"HIM? I know it's late and this is sudden but I--."
Out of nowhere, a light pink puff of smoke flashed Bubbles's vision and he appeared in front of her. Boomer was on the couch asleep downstairs and Bubbles was in the guest bedroom trying to talk to the devil himself.
"I thought you weren't going to make the deal, to be honest. You don't seem like the type, " HIM spoke. For two days it's been sitting on her mind and she had to decide quickly.
"If I go back... this won't exist?"
"It'll exist for a day, after that this timeline will close and make the past that you're in the present, " he explained.
"What about... what about Boomer?" Bubbles asked in a barely audible mumble. She looked down at the floor, she was embarrassed to be asking that question. She could hear him snicker.
"What about him? You'll have a Boomer, don't tell me you want two Boomers."
"No but it'll be different, things won't be the same, " she replied.
"Well yeah, you'd have to get him to trust you all over again and it'll take a while for him to treat you the way he does now, his violence has gone down a lot towards you. He's not dragging you across floors anymore, " HIM blabbered.
"Could I bring him with me--."
"You know what bringing one person costs. What do you think bringing two costs?"
"You'd take all of my soul, " she uttered.
"Exactly."
Bubbles frowned at that, "What happens when you bring someone back in time?"
"Well I switch their past and present bodies. Their past becomes the present and the present becomes... nothing when they've changed everything, " he shrugged.
"If I don't like it I can come back?"
HIM nodded his head as his answer. Bubbles knew what she wanted to do, but doing it meant she had to lose this Boomer. He's better than past Boomer, equally scary and heartless but she preferred Boomer. Her Boomer.
"Okay, I'll... I'll do it."
"Oh really?"
"When does it start though--."
"What are you going at my nest?!"
"This is not your nest, I built this yesterday."
"No, I built this this morning!"
Bubbles rose up from her bed and looked outside the window, two female bluebirds were fighting over a small nest high in the tree. She pushed open the window and sighed.
"Ladies, some of us are still trying to sleep. Please, keep it down, " the blonde said lazily.
"Oh, sorry Bubbles, " they chirped back.
Well now that she's up, she might as well start her day. Bubbles stretched her arms out over her head and groaned.
Wait, somethings not right
"Oh my gosh, " she gasped. Bubbles looked around her room, her actual room. She hasn't been here for so long, it feels weird even being in here. "I'm home."
Boomer had woken up on the couch. Weirdly, there was a faint smell of breakfast food being made. Bubbles is too clumsy to be in the kitchen, he wouldn't dare let her cook anything in there. So why the hell did he smell--.
"Oh look, he's awake."
Boomer immediately got up off of the couch, looking towards the kitchen. "What the fuck are you three doing here?" he growled.
"Family breakfast, " his brother shrugged. The one not in a biker jacket with his hair in a low ponytail down his back. The one with a scar across his right eye.
"I didn't invite you, where's Bubbles?"
"Breakfast will be ready in five minutes."
"You were here with a puff? Well, no wonder we haven't seen you in a month, " Butch smirked. Brick wasn't amused at all, he knows how much Boomer is obsessed with Bubbles and he doesn't like it.
"What'd you do with her?" Brick asked.
"Is that any of your fucking business? Where is she?" Boomer yelled. "Your blood will decorate these fucking walls if you don't--."
"That's enough!" The boys paused to look at their very angry demon father. They didn't notice the horns, claws, and scales that popped out of nowhere on Boomer. "You three are going to sit the hell down at the table and enjoy the damn food, " HIM said. "Boomer put it away."
"I can't control this bullshit, you aren't good at teaching me shit but murder."
"You do very well in that department on your own actually, " HIM spat.
"Where the fuck is she?"
"She left."
"Where?!"
His brothers looked back at Boomer, they gave him a weird look. Butch was freaked out while Brick was just in shock. Bubbles wouldn't give him that look.
"Back in time, " HIM said. "She'll be back, probably. Who knows?"
"You motherfucker. Why the fuck would you do that shit? What did she give you?"
"Oh y'know the usual."
"How could you?"
"She wanted to take you with her but she didn't want to give up the other half of her soul. That'd make her y'know half-demon, but she doesn't have to know that. Bubbles won't last a day, trust me, " HIM clarified.
"Take me to her, now, " Boomer demanded.
HIM clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You don't have half of your soul, you barely have much left already. I can't do that."
Boomer looked at Brick, who just looked down at the floor. Then at Butch, who opened his mouth but closed it when Brick elbowed him.
