The Saddle's Waiting Come and Jump On It

by StraniqueGirl0684

After a surprising break-up, Blossom's friends make sure she gets out of her apartment to have some fun. And boy, did she have more fun than she bargained for! REDS fic. Slight Magic Mike AU. Powerless AU.

1. Chapter 1

Hello there! Well, now that I've done pieces for the Greens and Blues, it only seemed fair to do one for the Reds too! This one is going to be a two-shot, so keep an eye out for the second chapter, if you're at all interested!

A couple of important things to note: this is a powerless AU, so the girls wouldn't have faced all of their villains from the show. Another is that this is also loosely inspired by the movie Magic Mike - mostly because the title and the music the boys we all know and love dance to is the song "Pony" by Ginuwine which is used in the film. And there's a few little Easter eggs that refer to that too.

This story is also rated M, but it is a relatively low M. There are references to sex and plenty of foul language, but there is no outright citrus to be found here!

So none of the CN characters nor the song nor the themes from Magic Mike belong to me! This is just for fun, and I hope you all enjoy!

Without further adieu, onto the story! Feel free to let me know what you think!

---

As Blossom Utonium stirred awake, she became acutely aware of two things:

One, her head pounded, keeping her from willingly opening her eyes all the way. Alcohol was an even crueler mistress than she expected. How did people drink heavily on a regular basis if the aftermath led to this horrific feeling?

However, the second and arguably more concerning thing she noted was that, though she was in her own bed, she was definitely not alone.

With a gulp, Blossom decided to peer over at the warm body next to her and saw a half naked torso of the undeniably attractive redheaded dancer named Brick. Somehow the bed-head made him even sexier, and she took that as her cue to extricate herself from his grip around her waist.

Once she left the room, panic and shame hit her like a freight train. How could she let this happen?! Blossom had only met the man a week ago and had already fallen into bed with him? She was so not that girl! Previously, any sexual relations had taken place with her significant others, of which there had only been two.

Blossom's jaw clenched. In all fairness, it was the second of those two that was a contributing factor to the situation she found herself in now. While she made her own choices and that could not be denied, the horrific crash and burn ending of her previous relationship had been the impetus for meeting Brick in the first place!

Otherwise, there was no way their paths would have crossed. At least…not in the same context. And she definitely would have been able to hold back the primal instincts that had taken over if she had met him anywhere other than the establishment where he worked.

A club. A strip club. With male strippers. Of which Brick was one.

How the hell had she let herself get talked into going there in the first place again?

---

After arguably the worst day of her life thus far, Blossom found her room invaded with her three best friends, two of whom happened to be her sisters. However, the real ring leader of the entire infiltration had been Robin who showed up with a tub of ice cream the size of Montana in hand and a wistful expression.

The girls had filed in, served the ice cream, and sat on the couch for only a moment before Robin grabbed Blossom's hand.

"Tell me everything."

Much to Blossom's dismay, this simple gesture and phrase opened her floodgates once more. Ugly, choking sobs clawed out of her throat as she explained to her girlfriends how her boyfriend Dexter had broken up with her after almost three full years together. While that would have been bad enough, the boy genius added insult to injury by letting her know for the majority of their relationship he had also been seeing someone else. Only now was he sure which of them he truly "loved."

And it hadn't been Blossom.

Buttercup's face contorted in rage. "That fucking little weasel! I knew he was a pretentious douche, but this is on an entirely different level! Where the hell does that prick live?! I'll teach him to fuck with my family!"

"BC, calm down," Bubbles whispered. During the worst of the crying, Bubbles took Blossom's other hand, rubbing soothing circles on the back of it. "We're here for Blossy. She'll let you know if she needs you to skin the bastard alive." The end of that thought held a hard edge in her usually sweet-tempered sister's voice.

"I-I just feel so s-stupid," Blossom choked out. "Dexter n-never had been particularly affectionate, b-but I always thought it was b-because he was a man of s-science. N-not because he d-didn't l-love m-me."

As the ugly sobs started up again, Bubbles wrapped her arms around Blossom, cradling her like an infant. Robin and Buttercup shared a look that didn't bode well for Dexter's wellbeing, but Blossom wasn't sure she could bring herself to care how he fared.

Robin locked her blue eyes on Blossom's face with a small smile. "I know it's hard to see now, Bloss, but you deserve a thousand times better than that douchecanoe with the tiny dick."

"What? Who said anything about that?!"

The brunette shrugged. "It's not hard to figure out. Dude was obviously compensating for something."

"Robin!" Bubbles cried. "This is so not the time!"

"Funny. I don't hear her denying it. Do you, BC?" Robin turned her gaze to Blossom's obsidian haired sister whose face transitioned into a devilish grin.

"Why, no, Robin. I don't." Buttercup's lime eyes flashed dangerously. "He shall henceforth be referred to only as 'Pencildick.' That sound about right, Bloss? Or is 'Chodey McChoderson' more appropriate?"

Blossom simply stared at her sister with wide eyes. Was there even an appropriate response to that?!

Bubbles sighed. "Honestly, BC! What does that second one even mean?"

"Well, you see, Bubs, a chode is a dick that is short as fuck but fat as hell."

The blonde blushed. "Oh my God, ew! I don't want to know which of those names is more accurate, thank you very much! Blossy, if you want, I will tell both of these perverts to leave since obviously the only way they want to help make you feel better is by insulting your new, fresh, probably still painful ex."

The redhead let out a watery laugh. "No, it's fine, Bubbles. Thank you for the concern though. I…really appreciate it."

From behind Bubbles' line of vision Buttercup held up two fingers, a question mark on her face. Not wanting to upset Bubbles by sharing gory details, Blossom nodded to her dark haired sister to confirm that, yes, the second name would be the more accurate insulting nickname. The look of sheer disgust on Buttercup's face made her feel infinitely worse and better all at once.

Break-ups were such messy business.

"You know what I think you need?" Robin suggested, standing from the couch. "You need a girls' night out!"

"Don't you think it's a little soon to be asking her to do that?" Bubbles asked, a thinly veiled threat lining her voice.

Robin shook her head. "Bubbles, she hasn't gone out with us since I turned 21. And that was four months ago. And why couldn't she go out with us?"

"Because Chodey McChoderson told her it would be irresponsible and guilted her into hanging out with his lame ass instead," Buttercup replied.

This was quickly getting out of hand, and Blossom knew she should put the kibosh on the whole thing, but the girls were right. She hadn't gone out with them in months, and for what? Blossom always kept her head while she went out and made sure her work was done beforehand. She never went out on a school night, so there was no reason she shouldn't have gone out before! And now, with no one to make her feel bad for doing so, why not go now?

She found Bubbles blue eyes which were filled with such loving concern that Blossom felt her broken heart mend just a little bit more. The blonde clearly wanted her to heal in whatever way would be best. This was only made more obvious by her question.

"What do you say, Blossy? We'll do whatever you want to."

Forcing a smile, Blossom nodded. "I think a night out sounds like exactly what I need."

"If you're sure…"

"Come on, Bubbles, of course she's sure! Besides, she needs your help to pick out an outfit. Because I know exactly where we're going," Robin said with a grin.

Bubbles eyes shone at the thought of getting to dress Blossom up. The redhead internally sighed. She really didn't want to go out showing too much skin so soon after this, so she hoped her blonde sister would keep it tasteful. But honestly, how could she deny her sister this small joy in trying to help her feel better?

"I will be back with outfits for all of you!" Bubbles squealed. "We're going to make this the best night out Blossy has ever had!" She got halfway to the door before pausing. "Wait, Robbie, where are we going?"

"Just this new club in town. Xceptional."

"Dance clothes it is!"

Buttercup snorted. "I don't think so, Bubs. This isn't the type of club where we're going to be the ones dancing." She shot a look at Robin. "You really think this is the best idea?"

Robin waved off her concerns. "She deserves it. Lord knows the guys are bound to be better looking than Dex-Chodey McChoderson."

With furrowed brows, Bubbles glanced between Buttercup and Robin. "I don't get it. A club with no dancing? What fun is that?"

"Oh, there's dancing!" Robin insisted. "It's just the men that do it. On a stage."

Oh no. Absolutely not. This was Robin's idea of an appropriate girls' night out the day after her break-up? "Robin, I don't want to go to a strip club!"

A gasp escaped the short blonde, blue eyes glittering with ill-concealed excitement. As an artist, Bubbles often waxed poetic about the beauty of the human body, but her preferences for the male form were always made abundantly clear. "There's a club like that in Townsville? Oh goodness! I know just what to get now! Be right back!"

Before Blossom could protest further, she darted out the door and down the hall. The redhead sat there, heart sinking with dread about the direction this night was rapidly taking.

"Don't worry, Bloss. I've heard really good things about this place!"

"From who?" Blossom inquired, quirking a brow.

Buttercup snorted again. "This wouldn't have anything to do with that guy you were flirting with at the coffee shop the other day, would it?"

From the immediate coloring of her cheeks, Blossom knew Buttercup's remark struck an accurate chord with Robin. "What guy?"

Robin laughed, but the sound was forced. "What guy is right! I have no idea what you're talking about, BC. You crazy girl!" More fake laughter.

"Bloss, you remember Mike Believe, right?"

Blossom nodded slowly. "Sure. He went to school with us for years. I think he also goes to Townsville University with us if I'm not mistaken. Why?"

"Well, apparently, he's gotten really hot since high school. I found this out when Robin decided to ignore me the entire time we were having lunch together at the hole-in-the-wall café he works at." Buttercup rolled her eyes. "I heard him mention having a bartending gig too, but I really tried to block out most of the nauseating flirting that was going on. Her giggling put Bubbles to shame."

