August

Sitting in a Ferris Wheel really puts things into perspective.

There was always that one day during Mid-August in Townsville that seemed to be equivalent to hellfire itself. Boomer heard a lot of speculation about it throughout the years. Some rumored that the city broke off Earth entirely just to rotate extra close around the sun for a full day. Others claimed that it's the equator that moved to them, bringing all the annoying heat with it. There was even a weird girl that kept sharing science classes with him who would always come up with conspiracy theories. The one where Brick is the secret leader of some Fire Brigade is her absolute favorite to bring up during this time of year.

These were all valid guesses. Some stupid, some well thought out, all valid.

But really, the truth was that it was all thanks to HIM.

The Rowdyruff Boys have the date circled on their shared Mortal Kombat calendar hanging in their room. Every year on the same day, HIM goes through this sort of "over-mid-year crisis" where He wants to get in shape, even though He's basically already in shape. He works out so hard that all the gross ass sweat and humidity coming from His hotbox of a home seeps to Townsville specifically.

The one time Boomer and his brothers complained to HIM, He had simply said, "Oh boys, don't fret! It's not that bad." So basically, it was that bad plus more, and He didn't give a shit if people were harmed from it, including His own sons. He was very on-brand with His evil schemes. Disrespectful, but on-brand.

Boomer hated thinking this since it was such a disgusting statement, but fuck, it was hotter than HIM's balls today.

"CITY FAIR, CITY FAIR, CITY FAIR!" Today's heat had absolutely no effect on Butch. Or, well, it did, but he wasn't showing it since he was too excited. He zoomed around the living room, a forest green streak following close behind, yelling at the top of his lungs without a care in the world. He was clutching on something, but it was hard to see. His usual crazed smile seemed to be twice as big, which made him look like HIM. It was absolutely terrifying. And it also added heat to the room. Ugh.

Boomer watched from his place on the floor as Butch went left, then right, then left again, over and over. His eyes were growing dizzy. His contacts felt foggy. The combination of heat and speed was not mixing very well in his stomach.

"Shut the ever-loving fuck up and get down from there!" Brick yelled, pausing the TV. Today's show was no shocker: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Brick's favorite anime. So far, he had watched it in full thirty-seven times. He recently wrote an analytical paper on the brilliance of each arc in the anime for fun. It had footnotes, references, citations, and every other fucking useless thing most English papers required. What a fucking nerd. "You're going to make poodle over here on the floor barf or something," Brick said, nose scrunched up in disgust at the thought.

The poodle in question got up from his spot on the ground. He ignored the huge sweat spot he just made and stood directly in front of one of the air conditioners. "I'm good," Boomer croaked out, not sounding fine in the slightest. He was still disoriented. And nauseous. Definitely nauseous. "For now."

The cold air from the air conditioner was an amazing remedy for Boomer's nausea. After persuading Mojo Jojo with a few kicks to the head and sacrifices of well-built machines that would have potentially worked out for evil causes, the Rowdyruff Boys were able to get stable air conditioning. Their days were cooler. However, considering the fact that HIM was literally a demon who gave absolutely zero fucks about the wellbeing of anybody—especially those who resided in Townsville—the air conditioning wasn't helping too much today. So close, yet so far from a comfortable summer day.

Butch did not look any less hyped. Good to know that he was in high spirits while being on Hell on Earth. "See? The baby's fine. Now, look bro!" He finally landed in front of Brick and held a flyer much too close to Brick's face. Brick probably couldn't even read the thing. "There's a fair today by the beach! Mitch was telling me all about it! It's a free one-day event, so we have to go. There's gonna be snacks and hot babes and rides and snacks."

"You said snacks twice," Boomer said. His stomach began to settle. Finally. He was this close to taking a one-way trip to Antarctica.

