Afternoon Delight
Butch had been sweeping the floor since the store was dead. It hadn't been as busy as he thought it would be, and after the parade ended he hadn't seen a single customer for the last few hours. "At least the music is good today." He said as he tossed away the dirt from the pan. He walked up and down the aisle absentmindedly straightening out merchandise as he bobbed his head to the rhythm of the song playing.
He got lost to the music and was playing an air guitar when the door opened. The ring of the door didn't break him from his rockstar fantasy but the smell of chlorine shooting up his nose sure did. Dropping his imaginary instrument he walked out of the aisle to see what was causing the smell, and he saw Buttercup standing at the entrance dressed in a one piece red swimsuit with a white cross on the side and green shorts. "BC? Hey girl, whats up?"
Buttercup locked eyes with her friend and walked up to him and slammed her fist into his right arm. "What the hell was that for?" Butch asked rubbing the spot in his arm.
"You know you deserved it." She said with a hint of anger in her voice.
"Yeah I'm sure I did, but you just can't punch people on an assumption." He complained.
"Oh hush," She said before dropping her angry mood and wrapped her arms around butch in a tight hug, "You also deserve this."
"I'm not so sure about that, you're actin' weird Buttercup. Did you hit your head jumping into the shallow end or something?" He asked uncomfortably.
"Do you want me to hit you again?" She asked as she let him go.
"No, I'd rather have the hug personally." He said stepping back cautiously, "So do you always hit then hug your friends?"
"If I did, I wouldn't have any friends. You're the first to earn a certified hug from me." she said smirking.
"Well don't I feel honored, but next time I'll skip the punch, unless it's a boxing match." He said walking behind the counter.
"Don't give me any more reasons to punch you then." She said sitting on the counter.
"I don't even know what I did to earn that one. That had some heat to it." He griped.
"It's better that way," She said remembering Blossoms orders to act as if they know nothing. "So working hard today?"
"Barely, you're the first to show up for a few hours." He responded forgetting about the strike.
"Shouldn't that make it easy at least?" Buttercup asked.
"Of course you'd think that, such a lazy point of view. Not surprising from someone who's job it is sit in a chair all day."
Buttercup reached over and gave a much more playful punch in the other arm, "What did I say about making me hit you." She said with a huff, "I'm also teaching swim classes Saturday afternoons."
"And as I said, most people learn how to swim before they drown." he said pushing her away. "But anyways, busy days go by faster. An easy day makes the hours drag on."
"I just think you're impatient." She said with a snicker. "But I guess you got a point, sitting in that chair and just telling people not to run did feel longer than it probably should have."
"Well at least no one died, I have a feeling you'd let someone nearly drown just to make a point if they were rude to you earlier." He said.
"Do you want to be hit again is that why you say stuff like this?" She said jokingly while raising a mock fist.
"Tell me I'm wrong." He said crossing his arms and smirking at her.
"That would make me a liar." She said, "But I wouldn't let them drown."
"I said nearly drown, you'd save them." She was about to say thanks before he finished his sentence, "Eventually." She reached back over to punch him again, but he caught her fist and pushed her away again. "You're getting predictable BC." He said with a small chuckle.
"Whatever, so what are you doing the rest of the day?" She said crossing her arms and sitting back on the counter.
"No idea. I'd love to have some barbecue, but I don't have a grill." He said laying his cheek into his hand.
"I got one, I'll loan it to ya if you cook enough for me and my sisters." She said as she grabbed a cookie out of the jar sitting next to her.
"So you want me to feed you, your sisters, and me and my brothers?" He asked. "By the way those cookies aren't free."
She rolled her eyes as she fished her wallet out of a pocket in her shorts and threw a buck his way, "If I had my say Brick wouldn't see an ounce of the food cooked on my precious grill, but I bet he's a mandatory part of the package."
"Where'd that come from?" Butch asked as he put her money in the register.
"Just knowing my sister is hanging with your brother pisses me off."
"Why?"
"Do I need a reason, he's untrustworthy, and my sister should have no business hanging around someone like that." She said with venom in her voice.
"This feels like it's coming from a place beyond my brother beating you in a fight a few days ago." Butch replied with a slight tone of worry.
"Oh, it is. He's got this shifty look in his eyes, and my dad doesn't seem to trust him, and he trusted Mojo with superpowers once." Buttercup retorted with venom.
