- Brick is so mysterious lol-

Brick hadn't left Bubbles' room for quite a long time and then the day after, he was back and in there again. Both seemed to congregate towards each other's presence and almost hid away from the others in their own little circle of the house. She was starting to get less shy around him and she noticed that emotionless shell starting to slowly chip away.

"I don't know why I started hanging with those two dumbasses... But it wasn't a horrible decision..." Brick chuckled, "Butch is nosey, but the guy has an odd level of understanding, he pisses me off sometimes, but he knows the limit... So I keep him around... Boomer is more quiet like me, but he's good enough company... Usually they're the only people I care to be around..." They were talking about their friends after Bubbles asked why Brick only hung out with Butch and Boomer.

"Blossom is a little too comfortable with sharing things, but she's awesome where it counts... Buttercup's abrasive personality is a lot different than mine and can be overbearing, but she helps me when she can and really cares about me... They're sometimes the only family I have..." Bubbles explained, she felt like she should share too, and he nods.

"I never thought I'd say this to anyone else, but I've come to the conclusion that your friendship certainly is not terrible... You're almost sickeningly sweet... Like a little cube of sugar... Normally I hate it, but you're different... It suits you..." Brick said and Bubbles blushed, when he said that, she felt that crush on him grow even more.

"You're different too..." She moved closer to him and he, out of pure instinct now, put an arm around her. That seemed to be so natural for him to do.

"What do you want to do now?" He asked and she blushed again, hanging out with him was not as easy as her other friends, but she really wanted to.

"I actually need to go to the store to pick up more food for Zepher... You can come with me if you'd like to, but you don't have to..." She was still learning about how he functions with friends.

"It's better than listening to the other four fuck each other for the hundredth time..." He shrugged, Bubbles went red, she also had to get used to his blunt nature.

"Well... I uh... I'm leaving in 5 minutes..." Bubbles got up, she couldn't help but notice his arm lingers on her for a little longer than usual.

"I gotta get something anyways..." Brick rushed out of the room, a common occurrence only with her.

When both met up at the doorway, Bubbles was putting a tiny little harness on Zepher. Brick raised a brow, "The cat is coming with us?" He chuckled as the now leashed Zepher flopped on his back.

Bubbles giggled at her cat, "Well of course... I gotta get him to stay used to car rides and stuff... He's allowed in the pet store..." She looks into Brick's eyes. He shrugs and picks up Zepher.

To her surprise he let Brick do it. He's only let Blossom and herself hold him like that. She was actually surprised at how well her cat had taken to him since he's been at her house.

"Did you know that animals are great judges of character..." Bubbles smirks.

"Are they now?" Brick raised a brow.

"Zepher knows you're a good person... He can see your inner sweetness!" She giggled and noticed a pink tinge on Brick's emotionless features.

Was he actually blushing?!

"I'm just not an asshole Blue... I'm also far from sweet..." Brick chuckled dryly. Bubbles looked confused, she hates that he could dismiss her compliments so quickly.

"Why did you say that? You've been nice to me..." She murmured, he still heard her and shook his head.

"You hardly know me angel... I could be someone you hardly expect..." He came closer, trapping her against the door and simply made her look into his eyes.

Automatically she bit her lip from her nerves catching up to her, "And please don't do that..." He warned softly, still looking into her eyes before handing her the cat and heading out the second door of the house's French doors. Both hadn't noticed that someone caught this display.

Bubbles caught her breath and felt her heart pound in her chest, the only thing to bring her back was Zepher licking her chin.

She sighed and walked outside, she immediately headed to the car. Butch, who saw their exchange while heading to the bathroom, raised a brow. He's never seen Brick do that before, and he wanted to know exactly what was going through his head. To Butch, he swore he felt a new kind of tension from his friend, and it was all directed at Bubbles.

When Bubbles entered the car, Brick was now had a completely stoic expression. She wished that she could switch her outward appearance herself as quickly as he could. It seemed like he could mask any emotion and bury it deep within.

"Can Zepher ride on your lap? It's hard to drive when he's sitting on me..." Bubbles asked timidly. Her heart still frantic.

"I don't care..." Brick shrugs, his eyes stare at the dashboard. Bubbles hands him the cat and gets in the car.

The entire ride an trip to the store was quiet and both were just completely silent. Bubbles nad no clue why they could go from so comfortable to so awkward in the flash of a second.

While picking out the cat food, Brick simply used Zepher as a way to keep all his words hidden. Walking the cat a few feet away from her. Bubbles, now shy, couldn't get a word out either.

When both get in the door, Butch calls Brick from another room. He sighed heavily and brought the food into the kitchen for Bubbles, he was planning to ignore him until Butch calls him again.

"Brick you asshole! Stop ignoring me and come here!" Butch sounded annoyed.

"What do you want!" Brick yelled to him.

"Come upstairs to your little nest! By yourself!" Butch was upstairs. Bubbles brows raised in confusion. Why was Butch in the guest room?

Brick was already on his way up.

He took his sweet time descending the stairs and entered the guest room. Butch was propped up against the wall and looked at Brick with a look that was too serious to be him.

"She dump you already?" Brick questioned sarcastically and Butch immediately rolled his eyes.

"No you asshole... I just wanted to chat... Shut the door..." Butch glares at him for that comment.

"What do you want to talk about sunshine?" Brick asked, sitting on the mattress and ignoring Butch's continued glare.

"I want to know what is going through your head here..." Butch shrugged, his eyes still on Brick.

"Why?" Brick raised a brow now.

"You've been different since we got here... Actually no... Since last week... I happen to see it the most when you are around her..." Butch said pointedly, gesturing downstairs.

"What the fuck and who the fuck are you talking about?" Brick was now making full eye contact. Butch kept it, he was another person who usually couldn't.

"I know the reason you're acting so fucking different! It shows the most around Bubbles..." Butch exasperated and Brick looks at him in utter confusion.

"What have you been smoking to think that?" Brick put that emotionless face back on.

"You touch her more than anyone I've ever seen you come across, and you gravitate to her a lot! You're offering odd nice gestures and will actually comfort her like a human being with actual feelings! And to top it off I saw you almost pin her against the door with a tension I've never seen from you! How is this not different to you?" Butch was frantically gesturing everywhere.

"Okay... Your point is?" Brick stayed emotionless.

"How can you say that you don't have or feel anything different with Bubbles?" Butch finally calmed down.

"Why do you feel like it's your job to interrogate my friendship with her? You're not my therapist..." Brick was sarcastic again.

"Why are you avoiding explaining it?" Butch pushed further.

"Why do you give a shit?" Brick sighed in agitation.

"Because I'm your friend you idiot..." Butch pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well as a friend, please be a great one and stop questioning me... I have nothing to explain, because there is nothing to explain..." Brick shrugs him off.

Butch shook his head and turned to leave, he knew he wasn't going to get far.

"You're gonna crack soon enough, as stubborn as you are, it'll be clear as day..." He left and Brick went silent.

Bubbles listened in while sitting in her room. She wasn't sure what Butch meant by different, maybe it'd become clearer to her when the time came. She heads to take a shower, she needed to be alone for a while. She began to think about him coming over to draw her during the week. maybe something would reveal itself to give her a clue about this confusing man she developed feelings for.

-Sorry I took so long to update, i hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!-