Our Steven
"Steven, are you okay?" Garnet's hands went to his shoulders, helping him up. "Maybe you are not okay." She helped him over to the bench and sat him down. "You're acting like this is the first time you have heard the news." Because it was the first time he had heard it, this here gave him the realization this definitely wasn't his universe. He needed to get back as soon as he could. He didn't think that he could handle this universe at all. "Let's get back to the temple,I'll tell Jamie I'll get a rain check on that date."
Steven shook his head and stood up. "I'll go back by myself, go back to Jamie." He mumbled and walked away without another word. He kept walking and he didn't know where his legs were taking him, but he somehow ended back at the temple without realizing it. He walked into the temple to see Pearl sitting on the couch, he dropped to his knees. She was in there in a flash. "Is she really dead?" He whispered as more tears started to fall down his face.
"Who are you talking about, sweetheart? Where have you been?" She asked him, he moved so now he was sitting on the floor with his knees to his chest. "Is Connie really gone?" She pulled me into a hug, she made quiet shushing noise, rocking me back and forth. Pearl started to rub his back up and down. He heard the door of the temple opening and closing before soft footsteps walked up the stairs. When Steven pulled away from Pearl a bit to see who it was, he saw that it was his mom.
"What's going on here? Is my boy okay?" She asked softly, and he shook his head pulling away from Pearl."Oh, sweetie, what's wrong? Pearl, what's wrong?" He looked at her, to see her mouth 'Connie.' He then looked over at his mom, a look of grief washed over her face. "I see." Rose walked over to him, and helped him up and over to the couch, she held him in her arms for good ten minutes.
"How?" He finally asked, they looked at him confused. "How did she die? What happened to her?" Pearl put a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed it.
He shrugged it off. "Steven, you know how she died. Are you sure you are doing okay? I mean, she has been gone for almost a year." Almost a year? Connie has been gone for almost a year in this universe. Was it his fault? Did he do this to her? He stood up off the couch, and walked over to the door. His back was turned away from the other two, "Where are you going?" he was asked.
"I'm going to Connie's grave … there is still about an hour of sunlight left. I know I'm grounded, but I want to go see her." A hand was on suddenly on his shoulder, tight and firm. He turned around and saw Matt. "Let me go." How the hell did he sneak up on him like that?
"I overheard you all talking. This is really unhealthy, Steven. Is this why you have been acting so strange lately? Being with a bad crowd? Doing bad things because you were missing Connie?" He asked him. "It's slightly your fault on why she died. I think you realized this. Now you feel guilty and blaming yourself. How about we all gather around the living room and discuss it?" Slightly his fault? No it wasn't his fault, it was the other Steven's fault. Shaking his head, his grabbed Matt's hand and flipped him over his shoulder.
He crouched down looking him in the face as the gem groaned. "Hope you learned your lesson to never put your hands - on me." He snapped, he wasn't in the right right mental state to be touched and criticized by someone he barely knew. He never would have acted like this where he was from, and he didn't know why he was acting like this snow. Maybe it was just because he was in a new place and he was feeling hostile, it was also the fact that he had just heard his best friend was dead. And he was being blamed for it.
Without another word from anyone, he walked out the front door and whistled for Lion. He hasn't seen him since he got here. Lion jumped down from the roof and landed next to Steven rubbing up against him. Instead of the normal pink color, Lion was actually a light blue color. He jumped on the back of Lion, the moment the front door opened to Pearl and Rose. "Steven, get your butt down from there. Leon, do not think of disobeying me. If your feet move an inch off of this porch you will not get that treat tonight." Did Pearl just call Lion Leon? Was that what his name was here? Steven Patted the feline's head, whispered something in his ear. Lion or Leon ignored Pearl completely by jumping off the balcony.
The both of them ran across the beach before Leon did his sonic roar opening up a portal and jumped through it. He held tightly on the lion's beautiful mane burying his face in his fur, when he looked up he wasn't where he asked Lion to go. They stood in the front yard of Connie's house. "This isn't where I asked to go, Lion." He sighed and got off the giant Lion's back, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest and his palms felt sweaty. He didn't know what he was going to say or why he was going to do this, but he walked up to the front door and knocked. Waiting for a few moments, someone finally answered. He was slightly hoping it was Connie, thinking maybe she didn't actually die. Instead it was Dr. Maheswaran with a look of irritation on her face.
