A/N: There a few snippets similar to my story "Aftermath", but not the same as they have been expanded upon.
ALSO OMG 600+ Reviews! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!
Distractions
Shego filed her nails as Drakken worked on a new project. She'd looked over the contracts with a fine-toothed comb, which had irritated Drakken more than anything. She'd then rolled her eyes at his whining about how he knew how to read contracts. Her filing slowed as she glanced around the lab and then at Drakken, cheerfully tinkering with some design for a ray gun... Something that he already knew how to make without much thought. The Centurion Project had only taken a few weeks and had paid well enough.
Drakken had been clever enough to not give them all of his designs and alterations. She smirked. Even neutral he still had his evil-ish tendencies. She put her file down and leaned on her palm to watch him work. Her brow furrowed in thought. She'd given only sparse thoughts to their new life and dynamic... She was essentially back at the beginning of their working dynamic—a hired hand once again. Yet, nothing seemed to have changed...save for getting a hefty payout from the contracts.
If she wasn't just casually picking things up for him and having more time off, it would be as if they were still villains. She sighed and thought about what this meant. She could go anywhere, with no worries about being recognized or arrested. She didn't need to swipe anything because the funds weren't tight... It was...or should have been...pure bliss. An easy payout for bare minimum work. The only question that kept resurfacing was simply...
"Hey Dr. D...what's the goal?" She sat up in her chair to look at him.
He didn't look up from his work.
"Well, at the moment, attaching wires to conduct the current needed for the laser to be effective," he responded. Shego watched as Flower wiped the lenses of his oversized goggles. "Then lunch I suppose."
Shego rolled her eyes and got up to walk over to the table.
"No. I meant like, the future?" She gestured around them as he looked up at her. "I mean if not world domination...then what? Just scientific work, contracts, Nobel prizes...family?"
The last one made her feel uncomfortable but it left her lips before she could stop it. She couldn't see his full reaction to her words behind the goggles; his eyes were his most expressive feature and they were obscured. She saw his jaw shift as if in thought over her words. She snorted as Flower, as they had come to call it, took the goggles off him while he put down his tools.
"I uh...guess I haven't really given that much thought," his response seemed more guarded by the way he looked away from her. Shego sat on the desk and looked at the blueprints she knew he didn't need.
"Well, before villainy, what did you want?" He was essentially on the path he'd originally intended in his life, so he had to have some idea.
She watched his brow furrow and she knew she'd hit on something he didn't want to consider or discuss. She could feel the subject change before his mouth opened.
"I have some thoughts...what about you?" Drakken's eyes finally met hers and she shifted off the desk. "Is there something you have in mind? Travel, real estate...family?"
There was the discomfort she'd felt when she'd said it to him. She shrugged. Truthfully she'd been more questioning of Drakken's goals than of hers.
"I guess I'm in the same boat," she responded. She bit her lip and smirked. "I still want Iceland."
"I do have a conference there next week, so we may be able to figure out something," smirked Drakken, taking her topic change with ease.
Shego's eyes shot wide.
"You have a what? When?" She jumped up and moved towards the computer monitor. "I didn't see that in your schedule. You have a meeting with a tech next month, a call with some defense project regarding Area 51, which you had me highlight...twice. There is nothing in here about a conference."
Drakken was rifling through his notes frantically. Shego's eyes narrowed.
"Part of my job is making sure you remember where you need to be... I can't do that if you don't tell me about the events," she grumbled. "What's it for?"
Drakken pulled out a piece of paper that he'd clearly scribbled on and crumpled.
"Something about the environment or such in regards to the whole...Lorwardian thing... Effects and..." She watched Drakken squint at the paper. "Shego, what's this word?"
Shego rolled her eyes and snatched the paper from him.
"I'll figure it out... Do you know what time and how long?" asked Shego as she deciphered the writing. "Does that say two days?"
"Uh... I think so." Drakken had returned to his laser. Shego rolled her eyes and sighed. "Let me just finish this and I'll break for lunch."
Shego blinked knowing he'd simply read her sigh as her being annoyed by the time of day versus him not giving her information she needed. She opened her mouth to argue about the very topic just as the throbbing in her head started, letting her know she should drop it. She pinched the bridge of her nose and crossed her arms.
"Speaking of lunch, is that part of my job since we don't have henchmen? I mean I did grocery runs before, but—" Shego was cut off.
"Henchmen!" Drakken stood up and took off his goggles. "What if...we label them as 'staff'?"
