Chapter 1: First Time
“You are not two people. And you are not one person. You…are an experience.” ~ Alone Together
The first time they fused it was an accident, but they had made something entirely new.
It had come at the end of a rather tiring day, learning all the ins and outs of fusion – the dance steps, the styles, and putting them together with the gem he was going to fuse with. Ever since he had discovered fusion was a thing, he had been intrigued – combining together to make a completely different and new person (though for him, that new person would be a giant woman) – and when he learned he had the ability to fuse as well, he knew he wanted to try.
It was a lot harder than he imagined.
But on the beach, with his best friend, their fusion was the easiest thing he had ever done. Before they knew it, they had merged into one – an experience.
They had to go tell everyone.
The first time they fused, it was an accident and they had made something entirely new.
It had come during the middle of an attack, one that had been foretold by the very component of the new fusion that stood within Blue Diamond’s court. Precognition was never truly certain, but with the right position and foresight, it could be surprisingly correct, as long as nothing disrupted the course of fate. And that hardly ever happened.
Until that day.
That day, a lone ruby changed the path of fate and caused something Homeworld had never seen before – a cross-gem fusion. An experience.
They quickly fled from everyone.
Chapter 2: Second Time
“Make sure you’re a good experience. Now…Go!…Have!…Fun!” ~ Alone Together
The second time they fused, they twirled.
Something was happening between them, but neither could pinpoint what it could possibly be. The only thing that was true was the way her hair swayed behind her as they twirled around, the look of happiness on her face, and the sound of her laughter hanging in the air. Their laughter combined and soon, so did they.
This time, they were sure about this, that they wanted what now stood in the grassy hillside.
The second time they fused, they spun.
Something was happening between them, but neither could pinpoint what it could possibly be. The only thing he knew that was true was the way her hair swayed behind her as they spun around on the lot of the car wash, the look of happiness on her face, and the sound of laughter than rang in his ears. Their laughter combined and soon, so did they.
This time, they panicked, seeing the look of surprise and shock on Greg’s face. They weren’t sure about this, not today.
Chapter 3: Pet Names
“We’re a team. She’s the Strawberry…”
“And he’s the biscuit!”
“And that makes us…JAM!”
“BUDS!” ~ Sworn to the Sword
“Unh! I think the power couple’s losin’ their spark.” ~ Bismuth
They were jam buds.
Not just because they enjoyed jam covered biscuits, but because most of their snack times involved a jam session of some sort. She was his strawberry and he was her biscuit – it was simple as that.
The most common was Connie Bunches, as in Connie Bunches of Hugs, whenever he hugged her. That was his usual standard greeting for her lately, surprising with a squeeze around the middle or a sudden twirl as he hugged her.
Strawberry was what he called her when they were alone, when he felt she had something on her mind or she needed to talk about an issue that weighed on her. She may have liked other fruit jams, but strawberry was her favorite and he noted that was something else they shared.
She used Biscuit the same amount of times he called her Strawberry, but because those pet names were sacred to them both. Any couple could call each other ‘babe’ or ‘sweetheart’ or ‘honey’ – after all, her parents did use the latter two on occasion – but their relationship was…different; it was more.
Could a person fall in love at the age of twelve?
They were a power couple.
Not just because they happened to combine their relative strengths to form an equally impressive fusion, but because they just happened to work incredibly well together. She was the fire to her ice – it was as simple as that.
The most common, though sporadically used, was Laughy Sapphy whenever she managed to coax an amused laugh from her. The ‘power couple’ nickname had come from Bismuth, who had also deemed them ‘little red’ and ‘ice queen’ with equal amounts of humor, but there had been something to it.
They had only lost once during one of their sparring matches and it had been to Pearl and they did not let her win easily.
My Ruby was what she called her when they were alone, when the red gem seemed ready to set the ground ablaze in fury or frustration. It was probably the only holdover she took from Homeworld – it was an honorific, a sign of respect, and something only designated to the Diamonds they had once served. Here on Earth, however, it was a sign that she placed this one ruby above all others and there could never be anyone to breach that.
In the same vein, when she said My Sapphire or My Clarity, it was out of deep respect and love. A sign that, even in her most volatile haze of anger, this one gem could make her see reason, could clear the fog that had clouded her judgement and at the same time, she would pull the seer from the swarm of visions that could weigh her down.
Yes, they probably should’ve adopted better suited names while on earth, but these were sacred to them both. Their relationship was…different. It was more.
Could you fall in love at first glance?
Chapter 3: First Fight
“Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.” ~ Robert Frost
The first time they fight, it’s cataclysmic.
In the literal sense.
Half the world was covered in fire, while the other half was covered in ice and it stuns everyone around them. They have never seen the two so antagonistic towards each other and to see such anger from the two is completely foreign to the others.
In the end, they do come back together, during a battle of all places. But they had always been in-sync with each other and this was no different. When they fused, they couldn’t hide from each other; well, they could, but after this, they no longer did.
Why would you be jealous?
You looked happy when you’re around her.
Not as happy as I’m with you.
You’re stuck here because of me.
I wouldn’t call it being stuck when I love being with you. I thought you knew that.
I do. I’m being silly, but that tends to happen when I hang out with a beautiful aristocrat.
The first time they fight, it’s cataclysmic.
In the figurative sense.
Half the table felt as though it was covered in fire, while the other half felt as though it was covered in ice and it stuns everyone around them. They have never seen the two so antagonistic towards each other; oh, they’ve had discussions with each other, but they have never gotten to this level. To see such anger from the two is completely foreign to the others.
In the end, they do come back together, during a battle of all places. But they had always been in-sync with each other and this was no different. As before, they easily fused, sharing the issues that had brought strife before. Once unfused, those issues came back up.
“Why would you be jealous?”
“You’re always talking about him and…you…you won’t have the same issues…”
“I told you – how you age isn’t important to me.”
“It should be though.”
“You’re more important. I thought you knew that.”
“I do. I’m being silly, aren’t I?”
“Yes, but you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t.”