"Sorry, " he whispered.
"If she changes the past, you won't be here. None of us will. Everything will go back to normal, well maybe not all the way. I believe she'll tell Boomer, the other one I mean."
"That's not going to work, I'll think she's fucking crazy, " Boomer huffed. He sat back down on the couch and he covered his face.
"Is he crying?" he heard Butch whisper.
"Boomer doesn't cry."
Boomer looked over his shoulder at them, he was tired of their stupid bickering. That's all they ever do. No one wants to ever shut the fuck up. And Boomer does cry, he has feelings of course he cries. If he didn't cry there wouldn't be tears in his eyes.
"I told you." Brick elbowed Butch again, but harder this time. "Boom, look..."
"Don't."
Bubbles was sitting on the front lawn of her house, coloring in one of her books. She missed being outside. Buttercup was inside playing on her electric guitar and Bubbles did not miss that so she went outside instead.
Throughout her morning Bubbles couldn't help but think about Boomer. His name was on the back of her shoulder so of course, she'd think of him. There was no way around that.
"I kinda... miss him, " Bubbles mumbled to herself. Bubbled clasped both of her hands against her mouth when she acknowledged what she just confessed. Then as she thought about it more, tears formed in her eyes and she started to cry. "He's probably so mad right now, but I can't go back. I can't... but I--."
"Bubbles what's wrong?" She looked up to see Professor kneeling in front of her.
"There's a lot wrong Professor, " she cried.
"What happened?" he asked as he sat down in front of her. Bubbles scoffed and wiped her eyes, but her efforts weren't working since she just kept crying. "Come on, you can tell me."
"It's not that easy."
"You can at least try, we always try, remember?"
Bubbles nodded her head and wiped her eyes again, this time it worked. "There's this guy, but... he's not a good person. He's a terrible person, now I can't see him anymore."
"Did he leave you?"
"No, I left him. And I regret it because... I think I..."
"You love this guy?"
"Yeah, " she frowned.
"As long as he's not a terrible person to you, everything should be fine. Plus people change, he could change, " Professor said with a welcoming smile. Bubbles threw herself forward to hug him.
But which Boomer
"Um... Boom, there's a puff here to see you!"
Bubbes was at the Ruff's house, Brick had just answered the door. His hair was short and black and he looked a bit older but it was definitely Brick. Bubbles could tell by the look he was giving her and his blood-red eyes.
"Stop staring at me, it's rude, " Brick snarled with a scowl.
"You look different, really different, " Bubbles finally blurted out.
"It's called shapeshifting, you wouldn't fucking know."
"Oh."
"Whatever the fuck you're doing here for, don't get him excited. I don't need any more murders going on in this house, " he ordered.
"O-Oh, okay." Bubbles smiled nervously and put her hands behind her back.
A minute later, Brick stepped aside and Boomer stepped in his place. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Boomer rudely asked. Then he closed the door
"Okay, this is going to sound crazy, but I'm from... the future." Boomer opened his mouth to talk, but Bubbles knew it was going to be something she rather not hear so she continued talking. "Okay, wait. To prove it... I know things about you that your brothers probably don't know."
"And what are those things?"
"You sell your soul to HIM so you can keep me to yourself, you're disgusted by any other female, you recently skinned a guys face and put him in a bathroom closet, you're planning to kidnap me tomorrow after school instead of going through with 'the plan'. Oh, and you gave me this scar on my back."
"What fucking scar?" he growled. Bubbles turn around and pulled down the collar of her shirt to reveal the scar on her back. Then she turned back around after 10 seconds.
"And you love me, but Brick just thinks you have an obsession. Which it probably also is, but--."
"Shut up, "Boomer snapped.
"Sorry."
"Okay, why the fuck did you come back here then?"
"I don't want to choose between my family and... you... or what you will become technically speaking. You hurt me it will hurt me, but I still--."
"How are you here?"
"There's only one person that'd do this, we both know that, " Bubbles said with a nervous laugh.
"You made a deal?" Boomer's face was full of shock. It doesn't seem like something Bubbles would do so of course he was shocked. Bubbles nodded her head in reply. "You gave him your soul didn't you?"
"No, only half, " she answered.
"And what the fuck did you think you were going to accomplish by coming here?"
"You know why."
"This--."
This time, Bubbles was the one to shut him up. Her hands held his face between them as she pulled him down and stood on her tippy toes to kiss him.
"Guys, we should let him out."
"Fuck that, he's crazy."
"Says the guy in heels."
