Steven set the last box down on the floor of the apartment, glancing around nervously. It wasn’t much, but it was his. Well, okay, not just his. It was theirs. His and Connie’s, and no one else’s. It felt so final, and it really was. Even if it only had one bedroom, the bathroom, and a combination of a kitchen and living room, it was still better than living with the gems or with Connie’s parents. Here, at least, it was just them with no one to intrude.
“Steven, was that the last box?” Her voice rang from the bedroom and he smiled as he made his way to the door, glancing inside. She was taking out picture frames of their families and themselves, and setting them on the dresser. The kitchen would be the next project, but right now, Connie was worried about making sure none of the pictures had broken frames.
“Yeah, that was it. Everything is officially in the apartment now. All we have to do now is unpack.” He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist in a tight hug. She smiled fondly at the contact, setting down the last picture before turning around in his embrace and holding onto him tight.
“Great! That’s going to be the fun part. Now we get to decide exactly where we want everything to go. Isn’t that going to be awesome?” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head after a moment.
“We have different definitions of the word ‘awesome’ and I don’t think that really qualifies as part of my definition.” She rolled her eyes, but continued to smile. He could go on forever just looking at her smile. It was simply beautiful.
“Well, whatever. It’ll still be an experience we can do together.” He nodded, and his mind drifted to Stevonnie. He doubted this would be the same thing, but that was still an experience that had had together that couldn’t be duplicated.
“I know what you mean.” Silence settled comfortably over the two of them, hugging them tight. It wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward; far from it actually. It was nice to have someone you could sit with without feeling awkward together, and the two of them had long ago lost that awkwardness that had came with their childhoods.
“I love you,” Connie said gently- almost too softly, and Steven hugged her just a bit tighter. Sometimes, she would get to thinking that she really didn’t deserve Steven, and he had to remind her then just how much he loved her. Now seemed to be one of those times, and he let go of her for a fraction of a second before picking her up like the princess she was.
“I love you too Connie, and don’t you forget it,” he reminded her, carrying her quiet form over to their bed. She was laid atop it and he joined her, giving her a chaste kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck, begging him not to go. Steven didn’t dare try pulling away, instead simply wrapping his arms back around her waist and holding her close. Their hearts seemed to beat in synch, and their breaths mixed in the almost empty house, holding each other close.
“What did I ever do to deserve you?” she mumbled gently, and Steven buried his face into her neck, giving her gentle and sweet kisses against her jaw line. It quickly moved up and her entire face was soon being covered in calming little pecks, leaving a fond smile on her face.
“Plenty of things Connie. Don’t forgot that. This is just another experience together, and I’m going to be here with you as much as I can. I love you Connie, and I’ll never leave you.” Her smile was almost pained, and she nuzzled against his shoulder.
“I love you too Steven, and I’m so glad to hear you won’t.” The silence returned, blanketing them in it and just letting them enjoy their shared warmth and the love emanating from each other. For now, the rest of the apartment could wait.