Drakken had already darted up the stairs before she could even agree or disagree. She shook her head and turned off the monitor and the still-smoking soldering iron. She wondered when he'd realize he'd forgotten his phone so he couldn't make whatever calls he'd dashed off to complete. She picked up his goggles and looked at her reflection in them. She wished she'd seen his reaction when she'd asked him about the future. There was something he hadn't wanted to tell her.
"Shego."
She dropped the goggles and looked up at the platform above the stairs. She heard cracking and looked at the broken glass on the floor.
"Did you just break my goggles?" His brow rose. "Shego, that was my last...ngn...never mind. Are we going to lunch or what?"
"I..." Shego felt slightly embarrassed at being caught off guard but confusion overran the feeling. "I thought you went to go call the henchmen?"
"I was going to do that after lunch," shrugged Drakken. "Since we're eating out, I thought we'd beat the lunch rush at that place you like."
Shego stood up with intrigue as she began heading toward the stairs.
"Well if not having henchmen means being treated to Ambrosia for lunch...they can wait," smirked Shego.
Drakken's amused smirk turned smug.
"Ah, so you assume I am paying, interesting." He began walking towards the elevator. "You could treat me for once."
She walked in and stood next to him as he hit the button for the garage. She crossed her arms.
"Last time I tried to pay for food, you panicked before I could get the card out for a lousy hot dog." Shego watched Drakken's expression shift before he rolled his eyes.
"The street vendor made me feel guilty—you were paying with my card anyway," scoffed Drakken.
"Fine," Shego shrugged, "I'll pay."
"...With your card?" asked Drakken. She glanced at his curious expression and grinned.
"I never said that," she snorted as the amused smile appeared on his face.
"You know...maybe I want to be the token gold digger in this partnership," Drakken crossed his arms.
"Hmm, no there's only one of us and I own the title," sighed Shego. She shrugged. "You can be arm candy."
Shego didn't miss the tint ghost across Drakken's face and ears as the door opened.
Drakken sat in his lab late that night. His mind was swimming in too many ways and he couldn't sleep. He'd been trying to fix his goggles to no avail, and working with one lens was proving too difficult, adding to the headache already wracking his brain. He'd even tried making one of his own designs...which had only ended in a mess and now they would need to purchase a new kitchen appliance. Shego's question from earlier was skewing his thoughts and focus. He'd been perfectly content to just mindlessly create things and get praised for it, but instead...like she always did...she'd pulled away his pleasant fixated fog.
He didn't know what he wanted... That was a lie. He did...but it wasn't in his cards anymore. He knew what he'd wanted before villainy...before life took a hard turn down a dingy dark street of insanity and loneliness.
He rubbed his temples as he leaned on his elbows to stare at the scatterings in front of him.
He thought back to his depleted funds, and to the savings book he'd found from his early years of villainy. It had been that very account that had been his goal even then—become a scientist, become a success, win an award, have a family...be happy. His shoulders slumped and he flicked a wire piece off the desk. He'd let those thoughts fade away along with the bespectacled loser he used to be. World domination and villainy had no room for romanticism...or retiring and owning a bakery in a tiny town...no...they had been foolish daydreams even then.
But now.
Drakken's thoughts were painting a new image like those before villainy. More success, more recognition, conferences, a nice home...with...
Drakken knocked the remains of his stuff off the table and growled at his thoughts. He'd been doing so well not picturing Shego in that light...or at least muffling the idea. Now it was back and more vivid than ever. He thought of the UN ceremony, when his flowers had wrapped around her and pulled her to him. He'd simply played it off as intentional; whether she bought it or not he'd never asked. He knew it was because his subconscious had triggered Flower to bring her to him. In a room of lights and strangers...he'd only wanted to focus on her and her smile. He'd simply imagined something that wasn't there in a split second... He'd let it go...but now some hope at her staying and her question was in his head all over again.
Stop.
He wanted to... Hoped that in a few more days he'd manage to return his fixation to work...let things become normal and routine again. Even without villainy, things had seemed to be doing as such.
Why did she have to ask...
He looked at the floor and tried to focus on a spot to pull his thoughts.
Maybe she—
It wasn't working. His mind played back lunch when they'd sat at a small cafe table and made comments and jokes about an overly obnoxious couple a few tables over. He'd managed to get the questions out of his head then as she snorted into his shoulder at his joke. Now he couldn't stop imagining it with his hand on hers instead of resting on the table next to hers...matching silver bands instead of gloves.
