Snippets of Forever:
So Not... A Secret Anymore.
-x-
It was totally bizarre how quickly the way he saw her had already changed.
Ron had been blessed with twelve years, one hundred and forty-four months, well over four thousand days of getting to see Kim's face for almost every single one of those days. And yet, in the space of just eleven short hours, he could swear that he was suddenly seeing his childhood best friend through a brand new pair of eyes. Even where she sat right now, still nestled into his side of their breakfast booth with her nose buried in her cellphone, Ron just couldn't help but stare at her.
The way she tucked a loose strand of red hair away from her face made his senses tingle. The glistening of her bright, green orbs made goosebumps pop up over his skin. The small smile that sat in the corner of her mouth made his heart beat that little bit faster. And when he propped his elbow up on the table and cradled his face in his hand to admire her just a while longer, that's when he became perhaps a tad too distracted by his girlfriend's beauty.
Ron let out an embarrassingly loud yelp as his arm slipped in some soda that had spilt on the table and he clattered his cutlery against his empty plate. Kim looked up from the small screen of her cell with a start, giggling to herself at the rosy, red colour that filled Ron's pale cheeks.
"Heh heh," he chuckled awkwardly, his heart still racing at the teasing way Kim shook her head at him. His total overload of cuteness left her so distracted that Kim's mouth suddenly fell open when she finally realised what she had been doing.
Placing her cellphone back on the table in front of them, she ghosted her hand over Ron's knee, "Sorry - so wasn't meaning to ignore you," she explained, "I was just replying to a text from my mom. She can be so impatient sometimes."
"No need for the apologies, KP," Ron assured her, brushing off the thought. A small frown fell into his face, "Impatient about what?"
"About waiting for an update," Kim answered simply.
Still feeling just slightly confused, Ron cleared his throat, "On...?"
"On... us?"
Ron instantly felt his heart skip a beat as his expression lit up in glowing happiness.
Oh, yeah - 'us' had definitely become one of his new favourite words.
"You told your mom about us?" he asked in wonderment.
"Well, duh. I was hardly about to make out like I had an amazing night with Eric," Kim said, visibly cringing, "You didn't say anything to your mom?"
"'Rents were already in bed by the time I got home."
"What about this morning?"
"Well... yeah, I mean, I could've said something..." Ron squirmed a little uncomfortably for a moment. He turned slightly in the cafe booth, facing Kim front-on, "But, like... we hadn't exactly spoken properly yet, and even though I had a feeling that last night wasn't gonna' not mean anything, I still didn't wanna' speak too soon and, I dunno' - "
Kim could only watch her boyfriend with an adoring smile as he tried to ramble his way out of whatever mess he assumed he had gone and tangled himself in. She could see all too easily where the end of his sentence was trailing off to as she raised a teasing eyebrow and spoke Ron's next two words with him at the exact same time.
"...Jinx anything?"
When he realised what she had just done, Ron gasped under his breath with wide eyes.
"Hey!"
"You owe me a soda," Kim stated, leaning in a little closer as she whispered the command against his lips.
Resisting the urge to close the narrowed gap left between them, Ron somehow managed to slump back in his seat with a simple shake of his head instead. Kim's all too enticing wit had kept the smile glued to his face as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet.
"Or we could just add it to the long list of sodas that, let's be honest, you're probably never gonna' get," he taunted her, watching the middle of her brow crinkle, "And you let me pick up breakfast instead?"
When he beckoned for the bill that their waitress had left at their table just three minutes earlier, Kim felt her expression drop for a split second. And then, her surprised features were replaced with a sweet smile.
"Since when?" she asked with a light giggle, handing him the itemised piece of paper, "Wasn't it only the other week that you were running short on Naco Night fundage?"
"Well, yeah," Ron agreed, leaving behind an extra couple of crisp dollar bills as a nice tip, "But you and me weren't really hanging out as much, so I had some spare time to help Mom with a few extra chores around the house."
