Habitual Lessons and Indoor Plumbing


The sound of clinking glasses and chatter were an elegant white nose as Drakken leaned closer to Shego in the dim candle light of their dinner. As romantic and elegant as Athena's was, they had been eating out a lot despite their fully stocked kitchen back at the lair. He knew it was due to Shego's avoidance of the vines, who had been overly dramatic and bringing her other flowers as an apology for their antics... the same could be said for him not arguing about yet another lavish evening out... they were his plants after all.

"So, how many did they bring you today?" asked Drakken as Shego played with the flowers at the table.

"Hmm?" she raised a brow and he nodded towards the flowers, "When we get back you should look at the shrubs they decided to place outside my window... I think they've run out of seasonal flowers."

"Yes, well, if you don't accept their apology, we might environmentally destroy Greece," responded Drakken. There was a silent exchange between he and Shego before they both began to laugh.

Shego's laugh turned a soft sigh.

"Fine, I will... engage with them again," said Shego, "But if this was a year ago I would continue to ignore them... they're lucky we're... what word are we using , again?"

"Neutral," nodded Drakken, "It feels less... cringy to say."

"Cringy?" snorted Shego, "Sure."

"Besides, it might be nice to... dine in," shrugged Drakken.

He watched Shego's brow raise as she paused a sip of her drink.

"I thought you liked the food here?" asked Shego, "The chefs already know your... quirks."

"I do like the food here but- Quirks?" Drakken raised a brow.

"Mushrooms, chocolate milk in a wine glass, the seasoning issue-" Shego was cut off by Drakken.

"No steak should have that much paprika on it and I will die on that hill," Drakken hissed under his breath.

"One time and you act like it was attempted murder," retorted Shego,

"Did you like it?" asked Drakken.

He watched Shego's nose scrunch before she rolled her eyes.

"Exactly," he finished, "I make no apologies for calling it to their attention-"

"Making a scene," Shego muttered.

"You see! If we were home... I would not have a need to make a scene," defended Drakken.

"You're right," said Shego. Drakken smirked, "You would throw a tantrum."

Drakken grumbled into his chocolate milk. There was a brief moment where he wondered if he did cause more of a scene if that would hammer in his desire to not eat out for a while... he weighed the odds but Shego's voice cut in.

"Hmm, I guess...," sighed Shego. She gave him a coy look, "There are advantages to eating at home."

"There are many. Budget, less people gawking..." Shego foot slid up his leg, "Oh... well ohm... there are some advantages to dining out, too."

"What's that?" asked Shego as she leaned closer to him.

Drakken gave her a devious smirk.

"The flight home," he suggested.

He didn't miss the spark in her eyes before her grin matched his and she stood up.

"I'll meet you in the hovercar," hummed Shego as she sauntered off.

It took a few seconds to stop watching the saunter for Drakken to hastily wave down the waiter to get the bill taken care of.


When they'd gotten back to the lair and continued their hovercar adventure to the bedroom. Neither had expected the disaster that would greet them when they backed into Shego's room. Shego had expected to simply win their battle of dominance via kissing by simply shoving Drakken onto her bed... but what happened instead was a gush of water hitting them both two steps in.

Shego watched as the henchmen hastily put a stop to the spraying pipes and attempted to clean up her soaked room. It would have been easy to simply chalk it up to old lair pipes, but she narrowed her eyes at the vines roots that vanished into the lair and cliff edges. Her eyes tore back from the window and to where Hector, in an attempt to avoid Lucius mop, knocked over her lamp.

"Can you lugs hurry up and not destroy my room further," snapped Shego.

"It's not gonna be done tonight," stated Hector. Shego glared and he sputtered on, "It's carpeted and even with the heat and steam vacuum it will take a few hours... and then a deep clean-"

"That's what you are supposed to be doing," said Shego as she gestured to the various cleaning equipment in her room.

