Home World (Steven Universe AU)

Summary:

In which Connie and Blue hang out.

As she walks across the kindergarten, Blue curls in on herself, unused to this frigid weather. It seems to grow colder with each passing day. She considers moving her ship closer to the warp pad but hesitates, not wanting to risk one of the Crystal Gems discovering it. Five Earth days have passed since she arrived on this planet to spend time with Steven and explore Earth's many mysteries. She knows she should leave soon, just to be on the safe side. Blue clenches her hands together beneath her poncho, steps onto the warp pad, and quickly activates it, arriving at Steven's abode within minutes.

He doesn't seem to be home. "Steven," she calls out, walking toward the bathroom. There's no response, and he's not in the citrus-scented room. Perhaps he's on another mission with the Gems, or maybe he's out doing—what was it called? Shopping? Blue moves toward the front of the house and looks out the window. He isn't outside either. Tilting her head in thought, she wonders if she should explore on her own. Although she enjoys Steven's company—he explains things so well—it's been all about Steven for the past few days. Maybe it's time for a change. A new playmate, a new friend. Connie seemed like a good candidate—she's nice. Blue has friends and playmates on Homeworld, of course, but none here on Earth, though she knows her time here is brief.

As she considers her options, Connie suddenly appears, running across the beach toward the house. Spotting Blue through the screen door, Connie waves. Blue returns the gesture and steps aside, allowing the Earth girl to enter.

"Hey, Blue. Is Steven around?" Connie asks, rubbing her cold hands together to warm them.

"No," Blue answers. Her face lights up.

"Awesome, just wanted to check. But actually, do you wanna go to the mall? Just me and you?"

Huh. This was unexpectedly convenient—Blue had just been thinking about spending time with Connie. For the past few days, it's only been Steven and Blue. Connie didn't mind, of course—she often came over to hang out or train with Steven as Stevonnie. But there hadn't been a single day where it was just her and Blue. From what Steven said via text, none of the Gems—except Amethyst—seemed to like Blue. Garnet avoided her, Pearl seemed terrified of her for some reason, but at least Amethyst joked with her.

Steven never asked Connie to hang out with Blue, but with all the texts, Connie started to feel bad. Plus, she didn't have many female human friends outside of cram school.

"Okay," Blue answered, smiling brightly.

Blue moved to open the door, but Connie stopped her. "Wait, you're really going out like that? It's cold."

Blue looked down at herself—silk dress, slip-on shoes, and her poncho, which she'd been told humans wore for cold weather. Then again, Connie wasn't dressed like that. "Is it not appropriate?" she asked, lifting her poncho slightly to gesture to it.

"Not really. Do you have anything else?"

Blue shook her head. The poncho and shoes were new, but she'd been wearing her dress for as long as she could remember.

"You're gonna get sick." Connie perked up, an idea forming. She hadn't brought any extra clothes, and wasn't sure if they would fit Blue anyway—Blue was slim but curvy, while Connie was slim but toned from years of training. She asked Blue to wait, then went to Steven's room to grab a winter jacket. It was blue, at least, so it matched. Returning, she handed it to Blue.

"You can borrow Steven's jacket. I'm sure he won't mind, especially since it's going to get colder later."

Blue had often seen Steven wearing his pink jacket. She put it on over her poncho and zipped it up, mimicking what she'd seen him do. Connie giggled; at least Blue looked warmer now.

"Okay, let's go."

They walked out. Blue felt a little stiff from the layers, but she was much warmer than before. The bus stop wasn't far, and thankfully, they didn't have to wait long for the bus to arrive.

Blue had no idea what a mall was or what to make of it. She didn't even know what she was expecting, really. What she did know now was that it was big—nowhere near as big as some of the structures on Homeworld, but it certainly felt massive. There were so many people too. Blue followed Connie, watching her reactions with curiosity. Connie seemed unsure about this quest, whatever it was.

Connie guided her toward a store with a sign that read "ANIME HEAVEN." Blue was dumbfounded, not sure what in any galaxy that could mean.

"This is Spiro, from a TV show called Cowboys in Space," Steven had once told her. Blue didn't seem to have many interests, though she liked painting and similar activities.

"He's really cute, but also…" Connie began, launching into a small rant about the TV show. She hoped to spark a new interest in Blue.

Blue smiled, finding the discussion interesting. She enjoyed Connie's company. Connie had so many fascinating things to share about what humans did in their free time. Halfway through her explanation, something caught Blue's eye. She wandered a few feet away, stopping in front of a poster.

