A/N: WOW. You guys are great. Thank you SO much for all the reviews and favorites and alerts! Because of you, I wrote more. Well, first I watched a chapstick commercial, then I listened to all the killer fanmixes over on LJ, then I wrote more. Here ya go!

Chapter 2

The first thing he did after everyone got over the shock of Roxanne entering with the ex-villain on her arm was loosen his tie and undo the top button on his shirt. She patted his bony elbow, looped tightly in hers. "Relax," she muttered, smiling politely at a slack-jawed coworker. "They'll get over it."

"It's not them I'm worried about." Megamind muttered back, although he did lessen his arm's death-grip on hers. "I just don't understand why I have to wear a little noose around my neck all night."

Roxanne giggled and stopped to adjust the knot over the open button so it was less noticeable. At least he hadn't popped his collar. Yet. "Because, it makes you look handsome," she tugged on the tie and he smiled, leaning in like he was going to kiss her. She flicked the end at him. "Just act casual for a few hours and then we'll split, okay?"

She knew he was still uncomfortable in regular society, even though most of the city had accepted him as a hero. His hand stayed tight in hers throughout the night as she made casual small talk with her friends and colleges, occasionally inserting a comment or two and expertly ignoring the whispering going on around them. He was uncharacteristically quiet, but Roxanne had heard Minion telling him earlier to 'tone down for her benefit, because it was her work's holiday party, and she needed some normalcy'. She was touched that he had lasted this long without bursting into some huge rant about who-knows-what, although his twitching increased as he watched several couples start to slow dance in the middle of the hotel ballroom.

"Do you want a drink?" he almost interrupted the gossip columnist's speech about purses, and Roxanne had to fight not to look too relieved. She was just as bored, but his constant finger-drumming on her hand and foot tapping was getting to the point of other people noticing. "I'm going to get you a drink," he announced, a little too loudly, leaning in to peck her cheek but deciding against it at the last second. She watched him wander off, resolving that next time she would develop a secret code so that he could make up an excuse that would allow her to leave too.

"Thank goodness," said the gossip columnist, a round woman named Tracy or Trisha or something like that. Roxanne turned back to her. "I thought he'd never leave. Gives me the creeps."

"Well, he shouldn't anymore." Roxanne said, attempting to keep her voice light and casual.

"Oh I know," another one of the fashion girls, this one's name was Marcy, she was pretty sure, joined in the conversation. "He's just so... uck, I don't even know!"

"Alien?" Tracy/Trisha supplied. Marcy nodded. Roxanne narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Metro Man is alien too, and you didn't have a problem with him." Please let Megamind be taking his time with the drinks, she thought. He doesn't need this.

"Metro Man was much better looking, and a total charmer to boot." Marcy fanned her face with her polished hand, fluttering overly made-up eyelashes like she was going to swoon at the thought of him.

Another girl, an intern, Roxanne guessed, added, "Yeah, Metro Man was super hot. Not weird like Megamind. I mean, to start, he's effin blue."

"I just don't know how you could like him," Tracy/Trisha laid a sympathetic hand on Roxanne, as if she believed her to be sick or mentally unstable. "It's too bad about Metro Man, he could have saved you from this embarrassing relationship."

"Yes, anything to keep you from being seen in public with that freak. It was bad enough when he kidnapped you, but now that you're with him willingly..." Marcy trailed off, suddenly searching her little clutch purse with far too much interest. "Anyway, I think I need to visit the powder room, if you'll excuse me..."

"I'll join you," Tracy/Trisha squawked. The intern didn't even try excusing herself, hurrying off with the other two. Roxanne didn't bother to hide her fury at their retreating backs. She turned, cringing internally. Megamind, wordlessly handed her a glass of eggnog, looking determinedly un-crushed.

"How much of that did you hear?" Roxanne asked quietly. He studied his glass.

"Enough. I can leave, if it's too embarrassing for you." His voice was curiously nonchalant, as if he was talking to her about the weather, or maybe robots. She wondered how many of the off-color comments he had heard throughout the night he actually considered to be true.

She grabbed his wrist and actually growled. "No, don't leave. Urg, those three, I swear. Completely uncalled for. Rude, that's what that was." he quirked the corners of his mouth up politely. "Here, give me your gun for just a second, I'll be right back."

"Roxanne," his smile lightened to normal. "Really, don't worry about it. I've heard much worse. You can't be mad when you have eggnog anyway, see?" He took a sip of his demonstratively. "Oh wow, this stuff is much better than the prison kind." Her heart, already tight from her previous conversation, squeezed even more. She took a sip of her own drink, not really tasting it.

