Angel in Darkness

Saturday, Buttercup wasn't surprised to find out that Bubbles was awake before she was. She lounged in front of the T.V.

"Morning," Buttercup said, leaning on the second floor railing.

"Hey, Buttercup," Bubbles replied, looking up.

"Do you feel like going to Mike's today?"

"Oh yeah! I'm so sorry, but I forgot to tell you that I've got plans today. I talked with Katie after lunch and she wants to catch up on things. I'd invite you with, but I don't know how Katie would feel."

"Oh, no, that's all right," Buttercup said.

"You can just head over to Mike's yourself, if you want. Heck, you could go now. He has about the same sleeping habits you do. I think he'd appreciate the company."

"You know... I just might do that. Do you have his number?"

"Don't bother. He hates talking on the phone. Just show up and surprise him."

Buttercup cocked an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? Wouldn't that be a little out of character for me?"

"What? Barging in without warning?"

Buttercup laughed. "No, stupid, I mean showing up at his place, by myself, acting like I'm too eager to bother calling first."

"Pshaw! Don't sweat it. Just tell him it way my idea. Not that I'd care if he took it the wrong way. Just so you know, if you two get together, you've got my blessing all the way."

"Ha! Just for saying that I aught to not go at all."

"Oh, come on, Buttercup, I'm just teasing. You'll have a good time. Get him to show you some more of his art if you really like it so much."

"Yeah, maybe I'll check out some of your 'special sketches.'"

"Oh, grow up!"

Buttercup laughed and went downstairs to find something to eat. This might not be so bad a day, after all. She wanted some time alone with Mike to talk about Bubbles anyway. She wasn't sure how she'd approach it, but she wasn't worried. After all, Bubbles was about all the two of them had in common. It'd happen.

Buttercup smiled. How in common, Mike would just have to stay in the dark about.

Later, she was standing at Mike's front door. She hesitated, taking a deep breath before ringing the bell. Part of her was still sure Bubbles was setting her up somehow.

The door opened. It was Mike's father. "Oh! Hello, Buttercup. Are you looking for your sister? She's not here."

"Um, no. Actually, is Mike here?"

"Oh. Oh! Sure, sure, he's here. Just head on upstairs. I'd knock first, but he's probably up." He winked and elbowed the air in her direction, "Not that with eyes like yours there's anything you couldn't see if you wanted."

Buttercup blushed. Mike's mom called out from another room. "Honey! Stop teasing the girl! Just go right on up, dear!" The last part was obviously addressed to Buttercup.

Avoiding the man's eye, she walked up the stairs. The floor creaked as she got closer to his room, and she was startled when he opened the door just as she raised her hand to knock.

"Hi, B--" Mike started, smiling. That smile went away. "Hi, Buttercup." He stuck his head in the hallway and looked around. "Sorry. I heard my mom and thought..."

Buttercup wrapped her arms around herself and took a long, hard look at the molding of the doorway. She smiled, but this was a little awkward. She didn't blame him, though. She was hardly in a place to complain about obsession with Bubbles.

She continued looking to the side as she spoke. The few times she glanced at Mike, he was doing the same. "She's visiting Katie today. She thought you wouldn't mind if I dropped by, though."

His response was curt. "I don't. Do you want to come in?"

"Sure."

Mike stepped back and invited her in with a grandiose wave of his arm. After he closed the door he hopped onto his bed and picked up a sketchbook, seemingly ignoring Buttercup.

She didn't think less of him for that, either. She'd been as cold with people before. However, after a few minutes of no response from Mike, she took that as leave to be a little rude to him in return. She walked over to where Mike's paintings leaned against the wall. The easel with Angel in Darkness was behind a sheet. Buttercup thought it made sense he wouldn't normally leave it exposed for anyone looking into his room to see.

"Hey, careful with those!" Mike said, though he remained seated.

"I will be. Besides, that's what you get for not offering me the tour."

Mike laughed, a quiet chuckle. "That's all you wanted? Do you really like my art that much?"

Her back to Mike, Buttercup smiled and set the painting down. She walked to Mike's bed and sat on the corner, then turned to rest one of her legs on the bed.

"You love Bubbles, don't you?"

