Chapter Text
Steven is tired. His dad is dying. Slowly, but he can tell he’s getting weaker by the day. At 88 he can barely leave his bed anymore but Steven at 51 still looks freshly 20.
For some reason once he reached adulthood he just stopped. It was like he was frozen in time along with the rest of the gems. He thought he had come to terms with it but seeing death come for his dad, his only parent that he still has is too much.
Greg has insisted so many times that it’s just the way things go. Time will move on and his time was about to be at its end and that’s okay. But Steven couldn’t face it.
“Dad, please…please fuse with me. Just one more time. Dad I’m not ready.” Steven sobs on his dad’s chest. Greg sighs, “Stewball you’ll have to let me go eventually.”
Despite this Greg slowly stands and starts to dance with Steven. It looks more like swaying side to side than anything but it’s the most Greg can manage at this point.
Regardless, they fuse, knowing that this will be the last time. Knowing that Greg won’t have the energy to try this again, but as long as they’re fused he won’t die. He’ll be with his son.
No one asks why they’re fused. Everyone knows. No one can bear to tell Steven it’s time to let go, Greg decided to hold on until Steven was ready. He needs to make sure his baby is okay before he sees his wife again. Otherwise how will he look her in the eye?
Months pass, the longer their life as Steg continues the more uncomfortable their friends get. Connie couldn’t bear with the constant reminder of the loss that was to come or the fact that she knew she’d never have just her Steven back.
Connie drifted away. Her jealousy and sorrow making it impossible for her to look him in the eye. She felt awful for wanting her Steven back knowing full well that what it would mean.
She was resentful. She knew he chose his dad over her, and she hated herself for feeling this way, for thinking she could ever compete with Steven’s father, or that she even wanted to.
Finally, it happened, her parents were getting old as well. Connie had become very successful in her adulthood. Her accomplishments in science inspired by the gems were known across the world.
For her contributions to humanity, and the panacea made from Steven that she found a way to mass distribute, she won a Nobel Peace prize.
Despite not speaking often to Steg she invited him, the gems, and her parents. She offered to buy her parents plane tickets but they refused calling it a waste of money. The two decided to take turns driving.
Connie would regret not forcing them to take her up on their offer. Half way to the event, on their first road trip in years, her mom fell asleep at the wheel. Dr. Priyanka barely had her eyes closed for more than two seconds but it was enough.
She opened her eyes just in time to see her car drive directly under a semi. By the time the paramedics arrived it was too late. Both of them were gone.
Connie was at her award ceremony when she got the call but didn’t answer. She was busy. By the time the awards were over she realized her parents hadn’t attended and saw over a hundred missed calls and even more text messages.
In that moment it felt like her life fell apart all over again. Her parents couldn’t be dead. It had to be a lie. The best day of her life had turned into her worst, and it was all because of her.
All because she wanted her parents to be there on her day. They could’ve just seen it on TV. She could’ve just bought the plane ticket anyways. Now it was too late to take back.
As soon as she composes herself she goes to the morgue to collect her parents. They aren’t even recognizable anymore, but there’s no mistaking their wedding rings or the pictures of her they both kept in their wallets.
Suddenly she remembers. Lars. Lion. Couldn’t Steven bring them back? Maybe she could take this back. Frantically she runs to his house. The house she hasn’t been to since the day he made his decision to keep his dad instead of letting go.
“Steven! I need you to come with me right now! It’s an emergency.” Connie burst in the door screaming. Steg ran and followed her without question, just quietly reassuring her that it would be alright and he would help. How could she explain anyways between her sobs.
They make it to the county morgue. A place Steven usually pretends doesn’t exist. “Connie, why are we here?” She doesn’t answer, she just grabs his hand and leads him to wear her parents are.
Unprepared for the sight he saw, Steg began retching as soon as they walked in. It was too much to look at. “Please, Steven. Save them. I can’t let go of them yet. Not now.”
Still struggling to look at them Steg hesitates. “You know if I do they’ll live forever right? Even if they want to they won’t be able to die. Do you think they’d want that?”
Connie glares at him. His hypocrisy feeling like a slap across the face. “How dare you ask that. Did your dad want this? Did he want to live like this? Forced to be fused with his son forever? Why do you get to keep him?”
Steg can’t bring himself to look at her. She’s right. Greg is only still here because of his selfishness. His dad was more than ready to go. He misses Rose so much. He wants to be with her, but he can’t leave his son when he clearly isn’t ready.
Without saying a word, he steps up to the bodies. He holds up Connie’s mom’s hand and gives her a kiss, but nothing happens. He tries again, and again, but it won’t work. Her mom is gone.
He moves over to her dad and it’s the same result. “Connie. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. It isn’t working. Why isn’t it working? Is it too late?”
Devastated, Steg keeps trying, their blood stains his lips and hands but their bodies lay as dead as when they arrived. Connie sits, silent. Glaring. It isn’t fair. None of this is fair.
The anger and hatred she had faced at herself hours ago was now directed at Steven. She knew it was irrational but she needed something or someone to blame, and blaming him was easier than blaming herself.
Without a word she leaves. Diving home without Steg while he continued to try. She knew it wouldn’t work at this point. There was no reason to wait anymore.
Once Connie got home she sent Steg a single text. “Please don’t contact me for a while. I don’t want to see you.”
She could barely handle only seeing Steg before instead of her Steven. Now it’s both a reminder of how he prioritized his dad over her and that he save Greg but not her parents.
