Rose Quartz fumbled with the mixtape and jammed headphones over obstinate curls. The gravelly voice of Lemmy Kilmister (she'd remembered the name because of how funny it sounded) yelled convincingly about an ace of spades.

The sigh rushed out of her more aggressively than she'd intended. The guy working behind the counter at Beachwork City Fries looked up, startled.

"You alright, Rose?"

"I'm great!" She exclaimed, a little too animated to fool anyone. "You know the drill."

"I know, I know. The bits." He handed her a paper cup full of the dregs of the frier. Hot, crispy, delicious. And most importantly, distracting.

"Thanks."

She walked away with no particular aim, munching, musing on the stubborn cheeriness of the town and its people. Usually she found it charming. Most days, passing a pair arguing about some inane and inexplicably harmless car accident they'd gotten into, she would chuckle.

Today was not most days.

"Rose, mind lending a hand flipping this car back over? If someone had only been watching where he was going…"

"Hey buddy! It's you who needs to watch it!"

"No need to argue, boys." She turned the car over and dusted her hands off. "There. Good as new."

"Thanks, Rose. What would we do without you?" He looked up at her with more than a little adoration, and she suppressed another sigh.

"Call a tow truck, probably." She watched the man laugh but didn't join in. She was thinking about the apparent indestructibility of the town and its people, and mulling over why the Crystal Gems bothered to feel any sense of urgency about saving them ever.

"Say, Rose," The other man spoke up from the driver's seat of his car, "You still seeing that Greg fellow?"

Rose paused and clutched the mixtape she hadn't turned off, too busy saving the day, upholding an image that wasn't always exactly reality. She smiled reflexively before remembering this was the sort of day for frowns. "Yes."

"He sure is a lucky guy." The two men were both shaking their heads.

There was that frown. She thumbed the volume on the tape player (it still had the ribbon wrapped around it, and "For Rose 3" written in sharpie). Motorhead had played out, and Iron Maiden roared at her in its place. But even The Number of the Beast couldn't protect her against the imminent flashback scene.

"So are things getting- oomph - serious with you two?" Pearl asked, punching her words with emphasis as she swung her spear at the giant bat creature. The spear's arc nearly missed the wing, and with a piercing screech the bat swung around. "I'm not sure how serious Greg is capable of being, but, you know... "

"Define serious." Rose interjected evenly, not wanting Pearl to finish yet another condescending sentence.

"It MEANS," Amethyst began, grinning and swinging over to them on her whip by way of the bat's wing, "Lovey-dovey, gazing into each other's eyes, MAWWIAGE." She cackled at Rose's widening eyes.

The bat crashed against the side of the cave, and Garnet slammed her fist into its side. Poof. She swept up the gem in one hand. "Good work, Gems. Let's go."

"I didn't mean marriage, Rose. I just meant… you know… Will he be sticking around much longer is all."

"Aw, don't listen to Pearl, Rose. Greg is FUN."

"You just like having someone as ridiculous as you around."

Rose looked towards Garnet, leading them out of the cave, but she remained aloof.

"Okay, well, it's serious. He'll be around. And he's not ridiculous."

Rose saw Pearl eye her askance, sheathing her weapon. Better reign it in.

A purple version of Greg Universe planted itself in front of Rose, blocking her way. Strumming an air guitar, Amethyst sang in her best 80s hair metal voice, "Rooooooooooose, will you marry me?" then dissolved into uproarious laughter.

"Rose, I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into."

"I KNOW. He's human! I get it. We get it."

"That's not what I meant."

"She means he's kiiiiiiiiiiiiind of a dope, even for a human."

"Will you STOP putting words in my mouth, Amethyst? I mean that we care about you Rose, and Greg is… well… you're better than him."

By now, they had warped back home. Rose was running her hands through her hair, pulling out tangles in a vain attempt to focus on something other than her irritation.

"Garnet? You can jump in anytime now and tell them I am capable of making my own decisions."