"Because you have to eat twice at a fair, Boom. Once at least twenty minutes after you arrive, and then again right before you leave." Butch turned to give Boomer a look, eyes narrowed and lips turned in a scowl. "Ugh. Idiot. Has living life taught you nothing?"

Boomer rolled his eyes, not even in the mood to deny his apparent idiocy. "My mistake."

Brick peered over Butch's shoulder, unamused. "First of all, get away from the air conditioner, Boom," he said. "Share. It belongs to all of us, not just you."

Boomer did not move. He'd be damned. "I'm a Rowdyruff Boy. I don't share. I don't even know what that word means."

Apparently, Brick would be damned too. In a flash, he picked up a nearby encyclopedia—Boomer didn't know that those were still being created when the Internet was literally right there—and chucked it at Boomer. He missed by a centimeter, and somehow, Boomer knew it was on purpose.

"Then learn the damn word," Brick growled, "and move."

Hm. Interesting threat. Should Boomer fight this one out or admit defeat? Any other day, he would have at least debated about whether or not he should test the waters, but it was too hot to get Brick worked up. Boomer already had to deal with one demon; two would be a death wish.

"Okay, Blossom," Boomer scoffed out. He floated away from the air conditioner with crossed arms and a ghost of a smirk.

Brick didn't bother to respond to that rebuttal vocally, but his slightly red face said it all. So damn obvious. "And second," he said, turning his attention to Butch, "we don't have to go to shit. In fact, don't you have chore duty today?"

Butch smacked his teeth. "Aw, what? C'mon Brick! You know I wouldn't be able to finish in time. Can't I have just one extra day—"

"No. You skipped out three weeks in a row and blackmailed Boomer to do it—yes, I knew all along so stop looking so shocked—and I'm not letting you get away with it again."

"You're not my dad! Or my other dad!"

"I'm not, but I am your leader and your older brother. You're cleaning this whole stupid lair, top to bottom, and I'll be keeping watch. I want to see it fucking sparkle."

"But—"

Brick's stare hardened into something that could probably benchpress the solar system like it was nothing. "I will kick your butt into oblivion if you so much as think of back-talking again," he said in a low voice. "Try me, Butch Jojo. Try. Me."

Butch groaned loudly in dismay and let go of the flyer. It floated in the air, riding against the wind coming from one of the air conditioners, and landed on Boomer's arm.

Boomer peeled the flyer off of himself. "A fair, huh…?" he muttered to himself, eying the colorful advertisement. Butch's words were true: there was a promise of food, rides, and "more" (and he assumed "more" consisted of "hot babes"). He didn't get much of a chance to enjoy the summer outside of school. Maybe this would be a nice thing to do to get some fresh air and keep his hot-air sickness at bay. "I'm heading out!" he concluded, rushing to slip on some sandals.

Butch looked hilariously appalled. He deserved it for threatening to destroy Boomer's Captain Spaceman action figure. It was already hard enough stealing Mojo's credit card to purchase the thing.

"Oh, so he gets to go have fun," Butch said bitterly.

"Yes, because he doesn't have any fucking chores to do." Brick's glare softened a bit when he turned to face Boomer. "See ya later, Boomer. Make sure to have as much fun as Butch would have, then double that amount."

Boomer couldn't help but smirk. "You got it, Boss."

He was out the door (roof?) before Butch could throw that damn thousand-paged encyclopedia at him.

It was better dealing with the heat outside. Townsville had the courtesy to implement different air units spread on large lawns or within the windows of buildings and houses. And on this particular day, everyone made sure to place it on the highest setting possible, just so it could feel like the closest thing to a natural, cool breeze. It was still hot, but it wasn't as hot as it would be with no air conditioning at all. Better to appreciate what you had rather than complain about what you didn't.

The flight to Townsville's August Fair—what an unoriginal name—was short. Boomer easily blended into the crowd of fair participants. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and got to work enjoying the day.