At this point, Robin looked like she wanted to disappear into the floor. "I would have told you about it, Blossy, but it only happened a few days ago. And the first time I talked to you since was…well, about this. It didn't seem like the right time to tell you, so thanks for that, BC."

"Just doin' my job. Besides, if you're dragging the girl to a strip club, she deserves to be well aware that your ass is going to be planted at the bar, not watching the dancers."

"I'll watch the dancers too!" Robin insisted. As an afterthought, she murmured, "From the bar. I can probably still see them just fine."

"Which means you're leaving me to babysit Bubbles. Fan-fucking-tastic."

"Oh stop. She doesn't need babysitting. She's a grown woman!"

Buttercup scoffed. "Bubbles tends to have a hard time following the 'look, don't touch' policy when it comes to things she deems 'art.' So, unless it's a bunch of fat fucks, someone needs to make sure we don't get charged with sexual harassment." Then, her lime green eyes narrowed. "And if it is a bunch of fat fucks, I'm never going to forgive you for making me see things I will never be able to unsee."

"Maybe this is a bad idea." The more Blossom thought about it, the more horrific the idea seemed. She had agreed to go out, thinking they would go have a drink at one of the small bars nearby. This hadn't been what she had in mind when she said yes! "Maybe we should just stay here."

Robin immediately deflated. "Do you really not want to go?"

"I don't know why you would think Blossom of all people would want to go," Buttercup muttered.

Blossom stiffened. "And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?"

"It means it's not really your scene, Bloss. Seeing a bunch of almost naked men thrust in your general direction doesn't sound like your idea of a good time." Buttercup shrugged. "I think it would be good for you to see some sexy men dancing to remind you that there is way better shit out there, but if you're going to be uncomfortable it won't be fun for anybody. Bubbles and Robin will feel all guilty, and then you'll start apologizing for having an opinion for yourself, and it will become a big tear fest. So I want you to be sure that you're not going to turn tail the second we walk in the place."

Frowning, Blossom considered this. Buttercup had a point. Any other day, she never would have considered going along with this. Blossom knew the type of music and general aesthetic of these establishments held little to no appeal for her.

But maybe this is exactly what she needed. The overwhelmingly negative shock to the system she received from Dexter had her feeling lower than she ever had before. She squared her shoulders. This wasn't what she wanted to be reduced to! Yes, Dexter had broken her heart. But she would be damned before she let him take her pride too.

Blossom was going to enjoy this night if it killed her. Cheating exes be damned.

"We're going." Her pink eyes darted over to Robin. "Did you get ones? Those are customary to bring to these types of places, right?"

Robin's blue eyes widened before a big grin took over her face. "Really?! Oh, Bloss, you are the best!" The brunette squeezed her tightly. "And I got tons!"

With a chuckle, Buttercup ruffled Blossom's hair as she walked by, causing the redhead to scowl. "There's the Leader Girl persona we all know and love. You had me worried there for a minute."

"No worries necessary. I'm going to have a fun night with my friends, and there's no one to make me feel bad for wanting to do so."

"Damn right!"

The door opened then, revealing a pile of clothes draped over the arms of Bubbles whose smile only brightened further seeing that Blossom's tears had subsided. "I have everything we'll need!"

"Of course you do." Buttercup shook her head. "If you think for one second I'm wearing a skirt, you've got another thing coming."

Bubbles giggled. "Don't be silly, BC. I know better than that." Unceremoniously, she dumped the pile of clothes onto Blossom's arm chair. Sifting through, she picked up what looked like a couple of black scraps and a pair of black ankle booties at her raven haired sister. "Put that on."

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Yes, ma'am."

A pair of pants and another shirt with a pair of stilettos were tossed in Robin's direction. "Here you go, Robbie!"

"Thanks!" Robin immediately began shucking her clothes to replace them with the treasures Bubbles had procured.

Blossom sat, spine ramrod straight, as she waited to see what exactly her sister deemed worthy for this momentous occasion. A short skirt was thrown in her direction. Blossom's pink eyes widened before she sputtered out, "Absolutely not, Bubbles! This is far too short!"

"So?" Bubbles asked. "You're going to be sitting anyway!"

"That makes it worse!"

"You deserve to look hot tonight, Blossy. Can you just trust me for once?"

"Buttercup," Blossom pleaded. "Help me out here?"

Her dark haired sister scowled back at her as she squeezed into the tight pleather shorts Bubbles selected for her. "You wanna trade?"

Blossom paled and simply shook her head. Well, she had wanted to have a true girls' night out, so she would have to trust that Bubbles didn't lead her too far astray. Opting to be a little more modest that her friends, she plucked up the skirt to slip it on in her bedroom. On her way, a shirt hit her in the back. With a sigh, she scooped that up too and closed the door most of the way behind her.

She tried to tune out the mix of whispers from her living room. They ranged from excited to worried and back again. Blossom hated causing everyone distress, but it was better to have them here. Her girls were going to get her back on her feet in record time.

After slipping on the outfit provided, Blossom peered at herself in her full length mirror. She grimaced at the sight of her red-tinged eyes and blotchy face; this is why she detested crying so much. Never in her life had the redhead been classified as a "pretty crier."

Face aside, the outfit was modest by Bubbles standards. The skirt hit her about mid-thigh, but the shirt left her bewildered. Why on earth were the shoulders bunching so strangely?

"Bubbles?" she called. "Is there something wrong with this shirt?"

The blonde in question popped her head into the room. Now clad in a skirt so short that Blossom thanked her lucky stars that her sister chose to have mercy on her, Bubbles strode into the room. Giggling, she tugged at Blossom's sleeves and suddenly the shirt fell much nicer. "There you go. All fixed!"

Only one problem. "Bubbles, I can't wear this."

"Why not?"

"My bra straps are showing!"

"So take it off. Duh!"

Blossom almost fell over at the suggestion. "I can't do that!"

Crossing her arms, Bubbles mouth pursed into a pout before she asked again, "Why not?"

"That's hardly appropriate."

"Blossy," Bubbles said slowly. "We're going to a strip club. The boys there will be wearing way less than you are. Besides, you can get away without one! I wish I was that lucky!"

Frowning, Blossom glanced back at her chest. It was true. Somehow as the oldest she had been less "gifted" in the chest department than her sisters. She had no issues with her body, but this was one of those moments where she truly wished her sister was incorrect.

"Besides, it's nice and warm out. And it will probably be pretty warm in the club too. So no worries, right?"

That sounded good in theory, but Blossom knew better than to trust her body not to react in a natural way in the presence of presumably good looking men. However, tonight was the beginning of a change – her own metamorphosis in a matter of speaking. The girls would make sure no one ruined their night, so why not take the chance?

With a sigh, she removed the article of clothing and turned back to the mirror. If she was honest with herself, Blossom needed to admit the shirt fell perfectly against her skin now. The soft pink of the shirt really drew attention to her eyes anyway. She genuinely smiled for the first time that evening.

Quiet as a mouse, Bubbles appeared next to her, hairbrush in hand. "I'm going to put your hair up, okay? Then a little light make-up, and you'll be ready for a night out!"

Blossom sat on the edge of her bed, letting her youngest sister scoop up her soft hair into a high ponytail. It was a smart way to wear it; this would keep the hair from sticking to the back of her neck if the club became humid.

The girls sat in amicable silence as Bubbles added the finishing touches. When she was done, the blonde beamed at Blossom. "You look beautiful, Blossy."

Her sister was too complimentary, of course. Blossom looked better than she had before her sister's intervening though and remained grateful that all signs of her previous crying disappeared beneath the make-up her sister applied.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bubbles asked. "I know Robbie will be upset, but we can go another time."

Blossom smiled softly. "How many times do I have to say yes before you believe me?"

The blonde giggled again. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! We're going to have so much fun tonight!"

"Hey!" The door to the bedroom swung open, revealing a Buttercup whose stomach was thoroughly flaunted in the cropped shirt she wore, her short hair with a couple of strategically placed curls throughout it. "Are we leaving sometime today? The club isn't open for all eternity, you know."

Glancing at the clock, Blossom realized it was already nearing 10:30 p.m. Surely if the club wasn't already open, it would be opening soon! Would they even be able to get in on such short notice? Was there typically a big crowd at places like this?

"No worrying!" Robin shouted. "I see you worrying, Bloss, and there is nothing to worry about! Tonight it's all about having fun and seeing sexy men dance! I texted Mike to see if there was anything he could swing for us, and he managed to get us on the VIP list." The brunette turned to smile smugly at Buttercup. "Looks like my 'annoying' flirting worked! You're welcome!"

"We wouldn't even be going to this place if it wasn't for you, remember?" Buttercup smirked.

Robin waved her off. "Details, details. Come on, girls! Let's go!"

With that, the four girls made their way downtown. Blossom hoped that the night could simply be one fun night with her best friends in the world to help her shed any remaining negative feelings about her ex.

But Blossom should have known better. Her life was never that simple.

---

Blossom shuffled into her kitchen and put on the instant coffee maker. This thing made some of the most horrific coffee she'd ever tasted, no matter how expensive the brand, but she desperately needed it this morning. And no way could she just leave and get the good stuff from downtown when a certifiable stranger remained asleep in her bed.

As the coffee brewed, she thought about what to do. If she remained casual, would he not address the potential awkwardness of the situation? Would he simply leave? Or try to sneak out when she wasn't paying attention? That was fine by her. Blossom didn't want him getting the wrong idea; there would be no repeat of last night.

Not that she could remember most of it anyway.

