The following days passed like a blur. Steven and Fionna found themselves hanging out more constantly. Whenever Fionna had a free moment, Steven would show up (mostly unannounced).

In the middle of the night, Fionna's at the library trying to study for an exam in the following day. The soft hum of fluorescent lights filled the near-empty library, casting pale glows across rows of bookshelves. Fionna sat hunched over a thick textbook at a secluded table, her head propped up by one hand while the other lazily twirled a pen.

Her eyes scanned the same paragraph for the third time, but the words blurred together. No matter how hard she tried to focus, her mind drifted elsewhere, to Steven.

"Of course, he's probably off doing something reckless right now." She thought, sighing.

A soft thud echoed in the quiet room. Fionna stiffened, glancing toward the sound. Nothing. Just shadows stretching between the shelves.

"Probably a book falling…" She reasoned, shaking her head.

Then, from behind a nearby shelf, a familiar voice broke the silence.

"Studying this late? Nerd."

Fionna jumped, her pen clattering onto the table.

"Steven!" She hissed, whipping her head around. He leaned casually against the bookshelf, a crooked grin on his face, hands in his jacket pockets.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded in a sharp whisper, glancing around to make sure no librarian was lurking nearby.

Steven shrugged. "Got bored. Thought I'd check on you. Besides, this place is creepy at night. Figured you could use some company."

Fionna pinched the bridge of her nose. "How did you even get in? The doors are locked after ten!"

He smirked, tapping the diamond on his forehead. "Perks of being me."

Fionna groaned. "You can't just— ugh, nevermind."

Steven sauntered over and leaned against the edge of her table, eyeing the dense pages. "What are you even studying? Looks painful."

"Analytic geometry." She muttered, flipping the page with a sigh. "And yes, it is painful."

Steven squinted at the textbook, tilting his head. "Analytic geometry? Yeah, sounds like torture."

Fionna rolled her eyes. "Well, some of us don't have magical head diamonds to solve our problems."

Steven smirked. "Hey, I could help, y'know. I'm practically a genius."

She shot him a flat look. "Oh, really? Alright, Mr. Genius, explain this." She jabbed her finger at a particularly dense problem on the page, a complex graph full of intersecting lines and equations.

Steven leaned over, studying it for a second. He nodded slowly, pretending to understand. "Yeah… yeah. That's, uh… definitely math."

Fionna snorted. "Thought so."

Steven grinned, unbothered. "C'mon, take a break. This stuff is gonna melt your brain."

"I have an exam tomorrow, Steven." She said, rubbing her eyes. "I can't afford a break."

Steven tapped the table thoughtfully, then smirked. "Alright, five-minute break. You need it. Then you can go back to torturing yourself."

Fionna hesitated, glancing at the clock. Midnight. Her head was pounding, and her eyes burned. Maybe five minutes wouldn't hurt.

"Fine. Five minutes." She muttered, leaning back in her chair. "What do you have in mind?"

Steven's grin widened. "Glad you asked."

Before Fionna could protest, Steven reached up and touched the diamond on his forehead. In an instant, a small, black orb of energy flickered to life in his palm, softly pulsing like a heartbeat.

Fionna tensed. "Steven, this is a library—"

But before she could finish, the orb expanded and shimmered, forming into a small, intricate model of the solar system, with tiny planets orbiting a glowing sun. The planets moved in perfect synchronization, casting faint shadows on the table.

Fionna blinked in surprise. "Wait… you can do that?"

Steven leaned back smugly. "I told you, I can do all kinds of things. Figured a nerd like you would appreciate a visual aid."

Despite herself, Fionna felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips. She leaned in closer, watching the tiny planets spin. The soft glow of the miniature sun reflected in her eyes.

"This is… actually kind of amazing." She admitted quietly.

Steven tilted his head. "See? Who says I can't be helpful?"

Fionna snorted. "This isn't exactly helping me with analytic geometry, but… it's cool."

Steven chuckled, watching Fionna's fascination with the miniature solar system. The soft glow of the tiny planets bathed their corner of the library in gentle light, casting faint, swirling shadows on the walls.

"Well, if you're not impressed by that, I could always summon something more exciting," Steven teased, raising an eyebrow.

Fionna shot him a warning look. "Steven. This is a library. And you already broke in."

He smirked. "Fair point." With a flick of his wrist, the solar system dissolved into wisps of black smoke that vanished into the air.

For a moment, there was a comfortable silence between them. Fionna leaned back in her chair, letting her head rest against the cool wood, eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment.

Steven watched her, his usual smug expression softening slightly.

"You know," He began, his voice quieter. "You should sleep. This much studying can't be good for you."

