A Day Off

Shego yawned as she walked down the stairs towards the kitchen of their upper lair. It was early and she had made the choice to grab a quick breakfast before suiting up for a long Friday in the lab. She'd seen the copious amounts of papers strewn across Drakken's desk the prior evening, so she had no doubt there were several errands for her to run for them. The light in the kitchen was already on and the smell of food made her pause before rolling her eyes.

Drakken probably hasn't even slept.

She fought the scoff of annoyance at yet again her alarms being ignored for the umpteenth time that week, but even more at knowing he'd be too tired for the promised evening he had assured her on Monday. She let out a slight sigh at this as she walked around the corner.

Looks like it's back to normal—

"'Morning," came Drakken's voice as she froze in the doorway.

Drakken was fully dressed in casual attire instead of his normal lab wear. Shego looked to see if a lab coat had been chucked somewhere, but there wasn't one. She glanced through the other doorway of the kitchen to see the table set, and she looked at the barely there sunrise through the window. She turned to watch Drakken as he made breakfast on the stove, the smell of steak and eggs now permeating the air as she moved further into the kitchen.

"Have you slept yet?" asked Shego, attempting to gauge what was happening.

"Yes." Drakken raised a brow. "I just got up early to finish things in the lab so as not to be distracted while we were out today."

"Today?" asked Shego as she grabbed a glass of orange juice.

"I do remember promising you a day out, didn't I?" Drakken looked suddenly in thought before shrugging and going back to cooking. "If not...then I am now."

"A day? Really...huh." Shego sat down at the dining table and leaned to look at Drakken. "I thought we were just going on a date."

She smirked as she saw Drakken blush slightly.

"Uh, well...consider the whole day a date then," he hastily sputtered out.

"Hmm, so this breakfast is a part of this...date for today?" asked Shego as she drank her orange juice.

"Yes, yes it is," grinned Drakken.

"Will there be, wooing?" She gave a cheeky grin at the word.

Drakken's grin became an amused smirk as he held up a pan.

"There will be bacon," he stated firmly. Shego nodded.

"Same thing," she stated.

"Well then yes, there will be 'wooing' as you request." He gave an eye-roll with his air quotes.

Shego watched Drakken finish making breakfast, her head resting in the palm of her hand as she did so. She'd figured they would have an after-hours Friday date night, not a whole day. Not that she was about to complain. She almost felt bad for guilting him into this.

Her plate of her favorite breakfast foods and an extra helping of bacon was placed in front of her.

Almost.

"So we're really not going down to the lab?" asked Shego as he joined her. "This isn't some trick that means the next two days as workdays, is it?"

"No," stated Drakken. Shego raised a brow. "I've come to a stand-still on the armor and I'm ahead on the other projects."

"Which ones?" asked Shego as she cut a piece of her steak and eggs.

"The one's for the conference at the end of the month, I showed you... You rolled your eyes...put it on the calendar and then opened up a trashy gossip magazine," said Drakken before biting into his own food.

Shego's brow furrowed at this and she slowed her chew before responding.

"No original projects in the works? You've made enough designs...none panning out? What about that ozone thingie you were hyped about?" smirked Shego.

She watched Drakken's features flicker to unease before falling on a raised and curious expression.

"Did you not want to spend the day out of the lair?" asked Drakken.

Shego opened her mouth to question his previous expression when his statement clicked. She knew he was avoiding something, whether it be a dramatic tantrum about something not working well, or even a topic referring to the lair's origin from earlier that week... Even so. Selfishness ran over her concern quickly, and the urge to have a day out took precedence.

"Where are we going all day?" Shego asked instead.

"Places," said Drakken, as Shego went back to her food. It was a moment before he began. "Perhaps shopping in Paris, there's a few festivals and—"

She saw him glance at something under the table and heard paper. She smirked and sprang swiftly to grab whatever he had before he could even finish his sentence. She heard him yell as she slid across him to stand behind his chair with the note in hand. She swatted away his hand in amusement as she leaned against the chair preventing him from getting up as she scanned the paper. It was a torn list, which still had words crossed out above it, and ink smudges under the list made it clear there had been more.

"Shopping in Paris, something scribbled out and replaced with Paris Plages...not spelled right I might add, and then an 'or' and what I think says art festival?" She swatted Drakken's hands away again. "Oh an outdoor movie, and dinner at the tower— You made a date list?"

