Steven was sweating bullets. It had been that way since yesterday and he'd gotten 2 hours of sleep thinking about today.

His first date with someone he was actually interested in. ConnieLikesSwords wanted to go on a date with him! Steven Universe, the alien hybrid had an actual date!

He shoved his head into the toilet to cough up more bile and groaned. He was excited, yes, but nervous. There was so much more she needed to know. What about his Diamond? What about his history?

What about the fact that he was considered corrupted?

Flushing the toilet he scowled deeply and brushed his teeth all over again, then one more time. Today he had horns poking out from under his hair for no discernible reason other than he was the most anxious he'd been since he had lived with his aunts.

On Earth, there was less tip-toeing. He didn't have to move so carefully that he could barely enjoy himself. His human half and Diamond half loved this damn planet and all its sentient creatures.

Humans. All of its sentient humans.

He winced as his horns grew a bit, holding his head like it might fly into pieces. The man needed relief but the only one who could truly provide it was the cause. This Connie human was fascinating, wild, and so very interesting. He wanted to please her more than anything in the universe. But he was afraid that once she began to see the more alien things she would freak out.

His phone buzzed and he ignored it in favor of sliding down the door. It was 6:30 and he was dressed and technically ready but not really.

In his years of Diamond Authority, he was always dressed his very best. Whether it was a pink ballgown sewed with shattered gems that he wasn't to heal or a dapper suit with his hair down and done to perfection, he was a man that desired to look presentable all the damn time. It had lessened since he'd been on Earth to a more reasonable style, but he still held himself at a ridiculously high expectation that tore him apart every time he was not absolutely 100% perfect.

He'd shut down, he'd sit up straight and pressure himself like White used to until he was so rigid with grace someone would ask if he was okay. Steven wouldn't even notice he was acting strange sometimes, it was a learned characteristic to shut up and look a little like he thought everyone else sucked and he didn't. Confidence and poise, charisma and perfection.

The date was planned already and everything was in place. He knew he was trying way, way too hard but he had more money and riches than he knew what to do with. He'd much rather spend it on a pretty girl he was falling for.

By 6:58 he had managed to make sure he was presentable and as close to perfect as he could get it. He'd told her to wear something fancy she wouldn't mind getting wet, not that it would get too wet in the first place.

At the first knock the door slid open a bit and he could hear music. A hand went over his gem and he focused hard enough to pull the bouquet of flowers from there. They were still bright and beautiful, though he'd gone with rich and red roses to give rather than pink ones. He knew all of the roses and their colors whether natural or not, and what they meant.

Pink was femininity, appreciation and could also be used to tell her he missed her.

Red roses though, they said everything he felt he couldn't say yet because it was so soon. They were this planets universal way to say 'I love you' without having to say it out loud. Romance and passion were his two biggest upsides and ultimately his biggest hamartia. The Diamonds all represented something about life or living: White represented purity, perfection, and new beginnings, Yellow represented victory, determination and perseverance, and Blue represented loss, grief and strangely enough, good fortune. Steven had been essentially born as a beacon of fertility, love and lust. All of his family before him that never got to meet their children because they had to give up their gem had played the same role he played now.

Steven knew the next song starting to play, La Da Dee. It gave him a rush as he peeked around the corner to see Connie singing and dancing as she primped her hair. It was all he could do not to faint on the spot.

She was swaying with a dazed smile on her face and singing with a smooth, pretty voice he could just melt into a puddle for. He loved music and had prayed for someone who could sing, and this girl could not only sing, she casted spells with her voice too.

After it ended he psyched himself up to actually alert her to his presence but then he had to hide again.

He had to watch her sing I Think He Knows because he did not in fact know, and if she was singing about him he'd have the confidence to keep going.

Almost immediately she swooned and pointed the brush at the mirror. "Don't fuck up this date! This guy is so fucking perfect for us and we do not need another Jacob." She wrinkled her nose but then she started singing and Steven could only equate the sound to how he felt about her.

This crush was unbearably heavy, and she was making it worse giggling as she sang, "He got that boyish look that I like in a man
I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans
It's like I'm 17, nobody understands
No one understands," She told the mirror dramatically.

"He's got my heartbeat, slipping down 16th avenue
Pulling that ah, from me
Wanna see what's under that attitude
I want you, bless my soul
And I ain't gotta tell him
I Think He Knows
I Think He Knows."

Her phone got quieter and she squealed. "It's seven! Okay." She backed up and checked herself out in the mirror. "Ugh, I can't be seen like this! I should change."

"No, you really shouldn't!" He blurted automatically. He poked his head around the corner and smiled his adoration. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

She almost pushed her hands to her cheeks to hide her blush but instead turned away to make eye contact through the mirror. "Please tell me you didn't see all that!"

He started for her slowly. "Which part? The love songs I can only dream are about me? Or the talking to yourself?"

She cringed. "Oh joy, you heard both." Then she whipped around to stare at the bouquet with misty eyes. "Are... are those for me?"

