A/N: Once again. Split-n-splice said two words to me, and here we are. Enjoy another installment of The Watermelon Saga.
Craving Conundrum
It was with both a sense of pride and a great weariness that Drakken approached the oven that afternoon when the timer went off, indicating his newest genius creation was complete. Potholders in hand, he closed his eyes as the steam hit his face and then carefully pulled out the two bread pans, one in each hand. He hastily extracted the moist loaves and set them to cool on a wire rack, sighing at the sight of the abnormally-colored bread.
He grimaced and set his hands on his hips as he stared at his creations. He couldn't apply the glaze until they had cooled. But he had known this of course, and so while waiting he continued in preparing the rest of the sumptuous morsels that he had designed for one purpose alone.
The fruit dehydrator was nearing the end of its cycle, and he hummed to himself as he got out the blender, his citrus squeezer, can opener, and all of the many ingredients he would need for the rest of the meal he had designed. It was with a heavy sigh that he lifted the key ingredient from its place of honor at the center of the dining table and brought it back to the cutting board. He surveyed the personal-sized watermelon with a shake of his head before he picked up his largest knife and sliced it in half.
He didn't dare speak to even his mother about Shego's pregnancy cravings, but he suspected she was unique in her obsession with the one single food.
Before Shego had turned acquiring more and more of the watery fruit into the primary focus of their lives, he had used to enjoy watermelon. The sticky sweet juices dribbling down his chin had been a staple at summer picnics since his childhood, the race to enjoy every last drop before the ants could sneak their share a special memory carried into the future at evil family gatherings. But now even the sight of the melons made his stomach turn, and so he'd developed his own unique method of coping.
If the majority of his generous reward for saving the world was to be spent purchasing watermelons for his pregnant wife, then he was going to make the most of it. And that meant experimenting in the kitchen.
He carefully scooped out one half of the personal-sized melon and put the contents in the blender, leaving about an inch of the fruit intact inside the rind. He then added a generous squeeze of fresh lime to the blender and opened up a can of coconut milk to pour in as well.
The timer on the fruit dehydrator dinged just as he was about to push start on the blender, and he hurried to divide perhaps his most useful creation between a plate to serve to Shego and into plastic bags to save for later.
When he returned to start the blender, he found his good humor returning. He had always taken pride in presenting top quality creations to his wife, and if she was craving watermelon, he may as well introduce her to more refined choices with the fruit. Ever since he had met her she'd been the microwave dinner type, not lacking in kitchen skills but low in interest and enthusiasm. She had benefited from his passion and desire for world-class cuisine from the time she was just his side-kick, and being able to tell her that each and every thing that came out of the kitchen was his own recipe was the best part of cooking. Next to her smile of enjoyment, of course.
The slushie finished, he poured it from the blender back into the hollowed-out half of the personal-sized watermelon and then carefully set the completed beverage in the freezer to chill. He checked the bread, and then went back to the other half of the watermelon he'd ignored to prepare the rest of the meal he'd invented.
Cutting the ripe, red fruit into even cubes took no time at all, but what took slightly more precision was forming tiny mozzarella balls from the fresh cheese he'd made earlier that day. After uncovering the bowl on the counter, he pulled small pinches one at a time from the soft, white mass swimming in whey and rolled them between his palms until they were just smaller than each watermelon cube. When he had nearly two dozen, he moved on to carefully folding thin ribbons of prosciutto to balance with the sweet and creamy richness of the cheese.
It was a tedious effort, but he found himself fully at ease with the task, enjoying the challenge of finding things that paired deliciously with his new least-favorite fruit. And above all, knowing it would please Shego.
Before long he had a tray prepared with three plates, the watermelon cubes with mozzarella and prosciutto arranged into a heart on the largest one with green toothpicks holding each hors d'oeuvre together. A small tea plate to its left held a generous serving of the watermelon jerky that the dehydrator had produced, and Drakken smiled at its bright red color as he set the chilled slushie behind it and added a two-toned green striped straw, a spoon, a slice of lime, and some shaved coconut to the top of the drink served cleverly inside the watermelon rind.
