Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of the Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z anime.

The storyline and any OCs are my ONLY property.

This merely serves as entertainment for the viewers!

(Warning: This story is rated T; it contains violence, vulgar language, and minor suggestive adult themes. Read at your own risk.)

Narrator/Third Person's P.O.V.

In the small hours of the day, the sky was a midnight blue as the soft hooting of the owls and cricket noises were drowned by the silence. Lights were out and many were already sleeping peacefully. But at nearly 10 PM, crimson red eyes fluttered open as the dull sound and bright light of the TV filled the room.

With squinted eyes, Brick began looking around, barely making out the clock that read the time. It was about to be sunrise in a few more hours. And this, unfortunately, meant that he'd be back to work until he was at the brink of insanity.

Turning on his backside, he scratched his eyes momentarily. Opening them once more, wider than before, he was taken aback as he saw half-lidded scarlet red eyes looking back at him.

"Got some much-needed rest?" Bloom whispered, letting out a small yawn afterward.

"You're still awake?"

"No, I woke up at about the same time as you." She answered. "I'm a very light sleeper."

"I see, sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

She chuckled, lightly playing with his hair. "It's okay, I couldn't sleep anyway."

Getting up slowly, Brick's feet hit the floor as he ruffles his dark red hair. Pushing his hair back, he leaned back against the couch and looked at her. "What do you expect? I doubt that sleeping on the couch sitting upright feels comfortable."

"If my memory is correct, you pretty much slept in the same position at least twice a week." She commented, teasingly smiling at him.

"I can't help it." He replied. "When work starts to pile on, sleep is not an option."

"How come all of you are carrying this burden?" She asked, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "I heard from Sedusa that you barely eat anything ever since you started working your ass off."

He chuckled, albeit seeming a bit sarcastic. "So you're concerned about me, huh?"

"Of course I am, what do you think?"

Brick's eyes widened, shocked to see the serious expression on her face that accompanied her answer. She squeezed his shoulder slightly, her eyes looking up at him in worry. "ばか (Dummy), don't stress yourself too much, stop making me worry."

He brought up a hand to her face, gently pushing aside her hair. His hand then rested on her neck as he leaned in closer to her. The feeling of his hand on her sensitive neck made her shiver; it wasn't threatening like before.

It was warm, gentle, loving.

As she looked him in the eyes, she couldn't help but feel giddy and nervous at the same time. In the dim room, his features only illuminated by the faint light of the TV, she couldn't help but bask in his beauty.

God, why did he have to be like this, she thought. His lips curled into a smile, and she got a glimpse of that adorable dimple of his. Where was that annoying brat five years ago? The way Brick was now, she couldn't help but feel more and more attracted to him.

He then came closer, closing her eyes in anticipation. Then, she felt something soft on her forehead. Slowly opening her eyes, her chest began to feel hot as he kissed her fondly.

As his lips let go, Brick held her chin, making her look up at him. "Sorry." He whispered, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I won't make you worry anymore."

Bloom gasped, the soft sound being muffled by his clothes. She wrapped her arms around him. Her dainty hands clung to his jacket as if their closeness wasn't enough for her.

She felt tears forming in her eyes; it was all so sudden. With him this close to her, it made her feel a whirlwind of emotions.

What was making her heartache? Why did she feel so relieved, so happy? How come her whole being lit up like a flame at such a simple sentence?

She already knew the answer.

He was her answer.

"I care about you…" She whispered, her tears falling. 'And now I'm starting to…'

"I do too." He answered, nuzzling his face against her soft auburn locks. "I don't want to hurt you anymore."

She didn't answer, her sobs only growing louder. I don't want to either, she wanted to say, but she can't bring herself to lie to him anymore. She broke her own walls and has given in to him.

Brick Jojo, of all people, was the last person she wanted to hurt right now.

'I'll save you.' She thought to herself, burying her face deeper into his chest. 'All of you… We'll save you…'

It was already 8:00 AM, and Bloom found herself lying on her bed whilst staring at the bright white wall. Time seemed to pass slowly as she didn't feel an ounce of tiredness. She couldn't sleep ever since Brick left to do work again, and she has been driving herself to the point of madness as her thoughts kept running around and around.

"Why…" She whispered, her nails digging into the pillowcase. "Why did I have to…"

She sighed, the pain in her heart making the tears fall again. "…like you too."

Bloom held the pillow close to her chest, sobbing into it. This wasn't the plan, this wasn't supposed to happen at all. But here she was, crying for a guy that she wasn't supposed to like, or even be friends with. Her heart fucked up again and fell for someone that she had to… had to…

God, she couldn't even think about that. If she did, it's going to make things harder than it already is.

Was this how Miyako felt when she found out she liked Boomer, Bloom thought to herself. This confusion, this pain, how was she dealing with it? How was she going to interact with Brick now?

How will everything end once the truth is out?

Sitting up, she leaned her body against the wall, her head in her hands. She wants to ignore this feeling, to just suck it up until everything clears out. But he just had to go and say those words to her.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore."

