(Your POV)

After a day full of seemingly endless rehearsals, you made it back home to shower and get ready. This was a big show with high stakes and you needed to look your best. You'd never really been a pro at hair and makeup, but you pulled out all the stops for tonight. You hastily applied glitter eyeshadow and false eyelashes until it looked right- which took more than a few attempts, and you styled your hair into a half-up-half-down style with beachy waves. Ironic, that you lived by the beach and didn't naturally have ~beachy waves~ but really, who did?

You left the house early- bringing along a change of clothes for the show. You didn't want to be overdressed before you went onstage, so you arrived at the beach in jeans and a baggy t-shirt.

You followed Mr. Universe's van after you saw it pass you and drive to the beach parking area.

"Alright Schtu-ball," Greg parked the van, "you ready to ROCK?!"

"Ye-ah!" Steven exclaimed.

They both hopped out of the van and began unloading their stuff; guitars, amps, endless cables and cords, etc. Steven held a hefty box of equipment and looked around for somewhere to put it.

"Hey, Steven!" You approached him and Greg.

Steven jumped when he saw you and dropped the box of sound equipment on his foot, letting out a yelp.

"Steven!" You and Greg both exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" You asked, holding back a giggle.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Steven squeaked. He wasn't, his foot hurt like crazy, but he was embarrassed enough already.

You smirked, and Steven managed a pained smile in return.

"I uh..." Greg sensed the tension, "I think I have some ice in my van. Somewhere." With every few words, he shuffled a step back from you and Steven. "I'm gonna leave. And find some. Some ice."

Greg awkwardly walked back to the van and shut the doors behind him. Steven looked at you and you both laughed.

"Is your foot actually okay?" You asked.

"Yeah," Steven smiled, "I'm magic."

You laughed and help him put everything back into the box he had dropped.

"You ready for tonight?" Steven asked.

"Yeah," you said, "I mean... I know I've got it, but I'm still nervous." Of COURSE you were nervous! Steven was going to be watching! Wait-no. Priorities. You needed the money. That's why you were nervous.

"Well, If you're nervous, it means you care about what you're doing," Steven smiled. "So, I think that it's a good thing."

"Heh, glad you think so," you said, reaching for a cable at the same time as Steven. Your heart skipped a beat when your hands touched for a moment. Steven cleared his throat and pulled away, placing the cable in the box.

"Okay," you lifted the box and passed it to Steven, "You got it this time?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, "No, I've got it." You both smiled at each other for a moment, until your phone buzzed in your pocket. You took it out and stopped your alarm reminding you to get dressed.

"I've gotta go," you told Steven. "Don't drop anything else while I'm gone, okay?" You started walking away.

(Steven)

Steven laughed, embarrassed. "I won't!"

Greg waited until you disappeared to pop out of the van and approach Steven with a light jog.

"Sooo..." Greg began excitedly, "was that her?!"

Steven started walking with his box; "Yes Dad, that was her."

"Oh man, I knew it!" Greg laughed, "you looked like a younger me!"

"What?"

"Well- when I met Rose, I was so nervous around her- all the time!" Greg explained. "Even when we were together, I would never know what to say, or how to act," he chuckled, reminiscing.

"Did I look that stupid?" Steven rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well..." Greg paused to think, "you looked like you cared about her. You want her to like you back- nothing wrong with that," he smiled.

Steven sighed happily; "Yeah."

"Nothing wrong with that."

💫

(Your POV)

Ten minutes 'til showtime, you waited behind the stage quietly- sitting on a beach towel and anxiously picking apart the sequins on the hem of your dress.

"You okay?" Sadie sat down next to you.

"Yeah," you reassured her, "Yeah. I'm just nervous."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Sadie smirked. "I'm getting some serious deja vu from Beach-a-Palooza way back when."

"Beach-a-Pa... whatta?" You asked.

"Beach-a-Palooza," Sadie explained. "It was pretty much this, but... way less people, and waaay less of a prize. I almost performed one year after Steven heard me sing and egged me on..."

"Oh, of course he did," You thought to yourself, blushing.

"But then my mom got involved and it became this huge thing that eventually I didn't want to do." Sadie paused, then laughed remembering something. "When the time finally came to go onstage, of course I couldn't do it. I was way too nervous. So, Steven took my dress, makeup, heels, everything, and ended up doing the act himself!" You both giggled quietly.

"What?? How did I miss that?" You laughed.

"I don't know... It was probably three or four years ago now," Sadie thought.

"Awww... baby Steven!" You smiled at the thought of a mini Steven prancing around in a dress in heels.

"Uh, what's this I hear about baby me?" Steven asked, approaching the two of you. You turned around to look at him, and he stopped in his tracks. You looked so beautiful to him.

"I couldn't help it," Sadie smiled.

"Sadie was just telling me about your impromptu Beach-a-Palooza performance," you grinned.

Steven looked away and groaned, blushing immediately. "Don't listen to another word," Steven whined. The three of you laughed.

Suddenly, the audience applauded at the last act finishing. You were up next.