As soon as the sentence left his mouth, Ron immediately wanted to chase it down and erase its existence. The teenage boy gasped in a horror moment of realisation, and as he flicked his eyes down to the redhead that sat beside him, Ron felt his heart sink.
The blissful grin had dropped from Kim's face as quickly as her vision had dropped down to her hands where they sat dejectedly crossed on the table. Ron could all but feel the instant guilt that filled her to the brink - and not just because he had suddenly been consumed by the exact same emotion.
"Okay, ew, no - KP, I did not mean for that to sound so spiteish."
Slowly bringing her eyes back up to meet his, Kim scrunched her nose up at Ron with a gentle shrug of her shoulders, "Spiteful."
"Eh, school word."
"Mm, everyday adjective."
"Whatever that word is," Ron said, a little exasperated, "It does not describe how I feel about everything over the last couple of weeks, okay? I just wanna' totally move on from everything that happened before last night."
Kim sensed the twinge of sharp regret dissipate from the depths of her belly as she studied the sincerity behind Ron's freckled face.
Whether she completely deserved it or not, Kim knew that Ron had accepted her apology that morning in a heartbeat. She could see it in the way that he was the one scrambling to make her feel better right now. Even when he wasn't perfectly smooth and suave, he still made her chest flutter.
"I mean, like, if that's okay. With you."
His renewed tone of concern cut right through Kim's train of thought as she softened her expression towards Ron. She realised exactly what the timid, blonde boy was trying to say - Ron didn't want to forget everything that had ever happened between the two of them before last night. Just the parts that were covered in vile, green sytho-goo. And Kim couldn't agree more.
Well, for the most part, anyway.
"Actually, there is one thing that I am so totally not okay with," Kim sniped, watching as Ron flinched at the harshness in her voice. But she couldn't keep the facade up for long, and Kim soon found herself beaming at her boyfriend as she reached for his hand, "And that is you thinking you can keep your mom in the dark about us forever!"
Ron could swear he felt the whiplash fly from the base of his neck and throughout the rest of his body as Kim tightened her hand around his and yanked him out of the booth behind her. He almost couldn't hear the sweet giggle that resonated from her - his head was far too clouded by her sudden utterance of the word 'forever' for the second time that morning. But the teenager quickly forced himself to regain his wits about him as Ron took a couple of fast-paced steps to catch up with Kim.
The teen hero shared a quick smile with their waitress as they passed the friendly brunette on their way through the cafe's exit. The same expression immediately fell back onto the boy attached to her hand, "Did you walk this morning?"
"Uh, when I currently have a bajillion ounces of rocket fuel strapped to the back of my scooter?"
Kim laughed at his enthusiasm, "Did you bring my helmet?"
"Duh."
"Then let's jet."
It felt amazing for Ron to be mounting his scooter for the first time since prom without any nerve wracking anxiety weighing him down. His confidence was simply sky-high as he made sure to give Kim's fingertips an affectionate squeeze before revealing the spare helmet he always kept aside for her.
"So, my place?" he asked, passing her the blue head wear.
Kim slid in behind him on the long seat, instantly locking her hands to Ron's hips like a perfectly shaped jigsaw, "You bet."
The sensation almost made him stall the starter motor of his scooter. Not that Ron was in anyway prepared to admit it. The totally enchanted teen subtly cleared his throat, and then with a second tug on the gas, the blue two-wheeler was off and away up the busy Middleton street.
The early summer breeze that danced across the skin of his face as they rode along made Ron ease out a content breath. His mind was wandering with all the warm thoughts and feelings that filled him - so much so, that he didn't even notice when the rocket boosters on the tail of his scooter began to rumble and vibrate and expel a bright orange flame.
"Hey," Kim sniped, playfully swatting him on the shoulder, "No speeding."
Crashing back to Earth and out of his dreamy trance, Ron shot a cheeky side-eye at Kim from under the brim of his helmet, "Then how do you expect me to break my top speed from last night?"
