Chapter Text
"What's wrong? Getting tired already, flesh sack?" Jasper mocked, crouching to soften her fall. Steven grinned, landing on his feet.
"You don't know what tired is, Jas."
Jasper rolled her eyes, sprinting up to him. He jumped to dodge her attack, and she toppled over, rolling into it. The gem looked up, growling.
"You can't just dodge me, you know."
"Oh, I know." Steven teased. He flew higher before squeezing his eyes shut, then barrelled into Jasper. They were both pushed into the ground, disturbing the dry ground around them. Steven's summer clothes provided no protection against the harsh ground; his arms and legs were scraped up by the large stones embedded in the dirt. He breathed in sharply, coughing up dust. Jasper used this moment to get a hand over him, pushing Steven off her and onto his back. She stood, smirking, before kicking his sides. The boy groaned, bracing himself as she kicked him once more. She kneed him in the back, leaning over his beat-up body.
"Hah!" She put her arms over Steven’s shoulders, legs digging painfully into his back. He could feel the hard ground underneath him. He tried to stand. It was useless. "I win!"
Steven smiled at Jasper's happy proclamation. "Best of three?" He suggested.
She let up, standing and crossing her arms. He looked up to her, expecting an offered hand, and laughed as he realized she wouldn't help him up. "Diamonds," He could hear her say, tone full of fondness. "Always relying on someone else."
Steven stood, and they shook hands. Before the next sparring session could begin, he ran in the other direction. "Hey!" Yelled Jasper. "What the hell are you doing? Get back here! I'm strong, you don't have to fear hurting me!" She growled. "I literally just smashed you into the dirt!"
Despite her protests, he ran. Not particularly fast, but enough for him to be out of breath. Jasper was catching up to him, but his exhaustion forced him to pause and catch his breath. He gasped as she ran into his back, making him tumble over and land face first onto the ground. Steven hissed, feeling his shirt rip. He rolled over, socking Jasper directly in the face. It was her turn to step back, unsteady as she clutched her gem. The human beamed, then his form shuddered. He frowned, hugging himself. "What was that?"
Jasper went in to hit while he was distracted, but she fell straight through him. She looked up, expecting to see him in the air once more, but he was exactly where he stood a moment before. Unmoved. Steven narrowed his eyes, rearing up to punch her in the gut. Jasper grabbed his hand as he swung, deflecting it. Steven went in once more, aiming for where her heart would be if she were human. It hit, and she smiled. She didn't comment on his newly aggressive approach, not wanting to shame him. Instead, Jasper punched him in the chest. He didn't flinch, and her hand... went through?
Their eyes met, and Steven seemed just as shocked as her. He begun laughing, and she sneered. She'd never seen this fancy intangibility power. But before Steven could get too cocky, he glitched once more and leaned over in pain. Jasper wacked him upside the head, and Steven began to glow. He kicked her in the shins, sweeping her feet from underneath her. She fell to her knees. Jasper made a fist but paused. Steven’s shirt had ripped right above his gem, exposing the delicate pink stone. She realised his weakness and glowered as she aimed straight for his weak spot. Steven expected it to phase through once more, but he was pushed back. He groaned, cradling his stomach. Jasper swayed, a scared look on her face. "Oh shit," she realised, "I didn’t- your gem-"
Steven was rapidly switching between going pink and going regular. Exhausted, he landed on his back. Jasper ran over; concern etched into her features. "My diamond, I-" he cut her off with a whimper, and she licked her lips before continuing. "I'm sorry."
Steven managed to smile through his pain. He was proud of her for apologising, even if this was not the time. Jasper gasped as a burst of bright pink light emerged from his gem, and he passed out.