:D Hay gaiz. As sort of promised, I didn't wait a friggen year to upload another chapter this time. It's only been a little more than a month, in fact! Technically, I'm on a roll. That's the scientific term, noonecansayotherwise.

Also, I do realize that my chapters are pretty short, but that's really just how I operate. I write a scene, and then I kinda have to give myself some time to recharge for the next. Annoying, maybe, but hey. - u- If it works, it works. I'll try to work on it though. x3


"If we're going to do this though, we're doing it on my terms," Kim said, crossing her arms sternly over her chest.

Shego gave her an amused look, but inclined her head without argument. "Sure pumpkin, whatever you want."

The redhead glanced at Shego suspiciously, not entirely sure if she was being mocked or not. "Hm. First of all, stop with the pet names." Shego smiled placidly at that, a look that clearly told Kim that that wasn't going to happen. Ah well. It was worth a try; not worth kicking up a fuss about though. "Second, your powers are off limits." Kim watched Shego for a reaction, but there was none beyond a slight shrugging of the villain's shoulders. She had expected some snide comment about her being afraid, or having lost her old nerve, and was slightly surprised that none was forthcoming. "Third," she went on after a moment, "The winner will be the one to pin the other for at least five seconds." Shego smirked at that, and Kim grimaced in return, vastly unsettled by the predatory look in the woman's eyes.

"I accept your terms," said Shego, the mockery laid bare in her tone this time.

Kim rolled her eyes in irritation. "Great," she muttered, "Let's get this over with." She stood abruptly and turned away from the table, heading for the door. "C'mon then," she said, beckoning back at Shego without turning around, "There's a rather convenient alleyway around back of this place. Not many windows looking down on it."

"My, my, isn't someone rather well informed," Shego murmured, her voice just barely audible.

Kim paused, not sure how she was supposed to take the comment. She decided that it was probably harmless. "Well. I like to know the place I'm living in," she said simply. Despite not really being the crime fighting business anymore, Kim still often acted as though she was. She liked to know all the ins and outs of any place she stayed in. She'd mainly picked this second story apartment because of that back alley. She had a small window looking out over it, just big enough for her to fit through. A drainpipe was placed to the right of the window, making it an excellent escape route, should the need ever arise. Not that she'd anticipated that she'd ever have to use it. Still. Didn't hurt to be careful.

Silently, she led Shego back down the stairs outside of her apartment, and onto the sidewalk below. With a few quick glances around to make sure that there were no observers, the redhead stole furtively into the alleyway, trusting Shego to follow. The last thing Kim needed was for the police to be called on this ridiculous fight. Luckily, it was quite late at this point, and although the nearby streetlamps kept the road from being completely swallowed in the dark, there would be few people out and about in this area anyways.

"Well then…" Kim began hesitantly, swinging around to face the villain and suddenly feeling slightly awkward about the whole scenario. It was incredibly surreal. Luckily, or perhaps not so luckily, Shego gave her little time to feel awkward. Somehow, the woman had already managed to slip out of her restrictive jacket, which now lay discarded on the concrete, and had moved in much closer than was ideal for Kim's health.

Startled, Kim half-stumbled backwards, feeling waves of irritation wash over her. Partly at Shego, but mostly at her own stupidity and slowness. She should have anticipated this; even if she hadn't, she shouldn't be as taken aback by it as she was. The old her would have never let her guard down like that. Not around Shego. The redhead gritted her teeth, an image of a gloating, smug Shego in her mind's eye. The villain's earlier insults and doubting of her abilities still rang clearly in her ears. Fueled by her frustration, Kim managed to turn her backwards fumble into a smooth back-flip, landing soundly back on her feet as Shego continued her assault.

"Not too bad Kimmie," Shego said, "But not too good either. Rather sloppy."