That small glimmer of hope was stopping her from doing the only rational thing to do, which was to push these feelings aside and forget about him. Those words were just tying her heart to him even more. It was tying every bit of her to him.

Leaning her head against the wall, letting out a big sigh, she tucked the stray strands of hair behind her hair. Quickly, she headed to her bathroom. Cold water hit her pale face. Looking up at the mirror, she quickly began to fix herself.

As the small towel that she held left her face, her compact began to beep. Answering the call, she held the device to her ear.

"Professor, good morning."

"Good morning, dear, I hope I didn't wake you up?" He said on the other line. "You sound tired."

"No, it's okay I'm fine, what have you got for me, Professor?"

"We were able to find and decode another passage from the one that Kaoru had sent us, will it be of help to your investigation?"

"Anything is helpful right now." She answered. "We haven't been moving for a while, it's hard to do so with the agents working all over the place. If we want to strike, we have to be sure of what we're dealing with. The stone lead is the only thing we're holding unto right now."

"I see. I'm still coordinating with your colleagues in order for us to truly complete the stories of the stones. Rest assured that they still don't know anything about your mission and are safe."

"Thank you so much for this, Professor." Bloom said, "We'll do everything we can… I promise."

"Okay then, here's what we've found so far: The Sun God's blessing, the Jackal God's stone. Exploited by the unknowing, punished to atone. Appease his fury. Sacred ceremony."

"Ceremony?"

"I'll be honest, I was willing to give up on this stone and rule it out, but that last line seems odd, out of place."

"It is, from what Miyako told us before, I don't recall anything about a ceremony."

"Although, if what Kaoru learned from that agent about having multiple pieces of the stone, then the diamond of the samurai warrior is our best lead right now." The Professor said, "We've also been working on researching that stone first, but right now we haven't come up with anything."

"I'm not sure if we can rule out any of the three options right now, even with that lead." Bloom replied. "However, the diamond should be on top of the priority list when it comes to gathering information. We'll try to do our part too, thanks for the update, Professor."

"No problem, shall I leave you to it then?"

"Wait, Professor, I actually have something else to tell you."

"What is it, dear?"

"That day… when I found that thing…" She started, her voice becoming quieter. "What I said to you that day… Do you still believe me?"

A brief moment of silence passed, "Of course." He reassured her. "However, you mustn't show it to anyone until we can truly confirm anything."

"Yeah, I know." She said, sighing. "I also kind of have been meaning to ask you… if there is a possibility that the R.I.D. could be… given any leniency?"

"What do you mean, Momoko?"

Bloom took in a deep breath. "Being in this place… we've learned more about the people here than we ever did chasing after them for the past few years. Listening to the stories we've heard and people we've talked to, there are so many broken people here who are just… struggling and doing whatever it takes to get by.

Knowing that we've somehow failed them… it kind of hurts, you know? You feel this pang of guilt and regret, wondering how these people would've turned out if the system didn't fail them, if we could've paid attention more and maybe taken the time to understand them more.

Can we really blame them for joining this organization if it was all they had left? That's why we were thinking that if we could just… talk to somebody in authority, even within LUX to just help them, then maybe it'd be a more viable solution of bringing down the organization once and for all. Maybe there's still hope for change."

"Momoko…" The Professor said in a whisper. "…I'll see what I can do."

Bloom smiled softly. "I remember what you said years back…" She started, "That no one is inherently evil, and that no one is inconvincible. Just like how a villain can be changed to do good, that applies to a hero who can throw away all of his virtues in the blink of an eye."

The Professor chuckled on the other end. "I also remember all three of you aiming to be a hero for all… It's nice to see that that hasn't changed."

She chuckled, half-lidded eyes following her hand as she glided it across the surface of the marble sink. "I'll talk to you later this week then, Professor, please stay safe."

"Likewise, my dear. Tell Kaoru and Miyako that I said hi as well."

"I will… goodbye."

Putting the compact back in her belt, Bloom went back to her bed. As she laid down, she could finally feel her eyes getting tired. But as her eyelids began to droop down, a sudden, yet familiar pain shot through her body.

Sitting up, she clutched at her abdomen as her eyes squinted hard.

As realization enveloped her, Bloom couldn't help but moan in frustration.

"Of course it just had to come at this time…"

Bright's P.O.V.

"おねえちゃん! (Big sister!)" A young boy said, flashing a smile at me. He then quickly ran towards a much older girl's arms, hugging her tight.

"You little runt, I was looking all over for you." The girl said, ruffling his hair. She then lifted her head up to look at me. "Thank you so much, he still tends to get lost in the hallways sometimes."

"Oh, is that why? I have to say I was a bit shocked when I found little Shinji."

"I do hope he wasn't a burden to you? He can get a little overwhelmed when he's all alone."

"No, of course not, I'm just happy to help." I replied, returning both of their smiles.

As they both faced me, the girl asked, "Is there anything we could do for you?"

"Oh please, there's no need for that." Giggling, I bashfully cupped my cheek. "I'm glad you're together now. Please stay safe on your mission!"

"We will, thank you so much again."

