Summary: Buttercup bumps into Butch on a rainy day after no traces of the Rowdyruff Boys for years and Butch sets his mind to annoy the heck out of her
It was a blustery day and the sky was becoming dark as the clouds came together all grey and gloomy. The wind picked up speed and got chillier as Buttercup hurried through the streets trying to make it home before the rain started pouring. She could already feel a couple drops coming down as one of them fell on her nose.
The Puff shuddered as she pulled the scarf around her neck tighter and practically ran as flying tended to be difficult through water. The droplets were getting significantly bigger and harder and Buttercup did NOT want to get caught in the rain. Bubbles would have a fit.
So she ran like her life depended on it, which quite literally, did, because if the rain and the cold weather didn't poison her with pneumonia and kill her first, then coming home to give wet and soggy merchandise to her little sister definitely would. Bubble-vicious was something Buttercup did not want to see.
The Puff ran for the nearest shelter as she tried to keep herself and the enormous amount of bags she was carrying dry. She hopped over a puddle to avoid getting wet but got splashed anyway as a big bus sped over a lake of murky water.
"AH!" Buttercup cried out as the icy water soaked her clothes and seeped into her skin, freezing her to the bone.
The girl shivered as she continued running through the streets. She took a sharp left into an alley between two buildings –a shortcut she discovered when she was twelve escaping from a supervillain- and sped ahead, feeling exhausted.
Just as she stepped out once more into another busy street, the Puff crashed into something she staggered back, almost falling back and slipping on a mud puddle.
She would have slipped, though, if it weren't for the strong arms that suddenly caught her around the waist. Buttercup gasped in anticipation of the fall and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact, when she realized she hadn't splattered to the ground yet and cautiously squinted open one eye...before blinking rapidly in shock and surprise at the sight that met her.
The person she was cradled in...
"Long time no see, Cupcake," her savior chuckled.
Buttercup inhaled sharply as she took in his face. The face she hadn't seen in over six years, and the face she'd spent two months looking for.
"B-Butch?!" she sputtered, "B-but you, you're not- how are- where were- huhhh?"
The Ruff pulled her upright and chuckled again. Buttercup felt her cheeks go warm, despite her being soaked to the skin.
God, his voice.
It was so low and husky the Puff could listen to it all day. A shiver ran through her body. Was it even actually possible for a person to have such a deep voice?
"Miss me?" the Ruff smirked, his vocals sending a fresh set of tingles down the girl's spine.
Buttercup felt herself blush harder as her eyes cast over his strong frame. His shirt was soaked from the rain, and through the thin material she could see the six pack he sported. She shuddered, but realized she'd look like a fool the longer she continued to stare, so she rolled her eyes and took a couple steps back to get some distance between the two of them.
"Nah. We've been enjoying the relative peace that followed your disappearance for quite some time," she replied smoothly.
Butch chuckled again, and Buttercup felt goosebumps on her skin, but brushed it off as the chill in the air getting the best of her.
"You know you're just saying that to sound tough," he rumbled.
"S-Says who?" Buttercup stuttered, cursing herself inwards for stuttering in the first place, "Why're you here anyway? What dump did you come out of this time?"
"Babe, you wound me," Butch answered back with a small grin.
"Don't call me babe, Butch," Buttercup snapped, "Just get outta my way and leave me alone, and we can both forget this ever happened."
Butch moved out of the way, but not without a comment. "The years have done quite some good to you, hasn't it, Cupcake?" he said, making a point of looking her up and down.
Buttercup bonked his chin upwards with her fist so that he was no longer lingering his gaze below her face. "Will you stop riling me up?" she demanded briskly before unexpectedly stomping hard on the Ruff's foot.
Butch winced. "Ayee! The spice never left you, did it?" he mumbled through grit teeth.
Buttercup gave him the stink-eye and went on her way.
