You Come Through for Me Again

Bubbles was in heaven.

Not literally, but it seemed like she might float into the sky until reaching a divine realm or escaping Earth altogether, and she knew without a doubt that Boomer would be right there with her. Even though they currently stood in the midst of an enormous crowd as some big-name DJ drew out the buildup before an epic drop, the young couple felt like they were the only two people in existence. They had been up since eight o'clock that morning, perusing waterfront shops and grabbing a bite to eat before heading to the festival grounds. It had the kind of atmosphere where complete strangers acted like they'd been friends all their lives because everyone was there to enjoy the music. Bubbles and Boomer tried to remain inconspicuous by walking everywhere, but now that night had fallen and their feet were sore, they hovered an inch above the grass for some relief.

Their shared weightlessness enhanced the euphoric sensation that came with the drop, deep bass washing over the audience. With Boomer's arms wrapped tight around her and his mouth pressed to the crook of her neck, Bubbles felt both his smile and the goosebumps it elicited. He in turn felt the shiver that ran down her spine, somehow managing to pull her even closer. The humidity left them hot and sweaty, their dancing reduced to gentle swaying as the sun sank below the horizon. Neither wanted to dwell on the fact that this was the last set they would hear before having to go home, but as if knowing that, the DJ's track selection ensured the final evening of their weekend getaway was one to remember.

The melody picked back up and Bubbles started shifting again, letting synths dictate the motions of her hips. Boomer wished he could show her how wild she drove him when she moved like that. He didn't want to go back to Townsville, he wanted to return to their hotel room and establish their own rhythm while melting and fusing together. That was what he liked most about being in love, the part where it became impossible to determine where he ended and she began. Boomer thought they were ready but Bubbles wanted to wait a little longer. She had told him that things got awkward when she jumped over relationship milestones to get physical with her boyfriend in Tokyo, and she didn't want that to happen with Boomer. She said they were taking the "slow burn" route.

That didn't stop Boomer from trying to turn it into a fast scorch.

After gathering their belongings, checking out of the hotel, and holding hands during the entire flight home, they drifted through the center window to Bubbles' room and alighted on her plush carpet. She set her bag down before Boomer embraced her, nuzzling the top of her head. Her hair smelled like coconut and ocean wind. "Is your dad home?" he murmured.

"Yeah, his car's here," Bubbles answered. She knew he was really asking if he could stay for a while. "It's late and we have school tomorrow. We need to get some rest."

Boomer pouted. "But I can't sleep without you."

"You did it your whole life," she returned, gently pushing him back toward the window.

"Yeah, well, I didn't know what I was missing till I got to snuggle with you all night." He ducked his head to kiss her then, hearing her sigh against his lips. "C'mon, let me stay. Promise I'll be quiet."

Bubbles blushed, looking away so he wouldn't see the conflict in her eyes. She wasn't worried about him being noisy; she did not trust herself to keep any nocturnal liaisons discreet. Bubbles shook her head and met his gaze. "Not tonight, Boomer." He appeared disappointed yet respected her decision. "But… soon."

His hold tightened on her waist. "You don't know how bad I wanna unwrap you for my birthday."

"Oh, I think I have an idea," she said with a smug little grin. As if she hadn't noticed him grinding on her or feeling her up while their bodies were pressed together so tightly there had been no room for air. Bubbles gave him a deep kiss to hopefully tide him over. "I had so much fun this weekend and I hope you did, too. Thanks for inviting me."

"Thanks for going with me. I had a blast."

She tittered. "I'm glad. Now, go home so I can get my beauty sleep."

"Okaaay…" Boomer paused above the sill. They had only been dating for two months but he already wanted to tell Bubbles that he loved her. It had to be love; no one else ever made his heart soar just by looking at them. They had been swept up not by a whirlwind romance but a strong, steady, lasting breeze. He couldn't wait to see where it carried them. "Good night, Bubbles." It wasn't the same as saying it before falling asleep at her side, but at least he would be with her at school tomorrow.

Boomer touched down atop the penthouse and unlocked the roof exit. "I'm back!" he announced while descending the stairs. He found his brothers standing in the front doorway with bewildered expressions on their faces. "Uh, hello? What's with you two?"

Butch snapped out of it at that. "Hey! Whoa, you're back late. How was the festival?"

"Fantastic, thanks for asking. How was the party?"

"Pretty good. I did somethin' dumb, though." Boomer cocked his head to the left. "Buttercup saw my room."