He simpered and nodded solemnly. "You're the first love interest I've ever bought flowers for. Do you like them?"

She groaned and fanned at her eyes. "You're so sweet! Stop it! You're gonna make me cry, Steven they're so beautiful and full!" She grabbed them politely then buried her nose in them. "They smell like you." Her fingers danced along the petals delicately and his heart just keeled over. Connie looked up at him. "What?"

He was pretty sure he was in love with this girl, and the feeling was brand new. "You're just wonderful. Are you ready to get possibly wet?"

She snorted and raced to the kitchen to grab a vase. "Too late! Way, way too late cause god you're so handsome!" Her head dropped. "I told myself I'd act normal on this date and I'm already blurting the first thing that comes into my head."

Steven kissed her cheek. "Didn't I tell you to never stop doing that?"

Her eyes traced to his as she finished with the roses. "I have short term memory when we're together."

"I'll tell you a million times then," He promised tenderly. "And as long as you're you, you won't fuck up the date."

Now he just had to not fuck up the date.

*

Steven had a yacht. Like a real ass gigantic party yacht just for them. "This isn't necessarily the surprise, just like, a flashy precursor."

Connie giggled and kissed his hand. "You don't even know how cool this is! I love the ocean!" Then she gasped. "Can we jump off of the yacht?!"

This girl made him laugh right there in front of hundreds of late night ocean dates. She was so cute, of course she'd be more excited about the ocean rather than the actual boat. And of course after doing her hair and makeup and wearing a gorgeous crimson dress would she want to jump off the boat. "I'm not opposed to it. In fact, we're gonna have to float down to get into the smaller boat for the best part."

She held his hand tight as he guided her up the stairs. "What's the best part? Is there a pet tiger now?"

Steven giggled. "Ten of them." Her eyes went wide and he grinned. "I'm just kidding. You're the best part, but this is something I think is really, really close. We only need the yacht for getting the boat out there, it's not great for rowing."

She squealed and pulled him into a hug. "Sorry! I'm just so excited!"

He chuckled and scooped her into his arms. "Never apologize for being adorable. I'm having fun and we just started."

Her fingers pushed into his curls. The sensation almost made him fall to his knees so she wouldn't stop. "I'm so fucking ready!"

He whooped and brought her across the boat, locking his lips with hers because she was so damn pretty. She practically purred at him and deepened the kiss. "I missed kissing you," She confessed quietly.

Steven was so thankful for the control room being clean, though he never had to worry when his Pearl had cleaned up and left him a sweet little note saying not to party too hard. No one on Homeworld knew about Connie but he was sure it would get around. He sat her on his lap. "I'm gonna teach you to drive the boat."

"Omigosh this is so cool!" She let him guide her hands and teach her what each of the controls do with curious questioning about everything. By the time the boat moved, she was wiggling excitedly and leaning into the actions to make sure she was being ever so gentle with the controls.

"Perfect, now you can run from the law in the ocean," He teased. "You stole my heart and now you're on the FBI watch list, by the way."

She gasped as if horrified. "I'll have to take you with me for hostage negotiations and leverage."

"Wait. No. Please don't," He begged sarcastically. She swatted at him and he kissed her hand. "You're so easy to be around Connie."

"I love hanging out with you in real life," She sighed dreamily. "Dreams are nice, sometimes really nice but— Damn it Connie, shut up!"

Steven pushed his nose into her neck to smell her perfume better and hummed. "What kind of dreams?"

"Oh you know... playing cards and fishing," She lied flirtatiously. "Very innocent things."

He rolled his eyes. "So lots of shuffling and then you woke up in a river, got it."

Connie blushed and gave him a coy look. "I can be a lady! I had plenty of safe for work dreams about you!" She was about to elaborate but her eyes went up and she stopped short. "Oh my stars... Steven, look!"

He guided her out and picked her up. "Okay, you've discovered the second part of the date. Hold on tight."

Connie had some crazy in her. She didn't even flinch when he jumped off the back of the boat and into the smaller one. Granted he did float but he marked it down as a pro: she trusted him.

Her eyes went down to the picnic basket and she sniffled. "Honestly at this point we may as well tie the knot."

Steven broke into a broad smile. "What?"

"What?" Connie parroted immediately. She kept the eye contact but was clearly embarrassed.

He wasn't having it. "I asked what you said," He chuckled, scooting closer.

She licked her lips and bashfully tucked a curl behind her ear. "I asked what you said."

"The part before that," He murmured confidently. "Go on, I'm listening."

Connie ran her fingers up his chest provocatively. "What's in the picnic basket?"

They giggled as he picked it up and opened it to reveal snacks. "Food, but I pulled a content creator date cardinal sin and stalked you a tiny bit more." He pulled out a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries. "I'll feed you more after the date, seasickness is so real."

Her eyes were locked on the tin. "That's smart as hell. Can I have one now?"

Doe eyes turned up to him and he picked it up. "Of course." He fed it to her and it was so beautiful and sexy and just generally artistic to watch he ended up feeding her the entire tin. According to her instasnap and her TokTok she had a serious love for chocolate covered strawberries, she could eat an entire container of them.

