Summary:
After trying to learn the ropes of fusion, Steven makes a life-changing discovery thanks to Connie.
Fusion, as it turned out, was a lot harder than Steven ever thought it would be.
The Gems had spent most of the day trying to teach him, and with good reason. They'd been on edge ever since their encounter with Peridot in the Kindergarten. While nothing had really come of it so far, they knew they had to be ready for if and when something did. They all had to be.
Garnet had been the one to suggest it; Steven would need to learn how to fuse eventually, so why not start now? He eagerly leapt at the offer too; fusion was, by far, one of the most amazing talents the Gems possessed. And according to the Gems, he could do it…
If only he could get the hang of dancing first.
In a way, it was funny; he'd never had much trouble dancing on his own before. But wherever he tried to keep up with the Gems' complicated moves, he struggled, to say the least. Amethyst swayed her hips in ways he couldn't even hope to copy. Pearl's twirls and pirouettes left him lying dizzy on the floor. And every move Garnet made was much too fast and fluid for him to even memorize, much less imitate.
Hours passed, with little to show for it. Try as he might to follow along, Steven only found himself falling behind, even if it was only by a beat or two. As a result, he couldn't harmonize, he couldn't synchronize, and above all–
He couldn't fuse.
By the time Steven hit the ground for the tenth time in a row, the Gems finally decided to call it quits for the night. They were nothing but supportive as they led Steven over to the kitchen for a much-needed breather. Still, even if they weren't disappointed, he certainly was. "I don't get it," he said after taking a swig of water. "I thought I almost had it… What could I be doing wrong?"
"Don't worry, Steven," Pearl reassured, smiling. "Nobody expects you to be able to perform fusion right away."
"Yeah!" Amethyst hopped up onto the counter. "It's really hard, even for us!"
"Not for me," Garnet coolly countered.
"We'll keep working on the dance for now, and who knows? Maybe in a few years…" Pearl trained off as her smile slowly faded "Though… I wonder if Steven's body is even capable of fusion. Fusion merges the physical forms of Gems , but Steven's half human . He's organic."
"Organic?" Steven cut in, frowning.
"Aw, come on," Amethyst scoffed, unconcerned. "This is Steven we're talking about here! Who knows what's gonna happen?!" She laughed as she pulled Steven in for a noogie, laughing all the while. Though Steven tried to join her, he couldn't really get past a smile as the first inklings of fear started to sink in. The fear that he might never fuse, no matter how hard he tried.
Before he could fall too deep into that fear, however, Garnet stepped in. "Well, I think Steven can do it," she said with the utmost confidence.
Steven only wished he could share that confidence, but how could he? The Gems had years of experience when it came to fusion, from the swift and skillful Opal, to the strong and sturdy Sugilite, to the massive and mighty Alexandrite. Meanwhile, Steven had only just learned what fusions were a few weeks ago. Not only was he flagging behind them, he was flagging far behind them. And at this point, he wasn't sure if he'd ever catch up.
After all, how could he ever aspire to form fusions as incredible as theirs if he couldn't fuse at all?
"And we've been at it all day, but I'm still no closer than I was when we started," Steven sighed as he filled his friends in later that evening. They'd taken to relaxing in a clearing not too far away from the temple, enjoying the fading glow of twilight under the trees as fireflies lazily flickered about. Or at least, most of them were enjoying it. "Pearl thinks I might not be able to do it at all because I'm 'organic', but Garnet said she thinks I can do it. But to be honest, I'm not so sure…"
"Aw, don't sell yourself short, Steven!" Mabel reassured. "You said the same thing about your healing powers and look at you now! You're the spitting image of a magical healer!"
"Heh, good one," Steven chuckled while Dipper and Connie could only roll their eyes at such an obvious pun. "Thanks, Mabel."
"I don't get what dancing has to do with fusion in the first place," Dipper said, tapping his chin. "I mean, how does it even work? Do each of the Gems use the same dance no matter who they're fusing with, or is it different every time? How do they even know if they're doing it right? Is it like a feeling or is it something else?"
"I wish I knew…" Steven pouted. "Because whatever it is, I don't have it…"
"Can't you just get the Gems to write out the steps?" Connie suggested. "That's bound to make it a little easier to understand, right?"
"No… I don't think it's just about the dancing," Steven said, glancing down. "When they fuse, they glow and kind of… phase into each other. I don't know if I can even do that…"
"Well, maybe all that stuff happens after you get the dancing part down," Mabel theorized with a growing grin. "And until then, you can always practice your dancing skills with us! Right, guys?"
Dipper and Connie both tensed up, eyes wide as they exchanged an awkward, uncertain glance. "Uh, I don't know about that…" Dipper said, far from enthusiastic.
"Me either…" Connie agreed as she rubbed her arm.
"What's there to know about?" Mabel scoffed, smirking. "It's just dancing! Come on, Steven, let's show 'em! It's time for a random dance party for no reason!"
Steven could only laugh when Mabel pulled him to his feet. Their 'dance' wasn't much more than the two of them spinning circles around each other, lost to a giggling fit the entire time. It came to a sudden end as they clumsily tripped over each others' feet, bringing them both toppling to the ground in a breathless, but happy heap.
"You know, I'm not sure if this will really help me learn how to fuse," Steven said as he helped Mabel back up. "But it sure is fun!"
"That's the idea!" Mabel warmly agreed. "Come on, you two!" she hurried over to Dipper and Connie, all but yanking them both up off the ground. "Show us your moves!"
"Uh, I don't really… have any 'moves'," Connie admitted, blushing as she looked over at Dipper.
"Me neither," he shook his head, just as flustered.
"Sure, you do," Mabel grabbed her brother by the arms and spun him around.
"M-Mabel!" Dipper protested, already dizzy. Even so, it came with a laugh he couldn't hide behind annoyance.
"What's the matter, bro-bro?" Mabel teased as she grabbed his shoulders from behind. "Would you rather dance with Steven instead?"
He yelped as she shoved him over to Steven, who stood eagerly ready to welcome him with open arms. At least until Dipper stopped himself just shy of getting there. "Uh, t-that's ok," he forced out a laugh, despite the warmth spreading through his face when he caught Steven's confused frown. "Why don't you dance with Connie instead?"
"Ok!" Steven quickly perked up. As Mabel pulled Dipper into another haphazard dance, he turned to Connie as she stood on the outskirts of their 'party', watching apprehensively, but strangely not participating. "Do you want to dance with me, Connie?" he smiled as he offered her his hand.
"O-oh," Connie started, her face flushing with embarrassment as she glanced away. "Well… well, it's just… I… I've never really danced in front of anyone before…"
"Really?" Steven asked, surprised.
