The apartment had to be humid or something. Connie could swear the windows were fogging over so much the condensation was dripping from them. Her shirt felt like it was trapping heat against her body. She was so sweaty.

Things had gotten extremely tense between her and Steven for no apparent reason, and incredibly suddenly. They had to be careful not to touch each other it seemed. Every time they did it started to escalate into this ridiculous game that had no name because they both refused to acknowledge it outside of it happening.

It would start with something really small, like while they cooked together. When they'd started it was quiet too but not like it was now.

This silence was loud.

He was on his way to the fridge, his face stoic and not noticing that she was passing to grab a few spices. His arm brushed against hers, so barely that it was the peach fuzz only. But it was enough to initiate the game.

She tingled, falling into that frame of mind easily and trying to fight the smile growing on her lips. There didn't need to be anything said when Steven always partook.

It was his fault, that meant it was her turn.

Adding the spices to the broth, she realized she was ready for the vegetables he was cutting. Her secret rule was she never initiated contact unless she was already headed that way. She had a feeling Steven played by the same rules.

"You're both living under a facade of self control," Jeanne had told her with her signature smirk she'd started having since they reached past a week. "You tell yourselves it's not wrong if it's accidental, and doing something on purpose would make it feel wrong when it's not. So it does make sense that things are sexually tense when you're that close to each other. How many months has it been?"

Ten. Jeanne had been right, it had become a Permanent Sleepover scenario. Every time something had come up. They'd lied to each other more times than she could count about why it wasn't time: the house was probably locked and he couldn't find his keys, or Connie came down with a cold just as he was leaving or she'd just break down for no reason.

The first time the intensity became apparent enough to not be able to ignore it, Steven had been packing.

Connie watched, standing frozen with misery growing. "You missed something." She'd meant to toss the socks she'd gotten out of the wash gently, but it hit him square in the cheek.

A playful, mischievous smile erupted from his own darkened face and she could see him devising a plan.

A plan to stay.

He scoffed and chucked a pillow at her, which urged her to swat at him.

Steven caught her arm with a sure, warm to the touch hand and his eyes flickered between colors. He observed her nail polish, a color one may call pink if they weren't colorblind. Smirking, he caught her other arm before she could fake an irritated bat upside his head.

She pushed against him knowing he was far stronger than her but found he was letting her push him back. As he leaned back further, he started slowly upping his resistance. "St-stop it! You can't use your— your gem powers!"

He made a sound she'd never heard, a tiny chuckle that stuck in her mind for weeks. It was sinister, and undoubtedly hungry for her. "I'm not using my gem powers yet. This is me using my gem powers."

She tried to pounce at him but he caught her weight easily and brought her a bit roughly to the floor, pinning her hard. "See? Very different."

"So not fair," She groaned, not at all talking about the wrestling and wiggling against him trying to find give. If she was being honest, and she refused to be, she wasn't trying hard at all. Steven had started working out, he was gaining muscle mass and she thought it was sexy that he was stronger than her so exponentially.

Steven's cheeks flooded with color as he looked down at her, eyes swimming. "I agree."

Connie blushed too and her eyes widened. This was a very hard to explain and precarious situation. This was also a very good idea of the angle he might have while he was—

"Shit." He got up and raced to the bathroom to slam the door shut, slide down it and groan, "Shit!"

That meant he had to stay, and she'd heard him sigh in relief. She did too.

And look at them now, still lying to themselves.

She sauntered over and reached to grab one of the bowls to gather them up. Feeling extra ballsy, her hand brushed over his multiple times while she gathered and he kept cutting. They worked at a pace that Connie tried not to focus on. Steven worked in rhythm, everything he did was somehow musical.

Anyways, the rhythm he was cutting in was very reminiscent of a steady pounding.

At first she'd thought she was imagining it, so desperate she was losing her mind. But then she caught the glowing eyes and lick of his lips. He glanced at her and she knew. She almost lost control, her body immediately grew jealous and she wanted to beg for it. Instead she walked off and started dumping in the vegetables.

Foragers stew, hearty with the pot roast that would be done slow cooking soon and veggie heavy. It felt familial in a way she couldn't get herself to not be obsessed over. The last few months had been really hard for Steven, but they'd continued to heal both together and separately. It took so much self control to get to this point that there was a sense of pride to it. And under that, shame and worry.

Steven's move had her breathing shaky in her chest. As she was scraping vegetables out, he reached over her shoulder to grab one to snack on. His chest brushed up against her back but that was nothing compared to what brushed against her ass.