"Thank you, Ms. Bright!" Shinji exclaimed, waving farewell as both he and his sister went inside the Mission Acceptance Room.

Sighing, I checked my M.D.P., disappointed to see nothing plastered on the screen. I wanted to surprise Boomer by visiting his office before lunch, but one of the agents that worked in the same department as him told me he left an hour ago. I tried to reach him through his M.D.P. but there was still no reply.

He always updated me on where he was and what he was doing, especially on days when he couldn't come back to our place. It seemed odd for him to disappear like that.

Maybe it was something urgent?

Still, I couldn't help but miss him even more. I haven't seen him in two days. Work kept piling up on him; as soon as he finished one, another five came.

He had a phone with him, but he didn't have any sim cards and he rarely accessed the internet in this place, says that there are rules to avoid getting tracked by LUX. He mainly uses it to take notes or download music to listen to when he did access the internet. Because of that, I just had his voice message that he sends me at least once an hour through his M.D.P., because God knows how awfully difficult it is to send a message here.

It's heartwarming to know that he had this side to him, really. This was the last thing I expected when I met him a month ago. In the blink of an eye, he was this prince charming who swept me off my feet.

Oh dear, I wonder what happened to him?

Maybe I should try to find one of his brothers?

Resolving to do just that, I began making my way to the lobby. As I was about to turn the corner, however, I suddenly felt a hand grab onto my shoulder.

"Found you!"

"Kya!" I squealed, quickly turning around and clutching my chest. Coming out of my surprised state, that's when I realized who was before me. Curly blue hair with green skin and a pink plasma, there really weren't that many people with such distinct features.

"Where are you going, dear?" Violet asked, pursing her little red lips.

"Off to sssee little boy blue?" Snake said with a hissy grin.

"H-H-Huh? U-uhm… kind of?"

Both of them giggled, with Snake putting her arm around me. "We haven't seen you for agesss now, how come you haven't come to visit usss?"

"Oh, I just really wanted some time to relax. Just in case a mission comes up at least I won't be that stressed, you know what I mean?" That and because the girls and I have been having our own meetings when the guys aren't in the room.

"Perfect! Snake and I were just off to the spa." Violet said gleefully. "Come on then, we mustn't waste time."

Without a chance to protest, I hesitantly obliged.

It was just past 11:00 pm, and here I am sitting at the ladies' lounge with Snake and Violet. I just had a quick facial done, along with a simple mani-pedi. I couldn't sit still not knowing what he was doing. What if he was in trouble? What if he was hurt?

I want to be there for him.

"Ssso, Bright, never would've thought that you two would actually be dating." Snake said, "He treating you well?"

"He better be, or else that boy will get it."

"He's amazing," I said softly, the feeling of heat rising to my cheeks becoming more and more eminent. "Honestly, he's just the sweetest person I've ever met, I don't know if I even deserve such affection coming from him."

"Oh, honey, we're so happy for both of you." Violet replied, "I actually bumped into him the other day and we started chatting a bit, and he really couldn't stop talking about you."

"No way, I met up with him and Souichirou a few days ago and he ssstill was talking about you."

"R-Really? What about?"

"All good things, don't worry." Violet answered. "That boy is head over heels in love with you, honey. You could just see his whole face light up just at the mention of your name."

"Ya didn't try to ssspike him with a love potion now, did you?"

"Me? Of course not!"

"'Cus Princess hasss been trying to make one for the last few months and we don't want anyone to end up in the infirmary again."

"Good heavens, that girl's becoming more and more insane with every passing minute."

I giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Hearing that he was thinking about me just as I was thinking about him was just… beyond sweet. It made the butterflies in my stomach go haywire as I couldn't help but smile at just the thought of him gushing over me.

How could anyone not fall in love more when he was just this perfect?

"Looks like Boomer's not the only one who's fallen head over heels in love."

Smiling, I cupped the side of my cheek bashfully. "He's just so adorable, isn't he?"

"Bet he'sss good in bed too."

"Eh?!" I exclaimed, almost falling out of my chair. "N-N-N-No! We haven't– I mean–!"

Snake burst out in laughter at my reaction, slapping her knee loudly. "Holy shit, you should sssee your face right now." She said. "No need to get embarrassed, Bright, I was just messing with ya."

I clutched the hem of my skirt, "Oh goodness, please don't tell me he's experienced? No, I mean, is he? He is, right? Oh God, no, why am I even thinking about this? We only just started dating I–, Oh no, he might start thinking I'm stuck-up, or maybe he'll start feeling uncomfortable and then we'll get into a fight and then start–"

"Sweetheart, breathe, there's not going to be a fight."

As I felt a pair of hands caress my shoulders and heard his sweet voice, I couldn't stop myself from jumping out of my seat and hugging him. He chuckled, returning the embrace as he nuzzled his nose in the crook of my neck.

"Oh God, you're okay." I said, letting go as I brought up a hand to caress his face.

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"I tried going to your office a few hours ago but one of your agents said you weren't around, so I started worrying and then I began to–"

He then softly placed a finger to my lips, hushing me as he flashed me a smile. "I'm safe, see? Not a scratch. I'll never do anything that I know would make you worry. Remember that, okay?"