"Hey, wait!" The ruff called after her as he caught up. Buttercup didn't even grace him with a glance as she stomped forward in the rain. When she did peek at her counterpart, though, from the corner of her eye, Butch was looking down at his feet as he kept up his pace beside her. His jet-black spikes glistened in the water and his forest-green eyes seemed as vibrant as ever as he trudged along next to her with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
Buttercup forced her eyes back to the front right before almost smacking in to someone. Butch pulled her to the side, missing the bulky man that she would've otherwise crashed in to.
"Watch it, lady!" the man snapped as he continued walking.
Buttercup looked back at the Ruff. "Your welcome," said boy smirked. Buttercup scowled at him. "I could have saved myself," she muttered as they resumed walking.
"Welp, guess I'm not telling you about that woman you're about to bump into then," Butch retorted, looking skywards as if oblivious to what was about to happen next.
Buttercup rolled her eyes at him instead of looking ahead, "I'm not falling for i-OOF!" Butch smirked.
"You, little lady, are very unfocused!" the middle-aged woman scolded, sharply, "Face forward next time!" she said, before turning to Butch, "Tell your sister here to pay more attention to her surroundings!"
And then the woman marched off with her bags.
Butch blinked, before slowly breaking into a lopsided grin as he looked at the flustered puff beside him. "Sister, huh?" he repeated, as Buttercup scowled at him. She smacked his arm. "Asshole," she grumbled.
"But I didn't even do anything?!" Butch protested, "Curse the fact that we're counterparts, not me! Lest you forget, I actually saved you! Twice, really, and if it weren't for me, you'd be lying in that alley with broken bones in muddy clothes!"
Buttercup kicked his feet.
"OW!"
"I'm a Puff channeling X, okay?" she retorted, "I would heal in the same time it would take me to fall."
"Well, then, don't be grumpy at me for what the lady said! It ain't my fault we look like siblings!" Butch huffed, sticking his hands into his pockets once more.
Buttercup grumbled under her breath so faintly Butch had to strain to hear, although he still couldn't tell what it was she was saying except that it was something along the lines of "having the worst Ruff of the trio" and something about "popping out of nowhere."
"What are you doing?" Buttercup suddenly demanded.
Butch straightened up. "Uhh, nothing?" he stated obviously.
"What are you even doing here? You and your brothers just drop out of existence for six plus years and then you suddenly show up in the rain as my oh-so-wonderful savior, legitimately popping out of nowhere?! Like, what gives?" The puff demanded, voice getting screechy by the second,
"And why the hell are you following me like a lost puppy? I'm literally just trying not to get any more wet and find shelter so that I can go home to give merchandise that isn't soaking wet to my sister or else she's gonna cave my head in! I'm not even doing anything remotely interesting! Stop following me!"
Butch smiled eerily. "I'm not following you, Butternut, I'm following something else," he answered mysteriously.
"Which is?" Buttercup prompted irritatedly as he stared to float up into the air.
The Ruff grinned. "You'll see soon enough," he replied, before giving his counterpart a two-finger salute and shooting off into the sky.
Buttercup watched the green streak of light jet across over the city until it faded away and she could no longer see any trace of the boy who'd left an infamous mark amongst the people so long ago.
Buttercup scrunched up her face in confusion as she stood there on the street.
Did she just come face-to-face with the very boy branded as her counterpart after years of no sign of him?
...She just came face-to-face with her counterpart after years of no sign of him!
Oh, God, she'd just come across the boy, the very boy, she'd once detested with her soul and more but who've suddenly acquired such a hot voice and body and oh god what was she going to tell her sisters now?
Buttercup blinked. Speaking of sisters...
"Shoot! The bags!" the tomboy suddenly cried as she brought herself back to the atmosphere around her, "Bubbles is gonna kill me!"
The Puff resumed her run...all the while thinking about the mysterious appearance of her "Savior-in the-rain." What was to come of all this now?
So what do you think of this take? Is it a Go? If you've got a moment to spare, please take some time to let me know what you think because reviews are greatly appreciated! :) Take Care!