Garnet cocked her head. "I don't exactly see the problem. You're all right. You are capable of making your own decisions. And you're also objectively better than Greg Universe."

"That's IT!" The glass in the windows cracked. "I'm going for a walk." She snatched her tape player from the kitchen counter.

"If you need me, I'll be… AWAY FROM HERE!" She slammed the door on three faces: one anxious, one impassive, and one still devilishly amused.

"Hey, babe." Rose climbed into the back of Greg's van and threw herself onto the mattress.

"Hey, babe! Long day?" He'd been working on a guitar riff, but he set his guitar down to sit next to her splayed-out frame.

"Oh, you know. Fighting a giant bat thing, containing it. Getting harassed by other Gems. The usual." She lay face down on the bed, unmoving except for the hand she thrust out clenching the paper cup. "Bits?"

"YES! Thanks. Hey," He pointed to the tape player at her side, "You've been listening to the mixtape I made you! Whaddya think?"

"I love it." Her voice was muffled from the pillow. "Rush might be my favorite so far."

"Oh yeah? You think I should start singing like Geddy Lee? Would I be a sexier rock star?"

She snorted in spite of herself.

"The Legend of Rose Quartz!" He sang in a high, tinny voice. "She came to earth! To stay by her side- I'll prove my worth!" The nasal vocals gave way to a serious air guitar solo that soon dissolved into a tickling session.

"Hey, Greg, can I ask you something?" His head was wedged in the crook of her arm.

"Sure."

"Are we… um… Are we serious?"

"I don't know. I'd say we're pretty silly."

"Come on, Greg."

"Okay, sorry Rose." He sat up cross-legged to face her. "I'm serious about you. What you see in me, I have no clue-"

"STOP." Rose rolled off the mattress and hopped out of the van. Hearing it from anyone else, she could keep in that rumbling thunder of discontent.

"Rose! Wow, hang on! What did I say?!"

He clambered out to follow her. He'd parked his van on the hill she liked, the one she brought the moss to. She was sitting on the edge, overlooking the city. The sun sank and the bright, cartoonish colors bled even more fantastically across the horizon.

"I'm sorry. Whatever it was."

"No, Greg. I'm sorry." Rose put her hand uncertainly over his as he knelt beside her. "It's this town. This planet, maybe? IT'S EVERYONE! IT'S THE GEMS TOO!" She was yelling again, and Greg could only cringe beside her, waiting for the uncharacteristic rage to pass.

"No one understands why I'm dating you. They don't have a *!%ing clue- What the *&%#?" A large seagull had scuttled up beside them, and managed to time its raucous squawks perfectly to coincide with Rose's hardly-appropriate-for-children's-programming language.

"WELL $#% YOU, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF %$& !"

"Woah, Rose! Remind me to make you an anger mixtape next." He squeezed her hand gently as a reminder that he was there.

Rose swung her head to look at him. Her curls flung around accordingly, whipping him in the face. Tears dropped to the ground, each one blooming up into a flower. "Stop it!" Now the yelling was directed towards the fresh little daisies. She grabbed them up in her fist and hurled them off the hillside. "Will nothing in this $*#& *#*% town just let me be angry for one # !%*! second?"

They sat in silence, and their eyes followed the flowers gently making their way towards town.

"Rose. … Rose? I'm letting you be angry. But you should also know that everyone's right about me and you."

If Rose had been a tea kettle, this was her, screaming boiling over. "This is what I hear when you say that. When everyone says that." The thoughts that had before now been only vague discomforts were flying out of her mouth, fully formed. "That I am perfect somehow, which is stupid and not true. That I am STUPID and fell in love with an IDIOT, also not true. I feel lucky to date you. What if there'd been other people at your show? Would you have noticed me? Would we have even talked? I'm really glad things turned out the way they did."

Greg's eyes had those stars in them he got on extra special occasions. Rose smiled at him, embarrassed, but continued.

