To RB220: thank you so much! Trust me, I wish I could update more, I love writing Bubbles and Boomer's story ^_^
To Carriedreamer: oh man, first off I'm honored that you even checked out my story. I seriously love 'Ensnared'; I eagerly anticipate the next chapter, you seriously capture the Reds perfectly. Secondly, I hope this clears things up for any who may be confused:
-Boomer is still with Bubbles at the Utonium house and they're both still human. He and Bubbles are completely separate from what's going on with Buttercup and Blossom; their only connection to each other is through text messages/phone calls. Buttercup and Blossom were in the evac zone with Professor Utonium, which is pretty far from where they live.
-I won't say whether Blossom and Buttercup's 'captors' are the other two Rowdyruffs but I can definitely tell you that there are no OCs in this story, so I'll leave it up to you and other readers to do the math ;)
To Ruffle: thank you for reading & reviewing! Glad you're enjoying the story :D
Hope everyone is doing well! As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!
.: 16 :.
When the morning came, Bubbles woke up first and warmth flooded her heart when she realized they'd fallen asleep holding hands. She didn't want to pull her hand from his or do anything that might disturb his peaceful rest, so she lay there a little longer and admired her companion's features. His lips, his eyes, the cute nose, the explosion of freckles, his soft blonde hair... Why was he so perfect? How did she get so lucky that out of all the people surviving, she managed to bump into someone as genuine, kind, funny, and handsome as Boomer Jojo?
Bubbles couldn't remember ever feeling this happy with someone. She'd had a few boyfriends before but she never felt the joy, peace, and contentment that she felt with Boomer. With all the other guys, there was always a feeling of self-doubt or anxiety; she was not a perfect girl and some of her ex's enjoyed reminding her of that fact. Bubbles didn't exactly have poor judgement in men, but a few had manipulated their way into her good graces; they'd done a lot of damage, too, making little comments here and there about her small weight (she didn't have a big butt or bust, but she thought she looked okay), her fashion sense (some claimed she should wear sexier clothing but she preferred her cutesy skirts and blouses), and many insisted on only hanging out at their houses, hiding her away instead of taking her out on dates as if they were ashamed of being seen with her. Those kinds of relationships didn't last—Bubbles was a lot more observant than most people gave her credit for—and they certainly didn't result in anything past kissing.
Other guys tended to treat her like a Barbie doll in that they were happy to parade around with the pretty blonde but, other than showing her off, they couldn't care less about her personality or feelings. For some of them, Bubbles was just a trophy and it was hurtful to know they only liked her for her appearance, equally as hurtful as the snide little comments and 'suggestions' regarding her physique.
Buttercup always made sure her little sister never fell into the hands of an abusive nutcase and Bubbles could be strong when she needed to be (this entire zombie-apocalypse scenario was proof enough of just how much inner strength she possessed), but when it came to matters of the heart, she would be lying if she said some of her ex-boyfriends' words didn't take a toll on her self-esteem.
It was radically different with Boomer, though; Bubbles felt like she could be herself. She didn't have to look or act a certain way around him; he'd actually been seeing her without makeup since the first day they met and he hadn't once commented on it... Not that she expected him to, but some of her ex-boyfriends always hinted—and not so subtly—that they liked her better when she wore makeup.
Since the very first moment she and Boomer met, he'd been nothing but a great friend to her and treated her like a human being instead of a Barbie doll. He was a genuinely wonderful person and accepted her for who she was, flaws and all. He'd seen her cry, he'd seen her terrified out of her mind to the point of being hysterical, yet he still stuck by her side. It was weird to think she'd ever regarded him with caution when now she would trust him with her life.
And if she was being completely honest... She knew it was a big step to think this, but she could definitely see herself falling deeply in love with him if they continued to survive.
Bubbles brushed her thumb over his knuckles and managed to nudge his hand open so she could better examine his fingers. She hadn't realized it before, but his hand was much bigger than hers, his skin firm and slightly calloused while hers was delicate and smooth. She allowed her free hand to ghost over some of the faint scars that were scattered along his skin. Each scar had a story and she was eager to hear all of Boomer's stories, good and bad.