"I think you might wanna have it cleaned a few times," said Jameson, "I don't think that water was completely from the tap side... if you know what I mean."

Shego felt suddenly disgusting as the dampness was still on her. She didn't even hear the henchmen explaining as she shoved through them and be-lined to Drakken's room.

"Ah, Shego. So the plumbers will be here in the-"

"Does your water work?" hastened Shego as she headed to his bathroom.

"No, we had to turn it off, the only water still on would probably be the emergency shower room- Hey!" Drakken yelled as she grabbed his arm, "What is going on?"

"What other water pipes are in a bathroom," growled Shego as they headed down the stairs.

She was focused on her steps that she didn't even notice if Drakken got it. But she had an inkling he had when she was being dragged as he raced to the lead towards the elevators.


Drakken had been sitting on the edge of his bathtub for several minutes deep in thought. Hi eyes fixated on his once clean and organized counter-top. He looked back down at the latest fashion magazine in his hands and let out a sigh as he tossed it back on the corner of the counter it had been on. He had no idea what a handful of the items even were, so he dare not touch or move them. Somehow the small bathroom renovations in Shego's room had taken several turns and much of her bathroom was now in his. It had only been two days but he'd already burned his hand on a curling iron, nearly broken a rib tripping on a curler, and had learned Shego was not the most tidy when it came to locating a hamper. He'd casually suggested the downstairs bathroom in the guest room... but he'd clearly been too casual as she had laughed it off as a joke and proceeded to take forever brushing her hair... he had chosen to use the downstairs bathroom versus asking her to leave the room.

"What are you doing?"

Drakken knocked several spray bottle in the sink as Shego's voice cut his thoughts. He looked up to where she stood in the doorway with a confused expression on her face.

"You've been in here forever. I thought you fell in or something," stated Shego as she reached over and grabbed her magazine.

Drakken watched as a few more items fell in the sink.

"Er, Shego... could some of this... go back in your room," Drakken shrugged off, "Perhaps six of the seven perfumes."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Her eyes scanned over the items, including the ones he was taking out of the sink.

"Does it bother you?" he couldn't read her expression.

"No," he lied.

"Then why bother," she snorted.

She was halfway out the door and Drakken glanced over the mess and to where her towel lay half out the hamper.

"Yes!" he yelled. Shego leaned back in the room, "There is too much... and-"

"Okay," shrugged Shego as she backed into the room.

"Why so many perfumes... I've never even smelt you wear- okay?" asked Drakken. He'd been poised for an argument or anger, "You aren't... mad?"

"No," she raised a brow, "I don't use most of this everyday. I can move it."

Drakken gave her a suspicious look.

"Then why is it... everywhere?" asked Drakken.

"I was getting sick of walking back and forth," she shrugged as she grabbed more items, "It's not a big deal, I can move it."

"Oh... well then... thank you," smiled Drakken, "It doesn't all have to go though. I don't mind sharing space."

There was a mischievous glint that he swore ghosted her eyes as she hummed an agreement and grabbed a brush.

"In that case," she smirked, "How about sharing some of the drawer space."

"What?" asked Drakken. Shego nodded towards his counter, "The drawers."

"Do you need all eight?" asked Shego, "I mean... I don't need all seven perfumes."

"Ohm... well... no," Drakken whispered as he thought of his mentally labeled drawers, "I could... possibly move-"

"Great!" grinned Shego, "I'll get rid of a few non-essentials... and you do the same."

As Shego vanished in the doorway, Drakken couldn't help but feel that he had in fact been played.


It was a learning curve for sure. Shego had come to this conclusion three days into sharing more than a bed long-term with Drakken. It wasn't as if she hadn't been in his room nearly every night for months even before the cabin trip... but she was starting to notice more things as they were cohabiting on a new level. While she was aware that Drakken wasn't exactly keen on sharing anything, let alone space... she'd managed to confidently get two drawers after purposefully annoying him. She didn't even use a quarter of what she'd shoved in the bathroom but it had done the job... even if it was two drawers and not the four she'd been aiming for. She could let that go for now, mainly because she knew he'd moved his items to the guest bathroom which was more annoying then the drawers at the moment.

