Author's Note: Whew, it's been quite some time since I last posted. Life had me for a ride for the last few years, so I wasn't able to post much during that time. I did have a lot of drafts and incomplete documents sitting around though, so I figured I'd start with those before I move onto larger projects I might post. Most of them aren't that serious, more along the lines of random prompts I thought I could try out as exercises.

The lyrics to this songfic are from "Next To Me" by Imagine Dragons and I felt inspired to write some drakgo out of it.

This is also my first songfic. I don't know if I'll do any more in the future, but as I've said before, I like to think of it more as a good writing exercise for me.

Edit: I was ignorant of some of the rules and guidelines involving song lyrics so I've removed them.

Always by my Side

Drakken hunched over in his seat, alone in the lair. Yet another plan to take over the world had been crushed at the hands of Kim Possible. Except this time, the failure had been particularly humiliating. He had retreated hastily to one of his temporary lairs where he would plan his next scheme, repair the hovercar, and oversee the renovation of his old, ruined lair. What a way to spend a Friday evening. Despite all this, his greatest woe wasn't his failed plan.

Shego had been particularly frustrated after the defeat, in no small part to Drakken's own carelessness. Unlike her usually snarky attitude, she was fully enraged by the mistakes and logical gaps that caused his plan to fall apart, something that would usually only draw mild frustration and a snide remark.

Drakken made the mistake of calling her out in return, drawing attention to the fact that she failed to stop Kim Possible. At this she really blew up, in a way that he'd never seen her upset before. Drakken was truly scared of her this time, a feeling towards her he hadn't felt in a long time.

After her tirade, Shego stomped off without acknowledging his mumbled apology. Drakken decided to avoid her for the rest of the evening, knowing it was best to let her cool down.

Eventually, he grew tired of sulking and decided to begin drafting up new plans and new devices. After finishing a couple drafts he was already in better spirits; he immediately sought out to find Shego, ready to explain his next plot – there were parts he needed her to steal – when he quickly stopped, remembering what had happened just hours earlier.

Shego was nowhere to be found. He searches through every part of the lair. He looks for her in the usual spots she hangs around in, then in places where she's less likely to hang out. He finally concludes that she must have left while he was drawing up his new plan. Worry began to build up in the pit of Drakken's stomach. After the fight they had earlier that evening, he was sure she'd left for good.

Drakken suddenly lost complete interest in his new scheme. He returned to sulking in the living area in the lair, brow furrowed as he contemplated what to do next. His thoughts kept leaning toward the argument they had earlier, and he cursed himself for even opening his mouth. She had been in a particularly foul mood and he should've known to back off. Now he's left to take over the world by himself. Such a thought only made him even more depressed.

Over the weekend, Drakken considers hiring another villain as a temporary partner. He had collaborated with others before, and hopefully he could find someone willing to fill in for Shego's absence. Drakken even considered calling up Dementor, someone who he usually thought of as more of a rival than a potential collaborator. He grinned as he picked up the phone, already imagining all that could be accomplished from the combined effort of two evil masterminds.

Drakken put the phone back into the receiver without even dialing, scowling pitifully to himself. He knew hiring temporary henchmen wasn't the right long-term solution; he needed Shego. Who else was going to stand up to Kim Possible in direct combat? Who else going to listen with only half an ear and reply with a sarcastic remark? Who else was going to join him for karaoke night?

Drakken now blamed himself for his current predicament. He never managed to conjure up a scheme to rule the world, even when he thought he could feel victory in his gut. Perhaps Shego grew tired of his constant mistakes and decided she'd finally had enough; maybe he'd failed her for the last time.

Drakken furrowed his brow, feeling a hint of anger instead of misery for the first time all weekend. If he had schemed and plotted for so long without discernible results, why was Shego around for so long? Just to see him fail? It seemed like something Shego would get a kick out of, but for years at a time? Drakken felt a surge of humiliation and frustration clashing within him, mulling over the possibility that his attempt at world domination was nothing but an amusing spectacle to the sidekick he'd essentially trusted his life to. In that sense, she was no better than his former college classmates who'd laughed at him so many years ago.

But beyond the despair he felt on the surface, Drakken knew Shego was nothing like them. No matter how hard he failed, or how annoying he got, or how outlandish his schemes became, she usually followed along. No matter how arrogant he was she always found a way to take him down a peg with her sarcasm. No matter how much she disrespected him, she always listened. And most importantly, she always came back. He really was insufferable sometimes, but he knew she would be there at his side. Drakken knew he didn't have a right to criticize her like that.

Despite this revelation, it's still a pleasant surprise when Shego shows up the next day as usual, wearing her usual tepid expression as she steps into the lair early in the morning. As he stares at her under the dim light of the lair, he isn't sure what to say at first. But Shego is already snapping at him to get his attention. She's asking if there were any new schemes to partake in, and Drakken instantly brightens up. The plan he had been working on was at the front of his mind again and he eagerly searches for his schematics.

Maybe this was her way of saying that she had moved past the argument. Regardless, Drakken felt that she was incredibly tolerant of him in order to come back. If she was willing to put up with all his flaws, then a single fight wasn't enough to break them up. By showing up as she did, Shego had made it clear she would stick by his side. So Drakken vowed to himself that he would always be by her side as well.