Contest Information: The results are IN! I loved all of the entries so much that I couldn't singlehandedly make the decision. Originally, the poll was just supposed to be half the points, but I turned it into 75 percent, making my opinion only a quarter of the judging. So this fandom pretty much picked the winners. And since there were so many entries, I'll be awarding first place with a oneshot and second and third places with a drabble.
Thank you so much to everyone for entering and voting and helping make this contest a success. Even if you didn't win, I want you to know that you are fabulous and have helped make this fandom a Redder place. Now, without further ado... The winners of the Summer Reds Contest!
1st place goes to amythist7 for Hold On!
In 2nd place is NAWHdinosaurs for It's Summer!
3rd place is awarded to FuschiaFire for Integral Tranquility!
And while I unfortunately have no time to award fourth place, I thought I'd include it since there was a 3-way tie between Izzy's Frizzies, iamthecreator, and marisa lee.
Congratulations to the winners!
Again, thank you so much. I hope everyone had fun! Congrats if you won! And if you didn't, thanks for entering and please don't be disheartened- you're a wonderful author nonetheless.
...
Author's Note: I wanna wish Yellow-Lamborghini a very happy (belated!) birthday! I hope you likey! :)
And with that said, here's the other half of My Not-So-True Love! Read, review, enjoy!
...
Blossom stifled a yawn as she stepped into Publix, wishing she bothered to regularly stock her fridge with food. She was accustomed to eating her meals at the hospital cafeteria since she spent most all of her time there, and she was never actually around her apartment during mealtime. But with her best friend's wedding looming in a week, the redhead decided to be a good maid of honor and so she dipped into her unusually large bank of vacation days and took a one-week respite from work.
And not that she'd ever admit it, but the workaholic needed a break from her job too. She let out a reluctant smile at the thought of spending her next seven days making Bubbles' big day absolutely perfect. The redhead had actually just arrived from a dress fitting with the bride-to-be and was on her way home when she remembered she needed to buy groceries.
She sighed. The dress fitting went perfectly, with only minor alternations needed on a few bridesmaids, but for some reason, she wasn't content. Blossom racked her brain for a reason, but she couldn't find one.
Well, there was onepossibility, but she'd rather not think about him. It couldn't be fake-boyfriend Brick that was bothering her. She barely saw him at the fitting earlier, so why would that upset her? She blanched when she could finally name the niggling emotion- disappointment. She wasn't regretting not getting to see more of him, was she?
And as if her thoughts alone conjured his presence, Blossom spotted a head full of copper locks walking out of the frozen food aisle. She shook her head, hoping that he was just a figment of her imagination, but she had no luck. The petite redhead quickly turned away, hoping that he hadn't caught her gaze. She didn't want to converse with him if he kept springing odd, foreign emotions on her. Unfortunately, she had no such luck.
"Blossy! Long time no see," a familiar voice chuckled. He had seen her just an hour ago. The gall of that man.
Blossom deflated at being caught, but a sliver of her couldn't resist feeling excitement at seeing him once again. She immediately squashed that traitorous part of her mind. She spun around and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Brick, always a pleasure," she said sardonically.
"Of course," he smirked.
Blossom's eyes bore through him as she carefully studied him, trying to find some sort answer to her strange feelings as of late. Her thoughts came to a screeching halt once she saw what he held in his hands.
"Oh no," she shook her head slowly, but menacingly. "No boyfriend of mine, fake or not, eats frozen pizza rolls for dinners," she declared, her voice imperial and commanding.
Brick quirked an eyebrow, "No one eats them frozen, Pinky. You gotta warm them up," he explained as if he was taking to a five year old. She didn't appreciate the condescension.
"Do you have any idea how terrible those are for your health?" the petite redhead placed an imperious hand on her hip. Her glare would've been much more effective if he didn't tower almost a foot over her.
"I think I'll take my chances, doc," the bigger redhead winked. "But I appreciate the concern," he turned to walk to the registers, but Blossom caught the frozen box from his grasp before he could leave.
"No," she said simply as she casually tossed it into the freezer beside them.
Brick spun around, furious, and sent her a withering look, "You're a bossy little thing, aren't you?" His words came out more amused than annoyed.
The pink-eyed woman smiled victoriously, "That's the first thing you ought to know about me, Brick. I'm always in control," she held her head up haughtily.
