Author's Notes!
Hey there!
Sorry for the wait! My PC broke down and my trusted technician was out for their honeymoon, so I had to wait for a while before it got fixed. That didn't mean I was idle, though. I've been quite busy with my secret projects that I've been planning for a while now. Suffice to say, my progress has been quite good, so I decide to go back and let it sit for a while before editing them. For the meantime, I'll be writing more of this story! Yay! So for the meantime, I'll be slowing down the updates. But don't worry. I won't be gone.
Anyway, it looks like things have been going quite well here, considering how little this story got recognition when it was first released, and I can't express enough gratitude to those who took time in reading them and patiently waiting for the next release. I know you guys might not be that vocal, but I, at least, can see them thru the readership. Thank you so much guys!
"Possible's Pure Love Road"
by: kmtdiccion
Chapter Twenty One:
"Meeting Mrs. Possible, Middleton's Scalpel Of Death"
Ron has always been a fan of movies, although his collection is mostly composed of either Bricks of Fury series or the Fearless Ferret franchise. He would always watch the adrenaline-pumping scenes with wonder and amazement. Even way back in his childhood, he would often be seen role-playing his favorite scenes, whether it's about the inadvertent desperate save of the masked hero, or the cool one-liner while turning back from the onset explosion.
But their confession under the pouring rain yesterday has it beat them with a staggering large distance. In his mind, nothing from the silver screen came close to it.
And with that, he rose from his bed with a blindingly bright smile etched on his face. He dutifully did his usual morning chores before preparing for the upcoming day. Everyone on the streets instantly recognized how absurdly chirpy the boy is, judging from the way he greets them. When Ron met with the owner of his favorite deli store, the man guffawed while rubbing his hair "Aren't you a bit too chipper today, squirt?" The blonde boy laughed at that and responded "Hahaha. The world's just dazzling to me today."
When he turned to the side, he noticed a girl reaching vainly on the kite that was stuck in between its branches. Her short arms, unfortunately, can't reach it, and so she pushed her luck and tried to get close. But, by doing so, she lost her clutch on the branch, causing her to slip off it. She yelped and feared the impending landfall, but surprisingly, the boy was quick to catch her. "There you go. Don't worry, I'll get it for you!" And like a knight in shining armor, Ron flashed her a grin and grabbed the toy with complete ease. The little girl's eyes shone in amazement while she took the toy from him. "T-Thanks." She muttered bashfully.
The freckled teen laughed lightly at her and ruffled her locks "It's no big. Ahahahaha~" He turned around and started walking once more, leaving the blushing girl and the amused store owner alone. "Would'ya look at that. It ain't everyday you see him that happy." The girl didn't say anything, but nodded her head while trying to fight off the blush on her face.
Middleton seems to be under a beautiful weather. The sky is blue with some thin clouds floating high above. It already was miles better than what they had yesterday. Ron hummed while in thought "I must be blessed to have the weather this beautiful while I'm already over the moon..."
Passing through the small park, the freckled teen noticed a particular pale green Go Academy student already up on the bench. With a wave of his hand, he greeted "Good morning, Shego!" Said female nodded her head while observing him "Yo... You're in a pretty good mood." And in an instant, Ron's face glow brightly as sparkles seemingly appear all around him. With a giggle akin to a love-stuck maiden, he spoke "Ahahahahaha! Life is just so wonderful~"
Shego clicked her tongue in slight irritation from the scene "Annoying." Fortunately, Ron brushed off her comment as he produced a brown paper bag to his hands. "I brought you a special-made giant grilled clubhouse sandwich today."
"Ahahahahahahaha! Life really is just so wonderful~" And in a blink of an eye, Shego grasped his hands, smiled widely and spoke as if she was in a cheesy commercial.
Now that he's done with her, he resumed to his walking while greeting everyone he knows along the way. Because of his overflowing joy, he can't help but hum. After crossing the intersection, he felt a tap from his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Josh giving him his cool smile. "Ron Stoppable. Middleton High. Blood Type A. A Virgo. His hobby is helping out with housework. He's quite affable, so he's always smiling, but he only hums when he's in a particularly good mood."
Josh thought that Ron would tease back at him like usual, but instead, Ron just smiled at him and greeted "Good morning, Josh!" The aspiring artist can't help but smile back at him, this time with much more cheer than usual, as he replied "Good morning, Ron. You seem to be in quite the good mood today."
Ron nods his head and raises his arms up "What can I say? The world's just a beautiful place." And although he was slightly perturbed with his current actions, he was still, nonetheless, happy that he's enjoying life. "Hmm... I don't really understand what you're getting at, but it's good that you're happy."
"Riiiiight?" A sugary voice rang behind the dirty blonde boy. When he turned around, he was momentarily blinded by how bright her smile was emitting. Josh's eyes crinkled at that and groaned "Whoa, so bright." Meanwhile, his freckled friend didn't even flinch, as he gave her a big grin of his own and greeted "Good morning, Mo!" The class president's smile went wider at that and waved back "Good morning, Ron. Can I assume yesterday was a very good day for you?"
And as if he was a giant reflector, Josh swore his eyes almost went blind as Ron suddenly glowed bright and nodded his head. "W-Whoa, that's bright. You too, Ron?" Said boy didn't answer his question as he raised his hands up into the sky and laughed "Ahahaha! The world is overflowing with happiness!"
Monique's eyes shone even more as she went near the boy and grabbed his hands "Ufufufufu! I couldn't agree more!" The two were so lost into their happiness, that they didn't notice Josh's eyes twitching for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Don't compete with him, for crying out loud!... God, what's gotten into you two?" The two of them laughed at him before continuing their walk towards the school.
The trio arrived at Middleton High with some ample time left before classes start. And if Ron were to be honest, even the bland concrete walls that has always looked tasteless to him looked beautiful today. If this was his any other normal day, he would've been so nonchalant about most of the things, but right now, even the growing weed around the ground looked as beautiful as a flower to him. "Ahahahaha! What a refreshing start to the day!" He chuckled mentally at that.
