Hindering Hands Part 2
Drakken had been glad his return to the lab had not been met with any remarks or comments...although he'd had the urge to test out their unused water basin below the lab and see if Mego could swim or not... But since Mego had busied himself with breaking down the readable results, Drakken focused on his little machine.
He glared at it.
He had no idea what he was doing other than splicing things together and hoping it would work. He reached for his water bottle that had sat since his return only to find it missing. Drakken spun around in his chair to glare at Mego who was humming something under his breath.
"Did you drink my water?" asked Drakken. Mego looked up.
"No," Mego rolled his eyes. "Maybe you forgot it upstairs... I'm sure you weren't that focused on holding onto it."
Drakken ignored him and turned around to see the now empty bottle...and felt a coldness running down his back. Drakken reached behind his neck and felt the now wet streak on his coat as he felt the tingle down his spine as Flower retreated. Drakken let out a frustrated sigh and got up.
"I'll be back," he grumbled under his breath, the discomfort of moisture pooling in the lining of his coat winning over his focus.
"How long is this lunch break going to last?" smirked Mego. Drakken glared. "Should I leave—"
"Yes."
"For...food," Mego glared. "I feel undervalued here. I mean I could head back to Go City and you can finish the rest of the tests...since it's not a priority apparently."
Drakken wanted nothing more than to wave Mego off as the man crossed his arms and glared. Drakken could run the tests...but it would take him twice as long and he wouldn't know how to read them as quickly as Mego apparently could. It had taken the superhero less than ten minutes to read the spore counts and assess their danger level as minimum... Drakken would have concluded the same...a few hours later. Then Mego's last words echoed in his head.
"It is a priority," sighed Drakken. "The spores still need further testing and at some point...should probably test Shego to make sure she isn't in danger."
"I doubt it," shrugged Mego. "It hasn't affected me and I've been running daily samples... but I'm only around it...not...having lunch with it...or dessert."
Drakken raised a brow as he began to walk up the steps. He was three steps up when the meaning clicked and he felt a swirl of anger and embarrassment. He spun around to face Mego over the railing and nearly tripped on the step.
"I went up there for actual lunch," snapped Drakken. He felt flustered. "That was— There was no— There is no dessert."
Mego's snort of laughter did nothing to make Drakken feel less flustered, but it must have hit anger more than he thought because Flower reappeared and moved towards Mego at an alarming rate. Mego shrunk out of its way and glared.
"I was only joking, calm down," he scoffed. "Geesh, clearly there's been no dessert, such built up hostility in this place. First Shego attacks me because I ask her a simple question and I've been dodging the daisy since I got here— Hey!"
Flower swiped at him again.
"It's a Mandevilla!" hissed Drakken. "I am going to get water now. I will be back in a few minutes."
He made it a point to hurry the moment he got off the elevator, even ignoring the smell of food cooking and temptation to inquire about what Shego had made...simply to avoid more unwanted conversation topics and suggestive food references...or the water basin would definitely be tested.
Shego lay on the deck in the nice warm sun with more annoyance than she normally would have. She'd gotten up early that morning to the flowers now hanging into her room as if she'd given them an invite just from one day of shelter. Truthfully it hadn't bothered her, which was more concerning to her. She couldn't understand why she was so inclined to dismiss their sentience...tied to Drakken or not.
"Clearly been around Drakken too long," she snorted. She watched as the flowers that had begun tickling more to the inside of the lair began to recede. "Uhg, I'm joking... You must get your sensitivity from your creator."
Shego watched as the plants drifted back to where they had been previously. She watched them settle and she let out a deep sigh. She wasn't going to lie to herself; they were still unsettling in a way but she was not as unwelcoming of them. It appeared Drakken did in fact have majority control over them...in some way. They had closed the window like she had asked with only mild moisture on her floor the other day.
She looked at the one nearest her.
"So, since you're open...he's awake, right?" Shego asked. It didn't move but she continued. "Are your colors based on anything or just...there... Like, is pink actions and blue emotions...why am I asking a plant?"
