I'm Ready to Try to Feel the Good Times
"So, Buttercup has a special power," Butch declared in the midst of stirring pasta sauce. Brick's knife on the cutting board faltered and he turned his head slightly. "She broke my shield using somethin' called resonance."
"Really." He sounded intrigued. "You mean harmonic resonance?"
"Yeah, that."
"Hmm." Silence for a beat. "That's very interesting." It was interesting because Brick's Physics teacher had just assigned a project in which he and Blossom were supposed to present an example of observable resonance to the class. Pendulums and clocks and other oscillating objects would suffice, but employing Buttercup would earn them an A for sure. Brick was also sincerely glad to hear she'd developed her own unique ability because he remembered her not having one when they fought as kids, just like him.
After battling the Powerpuffs for the last time he fell terribly ill, and his brothers couldn't buy medicine because they were young kids with no money. He spent five days deliriously sweating it out, Butch and Boomer unknowing whether or not he'd pull through, then all of a sudden his fever broke. He felt perfectly fine even though they said his skin was burning hot and he couldn't possibly be okay. For a while Brick had to deal with vaporizing any liquid he touched until he seemingly went back to normal. A pediatrician told him that his immune system had gone into overdrive creating antibodies to fight off the virus, turning his insides into such a hostile environment he'd never get sick again. The pyrokinesis was an unexpected side effect yet one he had great fun learning to master.
I believe your sister can help us with our physics project, Brick texted Blossom once finished with dinner.
Which one and how so? she replied.
Buttercup and her resonance ability. It's exactly what we need.
She would never let us use her for show and tell.
Bribe her.
A minute went by. That won't be necessary, she agreed since it gets her out of math class. What sort of demonstration should we give?
Let's have her shatter a crystal glass, Brick suggested. I'm looking at a particularly ugly decanter right now.
Why do you have a decanter? Blossom asked.
It came with the penthouse. Along with that bottle of champagne he would open once the last two benefactors on Max's list had been taken care of; the Morbucks were hosting a gala next month where one would be in attendance. The Boys were also invited but had to be fitted for tuxedos beforehand. Brick kept putting it off to focus on school.
The day of their presentation, a pair of seniors tried doing the same experiment by shattering a wine glass, but although they successfully turned it into an idiophone they couldn't get it to break. Buttercup smirked and said, "Let a pro show you how it's done."
"Hold on a second…" Brick put the decanter in a box lid to catch the broken bits and Blossom brought out a frequency meter. "All right, do your thing." Buttercup placed the tip of her index finger on the rim as everyone including the teacher sat forward. Nothing happened at first, but then the meter began to blip. A crack formed without warning, streaking through the crystal and reducing it to shards in the blink of an eye.
Blossom cleared her throat. "Our demonstration was an example of acoustic resonance. As you have just observed, this crystal container experienced catastrophic failure when met with its resonant frequency which was… about three-hundred and seventy Hertz. Those of you in the front row may have picked up on the vibration Buttercup emitted."
Brick certainly had. It was fascinating. "Right, um… this phenomenon can also occur in instruments that rely on resonators to produce sound such as flutes, violins and drums, but most builders take that into consideration." His eyes flicked to Blossom. "I think that's about it?"
She nodded, smiling. He tried to act like public speaking didn't faze him but the reddened tips of his ears always gave him away. "Thank you two, err, three," their teacher said, "you may return to your seats." Buttercup gladly kicked her feet up on an empty chair, content to stay for the rest of the period if it meant avoiding Algebra.
When the bell rang and everyone filed out, Brick nudged her shoulder and she found him proffering a gift card. "What's this for?"
"For earning Blossom and I a good grade on the project. Also…" He lowered his voice. "To replace your clothes that Butch ruined. He told me everything you went through last week."
Buttercup peeked at the amount, eyes widening. "God, Brick, they weren't worth that much." But he was apparently weird about debts so she accepted it nonetheless. In Chemistry she turned the card over in her hands while contemplating an idea.
"What's that?" Butch asked upon arrival.
"Compensation, I guess." She gave him a sideways glance. "Our first Ultimate game is this Friday. Would you maybe… do you want to go shopping with me the day after?" Shit, now that she said it aloud it seemed like she was asking him out or something. Better add a stipulation. "Only if we win."
Butch was surprised. "You wanna go shoppin' with me? Oh, to replace that shirt I dissolved. Sure, I got you, Butters."
Her nickname didn't quite sound the same coming from him, less casual and more… endearing? "You don't need to buy me anything, I got a gift card," she assured.
"Nah, I owe ya. I'll get you any one thing you want. It can even be one of those diamond bras from Victoria's Secret."
Buttercup faced him fully. "First of all, I'm not going lingerie shopping with you, Butch. Second, fine, I'll let you replace my tunic since it's a limited run from an indie designer. Third… how much do those bras even cost?"