I nodded, burying my face in his chest once again.

A loud-sounding 'Aww' filled the lounge, as every employee, even Snake and Violet, smiled at us.

"Oh dear, you're making me jealous, now I want someone like that in my life."

"Well, heard from Poncho he wasss looking for someone who, and I quote, 'was going to be light of his life, the sun in the morning, the moon in the night, the kiss to his lips.'"

"Snake, honey, that's honestly sounding like a nightmare to me."

"Well, it's either him or that guy in the research division who's been crushing on you for yearsss now."

"Wait, who?"

"The one with the, you know, 'ssspecial mole.'"

Violet sighed in defeat. "Guess I'll still be single for a while."

"Come on now, Violet, don't be like that." I said, giggling, "I'm sure there's someone who's looking for a sweet and loving girl like you."

"If he does exist, he had better hurry or I'll give him the scolding of his life once I meet him."

We all laughed at her remark as she grumbled in her seat. Suddenly, I felt his gentle hand grab my waist, pulling me closer. "Speaking of, we need to hurry ourselves."

"Where to?"

"You'll see." He replied, winking.

I smiled at him, but it quickly faded as I felt my face turning red once again. Turning away in embarrassment, I could faintly make out the whispers of Snake from behind us.

"Do you think they're finally going to do it?"

What does she mean? Oh, wait…

Oh God, stop, no, no.

I could just already imagine his face in confusion as I buried my face in my hands and started shaking my head profusely.

Aah! Stop imagining it! I'm not a pervert, I swear!

Narrator/Third Person's P.O.V.

The air was crisp, the soft rustling of leaves synced with the wind. Had it not been for the jacket she was wearing, Bright would've sworn she'd start having the chills. But as she continued to walk, she had no choice but to take in clues that her skin, ears, and even nose could pick up. Though, the soft fragrance of tea, sandalwood, and vanilla was far from clues; it was Boomer's signature scent.

As his hands covered her eyes, they walked for a good five minutes. Bright was getting all the more curious with each step. They took a pretty long flight away from headquarters and he hasn't said anything about where they were going, just that it was a surprise.

"Are we there yet?"

"Just a little more."

Fifteen more steps later and finally they stopped. Slowly, he removed his hands, her eyes still shut. Bright felt his hands caress her arms, making her giggle as she leaned into him.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

He answered with a soft 'mhmm.' With her eyes fluttering open, Bright squinted a bit from the beaming sun. But as her eyes adjusted, that's when her smile grew wide and her whole face just lit up in awe.

Behind them was a beautiful forest, and right there in front of them was just a majestic lake in the center of a small field. Not far from where they were standing was a small picnic area all set up with little flowers surrounding it. The water was a beautiful shade of azure, crystal clear as the rock formations and trees reflected off of it.

Taking in her surroundings, Bright began running around and giggling. The sights are just beyond beautiful—almost ma gical.

Boomer chuckled as he watched her, so innocent and carefree. She was easily the most beautiful girl in the world, every twirl and giggle was charming and elegant. Never in a million years would he have expected to have someone like her love him. Damn, he was one lucky bastard.

"Oh my God, Boomer, this is just… What is this place?"

"Found this place while I was out on a mission. When I saw it, I just knew I had to bring you here." He answered, walking towards her. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Bright exclaimed, hugging him. "Did I ever mention I just love the water?"

"Never. Glad I went with my gut then."

Bright giggled, hugging him even tighter. If she would've gone to a place like this a few years ago, she would have run away as fast as she could. It took a while for her to finally love the water again. Seeing it in its beauty and having to experience it with him was just the best feeling for her.

"You hungry?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

Making their way toward the picnic area, they sat down on the tablecloth. Grabbing the basket, Boomer began taking out all the food he had. Dish after dish, Bright's eyes grew wide.

"Did you make all this?"

"Well, I'm a pretty shitty cook to be honest, so I had a bit of help." He answered, "Had to kind of force him to help me though."

Bright cocked her head to the side, "Who?"

"My brother."

"Brick?"

"No, Butch." He replied, chuckling. "Couldn't get to Brick so I had no choice but to drag Butch out of his office to teach me."

"It must've been hard trying to get him to agree."

"No shit, now I owe him a favor." Sighing, Boomer scratched the back of his head dejectedly. "I'm dreading the day he decides on what that favor's gonna be."

"Come on, I don't think it'll be that bad."

"One can dream."

Bright held his hand in hers, trying to lighten up the mood. Using her free hand, she took an onigiri from the huge stash of food. Taking a bite, Boomer watched her with a mix of nervousness and fear. He couldn't even breathe as he awaited her reaction. All of that tension, however, vanished as Bright sighed in delight.

"It's so delicious!"

Boomer's eyes lit up, "Really?!"

"Mhmm." She answered, "Now I can't wait to taste what else you made."

