Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kim checks her phone for what feels like the hundredth time, but still nothing. No message from Ron. She isn’t sure why she’s still surprised. Ever since their breakup, things have been…messy. It took a while for them to get in sync on missions again, but now it’s been almost two years and they’re still a great team. Outside of missions though…she tries, she really does, but Ron makes it so hard. Like right now, he was supposed to be here forty minutes ago, but she’s still sitting in this bar by herself, staring at her empty drink and trying to decide if she should buy another one or just leave. So much for celebrating the end of finals. She should have just gone out by herself or called one of her other friends, but she’d really hoped he would show. Now she feels stupid for getting her hopes up.

Someone sits down next to her, slides a drink next to her empty bottle. Kim looks up, startled by the presumptuousness, ready to tell whoever this is to leave her alone. She’s met by electric green eyes, set in a pale face and framed by waves of dark hair. Those eyes trap her, and it takes her a moment to remember what she wanted to say. “What are—”

“I think you’d rather take a drink from me than him,” the girl says, tilting her head towards a guy who’s standing maybe twenty feet away, holding two drinks and glaring at this stranger. The mystery girl seems completely unbothered by it.

Kim looks at the Greek letters on the guy’s shirt and shudders internally. That frat has a bit of an unpleasant reputation, and Kim wouldn’t trust a drink if he’d been within ten feet of it. “You’re right, thanks. I’m Kim.”

“Shego.”

“That’s an interesting name.”

“It’s a nickname.”

“So what’s your real name?”

Shego ignores the question and asks, “What are you doing out on a Wednesday night?”

“Celebrating the end of finals.”

“By yourself?”

Kim almost laughs. “I’m also getting blown off by my ex. We’re trying to be friends, but he keeps skipping out on me.”

“It sounds like you’re trying to be friends.” Kim just shrugs. She knows Shego is right, but she doesn’t like to think about it. Doesn’t want to believe that her and Ron are only mission partners now. “What year are you?” Shego asks. “Senior?”

“Nope, a junior.”

“God, you’re young.”

“How old are you?” Shego doesn’t look much older than her, but Kim is bad at judging ages.

“Don’t you know not to ask a woman her age?” Shego smirks, then adds, “I’m twenty four.” So Kim was right.

“You’re only three years older than me.”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you out by yourself on a Wednesday night?”

“I need to blow off some steam. My boss is driving me up a wall.”

“Where do you work?”

“I’m a bodyguard.” Kim isn’t sure what she was expecting, but that definitely wasn’t it. Now that she thinks about it though… She lets her eyes trail over Shego’s body, taking in the muscles covered by tight black pants and revealed by a sleeveless green shirt. Shego definitely has the body for that job. “See something you like, Princess?”

Kim blushes at the nickname and how easily it rolls off Shego’s tongue, and desperately hopes that it’s too dark for the other girl to notice. She’s also embarrassed to be caught checking her out, but she refuses to let it show. “Maybe. Do you?”

Kim immediately knows that it was a mistake to tease her. Shego’s gaze travels slowly up her body, eventually coming to a stop at her eyes. “I know I do.”

Kim suddenly feels flustered, and very, very warm, and she takes a sip of her drink to steady herself. The drink that Shego bought her. She wonders if there was more to it than just helping someone out of a tough spot. “Sorry, I don’t sleep with random people I meet at bars.”

Shego shrugs. “I do.”

“I only sleep with people I’m dating,” she clarifies.

“Well I don’t date. But maybe I can convince you to make an exception.” Her face is just a little closer, and something about that smirk draws Kim in, and she wants to say yes. “You could celebrate with me instead of your ex.”

“Only if you’re willing to make an exception too. We can have sex before our first date.” She has no idea what she’s doing, she doesn’t ask people out like this and she never has sex after just one date, but for some reason, she doesn’t want to walk away from this.

“I told you I don’t date.”

“And I told you I don’t sleep with random people I meet at bars.”

They’ve been moving closer with every word, and their faces are so close now that Kim just has to lean forward and kiss her. The bartender clears his throat, and Kim pulls away, blushing. Still, she’s confident when she repeats, “I’m willing to make an exception if you are.”

“One date, Princess. That’s all you’re getting.”

“One date…to start.”

Shego scowls at her, but it’s more playful than angry. Kim just smiles and pulls her out of the bar. She really never does this, but she has a good feeling about Shego. So she brings the other girl back to her apartment. She doesn’t have time to feel self-conscious about it until they’re actually there. It’s off-campus, but it’s technically still “university housing,” which means everyone on the floor is a college student. Even though Kim is lucky enough to live alone — she thinks it’s because of who she is, though they’d never admit it — the apartment is small and not at all impressive, and she feels like she must be making a terrible first impression. Shego doesn’t seem to mind though, she just pulls Kim in by her belt loops and kisses her hard, toppling them onto the bed. Kim laughs, but her laughter dies down when she sees the hunger in Shego’s eyes. She doesn’t think anyone has ever looked at her like that.

Shego straddles Kim and pulls off her own shirt. “See something you like?” she teases.

Kim doesn’t even hesitate this time. In the light, Shego’s skin is pale green, and Kim wants to reach out and touch her. “Definitely.” The other girl slips her hands under Kim’s shirt, and she suddenly feels nervous. “I’ve, um, never done this. With a girl, I mean.”

“Are you telling me to slow down?” Shego’s hands are flat against her stomach, and she’s still looking at Kim like she wants to devour her, and she feels so wanted.

“No.”

“Then shut up.”

Then Kim’s shirt is gone, and her bra, and Shego is kissing along her jaw and down her neck. Kim just tilts her head back and hopes that the other girl won’t stop.

Kim isn’t sure whether or not she should be surprised that Shego is still there when she wakes up. But it does startle her so much that she almost falls out of bed.

“You alright there, Princess?”

“Yeah, sorry, it’s just…it’s been a while since I woke up next to someone.”

“For me too,” Shego admits.

“I thought you sleep with people you meet at bars.”

“I never stay overnight.”

“So why did you?”

Shego shrugs. “I owe you a date.”

That makes Kim smile. “Yeah, you do.”

“So what’ll it be?” Her tone is dismissive, and Kim rolls her eyes. She really hopes that Shego isn’t writing this off already.

“We could start small…maybe coffee?”

“Fine.”

Kim tries to hide her disappointment. She understands that Shego doesn’t normally go on dates, but she’s making this really hard. “Okay, I can text you—”

“I’m not giving you my number.” Really, really hard.

“Can you make an exception again?” she asks, exasperated.

“No can do, Princess. In my line of work, it’s dangerous to give out your phone number.”

Kim nods. She understands, even if it will make this whole thing even more difficult. Then she has another thought. “Don’t you have to work today?”

Shego just waves it off. “I’ll show up later, my boss won’t even notice that I’m gone.”

That seems a little odd, but Kim doesn’t question it. “Okay, so…Saturday afternoon? There’s a really good coffee shop on Joshua Street.”

“Sure, might as well get it over with.”

“Will you at least try to enjoy it?”

“Ugh, fine.” And Shego isn’t sure what it is, but something about Kim makes her want to really give it a shot, even though there are plenty of reasons for her to get up and walk away now.

Shego is already at the coffee shop when Kim gets there, sitting at a table with a drink. She’s a little disappointed because she had planned to buy Shego’s coffee, but she lets it go, and quickly orders and sits down.

“Hey.” She smiles, and the corners of Shego’s mouth turn up slightly.

“Hi.”

Kim takes small sips of her drink, and the silence stretches between them until it’s almost painful. “Um…how is work?” Her voice goes up at the end. She’s really not sure what to say.

“My boss is an ass, so about normal.”

“What does he do?”

“He’s a scientist, does a lot of robotics work. He doesn’t really need a bodyguard, but he’s paranoid that someone will try to steal his inventions.” Kim meant to ask how he was annoying Shego, and she’s not sure if the other girl misinterpreted her question on purpose.

“What kind of stuff does he work on?”

“Crap. Like I said, he’s paranoid.”

“You said you would try to enjoy this.”

Shego leans back in her chair and sighs. “Listen, Cupcake, you’re cute and all, and Wednesday night was fun, but I really don’t do dates.”

Kim thinks for a minute, then stands up. “Come with me.”

“What?”

“Come with me.” Even though she’s only had a few sips of her drink, she grabs Shego’s hand and pulls her out of the chair, and the other girl is too startled to protest. Kim holds onto her hand as they walk, and Shego glances at their joined hands but doesn’t pull away.

She brings Shego back to campus, to the football field, which is mostly empty except for a couple people running around the track. Kim pulls off her coat and drops it onto the ground. “Let’s fight.”

“What?”

“You’re a bodyguard, I know martial arts, let’s fight.”

“You know martial arts?” One eyebrow arches up, and Kim is almost offended.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t expect me to go easy on you because you’re cute.”

“I—” Shego attacks before Kim can finish, and she’s good, better than anyone Kim has fought in a long time, maybe ever. Definitely better than the henchmen she deals with on a regular basis. She finds herself on the defensive for a little while, trying to catch up to Shego’s skill. Still, she’s having a great time, and she can tell Shego is too. She can’t remember the last time she fought someone who was on her level.

She isn’t surprised when Shego finally knocks her legs out from under her; it’s been a while since she really had to fight hard. Kim lands on her back, but she’s laughing, and Shego drops down on top of her and kisses her, even though they’re lying on the ground in the middle of the football field. When Shego pulls back, Kim says, “That was fun.”

“Yeah, it was.” Shego stands up, then offers a hand to help Kim stand. “Shit, you’re freezing.”

Kim didn’t really notice when she was moving, but now that Shego has pointed it out…she is pretty cold. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Let’s get you inside.” Kim puts on her jacket, but it’s been sitting on the ground for so long that it’s freezing too. She starts to head for the nearest campus building, but Shego grabs her hand and pulls her in the opposite direction, leading them back to Kim’s apartment. Shego doesn’t even remember that she should act annoyed about holding her hand.

When they get to the apartment, Shego tells her to sit on the couch with a blanket while she makes hot chocolate. Kim offers to help and is immediately told to “sit the fuck down,” and she knows she should maybe be offended, but it’s actually kind of sweet. Shego could have sent Kim home by herself, or even dropped her off here and left; there’s no reason for the other girl to still be here, taking care of her.

Shego sits next to her and hands her the mug. It’s so hot that she knows it will burn her mouth, so she puts it down for now. “Are you still cold?” Kim wants to say no, but it would be kind of pointless since she’s shivering, so she just nods. Shego sighs, as if annoyed. “Come here.” She lifts her arm, and Kim takes the hint to shuffle closer to her, leaning against her warmth.

“How are you so hot right now?”

“You think I’m hot?” Shego teases. Kim’s cheeks are burning.

“I meant your body temperature.”

Shego shrugs, her shoulder bumping against Kim’s head. “I don’t get cold easily.”

“It’s nice.”

They sit there for several minutes, and even though Kim warms up quickly, she doesn’t move away from Shego. Eventually, the other girl asks, “If finals are over, when are you going back home?”

“That depends on why you’re asking.” Kim is supposed to go back to Middleton on Monday, but if Shego is saying what Kim hopes she is…

“Well, this wasn’t completely horrible, so if you’re free on Tuesday—”

“I am.”

Shego doesn’t say anything for a couple minutes, then asks, “Are you still cold?”

“No.” She hesitates. “Do you want me to move?”

“Only if you want to.”

Kim turns her head to look at the other girl, and their faces are only inches apart. Shego leans in and closes the distance, and Kim decides that she’ll push her flight back til next weekend; she wants more time with Shego.

Chapter Text

Shego takes her to a movie, and Kim wonders if they’re cycling through dating clichés. First a coffee date, now a movie and dinner. It’s nice though. Shego picks a fast-paced action movie, and in the back of her mind, Kim is keeping track of all the stunts that are completely impractical in real life.

While they’re eating dinner, they finally have a real conversation, the one Kim wanted to have at the coffee shop.

“So, Princess, what are you studying?”

“Journalism.”

“Why?”

It’s been a long time since anyone asked that, and probably longer since anyone actually cared. “I guess I just like the idea of always knowing what’s going on in the world. It’s weird, my mom is a neurosurgeon and my dad is a rocket scientist, and my brothers love physics and math. Both of my parents wanted me to be like them. But I did…pretty much the exact opposite.”

“You don’t have be what your parents expect of you.” It sounds like more than just a casual statement.

“Do you have experience with that?”

“Maybe.” Shego changes the topic quickly, uncomfortable with sharing too much about herself. “You have brothers?”

“Yeah, twins. They’re geniuses. Do you have any siblings?”

