A/N: To hear me singing this song (albeit badly), you may go to tinypic . com /r /fu0uqh/6 [remove spaces].
He had met her on Karaoke Night.
Some blue-skinned villain had just finished singing some Oh Boyz song (Horrible had covered his ears then; some people were just not meant to sing) and then it was his turn. He stepped up to the small stage and took the microphone from its stand.
Five years ago he would have had to clear his throat nervously and would have shuffled awkwardly around on the stage, waiting for the music. No, scratch that, five years ago he wouldn't have been near a stage. Performing, that is. The attempted murder thing didn't really count.
...Even if he had been singing at the time.
But he was stronger now. No stage fright.
The music began to play softly in the background as Dr. Horrible looked out to the audience.
And saw her.
He froze, mentally and physically, but somehow his lips formed the lyrics of their own volition, his voice coming through the speakers clearly. And on-key.
We've both been through this before
A love that never stays
We both want something more
But in time the urge, it fades
He felt so foolish all of a sudden. Why in the world had he chosen this song, of all songs, a love song?! He swallowed in the pause between stanzas.
The hurt will never leave
The numbness will remain
And though we each will grieve
We bear a blood-red stain
He looked down at his lab coat, but his eyes didn't linger. Ah, yes. Because of the sick appropriateness of the lyrics.
A few chords beat into his mind and he picked up the tempo, keeping his eyes on the mic.
But we are strong!
We'll never grow weary
We've kept up the fight for this long
Our world might seem dreary, but
Maybe all we need is
A second chance, another go
As opportunities greet us,
We have the power to make it so
Take the bull by the horns,
And get up again
Take the world by storm
We can make it happen
Make us happen
The music slowed and he took a breath.
You and I can redefine
The social norms that keep us trapped
Show the earth our paradigm
Who says we won't laugh last?
As the music faded, his eyes somehow settled on the woman again. He felt disturbingly Billy-like as he stepped off the stage and into the crowd, ignoring the polite clapping of the musically evil community.
She smiled at him, he noticed, and he smiled back.
Toward the end of the evening, he finally worked his nerve up. He went to her table. And offered to buy her a drink.
She looked nothing like Penny. Her facial features were softer, for one thing. Plus, she was wearing a mask. She had long, dark brown hair that was pulled up out of her face and had a good deal more make up on than Penny had ever used.
She looked up at him from her seat, and he was surprised by the mixed look of respect, surprise, and... was she pleased? He ignored it--He must have imagined it.
But she nodded at his invitation, and he sat down in the chair opposite her at the small table. And they started talking.
She had nothing to do with charity work. She was angry at the world--that's why she was a villainess. And she didn't really get the whole mad science thing. But they agreed that the system was broken, that social change had to happen.
They had something else in common. They'd both been hurt before. And, of course, they both declined to reveal much about it. They were in a dangerous business for secret-sharing with strangers, after all.
He didn't leave the table until it was closing time. But he was sure he'd see her again. He chuckled, a little more giddily than he'd have liked. After all, he had her phone number, scrawled on the creased paper that was clenched tightly in his hand.
Driving home alone that Friday night, for the first time in five years... He realized. He was finally over her.
He expected a worse emptiness in his chest than he'd ever had, once that realization came. But that wasn't what he felt.
It was a soft contentment that spread over him like a blanket.
A/N: Slightly cheesy? But the lyrics are mine. ;) Could you tell a couple references I sneaked in there? Ask me if you don't see 'em. :D