A/N) Another one shot. Also and AU, but they have powers in this. Fluff and Brick being a disgruntled kitty cat that hates water.
Also Ruff POV.
I hate rainy days.
Rain pitters against the dirty window pane of their apartment, droplets racing down the glass, collecting each other until they got too heavy to hang onto the glass and drip off making mini splashes in the concrete below. Brick watches with less fasciation than he had watching Boomer play video games.
The sky is grey; Townsville is not really a busy place when it rains. No real crimes happen; everyone is content in hiding from the cold wet water that sees it fit to pelt its unwanted self on any moron who dares step out into it.
Brick is not one such moron.
But he's watching a few from the window, red eyes heavily lidded as he huddles against the window, the chill seeping through to him despite the red hoodie he was settle in. He can smell the muggy city in the air.
He sniffles. God, he hates rainy days. They made him feel heavy and - and weirdly damp – inside and out.
"Hey Brick, you seen my -" Boomer stops mid exit from the shower when Brick turns hard red eyes at him, "Whoa, ok – sorry I forgot." The blond chuckles nervously and backs up into the bathroom closing the door on the condescension he created inside their living space.
Moron – Brick turns back to the rain, willing it to go away.
A loud rock ballad shatters the monotone of rain as Butch stomps inside, sans headphones and phone blasting high as high he could. "Oh yeah!" He does a weird gyrating and Brick's nerves frazzle as he grabs the nearest object, which happens to be a calculus book, and chucks it at his hyper brother.
It smacks him in the head.
"Ow – what the hell man?" Butch growls, cutting off his song and rubbing at his head as if it actually hurt.
"Keep it down idiot."
Butch frowns. The he sees the rain - "Oh – is it that time of month again? Pffft – hah!" He snorts and laughs at Brick's disgruntled look. "Seriously man, get over it – "
"I'll get you over with if you don't shut up."
"Whatever man, but it's rainy season – you can't just hide all season ya know."
He can and he will. "Just keep it down." And he turns away lest he accidently laser his idiot brother in the face.
Butch shrugs. "Whatever." And yanks out his headphones to connect and put in his ears. "Hey Boomer!" He smacks the bathroom door, "Get out already, how long does it take to primp your stupid Goldie locks? I gotta pee!"
"But Bricks being his rainy day self!" Boomer squeaks from inside.
Butch sighs. "Let me in at least."
Boomer obliges.
Brick ignores them as Butch slips into the bathroom and Boomer lets out an indignant cry of 'hey don't yank it out without a warning!'
Followed by Butch's mocking giggling. "What? Jealous? I know you lack in this department Boomer but seriously, no need to - "
"Oh my God Butch, shut the hell up and pee already!"
"Girl."
"Hah! Says the dude with like ten hair products!"
"The chic's dig the hair man. Besides, you got the blow drier crap thing."
"Buuuuutch – aim dude!"
Butch lets out a maniacal laugh as Boomer nearly screeches.
Brick lets out a growl, his nerves scratched and he wants to kill them both. The laughter continues as Boomer shrieks about how gross Butch is and how he's cleaning the bathroom for a year if he misses and –
That's it.
Combine with the heavy rain and humidity with his brother's sheer idiocy – he can't take it anymore. He's going outside and daring to find a new place to hide from the rain. He sucks in a deep breath, grabs his black umbrella and slams the front door closed so the tweedels will know he left.
Outside was suffocating. Grey and wet and damp. The sun was probably half way down the sky by now, he can't tell form the hanging overhead clouds – He hates this.
It's also chilly but somehow managed to be steamy too – he hates it. The rain plinks everywhere, splashes in puddles and he sees people rushing about with umbrellas bumping into each other. God – he can't stand the rain, the way it splashes when a car drives though a puddle, the way it mixes dirt with water and turns the entire filthy city life into black sludge, the way it wets his jean cuffs despite his best efforts to avoid it, and he can't even fly through it or else risk getting soaked against the pelting drops.
God.
"Look out!"
Brick jumps back just as a clown on a bike rushes past and – Dammit! He rides through a puddle and water splashes all over his dark jeans instantly soaking the cuffs and socks.
Dammit.
He decides to head for the library.
