Chapter Text
Buttercup didn’t think she could hate pretentious college parties any more until she finds her now ex-boyfriend in a random bedroom with a sorority girl’s mouth wrapped around his cock. Butch catches her eyes before she walks back out of the room and has the audacity to smirk.
He wants to make her mad with jealousy, and she is, but she’s beyond just a little bit of fury. They always do this, this stupid push and pull and hurt and fuck. And she’s so done with feeling like her heart is being ripped out of her chest everytime they do this to each other. She wants to destroy now. She wants to hurt before she gets hurt again.
So she’ll hit him where it hurts, and nothing hurts more than a little too close to home. Butch has never admitted his insecurities out loud, but she knows they’re there from the way that he acts and the way that they exist in her own soul. He thinks he’s second fiddle to Brick, in the same way that she can’t help but feel jealous of the always perfect Blossom.
She knows there’s probably something going on between Blossom and Brick, in the same way there is something between her and Butch and between Bubbles and Boomer. It’s a sort of misguided romantic feeling driven by underlying narcissism. The Power Puff Girls and Rowdy Ruff Boys are in essence two sides of the same coin, and they have enough self-love of their own best and worst features to essentially fall for themselves.
It works out for Blossom and Bubbles. For her, loving Butch is like loving the most horrible parts of herself, and most days she can barely manage it. It’s like constantly seeking out self-destruction and being happy about it. She’s not happy now; she’s not sure she was ever really happy about it all. She wonders now if she just accepted it because that’s the way it was supposed to be.
But even though there’s something between Blossom and Brick, and Buttercup knows there’s something there, they haven’t acted on it. And god, she’s looking to fuck something up and fuck it up bad, and it’s so tempting, he’s so tempting standing in a corner by himself, glaring at all the party goers with his stupid hipster IPA.
He’s handsome. All the Rowdy Ruff Boys are. But it’s different from the sort of handsome that used to boggle her mind (god, Butch has been living rent free in her head for so long, she hasn’t thought of even looking at another man in years). He’s still got a bad boy vibe, but where Butch is pure unadulterated power with arms the size of Buttercup’s face, Brick is lean and mean. He’s still bigger and wider than Buttercup, most people are, but he has more of a swimmer’s body than a linebacker’s. She doesn’t know if she likes it. She likes his long pulled back hair compared to Butch’s short cut though. More to grab. None of that matters though, because with her x-ray vision she knows he’s packing, just like his brothers.
She floats over to his corner of this miserable world (AKA the Alpha Phi Alpha frat party they were somehow convinced to attend even though Blossom bailed to study for an exam and Boomer and Bubbles are on a date night) right at the edge of the sticky makeshift dance floor, and catches sight of a six pack of whatever IPA he’s drinking.
He sees her coming and setting up shop next to him, but doesn’t bother to acknowledge her.
“Why do you even bother drinking that shit? We can’t get drunk from it with the Chemical X. And did you bring your own six pack?” she asks.
He doesn’t look her way, but he shrugs. “I’d rather drink something that has some resemblance of flavor than whatever watered down shit they have.”
God he’s an absolute nerd, just like her sister. She bets that it’s from one of those micro breweries around town that grow their own hops in their basement. They are truly the definition of perfect for each other, if it were not for the fact that she was about to fuck it all up. And she knows she’s going to fuck it all up; she’s not good at a lot of things, but she’s good at this.
She grabs the bottle that Brick just took a sip out of, even though she could have easily just taken one of the unopened ones that he has. He’s too lazy to swat her away, but he finally turns her head as she takes a big swig at it.
“Ugh, this doesn’t even taste any better than any of the watered down shit that they have.”
Brick rolls his eyes at her. “That’s because your sense of taste is unrefined.”
“Whatever, nerd. Anyways, you’re doing it wrong. I’ve got just what you need if you’re trying to get inebriated enough to make it through this humdrum party.” Buttercup pulls out a flask and waves it at Brick’s face. She was supposed to share this tonight with Butch, but well, that was never going to happen. “Boomer and I were messing around trying to figure out how we can get around the Chemical X.”
