Shego sat on her chair in the lab, filing her nails and lost in her own thoughts. She hated this "friends" thing they had going. It had been a month since she came home (7 months since they last slept together, but it wasn't like she was keeping track of that or anything), and he was being respectful of her boundaries (no matter how much she desperately wanted him in her boundaries). She hated herself for not saying anything. She supposed she still could, but what was the point? He seemed fairly content with returning to how they were before the moodulator.

However, even Drakken wasn't perfect. They may have returned to a friendship status, but they had been closer than ever without being physically intimate. She'd be lying if she said she didn't live for those moments where they almost forgot what kind of relationship they were supposed to have and just acted on impulse. On her side, she had become more protective of him (of course, she always had been, but her motivation to keep him safe suddenly became more than just dollar signs and world domination). On his side, he had become incredibly interested in her happiness. He did everything in his power to make her happy, whether that be by being chivalrous (the fact that he has opened nearly every door for her since she'd been home gave her butterflies), asking her opinion on his projects, and of course, giving her a very generous pay raise. He even stopped referring to her as a sidekick and acknowledged her as a partner (something he should have done years ago, but she won't be picky). And let's be honest here, both of them were notorious for flirting (okay, that was mostly Shego, but he played along.)

She won't deny that it had been awkward when she first came home. They had to get to know each other again in a different way than they had before. They had to re-learn what it was like to be friends without the benefits. It was hard, especially when all she wanted to do was kiss him. And Drakken, well she didn't know what he wanted, but it was a learning curve for both of them. However, it didn't take long for them to slide back into their usual way of operating: he rants, she pretends to listen, he plots, and she mocks.

Her thoughts kept her so busy that she didn't know Drakken had entered the room until he was standing right in front of her with his hands on his hips. She smirked as she looked up from her nail file. "Yes?"

He sighed. "You aren't participating in casual Friday."

She shook her head, but her grin did not leave her face. "You're right. I'm not." She looked him up and down, and his khaki pants and white shirt did not go unnoticed. The shirt was tight and much more flattering than his usual lab coat had been. The lab coat had hid every bicep from view, but his new, casual look had reminded her of everything she was missing since they stopped sleeping together.

He glared at her. "I'm sorry. I wasn't clear. Why aren't you participating in casual Friday?"

She shrugged and went back to filing her nails. "Because it's stupid."

"Nygh! Shego! Hank said that casual Friday is essential to team building and morale!"

She grinned. "Hank, our trusty henchman, or Hank, the idiot who convinced you to open up a cupcake shop?"

He frowned. He really did love that stupid cupcake shop. "You know which Hank I mean."

She giggled. "Should I tell you where I think Hank can shove his stupid idea?"

Drakken sighed as he sat down in his chair next to her. "But it's working, Shego! The corporate-like environment and all the team building exercises are working! The henchmen have never worked harder." He paused for a moment. "Well, except for you, little miss 'every idea is stupid.'"

Shego cracked a smile and rested a hand on his knee. "Want to know the real reason why I'm not participating in casual Friday?"

He looked down at her hand placement as shivers went up and down his spine. She had that silly smirk on her face- the one that was very suggestive. He gulped. "Why?"

She leaned in closer to him so that their faces were mere inches apart. "You're already losing sight of the evil plan in place with this damn cupcake shop. I don't think you need me skipping around here in casual wear to distract you even further."

Drakken blushed, but he didn't pull away from her. "Oh, I wouldn't- uh- be distracted by your uh-"

She smirked at his inability to finish his sentence. "Really? Remember that green blouse you liked so much? Top that with a nice, little skirt, and I think you might be just a little bit distracted." She let her words sink in as his face grew redder. "You know what, I've changed my mind. I think I will participate in casual Friday. I'll go change."

She stood up, ready to leave him in the lab when his voice stopped her. "No, no, no, Shego. Let's not do that. You really don't need to participate." He cleared his throat in an attempt to collect himself as he stood from his chair. "It's really more for the henchmen's productivity."

She turned around and walked back towards him with a grin on her face. Once she was standing in front of him, she let her fingers trail up and down his biceps. "Oh, so you don't want me to put on that blouse?" She was practically pouting.

He felt his insides go haywire as she drew circles on his arms. Oh, he definitely wanted her to put on that blouse, but they had decided to just be friends. It was easier that way, so why was she torturing him? He was only human after all. "Uh, Shego, what are you doing?"

She laughed. "I'm just having fun, Doc."

He backed away nervously. "Uh, but why?"

