"Nerd." Is Lapis' soft reply as Peridot rubs her cheek against her arm. This is nice. Even if she had been on the edge of a complete break down only moments before. Maybe.. Maybe this time, she can do something about it. There's always going to be that low fear in the back of her mind, about this entire thing, but maybe that's alright.

She wants to stop being afraid of everything all the time. To stop being afraid that she'll ruin everything between them, even if Peridot says she won't.

Her other arm moves, and she twists slightly, pressing her hand against Peridot's nose at first, before she works up the courage to pat her head, to leave her hand pressed, ever so gently, against her Gem. It's what she'd been going for before, right?