The sun sets on a gloomy day as the gem-human hybrid sits on her bed, curled up and quietly sobbing. She repeats over and over "I'm not good enough....." Or "I'm not worthy to be his....." Or even "I'm a monster..... No one would love a monster....." She felt horrible about her worth, and the bullying from a few individuals she knew didn't help the situation. Tanzanite kept to herself in the shared room so as to not let the quartz see her so vulnerable and so..... Indigo.... Until she heard it. A knock. Two. Three. "... Tantan?... I'm back. Are you in there? Are you ok?" She heard him bend the doorknob down to come in... and failing, as she had locked herself in. "It's locked... Tantan?... let me in...?" He knocked again, and again, and kept calling for her to let him in.

"Just go..... You deserve someone better than me..... Better than this monster....." Tanzanite spat through her quiet sobs and venom filled words aimed to hurt herself. The giant quartz's voice stopped sounding... she lowered her head, sobbing, but relieved that he might have listened to her and left... until she saw the doorknob bend down... down... more down... and snapping off of the door, just before the door itself fell out of its hinges. It fell quietly, not as if blasted out, just a thump, like a dead body. She looked up, from her curled up position on the bed, and saw him, his eyes filled with fear and the gentle fury of a man deeply in love. He looked at her, his chest going up and down as breathed, despite his lack of need to actually breathe. "I told you to go, Quartz..... Why are you so persistent?"

The hybrid hissed, and turned away from the multicolored gem. The Gem didn't answer. He simply stepped towards his beloved, slowly. When he reached the bed... his hands moved quickly, grabbing the bed sheets Tanzanite was sitting on. With quick movements, and despite the hybrid's protesting, he wrapped her up in a tube made of warm sheets, so that only her head poked out of this... "... Sad Tanzurrito." He smiled at her, before picking up his packed up girlfriend in his arms. The hybrid hissed in protest as her skin took on a brighter indigo. She wriggled and squirmed around in a futile attempt to release herself from this wrap her Quartzy had placed her in. He silently carried her downstairs, and laid her on the sofa. He proceeded to walk off... before returning a moment later with a box, dumping the contents on the sofa with her: stuffed animals.

Dozens of stuffed animals, many of which he himself had won at fair games for her, or that he gifted her casually, just for a show of love... all of these plushies were dumped around and on the body of the trapped Hybrid by Iridescent, who simply smiled at her, without uttering a word. After a few minutes, Tanzanite stopped squirming and instead started whimpering in pain. She forgot that, like her father, her powers would start to hurt her if she got too emotional. She was already in tears when he returned again, carrying a large chocolate bar in his hand. He took a deep breath, feeling his... gem curl in pain at the sight of his love suffering. He put the bar In his pocket, and sat on the sofa, before wrapping his arms around her, bringing Tanzanite in his chest. He hummed, caressing her hair, like he was holding a trembling puppy in a storm.

He cursed his being a gem, for a heartbeat, he was sure, would have helped soothe her pain faster. But in the end, it wasn't about fast or easy... it was about her. He couldn't stand his love being in pain... and he wouldn't have stood for it, no matter what the Diamonds or the universe or whatever the god the humans prayed to would have done against it. "Why are you helping me? I'm..... Nothing compared to you..... I am but dirt covering and hindering your brilliant light....." The hybrid muttered through her pain. "Shhhhhhhhhhut." Iris simply put his finger on her lips, gently silencing her. He kissed her eyelids and dried her tears with his thumb. He looked at her, pain in his eyes. "Why do you hurt, my beloved TanTan? Why shouldn't I help? Why do I need a reason to? I love you. Even when you don't love yourself, I love you. From the moment you wake up, to the moment you go to sleep next to me, I love you. You feel unworthy of something for which worth isn't important."

The hybrid was about to protest that she was nothing special. He kissed her lips, quickly. "... Love is a gift. A gift is a choice of the one that gives it. It's not about deserving or anything like that. I chose to love you. I chose to give myself to you. And I will never... never... never in a million of billions of years change that decision." "I'm sure there are other women that would be a better fit for you than I am....." Tanzanite hissed scornfully. "I'm absolutely certain of it..... I'm only interesting because I'm the daughter of the Diamond Prince..... nothing else....." She muttered as her skin faded into a faint indigo..... Letting out her pain and insecurities seemed to help her calm down a little. "Then I am only interesting because I am Iridescent, by your logic."

The girl raised her eyes, and stared straight into the quartz's. He was looking at her from above, holding her warmly... yet looking at her intensely, waiting for a reaction, perhaps. "That's not the same, and you know it.." The hybrid scoffed and turned her gaze from the gem holding her, tears starting to well up in her brown eyes. "You're not some abomination love grandchild of a human and a diamond.." She then spat only out of frustration. No one could truly understand her pain she and her dad went through.. She thought it was a mistake and a waste of time to open up. "How isn't it the same?" He held her tighter. "... I know no one else like me. And the purpose I was made for does not even exist anymore. Therefore... I'm useless." He smiled

"Except... I am not. Because I found a purpose. I found you. The perfect Tantan. The only Tantan... my Tantan. The princess I gifted my gem to. The woman I wouldn't change for any other. The woman that makes me worth it." Again, he kissed her eyelids, drying her tears with his gentle lips. "You could have chosen anyone else... Hell, any other woman would kill to have a guy like you! You could have greatness and diamonds, so why settle for dirt?" Tanzanite hissed somberly, putting herself down again. "... Because they aren't you." She looked up at him, waiting for more... and yet... nothing. He simply smiled: with those 4 words, he had said it all.

Nothing else was necessary. The reason Iridescent Quartz had chosen Tanzanite... was as simple as they come, and yet, as strong as the most powerful volcano. The hybrid couldn't hold in her tears anymore, so she pushed her head in his chest and quietly sobbed. She had the best partner, yet she didn't feel deserving of him.. Because of what she is.. The monster she felt she was. Iridescent held her close, letting her let out everything. He caressed her head, and gently peppered her face in kisses. He kept her close... his Tanzurrito. His precious Tanzurrito.

When he felt her breath slow down, knowing she was a bit calmer, he finally pulled out the chocolate bar from his pocket. "Choco for Tantan's happiness?" It was... funny: his deep manly voice, speaking in such a cutesy manner. Some would have called him out for that... but he never cared about it: for Tanzanite? He would have done this forever. The Tanzurrito snickered at the cutesy display and nodded her head. "Choco is accepted." She sniffled and let a small grin shine through.

She knew her quartz loved her smile, so she wanted to spoil him a little. "There's my sunshine~" Iridescent kissed her, messing their mouth with melted chocolate. They looked at each other, and began laughing: Quartz was right again, for in the end, it's now who you are that makes love. It's who you are for someone, that creates the best of all feelings.

FilippoMasiero2
JuanitasUniverse