Shego was like a rock. Unresponsive, unmoving, and completely uncaring to what was going on. It wasn’t really that intentional, it was just that she didn’t feel in the mood. She had been used as a pawn in a deception against Kim, and it made her feel like crud.
Kim on the other hand was a bit of a nympho, or so Shego had discovered lately, and was the redhead was disappointed in the lack of teasing, and sex that usually came before bed.
So two bodies lay on the bed, refusing to speak to each other.
The next morning was a little different, as in the night they snuggled up to each other in their sleep, as the annoyances of the previous night were quietly swept under an emotional rug.
“Kimmie?”
“Yes Shego?”
The dark haired woman bit her lip, “I was wondering…if I could…maybe go to your school today. Sitting around the house is boring, and job hunting is coming up as less than successful.”
Kim ran her fingers through her hair. It was one thing to have Shego to pick her up after school, but it was a very different thing. But she felt guilty for the previous night. The guilt won out over the apprehension. “As long as you promise not to light anyone on fire.”
“I won’t even make them smolder.” Shego smiled. It felt good to be able to spend some time with Kim, not to mention it was a very good chance to try and get used to being around people.
The school was a little apprehensive to give the woman an all day pass, until she pointed out she’d stay all day if they let her or not, which Kim fully agreed that the school really had no way of stopping someone who could generate hot plasma on a whim. They gave it to her, reluctantly, but she was ecstatic. The previous times she had been on the campus she had sneaked on, but this time she was allowed to roam free and clear.
Shego spent her day wandering everywhere, spending time in history class with Kim, despite her extreme dislike of the subject, a cooking class with Ron, where she got to make a kind of pie with pudding in it. She even attended a class that Mr. Barken was subbing in, on how to sew. He didn’t really like having her around, until she had proved that she could manage to sew fairly well by hand, without bleeding all over the place. She personally had to admit that he wasn’t as bad as she had first thought either.
A large number of people loved her for being the one person to ever put the locally famous substitute teacher in his place. Others hated her for being green, others still recognized her from the Lil’ Diablo incident, and finally there was a small fan club that supported her and Kim’s relationship. She was flattered at the last one, but a little crept out when she found out that the fan club had been wishing for such a thing to happen since the first appearance of Shego fighting Kim on the news.
Apparently they had caught all of the stubble hints the two women had thrown at each other that no one else seemed to be able to notice.
Lunch was as Shego remembered, bland, and very disgusting looking, and if it was any less cooked she would have sworn the meat would have been grazing on her salad.
“So how does it feel to be roaming the halls again?” It was Ron’s curiosity that was peeked. Then again he had a bad habit of saying what was on his mind regardless.
“Not bad. It’s pretty cool. A nice change of pace. I could definitely visit more often.”
Kim nearly gagged, “You sure you want to do something like that?”
Shego bounced the idea around in her head for a moment, “As long as you don’t mind, and they consider me ‘people-friendly’ enough for it, sure.”
Ron looked impressed, “I could honestly see it. She fits into being around pretty well.”
Kim sighed. She honestly was a little apprehensive about it. After all, even perfect relationships needed a little time apart during the day. It helped actually give them something to communicate about, something to do, well other than have sex of course. Then again, if it made Shego happy…
“If you really want to do it, I’m not going to stop you. I think you might be able to fit in pretty well around here.”
Shego smirked, “Relax Kimmie, I was kidding.”
Kim looked away sheepishly, “Sorry.”
“Alright, I’ll catch up to you two later. I think I might see what kind of library you have around here.”
Shego actually spent the entire afternoon in the library reading. She didn’t like admitting it, but she loved reading. Books, magazines, ingredient labels; if it was in text, chances were she’d read it. Drakken, despite seeing her everyday had never managed to catch onto that fact, even when she hinted she wanted a new book more than a wine collection. Not that the wine collection was a bad gift, it was just that she really wanted the collector’s edition of The Invisible Man at the time.
Kim actually found her curled up under a study desk reading a romance novel. The blush on Shego’s face meant she was probably reading one of the smutty parts. It amazed Kim how easily embarrassed the woman could get, especially after three years of Shego being the one who had done the teasing. “Mind if I join you?”
Shego didn’t look up, blink, and it almost looked like she wasn’t breathing at first.
“Shego?”
Pet rocks where more responsive than Shego at that point.
