A/N All right romangst is the name of the game but first let me address a few things. I have no idea where this story comes from. However, apparently, I enjoy testing the bonds of Kim and Ron's relationship and that is what I am doing with this story. Some of you might scream OOC or character A would never do that. Nevertheless, the characters are human aren't they? Just like the rest of us.
Oak tree leaves swayed in the warm summer breeze. Cotton clouds glided across the endless blue sky. Two children rested under a tree, one a red head, the other a blond, they stared into the sky, visions of their possible futures in their eyes.
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Ron smacked the alarm clock off the nightstand. He was moments away from drifting back to his childhood when someone pulled the sheets off his body. Ron opened his eyes and glanced neutrally at his best friend now fiancée standing at the end of the bed.
"Ron, get up or you'll be late for work again."
For a moment, Ron wondered, would he ever get to work on time if Kim wasn't living with him. He was once again amazed at how most of the time she could wake herself up whenever she wanted. He should ask how she does it, but the fact was he was almost never in any rush to get to work anyway.
Ron slid off the bed as he did everyday for the past two years and wandered half asleep to the bathroom.
He heard Kim chatting up a storm as he brushed his teeth; she was already in lawyer mode. Some case had her undivided attention for the past few months. Apparently word around the firm was winning this case would probably make her a partner, Cruise, Grisham, Eastwood and Possible. She'd be the youngest one ever to make partner so, needless to say, her Kimpetiveness was on full force.
He dressed himself and went into kitchen, where he found her going through the motions of her usual morning routine. She had her back turned towards him. If you didn't know she had her Bluetooth headset on, you'd swear she was a lunatic, screaming at an imaginary fiend.
Ron leaned in to kiss her but she moved towards the kitchen window for better reception
"I mean, don't you find it weird that she remarried two months after his death?" She said into the headset.
Ron sighed and turned towards the blinking coffee maker. He never cared much for coffee when he was younger, but things changed when you have responsibilities and you have to work for a living. Now, he couldn't imagine getting through a day without coffee. He realized quickly how life could be compromised.
Thinking about his newfound love of coffee, Ron retrieved the mornings Daily News from outside the apartment door. He pulled out the comic section and left the rest of the paper on the kitchen table for Kim. He quickly scanned the funnies with a pot of coffee in hand.
"Oh Ron there you are." Kim placed her hand over the receiver of the headset. "You remember the Remingtons from college."
The Remingtons he couldn't stand them. They were actually Kim's friends, like most people, they never thought he was good enough for her. But they were smart enough to keep they're opinions to themselves. He knew though, just by how they looked at him, they never expected him to live up to her standards.
"I just got a message on the answering machine; they're coming to visit tonight."
I love it when people I can't stand drop by unexpectedly. He smiled. "Fantastic we can catch up on old times."
She didn't even hear his response, she was already back on the case. Ron took a sip from his mug, hot thick coffee slid down his throat. Yeah he was now addicted but he didn't care.
"I'm leaving, later." He leaned over to kiss her again. This time he managed to hit her right cheek.
"Hey," she said before he could leave, "are you alright? You've been in a funk lately."
Ron stopped at the door and thought about it for a while. "Actually I…" he stopped when he saw the anxiousness in her face. He could tell she couldn't wait to get back to work. God forbid he was the one to keep her from becoming a partner.
"No, I'm fine," he lied before heading out the door.
"Morning Ron." Somehow the doorman believed he had to greet everyone with the same greeting, and with the same phony grin every morning.
You respond to fakeness with more fakeness.
"Right back at ya Fred," Ron grinned. Once on the street, a man tried to hand him a pamphlet.
"Reelect Mayor Johnson for more of the same."
More of the same. "I hope not," Ron muttered, as he walked past the man.
XXXXXXXX
"Hold the door," Ron yelled, as the sliding doors of the train came to a complete close in front of him.
"Aww…" he began to complain when the doors slid open. It happened so suddenly that he had to take a step back. He blinked in confusion.
"Are you getting on?"
Ron looked at the old man who held the door open for him. He had on rather ragged looking clothing, a dirty baseball cap, and long grizzly beard. He looked just a step above homeless.
"Are you getting on sonny? I don't have all day." The old man's strikingly blue eyes froze Ron on the spot. The old dude was definitely giving him an odd vibe.
He thought about it for a moment. "Ah yeah." He stepped into the car and the door clicked shut behind him. "Thanks for holding the door."
"No problem, I'm just here help." He tipped his cap to Ron and went on to sit at the other end of the car.
Ron leaned against the train door and checked his watch. It would take another thirty glorious minutes before he got to his stop. He pulled out his Gamestation portable to pass the time away. He played a quick round of Avenue Fighter 2 when he suddenly got a message that someone was challenging him to a peer-to-peer fight. He glanced around the car; if anyone within ten feet of him had the same game, they would be able to challenge him to a duel.
"Alright whoever you are, you're stepping into Ron's house."
It turned out to be quite a heated series of battles. It was the most competitive contest he'd ever had in a game where even Felix could barely keep up with him.
This guy, whoever he is, he's really good. Ron thought as he struggled against his opponent.
"Come on, come on, come on… No!" Ron shouted when he lost in the final round. It took him a moment to realize he was standing in the middle of a car full of people shouting at a hand held videogame. "I'm sorry," he said sheepishly to anyone he had disturbed.
"Good game," said a voice from behind him. Ron turned only to come face to face with temptation.
XXXXXXXX
"Hi, my name is Sophie," temptation said. "That was a quite possibly the best game I've ever played. I really enjoyed it."
"Oh… a yeah, same too you," Ron stammered. She was a very attractive girl, shorter than Kim but just as well portioned if not better---
Whoa, pull in the reins friend, pull them back.
"I've got to ask you," Sophie gushed, "how did you do that mov---"
Silky smooth black hair glistening under the subway light, chocolate brown eyes behind cute oversized glasses, and she was in her mid-twenties just like him.
"Oh that move," he exhaled. "It's easy, I position my fingers like this so I can easily tap the analog stick while holding down the shoulder button." He gave her a quick demonstration.
"I see, I hold it like this, so it's kind of hard for me to do that move."