"Like a million bucks," he flippantly replied. She just stared. "So do you want one?"
"I don't need a diamond bra, thanks."
"They come with matchin' panties…" Buttercup shook her head at his enticing tone. "Okay, that's a no. How 'bout a diamond body chain? No wait, black diamonds. Black diamonds with emeralds would look amazin' on ya."
She said nothing while he smiled like a fool. Mitch and Floyd stopped by on the way to their table. "What's with him?" the latter inquired.
"Pretty sure he's having a lewd fantasy involving me in an emerald and black diamond body chain," Buttercup explained.
"That's oddly specific." Mitch waved his hand in front of Butch's face. "Hello, earth to space cadet. You gotta pay attention in class so you don't fail. " No reaction whatsoever. "He's gone."
"Want me to smack him out of it?"
Buttercup denied Floyd's offer; Butch was just doing a Butch Thing by being off in his own little world. Now that they were actual friends she took note of his habits and mannerisms, like how he was always grinning, laughing, and cramming tons of food into his mouth on a daily basis. She never before realized that his unusually sharp canines were the feature that gave his toothy smiles their maniacal edge. Buttercup also noticed that, like her, he rarely stopped moving. Bouncing his leg, drumming his fingers, spinning or tapping or chewing on his pencil, doodling alongside his notes, creasing paper… She always thought her fidgeting annoyed her classmates and made a conscious effort to withhold it, reduced to wiggling her toe in her shoe, but she could fiddle and futz as much as she needed to with Butch at her side since he did the same thing.
The observations went both ways, and now Butch didn't have to be covert about how fascinating he found Buttercup. He discovered that she had amazing grades despite her dismissive attitude toward academics, proof that a keen mind kept her tongue razor-sharp and armed with the perfect comeback at all times. Often she didn't have to use words to convey her thoughts and feelings, the look in her eyes expressing them for her. Other than her sisters, Robin was her closest female friend because most girls were wary of her. Butch always thought she smelled nice but he eventually deduced she rotated through a selection of perfumes. Whatever she wore on Fridays drove him wild and he found himself fighting the urge to bury his face in the crook of her neck to inhale it.
He had an especially difficult time not throwing himself on Buttercup during their first Ultimate Frisbee game of the season: the Townsville High Peregrines versus the Pacific Science Academy Marlins. Halftime was over and they were closing in on the fifteen points necessary to win, just two more goals. Susie and Mike had scored the majority since the opposition underestimated their petite statures, allowing them to dart into the end zones unchecked. "Hey, Butch, pay attention." The captain snapped his fingers to take his focus off Buttercup's glistening bronze skin and her eyes alight with the promise of victory. "Butch."
"I'm listenin'! We're gonna do the zig-zag thing."
"With you on the left, Robin on the right, and Buttercup in the middle."
"Okay, got it."
The captain eyed him sternly before breaking their huddle. The play went like clockwork, the Peregrines scoring their fourteenth goal without issue. Now that they were on defense, though, the Marlins tried their damnedest to prevent a turnover from happening. They made short, simple passes that couldn't be intercepted and earned their own goal. Then they started playing more aggressively and got the disc back in their possession three times in a row, now just one point behind. "Where the heck did this come from?!" Mike asked in dismay. "It's like we're facing a totally different team!"
"Don't worry, I have a plan." Susie smiled at the former football stars. "Remember your guys' final Homecoming play?"
Butch gulped. "That was an act of desperation."
"Well, I think you should do the exact same thing. I want you to receive the pull as the rest of us book it down the field, then I want you to chuck that disc in a nice arc above their heads. One of us will catch it."
Their captain groaned. "Hail Marys don't usually work, Susie."
"It will this time," she said with unshakable confidence. "Butch can do it."
He stood at the left side of their end zone since the disc tended to drift that way when thrown by right-handed players. Butch himself was ambidextrous, a reason why he started playing sports in addition to needing an energy outlet, and he suspected Buttercup might be as well based on watching her handle the frisbee. By the time he caught it his teammates had just about reached the opposite goal, turning to look back at him. Robin stopped three-quarters of the way there in case his throw didn't make it, but Butch had the strength and aim to ensure that it did. He watched it go sailing above the other team's heads where it would land gently into the hands of his own… except the wind kicked up and blew the disc off course, nearly carrying it out of bounds. Buttercup planted her feet at the edge of the white line and reached, rising onto her tiptoes as her fingertips hooked the rim, then gravity took over and she landed on her stomach in a small patch of mud.
Of course the Marlins wanted to contest the catch, but everyone could plainly see that her shoes were within bounds even if the rest of her was out. Since Buttercup had maintained two points of ground contact, that meant the goal was valid and Townsville High was victorious. Robin and Mike helped her up where she grimaced at her jersey before Butch barreled into her, sweeping her off her feet. "You did it! That was awesome! I can't believe we won our first game!" he exclaimed.
