Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Empire City was huge. It was gorgeous, had plenty of tourist attractions, and had so many things to do. It was a great place for people of all ages to visit. However, the same couldn’t be said about the rest of Empire State.

If someone drove five hours north away from the city, they would come across Uplands Lake. It was a small town with a population of twenty four residents. Any normal person would see it and not even stop once to look around. However, Greg Universe wasn’t a normal person.

Well, that wasn’t true. If anything, he was a normal person who was related to someone who could be considered abnormal. That someone is Steven Universe, the adorably-chubby sixteen year old with dark, curly hair and warm brown eyes.

At first glance, no one would expect anything about him to be special. As a matter of fact, he may just be the most friendly person in town. He was the kind of person who made sure that everyone was okay and that everything was peaceful. If someone had to vent, they would go to him, no matter how close they were. Anyone who needed directions would ask him for help because he ‘seemed the nicest.’ Needless to say, everybody trusted him.

However, he and Greg both knew that he couldn’t be any further from the definition of normal. Despite his ‘always happy’ demeanor, he had a difficult childhood and still lived a rough life.Truthfully, he was cursed with this hard life from before he was even born.

When he was a child, Greg told him plenty of stories from his own life. These stories ranged from how he got into music to how he raised a baby all by himself. His favorite story to tell, though, was the story of how he met Steven’s mother.

“You see, son, it all started when I was on a road trip. At some point, I got tired of driving and found a hotel in a small village that I could stay in for a few days,” Greg would say, smiling back at the distant memories, “It was even more remote than Uplands Lake. I can’t remember what it was called, but it had a nice beach that was full of places to explore.

Of course I had to see everything! It was all just typical pretty scenery and stuff until I came across a corner of the beach, hidden behind a bunch of rocks. I wouldn’t have even noticed it was there if it wasn’t for the sound of someone singing.”

At this part of the story, he would always seem so much happier. He lazily grinned as his cheeks flushed. 

“Oh, Schtuball, your mother had an incredible voice. The first time I ever heard her sing was when I just knew that I had to get to know her. I don’t know what I was expecting to find when I turned the corner, but I definitely wasn’t expecting to see a giant pink lady with poofy hair! She was ten feet at the least!

When we first made eye contact and she asked who I was, I knew that something would come from it. Before long, we would meet up with each other daily and we slowly fell for each other, I guess. Only two years passed before: boom! You’re born!”

Steven had heard the story plenty of times. He still had so many questions about Pink Diamond, the one who fell for Greg Universe and decided to have him. From what he was told, she would make an incredible mother.

Key word: would.

At birth, she gave up her physical form to have him. This left him with a large, pink gem on his stomach. It was shaped somewhat like a pizza slice, with the narrowest point at the top that slowly went down and made a diamond shape.

That’s right. Steven, the kid who everyone believed was normal, was a hybrid. Not only that, but his gem once belonged to the Pink Diamond.

He didn’t know much about what happened. All he did know was that, centuries ago, there was a war between gems. This ended up destroying much of Earth and led to thousands of years of conflict between gems and humans.

In other words, humans despised gems.

To further elaborate, they would view Steven as a disgrace if they ever found out that he was a hybrid. He was half human and half gem, something that was believed to be impossible by most people.

He was the reason why Greg decided to move to such a small town. His son was safer here than he would be anywhere else. 

Most people didn’t even know that Uplands Lake existed. Maybe that’s why he was surprised when he went to school one day only to hear a ton of rumors about a popular band coming to town.

Jeff, one of his friends, sounded excited about something. When Steven asked about this, he led him to a wall that was full of papers that he couldn’t care less about. Only one paper stood out from the rest. It had a galaxy background with the text ‘FROM NEBULA’ written in large blue letters.

Below this was another block of text, saying that they’ll be arriving shortly and plan on performing in the auditorium. As it turned out, a popular band really would be visiting their small city.

Steven had never heard of the band. When he admitted this to Jeff, the boy looked surprised.

“From Nebula is a band that is pretty well known nationally,” He explained, “There’s five members, and they’re all aged around sixteen to twenty!”

The curly haired boy didn’t listen to much music, so he wasn’t surprised when he heard that it was a band. He only ever listened to certain groups that weren’t very well known, such as his dad’s old band.

“There’s Connie Maheswaran,” his friend informed, “She’s the lead vocalist! She was also my friend back in middle school, before I moved here! Then there’s Sour Cream, he works on the beats. Jenny is the acoustic guitarist and sometimes does backup vocals as well! Lars is the electric guitarist, while Sheena is the bass guitarist! Apparently, they’re visiting here because Sour Cream is internet friends with Sabina.”

As soon as he said that, Steven grimaced. Jeff nodded slowly. Sabina was one of the seniors at their tiny school. She was friendly for the most part, although lately things had been pretty rough for her. According to another senior, Derrick, she broke up with some ‘rich asshole’ named Kevin. That would explain her rather sour mood lately.

Much to everyone’s shock, she actually planned on going to the concert. The majority of the town was going, whether they were fans of FN or not. Steven was going, even though he didn’t even know a single thing about the band outside of what his friends told him.

“I can’t believe that they’re coming here of all places!” Jeff exclaimed. “Connie wants to catch up with me again, too! Maybe you can come with us!”

Steven could hear his excitement from the other side of the line. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, finishing up getting ready for the day, “That’s amazing, I’m so happy for you! And sure, I’d love to meet someone new!”

Even if he was forcing himself to sound happy, he was more anxious than anything at the moment. The hybrid took a seat on the sink and pulled up his shirt. For whatever reason, his gem was glowing.

“Thanks, Steven! Oh! You are going to the concert, right?”

“Um, yeah. Listen, I have to go. I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’ll be there!”

At that, Steven hung up and placed his phone down on the counter next to the mirror. For a reason unknown to him, his gem was randomly glowing at times. This wasn’t a problem when it was just he and his father in their house, but if anyone else saw it he could be caught lying. The life he had slowly built for himself over the years would be forced onto the ground if that happened.

When it finally stopped, he let out a sigh of relief and grabbed his phone. There was only a few more hours until the concert began. Hopefully, his gem wouldn't glow again once he arrived there. He wouldn’t know how to explain a bright pink light coming from his belly button without his secret being revealed.

“Hey Schtuball,” Greg greeted, frowning when he saw his son’s furrowed brows. “Is your gem lighting up again, kiddo?”

“Yep. And I don’t even know why! You’d think that after having this thing for sixteen years I would know everything about it! ” He groaned, flopping onto the sofa as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Greg sighed. “It’s impossible for anyone to know what your gem is going to be like for you. Not even your mother knew what life would be like for a hybrid! You may just be the only half-gem half-human out there!”

“I wish I wasn’t.”

“I know, Steven. I know.”

Their conversation was put to an end when Greg’s phone started ringing. “Oh, geez. Andy’s calling.”

That made Steven sit up and look over the back of the couch in order to see his father. “Andy? As in Uncle Andy?”

“As in Uncle Andy,” He repeated, shrugging his shoulders, “I’ll be right back, son. It shouldn’t take too long.”

With that, he answered the phone and exited the room. Although curious about why his uncle of all people called his dad, he knew that it wasn’t a good idea to eavesdrop. Instead, he laid back down and turned on his phone.

Everything was going fine up until he saw a picture of a hibiscus next to a sword. Right away, something in him snapped and he panicked. The two things were common sights that he saw in his nightmares. Most of the time in them, a tall, slender figure with a hibiscus tucked behind her ear would swing a sword at him. He would always wake up before she could hurt him.

