Time
Part 1: Long Enough
Chapter 3
Blossom stared at her bare face in the reflection of her bathroom mirror. She grabbed the black liquid eyeliner and uncapped the top before leaning in close to her reflection. Once each eye had a solid black wing in each corner, Blossom grabbed her mascara and applied some to her lashes. Finally, the pink Powerpuff glossed her lips with some sweet-smelling strawberry lip gloss. She messed with her bangs before pulling at her high ponytail. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this nervous.
Blossom sighed before glancing down at her tight fitting black jeans and red long-sleeved shirt. She hoped the v-neck was appropriate for her meeting with Brick.
Meeting with Brick.
The words bounced in her head, unable to settle, due to the fact that she still couldn't believe this was about to happen. It was the first time in years that they would be sitting down just to talk. She couldn't even remember when the last time they talked was! Damn Bubbles for talking her into meeting him. She didn't even know if she was ready. What would they even talk about? Where would they start? How comfortable would they still be with each other after years apart? Blossom tried not to worry herself much for the past few hours, but the questions kept creeping up on her.
Vincent leaned up onto the door frame and smirked, taking his girlfriend's appearance in. She turned towards him as she pulled on her shirt and twisted around for him.
"I don't look too showy, do I?" she asked, concern laced in her voice. Vincent chuckled.
"You have on a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, babe. I don't think those qualify as 'showy' clothing." Blossom groaned with a pout as she glanced back at herself in the mirror.
"Are you sure?" Vincent chuckled once more before walking into the bathroom. He gently grabbed Blossom's shoulders and turned her towards him.
"Babe, you look fine. Don't worry about it. Plus, I don't think Brick will really care about how you look. I mean, you're just going to talk, right? I'm sure if that's the case, what should it matter?" Blossom wrapped her arms around his neck. She sighed and laid her head down on his shoulder. Vincent snuggled her closer and brought his arms up around her waist.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just a talk. Looks don't matter if you're talking." Vincent smiled.
"That's right, babe." Vincent let go of his girlfriend as she moved from the bathroom towards the hallway. "Did you need me to drive you?" Blossom shook her head and trotted down the carpeted stairs.
"No, I'll be fine driving myself." She picked up her keys off of the kitchen table and headed for the door. She slipped on her jacket and slipped her feet into a pair of black Hunter boots. "I should be back in a few hours. Don't wait up for me." Vincent nodded.
"Did you want me to make dinner tonight?"
"Oh, would you? That'd be great." Vincent smiled.
"What shall I prepare, m'lady?" Blossom covered her lips from a giggle with her fingers. She shrugged.
"Surprise me." Blossom pecked her boyfriend on the cheek before opening the door. She closed it behind her and rounded the building to the garage in the back. She plopped down in the driver's seat and started the engine. She backed out of the driveway and off she went down the suburban road towards the inner city.
Brick entered the quaint building with his hands in his black jacket. Boomer said that the Lunar Café was the best in town, and that it would be the perfect setting to talk about life with Blossom. Brick glanced around the inside and smiled. It was very homey and warm. The perfect place.
He walked to the grand fireplace and sat himself down on a table right next to the window. He took off his jacket and set it on the back of his chair before sitting down and pulling out his phone. Blossom should be arriving any minute.
After about five minutes of waiting and playing a very stressful game of Cookie Jam, Brick glanced out the window and saw Blossom's car park up next to the café. The redheaded woman stepped out of her car and entered the café after locking it. She glanced around before she spotted Brick sitting between the window and the grand fireplace. Brick stood up as she walked to the table with a smile.
"Hello, Brick," Blossom greeted. Brick gave a lopsided smile.
"Good evening, Blossom. Did you get here okay?" Blossom was taken aback. She wasn't expecting him to ask. It was very gentlemanly of him.
"I got here alright." Brick nodded before motioning to her chair. They both sat down and got comfortable. Blossom unsnapped her jacket and hung it behind her on her chair.
"So, it's been a long time, Red." Blossom's heart leapt. She missed, and even almost forgot, how he called her Red. It brought a wave of nostalgia upon her.
"Yeah, it's been too long, actually. Well, you did write to me most of the time while you were away, but why did you suddenly stop? I missed your letters." Brick leaned forward folding his arms over one another.