He smirked and took a step towards her, narrowing the distance between them. His arms were crossed defiantly. "Oh, really?" he challenged, his warm breath encompassing her as his large hands made their way to the small of her back. He pulled her towards him. "Always in control, really?"
Blossom sent him an angry glare to hide the powerful effect he had on her body, "Get your hands off of me, Brick," she grit her teeth.
"Not until you give me back my dinner, babe," he grinned, enjoying her discomfort. He enjoyed the feel of her lithe form wrapped in his arms too, but he wasn't about to admit that fact.
"I don't think so," Blossom refused to budge on the issue, but she tried to wiggle out of his clutches nonetheless.
"How about you make me dinner instead?" Brick suggested huskily, his head lowered to hers so that she heard his whisper clearly.
Blossom was livid. "If you think for one second that I-"
"Blossom! Brick!" a perky voice exclaimed.
The redheads turned at the same exact time and their unusually-colored eyes widened. Brick dropped removed his hands and Blossom hastily untangled herself from his embrace. A fiery blush was crawling up her neck as she made eye contact with her friend.
"Bubbles... Boomer..." she said awkwardly, greeting the two blonds who had walked into the frozen food aisle only to see her wrapped up in Brick's arms.
Bubbles giggled, "Blossom, I don't think I ever thought I'd catch you making out in the middle of a grocery store!" She covered her mouth to hide her titters.
Blossom frowned at her friend's assumption, "We weren't-"
"-Planning to let it go that far, but frozen foods just have a certain effect on her. And I can never deny a woman in need," Brick interrupted smoothly with an explanation, turning Blossom a shade of bright scarlet. His comment earned a crack of a smile from Boomer and raucous laughter from Bubbles.
Blossom sent him a cutting glance before faking a smile, "Oh, Brick," she rolled her eyes playfully, resting her head on his chest. She wasn't happy with him, but she didn't want to let her blissfully affianced friend know that. What was the harm in letting Bubbles think she was in a convivial relationship for once?
"What brings you two here?" Boomer asked the redheads, though he sneaked a longing glance at his soon-to-be bride.
"We were just doing a little bit of grocery shopping together," Blossom smiled, looking up at Brick, "Grocery shopping's always been one of Brick's favorite past times, right sweetie?" she asked, her voice cloyingly sweet.
Brick glared, but wouldn't argue with her in front of the blonds, "You know me so well," he grit his teeth.
"Wow," Boomer's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation of his chauvinistic friend, "You certainly bring out a new side of him," he told Blossom. She grinned in response.
"Do you two have plans for tonight?" Bubbles asked eagerly.
Blossom bit her lip, wondering how she should reply since her best friend was the world's most prolific double-dater. There wasn't much she loved more than a double date. Too bad there wasn't much Blossom hated more than one.
"Yeah," she sighed sadly, offering a commiserating look to the blonde, "I promised Brick I'd cook dinner for us tonight. Sorry."
Brick's eyebrow raised in amusement, "We have plans, unfortunately," he agreed, unable to keep his tone somber.
Blossom, who had finally controlled her blushing, turned a faint shade of crimson at the way he said the word 'plans'.
"Aww," Bubbles pouted. "That's too bad."
"Terrible," Boomer shook his head in agreement, though he was glad the redheads wouldn't spend the evening with them. He wanted to have plans with his fiancee as well. "I think we should give them some privacy now, dear. Let them get to their plans," he suggested, as he led her out of the aisle. Bubbles yelled a goodbye to her friend before she was out of hearing range as Brick waved the blonds away.
Blossom let out a sigh of relief and she stepped away from Brick quickly, albeit reluctantly. "Pretending we're together is..." Fun. Exhilarating. A lot easier than I thought it'd be. "Quite distasteful," she lied.
"Agreed," Brick nodded, not wanting to spend more time on the matter. He quirked an eyebrow, "I believe you've promised me dinner?"
...
Later that evening, Blossom lightly rapped her knuckles against the dark wood of Brick's apartment door for the second time in her life. It was promptly answered by pseudo suitor.
"Good evening," he grinned as he held the door open with a mocking flourish. "Welcome to my humble abode, pretend-girlfriend-slash-actual-cook."
"Oh, please. You're making me miss the usual nicknames," she said sardonically as she stepped inside. "Please tell me you put those groceries in the fridge," she said, her voice a little weak as she stifled another yawn.