"Hi, Dr. Maheswaran, is Connie here? I will come back tomorrow if she's gone for the rest of the day." His voice quivered only slightly, but his voice was the sweetest as it can be with a smile on his face. However, it feel when she gave him the look of disgust.
"Is this some kind of joke?" She asked me. "Didn't I tell you to never show your face around here again? You are the one who caused my daughter's death. I had told you at her funeral, and I will tell you again. Never show your face around these parts again. I knew you were trouble when I first saw you. Now scram, you ungrateful little prick." There were tears running down her face, when she slammed the door in his face. He felt more anger than hurt, clenching his fists he turned around and head back towards Leon. In the corner of his eye, he saw a tall figure running towards him. Matt. How did he know that he would be here? Why did he even follow him in the first place?
"Finally, I caught up with you. I need to talk to you, Steven. Please don't run away again." He was going to touch him again before Steven had jumped on Leon. "No! Steven! Wait, please! Stop doing this to yourself!" He called after him as Leon started to run and jump through the portal. Before it closed he had heard Matt cussing to himself. Leon jumped out of the portal and they were on the light house hill. Why were they here? Jumping off of Leon, he soon found out why they were at the lighthouse, he actually took him to Connie's grave this time. Steven never expected in a million of years her parents who actually bury her up here. This was one of Connie's favorite places in the world. They had such good times here on the hill.
He slowly walked over to the grave that was covered in flowers, and a picture of Connie's beautiful face leaning up against the grave. She was older in here, her face was thinner all the baby fat was out, and her eyes shone so much in that picture. He sat in front of the grave basically on top of her if you asked anyone else. He read the tombstone, Here lies Connie Maheswaran. The best daughter, Jam Buddy and Crystal Gem that ever lived. September 13th, 2001 - October 19th, 2017. Underneath was the Crystal Gems logo. He swallowed hard, "How did you die,Connie? What did he do to cause your death?" He asked out loud like she would answer him. "I already miss you so much, even if you are not my Connie. The fact that you are dead in this in this universe upset me."
He heard quiet footsteps approach him, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. If it was that Tourmaline gem, he was going to throw him off the cliff. Instead, a large figure sat down next to him, "Steven, honey." It was his mom, Rose and her sweet voice that sounded like honey to his ears. "Are you doing okay?" He shook his head, "Do you want to talk about it?" He nodded, but not looking her in the eyes or in her direction, he stared at the grave in front of him. His hands were folded in his lap and his legs were crossed together as he sat up straight.
"Can you tell me ... what exactly happened to her? My mind is quite foggy at the moment. And I want to hear it from you." They had sat there for a long time in silence, her voice was barely a whisper as she explained to him what had happened. Leon sat next to him on his other side laying his giant head in his lap.
"Connie killed herself almost a year ago." Rose looked out in the distant towards the horizon as the sun was setting, "Ever since you started to hang out with Greg more, you have been nothing but rude to everyone especially her. You wouldn't take her out on dates, you wouldn't pay attention to her. She stopped talking to us, stopped taking sword fighting lessons from Pearl. She just stopped everything. We noticed her decline in health, she got depressed, but you were too caught up with your selfish games and partying to care anymore." They sat there longer after the story was told, his clenched Leon's fur tightly holding back all the anger he felt towards himself.
"Thank you for reminding me, mom." He was numb again and tired, all he wanted to do was go lay down and sleep for days to come. He wanted to cry, but no tears were shed and thoughts kept running through his head. Why would he do something to her like that? How could he be so cruel to a person he loved? There was so many questions but no answers to them, his mom sat there as he stood back up with Leon and climbing back on top of him. "Are you coming along?" He asked and she shook her head. Nodding once, him and Leon went back to the beach house.
When he had got to the beach house, no one was there other than Pearl and Matt. They had tried to talk to him, but he drowned them out as he walked up to his loft. Taking his shoes off, he slipped into bed and instantly was blanketed with sleep. That night he had dreamed of Connie. He dreamed of back home. He dreamed of running down a long back hallway that always ever seemed like it was getting longer and longer. There was a light in the distance and he could see his Connie, and his gems, but he never reached them. Instead, the hallway became the field of the mission he was on just a couple of days ago. He was running and running, then he was struck with the shard in his chest, he felt the blood run down his body like the night it happened.
