This had happened enough times now that everyone knew their job, did their tasks with efficiency, and did them well.

They all were walking down the boardwalk to get some fresh air, and Steven was holding Connie's hand as he flirted rather shamelessly. "I know you hated when Kevin did it, but you keep acting like a precious flower when I call you my baby. What's that about?"

Connie tried to turn her head to hide her silly smile but Steven started walking backwards in front of her and turned her head back. They were so in sync their steps never stopped, there was no risk of tripping when they knew each other so well. She thought it was undyingly romantic, and sort of hot how well their bodies knew each other.

Steven lit up with shit eating smile that made her feel like a little girl with a massive crush. "Aw, you're admiring our fusion energy. You think it's sexy that this is so easy for us, huh?"

"Come on, Steven," Hazel laughed when Connie was too flustered to respond with more than a whine as she started up at him adoringly. "Leave the poor girl alone!" He did have to reach over to pinch her cheek though.

He giggled and kissed her other cheek. "My strawberry. You get so red, that's why I call you that, you know." She gasped in disbelief and he nodded, dropping his voice to a rumble. "And now that we're older I can say you have a strawberry shaped bottom." He glanced around and slowed beside her to watch it. "Picturesque. You're so fucking pretty."

"Steven, be a gentleman!" She finally burst, pushing both of her hands against her cheeks. "I'm not good at flirting back still!"

"It's okay, Berry." He scooped her into his arms. "I can do the heavy lifting this time." She bit her lip and brushed her fingers through the curl bouncing loose in front of his face and he chuckled. "I love you, baby~."

Connie wiggled so hard he had to set her down. "Ugh, Big Poppa needs to save me! My husband's being... weird!"

Jasmin huffed. "At least your husband doesn't keep his hand in your back pocket. He thinks we're an instagram couple."

Jacob snorted and pulled it out to slap her ass with vigor. "I'm clingy by default, deal with it or divorce me," He laughed to her horror.

He should not ever joke about it, especially when a dread filled him from head to toe at the mere mention of divorce, but Jasmin got so sweet.

Now she was holding his hand and kissing over his ring and telling him she would never! She loved him so much, she would miss snuggling him and all of his kisses and hugs and cuddles! She'd become a witch living in the Himalayans with a donkey as her only friend. And she looked so adorable with wide eyes as she tried to convince him of a love that was so obvious to him he could've grabbed it out of the air.

How could he even begin to handle the inferno he had inside for her?

Someone walked past with a puppy in a training vest. It looked like they were training for emotional therapy, and it caught Adam's eye but he didn't think much of it. "Steven, you be nice to your wife. Jacob, quit giving Jasmin a stroke." His hand squeezed Hazel and Anna's hard. "I'm so glad I'm never problematic with my marido y esposa."

He had to grin to himself when Hazel and Anna grinned and glanced away to blush at each other like he couldn't see it. They made him feel so loved he had to blush too.

Anna slid a hand up his arm to feel his muscles and it surprised him so much he got dizzy as his blushing increased. "I love when you talk to us in Spanish."

"It's so sexy it makes me mad," Hazel giggled. "Then it makes me wanna lay on your chest."

"Ugh, I need a break from walking," Alex sighed. "Five minutes, right here."

Jacob smiled at him. "Of course, darling. Take your time." Alex looked at him bashfully so he wiggled his fingers to slip his hand in his and kissed it. He couldn't help but think about what a wonderful life he had.

Anna snorted at Adam playfully. "And about not being problematic: You want me to tell them about the time I got home and as soon as I got in the doorway you attacked me to ride me to completion in four minutes flat?"

Adam clicked his tongue as he watched the dog. "Four minutes? That sounds more like you're roasting yourself, babygirl. That has nothing to do with Daddy."

Hazel gasped and batted him upside the head. "Damn! You're out to play today, huh?"

His smirk and playful head tilt was directed at Hazel now. "You want me to tell them your weakness?" Hazel protested but Adam boasted proudly, "A full blown ahegao and it's seconds."

Hazel groaned when Steven glanced back and shared a solidarity nod with Adam, then again when Jacob couldn't resist cracking a joke, "Yeah, in other news water is not wet and the sky is... up there." He glanced up in a faux childish wonder that made them belly laugh.