He then kissed her temple, the feeling in his chest just bursting with pure bliss. The smile on his face grew ever wider as they both began to eat and talk. If you would've told him years ago that he was going to find love and happiness, that there was something in that shit hole of an organization that was worth fighting for, Boomer would've told you to go fuck yourself.

But now, having her beside him, Boomer realized that maybe the unexpected things weren't as bad as it seems. Having her around was life-changing.

And maybe it was for the better.

It was late afternoon and Brick groaned in frustration. As the last paper came out of the printer, he quickly snatched it up and bound them all together in a folder. He promptly pressed a button on his watch.

"I've finished the paperwork, come get it in the office later."

"Understood, sir."

"Ah, fucking hell." He exclaimed, gripping hard on the side of his head. The searing pain made him wince. Though it was expected, having stared at computer screens for hours, it still irritated him immensely.

Quickly opening one of the drawers of his desk, he scoured through its contents until his fingers found the little silver packet. Popping a pill in his mouth, he promptly downed it with the remaining contents of his mug. Letting out a huge, pent-up sigh, he stared at his desk.

He had finished up earlier than intended, mainly because he was pushing himself to work at a faster pace. After finishing the tougher tasks at hand, he was now left with a lighter workload which he can work on from his personal computer back at home. And sooner he could get out of this place and onto his heavenly soft bed, the better.

Taking the pack of painkillers with him, he swiftly made his way back to his room. Letting out a yawn as soon as he went in, Brick was about to hit the hay.

But then, the muffled sounds of groans and moans emitted from the other room. It seemed to grow louder with each passing moment too.

"What the hell is she doing?"

Taking one of the spare keys to her room that he kept on his nightstand, he slowly opened the door.

"Hey, is everything o—" バキッ! (Bam!)

As the pillow smacked him square in the face, Bloom shouted in annoyance. "ばか! (You dummy!), who told you you could just barge in?!"

A little dizzy from the impact, he looked at her with a bewildered expression. "Jeez, I was just trying to check up on you, you know?" He answered, "What's with the crazy overreaction?"

"Aww, were you really?" She asked, her mood immediately shifting as she looked at him with, arguably, the cutest puppy eyes he's ever seen. "Well, aren't you just a sweetheart?"

"U-Uh… yeah, sure." He replied, trying to hide his face that began to turn as red as his clothes.

"And here I am being so mean to you." And just like that, her mood shifted again as those eyes began to well up with tears. "Wah! I'm the worst!" Before he knew it, she began bawling.

"Uweh?!" He exclaimed, trying desperately to get her to stop. "H-Hey, come on now, I'm not mad or anything."

"But still… you didn't deserve that…" She said, "I can't believe I tried to hurt you just because I'm hurting myself!"

As the waterworks continued, that's when Brick finally got the hint. Nervously, he touched her arm and asked her gently, "Are you, uhm, on your period?"

Silence.

Bloom slowly lifted her face, turning her head ever so slightly to look at him. Just like a bomb going off, her voice blasted in anger, "Did you seriously just…" Her hair now began to resemble a lion's mane as it began to hover around her. "…ask me that?!"

Brick quickly held up his hands in front of him in defense, backing away until he hit the door. "W-W-W-Wait! I didn't mean to— Gwah!"

Taking a sip from her teacup, she let out a sigh of relief. "Wow, I feel so much better now, thank you so much."

Through shaggy hair and messy clothes plus a missing hat, Brick replied with a tired tone, "Yeah, sure, no problem."

He sat in front of her vanity, letting out a sigh in the process. God was he worn out. Using a combination of force fields and quick reflexes, Brick was finally able to get her to take the medicine. Seemed like an easy task until she started using her ice breath. He had to use his fire powers to salvage her room, which was a fucking nightmare as he simultaneously tried to run away from her.

He definitely learned his lesson.

He then suddenly felt something on his head. Looking in the mirror, he saw Bloom putting on his hat for him.

"Was I a little too much?"

He chuckled, "You were like a rabid dog trying to catch me."

"Damn, I'm so sorry, Brick, I didn't know what got into me."

"No harm done."

"Uh… Are you sure about that?" She asked, gesturing towards his disheveled appearance.

"Don't worry about it, really."

"How can I make it up to you?"

"Hmm…" He pondered. "I do have a few more documents I need to fill out, I could use some help."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, let's go to your room."

Letting out a loud 'Hell yeah!' Brick and Bloom promptly made their way to the other room. As he sat on the desk in front of his computer, Bloom stood behind him and crossed her arms. "Have you even eaten already?"

"Not yet."

"Have you eaten ever since you went to the office?"

"Nope."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Starving."

"Okay then, what do you want?"

He then turned his chair around. "What're you going to do?"

"Going to get us lunch."

"Let me finish my work f—"

"There's no way you're working on an empty stomach." Bloom said as she walked to the door. "I'll be back in five minutes, just sit tight, okay?"

Without giving him a chance to protest, she left the room. He blinked twice in confusion. 'Did she just... what just... what just happened?'

Why the fuck is she being so nice? Could she stop? She's making it harder and harder for him to control himself. Now, every time he sees her he just wants to...

Kiss her.

'God damn it... God fucking damn it...'