He clenched his teeth, grasping at his gem and questioning why it was in him. Why did his parents want to have a child who would never be normal? His gem began to glow again as he thought of more and more of his insecurities.

No. He had to calm down.

And so he did. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to clear his thoughts. When he opened them again, the glow was gone. Maybe he just needed a distraction.

“Dad, I’m going out! I’ll be home soon!”

“Okay!”

The boy slid on his shoes and began his journey. Where could he go for a distraction? He was wandering down the street when he accidentally ran into someone.

“I’m so sorry!” He quickly cried out, holding out a hand for the stranger to grab. After helping her up, she chuckled.

“It’s fine, don’t worry!”

Steven didn’t recognize her. She had long, dark wavy hair that fell down to her waist. Her eyes were just as dark as her hair was, unlike her long-sleeved, collared white shirt. Over said shirt was a blue and red plaid dress. Although she was gorgeous, that outfit wouldn’t be worn by anybody from here.

“Oh! Hi! You must be new here!” The boy chuckled, “I don’t recognize you, and I basically know everyone.” Having a newcomer in town was a great distraction!

“Is it that noticeable?” She asked shyly, much to the other’s amusement. 

“A little… but this is a tiny town. Everyone here knows each other! We’re not your typical city!” For a reason unknown to him, he wanted to get to know her more. Something about her made him feel like she was a magnet and he was magnetic. “I’m Steven!”

The girl smiled kindly, “I’m Connie! It’s nice to meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too!” For a moment, he wasn’t sure what to say. Then, he got an idea. “I can… show you around the city, if you’d like?” No, Steven, that came out more like a question than a suggestion! “Only if you’re up for it-”

The other- Connie- perked up at this. “I’d love that! Not many places here are on the map, so it would be amazing to have someone help me out!”

“Oh, great! Okay, follow me!”

Steven gave her a tour around the tiny town. As he spoke to her, he learned more about her. She’s here for a short vacation with some of her friends. Her favorite color is yellow. She just turned sixteen recently, while Steven was going to turn seventeen in a week.

The more time they spent together, the more Steven wanted to be around her. She had a cute laugh and may just have the world’s brightest smile. When he asked if she wanted a doughnut, she insisted on paying for both of them.

“Okay, fine, but if you’re paying then I’ll go buy them!” The boy jokingly replied, hesitantly grabbing the money she gave him. “Just wait out here, I’ll be right back! Wait, which doughnut do you want?”

“Strawberry sounds good!” 

He nodded and pushed the door open. From across the store, he heard the oh-so-familiar “Hey, Steven!” that was said every time he came here.

“Jane!” He greeted, going up to the counter with a smile. The two of them had known each other for a while, seeing as how she almost always had a new job when he was younger. She’s been working here for the past two years, though. “How’s things going with Ronaldo?”

She flustered. Although he didn’t know Ronaldo, he did know that the two had met online and ended up having a long distance relationship. He was from some place called Beach City that Jane absolutely adored. “We might meet up for a date again some day, although we haven’t really made plans or anything.”

“Sounds fun! Don’t forget-”

“Yes, Steven, you can plan our wedding.”

The two of them both laughed at this. It had become somewhat of an inside joke between the two of them. 

“Hmm… your wedding planner says that two strawberry dou-” The door behind them chimed, means that someone else had entered the store, “-ghnuts sound good!”

Jane, however, didn’t move. She just stared behind him with wide eyes and a huge grin on her face. Behind him, Jane gasped. “C-Connie?!”

The boy turned around and gasped, “You two already know each other?! This is great! She’s new in town and-”

He paused, before putting the money down on the counter and laughing nervously. “I need to go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back!” Before they could even reply, he ran into the restroom.

Cursing internally, he went to the furthest stall from the door and pulled his shirt up. His gem was glowing again. At this rate, he could probably be a source of light like a lamp.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, gently flicking his gem, “Are you okay, little guy? Wait, do gemstones even have emotions?”

It didn’t stop glowing. Eventually, he just ended up doing breathing practices again. A few moments passed and it stopped glowing. Finally. He got up, pushed his shirt down, and went back into the store.

“Steven!” Connie rushed up to him, “I have to go! Can I get your number before I leave?” She held up her phone.

He nodded, typing in his information before giving it back to her, “Just text me whenever! Thanks for the doughnut!”

“Of course!” She quickly hugged him before running off, “Bye!”

Jane still looked amazed for some reason, but she gave him his food for free. Steven wasn’t complaining, even if it was unexpected.

Another hour passed before everyone gathered in the auditorium. Steven stood next to Jeff in the first row. Everyone was excited for the show to begin.

The curtain opened and five people stood on stage in the dark. As the lights turned on, the majority of the audience cheered. Jeff was practically screaming as Steven just stared with wide eyes.

There, front in center stage, stood the girl he had just met an hour or so ago.

She was wearing a gorgeous red dress now, but he still knew it was her. They began to play their music, but all he could focus on was her. Every once in a while, the two would make eye contact. Each and every time this happened, Steven averted his gaze with flushed cheeks.

It wasn’t until the very last song when he truly listened to what was being sung. Maybe this was because everyone except Connie went to the side of the stage, stepping aside to let her do a solo piece.

“You find yourself hating your mystique,” She began, “Yet everyone else loves how you’re so unique. I love the way you think, you make my cheeks turn pink, when I’m dreaming of us I can’t even bare to blink. I love your starry eyes, reflecting the sunrise…”

They made eye contact again. Steven didn’t look away this time. He stared, enchanted by her voice. She was such an incredible singer, why hadn’t he heard of her before?

“You find you have to be indifferent around others, but around me you can be as different as you want to be! I love your bright smiles, I love your style, I love everything that makes you you and so much more…”

She was still looking at him every once in awhile. The hybrid was surprised by this and had to make sure his gem wasn’t glowing again, thinking that she was confused by it. However, it wasn’t glowing.

“You find so many people are unfair, but that’s just because you’re extremely rare… you’re the perfect person, yet you’re still so uncertain, so uncertain that…”

There was a pause before she continued.

“Unique, special, and rare, distinctive, and special, too. These are all just some incredible qualities of you.”

Within moments, everyone was cheering, Steven included. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he wasn’t expecting the girl he accidentally ran into to have the voice of an angel.

That night, before he went to bed, he received a text from Connie that said “I saw you!”

He laughed to himself before he replied. Somehow, he already knew that she would end up becoming one of his best friends.

Chapter Text

“Steven!”

The voice made the curly-haired teenager turn around. Jeff rushed to him with bright eyes and a wide smile. Clearly, he was excited about something.

“I’m gonna go meet up with Connie at the pizza place! Do you wanna come with? She said it’s okay if I bring a friend!”

This made Steven pause. On one hand, it would be nice to get to hang out with not only his best friend but his new friend as well. However, on the other hand, his gem had been acting strange since earlier that morning. He shut his locker before nodding. Connie and Jeff were worth the risk.

“I’d love to! If you don’t mind, I’ll be there in ten minutes! My dad wants me to go pick up something from the store real quick.” He felt bad for lying to him, but it was for good reason. Maybe if he wore a shirt or two under the shirt he was currently wearing, the glow wouldn't be so obvious. It was the only plan he could think of on such short notice.

Jeff nodded, “Okay, I’ll see you there!” He ran off, probably to go grab his things from his locker.

The walk home was uneventful. Occasionally, people would say hello to Steven. Of course he would say hi back, not because it was the polite thing to do but because he enjoyed seeing people happy. Nothing stood out in town, but the friendly community made up for its lack of interesting things to do. Sometimes, he wondered if he even wanted to move when he’s older.

