Chapter Text
The most wonderful time of the year.
It turned out that the worst part about acknowledging your crush on someone was that you thought about them too many times to count.
Boomer spent weeks thinking about Bubbles, and it felt nonstop. In the morning when he brushed his hair, he thought about how much he wanted her to let him comb his fingers through her fluffy, golden locks. When he ate a sandwich, he thought about her favorite type: a simple peanut butter and jelly with more jelly than peanut butter and no crust. (Invalid opinion since the best sandwich was turkey with honey wheat bread, crust on, but okay.) And when he laid in his bed at night, reading the mass amount of text messages she had sent him over some stupid meme, he could only imagine how ridiculously adorable she must have looked in her pajamas, holding in the laughter that she wanted to spread to him.
"Boomer."
He could see her now, even with his eyes closed. She stood a few inches above him, but she stared at him as an equal and a friend.
"Boomer…"
They were friends, and even though he liked that, the thought of more was enticing. This was bad. He had it so, so bad—
"BOOMER!"
"Gah!"
With a frightened yelp, Boomer fell off the couch, straight on his butt. The only thing keeping him from freaking out was his brother's red eyes staring at him.
The living room was strangely quiet. Brick had asked Boomer and Butch for a nice, brotherly study hour. (Well, not asked. He forced them too. Still, they agreed... Eventually, once Butch stopped running away and Boomer stopped complaining.)
Boomer cleared his throat and swiped at his index cards. It wasn't like he was actually studying anyway. Plus the index card method rarely worked for him. "Uh. What's up, bro?" he asked nervously.
Brick did not look pleased in the slightest. Who knew how many times he tried to get Boomer's attention? Judging by the look on his face, one time too many.
"The fuck's going on with you?" Brick asked, eyebrow raised. "You've been like this for a while."
"Like what?" Boomer asked, feigning innocence.
"Distracted."
Distracted. That's all this crush was, right? A distraction. It wasn't a big deal. He should stop treating it as one.
Boomer shrugged his shoulders, attempting to look nonchalant. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Butch asked flatly from his spot on the couch. He slammed his science textbook shut. He must have wanted to do that for hours. "Really?"
"Yeah, really. I was just thinking too hard."
"About?"
Boomer opened his mouth and almost spilled out everything he had been imagining. It was hard to keep things from his brothers, but it would be even harder to explain what he was feeling.
"Nothing," he said again. "It's nothing."
"Nothing," Butch repeated again, then scoffed. "That's what the lil' dummy says, Brick. Nothing."
Boomer felt the strangest urge to defend himself. "Yeah, because it's nothing. I'm not thinking about anyone."
"I never said you were thinking about anyone, which means you were thinking about someone."
Boomer's blood began to boil and he could feel the familiar crackle of blue electricity surrounding him. "Do you want to fight or something?"
Butch grinned like a madman. "Gladly."
"Nope! No fights during study hour!" Brick hopped up from the couch, holding his two younger brother's back with each arm. First, he gave Butch a menacing stare. "Butch, stop being so hard on Boomer."
"Says the guy who's always doing that," Butch grumbled.
Then Brick turned his attention to Boomer. He looked a bit strange, eyebrows pressed together and lips pursed. It almost looked like he was hesitating. Which was impossible. Brick never hesitated.
"And Boomer," he said very slowly, "if you're thinking about your stupid crush on Bubbles, then go ahead. Just don't act like it's 'nothing' when it's something."
Boomer blinked. Blinked harder. Blinked until he could practically see the stars and Captain Spaceman himself.
And then, he felt like he could not breathe.
Fuck. Fuck, fuckity, fuckfuckfuck-
"My what?" Boomer managed to say. He did everything to keep his face neutral, but he couldn't stop shaking.
"Your crush on Bubbles," Brick said, and before Boomer could even think about a counterargument, Brick added, "And don't try to deny it. You're going to make yourself look dumb, and you know damn well that you're not dumb in the slightest."
Well, shit. So much for that. And judging by Butch's unsurprised face, he must have known too. Great. Just fucking fantastic. What's next, the whole world knew about this?
Wait. What if the whole world knew? What if Bubbles knew and she was just trying to be nice?