Another thing she'd been well aware of was his sporadic insomnia. Which, in truth, had gotten better now that she'd managed to convince him to use a notebook next to his bed instead of tossing and turning or wondering down to the lab when an idea struck him... she was not enjoying waking up to a lamp being turned on but she supposed she could get used to it... or unscrew the bulbs... either would work.

Her musings and her attempt to read her book was cut short by her current roommate.

"Shego!" came Drakken's voice from the bathroom.

She looked up from her book in alarm before rolling her eyes.

"Whatever battle you have going on in there... you are on your own!" she yelled back.

The door was yanked open and Drakken darted out of the bathroom with a look of fear on his face.

"There is some hairy mass festering in the bottom drawer," he sputtered.

"What?" Shego raised a brow in confusion and then felt her face flush.

"W-What are you doing in that drawer!" she yelled, "That's my drawer!"

"Did you not hear me- your drawer?" asked Drakken, "Nghn, nevermind. There is something growing in your drawer."

Her face felt warmer as she hastily buried her face in her book.

"Just leave it alone," she hissed.

"But, Shego," he whined.

"It's nothing," she stated.

There was a silent moment and she thought he'd gone back in the bathroom but then she looked up to see him staring at her.

"Shego-"

"Close the drawer and leave it alone!" she snapped.

She watched Drakken slowly slide into the bathroom and heard the drawer close. She was just about to start reading her book again, when Drakken stepped out of the bathroom with a questioning look.

"What now?" she sighed.

"How short is your hair?" asked Drakken as he leaned against the doorway.

"I said stay out of the drawer!" She snapped, pulling her hair to one side as Drakken moved to sit next to her.

"Those are... extensions," he pointed towards the bathroom, "And... your hair is... shorter-ish."

"They are for volume," scoffed Shego. Her face was on fire as he practically examined her locks, "I'm sorry you never noticed in all these years that my hair doesn't always look... well...like it typically does."

"So there just to add volume," asked Drakken as his hand ran through her hair, "It's not like your losing-"

She swatted his hand away.

"I'm not loosing my hair," she retorted, "Unlike some."

"What's that supposed to mean," Drakken's teasing smirk fell off his lips.

"Nothing," she sighed as she crossed her arms.

She chose to ignore him and eventually felt him slide off the bed. A few moments passed and she felt a small inkling of regret, not that she was going to apologize for him being nosy, but she supposed she should at least not ignore him.

"Drakken-"

She was cut off as Drakken walked out of the bathroom. A smug expression on his face as he used his hand to sweep long dark locks out of his face and over his shoulder. Shego tossed her book.

"Take those off!" yelled Shego as Drakken held up a hand mirror... her hand mirror.

"Maybe I should grow it out," he ignored her, "You know, embrace a new look."

"Stop it," stated Shego as she climbed off the bed towards him, "Get those out of your hair. Do you know how expensive they are."

"I'd have to look at my old credit card bills to see," he smirked as he dodged her hand trying to swipe at the locks, "Besides, I think I like it."

"Well your about to get a hair cut," snorted Shego as he backed into the bathroom, still smug, "Knock it off."

"Honestly Shego, does your jealousy know no bounds," he sighed dramatically and turned away from her, "Fine, I'll take them out."

Shego rolled her eyes and watched as Drakken disappeared into the bathroom. She was torn between annoyance and amusement... but she settled on somewhere in between as she followed him into the bathroom.

"You're not even wearing them right."


Drakken was starting to wonder why it was taking so long for his henchmen to complete a basic plumbing task... it was going onto the second and week and he could have sworn he herd the sink running in Shego's room but when he'd darted in earlier... the henchmen seemed to have dismantled the sink entirely... if he didn't know better, he'd swear Lucius had ripped it off the wall before he'd walked in... but that sounded foolish to even entertain.

