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Gem sat down on her bed, listening to the hushed sounds of Pearl cleaning up the kitchen of their shared home. The wind pushed against the walls, the rain softly falling down, the soft sounds quickly making a drowsy Gem even more drowsy. She pulled off her pants, tossing it into a hamper. Reaching behind her head, she pulled her hair out from the bun she had it in. Laying her head, she reached over and turned off the lamp, leaving the room in total darkness, except for the small beam of light that slipped through the small crack between the wall and door. Gem sighed and closed her eyes, pulling the blankets closer to her face. The bed felt far too small and cold without the presence of her girlfriend. Gem strained to listen to noises downstairs. The sink was still running, Pearl must still be washing dishes. Gem smiled contently and waited. Washing the dishes was Pearl’s last step in cleaning up, so she would soon be joining Gem, warming her up and giving her something to cuddle as she slept.
The rain pounded down against the house. Gem’s eyes blinked open as the wind whirled around outside. Gem shut her eyes again, ready to go back to sleep as thunder clapped outside. Instinctively she checked chat, to find no new messages. She sighed, it wasn’t secret life anymore, all of her friends are safe and she can see them anytime she wants. Another clap of thunder and she shook. She glanced over at Pearl, who was still sleeping, and bit her lip. She could survive one night! Couldn’t she? She had survived to the top three, one night should be a walk in the cake! Still she jumped every time she heard thunder. She softly hummed to herself, trying to take her mind off it. Another boom of thunder and it was the day Lizzie got out. Another clap and Etho was gone, then Impulse, then Scott. Another clap and her own life was flashing before her eyes. She jumped back in bed, almost falling off. Beside her, Pearl groaned softly.
“Goodness Gemsie,” Pearl muttered, her voice still raspy with sleep. “What ‘re you doin’ up?” She turned around to face her girlfriend, who was still shaking. Gem meekly met Pearl's eyes. The brunette's gaze immediately softened once she saw Gem’s face. Gem shoved herself up against Pearl, pushing her face into Pearl’s neck. She shook with dry sobs, the sounds of swords scraping as people shouted filling her ears. Pearl stroked her hair, gently hushing Gem. Pearl pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, laying the ginger to rest on her chest. Gem wiped the last tears from her eyes, feeling the steady beat of Pearl’s heartbeat against her cheek as she pushed her eyes shut.
When Gem woke up again, her face was now tucked into the curve between Pearl’s neck and shoulder. The brunette was comfortably breathing softly, with the gentle rise and fall of her chest. The sun peaked annoyingly through the bottom of the curtain. She shut her eyes and snuggled further into Pearl.
Once she woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky. Gem placed her hand where Pearl was supposed to be, only to find the spot empty. Gem rolled over, her feet landing on the cold floor. She pulled her slippers on and headed down the stairs, into the kitchen. Pearl stood in front of the stove, cracking two eggs into a pan. The sun shone through the window, illuminating the brunette. Gem took a deep breath, the smell of breakfast filling her nose. Gem came up to Pearl, wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist as her familiar warmth almost caused Gem to melt into a soupy puddle on the kitchen floor.
The room filled with a pleasant quiet, besides the faint crackling from the pan. They did this almost every morning when they had time; Pearl cooking breakfast while Gem stood behind her, watching her girlfriend or reading a book. The kitchen air moved slowly, the two basking in the gentle morning sun. Gem knew that if she hadn’t come downstairs, Pearl would’ve taken it upstairs for her. The ginger's heart felt so full, as if at any moment, anything Pearl did, Gem’s heart would burst and she would be flooded with the love that kept her warm. Gem smiled, pushing her face into the crook of Pearl’s neck.
They moved together in sync, adjusting as Pearl flipped the eggs, listening to the crackling of the stove and the gentle breeze pushing against their windchimes. Gem grumbled under her breath as Pearl stepped away from her to plate the eggs. Pearl giggled as she turned around, allowing Gem to step in, wrapping her arms tightly around the taller girl. Pearl chuckled, placing a tender kiss onto Gem’s forehead. Gem immediately perked up, placing her lips onto Pearl’s. Gem slowly peppered kisses onto the brunette’s face, watching as Pearl’s face flushed.
“Eggs are gonna get cold, love,” Pearl spoke softly, placing a soft kiss on Gem’s nose. Gem groaned but nodded, reaching into a drawer and pulling out two forks, handing one to Pearl. They sat down at the table, eating in comfortable silence. Pearl brushed her knee against Gem’s, watching the girl eat, the sun behind her head, blessing her in a soft orange aura. The wind whistled outside causing the wind chimes to swing around, singing their own song.
Once they finished eating, they placed their dishes in the sink, to be dealt with at a later time, when they were no longer shaking off sleep. Gem pushed open their entrance door, standing right outside the door, watching the birds flutter and jump around. Pearl opened the door and Gem moved out of the way, walking to the end of their porch, her eyes fixed on the birds. Pearl came up behind her, wrapping her arms around the others waist and fixing her head in the crook of Gem’s neck. Gem grasped the brunette's hands, gently rubbing her thumb against the others hand. Pearl placed a small kiss to Gem’s neck before putting her head down, resting on the gingers shoulder. They stood for a while, basking in each other's company before Pearl pulled away from Gem, walking down towards her car. She turned back towards their house, grinning at Gem.
“You comin’?” Pearl called. Gem grinned and ran over to her, hopping into the passengers sit as Pearl started the engine.
As they pulled out of the driveway, Gem turned to Pearl.
“Where are we going?”
“Doesn't matter, as long as I’m with you.”