Rollercoasters were top priority. All the lines were long as shit, but they were worth it. Well, except the Frisbee. Don't get him wrong, the rollercoaster was a blast, filled with twists and flips and a drop that would send anybody's soul to the deepest parts of Hell. It was just that the girl he sat next to had refused to let go of his arm, and she screamed so loud, he was sure his ears were going to buzz for the rest of his life. So hooray for eternal headaches!

The other rides were a bit lackluster. He outgrew teacups years ago, the jet planes didn't even have that wonderful sense of turbulence Boomer never grew tired of, and the bumper cars almost had him cursing out a pair of five-year-olds.

Still, they were okay enough to keep his mood sweet instead of sour.

There weren't a lot of people by themselves today. He saw groups filled with families and friends. It seemed like he was the only one who was utterly alone. And surprisingly, that was okay. There was something about going places without his brothers that brought Boomer comfort. He liked Brick and Butch, at least when they weren't being complete assholes, but he was also a huge fan of having some time away from them. Package deals deserved a break or two, damn it.

When he finished munching on his second plate of funnel cake (Butch was right: two snacks instead of one was the way to go), the sun was beginning to set, the sky painted in yellows and oranges. The temperature lowered to a tolerable level, and he was grateful that HIM finally spared this fucking city after hours of heatwaves.

Some people were starting to leave. It was easier to travel through the concrete pathway. He would join that crowd near the exit once he was done with the last ride of the day: the Ferris Wheel.

Honestly, Boomer liked the Ferris Wheel. Sure it could be boring, especially when you went by yourself, but growing up as the youngest triplet, he was used to being the Main One Left Out. This was nothing new.

(It sucked being the Main One Left Out. From walking behind on narrow sidewalks to sitting on the floor instead of on couches, he was tossed aside. It stung.)

Gross. Emotions. To distract himself, Boomer popped a piece of Double Trouble Bubble Gum in his mouth and savored the taste. The brand got a lot of shit for being too sweet, which was unfair because being too sweet wasn't a bad thing.

(Actually, the sugar reminded him of Bubbles, and the thought of Bubbles brought a comforting warmth to his body.)

"Wait," Boomer said, stopping in his tracks. The line for the ride was a few feet ahead, and it felt like his brain was even farther than that. A man let out a loud huff as he stepped around Boomer while an elderly lady with two children at her side glared daggers. He couldn't bring himself to even pretend he gave a damn, not with the thought that just circled his head. "What?" he asked again.

Okay. Okay. That was... That was weird, right? Not new, per se, but definitely more defined around the edges. He could visualize Bubbles, could taste how sweet her personality was. Maybe he should have brought that encyclopedia because he couldn't place a name on this feeling.

(That was a lie. Of course, he knew. He knew the word, definition, and at least three syllables. But just because he knew didn't mean he was ready. He wasn't pushing it away, and he wasn't even particularly angry at it anymore. But he still wasn't ready. He didn't know if he would ever.)

Gross, gross, gross. What was this, Sensitive Saturday? Why was he thinking so much, and why was he thinking about Bubbles even more than usual? Boomer shook his head, sliding into line. There had to be a reason this was happening. Maybe he was going through late puberty. Was this what puberty did to young boys? Clog their brain with thoughts they'd rather bury deep and never recover? Maybe he should ask HIM if He injected him and his brothers with some super big puberty shot along with the cooties shot—

And then, an answer came in the form of a sentence: "Oh my gosh, hi Boomer!"

In an instant, Bubbles was standing directly in front of him. Her light purple shoes almost touched his sandals, and he could smell her perfume: a mixture of vanilla and cinnamon. With a background of the setting sun, Bubbles glowed than ever.

(Bubbles looked so cute and it made Boomer feel nauseous. Not the bad type of nauseous... Which was weird. Comforting, but weird.)

"I'm so happy to see you," Bubbles said in a voice someone would use if they won one million dollars just for existing. "I had a feeling you were here. Was that just me?"