"Yeah…" Connie sighed. "There was a dance at my school, and I was really excited about it but… I just couldn't bring myself to go. I couldn't stop thinking about everyone staring at me…"
Steven frowned, unsure of what to say to make her feel better, other than, "Well… no one's staring right now…"
Connie paused, stealing a brief glance over at Dipper and Mabel. As distracted as they were with their own dance, they certainly weren't looking. But then there was Steven, standing there with a soft smile as he extended his hand to her again. A hand she almost took, except… "Um… you are," she stiffly pointed out.
"Oh yeah…" Steven glanced away, blushing. "One sec." He quickly fished his phone out of his pocket, pulling up a tune to play. As he sat it down in the nearby grass, a light, upbeat pop melody filled the warm evening air.
"Woo! Finally, some jams to dance to!" Mabel cheered from across the clearing. She quickly caught onto the beat and didn't hesitate to drag Dipper along to it, against his barely-serious protests.
Connie couldn't help but laugh at her unbridled enthusiasm, though it soon faded when she noticed what Steven was doing. He stood a pace away from her, one arm covering his eyes as he held his other out to her. "So what I was trying to say was…" he began with a shy, yet earnest smile. "Come dance with me."
And this time, that's exactly what she did.
She forced her anxiety down as she grabbed his hand, unable to stifle a blush when he finally uncovered his eyes to look at her. True to her word, she had no experience when it came to dancing, which was why she let him take the lead. Their dance started much slower than the one the twins were still battling over somewhere in the background. But for Steven and Connie, this was more than enough to get them both smiling as the music started to swell.
The gentle glow of the nearby fireflies was dazzling, but Steven found himself dazzled by another sight altogether as he and Connie pulled apart a bit. Her former fears finally faded as she let out a joyful laugh, spinning freely without a care in the world. Steven joined her, pulling Dipper and Mabel along after them as they ran, skipped, and danced around the clearing, endlessly laughing all the while. And with that laughter ringing loud and clear, even the emerging shadows of dusk couldn't compare to just how bright it felt for all four of the kids in that moment.
But as they'd soon find out, it would only get brighter from there.
It didn't take long for the twins to crash into each other, knocking them both back into the grass. Steven and Connie tripped over each other too, but she managed to catch him far before he could ever fall. And in that moment, with their faces flush and only inches apart as laughter once again bubbled up in both of their chests–
Something nothing short of magic happened.
It took only a moment, for Connie to close her eyes, relishing this moment for all it was worth. It only took a moment, for Steven's gem to envelop them both in a warm, rosy glow.
It only took a moment, for two to become one .
They took in a breath like it was their first, their eyes slowly opening to find the same forest surrounding them, but from a strangely different perspective. An odd sort of sensation struck them as they sat there, disoriented. It felt as though they were still holding onto each other, but that couldn't be right. Instead, they were on the ground, arms loose at their sides as they stared at their long pair of shapely legs.
A single pair of legs.
"Whoa…" they gasped in a voice they didn't recognize. "Why am I-" They stopped short when they found Steven's flip flops and Connie's flats, lying discarded in the grass beside them. Their arm–much longer than it should have been–reached out to take a sandal, holding it against their foot. "Why is… your sandal too small for my—your feet…?"
They trailed off when they finally noticed the pair of wide, awestruck eyes upon them. They glanced up to find Dipper and Mabel staring at them, their jaws dropped in shock they couldn't understand the source of. "Guys, what's…" they blinked down at their hands, still trying to get used to the sound of their own voice. "What's going on…?"
After what felt like an eternity, the twins finally managed to find their own voices again. "That's… a great question," Dipper said, his eyebrows raised.
"Ok, you're a really cool-looking mysterious stranger, whoever you are," Mabel began a small, puzzled smile. "But, uh… where'd you come from? And where did Steven and Connie go?"
"Huh?" they frowned, confused. "What are you talking about? I'm… I… we're… right here…?"
The twins exchanged a glance that was filled with enough doubt to make them share it as well. They took another look at themselves, at their strangely long limbs, their jean shorts, pink shirt, and turquoise top, their long, dark, curly hair, and–
And the all-too familiar gemstone sitting squarely in the center of their stomach. The surest sign there ever could have been that they weren't just one or the other.
They were both .
"Steven?!" they exclaimed, eyes wide as it suddenly hit them all at once. "Connie?! I-I did it! You did it?"
The twins stood by, warily watching as they struggled to pick themselves up off the ground. "Wait," they began again, legs wobbling as they pulled their unfamiliar weight onto them. "This is—no. This is… great !" A huge grin spread across their face as they stole another glance down at themselves, stars in their eyes. "Oh my gosh, look at you now! I can't believe it!"
"Um, hey, remember us?" Dipper raised his hand. "Care to explain what the heck is going on here?"
"Dipper, Mabel!" they beamed down at the pair. "It's me! It's us !"
"Uh… who?" Mabel frowned, shaking her head.
"You guys!" they laughed, elated as they proudly proclaimed, "I'm a fusion !"
"What?!" the twins both exclaimed, more bewildered than ever.
"Wait, whoa, hold on," Dipper put his hands up as he tried to make sense of this. "So what you're saying is…you're Steven and Connie… fused together?"
"Uh huh," they nodded, grinning.
For as much as Dipper might've been confused, Mabel was nearly every bit as beside herself with excitement as the fusion themselves was. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh !" she squealed as she ran up to them, taking both of their hands. "This is the coolest thing to ever happen in the history of everything ever! You're so tall and pretty… and so Steveny and Connieish all at the same time!"
"Well, I am our fusion, so I hope I'd be pretty 'Steveny and Connieish'," the fusion said, chuckling.
"How did this even happen in the first place?" Dipper asked as he curiously circled them. "I thought only Gems could fuse with each other."
"I have no idea," they shrugged. "One minute, we're just dancing and the next, we're like… this. It's… weird." For the first time since they formed, their smile slowly faded into something more contemplative as they held up their hand, slowly turning it over. It felt as foreign as it looked, yet it was still them , all of this was, in a way they scarcely knew how to describe. So they didn't bother trying to, at least not right now, when they were still riding this high."B-but in a good way! It's like… we're both here, but there's less of us, a-and more of us! Does… does that make any sense?"
"None at all," Dipper bluntly admitted.
"Nothing needs to make sense when you're a totally amazing fusion!" Mabel cheerfully proclaimed. "So who's in charge of what? Does Steven control your legs while Connie works the arms, or is it the other way around? Are you guys taking turns talking or are you both talking at the same time and it comes out as one voice? Do you have any special fusion powers? Like flying? Or invisibility? Or speaking French?"