Ron paused for a moment. "I've got to tell you, I'm shocked that you are the same person that handed me my butt back there."
She looked him up and down, top to bottom practically studying him. "Are you saying that girls can't be gamers?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying, it's just you don't you see many attractive girls… I mean hot girls don't usually… wait, what I'm really saying is that… um… let's start over, my name is Ron, nice to meet you Sophie." He put his hand out.
She giggled and shook his hand. "You look a little flustered there Ron."
"I'm not really a morning person."
She cocked her head back and put her hand on her hips. "Is that true?"
"Yeah, yeah it is definitely," he gulped.
The train came to a stop. She turned to him and smiled. "Well this is me. Once again Ron, that was great game." She waved to him as she stepped out of the car.
"Yeah good game." When the doors closed, Ron realized that he had missed his destination by at least five stops.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Next slide."
As one image left the screen and another took its place. Ron wondered why he was cursed to be sitting in this meeting of blowhards, who looked down at each other with their high-bridged noses.
It was too depressing to even contemplate the magnitude of the boredom he was feeling, while some Senior Executive whose name he should have known went on about profit margins.
Is this why I went to college? Is this why I worked so hard, so I could enjoy this very moment? I should have followed my initial instinct to goof of for four years.
"I make a motion that we----"
It was around that time that the Toy' R' Us jingle popped into his head.
"Bueno Nancho will pay rappers up to fifteen dollars every time we are mentioned in a song----"
I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toy R US kid
"-----spend as much as $400 million to renovate U.S. restaurants."
"When you have insomnia, you're never really asleep... and you're never really awake." God I love that movie.
"Stoppable," said Mr. Johansson the CEO.
Ron sat up straight. "Yes sir?"
"Do you have any ideas, about the criticism we're facing about this obesity epidemic among children. "
"Well sir I think it's obvious that we have to take steps to diversify our menu, we can offer a wider choice of salads and fruit."
Johansson grinned. "You're absolutely right, now that's the kind of sound thinking we need around here."
Fantastic, I keep my job for another week. How can I be so good at something I don't enjoy?
The other execs agreed with Ron's assessment and went on with the meeting. Ron however returned to the safety of his brain.
"Let's vote on------"
This is seriously cutting into my gaming time.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Stoppable, let me speak to you for a second."
"Yes sir Mr. Johansson." The meeting had just ended and Ron was just about to disappear when the boss called for him.
"I always like your ideas, you know today's generation. However, you have been looking a bit sluggish lately."
"Yes well I've been working overtime," Ron lied.
Johansson patted Ron on the shoulder. "That's a good man, but I think I know what you need."
"A vacation.,"
"An assistant, hire yourself one immediately" said Johansson before leaving the meeting room.
"Hey, hey buddy boy," said T. J Saint. T.J was a junior executive just like Ron. They had grown to be good friends when they both started at the company as interns. Working together, they had managed to move up the corporate ladder at a rapid pace. Ron had the ideas and T.J knew how to speak "business", meaning he knew how to kiss up, and sweet talk his way through anything. A grifter in a suit, T.J could sell water to Noah during the flood.
"Missed you at the meeting buddy."
T. J also considered himself to be a ladies man and he enjoyed regaling Ron with the stories of his conquests.
"What are you stupid and blind?" Ron asked as they exited the meeting room, "I was sitting right next to you."
"Yeah but you weren't in the meeting room," he tapped Ron on the forehead, "you were in there again."
"It's better than being in reality, trust me."
T. J checked his fingertips. "So what did the charter member of idiots anonymous, want with you?"
"I'm getting an assistant."
"An assistant, how upper middle class, you're moving up in the world my friend."
"Like I care," Ron replied with a huff.
T.J turned in the direction of Johansson's office. "It's been two years and I still can't believe that guy's eyebrows; they look like two caterpillars going at it."
Ron tried his best to stifle his laughter.
"Speaking of me," T. J continued, "I scored some tickets to a Scorpions concert this weekend, why don't you invite the missus and we can double date."
T.J had an unnatural obsession with eighties hair bands, it was one of the few quirks that Ron found humorous about his friend
"Oh the Scorpions, that sounds exciting. Let me just check my calendar, oh wait its not 1985!"
T.J shook his head. "That's the problem with your generation. You've got no taste in music."
We're from the same generation jerk. "Did you say double date? So does that mean you've got a girlfriend?"
"I've got girlfriends, emphasis on the plural. I'd just have to reach into a jar of names and pull one out."
Typical T. J.
Ron chortled, "Dude, there is this thing called monogamy."
"Monogamy is for chumps, no offence Mr. Possible."
Ron sighed. "None taken."
XXXXXXXXX
Ron listened intently to his friend's rambling as they sat across each other in the cafeteria.
"So now I have to write a letter to the company."
Ron bit into a sandwich. "They say the pen is mightier than the sword."
"I'd like to run a sword through the heart of whoever says that. Action my friend, it's all about your actions."
The conversation paused for a moment as they dug into their food. Ron was halfway through his meal when the mornings encounter invaded his mind. "By the way, this morning, I uh…" Ron cleared his throat "I met this girl," he said in a barely audible whisper.
T.J leaned over. "You what…"
Ron looked back and forth over his shoulder. "I met a girl in the subway today."
A mischievous smile came to T.J's face. "Okay there are lots of girls in the subway."
"Yeah but for the first time ever," Ron cleared his throat again, "for one brief moment I kind of wished I wasn't… you know, with Kim..."
"Oh," T.J started to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"It's just that you should have expected this feeling sooner or later."
"What?"
"Ron, think about, you've been with one chick you're whole life. Kim Possible is all you know of the female world, and chances are she's the only one you will know for the rest of your life. Its only natural that some other girl would one day catch your eye."
Ron leaned back in his seat. "So what do I do?"
"What do you mean what do you do? You do nothing. You just had some natural feelings about another member of the opposite sex, what's wrong with that?"
"Nothing's wrong with that."
"Exactly, you're a normal guy. You've got normal urges. As long as you don't act on them, its fine."
"Yeah, that's right."
"Besides," T. J said as he finished his food, "you are probably never going to see this subway chick again, so no harm, no foul."
