Deceived

Blossom awoke from her light daze of sleep, dancing between dreams and sheer deadness of weariness. Someone was knocking at her door. Remembering her recent bout of stinging, dry-eyed premature wakefulness, and realizing she was going to look through her door anyway, she lifted her head to see who was outside, looking through her eyelids as easily as the wooden door.

Bubbles was standing outside in her nightgown, smiling broadly as if the sun were shining, breakfast on the table, and no publicity nightmares simmered in the world outside their house.

Bubbles waved at her sister. Blossom wondered briefly if Bubbles was violating her privacy and looking back or just assuming her sister would catch the gesture.

"Come in," Blossom called. She immediately wondered if she instead should have answered her question by trying to silently wave her sister in. She didn't chide herself too much. She was happy enough having averted opening her eyes, if only briefly. When Bubbles slipped in, Blossom opened her eyes to be spared the sporadic questions of "are you really awake?" that she assumed would follow if she kept them shut.

Bubbles slipped in demurely, closing the door quietly behind her. For a moment she remained there, her back to Blossom.

Blossom was surprised, almost squeaked with it, when Bubbles turned around and hopped from the door onto her bed. Bubbles slowed her descent near the end, but Blossom had already dropped her head back into the pillow, pressing it deeply, and the bed springs did squeak a little as the two of them bounced on the landing. Bubbles continued smiling. It wasn't a cheery smile, Blossom now realized, but a mischievous one.

"Hey," Bubbles said quietly.

"Hey," Blossom responded with uncertainty. This seemed very different from the last time they briefly shared her bed. Bubbles's mood was different. It didn't seem that she needed anything this time.

Or did she?

No, Blossom hoped. Even a week ago her sister slipping into her room in the dead of night and playfully straddling her, face inches away as her unbound hair hung down, would have raised little more than mild curiosity and annoyance. Now however, nightgowns and bedsheets between them or not, this was decidedly uncomfortable.

A few moments of equally uncomfortable silence passed before Blossom realized she'd have to be the first to speak up.

"Umm, Bubbles? What are you doing?"

"Just wondering," Bubbles said, her wry smile deepening briefly.

Again Blossom paused, hoping she wouldn't have to lead this conversation. The hope proved false. "About what?"

Blossom was briefly horrified when her sister's face began to inch closer to hers. The springs whined in complaint when Blossom again pushed her head back more deeply into the pillow, but Bubbles just moved to whisper in her sister's ear. Even as she did so Bubbles relaxed, letting the full weight of her body rest on Blossom's.

"If you've thought about it yet," Bubbles's voice trickled into her ear. It sounded like sweet honey.

They lay still like that for another short spell until Blossom, heart pounding so hard she imagined Bubbles could feel it through the bed coverings, finally spoke. "About...what?" she asked, nervously, almost fearfully. But was it really her sister she was afraid of right now? Or was it herself?

"You know," Bubbles replied coyly as she raised her head, hovering close. Her hands reached for Blossom's, and only then did Blossom become aware of her own hands gripping the covers tightly near her chest. She found her grip loosed, almost of its own accord, as Bubbles's hands found hers. Bubbles guided their hands until they were on either side of their heads, both of their elbows crooked at an angle, fingers intertwined.

Only then did Bubbles continue. "Have you considered it yet? If you could love one of your sisters like Buttercup and I love each other? To love with every fiber of your heart? Every ounce of your body?"

"Bubbles," Blossom began. She was almost out of breath now. She took in a deep breath before she continued, found her breath shuddering as she let it out, and breathed in again. "What if someone really is listening?"

"Do you really have to be so paranoid? Is it so important to hide this?"

"Bubbles, we've talked about this. You know why we can't let other people know the truth."

"And what is the truth?" Bubbles asked. Before Blossom could reply, Bubbles closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly. Blossom's breath caught and held, but this time she did not move when Bubbles drew closer. Right before their lips met, Blossom closed her eyes.

Several long, wet moments later, Bubbles drew away, and Blossom had to restrain herself from following. She felt light headed. Had to remind herself to start breathing again. There was no helping it now; she was panting.

"Bubbles...this... This isn't right."

Bubbles leaned further back, sitting, her hips resting heavily on hers. Blossom's arms remained laid out where her sister had left them. Bubbles did release her sister's hands, but one of them drifted to her face, stroking it gently as she spoke. "I know that's what you think. Maybe I'll even feel sorry about doing this later."

Blossom's heart caught, and she briefly wondered if her sister was apologizing for what had passed...or something yet to come.

Bubbles continued speaking. "The three of us were always so close. Always so good together. We always understood each other, even when nobody else did. I just wanted you to understand Buttercup and me." Again her smile crooked further. "At least all I did was kiss you. You can be happy for that much, right?"

"But Bubbles..." Blossom started feebly. She failed to finish the thought. Wasn't sure, at this point, if she'd even had a thought to finish.

Bubbles put her finger against Blossom's lips and went, "Shhhh." She drew her hand back and hovered slightly, swinging her legs to the side and standing up. She turned to face her sister, standing straight and tall over her. "Don't talk now. It's too late now. Sleep fuzzies do funny things."

Sleep fuzzies. The phrase had entered their family vocabulary early in elementary school. Blossom hadn't heard it uttered in years, now. Small thing though it was, it evoked a sense of innocence she was desperately happy to hold on to right now.

"Just try kissing me tomorrow and see if you still like it. If you can stand my morning breath, that is." Bubbles winked then backed up slowly to the door. She waved slowly and mouthed "goodnight" before disappearing behind it.

Blossom, suddenly dry-mouthed, found herself dead of thought. Even so, sleep returned very slowly.