The cool night air flows through the starry sky as our resident hero lays down against the grassy hillside he healed only months ago.

A deep breath in, and the same breath out in a smile as he stares up. Allowing the glistening diamonds above to catch his eye as he searches for constellations.

Steven was spending his nights out more and more lately, he wasn't quite sure why. He just felt less tired than he usually would after his daily activities. Might be a part of his gem side, might be because he was growing older and healthier, either way this gave him the chance to think and remember about his life. Of his gem family. Of his friends. Of his dad. Of everyone he met throughout his life.

A shooting star catches his eye, and he follows it until it fades into nothing. And his imagination mapped out the stars it landed in. Lines connecting the blinking dots until he gets the picture of an upside down heart.

A small hum escaped his lips as it reminds him of someone. A certain pink gem that caused some problems, but at the same time he felt relatable to the closest out of anyone else he met.

A gem called Spinel.

She was abandoned by his mother, left to stand for six thousand years of isolation. Waiting and hoping for her to return. Only to grow bitter and lash out. To try and pin her anger on him, only to blame herself.

And if he was honest. Steven understood that. He couldn't find any fault in that. He would have done the same thing in that situation. Which begs him to question. What is she doing now? Is she okay? Are the diamonds treating her well?

Will he see her again soon?

A sound interrupts his thoughts. It sounded like squeaking? He slowly sat up, his hands against the grass as he looks around. Only to see a pair of pink pigtails that look like bunny ears poke up from behind the hand of the Obsidian statue. Shaking.

"...Spinel?"

The shaking stops before a familiar face pokes out from the side. Dark pink pigtails, dark lines running under her eyes, and pink eyes. "...No." She says in a soft voice before returning to her hiding spot.

A small if not confused smile settles on Steven's lips as he pushes himself onto his feet. Patting at his legs and back to dust off anything that may stick onto there. "Spinel, I know it's you. What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be with the Diamonds?"

At her hiding place being compromised, the pink gem stretches her leg to the side. And her body slowly follows. Though now, she seems different. She still looks like the same Spinel all those weeks ago, maybe even months now? Gone was the crazed and broken gem, instead, she was more subdued. And from the looks of it, shy. She had her hands together, twiddling her thumbs as she stared at the floor with a somber expression on her face as she shifts a foot side to side.

"Hey Steven...I uh...I just wanted to visit. See how you were doing after, well, after what I did."

"Oh?" Steven begins to walk over, his foot stepping onto a stick, the noise causing Spinel to flinch and take a quick step back.

Steven stares up at Spinel. Thoroughly concerned. Was she...was she scared of him? Scared of what he might do?

At the thought, he could feel his heart squeeze in his chest. That simply wouldn't do for the kind hearted kid. He starts walking again, slowly. Making sure he made no movements that might scare the gem. Speaking softly once he gets close enough. "Not that I don't appreciate the visit, but what made you want to come? Especially this late at night?"

Spinel mutters something under her breath, Steven couldn't quite catch it. And so he gives a confused look.

Spinel sees it after a quick glance up, and a small whine escapes her throat as she sighs. "I...I wanted to apologize. I didn't really get a chance to before I left and...I felt bad from it."

She opted not to tell him that it was constantly gnawing at her for not properly apologizing and thanking Steven either. He didn't need to know that just yet right? Especially not after she felt as if Steven did forget about her right after saving her from the Injector as it exploded.

Steven answers with another smile. Honestly, did the boy ever stop smiling? Spinel couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed at the thought of Steven accepting her apology. That she worked herself up to this for nothing. That he would just flash her that bright smile he always had, and the way it made her feel like her gem is squeezing inside her chest and ohdiamondswhyishissmileso-

"I forgive you."

"H-huh?"

"I said I forgive you." Steven repeats, pushing his hands into his pockets. "I forgave you for a while now actually."

Oh. Right. Her apology. At the sound of that, Spinel felt a huge weight finally lift off her shoulders as she sighed and slowly melts into the grass like a cracked egg. Why was he so nice? Why was he so understanding? Why was he so willing to forgive her after everything?

Steven couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at the sight. Crouching down next to the gem with a tilted head.

"You alright?" He asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." She responds. Slowly reforming into her regular self as she sits. A small blush dusting her cheeks as she looks down to her shoes. "I just...I thought that I would have to do more to earn your forgiveness." She mumbles under her breath.

Steven offers a light chuckle before rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes moving to the side. "Yeah, a lot of people think that. I'm kind of a pushover in that sense." He tried to laugh, but was cut off at the sound of sniffles. As he turns back to face Spinel, her form was hunched over. Arms wrapped around her waist as she tries to hold back tears.

Steven pauses before sitting down next to her. Close enough to where if Spinel wanted to, she was free to reach over and hug him instead.

Spinel was tired. She felt so, so tired of everything. Of thinking about her past. Of the lingering feelings of abandonment. How if she did something wrong the diamonds or even Steven would just leave her behind again. But most of all, she was so tired of the guilt. At the time she knew what she felt was justified as she tried to destroy the earth, but now. Now she can't help but feel hopeless. And with Steven willing to forgive her just like that? That just made her insecurities feel worse.

She didn't notice when Steven settles next to her, but what she does notice is the sound of his voice. The sound of him...was he singing?

With tears threatening to fall in her eyes, she stares up at the boy.

"Isn't it such a beautiful night? We're underneath a thousand shining stars."

His gaze was back onto the night sky. Spinel couldn't help but follow it as the stars seem to twinkle in tune with the song.

"Isn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different? Woah, why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are?"

Spinel couldn't help but have the thought that maybe, just maybe, Steven wasn't just singing this because of her. Maybe...just maybe he was singing this FOR her. The thought itself enough for her chest to thump as a blush brightens on her face.

"Look at this place"

Steven grins as he looks over Spinel, who suddenly has a flustered look, and an equally embarrassed smile before she attempts to turn away.

"Look at your face, I've never seen you look like this before."

It was true as well. Steven has never seen her this...well happy before. Especially now that she was giving her that smile, it reminds him of those old cartoons where the characters mouth would be moving all squiggly as the edges of their mouths are turned up

"Isn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different? Woah, why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are?"

Spinel sighs, a happy sound as she shifts her body. Pushing herself closer to Steven, and placing her head on his shoulder. Singing the words she didn't know she knew under her breath along with the half gem.

"Look at this place. Look at your face."

Steven and Spinel look at each other. Both ingraining the sight into their memories. Spinel taking note of Steven's dark curly locks, his lips as they curve up into a smile, and his smell mixed in with the grass he was just laying down on.

Steven however, felt his heart skip as he looks over Spinel. Her face seemed to be glowing in front of him. The red on her cheeks lighting up her features, her sparkling pink eyes that if he looked closer he could swear the pupils were in the shape of hearts.

"It's shining like a thousand shining stars. Why don't you let yourself just be somewhere different? Woah, why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are?"

Their voices mix in the melody, and the night sky above stilled and brightened in honor of the beautiful sounds of music the two were making.

"Why don't you let yourself just be..."

Spinel closes her eyes and hugs Steven, wrapping her arms around his neck as she places her head on his chest. Steven meanwhile simply places a hand around her back, both quieting down their singing into musical whispers.

"Wherever you are..."