A/N: Well, if the Wicked song below does not make this apparent, and if you haven't checked the story rating, this happens to be a story with sex in it. It's not all that graphic, but it's there. And this (if you hadn't guessed) is the chapter in which the sex scene happens. It's not until the end, and if you don't want to read it you should at least read to the point where they're making out on the kitchen floor, because there's important background information being revealed. So don't say I didn't warn you, because I did. So there.

- - - - - - - - -

Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight

I need help believing you're with me tonight

My wildest dreamings could not foresee

Lying beside you with you wanting me…

- "As Long As You're Mine" from Wicked

The fortress was impressive. Kauri couldn't hide her amazement at all that Syndrome had managed to build on this remote island. There were so many high-tech gadgets everywhere she looked - many of which Kauri recognized because she had helped to design them. "Quite a place you've got," she said, glancing over her shoulder to meet her captor's gaze.

He smirked. "Remarkable, isn't it?" he said.

"And its builder is so modest, too!" Kauri said, turning back to the front. "I really admire your ability to live with your ego being the size it is. It's very impressive."

"I'm glad you approve." She could just picture the smirk still crossing his face. Sometimes his habit of looking so self-righteous irritated her. Sometimes it made her want to smack him across his little adorable freckled face. Sometimes it made her want to kiss him. It all depended on her mood, and exactly what he was being smug about. Today, it was simply amusing.

"Well, guys, I believe I can handle this from here," Syndrome announced to the guards as they approached a doorway into the fortress. "You can all return to your duties." He glanced in Mirage's direction and added, "You, too, Mir."

She raised an eyebrow questioningly, but turned without speaking and walked away, leaving Syndrome and Kauri alone.

"So…" Kauri said somewhat nervously.

"So?" Syndrome repeated, meeting her gaze head-on. "Need anything before bed? Food, for example?"

"Food sounds… great," Kauri admitted.

Syndrome turned on his heel. "We'll get it in the room. Now, come on. I have a secret passage to my quarters that we can go through."

"Oooh!" Kauri exclaimed excitedly, running after him. "So I'll get to see exactly how to sneak into your bedroom?"

"Nope," Syndrome said, turning so suddenly that Kauri practically ran into him. He held up a strip of black fabric and dangled it in front of her. "I like you, Bex, but I'm not sure I can trust you."

"Fine," Kauri sulked. "Be that way."

Syndrome smiled, and then tied the midnight-colored fabric over her eyes.

"I hope we don't have to walk far," Kauri muttered. "I can't see a damn thing and I'm going to have fun trying not to bump into things."

Syndrome's hands closed tightly on her upper arms. "Don't worry," he breathed in her ear. "I'll guide you."

His close proximity was already starting affect Kauri's judgment. She decided that this was probably not a good thing, but that she didn't really want to care what was good or bad. "Okay," she said quietly.

"Walk."

It was odd, having to entrust her ability to move to her nemesis. It was annoyingly like those trust-building exercises that they force children to do in school, but it seemed to have a positive effect. As long as Syndrome guided her rightly, Kauri felt safe - safer than she had in a long, long time. For some reason, this made tears spring to her eyes. "Damn," she muttered angrily.

"You ok?" Syndrome asked worriedly, stopping. "I didn't run you into anything, did I?"

"No," Kauri said. "I just… it's… oh, I don't know. Girls are just too damn emotional, that's all."

"Oh." There was an awkward silence, and then, Syndrome said uncertainly, "Can we keep walking?"

"Yeah," Kauri mumbled, embarrassed.

Syndrome gently pushed her forward a little, and she began to walk again, slowly. She was still afraid of running into something. But, after awhile, she relaxed and allowed him to guide her movements. It was much simpler than being tense and stopping every five seconds.

Slowly, Kauri began to notice that things sounded different. There was a clanking in her footsteps that indicated they were walking on metal. Also, light penetrated Kauri's blindfold. "We're inside," she said.