“Four brothers. The youngest ones are twins.”

Kim finds out that Shego learned martial arts with her brothers when she was young, and they were all fiercely competitive. They fought all the time, and she always won. They grew up in Go City, and Shego went to Go University. She majored in child development before she realized that “kids are little shits.” She became a bodyguard because “I saw an ad and I applied.” She doesn’t explain more than that and Kim doesn’t push her, even though she can tell that there’s a lot more to the story.

There are things Shego is holding back — but why shouldn’t she? It’s only their second date, and they just met a week ago. And it’s not like Kim is sharing everything either; she hasn’t even told Shego that she saves the world on a weekly basis. It’s just so nice, being on a date with someone who doesn’t give a damn about any of that. She’s had too many people try to ask her out so they can say that they went out with the Kim Possible, but Shego doesn’t know any of that, and she’s still here, even though she normally doesn’t date. She hit on Kim because she liked how she looked, not because she was famous. She’s eating dinner with her because she enjoys talking to her, not because she wants to brag to her friends later.

Even though they’re both hiding things, Kim finds herself liking the other girl more and more as they talk. Shego is teasing and sarcastic, but underneath all of that, it’s clear that she knows exactly who she is, in a way that makes Kim a little jealous.

When they’re done eating, Kim tries to pay for Shego’s food, but the other girl grabs the check before she can see it. Kim scowls and says, “I’m paying for our next date.”

“Oh, are we going on another date?” She looks up, suddenly worried that Shego doesn’t want to, then sees the teasing smirk on her face.

“Yes.”

Shego gives her a ride home, and Kim spends the entire time trying to figure out what to do and when. She’s leaving in four days, and she really wants to see Shego again before she leaves, but it’s only been three days since their first date. She doesn’t want to mess this up, and she doesn’t want to push too hard by cramming three dates into one week, especially when Shego doesn’t normally do this at all.

The other girl interrupts her thoughts. “When are you leaving?”

“My flight is Saturday.”

“So when are you planning on taking me on this date?” It’s like she read my mind.

“Maybe Friday night or…” She really doesn’t want to mess this up. “Maybe we could just…hang out? Not a date?” It’s not her most eloquent question, and Shego laughs at her. She loves Shego’s laugh.

“Are you asking me to watch Netflix and chill?” Kim hasn’t heard that phrase for a long time, but her entire face turns bright red. It’s almost worth it to hear Shego laugh again. “You’re adorable.”

“We can watch Netflix and… You’re impossible.”

“You’re the one that asked me out.” Kim could argue that Shego started this, but that’s not really true. Shego just wanted to have some fun in bed; Kim insisted on turning it into something more.

She almost makes a joke about this being a mistake — she knows Shego would — but she can’t bring herself to say it. “Do you want to come over on Friday night?” She realizes she doesn’t know where Shego lives, and she doesn’t want to keep inconveniencing her. “Or I can—”

Shego shakes her head. “I don’t give out my address either.”

“Okay, so just come over whenever.” Another thought occurs to her. “And don’t pick up food on the way, I’m paying for dinner this time.” She tries for a threatening tone, but Shego seems unaffected.

“Are you cooking for me?” Kim can’t tell if it’s a joke.

“Trust me, you don’t want me near a kitchen.” They’re at her building, so Kim starts to get out of the car. Shego pulls her back and kisses her. It’s supposed to be just one kiss, but they keep coming back together over and over, deeper and deeper. Kim starts to think about inviting the other girl inside, but instead she slowly pulls away. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

“Yeah, Friday.” Shego sounds a little breathless, and Kim smiles to herself as she walks up to her apartment.

Kim wakes up next to Shego on Saturday morning and briefly wonders if the other girl planned this, but it seems unlikely; it didn’t take long for ‘Netflix’ to turn into ‘Netflix and chill’, but Kim was the one that started things. She picks up her phone and checks the time. Shit. The bus leaves in less than ninety minutes, and the bus stop is fifteen minutes away, and she’s not even close to packed. Shego is still sleeping, so Kim eases herself out of bed and gets dressed. She starts laying out clothes on her side of the bed, careful not to wake the other girl.

Twenty minutes later, Shego opens her eyes and just stays in bed, watching Kim pack. “Do you want a ride to the airport?”

The offer surprises her a little, but it’s a lot faster than taking the bus; it will give her more time to pack. “Please and thank you!”

Shego shakes her head. “You are disgustingly cute.”

“You like it.”

“Maybe.” Kim almost says If you don’t, then you’re free to leave, but she’s worried that Shego won’t take it as a joke. That the other girl will just get up and leave her.

Kim finishes packing, and they eat leftover cold pizza for brunch. Kim doesn’t have much else in her apartment; after all, she’ll be gone for the next three weeks. She isn’t sure how Shego feels about that, and she’s too afraid to ask. Everything has been so casual, just a couple dates and a little sex, and Shego already admitted that she never does this. Kim gets into Shego’s car knowing that this could be the last time she ever sees her.

The drive to the airport is quiet. Kim spends most of it flipping through radio stations to find music they can agree on, and trying not to be obvious as she stares at Shego. She has a feeling she fails miserably. When they get there, Kim says, “Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem.” She sits there for a few more seconds, trying to decide if she should kiss Shego before she goes. The other girl rolls her eyes, puts a hand on Kim’s jaw, and kisses her. “There’s your kiss goodbye.” Those eyes are so electric, and Kim feels like she’s falling into them. Shego smirks, and Kim realizes she’s staring again. “Don’t you have a flight to catch?”

Kim’s face turns red. “Right, um, thanks.”

She quickly gets out and grabs her suitcase. She’s about to close the car door when Shego impulsively says, “Wait.” She grabs Kim’s hand and picks up a pen from the cup holder. “Text me when your flight lands.”

Kim stares at the numbers on her hand in shock. “Y-yeah. I thought you…”

“Have a safe flight, Kimmie.” Shego winks at her, and drives away before Kim can tell that her hands are shaking.

Chapter Text

Kim gets lunch with Monique the day after she gets back to Middleton, and she barely has a chance to say hi before her friend asks, “Okay, who is it?”

“Who is…who?”

“The guy you’re crushing on.”

“I am not—”

“Kim, your face is bright red. And you get this look whenever you’re crushing on someone. So spill.”

“What look?”

“You’re deflecting.”

“Okay, maybe…first, it’s not a guy, it’s a girl. Her name is Shego and we met at the end of finals week and we’ve been on a few dates and—”

“Kim, breathe. Now tell me about this Shego. How’d you meet?”

Kim takes a deep breath and tries to organize her thoughts so she doesn’t start rambling again. “After my last final, I was going to get drinks with Ron to celebrate, but he didn’t show up.”

“You need to stop putting up with that shit.”

“I know, Shego said that too.” Monique raises an eyebrow but doesn’t interrupt. “Anyway, some asshole was trying to bring me a drink, so she bought one for me instead. But she’s really…I don’t know. Definitely not nice. More like thoughtful.”

Monique’s eyebrow arches up again. “You went out with someone who’s not nice?”

“It’s kinda hard to explain. Like, we were sparring and it was really cold, and she told me I was an idiot but she also walked me home and made me hot chocolate. And she remembered exactly where my apartment is, even though she’d only been there once.”

“Okay, I get that. Is she a junior too?”

“Um…she’s actually not a student. She’s twenty four.” She looks away so she won’t have to see Monique’s look of disapproval.

“Kim.”

“I know it’s a bad idea but…I really like her.”

Kim spends ten more minutes telling Monique everything she likes about Shego, which is surprising amount considering how long they’ve known each other. But it’s a little hard to talk about this, because she’s not sure if she’s ever going to see Shego again. The other girl doesn’t normally date, and Kim wouldn’t be surprised if this was it. Disappointed, yes, but not surprised. But then she looks down at the numbers on her hand. They still haven’t washed off completely.

Shego asked her out on a second date. She gave Kim her phone number, even though she insisted that she never does that. No exceptions. That’s not a casual choice. Maybe it means that she wants to see Kim again. She hopes it does. There’s something about Shego that just draws her in. Kim has always kind of had a thing for bad boys, and Shego definitely has a bit of a bad girl vibe. Being around her feels electric, almost dangerous, and it pulls her in every time.

Kim texts Shego on Christmas. And on New Year’s Eve. The other girl texts back both times, but it isn’t enough. Kim wants to kiss her under the mistletoe, or when the ball drops. Monique catches her casting longing glances at the mistletoe. “Damn, you have it bad.”

Kim groans. “I know.” She only spent one week with Shego, but she can’t get her off her mind.

She goes back to school a few days early, making some excuse to her parents. She doesn’t even check if Shego wants to see her again, she just goes. It takes her two days after that to work up the courage to text Shego. I think I owe you a date.

Shego replies an hour later, and Kim’s face hurts from smiling so much.

Kim takes her to an arcade. Shego doesn’t want to admit that she’s charmed, but Kim is just too cute. Really, she doesn’t want to admit that she was looking forward to this, that she was hoping for a chance to see Kim again. That she was trying to restrain herself from texting, reminding herself that she doesn’t do this. She sleeps with people casually. She doesn’t date. She doesn’t wait for someone to call her and ask her out. It feels pathetic.

But when Kim smiles at her, it’s magical.

This is a bad idea. She doesn’t do this, doesn’t get involved, and there are good reasons for that. Because people who care about her get hurt. Get hurt by her. At the end of the day, she always leaves, always runs away, never explains why.

It’s safer if she doesn’t let anyone in. Doesn’t give them her phone number or address. Leaves as soon as they fall asleep at night or even earlier, slipping out of strangers’ beds in the dark. That way she’s just a one night stand, a bit of fun over the weekend.

Kim isn’t like that. Kim made her way into her life in just a few minutes. Convinced her to go on a date, to stay overnight. Made her want a second chance, because she fucked up the first one and Kim deserved better. Deserves better. She doesn’t deserve to be hurt the way that Shego hurts people, but for some reason, Shego doesn’t want to push her away. Kim is so energetic and determined, and Shego’s walls just crumble around her. But, far from feeling exposed, she leans into it.

When Kim laces their fingers and tugs Shego into the arcade, she doesn’t want to let go.

It’s been a week since their last date, and Kim misses Shego. It’s ridiculous, because she’s sure that Shego doesn’t miss her nearly as much, but that doesn’t stop her from asking the other girl to get dinner tonight. Shego’s reply comes only a few minutes later. In Greece, so either come here or wait til tomorrow. She knows it’s a joke, and she has class in forty-five minutes anyway. Even worse, it’s a class where they take attendance, and she never misses classes where they actually grade on participation, but still… She bites her lip and smiles. Send me the address, I’ll be there in a couple hours.

Then she pulls out her Kimmunicator. “Hey Wade, I need a ride to Greece.”

After all, why can’t she make one more exception for Shego?

“There aren’t a lot of college students who could fly out to Greece for a date.” Kim’s heart flutters, because she wasn’t entirely sure if this was a date until just now.

“There aren’t a lot of bodyguards who would spend a day in Greece because of work,” she counters. It’s a challenge, I’ll tell you if you tell me.

Shego shrugs. “Point.”

Kim has thought about telling Shego who she is, but it’s nice this way. There are things Kim doesn’t know about Shego, and there are things that Shego doesn’t know about Kim. Neither of them pushes for details, and everything just works.

“So where are we going for this date?”

“There’s a spa nearby. Midas has the, ah, golden touch.” She waggles her eyebrows as she says it, but Kim isn’t amused; she doesn’t like the thought of someone else touching Shego. She’s not sure where this sudden possessiveness came from, but she doesn’t think it’s going away anytime soon. “Aww, are you jealous?” Shego mocks.

“Maybe a little.” Kim looks away, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, it’s cute.” Kim’s cheeks are red, and Shego leans in close to her ear and whispers, “Besides, I like your golden touch better anyway.” And Kim thought her face was burning before.

“Shego!”

“Yes, Princess?” she says innocently. “Do you want me to say that I like it better when he touches me?”

Kim bristles again, and pulls Shego to her roughly and kisses her. “You’re mine.”

And Shego has the nerve to laugh. “See, I told you. Cute.”

But warmth spreads through her chest, because Kim just said that Shego is hers, and the other girl didn’t disagree. This is the first time they’ve said anything like that, anything indicating that this is more than casual. Then Shego grabs her hand as they’re walking to the spa like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like she doesn’t have even a single doubt about being with her. It’s so stupid, after everything Kim has done, that this makes her feel like she’s on top of the world.

