concept of structure or order.

White wanted her to teach him?

How?

“Enough,” Blue finally spoke, her voice calm but firm, carrying an undeniable weight of authority.

The effect was immediate. Emerald straightened like a bolt, Ruby stopped fidgeting in Shirou’s arms, and even Shirou himself seemed to pause, tilting his head in curiosity at her tone.

Blue Diamond raised a delicate hand, motioning for Shirou to release Ruby.

“Put her down,” she commanded. “Now.”

For a moment, Shirou simply stared at her, his golden-brown eyes analyzing her. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he gently placed Ruby back in her chair.

The red gem practically leaped away from him, scurrying behind Emerald, who quickly stepped in front of her as if to shield her from further interaction.

Shirou, however, didn’t seem to mind, instead turning his attention back to Blue.

“...You are my Diamond too,” he said plainly.

Blue’s lips parted slightly, caught off guard by his words.

Unlike Pink, who had practically claimed him the moment he awakened, and Yellow, who treated him as a potential threat, he regarded her with quiet certainty. There was no hesitation, no questioning, simply the fact that she was his Diamond, and that was all there was to it.

Something about that made her chest tighten.

“…Yes,” she finally answered, straightening her posture. “And as your Diamond, I expect you to listen to me. Do you understand?”

Shirou nodded without hesitation. “Ok.”

Blue narrowed her eyes slightly. 

“Then you will stop touching other gems without permission.”

Shirou tilted his head slightly, processing her words. 

“But… I like it.”

Blue nearly choked.

The room went dead silent, all the gems collectively frozen as they tried to comprehend what he had just said.

Emerald’s face twitched violently, her hands clenched into fists as she tried—really tried—not to explode.

“W-What did you just say?!”

Shirou blinked at her, then looked at Ruby, who was now hiding her face in her hands, before returning his gaze to Blue.

“…I like it,” he repeated simply. “She was warm.”

Emerald exploded.

“HE SAID IT AGAIN! HE SAID IT AGAIN!”

The green gem practically lunged at Shirou, only to be held back by a group of nearby Jaspers who struggled to contain their enraged commander.

Blue Diamond, despite her composed exterior, could feel the edges of her gem pulsing with exasperation.

This was going to be difficult.

___________

Among her fellow Diamonds, she was the most measured, the most thoughtful. She did not rush decisions like Yellow, nor did she act on whims like Pink. She was a pillar of wisdom, a ruler who led with grace and understanding.

And yet…

After weeks of overseeing Shirou, she was beginning to realize that patience had its limits.

He was unlike any gem she had ever encountered.

Not just in terms of power—though his strength was certainly unprecedented—but in behavior. He lacked the innate knowledge of gem society that all gems were born with. He had no understanding of roles, hierarchy, or decorum.

He was learning, but slowly. 

And sometimes, it seemed as though he wasn’t learning at all, simply observing and filing things away in that quiet, unreadable mind of his.

It was infuriating.

But also… fascinating.

—

It started small.

At first, Blue kept her lessons formal. She spoke to him the way she would to an especially slow Ruby—lecturing him on history, structure, and purpose.

Shirou listened. 

Always listened. 

But he always asked silly questions not pertaining to anything in her lessons!

She would find him staring at the murals that adorned her palace walls, tracing the outlines of old battles, of ancient conquests. He would trail behind her as she attended to her court, his gaze flicking between her and the gems bowing before her as if trying to understand what made them so different.

And most curiously of all—he would mimic her.

When she sat with perfect posture, he would straighten his back. When she clasped her hands together, he would do the same.

It was strange. Almost endearing, in a way. Like watching a newborn gem trying to find its place in the world.

And then there were the other habits.

Shirou had a tendency to get… too close.

Gems were not a touchy species. Physical contact was rare outside of combat or fusion, and even Pink—who was the most physically affectionate among them—understood the boundaries between a Diamond and her subjects.

Shirou, however, did not.

He seemed drawn to warmth, to presence. 

She would catch him standing too close to her throne, his gaze locked onto her as though waiting for something. He would follow at her heels without a sound, always just a step behind her, always watching.

And when she addressed him, he would lean in, as if the words themselves weren’t enough—he needed to feel them.

It was… strange.

But not unpleasant.

—

The first time she caught herself enjoying his presence was during one of her rare moments of solitude.

She was seated in her chamber, gazing out at the stars, allowing herself a moment of quiet contemplation. It was a time she usually spent alone—no court, no soldiers, no pearls. Just herself and the silence of space.

And yet, when she turned her head, she found him sitting at the foot of her throne, cross-legged, staring out the window alongside her.

“…How long have you been there?” she asked.

Shirou blinked as if the question confused him.

“A while,” he admitted.

She frowned slightly. “You were supposed to return to your quarters after our last lesson.”

“I know,” he said simply. “But I didn’t want to.”

That should have irritated her. She was a Diamond. No one simply decided to remain in her presence without permission.

And yet…

She didn’t tell him to leave.

Instead, she sighed, leaning back in her seat. “…And why is that?”

Shirou was quiet for a moment, his golden-brown eyes reflecting the distant stars.

