Behold, more Lapvien work for the fandom! Bit longer than I usually write, but this one kind of got away on me. It ran and ran and just wouldn't stop.

Enjoy.

"You can run, Steven, but you can't hide!" Lapis glared at her victim.

"Who's hiding?" Steven smirked in response from the opposite side of the table. "Not my fault you're slow."

"Says the boy hiding behind a table."

"Says the gem who can't catch a mere human."

"C'mon, Lapis!" Amethyst called from the couch. "I got two pizzas from Connie riding on this! Get em' already!"

"You got this, Steven!" Connie added from beside the purple gem. "Watch your footwork! She's faster than she looks!"

"Honestly, you two." Pearl shook her head, but didn't bother attempting to hide her own smile.

Lapis didn't move for a long moment before taking a step to the left. Just as she hoped, Steven stepped right at the exact same time. However, it was a feint, and Lapis quickly adjusted direction to go the opposite way. But, years of going on missions and training with the Crystal Gems had paid off in the past, and most certainly did now. Just as Lapis shifted direction, so too did Steven, once again the pair circled around the table, always keeping the heavy wooden piece of furniture between them.

Honestly, Lapis couldn't even remember why she was pursuing Steven in the first place. If anything, she was having fun from chase itself. She actually didn't have a clue what she was going to do even if she did reach him. Pin him to the floor and gloat over her fallen enemy, perhaps?

Eh, that could be figured out later.

First things first, she had to catch him!

"Want in on this, Garnet?" Amethyst asked the taller gem standing beside the couch with her arms folded, a perfect picture of stoicism. "The pizzas gonna be awesome!"

"No." Garnet bluntly refused. "I already know how this is going to end."

"Do, tell!" Amethyst's attention swept over to Garnet.

"No." Garnet repeated. "Not my place to say."

"Aww…"

"Besides…" Garnet's lips raised in the faintest of smiles. "I wouldn't want to ruin a perfect moment."

"Perfect moment?" Connie questioned. "What do you mean by…"

"Ah ha!" Lapis had abandoned subtlety and simply leapt across the table, using one of the chairs as a springboard. "Got you!"

Unfortunately, she'd both underestimated Steven's reflexes, and overestimated her leap. Steven ducked aside while Lapis went sailing too high and crashed to the floor, rolling across the wood in an undignified tumble.

"Ooh!" Connie, Amethyst, and Pearl all winced in unison at the sound of Lapis impact.

Using her momentum, Lapis rolled herself back into a crouch before regaining her feet and searching for signs of her target.

Lapis didn't need to look far to find Steven over by the front door.

"Can't touch this!" Steven actually had the audacity to be singing… was he seriously dancing now, too? "Can't touch this. Oh-oh oh."

Steven's song, and dance, slowly trailed off when he caught the leer Lapis had leveled on him.

"Uhh… Steven out!" With that, Steven dashed through the door outside.

"No tables to hide behind out here!" Lapis yelled, hot on his heels.

Lapis would have expected Steven to go for the stairs down to the beach. Which would have been a big mistake. He might be older with longer legs than when they first met, but she had far more stamina than a human, even a hybrid like Steven. She would have her victory by attrition.

Instead, Steven jumped up and, with one foot on the porch railing, leaped into the air and took to the sky. But not before rotating for a few seconds towards Lapis just long enough flash Lapis a gesture using two fingers. It was the 'peace sign' if Lapis recalled correctly.

Refusing to be deterred, or taunted for that matter, Lapis followed Steven's footsteps almost exactly, spreading her water wings just before her foot parted with the railing.

"You know I'm faster in the air!" Lapis boasted as her hand came within inches of grabbing Steven by the ankle.

She certainly would have, if Steven hadn't suddenly dropped like a meteor.

"Wha…" Lapis followed Steven's descent, for the briefest of moments afraid something was wrong, only to see him resume flying in the sky beneath her.

Growling in frustration, Lapis altered direction after him.

Lapis was the faster as she said, but Steven was surprisingly maneuverable. Always managing to slip right from her grasp before she could get a hold on him. He had to be doing it on purpose, letting her get close right before pulling the proverbial rug out from under her feet. He knew it was exasperating, which is exactly why he was doing it!

