Shin could not take it anymore. He had let his thoughts nag him enough. He was going to have to find out if he was gay or not. He was the kind of guy that just dived right into things, so he was going to dive right into that. He went to a club and picked up a guy that he thought was good looking and worth experimenting with. Shin also made it clear to the guy that he was conducting an experiment. He made it sound fun, yet scientific at the same time, which was how everything was to him.
The guy did not seem too offended by Shin’s words, which was good enough for the half-Japanese male. Shin knew that he needed someone that was not looking for a relationship or something like that. He was starting to believe that he was not made for relationships considering the effect, or lack there of, that he put forth in every single one that he had.
After rescuing Kim from a frozen grave, Shego realized that she liked Kim. More than liked, actually. She cared about Kim and that made her life more complicated than it would have been under different circumstances. It went beyond the fact that Kim was the hero and she was villain, but also the fact that she had a thing going on with Kim’s older sister. Life was so hard suddenly.
Did she risk telling Kim? What if Kim rejected her and then what if Kim went and told Trin about how her foe had attempted to pick her up? She would be out of both sisters then and she definitely did not want that. She liked Trin and all, but she was certain that she felt something much deeper for Kim now that she knew the teenager was not going to die. What was she supposed to do? She was not sure.
Tatsu knew what she had to do. At least she was pretty sure what she had to do. She was never too sure where she picked up a conscience, as she was certain that she did not inherit the little voice in her head. But, she was glad that she had it. She would rather do the right thing, even if it was going to hurt like hell later on. Well, she would rather do the right thing for someone that she cared about anyway.
So, she was going to have to break up with Shin and she was going to have to tell Kim about how she had been in a relationship while she was with Kim. She doubted that it was going to go well, but she knew that she needed to get it out of the way. She needed to be honest with Kim and with Shin. She liked both of them, so she thought that they at least deserved her honesty.
Trin was alone in the apartment. She was lounging on the sofa with a book and some popcorn, just loving the silence that came along with Shin not being around. But, the peace did not last long. She turned her attention to her room door as it opened and Shego stepped out.
“Why don’t you just knock on the front door?” Trin inquired.
“That’s not fun,” Shego answered with a shrug. She would have thought that was obvious.
“It’s less troublesome, but I shouldn’t expect you to do the less troublesome thing,” the blonde remarked as Shego approached her and she noticed the villainess’ expression.
Shego did not look like she usually did. Her face was tense, her body language tight, and the look in her eyes sullen while serious. Trin had never seen her in such a state. She was not sure what to make of it.
Things only got stranger as Shego sat on the far end of the sofa instead of pouncing on Trin like a crazed maniac. The raven-haired woman sighed and stared mostly at the floor. Trin could guess what was coming; she was sort of an expert on the matter.
“You’re going to break up with me,” Trin commented, making sure to keep her usual tone of voice.
“What?” Shego asked in disbelief. Could the blonde read minds?
“I’ve had it happen to me in every relationship I’ve ever had, not that this was a relationship, right?” Trin pointed out. It made things easier to say that they did not have a relationship; it was easier on both of them.
“That’s true, but it was something and I think most of what it was could continue on, but not what we usually do when I show up here,” the thief said. She actually hoped that things could continue for the most part.
Trin nodded. She liked that idea. She had never actually remained friends with girlfriends once they broke up with her, but that was because they did not totally interest her. Shego did interest her, though. They had something slightly unique; it would be completely unique if only Shego did not remind her so much of Shin. Maybe because Shego did remind her of Shin was why she would not mind being friends, or whatever they were going to be, and it was also why she could accept the breakup.
“Might I ask why you’re breaking up with me?” Trin inquired.
“Well…this is going to sound very, very bad, but good thing I’m the bad guy around here,” Shego remarked, smirking a bit just to seem normal.
“I don’t think you want to measure rap sheets around here,” the blonde commented.
“That’s true.”
“So, do I get my reason?” Trin asked. She was trying her best not to press the issue or make it seem like a big thing, but she really did want to know. After all, she liked being around Shego and she thought that the villainess liked being around her too.
“I might possibly be in love with your sister,” Shego confessed. She tried her best not to look away, but she failed in the end, glancing at the wooden floor.
Trin had been expecting a lot of answers, but not that one and it showed on her face. She took a calming breath, closed her book, and took her glasses off. It was like she was preparing to battle, Shego noted. Trin just rubbed her eyes and placed her glasses back onto her face.
