#lee!steven

Steven looked back at the ukulele, playing the chord again, and then switched to a G major chord, and then played the two in rapid succession before resolving on one last G major chord in a triumphant manner.

Greg clapped excitedly and pulled Steven into a hug. “Steven, that was awesome! Someday you might even write a better song than your old man, eh?”

Steven giggled in response, leaning into his Dad’s hold. “I’m gonna write a song about the Crystal Gems!”

The ex-rockstar tousled his hair again, chuckling at Steven’s antics. “You’re not gonna write a song about your Dad’s music career? And I thought I was bein’ a good influence!” He dug his fingers that were previously wrapped around Steven’s torso into his belly, causing the latter to squeal and dissolve into squeaky giggles.

“Dahahahad!” Steven wriggled about, his tiny hands shooting down and weakly pushing at the attacking fingers much larger than his own. “Nohot thehehere!”

“Not here?” Greg inquired. “Well then, how about here? That better?” He wormed his hands under Steven’s arms, scribbling into the sensitive hollows.

“Nohoho! Nohot- snrk- behehehetter!” The toddler drummed his heels against the van as he giggled his little heart out. Greg held back a coo in adoration of his son’s reactions. Stars, this kid was gonna wrap all four of them around his finger pretty soon without even knowing it.

In all his squirming, Steven had inadvertently caused the hem of his shirt to ride up and bunch under his ribs, exposing the edge of his gem. Greg took that in stride almost immediately.

“You sure about that, Schtu-ball? Seems to me you’re only giving me more spots to tickle.” He moved one arm to wrap around Steven’s upper torso and lightly scratch his ribs, while the other went to town on his bare belly, tap-tap-tapping against his gem.

“DAHAHAHAHAD! NOHO- PLEHEHEHEASE!”

Steven’s squirming increased tenfold, his giggles turning into laughter peppered with hiccups that Greg was almost positive could stop a world war.

With one final swipe across his gem, Greg ceased his attack on the boy, releasing him from the hold. Steven flopped onto the floor of the van, curling in on himself as his giggles finally slowed down.

“Y’know, it really seems like you weren’t trying to get away all that much.”

The remark from Greg made Steven look up, a tinge of red making its way onto the toddler’s face.

“Ihis thahat… bad?”

“No, no, not at all!” Greg was quick to assure him, a soft, genuine smile confirming he wasn’t judging. “It’s just that… most people don’t like it. It’s okay if you do, though.”

Steven stared into space for a moment, processing the information.

“Um… yeah, I do.”

--------------------

Steven hummed to himself, happily munching on the remains of a Cookie Cat as he wandered the house.

Wait.

The house usually wasn’t this quiet. Not when the gems were home. Sure, they’d be in their rooms for most of the day, but that was a different kind of quiet.

“Amethyst?”

He called out for the purple gem, suspecting one of her antics, but no response came.

He probably should’ve suspected as such, anyway.

Steven tiptoed through the house in an attempt to catch her in the act, whipping his head around multiple times, but no sign of Amethyst.

“Amethyst, I know you’re here!” He called out again, carrying a hint of annoyance. He popped his head to look behind the kitchen peninsula. Nothing.

That was odd, Amethyst wasn’t usually this sneaky-

“Gotcha, Steve-O!”

“AH! Amethyst?!”

The gem in question laughed at her victory, hugging Steven close as the two tumbled onto the ground. “Sorry, Ste-Man, I had to!”

Steven only gave a light-hearted grumble in response, to which Amethyst let out an offended gasp.

“Steven! How dare you reject my hugs! That’s it, you’re gettin’ it.”

“Wait, wait, Amehethyst, it was a johoke- Nohohohoho!”

Amethyst grinned, her fingers digging into the hybrid’s sides, gently but mercilessly. Steven flailed his limbs, only briefly attempting to pry her offending hands off, before giving up entirely, throwing his head back and laughing.

“What’s goin’ on, little man? You’re gettin’ pretty giggly down there…”

“Ihi- Ehehehehe- Ahamethyst!” He whined, scuffing his sandals on the floor.

“Yeah?”

“Whihihihihiy?”

Amethyst chuckled, switching tactics to scribbling into his tummy. “’Cuz I was bored! Besides, it’s not like you don’t like it, right?”

At the teasy inquiry, Steven covered his face with his hands as his laughter became ever squeakier.

“Aw, c’mon, don’t hide that happy face from me!” Amethyst briefly dragged a finger across his gem, causing his hands to shoot down and weakly push at her own, accompanied by screech followed by rapid-fire giggles.

