Brick POV:
The next few weeks with Blossom were steady. He wasn't sure what he was expecting when he and Blossom sat down to gain closure on their past. It hurt him to know that she landed herself in the place he spent a year crawling out of, it wasn't like the Blossom he knew. Blossom was a fighter, a planner, a doer… when she said she expected to bounce back in a month or so, shit, he thought she would too after him. He didn't realize the impact he had. The impact he still had.
She still has an impact on him, too. Those knowing pink eyes, her haughty tone, and her work ethic on this project. Sure, she was different now, but she's still Pinky. (More like Red to him now). She's deeper, more passionate, bruised, and beautiful still. He saw it more as they communicated in the office and watched how she navigated both sides of their superiors. He saw it when they'd chat and have lunch together, going over wedding details, and how she became more subtle around him. She was more alluring, less claiming. Blossom was still attractive, and though he agreed to be friends, he'd always want more.
"I heard you and your other half made up," Bitch crooned from the kitchen, grabbing himself a beer.
His brother had the habit of letting himself into his apartment and helping himself to do whatever he wanted. It was Sunday, didn't he have something better to do than harass him about his love life and drink his booze?
"We're not together," Brick said from the bedroom doorframe. "And lay off the fermented wheat, I need those designs to fit."
"God bless Chemical X for keeping me from growing a beer gut." He joked sauntering to the couch patting it lightly. "Come sit, tell your big bro all about it."
"I'm the oldest," Brick deadpanned but relented and sat next to him.
Butch popped the cap with a flick of his thumb and tilted it back. "I always saw you as a middle child… you've got this emotionally abandoned child vibe who seeks external validation."
Brick narrowed his eyes.
"But that's unimportant," Butch grinned, feeling his beer begin to boil in his hand and sat it down on the coffee table. "Sooo you're not together… don't you want her back though?"
Yes. Brick toyed with the truth in his mind, but they weren't ready. They were working together, neither of them were on their feet, and they were both in their healing process. There were too many variables, too much that could cause everything to go wrong.
"It's bad timing," Brick shrugged.
"The fuck?" An incredulous expression crossed Butch's face. "A year apart and all this chemical X cosmic shit happening with her dreams and you're saying the timing is fucked?"
Brick wiped a hand over his face. "Unrelated circumstances," he said, even though he believed their connection was a part of the dream theory. Butch didn't need to know that, though. "We've got bigger shit to focus on."
"That's what she said," Boomer said, unceremoniously strolling through the front door. "Got any beer?"
"How the fuck did you get in here?" Brick tossed over his shoulder. Butch was one thing, but both of his brothers on his case was torture.
"Picked the lock, super hearing shit," he plopped into the adjacent chair. "Speaking of hearing shit, I heard you and Blossom were a thing again."
Brick eyerolled so hard his cornea waved to his brain. "We're not a thing, we're just on good terms."
"Yeah, that's what Bubs tells me," Boomer says, scratching his chin. "You still love her though right?"
"Don't you fucking idiots have something better to do today?"
Boomer checked his watch nonchalantly while Butch pulled out his phone. "I don't have anywhere else to be," Boomer said.
"Actually, I scheduled this chat two weeks ago," Butch flashed his phone calendar to Brick. "So kind of you to join us, Boom."
"Thank you for having me," he shot his brother a shit-eating grin.
Brick slapped his hands on his jeans. "Look, Red and I—"
"Oh, so it's Red now," Boomer interrupted.
"And he said Red and I," Butch gushed mockingly. "Sounds like they're a We, Boom!"
"Shut the fuck up!" Brick thundered smoke sneaking through his nostrils. "Regardless of how I feel about her, this is a terrible time to start something again. I hurt her. I changed her. So yeah, we're on good terms right now, but pushing it would be a bad idea. I don't want to lose her all over again…"
Boomer and Butch give each other eyes and expressions from across the couch. The fact that Chemical X gave them telepathic communication and not him was so fucked.
"We hear you," Butch began. "We do… but if you let her believe that the past is just the past, someone else will swoop in on her before you get the nerve."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Brick reeled.
"She still cares about you, bro," Boomer said. "Bubs won't go into too much detail, but I took that photo. Anyone with eyes can see it, but if you choose to ignore it, someone else is gonna become a distraction."
