Torrential Bonding
Blue eyes flicked open to the sun gleaming through his blinds. A light cough escaped his dry mouth as he sat up. He ran his hands through his hair as he looked around his room. The clothes thrown hastily on the ground and the garbage of various snacks strewn about the floor contradicted the sweet perfume of his company the previous night. He pushed the embarrassment of letting Bubbles see his room in such a state down and rose to his feet.
He made his way to the kitchen and downed a glass of water. He always felt dehydrated after these episodes. It wasn't as bad this time, but usually, along with the sweats and self imposed isolation, he normally neglected to eat or drink anything. Wiping the water from his lips he noticed the time and went to shower. The early morning sun woke him up in time to get ready for work. He was quiet as he toweled off and dressed in his uniform. His face showing no emotion he grabbed his apartment key and flew out the window.
He wasn't in any hurry to get to work today, it would be her first day and he didn't know how she would react to him now that she'd seen him in his most vulnerable. He couldn't imagine her having a malicious bone in her body, but he couldn't shake the fear she had gone home to laugh about it to her sisters.
He only picked up speed when he saw dark clouds beginning to hide the sun away. Touching down at the employee gate he made his way inside while the sky darkened and began to start a downpour. He got inside just as the thunderous fall of rain pounded against the ceiling. "You think the rain will keep many people away?" He heard the familiar voice of Bubbles ask. Looking around to meet her, she sat at a bench inside the building. She had a sweet smile and her curled hair framed her face perfectly. Her uniform showed off her curves, but that could just be because he was looking at them.
A warm feeling grew in his chest and he returned her smile. "I hope not, it'd be a shame to do all the work with the new display and have no one to show up for it."
She let out a playful giggle and stood up, "Well we got the display for a few weeks, someone will show up by then." She twirled on her foot, "So, does the uniform fit me well, I was worried about the blue polo clashing with the jeans."
"I honestly don't even know what that means." He chuckled, "But you look great."
"Good," She dropped her other foot down and continued her radiant smile. "My family said they liked it, but they're biased, so if you think I look good I can relax about it."
"Hey I'm biased to, I think you would look good in anything."
"Awe that's sweet," She looked around and lowered her voice, "So how are you doing today?"
He placed left hand on his right arm and looked away, "I'm okay, I think. I'm just sorry you saw it." He looked at her with sad eyes, "You didn't tell anyone about it did you? Your family and whatnot?"
She was taken aback before she gave a harsh whisper, "No I didn't. It isn't anyone's business, not even mine. Besides I'm glad you let me in to see it." She walked up to him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Boomer, I like you, and I wouldn't, no, couldn't think less of you for having a panic attack. I'm just sorry I put you in a place to trigger one."
He felt his face grow red and fought back a smile, though it still showed in a small smirk. "Thanks Bubbles. I really appreciate that."
She removed her hand and resumed her normal voice, "So what should I expect from my first day here?"
He wanted to grab her hand as they walked out, but fought it off. He explained how he was bombarded with questions and was usually asked to do more of the heavy lifting. The shift supervisor made Boomer her trainer, his words being Boomer was the only one qualified to train someone at the pace Bubbles would go.
Boomer obviously had no objections to it and they spent the day making games out of the jobs they had to do, who could clean the most windows of the habitats, who could feed the most animals in an hour, stuff like that. By the time lunch rolled by the rain hadn't let up, and the only guests to show up were reporters doing pieces on the new visitors exhibit. So the only jobs left to do was general pick up as they wondered through the facilities, picking up litter the storm had flown in from outside.
Both had forgotten a lunch so Boomer bought a number of snacks from the vending machine. "Boomer you really didn't need to buy me anything." She laughed as he dropped an armful of chips and candy on the table.
"Well, Langston says it's rude to eat in front of someone." He said as he opened a bag of chips. She gave a little pout in response, but still looked through the pile he made.
"I still feel bad."