“NohOho! Nohot fAHahaIR!”

“There’s that smile~”

“Ahahamethyhyst!”

“What?”

“St- Noho-” At this point Steven had given up on forming a coherent sentence. He buried his head into Amethyst’s chest and just let it happen.

Amethyst, on the other hand, was having none of it.

“Hey- No thank you, what did I just say?” She focused her attack directly on his gem, eliciting a shriek that rivaled a Wailing Stone before throwing his head back in hiccup-filled laughter.

“AmeHE- hic- NAHAHAHA!” was all Steven managed to say before all words were turned into helpless babbling in between bouts of hiccups and happy laughter, lighting up the room brighter than any lamp.

Dang, this kid really was making her soft.

Not thirty seconds passed of Amethyst relentlessly tormenting the nine-year-old’s death spot before someone cleared their throat.

Garnet was looking at the two of them, a barely noticeable expression of fondness adorning her face. Immediately the tickling paused, replaced with an arm rubbing the phantom sensations away as Steven’s laughter calmed until it was quiet titters, along with a smile he couldn’t seem to wipe off his face.

“I know you two are having fun, but I think Steven’s a bit worn out.”

As if responding to her statement, Steven slumped down onto the floor, his breathing still slowing down.

“Also, Amethyst, we’ve got a mission, and we need you.”

“Aw, what? C’mon, just two more minutes?” Amethyst complained.

“Amethyst.”

“Fine…” The purple gem gently tousled Steven’s hair, standing up and making her way towards the warp pad.

Before she could take more than three steps, a familiar embrace caught her from the back, and her expression immediately softened as she turned around and returned the hug.

“No prob, Ste-Man. Glad I could make ya happy.”

--------------------

Amongst his other odd habits, Lion had taken to simply laying on top of or cuddling Steven whenever the thirteen-year-old was on the floor for whatever reason.

Or, in this case, when he was sad.

Steven was flopped face up on his bed, game controller in one hand and the other balled into a fist.

“No! Why does this one level have to be so much harder than the rest?!”

Lion yawned, padding up the stairs and giving a questioning huff. Steven turned to him, arm stretching out to scratch behind his ear.

“Hi, Lion… I’m just stuck on this one level of Golf Quest Mini! The last few levels have been so easy, so why is this one so hard all of a sudden?”

Lion only chuffed in response, but laid down behind him on the bed, a singular paw snaking around and pulling Steven into what could only be described as a cuddle pile. He dropped the controller in surprise, but then snuggled right into the pink beast’s fur.

“Awe, thanks, Lion… Maybe I do need to just take a break from the game.” He smiled, sitting up in an attempt to make his way down to the kitchen.

Before he could, though, the paw around his torso tightened, as if to say “You’re not going anywhere.” Steven yelped, flopping back onto Lion’s body and wriggling around.

“Lion! Let me go!” He complained, pushing at the paw pinning him down. Lion only gave an offended but light-hearted growl, pressing his nose into the hybrid's neck and breathing into it.

Steven immediately scrunched his shoulders up before shooting them right back down to avoid hurting the feline, slapping a hand over his mouth to muffle the giggles that threatened to spill.

Unfortunately, he still sucked at hiding his reactions. But Lion still seemed displeased, letting out another chuff and switching to snuffling the side of his jaw. The brunet squealed, shaking his head in an attempt not to squish the attacking nose, placing his free hand on Lion’s mane in order to stabilize himself; which ended up being a poorly thought out plan, only succeeding at spreading the sensations to his palm.

The dam broke, a stream of giggles pouring out of the boy as he refrained from moving his upper body at all, resorting to drumming his heels on the wooden floor. “Lihihiohon! Thahat tihihi- nohohoho!”

Lion only gave a pleased grunt, pressing his nose further into Steven’s neck and jaw. The snuffling and nuzzling from the big cat drew giggles generously seasoned with snorts from the teen, and despite the friendly attack coming out of absolutely nowhere, Steven found himself relishing in the affection.

Feeling a little more playful, Lion brought his massive paw into the mix, gently pressing his claws into Steven’s torso, Just enough to tickle but not so much as to cause pain. In response, the gem hybrid squealed, curling in on himself and batting at the offending paw.

“LihiHIon! CuhuhUT- snrk- CuHUt it OHohoUT!”