"Do you take me for a complete moron?" Brick chuckled as he darted his glance to his spotless kitchen. Turning his gaze back to her, he softened. He frowned, wondering if she looked that exhausted earlier at the grocery store. He was upset to find that he couldn't remember.
Her eyes were red around the rims from lack of sleep. She was wearing sweats and her characteristically shiny locks were pulled up in a messy bun. It was then Brick noticed how breathtakingly beautiful Blossom really was.
And how tired she was. He was about to force her to cook him dinner. Brick wasn't that big of an ass.
"You look tired," Brick commented carefully, unnerved by his traitorous thoughts.
"Is that supposed to be the nice way of telling me I look like shit?" Blossom deadpanned, crossing her arms.
You couldn't look like shit. You look gorgeous. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known.
"Yeah, I guess it is," Brick lied, quickly turning away so she couldn't read his features. "Tell you what. I'm feeling generous. How about you rest, and let me cook dinner?" he suggested, his back still towards her as he searched a cabinet for an imaginary ingredient he didn't need. Anything to keep him from having to face her and the bizarre feelings she stirred within him.
The other redhead simply snorted in response, "You? Cook dinner? The man who was about to poison himself with microwave pizza rolls?" she scoffed.
He felt oddly defensive, "Hey, just because I can cook doesn't mean I always want to. But now I want to. So give yourself a break." You deserve one, Blossom. He felt those words unsaid.
Blossom softened at his sincerity. Biting her lip, she sighed, "Are you sure? I can still help," she said, feeling awkward. No man had ever offered to cook for her before. She felt touched.
"That's real nice of you, Blossy. But I won't need it," he smiled. Not a smirk, not a complacent grin, but a genuine smile. It sent tremors down her spine.
Blossom had to step away before she melted right on his kitchen floor.
...
Brick returned to his den an hour later, smugly rubbing his palms together upon creating a culinary masterpiece. He smirked at the thought of Blossom's reaction to his brilliant talent.
He froze in place once he saw her asleep on his couch. Brick swallowed. Hard. He thought she looked beautiful earlier, but she was an angel when she slept. Her messy auburn locks framed her serene porcelain features perfectly. Her hands were tucked neatly under her head and she had pulled her legs close to her in the most adorable position.
He shook his head. Blossom wasn't adorable. She was a prim little prude that liked to give him a hard time. Brick cringed at his choice of words. He was having a really hard time right then. He couldn't shake the image of a sleepy Blossom sprawled on his mattress, her fiery locks spread against his pillows, his blanket barely covering her marble skin, her arms wrapped around-
Brick muttered a curse and briefly wondered if he had the time to take a quick cold shower.
"Brick?" a husky voice murmured. He cursed again as his body reacted to her. "What time is it?" Her voice was heavy with sleep as she sat up and stretched. Her coral tank tightened against her taut curves and she let out a soft groan.
"Dinner time," he said a little too quickly. He turned away from her and swiftly entered his kitchen, where their meal awaited them. He took his seat before she entered, successfully avoiding an awkward realization of what her sleepy form did to his virility.
"Smells nice," the petite redhead commented, her eyes wide in surprise as she stepped into the kitchen, smoothing her messy hair. She looked at the table and sent Brick a dazzling smile, "I never would've guessed you could cook, Brick," she conceded as she sat across from him.
He looked back at her warmly and their eyes were locked in a powerful moment. Blossom had to look away before he sent her ridiculous emotions on another rollercoaster ride. Brick shook his head before shoving his fork in his plate of pasta and taking a mouth full.
Blossom took a delicate bite and immediately frowned.
Brick quirked an eyebrow at her reaction, "Not good enough for you, Blossy?"
"No. Actually, it's too good. How much butter and salt did you put in here?" she asked suspiciously.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he chuckled. She glared. Looking back up at her, "So, tell me about yourself." He looked at her expectantly.
The smaller redhead rolled her eyes. "I'm not an interesting person. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" she inquired, batting her eyelashes with an innocence they both knew she didn't have.
Brick shrugged, "If you say so. I don't work as hard as I should, but I still make plenty of money. I appreciate beautiful women." That comment earned another eye roll from the other redhead. "And I like my family, most of the time. But I probably don't spend enough time with them," he tried to joke, but his words came out much more seriously than he had intended.