He raises an eyebrow. “So you two made moonshine?”
“Don’t look so surprised that together we have enough brains to actually come up with something fantastic.”
Brick snorts. “Yeah, you have exactly one brain between the two of you. I bet that shit doesn’t work.”
“Oh yeah? Well one way to find out, no?” She raises the flask up between them- “Cheers” - and takes a big swig before passing it onto Brick.
He crosses his arms. “I didn’t say I would partake in this little science experiment of yours.”
“You didn’t say you wouldn’t either. Come on, I know you’re bored as fuck at this party. This is your chance to not be.” She shoves the flask under his nose.
“It smells like death.”
“It doesn’t taste nearly as bad as it smells.”
Brick sighs. “Fine. If this gives me a weird stomach ache, you’re doing my laundry for a month.”
Buttercup laughs and catches Brick staring at her mouth. “I have enough confidence in Boomer’s and my combined single brain that I will not have to wash your jizz covered sheets.”
Brick rolls his eyes again, but he grabs the flask, all the while muttering how stupid this was, and takes a large gulp. Buttercup’s transfixed by his Adam’s apple, already feeling the effects of the moonshine.
Brick coughs. “What the hell is in that? It tastes like pure alcohol.”
“That’s because it is. It’s 200 proof, so it’s pure ethanol.”
“What the fuck Buttercup. That shit can cause a coma or worse death!”
“Yeah, in humans . Besides we added a drop of Chemical X into it. That’s what makes it stick.” Buttercup giggles.
“This shit must be working. I’ve never heard you make that noise before.” She punches him, and she must not have pulled back because he yelps out in surprise. “Jesus Buttercup, are you trying to break my arm?”
“Trust me, if I was, it would be broken. Anyways, are you feeling it yet?” Brick grunts, and it’s good enough for her. She stops floating and grabs his hands. “Let’s dance.”
Brick looks into the bumping and grinding college students with pure disdain. “You want me to go in there ?”
“Yes. Come on, it’ll be so much better than you just glaring at them from your dark ass corner.”
“Buttercup, the floor is sticky.”
“So?”
“We don’t know from what.”
Buttercup huffs. “ So ?”
“So, we can fly. Why would we willingly put our feet down on mystery sticky floor?”
“Because I’m asking nicely.” Buttercup tugs his arms in a not so nice way until he’s tumbling after her into the dancefloor. She catches him by his waist as he’s righting his balance. This is the part where she’s supposed to let go because they’re in a barely existent friendship, but she doesn’t. Instead she brings up her wrap around his neck and starts dancing with him.
He hesitates for a moment, the moonshine must still be kicking in, before he brings up his hands on her waist and starts swaying with her. He hasn’t taken his eyes off of hers, and her gaze feels trapped by it. It’s unnerving that they’re the same colors as Blossom’s and so different from Butch’s. She’s never stared at anyone else’s eyes the way that she stared at Butch’s, not until this night.
The music isn’t really well suited for swaying slowly. It’s more of an untz untz boom boom type of music, but they can’t stop their trajectory.
She presses into him, closer than what’s socially acceptable for barely friends. He pulls back sharply.
“What are you doing?” he hisses. The only reason she can hear it over the music is due to her super hearing. Buttercup flinches. She thought she was seducing Brick. She doesn’t answer, so Brick answers for her. “Let me guess. You caught Butch.”
“You knew he was cheating on me?”
Brick shrugged. “Bro code.”
In truth, she never expected him to have any loyalty to her. They only worked together to save the city from monsters, never wondering the difference between the monsters they destroyed and the monsters in their heads. It wasn’t personal. They weren’t personal. But it makes her wonder, “Did Blossom know?”
Because what Brick knew, Blossom had probably inferred. Most days it felt like they were always on the same wavelength.
Brick doesn’t respond, but silence is an answer in of itself.
