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Today wasn’t a good day, for anyone really. Except Joel but like, he won so.. of course he’s having a good day. Anyway, the point.
Pearl was in her bedroom, just coming out of the Wild life finale. Nothing had gone well. She didn’t get her Murder camel. She didn’t get Gem.
Her head was swirling. Was ANYTHING Gem told her true? She said she’d never leave her. And yet here she was. Again. At her breaking point.
Curse damn respawns. All she wanted to do was die right now. All she wanted was pain. All she wanted was Gem.
And nobody showed, not Grian. Not Lizzie. Not Martyn. Not Jimmy. Nobody cared. What’s the point anymore if you’re just alive to be used?
Pearl sniffles, wiping her eyes, as much as she didn’t want to relapse, it felt right. It felt like she had to. She deserved it.
Her paws rub at her arm, until she pulls them away. She lets her claws out, and then trails over her arm again. Making sure to make cuts.
Pearl only stops when she doesn’t think she can fit more. She pulls down her sleeves to cover them and retracts her claws. She doesn’t bother cleaning up. If Gem finds out, so be it?
She stands up off of her bed, walking down her storage aisle of chests. Pearl herself doesn’t know what she’s looking for. She just knows it’s not in the chests. It’s preferably in a specific seaside town.
After exiting her base, she spreads her elytra. Definitely checking its durability, and definitely not just hoping it breaks. After using a few rockets, Pearl manages to find herself in Gem’s base, specifically her old boat.
Pearl doesn’t know what to do here, or why she wants to be here anyway. Gem hurt her? Does she just want to forgive and forget
…
Pathetic.
…
Pearl rubs at her arm gently, wincing at the scars.. and possibly the horrible degrading thoughts in her head. After shaking the worst of them out, she hears a familiar ginger’s voice! And not Cleo.
Pearl stops rubbing at her arm and steps out of Gem’s boat, jumping into the water. Once out of the water after a quick swim, she looks around on the bay.
After a moment of searching, Pearl can see Gem. Looking as beautiful as ever. Gem seems nervous, playing with her antenna, specifically the one with the moon.
After a while, Gem notices Pearl as well. She kind of freezes, looking worried, now both her antenna are drooping.
“Pearl..” Is the only word she can muster at the moment. She looks at a loss for words. Like how Pearl is as well.
“Gem.” Pearl says, kind of trying to be intimidating. Which is probably failing miserably with her wet cat personality.
“Pearl.. i..” Gem tries again, mentally cursing herself for being so pathetic right now. She shakes off her thoughts.
“Pearl. Please don’t leave.” She said that too fast. Way too fast. Jesus! Can she not be pathetic for a minute here?
“Why..?” Pearl stutters over her words as they try and come out. “Wh-why should i do what you say?…”
“Pearl, please.” Gem gets a bit closer, minding her distance. Pearl doesn’t step back. She takes that as a sign to get closer once again.
Each time, Pearl doesn’t move away. It’s not from fear. It’s not from anything. If Gem wants to be close to her, isn’t that a good sign? Gem looks Pearl in the eyes.
“My..” She stops, it’s too far.. or is it? She’s really testing the waters here. “My Pearl..”
Pearl’s ears don’t pin back like she thought, she blushes softly, like she did during Wild life when Gem said that.
“Pearl.” Gem says, regaining confidence as Pearl doesn’t resist. She cups Pearl’s face, mumbling “Pearl” again.
“…Gem?” Pearl seems confused. And she is. Stupid oblivious wet cat dumbass.
“I’m sorry.” She begins, looking away from Pearls eyes. Finally. “I was an asshole for cross season grudges.. and i know you had yours with Scott, but it was dignified..” Gem devolves into blabbering.
“I’m sorry i left, i love you..” Gem reaches up and kisses Pearl’s cheek, standing on her tippy-toes to reach. “I’m sorry.”
Pearl kind of just stands there, shell-shocked. Her ears pin to the side of her face and she suddenly blushes again. Her mouth opens a few times to talk but nothing comes out.
Gem blushes and giggles, tail wagging slightly. She holds Pearl’s hand before hugging her. She repeats “i’m sorry” a few more times before Pearl hugs her back.
They stay like that for a moment. It’s like the good old days. Back on empires, or on the first server they met. Just the two of them really.
..But maybe Gem pulls back a bit too hard, she didn’t know it’d hurt! She basically rubs against Pearl’s arm, which in return rubs her cuts. Pearl winces and Gem knows what’s up.
It’s basically in a second that Gem rolls up Pearl’s sleeves, examining her cuts. “G-gem.. you..” Pearl tries to talk.
“Pearl.. oh god. I’m so sorry. I never meant to make you feel this way.. i just.. i’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry..”
“It’s not your fault-”
“It is! You can’t convince me that what, Scott made you cut after wild life? No! It’s my fault. And..” Gem takes a breath. “That’s not okay, Pearl. You.. i.. I can’t keep doing this to you. You can’t keep doing this. I’m sorry.”
There’s a moment of silence, followed by Pearl picking Gem up. A little squeak comes from Gem as she’s grabbed. “That makes it sound like you’re just gonna leave me!”
“You said you wouldn’t leave me, Gem-gem.” Pearl sounds both terrifying and serious as she says that.
“I’m still sorry-”
“And? I forgive you.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“But i have. And that’s what matters, Gem. I love you, and you try your best to show that you love me.”
Gem looks at her, she looks like she’s going to cry. She then pulls Pearl up a bit and places a kiss on her lips. Once she pulls back, after a few seconds, Pearl puts her down.
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Gem, we’re not starting that, you cheeky nugget.”