Disclaimer: Characters, settings, names from the cartoon television show 'Steven Universe' are creations and property of Rebecca sugar and Cartoon network. Any non-steven universe characters, settings, names, Gems, Gem powers, beliefs, mythology are my own creation.

Author's Note: I don't know how many chapters I may write for this pairing and cartoon. But I do know that it's taken me a long time to really appreciate the work that went into making and creating Steven Universe from Rebecca Sugar and her team. Also, I find my self writing this because of my love for Steven x Connie, my OTP.

Tags: Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Beach City, Gem Powers, Romance, Adventure, Comfort, Destiny.

Music Inspiration for Chapter: "Computer Face RMX" by: Flying Lotus

Chapter 1: Camping Trip

Friday

1, May 2016, 11:40 (Morning)

Beach City, Delaware

"Two years have passed since Peridot and Jasper came to earth to deal with the last of The crystal gems. Believing Rose quartz to still be there, Jasper, the imposing tangerine colored gem took Steven with her to present him to an unknown being known as 'Yellow Diamond' in The Gem Home-world. As the giant hand shaped star-ship landed on the beach in close proximity to the Temple of The Crystal Gems. Jasper stepped out and did battle with the crystal gems alongside Peridot and Lapis.

After breaking up Garnet into Ruby and Sapphire. Capturing Pearl and Amethyst and Steven, she declared her victory over what remained of the old Gem rebellion.

After waking up inside of the hand shaped star ship. Steven set out to free his friends. First he freed Ruby, then came upon Lapis who told him not to fight their captors. But he was intent on abandoning no one. He promised to set her free also. When Steven found Sapphire, he set her free. He was then taken down a hall where Ruby and Sapphire had a tearful reunion and fused to reform Garnet. Taking his order to free Pearl and Amethyst first, Garnet duked it out with Jasper who fell before Garnet in the end.

The result of Garnet and Jasper's fight sent the hand shaped star ship on a collision course with earth. Peridot who had been tied up after Pearl and Amethyst were freed. Escaped in an escape pod and fell down to earth, landing somewhere in North America.

Back down on earth, everyone survived the crash; including Jasper and Lapis. In a last ditch attempt to eliminate the crystal gems and Steven, Jasper convinced Lapis to fuse with her. Malachite was born, but before she could attack the crystal gems. The side under control by Lapis, used Hydrokinesis, the ability to generate and manipulate water to form chains and drag herself and Jasper down to the bottom of the ocean.

Steven, Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst watched in disbelief as Lapis and Jasper disappeared. After the battle, Steven avoided talking to Connie and seeing her. Believing that the only way to protect her was to avoid her entirely, Connie chased Steven down and demanded she face him. After a life changing decision, Steven confronted Connie and broke down in tears. Connie told him she wanted to be with him, to be a part of his Universe.

Ever since then, Steven has changed and became more focused on mastering the power of his mother's gem and power. A lack of Peridot's presence and any news on her led to the belief among the crystal gems that Peridot had located an old transporter, and left for her Home-world. Since malachite's entombment inside of the ocean. There have been no signs of other hostile gems coming to earth or originating on earth.

With no sign of any dangers on the horizon, The crystal gems took their time to train Steven to masterfully utilize his Gem powers. Steven only had one condition when it came to daily training, he wanted Connie to be there to see his growth. Connie made it to Steven's home whenever she could. Everyday revealed something new with Steven, he made steady progress with his gem powers and in the eyes of Connie. He looked more stronger, more focused and more confident.

But despite becoming and looking stronger, Steven never once lost his playfulness. His carefree side and happy-go-lucky attitude still came out from time to time. But not everything was one sided. Steven noticed Connie in a different light the more days turned into weeks and weeks changed into months. Steven saw Connie blossoming into a beautiful young girl. That girl with large glasses, interested in books and who was introverted slowly came out of her shell and became more comfortable with Steven and his oddball mix of a family.

In time, this crush turned into something more serious. Something Steven coined the Butterfly feeling. Each day he saw Connie come by over to sit down on the sandy beach and open up a book to read. His palms got sweaty, his heart fluttered and he got the sensation of something fluttering inside of his stomach. Connie noticed Steven change when she would show up to his place, he smiled and blushed more. She couldn't help but smile and giggle in response. They were both becoming attracted to another another.

