Wow a lot of you like this story, here's chapter 2.

Steven awoke the next morning to a text from Connie

Connie: good morning my Biscuit, I'll see you this afternoon, I love you

He smiled, but then frowned, now that he knew what it felt like to be in her arms for hours, he had no idea how he'd last even a few hours without her. Now more than ever he understood how certain gems like Fluorite and Rhodonite couldn't stand being unfused. He looked around his room if Connie was coming over today he needed to clean up a bit if only to get his mind off waiting for her. It was around noon before he realized he hadn't eaten yet. He just ordered a mushroom and onion pizza from Fish Stew Pizza when Connie texted him.

Connie: Curriculum reform day, got out early, be over soon, Send lion?

Steven: Can't wait 2 c u, sending Lion now

"Hey, bud can you go pick up Connie at school?" Steven asked the pink feline who roared and made a portal. Moments later he came back with Connie. She ran over and embraced him, he buried his face into her shoulder.

"I know I probably shouldn't be so clingy but I've missed you all day," said Steven, tears in his eyes.

"I know, after last night I couldn't stop thinking about you and worrying if you were ok, last night I realized just how much I enjoyed holding you and how badly I wanted to just keep holding you, I've been so worried about you ever since the night at the roller rink when we fused, I didn't say anything about it but I could feel how you had been feeling and I could tell you had bottled it up for months, I'm not leaving for college yet and I want to spend every moment I can, showing you that I'm here, that I'll always be here," said Connie, holding him closer to her. They went upstairs and sat on his bed, studying was going to have to wait, it was cuddle time. Eventually, Steven had fallen asleep, she was still snuggled next to him but she got out her homework and started working on it. She couldn't remember the last time she was so comfortable while doing her homework, Steven's arm snaked over her torso, his warm breath on her neck, the soft mattress under them. Connie focused her attention back to her homework, advanced biology. As she looked at the book, describing different chemicals the body used to function, she saw one that her mom often talked about in patients that were dealing with an extreme amount of stress, cortisol. Her mind flashed to all the battles she had been in with Steven, the adrenalin, the pulsing energy from the gem each time they formed Stevvonnie, those butterflies that manifested from their problems. She wondered if those butterflies were a visual, metaphysical manifestation of the gem equivalent of cortisol and adrenaline. She then read a passage on how much force human bones could take before breaking. How often had Steven been flung across a room, or hit on the head by something, how often had his shield been under enough pressure that his arm should have broken? When fused as Stevvonnie she had felt bones break but then were fine the next instant, who's bones broke? Her's or Steven's? She knew Steven had never been to the doctor, she also knew that she herself had been to a therapist shortly after getting back from space, there was one in beach city who was very familiar with gem stuff. If she had needed a therapist for the stuff she had been through, Steven experiences were far more numerous than hers so she knew that he would definitely need someone, could this Pink power he had talked about be all that trauma and stress manifesting into a deadly new power?

"PTSD," she whispered as she read more about the harms of stress in her book, her mind flashed to when Steven's gem had been pulled out of him, how he had come so close to dying in her arms, she had nightmares for weeks afterward, there was no way that Steven wasn't also affected by that day, what would have happened if she hadn't been there? Would his gem half have reached him in time? She closed her book and put her homework on the floor, turning around to face him, she quickly pulled him into a tight embrace. She was glad she hadn't left him alone last night, if she had just flat out rejected him who knows how that would have affected him, especially after everything she just realized. She was going to have to talk to her mom about all this to possibly confirm her suspicions, but for now, Steven needed kisses and cuddles. Her homework was done anyway and today was Friday, she had all weekend now to study, so she definitely had time to snuggle her boyfriend. Boyfriend, that word made her giggle softly, she had always had a bit of a crush on him ever since he saved her from that corrupted gem, but she hadn't realised just how much she had fallen in love with him until the time jasper fought Stevvonnie, how her and Steven no longer needed to dance to fuse, how simply holding hands was enough. Light suddenly engulfed her. Suddenly Stevvnonie was laying on the bed

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you,"

"It's ok," Stevvonnie spoke before pulling the covers over themself.

"Lets unfuse, I want to hold you,". They unfused and Connie wrapped Steven in her arms again. She half wondered if she'd always be the same height as him, but right now it was good, it allowed her to cuddle him easier.

"I love you," said Steven. She kissed him gently but deeply

"I love you too, it's going to be hard to sleep in my own bed away from you after these last few hours but I don't think my parents will approve of me sleeping here," said Connie sadly. Suddenly she got a message on her phone.

Mom: Please tell me you're at Steven's house

Connie: Yeah, Why?

Mom: Thank goodness, this is going to sound strange but you need to stay there until further notice.

Connie: Why?

Mom: Your uncle just got out of prison and is staying at our house until he gets a place, I don't trust him but your grandmother forced your father and me to take him in. Just stay at Steven's, I know they'll keep you safe, I just don't trust your uncle around you.

Connie: Ok, I'll stay here

Mom: good, I'll be over there with your stuff as soon as I can, I can't believe I'm saying this but if you come back here bring Lion and your sword, I don't want any chances taken.

Connie: Ok

Steven was reading over her shoulder.

"Well, looks like you got your wish, I get that your uncle was in jail but why doesn't your mom trust him?" asked Steven

"He was put there before I was born but he did something really bad that my dad doesn't talk about, it's the reason I don't see my grandparents that often because they thought that what my uncle did was perfectly acceptable," said Connie.

"Well at least you can stay here now, I'll just bring you to and from school and I'll ask a gem to keep an eye on you throughout the day," said Steven pulling her close,

"Oh so you're going to be my knight now?" teased Connie

"W-what, no I uh just," stuttered Steven

"I'm joking, I'd rather be protecting you than you protecting me, you fix the universe, I take care of you, no more bottling up your emotions, got that?" said Connie.

"Ok," said Steven

"Good, now that I don't have to worry about how late I stay here, let's take a nap, you look exhausted," said Connie, pulling the cover over both of them again and kissing his forehead as he held her close, he was just like a giant teddy bear, one that she was more than happy to snuggle with.