Shift in the Paradigm

chapter 1

AN: Steven Universe in its entirely is owned by Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network. This is a non-profit work of fiction. Please support the official release.

     Two teens sat on the  hand of the giant temple. A fresh blanket underneath them,  a ukulele on the cheerful boy left and a violin to the right of the pretty girl. They sat in silence as they watch a beautiful sunset being cast over the beach. The boy glanced at his “more than” best friend and couldn’t help but blush at her dark cocoa skin bathed in the evening sun. He couldn’t but be proud and entranced at the young woman she was becoming. He always thought of her as pretty even when he was thirteen and she eleven going on to twelve; now as they were heading to adulthood, he was surprised and excited at the knockout she has become and still in the process of becoming.

    Dressed in a light blue denim shorts overalls over a pink and purple monokini from earlier that day. Her shoulder length hair; still a bit damp the events of the day, cling slightly and framed her face. Bodywise: she was more than athletic, fit, or statuesque; the best way to describe her would be ‘dangerous’.

    Her genetics combined with her lifestyle gave her an form that was eye-catching to say the least. She was ‘quartz’ strong, with a form that was soft yet warrior defined with a figure and denier that was somewhere between Garnet and Priyanka. Not to mention the fact he knows first hand just what she can do with her body. Whether it was a mission, training, sports or even on the dance floor; Dangerous was an appropriate description.

     Yes, his Jam Bud was well on her way to being a bombshell; even with skin marred with lighter shades of brown sugar from their adventures and battles alongside each other and her dark pink left arm from the war with the new diamonds. Things that was result of Steven healing; that she wore and showed off with pride, honor, and love. Not all mind you, some places were...Intimate, and while she isn’t as modest with her clothing choice as she was as a kid, she wasn’t too keen on being overly flashy, too tight, or too revealing. she prefer clothes that were a bit looser, baggier and functional.

     Of course it wasn’t just her looks that made him dopey..it was her being. Her passion, intelligence, will, and strength; the fact that she was his confidant and kept him from getting too ahead himself. He appreciated they was always, always one thousand with each other on most things and while there wasn't much they hid from each other they respected the other not to pry..secrets doesn't last long between them anyhow. The thing that stuck out the most though, the fact that no matter how stressful and exhausting things get in their lives (which with the whole gem human cohabitation, gem ambassador stuff, among other facets of their lives, stress is a  constant lately), all they need is to find the other and rest within their arms. Not even a bath in the healing fountain compares to a nap in her arms, the feeling of her playing with his hair as he would rest his head right under her bosom or upon her lap, or vice versa.

    Right now though , he was just happy to have this time with her.

    She could feel his gaze on her; not that he was trying to or could hide it. Though she didn’t mind being his focus of sight. Unlike the those in her school who eyes seem to always seem to linger below her neck and above her knees, more than she wished. Steven gaze always was comforting, welcomed; (and if she was honest wanted.) She wasn’t blind to her...developments; paying close attention to herself and her environment was basically drilled into them by her mother, Pearl, Garnet, and Jasper. It only increased as the war came and went. She got  bigger,stronger, fuller and curvier; and she began to receive ‘attention’ of others besides Steven. All this despite having a few visible war scars and her new arm.

     At first she allowed herself to have a little indulgence. Nothing big, just a little wink of the eye, or a slightly sweet tone in her voice. That quickly backfired as she started to have boys and girls ask her out on a date. Something she hardly agreed to and something she didn’t really care to do...Well not with any of them.

   She did give a very select few, a chance for them to join Steven and her on one of their adventures/outings. Sometimes with their friends( rather it be Jeff, Peedee, and Onion ,The temps; the not-so shorty squad, The killers; lars and the off colors, or the gems as a whole) but mostly it would just be Steven and lion and making rounds around beach city and such. This was to see if maybe she could try spending a little time getting to know a potential suitor and vice versa...more importantly to see how they react  to Steven, the world she was apart off, and the relationship between the two.

    Needless to say, the subject was usually dropped after a day with the “jam buds” and decided on friendship only...

   Most were respectful of her choice and left it at that...Others wanted a reason, and chastised her for “leading them on”. She didn’t think too much of it though;the life she lived kind of steeled her towards the opinions of her classmates. Admittedly, she had become a bit of a tease over the years .. But only to those she was close to and NOTHING like the flirting she did with Steven.

   She couldn’t stop the smile nor the slight reddening of her cheeks at the thought of her lifelong companion, her liege and her greatest treasure. It’s all because of him that she was able to evolve to the person she is today, something that she would always be grateful for. Since the very start, he saw the person she would become; his words not hers; and while she didn’t fall for him during their first, second, or even twentieth meeting, she did realize something was there since the day in the bubble.

   She loved his universe and wanted to experience it beside him, the good and the bad.

     Nowadays, things are a different between the two; her liege and herself. Not bad..quite the contrary actually... there has been a ‘paradigm shift’ of sorts. Unaware to their own selves, they entered a game of sorts between them; one that has been going for a year and half.

     One that allowed being held and tender touches along side the sweet hugs and playful pokes. Carefilled Caresses of the form alongside the happy holding of hands. Bouts of laughter, jams sessions; picnics ,and childlike teasing coupled with shared kisses(both innocent and intimate), nights listening each other heartbeats; dinner for two, and seductive flirting.

    The innocence and happiness of their youth with newly discovered passion and intimacy of their more mature selves. They were, in most ways, a happy and mature couple...but they never claimed the status.

     She felt no wanting to be labeled; he felt no need to have to make her felt obligated to be with him; so exclusivity was something they’ve forgo. it wasn’t exactly a needed rule. The duo so far have only gone on  one-on-one dates with one another.

    Though they never talked about this or the change in their relationship more than once, never needed to. They knowingly acted on their feelings, sometimes even a bit recklessly.

   She smiled a bit to herself as she thought of how they even reached this point... how  this “Shift ” between them began.