Bubbles' POV

I woke up to the sound of slow, even breathing. For a second, I had no idea where I was, and panic almost jolted me upright.

But then I felt Dil's arm draped across me, his chest rising and falling under my cheek. His heartbeat thumped steadily beneath my ear, calming the storm that usually lurked at the edges of my thoughts.

We were up the whole night, listening to our favorite music and watching funny cat videos online. We would talk for hours and watch a few sitcoms, switching over to our beloved bands between stories of our very different childhoods.

In the middle of the night, I watched him excitedly gon on and on about about the paranormal and occult. It was endearing, and the fact that he never tried to kiss me even once made me want to steal a kiss for myself but I figured best not spoil the moment.

I blinked the sleep from my eyes, realizing just how good I felt. No nightmares. No sharp memories of Buttercup's last moments breaking through the quiet peace of my sleep. Just the steady thrum of Dil's heartbeat, grounding me in the present. I nestled closer, shifting my head into the crook of his neck, breathing him in.

He smelled faintly like clean laundry and cheap dorm soap, with a hint of something warm—him.

It was strange, lying here like this.

I'd only ever been with my ex Boomer, and with him, being gentle wasn't a concern. He was super-powered, just like me.

But with Dil I had to be careful. The thought of unintentionally crush him without thinking, snapping him like a twig scared me. That thought kept me hyper-aware of every small movement, every shift of my weight.

But it also made me feel… softer. Like I wanted to be deliberate with him, careful in ways I never had to be before.

I curled my legs around his under the blanket, threading our limbs together. His skin was warm against mine, his breath tickling the top of my head. It felt good—better than good.

A smile tugged at my lips. I couldn't remember the last time I woke up feeling like this. Safe. Relaxed, even. I wanted to stay right here, wrapped up in his warmth, listening to his heart and pretending the world outside didn't exist.

But, of course, it did.

A few more hours passed—me dozing in and out of sleep, shifting a little here and there but always finding my way back into the comfortable tangle of Dil's arms. Eventually, the sunlight started creeping in through the curtains, and the dorm room began to stir with the noises of the day. Dil shifted beside me, his grip loosening as he yawned.

"Morning," he mumbled, his voice rough with sleep.

"Morning," I whispered back, smiling into his chest.

He looked down at me, eyes half-lidded with the kind of grogginess that makes you look like you've been hit by a bus. But there was a softness there, too, like he was surprised—and maybe a little pleased—to find me still tucked against him.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, voice low and husky.

"Really good," I admitted. "First time in a long while."

Dil gave a lazy smile, his fingers tracing slow circles on my back. "I'm glad."

We stayed like that for a while longer, enjoying the quiet before the day fully kicked in. Eventually, though, the real world came calling.

"Should we blow off lectures today?" I suggested with a mischievous grin.

He blinked at me, then grinned back. "Absolutely."

We spent the morning lazily getting ready, and I told him about our destination. "We're going to see Blossom," I said, pulling my hair into pigtails. "She lives with her girlfriend, Princess, in the next city over."

Dil raised an eyebrow. "Wait—Princess Morebucks? As in, the Morebucks? Heiress, spoiled, obnoxiously rich?"

"That's the one," I said with a smirk.

He shook his head, laughing. "I have a cousin like that—Angelica. I know how to deal with that type."

...

The neighborhood Princess and Blossom lived in was absurdly lavish. Dil gawked in disbelief as we passed mansions, perfectly manicured lawns, and private security gates. "People live like this?" he muttered, more to himself than to me.

I grinned. "Welcome to Princess's world."

When we arrived, we took an elevator up to the penthouse. The sheer opulence of it all made me chuckle under my breath. I could tell Dil was doing his best to act unimpressed, but the look on his face gave him away.

Heck, I too always felt poor whenever I visted.

Blossom greeted us at the door, her red hair tied back in a neat ponytail, wearing one of her lab coats. Princess appeared behind her, wearing a silk robe and carrying a plate of macarons.

"Welcome," Blossom said with a small, polite smile. I hugged her against her will.

Princess grinned. "Hi, Bubbles! And you must be Dil. Nice to meet you."

