Ok so, my first Powerpuff story. Hope you like it, started out as a minor procrastination project and evolved into an 8,000 word story. The other chapters aren't that long as I wrote it pretty much as one story and found it difficult to break into nice sections. I'd like to dedicate that to Somewei for her awesome story Taking Responsibility, a real pleasure to read. But yeah, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything etc..

Especially Because You're A Powerpuff

Chapter One

Boomer sat listlessly in his room staring at the wall; well, glaring at the wall. It had been a rough couple of days for no other reason, he was certain, than that he existed. He could hear his brothers fighting downstairs, when would they just give it a rest? He weighed up his options:

Food.

Nah, not hungry.

Join in the brotherly love.

No, they probably hate me anyway.

Sleep.

Mind was too awake for that.

Just leave.

And do what?

Just walk. Listen to music, etc.

Can I be bothered to move? I guess so.

As his internal dialogue came to an end he stood up and ambled over to his desk and grabbed his keys and iPod. He paused briefly to look at a picture stuck to his wall. This is all your fault, he thought as he stared at it.

It wasn't anything remarkable, well that was a lie, it was a fine piece of artwork. It was a pencil drawing of Boomer staring into space, deep in thought. Clearly the artist had put some effort in but Boomer no longer saw or cared about the image. To him, all that mattered was the message scrawled on the back:

To Boomer,

For all the times they call you dumb. No one who thinks this hard could be. See you around.

Bubbles

Not the most eloquent of messages but still. He sighed and walked downstairs, his brothers voices getting louder. He didn't know what they were arguing about and honestly he didn't care.

'Oi Boomer, where you going?' Brick demanded, cutting off Butch mid-rant.

'Out.' Boomer kept moving towards the door. He knew if he stopped his brothers would draw him into their fight. Just because he didn't know what they were fighting about didn't mean he didn't have a pretty good idea.

'Where?'

'Just out.' He opened the door, 'I won't be long.' Brick glared at him suspiciously.

'Well you'd better not be, we have to talk and you have to cook later.' Butch sniggered.

'Yeah, like the little sissy you are!'

'Whatever.' Boomer muttered as the door slammed behind him. He actually quite liked cooking if he was honest so Butch could think what he liked.

He walked quickly, letting his music wash over him, over his troubled thoughts and allowed his mind to go blank. He carried on walking and found himself at the park which was mostly empty. This didn't surprise him, the dark sky had been threatening rain all day and it was fairly chilly. He found a sheltered spot in the boughs of a large oak tree and made himself comfortable. Superpowers really had their perks. He turned off his music and, listening to the wind blow through the tree, began to unwind his thoughts.

Bubbles. Bubbles! Bubbles! BUBBLES! He couldn't stop thinking about her! He didn't want to! She just appeared unbidden into his mind and he didn't know why. This had to stop. The key, thought Boomer, is to find the root of the problem. So he looked back, trying to remember when this had started to make his life hell.

FLASHBACK

'Brick why do we have to go to school? We're Rowdyruffs for Christ's sake!' Butch whined.

'Because I say so!' Brick growled. He didn't fool Boomer though. Brick was curious about learning things and to top it, he wanted one up on Blossom. That being said, he was afraid of doing it alone so had forced his brothers along for the ride. Boomer didn't mind, he was bored of doing the same childish stuff over and over again. People treated them like nuisances now, rather than villains. As far as he was concerned, new was good.

'What are you three doing here!' a bossy female voice demanded. They turned to see Blossom marching towards them looking furious, followed closely by her sisters. Buttercup looked ready to kill but Bubbles, he was surprised to see, just looked slightly irritated and bored.

'None of your business.' Sneered Brick.

'It is our business if you don't want me to pummel you into the floor!' yelled Buttercup.

'Temper, temper Butterbutt.' mocked Butch, eyeing her up with interest. Boomer had to admit, at 16 the girls had filled out nicely.

'Don't call me that!' growled Buttercup, taking the bait. Boomer sighed.

