Wrote something kind of meta that deals with basically identical counterparts dating basically identical counterparts and how awkward that must actually be. Considering the fact that most people skip over it, I just decided to address it head on. Anyway, summary time:
Boomerâs secret girlfriend was pretty secret up until about a day ago. So, now, itâs up to Boomer and his trusty soundboard, Butch, to figure out how many lines he crossed when he got caught making out with one of their counterparts.
Brick was ignoring him, which was impressive because Boomer had made himself completely unignorable. He talked ceaselessly without end. He sang off key. He hogged the bathroom. He ate Brickâs leftovers. He had barged into Brickâs bedroom early in the morning, flipped him out of bed, and made sure he knew he was there, loud and annoying, and still, Brick wouldnât talk to him. Or yell. Or grumble. Or sigh. Or even so much as look in his direction. Nothing.
Brick just kept on ignoring him, like he wasnât there.
When the three of them were youngerâthey had been kids, for sure, but when exactly, Boomer didnât knowâButch and Brick had pretended he was invisible for one miserable hour before he broke down sobbing, forcing them to crack. For a moment, he thought, maybe it would be like that. An hour of cold shoulder then right back to:
âFor fucks sakes, Boomer, shut up!â
But that didnât happen. And Boomer was dangerously close to crying just so he could get his way again.
âButch!â He whined, floating miserably into the kitchen.
âSup, traitor,â Butch hummed, sandwich in one hand, phone in the other.
âHeâs still not talking to me.â
âReally?â Butchâs jaw dropped, but his eyes didnât leave his phone, âBricksâs not talkingâoh my gosh! Maybe itâs cause youâre a traitor!?â
âItâs not like that!â Boomer cried, âShe seduced me!â
âYeah, uh, dudeââ Butch took a bite of his sandwich, ââIâmâna stuâid.â He swallowed, chasing the bite down with a gulp of water. With a satisfied âah,â he smacked his lips and glanced over, âI know youâre lying to me. You know I know that, right?â
Boomer shrunk in on himself and toed the floor, âItâs still not like what he says itâs like, though.â
Butch smirked, âHowâs it feel?â
His eyebrows furrowed together and he looked up from his shoes, âHow does what feel? You know how shit it is when Brickâs not talkinâ to us.â
âNo,â Butch rolled his eyes and tossed his phone to the side, âmaking out with his counterpart?â
Boomer choked on his own spit for a moment because no one had said the quiet part out loud yet. Brick had referred to it as the treachery, so thatâs what it had been calledâthe Treachery.
âUhââ He swallowed after coughing, and Butchâs smirk only grew.
âShould have stuck to your own. Heâd be way less mad.â
Boomerâs cheeks burned to the tip of his ears.
âCongrats, though, man,â Butch pushed off the counter he was leaning on to stretch his arms, âyou figured out the perfect form of paybackââ he let his arms drop to his sides and rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck, ââwhen heâs acting like a dick, just makeout with his bitch.â
Boomer heard himself snarl, and with a loud, cruel sort of laugh, Butch threw his hands up in surrender, âYouâre right, my bad! How rude of me! I meant, your bitch.â
âShut up, Butch.â He hissed and Butchâs face darkened.
âOh. So, now, I guess you think you can do that too, huh.â He sneered, âWhat? Does Blossom turn everyone into entitled dickheads?â
A different kind of betrayal laced Butchâs words that hurt more than Brickâs silences, causing him to falter for a conflicted moment. The consequences of his actions turned his stomach sour, and he plopped down at the kitchen table, fighting off a wave of nausea because sure, he had Blossom, but he had always had Butch. Could he bear losing him for her? Would that happen? Would he allow that to happen?
He plopped down into a chair and let his head fall into his hands.
âDude, noââ he moaned, voice thick with guilt, âI...Iâm sorry. Itâs justââ
Butch sighed, âSave it. It doesnât matter.â
Boomer knew it did, but he didnât press it any further. For a few long moments, they were silent. He sat, staring at the dirty kitchen tiles, and Butch stood, staring at him. Something significant swelled in that silence between them, but Boomer didnât know if he was ready to face it.
A choice, though, needed to be made, and when when Butch sighed and turned to leave, he made it without thinking. He was good at doing shit like that. It was what got him into this mess in the first place, right? But he couldnât stand the idea of watching his only other brother walk away.