"Hm…" the fusion thoughtfully tapped their chin. "I don't think we–I mean, I have any special powers–aside from the ones I– Steven already has, anyway. As for who controls what… I think we're just doing it together. It's kind of hard to explain if you can't really feel it for yourself."
"I want to feel it!" Mabel's hand shot straight up. "Fuse with me next! Oh!" She grabbed her brother's arm, pulling him up alongside her. "And Dipper too! All four of us, at the same time! That way, we can all feel what it's like, together !"
"Mabel…" Dipper groaned, flustered as he yanked his arm away from her. "Steven and Connie literally just fused. Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself here?"
"Aw, I guess so," Mabel sighed, still smiling. "Sorry, you guys. I didn't mean to overshadow just how awesome you two are on your own. You guys deserve your time to shine! So you know what we've gotta do now, don't you?"
The fusion raised an eyebrow, unsure of the meaning behind her leading grin, at least at first. It didn't take them long to get it, and once they did, they quickly folded into an eager smile themselves.
After all, as long as they were together, they might as well make the most of it, right?
So they took both twins by the hands, pulling them along after them back towards the temple as they happily exclaimed, "I have to show everybody!"
"So?" the fusion asked, arms held out wide as they showed themselves off. "Pretty cool, right?" They couldn't help but smirk when they saw the stunned looks on each of Gems' faces, almost identical to how the twins had been back in the woods. Dipper and Mabel stood alongside them now, every bit as curious to see how they'd react to Steven's first fusion. Especially after they'd worried if he'd ever be able to fuse at all, worries that were all but completely unfounded now.
Pearl was the first to shake her shock off as she stiffly spoke up. "H-he fused? With Connie?!"
"Pearl," Amethyst elbowed her, letting out a snort of a laugh. "Look at Garnet."
They both peered over at her, only to find the massive, delighted grin spread wide across her face. Despite that grin, she said nothing, only gleefully staring at the fusion as her teammates continued taking them in.
"So," Amethyst flashed the twins a wry grin. "Were you guys there when these two… you know…?" Her smile turned even more mischevious as she linked her fingers together.
" Amethyst !" Pearl warned, flustered. Fortunately, the innuendo mostly went over the kids' heads. Mostly.
"Uh, yeah, we were there," Dipper rubbed his arm, uncomfortable.
"And we saw the whole thing!" Mabel chimed in. "Including the part where they both got all shiny and they whoosh –turned into the same person! It was super cool!"
"And kind of confusing," Dipper countered with an honest shrug.
"It's more than just confusing," Pearl agreed as she examined the fusion from almost every angle. "It's unprecedented! A Gem fusing with a human being? It's impossible! Or at the very least inappropriate…"
Amethyst suddenly shoved her out of the way so she could grin up at the much taller fusion. "Don't listen to Pearl. You two look great together! How does it feel, Steven? Connie? … Stevonnie ?!"
"That's it!" Mabel snapped her fingers. "I've been trying to come up with something to call you guys that isn't just 'Steven-and-Connie'. Stevonnie is perfect ! It fits you so well!"
"It's literally just Steven and Connie's names mashed together," Dipper dryly pointed out.
"Uh, yeah, that's what makes it so great," Amethyst said, smirking. "Because they literally are Steven and Connie mashed together."
"Stevonnie, huh?" the fusion couldn't help but smile at the name. "I like that."
"Then it's settled!" Mabel exclaimed as she took their hand and shook it. "Stevonnie, it's so nice to meet you!"
"You already know us," Stevonnie laughed. "But thanks."
"Yes, well…" Pearl cut in with an apprehensive frown. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves, but… you two should unfuse this instant."
"What?" all four (three) of the kids asked in surprised unison. Above all of them, Stevonnie was the most taken aback as they looked down at themselves first, then back at Pearl.
"I don't understand," they shook their head. "Pearl, you were so worried that Steven wouldn't be able to do this. Aren't you proud of him?"
"O-of course I am!" Pearl started, anxious. Unsure of what else to say, she decided to defer to someone who was a bit more experienced in navigating waters like these. "Garnet, help me out here."
Garnet complied, walking up to Stevonnie and placing her hands on the sides of the fusion's face. They stared up at her, worrying she might request they split up, just like Pearl had. Only to get something entirely different from her instead.
"Stevonnie, listen to me," Garnet began, strong and steady. "You are not two people. And you are not one person. You… are an experience! Make sure you're a good experience. Now…" Her earlier smile returned in full force as she offered them one simple, easy piece of advice. One she knew they'd have no problems following to the fullest. "Go have fun !"
And so, that's exactly what Stevonnie set out to do.
They'd rushed out of the house, practically dragging Dipper and Mabel after them as they headed out into the early evening. After all, if they were going to go have fun, they figured they all should get a chance to, fused or not. Even so, it quickly became apparent that the twins couldn't quite keep up as Stevonnie's excitement began to expand into all-out euphoria.
They led the way across town, over to the lake, where the moon shined brightly upon the surface of the water. With a smile on their face and the wind in their hair, Stevonnie jogged up the shoreline, leaving the twins to watch as they bounded up to the short cliffs nearby. They hesitated, only for a moment, before they dove off the edge of one of those cliffs, howling with laughter even as they splashed into the dark water below.
That laughter only continued to echo as they let the current carry them back to shore. High above them, the sky was sparkling with stars that had never seemed as bright or as beautiful as they did right now. Likewise, every breath they took felt fresh and invigorating, every thought and action felt bold and boundless in ways they'd never known before. It was if they could go anywhere, do anything, be anyone they could possibly dream of.
And the best part was, they'd get to do it all together .
Eventually, Dipper and Mabel found them as they stepped out of the shallows, wringing the water out of their hair. "Oh, hey, guys," Stevonnie greeted them with a bright smile ."Why do you both look so tired?"
The twins practically leaned against each other, completely breathless after chasing the fusion all the way over here. "Oh… no reason…" Dipper deadpanned, exhausted.
"Whoo!" Mabel perked up much more quickly. "Well, that was one heck of a late night run! So what do you guys wanna do next?"
"I don't really know…" Stevonnie admitted. "Garnet told us to 'have fun', and I am, but… I feel like I'm supposed to be doing even more than that. I'm just… not sure what, exactly…"
"We could always find a monster for you guys to fight," Mabel suggested with a daring grin. "Then you can put your super fusion skills—if you have any, anyway—to the test!"
"Or maybe we could do something a little less… life-threatening?" Dipper countered as they all started making their way back toward town. "Like check out what that's all about."
He nodded in the direction of a nearby parking lot, one that was usually abandoned during the day. But in the low light of evening, a small fire had been set in, of all things, a dumpster sitting on the pavement. From a distance, the kids could see a group gathered around the dumpster, laughing as they lobbed random objects into the blaze.