"I still look better than your ugly ass."
"You can be anyone you want, of course you can."
"Shut the hell up, both of you!"
The rowdyruff boys were all in their father's dungeon. HIM put Boomer in one of the cells, the best though, because he decided to start attacking everyone like a wild animal.
"Get me the fuck out of this disgusting--."
With a wave of HIM's claw, Boomer's mouth was glued shut. To get everyone's attention, his head started banging on the bars of the cell.
"Come on, look at him. He looks miserable."
"Why the fuck should we let him out, huh?" Brick questioned.
"I feel bad for the little guy, " Butch frowned.
"You're high, shut up."
"I don't do drugs, " the brunette scoffed.
"You do pain though, " Brick bluntly stated.
"I don't feel high, it's more of uhhh..." Butch raised his eyebrows while staring at Brick. He jumped back away from him and gagged.
"You're a disgrace."
"I'm not the one who can have a fucking vagina and a di--."
"I'm not the fucking one who gets fucking hard when I feel pain!"
"You can literally turn into a female and no one would know shit!" Butch yelled back, but he aimed to be louder than Brick was.
"At least I'm not a fuckin--."
Out of nowhere, Boomer put his arms between the bars of the cell and grabbed the both of them by the collar. He forcefully pulled them towards him, making them hit their heads on the bars.
"Shut the fuck up, " he said. At first, Boomer was surprised he could speak again but he was glad he could.
"We get the message, but if you're nails ruin this fucking dress I'll kill you."
"Ruin it, it's ugly, " Butch whispered.
"You two watch your brother, I'm needed somewhere else, " HIM quickly said before he disappeared. Boomer growled and let go of his brothers.
"Great, " they all said.
"So uhhh, what do you love about Bubbles?"
"Fuck you, " Boomer spat.
"I'm curious too, " Brick confessed. "All I've seen is bullshit."
Boomer's blue and black eyes looked to the bottom corner of his cell. "Everything."
"Bullshit, " Brick blurted.
"Your face is bullshit, " Butch said for Boomer.
"Who the fuck was talking to you?"
"This is why I don't tell you shit, you never listen. No one ever fucking listens, she listens you dumb shit. Bubbles knows more shit than you know, I'd kill you both if she wanted me to."
"Take that shit back, " Brick demanded.
"No, I mean it!"
"No you don't!"
Bubbles frowned as she looked at herself in her bathroom mirror. Things felt odd. Everything wasn't going according to plan. Boomer was Bomer, of course, but it felt weird. She just got home from the Ruff's house. Boomer and her had sex, yes. Still, at that moment, everything felt wrong.
"Bubbles, dinners ready, " Professor said on the other side of the door. "Did you go talk to your friend?"
"Um, no. I will though."
"Good, maybe we can invite him over to dinner tomorrow."
Bubbles cringed, " okay." She doesn't think Professor will be so welcoming when she finds out who she's talking about. "I'll be down for dinner in a second."
"Okay."
After she heard him walk away, Bubbles let out a heavy sigh. "Okay, HIM? Can I talk to you?"
"You called."
And there he was, staring back at her in the mirror. "That's kind of c--."
"Focus, little one. What do you need from me?"
"I want Boomer, " she muttered.
"You have Boomer, " he replied.
Bubbles shook her head no, "I want my Boomer."
"You realize what that means right?" HIM asked as slowly as he could. Bubbles knows what it means, she knows very well. She'd do it anyway though. She'll do it because she loves him.
"Yes."
"As you wish my dear."
Suddenly, the ground started shaking and things started falling off of shelves. Then, it felt windy. Which was very weird, considering she's in a bathroom. Her hair was flowing behind her, it didn't matter which direction she was in. The wind was against her. A dark circle appeared in front of the tub. She looked at it confused, but then a light bulb broke and it scared her.
"Ahh!" Bubbles screamed. She kept her eyes on the dark circle, Bubbles backed up against the wooden door. It was as far as she could go. A hand popped through it, it would have freaked her out if she didn't know who's hand it was. Then a foot came through, then his other, his other hand. It didn't close until Boomer was fully through and on the other side of the circle. Bubbles guessed it was a portal.
"Boomer."
They said at the same time.
"Bubbles."
She smiled and ran to him, instantly throwing her arms around him. "I'm sorry, " she whispered. "I'm sorry I left."
Boomer wrapped his arms around her torso and buried his face in her neck. "Don't fucking do that shit."
Bubbles unraveled her arms from around him, it took Boomer another minute to finally undo his. He didn't let her go though, he kept his hands on her waist.