Blossom's brow furrowed at his last remark, "Why not?"
"It's not that I don't like them... It's just that they drive me crazy," he replied simply. "I mean, we're not a big family, just my brothers and my aunts and me. The guys are pretty chill, even though they're always banking on me to bail them out of their messes. It's just my aunts that are overbearing." Brick stopped his flow of thought when he realized how long it had been since he'd openly talked about his family with anyone.
"Maybe they just care about you?" Blossom pointed out as she took another bite. "Not that I'd understand why they would," she added, with a small smile to let him know her comment was in jest.
For some reason, that little smile sent his heart fluttering. He violently shook off the odd reaction, "Yeah, probably. But they're always hounding me to do stuff. 'Get a job, Brick', 'Get a house, Brick', 'Get a girlfriend, Brick'," he shuddered.
She nodded carefully as she took in his words. She understood. That's why he started this whole charade- to placate his aunts.
"Actually," Brick started thoughtfully, "You'd probably like them. You're a whole lot like them."
"I can't tell if that's a compliment or not," Blossom quirked an eyebrow in question.
Brick was about to spurt a sarcastic reply, but he suddenly stopped himself. After a few moments, he replied, "Yeah. It is."
...
Blossom furiously flipped through wedding boards on Pinterest, taking careful notes of the cutest and most innovative ideas as she juggled four phone calls between Bubbles' baker, caterer, decorator, and photographer. With only five days until her best friend's wedding, Blossom was doing everything humanly possible to ensure that it turned out perfect.
The blonds had already picked out their cake and Blossom had just called the baker to confirm it would be needed by Saturday afternoon. The caterer needed to be reminded that Bubbles the vegetarian required a strict no-meat reception while the decorator was regaling Blossom with her lavish ideas for wedding decor. The photographer had called to cancel, but Blossom had masterfully convinced him not to bail on the wedding of the season. And all the while, Blossom was attacking Pinterest for bachelorette party ideas.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she disconnected her last phone call and closed out of three web browsers. She had accomplished a lot that morning, and gave herself a mental pat on the back for her good work. Almost all of the fine details had been taken care of and it wasn't 9 in the morning.
The redhead hopped off her couch, placing her laptop and phones on the coffee table as she stepped into the kitchen for a much needed burst of caffeine. From the corner of her, she caught sight of movement in Brick's apartment through her large windows and longing lurched within her.
She had no business getting feelings for Brick, but somehow during the course of their false whirlwind, they appeared out of the blue. She shook her head, mentally berating herself. Brick saw this whole thing as a game, and once he showed her off like a fine piece of cattle to his well-meaning but overbearing aunts, he'd discard her like one of his nightly conquests. She shuddered. Bubbles had warned her that she'd get hurt and she grudgingly had to agree with the blonde. She shouldn't let Brick hurt her. How had she let those carefully constructed walls around her heart crumble so easily around him? It was foolish. She couldn't get attached to Brick anymore than she already was.
But, she bit her lip as she craned her neck to get a better view of Brick's apartment, there wasn't harm in enjoying their ruse for as long as it lasted.
...
"Aunt Sara? Are you there?" Brick asked into his cellphone. He shook his head. Since when did one of his aunts ever hang up on him?
Just then, his doorbell sounded, causing the redhead's brow to furrow. He was about to leave for work in a few minutes; he couldn't imagine who'd be at his door this time of day.
"Heya, neighbor."
He swallowed as he faced his unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome, guest. He had spent the better part of the last three days trying to forget how perfectly delicate Blossom was and what a wonderful girlfriend she'd make some lucky guy, and of course she had to land on his doorstep once he was starting to forget those feelings.
"Blossy, come in," he said carefully, motioning her to enter. She didn't frequent his place often, but he couldn't deny that he was happy to see her. "What brings you here?"
"I've got a naked guy back at my place, so I was hoping I could just hang out here until he leaves," she answered casually, having enough gall to flick her gaze down to her perfectly manicured fingers. She looked up at Brick wolfishly to gauge his reaction.
If he was still drinking his morning coffee, he would've spit it all over his ivory tiled floor. Not out of anger, that Blossom was having flings outside of their relationship (their fake relationship, he later amended), but jealousy. The idea that Blossom was sleeping with someone else sent incendiary sparks through his blood. He fumed.