"Shego," he sighed at his own pathetic thoughts. "It would never work."
"What would never work?"
Drakken felt as if his heart had burst out of his chest as Shego's voice filled the lab. His eyes darted to the landing where she leaned on the railing, clearly having wandered down there from her room judging by the tired expression on her face and the pajamas she wore. He suddenly wondered if he'd said anything else out loud or what she had or hadn't heard. Her expression seemed to indicate she thought he'd been talking to her.
"Ohm," Drakken grabbed a piece of paper and crumpled it up. "This idea for a wind machine... How long have you been here...before I uh...noticed you?"
Shego made a lazy gesture to the mess on the corner of his desk that had not been knocked off.
"Since you used our blender to make...whatever that is?" sighed Shego. "Guess there'll be no smoothies in the morning... Shame we bought all that fruit this afternoon."
"It's a demo for my wind machine." Drakken pushed it the rest of the way off the desk and into the trash bin. "Waste of time."
"Why didn't you just use a fan?" continued Shego. Drakken felt further annoyance at himself. After a moment, Shego continued. "Well don't let me interrupt your late night destruction. But it is late."
Drakken raised his brow in confusion before looking at the clock.
"Did you...did you come down here to tell me to go to sleep?" It would hardly be the first time, but he doubted any noise he made would have carried upwards to disturb her sleep.
"No. I forgot my book," she yawned as she began heading down the stairs. "Though I think I'm just gonna grab it and go to bed.
Drakken looked at her chair as he got up from his.
"I really should get some sleep," he muttered to himself as he turned off the small lamp. "Do you want me to grab it?"
She stopped halfway down the steps as she fought a yawn and nodded. Drakken had already grabbed it before she could make the choice.
"The Butterfly Effect?" asked Drakken as he headed up the stairs.
"Mmhmm," hummed Shego as she took the book from him. "Lucky you weren't tinkering with a fire machine. I feel like my book would have been the victim."
"I'd like to say no, but we both know it would have been," nodded Drakken. Shego snorted.
"I would have never known how it ended and I would have been—Ow!" The metal bracket of the step dislodged and smacked into Shego's leg. "Are you kidding? Right in the shin!"
Drakken watched as Shego's plasma took out the offending metal bracket.
"I could have fixed that you know." Drakken watched the melted piece hit the ground below. "I have a screwdriver...are you okay?"
"Fine," hissed Shego. "Just smarts that's all... I don't think it broke the skin."
Drakken looked at where the bracket had hit her and the angle. He had a feeling he was going to be hearing about it for a few days regardless.
"Let me look," he sighed and crouched down in front of her.
"It's..." Shego didn't continue.
He slid her pant leg up to look at the welt that had formed. He knew Shego didn't bruise quickly so the mark was a little concerning. If it had hit him, he was certain he would have more than a bruise. He made a mental note to check the railing in the morning. He slid his hand to right behind her knee and cringed at the discoloring. He heard Shego give a sharp breath and he wondered how much pain she was actually in. Had it hit her knee cap too? His hand moved to the flesh above her knee cap as he went to look at it. He got a much closer look than he'd planned.
Without warning, Shego's knee made direct contact with his face. Searing pain shot through his body as he fell back into the railing, hitting his head. He clutched his face but he wasn't sure which pain was worse.
"Shego, what was that for!" he bellowed. He felt warm liquid in his hands. "You could have just told me to back off...not knee me in the face."
His hands were yanked away and suddenly Shego was crouched in front of him with wide panicked eyes.
"Knee-jerk reaction to your hands, I didn't..." Her words staggered off as she swatted his hands away from his face. "My bad."
"Yes, your bad." He felt agitation settling in.
He was about to continue to gripe about his injury, but it died in his throat. Shego was so close to him he could smell the scent of her toothpaste. Her eyes were fixed on his nose, where it seemed the minor bleeding had stopped rather quickly, so there was no real concern... Still, she didn't move away from him. He was about to tug her hands from his face which one of his still rested on after she'd swatted them away from his nose, but just then she removed them from his face.
He felt his stomach spin as her fingers seemed to trace around his nose and lip. He swallowed hard at how very close she was. His eyes shot to her lips, barely inches from him... His hand squeezed her wrist and she removed her hands quickly.
"Sorry," scoffed Shego. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't bust anything. You'll probably have a swollen lip, but you should be fine."
