𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓. || s.u. - 𝘗𝘓𝘈𝘕𝘚 𝘛𝘖 𝘙𝘌𝘞𝘙𝘐𝘛𝘌

s e v e n

Black eyes with pink pupils stare down at you. Your (E/c) eyes stare back, determined, yet you still can't help yourself from gulping nervously under Steven's unwavering gaze.

Don't look away, you tell yourself, brows furrowing. He needs you more than anything right now.

Swallowing hard, you take a deep breath and harden your eyes, hands curling into fists at your sides.

Proof, you think. I need to prove to him that it's actually me.

"When I first texted you," you suddenly began, catching the gem hybrid's attention. "I asked you if you liked puns. When you said yes, I replied back with, that's puuurrrfect, and then sent you a cute cat gif."

The corrupted hybrid went wide-eyed, head visibly perking up at your words.

(Subconsciously, his tail began to wag a little behind him.)

You smiled at his reaction and relaxed, feeling happy about his response towards you despite all of the doubts that had plagued your mind the countless nights you had considered actually sending a picture of yourself to Steven.

What if he thinks I'm ugly? Will he be disappointed? What if he won't want to be friends with me anymore? Will he stop replying to me? Maybe he'll block me?

But you should have known better than to doubt the great Steven Quartz Universe. Even if your looks didn't meet his standards, you should have been able to guess that the appearance of someone wouldn't matter to him — he was far too nice to only care about someone's looks.

"I will admit, pretty boy," you start, a small smirk playing on your lips when you see the mentioned hybrid seemingly flush at your use of the nickname you'd given him. "These aren't exactly the circumstances I expected to meet you by," you admit, chuckling and blowing a strand of hair out of your face as you take a step forward, eyes never leaving Steven's.

The hybrid frowns, averting his gaze down to his feet, almost shamefully. You frown at this, and take yet another step towards him.

"However, that doesn't mean that I'm disappointed or anything," you add. Steven perks up, eyes widening by a small fracture in surprise as he meets your (E/c) orbs again, and you smile.

"If anything, I'm glad that we get to meet now of all times — it'll make it easier for me to help you, after all, and we can finally hang out at all of those places you told me about through our messages," you say, eyes shining brightly.

You take another step. "The Big Donut, right? You said you'd take me there for our, and I quote, 'first date'," you chuckle, making air quotations with your fingers.

Standing at the edge of the cliff now, you clasp your hands together and smile, watching with sparkling eyes as Steven lowers his head down in order to properly meet your eyes.

"And you know what?" You lean forward and find your forehead resting against Steven's, "I think I'd like that."

You hear a small, happy, grumbling sound, and laugh, gently placing your hands against Steven's currently pink skin as you open your eyes once more.

"But first, I think it'd be in our best interest to get you, you know . . ." you chuckle again, "back to normal?"

Steven blinks, straightening up and then looking down at himself. He flushes once again, and his tail seems to instinctively curl around himself as he offers you what you would assume to be a bashful smile.

You can't help but laugh. "Even as a giant, pink lizard, Steven, you never fail to be adorable," you state, placing a hand over your mouth to muffle the string of giggles beginning to escape your lips.