“What the hell have you been doing with my little sister?” Trin demanded to know, losing her cool demeanor for the first time since Shego had met her outside of a fight.
“Calm down, I didn’t do anything with her. She hasn’t told you about a recent mission of hers?” the green-skinned female asked, even though she knew that Kim did not report her missions to Trin.
“No. What happened?”
“There was a little mishap in Drakken’s lair. Long story short, Kim was trapped under some snow and I saved her, which was when I realized that I cared about her,” Shego somewhat explained.
Trin was silent for a moment. “Does my sister care for you in return?” Her voice was smaller than usual. She did not know what else to say and it seemed like an important question to ask.
“I don’t know yet. I haven’t even told her. I figured I’d tell you first and see if I was going to have to kill you before I got to Kim,” the thief remarked.
Trin was quiet again. She had lost Shego to Kim? Wow, her pride was stinging quite considerably. She took a deep breath and told herself that she could be a big person about things. She could and would take things in an acceptable fashion.
“Shego, take care of Mini-me,” Trin said in a strong tone, indicating that she was actually forcing it. If she truly meant it, she would have sounded like she always did, indifferent and bored.
“Well, I have to tell her first. Thanks for being so understanding about this, blondie,” Shego said. She had a feeling that things would go as they were since Trin had to always at least appear in control and most of the time, she wanted to be in control in someway. She got that control by maintaining her own composure.
“It’s all right. I mean, it’s not changing much about us…except the part I don’t like much anyway,” Trin replied. She was lying a bit. She did not mind kissing Shego or the occasional grope from the older female, but she did take comfort in knowing that nothing else would change now that they had “broken up.” She could live with that.
“You know you like it,” Shego teased. “Well, I guess I’m going to go tell Kimmie how I feel about her.”
“You do know she’s pretty straight,” Trin pointed out.
“And you hate being touched. What the hell do these things have to do with me?” the villainess remarked.
“You’re also probably going to have to change. Kim isn’t going to accept some ambiguous relationship with you. I wouldn’t let her do something like that anyway,” Trin commented.
“I know. Look, Drakken’s been screwing up left and right lately. If he keeps going, he might end up killing himself, me, Kim, and everyone else around, which I’m not in favor of.”
“Especially that whole ‘killing you’ part, huh?”
“Damn right, so I might be ready to settle down…somewhat. I mean, I’d still have you to kick around, which would be fun,” Shego quipped with a smile.
“That’s good, but I think I’ll be kicking you around. If anything, I’ll introduce you to Shin and maybe you could kick him around,” the college student remarked.
“Okay, well, I’m going to get going before he gets back. I’ve got some work ahead of me, after all,” Shego pointed out.
Trin nodded because Shego did have some work ahead of her, especially if Kim was straight. The raven-haired woman left the same way that she came in and Trin was again alone. It was just her and the fact that she had been left for her little sister. She hoped that Shego took care of Kim, although she had no doubt that the green-skinned woman would do just that. After all, Shego would not talk about changing and everything if she was not serious because Shego was typically proud of what she did.
Trin was taken from her sleep by Shin crawling into her bed. She turned to him to look at him like the mad man she knew he was. He had the nerve to be settling into the pillow. She had to glance at his body to make sure the jerk was not in his street clothes while he was in her bed. No, he was in his pajamas, which meant that he was not so drunk he did not know where his room was.
“Shin, what time is it?” Trin inquired. It was a leading question.
“Six,” he answered, his eyes closed as if he planned to go to sleep where he was.
“Why in the hell did you wake me up at six in the morning?” she demanded to know.
“Because I need to tell you something,” he replied.
“And this couldn’t wait until breakfast?”
“Nope.”
“Well, tell me and then go get in your own bed,” she commanded.
“I can’t. I need you to wash my pillows.”
“Shin, you did not throw up on your bed. Tell me that, please,” she begged.
“Fine, I won’t tell you, but you need to wash my pillows.”
“You are a nasty ass. Fine, go to sleep, don’t molest me, and tell me the news over breakfast,” she said. She did not feel like dealing with him at the moment considering the day that she just had.
“I won’t molest you. I’m pretty sure I’m gay,” he informed her.
“Good for you, now go to sleep,” she ordered. She noted that she was getting way too much news for one day.
“I’m going to tell my girlfriend in person…” he trailed off, letting Trin know that he had fallen asleep in mid-sentence. He was worn out thanks to a night on the town.