"Thank you for your assessment," Drakken breathed. He had intended it to be snarky, but instead he took Shego's offered hand.
The ride in the elevator was strangely silent and Drakken couldn't figure out on whose behalf it was. The injury she'd caused...she claimed on accident, but now he wondered if he'd seemed handsy in some way. He mentally chastised himself as he looked back on it.
The moment the elevator door opened on the living area's first floor, he'd moved rather quickly to get ice and was not surprised to see Shego had already cleared the stairs when he walked back. Drakken held the ice to his lip as he walked up the stairs and past Shego's door. The moment he was through his own he let his head fall back against the cool metal. He hissed at the pain he'd forgotten. Flower seemed to choose that moment to become alert, snatching the ice from his hand and placing it on the back of his head. He felt the flicker of a smile as he sat down at the edge of his bed. It vanished as the motion jostled his nose in a way he cared not to decipher.
The cool breeze from his open window did little to calm the paranoia and nerves budding inside him. He glanced at the vines that now encircled the lair. Their movements seemed to appear as if they were moving towards him—something he was still getting used to. Whatever attachment they had to him through his parasitic sentient flower, Drakken had yet to figure out. The note he made to look further into that was only a brief distraction from his other dilemma.
Shego.
More importantly...what he'd been focusing on before the awkward situation that had just played out. Her reaction to his touch was less metaphorical as it was painful. She had genuinely appeared to have not meant it, but subconscious was always at play somewhere... Flower placed the ice pack back in his hands as it let out a chilly shudder he felt through his whole body. He laid back, not bothering to change clothes as the mental exhaustion was falling heavy on him. He heard movement as the flowers from outside creeped further into his room.
He thought back to the UN again, the vines pulling Shego close to him, and to the moment they had just had on the stairs... Her closeness, the way her fingers had traced his face... He looked at the ceiling and saw the flowers creeping above him. Had she been looking at his nose or his lips? He knew he'd looked at hers. Mapped out just how close they were... He closed his eyes and groaned.
"I need it to go away," Drakken pleaded aloud. "I need it to go away before I start...thinking there's more there again. Before I find a way to ruin..."
He felt a flower that had made its way in stroke the side of his face as if in comfort. Drakken opened his eyes to see a small retreating flower before his own came into view. Drakken stared at the pink-petaled appendage.
"What do I do?" Flower simply retreated out of sight. Drakken focused on the vines sprawling across his ceiling over him and he scoffed.
Thanks.
Shego got to her room and let out a shaky breath. She'd sprinted up those stairs with a speed she hoped Drakken hadn't noticed.
What was that!?
She'd spent the better part of an hour leaning over a railing watching Drakken and musing over her question from earlier and pondering life as not being villains. She'd really only gone down for her book...which she knew had fallen over the stairs when she'd been smacked in the shin. Her thoughts fell back to that moment. The feeling of his hands sliding up her leg... Gentle. Firm... And then she'd kneed him in the face.
Real charming, Shego.
She rolled her eyes as she went to open her window for some air. Her mind swam with all the 'what if's' she had been thinking about all day as she welcomed the cool sea air, the scent of Mandevillas mixing with sea salt. It didn't calm her thoughts. Drakken's anguished expression, the fact she could have fallen on him...her fingers roaming on his face. She hung her head in shame at what she'd been feeling.
She'd had the overwhelming urge to close the gap between them. She could have played it off as apologetic if he'd freaked out...which he would have. She'd noticed his head movement when he'd squeezed her wrist. Had he seen her moving closer and tried to stop it? She felt vines wrapping gently over her hand and she looked down at the little flowers. While she still wasn't fully used to them, she had started to enjoy how they seemed to move and mingle about. She even noticed that when Drakken was out on the patio, they seemed to move towards him slightly. She smiled down at the flowers.
"I feel pathetic," she sighed. She gently stroked the small flower entangled in her hand. "I should have just kissed him...it was already awkward."
She snorted at herself as she spoke to the flower as if it understood her.
"What do you think?" She felt like she was going mad.
The flower detangled from her hand and to her shock and slight amusement, it ghosted over her lips. She didn't know if it was some weird answer or if it was simply mirroring her question. She covered her mouth in thought and watched as the flowers all closed along the building, the little one closing last. She stood in thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"You're going mad, Shego." She moved the flower off the ledge as she closed the door.