"So what if I did," he whined as she sat back down. "Is there a problem with that?"

"I didn't say there was," Shego said and smirked as she continued to hold the list away from him. "What else did you have torn off down here?"

He finally got the list back from her and she almost snorted at the tint to his cheeks, but she restrained herself from it. Instead she watched him shove the paper away and felt her stomach make a swirl of affection at the fact he'd spent the time to clearly try to make a list of things she might enjoy and not one seemed to be very 'Drakken' in the least. She felt slightly overwhelmed at the notion that it wasn't just a simple dinner and he'd taken time to plan at all.

"Lame," she snorted. Her eyes shot open as the word came out. "I mean it's... It's sweet."

She mentally cursed herself for letting her defensive mechanism react to the swirls of emotions she was currently having. She saw Drakken's face fall slightly before rolling his eyes and choosing to take his partially empty plate to the kitchen. She followed after him with her own plate and tried to word a form of apology that would undo what she'd said.

"I mean it's lame, but I like it," she said without prompting.

I need to get better control of these emotions.

She couldn't see Drakken's face as he grabbed her plate, and it was slowly making her frustrated—more at herself than at his lack of response. She was normally skilled with comebacks and snarky words or even reassurance. The fact that an unplanned sweet gesture had made her defense mechanism come rushing in made her uneasy. She chose the best route she could muster to gain control over the situation.

"So, since you planned this...casual clothes or...?" She trailed off, hoping the mild subject change would gain his focus.

"You saw the list," Drakken stated as he finished rinsing the plates. He sighed. "I know you find lists derisory, and you've probably done it all anyway. It never occurred to me you've probably done everything I can think of out with the others—"

Shego cut him off.

"But I haven't done them with you," she said and shrugged. Drakken raised a brow at her. "It's also nice seeing a list that isn't a chaotic evil shopping list, or a checkpoint of step-by-step potential success points."

"So...it's not lame?" asked Drakken with a curious smirk.

"Oh. It is, and the use of the word derisory was not helping the fact you're a dork," snorted Shego. Drakken glared. "But I already knew that, Dorkken, way before this moment."

She watched his eyes narrow before his face scrunched up and he rolled his eyes, the relaxing in his shoulders letting her know he was over whatever internal dialogue he'd been rattling in his brain the last few minutes. She gave him a quick kiss, to firmly end whatever brooding may come later if he were given the chance to dwell on it.

"Meet you in the hover car in twenty?" she asked as she moved around him to the door. She smirked over her shoulder. "Don't want to keep you off your schedule."

She hoped the small jab would drive the topic away with some light teasing. The mocking tone as he repeated it under his breath made her snort.

Sounds like he's over it.

The sound of the light music playing overhead as they walked through the boutique was calming. Much more relaxed than the attempt at going to a summer festival when they'd first got to France. The loud mixing music, the copious amounts of people, and the very awkward run-in with MC Honey who had pointed out who they were... Drakken hadn't wanted to leave a place like that since his last failed world takeover scheme.

Could have done without the pictures being taken even more.

He let his mind wander over the items in the bag next to him and pulled out Shego's last purchase. Drakken looked at the gold lipstick case in mild amusement. The memory of his shrink ray darted around his head and he debated on trying a new approach. He didn't really have a use for it anymore, but it would make moving heavier items around the lair easier.

"Unless the mass weight is still concentrated and condensed," he mused.

"Interesting response to, 'Do you think this hat is too much,' but all right," said Shego.

Drakken looked up to see her removing a hideous hat he was glad he'd missed commenting on as he stood up from the shoe bench he'd occupied.

"So, what's the density level changes?" asked Shego.

"I was thinking of making a better version of the shrink and growth ray—" Drakken grinned deviously as Shego snatched the lipstick and bag from him. "Don't worry. I wouldn't use that again."

"Good because I will dig out that stuff you made in retaliation." Shego glared at him. "I don't even care if I get tasered by the goop again."

"There are much easier ways to get a kiss rather than revenge," Drakken stated.

He internally hoped that his response came off as charming rather than moronic as the words suddenly felt. Shego's snort was a small relief. She gave him a raised brow and Drakken felt like he was missing something before she rolled her eyes and began walking towards the door.

"On to the next shop?" asked Drakken instead of inquiring as to what her look meant. "Lunch perhaps. Anywhere you've never gone?"