"Still not answering the questi—"
"They're eyin' her at BC's firm." Butch interrupted. "And you're so love stuck on her, you probably don't even realize your coworkers checkin' her out too."
"She's single, Brick," Boomer said. "Now that you guys are cordial coworkers and not awkward exes, she's available."
"You've got competition," Butch filled in. "BC's been getting asked left and right to set her up."
Brick felt his throat tighten, and rage settled in his chest. That possessive, rough voice in his head growled. She's mine. He felt feral, the corner of his mouth twitched and he ground his teeth in a lock jaw. He thought of another man touching her. Some insipid fucker who wouldn't know what to do with her even with instructions. And she would instruct him, and she'd fake it, and she'd lie and tell him he was good in bed because she liked him just enough to make her feel good about herself in his absence. He had succumbed to that reality once. It was pathetic of him. Red was not pathetic. She was his. The dog chained to the back of his mind foamed at the mouth. Mine.
"Ah, There he is," Butch smirked, resting his hands behind his head. "So whatcha gonna do about it?"
Brick rolled his neck and sniffed, wiping his nose with his thumb as he got up to head to the bathroom. "Get the fuck out."
Butch and Boomer tensed slightly, knowing his tone too well, then smirked. "Our work here is done," Boomer said to Butch then shot out the balcony door.
Butch stood slowly and caught his brother in the doorway. "Brick."
Brick turned to him with a lazy expression on his face; his mind was made up. Blossom had this way of bringing the dog out of him. The wild animal that took no shit, commanded rooms, dropped panties, and made grown men piss themselves underneath his stare. He was a competitive fucker, and in his eyes, nobody was competition. Especially when it came to something he saw as rightfully his. He forgot who he was again. Time to remind everyone.
"Show 'em who the big dog is," Butch smirked, then flew out the room in a streak of green.
Monday came around, and it was one of Blossom's days to be at his office instead of BC's. He showed up to work fresh. His cut was clean, his pants were perfectly tailored, and a subtle amount of chest hair was visible between his unbuttoned collar. He let the watch be Plain Jane, but still a statement. It was a nice birthday gift from the mayor some years back, and his small diamond earrings never disappointed. His beard oil glistened, and the aroma of his Mont Blanc cologne wafted through the office. Some coworkers ogled him; the others became shifty-eyed. He'd remember the expressions on his competition's faces.
He sauntered into the breakroom, where he knew he'd find Blossom getting her morning coffee. She always arrived before him. He'd never bothered to fix himself a cup, but now that he knew what the office suspected, he was curious who he'd find in there with her. Leaning against the counter and doing his best to engage the uncaffeinated puff was Justin. Our model scout was notorious for sleeping with the talent. Poor thing didn't stand a chance; she wasn't even listening as she hunted down the creamer unknowingly tucked behind Justin's back.
"Yeah, they've got me scouting for a shoot in Prague in a few months… I could use an assistant if you—" Justin droned on and Brick swiped the creamer box from behind him and handed it to Blossom.
"Good morning," he spoke to her in a velvet voice, and he watched as her eyes ravished him the way they used to before she blinked and shook her head, blushing prettily.
"Thank you," She tucked a strand behind her ear not meeting his gaze. "I was looking everywhere for that."
"I bet." He rolled his neck in Justin's direction, his piercing blood-red stare saying everything his words didn't need to put effort towards.
Justin shoved his hands in his pockets and looked shamefully at the floor. "Have a good day, Blossom." He shuffled to the door and gave Brick a tight-lipped conceding glance. "Brick."
He turned his attention back to Blossom. She looked lovely. Her hair was in a messy French roll with face-framing pieces. She paired a burgundy tweed ensemble with platform Prada's and black tights. A true commander and leader. In the back of his mind, he knew this wasn't a new look for her, but now that he was allowing himself to see her, really see her the way she was seen in the office by guys like Justin… the dog in him woofed shamelessly.
"He in here often?" Brick asked her.
She scoffed. "It's the breakroom, Brick."
"Is he in here often with you?" He corrected with a smirk. "Every morning?"