âItâs nice!â He sputtered out, stopping Butch in his tracks, âBeing with her is nice. Sheâs smart.â
Butch turned around just enough for Boomer to see his profile, âNice and smart. I guess that checks out. But...â Butch sighed and ran his hand through his hair, fingers catching in his curls, âdoesnât itâsheâremind you of him?â
Boomer winced because no but yes. And he didnât like to think about it.
âSheâno. I mean, they both...thereâs the red hair thing and sheâs his counterpart, but she different. Sheâs like the good parts plus more? Likeââ he faltered, ââshe doesnât...Iâm not stupid with her. She doesnât tell me to shut up, she just laughs and itâs...nice.â He finished lamely and Butch cocked an eyebrow at him.
âI mean,â he tried again, âI donât think Buttercupâs you. Sure, counterpart, you perform the same stereotypical corresponding function, butââ he snorted, âat the end of the day sheâs...well, shit, sheâs fucking prettier then you.â
Butch laughed at that. Actually laughed and a weight lifted off his shoulders. âPrettier? You sure? Have you seen me?â
âYou get what I mean though?â He couldnât keep the hope out of his voice and Butch tilted his head to the side in thought.
âYeah,â he nodded eventually, âI get it. Just figured it was Bubbles.â
âYeah, not all of it, obviously, but enough. Smilinâ more. Cookinâ stuff. Figured it was a girl and when you said nothing, figured it was her. Not Blossom, though.â
âBubbles is cute.â He conceded, âbut, I dunno, she, uh, wouldnât it be like making out with yourself?â
Butch laughed again and refilled his glass of water with the tap before sitting down, âBetter then making out with your brother.â
Boomer wrinkled his nose, âItâs not like that.â
Butch shrugged and smiled. It was a genuine smile. The one that lit up a room that Butch tried to hide from the world. Blossom said something awhile ago about Buttercup doing the same thing, but with her laugh. She also said her sister was very âastute,â which was a fancy way of saying that she could read people a little too well, just like his brother, but where Butch pretended not to notice, Buttercup made it her business. It made Blossom mad sometimes since she was supposed to be âthe smart one, but really Boomer, half the time, Iâm just guessing.â
He had kissed her for the first time around then.
âYou know you just said that you donât think Buttercupâs me, and Blossomâs not Brick, but Bubbles reminds you of you? Thatâs some contradictory shit.â Butch finally replied, âWanna riddle me that, Batman?â
He scratched his nose and laughed albeit awkwardly, âYeah, okay, that, uh, thatâs a tough one. Itâs just that, wellâare you into your counterpart?â
âI think this is the one time narcissism would actually do you favors.â Butch deadpanned.
âYou donâtâsheâs not.â Boomer paused and started again, âSheâs not Brick.â
It was a statement. But it came out like a question. He needed the confirmation, just once from someone else. Directly.
Butch stared at him, and that something swelled between them once more. This time, Boomer held his breath.
Eventually, Butch shook his head, âNah, Brickâs Brick, and thereâs only one of him, thank HIM. And Blossomâs Blossom.â Butch shifted, âAnyway, itâs...itâs not like weâre related. Fuck, Boom, I donât even think weâre related. We were created in a prison toilet. I think we may be more related to bad prison wine then to each other.â He laughed and drug his hand through his hair again, âI...I donât even think we have human blood. Andââ he paused and looked back over at him, ââwell, does she make you happy?â
âYouâve got no idea.â He answered a little too quickly, cheeks burning red.
Butch smiled that private smile of his again, and shrugged, âAlright, then. Okay. I donât really know what this means bad versus good, but okay. Thatâs...I think thatâsâI think weâll figure it out. Getting kind of boring âround here anyways. Needed a little controversy, keep shit from getting stale.â
Boomer broke out into a wide smile, âSo, youâll talk to him?â
Butch was the only one who could ever talk to Brick when he got like this. It was something Boomer used to envy until he saw scorch marks running up Butchâs back and bruises littering Brickâs body.
âYeah, Yeah, Boom,â Butch cracked his neck, then his knuckles, âIâll drag the drama queen back out.â His brother winked at him, âwhy donât you beat, though, huh? Go makeout with your girlfriend or something.â
âThanks, Butch,â He sank into his chair with relief, âseriously.â
âDonât mention it, but Boomer?â
He looked back up at his brother, âhm?â
He furrowed his eyebrows, âUh, yeah?â
âSheâs off limits, you hear me?â
Boomer offered him a weak salute, and an even weaker smile, âLoud and clear.â