"Oo, a real-life garbage fire," Mabel cooed, intrigued. "I've heard about them, but never actually seen one in person before!"
"I don't know, you guys…" Stevonnie frowned, rubbing their arm. "That looks pretty intense…"
"Yeah, it's intense, but so are you, Stevonnie," Mabel encouraged. "Intensely awesome !"
"We might as well at least go see and see what's going on over there" Dipper said, shrugging. "And if it's too intense, we can always just bail out."
"Y-yeah," Stevonnie agreed, forcing a bit more confidence into their step as they followed after the twins. "We can always bail…"
In the dim street light, the kids' approach went largely unnoticed by the crowd in the parking lot. They decided to take refuge behind the trees surrounding it, scoping the scene out now that they had a better look. It didn't take them long to realize the "intense" group gathered around the fire was far more familiar than they first thought.
"Oh, hey, looks like it's just Wendy and her friends," Dipper pointed out. Sure enough, many of the local teens were present and accounted for, including Wendy as she hung back and laughed at her friends' rowdy antics.
"See? Nothin' to worry about," Mabel smiled up at Stevonnie. "Just a bunch of teens being teens." She paused for a moment, perching her hand against her chin in thought. "You know, Stevonnie, you sort of look like a teen now too. You should totally go join them!"
"W-what? Me?" Stevonnie started, eyes wide. "I-I mean, on one hand it'd be fun to see if I could just blend right in with them, but… I shouldn't. It's dishonest."
"Maybe a little," Mabel acknowledged. "But when are you ever gonna have a chance to hang out with the cool kids—er, cool older kids, since we're already pretty cool and all—again? When you're older? By then, all the older kids will be even older and then-"
"Mabel, you've already stopped making any sense," Dipper cut in, rolling his eyes. "Still… it would be interesting to see if you guys could blend in with them. With the way you look now, none of them would probably even recognize you."
"And even if they do recognize you, I'm sure they'll love you since you're so amazing !" Mabel encouraged. She attempted to give the fusion a gentle nudge out in the open, not that she even got them to budge with how much taller they were than her. "So get out there and mingle, Miss-uh, Mr.? Both? Neither? Whichever applies here? Aw, who cares!" She gave them another shove, one that, paired with a burst of their own courage, was finally enough to get them out of hiding. "Just go!"
As nervous as they were about this, Stevonnie figured it couldn't be too bad if they had both twins in their corner, silently cheering them on from the sidelines. So they ventured out, stepping onto the parking lot's still-warm pavement with their bare feet. They tread softly, all the way over to where the teens were still occupied with throwing sticks and rocks and pieces of trash into the garbage fire, just to see how it would react. Stevonnie wasn't so sure what about such an activity was so enchanting or enticing in the teens' eyes, but maybe they would, when they were older.
Which, of course, was what they were supposed to be acting like they were right now.
"Come on, Thompson!" Lee cheered as Nate enthusiastically echoed.
"Toss the can! Toss the can!"
"Uh, I-I don't know you guys," Thompson frowned as he held up a can of air freshener. "Won't it like, explode or something?"
"Yeah, it will," Wendy said, smirking. "That's exactly why you've gotta throw it, man! It'll be sick."
The other teens jumped in, excitedly encouraging Thompson until he finally threw the can into the fire. Naturally, it exploded, rattling the dumpster as it filled the air with a fresh, pleasant scent.
"Nice," Tammy smirked as she snapped a photo of the blast.
"Hm," Jenny noted, grinning as she took the aroma in. "Smells like my Gunga's linen closet out here now."
"Cozy," Buck nodded his approval. "Like laying down in a pile of fresh laundry."
"Ha! Or like a lion laying down on your face while you're trying to sleep!" Stevonnie finally chimed in, chuckling. Their levity was short-lived as the entire group turned to face them, confused by them and their sudden appearance. Stevonnie backpedaled, suddenly anxious under so many eyes on them, though they still forced a smile all the same. "I-I mean… uh, how do you do, um, fellow teens?"
"Uh… do we know you?" Tambry asked, eyebrows raised.
"Um, sort of?" Stevonnie shrugged, though they quickly caught themself. "I-I mean, no! Nope. Never met neither of us-I-I mean, just me before-"
"Whoa," Wendy spoke up, incredulous. Her eyes were wide as she stared straight at Stevonnie; or rather, at the completely exposed gemstone on their stomach. "No way… Steven ?"
Stevonnie froze, startled, but fortunately, no one paid them much mind in favor of looking over at Wendy, completely confused. "Uh, Wendy?" Lee said. "That's not Steven."
"Look, I know it sounds crazy, guys," she glanced at her bewildered friends. "But they've got his-" She stopped short when she looked back at Stevonnie–
Only to find that Stevonnie wasn't there.
"They probably won't recognize us, huh?" Stevonnie snarked the second they made it back to the twins. "Well, Wendy sure did just now!"
"Sorry," Dipper winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I sort of forgot about Steven's gem. There really is no mistaking it for anyone else's, huh?"
"Why'd you run away, Stevonnie?" Mabel asked, frowning. "If you'd stuck around, I'm sure you would have hit it off with them just fine."
"I-I wanted to stay, but…" Stevonnie trailed off, loosely hugging themself. "I just… t-they were all looking at me, and I didn't know what to say, so I just-"
"Bailed." The kids all flinched when they realized they'd been caught. Wendy stood behind them, casually leaning against a tree as she offered them a wry smile. "So, 'Stevonnie', huh? What's all that about?"
Stevonnie rubbed their arm, nervously glancing away. "Um… well…"
"Wendy, it's only the coolest thing ever , you're never gonna believe it!" Mabel explained in their stead, already going a mile a minute. "Steven and Connie fused ! It's this super cool thing we thought only Gems could do where they get all glowy, and combine with each other, and turn into just one, brand-new Gem, but then Steven and Connie did it and bam –we've got ourselves a Stevonnie!"
Wendy paused, surprised, as she looked to Dipper for confirmation. All he could really do was offer up a shrug. "We couldn't make this kind of stuff up if we tried."
"Guess I have no choice but to buy it then," Wendy shook her head, smiling at Stevonnie. "It's pretty wild that you guys were able to do something like this. But what I still don't get is why you took off like that just now. My friends are super chill. They totally wouldn't have freaked out if they found out who you really are."
"A-are you sure?" Stevonnie asked, nervously running a hand through their long hair.
"Positive," Wendy nodded. "Why don't you come back out there with me? I won't even blow your cover if you don't want me to. I'll have your back the whole time, trust me."