"You're not the only one I stopped writing, you know. My brothers, Mojo, and Rachel all stopped receiving letters at about the same time. I just got too busy. Military work is hard work, and you need to put your all into it. I'm sorry I didn't give you an explanation on why. One letter would've been enough to explain." Blossom shook her head.
"No, no, I understand! It's okay, I just was worried about you." Brick smiled. "You… you look good, Brick. Well, you look a lot… bigger… than what I remember." Brick chuckled deeply.
"That's what training'll do to you. Even took Antidote X to really work on my strength and endurance. Got to work on my powers, too. They've gotten stronger over these past few years."
"It definitely paid off," Blossom commented. Brick smirked and licked his lips.
"Checking me out, Red? I thought you were a taken woman?" Blossom could feel her cheeks heat up.
"I am! That doesn't mean that I can't appreciate a man's hardworking attitude." Brick didn't seem convinced. He could see it in her face that she was taking peeks at him all while he was back.
"Uh huh, sure you're just appreciating me, Red. What if I told you I was appreciating how you look?" His smirk deepened once he saw the flash of red that spread across Blossoms cheeks.
"Then… I would say, why? I don't look any different than when I did in high school." Brick scoffed.
"Are you kidding me? You definitely filled out more. You aren't a little twig anymore," he joked. Blossom gasped playfully with a grin.
"Hey! I was never a twig." Brick chuckled. He leaned back in his chair and smiled down at her. Blossom couldn't take her eyes away from those ruby eyes. They always captivated her. She wished he had stayed: stayed in Townsville and stayed with her. She never even got to tell him how she really felt. Not once.
"Did you want some coffee or something?" Brick asked, pulling out his black leather wallet. Blossom snapped out of her thoughts and sent him a small smile.
"Hot chocolate, please. Make sure there's extra whipped cream on top. Oh, and a sugar cookie!" Brick chuckled.
"Be right back." He walked over to the counter to get in line. Blossom pulled out her phone and opened the messaging app. She tapped Bubbles' number and sent a quick text.
'Things are going well. He's being the perfect gentlemen. I think we're going to be here for a while. Remind me to reward you after this is over.' Bubbles' message came back in a matter of seconds.
'Glad it's going well, Bloss! And yes, I would like a reward for doing what you should've planned when he got here. Now, don't let me distract you. Go have fun!'
Blossom smiled and placed her phone back in her pocket. Brick walked over and set the wide striped mug in front of Blossom before setting the plate with two sugar cookies on it. The cookies were topped with pink icing and red and white sprinkles. He set his wide mug and his large chocolate chip muffin down before sitting in his chair.
"So, how about you tell me about college." Blossom bit into one of the cookies before quickly swallowing. She wiped her mouth on a napkin and sighed.
"Where do I even start?"
Boomer stood up from his couch and walked towards the sound of his doorbell. He opened it up and smiled as he saw Butch standing at the door with a large pizza box in one hand and a six pack of beer in the other.
"I hope you didn't eat yet, Baby Blue." Boomer opened the door wide and ushered his brother inside. He took the box and beer from Butch and went to the living room to set them down. Butch kicked off his shoes and hung up his jacket, leaving the dark green beanie on his head. Butch entered the living room and jumped harshly, gripping his chest.
"Butch, you know she's here. Why do you always get scared when you see her?" Butch looked at the large mass of white fur that sat in the corner of the room.
"Because she's freakishly huge! Why on earth did you think giving her Chemical X was a good fucking idea?" Boomer placed his hands on his hips.
"Thanks to me, Sasha has been a regular super dog! She's helped us with plenty of monsters in the past." Butch plopped down on the couch and opened the pizza box.
"Sure, but seriously, she's huge, and it freaks me out sometimes."
Boomer wasn't going to deny it. Sasha did grow to an incredible size over the years. Standing, she was about a half foot away from Boomer's head. He, with the help of Rachel, measured the dog and found that she stood at exactly at five foot, nine inches tall. Bubbles stood face to face with her. Not only was she incredibly large, but she also developed superpowers. She had laser beam eyes and the speed of a cheetah on serious steroids. She even had her very own white color streak that trailed behind her as she ran. Her super strength was a force to be reckoned with as well as an earth-shattering super bark. What Boomer was most grateful for was Sasha's heightened intelligence. He could tell her to go get the mail, and she would with no problem. She was really something special.