When he returned home, his father wasn’t there. He frowned but walked into his small bedroom and put on three extra shirts. Hopefully, that would be enough to hide the bright pink light that seemed to want attention lately.

He strolled into the kitchen and wrote a quick note to his dad explaining where he was just in case he got home when he wasn’t there. Greg worked at the local car wash and sometimes cleaned what may just be the world’s largest cars. Steven remembered wanting a car like that someday when he was younger. Nowadays, though, he didn’t even want to drive.

In order to drive, he would need a license. That could bring attention to him and potentially even expose what he truly was. All that he had been working for his whole life would fade within seconds if he was caught. Just imagining being exiled from the city was enough to bring him massive amounts of grief. This was his home.

His thoughts drifted onto his grandparents. They were never great to Greg, their own son, when he was younger. Even now, they judged his decisions and blamed him for things he played no role in. When they discovered that he had a son, things only seemed to get worse. Not only did his parents judge his every move, but his entire family did as well.

As a kid, the dark haired boy would enjoy life and explore as much as he could whenever he went on vacation. This wasn’t a vacation, though. It was more of a ‘I was forced to come here’ sort of thing for Greg. The others didn’t know about Steven’s origins, but they did know that Greg had a child before marriage. 

“The kid needs a mother too,” He would remember his grandma saying. “This is why you should give up on your band dream and grow up, Greg. If you continue down this path, more and more women will die instead of marrying you.”

That’s right. Not only did they make fun of his father, but they also poked fun at his mother’s death. This understandably devastated him. Needless to say, if they found out that Greg had fallen for a gem and had a hybrid son, things would only be worse. Especially because the DeMayos were all very, very “Anti-Gem.”

As he stepped out of the house, he forced the thoughts out of his head and tried to focus on other things like… Connie! She’s been texting back and forth with him for a while now. The two of them were getting close fairly quickly, although it was all happening at a very comfortable pace.

Finally, he saw the pizza place in the distance and quickened his speed. He was excited to see the idol, not because she was an idol but because she was her. Oh, no, that sounds cheesy. His cheeks flustered as he awkwardly laughed to himself.

Okay, so maybe he had the teeniest, tiniest crush on her. It wasn’t anything too serious though, really. He only met her a few days ago, after all! Even if he really wished it was real, love at first sight wasn’t a thing. Love was something built up over time.

He didn’t love her like that. He only had a crush on her, at least for now. Wait, for now?

Steven quickly cleared his thoughts and pushed the door open. As usual, the employee working today greeted him by name. After saying his hellos, he made his way over to Jeff and Connie.

“I’m so sorry for being late, I uh… went to the wrong store?” Dang it, Steven! That sounds more like a question than an excuse!

His best friend smiled. “It’s okay!”

“Jeff! You never told me that your ‘friend from school’ was Steven!” Connie pointed out, waving at the other. “It’s nice to see you in person again!”

“Wait, you two know each other?” Jeff sounded surprised.

“I gave her a tour around town!”

“What a Steven thing to do!”

The curly haired boy laughed, “Hey, speaking of which… how are you enjoying Uplands Lake?” He tilted his head to the side.

“It’s very different from where I’m from, but that’s okay! The people here are so nice, and warm, and loving and,” She and Steven made eye contact, “Stop that, you’re so adorable that I can’t focus!”

Oh, now Steven was blushing.

“Am not,” He replied with a pout.

“Are too!” Connie crossed her arms.

Jeff coughed awkwardly. Both of them shut up, their cheeks flushed.

“So! We should all do something together,” He suggested. “Can you two come over to my house, maybe? We can watch a movie together! Something nice and calm!”

“Sure!” The ‘secret’ hybrid nodded.

The brunette nodded as well, looking just as excited as the other two did. 

After paying for their pizza, they went back to Jeff’s house. He had what would be considered a nice house in this town. It was two stories and had both a pool and a balcony. Steven was here almost every day during the summer, not that his friend minded. Of course the hybrid never swam, but it was fun to hang out here.

“What do you two want to watch?” Jeff asked, taking a seat in front of his tv and looking through the DVDs he owned. The others peeked over his shoulder.

The sight of a Dogcopter movie caught Steven’s attention. He hadn’t seen it since he was younger. Maybe he should watch it again some day, not for the story but for nostalgia. 

Before he could point to it, Connie perked up and smirked. “‘The Lighthouse’ is apparently really good! I’ve been meaning to watch it but I never had the chance to.”

“Oh! Steven, do you mind if we watch this?”

Admittedly, he had never even heard of it. However, he shrugged his shoulders and forced a smile. “Sure! Whatever you two want to watch!”

As it turns out, it was a horror movie. A horror movie that was a little too graphic for Steven’s liking. The other two seemed to really enjoy it though and he’d feel bad for forcing them to stop watching it.

He wrapped himself in a blanket when his gem began to glow. Thankfully, all the extra material hid the light fairly well. 

“Oh no, don’t go in that room,” he heard Jeff mutter. Next to him, Connie had her full attention on the scene taking place. The hybrid remained silent.

The girl in the movie turned the corner and, suddenly, the monster jump scared her. Everyone in the room jumped at this. As a matter of fact, Steven even yelped and held the blanket closer to himself.

This scene, however, was a tiny fright compared to what was happening now. Steven stared down at his arms. Not only was his gem glowing this time, but his entire body was. 

He jumped up and turned around, hoping that the glow wouldn’t be too evident. “I need to go to the restroom, I’ll be back in five minutes!”

“Okay!” He heard the others call out as he exited the main room.  The boy rushed into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. How was this happening?

Breathe… breathe…

Maybe he should go home. 

Yeah, he should.

It was a long time before the glow finally stopped. He stepped out of the bathroom and frowned. “I think it’s time I go home, I’m tired!”

“I kind of am as well,” Connie admitted, standing up. “I’ll walk home with Steven!” 

Steven couldn’t help but fluster at this. His cheeks turned pink and the girl smiled at him. After saying their farewells to Jeff, they were on their way back home.

“It’s so pretty here at night,” Connie marveled, staring up at the sky above them. Similar to crystals, the stars were glittering against the dark blue background. The hybrid nodded.

“That’s something that’s so nice about living here. Not many planes fly over here so there isn’t much air pollution,” He smiled sheepishly, “I like to think of this place as Empire City but with less people and more scenery to enjoy.”

“I can see that!”

Both of them feel silent. Awkwardly, Steven grasped onto the first topic idea he could think of.

“So… are you moving here?”

Connie looked confused for a moment, although she was quick to shake her head. “Nope. We’re just staying here for a few weeks! The tour’s been super stressful, so our manager figured it would be best to relax for a while.”

His heart sunk.

Only a few weeks?

“Oh… y-yeah, that makes sense,” He stammered, forcing himself to chuckle. “I always wished I could do that. Being able to travel, I mean. I‘ve lived here my whole life and only ever travel if my dad’s family forces him to visit them.”

“Really…? My parents have been moving a lot since I was little, so I’m just used to travelling I guess,” She seemed surprised. “It must be nice living where you grew up, though. Sometimes I wish I could have childhood friends still.”

He hummed. “I guess so. I don’t have many ‘close’ friends, though. My closest friend here is Jeff, and he only moved here a few years ago! I know a lot of people here but I definitely don’t know them on a personal level.”

“Oh! I’ve heard a lot of people talk about you. Whenever I asked for advice on anything, they’d all say to ‘go to Steven,’” Both of them laughed at this. 