That made sense, Ron suddenly felt relieved. T. J may have been a womanizer, but he had helped Ron out of a few relationship jams.
"Thank you, oh wise and kind sage," Ron said as he got up.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm actually going to try to get some work in."
"Jesus Ron, are you feeling alright?"
"I have a day off tomorrow and I should get them done today."
T.J clucked his tongue. "I hate to say this Ron, but I think you're turning into a responsible adult."
"Or at least I'm pretending to be one."
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ron placed his ear on the apartment door, if he heard any sound of John Remington nasally voice; he would be back at the park across the street for another hour.
The second his ear touched the door it abruptly opened.
"They left an hour ago," Kim told him.
Ron recovered quickly. "Oh Kim, you wouldn't believe it, I had stacks of paper on my desk."
"Uh huh, sure you did."
He followed her into the apartment. "So… how'd it go?"
"Let me put it this way, if I have to hear how hard John Remington had to work to get his degree. I'll jump out of the window and shoot myself on the way down."
"That bad huh?"
"I've never realized how pretentious those two are. Did you ever notice that?"
The second they opened their mouths. "I had no idea."
Kim plopped herself down on the living room couch and Ron did the same. He placed his head on her lap and looked up at her.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."
"It's alright," she gently stroked his hair "So, how was you day?"
Another mind-numbingly uneventful day "Okay… apparently I said something good during a meeting. And Johansson is rewarding me with an assistant."
"Oooooo an assistant."
"Yea."
She smiled down at him. "Ron I'm really proud of you."
"Proud of me for what?"
"Are you kidding me? You're only twenty six and you're a junior exec of one of the biggest corporations in the city and you're still climbing the ladder."
"Yeah I guess"
She playfully smacked him on the head. "How about showing a little more excitement there fella. Or at least some gratitude, I was the one who encouraged you to take that internship remember."
"You're right."
She leaned her face closer to his. "After this nightmare of a case is over, I'll make partner, and you'll be on your way to the top of the business world. Our futures couldn't be any brighter." She kissed him on the lips.
"We're on our way." She leaned over and kissed him again, a longer deeper kiss. Ron was getting into it when Kim's cell phone started to ring.
She quickly slipped her headset on. "Hello… yeah, she wants how much?"
Ron closed his eyes for a moment before getting off the couch.
"Are you kidding me, his records were going gold before she learned that number existed."
Ron removed his tie from his neck. "I'm going to bed," he said as headed for the bedroom.
"They were married for three months!"
"I love you too."
XXXXXXX
The next morning Ron lay in bed, using the remote to flip through various channels. He never stopped on one particular channel for more than a moment. It was always like this, whenever he had a day off there was absolutely nothing on TV. He recalled when his family finally got cable, every channel was new adventure, it was one of the greatest days in his life.
Good times
"We're the chipmunks. C-H-I-P-M-U-N-K. We're the chipmunks, guaranteed to brighten your day."
Ron sat up. "Wow, I haven't seen this show in so long." Nostalgia once again began to wash over him; he sang along just to prove to himself that he remembered.
"Coming on stronger than ever before, we're the chipmunks, Alvin, Simon, Theodore! Man I used to love this show."
He watched intently for the next half hour until he got hungry and went scavenging. In the fridge he found fruit, tofu, salads, yogurt and fat free crackers.
Chick food.
He blamed himself for letting Kim do most of the food shopping; there was nothing in the house that was remotely unhealthy or non-organic. It was a complete and utter tragedy.
Ten minutes later, he was online at the local Bueno Nacho. He glanced up at the menu, the ninety-nine cent value meals were a big hit; it was one of his better ideas.
Alright, should I go for the extra large or the double extra large.
"Can I take your order sir?"
Ron took his eyes off the menu. "Yeah I'd li--- his jaw dropped. For once again, he was staring into the eyes of temptation.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Yes…Yes… Yes… YES!" Ron screamed out in the Bueno Nacho parking lot. "Sweet Redemption!"
"Wow," Sophie looked own at the 'you lose' message on the screen. "The rematch was better than the original."
"Ron Stoppable once again snatches victory from the jaws of defeat," Ron crowed.
Sophie laughed. "At least you're a gracious winner."
He blushed. "I'm sorry, sometimes I get all caught up in the moment."
She smiled. "Don't worry about it, sometimes its good to get caught up in the moment."
Of course, she had to be gorgeous.
Ron tore his eyes away from her. "So um… you work here?"
She looked up at the Bueno Nacho sign. "Yeah, I just moved here and this is the only job I could find so far. But it's not so bad, I've always felt comfortable at a Bueno Nacho."
"Yeah I know what you mean. In fact, I work for the BN Corp downtown." He reached into his pocket for his business card, and handed it to her.
"Impressive."
"Yeah you know, if you're looking for a better job, not there is anything wrong with this job, you could you know drop by and mention my name when you apply and you might get something… you know what just forget the whole thing----"
Sophie inspected the card. "No it's fine… I'll consider it, thank you."
"Oh it's no big."
Sophie checked her wristwatch. "Oh shoot my break is over. I've got to go back inside."
"Oh yeah go ahead, don't worry about me, I'll just hang around here for a minute."
She started to walk away but then she turned back. "Hey---"
"I'm engaged," Ron blurted out. "I mean… um, did you say something?"
"It's all tied up so I deserve a re-rematch."
"Oh sure yeah, no problem." He waved goofily at her as she left. When she was out of sight, he leaned against a nearby wall and placed his hands over his face.
"Ron, what the hell are you doing?" He said to himself.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Four days later
"You see, to me, I believe anything killed by a human was killed humanely, but I digress."
Ron blinked at the interviewee.
The very large woman sitting across Ron's desk seemed to sense the atmosphere of the room was heading in a different direction.
"I'm sorry, I seemed to have gone off on a tangent, could you repeat your original question?"
"I asked," Ron said incredulously, "if you are familiar with Microsoft Word."
"Oh um…Yes."
Ray Charles could see that she was lying.
"Alright," Ron shuffled some papers around his desk, "I have your resume and I'll get back to you." He shook her hand and ushered her out of his office.
"Holy crap," he muttered, after quickly slamming the door shut behind her. "There must be something in the air today."
"Stoppable!"