Shego takes her to a spa in Greece, and Kim takes her to a small café near campus. It feels kind of cheap in comparison, especially when Shego says, “You know, I could pay for us to go somewhere much nicer than this.” It’s still weird to her, that she’s dating someone who has so much money, even though she’s only a few years older. But Shego says her boss pays her really well to ‘put up with his bullshit,’ and Kim doesn’t question it.

“I know, but you can’t keep paying for things for me. Besides, this is close to campus.”

“I also have a car.”

“Shego.”

“Ugh fine.”

“You’re cute when you pout.” Shego’s face flushes bright green, and Kim wants to kiss her.

In spite of Shego’s initial complaints — which were more for show than anything — dinner is nice. They stand up to leave, and Kim notices that it’s started raining. She digs through her backpack, eventually finding her umbrella at the bottom of the bag. As soon as she has it, Shego smirks wickedly and snatches it out of her hand, sprinting out into the rain.

“Come back!”

“Come get me, Princess!”

Kim rolls her eyes and chases her out into the rain, and maybe she should be annoyed, but it’s so much fun, and it feels so free. This is one of the things she loves about Shego, about being with Shego. Shego is wild and reckless, and she makes Kim want to be like that too. She doesn’t expect Kim to be perfect; in fact, she laughs at that expectation. And maybe it’s stupid, but she loves this feeling of freedom as she chases Shego into the rain. Kim slams into her and Shego catches her, arms going around her waist. And they’re both soaking wet, but Kim doesn’t care because they’re just laughing and holding onto each other and Shego leans in and kisses her and it’s so fucking perfect. Everyone is looking at them like they’re crazy and Kim probably would’ve looked at them like that too, but instead she just revels in this feeling of being free.

Chapter Text

Kim is stunned the first time that Shego takes her to her house. The other girl swore that she doesn’t ever give people her phone number or address, but she’s inviting Kim in like it doesn’t even matter. It’s two floors, with a kitchen, gym, and living space on the first floor, and Shego’s room on the second. Shego gives her a tour, and Kim’s eyes catch on the gym and the large bed. She knows Shego notices both times. The equipment in the gym is off to one side of the room, and most of the space is empty.

“We should spar sometime,” Kim says later, when they’re sitting on Shego’s couch, each holding a glass of wine. It feels a little weird, a little too sophisticated for her. She doesn’t really like wine anyway, but she’s not telling Shego right now. The other girl isn’t drinking much either, and Kim suddenly wonders if this is just a show to impress her. It’s the sort of thing that Shego would do — try to show off for Kim, try to make her feel special.

“What type of sparring do you mean, Cupcake?” Kim glares at her, but she can’t hold the expression for too long. “I’m open to either kind.”

Kim fights to control her blush. “I meant in the gym.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.” Kim loses the fight, and her entire face turns red. Finally, Shego takes pity on her, and says, sincerely, “I’d love to spar with you. You free tomorrow night?”

Kim shakes her head. “I have cheer practice.” Even though it’s the spring semester, they still meet regularly to stay in shape. It’s much more intense than high school, but also more fun because Bonnie isn’t there.

“You’re a cheerleader?” Shego asks, and Kim is surprised that it hasn’t come up before.

“Yep.”

“Ugh.”

“What?”

“I’m dating a cheerleader.”

Kim pretends to be offended, but her heart skips a beat, because Shego just used the word dating. Of course, Kim knows that that’s exactly what they’re doing but still…Shego has never used that word before, except to say that she doesn’t do it.

They spar often. At first, Shego beats her every time, because Kim isn’t used to fighting anyone who’s on her level. But as they fight, she starts to learn Shego’s moves, and the fights last longer. The first time Kim beats her, Shego smiles; she doesn’t seem even a little disappointed.

“You learn quickly.”

Kim shrugs. “You’re a good teacher.”

“Bullshit. I wasn’t teaching anything.”

“You were, and we both know it.”

Shego rolls her eyes and sighs dramatically. “Fine, you win.”

“Do I get a reward?”

Shego walks over, making sure to sway her hips a little extra, comes in close to Kim’s face, and…dumps her water bottle over her head. While Kim is spluttering, Shego runs out of the room, laughing. Kim chases after her, and Shego calls, “Don’t get water on the carpet!”

“I’ll get you back for this!”

“Keep telling yourself that, Cupcake.”

“Can you at least bring me a towel?”

“Fine.” Kim presses herself against the wall next to the door, water bottle in hand. As soon as Shego walks in, Kim raises her arm to throw water on her. Shego catches her wrist in midair, but the water still splashes all over her. She tosses the now wet towel to the side and tackles Kim to the ground. Kim leans up to kiss her and Shego pulls away, glaring at her in mock-annoyance. Kim wraps her arms around Shego’s shoulders, and this time, Shego lets her pull her down into a kiss

When they separate, Shego smiles down at her. “You know, I don’t like you very much right now.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Smart.” Shego closes the distance between them and kisses her again.

Shego takes Kim to one of her favorite clubs. It’s a gay club, which Kim has never been to before. Actually, she’s only ever been to a club once, and she’s a little uncomfortable at first. She gets there before Shego, and she’s just sitting at the bar with a drink, trying to avoid eye contact in case anyone thinks she’s interested. But then a familiar voice says, “A pretty girl like you shouldn’t have to pay for her own drinks.”

Kim smiles. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Shego leaning against the bar next to her. “Is that your way of asking if you can buy me a drink?”

“If it was, would you say yes?”

Kim looks up this time. Shego is just standing there, her expression halfway between a smile and a smirk, and everything about this girl takes her breath away. “I’d rather dance.”

So they do, and it’s so much better than the last time she did this. There are no random guys grinding against her, it’s just her and Shego and the music. When they get back to Shego’s house, they’re both bright-eyed and laughing, and Kim is reminded of every reason that she loves being with Shego.

The other girl pulls her close and kisses her easily. She smiles at Kim and pushes her back a little, towards the wall. Kim smiles too and leans back willingly. Shego pushes closer to her, but Kim suddenly remembers all those people at the club, and the way they looked at Shego. “Wait.”

Shego takes a few steps back, looking at her with concern. The space between them still feels too close, and Kim takes a few more steps away. She can feel her heart pounding. “Kimmie, what’s wrong?”

“Am I any good at this? At, um…sex?” This is so embarrassing.

Shego laughs. “What?”

Kim looks at the ground. “I know you’ve been with a lot of people, and you’re the only girl I’ve been with. And you always know what you’re doing and—”

She’s so absorbed in not looking at Shego that she doesn’t even notice the other girl until she’s right in front of her, one hand sliding against Kim’s cheek as she tilts her head up and kisses her slowly. “You don’t have anything to worry about.” Her voice is gentle, and she keeps their foreheads pressed together, her hand still on Kim’s cheek.

Kim whispers, “Are you sure?”

“Positive. But you’re welcome to demonstrate again.” This is accompanied by a suggestive smirk, and Kim pulls away to glare at her.

“You’re impossible.”

“You love it.” Kim’s breath catches, because for a moment, she thought Shego was going to say You love me.

“You’re very confident.” In spite of her words, she smiles and loops her arms around Shego’s waist.

Shego smirks. “Well, I am amazing.”

“If you keep talking, I’m not having sex with you,” she warns, even though Shego’s confidence is extremely attractive.

“Then I’ll have to revise my answer. If we’re not having sex, then you are terrible at sex.” Kim can’t tell if she’s teasing, and she looks up again, alarmed. Shego puts a hand back on her cheek. “Hey, Princess, I promise, you’re good.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm.”

Shego kisses her again, and Kim pushes back into it, her hands tugging at Shego’s belt. Shego goes to remove Kim’s shirt, but she stops her. “Just let me have this, okay?”

Shego’s eyes meet hers, dark with lust, but she kisses Kim softly, just the barest brush of their lips. “Okay.”

“Are you okay?” Shego asks the next morning, when they’re still in bed. It takes a few seconds for Kim to process the question.

“Hmm? Yeah, why?”

“You seemed a little off last night.”

All of her insecurities rush back. “Was it…okay?”

“Did I seem unsatisfied?” She smirks, and Kim blushes rather than answering. Shego sounds so genuine when she adds, “It was great, Kimmie. But I still want to know if you’re okay.”

Kim bites her lip and looks away, embarrassed. “When we were at the club, there were a lot of people staring at you, and I just kept thinking…they’d probably be better at this than I am.”

She was expecting some mocking, but she’s still caught off guard when Shego laughs. “They were staring at you too, Princess.”

“Oh.” She feels stupid.

“But it’s okay that you got jealous.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I did too.” Something in Kim’s chest flutters at that, at knowing that Shego also gets jealous when other people look at her. It’s nice to know that this possessiveness isn’t one-sided, that they’re still on the same page here. That, even if they haven’t put a name on this yet, they both know that it’s something more than casual. And once again, all she can think is that Shego insisted she doesn’t date, doesn’t give out her number, doesn’t bring people to her house, and now she takes Kim to her favorite places and gets jealous when other people look at her. And Kim can’t help but think that this is almost too good to be true.

Chapter Text

Kim squints at the picture on the Kimmunicator. The image quality is low, but the door to the safe has deep claw marks, like someone tore through the metal. Kim would normally say that’s ridiculous, but it’s hard when the evidence is right in front of her. “What happened?”

The image on the screen doesn’t change, but Wade says, “It looks like the metal was melted as it was being cut.”

“But those are claw marks.”

“Right, they must have a mechanical suit or super powered gloves.”

Kim sighs. That’s exactly what she needs right now, with midterms coming up in two weeks. A new villain with a high-tech suit. “Okay, keep me posted if you hear anything.”

She slides the Kimmunicator into her pocket and pulls out her phone. She can’t stop the small smile that spreads on her face when she sees a message from Shego, asking her to come over.

When she gets there, the door is unlocked, so she lets herself in. She finds Shego sitting on the couch. The TV is on, but she’s not paying attention. “Hey.”

Shego looks up at her and smiles, and Kim’s entire body is warm and tingly. “Hi Princess.”

She sounds tired, and Kim joins her on the couch. “What’s wrong?”

The other girl just shakes her head. “Long day at work. My boss is fucking insane.”

“Why don’t you quit?”

Shego shrugs. “He pays me a lot, and doesn’t make me do much work. Plus I get plenty of vacation. It’s a better deal than I could get anywhere else.” She smirks. “And I get to laugh at him when he fucks up.” Kim doesn’t know why she even asked; they’ve been over this so many times, and she knows there’s no chance of Shego finding a job she actually likes.

So she just swings her legs up over Shego’s lap and moves closer. Her breath is hot on Shego’s neck when she says, “I know something that can help you relax.”

Shego’s breath catches in her throat, but she smirks as she says, “Oh really? And what’s that, Kimmie?” Before Kim can reply, Shego pulls her further onto her lap and kisses her.

Shego pulls back for a moment and looks into her eyes, and Kim sees it reflected there, the same thing she’s feeling, the thing that neither of them is ready to name yet. Kim slides one hand around Shego’s neck and pulls her in again.

Shego looks into Kim’s bright eyes, her face so close and a little flushed already, her eyes so full of emotion. Shego knows that she’s projecting that same emotion right back. She wants more of this. Kim is kissing her again, but Shego pulls away and whispers, “Be my girlfriend.”

Those three words are terrifying, and there’s no way to take them back. Because she doesn’t do this, she doesn’t date, she doesn’t start relationships. And Kim is looking at her like she’s insane, which means she read too far into something and she messed up the only really good thing in her life. She drops her gaze to the floor; she can’t keep looking at Kim’s incredulous face. But then the other girl kisses her, and whispers back, “Yes.”

Shego looks back at her, finally. “Yes?”

“Yes.”

Shego pulls her in again and kisses her. She didn’t mess this up. Kim is her girlfriend. Maybe that should scare her, but it doesn’t, not even a little. Because there’s an amazing, beautiful girl in her lap who sees her, really sees her, and that matters more than just about anything.

Back at her apartment that night, Kim texts Monique, Shego asked me to be her girlfriend!!!!!

Her friend replies within a few minutes. Way to go! It means a lot to her, because she knows that Monique doesn’t really approve of her relationship. Doesn’t approve of her dating someone who’s already out of college, someone who she knows so little about. None of that really matters though, because something about her and Shego just clicks.

She falls back on her bed and hugs a pillow to her chest, still smiling uncontrollably. Shego asked her to be her girlfriend.

She wonders if maybe she should start telling people about this; only Monique knows right now. It’s a little frightening, because she hasn’t been in a real relationship since Ron — at least, nothing that lasted more than a month or so. No one except Monique even knows she’s bi, and now she has a girlfriend. She’s not exactly doing anything to hide it though, and it’s only luck that Ron hasn’t seen them together near campus. She knows he would totally freak about her being in a relationship with another girl, but it’s only a matter of time til he finds out.