"It's very concerning."
Shego jumped at the voice and for a split second feared the plants had started talking until she heard Mego burst into laughter before flopping in the chair next to her. She scowled at him before fixing her sunglasses and going back to relaxing in the sun.
"Shouldn't you be in the basement playing Igor," grumbled Shego, "or is Drakken still working on that...whatever you needed?"
"Taking a break," sighed Mego as he stretched out on the chair.
Shego glared and then smirked slowly.
"He kicked you out of the lab didn't he?" she watched Mego frown. "Well, he lasted longer than I would have."
"He tried to drop me into some water under the lab... Thought it was best to go for a walk," shrugged Mego. "Your boyfriend does not like his work being critiqued."
Shego was about to snap at her brother for using the word boyfriend, but as she opened her mouth to do so it was a sudden reality that the word wasn't exactly wrong. She instead let her smirk return and she nestled back against her chair and chose to ignore it all together.
"Hmm, can't imagine why that might not annoy someone... Seeing as it's testing his work and his DNA, isn't it?" responded Shego.
"Hey it was my work that showed he has no transitional spores and that his mutating has become stagnant," snapped Mego. "You're welcome."
Shego took off her glasses.
"You what?" asked Shego. "Drakken said they still might cause side effects."
"Doubtful... That's what his device will confirm... But he should be fine," sighed Mego. "Not that it really mattered if it did cause side effects or illness. What is it with you two, really?"
Shego was glaring back before rolling her eyes at her brother.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Shego. Her brow narrowed.
"Well I don't know... You have no idea what his mutation might do to you...but clearly from the other day's lunch time show...doesn't matter... And you might have been radioactive or something and he wouldn't get away from you or stop holding your hand... It's really concerning how little possible death concerns you."
Shego watched Mego close his eyes and take in the sun with a confused expression still on his face. Shego bit her lips as she played back the multitude of times she had been kissing Drakken since the night he'd initiated the action...even after he kept bringing up the plants. She looked at her hand in confusion. She knew what Mego was referencing even if she'd been unconscious during the time—when she'd been affected by the comet shard...and they had no idea what it was.
She knew Drakken hadn't rested much, but the idea that he'd hovered over her and held her hand despite how much damage she'd been doing to the lair... She looked at the vines and the small smile that had been curving its way across her lips fell. She'd been melting the lair and burning things, and he'd held her hand... He had sentient plants lingering around hundreds of miles away, and she'd not even held his hand in Iceland... Her mind fell back to the dinner when she'd yanked her hand away. While he seemed to not have given it a thought since, and the other day in the kitchen seemed like they were both getting over the plants...she felt slight regret at not simply indulging in something so simple and less destructive.
She became aware Mego had been rambling on and she reluctantly zoned out of her thought and back to her brother.
"So then he showed up at the hospital...my hospital," scoffed Mego.
"Who?" Shego sat back in her chair and was about to relax.
"Hush," stated Mego. "Were you not listening at all?"
Shego's eyes shot open at Mego's words.
"Wait. Hush? Our old villain? I thought he died or something?" Shego sat up. "Or at least was in hiding. After we took out Stitches...he just...vanished."
"Yeah, well he's back and solo. Hego says Stitches is still in prison," Mego shrugged. "So, anyway...as I was saying. Shows up out of the blue...and while I know my identity isn't exactly secret, most of the villains at least have respect enough nowadays not to cross that line."
"Yeah well he's not exactly a typical nowadays villain," Shego shook her head. "First Dollmaker... Now Hush. Who else is crawling out of the woodwork?"
Mego practically fell off the chair he turned so quickly, his eyes wide with terror.
"Dollmaker is back? Dollmaker?" Mego's voice was shrill, "Since when? He's supposed to be locked in the nuthouse."
Shego stared at Mego, processing the reality that she'd not bothered to inform her brothers of what had happened in Tibet. Nor of the strange connections she'd found out between old villains. She'd forgotten that it wasn't just she and Drakken having to deal with that situation...and the fact that they hadn't heard anything from their escape accomplices or others possibly involved. She pushed all that aside to deal with later as Mego shook her arm.