"That was a save the world level emergency, Ron."
"But your dad said he's gonna' totally de-mod this beast before I even get the chance to enjoy it!"
"Mm-hm," Kim hummed over the purring of the suped-up engine, "Probably because he's very much aware of exactly who's planning on enjoying many more long scooter rides with you from now on."
Kim's words landed with an immediate thud in the pit of Ron's stomach. The hinting temptation in her voice and the way she pinched closer at the skin under his red jersey wasn't even enough to distract him as he found himself swallowing in sudden nervousness.
Up until that moment, the young man hadn't even stopped to consider what Kim's father was going to think of their new status as boyfriend and girlfriend - or any of their parents, for that matter.
Realistically, Ron knew that he didn't have any serious reason to panic. He could already hear the enthusiastic happiness that he imagined was going to burst with pride from his own parents once they finally heard the news. And judging by the text conversation Kim had been having with Ann only ten minutes earlier, it sounded like the nosy Possible matriarch was just as thrilled.
Meaning, of course, the only egg that Ron truly had left to crack was that of Doctor James Timothy Possible. The very same Doctor James Timothy Possible who was incredibly protective of his only daughter and had terrifyingly easy access to the deepest, darkest black holes situated in the very corners of the known universes.
Awesome.
"Okay," Kim spoke up again, the sweetness in her voice sending Ron's nerves into a tumbling troop of butterflies.
The redhead paused for just another second, glancing over each shoulder. Ron quickly followed suit, surprised to find that all his daydreaming had unknowingly lead himself, Kim and his scooter on the familiar path right towards his house.
The heroic teen duo were slowly cruising down their empty street, and once Kim was sure that there weren't any families or kids or dogs out on a late morning walk, she crept closer to where her boyfriend sat in front of her.
When she shifted her hands up from his hips and settled her grip to wrap around his waist in an affectionate hug, Kim leaned forward and murmured beside Ron's left ear.
"Now you can speed."
An excited shiver shot up his spine faster than Ron could even reach for the gas.
The delighted squeal that came from Kim was music to his ears as Ron tore up the middle of the road, swerving gently from side to side every few feet. The sensation of the power seated beneath them was incredible and made each house, tree and lamppost fly by in a blur. Before they both knew it, their short journey came to a sudden halt, and the young couple hit a sharp right as they flew into Ron's driveway.
The blonde boy's heart was racing, and not just because of the adrenaline that was still pumping through him as he cut off his scooter's engine. He felt his girlfriend's hands linger on his back for a split second before she swung one leg over and came to her feet. When she pulled off her helmet and brushed her gorgeous, red locks out of her face, Ron couldn't help but smile at her.
"You think maybe I could get my dad to talk to yours and convince him to let me keep the rockets?"
"Your dad? The statistic driven, number wielding actuary?" Kim asked with a raised eyebrow, "I have a feeling I know whose side he's gonna' be on."
By now, the pair had made it to the Stoppables' front door. And as Ron placed his key in the gold coloured lock and turned the wooden knob, he wasn't quite ready to give up the fight just yet.
"Yeah, okay, but what if - "
"Ronald Stoppable!"
The unmistakable sound of Ron's mother exclaiming her son's full name made both teens jump out of their skin as they snapped their heads up in surprise. The sight they were met with when they entered the family home instantly made a red coloured blush sink into the skin of both their cheeks.
Mrs. Stoppable stood from her place in the living room where Rufus has been pouring her a nice, steaming cup of tea. The tiny, pink rodent murmured out a hushed 'uh oh' as he watched her adjust her glasses on the end of her nose and firmly plant her hands on her hips. And sitting just behind the slim, blonde woman on the couch with a tea cup of her very own was none other Ann Possible.