As the pair's game continued, the rose higher and higher into the sky. It was already a cloudy day, not stormy, but overcast. The cool mist coming from the ocean creating a thick fog bank the duo hadn't noticed until they flew into it, enveloping both in its shroud.

From inside the opaque fog, Lapis lost sight of Steven.

Lapis might have misplaced him with her eyes, but she could still hear his excited laughter from seemingly everywhere.

"Come out, come out wherever you are…" Lapis smirked as she sang quietly. She focused her hearing in an attempt to isolate where Steven's laughter was coming from.

"Tag!" Lapis felt a hand on the back of her leg. "You're still it!"

Lapis twirled around with a flap of her wings, but was greeted only by more fog. Scanning with her eyes revealed no sign of Steven.

Where was he…

"Tag!" Another touch found Lapis arms.

Again, Lapis turned only to find empty air.

"Gah!" Lapis groaned. "How am I supposed to…"

A devious thought came to the gem in that instant.

Lapis could control water with ease, and if her basic science was correct, she was currently flying through a cloud of the stuff.

Slowing her flight to a hover, Lapis reached out with her powers to the fog surrounding her. Mentally gripping the moisture in the air, she threw her arms down, and with it, the fog.

The fog wasn't normal water, making controlling it difficult. But nevertheless, it obeyed her commands and sank lower in the sky.

With the obstruction gone, Lapis once more found Steven, but she didn't resume her chase quite yet. She wanted to wait until he realized his only hiding place had just been taken away.

And realize it, Steven did. He froze mid-flight. Head slowly turning in Lapis direction as understanding dawned on his features.

"Oh, no." Steven went pale.

"Oh, yes." Lapis aimed herself at Steven with a dramatic flourish. She wanted him to know what was coming.

Lapis shot out like a missile, straight at Steven. She fully expected him to drop again to dodge her, so she compensated for this and altered her course accordingly.

She finally had him!

At least, this was what Lapis thought. Right up until she bounced away from Steven with a resounding twang.

"Ow." Lapis rubbed her head where she'd struck. "What the…"

Lapis looked up in time to see Steven safely inside his bubble shield, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Cheater!" Lapis' yell lacked any real bite, she was too busy laughing at her own foolishness. After her stunt with the fog, she really should have seen his shield coming.

"Says the one who moved the clouds." Steven countered, voice muffled from inside the bubble.

"Fair enough." Lapis shrugged. "I deserved that."

Lapis was just about to start circling Steven to figure out how to breach his shield when he dropped the barrier himself.

"I surrender." Steven held his arms out, as if inviting a hug. "I can't keep away much longer, and I know when to fold em'."

Lapis was… less than convinced. It would be just like him to lure her in, only to summon his shield again. Then again, he did have a point. Here in the sky, out in the open, he didn't stand a chance against her speed.

In the end, she allowed herself to take the bait. Making sure she was dialing her velocity back a little, just in case it was a trap.

As it turned out, there was no trap. Lapis easily caught Steven with her arms around his neck, and his own around her waist. A small 'oof' of Steven's breath escaped him as Lapis' body smacked into his own.

"Got you." Lapis grinned in triumph, holding Steven tightly to herself while he did the same.

"Yeah, yeah, you…" Steven's voice came to an abrupt halt.

Far sooner than Lapis would have liked, Steven pulled away from their embrace. He didn't entirely release her, his arms still held her but at arm's length. His eyes darted down to her chest in confusion.

Lapis felt a faint cerulean blush creeping into her cheeks. He must have felt it when they hugged. That was why he was looking at her weirdly.

"Something wrong, Steven?" Lapis asked uncertainly. Yes, something was wrong! Why did she possibly say that? No, wait, nothing was actually wrong at all. There was just something Steven was about to discover that Lapis wasn't sure she was prepared to tell him.

"Uh… I actually don't know." Steven reached for her hand before hesitating. "May I?"

Steven was actually giving her a choice in something. Seeing as how he was the first person to ever do so, and one of the few who'd ever done so, how could she possibly refuse?

Nodding, Lapis held her hand out for Steven.

Gripping her hand in his own, Steven turned it over so that it was pointing palm up. As Lapis watched, Steven touched two fingers to her wrist as if searching for something.

Something that shouldn't be there, yet was present anyway.