"I think I'm ready to take these guys to space," Steven muttered to himself as he watched the puppy.

"Sit!" The dog sat and the woman cheered. "Good boy."

The accompanying click was so loud it echoed off every part of the nearly empty boardwalk. The lack of people to dampen the sound and the stiller than usual ocean did nothing to help.

For a moment, everything seemed to stop.

Steven burst out with a blindingly bright glow and sat where he was standing immediately. The ground under him cracked so much Jasmin tripped, and his knees pulled up to his chest as he started a full blown level ten panic attack.

Connie's job was to try to soothe him along with Hazel. It made her so sad she could hardly stand to look at him, these things that happened so long ago it felt still plagued her husband. She felt stupid, she should always be cautious around dog owners. "Steven, Steven it's okay! You're at the boardwalk with your partners and your wife. You're safe."

"We're here and she's not ever going to hurt you again." Hazel carefully placed a hand on his shoulder but yanked back when Steven cried out in agony as he shrunk back into his 20 year old body. He now knew that sudden shifts in his body hurt horribly when it was involuntary, even if Steven had a really high pain tolerance.

Connie couldn't hear him at first until she leaned closer, but he kept repeating something she hoped was a grounding skill but was in fact something that hurt so much more. "He's begging us not to..." Her hand went over her mouth to smother her sadness.

Hazel leaned closer and pressed his lips together. "Don't say that, Ni. He's begging her not to do that."

Jasmin and Anna went to apprehend the subject if they were still around and explain the situation in a slightly deceitful manner depending on the likelihood they'd be kind.

The woman walking the dog had indeed stopped to watch in concern and she gave the two girls a small pout. "Stars, is that man going to be okay?"

"He's having a panic attack," Anna explained patiently. "Is that a clicker?"

The woman held it up dubiously. "For my dog?" She almost hit it again but Jasmin yelped.

"Wait! Don't do that please." She took a deep breath and tried to sound pleasant. "Our boyfriend has some really terrible experiences with those, and it really really triggers him to hear them." Sometimes people said that wasn't their problem, so Jasmin tacked on, "He's a gem, by the way, so if he gets upset enough he could destroy this entire boardwalk and it could hurt people."

"But it's out of his control completely. And he doesn't wanna do that." Anna glanced back at Hazel, who shook his head heartbrokenly. Connie was trying to break him out of the panicked repetition but he started panicking worse, and she cried out in alarm as he started to corrupt. "We really need full cooperation here."

"My name is Olivia. Do you think a therapy animal would help?" She looked down to the dog sitting quietly and obediently for his next command.

They looked at each other to have a silent conversation.

Anna cringed. "I don't know how long you're willing to wait, it might take a bit to calm him down enough." Honestly she was more than happy to have something to do when this happened instead of feeling so helpless.

Jasmin grabbed Anna's hand reassuringly. "He really loves dogs, though."

Adam's job was strictly security, and when an asshole wanted to make things worse, he had a Knight given right to knock them out. In fact, Connie had given him strict orders that if push came to shove and only if push came to shove, he was to fight to incapacitate.

It seemed every time this happened, one particular shit stain stunk up the general area. He had no freaking clue how a 32 year old man was still attempting to pull the high school bully card but it was just as well.

Adam was teeming with protective energy anyhow.

"Aw, is Steven crying over a flower?" Kevin. Adam hated his name and the person attached to it. "Or is he going to destroy Beach City again?"

Steven sobbed that he wasn't a monster in the most torn apart and aching voice, and Connie nodded to Adam. Kevin normally said something stupid to instigate but when they all refused to acknowledge him he'd leave pretty quick. What he said was uncalled for far past his normal caliber.

Kevin laughed at Steven's pain, so Adam clenched his fist and aimed for Kevin's temple.

He dropped like a sack of flour and Adam grinned at him. "Steven says I have diplomatic immunity as security for a Diamond. That means if you get up and don't leave, I can do it again."

When Kevin did get up, Adam escorted him off the boardwalk with a friendly slap to the back. "Thanks. I needed that today. Ice that, don't use heat. Rest and hydrate." He felt another presence and found the town drama queen Jamie watching curiously. "Mind taking him home for me?"