After a little while, Bubbles knew she needed to get up and use the bathroom, so she carefully pulled her hand from his.
...Or rather, she tried. Boomer wouldn't let go.
She let out a surprised yelp when his hand tightened around hers and he pulled her back down into their nest of pillows, right into his chest, and wrapped his arms around her while cackling.
"Gotcha!"
She laughed as well. "You goof! Were you awake this whole time?"
"Nah, I actually just woke up. A certain someone was playing with my hand."
Her cheeks flamed. "S-sorry."
"Oh my gosh, are you seriously apologizing for being sweet?"
He managed to pinch her cheek and she made a face, whining at him. He laughed again.
There came a moment when their eyes met, their huge grins only widening once eye contact was made. Even though the darkness around them was hard to see through, Bubbles knew mirth was twinkling in his sapphire eyes.
"I hope I didn't scare you," he admitted.
"Not at all."
"I'm just really happy I get to hold you like this now." Then, after a pause, "This is okay, right? Or should I not...?"
Bubbles chuckled and wrapped her free arm around him, pulling him even closer as she nuzzled her face into his shirt.
"Yes, Boomer, this is absolutely-positively one-hundred percent okay."
A relieved sigh escaped him. "Good, because this... This is really nice."
She hummed in agreement. They lay like that for a little while, just enjoying the closeness of cuddling with one another. Boomer pressed a kiss to Bubbles' temple and she leaned up to peck his cheek.
"It just occurred to me that we kissed last night," he said.
Bubbles giggled. "We did."
"Did you know you're a good kisser?"
She blushed. "You're not bad yourself."
"Maybe but you're, like, really good."
She playfully nuzzled her nose against his. "Is that an invitation for me to kiss you again?"
He pecked her lips. "Definitely, but not right this second. I'm pretty sure my morning breath could knock out a horse and I don't wanna accidentally knock out the prettiest girl in the world."
She giggled again. "Fair enough. My breath is probably not too great either."
It was then that Bubbles realized their cuddling needed to end.
"Uh... Boomer?"
"Yeah?"
"While I really like cuddling with you, I kind of need to get up."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why? What's on the agenda for this morning?"
"Well, I kind of need to pee."
"Oh! Sorry, then." He chuckled and let her up. "I should probably get changed anyway. Just let me know when you're about to come out of the bathroom so you don't accidentally see me in my underwear."
The thought of seeing his toned, slightly muscular chest made her cheeks flame again and suddenly the darkness was a blessing.
"Sure, n-no problem."
When they'd both gotten cleaned up for the day, they went upstairs to enjoy the thick streams of sunlight that filtered in through the living room's broken windows and the busted front door, giving the entire house a dreamy, almost nostalgic glow. It was certainly safer to remain down in Professor Utonium's lab, but there was only so much darkness they could stand. It was also a nice change to breathe in fresh air instead of the strong, constant whiff of antiseptic and chemicals.
Bubbles was sitting on the couch while Boomer was in the kitchen rummaging through their 'miscellaneous' drawer. When they'd tried to turn the turtle nightlight back on, they found its lights had grown dull and they decided a change in batteries might be in order. He'd already let out a whoop of victory after finding one battery; it was only a matter of time before he found a second one and he was determined to find it.
This particular day was bright and sunny, with a warm breeze occasionally sweeping through the house. The faint scent of lilacs would sometimes accompany the breeze and tease Bubbles' nose. It was gorgeous out and although her attention was on the phone in her hands, she was still enjoying their temporary break from the confines of the lab.
While Boomer was busy in the kitchen, she'd been checking all the news apps she was able to, even tried checking a few websites to see if there were any updates. While she knew it was probably fruitless, she still clung to the hope that maybe things had changed in humanity's favor. From what she could tell, life would never be the same again: no more internet, no more electricity, no more long-distance contact with anyone (well, that wasn't completely true; perhaps, if humanity was able to get back on its feet, a mailing system could be set up, but still, Bubbles liked having the world at her fingertips).
At one point, when Boomer had finished finding and changing the batteries, he entered the living room and plopped down beside her. Bubbles glanced up to send a small smile his way, butterflies and warm fuzzies making themselves known in her stomach. His cheeks were pink in the hazy sunlight and he leaned over to peck her forehead. Bubbles giggled, clicking her phone off.