Which, in truth, was a shame. If his dancing was any indication, he probably was very good. Maybe even the best she ever had.

Oh well. Serves her right for falling into bed with a man she barely knew. She didn't deserve to reminisce about it.

Once the coffee maker finished, she poured herself a cup, dumping copious amounts of creamer and sugar into it, doing her best to mask the awful taste. Blossom grimaced after the first sip. 'You can't shine shit,' as the saying goes.

Her eyes flickered back to her ajar bedroom door. She allowed herself to peek for just a minute.

The sheets slung low around his hips now, showing off his incredibly sculpted physique. Though, Blossom supposed, anything less wouldn't really be appropriate in his line of work. An impulse to trace her fingers through the valleys between his abs shot through her, and she immediately blushed, turning her back to her room. Obviously staring at him for a few moments caused even her sober, albeit hungover, mind to lose much of its restraint.

Blossom's traitorous mind, rather than reinstating its restraint, flashed to the memory of when she first met Brick, though it was an official meeting. She'd just been a girl in the audience, watching him dance.

And she enjoyed it far more than she had expected to, if her current situation was anything to show for it.

---

She heard the establishment before she saw it. Bubbles agreed to be the designated driver, mostly by Buttercup's insistence that she wouldn't need drinks in her tonight.

When they arrived, Robin squared her shoulders and walked up the bouncer, flashing him a killer smile. "Hi! My name's Robin. I know Mike. Did he happen to mention we would be coming by?"

The man standing before them was the broadest gentleman Blossom had ever seen. He looked like he could encompass all four of them in his wingspan. Why on earth would a club that catered to women have such an imposing gentleman at its entrance?

However, he cracked a friendly smile that eased her mind somewhat. "You sure you girls are all here for Believe? You know he's just the bartender, right?"

Bubbles giggled. "Just Robin here. I think she caught his eye." She winked at the bouncer who tittered appreciatively.

"Well, he's a lucky guy. Go on in, girls." He stepped aside to let them pass.

Barely out of ear shot, Buttercup whistled lowly. "If they have a guy that hot guarding the place, these dancers are going to be some of the hottest people on the planet."

"Right?!" Bubbles squealed, fanning herself slightly.

Blossom frowned. The guy out front had been cute, sure, but far too broad for her to be comfortable with. Unwittingly, the idea of Bubbles even attempting to hug a man that large, let alone be intimate with him flitted through her mind. Goodness, the man would dwarf her. Bubbles barely cleared five feet! That man had to be almost seven. The realization that her baby sister was attracted to hulking men like that startled her more than she wanted to admit.

With Buttercup…well, she had no doubt the body guard would have to work hard to keep up with her in any and all aspects.

The deeper they went into the club, the dimmer the lighting became, and the volume of the music increased. Blossom glanced around and saw that the place was packed with women of all ages – she swore she saw a table of silver haired ladies near the stage.

What had she gotten herself into?

"There he is!" Robin's face broke out into an even wider smile as she caught the eye of the cute brunet behind the bar. The boy, Mike, seemed just as eager to see her as he sent her a grin and gestured to an empty bar stool near him. Blushing, her brunette friend fought the urge to run over to the bar and kept her pace to a brisk walk.

Blossom glanced at her sisters who already began following Robin to the bar before taking up the rear. As she approached, she recognized the friendly bartender. Buttercup mentioned that he had gone to high school with them, but she couldn't quite put the name to the face. Now flashes of him scurrying through the halls to avoid some of the rude brutes they'd gone to high school with as well flashed through her mind. The poor kid had been tormented.

However, it looked like he wasn't bothered by it in the least. Buttercup hadn't been kidding when she said the kid really came into his own after high school. Where he had been all bones and awkward angles, Mike Believe seemed to put on some lean muscle. He'd gotten a haircut that better suited him and showed off his rather enviable bone structure. All in all, the years had been kind to Mike. Blossom was happy to see that he seemed remarkably chipper despite everything.

And the way he looked at Robin like she lit up the club didn't hurt either.

"Hey Robin. Hey girls," he greeted with a polite nod. "You ready for the show?"

"Is it really as good as you claimed? Or was that just a ploy to get Robin here?" Well, there went any hope of tactfully asking that question. Thank you, Buttercup.

Luckily, Mike chuckled. "Nah, it's really that good. If it was a ploy and then the show sucked, the charade would be ruined anyway, right?"

Robin rolled her eyes at Buttercup. "Ignore her. I'm sure the show is great."

"Not that you'll be seeing much of it from here," Buttercup mumbled with an eye roll of her own.

Bubbles laughed loudly as Robin shot Buttercup a dark look. "Well, since you know all about it, where should we sit, Mike?"

"Oh, no worries. I had the guys reserve a table for you so that you'd get a close look at the action." Mike gestured behind them.

Blossom followed his gesture. True to his word, there was a table with a lovely Reserved sign on top of it, practically touching the edge of the stage. Well, it looked like there would be no turning back tonight. She was about to get very personally acquainted with a lot of half-naked, or perhaps more than half naked, strangers.

"You're not half bad," Buttercup said with a smirk. "Can you get me a Long Island Iced Tea and a Strawberry Daiquiri for the redhead?"

"Coming right up." Mike smiled at Robin. "You want anything before you go watch the show?"

"Oh, uh, no. I'm fine for now." Robin slid onto the bar stool, momentarily avoiding eye contact with all of them. "Besides, I'll have a pretty good view from here, right?"

Now it was his turn to blush. Blossom smiled. The two of them were pretty cute together; she was happy she agreed to come out for Robin. It was clear that the two of them had hit it off quickly.

"Damn it. I should have put a bet on this. I've only been saying it all night," Buttercup groaned.

"Too late now, BC." Robin smiled triumphantly. She shot a look at Mike who walked down the bar to grab a bottle from a different shelf. "But I will pay for your drinks if you don't bring this up for the rest of time."

"Done and done."

Mike put the drinks on the bar, and Robin handed him a twenty. When he tried to give her the change back, she simply waved it away.

Okay. Now Blossom was starting to see what Buttercup meant when she mentioned that the two were so sweet they could be cavity inducing.

"Let's get to our seats, girls! I don't want to miss any of the show!" Bubbles tugged her arm and dragged her towards the table while Buttercup followed with their drinks. "See you later, Robbie!"

Blossom sat carefully, doing everything she could to make sure that her skirt didn't ride up. Bubbles, on the other hand, seemed so excited for the show that she barely sat at all, practically balancing on the very edge of the chair. When she glanced at her middle sister, Blossom wryly noted that her sister first tried to straddle the chair – possibly to eliminate the openness for lap dances, she realized, but the pleather shorts restricted her movement too much. So the lime eyed girl ended up plopping into her chair with an annoyed huff.

Giggling, Bubbles clapped her hands together. "Oh, girls, this is going to be so much fun! Here!" She grabbed fistfuls of bills out of her purse and handed them to her sisters. "Don't be afraid to be generous to your favorite!"

Buttercup rolled her eyes but accepted the cash. Blossom began to carefully arrange her money, nerves settling in. What if she accidentally groped one of the men while trying to tip him? Or if she let a dollar bill flutter to the floor, only to cause the dancer to slip? Or what if they –

"Will you chill, Bloss?" The redhead in question turned to her raven haired sister, who was smirking in her direction. "We're here to have some fun. Don't stress yourself out so much."

She laughed, though she heard it waver. "You're right. I'm probably just being silly. I've just never done anything like this before."

"It'll do you a world of good," Buttercup said. "So try to relax. It's the only way you're going to enjoy this at all."

The lights dimmed further in that moment as the blaring music died out to be replaced by a masculine voice with a slight southern lilt to it. Blossom looked around the room to see who the voice belonged to, and she didn't have to wait for long. A slightly older gentleman rounded the partition on the stage in nothing but some very low, very tight blue jeans and a cowboy hat.

"All right, all right, all right." His voice lilted and a warm grin crossed his face as he crossed the stage. "How ya'll ladies doin' tonight?"

The cheers and whoops ascended instantaneously. Bubbles heartily cheered while Buttercup gave an appreciative whistle. Blossom, for her part, managed to daintily clap her hands a few times. Her mind ground to a halt when he entered.

If that was how the man giving the introductions was dressed, what on earth were these dancers going to be wearing?

Or not wearing?

Blossom felt her cheeks burning at the thought and tried to focus on his words rather than his (nicely toned, to be sure) body. For a man who had to be at least in his late thirties to early forties, the man screamed lean muscle. Thus, focusing needed to commence!

"That's good to hear, my sweet ladies. Are ya'll ready for a show tonight?" As he finished the question, the man began circling his hips sensually, and the cries of approval echoed off the walls.

She gulped. Was it too late to go home? She thought she was ready for this, but –

Then she felt a hand on her arm and glanced toward Buttercup whose eyes were glued on the cowboy. However, the message had been received. Blossom had agreed she wouldn't "turn tail," so to speak, but Buttercup was here to support her through it as needed.

Bubbles missed the exchange entirely, completely swept up in the atmosphere of the place. Blossom felt a small smile creep on her face at seeing her sister's face lit up. She could stay. For her.

"Then we'll kick off our night with a wild man. Does that sound like somethin' you'd like?"

A particular group of women notably got even more excitable at this implication. Blossom's eyebrows disappeared into her hair. It seemed that even a club like this had regulars. Eyeballing her youngest sister warily, she made a mental note to watch Bubbles' spending habits when it came to this establishment. Otherwise, the blonde might spend all of her money here and become quite the regular herself.

"Ladies, please give a warm welcome to our resident jungle man Alan Lupinsky, better known to you all as Fuzzy Lumpkins!"