"Uh...yeah. So turns out that was all a set-up," Shego scoffed weakly. "Dr. Taxley or Dr. Botox as they go by rigged the whole thing up. Turns out Doll-Boy is their son."
"Dr. Taxley... Botox?" Mego looked more confused. "The same one you told me a few years back was trying to get our DNA for insidious purposes? Dollmaker is their son...and they...the mental hospital was a set up?"
"Yeah... Botox has these creepy hench-creatures...or really poor saps who crossed the wrong Dr. Frankenstein reject," scoffed Shego. "Orchestrated this whole elaborate trap at the Villain's Inn to abduct me... Luckily their weirdo creations are broken... Drakken tracked me down and we bailed. Last we saw them Global Justice was on their tail."
Shego felt her skin crawl at her words as flashes of images played behind her eyes. She felt her chest tighten as she remembered the defect with the broom, Dollmaker's hands touching her arm, Dr. Botox's words, and the mountain imploding. She felt a cold chill run up her spine as she tried to downplay what had plagued her with nightmares for weeks after.
"You were abducted by our old foe...who is related by chance to another very concerning villain...and didn't think... 'Hey...you know my brothers should know about this...you know since the last time he kidnapped me and all that happened.' That just...slipped your mind?" Mego looked a mixture of hurt and angry. "That's kind of a big deal...and I think you should have at least told me."
"I had other things going on and it was dealt with." Shego felt uncomfortable with the conversation. "It had nothing to do with you and besides, it's not like it has anything to do with Go City."
Shego decided it was a good time to take the hover car for a small shopping trip. If only to get away from the twisting feelings in her gut she was having. Mego's hand grabbed her shoulder and she fought for the second time that day not to fire a plasma blast at him. He seemed unfazed by the possible threat, his brow still furrowed.
"It had nothing to do with me?" He scoffed, "You know, maybe you just blocked out everything about Team Go or something, but I would like to think once in a while I mentally grace you with my presence in some way. Or is everything to do with Go City just clumped into a little messy box in your head?"
Shego yanked her shoulder away from Mego's hand and put her sunglasses back on.
"I'm going shopping. Let Drakken know I'll grab dinner for us." Shego moved as fast as she could without running.
All she wanted was to clear her thoughts and push the images racing through her head back into the recesses of her mind where they belonged.
Drakken grinned as he looked down at his finished device. He'd cheerfully gloat with pride...if he wasn't the only one in the lab. He heard the door open and turned quickly in excitement as he saw Mego heading down the stairs. The expression on his face indicated he'd returned in a foul mood. Drakken waited for a few seconds before holding up the device.
"I finished the modifications," he grinned, then looked more closely at Mego. "I asked you to bring me water."
"You told me to go dunk my head under water." Mego rolled his eyes. "Wasn't exactly clear instructions to get someone water. Are you done having a meltdown?"
"Depends on if you're done being melodramatic," grumbled Drakken. "As I was saying, I finished the device in mere moments without your presence deterring me...so now we should be able to test the strands together and separate—"
"It was literally my idea," whined Mego. "Do you always monologue? I feel like I'm dealing with dated villains and their long-winded dramatics."
Mego grabbed the device and flopped into the chair on his chalk-line designated side of the lab that Drakken had given him. It had been a rather heated argument about the cultures of the Petri dish once the flower appendage had decided not to cooperate after being bothered too many times. Drakken had been more angry that Mego had been correct and that he had wasted more time fighting his mutation than he really needed.
Drakken narrowed his eyes.
"I am assuming more of the upstairs is in need of repair?" asked Drakken.
"My sister's attitude," retorted Mego.
Drakken waited for a second before deciding he really didn't care what had triggered another sibling fight in the twenty minutes Mego had left the lab. He mentally checked off everything that had been done and still needed to be done and then on a second thought...began writing it down. All that was left was to use his device to split the DNA strands in order to tell how much the formula had actually altered his genetics. After that it would be easy to ensure that there would be no further mutation problems...hopefully. The spore tests were already checked off but another test would not hurt.