Butch looked at her and released a heavy sigh, "BC you wouldn't have trusted me less than a year ago. You were even happy when we were forced to fight at the diner, Remember?"
"Yeah, so what? This isn't the same." She mumbled.
"Yeah the difference being we have hung out already and bonded, and would you say you trust me now?"
"Well, yeah, But..." She started before Butch spoke over her.
"So just let your sisters good vibes naturally rub off on my brother and let him calm down his in his own way. He's a good guy deep down."
"It's not whether he's a good guy deep down or not, it's if that good guy is even worth finding." She said looking anywhere but at her friend.
"Oh, that's harsh." He said with a small smirk. "But wouldn't you prefer a Brick that learned how to mellow out and relax for a moment in time?"
"It's not as simple as that..." She started before he spoke over her again.
"Trust me, if Brick does something to hurt your sister, you have my permission to fuck his shit up, okay. He'll come around."
"Only if you promise me you'll help me if he gets out of control." She said with a stony expression.
Butch faltered for a second, he wasn't prepared yet to work against Brick. However, he truly felt Blossom might have already started softening his brother up. With a sigh he extended his arm, "If my bro gets out of hand I'll fight with you. I doubt that will happen."
She in turn smiled and clasped his hand, "So then, what do you know cook on a grill?"
The conflicted feeling left Butch as the duo continued making plans on what to cook later that night. Even when they came to a decision for brats and burgers Buttercup ended hanging out with Butch until he was off work.
Meanwhile a little ways away Bubbles was smiling down at the little girl she just painted a florescent pink butterfly on her left cheek. She was holding a mirror allowing the girl to admire her work as she spoke, "I think that just looks adorable."
"It looks so cool!" The little girl gushed, "Thank you!"
Bubbles gave a small giggle, "Just be sure it won't fly off when you go visit the butterfly sanctuary."
The girls mom smiled as she handed Bubbles a few extra dollars for a tip and took her still gushing daughter away to see the rest of the zoo. Bubbles watched them leave, being the last child in the line before her break, and with a contented sigh went to clean her brushes. She volunteered for this and brought all her own supplies, so she made sure to clean all of her brushes during down time. She felt a joy in being appreciated for something beyond being a super hero, and it showed whenever a kid wouldn't stop complimenting her work, even if she had to get creative with dwindling face paint.
She collected her equipment in a bag and went on her lunch break. She swung the bag over her shoulder and decided to go find Boomer to see if he would go with her to the store to get more face paints. She never actually knew what Boomer was doing today, but didn't think she'd have a lick of trouble finding him.
She had been walking for a few minutes, and was considering flying up to see if she could spot him before she heard a small crowd of kids applauding. Boomers deep voice cut through the applause as he thanked the apparent audience he had and Bubbles walked a bit faster to see what was going on.
She turned the corner and was greeted to a sight of Boomer surrounded by a bunch of kids yelling out animals. "Calm down I can't make out what anyone is saying." He said with a bright smile on his face.
"Do a wolf!" one kid yelled.
"No, he just did that! Do the rattlesnake!" Another screamed.
"I did that one already," Boomer said looking down at the kids, "What about you? You've been quiet." He said pointing to a small child in the front of his little group.
"Ummmm what about a lion?" the small voice of a little girl responded.
"Now that one's a bit of a challenge," He said, but looking up he saw Bubbles and resisted giving her a small wave. "That'll be my last one." The kids gave a small moan of protest, but Boomer held up his hands, "Hey, come one kids. I'm hungry. So one more roar and we'll call it good, okay?" the kids seemed to accept that and Boomer smiled and gave a small cough. Bubbles tilted her head wondering what he was about to do, but didn't have to wait long as a realistic lions roar escaped Boomer's mouth making the kids yell with both fright and excitement. He gave a small bow as the kids clapped and spoke, "Thank you, thank you. Now go see the actual animals we've got here and maybe you'll be able to tell me if I did any good." He said waving the kids away as he walked to Bubbles.
"So putting on a show?" She said greeting him before giving him a small hug, which he gladly returned.
"I was supposed to be on litter duty, but this little boy was crying and calling out for his mommy," He informed as he followed her lead away, "I couldn't get him to calm down, so I started making monkey noises. Then before I knew it I small cluster of children showed up asking me to do more animal sounds."
"So did the kid's mom ever show up?"
"I think she was his older sister or something. I couldn't exactly confirm." He said before changing the topic, "So how is the face painting going?"