Boomer shrugged and went into the kitchen. He opened a cabinet and pulled down two small plates and grabbed a few napkins from the holder on the counter. He closed the cabin before going back into the living room. He sat down next to his brother and handed a plate to Butch.
"Hey, Sasha," he called to his dog. Sasha's ears perked at her name. She tilted her head and set her blue eyes on Boomer. The blue Rowdyruff tore a pizza slice in half and held it up. Sasha tail began to rapidly pound the carpeted floor. "Come here, girl." Sasha whined and stood up at her full height. She walked gracefully to Boomer's side and stared at the pizza half. Boomer held it up to her to let her sniff. Her nose twitched and sniffed the steaming slice. She then grabbed the piece and placed it down on the table to proceed to eat it bite by bite.
"She eats like such a lady." Butch commented eyeing the dog as she poshly tore off small bites, chewing them fully, before tearing off another. Boomer smiled.
"Yeah, she picked up on how Bubbles ate when she was, you know, coming over for a date." Boomer poked at his pizza, his smile falling from his face. Butch nudged Boomer with his shoulder.
"Aw, don't worry too much about it, baby bro. I'm sure you'll find another chick to fuck with." Boomer frowned.
"She wasn't just some chick, Butch. She was special. She was different from everyone else. And what did I do? I fucked it up. I lost her." Butch swallowed.
"Because of Jessie," Boomer nodded.
"Because of Jessie. But I don't even blame him. I was the one who tempted him to do what we did. It wasn't right. I regret it every single day." Butch sighed. Boomer had been beating himself up over what happened ever since Jessie went missing. Boomer was never really the same after that. Then Bubbles up and dumped him because of what Boomer and Jessie did together, and that broke him even more. Butch didn't know what to say when he bumped into his teary eyed brother in the middle of their home.
"After we got rid of HIM, it just all fell apart. I guess I should've known. It got pretty rocky over the summer. Then, just one day, she takes me out to talk, and, boom, I'm dumped. I should've seen it coming. Even Sasha misses her." The large, fluffy dog glanced up at Boomer and whined, her ears flattening on her head. Boomer patted her head. "Yeah, I miss her too, Sash." Butch could see the pain etched onto Boomer, and even Sasha's face. He set down his pizza slice with a sigh.
"Boomer, just… try to let it go. Ya know, if things end up working out for you and Bubbles, then that's great. But if they don't, don't let it eat you up, okay?" Boomer gazed up at his older brother. He nodded and smiled.
"Yeah… I know that I should, but it's still pretty hard for me. But what am I gonna do about it? Thanks, Butch. I appreciate you trying." The green Rowdyruff snorted, biting down into his pizza once more.
"Whatever. I just don't want you crying all on me." Boomer chuckled. Even though it was hard for Butch to comfort someone, he did a damn good job at it.
"I assure you, it was the most embarrassing part of the night!" Blossom giggled, blushing profusely. Brick balled up his fist in front of his mouth to muffle his hard chuckles. Blossom was currently informing her counterpart about her first college party with Vincent. Too bad for her, the whole night ended with her hot, sweaty, and covered from head to toe in booze from her fall into a large, sticky puddle.
"That must have been some night, Red," Brick commented after quieting his chuckles.
"Yeah, it was pretty interesting." Brick pushed his empty plate and mug away.
"Bloss, you know I would love to keep this up with you, and I think we could, but I think we should head out." Blossom's smile slightly dropped. She knew it was pretty late,(she saw the red numbers of 9:34 flashing on his watch) but she didn't care. She wanted to keep Brick with her for as long as she could.
"Oh… alright." Brick smiled.
"Don't look so disappointed, Red. We'll get together in the future. I'm sure your hubby is missing you, anyway." Blossom nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, I should be getting home." Blossom stood up from her chair along with Brick.
Brick quickly put on his jacket before moving towards Blossom. He grabbed her jacket before she could and opened it for her. Blossom looked from him to the jacket and back again before giving a small smile. She slipped her arms in and Brick hoisted the jacket over Blossom's shoulders. Blossom turned back to him as she zipped up her jacket. Brick smiled and held out his elbow to her. Blossom took it and the two walked out into the freezing outside.
