She may not have been the first to fall, but Bubbles was always the first to admit when she was in love. Since her creation, she had been the most vocal of her sisters in expressing her adoration and was not shy about doing so. Her loves covered a massive scope, including everything from animals, to coloring, to Octi. She'd even been the first to tell their Father "I love you." So, naturally, this pattern of being the more vocal admirer would be the same when it came to boys.

Bubbles was always quite popular with everyone during her school days, especially the male population. As she grew older, she would only need to turn her head to see several boys tripping over their shoes just to talk to her. While she didn't mind the attention, she didn't revel in it. However, it did lead her to having several boyfriends a bit younger than most of the girls in her class.

Mike Believe was her first. They were too good of friends not to try it out, and after kissing during a game of spin the bottle at Kim's house, it only sealed the deal for them to take the next steps. Next came Pablo. It only lasted a few weeks, but it ended with no hard feelings. She then moved on to a transfer boy from Citisville, named Craig. They broke up when he had to move away. She and Mike then tried again, thinking perhaps the second time might be the charm.

Yes, Bubbles dated many boys, but despite that, she never felt anything quite akin to love. Dating was just fun and happy; she considered it a bit of lighthearted fun. While she certainly did crave the innate romance that she knew was bound to eventually come with dating, she understood that she was still very young, and wasn't concerned too much about having special feelings attached to her romantic life. Which is why when the feelings did come, she didn't know what to do with herself at first. Especially, not when they developed for a Rowdyruff Boy.

The feelings certainly weren't immediate. They were six the first time they met, and he was her rival after all. Granted, she'd always found Boomer cute, but would never go so far as to say she fancied him past looks. He was too rough and stupid and mean. She didn't enjoy that.

Yet, as they grew older, and their meetings became more spontaneous and infrequent, she found herself being drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. Her curiosity peaked the more she watched him, especially when he interacted with his brothers. He was fascinating- in the way he fought, and moved, and breathed. She found herself carefully observing the way he carried himself, and how he spoke. She'd stay up some nights and think about him, about their fights, about the way they interacted. Yet, she wasn't quite sure what to make of it all.

It didn't hit her until one of their fights, no pun intended, when Brick screamed out a few commands to his brothers. She could hear him barking at Boomer, taunting him, belittling him with a crude name, and then commanding him to attack.

She could see something different in his eyes as he hurled toward her. It flickered, like candle flame for a brief instant, before being put out and replaced with the burning will to fight. Yet, still, she saw it- the quick flash of smallness and inadequacy that made her heart leap from her chest. She was drawn to him like she was drawn to an injured puppy, she was drawn to him because she understood what that felt like...

"Why do you let him talk to you that way?" she asked him, almost cooing, as Boomer sent his foot flying at her face.

"The hell are you talking about?" he spat between punches.

"Brick," she clarified. "Why do you let him insult you like that?"

"I don't think that's any of your business," he cried out, slamming his fist into the side of her face.

The collision caused her to fly backwards a bit from the force. She could tell she hit a nerve with him, the punch stinging her cheek more than usual. The imprint burned, but she did not let up her questioning.

"He treats you like dirt," she told him. "You don't deserve that. You're better than that."

"SHUT UP!"

He swung at her sloppily, and she dodged with ease. Landing a sharp blow to his stomach, she put a hand on his shoulder to steady him, to make sure he heard her.

"He's getting to you. You're letting him get to you. You shouldn't listen to him."

"What do you know?!"

"I know what you're going through. You feel stupid and silly compared to your siblings. You feel weak. But you're not, okay?"

"SHUT UP!" Boomer repeated wrenching himself away from her.

"Listen to me, Boomer. I might be your enemy, but I get it."

He lunged at her. Punch. Punch. Kick. Punch. Kick. It was messy, like an inexperienced fighter imitating what he'd watched on television. Bubbles dodged each of the pitiful attempts, continuing her attempts at reasoning with him.

"I used to think the same thing-"

"Shut-"

"I used to think my sisters were better than me-"

"Up-"

"That I was weak-"

"Shut-"

"And stupid-"

"Up-"

"And a crybaby-"

"I said-"

"But you know what?"

"Shut-"

"I was wrong, and so are you."

"UP!"

His hands radiated with energy, fisting a blue bolt of lightning and blasting it towards her. Though poorly aimed, it grazed her enough to send her hurtling backwards. A shriek tumbled from her lips when she landed on her back. Boomer then took the opportunity to leap on top of her, pinning her arms to make sure she was helpless beneath him.

