Discover Top Posts Tagged with #greg universe

Aug 5

okay anyways

Swerve.

Steven found himself on the couch. He didn't quite remember how he got there. Probably fell asleep, too tired to return to his own bed. He blinked ever so slowly, yawning as he sat up against the cushions. What happened the night before? Oh, yeah. He went to the hospital with Connie. Something about her being worried over 'pink' swelling. Gem cortisol? Wrecking an entire hospital room. He remembered the feeling of embarrassment that settled deeply into the bottom of his stomach. He ran his hands through his tangled curly hair, when was the last time he brushed it? He leaned back on the cushions with a sigh. His depressing groaning was soon interrupted by a voice, something soothing. Greg walked over to him, beaming with pride.

"Pie A'la mode!! Curtesy of your Dad!" He placed a bowl of icecream in his lap with a grin that could fix just about anything. "Your old man's still got it, huh?"

Steven couldn't help but giggle as he held the bowl. "Sure.."

His voice trailed off as he stared inside the bowl. He couldn't, he shouldn't. His stomach was in knots. "I.. don't think ice cream will help with this, though. Sorry."

Steven could feel the worry coming from his father as he pushed the bowl to the side with a frown, leaning back into the cushions once more. Scratching at his knuckles, trying to avoid the shards in them, he looked away from him. He was ashamed. He embarrassed the both of them! He couldn't understand why he wasn't angry. His spiral was interrupted once again.

"Look, I know you haven't been.. adjusting very well lately, and I absolutely get that. This kind of freedom is scary, it's a lot to think about. I have an idea, only if you're up to it." Greg smiled warmly once again, placing his hand on Steven's shoulder, his palm pressing on the indent of shards Steven had almost forgotten about. He could only give him a sullen look back.

Hours had passed. The fabled Mr Universe van drove against a beautiful, clear pink sky. Steven had no clue where they were going, where they'd end up, but he was having fun anyhow. He couldn't remember the last time he spent time with his father and had this much fun. Picking out sunglasses, feeding french fries to birds outside, singing their favorite songs, It was as if all the pain of the previous day melted away. He almost forgot about his very botched proposal to Connie. How he screamed at her and her mother the day before, all of it seemed to fade with the songs they sang together. Their trip was soon cut short as Greg parked the van in front of a two story house.

Steven peered out the window, confused. He came to realize he's never really seen a two story house like this before. Oddly high class. He turned to the drivers seat, "Dad? Where are- Dad?!"

Greg had already gotten out, beelining it for the fence. He wasn't sneaky in the slightest. He had no shame.

"Dad?! What are you doing?!"

Steven opened the door and followed behind his father who was, surprisingly, scaling a tree to the nearest window. Breaking and entering?! He was NOT expecting this at all, especially not from his father of all people!! This was something Amethyst would do, maybe Garnet. Never his dad. He followed his father up the tree with a swift jump to the windowsill. He floated inside, and looked into what seemed like a bedroom. An empty bedroom. Nobody's been in here for years, Steven sneezed from all the dust as Greg began to pull out some boxes from under the bed. He wiped his face with his sleeve, gross, but he could care less. His dad was a CRIMINAL.

"I know it's in here, I know it.." He rummaged through the boxes with no regard that he was in some strangers house. Steven ran over with his hands over his head in fear. "Dad, what are you doing?! Ughh..!!"

He looked around nervously, sighing. "If you're going to raid someone's house, I might as well write a note, shouldn't I? I probably should."

Steven peered away in confusion, walking down a staircase. He ran his hands down the railing as he met a very solemn, quiet living room. A couple definitely lived here. He looked around, everything was beautiful. From the lampshades, to the curtains over the windows. A dream house to anyone, or maybe just to him. "This is SO wrong. I bet a nice couple lives here. What would I even say?"

He approached a soft, green couch. He ran his hands over the armrest while biting his lip. "Sorry for breaking in to your very lovely home. You seem like lovely people with very lovely taste!"

He approached a fancy spoon set, collectibles. "You have a very cool spoon collection.."

he peered down to two ceramic goats set underneath the spoons on a dresser. "..and very adorable glass goats.." He sighed. "Ah, geez. This is so bad. Writing was so much easier on Homeworld. Then again, we weren't ransacking peoples' houses.."

He grabbed a pen, and began snooping in some drawers for a piece of paper. He opened one filled with mail, biting his lip, "Maybe.. in here- Huh?"

He squinted, trying to read the envelopes. 'Mr and Mrs. Demayo'. What?

He looked up to the far right corner. 'Greg Universe'. He lifted the envelopes, looking at them with confusion and shock. "Letters from Dad? All unopened?"

He stared further before the realization hit him. He gasped before rushing back up the stairs to face a portrait he paid no mind to beforehand. Inspecting the image, the face between a solemn couple became eerily familiar. They could be twins.

