You do it for me but I don't want that for you

Summary: Steven doesn't like the lessons Pearl had been giving Connie but when she's hurt he's there to fix her up.

(During the song 'You do it for her/him')

(Steven's pov)

Connie had been improving greatly just like I knew she would. Everyday she came over if she didn't already have plans. The only thing that usually kept her were tennis and violin and sometimes her parents.

I hadn't got to see her yet. I knew she had schedule practice today, but I went to try and help Amethyst and Garnet find the slinkier. We weren't having much luck.

I don't think Garnet and Amethyst know about Pearl teaching Connie. Pearl was her teacher so I assume she would be the one to tell. But she either did and they didn't think it was a big deal or they were being kept in the dark about the whole thing.

I think it leans more to the last one though. Connie's thrilled about learning but if it gets to be a bit much I'll tell them.

So far though everything seemed alright. Sure I still got the feeling to rush over to her side when she fought, and felt my heart stop altogether when a sword got to close to her. But I know Pearl and she wouldn't hurt Connie. So why did I get so worried not being there to watch?

"Steven, dude are you okay?" Amethyst asked. She was turned around walking backwards. "Huh?" I shook my head. "Yeah, why do you ask?" "Your like, paler than usual." I touched my face.

"Maybe you should go back, me and Amethyst can handle it." Garnet said looking down at me. Normally I would have said no and stayed but the feeling in my gut was getting worse so I went without arguing, back into the house part of the temple.

I cut up an orange and put it on a tray along with a juice box and walked over to the warp pad. I could hear singing I moved up the steps into the training area and down those stairs. Connie was standing with Pearl. It looked like they were taking a break.

I walked over to where Connie was standing. She was wearing a white bandaid across her cheek and her hand was wrapped up. She picked up the juice box smiling at me so I grinned back. But before she took a sip. I heard it. "Your prepare to die."

Shock ran through my body. Was this what Pearl was teaching Connie? To die for me, doesn't she realize that Connie's human she won't go back into a gem and come out later if she gets badly hurt she could die.

I felt Connie set the juice box back down. I looked at her and my throat went dry. She-she believe this? No, no, no what happen to fighting side by side? Connie means more than the world to me. Surely she wouldn't be willing to sacrifice herself for me.

I walked back over to the bleachers waiting for Pearl to dismiss Connie. I ran the scenario over in my head. Me and Connie fighting. Me facing some monster and Connie comes out of no where, blocking the monster, it attacking her, hurting her and me having to watch.

Or Connie being to far away and something attack her from behind. What if I'm not close enough to shield her? I don't want that for her. What would I do if she got hurt because of me?

I didn't want to ruin Connie's fun. I know she likes sword fighting and wouldn't be happy if I was the reason she had to stop. But I couldn't live with myself if I'm the reason she gets hurt.

I need to be by her. She has the sword she can defend herself but I had the shield I can protect her. We're not knight and liege, we're partners. Equals.

Pearl told Connie she was free to go. She ran over towards me. I grabbed her hand and ran toward the warp pad before Pearl could caught up. I knew what I wanted to say and I knew Pearl wasn't going to like it.

I warped us back into the temple and pulled Connie up to my room. "Um Steven your hurting my hand." She said. Her cheeks had gone red. I looked down at our hands. I notice that I had grabbed the hand that was wrapped. I quickly let go of it. "Oh, I'm sorry Connie. I didn't mean to grab that one." She rubbed it lightly. "It's okay." I ran down to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and the first aid kit. When I got back to her, I sat down beside her, I gently pulled the bandaid off her face though she still flinched some.

It was a small cut not even an inch but, it was dark red a sign that it was still fresh. I gave her the bottle of water and opened the first aid kit. Grabbing rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, Neosporin, a band aid, and gauze. I put the rubbing alcohol on the cotton ball.

My eyes met hers. "Sorry this is going sting a bit." She nodded and I began dabbing it on and around the cut. She let out a soft hiss but didn't pull away. Once I was sure it was clean I put Neosporin on my finger and smoothed it over her cheek. Next I undid a bandaid and aligned it over the now clean cut, I moved my thumb over the band aid. I noticed how soft Connie's cheek was.

I saw that her eyes were close and a small pink blush appeared on her brown skin. "Connie can I see your hand?" Her eyes open. "Oh uh sure." She gave me her hurt hand and I held it carefully as I undid Pearl's wrapping. I saw that her skin was raw and blistered. I'm sure it would eventually caused calluses. There was a few scraps but nothing serious.

"Connie there's really nothing I can do for your hand just go and wash it and I'll rewrap it for you. She left and came back. I wrapped her hand back up quickly.

"Thank you." "Sure thing." I picked up the medical supplies and began putting the back in the box. "Steven are you upset with me?" I wanted to say yes. That she shouldn't be letting Pearl tell her that she's any less important than me. How could she even begin to think that. I might of told her all that but, I made the mistake of looking up at her.

Her big brown doe eyes were glassy and any anger I felt disappeared cause I knew Connie didn't exactly have endless amounts of self confidence. Though she should cause I couldn't think of anyone who was as amazing as she was. I never had a friend like Connie before.

"No I'm not Connie. I just can't stand seeing you hurt, and me not able to help." "You shouldn't have to. You have more important things to worry about." Her eyes had cleared up. I shook my head and grabbed her shoulders. "No. You. Are. Very. Important. To. Me." I said firmly.

I remember what she said when we went to go see dog copter. "I'm no dog copter." When she said that something in my chest snapped. I vowed to make sure Connie never felt like she wasn't good enough to spend time with me. Somehow though it flipped where I found myself wanting to spend almost all my free time with her.

Connie was starring at me. I was about to ask if she knew how much she means to me. Hoping to snap her out of this 'I don't matter thing' before it got out of hand but, her phone rang. It was her mom wanting her to come home. I glanced outside my window to see the sun had already gone down. She hung up her phone and I knew that this conversation would have to wait till tomorrow.

Connie said goodbye and that she'll see me tomorrow. I squeezed her good hand and told her good night, before she got out of my dad's van. The gauze, she took off but promise me she put back on before practice tomorrow. She kept the band aid on saying she give her parents some excuse about it.

Dad dropped me off at the temple after I told him about Connie's training. He didn't seem to mind her learning until I told him about Connie and Pearls lessons on that she has to do everything in her power to protect me even if she gets hurt in the process. Dad told me that to talk to Connie before she went to practice and explain to her that's not what I want. And if that doesn't work go to Garnet and Amethyst and tell them.

I went into my room and dug around until I found my "How to talk to people book" I began reading. There had to be something in here about confronting people.

Authors note

I hope you enjoyed this. I love writing Connie and Steven bonding. When I re watched sworn to the sword, I watched Steven's face during practice and the song 'I don't want that for you' came to mind. So I tried putting that in. Well until next time. Let me know what you think. Much love