author's note: And we're back! This time, the song recommendation is Unsteady by the X Ambassadors!

Thursday, Feb. 25

It was early Thursday morning that saw Bubbles in the animal hospital, shadowing Doctor Iyasu. Luckily, this was her last requirement for her internship. Sadly, she woke that morning with a sinking gut feeling that plagued her like a dark cloud. An elderly wolf from the wildlife sanctuary a town over had a few tumors lining his stomach that they were attempting to remove (attempting being the damnable key word), and with the wolf's age, his already declining health, and overall exhaustion with life , she knew going in that the poor old boy wouldn't be making it out.

Before the anesthesia had been administered she had talked to the wolf briefly, whispering soothing words of reassurance in a voice so low that only he could hear her. He had smiled at her in his own funny little way, his eyes warm even with agony clouding them. You and I both know better, he had said, voice rumbling behind the soft growls in her ears. A lump had formed in her throat, the sting of tears in her eyes, and he'd reached out for her, his paw barely managing to graze her open palm. Don't cry for me. I'm going home.

Doctor Iyasu had walked over then, shoulders heavy and eyes unreadable, and Bubbles had nearly fled from the room then and there. As the surgery went underway she had hoped with every fiber of her being that they were all wrong, that her work (quick and efficient, some of the best that Doctor Iyasu had told her he'd ever seen) would save him.

But inevitably, they'd lost the old wolf in the end.

The flat line, the beep, the shudder his body gave when he exhaled that last time… She left the operating room when Doctor Iyasu told her to, not even pausing to ask questions. She fled into the hall, barely having the strength to move more than a few feet before she slammed her back against the wall, her hair clinging to the sterile, white surface as she slid down. She didn't care. When her butt finally hit the ground, she hunched over and she cried.

Bubbles sat there, staring blankly at the white wall opposite her for probably fifteen or twenty full minutes with her tears silently falling down her cheeks. She sat, guilt swamping her even though she knew it wasn't her fault. It still hurt- it still stung. Would he have lived longer without them going through with the surgery? Would he have left on his terms? How was she supposed to just stand up and move on so quickly? She was vegetarian for a reason.

She was too soft for this and she knew it.

She cared too much.

"Miss Utonium, you should head home."

Her blue eyes looked up at the head vet as he walked out of the room, taking his medical mask off with his left hand. His knowing eyes felt like they were judging her for her reaction and she hated how his gaze felt like acid against her skin. Logically, she knew he wasn't being anything less than professional as he usually was… But maybe, just maybe, Bubbles needed something a little different than professionalism at that moment. Thus, those eyes that usually seemed knowledgeable and politely detached now seemed so unfeeling, uncaring and cold.

Yet burning into her brain like hell.

"Is there anything else I need to do, Doc?"

He shook his head. "You're all finished here. I'll have Madison forward your papers to your professors." His face was stern, unforgiving and frigid. He was professional and kind more often than not, but now he just seemed like a right dick. "Go take a breather, Miss Utonium."

She didn't have the patience nor the strength to deal with him anymore. If he couldn't break professionalism at least long enough to be a little more empathetic, she had no reason to linger. Not when she knew she had others who would listen to her if she so needed. "Yes sir."

With shaking hands and a quivering lip, with tears still falling, Bubbles stood and left out of the emergency exit. She cried probably for about an hour straight- and then off and on for another two hours. When she left the vet, she was still crying. When she flew through the skies as fast as possible to get home, she was still crying. When she got back to her apartment, she was still crying.

It sucked.

Everything sucked.

She sat on her couch and held Coffee as close as the kitten would allow, searching for any modicum of comfort. Anything to soothe the grief gnawing at her soul and the ache twisting her heart. It seemed that the little kit knew that his mother figure needed a little reassurance because his purrs were louder than usual, his nuzzles were more frequent than usual, and he let her hold him just a bit closer than usual. He still was a cat, of course, and had his limits…

But she would swear that he made a few extra exceptions for her.

Bubbles sat there, on the couch, for as long as her body would let her. She got up only to use the restroom and to get a very light snack, the idea of anything more substantial roiling her stomach. Otherwise, the blonde kept her ass planted firmly on her couch. Her television wasn't even on, even though she had all the channels in the world and all of the video games anyone could ever want at the tip of her fingers.

Nothing sounded appealing.

No show, no movie, no games… Nothing sounded good . Nothing sounded fun or like it would make her happier. Not then, anyway. She just wanted to curl in on herself- and while she typically had no regrets in her choices, she really regretted making that deal with Brick now.

He used to be a dick bag, but he'd gotten much better with age and time, maturity softening his once razor sharp edges. And most importantly, he cared about Blossom even if he tried to cover up each one of his stolen glances. He was just trying to make her sister's life easier, and she couldn't be too incredibly upset or regret the decision too much with that being the reason… But she could still be upset that she didn't get her usual day off when it turned out she needed it most.

She knew that sometimes, things happened without a rhyme or reason, right when you're least prepared for it, but that didn't mean it couldn't suck.

Life sometimes just sucked.