It’s not that their relationship is a secret exactly, and they’re definitely not sneaking around. But she always talked to her mother about her past crushes and relationships, and they all met her parents before anything became serious. With Shego though…she just spoke to her mother yesterday, and she didn’t mention it. It feels like lying, but for some reason, she doesn’t want to make this too public. It isn’t just that she would have to come out. Her parents would say the same things that Monique said, about her dating someone older, and her father would give Shego the black hole speech, and she can’t imagine that going well.

For the first time, she wonders what her parents would think of her girlfriend (girlfriend!!!). She knows that Shego isn’t exactly the type of person they expect her to be with. A bodyguard who doesn’t use her college degree, who has no intention of leaving her current job. It’s not that her parents are judgmental, exactly, they’re just accustomed to people being, well…smart. It’s hard for them to understand how someone could be satisfied with a job like Shego’s.

She knows Shego’s family doesn’t understand. That’s what drove the rift between them, her job choice. The other girl doesn’t talk about it much, but Kim knows it hurt her. She doesn’t want to put her through the same thing twice. The same judgement, the same questions about how she ended up with her current job. She’s pretty sure that “I saw an ad and I applied” isn’t going to cut it with her parents.

Maybe she can ease them into it slowly, over spring break. Tell them that she’s dating someone, dating a girl, and bring up the rest a little later. She’ll have to be careful, because she doesn’t want Shego to get hurt again. She sighs; before she does anything else, she needs to talk to the other girl.

But right now, she pushes those thoughts away and focuses on the fact that Shego — a girl who pushed back against even the idea of a date — asked Kim to be her girlfriend. For tonight, she just wants to bask in this euphoria. She can worry about everyone else later.

Chapter Text

Wade tells her that he’s finally managed to track down the stolen chip. He directs them to a lair that’s underwater, with no evidence of any of her usual enemies. So she was right about this being a new villain. Before going in, she warns Ron about their theory about the super-powered suit and reminds him to be careful. He says he always is, and she wants to roll her eyes.

They’re just swimming into the lair when a vortex opens behind them and sucks them in. This is so not my day. Kim tries to swim through the current, but she still gets pulled in, and her and Ron end up stuck on a tiny platform in a cavern, surrounded by sharks. On the other side of the water, there’s a man with blue skin and a scar under his eye, wearing a strange blue jumpsuit. The matching skin and clothes remind her of Shego, who often wears green to match her skin, and that just reminds her of another reason that she would rather not be here. Because she could be with her wonderful girlfriend instead, somewhere warm and dry and comfortable.

“Ah, I’ve heard of you, the world-famous hero, Kim Possible! And her, um…chum.”

Ron glances at the sharks nervously, and one of them snaps at his feet. “Did he have to say chum?”

Kim ignores him and crosses her arms. She hates villain introductions, but this guy seems like the type to monologue and tell her his whole plan, so she’ll let him talk for now.

The man continues, “And surely you know of my work.”

Kim looks at Ron and shrugs. “Sorry.”

“Think for a minute, can’t you? I’m a genius…”

Ron turns to Kim. “Haven’t we met a lot of geniuses?”

“Yeah, but none with blue skin.”

He looks crestfallen, but Kim doesn’t feel bad. “Do you…really not know who I am?”

“Um, sorry dude,” Ron answers.

“Oh, not you, buffoon. But surely the world-famous Kim Possible knows of me.” She stares at him, unimpressed. “Doctor…Doctor Dra…Doctor Drakk…Oh, Doctor Drakken!”

“Doctor Drakken?”

“Aha, I see my reputation precedes me. Take that buffoon.”

Ron chimes in again. “Uh, dude, you just—”

“Silence!” One of the sharks snaps its teeth, punctuating his order, and Ron shifts closer to Kim. “My pets are famished. Perhaps you two could stay–”

“–for lunch?” Kim finishes, raising an eyebrow.

His hand hovers over the button he’s holding. “I, uh, wasn’t going to say that.”

Ron is so amused that he forgets to be nervous. “Oh, dude, you were so going to say for lunch.”

“Ah, yes, fine! Then stay for lunch!” He presses the button and the platform beneath them collapses, dropping them into the water. Kim stays underwater for just a moment, watching the sharks swim past her. This is inconvenient, sure, but she’s dealt with far worse before.

Her and Ron reach the surface at the same time. “Why not otters?” he whines. “I wouldn’t mind dropping into a tank of otters. They’re fun.”

Kim ignores him and dives back underwater, shooting out a rope made out of some sort of elastic to wrap around the first shark’s head. I need to thank Wade later. When she gets back to the surface, Ron is about to become chum, so she swims up next to him and shoots the same material into that shark’s mouth. It tries to snap its teeth a few times, then Kim grabs Ron and swims out of there.

“Why does it always have to be sharks?” he repeats.

Kim grits her teeth, trying not to snap at him. She’s freezing and wet, and she really just wants to go home and study for her midterms, or curl up with her girlfriend, or really do anything other than this. “I thought you said you’re a sucker for the classics.”

“Well that’s true, but sharks aren’t a classic. Now, piranhas on the hand—”

“Shhh.” She can see Drakken up ahead in a larger cavern, bent over some sort of welding equipment. Kim is too annoyed to think of a strategy, so she just storms over to him, leaving Ron to follow behind her.

They’ve only taken a few steps when Drakken notices them. He yells, “Shego! Get them!” and Kim freezes in place. Shego? No, it can’t be… No one answers his call, and he howls at the top of his lungs, “SHEEEGOOO!”

“Ugh, what do you…”

She catches sight of Kim and trails off. Kim briefly wonders if this whole thing was just some plan to take down a world-famous hero, but no, Shego is just as shocked as she is, even if she covers it up quickly. Drakken doesn’t notice, just points to Kim and Ron and yells, “Get them!”

Shego just stares for a few more seconds, then says, “Um, yeah, you got it Doc.”

Kim finally gets her voice to work too. “Ron, go stop that…Doctor whoever.”

“It’s Drakken!”

Ron hasn’t moved, but Shego is getting closer, so Kim hisses, “Ron, go!” He finally does, and Kim turns her attention to the girl who’s fast approaching.

“What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” Shego asks, and it’s so ridiculous that Kim almost laughs, because this entire situation is so ridiculous, because the person she’s falling for is apparently a supervillain and she has no idea what to do.

It’s a good thing they’ve already sparred so many times that it’s second nature now — Kim isn’t sure if either of them would be able to keep going otherwise. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re a villain?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re a hero? And for the record, I told you I guard a paranoid scientist!”

“But you’re a thief. You…you’re evil! I’m supposed to lock you up!”

“That sounds kinky, maybe we should try it sometime.” And even though they’re fighting — maybe as enemies? She’s not really sure — that smirk still draws the same reaction. It doesn’t help that Shego is wearing a skintight green and black catsuit, which shows off every inch of her body. A body that Kim knows very—

“We are not talking about sex right now!”

From the other side of the lair, Ron yells, “KP!”

She glances at him, and that’s all it takes for Shego to pin her against a wall. She’s not holding on tight and Kim could easily throw her off, but for a moment, both of their faces are hidden. Kim whispers, “What the hell are we going to do?”

“I don’t know.” Shego is just as lost as she is. “I’ll come by tonight and we can talk about it, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Kim!” Ron yells again. She finally becomes aware of the blaring alarms sounding in the lair, and the automated voice giving a countdown for—

“Is this place seriously going to self-destruct?”

“I told you Princess, he makes crap. The self-destruct is the only thing that works every time. I’ll see you tonight.” So fast that she almost misses it, Shego leans in and kisses her, then runs off to grab Drakken and drag him off to whatever escape pod they must have stowed away somewhere. Kim just stands there, staring after them, until Ron literally grabs her shoulders and shakes her.

“C’mon KP, head in the game! We gotta go!”

“Right.” She shakes her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and they run out of the lair.

Kim thought she was ready to see Shego, but she was completely wrong. Because when she opens the door, it’s suddenly very hard to breathe. Shego has changed into jeans and t-shirt, and Kim is glad that she’s not wearing that catsuit anymore; even if it was really hot, it would’ve been a reminder of every reason why seeing Shego again is a really bad idea. She wants to hug her, or kiss her, or just hold on and never let go. But she also wants to punch her and throw her out of her apartment and never see her again. “Hi.”

Shego laughs, but it’s a harsh, bitter sound. “Hiya Princess.”

“We should talk.”

“No shit.” Kim wonders if Shego is trying to push her away, but she looks into her girlfriend’s eyes and sees the panic there. Shego is hiding it with the rudeness and the cursing, but internally she’s freaking out. Kim has never seen her lose her cool like this before.

Shego sits on the couch heavily. “This is so fucked up.”

Kim sighs and sits near her. “Yeah. We really messed up here.”

“I told you I don’t date.”

Kim feels her heart starting to splinter. “So you want to end this?” She can’t bring herself to say break up.

“No…I just…I don’t know what the hell I want. What do you want?”

Kim looks down at her hands. “I don’t know either. If I’d known at the beginning, this wouldn’t have happened. But now…I know you’re evil, but you’ve never acted like…I don’t know, like a villain?”

“That’s the fucking problem.” Shego buries her head in her hands. “I…I’m supposed to be all tough and evil and…I’m not like that with you. I’ve never been.” Kim tries to put a hand on Shego’s shoulder, but the other girl brushes her off. “See? There’s no one else who would even try to touch me like that!”

Kim is pretty sure that Shego is on the edge of a breakdown, and Kim isn’t doing much better herself. She pulls out her phone and dials a number. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Ordering Chinese food.”

Shego hesitates, then nods, and Kim sighs in relief. She has Shego’s order memorized, and they sit in silence for a couple minutes after she hangs up. Eventually, Shego asks, “Does anyone know we’re dating?”

“Monique, but she knows how to keep a secret. Ron has no idea.”

“That was Ron? That buffoon?”

“He’s not a buffoon.” Shego raises an eyebrow. “He’s just…a little challenged when it comes to fighting.”

Shego laughs, and it’s much less bitter this time. Kim still loves Shego’s laugh, and she moves closer and kisses her. “Princess, we need to talk.”

Kim closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, then looks directly into Shego’s eyes. They’re just as bright and captivating as they were on that first night in the bar, and she feels just as trapped as she did back then. “I know. I have no idea what we’re going to do. But until the food gets here, let’s pretend we’re just…” Her voice cracks, and she has to blink back tears. “Let’s pretend we’re normal.”

Shego doesn’t even hesitate; she’s just as desperate as Kim. The other girl practically lunges at her, arms wrapping around her shoulders as she kisses her. Kim gently pushes her onto her back. She’s not looking for anything more right now, and she knows Shego isn’t either. They just need this closeness, because they’re both losing their minds and they may never get to be like this again. Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just her girlfriend. This is also a girl who breaks into science labs and probably government buildings, and Kim should really throw her in jail right now but she needs this, at least for a little while longer.

They stay like that until Kim’s phone rings, and she goes outside to get their dinner. When she comes back, Shego is sitting on one end of the couch, her legs folded underneath her.

Kim sits on the opposite end and takes out their food. After a few minutes, Shego says, “What the hell are we going to do?”

Kim just shrugs. All of the implications are still sinking in, and she doesn’t know what she wants. She thought she wanted Shego…but does that girl even exist? Or was she just a lie? The girl Kim wants to be with…sure, she’s not really nice, but she’s not evil. She doesn’t want to hurt people or take over the world. She wants to run through the rain and watch horror movies and spar on the college football field and— Kim isn’t sure if she knows the girl sitting in front of her right now.

“How did you tear off the door to that safe?” It’s a stupid, random detail, but it will distract her from the happy memories.

Shego looks at her like she’s crazy, but then there’s that same smirk that Kim loves so much. Except now it seems a little more sinister. Or does it really? Is she just trying to make it seem that way since she knows the truth?

The other girl holds up one hand, then hesitates. “Do you trust me?”

This morning, the answer would have been simple. She would have said that of course she trusted Shego, even though there were so many things she didn’t know about her. But now, looking at Shego, she doesn’t see the girl she cares about, she sees someone evil. She sees one of the people she’s been fighting for the last seven years, one of the people who try to hurt her, try to kill her sometimes. And she knows this is still Shego, but she feels like a stranger. Kim can’t trust her.

“No.” Shego looks like she’s been slapped. Kim wants to take it back, wants to trust Shego, but she can’t. Not right now. “Do you trust me?” She’s fully expecting Shego to say no or I don’t know, but the other girl doesn’t even hesitate.