Steven rubbed the back of his neck, flustering. “I’m not surprised! I’m kind of like the town therapist, I guess…” 

“I wish I met someone like you earlier,” She replied. “Not many people are willing to listen whenever someone has a problem, but everyone always points out how understanding you are. You’re sweet!”

They turned the corner and Connie perked up. “Oh! This is where I’m staying.” She gestured to the only hotel in town.

“It was nice spending more time with you today!”

“Thanks, the same goes to you!” She stepped forward and hugged him. “We should spend more time together. How does tomorrow after school sound?”

Being the affectionate person he was, Steven hugged her back and squeezed her gently. “I’d love to! Just text me wherever you want to meet up.” He took a step back. The stars were reflecting in Connie’s eyes.

For a few moments, they only stood there admiring each other. The girl flustered after a while and averted her gaze shyly. “Of course! I’ll see you tomorrow, Universe! Have a good night!”

“Night!” He called after her as she rushed into the hotel. That’s when what she said registered in his mind.

“She called me Universe…”

The realization made Steven shake his head slowly with stained cheeks. Sighing happily, he stretched and went back to walking home.

That girl was going to be the death of him.

Chapter Text

School could not be any slower.

Currently, Steven was sitting in his last period class. Jeff sat down next to him, rambling on about some film he had seen a few days prior. He was trying his hardest to listen but only one thing was on his mind: Connie. She invited him to meet up at the park with her, claiming that she had something important to tell him. Maybe this really did make him a little more anxious than he probably should be.

“Steven?” Jeff furrowed his brows, “Are you even listening? Is everything okay?”

The hybrid startled. Fortunately, he was out of his trance now. He nodded at his friend, “Yeah, don’t worry! I’m just a little tired. I think my insomnia returned last night. I couldn't sleep at all.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe you just need to calm down a little?” He glanced off to the side. “You haven’t been yourself lately. I don’t know why, but you’re my friend and I’d like to help you!”

“Jeff…”

Finally, the bell rang. He watched silently as his friend stood up and left without another word. Had he upset him by accident? Questions raced through his head as he went to his locker and organized his things. His phone vibrating brought him out of his train of thoughts.

She had texted him a picture along with the words ‘I’ll be waiting at this spot!’

He recognized the location right away and sent the okay emoji in response. At this point of his life, he knew where everything was in Uplands Lake. It was such a small town that, if he hadn’t memorized everything by then, it would be concerning.

On his way out he saw Jeff talking to a girl in their class named Lisa. He let out a small sigh before internally reminding himself to call his best friend later. For now he had to focus on Connie. 

People shouted greetings at him as he passed, like they always did. Today he just smiled and waved in return. Although he tried his hardest to stay confident, it was difficult when someone like Connie Maheswaran wanted to hang out with him. Not only that, but she wanted to hang out with him alone. It was because of this that neither of them told Jeff about their plans, not wanting him to feel left out.

Today she was wearing a long sleeved pastel yellow shirt with the word “honey” on it. Her shorts were pinkish-brown and her belt was white. Even her shoes, high tops that matched her shorts, and her socks, yet again a pastel shade, made Steven’s heart stop. She always looked incredible.

“Steven!”

“Connie!”

He rushed over to her and she jumped off of the bench, waiting for him patiently as she bounced on her feet. 

“Have you heard?!” She asked, not going into further context. Even then, she sounded really excited about something. It piqued Steven’s interest and he shook his head slowly.

“Heard about what?”

“The talent show in Empire City!”

Steven hummed before nodding slowly, “I think I may have seen a few signs about it. It didn’t really catch my attention, though…”

“They’re so fun!” Connie grinned, “I’ve been in a ton! Even if you don’t win, you know that you gave it your best and that’s all that really matters!”

“Oh, I’ve participated in a talent show before! I was fourteen and…” The memory made him blush. Keeping eye contact suddenly seemed impossible. He nervously looked away, “I only did it because Jane was too shy to perform, and…”

“It’s okay!” The other’s kind words brought his rambles to an end, “I was talking to Jeff the other day and he showed me a video.”

The hybrid tilted his head in curiosity.

“You’re really good at the guitar and ukulele, Steven…”

Her tone was so smooth, soft, and gentle. This paired with the shy look in her eyes and the red blush on her cheeks made Steven nearly melt. Thankfully his Gem didn’t glow right then and there. He wouldn’t have been surprised if it did glow, though.

“Thank you!” Nervously rubbing the back of his neck, he looked off to the side again, “My dad’s a musician so he wanted to teach me a lot of things when I was little…”

She giggled. His heart was racing again.

“Well, I was thinking…”

Butterflies were dancing in his stomach. He fidgeted nervously.

“...because you’re so good at playing the guitar and I’m a singer…”

He couldn’t stop himself from slowly looking up at her again. It felt like he was riding a rollercoaster that suddenly dipped. His stomach flipped and his breath hitched.

“...maybe we can perform together?”

The breeze was blowing through her hair gently. This coupled with the fact that the sun was behind her made her look like a goddess on Earth. For a moment, Steven felt like he forgot how to speak.

“O-oh! Uhm…” Connie wanted to perform with him? “Your band won’t mind, right?”

She shook her head, “Nope! I made sure to get permission!”

A small smile came over his features and he nodded, pushing his feelings away. “Sure! I’d love to perform with you!”

“How about we write a song? I heard that the judges really love originality!” She ran a hand through her hair, “It’s okay if you don’t want to! I just thought it’d be fun and hopefully give us extra points!”

Jeff must have told her that he’s written a few songs before for the town’s events.

Even then, his anxiety subsided and he suddenly felt so much more determined to do this than he did before. Stars were in his eyes as he nodded, “Sure, I’m fine with whatever you’d like to do!”

Their eye contact was steady. For a moment, they just stared into each other’s eyes. Steven could see galaxies within Connie’s eyes. How was she so beautiful…?

He flustered and clasped his hands together awkwardly, “Okay! So… where exactly should we begin? I could probably write out the sheet music if you can sing the vocals a few times, but we should start with the lyrics and the beat first!”

“O...oh! Right!” She nodded frantically, pushing her hair behind her ear. “What theme should we try to achieve? Like… romantic, angsty, sad…?”

That was easy. “Maybe a mix of all of those?”

After all, Steven knew the mix more than anything. Being half Gem, hiding his whole life, watching as people got into relationships when he couldn’t even be honest to his friends about his origins… 

“A mix?” She hummed before smiling, “Yeah! That sounds pretty good, actually! Love in and of itself is fairly angsty if you really think of it! The feeling, I mean. Not the word!”

Steven laughed and sat down on the bench, “Let’s start!”

They ended up writing a fairly good rough draft of the lyrics. Connie sang it in order to test every lyric out. At times they would remake an entire verse. Fortunately, they had a good amount of time until the talent show took place. This gave them the opportunity to create an entire song, the background music of the song, and much more. 

Surprisingly, Steven’s Gem didn’t ’act up’ while they were doing this. Even if he always turned into a flustered mess around her, she had a welcoming aura and was comfortable to be around. 

At some point, he even ended up singing a bit. Connie was amazed to say the least. Apparently, he was the ‘best singer she’s ever heard.’ This made his cheeks heat up and she insisted that her statement was true.

“Maybe we can both sing!” She suggested, “Oh! A duet would be cool, too! The background music can be recorded, unless you’d like to play in front of everyone!”

He shook his head, “I prefer it being recorded. I could just put it on a disc and send it in for the show. Again: I’ll do whatever you want me to do!”