"Good, although it would seem every boy wants tiger stripes, I've just about run out of orange, so I was going to head off to grab some more. I was hoping my friend would accompany me." She said.
He had no hesitation agreeing to going with her as they made their way to the closest art store. Touching down he looked up at the sign, "Why here? Wouldn't a door-mart have what you need?"
"They don't have the best quality of art supplies. I only accept the best." She said with a hand on her heart.
"I guess that makes sense. So am I going to carry all of these?" He asked as he followed her into the store.
"You don't have to."
"I wouldn't mind." he said.
"Well, I'll consider taking you up on that." She said with a curt smile.
"So what's the rest of your family doing today?"
"Oh the professor and Keane are going to a barbecue at this cabin Keanes parents own."
"I'm curious, why do you call her Keane? Is she not your mom?"
"Well I'm hoping she will be in the future, but no. Just the Professors girlfriend." She said browsing through face paint. "As for my dad, I guess it's habit to just call him the professor. Saying mom and dad might feel weird after so long." She grabbed a few bottles of paint and looked at him, "What about you? Do you call Mojo dad or HIM anything like that?"
"Oh no. oh god no. no. no. no." He said waving his arms with every word. "Mojo and HIM stopped raising us after a fathers day like, 9 years ago." He held his hand to his chin, "Hell they never even tried to get us out when locked away, so I don't have a dad. I have an older Brother."
"What about that Langston person?" She said noticing a glint of sadness in his eyes.
"He would be the closest person to a dad." he replied crossing his arms and looking down, "I just saw him in the hospital yesterday."
"Oh no! What was he doing there?" she said with worry in her voice.
"Apparently he was in a fire, and Brick and Blossom saved him." He said, "I have to thank Blossom for that."
"Was it serious?"
"He'll be fine, just lost a leg from the knee down." He said.
"doesn't sound fine."
"He isn't dead, and that's all I care about." He said giving a sad smile. "But as much as I like the guy, and think he is like a dad to me, he just used to be my probation officer. Calling him dad, would frighten me. I can't explain it, but if I think if I called him dad, he would have to go away."
"In a weird way I wish I could understand that, but I'm also glad I don't." She said placing a hand on his shoulder.
"We can't help what we're born with, only control how we act with them." He said lightly grabbing her hand. "Langston would always tell me that in our sessions, and for what it's worth I'm glad you have a dad." He let go of her hand and grabbed a few item from her arms. "Anyways," He said forcing a topic change, "I think I said I would carry some things for you. We can't stand here all day and give me a therapy lesson."
Her mood changed with his smile and they collected everything she needed. As they flew she looked behind her to see him carrying everything, he insisted upon it after all, and noticed how the afternoon sun shined brightly in his eyes and felt a flutter in her heart.
She always thought he was cute, but that was new. He smiled at her and she felt her face grow warm against the wind of the air as they sped back to the zoo. Landing back down he still insisted carrying everything and his smile made her stomach do another flip.
Setting everything down at her little stand he looked at her and spoke, "You know I don't know if my brothers got any plans, but I would like to spend the night with you."
"The whole night? Wow Boomie we're not even dating yet." She said with a giggle.
"I meant, you know, after work until after the fireworks. Me and My brothers apartment roof should have a good view of the show after all." He said as he scratched the back of his head. "Wait, what do you mean yet?"
She held her hand over her mouth as she giggled, "I mean yet, and for the record." She pulled him into a hug and whispered in his ear, "I would very much like it if we were." She gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Just for the record." She said with a wink.
"I uh, I need to..." Boomer tried to say though his stammering.
"Are you saying you need to get back to work?" She asked, and he just nodded slowly. "Are you also saying you would like to talk about us being together later?" Again he nodded. "And you're tongue tied because your brain fried from happiness?"
"Okay Bubbles get out of my head." He said his face turning red as he looked away.
"I'll look forward to us talking after work." She said waving as he slowly retreated nearly tripping over himself since he refused to take his eyes off of her.
Boomer kept walking backwards until he felt a wall at his back. Bubbles had also maintained eye contact until the crowd hid each other from view. As Boomer gently connected to the wall he was able to collect his thoughts and an unbreakable smile forced itself upon his face. He was almost hopping in place from giddiness, and to top it off any guilt he felt only days ago was no where to be found within his heart.
