Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe!

Title: I don't need the world to see, I've been the best I can be

Summary: Greg and Barb become an item, forcing Sadie and Steven to find middle ground between their hectic lives.

Chapter Title: C: Ur So Hot When U Show Genuine Interest

...

"Oh, sure, you can bitch and moan about astronaut food being shit all day, but I mention one time that veggie bacon isn't nearly as tasty and suddenly you're a connoisseur of powders?"

Connie barely surprised a fit of laughter as she closed the newly-built garden room door behind her. "I'm going to assume I'm not busting into anything important." She tossed her math bucks on the table and sat down beside Steven's legs, which were poking out from under the transmitter near the warp pad.

Steven tilted the phone's microphone away from his mouth. "Lars being Lars," he reported, then went back to it. "I don't care how much artificial stuff is in it, there's absolutely no way space meat is any more vegetarian than regular meat, and you can quote me on that regardless of accuracy."

Connie grabbed one holographic screen from the table and started paging through it. Half the functions were down from fiddling. "Jesus, Steven, did you tear out the interface?"

"I have no idea," Steven admitted. "No, I'm not talking to you. Connie is here. Connie has told me that if I ever refer to making out as 'canoodling' then she will canoodle my ass into the ocean, so no. Yes, I'm whipped. It's great. Call me when you and Emerald finally get around to making safe words." Steven abruptly hit end call, tucking his phone into his jacket. "Connie. Solar fire. Lava to my volcano."

"You have no idea what you did, do you?"

"Absolutely no idea."

Connie snorted. "The human has to fix the alien tech once again, does she?"

"Peridot will make fun of how bad my tech is. You won't make fun of my tech, will you?"

"No, just you."

Steven awkwardly shuffled his butt out from under the system. "I can handle that."

"You cuss a lot more with Lars," Connie noted, taking his place with the little screen. "It's weird."

"Bad weird?"

"Just weird. Remember when you said fuck and tried to turn yourself in to the police?"

"Yeah," he said with a laugh. "I dunno. I guess I've just felt more... energetic lately? I still get tired easily, but I also wanna get up and do things."

"Like tearing up your intercom?"

"I was trying to secure a more stable line to Homeworld, actually. Lars was moving planetary satellites to make it clearer. Now it's just a matter of connecting things." Steven rubbed his chin. "I've been thinking, and I feel like the palace is being underutilized right now. I mean, we could broadcast all sorts of stuff from there!"

Connie twisted a glowing wire in a different direction. It pulsed like a living organ. "Like cartoons?"

"Well, yeah, but stuff like laws and ideas. Homeworld still has a lot to learn about being free, you know? We could broadcast classes with Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, and PSAs, and even concepts for laws to vote on. The Diamonds aren't in charge anymore, but their words still hold a lot of weight in the galaxy, and I feel like we've left a lot of Gems listless."

She paused, inching out from under the com. Steven seemed surprised as she took his hands. "Steven, are you... helping? Because you want to?"

"Well, yeah, I guess? It's kind of my job, but..." Steven hummed to himself. "I want to do it, too. Like. A lot."

Connie squeezed his fingers and said nothing.

"I think... well, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I hate not having stuff to do. I want to be busy. I want to learn, and grow. I want to feel like a whole person again." He sheepishly took one hand away to wipe his eyes, which had begun to get a smidge bit wet. "I haven't felt like this in... gosh, it's been years. The meds have been doing more than I thought they would, honestly. And maybe... maybe therapy? Eventually? I'm still not ready, but... I know I could be."

A thin hand took his wrist, and before Steven knew it Connie was pulling him forward, pressing a heavy kiss to his lips. Steven stiffened, then loosened, pulling her closer. When they drifted apart, they kept their foreheads against each other.

"This," said Connie, "Is the Steven Universe I fell in love with. Stars, I missed him."

Author's Note: Here's some cute Connverse to tide ya'll over while we wait for tonight's new episodes!

Man, my first wind after getting on meds was a fucking trip. I didn't fully notice something had changed until I busted a gut laughing in a grocery store parking lot and thought 'holy shit, I haven't done this is years'. It's not a magical cure-all, but it's a great start.

-Mandaree1