Oh. Okay. That made more sense. He sensed her, so of course, she'd enter his thoughts. This wasn't some form of super puberty. He didn't think about her with his own free will. This was just the X taking over. (Right?) Right.

"No," Boomer said, "I had a feeling too."

"I thought I was going insane by it."

"Same."

Bubbles slid next to him and rocked on her feet, her hands gripping her small unicorn backpack. "So, question."

"Potential answer."

"Wanna ride the Ferris Wheel together? You're the only person I know here, and I'd hate to ride alone. I came with some love bugs and they're pretty distracted. Well, more distracted than they were earlier. "

Bubbles pointed over to Mike and Robin, who were holding hands near the front of the line and talking like they were the only two on the planet. So, Butch wasn't lying that Robin bit the bullet and asked the shy ass kid out. Huh. Good for them.

Still, Boomer couldn't help but say, "Ew."

Bubbles gasped. "What? I think they're super cute."

(Not as cute as you are.) Boomer almost huffed aloud. His thoughts were getting a bit out of control nowadays anytime Bubbles came around. The words always lied on the tip of his tongue, but all it took was a gulp and a clench of his hands to get them back where nobody could hear them.

"They are," he said instead. "That's what makes it disgusting."

"And that's what makes it worth it."

"I guess."

"You guess," she replied in a mocking tone with a teasing smile.

"Shut up," Boomer said, but there was no bark in his bite. There wasn't a trace of bark anywhere, not with that smile that covered his face. When she giggled, he gave her a playful shove. "Stop! No more talk about gross-ass relationships. Your sisters aren't here with you guys?"

"Nope. Fairs aren't Blossom's thing anymore after that one clown incident—long story, by the way. She's made me swear myself to silence about it. I definitely recommend asking Brick though. I just know that he knows."

Boomer almost gagged. "Ugh. Those two are so fucking obvious."

Bubbles wore a similar expression. She must be just as tired as he was. Two sides of the same coin, through and through. "I know. Almost unbearable at this point," she said, proving his point. "Buttercup would have loved coming here, but she's out of the city doing team bonding, so she couldn't make it, either."

"Ah yeah. She's an assistant coach for the basketball team, right? She never shut up about it in summer school."

"Yeah, she tends to get super excited. It took her forever to persuade Coach Duncan." Her face was painted with surprise. "I didn't know you guys, like, talked."

"Uh, yeah. Buttercup's pretty cool." His mind traveled back a bit, remembering how Blossom had looked at him with detention slips in hand but a kind, supportive smile on her face. "Both of your sisters are."

"They are the coolest, aren't they?"

"They must get it from you."

It seemed like her smile reached her ears, her cheeks flushed. "You're right, they do," she replied, using a hand to toss one of her pigtails behind her shoulder.

Boomer liked when Bubbles showed that rare ounce of confidence. It looked good on her. Almost too good.

(She always looks good.) Boomer cursed his brain for basically being its own entity.

They kept talking with one another as the line slowly yet surely moved. By the time they were at the very front of the line, it was growing dark. Cicadas sang love songs in the trees, and for once, they didn't sound so bad. Boomer didn't know if it was because of last month or if it was because he was in front of Bubbles.

When one of the fair employees opened the door for their green cart, Boomer gestured the seats with an exaggerated hand. "After you, madam."

Bubbles giggled and held the hem of her skirt as she curtsied. "Such a gentleman," she said. She gave him a small smile from behind her shoulder before entering the cart. "Who are you and what have you done with my Boomer, huh?"

My Boomer. My Boomer. My Boomer. That one almost made him stumble inside the cart. He was lucky enough to get in there without making too much of a fool out of himself.

To sit next to Bubbles or to sit across from her. That was the question. Before his brain could go through its eighty-eighth meltdown of the day, Bubbles shrugged off her bag and set it next to her.

Well. That answered that question.