Ron jumped at the voice. "Yes Mr. Johansson."
"Have you found an assistant yet?"
"No sir. But I've been searching up and down."
"You're taking to long. If you want to succeed in this business, you've got to move quickly." Johansson signaled for someone outside of Ron's field of vision.
"This young lady here applied for a job this morning, she's got a good resume and she says she's a friend of yours."
No way.
For a nanosecond, Ron's heart stopped completely when Sophie stepped up next to Mr. Johansson. The ominous music in the soundtrack of his mind began to play.
"She's a friend of yours right?"
"I well... maybe... sur… yes."
"Good, she's your new assistant, now get back to work!"
Johansson left the two of the alone in the room. "So I guess we're working buddies," Sophie said.
"I guess so," Ron replied, his voice was slightly high pitched.
XXXXXXXXXX
T. J leaned closer to the blushing delivery girl. "So apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living?"
She was about to reply when Ron grabbed him by the arm. "Need help, talk, now!" Ron dragged T.J to his office and locked the door behind.
"I've got a huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, problem!"
T.J smiled. "I'm sensing you have a huge problem."
"You remember the girl I was telling about. The one I met the other day."
"The subway chick?"
"Yeah her. Well guess what, she's sitting in my office right now. Johansson just hired her as my new assistant."
"Whoa."
"Yes exactly, whoa!"
T.J placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Here, have a seat."
Ron sat down. "Personally, I say have your cake and eat it too. But I know you, you're a 'one woman' man," T.J said with air quotes.
"Yes I am."
"So you have a few options. You can wait until she does something wrong and fire her. Alternatively, you can act like a professional and just keep Lil Ron Jr. on a leash, because any sexual contact between employees is a big no-no. In addition, remember what we learned at the seminar, misunderstandings lead to sexual harassment suits."
"Professional right… I can do that… are those all my options?"
"Option three; you can find out if Kim is open to a Ménage a Trios."
Ron glared at T.J. "So you went with the joke angle there."
"Yeah."
"Did ya think it would turn out better?
T.J laughed. "Actually I did."
"I thought so." Ron got up from the chair and opened the door. "Hey look, there she is at the water fountain."
T.J took a peek for himself. "That's her! Jesus dude, I'd really think about option number three."
"Yeah Kim is kind of open-minded… no!" Ron vigorously shook his head. "Dude stop placing improper thoughts into my mind." He told T.J before walking away
"Good luck," T.J called after him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ron tapped his fingers on his desk, the uncomfortable silence in his office was deafening. Sophie's eyes darted around the room as she sat in the chair across from Ron's desk.
"This is big office," she said.
Ron scanned the room. It was indeed a very spacious office, cavernous you might say. The office included a small mini bar a modest sized fridge in the corner, a stereo system, plasma TV, and a separate room leading to a bathroom with shower, all the benefits of upper management.
"Yeah, it is pretty impressive isn't it? Look I don't want you think I'm one of those stuffy kind of bosses We can make this kind of like a partnership, except I make more money."
Sophie giggled. "Alright."
"Good so, uh, tell me a little about yourself."
"Ok... I was born in California, I grew up in a family of six brothers. So you can say I'm a bit of a tomboy. I grew up liking everything they did, comics, videogames, wrestling."
Ron was suddenly intrigued. "Wrestling, you like wrestling?"
"Oh yeah! I catch the GWA every Monday night. I haven't missed a show in three years."
"Did you see the pay-per-view show last month?"
"See it please I was there! I lived it!" she said proudly her chin in the air.
"What, no way."
"Yes way, it took a month's salary and I had to eat Ramen noodles for a week but I was there front row when The Bulkster came out of retirement."
"Oh man, I wanted to be there so bad, but I had to go to a play with… someone."
With your fiancée.
"So you were in the front row when The Slate broke his leg?"
"Oh man it was totally gorchy, I swear his leg was flapping in the breeze. It was so cool."
"I'm sure it was," Ron said, "I'm sure it was. You know people are always telling me I'm getting to old for wrestling."
"Too old for wrestling, you can never be too old for wrestling. Those people can take a long walk off a short pier, that's what I say."
"Right… so where do you see yourself in five years."
"Oh I don't know, I'm kind of a scatterbrain when it comes to my future. But I guess the normal stuff, a family with a home where we can hang out and watch TV together."
"Good, good," Ron nodded "I'd like a family of my own someday too."
"I'm sure you'd be a great dad."
Ron let out a breath. God let her be a lousy typist. There would be long periods of silence for the rest of the day.
XXXXXX
"Ron! Ron!"
Ron snapped back to earth. "What?"
"You're cutting the carrots to thin," Kim told him.
Ron looked down at the knife in hands. "Oh sorry, I had something on my mind."
"Yeah that's obvious," Kim said, a she began to set the table.
Ron mixed the carrots in with the rest of the soup. "Hey Kim my birthday is coming up right?"
"Yeah."
"I was wondering if you would mind, invitinganothergirlintoourbed," he said quickly.
"What?"
"Huh, did you say something?" Ron countered.
"No, you said something."
"I did?"
"Yeah I'm pretty sure you did."
"Oh right," he laughed, "I did say something, I said um…" he scanned his mind for any topic. "...Maybe we should think about starting a family."
"Excuse me…" Kim stopped everything. "You're kidding, right?"
"No."
"Ron, what are you thinking? There's no way we can have a baby now."
Ron wiped his hand with a towel. "You know, you don't have to shoot the idea down so quickly. At least think about it."
"I don't think you've thought about it. Having a baby now would ruin everything we've worked for in the past couple of months."
"Oh come on, you're exaggerating"
"That's easy for you too say; you're not the one who's going to be carrying a human being for nine months."
"Geez I'm sorry, I just thought the idea of starting a family with someone you love wouldn't be met with such disdain."
"How do you expect me to react, this is coming completely out of left field!"
Ron tossed the towel into the sink, he caught himself before he said anything else. "I'm going to go watch TV, call me when the food is ready."
He pushed past her and left the question.
"Ron!" she called after him "Man, where did that come from?"
XXXXXXXXXXX
Two weeks later
Felix dribbled the basketball to the free throw line. "Ron, tell yo momma she can stay home, cause I'm taking you to school." He set up for a shot. "This is for the game."