Meanwhile, a group of shady-looking students suddenly bowed down as soon as they noticed a particular redhead entering the school gates. "GOOD MORNING, KIM POSSIBLE!" The entire Possible Corps shouted as one, earning them a whole slew of eyes onto them. Said delinquent leader rubbed her temple as she went towards her eager cousin "Joss, I thought I told you to stop this." The short brunette had pleading eyes at that and tried to appeal to her "Oh, come on! This is an important ritual for us, so please don't take this away from us!"
"Honestly..." Kim shook her head at that. She really loved the girl, but sometimes, her eagerness just rubs her in the wrong way. Her slight irritation was, fortunately, drowned easily as she noticed Ron walking with a smile on his face. When their eyes connect, the two were left still on their tracks, suddenly unsure on what to do next. Her heart starts going crazy just from seeing him, and based on how quickly his face morphed, she mused that it was the same with him.
His cheerfulness turned into bashfulness. But, in spite of that fact, he can't help himself from grinning even more. It's almost as if his facial muscles have a mind of its own. Josh watched him with slight interest and commented "That's far past a normal smile. Honestly, what's gotten into you?"
Monique wasn't faring even better as she let out a giggle and went near the curious boy "What indeeeed~" Josh stared at her with a straight face and replied "You're the same way."
Back at the freckled teen, he went near the redhead and greeted her "Good morning, Kim." The redhead averted her eyes for a moment as a blush slowly crept her face before mumbling "...H-Hey." Joss watched her back for a moment before curiosity took over her and asked "Cousin? What's wrong?" Her face contorted into a light glare and shook her head before walking away, not bothering to say anything from her cousin or to her new beau.
Ron watched her walking away as a grin melted into a small smile. "Oh, she's gone... Looks like she's being pretty nonchalant about this." Meanwhile, Monique clasped her hands together and bemoaned with a passionate voice "Ahhhh~ How cooooold!" The budding artist made a deadpan face and shook his head "But now you look like you're in heaven."
Unknown to them, Kim rushed inside the building, grinning like an idiot as she remembered his smiling face.
The trio followed suit not long after. The blonde freckled boy still can't control his facial muscles by the time they entered the classroom. Ned took notice of him and commented "Ron's looking pretty funny today." Gil nodded at him as he turned around and asked "Did something good happen? You look more like you've been taking some drugs that you shouldn't." Ron just laughed at them and shook his head.
"It's clearly a woman. He must've gotten a girlfriend." One of their female classmates suddenly popped out of her chair as she gave the boy a knowing grin. And in a blink of an eye, the entire female population of the room started whispering. "No way, no way, no waaaaay! Ron Stoppable has a girlfriend?" The one near her asked before they fell into gossip. Meanwhile, the boys near Ron had their eyes shot out of their sockets, shocked from the sudden development. "A girlfrieeend!?" Felix shrieked.
Gil grabbed the boy by the shoulders and shook him "No way. Right, Ron!? I thought you would be the last person to betray us!" Said blonde boy looked over their sorrow-filled eyes and let out a confused laugh. "It hurts to see you all so surprised." And to make matters worse, the classroom door opened harshly as a particular blonde teacher shouted her disbelief "You're kidding, right!?"
Ron just stared at his sister with tired eyes as the elder Stoppable started to realize that she had startled the entire class from her sudden outburst. She let out a cough before trying to get back her composure "Uh, ahem. Ron... Ron, it's too soon for you to have a girlfriend." She placed her lesson plan on top of the desk and clapped her hands "Class is starting, so get ready, everyone."
The class was, fortunately for the teacher, obediently followed her orders as they start taking out their reference book and notebook. As Ron scoured his bag for a pen, his female classmate went near her and whispered with a playful tone "You're going to tell us all about it later, right?" After that, people came to talk to him every single break between classes, lifting the boy's ego a little. He still found himself as a normal person, but it doesn't mean he didn't enjoy the attention he's garnering.
Lunch break...
"Today was very fun." Ron said while munching on his food. A certain redhead beside him smiled at him and replied "Sounds pretty rough."
The two were having lunch together on the rooftop. Using her authority as a fearsome delinquent leader, she chase everyone away from the area. Although they are now officially dating, the two reached a conclusion that they would keep their relationship a secret to the public. He took a bite on his sandwich before asking once again "So... why do you want to hide it?" to which Kim answered with her brows slightly furrowed "You weren't listening, were you?"
She grabbed a spoonful of her pudding before listing off her reasons "There's three main reasons. First off, it'd be dangerous for you. If people knew about you, then it wouldn't surprise me if some idiots showed up and use you against me." Ron recalled the incident during the Pickleworks festival and asked "Like what Food Chain did last time?" Kim nodded her head at that and agreed "Yeah... I seriously freaked out when you got kidnapped back then."
Ron scratched his head at that as he remembered how it went before Kim's rampage on Food Chain's base "Though nothing really happened." Kim shook her head negatively and reasoned with "Bonnie's people are the only ones that know right now. If it's just Food Chain, I can easily plan some countermeasures."
Understanding slowly lit up inside his mind. He knew how scary it was to be targeted, and as much as he had some fun while being held 'captive' by Food Chain, the things that happened before that were still mind-numbing. If it weren't for Shego's interference, then Bonnie's torture would've continued, and he doesn't even know what he would do if the pain had lasted any longer. Meanwhile, Kim went onto the next point "Next are Joss and the others."
"You mean the Possible Corps?" Ron queried innocently, causing said redhead to narrow her eyes and blushed lightly. "Stop calling them that. It's embarrassing... It might actually be worse for them to find out than if some other random group does."
He looked at her with a questioning gaze "Even though they're on your side?" to which Kim followed back with a question herself "That's exactly why. It'll be annoying because they're so close. You're not planning on becoming a delinquent, right?"
Although he knew he likes the redhead, but he still doesn't think he's suited for a delinquent lifestyle, and so he shook his head negatively at that. The Bloody Fox's eyes soften and explained "Those guys are a bit weird about how proud they are about being delinquents. I don't think they'd approve of someone normal dating me. I've got the last word so they'll probably act like they're fine with it, but I dunno what they'll try behind my back."