The last thing Drakken needed to do was get a saliva sample from Shego just to be certain there had been no concerning developments neither of them were aware of.
"Is Shego in a foul enough mood that asking her down here will result in another heated family conversation?" sighed Drakken. Mego muttered under his breath. "Because I should really test her for exposure.
"She went shopping," responded Mego. He muttered under his breath again. "Don't invite me... Don't tell me anything. That's fine."
"New question. Is whatever issue you two are having going to in any way affect me or can I just ignore the whole thing?" Drakken really hoped he could because he was going to try either way.
Mego spun around to glare at him.
"My sister was abducted by our former villain and no one thought to call us?" Mego crossed his arms. "It wasn't as if you hadn't called me for issues before. Honestly I am more angry with you...okay her...both. I'm mad at both of you."
Drakken had a mental image of the Tibetan mountain issue and the gauntlets. It had, the entire time, never occurred to him to call Shego's brothers. Though his phone had been destroyed so he wouldn't have been able to either way...
You drove over Go City.
Drakken could find many flaws in that entire venture, none of which would be of use to dwell on. Truthfully, he didn't want to... He'd had enough nightmares about what might have occurred had he not figured it out.
"It was a time sensitive situation and I wasn't aware of the full extent of it at the time." Drakken cleared his throat. "Did Shego say how long she might be?"
"Well she could have called us after and let us know our old villain was out and about and tormenting again." Mego ignored Drakken's question and threw his arms in frustration. "You know I was the one who helped take down Dollmaker when he took Shego before. Not Hego. Not the Wegos... They showed up eventually, but it was me."
Mego had stood up in his small rant and kicked the chair. Drakken watched it roll away before taking a deep breath and stopping the chair as it went by.
"Mego...remember the Petri dish discussion we had," Drakken calmly interrupted.
"I am not being melodramatic," snapped Mego. "And I was right."
"Keep telling yourself that and we can test out the water basin," glared Drakken. "How about we focus—"
"She called me about the crazy plastic surgeon trying to get our blood...but not about Dollmaker. Who is their son?" Mego clearly wasn't done with the rant as he began pacing. "Fine. Don't tell Hego or the Wegos. But me? I was the one who saw what she saw... I was the one who had nightmares just like her... I was the one who kept tabs on his institutionalization for years to make sure he never got out."
Drakken sat on his desk and waited for an opening.
"You know I'm used to being unappreciated. It's an everyday occurrence that my siblings forget just how amazing I am," scoffed Mego, "But I'd at least think there are some moments they remember my help... Like that one... And no, she didn't say when she was coming back."
"Okay... I will—"
"I mean I get it... I understand... She was probably going through some sort of emotional internal struggle after and didn't want to talk about it out loud. Fine," sighed Mego. "But just one call just to inform me— Us. I told her about Hush right away... I mean I guess I didn't... It's been like a week."
"If it makes you feel better...we've not discussed it since," stated Drakken. He had been briefly curious about everything that had occurred before his arrival, but had not asked.
Mego looked at him as if not sure he believed his words. He shrugged and looked back at the device Drakken had made. His expression soured again.
"Is this it? I've seen better— Gah!"
Drakken removed his finger from the switch on his desk as he heard Mego splash in the water below the lab.
"Should have done that sooner," muttered Drakken as he looked back at his tests again.
Shego tossed the bags down on her bed and stretched. She really hadn't needed so many things...nor to spend an entire two days shopping just because Mego had gotten under her skin. She definitely hadn't needed the weird guilty feeling in her stomach to make her buy him a sweater that cost more than her new pair of boots. She narrowed her eyes at the thing but sighed. Somewhere between Parthienis and Kourbela's she realized she should have informed her brothers of a former villain's return... But it had been her enemy...not necessarily theirs. She'd lectured and defended herself through the luxurious knit store for an hour before grabbing the sweater. Afterwards she'd wondered when she had started calling her brothers after years of cutting them out of her life... That's when she'd seriously considered paying Possible a visit and blaming her for making her reconnect at all with them. That had turned into wanting to yell at Drakken for continuing the series of contacts with them...and now...now she stared at the sweater and let out a grumble.