"Really?" Stevonnie asked, exchanging a brief glance with the twins. Just like before, their encouraging smiles proved just enough to urge them onward, even against the dread trying to drag them down. "O-ok, I guess."
"Don't worry," Dipper assured. "We'll be right here if you need us."
"And remember what Garnet said," Mabel enthusiastically added. "Have some fun !"
"Fun…" Stevonnie softly echoed as they hesitantly followed Wendy back over to the others. "Right…"
"Hey, guys, I'm back," Wendy greeted her friends as they remained around the dumpster. "And there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Stevonnie."
"Uh… hi," they stiffly waved. To their relief, the teens returned it with welcoming nods and sincere smiles. A far cry from the suspicious, downright unnerved reaction they'd been expecting–and afraid of.
"Oh, it's Stevonnie !" Jenny exclaimed. "For some reason, Wendy thought you were our friend Steven."
"O-oh, really?" Stevonnie asked with a much too-wide smile.
"Cut me some slack, Jenny," Wendy crossed her arms. "This garbage fire only gives so much light to go off of out here."
"Uh, about the fire," Stevonnie spoke up, curious. "What's the deal with it? Did one of you guys set it, or…"
"We just found it like this," Nate shrugged. "Already on fire and everything."
"Really?" Stevonnie asked, surprised. "Weird."
A beat of silence passed as they all regarded the still burning blaze before them, started under circumstances that would forever remain a mystery. "Yeah, you know, it is pretty weird," Buck finally agreed.
"So are you like, new around here or something?" Tambry asked Stevonnie, barely looking up from her phone.
"Uh… I guess you could say that," they said. At least it wasn't a total lie; Stevonnie, as a fusion, was only a few short hours old, after all. As strange as that thought was for someone who could and was passing for a teen.
"Aw, man!" Thompson's forlorn wail cut through the conversation. He shook a trash can out, revealing it was completely empty. "We're all out of random junk to throw into the fire!"
"Boo!" Lee and Nate jeered, sticking their thumbs down.
"Eh, no big deal," Wendy shrugged, unconcerned. "We should probably get going anyway. We're gonna be late."
"Late for what?" Stevonnie asked.
"Sour Cream's throwing a rave in the abandoned warehouse on the other side of town," Jenny explained. "He's got his whole DJing rig set up there and everything, and we promised we wouldn't be late this time…" She shot a critical look at Lee, Nate, and Thompson.
"Hey, don't blame us," Lee raised his hands defensively. "Thomspon's the one who held us up with all those dumb errands last time."
"S-sorry," Thompson rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "But my mom said she'd cut my allowance if I didn't pick up the dry cleaning!"
"You're gonna make us late again if you don't quit yapping about it," Nate playfully elbowed him.
"A rave… like a dance?" Stevonnie pressed, suddenly intrigued.
Jenny nodded, smiling. "You should totally come with us, Stevonnie! There's gonna be free glow sticks and everything. It's gonna be crazy ."
Stevonnie perked up at the idea of it. Of a dance, just like the very thing that had brought them together in the first place. Of an evening filled with the kind of fun they could only have as a fusion. Of a chance to finally find out who they truly were when they were together.
"Yes!" they said with far more confidence than they'd felt in a while. "I'll definitely be there! I just have to… take care of something really quick first," they glanced over their shoulder, back to where the twins were hiding, just out of sight. "You all go on ahead. I'll meet you there."
Fortunately, the teens didn't question them as they began to head out, leaving the dumpster fire behind to eventually burn out. "See you there, Stevonnie," Buck coolly waved them farewell as a few of the others did the same. Wendy lingered at the back of the group, if only to check on Stevonnie once the others were well out of earshot.
"Well, look at you two, about to go to your first 'teen party'," she said, impressed by their boldness. "You sure you're up for it? There's supposed to be like, a ton of people at this thing."
"A-a ton?" Stevonnie asked, suddenly wary. Still, before their nerves could overwhelm them again, they forced them back down where they belonged. Back under the surface as far as they could possibly go. "Uh, y-yeah! Sure, I'm up for it! It should be fun."
"Yeah, it should," Wendy clapped a hand on their back. "Don't take too long back here. You don't wanna miss any of it."
She offered the fusion one final grin as she followed after her friends. For a moment, Stevonnie was left standing in the parking lot, entirely on their own. With no one watching them, their smile slowly faded as they found themselves staring down at their hands. As that uncertainty, that anxiety, that dread started to roll in like an oncoming storm they couldn't seem to stop, no matter how hard they tried.
"Are you ok?" they softly asked themselves. Their gaze stayed on their hands, close together at first, until they slowly let them drift apart. "We can stop if you…" They trailed off, their brow furrowing as they struggled to make sense of what was flowing through them. And why it made them feel so wrong when everything about them should have been so right .
"N-no, it's fine," they shook their head to clear it. They pulled their hands back together again, clasping them tightly, securely. Desperately. "I'm fine. Don't worry."
They nodded, choosing to accept that. Even if neither of them truly believed it.
"Ooooooh my gosh, Stevonnie !" Mabel's excited squeal caught them off guard. And so did the moment she barreled into them from behind, hugging their legs tightly. "See? We told you they'd love you! They even invited you to their super cool teen dance party!"
"You're not actually gonna go to that, are you?" Dipper asked, perplexed.
"I mean, I said I would," Stevonnie rubbed the back of their neck. "So why wouldn't I?"
"What if they find out you're not really… you know," Dipper frowned as he motioned to the fusion as a whole.
"Then they'll find out," Mabel shrugged before Stevonnie could even consider the question. "No big deal, right, Stevonnie?"
"Y-yeah," Stevonnie said, trying to prepare themselves for the night ahead. And whatever experiences came along with it, good, bad, or both. "No big deal…"
True to the teens' word, the abandoned warehouse was already aglow in neon lights by the time Stevonnie and the twins arrived. Inside, a crowd gladly danced to the smooth beats Sour Cream was mixing, cheering as he turned the tunes up even more. For a while, the kids stayed just out of sight, hiding behind one of the factory's broken walls to watch the party from a distance. For as fun as it might've looked, Stevonnie couldn't deny it was every bit as intimidating too. To the point that they would have nearly bailed then and there–if not for the pair still standing by to support them.
"Remember," Dipper began with an encouraging grin. "Just like before, you guys can always bail if you need to."
"But you shouldn't need to because you totally got this!" Mabel confidently countered. "Now go on in there and show everyone how awesome you two are together !"
Stevonnie nodded, gathering up all of the courage they had. It was almost enough to chase the anxious clouds hanging over them away. Almost. "Yeah," they agreed nonetheless. "We've got this." They stood tall, closing their eyes as they stepped out into the open, as ready to head into the party as they'd ever be."We've got this."