The only problem he had now was the fact time seemed to stand still as he continued working through his shift. He felt like he could have aged 10 times before 2 O'clock finally arrived. Even the Loudspeakers announcing the closing of the zoo seemed like it took ages to complete.
Boomer was escorting people out of the zoo waving the kids away with a smile when he heard a voice behind him. "Well, the entire zoo is vacated, and people reported a blue and yellow blur collecting trash in the park. What's got you so excited?" Boomer turned around and saw Allen standing behind him with a friendly smile on his face.
"People actually described me as a blur?"
"Various people. Mostly concerned parents, but if I had a nickel for every parent with an inane complaint I'd never need funding to keep this park open again." He said with a chuckle. "So what turned my favorite worker into a literal blur?"
"I, uh, just got some plans after work."
"Let me guess something to do with a blond girl with long pigtails and pretty blue eyes." He said with a knowing smirk.
"That obvious?" Boomer said with a nervous smile.
"Well, yes. You have made doe eyed looks at her since her orientation, plus you're rarely apart.
"Is it some sort of problem?" Boomer asked.
"Well, maybe if it didn't turn you into a cleaning blur, making my park cleaner, faster than anyone else, and letting everyone else leave early, but it did so no problem here." He said with another chuckle. "If I were you, I'd take your extra free time to do something, maybe like getting her flowers or something," He said turning around, "I don't know just an idea." He said with a shrug before calling out with a small hand wave as he continued to walk away, "Happy fourth of July."
Boomer wasted no time before he shot into the sky looking for a place that might have some flowers he could, appropriate. He was soaring over the city park when he saw an extensive flower garden feature. He touched down lightly and looked through the flowers for what he thought to be the prettiest bunch, and soon had a small bouquet of a few lilies, hibiscus and daffodils. He grabbed the bottoms and snapped off any unsightly roots and took back to the skies.
Bubbles had been waiting by the exit gate with a lump of anxiety in her throat. She meant what she said earlier, but couldn't stop wondering if she scared him off since he hadn't been seen since the park locked the gates. Her worry melted away as Boomer landed next to her giving her a small start.
"Umm, hey Bubbles." He said almost sheepishly.
"Boomer! There you are!" She said wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him into a tight hug. As she let him go Boomer tried to speak, but words seemed to fail him. So he extended his arm to reveal his attempt at a bouquet. Bubbles looked down and saw a bunch flowers freshly crushed and missing petals. "Aww, did you try to get me flowers?"
Confused by the word try he looked down to see the flowers had been destroyed effectively from his high flight speed and the pressure from her hug. "I, I really did try." He said sadness filling his voice. "Please don't be mad."
Seeing the disappointment in his eyes grow she lightly grabbed the least damaged flower, a daffodil, and lightly kissed his cheek. "I would never be mad silly, it's always the thought that counts." She said placing the small flower in her left hair tie, blending the flower in almost perfectly with her own hair, "I just wish I didn't do my part in crushing them." She said with a giggle, "So how does it look?"
"Hmmm, I think it blends in a little too well." He said with a small smirk looking behind her. He moved his hand behind her and grabbed a blue balloon ribbon that was tied to the gate behind her. Ripping it off the gate, and ripping the ribbon again to let the balloon fly free, he held it out to her, "May I?"
She gave a small giggle and lowered her head allowing him access to her pigtail. She noticed Boomers tongue sticking out slightly as he tied the ribbon around the stem of the flower.
When he was done she pulled her phone out and activated the camera to look at his handy work. It wasn't elegant but it flowed from a rudimentary bow down cascading with her long pigtail ending just above her shoulder. "Well, it isn't what I would normally use," She said curtly putting her phone back in her purse, "but I cant deny how much I love it. Thanks Boomie!" She said wrapping her arms around him and pulling him against herself.
"I can feel my face turning as red as Bricks cap, Bubbles." He said with a nervous, but happy chuckle.
"So... about our earlier talk." She started pulling away but keeping his hand in hers. "You know about, us, being together."
"I don't know what to say honestly, I really want to be yours."
"And I want to be yours." She said with a giggle, "so what else needs to be said?"
Boomer opened his mouth, as if to speak, but no words came out. He looked like he was struggling in his mind to find the words, but shook his head, "I guess nothing. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"I have never, obviously, gotten to be with someone before, but I've read about it in a lot of my comics, It always feels so grand, meaningful and important, but this just feels..." He scratched the back of his head as he tried to find the word, "Normal."