"Uh, nice to meet you, too," Dil said, glancing at me for reassurance. I gave him a little nudge, and he relaxed.

Princess ushered us further into the penthouse, offering drinks. "Do you guys want crystal water or valley water?" she asked with a perfectly straight face.

"Regular water is fine," Dil said.

Princess blinked, clearly not used to such a humble request. "Okay, Chef will get you some regular water."

As promised, their chef brought out water and prepared a full English breakfast for everyone. We sat at the massive dining table, chatting while we ate. Blossom and Princess were curious about Dil, asking all sorts of questions.

"So… are you two dating?" Blossom asked bluntly, always the one to get straight to the point.

I felt my cheeks heat up, and when I glanced at Dil, he looked equally flustered.

Princess laughed. "So, situationship. Cool!"

We finished breakfast, and Blossom stood, brushing crumbs off her lab coat. "Dil, come with me to the lab. I want to show you something."

I gave Dil an encouraging smile. "Go ahead. I'll stay with Princess. Blossom will be nice. I promise."

Blossom rolled her eyes. "I'm always nice."

With a grin, I watched Dil follow Blossom into the lab.

Princess leaned over the table, resting her chin on her hand. "So… you really like him, huh?"

I smiled softly, feeling the warmth of the morning linger in my chest. I shrugged. "Yeah. I do."

Princess smirked, swirling her water in the crystal glass before setting it down. "Boomer's been trying real hard to get back into the professor's good graces, you know."

I frowned, my stomach knotting slightly. "What? Why?!"

She tilted her head, lips pursing like she was savoring some juicy gossip. "He's angling to win you back, obviously."

I scoffed, leaning back in my chair. "Seriously?" I could already feel the irritation building. That boy was like gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe—he never knew when to quit. "What, is he trying to win a prize or something for worst ex ever?!"

Princess's gaze didn't waver, and that's how I knew she wasn't just stirring the pot. "Well, at Buttercup's funeral dinner—when everyone wanted him gone, mind you—he kept running his mouth about how upset he was that you chose to go toBird U over Townsville University. Said you'd have been a 'goddess' there. Like, no one knows who you are now at Bird U, and it's a 'crummy' school, blah blah."

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might stick. "Of course, that's what he's mad about. Not that I don't want to be with him—just that I'm not where he thinks I belong. What a joke."

"Right?" Princess snorted. "It was pathetic. Like, dude thought he was doing a monologue in front of the professor or something." She rested her cheek in her hand, watching my reaction closely. "And the worst part? He genuinely thought that kind of talk would make people side with him. As if we all don't know what a cheating, lying little manipulator he is."

I shook my head, the memory of Boomer's smirking, overconfident face creeping into my mind. The way he could charm his way out of any mess—except with me. I saw right through him now, and that made him furious. "He's never going to change," I said, more to myself than to Princess.

She gave me a small, knowing smile. "That's the thing about guys like Boomer. They think changing is optional." She sighed, a hint of something softer in her voice. "I mean, I get it—being the bad guy? That's easy. Trust me, I was good at it. But changing? Actually wanting to be better? That's hard work. I'm grateful every day that Blossom saw something in me worth sticking around for. But Boomer? I don't see that spark in him. He's not trying to be better—just trying to win."

Her words settled over me, sinking in deep. I'd known for a long time that Boomer wasn't capable of real growth, but hearing it from Princess—someone who had changed—put everything into a sharper focus.

"That's why I like Dil," I admitted, my voice softer now. "He's… different. He doesn't care about winning or looking good, optics. He's just kind. And helpful. And real. He never puts on a show."

Princess gave me a small, approving nod. "Yeah, I get that. Just… be careful, okay? Boomer's not going to back off easily. Guys like him hate losing, especially when they think they own the prize."

Her words were a warning, but they didn't scare me. They just made me more determined to move forward with Dil—someone who wasn't trying to control or impress me, just someone who was.

I had bigger fish to fry too, with the Buttercup issue.

"Let him try," I said, a slight smirk creeping onto my face. "I'm not going back."

Princess laughed, raising her glass as if to toast. "That's my girl."