“Yes.” She says it like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and Kim’s heart clenches painfully.

“Even though you didn’t know about…any of this?”

Shego takes her hand and repeats, “I trust you, Princess. Do you trust me?”

Even though Shego is supposed to be the villain, she’s a better person than Kim. Because Kim just drops her gaze. “I’m sorry, I just…”

She knows there’s nothing she can say that will make this better. Shego trusts her, and she doesn’t trust Shego. Shego’s hand slides out of hers, and she gets up and walks towards the door. “Shego, wait.” She turns to look back at her, and Kim sees the pain in her eyes too. She doesn’t want it to be like this either. “Please.”

“I’ll see you later, Kim.”

No Princess, no Kimmie, just Kim. The door closes behind her, and Kim’s heart shatters.

Chapter Text

Her midterms are next week, and Kim knows she needs to study, but it’s so hard. It’s hard to be motivated to do anything. Because this isn’t just a normal breakup. Her girlfriend didn’t just leave, she became the enemy. Or she was the enemy all along and Kim just didn’t know. It’s hard to tell, because her memories are so good and she was so certain about Shego, in a way that she’s rarely certain about anything. Or anyone.

She waits three days to call Monique.

“You were right, I should’ve stayed away from Shego.” She can’t keep the emotion out of her voice. She’s falling apart, and Monique knows it.

“Whoa, what happened to you?”

“She’s evil.” She hates that she’s crying again now.

“You can’t just—”

Kim knows what her friend is about to say. Even though Monique never approved of this relationship, it’s going to be something about not jumping to conclusions, and giving people second chances, and not labelling someone as evil because of one mistake. Normally Kim would agree, but nothing about this is within fifteen shades of normal, and calling Shego evil has nothing to do with their relationship. She shakes her head, even though Monique can’t see her. “No, she’s real evil. Like works-for-a-mad-scientist-who-wants-to-take-over-the-world type evil.”

“Kim…”

She can’t stand the pity in her friend’s voice. “Please don’t tell Ron. He doesn’t know we are— we were dating.” Her chest feels tight.

“Were as in broke up?”

“I think so. I told her I don’t trust her and she just…left. And she’s been texting me but I don’t know what to say.”

“You haven’t answered?” The shock is almost painful.

“No. I want to…I think. But I don’t know what I would even say, I mean, I fell in love with her and it was all just a lie and I don’t know what the fuck to do.” She’s a little hysterical at this point, but the whole situation is just so fucked up. There’s dead silence on the other line, and Kim has to check to make sure the call didn’t drop. “Uh, Monique?”

“Yeah, sorry, it’s just — you love her?”

She hadn’t even meant to say that, and it’s the first time she’s ever said it out loud. She’s not sure if it’s true anymore. “I-I think so. But I don’t know if that was really her. I don’t know her anymore.” The tears are sliding down her cheeks again. Monique keeps trying to comfort her, but Kim knows it’s pointless. There’s nothing that anyone can say that will fix this.

She gets D’s on a couple midterms. It’s okay, her GPA can take it…but it will probably still drop some of her classes by a full letter grade. And if she doesn’t get her act together soon, it will get much worse. Because she has homework and essays and projects and Shego looks so beautiful when she smiles at her and— Don’t think about her.

The other girl still texts her occasionally, but less often. It’s never anything important, never an apology or an explanation. Just Hey or How are you? Never begging Kim to answer her, never asking to meet in person. That doesn’t surprise her, she knows Shego isn’t like that. Or she thought she did. She thought she knew a lot of things, but now she’s not sure anymore.

That’s the problem. She’s pretty sure that none of it was fake, that everything she thought she knew is still true. That her Shego is the real Shego, the one she usually hides from the world. The one who smiles and laughs and likes to cuddle after sex and puts her phone on the table, face down, whenever Kim is talking. The one that has a whole range of emotions, in a way that most villains don’t. Everything she knew is true, which means that the girl Kim fell in love with is still there. Except now she also knows that Shego is a villain, which is a huge issue, because that means she’s in love with a villain and that’s all kinds of fucked up.

So she ignores Shego’s messages. She stares at each of them for hours, but she never answers. She isn’t sure what she would say, even though Shego is the only thing she can think about. Even two weeks later, she’s still crying every night, because she’s gone and it hurts.

Everything reminds her of Shego. She goes to cheerleading practice and remembers Shego making fun of her for being a cheerleader. She texts Monique and remembers telling her about Shego in Bueno Nacho. She goes to bed and remembers how Shego felt, pressed up against her. There’s a dark green sweatshirt in her room that she doesn’t touch.

She doesn’t go home for spring break. She can’t, because her mother would ask what’s wrong, and Kim wouldn’t be able to answer. Instead, she goes out to the bar where she first met Shego. She’s not sure if she’s hoping to see the other girl or not. It feels kind of pathetic, going back to the place where they met while she’s trying to get over her feelings for her. Except she’s not really trying to get over them at all, she’s just wallowing in the sadness, and that’s even more pathetic.

She has three shots within ten minutes of getting there, which would worry anyone who knows her, but the bartender doesn’t even blink, just sees another college kid looking to get drunk on the weekend. Kim isn’t sure if she wants to get drunk. She’s not really sure why she’s there at all. Some random guy — he introduces himself as David — offers to buy her a drink, and Kim thinks Fuck it and accepts. She sips the drink slowly, but she knows what he’s after. She really, really doesn’t do this, but she needs to get out of her own head for a little while, and maybe get over Shego, so she goes home with him.

He brings her to his bedroom and pulls his shirt over his head. Her eyes catch on the muscles of his back, the angle of his jaw. He walks towards her, and she thinks she should be nervous, but she’s not. “Is it okay if I kiss you?”

“Yeah.” She feels like she’s in a dream, everything is just so unreal. She’s in a bedroom with this boy she doesn’t know and he’s polite and respectful, and she’s just standing there, not moving, as he puts a gentle hand behind her neck and kisses her. Their lips have just barely touched when she pushes him away. She can’t do this. She just can’t. “I’m sorry.” She turns around and leaves, tears burning her eyes.

She goes back to her own apartment and sits against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. She pulls out her phone. It’s been five days since she got a text from Shego. It’s been three weeks since she texted Shego. She types out I miss you, and her finger hovers over the send button. She wonders if Shego is as fucked up right now as she is. It’s already been a few weeks, and they just met a couple months ago, and there’s absolutely no reason for her to be this messed up about it.

That’s what she keeps telling herself, that it was only a few months and they were both living secret lives on the side anyway, so they didn’t really know each other at all. Except it’s not true, because Shego knew Kim, more than anyone has known her in a long time. She understood so much about her, and didn’t want her to be anything more than herself. And now she’s gone and Kim knows she shouldn’t feel like this. She should be able to get her act together and move on with her life. Maybe she should’ve had a couple more shots, because this still hurts way too much. It’s a real, physical pain in her chest, and she wonders if this is what heartbreak feels like.

She remembers when Shego asked her to be her girlfriend, just a few days before this all went to hell. She wants to be that girl again, the one who was innocently falling into a relationship and didn’t know it had been doomed from the start. Because that’s all it was, a stupid idea that could never work. A mistake. Nothing more, right? She shouldn’t miss Shego right now. She looks back at the message on her phone, and deletes it instead of hitting send. Then she drops her phone on the floor and rests her forehead on her knees, not even trying to stop the tears from falling. Because, as much as she tries to convince herself, she can’t make herself believe that any part of this was a mistake.

Chapter Text

The week after spring break, they get another call to stop Drakken. Wade says it just like that, like Shego isn’t even part of it. Like she doesn’t matter. That kills her inside, just a little, because Shego is the only part that matters. Like, fuck Drakken and fuck whatever crap he’s inventing, Kim just has to see Shego in person again. Face to face.

When Shego attacks, there’s no banter this time. “Can we please talk?” Kim practically pleads.

“I wanted to talk. For four fucking weeks, Princess.” Was it really that long? The other girl shoves her hard into the shelves behind her, and various items fall around them. Kim knows she should care, but she doesn’t. She’s focused on Shego, and doesn’t even notice the small device dropping onto the back of her neck. “I get that you don’t trust me, but you can’t just ignore me and act like I shouldn’t care!”

Kim pushes away from the shelves, turning so Shego can’t trap her like that again. “You lied to me! You didn’t tell me that you do…this!”

“You lied to me too! I didn’t know that you do this either!” Kim hasn’t thought of it that way before, but it doesn’t stop her from pushing Shego into the shelves this time. Neither of them notices the metal disk that falls and attaches itself to the back of Shego’s neck.

“But you’re evil!”

Shego growls and gets back to her feet, her stare menacing. “What, so it doesn’t matter if heroes lie?”

Kim drops her hands, and Shego’s next blow catches her hard in the stomach. She stumbles back and lands on the ground, gasping for air. She’s an easy target now, but Shego doesn’t strike again. She stands there, watching her, her face impassive. Kim avoids her eyes as she gets up, prepared to keep fighting.

But Shego just turns around. “Doc, we’re leaving!”

Drakken is hanging from the hovercraft with Ron dangling from his feet. He manages to kick Ron in the face, and he falls down to the ground. Shego looks at her for a few seconds, and Kim is so sure that she’s about to say something, but then she just runs after Drakken. Kim closes her eyes so she doesn’t have to watch them fly away, then checks on Ron. He insists he’s fine, says he’s always had a thick skull; Kim is pretty sure he doesn’t see the irony of saying that like it’s a good thing. She’s distracted though, thinking about what Shego said, and Ron has to pick up the Kimmunicator and give it to her. She slides it into her pocket without even looking.

Ron wants to go to Bueno Nacho, and Kim thinks it will at least take her mind off things, even if she’s still annoyed that he never made an effort before today. It’s a little uncomfortable, so she pulls out her Kimmunicator to ask Wade if he knows anything about Drakken’s plans. But the Kimmunicator is round and green instead of square and blue. She wants to be angry, but she’s too tired. Ron sees it, grabs it out of her hand, yells, “Booyah! A video game!”

She pinches the bridge of her nose, fighting a headache. Why did she think Bueno Nacho was a good idea? “That’s supposed to be the Kimmunicator.”

“Oh, oops, my bad?” Ron waits for Kim to reply, but she barely even hears him. Shego’s accusations ring through her mind. “If it’s a video game, can I keep it?”

What, so it doesn’t matter if heroes lie? “Yeah sure.” She doesn’t even know what he asked.

“Sweet!”

Ron presses a button and the screen lights up blue, and Kim drops her head onto the table, sobbing. She doesn’t know that the disk on her neck is also blue, doesn’t even know that it’s there. She just misses Shego, and seeing her today hurt so much. She remembers that first date, when Shego cuddled with her because she was cold. The way Shego tugged at her hand and laughed with her that one time when they were both a little too drunk and they stumbled back to Kim’s apartment, leaning on each other the whole way. It’s all too much, and she’s overwhelmed by her sadness. “Hey, KP, look, I know you’re upset that we lost the Kimmunicator…” He hits another button while he’s talking, and the screen glows red.

Ron has never been afraid of Kim. He knows she’s dangerous, and he probably couldn’t defend himself if she attacked him, not even with his magic. But she’s never tried to hurt him. But when the screen turns red, her head shoots up and she glares at him, and he’s scared of her for the first time in his life. “We didn’t lose the Kimmunicator, you lost it. You fucked it up, just like you fuck up everything else. And now we’re going to call Wade, so you can tell him how you fucked up again.” Ron stares at her in shock; she’s never gone off on him like that, not even in the days leading up to their breakup.

He holds up his hands in defense. “O-okay, let’s call him now.” Ron picks up his phone and calls Wade on speakerphone.

“Hey Ron, what’s up?”

Kim is still glowering at him. “Ron has some explaining to do.”

Ron gulps nervously. “See, at the end of our last mission, I may have picked up some video game thingy instead of the Kimmunicator.”

“May have? No, you fucking did it.”

“Uh, Kim? Are you okay?” Wade is just as hesitant as Ron.

“No, I’m not fucking okay. Let’s figure this out so we can fix the thing that Ron fucked up this time.”

There are a few seconds of awkward silence, broken by Wade. “Ron, can you send me a picture of the device you picked up?”

“Yeah, sure, the Ron-man’s got this.” He picks up the device, but Kim is still glaring at him, and he fumbles and drops it to the floor. He hurries to pick it up again, and his finger accidentally falls on one of the buttons. He doesn’t notice that the screen has changed from red to pink.