“You’re a lot easier to work with than the rest of the band!” Her warm smile made Steven’s cheeks flush. 

Just then his phone rang. He glanced at his phone and frowned, smiling apologetically at Connie. “It’s my dad, I have to answer.”

“That’s okay, take your time!”

Steven held his phone to his ear, “Hey dad, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, schtuball. I’m just calling to let you know that I’ll be home a little later than usual tonight, Andy and Deb need help with something,” Greg didn’t sound excited whatsoever. Steven wouldn’t be excited at all either.

“Alright, I’ll see you later!”

After they exchanged a few more words, he shoved his phone in his pocket. The DeMayo family didn't live too far from them and were only a few hours away. It looks like he’ll be on his own for dinner tonight, not that he minded. 

“Is everything okay?” Connie’s tone had concern laced into it. In his honest opinion, she was odd. Odd in a good way of course, but still strange nonetheless. Very rarely did people ever ask if he was okay. It was usually the other way around.

He nodded slowly, “Yeah, just my dad telling me he’s going to help family out with something. All’s good!”

“Oh, okay! Hey, I was thinking and-”

“CONNIE!”

A loud voice in the distance startled both of them. A tall, lanky boy with curly brown hair was running to them. He was wearing a black shirt with a white skull on it along with ripped jeans and dirty sneakers.

“Lars?” Connie sounded surprised, “What are you doing here?”

“I was on a walk and found you here,” He shrugged his shoulders before turning to Steven, his expression twisting into one of confusion. “Who’s this?”

The hybrid smiled kindly, “I’m Steven! I live here.”

“Oh, this is Steven?” Lars turned to the brunette, who nodded in response. He waved in Steven’s direction, “I’m Lars, it's nice to finally meet you.”

Had Connie been talking about him? He flustered but waved back, “Uhm… same goes to you!”

“It’s getting fairly late,” Lars pointed out, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “I would start going home if I were you. Walking home in the dark is hard.”

“Trust me,” Steven chuckled nervously, “I know that more than anyone else.”

Connie frowned, “Steven and I were just finishing up. I’ll go back to the hotel when we’re finished. Is that alright?”

“Sure,” Lars nodded, “I’ll see you later.”

And with that he walked off. The brunette sighed, turning to Steven with an apologetic expression.

“Sorry about that… here, how about we grab dinner real fast? I’ve been meaning to eat out for a while now, honestly!” She chuckled.

Steven paused. Admittedly, he was still curious about what Connie was about to say. However, he was starting to get hungry. He could just ask her at dinner. “Sure! There aren’t many places to eat here, but we’ll find something…”

“Actually,” She clasped her hands together, “I was hoping to go back to that pizza place if that’s okay! It’s really good there…! You can’t tell my manager or anything, though. Not that you would.”

Her hopeful expression held bits of embarrassment. Steven laughed, “Of course it’s okay! You’re the one here who’s on vacation, I’m more than happy to be your tour guide!”

They walked to the restaurant together. It was small and only had one or two other customers there. Even that could technically be considered large in a town as small as Uplands Lake was. Behind the register was a girl with long black hair that was held back by a reddish-magenta headband.

“Steven!” She greeted him before turning to his friend. Her eyes widened, “Connie?!”

“Hey, Lucía!” Steven laughed at her surprise, “Yep, I’m her bodyguard now, so I’m taking her out to eat with me!”

Obviously, it was a joke. Both Lucía and Connie laughed at this.

“Is it okay if we take a picture together?” The dark haired girl asked hopefully. Connie giggled,

“Of course! I always love meeting fans!”

It ended up with the two of them talking while Steven stood awkwardly in the corner. He felt like his brain hadn’t fully registered that Connie was an idol yet. Whenever he remembered that she was, it was like someone saying he has brown hair. It was a fact that didn’t seem so important.

Once they stopped speaking, Connie ordered a pizza while Steven ordered a salad. When asked about it, he ran his hand through his hair nervously and said he was a vegetarian, even if he really sucked at keeping to it at times. 

They sat across from one another in a booth.

Admittedly it was awkward. Connie and Steven both seemed to be a little shy for no reason whatsoever. However, Steven recovered from this more quickly and let his curiosity take over.

“Connie? Before Lars interrupted us, you were about to say something that you were thinking about?”

For a moment, Connie hummed. As soon as she remembered she nodded, “I was! Basically, I think that if we were to dance while we sang it would add extra spice to our performance! Dancing is really fun and it’s been my goal to get out of my comfort zone! What do you think?”

The thought of dancing excited him at first. He wasn’t the world’s best dancer but he had absolutely zero problems when it came to dancing in front of the whole town. His thoughts drifted to his Gem half and his expression darkened.

All those other times he danced before happened when he was alone. The more he thought of it, the more he realized that he had never danced with another person before. He tried a few times when he was younger but Greg would always pull him aside and warn him about fusion.

“I don’t even know if you can fuse,” He remembered Greg mentioning, “Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. I wouldn’t risk it if I were you.”

Never once had he actually fused. 

What if he was dancing with Connie and she realized that he was a liar?

He wasn’t a human! Only fifty percent of him was! The other fifty percent belonged to his Gem side. His thoughts screamed at him as Connie slowly grew concerned.

The thoughts were blocked out by someone snapping and calling out his name. Although blurry, he could see Connie looking at him with a worried expression. He hadn’t meant to worry her!

“Steven, are you oka-”

In a jerked motion, he stood up and looked down. “I need to go to the bathroomrightnowI-” He ran away, leaving a confused Connie staring at the seat he once sat in.

Meanwhile, Steven was sitting in a stall with his knees to his chest. For the first time today and the second time so far, his body was fully glowing. It was so odd to look down at his hands and see that they turned hot pink. 

One…

Two…

Three…

Exhale.

Inhale.

Four…

Five…

Six…

Exhale.

It wasn’t until he got to twenty eight that the glow finally went away. He sat there, relieved, before remembering that he had left Connie at the table.

He rushed to the table, smiling when he saw that his crush — no, not a crush — was still there. She stood up once he arrived and held a hand to his forehead.

“Are you okay? Did you get sick? We can go home-!”

“No, no! I’m fine, just… yeah, got sick for a second.” Technically, it wasn’t a lie, “But… yes! I would love to dance with you!” He could learn how to control it.

Her smile made it worth the risk.

She was just as bright as the sun.

“Great, we can work on choreography tomorrow then! Oh, we are hanging out again tomorrow right?”

“Of course!” Stars, he was blushing again. He really is a mess.

“Here,” Connie stood up and threw away their trash, “Let me walk you home today. Just in case you get sick again…”

His blush only brightened and he coughed nervously, “Uhm, sure! My place isn’t too far from here…”

After thanking Lucía, they exited the store together and began their walk.

Connie beamed at him, “I never knew you were a song writer until yesterday, honestly! That’s a super cool talent to have and… according to what I’ve seen, you have a fantastic voice as well.” The hardest part will probably be the dancing!”

“Thank you!” He blurted out, “And… yeah, I’m not a professional dancer or anything.”

“This is just for fun, Steven…”

They arrived at Steven’s house. He pulled Connie into a hug and thanked her. “Don’t forget to text me lyrics and everything!”

“I won’t!” She hugged back. Once the two pulled back, he waved a final time before walking into the house.

Greg waved at him. Steven closed the door and sat across from him.

“So, I glowed again…”

Chapter Text

“We need to talk.”

