At midnight, Fionna finds herself standing at the edge of a quiet park. The night is cool, the stars shining above her, but there's a tension in the air. She's not sure what to expect, but she knows Steven will show up. He's unpredictable like that.

And sure enough, she sees him leaning against a tree, his figure outlined in the dim light.

"Heyo, you came." His voice cuts through the silence, his grin wide as he steps forward.

"You really are a mystery." She says, taking a deep breath and crossing her arms. "Alright, I'm here. Spill it out."

He shrugs and smirks. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

Fionna takes a step closer, her heart racing as she tries to keep her composure. Her mind is buzzing with questions, but she knows better than to just throw them all out at once. She needs to be strategic, to figure out what makes Steven tick before she dives into his world.

"Alright." She says, trying to sound more confident than she feels. "Let's start with the basics. What's with the diamond in your head?" She gestures toward his forehead, where the shimmering, almost ethereal glow from the diamond still pulses faintly under his skin. "How does that even work? How do you have that?"

Steven whistles. "Wow, you really don't waste time, huh?" He laughs. "Alright. The truth is: I have no idea. I was born with it and it gives me powers, but that's all I know."

Fionna blinks, a little taken aback by his bluntness. "You were born with it?" She asks, her voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity. "How does something like that even happen?"

Steven shrugs nonchalantly, his hands slipping into the pockets of his jacket as he leans against the tree. "I don't know, alright? It's not like I asked for it. It's just there, and it does things. Makes me different, gives me abilities… but beyond that? I don't have a damn clue why I ended up like this. I just learned to live with it."

Fionna frowns, processing his words. "So, you don't know where it came from, but you know it gives you powers?" She pauses, thinking. "What kind of powers?"

Steven's grin returns, mischievous and slightly cryptic. "Anything I want, really. Makes me faster, stronger, night vision, and, uh, I can do this." He pulls an axe from the diamond on his forehead. "Besides that, I can store things inside it and make this black energy that can be used for a lotta stuff."

Fionna's eyes widen as she watches Steven casually pull an axe from his forehead. It seems like something out of a dream. Her breath catches in her throat, and she can't help but take a step back, her mind trying to catch up with what she just witnessed.

"Did you—" She begins, still in disbelief. "Did you just pull that out of your forehead?" Her voice is a mix of awe and incredulity. "How does that even—"

Steven's grin widens, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Told you, I can do a lotta things." He twirls the axe in his hand effortlessly, as if it's the most natural thing in the world. "The diamond makes it all possible. It's part of me, but it's also… like a portal. I can store things, summon weapons, and use it to control the black energy. You could call it a gift, or a curse, depends on how you see it."

Fionna's mind races, her logical, scientific brain struggling to make sense of what she's seeing. "But how is this even real?" She mutters, shaking her head. "How can something like that exist? It's—" She cuts herself off, realizing she's rambling.

Steven lowers the axe, looking at her with an almost fond amusement. "I get it. It's a lot to take in. But this is me, Fionna. And if you want to stick around, you're gonna have to accept it." He gives her a meaningful look. "I didn't ask for this, and I sure as hell didn't ask to meet someone like you, but here we are."

Fionna narrows her eyes, her thoughts spinning. "You said you don't know where the diamond came from… but you're telling me it gives you all these abilities? So you've just been living with this… thing, and never tried to figure it out?"

Steven looks down at the axe in his hand, his expression hardening slightly. "I've tried. Trust me, I've tried. But the more I dig, the more I realize that there are things about me that no one can explain. Things I'll never understand." He lets out a slow breath, then looks back up at her, the playful glint in his eyes replaced by something more serious. "I've learned to stop asking questions. It's just who I am now." He drops the axe, making it disappear in thin air.

Fionna watches as the axe vanishes, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and confusion. She's still trying to process everything, but it's hard to keep up. Her logical mind is struggling to catch up with the impossible nature of it all.

She takes a deep breath, pushing aside the overwhelming sensation. "So, what exactly are you running from, Steven?" She asks, her voice quieter now, more serious. "You said you didn't want to ask questions, but there's got to be something you're hiding. You don't just go around with a diamond in your head without something chasing you or hunting you down."

Steven looks away, his gaze flicking to the trees in the distance as if the question itself stung. "Not something." He mutters under his breath. "Someone."

Fionna steps closer, her curiosity piqued, her earlier hesitation forgotten. "Who?" she presses. "Who's after you?"

For a moment, there's nothing but silence, the wind rustling through the leaves above them. Then Steven turns to her, his face unreadable.

"I don't wanna involve any normal person into this shit," He says, his voice low. "But if you really want to know, it's not just people after me, it is this… organization, G.U.N. I never knew what it meant or why they were after me, but I suppose they want the diamond, my power. They've been after me for as long as I can remember. The diamond isn't just a weird genetic quirk, it's something more. Something powerful." He sighs. "I managed to escape for now. They probably don't know where I am, and if they know, they didn't show up for a few months now."

Fionna processes the gravity of Steven's words, the weight of the revelation settling in her chest. An organization hunting him down, after his power. She can feel the tension rising, the sense of danger suddenly becoming palpable.

"So you're on the run," she says softly, more to herself than to him. "That's why you're so... elusive. And you don't want anyone else getting involved, right?"

Steven doesn't respond immediately. He just stares off into the distance, as if gathering his thoughts, before giving her a small, resigned nod. "Yeah. It's been a hell of a ride. And I don't want to drag anyone else into it, especially not you."

Fionna's mind races, but she doesn't look away from him. "But you still told me, Steven. You're telling me all of this. You didn't have to." She steps a little closer, her voice gentle yet insistent. "Why are you telling me? Why now?"