"Very observant, querida. We're inside the fortress, but we're not to my rooms yet. Keep walking."

"What does 'querida' mean?" Kauri asked curiously.

"Sweetheart."

"Ah," she said. "Your favorite pet name. Spanish, is it?"

"Yes."

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Kauri could not help wondering how odd she looked right now, practically leaning backwards into Syndrome while still attempting to walk with the blindfold on. "I feel kind of like an idiot," she told him.

He released her, reached up, and untied the blindfold. It fell away to reveal a hallway that was covered entirely in metal sheeting. "You don't have to anymore," he said. "We're here."

Kauri glanced at the wall ahead of her and saw a large, circular doorway. Syndrome passed her and approached it, removing his left gauntlet as he did so. He pressed his hand to the middle of the door, and the circle in the center glowed a very bright green. Then, he spoke to it. "Syndrome," he said. He glanced over his shoulder and continued, "Add new entry."

A robotic voice came over the system. "Blank entry prepared."

Syndrome motioned for Bex to come closer. She obeyed. A light appeared out of nowhere and ran across her eyes. Then, while she was still attempting to recover from this violation of her sight, Syndrome pressed her hand to the center of the door. She felt a small burst of heat against her fingertips, and then the voice spoke again. "Retinal scan and fingerprints confirmed. State your full name and rank."

"Your rank would be 'guest,' for now," Syndrome informed her quietly. "So?"

She stared at the door curiously, but spoke to it anyway. "Kauri R. Bexer, Guest," she said, feeling even more like an idiot than ever.

"Identity confirmed. Please state your password."

Syndrome spoke for her this time. "Pine," he said. He glanced at her and said, "Don't forget that. If you do, you won't be able to get into anything and you'll set off an intruder alert."

"Right," she said. "I'll remember that."

The door chirped at them, and then asked, "Would you like to enter this room?"

"Yes," Syndrome told it.

The door slid open without further comment. Syndrome walked in without hesitation and snapped, "Lights!" They flashed on to reveal an extraordinary set of quarters.

The room they had entered was quite spacious, and in it were a large couch, several chairs, a large television, a table to eat at, and no less than three computer terminals. "Still a computer junky, I see," Kauri commented dryly.

"You were expecting me to have become a jock?" Syndrome demanded from another room. "You said you were hungry."

"I haven't eaten since breakfast," Kauri said, following the sound of his voice. "Where are you?"

"In the kitchen."

"That's certainly useful, Buddy," Kauri said sardonically. "Where the hell is the - oh."

She'd managed to stumble into another large room that had a table in its center and was lined with refrigerators and cabinets. Syndrome was busily digging through one of the refrigerators, looking for something decent. "How's lasagna sound to you?" he asked.

Kauri's stomach responded loudly for her.

Syndrome chuckled and shut the refrigerator door. "I'll take that as a yes," he said, turning with a large dish of lasagna in his hands. "Let me heat it up first."

Kauri dropped down onto one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen table. "So, while we're waiting for dinner to get cooked - why'd you bring me here?"

"I thought you could use a vacation."

"Ha, ha. You're hilarious. I'm serious, Buddy."

"So am I," Syndrome said, turning to face her. He sounded a little hurt.

"I thought you said you wanted to talk to me," Kauri said.

He looked uncomfortable. "Maybe later," he said.

Kauri sighed in frustration. "You kidnapped me and brought me to your island so that you could ask to talk to me later?" she asked. "You are a piece of work, my friend."

"Listen, sweetheart," he snapped. "It hasn't exactly been easy figuring out what I want to say to you - or why I even want you here! I just - I - I just needed to see you again, okay?"

Kauri waited for the rest to come.

Syndrome started to pace anxiously around the floor. "It's just so weird, seeing you again," he said, raking his hands through his hair nervously. "I mean, I thought you were gone - just, totally gone from my life - after college. And then, I saw that picture of you as Static, and it was like - I dunno - I just had to see you. To make sure you were okay. And now that you're not okay - call me stupid, or whatever - I just feel like you need some help, I guess."

