She had run away.

As simple as that.

Nothing had changed, apart from one, little thing: she liked Butch. A simple thought had been the catalyst behind that realization. She had been laying down on that old gym mat, their legs gently brushing, Butch's chest going up, down, up, down. And she had thought it.

"There is nowhere I'd rather be".

Simply like that, everything had become unbearable.

"Blossom, did you hear me?" her chest was physically hurting, each breath heavy and difficult.

"Sorry, I was lost in thoughts" she answered, as her head was being pulled back and Bubbles pinned a strand of hair in place. Her throat felt tight, and her voice came out strained as if it was caged.

"I said, Ace needs to talk to you" Buttercup was leaning on the vanity, eating an apple while observing Bubbles' ministrations. Her hair had already been styled in a sophisticated, messy bob. Something that looked effortless, but that had taken a good part of the afternoon to achieve.

"Can this wait after the ball?" Blossom winced as a bobby pin poked her hard, and Buttercup grimaced in solidarity.

"Bloss, you have a lot of hair" her other sister whined apologetically, looking at her through the mirror. She tried to smile in response, but her cheeks felt stiff. Not only her chest hurt, she felt what seemed to be the beginning of a horrible headache.

"I guess it can wait" Buttercup took a last bite before throwing away the core, "I am gonna go change. I can't wait for this night to be over". If Blossom had had any control on the movements of her head, she would have nodded.

Buttercup floated towards the door, but before leaving she threw one last glance towards her sisters.

"You look nice Leader Girl".

Bubbles squeaked excited at the compliment, and started talking about hairspray, humidity and something else Blossom was too distracted to hear.

She was looking at her reflection. Bubbles had done a wonderful job. Her long, red hair was elegantly styled in a beautiful, rich chignon. But her attention kept shifting to those big, magenta eyes, that were hiding everything she was feeling.

In that moment, she found herself asking once again where she wanted to be. The answer though could not have been more different.

The pain in her chest was a constant reminder that something wasn't right. Her breaths were short and rapid, never quite deep enough.

The living room felt so much smaller than usual, with so many people all around her. The Professor was taking pictures, the flash of the camera going off somewhere in the corner of her eye, while Bubbles kept swirling from one corner to the other. She was beautiful in her powder pink dress, with its big tulle skirt and satin body, that made her look like a ballerina ready for the runaway.

Kelsey, her date, had arrived a few minutes earlier, and they had been talking non-stop since then. Bubbles high pitch laughter filling the room. True to Bubbles' predictions, they really were the cutest couple there.

The bell rang once, and then a second time right after. Buttercup grunted and went to answer the door. She looked very much like herself in the outfit she had negotiated with Bubbles. A baby blue suit, with soft pants, strong, sharp shoulders and a deep v cleavage. It looked edgy, sophisticated and sexy.

Mitch, her date, was sat next to Blossom, looking at his phone. That night wasn't his first rodeo. He had been to that charity event the previous year, and the one before that, every time with a different Powerpuff. He was an old friend of the girls, but he did share a special bond with Buttercup.

"Blossom, it's Adam!" she desperately tried one last time to take a deep breath, the air stopping before reaching and filling her chest. It was hard to walk in that dress, let alone breathe. She stood, wobbling on her feet. The room became even smaller, suffocating almost.

Adam was looking at her from the door. A silly smile on his lips.

"What?" she asked walking towards him, tilting her head to the side.

"You look amazing" Blossom accepted his arm and followed him outside. The hot summer air diffusing her blush.

The first time she had crossed the threshold of Morbucks Manor, she was nine.

She remembered stretching her neck with her nose pointed up, mouth wide open in amazement. It had been grandiose and majestic, but with a weird sense of familiarity. It had told her stories she had already known, of princesses, lavish balls and beautiful gowns. Stories she used to read every night back then.

Sometimes, as children we see things much bigger than reality. A modest room becomes a ballroom, a carpet a raft to which hold tight, and ceilings go up so high, they reach the sky. That was not the case for Morbucks Manor.