Kim sighed. She didn’t really want to push it with Shego after the disagreement the night before, but the librarian had requested the Kim please remove the woman from the library so she could go home. She leaned over and kissed Shego, who snapped out of her near trance-like state.
“Oh…sorry Pumpkin…I got caught up in the story…” The pale green cheeks were turning a dark shade of red.
Kim smiled, “It’s alright. I just didn’t know you where a book worm.”
Shego looked away, “I’m more like a book whore. I can’t help it really.”
“It’s perfectly alright. Everyone has their own vices. I still sleep with Panda Roo sometimes.”
Shego stared at Kim, “That’s kinda creepy in a really cute way, you know that?”
Kim, “Come on my little book whore, before we get banned for life. The librarian wants to go home, and I think it’s best we let her.”
Shego did her best fake pout, “Oh all right. But only because we’re being nice to her.”
“Right…and I’m Ron’s cousin.”
“Please don’t say that again. That brought creepy thoughts to mind.”
Kim giggled, “That’s it, no more romance novels.”
“Poo.”
“No, he was a bear, remember?”
Ron was at a mental road block. Things were complicated; way too complicated. Shego and Kim made a great couple, very cute too, but there was just something a miss.
Kim had been talking to Global Justice without telling Shego, Shego had been talking to him without talking to Kim, it seemed that the two were afraid to let each other know that they needed help.
Could it be that even though they cared for each other, they still didn’t trust each other completely?
He scratched his head. Love was complicated. Much too complicated to just casually figure out. He’d work on the problem later. After dinner.
Shego could not believe she had agreed to it. Kim was braiding –her- hair. She never let people braid her hair when she was younger, and it was a little weird. Kim had a little difficulty at first, but the wavy hair was soon being braided into one long ponytail.
“There, done.”
Shego looked over at the mirror. It honestly looked pretty good. A little different, but pretty good. “Wow…looks good Kimmie.”
The redhead smiled, “Told you it would.”
“Well I’m doing yours now.”
Kim made a face. She had agreed to it because it was the only way to convince Shego to let her braid the other woman’s hair. She personally hated how she looked with a braid, but if it made Shego happy to see what Kim looked like, it didn’t hurt.
Several minutes of fussing Shego gave up, “I can’t make it look nice.”
Kim let loose a sigh of relief, “That’s alright. I prefer it like this.”
The Kimmunicator let loose its almost trademark ring and Shego swiped it off the night stand before Kim could.
Kim pouted, but didn’t protest.
“What’ya want Wade?”
“Bad news. Another theft, same style as the last one. We have nothing.” The boy avoided looking at Shego, probably to save himself the embarrassment of the last time she had answered.
Kim perked up, “What was stolen?”
“Another collection of artifacts. This particular set was believed to have some religious meanings to the Mayan culture. Not to mention a habit to glow in the dark.”
Shego and Kim looked at each other, then at the screen, “Glow?”
Wade nodded, “Apparently they were made of some kind of material that exhibited a radiation similar to the radiation that had been given off by the meteor that gave Shego, and Team Go their powers.”
Shego swallowed, and looked uncomfortable at the thought of someone running around with super powers similar to hers or her brother’s.
“So the thief keeps stealing Mayan artifacts. Any ideas on a likely next target?” Kim asked, trying to get the ball rolling towards something useful.
Wade did some tapping on his keyboard, “Actually, yes. There are three possibilities left.”
“Which has the highest security?”
“Well there is an exhibit in New Zealand that is supposed to have a state of the art system. Motion detectors, laser grids, pressure sensitive floor panels, heat sensors, and a noise detection system.”
Shego nodded. “This kind of thief will strike there next. Those artifacts are important to someone, and this kind of thief is a bit of am extremist. They like to go for the hardest steal.”
Kim looked at Shego, the woman was describing herself! “Wade, get us transportation, and get a hold of Ron. We’re going to catch this jerk before it gets out of hand.”
Wade nodded, “Right. I’ll see what I can dig up on transportation. I’ll call you back as soon as I have something.”
“Thanks Wade.” Kim reached over hit the disconnect button. “Shego…this thief is stealing like you used too.”
Shego nodded, the look on her face was grim, and a little bit of anger was leaking through. “I know. And I’m less than happy about this. No one copies me and gets away with it.”
“Shego?”
“Hmmm…?”
“You’re about to light the bed on fire.”
Shego jumped up and cursed, extinguishing her hands. She hadn’t meant to ignite them, it had just happened. “Sorry…”
“You just watch that temper and we’ll call it even.”