One plate on the tray remained empty, and Drakken rubbed his hands gleefully as he turned back to the finally-cooled bread. Its color was also a vibrant red, and he set one loaf upon the plate and then with two large squeeze bottles added the finishing touch. From one bottle came a pink, strawberry glaze that he zig-zagged across the top of the loaf in thin stripes. Then filling the spaces between, from the second bottle came a generous portion of green kiwi glaze adding that necessary aesthetic to what was of course, a watermelon-themed treat.
He carefully cut a few slices of the loaf and arranged them on the plate, humming in satisfaction at the tiny dark chocolate chips that studded the moist bread like watermelon seeds.
Everything was perfect. And he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he carried the tray down to their bedroom where Shego was waiting with the morning sickness that plagued her interminably.
"Oh Dumpling!" he sang as he strode through the door, head held high in pride. "I have something for you!"
From beneath a mass of raven hair, verdant eyes blinked at him within a sea of pale green skin. Drakken hummed happily as he crossed the room while Shego slowly sat up in the bed, wincing in pain and looking deeply distracted.
It was their daily existence now, she rarely feeling well enough to get out of bed, and he striving to make everything about the pregnancy more comfortable for her until the morning sickness eventually...hopefully...abated. Nearly five months in, and it hadn't. But nevertheless, they carried on.
Drakken had set the tray aside while helping prop up pillows behind Shego's back to make sitting up more comfortable, and when she was finally situated, he set the breakfast tray across her knees and tucked it in close to the small swell of her belly. He gave her a moment to survey what he'd brought before he began explaining.
"It's watermelon, fresh mozzarella, and prosciutto..." he began, indicating the heart he'd shaped out of the hors d'oeuvres on the largest plate. He realized at that moment he could have piled the watermelon jerky in the center of the heart, but he could always do that the next time. "The slushie has coconut and lime, and the bread has chocolate chips and a strawberry and kiwi glaze."
It was difficult to contain his bubbles of excitement as he refrained from explaining every detail about his creations, and he watched Shego's exhausted face for any hint of approval as he continued.
"And this...this one is going to be the best. This is watermelon jerky," he said, lifting up a piece of the dehydrated fruit. "And I made an entire melon's worth, so we can bring some with us whenever we go out, and you'll always have watermelon to snack on."
A small light came to Shego's eyes then, and Drakken watched her swallow slowly as she carefully plucked one of the cubes of watermelon with its cheese and meat out of the heart he'd arranged. He rubbed his hands eagerly as she put the entire morsel in her mouth, chewing with a painful slowness that he knew was due to the never-ending nausea. When she finally swallowed the bite and then washed it down with a sip of the slushie, he couldn't help himself any longer.
"Well?" he asked eagerly. It was all he could do to not plead with her to try the jerky and bread, but he couldn't be selfish. It was about giving her as much comfort and happiness as possible while her body seemed bent on betraying her while it grew the new life they had created together.
"Actually..."
Everything in Drakken seized.
"I'm not really feeling watermelon... I'm feeling like something...salty."
Drakken forced the smile to stay on his face.
"The prosciutto—"
"Saltier," Shego said emphatically, finally looking at him. "Something like...mmh...pickles!"
Drakken's cheeks hurt as he held the smile and hoped it remained in his eyes.
"P-Pickles?" he said through clenched teeth.
"But not those big sweet ones that are used in relish. Something else...oh, those little gherkins you eat!"
Drakken felt his eye twitching as Shego described everything special about his beloved gherkins: their adorable size, the perfect crunch when one bites into them, the overwhelming tart and salty sensation that fills the mouth...
He licked his lips in desire even as his heart sank. He'd had dreams of her tiring of watermelon, as the sickly sweet fruit now consumed his life. But to have it replaced with his gherkins... He knew he wouldn't get to taste a single one for months.
All of a sudden he realized that Shego had stopped talking, and he refocused to find her looking at him expectantly and a bit impatiently.
"Well?" she said, and he realized she expected him to immediately provide for her new craving.
When he opened his mouth to speak, he found it dry.
"I...I'll go get you some," he said, smiling weakly.
"Wait."
His eyes widened expectantly.