Something Lapis had been wanting to tell Steven about, but hadn't quite mustered the nerve to do so.

"Here." Lapis gently gripped Steven's hand and brought his palm to her chest. Pressing his hand into her skin through her top with her own hand. "It's easier to feel from right here."

The moment his hand made contact with her chest, Steven's countenance went bright red, but worry and curiosity won out over embarrassment and he didn't jerk his hand away.

It was in his eyes, that was how Lapis knew the moment Steven found what he suspected. It made her blush double in intensity.

"Lapis." Steven paused. "What is that?"

"It's…" Lapis didn't need to breathe air, but she found the act of inhaling and exhaling a breath or two did wonders for calming herself down or preparing herself to do something.

"Yes?"

"My heartbeat." Lapis confessed at last.

"But you don't… gems don't…" Steven stammered, obviously not fully understanding this new information. "Gems don't have hearts, or not… I mean they have hearts, sometimes really big ones, but not like… literal hearts."

Lapis smiled a little at Steven's verbal stumbling. It was oddly… adorable.

"We don't."

"Then why…"

"I just…" Lapis hadn't even considered how to broach this topic with Steven. She knew she needed to, eventually, but it certainly hadn't been in her plans to do it right now! "Ugh… I'm not sure how to explain."

"It's okay, take your time." Steven reassured in that Steven-like way Lapis found so endearing. "No rus… oh!" Steven yanked his hand away from Lapis chest as if burnt, his cheeks going even redder if such a thing was possible. "Sorry!"

"It's okay." Lapis parroted. She actually hadn't minded his hands on her in the slightest.

"Anyway…" Steven cleared his throat nervously, backing away from Lapis slightly, much to the gem's disappointment.

"We… should probably be heading back." Lapis said, perhaps a little too much false cheer leaking into her voice. "The others will be wondering where we got off to."

"Yeah, good idea." Steven nodded before beginning to float back down to earth through the fog. "Come on."

Lapis followed, but soon found herself stopping.

For as long as Lapis could remember, even before being trapped in the mirror, she'd always avoid her problems. Pretending they didn't exist, running away, or just giving up.

When taken prisoner by Homeworld, she surrendered and resigned herself to her fate.

When she formed Malachite, she gave herself over to unending torture, both as the victim and the tormentor.

When she thought the diamonds were about to return to earth, she fled the closest thing to a home she had in the whole universe.

She fled the only person who ever believed in her from the start, abandoning him to what she thought was to be certain shattering. Yes, she'd returned just in time to join the fight, but still, she ran.

Lapis' existence was a long chain of running and quitting.

No more.

"Steven… wait. We need to… talk."

Steven stopped and spun around to face her. "We don't have…"

"I know, but… I want to."

Steven eyed her for a time, as if gauging to see if she really was alright with… whatever they were about to discuss or giving her one last attempt to back out.

"Okay." Steven sighed in acceptance. "But not here."

At this, Lapis was confused. "Then where?"

"I got an idea." Steven held out his hand to Lapis, again, giving her the choice.

Lapis didn't even hesitate to reach out to him.

Together, the pair began rising into the sky once again. This time, they went much higher than before, passing through the grey clouds as they ascended.

It wasn't long until they broke through the surface into the bright sunshine of the afternoon sun. Good thing Lapis' back was to the star, she'd have been blinded coming from the dim world below to here.

"That's better." Steven closed his eyes, seeming to bask in the warm light. "Little happier and brighter up here, you know?"

"I don't need cheering up, Steven." Lapis rolled her eyes, but was nonetheless touched by Steven trying to help.

"I didn't think so, but still, better have a chat up here than down there." Steven pointed down to where they'd just came from.

Steven tried to let go of her hand, but Lapis held fast.

"Do you mind if we… you know…" Lapis motioned with her head down to their hands, unable to fully voice her request.

Steven said nothing in response. Instead, he squeezed Lapis' hand softly and shot her a soft smile.

"Alright, so I said we needed to talk…" Lapis began, but found her words failing her. All of that nerve and courage she'd just built up evaporated like water in the desert.

Steven nodded in agreement, but said nothing, giving her time and space to speak.

Not like it was helping much.

"So… you noticed I have a heartbeat."

Steven nodded again, also again not saying a word.