"The hell are you talking about all this for? What does it matter to you?" he seethed.

Bubbles shook her head, "I don't know."

"That's right! You don't know me and you're wrong. I'm the stupid one. I'm the runt. The weakling. Okay? You don't know nuthin'!"

"Not to me you aren't," Bubbles replied honestly.

"Then what am I to you?!"

"Someone who is underestimated and a little misunderstood. You're someone with potential. You just have to show everyone how invaluable you are. You have to show them what makes you special."

"I'm not special."

Bubbles smiled a small, sad smile as she looked directly into his eyes.

"Of course you are."

The pause that filled the air was thicker than a morning fog. She could not register the emotion that swam in the blue of his eyes, but she could tell he understood. She could see the lights suddenly turning on in his brain, like street lamps after sundown, his wheels turning and gears whirring, like new mechanisms suddenly singing to life with ferocity. What she could not see, was how quickly he moved when his lips crashed down on hers.

The next day, she broke up with Mike, although she wasn't sure why.

Later that afternoon, the hotline rang. A lone teenager was reportedly robbing a convenience store near 5th and Main. Bubbles did not need a description to know it was Boomer. She somehow managed to convince her sisters that she could handle the situation alone and flew out to meet him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, floating down and planting her feet on the sidewalk.

The blonde ran his fingers through his shaggy hair and popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth. She could see some cash dangling from his pocket, obviously stolen.

"What does it look like?" he asked between bites.

She narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice dangerously, "Did you rob a convenience store so that I would come after you?"

"Did you break up with your boyfriend because I kissed you yesterday?"

She blushed a bit, and blurted incredulously, "What? How did you know about that? And answer my questions first!"

Her counterpart shrugged, "You're one of the Powerpuff Girls, only the biggest celebrities in Townsville. Gossip about you guys moves fast. It's not like I wouldn't have found out sooner or later, and to answer your first question, yes, I did."

She blinked. "Why?"

"I don't think so," he replied waving a finger at her, "You've got to answer my question first."

Bubbles bit her lip, "Honestly, I don't know if I broke up with him because of you, but I think so. Now my question. Why did you want me to come after you?"

"I needed to talk to you, and what do you mean you don't know?"

She sighed. "I don't know if it's because of you personally, or just because I felt guilty about what happened between us. What do you need to talk to me about?"

He was seemingly not put-off by her answer, which she supposed was a good thing. He'd also stopped eating the candy now, with his sole focus fixated on her. He stared at her unflinching, searching for some sort of truth.

"About yesterday," it came out like a demand. "All that stuff you said, did you mean it?"

She stared back, catching glimpses of neediness in his eyes despite the cold expression.

"I am a lot of things, Boomer, but a liar isn't one of them," she soothed gently. "I meant every word."

She watched his shoulders lower, releasing the tension, and allowing him to breathe a bit easier. Their was still a bit of doubt in his features, but it had eased considerably. It didn't change the fact that he was still a criminal. She'd not forgotten that detail.

"Are you going to put any of that back?" she asked motioning to the candy.

"Of course not," he retorted without blinking. "Why?"

"Because it's against the law, that's why."

"No, not that," he grumbled. "Why did you say it? Yesterday, I mean. Why did you say all that nice stuff about me?"

"It needed to be said," she stated simply.

"Why?" he prodded.

"Because you are better than your jerks of brothers give you credit for, and you don't believe it!" she cried out stamping her foot.

"Yes," he conceded shaking his head, "I understand that, but I don't get why you felt like you had to tell me."

She shook her head, this poor boy. This poor, silly, little boy.

"Because if I didn't, I don't think you would have realized it for yourself!"

"No! No!" he stood up pacing and grunting. His voice became a mixture of mumbles and shouts. "My God, you don't get it! You're my enemy! You're not supposed to be nice to me! You can't tell me these things! Why would you tell me these things?"

"Because I've been there! Okay?" she practically screamed, desperation clinging to every word. She needed him to hear her, to understand her. "I get it! I know what it feels like, to feel silly and useless, and no good. I've been at the bottom of the ladder, and I've felt what it means to be treated like you're not important, but you are, and no one, no matter who they are or what they do, good or evil, for better or worse, no one should ever have to feel that way."

They paused. The silence between them was potent, the words being exchanged by their eyes instead. Beneath a quick flush of embarrassment, there was also a palpable and distinct understanding. It's energy resonating waves between them, but still, the unanswered questions in the air lingered.