"This sucks, let's get out of here." He looked surprised. "The party, not the eggnog."

"Oh, right." he chewed his lip briefly, staring into her eyes. "You don't have to leave because of me. I'll be fine."

"I want to leave," she said, her heart fracturing at his sincerity. "I've had enough of this fancy-schmancy party."

"Okay," he agreed, a little too happily, setting his unfinished eggnog on a nearby table. Roxanne did the same and grabbed his hand, grinning conspiratorially at him. They tip-toed along the wall, pretending to sneak out just a little too outrageously, Roxanne leading the way. Suddenly Megamind grabbed her arm with his other hand and pulled her aside. They ended up in the coat closet.

"What?" she whispered, leaning into his chest. Megamind cleared his throat.

"Nothing, it's just there's some guy out there who won't leave me alone. He should pass soon."

"A bad guy? One of the convicts?" Roxanne giggled, unexpectedly excited at the thought of danger. Megamind raised an eyebrow at her, then shifted uncomfortably.

"No, it was some guy I pulled out of that apartment fire last month. He keeps finding me and wanting to shake my hand, buy me a drink, get an autograph, on and on and on, he's relentless."

"Wait," Roxanne let out a stream of giggles again. "You're hiding from a fanboy? Someone who wants to thank you?" The door opened as someone reached in for a jacket, and Megamind pulled her into the rack of coats, tweed and wool falling around their heads like a tent.

"It's very uncomfortable!" Megamind insisted. "Insults are easy. Compliments are different." Her eyes were level with his lopsided tie, a peek of his blue neck showing underneath at the open button, and suddenly Roxanne realized that she wasn't just casually dating this man anymore. She gasped in comprehension, and looked up at him. He was watching her, uncertainty still in those big green eyes, the sleeve of a jacket trailing over his head. He had no idea. Well, neither had she, until a few seconds ago, but that wasn't the point. She had fallen for him, hard.

Holy hell. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself closer. His eyes drifted shut, one of his long hands reaching up to cup the side of her face as she kissed him. There was a spark of energy between them, and she bit into his lip enthusiastically. She had meant for the kiss to be soft and healing, sort of an 'I'm sorry for everything you've had to deal with tonight' kind of kiss, but it had transformed into an 'Oh my god, I think I'm in love with you' kind of kiss. At least for her. She felt like she couldn't get enough of him, and he was kissing back with mild surprise and equal energy, like he hadn't expected her to kiss him after everything but was happy it happened anyway. She pushed him into the coats and hangars screeched overhead. He grinned, his teeth against her tongue, as he braced himself. There was the sound of the door opening and closing again, but Roxanne could barely pause, wrapping herself more around his sharp frame and kissing him relentlessly.

They both yelped as he lost his footing and they tumbled onto the carpet, coats falling around them. She landed on top of him, and would have just continued to make out with him had not someone opened the door to investigate. And Roxanne would have just given a 'get the hell outta here' glare until the person left if it had not been her boss. He grinned as Roxanne shot up to her knees, tugging her dress into place and blushing. Megamind wormed his way out from under her, blushing violet as well but grinning as her helped pull her to her feet.

"Just looking for her coat," Megamind practically laughed, and like magic he simply plucked it off the rack and draped it in her arms.

"Oh there it is!" she gasped, floundering to put it on so she could hide her very hot face. She swore she heard her boss chuckle. "Thank-you-for-getting-me-that-Megs-you-should-grab-yours-oh-you-have-it-now-okay-let's-go-bye-Mr.-Vandelay-wonderful-party-I'll-see-you-Monday!" She tugged Megamind's hand and nearly ran out the door. Behind her she knew her boss was laughing.

"The eggnog was lovely!" Megamind yelled over his shoulder as they sprinted out into the night.


They walked back to her apartment, swinging their clasped hands between them like schoolchildren. Carlos had given his best performance yet, somehow managing to both open the door for her and dive for cover at the same time. They laughed somewhat evilly the whole way up on the elevator at the look on his face, Roxanne holding the rail for support and Megamind more watching her than laughing.

He twirled her into her apartment after she unlocked the door, and there she was, for the second time that night wrapped in his arms and staring at his clumsily knotted tie and undone button. "We never danced," she mourned as he stripped off his jacket and helped her with hers.

"I don't dance," Megamind tossed their coats on the back of a chair, carefully arranging hers so it didn't fall. Roxanne smirked at the back of his head.