Buttercup scoffs. Whatever guilt she may have felt for fucking around with the guy that her sister liked disappears in an instant. She’ll hate herself later for this, but what’s one more reason to hate herself?
“Are you trying use me to make Butch jealous?” Brick asks.
Buttercup raises an eyebrow. “What if I am?”
“Then you’re using the wrong person.”
“Why’s that?”
“I’m too smart to be manipulated against my little brother.”
A frown edges down from the corner of her lips. “Are you calling me stupid?”
Brick rolls his eyes. “You have exactly the same hang ups as Butch.”
Buttercup shoves him away from her, but he barely moves. He’s used to Butch trying to push his way around when he doesn’t get his way, but what’s more curious is why he’s still staying close to her on the dancefloor.
“I’m not your brother,” she hisses.
“Oh yeah? Could have fooled me.” He shrugs.
In truth it’s very hard to prove that she’s different from Butch. When provoked, they have the exact same reaction. Fight or fuck. But Buttercup trusts that Brick doesn’t know about their second reaction, on the basis that their true difference lies in what’s between their legs. And Brick has never had to think about what Butch would be like if he didn’t have a dick between his.
So Buttercup presses her lips and her body against his. And in his shock, he opens his mouth and let’s her in. She takes absolute advantage, pressing and probing and intruding. It takes him but a moment until he’s fighting back, parrying lick for lick, bite for bite. And then their moaning into each other, trying to get as close as two bodies can without merging into one, but oh, if they could.
They breathe a sense of wrong into each other. They both know they shouldn’t be doing this. It’s going to irrevocably change everything. Brick and Buttercup were never supposed to kiss like they’re on fire. Brick and Blossom, they were fire. Butch and Butterchip were fury. And Boomer and Blossom were heart. That’s how it’s supposed to be. But god, does this kiss between Buttercup and Brick burn. It’s a slow and burning poison, but it feels so good.
Before they know it, they’re stumbling through the frat house until they find an empty room, and Brick is taking off his shirt, and Buttercup unhooking her bra, and they’re naked on a random bed, pressing and grinding and kissing and burning down everything they touch.
They’ve never felt like this before.
Buttercup ends up on top. She holds his eyes as she hovers above him. This is the edge of no return. Everything else could have been chalked up to drunken indiscretions, but this is the moment of clarity where they know there’s no going back. They say nothing, but she’s waiting for him to acknowledge this and to grab hold of her hand as they jump off this cliff without their ability to fly.
He nods his assent. No matter what happens after this moment, he was a culprit in his own demise.
They’ve never ruined anything like this before.
Buttercup aligns him to her slit before she presses down onto him. She gasps. She’s so wet, and it feels so different. She’s never been with anyone else except for Butch. It’s overwhelming, and Brick notices so he rolls them over so he’s on top.
With Butch it was always a fight for dominance, and sometimes the fight got nasty. But with Brick, through Buttercup’s grace she allows for his dominance. It’s a give and take that Buttercup’s never experienced because it’s always been take, take, take with Butch. Brick is slow and takes his time. It always felt like Buttercup and Butch were rushing to destroy each other.
And Buttercup is rising and rising as Brick searches her eyes, as if searching for the soul she just lost. There’s so much confusion in the gazes between them. They don’t understand. Burning down their whole world shouldn’t feel like this, shouldn’t feel this good.
--
Brick kisses her, so that he’s close, so close, to her, like they’re trying to become one entity. She shatters around him and his world follows.
He rolls over beside her. They’re both panting and chasing air.
“Fuck.” His ears are still ringing. He can’t tell between the two of them who said it, but it doesn’t matter because he feels the same way.
Nothing is going to be the same. They can’t pretend it never happened, and he doesn’t think he could ever go back to before Buttercup blew up his world.
He grabs her hand turns to look at her. There's fear in her eyes, as if she's only now realizing what they've done. He squeezes her hand. There's nothing left to do but to pick up the pieces of the mess they've made.