"I'm going to miss you," Connie murmured against Stevens lips.

He hummed and tried to remember the feeling of their foreheads pressed together, their lips brushing, the taste of her. "I'm going to miss you too. Isn't this kinda cool though?"

"In a way, I suppose it is. We didn't even plan this one."

In an... interesting turn of events they were presented with the opportunity to do a study about love. They were usually very separated from gem stuff now, but they indulged themselves in Little Homeworld studies when the opportunities arose and this would've been almost stupid to pass up.

"I need you. You'll come back to me?"

"I'll always come back to you." He kissed her as sweetly as he could. "Always."

Love always finds a way. They believed that with all of their hearts, they'd proved it many times in war and with each other. Love always finds a way, and Steven believes he will always find Connie. Regardless of the situation.

"I know it's been tested a million times, but what if our memories don't come back?"

"Then we'll get to fall in love with each other all over again."

So, they were going to test that. They were going to test the hell out of that.

"I'm already getting sleepy." Her eyelids were rapidly growing heavy, but she didn't want to sleep just yet. She wanted another few moments to memorize his eyes and his face.

Steven's eyes were already closed permanently for sleep. He managed to mumble one more thing before he completely passed out, with her cuddled tightly into him. "Go to sleep. Let me find you."

*

When she first saw him across the bar, she knew that man was trouble.

The way he sauntered was trouble. The way he leaned over the counter to talk to the bartender was trouble. The way he smiled?

Triple trouble.

Connie sipped at her cocktail and tried to observe the rest of the crowd but found her eyes glued to the man. His messy brown wavy curls tumbled to his shoulders and on anyone else it would've looked ridiculous, but stars was he boyishly handsome. He was stupid tall, so tall it was genuinely stupid to her. For what purpose would that height require in the evolutionary chain of being? Sure the top shelf would be nothing, but hitting your head on doorframes should've provided a goose egg smack in the middle of his forehead at all times and yet he didn't seem to be sporting one. That hoodie he was wearing was cute, she liked the yellow star contrasting the black.

Suddenly she realized she was looking directly into his eyes. Intense, dark eyes now as fixed on her as she was on him. He smirked and she returned it, wondering why she was being so bold. Maybe most men expected a shy tuck of the hair behind their ear and if that were the case, why wouldn't she respond differently?

"Hey, two shots of that one please." She broke eye contact to pay the bartender. If there was one thing she loved, it was power moves. She was a powerful woman and she wanted him to know that.

She shouldn't have been surprised to see him still looking at her and yet she was. An alcoholic blush broke through but she sent him a raised eyebrow and lifted the second drink to him. He grinned and nodded, tipping and making his way to her. She couldn't help but notice how he took his time when he walked. It was sexy, sure steps with zero hesitation until he was towering above her.

"You were staring at me," They said in unison.

They giggled and Connie held up her hand. "None of that, I'm not here for corny rom com stuff."

"Fair, a bar isn't the place for it. But that just might be why you've found it anyways. Is that drink for me?" Smooth as butter and just as savory, she decided she already liked him. But she wasn't going to tell him that.

In a fluid two motions, she downed her shot and "his". His eyes widened as a faint flush showed his impressed state.

"Okay, rude." He pointed a finger at her in mock irritation. His eyes dropped to her lips for a split second before he reached out and wiped away what she was pretty sure was nothing.

She snorted and swatted his hand away. "Get your hands off me, Mister. I don't even know your name yet."

"Would you like to? Or is the mystery part of the allure?" He lifted a hand to run through his hair and flashed a dazzling smile.

"Quit it with the dramatics. No rom com."

He kissed his teeth and sighed. "I have a feeling you won't believe me."

Oh? Was it that interesting of a name? "If you give me your real name, I'll give you mine."

"Steven Universe, at your service." He took her hand and bowed, an almost ridiculous action seeing as she was sitting on a barstool and he was still standing.

But the most ridiculous thing was his name. "Universe? There's no way that's your real name," She laughed skeptically.

"Hey, I tried to warn you." He erected and sat next to her. "You said if I gave you mine, you'd give me yours."

"Connie Maheswaren." She stood and curtsied obnoxiously. She liked his laugh.

"There's no way that's your real name," He mocked. "So, what is a pretty girl like you doing in a bar on a Tuesday night in January?"

"Oh, you think I'm pretty now that you're done mocking me? Typical."

"Pretty was the closest adjective I could grab without being borderline creepy. Don't get cocky." He poked her cheek and she nipped at it playfully.

Up close it was like he ignited a flame inside of her. She felt like a cat, she felt like being playful and coy around this man and they'd barely started talking. If any other man had approached her, which they'd tried, she would've been far less likely to play like this. But something about him made her want to keep him engaged. "No, I get it. I'm out of your league."

They shared a growing, humorous smile before he burst out snickering. "You're within my league for sure." He leaned a bit closer and looked her dead in the eyes. "My league is pretty low though just to make that clear."

Low? Ha! This man was so gorgeous it almost irritated her. "Hmm, maybe I am out of your league. Maybe you need a friend to help you spruce up a bit." She reached out and tugged on a spiral impulsively, admiring how it bounced back into place.

"Whoa, whoa. My hair is special privilege only." Her hand stayed for a second longer and he turned into it. A spark of recognition flared in her.

"Ooo~ you like me. That must be so embarrassing for you!" She gave in to the urge and pinched his cheek until he reddened.

"Don't go thinking we're friends now or anything."

"Wouldn't dream of being friends with the likes of you." God he smelled like flowers and cologne, it was distracting her. "You smell good." Well then. That was certainly the alcohol talking for her when the opportunity arose. She was definitely loose lipped now, even moreso with this man. She felt comfortable with him almost idiotically so. He could be a kidnapper for all she knew...

"That's just my natural manly smell. Roses." He grinned and tipped his head. "Have you really been sniffing me this whole time? Stars, I'm over here worried about coming off as creepy and meanwhile you're memorizing the way I smell? That's super weird."

She scoffed and shoved at his shoulder. "You asshole! We're sitting next to each other in case you haven't noticed, so it would be kind of weird if I didn't notice you smell like flowers."

"Aw, you must like me or something. That's so embarrassing for you." He propped his head on his hand and sighed with a weariness she didn't believe for a second. "I can't help my Universe charm making you want me. This particular breed comes with smelling like a flower garden."

"We just met, and I still wouldn't be surprised if you were wearing perfume. Your charm means nothing to me, what makes you think I'd be going home with you?" She copied his position and he looked at her quizzically, raising to sit up tall.

"Who said anything about you coming home with me?" He pointed out. The man laughed when she blushed hard and growled.

"Oh, shut up. You're insufferable." She rolled her eyes and glanced at her empty glass. "The drinks here suck anyways."

He seemed to be gearing up to say something so she took a moment to notice how soft his lips looked, and then covered it with a passing glance to look again because wow. She really, really wanted to kiss him? "I have way better stuff back at my hotel room."

"Oh my god, you're a pimp aren't you?" She groaned miserably, thrilled when he chuckled.

"Totally. Your money is mine now and all of your time is too. Come back with me." He extended his hand to her. "Come back to my hotel so I can assign you which streets are yours."

Against her better judgement now drenched in alcohol and hormones, she placed her hand in his. "Sounds like a blast."