"Were you successful in your mission?"
"Affirmative!" He mock-saluted, holding up the turtle plush. "I even tested it and we're all set for another starry evening. Did you know you had an entire pack of double-A batteries sitting at the bottom of the drawer? Brand new, too, never opened."
"Oh." She blinked. "No, I guess I forgot. I'm glad we've got it at our disposal, though."
"Same."
Bubbles ran her thumb over the slightly-cracked screen of her phone, letting her nail scratch at one particular forked crack. Boomer eyed the thin device before returning his attention to her, noticing how she nibbled her bottom lip thoughtfully.
"Nothing new, huh?"
She sighed. "No updates from any apps, websites, not even my sisters. I wish I knew what was going on out there."
"Me too." Then, after a thought, "I wish I knew how my brothers were doing."
At that, Bubbles cast a sympathetic glance towards him. He smiled weakly.
"Guess they're alright, though. Who knows? Maybe they did manage to find some decent weapons for all of us."
She nodded. "I'm sure they did. They'll be home before you know it."
"Yeah."
Neither of them spoke after that, just enjoying the sound of birds singing cheerfully outside. Boomer's expression was thoughtful and slightly sad; Bubbles reached over and took his hand, intertwining their fingers together in an attempt to relay the message that she understood, that she was with him, that he wasn't alone. He smiled at her appreciatively.
After a spell had passed, Boomer pretended to yawn and exaggerated a stretch, allowing his free arm to conveniently land around Bubbles' shoulders. She giggled.
"Really, Boomer?"
"What?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "I'm makin' my move, here."
"If you wanted to cuddle, all you had to do was ask," she teased. He grinned.
"That's true, but I like making you laugh." He tapped her nose playfully before continuing: "You know, it really sucks that I can't take you out on a date."
"I've... Never actually been asked out on a date before," she admitted. Boomer's eyes went comically huge.
"Whaaat? You gotta be kiddin' me! A girl like you? Never?"
She shook her head and he whistled.
"Man, that's just not right. You're the kind of girl who should be shown off, you know?" He thought about his words for a split second before the word-vomit started: "N-not that I mean you're that kind of girl, the type who's only good for hanging off a guy's arm. Shit, sorry, I didn't mean it like that at all, here I go again, it's just that you really deserve the world and—"
Bubbles leaned in and kissed him, effectively silencing his rambling. Boomer kissed back after a moment, a hand coming to cup her cheek.
When they pulled apart, he licked his lips.
"I think that's the nicest way anyone's ever told me to shut up," he joked, and Bubbles giggled.
"I wasn't telling you to shut up, but I was telling you that you're fine, I understand what you meant."
"Okay, good, because I don't ever mean to be, well, mean, it's just that..." Boomer took a breath. "As you know, sometimes I just can't stop talking."
"True," she allowed. "But I think it's endearing."
He blushed in the afternoon light. "You're the first person to ever say something like that."
Bubbles leaned in and kissed him again and he smiled against her lips. She couldn't help but laugh.
"You're so cute."
"Says the cute one." He nuzzled his nose against hers. They both couldn't stop smiling even though their cheeks were beginning to hurt.
It was crazy how so much had changed within the last twenty-four hours. They'd gone from being friends to best friends to two people in like-like. The world held a rosy tint to it now and although their situation was still dangerous—and probably growing even more dangerous with each passing day—having Boomer around made it that much more bearable.
It was heading for noon and they'd moved to laze around in Bubbles' room. Boomer was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed Indian-style, Bubbles across from him, and her box of beads lay between them. They were busy making each other matching bracelets which were meant to be a small token of their feelings (it wasn't like Boomer could run down to the store and buy her flowers or a box of chocolates). Much to Bubbles' surprise, he had been eager to look through her collection of various-colored beads and bracelets. After gaining her permission, he sifted through the bracelets she'd finished, occasionally picking one up to admire it, then carefully placing it back where it had been laying.
"This is so cool!" he gushed, holding up a pink-themed bracelet she'd originally planned on giving to Blossom. "You made all these yourself?"
