Unconventional
When you get cut you bleed, but when something hurts you inside it's different.
Unconventional can be regarded as both a literal sequel to Unconditional, written by myself, and a spiritual one to the story inspiring it: DragonShadow's Conditions of Love. CoL is a one-shot short story that assumes a lot of build up prior to the events depicted. Unconditional is an attempt to more thoroughly explore that buildup in addition to the events themselves. However, Unconventional explores the aftermath. It may not be strictly necessary to read either of those stories to understand Unconventional, but I do recommend reading Unconditional first as it will likely enhance the potential enjoyment.
Unconventional focuses more on inter-personal conflict than its predecessor. Unconditional focused almost exclusively on the internal, though there is a dose of that here as well. Of necessity, Unconditional was told primarily from Buttercup's angle. Unconventional takes a break and adds perspective by focusing on the points of view of other characters.
Even so, the focus is not on the superheroics of the girls. It still happens and may be referenced or alluded to, but it never gets in the way of the rest of the story. Be thankful, else this monster would be even longer.
As with Unconditional, I do not expect or intend that this story will be enjoyed by a universal audience. For that matter, personally I neither support nor condone relationships of this sort, and I understand they are, as a rule and for various reasons, unlikely. But this is fiction, and as with all fiction, some will enjoy it, some will suspend disbelief, and for everyone else: I'm sorry to have wasted your time.
Chapter 1
Blossom touched down on the driveway of the Believe residence and felt the hood of an open-top convertible. It was as cool as one would expect on an early September afternoon. Frowning slightly, she walked to the door and knocked loudly.
She'd called several times before coming and received no answer. Bubbles was supposed to be waiting here for their wayward sister Buttercup, whom Mike Believe had insisted on tracking down. Blossom had let it slide this time, in part because Bubbles trusted him.
More so, Blossom had to admit Mike had a closer connection with Buttercup than she did, now. Until last summer, even Bubbles and Buttercup had been distant from each other.
Mike answered the door with no trouble. Why not the phone, Blossom didn't know. She'd never really approved of him, even when he and Bubbles were an item. Long hair, usually greasy, dyed black, and an attitude to match. He'd developed confidence bordering on arrogance.
He was a good student and, Blossom had to admit, a more decent person than most. Still, he had a touch of rebelliousness about him. As someone who dedicated most of her life to upholding the laws and values of her society and the world, Blossom had to admit she was relieved when Bubbles decided to break off her relationship with Mike. Some people were apt to jump on the tiniest faults in Blossom and her sisters, and it was best to not fuel the flames with their choice of relationships.
Bubbles and Mike were still, as they had been for years, best friends. When Bubbles had decided to wait at his house to meet Buttercup, it hadn't seemed unusual. With Mike's parents out of town for his aunt's wedding it wasn't even imposing their family problems onto anyone else.
Everything else about the situation had, however, been unusual. Last night, Bubbles hadn't even come home. Blossom still didn't know where she'd went after school. Even though Mike had claimed Bubbles wasn't here last night, Blossom suspected otherwise.
Even that could be explainable or understandable, but Blossom thought she'd waited patiently enough for answers to the rest of her questions. Just before school this morning those questions exploded unbidden out of nowhere. Now, hours after final bell, it was high time to get those answers.
"Hello, Mike," Blossom greeted sardonically as she shouldered her way inside. Walking straight into the living room, she didn't spare him the courtesy of a second glance as she spoke. "I see you've been home for a while. Why am I only getting your answering machine?" Not seeing either of her sisters in the living room, she moved to the kitchen before waiting for an answer.
She could have just peered through the walls and checked the whole house, but as a general rule she and her sisters avoided activity like that. They were eighteen now (as of two days ago, at least) and had learned years ago to respect the privacy of each other as well as other people. If Blossom thought something truly wrong was happening, she'd do it in a heartbeat, but this was a harmless personal matter. For now, at least.
"I guess the volume's down," Mike answered coolly. He leaned on the kitchen doorframe and pulled out a cigarette. Blossom stood next to him, her arms crossed, as he lit it up. It was a habit not even Bubbles liked, but even she'd given up on lecturing him. "I thought they were all hangups," Mike finished, exhaling smoke into the other room. Rather than look at Blossom, he stared at the other side of the door frame.
Blossom didn't doubt he was blocking her way intentionally. She also suspected his excuse was a lie, but that didn't matter right now. "Are either of my sisters here?"
Mike smiled and took another drag. "I found Buttercup a few hours ago. I just got back about an hour or so ago, myself."
"Is that a no?" Blossom asked, maintaining firmness through her patience. Or vice versa.
"Well, this is an honor. You choose to come through me when you can just as well figure it out for yourself."
"I can? Thanks." Blossom pushed past Mike. She wasn't rough about it, but he did lose balance and fall on his side. She opted to glide up the stairs instead of walk, touching down on the thickly carpeted hallway of the second floor.
"Hey--hey, wait! Hold on a minute!" Mike cried from behind her as he scrambled to his feet and up the stairs. Blossom smiled, ignoring him as he'd ignored her. She strode down the hallway to Mike's room. She'd never visited Mike, but she know the room from coming to get Bubbles a few times over the years. A task not unlike her present one.
"I said hold on a sec!" Mike called again as he grabbed Blossom's shoulder. He tried to spin her to face him, but Blossom stiffened up and didn't shift an inch for his effort. Superpowers had their perks in everyday life, too.
Blossom opened the door wide, blowing a few papers scattered on the bedroom floor in the process. Her gaze was momentarily distracted by those. Then it was distracted much more forcefully by other articles. Literal ones.
Her eyes shot from the strewn clothes and undergarments when she saw hurried movement out of the corner of her eye. By that point, that area of the room was already next on her list anyway.
Blossom's eyes widened and she recoiled slightly. She didn't open her mouth or gasp. The shock was too great. Buttercup sat in the bed, covers held up to conceal herself. Beside her, in a similar state, sat Bubbles, her pigtails undone and hair resting just above her shoulders. They looked at her with as much surprise as Blossom looked at them, plus a little fear (or a lot, in Buttercup's case).
Blossom closed the door and spun, leaning against the wall beside it. She faintly heard scrambling and hushed voices, though the blood rushing through her ears probably muffled the sounds more than the wall behind her.
For almost a minute, there was no motion in the hallway.