Steven flopped onto his bed. Everything was going horribly today. He set his phone down, ignoring the exponentially rising number of texts and calls he was missing. That didn’t matter tobin, though. All he wanted to do was vanish at the moment. Resting his hand on his Gem, he remembered the conversation that just took place.

“Oh, okay…? Jeff, what’s wrong?”

Gritting his teeth, he screwed his eyes shut and held back the tears threatening to fall. He had tried his hardest to wring the fresh memory out of his head but was far from successful. Every single word repeated in his head, plaguing every thought he had until everything else was pushed aside. It was all still so painful to think about, and the worst part was that he didn’t know how to tend to the ‘wound.’

His phone buzzed, letting him know that someone was calling him. He couldn’t talk to anyone right now, especially because he knew the person calling him was him. Without thinking, he pushed it off of the bed and ignored how his body turned pink. Fortunately, he could be alone for the next few hours. This time he knew the glow was going to be around for a little longer.

“Steven… things with you haven’t been right lately. Something is wrong but you don’t trust me enough to talk to me!”

The sun peeked into his room through the blinds. It was bright, too bright. Had he been in a stronger state, he would have gotten up and closed them. Seeing the bright star shining despite the mood he was in only made him feel even worse. Despite the sullen state he was in, he still managed to hold a bitter hatred for its strength. Everyone thought he was as bright and confident as the sun was but they couldn't be more wrong.

“Of course I trust you…! Some things just… they’re private stuff and I don’t want you to deal with them!”

He couldn’t shove his thoughts to the side. At times like these, he craved for a life that he knew he could never have. Everyone always told him about how comforting a mother’s hug was, while some others expressed hatred towards the action. Either way, Steven wishes he could experience getting one as well.

“Steven, I care about you! You aren’t dumb, you should know this already! I want to help you!”

Why did Pink Diamond of all Gems decide to have him, anyways? If she truly cared about humans then she wouldn’t have ever had him in the first place. Every day like this was torture, even if it was all he never knew.

Growing up, he would watch as kids played on the monkey bars or hung upside down from trees with wide grins on their faces. These were two activities that weren’t allowed for him. If his son’s Gem was even just slightly exposed, Greg knew that someone would point it out. Instead, he would just talk to his friends while they had fun. Some of them would question him about it, but thankfully no one pushed him to talk too much.

“Jeff, I’m completely fine! There’s not a single thing wrong that’s making me unhappy right now! As a matter of fact, I’ve been doing much better lately! I’m sorry if you think I’m changing, but I don’t think I am. I’m just…”

His powers were a whole other thing. When Steven accidentally summoned his shield for the first time, he and Greg were both terrified. He ended up being stuck in his house for a month straight, trying his hardest to learn how to control it. Once he finally understood how it worked things went back to how they used to be.

Greg always told him that his mother’s powers worked on emotion. As soon as something went wrong in his life, his powers would react in a negative way that oftentimes made him fear going outside even more. Lately, with all of the pink outbursts, all he could do was hide himself. He tried his hardest to control that side of him but it seemed impossible. It was almost like someone else was in control when he was like that. Acting on pure impulse wasn’t something he did often until then.

“Please, just stop lying! I’m so sick of standing to the side and watching as my best friend is going through a hard time! You make me feel so useless sometimes! Are you really that blind?!”

It wasn’t easy for him to make friends because of this. Isolation had become a close friend of his within only sixteen years. Sometimes he would overhear his father crying at night, mumbling about how he wished Pink was here and about how he wished his son could live a better life.  The first time he heard this was when he was only four. He had gotten more and more used to it as the years passed.

“I’m not blind and you’re not useless, Jeff! You’re my best friend, why would I lie to you?!”

As his phone went off again, all he could focus on was examining the ceiling above him. He made shapes out of the lines that went across it. Some shapes were easy to find, such as a star, but others were much more difficult. Eventually, he came across four diamond shapes. The one on the bottom was much more faint but it was still there.

This only reminded him of his mother. He lifted his shirt and glanced down at his gem again. It was glowing, even more so than the rest of his body. It’s shine was incessant, temporarily fading for a few hours before returning with so much power he couldn't handle it. Even now, he could feel his gem pulsing to the beat of his heart.

“Because I know you’re hiding something from me!”

Even if he was her son, Pink Diamond was still so much of a mystery. At times Greg would make comments about him looking like her, but they were more often said when he was younger. All he did know about her was that she was kind, loving, smart, brilliant, talented, and much more. Never once had he ever heard a bad thing about her.

“I’m not! Why do you even care so much?!”

So why was it so suspicious to him that a literal alien princess would sacrifice herself to give life to a hybrid of all things? From what he’s heard, Gems hated humans just as much as humans hated Gems. Wouldn’t a Gem that was supposedly a princess also hate humans?

Or maybe that was just his insecurities speaking. Mother’s Day was his least favorite day of the year. Every year, people mutter about him or send sad glances in his direction. It was the one day every year where almost everyone would avoid him or he’d just ignore them. He didn’t want sympathy. This was how he and Jeff became friends in the first place. Jeff, too, had separated parents. His mother wasn’t dead, but she was on the opposite side of the country. Things weren’t easy for either of them.

“I care so much because…”

For the last few years, Jeff was his closest friend. They exchanged serious conversations together at times but also knew how to cheer each other up. At some point, Steven could even say that he considered him to be a member of his family. Of course he couldn’t mention anything about his Gem half, but the other never cared.

“...I’m beginning to realize just how much you’re keeping from me. I don’t even know where you were born. And…”

Why couldn’t Gems and humans get along?

“...my parents began to point out things…”

Why did they have to be enemies?

“...such as how you and your dad support Gemkind…”

Why did he have to be born a hybrid?

“...and I realized how right they are. I’m sorry. I can’t be friends with a liar who doesn’t want every Gem to be killed for all they’ve done to our planet.”

Why was his existence a secret?

“Never contact me again. Don’t even try.”

Why did his friend have to leave him behind?

His doorbell rang, tearing him away from his train of thought. He didn’t want to answer it but he was the only one home right now. After quickly looking in the mirror, making the glow disappear, and trying to fix his messy appearance, he rushed downstairs and opened the door.

Connie.

Her long hair was tied into space buns. A yellow and white striped shirt was under her light overalls. She looked adorable as she always did. Upon seeing her friend’s face, she smiled at him.

“O-oh? Hi Connie!” The boy waved nervously, his cheeks turning bright pink. She wasn’t supposed to come over for another two hours or so! He was still an emotional wreck!

The brunette’s smile faded when she noticed his worried expression. “Steven? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! Here, come in,” He stepped aside from the doorway and let her come in. After quickly shutting the door behind her, he sat down next to her on the sofa.

“You’re early,” he teased, only for her to jokingly roll her eyes and nudge him aside.

“Absolutely nothing was happening at home!” She still had some concern laced into her tone, but at least she wasn’t pushing questions onto him, “Besides, I’m excited! Today’s our very first rehearsal!”

He smiled. They had successfully come up with lyrics and background music, but now they just had to test things out and see how well they fit together. Today was sort of like a rehearsal of a rehearsal.

The two of them set everything up. Connie’s comments about the hybrid’s strength only made the boy more nervous. If she ever learned what he truly was, who knew what would happen? It was a mystery that he wasn’t willing to find out. 

Finally, Steven waited for her to nod. Once she did, he turned on the speakers and played the background music they worked so hard to create. He quickly rushed up next to her and grabbed a microphone.