She felt exactly like her nine years old self that night, her neck stretched up, while her eyes observed with avid awe the embroideries and the chandeliers on the ceiling.

"If I was Princess, I would never leave the house" Buttercup commented, receiving silent nods of agreement.

They followed the moving crowd up the stairs, stepping on red velvet. At the top, a member of the staff was showing the guests the way to the heart of the party, where you could hear music and chatter growing louder.

Blossom took a few long seconds to take it all in. The room was so wide it could have easily fit hundreds of people. The walls were covered with tall windows that reached the floor, let open to allow in the warm air of the evening, and the sweet smell of jasmine. A band was playing ambiance music, drowning the sound of all those different conversations into one harmonious song.

"The terrace looks like a dream, with all the lights and the flowers" Bubbles whispered to no one in particular.

"Screw the terrace, have you seen the buffet? They have a chocolate fountain!" Buttercup said right after, looking at Mitch already nodding in agreement.

"Girls, I know it is all very beautiful, but I think it would be bes-"

"Kelsey, let's go! I want to take some pictures outside!"

"I bet I can eat more shrimps than you, Mitch".

Blossom didn't even have the time to finish her sentence. That happened every single year, she didn't know why she even tried.

They were alone now, Adam and she. And only then, she noticed how anxious he looked.

"So, this is it" she nodded softly at him, in a gesture of reassurance.

He was a handsome mess of nerves, with his hesitant smile and his blond curls covering part of his eyes. She hadn't given much thought to his presence up until that point, lost in her own worries.

She strengthened the grip on his forearm, and he looked for her eyes. Adam had been the perfect gentlemen up to that point, silently supporting her with his company. For that she was grateful.

He really was beautiful, all dressed up in a suit that look a bit too big, and a bit too formal on him. And she should have felt more than grateful. She should have felt excited and nervous, for all the good reasons.

Instead, she felt ready to throw up, her chest painfully tight. And the lights, the music, the people moving around her were only making her headache worse. Bubbles' tight hairdo was not helping either, and she couldn't have felt more uncomfortable.

"It's crazy" he looked around the room. Well-dressed women and men, much older than them, were sipping champagne from long flutes, while lost in conversations of various nature. "Is it always like this?"

"Not quite this luxurious. Mr. Morbucks likes to surprise us all" she said in her most diplomatic voice. That was only the first of the many half-truths of the night.

It was breathtaking, she couldn't lie. But it all felt like a useless display of power and wealth. It was ironic how much money had gone towards the organization of a charity ball of that size, that could have easily been devolved to the cause. This was the clearest indication that events like that had very little to do with charity, and much more to do with politics.

"What do you usually do during this party?" Adam asked still studying the room, and right in that moment she saw Captain Redfort approaching them.

"Well, usually trouble finds you" she whispered, just before being greeted by the Police Captain.

"Blossom! My favorite Powerpuff Girl!" he exclaimed a bit too cheerfully. It wasn't too hard to deduce he had already had his share of wine for the night.

At his side, there was a woman much shorter than him, that Blossom knew to be his wife. She looked like one of those housewife from a magazine of the 50s, with full, pink cheeks, and a very impressive blow-out.

"Good Evening, Captain. Mrs. Redfort, it is lovely to meet you again" she said, a fake smile on her lips.

She introduced Adam, and they talked for a few minutes about all those irrelevant things you are supposed to discuss for good etiquette. When Mrs. Redfort took a step forwards and gently touched her shoulder, she knew the small talk was over.

"We were just talking about you, dear" the woman chirped, giggling like a child. Blossom felt Adam fiddling uncomfortably next to her, and she tightened her arm around his.

She nodded politely, already knowing where the conversation was going. Adam, right next to her, looked lost like a puppy. She threw him a sly smile to communicate everything was okay, and he subtly returned it.

"We were just saying you are such a talented young lady, and you could do so much more and be of help to so many" her husband continued. Captain Redfort kept moving his hands in the air while talking, spilling his drink left and right. His overly paternal tone was condescending and in bad taste, but she smiled at the compliment.