"And I would feel bad if I didn't get you something." He smirked between bites. "If it means something to you why don't you treat me out after work."
"Is that some sly way of getting me out on a date?" She giggled and smiled as she grabbed something from the pile.
"I wouldn't call it sly if you saw through it." he teased back. He hadn't meant it that way, but was in no way objective to going on a date with her. As soon as the image entered his mind a pained feeling of guilt his his heart. He dropped his smile, "But, no. No, I was just saying as friends or something."
She noticed the drop in his mood, but thought against questioning it, whatever was going on in his mind, he would tell her when he was ready. "Well, I think that's fair where would you like to go?"
"I don't know, uh dealers choice?" He said his mood soured by the continued rise of pained guilt in his chest.
"No no I said I'll treat you, wherever you want. As long as it's not sushi."
"Ugh, no. I can count the number of people I know who like that stuff on one hand, And we don't have fingers so..." He gave a small laugh. "How about some Mexican fast food, been forever since I've had a good taco." He put on a smile as she nodded in excitement, but his heart weighed heavy, and it was shooting with pain whenever he looked at her smiling at him.
The shift manager walked in and saw the two laughing, "Hey you two, Look the park is dead today, and the rain isn't letting up. So I think we're gonna close up early." He gave a small laugh at their groans of disappointment, "Hey you two did the work of an entire crew in half a day, you've earned an early out. You can finish eating, but then take off." He bid the duo farewell and they made quick work of the remaining pile of junk food.
They punched out and borrowed some ponchos for their flight home. "So you wanna grab those tacos now or later?"
"Yeah, I think later would be good. I gotta talk to Brick about some stuff anyways. Meet up at your place at four?" He replied as they stood in the doorway leading out.
"Sure, just stay out of my basement this time."
"You don't need to tell me twice. I'll see you then." He gave a fake smile and took off.
"Well no reason to ruin the hard work I put into my hair if I got time." She thought out loud. She used the nearby phone and asked the professor to pick her up, He gladly agreed to and arrived forty minutes later. It was faster to fly but she didn't want to restyle her hair and makeup from flying in such heavy rain.
She jumped into the car and gave her dad a grateful hug. "Hey sweetie, how was your first day."
"Oh it was fun. Me and Boomer got so much done they let us go early."
"I still don't like the fact you're spending so much time around him."
"Why? Is it cause he is a boy?"
"No, It's because he beat you senseless quite recently." he replied coldly.
"Yeah, that happened." She said with a nod before continuing, "but that's in the past. I don't hold it against him, and neither should you." She shot back crossing her arms. "He has been through enough." She muttered as Blossoms report on their holding cells raced through her mind.
He disliked the boys, but after the Mayor called him to inform him of Bricks deception, he claimed more hatred for the red boy. However, from the fact his daughter was willing to forgive Boomer, maybe he could swallow his feeling a little bit. He let out a heavy sigh, "Sweetie, I'll trust you, but I'm still your dad and I'm going to worry now and then."
"Well, I think it'll all be fine. I trust Boomer, and I want to be his friend." She chose her words carefully. If she told him she wanted more, he may just have a heart attack. Trying to change the subject, "So, enough about me, any date plans for you and Keane?" The rest of the car ride was spent of her begging him to plan a date night for him.
Boomer had taken off with self disgust lumping in his throat. When he thought of her smile and the way she stood by him last night, how she refused to tell anyone about his problems, it filled him with rage. He made a decision and was going to stand his ground on it. The rain blurred his eyesight, but he still saw a distinct red dot on the roof of their apartment building. Touching down he looked at his brother and took a deep breath.
Brick was enjoying the cooling rain, he had driven himself into a fever thinking about all the ways to hurt the arsonist, but every time he was about to land a blow his imagination had Blossom telling him not to. The rain was helping him to calm his contradicted thoughts. He heard the splash of someone touching down behind him. He didn't have to guess it was Boomer. He turned around to see his brother standing like he was ready to fight.