"Have fun!" Mabel shouted after them as they ventured inside.
"Mabel! Not so loud!" Dipper scolded, pulling her back behind the wall. "This is a teens-only party. We're not even supposed to be here, remember?"
"Oh yeah," Mabel nodded. Still, she called out to Stevonnie one final time, albeit in a whisper, much to her brother's annoyance. "Have fun!"
As for Stevonnie, they strode into the party as steadily as they could, trying their best to ignore the handful of intrigued stares from a few of the people they passed by. "You've got this," they echoed again as they squared their shoulders. "I've got this." They stole a glance over their shoulder, back to where the twins were peeking out from the wall to offer them a set of smiles and thumbs-ups. With so many eyes already lingering on them, their encouragement did little to ease the worry all but starting to eat away at them now. "I-I… I've got this-"
"Got what?"
Stevonnie stopped just on the outskirts of the group of teens they'd been hanging out with earlier. They were clearly pleased to see them, but the curiosity in a few of their gazes made Stevonnie uneasy in a way they couldn't shake. Especially when they realized so many more strangers were looking at them the exact same way. "Uh… I've got… a feeling this party will be great!" they perked up as much as they could. They allowed themselves a sigh of relief as a few of the teens agreed with a round of whoops and cheers.
Things only got even more exciting from there as the bass thrumming through the warehouse picked up a bit. It wasn't lost on any of the partygoers as even more of them took to the dance floor to enjoy it.
"Looks like Sour Cream's pumping things up," Buck coolly noted.
"Rave time!" Lee and Nate proclaimed together.
"You know what that means, Thompson!" Lee goaded, grinning.
"No! I'm not taking my shirt off this time!" Thompson protested. At least until Lee and Nate inevitably wore him down.
"Thompson! Thompson! Thompson!"
"The peer pressure's too strong!" he cried, ripping his shirt off and waving it over his head. "Tambry, you better not post any pictures of this online like last time!"
"Too late," Tambry deadpanned, already in the process of uploading one.
"Aw, man, this is great," Wendy shared a laugh with Stevonnie over their antics. "See? I told you guys you'd have a great time."
"Yeah…" Stevonnie agreed with an unshakable smile. "Yeah, I am." They stood a bit taller as they started to take in the party with a fresh set of eyes, an entirely new perspective. This wasn't something to be afraid of, it wasn't something to run away from. It was something to embrace, to enjoy every second of all it was worth. Much like fusion as a whole was, really. This was an experience, just like Garnet had said.
An experience they were finally ready to have together .
With a spring in their step and not an ounce of hesitation, Stevonnie made their way out onto the dance floor. For once, no one watching them seemed to matter in the slightest as they made their first move, bold and smooth. Wendy and her friends were among the first to spot them, the twins soon after from their spot on the sidelines, but it wasn't long before plenty more followed suit. After all, how could they not watch such a spectacular sight?
The rest of the world seemed to fade away as Stevonnie freely flew across the floor. Working only with the beat of the music and the beat of their now-shared heart, they darted, dove, danced entirely on their own. Except they weren't on their own, not anymore. Because as long as they were together, how could they ever be alone?
Their dance reached its height as they launched themselves high into the air, gracefully spinning as gravity brought them back down. They landed low, catching themselves with a satisfied sigh as they felt a welcome rush of warm flow through them. It was the very feeling they'd been chasing ever since they'd first formed, a feeling hard-earned, but here all the same.
The feeling of knowing, truely, wholly, wonderfully, knowing exactly what and who they were supposed to be.
If only that feeling could have lasted forever.
Stevonnie opened their eyes to find many more resting solely on them. In the low, colorful light, they could only just make out the shocked expressions, only barely hear the awestruck gasps over the music. While no one said a word, one thing was more than clear. Stevonnie had their attention, whether they wanted it or not.
And they most certainly did not .
"I-I thought this was a dance party," they let out a nervous laugh. They glanced around, finding Wendy in the crowd as they silently begged her for help. But even she was left speechless by the completely captivating performance they had just put on. "Why isn't anyone else dancing?"
Just like that, the cloud was back, raging in like the thunderous torrent it was. With it, came a flood they couldn't escape from, a flood of worry, fear, and confusion that was so unlike the sunshine knowing had been. And this time, there was no chasing any of it away.
"This… this is what being cool at a cool dance is, right?" they asked, their eyes darting around the room. "This is how it's supposed to be… Why isn't it like it's supposed to be?!"
Their breathing grew short as the walls started coming up all around them. Those walls were deceptively beautiful, sparkling bright as they seemed to suffocate Stevonnie more and more with each passing second. Their heart raced, their hands shook, their mind reeled with dread and dismay and all the while they could still feel so many eyes staring straight at them. The weight of those stares crushed them every bit as the glittering walls closing in on them were, keeping them trapped.
Trapped in a feeling they were desperate to escape from. Trapped in something that should have been so good, gone so wrong. Trapped by something that threatened to tear them apart altogether.
But then–someone suddenly stepped straight through that trap. They'd never seen him before, a young man, stylishly dressed with a calm, confident look on his face as he sized them up. A shiver ran down Stevonnie's spine when he settled on a smug smile.
"Hey, baby," he smoothly greeted them.
"Huh?" Stevonnie was surprised, not just by that, but also by all of the other party goers. The shining walls were gone, and now that they were, no one was staring at them any more. No one but the overly-bold boy standing before them.
"Get ready," he leaned in, far too close for Stevonnie's liking. "It's Kevin Time." He reached for Stevonnie's hand, but it was slapped away long before he could take it. Not by Stevonnie but by someone else entirely.
"You better take a good, long step back if you know what's good for you, Kevin," Wendy scowled as she defensively stepped in front of Stevonnie.
"Wendy!" Stevonnie sighed, relieved to see a friendly face when they needed one most.
"Hey, like I said, I got your back," Wendy grinned back at them. That smile was short-lived as soon as Kevin spoke up again.
"Well, look who it is," Kevin offered Wendy an icy smirk. "I guess you're really not over me after all, Wendy. Not that I blame you though; I'd get jealous too if I saw me flirting with another girl."
"Doing what with another who now?" Stevonnie spoke up, completely confused.
"Ugh, get real, Kevin," Wendy rolled her eyes. " I broke up with you , remember? Then again, maybe you don't. You were too busy swooning over your own reflection when I dumped you."
"Whatever," Kevin scoffed. "Why don't you just step aside and let me and this cutie dance?"
"They're not interested."
"Why don't you let her decide that for herself?"