Buttercup snorted. "That's a fucking horrible stripper name."

However, Blossom only barely heard her sister above the din of the crowd. Questionable name aside, this gentleman seemed pretty popular.

A upbeat country tune started playing through the speakers, and Blossom heard Buttercup groan and saw her reach for her glass. Once the man turned the corner, the groan turned into a choked noise as her sister promptly had her drink go down the wrong pipe.

Well. That certainly hadn't been what Blossom had been expecting.

The man – though that word seemed to sell his stature short; he was built more like a bear – wore a white t-shirt, jeans that were not nearly as tight as the ones on the gentleman from before, and cowboy boots. Did they unintentionally go to a honky-tonk bar? Blossom looked at Buttercup whose face had clouded over. If that were the case, Robin would owe Buttercup for bothering to come along tonight. Her distaste for the genre was not a secret.

Blossom's gaze moved to Bubbles, her blonde head tilted as she watched the dancer curiously. She could understand the confusion; he did seem to be wearing an awful lot of clothes for this type of place. Maybe the men became more undressed as the acts went on?

RIIIIIIIP.

Oh. Oh dear. Or, as the word "strip" would imply, they did indeed remove the clothing in front of them. This man, this Fuzzy Lumpkins, ripped his white shirt right down the middle, revealing a rather…impressive…amount of chest hair. It was a little difficult to make out his chest and stomach muscles underneath, but Blossom didn't doubt they were there.

She simply didn't plan to search for them too hard.

After all, she preferred a cleaner look to the chest for one to properly admire the person's physique. But she supposed that was the beauty of a place like this; the women across the room clearly enjoyed the untamed hair. Some of the things these women were shouting about wanting to do to his chest hair alone made Blossom blush.

Fuzzy ate it up, paying a little extra attention to them, making sure to add a couple of extra thrusts in the direction of his fans. They responded by whooping and hollering louder, causing an even wider smile to grace the man's face.

A guitar solo pervaded the air, and suddenly another loud riiiip bounced off the walls. And thus Fuzzy was down to just underwear. Or, more specifically, a jungle print thong.

"Oh my God, I'm gonna hurl," Buttercup muttered, gulping down the rest of her drink in one go. "I'm not drunk enough for this…"

It appeared that the…untamed quality of his hair…did not end at his chest. Though it all looked clean, the amount of hair that was just...just everywhere was overwhelming. "It is quite, uhm, a lot, isn't it?"

"If he prefers to be all natural, I think that's good for him! Not everybody likes the clean shaven look," Bubbles said with a determined nod. "He makes it work for him."

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Going to get myself another drink now. You want another, Bloss?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Buttercup."

Luckily, the song wound to a close soon after her sister went back to the bar. Thong completely lined with bills – Blossom believed she even spotted a twenty snuck in among them – Fuzzy confidently exited the stage.

No sooner had he left than the gentleman from earlier returned, no doubt to announce the next act. Blossom wondered if he refrained from introducing himself for a reason. Either the man was so well known he needed no introduction, or he respected his dancers and wanted them to be the only name stuck in the patrons' minds when they left.

"How'd ya'll enjoy that little number, huh?"

"WE LOVE YOU FUZZY!" One of the women from the group of Fuzzy fans shouted.

The man took it in stride with a charming laugh. "It looks like you liked it pretty good. Are ya'll satisfied? Would you like the show to stop now?"

The resounding "no" from every corner of the room made Blossom jump in her seat. This crowd was definitely a rowdy bunch, most of which had clearly participated in this call-and-answer before. There was no way this many women could feel the same thought so vehemently at the same time.

Right?

"Of course you want more! Well, pretty ladies, next up is the man who would call himself the King of Hearts if he wasn't so determined to be number one. Give some love for Ace!"

And so the next hour went. Blossom watched as a parade of mostly naked men danced and thrust their way around the stage. Her cheeks felt permanently colored at this point. During one particular performance, she ended up eye level with a particularly…prominent male feature on a rather rotund gentleman who danced in a group with Ace and three other men later in the evening. Like a bad movie scene, she couldn't look away, no matter how much she wanted to. Buttercup snickered as she sipped on her fourth drink at that point, and Bubbles giggled and stuck a dollar in the band of the man's undergarments before looking at Blossom expectantly.

Not wanting to be rude, she tried to delicately slide the bill into the band, but her pinky grazed his skin just enough to feel how much his exertions affected him.

Buttercup nearly fell out of her chair when she realized that Blossom now had the gentleman's sweat on her hand despite her attempts to be careful. Instead of discretely getting her sister a napkin, the lime eyed devil child decided to bump the back of Blossom's chair, causing her entire hand to slap against the man's thigh, only to immediately slide off the slick surface.

The cackling continued, and, mercifully, Bubbles darted to the bar to get some napkins since Blossom sat frozen in sheer horror at her intimate contact with the stranger.

At this point, Blossom was ready to depart. While she was appreciative of the sentiment to get her here, and some of the men had been rather attractive, this whole scene made her shift uncomfortably in her too-short skirt. She felt entirely too exposed, despite being one of the most clothed people in the place.

"Ladies, it's about that time. While you know the club stays open, the performances from my boys are about to end. Now…who's ready for the grand finale?"

Was it even worth noting the overzealous responses of the crowd anymore? By the fourth act, Blossom knew her ears would be ringing for the rest of the evening, if not well into tomorrow.

"Then please help me in welcoming our boys who love to get down and dirty. They're our resident bad boys who tend to get a little too rowdy and a touch too rough."

She had to strain to hear the man over the shrill shrieking from a woman a couple tables over. As if Blossom hadn't already been convinced she'd have a headache when she left…

"Oh my gosh! Blossy, BC – is that Princess?!" Bubbles gasped as she pointed to the noisy woman in question.

Buttercup and Blossom both followed their sister's finger to the woman who was indeed Princess Morebucks. Blossom didn't know why she was surprised. The girl's father probably bought this club for her to fill as she saw fit. Or, if not, she was here to blow daddy's money on all the boys he'd never let her date. Quite frankly, Blossom didn't care why she was here; she simply wanted to avoid the other redhead at all costs.

The two of them never really managed to get along...

"What the hell is that twat doing here?" Buttercup hissed. "And damn, can she shut up already?!"

"Buttercup, enough," Blossom murmured, returning her attention to the emcee who certainly made a production of dragging out this introduction.

"I know what you ladies are after. Please welcome to the stage the Jojo Brothers, better known as the Rowdyruff Boys!"

Blossom didn't know what the rules of the club were, of course, it being her first time there. But she could say with certainty that Princess climbing onto the stage before the performance began was frowned upon.

A member of security carefully pulled her off and placed her gently in the chair, whispering something to her that, strangely enough, made the girl smile. Seemingly satisfied with whatever she was told, Princess sat primly with her eyes glued to the stage.

While the strange sounding base thundered through the speakers, three figures appeared through the floor. The boy on the left had some of the fluffiest looking blond hair Blossom ever saw, barring her sister's. The boy on the right had spiked black hair and looked almost as massive as the bouncer out front.

As for the one in the middle…well, he had a red cap bill pulled over his face and long red hair slicked back in a ponytail that stuck through the hole in the back of the ball cap. Without him even moving, Blossom felt the pull of his stage presence and felt her throat go a little dry. Unable to pull her eyes away from the still fully clothed male, she carefully took a sip of her drink to ease the desert that decided to take up residency in her esophagus at his appearance.

She didn't want to think about what her reaction was going to be once the clothes starting peeling away.

All three boys were in oversized zip-up hoodies and baggy sweatpants. One could argue that the clothing didn't exactly scream "sexy." However, one would obviously not having seen the way these boys carried the garments.

"I want the blond! I think he's cute!" Bubbles squealed, eyes locked on the boy on the left with the charming smile. Her hands waved fistfuls of money in the air.

And then they started dancing.

"Holy shit," Buttercup rasped out from behind her, but Blossom couldn't turn to face her because…well…it would be rude to not pay attention to those very rhythmic hips.

When their hands reached for the zippers on their hoodies, Blossom heard herself give a little yelp of appreciation in tandem with the cacophony of other women's happy cries. Though she found herself shockingly disappointed to discover that the boys all had tank tops underneath. They were practically glued to their skin though, leaving very little chest and abdominal muscle to the imagination.

Then the boys dropped to their knees and somehow using only their feet and pelvises moved themselves forward, always staying in perfect time with the music. When they ceased moving forward, the capped boy was only a few feet from them. From her angle, Blossom perfectly saw him from the side. When he, and she imagined the other boys though she didn't look away to be certain, began to thrust at the floor in that push-up position that showcased his incredibly toned arms, she felt her blush spread down to her chest, and her toes began to curl. Somehow she felt too hot and like someone dumped ice water on her all at once; a foreign feeling that she couldn't quite place.

Whereas most of the other performers, even the attractive ones, made her acutely uncomfortable, she found herself rather…enjoying this particular performance. Perhaps it was because the boy clearly trained in some type of legitimate hip hop courses, making all of his movements crisp and refined. Or it could be due to the fact that he was quite obviously the closest to her in age, giving her a level of comfort she was unable to feel with the older men.

However, the boy peeled off the tank top, tipping the brim of his hat up enough to finally see his face. When Blossom's eyes locked on that alluring smirk and dangerous red eyes, she felt a jolt go through her. She had seen this boy somewhere before.

But she definitely hadn't had the pleasure of seeing just how defined the planes of his body were prior to this moment. The handsome face struck a familiar chord, but that body…

Well, she'd have remembered a body like that. Honestly, she thought bodies like his only existed in airbrushed magazines. The hardened pectorals. The defined abdominals. The prominent "V" shape that seemed dedicated to drawing the eye to…more personal body parts.