Buttercup was beaming. "I'm telling Susie you doubted our crack team." She returned his embrace, basking in the sensation of glory until his parted lips brushed her collarbone. "Hey… what're you doing?"
Butch pushed himself away wearing a sheepish expression if she ever saw one. "You smell good."
"No I don't, I'm covered in dirt and sweat." He rubbed his neck, his nervous habit. "You're so weird."
Before he could respond to that almost affectionate-sounding word the captain shouted, "Come on, guys! Let's hit the showers and head back to campus!"
Butch bit his lip as his mind went spiraling into fantasy land. He imagined helping Buttercup out of her uniform and washing off the grime marring her skin so that nothing hindered his exploration of her gorgeous body. He kissed and caressed her until she whispered his name in desperation, then he pressed her back against the wall, fitted himself between her legs entwining his hips, and lost himself in wet heat beneath the water cascading over them.
"Dude, snap out of it." Mike flicked his nose to banish the reverie. "We have to clean up fast so we don't miss the bus."
"Right…" The vision was already fading, crawling back to the recesses where it would manifest as a vivid dream during his REM cycle. Butch knew his dreams would never become reality but that didn't prevent him from constantly making passes at Buttercup. The compliments and flirting were basically an act of self-sabotage; she didn't regard him with an ounce of seriousness and the more he did it, the less inclined she was to interpret his words as earnest. Actions mattered more to her, but any action that might prove his romantic interest carried the risk of ending their newfound friendship, which Butch cherished.
He earned it, after all.
April Fool's Day was Boomer's favorite minor holiday. Not only was the Ruffs' birthday a mere week away, it also gave him free rein to torment his brothers as payback for deriding him so often when they were kids. Electrocuting them at unsuspecting moments was his favorite way to celebrate, but eventually they started retaliating. He had to touch them to zap them and that meant Brick could singe him in turn; one year he torched Boomer's hair clean off his head. And Butch's shields doubled as kinetic energy absorbers meaning he could dish it out as good as he got. They learned not to let their guard down around him so Boomer had to get creative, and he was very proud of some of his previous schemes. This year he had the opportunity to prank the entire student body while adhering to the promise he made Bubbles about not using his powers on anyone.
Was his idea harmless? Perfectly. Would it inconvenience the whole school? Absolutely.
It wasn't a one-man job, he required Butch's help. And it wouldn't work if he couldn't get out of Music Study, but fortune favored him when a senior asked Boomer to be his sound engineer while he wailed on a drum set in a recording booth. After the guy donned his headphones Boomer sped to his locker in the main building where Butch was already waiting, acting casual. "Did you close the cafeteria doors?" the blond questioned.
"Uh huh. Mostly everyone's in the courtyard, anyway."
"Great." Boomer retrieved two commercial-sized cans of shortening which he'd appropriated from the Culinary Arts storage room along with gloves to keep their hands clean, giving a set of each to Butch. "You take the north and east halls, I'll go west and south. Remember to fly low so no one in a classroom sees you." Boomer then used his X-ray vision to scan the entire campus, tracking Miss Keane's secretary to her office. She was the only person walking around. "Ready… and… go!" As soon as her door closed they shot off in opposite directions, scooping up globs of shortening and applying it to the tiled hallways. Boomer estimated they could slather every non-carpeted floor in less than a minute moving at full speed, which was trickier in practice due to the relatively confined spaces. They got it done nonetheless, regrouping behind the music building and lasering the evidence for good measure, then they returned to where they were expected to be with the utmost nonchalance.
When the bell rang and the door to the junior council room opened to dispense its members, Princess took one step and promptly fell on her rear, yelping. Her colleagues regarded her in alarm. "Are you all right?" Brick asked.
"I can't stand up! The floor's all slippery!" She scooted back into the room as Wes cautiously stuck his foot out the door.
"Heh… I think we've been pranked."
Brick drifted past him into the corridor to see what was going on. In both directions students stood at the entrances to their classrooms looking confused, humored, or irritated, and a few bold souls tried walking off only to slip and slide and inevitably fall down. "Did someone grease the hall?" Susie questioned.
"That appears to be the case," he answered.
"Who could it have been? Everyone's either in class or having lunch."
Who indeed. The intercom buzzed before Brick could text his brothers. "Attention, students and faculty! Please remain in your rooms while we get the halls cleaned up. They are currently unsafe to walk so please do not attempt to head to your next class or the cafeteria. It is likely that sixth period will be omitted for today as the second lunch has been delayed. Thank you for your patience."
Wes laughed lightly. "Miss Keane sounds pissed."
"I bet a bunch of teachers are mad they can't go on their breaks," Susie mused.