"I have a few friends who would love to meet you, what do you say?" and that was how those conversations usually ended. There were always people who wanted to meet the Powerpuff Girls. She followed the two, who hadn't even waited for an answer.

"What is happening?" Adam whispered, a few meters behind the couple, who was moving fast among the crowd.

"A business transaction".

Every year, it was the same thing over and over. She would be introduced to a few businessmen all with a variety of requests.

Some needed a security guard for their mansion upstate, others wanted to push a collaboration to sell their protein bars, and some even asked if she offered a bodyguard service.

She was the easiest target between the three. Buttercup was too brash, and Bubbles was too good at pretending to be naïve and clueless.

She didn't enjoy those conversations either, but she felt it was her responsibility, one of the many that came with the job. And she was particularly good at doing things because she had to, and not because she loved to.

"I am sorry" she said to Adam, as soon as they were able to escape to a slightly less crowded part of the room.

Buttercup and Mitch had probably hidden somewhere munching food and drinking champagne. She had also spotted Bubbles and Kelsey, both lost in their own world, looking at each other with googly eyes.

Adam deserved a fun date too, and not talks about brand deals or rich people trying to hire a superhuman for their own entertainment. To make things worse, her head was throbbing painfully, and she kept taking small breaths, that never quite reached her chest.

"For what?" he looked genuinely curious, and Blossom felt even guiltier.

"I should probably build you a statue for that last conversation alone" she joked awkwardly.

"Are you kidding? Meeting that guy has been a life experience. First of all, I learnt a valuable lesson: never assume who is the wife and who is the daughter. And second, he owned seven freaking islands".

"I think he mentioned it once or twice" she continued with an amused smile, her glass hiding her lips.

"Or twenty" they both laughed, the evening becoming just like that a bit more bearable.

"Blossom, don't worry. I knew this party was going to be like this" he said, getting a little closer. "I am just happy to be here with you" he whispered that last part, looking at her with his wishful eyes. "Are you?"

Suddenly, she felt a wave of heat so powerful, she had to put her hand on her chest. She gasped for air, this time unable to take any in.

He was handsome, funny and kind.

Then why was her chest aching?

He was everything anyone could ever desire.

But where were the butterflies, the nerves, the sweet anticipation in the pit of her stomach?

He was perfect. And the only thing she felt was a shameful sense of brokenness.

"Look who we have here…"

Blossom would have never thought one day that voice would save her.

"Princess" she managed to say, turning towards the daughter of Mr. Morbucks. She was barely standing at that point, a thin veil of sweat already forming on her forehead.

The young heiress, on the contrary, had never looked more radiant. She wasn't much taller than Blossom, but her posture made it look so. Maybe you didn't know who she was, but she made sure you knew she was important.

She was literally shining, the lights of the room reflecting on the precious gemstones that covered the entirety of her white gown. Her bright red hair was expertly styled in soft curls, with a very expensive looking tiara resting on top of her head. She was one the prettiest women at the party, if not the prettiest.

"I thought I would be a good host and welcome you to my party" she looked down at Blossom, with her chin pointing up. "Adam, right? Don't we have history together?" she continued with sugary voice, fluttering her eyelashes, her attention on the boy.

Blossom unconsciously took a step back, as Princess took one forward, placing herself between Adam and her.

"Thank you, Princess. We were just about to-"

"You know, I love how you just wear anything" Princess had turned towards her, Adam forgotten. He had never been her real focus, and Blossom knew that well. "At least you realized pink isn't your color" she grinned accomplished, an amused light in her gaze.

"Thank you" Blossom answered biting her tongue, "You look beautiful, tonight".

She opted for diplomacy. It was the only way to tire Princess out of that game, and that night, she had little to no force for anything else.

"This silly thing?" the girl chuckled, swirling her hand in the air dismissively. "Each gem was handsaw in Italy, you know...".

She looked at Princess with literally nothing to say, her head failing to come up with even the most trivial small talk. She needed air. A lot of air.

Princess spoke again, or maybe it was Adam. She barely registered those words, all sounds muffled. Her eyes danced around the room, desperate for a way out. Her dress was painfully tight around her chest, where her heart also seemed to be trying to escape.