Trin sighed and hoped to the high heavens that Shin did not throw up on her bedspread like he did his own. She had always had a feeling about Shin being homosexual. He thought about it way too and seemed to just be trying to ignore it with a series of meaningless girlfriends. She was a bit surprised that he had ignored it, though. Shin was usually all for finding out things about himself, especially things that would set him apart from the mainstream and something that would bother people. She could already see him trying to make up for lost time because that was the kind of guy he was.
(New day)
Tatsu grabbed her keys along with her resolve and headed out the door of her tiny home. She was going to see Shin, unannounced of all things. She knew that there was a chance of him not being there, but she would wait. She had to tell him face to face because she thought that he deserved that much.
So, she drove the few hours to his apartment. She knew where he lived, even though she had never been. She actually knew a lot about Shin, but that did not mean that they were a good couple. It just meant that he liked to talk, mostly about himself since she hardly ever added in and he was rather conceited.
Upon arrival, Tatsu was greeted at the door by a blonde woman. She knew that Shin lived with a woman that he affectionately called a “harpy,” a “shrew,” and “his evil twin” among other names. He also stated many times that she was a lesbian, as if to ease any fears that Tatsu might have about him living with a female. It still bothered her a bit, so he also pointed out that she was like a sister to him, but that did not help matters since Trin was not actually his sister.
“Hello, can I do something for you?” Trin asked in an almost professional tone.
“Hi…um…I’m Tatsu…Shin’s girlfriend. I was hoping to see him,” Tatsu explained.
“Oh, all right. He’s not here right now and I’m not totally sure when he’ll get back, but he should be sometime tonight. You can wait for him inside,” Trin said and she motioned for the mechanic to enter her home.
Tatsu nodded and entered the apartment. Trin shut the door behind Tatsu while thinking that the blue-eyed female was the last girl that she thought Shin would date. Shin typically picked up wild girls, in order to bug out with them more often than not. Tatsu seemed rather reserved, even in the black jumpsuit. She looked like the mechanic she was with her clothing, but there was something about her mannerisms that just said she was far from the wild girl Shin typically was with.
Tatsu went into the living room and looked around. She was surprised that Shin would live some place so nice. The wooden floor was polished and clean; everything was in order. Shin was chaotic, not organized, so she guessed that his evil twin was the one that kept the place looking so presentable.
“Well, Tatsu, my name is Trin. I’m Shin’s better half. Would you like anything while you wait?” Trin inquired.
Tatsu shook her head, declining the offer. Trin shrugged and sat down on the couch with a book, as she usually did when Shin went out. Tatsu sat down in an armchair and immediately noted how comfortable it was. They were silent for a while, which they both liked. Trin then got up and Tatsu watched her go to the kitchen.
“Would you like some tea or hot chocolate?” Trin offered and Tatsu shook her head as an answer. “Are you sure? I’m going to make some anyway.”
“Um…okay…” Tatsu answered.
“Well, which do you want?” Trin inquired. Tatsu seemed almost bashful, which she thought was utterly adorable for some reason that was beyond her. Maybe it was because Tatsu did not seem like the type to be shy.
“It doesn’t matter,” Tatsu muttered.
Trin shrugged and she went to make herself some tea. She made Tatsu some hot chocolate because she thought that mechanic might enjoy it. Usually, she would not care about something that someone else enjoyed, but it was Shin’s girlfriend and she was used to being hospitable on the rare occasions when she was playing host to someone…unless that someone was Shego anyway. Hey, her parents had taught her some manners and it was nice to use them every now and then.
She returned to the living room a few minutes later with two mugs in her hands, one crowned with a thick swirl of whipped cream. She put them both down on the coffee table, on top of coasters of course. She went back into the kitchen and came back with a plate of cookies, enough for two people.
“Enjoy,” Trin said to Tatsu.
Tatsu nodded and waited to see which cup Trin was going to take. Trin took her cup of tea and a cookie. Tatsu then took the hot chocolate and sipped it to see just how hot it was. She found it to be a suitable temperature for drinking and then she decided to have a cookie. She was not sure what kind of cookie it was, but she was willing to try it.
“This is good…” Tatsu mumbled, more to herself than Trin.
“They’re shortbread cookies,” Trin said, which was her favorite type of cookie.
“They’re really good and so’s the hot chocolate. Thank you,” the mechanic replied.
Trin nodded, but did not say anything more. They sat there silently for a little while longer until Trin asked Tatsu if she would like anything for dinner. Trin was going to call out for something to eat because she did not feel like cooking. Tatsu tried to decline, thinking that she had already been enough of a pest, but Trin was not looking to hear any of that while she was in her friendly-mode and told Tatsu the menu of the restaurant that she was ordering from. Tatsu sighed and gave in, requesting anything with baked chicken and rice.
