Siopao: (01/06/2015) Only got one review from my previous update but I guess I deserved that after putting this story on hiatus & not updating it for a long time. However, I did revive it so cut me some slack!? I think I will be wrapping this story up in a few more chapters!

Disclaimer: I don't own PPGZ or it's characters.

Love Chronicles

Part VIII - Brothers

By: Screaming Siopao

"Eh?" Kaoru looked up at the night sky as tiny white flakes began to fall onto her nose. It was already late December and there had not been any snow yet that winter. Everyone who was walking also stopped to admire the minuscule puffs being released from the dark blanket that hovered over the city. "It's snowing."

"The first snowfall of the season," the black-haired boy beside her stated. He entwined his fingers with hers and she looked at him, slightly stunned. They were in public, walking the streets of Tokyo and she was not used to such public display of affection from the boy, though they had already been dating since early fall.

Butch and Kaoru spent almost every single day together for the past two months. In that short time, they had really begun to bond and get to know each other. Not only would Butch visit Kaoru every time she worked her part-time job at the maid cafe, but the two also spent quality time together on the weekends and when Kaoru didn't have any schoolwork. They had a lot in common, seeing as they were both athletic and a tad bit goofy. There was always something to talk about, always something to do. Never was there a dull moment for them. Laughter was commonly shared between the two, and Kaoru really enjoyed their lighthearted and fun time together.

She never would have thought that she could someday fall for a boy who was once her enemy. Even Butch would sometimes bring up how crazy it was to think about how close they had gotten in the short amount of time they've been "officially boyfriend and girlfriend." She could tell that there was sincerity in his voice- that he truly cherished what they had. He had definitely changed in a good way and Kaoru could see that. Butch was maturing, day by day, and Kaoru loved seeing his progress.

The two were on their way home, since Kaoru had just finished her shift at the maid cafe. It was a routine for Butch to walk her home, especially during the evenings, to ensure that she got home safely. Not that she needed any protecting. She was Powered Buttercup, after all.

"B- Butch?" she chirped, curious at his bold actions. She looked down at her hand, which seemed so small and dainty compared to his strong hands.

"Is it okay?" he asked shyly, still looking up at the snowflakes that were slowly fluttering down onto Earth. There was a small hint of rose on his pale cheeks, which he tried to desperately hide. Another thing Kaoru noticed was that Butch blushed quite easily. His skin was quite fair and his blushes were always noticeable, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. She smiled inwardly at his nervous actions. "It was a nice moment, so I couldn't help it. G- Gomen. We can stop if you want..."

As Butch was beginning to pull his hand away from Kaoru's, the girl suddenly pulled his hand right back, preventing him from letting go.

"Kaoru?" He looked at her with slight surprise. The pink was still on his cheeks.

"It's fine. You're right," she smiled genuinely at him. "I think it's a nice moment, too."

The blush on the boy's cheek heated up just a tad bit. He loved Kaoru's smile. It made Butch's heart skip a beat. Although Kaoru had a tomboyish and somewhat intimidating exterior, her smile was always so pure and sweet to him.

"Ah, I'm glad," he smiled, sighing with relief. There was a moment of silence as the two young lovers admired the light flakes dancing through the wintry air. It was sticking to the ground quite quickly and, soon, there was a thin layer of white powder covering Tokyo's streets. The boy smiled fondly as he was taken back on a nostalgic trip. "Last winter, I was with my brothers when the first snowfall came," he recalled.

"You really miss them, huh?"

"Yeah, things were so different just a year ago. I feel like we've all drifted apart. It was so simple back then," he laughed. "I remember we had a snowball fight."

"Really?" Kaoru joined in the laughter. "I bet you got slaughtered."

"What? Not true," Butch defended. "I've got the best arm out of the three of us."

"Hmm. Oh, really?" a male's voice from behind the couple said. However, as soon as Butch turned around to face the speaker, he received a ball of freezing snow to his face.

"What the hell man!?" Butch fumed as he began to clear the snow off of his face. "What's your problem? Do you want to figh-" Butch's speech was cut off at the sight of the figure in front of him. He couldn't believe his eyes. Was he hallucinating?

"What's wrong, Butch?" the blonde lad, who held another snowball in one of his hands, spoke. "My killer arm didn't stun you to death, did it? I'm pretty convinced that I have the best arm out of all of us," he laughed heartily.

"You..." Butch spoke softly, mouth slightly ajar. He tightly balled his fists and his body began to shake. "You damn bastard!"

The black haired boy suddenly launched himself at the blonde boy, tackling him into the snowy ground. All around them, people passing by gawked at the sight while others simply walked by, trying to ignore the scuffle.

"Butch!" Kaoru gasped, yet she dare not interfere. She just didn't feel as if she was at place to do so.

"W- What are you doing, Butch?" the blonde boy asked, confused as he tried to fight back, even though he did not want to.

"Where have you been?" Butch asked in a frustrated tone as he gripped the lad's jacket collar. Snow was all over both of their bodies. Butch couldn't care any less about the cold right now, however. "Do you realize how long you've been gone? Weeks! It's been over a month!"

"Butch, take it easy! I'm back now, isn't that fine? I'm sorry, Butch!" the blonde boy apologized. Butch then released his tight grip as he finally began to calm down. "I'm really sorry," the boy repeated.

