Love Struck (BxB)
AK: A fellow fanfic- BlossomXBrick lover suggested I make a prequel for the Mature Reds fanfic. Basically the history of Blossom and Brick...
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Eight year old Brick Thorn watched as the red haired girl clapped her hands in glee as her mother set a wide square ice cream cake in front of her. "Happy birthday, Blossom!" sang the rest of the class.
Blossom beamed at everyone, making Brick's face grow hot. "Thank you!"
"Okay, sweetie. Pick someone to cut the cake with you."
As everyone raised their hands, pandering "Me! Me! Me!" in her ear, Brick stared blankly at his sneakers in the grassy green backyard lawn. He knew who she'd pick- she'd pick Liam Jennings. Everyone did. He was all the girls in class' superhero- saving them from Brick and the other guys. He was such a dweeb. But he was a dweeb who never had to worry about being unpopular with all the girls in the second grade.
"I'll pick..." Blossom voice rose above the others. "Brick."
Everyone went, "Huh?!" Liam the Dweeb looked confused.
Brick's head snapped up to see her staring at him, a small smile on her lips.
"M-me?" he croaked.
She nodded, red pigtails bouncing with her. "C'mon."
Brick scurried over, grinning from ear to ear. He should have felt weird standing next to her in his raggedy jeans and red Power Rangers t-shirt. Compared to her pink party dress and crisp white lace socks.
He put his hand over hers and waited for her to push down. Cameras snapped as they sliced into the chocolate and vanilla ice cream cake.
"Here." Blossom handed him a huge chunk of ice cream cake on a light pink paper plate.
Brick dug into the cake with gusto, ambling away over to the bigger attractions as he ate it. Blossom stayed with the cake, watching her mom slice up the cake and portion it out.
Brick had a mouth full of when Jimmy Cardel approached with his usual gang. "Think you're special, Thorn?"
Brick swallowed his cake and shot the jealous brunette a glare. "What's the deal, Cardel. Mad that I got picked?"
"N-no!" Jimmy stammered. "How did you get picked anyways. I thought she hated you."
He had, too. "Guess chicks dig me." Brick repeated the line he'd heard from that movie he'd secretly watched last week.
"Dig this!" Jimmy launched glop of cake at Brick, who quickly dodged.
The cake hit Stephanie Donald, who promptly launched her leftover cake back at Kurt Carr, who was close to Jimmy.
Kurt then smushed his cake into a laughing Jimmy's and the food fight took off.
Maneuvering the battlefield, Brick reload many pink plates and volleyed them into the crowd. He grinned as one plate of the cold confection slid down Jimmy's back.
"Brick-" He heard someone call his name as he turned, read to throw.
His hand fell to his side when he saw it was Blossom- a very hurt and close to tears Blossom.
Blossom's lower lip quivered, her bright blue eyes swimming with tears. "YOU RUINED MY PARTY!" she wailed, letting herself cry.
"N-no I-"
Blossom dug into the remainder of the cake and smashed it right in his face. "I hate you, Brick Thorn!"
XXXX
Ten year old Brick scowled at the smiling face of Blossom as she effortlessly beat him on the word "antidisestablishmentarianism".
"...S.M." Blossom finished.
"That is correct. Miss Hunter you have officially won the Ridge Point Elementary Spelling Bee." Miss Brine, the principal, chirped.
Blossom cracked a shadow of a smile and nodded, then turned to flee off stage.
"Congratulations, Blossom." All her friends crowded around to coo and awed.
Brick jammed his hands into his pockets and screwed up his face. "Big whoop. So she beat me. That just proves she doesn't have enough of a life to not sit at home and read the dictionary from cover to cover."
Blossom cut his an icy cold look. "Just because you lack the intelligence to study the proffered packet from Miss Keane doesn't mean I have no life. It means you have no sense."
The guys backed him up luckily. "Is it our fault no one invites you to sleepovers because you analyze the history of the bottle and all your options before you spin it?" Kyle Delfigaro snickered.