Why? Just why though? Was it just because she was beautiful? Because she was so sweet and caring? Was it his own hormones?

With how he was feeling, he just wanted to get it over with. Okay, fine, he was starting to like her. As soon as he got it out of the way the sooner he could clear his head.

Just have to, you know, tell her?

The thought of that made his heart thump faster. Just imagining her reaction sent his mind into overdrive again. More than that, though, was the thought of her saying the one thing he doesn't want her to say.

"She feels the same way… right?"

"Who feels the same way?"

"Gwah!" Brick almost fell out of his seat at the sudden reply. She held two bowls in her hands and a small plastic bag hanging from her arm. As she looked at him confusedly, he nervously leaned into his desk. "B-Back so soon, huh?"

"Yeah, glad I could find the cafe—why does this place even have one?"

"Well, we, uhm," He started, clearing his throat as he tried to compose himself. "People need to eat right?"

'The fuck kind of stupid question was that?!'

"With the number of people you have here, I'm surprised that they can keep up." She commented as she placed their food onto the coffee table. "Must have hundreds of people just cooking."

"Food's still delicious though." Brick then came to join her on the couch. "What'd you get?"

"Curry for me, Tendon for you, and a few slices of peach cake."

He shifted on the couch in shock, looking at her with saucer-wide eyes. "You didn't?"

"Oh, I did." She replied with a cheeky grin. "Had to sweet talk the baker though."

"You didn't have to, you know." He said in a soft voice, pouting his lips and furrowing his eyebrows.

"Aww, are you jealous?" Bloom nudged him teasingly, eliciting a soft grumble from Brick. "Ms. Aihara sure seems like a cake goddess though, not gonna lie, I just had to compliment her. The array of cakes there—holy shit—I almost couldn't help myself."

"Whatever, let's just eat." Even through his long hair, Bloom could make out the rosy blush he had on his face.

Deciding not to push it any further, at the risk of losing the cute expression on his face, she giddily took her own bowl and began to eat.

Taking the final bite of her cake, Bloom let out a contented sigh. "Delicious~ I can see why this is your favorite." Placing her plate down, she turned to face him. "Strawberry is still the best though."

"No fucking way, peach is far superior."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yuh-huh."

"You're not backing down, are you?"

"Damn straight, Ice Princess."

"You know, if it wasn't for you having work to do, we could've had this awesome debate." She commented, letting out a soft giggle as she began to fix their plates and utensils. "But for now, let's call it a temporary truce, Romeo."

Chuckling, he went back to his desk. The sound of clicking heels grew closer to him until it came to a halt. "So, what are you working with anyway? And how can I help?"

Bloom took the folder he had; surprisingly enough he didn't seem to mind. As she skimmed through the files, something felt a little weird. The words: location, progress, and fragment stuck out like a sore thumb. Does this have something to do with the stone she wonders.

"Honestly, I could finish these in just ten minutes I guess?" He replied, "Thanks for what you've done, you know, for lunch."

"It's not like I paid for it though." She answered, giggling.

"Still, thanks for looking out for me."

"What are friends for?"

The corners of his lips curled up to a smile. But in the very back of his mind, Brick wished, hoped, that they had something more.

Giving him the folder, Bloom kept a mental note of what she had just read. Though there wasn't any new information that she could use for their mission, she thought that maybe it was still something worth looking into. Looks like it was another midnight meeting for the three of them.

As Brick began to type, she quickly snatched an extra chair to sit beside him. Even with the close proximity between them, he still didn't seem to mind.

"I've been meaning to ask you… when did you start doing this?"

"All the computer stuff?"

"Yeah."

He thought about it for a second, "I think four years ago?" He said, "Taught myself how to when I first got here."

"Must have worked hard considering you're now the head of the Technology and Intelligence Division." She commented, recalling his profile.

"I had to." He replied, his tone becoming softer. "My brothers and I were just these three punks in this place. If we didn't try to prove ourselves, who knows what we'll be doing now?

"Before we came to this place, we were hustling just to try and survive while we lived off of the streets. And being the leader, both of them relied on me. A little more than a year after HIM died, we were scouted by the R.I.D., and trust me it was the last thing we wanted."

Bloom looked at him in shock. "Wait, how come?" She asked, "I would've thought it was the perfect thing for you. I mean, come on, a place where you could do as much illegal shit as you want?"

"It's because we didn't want to live that life anymore."

She went silent at his answer. She never even thought about it, she never would've thought that that idea would cross their minds.

"We were just kids, kids who didn't give a shit and kids who didn't know anything." He started, "When all these problems started to pile up on us at such a young age, we started to think on how we were going to make it through that. We wanted to find help, but who gives a fuck about a bunch of kids who kept getting into trouble?"

"Did you guys ever get caught?"

"A bunch of times, broke out every single time though."

"No one tried to help you?"

"No one." He confirmed, letting out a sarcastic chuckle. "Funny how people see this city as the perfect paradise, while people like us are forced to hide just so that image remains intact. I dare any one of those pretentious, authoritative sons of bitches to see how life really is in the shadows. Maybe then they'll take the hint."