Her lips wrapped around every one and she sighed blissfully, unaware her lips were coated with juice and glittering in the moonlight. "I think this is more like... the opposite of a cardinal sin. I did extra research to assure you liked pink as much as I suspected."

He raised an eyebrow. "This dress is breathtaking, but darling, it's red."

She acknowledged that with a sultry smile. "The dress is red, yes."

Steven had to shut his eyes and set down the tin to groan into his hands. "What a woman. I can't with you."

"Keep trying," She giggled. It was so clever he pulled her onto his lap to taste the strawberries and chocolate on her lips and tongue. She tugged at his suit jacket to get him closer somehow and then they couldn't stop. Every time their lips parted the world was terrible and cold, but together it was as warm and pleasant as the kisses.

Steven nuzzled his nose into her neck again, the smell from there was intoxicating him, no alcohol or drugs needed. "What is this perfume?" He kissed at the skin there when she swallowed a soft moan.

"It's Prima Noir," She murmured breathlessly. "Do you like it?"

He nodded. "Will... you wear it for me every day?" It was a selfish ask but when he pulled away he could see how thrilled she was he had asked like that. There was something to this girl, something deeper than met the eye. "It would make getting anything done kind of hard though. I'd just wanna sniff you all the time."

She snorted and squished his cheeks. "I'd love to wear this for you. You treat me so well, and I wanna do it back."

They melted together purely this time. Now their lips met with sugary sweet intention and when Steven glowed his content, Connie hummed against his lips. "Look up," He urged.

They both turned their eyes to the sky to watch the meteor shower painting the sky, it was like black velvet with white streaks of brilliance. The stars seemed to pulse with untold secrets and Connie whispered, "Make a wish."

Steven's only wish was to become this girls best friend, but he had one more trick up his sleeve. "You said you like the ocean, but do you like the look, or the things inside?"

"I love marine wildlife, but I've never been scuba diving before." Connie beamed so bright she lit up the entire ocean. "Are you taking me scuba diving?"

He smiled. "I can do you one better. Stand up, pretty girl." She carefully stood and he joined her, brushing her baby hairs back. "Hold on tight."

Connie wrapped her arms around him and he let the joy of this date make him float. "So... is that... is this a power?"

He nodded and rested his head on top of hers. "My powers are directly connected to my feelings. I float when I'm happy, and get heavier when I'm sad. I've learned to control it better but..." He looked down at the boat under them, now tiny from him being distracted. "Sometimes I mess up a little."

Her face turned up to his to kiss him and he lifted another full ten feet. "This is fascinating," She whispered genuinely. "Do I have to make you sad now? I don't want to..."

Steven thought about how hurt he'd be by White forbidding him to marry Connie and they descended. "No worries, I'd rather you didn't."

She nuzzled her nose against his by standing on his feet with her tippy toes. "The wind blowing through your hair is making me feel like fireworks. You're so pretty."

He blushed and kissed her back. "Are you ready?"

She nodded eagerly and he bubbled both of them in a bigger than usual bubble. The pink glow traveled over the water and reflected back at them just as brightly. "Oh my stars, it's a giant pink bubble!"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm and sat to put her on his lap. "Calm down, honey. This isn't the cool part!"

"Yes it is!" She protested giddily. "And I get to sit on your lap! I'm so lucky!"

He poked out his lip and pinched her cheek. "You're too adorable." Getting the bubble to descend was easy, it didn't require him to feel mildly depressed and how could he when the water encompassed their bubble and Connie gasped in wonder, pressing her hands against it to look around.

He had to thicken it twice, he wanted to get as deep as possible without the risk of them being crushed by the pressure. However, he'd spent a lot of time perfecting his bubble with the Lapis Lazuli's on Homeworld, and he was confident he wouldn't fail which made it a lot less likely.

This close to the shore still had colorful coral and curious fish and jellyfish swam by, sometimes bumping into it in confusion.

"Wow... Look at them fishes doing a swim!" She giggled. "They're so happy down here." A jellyfish brushed against it and she hesitated. "Is it gonna go through the bubble when it stings?"

He smiled and scooted closer to push her hands against it. "No, my bubbles are non-conductive to electricity. Nothing can get you down here. Not with me."

She turned back to nuzzle into his neck. "This is the best date ever. Thank you, Steven."

Steven couldn't even answer her at first. He wanted to say every romantic thing in the world to her all at once. "I'm just..." His hand grabbed hers to kiss and he settled her to lie back against him. "Happy to be here with you. Giving me your company is thanks enough."

They watched the ocean wildlife, a shark passed and she clung to him but it wasn't interested in the glowing orb or the potential meal inside. Some of them glowed too in various neon shades, and Connie rambled on about some of them. Steven kissed the top of her head periodically and asked questions so she'd keep talking.

Soon she turned and bunted into his chest. "Can I sit on your lap like this now? I wanna cuddle, if that's okay."

He fell back and brought her with him.