(Alternate) Steven Universe x Corrupt gem reader Insert

part 130: rainy game night

The day progressed slowly and uneventfully as the rain thrummed lightly against the roof of the Beach House.

Spinel was up in Steven's loft, watching cartoons on his TV while Lion laid beside her, napping like he usually did on slow days. The other Crystals had gotten their hands on a board game and had gotten pretty invested into the game. While you were in the kitchen baking a little snack for the eaters of the household, you couldn't help but overhear the game play from the living room.

"Ooh hoo! You've got freezer burn, Pearl!" You heard Steven exclaim. "Looks like you lose all your fish sticks!"

"What? I needed those for my bachelor meal combo... now I can't ring the dinner bell." Pearl pouts, pulling up the lengthy list of rules and re-reads it. "These rules make no sense."

"The game of 'Citchen Calamity' may be fun, but the hunger is real!" Steven states dramatically, which made you chuckle.

"So is the confusion." You remarked, setting the bowl of home-made potato chips on the table beside the board, taking a moment to ruffle Steven's hair.

Amethyst laughed at the remark, wasting no time in taking a handful if chips. "Tough break, Pearl." She jams the handful into her mouth as she picks up a game card and reads it. "The sponge in your sink is covered in mold." She takes a moment to swallow. "I can still eat it, right?"

"No, no, that means you lose two turns." Steven corrects, raising his brow.

"Also, sponges aren't for eating." You added, climbing up the stairs to give spinel her bowl of chips.

"That's baloney!" Amethyst grumbled, pulling the chip bowl towards her.

"What? You have a bologna card?" Pearl looked up at the purple gem in surprise.

"There's cards made of bologna now?" Spinel took her attention off the commercial to peek over the edge of the loft in confusion as you set the bowl beside her.

"Garnet, your move."

Garnet, who was reclined against the couch, picks up a card, taking a chip as she read it out-loud; "I'm now the owner of the golden can opener." She pops the chip into her mouth. "Yessssss!"

"Now you can check your soups for the alphabet bonus!" Steven stated excitedly.

"Who wrote this game??" Pearl asked, growing more confused by the minute.

"My turn!" Steven exclaimed, picking up a card, gasping upon reading the card's input. "I've gotta escape the eggquake!"

"The what now?" Spinel tilted her head, watching as Steven presses a button on the toy blender, which rattles the dice within it. "C'mon, papa needs a new skillet!"

After a moment, two dice emerge from beneath the blender's base, showing two sunny-side up eggs.

"Yeah! Double sunnies! I did it!" Steven cheered, moving his game piece across the board. "I win! Yeah! This Citchen Calamity has been cleaned up! Woohoo!"

"I don't get it, but nice job." Amethyst congratulated, clapping for him.

"Yes, well done." Pearl agreed, clapping as well. "That was very, very complicated."

"Well played." Garnet praised, ruffling the boy's hair.

"...what just happened?" Spinel looked up at you confused, but you simply shrugged as you clapped. "Steven won a game."

Steven giggled, blushing slightly at the praise as he got up from his spot, walking over to a closet. "So, what do you want to play next?"

"There's more?" Pearl seemed startled at the idea, as Spinel leaned forward in interest.

"What kinda games are in there?" Spinel she asked eagerly. "Can I play?"

"Oh sure! And (Name) can play to!" He chirped, rummaging through the closet. "I got Polly Polly, Toppler, Conquerors of Eldermore, Not That Sorry, Don't Wake Father Figure, and Non-Invasive Operation. I think that one's missing a couple organs." You sneered uncomfortably at the statement while spinel just looked confused but curious. "I also have checkers, if you want to take tur-"

As he pulled that game out, the figure of a small blue-grey woman holding a shiny diamond shaped object in her hands fell out and landed at his feet.

"...The Sea Spire statue..."

Sea Spire statue...?

You perked up curiously as spinel tipped her head to the side. "How do ya play that?"

Amethyst scoffed in amusement. "Oh, so that's where you left it."

Pearl shoots her an annoyed look as you walked down from the loft to get a better look at the odd relic. "I... forgot I still had this." He picks it up and takes a moment to stare at it with a look of guilt. "I... I'm really sorry I forgot it on our mission that time."

"...which mission?" The older Gems seemed to tense up when you asked this question. Pearl opened her mouth to explain, but Steven spoke first.

"...The one with the Sea Spire." He spoke sadly. "We had to place this at the top before midnight so it wouldn't fall apart... but... I forgot to pack it that time." He sighed. "If I had just remembered to pack it, then maybe the Sea Spire would still be around. But now it's gone, 'cause of me..."

You felt your chest ache in sympathy for the child, as you set a paw on his back.

"Well yeah, but... don't worry about it, 'kay?" Amethyst tried to comfort him, but you still grumbled at her use in words.

"You did your best on that mission, and that's what matters." Garnet assures him.

"Some things are just easy to forget." Spinel stated with a shrug.

"But the Sea Spire... It was a special important, Gem... place!" Steven turned and hugged you, pressing his face into your chest, muffling his voice.

"Oh, Steven, no, no, no... If the Spire had been crucial, we wouldn't have used it as a test for you." Pearl assured, walking over and kneeling down to his height. "It's fine really."

"Yes, don't-" You paused as the word registered in your head. "Test?"

Steven turned his head to look at Pearl, skeptical. "What do you mean, test?"

The team looks startled, especially with Pearl being close enough to see the sharp look of suspicion on your face as thunder rumbles outside.

"Uhh..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here we go >:3