There was something so very, possibly, disturbingly therapeutic to the completely unforeseen occupation Steven found that he'd mastered in mere months. This type of thing was almost universally handled overseas, but he'd taken a bold, honestly thoughtless action, proved his prowess, and had landed this domestically-rare position.

There he sat, before a table of technical instruments and a computer with diagrams and renders available for him to oft glance at. Vaguely, he could hear the chatter of customers and sales associates, but he kept quietly to himself, sitting there in a small back room at the back of the jewelry store, up on the twenty-second floor of the futuristic skyscraper le Bâtiment Mauve, in Empire City.

So much for all those aspirations of college. That had just ended in accidental napping in class, procrastinating assignments, just being awkward and lost on the massive campus. It hadn't been like any place Steven had ever spent extended time at. He'd nearly died in space, traveled to other planets, marveled at countless gem artifacts and graceful delights of technology, had his diamond ripped out of him, and, oh, a plethora of other terrible things. But the university campus had just sprawled out with people too intent and self-involved to care much for his sprightly actions or upbeat personality.

Not that the people there hadn't been nice. It was just—well, he had spent six months there. Long enough to realize university hadn't been the place for him—hadn't been that answer he'd been seeking. Connie was off on her own university adventure, texting him regularly to rant about this teacher, that incompetence classmate. But he felt that she was grandly enjoying the challenge. Flexing her brain and all that. Good for her.

Really.

His father was living with the Crystal Gems, but was often absent from the temple, off with Sadie and her band, being the manager—but, he knew, indulging in whatever sights and merriment that the group encountered.

As for Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet? Chilling back at Beach City. Running Little Homeschool. Embracing their new purpose with gusto he admired. No grudge there. The other gems were happy. All growing, learning, becoming things they never would have even dared imagine was possible back in Era 2 on Homeworld.

Everyone was doing great. Perfect. Wonderful. Productively.

As was he, but he had—well-he hadn't told anyone where he'd moved onto after that university experience. He still could hardly believe it. Right near the end of those six months of confusion, he'd entered the jewelry store in which he'd purchased the engagement ring for Connie with the foolish idea to return it. She'd said she wouldn't marry him yet; but he'd been unable to understand it any differently than with the permanence of never.

Standing on the fringe of the shop, he'd gripped the ring in his fist with intense self-loathing; and when he'd opened his fist, he found just a glob of gold melted around the little diamond. A bit embarrassed and extremely curious, he'd hastened to leave, hurrying around the shop to an empty spot. There, he'd grabbed a fist full of dirt and squeezed it a hard as he could. Opening his hand, he'd been shocked to find a small, uncut pink diamond there.

Steven had swallowed, glancing around. He could induce the physical conditions required to make diamonds—in just seconds! Thinking about it, why not? He recalled Pearl's memory of Pink Diamond crushing dirt in her own hand and forming shards of a diamond.

Then, what if he could-

Steven had tried to stop himself from furthering the thought that had come into his mind, but it had festered. He'd experimented with other soils, holding his fist shut for a few more seconds, a few less. Different sizes, different hues came out. And with those, he worked on the skill he was now using, until he'd brilliantly perfected it. People spent years reaching the level he was at—which just took him three months.

He had a knack for this, and he swallowed, biting at his lip and trying not to think about it. Every micro cut lowered his stress. Every turn of the reflective gem in his hand, as he inspected the cut on the emerald-hued surface, raised within him a half mix of pride and a half mix of guilt. Like he was committing murder every time he sat down at this post to work on gems.

They weren't alive! They were just regular Earth rocks!

And he put the diamond down with a sigh. He hadn't even told Connie where he was, what he was doing. All everyone knew was that he'd dropped out of university and was somewhere, doing something. They regularly pestered him via text, asking, begging, trying to guilt trip him into telling them where he was.

He'd just say he was fine. Don't worry. He wasn't ruining his life or getting into trouble. In fact, Steven had a pretty nice, modern apartment. One room. On the tenth floor just blocks from where he worked. His morning stroll allowed him to chat to people, buy a croissant and a tea, and enjoy the smells and the endless cascade of sounds in such a bustling place. There were a few people he was forming friendships with, too, but it hadn't been long enough for anything yet to stick.

When he felt settled enough, he'd slowly let the others know what was going on in his life. Just—not yet. He couldn't psychologically deal with the clucking and smothering of three moms, let alone the possible reactions if they discovered what he was doing.

Steven picked up the diamond and tried to focus. There was no point feeling down. He enjoyed this work. It paid outrageously well. And, like he'd mulled over before, working on diamonds was definitely therapy for him. He was the youngest diamond cutter in the world, he was sure, and hid a smirk at that thought.

This particular diamond was nearly ready. Just a few more cuts-

"Steven," the door opened with a silent whoosh.