He cringed at the mental image, then waved a hand in front of Brick's face. "Are you okay?"

Maroon eyes blinked rapidly to return to the present. "Boomer, hi, yes, I'm fine. Did you have fun in Acapulco?"

"Greatest day of my life." He raised an eyebrow. "Why're you guys standing here with the door wide open like total weirdos?"

Brick closed it. "Everyone just left."

"Blossom kissed him!" Butch blurted, earning one look of disbelief and another of irritation. "On the cheek," he added.

"Blossom kissed him on the cheek?" Boomer parroted. "Why'd she do that?"

"Do I look like a fucking mind-reader?" Brick spat, stomping off to his room. "Who knows why Blossom does half the things she does…" He paused at the threshold. "There's a present for you from her on the coffee table. Good night."

Boomer rolled his eyes before inspecting the small gift. "You'd think getting kissed would put him in a good mood, not a shitty one."

"It sorta came outta nowhere," Butch explained. "She just stopped and kissed him and then kept walkin'. Can't believe I saw it with my own eyes." They widened as a thought occurred to him. "Did dancin' with Bubbles ever go horizontal?"

"None of your business," Boomer said. The armband he unwrapped looked to be just the right size for his phone. He slid it into the slot, gasping when the display went holographic without any prompting. "This is so cool!"

Butch studied him for a moment. "It is my business 'cause once you two get super serious that means I can be with Buttercup."

Boomer snorted. "In your dreams, maybe. Hey, are there any leftovers?" He flew to the fridge before Butch could answer in the affirmative, carrying a whole box of pizza upstairs. He and Bubbles had skipped dinner in order not to miss the final set. As a consequence he was starving, but thinking about Bubbles only made him yearn to sate another type of hunger. Butch wouldn't be the only one dreaming of a Powerpuff Girl that night.

Monday was uneventful as always, except Brick found it difficult to maintain focus despite the monotony of his routine. He kept wondering why Blossom had kissed him, why she turned back instead of heading to the elevator with the rest of their friends. She was a rational person, not an impulsive one, so there had to be a reason for it. He wanted to ask her directly but in their two shared classes words failed him after he took one look at her, like his brain short-circuited or something. Whenever they made eye contact he felt a blush begin in his ears and turn his whole face an unsightly shade of pink, curse his fair complexion. Why couldn't he get over the fact that Blossom's lips were on his cheek for a single second? They had already kissed on the mouth for fuck's sake, even if it was just a dare. There was no logical reason why such a chaste gesture should turn Brick into an inarticulate fool.

He had a council meeting after school to finalize the annual class competition, which would occur during a beach party with the entire student body. The senior council planned it for the end of May since they'd be graduating in early June. "Can you believe there are less than two months left?" Susie remarked on their way out of Miss Keane's office, where they had to submit activities for her approval. "Five more Ultimate games and that's the season. It flew by so quickly…"

"Tell me about it," Wes groaned. "My dad set up this workplace study thing for me at his hospital so I'm going to be there all summer. I wanted to go to Cambodia with my mom!"

Brick tuned out their lamenting of missed opportunities. Susie's comment had reminded him about the Morbucks gala that weekend, the gala still requiring a tuxedo. He kept forgetting what he was supposed to be doing, distracted by homework, organizing events, reading, and taking day trips to beautiful cities with a pretty girl who held his hand and kissed his cheek. Why couldn't he get over it? Why couldn't he put Blossom out of mind in order to do his job, his real job, the one he'd get paid lots of money for completing? It didn't seem that important anymore. There were other things he cared about now, things that made him happier than material possessions.

The Rowdyruffs arrived at the gala via limousine in order to appear normal and innocuous to Max's other guests. Princess perpetuated the façade by parading Brick around as her arm candy. Boomer and Butch were better at mingling than him so he had no doubts they could act casual until their target appeared. He endured Princess' nasally voice while she engaged in inane conversations with the most pretentious people he'd ever met. Most of them were glad to brag about supporting some of Townsville's art programs while calling them frivolous the next second. The advancement of their high society depended on technology like the Aegis Project, which would make everyone with a finger in that pie even wealthier once quantum networking was implemented worldwide.