Boomer sat down and soon realized that the cart was cramped. His knees bumped against hers and it seemed like the scent of her perfume grew stronger.

"Here we go!" Bubbles exclaimed, and Boomer could only gulp and nod silently in response.

The Ferris Wheel jerked to life, taking them up. The sight of the fair grew smaller and smaller until they could see the whole area. Streetlamps and colorful lights hung on each ride illuminated through the night, creating a view that would like nice as a painting.

"Pretty, right?"

"I've seen better," he said honestly.

Bubbles bumped her shoulder against his. "Really? Like what?" The way she asked that was less like a question and more like a challenge. There was a familiar fire in her eyes, one he could never ignore.

(Say it, Boomer. Say that she's prettier than anything else.)

Boomer opened his mouth to spit out some retort that would potentially be embarrassing and revealing.

And then the cart stopped moving.

"Was the ride supposed to be this short...?" Bubbles asked slowly, her eyes dimming a little. Boomer felt his soul reunite with his body. No more unpredictable challenege. Thank the demons.

"I don't think so." Boomer stared out the window. One of the employees in charge of the ride was staring at the machinery in front of them, a perplexed expression on the face. "Shit. I think it's stuck," he said as he turned his attention back to Bubbles.

He cracked his fingers and stretched his legs, preparing for the signal to fly out of here and assist. The whole "helping people" thing was still a bit foreign to him, but he supposed he could ignore his personal feelings on the matter if Bubbles was there with him.

He was about to get up and bust his way out of the cart. But then a gentle hand placed on his chest stopped him.

"No," Bubbles said. Her face was so close to his, he could have... Well. He could have done a few things. He would not think about it so his heartbeat would stay steady. "Wait."

Boomer's eyebrows pressed together. "Why? Can't we just help them down or something? We could punch a hole through this thing, then fly. Townsville can spare one ride… I think."

Now that he thought about it, just what was Townsville's budget, and how could it withstand all the destruction in the city? Boomer was never good with math, and he was sure that Mayor knew what he was doing with Ms. Bellum by his side, but even he knew that Townsville should be struggling a little or something. The infrastructure could only stand so much. Maybe he'd ask Brick how towns gained funding for robberies and super-powered attacks and—

Suddenly, Bubbles spoke, and her words cut through his thoughts. "I mean, yeah, that'd be the right thing to do at a time like this." She paused for a moment. Leaned back in her seat. Then, she said, "It feels normal, doesn't it?"

"What feels normal?" Certainly not this, being in a ride with her used-to-be worst enemy turned... Frenemy? Was that what they were?

Her hands gestured the space around them. "This. Just… sitting here, waiting for help." She leaned back and stared ahead at the cloudless sky. "I can't remember the last time I got help like this from people who don't have X in their blood. It's nice," she said softly.

Slowly, Boomer nodded in agreement. He turned his attention to the sky, too, and he tried to imagine what Bubbles could be thinking about. "Yeah… Nice," he agreed.

And it was nice. There was something peaceful about sitting on top of the world, or what seemed to be the top of the world, without much of a care. The simplicity of accepting help from the average human felt so satisfying as if he had less to worry about. Tension in his shoulders and back faded, and he let out a sigh in relief.

Bubbles watched him quietly with a smile that seemed to be tailor-made just for him.

(Nice. So, so nice.)

"So." Bubbles folded her legs and placed her hands in her lap. "It's been a while since I've actually seen you. How've you been?"

Oh no, small talk. Boomer was never good at small talk. He either talked too much or didn't say much at all. It was always hard to try and come up with ways to continue a conversation.

"Bad," Boomer answered. He thought for a bit, trying to come up with more. "'Cause, ya know. More school right after I suffered through summer school? Wack."

Hopefully, that would be enough. Bubbles was a miracle worker when it came to conversations. He had seen her get even the quietest of students to talk to her during discussion hour in English class.

