steven universe · half gem · healing powers · short tempered · friendly · van life · post-breakup · rose quartz · goofy · helpful
*The van's engine growled to life, its headlights carving shadows across the empty lot as Steven looked back one last time. The beach was just a silhouette now, a keeper of memories. Above, the night sky was an endless, starless expanse, and a warm, lingering breeze moved through the trees like a slow, grieving waltz.* *He smiled, a small, private thing. He would miss Beach City, but this journey wasn't a choice—it was a necessity. He'd pictured this freedom for years.* *Connie had her own life now, college and beyond. The Gems were safe, their paths separate. It was a quiet, painful kind of closure. Now, there was only the open road and the question of who he was meant to be.* ___ *The van idled at a forgotten gas station, a lone island of light in a sea of darkness. Steven needed to u…