Mike was a little defensive in the face of Buttercup's brazenness, but he tried to sound pleasant enough. "We went out. You know that."

"That's not what I asked."

"And why would I want to talk with you about that? For that matter, why do you care?"

Buttercup shrugged. "I...figured my sister was about the most common ground we have. Something to talk about."

"Well, don't feel like you have to come up with topics. I don't mind the quiet."

"Um... Actually, I really did feel like talking. I thought that with Bubbles off somewhere else now would be a good time."

"Ah, the plot thickens." Mike set his sketch book aside and adjusted slightly to face Buttercup head on. "All right, you've snared my interest."

Buttercup found herself speechless for a while. Mike wasn't entirely like her. More like her to the extreme, plus mood swings. That wasn't the main cause of the hesitation, though. "Um, I guess this is harder that I expected."

"Ha! Who would have figured you would be more reserved than your sister. Bubbles figures the best thing to do is speak your mind and be honest."

"Well, good for her. Some things aren't that simple."

"I'm not sure I agree with that."

Buttercup smirked and half-glared at him. "Well, I don't feel like arguing it." Letting off, she added, "Besides, this isn't that bad. I guess... Well, I've never really been with a guy, you know?"

"Um, Buttercup, I think you're great and all, but that's probably asking a little too much of me a little too soon," Mike teased.

Buttercup laughed. "Not that, you dick. I just... I mean... I guess I wanted to talk about--" Buttercup stopped and shook her head. "You know, I don't think I care that much after all. Care to show me some of your sketches instead?"

"Oh, no no no no. You aren't getting off that easy. What is it?"

Buttercup blushed and stared at the carpet of the cluttered room. "I was going to talk about relationships in general." She looked back at Mike. "How you and Bubbles were and stuff."

"Heh. You must be desperate if you're coming to me for advice." He nodded at the painting behind the sheet. "In case you haven't noticed, I still have some issues of my own to sort through. Besides, there's no such thing as 'relationships in general.' No more than there's people in general. You just have to go with what you feel sometimes."

"But what if what you feel is wrong?" Buttercup asked before she checked herself.

"Um, I'm not sure what you mean by that. I will say that sometimes the heart wants strange things. People aren't cookie-cutter gingerbread men. Or women. Forgive me if I'm misreading this, but even though society may be against a lot of things, I have a hard time imagining 'wrong love.'"

Buttercup was blushing fiercely by this point. "I think that may have come out wrong. But thanks."

Mike slid to the end of the bed and sat similarly to Buttercup. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Figuring out love can be a hard thing. Sometimes the heart lies. Sometimes the mind does. To find the right person, you've got to see through it all. You can't always just know someone is perfect, or just feel that they're right for you. Sometimes you can even have both of those things, sometimes neither of them, and still get it wrong. There are no easy answers when it comes to love, but at some level... I think at some place beyond the heart, beyond the mind, we just...understand."

Mike assumed Buttercup's thoughtful smile was in some way a shot at him. He smiled, though. "Well, there's a romantic's viewpoint, anyway. I hope it helped somehow."

"I couldn't say," Buttercup said. Her voice was pleasant. That, too, had been rare before Bubbles gave her something to smile about. "I guess with love the easy answer is usually 'no.'"

"Maybe, but it's not always the right one. I don't know who you've got in mind or where you'll end up, but I envy him. Or her. Or whatever it is. You and your sisters are awesome people. I mean, I don't think anyone can make me feel the way Bubbles did. Does, I mean. She says I think too highly of her, but I honestly can't imagine finding someone as fun and loving and generous and trustworthy and beautiful and good and..." Mike's attention snapped back to present company. "Well, you know what I mean."

Buttercup smiled and nodded, looking away again. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. Bubbles is... Yeah. She's something else, all right."

"It's good to hear someone agrees with me. Maybe I'm not half as crazy as everyone says I am."

Buttercup looked back and smirked. "Or maybe I'm even crazier."

Mike laughed. "Maybe you have a fun side, after all. Now was that all you wanted or--"

"Hell, no," Buttercup interrupted. "Break out those sketches you wanted to show me. You aren't the only one who needs a break from reality now and again."