"School isn't that terrible, Boomer." See? Miracle worker. "I can make you my coffee every morning if that helps."

Buttercup was right about her sister's coffee: it tasted like something that should be sold in a small shop on the corner where people stopped to either type obnoxiously loud on their laptops or comment about the latest pretentious opinion they had. "Okay first, I would fucking love that. And second, that can only help so much. School still sucks, even with coffee."

"Just think, though! We're almost seniors, and then we're done with high school for good!" Bubbles sounded excited. She had every right to be. She probably had things to look forward to. But...

"As if that's a good thing," Boomer sighed. "I have no fucking clue what I'm gonna do after graduation."

Graduation seemed like such a faraway concept before, but now that it was only less than a year away, it scared him a little. It was always weird to him how the world expected people at such a young age to decide who they wanted to be for the rest of their lives. He had barely lived, and people were already expecting him to blend in a crowd and live that type of life forever. There were too many things to choose from, and he was never good at deciding.

Not to mention the whole college thing. Honestly, Boomer didn't know if he even wanted to go. Brick was already planning to study something related to medicine at the best university in Townsville, and even Butch said he was going just to test out a local community college before picking between exercise science or math. But unlike his brothers, Boomer wasn't really good at anything. He didn't know if he'd be able to stand the thought of another year in an academic setting, let alone two, four, or more.

(Less about him. He didn't want to think about himself right now. There was nothing good or hopeful to mention, anyway.)

"Do you know what you're gonna do after graduation?" Boomer asked.

"Hm." Bubbles tapped her fingers on her bare thighs. Boomer tried not to stare at said bare thighs. Boomer was failing because Bubbles had really nice and plush thighs. "I always liked Townsville, but I want to spread my wings. Find a small college away from the city and study fashion and art history."

That was surprising to hear. The very concept of Bubbles—or any of the Powerpuffs really—leaving the city seemed so… odd. He would have thought she'd try to stay here, then go to college while living at home with the Professor or in a college dorm.

(Bubbles Utonium, leaving Townsville. Why did that idea make his stomach feel like it was sinking?)

"Do you ever worry, Bubbles?" Boomer found himself asking. "Worry that, like, people won't be happy with what you want to do?"

He'd never admit this aloud, but he worried. A lot. Even though he was raised to literally have no worries whatsoever, he worried about how others perceived him. How was he supposed to carry himself when everyone—including his own brain—was against him?

"Of course, I do. Comes with being one of three 'perfect little girls' destined to save the day." Bubbles let out a little laugh that sounded just a tad bit forced. Boomer never thought about it until then, but it must have been really stressful growing up to be what others viewed as a hero. There was praise and fame, but there was also fear, tiredness, and sacrifices, both big and small. "But…"

"But…?" Boomer prompted, fully engaged. His hands gripped his knees, and he leaned forward a little, even though he could hear just fine.

Bubbles debated her words before speaking again. "One time, my sisters and I didn't save the day. We were kids. We just… sat on a cloud and left the citizens to do it themselves. There were a few complications, but they were able to do it. That taught me that anybody can be that person saving the day, even if they don't have powers. And even though my sisters and I were created to be these perfect little girls, we don't have to be. We can just, you know. Exist and be ourselves. That's enough."

"Oh," Boomer said lamely. And oh, what an answer that was. He believed every word she said. Nothing could tell him that she was wrong, not when she spoke with all the strength in the world.

That answer was enough. She was enough, and because of that fact, he was enough, too.

"What I'm trying to say," Bubbles continued, "is that it's okay to be selfish sometimes and do things that will make you happy, even if it upsets others. I mean, you gotta live with yourself all day, every day. Why not do it while enjoying yourself instead of worrying about what others think? Or at least that's what I believe, anyway."

Bubbles Utonium was a lot of things, but the main thing Boomer could see was something that he was starting to see the more he got to know her: bravery. When she spoke, she did not hold back, she did not falter and she did not erase that determined look in her eyes. And for a moment, a quick moment but a noticed moment nonetheless, Boomer wished he could be like her.

