Lockdown

It was now Friday. Two whole days of trying to pretend nothing was wrong for everyone else while also finding absolutely nothing. They were not having a good time. At least everyone was safe so far. Classes kept up like normal even. Of course each class conveniently had an assistant. Greg had someone standing guard outside his car wash as he ran it, and every half hour or so Connie would text Steven. He tried telling her that was too frequent, but she seems to take after Pearl in being over-cautious.

"Anyone else feeling like this was some serious overkill?" Steven is currently sitting on the couch next to Peridot watching her write something on her tablet. Looked like fanfiction of some kind.

"Maybe if the voices you heard weren't so violent and talking about killing everyone, then we wouldn't be doing this," Amethyst replied. She was mildly annoyed at the circumstances, but at least it was some excitement breaking up the monotony.

"Think of it this way. Better to have done this all for nothing than to not do it and wish we had if someone gets hurt," Pearl added. "I got a class in about ten minutes. Amethyst?" She turns to the purple gem who's already getting up.

"Already on it, P." The warp pad activates behind them as Lapis and Bismuth return from hosting today's sculpting class. "Yo! Any bad guys show up today?"

Bismuth shook her head. "Nope. Worst thing we had was a Peridot who sculpted a vulgar hand sign. A Ruby burned it and almost started a fire… Also didn't know we had Era 3 compliant limb enhancers till today."

"That's my doing," Peridot said from clear across the room. "They took me like twenty hours to finish. You have no idea how many hardware and software level locks I put on those things to prevent them from being modified and- Drats. A typo." Thank the stars she got sidetracked. She has a bad habit of bragging about her accomplishments in long-winded fashion…

"She caused a lot of problems on her first day," Lapis said walking into the living room. "Really put my patience to the test."

Bismuth could do with some destressing after today. Perhaps visiting Garnet will get her into better spirits. "Yo, Peri. I'm gonna go see how Garnet and Greg are doing. Wanna come with?"

Peridot powered the tablet down and hooked it up to the charger. "I could use a break anyways. Be right there, Bismuth!" The small gem hopped up and ran over to the larger gem as they headed out for the car wash. With Pearl and Amethyst warped away to Little Homeschool for the next hour or so, that leaves just Steven and Lapis. Alone. For the first time since the movie night.

Steven was sitting on the couch attempting to look all casual while internally being more than a little nervous. This is their first bit of alone time since he came to the realization that he might like like her. Part of him thought it was a bit sudden, but he drowned that out by reminding himself of how his parents met. Greg throwing away a tour after knowing Rose for only a short while was sudden. This wasn't. At least that's what he told himself. "Stressful day, huh?" Steven asked.

Lapis groaned in response. "You have no idea." She took a seat next to him and leaned against him. "I know Peridots can be kinda bitchy, but this one has gotta be a special breed." She was getting mighty comfortable leaning up against Steven like this…

"Y-You don't say." Steven was trying his damnedest to keep cool and casual. "I think I know which one you're talking about too. Met her Wednesday at Peridot's. Our Peridot. Might just call her Peri to make it easy."

"Please do."

"Peri was making her those limb enhancers and Peridot only replied with the worst attitude I've ever seen. Makes Jasper pleasant in comparison."

"I'd have to disagree…" Lapis didn't sound all too pleased to hear her mentioned.

"Oh, right." Now he felt bad for bringing Jasper up. Shouldn't have said that. Curse his nerves. Time for a quick subject change to save the mood. "Did you know dad and I wrote a song about you? After you left on your water tower."

"You did?" Lapis looks up at him with a small gleam in her eyes. The pivot was successful.

"Yeah! Think dad keeps a guitar upstairs if you wanna hear it." He breathes a sigh of relief with the moment being saved. They both head upstairs to Greg's room and find an acoustic guitar sitting neatly on a stand in the corner of the room. Steven takes it and immediately starts tuning it. "Gimme a sec. Haven't played it in years, so I need to remember the cords." He mumbles some lyrics to himself while strumming some cords. It only takes a few moments for him to remember how to play the song. "Okay! Here goes. Ahem…"

"She was trapped in a mirror and it couldn't be clearer,

She wanted to leave this place and get herself back in space.