"I'm severely sexually attracted to my assistant."
"What?" Felix exclaimed as he shot the ball. Of course it missed the rim completely, Ron grabbed the rebound and took a shot of his own.
"That's game," he said when he made the bucket.
"What did you just say? "Felix sputtered.
"What, the one about me winning or the one about me turning into a hormonal fourteen year old around my gorgeous assistant."
"The second one."
"Oh that, yeah." Ron wiped his forehead. "I've been dying these last two weeks Felix, I'm like a high school kid around her. And, its not just lust, I can deal with lust, I did for three years before Kim and I were emotionally ready to, you know…. This is more than lust. There is magnetism between us, real, unavoidable, unpredictable, unimaginable, magnetism. We have fun together dude, fun like I haven't had in awhile. Fun like me and Kim used to have, when we were younger."
"Why the hell did this have to happen to me?" He threw the ball angrily across the basketball court. "And worst of all, I've got guilt following me around like Jacob Marley. I think I'm subconsciously picking fights with Kim at home just so she could be mad at me."
"Dude, you've got major problems"
"Really, you think so? I thought everything was going swell."
"You don't have to be snippy."
"I think I have a right to be snippy Felix." He sighed. "I never thought I'd be one of 'those guys', does this make me a bad person?"
"Nah, it just makes you human. Life isn't always as balck and white as we'd like to believe it is"
"How poetic of you Felix."
Ron crossed the court to chase after ball; it stopped rolling with it hit the fence surrounding the court. Ron walked over to the fence and picked up the ball.
"Not really more of the same huh?"
Ron looked up and saw a familiar looking but ragged figure on the other side of the fence.
"Hey, you're that old dude from the train."
He recognized him immediately because the old man was wearing the same dirty clothes he was wearing that day. Obviously, hygiene was not high on the old man's list of priorities.
He tipped his cap to Ron. "I'm just here to help, remember that." He said before walking off
"I always attract the crazies," Ron muttered to himself, before running back to Felix.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sophie walked into office in her new business casual power suit. She had hoped it would make her look more professional, but it also just made her look cuter.
"How does it look?"
"It looks pink," Ron said, trying to keep his gaze on her face. Not that it was that hard to keep your eyes on her face, especially those lips.
"It's not pink," she said looking at her suit, "it's magenta… I think."
Ron organized a few sheets on his desk. "Hey, I need you to double check this for me."
Sophie walked over the desk but instead of picking the papers up, she leaned over to look at them, creating less than a foot of space between her and Ron, and God help him if she did not smell like soap and sun. He knew he had a history of misinterpreting female vibes, but he was positive that she liked being this close to him.
Her eyes sparkled at him. "What am I looking for?"
Oh too bad you're happily engaged Ron. On the other hand, maybe you just think you ar-
"You know what, there's no problem, everythings fine."
The sparkle in her eye grew brighter than he could ever imagine. "Okay." Ron blew out between his lips when she headed for the exit.
"Oh, by the way, you know WrestleFest is on tonight."
MadDog Johnson vs. The Bulkster 2 for the heavyweight title. It was a match that wrestling fans had been waiting a decade for. How could I have forgotten about it?
"Well I've rented a big screen and I want you to be there to see it."
Whoa Danger, Danger Ron Stoppable
"Look," he tried to keep the desperation out of his voice. "I'm really flattered but I'm kind of engaged to---"
Kind of engaged, how can you be, kind of engaged?
"No, it's a party" she interrupted "I'm going to have my friends there too."
"Oh," Ron laughed nervously "I thought---"
"----it would be just the two of us?" Sophie laughed along. "No, it'll be just a bunch of us wrestling fans."
"Great, ok great, then uh, yeah that sounds great I'll be there." He clumsily knocked a stack of papers off his desk.
"I'll get that," Sophie said.
"No don't worry, I'll get it." Ron said standing up. They both reached for the papers at the same time, of course their hands touched. Ron pulled his hand back and looked into her eyes.
She had that 'look' in her eye, or maybe he thought she had that 'look' in her eye. The only 'look' he was positive about was Kim's 'look' and this 'look' were pretty darn close.
Again maybe you're just hoping it's the 'look'
He was tempted to say something, anything.
"I---"
"Hey buddy," T. J said as he entered the office.
"Excuse me." Sophie stood up straight and walked out of the room.
"What was that all about?" T.J said.
A wave of relief washed over Ron. "Thank you T.J., your timing was beautiful."
"It didn't look like that to me."
"Yes, yes it was. You came in just before she said something insane."
"Like what?"
"Like kiss me! Oh, God I probably would have done it too. I would have done it and I would have enjoyed it. Call me crazy but I don't think that's a good sign for me and Kim's relationship.
He put his head in his hands. T.J reached into his pocket. "Ron, calm down. Here, have a chocolate bar."
Ron smacked the bar away. "What's wrong with you I'm an adult, you think a candy bar is going to make me forget about my problems? I need Prozac, Vicodin, and sedatives."
A thought popped into his head. "I've got it, you can seduce her."
"I don't seduce woman, they fall into my arms."
"It's perfect, you seduce her and then she forgets all about me. Then I'll be free."
"The problem with that is the off chance that she doesn't fall for my charms, I will be hit with a sexual harassment suit. I'm not losing my career because you can't stop the blood in your brain from heading south of the border."
"I should just fire her."
"Does she suck?"
"No, she's actually very efficient," Ron groaned.
"You're just going have to exercise self control."
Ron gave T.J a dark stare, suddenly the thought of driving a spike through T.J's skull was quite a pleasant one.
"Why don't you try dating a girl for more than week before you lecture me on self control"
"Hey, this is not about me, this is about you."
He was right it was about him. It was about how weak he was and how he was letting his emotions overrun his logic.
Ron straightened out his suit. "That's right, self control."
"Or…"
Ron turned to T.J. "Or what?"
"You can examine your relationship with Kim a little closer. Catch you later buddy." T. J left Ron in the office alone with his thoughts.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
That night
"MadDog rules!" Ron shouted as he entered the elevator of his apartment building. "What a fight, best thing I ever saw."