"It's nothing special," she blushed. "Just something to do when I need a break from schoolwork."
"Nothing special? Oh my gosh, Bubbles." He poked her cheek and she let him, sticking out her bottom lip in a fake pout. He laughed.
"Seriously, though, this is pretty neat! You know, I used to wear bracelets all the time in high school until Butch accidentally threw them out." He made air quotes around the word 'accidentally.'
She tilted her head to the side curiously. "Really? I didn't peg you as the type to be into wearing bracelets."
He grinned sheepishly. "Four words: seventh-grade emo phase."
She chuckled. "Well, feel free to make as many bracelets as you want. I'll make sure Butch doesn't throw any of them out."
"Sweet, thank you! Okay, so first thing's first: I remember a while back you said your favorite color was... Blue, right?" He looked to her for confirmation and she nodded. After perking up again, "Great! Alright, so that's one color... If you had to pick two other colors, which would you choose?"
"Hmm..." How long had it been since she last thought about what colors went with what? Bubbles used to be all about fashion, even missing classes if she was having a 'bad outfit' day. Sometimes she woke up feeling confident and cute, other days she woke up, took one look in the mirror, and knew it was going to be one of 'those' days where she hated everything in her closet.
Speaking of clothing... She was going to have to figure out how to do laundry soon. While she was sure her sisters wouldn't mind if she started borrowing their clothes, she preferred her own stuff. Maybe the Professor had an old washboard somewhere around the house?
Nevertheless, she tapped into her inner fashionista and decided black and white were nice complements to blue. Boomer eagerly set to work.
"What colors do you like?" she asked, and he answered the same: black, white, and dark blue.
They spent the next hour in a peaceful silence, each working on their own projects. Boomer would occasionally reach into the bead box at the same time Bubbles did, their hands brushing, to which they would blush and giggle like children.
Bubbles, unsurprisingly, as she was used to making little trinkets, finished making Boomer's bracelet first and held it up for him to see. The beads were set in a dark blue (his favorite color)-light blue (her favorite color)-black-white pattern, with her name spelled out in white letter block-shaped beads. It was simple but made with love, and Bubbles was actually quite proud of how nice it came out.
Nevertheless, with a shy smile she asked, "What do you think?"
He looked up from the one he was working on and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Wow! You made that for me? I love it!"
She blushed again as he accepted it from her, slipping it onto his wrist to admire it.
"Hands-down, this is the nicest bracelet I've ever owned. Yours is almost done, just give me five more minutes..."
She watched as he gingerly slid each bead onto the string, the colors aligning nicely. Bubbles found her gaze wandering up to his face, a look of utter concentration on his handsome features.
You'd think bracelet-making was hard work with how meticulously Boomer was working. As he slid bead after bead onto the thin string, the tip of his tongue poking out from between his lips in a fixed concentration, Bubbles couldn't help but be entranced by how adorable he looked. The bracelet looked almost exactly like the one she'd made, only it had Boomer's name in block letters instead of her own and the color pattern was slightly different even though it had the same colors as the one she'd made for him. When he finally tied the string off into a secure knot, he held it up with a radiant grin.
"For milady."
She giggled and accepted it, instantly sliding it onto her wrist.
"I think this is my new favorite bracelet," she remarked, earning a blush from the handsome blonde sitting across from her.
Suddenly, Bubbles' phone went off. She and Boomer immediately shared a glance before she grabbed the thin device and clicked it on, excitement coloring her eyes when she realized what the notification was.
"It's a text from Buttercup!" Bubbles quickly opened the message app, eyes alight with hope. Boomer crawled over to sit next to her and eyed the phone with just as much anticipation as she felt.
Apparently, there were two messages waiting to be read. The first message loaded instantly and Bubbles was slightly dismayed to find that it was sent a couple of days ago. Nevertheless, at least the message came through despite the crappy reception.
"What's it say?" Boomer asked, leaning to closer to peek at the screen.
"'Hope UR doing alright,'" Bubbles read aloud. "'Our zone was overrun. Dad was injured.'"