"Dad??!"

Steven rushed back up to the abandoned room, holding onto the doorframe. "Dad!! This is your house?!!"

Greg turned, his face full of a mix of shame, and resentment. "Not mine. My parents."

Steven's fearful expression became one of surprise. He smiled, ear to ear. "This was your old room!!"

He looked around, stepping inside. "This place is beautiful!! I thought you said you lived in like- hell or something?"

Greg retorted his excitement with a scoff. "It WAS hell kiddo. Being trapped here, you'd definitely get where I'm coming from. Curfews, chaperones, MEATLOAF."

Steven giggled, grinning. "You didn't like meatloaf??"

"Not every Thursday for almost 20 years. Gets old."

"It couldn't have been THAT bad?"

Greg laughed, "Steven, it was HORRIBLE. Do you know how old I was the first time I had a taco?? TOO old!!"

Steven giggled, looking around some more before walking towards one of the boxes he had pulled out. "So this must be all your old stuff!!"

He rummaged inside, lifting up everything he could find. "Is this your hand?!- OH! Tiny baby boots!!"

He lifted a trophy, "Wrestling? Dad I didn't know you wrestled??"

Greg groaned. "Not by choice."

He eventually lifted up a year book. He flipped through the pages. "A middle school yearbook? Oh!! You had... braces."

He couldn't help but stare at the page, he imagined himself in his place, it already felt familiar, oddly so. A pit sunk in his stomach before he stared deeper at the photo. He looked happy. He took a quick picture with his phone. "You look just like me, just..."

His expression saddened. "Human."

He cleared his throat, putting his phone away. "So many people signed this! It's.. really cool actually. Who's 'Lauren'? She sure wrote a lot!"

Greg rummaged deeper into the box with a prolonged sigh. "We did mathletes together. One of the many things my parents forced me to do."

Steven sat the book down, placing everything neatly before rummaging deeper inside. "Where are they, anyway?"

Greg stood up, dusting himself off. "At their timeshare on Florida Island. They go EVERY single winter, EVERY single year. They were beyond pissed the first time I refused to go with them. It was funny, really."

Steven hummed before picking up another photo. Greg's graduation photo! His hair was in a traditional military buzz. "Ahh!! Your hair!! It's so short?!"

Greg peeked over, groaning with a laugh. "Oh, my graduation photo. They made me cut it RIGHT before a gig. I was miserable for weeks!"

Steven looked up at his father in awe, "Do you have any pictures of you on stage?"

Greg waved him off, walking to the edge of the room. "Hah! Are you kidding? Everything music was off limits here. No pictures, no cds. Literally nothing fun. Which is why I had to.. hide my stuff!!" He bolted to a vent on the left of the wall, feeling around its edges. He pulled it aside, revealing a small wooden box. "Yes!"

He pulled it down, holding it under his arm. "This is it! We can FINALLY get out of here."

Steven stared at him, then back to the graduation photo in his hand. Greg turned to him, humming. "Just leave that junk here. We have no use for it."

Steven placed the photo back before turning to his father, squeezing himself out the window. He laughed softly. "Why don't we use the front door?"

Greg peeked at him, laughing. "Oh, right."

Steven and Greg found themselves back in the van. Greg decided to drive home, Steven wasn't really allowed to drive with his... current situation. The once pink sky had fallen into a seamless, midnight blue. Stars twinkled from every corner.

Greg turned to Steven, solemnly. "I get it, Steven. When I was your age, I was just going through the motions. Doing what others told me to do. I saw no way out of it then. I felt like I had nobody. That was, until a friend in my social studies class snuck me this- go on, open the box."

Steven rose a brow, confused. He opened the wooden box that creaked with every movement, revealing a CD. There was a man posed in front, titled Mr Universe. Covered in glittering stars, he stared confused.

"A.. cd?"

Greg nodded. "That right there is the album with the song that's stuck with me through all my hard times. All my struggles. It made me who I am. Put it in, listen to it."

Steven gave him a quick look, confused as to what this all meant. He put the disc in the cd player, leaning back quietly as the song began to play. The song started quiet, Steven tried to listen. He glanced to his father, who couldn't be more excited. It was almost as if stars were glimmering in his eyes. Steven smiled, beginning to speak up.

"Hey..-"

His words were interrupted, Greg shushing him. "-Just wait Steven! Listen to this part!"

His father gleefully began to sing to the song he'd almost forgot was playing. He was never good at paying attention, but he felt so confused. He didn't know what this song was supposed to mean to him. He looked back and forth at him, looking to the road and back. He didn't know what to do with himself as his father sang these confusing lyrics. Despite its calmness, he could feel them spiraling in his head as the fragments along his body began to hum with a soft glow. Mr Universe. That word rang a lot in his head as the song concluded.

"Dad, is this where our name comes from?"