"No, Rose, I have as much authority as you do over, Steven. He isn't going to be ungrounded and let outside, especially not what he did yesterday." He was woken up by the arguing of his parents down in the living room. "He hasn't done any of his homework either. Are you really just going to let it slide?" Steven got up out of bed, he looked down to still see him wearing the outfit from yesterday. That's right, he never changed. Shrugging, he slipped back his shoes and headed into the bathroom. He could still hear the arguing from inside.
"Pearl, listen to me. He has been through enough, grounding him is only going to make things worse." Rose tried to reason with Pearl, "Look, if he gets into anymore trouble then we'll actually ground him. He's getting to be almost eighteen years old, soon he won't be our baby boy. He needs to grow. Steven walked out of the bathroom. What time was it anyway? Was it really necessary to argue so much?
He cleared his throat and both of them stopped arguing to look at him. "What are you fighting about?" He was tried still and numb from the day earlier about Connie's death. "What time is it anyway? How long did I sleep?" He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and went over to the fridge grabbing a water from the top shelf.
"You have been sleeping all day, it's five, sweetheart." Steven did a spit take of his water. How was did he even sleep that long in the first place? Why did they let him sleep that long? He grabbed some paper towels and cleaned up the water mess as Rose continued to talk. "We weren't fighting, we were discussing a matter in a civil way." Steven after he was done cleaning up the mess, he walked over to the couch and sat down.
"Sounded like fighting to me." He told them cocking an eyebrow towards their way. There was then a banging on the door, loud and firm. He heard someone mumbling behind the door, then banging again. Who could it be this late? He got up and answered to find Greg about to knock again. He looked different from his dad at home. He had a full set of hair on his head which was pulled back into a ponytail. His face was sunken in, and he smelled like he hasn't taken a shower in a week. His clothes were clean though like they just got out of the dryer. He was going to shut the door on him, when he pushed passed and walked straight over to Rose and Pearl. "It's Friday, we agreed I can take him every Friday. So, now let me have my son."
Rose looked down at Greg with a look of disgust. Her face showed like she was rethinking her situation and whatever she had previously told him. "You are not his dad, Greg. You are a sperm donor, nothing less and nothing more. And you only want him when you want something from him. So, what do you want from him?" Pearl spoke up before Rose had a chance, she sounded annoyed.
"Push off, bitch. It's none of your business." Snapped Greg, he pushed her aside to look up at Rose. Steven clenched his jaw and walked over to Greg grabbing his shoulder and pushing him back from Pearl and Rose.
"Look, you do not come into my house and talk to my moms like that. Do you understand?" He got into his face. Technically, he had to look down at the face of this disgusting man. He didn't flinch one bit, just get a sneering look in return. "You shouldn't even lay a damn finger on her, ever again. If you are going to act like that towards her, then you can push off, Greg. I'm not going to go with you if you act like that towards them. I want you to apologize to them now or I am going to throw you out of this house." Greg's pupils were wide, he was definitely on some type of drug.
Greg turned around to face Pearl, they looked at each other, before he avoided her eyes. He held out his hand for her to shake. Pearl grabbed a towel and grabbed his hand. "I am sorry for calling you a bitch, you have as much right to say whatever you want as Rose. I should be more considering to your feelings." They shook hands and he turned back around to face Steven. "Are you coming with me now, if your moms say you can?" Steven felt like he did want to use him for something with the glint in his eyes, and the slight twitch of his body he has been noticing since he came.
Pearl and Rose looked at each other, a look of uncertainty on their faces. They looked back at him before he shrugged, and Rose sighed. "Yes, but he comes back in two hours. If he is gone even a minute late, I will send Jasper after to get him. You remember Jasper from last time, don't you?" The look of terror on Greg's face says he does. Steven wondered what happened last time. Greg nodded rather quickly. "Good. Steven, behave. You do not do anything that is wrong. Do you understand me? Do you want your punishment to extend?" He shook my head. "Good boy. Now go get on a jacket and you can go."
He hugged both of his moms and told them that he would be back in the right time. Not a minute later. He went and grabbed his jacket when he had to side step or he would have been knocked down by Amethyst running out of the temple. She hopped into Greg's arms and they shared a kiss which made him want to puke. "Hey!" Snapped Pearl. "Not this in my house. After that mess I found in the temple, you are no longer able to do that here." She pulled them apart, "Especially in front of Steven of all people. Amethyst go back to your room."
"No I am going with them." Amethyst grabbed Greg's hand and pulled him out of the house before Rose and Pearl had a say about it. He looked at them and shrugged.