Princess took a step forward, or so she imagined, because the walls started to move, getting closer and closer.

"What's wrong with you, Utonium?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She looked at Princess and then at Adam. She tried to speak once again, and maybe she did, she didn't care. All she cared was that she needed to go.

She picked up her dress, and started walking. Slow tentative steps at first, that became faster and faster, until she was running.

Her heart was beating loudly in her ears, while blurred lights moved quickly in front of her eyes, without never take on any real form. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she couldn't be there.

She was sweating now, the room blurry and spinning. She bumped into a man, but she barely had the time to apologize before bumping in someone new. She kept turning on herself, or so she felt, losing any sense of direction.

She was breathing heavily, with her fingers desperately clutching her dress. Her eyes moving around for an exit, any door that could take her out of there.

It felt like she had no control on what was surrounding her, on her movements, nor her thoughts.

It felt impossible.

Suddenly, somebody grabbed her forearm, a second later she was being pulled away. For a moment, she thought – she hoped – that green eyes and a playful smirk were waiting for her on the other side. But just for a moment, because that was her last clear thought.

It took her more than ten minutes to calm down. Ten minutes which had felt like an eternity. When she opened her eyes, all around her felt like a washed down version of reality, as if she had just woken up from a long sleep, and wasn't sure what was true and what belonged to a dream.

She blinked a few times, what was in front of her slowly coming into focus. She found herself sat on the floor of a large bedroom, her heart's beat slowly regaining his natural pace. She took another long second to understand she was still at Morbucks Manor, and a little more to realize she wasn't alone.

"Are you okay, now?" Princess asked, her words betraying the hostility she was trying to show.

"I am perfectly fine" Blossom was quick to answer, standing up in one swift movement to support her words.

In retrospect, that hadn't been a brilliant idea, as her head started spinning and her vision went black. She closed her eyes and took a breath to calm her body, and when she opened them again, Princess was looking at her with her nose curled in a sneer.

"Calm down, hero. I am not here to roast you. I am just asking".

Everything that came out of Princess's mouth was usually conceited and snobbish, and those words had not been an exception. However, there was something different. While Princess' tone wasn't even remotely close to be kind, the intentions behind it felt sincere.

Blossom studied Princess for a moment. They had never been alone, at least not since they had been children. The whole situation felt surreal, a big trick her mind was trying to play on her. And that night, her mind was not really her friend.

She couldn't understand what was going on, but she knew she would rather have stayed in that room with Princess, than anywhere else at that party.

"You are right. I am not okay" Blossom finally admitted to herself and out loud. She still didn't know what had happened, but it certainly didn't happen to people who were okay.

"No shit. You look terrible" Princess smirked, that amused light back in her eyes. She looked for something in her purse, and reached the vanity.

"Why did you bring me here?"

It was a beautiful room, with little to indicate it belonged to somebody. Blossom deduced it was one of the guest bedrooms.

"It was obvious there was something wrong with you. Your buddy down there should have noticed" Princess spread an abundant layer of pink gloss on her lips, and loudly smacked them.

"Adam is-"

"I don't care" she was now carefully applying mascara, full lashes bouncing against the wand, mouth half open in concentration. "I'm just glad I'm not the only one not having fun. This party is awful".

Blossom didn't know what or how to answer. Lying and telling the truth felt equally wrong. Were they even talking to each other? Princess was lost somewhere in her reflection and Blossom kept walking around the room, her eyes down to the floor.

"It has been… different" she tried.

"At least people are interested in you" Princess continued while fixing her curls, her tiara sparkling bright against her red hair.

Blossom had to stop and look at the girl. Her words had been lighthearted, almost dismissing of her own thoughts. There wasn't resentment in her voice, just a sort of bitter realization.

"Maybe, but for all the wrong reasons" she said serious, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

Princess scoffed and finally turned to face her. She clicked her tongue, her lips wet with lip-gloss.

"Well, it is still attention, isn't it?"

She didn't wait for an answer, she grabbed her purse and headed to the door, and Blossom realized that was probably the closest thing to a heart to heart to talk, they would ever get.