She almost whimpered aloud. There was no way to tell if he was completely hard, but he already had her full attention. She playfully swatted his hand away in a power move, pulling something that didn't typically happen. Usually they spaced them out but Steven took his turn right back and just grabbed the bowl with a tiny chuckle to do it himself.

She snorted and hip checked him out of the way even though he was already finished. She gave him a fake mean mug, keeping the silence between them as holy as it should've been.

Steven rolled his eyes humorously and checked the tenderness of the roast. It practically fell apart as soon as he poked at it and he nodded his approval, grabbing the sides of the inner pot to dump into the soup with his bare hands.

Now all there was left to do was stir and clean up. Connie broke it further and added a bit more salt, deciding it was nearly perfect but needed more.

Steven was across the kitchen now wiping at the counters with a cloth and putting things in the sink. She loved that he never complained about chores, he did them well too. There hadn't been a complaint yet about doing anything. Steven was a hard worker when he needed to be.

Connie dug out a fork and got a bit of meat and potato on the end. Turning to Steven, she held it up to see he was already leaned against the counter watching her closely. He grinned and she leaned against him to lift it to his lips. It must have been good because he threw his head back and licked his lips. She giggled, but didn't move.

The inevitable happened.

The game got out of control.

Connie licked her lips too, but for a different reason. His lips weren't that far away, she wanted to latch onto them and taste him. She was staring mostly on purpose. Was she trying to make him chicken out? Her fingers drummed at his chest provocatively and she smiled a bit when his adam's apple bobbed but he stayed still. Was she about to win the game? Had they reached the limit they'd go?

Steven's hands went to her hips to slide and grab her ass. His boldness came off starving and she grabbed at his shirt to pull him closer, feeling hers roar to life in the form of wetting her panties. He was staring down at her, almost glowering but much kinder. His fingers dug in twice, testing her involvement.

Oh, she was involved alright. The simple action made her tremble, and finally a sound escaped. Connie whined under her breath and Steven rumbled in reply, getting harder against her stomach immediately.

Connie wanted to rip his clothes off and do things the church would call her a witch for, but were they ready for this? Ten months had been so long to survive without doing something stupid. But was it enough time? She did want him, she wanted him so badly.

But she didn't want to do this if he wasn't ready. They'd lost control but they could wait. She knew if she said no he would release her and apologize and vice versa.

There had to be a way to ask within breaking the silence. It was too heavy, it might go too far as soon as she tried to speak because she knew the need would be evident the second she said his name. Instead she reached back to grab his left hand and skimmed her thumb over his now empty ring finger. The tan line was still just barely visible, he would know what she meant.

Steven looked into her eyes, his going dark with thought. She realized he was taking the question in multiple ways. Before she could elaborate somehow, he intertwined their hands and squeezed, his face brightening.

"Yes," He murmured with so much feeling it struck her right in the chest.

The silence had been broken, but the spell had not.

She smiled cautiously and blushed, unable to clarify without melting into a puddle. It hadn't been a year yet, just above eleven months since he had left Audra's house to go live in the woods for a month. She was afraid. She started to tear up because she wanted him.

But she couldn't ever be happy with it if he was going to regret it one day.

Steven grabbed her. He lifted her before she could control her yelp and brought her
right into her bedroom. The door slammed shut behind them and he pressed her against it. "Sorry, being in the kitchen made it really hot because there's lots of fun things I can think of to do in there."

He winced, turning red and started giggling at his too honest statement. Connie did too after a moment of surprise. In a way it was so Steven and somehow very sweet if not a bit hormonal. His tapered out before hers did and he brushed his thumbs over her sides. "My therapist—,"

"Just call her Jeanne," She teased to his delight. They'd found out that they had been seeing the same therapist for an embarrassing amount of time around a couple of months ago.

He'd been rambling about therapy and she'd been tossing a salad. "By the way, my therapists name is Jeanne—,"

She'd whipped around so fast lettuce and tomatoes flew out of the bowl. "Jeanne Grenvik?!"

Steven had blanched so badly he sunk into the couch. "Oh stars..."

Now it was funny, and Connie giggled up at his rosy cheeked smile. "Jeanne asked me if I would regret doing something like this." His hands tightened around her and he huffed in content. It was evident on his face how relieved he was. "I wouldn't. I've accepted how I feel about you hasn't changed since day one. I just... don't know if you would."