When Kim's mum held up her hands in defence and mouthed a very long, very obvious 'sorry', that's when the younger redhead finally realised exactly what was going on. Apparently Ann's attempts to quickly gather gossip on her daughter that morning hadn't been for her own selfish benefit, after all.
Mrs. Stoppable raised an impatient eyebrow at her son, "Is there something you'd like to tell me?"
Kim brought a gentle hand to her mouth, covering her amused smile and holding down a delighted giggle. She fastened her eyes on her boyfriend, swooning at the way the sweet, blonde goofball had melted into a puddle of anxious mush.
"Uh..."
He was so adorable.
"Actually, Mrs. S.," Kim suddenly announced.
When she took a step forward and laced her hand together with his, Kim smiled into the instant sense of calm that settled with the expression of pure bliss on Ron's face. He couldn't even begin to imagine how the heck he ever got so lucky.
Leaning into his side with an oh-so flirtatious nudge, Kim squeezed Ron's hand as she spoke up once more,
"We both have something we'd like to tell you."
The first full day of their new relationship had simply flown by far too quickly.
The twinkling stars in the nighttime sky lit the footpath ahead of them as Kim and Ron strolled along side by side, brushing up against each other every few paces. The pair had almost made it back to the hotel where the Possibles were temporarily staying while the final repairs to their house were being made. It was getting close to Kim's ten o'clock curfew, but she and Ron had opted to take the walk across town together rather than ride on his scooter.
After all, they couldn't possibly say no to an excuse to spend some extra time together.
"Thanks for walking me home - well, walking me back," Kim offered with a grateful sweetness, "Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Mind? 'Sha, of course not. I mean, don't get me wrong - the Ronman is all about you moving back next door as soon as humanly possible," Ron confessed, trailing off for a second as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Like, if you're not already sick of my boyfriendness after just one day, obviously."
Kim could hear the playful sarcasm in his voice as she shook her head at him, "Obviously not," she quipped, taking a step forward to latch her hand around his, "Maybe touch base with me on that one again around August, though. We've still got a whole summer ahead of us, after all."
"Ha ha," Ron spat, clutching his girlfriend's fingers between his with each cynical laugh. He spied the smirk sitting in the corner of her mouth as the two continued to walk along in comfortable silence.
Both of their heads were absolutely whirling - about nothing and everything all at once. It was so easy to get totally lost in a quiet muse, especially when all they could think about was each other, and Kim and Ron were both discovering this all too quickly as the warmth from their touch sizzled between their palms and shot all the way up their arms.
And to think they still had a whole summer left to experience this feeling? Plus who knew how much longer after that?
The idea of it all made them shiver with excitement.
"So, agenda tomorrow?"
Kim hummed in hesitation as the two rounded the final corner before reaching the tall apartment block of hotel rooms.
"I'm thinking sleep in, sunshine, maybe ice cream date and a movie?"
"...And Bueno Nacho?"
"Aw," Kim cooed, not missing a single beat, "Your protest over the evil corporation actually lasted an entire day! Super proud of you."
Ron rolled his eyes at Kim's relentless teasing. He dropped one hand from hers as they stopped in the apartment's driveway, but kept her other nice and close when they scraped around in a circle to face each other.
"Hey, come on, now, you know I'm not one to hold a grudge," he argued cheekily, "And who knows what one day without their best customer has done to BN's gross profit! Haven't we both suffered enough by now?"
Staring up at him through narrowed eyes as she desperately held down a giggle at his silliness, Kim chewed down on the inside of her cheek, "I'm sure we can squeeze some cheesy, Naco-y goodness into our schedule."
"Mm, cheese!" Rufus exclaimed in agreement as he sprung from Ron's pocket.
"See! Rufus forgives them too."
Kim smiled down at the smallest and pinkest member of Team Possible, "It will be nice to just sit back and relax for a week or two," she sighed, "But I have promised the squad we'll get together a few times over the next couple of months to stay fit for next cheer season. And you know I always like to get a head start on all of Barkin's summer readings. Plus we'll have to keep our ears open in case Wade beeps with any villain drama."