"I am sending you some food and water. Come back to the party when you are ready. Or don't. I don't care".

"Wait… thank you, Princess" Blossom hurried to say before she could leave.

"Whatever. I didn't want you to faint in the middle of the room. Headlines would have talked about that for weeks" she shrugged, color spreading on her cheeks.

"Well, either way, thank you".

Princess nodded. She threw Blossom one last look, a debate somewhere in her mind, and left without looking back.

As soon as the door clicked, she collapsed onto the bed.

Her frame sank into the mattress, and she grunted her frustration out. She reached for her hair, letting it free to spread on the bedcover like a crown. Her headache felt immediately better, and she moaned as cold fingers massaged the sensitive skin of her scalp.

Once satisfied, she sat up to remove her shoes, which fell to the floor with a thud. She wiggled her toes, savoring that silly moment of privacy, the knowledge it would be short-lived purposely relegated in the back of her mind.

She knew that, eventually, she would have to go back, but all she wanted to do was to enjoy the comfort of those four walls, that kept her distant and safe from everything that was happening outside.

She stood, pressing her bare heels on the carpet, and reached the French windows. Her movements were light and careful, as always when one finds himself in a foreign space. She opened them wide, and the warm, summer air hugged her, while soft music broke into the room.

The tiles felt warm under her feet, after hours spent under the hot summer sun. She leaned onto the railings with both hands, and hummed softly. She wanted to treat herself, enjoying all those little gestures. She had already mistreated her body enough that night.

Morbucks Manor looked even bigger from up there, as an endless garden developed under her eyes to meet the horizon. The music was relaxing and there was a pleasant breeze that smelled like flowers. Her eyes closed on an instinct, and with both hands on her stomach, she listened to that lingering ache still ringing in her chest.

And that's when she knew she wasn't alone anymore.

"Missed me at the party?"

She took the deepest breath her body allowed. Air filling her lungs and expanding her belly. Her chest finally free of pain.

She had slowly opened her eyes, his energy strong even behind closed lids.

Her chest was no longer tight. Quite the opposite. It was bursting, expanding with something she couldn't explain, but that felt incredibly close to joy.

She took a step back, and he landed on the balcony. He looked different and she took way too long to realize why. He had dressed up, he was wearing a white shirt and – her heart melted right at that moment – a pink tie.

He was looking at her too. His eyes avidly traveling up and down her frame.

"You look-" he had to stop, voice stuck in his throat. "You look…" he never finished his sentence. His words hanging in the air between them.

"Thank you" she mouthed. She was barefoot, with messy hair and smudged makeup. She looked far from perfect, but he was still looking at her as if she was a piece of art.

He had this silly smile on his lips, that he hadn't even bothered to fight down.

She was smiling too. And for the first time that night, she felt comfortable.

And just like that, she thought it again: there was nowhere she would rather be.

She took a step forward, and without thinking, she hugged him. He was startled for a second, but soon he answered the embrace. Shyly at first, his hands barely touching her back.

She took a deep breath, savoring the warm feeling of his body against hers. His scent filling her senses.

"You did miss me" he joked, his breath hot on her neck. She chuckled, but didn't move.

"Blossom, are you okay?" he asked, her name rolling sweetly on his tongue.

"I am just happy you are here".

They stayed like that for more than planned. Both unable to put a stop to it. Soft music lulling them in shy sways. And Blossom allowed tiredness to take over, as strong arm promised to never let her fall.

"How is the gala?" Butch asked, grabbing another shrimp canapé from the tray.

They were having a little party of their own, sat on the floor of the balcony, Blossom's dress spread all around them. As Princess had promised, trays filled with food had been delivered to the room and Butch had been quick to make himself home.

"The fact that I am here may give it a little bit away, but let's see…" Blossom ate spoonful of tiramisu – she had naturally gravitated towards the desserts – and patted the spoon on her lips as if trying to think. "Somebody wanted to hire me to protect him from the mob, I will never be able to face my date - who I have abandoned somewhere downstairs - and I am sat on the floor talking to you".