Connie kept trying to rationalize herself out of her anger but she couldn’t. Not this time. They’d worked through so much in the past. They did so much therapy. Before this they were happy together even though he had stopped aging.
She had come to terms with the fact that she’d die first. She would age while he stayed the same forever. But that reality was never as real to her as it was now.
“I wasted so much time. He was my whole life when I was just a chapter. Why did it have to be him?” As she spoke to herself she got on the computer. It was time. She’d waited for him long enough and she doesn’t have the time he does. By morning she had filed the divorce paperwork. She can’t do this anymore.
How can she be married to a man she can’t even see or touch. To a man that will move on one day. To a man who she knows will love again because he’s always had so much to give. For the first time she’s jealous of Lars.
At first she was angry, but after calming down she realized that she has to do this. She can’t turn back time. She only has one life and unlike Steven the life she has is finite.
She can’t tie him down like this. Because one day he’d need to choose. Her or his dad, and Connie couldn’t bear to be the reason that Steven lost his dad, nor could she bear the love of her life not picking her, so she needs to end it now.
Connie walked to Steven’s old house one final time, papers in hand. When Steg saw her walk in he was ecstatic, beginning to run up and hug her before she stopped him, “Steven. I can’t do this anymore. It needs to end.”
Steg stepped back, “Connie, what do you mean? Are you mad at me?” Connie just shook her head. “I’m not angry. I’ve just come to realize. You’re too much gem and not enough human. I should’ve realized when you stopped aging but I wanted to stay anyways, but it’s time to stop being delusional and live in the real world.”
Stegs voice cracked, sounding. distinctly Steven, “Please Connie. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I can’t do this without you.” “YES YOU CAN! And you will. I’m not immortal. I can’t live forever. You can. And I can’t take knowing that the man I love will move on when I’m gone. It hurts too much.”
Connie put the papers on the kitchen counter. “Sign these and leave them in my mailbox. I don’t want to see you. I’m keeping the house since you have here but we can split everything else.”
Having said everything she needed to say. She left. This was her final goodbye. It was time for Steven to move on, and it was time for her to use the rest of her life for herself.
After a week of trying to text and call Connie. Steg finally accepted it. She wasn’t coming back. She was done. He signed the papers and stopped by their old home that isn’t his anymore.
Through the window he could see Connie. Sitting at their old kitchen reading a book. She always loved reading. Although his heart hurt he put the papers in her mailbox along with his ring and a note. “Please be happy. I love you.”
Thanks to Connie the divorce went quickly. There wasn’t a lot to split anyways. They didn’t see each other again even at the very end.
Steg goes back to his own life. Without Connie time seems to not really exist anymore. Before, Steven would count the time by every new line on her face, the grays that appeared in her hair as she became more and more beautiful to him each day. Now he can’t anymore.
One day as he sat by the beach as usual, Garnet came up to him. “Steg. I’m so sorry. But Connie doesn’t have long now. If you want to see her it needs to be now."
Steg stood up quickly but then sat down again. “I doubt she wants to see my face at this point. It’s been so long hasn’t it?” Garnet sighed and sat next to him, “Connie asked for you. She wants to see you one more time. But if you don’t want to that’s up to you.”
This time he stood up again and ran. He kept running as fast as he could until he got to their old house. He knocked an no one answered, but the door was unlocked.
He let himself in and walked to their bedroom where Connie laid, barely able to open her eyes. Steg teared up, Steven didn’t know someone could even look this frail. It was as if the strong woman he fell in love with and protected him would blow away at the first sign of wind.
“Steven, you came for me.” Connie smiled widely, “I missed you.” Steg hugged Connie tight “I missed you so much too.”
Steven began to think, if he unfused with his dad he might be able to save her. They might be able to be together again, but this time forever. But that would mean letting his dad die.
Right as he was trying to figure out what to do he heard his dad. “Stewball it’s time. You have to let me go.” “How can I? How can I live without you? How can I live without Connie? I can’t sacrifice you.”
Despite Steven resisting the split Greg forcefully ended their fusion. The moment it ended Stephen tried to refuse but his dad was already fading away, dissolving into dust. It had been a long time since his life should have ended.
Steven stayed on his knees, sobbing, trying to put the pieces of his father back together. Trying to sway them just right to fuse again. Kissing the dust to bring him back. But nothing worked. It was over.
After what feels like hours he collects himself. “Connie, please I can’t lose you too.” He begs. He pleads with her not to leave him. If they just fuse they can stay together but Connie shakes her head.
“Steven, I love you so much. I know that I left, but I love you. It’s my time baby. You have to let go. I’m okay” She’s made her decision. Connie knew she would do this one day the day she filed those divorce papers.
Steven just holds on even tighter. “You might be ready but I’m not. How can I ever be ready to say goodbye forever? I love you so much please stay.”
Connie hugs him back and kisses his forehead. “I love you” Slowly her grip on him loosens. Her breath slows. He can see the life slowly leave her body. Steven holds on to her, hugging her as if it’ll stop the inevitable, but it doesn’t.
As Steven realizes that she’s gone he cries. His despair consuming him. His dad and love are gone. Age took them both. Why them and not him? Why couldn’t he have aged with them?
Thinking this he notices his hands start to wrinkle. He’s aging, but not slowly. As he realizes he does all he can to speed it up. He wants to be with them too. He doesn’t want to be left behind.
He goes from 20, to 30 , to 50, to 80, until finally he feels himself slipping. He can tell he’s dying, but he doesn’t fight it. It feels like a warm embrace to him. Finally he can be with his family again.
“I’ll see you soon Connie.”