Princess pouted. "Brick, can't you carry me to my personal finance class? It's right around the corner."
"No point when the schedule is off," he returned. Besides, he wasn't a damn ferry. There were only two janitors so cleaning the hallways would probably take a while. He couldn't believe one or perhaps both of his siblings had trapped the student body so efficiently. Which one of you did it?
Did what? Butch replied.
You know what I'm talking about.
I ain't psychic, Bro.
You think WE made the halls slippery? Boomer texted. I wish! Just got done recording a drum solo.
And I was eating with Buttercup and the guys. Ask them if you want!
Did they really think Brick would accept such flimsy excuses, like he didn't know what they were capable of? If you still want birthday presents, you'll admit to it.
That's not fair! Butch protested. We didn't do it, and you promised we'd go to a strip club when we turned 18!
Promise revoked unless you fess up.
It wasn't me! Butch insisted.
Me neither, Boomer said.
Brick knew they were lying, he practically felt it in his bones. They were the only two people who could move fast enough not to be seen by anyone. But he didn't rat them out because as much as he hated being inconvenienced, he still got to have Spanish class with Blossom. And it was a pretty clever prank that hadn't hurt anyone. Still, Miss Keane and most of the faculty were not amused. She questioned Brick, Boomer, Butch and Buttercup but they all had perfectly valid alibis. Brick had obviously been in a meeting with the student council. Boomer had been in the recording booth which his senior classmate corroborated. Butch and Buttercup had been having lunch with their friends who vouched for them, and Butch only left for a minute to grab a soda from the vending machine. By the end of the day no accusations were made.
It was easy for Boomer not to outwardly brag when he'd gotten used to taking personal pride in his accomplishments. He still wore a smug little smirk as he met up with Bubbles after their last classes let out for the day, automatically lacing his fingers with hers and ducking his head to give her a kiss. Their first had followed a romantic Valentine's Day dinner, literal sparks flying between them as electricity shot through their veins and temporarily erased every other sensation. Boomer felt that zing each time their lips met, an easy feeling to get addicted to. He wanted more but Bubbles had expressed a desire to proceed slowly with the physical aspects of their relationship. He was content to wait since he had all the time in the world.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Bubbles whispered on their way outside. "You messed up the floors for everyone."
Boomer feigned an indignant gasp. "My own girlfriend suspects me?!"
She giggled, rolling her eyes. "You told me about pulling April Fool's Day pranks on your brothers last week."
"Oh… I totally did. Crap." She laughed kindly as he slumped, busted.
"I knew it. And also, your birthday's coming up soon. Do you have any plans?"
"Just one…" Boomer led her beneath the shade of a tree, drawing her fingers to his lips in an adorable attempt to hide behind them. "Would you wanna go to a music festival?"
"A festival?" Bubbles breathed. "Omigosh, that sounds amazing! Where is it? Is it really happening during your birthday weekend?"
"Yeah, it starts on Friday. It's down in Acapulco." She'd never heard of that place. "Mexico," Boomer clarified.
"Ooh!" She had stars in her eyes at the prospect of spending two whole days with him in an exotic locale where they could listen to good music and finally dance together. She suddenly turned bashful. "You really wanna go with me? What about your brothers?"
"I was hoping you could help me throw a surprise party for them."
"A surprise party?!" Bubbles loved parties, both attending and hosting them. "I need details."
"Okay, well, I was thinking it could be at our penthouse 'cause there's plenty of room for people. We'll give invitations to Brick's and Butch's friends and leave a key with your sisters so they can set things up while my brothers are gone. We usually just go to a mall on our birthday so that's probably what they're gonna do. Butch said something about a strip club but I don't think that'll happen."
Bubbles snickered and then stopped as she realized the Rowdyruff Boys were about to become legal adults. Should she start calling them Rowdyruff Men? "I bet Blossom would love to make the cake. What about food and decorations?"
"I'll leave money with your sisters. They can order pizza or something." Boomer went back to regarding her shyly. "I thought we could stay at a nice hotel in Acapulco, do some shopping, swimming, see the sights outside of the festival hours…"
"That sounds wonderful." She embraced him, feeling his heart skip a beat. "I can't wait."
April 7th was a Sunday, his eighteenth birthday, and a day of shameless indulgence for Brick. Unlike his brothers he didn't frivolously spend money all year long, so this was the singular instance where he permitted himself to buy whatever struck his fancy. He splurged on copper and cast iron cookware as well as a knife set forged from Japanese steel. Butch bought a bigger TV for his room, a new sound system, and three very expensive pairs of sunglasses. Most of these items didn't fit in the Porsche so they were being delivered later that day. "What do you want for dinner?" Brick asked while they rode the elevator to the top floor of Evergreen Tower.
"How 'bout… sushi?" Butch suggested. "Should be easy with those knives."
