No. Way.

Blossom shakes her head slowly, willing for everyone to just go away and for that stupid little plant above her head to disappear.

There is absolutely no way that this is happening to her.

She's a superhero, godamnit, shouldn't there be some kind of exception to these kinds of traditions?

As if on impulse, she glances toward Bubbles, because no one, and she repeats: no one ever goes to Buttercup for intellectual advice, although she surprises them sometimes.

Rarely, actually.

There is a devillish look on the blue puff's normally angelic face, and it tells her there is no way she's getting away with this.

Not with Bubbles as the one pulling the strings.

Warily, Blossom glances at the man beside her, before sighing and massaging her temples.

It was just her luck, to walk into Bubbles and Boomer's apartment together with Brick Jojo, just to be caught under a mistletoe, of all things.

Even monsters or Buttercup with a hangover would be easier to deal with, and she can tell you, with first-hand experience, that Buttercup with a hangover is not something you want to come into contact with. Ever.

Gritting her teeth, she stares heatedly at the mistletoe, resenting it from the tip of its leaves to the green of its chlorophyll.

She hears the distinct sound of Buttercup's cursing and whips her head around, only to find aforementioned girl and Butch with their phones at the ready as their cameras point towards Blossom, no doubt eager to get everything on tape.

Blackmail material, she speculates, and groans.

She glares at Boomer, most possibly the one to have put up the mistletoe. Said blonde throws her a smirk, a gleam in his eyes as he opens a new packet of chewing gum to pop in his mouth. His blue orbs are challenging her to go through with the tradition.

She bristles. No matter what people might think, Blossom Utonium isn't one to back down from a dare.

She silently fumes at his relaxed manner, spinning back to look Brick in the eye.

There's a glimmer of something akin to amusement in his gaze, the corner of his lips twitching.

His eyes hold disbelief, and she knows, from the way everyone is looking at her, that they think she isn't going to do it.

But Blossom's a leader. She's the one that makes the rules. And she decides that her first one would be to prove them all wrong.

It's quite entertaining, actually, to watch as she gets so flustered over a teensy little plant

Her cheeks are flushed and blown up, and it's quite adorable, he isn't going to lie.

Brick chuckles softly when Buttercup and Butch take out their phones simultaniously - stupid little greenies - to record down the action.

And then it hits him that holy shit he's going to kiss Blossom Utonium. The girl with the orange hair and eyes the colour of pearls and freckles and a bow that she always ties around her hair and honestly-

He doesn't think he's going to mind kissing her that much.

She's cute, per se, and truth to be told, not that bad of a catch. He means, she has the brains, the looks, the superpowers, why not?

One might argue that they'd been enemies once, fought for the longest time, yada yada, but they'd still been children, then, unable to tell the difference between right and wrong, he insists.

He and the boys had broken free of His grasp long ago, and there is no way they are ever going back.

Okay, so the Rowdyruffs enjoy a little mischief here and there, but then again, which normal teen boy doesn't?

Brick runs a hand through his orange strands and exhales softly, adjusting his cap.

He steals a glance at Bubbles, the obvious mastermind of the entire scheme, to find her snickering quietly at the confliction on her eldest sister's face.

He grins slightly when said eldest sister turns around to look him in the eye. Scoffing internally, he peers down at her, a smirk upon his lips as he remarks their height difference.

There is absolutely no way Blossom Utonium is ever going to kiss him.

(For some reason that thought twists through his gut like a knife.)

He sighs, ready to call off the entire thing and just get on with life, but his gaze wanders down to her lips, and he's definitely not thinking about how soft they seem, and how they would feel against his own--

All of a sudden Blossom's face is oh-so-close and the top of his head feels bare, wild red strands escaping. The right side of his vision is obscured by something black--that looks suspiciously like his cap--and searing pink eyes are burning through his own.

It's quick--the soft pressure against his lips, and they tingle where their lips had met.

"You can't do that!"

Whines of protest erupt from the throats of their respective siblings, and he watches as her reddened face molds itself into a smug expression.

He blinks. Once, twice.

His cap is harshly tugged back onto his head, and he opens his mouth, but no sound comes out.

