Title: And This is What Happens When You Try to Sneak Out

Pairing: Brick/Blossom

Rating: K

Disclaimer: I don't own the Powerpuff Girls.

Word count (part 2): 2080

Prompt: Contest prize for ITBluebeadTI. Reds, fair setting, surprises and fluffiness.

Summary: When Buttercup gets grounded, her ingenious plan to sneak out of the house stretches a bit too far for Blossom's comfort level. Two-shot.

A/N: Hey all, I wasn't sure if you were aware, but my monthly writing contest is still in full swing, the deadline is the 30th of this month! So if you haven't gotten your entries in yet, better do it fast! There's more info on my profile, so feel free to take a visit.

Thank you all for the support to continue with this! I hope you enjoy the second and final part.

xoxo ~ml

Part Two

Blossom self-consciously tugged at a tassel from Buttercup's hoodie that she was still wearing pulled tightly over her head. She stood awkwardly outside the fair, clutching her bag tightly in her other hand. She had no idea how these stupid fair things worked. Did she need a ticket or something to get in? How did she even get in? Where was the entrance?

Eventually, the pang of fear for her littlest sister drove her to hop the low fence, using her powers to float safely down to the ground just on the other side. She held her breath for some warning or scolding, but none came. In fact, it didn't appear that anyone had noticed her at all.

She peered around the park, using x-ray vision to get the whole picture. She didn't spot a glimpse of either of her sisters. That was strange, because usually she found them with ease and ended up scolding Buttercup for being so irresponsible. But she couldn't even locate her sister in order to do so.

At her left, a gaggle of young boys scampered past, shouting at one another as they went. Blossom closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples.

"This isn't happening, I'm not really here..."

And that's when she was scared right out of her pants. Not literally. But pretty close.

"Boo."

Blossom screamed, dropping her bag onto the ground and whirling around to face her attacker, shakily preparing for a fight.

"Hey, chill out Tiger, it's just me."

The owner of the very same voice from before stooped down to pick up her bag for her, his incredibly long auburn hair falling over his shoulder and brushing the ground as he did. When he straightened up, Blossom's eyes went even wider than before and she habitually strengthened her defense at the piercing red eyes before her.

Brick silently offered her bag to her, one hand stuffed in his faded jeans pocket. She snatched it out of his hand and clutched it in her fist again.

"What do you want?" she scowled at him. She didn't have any desire to look away, but the anxiousness to find her sisters was eating away at her insides.

"Nothing," he responded. "Just looking for trouble, as usual."

Something wasn't right about the way he was talking to her so casually, as if they were old friends. He stuffed his other hand in his pocket and looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet.

"Well, you shouldn't be," Blossom said. She wasn't sure what else she could have said at that point. She had to find Buttercup and Bubbles. "Have you seen my sisters, either of them?"

At the mention of the other two, Brick's eyes snapped up to meet her gaze. He raised an eyebrow, as if he knew something.

"Yeah, I've seen them around here. The green one's dressed like you for some reason."

Blossom nodded. "Yes, I know, it's a long story. Buttercup's always convincing me to go along with her stupid plans. Do you know where they might be?"

Brick shrugged, kicking at the ground with the toe of his shoe. "Why?"

She squinted her eyes at him. "What do you mean, 'why'? They're my sisters, I deserve to—"

"You're their sister, not their mother." Brick still didn't meet her eyes, but his voice rang out clear and forceful. His authority made Blossom stop mid-retort and look at him curiously.

"Well, I suppose you're right, but Buttercup called me and told me—"

"I know."

She blinked. Funny. She almost thought she'd heard the boy say he knew Buttercup had called her.

"I know she called you," he clarified. "I... I told her to."

"You told my sister to call me?"

"Well... Yeah."

Blossom was mightily confused. "Why...?"

Brick looked down at his feet again and pulled his hands out of his pockets, wringing them out. "Well I thought BC was you at first, so I went over there to tease her, but then I found out it was her, and I got... I dunno... upset that you weren't here, so I kind of promised them both something if they'd figure out a way to get you down here to the fair."

The leader of the 'Ruffs was looking more childlike than ever at this point; his hands folded nervously in front of him, his chin nodding into his chest in order to avoid eye contact with his counterpart.

Said counterpart was now more confused than ever, not sure if she should attack him or hug him. She lowered her defenses only so much, her fists coming unclenched and dropping to her sides. She straightened up and crinkled her eyebrows at him, searching his face for an answer of some sort.

"Why did you want me here?" she asked him after her silent moment of attempted comprehension.

He shrugged. "I thought it'd be fun to bug you." A sly grin slithered across his face and he nudged Blossom with his elbow.

"So my sisters aren't in trouble?"

"Nah, not really."

"...And Bubbles didn't run away with a boy?"

"Well, I mean, I can't promise anything, but—"

"They just called me here so I could spend time with you? You, of all people, while my show is on at eight and I've got a stack of movies to watch and a good book to read?"

This last was more of a flabbergasted statement than a question. Brick nodded after each inquiry, feeling more and more stupid as she went on.

"That part was all the green one's idea, I—"

"You, who I don't even like, let alone wish to hang out with?"

"Okay, okay, I get it, Pinky," he said quietly, raising his hands in defense and backing off a little. "I didn't mean to... hell." he pulled the red cap off his head and ran his hand through his long hair with a sigh, sending it cascading over his opposite shoulder. "I... You know what, I don't even know why I asked you to be here... I must be fucking retarded. Go find you sisters or go home or whatever, forget it."

