glyfic

Title: The Sum of their Love
Author:

malurette
Fandom: Steven Universe
Characters: the Crystal Gems
Rating: PG / K+
Disclaimer: Sugar's

Author’s note: ESL author with no beta-reader – if you spot any mistakes please do correct me.
Prompt "alexandrite" for

genprompt_bingo
Word count: 444

*
Rose and Pearl had a fascination for mixed fusions—after they witnessed Garnet emerge, after they tried and first failed to fuse, they encouraged all the Crystal Gems to try it out and see for themselves whether it suited them or not. Many preferred not to.

What is left of their army after the Diamonds wiped out the Rebellion: just the few of them, shielded from the Corruption Light by a little miracle. As they huddled together in the ruins of that battefield, they vowed to stick together—as a pack, a family.
Earth was saved, free to evolve—and what about them? They had to invent their own future here. Every now and then when loneliness striked they would fuse for comfort—becoming Rainbow Quartz, Sunstone, Sardonyx, forms that weren’t needed anymore for battle against Homeworld Gems and unnecessary against the corrupted forms of their own allies, but could repel feelings of helplessness.

Much later, they found Amethyst—of course they would take her in: a baby, a little sister, she soon grew into a new part of their family.

When it became certain that they couldn’t uncorrupt their old friends, the desire to stick together remained, augmented by a renewed resolution to keep on protecting this Earth, all of its life forms and its emergning civilisations. With Amethyst's addition, together they would become Obsidian.

After Rose died, nothing, no one would ever replace her. The remaining Crystal Gems grew to love Steven just as much, in a very different way.

Alexandrite is what’s left without Rose—she only formed to protect Rose, she reforms eons later to protect Steven. She’s a rare sight; menaces threatening enough that individuals Gems and even usual fusions are powerless to fight, seldom happen anymore.

But human society is such that it does…

Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst are not mothers, nor even stepmothers to Steven. Amethyst is a big sister of sorts, Garnet is too aloof but counts as a cool aunt, Pearl too deeply hurt to be anything else than a stern teacher, but they all love him deeply.
None have the sort of connection to Greg to pass as his wife and it would be insulting to them—and a bit creepy—to ask that of them. Greg finds out he can’t single one out and leave out the rest so… in a true didn’t-think-that-through Universe way, he asks them all and none at the same time, to make-believe for Steven’s new friend’s parents’ sake—for Steven’s stake.
They’re something else, something more: the sum of their love for Steven. In a way, it works out. (Not for long, but ah.. well!)