Now, for once, Lion actually paused the onslaught, almost as if he were thinking. Then, he let out a quiet growl, and Steven was sure he’d just heard the feline say “...Nah,” before he was thrown back into the tickle attack, cackling as his neck and torso were nuzzled and clawed with zero room for relief.

“LIHI- LIHIHIOHON! NOHO- snrk- hic- STAHAHAHA!”

Unable to contain his squirming anymore, Steven twisted around until his face was almost entirely buried in Lion’s fur. Lion took that as a sign to slow down, a low rumble building in his throat as he held his half-human friend close. The paw stayed firmly planted on the boy’s torso, claws gently pressing into his tummy to keep him giggling softly, careful not to overwhelm him.

Steven looked up tiredly at the fluffy companion, mumbling a quiet “Thahank you…” before closing his eyes, falling asleep with a smile plastered on his face.

He couldn’t have asked for a better animal friend.

--------------------

“Steven?”

Connie gently knocked on the sixteen-year-old’s bedroom door, hearing the shifting of bedsheets followed by a strained “Come in.”

She slowly opened the door, peeking in and seeing Steven curled in on himself, shaking slightly. Taking a seat on the edge of his bed, she slowly reached a hand out towards his spine. Steven batted it away before it could get close, a sharp inhale accompanying it. Connie looked a little surprised, then simply brought it back.

“Steven, what’s going on?”

The teen took a breath, as if he were about to say something, but it died in his throat before he tried again.

“The Gems… They tried to tickle me.”

“And? I thought you loved being tickled,” Connie pressed gently.

“I-” He paused, mentally preparing himself. “I- I thought I did too,” He admitted, for what was probably the first time since he was five or six. “But then I started thinking about White Diamond, and what happened back at the start of Era 3, and when she removed my gem. And suddenly, I was here, and I was shaking, and-”

“Whoa, hey,” Connie interrupted his ramble, sensing the beginning of what was probably not the first spiral of the night. “It’s okay that you didn’t feel comfortable at that moment. That’s super valid. What White Diamond put you through wasn’t okay at all, and it makes sense that you were reminded of the incident.”

Steven didn’t speak, even after Connie had finished. The latter gave a gentle smile, before looking down at her hand.

“May I…?” She lifted her hand, and Steven watched anxiously, but saw no twitchy fingers.

Just his best friend Connie.

He took a deep breath.

“Don’t go anywhere near my gem,” he stated firmly.

“Noted.” Connie slowly moved her hand back towards his spine, keeping it in his view for as long as she could. It touched down right in the middle of the boy’s spine. Steven stiffened briefly, before letting himself relax into the touch.

Taking it as a good sign, Connie trailed a single finger up and down slowly, watching for any signs of discomfort. Steven let out a contented hum, closing his eyes for just a moment. Keeping her touch as gentle as ever, Connie let her fingers wander slightly, mindlessly tracing shapes as she monitored Steven’s reaction.

The instant a single digit made its way to his side, Steven stiffened again and Connie immediately retracted her hand.

“Shoot, did I hit a bad spot?” She asked, voice holding a hint of worry.

“...Yes and no.”

“Can you elaborate?”

The hybrid hummed to himself.

“You can try again. We’ll see.”

Connie nodded, reaching out her hand again and placing it directly on Steven’s side. He stiffened again at the touch, but didn’t move from his position. Connie traced a few more, smaller shapes on his side, watching as a wobbly smile made its way onto his face. She let out an amused chuckle.

“Do you want me to keep going?”

At the genuine question, Steven pondered. Somehow the traces were slowly fizzling away most of his anxiety, and so he nodded.

“Just- be gehentle.” A titter escaped his lips before he could stop it, and Connie smiled.

“Of course.” She switched tactics, shaping her hand into a claw and dragging it up and down his side, occasionally giving it a small scratch that drew out a squeaky giggle, but Steven never showed any sign of true discomfort.

Time to test the waters again.

“May I try getting closer to your gem?” Connie asked, freezing her hand in place.

Steven froze in place, as if hesitant to allow it at all, but then relaxed again.

“Go ahead.”

Connie gave an acknowledging hum, slowly inching her hand inward. She scribbled her hand into the side of his belly, laughing to herself as he spasmed at the sudden contact. Steven barked out a laugh, before weakly pushing at the offending hand and finally releasing the pent-up stream of giggles.

“Cohohonnie!”

“Hm? What’s up, Steven?” She smiled, before looking at her other hand that had since been laying dormant. “Do you want me to tickle the other side, too?”

“Sh- Shuhuhut uhup!” Steven covered his face in his hands, squirming slightly, although he still didn’t show any sign of being uncomfortable.