And Dad, you might think she's a criminal,

But her friendship comes through subliminal.

Lapis Lazuli!

You fled into the bottom of the sea.

Lapis Lazuli!

You were so mad, but then you came around to me."

Steven contiued strumming, looking up to see her reaction. She's awestruck. The look she's giving him is melting his heart. It makes another verse come to mind. One he seamlessly incorporates.

"And now, look at how far you've come.

You changed for the better, and then some.

Lapis Lazuli!

If only you could see.

Lapis Lazuli!

How much you truly mean to me."

He lets the last cord ring out as the lyrics set in. Lapis puts her hands over her chest holding onto the fabric of her top tightly. "You… You really wrote that? About me?" If she had a physical heart, it'd be beating pretty heavy right about now.

"Yeah. Though that last verse is new." Steven sets the guitar down on the bed beside them. "Did you like it?" he asks, nervously awaiting her response.

"I loved it, Steven," Lapis said with a big smile. He really wrote a song about her! She never thought she'd receive such a beautiful gift. "Thank you," she says leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"You're welco-" Steven's cut off as her lips make contact with his cheek. The two looked eachother in the eyes, their faces mere inches away from one another. Steven's face blushes as he feels an urge boil up inside him. An urge he takes action on by closing the gap and kissing Lapis back, but on the lips.

She immediately recoils, wide-eyed. She's trying to process what just happened. "S-Steven, I… I…" She can't find the words to respond.

Steven starts to panic. He ruined the moment! He went too fast. Ignored all the advice he got from Amethyst and Garnet. This is beginning to be like the proposal all over again! "Lapis, I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" His apology is cut short with a kiss.

Lapis liked how that felt. Really liked it, in fact. She wanted more of it. That's why she pressed her lips against his again. This was the first time she's ever experienced something like this and she was quickly getting into it. As a matter of fact, she might be getting a tad too into it. Neither of them hear the front door open downstairs.

Steven's reservations dissolve as he returns the kiss with equal passion. The world around them ceases to exist. All that matters is the feeling of Lapis holding onto him and their lips pressed together. Things continue to heat up with Lapis grabbing his wrists and pinning him down onto the bed below her. The guitar fumbled onto the ground. "You're really liking this, huh?" he said with a laugh.

"Like is an understatement." Steven can feel Lapis' weight shift on top of him to where she's comfortably sitting on his lap, her hands still pinning him down. This might be getting to be a bit much.

Steven's heart begins to race. "W-Woah. What're you doing?" He's starting to get lightheaded, which is made all the worse when he feels her hand trail down from his wrist to the bottom of his shirt. Him and Connie sure never did anything close to this.

"Hush… I'm in control now." On the one hand, that definitely turned him on. On the other, it was probably a red flag. It was like a switch was flipped and the Lapis he knew was replaced with whoever this is on top of him. Her hand pulled his shirt up over his gem, a faint pink glow emanating from it. Blue fingers gently caressed the gem with a sensuality that made him feel tingly all over. This was officially too much. He can't take it anymore.

"L-Lapis… I don't think I'm comfortable doing this," he spoke up.

The blue gem was so caught up in the moment, that feeling of wanting something and needing to take it, but his words instantly cut through returning her to reality. She backed away and removed her hand from out under his shirt. "Steven? Did… Did I go too far?" A pit was falling in her stomach at the mere thought of accidentally ruining this before it ever had a chance to truly begin.

Steven sat back up hastily fixing his shirt. "Y-Yeah. But you stopped when I asked you to, so… All's good?" All was not good. He was conflicted on how to feel about what she did. How she crossed such personal boundaries without so much as asking for permission first. A kiss was one thing, but she was moments away from something. Something he didn't feel ready for. Something a part of him still liked. "Guess I got some of that ol' Universe charm in me after all," he tried joking. It didn't land.

"I… I guess so," Lapis awkwardly replied. "I should probably go." She stood up from the bed, staring down at the ground as she made her way to the door. When she looked up, she saw Connie standing in her way in front of the door. A look of heartbreak was spread across her features with tears welling up in her eyes. "Connie?"

