After a rough and exhausting day at work, Marie spotted her dear boyfriend from the corner of his left eye, not far from her. "Steven!" she called out cheerfully, before waving at him as she slowly coming close to the other with a gigantic smile across her face.

Steven winced at the sudden voice, looking a bit frustrated when she glanced at him. He runs away, hoping to get away from Marie. After all, Marie shouldn't hang around someone like him, not after what he encountered the other day...

"Hey! Why are ya running?! Come back!" the idol shouted before beginning to do a cold sprint towards Steven. She wondered why her friend that she had loved is all the sudden running away from her. But no matter what, she'll easily catch up to him and probably have a little personal conversation with him afterward.

Steven sped up as fast as he can, not bothering to look back. He figured out that Marie was trying to outrun her, but he was intent on not letting him accomplish on doing so. But his hopes were unfortunately dashed when Marie ran as fast as her legs could take her like a cheetah, and then successfully scooping him up in a light embrace. "Aha! I got you!" she said.

"Ghhh…! Let go of me this instant!" Steven addressed the green idol assertively as he struggled, but eventually, went limp. Something was clearly wrong. Steven never snapped like that in his life after they both started dating.

"Oh! Are you okay, Steven?" Marie asked the 19 year old. "Sorry…I can make it up to you! Want money? Attention? Fame? I'm here for you!"

Tears began to flood the purple inkling's eyes, and he glanced away from Marie, facing directly at the hard concrete sidewalk that he went limp on. "Please…Just go away…" Steven told her as he sat down and wrapped his arms around his legs, tears sliding down his cheeks after doing so.

Marie settled down next to him and starts wiping his tears away with two hands, with her smile beginning to fade away into a small frown in concern. "What's the matter, darlin'?" she asked worriedly.

"My bullies..." Steven admitted. "They said that I was a waste of your time…that you've never loved from the beginning..." Steven flinched a bit at the touch, then relaxed again. He was so tired and so sad about his bullies picking on him and hurting his feelings. Starting to sob again, he slipped from Marie's grasp, falling to the hard ground.

"Listen to me, Steven. I love you and really care about you more than anything else..." The idol said, planting her palm on his shoulder, using every ounce of effort to smile but she felt so enraged by these bullies Steven had spoke about, trying to mess with him. "I suggest you go home and get some rest, it has been quite a rough day for you."

Steven nodded in confusion, as he stood up, even though he felt depressed. He stepped away, but only to turn right back around and pull Marie into a quick hug, saying his 'goodbyes' and also apologizing for everything he had done a few moments ago. And without a moment's hesitation, he dashed off to go back to his apartment at Flounder Heights. Suddenly, he made the sound of quiet, pained moans. He ran until he felt so tired unexpectingly, making it a bit blurry for him to see where he was currently going. Suddenly, he lost his footing, making himself accidently trip, doing an agonizingly painful faceplant onto the ground after it happened.

Small steps can heard from the back of Steven. It was Marie, rushing to his aid. She came quite close to his feet before the other as the idol worriedly leaned down and hugged him close, fondling his backside lightly before lifting him up into her arms. No words or help to Steven were exchanged from her, just silence… staring down at him, lovingly.

Despite now having a bruise on his forehead, Steven felt deeply relaxed as he was lifted. Marie's touch and love was all coming back to him now it seemed. He widened his green eyes, which were now stared up at the idol, and after a moment the purple inkling found himself smiling, resting his head against Marie's soft chest. Steven then flashed a big smile, that was full of happiness.

Marie looked directly at the purple inkling straight in the eyes, stroking the top of his head as gently as she possibly can, at least the little one could smile now, letting out the same response of squid noises back to him. Thinking to herself about what may happen in the future, looking at him slowly, the idol began to lean down to place a kiss on Steven's soft lips for a while before leaning back. "…Did you understand what I meant from before on our first date?" Marie reminded him. "I wanted you to understand my feelings better, I know I've screwed up on it from that one date last month..."

Steven was still, becoming quiet after the kiss. He blushed a bit and began chuckling. "Oh, I see what you mean. Yeah you can, but if you would like to explain your feelings better, here's you big chance!" Steven replied, before leaning up, returning the kiss, giving the idol a playful wink after he finished.

The green idol smiled tremendously before wrapping her arms around Steven, enveloping a lung-crushing embrace, squeezing him like a vise. She began giving him boat-loads of stealthy, yet strong, kisses on all over his face. "I've always loved you from the bottom of my heart...And also, don't you ever leave me alone again." She commanded as Steven was in her tight embrace.

Resting his head, burying it into the other's shoulders while holding her still, Steven hugged back, tighter than he meant to. "Of course, I won't." replied Steven, before his smile turns into a enormous grin, and then he buries his face against Marie's neck, with a soft, happy sigh was coming out from the purple inkling.