The Concept of Love

By: Element of One

"Hmmm, how lovely," Lapis whispered, as she stared at the bouquet that she was holding. She smiled, as she leaned in close to the rose petals, then she took in a breath. "What are you trying to tell me, Steven?" She asked softly.

She was sitting on a throne, somewhere at the bottom of the sea, as she was immersed in a world that was hers and hers only. Her eyes began to look up towards the surface of the water, as dozens of sea creatures swam aimlessly around, then she quietly thought to herself, "I wonder what he's doing right now?" In the palm of her hand she held onto a giant Pearl, then watched as it started to illuminate. "I'll keep a close watch on you," she whispered, as she was shown the image of Steven sleeping peacefully in his bedroom.

A Few Years into the Future: In route to a Celebration

"You're taking this pretty swell dude!" Amethyst exclaimed. "Most guys would be pissed off if they had to watch their ex-girlfriend get married!" "She was never his girlfriend," Pearl chimed in. "They're just friends, and there's nothing wrong with going to your friend's wedding." Greg, along with Steven and the gems, were on their way to a wedding celebration. Connie was getting married to a young man, who years earlier she had introduced to Steven on Valentine's Day. Steven smiled, as he stared down to adjust his bowtie, then he looked in the back of the van and said, "I'm very happy for Connie and Rajesh." Then he looked at Pearl, who was sitting in between Amethyst and Garnet, and said, "You're right. Connie and I are just friends. I'm honored that she wants me to be a part of her wedding."

"But you're not even a little mad!?" Amethyst asked. Steven smiled once more, then replied, "No, of course not. I'll admit I had a little crush on her when I was younger, but I'm older now. She's just a really good friend." Garnet smiled, as she could see Steven still playing with his tie, when she said, "You look so handsome!" Steven began to blush, then Amethyst said, "Yeah dude! You look good! There's probably a bunch of chicks at the wedding, so you'll have a chance to score!" Steven started laughing, as Pearl glared over at Amethyst, then she looked back at him and said, "Why don't you try being respectful, Steven!? You may find that this is the best approach when talking to the opposite sex!"

Steven sat back in his seat and said, "Nah, I'm not there to talk to girls or to try to score. I'm there for my friend Connie." He continued to fiddle with his tie, then he became frustrated as he said, "Dad can you help me figure this out!?" Greg looked over at his son, then replied, "Hold on Bud, I'll fix it. Just wait till we get to the wedding reception, not while we're driving." Garnet raised her arms over the seat and began to fiddle with Steven's tie as she said, "Let me try."

The Wedding Reception

"Thank you for being here Steven! It means so much to me!" Connie exclaimed. "You're welcome!" He replied. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" The two hugged each other, then they separated, as Connie looked at the rest of the group and said, "I hope you all Enjoy! There's food, there's drinks, and the DJ's going to start playing music in a little while!" Amethyst looked around at the buffet of food and became overly excited as she said, "Hell yeah! Come on guys! Let's eat!"

During the course of the evening, Steven and the gems were greeted by several members of Connie's family, as well as various friends that she made during college. They watched as speeches were given, toasts were made, and finally people were dancing with one another on the dance floor. "Would you like to dance Greg?" Garnet asked, as she extended her hand out towards him. Greg was startled, as he started to wipe off the crumbs of food that had collected on his tie, then he replied, "Sure. Just remember I'm old thou, so I can't dance like I used to." Garnet smiled at him then said, "I'm old too Greg." As the two got up and walked towards the dance floor, Steven looked over at Pearl and asked, "Would you like to dance?" Pearl smiled, then began to blush as she said, "Yes Steven, of course!."

While they were on the dance floor, Steven's eyes drifted off to the corner of a room, as he could see Connie in her wedding dress dancing with her husband Rajeesh. He waved at her, then Connie and Rajeesh reciprocated by waving back. "Is everything okay Steven!?" Pearl asked, as she could see him holding his head down. He was quiet, as he had his hands placed over her hips, then he looked up at her and said, "No more Stevonnie!" "Oh Steven," Pearl whispered, as she brought him in close. "Everythings going to be fine. It'll be alright!"

"Don't be sad!"

While Steven had his head slouched over Pearl's shoulder, he began to hear the sound of footsteps coming towards him.

"May I cut in?" Connie asked, as she and Rajeesh were now standing next to them. "Of course," Pearl replied. Steven slowly took Connie's hand and held her close, as the two began to dance. "Are you okay Steven? You're not upset?" Connie asked. "No, I'm fine," Steven replied. "I'm not upset." While they were dancing, their eyes met, then Steven finally asked, "Are you happy?" Connie looked at him, then smiled as she said, "Yes, of course I'm happy! I'm the happiest I've ever been!" Steven smiled back at her, then held her close as he said, "Good! That's wonderful Connie! That's all that matters!" The two shared one final embrace as the music stopped, then they separated. Rajeesh shook Steven's hand and thanked him for coming, then Steven replied, "You're welcome! I'm happy for you guys!"

Steven watched as Connie and Rajeesh walked away, then Pearl looked at him and asked, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Steven was silent, as he continued to watch them, then he replied, "She's happy with him and that's all that matters.."

A Change of Scenery

The wedding party, along with the many of the guests, were now standing outside on a balcony, as they were waiting for Connie to toss the wedding bouquet. "Hey Connie!" Amethyst shouted. "Throw it at Pearl!" "NO!" Pearl yelled. "Throw it far away from me!" Connie Laughed, as she had her back turned towards them, then she tossed it over her head. Several of the bridesmaids, as well as other female guests, reached out to grab it. The bouquet was bouncing on top of the many flailing arms, until finally, it accidently fell over the side of the balcony into the ocean.

"So much for anyone else getting married!" Amethyst laughed. In that moment, Steven looked over at Connie and could tell that she was a little dejected, so he said, "Hold on. I'll go get it." "No, that's okay Steven. You don't have to." Connie replied. But he ignored her, as several of the guests, including the gems, watched as he stepped on top of the railing. "No, Steven!" Pearl shouted. "Get down from there! You're going to ruin your tuxedo!" Without saying anything, he leaped off the balcony, into the ocean, and there was a loud splash that followed. "Hold on Dude!" Amethyst shouted, as she summoned her whip. "Here, grab onto my whip!" She said, as she tossed it into the water. Steven could hear people shouting at him from above, but their words were muffled as he was focused and he began to swim towards the bouquet.

Just as he was about to retrieve it, his hand was met by the feeling of someone else's hand. As she slowly rose out of the water, Steven shouted, "Lapis!? What are you doing here!?"

Lapis was holding onto the wedding bouquet, when she looked at him and asked, "What are you asking me now, Steven!?"