Dear Old Dad, Remember When

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The brakes of Steven's vehicle screeched in protest as he pulled into a rather sharp parking spot. The highway had been a rather dull drive, and his mind kept him almost as occupied as Sadie's and Shep's first single, 'I'm Looking Forward'. Listening to the song always seemed to pull his mind to that moment when he first left Delmarva. It was in these moments in long drawn silence where he wanted to feel the hurt that he played it. It was homesickness in a song. The tug on his heart left his mind free to explore his feelings without restriction. A bit peculiar but it worked for him.

The engine died as he tugged the keys from the ignition. One final sweep was given to the messy vehicle. Empty water bottles, wrappers, receipts, and worse was the layer of dust that had begun to congeal on the dash. She needed a good interior clean, but Steven had been consistently putting it off, it wasn't disgusting, just a bit cluttered. No harm no foul. Wallet, keys and phone in hand, the eighteen year old stepped out of the vehicle.

The sun was a warm reminder of the day to be had. For all his internal mess, these matters were internal. He was going to be alright, he was safe. Safe enough anyways. Steven's car beeped in response to being locked, his normal flip flops clicking as he walked forward. He was quick to wear them again once he returned from Wallforgan. The northern state had been in constant cloud cover and rain. Beautiful with few sunny days, and cold beaches. He was glad to be back down on the southeastern coastal territories. It felt… almost like home.

The sound of warbling energy caught Steven's attention, his heart leaping in his throat instinctively. The pink galaxy appearing portal swirled into existence, bringing Steven peace of mind. Connie was arriving, on Lion of course. Steven had no clue how she got the College to allow her to keep the pink feline- no wait panthera. Connie had corrected him more than once about that. Lions shouldn't be referred to as just felines, it was undignified, she informed him. He was just happy to watch her delve into the explanation with that passionate shine to her eyes. She was… fascinating to listen to.

Large pink padded feet landed against concrete, glass ignored by the massive panthera. Lion lounged against the ruined ground much to Steven's displeasure, wouldn't he get hurt? Not like Connie could control where he knelt, he was after all, his own Lion. She slid off his flank, her shoes crunching against the ground, altering her to the less than favorable area.

She was dazzling, in a pale white sundress with a vibrant yellow sunflower print. She wore a worn garden sunhat and sunglasses. Perfect for the weather.

"Lion, don't lay there. Go to the grass silly." The lazy creature looked between the two before focusing on Steven.

"Hi Lion." He waved to his old friend, the animal yawning in greeting. As if satisfied with the reunion, Lion moved to the patch of grass Connie had pointed out. Feline or panthera, he was damned intelligent for a Lion. Steven turned to Connie only to be bombarded with her body clashing against his own. His arms seemed to fit perfectly around her, the smell of spice and the warm sun meeting his nostrils. His tight embrace constricted, lifting her off the ground as she laughed joyously. Her lips found his, in a brief peck of a kiss.

"Steven! Let me down." Her vocals were joyous, bright and lovely. How was he ever good enough for her? How did they get here?

With an extra squeeze for good measure, Steven released her.

"Ready to brunch?" He returned her smile, tainted with the exhaustion from his night.

"You know it!"

The Diner was old. It screamed eighties with a black and white tiled floor and dizzying loud colors on the walls in scrawling shapes. Booths littered the outer wall, whilst steel and red cushioned seats made up the most of the interior. There wasn't much room to move, but Conie was already weaving through the jungle of seats with an excitable bounce to her step. Steven was quick to follow, although he had to move most of the chairs out of his way. Somehow he doubted these folks never got a crowd big enough to fit all the seats, but he wasn't one to judge too harshly.

A woman smelling of the establishment leaned over the counter lazily. An ashtray with her most recent cigarette was smoldering next to the register, grease smeared on the front of her apron's blouse.

"What will it be, kids?" The elder woman rasped, red nails tucking grey straying locks back up into her bun. Connie looked prepared to correct the woman that she and Steven were actually adults, but thought better of it.