It was like he knew his brother was dying to use them. "All right, we'll get some fresh fish later tonight." Sushi was one of Boomer's favorite foods; too bad he'd decided to leave for the weekend. Just before Brick slid his key into the lock he froze, staring at the light visible beneath the double doors.
"We gonna go inside or what?" Brick shushed Butch and he frowned, waiting a beat before retrieving his own key. A firm hand reached out to stop him. "The fuck, Bro?"
"Be quiet," Brick muttered, "someone's in there."
They both looked down at a darting shadow. Butch's demeanor instantly shifted from relaxed to tense and alert, awaiting instruction from his leader. They couldn't use their X-ray vision to see inside because the penthouse was designed to protect important rich people from nuclear fallout, the walls and doors lined with lead. The intruder probably had a gun on them, not much of a threat since they were bulletproof, but Brick still had Butch take a knee and put up a concave shield to deflect the shot from their vital areas. His sight turned red, eyes growing warm from the heat of his high-powered lasers, and his heart beat harder in anticipation. Who had found them? What information were they after? How did they expect this confrontation to go? Brick didn't take very kindly to people invading his personal space. He finally unlocked the door and pushed it open.
"Surpri—" The rest was cut off as everyone gasped or screamed and ducked behind furniture.
Butch instantly stood down. "We almost killed you fuckers!"
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Brick demanded.
Several faces appeared over the backs of the sofas. "S-surprise!" Robin's voice wavered. "Happy b-birthday!"
Buttercup folded her arms and scowled. "We were trying to throw you a party. Didn't think that was grounds for getting merc'd."
Brick leaned against the door with a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose. Once his pulse returned to normal he surveyed the living room. There was a banner, streamers, and cake and presents on the coffee table. The unexpected guests consisted of Robin, Buttercup, Blossom, Wes, Susie, Mitch, Mike, Floyd, and Lloyd. "How did you get in?" he questioned in a calmer manner.
"It was Boomer's idea." Blossom surrendered the key matching his own. "He let me borrow this so we could get everything ready while you two were out." Brick was really going to maim his little brother when he got back. He then shot Blossom a look containing both fear and a warning. "Don't worry, we didn't go snooping around your home," she reassured.
"But it's fucking nice," Mitch said. "Can't believe you guys really live here!"
Wes agreed. "Yeah, the man in the lobby said you have a pool and a grill on the roof. Can we check it out?"
While Butch escorted the interested party members outside, Brick went to his room to ensure nothing had been rummaged through, finding everything exactly as he left it. "Is that your bedroom?" Blossom inquired when he emerged. "Do you keep your books in there?"
Oh yeah, she'd expressed interest in his collection way back at Christmas. "Yes it is, and no I don't. They're upstairs." He motioned for her to follow him to the second level. The office felt rather antiquated with a big oak desk, stiff leather seats and Tiffany lamps, and it had a musty smell from the vintage novels adorning the shelves.
It was safe to say Brick was well-read in the classic literature department. Aristotle, Camus, Machiavelli, Nietzsche, Plato and Sun Tzu for philosophy. Lewis' and Tolkien's fantasy works. Asimov, Clarke, Herbert, Verne and Wells for science fiction. He had a leather-bound set of Shakespeare's comedies, tragedies, and histories. Austen, Bradbury, Brontë, Byron, Carroll, Dickens, Doyle, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Huxley, Lee, Orwell, Steinbeck, Tolstoy, Twain… there wasn't a single author without literary merit. She crouched to examine a shelf with just one book on it, 'The Essential Rumi', and smiled at Brick over her shoulder. "I can recommend some more titles to fill this one."
"That anthology you let me borrow didn't contain as much awful poetry as I thought it would." Speaking of which, he should probably give it back since he'd had it for so long. They returned downstairs together and Brick almost strolled right into his room before whirling at the threshold. "Wait here, please." Blossom obliged, listening to him rustle around until he grunted in frustration.
"Can't find it?" she asked through the tiny crack.
"I had it on my nightstand, then I put it on my desk, then I moved a bunch of papers around…"
She gave a soft laugh. "It's okay, Brick. I said you could borrow it until the end of the school year."
"There's only two months left!" That realization struck without warning. He had come to Townsville for a job and somehow became a serious high school student who cared about his grades and befriending peers. What the actual hell was wrong with him? He should've kicked everyone out by now; who knew what they might have stumbled across! Boomer's senseless plan almost blew their cover!
And yet…
Celebrating his birthday with friends was something Brick had never done before. Their gifts were so thoughtful, and Blossom somehow knew that red velvet cake with vanilla cream frosting was his favorite thing in the whole world. He was eighteen now, a legal adult in many countries, yet he felt like a giddy kid surrounded by people who kept encouraging him to play with his new toys.