"You're just snore she didn't want to kiss you!" the blonde haired cousin of Blossom, Blanca "Bubbles", piped in.
"Butt out, little miss sunshine!" Kurt sneered. "Unless you want me to touch your hand." He played at her phobia of guys, coming closer.
Blossom stepped in between them. "Don't you dare!"
"Goodie-goodie," taunted Kurt.
"Ugly-ugly!" Bubbles shot back.
"Fish-lips!" Kyle threw at Blossom.
Brick watched the exchange go on until Blossom said, "Honestly, you boys share a mind, and Brick's the main one!"
Everyone's eyes bored into his until he felt like millions of ants were trying to crawl under his skin. "O-oh, yeah?! W-well, at least I still have people that like me!"
Even at ten Brick realized he was wrong to say it. It didn't make him feel better. In fact, now he felt like crap. His insides hurt as he watched the glimmer of tears take the spark of fire from her eyes.
Without so much as another look in his direction, Blossom stalked off taking Bubbles with her.
XXXXX
Twelve year old Brick stared at his tutor from the corner of his half-mast eyes. Blossom poured over his practice test.
"You've got a few things wrong, but you have a solid base-"
"Just tell me the percentage, teach." Brick rolled his eyes.
"You got a seventy-one percent."
Brick sat up. "What?"
"You heard me: 7-1. You can pass on this." Blossom began packing her things.
"But I need at least a ninety to pass the semester and go on the ski trip!" His parents had made that stipulation, for him to go on any school function, he needed a 'B' or higher on all subjects.
"I don't care. I was only 'asked' by Coach Palmer to help you pass. Not to help you get a ski trip."
She swung her bag over her shoulder and began to rise. Brick grabbed her strap and forced her to plop back into her seat. "Plant it, Hunter. You need to teach me this stuff, or else."
"Or else what Thorn. You can't scare me!"
"But I can kiss you." Brick didn't know where that came from.
Blossom arched one brow at him for a long moment, then cracked a smile- no, not a smile; she smirked.
"Oh please, Thorn. I've heard more believable bluffs from criminals in prison." Blossom stood again and started walking to the door of the library.
"Oh yeah?" Brick felt himself launch from his own seat and pin Blossom to the wall by the door. "Wanna bet?"
"Lemme go, Brickhead!" Blossom hissed, careful to keep her voice down.
"Not a chance, teach. Tutor me more." Brick insisted.
"Not even if you paid me, slug-tongue." Blossom bit out.
Brick gave a heaving sigh. "You asked for it."
He only meant to give her a quick peck- to scare her and make her listen to him. But somehow, he ended up lip locking with Blossom in the back of the library. She tasted like berries- he couldn't pinpoint the exact kind. Raspberry? Strawberry? Blackberry? Maybe it was a smoothie?
Brick just kept his lips pressed closer, intent to find out. Just as he almost reached a verdict, a sharp "Ehmmm!" interrupted him.
"Mister Thorn, Miss Hunter, this is not the place for- for such a public display! I shall have to ask you to leave. This instant."
Mutely, they left, slipping into the quiet and vacated hall.
"That was..." Brick mulled over words in his head. "Awkward. Now will you finish tutoring me?"
He looked over to see Blossom fishing something from her bag. "What'cha- Hey!" She hurled a thick packet at him, eyes glistening.
"There's your stupid tutor!" She turn on her heel and ran off, leaving Brick with the packet. He looked at the packet and blinked. The title got him. "Oh crap... I did it again..."
On the first page, in type with dark red (his signature color) ink, he found "Brick's Extended Study Packet". Below it, in black ink was "includes two study tests, detailed notes and examples".
He'd really messed up there...
XXXX
Fourteen year old Brick wiped the table top clean, wincing as he felt the hungry eyes of the manager on him, once again. Certified cougar, Deloris Whittaker, had been eying him since he'd started in the summer.
"Oh cabana boy! Table seven needs a waiter." Deloris called, her voice off-key.
