Chapter Text
“They’re disgusting,” Buttercup spoke pointedly in the direction of her blonde sister, who was in the process of locking lips with another blue-eyed, blonde-haired, superpowered teen.
“Yeah, you should listen to them at our place.” Butch sat on the concrete floor, his back leaned against the exterior of the high school gymnasium. Bubbles and Boomer were tucked between the tennis courts and the parking lot and didn’t appear to be coming up for air anytime soon.
“Oh, gross!” Buttercup gagged as she punched Butch in the shoulder, “don’t tell me about that! That’s my baby sister!”
“Yeah, well, your baby sister is a screamer,” Butch replied and dodged her next swing. “Blossom is too.” He finished up with a laugh, using his powers to dip away from her punch in the knick of time.
*****
“Hey! Give me half your sandwich,” Butch said, not waiting for a reply before grabbing half of Buttercup’s ham and cheese.
“What the- Give it back, you hog!” Buttercup hopped to her feet and grasped the air, Butch moving the sandwich around just quick enough to avoid her hands.
“Hog?! Have you seen this mug? I should be in a damn magazine!” Butch feigned offense, “I’m surprised you haven’t noticed. You sure stare at me enough- Oof!” Butch was hit with a bolt of green energy. Buttercup’s eyes and fist glowed green.
“Hand. Over. The. Sandwich!” Each word punctuated by a bolt of green, Butch laid crumpled into a heap on the opposite side of the room.
“You know what? You’re kind of sexy when you’re mad.” He shoved the entire sandwich into his mouth.
*****
Buttercup was lying belly down at the end of his bed. Arms dangling off the edge, she burrowed her face into the seemingly ancient comforter.
“I’m so bored,” Buttercup moaned, voice muffled by the blanket.
Butch ashed his cigarette in the clay tray. Buttercup had made it in pottery class. The malformed clay stuck out in uneven directions; she had carved his name at the bottom but had tried to switch the U into an I. It didn’t really work.
“We could go to the park and draw dicks in the sand.” He stretched his arms and crossed them behind his head. “That’s always a good time.”
“We did that yesterday,” Buttercup rolled onto her back. “Maybe there’s something new on Redbox.”
Butch tried to focus on the conversation but was quickly losing control of his wandering mind. His attention was fixed on the sliver of skin exposed from her shirt riding up. The pale line was intriguing and left a knot in his stomach.
What the fuck? He thought, confused at the feeling gnawing at him.
“Whatever you want, man.” Butch wrenched his gaze away. He was focusing his attention on the fallen ashes that littered the bottom of her creation.
Buttercup’s cell began to ring. “Fuck,” she fumbled for her phone. “What’s up, Bubs? Ugh, for real? Fine. Be there in 5.” She hung up and groaned. “Duty calls. We can traumatize elementary kids later.”
Butch finally looked up, “Do what you gotta do, man.” He searched for his piece and his hidden bag. “I’ll see you when I see you.” He forced a smile, trying to hide the disappointment at the prospect of her leaving.
Buttercup made her way to his window. Before she took off, she let her gaze linger over to him. He found it unnerving. “Bye,” she said in an unusually small voice.
He flipped her the bird but accompanied it with a smirk. She returned the gesture with a smile that nearly stopped his heart. With that, she was gone.
He tried to ignore the chill she left behind. “Bye,” he whispered after her, speaking to an unseen shadow of a girl he hated to see leave.