Brick wouldn't admit it because he didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but Blossom's present was the best. It was simple yet ingenious, an armband for the Nervo that enhanced its holographic projector and touch input, and she got one for each of the Boys. Butch had messed with it until his TV arrived, seventy inches of 4K screen that didn't even fit in his room. He set it up in the living area instead, plugging in his console and rearranging the couches so everyone could sit and play the latest title from his favorite fighting game franchise that Mike had been kind enough to give him. It had a two versus two co-op mode and whoever dealt the least percentage of damage had to swap controllers with someone else, ensuring they all got a turn.
Butch went undefeated, but Buttercup was another strong player. They eventually ended up on the same team and won five straight matches. "Okay, this is some bullshit," Mitch grouched, switching seats with Lloyd. "You guys gotta be cheating or something."
"How'd we know how to cheat at a game that just came out?" Butch countered.
"I think you just suck," Buttercup snarked.
"Maybe they found the best character pair," Robin put in. She along with Wes and Susie mostly watched, but Susie managed to survive a round just by button-mashing. She deferred to Mike as he and Mitch attempted to dethrone Team Green. Mitch lost again, swapping with Floyd.
"You two are definitely cheating," he said. "I'm seeing some suspicious cancels."
Buttercup rolled her eyes. "All the level one and two super moves can be combo-canceled. Stop whining and get good."
"Oh, it's on now." He and Mike legitimately threatened Team Green's victory streak; they barely eked out a ninth win. "One more round," Floyd offered. "If you get this last one, you two are officially the reigning king and queen."
Butch accepted with a grin. Buttercup played in utter silence despite the insults and cursing flying from one couch to another; it got so raucous that Brick and Blossom had to continue their conversation on the roof. Buttercup killed off Mike's character and started to gang up on Floyd, but then he reversed an attack against Butch that erased most of his health bar. "What the fuck was that?!" he shouted. "Heal me, Butters!" She tried but Floyd stunned and KO'd her, leaving her partner at his mercy. To really stick it to Butch he revived Mike and they finished him off with a flashy team move. "Nooo!" he wailed, falling to the floor in dramatic fashion, then came a crackle and the tinkling of plastic pieces. "Whoops."
Lloyd and Mitch snickered. "Did you just crush your controller?"
"Guess you don't know your own strength!"
Butch brushed the remnants off his palm. "It's okay, I have a spare in my room."
"I'll get it," Buttercup offered. "Which one's yours?"
"Upstairs, second door on the left." She nodded and flew away. It took ten whole seconds for Butch to realize the horrendous mistake he'd just made.
He streaked into his room, freezing at the sight of Buttercup studying the life-sized posters above his bed. Neither of them moved until it felt like an age had passed, then she turned to him with the most passive expression on her face. Butch all but spontaneously combusted from the heat of his embarrassment. His mouth had gone dry and his mind was blank. What the ever-loving fuck was he supposed to say to the subject of his fantasies after she happened upon his wank material?
"Wow," she deadpanned, "you must be my biggest fan." She grabbed a controller from its nook and waggled it. "Wanna go back to the game?"
He wanted her to say he could unwrap her for his birthday and lick frosting off her tits. Butch shook his head; there really must be something wrong with him. They were friends now and hung out almost every day, so why wasn't that enough for him? Why did he always want more than what he had? And why, out of all the people on the entire planet, did he desire someone he knew would never desire him in return? "Uhh, yeah, let's go. And this… isn't what it looks like," Butch managed to articulate.
"What is it, then?"
Buttercup spoke in a tone devoid of emotion, once again causing him anxiety. He didn't like not knowing what she was really thinking. "I just… I admire you, Butters. You're a really good model, y'know?"
"Thanks." She skirted him, pausing at the top of the steps to shoot him a caustic glare. "You're not just pretending to be my friend so you can fuck me, right?"
If Butch still needed it, there was more proof that she pulled no punches. "I'm not pretending," he answered. Buttercup hummed and descended the stairs. He drifted down a moment later. "Hey guys, can I talk to ya? Up here?"
Mitch, Mike, Floyd and Lloyd followed Butch into his room where they immediately boggled at the images adorning his walls. "Dude. Dude."
"Where'd you get all these pictures of Buttercup?"
"No wonder she seemed upset…"
"Are you in love with her or something?" Mitch questioned, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. He wasn't intimidating thanks to his wiry build, upturned nose, shaggy hair and prominent freckles, but he could don a mean mug when he tried. "You got feelings for Buttercup?"
Floyd also raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, because we're trying to prove that not everyone objectifies her and stuff like this isn't helpful."
Butch sat on his bed. "I like her a lot. I dunno if it's love, I've never been in love. I only…" He'd only ever been in lust, like Boomer said. His cheeks darkened. "She wasn't supposed to see these."
"Well you fucked that up, didn't you?" Lloyd sank into the gaming chair, sighing. "So what do you want from us?"