She just kissed him, pulling him in by the back of his neck to show him how much she could not possibly regret it. He moaned and grabbed at her ass again to grind against her. The heat coiled in Connie's stomach at his touch. Self control they'd so carefully collected started to fall away when at the same time as she lifted her leg, he reached down to pull it open to give himself more access. He took control and caught it as it rose, a soft grumble of appreciation growing in volume at the feel of their bodies pressed together.

Connie bit his lip and he smirked into the kiss, moving one retaliating hand to explore.

She let go of her inhibitions right then and there.

Steven grabbed her other leg to pin her and grind harder against her. She squealed at the friction now that she was opened more for him. They were so pent up that they were viciously grabbing at each other and moaning into each other's mouths like teenagers on prom night.

She felt Steven let go of his hesitance when he grabbed her hips territorially and tensed in anticipation. "May I?"

"Please," She begged breathlessly.

As soon as she was on the bed he tugged on the collar of her shirt. She smirked and shrugged, so he got ahold of it with both hands to tear it off of her. The ripping sound made his eyes brighten and a brow twitch up for the slightest of seconds, like it was an experiment that he found he enjoyed greatly. She had meant he could take it off but hey, she wasn't complaining about this. He actually tugged off her pants politely but she wasn't as kind. She clumsily pulled his top off and he chuckled, kissing up her thighs while he shoved off everything on the bottom.

Her eyes widened at the way he was blessed, the dripping rod was well endowed and gorgeous. "You're... a bit bigger than I remember," She muttered as he gripped her thigh with one hand and his cock with the other.

Both flushed with heat, the contact made them gasp and more control slipped away as he pushed inside her slowly. "There are pros and cons," He told her smoothly, holding her hip as she started to gasp at how deep he was pushing. He bottomed out and grinned to himself happily when she ran her fingers over his cheeks. For a moment, they paused and stared at one another. Despite how wrong it felt, they knew it was time in a way to move forward. Steven searched her face, for regret or worry maybe, then leaned down to kiss her. "You've been so kind to me, let me make it up to you."

The first few thrusts were so gentle, Connie could feel the feeling behind it through both of their gasps as his body draped over hers to be close. Her arms wrapped around him and he hummed into her neck to place sweet kisses there. He licked across her skin and quickened a bit, the taste of her seemed to bring him comfort.

The next turned into fucking her as hard and as fast as he could. A cry burst out of her and his brows tented together with the bliss of her tightening around him. "You are so beautiful, Connie." He kissed her passionately and she returned it, combing through his hair so much it was starting to come out of the bun.

He lifted her legs up to her chest and hammered into her harder, smiling a bit at the way she choked and screamed his name in euphoria. "I've been waiting so long for this, to be able to love you like this again." His confession came out in a growl and she shuddered. She tried to respond but he indulged in just how deep he could get, grinding and swirling his hips to keep her words jumbled. He descended on her and put a hand over her mouth, her praise muffled as her tongue lolled to lick over his fingers. "Shhh... just take it all, Connie. Does this feel good?"

She nodded, sobbing her pleasure. It felt like he was fucking her soul right out of her body, he was so good at this. He knew he was good at it. He was being a little cocky but it was turning her on. This wild passionate sex was from waiting so long to reunite; years of chaffing uncomfortable longing compiled into Steven slamming into her so hard she was blacking out and her hips ached.

"Good, good," He crooned in her ear, teasing her with his words and lips against her lobe. "I'm glad, I couldn't tell."

She couldn't tell if her eyes rolled or if she had rolled them on purpose. Connie giggled and licked across his fingers again, prompting him to push a thumb into her mouth so she could suckle. She felt his cock begin to twitch and he groaned starvingly. Her tongue traced up it and he pulled it back, biting his lip at the suction she achieved.

Her hips lifted by force and he matched the volume of her scream with a guttural sound, panting in time with the rhythmic pulsing of her orgasm pushing his pleasure to new heights. He fell into an achingly hot chant "Fuck, Connie, you feel so good," his voice crescendoing into a gravelly shout as she came again, arching her back as her eyes stung with tears.

She was growing overwhelmed and yet she didn't want it to end. However, she was so lost in him she wanted him to cum like nothing else. Her nails clawed down his back and she sunk her teeth into his shoulder. The pleasure he was giving her was turning her feral, she couldn't even lay there and take it. Steven gasped and laughed, reaching down to rub over her clit in reward. "What a good girl, so good for me, Connie." She tightened around him at his praise. "Connie." He said her name like a curse and his thrusting began to strengthen. "I'm gonna cum so fucking hard, you're dr-driving me crazy."