She tried to text Buttercup and tell her that they'd just start on opposite ends of town this time- but that made the toughest Puff immediately call her. Which meant that Bubbles cried, again, over something she knew was going to happen and something she couldn't help no matter how much she wanted to. Luckily, it was Buttercup, and her sister knew her very well. She fully understood that she was fine, she just needed to feel the hurt and let it work through her system to get it out.

So, they continued with the patrol plans, regardless of how badly the blonde felt.

Bubbles floated lazily just within the airspace of the town, in a cute sunflower patterned sweater and black sweatpants to combat the chilly night time air, overtop the usual armor bodysuit. Usually, she bounced from rooftop to rooftop closer to Townsville's center, her eyes watching the streets. When they were younger, the girls would actively also look out for petty crime- though as time wore on, they left most of the small-scale crime to the police. Nowadays, it was about keeping an eye out for other supers coming through Townsville, keeping an eye out for monsters, and making sure there weren't any emergencies.

They were the best emergency first responders, for the most part.

Tonight, Buttercup had the rooftops and inner city, though. Bubbles had the town's perimeter- which meant a lot of lazily flying in circles. The switch was absolutely welcomed on that night. The blonde was very thankful for the slight reprieve from her negative habit of overworking herself when she felt she messed up. She wasn't sure if she'd be more likely to subconsciously punish herself for not saving the wolf or if she'd just end up sobbing again…

Either way, she didn't want anyone seeing her.

So, when Buttercup suggested they swap positions, the blonde immediately took her up on it. On the bright side, it meant that her patrols took her pretty close to a certain mechanic's shop. A quick look up at the stars- at the moon- told her that she probably only had another five minutes left. They were done at ten- eleven on the weekends, but ten on the weekdays. The short woman double checked the time on her phone and sure enough, she was just barely off. It was six minutes 'til ten. Still, she wondered if he'd mind her popping in.

She waited three of those six minutes before heading inwards, and she made it to BJ's Automotive Repairs two minutes past the hour. As soon as the clock struck ten, she got the all clear text from Buttercup, effectively releasing them from patrol, anyway, so it wasn't like she had anything else to do. She landed in front of the shop as silently as possible, entering through the open garage door and leaning against the stack of motor oil jugs along the wall as quietly as she could. He was beneath a maroon minivan, his legs sticking out, one foot tapping along to the rhythm of some unknown song.

She swallowed thickly, twisting her hands as anxiety skittered along her spine. She knew he didn't want to be around someone as emotional as she was. Nobody would, really- but Butch especially. The blonde had felt compelled to stop by, though, to see the man who had offered her comfort in the weirdest times as of late, and she didn't have the strength to fight off the impulses today.

Mew!

Her blue eyes shot to the little white kitten hopping up onto a stack of tires not too far from the blonde. She smiled at Candy; the little cat noticed her downtrodden mood and came to her sounding much like a very loud, purring, engine. Enamored by the reaction, Bubbles reached out to pet the little kit, who leaned into the head scritches she offered. "Hello to you too!"

WHAM!

"Shit!"

Candy bolted towards the back at the sudden loud sound, to her tiny safety crate that Bubbles could barely see next to the door to his office. Her eyes grew worried when she looked down to see him roll out from under the vehicle, one hand covering the spot just above his left brow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I didn't think you could," he grumbled as he sat up and pulled his hand away to see scarlet on his hand. "…ah, fuck. I probably busted the damn axel if I'm bleeding…"

Bubbles was immediately on her knees in front of him and she pulled his hands back so she could inspect the damage. It was just a cut- pretty deep but not incredibly so. "It looks kinda more like you nailed a bolt at just the right angle for it to tear you up," she murmured. She thanked her lucky stars that she had been out on patrol then, the purse containing the first aid kit that she always carried with her while on duty fitted snugly around her. Quickly she plucked it out, grabbing the bottle of alcohol from it to disinfect his wound. "I'm sorry about this…"

His eyes were cautious while they watched her. "…what's going on, Sweetcheeks?"

"I scared you and made you-"

"Nah, there's something else bothering you, I can tell."

She pouted, soaking a cotton ball in the alcohol before dabbing it against his wound. It took a lot more to break their skin than it took for normal people, and a lot more to cause them infections, but it could still happen- and it was always better to be safe than sorry. They'd learned that the hard way after a nasty cut on Buttercup's ankle got really infected back when they were around eleven.

His hand lifted to settle over hers, holding her hand close to his face and the cotton ball to the wound by proxy. Butch ignored the sting, though, his eyes alive with vivid concern for the blonde doctoring his small wound. Her eyes were dead, puffy and red, and he hated that look on her. Hated whoever or whatever had caused this. She should never look like that. "You've been crying."

Her bottom lip trembled and she inhaled deeply, trying to compose herself. He didn't need to also deal with her overly emotional self today. Reign it in , she internally scolded. "I've cried a lot today," she conceded. He let go of her hand so she could finish doctoring him, placing a quick bandaid decorated with puppies over it. When she was done she kept her focus on his forehead, staring blankly at the pups chasing balls far too big for them. It kept her attention away from the hurt. "It's fine. I'll be fine. I don't want to put you out, too."

