I covered my mouth, genuinely wishing I could take back everything I had just said. How could I have been so impulsive? All three of us continued to stand in taciturnity as I intimately wanted to kick myself. "She...Uh..." Steven stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. I didn't know if he was insulted or agitated. I didn't mean for that to come out. I'm such a cruddy friend. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be rude! I—".

"Hey, Hey! Don't worry about it. It's no big deal," Greg grinned, trying to soothe me down. I cuddled myself, biting my lip down. I was a complete idiot. Trying to judge from Steven's expression, his mom probably left him or she's dead. And I had to remind him of this by opening my big, ignorant mouth.

"Uh...You see, a Gem's body is kind of an illusion", Steven proceeded to explain, despite me telling him not to. "So, to give birth to me, my mum had to give up her physical form. So technically, I am my mum, in a way, I guess".

I stood there, my mouth wide open, no longer knowing what to say. I was so overwhelmed about it all. Their bodies are illusions? To have a kid, they had to sacrifice their "physical form?". What did that even mean?

"Wait so, you're telling me that your body is just my eyes playing tricks on me?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, just to be sure. "No, I mean—This is difficult to explain," muttered Steven. Before I could ask more questions like; How did your mum give birth to you and become you at the same time?

A gigantic, fluffy cat was plodding from around the corner. However, it wasn't an ordinary cat. It was a lion! I fell back at the sight, promptly, literally almost screaming for help, or someone who was willing to call Animal Control."Lion! Hey, buddy!", By pressing his face into its fur, Steven embraced the lion, trying to wrap his hands behind its head. He burst out laughing when he turned around and witnessed my face while he was hugging a lion. "I told you I had a pet lion. And you didn't believe me", He taunted me, placing his hands on his hips. Furthermore, shuddering in utter fear, I forced my trembling tongue to stick out. Since the only thing that I dislike more than untamed, ferocious animals, is being mocked . Especially if Steven Universe is the person mocking me.

He squeezed my hand and, regardless of how much I objected, guided me to his lion. "It's ok, he won't hurt you", Steven pacified me down, tenderly. With my hand still in his palms, he pressed my hand on the mane of his lion, making me stroke it. I began to smile when I began to realize that the lion wasn't going to hurt me.

"What's his name again?", I asked Steven, still caressing the lion's mane. "Lion". I narrowed my eyebrows and nearly started snickering. "Lion...The Lion", I reiterated it, with a hint of mockery in the hue of my tone. "Very original".

"What are you doing here, Lion?", Steven asked, hyperbolically, obviously not awaiting a response from his pet. "Steven!", A voice called out his name, causing Steven to peer up in shock. A girl jogged up to the carwash. Out of breath, she bent over, planting both her hand on her knees, puffing out air. She had a summer mint green dress with a thin purple sash around it and pearl white flats.

"Hey, Connie", Steven greeted her with a wide smile. Connie. I've never heard of her before. Was she his friend? Was she his girlfriend? Why didn't he tell me about her? Why do I care? I shouldn't care. I don't care.

"I was just looking for you. Until Lion decided to wander off. You should've seen the newest episode of Under The Knife! So much drama in such a short span of time". Just so I wasn't left out of the discussion, I gave Steven a soft and fraudulent cough, which made him notice me. "Oh! Connie, this is (Y/N). She just moved here", Steven introduced me, reaching behind him, grasping my hand so that he could tug me forward. Connie waved graciously to me. She seemed friendly.

"Anyway, I have tennis soon, I just came to drop Lion off. My mum's waiting for me, so I'll see you around", she smiled, giving Steven a 'Goodbye' hug, before speeding off. Steven then turned his attention back to me. "Now, what were we talking about?", he asked, forgetfully. I realized what he was talking specifically about. I didn't want to remind him of his mother. Talking about it seemed like a difficult thing. I understand that gruesome feeling and unwanted throbbing pain it brought, and I'm not letting anyone as pure as he was, suffer through it too. So, I shrugged, as if I forgot as well.

