Nova Academy

Resplendent

TW: Rape statistics, child abuse briefly mentioned. Reader discretion advised.

Steven groaned as his phone started playing the song he and Connie had danced to on the beach. He rolled over and hit the snooze button, trying to find the comfort of sleep again. Anything for another five minutes. His mind drifted for a moment, trying to recall his dream when he noticed his thighs felt sticky and wet.

He lifted the covers and groaned again, this time much louder. "Oh, for fucks sake," He groused. "What am I, 12?"

The shower knob was turned as hot as it could go when he stepped in. He lathered his skin with soap, hoping it and the boiling water would cleanse the sin from his body.

It didn't work but it certainly felt nice. He toweled himself off and pulled his sheets and blankets off the bed.

He didn't know what he should wear today so he went with one of his favorite outfits: a simple black skirt and one of his muscle shirts. The mirror told him nothing but good things and a tiny smile shows through his troubled expression. He looks good, and he wonders how Connie would react to him wearing feminine clothing. As he starts mussing his hair with leave in conditioner, Steven realized he had slept in his earrings when he tied his hair up into a ponytail with a pink bandana.

"No wonder my ears hurt." He was feeling uncharacteristically grouchy today but tried to push it down as he picked up his bed laundry and made his way into the living room.

Hazel was already awake and dropped from the pull-up bar to eye Steven. "Nice skirt. Rough night?"

"Ugh," Is all he can manage as he shoved the covers into the wash.

"Not a morning person I see."

Steven rested his cheek against the cool wall, trying to shake his vexation. "I am a morning person. Just not a this morning person."

"Understandable," Hazel nodded to the kitchen. "I made breakfast for two if you want some."

His stomach grumbled and he nodded. "I should've probably told you this already, but I'm a vegetarian."

"I'm vegan, I stopped eating meat and animal product after living on a farm for 19 years. Chickens are fucking nasty, bro." He wrinkled his nose.

Steven laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen a live chicken."

"Consider yourself lucky," Hazel muttered, shoving a spoonful of applesauce into his mouth.

He grabbed some oatmeal and plopped down on the couch lost in thought.

"So what's the deal with you and Connie?" Hazel prompted.

"Who knows," He grumbled aloofly. She wasn't exactly acting different than she had at the diner, but she had closed herself off a little bit more. He didn't want to let it get to him, but it did. She hadn't been quite as vicious though, and he thanked his lucky stars for that.

"Well, she obviously has a crush on you." He swallowed another spoonful like he didn't just rock his world.

Steven stopped mid bite and stared.

"No way you didn't know. Tell me you knew," Hazel whispered in disbelief. "Please, I want to believe you're a smart guy."

"She acts like my mere presence is a stain on her toilet. I don't even have to say anything." He grimaced. It was understandable in a way, but that didn't make it any less sucky. "There's stuff but..."

He kind of knew what was going on but he kept second guessing himself every moment that passed. The attraction was there at least on his end. The chemistry was obvious. Getting under her skin at the diner was less easy than it was to here and he had enjoyed her sudden show of territorial behavior. But the girl kept pushing him away and he mostly didn't understand why.