She crawled into bed and did her best to clear her mind of the thoughts she'd been having. Instead she focused on what to do that weekend. Perhaps the beach would give her some clarity. She had almost completely drifted off when a new thought occurred to her... She'd yet to show Drakken around Greece. She smiled to herself as she faded into sleep and her thoughts filled with the beaches and places that she wanted Drakken to see with her.
Shego sighed at the feel of the warm sun on her skin. She'd made the right choice in a Sunday morning beach trip to start her tour of Greece. The sound of the waves splashing drowned out most of the idle chatter of people along the shore...save for the grumbling coming from the beach chair next to her. She opened her eyes behind her sunglasses and looked from the corner where Drakken lay in swim shorts and a t-shirt he'd insisted on wearing. She rolled her eyes and moved the glasses to the end of her nose.
"Now what?" sighed Shego.
"Shego I should be at the lab working...not laying on a beach all morning," he pouted. "You said we were seeing Greece. I could have seen this from the hover car."
Shego put her glasses back on and settled contently back into her position.
"Yeah, well, maybe I need some sun first," she replied, ignoring his whining for the time being.
"Well I didn't have to come," he muttered. Shego narrowed her brow.
"Listen flower boy, I'm sure you need sunlight more than anyone," she scoffed.
"Mandevillas only require partial sun—"
"And sandy well-drained soil... Go for a swim and roll around in the sand..." argued Shego. "Fine. I need sunlight then."
There was a pause, and then: "It's not like you even tan, Shego," came Drakken's muttering.
Shego breathed slowly through her nose before she responded.
"You know what. Yes. I don't tan. You don't tan." Shego narrowed her eyes and fell back against her chair. "Just get some Vitamin D."
"You get some D," she heard him mutter.
Shego rolled her eyes and was just about to close them in relaxation when she felt her mischievous thoughts take over. She bit her lip to fight the grin wanting to spread as she looked over at Drakken pouting as he fixed his own sunglasses.
"Well, maybe I am," she said calmly. "Did you have an alternative to getting some?"
She watched his jaw shift.
"We have a secluded patio instead of a crowded beach," he stated firmly. "You could get Vitamin D easier there."
Shego leaned on her arm to look at him, her joke going over his head she was sure... She continued.
"Hmm, maybe," she smirked. "Is that an invitation?"
"You don't need an invitation, Shego." The sunglasses obscured his eyes but she saw the lazy smirk on his face. "We could go right now. Spend the whole day up there even."
"Right now?" she asked with a grin. "You'll give me some D right now, on the roof? All day?"
His oblivion almost made her giggle. But there was a hesitance in his response and she almost wondered if he'd caught on.
"If we leave...yes," Drakken's tone was serious as he sat up and turned to her.
She sat up herself as she watched him start grabbing their things. She pushed a little farther as he took off his sunglasses to pack up.
"How much D?" She knew she needed to stop before he did catch on. "Just some, or..."
His eyes locked on hers and she wondered if she'd gone too far and he'd caught on.
"Whatever satisfies you." It was a statement as his eyes didn't leave hers.
"Really?" She barely heard her own retort. She felt all amusement rush out of her.
His eyes were still fixed on her and she suddenly felt extremely warm. She jumped up quickly from her beach chair. She ignored his faltering in packing as she did so. His voice sounded as off as she'd sounded to herself.
"Oh...are you— Shego?"
She'd begun walking towards the water.
"Going for a swim," she hastily called over her shoulder.
"I thought..."
Whatever his thoughts were, she hadn't heard. There were images threatening her and she felt a need to get out of the hot sun. She'd practically stepped on someone lying carelessly across what should have been a walkway. Shego regretted two things as she got in the water. The fact she had wasted her morning doing her hair and makeup when she hadn't intended to actually swim and now it was ruined, and the horrid teasing that had backfired on her. She sank in the water in an attempt to focus her thoughts, but her eyes scanned back to their spot up the hill of the beach.
Drakken was sitting on the side of the beach chair staring in her direction. She was certain he couldn't see her looking at him. He seemed to be unpacking their things and she could see him rub a hand in frustration over his face. He'd wanted to leave and she'd simply teased him for her own enjoyment, which wasn't fun if he didn't catch on or question it... And the horror that she'd actually wanted him to catch on was even worse.
