Shego jumped out without waiting for her to finish stammering, double-timing back into the building.
Ron pulled tighter with his legs, lifting himself up slightly to press himself into Drakken. They were both highly excited, and they could both feel each other through the material of their clothes.
It was Drakken who broke the kiss off. Ron backed off enough to be able to look into his eyes, not questioningly, just honestly. They stood there like that for a moment, breathing heavily into each other's faces.
“Doc -” Ron began, but Drakken interrupted, on purpose, fearing what might be on the verge of being said.
“Just a minute, Ron. I… I don't think I'm ready to go any further with this, yet. Please don't be angry, it's just… I need more time to think.”
Ron studied the man a moment longer. “Actually, Doc, that's what I was going to say.” He jumped down off the scientist's waist. “So, you'll talk to me, while you're thinking, right? And we're not going to go into the whole -”
“No, I believe we've… mostly covered that topic”, Drakken sighed. There was more to discuss, but this wasn't the time for it.
“'Mostly’? There's more, then?” Ron asked, leaning back against the wall.
“Well, yes, but we don't -”
“I'm 16. Be 17 in five months. It's like both a good and bad thing, my age, isn't it… Lemme ask you one thing, Doc. Something I don't understand. What are you afraid of? That I'll change my mind and rat you out to the police? That I'll suddenly come to my senses and start screaming or something? That I'll think you're taking advantage -”
Drakken closed his eyes and actually shuddered at the word “advantage”. Ron noticed.
“That's it, isn't it… You think that I'll think you're taking advantage of me… Look, Doc -”
“Yes, Ron, that IS it! And I don't mean right now. Or tomorrow, or the week after next. I mean EVER, Ron! When I think that some years from now – perhaps when you're my age, for instance – you might think back on this moment and think I took advantage of you… I… I feel devastated. Absolutely devastated, Ron. To wit: I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I could handle it. Now, that said, can you stand there and ASSURE me, beyond question, that such a thought will NEVER enter your mind?”
The Dr. was staring at him intensely, waiting for an answer.
Take your time, Ron. This is a Big Deal to him, never mind what I think of it. How can I make him believe that it's a stupid question? It's ME leading HIM on, anyway! He took a deep breath. Drakken would wait as long as it took, he knew that. He'll never believe that I could answer with a “yes, I can assure you”. He's a scientist. He deals in theoretical “always” and “never”. Who knows what's going to happen in the future? Who knows how we'll change? I sure don't. He looked into the anxious Dr.'s eyes. And… he doesn't either! No matter how old and wise and experienced and smart he may be – and I mean MAY be – he still doesn't know either!
“Can YOU tell ME, Doc, what I'll be like in the distant future? You have a machine that does that?”
“Of course not, Ron. Don't be -”
“Sorry. Okay, I got a little angry there. No, Doc, I CAN'T tell you, for sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I'll NEVER think that.”
“So, you see then -”
“But I CAN tell you that – from the bottom of my heart – I don't THINK I would ever think it. What else do you want from me, Doc? What more can I say?” Before Drakken could respond, he added, “I'm not gonna be 16 forever, y'know. I'll probably have to start shaving in a few years. Are YOU going to feel the same way about ME then? I may not be a ‘twink’ too much longer… especially in your time-frame.”
That shook Drakken hard. Such things were not meant to be talked about, ever, by anyone. Dark facts of life were to be ignored and dealt with alone, in his world. Ron watched him go pale and wished he hadn't said it.
“You… you…” Drakken stammered.
But Ron took pity on him, “Look. Doc. Drak. Like I said before, let's just deal with it a day at a time, okay? I mean… we're not the first people who've ever dealt with this stuff. Everyone has to. Straight, gay, young and old, right? Just… call me if ya need to talk. And I'll call you. Deal?”
Dr. Drakken, still shaken, only stared at the young man with the freckles. Eventually he said, “You know, Ron, you show uncommon wisdom for – I mean -”
“'For someone my age’. Thanks. Beginner's luck” Ron finished he thought for him. “So much for our second date.”
“Yes. I'm glad we stopped when we did, Ron. I think it was for the best for both of us.”
“Oh, you bet! Besides, I never give head until the third date!” Ron said, without enough sarcasm to keep from frightening his partner, who visibly paled again. He chuckled, “Sorry, Doc. Didn't mean to scare ya. Just kiddin’.”