Ron was in total disbelief as he listened to Kim rattle off her long list of summer chores with a small shake of his head. She genuinely blew him away sometimes. Even in the moments where she had well and truly earned the opportunity to stop and take a breath, Kim absolutely refused to move any less than a million miles an hour at all times. Her irresistible drive and determination left Ron completely spellbound.
"Oh, and the visits I've planned with the kids at Mom's hospital, and - "
He couldn't stand it for a second longer. Ron's knees were weak as he leaned in and cut Kim off with a timidly light kiss. The surprising sensation of his lips against hers made Kim jump at first, but soon enough, the gorgeous redhead closed her green eyes and returned the chaste peck. A lyrical 'aw' sang out from Ron's pocket as Rufus watched when Kim took a step back from her boyfriend and stared up at him curiously.
The blonde boy grinned through an awkward blush, "S-sorry," he stuttered, "I just still kinda' can't believe I get to do that whenever I want," he admitted, his eyes suddenly widening, "Well, like, obviously I don't mean whenever whenever, b-because, like, just because I'm your boyfriend and you're my girlfriend it doesn't mean that you have to kiss me when I say so, I just, uh - "
"Ron," Kim laughed, placing a delicate finger over his lips, "I think 'whenever' works for me."
The anticipation was overwhelming.
Rufus' admiration quickly turned to a sick feeling in his tiny tummy as he dived back into Ron's khaki pants when Kim leaned up to him again.
Her lips were warm and soft and neutralised the chill that raced up his spine when she placed her hand on his back. Ron breathed out through his nose, drawing himself closer to Kim as their mouths moved together as one and he lost himself in the unbelievable taste of her kiss.
Just as he dared to part his lips a little wider and shuffle towards her a little further, Kim and Ron were suddenly bathed in a pair of glowing, yellow lights. The two of them quickly darted apart, blinking at the sudden brightness for a second before Kim realised who the headlights on the familiar car belonged to.
Ron gulped, "Is that - "
"It's my dad."
The three words came from Kim with zero urgency whatsoever, and somehow, it only made Ron feel all the more anxious.
Ron had known Mr. Dr. P. for a long time. For almost his whole life, in fact - since he had been just four years old. But because of that, the teenager knew exactly how protective the older man was of his entire family. Especially his only daughter.
James had quickly been made aware of everything that had happened between Kim and Eric the night before at junior prom. But before his head was even given the chance to stop spinning, it was then that he also learned about his daughter's new boyfriend.
To say he was surprised was a massive understatement. As much as James may have pretended to ignore the fact that she had a serious interest in boys, he knew that his Kimmie had a type. And that type was normally taller, smarter, and more than charming than one Ron Stoppable.
But was that necessarily a bad thing? James hadn't decided just yet.
The doctor eyed the two kids as he climbed out of his car, utterly exhausted from the day spent with his team working on his partially destroyed home. Kim smiled at her dad, still cool as a cucumber.
"Long day, Dad?"
James returned the loving smirk from his daughter as he dragged himself up the complex's driveway, a paper grocery bag nestled under his arm, "Hard work pays off, Kimmie-Cub. If all goes to plan, we'll be back home in our own beds tomorrow night."
Allowing his anxiety to slip for a split second, Ron couldn't help but grin at the sound of this. He and Kim were only coming into their second night of not having their bedroom windows placed opposite each other, and it was already driving him crazy.
The flicker of happiness in his chocolate coloured eyes, though, did not go amiss on James.
As much as his first instinct may have told him to caution the teenager and threaten him with what might happen if he ever took a misstep with his baby girl - for some reason, Ron's expression had only made the stiffness in James' stance completely soften.
The doctor stubbornly allowed the thought to sit with him for a moment. Whatever else the two of them may have been, James knew that above all else, Kim and Ron were best friends. And anyone with even half an I.Q. point could see how deeply he cared for her.