This was so fucking embarrassing.
The world still felt like it was upside down. Boomer struggled to stay on his feet. "How did you both know...?"
Butch shrugged. "'Cause almost everyone's had a crush on Bubbles, dude."
"True," Brick agreed. "She's pretty as hell. Hard not to."
"And it's even harder to ignore her sugary charms and that stunning smile—"
Boomer was not having it. There was something about the two casually talking about Bubbles Utonium like that that made him want to punch them in the face a few times. "What's the real reason?"
There was silence for a bit. And then Butch gave an answer. "Your eyes."
"Huh?"
"Any time she's around you, your eyes, they just… look so soft. Like you actually care or something. It's so gross, but oddly endearing in a way?"
If someone were to tell Boomer that Butch Jojo of all people would use the word 'endearing' in a sentence, let alone a sentence about his baby brother, Boomer would have laughed. It sounded so weird coming out of his mouth. Weird, yet sincere.
"I also read your text messages when I can't sleep," Butch added. "Gotta admit, your flirting skills are kinda smooth, little bro. I might have to take some pointers from you."
Brick wiggled his nose. "Pointers? For who?"
"This is a general thing, cap. Butch belongs to nobody."
Boomer wasn't going to let some things slide. "Okay, first, how the hell did you unlock my phone, Butch?"
Butch said nothing, just pointed at Brick, who was sporting a grin. Of course. Having two older brothers was like a fucking chore.
Boomer pretended that he wasn't as angry as he felt. "And second," he said through slightly clenched teeth, "I've never flirted with her."
"The compliments on her coffee skills? The constant 'good morning, I was thinking about you, here's a wild Captain Spaceman theory I have' texts? If I search the word 'cute' within your messages, I'd have a thousand results, and the majority would be sent by you and directed at her."
"…Friends say shit like that all the time!" Maybe. Potentially. Okay, Boomer was just shooting himself in the foot at this point.
"I wouldn't say shit like that to Butters."
Boomer blinked. "Butters," he repeated.
Brick snorted. "What the fuck? Butters?"
Butch looked confused. "What? It's just a nickname. You call Blossom 'Pinky' all the time."
"Yeah, out of complete spite!" Brick shouted with a blush. Man, he was so fucking obvious. This must be where Boomer got it from. "But Butters? That's like a name you'd use for a… 'friend.'" He used air quotes.
Butch must have never learned what sarcasm was, because he obliviously said, "She is my friend, though. My favorite friend. My worst enemy, too. Does that make sense?"
Fucking Hell. Boomer couldn't help but bury his head in his hands for a bit. They were all so damn obvious. It's a genetic trait at this point.
"Is he for real?" he asked as he pulled his face back up.
Brick sighed and pinched his nose. "Don't worry, we'll deal with him next year or something."
"I think we'll need a year alone to prepare."
"Agreed."
"Stop talking like I'm not here!" Butch shouted. But he was grinning, and Brick and Boomer were grinning too.
And then Boomer stopped grinning because even if this was a funny brother moment, there was still a huge elephant in the room.
Boomer sat back down and played with an index card using one of his feet. "You're both cool with it? Like, you know. Me feeling… this."
Brick shrugged and sat next to him. "I don't care what you do. Far as I'm concerned, this is a flex, Boomer. Potentially dating the girl who's considered the prettiest and sweetest girl in school and damn near all of Townsville? I'm proud to call you my brother, actually."
"Same," Butch agreed, taking the spot on Boomer's other side.
"But…" Boomer exhaled slowly. They were missing the bigger picture here. "She's a Powerpuff, and we're Rowdyruffs, and we were created to destroy—"
"Nope. Nuh uh. Shut the fuck up with that cliché bullshit, please." Butch huffed. "This isn't some shitty 'forbidden lovers' plot, which, by the way, is so fucking overrated and overdone in our current media for the sole purpose of 'accurate tension,' which you could easily do with any damn trope if you just tried hard enough, and—"
"Butch? For the love of everything. Be quiet." Brick cut his younger brother off, placing his hands onto Boomer's shoulders. "Now you. What's one thing guys like us don't give?"