"So, (Y/N), have any plans for this evening?", Greg thankfully changed the subject, while wiping the hood of his van. I shrugged, once again. "I don't know. My mum is going this book club across town soon to be more 'Social' so I'm home alone tonight".Greg grinned at me, offering a final polish to his hood. I didn't have much planned. I thought I would just get a bowl popcorn, a room-temperature soda and binge-watch movies all night until my mum comes home. "I'm sure Steven wouldn't mind you staying a little longer", Greg spoke for his son. Suddenly, Steven began to smile. Not his regular, friendly smile. But a peppy, excited one. And it got wider by the second. It terrified me.

"Why are you smiling like that?", I asked, apprehensive about what the answer would be. But, he didn't respond. He just kept smiling. It took me a while to finally realise why he was grinning like that.

"Steven, no", I vigorously denied his indirect suggestion. But, his smile got wider.

"Steven, I'm serious".

And he clenched his fists and raised them to his chest enthusiastically and eagerly."Steven, I have a lot of stuff to catch up on and I don't have time for a--".

"░S░L░E░E░P░O░V░E░R░!░!░!░".

He grasped me tightly and hauled me into a secure hug, as a way of showing me that I had no other choice. I tried to squeeze out of his grip, but he tightened his embrace around my waist every time I tried. "We're going to have so much fun!", he exclaimed, pressing me more parsimonious. I'm definitely going to wake up with a bruise on my back tomorrow. Steven might seem plump and cute, but BOY can he hug.

"We're going to eat lots of candy, and watch movies, and build a pillow fort, and tell scary stories and we're NEVER GOING TO SLEEP!". God, I was going to suffocate or pass out from lack of oxygen if I didn't stop this hyperactive kid. I squeezed my hands between us, planted them on his chest and mildly pushed myself out of his grasp. I spent some time trying to recapture my breath that was rapidly taken by Steven's embrace. He chuckled, apologetically. "Sorry, I got a little carried away".

A little?!

"Steven, I already have plans", to make a point, I sternly explained to him, but also in a gentle way so he doesn't assume I'm being petty. "And I haven't asked my mum, and I'm sure she'll say no, and...and...". My voice trailed off when I glanced at Steven, pouting distressingly at me. I hate it when people pout. Guilt-tripping me like he was. I would essentially do almost anything to stop it. "I mean, I-I guess I could try--".

Before I could finish, I was once again tackled by Steven, as we both crumpled to the ground with my face planted on the pavement. "Yes! This is going to be the best sleepover ever!", he cheered, compressing me into another firm and suffocating hug. "Steven! You're killing me!".

~

"Do you have everything?", mum urged, escorting me to our front door. I rolled my orbs, irritated and provoked by mum asking me the same question over and over again. "Yes, for the tenth time", I answered, uptightly.

"Do you have your pyjamas?", mum asked, disregarding my rude tone.

"Yes", I replied, hoping she wouldn't bombard me with a million other questions. "

Do you have your toothbrush?".

"Yes".

"Clean clothes for tomorrow?".

"Yes".

"That teddy bear that you sleep with at night?".

"Mum~!", I exclaimed, flustered that someone would hear. Even though mum and I were the only people in the room. "Well, do you or not?",  she huffed, unmistakably tired of my attitude. "You're not leaving this house until I get an answer"."Yes! I have Boris-Bear! Now can we go?". Mum chuckled, teasingly, opening the front door for me. "You are so bashful sometimes", she smiles, which coincidentally made me pout. She ruffled my hair, taking my hand and accompanying me to Steven's house.

I knocked gently on the door, waiting to be seized by a jittery teenager. I heard a little commotion from the other side of the door, but I didn't think much of it. I overheard muffled, excited squeals getting louder by the second before the door swung open. "Welcome to the best sleepover in Beach City!", Steven asserted, doing exactly as I predicted, by grasping me and pressing me into a firm hug. Note to self; Get a taser for the next time Steven tries to hug me.....I was joking.