Her musings on her motives and discouragement faded as her eyes, which had drifted to focus on the water, found Drakken again. He was standing and talking to a group of women who had wandered over to him. One woman who looked like she had spent an obscene fortune on defying natural age seemed a little too close to Drakken for Shego's liking. Her eyes narrowed and she felt warm for a whole other reason. Shego began heading back to shore, ready to play it off as simply deciding to leave. That directly changed as the leader of the women, who had already been too close to Drakken, began touching his arm and chest in clear flirtation.
Shego wasn't sure how fast she moved, but she hadn't run... She may have stepped on a person and pushed a few obnoxious people out of her way, but she was certain no one noticed. At least until she realized Drakken had been looking in her direction the entire time the other woman was speaking to him. She watched his wide eyes look behind her in a brief glimpse. She ignored this as she reached his side.
The woman's friends had already taken strides away from her at Shego's presence. The flirty woman seemed to either not notice or care as her hand still rested on Drakken's arm.
"Yes but— Shego, there you are." Drakken seemed relieved but Shego was focused on the woman.
"Oh, so you're Shego," smiled the woman. "Dr. Drakken was just telling us about how he saved the world and you—"
"Yes, with me," stated Shego. She took the woman's hand off Drakken's arm. "Because I'm his partner."
The woman held a confused look before Shego saw the connection in her eyes. Her pleasant smile became forced and fixed.
"He was just saying that," said the woman. Shego saw her eyes dart to Drakken's arm where Shego realized she had simply replaced the woman's hand with her own. "By partner you mean—"
"What I just said," Shego turned to Drakken. "Weren't we leaving?"
Drakken looked confused and slightly terrified as he looked between her and the woman. His expression shifted to one of acceptance and he nodded in relief.
"Oh, so soon?" asked the woman.
"Yes...so soon." Shego noted the expensive suit and the designer jewelry the woman wore. "We have plans. Weren't you about to give me some D on the roof, Dr. D.?"
Shego grinned at Drakken. He raised a brow but nodded.
"Yes." He made haste in packing up their things. "About time we leave. Have a good day ladies."
"Dr... D.?" asked the woman curiously. Shego lowered her voice and was delighted how the woman took a step back as she moved closer to her.
"Oh yeah." Shego let her hands flicker. "You should go get some, somewhere else...like a different country...Princess."
"N-Noted," sputtered the woman, her friends already taking off.
"Nice meeting you," called Drakken as the woman gave a nervous smile and a small hand-wave before departing. "She seemed nice...a bit touchy feely, but...Shego?"
Shego was not so gently shoving Drakken in the direction of the parking lot.
"That's because she's some gold digger and you're an oblivious target," snapped Shego. She grabbed his wrist as they began trekking up the sandy hill. "I mean how disgustingly obvious was she."
Shego heard a small chuckled behind her and glanced at Drakken.
"If I didn't know any better...I'd think you were jealous," smiled Drakken. "I mean those poor civilians in your path...I've never seen a person get so much air outside of a fight with you."
Shego felt her face grow warm at his words. Her hand quickly let go of his wrist.
"Pfft...yeah right," snorted Shego as she continued walking ahead of him. Her heart picked up more speed from its already rapid pace. "More concerned about some bimbo wheedling her way into the lair. Just keeping out the gold diggers."
"Okay," she heard Drakken say behind her. Shego's eyes narrowed as she remembered the woman's hand touching Drakken.
"I mean...why did you even let her touch you," she scoffed. "You don't know her...her flirting was just so over the top. How much did she bat her eyes and compliment you before I got there?"
"She mostly talked about my world-saving—" Shego spun around to look at him.
"Oh so...the 'bat the eyes, call you a genius, giggling flirting'?" snorted Shego. "I mean, I guess don't mess with classic tactics."
She waited for Drakken to make a snarky joke or roll his eyes but he seemed fixated on the ground, somewhere in his own head. Shego's shoulders slumped and she looked back at the beach. She crossed her arms.
"Was I interrupting something?" asked Shego. "Did you want her to lie and fawn over you?"
Drakken walked past Shego.
"No, I just wanted to leave," he sighed.
Shego walked after him as they got to the parking lot.
"We could swing by the lair and change before grabbing lunch at—" Shego was cut off.
"I have a lot of projects to work on...maybe next weekend." Drakken's expression was fixed as he got in the hover car.
Shego paused and looked at him instead of hopping in.
"Are you seriously mad at me right now?" asked Shego. She sounded angry but she felt nervous at his potential answer. "I'm just doing my job."
Drakken looked at her a second too long before his response. He shook his head.