"We're looking for brunch. Could I have eggs and toast?" Steven looked at the warped menu, the colors and twisted cursive text made it impossible to read. He turned to Connie, who seemed to read him better than any textbook. "Oh and some pancakes for my Boyfriend."

Shivers ran through Steven's heart. He hoped one day they would be married, but for now? That was good enough for him. He'd been Friend for so long, it was music to hear a new title from her.

The woman gave a grunt and motioned to the empty lobby, "Take a seat kiddos. Should be out in ten to twenty minutes. JONNY!" She ambulated with a cane from the front to the back. Where she had hidden the cane, Steven wasn't sure. He was nearly positive she didn't have one a moment prior.

Connie took Steven's hand, tugging him back into the moment. Her skin was softer than his own, but her hand always seemed to perfectly fit his own.

"You're really out of it today Steven. Are you sure you're okay?" She probed again, although he could tell she was being cautious, careful not to push too hard. He loved that she was trying to be supportive, even if he didn't want to talk about it right now.

Who would? He'd been working with Michael for years and it felt like there was no progress.

His night terrors were still very real despite everything, the ghosts of his past seemed to follow his every day actions. Now more than ever his mind was bringing uncomfortable thoughts to the surface. He didn't have a human lifespan, which meant all of this one day would pass him by. Connie would no longer hold his hand. They wouldn't be young.

Steven yanked himself back to the present, feeling a cold sweat start at the base of his spine. The first sign of a panic attack. He needed to breathe through it and move his attention from his own thoughts onto the world around him. The grease on the table. The firm floor that he now tapped his flip flop against. The way Connie seemed to entrap his gaze. Grounding.

"I'm okay. I'm just really tired, you know? I'll be fine after I get to the next stop tonight. How was moving into the Dorms?" A deflection tactic, one that she saw through. He watched those perfect brows knit into a frown, watched her mind weigh the option of calling him out in this public space. It seemed he was in luck, as she dropped it with a frustrated sigh.

"Just remember I'm here for you Steven. I get not wanting to talk about it here, but just don't…don't leave me out okay? Dorms were good but embarrassing. Dad was really trying to make sure everyone knew he worked as private 'law enforcement', I think he wanted to scare everyone. Mom was unhappy with the cleanliness of the place and was… well… mom." She sighed, tapping the table with her jaw against her other hand, propped up. "I got a pretty cool roommate. Asha. She's from the northwest, and has a whole crystal collection-" Connie continued on as Steven's focus faded from reality.

He nodded every now and again, smiling and laughing when she did. Their food arrived and with it, Steven changed the subject of conversation.

"So… Connie. If you were to going to live in any state…?"

She paused mid-bite to frown, "Steven-"

"Hear me out Connie. I know you have Lion, but we were talking about it before right? That you wanted to start your career. To move forward and make a difference? I think I want to take the entertainment route. I think that's something I could do really well. Entertainment means I'll travel a lot, but you'll be sedentary at first. Why not plan together?"

She puzzled and mulled over his words, truly trying to formulate her own ideas on the thought. Finally, she nodded.

"Yeah I guess that makes sense. I mean it is four years from now, but I did already find some internships where I could work in government council. I guess… I would go back to Delmarva. I mean, I think I could actively impact the rocky ground that is Gem and Human alliance. Little Homeworld being by Beach City, I mean… I would live near there. That's not for a long while though Steven."

He nodded, "Sure. I know. But, I was already thinking about moving back right? I just wanted to see if our goals were similar."

"Course they are Steven. Whatever you do, we can still make it work." She continued to eat, leaving Steven to mull at his pancakes.

Was it truly possible to maintain what they had long term? He hoped so, desperately, but he was tired. It felt so far away and so despairingly close all at once.

Brunch ended all too soon, a kiss and a wave later, Steven found himself in the driver's seat of his car. How long had he been sitting in the parking lot? Long enough to be hot under the sun, long enough for his stomach to start churning from the greasy diner food. His reflection looked back up at him from the screen of his phone. Steven sighed and unlocked it, finding the name he needed and called.

It rang.

Again.

And Again…

"Steven?"

"Hey Dad."