tags: steven universe
Lion remembers the first time he met The Boy.
He’d been so small, huddled against the giant pillar of sand. Lion knew he wouldn’t last long in the harsh sun.
Ever since Diamond, Lion hadn’t needed to worry about the heat. But The Boy was not the same. The Boy was fragile. And he had been left alone.
Lion watched The Boy talk to himself and mess with the hem of his garments, raising them over his head and exposing his belly-
What was that?
Lion stepped closer, staying behind another pillar. The Boy had a pink gem in his stomach.
But Diamond…
Diamond was gone.
What was happening?
The Boy proved to be non-threatening and charming. He was definitely a cub; pawing at Lion’s face and clambering over him excitedly. Lion tolerated him- enjoyed his antics, even. But he couldn’t stop watching The Boy’s shirt move over that gem. It peeked out when he raised his arms over his head.
The Boy’s sadness when the others returned weighed heavy in the air. Lion watched them disappear into the horizon with the Desert Glass nervously. They would be in trouble if they didn’t contain that stone.
One day of The Boy distracting Lion and then having to be saved later, Lion had been taken inside the den. The Boy lead him up to what looked like his personal nest and pulled Lion into it. Lion was taken aback, to say the least; he’d only just met this cub and already had his complete trust. The Boy seemed at ease with him despite how small and soft he was. He curled up against Lion’s flank like he had in the desert and ran his paws through the ends of his mane. Lion surveyed the rest of the den. It was open, but sheltered from the outside, with lots of soft bedding and small trinkets. There was a faint smell of food coming from the space across the den, and to the far side was a stone clearing that sent a tingle through Lion when he stared too long at it. The den’s entrance was weak enough for Lion to burst through- but maybe they weren’t used to creatures of his size and strength. He wondered if they had any natural predators.
Diamond didn’t seem to have any. And he could sense the same power from the other three. It made his fur prickle.
But when he looked down at The Boy, he didn’t get the same feeling. There was something there, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It was something warm and familiar. The Boy had the same gem as Diamond. Were there more of them? Or did The Boy know Diamond?
Lion yawned and rested his chin on his paws. For the first time in years, he was okay with not knowing.