Bloom bit her lip. The guilt she felt before just grew tenfold. It took her a while to reply, "So, what made you join then?"

"We just wanted to experience a comfortable life, you know? Everyone here does. Don't get me wrong, some of the agents here have other motives, but most of us just wanted to get out of those tough situations."

"Would you ever consider… going back to your original plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"If given the chance, would you ever have done things differently? Maybe try to… change for the better?"

He chuckled and Bloom could detect the slight sadness in his voice. "As if that's possible."

"But would you?"

"As long as my brothers and I don't go back to the life we had, I don't give a fuck, I'd do anything."

Bloom let out a sigh. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"You don't deserve that, you know." She answered, absentmindedly laying her hand on top of his knee. "None of you do."

"Kinda ironic how a criminal doesn't deserve punishment."

"You guys are only human—"

"Artificially human."

"I know, but—"

"And a few amoebas too."

"What I'm trying to say is that we all fuck up." She stated in a firm voice. "Even the good guys, all of us make mistakes. But that's okay, it's how we grow. And the thing is, we always have choices and chances in life. As long as there is time, we can still change our lives and do better."

"If only it were that easy."

"Nothing is." She said, leaning her head on his shoulder to comfort her. "But you're not alone."

Gently, he leaned his head against hers. He stared at his screen for a full minute, before deciding that he could get to it later. With her hand still on his knee, he placed his hand on top of hers. She didn't move away from his touch like he expected her to. And as he held her hand, lightly squeezing it, she let out a small chuckle.

"Glad to know."

They didn't even notice that they had been there for so long until the sky turned into that familiar twilight hue. His head laid on her lap, her hands lovingly playing with his golden curls. This whole day was just pure heaven as they started getting to know each other, relax, and just enjoy each other's company as a couple.

"You know," She started, "I've been meaning to ask you, how was life before you joined the R.I.D.? Or maybe life when you just joined. We've talked about everything from what's your favorite song genre to which has been the worst fashion trend, yet you haven't mentioned anything about your past. Do you feel comfortable talking about it?"

"I don't mind." He said, chuckling as he got up to sit beside her. "Just didn't think it'd be the topic you'd discuss on a first date."

"Oh, you're right, I'm sorry." Bright clutched the hem of her skirt. How could she know what to talk about on a first date? Technically, it was her first "first date," but still, it was beyond mortifying to ask him that out of the blue.

"No worries, you don't have to be embarrassed." He said, kissing her temple comfortingly. "Kind of cute how you immediately clutch at your clothes when you are though."

She nuzzled her nose in his neck. "Stop it, now I'm feeling more ashamed."

"Okay then, seems only fair after I asked you that before." He replied before wrapping his arm around her waist. "It's not exactly a fairy tale though."

"It's okay, you know I won't judge you right?"

"I know." He then took a deep breath. "We were just kids five years ago, literally just born. It was all games for a few months actually, causing trouble just to get a laugh. And when you count the fact that I had those two knuckleheads by my side it makes it all the more fun, you know?

"But then certain problems began to surface. The police became aware of us and we eventually couldn't steal anything to eat anymore. We kept getting beat up by some thugs when we tried to find a place to sleep. Eventually we settled with the junkyard; far away from the city where we could stay and just break a bunch of shit to relieve some stress."

Bright's eyes turned sad, "You mentioned the police catching up to you…" She started, "Were you ever caught."

"Technically, no."

"What do you mean?"

"Brick was the only one who got arrested."

"What?" She moved away from him to look him in the eyes. "How come? What happened to you and Butch then?"

"He got arrested two times." He explained, "It was reckless, but we needed to do it. The first time, we needed to steal some food, the second time, we had to steal some medicine after I got sick. Both times, Brick managed to distract the police for us to run away. We didn't want to, but there was no negotiating with him when he was already set on what he wanted to do.

"When he got arrested, we eventually helped him break out and we became more careful. We got sick and tired of having to live like that. And it was just impossible to try and turn things around We tried Bright, we really did. But we had to give up, especially when Brick told us that he did try to reason with the police, but they refused to help us in any way.

"We only made it out of there because of the R.I.D., and fuck anyone who's going to criticize us for joining them. Because where the fuck were they? Where was the justice? The heroes? I mean come on, everyone in that city is a hypocrite, even those puffs. They don't care about us, they care about their reputation and nothing else. We are nothing to them."

"That's not true!" She gasped, the words coming out of her mouth before she could even think about it.

Boomer mirrored her own expression, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. "What's not true?"

"I-I mean that…" Bright said as she cleared her throat nervously. "You are not nothing. All of you mean something. I-It's not true that… t-that you are just some worthless bum. Y-You are…"

"Everything." He finished, touching his forehead to hers as he closed his eyes. "Don't worry about me, the past is in the past now, and I couldn't care less about what the world has to say about me. All that matters now is that you're here. And somehow, everything is starting to make sense."

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. "All of those things that happened eventually led me right here—to you." He said, "Do you believe that too?"