Fionna cracked one eye open. "And what, miss my exam? Not happening."

Steven rolled his eyes, leaning further onto the table. "Yeah, but you're not exactly learning anything when your brain's turned to mush."

Fionna let out a long sigh. She hated to admit it, but he was right. Her focus had been slipping for the past hour. Still, the thought of failing wasn't something she could stomach.

Steven seemed to sense her hesitation and smirked. "Tell you what. You take a quick nap, just twenty minutes. I'll wake you up, and you'll feel like a genius."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And why exactly should I trust you to wake me up?"

He leaned in slightly, his grin widening. "Because I'm extremely reliable."

Fionna scoffed. "Your criminal record disagrees."

Steven's grin didn't falter. "Details."

Fionna stared at Steven for a long moment, debating. The weight behind her eyes and the fog clouding her brain made the idea of a short nap dangerously tempting.

"Twenty minutes." She muttered, more to herself than to him.

Steven leaned back, satisfied. "Atta girl. Close your eyes, nerd. I've got this."

Fionna gave him one last skeptical glance before folding her arms on the table and resting her head on them.

"I swear, if you let me sleep past twenty minutes—"

"I won't." Steven cut her off, his tone unexpectedly gentle. "Promise."

Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and within moments, the steady rhythm of her breathing softened as she drifted off.

Steven watched her for a few seconds, the usual cocky smirk fading into something more contemplative. The harsh fluorescent lights made the dark circles under her eyes more prominent.

"She's gonna burn herself out." He muttered quietly.

Steven leaned back in the chair, letting his gaze wander around the dim library. The silence was heavier now, interrupted only by the occasional hum of the air conditioning.

He sighs and leans back while stretching. He takes a good look at her, thinking quietly. "... Well, she is cute." He mutters to himself.

The minutes passed by slowly as Steven leaned back in the chair, his eyes drifting between Fionna's peaceful form and the dim, empty library around them. It was rare for him to let his guard down like this… rare for him to care so much about someone. He couldn't quite explain it, but there was something about Fionna that made him want to stick around, even if he couldn't figure out why.

After the twenty minutes, he shakes her gently. "Wakey wakey cutie."

Fionna stirred, her eyelids fluttering open to the sound of Steven's teasing voice. She blinked, her mind sluggish, still tangled in the remnants of sleep. The library's quiet hum greeted her as she straightened up, rubbing her eyes.

"Ugh." she groaned, stretching her arms above her head. "I can't believe I actually fell asleep."

Steven grinned. "Told you, you'd feel better."

Fionna shot him a tired glare but couldn't suppress a small smile. "I actually do." She admitted, looking down at her textbook. The words no longer blurred, and her mind felt less foggy. "That... actually worked."

"Told ya." Steven says with a smirk, his tone more relaxed than usual. He gets up and stretches. "I'm going to a bar. Don't wanna interrupt your studies."

Fionna looked up from her textbook, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "A bar? Really? You're just going to leave me here alone to study again?"

Steven shrugged, a grin playing on his lips. "I figured you've got this now. I mean, you look like you're about to take on the world." He stepped back, giving her a playful salute. "Besides, I'm doing you a favor. No more distractions, right?"

Fionna gave him a tired look. "You're impossible." She stood up and stretched, feeling the lingering effects of the brief nap. "But thanks for… actually helping. I feel more awake, so I guess it worked."

"Anytime, nerd," Steven said with a wink. "Take care of yourself, alright?"

Fionna shook her head but smiled. "Don't get into trouble."

Steven chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Who, me? Never." He turned and started walking toward the library doors, his casual stride betraying his usual confidence. Just before he reached the exit, he glanced back over his shoulder. "Hey, Finn?"

"Yeah?"

He paused for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. "You're doing great. Don't burn yourself out, alright?"

Fionna's heart skipped a beat at his unexpected sincerity. She nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I'll be fine. Thanks, Steven."

With that, he disappeared out the door, and Fionna sat back down at her table. The library was quiet again, the soft glow of the fluorescent lights above and the occasional flicker of the air conditioning the only sounds in the room.

But there was a warmth lingering in her chest. Despite the exhaustion that still gnawed at her, she couldn't help but feel a little lighter. Maybe it was the nap, or maybe it was the reminder that someone cared, even if that someone was Steven, impossible, unpredictable Steven.

Fionna turned back to her textbook, but this time, her focus was sharper. The problem that had seemed impossible before now looked more like a challenge. And maybe, just maybe, it was something she could conquer.

She smiled to herself, a soft laugh escaping her lips as she muttered under her breath, "Yeah. I've got this."

[TO BE CONTINUED]