There was a lot of things guys like them didn't give. They didn't give the world an easy time. They didn't give fake attitudes to people. But, most importantly… "We don't give a shit?" Boomer asked, a bit unsure.
Surprisingly, Brick nodded. "Precisely. So, stop giving a shit about what other people think. Don't think about that dumb monkey or that dumb demon or anybody else. Hell, don't even think about me and Butch. Just think for yourself right now, Boomer." His finger jabbed Boomer's chest hard enough to leave a bruise. "What do you think?"
"I'm… I don't know."
Brick's stare intensified. Knowing him, he wasn't going to ask again, and he wasn't going to let his youngest brother move a single inch until an answer was give.
Boomer felt like his head was filled with clouds. What did he think? It was hard to see between all the cirrus and stratus, but he knew that he thought a lot. He thought about her hair, her laugh, her smile. He thought about how tough yet how soft she was all the same. He thought about the way she looked at him, as if every word he said mattered, even when they were dumb or stupid or utterly ridiculous.
"I think—No." Boomer shook his head. "I know that I really like her. And I wanna tell her someday."
Butch grinned and ruffled Boomer's hair. "There we go, bro! Owning up to your feelings is cool. The coolest thing a man can do." For extra support, he slapped the back of Boomer's neck, and though it hurt, the love hidden within it was as clear as day.
Boomer couldn't remember the last time he saw Brick smile the way he was at that moment. Probably when he was able to catch an episode of an anime he was looking forward to. But that might have been a hallucination. "True. Your honesty is your greatest strength as a Rowdyruff. And since you're so honest, Butchy-boy and I are gonna help you confess to her the right way."
Boomer had never felt more loved in his life. "Really?"
Brick nodded. "Yup! And here's how: you've got until the end of today to tell her how you feel, or else we're gonna tell her for you."
Instantly, Boomer's face dropped. "Or else you'll what?" he asked quietly, hoping that this was a very cruel, very badly timed joke.
"Or else we'll what?" Butch asked, too. He looked just as shocked, if not, then more. That was saying something, considering he was the absolute king of pulling off pranks like this.
"Or else we'll tell her. Right to her face. No holding back." Brick's smile widened. He looked just like HIM. Figures. "You understand?"
No, Boomer did not. "No, I do not! Is this a joke? 'Cause it's not fun—"
"Good." Clearly, Brick wasn't hearing it. "I'm feeling generous, so…. I'll give you twelve hours," he said. He pulled his phone from under his hat (Why the fuck did he always do that and how the fuck was he able to balance it for hours on end?), and his thumbs moved quickly across the screen. "There. Time set."
"Twelve hours to tell her? But—But what if she says no? What if I screw up because I gotta rush—"
"You're wasting precious time thinking about shit that ain't even happen. I taught you better than that." Brick gave a final ruffle to Boomer's hair, then turned back to his school notes. "I'm letting you off study hour early. Twelve hours. That's final. Now get to it, Boom, or else."
Brick didn't have to finish that sentence. Boomer could hear it loud and clear in his ears. Or else we will.
For once, Butch looked speechless. He cleared his throat and gave Boomer a sympathetic look. "Phew. Good luck, dude."
Yeah. As if that good luck meant anything.
Twelve hours.
Twelve fucking hours.
To some, that seemed like a lot of time. To Boomer, that felt like just around the corner.
His hands refused to stop trembling, and even though it was freezing outside, he knew that wasn't the cause of it. When Brick said he was going to do something, he always kept his word. Always. It was the Rowdyruff way of doing things. A Rowdyruff never spouted bullshit. They always had to do what they said.
But Boomer never said he wanted to do something like this. He didn't even know if he had enough time to consider preparing for this.
He was always a little hard headed, though.
So he sat down in the snow, disregarding the strange looks thrown at him from others and the cold seeping through his skin, and decided to try to mentally prepare anyway.
Rowdyruff Boys were selfish. They took what they wanted, even without permission.
Just last week, Butch got in trouble for taking a girl's lucky pen. He wasn't going to steal it "permanently," though. He just wanted to see how smooth it worked.