"That great?" he hid his smirk behind his glass, and Blossom had to play with her dessert to diffuse her blush.

Butch was handsome, but that night he looked even more beautiful under the dimmed lights coming from the garden. She had found herself thinking about that so much, she had had to wonder whether all of that was actually happening.

She looked up to the sky, leaning on both hands behind her back. It was a dark, cloudless night, with very few stars visible. She felt dizzy, in a world of her own, her head pleasantly heavy.

"It was just so…boring" she finally said, eyes still looking up.

"Whoa, Pinky. Do you kiss your father with that mouth?" she heard him smiling through his words and she rolled her eyes, taking a sip of punch, the flavor mixing with the lingering sweetness of the tiramisu. "So, am I a better date than blondie down there?" Butch asked casually, as he was busy going through the various delicacies in front of him.

She looked at him, a smile fighting its way out. It all felt so familiar, and in that moment, she wouldn't have asked for more.

"Only if you leave me that profiterole" Butch chuckled and pushed the small plate towards her.

"I am really happy you are here" she repeated for the second time that evening, finding it surprisingly easy to admit.

At first, when she had found herself in that room, she had obsessed on the moment she would have had to return downstairs. But in that moment, those thoughts were so far away, she almost didn't recognize them as hers.

Butch had this power on her. With him, there were no responsibilities, nor expectations. It was freeing, and thrilling at the same time. Because, Butch was wild a card and when she was him, she was a bit unpredictable too.

"I had to come. I had to show you my new tie" he was staring at her. He had one elbow resting on his knee, and his signature smirk on his face, white teeth shining in the night.

"Pink really suits you" she commented, a grin as mischievous as his on her lips.

She felt his eyes on her body, and the atmosphere shifted. His playful nature had disappeared to leave place to something raw and vulnerable.

There was a disarming honesty in his gaze, no doubts about his intentions. When he spoke again, his voice was deep and warm, and Blossom felt shivers run through her spine.

"Yeah…you look great in green too".

Her lids were heavy, and her mouth dry. Her heart was beating so loud, she knew both could hear it, as it marked the slow passing of time with its drumming.

"Let's go" he said, hand stretched towards her.

"Butch, I-"

"Come on, Pinky. You are not really thinking of going back there, are you?"

She remembered the spinning room, the noise and the lights. She remembered the pain in her chest and how hard it had been to breath. For a moment, she wondered how could it be possible to feel so many divergent emotions, in such a small amount of time.

Her head felt heavy, her stomach was jittery, and once again she found herself with a shaky breath. But this time, it was all for good reasons.

She threw one last look at the room behind her, but she already knew what the answer would be.

The garden behind the mansion was more of a maze, where tall and perfectly cut hedges formed an intricate web of trails. The music from the party had gradually faded, to leave place to the chirping of crickets, and lampposts lighted up the way and left long shadows behind.

Blossom could hear the pebbles creaking under their feet, as they kept walking with no real destination in mind.

It had been unusually quite between them. They always had something to talk about, both far from shy to break the silence, but that evening something was different.

And it wasn't even the nice kind of silence that Blossom enjoyed. She was tense and extremely aware of her movements, all her senses in alert. Her mind racing to come up with something to say.

Butch was agitated as well. He kept clearing his throat, humming, putting his hands in his pockets then out, then in again.

"This place is ridiculous" he said, his voice interrupting the quite rhythm of their steps.

"Yes, it is" Blossom was so grateful he had talked, she was quick to agree, biting her tongue at her lame answer. She opened her mouth to continue, but her mind went blank.

She needed to say something, anything.

"I-"

"You-"

They both stopped walking as they turned one towards the other, and Blossom laughed softly. He was smiling too, a hand ruffling his hair as he was used to when nervous. She observed him in that familiar gesture, and something clicked.

"Wait… did you brush your hair?" she asked, a fat grin on her face.

Butch immediately dropped his hand, and straighten his back as if caught in the act.

"You did" Blossom brought both hands on her chest, pouting her lips. "You made yourself pretty for me".