He can feel his cheeks growing hot, and inexplicably, his lips pull into a grin.

There's still the phantom feeling of her lips pressed against his, it's as if the two of them are in their own little bubble, the outside world muted.

"Aww, look! They're blushing!" A high pitched squeal splits the air.

Well, not exactly.

He groans, pulling down his cap to cover his face, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees Blossom head off in the direction of the bathroom.

He presumes it would be hours before they would ever be able to look each other in the eye.

His cheeks hurt from smiling and his heart is going at 1000 beats per second but holycraphejustkissedBlossomUtoniumandhelikedit.

The bubble is broken and there are whistles coming from the living room as everyone disperses there, laughing and gushing and whatnot. Brick ambles along behind them, dazed.

Blossom still isn't quite sure what she just did.

Okay, she does know what she did.

She kissed Brick Jojo.

The one thing she told herself not to do when she first saw that stupid mistletoe hanging above her head.

She still doesn't know why she did it.

Maybe it had something to do with the way his lips had curved into a smirk just right before their lips met, maybe it was the smouldering gaze he had given her when they locked eyes, maybe it was the way his hair had fallen over his forehead and tickled her cheek as she leaned in, but all she knows is that she'd kissed Brick and actually enjoyed it.

Stupidbrainstupidstupidstupid, she curses and banishes all thoughts of the red rowdyruff from her head.

It doesn't work and she moans, miserable.

It's been hours since they last looked each other in the eye, and for some reason her heart tightens a little.

She takes a sip of the almost-finished glass of vodka Bubbles had poured for her, studiously continuing to avoid the gaze burning a hole through her back as the vodka sears down her throat.

It's already 1 am, and as much as she wants to spend the night here with Bubbles and Buttercup and laugh and joke the entire night (morning?)--something they haven't done in a while--she knows she would be intruding, and she really doesn't want that.

(It also may or may not have something to do with the fact that Buttercup is completely wasted, and Blossom is pretty sure she mentioned something about how she doesn't want to be there the next morning because Bubbles will push all the responsibility onto her, washing her hands off the situation.)

"Sorry, guys, but I think I have to go," Blossom says, retrieving her purse and getting up.

"Aww," Buttercup hiccups, a hazy look clouding her eyes, "Stay a little longer?"

Buttercup pouts, and the red-haired heroine almost gives in, but she shakes her head firmly.

"Sorry, BC, I really should be going." She yawns, readjusting the bow that lies delicately over her head.

Bubbles comes over, a smile on her face.

"Thanks for coming, big sis," Bubbles murmurs, throwing her arms around the older female.

Blossom's eyes light up, and she eagerly returns the embrace.

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world."

It's been ages since they last had a gathering, they'd barely seen each other after they had moved out.

"Oh and," Bubbles grimaces, "sorry about the mistletoe fiasco earlier. I promise I'll delete the footage Buttercup has. I know her password."

She laughs, a strained thing, when memories come rushing back and the impact of what she did hits her at full force.

"No worries,"

She's lying through her teeth, but she hopes Bubbles doesn't catch that.

Because, honestly?

Blossom thinks what she feels for Brick isn't quite as platonic as it seems.

When their lips had touched, it felt as if something in her had been unlocked, as if something in her had awakened.

(She kindamaybe hopes he felt the same way.)

The room is spinning, a little, and she quickly gives Bubbles a pat on the back before leaving, quietly shutting the door behind her.

It's just her and the empty corridor now, so she allows herself to wonder.

She wonders about all the what-ifs, if he actually liked her back, if he'd felt that spark too, if he'd kiss her again-

It's the alchohol! Her rational side is screaming internally, and her head pounds.

Because there were also other what-ifs, if what she was feeling was just one-sided, if he hadn't wanted to kiss her, if she'd destroyed the something they had by kissing him-

She's vaguely aware of the sound of the door opening again, and she looks up.

She's met with a crooked smile, messy strands of red hair and a black cap. The vodka kicks in, and she giggles a bit.

"Hey,"

The word kinda seizes up in her throat, and she would be lying if she said her heart was at its normal rate.

"Hey," he replies, a small smile working its way up his features.