"Hey you're home. Did you not have work today?"
"No I did, we just got off early cause of the rain. No one showed up."
Brick shrugged and returned to enjoying the rain, "What's on your mind? You look serious." He was trying to find a way of telling him about Langston without making his brother freak out. They said he wouldn't see another visitor until tomorrow and he didn't want Boomer worrying for the remainder of the day.
With a deep breath Boomer spoke,"Brick, I want out." He was so nervous his voice almost faltered, but he managed to kept his voice steady and strong.
Brick slid his eyes back to his brother, "Out of what?"
"This idiotic plan to remove the girls purpose."
"You're calling my plan idiotic? You, the guy who wondered how the hot dogs get inside corn dogs? You think my plan is idiotic?" his voice grew in anger.
"No the plan isn't idiotic, but doing it is." Boomer refused to back down. "And I don't want to anymore."
Brick stepped to him and leered down, "Why would you want out? The plan is working and we've almost won." He had a feeling why, but he wanted his brother to nut up and tell him.
"Because it's wrong okay. I cannot do this and be Bubbles friend. Losing her isn't worth this. I don't want to be in a world where she hates me again."
Brick didn't mean to do it, but his body reacted quicker than he could think. A swift punch sent his brother flying high into the clouds. Brick flew up after him and latched onto Boomers throat, "Why the hell do you need to be in a world with her in the first place! She put you in the hole herself!" Bricks rage grew as Boomer remained silent, "Why won't you answer me!" Brick screamed in his brothers face.
"Gee... I wonder why..." Boomer said fighting off the choke hold his brother had on him. Slapping his arm to get him off.
Brick in turn was brought back into reality and let go immediately. "Shit, sorry." his voice broadcasting the shame of his actions.
"Whatever, I expected as much." Boomer said with a cough rubbing his throat. The brothers floated there in the dark cloud staring at each other one with disappointment the other with shame.
Brick wanted to say something, but had no idea what, roughhousing and picking on him was never anything like that. Boomer took a moment to catch his breath and spoke. "Look let's just get out of this cloud and back on the roof." Boomer said floating down. Brick followed his mind full of self hatred.
"What did she say to you to make you want out? How did she convince you to abandon us Boomer." Brick said right after they returned to the roof.
Boomer looked at Brick and decided against anything but the truth. "She hasn't done or said anything to make me abandon you. You are still my brother. A pain in the neck brother, but my brother still." he gave a small chuckle, he was just glad Brick was listening. He thought he would beat him with chains or something, plus Boomer could tell he really didn't mean to choke him like that.
"So why are you betraying us for a puff?" Brick spat the name out as he finished.
"First of all, her name is Bubbles. It would do you good to learn it. If I have it my way, she might agree to be my girlfriend, But I'm not doing this for her." Brick raised a brow expecting more. "For the first time in my life I'm doing something for me. Not for you, not for her, not for the monkey, and certainly not for the damned lobster. I want to be friends with Bubbles, I want more, I want her to like me. I cannot do that if I'm also working to hurt her."
"We've always stood by each other Boomer." Brick started.
"I know. That's why I'm not going to ruin this plan you got, but I'm not aiding in it anymore either. You can live without Blossom, and that's your call to make, but I don't want to live without Bubbles." He couldn't believe he was getting to say so much about it to Brick but he wasn't going to stop until he said everything on his mind.
"Last night I realized we three wont always be there for each other. You had a job to work."
"I didn't leave you alone, I made sure Butch had a way of getting to me if you needed me." Brick interrupted.
"I know, but I didn't need you. I needed her. Brick, there was a time I thought all we needed was our brotherly bonds, but that isn't true. Look at Butch, he keeps hanging with Buttercup, and look how he's calmed down in such a short time. He has her to fill the void me and you can't. Even you, Blossom is something to you I can't even know."
"You don't know that." Brick said flinching at pinkies name.
