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The moon was bleeding behind her eyes again. Pearl couldn't say she hadn't grown used to it by now, but no matter how often it came, it was never any less disturbing. The red glow would seep across the sky like spilled ink, staining every corner of her dream-self's vision. It tainted the entire sky, and she could never quite shake the feeling that it was all her fault.
Pearl jolted awake, chest heaving with ragged breaths. Her throat ached as though she'd been screaming (maybe she had, she didn't know) and sweat cling cold to her forehead. God, she hated these dreams. She hated they way they clung to her long after waking, leaving behind that bone-deep panic that she just couldn't seem to escape from. But no matter what she tried, they never went away.
She'd tried all kinds of potions and teas and herbs for dreamless sleep, everything she could think of. She even hunted down recipes she'd never heard of before. But none of it made a difference. The bitter teas were steeped so dark they stained her tongue, but none of it could take away the sight of the deep crimson of her dreamscape's sky. Nothing could.
Nothing, that is, apart from the bright-eyed redhead who could anchor her back to herself with a simple touch.
Pearl slowly opened her eyes, the soft glow of early-morning sunrise filtering through the window. The light caught Gem's hair, illuminating the soft copper strands. She looked so peaceful there, still in half-sleep curled against Pearl's side.
"You had that dream again, didn't you?" Gem's voice was husky with sleep, but so tender it almost made Pearl want to cry. She shifted closer, cuddling up to her side.
Pearl swallowed hard. "It's fine. I'm fine." Her voice cracked halfway through, which rather ruined the effect she was trying to have. She rolled onto her side, away from Gem, clutching the blanket close to her face to hide the tears that were burning in her eyes.
A warm hand caught hers before she could move it out of reach, threading their fingers together and squeezing lightly. The touch was firm and grounding. "Pearl. I can feel your heart going like you sprinted across three biomes. Please… please don't tell me you're fine."
Pearl squeezed her eyes shut. The dream still lingered, scarlet burned across the insides of her eyelids. "It's… it's always the same thing," she murmured. "The sky just… bleeds. It never stops. And I feel like it's all because of me, like I did something to cause it. I deserve it, almost."
Gem was silent for a moment, and oh, Pearl hated that. Because silence meant agreement… didn't it? But then her thumb traced slow, deliberate circles over her hand.
"That, right there? That's the curse talking, Pearlypop," Gem said firmly, drawing a soft laugh from Pearl. She'd never learned how to argue with Gem when she was like this; her girl was so stubborn when she needed to be. "That dream wants to convince you that it's yours. But it's not. You don't deserve that, and it's so far from being your fault."
"You sound so sure," Pearl muttered into the blanket.
"That's cause I am." Gem propped herself up on her elbow to get a better look at Pearl, nudging her shoulder until she had no choice but to roll back over and meet her eyes. Even in the dim light, they were alight with determination. And oh, Pearl was so far gone, because the exact green of Gem's eyes was her favourite colour. "You think some stupid nightmare knows you better than I do?"
Pearl blinked, caught between wanting to cry and to laugh again. Because she was so right, Gem did know her far better than any curse. "You make it sound so simple," she whispered.
"It is simple. Because you… you're Pearl. You help everyone else before you even think of yourself, you are so selfless and kind and beautiful… you don't get cursed skies and bleeding moons, that's not you."
Pearl turned her face towards the pillow, eyes stinging with unshed tears. "You don't know that."
"Oh, I do." Gem tugged gently at Pearl's shirt until she looked back at her. "Because I know you. And no nightmare, no so-called curse will ever change that."
Pearl made a soft noise, almost a scoff, but it came out weak. "You're ridiculous," she mumbled.
"Hm, maybe. But I'm also very much right." Gem was so calm, almost maddeningly so, and her thumb kept rubbing circles against Pearl's hand. "And you know what? I would argue with a thousand… no, a million cursed moons if it means proving you wrong on this."
Pearl let out a shaky breath. Almost a laugh. "That's… very dramatic for someone who just woke up."
Gem smiled, pressing a soft kiss to Pearl's forehead. "Well, I've gotta match your level, don't I?"
Pearl tried to roll her eyes, but that just made the tears spill down her cheeks. Her throat tightened before she could form an answer, and the only sound that escaped was closer to a sob than anything else.
Gem's smile faded, replaced by a look of concern. She reached out immediately, tugging Pearl against her chest. "Hey… hey, love, it's alright. It's okay, I've got you."
Pearl's hands fisted in Gem's shirt, holding onto the fabric like the girl beneath it might slip away if she let go. The sobs really took over now, harsh and shuddering. She couldn't stop them, couldn't hold herself together anymore. She buried her face in Gem's shoulder, muffling the sound as if being too loud would make everything worse, almost as though she feared the curse would hear her cries.
"You don't have to fight this on your own," Gem whispered. "You hear me? Curse or no curse, you are not carrying this alone."
Pearl shook her head weakly, tears still falling. "But it feels so…" her voice cracked, "so real."
"I know, love." Gem pressed a kiss against her temple, letting the soft touch of her lips linger there. "But I'm more real. This? Me and you, right here? This is real, Pearl."
Pearl clung to her tighter, trembling. Slowly, gradually, through the blur of her tears and the steady warmth of the girl wrapped around her, the crimson sky began to lose its hold.
Later that morning, after a shower and some breakfast (Gem had insisted on making pancakes, which Pearl had agreed to if only to hear her hum to herself while she mixed the batter), Pearl found herself able to smile again. She knew the dreams would return to her at some point, but a small part of her didn't really mind that anymore. She finally knew she wasn't alone.