"I had fun, Brick. Really, I'm glad we did this." The two walked down the street to Blossom's car. Brick smiled.
"It's about time, that's for sure." The two stopped right at Blossom's car. The pink Powerpuff unhooked her arm from Brick's and pulled out her keys.
"Well… I'll call you later, I guess." Brick nodded.
"You better," he joked. Blossom giggled. Brick smiled and pulled Blossom into his arms for a tight bear hug. Blossom couldn't help but get a whiff of Brick's musky cologne.
Brick pulled away before stepping back to let Blossom get into her car. Blossom sat down in the driver's seat and started the engine. She clicked on the heat and strapped herself in. Finally, she gave Brick one final wave before pulling away and driving off down the road.
Brick sighed. Having a night with his favorite girl was the total opposite of how he envisioned it would go. For some reason, he thought he would say something to offend her and have her storming out of the café in a matter of moments. But the red Rowdyruff was pleasantly proven wrong as the conversation fluidly jumped from one topic to the next. It had been a long time since he had any good conversation with anyone.
Brick turned back towards his car and pulled out his keys. He jumped in and clicked on the engine along with the heat and radio. Brick pulled away from the sidewalk and sped down the brightly lit streets back to Boomer's home.
Once he arrived, Brick parked his car in the driveway and entered the house. Sasha trotted up to him happily once Brick closed and locked the door.
"Hey, girl," he greeted her with a pat on her head. "Where's Boomer?" Sasha pointed with her snout towards the living room. Brick thanked her before pushing off his shoes and jacket. He walked down to the living room and peeked in.
"Oh hey, bro!" Butch greeted happily. "How was the date with Blossy?" Brick rolled his eyes.
"Butch, how many times do I have to tell you? It. Was. Not. A. Date! We only met up as perfectly friendly adults. Nothing more!" Brick sighed and plopped down on a soft chair. Butch scoffed.
"Whatever you say, brother."
As the next few weeks passed, it was Buttercup's turn to invite everyone over for Thanksgiving dinner. During all of the cooking and planning with Blossom, she came to the solid decision that she would keep her baby. When Buttercup told her, Blossom was more scared than happy for her. Maybe it was just because Buttercup was her little sister. Or because she was scared about what Butch would say. Blossom would kill him with her own bare hands if he decided he was going to pussy out and walk away from her sister and unborn niece or nephew.
After the holiday, Buttercup slowly divulged the information to Bubbles and her father at the same time. Bubbles being, well, Bubbles, was naturally excited that she would be an aunt in nine months. Professor let his worried father side get the better of him and insisted that Buttercup come down to the Lab so that he could do a full check up on her. Buttercup reluctantly agreed and let her father have his way. It was easier.
One cold, snowy morning in the beginning of December, Buttercup woke up to the nasty pang in her stomach. She quickly put a hand to her mouth and rushed to the bathroom. She wretched and emptied the rancid contents of her stomach into the toilet. Grimacing, Buttercup wiped her mouth with tissue before flushing. She sighed and proceeded to wash out her mouth.
"Man, I can't wait until this stupid morning sickness goes the fuck away!" Buttercup exited the bathroom and trotted down the hallway to the kitchen. Her beautiful black German Shepherd followed right on her heels.
"Hey, Psylocke," Buttercup leaned down and patted the dog on her head. "Want some food, girl?" The dog yipped softly. Buttercup pulled out the dog food from the cabinet and poured the food into the dog's dark green bowl.
Buttercup grabbed all of the ingredients she would need for her breakfast and began cooking away over the stove. The kitchen smelled like the scrambled eggs and bacon she made, to Psylocke's delight. Buttercup glanced down at the drooling dog and snickered. She reached into the sizzling hot pan and picked up one of the four strip of bacon inside. She blew on it to cool it off before chucking it into the air right above Psylocke. The German Shepherd jumped up slightly and quickly caught the bacon in her canines. Buttercup giggled and continued cooking.