The idea drove her to tighten her legs around him and trap him, flexing the muscles in her pussy. "I want it!" She cried. He looked nervous so she locked lips with him again to assure him it was okay.

His hum of joy and smile into the kiss, a real smile that made her feel like light, was so beautiful she returned it. "You can have whatever you want," He breathed shakily.

Bracing himself, he looked down at her face as she came again, his eyes though dark sparkled at her. "Fuck, Connie!"

His skin erupted with his glow, tan turning pink and he grew in size to his perfect form. A sigh of bliss against her neck turned into either a grunt or a growl every time his hips met hers as he fucked himself into her like an animal.

She tossed her head and screamed his name in a hysterical manor she was sure she should've been embarrassed with. He was stretching her past her limit and she knew she would be terribly sore but she didn't care. She was practically brain dead.

Too brain dead to even begin to understand what he was about to do to her.

He lifted a hand to her neck, catching a new rhythm as his orgasm rose, and squeezed just a little. "Fuck, this is heaven." Steven shuddered, his eyes flickering to pink. "I'm selfish now," He growled. "I want this pussy to be mine, all mine." Kisses traveled up and down her neck, some turning into him taking the flesh between his teeth and tugging until she squealed. He punctuated every slow but nearly painfully powerful thrust with a snarled, "Mine, my Connie."

Connie pulled his head up and grinned, tapping over his heart. "Y-your Connie."

That was the catalyst. Steven came with a cry of her name and buried himself as deep as he could get, his pulsing cock shooting hot loads into her pussy. She lost count because of the bassy groans he kept letting out as he stared her down predatorily. His breathing began to stabilize and he watched her face curiously.

Something in her mind told her him looking at her while he fucked her was a good thing, but the only reason she could find was because he was so handsome it was making her feel like she was going to cum. It rose and she started to tremble, realizing too late he had ceased his movements.

She shouldn't be about to cum, but she was and it was going to be hard. "Fuck, St-Steven, oh my stars!"

He tsked and shook his head, playfully scolding her and dropping to kiss over her forehead. "What, you thought you were done, Berry?" She nodded, beginning to put the pieces together. He rubbed his nose against hers and pecked her agape lips. "No, not at all."

As soon as he warned her the pleasure compounded exponentially and she was wailing, tears falling down her cheeks as she came violently on his cock. His eyes widened and his cheeks turned red as he watched her cum, but was apparently taken off guard by the hard clenching she was out of control with. "O-oh my st-stars!" Connie could barely have enough sound mind to watch as his face went taught with pleasure and his eyes rolled a bit. He moaned with her, moving to start running his hand over her cheek and pumping into her slowly. "Holy shit, that feels like it should be illegal. It's too good..."

All she could do was ride the waves, giggling drunkenly at the way his voice carried pleasure. "You like when I praise you, don't you?" She nodded and rolled her hips as the peak began to decline a little faster. She wondered if it was his magic, especially since he was shrinking down to his normal size again. It had to be, she'd just never considered that him cumming inside of her exposed her to it. She liked watching him return to his human state; still bigger than her, but more Steven.

He nodded his understanding. "Noted. How are you feeling?"

"I know you're not supposed to drop the 'L' word during sex, but I'm in love with you," She blurted. It had been building the entire time, she couldn't stop herself or deny it any longer. Connie was in love with Steven and she had to tell him that. "I thought maybe you should know if you're going to fuck me like a love god." Her eyes scanned off to the side in embarrassment as he cocked his head curiously, not surprised but intrigued with how she said it.

He kissed her and slipped out, pulling her to lie on his chest. The silence grew unbearable but his heart stayed steady if not picking up a few notches. After a short wait he squeezed her in a hug. "I love you too, I just had to make sure I thought about it."

Connie had her eyes on his dick. Maybe she was being a bit of a fiend but it also wasn't going soft like she thought it would. "Looks like you're not the only one."

He chuckled. "Don't mind him, he's greedy."

"Did I mention you fuck like a love god yet?" She murmured, trying her hand at flirting. "I'm struggling with short term memory."

He nipped at her lips. "I've never fucked anyone like that, not ever. I saved all of it for you."

Connie's eyes grew misty and she pressed her lips to his cheek to place as many kisses as humanely possible within ten seconds. His arms rose with goosebumps and he giggled, pushing into her lips like he was touch-starved.

His hands moved to scale over her body hungrily. "Let me heal you."