"What the hell are you talking about? You dance all the time." She placed one hand on her hip as he turned around, and he glanced briefly at it before meeting her eyes. She quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting for his explanation.

"I don't dance, I rock out," he said seriously. Roxanne laughed, her stomach aching after all the un-ladylike guffawing she had been doing all night, and grabbed her stereo remote from the kitchen counter. Megamind pouted for a second, his eyes shining as he tried not to laugh along with her. She flicked through radio stations until she found an appropriate slow song.

"Dance with me," she said, her voice surprisingly soft. She grabbed his arms and tugged him into the center of her living room. He stood there doubtfully as she placed one of his hands on her waist and the other grasped in hers. He swayed as she swayed, smiling at each other.

To give Megamind some credit, he picked up things very fast. Before the end of the song they we sashaying around her couch like they had been dance partners for years. "Don't dance, ha," Roxanne snorted at him. He dipped her in perfect Hollywood style in response and she squeaked, sliding her arms around his neck. His tie flopped by her nose and he gave her that face-splitting grin (that she had fallen in love with?), both of them breathless when he pulled her upright. The song ended and another one started up; he kept up a slow side to side motion, his long fingers on the spine of her lower back, her arms dangling on his shoulders. Roxanne had never quite understood the phrase 'lost in your eyes' until this moment, his were just so green and full of adoration and devotion.

His eyes flicked down to her lips. She watched his adam's apple bob as he swallowed, his own lips parting ever so slightly. He leaned in and she let him close the gap between them. His eyes flicked up, once, twice, checking that she was okay with him kissing her. Roxanne couldn't help it, her eyes drifted shut as he carefully captured her mouth with his, his arms sliding up her back. He kept the kiss sweet and soft, like they were back at her work party in the middle of the ballroom.

She was in love with Megamind. There was no way she could go from making out in a closet to dancing in her living room like they were in junior high to a kiss this simple and perfect all in one night without her being totally, completely in love with him. She started to deepen the kiss and he complied, suddenly infused with the same kind of energy she had back among other people's coats. His fingertips tickled the bare skin by her shoulder blades, and she gasped lightly at the thrill. Megamind skipped over her pause impatiently by moving kisses along her cheek to her neck, sucking on the skin at the corner of her jaw. She nuzzled into him as he slid his mouth down her neck, her arms holding him even closer. A small part of her was jealous that he had managed to chew on her neck before she had gotten to his. He nipped at her collarbone and she locked one leg over his hip, arching her back into him.

There was an explosion somewhere in the city and they both jumped. Megamind's grip on her switched from passionate to protective, swinging her away from the blast. Over his shoulder Roxanne watched a fireball blossom between brownstones, smoke curling upwards, dyed orange with the fire. He turned and watched it as well, his breathing hot and ragged on her temple.

"Was that... the hotel?" Roxanne's fingers curled into Megamind's shirt, knowing what was coming but unwilling all the same.

"Hey, it wasn't me." Megamind unwound his arms from her and plucked her hands from his shoulders. "Hero time, love." He placed a quick, playful kiss on her temple and bounced out onto her balcony where he had left his rocketbike earlier that evening.

"What-" Roxanne's hands grabbed slowly at the air where he had stood moments before, thrown by his last word. "Wait-" whatever she was going to say next was drowned out by the roar of his bike as he zoomed out over the city. She stumbled outside, feeling like she was swimming through molasses. He flashed around the corner of a skyscraper, the light from the explosion already dying out, the wail of sirens permeating the ringing in her ears and the soft melody on her stereo inside.


Long fingers brushed her bangs out of her face and Roxanne woke up with a jolt. The outline of Megamind was bent over her, his face lost in shadow. She shot up to a sitting position on her couch, narrowly missing his large skull with her own. Since when had her apartment gotten so dark?

"You didn't have to wait up for me," Megamind said quietly as she rubbed her eyes and searched for a light, frustrated at herself for falling asleep.

"What happened? Are you okay?" her voice was scratchy with exhaustion and worry as she slapped the lamp next to her couch on. Megamind blinked in the light, smiling tiredly at her.

"It seems I can't go to fancy things without ruining something. Someone heard I was at your gala and came looking for me." Roxanne looked over his entire frame with narrowed eyes. He raised his hands to reassure her. "Don't worry, I got him and everyone's fine. He was no match for Megamind: Incredibly Handsome Master of all-"

Roxanne cut right through his preening, knowing by now that most of his grandiose blather was actually used to hide his self consciousness. "What about you? Are you okay?" Other than his tie scorched and missing a few inches on the end, he appeared untouched. She frowned at the smoking ends swinging in front of her face. She had picked that tie out just for him. Green, like his eyes, although she had said it was to match her dress (which was also was chosen specifically for the shade).