"Why did you kiss me?" Bubbles whispered.

Boomer took a moment to answer, considering it, and sounding out the words before they fell from his mouth.

"Because no one's ever cared about me like that before."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

She meant it. She really did, but there was still a job to be done.

"However, I'm going to have to take that stuff back from you now." She held out an upturned palm. "The money and the candy, please."

"I'll give them to you, but only if you agree to do something for me," he smirked.

She raised a brow.

"I'll give them back, but only if you kiss me again," he commanded.

So she did.

Their meetings continued on like that for a while, Boomer causing havoc only to have Bubbles swoop in under the guise of "saving the day", and instead saving him with affirmations and kissing. She'd also meet him at other spots in Townsville under the guise of study dates and class projects to keep the Professor from getting suspicious, and Blossom out of her hair about schoolwork.

They would also sneak off during battles with their siblings, flying away, imitating a chase, to get tangled up in conversation and in each other.

Boomer enjoyed the game, the secrecy of it, but Bubbles didn't.

"I want to tell people," she exclaimed to him one day, his face buried in the crook of her neck, teeth and lips puncturing flesh and no doubt leaving her with quite a hickey, which was a new sensation as it was something none of her other boyfriends could have done, due to her Chemical X enhanced flesh.

"Why?" he breathed on her skin, before continuing his ministrations.

"I don't like keeping secrets. I'm bad at it too. I can only keep it up for so long before someone finds out," she managed between gasps.

"No one is going to find out," he declared before tracing his tongue up her jawline.

She mewled a bit, before taking his head in her hands and bringing his face up to look into her eyes.

"Boomer, we can't hide forever. They need to know, you're brothers and my sisters."

He tore away from her violently. "No!"

"Boomer, please!" she reached for him.

"They can't know!"

"They need to!" Bubbles pleaded with big, heavy eyes. "Maybe it would help to ease our differences. Maybe it would help them see eye to eye, the way you and I do."

"Your sisters maybe, but my brothers? No way in hell."

He paced the rooftop they were situated on.

"You think the almighty Brick is just going to lay down for a Powerpuff Girl? You think Butch is going to want to give up his ability to punch something, to fight, just so that you and I can have a relationship? It won't happen!"

"It will," she insisted, rising to meet him. "Not at first, but in time they will see."

"He will forbid me from seeing you, Bubbles," Boomer told her, grabbing her hand. "Do you want that? Do you want Brick to stop me from seeing you?"

"I've told you a million times, Boomer. Brick is not in control of your life. He is your leader in combat, not in your decisions. You are your own leader in the life you live."

"I can't, Bubbles. You're the only one who understands me. I tell them. and they'll take me away from you. I don't want them to take me away."

"Boomer, please-"

"I love you, Bubbles."

She paused, perplexed, shocked, unprepared. For once in her life, she wasn't the first to say it.

"Boomer…"

"You don't have to say it back. I don't expect you to. It's okay, but you needed to know."

He looked so fragile, so small. The tears welling in his eyes made him look like the boy she'd fought as a child.

"Shhh." she cooed, wrapping her arms around him, fingers lacing through his hair. She stroked soothing patterns along his scalp to ease his sobs before they came. "It's okay. It's okay."

"I love you," he mumbled into her shoulder, repeating it again and again like a mantra.

"I know," she whispered back. "I know."

That night she told her sisters, about the relationship. There had been hesitance, reluctance, a brief protest, and then something akin to understanding. They agreed to keep quiet from the Ruffs about the matter.

A week later Bubbles told Boomer that she'd confronted her sisters about their relationship, never one to keep silent about anything for too long. She'd expected anger from him, but was only met with confusion.

"They're okay with it?" he blinked at her wide eyed.

"Yes," she affirmed. "They've agreed to not bring it up during battles with your brothers too. As long as you want to keep it from them, we will."

Relief flooded through his bones. He swept her into a bear hug and planted fat wet kisses along her face.

"Thank you, thank you! I love you!"

She giggled. "Of course."

It was a task easier said then done, and not because the girls were bad at keeping their mouths shut, but rather because Brick was a very observant person. He'd often notice Boomer going off without warning, and how frequent his outings were becoming. He saw how he became more keen at picking fights and the way he would leap head first after his counter part in battle. In fact, Boomer would often beg him to create battles, to initiate crime. There was flame in his eyes that wasn't one of chaos and destruction, but something new and different. Something Brick couldn't understand, but that he knew wasn't good.