Seeing the implications her words have, Ron mused that he'd like to avoid anything that could harm him. He didn't want to be either a target by numerous delinquents nor the catalyst that could disrupt the dynamics of Kim's gang. On the other side, the delinquent leader closed her eyes and heaved a sigh before a thought popped into her mind. "Oh... Watch out for Joss, too. She's unusually sharp about weird stuff. She could become more annoying than usual if she caught wind of this."
This time, Ron let out a small smile at that, as he countered her claim with a zinger "Oh, you actually don't mean that. You were, after all, so worried about her yesterday." Kim's cheeks were flushed red in embarrassment as she tried to dish out a scathing response "Uh... S-Shut up."
Even though she's acting nonchalant about her subordinates, he knew that she still cares about them deep down. After everything that has happened ever since they first talked, he understood her true compassionate side underneath her cold and unapproachable mask. A wistful smile adorned his face before finishing the food on his hand. After taking the last bite, he turned towards her and asked "Anyway, won't it be a problem if people see us together like this? It's just the two of us up here on the rooftop."
"We can just play it off as something else. Like us having a fight, or me beating you up." She smirked, causing said blonde to slightly shiver on how sadistic she looked. Scratching his head, Ron voiced his uncertainty with her reason "I don't know about that. We'll still have to be careful."
Kim nodded her head as she murmured "Yeah. Though I don't think we need to be so uptight about it." The two enjoyed a moment of comfortable silence, basking at each other's presence under the shade of a wall before Ron suddenly thought of something "... I was thinking of changing the way we call each other, but maybe we should hold off on that for now." Said redhead turned her head towards him and tilted it with a questioning gaze "The way we call each other?"
"You know, like..." The blonde boy shifted his sight towards the sky as he gave the nickname he made for her one last thought before saying "... KP."
The delinquents around her, both allies and enemies alike, usually greets her formally. The entire school would call her by her surname. He wanted to have a name that would be special for them, but would also act as a shield to hide it from others. And after thinking about it for hours, he finally arrived to her initials. He didn't understand it, but those two letters rolled off of his tongue much better than expected, as if it was meant for him to call her that. He tried to look for more nicknames, but none came close.
Looking beside him, he noticed that the fearsome delinquent leader's face was as red as a ripe tomato. "KP? Kim? Are you alright?" He tried to grasp on her wrist, but her hand instantly swiped them away from her. With her entire body slightly shaking, Kim gritted her teeth and reacted "Y-Y-Y-Y-You idiot! W-What the hell's with that name!? Are you making me embarrassed!?"
Her reaction stung him a bit, but he relented. After all, he wasn't one to push his ideas too hard. "W-Well, it's fine if you're not that used to it. It was only just a suggestion, Kim. No need to be all jittery." He chuckled in the end as he leaned back into the wall. The redhead, however, pouted as she kept silent for a moment, before groaning "Uuuuhh~~~ It's embarrassing to hear something... c-close at first, but now calling me Kim feels like you're a stranger. I don't understand myself!"
Ron chuckled at her antics before consoling her with "Don't worry about it. I'll still call you Kim if you want to, like what I've been doing ever since we met." And though Kim nodded her head, her teeth was still grinding against each other as she still wrack her brain "T-Then don't make a big deal about it, all right?... R... RS."
The boy stared at her while Kim's eyes went wide. She didn't intend to share what's on her mind because, one, she doesn't know what she wants to call him, and two, it was absurdly embarrassing on all fronts. The two were silent, eyeing each other with shocked eyes, before Kim buried her face behind her hands as she starts kicking the air "... Nngh!" She squirmed from her place, trying to fend off the embarrassment that was slowly drowning her mind. Ron was quick on the uptake and decided to swerve the conversation to another topic as he asked "A-A-Anyway! What's the third reason?"
It took her a while to calm down before she could respond. "Oh, uh... Uh, this isn't really a reason or anything. Uh..." This time, her hand instinctively went to the hem of her shirt as her fingers twirled around it. Ron's brow was slightly raised as he waited for her explanation. "Y-You know, it's embarrassing. I'm saying it'd be embarrassing for people to know that I've got a boyfriend."
To be quite honest, those words stung him harder than he expected. His self-confidence deflated significantly as he tried to keep up and not show his sadness "Do I embarrass you?"
Now it's Kim's eyes to go wide as she scrambled for words "Like hell you do! You're crazy cool, and you're a great guy. I'm so happy when I'm with you, and, and..." She tried to clear the misunderstanding she created by telling him all the good points of their relationship, but words were never her forte, and so she was eventually reduced to stutters and pauses. "It's just... Uh, um... Y-You get it, right?"
Ron just smiled and nodded, thankful that his earlier thoughts were debunked. "She's got a tough personality, so the idea of having a boyfriend and so on must still be a fresh and embarrassing topic for her. I think that side of her is cute, too." He mentally chuckled. Meanwhile, Kim looked straight at his eyes and sighed before confessing "Actually, I'm more embarrassed that I can't be more proud having a great boyfriend like you... But!"
She grabbed his hands, surprising the freckled teen, and said with as much passion as she could muster "I really do like you. I want you to know that."
The way she looked at him intensely made his heart skip. This was the first time that she bared her emotion to him. There were no detours, no mumbling, no second thoughts. Her words pierced him like butter, and strangely enough, Ron would like to be showered with her 'attacks' as much as he could. On the flip side, Kim's cheeks were rosy from the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she averted her gaze "... Jeez. Look at what you've made me say."
"I feel like I need to apologize for some reason." Uncertain on how he should feel as of this moment, Ron scratched the back of his head in confusion. He was just lightly teasing him, not quite expecting her outburst she made. Now, he's conflicted with a myriad of emotions, ranging from embarrassment to happiness, but one thing he knows for sure from all of this is that things would be far more fun from now on. "So in a nutshell, you're saying we should keep doing what we were doing last week."
Kim nodded her head at that and replied, albeit stuttering in the end "Yeah. The Pickleworks is over, so let's take it real easy... L-Like lovers." He nodded his head, slightly excited on the prospect of being intimate with the redhead. "And if it looks like someone's gonna find out..." And before she could continue, the door suddenly opened, revealing a particular short-haired brunette "Kim, are you here!?"
And in an instant, Kim let out a growl and stood up, winding her leg far back "Nnnnrraaagghhh!"