Yes, Blossom absolutely knew she would have remembered seeing this before. She sipped her drink again, knowing in the back of her mind that drinking alcohol to keep her throat feeling hydrated was illogical.

But nothing about this moment felt entirely logical.

Then, for a brief moment, his eyes scanned the audience and locked on hers. And, against all odds, she saw it.

The flash of recognition that passed in his eyes too.

Now where on earth had she seen him before?

"Holy shit," Buttercup repeated, unabashedly fanning herself with a few of her dollar bills.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Bubbles cried delightedly. "He's coming this way!"

Sure enough, the three boys executed perfect back flips off the stage, entering the audience. And, it seemed, the blond chose Bubbles as his audience target. He danced his way over, the charming smile on his face all the while. Her sister became a giggling mess under his gaze and when he held out a hand to her, Blossom felt certain her sister melted into the floor before grasping his hand and being pulled towards the stage.

It appeared the other boys selected girls too. The dark haired one, for some reason, selected two women. While the redhead…

Had chosen Princess.

Blossom felt herself pale and forced herself to look away from the pair. However, watching her sister blatantly grind against the stranger was not helping her feel any better.

"GO BUBBLES!" came from the back of the club near the bar. Ah, so Robin had bothered to look over from time to time. How kind of her.

Turning to the dark haired brother, Blossom realized that he took the song to heart. One of his volunteers lay underneath him as he rolled his body over her while the other thrust her hands in his hair, straddled over his back, quite literally riding him like a pony.

Buttercup snorted and rolled her eyes. "Show off."

Sparing her sister a glance, Blossom felt her lips uplift into a small, secret smile. Apparently Bubbles hadn't been the only one wanting to be picked by the handsome boys on stage. Her dark haired sister's jealousy in this situation was unmerited but kind of endearing in its own way.

Then Blossom remembered which girl the redheaded boy selected, and the smile slipped off her face. 'Pot, meet kettle,' she thought to herself.

"Oh, for the love – Bubbles!" Buttercup groaned, burying her face in her hands. "She's not even drunk. Look at her!"

Unfortunately, she did as her sister told her and saw her sister with her legs wrapped around the dancer's waist, rolling her own body, while twirling one hand in small circles.

"Is that crazy girl that you say is related to us seriously pretending to wield a lasso in front of all of these people?" Buttercup hissed.

That…did appear to be the case, yes. Despite that, though, the blond male seemed to be eating it up. His gaze never left their sister, regardless of the fact that this was meant to be a performance for a group of people.

And watching them lock eyes like that made her feel dirty. Like she was witnessing something meant to be intimate, something meant to happen behind closed doors.

"If our little sister doesn't try to get that man's number after the show, I will not know who I am anymore."

Blossom nodded absently and felt her eyes being drawn back to the red haired dancer. She watched him essentially do what Blossom believed qualified as "the worm" over an obviously smitten Princess. His hips snapped forward to the beat, never quite touching her, as he walked up and down her body on his hands, never losing his rhythm.

It was really quite an impressive feat. And undeniably…well, the only word that came to mind was sexy. Blossom never knew why people would choose to use that word over something like attractive or handsome, something with more dignity and respect put behind it.

Well, until now. Because those words couldn't do justice to the rippling of this boys muscles.

A small part of Blossom envied the position Princess was in. Surely, she could very easily identify all of the toned muscles in his body.

And get a very good look into those captivating eyes of his. Just thinking about the deep red hue of them sent a chill down Blossom's spine.

She had to figure out where she knew him from!

When the boys released their chosen partners, the women returning to the audience with flushed cheeks and beaming faces, they began more choreographed movements. The synchronization of their hip thrusts and arm movements was perfection. Suddenly, so quickly she almost missed it, the boys gripped the thighs of their sweatpants and ripped them clean off, tossing the torn garments behind them leaving only underwear that left very little to the imagination…

"Holy. Shit." Apparently Buttercup had chosen a catchphrase for the evening.

Though Blossom couldn't say she entirely blamed her. It seemed their legs were equally as toned as the tops of them.

"His ass is nicer than mine!" Buttercup hissed, outraged. "How often are these guys in the gym?! Seriously, it takes work to get asses like those!"

"How are you even looking at their butts right now?!" Bubbles cried.

Blossom blushed. Her sister was very pointedly staring at the one body part that remained concealed by clothing. The clothing masked very little though.

It appeared that "well-endowed" could be added to the list of attractive qualities for these particular dancers.

Time felt like it snapped – moving too quickly and too slowly all at once. Blossom tried to ignore the dryness of her throat as she watched the sexy – really, he merited the word! – redhead dance, but then it seemed like, all too quickly, he disappeared into the floor from whence he came.

When the boys vanished from view and the music faded, there was a brief moment of silence. Then came the screaming.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Bubbles gushed. "That was the hottest thing I've ever seen! How have we never been here before?! We have to come back!"

"Right there with you, Bubs," Buttercup nodded solemnly, eyes looking a touch glassy. How many of those drinks had she had in the last hour? Five? Six? More than that? Blossom lost count after Buttercup's fourth. She restrained herself to only two, which was more than enough to have her feeling a light buzz.

Or maybe the buzz had nothing to do with the alcohol at all.

The noise only calmed when the emcee returned to the stage, and even then the excited energy was still prevalent. The man looked pleased by the enthused reactions of his audience.

"How'd you like the show ladies?"

Blossom joined in the whooping this time. It felt rude not to do so after that final performance!

…or maybe the buzz definitely had something to do with the alcohol.

"Aren't those Jojos somethin' special?"

"HELL YES!" Princess shrieked.

Buttercup whistled while Bubbles cheered. Blossom felt her hands stinging from clapping so hard. It didn't seem like enough, but she knew better than to join in the cheering. Who knew what would come out if she did?

The man chuckled. "I'll be sure to pass on the message. Now, ladies, I'm afraid to say that's the end of the performances for the night. But you're more than welcome to stay and mingle. Sometimes the dancers come out to play." He let that statement linger with a wink.

"We're staying!" Bubbles immediately insisted, blue eyes blazing with determination.

Buttercup shrugged. "I'm down. You in, Bloss?"

She still didn't trust herself to speak, so she simply nodded. Besides, if their designated driver decided to chain herself to the building for the chance of getting the blond's number, they would be stuck until one of them sobered enough to drive.

The music from when they first entered the club came back on. Another part of the club lit up, showing a dance floor, as the lights on the stage dimmed almost completely.

"Do you guys wanna dance?" Bubbles asked, eyeing the dance floor with a smile.

Blossom cleared her throat. "You guys go ahead if you'd like. I'm going to go check on Robin."

Buttercup shook her head. "You don't think you might be interrupting something?"

"She should at least know our intentions to stay."

With a giggle, Bubbles lips curled into a mischievous smile. "I don't know that she'd be leaving with us anyway."

"I don't blame her. I wouldn't leave with us either," Buttercup said with a snicker.

Blossom sighed. "I am not going to go by your assumptions, girls. I'll join you in a minute."

"Oh, no way! I'm gonna see what dirt that guy has on those dancers." Buttercup grinned. "If you're going to interrupt them anyway, we might as well make the most of it."

"You're right, BC! I bet Mike totally knows them!" With that, Bubbles darted back towards the bar.

"Could she at least try to be a little more subtle?" Blossom asked, repressing another sigh.

Buttercup shrugged, her grin growing. "She leaves that to you."

"Oh hush."

By the time the pair reached the bar, Bubbles already sat perched on a stool next to Robin, chatting away. Robin luckily looked nonplussed, so her interruption wasn't completely invasive. Thank goodness.

Blossom noticed that Bubbles directed her chatter at Mike and took the opportunity to check in with her brunette friend. "How are you doing back here, Robin?"

"Missed a hell of a show," Buttercup added.

Robin beamed back. "I've been just fine, actually. I caught the important parts. Like Bubsy here gettin' it on with Boomer Jojo."

This caught Bubbles' attention. "Wait, Robbie – do you know them?!"

The brunette eyed her friends warily. "Not exactly. Mikey here told me."

"Mikey?" Buttercup asked, raising a brow.

"The blond is Boomer. The guy with the black hair is Butch. And the redheaded front man is Brick," Robin listed before looking to Mike. "Right?"

He nodded with a smile. "Yup. You could say those three tend to be a crowd favorite. That's why they asked Matt not to announce their names anymore. It became…a bit of a hassle."

"Matt? Was that the emcee guy?" Bubbles asked.

"Yup, that's him!"

Buttercup narrowed her eyes. "If they don't want that to be common knowledge, why would you tell us, practical strangers? That's kind of a sleazy move, isn't it?"

"Buttercup!" Robin cried, horrified. "You take that back!"

"I apologize for my sister's complete lack of tact," Blossom said quickly. "Though it does seem a rather odd thing to do."

Mike grinned sheepishly. "I guess you really didn't recognize them then. Sorry. I thought you guys knew them."

"How would we know them?" Bubbles asked.

Robin interjected then. "Mikey says they go to our school. Well, Boomer and Brick do anyway. I guess Butch goes to the trade school across the street."

That must have been it! That's where Blossom recognized the redhead – Brick – from. She must have seen him on campus somewhere. Those eyes were pretty impossible to miss in a crowd. At least now she knew that she hadn't made up the look of recognition that flashed through his features either.

After all, pink eyes were not exactly commonplace either.