"I wanna know what Buttercup wants," Butch answered. "What kinda guy does she go for? What kinda relationship does she wanna be in?"
Mitch spread his hands. "Your guess is as good as ours. She's never told us her type, she's never admitted to having a crush on anyone, and she's never gone out with anyone." He paused. "Except you."
"Maybe she likes girls?" Floyd speculated.
Mike shook his head. "She doesn't like girls since girls don't like her. They've always been intimidated by her." His eyes flicked to Lloyd. "She had a crush on Fink in seventh grade, but he turned into an asshole when he got popular. Then she had a crush on you."
"Shit, really? I never knew." Lloyd appeared wistful. "What'd she like about me?"
"Buttercup's type is guys who have integrity, are taller than her, physically fit, and honest. She hates being lied to. Apparently when the Powerpuffs were kids she figured out that Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny weren't real and ruined them for Bubbles."
"That's kind of funny…" Floyd tilted his head. "How do you know all this?"
"Robin. She's the only person Buttercup confides in other than her sisters. Robin knew I liked her and started telling me things thinking it'd help me win her over, but I could never work up the courage to say anything. It's just as well since I don't fulfill the height requirement." Mike sighed, squaring his shoulders. "I don't know if that helps you, Butch, but my advice is to be someone Buttercup can rely on instead of trying to get in her pants. Like, a real friend."
Butch had wanted to get in her pants since he laid eyes on her, but he also wanted to be with her. See her smile and hear her laugh. Be the one she unloaded her emotional burdens on instead of repressing them. He wanted Buttercup to know she didn't have to hold back with him. If she needed to hit, break, or destroy something he'd handle the outburst. He wanted to make her feel good and sex was a method for accomplishing that. It was called being friends with benefits for a reason. Butch groaned when his stomach rumbled; thinking about all these complex emotions made him hungry. He zipped up to the roof. "Brick! What's for dinner? We still havin' sushi?"
His brother was annoyed to have been interrupted in the midst of being enlightened on the subject of epic poetry. "I don't think I can make enough for everyone," he replied.
"Pizza?"
Brick sighed in resignation. They had ordered pizza almost every Friday night since moving to Townsville. "Sure."
Blossom's eyes widened. "Oh, that's right! Boomer left us money for food!" The three of them rejoined their friends and Brick dialed the number of a woodfired pizzeria, patiently relaying the orders everyone began hurling at him. Unfortunately once the pizza arrived his appetite all but vanished. He had no interest in his typical pepperoni-bacon-jalapeño-pepperoncini request, but Buttercup devoured it in his stead. Blossom also ate a slice of Hawaiian with lacking enthusiasm even though she'd only had a couple pieces of toast for breakfast and needed sustenance. Wes casually remarked how cool it would be to have a pizza party on the roof; everyone grabbed a box or two and hurried outside. The quiet they left in their wake was nice because even though Brick had gotten used to socializing he still didn't like being the center of attention. Neither did Blossom, though she was better than him at acting like it didn't drain her. "Can I ask you something?" she queried. He hummed. "How are you Boys older than us? We'll turn eighteen on August twentieth, but we were made before you."
Brick logged that date away for future use. "I think our development was accelerated while Him kept us in his laboratory."
Blossom nodded slowly. "You've never mentioned that to me before."
Yet she didn't seem fazed. "I assumed you got the information when you did that deep web search on us."
"I didn't, actually." His brow rose. "I have all of Mojo's data regarding your development, but there wasn't anything on the human scientist who altered you. There's no paper trail, at least none that I could find."
That was news to Brick. Silent seconds ticked by as he tried not to dwell on that part of his life since it had felt like the end. Bloody and broken, defeated at the hands of the Powerpuff Girls, Him found the Ruffs and broke them down further to remake them into beings far surpassing humankind. Brick wondered if Him was a man at all, or human for that matter. He never saw a face, only a slender shadow, and he only heard a mellifluous voice that could turn harsh and discordant without warning, telling him he would be punished for wrongdoings he hadn't known he committed. Hearing it echo in his memory made him shiver.
"Brick…" Blossom reached across the kitchen counter to touch his hand, startling him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked about that."
"It's fine." He was an adult now and didn't need to dredge up things that happened when he was a kid. The past was in the past and that's where it should stay. Brick took a deep, calming breath and met her gaze. "Would you like to have dinner with me, Blossom?"
She blinked a few times. "Didn't we just spend over a hundred dollars on pizza?"
"Boomer did," he smirked, "but I'm not in the mood for pizza. I want to go somewhere nice, like…" He consulted his timezone app. "Spain. It's noon there, so we can have lunch." Her pretty lips parted in shock. "Please?"