The poor boy didn't have any time to comprehend the situation as he felt her foot implanted to his abdomen, sending him upwards. He let out a piteous cry as he landed to the concrete floor with a flop. Meanwhile, Joss' eyes flared up from the attack and shouted "Ooooohhh, there it is! One of Kim Possible's 77 killing moves! The Sky-Breaking Kick! She can crush Buddha statues with that boot!"
Kim let out a huff as her face restructured into anger before turning towards her cousin "Joss... I'm in the middle of a fight. Get out." Said girl's eyes widened for a moment before nodding her head. "O-Okay." She uttered before rushing back towards the door and closing it, leaving the two people alone. When the redhead was sure that she's out, she immediately rushed towards the boy with a frantic tone "S-Sorry, Ron! Are you alright?"
He nodded his head weakly while accepting her hand to help him stand up. The kick didn't really connect, but the sheer force of it managed to knock him upwards. Ron swore if she's a genius on the field of physical arts greater than Bruce Lee. After brushing the dust off of his clothes, he let out a sigh before smiling at her "Your attacks really have quite the punch there. So that's what you meant by playing it off."
"... I feel super guilty now that I've actually done it." Her eyes drooped low as her voice is now laced with genuine concern. Ron shook his head and tried to play it down by shrugging "I think this is our best option anyway, so don't be so down about it." With that, she suddenly went near him and envelop him in a hug, surprising the blonde boy for a moment, before chuckling and returning the favor by slinking his own around her. "I'm real sorry. The only thing that I can say is..."
She heard the door opened once again and so, she instinctively turned the heartwarming hug into a body lock takedown. The smile she wore turned into a glare as she growled "If you want to live any longer, now's the time to grovel at my feet and apologize!" She tighten her hold on him, making him scream out "I'm shoo shoorryyy!" She turned her head towards her smiling relative and said with a stern voice "Joss! I told you not to come in!"
Joss made a bashful smile and replied "I figured you'd want a witness for your fight." Kim narrowed her eyes at that as she spoke with a flat tone on her voice "I'm just beating him up. I don't need it!" The emphasis on her order made the brunette to jump in fear and quickly went out of the area for the second time. The redhead stared at the door for a longer time, this time checking if she really went down, before rushing towards the blonde. "You alright?"
Ron could only let out a chuckle in response. He supposed that he should be ready for the rough path he's about to take if he wanted to be with her. Meanwhile, Joss stepped down the final step of the stairs before standing still. Her face looked clouded as a single thought dominated her mind:
"Why is Cousin Kim beating that guy up? I thought he was on our side..."
After school, Riverside...
The two realized that finding some alone time was difficult in school. After the break, the two went back inside the room and it didn't even take a second for the girls to pounce on him and shower him with questions regarding his unusual change. Ron, fortunately, managed to dodge the queries as he never really understood what had really changed in him, besides the generally brighter smiles. After three gruesome hours, Ron managed to evade them the second time this day.
Kim wiped the sweat from her forehead with her hand and sighed "Somehow got through it. Kumi and the others always ask me to come to their meetings, and I get challenged to a fight at least every other day." Ron nodded his head, as he had already watched her hectic daily routine. Having said that, however, Kim's face morphed into a genuine smile as she went slightly nearer to him and continued "But, I'll spend as much time as I can with you starting today."
Her consideration made his heart flutter, and so Ron smiled back at her and nodded.
Silence envelops them, but it wasn't in the least bit awkward. In fact, they don't need any words during the entire length of their walk, both trying to savor every bit of each other's presence with every step. It was up until they reached the front of the redhead's house when she started to speak "It's nice living near school, but it kinda sucks for times like this."
It took them only five minutes for them to reach her residence. Ron looked and was slightly shocked on how spacious the place is. Blame it on the stereotypes for youth gangsters, but he thought that her place would be a bit... smaller. In fact, judging by the neighborhood, it was on the rather high-end of the middle class. It had a fairly large garage, a front and back lawn, and even a small garden. A house like this would make anyone usually think of a family of professionals, not a den for a fearsome delinquent.
Meanwhile, the female redhead didn't bother to hide her dissatisfaction as she thought of ways to prolong his stay until an idea hit her "Uh... Wanna... stop by?"
His ears perked up from the sudden offer, and quickly asked "Is that okay?" to which she replied "Of course... Oh, but my mom's home right now, so she might say something since I've never had a guy come over before."
He was silent for a while, contemplating on how he should approach the issue. Although they've just started dating, and meeting her parents seems a bit too early for his taste, the chance has already been in front of him, and he would be a colossal idiot if he didn't accept it. He'll get to be with her for a while longer, while learning more thru the matriarch of the family. On the other hand, Kim's eyes were furrowed in confusion and waved her hand in front of him when he's unresponsive "Are you there, Ron?"
Ron shook his head and answered "Please wait a bit." And without a minute to spare, he dashed towards the nearest convenience store. He grabbed a box of sweets and paid it from the counter, costing him a bit from his savings. When he returned to the redhead with the box of treats on hand, he said "I hope this is enough."
Kim eyed the box beside him and shook her head "You don't need to do that. Yeah, it's the first time, but what kinda idiot brings a box of sweets when he's just going to his girlfriend's place?" Ron tried to reason with him as a blush slowly crept on his face "It's not 'just' that for me. I need to properly introduce myself. You know... first impression, and all."
Suffice to say, the redhead mirrored the blonde boy, judging on how rosy her cheeks were. Kim relented and let out a sigh before going towards the gate "Gh... You're making me blush. Fine. Then I guess we'll make it a proper greeting." The boy nodded his head eagerly as he followed her. She closed the gate and went towards the front door, before adding another word of caution "Also, don't let your guard down. She might rip you a new one if you slip up."
When she saw his confused stare, she heaved a sigh before explaining "My mom's worse than Massacre in some ways. She's an ex-delinquent. Don't you EVER mention it to her. She says she's past that part of her life. She says people died just from her stare back in her hey-days."
His image of her mother was slowly being morphed into a being of his nightmares. The fact that even Kim said that she's worse than Shego spoke on how dangerous she really is. "T-That's not what you'd call a delinquent anymore." He tried to lighten the mood with a small joke, but Kim wasn't laughing. "She's a neuro-surgeon now, so I think she'll be a lot more mellow now than before. Make sure to answer her clearly and politely."
