In another time and place

The Story So far

Garnet arrived in the temple one afternoon after the successful collection of another corrupted Gem to find Steven peering out of one the windows down at the beach. Curious she strode over silently to see where he was looking. There on the beach was a young girl, nose buried in a book and Garnet grinned as she spoke.

"Who's that?" Steven jumped and turned, trying to hide the blush on his face behind his length of straight black hair.

"Uhm no one really, just this girl I saw at the parade last year." Garnet nodded, lips quirking into the slightest smile as she reached out to brush some of the hair from his face.

"Well why don't you go say hello." The blush deepened on Steven's face, but he nodded and hurried over to the refrigerator, removing the glow stick he'd stored in the freezer months ago before hurrying outside. Rushing back in a moment later to announce.

"No looking!" Garnet smirked having already seen what would come of meeting this girl, and so turned her back on the window, and headed back into the temple. As Steven made his way down the stairs and across the beach he practiced what he would say. "Hi there, I'm Steven. . .Hey my name's Steven. . .Steven Universe, and you are?" What he hadn't realized is how short a walk it was from the temple to where the girl had been sitting, and stumbled back when he heard. Her respond,

"My name's Connie. . .Connie Maheswaran" in playful mockery of his tone. He felt himself flush again and instinctively bowed his head a little to let the hair garnet had brushed to the side fall back into place. Just as he was about to take off running the ground began to rumble, followed by an ear splitting shriek. Some instinct caused him to look up just in time to see the rocks above Connie to come loose. Flinging one leg out behind himself for balance he reached out one long arm to take hold of Connie's, another shift in weight and he hauled her back but missed the placement of his foot as it came back down and he stumbled, pulling her on top of him. Connie's eyes were wide behind her glasses as she stared down at him, then looking over at where she'd been sitting she slid off and sat shaking in the sand. "You saved me, I would have been crushed." Steven grinned scratching at the back of his neck.

"I guess I did." Stifling a little laugh behind the back of his hand he stood and offered to help her up. As she dusted herself off Connie looked him over curiously.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" She asked and he nodded reaching into his pocket to produce the still glowing bracelet.

"You dropped this at the parade last year, I kept it in the freezer to make it last longer." Connie's eyes went wide and she smiled as he slopped the bracelet around her wrist.

"That's right you were on the carwash float, you had soap bubbles in your hair." Steven giggled slightly at that and ran one hand through his hair in memory. As he did light sprung forth from his Gem reproducing the scene of him on the top of his father's van, wide grin on his face beneath his slightly pointed nose soap bubbles popping in his hair as he turned to see Connie dropping her bracelet.

"Woah, how are you doing that?" Connie asked in Amazement at the scene now playing on a loop in front of her. Steven's eyes had gone into wide stars as he watched as well.

"I'm half magic on my mom's side, I'm a member of the crystal Gems, we fight magic and defend humanity. Though I've never been able to do anything like this before. You uh wanna come to my place? I gotta show this to the gems!" Connie's concentration on the holographic image was broken when he asked that, and she bit her lip nervously, eyes scanning the beach. "I don't think I'm suppose to. . .but this is way too cool." He mirrored the brightness in her smile as he took hold of her hand and ran with her towards the temple. When he got to the top of the stairs he heard Amethyst shout.