He watched her brows knit as realization dawned on her face. "Yeah, actually…" She glanced at the door and watched another man catch her gaze, then quickly kept walking at the sight of Brick. "Oh my god, it's happening."
"What's happening?" Brick played dumb.
"The dogs are out," Blossom rolled her eyes. "Fuck, sometimes I can be so oblivious. I don't have time for this shit."
"Then don't make time for it," Brick suggested. "When you come in go straight to my office. I'll make your coffee." He sucked his bottom lip. "I remember how you like it."
Blossom blinked rapidly for a beat. "Okay. Yeah, thanks I appreciate it."
"Anything for you," He winked. "C'mon, the dogs are guarding the door, but they won't bite when you're with me."
She let out a dry laugh and crossed her arms. "What makes you so sure about that?"
They crossed the threshold from the breakroom to the main office floor, and he caught more than a handful of eyes peering over their cubicles to spare a glance at the office beauty. He dropped his smirk, cracked his neck, and dragged his eyes across the office, making eye contact with every poor soul who dared to meet his possessive and challenging gaze. I dare you. He cleared his throat, and the once silent office buzzed with the sound of keyboard clicking and whispered tones.
"You tell me." Brick shrugged and led her to his office.
The week went well. Brick kept himself present in his office and hers. Even meeting with her for lunch at BC's firm, looking almost too good to be professional, walking almost too close to be platonic, staring at her too devilishly to be innocent, effectively scaring off every suitor with his presence alone. He caught BC's eyes on one of his extra long turns around the office.
"Keeping bitches in check, I see…" she mused in an IM.
He replied with a wink.
"She still needs help with her speech… might be some good work for the weekend?"
Not a bad idea BC.
Friday, he invited her over on Saturday to relax and help her with her speech. You know, for the sake of the campaign. She was reluctant, but after promises of wine and a hot meal with no requirements to dress up, she caved.
He spent Friday evening cleaning and prepping for her arrival. He strategically placed candles, purchased her favorite wine, and picked out his minimal effort casual but sexy outfit. He was prepping the marinade in the kitchen when his front door burst open.
"For fucks sake Boomer—" he began, but it wasn't his brother in the doorway. It was Blossom clad in a mauve nightgown, a messy bun atop her head, and an angry red blush across her nose.
"You snooped through my fucking laptop!" She sneered, marching towards him.
Brick didn't know what to say. Shit, he didn't know where to look. The nightgown left nothing to the imagination and was too low-cut not to tempt him to glance down and get an eyeful. He let out a very dumb, "Ughhh…"
She shoved his chest, then fisted his shirt collar, dragging him close. "You seem fucking oblivious, so I'll let this version of you off with a warning. Keep out of my shit." She shoved him back. "Or you'll ruin us."
Then he saw her clearer. Her swollen lips, the bite marks on the swell of her breasts, the bruise right under her ear just where he liked to put it. He had her at some point, and that laptop was the key. He steeled his gaze and let his eyes burn all over her body, then into her eyes.
"With or without that laptop, you're mine." He took a step towards her, and she took one back. "Your heart rate picks up at the sound of my voice, you curl under my touch, you lick your lips when you look at mine," she released her bottom lip from captivity. He didn't waver.
"I want to suck your perfect tits; I want to bury my dick inside you the way I used to, get drunk off your juices giving you shock wave after shock wave all night long." She was braced against the dining table, trembling with anticipation.
"I remember when I fucked you on a table like this," He caressed the wood beside her. "I remember when you danced for me, tempted me. You thought you were big dog then, huh?" She was fully looking at him now. A glazed expression on her face, lust in her eyes, panting through inviting, slightly ajar lips.
He took her chin between his thumb and index finger and pressed his hard erection against her side. His lips were centimeters from hers. "Should I remind you?"
She sucked in, and there it was. A moment. Her hesitation. His. Then she shoved him away, freezing his feet to the spot as she rushed out the door. Brick sighed as he watched the door slam and glanced at his half-finished marinade on the counter.
Tomorrow. He'd find out what she was hiding tomorrow.
I miss you guys!
A Brick POV since it's been so long since we checked in with him.
I might give this story a rewrite once it's finished.
Thanks for reading!