"Oh, well, uh…" Stevonnie flinched as both of them looked their way. "She's right… I-I'm really not interested…"
"See? Told you," Wendy shot Kevin a triumphant smirk. Stevonnie was more than happy to let her lead them away from this uncomfortable conversation, but not before she sent one final warning Kevin's way. "Oh, and if I catch you messing with them again tonight, then there won't be any teeth left in that stupid smile of yours. Just keep that in mind, 'baby'."
Neither of them wasted another word on him as they walked off, out of the party altogether. Just beyond the wall outside, the twins anxiously awaited to hear from Stevonnie. Especially after watching them nearly fall to pieces earlier, unable to help, no matter how much they might have wanted to.
"Are you guys ok?" Dipper asked, concerned. "What happened in there?"
"I… I don't know!" Stevonnie frantically admitted. "E-everyone was just… staring at me and… and I didn't know what to do or what to say! I… we just froze up and panicked and… and…" They let out a groan as they buried their face in their hands. "This is way harder than I thought it would be…"
"Did it have anything to do with that weird guy who came up to you?" Mabel asked. "What did he want anyway?"
"Ugh, that was Kevin," Wendy crossed her arms. "We dated for like, a week, a while back. But I dumped him as soon as I realized how much of a self-absorbed sleazebag he is. Trust me, Stevonnie, he's definitely not someone you want to hang around."
"I'll take your word for it…" Stevonnie quietly agreed. Truth be told, Kevin was just about the last thing on their mind right now though. As for what was…
They wanted to be together, to experience this together. But… how could they, when every step they took felt so uncertain, so unsteady? How could they, with all of the fear and doubt they were feeling was waging a war against the hope and happiness they wanted to feel?
How could they stay together when everything around them, everything inside of them seemed so set on tearing them apart?
Their own thoughts seemed so loud compared to everything else that they barely even heard what Wendy asked them as she set a hand on their shoulder. "What?" Stevonnie blinked, struggling to focus on much of anything.
"I asked you if you're sure you wanna go back in there," Wendy repeated, frowning. "Because to be honest… you're not looking like you're doing so hot…"
Stevonnie shook their head, straightening their posture as they put on as brave of a face as they possibly could. "No, we're… I'm fine," they said, trying to convince themselves more than anything else. "It's like I keep saying: I-I've got this…"
While Dipper and Wendy exchanged a worried glance, Mabel wholeheartedly believed them. "Yeah, you do!" she cheered. "Go Team Stevonnie!"
Stevonnie allowed themselves a much-needed laugh at this, even if it wasn't much of one. Still, it was finally enough to sway Wendy into escorting them back into the party. Even if they weren't entirely sure they wanted to go back at all. "Just take things at your own pace this time," Wendy said, already leading the way back inside.
"And don't be afraid to be yourself!" Mabel chimed in with what she thought was very sound advice.
However, Stevonnie could only echo it halfheartedly. "Be myself…"
If only they knew the first thing about who that self was supposed to be.
Still, Stevonnie stayed the course. They'd already made it this far, so why back out now? They trailed back into the party after Wendy, weaving their way through the crowd with the plan to stick close by her for support. And thankfully, it was support she was ready and willing to give them. "Don't worry," she spoke loudly over the blaring bass beats. "I'll be here for you guys as long as you need-"
"Yo, Wendy!" Lee suddenly hurried over with Tambry and Buck in tow. "You gotta get over here! Thompson's about to do the worm with his shirt off!"
"Ten bucks says he cuts his stomach on some gravel on the floor and cries," Tambry challenged Buck.
"You're on."
"Ok, ok, just hold on a—whoa!" Wendy didn't get a chance to convince Stevonnie to come along before her friends grabbed her by the arm and began to whisk her away.
"Come on, Wendy! You're gonna miss it!" Lee urged as he dragged her off. Stevonnie gasped, trying to follow the teens, but it wasn't long before they were all lost to the thick crowd of party goers.
"Wendy? Wait!" Stevonnie called, alarmed. Even as tall as they were, they couldn't spot her through all of the flashing lights and endless noise. To make matters worse, they only ended up even more disoriented when they tripped over the leg of a nearby dancer. Stevonnie stumbled back, almost falling to the ground until a hand caught them just in time to pull them upright. But they felt nothing even remotely close to relief when they realized exactly who their 'rescuer' was.
"Well, hey there, baby," Kevin gave them a sultry smirk. Despite their attempts at reclaiming their hand, he kept a steady grip on it, all while ignoring the fear flashing through their eyes. "Glad to see you finally got away from that buzzkill Wendy. Are you finally ready for our dance?"
"L-like I said," Stevonnie finally managed to pull away. "I really don't want-"
"Playing hard to get, huh?" Kevin coyly interrupted. "I like that. Guess you just need some convincing first."
He sent the fusion a flirtatious wink as he stepped away from them. They didn't even get a chance to breathe a sigh of relief as they watched him break into a sudden solo dance. Nearby partygoers also paused to watch Kevin's surefooted, skillful moves, clearly impressed. But not everyone was so taken with the teen's deceptively sauve facade.
"Ugh, that guy is such a creep!" Dipper complained as he and Mabel watched from the other side of the wall. "Why won't he just take Stevonnie's no for an answer?"
"Seriously!" Mabel agreed, scowling. "Somebody really outta teach him a lesson in-" She cut herself off, startling her brother as she suddenly shook him by the shoulders. "Dipper! I just got the best idea ever! We should fuse, go in there, and beat the snot out of that Kevin guy for messing with Stevonnie! It's the perfect plan!"
For a moment, the most Dipper could do was stare at her, incredulous, until he sarcastically began to agree with her. "You know, Mabel, that's a great plan, it really is. Except… there's just one tiny problem with it."
"Oh yeah? And what's that?"
"We can't fuse! We're not Gems, remember?"
"Oh yeah…" Mabel frowned, disappointed. That disappointment turned to concern, however, as both her and Dipper finally glanced back at the party. Only to realize a certain fused friend of theirs was nowhere to be found. "Hey, where's Stevonnie?"
Stevonnie had, in fact, taken the first opportunity they saw to get as far away from both Kevin and the crowd as they could. Instead of retreating back outside, this time, they found refuge against a wall in a quieter corner of the warehouse. They leaned against it, their chest heaving for air they could never seem to get enough of. Despite how big the warehouse was, it couldn't have felt more cramped to Stevonnie as the storm raged on far worse than it ever had before.
They could feel it, somewhere deep inside of them. A tight, tugging feeling that viciously pulled against both of the halves that made them whole. It would only be a matter of time now, before it tore them both apart. But even still, they were desperate to not let it win. To stay together, no matter how much they were struggling, even if it seemed all but impossible now.
"I don't understand what's wrong," Stevonnie shook their head as they stared at the floor. "You have fun dancing, but this dance isn't fun. You're supposed to like this. W-why don't we like this?!"