"I appreciate the sentiment," Kauri said honestly.

He was quiet for a moment. Then, he continued, "Look, Kauri, I really, really missed you while you were gone. I've wanted you here on this island since the plans first came into being. I could never see it operating without you."

"It seems to have been operating fine to me."

"I know!" Syndrome exploded angrily. "But I haven't been fine without you! If you had been here you wouldn't have let all of these stupid things happen - if you'd stayed you would have stopped me killing all those Supers, I know you would have, and then I wouldn't feel so horrible right now!" He gave an angry sigh, and dropped into the chair across from Bex's, his head in his hands. "I… I can't… I just feel so… guilty. I… I killed people without any good reason, and I… I thought I was doing something right. If you'd been here, you would have told me I was wrong. You wouldn't have let me turn into… into some kind of monster."

Kauri stared at Syndrome as silence settled around them. He had changed so much since college. Of course, so had she, but somehow, the difference in him broke her heart. He'd always been bitter, but never so confused and lost. It scared her to see someone she cared about so much suffering like he was.

He looked up at her, and she realized he was on the verge of tears, although trying to hide it. "Bex," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry for everything I've done - to you, and to all the other Supers. I didn't… I didn't understand… I didn't think…"

Bex got up from her chair, walked over to him, and hugged him. "I know," she said softly. "I know."

He started to sob into her shoulder, and Bex made every attempt to comfort him. There wasn't much she could do, though. They both had so many scars from so many things in the past, and it would take time for them to heal. Bex was acutely aware of this, but, all the same, she wished there was an easier way.

"Buddy…" she started to say, but at that moment, the oven dinged loudly.

Syndrome lifted his head and sniffed, wiping tears from his cheeks. "Your food's ready," he said.

Kauri smiled half-heartedly. "You want any?"

"Nah," he mumbled. "I'm not hungry."

"You should eat something," she said, standing up and going over to the oven. "Food always makes me feel better."

"Then you can develop a bad eating habit," Syndrome said. "You know, when you eat every time you feel bad?"

"Yes, I know," Kauri said, pulling out the pan of lasagna. "I didn't mean you should eat every time you feel shitty. But sometimes eating something helps you think more clearly."

"I don't need my thinking to be any more clear than it is," Syndrome said miserably. "My brain is working much better than it should be."

Kauri dropped a few slices of lasagna on a plate that he'd set out for her, found a drawer with silverware, and grabbed two forks. She turned, set the plate on the table, and pulled up a chair. She held the fork out to him and said, "Dig in."

He glanced at her and looked like he was about to protest, but she spoke again. "I can poke your eye out with this fork, you know," she said, waving it threateningly.

"All right already!" Syndrome said, rolling his eyes and grabbing the fork. "You sound like my mother."

"I do not," Kauri said evenly, taking a chunk of lasagna from the plate. "I knew your mother very well and she never told you to eat more food. In fact, I think I remember her telling you that you were too fat on numerous occasions."

"My mother was a bitch," Syndrome said, viciously stabbing the lasagna with his fork.

"The lasagna is not your mother," Kauri said reproachfully. "Don't take out your anger on it."

"Bex, the lasagna is an inanimate object," Syndrome said, starting to smile.

"No! It's my friend!" she exclaimed. She pulled it protectively toward her and said, "Its name is Fredwina. Not that you would care. You don't even bother to ask its name before you eat it, do you? Bet you don't know what its life's ambition is."

"Enlighten me," Syndrome said with a laugh, taking another stab at the lasagna.

"Its life's ambition is to be eaten by a pair of Superheroes," Kauri announced somewhat dramatically. "And it's so lucky because we get to fulfill that ambition just before it dies."

Syndrome shook his head, still chuckling. "And you call me a piece of work," he said.