Jamie blushed the tiniest amount and when Kevin started arguing, Adam started to wonder if he wasn't just a misplaced and untrained brat.

But that wasn't his business. 

He returned to keeping watch. It was imperative that people didn't crowd around or make things worse like Kevin just did, so it was nice that on a Sunday it was just them and one other person. Most panic attacks didn't end up life or death scenarios; Steven's could, but Adam would die protecting him without even a first thought, and if Steven was the accidental cause so be it. Adam was so devoted he didn't care.

Jacob and Alex were the fastest runners, and since they were on the boardwalk the houses were about a two mile walk if one followed the coastline. Their houses were tucked away quite a bit with a couple of neighbors relatively close by, so it made for an easy find when they were getting close.

They jogged at the same pace, this was another thing they did to bond. When Alex's left foot dropped, so did Jacob's. They veered at the same time, they dodged the same obstacles, the two may as well have been one.

Steven would be so surprised to know how likely a fusion of the two was.

When the houses appeared in their line of vision, no matter how soon it felt or how tired they'd grown, they picked up their quick jog into a full on sprint.

Jacob had the key so he skidded to a stop and shoved it in. "I've got– the blanket. On the way back. More resistance."

Alex grabbed the vials of Diamond essence and Connie's perfume. "You're starting to get really difficult to keep up with. You sure you're not getting powers?" He teased through his own panting.

Jacob blushed and turned to hide it by pulling the tote out from under their bed. "We all will probably eventually get something, but it doesn't matter."

Alex packed his backpack full of water bottles, two cinnamon oatmeal drinks Steven had premade for when they got home, and a pair of scissors. "I'm taking these in case he starts to overheat."

Jacob strapped on the weighted blanket and grabbed the mini portable fan to hook under it. "Smart. I've got the mini fan with the spray bottle too. We can also drop him in the ocean if it gets unbearable."

"We've gotta make sure it doesn't."

Two determined men ran even faster on their way back. Steven would do the same for them, he'd do whatever he needed to do. There was no obligation, they just adored that man with their souls.

When Jacob picked up his speed, Alex followed suit but this time he truly couldn't keep up. "Go ahead of me, I'm fine and you've got the important stuff."

Jacob blew him a kiss silently to keep his breathing steady and shocked Alex a lot more by picking up more speed. He put six yards between them in ten seconds.

Connie sighed her relief when Adam pointed the distant men out. "That was about a six and a half minute mile," He murmured, a bit of unknown feeling lacing his tone. "And that's only if I assume they spent the last 13 minutes only running."

Steven was fighting with everything he had. He could not be touched, it just could not happen. He was familiar with this out of control lust turned misery and self hate, he loathed that this was still an issue. What a husband, flirting with his wife and making her happy to becoming a sniveling pathetic mess in public. She was probably so embarrassed. He was sure all of them must be thinking about how annoying he was.

He hated himself so much it made him nauseous. "Help."

Connie pressed on his wrist and the feeling faded quickly, but his discomfort with being touched made him angry. Touch was his favorite thing in the world, he loved to touch and be touched and he missed it already.

His eyes started to swim and an aura appeared to blur his vision. Everything became horrifically distorted, he could barely see. "C-Connie." He couldn't tell if he was being loud enough to hear, but he forced out through a slur, "I'm gonna faint."

"Steven, stay with me. Tuck your head between your legs and keep your breathing even." Connie almost grabbed him but that would only make it worse. He tried and his glow tapered in and out, she could tell it was too late. "Steven! Listen to me: please don't pass out..."

Hazel squeezed her hand but kept his eyes on Steven. "We need to untrain him. It's cruel to keep making him go through this."

Steven collapsed backwards and hit his head so violently hard that the ground cracked. Connie screamed and burst into tears, shooting out of Hazels arms as he joined her to lift his head. The sight of blood made her sob and she kissed over his forehead again and again. As far as she knew it was only her and her polycule on this stupid and terrible planet because she could not perceive more.

He would be fine, he'd heal far quicker than he'd have to be severely injured, but that didn't matter. Rationality was just anger at Allison now.

How could she do this?