"I'll keep an eye out on them." He followed the two out of the door, down to the van, and opening the back doors. It was a freaking mess in here, like why more than he was used too. He was careful to avoid the needles and climb over the seat, strapping himself in. He waited for Greg to start the car, but he was to busy making out with Amethyst. "Let's go." He snapped, Amethyst pulled away and looked back at him before strapping in her seat belt. He had stopped paying attention to them when Greg's hand kept trying to touch Amethyst.
They made it to the old beaten up warehouse with the massive hole in it and parked in the back. He unbuckled and quickly got out of the van, the other two followed suit. Greg walked over to him and tried to touch his shoulder, but he stepped back. "Do you remember the plan, Steven?" he asked him.
He looked at him confused. "What plan?" he ad asked him and he sighed angrily. He sure wasn't impressed with him. Well, buddy he wasn't impressed with him either.
"The plan, you let him get in a few punches, before knocking the shit out of him. That way I can get my money and my dope back." Steven's jaw went slack, he wanted him to fight? Was he crazy? He didn't know any hand to hand combat at least not that well. Greg slapped him on the back before pushing him through the back door of the warehouse. They were met by a huge black guy in black shirt and black pants. This event must be pretty bad if there was a bodyguard. "Universe." Greg said and the bodyguard moved aside to let the three of them in. His palms were sweaty and his heart was beating fast.
The three of them went to another back room where they were met by Marty? What was he doing here? "Star Child!" He went over to Steven and put his hands-on his shoulders. "Are you ready to kick some ass?" He shook his head and Marty chuckled. "Ah ha. Nice one, kid. Greg went over the plan with you, right?" He nodded. "Good, you are up in five. Cotton Candy is up there, right now, he will be out soon. He has been kicking ass. I would like if you could be doing the same." Marty was talking fast, and he was twitching. His eyes were dilated like Greg's. He was high as well. "Do you want a boost before going up there?" He grabbed out a little container, and I shook my head quickly guessing what it might be. He put it away and nodded.
Time went by quickly, when Steven heard the announcers that Cotton Candy had won the match. Steven was sitting on a bench alone, Marty, Amethyst, and Greg went off somewhere to do something that he didn't want to get involved with. "Next up, we have a very special guest, here comes AIR RAID!" The announcer called on the guy who he was up against. The crowd cheered and roared. Steven heard footsteps and he quickly stood up thinking it was Greg or one of them, but no it wasn't either of them.
Matt Tourmaline.
His blue face was black and bloody. His left eye was swollen shut, and his lip was swollen and bloody. His knuckles were bruised as well. His eye that wasn't swollen was wide with shock as he saw him "No. You cannot be here. Why are you here?" He turned his face and spit some blood out of his mouth before looking back at Steven. "Did Greg pull you along? Do you remember what happened last time? Pearl and Rose said you cannot be here anymore. Go before they call your name." He tried to push Steven out of here when the others came back.
"Cotton Candy, let Steven go." Marty was talking fast again as he went over to Tourmaline, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It is time for Steven to go up there and fight." Matt shrugged off Marty's hand turning around and facing him.
"Do you think I am going to let a seventeen-year old boy go out there and face Air Raid? Are you all mental? You know how bad Air Raid is. No, I am not doing it. Steven, we are going home." Matt turned his head again and spit blood out of his mouth. He grabbed his hand when the announcers came on the intercom again.
"Now, here is what you have been waiting for. The famous Crystal Gem!" The crowd cheered Steven on more than they did the Air Raid. Marty grabbed him by the arm and away from Matt's grip taking him over to the ramp. "The Crystal Gem!" He called again. He looked over at Matt who shook his head and looked away from the boy. Steven sighed and pulled away from Marty before running up the ramp. Why the hell was he even doing this? The crowd cheered as he pumped his fists up in the air. It was almost like a reflex, he didn't understand why he did it. It was like his body was moving on his own. There was no stage just a crowd of people surrounding a small area a guy was jumping up and down near the far side. His face was covered up in a gray hoodie and blue bandana, so Steven wasn't able to tell who it was.
While the opponent of his was fully dressed, Steven was only wearing pink gym shorts and his converse. He had no shirt on, so he was showing off the scars that he had and the pink quartz gem on his stomach. "You know the rules, no eye poking, kicks to groins, no weapons, and no fowl language. Other than that, the fight will start the moment the bell rings." The announcer's mic went up in the air and he moved into the crowd away from the fighters.