Kauri laughed and took another bite. "You're a piece of work, and I'm a weirdo," she said with a little shrug. "Two types of people that tend to click very well."

"So I've noticed," Syndrome said. They ate in silence for a bit, until he spoke again. "Bex, do you love Eric?"

She swallowed her mouthful of lasagna very slowly and deliberately and set down her fork. "Why do you ask?" she said cautiously.

"Well, I'm assuming you've been dating awhile," he said, leaning forward in his chair. "And you don't seem to want to leave him."

"He'll kill me if I do," Bex said quietly.

"You think he will," Syndrome corrected. "So you don't love him."

"It's hard to love someone who destroyed your life," Kauri said bitterly.

Syndrome looked at her significantly. "Is it?" he questioned. "Fooled me."

Kauri looked up, startled. "Buddy, I - well, I didn't ruin your life, first of all - "

"Sure you didn't, Bex," Syndrome said scathingly. "Never mind the fact that I locked myself away on this island for years after you left. Never mind that I would've killed myself had Mirage not been there to support me. Never mind the fact that I only dated one person after you, and that was Mirage. If you didn't ruin me, you at least hurt me a hell of a lot more than pretty much anyone else had. In fact, the only person who hurt me more was probably Mr. Incredible. 'So, Buddy,' you ask, 'Why don't you fall in love with Mirage, since she's been so wonderful to you over the years?' I've tried that, Bex, believe me, and it hasn't worked. I saw that you were still around and I knew - I just knew - that I had to be with you again. I could forget everything you'd done to me, if I just knew I'd see your face again." After a moment of silence, he said, "Love's a bitch, isn't it?"

Kauri had, by this point, looked away. "Yes, it is," she said softly. "I didn't break up with you because I hated you, you know. I wanted nothing more than to stay with you. It was just - you hated Supers so much. I thought, if you knew what I was - " She stopped, and then looked at him painfully. "I thought you would kill me."

Syndrome looked horrified at this notion. "Bex, I couldn't kill you," he said. "Not ever!"

"How was I supposed to know that?" she asked, looking away again. "How am I supposed to know that Eric won't kill me if I walk out the door? How was I supposed to know that being a hero is definitely not all it's cracked up to be? How are we expected to know that love's a bitch?" She sighed angrily and muttered, "The world sucks."

"Generally speaking, yes," Syndrome agreed. "Mirage and I had this discussion the other day. But there are still a few good things in the world. You, for example."

Kauri laughed bitterly. "Yeah, I'm a really great person," she said. "I sit around and let my boyfriend beat the shit out of me and allow him to spend all the money I earn on beer. I am a world-class citizen, tell you what."

"It's not your fault that Eric's an ass," Syndrome said quietly.

"It's my fault that I can't leave him," Kauri retorted.

"You're afraid."

"And whose fault is that again?" Kauri demanded. "Mine. I shouldn't have to be afraid."

Syndrome shook his head. "No, you shouldn't," he agreed. "Bex, stay here. With me. You'll be safe."

Kauri started to twist a ring on her hand around her finger in repetitive circles. "The other Supers will come after me," she said.

"We'll take care of them."

"You'd better not kill them," Kauri said harshly.

"I said we'd take care of them, Bex," Syndrome said. "I didn't say we'd kill them."

"Typically, those two phrases, when used in conjunction, mean the same thing."

"Bex, I really wish you'd trust me for once," he said with an angry sigh. "I'll give everything up - the destruction of the Supers, revenge on Mr. Incredible - everything - if you'll just stay with me."

For a moment, Kauri seemed like she was going to agree. Then, she said, "What about Eric? What about my job in Metroville?"

"Who cares?" Syndrome nearly exploded with rage. "Bex, Eric beats the hell out of you almost every day! How can you possibly want to go back to that?"

"It's not him I want to go back to," Kauri whispered. "It's the job. It's being a Superhero."

"What!" Syndrome snapped.

Kauri stared at the floor. "My father was a Superhero," she said. "And I've been gifted with powers, just like he was. It's my duty to the people, isn't it? To help them?"