While Lapis adored how Steven was being courteous and patient, she almost wished he would say something. Emotion stuff… wasn't exactly her strong point. She wanted to talk, but didn't know how to actual say the words she wanted to say.

It was maddening! How does Steven do it so easily?

"The reason is…" How long was Lapis taking to form her words that actually made sense? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? She couldn't tell.

All the while Steven waited and gave her time. Anybody else would probably have been telling Lapis to get on with it and spit it out.

"The reason is that… I want to be more like y… a human." Lapis hoped Steven didn't catch her saying too much. "So, I made a few changes here and there, to make myself more like a human female. I'm close, but not perfect, at least, not yet."

Still, that part was a lot easier than she'd thought, but Steven's inevitable follow-up question was going to be an entirely different…

"Why?"

And there it was. The question Lapis was dreading. She knew the answer, of course, but once more, saying the words was proving difficult. Maybe she should have taken after Peridot and recorded her explaining all of this on some machine for Steven to listen to.

"Because… because…" Lapis stuttered, desperately trying to figure out what to say next.

Actions speak louder than words. It was a human saying she'd heard often since staying on this planet permanently. Perhaps it was time to take some human advice.

"Steven… you trust me, right?"

"Of course."

"And you know I'd never do anything that would hurt you, right?"

"You wouldn't dream of it."

"Then… can you close your eyes for me? There's something I want to do… or at least try."

"Okay."

Lapis wasn't sure what was crazier. The fact that Steven closed his eyes with no convincing required at all, or that she was actually going to do this.

"Just… bear with me for a minute." Lapis' hand moved from Steven's grip to his shoulder, her other going to his neck. To her shock, Steven was completely at ease beneath her touch, relaxed even. She couldn't feel the slightest bit of tension in his muscles.

Was he really this at ease with her? Even when she was asking to do something that he had no idea what entailed?

Much like Steven's blush a short time ago, Lapis didn't think her face could get any bluer. Not helping was the feel of Steven's skin beneath her fingertips. Being this close, feeling him, was making her feel all sorts of things she wasn't entirely sure how to deal with yet.

"If you want to get upset after… I think that's okay." Lapis whispered, though she wasn't sure why. They were miles above the ground above the clouds. You couldn't get any more private.

"Whatever it is, I promise I won't get upset." Steven made a dismissive sound. "Nothing you could do could make me…"

Steven was cut off by Lapis mashing her lips to his.

Lapis hadn't meant to rush in like that. She'd intended to go slowly, to give Steven the chance to pull away at the first brush of their lips, much like he always gave her a choice in everything. But there was something in his words, something… Lapis didn't entirely comprehend, that just called out to her, and not for the first time, either.

Only, this time, Lapis didn't resist the call.

Steven went still, but neither did he attempt an escape or push her away. It felt like what those humans called 'mixed signals'. Regardless, Lapis pushed onward.

There were things Lapis wanted to say but couldn't, so she poured it all into that kiss.

You mean the world to me, Steven Universe.

You are everything I could ever want.

It was you, from the beginning of everything, it was you, only you.

My heart beats for you.

Lapis never knew kissing could feel this… pleasant. Simply feeling Steven's lips against her own was creating a tingly sensation like nothing she'd ever felt. She wanted more, a lot more, but humans had a limit before they needed air.

Much to Lapis' shame, she'd become so lost in the kiss, and these wonderful feelings it brought out of her, that she'd almost forgot it would be easy to accidently suffocate Steven if she wasn't careful. It took considerable willpower on Lapis part to finally break the lip contact, even if she was left craving more.

It quickly dawned on Lapis what she'd just done.

She'd just kissed Steven.

On the lips.

A massive taboo in human culture.

"Steven!" I… I'm so sorry!" Lapis began to panic, Steven's silence not helping matters. "I… shouldn't have done that!

Lapis badly wanted to escape but was stopped with a gentle hand on her arm before she could even consider it. It would require no effort whatsoever to pull away, but enough of Lapis wanted to stay right where she was that she couldn't bring herself to do so.

"Lapis." Steven's face was blank, not helping Lapis' welling anxiety. "I think I get it."

"You do?" Lapis wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel anymore. Excited? Scared? Sad?

"But, please. Answer one thing for me."