"And for people to imply- especially to hear you imply- that I'm the special one, and you're the loser who scored, that's just not fair. To me, or to you." She took a deep breath. She was surprised at the immediacy of the relief.

"You mean… You feel that way, too? You feel lucky? To date... me?" Rose nodded. "Holy SQUAWK. Ah!" Startled, he paused to glare at the bird. "Wow. You're right, that IS pretty annoying."

The seagull waddled up lazily towards the couple; Greg waved it away with his free arm and they watched it fly over the dark, still glittering waves.

"I keep thinking my luck's going to run out." He looked up at Rose. It didn't feel strange to him anymore that she was a full head taller than him at least. He liked admiring her from this perspective, liked the way her hair felt soft against the side of his face. "But you're still here."

"I mean, I may be an alien from another planet and all that," She leaned down slowly, and her rosy scent enveloped him as he wondered if she wore perfume or just magically smelled like roses, neither would surprise him, "but I think you're probably stuck with me."

"I could probably get used to that." He closed the gap between them with a kiss.

"Heads up, loser!"

"Ack! Amethyst! You can't start the game if I'm not even on the court!"

"What's the phrase? You snooze, you LOOOOOOOOSE!" Amethyst hit the ball towards Pearl as hard as she could. Rose watched it briefly blot the sun out of her view as Pearl dodged it.

"Hey, watch out for the burgers, Amethyst!" Greg called, hard at work at the grill.

"I got it, babe."

"ROSE, PROTECT THE BURGERS!" He yelled.

She ran towards him, laughing and headbutting the ball back in the direction of the net. "Ouch." Rubbing where her head had made contact, she opened her eyes to see Greg grinning at her.

"You look great in that swimsuit, babe."

It was a moment in perfect suspension: he, secure enough to freely tease and compliment; she, still fresh enough in a budding relationship to blush.

"You're supposed to be watching the burgers, not me."

"Stop being so attractive and I'll think about it."

"Sorry, no can do. I have a rockstar boyfriend to keep up with."

"Rose, could you home over here and help me set up the table?" Garnet's somber voice called to her from nearer the waves on the shore.

"Coming!" She skipped down the beach, but not before giving Greg a quick kiss on the cheek.

When she reached Garnet, she had already finished the table. "I... actually don't need your help with this."

"I can see that, Garnet." Rose's hand flew up to her hip, and her curls bounced sassily as she waited for Garnet to drop her pretext.

"I wanted to tell you something before you stormed off yesterday." Her impartial sunglasses turned to observe first Pearl and Amethyst, playing a feral game that was almost more wrestling than volleyball, then Greg, grilling and singing to himself.

"I'm sorry what I said offended you. I didn't mean it how you took it."

Rose cocked her head. "How'd you mean it?"

Greg had glanced over at them, and when he saw that they were watching him, he waved. Rose noted and liked the strange symmetry, the two facing each other, their long hair mirror images blowing in the sea breeze.

"We're the Crystal Gems." Garnet shrugged. "We always save the day. Hard to compete with that. But Greg doesn't get insecure about it. And he doesn't idolize you. It doesn't make sense, which is probably why Pearl gets worried, and Amethyst gives you a hard time. But it works."

"So…" Rose dug her elbow into Garnet's side, "Are you saying I have your blessing? Hm?"

A dramatic pause, then the flicker of a smile. "Yes."

"WAHOOOOOOOOO!"

"What am I missing over there?" Greg called, "It's lonely singing to the burgers."

Twirling her way across the sand, Rose smiled and laughed and sparkled at him. "I'll come over and you can sing to me, as long as I get to dance with you."

"Yeah, for as long as you both shall live!" Amethyst rolled her eyes. "GET A ROOM ALREADY!"

Pearl lifted her pointy nose upwards. "Do I smell fire?"

"Ah, geez! The burgers!"

"Didn't I tell you keep an eye on them?"

Rose joined everyone in laughing. Right then, she felt lucky to be with all of them.