"You just want to be a hero, don't you?" Syndrome spat.

Kauri glared at him. "I'd expect you to be able to understand that," she said.

"Not with your life experience," he snarled. "And not with mine. But you know what? Do whatever you want. Go back to Eric. Get beaten every day. Let him throw you through the damn-fucking wall. Why should I care? It's not my business what you do. And, let's face it, being a hero is worth it. Saving people who don't give a damn about you as a person, really, makes life meaningful and worthwhile. No, I totally understand. Go back to Metroville and have fun. Tell Eric I said 'Hi.'"

He started to storm out of the room, too furious to say anything more to Bex. He felt even angrier with himself when he heard Bex choking back a sob and his body stopped dead, despite his mind's insistence to keep walking and let her cry. She deserved it.

No. She didn't.

Dammit, dammit, dammit!

Syndrome sighed in frustration, and then turned in the doorway. "Bex…" he said, a lot more gently than he'd actually intended to.

Bex looked back at him. The pain on her face sliced him to the core. He walked right back through the door and knelt by her chair, wiping tears of her face and whispering comforting words in her ear. She was still crying hysterically (something she seemed to be doing a lot of lately, he'd noticed - not that he blamed her), but she seemed to feel at least slightly better now that someone was consoling her. "Bex… sweetheart… calm down," he said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, I really didn't… oh, Bex, stop crying, please stop crying…"

He leaned back slightly and studied her face. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks, and she was attempting to choke back sobs. She looked at him almost pleadingly. "Buddy…" she whimpered.

He leaned forward and kissed her.

It shouldn't have been the right thing to do, but it seemed to work. She started to calm down almost immediately and returned the kiss anxiously. Once Buddy thought she'd relaxed a bit, he pulled back from her, breathing hard, and said, "Jesus, Bex, you act like you haven't been kissed in ages."

She shrugged slightly, blushing. "Eric's too drunk most of the time to do anything," she said.

"Aw, Bex," Syndrome said sympathetically. He started to kiss her again, and then pulled back and whispered, "You deserve better."

"I don't suppose - mmmff! - you'd happen to know where I could find 'better?'" Kauri asked between kisses.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Syndrome said, with his typical smug smirking face. "But my kneeling by your chair is not exactly the most comfortable position. Come here…" He caught her arms and pulled her off the chair and onto the floor. "Mmm," he mumbled. "Much better."

Kauri was feeling rather guilty about kissing her nemesis like this, particularly since she had a supposed boyfriend. Never mind the fact that her boyfriend beat her; he was still her boyfriend, and he deserved some sort of faithfulness.

"Wait," she said, pulling back from Syndrome.

Syndrome looked surprised, and then angry. "What?" he demanded.

She chewed her lip nervously.

"This had better not be about Eric," Syndrome growled.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Well, I am sort of dating him…"

"And you're never going back to him!" Syndrome snarled. "At least, not if I have anything to say about it! And if you insist on going back to your hero work, what happens on Nomanisan stays on Nomanisan, all right? Good enough for you?"

Kauri had practically chewed a hole in her lip by this point. "But, Buddy, it's… it's wrong…" she said, looking extremely upset. She tried to stand and walk away. "I can't do this. I just… can't."

Syndrome leapt to his feet and went after her. "Bex, listen to me," he hissed, grabbing her arm and refusing to let her escape. "What do you have to lose?"

"Admittedly, not a lot," Bex said unhappily, "But pride comes to mind."

"And what's that worth to either of us?" Syndrome demanded. "Eric hates you. He takes away your pride daily. He throws you against walls. And who knows what he does while you're gone? There's plenty of women out looking for action, Bex. Don't be so naïve as to think he'll just ignore them."

"Shut up," Bex snarled.