A month ago, Brick got into a huge argument with Blossom over a piece of cake during Robin's birthday party (which they had crashed because why the fuck not). "You already had two slices!" Blossom had shouted. "Share some with the rest of us!"
Brick had only shook his head and stuffed his entire mouth with the last slice of cake.
Rowdyruff Boys were selfish. They took what they wanted, even without permission. Boomer had taken his fair share of things, most small, some large, all insignificant in the grand scheme of things… But Bubbles wasn't a thing. He couldn't take Bubbles. He couldn't take away her feelings and shape them to make her like him in the way he liked her. She was a human, not an object. Not even the Chemical X in his blood could make him do something as shitty as that. Not even his intentional reason of being born could, either.
Boomer huffed before burying his face in his hands. He couldn't even feel his face anymore. He hadn't checked the city's tower clock for a while, and it was probably going to be time soon. Not that it mattered. Nothing fucking mattered.
Maybe he was a shitty Rowdyruff Boy.
He was shitty at everything else.
This was fine.
It took Boomer a few hours to come around, but now that he had about three and a half hours left before Brick and Butch dropped the news, Boomer realized that all of this meant nothing.
He had a crush on Bubbles. So what? A lot of people did.
He wanted to hold her hand and maybe hug her for a second longer than others and potentially give her a peck on the lips. So what? A lot of people did.
Brick and Butch were going to tell her about all of that. So what? So. Fucking. What. He'd live.
(This was fine. This was fine. This was fine.)
Because this was fine, Boomer kept sitting in the snow. He didn't feel how cold it was at this point. He wasn't uncomfortable. He was finally at peace. Really. He was. Despite his shivering and chattering teeth and the fast pump, pump, pump of his heart, he was doing just fucking swell.
He already had a plan and everything. When school started back after winter break ended, he'd go straight to the principal's office and demand to be switched to different classes. Maybe he'd transfer schools. He wasn't necessarily "evil" anymore, but he had a way with words... and super powers. Administration would have no choice but to listen.
"But Bubbles wouldn't like that, would she?" he found himself mumbling. "You wouldn't like that, would you?"
The answer was no. Because of course, it was. Everything just had to be so difficult for absolutely no reason.
Just close your eyes, okay?
Boomer's thoughts halted. This voice sounded familiar. Warm. He couldn't help but follow its instructions. What was he was supposed to do next?
Think.
Right. Think. That was the next step. Think, think, think. Don't stress. Just breathe and think.
Everything was dark, and for a while, he wondered if all of this was a waste of time. But then, a picture began to form.
There was a path up ahead, and flowers were everywhere. Small roses on the ground, tiny lilies falling from the sky. Boomer could somehow feel a zennia stuck in his hair. Everything was so bright, almost too bright to handle, but Boomer fought and made his way down the path.
There were more flowers, some he recognized, most he didn't. No matter how many bad thoughts tried to enter his brain, he kept on pushing forward. Just keep thinking, Boomer. You can do it. You've got this.
After a while, he reached the end of the path. There was only three flowers near the base of a very large tree, one white, one purple, and one yellow. He crouched down and lightly brushed his fingertips on the yellow flower's petal.
"Crocus," he whispered to himself. Then, all at once, he realized what he was looking for.
Boomer's eyes snapped opened. He was still in the snow, but everything didn't feel hopeless anymore. He sprung up from his spot and zoomed in the air towards the nearest arts store.
Finally, finally, he knew what to do.
Boomer finished with twenty minutes to spare. The sky was dark and it was snowing lightly. He hoped the blanket over the basket in his hands would work well enough to protect what was inside. He had gave his all to finish his gift, and he'd be damned if all that work was for nothing.
Before he could think too much on it, he arrived at the Utonium household and rung the doorbell. It wasn't long before Professor answered.
"Hello, Boomer."
"Hi, Professor." Wow. This was mortifying. A part of Boomer wanted to abandon ship, but he had already made it this far. Might as well see it through. "Um. Is your daughter home? I have to… I need to talk to her. Please. And, uh, thank you if you say yes, and if you don't, then… Yeah. I understand."
Professor let out a laugh and turned on his heel. "Bubbles, you have a visitor!" he called, heading deeper into the house.