"So tell us, Mikey," Buttercup drawled, shooting a look at a blushing Robin. "Do these infamous Jojo brothers tend to come out to play while the crowds are here?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Not likely. You'd be surprised how many of these women don't know how to keep their hands to themselves."

"But they picked us to dance with them! Shouldn't they tell us if they don't like to be touched?!" Bubbles began panicking. "I-I didn't mean to! Oh my gosh, please! Tell him, tell Boomer! Tell him I'm so sorry!"

Mike's gray eyes widened. "No, no. What you did was, uh, fine? Like you said, Boomer picked you. If he didn't want you to do something, he would have weaved his way out of it, don't worry about it! I didn't mean onstage."

Blossom's brows furrowed. "Do the women tend to get overly aggressive?"

"Let's just say some people have a hard time realizing that just because they perform onstage with minimal clothes on doesn't mean that they want to be taking their clothes off all the time." Mike scratched the back of his neck. "The poor guys end up spending a lot of money on new clothes because women try to…replicate the rip-away clothing that the guys use onstage."

"That's fucked up." Buttercup crossed her arms. "Doesn't the bouncer do anything?"

This time his laugh was better. "Well, when one of the main perpetrators is one of the owners of the club, it becomes pretty difficult for them to interfere."

"Princess." Blossom didn't word it like a question.

"Yup. If anything, she's only gotten worse since high school." Mike scowled. "Which I really didn't think was possible."

"Seems next to impossible," Buttercup agreed. "She's always been a massive cu-"

"Buttercup," Blossom warned.

"Bitch."

She slapped a hand to her forehead. That really wasn't better. It was best not to aggravate Princess while in her own club though. Especially if Bubbles truly did plan to try and come back again. So Buttercup needed to keep her voice down.

"You're not wrong," Mike said simply. "But yeah, the Jojos tend to wait until the front doors close to make their appearance."

Bubbles' face fell. "Oh."

"Bubbles, it'll be fine," Blossom reassured. "You can try to connect with him on campus."

"I guess." Bubbles sighed with a slight pout. "Darn it. Oh well. In that case, we can head out whenever you want to, girls."

Now it was Robin's turn to have her face fall. "Were you guys looking to leave now?"

"We don't have to! We can totally stay, Robbie! We can go dance or something. Right?" Bubbles suggested, giving Blossom a hopeful look.

Mike leaned onto the bar. "If you stick around, I might be able to convince the guys to meet you. I can't make any promises, but it's the least I can do to thank you girls for agreeing to come with Robin tonight."

The smile found its way back onto Robin's face in an instant after he said that.

"I'd hate to put you in that kind of position, Mike. Are you sure that would be acceptable?" Blossom pursed her lips.

He flashed her a smile. "Like I said, no promises. But I'll try my best." He turned to his fellow bartender. "Pablo, you got this for ten minutes? It looks the worst of it is over. I just gotta run back and talk to the guys. That cool?"

Pablo nodded briefly before returning his attention to the customer he was serving.

"Sweet. You're the best, Pablo. Be right back, ladies!" And with that, the sandy haired man slipped out from behind the bar and headed toward what Blossom could only assume was backstage.

"Soooo?" Bubbles leaned into Robin, her smile wide.

"Soooo what?" Robin asked, avoiding eye contact and taking another sip of her Mai Tai.

"You and Mike!" Bubbles squealed. "Is it a love connection?"

"Don't be crazy! We just met."

"Psht. Yeah, right! You've known him since high school, Robbie!"

Robin blushed. "We didn't really know him then..."

Not one to be deterred, Bubbles giggled. "And by that look on your face, it looks like you wish you had! It is a love connection!"

"Shut up, Bubbles!" Robin pleaded, eyes darting nervously to where Mike disappeared to. "It's not going to become a lov-one of those if I can't even get a date with the guy before you scare him off just throwing around words like that!"

"Well, I'm happy for you, Robin," Blossom said with a delicate smile. "He seems like one of the good ones."

Almost immediately, Robin's eyes widened and mouth dropped in horror. "Oh God, Bloss. I'm the worst friend! Are you, like, totally mad at me? Here I am yammering on about –"

Blossom put up a hand, effectively ending her friend's rambling. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

She thought she heard Buttercup cough something that sounded mysteriously close to "bull shit," but elected to ignore it.

"Are you sure?" Wide blue eyes searched her face for deception, and Blossom was proud to say there was none to be found. She only spoke the truth here, regardless of Buttercup's implications. There was nothing that said she couldn't be happy for Robin and sad for herself in the same evening; the two ideas were not mutually exclusive.

Grabbing Robin's hand, Blossom smiled again, a little brighter this time. "Absolutely."

"But if Mikey here steps out of line," Buttercup cracked her knuckles with a withering look. "He'll wish he was back in high school by the time I'm done with him."

"Oh stop it, BC. He seems nice!" Bubbles said. "And they'd make the cutest babies!"

"Bubbles!" Robin hissed. "Can you please not with that?!"

Bubbles giggled again. "But you look so cute when you're all flustered! I'm sure he agrees with me, don't you, Mike?"

"Agree about what?" the male voice came from behind the bar once more.

Robin spun around so fast that she almost fell off her stool. Luckily, Mike grasped her arm, righting her before she went to the floor. Cheeks burning, Robin murmured her thanks.

"You okay?" Mike's brows knit in concern.

The brunette swallowed thickly. "F-fine." Mike's gaze didn't waver. "Promise."

"If you're sure…" Though he didn't seem thoroughly convinced, but didn't press the issue. Instead, gray eyes drifted to a different set of blue as he looked at Bubbles with a smile. "If you girls are okay with staying, the guys said they'd be willing to meet you after we close."

Bubbles gaped. "Are you serious?!"

"What did you have to do to make that happen?" Buttercup asked skeptically.

Mike waved it off. "Let's just say the Jojos owed me a favor. They should feel lucky I'm using it for this." He grinned. "Though when I told Boom his dance partner wanted to meet him, he couldn't say yes fast enough."

The blonde's cheeks flared, but it only grew worse after Buttercup murmured, "Looks like Rob isn't the only one who made a love connection."

Two sets of blue eyes glared at her, but Buttercup only snickered.

"What time does the club close?" Blossom questioned, ignoring her ridiculous companions for a moment.

"You've got about another hour and a half. I know that's a pretty long wait, so I get if you don't want to stick around that long." His eyes betrayed his words as he glanced at Robin who still glared at Buttercup.

"What do you think, girls? Up for some dancing?" Blossom couldn't stop the smile spreading on her face at the look of sheer joy on her youngest sister's face.

"You mean it, Blossy?! We can stay?"

Blossom nodded only once before she was swept into a bone-crushing bear-hug, accompanied by more squealing.

"You are the best sister ever!" Bubbles cheered.

"Standing right here, you know," Buttercup muttered with a grin and an affectionate eye roll.

"Are you joining us, Robin?" Blossom watched as her friend bit her lip, obviously considering her options. Saving her the trouble, the redhead waved a hand. "You'll know where to find us."

"Keep your hands where I can see 'em, Believe!" Buttercup called as Bubbles dragged her away to the dance floor.

Blossom waved to the budding pair as she joined her sisters on the crowded dance floor and allowed herself to move to the pounding bass. There was something reassuring and reinvigorating about being able to let loose with her sisters surrounded by mostly women. Some of the dancers joined the crowd, but they had their fans fawning over them, so they didn't bother the Utonium sisters which suited her just fine. She just wanted to dance the negative energy that had plagued her earlier all the way away.

Tonight was about fun.

Surprisingly, the time flew. She barely left the dance floor, and Buttercup only insisted on them having one more drink, so she felt only the lightest, most pleasant buzz. The music thrummed in her veins, and Blossom genuinely forgot they were there for a reason until the shouts of "Last Call!" echoed through the speakers.

Then Bubbles' nerves began to…well, bubble out of her.

"Oh my gosh! I have to go touch up. I can't be this sweaty mess when they get out here!"

"Bubbles, you look fine," Buttercup said with a sigh.

"Says you! Come with me." Without waiting for an answer, Bubbles dragged her off, leaving Blossom to go check up on Robin at the bar.

Robin smiled at her, gaze darting to Mike who had begun cleaning the bar on the other end while Pablo mixed the last few drinks. "You doin' okay?"

"Honestly? This is the best I've felt in a long time." And Blossom was happy that it was the truth. Tonight reminded her of a freedom she'd often heard about but never felt. Between school and Dexter, she'd forgotten that other people didn't live life feeling like they were suffocating every day.

It was a nice change.

She was pulled into a huge, much more delicate hug than the one her sister gave her. "I'm so glad you came out tonight, Bloss."

"Me too."

Within the next few minutes, the club emptied of almost every patron. It was then that her sisters reappeared. Somehow Bubbles managed to pull herself together to look even nicer than she had when they first showed up.

"We didn't miss them right?" she asked as she adjusted her shirt, pulling it just a little bit lower.

"Bubbles, I swear to God, if you tug that any lower, you're going to give yourself a nip slip. Do not make me staple your hands to your sides!" Buttercup growled. "She's been fussing with that shirt for the past ten minutes! She looks fine!"

"I'd say that's a bit of an understatement."

Somehow, the girls had completely missed the approach of the blond and black haired Jojo brothers. Bubbles squeaked in surprise, her cheeks immediately flushing a deep red. Buttercup rolled her eyes.

"Hey. Name's Buttercup. You guys weren't half bad up there," she introduced, nodding to the stage behind them. "It's Boomer and Butch, right?"

"That would be us," Boomer agreed with the same charming smile he wore onstage. Rather shamelessly, he turned to his previous dance partner, reaching out a hand to her. "And you are?"