"You're really smart, Bubbles," Boomer said, kind of breathless. "That's really cool."

Bubbles looked like a deer in the highlights. "Really?" she asked as if she doubted it.

"Really," he said because he meant it.

Her ears grew so red, they looked like they were on fire. She grabbed her bag and dug in it like a frantic mother looking for her baby's pacifier. Before Boomer could ask what the hell she was doing, she pulled out something. "Here," she said, pushing a raggedy stuffed animal towards him. "As an extended token of thanks, I want you to have this."

"A plushie?" In any other circumstances, Boomer would have shoved the thing away. Today, he held it in his hands like it were a gift from the heavens. "You don't have to."

"Trust me, I have way too many at home. It's already bad enough I'm keeping one; I do not need another reason for my bed having little to no space. Octi might get jealous." She pulled another identical plushie from her bag. "Plus, look! They can be siblings!"

Boomer tried his best not to think about the implications. He tried his best not to think about how, technically, if their stuffed animals were siblings, and they were the parents, that meant that they were a family. He tried his best not to think about it, but by the way his heart banged on his ribcage, it was clear to him that he was not succeeding in his efforts.

"Okay," he said as his heartbeat threatened to break his ribs. "Thanks."

The cart shook a bit. At first, Boomer thought it was due to his nerves. It turned out to be because the Ferris Wheel was back to life.

"It's moving again," he said in relief. "Finally."

"And we didn't have to lift a finger," Bubbles said with a satisfied smile.

"Selfishness does pay off a bit, huh?"

Bubbles gave him a wink that sent butterflies to his stomach. "Told you."

When the Ferris Wheel finally dropped them off, Boomer felt like his legs were jelly. He had to sit down for a moment, which was ironic since he had spent the last couple of minutes sitting down. Bubbles followed suit, her knees bumping against his. The bench was huge, yet she sat right next to him.

(Don't think too much about it. She's just being friendly, like usual.)

Bubbles reached her hand out towards him. He was very close to grabbing it. Luckily, he had some self-restraint. "Gimme your phone."

Boomer quirked an eyebrow and placed his new plushie on his lap. "What? Why?"

"So, I can put my number in it, duh! We don't talk enough. I wanna change that."

That... was fair. Friends talked to each other on the phone, and since they were frenemies, this was fine. "Okay," he said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, then unlocked it and handed it over. "Let's change that."

Her thumbs worked quickly, and she handed his phone back to him before he could even process what she was doing. "You better text me sometime, Boom. 'Kay?"

Boom. Boomer didn't know if that was her voice playing on repeat in his head or the consistent boom, boom, boom-ing of his heart. "'Kay," he replied, struggling to keep his voice steady.

"You promise?" she asked in this voice that did wonders to Boomer's heart. She had him wrapped around her finger, and she probably had no fucking clue.

"I promise," he said.

Bubbles paused. "Pinky promise?" she asked just a bit quieter as she lifted a pinky up.

Boomer felt his face flush. Why the fuck was that so cute? It almost made him want to throw a train. He hooked his pinky against hers, sending a quick yet gentle jolt of yellow energy through her, just so she could know he meant it. "Pinky promise," he swore, and when she grinned, he felt his heart melt.

"Bubbles!" The Gross Couple (aka Robin and Mike) were trying to wave Bubbles over from afar while holding hands. Ew. They were so cute that it was disgusting. "Let's go!"

Bubbles got up with a sigh and brushed her skirt. "And the couple has noticed my disappearance," she said. She gave Boomer a tiny wave, then began to walk off. "See you later! And make sure to keep your promise!"

Boomer waved back, and even though he didn't respond, he knew that she could tell what he would have said. I promise to keep my promise.