"How curious," she murmured, examining the advertisement titled THE LITTLE ALIEN.

Connie perked up, grinning. "That's such a tragic romantic story. It's about this girl named Aries, who was born in space, and she falls in love with an Earth boy named Edward. But their love is forbidden because she's a princess who has to take her mother's throne and conquer her kingdom."

It was indeed a tragic tale. "Does… Aries take over the throne?" Blue asked in an uneasy tone.

Connie smirked, gesturing to the poster. "We could watch the series at my house sometime."

Blue's eyes sparkled at the proposition—it sounded like such an interesting and creative story idea. "Okay," she eagerly agreed, curious to know whether Aries chose the throne or her love.

As they explored more stores, Connie noticed Steven had been right: Blue didn't seem to know much about anything Earth-related. It made her wonder just how sheltered Blue was. She couldn't imagine it being worse than how Connie's mom had been, though—at least Connie had a phone and could go out if supervised. Blue was the complete opposite. No phone, and she used words like playtime and mealtime. It wasn't weird, just… curious.

"Do you think Steven would like this?" Blue asked, holding up a pink-and-white stuffed bunny with large ears that could fold into a strawberry shape.

Connie smiled. Visiting the toy store had been a great idea because Blue seemed to love stuffed toys. Before Connie could respond, a child bumped into her from behind while running.

"MOMMY! MOMMY, LOOK!"

Connie dismissed the interruption and was about to respond when she noticed Blue staring at the child holding up fake flowers. Blue's expression was puzzled.

Why give flowers to a loved one if they're fake? she wondered. They can't be smelled, they have no aroma.

"I think Steven would like it," Connie finally answered, bringing Blue's attention back.

Blue smiled down at the plush toy, but her expression soon turned bitter. She had no currency to trade for it. Connie didn't seem to have any either; they had only been browsing the stores so far.

"We can get it," Connie said.

"No currency," Blue reminded her, placing the toy back.

Connie was taken aback. If Blue traveled, as Steven said, how on Earth did she manage without money? "Wait, no money? Then how do you travel? Where do you get food?" Connie asked, following Blue out of the store.

"The stars," Blue answered cryptically. She paused mid-step, noticing something on the ground. Picking it up, she found it was a piece of currency—a $20 bill. "Food is packed before travels," she added, turning back to the toy store.

Blue had seen Steven trade currency for items before, so while the concept was strange, it was easy enough to understand. The bunny cost $5, which meant she would get $15 back. Satisfied, Blue purchased the toy. She debated keeping it for herself or giving it to Steven as intended—the bunny was just that adorable. Hugging it tightly, she let out a small, held-back squeal of delight.

As they left the store, Blue's reminder went off, signaling mealtime—lunch.

"What are you in the mood for? Chinese? Pizza?" Connie asked.

Earth cuisine was so different from what Blue was used to eating at home. It wasn't bad, per se—just lacking in… flavor. This mall seemed to have much more variety compared to Beach City. "Chinese?" she asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Whatever you decide will suffice," Blue replied with a sincere smile.

It was decided they'd have pizza—it was cheap, and even a small size would be enough to share. The pizza was different from what Blue had tried before. Not only were the toppings unusual, but the taste itself was distinct. Perhaps it was because someone else had made it. It wasn't bad, but it was something Blue noticed. Maybe she and Steven could come here next time.

"This has been quite an interesting date," Blue remarked before sipping her drink.

Connie, in the middle of taking a sip of her own, did a spit take and nearly choked. "W-what?" she gasped, pounding her chest as Blue stared at her in alarm and confusion.

"W-wait. This isn't a date," Connie hastily corrected, her face red with embarrassment.

Blue tilted her head. "It's not?"

Connie shook her head quickly. "N-no, we're just hanging out."

Blue looked even more confused. "What's the difference?"

Clearing her throat, Connie tried to explain. "Hanging out is platonic—something friends do together. Dating is, um… pursuing a romantic relationship."

Blue's expression brightened in understanding. "Like courtship?"

Connie beamed. "Yes, exactly."

Blue nodded thoughtfully. "I see."

This made Connie wonder—what did Blue think she and Steven had been doing all this time? Did Blue even understand the concept of courtship? Did she not feel the same way about Steven that Connie did? Leaning forward slightly, Connie asked carefully, "Hey, Blue. Do you like Steven?"