Princess abruptly gripped his arm and pointed across the terrace. Scott Fields was the primary benefactor of Townsville's third-largest genome research group and the penultimate name on Max's list. Brick assessed the man in an instant. He looked harmless, cherubic even, but he was a philanderer who'd been cheating on his wife for three years. Weak for succumbing to his base desires and cowardly for sneaking around behind her back. Getting Fields to withdraw his funding was as simple as blackmail; if he refused, the details of his affair would go public. The man agreed after the Ruffs cornered him, sniveling and whining about how he needed his wife's money to achieve his own success which was just plain pathetic to Brick. Anything gained without expending personal effort was something that could be taken away and used against him. That was why he refused to accept favors.

As Fields scurried away to the safety of the other guests, Max approached the Boys. "It's finished?" he asked. Brick nodded. "Excellent. Just one left and then there won't be anyone to stand in my way."

"What're you gonna do when we're done?" Brick shot Butch a hard look. What happened afterward wasn't their business, they were only supposed to do the job and get paid. Eliminate financial competition for Maximilian Morbucks. No questions.

He didn't seem to mind the query, however. "You'll find out if you stick around Townsville."

"We won't be," Brick stated, earning a slight scowl from Boomer although that had been the plan before they even left Busan. "We'll be going now. Thanks for your hospitality." While waiting for their driver to bring the limo, Brick heard a camera shutter and turned to find Boomer posing for a selfie. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Showing Bubbles how dashing I look in a tux," he replied. Brick watched him make a few more faces until snatching the white Nervo from his hand. "Hey! Gimme my phone back!" He did so after deleting the pictures. "The fuck was that for? You're being more of an asshole than usual lately!"

"And you've exhibited an astounding lack of good judgment lately," Brick retorted. "We're supposed to be covert. Sending selfies of yourself wearing a tuxedo at the Morbucks mansion will only invite questions from Bubbles."

"I'm not an idiot," Boomer shot back, "I haven't even mentioned the stuff we've been doing for Max around her." He got situated in the limo with a huff. "Butch is right– you need to get laid. Every time something happens between you and Blossom, you're moody for days afterward. You obviously wanna get in her pants."

Brick only stared at him. Butch's gaze darted between his siblings as he tensed in preparation for another verbal showdown. Eventually the redhead turned to look out the window and mumbled, "You're wrong."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm just stressed."

"Bullshit! You have a pattern too, Brick. You used to get meaner and pissier until we fought bad guys, then you took everything out on them and you were chill again. But since we came here and you started hanging out with Blossom, you lash out at us for no reason!" Blue eyes narrowed. "I think it's 'cause you don't know how to handle your feelings for her."

Brick scoffed. "I don't have feelings for her, not like the way you feel for Bubbles. Blossom is my platonic friend."

Boomer was dubious. "You're gonna sit there and tell me you've never thought of doing more-than-platonic things with her, the kind of things Butch'll never be able to do with Buttercup?"

"Fuck off," Butch muttered.

"Of course not," Brick tried to say with the utmost confidence, but Boomer saw through him. The first more-than-platonic fantasy involving Blossom had infiltrated his mind after they went ice skating, and it wasn't that salacious. He occasionally envisioned her sitting on his bed waiting for him in nothing more than those knitted thigh-high socks. But he was a realist; it hadn't happened back then so there was no point hoping a similar situation would magically unfold. Blossom wasn't that kind of girl and they didn't even have that kind of relationship!

"So Brick likes 'em thick," Boomer crowed. "You're allowed to be attracted to Blossom. Maybe if you admitted it instead of believing you're 'above' feelings like that, you wouldn't get so frustrated over a simple kiss."

"You don't get to tell me how to feel!" Brick erupted, but his brother only sat back with a knowing smirk on his lips. Boomer knew fuck-all about Brick's emotions. He didn't lust after girls at first sight like Butch. He didn't fall in love with every girl who was kind to him like Boomer. He didn't experience attraction the same way as them; there was a vast difference between appreciating beautiful women and wanting to put his dick in them. Brick admired a lot about Blossom, including her physical attribute, but he didn't feel a desire to sleep with her. Even if he did, he wouldn't act on it at the risk of sabotaging the relationship they had fostered over the last seven months. It was worth much more to him than satisfying the primitive human urge to mate, which he certainly was above.

"Can I get your attention, everyone? I have some exciting news!" Boomer didn't look away from his computer monitor since he doubted there was anything the teacher of his Media Design class could say that interested him. The curriculum mostly consisted of analyzing advertisements and discussing current trends, rarely requiring him to utilize his artistic skills. "As you know, our very own Buttercup Utonium is signed with Lux Management, Townsville's exclusive talent agency. Several local models including Miss Buttercup herself were recently chosen to do a photoshoot for an independent swimwear designer." Students began whispering at that. "Now, it's my understanding that the crew handling the shoot is rather small and put out a request for volunteers. I thought this could be a great opportunity for you to participate in an important step of the ad creation process!"

