College wasn't as hard as Bubbles expected it to be. Sure, she had a heftier work load than she did in high school, but it wasn't too bad. She beat up monsters on a daily basis; school work wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Besides, she was going to be an art major! Most of her homework consisted of painting and sculpting. She loved it. And sure, she had to throw in a few basic classes too, but she could handle a few essays on top of her projects and crime fighting career. She was a Powerpuff, she could do anything!

Currently, the blue puff was on her way back from health services. Her roommate and longtime friend Robin all but forced her to go after she caught sight of the nasty gash left on Bubbles' leg from today's monster battle. Even after all of the blonde's arguing that the gash wasn't that bad and with her super healing it would be fine by morning, she was still sent off. She got her leg bandaged, and managed to snag two handfuls of condoms from the bowl of them on the counter.

She wasn't planning on using them for their intended purpose. Rather, she was going to blow them all up like balloons while Robin was out getting dinner later that night and ambush her with a balloon-condom fight when she got back.

She stifled a giggle as she walked down the familiar path to her dorm. They'd probably have condom balloons left in their dorm for a month. Man, she was so lucky to have Robin as her roommate! She made the year much more bearable.

Lost in her thoughts, Bubbles almost didn't notice the Rowdyruff she walked passed. Luckily, Blossom always drilled vigilance into her airheaded sister, so after a few moments, she stopped dead in her tracks.

She turned and scanned the campus, making sure she didn't just imagine him. Sure enough, there stood the green Ruff, who also seemed to be scanning the campus. She frowned, looking him over. He didn't seem to have noticed her yet. And if he did, he didn't care.

Part of Bubbles screamed for her to run back to her dorm and call her sisters for backup, but she shook the thought away. He didn't seem like he was causing any trouble. And she didn't see his brothers anywhere either. They usually caused mischief as a group, not solo.

The boys weren't the same as they were when they were five. They grew up, and mellowed slightly with age. They didn't pick random fights with the girls anymore. Sure, they were still criminals and the girls fought them on the occasion that they robbed a bank or something like that, but they didn't seem to be out to destroy the Powerpuff Girls anymore. In fact, Boomer and her were friends! They had been for a few years now. She could even joke around with Brick, and enjoyed his company on the somewhat rare occasion that they hung out.

But Butch? She's never really hung out with him. She's never had reason to. Out of the three brothers, he's changed the most. His hyperactive tendencies were gone unless he was in a fight, and it was rare for Bubbles to see him joke around (though it's not like she saw him in a casual setting often). He was stoic and cold. She didn't see the point in trying to make friends with a guy who only seemed to like fighting and being a jerk, so she never did.

And now he was standing on her campus, bored, eyes still seeming to be searching for something.

Swallowing her nervousness, she walked up to him. She clutched the strap of her old, small black purse, trying to calm herself down, appear strong and confident instead of the nervous wreck she sure felt like.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she finally made her way over to him. Thankfully her voice didn't waver, and instead it was full of the confidence and bravery she learned from Blossom.

He looked down at her, as if noticing for the first time she was there. She nearly frowned at the way he had to tilt his head down slightly to look at her. She was always the shortest one out of her sisters, but she looked especially small standing in front of the tallest Ruff.

"None of your business, Blue," he answered. She actually did crack a small frown at the nickname. He always called her that, and she wouldn't mind if he didn't manage to make it sound so patronizing.

"It is my business, actually. The safety of this university and its students is my business," she replied, putting her hands on her chubby hips for emphasis.

He didn't seem the least bit intimidated, or anything but bored, really. This is why she didn't like him. He was emotionless, passionless! She might as well be talking to a rock! He only ever seemed interested in fighting, which might be why he seems to be good friends with Buttercup, but it didn't appeal to Bubbles in the least.

"If you must know, officer Blue," Bubbles audibly groaned at his nickname for her. "I'm taking out one of the students here,"

She raised an eyebrow. "You're dating an art student?" she asked, genuinely curious. She never pegged Butch to go for the artistic type, which seemed more up Boomer's alley. Maybe even Brick, but Butch? She always assumed he'd pick up chicks from bars, or the gym.

"I wouldn't call it dating. It's more like she got sick of one-nighters and wanted me to take her to a movie or some shit before we—"

"Okay! I get it, I don't need to hear anymore!" Bubbles exclaimed, cutting him off. He actually laughed a bit at her, which she would have enjoyed had she not been so suddenly flustered. She had no interest in his personal life, honestly.

"What? You have virgin ears or something?" he laughed, and Bubbles could feel her face heat up slightly. She actually liked his laugh and was slightly happy to have actually gotten one out of him, but she was too embarrassed to care right now.

She huffed. She wasn't going to put up with his teasing, they weren't even friends! She forcefully threw her purse on her shoulder, intent on storming off since he wasn't going to start any trouble.

Except her purse, the small black thing with a big bow on the front that she had been carrying around with her since her junior year of high school, couldn't take the excessive force. The strap broke, causing it to fall from her shoulder and fall to the ground. The contents of the bag spilled on the sidewalk. Her lip gloss, wallet, cell phone, everything.

Including all of the condoms she had shoved in there earlier.

She stood there gaping at the bag for a moment, cursing her rotten luck and momentarily forgetting about the man she was talking to a moment ago. Until she looked up at him, with his raised eyebrow and amused look. Her face flushed and filled with panic.

"It's not what you think!" she exclaimed, kneeling down and trying to shove everything back into her purse as quickly as possible. "They're for my roommate! We were going to make balloons out of them!"

She heard him laugh at her excuse, which only made her more flustered. She hurriedly got up, clutching the broken bag close to her chest. She avoided his gaze, certain that if she saw his amused face staring down at her she'd melt into a puddle of pure embarrassment on the sidewalk.

"I have to go! See you later!" she choked out, turning and flying back to her dorm in a burst of blue light. She could swear she heard him laughing as she left.