Retarded in Love
An Ace and Buttercup Story

Chapter Two: Because It's Not Love…

"Where were you last night Buttercup," Blossom asked me for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

"I told you, I was walking in the park and I lost track of time," I lied, again.

She sighed, disappointed that I wouldn't give in and tell her what was going on. It must have been obvious that I was a lot happier today than I had been in months, well years actually. After one conversation with a guy I hadn't seen since I was a kid. His hair was the same after all these years. Same shade, same mustache, same hint of a beard. The only difference was that he traded in his vest for a worn leather jacket. I picked up a deck of cards lying around and shuffled them. I than flipped over the first card to see the Ace of Hearts in my hand.

My eyes widened and I quickly turned my attention to Blossom as she looked over to the window. She got unusually excited. "It looks like a perfect day for the beach," she said with a little too much enthusiasm.

Bubbles began to jump up and down with excitement. "Do you think Boomer will be there," she asked us with hopes of seeing her crush written on her face.

Blossom laughed at her sister. "It's a possibility, maybe Butch will be there Buttercup," she said to me grinning.

I couldn't help at laugh at her comment. "Oh please," I said to her grinning. "He's more into Princess than me. I like it better that way anyway. It keeps Princess away and that idiot."

"You are such an awful liar Buttercup," Blossom teased as she searched for her pink bikini.

"Oh really Miss I-Don't-Have-A-Crush-On-Butch?"

Blossoms face grew as pink as her eyes. She tossed the brush she had in her hand at me. I grabbed it as fast as she threw it. "Go get dress for the beach girls," she told me and Bubbles as she pushed us out of her room.

"What a grouch," Bubbles laughed and then turned to me. "Buttercup," she said with a smile on her face.

"What," I asked as I approached the door to my room.

"I heard from Robin that she saw Ace back in town," Bubbles said carefully, watching my face for a reaction.

"Really? I heard that too," I responded quietly, a small smirk forming on my face as I closed the door to my room.

I chuckled softly to myself. So Bubbles was somewhat smart enough to guess my good mood. I began to dig through the drawers on my dresser to find my forest green bikini. I quickly put it on and looked myself over in the mirror. It had definitely been a good thing that I grew out my hair since I was a kid. My black locks fell just past my shoulders, instead of the bangs, just a side part. I ran my fingers through it and pushed it back out of my green eyes. "Buttercup, are you ready yet," I heard Blossom ask outside of my door.

"I'll be right there," I answered, grabbing a towel and sunglasses.

I walked out of my room to see Blossom and Bubbles both wearing a dress to cover their swimsuit. "You're just going to go out like that," Bubbles asked astonished.

"Sure why not," I smirked and made my way downstairs.

"But what if someone sees you," Blossom asked in a panic.

My smirk grew a little wider. I thought of what Ace might think if he saw me in a barely there bikini. I laughed. "I'm sort of going for that Blossom. Besides, people will see both of you once we get to the beach."

I flew off with my sisters' right behind me. Once the girls caught up to me I grinned at them wickedly. "Which one of you think you can beat me to the beach," I challenged them.

"Oh you are on Buttercup," Blossom said zooming off.

I laughed and bolted right past her. "Have to do better than that," I shouted to her as I approached the beach and landed onto the warm sand.

"What has gotten into you Buttercup," Bubbles asked laughing as she watched Blossom trip over a large shell.

"Yeah," Blossom agreed looking over to her sister. "You're never this upbeat about going to the beach."

I smiled and shrugged. "I'm just in a good mood, that's all."

My sisters began to run off towards the water. I smiled and folded my arms as they splashed in the water among various kids and a few people from our school. I sighed than sat down in the warm sand, tracing different shapes in it.

"Wouldn't figure you much as the beach kind of girl," a familiar voice said to me.

I whipped my head around only to Ace standing in the shade with a smirk on his face. "You look good," he added.

"How did you know I was here," I asked curiously hoping my face wasn't pink.

"I saw a flash of green in the sky. Kinda figured it was you."

I smiled softly. "You wanna go somewhere," he asked me, his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

I glanced over to my sisters. They didn't notice that I was talking to Ace. "I better not," I told him, regretting the words that I spoke.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll see you later I guess."