More murmurs of intrigue arose. "Are you saying we get to work with hot chicks in bikinis?" a boy asked, leering at Buttercup. Boomer saw her jaw clench as irritation flitted across her visage, but she said nothing.

Their teacher blinked at the question. "Well, it is a shoot for women's swimwear…"

"I'm sold!" someone else called. "When is it?"

"Next Thursday, May second. You will all attend your first couple classes as usual, but instead of heading to third period we'll meet at the gate by nine-thirty in order to catch a bus to the beachfront park." The woman paused to rummage around her desk. "The shoot director gave me a list of things to bring if any of you feel so inclined. I'll post it on the bulletin board." Boomer paused to peruse it when the bell rang. Towels, light jackets, hair styling products, cosmetics… It sounded like the team was understaffed and ill-equipped. They were a tiny indie company, though, so they must simply be lacking resources. Either that or they'd blown most of their budget hiring models.

The following Thursday, Boomer boarded the bus to the beach with his classmates where they discovered a very impromptu setup. There were two trucks parked on the grass, one full of swimsuits and the other containing photography equipment. A picnic shelter had been turned into a makeshift changing room with the help of rope and sheets. Twenty attractive young ladies stood idly by, more than the five crew members could handle.

The director was a bombastic woman named Christine. She had the Media Design students wear name tags because she didn't want to refer to them all as "you" or "kid". The photographer was Jason, his assistant was Mark, the makeup artist was Sheryl, and the gofer was a college freshman named Daniel. Their company was based in New York and they wanted to try branching out in the States before going international. Since there was a lot of money floating around Townsville, the owner and lead designer, Rani Mishra, decided to tap the local market. Her summer collection featured pieces named after goddesses from various pantheons. Christine's orders went like "Emily in the red Athena, Raven in the green Freya, Kate in the black Isis" but she faltered when she got to Buttercup. "You give me an interesting vibe," she commented, "yet I can't put my finger on what exactly it is."

"It's probably 'cause I'm superhuman," Buttercup answered.

Christine's eyes widened dramatically. "A superhuman? Why wouldn't your agency mention it? There was nothing about special powers in your profile!" Buttercup shrugged. She wasn't responsible for writing her profile. "Oh, I'm going to have so much fun working with you! I want you to start in the violet Ishtar… It's that two-piece at the end of the rack," Christine said to the students struggling to locate it.

For the first time in her life Buttercup felt self-conscious after changing into the bikini. What would people at school think of her now? Adding to her unease was the fact that the photographer kept having trouble with his camera; he'd take a few shots and then frown at the screen. "Damn thing's not focusing correctly…" Jason mumbled, giving it a shake as if that would solve the problem.

"Wanna try mine?" Boomer grabbed his Nikon from his backpack. "Here."

The man's jaw hit the ground. "Holy shit, you've got the D850? I've been trying to persuade Rani to buy me one of these!" Jason beamed like a kid on Christmas morning. "Christine, look! Look what he's letting me use!" The woman merely motioned for him to get on with it. He had Buttercup wade up to her thighs in the water, but it wasn't so cold that it bothered her. A classmate eagerly handed her a towel when she got out, examining her thrice-over. During a break to nosh on the lunch Daniel was sent to pick up, Buttercup watched a few of her peers hit on the models around their age with little success. She smirked as one girl gave the boys the cold shoulder but gladly exchanged numbers with the out-and-proud lesbian in their class, leaving them flabbergasted, then she got back to work.

Three hours later the session had almost ended. The director redid several shots because certain suits didn't look good on certain body types according to her, although Rani chose Lux Management because of their diverse talent. Buttercup was a standout for being young, tall and athletic, possessing an ideal mesomorphic female build, and Christine overtly favored her. She put the Puff in an intricate lurex monokini that required Mark's help to position just so; Buttercup hated being touched by strangers but suffered it for the job. Sheryl did her makeup next, putting tribal-esque lines and dots on her face, and Jason had her lay in the surf while he took overhead shots from atop a ladder. "Stretch those legs. Raise your arm. Give me bedroom eyes." She doubted her ability to wear a "do me" look but the man was satisfied with her expression. "Yes, beautiful. Arch your back a bit more… great! You're wonderful!"