Tilting his head, Ron asked "What do you mean?" to which she responded "No, don't worry. She's an adult, so she shouldn't snap just from one thing. But... if she does snap, you're dead."
Ron swore his knee nearly buckled from her serious gaze as he started to wonder if he's really going to his girlfriend's house or a torture center. With that, she opened the door and said "I'm going to go let her know, then." But before she could advance any further, Ron grabbed her by the wrist and asked "W-Wait a second... What kind of delinquent was your mom?"
Her hand found its way to her chin and went into deep thought before answering "Hmm, how should I put it?... You know the radio tower they put up the other day? The one that's replacing the one that got worn down?" Ron nodded as the image of a tall triangular tower of steel and radio dishes popped in his head. Kim continued on with a flat stare "That was actually the third time they replaced it. The first two were so worn down because my mom hanged so many people off of it."
Ron went still from the revelation as Kim slowly escaped from his hand and went inside the house to find her mom, just in time before he shouted out his bafflement "EXCUSE ME!?"
Inside the Possible residence, a few moments later...
It didn't take him that long to wait before Kim emerges back to welcome him home. She lead him towards the den, where he noticed a short-haired woman sitting comfortably on her seat. "G-Good evening." He bid towards the mature redhead, to which she replied in kind.
Now that he's actually face-to-face with her, she looked far too young to look like a mother. The image he painted based on Kim's stories of her was miles away from what he's currently seeing. To think that the woman in her lab coat, wearing a serene smile, is none other than the most fearsome delinquent Middleton has ever seen, the likes that can even surpass Massacre. With that in mind, he wanted to give a lasting good impression of him, and so:
"I-I'm Ron Stoppable. I'm good friends with your daughter." He bowed slightly and offered his hand. The matriarch of the family gave him a bemused smile and murmured "Oh my." while the younger redhead was visibly shocked from the sudden offensive route he took "W-Wha, that's too sudden!"
Ron tilted his head and asked "Oh, was that too soon?" But before Kim could react, Anne waved her hand and said "It's okay. I just want to know... You two are dating, aren't you?" The short-haired woman asked with a knowing look, waiting to see how he would answer. And not a second after, he quickly replied with a resounding "YES."
The young teen delinquent is already pouting from how fast the conversation is advancing. "H-Huh!? I never told you that!" Meanwhile, the neuro-scientist shook her head and answered her daughter's queries with a sing-song voice "You don't have to tell me for me to know. How long do you think I've known you for?" The redhead was at a loss, so she just pouted and kept quiet. The mother-daughter interaction felt so surreal for the blonde, who is now watching a new side of his girlfriend unfolding upon his eyes.
Moving on, Anne went back to him and continued "I was wondering when you'd bring him by, but I think this is sooner than I expected." She went near him and examined him from top to bottom. She nodded her head as she murmured "He looks like what I've imagined. He doesn't seem like a delinquent, and he's similar to James..." The way she's roaming over him with an inquisitive look made him feel a bit embarrassed, but nonetheless, he remained silent.
When she hovered on his face once again, she stared at his eyes for far too long than he liked. Her pupils slowly dilate as realization hit her "Hmm... Oh? You're... You walk along the riverside road every morning, right?" With a flushed face, he nodded his head and answered "Y-Yes, I do. I take that path to school."
Anne smiled at him and patted his shoulder "We see each other every now and then. I've always thought you were a good kid because of the way you greet people." Ron smiled bashfully at that compliment. Although he may not remember who she was specifically, but the fact that she has already seen his goodwill puts him in a favorable position, so it was a win for him. When he turned towards his beau, however, his smile faltered as he could sense the jealousy emanating from the younger redhead.
The mature woman senses this, too, and so she went back to her seat and nodded her head "... Hm... To think that you're Ron Stoppable. Fufufu~ Kimmie's found a good one." Her pouting face was instantly replaced with a blushing one as she sputtered out "M-Mom!" Meanwhile, Ron, himself, wasn't faring any better. The older redhead chuckled at their cute display before returning to her questions "Ron Stoppable. You were the one that worked together with Kimmie for the Pickleworks preparations, right?"
After Ron nod his head, Anne smiled at him and said "I'd like to thank you for that, too. That was a very important festival, not just to Kim, but also to me and my husband. Thank you." He scratched the back of his head and tried to downplay it "Oh, shucks, it's nothing." Anne wasn't having any of it and said "Don't be so modest. It must have been a lot of work."
Her bright smile made the atmosphere nice and calm, making Ron to mentally throw his fist in celebration. He had successfully broken the first conversation nicely. While Ron was patting himself on the back for a job well done, the doctor was in deep thought before she asked "But... I'm curious. You don't really seem like a delinquent, so weren't you afraid of approaching Kim?"
"No. I see Kim as more than just a delinquent, after all." He said smoothly, causing said teenage girl to hide under the throw pillow in embarrassment, while the older woman chortled in amusement. "A-Anyway, h-here's a box of treats for you, ma'am."
Anne took it from him and smiled before standing up "Thanks for the treat. I'll go make some tea." She went towards the kitchen, leaving the two teenagers alone. When they heard the electric kettle being turned on, Ron heaved a sigh "Pheeeew... That was pretty nerve-wrecking. I wonder if I'm going to be okay." Kim pondered about his question, but unfortunately, she was drawing all blanks "No idea. My mom doesn't really show what she's thinking."
With his face full of worry, the young delinquent decided to help him calm down, and so she went near him and grasp his hand "Just don't get nervous. Your eyes are going crazy. It'll be fine if you just act like usual." Although he was still nervous, her encouraging words do help him a bit. And as he was about to settle down and try to be as comfortable as he could, the Possible mother went out of the kitchen, a tray with three cups of tea and a plate of sweets in hand. "Here you go." She sets two cups in front of them while taking the last one to herself.
Thankful that he now has a means of calming down, he grateful took his and started sipping on the drink. But, the moment the liquid hits his tongue, his eyes went wide from shock. "I-It's too tart!" He mentally screamed. Meanwhile, Anne was watching him with a smile on her face and asked "So, how does it taste?"