He barely makes it across the street without getting wetter when a kid starts screaming and runs down the library steps, slips and Brick, on reflex, drops his umbrella to grab the child before she breaks her neck.
He slips and lands directly in a puddle.
"Molly! Oh my gosh!" A slim dark haired woman calls as she carefully climbs down the wet staircase and reaches for her daughter. "Oh, are you hurt? What are you doing you silly girl – are you alright young man?" She turns to the drenched teenager who is now officially hating his life as he drags his hat off his heat and twists the water out of it.
"I'm fine thanks."
"Thank you – I'm terribly sorry about that hon." She grabs his umbrella and shakes it out, handing it to him. "Here you are, try not to get wetter."
"Yeah, sure." Brick mutters and takes his umbrella as the woman gives him an apologetic smile and grabs her daughters hand. The pink raincoat wearing child waves at him, her dark pigtails bouncing.
"Bye bye mister cat!"
Brick ignores that statement.
So he really hates getting wet . . . so what. Now he's cold, and his jeans are heavy and they're going to chafe him because he –
"Brick?"
He stiffens at the inquisitive familiarity of that lilting voice. The overhead street lamp goes on and he turns to see none other than Blossom Utonium, hair done up in a tight flaming red braid, flickering fly aways framing her rosy cheeked face, wrapped up in a shiny red rain jacket and knee high black rain boots protecting her jeans form wetness and the cold.
She glows under her pink umbrella which illuminates under the overhead street lamp.
"You ok there?" She asks, biting the soft plump flesh of her pink bottom lip.
Brick sighs. He doesn't know if this makes his day worse or what.
"I'm fine."
He shakes out his hair and plunks his damp hat bac on his head. He hates Rainy Days. He's also aware that his counterpart is standing behind him staring. He doesn't know at what but –
"Heading for the library then?"'
"What was your first clue there Red?"
He feels her bristling. "Right." And she brushes past him and skips up the steps with her sculpted long legs.
Brick sighs, of course she'd have the same idea – go out in the rain to head for the library – he's debating if he should even go in now. But he's cold and he's taking about as much rain as he can for one hour. . . he goes inside.
A blast of war air and fresh book smells hits his face and he relaxes somewhat. Too bad the windows around here were so huge, he can see a good chunk of the sludge fest outside. Deciding to head deep inside the library and bury himself in Greek mythology section might be good for his bad mood.
He's settled in a few moments later with the Odyssey in a lounge chair, legs put out so they can dry.
"Good read huh?"
Brick sighs, why do people feel the need to bug him today. He glances up over the top of the book. "Yeah."
Blossom smiles faintly and seats herself in the arm chair across from him, he glances at the title of her book – Julius Creaser. Huh – he didn't think she was into vicious warlords. It was more his style usually.
"He was a good strategist, despite his evil intentions." She says smoothly, clearly catching his eye.
Brick shrugs.
The rainy day still heavy on his shoulders.
God he hates Rainy days.
It's silent for a moment and he very nearly manages to loose himself inside his book when she breaks his thoughts again.
"You really don't like rain do you?"
Understatement of the century.
"Nope." He says flatly.
Blossom hums in acknowledgment. "Yeah well – I think it's pretty nice."
Wait a fricking second. "What? How could anyone like this crappy weather?" He can't help the irritation in his voice.
Blossom blinks at him innocently. "Um – I do. It's nice and comfortable weather."
"It's cold and dank and wet." He retorts.
"Yes well, it can also be warm and comfortable weather, people sitting together near a warm fire or drinking tea with a good book, or even taking a stroll with a lover in a drizzle and – "
"Hold the phone. Am I understanding correctly? You – you actually think rain is . . ."He grimaces. "Romantic weather?"
She blushes lightly. "Logically it isn't, it's just condensation of water in th air but – yeah, it could be."
Brick snorts. "Yeah, no. It's just wet and gross."
He picks up his book again.
"You ever try to enjoy it?"
"Don't need to. I would never."
She humphs at him. "Well Brick Jojo – I guess I should prove your fire pants wrong."
"Fire pants?"
"C'mon."
Before he can protest the Powerpuff grabs his hand and yanks him out of his seat. Without super strength she never could have.
