Work Text:
Pearl was terraforming her mega base when Gem came crashing in.
“Pearl! Peeearl! Where are you?”
“Over here!” Pearl called back.
Pearl was putting her blocks down when Gem came into view, coming to a stop right in front of her and almost losing her balance, using Pearl to stabilize herself.
“Pearl! I have an idea!” Gem proclaimed proudly, now rocking side to side.
“What’s up?” Pearl started crafting a chest to put her items away.
“Can we go on a picnic? Please? We haven’t been on a date in sooo long, and I fount the perfect spot!” Gem was giving Pearl her best puppy dog eyes.
Any resolve Pearl has left regarding her unfinished terraforming dissolved, and she sighed fondly. “A picnic sounds wonderful, Gem. Where are we going?”
Gem lit up, eyes widening. “It’s a surprise! You’ll just have to come with me!” Gem said, grabbing Pearl’s arm to start tugging her along.
“Wait, Gem! I’m all dirty! Can I at least take a shower first?”
Gem sighed but relented. “Okay, fine. Meet me on the bridge in 20?”
“Sounds great, I’m excited. Should I bring anything?” Pearl inquired.
“Nope!” Gem said, popping the p, “I have it all set up already!”
Pearl was almost going to turn around when she processed what Gem has just said, “Wait, so you set it up before I even agreed to it?” Pearl asked.
Gem grinned. “I knew I would be able to convince you.”
Gem was right about that; Pearl was weak to her puppy eyes.
---
Pearl changed into a nicer shirt and some jeans and flew down to meet Gem.
“So, where to?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Gem, who was wearing a pretty green dress with a white turtleneck underneath that Pearl liked very much, took off into the air and headed towards a part of the map Pearl hadn’t been to much. After a bit of flying while Pearl tried to pry information out of Gem and found herself unsuccessful, they arrived in a quaint sunny clearing lined with birch trees and flowers. Pearl could hear birds singing and a creek nearby.
“Awh, Gem, this is so sweet!” Pearl cooed.
“I wanted it to be perfect,” Gem replied.
“It is.”
Gem pulled pearl along to a spot where she’d laid out a blanket and a picnic basket, with a bouquet of flowers in the middle. They sat down, and Pearl looked around while Gem pulled out fresh-baked bread and jams, along with fresh apples and cheese.
“Did you make these?” Pearl asked, referring to the jams.
“Yeah!” Gem replied, happy she’d noticed, “I learned how from my auntie back in my birthforest.”
Pearl got out a spreader and tried some of the jam, “Gem! This is delicious! You have to teach me how some day!”
Gem giggled, looking proud. “We can make them together next summer.”
“It’s a date.” Pearl announced.
Gem started to cut up the bread into slices, and Pearl watched. The sunlight made Gem look mystical, turning her hair fiery and gracing her features.
“So,” Pearl began, “We haven’t had time to just talk to each other in a little while. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy this week. What have you been up to lately?”
“Hmm… I’ve mainly been working on my base, like you. I decided that my villagers should have a decent place to live, so I’ve been working on the village. I added some light posts to the paths because I’ve been hearing some reports of mob sightings at night, so hopefully that’s fixed. I also added a little archery range so I can get better with a bow. Maybe we can train together there one day. How about you?”
“Well, as you saw, I’ve been doing some terraforming. I’ve been thinking it’s a little silent around my base, so I’m creating some more habitat for the animals and such. Maybe you and I could coax some animals into living in my forest?” Pearl requested, smiling at Gem.
“I’d love to.” Gem replied, “I saw some wolves around our area that I’m sure we could tame.”
Gem finished slicing up the bread and handed a slice to her girlfriend, then took one for herself.
“You’re so nice to me,” Pearl said, leaning forward to give Gem a kiss. Gem melted into it, but eventually they had to part when Gem accidentally got jam on Pearl’s shirt.
“Oops!” She apologized, giggling.
“Totally worth it,” Pearl giggled back.
They continued to eat until they were satisfied, chatting all the while. When she was done, Pearl laid down on the blanket and looked around, admiring the location.
“You sure know how to pick a spot, Gem, it’s gorgeous here.” Pearl said, watching some butterflies twirl in the air.
“It sure is,” Gem said, looking straight at Pearl in favor of the butterflies.
Gem put everything away, scooting over to lay down against Pearl and rest her head on Pearl’s shoulder. They both sat in comfortable silence for a bit, watching their surroundings, until Pearl turned her body towards Gem and looked into her eyes.
“You know I love you so much, don’t you? I would hope so. I love you.” Pearl proclaimed (she’d never tire of saying it), cradling Gem’s face with her hands and pressing little kisses all over her face.
Gem giggled and squirmed a bit, pushing Pearl away, “I love you too, honey.” Gem came back in to give Pearl a proper kiss, dissolving into it.
Gem tasted like sunlight and honey to Pearl. Her lips were warm and the press of their bodies against each other were comfortable, and they stayed like that until they had to part to breathe. They shared kisses like this for a while, bathing in the warm springtime sun.
After some time, they decided to stop and explore the area. Pearl was intrigued by the creek, which sounded close. Gem ducked back to the basket to grab something and put her jacket back on, and then they were off. When she reached Pearl, she unveiled her package to reveal freshly baked cookies, which she gave one of to Pearl. Pearl’s eyes visibly widened at the sight, “Gem, oh my god, you brought your cookies! I love you so much.”
After some ducking under branches (Gem was much more well versed in the craft, Pearl almost hit her head a few times), they found themselves at the shore of a slow-moving creek. Pearl took her shoes and socks off, dipping her toe into the water.
“It’s not too cold! You should join me, Gem,” Pearl proclaimed.
Gem smiled at the sight of Pearl splashing around in the water. “Okay, okay, just give me a sec,” she replied, hitching her dress up so it wouldn’t get wet.
As Gem stepped into the water, Pearl spoke up, “Did you know the Salmon come up these creeks every year to reproduce upstream? Some of them go hundreds of miles upstream! Can you imagine? I wonder if we’ll see any…” Pearl said, looking through the water of the creek around them.
Gem, of course, had learned all about this during her time back in her home server, but she liked to see Pearl excited about the things she was interested in. “Maybe,” she replied, “they’re probably still coming upstream or reproducing this time of year.” She stepped to the side of the creek to pick some sweetberries that were ripe on a bush close by.
“Hey Pearl, do you have anything else to do today?” Gem inquired.
Pearl looked up from where she had moved on to picking up rocks (which she presented proudly to Gem later in the day), “Well, I was going to finish that terraforming, but I’d rather spend the day with you. Is that okay?”
Gem grinned at her. “That’s perfect.”