Her face fell at that. After a moment of recomposing herself, however, she continued, albeit with a shaky voice, "'We're OK and we'll be OK, found a safe place to stay for now. We'll keep U posted on everything that happens. Stay safe, kiddo, be careful. Love U.'"
Bubbles was about to scroll down to the next message, which had finally loaded but looked like a confused jumble of letters, when her screen went black.
"What the...?"
Bubbles hit the power button a few times, even holding it down for a few minutes, but nothing happened.
"Here, lemme try," Boomer offered. She handed him the thin device and he tried holding the power button as well as the volume buttons. Still nothing.
"It must've died," she lamented. "The battery life must've been too low. Damn it, of all times for this to happen..."
"We could always take it to my house and let it charge there," Boomer offered. "As far as I can tell from our last visit, the solar panels are still working."
That wasn't a bad idea, but they would have to play it safe as always. The last thing they needed was for an infected to discover them and chase them all the way back to the lab.
"I'll grab Buttercup's bat," Bubbles agreed. "If we leave now, we'll have more than enough time to charge my phone and get back before sundown."
"Sounds like a plan, man." Boomer stood up. "I'll go get my backpack and we'll head out."
The walk to Boomer's house was not like it had been. The golden, dreamy glow of the day had faded into a dreary gray, with clouds rolling in to block the sun. The air had a cooler feel to it despite it being summer and while Bubbles didn't mind the change in weather so much, it did appear foreboding. The chorus of summer that had been playing earlier was silent. The entire world seemed to be holding its breath, but for what, she wasn't sure, though she couldn't shake the curious feeling that something was wrong, like something was lurking around the corner.
Like they were being watched.
The feeling certainly wasn't new—there were infected all over the neighborhood and they obviously knew there were two humans staying at the big white modern-themed home, plus Bubbles always got that 'something's watching me' feeling a few times in the past when they'd gone out—but something did feel different about this particular time. Bubbles couldn't quite place it, but dread was sitting in the pit of her stomach. She wondered if maybe she should suggest they head back to the house until this sickly feeling passed but they were halfway to their destination. It wouldn't do any good to stop now and if they were able to make it to Boomer's house, at least it was a place to hide in case the infected were plotting something.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Boomer slipped his hand into hers. Butterflies replaced the creepy feeling even though a sliver of unease remained. She glanced up at him curiously and he smiled weakly.
"I feel it, too," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But don't worry, we'll be in and out before they can catch us."
"Right." They walked a little faster, taking care to be as quiet as possible so they could listen to their surroundings. At one point, much to Bubbles' amusement, Boomer swung their hands to and fro. The action made her smile and when she cast a glance towards her companion, he wiggled his eyebrows at her and she had to stifle a laugh.
He was so goofy, but she loved that about him.
The Jojo house was still in the sorry state it was since they'd last visited it. Boomer went in first to make sure no infected were nesting inside while Bubbles waited outside anxiously, clutching Big Bessie like a lifeline. When he gave the all-clear, she maneuvered past the broken door and handed her phone to Boomer, who hooked it up to a charger and plugged it into the outlet next to the sofa. Bubbles knelt next to it and was relieved to see her phone power back on after a moment, the battery-charging symbol popping up once a few minutes had passed. When it was finished restarting, she was about to swipe up and check the other text from Buttercup when a bone-chilling growl ripped through the silence.
Both blondes jumped and swiftly turned to find a group of infected grinning at them through the open windows. Some licked their lips in hungry anticipation, others were snarling, growling, even chortling in such a way that made Bubbles' blood run cold with fear and adrenaline. No matter the expressions, however, each and every one of them had their eyes locked onto Bubbles and Boomer.
Time seemed to freeze for that split second; neither party moved. The only thing that registered to Bubbles was the furious thumping of her heart against her ribcage, her frantic pulse seeming to drown out the awful sounds coming from the creatures currently staring them down. Her eyes were wide with a mix of fear and horror that the infected were right here, that they were actually standing out in the daylight despite the clouds blocking the sun, that they'd finally caught the two humans they'd been so desperately searching for, even going as far as ripping up two entire houses to find them.
Boomer only had time to utter "oh fuck" before all hell broke loose.
Happy Halloween! ;)