Ron forced a smile as he barely held on not trying to puke the contents out of his mouth. "I-I-I-It's very g-good!" His answer made the matriarch to grin at him and was thankful "I'm glad you liked it!"
Seeing her happy face made it hard for him to tell how it really taste, considering the dangers of making her angry, and so he had no choice but to surrender and tried to drink it some more, not giving his crumpled tongue any attention. Meanwhile, when Kim decided to take a sip on her own cup, she instantly recoiled and reprimanded her mother "T-This is so tart! What the heck!?" Anne rose her brow in question and explained "Oh? I put some effort in making the tea, since it was for a guest."
Kim retrieved the cups and went inside the kitchen to make another batch, leaving the two alone. Ron expected the mature redhead to be apologetic, but the look he got from her was akin to a cat. "I'm sorry. I'm actually not very used to making tea." His gut feeling told him that it wasn't the case, and there's some ulterior move behind the mother's unusual 'lapse of judgement' regarding the tea. "Fufu~ I'm glad you were being considerate, but you should have just told me if it was bad." She chastised him lightly.
"N-No, that's not true. It was rather strong, but it wasn't that bad. And you could say that you used more tea leaves because you wanted to welcome me that much more, too." Ron tried to appease to her, without knowing that it was all orchestrated. Surprisingly enough, the neuro-surgeon just let out a giggle at that and teased him "Oh, well aren't you quite the charmer. You don't need to do that, though."
And before he could ask further, Kim appeared from the kitchen, holding another batch of tea to them. He nod his head towards her, grabbed his cup and start sipping on it. "... Okay. To be honest, this is still too tart, but it's still far better than before, so..." After pondering a lot on what to say next, he smiled to the teenage girl and said "Thanks, Kim." Said redhead smiled brightly at him while the elder one just pouted. Kim saw her mother and muttered "What are you pouting for, Mom? You're always too rough, and not just with the tea."
The mother frowned at her daughter and retaliated "That's not true. James always says it's delicious." to which Kim had an automatic comeback "That's because that's Dad."
Her mother sat sullenly after that "Hmph. Blame me on not being the sous chef of some four-star restaurant." She took a sip on the tea her daughter made, and went wide-eyed on how it basically tasted the same as her own. The only difference is that although her own batch was staged, this was Kim's earnest attempt on making tea. "... Gh! Oh, please. This is tart, too." She gave the blonde boy a look and asked aloud "Ron, do you like the tea?"
When he nodded his head, her mouth formed into a small smile as she rubbed Kim's arm with affection "I see... Good for you, Kimmie."
It took Ron almost all of his power to not spit the drink inside his mouth when he heard that. He understood the underlying message behind those words. She used him for a pretty brutal payback. And the worst part is, the roast went over Kim's head. The young redhead tilted her head in slight confusion, making the entire scene even funnier in his eyes.
Having had her fill with her daughter's innocence, she turned towards the boy and started "Oh, right. I wanted to ask you something." She leaned forward, still smiling, but Ron notice a hint of seriousness behind those eyes, before continuing "Like you've seen already. I can tell when Kimmie's trying to keep things secret, but she's been too embarrassed to tell me any of the details about the two of you. I want to know... How did you two end up dating? Who confessed first?"
The last question made the Bloody Fox's eyes to widen in shock. But before she could even let out a single syllable, Ron answered immediately "It was me."
Anne's face was laced with mild satisfaction on how quick he answered, and so she urged him to explain, to which he complied. "I confessed and told her I like her twice. And she gave me the okay twice." He couldn't help himself but blurt out the truth, considering how serious she was. On the other hand, Kim blushed from the recollection and murmured "Y-You didn't have to be so specific."
"I see... I'm a little curious as to why there were two confessions. Anyway, if you care about her enough to do it twice, then it looks like I don't have to worry about entrusting you with her." She said while finishing her cup in one sip. Kim swore her blush was not going away to the point that it may very well be her natural color. And what's worse for her is that Ron wasn't exactly helping it either. "Yes. I'll take responsibility and take care of her."
The mother smiled once more at him, letting the seriousness that was on her gaze go "Very good. Doesn't look like there's any problem here. I have no objections." She then pointed at her red-faced daughter and said "I feel like Kim might get angry if I don't leave you two alone soon. Why not show him your room?"
Being remembered of her room made Kim to perk up and remember something. "Oh, wait just a second!" She stood up and swiftly exits the den, leaving the blonde boy in confusion. Anne shook her head and supplied him with an explanation "Looks like she's worried about her room being messy. She's still a girl, after all." Ron nodded his head in comprehension while finishing the remaining content of his cup. He was feeling so relaxed now that the atmosphere around is happier than he expected.
When he stood up, however, Anne called out to him "Could you come here for a second?"
"Huh?" Ron saw her move her hand, as if it was calling him over, and so he oblige. But, before he could even utter a single word, his world suddenly turned black. He could feel the hard pull from his arms as he was thrown into a small pitch dark room in a matter of seconds. She closed the door with a bang, her smile completely gone. "W-Where is this? W-Why-" And before he could voice his question in growing fear and concern, he heard the lock click.
After turning the small lamp on, Anne turned around and gave him a nasty glare, instantly shutting him up. "I figured I needed to ask you this last thing." She smirked sadistically.
Grabbing him by the collar, she pushed him towards the wall with a thud, making the blonde boy to let out a pitiful yelp. Although it was pretty dark, he could feel the hostility from her, much more from what he have ever felt from both Kim and Shego. "You should know what her circumstances are like. She's become such a big name in Middleton that I feel responsible, as her parent. You know how much courage you're gonna need to stand beside her, don't you?"
The way she stared menacingly at such a close distance was akin to that one scene from a particular dinosaur film, and for a moment, he understood what true fear meant. The small giggles she emitted every now and then felt psychotic, borderline insane, making her visage even scarier. There were no knife aimed at him, but he sure felt like he's being stabbed smoothly like butter. He could already tell, this is something not even Massacre could even achieve.