"Yes I do, since we got out all you do is work. You graduated early, you got smarter, you haven't stopped improving yourself, but me and Butch cannot be that mentally stipulating."
"You mean stimulating." Brick corrected.
"That's my point. You have to correct me half the time I use big words." He shot back with a pointed hand. "We are always going to be brothers Brick, a bond that wont break, but we can't just be by ourselves anymore. So I want out so I can do something I want for once." A few moments of silence passed, "I think you owe me it now after all."
"Really gonna guilt me about it?"
"Hey don't choke people for no reason and you wouldn't get guilt tripped." He smiled at his brother.
Brick let out a groan of frustration while dragging his hands down his face, "Fine, you have your out." He relented.
"I feel a but coming on." Boomer said cautiously.
"No, no buts, look maybe what you're saying has stock. I mean I finally played a game of chess last night, and you two certainly don't like playing. Yes Butch has calmed down, having the green one to compete against has meant less fights I have to break up between you two, and I have to give it to the Blue one." He looked over at Boomer who was tapping his foot with a sneer on his face, "I mean Bubbles, she managed to help you out of a panic attack. So fine, you have your out. We're still brothers though."
"Well Duh, we will always be there for each other, but we wont always need each other we may need different people. Isn't it better to have more people willing to help us out? I mean come on we are all certainly less angry since the city has grown to like us."
"I get it Boomer! There's no need to rub it in, You're right okay?" Brick let out another groan to his brothers speech.
"Oh no I'm marking this day on a calendar, 'Brick said I was right.' I'm going to milk this." Boomer laughed as the two brothers walked back into their apartment arms over the others shoulder.
Butch had left earlier in the day after getting home from the hospital. The rain pounded against his green jacket as he trekked through the suburban area of Townsville. He had been walking for a while now, after flying out of the city he felt the urge to take his time getting to his destination. He found the view refreshingly different and challenging, having to trust his sense of direction where she lived instead of floating above and flying to the house, but eventually he found the modern square home sitting in its usual spot.
He felt a wave of discomfort as he sat at the door wondering if he should knock. He hadn't ever gone to someones place unannounced before, never had friends to do this before, so he was feeling out of place. Every scenario his mind played out only made him feel more and more foolish about being at that house uninvited. The anxiety had him shaking worse than the cold rain would have if he could feel it. He looked up at the three windows from the porch and remembered how much he enjoyed hanging out with Buttercup the day before, with a sigh and a shake of the head he forced his hand to the door bell.
He could hear the chime from inside and time almost froze as he waited for someone to answer. He almost hoped no one was home, but it was trampled on his desire to see his counterpart.
It was probably only a few seconds before the door opened, but felt like hours, and he was greeted by the sight of a middle aged woman with short black hair and blue eyes. He could feel his heart jump in fear that he got the wrong house, "Hello young man, What can I do for you?" She greeted with a warm smile.
"Is uhhhh, Is Buttercup here?" He asked fighting to keep his words to the point.
"Of course she is, come on in, come in." She urged as she practically pulled him inside out of the rain. After closing the door she called out to the stairs, "Buttercup! Butch is here to see you!"
"H-how do you know my name?"
"Oh please," She gave a small giggle, "You don't get to be a superintendent of a school by being naive. Who else in the whole city or world has such distinctive builds and features like you six."
"Right, dumb question sorry." He avoided eye contact as she let out another giggle.
"No such things, you had a question and you asked, never let yourself think that's dumb." She gave a small warm pat on his shoulders, "She'll be down any second, as for me I have a drink to finish." She said as she left him waiting by the stairs to go back to her cup of tea in the kitchen.
Time almost slowed down again before he could see Buttercup appearing from the top of the stairs. "Hey Butch, what brings you here?" She was dressed in Black jeans and a tight t shirt and the mascot to a classic metal band on the front. She also had eye liner and a natural colored lipstick that gave them a slight sheen. Lastly her hair was brushed and styled to a messy rocker look.