He quickly snaps a picture and sends it to Wade. Then he looks up at Kim. “Kim, look, I know you’re mad about me losing the Kimmunicator but—”

“No, why would I be mad? It wasn’t your fault.” Kim is looking at him in a way that she hasn’t since before they broke up, and she reaches forward to take one of his hands. Ron looks at Rufus, who shrugs, equally confused. Her fingers dance on the inside of his wrist, and it’s hard to concentrate. “I know you didn’t mean to lose the Kimmunicator.” She walks around the table, slides next to him in the booth, and kisses him. Wade starts to say something, but Kim hits the end call button. Her voice is both soft and certain as she says, “I don’t want any distractions right now.”

Ron knows he should be enjoying this, and part of him is, but he’s also a little freaked out. “I have to, um, class.”

Kim laughs and kisses him on the cheek. “I’ll see you after, okay?’

“Uh…yeah, okay KP.”

“Wait, there’s a fair tonight, right?”

“Yeah…” He scratches the back of his neck nervously, not sure where this is going.

“Do you want to go tonight? You know, maybe as…”

“Are you telling me to ask you on a date?”

“Yes!” she squeals. Ron is really worried now, because this is not how Kim acts. “I will go on a date with you.”

“Uh, that wasn’t exactly—”

She kisses his cheek. “See you tonight!” She literally skips off, leaving Ron to stare after her in confusion.

Ron turns to Rufus. “What just happened, buddy?” Rufus just shakes his head and shrugs.

When Ron picks up Kim at her building, she’s wearing a skintight black dress with heels, and his mouth goes dry. He knows they broke up for a good reason, but it’s really hard to remember right now, when Kim holds his hand and kisses him and presses up against his body.

They walk to the fair hand in hand and start playing games, and Kim is all over him, touching him constantly. It’s…nice. He missed this. It’s hard to remember where things went wrong, because Kim is looking at him with such loving eyes, and he can’t imagine why he ever let this go. She never lets go of his hand, and she laughs at his jokes, and she smiles at him like he’s the only thing that matters. Rufus occasionally pops out of his pocket, reminding it that something must be wrong, but Ron just slips him a piece of funnel cake or churro, bribing him to stay quiet. Yeah, this is a kind of freaky, but he wants to enjoy it for just a little longer.

Eventually, though, he has to say something, so he sits her down on a bench. “Hey, Kim…”

“Yes sweetheart?” She looks up at him through her eyelashes. Maybe I can wait… He looks down at Rufus, who shakes his head in warning.

“We need to talk.”

“About what?” She leans closer, one hand resting high up on his thigh. Her fingers feel electric, even through the fabric of his pants, and her perfume is intoxicating. It wraps around him, making it hard to think clearly. She’s so close, and her lips are red from her lipstick and— Rufus clears his throat pointedly, and Ron shifts away. He doesn’t realize when he leans down against the device that’s still in his pocket.

Kim suddenly starts sobbing, even though he hasn’t said anything. “Hey, uh, KP…?”

He tries to comfort her, but it’s hard, because she’s just weeping and ranting about how everyone she loves just goes on to hurt her. Ron feels awful, but then she starts talking about betrayal and lying, and he doesn’t think she’s just talking about him anymore, because he didn’t lie. Sure, they argued sometimes, but they were still honest with each other, and things just…didn’t work out. They were never in love, they only thought they were, and they tried too hard to make it true. The problem is, he has no idea who she could be talking about. They mostly see each other on missions, but she’s never even mentioned a new guy, let alone someone who could hurt her this much.

“Okay, um, just stay here for a second.”

He stands up and walks away, pulling out his phone to call Wade. Before he can, the Kimmunicator slams into his head. “Ow.” Then he looks at the ground. “Oh hey, that’s the—”

A short man in a lab coat runs over and grabs the Kimmunicator, shaking it in the air and yelling something about spies. Ron gets caught up in explaining the Kimmunicator, and when he turns back to look at Kim, she’s gone. Part of him wants to run after her, but he also needs to hear whatever this scientist guy is saying. Kim can take care of herself. The scientist is telling him about something called a Moodulator, and it’s such a clean explanation for everything that’s happened today, and he’s relieved to finally understand.

“So this had complete control of Kim all along?” Ron confirms, holding up the video game.

“Precisely. With just the press of a button—”

Before he can finish his explanation, Drakken jumps out from a bush and grabs the device from Ron’s hand. “Oh, I’ll press that button.” He attaches another device to the controller, smiling evilly. “Kim Possible…under my control…supercharge that!”

“No!” the scientist yells. If there’s anything Ron has learned in his years of running around with Kim, it’s that he never, ever wants to be nearby when the scientists start panicking. The shorter man snatches the joined devices from Drakken. The screen is glowing red again, but the device is smoking now. “The circuits have been fried!”

“So that means Kim’s back to normal, right? Please tell me Kim is back to normal!”

“I’m afraid your friend is now locked in an irreversible frenzy of rage. So I hope she’s not angry at anybody because, well, that would be bad.” Ron remembers how Kim glared at him earlier, and realizes he’s a dead man walking.

Kim is looking for somewhere private to cry when her sadness suddenly evaporates. She starts laughing, then crying, then laughing again, before the chip on her neck turns a steady red. How dare Ron break up with her! He’s lucky she would even consider dating him again, and now he suddenly thinks he’s too good for her? Well, she’ll show him.

She stalks off to find him, but before she even gets close, she notices someone clad in green and black, and her vision narrows. Shego. Shego, who lied to her, who tricked her into falling in love with her, who hurt her more than she’d ever thought possible. And now she’s going to pay. Kim sprints in her direction. “Hey Shego!” she yells, and the other girl turns to face her, the same anger burning in her eyes.

She shoves Shego’s shoulders, but the other girl recovers quickly and lunges in her direction, her hands suddenly glowing green, giving off heat. What the fuck…

“You didn’t answer my messages!” Shego accuses.

Kim growls in frustration. She has to be better than Shego. She has to beat her. “You walked away! Why should I listen to anything you say?”

“You didn’t trust me!”

“You lied!” Neither of them is aware of the crowd of people gathering around them.

“So did you!”

“You’re evil!”

“And you’re a shitty person! You. Didn’t. Trust. Me.” Every word is accompanied by another blow from her glowing fists, and Kim backpedals furiously, her rage reaching new heights. It’s not even a creative insult, but how dare Shego stand there and insult her. She’s a hero, and the other girl is a thief, and Shego has no right to be upset about this. All of those happy moments flash through her mind again, and it only fuels her anger. She was so happy, and none of it was ever real. None of the time spent cuddling or talking, not that amazing moment when Shego asked her to be her girlfriend. No, Shego tore that all away, and now she has to pay. Kim finally sees an opening, and prepares to punch Shego in the face. She can picture it already, how the blood will explode from her face, how she’ll fall down, unable to fight, and Kim will be victorious. She’s about to do it when— Shego.

Something clicks in her mind. This is Shego. She doesn’t want to hurt Shego. Her emotions spiral out of control, quickly moving from one to another as the Moodulator on her neck flickers through a mess of colors. She freezes, unable to focus enough to take any action.

Yellow. Shego cooking dinner, Shego smiling as they sparred.

Red. Shego lying about who she is, Shego refusing to speak to her.

Blue. Shego walking out of her apartment.

Pink. Shego carrying her to bed when she fell asleep studying.

Yellow. Shego—

Shego’s Moodulator is still glowing a steady red, and she slams into Kim, sending her flying backwards. She stalks towards Kim and— Kim. She just hurt Kim. She freezes as her Moodulator flickers through that same rapid sequence of colors.

Yellow. Kim braiding her hair, Kim smiling as they sparred.

Red. Kim lying about who she is, Kim ignoring her messages.

Blue. Kim saying she doesn’t trust her.

Pink. Kim curling into her late at night.

Yellow again. Kim chasing her around her gym and tackling her to the ground.

Back to red. Kim—

Kim’s Moodulator finally cracks, and she looks up at Shego, who’s still frozen in place as her face shifts between emotions. Her entire body hurts, and she’s pretty sure she at least bruised a couple ribs. She staggers to her feet, and Ron wraps an arm around her and helps her walk away. Shego’s Moodulator cracks and falls to the ground, and she stares after Kim helplessly.

Kim doesn’t tell Shego before she goes to her house. She’s afraid that the other girl will tell her to leave her alone, and she can’t do that. She has to see her, has to apologize. Especially after yesterday…they both said a lot of hurtful things, and they need to talk about it. And honestly, Kim isn’t sure how much longer she can stand being apart. Instead of getting better over time, she’s started to feel worse. So she doesn’t give Shego a chance to tell her to fuck off before she gets to her house.

Shego could still say it now, but at least it would be in person. Of course, Kim still has to knock on the door, and that’s scarier than any death trap she’s ever faced. After all, she’s the one that refused to talk to Shego; most of the blame falls squarely on her shoulders. Still, anything is possible for a Possible.  She takes a deep breath and knocks.

Chapter Text

Shego opens the door, already scowling, and Kim just stares at her for a minute, doesn’t know what to say. Then she takes a step forward, pulls Shego in, and kisses her hard, trying to share everything she’s feeling. Shego doesn’t respond at first, and Kim feels the panic setting in again. Did she really fuck this up this badly? But then Shego starts to kiss back and Kim just melts into it. She finds her hands brushing against Shego’s back under her shirt and she knows they need to stop and talk. That’s why she came here, to talk. But then Shego’s shirt is off and the other girl is working at Kim’s pants, and Kim can’t bring herself to slow down. It’s been weeks and she wants this. Not just the sex, the closeness. The knowledge that Shego is here with her, under her hands.

Except then Shego pulls away. “Kim, what the fuck?”

Kim feels very, very small. “I miss you.”

“You can’t just—”

“Shego.” The other girl looks at her expectantly, and Kim steps closer again, into her space. Shego doesn’t step away. “I fucked up, and we need to talk. But both of us are half naked right now, so can we please talk later?”

Shego scowls at her. “Fine, you win.” Kim doesn’t need any more permission, and leans forward and kisses her again. Somehow, they make it up to the bedroom and land on Shego’s bed. The impact of hitting the mattress is hard on Kim’s bruised ribs, and she grits her teeth against the pain. Shego holds herself up over her and asks, “Are you afraid of me?”

Kim knows she’s playing with fire here, but she says, “No,” and it’s the truth. Shego leans down and captures her lips in a heated kiss, and it’s raw and desperate. So are Shego’s hands as they pull at Kim’s clothes, and Kim’s hands as they pull at Shego’s. They both need to believe that nothing has changed, that all of this is normal. The other girl drags her nails over Kim’s ribs and she gasps, arching into her. Shego’s eyes lock on hers, dark and hungry, and Kim knows that this is a type of trust too, even if it’s so different from a fight, or even a conversation. She’s so vulnerable right now, but she doesn’t think Shego will hurt her. Shego’s hands are all over her, and hers are all over Shego, and they’re both holding on to make sure this is real.

They end up laying naked on the bed, facing each other. Kim pulls the blanket up to cover them, trying not to wince; her body is sore from the fight yesterday, but she still doesn’t want the other girl to know. Maybe Shego was right and they should’ve talked before having sex, but it’s too late for that now. Still, she has to know… “Do you really trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Even though I didn’t tell you who I am?”

“Don’t get me wrong, Kimmie, I’m fucking pissed about that. But I didn’t tell you either, so I think we’re even.” Her face softens a little, and her hand rests on Kim’s hip under the covers. “But that doesn’t change who you are. Does it really change things for you?” Kim doesn’t think Shego has ever been this vulnerable before.

“I don’t want it to.” She forces herself to look Shego in the eye. “I’ve been doing this since I was fourteen, and I was always supposed to hate villains. They were all just evil. They lied, and they hurt people, and…” Kim can feel the tears welling up in her eyes, and there’s nothing she can do about it. “…and I’m supposed to hate you. I’m not supposed to feel like this.”

“And how exactly do you feel, Princess?” Her voice is somehow soft and demanding at the same time, and Kim is afraid of how much she feels at the sound of it.

“I missed you.” She’s scared to say any more, but she still has to put herself out there. Shego deserves it. “I…I want to make this work, but I don’t know if that’s even possible. I’m supposed to throw you in jail.”

“I want this to work too. Let’s make a deal, okay?”

“A deal?” Kim feels like she’s treading on thin ice. But then again, she’s lying naked with a girl she should hate. This is the very definition of thin ice.