"Of course I do," Blue answered immediately.

That answer was too fast—it wasn't quite what Connie was asking. "No, I mean… do you romantically like Steven?" she clarified.

This time, Blue fell silent. She stared at Connie—no, her eyes were glazed, as if lost in another world.

Do I romantically like Steven? she wondered. Has he been courting me this whole time?

"How… does one know if they do or not?" Blue reluctantly asked, refocusing on Connie.

Connie thought about it for a moment, reflecting on her own experience. "Well… you think about that person a lot. You want to spend time with them more than you did before. You value their interests and want to do things together. Maybe…" She hesitated, "you think about kissing them."

Blue clenched her fists under the table. She had thought about kissing Steven—many times. And not just that—she thought about spending time with him, doing things together, and even leaving her responsibilities just to be with him. The realization dawned on her: Steven had shown romantic interest in her, and she had been too naïve to notice it sooner.

Bit by bit, Connie saw Blue's face turn red as the truth sank in.

"I want to kiss Steven," Blue admitted, raising a trembling hand to her flushed cheek and avoiding Connie's knowing gaze. "Does that count?"

Connie smiled, relieved her best friend wasn't trying in vain. "Yup," she chirped.

Blue should have felt happy, but instead, doubts began to cloud her mind. Is this right? she thought. I'm a Diamond, and we're from opposite sides of the war. Can this even work?

Before Blue could delve further into her thoughts, a shadow loomed over their table, drawing both their attention. Three boys, around their age, stood before them. Connie scowled, clearly recognizing them.

"What do you want, Scott?" Connie asked, her annoyance evident.

There were three boys, but Connie's glare was focused on the blonde in the center—Scott. Blue looked at each of them curiously.

"Didn't know you'd be here. Guess you finally decided to see me," Scott said smugly.

Connie rolled her eyes at his narcissism. "I'm hanging out with my friend. So leave," she snapped, turning back to her pizza and deliberately ignoring him.

Scott's scowl deepened as he glanced at Blue, finding her more appealing. "Hey, girlie, what's your name?" he asked, leaning over her seat.

Blue looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "Don't answer. He's a jerk," Connie warned, glaring at Scott, already guessing his intentions.

Blue blinked, noting Connie's hostility and the boys' behavior. It was clear they were ganging up on her friend. Connie's trembling fist hinted at her restraint—perhaps she didn't want to escalate things without her sword.

"Leave," Blue said coldly, catching them all off guard.

Scott took a step back, suddenly feeling a chill—literally. "What?" he stammered.

Blue's sharp gaze pierced him. "Leave. Now."

Her tone was commanding, almost regal, and it reminded Scott of his grandfather telling war stories. Yet, she was just a girl… wasn't she?

"Or what?" he challenged.

Blue's eyes narrowed further. No one had ever challenged her authority before, and she wasn't about to tolerate it now—especially from someone disrespecting her friend. But she had to be careful; humans were fragile. She unzipped her jacket, giving herself room to move. The boys watched warily, expecting her to pull something out. Instead, in one swift motion, Blue grabbed Scott's ear and twisted it painfully, forcing him to bend down.

"Leave. Now," she commanded again, her voice icy.

Scott yelped and whined, trying to free himself, but Blue's grip was unrelenting. "Fine, fine, fine!" he cried, yielding. She released him with a flick of her wrist, and he stumbled to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he muttered, "Bitch," before scurrying off. His companions, unnerved by the display, quickly followed.

Blue watched until they disappeared into the crowd before turning to Connie. "Was that excessive?" she asked calmly.

Connie, still processing what had happened, broke into a lopsided grin. "Nope."

By the time they returned to Beach City, it was dark. Blue waved goodbye to Connie with a smile before walking toward the beach house. Today had been a long day, filled with revelations and unexpected events. Blue only hoped Connie didn't suspect her of being from another planet, despite her mention of the stars.

Yawning, she noticed the house lights were off—Steven must still be on a mission. She entered the house, leaving the door unlocked in case he returned. Placing the strawberry-stuffed bunny on the table, Blue looked at the identical blueberry one she had bought for herself. Connie had paid for lunch, leaving her enough leftover currency to buy two smaller stuffed animals as well.

Finally, Blue stepped onto the warp pad, returning to the Kindergarten and her ship. The corrupted gems, her feelings for Steven, her worries about being discovered—those could wait for another time. As Blue drifted off to sleep, her last thought was, How are Pearl and the others doing?