Greg nodded, smiling. "Yeah! Yeah it did. A little.. on the nose I'm.. realizing that now."

Steven furrowed his brows, turning to him. He couldn't tell if he was shocked or weirdly disappointed. "You took it from a song of all places?"

Greg nodded enthusiastically. "When I heard this song, it made me realize there was more out there than what I grew up in. A whole world of wonders beyond my imagination! I.. I wanted that for you." His voice grew solemn, there was this sadness that somewhat irritated Steven.

"I never knew that making the decisions I made, couch surfing, meeting your mother, all that would lead to someone as.. extraordinary as you. I'm so grateful, but I see I didn't give you the same choice I had. You fell under your mother's footsteps and.. I stood passively to all the danger you faced to save us. All of us! I want you to have that choice now."

Greg turned, his once solemn tone brightened. "Now tell me, where does Mr Universe make YOU want to go?"

Steven's eyes widened, his face filled with even more confusion. "W-What?! I don't know?"

Greg hummed, reaching to the radio. "Maybe you just need to hear it again!"

Steven stopped him before he could reach, the glow over his shards brightening. "Dad- this isn't helping. I don't.. NEED an apology. I don't need this song! I grew up fine!"

Greg found himself confused as well. "Huh?"

Steven pulled on his drawstrings, his voice growing more frustrated. "I was fine! I saved the Earth, heck, the Universe!! I came out just fine! You were fine, I was fine!"

Greg tried to keep focus on the road, shaking his head. "No you weren't?! Steven you grew up in a war-zone!! I didn't protect you from them! You went halfway across the galaxy for people who.. who wanted you DEAD Steven!! I never should've let you go on those missions. I should've shown you that you had options."

Steven turned to him, growing more and more upset. A soft, pink glow emitted from his face and across his body. "What?! No no- They NEEDED ME! I-I saved the WORLD dad!!"

Greg's voice grew more concerned. "You never went to school Steven!! You never went to the doctor until yesterday!! I-I felt like I knew better, you're half gem, you didn't need all of that, but you did!! You grew up in a VAN Steven!!"

Steven whipped his head to look at him. "I grew up fine!! You should be proud of me!! Not PITYING me!!"

Greg turned to him, eyes wide with shock. "For almost DYING?! Steven!! When you came back to us, you were NEARLY DEAD!!"

Steven grit his teeth, his glow nearly blinding. He shouted as loud as he could.

"I wish you would just SHUT UP!!"

His scream was loud, it rang all through the van like a blast of bright pink. The windows cracked. Yet the van kept still, going down the road as if nothing had happened. Steven huffed, still glowing brightly. He looked to the windows in shock while bringing his hand to his mouth.

"I-I-.. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to yell, I swear I- dad?"

The moment he turned to face his dad, he was completely still. His eyes were a foggy pink. He was quiet, unmoving, and his hands sternly gripped the steering wheel. Steven waved his hand in front of his face, his breathing picking up before he looked to the road. His foot was still on the pedal, and they seemed to be going faster. Steven grasped his father's hands and tried to pull the steering wheel away. "Dad!! Dad let go!!"

Steven pulled with his entire being until the steering wheel came clean off. Steven looked around in horror before smashing his own foot on the brake. The van came to a screeching halt, the momentum flipping it over on its side and onto the gravel. He felt his head slamming against his father's, and in a sudden moment, everything went black.

Steven woke up to the sound of the soothing voice from before. Someone patting his face before he gasped awake.

He shot up, rubbing his head. He felt something wet, warm. More than likely blood. He felt the same sensation run down his nose. He tried to recollect his thoughts before looking up to his father. He looked him up and down, covered in scratches from shattered glass. Blood running from his knuckles and arms, possibly from when he pulled Steven from the wreckage. Steven felt horrified.

He reached over, grabbing his arm. "Dad, I-I.."

He felt the tears forming. He couldn't help it. He couldn't even enjoy a day out without getting frustrated, lashing out. Thankfully, his tears did heal his dad. Greg gave him a warm look, something he felt he didn't deserve.

Greg reached his hand over, wiping his tears. "Save it, Stu-ball. You're.. right. Maybe I have been pitying you. Just a little. I'm sorry."

Steven looked up to him. "W-What?!"

Greg scooted next to him, groaning. "Yeah. I guess.. I never expected you to.. feel that way. I guess I never thought to ask before now. I sprang all of this on you with no warning, and I'm sorry for that."

Steven tried to listen, bringing his knees to his chest. His father's words started to blur as he reached for the phone in his back pocket.

Steven stared at the screen. It was broken, the glass fractured. He ran his fingers against the cracks. It wasn't turning on.

All it did was cut his fingers.

#i don't think this needs any tws..#fractured mind su au #steven quartz universe #steven universe #greg universe #i hope yall like this bcuz this was a bit difficult #steven universe future #mr universe

starp1ll