Because Steven was doing so well in his training, Garnet told Pearl to do something with her extra time. Pearl was reluctant to leave the temple unless she really had to, but when she saw how much improvement Steven had made. She figured she could take up a part time job, not that money was needed. Amethyst took a job as a lifeguard and Garnet hanged back to teach Steven advance levels of Gem power abilities.

Everything appeared to be going normal, for the first time, a sense of normalcy and calmness came over Beach city...until..."

Emerald Hills, Beach City

11:50 [Morning]

Walking up the hills of the nearby Emerald hills carrying his cheeseburger backpack, his Ukelele, a rolled up sleeping bag and other bags. Following behind him was Lion who carried Connie on his back. Connie had with her a rolled up sleeping bag of her own. She carried a bag with the parts to set up a tent. Other items were stuffed into pockets of Lion's saddle, which Steven struggled to keep on him.

Today Steven wore his usual jeans with pink sandals. But on top he wore a black and pink plaid shirt with rolled sleeves, just over his pink shirt with yellow star on it. Due to the training and practice he committed himself to in the last two years, Steven had lost a considerable amount of weight, almost seven pounds. He wasn't completely slim. but he also wasn't chubby, at least not anymore. His curly dark brown hair for the most part, has not changed. Except for some curls that frame the sides of his face.

Connie grew a little taller over the past two years by only a few inches. She had cut her long puffy black hair so it only reached down to her shoulders, instead of down to her waist. She still chose to wear glasses, but instead of them being red they were black. Today Connie wore a Yellow sweater suspender dress, a blue short sleeve shirt. Her red glow bracelet around her right wrist, and her red boots.

"I'm really happy you wanted to invite me to camp out in the great outdoors for a bit Steven."

"Aw it was nothing Connie. I asked pearl and amethyst if they wanted to come, but pearl told me she had to get to work. And amethyst was to busy swimming after dolphins and whacking them on sharks. But I knew I could count on you to come with me."

"You know it Steven. Hey! Did you know there were several benefits to camping, and going at it alone?"

"no, not really. Pitch them to me Connie." Steven said.

"Well because we're around more trees, we'll take in more oxygen. The first breath of fresh air brings out that feeling of happiness and excitement. That feeling is serotonin your brain releases when you take that first breath of fresh air. It's all in out heads though."

"Oh, uh that sounds like the same feeling I'm getting right now. I wouldn't mind going alone, but deep down it would get lonely."

"And Steven, I learned that sometimes camping alone can be nice. But when you have someone to accompany you, it strengthens and keeps a happy stable relationship strong."

Steven turned around and walked backwards. He smiled at Connie who blushed and looked off to the side. Steven smiled and placed his hand over his stomach which began to growl lowly.

"Oh man someone's hungry. C'mon Lion, I can see the perfect spot!" Steven shouted. He picked up his speed and amazed Connie by how fast he was able to run. He actually left Lion and her in his dust."

Emerald Hills, Campsite Universe

12:10 [Afternoon]

Choosing an empty spot with little grass and mostly ground. Steven cleared the ground of rocks and possibly dangerous fragments of glass that used to be part of something bigger, like glass bottles and window panes. He took the tent from Connie and unpacked it from it's bag. He sorted all of the tent parts into their groups. Stakes, tent poles, rain fly and the tent.

While Steven set up the tent, Connie collected rocks from the nearby forest and some leaves and twigs while she was at it. "The best way to start a campfire is to first get naturally flammable items like sticks and leaves. The stones will act as the border, so as the fire won't cross it. Pretty neat, right Lion?"

Lion kept his eyes closed and kept a stiff upper poise as he walked alongside Connie. Connie rolled her eyes and returned back to camp. She had stars in her eyes when she saw that Steven had already set up the entire tent. It was a white tent with Cookie Cat's face on the sides and top of it.

"Ta da! It would have taken me forever to get up without pearl or garnet's help. Amethyst probably would have made it worse. What do you think Connie?"