“I’m not hearing a no~” Connie sing-songed, bringing her other hand into the mix. Steven squealed, his hands shooting down to bat at her own.

“Yohohou suhuhuhuhuck!” He grabbed her wrists, shaking with the force of his laughter. Connie only laughed in response, still worming her hand closer to his gem.

The moment she grazed the edge of his gem, Steven’s body took a screenshot and he gripped her wrists ever tighter. Connie paused, taking a moment to check up. “You okay with this?”

Steven’s only verbal response was a whine, but he managed to get a shaky but genuine nod out. Connie nodded in acknowledgement, before her thumbs and index fingers started scribbling away at his gem. He screeched, bucking his hips before crashing down in a fit of squeaky cackles broken by many hiccups.

“COHOHOHONNIE- hic- THAHAT- AEHE- hic- NAHAHAHAHA!” He gave up on talking, simply pushing at her wrists that refused to budge.

For the first time in a long while, Steven felt his worries being flushed away, replaced with the pure joy and giddiness that came with moments like these.

Just him and his family, having fun.

Connie slowed her attack once she heard the snort-hiccups entering his laughter, rubbing the phantom tickles away with one arm and toying with Steven’s hair with the other.

Steven took a minute to slow his breathing to a comfortable pace, smiling and staring at the ceiling. It was only when Connie spoke up when he focused back on the present moment.

“Did you have fun?”

Steven paused, the butterflies in his stomach slowly returning, but the sigh he let out wasn’t embarrassed at all. Actually, it was rather content.

🐠STEVEN GRANT🐠

-80% Lee, 20% Ler, he's a lee!

LEE:

-Oh Steven Grant, you will always be too pure for this cruel world, but regardless, GET HIM-

-Worst spots are tummy, underarms, and ears (A spot he shares with all his brothers!)

-The poor guy is a squeaky and squealy mess, and once you get him going, HE JUST DOESN'T STOP.

-It could be long past someone wrecking him and he's still giggling and saying how awful his Ler is (But not really because does he have the capacity to be mean ever?)

-ALSO SOFTEST LEE

-Like he WANTS to be mean. I THINK.

-"Ohohoho, yohohou juhuhust tihihink yohou are- soHOHO CLEHEVER AHAHAND FUHUHUNNY, DOHOHON'T YOU???"

-But it just ends up him laughing and hiccuping and saying sorry even if he hasn't done a thing wrong.

"Ohohokay! Ohohokay! You've won! Ihihi'm sohohorey! You've got me! Throwin' in the towel right now!"

-ALSO ALWAYS THANKS THE LER FOR HAVING FUN WITH HIM HE'S SO NICE???

LER:

-I swear, everyone is going to get tired of me calling Steven soft but like BRO HE'S JUST A SOFT LER I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY?!?!?

-So unbelievably gentle and considerate of your space and boundaries like he's perfect.

-And when he does give tickles it's usually to cheer someone up or because he just wants someone to smile so when he gets a positive reaction he is enamored he is COOING.

-And he DOESN'T EVEN MEAN TO???

-"Now thahahat is juhuhust too sweet! Ahahahre you enjoying yourself?"

-"Yohohou mahahahhake thihihis lohohook too fun!"

-HE ALSO LOVES TO FEIGN DISBELIEF WHICH IS THE EXTENT OF HIS ASSHOLERY

-"Tickling you? I'm not tickling you! The tickle monster is! Me? Tickle you? That's is so silly!"

-But when all is said and done he helps up his Lee and holds them close and thanks them as well for dealing with his antics.

-If only his brothers were as nice.

🌙MARC SPECTOR🌙

-50% Lee, 50% Ler, he's a switch!

LEE:

-Marcy Spector, the big brother ever, bane of my existence, YOU DESERVE THIS-

-Worst spots are ribs, thighs, and ears.

-And he, on the contrary, is NOT a nice Lee.

-Kicky and screamy and sweary and acts like he HATES IT WHEN WE ALL KNOW HE LOVES IT.

-He just LOVESSS to act tough but he's got it BAD.

-Just hold out your hands in front of him, and he's already panicking.

-"Wait! Wait- what are you doing- no, don't, don't you dare! Back up! Bahahahack the hell UP!"

-Definitely the kind of guy to straight-face, lie through his teeth, "No, I'm not ticklish." AND PEOPLE BELIEVE IT???

-Yeah, not for long dude, Layla figured it out quick.