Drakken, having recovered his breath, looked wryly at him, “I think you DID mean to do EXACTLY that, Ron…” Drakken smiled and Ron giggled as they walked back up the hall.
Where they met Shego, coming their way. “Stoppable! We had a deal. Get ready!”
“Now see here, Shego, I -” Drakken started to say.
“It's okay, Drak,” Ron cut him off, “we did have deal, after all.” He took a stance and prepared for what would probably be a world-class beating. “Guess it didn't work, then? You said it and nothing happened?”
“Well… uh… y'see… I think… I mean… uh… uh… uh…” Shego mocked Kim's behavior. “You ready? I feel a REAL strong urge to kick ass, right now.”
As I'll ever be, Ron thought, At least she isn't lighting up…
But Shego was in a peculiar mood, and did something uncharacteristically mean. She ducked, twisted under his hands, and shot an elbow backward into his groin. Then she backed off to admire her work.
Drakken winced as he saw it, as men do. That was going to HURT!
Ron just stood there awhile, aware of what had happened, waiting for the pain. He had the presence of mind to back up against the wall, so that at least he wouldn't fall against it. As the pain worked its way up into his pelvis, he began to slide down, his breathing growing shallow because breathing at all hurt too much. Oh yeah. THERE it is. Oh yeah. Oh yeah…
Shego's enjoyment was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder that flung her around, and then a fairly small but still powerful blue fist that smashed into her nose. It was so unexpected that she didn't even think to try to block it. Dr. Drakken had HIT her! Dr. Drakken… had… HIT… her! Her nose bled, red on her green lips.
Now Shego lit up, ready to tear the Dr. to bits for defending his… boyfriend. His boyfriend. The words echoed in Shego's mind. His boyfriend. He was defending his boyfriend. He knew better, he knew what she could do, and he had damn near broken her nose anyway, because he was defending his boyfriend. Shego put her arms down and extinguished her plasma.
“You get that one for free, Dr. D. Don't count on it again.” If the shoe were on the other foot, I'd have done the same. If someone hurt Kim… even though she's not – and I guess never will be – my ‘girlfriend’. Even if I knew I stood NO chance at all, I'd do the same thing. She wiped her nose, smearing blood onto her forearm.
Drakken stumbled to the wall opposite Ron, bracing himself there before he fainted, because he was SO dizzy. He'd never hit Shego before, because it was a Bad Idea. He'd done it this time without even thinking about it. She'd hit Ron with a low blow, and he'd never been so mad. Which, for a mad scientist, was saying something.
“I'll walk back to the Lair. Don't wait up on me” Shego said as she turned her back and walked away.
As soon as Ron was able to stand, Drakken helped him walk – very slowly – out to the waiting helicopter.
Krache and Burns were still waiting outside, leaning on the fuselage. In low voices, so they couldn't be heard, Capt. Krache told Lt. Burns, “Don't even think about it, Burns.”
“But… look at ‘em! How much more proof do you need? C'mon, admit it: I win the Stoppable Pool.”
“Not yet, Burns.”
The pilots got in their seats and hooked up. The engines began warming.
“You'll be alright, Ron?” Drakken asked, strapping him into a seat.
“Believe it or not, Doc, I've had worse. I'll be fine. Call me!”
“Very well, then” he said, kissing Ron one last time, on the forehead, “I'll call you tomorrow.”
The pilots had seen the kiss on their cabin monitor screens. “You spawny get” Krache whispered, “But I'm still in the running on the Possible Pool, y'know. Hey. Twenty bucks says they kiss within 24 hours. Whaddaya say?”
“Hmmm. Kim Possible? 48 hours” Burns bargained.
“Deal.”
“Hey, Monique…” Kim said rather dejectedly. She'd been that way all day of days now.
“GirlFRIEND! Hey, we've got a whole shipment of cargo-pants coming in tomorrow! But… really, you don't need to be here early or anything. You're the only one that buys ‘em anyway.”
“Uh, yeah, thanks, Monique. I… uh, wanted to ask you something…”
“Belly-shirts? No prob, came in yesterday, if you'll come this -”
“No! Monique, will you just talk to me a while here?” Kim was getting flustered. She wasn't really looking forward to this, but didn't know where else to go.
“Well! I thought for SURE the belly-shirts would cheer you up. So what's goin’ on, GF?”