The match of the decade had lived up to its billing. It was an epic battle. Who cared if it was scripted, it was entertaining. And being surrounded by rabid wrestling fans just like him only made the experience sweeter. He began to hum the MadDog's theme song as he waddled down the hallway to his apartment.
"MadDog, MadDog, MadDog," Ron chanted as he was about to unlock the door to his home.
The door opened before he got the key in the keyhole. A distinguished looking woman stepped out his house. She carried herself like a dignitary her chin held up in the air. Kim followed the woman out of the apartment.
"Oh Ron," Kim said, "This is Mrs. Sarah Cruise---"
This was bad.
"---You know, of Cruise, Grisham, and Eastwood, she was visiting us for dinner…remember?" Kim said icily.
Very, very bad.
"Right Mrs Cruise," Ron shook her hand, "I've heard so much about you. I'm sorry I couldn't make it today. You know, work and all."
"No problem, Kimberly and I had a pleasant evening, just the two of us."
"Once again, I'm so sorry. You must come again some time."
"Of course I will," she said.
"Let me escort you outside," Kim said, before glancing darkly at Ron.
Ron mouthed the word sorry to her as she followed Mrs. Cruise to the elevator. He waited behind the door until she returned. He was the first thing she saw when she opened the door. He braced himself for the explosion, he was just going to stand there and let her vent without saying a word.
To his surprise, she just stared at him for a moment and then just walked past. Ron watched her go straight to the bedroom and slam, the door shut. His head low he walked into the living room and plopped down on the coach, where he drifted to sleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The next afternoon
Look, I said I was sorry, what else do you want me to do?
I can't believe you'd embarrass me by not showing up.
Ron replayed the morning's fight in his head. Anyway you looked at it, he probably should have just kept his mouth shut. He was completely at fault, how could he have forgotten about the dinner date with one of her bosses? He should have remembered her thing instead of going to see the match. It was unfortunate things would only get worse because he stormed out of the house.
You have bigger problems. What are you doing here? Why are you here?
Ron popped a handful of spark rocks into his mouth. He was truly amazed to find that they had begun to manufacture these candies again. The familiar sense of shocks running through his soft tissue calmed him down a bit. Delicious, they tasted as good as he remembered.
You are standing across the street from Sophie's house. What are you doing here! She does not have furniture to move. it's a trap!
He took a sip of Jolt cola it didn't take long before the caffeine hit his system. He was going through the initial phase of a sugar rush and it felt good. He spied an ice cream truck rolling by. Didn't anyone find it odd that American ice cream trucks played London Bridge is falling down?
Stop, you're going to ruin it, you're going to ruin a lifelong relationship! Why are you doing this?
A car stopped in front of him at the spotlight. Somewhere over the Rainbow blared through the car stereo. The light signaled for him to walk.
WHY! WHY! WHY!
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Ron took a step forward into the street and stopped. His pulse surged from a mix of lust and panic. He knew what everyone expected of him. But what did he expect of himself?
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Confusion… no lost, lost was the word he was looking for. He felt lost, nothing felt real. How was it possible for a person to feel content and angry, proud and ashamed? Broken and defeated and at the same time victorious.
Ron Stoppable lay sprawled across a subway seat on his way home from… from… he had no idea what happened. It happened so fast you needed a time-lapse camera to know what really went down. He looked up at an ad for various free community self-help classes, there was even one for couples in need of help. The woman in the ad smiled down at him, a knowing smile as if she knew every dirty secret about him.
Then he started to cry, not because he felt bad but because… he felt that he didn't feel bad enough.
XXXXXXXXXXX
That night Ron lay in bed staring at the ceiling, his arms folded through under his head. He was there yet he wasn't there. He was deep in his mind wondering how things got this far.
He didn't even notice Kim slipping next to him in bed.
"Hey Ronnie, I'm sorry," she said to him as she ran her hand up and down his chest. "All we've been doing lately is fighting."
"I think I know what can help." She nuzzled into his neck. "They say couples should never go to sleep angry." She slipped her shirt off, before sliding on top of him.
Ron looked at her. "KP, I'm sorry."
"Oh, I'm not angry about that anymore." She kissed him softly and bit down on his bottom lip. "I think it's time we make up."
Ron grabbed her by both wrists. "I… can't… I'm sorry." He gently pushed her off his body and sat on the edge of the bed.
He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm going to sleep on the couch tonight, alright?" he told her, before getting off the bed completely.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Ron slept on the couch for three straight nights. He took the week off from work and just stayed on the couch, thinking for hours on end. For those three days, he never said more than a sentence to Kim even though she begged to know what was going. The truth of the matter was that he didn't know what was going on.
On the fourth day, he woke up to a surprise. He yawned and sat up on the couch.
"Monique, what are you doing here?" he said as he rubbed his eyelids.
She stared at him. "It's Saturday, so I thought Kim and I could go do a little shopping downtown."
"Speaking of Kim, where is she?"
"Oh, she just went to do a little grocery shopping."
Ron found that he couldn't avoid her gaze. "And you decided to wait here?"
"Right."
He got up to go brush his teeth. When he was done, he opened the bathroom door to find her waiting behind it.
"I've heard some things through the grapevine."
Ron walked past her to the kitchen, why did she keep staring straight into his eyes? "What did you hear?"
"I've heard about fighting, late nights, personality changes, lack of intimate contact, and you spending lots of time on the couch."
As if it was any of her business. Ron poured some coffee into his favorite mug, "We're just going through a thing Monique."
Monique nodded. "Going through a thing. You know what this all sounds like to me?"
The rich aroma coming from the mug lifted his spirits. "What does it sound like to you?"
"It sounds like someone has been doing something naughty."
He took a sip it was too hot. It actually burned his tongue a little. "Are you saying I did something I shouldn't have?"
She sat down at the kitchen table. "I'm not saying, I'm asking if you did something you shouldn't have."
He didn't care if it was hot, he poured the liquid down his throat. "Don't you think Kim would have noticed something like that?"
"If I remember correctly, Kim didn't notice you liked her until you told her. Am I right?"
Ron chuckled to himself. "Why would I do something like that. I love Kim, right?"
"Are you telling me or asking me if you love her?"
She has a response for everything.