When she began to sing, his whole world changed. Her voice was soft and gentle. It was best comparable to the sound the wind made when it blew through trees. Everything about this girl — whom he hadn’t meant to long ago — was so, so serene. She turned back to meet his gaze, her eyes filled with love as she continued to sing. 

Subsequently, all he could focus on was her. The music in the background went in through one ear and out through the other. His heart pounded in his chest and the butterflies in his stomach only got worse. Stars were in his eyes by the time she turned to him once again. 

Nothing happened. She stared at him expectantly, but he wasn’t sure what for. Slowly, her bright expression twisted into one made of pure concern. The tranquility faded away when she grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently.

“Steven! Are you okay?”

He snapped back into reality.

In the background, the guitar solo that he had made was still playing. That’s when he realized what had happened.

He missed his part. 

“I-I’m sorry! Yeah, I’m fine!” He flustered, glancing down at the floor in order to avert her gaze. She moved her hands (which Steven hated, he missed her touch as soon as she let go) and furrowed her brows.

“Are you sick…? Have you been sleeping well lately? Drinking water? Just to be sure: you have eaten today, right?”

Confusion came across his features. “I’m fine! Everything’s been good lately, I just… get distracted easily. Nothing to worry about!”

She smiled again, letting out a relieved sigh.

‘If only she could know how much she’s messing with my heart…’

The boy made his way over to the table and replayed his part again. He brought his microphone to his mouth and sang along to the lyrics he was yet to memorize. Connie was listening to him, but he couldn’t face her. His heart was beating far too fast for that.

Once finished, she clapped. Her eyes were luminous and beautiful. Jokingly, he bowed. She giggled at this and his stomach churned. 

Her next words made him pause.

“I heard what happened between you and Jeff. Are you okay?”

At this point, the whole town probably knew.

“I’m doing better now that you’re here,” He admitted with a grateful smile. Her cheeks flushed. Score.

“I still can’t believe he would do that, though,” She sighed, taking a seat on the sofa and leaning back, “Don’t tell anyone, but Gems aren’t that bad! Humans just made up lies and highlighted the bad things they’ve done so they could look bad. I never expected someone to stoop so low, but here we are.”

She thinks Gems aren’t that bad?

He wanted to scream and tell her how wrong she was. Because of Gems, because of his Gem, he was forced to live a life of solitude.

“It’s understandable, though,” Steven pointed out, flopping down next to her. “I wish everyone could just get along but that’ll never happen.”

Connie nodded in agreement. “If that dream ever did come true, who knows? Things may be a lot more peaceful on this planet! Or maybe there’s a planet out in the distant galaxies that’s full of humans and Gems that just get along!”

Steven laughed at her dorky grin, “Maybe! There’s no way to know, I guess!”

“Exactly!” She beamed. “That’s kind of why I want to be an astronaut or something like that when I’m older! Maybe I could help the world change a little more in a positive way!”

An astronaut? Admittedly, he had never even considered that she may be into astronomy. Now that she mentioned it, however, he could see her going to space. 

With a small frown, he went lax and stared straight ahead of himself. “I can’t help but wonder why humans hate Gems so much in the first place. Like, I know there was a war, but...”

In the corner of his vision, he could see Connie’s smile fall, “Most people don’t like the thought of second chances, I guess. At least that’s what my mom always says.”

“I guess,” Desperately, he tried to find a way to change the topic. He never liked to see his friends get upset. Hesitantly, he stood up and held a microphone out to her, “You want to try again this time?”

She jokingly raised a brow. “Will you remember your part?”

“I will!” He chuckled.

The brunette stood up and took the microphone, looking excited once again. 

Chapter Text

“...be in love with me!”

They finished their duet at the same time as the music came to an end. Steven grinned, turning around and high-fiving the other. This was one of the first times where they were actually in perfect sync with one another. It was definitely an achievement in their eyes!

For the past week, they have been practicing their performance every day. Connie says it was so they could ‘be perfect’ at the show, but Steven agreed to meet up with her mainly because she was her. It only made sense that they got close to each other! Red flags would be waving if they still weren’t close after all this time.

Due to Steven’s glowing becoming a rather bizarre thing that could happen at any time, Greg was forced to pull him out of school. Thankfully he had never been caught, but if he was ever seen glowing like a glow stick then of course people would question it. Even if Uplands Park was a small town, the majority of residents were strictly against Gemkind. Fortunately they were able to find an online school that didn’t cost too much. The hybrid honestly preferred having school from home than having to go out every day.

The brunette beamed, “We just keep getting better and better! I love how you held the last note, by the way! I think we should keep that in the final song!”

“Noted!” Steven grinned back at her. It was easier to talk to her now, even if his stupid crush (yes, he had finally accepted his feelings) on her still made it difficult at times. Fortunately, she hadn’t noticed at all. 

Today they were practicing at Steven’s house again. It was far too warm outside and, although they originally planned on meeting at the park, both of them decided to meet up at his place. It was for the better and Greg didn’t mind at all. Besides, he had work today anyways.

After taking a few minutes to drink water, Connie jumped up, “Steven! We should practice dancing this time!”

“Huh?” The boy tilted his head to the side for a moment before shrugging. “Sure! I’m terrible at dancing, though!”

“I am too!” Connie replied with a giggle. She quickly tied her hair into a braid before holding out a hand to him, “May I have this dance, my king?”

This made Steven laugh. Jokingly, he set his hand in hers, “Why of course, my queen!” He turned on the stereo with his free hand.

Connie intertwined their fingers and they began. She took a step forward and he took a step back. Then, he took a step forward and she took a step back. They repeated this cycle a few times before Connie let go of one of his hands so they stood side by side.

Even if they were in a tiny living room, they were still able to properly recite their steps. At some point, the brunette began to spin them around, causing Steven to giggle. His cheeks were stained pink and his laughter sounded genuine. This caused her to giggle as well, a red blushing making its way across her features.

The next part wasn’t part of their original plan, but it seemed that their subconscious selves wanted them to do this move. Steven backed up onto the sofa after their last spin. This change didn’t even bother Connie, who walked him to the middle of the sofa.

His arms wrapped around her waist. Ignoring the music in the background, they stared into each other’s eyes. Both of them began to lean in and, just as their lips were about to touch…

Steven leaned too far and fell off of the couch.

Fortunately, Connie caught him and was now holding him in a bridal style. The hybrid let out a brief of relief before beginning to laugh. For a few split seconds, Connie was confused, but eventually began to laugh as well. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his own, loving the giggles coming from the other.

When Steven opened his eyes again, he could feel that something wasn’t right. He stared down at his legs and frowned. Had he fallen at some point?

That’s when he realized that these weren’t his legs, “Woah! Why are my legs…?”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. A thought that most certainly wasn’t his own was then said, “What is… this?” 

Those words weren’t his, but they came out of his mouth. More and more confusion murmurs were muttered as his arm ran up his body, only to pause when his fingers brushed passed his Gem.

Oh no.

“Wh-?!”

He- she- they stood up hurriedly. They shook with uncertainty before, finally, a vivid pale pink light surrounded them. Before long, Connie and Steven lay on the ground a few inches apart from each other.

Connie was the first to get up. “What just happened?”

The hybrid didn’t reply. Instead, he sat up and tried to take a deep breath. 

“Steven?”

“C-Connie! I’m sorry, I-” He looked away from her in shame and set a hand on his sweaty forehead. “We fused.”

“Fused…? But, how-”

That’s when she noticed it. Steven’s black shirt was slightly lifted and showed the entirety of his navel area. Her eyes widened when she noticed the gemstone planted where his belly button should be.