Taking just one more second to adjust the paper bag under his arm, Doctor Possible cleared his throat, "But, uh, yes - that wouldn't be the case if it weren't for all your help, as well," he said, focusing his gaze on the young man standing beside his daughter, "Both of you."
The three, simple syllables sent a feeling of sudden relief rushing through Ron as he eased out a gentle breath. It was certainly a different sensation to what he had felt earlier that afternoon when Kim had volunteered both of their help to her dad and his crew. Luckily, the clumsy teen hadn't been given too many opportunities to embarrass himself - James and his team had only really needed a little extra muscle when it came to clearing the rubble and debris.
Though, of course, Ron's allocated workload had been an awfully lot bigger than Kim's.
Was the whole thing some calculated, protective, fatherly test of his manhood? Probably. But between the sweet words - and occasional kisses on the cheek - of encouragement from Kim, Ron had been able to push his strength to the absolute limit and break enough hard-working sweat to fill an entire dam. Every single one of his muscles, tendons and bones were certain to be sore the next morning, but it had all been totally worth it.
Kim was totally worth it.
"Heh, ain't no thang, Mr. Dr. P," Ron offered with a shrug, "Anything for my favourite family."
James nodded just once, watching carefully as Kim melted at Ron's words and swayed playfully into his side. The image struck him rather curiously as the doctor's heart skipped a beat of realisation. James was almost positive that he had never seen a smile on Kim like the one that was currently gracing her face.
The happiness sure did look good on her.
"Well, after such a productive day, I figured we'd earned ourselves a small reward. Choc-chip cookie dough ice cream," he said, gesturing to the brown paper bag as he took a step past the two teens. After a moment of hesitation, he looked back over his shoulder, "Care to join us, Ronald?"
He almost wanted to wince away, only assuming the tone of James' 'Ronald' meant he was suddenly in trouble for some reason or another. But when he finally paused for half a second and actually processed what Kim's father had just asked him - Ron's features lit up like a Christmas tree. The only appearance brighter than his own, was that of his girlfriend's.
"Uh, y-yeah, sure! Thanks, Dr. P.," he spat a little too quickly, freezing with a frown as he hurried to check his watch, "But, um, I mean, it is almost ten and - "
"Nonsense - I'm sure Mrs. Dr. P. won't mind driving you back home," the older man spoke with a sly smirk, "And if not, well, it's just an excuse for me to swing back by the store for more ice cream, hm?"
As he took the apartment's swipe card from his pocket and held it against the main entrance to the complex, James stole one last second to shoot an affectionate wink at Kim. The teen hero felt her heart smile.
Kim knew that James wasn't ever thrilled to properly acknowledge her dating life - because he only wanted the very best for her, of course. But even though the redhead also knew that Ron was what was best for her, it didn't mean that she had to expect her dad to see that right away, too.
The fact that James was trying was all that Kim really needed - for now, at least.
"Hey, wait, we can still get ice cream tomorrow, too, right?"
As the sweet sounds of typical childlike wonder echoed behind her from Ron, Kim glanced back around to face him. With a roll of her green eyes, she simply reached for her boyfriend's hand.
"If you don't make yourself sick before then, sure," she snickered, "Come on, goofball."
Mimicking her contagious laughter, Ron obediently tailed Kim where she followed James through the front door. The chilled breeze from the ceiling-high air conditioning hit his face in an instant, but it did nothing to cool the heat that Ron felt from having Kim's grip in his.
No amount of ice cream in the world was sweeter than this.
Man, the two of them couldn't wait until they got to kiss goodbye again that night.
I'm back, and we're picking up right where we left off! :)
Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed my first chapter. I'm really enjoying putting all my energy into these little one shots, and I'm super excited to jump a bit further in time with what I'm planning to post next... ;)
Please feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you think! I really appreciate it :)
Till next time guys,
Reneyyyyyyyyyy x