'We're starting school today.' He said quietly. Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

'What!' exclaimed the girls as the boys went, 'Boomer!'

'What? It was getting boring.' He replied.

'The office is down that hall and on your left. You can get your timetables and stuff there.' A voice said.

'Bubbles!' her sisters glared at her. She looked unimpressed.

'What? He's right, it was getting boring and I have better things to do.' She turned, 'Bye guys.' And with a wave, she left. Everyone watched her go.

'Fine!' snapped Blossom, 'But we know you're up to something! Put a toe out of line and we'll make you wish you'd never been born!' the remaining Powerpuffs turn to follow their sister. The boys were silent.

'Well,' said Brick.

'Yeah,' replied Butch, 'Bubbles, who knew?' Boomer silently agreed before receiving a thump from his brother. He looked up to see an angry Brick and a smirking Butch.

'That,' he said, 'was for telling them what we were doing here.' Boomer looked at him for a moment and then shrugged.

'Didn't know it was a state secret.' He muttered as they walked down the corridor.

END FLASHBACK

Boomer smiled slightly as he thought of his first few weeks at school. He had actually enjoyed them. Once his teachers realised he was not a troublemaking Ruff and not unintelligent he got on well. Butch and Buttercup had detention practically every afternoon for fighting and Brick had joined the Student Council to annoy Blossom. This meant that he had a couple of afternoons a week off to himself. It was peaceful.

But for all the interaction that his brothers had with their counterparts, Bubbles and he barely spoke to each other. The occasional polite greeting, a joke or two at the expense of their warring siblings and that was about it. It seemed strange seeing as they had most of their classes together.

But now he thought about it, things had changed on the day Bubbles snapped.

FLASHBACK

Boomer was sitting at a lunch table with his brothers. As usual, they were sniggering about the ways they had irritated the Powerpuff Girls recently. As far as he could tell, Brick had beaten Blossom in a test by half a mark and Butch had… well he was Butch – immaturity personified. Boomer stared at his food and sighed, it was all so childish.

Suddenly, a screeching was heard from the other side of the cafeteria. He looked up to behold an absolutely furious Bubbles.

'Will you guys shut the hell up!' she screamed at a totally shocked Blossom and Buttercup, 'you guys have been going on for weeks about the same thing, over and over again! I think I'm going to go insane! Ok, the Rowdyruffs are irritating, you've said it a thousand times and I didn't care the first time! We are not five anymore so grow up. If I can have a perfectly rational conversation with Boomer then so can you. And if they don't feel like being adults then just walk away, OK? But don't tell me about it because I don't want to know!' and with that she stood up and stormed off leaving an open mouthed Blossom and Buttercup staring after her. There was silence for a few moments and then the returned to its usual buzz.

The girls looked totally shell-shocked. Boomer didn't blame them, Bubbles had a reputation for a vicious temper and she had unleashed its full blast on them in front of the entire school.

'Woah,' said Brick, 'temper much?'

'Yeah I know right?' replied Butch, 'did you see Butterbutt's face?'

'Did you see Blossom's?' Brick turned to Boomer, 'what did she say about you and her? You've been talking?' Boomer looked up.

'Yeah, you know, say hi and stuff.' He was totally unfazed by his brothers' look of confusion and anger. Butch opened his mouth to speak but Boomer cut him off. 'She's right you know, it is childish and it is boring and you two should get over yourselves and start talking to them like real people because I know you want to.' He got up, 'see you later.' And left.

END FLASHBACK

His brothers hadn't spoken to him for a week after that. Well, other than 'Food. Gimme.' And Bubbles was ignored completely by her sisters, which she didn't seem to mind at all. The first couple of days he saw her, at lunch, sitting by herself under a tree in the playing fields staring into space. On the third day he had approached her and found her listening to music. She had offered him a seat and they had listened to their music separately, but together. It was like a comfortable silence. It had somewhat surprised him though that Bubbles was so antisocial, not like he remembered her at all. Then again, he was not at all like his younger self so who was he to talk. It wasn't until a week later in their Arts class that they had a proper conversation.

