AN: Another crosspost. "Got Me Trying Something New (Falling Into You)", title from Foolish by Rebecca Black, which I heavily encourage peeps to check out. The entire purpose of this was to give Perry a well-deserved day off.
You've missed this. A full day where you don't have to worry about fighting, or Evil, or paperwork. It's been entirely too long since you've had a chance to rest, and you plan to make the most of it.
The question is, how.
If Phineas and Ferb were here, you'd be spending the day in the back yard with them while they built some new amazing thing, but they have school today. Candace too. And Linda's bustling around the house as she deals to chores, so you can't even sneak in an episode or three of your stories. Unless...
You sigh. Might as well see if Doctor D's available.
The familiar hoverjet drive to his building is easy, as if your paws are on automatic, except the part where you spend the usual fifteen minutes finding a park. Atrocious, that's what it is. Maybe you should ask him for a reserved park. You're over here often enough, it'd save you from being late again.
Thankfully, the elevator's empty today, so you take the opportunity to smooth down your fur where the wind ruffled it and adjust the spotless brown fedora perched on your head.
You're not sure when you became so vain about your appearance. It never mattered when you were thwarting him, but now that you're navigating friendship with your nemesis it feels somehow important to make a good impression, even though you know he's seen worse. (That scheme with the mud-)
It's not until you see his door that you remember his job as a high school teacher, glancing at your watch for the time. Still mid-morning, he's probably still there, but you've come this far so you knock anyway. Norm'll be glad to see you.
There's a muffled crash and then the door opens to Doctor D's usual complaining. "Can't a guy spend his day off in peace- Oh, Perry the Platypus, how unexpected. And I really do mean unexpected, I thought you'd be, you know, thwarting someone else, someone who's not me, since I'm Good now, you remember that right?"
You do. (Every day, every time you fight some new evil scientist who doesn't measure up to him-)
"I mean I know you do, you were there. Things were so much easier when I was Evil though, I could be doing nothing and they'd still send you over- Is that why you're here?"
No, you just enjoy his company.
Which you'd've meant sarcastically, once upon a time, but nowadays you actually sort of do. You're not just a platypus to him; you're his best friend, you save him when something goes wrong, and you will always be his nemesis. Even now that you're fighting someone else, you're his nemesis first and foremost.
"Well, come on in," he says, opening the door wider. There's a soft smile on his face, one that's only started appearing in the last few weeks, full of the childlike wonder you know he'd thought he'd lost. (If his parents could see their son now-)
You tip your hat to him as you walk through, because it's only polite, and pick your way through the partially-dismantled remains of traps until you reach a clear spot.
When you turn back to face him, he's rubbing at the back of his neck. "Sorry about the mess, Perry the Platypus, I just figured since I'm not Evil I don't need them any more, you know? That and your face last week when you showed up for bowling and got caught in one was, well. You can be rather scary when you want to be." Is that what he calls it? "I was scared," he says petulantly, folding his arms. "Terrifed. Shaking in my boots, well, shoes, same thing right? Don't look at me like that, it's only reasonable to be scared of the guy who used to punch your face in every day. Anywho, can I get you anything? Tea?"
A cup of tea sounds like a great idea. You smile at him to say so, because as frustrating as he is he really does try, and he immediately brightens.
"Good! Good, I'll go get that for you. Oolong, right? You just wait there, Perry the Platypus, I'll be right back." And with that, he steps confidently through the maze of platypus traps with the ease of familiarity and disappears into the kitchen.
It's reassuring to know that hasn't changed. So many things have, recently, and it's been a struggle to keep up with it all. New agents to train, new evil scientists to thwart, new hours. But your nemesis is the same ridiculous man he's always been, and you can't help but be grateful for that.
He sticks his head out through the doorway, grinning at you like nothing's changed at all. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, I'll be there in a second."
Who are you to say no to that? You pull yourself up onto the couch next to his usual spot, switching on the tv with the remote he'd left on the armrest. It doesn't take long before you've found the right channel and settled in for a quiet afternoon of Neighbours.