"Bubbles," she said softly, taking his hand and shaking it softly. Another giggle emitted from her. "Bubbles Utonium. It's nice to officially meet you."

"The pleasure's mine." Oh boy. That smile was going to get him in trouble if he wasn't careful. Bubbles practically melted at the sight.

"Watch it there, Casanova," Buttercup hissed. "That's my baby sister you're makin' eyes at."

Butch laughed. "I like this one. She's fiery." This seemed to remind him of something. "Speaking of, Believe!"

"Yeah, Butch?" the sandy haired boy called back.

"Where's my Fireball?"

"Coming right up."

Buttercup raised a brow. "Fireball?"

"Yeah. My brothers and I usually do a shot of it after the show for a job well done." Butch grinned. "You in?"

His grin was returned. "I could drink you under the table."

He laughed again, loud and booming. "Where the hell did you find these girls, Believe?"

"Knew 'em from high school," Mike answered. "And since you guys are being rude, the one on the stool is Robin, and the redhead is Blossom."

"Hello boys. Good show up there!" Robin greeted happily.

"Yes, it was…quite impressive." Blossom smiled politely, trying very hard not to look for their other brother.

Luckily, Butch asked the question so she wouldn't have to.

"Boom, where the hell is Brick?"

Oh. Well that scowl was quite a change from the previously bright smile. "I'll give you one fucking guess."

Butch groaned. "God damn it. She stuck around again, huh?"

"Of course she did."

Before Blossom could ask who, she heard the voice that was as grating as nails on a chalkboard.

"BRICKY-POO!"

Oh no…

But, sure enough, when the group of them looked back towards the stage there stood the irritating rich girl clinging to the arm of the missing brother in question, red cap now backwards atop his head. Her nails dug into his shirt in a way that couldn't be comfortable, and, if the look on his face was any indication, Brick was utterly miserable in his current situation.

"Hello Princess," he said with a resigned sigh, posture stiff.

"Awh, are you tired? That's a shame. I had hoped for you to finish what you started," Princess purred.

The poor boy looked positively ill. "I'm really not in the mood. Sorry."

She pouted. "Well you certainly seemed in the mood earlier! You know I love it when you dance with me."

Brick nodded, shooting an envious look to the rest of them at the bar as her nails officially ripped into his shirt from their tight grip.

Blossom frowned as Princess continued to push the issue with Brick, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt even after he tried to take a step back.

"God, I hate that cunt," Butch muttered. "I swear if she didn't own my ass, I'd have her locked up for the shit she does to him."

"Agreed, bro," Boomer said solemnly, eyes locked on the uncomfortable exchange. Bubbles didn't seem too bothered by that luckily, but only because she was watching the mess unfold as well.

"What do you mean?" Buttercup asked. "She doesn't force him to –"

Butch snorted. "She's certainly tried."

"That's fucked."

"No shit."

"Can't we do something?" Bubbles asked, brows furrowing.

Boomer let out a deep sigh. "Not if we want to keep our jobs."

"That's just messed up," Robin protested. "This is sexual harassment! I don't care who she thinks she is; she can't just do whatever she wants!"

"I told you, Robin," Mike said with a sigh that matched Boomer's. "She'll have our asses if we interfere."

"So everybody knows this is going on, and nobody does a damn thing about it?" Robin slammed a hand on the bar. "That's ridiculous!"

"We can't afford not to work here," Boomer murmured. "Nowhere else will pay half of what this does."

"And school don't come cheap," Butch added.

"What about her dad? Did someone talk to him? He's really the one who owns the place, right?" Bubbles suggested.

Butch scoffed. "You really think he'd believe a damn thing we say over his precious daughter? It's like spittin' in to the wind – it just winds up in your face."

"Ew."

Blossom remained silent, watching the scene unfold with shaking fists. This was wrong! How could they just sit by and do nothing?

And then Princess ripped open his button-up, the buttons violently flying across the room, and she sank her nails into his chest cuddling up against him. He winced and tried to take a step back, but her talons found purchase and beads of blood appeared.

Her feet moved without her brain telling them to. This was stopping. Now.

"Blossy?"

"Bloss, what are you doing?"

A groan. "Well, Leader Girl mode is in full swing now."

She strode within a few feet before speaking. Her mouth, like her feet, seemed to have a mind of its own. "Oh, Brick, there you are! We've all been waiting for you!"

Two sets of eyes bore into her – one angry and one a mixture of confused and grateful.

"Blossom Utonium?" Princess snarled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Blossom smiled, not a kind smile either, as her mouth acted out again. "Why, seeing my boyfriend perform, of course. So, if you could kindly unhand him…?"

The hazel eyes narrowed, flickering between Brick and Blossom. Blossom could only pray he decided to play along. "You two? Since when do you know each other?"

"We met in our Physics class in college," Brick replied smoothly, successfully stepping out of the claws this time, her grip having slackened in her surprise. He slipped an arm around Blossom's shoulders, and she fought a shiver against the feeling of his scorching hot skin against hers.

She schooled her face carefully as she slid her arm around his waist. She was, in fact, taking a Physics class that very semester. But it had to be a coincidence that he picked that, right? "And we got to talking, one thing led to another, and here we are." The not-so-nice smile weaved its way back onto her face. "Isn't he a wonderful dancer, Princess?"

A familiar snort and pair of gasps came from the area of the bar, but she couldn't break eye contact now. That would be the same as losing.

And Blossom Utonium couldn't lose. Not now. For Brick's sake.

Princess scoffed. "If you're his girlfriend, why didn't he pick you to be his partner?"

Blossom forced out a giggle. It felt foreign in her throat, but it didn't sound as unnatural as she worried it might. "Oh, Princess. Why worry about that when I can have the real thing? It seems unfair not to share."

Then, because her body decided to go full rogue this evening, she gave Princess a wink.

Now she could have sworn she heard someone choking at the bar, but she could only hope they could handle it themselves. She'd check on whoever it was later.

"There's no way a prude like you ended up with someone like him," Princess insisted. "Not when he could have someone like me!"

Denial was not a good color on her. "And if I'm a prude, what exactly does that imply you are?"

Now it was Brick who stifled a laugh next to her. Blossom allowed herself to smile at the small success.

Princess, however, looked apoplectic. "You – you…YOU -!"

"Yes, Princess?" Blossom asked innocently.

"You can't have him!" she shouted.

The early, airy giggle was long gone. Now, Blossom felt it being replaced by a deep, throaty chuckle. "Seems a bit late for that, my dear. I already do."

"I will end you, Utonium!"

"You do that." Blossom took a step forward, and Princess stiffened. The girl always had been just a little bit afraid of her. "Oh, and Princess?"

"What?"

"If I ever see or hear about you trying to manhandle my boyfriend again, it is I who will be ending you. 'Kay?" Blossom smiled sweetly, grabbing Brick gently by the hand. "Ta, Princess! Have a pleasant evening!"

She didn't look back, simply dragging Brick to the bar as she heard the wench sputtering behind her. She would apologize to Brick once they got the crazy girl out of the building.

"My father will hear about this!" Finally, in a huff, the spoiled girl stormed out of the building.

A silence hung over the group for a moment. Maybe two. Before suddenly everyone was talking at once. However, only one mission was over. While Buttercup lamented not having her camera ready, and Bubbles congratulated her on doing the right thing, and the Jojo brothers practically sang her praises, Blossom allowed none of it to stop her.

"Mike, can you get me the first aid kit, please?"

Blossom wordlessly sat the redheaded Jojo brother on a stool while Mike procured the kit. Once he handed it to her, she took the antiseptic spray and frowned at the shallow cuts on his chest.

"This might sting a little."

Brick simply snorted. "I'll be fine."

The sharp intake of breath after the first spray did little to back-up his claim.

She carefully cleaned the nail marks, a frown etched onto her face. Blossom liked to think of herself as a relatively open-minded and accepting individual, but Princess brought out the worst in her. The prissy brat disgusted her in ways most other humans failed to do. How could she treat one of her employees like this? Much less one she was, supposedly, romantically interested in? Blossom would never understand.

After bandaging the worst of them, she offered him a soft smile. "There. That should stop the worst of it."

"Thanks, uh…"

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't properly introduce myself." Blossom widened her smile and stuck out her hand. "Blossom Utonium. The pleasure's all mine, Brick."

He shook her hand, scanning her face with a look she couldn't quite read. It took every ounce of restraint she held within her to keep from shifting from foot to foot under the pressing stare. "Right. Thanks, Blossom. You really saved my ass back there."

"Hell yeah, she did!" Buttercup heartily agreed. "That was awesome, Bloss! Did you see her face?! I wish I took a picture. Oh my God, it was gold!"

"You definitely put that bitch in her place. Thank God someone finally did," Butch muttered. "I just wish I could've done it."

"Tell me about it," Brick said with a bitter sigh. "Hopefully it's just one more year. Then we can leave this place."

Bubbles gasped. "But you guys are so good!"

"I'd hardly say their talents are worth the distress, Bubbles," Blossom murmured as she cleaned up the supplies before handing Mike the first aid kit back.

The blonde bit her lip. "I know…"

"She just doesn't want to stop seeing Boomer dance!" Robin teased with a grin.

Now Bubbles flushed red. "I didn't say that!"

"You didn't have to!"

Blossom shook her head and then turned her attention back to Brick. "But really…are you all right? Do you want us to go to the authorities?"

He snorted. "Good luck finding someone that isn't in the Morebucks family's back pocket."

"You're avoiding the question."