Finally Buttercup was permitted to stop sprawling in the sand, brushing granules off her skin. She decided she liked the swimsuit despite its complexity. There was a clause in her contract stating she got to keep what she wore during shoots if she so chose, which was how she'd acquired the more expensive garments comprising her wardrobe. The monokini's style and color combination, 'Kali' in 'Prism', would retail for $500. She went to change into her normal clothes when a notion struck. "Hey, Boomer." He came right over. "Will you take a picture of me and send it to Butch?"

The mischievous glimmer in his eyes was all the answer she needed. Boomer retrieved his camera after the contents of the SD card had been transferred to a laptop, then he glanced around for an ideal spot. There was a sandy ledge behind the picnic shelter that provided both privacy and good angles. "What kinda pose were you thinking?"

"A sexy one, but not like it's for him specifically," she answered.

Boomer thought for a moment. "You're really tall, so maybe you should kneel?" Now he could get a better close-up. "Tilt your head and pull your hips back. Hmm… run your hand through your hair. Okay, that's good." He lay on his stomach and started snapping. "Do that thing with your mouth like in the perfume ad." Buttercup's lips barely parted as she donned her signature smirk. "Hot. Butch is gonna implode when he sees this." She gave a small laugh and Boomer made sure to capture her smile.

They sat together on the bus back to school, deciding which photo would be most effective for trolling Butch. Boomer took advantage of any opportunity to do so but Buttercup had a different motive. She was testing him; she had to be certain he meant what he said about not pretending to be her friend just to fuck her. If he was lying, surely he wouldn't be able to resist making a move when he saw her in the Kali in person.

A deafening clatter jarred Brick from his deep state of concentration. Since Butch had gone straight to their home gym after school to do some heavy lifting, he flew upstairs to investigate any possible damage. "Are you all right?" he asked upon entering the room. Butch didn't answer. He'd been bench pressing but one end of the barbell now rested on his chest at a precarious angle, like he'd dropped it on himself. The other end had done considerable damage to the hardwood floor. "What happened?" Still no answer. He stared at something on his phone with more intensity than Brick had ever seen. "Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?" He summoned a small flame right in front of Butch's nose and it took him a few seconds to recoil.

"Stop it…" he said distractedly, waving at the fire.

Brick frowned. "Did you not hear me? You just dented the floor. This wood isn't cheap, you know."

Green eyes flicked from the indent back to his screen. "My bad."

"That's all you have to say?"

"Sorry." Butch left the bench and went to the roof, his sibling incredulous. He slumped into a patio chair and released the pent-up breath he didn't know he'd withheld.

He was the strongest member of the Rowdyruff Boys. He could endure any type of physical assault and come out swinging; depending on the nature of the attack it even made him more powerful. But Butch was far from impervious to emotional blows and Boomer knew exactly how to hit him where it hurt. "Here's an impossibly attractive picture of the girl you want with every fiber of your being but can't have. Enjoy!" His younger brother was such a bastard sometimes.

Boomer's Nervo chimed as soon as he and Buttercup returned to Townsville High. He checked it, smirking, but then his brow knitted. "What'd Butch say?" she wondered, hovering over his shoulder.

"Dunno, it's not English."

Indeed, the text was French. Ma déesse. Buttercup didn't know what to make of that response, rendered speechless.

At the end of May, Friday the 31st, the entire student body of Townsville High gathered at the same park where Buttercup's photoshoot was held, only the weather had gotten much nicer since then. A sea of teenagers wearing shorts, tank tops, hats, and swimming attire listened to the sixteen members of their councils as they explained that the annual class competition would consist of building sandcastles; whichever grade made the most aesthetically pleasing one was the winner. They were permitted to utilize any naturally occurring material found on the beach such as shells, seaweed, and driftwood. Bubbles immediately volunteered to help with the design meaning Boomer would be participating as well since they were all but glued at the hip. The teams set to work with a time limit of four hours.

Brick and Mimi took on the duty of preparing food for 1200 students. They had help from others who were currently in or had taken Culinary Arts since they earned food handlers permits through the class, and several dishes had been made in advance, but there were still a great many burgers, hot dogs, and vegetables to grill. Thankfully Brick's pyrokinesis expedited that process as a line of hungry people began forming at noon. From his shaded spot beneath the picnic shelter he also kept a watchful eye on everyone, especially his siblings, but Boomer was engrossed in building the sandcastle with Bubbles while Butch and Buttercup played volleyball on opposite teams. Blossom laid out her towel and rested on her stomach, burying her nose in a book. Brick continually glanced over as she kicked her feet back and forth. She wore a floppy hat, an aqua one-piece with side cutouts, and a sheer pink sarong that succeeded in lending her posterior even more enticing curves. He stared so long he burned a batch of zucchini slices for which Mimi berated him. "It's fine, Butch will eat them," he assured.