Fortunately, I was saved from getting my bones pulverised when Steven noticed my mum standing behind me. He waved at her, with me still in his grasp, except he slightly loosened it, so I could actually breathe instead of gagging on my desperate puffing for air. "Hi (Y/N)'s mum!", he greeted her in a dainty voice. "Hello, Steven. You two going to have fun?". Steven eagerly nodded, releasing me as I unstiffed my sore back. However, he still managed to keep a firm grip on my hand. It was like he knew I was going to try and creep away once he released me. "I have a lot of fun stuff planned!", he jittered with emotion, almost erupting with excitement. "This'll be so cool, you won't want to go back home!".

I mouthed to my mum the words, 'Save Me', behind Steven's back. She chuckled, before digging into her purse. She pulled out her phone to promptly check the time, before shoving it back in. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Check your phone incase I call you, ok (Y/N)?". I nodded, casually. Mum leaned down and gave me a tiny peck on my forehead. She had already planted it before I could stop. "Mum~!", I whined in the same tone I did earlier. This time she, however, ignored me, instantly rushing off the veranda and down on the shore of the beach. Steven wasted no time hauling me inside his house and shutting the door. I slipped my bag off and tossing it on the couch, which I was assumed is where I was going to sleep.

"So, what's first on the agenda?", I asked, plopping myself on the couch, next to my bag. Frantically, Steven pointed at the stack of pillows and blankets in the corner that was already pre-made. "We need a pillow fort! Obviously!", he exclaimed. Despite that he was still super excited, I could that he's enthusiasm had died down and he was just pleased I agreed to this. He gripped onto the edge of a pillow and tossed it at me. It bounced off my forehead and into my hands. Steven chuckled at my late reaction, grasping a pillow for himself. "There are videos on TubeTube that show how to make awesome pillow forts. We can use that". Steven picked up his phone from the coffee table, scrolling through his apps. He opened the TubeTube app, typing in 'Pillow Fort Tutorial' in the search bar."

I think we need another blanket on this side", I called out to Steven. He nodded, gripping onto the edge of another purple blanket and tossed it to me. Believe it or not, I was actually enjoying myself. I've never had a sleepover with a boy before, so I stereotypically thought all we would do was watch Monstertruck TV Shows or have burping competitions. But, this childish play of building a fort was really fun. I covered up the hole on top of the fort, before giving a big thumbs up to Steven. "I told you it would be awesome!", Steven praised, almost wrecking all our hard work in the process. I got down on my knees, crawling into the fort as Steven joined me. Wow, it was surprisingly cozy in here. I was really impressed with our work.

I bit my lip uncontrollably, earning a tiny chuckle from Steven. I gave him a 'What's so funny?' glance before he replied. "I've never seen you this happy before. It's really adorable". I bestowed mild disapproval of Steven's recognition by curving my lip and furrowing my brow to show I was provoked. Steven knew I disliked being seen as adorable or cute. But he calls me that anyway. I'm assuming he does it for a humorous reaction out of me, but I attempted not to give him anything too entertaining. Steven gave a placid and suppressed laugh, as to not completely tick me off. "Sorry, I forgot you don't like being called that". I responded with a passive-aggressive eye-roll as a gesture to dismiss this ridiculous topic.

Steven grabbed onto a blue DVD case from next to him. It had a samurai sword in the middle with the title: 'Lonely Blade', on it, written in some sort of Japenese font that I wasn't aware of. I've heard of Lonely Blade before. I never watched it because the title seemed so plain and dull, so it never struck me as interesting. But, I didn't want to be a jerk and ruin the great time Steven and I were having, so I swallowed up my spitefulness and offensive behaviour urging to crawl out, allowing Steven to slip the disk into the DVD Player. Biting down my tongue, resisting the impulse to say something offensive, he pressed the play button and the movie began to start.

All right, scratch what I said. Lonely Blade is actually not that bad. Twenty minutes in, I was kind of hooked. I could tell Steven had already watched this film as he was repeating common phrases in unison with the characters. I brought my knees to my chest, clutching onto them. As I was getting comfortable, I noticed in the corner of my eye, Steven's shoulder was leaning against mine. I don't think he noticed as he was so involved in the film.