“A deal,” she repeats confidently. Kim knows it’s feigned. She knows so many things about Shego and— she already wants to take this deal. “I won’t capture you, and you won’t send me to jail." Kim’s shock must show on her face, because Shego says. “I know, you always send villains to jail, and I always capture people who try to stop my boss. But–” her face is close to Kim’s now “–I’m willing to make an exception if you are.” Just like that first night at the bar, Kim just has to lean in and kiss her. “Is that a yes?”

“It’s a yes. But I have one condition.” Shego looks at her expectantly, almost apprehensively. “We have to be honest with each other. We can’t…do this again.”

“Agreed. But just so you know…I never lied to you. About anything.” Kim was already pretty sure of that, but it’s nice to hear it out loud.

“I didn’t lie to you either.”

“Good. So what do you want to know?”

“First, I want pizza.”

So they order pizza, and Kim learns about Shego, whose life was destroyed when a comet hit her treehouse. Who got swept up into the mess of being a teenage hero with her brothers, and wasn’t prepared for any of the fame, and sure as hell wasn’t prepared to become so disillusioned so quickly. Who learned that nothing was as black and white as her brothers wanted it to be, until her older brother decided she’d fallen too far into the grayness. Who got a college degree she doesn’t use and became someone her brothers would hate. Who tried to piss off her family and found that she really loves stealing, loves the rush she gets from eluding people, from doing things she’s not supposed to. Who’s wanted in eleven countries and has flat out refused to kill people because there are certain lines she doesn’t cross, no matter how much anyone pays her.

And Shego learns about Kim, who also fell into something she never expected. Who tried to set up a babysitting site and ended up helping a rich billionaire because of a single typo. Who’d never been as scared or as proud as she was on that night. Who wasn’t ready for the billionaire to spread the news about how she’d saved him, until she was getting calls from all over the world, trying to help people she wasn’t prepared to save. Who bounced back and forth across the globe and also balanced classes and clubs. Who graduated high school and became something that no one expected, something they still question.

And somehow, even though there was so much she didn’t know before, Kim can’t help but think that this is the same person she’s already fallen for. The same girl who is smart and sarcastic and thoughtful in her own twisted way, who might have a kind of messed up moral compass, but always follows it to a T.

And after they finish talking, Kim doesn’t offer to go home, and Shego doesn’t ask her to leave.

Chapter Text

It’s hard at first. Going on missions, fighting each other like this. Drakken is becoming more and more active, and they fight on a regular basis now, and sometimes it’s awful. Like the night when Kim goes home with a long burn on her arm and she doesn’t answer any of Shego’s texts, even though she knows it was an accident. That night, she buys burn cream from the pharmacy and curls up in bed, crying. Because her arm hurts, and because maybe she was wrong, maybe this is a mistake. Maybe they’re too different, too far apart.

When Kim hears a knock on her door the next morning, she ignores it. There’s a second knock, and a third, but she doesn’t react. She doesn’t want to see Shego right now. Eventually, she opens the door cautiously, checking to make sure Shego is really gone. The hallway is empty, but there’s a small container on the ground, along with a note. Even though she’s upset and her arm feels like it’s on fucking fire, she gives in to her curiosity.

This is what my family used when I was learning to control my powers. It’s the best burn cream we could find. I’m sorry.

Kim stumbles back into her apartment, crying again but for an entirely different reason. She tries the cream, and the pain in her arm disappears immediately. She googles the name on the container, and her eyes go wide when she sees the price — it’s far out of the range of anything she would ever be able to afford for herself. She knows her girlfriend is rich, but still…this is no small gift.

She takes out her phone and texts Shego. Thank you. She thinks that maybe this wasn’t a mistake. They’ll get hurt — they’ll hurt each other — but they can take care of each other too.

Kim isn’t the only one that gets hurt. They both end up with scrapes and bruises, and sometimes a little more. But the worst day…it starts out as a normal fight. They’re going back and forth, exchanging blows like they always do, and it’s so much fun. Kim pushes towards Shego a little more, and Shego steps away, and her foot touches the ground just as Kim yells out a warning. Within seconds, Shego understands her panic — the floor is slick and wet, and her leg slides out from under her; she falls back, slamming her head against a table.

For a moment, dark spots cloud her vision. No. I’m not passing out. She looks up and sees Kim’s concerned expression. She pulls herself off the ground, steadying herself on the edge of the table. The room is spinning a little and she want to throw up, but she tries to give Kim a reassuring smile. She’s pretty sure she fails miserably. She glances over at Drakken and sees that he’s still working. Either he didn’t notice her fall or he doesn’t care, and white-hot anger penetrates the haze in her mind.

“Shego, look at me.” Kim’s quiet voice cuts through her rage. “Don’t look at him, just look at me.” Shego scowls, but she tries to focus on Kim. It’s hard to focus on anything, really. She knows Kim is pulling her punches, but she can’t bring herself to care; it’s hard to think, and every movement hurts her head. The entire time, that same concerned expression never leaves her girlfriend’s face.

In fact, Kim is still there, wearing that same expression, when Shego walks out to her car at the end of the day. Her head is pounding and she just wants to go home and collapse into her bed, so she doesn’t even protest when Kim tells her to hand over her keys. She’s not sure if she could have made it home on her own anyway, and it’s sweet that Kim cares so much.

When they get to her house, Kim forces her to eat and drink. She’s dizzy and nauseous and she still just wants to go to bed, but she accepts a little food and some water, mostly for Kim’s sake. Then her girlfriend drops a bombshell on her.

“You can’t go to work tomorrow.”

“I’ll do whatever the hell I want.”

“You have a concussion,” Kim insists. “You need to rest. You shouldn’t work at all this week.” Shego still hesitates. There are three days in the week, and that’s a lot of time to miss when she’s not on vacation. But then Kim’s lip starts to go out in that damn adorable pout that she can’t resist. “Call Drakken. Please. For me?”

“Fine,” she mutters, but she’s secretly glad to be calling off — her head is still pounding, and she just wants to go to sleep.

She takes out her phone and calls Drakken. “Shego? Why are you calling me?”

“I’m taking a sick day tomorrow.”

“A sick day?!” He’s practically yelling into the phone, and it sends a shockwave of pain through her head; tears spring up in her eyes. He’s so loud, and her head hurts so, so much. “You don’t get to just take—”

“It’s not a question, it’s a heads up. Actually, I’ll be gone til Monday.”

“B-but—”

“Have a nice night, Doc.”

She hangs up, and suddenly realizes her hands are shaking. Kim wraps her arms around her, and Shego leans against her, resting her forehead on her shoulder. “My head hurts,” she whispers.

“I know, sweetheart.” Sweetheart? It’s the first time Kim has called her that, but she decides she likes it. Her girlfriend helps her upstairs, into bed, and kisses her forehead. “Go to sleep.”

Shego holds onto her wrist. “Will you stay?”

“Sure.” Kim slides in next to her, and Shego nestles closer to her. The small movement hurts her head, but she’s so much more comfortable like this, with Kim in her bed, and it doesn’t take long for her to fall asleep.

The next morning, Kim wakes to the sound of her phone alarm. She hears Shego mumble, “That hurts.” She turns it off, then realizes where she is.

“Shit.” She sits up, suddenly fully awake.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have class in half an hour.” Shego’s house is an extra twenty minutes from campus, and she still needs to stop at her apartment to grab her backpack and change into new clothes.

Shego stretches her arms above her head. “I can give you a ride.”

“You have a concussion. You’re not driving anywhere for a while.”

Shego rolls her eyes, then winces. “I heal quickly. I’m fine now.”

Kim relents a little. “You’re still not driving for at least a few days.” She doesn’t point out that Shego called her alarm painful. She looks at the time again. With the way things are going, she’s going to be at least fifteen minutes late to class, and it’s only an hour, and Shego is looking up at her with such innocent eyes… “I’ll skip this one, I’m going to be late anyway.” She can get notes from a friend tomorrow.

Shego doesn’t argue, just tugs Kim back down into bed. She has a lot of homework that she really needs to work on, but her next class isn’t for a couple more hours, so she decides that it’s okay to cuddle with her girlfriend for a little longer. She can go to the library later.

Kim discovers that it’s hard to fight Shego while she’s wearing her catsuit. One day, when Ron and Drakken are far away, her self-control snaps and she pins Shego against the wall, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. When she pulls away, Shego says, “I think we’re supposed to be fighting, Kimmie.”

“That catsuit is really distracting.”

Shego pushes her away. “I wouldn’t mind if you wore something more distracting. You know, to even the playing field.”

“I used to wear a crop top.”

“Why’d you stop?”

“They stopped making it.”

“Well, how about this–” she grunts as Kim hits her. “–we’re going to find some new mission clothes for you. Something a little more distracting. Without the cargo pants.”

“What’s wrong with the pants? They have pockets!”

“You look so much better in skinny jeans.”

Kim ignores her, but she’s already formulating a plan. After the mission, she goes straight to Club Banana, turning down Ron’s offer of Bueno Nacho. She calls Monique for advice, since her BFF is the only person who knows about her relationship, on top of being her most fashion-conscious friend. She already owns plenty of skinny jeans and a few crop tops, but she wants something that’s as over the top as Shego’s catsuit. Something that will make it hard for her girlfriend to focus on their fights.

It’s hard, because she doesn’t necessarily want something revealing. After all, Shego’s catsuit is distractingly hot even though it covers her entire body. Kim is okay showing more skin than that, but she doesn’t want to walk into a fight half-naked. She sees shirts with ridiculously low necklines, and crop tops that are only a small step above bras. There’s nothing wrong with any of them, but she can’t see herself wearing them, especially not to fight. Eventually, she settles on a dark red shirt. It’s not something she would ever wear, but it’s guaranteed to drive Shego insane when she sees it. She takes a picture and sends it to Monique, but she’s already decided that this one is perfect.

Kim shows up to the next fight in black skinny jeans and the shirt she picked out after their last fight. It’s a tight crop top with long sleeves, and Shego’s attention is immediately drawn to the zipper that starts at the top and runs down about half the length of the shirt. She imagines what it would be like to pull that zipper down all the way, how Kim would look like that… She’s so distracted that she barely even realizes that her girlfriend is right in front of her. “If you don’t close your mouth,” Kim whispers, “you’re going to catch flies.”

Coming back to herself, Shego immediately surges forwards, pinning Kim against the wall and kissing her, hands resting on the bare skin of her waist. Kim pulls back and looks at her. “It’s almost like you’re trying to get caught.” They’re still not keeping this a secret exactly, but they agreed to be more careful around Ron and Drakken, and Shego is throwing all caution to the wind right now.

“Princess, I don’t know if you’ve looked in a mirror recently, but getting caught isn’t exactly the first thing on my mind.” She tries to kiss Kim again, but her girlfriend pulls away.

“Remember, we’re supposed to be fighting,” she teases. It’s an exact mirror of what Shego said to Kim during their last fight but…

“That shirt is just so—”

“Distracting?” She smirks, and when she speaks, her voice is a simulacrum of innocence. “I thought you wanted me to wear something more distracting? Something about evening the playing field?”

Shego shakes her head. “Unbelievable. I’m actually rubbing off on you.”

Kim shrugs. “Maybe a little.”

“Careful, Princess. Soon you’ll be robbing banks with me.”

“As if.” She finally attacks, and Shego doesn’t answer. But it’s significantly harder to fight when Kim is in front of her wearing that shirt, and all she wants to do is pin her to the wall and tear it off. And then Shego is trapped on the ground and Kim is straddling her, and her girlfriend’s hands are planted firmly next to her head, and she’s very, very close to losing control.

Shego trails one hand across Kim’s exposed stomach, feeling the muscles tighten under her fingers. “After this, you are going to come to my house, and you’d better still be wearing this shirt. Got it?”

Kim’s smirk is infuriating. “As long as you agree that I won this round.”

Shego’s pride battles with her hormones, but only for a few seconds. “Fine. Just this once. Now go gather your sidekick.”

“You don’t like him.”

Shego shrugs. She’s jealous of him, jealous of his relationship with Kim, jealous because he saw her every day for years, because Kim still trusts him implicitly on missions, because she’s heard him say I’ve got your back and she knows that Kim believes it. It’s stupid, she knows, but she can’t get over it. “Of course I don’t like him. He’s seen you naked.”

“Well, we have more fun when we’re naked.”

“Good to know. Now go save him.” She traces the hem of Kim’s crop top with one finger. “I’ll be expecting you.” Kim laughs and gets up, and Shego doesn’t move for a few seconds, just watches her walk away. Right before she’s out of sight, Kim looks back at her and fucking winks. Then she’s gone, leaving Shego laying on the ground. She sighs, dropping her head back against the floor and staring up at the ceiling. This girl is going to be the death of her.