Kim only had a moment to feel indignant before Shego was on the offensive once again, forcing her to focus on fending off the attack. It felt like her foe was everywhere at once. Despite this, Kim was relieved to find that she wasn't being overwhelmed; she could handle this. It was just a matter of re-learning, or rather remembering the steps to the dance, so long ago pushed to a dim corner of her memory. She became suddenly aware of her muscles and bones, contracting and springing forward at her whim, falling swiftly and comfortably into the familiar cadence. Finally, her rhythm reclaimed, she retaliated, striking back decisively against the older woman, and forcing her back a step. Shego looked up grinning, and Kim felt her rapidly beating heart constrict slightly at the sight.

"Finally," Shego murmured, her teeth still bared in a menacing smile.

Kim stared at her for a moment in slight bewilderment, but couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her own face. Realizing this, and not wanting her opponent to do the same, the redhead swiftly threw a kick Shego's way, forcing her into a rapid retreat. "Fucking Shego," Kim said, still smiling, despite herself. She wasn't even sure that she felt that same passionate bliss at the moment, as she had in past fights with the woman. The smile that had found its way on to her face seemed misplaced, somehow. It was odd. The annoyance she had felt earlier was still present, but something else was building slowly as she fought. It was hard to put a finger on the emotion. Resentment? Anger? She felt tears prick her eyes as the sensation grew, though she quickly blinked them away as she threw even more effort into her and Shego's battle.

Regardless of Kim's efforts, Shego seemed to sense the change in the former hero's mood, and, frowning, asked, "Something the matter Kim?" For once, Shego didn't employ the use of any pet names, but somehow this only made the redhead's temper darker.

"Nothing Shego," Kim said bitterly, the words short and spat out stiffly as the two continued their struggle.

"Come now pumpkin," Shego teased, almost gently, "You've never been a very good liar."

Kim bit into her lip painfully, not sure what to say. She wasn't even sure what was wrong with her, or how she could articulate it. Or if she truly wanted to. Looking up into Shego's face and meeting her bright, mischief-filled eyes, suddenly Kim found the words, and they came spilling out all at once while her vision was once again flooded with tears.

"How… How could you just leave?" Kim burst out, attacking Shego with renewed viciousness, "Never send me a letter. Never stop in to say hello. Never give me any reason to believe that you were even alive."
She only dimly realized how pathetic she sounded, but it was too late to stop the flow of words now. "You leave with no word, and now you just… Show up here! Acting as though nothing's changed!" Kim was almost shouting as her tears threatened to spill over.

"Everything's changed Shego. You left me all alone, and I just… I can't play your stupid games forever." Her shouting had diminished quickly to an almost-whisper. "I was supposed to move on with my life…"

During Kim's outburst, their fight had almost come to a standstill, with the two locked in a stalemate. Now Shego, who had remained eerily silent throughout the whole exchange, feinted and caught Kim off guard, her vision still blurry from her near brush with weeping. Quickly, Shego knocked the redhead off balance, and proceeded to catch her pin-wheeling wrists in her hands, shoving her back against the cold brick wall with her arms caught soundly above her head.

Kim watched wide-eyed as Shego moved in far too close, her smirking visage blocking out everything around them.

Oh, she though faintly, closing her eyes, So that's it. This is another dream.

Except that it wasn't. A moment after she closed them, the redhead's eyes shot back open as Shego's soft, but incredibly demanding mouth met hers. She panicked, her eyes staring into the villain's, who winked infuriatingly, her green eyes glittering with roguish delight before she closed them, deepening the kiss as Kim offered minimal resistance. Soon, the redhead found her own eyes fluttering shut again, focused only on the feeling of Shego's tongue snaking its way in between her teeth and back again. She'd never properly allowed herself to fantasize about kissing the villain, but if she had, she would have imagined it exactly like this.

It felt like an hour passed in those five seconds, the time slowing down to accommodate Kim's shameful, buried wish that it never end.
Finally though, Shego broke the deep embrace, smiling and looking incredibly satisfied with herself as she licked her lips.

"I win, pumpkin."