I tried sending him the message by shaking him off my shoulder. He began to grumble in distress, as a sign that he didn't want to move. So, I let him do what he wanted. I took a gummy bear from the plastic bowl of lollies in front of and between Steven and I. While the next scene of the movie began, he peered over my shoulder and beamed. "You have a teddy bear too?", he glimmered lightly. A faint, but red blush covered my cheeks instantly. Luckily, it was dark and Steven most likely didn't see my red face.

He is going to start making fun of me. I know he is. All my other friends did when they found out I had a teddy bear, and now Steven is going to too. However, he reached behind him, revealing a mauve stuffed animal with a golden dollar sign necklace and white party glasses.

"This is MC Bear Bear", he introduced his teddy bear, swinging it in front of me. Steven used his thumb and his index finger to clutch on the bear's paw and make it wave at me. "Who's your friend?". I glance back at my bear in scepticism. He seemed to be glancing at me, as if he was saying, "See? I knew he wouldn't make fun of you".

I smiled, gently grabbing him and placing him in front of me. "This is Boris-Bear", I answered, gripping him a little tighter. "He got his name when he scared off a stray cat that tried to attack me when I was little. The name Boris means "to fight", and he was so brave that day, I decided to call him that".

Steven's mouth was completely gaped open by my story. I never realise the deep meaning behind my teddy bear's name until I say it out loud. "Boris-Bear is the coolest!", Steven inaudibly applauded, receiving a giggle from me. Suddenly, right out of the blue, Steven starting pouting. His happy grin turned swiftly into a miniature frown. I was awfully concerned that I did something wrong.

"Steven, I wasn't laughing AT you", I informed him. He nodded gloomily to show that he knew I wasn't making fun of him. "Then what's wrong?".

"Nothing", he managed to croak out.

I obviously didn't believe him. And I wasn't about to stop there. "I'll just keep asking until you tell me", I urged him, which he didn't respond to. Right. I began mildly poking his arm, making him flinch every time he felt my finger jab on his sleeve. It didn't take long for him to finally give in.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you. But, don't make fun of me", he advised me. I nodded in agreement as Steven took a deep breath and began to explain.

"When the Gems and I went on a mission a while ago, I...I saw something outside the warp stream".

I frowned, furrowing my eyebrows. "What's a warp stream?", I asked. Steven explained how Warp Pads were gem teleportation devices used to go to different places. He pointed to the one just outside his kitchen to show me what it looked like. A crystal platform with the top half of a brilliant-cut diamond. It looked so shiny. I think I remember them using it before.

"I tried telling the others what I saw. They didn't believe me. That's why I invited you over. I really couldn't sleep alone knowing I saw something creepy out there".

I was honestly weirded out just by listening to that story. I felt really bad for him. So, I decided to do something a little kooky to make him feel better. I linked my arm with his arm, drawing him towards me. He was utterly shocked but didn't try to resist. I clutched onto his arm tightly, with our arms still joined. "Don't worry, Steven. I believe you". Steven didn't respond but instead gawked at me in awe. I guess he wasn't expecting any physical contact from me. So, he didn't know how to respond to it. He was anxious I would snap back at him if he tightened his grip on me. So, he stayed completely still.

I chuckled softly under my breath. I didn't realise how terrorised Steven was of me, so I released him. "Am I really that terrifying?", I quietly chortled, in an amusing way. Steven smiled gleefully, still looking just as nervous, but at the same time, he began to look a little sleepy. I leaned my back against the wall of pillows, getting sucked back into the movie. My vision began to blur slightly, causing me to feel a bit of fatigue. I could barely keep my eyes open. What time was it? How long did this movie go for? I casually glanced back at Steven. He had already passed out, with his head resting on my shoulder. He looked so comfortable snuggled up against me and honestly, he looked kind of cute. I couldn't help show a smile. I'd normally shove him off, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. As a new set of weights were piled on my eyelids, I decided it would be best to fall asleep too.

Oh my gosh! 3,300 words?! Do I have nothing else to do with my life! By the way, I changed the name of this story, the cover and the description. Just to let you know