"I think it's amazing Steven. Hey, you want to watch me start the campfire?"

"Yeah!" Steven replied excitedly.

Steven stood next to Connie, who blushed lightly and smiled. She knelt down on her knees and placed the rocks in a circular form. She placed several sticks in an inverted cone shape and spread leaves all around inside of the rocks. Using a lighter, Connie was about to light the leaves and twigs on fire when Steven stopped her."

Placing his hand on her shoulder, Connie's eyes looked down at his hand applying slight pressure on her shoulder. She looked up at Steven, blushing again.

"Maybe we should wait till it's get's dark Connie. Do you want to go look for Birds, or maybe turtles?"

"Um, yeah...i mean. How about showing me what you learned from the gems Steven. I'm really curious to see where you're up to now."

"Really? Are you sure."

"Yeah, it's still bright and sunny." Connie replied.

Steven walked over to the other side of the unlit campfire and undid the buttons of his black and pink plaid shirt. With his sleeves already rolled up, Steven started to squat, jogg in place and do some pushups.

"Hahahaha...Steven what are you doing?' Connie asked him.

"Just getting the good o muscles going. Alright first I'll capture your attention with a show of Super Gem strength." Steven scurried over to a nearby tree and placed his hands on the sides, he slowly uprooted the tree and lifted it up over his head.

"No way! Wow Steven!...that tree must weight at least one thousand pounds. He's gotten so strong." Connie said, sounding amazed and thinking to herself.

"Ugh...Oof!" Steven grunted as placed the Tree back inside of the ground, roots first.

"Now, Plant control!" Steven raised both of his hands over his head and slammed them down on the ground.

Connie felt the earth beneath them rumble. Lion growled and got behind Connie. Punching out of the ground were several vines and wooden vines which fused together to form a giant wood-plant hand that was controlled by Steven. The wood mixed plant hand gave Connie and Lion a thumb's up. Steven breathed in and out and sent the wooden and plant construct back down into the earth.

"Plant control...phytokinesis, Arborkinises? Steven...Wow Steven that's so Super cool!"

but the most amazing thing came when Connie saw what Steven was able to do with his Bubble and Shield. Surrounding Steven was a fiery pink aura that changed the color of his slightly to light pink. His eyes went a change of color from black to pink. His bubble formed first, but got absorbed into his pink aura. Then his shield manifested on his left arm, that too got absorbed into his fiery pink aura.

"C'mon steven...just like last time. Just like Garnet said, it has to come from within." Steven kept repeating the words 'from within' over and over to himself like a mantra.

Appearing out of the sides of his aura were two pink translucent muscular arms. In their hands they wielded a pink sword and Rose's shield. With control back over to Steven, Steven turned around and swung the large sword around. Sending crescent waves of air and energy that sliced through the clouds. He held up his shield arm to raise his shield. But such a demonstration took its toll on Steven's young body.

The fiery pink aura vanished as did the sword and shield, arms included. Steven fell on one knee, his right arm resting on it. Connie rushed over to him and checked to see if he was alright.

"Steven! I'm sor sorry. I shouldn't have told you to show me how far you've gotten in your training."

"No Connie. It was mine, I just like...impressing you. Heh heh."

Connie blushed and hugged Steven. Lion came over and placed his paw on top of Steven's head. Connie went over to grab some water from the canteen that she brought with her. Steven ran his hand through lion's pink mane and smiled at his companion. Connie returned with the canteen and handed it to Seven. He took several sips from the canteen before lowering it back down.

"Thanks Connie, I really needed that."

"I'm glad to see you're ok now Steven. Let's go find some of turtles shall we."

"yeah. But first, one thing."

Steven stretched his arms to the side and formed a pink bubble around their camp area. Standing on three different sides of the bubble were three pink knights with vertical rectangular shields up to their chest.

Steven lead Connie and Lion out of the bubble. Steven grabbed Connie's backpack and grabbed his own.

"C'mon, let's go." Steven said.

Connie could only look over at Steven's pink constructs in amazement. She snapped out of it when she felt Steven grab her hand and lead her into the forest with Lion acting as their guardian.

-Continued in Chapter 2.