Butch helped himself to one of everything after the volleyball game concluded, sitting down with Mike, Lloyd, Floyd, and Mitch. "Wow," the last remarked in slight awe, "never seen you put away that much grub."

Lloyd waved it off. "This is nothing. You should've seen him chow down after our football games away." Mike's head bobbed in confirmation.

"Butch ate more than this?" Floyd gawked.

The Ruff in question was too busy shoveling food into his mouth to utter a word, and his attention was also fixated on Buttercup while she, Susie, and Robin splashed each other in the surf. She was… fascinating. There were so many versions of her and they were all girls Butch admired and wanted to be with. The snarky tomboy, the confident combatant, the sexy model, the serious athlete, the dauntless superhero. He hoped, wished, prayed that someday he could also refer to her as his lover, preferably without "imaginary" preceding it.

Deep down Butch knew he had to stop pining after Buttercup. He'd be better off finding somebody else to fulfill his needs, like Leigh, and he was aware that many girls had the hots for him. It should've been easy choosing one when he was surrounded by hundreds in minimal clothing, but then Buttercup removed her shorts and cropped top, turning his latest dreams into reality. She wasn't just wearing a swimsuit, she was wearing the swimsuit, the strappy one in the picture Boomer sent him at the beginning of the month. The one Butch wanted to remove with his teeth.

"Is he staring?" Buttercup questioned upon reuniting with Susie and Robin in the water.

"Oh yeah," the former answered, "and so is the rest of the straight male population."

Robin's bright blue eyes gave her friend a once-over. "How does that thing even stay on?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure it will." Buttercup examined herself as well. "I figured out how to connect all the straps without anyone's help but I haven't swam in it, so I guess we'll find out."

Susie rolled her eyes, smiling. "I bet the guys would just love for you to have a wardrobe malfunction."

She was trying to bait Butch, not give the whole school an accidental peep show. When the rest of her friends finished eating they joined the three girls and proposed a chicken fight. Robin and Mike teamed up without a word, Lloyd supported his slender brother, and Mitch grabbed Susie. Buttercup elbowed Butch, grinning. "Want me on top?" He audibly gulped and crouched so she could climb onto his broad shoulders.

"No fair! You guys are like ten feet tall!" Robin whined.

"Remember that saying, Ro– the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Susie and Mitch made a beeline for the green-eyed duo but they were too zealous. Buttercup leaned sideways to avoid being grabbed and Susie lost her balance, tumbling into the ocean. Butch gripped Buttercup's legs to hold her steady, fighting the urge to caress her lines of hard muscle. His focus remained on the feel of her thighs flexing around his head, not their surroundings. The twins snuck up behind them and shoved Buttercup off, earning a very feminine shriek. She surfaced with a laugh, the sound of pure joy to Butch's ears, then went ashore, pausing to glance over her shoulder at him. He followed, biting his lip as she raked her fingers through her hair to fix the part. That mindless habit of hers was so damn sexy.

"Brick's cooking any good?" she inquired. Butch nodded, maintaining his utterly enamored countenance as she dried off and redressed, his hands twitching like crazy until he shoved them in the pockets of his board shorts. Buttercup looked down at her sister. "Wanna get some food, Bloss?"

"Oh, sure. I just have a couple pages of this chapter left…" They waited for the minute it took her to finish, bookmarking her spot. Blossom hopped up to adjust her sarong. "Did I miss anything?"

Buttercup shrugged. "Not really. I kicked Butch's ass at volleyball and discovered that I can actually swim in this monokini."

"That's good! Form and function, the best of both worlds." Her sister appeared quite pleased with herself as the three of them grabbed paper plates. When they got to Brick he narrowly regarded his brother.

"I distinctly recall handing you five items from the grill already. Save some for everyone else, won't you?"

Butch pouted. "C'mon, Bro, I'm starvin'. Been burnin' calories all day."

"Yeah, c'mon, Brick." Buttercup poked at Butch's torso. "He's a growing guy who needs protein to maintain these rippling muscles. Gimme a burger and one of those big mushrooms, please. What kind of cheese is that?"