"I am no savage" he retorted with his chin up in the air. "But I am happy you find me pretty" he winked and Blossom was so happy the tension between had disappeared, she didn't feel the need to correct him. On the contrary, she wanted to play too.

"Of course, you are very pretty tonight" it was her turn to wink, before resuming walking and leaving him behind.

She was already a few steps ahead when he caught up, he looked like his usual self, with his cocky grin and his unbothered attitude, but his pink cheeks told a different story. Blossom was ready to point it out, and have a little bit more fun, when he raised his hand in the air.

"Do you hear that?"

"What?" she asked taken aback for a second. Butch stretched his neck in the attempt to single out whatever he was hearing. He raised an eyebrow silently asking the same question, and Blossom nodded this time, hearing it too.

It was the soft, gentle burble of water.

The sound brought them to a lateral path, narrower and less lit. Blossom led the way as she followed the gurgle, as it gradually became louder. It didn't take them long to reached its source, as it appeared right in front of their eyes.

A beautiful baroque fountain stood in the heart of what Blossom could only describe as a rose garden. There were roses – white, yellow, pink, red roses – everywhere she looked. Fallen petals adorned the ground and some were floating on the surface of the water.

"It's beautiful" she murmured, fascinated with everything that was around her.

She stepped on edge of the fountain, her dress brushing the ground as she moved, and looked at her reflection in the large basin underneath her. She could see her red hair mixing with the dark green of her dress, and she played with her skirt as if trying to trick her reflection.

"Yes, it is" Butch's image appeared on the water, and when she looked for his gaze, he was looking at her weirdly. He seemed lost in thoughts, the usual playfulness on his features replaced by a new intensity.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, voice no more than a whisper.

"Nothing" he took a step back, as his reflection disappeared from the water.

Her purse vibrated right in that moment, and startled, she searched for her phone to stop the call.

"Just tell me" she insisted, turning towards him on the narrow edge of the fountain, that small height advantage giving her confidence.

He bit his lower lip and passed a hand through his hair, before finally looking up to meet her eyes. "You are very pretty tonight too".

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she felt her chest flare up as a deep blush spread on her cheeks. But he wasn't done, he took a step towards her, his attention fixed on her.

"You are beautiful" he whispered, his voice deep and hypnotic. "And not just tonight. You are always beautiful".

She shivered in that hot, summer night, as those words stayed in the air, dripping with sweetness and longing.

Her breath stuck in her throat, as she looked down to those wild, green eyes that were telling her it was her turn. The cards were on the table. It was up to her to decide how she wanted to play the game.

"Butch, I need to ask you something" she managed to say, hanging to her last remaining bit of sanity. She felt her phone vibrate somewhere in her clutch, and she blindly patted her purse to turn it off.

"I know you came back for a reason" Butch's stance grew tense and he opened his mouth to answer, but she blocked him, "I don't need to know why, but I need to know one thing. And I am asking you, because I trust you now".

He studied her, his jaw tight and eyes narrowed, the rumbling of the water the only sound there. Finally, he nodded.

"I need to know Townsville is safe" Blossom saw him let out a long breath, and as his shoulders relaxed, his lips stretched in a cautious smile.

"Townsville is safe".

She took a step forward, and on instinct he raised his arms in the air to catch her. In his embrace, she looked at his bright, green eyes, which were adorably lost in confusion. She smiled tenderly, her nose brushing his.

"Don't freak out".

And before she could change her mind, she kissed him.

Ciao lovelies.

This chapter has been...interesting, for lack of nicer words. It has been really tough for me, as I am a romantic and tend to be melodramatic lol

BUT, I hope you enjoy it, and - as always - sorry for any mistake. I will proof read this again...sometimes.

Thanks to all of you, because - really - you are making this story worth writing.

I know these are weird times, but I hope each one of you is safe and that this chapter brings you a bit of joy.

PS. 4 AM by bastille is the song behind the chapter :)

P.P.S If you want to see the outfits of the girls, you find them at this link:

sweetasmiele dot tumblr dot com/post/615291943500595200/collar-full-ch-14