Nova Academy

Emotional

All day Connie had been weepy and fragile. A couple of things had went wrong at the last minute and the student government had narrowly avoided catastrophe. However, that wasn't why she was so fussy.

He scooped her up into his arms when he came out of the shower to see her staring off into the distance and brought her to bed.

"I hate having Anxiety," She mumbled into his chest.

"I know, honey. It's gonna be okay." He planted healing kisses to help her soaring headaches and soreness from being so tense.

"I need all of your undivided attention," She pleaded.

He knew it was an incredibly selfish thing to even think, but he loved Needy Connie. When she'd curl up into his arms and beg for his attention like this, it made him feel so good. "You have my complete and undivided attention right now, and I think I'm about to make it worse. Sorry in advance."

She sounded like a baby dinosaur squeaking and trilling against him, shifting around restlessly and finally opening her eyes. "Why?"

He hesitated. "Don't be mad at me."

"What? Why?" She leaned up to look at him head on. "What did you do?"

"I got you something. As a gift." He looked so guilty she wondered what it could possibly be.

"I won't be mad at you per se but I'm going to feel–," She squeaked and locked her arms around him when he bent over to reach under the bed. He didn't struggle with the extra weight, and it made her want to cry again for no apparent reason.

"Stand up really quick, and after we can snuggle."

She stood, pouting slightly but too intrigued to say no. He grabbed her shoulders and sat her down where he'd been sitting.

When he got down on his knees her stomach did a complete 360.

He glanced up at her. "Breathe."

She exhaled and looked down at the box. It was way too huge to be one with a ring in it, but not a large box either.

"Now, I know you're going to be mildly upset with me, but I also have tissues right there." He pointed to his bedside table. "So bear with me here, I'm a little rusty."

He opened it slowly and she stopped breathing again. "Wh-what? What?!" Steven grinned up at her, watching her face cycle through shock and disbelief before settling into tears. "You didn't."

"I did."

She gazed down at them. "You shouldn't have, but oh my stars I love them!"

Steven laughed as she reached down to drift her fingers over the vines and pulled back again, as if her very fingerprints would tarnish them forever. "Steven!" She laughed but it dissolved into sobbing and she shook her head wildly. "You... you shouldn't have!"

He didn't respond, he wanted the entire scope of her reaction.

"They're so elegant!" She smiled so hard she thought her face would burst open. "What am I going to use these for? They're– these are going to go to waste! I don't hardly ever wear heels, Steven!" She sniffled and hugged herself. "What a supreme waste of money."

"You could use them for your wedding, too." He looked down at the idea of not being the groom. "They aren't a waste of money. They make you happy. You were miserable trying on dresses, but these made you glow."

She furrowed her brow. "My wedding? Our wedding." When his face lit up like fireworks, she burst into tears again and fanned her face, then slammed them down on her thighs. "I am NOT going to become the maiden who fans herself when she cries!" She was ever magnetized to the shoes though and whispered, "These are so beautiful. I-I love them. Thank you."