Drakken rinsed his mouth out and went to grab the mouthwash as he glanced up at himself in the guest bathroom's mirror. He'd moved some of his bathroom items down here since Shego had, he was still convinced, tricked him into giving up drawers. While it would be much easier to do his nightly oral routine in his own bathroom... Shego took her own great deal of time with her own routine... which he now knew was a great deal or removing and brushing out her filler extensions.

He yawned before pouring a cupful of mouthwash passed his lips. Letting his thoughts wonder as he swished the liquid in his mouth.

"How long does this take?"

Drakken choked on his mouth wash as Shego's voice interrupted his attempt at daydreaming.

"Excuse me?" he coughed, "How long does what take?- Why are you in here?"

"You have been brushing, flossing- why are there three different toothpastes?" asked Shego as she grabbed one of the tubes, "You've been in here for thirty minutes. Ten of which I've been in the doorway."

Drakken glanced at his items before reacting to Shego examining them.

"It's called dental hygiene, Shego," grumbled Drakken as he yanked the tube out of her hand, "This one is for Friday's."

He watched Shego stare blankly at him for a second before he opted to finish his routine later.

"Friday?" asked Shego. She leaned against the door-frame, "Why?"

"Friday is for extra phosphorus..." he trailed off as she gestured to everything in front of him, "These are all important!"

"And a toothbrush and simple toothpaste doesn't cut it?" Shego held up said toothbrush.

"I do when we travel or in a pinch..." Drakken trailed off into a grumble.

"But why? This seems... excessive." asked Shego as he shoved items back in drawers, "Is this why you moved this all down here?"

"You seem not to mind the excessive," he grumbled.

"What was that?" asked Shego.

Drakken's nose wrinkled as he looked at all his items and then back towards Shego.

"You told me my breath was horrible," retorted Drakken as he aggressively closed a drawer.

"When was that?" asked Shego as she handed over his toothbrush.

"September 27th, 2006," stated Drakken as he walked around Shego.

"Did you just pick a random date?" asked Shego as she followed him out of the room.

"No," he stated firmly, "I recall it clearly."

"What did you eat for dinner yesterday?" asked Shego.

Drakken opened his mouth to respond about the dinner but decided to continue the prior statement as in truth... he couldn't remember what he'd eaten.

Did I eat dinner?

"We had returned to the lair after dealing with the teen annoyances ruining yet another day... one in which said teens mocked my breath and when I asked you about it, your exact response was, and I quote, "he cleared his throat and mocked Shego's voice best he could, "Maybe it would do you more good to invent a breath mint that could handle that, rather then your current failed invention."

He crossed his arms and looked at her.

"I-I don't recall that statement... but it does sound like me," clicked Shego, "But, maybe I had just been kicked into a wall by an obnoxious cheerleader or-"

"Lake," said Drakken. Shego raised a brow, "She kicked you into a lake."

"So, maybe I wasn't in a good mood," finished Shego.

"The following Monday while having yet another defeat, the little rodent pelted me with a mint gun which I felt was very specific and you made a comment about how that wasn't enough to hep," he hummed as he opened the fridge for water.

"Again... was I beefing with Miss Priss?" asked Shego. Drakken thought about it and shrugged as he drank his water, "To be fair, was this during your garlic phase?"

"Garlic phase?" asked Drakken.

"You were convinced you heard garlic talking to you and you wanted to silence them all... first time I really wondered about your sanity... but the paycheck was good."

"How nice... and it was onions," said Drakken. He thought for a moment, "I might have not been sleeping well... but it felt very real at the time."

"There you go... maybe you did stink," stated Shego. Drakken glared, "I said 'did' and 'maybe', so maybe you can lighten up on the routine."

"You wont be saying that next time you kiss me and its not as minty fresh," scoffed Drakken as Shego leaned closer to him.