"You know I'm telling the truth," Syndrome continued. It wasn't exactly fair of him to say this, especially since he had no proof, but he was almost certain he was right. "He doesn't love you. You told me so yourself. Guess what, sweetheart? I do love you - a hell of a lot more than he does. I won't hurt you like he has."

"Shut up!" Bex screamed, hiding her face in her hands.

Syndrome forced her to look at him "You're telling me to shut up because I'm telling you the truth, which is more than you can ask for from Eric," he said with brutal honesty. He studied her face for a moment and then asked, "What are you afraid of, Bex? That you're wrong about me? That all the other Supers are right and I'm actually the evil one? But think about it. Just think about it. If I'm the evil one… then Eric is the good one. Isn't that the way it always works, in these little love triangles - there's the good boy, and there's the bad boy? Well, if Eric's the good one - is that really the type of hero you want?"

He waited for Bex to respond, but she seemed to be choking on her words. She stared almost blankly up into his eyes. "I - I - Buddy -!"

He kissed her cheek ever so chastely. "Come on, Bex…" he whispered. "What harm will it do? Just this once… just while you're here… let me make you happy…"

He heard Bex swallowing painfully. She was starting to breathe heavily. She relaxed slightly in his arms and allowed his lips to wander down her neck.

She was going to give in. She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. YES! "Bex," he purred.

She shifted and kissed him hard on the mouth. "Mmmm…" he groaned and dragged her closer. "Oh, Bex… I love you… I really do…" he gasped out, almost a promise, almost a reassurance.

She pulled back slightly and studied him. "I know," she said after a moment of silence.

He grinned and then hungrily pressed his mouth back to hers.

Bex's conscious screamed, Stop! What the hell are you doing! You're with someone else! He's a murderer, he's a villain, he's wicked…

But he loves me… Eric hates me… I know he's not all bad… what do you want me to do?

Do what's right.

This is right. I can almost feel it.

Almost isn't enough.

It's enough for me.

Bex tuned out the war that was attempting to tear her soul apart and returned Syndrome's kiss, hard, losing herself in each touch, in each wave of pleasure. If she could just ignore those battling voices… just forget them… let it all go…

She beat them into submissive silence, much as Eric did to her, and then let Syndrome take over every fiber of her being. He was glad to oblige her in this respect. They stood there a long time, his mouth pressed hard against hers, until he pulled back after a moment. He caught her hand and pulled her wordlessly from the kitchen, and she followed without objection.

She knew where they were heading. She'd agreed to it, hadn't she? But her heart still jumped a little when the door in front of them slid open to reveal Syndrome's bedroom. He must have guessed she would be a little bit frightened, because he glanced back at her concernedly. "You ok?" he asked.

She nodded slowly, taking in the room. Every room in Syndrome's quarters was big, but she was still astounded by the size of everything - the huge closet, the dressers lining the walls - the bed facing a wide-open balcony doorway, revealing a beautiful moonlit ocean view. She glanced at the bed and raised an eyebrow. "Looks like the sort of bed you need lots of company in," she said, turning to meet his gaze.

Syndrome smiled sheepishly. He was so damn cute when he blushed. "Mirage is pretty much the only girl on the island," he said. "And she has her own room. Most of the time."

"Ah," Kauri said. "I see."

"Not since you've been in the picture," he added hastily.

Kauri smiled. "I know," she promised. "I'm dating somebody else, anyway. It's not like you have to be faithful to me until the day you die."

She smiled at him and walked over to where he was standing, and starting kissing him again. "Mmm," he murmured. "You know, for being out of practice, you're pretty damn good at this," he informed her.

She giggled and lightly began to kiss all the freckles crossing the bridge of his nose. He wriggled away from her and leaned his head against her shoulder, kissing her neck. "Aw, come on," she said, tilting his head back up again. "I love your freckles so much. You're not going to deny them a few kisses, are you?"

"Yes," he said, entwining his fingers with hers. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am, much as I appreciate your adoration of my face blemishes."

"Freckles, baby," she corrected, ignoring him and planting another kiss on the bridge of his nose.