Brick was too furious to see that she was holding in giggles, and too confused at his own reaction to her comment to realize that she had been mocking him.
"I'm just kidding, Brick," Blossom laughed. She paused, "Is it really that unbelievable that some guy would want to sleep with me?" she asked, her tone light. But she had seen his aghast reaction and couldn't help but feel hurt.
Another pause.
"Oh," he said dumbly, as her words registered. Suddenly, he looked up at her bemused, "I never said that. A guy would be crazy not to want you. You're-"
His cellphone buzzed, bringing him back to reality and he hastily answered it to prevent himself from finishing his thought. She'd probably laugh if she knew how he felt about her. Blossom was too good for a scoundrel like Brick and he was fully aware of that fact. For some unfathomable reason, she had agreed to play along with his deception, but Brick wasn't stupid enough to believe that she'd actually date a guy like him in real life.
He swallowed, trying to forget those morose thoughts. As long as they were pretending to date, he might as well make the most of her company. For the moment though, he turned his attention to his caller.
"Oh, hey Aunt Sara," he greeted her on the other line.
"Hi, Brick. Sorry about that. I've got a new phone and I'm still not sure how to work it just yet."
"No problem," he shrugged, "Is there anything else you needed, or...?"
"No, I just wanted to remind you about our lunch tomorrow," she said cheerily, "We'll need to discuss your wedding date," she added seriously.
Brick grinned. "My wedding date?" He looked straight at Blossom, "I thought I told you people that I've got a girlfriend."
Sara sighed, "That was last week, dear. We know you well enough to know that she's not still around."
"Actually, Aunt Sara, she's right here," he smirked at the petite redhead. "Have some faith in me," he added dryly.
"You're still dating the same girl?" his aunt asked incredulously. After a pause, "Wow. I'm impressed. Why don't you bring her to lunch tomorrow?"
"She's probably too busy for that stuff-" Brick started to prevaricated, but was cut off.
"What stuff?" Blossom interrupted curiously.
"Wonderful, so it's settled," Sara continued on the other end. "We can't wait to meet her tomorrow!" A click signaled that the conversation was over.
Brick just put his phone down and shook his head gravely, "I am so sorry, Pinky. My aunts want to meet you tomorrow." He said the words as if he were giving her a death sentence.
Blossom grinned, "Why would they? I can't wait to meet them!"
...
"So let me see if I've got this straight- your Aunt Ima owns a beauty salon and she tries to set you up with her favorite clients, your Aunt Femme is a divorce attorney and she tries to set you up with her favorite divorcees and your Aunt Sara is actually Mayor Bellum and tries to set you up with her favorite concerned citizens," Blossom prattled, looking at Brick expectantly once she finished.
He blinked owlishly, "Wow, that's perfect." You're perfect, he wanted to add.
"I try," she said wryly, pulling off her tortoise shell sunglasses and tossing them into her purse as they approached the quaint cafe.
Brick, ever the gentleman, reached for the door and held it open for his lady, who simpered in response. Once they were inside the dimly lit restaurant, three middle-aged women quickly caught their attention and waved them over. Brick frowned once he realized that his three aunts were alone. Normally his brothers attended these required luncheons as well and served as buffers between Brick and the matriarchs. He gulped. It was going to be a long afternoon.
Blossom smiled at the three women as she carefully studied the three.
The first was a brunette with shiny ebony locks and dark-lined eyes. She wore a heavy layer of make-up, but it actually suited her features well, and a tight black corset that showcased creamy cleavage. Blossom knew the woman had to be well in her forties, but she still oozed sensuality. She looked at Blossom curiously.
The next aunt was a blonde who kept her lips in a tight frown. She had thick blonde hair rolled in a tight bun and sharp features that could easily be called beautiful if the didn't keep such a severe demeanor. She was dressed in a conservative blue blouse and wore a strand of white pearls, her posture erect. She peered at Blossom suspiciously.
And between the two sat a voluptuous redhead with gently curled auburn locks. She had large eyes and a ruby red smile that could light up the entire room. She held herself with pride and unlike the others, one who masked her age and the other who tried to accentuate it, she looked perfectly at ease with herself. She wore a crimson dress that brought out her strong features and teased a tiny bit of cleavage. She gazed at Blossom warmly.