“I wanted to ask if you knew if there any girls at school who… like… other girls?” Kim asked staring at the counter-top.
“Lesbos? In Middleton?”
“Yeah. Well, that's what I thought. Okay, thanks -”
“Let's see: there's one Man-hating Dyke, “ Monique counted them off on her fingers, “at LEAST two Submissives, the Leather Mistress, three – no, FOUR Butch Babes , if you count -”
Kim stared at her with eyes too open, “Leather Mistress? Who's the Leather Mistress?”
Monique didn't answer, but only looked at Kim questioningly. “Maybe you'd better tell me why you're asking, GF. I didn't think you were… into that sort of thing. Actually, I didn't think you were into ANYthing…”
“Oh. Yeah. Well… I don't know… I guess I just wanted to see, y'know, how many there were. Or something. Out of curiosity.”
“GF, I was only counting off the Freaks. There's LOTS more that are, well, just like you and me… uh, I mean, regular girls.”
“Really?” Kim said. This was incredible to her. She'd thought there might be ONE, two at most. Was it really so common?
“Oh, sure! I tell ya, though, I think the fags outnumber us, but they keep quieter about – uhm…” Monique realized her faux-pas a little late, and waited to see if the other girl would catch it.
Kim was still trying to come to grips with the numbers, and said off-handedly, “It's not nice to call them ‘fags', Monique, because… it's…”
She stared at the black girl. Kim probably spent more time with Monique than anyone, including Ron. She thought she knew everything about her. Apparently not.
Monique sighed. Ohwell, cat's out of the bag, now… what a funny way to put it.
“I can call them ‘fags', Kim, because I'm a ‘dyke’. We sorta have something in common that way. I can, but you can't. That's just how works.”
Knowing now that Monique was a “dyke” somehow made it… more respectable. Like it was maybe – just maybe – okay. Sorta. Kim hadn't even KNOWN! So apparently being a “dyke” was NOT like holding a big, blaze-orange sign over your head that said “LESBO HERE” on it, after all…
She looked at Monique sheepishly, “Well, what if I could?”
“Kimberly Anne Possible! Are you coming out of the closet? At Club Banana? In the mall? Actually, it's not like you'd be the first… but anyway, you serious?”
She was ready to say “yes”, but then the stammering came back, “I… well… uh… I'm… It's… like… I mean… ooooOOOH FUCK!” Kim screamed, eyes squinted shut and fists at her sides, “YES, OKAY? I'm a DYKE! A LESBO! HOMOSEXUAL! I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY NOW!” She opened her eyes and glared at Monique as if it were a challenge.
Everyone in the store, and most of the people out in the mall in front of it, were looking at her.
Monique was biting her upper lip to keep herself from laughing. “Okie-dokie, Kim… uh, you wanna follow me into the storeroom for a minute here?”
Suddenly, the idea of following Monique into the storeroom took on a whole different meaning. “Uh…”
Monique looked back at her, “GF, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then I think you should think again. Ya think?”
“Uh…”
“Or do you wanna stay out here because you have more show to put on for everybody?” she nodded to the opening into the mall. Kim looked around and met dozens and dozens of staring eyes and raised brows, young and old, male and female. Her face immediately turned blood-red.
Kim hid her burning face in her hands, “Oh, gawd, I did NOT just do that!”
Taking her hand, Monique silently led Kim into the privacy of the room behind the counter.
“I did NOT just tell the whole world I was gay, did I?” Kim sulked.
“Not the WHOLE world, GF. But enough. Hope you weren't going to try and keep it a secret.”
Kim slumped to the floor. “Actually, yes, that's EXACTLY what I was going to do. Awwww gawwwd…”
There were probably few worse ways to “come out” than screaming it in a mall, on Saturday. Monique tried to take the girl's mind off it, “So, anyway, Kim… who's the lucky girl? Who finally got you interested enough to actually deal?”
Kim looked over at her, then back to the floor. “I'll tell you, once I see if I can get her back. I think I really screwed up, Monique…”
“Shego?”
It was a final humiliation. “You too? Is there ANYone who didn't notice?”
Monique pointed to her own face, “Sharp eyes. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, -I- am the ‘Leather Mistress’.”
Actually, it kind of did.
A/N: idea of the “betting pool” on Ron and Kim courtesy of NoDrog.