But, as he stared at her blazing eyes, Ron caught something underneath her hostility, washing his fears away. Although she's a bonafide legendary ex-delinquent, she's still a mother. Her words rang another tone once he thought of it through her eyes. She wasn't bullying him for no purpose. There was a reason behind her act. And with that, the answer became clear to him.
Resolution started to fill him as he stared squarely at her eyes and answered with a straight face "Of course."
"I know what it means for me to like Kim. But still... I won't break up with her." He voiced his answer as clear as he could. On the other hand, Anne glared harder at the boy, as if she's testing him more. Ron tried his hardest to keep himself from pissing his pants, and he thought he would've if it weren't for her daughter, whose smile still imprinted on his mind. Her eyes were sharp like daggers, as if she wanted nothing more than to cut him to pieces but, Ron managed to return the favor by giving her a hard stare, unflinching from her unsaid threats.
The stare showdown lasted for a long amount of time until the neuro-scientist let go of him. She placed her hand on his should and lightly tapped it "I'm glad." She returned to her usual smile as she opened the door. When they exited the room, they saw Kim standing from the stairs, her brow furrowed in confusion "What were you two doing there?"
Anne smiled at her daughter and waved her hand in dismissal "It was nothing." Ron nodded his head and smiled back at her.
A few hours later...
He was able to go to her room, but he couldn't stay too long with her mother right there. And so, he decided to leave when he realized that the sun was already out. "I think you made a good impression." Kim commented as she followed his pace. "I sure hope so." Ron wished.
Thinking about his 'talk' with the matriarch and how she staged everything from the tea to the storage room incident, he was left wondering what she was during her youth, and how her husband managed to 'tame' her, so to speak. The mention of 'her husband' made him realize his next step "Next is your father." He murmured, causing the redhead beside him to blush. "Moving quickly aren't you?" Kim lightly teased him, to which he responded with "Isn't it always best to do things as soon as possible?"
Bringing her hand to her chin, she pondered about the patriarch and nodded slowly "Yeah, I guess... But, I don't think there'll be any problems with my dad. He's not a delinquent. Just a normal rocket scientist over at the Middleton Science Center."
Now Ron's interest were piqued, and so he urge to tell more about him. The redhead was happy to oblige "He doesn't really change his own mind, but he doesn't try to change other people's minds without a reason. That's what he's like. He got my mom to fall for him with that persistence." Her eyes were rounder by the end of her sentence, when she remembers what her mother said about him, and realized that she might be right. "... He's kinda like you."
Ron didn't quite catch the last part, and so he asked "What was that?" to which Kim instantly shook her head and tried to get back into the topic "N-Nothing. My dad's always out on the Science Center for his secret project, so he's not around much." He nodded his head as he put his plans to meet his father on the back burner for the moment. It's not as if he's that eager, so he decided that he would think about it when the opportunity arises.
Meanwhile, Kim's eyes turned cloudy when she moved onto the next topic "So... What should I do about your family then?... like Miss Adrena." The thought of the blonde teacher made the redhead's eyes widen from the sudden realization "Crap... She knows that I'm a delinquent."
She has been a delinquent for most of her life, and is currently the top dog of their school. She never really bothered with how people perceive her, but as of this moment, Kim silently cursed on how her lifestyle might be a blockade for his sister's approval. "Don't worry. I'll break it gently to her." A hand went to her shoulder, making the teen girl to turn her head. Ron was giving her a sincere smile, silently telling her that everything will be alright. And like magic, her worries started to drain from her mind. She nodded her head and let him take charge.
The two walked together while talking a myriad of things. They would talk about the stores they would go often, what classes they do and don't like, and so on. The conversation tends to be delinquent-related topics when he talks to the Bloody Fox, but there's still no end to all the normal things they could talk about either. In his case, he didn't care what topic they're in, as long as he has the chance to talk with her. "Hmm... brain meatloaf?"
Kim nodded her head and explained "My mom always makes it by molding it to the shape of the brain. Apparently, Dad likes it that way." The freckled teen let out a hum at that before speaking "Hmm, that's one unique way of eating meatloaf. I think that has something to do with your mom's profession, am I right?" to which she nodded her head and answered "Yeah. She says she's always been fascinated with the mind, so after settling, she decided to study. My father was very supportive for her that he did made sure everything went right for her. She really appreciated it so one day she made his favorite dish into that shape."
Ron smiled at the surprisingly romantic story. "So that's her specialty dish." Kim's eyes brimmed with happiness and smiled brightly "Yeah. Every time my mom makes it, the entire loaf would be finished in an instant. Although she was acting weird earlier with her tea being too tart, she's fairly adept in the kitchen. The mashed potatoes she learned from Nana were scrumptious, and the baked chicken was also heavenly. There were times where she uses unusual ingredients, but after tasting the final product, it would always be appetizing."
Smiling wistfully, she turned to the other side, not wanting him to see the growing jealousy on her face. "... I didn't inherit a bunch of genes that I would've want. I got stuck with this stupid strength." She whispered softly to the air. Ron turned around and asked if everything was okay on her side, but she quickly dismissed his concern and said nothing.
The two reached the front of the Stoppable residence not long after. Although he knew that his sister is already waiting inside, he didn't really want to part from her. He looked at the redhead and realized that her feelings were the same, judging by the way she's staring at the ground, slightly fidgeting. "W-Well... I'll be going, then." She said softly before turning around. Ron watched her retreating figure for a while, pondering what he should do.
And before she could disappear from his sight, he had reached his decision. He went towards her and called out to her "I... I..." Kim turned around when she heard his voice. "I don't really know if I should let you walk alone at night, you know, cause I'm your boyfriend."
Kim wasn't sure what happened within her. If she were like her usual stoic self, she would scoff at the notion of being protected. As far as she's concerned, between the two of them it would be her that would do the heavy lifting, so to speak. But, the amusement date happened, and she could no longer deny the fact that she wanted to be with him as much as she could. An opportunity to prolong their close distance has opened, and she would damn herself if she didn't try to reach it. "Uh... O-Okay." She nodded her head as she let him come close to her once again.
Their walk back to her house was completely silent, compared to the one earlier. In their minds, they looked stupid. What they're doing is completely unnecessary, yet neither of them would really want to voice that, or care for that matter. But one look from their side, and the awkwardness left them like sand castles on the beach. More than unnecessary, they both knew that this is what they wanted. There were no words required, just their presence is enough.