"Hey!" he said, pushing her away. "Quit it!"

She pouted and dropped onto the bed. "I think I'm going to cry," she said.

"No you're not," Syndrome said, rolling his eyes, but Bex began to sniffle very convincingly. He looked concerned. "You're not, are you?" he asked.

Kauri hid her face in one of the pillows and started to shake, like she was crying. "Bex!" he exclaimed, dropping onto the bed next to her.

She rolled over, laughing hysterically. Syndrome slapped her playfully. "Dammit, Bex, you had me worried there for a second!" he said.

She giggled. "Aw, he worries about me," she said. "That's so cute."

"It's only natural," he said. He caught her arms and pinned them to the bed. "And now for the fun part," he said with an almost wicked grin.

"Uh-oh," Kauri said, eyebrows shooting up. "He has plans for me."

He smirked. "Oh, yes I do, Bex," he purred. "I have a lot of plans for you."

"Now I'm really frightened," she said.

"Ooh, don't be," he said, bending over and kissing her neck. "I think you'll like them."

"You're probably right," Bex agreed, pulling him closer. She ran her hands down his back and whispered in his ear, "So, exactly how does one get Syndrome's supersuit off? Or is this a dirty little secret that I can't know, for fear that I'll reveal it to villain fangirls all over Metroville, who will mercilessly attack you and use my knowledge to undress you in public?"

"I have fangirls?" Syndrome said in such an excited voice that Kauri laughed.

"I think almost every semi-famous person has fangirls," she said. "Or boys, as the case may be. But I, personally, am your number one fangirl, and considering that I'm currently in your bed, I want to know how to get your supersuit off."

Syndrome pretended to consider. "Hmmm," he said. "Should I tell her the secret, or shouldn't I? Maybe I should blindfold you again, so you can't see, and then we can play a few fun little bondage-domination games…"

"I thought I told you I wasn't into that sort of thing," Kauri said, kissing his cheek.

"Damn," Syndrome joked. "And I was so looking forward to that, too…"

"Oh, shut up, you nerd," she mumbled.

"Oh, nerd, is it?" he said. "Forget ever learning how to take my supersuit off."

"I was just kidding!" Kauri cried. She actually looked so panicked that Syndrome had to laugh.

"You're really cute, Bex, you know that?" he said, kissing the bridge of her nose lightly.

"How come you can kiss my nose and I can't go anywhere near yours?" she demanded.

"Because I'm the man," Syndrome whispered. "And men can do whatever they want."

"Oh yeah?" Kauri said. "Wanna bet?" She caught his arms and flipped him neatly onto his back, pinning him to the bed. "Ha!" she said, smiling smugly. "Gotcha!"

Syndrome pouted. "Come on, Bex, let me up," he commanded.

"No."

"Bex."

"Nope. Definitely not letting you up."

"Bex."

"Well… no."

"Bexer!" Syndrome growled.

"Oooh, hear him roar," Kauri said with a smirk, rolling her eyes. "I guess you just can't handle a Super."

Syndrome snarled at this and then caught her arms tightly and flipped her onto her back. He grinned, eyes gleaming, and said, "Who's super now, Bexer?"

Kauri laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So are you so Super that you can actually have sex in your Supersuit, or what?" she asked.

Syndrome smiled at her. "It's really not all that complicated, Bex," he said. "Speaking personally, I would try unhooking the belt first."

Kauri released him and moved her hands downward, casually playing with the lock on his belt. It unsnapped under her fingers. She pulled it off and studied all the weapons attached to it. "Watch out," she warned. "You could hurt somebody."

"That's kind of the point, isn't it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kauri studied his face briefly, and then reached up and pulled off the mask hiding part of his face from view. She smiled at the vast array of freckles now revealed to her and the gingery eyebrows, one of which was still cocked at her. "You're adorable," she said to him, sitting up and kissing him.