Steven looks down at the ground for a moment, his fingers idly tracing the edge of his jacket sleeve. "I don't really know." He mutters, almost to himself. "Maybe I'm tired of running. Or maybe, just maybe, you're the first person I've met who hasn't freaked out when they found out about the diamond, and that maybe makes me feel less uncomfortable with you…"

Fionna stands there, processing his words, her chest tight with an unexpected empathy for Steven. His situation, his isolation, it all suddenly feels so real, so raw. It's clear he's been carrying this burden for a long time, running from this unknown organization, hiding the truth from everyone around him. And yet, here he is, telling her, someone he barely knows, everything.

She takes a deep breath, her gaze softening as she steps even closer. "You don't have to be alone in this, you know." She says quietly, her voice full of sincerity. "I'm not just going to walk away because it's complicated. I don't know exactly what you're going through, but you don't have to keep it all inside. If you need help, or just someone to talk to, I'll be here."

He looks at her and gives her a small, yet sincere smile. "Thanks, but I'm not worth your time."

Fionna shakes her head, not buying his words for a second. "Don't sell yourself short, Steven. You've been through hell, and you don't have to face it alone. Whether you like it or not, I'm not just going to disappear because it's too complicated. I'm not going anywhere."

Steven's expression softens slightly, a mix of surprise and reluctant gratitude flickering in his eyes. For a moment, he's silent, just staring at her, as if trying to figure out what she's really offering. Then, with a sigh, he looks up at the sky, his voice quieter, more vulnerable than she's ever heard it. "... Y'know, I can tell you some of my story if you want so."

Fionna stands there, her heart racing as she processes Steven's words. She's not sure what it is about him, maybe it's the vulnerability in his voice, or the raw honesty he's offering, but she feels the weight of his situation, the burden he's been carrying all this time.

"You'd tell me?" she asks, her voice a little softer than she intended. "You mean it?"

Steven looks at her, his expression thoughtful, the weight of his experiences pressing on him. He nods slowly. "Yeah. Maybe it's time. I've kept this all to myself for so long. Maybe it's time someone else knows the truth, even if it's just one person."

Fionna's stomach flips as she steps closer to him, her curiosity piqued but her empathy stronger than anything else. She's here now. Whatever he's about to say, she's ready to listen.

Steven takes a deep breath, his gaze flicking back to the night sky before returning to her. "My full name is 'Steven Wimbleton', but my official surname is 'Pitriadamas' because I was found in a forest with the same name. I was sent to an orphanage to have a chance to be adopted. Most people didn't want me because of my skin and because of the diamond. Religious people said it was a 'devil horn' while the non-religious thought I'd be an expensive kid."

He pauses and sighs. "I was adopted and given back many times. Once I was adopted by a couple. I thought it would be good, but quickly I noticed they were horrible people, being abusive and mean. I barely could look through the window without them screaming at me… I never had anyone to look out for me, just me alone in my own world. When I was 14, I got tired of that place. When my 'former parents' were out, I set fire to that house and ran away into the forest."

Fionna listens intently, her heart aching as Steven recounts the painful details of his past. She can see the weight of the words hanging in the air, the burden he's been carrying for years. His voice is low, but there's a rawness to it that reveals just how much those experiences have shaped him.

As Steven pauses, Fionna doesn't say anything right away. She doesn't want to interrupt his story. Instead, she just stands there, her eyes focused on him, her presence offering silent support.

When he finally continues, the pain in his voice is palpable.

"Some days after I ran from that place, I discovered my powers when I was in a fight with some thugs. I made them surrender and rob them, running away. Then I started living the way I could, stealing wallets, food, having my fun… Until my 17s, when G.U.N found out about me. Then I started to run from them… And that's basically it."

Fionna stands still, processing Steven's story as it sinks in. The gravity of what he's gone through, the pain, the loneliness, it hits her harder than she expected. His whole life, he's been discarded, mistreated, and forced to survive alone. Now, he's carrying the weight of a mysterious power, an organization chasing him, and years of isolation.

"Steven," She says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She takes another step closer to him, her words full of sincerity and understanding. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. No one should have to feel like they're unwanted, like they don't belong. But you've survived, you're still here. That says something."

Steven looks at her in silence for a few seconds before he smirks. "Well, thanks, Finn. That… makes me better somehow."

Fionna gives him a small smile, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. "You're welcome. You don't have to carry all of this alone. You're not some monster, Steven. You've been through hell, and somehow, you're still here. That takes a lot of strength."

He laughs quietly, shaking his head. "I don't feel strong. I just feel like I've been running from one thing to another for so long that I forgot what it feels like to just… stop."

Fionna steps even closer, now standing right in front of him, her gaze steady and serious. "Maybe it's time to stop running. You've got someone who's willing to help you face whatever comes next. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Steven looks at her, his eyes filled with something unspoken, something vulnerable that he's rarely allowed anyone to see. He takes a deep breath, and for the first time tonight, his guard lowers just a little. "I don't know how this is going to go, Fionna," he admits, his voice quieter than before. "But… I think I could use someone like you by my side."

For a moment, the silence between them feels comfortable, not heavy, but full of understanding. The tension from earlier has melted away, replaced by a fragile connection that's just beginning to form.

"You don't have to do this alone," Fionna repeats, her voice firm yet gentle. "No matter what happens, I've got your back."

Steven nods, the faintest hint of a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Thanks, Finn. I mean it."

Fionna returns his smile, her heart lighter than it's been in a long while. "Alright then, Steven Wimbleton. Let's see where this goes."

The two of them stand there, side by side, under the starlit sky. The weight of the night feels different now, not like a burden, but as the beginning of something new. Whatever the future holds, they'll face it together.

And for the first time in a long while, Steven doesn't feel quite as alone.

[TO BE CONTINUED]