Both boys were stunned by her off-handed compliment of Butch's physique. "Uhh, it's Swiss… I can do cheddar if you prefer." Buttercup proffered her plate, thanked him, and moved on to toppings and condiments. Butch received two hot dogs in silence, blushing like crazy. Blossom took a moment to consider her options.

"What are the mushrooms stuffed with?" she asked, unintentionally beaming at Brick. For someone so stoic he looked quite adorable in his apron while holding a spatula in one hand. His outfit was the most casual one she had seen so far: cargo shorts, plaid button-up, sneakers, and a new black baseball cap atop his head. He resembled any other teenager preparing to enjoy summer break, and the thought of spending time with him outside of school made Blossom's heart beat faster in anticipation. They could see movies, go to museums, and shop for books. She considered showing him around Mexico City, her home for a year, in exchange for taking her to Seville. Hopefully he'd enjoy it as much as she had.

"Olive tapenade," he replied. "It's pretty good in my opinion, though I would've done it differently." Blossom requested the portobello. A strange feeling came over Brick while he watched her load her plate with other offerings. It wasn't jealousy; who did he have to be jealous of? More like… like he wanted her to only eat what he made so she'd know how great he was at cooking, how he could provide the most basic human need for sustenance but with a level of refinement other people didn't deserve. He knew she would appreciate the nuances of his culinary creations, from the layering of flavors to the methodology to his meticulous sourcing of ingredients. He hadn't used the Manchegan saffron yet, saving it for a dish that would elicit that sound of pleasure Blossom had exuded upon biting into his handcrafted truffles.

Brick took a break from manning the grill to judge the sandcastles with the other student council members. The freshmen had tried very hard and theirs was the largest, but it lacked pizzazz. The sophomores put forth minimal effort, probably because they felt it was futile to compete against the juniors. Their castle featured seashell trim, tiny flags made from sticks and kelp adorning the parapets, and windows formed from bits of glass. The senior sandcastle had been modeled after the real Hunyadi Castle in Romania complete with a moat, an impressive feat they had accomplished by sculpting sand around pieces of driftwood to form the buttresses. It was the unanimous victor. The prize, in addition to whatever prestige came from winning the annual class competition, was gourmet chocolate to be used for making s'mores around the bonfires that night.

Although the weather had been plenty warm while the sun was out it cooled off significantly once it set, and Bubbles was among those who had not brought an outer layer. Boomer offered his hoodie as soon as she shivered. They clung to one another while sitting in the sand, sporadically contributing to whatever conversation the cheerleaders engaged in overhead. Dee Dee and Mimi were going to a ballet academy in Russia a mere three weeks after graduating, and Bubbles tried not to cry when she thought about that. They had been her friends for almost a decade; she would turn eighteen on August 20th and they wouldn't be able to celebrate with her. But they wanted to become members of world-famous dance companies and Russia was a good place to perfect their techniques, so Bubbles could hardly hold it against them. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't fly to Moscow on a whim.

Since it was too dark to read Blossom attempted to roast marshmallows to golden perfection, handing her failures off to Robin and Mike. They had stuck together all day, making her wonder if romantic sparks would finally ignite that summer after crackling between them for so long. Blossom then chided herself for being nosy about their relationship. She was probably trying to live a little vicariously through them, imagining the relationship that could have unfolded with Dexter last year. If only she hadn't studied abroad in Mexico, gotten the job at Café Een, or volunteered to help with the Aegis Project. If only she'd made more of an effort to include Dexter and invite him to hang out with her other friends. If only their schedules aligned. If only she'd gotten a text saying how much he wanted and needed to see her, be with her, feel her.

If only.

Blossom got so lost in thought that her latest marshmallow turned to ash at the end of her skewer. She'd be better off if she could adopt Brick's motto: "the past is in the past". But she couldn't do that, always considering the what-ifs; it was simply how her analytical brain worked. As if sensing her musings Dexter himself cleared his throat behind her. She whirled, wide-eyed, and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Do you have a minute? Can I talk to you?"

"Me?" she clarified, like wanting to chat with her was so improbable. "Talk about what?"

"It concerns… your origins."

Dexter didn't do vague, he always said exactly what he meant with distinct clarity. Blossom also noticed the way his eyes darted to someone opposite the fire. Brick and Buttercup sat there, engaged in an increasingly heated discussion about Hemingway's writing style. "My origins?" Blossom repeated.

"Yes, sort of. Possibly." Out of genuine concern for what Dexter had to say, Blossom wandered away from the fire with him. "Have you been following genetic editing news lately?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not really. The Professor tells us things from time to time, like breakthroughs made by his collective, but that's about it."

