5. Glitter

November, 2005

The intermittent sound of embers popping in the fireplace woke Shego, and as she blinked to awareness she became aware of the muted wash of rain on the roof, and the warmth at her side.

She shifted her face from where it was rested, her cheekbone and neck sore, and her heart leapt in a panic as she realized that for the second time in a month, she was waking up curled into Drakken's side on a sofa. She didn't move again for fear of waking him and took in the view of the photo album that had slid from his lap to the floor, the blanket that inexplicably covered their knees that hadn't been there earlier, and the fact that only firelight illuminated the room, suggesting it was hours past the last time she'd tiredly looked at the clock.

She was attempting to figure out how to move without waking Drakken. The last time at least they'd both had the excuse of alcohol to help play off the embarrassing situation. This time however, there was no excuse at all for why she had somehow moved near enough to him on the sofa for their knees to touch as he continued regaling her with childhood stories.

A movement at the corner of her eye caused her to freeze just as she was pushing herself away, and she turned to see Mama Lipsky standing the doorway. The housecoat she wore confirmed the late hour that Shego had suspected, and the woman was regarding her with a soft and very wise smile that gave Shego pause.

Shego parted her dry lips to speak, but a hand held up from the smaller woman stopped her.

"Thank you for coming, Shego. I know you didn't want to," Drakken's mother said in a whisper.

Shego bit the inside of her cheek as she regarded the woman. She glanced at the sleeping blue-skinned man who was far too close to her.

"I'm not—"

"I know," Mama Lipsky said, cutting her off. "Neither is he."

Shego heard the words, but as she looked into the woman's eyes, she knew that Drakken's mother saw right through her. Her face flushed, and suddenly the heat at her side where she was pressed into Drakken felt like too much.

"You had a very long flight. You must be very tired," Mama Lipsky said, giving her a pointed look.

Shego wanted to protest, or else stand up and step as far away from Drakken as possible to prove a point. But the hard glitter in the older woman's eyes told her it would be a mistake. And Mama Lipsky was right about at least one thing—she was very tired.

She slowly and carefully rested her cheek back onto Drakken's shoulder, and after a moment snuggled in to be more comfortable to Mama Lipsky's pleasure if her smirk was any indication.

"There now, get some more sleep," the woman said with a slight edge before padding out of the room.

Shego rolled her eyes. She could still move away, but...somehow felt it was easier to just go back to sleep. Her gaze drifted up to Drakken's face, and she realized she'd never been that close to him. She took note of the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth, the slight thinning of his hair above his forehead, and the paler skin of the scar under his left eye. Up close he looked...older. But he was far too vibrant a personality to be whatever age his face was implying.

Shego rested her head again and looked past Drakken to the bay window where rain drops were collecting. The glow from the fireplace was lighting them up, and the entirety of the glass seemed covered in streaks of bronze glitter as the wind shifted the droplets across the panes.

She let her thoughts begin to drift away as she watched the abstract patterns being created, changed, and reformed between the water and firelight. But in moments a deep unease fell over her as she couldn't decide whether to smile or scoff as the patterns reminded her—both affectionately and with frustration—of the unpredictable workings of Drakken's mind.