-If any brave Ler out there is willing to get kicked in the face for our cause, I would propose a sneak attack or else you are losing your life.

-Cuz once you latch on and he's down, he's cooked.

-FUHUHUHUCKING SHIHIHIHIT!! FUHUHUCK! NAHAHAHAHA! THIHIHIS IS JUHIHUST WRONG!"

-Once he's had enough he's like "Okay I GET YOUR DAMN POINT 😒 now let me up before I break myself or you."

LER:

-RUN FOR YOUR LIVESSSS/silly

-Because Marc is the name, tickle monstering is his game and GOD HE LOVES THAT TEASE-

-"You better run... cuz I'm gonna GETCHAGETCHAGETCHAGETCHA-"

-And he will use ANY excuse to break out that guy for a moment or two so I STRONGLY recommend to never lift up your arms, drape yourself across his lap, or dare to sass Marc.

-Also king of wake up tickles. I don't make the rules.

-HE WILL BE MEAN AND HE WILL CHASE YOU.

-Like why is he such a DICK???

-"Wow. You're enjoying this a little too much."

-"I'm sorry, I'm just looking at you, and you're not talking, but you're still just finding a way to ASK for a visit from the tickle monster."

-"Ahaha! Oh, that's rich, I will never get over that laugh!"

-"Tickle bug says what?"

-LIKE OKAY MARCY PACK IT UP LIKE YOU WHEEZING IS ANY LESS ENTERTAINING 😒/silly

-But when he finally does pack it up he's nice enough to brush off his Lee and make sure they aren't completely wrecked.

-And, last but not least...

🧢JAKE LOCKLEY🧢

-10% Lee, 90% Ler, he's a ler!

LEE:

-Yeah, okay, this won't take long.

-Side, hips, calves, and ears are the worst spots if you DAREEEE TO GET TO THEM/SILLY

-HE IS GOING TO DEFEND HIMSELF AND JUST START GOING OFF ON YOU???

-"BACK! BACK!! GET BACKKKK!!"

-If you're brave, and find a way to get to a spot he is just CONVULSING??? CACKLING??? LIKE IS EVERYTHING OKAY?????

-"NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! STAHAHAHAHAHAAPPPPPP!!!"

-And and all words he speaks are unintelligible.

LER:

-On a scale of one to ten my friend, you're FUCKED/SILLY

-Like what did you do? Steal his stuff? Breathe a bit too loudly? Make a gross sound? I wanna know.

-Maybe even attempt to tickle him? Because if you did just prepare yourself to get flipped ninja style onto the nearest soft surface and WRECKED.

-He loves THE word. In English. In Spanish. Any of em. He loves it.

-"It just... it just rolls off the tongue, don't you think?"

-But like, with all his scariness I BET he can get down right immature if he's bored enough.

-"Aaaahhhh ATKTKTKTKTKTK!!"

-"Kitchykitchycoo-" wrap it up

-Like no thanks pal.

-His brothers have never known peace like, Jake, Steven is just trying to WALK BY CAN YOU PLEASE QUIT POKING HIM???

-He also has a love of shoving his hat over a Lee's face to BLIND THEM before going in for the kill.

-And if you happen to have someone come up behind you and say "Guess who?" Just know, its JAKE and you are COOKED.

-BUT he is nice and always helps his Lee up and gives hair ruffles when he is done being an ASS.

BUT ANYWAYS

It was weird, really…

…It came out of absolutely. nowhere. 

Peridot was sitting against Steven’s bed, watching Camp Pining Hearts with him as he ate those…popped corn things with a side of twisted candies…

…Until the teen suddenly got up like he saw some gem get brutally shattered, blushing profusely and slamming the pause button on the remote control…

Again: it came out of absolutely. nowhere! 

“Uhm…are you okay, Steven?" The smaller gem asked, glancing at the other worriedly. 

“What!?” The curly head teenager squeaked out, looking at the paused TV and then looking back at Peridot, “M-Mhm! Yup! I’m fine. Totes fine. Superb even.” The boy said nervously, fiddling with the remote controller as he refused to look at the gem next to him nor the small television now.

Peridot raised a confused brow, looking at the screen which was just Percy and Paulette’s talking paused. 

There wasn’t anything odd or weird happening…

…So…why did that he pause it in the first place? 

Besides, Steven watched this episode prior to Peridot watching it…so why was he so nervous all of a sudden?

“…Are you going to press play?” 

“Yeeeeeees...” The chocolate brown eyed teen said almost too quickly as he dragged out the singleword comically. 