It was a more serious question than Drakken meant to ask. Shego's thoughtful look made him slightly agitated. It seemed there were very few places Shego had not gone herself or with Junior at some point, even in France—at least, anything she'd be interested in. It dawned on him as they walked down the tourist laden street what her expression had meant. She'd been waiting for him to kiss her and he'd completely missed the moment to do so.

I should make something to tell me these moments.

His thoughts fell onto that very breakdown, but he kept running into how it might be technically crossing the boundary of mind-control by making mind-reading signal indications. He knew he could argue the point, but was it worth the arguing at all? This spiraled into why people couldn't make signals more obvious, or at least why Shego should do so for him.

She does.

He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, debating on actually voicing this when he realized Shego had started talking.

"...Junior mentioned this new place he and Bonnie went to a while back." Shego's hand slid into his as they began walking. "It's supposed to have great food."

Drakken's prior thoughts fell away as Shego's fingers laced with his and they turned down a street Shego seemed vaguely familiar with. His thoughts were now on the grip in his hand and her casual closeness to him. He couldn't decide if he was simply forgetting this, but he was positive it had been the first time Shego had initiated holding his hand...at least without them both doing so.

Do I kiss her now?

He made a move to do so but she turned away at the last second to indicate to the place they'd been heading.

"That looks like the place." Shego pulled him to a fancy looking cafe with stone painted a dark magenta.

Drakken reconsidered the fine line of reading someone's mind for several minutes after they'd already ordered their meal before finally voicing the idea.

"Would you consider mind-reading on scale with mind-control?" asked Drakken as their drinks were given to them.

Shego's eyes didn't look up from her menu.

"I'd say it's a quick way to end up alone at this table." She smirked over the menu. Drakken's eyes went wide as he felt suddenly nervous. "Why?"

"It was merely a thought." Drakken pulled up his menu swiftly.

Drakken could barely read the tiny print of the menu, but he wasn't really trying. He wondered if he'd now made Shego concerned he was thinking about using mind control on her. He had learned that lesson years ago; it wasn't something he even dared entertain. He felt he should explain it, but he was worried he'd sound foolish.

She already thinks this whole day is lame— She said the list's...

His leg shook as he tried to think about what to eat versus what she'd said. She kept informing him just to act on impulse, but if his impulse was creating a mind-reading device to see if he could simply kiss the woman he was with...he was starting to wonder if he had more issues than he previously thought. Shego's menu went down, and he squinted at the text of his only for it to be pulled farther away.

"Shrink rays? Mind-control loopholes... What are you up to?" asked Shego as she placed his menu on hers. "Should I be concerned? Did something you find in the lair trigger something—"

"No," Drakken huffed. "The ray was a musing of moving things easier in the lair... And the mind thing...nghn. I...I just want to be more aware of things... Like people around me before they take pictures, or you when you're indicating a window where you want affection."

"Indicating I want affection?" She muffled a snicker. "Okay I get the strangers around you thing, but that's what I'm here for... And sending a few choice low blasts to take out said cameras."

"You did?" Drakken perked up, surprised he'd missed this.

"Doy," she snorted. "As wholesome as that whole thing was, I know how the media works. I lived under it enough when I was in Team Go. It's why we walked here instead of taking the hover car... Anyone who actually cares about getting pictures will be waiting there until we return."

"They will?" Drakken scratched his head. "Fascinating... This never occurred to me that you would know this."

"So glad I can still surprise you with my skills," she said with a smirk. "As for the affection thing—"

"Where is the waiter?" asked Drakken quickly, looking around for where the man had gone.

Shego's hand found his where it rested near his untouched drink. He glanced sideways at her, waiting for the teasing to begin, and he could see by the way she fought her own smirk she had several at the ready—none of which he'd have a response to he was sure. His mind raced with comebacks as he found his hand already holding hers in response. She sighed and Drakken watched as she seemed, for once, to be shifting her expression away from the snark he was waiting for.

"Have I given any indications that it's unwanted?" she asked casually. He knew it wasn't what she'd planned on saying, but this made his guard fall away.

"No," he responded.

"Then I don't think you need to worry about mind-reading, do you?" Shego smirked again. "And clearly I will take delight in terrorizing others around us if you miss the opportunity to do so."

Drakken smirked in return.

"Promise?" he snickered.

"Oh, I promise," she snorted. "Just like I promise that the woman behind you is wearing a wig made of feathers."