Tears fell from his eyes as he stood up, “I’m sorry, I’m a liar! I’m not… I’m-”

“Take a deep breath,” Connie whispered, gently pushing him back into the couch and sitting next to him. He tried to do as told, only to choke on his own sobs.

“Connie! I didn’t mean to fuse with you!” He cried out, beginning to glare pink once again. The other gasped when he began to glow, but he didn’t notice, “I’m sorry, it was an accident, I swear-”

The brunette frowned. She leaned forward, hugging him with one arm and ghosting over the gemstone with the tips of her fingers on her free arm. Steven went lax but continued to burn pink.

“It’s okay, Steven,” She murmured into his ear. “You didn’t do anything wrong, it’s okay!”

For what felt like an eternity, they sat there in silence. Connie was comforting him as much as she possibly could. It wasn’t easy, seeing as how he was letting out years of pent up emotions, but that was okay. She was going to be there for him regardless.

Once he calmed down a little, she ran her fingers through his hair and finally asked him what she had been meaning to ask. “How did we…?”

“I…” He flustered, letting out a sigh and shaking his head, “My mom… she was a Gem. My dad’s a human, obviously. My mom gave up her Gem to have me… the hybrid,” He shrugged, “I didn’t even know it was possible, but it must be because I’m half human…?”

She nodded slowly, smiling faintly when the pink dissipated from his skin. “So… you’re a hybrid? That’s incredible!”

“What?”

“That’s incredible! You must be the only hybrid out there… that’s super cool,” She felt his arms tighten around her, “I’ll keep it a secret, don’t worry! I know that you probably don’t want this getting out…”

He nodded slowly, resting his head on her shoulder, “Thank you, Connie.”

Silence ensued. This time, however, it was a much more comfortable silence. The boy had stopped sniffling after some time and, although he was still shaking, he was doing much better now. 

“I don’t know how I should tell my dad,” the hybrid then admitted, letting out a playful groan as he leaned back, “He’s not going to be too happy…”

“Who’s not going to be too happy?”

They hadn’t even noticed the door open. Greg stood in the doorway, his keys in one hand and his phone in the other. Instantly, the teenagers stiffened when he shut the door behind them and glanced at them with a suspicious gaze.

That’s when he must have noticed that Steven, as in the one he’d kept a secret for so long, was cuddling on the couch with Connie, an idol who had come over from another town. Not only that, but her hand was resting on Steven’s gemstone. 

He dropped both items. “Stev-”

“It was an accident! Don’t worry, I don’t think she’s going to tell anyone!”

“Steven!”

“We were dancing and accidentally fused!”

“Stev- you can fuse?!”

“Yeah, I don’t know how it happened but it did.”

Greg fell silent. Connie’s brows furrowed and she pushed Steven’s shirt down gently before resting her hand on the cloth covering it.

“Mr. Greg, it was an accident! He wasn’t even thinking about it- I felt his surprise!”

“I know that, it’s just…” He sighed, picking up his things again before setting the keys down on a counter nearby, “I need some time to think about… this. We didn’t really expect for Steven’s secret to be revealed so I’ve never even had time to think about how I should react.”

The hybrid nodded, “That’s understandable…”

They watched in silence as Greg left and shut the door behind him. Steven turned to Connie with an apologetic glance, getting that same flustered feeling when they made eye contact. She blushed as well.

“Do you need some time to yourself?” Connie questioned. He nodded slowly.

“Thank you…”

“Of course,” Connie gently squeezed him before letting go and getting up, “Text me whenever you’d like, okay? I’m always here for you.”

And with that, she left. Steven stared at the doorway she once stood in.

Hopefully she hadn’t felt his feelings for her.

Chapter Text

It had been a while.

After Connie left, Steven and Greg had a long conversation about everything. Neither of them expected anything like this to ever happen. They were unprepared about what was going to happen next. The brunette was trustworthy, but would she be able to keep such a large thing secret? The hybrid practically forced her into fusing, she had every right to hate him!

Ever since then, the curly haired boy had stayed in his house. Admittedly, going outside seemed far too risky right then. 

Everything Steven had worked so hard to keep up was now crumbling down. First his human mask, then his friendship with Jeff, and now everything that had to do with Connie. He wasn’t sure why this year was so awful, but it was hard to remain optimistic about what 2021 had in store for them.

Connie had texted him a few times. Out of shame and guilt, he never replied. He wasn’t even sure what to say nowadays. One wrong move and she could probably tell everyone his secret. It felt horrible to know he was avoiding someone so close to him, but it was for the better, wasn't it?

He was in his room when he heard the doorbell ring. Thankfully, Greg was home, meaning he could answer the door. A minute or so passed before there was knocking at his bedroom door. 

“Dad, I don’t want-”

“I’m not your dad.”

The voice made him pause, his eyes widening. That was her voice.

“C-come in!” He quickly sat up, trying to look as casual as he always did. When the door opened, he saw the very person he had been avoiding for the last few days.

Connie looked worried. She closed the door behind herself and rushed over to his side, “Are you okay? You haven’t answered anything, I was starting to get worried…”

He considered forcing a smile, but only shrugged instead. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what to think. After everything that happened it was hard for him to think straight when it came to her. 

“Steven?”

Her tone was so gentle and full of love. Part of him wanted to leap into her arms and kiss her soft lips, but he knew he couldn’t do that. Instead, he grinned lazily, “I’m okay. There’s just been a lot happening lately.”

“You aren’t still upset over the whole fusion thing, right…?” 

The words caught him off guard. Stars, did he really make it seem like that? Well, they weren’t supposed to fuse in the first place, but they did and it was impossible to go back in time. It was too late to run from the truth now. He had to be honest with her.

“It’s not that. It’s just… no one was ever supposed to find out about my Gem. About me,” He sighed, averting his gaze and focusing on the floor beneath his feet, “But now someone — you — know. And I messed up by disrespecting your privacy and fusing with you! Why do you keep coming back to me when I just-?!”

He was interrupted by Connie hugging him tightly, “Oh, Steven. I’m so, so happy that you decided to fuse with me of all people. Even if it was just a mistake, it still means a lot to me…” Her cheeks flushed.

“How can it mean a lot to you when it wasn’t meant to happen?!” Tears slipped from his eyes again, “Why do you care so much?!”

“Because, Steven! You’re the best person I’ve ever met!”

“I’m not! The moment you find out that I fell for you I’m sure you’ll just leave me behind!”

The words slipped out before he even noticed. Once he did, however, the world seemed to stop. He pulled away from her embrace and shivered at her wide eyes. Why did he have to just mess everything up?!

“You... fell for me?” She whispered. 

“I-I’m sorry-”

“Never be sorry for how you feel…!” She giggled gently, I feel the same way towards you.”

He flustered when she placed a gentle peck on his cheek. 

“You… like me?”

“I do,” Never has she ever seemed so shy before.

He frowned, “How could we make things work? I mean, you have to leave soon and I… needless to say, not many people would want me to marry their daughter.”

“Oh, Steven,” She cupped his cheek, “I don’t know…”

They stared each other in the eyes once again, but Steven was the one to look away this time. This probably wouldn’t work.

“Here… let’s just… do something else,” He forced a smile, “I’m sure we can still be good friends.”

A look of sadness came across her features, but the brunette nodded. Maybe it was for the best.

“How about we go skating?” She suggested.

“Skating?” He parroted, clearly not expecting such a suggestion. She nodded. “I don’t exactly know how to…”

“It’s easy, come on! I can teach you!”

And thus, the two of them spent the entire afternoon skating together.