He turned away from her then, shoving the cap back onto his head and sticking his hands back in his pockets again.

Blossom said nothing. Something nudged her to call after him, to bring him back and tell him she was sorry, but she wasn't. He was just being an idiot. He was lying, yes, that must be it. He just made up that story so Blossom would forget about her sisters. She still needed to find them.

But it didn't take long.

"What the hell, Blossom!"

Finding Buttercup was a snap.

Blossom whirled around to see her mirror image with green eyes rapidly approaching from around the corner. As she stalked forward, Buttercup tore the auburn wig from her head and tossed it angrily to the ground, earning a few raised eyebrows and questioning looks from bystanders.

"What are you talking about?" Blossom asked, still confused. "Did you find..." but she didn't finish, because the person she had been thinking of had appeared behind the green 'Puff, a sad, frightful look on her poor face.

"We set that whole thing up just for you to reject him?" Buttercup scowled. "Why do my plans always fail?"

Blossom's face paled. "Wait, you mean he was being serious about...?"

Buttercup sighed. "Yes, I made up that story about Bubbles being abducted just to get you to come here."

Bubbles nodded, eagerly, with a shrill giggle playing at her throat. "Brick likes you," she hummed in a singsong voice.

Blossom's previously paled face flushed a deep crimson now. "What are you talking about?" she repeated.

Bubbles just giggled again and Buttercup rolled her eyes.

"What, is she speaking Japanese or something?" Buttercup groaned. She took hold of Blossom's arms and shook her a bit. "Brick. Likes. You. Isn't it obvious? He told us to call you here so he could 'annoy' you or whatever, but really he just wanted to see you. And you blew him off. Way to go, Leader Girl."

The redhead blinked. "But... But... He can't, that's not true, he— I—"

Buttercup raised an eyebrow. Blossom couldn't finish speaking.

"Go find him, Blossom," Bubbles whispered, poking her in the arm with her finger.

Blossom just nodded and clutched her bag even tighter, floating (but not realizing she was) off to find the 'Ruff.

She found him quite easily.

"Stupid, stupid," he was muttering to himself, kicking up dirt from the ground as he shuffled towards the exit.

"Who's stupid?" Blossom asked.

Brick paused and turned his head, facing her.

"I am," he muttered, looking away.

"Why?"

"Why do you care?"

She bit her lip. "Because... I know what happened."

He scoffed. "I told you already, but you couldn't believe me?"

Sighing, she folded her arms across her chest. "I'm sorry, it's just... I can't exactly trust you."

Brick rolled his eyes. "Of course you can't." He turned away and started shuffling off again.

But this time, she stopped him. Darting in front of him and blocking his path, she blurted out the lone inquiry that bit at her insides.

"Do you really like me?"

She saw his face turn beet red. His hands dug themselves deeper into his pockets. He looked at the ground.

"So what if I do?" he snapped.

Blossom's heart leapt in her chest. She wanted to jump up and down, but she wasn't sure why. She grinned. She couldn't help it.

"So I didn't sneak out for nothing?"

He shrugged a shoulder, still not looking at her. She felt awkward, unsure of what to do. Her eyes trailed upward, past the boy in front of her, to rest on the carnival rides and fair games that she had somehow missed. They looked so lovely compared to how she had seen them before, all lit up and shining like the colour of his eyes in the dark...

"I've never been to a fair before," she told him truthfully.

He snuck a peek at her. "Damn, really, Pinky?"

She bit her lip again and shrugged.

"Well you'll love it, I promise. Come on." He took her by the hand, sending a shiver down her spine. He pulled her away towards one of the more tame rides, the Swinging Ship.

Suddenly, as they were getting on the ride, a gigantic spaceship flew in from the night and started zapping everyone around! And—

"Buttercup, stop it, that's not how the story goes."

Buttercup scowled and folded her arms across her chest. "That's how I remember it."

"I know what happens next!" Bubbles squealed. "As they were getting on the ride, Blossom accidentally tripped over the railing to their seats, and Brick reached out and caught her in his strong, muscular arms, wrapping his hands around her waist, saying, 'Are you quite alright, darling?'" Bubbles' voice changed to a much higher octave. "'Yes, I'm fine, now that you're here,' she replied. And they looked deep into each other's eyes, almost staring right into each other's souls..."

Blossom stood up from the kitchen table in a huff. "That's not how it went!" she scolded, as Buttercup let out the long string of laughter she had been holding in from Bubbles' story. "You girls are ridiculous!"

The Professor just nodded his head at the stories, pondering this. "Well it's too bad you're grounded then," he said suggestively. "You won't be able to see your boyfriend for another two weeks."

Blossom's cheek flushed. "He's not my boyfriend!"

Buttercup and the Professor both raised their eyebrows and Bubbles giggled.

"And that's what happens when you try to sneak out," the blonde sang, earning an agreeing nod from the Professor and a playful smirk from Buttercup.

Blossom just groaned in rage and stomped up to her room, her face redder than the baseball cap hidden under her pillow that she had somehow mysteriously acquired that evening.

"Alright, I'm curious," the Professor said after his eldest had left. "What exactly did this boy promise you two for calling Blossom?"

Bubbles blushed and Buttercup grinned.

"He said he'd do my homework for two weeks!" Buttercup said indignantly.

Their father raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing as he turned to the blonde. "And you?"

She blushed deeper. "He... um... gave me Boomer's phone number."

And the Professor couldn't say anything after that, because Buttercup's howling laughter drowned out any other sound at that moment.

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