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Greg had really grown up the past few months. He’d gotten a job, committed himself to his alien girlfriend, and he’d even managed to save up enough to almost buy that car he’d had his eye on for months now. In a way, it was almost like he’d left his past behind him.
Until he saw that flyer, and everything shattered.
“Greg? What’s wrong?”
Rose Quartz watched the smaller human rip a bright paper off the telephone pole in front of him and clutch it in his hands, twisting it up.
“It’s- It’s nothing, Rose. I’m fine. Let’s just keep walking.”
He turned away from the Gem and stuffed the wadded paper in his pocket.
“No.”
He stopped.
“Greg, I’ve learned a lot by watching human relationships, and the most important thing I’ve learned is that communication is crucial. If there's something wrong, you need to tell me.”
Greg turned back to her quietly.
“Well… okay. I trust you, Rose.”
“Then tell me why that paper makes you so angry.”
Greg glanced around. The city streets were empty, and the overcast sky faded the bright hues of the buildings around them. It felt cold, and sad, and painful.
“O-okay. But can we go somewhere else?”
Rose nodded.
The two huddled together on the beach, watching the waves rush in and back out into the ocean again. The wind had picked up slightly, but Greg was still wearing the same t-shirt and jean shorts he had been earlier. Rose, of course, barely even felt the cold.
“...Do you remember when we met?”
Rose laughed fondly.
“Of course. How could I forget that night.”
Greg shuffled his feet a little, digging his toes into the sand.
“A-and do you remember my manager, Marty?”
“Yes. You’ve told me a lot about how terrible he was.”
“Well…” Greg rubbed his arm and looked away from his partner. “... I may have left out a few details.”
Rose cocked her head, puzzled.
“Like what?”
Greg stared into the sand.
“...You asked me once if I had loved other humans. At one time… he was one of them.”
Rose watched him with a careful eye.
“Oh.”
He picked up a handful of sand and let it run through his fingers.
“It was different from what we have, though. There was nothing between us except what he wanted. And I- I was nothing! I was his…” He gritted his teeth. “I was his ‘Starchild’.” He glared at the Gem beside him.
“He- he used me, Rose. And i’ll never forgive him for that.”
A tear spread through the sand beneath his head.
“And now-” He pulled out the crumpled up flyer and threw it down onto the sand. “-now he’s coming back to Beach City!”
Greg stood and stamped his foot.
“He knows how I feel! I told him that I never wanted to see him again! After what he did to me, and to Vidalia, and to who knows how many other people…”
He made eye contact with Rose again. Tears streamed down his face.
“We were just kids, Rose.”
She got up and peered down at her counterpart.
“I- I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. You don’t have to talk to him, Greg. You don’t even have to see him if you don’t want to.”
Greg shook his head, still crying.
“That’s not the point! He’s gonna be here, and he’s going to be talking to people I know, people I love! He’s going to eat food here, and sleep here, and drive on these roads! He’s going to be all over this town, Rose! What if he decides that he likes it here? What if he decides to pay a visit to that roadie he knocked up a year ago?”
Greg grabbed his own face, and began shuddering.
“What if he wants to see me?”
Rose put a hand out.
“Greg, please…”
He continued, picking up speed the more he rambled.
“Oh god, what if he tries to come on to me? How do I react? I’ve told him no already, but he won’t listen, he NEVER listened-”
“Greg, please stop…”
“What if he takes the van? Where will I go? With him? Back on the road? To be ‘Mr. Universe’ again? To be ‘STARCHILD’ AGAIN? I can’t, I can’t, I WON’T-”
“GREG, STOP IT!”
Rose thrust out her hands, pushing Greg back with considerable force. He flew for a few feet before crashing onto the sand, sprawled awkwardly against the beach.
“Oh, oh no, Greg, I’m sorry…”
Rose rushed over to him and placed a hand under his head, elevating it up off the sand.
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stand to hear you talk like that anymore and I just wanted you to stop, I didn’t mean-”
Greg stopped her with a sad smile.
“It’s okay. I… I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best of me. I’m sorry, Rose.”
He picked himself off the sand, dusted himself off, and made his way solemnly to the place where his van was parked.
Rose sat on the beach, staring at the wrinkled flyer he had left behind.
The next morning, Rose knocked on the back door of his van.
Greg stumbled out sleepily, rubbing his eyes. He had slept in only his ripped jean shorts, and he scratched his bare chest when he yawned.
“Mmm… g’mornin’ Rosie…”
Rose giggled.
“Good morning, Greg. Are you feeling better today?”
He lowered his gaze.
“Um… I guess. I’m still… yeah.”
Rose sat down on the back of the van.
“I think I understand now.”
“R-really?”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
Greg sat down next to her.
“Um, could you maybe… elaborate?”
Rose chuckled quietly.
“Well, when I compare human relationships to fusion, there are a lot of differences, of course. But there are some similarities. When gems fuse, it represents total trust between partners. If that trust isn’t there, the fusion can become… unstable. Monstrous, even.”
“...Whoa.”
“The relationship you had with Marty was one-sided and manipulative. When you finally got out of it, it left you feeling broken. Gems feel the same way after leaving a bad fusion. The guilt can linger much longer than the act itself.”
Greg looked away again.
“What you’re feeling is totally natural, Greg.”
“...Thanks, Rose.”
“Mhm.”
The two sat there for a few minutes, watching the waves crash onto the beach.
A few days later, Greg heard from Vidalia that Marty had cancelled his Beach City tour. Something about skeletons in the closet. He’d never felt more relieved, but a part of him wanted to see him. To confront him. To show him how much better he had it now that he was out of Greg’s life. Eventually he forgot, and the feelings that once burned him pittered out and died.
He had really grown in the past few months.