He watched her carefully, his eyes both concerned and focused. Unbidden, a memory barrelled back to the forefront of his brain. He remembered a time in middle school where he scoffed her off, saying he didn't do crying chicks.

As deeply as Bubbles felt, though, he learned through observation over the years that she didn't actually cry more than her sisters did anymore. Tears of joy would well in her eyes quicker than in her sisters', but never fall. Tears of sadness or anger would dampen her eyes, but she learned to bite them back. Buttercup, surprisingly, cried a little easier than the other two… Under the right circumstances. If you got her frustrated enough without a proper outlet or without listening to her side of things, the tallest Puff tended to angry-cry.

He'd accidentally been the one to cause those tears of frustration and anger a time or two.

He couldn't even remember why it was that Bubbles was teary eyed way back then, but he remembered saying that to her very clearly. Now, as he watched her continue to bite back her tears as much as she possibly could, he realized that he absolutely loathed seeing her choke it back.

"Sweetcheeks, talk to me… Please?"

Those big, beautiful blue eyes looked at him, surprised.

He couldn't blame her, really- he didn't say please often.

He almost panicked when tears filled her eyes, but the blonde kept them from falling somehow . He was startled that a simple please was enough to make her talk, though. "I… We, uh…" She cleared her throat, as though that would stop the onslaught of emotion she kept trying to fight away. "We had an old wolf come in, he was a… about ten or eleven. His health was steadily declining anyway, and we were going in to remove the tumors around his stomach but… He, ah…" She cursed when a tear fell down her cheek, her hands trembling as they flew to cover her eyes. "S-Sorry… I shouldn't have come-"

She was startled when he pulled her into his lap.

His arms wrapped around her so securely, so tightly, it made her feel like she was in the safest place on earth. Her heart thundered in her chest even as more tears gathered and fell without her permission. Her heart ached for his comfort, though, and she didn't hesitate to curl against him as much as possible. She hid her face in the crook of his neck, her fingers clutched at his oil stained gray t-shirt, and she pressed as close to him as she possibly could. Her breathing was shaky at best, her tears slow as they fell.

She'd try everything- anything - to stop crying.

She inhaled deeply and focused on his scent, forcing her brain to work overtime and do anything other than linger on the pain in her heart. He smelled like metals and grease- like oil and sweat- but beyond that, he also smelled like pine and mint. She was pretty sure his fabric softener had some sort of patchouli scent to it, but his clothes were coated in the general grime of the day and it dampened the smell.

Her inhale hitched when she caught the smell of a sterilizer. Faint, like he'd used it hours ago to clean something. Stronger than the alcohol she'd just used on him.

Her mind, again, flashed back to the animal hospital.

The dam burst yet again, her tears falling much faster this time.

Bubbles just needed to be held.

And his arms were strong enough to hold all of her problems and then some.

Butch's hands were broader than she thought they were, and she felt it through the circles he rubbed into her back. He was broader than she thought, and he nearly encompassed her with his presence alone. "Don't ever hesitate to come to me like this if you need to, Bubbles," he whispered, rocking her back and forth as he held her close.

She sniffled, trying to- again - regain composure. "I know you said you didn't-"

"I was an idiot middle schooler who hadn't even figured out how to look at a girl properly," he cut off, not needing a reminder of how utterly stupid he had been back then. She was startled that he even knew what she was talking about in the first place, that he could remember one small moment from so long ago. She remembers how small he had made her feel then, and thought how funny it was that here in his arms she felt even tinier now—only this time, it was the good kind. "I like to think I'm a little less of an idiot as an adult. While yeah I hate seeing you cry, if you need comfort, I don't mind being that comfort if I can be."

Her hands shook a little. "I just really… Really don't want to be alone right now…"

He hummed. "Let me lock up for the night and get Candy. We can head over to my place tonight, since it's closer."

"But Coffee-"

"I'll go get Coffee."

He was giving her an out- an escape from the world she was so used to. An escape from the turbulent thoughts that kept bringing that graying muzzle to her mind in the form of spending time with a man who could make her mind derail with a well placed joke or by just being there. She was incredibly thankful his first reaction wasn't to call Boomer or one of her sisters. Whether or not that was a purposeful choice, she didn't know.

He didn't rush her, either. He just sat there and held her. He rubbed her back, he rocked her, he sat there with her curled against him even when Candy came back up to them. The little white kitten, purring away like a motor, jumped onto Butch's lap and burrowed her way to wiggle and worm and sit on Bubbles' lap between their chests. Neither denied the little kitten, and even through it, Butch still didn't rush her.

She clutched at his shirt tighter, still not wanting to let go just yet. "...five more minutes?"

She felt his breath fan out over the crown of her head in a quiet laugh. "Yeah, I don't mind."

"Sorry-"

"There's nothing to apologize for, Sweetcheeks. You need someone right now, and that's never something to be sorry for. I've got you."

"...then thank you."

"Anytime."