Drakken looked behind him at said visual and then back.

"Well on that note. I say we order and enjoy our favorite pastime," Drakken mused. Shego grinned in response.

"Mercilessly judging others and making up scenarios?" She held up her glass.

"I do believe that is the couple we are." He grinned back as they toasted their glasses.

"Ah, dreams do come true," Shego hummed.

The next half hour as they waited for their food was an array of remarks, jokes, and deep concerns for a few select patrons around them. Shego had somehow gotten onto the topic of the less chaotic things of the prior weekend's antics.

"I'm sure Junior and Bonnie didn't want an impromptu sleepover that night," Shego snorted. "I'm actually shocked at Junior's restraint on not already trying to marry the girl... You know he actually listens to her reading philosophy?"

"I listened to you talk about a lipstick shade for twenty minutes— Ow." Drakken snickered as she gently kicked him under the table.

"Gee thanks." Shego wanted to be annoyed but she felt her face grow warm. "To be fair I listen to you rant for hours about nothing."

"I don't rant about nothing?" His brow furrowed and it was Shego's turn to smirk.

"On Wednesday you spent no less than three hours talking about wires... Wires you didn't need... Just that the conduction wire gauge is equivalent to the power flow of a device," sighed Shego, "which applied to absolutely nothing you were working on...and yet...I regretfully now know which gauge wire is best for a large grade electrical energy source."

She watched Drakken's smirk fade and his eyes dart over her face. For a moment she thought he was about to roll his eyes or whine about her teasing him and making a point. She hadn't expected the confident smile to come across his features as he responded with a surprising question—further interest in her topic.

"So, I expect you to be whisked away by Junior one of these days for a lavish wedding announcement?" asked Drakken.

"Uhg, I hope not. Knowing Junior's decree about the standard if I ever got engaged... I don't want to know his own proposal standards," shuddered Shego.

"Junior...has standards for you?" Drakken looked at her curiously and Shego rolled her eyes.

"More like threats," Shego chuckled. "He has this ideal perception that the ring has to be elaborate, the proposal flawless...or it's not a real proposal... He even promised to whisk me away to fix it."

Drakken's eyes flared for a second before he leaned closer to her.

"I see... So Junior would not just have her pick out the ring?" asked Drakken. "What if he chose the wrong one?"

"If she wanted he probably would... But I doubt it's honestly going to happen any time soon...at least if Senior can help it... At least until he knows his fortune isn't about to be swindled." Shego took a drink of her emptying glass. "And he wouldn't choose wrong."

"How do you know... What if..." She watched Drakken look away in thought.

"Bonnie," Shego suggested.

"Yes, Bonnie," Drakken continued. "What if he perceives her taste wrong and makes the wrong choice...then what?"

"Junior has gaudy and trendy taste...and she seems to be the same," Shego mused. "Besides...if he knows her well enough to get married...I'm sure he knows her well enough to pick out a ring she'd like."

"Hmm, questionable logic," Drakken shrugged. "But noted... So shall we continue our shopping?"

Shego hadn't hesitated to agree with this before they left, heading further down to the shopping area as the street became more scarce as the day went on. She really had no need or desire to make purchases, but she was enjoying Drakken's concerned opinion as she suggested hideous things. It was far more amusing than it should be as he would skate around saying something was ugly by suggesting other things instead. She looked up at him as she found his hand again and furrowed her brows at his expression. He looked deep in thought as they entered the next store, and before she could ask him about it, he spoke.

"Where are we?" asked Drakken as he looked around the store.

"I need some new workout wear," shrugged Shego. "It's a high fashion athletics store... It's a bunch of hock, but the shoes are good quality."

"Shego? In all honesty, how often do you actually go to the workout room?" asked Drakken as he looked around. Shego glared.

"Whenever you annoy me enough, I have to work out that frustration instead of blasting something?" she responded as she moved towards the shoes.

"Huh, I thought I frustrated you more than that." She watched his cocky smile appear. "You never seem to need it and I've seldom seen you go."

"Sometimes I mess with your stuff on your desk in lieu of getting out my frustrations in the gym." Shego glanced at him, watching his face contort. "Kidding... Maybe."

She listened to him grumble behind her for a second, and then...

"Shego...what is this?" She sighed and looked to where he was gesturing to outfit displays with sweat suits.

"Workout attire." Shego rolled her eyes and then watched as he pointed to a familiar looking red one. "Oh no."