Hazel could see it wasn't very much blood even if Connie was acting like he'd cracked his head clean in half. His heart was racing hard and fast, there was no way to observe his wound. Steven would heal though, he did even with the accidental breaking of one of his fingers a couple of months ago.

He had to have faith. He had to have faith Steven would be okay because he could not live in a world without his Steven, and he knew Connie felt the same. The three's bond was now unbreakable as a friendship and so much more, Hazel loved Steven so much it ached almost as much as he did from their earlier impassioned time together.

He pressed a kiss to Steven's forehead and a tingle swept through him. "You're gonna be okay, Baby. Just keep breathing, okay?"

Jacob dropped the weighted blanket and then the rest of his body followed suit. Alex ran up to calmly press against his ribs with his knuckles and fed him water as Adam got out the supplies.

He got a bottle of water and poured it on one of Steven's hands hopefully, but when he didn't respond much he checked his pulse. "We're looking at about 180, but it's slowing down fast." Adam waited patiently and in the meantime sprayed a bit of Connie's perfume on his wrist. It had been his idea and it worked really well. Steven had olfactory hallucinations and it was no wonder when Allison's perfume was so fucking obnoxious.

He dropped a kiss to Jacob's cheek as he stirred on the other side of him. "Stop overexerting yourself, you fucking idiot. You're gonna hurt yourself."

Jacob opened his eyes. "I didn't pass out, my legs gave out and then I passed out."

Adam gave him a glare so hard he looked sheepish, so he softened it and kissed him gently. "Please, be careful."

Steven shivered and slowly pushed up. "I agree with Adam." All movement stopped as they stared in surprise but Steven was focused on Hazel as he pulled Connie into his lap. "You healed my head injury. I think it shocked me so much the worst of my panic attack tapered off early."

Hazels eyes widened and he shuffled uncomfortably. "How do you know it wasn't you?"

Steven quirked a brow. It was evident he was annoyed, not with them but with himself. He always got a little moody and reclusive after he was in the clear when a clicker was the cause. He slugged Hazel in the arm and leaned over to kiss it. "See?" He deadpanned so well Adam was impressed under the growing concern. "It didn't heal. You healed me."

Hazel chuckled weakly and rubbed his arm. It wasn't full strength or even half strength, it just surprised him enough that the shock was amplifying his amusement. "What the fuck? You just hit me!"

"You're a superhero now," Steven muttered sarcastically. "Don't destroy your hometown with it. Don't learn anything about your mom."

Connie lifted Steven's head from her shoulder. "Are you okay? Why are you sulking?"

"I'm not sulking," He complained. "I hate everything. I wanna go to bed."

Jasmin cracked a smile. "I guess we should send the puppy away then."

His head swiveled to find it and he blushed his embarrassment to Olivia. "I am so sorry you had to see that. I'm a mess." Steven's cool and complacent tone was unnerving to his partners, but Olivia laughed.

"Are you kidding? Have you ever shit your pants on a train?" She giggled when he snorted. "I am not kidding. And it wasn't like no one noticed, the entire car noticed. It was full." He huffed out a dry laugh and she clapped her hands instead for her dog to stand. "This is Anthony Rivera Charles III. He's an English puppy, he's just very big."

Jacob opened his eyes for a moment to eye the mastiff. "That's ace, so am I."

Anthony padded up to Steven, but he surprised him entirely. Where he'd expected him to sniff and slowly warm up, he pushed Steven and he curiously fell to have the rather heavy dog rest on his chest to lick his cheek.

He raised an eyebrow and sniffed. "Someone smells like Connie's perfume." He smiled and his eyes shut.

Connie wiped at her face. "I'm PMSing so badly. Sorry guys."

Anna kissed her cheek. "I react that way literally every time someone gets hurt and I don't have a uterus so no harm, no foul."

Adam switched his position to wrap an arm around Alex when Jasmin took his place. It wasn't so much to comfort him, it was also to comfort himself. Alex caught on and rested his head on Adam's. His sigh of content made him smile a little.

After another five seconds, Connie frowned. "Hazel healed Steven."

"Please drop it," He whispered painstakingly. "I don't wanna talk about it until Steven's my giant puppy boy again." His fingers ran over Steven's curls and he was so grateful when Connie settled next to him to share a kiss with him.