"After everything I've been through… I never thought that I'd end up here." She answered, "And I couldn't be happier than being with you."

He chuckled, letting out that soft chuckle that she loved dearly. Leaning in, his lips captured hers in a tender kiss. No matter how many times they did it, it still sent sparks flying like it was the very first time.

Everything was just perfect.

Breaking away from the kiss, Boomer brushed her long, wavy locks away from her face. "You're just so beautiful, you know that?" He said, pecking her on the nose. "Though, I never really planned on setting such a grim atmosphere just when we're about to end our date."

"I don't mind, really." She reassured, "It was nice getting to know you."

"Likewise, m'lady." He said goofily as he bowed and held out his hand for her to grab. Amused, Bright accepted and stood up.

"Should we go back then?"

"Not yet." He said, grinning at her sneakily. Before she could ask, however, Boomer quickly began stripping down his clothes.

Face flushed red, Bright quickly turned away from him. "W-W-W-What on earth are you doing?!"

"Getting in the water, come on, it'll be fun!" Still looking the other way, Bright could hear the sound of him running away. As she turned around, she watched as he quickly jumped into the lake with a loud shout. He splashed around for a little bit, all the while laughing.

As he beckoned her to join him, Bright giggled and quickly began taking off her clothes too. Down to a pair of cycling shorts and her bralette, she quickly ran towards the lake. Now standing at the edge of it, Boomer teasingly splashed a bit of water on her.

"Hey!" She exclaimed with a laugh.

"Slowpoke!" He said, smirking.

She slowly dipped her toes in to feel the temperature. To her surprise, it wasn't as cold as she thought it was. Finally jumping in, she giggled at the feeling of the water against her flesh. It was so calming.

But that couldn't compare to the feeling of his arms as he pulled her into his embrace. His skin was hot against hers; his heartbeat faintly resonating. Knowing that his heart was the one beating for her and only her made her feel like she was on top of the world.

Such a small thing, yet it had set such a huge fire in her.

"I love you."

The words filled her heart with utter happiness. It meant everything; He meant everything.

"I love you too." She said, "I love you so much, Boomer."

He chuckled. Pulling away, he looked at her with a smile on his face. Kissing her again with more passion than before. Bright wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands found its way around her waist. She felt hot, a foreign feeling overwhelming her whole being.

'Are we going to…'

"I need…" He whispered in between kisses. "...to tell you something."

"Hm?" She said, a sound that was closer to a moan than anything.

"Join us." He answered, finally pulling away from the kiss. "Exactly two weeks from now, I want you to join us."

Bright looked at him in confusions, yet a nagging feeling of dread was surfacing. "What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you yet, I'm not allowed to." His eyes darted away from her. "I want you there by my side and not…"

He hesitated for a moment, letting out a sigh before continuing. "Do you want to be… with me?"

"Of course I do."

"I'll do what I can so that you… can join us."

"Join you where?"

"I'll tell you as soon as I can." He reassured, "I just want to know if you trust me, and that you'll say yes. If not, I won't force you to."

She had a bad feeling about this. Did this have something to do with the stone? Did they finally find it? But if so… then what was he referring to? Why did she have to join them?

That creeping fear that was threatening to overtake her faded as her sense of responsibility came to remind her—she was here to stop them.

"I will." She answered, "I trust you with all my heart."

A small smile began to form on his lips as their foreheads touched once again. "Thank you." He started, "You don't know how much that means to me."

"I love you, Boomer." Bright said as her hand held his. "I trust you with my life now. I just hope that… no matter what happens, you'll never forget or doubt that."

"Never." He leaned in closer, "I already told you. Your love… Our love…is the only thing that finally made sense in this hell of a life."

She then sealed their lips with a kiss, before saying. "Nothing has felt more real, more right, than loving you…"

"I couldn't agree more…"

The night blossomed as the two of them basked in each other's warmth. That fluttering feeling that filled their hearts, never would they have thought that it would become but a fleeting moment. Time began to catch up to them, and it wouldn't take long now before revelations surfaced and threatened everything.

Would their love survive, she wondered, but it was something she didn't want answered.

All the more she didn't want that question to even be asked in the first place.

She prayed, even as the sinful meeting of his lips with hers continued, that it won't ever stop.

'His love; don't ever make it stop.'

Author's Note:

And I'm back! God, so much has happened and man am I burnt out. This second semester has really taken a toll on me as I struggled to balance my academics and all my extra-curricular activities. That and I just recently got two new puppies and they've really been acting like babies. Never thought I'd feel like a mother at such a young age lmao. Fortunately, I was able to write this just after exams for we were given a health break (which was way too short imo) and I was able to start writing again. It took about three days for me to write the first half before encountering another writer's block but thankfully since I don't have any work to be done as of this week, I finally got around to finishing it!

With less than ten chapters to go, I truly hope you stick around to see the conclusion of this story. After this, I'm thinking about either making a new story around the original PPG cast or starting the potential sequel of this story, do let me know your thoughts about this!

And with that, I shall bid you adieu! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and/or review this story! Any of these is very much appreciated.

Love you all!

Disastress