I frowned as I watched him walk away. Something fell out of his pocket. I quietly walked over to the tiny slip of paper that fell out of his pocket. "Tonight- The old apartment building by the pier. Room 126" I read the note three times to get the words right. I beamed at the tiny slip of paper and ran to join my sisters in the cool water.

--

"Wonderful location," I thought lightheartedly as I approached the old apartment by the pier.

It was close to midnight, I made sure that Blossom and Bubbles were asleep before I snuck out. I didn't worry much about the professor; he was always a sound sleeper. The door pushed right open. There was no lock on it and it was pitch black throughout the entire building. There were a few lights on in some apartments, it took me a while to find Ace's apartment. The numbers on his door were falling off and there was a steady bass line playing over the speakers on the other side of the door.

I paused and pulled at the thin black hoodie I had over my green top before I knocked on the door. It took a while for Ace to get to the door. I heard the knob twist and I quietly stepped back once. "Buttercup," he said with a slight hint of surprise. "Come on in."

I quietly followed him into an apartment that was just as shitty as the hallways and the main entrance. I looked around the place to see one candle flicking in the corner of the room. "The electricity is down. Old Frank hasn't figured out how to wire it so the building gets light. A few people got it to work in their pads." He shrugged and sat down on an old chair that was worn out.

"It sure is a nice place," I told him sarcastically as I lowered myself into a smaller chair by him.

He chuckled softly. The single candle cast the most perfect shadow across his face. It accented his jaw more; showing that is was a lot stronger than years earlier, his high cheekbones on his skinny face, and his straight nose. He was quite beautiful now that I thought about it. I smiled slightly and tilted my head to the side. "Why did you want me to come here," I asked curiously.

His lips twisted into a frown. "I'm not sure," he said honestly and leaned forward with his chin in his hand. "Maybe to tell you that we shouldn't be friends."

I cocked my eyebrow and looked at him with annoyance. "You tell me to come down here at midnight to meet you in a shitty run-down apartment building to say that we shouldn't be friends. Why exactly?"

"Look, Buttercup. I'm the bad guy. I've tried to destroy you and your sisters multiple times, I've stolen things, hell I've done a lot of shit. It just might be better if we act like we never ran into each other last night."

I looked at him with my green eyes burning into his bloodshot eyes. I thought of all the tears I had cried over him and all the joy I felt seeing him after ten long years. I didn't want to let that go, not now, not ever. "No," I told him softly.

"What?"

"I said no. Maybe you don't want to be friends and want to go back to being enemies and you being the villain, but I don't. You've changed Ace, I can see it and I'm sure others will too."

"Changed?" He repeated. "Changed? Buttercup, I can never change who I am or what I am. I was and will always be a member of the Gangreen Gang."

"Really," my anger was starting to grow more prominent. "Then why didn't you help out your old buddies for their last few crime sprees? Why aren't you in jail with them thinking of a way to get out and another scheme to do? You left and your gang has become more pathetic than the Amoeba Boys, as sad as that sounds."

He smirked at the last comment. "Just answer me one small question," I continued. "Why?"

"I already told you why Buttercup."

"Other than that stupid reason," I muttered.

He sighed and frowned at me. "You're seventeen."

"And you're twenty-five, glad we both know each other's ages. I'll be eighteen in a week," I added with a smirk. "Don't tell me you want to go back to the past ten years because of a silly age difference."

"That's not just that Buttercup," he mumbled refusing to meet my gase.

"Well what is it then?" I shouted at him.

I waited for his response for a good five minutes before walking out of the door and back into the cool summer night. My arms were folded tight and the tears streamed silently down my cheeks. It was better to walk back home, at least it gave me time to think things over. I felt a few raindrops hit my skin and I gazed up to the sky. The rain began to pour down mixing with the tears on my face.

"Buttercup," I heard a voice call out behind me.


Author's Note: I would have published this earlier if fanfiction would have let me. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. It may take a while what with various projects due for classes and I have a funeral to attended for my English teacher, so I'm not making any promises. Anyways, thank you for all the review and favorites. They really made me excited that you guys are enjoying the story. Also, in regards to Aly208's review, I know that Ace was around 19 in the series; I changed his age for the purpose of my story.