He looked down at his phone. She had put her contact name as 'Bubbs,' had left both a bunny emoji and a pink, sparkling heart emoji next to it. He didn't use emojis for anybody else other than his brothers—Butch had requested some random ass car while Brick's was the fire emoji by default—but for her, he would allow it.

He sat there for a solid three seconds in silence before swiping over to start a chat.

Boomer: does now count as sometime?

The reply was just as quick.

Bubbs: LOL yes it does!

Bubbs: i had fun today, and i'm glad i got stuck with you :)

Boomer grinned at his phone for at least twenty minutes before starting his flight home. No, he would never admit that.

(He'd remember, though.)

"What're you smiling at?"

As soon as Boomer arrived home, he stuffed his phone in his pocket. Brick looked like he was close to going into his whole Insufferable Older Brother Mode and stalk his text messages. It was Brick's worst trait, followed by his habit of starting fires when he was angry and eating grapes with mayo unironically. "Got a stuffed bear. I think it's cool. Took tons of pics of it," he said, waving his plushie. He walked in front of Brick and held it up for him to see. "What do you think I should name it?"

Brick paused Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, closed one eye, and took a few moments to inspect every inch of the stuffed animal as if he were trying to work out a diagnosis. Dr. Jojo was already making his mark. "Shit Stain," he finally offered.

Boomer frowned. "No."

"Shit Stain Jr.?"

"No."

"Shit Stain II? Final offer."

"You're doing this on purpose."

Brick let out a slight snort, then shrugged. "Not my fault the furball looks shitty," he said, flicking the teddy bear on its forehead. A small flame came from his fingertips and it luckily wasn't enough to make it catch on fire, but it did leave a black mark. It looked as cool as the ripped ear—

Wait.

"Furball…" Boomer repeated slowly, taking in the name. He then broke out into a smile. "Yeah, that works perfectly! Thanks bro!" He lifted the bear high in the air. "Hear that? Your name's Furball now, kid!"

Furball stared back at him with his stitched smile. For some reason, Boomer felt very happy seeing it. Perhaps this was what parenthood was like? Feeling happy to see a tiny one, even when they did nothing at all? If so, it was amazing.

"Wait, thanks?" Brick sounded offended. "You weren't supposed to get joy out of this."

"Well, I did, so." With a shrug, Boomer began making his way toward their room. He changed course the moment he sensed Brick right at his heels. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Brick sounded like he was doing something.

"Then go away."

"No."

"Butch?" Boomer broke out into a sprint. "Butch?! Help! Brick is trying to get me!"

"Sounds like a you problem!" Butch snapped from the bathroom. Oh, he's probably been in there for hours. Poor boy. Boomer couldn't blame his older brother for not helping.

Brick's voice sounded like it was right at Boomer's ear. "Boomerrrrrr!" he said, and the heat he released was almost at HIM's level. "Get your ass back here so I can emotionally torture you properly!"

Boomer yelped, then sped around the living room as quickly as he could. "What type of brother are you?!"

"The worst kind! Now c'mere dipshit!"

"Ahhhhhh!"

A/N Obligatory fair chapter because I crave to go to one and since I can't, I'll let Boomer live out my dreams.

Hello everyone, and happy August! Late in the day to update (because half the chapter decided to vanish yesterday, I hateeeee this laptop), but I still got it done. I'll make sure to proofread tomorrow, as I am fairly positive there are blank spots and mistakes.

As of now, I'm finalizing my move and will need to be on the lookout for another job, so... Ew. Adult shit. But otherwise, I've been great and I hope you all have been great as well. You all deserve great days!

Thank you so much for reading, commenting, following, etc! The support is crazy good. I feel so loved! See you all in September, specifically (and hopefully) September 4th! School will (unfortunately) be back in session for a lot of you, so it would be a crime not to place Boomer in that same predicament. If you guys have to suffer, he must as well.

Next Chapter: September

There's an underrated art hidden within skipping a class.