"No, no I don't wanna – "
"Oh stop whining. After a good evening Mrs. Carmichael!" The red head calls to the wrinkly old librarian as she drags him outside – back into the wetness.
Brick growls and instantly hunches under his umbrella like a disgruntled cat. Blossom flashes him a look before looping her arm through his.
"Oh relax, it's just a little water."
Which he hates – the only water he wants coming from overhead is shower water . . . where he can control the temperature and not feel like his insides were drenched . . .
"Ready!"
"No."
"Great!" The girl smiles and drags him down the lit streets, Brick doesn't know where they're going until they get to Townsville park.
"Why the hell are we heading for the lake? It's raining for god's sake, why would we go near more water?" A duck quacks at him as he glares at it in distain.
"Shhh – just look!" Blossom stops them in the center of the Townsville bridge that overlooked the huge lake, the lights surrounding it twinkle on and the rain makes small splashes and a million rings in the glassy surface of the waters as the sun sets lower. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Brick humph's and looks at the scenery. It's just wet to him.
"C'mon Brick – it's romantic and whimsical, the kind of scene you find in a book or – "
"Chic lit maybe."
"Stop being sexist. Just – accept rain as a beautiful part of nature already."
"I didn't know you were a nature girl." He really just wants to go home.
"I'm not – but I am a sucker for book worthy scenes. And this is inspirational." She smiles at him and Brick stutters.
For the first time since he woke up in this horrible weather he forgets it. Blossom looks up at him as she leans against the railing and smiles, the rain frizzed her bangs and they hung a bit damp around her face. The lights make her rosy skin glow and her light freckles pop as her pink lips bend upwards at him.
"Brick?"
"Hm?" He blinks, realizing he was staring.
"You really don't' like rain huh?"
He scrunches up inside himself and nods. "It makes me feel – " He tastes the words in his brain. "Like I can't – like . . . it just doesn't agree with my fire powers is all." He figured that had to be the problem a while ago.
Blossom blinks up at him. "Oh." He sees that sink in. "Oooooh – that actually makes sense. Sort of. But you could still use your powers right?"
"Yeah, it's just . . ." He lets out a suffering sigh – "I don't' like it."
She hums at him. "I see." Then she's looking at him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes that isn't really like her when she's around others – he kind feels weird about seeing it – he thinks he's the only one to see it maybe.
"Let's go!" And she snatches his umbrella and tosses both of them away, Brick sputters, hairs standing up as rain pelts him again and she pushes him as she whirls around and jumps into puddles, her hair whipping around hard as it gets wetter, strands sticking to her face and forehead as she tilts her head back and closes her eyes, laughing up at the gray sky.
Brick stop running after his umbrellas as he gets stuck watching her.
It's no secret to his mind that he's been crushing on his counterpart for the better part of his adolescence, but right now? Right now the surge of warmth that dispels the cold wetness of his clothes . . . it is way stronger than a mere kid crush.
"C'mon Brick, the waters great!" She laughs, it's smooth and jumps pleasantly as she reaches for his hand and grips them, spinning them around in the puddles in the middle of the parks circular walkway.
She's like a flame under the grey sky.
Brick feels her warmth form her hands as she tugs him along and spins around, water's making him in the face from her hair and he doesn't care when she stops in front of him, breathless and laughing. Fire strands sticking to her face, one tendril wet and attached to the corner of her mouth.
"Brick?" The light in her magenta eyes dims in curiosity and he doesn't know what his face looks like but hers colors a deep flush when he reaches a hand and gently drags that hair away from her face and behind her ear which is cold to the touch.
His eyes search her pinking face.
Then she licks her rosy lips and her hands move to grip his soaked hoodie and – and then he's warm. The rain still falls and pelts them, but it can do nothing to the heat he suddenly feels as she presses her warm self against him, on her tip toes so she can reach his mouth and her fingers slide into his hair as his cup her waist ad jaw, thumb tracing under her chin as their lips let together and click softy.
By the time they've pulled away he's on fire and no longer feeling the water running down his face as she flutters those thick lashes up at him and smiles.
"Told you rain was romantic." She teases and Brick can't find it in himself to disagree as she takes his hand leads him to wherever she ants.
Maybe he doesn't hate rainy days that much after all.
Review and let me know your thoughts on the writting ;)