“You feel… safe,” he said at last.

Blue stiffened.

“…Safe?”

He nodded, glancing at her with that same unreadable expression. “You and the others. I feel… like I should be here.”

Something about his words struck her in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

She was used to gems worshiping her. Bowing to her. Revering her as something greater than they could ever hope to be.

But this was different.

He wasn’t calling her powerful. He wasn’t calling her wise.

He was calling her safe.

As if she were a sanctuary.

Blue turned away, fixing her gaze back on the stars.

“…You may stay,” she said at last.

Shirou said nothing, but she could feel his presence beside her, quiet and steady.

And for the first time in a long while, the silence did not feel lonely.

After that, it became a pattern.

Shirou would linger in her presence long after their lessons ended.

He would sit near her throne as she listened to reports. He would walk beside her as she inspected the latest colonies.

—

She wasn’t sure when she stopped thinking of him as just a gem.

Somewhere along the way, he had become something else.

A presence. A constant.

And that thought terrified her more than anything else.

__________

If Blue Diamond had thought teaching Shirou was going to be a simple matter of instruction and obedience, she had been gravely mistaken.

Shirou, despite his quiet nature, had the attention span of a Pebble.

No, perhaps that was unfair to Pebbles. At least they pretended to listen.

Shirou, on the other hand, had an unfortunate habit of zoning out during lessons, only to suddenly become fascinated by the most trivial things in their surroundings.

And the worst distraction of all?

Rubies.

—

“Gems are structured into castes,” Blue lectured, seated regally on her throne as Shirou sat before her. “Each gem is created for a purpose, Quartz soldiers for combat, Rubies for grunt work, Sapphires for future sight…”

She watched as he nodded along absently, but she could already tell he wasn’t absorbing the information. His golden eyes were flicking towards the side of the room, where a squadron of Rubies had been stationed as guards.

Blue internally sighed.

Shirou had a strange fascination with Rubies.

Perhaps it was their small stature, maybe their expressive nature, or the fact that they were the complete opposite of him in terms of demeanor.

Whatever the reason, she had caught him staring at them on multiple occasions, sometimes even approaching them to brush their hair or squish their cheeks like some sort of child.

And now, it was happening again.

“…Shirou,” she called, tapping the armrest of her throne impatiently.

He blinked and turned to her as if only just remembering she was there.

“…Yes?”

Blue narrowed her eyes. “What did I just say?”

Shirou paused. Then, in the flattest, most monotone voice possible, he repeated in her exact voice.

“Gems are structured into castes. Quartz soldiers for combat, Rubies for grunt work, Sapphires for future sight…”

Blue raised a brow seeing right through him.

“You weren’t listening at all, were you?”

“…No.”

She let out a slow, measured sigh. “Shirou.”

“It’s not my fault,” he defended, tilting his head towards the Rubies. 

Blue followed his gaze and, sure enough, one of the Rubies was now making exaggerated hand gestures as she excitedly recounted some ridiculous story to her squadmates, who were nodding along enthusiastically.

Blue inhaled sharply. “Please just focus on the lesson and ignore the Rubies.”

Shirou blinked. 

Blue rubbed her temples.

—

Later, after she dismissed the Rubies (and warned them to keep their antics to a minimum when Shirou was around), she resumed her lesson.

“Hierarchy is essential in Gem society.” Blue paced as she spoke, ensuring he paid attention. “As Diamonds, we are at the top. We are the rulers, the creators. Beneath us are high-ranking gems, such as Sapphires, Emeralds, and Topazes. Below them—”

She paused, noticing Shirou’s eyes had once again drifted away.

Blue clenched her jaw. “Shirou.”

No response.

She frowned. “Shirou.”

Still nothing.

Finally, she followed his gaze and nearly groaned aloud when she saw him staring at a Ruby again.

This time, it was a different Ruby, one standing at attention near the entrance. Her stance was rigid and serious, but Shirou wasn’t paying attention to that.

No, he was staring at the fact that a leaf had somehow gotten stuck in her hair.

Without a word, he got up and walked towards her.

Blue stared, utterly dumbfounded, as Shirou reached out and patted down the Ruby’s hair, his face unreadable.

The Ruby, to her credit, barely reacted—though Blue could see her eyes widening slightly in confusion.

“…Sir?”

“You have something in your hair,” Shirou muttered.

The Ruby blinked. “Oh. Uh. Sorry?”

“…Don’t apologize,” Shirou said, still trying to fix her hair. “Just—hold on. Stay still.”

Blue finally had enough. “SHIROU!”

Shirou flinched and immediately withdrew his hands, stepping back like a child caught misbehaving.

The Ruby also stiffened, snapping back into a salute. “M-My Diamond!”

Blue exhaled sharply through her nose. “Return to your post.”

The Ruby nodded vigorously and bolted out of the room.

Blue then turned her gaze to Shirou, who stood there blinking, as if unsure what he did wrong.

“…Was that inappropriate?” he asked.

Blue pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yes.”

Shirou considered this for a moment. “…But it was bothering me.”

Blue groaned.