Once Buttercup finished eating, her phone on the tabletop buzzed along with the loud ring tone. Buttercup downed the rest of her milk before glancing at the screen. Butch's face flashed brightly. Buttercup's heart jumped. She realized that she was going to have to tell her lover sooner or later, and she'd rather do it sooner. She tapped the green icon and held the phone up to her ear.
"Hey, Butch. What's up?" Buttercup greeted, trying to keep her cool.
"Sup, Kitten. Mind if I come over for a bit?" Buttercup snickered.
"You know, if you wanna just have sex, all you have to do is come out and say it." Buttercup giggled. Butch scoffed playfully.
"Well, what if I just want to hang out? I do love more of you than just your sweet little sugar cookie." Buttercup scrunched up her face.
"Ew, could you be any sicker? Do you have to call it that, Butch?" The Rowdyruff chuckled.
"No, but since you think it sounds gross, I'll just stick to calling it that." Buttercup rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Anyway, yeah, come over," she sighed, thinking of her next words carefully. "I, uh, I need to talk to you…when you get here, that is."
"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in ten." Buttercup agreed and said her goodbyes. She set down the phone and clutched her forehead with her hand. How was she going to break the news to him? What if she screws up? What if Blossom's suspicions came true, and he ended up just leaving her? Buttercup groaned before getting up. She had ten minutes to choose her words very carefully.
Butch rang Buttercup's apartment doorbell and waited patiently for her to answer. Suddenly, the door swung open and revealed a very flushed Buttercup.
"Hey, Butch! Come on in." She moved back to let him cross into her apartment before closing the door behind him. Butch removed his coat and boots. Buttercup leaned up on her toes and pecked him on the lips. Butch adjusted his green sweater and followed his woman into her living room. The two plopped down on the couch.
"So what's up, Buttercup? You said you wanted to talk to me on the phone." Buttercup could feel herself become tense.
"Uh, w-well, uh… I, I need to… to tell you something pretty important." Butch turned to her giving her his full attention.
"What is it?" Buttercup licked her lips, trying to make them not so dry. How was she going to come out and say it? She wished she had more time to prepare.
No. No, Buttercup, this is not you! You need to tell him. He deserves to know that he is going to be a soon-to-be daddy!
"I'm pregnant." Butch scoffed.
"Uh, yeah right, Buttercup. Good one!" He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and clicked on the current football game. Buttercup frowned.
"Butch, I'm pregnant. In nine months, you're going to be a father." Butch's slight smile dropped instantly from his lips. His grip on the remote increased and caused the poor device to be crushed in his large hand. Buttercup gulped and assumed the worst. He struggled to make eye contact with her, but, when he finally did, his face held only horror.
"You're… what?" Buttercup sighed.
"I'm pregnant, Butch." Butch nodded.
"Right… I think I should get home now. It's getting pretty late." He set down the crushed remote control and quickly stood up. He rushed to the front door and slipped his boots on. Buttercup followed.
"What? But it's only four!" Butch tied up his boots before grabbing his coat.
"Yeah, well… don't wanna be late making dinner. I just remembered that Brick and Boomer were coming over."
"But-"
"I'll see you later, then." Butch swung open the front door and trucked it down the hallway. Rather than waiting for the elevator, he quickly took to the stairs.
Buttercup slammed the door and rushed to the living room window. She watched as Butch rushed to his truck and got inside. It was only a matter of seconds before she saw the truck pull off down the road.
She couldn't believe it! Blossom was right, as usual. He ran from her. Buttercup clutched her tummy. He ran from her and their baby. Buttercup gasped, clutching the window sill. Her face scrunched up harshly as tears welled up in her bright lime eyes. Her violent wails sounded before the tears from her eyes spilled over. She slid to the floor and curled up right below the window. Buttercup held herself as she let the large tears coat her flushed cheeks.
Psylocke whined and padded up to her owner. She sat down in front of Buttercup and licked her knee comfortingly. Buttercup sniffed and laid a hand over Psylocke's head. The two sat in the shadows under the window. All that could be heard were the wailing from Buttercup and the distant cheers from the patrons at the football game on the television.
"Well, it sounds like you had a great time, ya whore." Boomer chuckled at Brick's accusations as he showed the redhead the small slips of paper with various phone numbers on them. All of them were the numbers from both female and male suitors. Ever since Boomer came out as bisexual, Brick and Butch had been quite jealous on how easy it was for Boomer to "play the field" in the world of dating.
