Work Text:
The tumble of summer into autumn brought with it rain and warmth; the forecast for the upcoming days humid and muggy as a mist settled over the limits of the school. For the first time since the start of the season, Adamant declared the gems could rest; it was unlikely a sunspot would appear when visibility was low and a thick swath of cloud blanketed the sky.
“Nevertheless, keep aware of your surroundings today,” he said as a steady stream of gems hustled past. “Should you sense any danger, come get me immediately. Enjoy your day, everyone.”
Melon scooped up Hemimorphite and rushed off into the day before the gem could barely bid their partner good morning; the poor teal gem scrambling for purchase as Melon lifted them over their head and kicked off into a run. The world flashed before their eyes in an instant; the towering expanse of the school giving way to the Swamp, and further still to the High Fields and Forest of Blue. By the time Melon’s strength waned and they came to a stop, the two found themself in the last glade before the Hills of White.
Hemimorphite unceremoniously tumbled from Melon’s grip and to the grass beneath as the gem released them. They squeaked from the sudden shift yet again, before turning and glowering to their partner splayed out beside them.
“Melon!” Hemimorphite scolded, leaning over them. “You really scared me there! Why the sudden rush? And why did you drag me out here?”
Melon drew in a deep exhalation, and when their eyes snapped open, a brimming smile curved on their face. “Because!” they cheered, as if that single word explained their intentions succinctly. Hemimorphite’s brow gave an irritable twitch. “We finally get a chance to play! All we’ve been doing since summer is fighting, fighting, fighting.” Melon moaned out a note as if wounded. “I want to do something fun! Fun!”
Whatever annoyance Hemimorphite tried to shoulder towards their partner soon dissipated as their face relaxed into a smile. Melon was incorrigible, yes, but their intentions were pure from the offset. If only they knew not to forcibly rope others into their plans, Hemimorphite thought as they leaned their weight back on their hand. Then they might be a little easier to deal with. Well, at least it’s a nice day.
“Then what kind of fun did you have in mind?” Hemimorphite asked.
“No idea!” Melon shot back, kicking themself up into sitting. They beamed brightly at their partner.
Hemimorphite sighed. “So, you just grabbed me up and ran all the way here to the Forest of Blue without thinking about what you’d want to do?” they asked.
“Yep!”
I should’ve figured.
Hemimorphite flicked them on the forehead, and the gem clapped both hands on the place of impact and whined out a note. “You airhead,” they said, shifting their attention away to take in their surroundings.
The glade was a lovely place, truly; had it been a sunnier day, it would be bathed in revitalizing warmth and the thick scent of flowers. It was a good place to nap, now that Hemimorphite considered it. Melon did have a knack for picking out the best locations of the land, but it seemed their thoughts fell short of doing things.
Once again, I guess I’m the brains of the operation, Hemimorphite thought as they scooted aside from their partner and considered the flowers.
While not the blooms utilized for the white powder the gems covered themself in, their pale blue shade was pleasing to their eye, and their long stems meant they were perfect for flower crowns. Hemimorphite plucked a few and twined the stems between their fingers, producing a small chain that Melon openly marveled at.
“Oh! Oh!” Melon chirped, clapping Hemimorphite on the shoulder and leaning over them. The teal gem grunted as they supported their partner’s weight. “That’s super cool, Hemi! You have to teach me!”
“Okay, okay, watch carefully,” they said. Hemimorphite bunched up a handful of flowers in their right hand before looping the stem of the second around them. After pulling it taut, they fit in another, then another, lengthening the chain until it was as long as their forearm. Melon observed, eyes sparkling in awe, before it dawned on them Hemimorphite wanted them to try.
Plucking up far too many flowers than needed, Melon sat themself next to their partner, and tried to follow the steps Hemimorphite had carefully outlined to them. Their attempt came to no avail, however; even with the teal gem pointing out where Melon had gone wrong, and even trying to right their mistakes, their paltry attempt at a flower crown fell apart in their hands.
“Agh, no fair!” Melon harrumphed. “I can never do anything right…”
Hemimorphite gave them a rueful smile. “Well, it does take practice, Melon,” they said, but was immediately rebuked with a shake of their head.
“Uh-uh! I don’t think I’d ever get it right. I’m too clumsy to do something so careful.” Melon sighed. “But you, Hemi? I think you’re great at everything you do. Like making flower crowns, or playing cards, or folding paper planes, or remembering where you put things, or tying your shoelaces, or—”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Hemimorphite cried, flashing Melon their palms. “I think you’re giving me too much credit! There’s things you’re good at too, Melon.”
Melon puffed out their bottom lip. “Like what?” they asked, a drawl to their tone insisting there wasn’t anything.
“Like… Like fighting,” Hemimorphite supplied. “You’re a really, really good fighter, Melon. Even better than Yellow sometimes.” The green gem hiccupped suddenly, caught off-guard by such praise. “But me? I’m really stiff.” They combed fingers through their hair. “Probably better at patrols than actual fighting.”
“No way!” Melon shot back, grabbing Hemimorphite by their shoulders and shaking them. “You’re a really good fighter, Hemi!”
Hemimorphite leveled eyes on their partner. “You really think so?” they asked, though their tone had taken on a doleful note. “To be honest, no, I really am not.”
Melon scrunched their brow. “What do you mean?”
“I… used to have more hair than this,” Hemimorphite admitted, brushing fingers through their locks again. The teal strands glistened in the day’s light. “I really liked my hair. Some gems even said I had the best hair among all of us.” They pulled their knees to their chest. “But once I tried to take on a sunspot by myself. An arrow came down and cleaved half of it off. The Moon People snatched the strands up in an instant, since my hair’s that peppermint green color they like so much.”
A tremble passed through Hemimorphite. “There was no way to get it back. I’m lucky I even survived that day, to be honest, so losing a bit of hair isn’t anything. It’s just… I look so weird now. How is this even a look? Half a head of hair… It’s ugly.”
Melon couldn’t believe their ears. Hemimorphite was forthright with them most of the time, but to hear such a deep-seated truth shook them to their inclusions.
“Hemi, you’re not—!” they began, but was quieted by a shake of their head.
“I know what you’re going to say, and I appreciate it, but it’s what I believe about myself,” they said, simply wanting to end the matter there.
There wasn’t any way Melon would let them have the last word, however. “Well, you can think that!” Melon huffed as they scooped up the flowers in their lap and held it above their partner. Opening their palms, petals and blooms rained down atop the gem. “But I think you’re super, super cute, Hemi!”
Hemimorphite couldn’t help the heat to their cheeks. “Wh-what?” they gawked, thoughts stymied for just a moment to such forwardness. Melon took this moment to capture them in a tight embrace, smooshing the teal gem’s face into their chest.
“To me, you’re the prettiest, most gorgeous, talented, best, best gem among us all!” Melon said. “So, when you say stuff like that, it really hurts!” They pulled back and smoothed their forehead to Hemimorphite’s. They smiled sweetly to the gem as their voice lowered to something equally soothing and caring. “I know I can’t change your opinion of yourself with just words alone, but I mean what I say.”
The scarlet across Hemimorphite’s face stretched to their ears. Barely able to nod, they smoothed hands up Melon’s back, and returned the embrace. “O-okay,” they said, summoning a smile of their own. “I’ll remember that… and try to watch what I say.”
“Good,” Melon agreed, the smile on their face widening, “because you’re amazing, Hemi, and I think you should know that.”