"Shego, you made so many smug remarks about this look...and it's in a store you shop at," he argued.

"Just because it's here doesn't mean I'm in favor of it...or its ridiculous jewelry pairing," she grumbled. "High fashion or not."

"Oh sure, here it's 'high fashion' and in style, but it was 'concerning' when I wore it," pouted Drakken. Shego groaned as he crossed his arms.

"It was 'concerning' because you already owned it," Shego snorted. "Including accessories. Why, are you going to start dressing like this...? Should I be concerned?"

"I would just like confirmation that I was in fact...in trend," Drakken huffed.

Shego took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Sure. Fine. It's trendy... Hideous and migraine inducing but it was in trend," she grumbled under her breath in annoyance. "Including the chains and hat."

"So, were you jealous of my impeccable and versatile wardrobe?" smirked Drakken. Shego rolled her eyes but said nothing. "It was a joke but now I'm sensing actual jealousy."

"I'm just not feeding into this conversation." Shego walked down an opposite aisle.

"Shego. Do you want a matching tracksuit?" he snickered as he continued to tease her. "We could do a whole matching— Pfft!"

She sprayed a perfume around him.

"If you even think of getting me something so horrendous, I will use mace next time," warned Shego. She put the bottle down and pointed at him as she backed away towards shoes. "Got it?"

"Fine," sputtered Drakken as he waved the spray away. He gave her a devious look. "Green then?"

"Okay... I'm getting my shoes and then we're out of here," Shego said quickly. "And stay away from those suits."

"I'm going to be outside and get some air," she heard him cough.

Anything to keep from him getting more of those things.

Her eyes scanned over the people as she moved to look through store windows. She'd barely been fifteen minutes and Drakken had vanished from sight as she'd come out of the store. She dug for her phone in annoyance after having spent not five minutes trying to track him down, internally arguing with herself that she had been the one to spray him with unknown perfume.

"My luck he had an allergic reaction or—" The phone picked up. "Where are you?"

"Here," his voice came from a few yards away and on the phone.

She hung it up and headed towards him, slowing her pace as the shop door he'd clearly exited closed. She looked between him and the building and his attempt at hiding a devious expression.

"Did you ditch me to wander around a jewelry store?" asked Shego.

"I was looking for more accessories," he grinned. He made a few gestures as he continued. "Gotta keep my bling on sharp, G."

Shego stared at him before scoffing and turning to keep walking.

"I don't see anything," she sighed, glancing at his lack of bags. "I can rest assured there's not some leisure suit purchasing then?"

"No, I decided against it. I wouldn't want to outshine you with some sick new threads—" She covered his mouth and she could feel his smirk under her hand.

"No. No more horrible outdated slang." Shego shuddered as she removed her hand from his mouth. "Wear all the 'bling' you want, but I draw the line at the slang—"

It was her turn to be cut off.

She was taken aback as Drakken simply ducked to kiss her without any provoking or hinting. Her mind ran at high speed as she processed what would have motivated this, because she knew it wasn't her halfhearted lecture.

Why am I questioning this?

She felt the bags removed from her hands as she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms slid around her waist in retaliation. She was more than a little disappointed as he pulled away first, his arms falling away from her waist in this movement.

"Dinner?" he asked casually, as if he hadn't just thrown her thoughts out of focus by his impulsive behavior.

"Mmhmm," she hummed as she crossed her arms. Drakken picked up her bags and started to walk. "Any reason for that kissy face moment?"

He shrugged, but his expression was devious to say the least.

"Clearly, we both like kissy face," was his only response.

Shego tugged at her hair in thought for a second before walking next to him. After a few feet and him talking about somewhere they should go next, she took the bags from the hand between them and slid her arm through his. He returned the gesture by lacing his fingers with hers.

He'd better keep this up.

It was late that night when they finally returned from a nice dinner and peaceful sunset flight home. Drakken had waited until he knew she'd finally gone to sleep and no sound came from her room as he snuck out of his. He knew he didn't really need to go all the way down to the lab, but he needed to make sure Shego wouldn't overhear him and his plans. He barely remembered getting to the lab, let alone pulling up several websites and beginning what he knew would lead him into searching till dawn and beyond...but it was a search he knew would take time and effort. The full planning would take even more time.

First thing's first... To find the perfect ring.

Some fluff to tide you over...