"You should've come with me. It would've been fun." Brick scoffed.
"Right, cause watching my brother getting hot and heavy with five other people is oh so fun." He rolled his eyes and glued them back on the movie they were watching. Boomer chuckled.
"It would've been fun, Brick. It's been awhile since we hit up a club together. Plus, it could've taken your mind off of Blossom." Brick whipped his head towards Boomer.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you know that she is currently in a relationship. No matter how you look at it, they are pretty much together. You can't keep wanting to go out with a girl who's in a relationship. I mean, you can, and you could even try to get with her, but how well is that going to turn out? It's only going to end in disaster." Brick frowned even though he knew Boomer was right.
"Hmph, whatever." Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Boomer frowned as he noticed that, whoever it was, wasn't giving that bell a break.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming! Holy shit!" Boomer quickly opened the door and jumped slightly as he saw Butch at the door with a creepy, wide smile on his face. The doorbell didn't stop ringing either.
"Who is it?" Brick asked from the living room.
"It's Butch, but I think he's broken." Boomer waved a hand in front of Butch's face but got no reaction. Brick shuffled from the living room and gave Butch a weird look.
"The hell's wrong with you?" No answer. "Hel-lo, Butch! Is anyone upstairs?" Butch snickered slightly before he began laughing through his clenched teeth. Brick and Boomer glanced at each other before looking back to their laughing brother.
"Uh, what do we do?" Boomer asked quietly. Before Brick could answer Butch swayed back and forth before his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He swung forward, falling to the floor in between his brothers.
"Well… that happened." Brick rolled his eyes at Boomer and leaned down.
"Just help me get him up, dumbass." Brick placed one of Butch's arms over his shoulder, and Boomer did the same with his other.
The two dragged their brother's big body to the living room and plopped him down on the couch. Brick picked up Butch's long legs and shoved them on the couch while Boomer went and closed the front door. He glanced down at the large rug in front of the door and saw the small mounds of snow Butch dragged in. He sighed knowing that he was going to have to find time to clean the damn thing.
Fuck you, Butch!
Brick poked Butch's cheek and smirked.
"You know this is the first time I've seen him knocked out like this." Boomer returned to the living room with a glass of water.
"No it's not." Brick frowned.
"Yeah it is." Boomer huffed.
"No, it's not. Remember when we went to fight HIM in the Underworld? Butch almost lost his soul." Brick nodded.
"Oh yeah! I forgot about that. Seems like a lifetime ago." Boomer sat down on the coffee table.
"It kind of was. Then you left." Brick glanced up at Boomer.
"Boomer, are you really going to start this again? I've said sorry too many times before I even was transferred away! You can't keep blaming me for something I couldn't control." Boomer snickered bitterly.
"It's not even that! You stopped contacting us, Brick! You know how worried we all were? Of course, you apologized to Blossom because you only think with your dick! Just because you wanna fuck her doesn't mean that your family is any less important!" Brick was taken aback. Boomer never yelled at him like that.
"Now hold on-"
"Shut the fuck up! God, both of you are fucking dicks, how about that? Yelling in my ear and shit… fuck you both." Butch clutched his forehead.
"Butch! Are you okay, man?" Brick helped Butch sit up before sitting himself down next to him.
"My head's about to implode in on itself, but other than that, I'm fine." Boomer held up a green pill and the glass of water to Butch. "What's that?"
"It's a pill that Professor made for when we get head or stomachaches. Super people need super solutions, I guess." Butch grabbed both and popped the pill into his mouth. He downed it with the water.
"So, you wanna tell us why you came here just to have a fainting spell?" Brick questioned.
"Yeah, what gives? I have several mounds of melting snow at my door that I'm going to need to clean up. If my rug gets ruined because of that, you owe me a new rug, dammit." Butch scoffed.
"I don't give one once of a fuck about your ugly ass rug, bitch." Boomer's face began to turn red.
"Bitch? What the fuck? Fuck-"
"SHUT UP! HOLY CRAP!" Brick glowered at both of them before turning back to Butch. "Now, do you mind telling us what's got you so worked up?"