Grumbling, Brick stalked over to the table, intent on getting in and out fast. "Welcome to- Blossom?!"
The auburn haired girl blinked up at him. "Brick?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Celebrating my one month anniversary with my boyfriend. What are you doing here?" She eyed him up and down. "And what's with the funky Hawaiian shirt."
Brick grimaced. Of all the people to see him in the pink-and-chartreuse Hawaiian shirt and white cargo shorts, it had to be the girl with the photographic memory... "Working."
"Working?" her boyfriend, another redhead, scoffed. "I thought you were socializing."
"Dexter..." Blossom sighed. "Why here? I thought your dad had a chain of restaurants..."
"I wanna try something new." Brick shrugged. He wasn't about to tell her his plan.
"Oh, well... I'll have the crab-"
"We'll both have the clam bake bar." Dexter clipped.
"Dexter; you know I-"
"And two cokes. Well, diet for her."
Brick raised a brow and looked over at a seething Blossom. Her fingernail had made an indent over the crab-shrimp bowl in her rage. He penciled it down.
"That'll be coming right up."
Brick brought the order to the chef and bailed into the hallway that led to the bathrooms.
A few minutes later, Blossom walked into the narrow pathway and stopped. "Oh, Brick..."
"Hey, Juliet. Where's Romeo?" Brick asked.
"On a call to his mom. He 'dismissed' me from the table." She made a rude face.
"What do you see in that guy?" Brick asked. "I mean, Kurt has more personality than that dweeb and he still can't do a simple multiplication sequence."
Blossom raised a brow. "You care?"
"Well- yeah- I mean, I wouldn't say we're friends, but even you have to admit we're not really enemies." Were they?
"You're... Right. But he wasn't always so-"
"Pushy? Pigheaded? Egotistical?"
"-bossy. I think he feels threatened by the people I know. He's a good guy, on the inside."
"Right... A good guy who forgot your fear of clams." Brick pointed out.
Blossom winced. "He's had a rough week..."
"Stop trying to make excuses for a guy who isn't paying attention." Brick ordered.
"Stop acting like my dad!"
"Well, someone has to!" Brick instantly wished he hadn't said that. "Blossom... I just don't want to see you get hurt..."
Blossom's eyes burned with unholy fury. "Yeah, well too little too late..."
"Blossom-"
"Goodbye, Brick."
He watched as she stalked off, feeling irritated and angry, mostly at her. "That's it, this is the last time I want to ever talk to Blossom Hunter!"
XXXXX
Fifteen year old Brick offered Blossom his hand. "Are you okay?"
Blossom peered up at him with inquisitive eyes. "They pushed you pretty hard..."
Blossom accepted. "I'm fine- You're guitar is fine too. I think..."
He barely glanced at the unscathed guitar case. Brick shook his head. "Not my top priority... You are." He hefted her to her feet then turned to glare at the three linebackers, one of which was rubbing his jaw from Blossom's left jab.
"So the song bird's done having the groupie fight his battles huh?" the Oakford High linebacker taunted.
"Only if your done pushing girls like a kindergarten kid on a playground." Brick snapped. "Still itching to brawl because your girl has good taste.
"We didn't want to start a fight but I guess we can now since your girlfriend got frisky." Pasture High's linebacker growled, still rubbing his jaw.
Blossom pulled at a cord around her neck and a whistle popped from her cleavage. "Ten seconds to run before I blow it, dip wads. Ten..."
"You wouldn't..." the El Modena High linebacker scoffed.
"Nine... Eight... Seven..." Blossom counted.
"Adam..." one balked.
"Five... Four..."
"C'mon... She wouldn't blow it on her shining knight?" Oakford snickered.
They didn't know Blossom. "Two... One." She blew the ear-splitting whistle, cutting through the air like a knife and silencing the school carnival.
"HELP! HELP! THREE FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT WITH A STUDENT IN THE PARKING LOT!" Blossom screeched, putting her drama classes to good use.
The trio looked around uneasily as the security cart became audible and some onlookers trickled in.