Megamind scoffed. "Of course I'm okay." She glared up at him. He had his hands on his skinny hips, that slightly egotistical sneer from his villain days playing around his eyebrows, his cheeks flushed with adrenaline. At her glare however, the conceited air faded around him. "So, interesting night," he said awkwardly, straightening slowly. "Now that you're awake and mad at me for some reason that I have no idea about, I think I'm gonna go..."

Roxanne rubbed tiredly at a smear of mascara under her eyes, then reached up an yanked on his ruined tie, dragging him down to her. "Ack! See, that's what I mean about these little nooses being death traps-" his complaint cut short when he landed on top of her, his knees flanking her hips.

"Megamind," Roxanne snarled, pulling on his tie until he was level with her. His eyes widened. "Shut up already." She smashed her lips into his, holding his tie taunt to keep him in place. He braced his hands on the back of her couch, practically growling into his kiss. She slid her hands up the tie, undid the knot and whipped it off in one smooth motion, moving to unbutton his shirt. On either side of her head his hands trembled as his elbows turned to jell-o. She finished with the buttons and ran her palms up his bare abdomen, feeling his muscles tighten under her touch. He groaned, his elbows thumping into the back of the couch as he pushed his body into her hands and she sucked on his lower lip. His skin was hot, like he had been standing in flames, and her cool hands left shivers and goosebumps in their wake.

Roxanne twisted her body, guiding him with her hands as she pushed him into her couch. He looked up at her with dark eyes as she shifted between his legs. The contrast of his open white shirt strewn around his torso made the blue of his skin seem richer and darker, more of an indigo than his usual shade of sky blue. She traced a finger up from his belly button, moving across his ribs and muscles that weren't quite the same shape as a human, drawing herself up to him to kiss him again.

She let herself lay on top of him, not really caring that her dress was up around her hips as she kissed all sense out of him. His hands were gripping her waist, still gentlemanly in touching her. She switched to sucking on his fabulous neck, her hands groping his sides and shoulders desperately. His ribs were still exposed and visible, despite the double effort of Minion and now Roxanne to stuff as much unhealthy food into him as possible. It made Roxanne's heart ache a little at how emaciated he was; how she had never noticed; how his hands were so gentle and feather light on her like she was made of paper, rubbing the material of her skirt between his fingers. She chewed on his neck right were it met his left shoulder, determined to make a mark. Her body pressed into his bare chest, the heat radiating off his skin seeping into her stomach. Why was he so damn hot? He moaned softly as she skimmed her hands up to his head, feeling his forehead and rubbing his scalp, both of which were just as hot as the rest of his body. His hands trailed from her waist to her shoulder blades, his fingers plucking at the zipper on the back of her dress.

"Megamind," she mumbled into his neck, and instantly his hands left the zipper on her dress. She pulled herself up to eye level with him, her nose brushing his. He looked a little sad, wetting his lips almost nervously, like he was expecting her to push him away. "Megamind," I love you. "Why are you so hot?" she said instead.

Of course, this was the only time he translated her statement into something not literal, and a smug smirk flickering across his face. "Oh, you find me hot, Miss Ritchi?" he said with that villain drawl she hadn't heard in a while. "You find me terrifyingly handsome, do you?" She blushed and he raised an eyebrow at her, twisting a strand of her hair in his fingertips at the back of her head.

"Yes, but that's not what I was trying to say," she lifted herself off of him more as his smile widened. "You're really hot. Like a fever or something." She placed a hand on his bare chest again, then felt his forehead with the back of her hand.

He frowned. "I don't feel sick."

She pushed herself up to a kneeling position between his legs, puzzled. "Maybe you're having some sort of heat stroke. How long were you in the fire?"

He sat up next to her, rubbing his arms self-consciously. "I don't know, a few minutes maybe?" He paused, and Roxanne could practically see him counting in his enormous head. "Seventeen minutes and forty-three seconds." Against her will, Roxanne inhaled sharply. It was easy to forget he was an entirely different species than herself when she was making out with him in a closet or on her couch; but little details like remembering the exact amount of seconds in an inferno was something no human could ever do. "I was in and out five times though." Megamind offered, misinterpreting her gasp.

