trigger warning!

death mention and abuse mentions! please be careful!

(also I presented Lapis as a victim of a abusive relationship, and not all victims of abusive relationships will act like this! please don't fight me because im hella tired)

~

As Peridot slowly lead Lapis away from the church cemetery, she tried to focus on the moment. It was painful just thinking about how long Lapis had to stay in a relationship with Jasper. Six year with that type of person could really destroy even the best type of human. Jasper's entire life had been dedicated to breaking down people for her to feel stronger. While Peridot was able to leave Jasper behind after she graduated from high school, Lapis had been trapped with the person, expected to love this horrible person.

The city was bustling, and people hardly gave a second look to the pair of girls walking down the streets in black outfits, one crying and the other looking thoughtful.

Peridot didn't know where to take Lapis, but she was sure that anywhere away from Jasper's grave would be best for Lapis's mental health. She was scanning the streets as she walked. There was a library, a few apartments, a department store...

Peridot saw a café in the corner of her eye, and carefully lead Lapis across the street and helped her to a seat. A few people turned to look at the unusual pair, but they all looked away when Lapis looked up.

"Do you want to eat anything?" Peridot asked. She was sure that Lapis needed something to drink, since she had been crying so much. She couldn't imagine that anyone could eat a healthy amount of food while in an abusive relationship.

"I don't really care. Just nothing with pineapple, I'm allergic."

"Is coffee and a bagel okay?" Peridot asked, squeezing Lapis's hand before letting go. Lapis wiped away a few tears and gave a small smile.

"That sounds nice."

The line was relatively short and she returned with two coffees, a bagel, and a cinnamon muffin. Lapis seemed to relax a little more and looked a bit better. Her eyes were still red and puffy, but she drank some coffee and picked at her bagel.

"Do you want to talk? I'm not quite sure what would make you feel better." Lapis used to be one of her closest friends during high school, so Peridot felt obligated to try and help.

Lapis continued to pick at her bagel, and took another sip of coffee.

"I don't know if I want to talk about it. Like, I'm not used to talking about my problems. But...I've just been bottling it up for six years..." She looked down at the table, and her food.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk...I just want to tell you that I was here...For you...I guess..." Lapis looked up, nodded, and took a deep breath.

"Yeah. Yeah I know." Lapis took a deep breath, and sat a little taller. "Jasper asked me out, and I was too scared to tell her that I didn't want to. She kept on asking me to go out with me, and I didn't want to say no because...Yeah...And she told me that she was the best thing in her life...And...And I believed it." she stopped talking for a moment, and Peridot didn't say anything. She wasn't stopping her, or prompted her keep talking, "She kept hurting me and I was too tired and scared to leave, because she kept on saying that she would hunt me down if I told anyone, or if I left. I don't really think I would have ever left if she didn't die. I think I would just died. But she died first."

Lapis laughed. Peridot wasn't really sure if Lapis was happy or not.

"I don't know what to feel. It's just like...Jasper was always in my life, and she was the person that was destroying my life. But now she's gone, and I thought I would be happy, but now I just kinda feel... Empty. Cause she was sort of this kinda pressure that was just crushing me, and now that she's gone, it feel...different. Like. Weird." Lapis finished her coffee, fiddled with her coffee cup, looked around, and threw her cup into the trash.

"So...Good?"

"Yeah. I'm glad that you came here. No one else was talking to me because they thought I wanted to be in a relationship with Jasper, and no one really liked her. They thought I was just as bad as Jasper." Lapis finished her bagel as well, and Peridot shared her muffin. "I'm so glad I'm out of that relationship."

"So what do you think you're gonna do in the future? Like, without Jasper there dragging you down."

Lapis laughed.

"I can't believe that she's gone...Like...Now I can actually plan for a future, y'know? I can look forward to something...Like first, I want to try another relationship with someone I trust. I want to experience a healthy relationship, because I don't want relationships to be ruined for me forever, because Jasper was my first relationship. I want to have a loving relationship and like...just...trust someone and love them and go on dumb, cliché dates." Both of them laughed.

"That's cute. Was there, like, anyone that you had in mind?" Peridot fidgeted with her empty coffee cup.

"Actually, no. Jasper didn't let me talk to anyone else, but actually it would probably be you." The two of them took a few silent moments to process what happened.

"So this is a date?" Peridot's heart stopped for a moment. She couldn't believe that only a few hours ago she was at a funeral.

"Yeah, I guess. I trust you."

"We'll take it slow. Learn each other. Take our time."

"That sounds nice. I really hope that you'll be able to change my mind about relationships."