"Fine. Well, I just kind of found out that… do you guys know any good places to buy a crib?"
"Uh, for what?" Boomer asked. Brick huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Boomer looked to Brick and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Brick? Should I get you a pill, too?"
"No, you idiot," he glanced up at his blonde brother. "Butch here is about to have a little 'Mini Me' soon."
"Oh, okay." Boomer grabbed his soda sitting next to him and took a swig. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he spit the fizzy drink out on the table next to him. He made sure not to spray his brothers. "BUTTERCUP'S PREGNANT?" Butch snickered.
"Hey Brick, I think our brother's a genius." Brick gave him a deadpan look before slapping Butch upside the head. Hard. "Ow, what the hell, man?"
"Me? I should be saying what the hell to you, asshole! What were you thinking, getting Buttercup pregnant? You really are dumber than you look." Butch scoffed.
"Look, it wasn't entirely my fault, okay? Pregnancy takes two. This is just as much her fault as it is mine." Brick stood up from the couch and placed his hands on his hips.
"What happened? 'Cause if you persuaded her to not make you use some sort of protection then this is entirely your fucking fault." Butch rubbed the back of his neck.
"You know, you're way too smart to even question anything, brother." Brick's face turned red. He was fuming! How could Butch be so stupid? Boomer noticed that his fiery brother was about to explode.
"Brick, calm down. We're all adults here. We can talk this out."
"You," Brick pointed towards Boomer. "Shut the fuck up." His voice was eerily calm. Boomer knew what was to happen. Brick turned towards Butch. "And you, get the fuck up." Butch sighed and stood from the couch, placing his hands in his pockets.
"What? You gonna hit me?" Brick chuckled darkly and pointed towards the door that led to the backyard.
"Go." Butch glanced down at his sock covered feet.
"You really want me to go out with no boots on? I knew you could be cruel, Brick, but damn. I love my feet too much to get hypothermia." Brick clutched the bridge of his nose. He heard Butch's rambling in the background as his heart threatened to beat out if his chest. He felt the heat rise, ready to explode.
"Butch, shut up. You're going to make him mad!" Butch laughed out loud.
"You think I give a fuck? He's just like that to intimidate me. But guess what? We're not kids anymore! That shit doesn't work on me now. If he wants to say something, then he's welcome t-" Brick's large hand clenched itself around Butch's throat tightly. He brought his face close to Butch's. So close that their noses were almost touching.
"Shut the fuck up and get outside, motherfucker. If you don't want to own up to any responsibility, just be prepared for a few broken bones. Now get. The fuck. Outside." Brick let go of Butch's throat and shoved him towards the backyard door.
Boomer sighed and crossed his arms once the two disappeared through the door. He heard Brick slam it closed behind him before a wave of flesh rupturing punches sounded from outside. Boomer rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ugh, those two are never going to give it a rest."
"You okay now?" Bubbles handed her raven haired sister a steaming mug of hot chocolate. She made sure to put extra whipped cream on top. The blonde sat next to Buttercup who was sitting on the couch in Bubbles' home. Buttercup grabbed the mug.
"Thanks." Bubbles plopped back down on the couch and sighed.
"So, that's all he said? That he needed to get home?" Buttercup nodded.
"Yeah, that's all he said. He said that he needed to make dinner for his brothers. Of course, according to Blossom, that wasn't true since Brick told her his plans for the night. So, not only did Butch run, but he also lied to me. I should've known. And just when I've decided to keep the damn kid…" Bubbles placed her hand on Buttercup's knee.
"It's his loss. If he can't step up and be a father to your kid, then he never deserved it." Buttercup sighed and shook her head.
"No, I don't believe he would just walk away like this. I have more faith in him. He's probably just scared. I am too. I just have to wait." Bubbles huffed.
"You can't wait forever, B.C."
"Yeah, I know. Do you mind if I stay here for tonight? I don't think I can head back home just yet." Bubbles smiled brightly.
"Of course you can! It's been so long since we've had a sleepover. I'll go get you some blankets! We can rent a movie too if you want. Oh, I can make popcorn! I hope you like lots of butter!" Bubbles excitedly bounced out of the living room with a grin. Buttercup smiled slightly and picked up the hot chocolate. She took a sip and set the mug back down.