"I'll try my hardest."

"I want to know why." Steven placed his hand on his own chest, before sweeping it down over himself. Lapis easily understood the gesture.

"I wanted to make myself more human, so I could be… more like you." Lapis felt like a thousand-pound weight was being lifted from her petite shoulders with each word. "To make myself more like someone you would be interested in."

"You should never change yourself to be what someone else wants." Steven's stoic façade faded, replaced with that fond look that always turned Lapis into jelly in his hands. Whether he knew it or not. "Be the you that you want to be."

"This is the me I wanted to be." Lapis looked away.

"Lapis." Lapis couldn't resist when Steven's hand cupped her cheek and gently pulled her to face him again. "Would you believe me if I told you I was already interested?"

"No." Lapis deadpanned before thinking.

Steven broke out into laughter. "Always so hard on yourself."

"Because I…" This time, it was Lapis who was silenced when Steven kissed her on the lips.

Whatever response Lapis could have concocted faded as she melted into Steven, her arms coming to once more wrap around his neck. His own snaking around her waist, hands pressing into the small of her back. Human and gem pulling the other as close as possible.

Also unlike before, it was Steven who parted them.

"Wow…" Lapis muttered as she once more felt the tingles, in addition to a shiver running through her body. It was every bit as incredible as before. Were normal kisses always like this? No wonder humans liked them so much! "Does this mean…"

When Steven kissed her yet again, Lapis received the answer she's never dared hope to get.

After several years of watching earth television, Lapis knew when to recognize a perfect 'romantic moment', and this, right now, was most certainly one of them. Just the two of them, lips locked and hidden away from the world below in the clouds, a brilliant and warm sun shining overhead.

There would be no better time for two people who cared deeply about the other to confess their feelings. To actually say the three little words so many people dreamed about.

And yet…

Steven and Lapis… didn't.

They most certainly could, but neither felt the need to. It had already been said, to vocalize it would just cheapen such a priceless treasure.

The duo spent quite some time simply floating together in the air, foreheads pressed together but doing nothing else, saying nothing else. Just two lovers savoring each and every second of the other's company.

Eventually, they'd descended, but neither noticed until their feet touched the soft sand of the beach.

Steven and Lapis were back on the ground, back beneath the dull and dreary clouds. But Steven's smile when he tucked a loose strand of Lapis' hair behind her ear was easily brighter than the sun they had just left.

"Shall we go back and face the others?" Steven reached over and took Lapis' hand in his.

"They'll ask questions." Lapis entwined their fingers without thinking.

"A full interrogation." Steven confirmed grimly as they began the trek up the porch stairs.

"We could..." Lapis pressed the back of Steven's hand into her cheek. "Run away. Fly up and just go somewhere for a while. See where the skies take us."

Lapis wasn't serious, at all, but Steven seemed to be actually considering the idea. He even added in a dramatic rub of his chin. "Tempting."

"That didn't work out quite so well last time, Steven." The sound of Garnet's voice made Lapis and Steven startle so badly they nearly tripped on the stairs leading up to the Beach House.

Looking up the duo were greeted with the sight of Garnet, thankfully alone, waiting at the top of the stairs for them. Almost as if she'd been expecting them.

"I was only joking!" Lapis squeaked when she felt the full force of the taller gem's glare on her. At least she thought it was a glare, hard to tell sometimes with her eyes covered.

"I know." Garnet's voice softened. "Everyone is waiting."

"Garnet, hold up." Steven paused. "Why are you out here?"

"Waiting."

"For?"

Garnet turned back to look down at Steven. She stared at him for a long minute before reaching up to remove her shades. To Lapis utter shock, she smiled, although not for long. "To see if I was right."

Before Steven could say anymore, she disappeared back inside.

Looking over at Lapis, Steven smiled brightly once more.

"Let's go face the family."

As I said, this one kind of got away from me. I hadn't expected it to be quite this long.

I'll be honest, from what I've seen of the show and read, I'm not sure how Steven's levitation works. Does he just jump really high and fall slowly, or can he actually fly like Lapis? I'm not sure, so for the sake of this story, we're going to say he can actually fly and everything, just not as good as some others like Lapis.

I'd like to do more Lapvien works if people are interested.

Let me know what you all think!