"Someone's gotta eat this," she said, gesturing to the large platter of food.
Drakken felt ill. He nodded obediently and picked up a piece of the watermelon jerky. The thought alone of eating watermelon turned his stomach, but the scent was worse. And when the too-sweet fruit hit his tongue, the flavor even more concentrated from being dehydrated, he wanted to vomit. But he forced a smile and chewed it diligently as Shego watched him.
"Mmmm!" he proclaimed in false delight as he continued chewing, hoping she'd buy it. He desperately wanted a drink to wash the taste out of his mouth, but the only beverage around was the watermelon slushie. When finally he slipped the last of the fruit in his mouth, she nodded in approval, and he hoped he could get away with feeding the rest of the platter to the henchmen when he went to get her his pickles.
He was silently plotting how many gherkins he could possibly eat and hide away for himself from each jar without her noticing, when a familiar laugh startled him back to awareness.
"Drakken."
"I...I'm sure I'll be able to feast for days on all of this!" he said brightly, fighting off nausea with each word.
"I'm kidding."
He stared at her. "Wh-What...?"
"I'm just kidding. This is amazing," Shego said, grabbing a piece of the jerky and ripping the fibers apart with her front teeth.
Everything inside of Drakken uncoiled in relief, and he collapsed onto the bed next to her, willing his salivary glands to operate faster so he could be rid of the heinous flavor.
"Shego," he said, feeling his heart pound.
"This is the best bread I've ever had!" she said as she chewed.
"Shego," he repeated, peering up at her from the mattress as his stomach turned and his nerve endings tingled with anxiety.
"Come on, Drakken. I've gotta do something for fun while I'm stuck in bed," she said with a smirk just before she took a long drink of the slushie.
"Can you have fun...without making me sick too?" Drakken complained, slowly shifting to sit up next to her.
"It was one piece of watermelon, it won't kill you."
"I'm not sure about that," he said worriedly as he cuddled up next to her, tilting his head back and taking slow, deep breaths.
"Here," Shego said, and Drakken looked down to see her offering him a piece of prosciutto and mozzarella without the juicy red fruit cube.
"The cheese touched the watermelon," he complained.
"You'll live."
He grumbled slightly but accepted the palette-cleanser, and he felt instant relief as the salty and milky flavors replaced that which he hated so much.
Shego's head leaning against his shoulder brought him back to awareness again, and as his queasiness began to subside he noted her sickly pallor and how she still held herself stiffly even as she enjoyed the meal. He set a hand over her belly.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better, thanks to you."
He watched in silence as Shego alternated between each sampling on the tray, clearly enjoying everything he had prepared. He kissed her temple and then rested his head against hers, ignoring the scent of the fruit as he realized he'd accomplished exactly what he'd intended. Shego was thrilled with his creations, so much so she'd felt well enough to tease him.
That brought another thought back to his mind, and he cleared his throat before speaking cautiously.
"Uhm... Shego?"
"Mmh?" she answered, her mouth full of the moist bread.
"You don't...really want my gherkins, do you?"
She turned to kiss him, her lips reddened from the watermelon juice, and Drakken forced himself not to gag on the taste.
"If I say yes?"
Drakken blinked and forced a smile. He could make the best of it. He'd do just as he'd done with the melons and come up with things that elevated the gherkins to more than they already were. And it would be all the easier, considering he wouldn't choke each time he tasted a recipe.
"Drakken."
"Sorry, I can go get you some if you—"
"I don't want your gherkins."
"Oh. Oh, thank you, Shego!"
He gradually relaxed and watched her as she nibbled at the jerky again, humming in contentment. It was an intense relief to see her happy and alert as opposed to the writhing in bed or holding her face over a bucket that had been the norm of the pregnancy thus far. After a moment, she kissed his cheek before nestling her head back against his shoulder.
"I hope you like it," he couldn't help but say as he gently rubbed her belly.
She plopped the single watermelon cube she'd separated into her mouth and then snuggled closer to him. The smile she gave him melted the last of his discomfort, and he remembered all over again why he had worked so hard.
"Drakken..." she said softly, setting her hand atop his. "This is more than enough."