FLASHBACK

'Hey.' Boomer turned to look at the figure standing next to him.

'Hey yourself.' Bubbles smiled.

'We're supposed to work in pairs today so you want to be my partner?'

'Sure,' he replied, 'what's the assignment?'

'Portraits.'

'Cool, let's get started then.' They positioned themselves opposite each other and got to work.

They worked in silence for a while. Boomer outlined her features and then set to work on detailing and shading. He'd never being able to openly stare at Bubbles before and taken her in. She was quite pretty, he decided. With her large light blue eyes framed by long dark lashes, pink delicate lips, smooth skin with a peaches and cream complexion. Her honey blonde hair was down today and underwent a slight wave as it cascaded over her shoulders. Today she was wearing dark blue skinny jeans, blue converse and a Batman top which all in all, showed off her petite frame. He hadn't realised he had stopped drawing until he caught Bubbles staring at him staring at her.

'Something wrong?' she asked with an amused expression on her face. He blushed.

'N-n-no,' he stuttered, mentally cursing himself, 'I was just thinking how much you've changed.' He saw a flash of annoyance cross her features.

'Yes, well, unlike some.' She said and left it at that. Boomer decided to take a chance.

'Well done, by the way, for that little scene in the cafeteria the other day.' She looked at him questioningly, 'I honestly couldn't have put it better myself.' He smiled at her and after a pause, she smiled back.

'Well they did have it coming.' She said, 'though Blossom was on her high horse when we got home. 'I know best' 'You shouldn't talk to your leader like that' blah blah blah. Her and Buttercup still treat me like a baby no matter what I do.' She sighed.

'Tell me about it,' Boomer muttered, and then more loudly, 'still, thanks to your name drop the boys had a hissy fit.' She looked sheepish.

'I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to drop you in it. I was just so angry.'

'Don't worry about it, thanks to you I got to have some choice words with Brick and Butch that they were not expecting but hopefully, they will think about.'

'Hopefully being the operative word.' She said.

'Exactly.' Boomer smiled, 'you know Bubbles, you really have changed. Don't get me wrong, I like it; this is the first intelligent conversation I've had in weeks but, what happened? If I may ask?' she gave him a long, calculating look, like she was weighing up the odds. Boomer concentrated on his pencil strokes.

'I just grew up I guess.' She said finally, 'people get older, tastes change. I found that people had this image of me that they wanted me to be and it got really old really quickly and I just wasn't interested. They want me to be happy and fun and bubbly and naive and wear dresses and be a cheerleader or something. And I am happy and fun and I do wear dresses. But not all the time. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood or I'm having a bad day. A lot of the time I wear other clothes. I'm definitely not naïve, not anymore. Still, doesn't change the way people see me. It really gets to me how blind they are. Do you know what I mean?' he looked at her in astonishment, it had been quite a speech. What had astonished him was that it was one he could have made.

'I do,' he said, 'I really do.' He paused, 'it's all about how people see you and how you actually are. My brothers think I'm dumb and easily distracted and a sissy. But if they'd actually bother to find out, I'm not dumb I just keep my thoughts to myself, I'm not easily distracted, I'm just bored of them and cooking isn't a sissy thing to do, they're just immature.' He stopped and realised what he was saying, 'I've never told anyone that before.' He said quietly. She gave him a small smile.

'Well I'm glad you did.' She said. The bell rang before she could say anything else and they began to put away their things. 'Here.' She handed him a sheet of paper. 'I'll see you in Chemistry on Monday.' She said walking away. He watched her go before looking at the paper. It was a pencil drawing of Boomer staring into space, deep in thought. Turning the paper over, he noticed the message scrawled on the back:

To Boomer,

For all the times they call you dumb. No one who thinks this hard could be. See you around.