"Aunt Ima, Aunt Femme, Aunt Sara," Brick grinned and nodded at each one, "I'd like you to meet my beautiful girlfriend, Blossom." He looked at her, "And Blossom, my wonderful aunts."
The petite redhead pinkened at the compliment, but she smiled and said graciously, "It's wonderful to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you three!"
"Only good things, I hope," Aunt Femme said sardonically.
"Of course," Brick smirked as pulled out a chair for Blossom.
She looked up at him, amused at his thoughtfulness, before she took her seat across from the three aunts. "Thank you," she murmured.
"So, Blossom," Aunt Ima placed her hands below her chin, "How did such a pretty girl end up with our little Brickie?"
She contained the urge to curse. Her mind so wrapped up in wedding preparations, the thought of getting their facts straight completely abandoned her. Hopefully she and Brick wouldn't muddle things up too much this luncheon.
"We're actually neighbors," the pink-eyed woman responded. "We saw each other a lot around the building and one thing just lead to another!" She sent Brick a knowing look with a hint of a smile.
"How long have you two been dating?" Aunt Femme questioned as she sipped on her water.
"Two weeks."
"Four months."
Brick muttered something under his breath before he cleared his throat, "We've been together for four months, but started using labels two weeks ago," he explained rather smoothly.
Aunt Femme eyed him carefully before she nodded in satisfaction. "Alright. And what do you do for a living, Blossom?" she eyed her carefully.
Blossom almost let out a sigh of relief at the easy question, "I'm a doctor. I spend all of my time at the hospital," she answered.
"Which means I don't get to see nearly as much of her as I'd like," Brick joked, casually sliding his arm around her. Blossom fleetingly wondered when he'd become so good at playing the perfect boyfriend.
"I'm a workaholic, guilty as charged!" Blossom let out a small laugh, surprised at how comfortable she was being open with complete strangers. She had always been the reserved type, but there was something about being around Brick that made warmed her. The redhead bit her lip, reminding herself of the futility that came with thinking those thoughts. Still, she rested her head against Brick's shoulder.
"Brick, you've done well for yourself," Aunt Ima grinned as she traced the rim of her wine glass. "I never thought you'd end up with such a sweet, beautiful, intelligent girl. You always seemed to go for the easier types."
Aunt Sara's eyes widened at the mention of Brick's history with looser women and quickly turned to gauge Blossom's reaction. She surprised to see the petite redhead laughing.
"He did, didn't he?" Blossom laughed. She sent him a mock-chastising look, "Brick, I'm so glad you've changed your ways," she said, trying to stay serious. A undertone of warmth had crept through her words.
"Me too," he murmured, sending shivers down her spine.
Aunt Sara softened at the moment between the so-called couple, "I'm so glad you two found one other," she said softly. "It's clear that you really care about each other... But I still have one question," her gentle brows crinkled. She turned towards Blossom, "Why? You seem much too sensible to be with Brick, and Brick, Ima's right. What made you change all of a sudden?"
Blossom was too flustered by the older redhead's earlier observations to answer, so Brick was forced to respond.
"I guess I just got tired of casual relationships and wanted something meaningful for once. And I was just incredibly lucky to living next to someone as amazing as Blossom." He looked over at her with warm crimson eyes that seared through her.
If Blossom didn't know him better, she would have completely believed him. He looked so sincere and his heated gaze made her want to run into his arms and never let go. Blossom bitterly reminded herself that her silly feelings were just that- silly. Brick was putting on a front for his aunts and it would be wise of her to remember that.
"Yeah," she murmured, unable to trust herself to say much more at the moment, due to her swirling emotions.
The remainder of the afternoon consisted of frivolous small talk, delectable dishes and lots of laughter. As the luncheon came to a close, each aunt left one and one and only the two redheads remained. Brick walked Blossom back to their building, taking the elevator up to their floor (Blossom decided to be sensible that once; plus, she was wearing four-inch pumps) and escorted her to her door.
"Thank you so much for today, Blossom," Brick shook his head, finally locking eyes with the other redhead. "I really appreciate you doing this," he added gratefully.
"It's no big deal," Blossom grumbled, looking down. She wanted to be thanked if she was having such a nice time. It just served to remind her what Brick thought of her and their little falsehood. She glanced back up at him, forcing herself not to ponder what the heated look in his crimson eyes meant.