“…So…thehen why don't you?" She giggled, trying to reach for the controller as the younger did literally everything in his power to not allow her to. “T-This episode sucks, Peri! Y-You don’t understand!“ Steven cried, putting the remote high in the air so the other couldn’t reach. 

“So???” The green gem huffed in amusement, “When has that ever stopped us from watching before???” She exclaimed as she swiftly snatched the object from the taller gem, trying to press play. 

The fluffy haired teenager let out a short squeak, trying to retrieve back the electronic. 

The two playfully fought, each of them trying to gain the upper hand as the remote got thrown and shoved like the last freshly baked biscuit. “Just give it back!!!” The teen said desperately.  

“Uhm…nohoh? I want to see what makes this episode so appalling for you to watch!” Peridot snickered in amusement. 

"It’s not appalling!”

“…You don’t even know what that word means, do you?”

“…W-WHATEVER!!” The younger gem huffed, starting to get more desperate to get the remote controller from the other but the other in question just simply pushed the teenager to the side, pressing play again as Steven let out a very well-timed gasp.

The episode started to play again and the fluffy haired teen got one of his pillow’s and put it up to his face, groaning loudly. 

The green cladded gem scratched her head in confusion about the weird action but didn’t question it…

…Too much, anyway…

Paulette was reaching for something on the cabin’s upper counter by using a stool— which— Peridot could relate to 101%.

And as Paulette was searching for…whatever she was searching for, Percy came into the cabin, of course, making his presence very much known. 

As the episode played out, Steven pressed the pillow more and more to his face, looking away from the TV as the audio bounced around the walls.  

Acceptance was the first step to healing, I suppose…

Percy snuck behind Paulette and tased her sides before wrapping her in a hug and tickling her stomach…how cute. 

The red head let out an inhuman screech, flailing her arms around at the new sensation as the blonde continued to tickle her mercilessly. 

An small all-knowing smirk spread over the shorter gem’s features, shooting a glance to the other as the floofy haired teenager’s face basically luminated all the shades of the color red. 

Now, the green-hued gem was the one to pause the TV, setting down the remote as she fully faced the sixteen year old, “Oho…” 

"Shut up…" Steven gritted through his teeth.

“Oh?”

“Shuhut up, Peri!!”

“Oh~?”

“Peheridot, Ihi swear—!” Steven shouted, squeaking loudly as he felt a small poke to his side, “N-NohoHO!! Peheri doohoo NAHAT!!” 

The older laughed lightly, starting to pinch around the younger’s sides, “What~? Don’t do whaaaat~?” 

“Y-Yohou knohow whahat!!” The brunette giggled fearfully, his laughter spiking as the other gem digged her thumbs into his hips, “GYAHAH— hic! PEHERI NAHAH N-NOHO!!”

“Ohhhhh Peeercy~!” Peridot said dramatically, “I don’t appreciate you trying to tickle me earlier…looks like I’m going to get my revenge~!” 

The teenager just shook his head back and forth, lying on the bed as he tried to free himself from the other’s wretched hands. “So this is what you were so flustered about…interesting…” The green cladded gem mused.

“N-NOHO IHIHI WASN’T!! NOHO IHI AHAM NAHAHAT!!!” Steven shouted, trying to pry the other’s hands away from him but he soon fell into loud, booming cackles as Peridot lightly traced around his gem. 

“Huh…Amethyst wasn’t kidding when she said this was your worst spot…”

“NO!! HIC HIC NOHOHOHA! IHIHI’M HIC GOHONNA GEHEHET HIC YOHOU BAHACK!!” 

“I’d like to see you try.” The shorter gem said simply as she blew a raspberry on the other’s gem, trying to hold back laughs as Steven let out the most loudest squeal known to man before full on belly laughing.

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚𝙵𝙸𝙽˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙ 

The past few months had been…they’d been interesting. Steven finally started getting the help he needed, and the gems had been supporting him however they could. The therapist was nice, she helped him through some of his most traumatic moments. Topics on his mom…they were still touchy, but he was getting there. He had a name for one of his problems now. “Abandonment Issues…” 

There’s still days where he feels lousy. He couldn’t remember the official term, but he liked to call them “spew days.” Days where his emotions just got the better of him. Days like today.

Steven was sprawled out on the couch, staring blankly up at the ceiling. He…he felt like poop. Not as bad as he did with Connie’s “not yet,” but definitely crummy. The teen didn’t even notice when Amethyst came through the door until she flopped down next to him. 