"Well, there have been more than a few upsets in the field this year."

"What kinds of upsets?"

"Financial ones. Most if not all of the genome-based research groups in Townsville have lost their initial investors and are now being supported by one person– Maximilian Morbucks." Blossom's raised eyebrow indicated he should go on. "There isn't much hard evidence so I'm mostly postulating, but it's unusual for benefactors who've been invested in aggregates for years to suddenly pull their funding. And it's too suspicious that the Morbucks family is now privately funding them all."

Blossom mulled it over. "That doesn't make much sense. The Morbucks became wealthy by investing in businesses and real estate. Genetic editing is still a relatively new science that's strictly regulated. What would they hope to gain by supporting a field that isn't guaranteed to turn a profit?"

"I'm not sure. I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the initial backers of the research groups, and I found a potential lead. Look at this…" Dexter showed her a blurry photograph on his phone. "This was taken by a paparazzo who snuck into a private gala the Morbucks held last month. Does that guy on Princess' arm look familiar?"

Blossom swallowed as her mouth went dry. "That's… Brick." He wore a tuxedo and his hair was styled differently than usual but she recognized him nonetheless; there really weren't many tall redheaded men in Townsville. He hadn't so much as mentioned attending a party at the mansion least of all as Princess' date. An ugly feeling coursed through her then, something akin to betrayal. All year Brick had been stating how asinine it was that the Powerpuffs had to suppress their abilities while on campus. He knew Princess was the reason why they took Antidote X and had never expressed a modicum of interest in her before, so why on earth would he be with her at such a formal event? Blossom's mind raced to find a grain of logic among this information Dexter had presented.

"Yes, it's Brick," he confirmed. "I contacted the photographer and he said all three Rowdyruffs were at the gala. Here's Butch and Boomer talking with some people." Blossom didn't need to see the picture to believe it since the Ruffs functioned as a unit. "A GE benefactor named Scott Fields was also there, and he withdrew from his group without warning two days later. Don't you think that's suspicious? It's not the first time, either. Here's a photo of an artist at their gallery opening with their investor, a woman who also backed a research collective, and if you look behind them…"

They were barely in frame but Blossom could see that the Ruffs had been present. "What are you trying to tell me, Dexter?" she demanded. "Are you insinuating the Rowdyruff Boys are responsible for the GE backers abandoning their aggregates and allowing Princess' father to take over?"

He nervously shifted his weight. "I suppose I am. You have to admit it's extremely coincidental, Blossom. The first unexpected loss of funding occurred in late September after those Boys came to Townsville. And they live in Evergreen Tower, you know."

"I know that!" she almost snapped. They lived at the very top of the building that was a great source of pride for the Morbucks family. Theoretically they could have been given the penthouse in exchange for doing favors for Maximilian, but Blossom really didn't want to entertain that notion. She didn't want to start suspecting they had returned to Townsville to do anything other than get an education like Brick said at orientation. But… what if he lied? What if he'd been lying to her about everything? It couldn't be true. The Boys had changed into good people, no longer mercenaries who worked in the shadows. The Puffs and Ruffs had each other now. The six of them were just ordinary teenagers with bright futures.

Dexter felt a bit guilty for causing her consternation. "I came to you with this because I know you've gotten fairly close to Brick over the course of the year. I'm not being petty or jealous, you know me that well, but I thought in case… in case you have more profound feelings for him…" Blossom looked up sharply at that. "I don't want to see you get hurt, okay? Brick might not be as nice as he acts." He heaved a sigh. "I hope I'm wrong about them, honestly. Bubbles seems so happy with Boomer, Buttercup's no longer being ostracized, and you, Blossom… you deserve everything I couldn't give you. I just—"

"You're wrong," she cut in, "Brick is my friend. I don't have feelings for him beyond that."

Dexter nodded and started to walk away, pausing to turn back. "Friends can still hurt you, though. If I had your skills I would've dug much deeper into this matter, but all I could do was scratch the surface."

Blossom folded her arms. Use her hacking skills to uncover the whole truth, hm? Dexter would feel so foolish for accusing the Rowdyruffs of working with Maximilian Morbucks. He was a greedy man, plain and simple. Maybe he hoped one of the research groups would discover the secret to eternal youth or something ridiculous like that. Blossom should probably have a conversation with the Professor about the goals of his collective.

But it could wait until later, after her junior year came to an end in exactly two weeks.