All anxiety he had vanished as he spoke to her, "Well, I'm up for the day, don't work until late tonight, and only have one friend, so I was hoping we could hang out or something." He couldn't help but smile at her from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yeah, I just gotta pick up some stuff for the lifeguard gig later, aloe and whatnot, so if you don't mind being my pack mule," She returned his smirk before as she spoke, "I'd love the company."
"I can handle it I'm sure, you wanna just head out then?" He asked motioning over his shoulder to the door.
She was about to tell him she needed to grab her jacket when Keanes voice rang out from the kitchen, "You know I actually had plans of heading to the store today, why don't I drive us all." Buttercup was about to protest before she kept going, "Before you say anything Buttercup, flying or not, it has to be better than braving the rains, so get your coat and lets go." She ordered passing her atop of the stairs to get herself ready.
"Wow, your mom doesn't take no for an answer does she?" Butch half laughed at the stunned face Buttercup was showing.
"You're fault for showing up drenched to the bone."
A few minutes later and they were pulling out of the garage and headed to the city, 80's pop was playing on the radio as Keane was humming and tapping the steering wheel to the rhythm. Buttercup was playing with the pull string on her green hoodie while she sat in front. Butch was in the back starring out the window fighting the temptation to draw on the foggy windows. All the while Keanes humming contradicted the awkward feeling in the air.
"So Butch, I understand you've had a different education. How has that been?" Keane asked eyeing the boy from the mirror.
"How did you know that?"
"She is the superintendent for the schools in the area." Buttercup replied, "So where did you do you schooling anyways?"
"Me and Boomer go to the jailhouse where they have some teachers learn us."
"What about Brick?" Buttercup asked.
"Oh Blossom didn't tell you?" Keane interjected, "He graduated just this year, he was a special note in the graduation ceremony." She said between hums.
"First I've heard of it, But that's not really my business." Buttercup replied before turning to Butch in the back seat, "So have you thought about regular school now that you lawless days are behind you?"
"I wouldn't even know how to go about that," He paused for a few seconds, "Though now that we all got a full pardon the jailhouse school might be closed off to me and Boomer, I'll have to ask a few people about that."
"Well let me know what you want," Keane said smiling to him through the mirror, "I can get you into a class once I know where you are in school."
"We just got caught up with our class apparently, we've spent every summer in class playing catch up until now."
"Nine years of school in five, that is impressive, but I implore you to look into schooling through the public."
"Yeah I agree with her, I could use a proper partner in class, someone I can punch without them breaking when I need to." She said slapping her fists together and smiling playfully.
The three of them continued talking throughout the car ride. Keane was practically interviewing the boy asking him all she could during the lengthy trip. The trip didn't feel as long as it was before pulling into the parking lot of the mall as she came to a stop. "I think here will do fine, If you need a ride home let me know." She said shifting to park. With a thanks Butch got out and quickly ran to the shelter above the door.
"So you're not gonna keep an eye on us or something?" Buttercup asked after Butches door closed.
"No, you're capable of being alone with a boy at your age." She responded almost flatly.
"I thought that was what you were planning when you insisted to drive us."
"Nope, I just didn't think you'd want to waste the hard work you did on your face and hair." She gave a small laugh and wink, "I know for a fact you had no makeup on and your hair was a wild mess before he knocked on the door, even if he couldn't tell I could." Buttercup wanted to protest to the implication, but she kept going. She handed her a few bills from her purse, "If you get hungry get something from the food court and call me if you need a ride. Now shoo, shoo. You friend is waiting."
Buttercup failed to hide her small smile as she quickly gave Keane a hug, "Thanks mom." Before she realized what she said Buttercup was out the door rushing to Butch under the shelter.
Keane couldn't help but smile to herself as her heart fluttered in her chest, "Mom. What do you know? I kinda like the sound of that." She said aloud before driving off to take care of her own errands.