Ron sighed and lowered his head. "You've got to believe me, I never thought it would have went this far."
"Oh Ron." The disappointment in her voice was clear
"Please don't start passing judgment on me."
"I didn't think you were that type of guy."
"You didn't think so… hell I didn't know I was that type of guy."
"You've changed."
"I've changed?" The pitch in Ron's voice became higher. "No, I haven't changed," he pointed to nowhere in particular, "Kim's changed, everyone else has changed, the whole world has changed and it's expecting me to change along with it!"
They heard keys at the front door.
"I'm not going to say anything, you have to tell her the truth," Monique told him.
"Yeah, that's exactly what's I'm going to do," he replied sarcastically.
"You need to tell the truth."
"Monique, I don't know what I need anymore. I thought did, but I don't." Ron headed to the bathroom. He locked himself in there until they left.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"I understand" Sophie said, "You've got to work things out for yourself."
Ron looked around the sidewalk; they stood in front of an old café. He had invited her here to talk, but the conversation was becoming harder and harder to deal with by the second.
"Yeah I do," Ron said. "I've got these mixed feelings and I need to sort them out. Until then, you know let's just keep things slow ok?"
She looked at him through her cute glasses her brown eyes trained on him.
"We can meet each others needs Ron. That's why I love you."
It was like a shot to the heart.
"Sophie please don't…"
She grabbed him by the back of the neck and kissed him so deeply that he gave himself up to it completely. "Sometimes, it's ok to get caught up in the moment," she said against his mouth, before pulling away.
Ron stood motionless on the sidewalk as she walked away. He was once again lost in a world of his own thoughts. This is probably why he failed to notice Mrs. Cruise across the street with the camera phone.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
She waved her cell phone in front of his face, the evidence of his wrongdoing out in the open. What could he say? He could go with the classic "it's not what it looks like" or maybe the ever popular "it wasn't me", but he didn't have time to think, a two decade relationship was hanging in the balance.
So he confirmed that it was indeed him, which led to the follow up question.
"How far did it go?"
She was strong enough right? Kim had saved the world dozens of times over, she has faced things that would make grown men shake in their boots. So she could handle the truth right?
Wrong
Ron ducked as the statue that decorated their living room for about three months sailed over his head.
"How could you do this me?" she said through tears.
God, if only he had the power to disappear.
"I never wanted to hurt you Kim!"
"Then you should have kept your hands to yourself. How could you do this to us?"
"It just sort of happened."
"Nothing just sort of happens Ron. You either let it happen or you don't."
He'd never seen her this emotional before. Seeing her like this was adding to the additional guilt he was already carrying. He needed to think of a way to console her.
"Don't touch me," she screamed at him. She exhaled and inhaled, and closed her eyes. She was trying to regain her composure.
"Look, I'll step outside for a moment so you can---"
"Was she worth it Ron?"
"What?"
"Was she worth it?"
He winced. "Geez don't… don't…" he made a move to leave the living room but she cut him off.
"Was she worth it?"
"What do you want me to say to that? What am I supposed to say?"
"Was a few hours worth ruining what we have together?"
"It's not like that, I didn't do it just for some cheap thrills."
"Then why?"
"She made me happy!" he shouted, finally breaking down. "I had fun around her, fun I hadn't had in awhile. When I was with her, I wasn't Ron the suit who makes money for people he doesn't even like. I wasn't Ron the stiff who gets up every morning at some ungodly hour to be herded like a animal to a job he hates just so he could live up to the standards of upper middle class America. I was carefree Ron, I was a laidback slacker who ate junk food until he got sick and played videogames until four in the morning. That's why I did it. Yeah its selfish, but I just missed that Ron so much."
He sighed when his tirade was over. Kim stood motionless in front of him at a loss for words.
"You know what, it's completely my fault. You're right, just yell at me, scream at me, hit me, I don't care. I'll stand there and take, I deserve it."
She stayed silent.
"No, don't do that, scream at me, tell me off, call me a bad guy. Call me anything, tell me something, tell me never to see her again, tell me I'm evil. Tell me anything."
Silence.
"Come on say something! Anything!"
"Do you still love me?"
"What?"
"Do you still love me?"
It would have been better if she had hit him with another statue.
He blew out a breath. "Honestly… I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. I might have known something once but I'm not sure anymore."
"I think you should leave," Kim said after few moments of silence.
"Yeah, yeah you're right," he said simply before walking out.
XXXX
"And where is your significant other," the receptionist said.
"She's not here, we got into a big fight and… look, I saw the Ad for this community center on the subway and it said free counseling. Now my world is crashing down before my very eyes so I'd like some free counseling right now.
"Well, we have one free counselor remaining in room 202."
"Thank you," Ron said. Five minutes later, he was standing in front of the door of room 202. "Finally, maybe I can get some answers." He pushed through the door.
"No way."
The brunette sitting in the middle of the room alone looked up at him. "Isn't this a pleasant surprise?"
"What are you doing here?"
Bonnie smiled. "Community service, long story short, I was in love," She made the word love sound like a disease, "but he only pretended to be. Looking back on it, it was hard to tell he was a moron when you're just looking at his face. Well he screwed me over so I kind of stole his car and drove it into the ocean."
"And they made you a couples counselor?"
"Well, it was either this or a class about anorexia. But I just have a hard time calling something a disease, if the cure is a slice of pizza."
"You're as brutal as ever I see." Ron started to turn away.
"Hey, don't leave; I'm the only free counselor right now. So unless you want to wait an hour and a half, I'm the only shoulder you can cry on." She looked him over and smiled. "Come on, we can catch up on all times. Since you are here, I'm assuming there is trouble in paradise."
Ron was hesitant, but he needed to talk to someone anyone for that matter.
She gave him a devilish look "I promise I'll be on my best behavior… and look at it this way, do want BS psychobabble or do you want someone to tell you the cold hard truth?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You were always a loyal lapdog Stoppable."
'Yeah, that's the problem; I'm not sure if I still love Kim or if I'm just being loyal to her. She has this picture perfect future for her and I didn't want to ruin it even if I didn't like it. The last thing I want to do is hurt her, but if I'm just hanging around just out of loyalty and no love, isn't that just wrong? I need to know if I am really sorry about what I did or am I sorry I got caught?"