He smiled and hid his face in her shoulder again. "Aw, he gets shy all of a sudden," she said with a giggle.

He sat up and gave her a dirty look. "I'm not shy," he muttered.

"You're cute when you pout." She pulled the top half of his supersuit neatly over his head, leaving his red hair disheveled.

He glanced in a mirror and said, "Damn. The hairspray's not holding up anymore."

"I like you with your hair down," Kauri said. She reached up and combed his hair flat with her fingers, and watched as a few strands fell into his face. "You should leave it like this more often," she advised.

"In a ponytail," he said. "I don't feel like being mistaken for you." He caught her around the waist and pulled her closer. A few seconds later he'd pulled her shirt over her head. "Ah, yes," he said, rolling his eyes. "The fun part. I always wonder how the hell you girls get your bras on and off so easily."

Kauri rolled her eyes. "It isn't that hard, Buddy," she said. "Seriously."

"Easy for you to say," Syndrome muttered, "You've been wearing one since you were twelve."

"Well, I'm sure if you wore one you'd figure it out, too," Kauri said, biting back a smile.

Syndrome smacked her lightly. "If that's what I have to do, I think I'd rather struggle," he said.

Kauri rolled her eyes again and then reached back and undid it for him. "There," she said. "You happy?"

"You didn't even give me a chance," he said sulkily.

Kauri leaned against him and said, "You'd better hurry up, Pine. I'm freezing."

"So lose the jeans and get under the covers," he advised, but he wrapped her up in his arms anyway and starting kissing her forehead. "Mmm… Bex, I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she said quietly. "A lot more than I ever told you."

He smiled into her hair. "I'm glad you're here," he whispered.

Kauri snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes. "Me, too."

He tilted her chin up and pressed his lips against hers. She broke the kiss first and glanced at the ground. "So, do you ever plan on taking those rocket boots off?" she questioned lightly.

Syndrome glanced at them somewhat mournfully and said, "I guess…"

Kauri slapped him and pulled back from him, tugging her jeans off and kicking them onto the floor. "You know, if you keep stalling like this, it'll be morning before we get anywhere," she said casually.

"Stalling?" Syndrome repeated in disbelief. He kicked off his rocket boots and finished undressing so quickly that Kauri had to laugh. He pounced on her and pinned her to the bed, and whispered in her ear, "I don't stall."

"So what are you doing now?" Kauri asked. "It's typically a bad idea to start monologuing before sex, you know."

"Then shut up, Bex."

Before she could open her mouth to retort, he'd started to kiss her again, hard. Bex closed her eyes and lost herself in his embrace. There was no Metroville here, no Supers, no drunks - just the two of them, exactly where they belonged. No inner voices plagued her thoughts now; there was only a deep internal calm, and an emotion that she'd long ago thought she'd forgotten how to feel - happiness.

She pulled back and whispered, "Buddy?"

He moved to kiss her neck. "Yeah?'

"I love you."

She felt his smile against her skin. "I love you too, Bex."

He brought his mouth to hers again, and she deepened the kiss hungrily. Syndrome would have smiled, if his mouth had not been so preoccupied with other things. He ran his hands across her skin, down from her shoulders to her arms, from her arms to her sides, and down to her hips. His fingers gracefully stroked her skin for a few moments, feeling tiny goose bumps despite his close proximity to her and the sheet that they were wrapped in. He pulled her closer to him, kissed her hard, and joined with her.

It was almost perfect, this blissful union, almost innocent, if one could ever call lovemaking innocent. It wasn't the desire to take from another; it was seeking solace in a fellow sufferer's arms, and finding peace. Every caress, every kiss, every cry, every whisper of the other's name into the dark, was meant from the heart. It was pleasure, and it was utter, heart-breaking pain, with the knowledge lurking nearby that the real world would have to be faced at some point, that this night could not last forever, and that reality would set in much sooner than either of them desired. It was everything either of them had ever wanted, and yet, it was not quite enough.

But it would suffice, for now.