"Whatever," she muttered and grabbed the sweater and left her room.
She hadn't needed to go far as Mego was at the foot of the stairs. She rolled her eyes at his stiff posture and opened her mouth to make a snarky comment before tossing the sweater at him. However as she opened her mouth he jabbed a large cotton swab in nearly making her cough as he quickly withdrew it and turned away.
"What the—" Shego coughed. "Uhg! Do you have a death wish!"
"No. I'm simply collecting a sample so Drakken stops wandering up and down the stairs looking for you," shrugged Mego. He shrunk quickly as if dodging a blast. "Wait...where's the plasma?"
Shego cleared her throat as she finished another cough.
"Pending," she hissed before throwing the sweater at him. "Here! You obnoxious pain in the—"
"You got me a sweater?" Mego raised a brow. He looked at her for a second before smirking. "Apology accepted. Try to pick up the phone next time you're in peril."
"I wasn't in peril," scoffed Shego. "Did Drakken tell you I was?"
"No...and I'm not bringing it up again... The water pit in the lab smells like Musky Mel's basement lair," cringed Mego.
"Musky Mel?" snorted Shego.
"New villain," shrugged Mego as he looked at the sweater. "Why is it green?"
Shego shrugged as she walked past him.
"What other color would it be," smirked Shego as she heard noise in the kitchen. "Don't you have to frolic back to the lab?"
Mego tossed the sweater over his arm and rolled his eyes as he headed back towards the elevator. Shego continued into the kitchen where she could see Drakken drinking a large glass of water. She slowed her pace as she looked at it and remembered the other day how many glasses he'd drank in a short time. She looked towards his coveted pickle sandwich and rolled her eyes as she grabbed the glass from him.
"So, this a new plant thing? Am I going to have to get you your own watering can?" smirked Shego as she put it on the counter.
"Actually it is," stated Drakken. "Since finishing the test, it appears my body requires far more hydration than previously. The only real change I've observed so far. Though I'm still waiting on a few tissue samples but that's just mild curiosity how the strands of Flower and myself mimic or differ."
"How many times have you ranted that today already?" asked Shego as she filled his glass for him.
"A few times internally," shrugged Drakken. "No offense to your brother—"
"Please let it be offensive," Shego handed him the glass and watched Drakken smirk at her words. "Very offensive."
"He has a tendency to interrupt me with tedious things I don't care about," finished Drakken as he drank more water. "Did he get a saliva sample from you?"
"Yeah," Shego replied, remembering she needed to shoot a plasma blast at Mego before the night was over. "So...is that it? Just that and a tissue sample? So no more mutating... The petals aren't coming back?"
Shego found her hand sliding under his jaw as she asked, seeing the faint lines where they had once sprouted. She saw the blush cross Drakken's features and hesitated in removing her hand. He cleared his throat and she tried to ignore the flip in her stomach at his still reddened face.
"Well it appears not. Whatever they were are gone, reabsorbed back into the tissue from what I can tell. My own blood seems to have fought a lot of the mutation off and stopped it from progressing. The spore tests and cultures all came back safe. Only other test is contaminant particles. Thus your saliva," smiled Drakken. "My device worked perfectly might I add, despite its critique from a certain person lingering in my lab."
"You have your moments," teased Shego. She watched his brow furrow slightly before he ate the last of his sandwich. "So your little plant friend is gone or going?"
Drakken's expression became stiff as he reached for his water.
"Ohm...no," said Drakken. "It's still...very much there."
"When will it fade?" asked Shego. She walked around Drakken and looked at the back of his neck as if it would just appear and wave goodbye.
"I uh...don't... I don't think..." Drakken looked suddenly nervous. "I'm not sure it will."
Shego frowned.
"Why not? I mean, can't you use your samples to reverse it or something?" She leaned against him. "I like flowers and all but..."
