Yeah…I think this is…my fourth "Megalomaniac" chapter today. I just got hit by a major inspiration wave, what can I say? "Sunshine" chapters are more planned out, so that's why I'm not cranking out a ton of them. This story is reaching its conclusion fast.

Chapter Six – A Sense of Normalcy

Kim and Jacques didn't wake up until nearly noon the next day. It felt strange, because for the first time in while, neither of them had to get up early to go do hero work. Kim took her time in waking up, and once she had finally gotten out of bed, went to the hotel room "kitchen" to brew up some coffee for Jacques, who was still asleep. The scent of coffee must have woken him up, because just as she was about to pour the coffee into a mug for him, she felt his arms wrap around her waist. They lingered for just a few moments, and then he released her. "Cappuccino?" he asked, yawning.

It was strange. Since she had become a superhero, her relationship with Jacques had been a lot closer than it had been in years, but he was hardly batting an eye at it. Why did she feel so comfortable with him now? It used to be strange if she said more than two sentences to him in a day.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she shrugged. "Your favorite, isn't it?" Kim poured the coffee, and then offered him the blue, polka-dotted mug.

"Always paying attention to detail, aren't you, Kim?" he laughed, taking a swig of the coffee. She poured herself some, and gripped the mug with both hands, taking a deep breath of the fragrance. "Nervous?"

"Why do you say that?" she furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

"Just something I noticed, you know?" he shrugged nonchalantly. "Whenever you're anxious about something, you always take a deep breath. Struck me as pretty cool, because most girls forget to breath when they're panicking." He grinned as he said the last part. "Even the super ones."

Kim scoffed. "Why should a superhero worry about anything? I thought they were superior to humans?" she looked him in the eye, trying again to read him to no avail.

"They are." Jacques asserted, though with less forcefulness than he would have in the past. "Jealous, are we? Don't worry about it, Kim."

Kim knew that she wasn't stupid. She had been educated with private tutors from a young age, and liked to think that she was actually a little brighter than most. When Jacques told her not to worry about the supers' supremacy, she guessed that it had something to do with the Super Serum, which she still had no idea about. Feeling uneasy, Kim decided to change the subject. "What are we doing today?"

Jacques shrugged again. "You tell me. I don't really care, s'long as you don't make me watch some chick flick or something."

"Can we…go shopping?" she asked hesitantly.

"You know, somehow I just knew you were gonna ask me that," he sighed. His annoyed look quickly turned to one of impishness, however. "Well, it's about time I started choosing stuff for you to wear!"

"I didn't say anything about you choosing my clothes, Jacques. I just want you to whip out your credit card when it's time to go to the cashier." She joked, again surprised at how natural it felt. Of course, weren't wives supposed to joke with their husbands? All the feelings that were rushing through her—they were the ones she was supposed to have long ago.

"Now, I know you didn't marry me for my money, Kim." He retorted, placing the mug on the countertop and putting on a look of pseudo-suspicion.

"Now, Jacques," she took a step towards him. "You know women are attracted to money and…" she ran her hand along his collarbone, and she could see the recognition in his gaze. His look of pseudo-suspicion suddenly looked very real. "Power."

--

Somehow, Kim ended up with a bagful of new clothing varying between revealing, and "almost illegal". She had no idea where she was supposed to wear such clothes, but Jacques had merely grinned at her and said, "Oh, you'll figure out something." He had completely forgotten, or pretended to have forgotten, about the déjà vu he felt earlier at her touch, much to Kim's relief.

And thus the week wore on. Had anybody met the two of them, the person would simply have assumed that they were a newlywed couple, because that's how they were acting. It was as neither of them were supers—just normal human beings in love. Kim herself was surprised at her behavior, and told herself constantly that the instant she was back in Metroville, it would stop. She hadn't finished spying on Gamma Jack yet, and could not be found out before learning what she wanted to learn.

They arrived back at the house in Metroville the first day in May, a Thursday. (Kim confirmed that the tea party was the next day and she hadn't missed it) She quietly unpacked their things and put them away in the closet, hanging up her new clothes.

She felt his hands at her waist again, a gesture that had become common during their week together. Kim took a deep breath, remembered the task at hand, and pretended to flinch. Jacques quickly pulled away.

"Kim? What is it?" he asked, looking a mixture of annoyed and concerned.

"N-nothing. It's just…" she wrapped her arms around herself. "It's uncomfortable when you do that."

She heard him scoff from behind her. "You were fine with it yesterday." He thought she was joking. Kim could hardly blame him because she felt terrible sending him such mixed signals, but she didn't think she could trust him yet. He had flirted with her terribly when she was in costume, and hadn't even recognized her. How faithful was he?

"Look," she forced a hard tone so that she would sound realistic. "We were in New York all last week—my hometown. So I just got nostalgic and let myself go a bit, you know?"

"Why can't we just…stay like that, Kim? Is it so much for me to want my own wife to want me?" he spat. "Is that so much to ask?"

"You're a superhero, Jacques!" She nailed him with the linchpin. "And I'm not. I will never understand you, and I can never hope to." Kim mentally grimaced; she was becoming rather good at spouting half-truths. She turned around, assuming a face of utter fury, hoping that he wouldn't see through her.

Jacques had a look of complete and total shock, even looking hurt. And then, to Kim's utter horror, his expression did a 180-degree turn. Suddenly, he looked excited, almost evil. He chuckled—a bitter sound. "Just you wait, Kim. Once I finish what I've been working on, you won't think that way anymore! Thank you. You've just renewed my faith." Jacques turned on his heel and strode out of the closet. She heard the front door slam, and couldn't figure out which was worse—his evil look, or what was behind it.