Steven swerved around to confirm that he heard that right. "Connie?" he repeated after Lapis. "When did you get here?"

"I wanted to surprise you… But then I heard something fall down up here and came rushing up." Her voice cracked trying not to burst into tears.

"How much did you see?" Steven asked hesitantly.

Connie's reply hit like a lead weight. "Enough."

Lapis couldn't take this. She had to leave. The first thing that came to mind was flying away from the balcony and heading straight home. Screw Garnet's lockdown. She. Needs. Out. "I… I can't…" The gem stumbled back, hand fumbling with the sliding door before forcing it open. "I can't be here… Steven, I'm so sorry." Lapis forms her wings and flies off before anyone could object.

"Lapis!" Steven shouts. It's futile. She's too far away by the time he makes it to the balcony. His attention returns to Connie with anger. "Connie! What the hell?"

Her brow furrows as she shouts back, "How could you! All these years and you move on after just three months?" The tears she fought to hold back are finally escaping.

Steven jumps on the defensive. "YOU broke up with ME! It was YOU who ended things!"

"Because you got distant!" Connie fires back. "You stopped communicating! But I held out hope that you'd get through this and we'd get back together…" Tears are falling to the floor as she continues. "I still love you, Steven…"

He has no reply. Steven can only freeze in place with all words failing him as the gravity of her confession sets in. It was assumed she moved on already, that the love had fizzled out on both ends, but he was wrong. It only fizzled out on his end. Only one word, a name, comes out. "Connie…"

She isn't having any of this. Connie stops him before he could say anything more. "Just tell me if I'm wasting my time waiting any longer for you."

Steven carefully considers how he answers, but no answer comes. He truly has no response. The best he can give her is a shaky "I don't know," as he tries looking her in the eyes. The pain he sees is unbearable.

The words break Connie's heart completely. She can't bring herself to say anything back. All she does is silently turn away to leave walking down the stairs and past Bismuth and Peridot who were returning at the same time. "What's wrong?" Bismuth asks once she notices Connie walking away with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Ask Steven," she says coldly. Connie doesn't even take Lion with her as she stomps down the sandy hill towards town. The two gems step inside the front room to see Steven at the top of the stairs, distraught. He knows he's going to have to explain all of this.

Far away in the large, empty field between Beach City and Little Homeworld flies Lapis Lazuli. She's replaying the moment in the bedroom over and over in her head, the pit in her stomach getting deeper every time she remembers the way Steven and Connie looked at her. "First chance at a normal, healthy relationship and I have to go and fuck it up," she scolds herself as Little Homeworld comes into view. "I completely betray Steven's trust and also manage to piss off Connie in the same minute. Real smooth, Lapis…"

She keeps silent the rest of the way home. The only noises she needs is the wind blowing by and the insults about herself in her head. It doesn't take long for her to land in front of her own home. Unfortunately, Pearl's class is letting out around the same time and she's spotted by the two gems she did not want to see right now. "Hey, Lapis," Pearl calls out cheerfully. "So nice to see you! What're you doing here?"

"What do you look all mopey for?" Amethyst approaches but Lapis holds her hand out to stop her.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replies as she opens the door. "Just… Tell Steven I'm really sorry."

Her answer raises more questions that don't get answered when she walks inside and slams the door behind her. The faint, distinct noise of a lock tells them that their conversation is over. Lapis doesn't bother turning on the lights as she meanders her way to the sink for a glass of water. Drinking it will provide a small comfort to her at least. "What's wrong with me?" she asks herself out loud. It's a question she'll have to find the answer for herself, but right now all she wants is to retreat into her gem and forget all this ever happened.

The gem makes her way further into her house somberly while reaching to turn one of the lights on. It doesn't work. "Huh?" The switch gets flipped again and again to the same results. Nothing. Probably just a minor electrical issue. With the curtains drawn it does get rather dark in here, but perhaps that's best. Fits the mood she's in. "I think I'm just going to go curl up in bed," she says out loud to no one. Lapis goes to open the door to her bedroom, but is stopped when a metallic hand suddenly clamps down over her mouth.

/Apologies that this chapter took longer than normal. Life has kept me busy. Thanks for reading!/