"No," he sighed. "Just...too much sun for the day."
Shego climbed in and watched Drakken as they took off. The atmosphere between them seemed stiffer as they headed back to the lair. She bit her lip and tried to think of a way to lighten it, but she didn't know what to say. So she fell back into what was most comfortable and let snark find its way out.
"Pfft...if I was jealous would that make you less moody?" scoffed Shego. She looked over the water as they picked up speed. "Because, fine... I was jealous."
She glared at the water and felt regret over her words spinning in her stomach.
She heard a scoff and glanced at Drakken.
"You don't have to mock me Shego." He was glaring ahead of them now.
Shego raised a brow in confusion. She relaxed her expression and shifted to turn towards him.
"Who says I'm mocking?" She crossed her arms tightly around her.
Drakken's eyes drifted to look at her and she watched his expression shift around before it became neutral. He gave no more response the entire way back to the lair. This only made Shego grow more uncomfortable about her statement. She narrowed her eyes as they landed. She'd told him, and he had no response. It was more than a little painful to have it ignored. She was relieved when they'd landed and Drakken got out. She turned the hover car back on.
"Where are you going?"
Shego looked up to see Drakken looking wide-eyed, his hand resting on the edge of the hover car.
"I'm going to take in some sights... You have fun with your projects," sighed Shego. His hand slid off the hover car.
"You'll be back tonight?" asked Drakken. Shego shrugged.
"We'll see," she said as she pulled the levers.
Shego didn't hear what else he said because she took off.
It was probably an overreaction she was sure, but she'd needed space. Twice in one day she'd pushed buttons...had actually attempted to let her guard down. Shego lay in the hover car, watching the darkening sky in thought. The trunk was loaded with things she hadn't needed on a retail therapy binge. She ate her strawberries and watched the stars dusting the sky despite the lingering sunlight.
Her chewing slowed as images of the meteors she and Stoppable had flown through came back... And the relief in her body that had caused her chest to hurt at seeing Drakken again. The way his arms had slightly held her in the hotel room, the vines pulling them together... The image of the woman's hand on his arm... She let the strawberries fall back in the bag as she rolled her eyes at herself and shook her head.
"More pathetic each day," scoffed Shego. She snorted. "I guess villainy really was a distraction."
It had worked too...for a time. She could also blame the Lorwardians... She'd had control over her feelings for over a year before they had pulled that shield away...made her take notice of time. Which seemed silly as she played with the plastic grocery bag strap. She'd worried about not seeing Drakken again...to now working with him again...and nothing had changed... Nothing ever changed.
You could change it...
She narrowed her eyes and sat up and started the hover car.
"What the hell," grumbled Shego. "Worst he can do is freak out."
She shook her head at her hesitation in pulling the throttle. She wasn't talking herself out of it this time.
Drakken hadn't worked on anything as the evening began to settle. He'd sat for hours on the patio first looking at where Shego had flown off and then back at their lair, her actions and words pushing around in his head slowly. He couldn't figure out her emotions at him not reacting to her teasing... Had she not gotten the response she'd been aiming for?
'Because fine... I was jealous.'
Did she actually mean that?
He'd been wondering what, because with Shego it could be a series of things... Was she worried about another situation like with Sweets, of someone around the lair agitating her...? Not that Drakken had been remotely interested in the women. He'd been hoping Shego would come and get rid of their attention. He'd not even wanted to be there, let alone socialize with others. He'd spent the last two days trying to figure out his own emotions...had just gotten focused on his projects that morning...and then Shego had showed up in a swimsuit and declared a day out. Then, in what still perplexed him, he'd driven her to take off...after a very awkward silent flight.
His head fell back and he let out a deep sigh as he looked at the window of her room. He wondered if she wasn't as onboard with being neutral as he'd thought. Maybe there was an underlying agitation he'd somehow triggered. Was their outing some sort of goodbye trip she'd planned...? Was that why she had seemed so focused on it, and the fact it had been intruded upon?
His breath came out in another shaky sigh as he stood up. Flower wove over his shoulder.
"Is she coming back at all?" he asked Flower as he looked towards the setting sun.
Flower's petals slumped as it floated next to his head. Drakken felt the panic course through him as it had when he'd grabbed at the hover car. He looked at the lair he'd gotten just to keep her from leaving... What if it hadn't worked like he'd thought? His eyes drifted to her window again, the vines climbing the lair walls woven mostly around just the one. He let out a pathetic scoff as he looked at them closer. He didn't know how he'd missed the shape they had formed. It was a complexly woven heart that framed her sill. He wondered if she'd noticed it and it had been too much... Maybe she was aware of how pathetic and desperate his subconscious was.