They let out the sharp breath they'd been holding in as they stood upright once more. With no one to stand beside them, no one to see them through this, all they had to lean on now was themself. As if that even meant anything at all anymore.
"I wish you were here…" they sighed, closing their eyes and hugging themselves in a weak attempt to feel closer. It didn't work. Instead, they had never felt further apart than they did right now. "If we were together, it would be ok. But… we are together, and it's not… I… I'm alone… "
"Not tonight."
Stevonnie's eyes flew open at the sound of Kevin's voice. Sure enough, there he was, leaning in close with his hand pressed against the wall beside them. His nearly-constant smirk was still showing, and the mere sight of it alone was nearly enough to make Stevonnie sicker than they already felt. "Hey baby, why'd you leave me on the dance floor?"
"I-I don't-" Stevonnie cut themselves off. They forced themselves to be firm this time as they shoved Kevin's hand away, sternly scowling. "I don't want to dance anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Kevin scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "We're the best thing that's ever happened to this place! Come back out with me."
"Why should I?" Stevonnie asked, thoroughly aggravated by this point.
"Because we're angels walking among garbage people," Kevin patronized. "We're perfect for each other."
"How can you say that?!" Stevonnie sharply exclaimed. "You don't even know us!"
"Whoa, whoa," Kevin held his hands up, chuckling. If he didn't take them seriously before, he certainly showed no signs of starting now. Much to Stevonnie's steadily rising frustration. "I'm just looking for a dance! Don't get crazy."
"No one is crazy! I just don't like being alone here!"
"Well, if you're so lonely, then dance with me!"
That's when it struck them, suddenly and all at once. They weren't the problem here, they never had been. It was everything else around them, all of the expectations, the assumptions, the eyes , all staring at them, waiting for something to judge. All night long, Stevonnie had let those things push and pull them around. They'd let everyone else decide what their experience was going to be. And as a result, that experience had become a bad one instead of the wonderful one it should have been all along.
Well, no more. Because starting right now, the only one Stevonnie was going to let decide what they'd do, how they'd feel, and who they were… was themself.
"Fine," they shot Kevin a bitter cold glare. "You wanna dance? Let's go."
Not only was Kevin surprised that they'd accepted; he was even more caught off guard when they grabbed him by the hand to drag him onto the dance floor. "Oh, and it's Stevonnie," they clarified, making sure there would be no mistake about that. Not now or ever again. "I am not your baby."
Before Kevin could even get another word out, Stevonnie started dancing. Unlike their smooth, graceful moves from before, this time, they decided to let it all out, all at once. All of their fear, frustration, and fury drove their manic movements as they forcefully jumped around, ignoring the music–and their unwanted partner–altogether.
Kevin could only watch them, eyes wide with alarm as his usual confidence started to crumble. "O-ok, bring it back girl."
But Stevonnie did nothing of the sort. They couldn't care less about him–or anyone else who might be watching them for that matter, not anymore. Their limbs were flying, kicking and punching the air as they made a statement, all without a single word. It was a simple statement, not meant for anyone else other than them, one that finally, finally answered the question they'd been asking themselves all night.
Who were they supposed to be? That was easy: everything Stevonnie was… was everything Steven and Connie were. Everything they were when they were together… or alone.
And, only once they knew that for sure, they finally decided to let themselves fall apart.
Light engulfed their gemstone first, before it swiftly spread to the rest of their body. They were still dancing as that light swallowed them up and sharply, suddenly split them.
And, just like how they'd first formed, in a flash, Stevonnie was gone.
In their place, Steven and Connie fell hard to the ground. At first, they were both to dazed to say a word or move a muscle. Even the shocked gasp from the surrounding crowd was all but lost on them. What wasn't, however, was the satisfying sound of the alarmed cry Kevin let out.
"That's two kids !" he exclaimed, deeply, utterly embarrassed. "I'm out !"
No one was really sad to see him leave as he rushed out of the party altogether. Steven and Connie certainly weren't as they both began to sit up, exchanging a wide-eyed glance. "W-we're back…" Steven stiffly said, unsure of where to go from here.
Connie, on the other hand, didn't say a single word. Instead, she could only laugh as all of the dread and fear they'd both been feeling finally began to flow right out of her. Steven soon found himself joining in as they helped each other to their feet. Sure, everyone was still staring at them, completely stunned, but they could hardly care less about that now. How could they care about anything, really, after the night they'd just had?
Soon enough, music began to fill the silent space between their laughter. From his DJ booth, Sour Cream turned the jams back up as he tossed a handful of glow sticks out into the crowd below. With nothing holding them back anymore, Steven and Connie reveled in that shower of light, their laughter ringing loud and clear as they ran across the dance floor together.
Outside, the twins were almost every bit as dumbfounded as all of the party goers were. But only for a moment. "They're back!" Mabel exclaimed, excited. "Come on, Dipper! If they can join the party, then so can we !"
"Mabel, wait!" Dipper tried to protest, but it was already far too late for that. Without warning, she grabbed his hand and ran out into the open, dragging him along after her for all the teens to see. Still, no one really seemed to pay them much mind as Mabel joined Steven and Connie's frantically elated dance while Dipper quietly slipped into the crowd to join Wendy.
"This has seriously been one of the weirdest nights ever," he said point-blank.
"Tell me about it," Wendy said as her shock evened out into a smirk. "So, how long is it gonna be before all four of you guys pull off this whole 'fusion' thing?"
"W-what?" Dipper asked, flustered. "I-I don't… I mean, I don't know about them, but I'm not going to-"
"Don't stress about it, man," Wendy couldn't help but laugh. "I was just kidding. But then again, maybe not. You never really know when it comes to you guys. But for now," her grin widened as she playfully shoved Dipper out to join the others before she followed suit. "We're at a party. Might as well act like it."
It wasn't long before everyone else began to heed that advice too. Despite the cloud of confusion still hanging over their heads, the kids and the music alike urged them back out onto the dance floor. It really didn't take much to convince any of the teens to simply shrug it all off, to let everyone enjoy such an exciting evening, no matter who, or what, they were.
Through it all, Steven and Connie stayed close together through the night. Each time their hands touched and they shared a smile, they felt echoes of their fusion, warm and sweet, even now that it was over. Even at their worst moments, Stevonnie had been incredible, something they'd never thought possible before, a dream they'd somehow managed to bring to life together. It was a dream they couldn't wait to have again; whenever the occasion arose for them to bring Stevonnie back, they'd gladly take it, no matter when or what it might be. After all and despite it all, both Steven and Connie both soundly, proudly knew:
They were one experience that was well worth sharing.