Shego saw Drakken's brow furrow further and he suddenly looked uncomfortable. She let the smirk that had been on her face fade to concern. There was something he wasn't telling her, or it was simply something he hadn't thought of and was now upset. She was about to push further when the very appendage in question appeared from Drakken's collar and moved its way towards her rapidly.
"Whoa!" Shego took a step back as it tried to wrap around her shoulder. "Take a hike, Pinky."
Shego was surprised the flower listened so quickly. Though it might have been Drakken also telling it to do the same judging by his expression. His jaw shifted which meant he was thinking of words carefully, and this made Shego's nerves flare.
So he's not telling me something.
"Drakken?" asked Shego. He opened his mouth and closed it twice before actually speaking.
"How much does it really annoy you? You seem to have gotten more calm around the plants since whatever tests you were doing?" asked Drakken. Shego shrugged.
"I mean...it's a weird plant vine on your spine... It's a little out there," shrugged Shego.
Drakken nodded and she was about to ask more about his tests and if he would finally be out of the lab when he suddenly turned away from her. He had a glossy look in his eyes which meant he was already focused on something other than their conversation. He made a muffled word or noise as he made it to the doorway.
"I have more tests to run," was all he said before departing towards the elevator.
Shego scoffed and put his plate in the sink before heading off to find something else to do... It was still early enough to go for a swim. Then a thought occurred as she heard the door of the elevator open.
"Hey, do you want Chinese food?" asked Shego as she leaned around the corner. The door had already closed.
She glared, and after a few minutes decided that following a quick swim that perhaps another little flight was in order.
The lights were off throughout the entire lair, but Shego could see a faint glow and heard muffled noise from the living room area. The smell of food indicated Drakken had come to eat the Chinese food she'd left for him. She leaned into the door frame to see reruns of dancers on the television and heard the scraping of cutlery against the cardboard box that contained the orange chicken and rice she'd gotten him. She looked to see the time for the first time on the digital wall clock in the hall. It was nearly three in the morning. She rolled her eyes and wanted to mock him for his unhealthy sleeping habits but instead began walking towards the couch. Before she could reach the back of the couch she saw movement along the couch and nearly screamed as she felt the soft petals of his flower appendage reach to touch her hand.
"Shego?" The movement of her jump alerted him. The flower vanished. "What are you doing up?"
"At the moment...having a heart attack." She felt her heart racing as she pressed her hand to her chest.
"What? Oh...oh sorry," Drakken hastened and she watched him reach behind his neck as if to check the flower had gone. "It spent all week being poked and prodded and I... I don't know... Sorry."
Shego could see the numb expression ghost his features as he sat back against the couch and stared at the television, his hand still rubbing his neck. Shego raised a brow as she sat in the middle of the couch next to him and let her heart slow, her eyes looking behind them for the flower as she settled back into the cushions.
"So no potted plant?" she teased. Drakken's expression didn't change but he nodded. "What... The Chinese food is bad or something?"
Drakken looked at her with a sullen look before sighing.
"I can't reverse it," he finally said. "And it's not going to fade away like the petals."
His expression was shifty now, doubling back to what looked like agitation and an apologetic grimace. She raised her brow in response. It hadn't even dawned on her he'd been trying to think of a way to reverse it... Simply make sure it was not dangerous or evolving in anyway. She opened her mouth to inquire more but promptly closed it as she thought back to earlier that day when he'd grabbed her hand.
She'd yanked it away as the flower had tried to grab her hand too. Recalling Mego had said they'd completed everything before his departure, she'd simply assumed Drakken was in his lab working on projects he'd put on hold. She saw Drakken picking at the arm of the couch as he focused back on the television, his expression blank but focused.
He was trying to get rid of it...because of my reaction?
She rolled her eyes and shoved him.
"You're an idiot," snorted Shego. "Why would you want to get rid of it? Now if we get into a brawl...I can take a break and you can do the heavy lifting for once."