It was only when Bubbles was in front of him that he realized that Professor didn't even clarify which sister Boomer was talking about. Professor was just as smart as Blossom, it seemed.
"Hey! What're you doing here?" Bubbles tilted her head slightly. She was wearing space buns tied with gingerbread hair ties. They looked ridiculously adorable. "No text?"
"Nah. I uh… Got a lil' excited and just. Flew here." Boomer shuffled a little, keeping his hands behind his back. He didn't want to ruin the surprise. "Uh. Should I have texted in advance? I am so sorry."
Bubbles waved him off. "It's cool! Surprise visits are always nice. So, what's up?"
"I…" Boomer couldn't stop staring at her. Bubbles was wearing a very comfortable sweater dress, and her socks had tiny gingerbread men on them. "You're cute," he blurted out.
"Oh." Bubbles blinked. "Thank you."
"No. I mean. You know."
But that was the thing, wasn't it? She didn't know. She had no clue how much of an impact she's had on him. Not until he told her.
He really had to tell her, huh?
Boomer couldn't help but laugh. He probably looked so stupid right now, standing near the entrance of the Utonium household with a woven basket behind his back. How pathetic did you have to be to not be able to tell your feelings to the girl you liked?
"Ah fuck, why is this so hard?" he asked to nobody in particular, running a hand through his hair. He could feel the excessive amount of gel coat his worn out fingers.
Bubbles grew that worried look that he grew to like so much. She cared with all her heart, loud and unafraid, and damn, did it feel good to be on the receiving end of that. "What's hard? Are you okay?"
"I don't know. But I do gotta get something off my chest, or my brothers will do it for me. So."
"So...?"
Boomer gently acrd the basket behind him, then pulled up his sleeve, revealing his bracelet. "You gave this bracelet to me on Valentine's Day, and I haven't really been able to take it off much. It's a little messed up now 'cause I'm clumsy, but… I still really like it 'cause you made it." His voice grew quiet but held all the meaning in the world. "It means the world to me."
"You still have that?" Bubbles asked quietly. Her eyes seemed to sparkle. "I thought you'd throw it away."
"I did at first, out of confused anger. But I couldn't keep it in the trash. It was worth too much."
"I'm glad you like it."
"I never gave you a gift back. So, I made one. Or, well. Some."
"Oh!" Bubbles beamed. "That's incredibly sweet. You didn't have to—"
"But I wanted to!" he blurted out. Bubbles visibly jumped. "I wanted to," he repeated, this time much slower. "Really badly."
"I'm sure I'll love it."
Boomerstepped aside and let Bubbles pick up the basket. He watched as she peered inside, chewed on his lip as he saw her pick one of them up, and practically melted when her smile went soft.
"Crocuses. My favorites," Bubbles said, kind of breathless. "Wow. You remembered."
The satisfied look on her face made all this worth it. He was still scared underneath, but he felt like he could at the very least try to fight through the fear for her. Trying was better than nothing.
"Of course I did," Boomer said. "They seemed important to you, so I tried to make them. The art shop only had a little bit of yellow clay, so I made them extra tiny. I hope that's okay."
"Are you kidding? They're gorgeous. Perfect." She set the basket down gently, then gave him a tight hug. He could feel baby blue energy zip throughout every part of his body. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
As amazing as this felt, Boomer was running out of time. He'd rather be the one to share his true feelings rather than Detailed Brick and Teasing Butch. It was now or never.
He pulled out of the hug and tried to focus on Bubbles. Focus on her bright eyes and warm energy. Then, he said the first thing to come to mind. "Twelve."
"Twelve?"
"Months. Twelve months. That's what the flowers are supposed to represent. Twelve flowers, twelve months."
Boomer laughed. Then he stopped laughing because that was weird. Fuck, he was being so weird.
"Shit. Sorry. I am just realizing that I did not practice this at all, and now I'm just kind of saying any and everything," he said.
"It's okay," Bubbles said, and somehow, Boomer knew that she meant it with all her heart. "Take your time."
Alright. Easy part was finished. Now it was time for something more difficult, something more raw and real.