—

Despite the frustrations, however, there were moments that made Blue realize, slowly and reluctantly, that she was growing fond of Shirou.

It was in the way he tried to listen, even if he got distracted.

It was in the way he would mimic her when she spoke as if trying to understand why she carried herself the way she did.

It was in the way he would tilt his head when she was speaking, analyzing her words carefully, even if he didn’t always grasp the meaning right away.

And, most notably…

Blue Diamond had grown used to many things over the course of her endless existence.

She had grown used to the silence of deep space, the cold vastness of the cosmos stretching endlessly before her.

She had grown used to the adoration of her subjects, the constant bows and deferential words, the way they never truly met her gaze.

She had grown used to the weight of responsibility, the knowledge that entire worlds rested upon her decisions.

But she had not grown used to him.

Or rather, she hadn’t realized how much she had grown used to his presence until, one day, he was simply gone.

—

It was subtle at first.

She had entered the throne room, as she always did, expecting to see him sitting at his usual spot near her feet or standing quietly at her side, watching her with those strange golden eyes.

But he wasn’t there.

She frowned slightly but thought nothing of it. 

Perhaps he was just running late.

Yet as the minutes passed and her court continued their reports, she found herself glancing toward the door, waiting for it to swing open with his familiar quiet footsteps.

It never did.

The reports continued, but Blue found herself only half-listening, distracted by the absence where he should have been.

It was… odd.

For weeks now, Shirou had always been there.

Lingering at her side as she worked. Sitting silently in her throne room. Following just a step behind her as she walked through the halls of her ship, asking questions when he can. 

He was never intrusive, never demanding attention, just present.

And now that presence was missing.

A strange discomfort settled in her chest.

She ignored it.

—

As the day progressed, the absence became more noticeable.

She moved to inspect the latest shipments of gem colonies, Shirou would be beside her, watching curiously as she oversaw the process.

He wasn’t.

She attended to matters of Homeworld politics, he would be sitting quietly, absorbing information even if he didn’t fully understand it.

He wasn’t.

She walked through the halls of her ship, expecting to hear the faint, familiar sound of his footsteps trailing behind her.

She didn’t.

The silence that once felt like second nature now felt… unnatural.

It was absurd. Why should it matter? She had ruled for thousands of years without him. She did not need his presence to function.

And yet—

When she finally allowed herself a moment of solitude, seated on her throne with a sigh, she felt it.

The empty space beside her.

The quiet was just a little too quiet.

The absence that she had never noticed before, because she had never expected someone to be there in the first place.

And yet, Shirou had been there.

For days. Weeks. 

Always near. 

Always listening. 

Always watching. 

Always asking silly questions.

And now he was not.

She exhaled slowly, pressing her fingers against her temple.

“This is ridiculous,” she murmured to herself.

Why should she care? Why should it bother her?

It shouldn’t bother her.

…Yet she knew, deep down, that it did.

—

By the time evening arrived, she could no longer ignore it.

“Where is Shirou?” she finally asked her Pearl, keeping her tone neutral.

The question was met with a brief pause, just long enough for her to realize her Pearl had also noticed his absence.

“He was last seen heading toward the lower levels of the ship, my Diamond.”

Blue frowned. “The lower levels?”

That was strange. The lower levels were reserved for maintenance, rarely visited by anyone other than Peridots and Rubies assigned to upkeep.

Why would he be there?

After a moment’s hesitation, she stood.

“Take me to him.”

—

When she arrived, she did not know what she expected to see.

What she did see was Shirou, crouched on the floor, his attention entirely fixated on something very small.

A single Pebble.

Blue stopped in the doorway, staring.

Shirou did not acknowledge her at first, completely absorbed in whatever he was doing.

It wasn’t until he gently nudged the small stone forward, watching as it rolled slightly before stopping, that he finally spoke as if he had known she was there the whole time.

“…It was lost,” he said simply.

Blue blinked, unable to process what he just said.

“What?”

Shirou glanced over his shoulder at her, his expression unreadable.

“A Ruby told me her pet rock was missing, I found it.”

Blue stared.

It took her a moment to process what he was saying.

“…You’ve spent the entire day looking for a Pebble?”

Shirou nodded as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

Blue exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“You…” She let out a soft, incredulous laugh, shaking her head. “You are impossible.”

Shirou tilted his head. “Was I supposed to stay by your side?”

Blue hesitated.

She should say no. She should remind him that he was not required to remain near her at all times.

That she had functioned perfectly fine before his arrival and would continue to do so regardless of where he chose to wander.

But the words did not come.

Instead, what came was something much softer, much more vulnerable than she had intended.

“…I had grown accustomed to it.”

Shirou’s eyes flickered with something unreadable.

Then, slowly, he stood.

He walked toward her, quiet as ever, until he was standing just a step away.

“…I will not leave again if you do not wish me to,” he said.

Blue stared at him.

For the first time in centuries, she found herself at a loss for words.

Then, without fully realizing why, she let out a soft breath.

“…Come,” she murmured. “It is late.”

She turned, making her way back down the hall, expecting him to follow.

And, as always—

He did.

And this time, she felt at peace.