"You... You..." Butch stuttered, his breath thinning out from the emotion. Kaoru watched as Butch struggled to relay his emotions. It hurt to see him frustrated like this. She knew how much he had been suffering, though he never outwardly displayed his pain.

"Butch," she whispered as she let the two sort out their problems and emotions.

Then, Butch took in a deep breath in order to further calm himself down. Butch knew that it wasn't right for him to take his anger out on someone like this. He just couldn't help it. It was as if all the frustration he'd been building up inside was finally released. Yet, he knew he had to handle the situation more maturely. He let out a heavy sigh as he stood up and held his hand out for the boy on the snowy ground to take. His eyes softened and he no longer felt frustration or anger.

"Boomer," he spoke calmly, a smile of disbelief on his face. He didn't want to be angry at his brother. He felt a wave of relief overcome him. Yes, he was definitely relieved. "I'm glad you're back."

The blonde boy smiled boyishly at his brother.

"It's good to be back."

o0o0o0o

"So that's why Miyako was acting so strange the other day after school," Kaoru stated as she recalled her bubbly friend's unusual behavior after her encounter with Takaaki.

"Yeah," Boomer said, taking a sip of his hot cocoa. The three were seated in a diner, sipping on hot drinks in order to warm up from the snow outside. Boomer and Butch were particularly freezing because of their small scuffle in the snow. "I ran into her after you all separated that day. Well, I shouldn't say I ran into her, since I was technically watching over her."

"I don't get it, Boomer," Butch said, taking a sip of his hot tea, "Why didn't you just come home?"

"I guess I could have. Sometimes, I did, when you or Brick weren't home, just so that I could rest or grab some stuff," Boomer explained. "But I just couldn't face you guys. I really felt like I needed to break away for a bit. You know, fall off the face of the Earth for some time. I needed a lot of time to think about things and sort matters out. But I could never leave Miyako alone, no matter what. I was always nearby, to make sure she was okay."

"Thank you, Boomer," Kaoru whispered. "She's been going through a lot. You even saved her from a terrible accident, at one point. You really showed up at the right time. Even I had no idea how much hurt she's been experiencing with Takaaki."

"Yeah, she wasn't doing so well. When I found her in the rain, she was crying. But don't worry, I took her home and made sure she changed into dry clothes and we talked the whole situation out. She told me everything that happened with her and that Takaaki guy, and I feel as if it lifted a weight off of her shoulders. I didn't leave until she fell asleep. But..." he paused.

"But, what?" Kaoru asked, worried.

"Even while she was asleep, she wouldn't stop crying," he sadly stated, concern in his blue orbs. "I wish I could have done something."

"You've done your best," Butch assured his brother.

"With you back, Boomer, Miyako's heart will surely heal faster," Kaoru commented.

"I really hope so," the blonde boy sighed. "I visited her earlier today just to see how she was doing. Her eyes didn't look as sad as they did the other day. I'd like to see her fully smiling again soon."

"You checked up on her?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"Of course! I... I really care about Miyako."

"Finally come to your senses, huh?" Butch teased as he took another sip of his hot tea.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Boomer asked his brother.

"Oh, come on," the black-haired boy replied. "I've noticed that you had your eye on Miyako. Even while she was Rolling Bubbles, I could tell that you payed special attention to her. When we found out who they were, I saw a spark in your eyes... as if you realized that you finally had a chance."

"Oh, stop it," Boomer defended, scarlet on his cheeks. He looked away with an embarrassed look gracing his boyish face. "Since when did you become a love guru?"

"I know more than you," Butch replied as he suddenly took Kaoru's hand, eliciting a small blush to form on her cheeks.

"You've been really brave lately, you know?" Kaoru pointed out, slightly embarrassed. He only laughed at her response.

"Anyway," Boomer interjected, "I think that we should start seriously looking for Brick. He's been gone a few days now, right?"

"Yeah, it's been a week," Butch sadly stated. It really upset him that he and his brothers hadn't been on the same wavelength as of recent. However, things were slightly turning up now that Boomer had returned. The two of them could definitely find Brick together.

"Can't your friend help, Kaoru?" Boomer asked. "You know, Momoko. She and Brick are pretty close, right?"

"Yeah, I remember her saying that she saw him last week. She took him into her house to care for him, since he wasn't doing so well," she recalled.

"He was sick?" Boomer asked, concerned. "What if he hasn't gotten better? And he's just out there dying?"

"Relax, I don't think that's the case," his brother replied. "Brick's not dumb. Okay, maybe he's a little dense but I think he has a pretty good sense of intuition. We'll start looking for him tomorrow, first thing. Kaoru, can you get Momoko and Miyako to help?"

"Yeah, sure thing."

"Okay," Butch affirmed as he clenched his fist. His lips formed into a smirk as a new found determination lit up his emerald eyes. "Brick, we'll find you, ya cold bastard!"

Up until today, Butch had lost all hope in finding his brothers. He really felt as if it was somewhat his fault that the three of them were not as close, due to him dating Kaoru. He thought that getting close with one of the "enemies" really upset his brothers and that they were losing their trust in him. However, he never regretted asking Kaoru out that night at the cafe. Now that Boomer had finally returned, his faith was restored just a bit. The two of them were going to find Brick and they would all sort out their differences.

The three of them would be able to finally act like brothers once again.

Love Chronicles

Part VIII - Brothers: End.

Siopao: Ahhh, I love this brotherly love! Hehe, please review!