Spinel is my wife, and she's yours too.

You and Spinel had been close friends for as long as you could recall. She came back from the Diamonds to stay on Earth permanently only a few months after leaving with them. Most already knew of what she had done, but you had just recently moved to the city when she had come back from Homeworld.

You worked a job at the Big Donut, just trying to get through the days and save up until you could get a better place. You were working the register, bored out of your mind. And that’s when she came in.

Steven was with Spinel, helping her order since she had just gotten to Earth two days prior. You were still adjusting to Gems, but you had to admit, this pink being caught your attention. What’s more is that she was polite and respectful, despite her admittedly intimidating appearance.

She quickly became a regular, and even a friend. You looked forward to seeing her everyday, and didn’t mind that she’d sit in the shop for an hour or two just talking to you. She’d always buy something in the end and be very respectful, so you never were upset by it.

Most would never take notice of her, at least that you could notice. There were the odd few that would recognize her and make rude comments, but you would reassure her that she was good.

Eventually, this all caused her to cave. After work one night, Spinel came up to you and told you her exact past. Everything she had done and planned. She had expected this to break the friendship the two of you had gained, and while you had to admit it was a shock, you surprised her back with understanding. So what if Spinel’s past had been like that? She had been nothing but nice to you and she was making an effort to be better. Everyone deserves a chance to be forgiven and get better, and you’re not going to deny Spinel that right.

And so your friendship continued, the two of you getting closer as time went on. Despite her past, Spinel seemed to trust you and that you wouldn’t drop the friendship. And you were glad to have her as your friend. Eventually, she even opened up about a secret she had been keeping.

She had no place to stay.

For the last two months out of the three you had known her, Spinel had been wandering aimlessly around the town at night. You couldn’t help but feel your heart ache at the news.

You had only learned when asking if you could hand out at hers and she had only fidgeted uncomfortably in response. It didn’t take much prying to get the truth out of her, but she looked a little embarrassed. Spinel loved hanging out at your place, and felt guilty she couldn’t return the favor. That’s when your eyes lit up with an idea.

And so, the pink Gem became your roommate.

You practically had to force her to be your roommate. She refused so many times, and you thought it was a miracle that she actually caved in. The first few days she was awkwardly nice. You assumed it was since she felt guilty, but you reassured her that you wanted to do this. After those first few days, Spinel began doing things around the house. Both to occupy her time and make up for staying.

Spinel slept on the couch. It was rare, but it would happen. You’d occasionally see her dozing off after you came home late from errands. It’s a wholesome sight. Most of the time, however, she was awake and you would hang out. Sometimes she would even meet you at the Big Donut shortly before closing and you would go home together.

But you were oblivious to the feelings Spinel started to develop. All you thought was that the two of you were close friends, but Spinel slowly started longing for more.

She didn’t understand her feelings at first, but after a few movie nights she began to get a grasp on what was happening (both of you seemed to be suckers for rom coms). Confused, she asked Steven and got him loosely involved. He didn’t know you were the one Spinel had developed feelings for, only that there was someone.

And you, of course, were oblivious. To be fair on you, Spinel hid it well. But you still didn’t notice the times she’d try to flirt. You just thought she was joking. It sent pain through Spinel when she began to feel that her feelings weren’t reciprocated. But she carried on happily, not wanting to ruin the close friendship she had with you. If you were happy, that could be enough for her, right?

~-♡-♡-~

The night everything went to hell seemed like a normal one. You had a later shift and no other responsibilities so you decided to hang out with Spinel. It wasn’t anything fancy, just chatting while binging a show you liked and had managed to get Spinel into. She seemed to adore the time and it warmed your heart to see her so happy.

When you had to get ready and leave, she seemed to deflate, almost literally. By the time you were heading home, it was around 9 P.M. and dark. Walking through the door revealed Spinel dozing on the couch, coughing lightly as she slept. You smiled and made your way to get ready for your own rest.

When you next woke up and looked at the clock it was 1:37 A.M. You could hear aggressive coughing coming from outside your room and heavy worry washed over you. Walking out from your room and into the living room to see Spinel coughing up flower petals, some clumped together by a thick, dark drool coming from her mouth.