“Hey dude! Oh…Steven, what’s wrong?” He grunted, shrugging. It wasn’t a lie either, at least not completely. A combination of things was wrong, though he couldn’t pinpoint what they all were. He just…wasn’t okay.

“Steven, c’mon. Remember the whole “we talk about our feelings” deal we made?” The purple-hued gem’s expression softened, giving him a little nudge. They had all agreed that whenever something was wrong, they would do their best to communicate the problem. Steven sighed, knowing it would probably help. 

“I just…feel crummy. It’s a bunch of things. Sorry…” Amethyst immediately shut that down. “Hey, hey. No. You’ve got nothing to be sorry about. Your feelings are valid, no matter how confusing they are. If you can’t say it, that’s okay.” Gosh, why are his friends so awesome? He held out his arms, silently asking for a hug. His friend was more than happy to oblige.

“C’mere bud.” She wrapped her arms around the 16 year old, hugging him tight. He felt a bit of the gross feeling go away, melting into the touch. He needed this. Ever since the monster incident…hugs have been his everything. “Thanks Amethyst…”

His voice was a bit too deep and airy for her liking. He needed a cheer up session, pronto. Lucky for him, she had the perfect idea. “Ya know Steven… you could use some fun. How about we play some Steven Tag, with a twist?” 

A twist? Why was she smiling like tha-…oh. Oh. He pulled away from the hug, a smile tugging at his lips. “Amehe- Amethyst no!” The purple gem crossed her arms, smirking. Amethyst shifted into the present version of Steven, snickering. “You got ten seconds. You get tagged, you get tickled…better run.” 

Crap…crap! He got up off the couch, backing away from his friend. She couldn’t be serious, right? “Amethyst, c’mon! You- you’re joking right? Right?” She just smirked, holding up ten fingers. She was not joking. She slowly lowered one finger, then another, then another, dragging out each word with a teasing tone. “Ten, nine, eight…”

Time to run! He took off in the opposite direction, running into the warp area. The door opened for him, his pink and cloudy room offering a nice place to hide. Steven zipped inside, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. The room, sensing his needs, quickly made a few hiding spaces. Cabinets, closets, doors, tables with cloths, a bunch of hiding spot’s any kid would think of. All of which are horrible for actual hiding. It would have to do… He ducked into the most boring closet he saw, finding a pile of blankets inside. He burrowed under them, tried his best to make sure nothing was poking out, and hid. 

Amethyst finished her countdown, chuckling as she walked over to the door. It opened to her room, but that was just a minor inconvenience. She knew her way around those rooms like the back of her gem. Running over to her stack of couch cushions and rubber ducks, she shoved them out of the way, revealing the secret path to Steven’s room. Can never be too prepared for mischief. She jumped through the hole, feeling gravity shift as she landed on the soft, pillowy clouds of Steven’s room. Time for some fun…

“Oh Steven~! Where are ya, bud? I just wanna play~!” When she saw the silly hiding spots, she snickered. Just like old times… Amethyst began opening the cabinets, trying to find the teen. “You know you can’t hide from me, man. I’m gonna find ya, and when I do, you’re gonna get it~” 

Steven clamped a hand over his mouth, trying to muffle his anticipatory giggles. He had forgotten how evil Amethyst was when it came to these games… The butterflies in his stomach were going wild, swarming and sending a blush to his cheeks. He hadn’t been tickled in a good while. That somehow made the fluttery, bubbling feeling worse. 

Turns out he sucked at being quiet. Amethyst easily heard his poorly muffled giggles, the cloudy walls of the closet almost paper-thin. Guess some things never change. “Steven, Steven, Steven. Still a gigglebug through and through.”

She slowly walked towards the closet, stomping her feet to make as much noise as possible. She wanted him to know how screwed he was. Knowing he was already caught, he removed his hand from his mouth, letting the giggles fly free as he leaned against the door. No way was he gonna go down without a small fight.

Amethyst jiggled the doorknob, pushing against it. You’d think that it would be easy, it being made of clouds and all. But no. The manifestations were linked to Steven’s conscious and subconscious thoughts, and right then, they wanted that door solid and stable. He only forgot one thing; a towel for under the door. Shape-shifting to an ant, the crystal gem easily slipped under the door. She scurried behind Steven before shifting back, growing to a purple-hued version of him. “Peek-a-boo~” 

Now, he handled his surprise very maturely. He definitely didn’t shriek and run into the door. Definitely not. His best friend snorted, snatching him up in her arms. “Tag! Ya know what that means…” Shifting back to her regular form, the gem wiggled her fingers into his sides, not releasing him from the reverse hug. He yelped, squirming around and digging his heels into the carpeted floor. 