"Shut up and kiss me, Dr. Stinky," smirked Shego.

"It's not funny-" Drakken was cut off as she pressed her mouth against his.

Her arms lopped around his neck and he suddenly decided the argument could wait... there were far more pressing matters to worry about.


Shego's eyes opened slightly to see there was a dim light in the room. She blinked a few times so Drakken's silhouette came into view. He was sitting in bed, frantically writing in hit notebook. She smirked lazily as she blinked a few times about to drift back off. It had taken time, but her distraction tactics were working. Instead of sneaking away to the lab and not sleeping, she'd finally gotten him in the habit of instead, writing his crazed thoughts down and staying in bed. In the past week and a half she'd even trained herself to go back to sleep instead of the light bothering her. Especially since he'd gotten new lamps that she couldn't mess with the bulbs.

She took in the image of him flipping the page and peering down over his glasses as he scribbled something. Her eyes closed and she softly sighed as she was about to fall back asleep.

He's cute when he's focused-

Shego's eyes shot open and she looked straight at Drakken's face.

Glasses.

He was in fact, wearing glasses. Dark, wire rimmed glasses... and his paper wasn't inches from his face either... but...

Glasses.

"Drew?"

Drakken moved with more speed than she'd thought possible. The notebook was thrown and she watched him hastily shove said glasses in the side drawer.

"Shego, you're awake-"

"What was that?" asked Shego as she shot up, "What were those?"

"Er... notebook... you gave me," said Drakken as he yanked the notebook up but a loosened page, "Why are you up... was it the light."

The light was turned off.

"My apologies, dumpling. Night," Drakken hastened and she felt him pushing her back into a laying position.

Shego swatted his hands away.

"What did you put in the drawer-"

"Nothing!"

Shego looked at Drakken in the darkened light before diving over him.

"Shego!" Drakken whined as he tried to stop her.

The result being him pinned under her in what she assumed was not comfortable as she yanked open the drawer. The glasses in clear sight, she snapped them up and held them like a trophy.

"Since when do you wear glasses?" asked Shego. Flower yanked her off him, "Ahk!"

"I've always worn glasses," huffed Drakken as he grabbed the glasses from where Flower had placed her back on her side of the bed, "You've seen the pictures."

"Well doy, but.." Shego trailed off as she swatted Flower away and looked at the glasses, "Have you... been hiding those the entire time?"

"It wasn't good for my evil image and my goggles were prescription so-" Drakken was about to ramble but Shego held up her hand to stop him.

She replayed images of his bent over papers and squinting, his need to wear his goggles which she thought were for simple detail magnification, to what she thought was evil squints when glaring at advisories and then back to his glasses in hand.

Always one small detail that would go wrong-

"Are you telling me... that you have been partially blind for villainy this... entire time?" asked Shego. Drakken looked from her to the glasses and back.

"Not... entirely," Drakken shrugged.

Shego let out a deep sigh and snatched the glasses back before shoving them on his face.

"Just... write," stated Shego as she yanked the blankets back over her, "Last thing either of us want to deal with is missing a small minor detail outside of villainy in your work."

She waited for the light to go back on but the silence was broken after a few seconds.

"Shego... it was often minor overlooks in my plans... do you think-"

"We will never know... now go to bed," sighed Shego.

"Shego..." the light turned on.

"What?"

"Do they make me look-" she cut him off.

"Like a dork?" asked Shego as she looked up at him, "Absolutely."

She watched his features scrunch up before continuing.

"So the same as normal," she finished, "Good thing you're a cute one."

She snickered as he grumbled under his breath while she pulled the covers back over her. Despite his grumbling she could see the tint darken on his cheeks and before the light flicked back off she watched as she put them on the nightstand instead of in them.