"Just a few more days," he tried to placate her.
I'm not exactly looking forward to the end of this, Brick.
"Me neither," he murmured.
Blossom's eyes widened. Did she really say that out loud? She cleared her throat, "It hasn't been all bad, Brick," she said shakily.
And before she could stop herself, she had stood on the tips of her toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Brick saw her moving closer to him and in an attempt to avert her kiss and further inflame his passion for her, he moved his head. But he miscalculated and before they knew it, they had kissed, their lips melding against each other.
It was soft, gentle, and sweet and completely unlike any kiss Brick had had before. He didn't want the moment to end, but Blossom quickly pulled away and turned around. She was flushed and wanted much more, but she couldn't face Brick. Not after such a perfect kiss.
She mumbled a goodbye before jamming her key in the door and slipping inside. She shut the door and leaned against it, finally brave enough to take a breath. She shut her eyes, trying to stop the flood of thoughts attacking her at that moment. Muttering a curse, she plopped down on her couch and threw her head into wedding planning papers. Literally.
And Brick was left in the hallway, dazed and for once in his life, at a complete loss of what to do.
...
On the day of the wedding, Blossom was in a tizzy. She had already visited the church to make sure the decorations were perfect (and they were), stopped by the caterer to make sure the food would be ready in time (and it would be) and went to Bubbles' place to make sure she looked drop dead gorgeous for the big day (and she did- she always does).
With less than an hour before the ceremony, the redhead had rushed back to her apartment to throw on her dress, make herself look presentable and return to the church before the guests started arriving. She tossed her purse and keys onto her coffee table, grabbed the garment bag hanging outside of her bedroom and tore it open. She stripped down to her strapless push-up bra and silky no-show panties in record time and slipped the cerulean bridesmaid dress over her head. She reached behind her back to fasten the zipper, but it was right outside of her reach. She stretched her nimble fingers, arched her back and contorted her body in attempt to zip the dress, but the pesky zipper evaded her grasp.
"Shit," Blossom cursed, unable to zip up her dress. She took in a deep breath and-
"Blossy, you here?" a familiar voice asked after a quick knock on the door. Footsteps followed.
Blossom's eyes widened to the size of dishplates when she realized Brick was inside her apartment and she was standing in the middle of it, with nothing but an unzipped dress on. She felt the room grow warmer. She craned her neck around to see where he was, "In here, Brick!" she called out, against her better judgment.
He stepped inside her room as he said, "Sorry, the door was unlocked and I wanted to make sure you were in. Also I was hoping for a- whoa." Brick's thoughts came to a halt as he saw Blossom's state of dishabille. Milky skin started from her shoulder where shiny curled locks landed and continued to the small of her back where her blue silk dress clung tightly to her voluptuous curves. At that moment, there wasn't anything more Brick wanted than to run his hands through her copper hair and leave a trail of kisses across her bare skin. The air grew considerably hotter.
"Zip me up?" she asked weakly before turning around, granting him a full view of her luscious backside.
Brick nodded slowly as he approached her, wryly noting how many times he'd helped attractive women out of their clothes. It wasn't often he helped ladies into them. Careful not to tempt himself by making contact with her porcelain skin, he tugged the zipper up.
Blossom wasn't any more comfortable. Brick loomed behind her, his warm breath hot on her neck. Once, his fingers touched her bare back and she let out a soft moan. Mortified, she hoped he hadn't heard. A few moment later, she was relieved to realize he hadn't.
But he had. Brick forced himself to ignore the alluring sound and he finished zipping, quickly stepping away. "There," he said, his voice pained.
Blossom slowly turned around and tried to flash him a big smile. It came out as feeble, "Thank you. Did you- Did you need anything?" she asked quizzically, still unsure why he had entered her apartment.
"Oh, that. I-uh-you-" the larger redhead stuttered awkwardly. Finally, he cleared his throat, "I was getting ready when I realized I had no idea how to tie a tie," he motioned to the navy blue silk tie draped around his broad shoulders, "I thought you could help," he was finally able to manage a smirk. "And then I figured we could carpool to the church. Save the planet and shit," he grinned.
Blossom couldn't suppress a smile. As she reached for his tie, she said, "That sounds perfect, Brick."
...