Shego forced her expression to one of annoyance as he looked at her in confusion. He was searching her features and she took it as her cue to grab the box on the coffee table and indulge in dumplings while she waited for him to process whatever he was trying to figure out.
"Flower bothers you." It was a statement, not a question.
The flower appendage wasn't something she'd exactly accepted, but for the most part, it seemed more helpful than hindering. It was simply an extension of Drakken... She looked at her own hands... Hands that emitted different levels of heat and pain to others... Imagined them on fire, and Drakken still holding them. She shrugged and smirked at him.
"Honestly your hair bothers me more than...are we calling it Flower officially?" asked Shego. Her fingers twirled his ponytail. "Because if so we're gonna have to start calling you Dr. Flower Child if your hair gets any longer."
She watched his eyes narrow as he pulled her hand away from his hair. He gave her a questioning look as if he didn't know if she was telling him the truth or not. She looked at his hand loosely on hers and decided the best way to end the conversation was to let it go. She slid her fingers into his and moved their laced hands to rest on the couch in between them. She didn't know if her actions were helpful or if it would make him more tense, but she ignored the concerns of her action and his and just went with it. She rested her head on his shoulder and watched the horrible celebrities dance what she assumed was supposed to be a tango.
The silence between them was only interrupted by the overdone music playing along with the dancers. Slowly she felt his tension leave and his shoulder fall, only adding into her own comfort as she sat a little closer. His fingers gripped hers tighter as she placed them on her lap so she could close the distance on the couch. After a few more dances, Shego relaxed enough to reach into the box of warm dumplings on her lap.
"Shego," came Drakken softly.
"Hmm."
"Those are my dumplings." He made an annoyed click with his tongue.
Shego smirked and ate another one slowly.
"I didn't see your name on it." She held the box away as he reached for them. "I think I only put your name on the chicken. Besides I thought you were done."
"I was finishing my rice." There was a clicking noise and she looked to see Drakken using his chopsticks aggressively towards the box. "Share."
"Nope," laughed Shego.
She held his other hand tighter as he tried to pull away to reach for it. She snorted as he dropped the chopsticks and instead tried to reach for her arm holding the box away from him. She was happy to finally see a smile on his face, even if it was a devious grin. She leaned farther away so he had to move from his spot to continue his mission in retrieving the delicate food. She did her best not to drop the box as she stretched as far as she could. Drakken's hand retreated along her arm and slid over her cheek. She raised a brow about to ask for his angle when his lips were pushed strongly against hers.
She took a deep inhale of breath through her nose as she let her eyes close. She felt the slight vibration of a hum of contentment on her lips but she wasn't sure if it was Drakken or her. She welcomed the deepening of the kiss as his tongue slid across her bottom lip. She became partially aware of his hand leaving her cheek and she smirked into the kiss as she moved her arm still holding the dumplings. She felt the vibration of a chuckle against her lips as she felt him reach for them.
Suddenly her hand was empty and her eyes shot open as Drakken pulled away from the kiss, the flower appendage handing him the box of dumplings as he held a smug expression on his face. Agitation seeped in and she had an urge to blast the dumplings for tricking her, but her eyes narrowed at the pink flower almost taunting her. Her gaze fell back on Drakken and in a split second she could see his expression falter as he gauged her reaction. She watched as the flower's taunts halted and it seemingly wilted and vanished behind him. Her anger faded away, and she sat up and resumed her spot on the couch, her hand still firmly locked in his.
"Just because you have a new accomplice doesn't mean you can distract me from dumplings every time," she said. "This was a one-time thing now that I'm onto your tricks."
That seemed to be the answer Drakken had craved, or at least it tied him over as he leaned back against the couch next to her. She glanced to look for the flower again but it remained wherever it normally went. She put her head back on Drakken's shoulder and the dumplings were placed in between them as a form of peace offering she was sure. She watched as Drakken moved a dumpling towards his mouth with his reacquired chopsticks. Just before it got close enough, she shot a green blast that incinerated the food.
"Hey!" Drakken yelped.
"You aren't the only one with powers," smirked Shego.
Never can relax can they?