Bubbles

END FLASHBACK

And he had seen her on Monday. And they had talked more. About their weekends, the music they liked, movies, occasionally putting the world to rights, once about her recent battle with the latest Townsville monster and it had carried on.

That had been a month ago. He hadn't noticed when he had started anticipating their meetings, looking for her in their classes together, feeling his heart flutter when she entered a room, feeling disappointment if she did not show. Of course outwardly he had been totally normal, his casual demeanour showed nothing of the tempest that raged within.

Surprisingly, his brothers had been totally silent on the matter. Bubbles was never mentioned, at least not in front of him and thankfully neither were her sisters (except when Butch forgot to hold his tongue and Brick would kick him under the table). Everything was mostly fine. Until today. Oh god it had been his fault too. Well sort of, it had been an accident.

FLASHBACK

It was lunchtime and as usual the cafeteria was packed as Boomer headed through. He was trying (unsuccessfully) to ignore the throng of people and the noise and sort his head out. Bubbles hadn't shown up in History (most likely defending the city) and he was worried. This worried him more because he knew that he should not be worrying about a Powerpuff Girl. Besides, Bubble could look after herself. At that point he walked smack into someone with a tray, causing them to bounce off his chest and onto the floor.

'Oh my God, I'm so…' he began, but stopped when he saw none other than Bubbles, covered in food. 'Bubbles?' she looked up at him. She was quite obviously irritated but her face changed when she saw him. 'Bubbles, I'm really sorry.' He babbled, 'I wasn't looking where I was going.' He held out his hand to help her up. She reached out, opening her mouth to speak.

'Hey!' shouted a voice from across the room, causing instant silence, 'what the hell do you think you're doing?' Buttercup came running over. 'Get your hands off my sister!' she yelled pushing him out of the way.

'Are you ok?' asked Blossom, making her way towards them, 'it's ok, we saw the whole thing.' She turned to him, 'how dare you push my sister!' he stared at her wide eyed.

'P-p-push? Me?'

'Yeah, you!' snarled Buttercup, 'Pick on my sister and you have to deal with me.'

'It was an accident.' Came a voice, Bubbles got up calmly seeing as neither of her sisters had helped her up and brushed the food off her. 'It was an accident.' She said again walking over to him, 'it's ok Boomer, I know you didn't mean to.' Blossom looked outraged.

'Bubbles! He pushed you! We saw it!'

'Yeah! And now he's gonna get it!' roared Buttercup, approaching Boomer with her fist raised. No one saw Bubbles move, all they saw was Bubbles between Boomer and her sisters and Buttercup on the floor rubbing her jaw. Shock ran through the crowd. Even Brick and Butch couldn't believe it. They had been watch from the side hoping Boomer was going to get his ass kicked for laughs. Needless to say, no one saw it coming.

'You-you hit me.' Breathed Buttercup, 'I can't believe you hit me. TO PROTECT HIM!' she yelled and sprang up.

'I said it was an accident.' Said Bubbles coldly, 'I told you to drop it, but no, you guys wanted to pick a fight with a Rowdyruff, DON'T DENY IT BLOSSOM!' Blossom had opened her mouth to speak but shut it again in the face of her sister's fury. 'Boomer is my friend and he's a damn sight better and more mature than my sisters have been in the last month. Come on Boomer.' Without looking round to see if he would follow she marched towards the door. Boomer followed, but stopped when he heard Butch snicker under his breath.

'Hehe, being defended by a sissy girl.' Before Butch knew it he was pinned to the wall struggling for air.

'She is not a sissy girl, and for your information that should have been you standing by me, not her. Some brothers you guys are.' Butch dropped to the floor gasping as Boomer walked out the door.

As it turned out Bubbles had waited for him. They walked in silence together until they were outside before she turned to him.

'I'm sorry about them.' She looked down at her feet, 'I think I might have just done something terrible.' He didn't know what to say, she had been defending him. 'I know that they were in the wrong but I shouldn't have hit her. I just got so angry.' He saw a tear slide down her cheek.