The ceremony went by flawlessly and before Blossom realized it, the reception had started and the blond couple was about to dance their very first dance as a married couple. The slow music came on as the two ascended the dance floor and she let out a tired, but satisfied smile.
"Drink?" a familiar, comforting voice approached her. The redhead didn't even have to turn around to know it was Brick, her soon to be ex-fake-boyfriend.
"Thanks," she took the flute of champagne and sent him a small smile. She returned her gaze back to the happy couple, hesitant to allow herself time alone with Brick. The wedding was over, and their ruse would be too soon. She needed to get used to the idea of things being the way they once were.
Unfortunately, it didn't look like Brick was about to give her that chance.
"Do you ever find yourself wanting that?" he murmured, taking a sip of the bubbling liquid, his gaze fixed on the blonds as well.
"Sometimes," Blossom whispered in response, rubbing her arms softly to fight the goosebumps that were creeping up on her. "But I don't think I'm cut out for that kind of relationship," she confessed.
Brick let out a harsh bark of laughter. It was clear he had had a lot to drink and Blossom felt herself grow uneasily maudlin. Why was he laughing at her? She narrowed her eyes.
"Geez, Bloss, don't look at me like that," he shook his head, "You're perfect. Perfect. You could have any guy you could possibly want. You could have what Boomer and Bubbles have if you weren't so damn closed off to the world."
Blossom felt herself shrinking at his words. Brick was right. She was cold and reserved, and would rather be lonely than put herself out there and live her life. She had tried that for the past two weeks with Brick and all it had brought her was the hurt of their inevitable separation.
She glowered. He had no right to talk to her like that, "You aren't my real boyfriend, Brick. So don't you dare say anything like that to me," she grit her teeth.
What I would I give to be him, though, he thought morosely. He drank some more alcohol, "You know it's true."
The petite redhead sighed, "I know," she conceded, giving in. She rested her head on her hands, her elbows on the table. She looked up at him, "So I guess things are going back to normal tomorrow, huh?" she smiled weakly.
"I don't think anything will ever be normal for me again," Brick muttered under his breath, but Blossom heard his words anyways.
"What do you mean?" she asked curiously, a hint of hope in her voice.
"Shit, Blossom. It doesn't mean anything," he snapped, angry at himself for almost confessing his feelings to her. He knew he wasn't right for her and he didn't need to make things harder than they needed to be. Blossom immediately frowned at his outburst, her rose eyes falling downcast. Brick softened and was about to amend his earlier exclamation when-
"Oh, for God's sake, kiss her already!" an irritated voice called out.
The redheads immediately looked up, then around, and saw three middle-aged women staring at them, arms crossed. None of them looked especially happy.
"You two need to get over yourselves already," Aunt Femme said, exasperated.
"It doesn't matter who confesses their feelings first," Aunt Sara added gently. "As long as one of you does it," she added, suddenly giving Brick a stern look.
"I want some redheaded grand-nieces-or-nephews already!" Aunt Ima declared.
Brick and Blossom just stared at his three aunts, blinking owlishly as understanding dawned on them.
"You... knew...?" Brick asked incredulously.
"How...?" Blossom cocked her head to the side. She shook her head, then gave a feeble glance in Brick's direction, "You were right. Your aunts sure are something," she said, awe in her voice. The three grinned proudly.
Suddenly serious, Brick's smirk vanished. "They're right, you know..."
"Of course we're right!"
He ignored them and continued. He gazed at Blossom intensely, "I... I always thought you were too good for me, but after pretending to be your boyfriend, I don't think I there's anything I want more than the real thing," he confessed, looking into her glittering pink eyes.
"Brick," Blossom murmured, "I feel the same way. You make me come alive. I can't go back to my life without you in it," she whispered, her words heavy with emotion.
"Then don't. Let's do this for real now," Brick said softly, taking her dainty hands into his. He stepped out of his seat, put one knee on the ground and looked back up at Blossom with a smirk, "Now... How would you like to be my girlfriend?"
She burst out into a wide grin as he repeated the same words he used with her two weeks before, "I'd love to, Brick."
With that, he stood up, grabbed her by the waist and gave her the sizzling, passionate, ardent kiss he'd wanted to lay on her since the moment they started their charade.
They may have messed up on the true part of true love, but in the end, they had plenty of love to make up for it.
...
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Thanks for reading! :)