Buttercup was grateful that Bubbles didn't question much. That was more Blossom's thing. Buttercup settled back into the couch. For once in her life, she was happy that Bubbles was her normal, cheery self.
Buttercup found herself waiting for the next two weeks. With each passing day and with each knock on her door or pull up of a truck, she would rush to see if it was her boyfriend. But each time she was disappointed, and it furthered her doubt that he would show up at all.
However, on one chilly afternoon, her prayers were somehow answered. Just when her faith in Butch was slipping away, the green Rowdyruff found himself at her door.
Butch sighed and straightened his jacket and black beanie on top of his head. He lifted his hand and rang the doorbell.
"Kitten? You home?" Butch said through the door. He spoke in a level voice knowing Buttercup would hear him. Super hearing had its benefits.
Buttercup turned down the radio to make sure she heard his voice.
"Butch?" she asked. She spoke as if he was right in front of her. His voice reached her highly sensitive ears once more.
"Yeah, it's me. Can I come in?" Buttercup rushed from the small study and shut her book. She set it on the dining room table. She grabbed the lock. Before she unlocked it, she took a deep breath, preparing for what was about to transpire. She cleared her throat before unlocking the lock and opening the door.
"Hey," Butch greeted with a small wave. Buttercup smiled slightly.
"Hey… come in." Buttercup backed up to let him through. She shut the door behind him and walked towards the small kitchen. She grabbed two sodas from the refrigerator and set them on the small dining room table. Once Butch shuffled out of his jacket and boots, he joined Buttercup at the table. Buttercup handed him one and sat across from him.
"So…" Butch started.
"So…" Buttercup nodded.
"Look, Buttercup, I'm really, really sorry about all this shit I put you through for the past two weeks. It was a dick thing to do, and I don't expect you to forgive me for it at all. I got the piss beaten out of me to prove how full of regret I am about this whole thing. I'm just really sorry." Butch sighed and took a long drink from his soda bottle. Buttercup smiled.
"It's okay. I was pissed at you, but I'm glad you decided to come and talk to me. For that alone, I forgive you." Buttercup leaned over the table, her eyes turning dark. "But if you ever do that again, I will castrate you with the rustiest wrench I can find." She leaned back in her chair with a bright smile quickly replacing her grim look. Butch rolled his eyes with a chuckle.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Kitten."
The night was thick with darkness. It was unlike any kind of darkness he was used to. Of course, training for years in the darkest, most miserable place on the planet makes one accustomed to the intensity.
Jessie sat cross-legged on the edge of the hill that overlooked his former place of residence. His dark reddish-pink eyes swirled in delight as he eyed the loud nightlife coming from the downtown area of Townsville. Suddenly, a tall figure in a black cloak glided from the forest area behind Jessie. The brunette looked behind him and smirked as the figure walked up to him.
"Jessie, it is time. All of your training has prepared you for this day. Do this for me, and you will more powerful than any of them." Jessie stood up from the ground as his smirked widened into a malicious grin.
"I've been waiting for this for years. I promise I won't disappoint you." HIM chuckled and pulled out a slip of paper from his cloak and handed it to Jessie.
"This is the address," Jessie grabbed it. HIM then pulled out two keys: one gold and one silver. "And these are for your door and car. The gold is for the car, and the silver if for the door. Don't lose them." Jessie took them both and stuffed them into the back pocket of his dark jeans.
"Thank you." He glanced at the road at the bottom of the hill. "Well, I'll be off." HIM smirked.
"Good luck, Jessie." Jessie waved once before trotting off down the hill.
He smirked once he saw the beaming town in front of him. Each nerve ending in his body was electrified by excitement and a deep seated loathing burrowed itself into the pit of his stomach. With HIM's guidance, he was finally ready to be on his own. Of course, the Devil himself would be keeping tabs on Jessie's progress, but the rest was all up to the brunette.
With one final satisfied chuckle, Jessie tucked his hands into his jacket pockets and waltzed down the road whistling an upbeat tune.
Ooooooh things are about to happen! Are you as excited at I am? Sorry this took so long. Holidays and stuff. But I hope I didn't disappoint.
Thanks for reading!
Bye Guys!
~TheRedWolf
