Love Him Not

            All things said, the Professor handled the problems leniently –aside from a scathing reprimand on 'plainly foolish and ill thought decisions', no one had been severely injured on a physical or emotional level.

            In the end, Blossom's poignant argument had secured their escape from punishment.  Having been unanimously decided (may as well put her argumentive mouth to use, as Buttercup remarked afterwards) to speak on the entire group's behalf, she classified their motives as 'the Usual Teenage Frivolity', casually mentioning Professor Utonium's childhood persona.  He really had not choice but to let them off.

            "Well," said Boomer afterwards, resting on the couch with Bubbles curled into his arm, "I guess everything worked out."

            "It's all back to normal!" chimed Bubbles gleefully.

Blossom was not so easily satisfied, and seemed rather distracted as she gazed outside of the windows.  Brick followed her gaze, where green light flashed back and forth.  Occasionally, the house would shake prior to a large explosion.

            "No kidding."

            His gaze shifted back to Blossom, whose bottom lip trembled terribly.  Then suddenly, in a manner that was very uncharacteristic (even for herself) she let out a peculiar, anguished wail.

            "But I wanted to win!" She cried.  "Justice is skewed!"

Boomer and Bubbles sighed simultaneously, either out of exhaustion of the week's events or the bliss they tended to stay in when in the other's company.  The latter being infinitely more possible.

            Brick, seeing there would be no help from him, scratched his nose in a cutely perplexed manner.

            "Who said anything about winning?"  Blossom huffed.

            "You just don't understand."

Brick stared at her, turning an awkward hue of red.  Then, quite suddenly, he just barely pecked her on the cheek, not really worth noticing, no, but flustered him all the same.  And Blossom was in such a state of shock that her brief childishness fluttered through the window, leaving her face a color as vibrant as her hair.

            "JERK!" Buttercup shrieked as she sent a blaze of energy jetting through the air.  Butch countered the blast with a shot of his own, either of them canceling out and disintegrating in a flurry of dazzling green light.

            "BRAT!"  He responded with a series of intricate shots –Buttercup howled –before sending off a brilliant flurry of attacks that, if anyone were closely watching, were more for show than damage.  But the insults did not end there.

            "Idiot!"

            "Airhead!"

            "Loser!"

            "Witch!"

            "Dork!"

            "…Girl!"  Buttercup paused and looked to her left, where Butch was seated.

            "That wasn't much of a comeback." She muttered, teasingly, but fired a round of green shots into the air just the same.  Butch sent off a twin flame, again for show, that caused quite a ruckus, as though someone were actually fighting.

            "OWWW!"  The howled together, laughing silently between them.

            "Well that ought to convince them." Said Buttercup confidently, after a bit.  She jumped to her feet, kicking a skateboard into gear while dusting off her pants.

            "Want to hit the skate park?"

Butch shrugged.

            "Sounds good." Lifting his own skateboard, the two of them ventured towards the back gate, aiming to leave together without too much attention.

            "Hey, Jerk."  He glanced over, half smiling.

            "Yeah, Brat?"

Buttercup pushed her hair impatiently over her shoulder, fidgeting somewhat, though he didn't notice.

            "Remember that day at the Skate Park?"  Butch winced.

            "You don't normally forget stuff like that."  He was, of course, referring to the combination attacks he merely blocked rather than advanced.  She fidgeted again, but it was more noticeable, and she chewed the black edges of her hair unconsciously.

            "Why…"  The green puff paused, "did you give up?  That day?"

Butch stilled beside her, allowing his skateboard to drop on the ground as he put his arms behind his head, pondering the clouds.

            "I don't remember."  He did, but he wasn't about to admit it soon.  Buttercup knew this, and made it apparent by the look she sent him.

            "Stop lying."  He seemed thoughtful for a moment, soon countering with a meek, and rather stupid sounding,

            "You know you love me!"  It was a sickeningly accurate impression of Tommy Sweet, and earned him a secure swat across the head.  He feebly tried to protect himself, snorting as he did so.

            "Let's get going." She muttered, eager to leave in hopes her reddening face would be confused with exertion rather than embarrassment.

            They began their ride down the street, and as they did so, either of their thoughts lingered on the events of the past week –Buttercup recalling the spot on her bed where he sat, Butch remembering the familiar fragrance of her room, romantic musing of this sort that made them fluster all the more, either trying hard not to face the other, neither noticing the others difficulty.  It was the peculiar type of adoration you see mostly in Kindergarten, but occasionally caught with teenagers, especially when their defensive barriers crumble as theirs had.

Buttercup secretly imagined thinking of this when she was older, and once the entire process of courtship was done with.  She would recall the beating of her heart, her girlishly flustered cheeks on her boyish persona, aiming to catch his handsome scent, although her very obstinate logic often prevented it.

So what if he's cute, she thought stubbornly.  Not that she would ever tell him.  She smiled, despite herself, something she did most often.  And found herself stealing secret glances at his round green eyes and thick, wild hair.

Not that she would never tell him.

YAY!  I FINISHED IT!  HUZZAH FOR ME!  -fanfare-

And the ending was…

…

…I have a sudden absence of words.  Please forgive me. -.-;

            Please accept my humble apologies!  I have done my best, and ended it as well as I could!  Unfortunately, I am quite incapable in that aspect.  But, at least it's finished, right? –hopeful smile-  I sincerely hope this atrocity of a finish has not ruined your entire reading experience. –sweatdrop-

In any case, much and many thank you to people with the kindness in their heart to read it this far along.  –bows graciously- I am most honored by your words of encouragement and support.  Thank you!

--Artemis