Over the meal, the pair got to talking because Tatsu really liked the food and was curious about the restaurant. She wanted to know if there was one in Middleton, which there was. Trin gave up all of the information, but they continued on talking after that. They lost track of time and were surprised when Shin finally did come in.
“Whoa, Tatsu,” Shin said in surprise when he caught sight of his girlfriend.
“Hey,” Tatsu replied while slowly turning her attention from Trin to Shin.
“You must read minds just like me and my shrew. I was going to come see you tomorrow,” Shin explained as he walked into the living room.
Tatsu shrugged. “Saved you the trip.”
“I wish you didn’t. I know you hate driving,” he pointed out. Yes, he had some manners too and used them on occasion.
“I’m glad I did. It’s shocking that you ever make it to Middleton with the way you drive,” Tatsu muttered.
“Touché,” Shin conceded with a laugh while noticing that his evil twin was easing out of the room. He went and sat down where Trin had been sitting while Tatsu watched the blonde exit the room.
“Shin, we need to talk,” Tatsu said.
Shin sighed. “Yeah, we do. Let me go first since I usually do most of the talking anyway. Tatsu, you’re a cool person. In fact, you’re actually my favorite girlfriend, even though you never want to go out with me unless it’s to some races. But, there’s something just cool about you. So, I’m not doing this because I don’t like you. I do, but I need to break up with you,” he stated. It would have surprised Trin to hear him speak in such a gentle manner, even though he was still being his usual blunt self.
“That’s cool. I was going to break up with you too,” Tatsu replied.
“Yeah? Can I ask why?” Shin inquired since he was not accustomed to girls breaking things off with him.
“I’ve been cheating on you,” she answered as if it was nothing.
“Yeah, I thought as much. For a long time?” he asked curiously.
“Some months.”
“That makes sense. I don’t hold it against you. I mean, I don’t live in the same town as you and I hardly come visit you and when I do, I want to go out and do things you hate. I hope the other guy is better to you than that.”
Tatsu shrugged for lack of a better thing to do. Kim actually was much better than Shin, but she was going to have to let Kim go too. At least her conscience would leave her alone, even though she would be all alone when everything was said and done.
“How come you’re breaking up with me?” Tatsu inquired curiously. She wondered if he had something going on with the rather friendly, curvy blonde that he lived with. She could see why he would leave her for Trin.
“Well, turns out that me and that harpy that just left have way more in common than we thought. I’ve finally figured out that I’m gay,” he declared quite proudly.
“How long have you been trying to figure that out?” she asked. She could not be mad at him for that since she had been carrying on with Kim.
“Hmm…good question. It might have been ever since I hit puberty. I don’t know. So, can we still hang out?”
“For races,” she answered.
“I figured as much. One day, I’m going to figure out how to drag you to a club. I mean, if I can get that damned harpy to go out every now and then, I can get anybody to do it. Hey, since we’re still cool for the most part, you should stay here for the night and get a fresh start for Middleton in the morning. Trust me, the pancakes that the shrew makes alone will be enough for you to be happy you stayed,” Shin said.
“Um…”
“No, don’t argue. I’ll get you a pillow and cover and you can sleep on the sofa,” he said. He would never occur to him to offer his bed to his guest.
Tatsu opened her mouth to protest, but Shin strolled off before she had the chance. He went into Trin’s room and snatched the pillow that she leaning against, causing her to fall back and then he started grabbing her comforter. She was so incredulous to his behavior that she was speechless for almost a half-a-minute.
“What the hell are you doing?” Trin inquired.
“Got to make our guest comfortable,” Shin answered, as if that was obvious.
“What do you mean?”
“Tatsu’s going to stay the night. Cool?”
“Oh…” Trin thought on it for a moment. She did not see anything wrong with that, but she did not understand why he needed her things. “Okay, but why are you taking my pillow and blanket?”
“She’s camping out on the sofa.”
“Why? Why doesn’t she sleep in your bed?”
“Because I’m sleeping there.”
“So what? She’s your girlfriend,” Trin pointed out.
“Not anymore. We just mutually broke up with each other. Apparently, she was cheating on me and I’m gay,” Shin informed his best friend.
Trin did not even know what to say and decided against trying. She conceded the pillow and blanket to him, if only to get rid of him that very moment. She lay down and went to sleep herself.
Next time: the end, so everything should be in order by then.