How could she deny Brick on his birthday? It took no effort to accept his hand, fly across the United States and the Atlantic, and land in Seville where Blossom was immediately blown away by the amalgamation of Moorish, Renaissance, and Gothic architecture. "You really lived here?" she breathed in awe.
"Only for a few months when we were thirteen," he said. "I wasn't the right age to appreciate it so I've been wanting to come back. We can try our Spanish on the locals." They descended to street level and began looking for an uncrowded place to eat, Blossom's head turning every-which-way. She had never done something so impulsive and let out an uncharacteristic giggle, eliciting a smile from Brick.
"I can't believe we're here. Do you think it's okay that we just left everyone?"
"I trust Buttercup to keep our friends in line," he replied, pausing to scan a menu posted outside a restaurant. Tapas, paella, wine. Perfect
Blossom clung to him self-consciously while they were shown to a table on the terrace. "I'm not dressed for a place this nice!"
Brick tutted at her misgivings. She wore a flowing white top, a double-slit maxi skirt, and strappy sandals. He was the underdressed one in distressed jeans and a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled at uneven lengths to accommodate his armband. He spent a minute making them symmetrical as Blossom admired the view, the sheer wonder on her visage filling his chest with warmth. He let her try his wine, a rosé, but she said it was too sweet. He enjoyed sweet beverages to balance out all the spicy food he ate. After paying for lunch he had a stroke of inspiration and opened his phone's map app, poking around a 3D projection of the city. "Do you like it, that attachment?" Blossom asked.
"I love it," Brick gushed. "Where did you even find it? I've never seen any accessories like this for the Nervo."
"That's because it's one-of-a-kind… or three-of-a-kind, I suppose. I built them myself."
His jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
"It wasn't difficult, there's hardly any circuitry. The armband simply boosts the projector's output capability, but it drains the battery too quickly so I added a panel that absorbs body heat to charge it. I drew up the concept in CAD and made it with a 3D printer." She shrugged. "Easy." Having taken the class himself Brick knew it wasn't that simple; then again, Blossom was much more brilliant with technology than him. She could decipher code, write programs, navigate networks and hack into servers, and now she was fabricating things! Where had someone like her been all his life? The jobs he accepted would've gone so much smoother with her expertise to rely on. "So what are you looking for?" she pressed.
"Oh, um, I wanted to buy some saffron before we head home. It's expensive in the States and Manchegan saffron specifically is considered the best in the world." That was food trivia she probably didn't care about. Brick blushed but Blossom gladly accompanied him to a market where they found a tiny shop selling grams of saffron for reasonable prices. Then, since it was midday, they toured all the main historical sites. Brick didn't really notice they'd been holding hands the entire time until Blossom pulled him toward a group of musicians performing in a plaza. The contact felt nice, natural even, and he reasoned it was an instinctual thing to want to be physically connected to the only person he knew in a foreign land. Flamenco was the dance of choice in Seville but the musicians played something in the right time signature for salsa. Brick heard it, and Blossom did too because her hips automatically shifted to the rapid rhythm. "Want to?" She arched an eyebrow at his offer. "Dance."
"Oh… In front of all these people?"
"Why not? They don't know us." Blossom glanced at the crowd, searched his features, and agreed.
She was astounded when Brick started leading without any prompting, holding her properly, turning and spinning her, winding his arms around her waist and shoulders like he'd taken actual lessons or something. "How did you get so good since Homecoming?" she asked.
"I watched some videos and read some books," he explained. The tempo slowed a little and they faced each other. "I thought I should learn to do this properly in case… just in case."
Brick had invested time and energy improving his technique when dancing with her wasn't even a guarantee. Blossom scolded herself for jumping to the conclusion that he might have more-than-friendly feelings for her instead of merely establishing a common interest. He didn't do romantic relationships and she wasn't ready to be in another one, but she couldn't deny being attracted to certain qualities he possessed. Brick was intelligent, pragmatic, ambitious, well-mannered, and generally composed. But his anger was unpredictable and he was incredibly full of himself. If he had more humility she probably would've fallen hard and fast for him.
Onlookers applauded when both performances ended. The redheads bowed and curtsied respectively, then made for a nearby alley so as not to draw more attention while they headed back to Townsville. It was strange going from bright afternoon sunshine to a darkened cityscape, but Blossom enjoyed the sense of familiarity. Their friends greeted them exuberantly when they landed on the roof of Evergreen Tower, half of them waving from the hot tub as she sighed. "You guys… we have school tomorrow, you know!"
"Exactly. Time for you all to head home." Brick flame-dried clothes for those who needed it, put away the leftovers, then he and Butch thanked everybody for their presents and company as they filed out. Blossom was the last to leave, turning to cup Brick's cheek with one hand and pressing a soft kiss to the other. Butch was just as stunned by the action as his brother.
"Thank you for lunch, and happy birthday," Blossom said, giving him a demure smile. "I hope it was one to remember."