"Twelve months. Um." Boomer gulped and clenched his fists. "Do you… Do you know how great you are?"
"D'aww. Thank you." Bubbles clutched at her heart. She looked like she knew, but she didn't. She didn't know the half of it yet.
"No, really. Like, do you know?" Don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out. You've got this, Boomer. "Do you know that sometimes, you'll look at something and grow the prettiest smile if you like what you see? And then do you know that you have this ability to make my day better just by existing? And you sometimes look at me and give me this smile that's better than any Captain Spaceman comic I've ever read?"
"Boomer…" he heard Bubbles say softly, and man, he could not bring himself to look at her when she said his name like that.
He kept speaking because it was better to say his thoughts then let them stay in his head any longer. "Do you know how much these twelve months have meant to me because of you, Bubbles Utonium?" Fuck, he was shaking. He was in too deep but he couldn't stop. He had already made it this far and there was no turning back. "Do you get what I'm trying to say to you at all?"
The silence somehow boomed in his ears. He wishes with all his might that she'd at list least let him down gently and continue being his friend. He could deal with rejection. Really, he could. But losing their bond? Never.
"You know what's crazy?" Bubbles finally said. She waited until he looked up to speak again. "I do know. I've known for a while now." Her smile was so wide, her chubby cheeks almost pressed against her glasses. "And you know, too. You know how I feel. You always do."
That was true. Boomer did. He could see it in her eyes and smile, feel it from her bright, baby blue energy that stuck to him when they were near one another.
He always knew.
"Holy shit," Boomer said. He blinked once. Pinched himself. Blinked again. Realized this was reality and not a dream. "Really?"
Bubbles wouldn't meet his gaze, but he could see the way she kept shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her hands fiddling with the middle of her dress. "Mhmm."
"You want to be my girlfriend? For real?"
"Yup."
"Positive? 'Cause, like, there's probably better people out there compared to me. And cooler. And more attractive—"
"Boomer Jojo." She grabbed his hands again and stared directly in his eyes. "You just gave me self-made flowers and said a whole speech off the top of your head. You've been by my side for months, all because I'm me. You like me. I like that you like me. And I like you so, so much. So I choose you. Just you."
Just me. Just me. Just me. If Boomer had any clue about this even a second earlier than he did, he would have been said something instead of subject himself to unnecessary emotional torment. But at least they were here. He liked that they made it here. Just her and him. Just them.
"Hey." Bubbles tapped him on the shoulder. Her face looked a bit red. "You got a cooties shot, right?"
Boomer's face scrunched up. What a strange question. "Yup. Fully immune to cooties."
"Great. Another question. If I were to kiss you, you wouldn't explode or turn into a giant, right?"
Kissing. Kissing Bubbles. Boomer felt his face flush. It felt both terrifying and exciting to think about doing that directly in front of her. "I… I-I don't think so."
Her voice lowered to a whisper. "And if I wanted to kiss you now at this very second, would you let me?"
Boomer knew where this was going. His heart wouldn't stop thudding in his chest. "Yes," he said as evenly as he could.
She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Can I?"
He couldn't force himself to speak anymore. Or maybe he just didn't want to. Either way, he just nodded and accepted his blissful fate.
And then she kissed his, square on the mouth.
Boomer heard from a lot of people that first kisses were the ones that would be the most magical. Mike in particular had an interesting thing to say about it: "It's like everything you ever wanted, plus everything you ever wanted that you never knew about." A slice of heaven, essentially.
Boomer's first kiss technically killed him. But this was... He'd be counting this one as the first. The strange thing was that it wasn't the kiss that made this all worth it, or at least not just the kiss. Yes, it was soft and sweet and made his heart flutter. Of course, it was magical in a way he wouldn't be able to describe in words.
But no, it was not just the kiss. It was also the aftermath of it. The sparkle in Bubbles' eyes as she pulled away. The dimples that complimented her blushing cheeks. Her smile that was so small yet meant so much. Her.
Bubbles pressed her forehead to his and let out an airy laugh. "Fuck. I've been wanting to do that for months."