“Amehethyst! Qu-quihihihit it!” Even though he was currently taller than the other gem, he couldn’t escape the ticklish hold. The closet was small, not allowing much room for squirming or thrashing. Lucky for him, Steven’s subconscious threw him a bone. The closet poofed out of existence, momentarily startling Amethyst. She pulled him closer, hugging him tightly before she realized what happened. 

“Ooooh, I get it. Someone’s a bit too ticklish for their own good, huh?” The wiggling fingers quickly resumed their tickly pattern on his sides, pulling sweet giggles from the teen. He gripped her wrists, trying to pry her hands off. That did next to nothing; the crystal gem was having way too much fun. She had completely forgotten about her Steven Tag excuse, just wanting to tickle her friend. He needed a good laugh anyways.

She knew exactly where to go to get him really laughing, his younger years giving her plenty of time to learn his best spots. Amethyst moved her tickling to his belly, slowly getting closer to his gem. Steven knew what she was doing; it was the same pattern as when he was young. Sides, belly, gem, and if he was still breathing, underarms. Normally, he’d be embarrassed of the tickling. But right now? It was actually a fun distraction from his thoughts. “Nohoho! Dohon’t you dahare!”

A little teasing wouldn’t hurt. She slowly circled her fingers around the edge of his gem, sending ticklish little shocks to his belly. Frantic giggles bubble out of him, his anticipation building as she toyed with the edge of his gem. “A-Ahamethyst! Thihis is mehehean!”

“Uh, no duy. That’s why I’m doin’ it!” She chuckled and scritched a little faster, trying to get a squeak or two out of him. And, as expected, his giggles turned squeakier than a rusty door hinge. The feeling of her fingers so close to his worst spot was killer. No amount of squirming or wiggling was helping, the butterflies in his stomach going nuts. 

He caved within thirty seconds, patting her arm and speaking with a whiny tone. “Ahamethyhyst! Juhust- just dohoho ihit ahahalreheady!” That almost got her. Almost. Rolling her eyes, the teasing ended, making way for the main event.

Following her pattern, Amethyst’s playful scribbling moved to his gem, sending the crazy ticklish sensations across his whole midsection. He was constantly changing and growing, but his sensitivity didn’t seem to get the message. He squealed, kicking as his knees gave out. “COHOHOME OHON! NOHOT FAHAIR, LEHEMME GOHOHO!” 

It was kinda adorable, in a dorky way. Steven had always liked being tickled, even if he never voiced that opinion. It was pretty obvious when he was younger. Recently, however, he had been drifting away, closing up, avoiding anything “childish” or “immature” to him. They now knew why, and were working towards improving his self-image and communication skills. Still, progress was slow. Seeing him laugh again…it was nice. 

Amethyst was so engrossed in her thoughts that she barely noticed when Steven was tiring out. He hadn’t had much energy to start the day, and quickly wore out from the tickling. He slumped against his best friend, leaning into her as the tickling wore him down. 

“AHAHA-AHAHAMETHYHYST! IHIHI- AHAHAHA!” Her smile softened when she regained focus. The scribbles on his gem slowly came to an end, her hands switching to rub the ticklish areas. He practically melted into her touch. The soft happiness from the tickling paired with her gentle attention had him on cloud nine. “Thahahanks…”

Okay, that warmed her gem. She shifted to a bear, carrying him up to his bed. It wasn’t the first time she’d done it, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. The contented drowsiness was a major improvement from his earlier gloom. Lumbering up the stairs, she laid him down, shifting back to her regular form. It wasn’t late, but one little nap wouldn't hurt his sleep schedule. Right as she turned to leave, a soft hand tugged her back. “Hey…stay?” 

The warm smile on her face somehow got even softer, pitchy chuckles shaking her shoulders. “‘Course, bud. Gimme a sec.” She shifted shape once again, now a fluffy, lavender cat. Pawing at the blankets, she curled up beside Steven, pressing her soft fur against the star on his shirt. The bouncy-haired teen draped an arm over his now-feline friend. He was completely spent and ready for a nap. 

A low purr rumbled in her chest at the soft gesture. Steven always found new ways to surprise them, either with kindness or some new ideal. The other gems would have likely been home soon, but she didn’t really care. Garnet and Pearl could tease all they want if it meant she could spend some quality time with Steven.