Flower bopped him in the face.
"Fine...it's not even subconscious anymore," he scoffed as he waved off the flower.
He began walking inside. His mind told him to eat but he didn't have the energy to do so. The jumble of worries from his projects, what was supposed to be his dream life, and the fact that he might have messed up saying goodbye to Shego...just made him climb the stairs to his room slower. He glanced in her room as he walked by. It was still filled with her things.
She has to come back then...
He began pacing the moment he entered his room, trying to come up with a bargaining chip for when Shego returned... Anything to sway her from leaving... He could lie and tell her he needed to go back to villainy because of some reason or another. He could offer her a raise...he could—
Flower smacked him again.
"I could just...tell her," he sighed, "if she's already leaving... But if she isn't...what if it pushes her the rest of the way out?"
Flower moved to face him. He waved his hand in dismissal as he sat on the edge of his bed.
"She'd tell me if she was leaving...right? She'd let me know," muttered Drakken. "What if she waits till Monday when I leave... What if she comes back then? I won't go to the conference."
Flower invaded his space again.
"I don't have to go if I don't want to," he snapped. "It can wait—stop it."
Flower hit against his face and Drakken leaned on his hands as he tried to piece his thoughts together. He felt a tingling wave rush through him and then Flower retreated. He raised a brow at this until he saw the flowers from outside moving rapidly at his window. The sound of the hover car landing outside made it clear they were alerting him to Shego's return.
"That's new," he muttered under his breath.
Drakken didn't move from his spot sitting at the end of his bed. He was trying to organize his thoughts into a viable explanation or conversation...something...anything cohesive. He heard Shego sprinting up the steps and waited to hear her door. He didn't. Instead there was a strong knock at his own and he felt his heart plummet into his stomach as he slowly got up to open the door. He forced a hopeful smile as he opened it.
"You're back sooner than I thought," he chuckled. "Have a fun day?"
There was no eye-roll, nor banter.
"I think we need to talk," said Shego softly. Her eyes barely met his as she focused on where her arms were wrapped around herself.
Drakken's stomach became ice. The speech he'd been pulling together in his head...vanished. The next few seconds were a blur of white noise in his mind as all sound ceased to exist. He was certain Shego had begun the goodbye speech she'd probably rehearsed... But none of it registered as his body had decided to react on its own. He didn't even gauge her expression as his hands rested gently on either side of her face and he pressed his lips against her still-speaking ones.
It wasn't hunger—maybe a touch of desperation—but mostly pleading in his kiss, for her to stay... For there to be something there that wasn't his imagination. He felt her take a sharp breath through her nose and he wondered if it was out of shock or anger. The seconds ticked by and suddenly her hands slid up his wrists to rest on top of his hands. He wanted to kiss harder against her unmoving lips, but he felt her hands on his were a warning of green fire to come. Reluctantly he pulled back, but didn't move his hands.
Her eyes were closed and he felt his heart leave the pit of his stomach to beat in his throat as he waited for whatever was about to transpire. He swallowed hard as he made to pull his hands away from her face, but her hands gripped his as her eyes finally opened. They were looking at his, but he was focused on the lack of green light, the tint to her cheeks, and the shuddering breaths that mirrored his own.
"She—" His words didn't come. He didn't even know if he'd stopped them or if she did.
In a swift movement that he couldn't have kept up with if he'd tried, her arms had wrapped tightly around his neck as her lips hit his with pure hunger. He stumbled back slightly before his arms wrapped equally as tightly around her. He felt like his heart was beating so fast it might burst out of his chest. He mirrored her actions and kissed back with the same hunger, deepening the kiss with barely an ounce of hesitation.
As her scent overpowered his senses he feared that he'd simply fallen asleep and it was some elaborate dream. He leaned back from the kiss to look at her, her sharp fingernails digging into him as if she thought he was about to pull away from her completely and she was making sure he couldn't. Her eyes were wide and searching his own the same way he knew he was doing to hers. A sense of peace began flowing through him as he registered this. The genuine smile spreading across her lips made his own mirror hers, and he kissed her again.
OKAY! Next update will be a little later. NO LATER than September 21st!
(Two Week Break-ish)