Shego nodded.
Ron was kneeling next to the skylight, while Shego and Kim watched the roof. They had been waiting for a few hours, and it was cold. Much colder than when they had first set down on the roof thanks to a rain shower that had come down during their wait.
That’s when it appeared. The thing had been quick. Much too quick. Kim lunged for it, going to a restraint, but the figure danced out of her way. She grimaced and leaped again, her foot swinging across in an aerial sweep. The figure ducked as if Kim had been moving in slow motion and she went over the edge. She was reaching for her grapple gun when she saw something she didn’t expect.
Shego was free falling, with her body streamed lined. The woman reached out and grabbed Kim, her other hand glowing, and digging into the wall.
“I didn’t need saving. Besides, what about Ron?”
“Stoppable can handle himself.” Shego pulled Kim up, and the girl grabbed onto Shego’s back. “Hang-on.”
The woman was fast, her hands where a blur of green light, making hand holds, and pulling them up. They had ascended half the building in a little over a minute.
“That…was cool.”
Shego smiled, it was good to think that she had done something right.
Ron was right where they had left him, though he was a lot gooier. “I would like to add Synthdrones to my ‘Things that gross me out’ list.”
Kim let loose a low whistle. “I take it someone has been working on their technique.”
Shego opened her mouth to say something, but a look from Ron caused her to shut-up. “Ummm…good work Stoppable.”
He smiled one of those goofy looking smiles, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Shego gave the boy a dirty look, “That’s what it was.”
“You two stop fighting. Jeez, first you two can’t look at each other without getting embarrassed; now you want to start arguing? You two are both weird.”
“Thank-you Kimmie.”
Ron waved some goo off of his arm, “So who says Drakken is behind this?”
Kim nodded, “It fits him alright. I doubt he’s using the same lab as before though.”
Shego made a face, “He might be at the rental lab, but it’s hard to be sure. He has a tendency to pick spots at random. Namely with a dart board and a map.”
“Explains that one time he hid out in a sushi factory.”
Shego shuddered at the thought. She had ended up landing in a tank with a live octopus, which had clung to her head. She was just happy it hadn’t sunk it’s beak into her skull. “Let’s not bring that up again please.”
Ron smirked, “But you looked so cute with a giant tentacled invertebrate on your head.”
“And you’d look pretty good bald.”
“Ahh…the monk look. Haven’t tried it yet.”
Kim pointed at Ron, “You, stop picking on Shego, and you” she paused and pointed at Shego, “Stop threatening Ron.”
Shego pouted, “It was just some harmless fun.”
Kim looked upset, “We don’t need to be arguing though, even if it if for fun.”
Shego looked away, upset. She had been bothered by the thought that Drakken was up to no good, much less using Synthdrones to steal like she could. Ron’s teasing had given her an outlet. And now Kim had verbally slapped her in the face for it.
“Shego…?”
“Just leave me alone.” She wanted to help, to be important, to be wanted, and she couldn’t even feel that anymore. The dark hair and light skin disappeared into the shadows on the roof.
“….Shego….” Kim’s voice cracked, and she dropped to her knees. She hadn’t meant to be so rude. Her nerves were already on edge from the thought of dealing with Drakken again, and she had taken it out on the person she had cared the most about.
Honestly it made her feel like crud.
Ron looked at Kim, and knelt down beside her, “I’m going to go talk to Shego, you going to be okay?”
Kim nodded, her eyes already turning red from the crying she was already doing.
Ron got up and jogged after Shego, hoping she hadn’t gone too far already.
Author’s Notes: I know it’s a short chapter, but it had to end there. That’s right, a chapter that DOESN’T end in fluff. And now you know who the villain is. The question of where the villain is not to be answered just yet. But it shall be done very soon. Soon being a relative term.
And on a small note, sorry Failte, I swear I was up to page 5 before I found out that you were going to say that bit about Kim and Shego but didn’t XP. Looks like I’m subconsciously stealing your unused ideas. o.o
EDIT: Fixed a couple of tiny grammar mistakes. And while saying that Shego is about to light the bed ‘afire’ is more correct, it’s out of character in how Kim would say something. Heck I use confusing words at times and I’d still say that someone is about to light something ‘on fire’ it just makes more sense verbally.
Added two, maybe three tiny extra details as well. The joys of being able to think clearly after sleeping are nearly countless.