Butch was waiting impatiently before the green puff raced to him holding her hood over her hair. "Sorry about that." She said as she touched down by him on dry land.
"Not a problem, your mom was pretty cool." He replied opening the door for them.
Buttercup was about to correct him, before remembering what she said in the car, denying it now felt somehow wrong. "Eh, she has her moments." She shrugged and stepped inside.
The mall itself was huge, containing everything from a sporting good store, theater, food court, about 50 shops, and included a small grocery store. Butch looked at the map wondering where exactly they were going.
"You know? Me and my brothers have avoided this place for so long, I don't think I've ever stepped inside."
"Why not? Just about anything you would ever need is here."
"We just felt so out of place here, this seems like the place that princess brat would shop, not three broke criminals." he said placing his hands behind his head as he walked.
"You three couldn't possibly have stolen everything in your life," She said rolling her eyes. "You had to have paid for something before we locked you up."
"Yeah we did, usually food, but nothing substantial. But even then the money was more or less stolen."
"It either is or isn't stolen, which is it."
"It was Bricks idea, whenever you three fought a monster Brick noticed the damage to many stores. So during your fights we would be watching and whenever a building got wrecked one of us would swoop in clear the register and swoop out. Maybe grab something from the store while there. Brick said most people would believe the cash to be scattered to the wind and would just use insurance to cover the loss." He finished by saying, "I think the only time one of us bought anything that wasn't food or a toy was when Brick bought a book."
"Yeah the nerd reads, everyone knows that."
"Everyone now yeah, but before we all got locked away we just barely could read. He doesn't know it but I followed him to a store just before Christmas. He bought some book and even had it wrapped." He laughed at the image in his head, "I remember I was about to ask why he had a book wrapped in bright pink paper, but with it being the busy season I lost him in the crowd. I still don't know what he did with it."
"I would have loved seeing the mighty ruff leader holding such a girly package, it would have been blackmail material for life."
"Oh god you know it. Everything has to be manly with us, but with him even the fruit he eats has to be bad ass and tough."
"How does one make fruit manly?" She asked holding back her laughter at the absurdity.
"He eats this red ball, I can't recall it's name right now, but inside it looks like it's filled with bloody teeth." he explained, "We found it in a weird part of the afterlife. I wouldn't call it a paradise but there was this bad ass castle in the midst of all these fields. We were about to eat it when he found us. Apparently had we eaten it we would be forced to stay." He let out a chuckle through his teeth, "Brick took it as a challenge and was about to eat it out of spite before being pulled by the lobster to his realm. He found it here in town one day and took to it. We all tried it, but it has a weird taste, bitter and sweet, soft and crunchy, not like anything else, so me and Boomer let him have it. We even use it to bribe him ever since."
"Sounds like a cheap bribe."
"Well, it's usually only available in winter, but sometimes we find it during summer. We would snag it, or more recently buy it, and it usually meant we did whatever we wanted that day."
They were passing the grocery store as he finished his story, and Buttercup looked through the glass windows to see a produce section, "Well if you can't remember it's name maybe we can find it in here." She said pulling him to the store.
"I guess, I don't think I want anything from him right now." He replied before something snapped together in his mind. Soon he was walking past her looking for it with determination.
The store had a vast selection of produce, but it seemed what he was looking for wasn't available. After 10 minutes of looking he was about to give up before Buttercup called his attention, "What about this thing?" She was holding a bright red ball with a small stem attached.
"Yes! That's it." He practically hopped to her.
"It's called a pomegranate ya dingus." She said handing him the fruit.
"I'll try and remember that." He responded as he walked to the checkout stands. The rest of the afternoon was spent going store to store finding everything Buttercup needed for her new job starting tomorrow. They relaxed and ate at the food court checked out the arcade, and was tempted to see a movie, but neither of them wanted to shell out the money. Butch, however, found new enjoyment in the afternoon knowing he had his out in his pocket.
A.N. Read and review please.