Another week had passed, one that saw Him spending his time either attempting to force his memories to return, or trying to ignore his growing infatuation with Bubbles. Both had proved fruitless pursuits, as he was no closer to recovering his past and he found himself only growing fonder of the young woman who had set out to earn his trust and friendship.

Bubbles watched as Him paced in the backyard, his expression earnest. She knew that he was trying very hard to remember everything that had been taken away from him, but Bubbles knew that force wasn't the answer to bring back his past. It was likely that the only thing he'd succeed in finding was a migraine.

He's trying too hard. Why can't he just let it be?

She didn't want the old Him back, the one who had delighted in terrorizing her family and the people of Townsville. Bubbles liked the new Him much better; he was sweet and funny and curious and...well, she had grown spoiled with her preference to lean against him while watching movies, and not just when they were gathered with the family. Lately, Him had insisted that they watch films alone, either downstairs or together in her room.

Not that Bubbles minded, she liked having Him to herself. Perhaps she even preferred it.

Truly, she liked Him in more ways than she cared to examine.

Her sisters had been teasing her lately that there was more than just movies going on between her and Him, but the thought was just ridiculous...wasn't it? Bubbles cleared her throat as she went on watching him in the backyard. She enjoyed his company, and despite that Him was not a human, she didn't think of him as an animal and she didn't think he was in any way ugly.

Bubbles blushed a bit to realize that she thought Him was truly very attractive. Despite his inhuman attributes, he had the build of an athletic young man and a handsome face. Perhaps she had grown too accustomed to his crimson skin, his fangs and dragon eyes, because she hardly gave those features a second thought. Handsome was handsome, and Him certainly was.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts, and opened the door.

Him turned and smiled to see Bubbles approaching. "Bubbles, hello."

"Hi Him. The Professor wants to see you." She informed him.

Though the man had become used to having Him under his roof, he still avoided being alone with the demon. One can't be too careful, that was the Professor's motto...when it came to Him, at least.

Him turned to follow Bubbles into the house. "How was class today?" He asked.

She turned to him, brightening. "It was wonderful. One of my sketches will be up for a temporary display at the museum in a few days."

"Congratulations, that's wonderful news. The Professor will be very proud."

Bubbles nodded. "It's my first time to be on display, but this is only a sketch. Maybe someday one of my paintings will be placed in a gallery."

"I'm sure that will happen for you soon, you have real talent." Him remarked.

It was one of the reasons he'd started to like her, he supposed, that she had a talent he appreciated. That, and she had revealed herself to be a very alluring young woman the week before, though he refused to dwell on how late she'd returned home that night that she'd left to go out with friends - and that several of those friends had been young men surely just itching to have her all to themselves. No, Him certainly hadn't given that much thought.

They made their way down the stairs to the Professor's laboratory. Bubbles felt heat rise to her cheeks at his compliment. "Thank you, Him. You know, I-"

Just then, the Professor came out of his office and smiled when he saw Him and Bubbles at the bottom of the stairs. "Hey, you two."

"Hello, Professor. Bubbles said you needed to see me?"

The Professor nodded and motioned for Him to come over to the table. "Yes. It's been a few weeks since we brought you in, and I want to check on your injuries."

Him moved to sit on the table and shrugged his way out of the black scrub shirt he'd taken to wearing ever since he came to stay with the Utonium family. The Professor checked the areas where he had previously been bruised and cut, smiling to see that Him seemed to have healed very well. The man moved away to jot down a quick note about his most unusual subject, leaving Bubbles free to observe a half-naked Him sitting before her.

Heat flooded to her face again. She recalled an incident with her sisters, when they had broken into his home only to find him exercising. Clearly, he had kept to his fitness routine, for Him had just revealed that, beneath the black scrub shirt, he held very defined muscles on his athletic frame.

No wonder he felt so solid whenever she leaned against him when they were together on the sofa or in her bedroom. She'd seen him when the Professor had treated his injuries, but at the time she was more concerned for his pain. Now though, after admitting to herself that she liked Him a little more than she should...

The Professor turned back to Him. "All right. Now, let's see how those claws are healing."

Him looked down to his once-proud claws, still bound shut in tight bandages. With his claws as they were, he had grown dependent on Bubbles for many things. He'd been deeply looking forward to the day that his claws were healed and he could make up for all the time Bubbles had spent tending to him. He delighted in having her attentions focused on him, but finally, it seemed the time had come where he could return her many favors.

The Professor began to cut away the tightly wound guaze, revealing Him's claws for the first time since the day he'd been brought to the house. As the bandages fell away, they revealed the gleaming shell beneath; deep burgundy in color, Him's claws were solid once more, completely healed. The creature marveled at his claws, snapping them, testing their strength and the sharpness of his edges. Him moved off the table, smiling widely in his happiness that his gravest injuries were healed and he was so close to being whole once again.

Seeing Him's excitement, The Professor took a few steps back as Him clicked his claw tips on the tabletop. He cleared his throat and moved toward the lab stairs. "Wow, it looks like you're good as new. I'll just…"

Him frowned slightly as he watched the Professor depart so quickly. "He doesn't like me."

Beside him, Bubbles shrugged lightly. "It's just that you make him a little uneasy."

"Because of how I look?" Him asked, snapping his claw for emphasis.

Bubbles thought on that, wondering how best to explain. "It's just…he remembers how you were before. Now that you're so close to regaining your powers and your memory, he's worried that you'll be even worse than you were before."

"Oh." Him thought on that. "Did I hurt him before?"

Bubbles shook her head. "No, but you scared him a few times and he remembers all the times we fought in the past."

Him sighed lightly and looked down at his claws, pensively clicking them together. The details were still a blur, but Him had regained enough of his past to know that there had been a great deal of animosity between the sisters and himself in the past. He didn't know why, or how it all began, but knowing the family as he did now, he did not like to dwell on the fact that he had been their enemy.

They were certainly no enemies of his now, and it had become a hope of his that Bubbles would remain close to him if and when he regained his full memory and power. He looked down to his claws, clicking them.

"I understand." He looked up to her. "Bubbles?"

"Yes, Him?"

She raised her brows as he took her hand gently into his claws. "When I remember who I am, I'll still remember that you, the Professor and your sisters took me in. No harm will come to any of you." His voice was firm, the finality of his declaration echoed in the lab.

No one was more surprised than Him to realize that he meant those words.