He heard Air Raid snicker, "what a pathetic child you are." Steven laughed at the comment, a pathetic child, he could obviously tell they were the same height. The voice had also sounded really feminine. He didn't want to go up a girl, he wasn't going to hit her if that was the case. They circled each other, his body doing the thing again where he had no control or more like he knew what he was doing. Maybe muscle memory? The bell suddenly went off and Air Raid went in for the punch, he knew the plan Greg gave him, but he had ducked out of instinct and his fist went flying missing the person in front of him by inches. What was he doing? He never even been in one of this fights before. He never been in a hand in hand combat fight at that.
They circled each other again, she went in for another blow hitting him with a jab. It was fast and straight punch, it was thrown with the lead hand while her rear hand was held at the face in the guard position. She was making boxing moves in a street fight, who was she? More so how did he even know any of this? When he was occupied with trying to figure this out, she went in for a lower punch at his stomach. He had doubled over in pain spitting out blood from his mouth, she had waited for him to stand back up. He wanted to win badly in this fight mostly to prove to Matt that he was able to take care of himself. His feet moved on their own, they go closer together when she went in for another punch he manage to duck under and hit her in the kidney then elbow her in the back bringing her down on her knees.
He stood there breathing heavily the crowd was cheering and his eyes were wide. How the hell did he even know how to do that? Adrenaline went through his veins as he was getting pumped up ready for some more, it was like his body needed this. It wanted it. It was like a drug to him. He held his stance, feet apart, his arms were in defense mood. When she got back up, she looked at him, he could see her eyes looking him up and down trying to find an opening for her to strike. Steven let his guard down a bit with his thoughts once again, she had managed to swipe down with her legging making him trip. She brought her fist up to his chin and did an uppercut, he fell on his back with a groan. He had to lay there for a minute, the referee started to count, but he quickly jumped back up on his feet.
Blood filled his mouth as he spit it out to the side of him. "That was pretty good, it's like you knew I would have that opening." He called out to her and smirked. "Come on, I still have some fight in me." He gestured with his hand for her to come forward, which she did. When her fist came towards him, the world seemed to slow down as his lead hand grabbed the fist twisted her arm then his body flinging her behind him. "I'm not a pathetic child, Air Raid. I am Crystal Gem. You might be a girl, but I don't go easy." He said standing in front of her, he was breathing heavily and he had to spit blood out of his mouth once again.
The girl groaned, "Call a truce? She whispered, he held out his hand to help her up, but his guard was up just in case if she tried to play a tricky move on him. She grabbed it and he helped her up, no tricky move was made. The crowd cheered, clapped, and called out his name. It felt so good, the rush of everything. The way his body moved, the way he even knew how to fight at all.
"Truce." He told her and the announcer grabbed his hand lifting it up. "We have a winner, everybody! The mighty Crystal Gem!" His face was swelling up and he could feel some of his teeth might have been loose, but not bad enough to fall out. He walked away from the crowd with Air Raid falling him. They went to the back where Greg grabbed him up and hugged him tightly. He winced at the pain that shot through the body.
"That was amazing. Great job. Are you ready for next Friday?" He asked and Steven shook his head. "Why not?"
"I am retiring. My face hurts and you need to learn to not use me to get drugs and money. You are just a dirtbag." Steven snapped at him a look of anger overwashed his face, he raised his fist ready to strike me, when Amethyst came in and grabbed his wrist twisting it. Amethyst didn't look to well when she came in front of him, her clothes were slightly misplaced and her hair was a mess. What had happened when he was away?
"You do not put a hand-on, Steven. I do not tolerate that, Greg. He is my family, I might be a bitch to him sometimes, but I love him. I do not love you. You are nothing more than a human fuck you. Good that we established that because we are through." Amethyst snapped before she grabbed his hand walking out of the warehouse. He was able to look back for a sec and motion Air Raid to follow them. When they were out of the warehouse, Amethyst fell on her knees crying. Steven bent down and held her in his arms. He had never seen Amethyst break down like this before what happened. After awhile Amethyst stood up and shook her head, her whole body was shaking. She would tell him when she wanted too in the meantime she didn't seem to want to talk about it.
He turned and faced Air Raid, "Take your hood and bandana off, I want to see your face." He told her, she was reluctant, but she did it anyway. Underneath, was cyan skin and blue chin-length hair arranged in a bun. The girl that was standing in front of him was no other than Lapis Lazuli.