The red eyes blinked back at her in surprise. Mike stifled a snicker from behind the bar while Butch and Boomer both stared at her with wide eyes. What? What did she say?

"I'm fine, Blossom." His mouth thinned into a grim line. "Better than I would have been without you here to save my ass. I owe you one."

She felt herself flush this time. "No, you don't. That was long overdue. That girl has paraded around acting like she's better than everyone for years. I wasn't about to stand aside and let her completely take advantage of you. I only did what any decent person would do."

"Yes, and this has nothing at all to do with the rivalry the two of you had in high school." Blossom barely had to glance Mike's way to know that he wore that same cheeky grin he'd sported most of the evening.

"That's irrelevant."

"OoO, Red and Princess have a history?" Butch goaded. "That sounds plenty relevant to me."

"Princess is just a big bully," Bubbles said.

Buttercup scowled. "The only person she tried to torment more than Blossom was Believe over there."

Blossom waved away her sisters' words. "It's in the past. I don't hold grudges."

"Certainly seemed like you were holding a grudge with the way you were glaring at her earlier," Buttercup said, eyes glittering mischievously.

"She was attacking an innocent person! Who in their right mind wouldn't be glaring?"

"That isn't what I'm talking about." Now a devious grin pulled across her sister's face to match the dangerous lime twinkle.

Oh no. She'd noticed! How had Buttercup noticed?! She'd had so much to drink and didn't seem to be focusing on much of anything, let alone Blossom watching Brick dance. Blossom didn't even consider that she might have noticed.

But that look told Blossom she was not blessed with such luck tonight.

However, Bubbles came to her rescue by beaming up at Boomer. "But, really, you guys are great dancers. This club definitely won't be nearly as popular when you guys leave."

Boomer smiled at her. "You weren't so bad yourself."

Bubbles giggled. "Having a good partner always helps."

"Oh, gag me." Buttercup rolled her eyes. "I don't think the dry-humping you two were doing constitutes as partner dancing."

"Don't be sore just because you weren't picked, Buttercup." Blossom couldn't stop the grin that came across her face.

The dark look her sister shot her proved that her words had their intended effect.

The amused look on Butch's face was merely an added bonus.

"Oh, yeah, Spitfire?" The hulk of a green-eyed man nudged her sister slightly. "You jealous I didn't pick you?"

The scoff that greeted him lacked a lot of conviction. "No. Whatever. Don't just listen to her because she saved your brother's ass. She's full of shit."

Butch snickered. "Yeah?" The grin on his face widened. "You're a pretty shitty liar."

She rolled her lime eyes. "Think whatever you want, but I wasn't jealous."

"Does that mean you would turn down a chance to dance with me?"

Buttercup narrowed her eyes. "This feels like a trick question."

"Nah. My brothers and I were planning on going to a club across town on Thursday. It would be an opportunity to dance and not embarrass yourself if you can't keep up," he said with a wink.

Blossom's competitive sister fumed. "I can keep up just fine!"

"Great. So I'll see you Thursday then."

Buttercup blinked. "Wait. What just happened?"

Robin grinned at her from the bar. "Looks like you just got asked on a date and said yes. What an unexpected twist!"

"But you're the one who was supposed to – it isn't a – oh for the love –" Buttercup groaned, burying her head in her hands. "This was not how this was supposed to go. Way to drop the ball, Believe!"

The brunet in question immediately blushed. "What does that mean?!"

She gave him a withering look. "You know damn well what it means! You've been chatting Robin up all night, her ass hasn't left the stool, and you haven't even asked her on a date yet? What the hell is that?"

"Buttercup!" Bubbles chastised. "There is no rush! Ignore her, Mike. You can ask Robin out if and when you want to!"

"If? Gee, thanks, Bubbles," Robin muttered.

As the bickering of her friends was joined by the snickering of Butch and sputtering of Mike, Blossom turned her attention back to Brick. "I'm sorry for bringing all of this crazy into your workplace. Robin insisted."

He shook his head with a small, confident smile. "No apologies necessary, Blossom. In comparison, this is a good kind of crazy." He leaned in closer. "And, between you and me, I don't think I've ever seen any of the guys like this before. It's a nice change."

Blossom smiled a soft, guilty smile in return. "I'm afraid I wouldn't really know the difference to confide in you. It's been awhile since I've been out with the girls. But they seem happy, and that's good enough for me."

"Mhm," Brick murmured, eyes scanning the group. The whole affair was getting more ridiculous by the minute, and Blossom fought the urge to go grab one of them by the collar and drag them off the premises. How embarrassing! "Hey nimrods – why don't we all just go?"

"What?" Boomer, who had only gotten involved in the fighting when it looked like Mike was going to fly across the bar at Butch, asked.

"We were planning to go anyway, before Butch decided to make it a date."

"It's not a date," Buttercup grumbled, but the pink tint to her cheeks gave her away.

Brick shook his head before continuing on. "So why don't we all just go together?"

"Like…a group date?" Bubbles questioned, eyes flickering towards Boomer as a huge smile crawled across her face.

"You know I can't dance," Mike said, eyes trained on the bar.

Robin beamed, leaning over to put herself in his line of sight. "I'll teach you. And if you're really that bad, well…I'm sure we'll find something else to do."

"You dirty bird," Buttercup said with a snicker.

Blossom, on the other hand, bit her lip. "Are you sure, Brick? We wouldn't want to intrude. You probably don't get a lot of time away from women throwing themselves at you, so we wouldn't want to make it worse for you."

The grin he sent her way sent shivers from her head all the way through her toes. Did anyone have the right to make people react so strongly with such a simple quirk of the mouth? "You planning on throwin' yourself at me, Blossom?"

She felt her face heat up as she shook her head. "N-no, of course not! I just meant –"

He laughed then, and she felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders. "Chill. If I thought you would, I wouldn't have brought up the idea in the first place. Besides," he leaned in closer to her, and she felt her mouth dry up again, "wouldn't do me well to not be seen in public with my girlfriend, right?"

Blossom buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry. I really don't know where that came from!"

Brick put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it worked, and that works for me. And if I was going to have a girlfriend, I could do a lot worse."

Then he winked, and Blossom swore her knees turned to jelly for an instant. She felt hot all over, and a small part of her mind screamed about how she'd never gotten this feeling with Dexter. Thinking of him in this moment felt wrong; Brick didn't deserve to be compared to a lowlife like him. She almost apologized again, but voicing her thoughts out loud would not end well.

"If you're certain," Blossom agreed. "Thursday it is then."

"I'm looking forward to it," he said with that knee-knocking grin, and Blossom forced herself to move towards her friends.

"All right, girls. It's getting late. I think it's best that we let the gentlemen rest, don't you?"

Bubbles pouted. "I guess…"

"I'll see you Thursday," Boomer reminded her with a smile. "I'll be counting down the days."

This seemed to appease her baby sister who giggled appreciatively. "Me too."

"You two are disgusting." Buttercup slid off her stool without so much as a look back in Butch's direction. "I thought Robin and Mikey over here were bad, but you two are putting them to shame."

"See you Thursday, Spitfire."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there."

Butch chuckled. "Can't wait."

Then there was one. Robin smiled widely at Mike. "I'll see you soon then."

He nodded, a goofy smile on his own face. "Sounds great."

Blossom almost choked when she saw her friend boldly grab the bartender's tie and yanked his lips to hers. The kiss, though brief, left the poor boy stumbling when Robin pulled away. If Blossom thought his previous smile was goofy, it didn't hold a candle to the look he wore now.

"Text me, Mikey!"

The boy only nodded as the girls left.

They barely reached the door before Bubbles squealed. "Oh my God, Robin, I can't believe you did that!"

Robin shrugged. "Buttercup got asked on a date first, so I couldn't let her get the best part of the evening."

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "It's not like I wanted him to, you know!"

"Funny, I didn't hear you complaining or saying no either."

"Shut up, Robin."

Blossom shook her head. Her first night out with her girls in months had gone remarkably well, all things considered. And she even made plans to do it again within a week. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was floating on cloud nine.

---

But, of course, that feeling didn't last given her current predicament.

Blossom had never been in this situation before. She didn't know if she should try to take control of the situation or not. Rather than let him sneak past her, should she wake him up? But if she woke him up, what would she do? Talk to him about it? Throw him out? Pretend it hadn't happened?

None of those options seemed particularly viable, so Blossom chose to keep doing what she was doing about the situation which was absolutely nothing. She had no idea if Brick had been in this type of situation before, but she could only hope he would handle it with more grace than she was at the moment.

The worst part of the whole situation stemmed from her not being able to decide what she truly wanted his reaction to be. Sure, she forgot most of the night after they fumbled back into her place, but she remembered the way his lips scorched hers and not wanting that feeling to stop. Brick made her toes curl on sight, a quality she'd never heard of prior to meeting him.

But that didn't mean the attraction was anything more than that: sheer attraction. Well, she assumed he was attracted to her, at least a little. Right?

She heard some shuffling come from her bedroom and looked up to see a sleepy-eyed Brick standing in the doorway. Blossom swallowed back the urge to smile at how utterly adorable he looked in a state of half-asleep. Really, it wasn't fair for anyone to have abs like that and still be so cute at the same time. His parents needed a strongly worded letter written to them about the injustice of it all.

"Good morning," he murmured, not moving from his spot, but Blossom felt his gaze fixed on her.

"Good morning, Brick," she replied. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Coffee sounds…great," he said slowly. "Are we not going to talk about this?"

Blossom sighed. Apparently, he wanted to start this morning off the hard way.

---

So that's part one! I'd love to hear what you think and if you're at all interested in seeing part two!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

Love and Rockets,

Stranique