The panic set in fast. First, you got her a bowl to hack the petals up into. She would have moments where the coughing broke for a bit, and she’d up at you. Fear pooled in her eyes and spilled out in the form of tears.

Next, you barraged Steven (who you had become friends with through Spinel) with questions over text messages. It was the middle of the night, so you didn’t expect a response but secretly prayed for one.

Lastly, in your tired and panicked state you searched the web for answers. It didn’t take long before you found what you assumed was the problem: Hanahaki Disease. Spinel was beginning to physically suffer over unrequited love, and it was going to kill her.

You rubbed her back as the coughing triggered her to vomit. It was mostly the dark drool she had spit up with the petals. But mixed in, were the petals and some full flowers. You looked at one, and noticed they were primrose.

Eventually, the coughing died down to being only a few light coughs. You cleaned the bowl she had filled with gunk and brought it back with you as you went to lie down with her. It was roughly 2:05 A.M. by that time.

“My throat and gem hurt like hell…” the Gem confessed with a croaky voice. Tears were still flowing from her eyes, but a lot slower than before. You brought her in with a half-hug and she rested her head on your shoulder, bringing a fist up to cough into.

“Spinel,” you began warily, still in shock of what had happened in those past 30 minutes, “you like someone..?” You were staring at her, and she looked away in what you assumed was shame. This was all the answer you needed. “So, who?”

“Doesn’t matta’, clearly if I got this disease they don’t like me back ‘n I’m gonna die anyways.” She seemed extremely sorrowful. “How does this even happen. ‘M not a human.” Your heart ached for your friend.

“Spine-” As soon as you began, you were cut off by your phone ringing. Steven.

~-♡-♡-~

Things had only gotten worse from that night on. Steven tried to heal her, but it didn’t work. And without being healed, the disease continued to slowly destroy the Gem. She had began to deteriorate fast. Around one and a half weeks in, she would get into coughing spells so bad and prolonged she couldn’t move or do anything for hours.

And then the first flower broke through her gem. A full, but fairly small primrose, just like all the petals. You were there when it happened. It was between her long coughing spells, you had been running your fingers through her scalp to try and bring some comfort when she complained of a stabbing pain in her gem. You were just beginning to look at it for her when the flower broke the surface and bloomed.

You would never forget that shriek of pain. The stab in your own heart. The feeling of her form faltering. From then on, she could barely do anything without help. Her limbs became very unstable, easily stretching uncontrollably if she forgot to keep them locked in a normal state.

Spinel’s coughing fits got worse, too. Flowers came out in full in every cough instead of the petals and it was near constant. Eventually, you took time off work to take care of your friend as the last stage of the disease played out. You would nap with her on the short occasions she could get some sleep. When she was not coughing her lungs out or puking from the coughing fits, she was usually sobbing. Her gem was constantly sore, and since the first flower, two more sprouted and her gem was nearly shattered. Just one more flower and Spinel would be gone.

~-♡-♡-~

You weren’t ready for it when it happened. The coughing had toned down and so had the pains, you really thought the Gem could make it. Alas, that was just the calm before the storm.

Spinel was sitting in your lap, facing you and leaned onto your shoulder. You were stroking her hair, wanting to offer the still suffering Gem as much comfort as possible. Then the shriek rang out, and you felt your heart splinter. You lifted her forward and off of you, her body limp in pain, and saw it. The final flower. It was emerging slowly, leaving painful cracks in her gem. You couldn’t help but feel sobs come from you.

Over time, you began to develop feelings for Spinel. Once she had gotten the Hanahaki Disease, you pushed your feelings aside to care for her, assuming that it wasn’t you since if she had gotten it, she must not have liked you. Watching her go through all this put you through hell. You wanted her to get better, but these were her final moments. Better make them count.

“S-Spinel… I love you…” You choked the words out between sobs and planted a kiss on her nearly cracked gem. Everything seemed to freeze, and you paused. You waited for the sound of her gem shattering and the feeling of her form failing. Instead, you heard scraping sounds. When you opened your eyes, the flowers had fallen from the gem and the cracks were coming back together. You looked at Spinel, who stared at you, tears flowing from her eyes. Her pupils were stuck in hearts.