When they reached the redhead's neighborhood once again, Kim suddenly spoke up "I-I-It'd be bad if someone were after you, so I'll walk you home!" He knew that look very well. If this keeps on happening, then they wouldn't really separate. And so, he let out a groan and said "Stooooop. We'll never get home if we continue this."
His words made the delinquent leader to sulk. And although Ron felt the same way, he needed to separate if he wanted to go home. He needed to make sure that when she opens that door, her expression would be something with a smile, rather than a frown, and so Ron thought of something of a 'goodnight present' for her.
Chu.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt his lips brush against her cheek, near the edge of her mouth. Meanwhile, Ron blushed hard from the rush and bid "G-Good night, Kim." He scratched the back of his head, realizing how corny he looked as of this moment. Her eyes were still round from the shock from the sudden kiss. It took her a while before she could articulate herself "... W-Wait a second. That doesn't count." Ron raised his brow in question, to which Kim continued "I-It was too sudden, and too short. I'm gonna feel all weird."
Her cheeks flared up as she raised her head slightly and puckered her lips. "Do it over." Ron understood what she wanted, and so he silently obliged. He wrapped his arms around her and puts his lips on top of hers. This time, he gave her a proper kiss. Kim lightly shivered from the initial contact, but she quickly eased down as she enjoyed the warmth of him. It wasn't torrid or steamy, but the two felt a bit hot after separating. Ron feared that they might get lost if the kiss were to continue further more.
"G-Good night, Kim." Ron looked at the somewhat dreamy look from the redhead and let out a small smile. When the redhead snaps back to reality, on the other side of the spectrum, pouted slightly and whined "What's up with that line on the end? Way too corny." The boy let out a bashful laugh at that "Ahahahaha. It doesn't suit me, I know."
Shaking her head, the teenage girl said "I wouldn't say it doesn't suit you... But, I didn't know you could say stuff like that." Ron shook his head and replied with mirth evident in his voice "It seems there's a side of me that even I wasn't even aware of." The two shared a laugh together in youthful abandon on the backdrop of the silent neighborhood. When their giggles died down, the blonde boy watch as the redhead smiled at him and requested "C-Could you do that a little more? A little cornier?"
"I-It's totally embarrassing." Ron whined, but Kim wasn't having any of it. She grabbed his hand and pulled out her secret weapon: the Puppy Dog Pout "Come on, why not? I want to see more of the cool you. Please?" The sheer cuteness of the display right in front of him almost made him faint. He had no other choice but to accept. He tried to squeeze as much 'cool' as he has inside his body. He repeated her words inside his mind, trying to get as much confidence as he could muster. "I'm cool. I'm cool. I'm cool. I'm cool. I'm cool..."
"... Kim" He dove in for the kill and grabbed her by the waist, making said redhead to let out a yelp of surprise. "Is this what you want me to do? There's something else you want, isn't there?" He teased her by slowly leaning his head towards her, just enough that they wouldn't touch, but would still feel each other's heat. As expected, Kim's face is red, but instead of hiding, she was staring head on, as if she's anticipating more from him. He went near her ear and whispered "Go on, say it. Tell me what you want."
Ron tried to squeeze every bit of cheesy romantic one-liners as he could remember from his knowledge of movies. He gently stroke her lips with his free hand, making the teen to shiver from the sudden pleasure. Kim's face was already an explosion of blood surging to the capillaries on her face, but she paid it no mind. Her lips felt like it was itching, and the only cure for that is what's mere inches away from her "Uh... Um... I want you... to kiss me."
The way the proud and stoic delinquent leader in his arms being reduced into a blushing maiden made him feel a high he never experienced before. Feeling powerful, he decide to amp up the level with a line he definitely remembered from a certain trashy movie "Begging for a little squeeze-and-smooch? You're such a bad girl. As punishment, I'll have to make sure it's an intense one. You're not gonna be able to sleep tonight. Your body, your mind... it would all be mine."
Her breath hitched at his overwhelming presence. She closed her eyes, braving the incoming passion that she will receive from him. This is the moment he's been waiting for, and so he slowly dipped down and tried to capture her lips once again. But before he could even land, his peripheral vision caught sight of a particular short-haired woman in a doctor's coat, staring at them with amusement in her eyes. The air that he held up inside was immediately expelled from shock. "Bffffffh!"
"Ngah!... I wasn't asking for any kind of spit-related scene, R- BFFFFFFFFFFH!" Kim opened her eyes and wanted to complain but was shocked to see the grinning visage of her mother. The two were shell-shocked, not sure on what to do next. They were caught red-handed by her mother, no less. "Am I intruding? I'll excuse myself~" She said in a sing-song voice before returning inside the house.
"S-She saw. She saw us go one step beyond being an idiot couple to the point of us just being complete idiots... I... I think I'll refrain from coming over for a while." He lamented. And so the new couple didn't end up having a third kiss.
Meanwhile...
Anne closed the door with a grin plastered on her face. She was only supposed to take out of the trash, but what she saw outside was quite interesting, to say the least. She went towards the master bedroom, laughing at how youthful her daughter has been acting these past few weeks, quite different from her usual cold persona.
...
...
...
"I am sooooooo jealous!" The dignified neuro-surgeon suddenly shouted. "Aaaaaah! I want that to happen to me, toooooo! I want James to be corny and aggressive with me, toooo!" With that in mind, she grabbed the phone from her pocket and punched the speed dial for her husband. It took him a few moments before her spouse finally responded. "Hello, James? Try seducing me like some European widower! Please!"
"H-Huh?" James could only wonder out aloud about her wife's antics.
A/N's: Well, here you go! We're already progressing towards the 'Meet the Family' part of a relationship, and guess what, the wackiness doesn't stop here. Another fresh change in the delinquent world will happen, and some of the beloved characters from canon that haven't appeared here will make a grand entrance. If you think what you've read before is crazy enough, then the things that will follow will sure make your head go around. Thanks for reading this, and don't forget to put me and this story in your favorites and alert lists so you'll be up to date for the next installment.
'Til next time!
-kmtdiccion :)