"Are you crying?" Bubbles asked.
"Shut up, " he said under his breath. "I'm not crying, you're crying."
Oh, she was. Bubbles didn't notice until now but tears were running down her cheeks, making their way to her chin. "At least I admit to it." Bubbles caressed Boomer's cheeks with both hands and used her thumbs to wipe his tears off of his face.
"I love you, " she stated. Boomer's eyes widened and his eyebrows raised. Bubbles nodded her head, confirming what she said was true. "I'm in love with you."
Boomer lowered his head and pressed his lips on hers. Bubbles did it back and even a little more. Their tongues lightly grazed each other. She had to pull back before it got even more intimate.
"I have to go eat dinner, I'll see you tomorrow at school."
"Why can't I just stay here?" Boomer frowned.
"Because my sisters would find out. The walls are thin, " Bubbles explains.
"They're going to find out either way."
"Okay uhh... tomorrow."
"Tomorrow what?" he asked.
"Dinner, Professor told me to invite you, " Bubbles replied.
"You told your dad about this already?"
"He doesn't know who you are, but I told him a little bit, " she clarified. "Promise."
"Okay, tomorrow then, " Boomer agreed. "This is gonna be weird."
Bubbles nods her head and giggled. "Blossom and Buttercup won't like it at all."
Boomer rolled his eyes and scoffed. He didn't care about what they thought. Bubbles doesn't think he likes them. Who does Boomer like anyway?
"Bubbles, what the hell are you doing in there?" Buttercup shouted from the other side of the door. Her loud voice made Bubbles jump and squeal in surprise.
"S-sorry, I was... trying to figure out what hairstyle I wanted to go with tomorrow, If I decide in the morning it'll take forever, " she lied. Boomer smirked at her for lying, it wasn't something she was good at and it still isn't. Bubbles needs a little more practice.
"Well do that shit after we eat dinner, I'm starving."
"Alright, sorry."
"Nice save."
"Shh, " Bubbles shooshed as she put her finger over her mouth. She wasn't sure if Buttercup had left or not. If Buttercup didn't, this isn't going to end well at all. "Go home."
"Fine." Boomer kissed Bubbles promptly before letting her go and opening the bathroom window. Bubbles smiled, then she started at the dark blue trail he left behind him.
"Bubbles!"
"Oh." Bubbles slightly jumped back, she forgot again. "Sorry!" she yelled while exiting the bathroom and rushing downstairs. As she laid eyes on her family, she gave them an apologetic smile.
"Finally, " Buttercup grumbled dramatically.
"Sorry, " Bubbles repeated, sitting in her seat at the table.
"It's not like you didn't do it countless times before Bubs, " her sister mumbled.
"I'm sorry, I was--."
"Fixing your hair, we know."
"So, Professor told me you're bringing home a boy for dinner tomorrow."
Bubbles blushed and swallowed hard. She couldn't believe Professor told Blossom already.
"Sorry it slipped, " Professor whispered.
"It's fine--."
"Wait, Bubbles you actually date?" Buttercup questioned with an actually shocked expression. "Who is he?"
"Do we know him?" Blossom asked.
"... Well yeah." She looked down at her hands in her lap and her cheeks got even rosier.
"Name?"
"Girls, leave Bubbles alone. She has had enough for today." It's true, when Blossom and Buttercup are both asking her questions it gets overwhelming. It causes Bubbles to shut down and go mute.
"Sorry Bubs, " said Buttercup.
"It's fine, I-I'm fine, " Bubbles quietly uttered.
"So, who is he?" Buttercup asked after crashing on Bubbles's bed.
Blossom wasn't in Bubbles's room with her sisters, that was normal though. She wasn't as close to her sisters as they are to each other. Blossom distances herself from everybody except Professor. Buttercup thinks she's too self-centered.
"You-you're meeting him tomorrow, " Bubbles stuttered.
"Yeah but you know I hate surprises."
"I'm sorry, but I can't."
"But--."
"No, " she said with a slightly elevated voice. Bubbles rarely raised her voice at Buttercup, so she surprised herself and even put her hand up to her mouth after doing so. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."
"Bubbles, I'm not upset. You exaggerate over the littlest things, " Buttercup laughed. "You can yell or be loud, I'm loud all the time."
"I'm sorry, I just... sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry, I'm sorry for trying to pressure you into telling me your... boyfriend or whatever."
Her face got hot at the B-word. "It's fine."
Everything is fine