"Y—yes?" Steven nearly jumped. He always did when the supervisor entered, and it was always ridiculous because the woman was very sweet and often just came to chat. Her star cutter, who was saving her so many buckets of money by operating in her shop—not overseas—was enough for her to take sympathy over his lonesome occupation.

The few wrinkles on her middle-aged face softened as she ran her eyes over him, "Still wearing those flip flops? Steven, it's snowing outside."

"It's fine," he chuckled. "I don't really notice how cold it is."

She frowned disapprovingly, but stepped a bit in and to the side, "Well, I came to let you know that you have a few visitors. I told them they can come in, considering their familial connection with you."

"What?" He had barely squeaked out before his boss ducked away and three forms just about stumbled in through the door, all vying to enter at the same time.

Steven's breath hitched, his grip tightening on the rather bulbous diamond in his hand. In his other hand, he was holding an instrument for fine cutting.

Pearl wrestled out from under the two on top of her, voice a bit shrill, "Steven! Have you been okay? Why have you been hiding where you've been? Do you know how wo-"

She was on her feet, and her eyes absolutely popped as big as the pearl on her forehead.

Amethyst grunted up and dusted herself off, flicking her hair back, "Yeah, Steven; like, it's really uncool that you've been stringing us out like this! After all we've been through, what's up?" Opening her eyes with a put out flicker, she also landed her gaze on him and froze up.

It was Garnet, the last of the three to regain her dignity, who said nothing at first. Just stared, though it was hard to tell her expression with her shades on. Steven knew it, anyway, and he felt himself cowering.

"Steven, how could you?" Garnet at last spoke, softly, painfully.

To wit, Steven whipped his eyes to the diamond and dropped it with the sizzling pain of imaginary fire. "Y—you guys! It's not—it's not like that!" He burst to his feet, hands outstretched to them. "These are just Earth diamonds! They're not alive! It's-"

"Why would you even want to c—c – cut-" Pearl trembled, unable to finish her words.

"It doesn't matter if the diamonds are alive or not! Why, Steven?" Amethyst burst, "I mean, you're a diamond, too! Could you cut your fingers off?"

"Keep your voices down, please!" Steven strained, running to the door to close it. "No one here knows I'm a gem! And—and I want to keep it that way! Look, guys, I know this looks really bad; maybe in some ways it is, but I like my job! I'm really good at it! And—and I-"

How could he say it? That every cut gave him a sense of satisfaction? That he felt content, even happy, when he'd completed the next work of art: that next perfect cut? Even at his apartment, at times, he'd form new diamonds and cut them for practice and for fun. Every model he loaded to find a diamond's optimal cut to preserve weight and maximize value was a thrill; every success of seeing the eyes of the recipient light up gave him a flush of joy. He was still helping people; and at the same time, himself, too.

Pearl's tone was tight, "This is outrageous, Steven. It's like taking a fake human body and cutting it into pieces. Who could do that without feeling terrible?"

"Not the same thing," Steven mumbled, glancing back at the green diamond so innocently laying on the table. It was sparkling brilliantly, with only a few cuts left to complete the rose cut.

He didn't tell them that.

But Garnet softly interjected, "If this makes Steven feel good, we should leave him alone about it. We three really can't say much. Steven's been through a lot, and by no means could what happened months ago fix all of that. Connie's mom is right: humans need time and they all cope differently." She paused, eyes fixed on her son. "Is that what this is, Steven?"

"I—" He swallowed. "I think so. Just, please, let me have time here. I like it here. I just—I didn't want you three to feel this way."

"But, also, not telling us is totally lying," Amethyst snapped.

She was right. Steven sat down at his desk and slouched, "I know. I'm sorry, guys."

Pearl added, "It's okay, Steven. I'm disappointed you felt that you couldn't trust us, considering all we've been through; but we can talk about it more tonight?"

"Tonight?" He whipped his face up, imperiled. "You—you guys are going to stay a while?"

"Well, of course, Steven!" Amethyst was loosening up, taking in his organized little office. "Just toss us a set of keys for your place and the address. We'll wait for ya there! Then we four can go explore the city!"

The idea caused his moms to smile in anticipation, but Steven utterly deflated. One diamond in their sight all cut up was one thing. He had dozens lying in all sorts of expected and not-so-expected places in his apartment! They couldn't see that—yet! The shock would just be-

"What do you think, Steven?" Garnet asked.

Steven felt his bones turning to goo, but he nodded. "I—I think it sounds like a great idea. Just give me a few minutes here. I can clock out early today."

His moms stood in their little cluster, patiently waiting for their teenage son to rise and prepare to leave. Steven felt the world closing in on him, but he'd been found—what else was there to do? Accept his fate like a Universe. Find some way to escape later.

This one-shot... I don't even know...