Never Hold Back

Buttercup landed at Mike's doorstep. A big part of her still wanted to run, but she wasn't going to let that happen. Bubbles deserved better. Buttercup deserved worse. At least in her mind.

For much the same reason, she resisted the temptation to look through the walls and see if Bubbles was still there, or what she was doing, or what kind of mood she was in. She wanted to prepare herself, but she wanted to pay her penance just as much.

She took a deep, shuddering breath before ringing the bell. She tried to steel herself, knowing that if Bubbles were there she'd probably look through the door before opening it. No violation of privacy in that, after all.

There was a pause before she heard footsteps. They were brisk and purposeful, but not excited or rushed. Bubbles opened the door and revealed her smiling countenance.

Buttercup tried to find some trace of pity, condescension, or even condemnation in that smile, but even her guilty imagination failed to embellish it.

"Hey."

"Hey," Buttercup replied awkwardly. She started running her fingers through the back of her hair and struggled to look at her smiling sibling.

"Been back home yet?"

"Um, no. Mike sent me here. Said he'd drive back."

"Do you wanna come in and sit?"

"Um, sure. I guess."

Bubbles nodded and headed for the couch in the other room. She didn't turn back. She knew Buttercup well enough to expect she'd prefer to enter at her own pace and close the door herself. She'd prefer that to being waved in like a patient at a hospital. Or a mental clinic.

Bubbles stopped by the touch, but didn't sit. She did turn around when Buttercup stopped walking. Bubbles lowered her head. Looking at the floor, she glanced up shyly. "So, um... Is there anything you want to say first?"

"Uh... Not really. I mean... You can say whatever it is you're gonna say."

"Are you sure? This must've been a rough--heh, almost exactly 24 hours, now. Anyway, this must've been a rough day for you." This time Bubbles fidgeted, running her fingers once through the hair on her temple.

"No, no. I deserved it. You just go ahead."

"Deserved it?" Bubbles asked, ignoring her sister's request. Intending to get her sister talking, she took a seat on the couch and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, first I completely freaked you out yesterday. You didn't even want to come home after that. Then there was the picture." Arms crossed, Buttercup sat rather reluctantly, staring at the blank television screen and the dark, warped reflection of them barely visible therein.

"I just needed time to think about things, that's all. That's not so strange, is it?"

Buttercup shrugged.

"That's it? There's really nothing else you have to say?"

"I love you," Buttercup spat. Bubbles recognized her sister's typical ploy, masking all her varied feelings behind the one she wasn't afraid to show. "I'm sorry, but I just do. I can't tell you why, but it's not like I wanted it. I fought it. I tried to hide it. I'm really sorry, but it was just too big for me. I wasn't gonna kiss you either, but I did, and I'm sorry. I--" Buttercup stopped short. She didn't know what else she was going to say. Everything else floating through her mind was basically geared towards defending her actions. But she wasn't going to do that.

"I guess that's it," she concluded.

After a long pause, Bubbles slid along the couch to sit next to her sister, sitting sideways to face her. Buttercup didn't turn, but she stiffened when Bubbles put her hand on her shoulder.

"So you really do love me...that way. As more than a sister?"

Buttercup's eyes flooded in an instant. She bit her lower lip and nodded as a tear made a break for her chin.

Bubbles reached out and gently touched her hand to Buttercup's chin, turning her face and then brushing away the tear.

Bubbles smiled. "Then I guess there's only one thing left to do."

Buttercup closed her eyes and forced down a deep breath, steeling herself for what was next.

This time it was she that opened her eyes wide in shock when she felt another pair of lips pressed tenderly against her own.

Bubbles wrapped her arms tenderly around Buttercup's neck and pulled away.

"That's not how I looked when you did that, is it?"

Buttercup blushed and glanced at the empty television. "I guess if you really want to know you can turn on the news."

"Buttercup, it's been the same since we were kids." Bubbles smiled wryly and rested her forehead against Buttercup's, "Why watch the news when you can make it?"