"You're joking..." Boomer scoffed as Blossom entered the kitchen, greeted by the delicious smell of sizzling bacon. "He's still sleeping?"
She nodded as she took a seat at the counter. "And I wouldn't be surprised if he slept for another two hours."
"Typical!" Butch called from the living room, which was pretty much his second bedroom.
"What could've possibly tired him out that much?" Boomer muttered before turning to the stove. Blossom smiled to herself, thinking of her and Brick's conversation the day before. He was so relaxed and happy, the unusual feelings were probably draining for him. She almost giggled out loud picturing his glittering red eyes, alight with curiosity as she had told him stories from her childhood. Sure, they spent most of the day discussing her life rather than his, which she was most intrigued about, but it was still progress. They were learning about each other and hopefully that would help their relationship be more comfortable and empathetic. She was going to have to live with him for the rest of her life after all, she would prefer to live it with a happy Brick over an angry one.
"How do you like your eggs?" Boomer asked her.
"Scrambled is fine." She tilted her head to get a better view of what Boomer was doing at the stove.
"Don't worry I'm not going to poison you." He glanced over his shoulder to give her a smile but his voice was serious.
"Sorry..." She apologized quietly, sitting back in her chair.
He paused and turned off the stove. He walked over to the counter. "I was wrong about you." He spoke, not looking her in the eye. "I thought when you came here that you were going to plan something and get us all killed. I didn't like the idea of living with a puff because I was dumb enough to believe that since you guys are good and we're evil that that means we can't get along. I guess it took you saving Brick for me to realize that you aren't so bad."
She frowned. "You guys really were raised to see the bad in everything..."
Boomer shrugged sadly. "Mojo made us to destroy you. Him resurrected us to take over the world. You puffs hated us just like we hated you and held us up to our villain status. The world hates us and sees us as childish, destructive assholes. So how could we find any good anywhere and how could we change who we were created to be?"
She shook her head. "You were right to believe that good and evil can't get along. But you guys aren't evil." Boomer stared at her in disbelief. She smiled. "You aren't the only one who sees the bad in everything. My sisters and I are heroes, our duty lies in stopping villains, so naturally we're cautious of everyone and try to find evil. But over the past years I've learned that looking for the good is much more efficient. Criminals stand out, I don't need to search for them. But in this day and age, good people are lacking and finding them is more difficult than finding villains." She nodded at him. "By focusing on the positive, I found the good in three people who I once saw as villains."
The blue ruff blinked, "Who?"
She held back a snicker and instead smiled at him. "You."
He furrowed his brows. "But how can you see us as good?"
"Because I've gotten to know you." She stated simply.
"What about how we destroyed that city and those museums?" He asked
"My sisters and I destroyed Townsville when we were first created." She said. "We've destroyed plenty of other things. Whether it be intentional or an accident."
"But we've stolen stuff."
She smirked. "So have I."
"We've hurt people."
"My sisters and I hurt criminals every day."
"I tried to kill you."
She shrugged. "You thought I was trying to kill you."
"We almost killed your sisters."
"You also saved them." She stated.
He blinked, mouth hanging open in awe. "But-"
"Boomer, we all make mistakes. It's whether we try to redeem ourselves or not that defines whether we're good or bad. Everyone deserves a second chance." She glanced at Butch who was intently focused on his video games. "You and your brother were just following orders."
"What about Brick?" He asked.
She sighed sadly. "That's a difficult one."
"Why?"
"Because although he was created to cause destruction just like you and Butch, he was forced to be the leader of you guys and was therefore more strictly held to the status of a villain. Just like Butch said, he has a big ego and he can't show any weakness."
Boomer frowned. "So you're saying he's bad but me and Butch aren't?"
She shook her head. "No, what I'm saying is that Brick has been pushed harder to remain evil and destroy me. Yet at the same time he killed Him and was no longer in contact with Mojo, so he was finally on his own and could decide what he wanted to do, who he wanted to be. And yet he still decided to attempt to kill my sisters and take me. I'm not saying he's bad, but his progress has been slower, because it's harder for him."
"But now you're helping him." Boomer stated. "And ever since that night you guys went out on a date or whatever it is you did..." He tapped his chin. "Oh right, the night Brick killed Him. Well ever since then he hasn't had me or Butch do anything. None of us have stolen or caused destruction or hurt anyone."
It was her turn to be surprised. She blinked. "Really?"
He nodded. "Yeah and when you first got here, Brick gave us orders to never let you leave and to kill anyone who came near the mansion, especially if they were your sisters."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"But he hasn't said anything about that since Him died. It's like you opened his eyes or something that night." He snapped his fingers. "That's it! That's when he fell in love with you!"
She chuckled. "Boomer, Brick's not in love with me. Mojo just said that he's falling in love, which means catching feelings. He doesn't actually love me."
"Not yet." He murmured.
She shook her head. "Let's hope not ever."
He frowned and looked straight at her, placing his hands on the counter and sighing. "You're good for him, you know that? You're the best influence he's ever had and ever will have. He's never changed this much in such a short amount of time. He's never come this close to being a good person. With you around, he has the potential to abandon evil forever. We all do. You're helping us all. You may still see him as your enemy but he has feelings for you and I can tell you as his brother that those feelings are more than a childish crush. You saved his life when you didn't have to. Regardless of your motives, you care about him and that's partly why you helped, you can't deny that."
She bit her lip at his words.
"You guys are so alike and know each other like the back of your hands. You're good for each other, you bring out the best in one another. So why are you denying him?" Boomer questioned.
