Nova Academy

Pretty In Pink

Connie, just as she suspected she would be, was fucking miserable.

She trudged into the dance and made a speech about how great this school year looked to be turning out, then promptly sat her ass down on a chair.

Everyone looked gorgeous and excited for winter break and a night to dance away. They twirled and flirted and grinded and she wanted to fall into a black hole.

Jacob had snatched her clipboard and told her to have fun. He looked tired and sad, but his suit was immaculate. He almost looked mature. She glanced around for Jasmin but she was nowhere to be found.

She'd been glaring at the balloons when her vision was obscured.

"Guess who?"

"My worst nightmare," She replied hollowly. She hated it here.

"Close enough." Steven removed his hands and circled around to her front.

Fuck.

He looked gorgeous. She never thought she'd have a secret thing for tuxes, but here she was completely mystified. Connie couldn't think of a single thing to say to him.

It was fairly simple for a suit, but she could tell it had been tailored to fit him in all the right ways. His pink suit only made the black bow tie pop, and Shiva she loved when he wore his hair up in a bun with those few carefully constructed pieces on the side of his face bouncing along with his movement. Her eyes dropped to the Pink Diamond emblem on the pocket and he noticed.

"It was the only nice thing I had to wear," He said bashfully tucking his hands in his pockets. "Diamond stuff, you know?"

She told him she did but it was so quiet that the music drowned it out and her lips barely moved.

"Can I see your dress?" He asked softly. "I've been dying to see you in it again."

She nodded because, what else could she do? Say no? She was barely functioning at 2%. She let him tug her to her feet and his eyes traveled over every detail of the dress. When his eyes met hers, they burned with intense longing and he pulled her flush against him.

"You look good enough to ravage."

He tipped her chin up and all she could manage was, "I think you mean ravishing."

He frowned, like he thought that was the same thing and she clarified. She might've been having her world rocked, but she was good at correcting him so she did. "'Ravishing' means incredibly gorgeous, 'good enough to ravage' means you wanna fuck me, and that's not what you meant to say."

His laugh was so loud it startled her for a moment. When he calmed down he looked at her and tipped his head. "And what makes you so sure of that fact?"

She gulped. "Steven." She couldn't even shout it like she normally did. Was he using magic on her again?

"What? I'm 24, I'm young and horny." He touched her cheek and smiled even harder at her blush. "I'm kidding, Ni. I'm not a complete pervert." He intertwined their fingers. "Dance with me."

He sounded just like he did that night on the beach and her heart ached for that moment. "I can't dance," She whispered. "I'm shy."

He covered his eyes with one hand. "I won't look."

She thumped her head against his chest. "Steven, I'm miserable here. I look like a princess waiting for a prince and you show up looking like that–," She gestured up at him and he beamed.

"So you like my–"

"I'm not finished," She interrupted. "I look like a princess and you look like a king and I just want to die because I hate romance and I hate cliches and you're just a big walking troupe and so am I and I wanna kiss you but I'm just so overwhelmed and exhausted and I hate it here!"