Boomer wanted to talk about it. He wanted to tell her that he wanted that for months, too. He wanted to say that it was one of the best things that had ever happened to him.
The first thing to come out of his mouth was, "I think I grew a bit taller."
Bubbles wasn't as affected by this as Boomer thought she would be. She let out a laugh that held no ill intent. "No, you didn't—" She paused and squinted her eyes. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Did you?"
"Like, a part of an inch, right? I felt it, Bubbles. I literally felt my body grow."
"That's impossible. Hold on. I just. I have to make sure." She gave him a kiss on the lips. Then another. And another. "Just. Just a few more." She did this so much that at one point, Boomer thought she forgot the whole purpose of it. Not that he was complaining. This was very, very nice.
But soon, she stopped and examined him. They were almost eye-to-eye with each other. "Yeah, you are definitely growing taller," she said. "Hold on, I gotta show Bloss!"
Boomer wasn't sure how to feel aboutkissing his new girlfriend in front ofher older sister, but it was soon too late to think about that now since it happened. And then it happened again. And again. And-
"Bubbles!" Blossom screeched. Boomer had never seen her face get that red. "What has gotten into you?"
Bubbles stubbornly shook her head. "No, wait Bloss! Don't get mad. Just look at his height! Ignore the kissing!" She kissed him again and again, just quick pecks on the lips, and he felt like he was floating. Either that or the new height was catching up to him quick. It was getting hard to tell.
"…I'm calling Brick right now," he heard Blossom say.
Bubbles broke apart from the kisses for good, at least for the moment. Boomer was slightly relived. Another one and he might have fainted and went in a kiss coma. Not the worst way to go.
"It's not like that! Boomer just—" Bubbles tried to argue.
"Yeah, hello? Brick?" Blossom spoke politely into her phone. Boomer didn't even see her type in a number or unlock her phone. She must have Brick on speed dial.
A slight pause. Then, suddenly, all hell broke loose.
"What the fuck did you do to my sister? Or was it Butch? Because I know Boomer isn't responsible. Don't act confused, Brick; you already know what this is about. And do not comment on my profanity! It is for a good reason! No, I don't care about whatever ridiculous instructions you gave Boomer. Is Butch there with you? Put me on speaker; I want both of you to hear me."
Bubbles looked like she just escaped that haunted house all over again. "Blossom, they didn't do anything! I just wanted to show you that Boomer grows when I kiss him!" She swatted at Blossom, who easily dodged while still screaming in the phone.
"You guys kissed?!" Boomer could have sworn he heard Brick and Butch yell, and they sounded a little proud. Not for long. Blossom was probably going to yell at them until next year.
Buttercup suddenly strolled up next to Boomer, sipping loudly on her apple juice. After a satisfied sigh, she said, "Hey, Boom."
"Hey, Butters."
"Ugh. Did you hear that from Butch? He's been calling me that more often."
"Maybe."
Buttercup's lip twisted. She had a great poker face. It was hard to tell what she thought about that nickname. She was probably going to change the subject soon, knowing her. "Are we just going to ignore that Blossom has Brick's number on speed dial?"
Yup, changed subject. Luckily it was one Boomer liked. "Absolutely not," he said. "I'm writing this in our joke book."
"Okay, just making sure."
The two watched in silence as Blossom yelled into her phone with a meek Bubbles next to her. It was like a little comedy show. Neighbors were peeking out their windows. He was sure Professor was somewhere nearby, making sure all Hell did not break lose in his front yard.
"So you guys are dating now," Buttercup said.
Boomer nodded. He didn't know what Buttercup's tone meant. "Yes. We are."
Buttercup turned her eyes to Boomer and regarded him for a bit. She was in a very thoughtful mood today. It was odd. "Nice going, little dude. You deserve this. She deserves this, too. Really." She ruffled his hair, gave him a quick grin, and flew over to help Bubbles.
Soon, Boomer would walk over and try to explain things calmly to Blossom. But for a few seconds, he let himself watch. He let himself look at Bubbles unapologetically. Bubbles, his girlfriend. That felt very nice to think about. He was glad he was able to admit that.
We do deserve this, he found himself thinking. And for once, he believed in his thoughts with all his heart.