Connie pushed into his touch too. She was touch starved. "You're looking for more kisses? I can definitely accommodate."

A wicked gleam in his eye made her suspicious and he licked his lips. "I have a feeling we're not on the same page, let me elaborate."

He slipped down to kiss over her stomach and trail his way between her legs. With a smirk her way and eyes locked on her, he dipped to drag his tongue from her entrance to her clit. She could feel the magic in it, and her hips bucked wildly.

"I'm a total freak by the way, the doors still open to get me to fuck off."

Connie spread her legs for him further and he dove in, eating her out like he'd never had a meal in his life. "I can live with that!" She exclaimed breathlessly. "I-I can live with a freak!"

He hummed against her clit and wrapped his arms around her hips to keep her in place. "I know it's not customary to talk after sex, but I also feel like it drives it home that I don't regret having sex with you, Connie."

She breathed in deep, trying not to cry while he expertly explored every millimeter of her with a skill that brought her mind to Audra.

What kind of stupid, ignorant, ridiculous bitch wouldn't be obsessed with this man?! He was skilled in pleasure, she could tell hers was his and that he cared.

As he snaked his tongue into her opening, she leaned up a bit to watch his eyes slip shut in a startling show of content. He glowed lightly, soft pink because he was enjoying himself immensely between her legs. "Y-you like—?"

More magic rendered her silent and she fell backwards as he pulled a bit away, lips moving against her clit. "Yes. It's my greatest creature comfort."

Connie could hear the worry in his voice, and she threaded her fingers in his hair just to let him know she was aware. "F— Ugh, Steven, what's wrong?"

"I'm worried I am asking too much of you to take me back."

A tiny flame turned into a massive bonfire inside of her and she tugged his head up, ignoring his frustrated whine. "No. You need to take me back. It was my fault."

He licked his lips selfishly, then tipped his head. "Are you asking me on a date, Connie Maheswaren?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

Steven's glow grew so bright that she had to shut her eyes. "Sorry! Sorry! Ugh, yes. Please. Dammit, that's so embarrassing."

Connie giggled and sat up to push him onto his back. "Not at all. It's like a tail wag that turns into a body wiggle. Just means you're happy, and that's all I've ever wanted. I just want you to be happy. Or at the very least content."

"I think that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me," He murmured, sounding a bit winded. She was glad because she had meant it. His cock leaked a bit and a smirk appeared; her adoration was making him harder. She kissed down his happy trail and he grunted. "I-I haven't had a blowjob in— Oh my stars, Connie."

Her tongue swirled around the tip and she suckled for more, his precum had a taste she could get addicted to for the rest of her life. Giggling, she bobbed her head and sighed happily. Steven's hands went to her hair but he didn't push or pull. They just bunched it up so he could see her face as he groaned, "Oh my god, you're so good at this..."

His breathing went shaky when she quickened. "T-too good, wait—," She kept going, gripping the base and chuckling to herself. It seemed like she'd found a weakness of his, his gem was already pulsing with white light and he whimpered an adorable sound she could stand to hear for the rest of her life. "I think I'm gonna cum," He whined, surprise lacing his tone.

When her eyes went to his to gage his face his cock started twitching wildly. He was under her control, and he seemed to like that too. Curiously she dragged her nails over his thigh and then nearly choked as he opened his mouth to warn her again but instead sounded off as time ran out.

Now his hands bobbed her head and he squeaked under his breath, hips trembling as he chased the pleasure with reckless abandon.

Meanwhile, Connie was at the beginning of a fast track to rehab the way she wanted him again. Her body seized, a filthy noise coming from her that made Steven twitch one more time before pulling her up again.

"I don't think that's ever happened before," He forced out between quick breaths. "I-I'm so sorry."

She tittered and sat over his stomach. "A little warning would have been nice, but I'm far more pleased it was that easy."

Steven gave her an unamused look though a smile lay in there somewhere. "It's not easy, it's just that my teenage fantasies are coming true and it's making me lose my mind." He watched her light up for him and brushed a thumb over her cheek. She purred lovingly and he chuckled. "I wanna kiss you in the rain."

"I wanna kiss you under the stars." This time, she got to watch him grin at her like a kid in a candy store. "I haven't seen you smile like that in a long time."

It slipped out before she could stop it and she felt him shift before he tipped and she fell beside him. He pulled her closer, gazing into her eyes seriously. It happened all over again. "Well, I'm in love with you. It never stopped and I can't help it."