Boomer was none the wiser, but Bubbles began to see it. Several times during their rendezvous, Boomer would tell her that Brick was questioning him more when going out. She'd also notice how the Red Ruff's eyes would linger on them during battle, watching and observing his brother's moves. She could tell he'd often try and get closer to them proximity wise in the midst of a fight, to keep a watchful eye. Thankfully they'd dodged him, but it was no easy task.

"He knows," she whispered to Boomer once after he'd caught up with her in a fake chase.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Brick knows something is up," she whispered again, afraid the Ruff leader was using his super hearing to listen in on them.

"He probably just thinks I'm going stir crazy," Boomer shrugged, resting his forehead against her. "Or he just thinks I'm getting stupider."

"He's been trying to follow us, Boomer. He may not know what exactly is going on, but he suspects something. I'm telling you we can't keep hiding this."

He kissed her, not wanting to hear anymore. He tried to stifle anything else she might say with his tongue, but she ripped him off of her.

"Boomer!" she scolded. "You can't keep avoiding conversations with kissing. It doesn't work that way."

"Says who?" he chuckled.

He leaned in again, but she covered his mouth with her hand.

"I'm serious," her eyes narrowed, furiously. "You can't dance around the subject forever. You have to tell him, it'll be even worse if he finds out on his own."

"He won't find out," Boomer insisted pulling her hand away from his mouth.

"He will, and the longer you wait, the more dangerous it becomes."

She noticed the quiver of his lip, the sudden fear in his eyes.

"I can't," he whispered.

"You can."

He shook his head, hands gripping her harder. "No, I can't."

"You can. You just won't." She took his head in her hands. "I don't want to do this but if you won't tell him then I will, but we've got to do it soon."

"No need, I already know."

The Blues both turned to look at the sudden intruder, and were met with a pair of glaring red eyes under their usual signature cap.

"Brick, please…" Boomer pleaded.

"You really thought you could keep this a secret from me? Stupid little brother. You should have listened to your little girlfriend and told me straight away."

The Ruff floated down planting his feet square on the ground. His hands locked into iron fists, pulsating with bright red, furious energy.

"You lied to me, Boomer. Now it looks like I'm going to have to make this hard for the both of you. Say goodbye to your girlfriend."

He raised a hand to strike, but was blasted away by a vortex of pink energy.

Blossom flew into view, locking eyes with her sister she formed an apology.

"I'm so sorry, Bubbles. I couldn't stop him."

The apology provided for a distraction, and the bow clad leader was quickly thrown to the ground by a speeding flash of red. The blue eyed super heroes watched their siblings duking it out, but the fury from the male was unmatched as he attempted to make his way back to them.

"Bubbles, help!" she heard her leader screech, as she was tossed violently by the length of her pony tail and sent hurtling into a nearby building.

Bubbles wasted no time in speeding towards Brick, sonic scream blaring. He dropped to his knees in pain, and Bubbles took the opportunity to send a swift kick to his head, knocking him into a parked car.

"Leave my sister and Boomer alone," she threatened.

"Fat chance," he muttered.

"Then suffer the consequences," she retorted, singeing him with a streak of blue lighting from her palm.

"Bubbles, stop!" Boomer cried.

"No, I won't!" she refused. "I won't let him be mean to you, Boomer. He won't boss you around, anymore."

"He's my leader. He's supposed to boss me around," Boomer insisted.

"But he's not supposed to treat you like he does. Both he and Butch are guilty of treating you like dirt and you know it. I won't let him push you around anymore, and I won't let him mess with Blossom either. I won't let him continue to hurt the people I love."

Boomer gasped. "Bubbles what are you say…"

"I love you, Boomer," she declared softly. "I love you, and I'm not going to let him take that away."

He simply stared at her, her determined stance, her honest eyes, her tender smile. She was in love with him. He felt so free, and nothing could take this moment away from him, except-

"Touching."

Their heads whipped from one another at the sound of Brick's voice. He began to pick himself up from the rubble, not bothering to brush himself off, but rather focusing his energy at steeling his gaze upon Bubbles.

"Really touching," he repeated. "But now I think it's time we end this. Don't you?"

He once again raised a fist to strike, but was struck from behind. He fell to the ground in a messy heap, Blossom now standing in his place. Fury littered her eyes as she gazed at the unconscious form below her.

"That was for Bubbles and my hair, you creep."

Now out of imminent danger Boomer tried to speak. "Bubbles, I-"

"Look lovebirds, there's no time to chit chat about this now," Blossom commanded.