Olivia gave them a wary smile. "I apologize if this is nosy, but... Are you guys just all dating?"

Jacob grunted in affirmation. "Yes'm. We're romantically involved and—,"

Jasmin pushed her hand over his mouth, knowing her husband was being a little shit for no reason. "We're all life partners. We just recently made it permanent in June."

Alex grinned at her light and airy voice. She sounded so happy and content. It made him want to hug her, so he decided to do that later. "I'm purely gay, the girls are my friends; the boys are my life partners."

Jacob licked Jasmin's hand and giggled when she pinched him. "You could call Jasmin your partner in crime," He mumbled. "You guys drive me batty fighting for my attention. So awesome."

They chatted idly for a few more minutes before Olivia had to leave, but she left her number for them if they ever needed a therapy dog.

Connie and Hazel kissed both of Steven's cheeks and he sprouted a smile so big it was impossible to his partners. His hair lifted first and then his body. "Uh oh."

Steven was suddenly suspended 50 feet in the air. "I don't know what's going on!" He half laughed, half groaned.

"You just really like dogs, Adam says!" Jacob hooked an arm around Adam, back on his feet again. "He says this is a clever way to try and get him to yell though!"

"Think about Rose!" Connie tried. "Or don't! I kind of like when you're happy, too! I love all your feelings!" When he blushed and got higher she whined. "Come back! You need aftercare!"

"I still feel like shit and I don't know why this is happening," He groused. Connie yelled that she missed him and he felt himself get heavier. If his wife wanted his company, he was going to give it. "Wait, Connie keep complaining! It's working I think!"

Connie looked back to them all. "Help me and then stand back cause he might fall kinda hard."

Hazel blew out a long breath and nodded. "No way. I'll catch him or die trying. I'm the only one that can lift him."

They all started calling for him and he felt his gem buzzing a bit less. He missed them too somehow, it was a clingy and annoying feeling but he missed them terribly. Connie had her arms raised for him, she wanted him to carry her. That alone made him drop six feet. Jacob was still a little dizzy, but he encouraged him by enticing him with his oatmeal drink. He was joking that he was gonna drink it and how cold it was on such a hot day. Steven grumbled, that was his favorite thing to... eat and drink? Digest? Regardless, it made him giggle.

The more they coaxed, the faster it worked. He caught eyes with Hazel just out of his reach and he broke the eye contact to bashfully look away. A mess didn't belong with these amazing people, and not with Hazel. He was so handsome and kind and strong. The man swept him off his feet day after day.

"Come here, Puppy." He tipped his head in the most innocent and loving way. "You need cuddles, and we need to talk."

Steven gasped as his gem surged with currently uncontrollable magic and he slipped out of the air into Hazels arms. "I feel like a loser. I'm so tired of doing this to you guys."

Hazel carried him to the beach and dropped him in the water. When his head poked back up he cried, "What was that for?! Now I'm all wet and cold!"

Adam smirked. He saw where this was going and why Hazel was distracting him from his self deprecation. Like any good boyfriend he stirred the pot. "You could shake."

Normally he'd laugh and stick his tongue out at him, but he pulled his hair out of his top knot and shook so hard they got the brunt of his ire. "You think you're so funny until you're wet too."

Connie stomped up to him and when he leaned down for a kiss to soothe himself, she accepted. "I'm so glad you're okay. Karma."

Steven kissed her again but pulled back an inch to murmur, "Karma?"

Connie pushed him back over into the water. "Karma!"

Alex shrugged. "Fuck it, my phones away from the tide."

Jacob raised his eyebrows. "My Alex is feeling playful?" He then spit out the mouthful of salt water from Alex splashing him. "I see."

They launched into a water free for all, there were no alliances and everyone was an enemy.

Steven did manage to dunk Hazel and press his lips against his ear. "Are we not gonna talk about your magic starting to come in?"

Hazel leaned back far enough to completely flip Steven over into a brutal back flop. "My strengths been way up for longer. So no."

He giggled and pushed into Hazels arms to snuggle in the cold ocean. His brief surge of energy was turning into a kind of exhaustion that meant he wouldn't make it home if he kept up. "Okay. Take me home, Daddy."