"Aren't they from..."
"Yeah, and he's the star for that team..."
"How cruel..."
The whispers became roar of outrage. Finally, security screeched to a halt and the two burly guards stepped off. "Is there a problem, fellas?" Billy-Ray, the head of security, questioned. He was a boulder with legs, his arms two logs of heavy oak.
Henry, the other security guard, frowned at them. He was almost as tall as Billy-Ray but leaner, more aerodynamic.
Blossom relaxed against Brick, and he peered down at her, a brow raised.
"A little shaky here..." she murmured.
"Blossom!" a voice called.
Her boyfriend, Julian Lakes, pushed into the circle and to her side. Blossom straightened only to be pulled into his arms. "You crazy, amazing woman! I was so scared..."
Blossom rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry..." She looked so peaceful... So angelic. It was like her eighth birthday party again, his heart aching.
"Thanks, Blossom... You saved my guitar. I really... You're an angel." Brick said.
"You're welcome..."
"C'mon, let's get you to a chair..." Julian suggested.
Brick watched as Blossom walked away, his heart clenching as Julian draped his Ocean Bay High senior varsity jacket over her shoulders.
Brick bent to scoop his guitar case up, and sighed. "And now you've fallen in love with her..."
XXXXX
Twenty-eight year old Brick awoke to a vision of pure beauty peering into his face from above. Instantly, his arms banded around Blossom, pulling her naked form flush against his own. "Good morning to me..."
"It's evening, rockstar." She pressed a soft kiss to his lips- which he took over and made a French kiss.
"I think milady wants me to take her to bed for round four."
"I think milord is a little too eager for cosplay." Blossom giggled, pulling herself out of reach.
"Come back here. I thought you wanted to try nurse and doctor this time." Brick sat up, eying his naked fiancée.
"Not tonight... And anyways, the dinner party's in two hours."
"That's plenty of time-"
"No it isn't; every time I put on my makeup, you smear it to complete disarray." Blossom griped good-naturedly. "It's a thirty minute process with you in the vicinity."
Brick ambled behind her. "You mean 'vicinity' like this?" He wrapped his arms around her.
"Brick Thorn, I hate you!" she giggled.
Brick nuzzled her neck, his thoughts caught between memories of Blossom and Blossom in the flesh. "You said that when we were eight, and even them I never believed you."
"Yeah well-" Blossom blushed. "You can't expect an eight year old to recognize her future husband can you?"
Brick had an epiphany. "No... You can't..." He nipped the juncture of her neck and listened to her moan for a while. "Hey, Blossom... I think I may have lied the other night..."
"About being ready for a kid?"
"No..."
"About marrying me?"
"Hell no; that's for all of humanity's sake." Brick grinned. "If I don't marry you, I'll murder every male who even glances in your direction."
"About loving me?"
"Sort of..." He tightened his hold on her. "I'm just saying... I may not have gotten the time line on when my love for you started correct. I fell in love with you way before ninth grade- hell, I fell for you at eight. You were brave enough to treat the orphan kid like a peer." Brick kissed her pulse. "You had me wrapped around your pinkie when you asked me to cut the cake with you."
"And then you let me think you started the cake fight, instead of telling me it was Kurt." Blossom sighed dreamily.
He stopped kissing her neck. "You knew?"
"Keep kissing, rockstar..." Blossom purred. "Chelsea told me... And Kurt was bragging..."
"He was an arrogant little s***eater" Brick conceded.
"He's your friend..."
"Well there's that." Brick evilly grinned. "There's also this." He trailed his hand lower.
"No..." Blossom moaned. "The dinner party..."
"We can be late..." Brick argued. He latched onto the juncture of her shoulder and neck and sucked- hard.
"Brick..."
"What?"
"I hate you... But keep going."
Brick buried his face in her lustrous hair. "Yup, I'm really love struck..."
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AK: You can guess what happens next. "Paging Dr. Thorn, Nurse Blossom is here to see you". R&R, please. I may do epilogues for the others too.