Roxanne rubbed her neck and let out a breath, looking out her window towards where the hotel had been. The reflection of her and Megamind crouched on her red couch stared back at her, both of them looking slightly ruffled with their dress clothes in haphazard states of half-off. How had she let this happen, falling in love with a villain-turned-hero; someone who could count every second even as he pulled people who hours earlier had whispered scornfully behind his back out of rubble and fire? Someone who once tied her up and threatened her life frequently, who now hesitated before every touch of her? Someone who could calculate quantum mechanics, but couldn't even pronounce hello on the phone?

"Roxanne?" Megamind's voice was quiet as he lay a hand on her arm. It was hot and dry, the flames under his skin burning her arm. "Roxie?" She pulled out of his grasp, adjusting her dress around her as she padded to the kitchen. He dropped his hand slowly and moved to sit correctly on the couch, his head hanging low; Roxanne watched under her arm as she pulled out two bottles of water from the refrigerator. He looked up at her but didn't raise his head when she walked back over to him, handing him a bottle of water.

"Here," she said, plopping down next to him. He continued to watcher her carefully as he opened the bottle, but once he started to drink he couldn't seem to stop until it was gone. Roxanne handed him the other one and he drained that too. "I thought so."

"Wow," Megamind gasped for air. "I didn't think I was that thirsty."

Roxanne reached over to hold his face in one hand. Of course he didn't, he rarely recognized any forms of hunger or thirst, especially when he was preoccupied. At least he seemed cooler. He smiled at her touch, his hands playing with the empty bottle between his knees.

"You're... amazing. Did you know that?" she murmured. He smiled and dropped his gaze to the bottle briefly, then back up at her, his lip caught in his teeth.

"I'd be nothing without you." He said it so honestly, without any grandeur or sarcasm or self assurance, that Roxanne could feel her heart melting. She almost blurted it out, the three words she had been holding in all evening, but instead she tugged his head to her heart and hugged it. The heat soaked into her chest and she let him go.

"You should really get cooled down before you overheat that big brain of yours," she said, smiling at him. She struggled to her feet and he followed, his hands scalding at her elbow. "Yikes, Megamind." she loosened his hand from her arm, but massaged it in her own while she led the way to her bedroom, or more specifically, her bathroom. "Pay more attention next time so you don't die of heat stroke on me." She flicked on the light and nudged him into her bathroom. He stumbled in, thoroughly confused. She dug around in a drawer and produced a pair of pajama bottoms, red plaid men's ones that she liked to wear on days at home. "Here," she said, tossing the pajamas at him. "Take a cold shower until you don't feel ten degrees too hot."

"Roxanne," he said, that scientist tone taking over to cover his panic. "I highly doubt that I am more than a few degrees overheated. Ten would ultimately result-"

"Just do it," She grinned and shut the door on his ramble. She leaned on the door frame and listened to him mutter about 'Celsius vs. Fear-in-haught' until she heard the shower turn on and his speech turn into hissing at the water. She debated joining him, but an overheated Megamind in an icy shower with a naked Roxanne spelled disaster. So she changed out of her mussed dress into a silky nightgown and grabbed a sports drink from the kitchen. It wasn't until she was sinking into her covers did she remember just how tired she was. She had almost fallen asleep again when Megamind stepped out of the bathroom, her pajama pants just a little too big on him. He blinked at her, his spidery fingers finishing the tie on the waistband. Roxanne sat up and motioned for him. "C'mere."

He paused, like she had expected him to, then joined her in the center of the bed. She handed him the sports drink and he drained that too, gasping for air when it was empty. Even though the light was low, he still looked less flushed than before, more sky than that deep indigo. Roxanne felt the side of his face and tossed the empty bottle on her nightstand. "You seem cooler. Do you feel cooler?"

He grinned at her with quirked eyebrows. "My dear, I am always cool."

"Hmm. Well, good." she said in her unimpressed voice, settling back under the covers and offering him a spot. He slid in next to her, and she snuggled into him, tangling their legs, aligning their bodies and wrapping her arms around him. Her thin nightgown was barely a barrier between his bare chest and hers, something he must have noticed the way his breath hitched. He was still slightly too warm, but nothing compared to the fever from earlier. She nuzzled her cheek into his shoulder and sighed, closing her eyes. She could feel his kiss in her hair.

After a few minutes of silence and darkness, her voice sounded more tired and vulnerable than she expected. "Megamind?"

"Mmm?"

I love you. "Thanks for coming to my holiday party."

She could feel him smile on her forehead. "It was my pleasure."

"And Megamind?"

"Yeah?"

Just say it. "Don't... don't leave, okay?"

His breath was in her hair as he chuckled softly. "I promise I will never leave you."