It had taken two weeks to finish the plumbing in Shego's room... not that any effort had been made for her to move back into it... she'd all but moved into the room... save for the closet. Drakken looked down at the several dresses she had decided were not this evenings choice and decided to look for somewhere to sit. It would have been easy to go sit on her bed or even wait in his own room while she dug in her closet... but he wasn't about to complain about the view he had, nor the angle. Shego could spend the next hour rifling through dresses as far as he was concerned. Drakken was rather taken with the lacey black garments she was currently wearing. He leaned back against the wall and hit a few boxes with his hand. He straitened the shoe boxes and for a brief moment, wondering how many of these items he actually paid for over the years... not that he was going to bring it up.

He looked back at Shego as she put on hosiery.

Not at all.

Drakken placed one of the boxes back and heard a loud thump inside. He raised a brow at the sound as it didn't sound like the boots that should have been in the box. As he was about to open it, he noticed that it was taped shut, heavily. He shook it again and turned it over in his hands. There was differently not boots in there. He opened the box and looked down in confusion. It was the hit end of a sword. Silver and made of heavy plastic e noted as he picked it up out of the box. The sword end was missing and looked to be rounded. Thinking of any knowledge he had of weapons that might be round he imagined a child's toy version of a Morning Star but for some reason it held an intricate sword like handle.

He put the box down and scratched his head in confusion as he looked at the dragon heads framing the base and the fake sapphire blue yes on them. Pondering the possible shared interest in medieval weaponry e was unaware of, he looked at the name in the handle's bottom.

"Draken?" he asked allowed.

"That is your name," snorted Shego. He looked up to where she had apparently decided which dress to wear.

"What's this? Asked Drakken as he turned it over in his hands.

"Hmm?" came a lighthearted hum from Shego.

Holding it up as she made eye contact, told him volumes. He watched the content expression melt away to one of horror. If he hadn't been curious before, now he was. Her face was flushed, eyes wide, and a ghosting of genuine panic raced over her features. Everything told him to plae the strange item back in the box and drop the subject... Telling himself to focus on simply letting it go and let the evening continue on a high note... his grip loosened on the toy hilt.

"What is it for?" he asked instead.

"Nothing," she stated, but the panic made it waver.

"Shego?" he asked. She didn't look at him when she responded.

"Junior thought it was funny," he watched her face grow more flushed, "Because... you... and it was before we... and... I threw it away but forgot that..."

"Do you think you sound coherent?" asked Drakken as he leaned over her shoulder, "What's it for, Shego."

"I want to be very clear," she choked out, "I did not use it-"

"Obviously, the rest of the Morning Star is gone... or was it a toy sword?" asked Drakken.

"It was supposed to be a joke- what?" asked Shego looking at him with wide eyes.

"A joke?" asked Drakken, he looked back at it, "Junior?... Did you tell him about my medieval weapon collection in my closet?"

"You're..." he watched Shego's brow raise and then her features shifted to relief, "Yes! I did. So that was a joke but... the spelling! Yeah."

She grabbed it from him and tossed it over her shoulder into the mess she had made.

"Besides, it was so insulting... fake plastic and stuff," she laughed.

Shego said nothing, but kept her face and body turned away from him.

Drakken thought about her words and her reaction... and while he suddenly doubted his original conclusion... he could tell he was missing something... the way her eyes seemed to be searching his to see if he would accept her words or question further. He knew what she had said was not the truth but the internal voice that had told him to drop it moment ago... finally won over.

"Drakken?" she asked.

Shego made not other comment, but her hands gently squeezed over the top of his.

"So, did you choose a dress for dinner?" asked Drakken as he gestured to the one she was loosely wearing, "Should I zip it?"

He watched her eyes give him one last searching look before a devious smirk fell across her lips.

"How about we change our dinner plans," she hummed, "I'm thinking we indulge in some desert first."

"Desert? I could probably whips something up..." he was cut off by Shego's arms sliding over his shoulders as she closed the distance between them, "Oh... that desert."

"Yeah, that desert," she snickered before pulling him into an overly hungry kiss.

Correct choice.


A Semi-Conclusion to the "Draken"