They wait for the lift, and she's suddenly drawn in by the dimple on his right cheek, the way his eyes seem to shine even in the semi-darkness of the corridor.

There is a silence as they head into the lift together, not uncomfortable, but not really comfortable either.

All of a sudden her world is spinning and everything is all wobbly.

She grabs onto him to steady herself, and in more ways than one he is her anchor, holding her down when everything spins out of control.

She flushes when a chuckle escapes his mouth, and it's definitely only because she's a little tipsy.

He swings an arm around her, pulling her close to him as she leans against his side. In that moment her heart feels so full it's about to burst and she can't wipe that grin off her face.

They--it comes to her so naturally now, the concept of them together--walk out of the lift. He doesn't release her from his hold, and surprisingly, she doesn't really mind.

For a split second she thinks about how well 'Blossom and Brick' sound together, how the words flow out of her mouth like honey.

They stroll out of the building quietly, but her mind burns with questions as confusion shrouds her.

Is there a chance- Is there an actual chance of him liking her? Or is she just overthinking? She means, he didn't really look repulsed when she'd kissed him, and him putting an arm around her means something, right?

Brick clears his throat, and with interrupted thoughts, Blossom turns her attention onto him.

"Look, uh," he hesitates, choosing his words carefully, "about the kiss..."

He doesn't look at her.

"It- It was a stupid idea, okay, I'm sorry if it was, uh, uncomfortable or something but-"

The words are rushed, quiet. Two things she knows Brick Jojo is not.

So she interrupts.

(Anything to stop him from acting this un-Brick like way)

"I liked it." She blurts out, shock quickly overtaking her features

Ohnonononono.

Everything is still for a while, her body is stiff and multiple scenarios are running through her head because she's confident she just screwed something up and whatthefuckdidshejustsay?

For some reason he laughs and she swears she's pressed against him even tighter now.

Her stomach unclenches, and her tensed shoulders sag a little, because damn, it didn't go that badly, and hopefully she can blame it on the vodka--curse you, Bubbles--and life will go back to normal.

Too bad Brick doesn't think the same way.

He bends down, finally making eye contact. His breath is on her mouth and his lips are bare inches away and she desperately wants to close that gap, that tantalizing distance that hangs in between them.

"Well then," there's a predatory smirk on his face, a gleam in his red eyes, "fancy another one?"

Tensions are high, she's panting and he's panting and they just stare.

Her breath hitches, because she suddenly sees the beauty in the crimson of his eyes, the richness, the vibrancy-

And his smile, it does things to her stomach and she has this irresistable urge to puke with nervousness or something because really, no one has ever made her feel like this before.

She's emboldened by it all, all the signs and hints and in a surge of confidence she twists slowly, wrapping her arms around his neck to bring his face closer.

She's giddy and smiling and her heart is thumping furiously against her ribcage but somehow she manages to hang on.

"Wouldn't mind it," she whispers, the taste of alchohol on her tongue.

And his lips are on hers, the feeling of being whole consuming her as she deepens the kiss and squeezes him tight.

It isn't really fireworks but her entire body is aflame with excitement, with anticipation, and another emotion that she isn't quite sure she's ready to find out yet.

They break apart, pink eyes meeting red, and Blossom realises she really doesn't want to stop.

She leans in again, capturing his mouth in a searing kiss.

The second (third) time is somehow even sweeter, slower, with more feeling into it than the previous ones. There's a sort of relief, calm, belonging, as if it was meant to be.

(It isn't, of course, Blossom doesn't believe in fate.)

Happiness bubbles inside of her and she laughs against his lips, running her fingers along his hair.

Brick gives a hum of approval and cradles her cheek with his rough, calloused palm.

Her heart soars and everything just seems so perfect in that moment.It's just them and the cool night (morning?) sky on Christmas and she honestly couldn't be happier.

She gently pries his hand off and entwines her fingers with his, his warm hand engulfing her own.

It's incredible, the emotions he makes her feel and the things he makes her think about.

"Need a ride home?"

"Yep."

She leans into him, his fingers tightening around hers, and she decides she never really wants to let go.

- fin -

whoops, my hand slipped and now it's 3k words--

thanks for reading and your reviews make my day :))