"Well isn't normal good?" she asked keeping her smile.
"I never said it wasn't." He defended.
"The one thing I think I know, the thing I know more than my sisters do, is not every important moment feels like it should." She said moving her arm back and forth with his, "The true weight of the moments comes from the memories and happiness formed after the moment. I want you and you want me, let's just keep it simple and let the moment build itself over time." She finished talking by pulling him closer to her and resting her head on his shoulder as they walked.
He felt the hot color leaving his cheek, but his heart kept a hard steady beat. "So then, were together?"
"As far as I'm concerned we've been together since lunch." She said keeping her head on his shoulder.
"Keep it simple... huh." He thought to himself. "I can do that."
"So, where are we headed then?"
"I think the best place to watch the fireworks tonight is my rooftop, beyond that I'm in no hurry to go anywhere."
"Well we've got quite a while before that." She said as the pair continued walking down the sidewalk. Hand in hand and her head remaining on his shoulder.
A few hours later back in the suburbs Butch and Buttercup were in the Utonium household looking through the pantry. "BC, What am I looking for?" Butch yelled as his Buttercup put her cooking tools in a bag. She had changed into more casual clothes and was now wearing a green crop top with blue shorts just cut above her knee, and a pair of sandal she threw on.
"Big bags, they look like their made of foil." Buttercup called back as she placed a few blankets from family picnics in her bag and the bag over her shoulder.
Butch saw the bags on the bottom shelf and collected them, "Whats so special about these?"
"They just keep food cool," She responded opening the fridge and pulling out a few packages of steaks, chicken, and burgers. "If we are cooking at your house I need to be sure they won't spoil."
"Where are your folks? Aren't they going to want some of that?" Butch asked as Buttercup loaded the food into the bags he was holding.
"They're at some picnic for moms work. They'll be out at some lake most of the day." She said as she clipped the bags shut. "If there are leftovers they can have that." She said strapping the bags to her back. "Now if you'll grab my grill from the back we can head off." She said leading him through the back door, locking it as they went through.
Butch grabbed the legs of the grill and lifted it easily. "You sure you don't want me carrying any of the food?"
"I barely trust you to carry the grill, if you dropped any of the food, you'd be a dead man." She said smiling with a sinister look in her eyes. "Drop the grill, and you will be maimed."
"Yes ma'am." Butch said increasing his grip and the two flew off into the sky.
The flight into the city wasn't long, but something caught Buttercups eye as they flew over. Boomer and Bubbles were on the sidewalk walking down the street. They both had an ice cream cone in one hand, and the other hands were locked together.
"Hey lovebirds." Buttercup said touching down.
"Oh hi Buttercup." Bubbles said without letting Boomer go, "What are you two doing here?" She asked noticing the bags her sister was carrying.
"Me and Butch were gonna do some grilling at their place." She replied. "Didn't you get my text?"
"Nuh uh." Bubbles replied shaking her head with the words.
"What about you?" Buttercup asked, "What are you two doing?"
"Me and Bubbles were heading to our place to watch the fireworks." Boomer said.
"You haven't spoiled your appetite though, right Boom Boom?" Butch asked as he dropped to the ground behind Buttercup. He was looking at the overly decorated ice cream in his brothers hand. Covered in sprinkles, chocolate and a cherry.
"Not even possible." Boomer said smirking at his brother as he took a big bite crunching through the frozen chocolate.
"Good to hear, My sister would be insulted if you didn't eat something she cooked." Bubbles said smiling at the three of them.
"Help me carry some of this?" Buttercup asked handing a bag to Bubbles.
"Sure." Bubbles said letting go of Boomers hand, and grabbing the bag.
Boomer was about to put his hand in his pocket before Buttercup handed him a bag, "You aren't gonna make the three of us, Bubbles included, without carrying something yourself?"
Boomers face reddened a bit across the nose, "Of course not." He said fumbling the bag in his hand.
The four of them walked the few blocks left until the apartment building came into view. They all floated to the top and placed the grill in the corner of the stone roof.
They kept talking as they moved to the fire escape that lead to to the living room window. Butch slid the window open with a loud clang as it hit the top. The four of them looked inside and saw Blossom and Brick on the couch sitting unnaturally far apart.
"Hey Bro, interruptin' something?" Butch asked with a small sly smile.
A.N read and review would you kindly