"Ah, love makes otherwise sane people do insane things--- like emptying their bank accounts to give to a brand-new beau for a present. What about this home wrecker Sophie, do you love her?"
Ron sighed. "I've thought about it, and I don't think so. It sounds so wrong but she might have just been an---"
"---Outlet for your insecurities about Kim and your life in general?"
"Right… you know you're better at this than you think."
Bonnie shrugged. "Chalk it up to experience. The main problem with you guys is that you've moved on from that "Yay we're in love" phase. You know, the phase where all you want to do is just jump each other's bones, and the other person's strange and stupid habits are endearing rather than just plain annoying."
"Yes, Yes," Ron agreed.
"Alright." Bonnie went to a desk in another side of the room. She picked a textbook off the desk, opened it to a certain page, and walked back to Ron. "Ok, it says here that Love is about sharing similar goals and dreams, and it's about wanting the person you adore to be happy, even if what makes him happy isn't necessarily something that will make you happy. But love is something you can't truly feel for another person until you feel it for yourself." She slammed the book shut. "You got that?"
"What? No, of course not… what does all that mean to me?"
"Ron, before this whole magical affair happened, did you ever bother talking to Kim about how you felt?"
"No."
"You see, that's a problem. I never thought you two would have a communication problem."
"I could have used that advice about a month ago! Now I need to know if I still love Kim or not."
"Sorry, but that's not something other people can tell you, it's something you just realize. When you know that there are good things and bad things about the person you love, and you love all their faults as well as their beauties."
"So that's your advice?"
"Yep."
"So I've got to find out the answers for my self?"
"That's how it works."
"Fine, thanks I guess." He got up and walked towards the exit.
"Hey Ron?"
He stopped. "Yeah?"
"If it means anything, for me, love is all about two individuals bringing out the best in each other. And as much as I hate to say it, I've never seen anyone do that better than you two."
"Thanks."
"Oh, and if you two do get back together, tell Kim to drop by. I'll be here for three months, and I'd like to confirm that I still look better than her."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ron sat on the park bench overlooking a small pond. He had spent the whole night thinking. Now the sun was coming up over the horizon.
"I've got to examine my heart but how?"
He closed his eyes and tried to empty my mind. "How do I know, how do I know if I still love you?"
It was then he finally somehow he managed to clear his mind and in an instant he was hit with a torrent of memories and feelings.
Recent memories
"Sometimes it's ok to get caught up in the moment,"
"Ron I'm really proud of you."
"We can meet each others needs Ron. That's why I love you."
"We're on our way."
From the past.
"Are you sure about this KP?"
"I want it to be with you Ron."
"Where would I be without you Ron?"
"You'd probably be wound so tight, you wouldn't be able to be breathe."
"Say, 'thank you Ron'"
Laughter, "Oh please."
"Ok how about, 'thank you very much. Ron'."
"I think not."
"Say 'you are such a terrific lover, Ron'."
"Alright that's it I'm getting up."
He found himself surrounded in darkness staring at a door. Instinctively he pushed through the door. There he saw a figure standing under a stoplight.
"Kimberly Possible… Stoppable it just sounds so…" she turned around and gave him a smile that sent goose bumps through his body, "so perfect."
Ron awoke on the park bench, the sun shining on his face. It was true he had forgotten what if felt like to have someone you could an absolute fool around with your partner, without caring what he or she thought. When he was upset, angry or just needed someone to talk, she was the one he wanted to confide in. She had his complete and utter trust. She used to be his first thought in the morning and his last thought at night. Now, he had no doubt that she would be for the rest of his life.
He wiped the tears from his eyes. "Fantastic, I had to cheat on you to realize that you were the perfect one for me"
To him it was undeniable proof that the universe had a twisted sense of humor.
"No matter what happens now, forgiveness or not I won't be able to unlove you KP, that's impossible for me."
It was then that saw the old man who with piercing blue eyes sitting next to him.
"Let me guess," Ron said through his tears, "you're just here to help?"
"Right," the old man said, "you know, if you really want to you can go back."
"Go back to what?" I don't deserve to go back to her.
"No, I mean you can go back."
"What, are talking about you crazy bas---"
Ron blinked in confusion and took a step back.
"Are you getting on?"
He looked at the old man who held the train door open for him. The old man had on rather ragged looking clothing, a dirty baseball cap, and long grizzly beard. He looked just a step above homeless.
"Are you getting on sonny? I don't have all day" The old man's strikingly blue eyes froze Ron in the spot. The old dude was definitely giving him an odd vibe.
Ron thought about if for a moment. "Ah no, actually, I don't want to get on."
The old man smiled and let the doors come to close. A second later, the train roared out of the station, leaving Ron alone on the platform.
XXXXXXXXXX
"I don't care who her lawyer is, that prenup is ironclad. She didn't help him gain his fortune, so she isn't entitled to any of it," Kim told the person on the other end of the headset said as she placed some important document in her suitcase.
She was about to head out the door, when Ron burst in through.
"Kim we need to talk about us."
"Ron, whatever it is we can talk about it when I get home. I'm late as it is."
He grabbed her by the arm. "KP please, this is really important."
She hadn't seen Ron this worried in a long time. She knew it had to be important by the look of concern on her face.
She took the headset off. "Okay, let's talk."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I was wondering why you didn't come in yesterday," said Marie, Kim's assistant.
"Yeah, so we talked about our future and how our relationship was progressing----hey hold the door!" Kim and her assistant raced towards the elevator of their office. The door was about to shut when someone from the inside stopped it from closing completely.
The door slid back open. "Are you getting on?" asked an old man in the most expensive suit she had ever seen in her life.
Something about the old man was odd but he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen in her life.
"Miss, are you getting on?"
"Ah yes I am." Kim replied before she and her assistant stepped inside.
"Um, thank you for holding the door," she told the old man.
"I'm just here to help," he said, before the elevator doors closed completely.
A/N 1)I may continue Kim's story down the road maybe 2) Is the ending a copout? 3) I can't help but feel the story is incomplete is there anything that I should have elaborated more on 4) Was Ron too OOC? 5) Read and Review of course :)