Buttercup slammed her locker door closed and stormed outside. Today was not her day; she had failed her Algebra test despite all of her red-headed sister's so-called "tutoring," she had been caught listening to Foo Fighters in class instead of paying attention to something about Abraham Lincoln or something, and had received detention on Saturday for shooting spitballs at her blond sister and Princess. With her earbuds back in her ears, blaring music into her eardrums, she let out a heavy sigh, her hands in fists in the pocket of her ebony hoodie. Raindrops ran down her face as she looked up at the dark sky to see a strike of lightening. She smiled a little at the amazing sight of electricity; it always fascinated her how something so powerful could come from something so far away. She decided to take a walk in the park and let the cool raindrops calm her anger before coming home and explaining her day to Professor.
She walked the winding trail for a while; taking the same route so many times she had lost count. Her hoodie was completely soaked by now, but she barely even noticed. Her mind was on other things. As much as she tried, she always seemed to be a disappointment to her father. She knew he would never say so, but she could tell she was almost a nuisance to him. Compared to her sisters, she was always the black sheep. She wasn't the smartest, like Blossom, or the most kind and giving, like Bubbles. She wouldn't consider herself the prettiest of the three of them, either. She was just the one with a bad attitude. Yet that was something she did like about herself; that she didn't take any crap from anyone. But still, she couldn't help comparing herself to her sisters. How much they stood out and got all the attention.
Buttercup let out a heavy sigh again, shaking her head to rid it of the thoughts. She was just feeling sorry for herself. Come on, Buttercup, she mentally scolded herself, get over it, you big baby. It was then she realized how damp her clothes had become, clinging to her body. Her converse sneakers squeaked with every step she took. She eventually decided to sit under a tree for a little while until the rain died down a bit. She chose a spot and sat, a freezing sensation enveloping her as the wind picked up. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her body shivering and teeth chattering, she looked up to see something in the distance.
She stared at a tall, thin figure leaning against a big oak tree across the lawn. At first she couldn't tell who the figure was, but the flicker of a lighter illuminated the figure's green skin as it lit the cigarette hanging between the figure's lips. She could never forget that defining characteristic; it was her favorite color after all. She stared at him for a while, not knowing whether or not she should talk to him or go home. Why was he here anyway? She hadn't seen him in years. In fact, the last she heard of him, he had run away to be on his own, leaving the rest of the Gangrene Gang to fend for themselves. The last time she saw him he tried to get rid of her sisters. Just remembering that night filled her anger inside. Again she scolded herself for ever having feelings for this monster. Not only did it break her heart, but her sisters never did let her live it down. She stared at a spot on the ground, running her hands up and down her wet camouflage pants, trying to warm herself from the biting cold. She looked to the tree where the figure was again, but he was nowhere to be seen. Taking out her headphones, she looked around for him, wondering where he had gone, when she heard a familiar voice that sent a shiver up her spine that felt different than anything the cold could give her.
"Hey." She straightened up at the sound, instantly reminded of the identical tone he used for the same greeting he used when she was younger. Glancing behind her, she could clearly see who the figure was. The glow of the end of his cigarette was just enough to illuminate his green skin even more, the hint of stubble on his upper lip, and it seemed that he had traded in his blue and orange vest for a black leather jacket with fringes along the arms.
Buttercup did not respond to his greeting, she didn't even stand to face him. She just kept her side glance on him with cold eyes. He took a long drag from his cigarette and let out a big puff of grey smoke. The smell caused Buttercup to crinkle her nose in either disgust or intrigue, she couldn't tell which. "Cat got ya tongue, kid?"
She swallowed. "Ace." This was neither a question nor a statement, mostly just her saying his name. Saying it out loud, without having to add a joke at his expense afterward to amuse her sisters. And why shouldn't she insult him right now? Because there isn't anything funny about him, she told herself. At least nothing I can think of right now.
"What's up, Buttercup?" It seemed he did not say her name just as a rhyming technique. There was a certain tone to the word; a tone that sent another shiver up her spine, causing her to finally come to her feet and face Ace. She still didn't answer him, though. She was busy noticing how drenched he was from the rain as well. His hair was flat and dripping water droplets down his face. It was baffling how he was able to keep his cigarette lit in such an inopportune setting. Then she realized that he was looking at her, too. His sunglasses were pushed down to the end of his long, pointy nose, revealing yellow, bloodshot eyes running up and down her body. She suddenly became self-conscious, remembering how the rain had caused her clothes to cling to her every curve. She wasn't used to people looking at her this way. "Ya lookin good." Ace smirked as he took another drag.
Buttercup inwardly took a deep breath, she could feel herself blushing. She looked away from him, wrapping her arms around her body to warm herself. Ace raised an eyebrow at her silence, but then just as the wind picked up, he noticed a shiver to Buttercup's stance. She was freezing! "What are you doing out here?" he asked, dropping the cigarette and stepping on it to put out the embers.
"Just out for a walk," she stated bluntly. She really didn't feel like talking with Ace about why she didn't want to go home, but she want to talk with him. It had been so long since she had last seen him, and out of sheer curiosity she wanted to know why and to where he disappeared all those years ago. Ace noticed her promptness, and figured that it was from the cold. He thought to himself why she didn't just use her laser vision to make a fire for herself or something. He dismissed this as he walked closer to her.
Buttercup was still looking away from the green man when she felt something wrap around her shoulders. Her first instinct was to fight, so she punched Ace right in the jaw, causing him to fly through the air, landing in a muddy puddle. Then she noticed what was around her; it was Ace's leather jacket. It warmed her almost immediately and smelled like smoke. Ace had given her his jacket. She looked down at him in embarrassment. She over-reacted, yet again. Luckily Ace landed face-first in the mud, allowing Buttercup to put on a smug expression. "What is this for?"
Ace slowly lifted his head out of the mud, his face coated in muck. "You were freezing." He tried to pick himself up, but slipped with every movement. Buttercup looked at him suspiciously. Why would he care if she was freezing? After a few moments of watching Ace comically splat in the mud multiple times, Buttercup finally decided to help him. She carefully walked to him and wrapped her hands around his arms. As she lifted him up, her feet slipped out from under her, causing both of them to fall back down in the mud, Buttercup on top of Ace. She could feel herself blushing again as Ace smiled up at her. He's never smiled like that before, she thought. His smile was soft and welcoming. Buttercup could feel his hand around her waist. She blinked at his touch, which was just as welcoming.
Coming to her senses, Buttercup stood up and flew away from Ace, leaving him in the park, muddy and on her mind.