She smiled. "Because either I don't partake in this idiotic idea you have for building morale, or I can watch you sweat if I do. Either way, I win."

Drakken frowned. So she was getting off on torturing him. "Nygh! Shego!" He pulled away from her touch. If that's how she wanted to be, then fine. He could handle it. "Do what you want. You won't distract me."

She laughed. "That sounds like a challenge."

He shrugged. "I am immune to your charming good looks, Shego. Participate in casual Friday or don't. I don't care."

She smirked. "Sure, maybe you're immune, but Hank Perkins isn't." Drakken's eyes grew. Was she trying to make him jealous? She was the one that said they complicated things with sex. Why was she doing this to him? She frowned when she noticed the change in his demeanor. "I'm just kidding, Doc. Lighten up."

He faked a chuckle. "Right. Yeah, I know you're kidding, Shego. Just uh-"

He was interrupted by Hank Perkins, who was on the phone and didn't even bother to knock. "Dr. Drakken, we could expand on the business. There's an insanely high demand in New Hampshire."

Drakken pushed past Shego. "Oh, so are we thinking we should franchise? Oh my, we could go public! This is-"

"Drakken!" Shego shouted. "The cupcake business was supposed to be a distraction to hide the atmos freezer. Stay focused, Dr. D."

He put his hand under his chin. "Oh. Right. The atmos freezer. It uh, it will-"

"No one will look in cupcake shops across the entire country, Dr. Drakken, and you're going to need more than one power source," Hank interrupted him.

"Yes. Exactly. See, franchising is essential to the plan, Shego."

She groaned. She was so over this plan already.

…..

The cupcake shop took a bad turn when Kim Possible showed up and tarnished his plans (he really should be expecting that at this point, but he is always hopelessly optimistic that Possible will eventually fail). The henchmen were depressed, and Shego was mad enough that she stormed off to God knows where. Hank Perkins was giving a positive speech about failure being a learning opportunity, but Drakken was just not feeling it anymore. He thought about firing Hank, but he had to give it to the guy: his ideas had overall improved the henchmen's productivity. It would be a shame to throw that all away just because he was once again defeated by his teenaged arch foe.

"Hank!" Shego's voice blasted through the lair. Drakken felt relief kick in as he registered that she was home (her extended leaves of absence when she got frustrated had been part of her charm, but he wasn't sure if he could handle that when she just returned home less than 2 months ago).

Hank, the henchman, cowered down. "Oh man, what did you do?" Another henchman had asked him.

Hank gulped. "I don't know," he whispered, "but I'm scared."

Shego charged through the door, her hands lit. Hank shrunk in his chair, but Shego walked right past him until she stood face to face with Hank Perkins. The henchman sighed in relief once he knew Shego's anger wasn't directed at him.

"I am so sick of this team trust and building productivity bullshit," Shego spat. "And don't even get me started on the stupid cupcake shop. If I wanted to know how to run a damn franchise, I would have called my brother. We are in the business of evil, not fucking cupcakes."

Hank Perkins looked down at her hands that were glowing green. "Now, Shego, if we could just calm down for a minute, we could-"

She blasted him. "Get out of my lair," she snarled. Drakken didn't even bother correcting her that this was his lair, and she just happened to live here. He knew first hand the damage those blasts could cause, and he had no intentions of being subjected to them. She blasted him again, and eventually, Hank Perkins figured out that it was better to leave than to ever distract Drakken from evil (or from Shego).

…..

Drakken sat in his lab, trying to come up with his next plan. Honestly, he had no idea where to go next, so he kept doodling in hopes that inspiration would strike him. When he heard footsteps enter, he didn't even turn around, but the sound of her whistling pulled him out of his trance. When he turned to face her, his mouth fell open. Shego was dressed in a short, black skirt and that green blouse he loved so much (curse that blouse- it didn't hide anything). "Sh-Shego- what- uh wow. I mean-"

She laughed as she approached him and sat down in her chair . "Is everything alright there, Doc?"

He nodded, but it was impossible to hide his brightening cheeks as he tried to keep his eyes focused on her face instead. "It's not Friday," he said in an attempt to calm down. She shrugged as she put her foot up on the desk, letting the skirt ride up her leg slightly. Fuck it. He let his eyes roam her, and he felt his heart pound faster as he took in every inch of her.

She got up abruptly and turned back to the door. "I'm changing out of this now. I just wanted to prove my point."

"What point?"

She smirked. "That you, Dr. Drakken, are not immune to my charming good looks." As she left him there, his mouth hung open. She was going to be the death of him.