"But-" Boomer began.

"Listen to me Boomer," Blossom shook her head. "There's a lot to be said in this situation, but you need to save it now. If you love her like you say you do, you need to tell your brothers."

"Brick already knows," Boomer grunted.

"Yes, but he needs to hear it from the horse's mouth instead of coming up with his own conclusions. You need to speak with him."

"You saw him just now, he's not going to let me be with her!"

Blossom didn't back down."You won't know that until you speak with him. You're right he's pissed about it, but it's more because you refused to tell him than anything. You need to take him home before he wakes up and explain everything from the beginning."

"He won't understand," Boomer cried out hysterically. "He's not like you, he won't understand!"

Bubbles saw how her sister's eyes softened in pity.

"Not at first, no," Blossom agreed. "But in time, I know he will. There's more to our history than what appears on the surface. If he cares for you, even a little bit, then he'll see, and if not well- we welcome you with open arms regardless."

Boomer gulped. He looked at Bubbles, who's reassuring smile, put him at ease. She nodded once to affirm her sister's words.

"Take him, Boomie. Tell him."

He didn't need to be told twice. Bubbles made him swallow his apprehension. Gut clenched, and breath bated, he picked up his leader and took off into the sky, a streak of brilliant azure in his wake.

"Do you really think he'll let us be together?" Bubbles asked her sister, with wistful hope.

"I don't know," Blossom admitted, "But you and I both know it's best for them to sort it out on their own. Besides, if Boomer has listened to you at all, he'll follow his own heart and not what Brick tells him to do."

Bubbles nodded, simply. She knew too well the powers of admission and truth. She was firm believers in them both, even if they didn't always have the most desired results.

"Alright, Bubbles, we'll discuss this later." Blossom commanded, voice changing back to leader mode. "Let's go stop the Greens before they destroy half of the city."

Bubbles nodded and two streaks, one pink, one blue, zoomed to help their third sister.

Upon Boomer's admission, Brick had indeed, forbade Boomer from dating Bubbles, and he did his best to monopolize and keep tabs on his brother at all times. He even attempted to reduce their crime, but boys will be boys.

Despite his best efforts, Brick could not stop their streams of messages via text and computer. He also couldn't stop Bubbles secretly sneaking into her boyfriend's room at night to see him. He could not stop when Boomer would clamor away after a long days battle to go and be with her. He also could not stop his own developing feelings that came for a different Powerpuff Girl, and eventually, he grew too powerless over it, to try and stop it from happening anymore. he had better things to focus on.

"I think he's finally okay with it," Boomer told Bubbles one night atop the roof of City Hall, where they'd chosen to lay along the dome and watch the stars. "Or he's just given up trying to stop me."

"That's good," Bubbles replied, intertwining their hands. She sighed outwardly at how they laced together perfectly.

"Yeah, I guess," Boomer mumbled. "I just wish it were because he actually cared about my happiness, or just cared about me in general."

Bubbles felt a tremor of guilt and sorrow come through her, but she quickly replaced it with her usual wealth of optimism.

"It doesn't matter, because I care about you. Screw him. He'll realize his mistake eventually."

He hummed in brief hope and agreement.

They laid together in silence for what could have been seconds, minutes, even hours, they weren't sure, but it didn't matter. It was lovely and comfortable, and they were together, and that made all the difference. Heartbeats and breathing fell in sync as they watched the twinkling lights above them and reveled in the feeling of being together. It was joyful and up lifting. It was more powerful than the strongest Chemical X in the world, and nothing would deter this precious moment in time.

"Never thought you'd fall for a Rowdyruff Boy, did you?" he asked her, finally breaking their silence.

"No," she admitted.

"You could have had any boy in the world but you chose me."

"I did."

"You love me?"

"I do." She tasted the statement on tongue, the admission lingering more than the first time she'd said it. "I do…"

"I'm shocked you're not scared to admit it," he replied, half commending and half questioning her.

He felt her quiet laughter through their interlocked hands. She rolled over to drape herself across him, lowering her face only mere fractions from his own. He could feel her hair tickling him as she whispered, "I may be scared of bugs, and the dark, and being alone, but one thing I've never been scared to do, is love."

With that she closed the remaining gap between them with a long, lingering kiss, filled with promises and beginnings. It became a silent contract of endless laughter and tears, and many years together. It was a way of showing their perfect understanding, like two puzzles pieces finally fitting together. It was Bubbles ultimate admission of love.