PPGZfic

Disclaimer: Me no own PPGZ and all things related to it...

And, uh, they're transformed in this story. (Yeah, if the story makes any sense...)

Edited o8/o9/o9

Little Boy

His look seemed so sincere... So real... But why wasn't Kaoru convinced that he's a good boy now?

She glared at the yellow tulip that Butch held out to her. The look on his face was serious. Dead serious. Kaoru (Or Powered Buttercup) was still glaring at the bright sunshiny yellow flower that the little boy held out to her. Everyone passing by was looking at them. She wanted to disappear. Badly. With her arms crossed over her chest, she spoke with steel in her voice. "I'm not gonna fall for your trick."

Butch lowered the tulip a bit, looking down as he did so.

"Look, whatever it is you and your brothers are playing, I'm not-"

"B-But I'm not joking..."

Kaoru heard it. Butch just quavered. Either way, she still isn't going to fall for this so-called trick.

"I'm not taking it," she stated firmly.

"But I'm a good boy now, Buttercup! You don't see my brothers with me, do you?! I'm a good boy now, I swear!"

"You? A good boy?" she scoffed. "Since when did that happen?"

Butch didn't answer. He was obviously surprised at that question. But still... He liked Kaoru and he was serious. Kaoru smirked. "I was right."

"See? You're just a little boy. You'll never change."

A little while after that, Momoko (Hyper Blossom) and Miyako (Rolling Bubbles) landed towards their ally and the green Ruff.

"Buttercup, what's the matter?" the pink Puff inquired curiously as she looked at pissed-off Kaoru.

"The shrimp's trying to pick me up!" Kaoru exclaimed. She was so aggravated.

"Hi, Butch-kun!" the blue Puff smiled warmly at the green Ruff. "Oh, that's cute! Is that for Buttercup?" she asked, looking at the droopy tulip that Butch held in his hand.

"...H-How come Buttercup doesn't believe me?"

Momoko and Miyako turned to the green Rowdyruff, seeing as he was so upset at the giving-a-flower thing...

"Um, Butch, where are your brothers?" Momoko asked Butch as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The Rowdyruff hung his head low, a bit shy and embarrassed. "They didn't want to come with me."

"Why is that?" Miyako asked, placing a hand on his other shoulder.

"They said that I was going to get dumped!" he exclaimed wildly. Kaoru snorted. "Well, your brothers aren't wrongs" she said bluntly.

The young Rowdyruff felt something inside his body twist. Whatever that thing was, it throbbed and hurt and stung. Badly. Whatever that thing was, it hurt so bad, he couldn't stop his tears.

"Butch? Are you okay?" Miyako asked again, concern all over her face when she saw the boy so dejected. Butch held out the tulip to Kaoru once more. "Take it."

"And if I don't?" the green Puff asked, almost challenging him.

"Just take it. I won't bug you anymore if you take it."

At first, Kaoru didn't want to take it, but Momoko and Miyako coaxed her to just take it from the boy. She sighed in defeat. "...Fine. Come on, give it to me."

She held out her hand and waited for the green Ruff to give the flower to her. Butch dropped the tulip in Kaoru's hand, and right after he gave her the tulip, he ran off, still feeling that throbbing and stinging inside him. When the green Ruff wasn't in sight anymore, Hyper Blossom and Rolling Bubbles turned to Powered Buttercup, arms crossed.

"Well, you were certainly mean," Miyako began. "That wasn't nice, Buttercup," Momoko scolded. That's it.

"Look, he's our e-ne-my!" Kaoru pointed out. "He's a retard like his brothers. There's no reason for me to be nice to him."

"But he looked honest to me!" Miyako insisted strongly. Kaoru only rolled her eyes at her ally.

"Tch... Yeah, and whales can fly," she said sarcastically.

"Buttercup, can't you try to be more nice to him? He's just a kid," Momoko reasoned out to her. In this fight, no one was right and no one was wrong.

"Yeah! That's my point! He's just a kid!" Kaoru began. "How could he be capable of..." She stopped. She examined the yellow tulip she was holding. It was half-wilted, petals almost torn, and the stem was soft and bending. Capable of...

"Buttercup?" Momoko and Miyako said in unison, giving Kaoru puzzled looks.

"Let's go home, guys..." the green Puff said as she shook her head. "The fight's over. Let's go."

Kaoru just flew off ahead of them. Momoko and Miyako exchanged confused looks as they took off and followed their green team mate.

Looks like Kaoru has a lot of thinking to do.

- -

In her room, Kaoru placed the half-wilted tulip in a vase with water, hoping that she could revive the flower that Butch gave her.

She's good. He's made of evil.

She's older. He's just a kid...

"...He's a kid. Kids don't fall in love," she told the air, obviously confused.

That's what she thinks...

- -

Three days later, at the same place where Butch gave Kaoru a flower, she was standing there, transformed, waiting... She was supposed to return to her class for lunch after a Mojo-Attack. But she didn't. Even though she had her favorite meal, eel and egg for lunch. She was waiting. Waiting for what? She didn't know, either. She was just there, waiting.

And apparently, he came.

- -

Butch was running. And crying. He ran and forced himself into Kaoru's arms. He held onto her, embracing her. He was wailing and bawling. Like a kid.

"Butch? Butch! What's the matter?!"

"Th-Theydon'tbelieveme! BrickandBoomersaidthatitwasimpossibleforyoutoacceptwhatIgaveyouandthenBrickandBoomermadefunofmeandsaidIwasasissyandthatyou'llneverlikemebecauseI'mjustalittleboy!"

"What?! Slow down, would you?! Repeat what you said from the beginning! Stop acting like a kid!" she yelled at him, shaking his shoulders.

Butch sniffed, pulling himself together. "Well... They don't believe me. Brick and Boomer said that it was impossible for you to accept what I gave you and then Brick and Boomer made fun of me and said I was a sissy and that you'll never like me because I'm just a little boy..."

Kaoru didn't push him away. Butch was crying, soaking Powered Buttercup's clothes with his tears. It wasn't like him to be crying like that. Especially in front of Buttercup. But he's just a kid. He couldn't help it and she couldn't help it as well. When Butch kind of calmed down, he released Kaoru from his hold and wiped his nose. She didn't expect to be asked such a strange question.

"Buttercup, would you like me if I were older?"

Kaoru just smiled. She definitely admired his persistence and solid determination. She placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair. "Little boy, if you were older, everything will still be the same."

He looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"You'd still be a Rowdyruff, and I'd still be a Powerpuff."

"...It won't work still?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Oh..." he uttered, crushed yet again at the revelation. "I guess you're right."

"But I appreciate your feelings. Honestly."

She smiled.

He blushed.

Just once. The first and the last.

. . . !

"You'll keep this a secret from your brothers, right?"

"Y-Yeah. I will."

"So... I'll see you around then, Butch."

"Yeah... See you around, Buttercup."

She flew away. Once she was gone, Butch subconsciously touched his forehead, recalling that very special moment that happened between him and the girl he swore that he would torment for the rest of their lives.

"I'm never washing my forehead ever again..."

He's just a little boy, after all.