'No Bubbles,' he managed to say, 'thank you for defending me. I didn't want to fight with your sisters, I have nothing against them. They'll forgive you, they just won't forgive me. Please don't cry.' She looked up at him with red eyes, clearly about to deny that she was crying until she thought better of it.

'Don't make me regret what I've just done ok? Friends?' she held out her hand to shake. As his fingers touched hers, felt the electricity shoot up his arm. It was all he could do not to jump. Her small hand in his seemed so right.

Out loud he said, 'Friends,' she pulled him into a hug unexpectedly. Her hair smelled like vanilla. BAD THOUGHTS! He told himself and tried to subtly disentangle himself from her despite it being the last thing he wanted to do. 'What are you going to do about your top?' he asked, and she lept away from him.

'Oh yeah!' she exclaimed, 'I forgot, sorry about that.' She motioned to a patch on his shirt which now had a pasta sauce stain. 'Serves you right though, to be fair.' She giggled. He smiled at her. 'I guess I'll just go home and change. Take the rest of the day off.' He stared at her in mock surprise.

'A Powerpuff? Skipping school? Has the world come to an end?'

'Shut up!' She laughed punching him gently on the arm. 'I'm allowed off days. Anyway, I'll see you later?'

'You want some company?' he sounded more hopeful than he would have liked.

'No it's ok. I think I've pushed my sisters far enough over the edge today.'

'What do you mean?'

'They're watching us, from over there,' she pointed at a row of bushes, which obligingly gave a panicked shake as if someone was ducking from view. 'your brothers are with them.'

'Really?'

'Yeah, I saw them sneak behind there about 5 minutes ago. And, well you know, super hearing.' She grinned, 'but yeah, let's not give Buttercup an aneurism. You go your way and I'll go mine and we'll see each other tomorrow.'

END FLASHBACK

So here he was. Confused, somewhat lonely and with thoughts about a girl he barely knew. Well no, you do know her. She had, in a way, chosen him over her sisters. Yes it was the right thing to do, but still. Blood is thicker than water; if it had been the other way around would he have done the same for her? Yes. The answer was there. She knew and understood him like no one else; she was the only person who had taken the time to. He was sure Brick probably knew him that well too, but unlike Bubbles, he didn't like it. Boomer was far too sensitive in Brick's opinion. He sighed, this jaunt outside hadn't helped at all. An hour had passed and he was no closer to calming his thoughts.

Someone had once told him that if he were confused, he should ask himself a question and answer it honestly. Then ask himself why? And keep asking, until the answer was clear. It had sounded stupid at the time, but nothing else seemed to be working so he decided to try it. But first, a question. He pondered.

What are you so worried about? It was a pretty vague question but Boomer hadn't done this before so he could make up the rules as he went along. He thought about an answer.

Because I don't know how I feel about Bubbles.

Why?

Because I've never had these feelings before.

Why?

Because I've never met anyone like her.

Why?

Because she's a Puff and I'm a Ruff, we've never mixed before.

Why?

What do you mean why? That's just the way it is! She's good and I'm bad.

Why?

Boomer paused his internal dialogue. It was a good question. The barriers were down now, they were friends. She had taught him that he was not the sheep that everyone seemed to think him and neither was she. Boomer decided to stop, it was getting him into uncomfortable territory.

He went over the day's events again in his head. He had attacked Butch, nothing new there, but why had he done it? He insulted Bubbles the bastard, he thought. He remembered his anger at Butch… and the protectiveness he felt towards Bubbles.

Oh god, he thought, I should have seen the signs! Oh god, I'm in love with Bubbles. His heart began to race at the thought. He should have known, he wasn't an idiot, he knew the signs. Maybe he had seen them, he had just ignored them because he didn't want it to be true.

Because he knew Bubbles would never feel the same way.

Thanks for reading, please review! Next chapter should be up in the next couple of days.

LoubaTotoaygo