Dropping into the spot next to you, he presses a miraculously unspilt mug of tea into your paws, his own arm wrapped around a large bowl of popcorn. "Really, Perry the Platypus? You're watching Neighbours? I thought you had taste."
You roll your eyes at him, reaching over to grab a pawful of popcorn. The smell of your tea surrounds you, and you lift it to your bill and inhale slowly, eyes closed. Lemon tea today. Looks like your nemesis doesn't have taste either. Not that that's a surprise, with some of the abominations you've seen him wear. (The Socky Shocky Suity-)
Although he does look snazzy in a suit. You glance at him out of the corner of your eye. The usual lab coat hangs off his shoulders, concealing his lean frame, but it's easy to picture him in a fitted jacket instead, strutting around like-
"-Perry the Platypus? Are you even listening to me?"
Your gaze snaps to his face. One eyebrow's raised, his lips have quirked into an amused smile, and you can't help but think he's oddly handsome for a human with that long nose of his. The light of the tv shines off his deep blue eyes, and- and you're distracted again. You roll your eyes for a second time, flicking a piece of popcorn at him.
He catches it in his teeth, and you're torn between irritation and grudging respect. Grudging, because you wanted to hit him in the eye with it. After all, no matter what happens, he'll always be your nemesis.
"I said," he says, through another mouthful of popcorn, "Home And Away is better. You know they have the thing with the River Boys?"
No. You did not know that. Nor do you care. (Aside from the way you care enough about him to listen-) Not a chance. He's not changing your mind.
Apparently he realises that, because he doesn't force the issue. Instead, he leans back in his seat, propping his feet up on the table, long legs on full display. Completely at ease. He's grown so much more confident since you first met him, and it suits him.
Meeting your eyes, he grins.
You roll your eyes again and turn back to the tv, letting yourself settle into your seat. Ridiculous man.
It starts with his arm around your shoulders.
The weight is comforting, and you lean into him automatically, letting out a contented sigh. Why wouldn't you? He's nice and warm and solid under you, plus you can reach the popcorn better this way. And if he wants to brush his hands through your fur while you're here, you're not going to stop him.
"You're so tense, Perry the Platypus. Here, let me help-" and he pulls you into his lap, warm hands settling around your shoulders.
You go to growl at him (the audacity of it-), but he digs his thumbs into your muscles and it turns into a groan midway through. Those hands of his are magic. Somehow he knows exactly how much pressure you need, working out the knots in your back with his expert fingers, drawing out the tension you'd come to believe was normal until you feel lighter than air.
Next thing you know, he's pulled you to his chest, fingers combing through your chestfur. "This is better, isn't it?" he murmurs, tipping your head back. "I guess you really needed it, huh?" Yes, yes you did. His fingers skate over your exposed neck and back down, smoothing down your fur, and you're floating so far outside your own body that you barely feel the touch of his lips on your bill.
And yet, it's unmistakable.
Cracking one eye open, you raise an eyebrow. Did he think you wouldn't notice? This ridiculous man you call your nemesis has all the subtlety of a giant red self-destruct button and an explosion of fireworks, of the stories on the tv you'd stopped paying attention to a while ago, of a punch to the face.
You twist, pressing your mouth to his, a paw settling easily on his warm human cheek. Kissing him. Is this what you wanted? (How long have you wanted-) Maybe it's not just friendship you're navigating.
Before you have the time to think through the implications, he cups his hand around your jaw. "You know, I never thought- I mean, it doesn't matter, really." He sighs, but there's a hint of a smile in it too, an assurance that you didn't cross an unspoken line. "Thank you, Perry the Platypus."
AN: Before anyone asks, I do not have any stake in the Neighbours vs Home And Away rivalry, I actually don't like either of them. The mention of the River Boys is entirely because I kept seeing ads about some arc involving them when I was first drafting this.