"I'd like to know the answer to that, too."
Both teens jumped and Blossom spun around. Brick was standing in the kitchen, seemingly amused by the exchange.
"Brick?" Blossom's face went red but Boomer only smirked. The red ruff went to stand beside Blossom and rest an arm on the back of her chair. He leaned closer to her.
"Blossom." He greeted her and glanced at his brother. "So you guys are getting along now?"
Boomer shrugged. "For the most part." And he returned to his cooking.
Blossom hid her face in her hands, hot with embarrassment. Brick gently pulled her hands away from her face and lifted her chin. He raised an eyebrow at her flushed cheeks. "Are you having another allergic reaction?"
She turned even more red and tried to swat him away but he captured her wrists and gave her a look so intimate that she slightly shivered. Fortunately, Boomer was paying no attention to them.
"I haven't eaten yet." She huffed once he released her.
"No? Well I'm starving." He took a seat and continued to watch her, even as he spoke to Boomer. "What're you making?"
"Eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns..." He turned to Blossom. "Are you allergic to any of those?"
"Eh, she probably needs you to tell her what's in them." Brick responded.
The pink puff glared. "I know what's in bacon."
"What about hash browns?" Her counterpart questioned.
"There's potatoes in that." Boomer informed her.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm aware, thank you. And no, I'm not allergic to anything besides seafood."
Boomer casually continued to cook, chuckling to himself, which only further irritated Blossom.
"After breakfast I have something to talk to you about." Brick muttered to his counterpart. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, curious of what they could possibly have to talk about, but even more curious of why he couldn't tell her right now. But she shrugged it off for the time being and chose to enjoy a nice breakfast with her new roommates.
The sky was a pale blue with mixtures of pink and orange left behind by the rising sun. The air was fresh, filled with scents of pine trees and grass, flowers and dirt. Sweet songs trickled through the woods, sang by birds who fluttered from tree to tree. Below them, rodents scurried over the ground. Everything was at peace. Everything except for a particular red eyed boy. Blossom tilted her head to the side to survey Brick, his handsome features turned away from her and facing the woods. She followed his gaze and saw what he was so interested in. There was a tree that she hadn't noticed until now, planted in the center of the yard, and it had sprouted thousands of delicate pink flowers that would soon grow into apples. She strode over to it, admiring the beautiful flowers. Each petal was a soft amaranth hue, the inner corolla flecked with white. The blossoms had just recently sprouted, or else they would be all white. She frowned. Wouldn't she have noticed a tree such as this before?
"Do you like it?"
She jumped slightly and turned to Brick. He gazed down at her with soft red eyes.
"I saw it while I was out one day."
She blinked. "Out? When did you leave the house?"
He chuckled. "You don't got a radar on me, pinky." He pushed a strand of hair away from her face and let his fingers linger on her jaw, only pulling away to reach towards the tree. She watched as he gingerly plucked off one of the flowers and slipped it behind her ear. The intimate gesture made her cheeks flush. "I decided to replant it here because...well," His eyes swept over her own. "Because even when you're gone, I want to have something to remind me of you."
She opened her mouth but no words came out, instead she was taken by surprise as Brick clutched her hand in his own and brought it to his lips. A light shiver rippled through her spine. His skin was hot against her own.
"I think what's become clear over the past few weeks is that I'm not a great guy." He kept hold of her hand. "But I am trying and the only way for me to get better is if you help me. Hell, look at how much you've done for me already. I know it's crazy of me to ask for more yet I just can't find the will to let you go...not now." He shook his head. "Maybe not ever."
She winced, her stomach sinking. But she had already come to terms with staying with Brick forever. Her expectations were all that held back the hope that threatened to burst from her heart. She wanted to hope for the impossible, to be released and free to return to her sisters. But she wasn't an idiot. Her emotions could not outweigh her logic. She knew from the beginning that this was how it would be. And she sealed the deal by saving his life.
He bit the inside of his cheek and she could tell that he was nervous. "But that doesn't mean you have to be trapped here."
She frowned. "Brick?"
His hand was becoming clammy. She put her other hand to his forehead but he wasn't heating up. He laughed at her concern. "It's okay, pinky, I'm not dying." His eyes twinkled and her heart fluttered at his next words. "You're the first person besides my brothers to ever care about me though...and maybe that's why I love you."
"L-love?" She stuttered out. Her face was the color of his hat and she tried to cover it with her hand. Had she heard him right? No, no she couldn't have. He wasn't in love, he was a ruff, he-he couldn't. Her heart was pounding, beating against her chest in arrhythmic pulses. She didn't know what to think. What to say. Mojo had said that he was falling in love, this couldn't be. Her chest ached but she couldn't decipher whether it was a good pain or a bad pain. All she knew was that something was amiss. Something about Brick...wasn't right.
"Bloss-" He reached for her but she stepped back, eyes wide with fear.
"Brick, no." His eyes flashed with hurt and her chest ached even worse, this time, however, it was not a good pain. 'Oh god.' She covered her mouth.
"Okay." He held his hands up in a form of surrender, assuring her that he wouldn't touch her. "Okay. I don't want you to be afraid." He waited for her to relax.
She tried to regain her composure, reminding herself that it was just Brick, it would be okay. At least let him explain. So she gave him a nod and he continued.
"I just wanted to tell you that I've made up my mind." She met his eyes, holding her breath at his serious expression. "I'm not holding you hostage anymore, you can see your sisters."