Chapter Text

“We need to start sparring again,” Shego says. Kim looks up from her place on the floor.

“Why? We fight all the time.”

“I know, but that’s different.” Kim silently admits that she’s right. During those fights, Shego uses her plasma, and Kim sometimes wears her battlesuit, and it’s just not the same as it used to be. “Are you afraid that you can’t beat me without the suit?” Shego teases.

“I’m not afraid of anything,” Kim insists. It’s a lie. She’s afraid of giant bugs, and she’s even more afraid of losing Shego again.

“So what’s the problem?” Shego leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “How about this? We can turn it into a bet. Loser has to cook dinner tonight.”

Kim shakes her head. “I have cheer practice. And you don’t want me to win that bet.”

Shego shrugs. “Loser has to pay for our next date?”

Kim considers her homework, which is spread out on the floor in front of her, then sweeps it into a pile and puts it safely in a folder. She turns back to Shego. “Deal.” Without any warning, she’s on her feet and flipping over the couch — with Shego on it — and sprinting towards the gym.

“What the fuck?!”

She sticks her head out of the room, grinning. “We’re sparring, right?”

Shego grins back and joins her.

Kim is disappointed when Shego cancels their date — she knows her girlfriend isn’t trying to avoid holding up her side of the bet, but it kind of feels that way.

Then she gets the call to stop Drakken, and she understands. The lair is underwater, and after they’re done, Kim tells Ron to go home without her. Tells him she wants to wander around for a while, insists she doesn’t want company. She walks along the beach, and the sun is setting, and this could be so romantic. She pulls out her phone and asks Shego to join her, and within minutes, she feels her girlfriend’s warmth against her back, feels steady arms around her waist. She spins around in the other girl’s arms. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Shego answers. Kim can’t help it — she laughs. “So what are we doing here?”

“You owe me dinner.”

“Oh, so fighting my boss is a date now?”

“No, watching the sunset on the beach is a date.”

Kim sits down, but Shego stops her before she can lay back in the sand. “Don’t do that while your hair is wet, it’ll be a pain to get out later.” Kim sits up reluctantly, and Shego crouches beside her. “Just wait a sec.” Shego glances around cautiously, then charges her hand with just the faintest hint of plasma. Just enough to dry Kim’s hair as she runs her fingers through it, straightening out the minor tangles. “You can lay down now.”

“That was reckless.” She rests back against the sand anyway. Shego stretches out beside her, laying on her stomach.

“No one was looking. And it was worth it.” Kim blushes a little; Shego is so sweet sometimes.

Shego scoots closer to Kim and wraps an arm around her waist, tucking her chin against her shoulder. “You know,” Kim says, “we’re supposed to be watching the sunset.”

“Tough.” Kim turns her head towards Shego, and is surprised by how close she is. Not that she’s complaining — Shego is warm, and she’s so cute like this, cuddled up against her.

“You’d better not fall asleep on me. You still have to buy me dinner.”

Shego smiles, but her eyes are closed. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Princess.”

Kim watches the sunset for a while, then rolls onto her side to look at Shego again. “Sweetheart, are you awake?”

“Yeah.” Her girlfriend doesn’t even open her eyes.

“If you’re tired, we can go home and rest. We can worry about dinner another time.”

Shego thinks about it, eyes still closed. “No.” She sits up suddenly, eyes flying open, and Kim misses her warmth. “Why do we need to go home?”

Kim’s brow furrows in confusion. “We don’t, we can get dinner.”

Shego shakes her head. “It’s Friday, Kimmie. Why do we have to go home tonight?” Kim hesitates, and Shego drops her voice. “Think about it, Kim. Just you and me and the beach for two full days.” Kim has to admit that it’s tempting. And her name sounds so nice when Shego says it like that, all low and serious, like she’s pulling her into her daydream… “Consider it an all-expenses-paid vacation.”

She shakes her head. “You can’t keep paying for everything.”

“I’m supposed to pay for our next date, aren’t I? Besides, I robbed a bank yesterday, I can afford it.” Shego smirks playfully, and Kim isn’t sure if she’s joking.

“Did you actually— You know what, I don’t want to know.”

“So? Whaddaya say, Princess?”

Kim closes her eyes and imagines it. She can see it so clearly, can see them spending the whole weekend like this, on the beach, without worrying about anyone or anything else. Just her and Shego being together. The other girl is so warm next to her, and her girlfriend’s hand slides against hers, and Kim knows what she wants. But she has homework and there’s a group project meeting tomorrow and she looks into Shego’s eyes and— “Yes.”

Shego’s entire face lights up, and Kim knows she’s making the right choice.

Shego shows up to her door on her birthday, already blushing bright green. “You should get changed.”

“For what?”

“We’re going out to dinner.” Kim hesitates for only a moment. She’s supposed to get dinner with a few friends, but looking at Shego’s hopeful face…Kim tells them that something came up. Tells them to celebrate her birthday without her.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” Kim rolls her eyes, but she disappears into her room for several minutes.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

Shego doesn’t answer, and Kim sees that the other girl is just staring at her. “You’re so beautiful.” The sincere compliment catches her off guard, and her face is so red, but Shego doesn’t notice; she’s already looking away shyly, blushing deep green again. “You should take off your necklace.”

“Why?” Shego blushes even more, so Kim just slides it off, letting it curl onto a couch cushion.

“Now close your eyes.” Kim feels Shego come up behind her, sweeping her hair over one shoulder and leaving the back of her neck clear. She feels a chain settle against her neck, hears Shego fumble with the clasp. “Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

Kim touches the necklace, which is cold against her skin. There are two pieces of metal, silver and red, twisting over and over. It’s pretty, but— Oh. She suddenly sees a pattern of flames, drawn out in three dimensions, highlighted by the red metal. She turns back to Shego, who smiles and says, “Happy birthday, Princess.”

“Thank you.”

Shego reaches up, touching the necklace hesitantly. “I paid for this. I, um, I didn’t want you to have something stolen.” She keeps her eyes focused on the necklace, still blushing and avoiding Kim’s gaze.

Kim has never seen her so shy, and she stays still as Shego toys with the necklace, fingers brushing against her skin. The moment feels special, and Kim vows to remember it. To remember Shego as she is right now, shy and blushing and considerate. To remember the sincerity in Shego’s voice when she called her beautiful. Kim reaches up, resting her hand on Shego’s, and her girlfriend finally looks into her eyes. Kim promises to remember the intensity of her gaze.

There are words on the tip of her tongue right now, words that she’s terrified to say. The same words are in Shego’s eyes, and the same fear. Kim feels like she’s drowning. She thinks Shego might be too.

She tries to speak, but it comes out as a whisper. “Dinner?”

Shego’s gaze doesn’t waver, but she lowers her hand, immediately catching Kim’s again. “Right.” She exhales shakily. “Dinner.” And Shego pulls her out of the apartment.

Kim wakes to the sound of her phone ringing, and she struggles to find it before nudging Shego. “Hand me my phone.”

Still half asleep, Shego grabs it without even opening her eyes. Kim picks up on the last ring, sitting up in bed. It’s Ron, and she completely forgot that she’s supposed to have brunch with him today. He’s chattering on the phone, saying that it’s okay if she’s late and that him and Rufus have no issue waiting around, but Kim is barely listening. She’s completely absorbed in the shape of Shego’s neck, the steady rise and fall of her chest, the tangles in her hair. She looks so soft, so human, and Kim doesn’t want to go.

She taps Shego’s shoulder, and her girlfriend opens her eyes and gives her the most beautiful smile, and Kim can’t bring herself to leave. She apologizes to Ron, says she’s not feeling well, and writes it off as ‘monthly issues’ so he doesn’t press for details. She promises to see him for dinner instead, then hangs up and looks back at Shego.

“Did you just blow off the buffoon so you could spend time with me?”

She blushes a little. “Maybe.” Shego is still laying down, and Kim traces one finger over her collarbone, almost absently. “Is that okay?”

“Is it okay for you to hang out with me instead of your ex? Absolutely. Especially if you stay dressed like that.” Shego’s gaze moves carefully across Kim’s naked body.

“If I stay dressed like this, I can’t bring you breakfast in bed.”

“If you’re dressed like that, I think I already have my breakfast in bed.” Kim blushes scarlet at the extremely suggestive comment.

“If you keep talking like that, I’m calling Ron back.”

“Mmhmm, sure you are.” Shego sits up, straddling Kim’s waist, and kisses her.

No one has ever kissed Kim like Shego does. When Shego kisses her…it feels like it’s the only thing that Shego has ever wanted, likes she’s the only thing that Shego has ever wanted. It’s electric, and it makes her feel so wanted, so alive.

When they finally separate for air, Shego leans forward, pressing her entire body against Kim’s. “So what was that about breakfast in bed?”

Kim considers throwing her off, but Shego is smiling at her — not smirking, genuinely smiling, she looks so happy — and her body is warm and she’s so beautiful. And Kim pulls her in again, and forgets all about Ron and breakfast and saving the world. Right now, it feels like they’re the only people in the world, like she’s the only thing that Shego has ever wanted, like this is the only moment that matters.

Chapter Text

Kim refuses to tell Shego where they’re going, no matter how many times the other girl asks. Even though Kim just teases her and tells her to be patient, she’s more than a little worried that her girlfriend won’t enjoy this, and she really needs it to go well. She’s bringing Shego to one of her favorite spots, and she’s never shared this with anyone, and she’s not sure what she’ll do if Shego doesn’t like it. When they get there, Shego is speechless for a few seconds. Kim is worried that she’s disappointed, but then she looks at her girlfriend’s face and sees the same awe that she felt the first time she was here.

Because the sky above them is full of stars.

She remembers when she found this place. She was on a mission by herself, right after her and Ron broke up, and she decided to wander for a while instead of asking Wade for a ride back home. She just wanted to find a place to be alone, and she walked further and further away from the town she’d been in, and she found this place. A small overlook where she could see so many stars, more than she’d ever seen in her entire life, where it looked like the sky was painted in front of her. This was the first place where she really felt at peace after the breakup.

“It’s beautiful, right?”

Shego looks back at her. “Kimmie…it’s amazing.”

Kim looks down, suddenly shy. “I know we both travel a lot, but we’re always in cities. Where there’s–”

“–too much light to see the stars.”

She meets Shego’s eyes again. “Exactly.”

They sit, and Kim tells Shego about how she found this place, about how it became a type of safety for her. It was a place that was hers and hers alone. She trails off while she’s saying that last part; she doesn’t want Shego to feel like she’s intruding. But the other girl just says, “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

She’s not sure how long they sit there, talking and looking at constellations. Both of them spent most of their lives in cities — or at least large towns — so they never learned much about the constellations. Shego thinks it’s funny that Kim’s father is a rocket scientist, but she can’t even find the Big Dipper. Kim argues that there are so many stars that it’s impossible to pick out anything right now. So instead of looking for the real constellations, they start making up their own, creating new shapes and stories.

Kim is having an amazing time and she doesn’t want to leave, not even when she gets cold, so she tries to keep from shivering too noticeably. Her girlfriend picks up on it though, because she asks, “What’s wrong, Kimmie?”

“I should have brought a jacket,” she admits.

Shego hesitates, then says, “I think I can help. Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” Kim trusts her, but the question still scares her; she has no idea what the other girl is going to do. Shego’s hands suddenly glow with plasma, and Kim jumps up and away from her. She turns to look back at Shego, who’s still sitting on the ground, looking up at her.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I know.” But some piece of her stills associates that with the first time she saw that plasma, with the Moodulators, and she can hear her pulse pounding in her ears.

“Then come back here.” Shego extinguishes her hands, and Kim sits between her legs, her back pressed against Shego’s front, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her girlfriend reaches around her and takes her hands. “Remember, I’m not going to hurt you.”

She lights up her hands again, and Kim has to resist the urge to pull away. “Are you okay?” Shego asks quietly, resting her chin on Kim’s shoulder.

“Y-yeah.” She doesn’t sound convincing, even to herself. But once she starts to get over the immediate fear, it’s actually kind of…nice. Shego’s body is warm against her back, and her arms feel so protective even though they’re sheathed in plasma, and the plasma itself is nothing like she expected. She expected it to be burning hot, but it’s just enough to make her comfortable. “I’m not cold anymore.”

“Okay.” Shego doesn’t move away or extinguish her hands, and Kim relaxes against her.

This isn’t a situation she ever thought she’d be in, watching the stars with her supposed enemy. Right now, plasma is dancing over her skin, and it should scare her. It should remind her that this is dangerous, that she’s literally playing with fire.

She doesn’t care.

“Do you want to take over the world?” she asks quietly.

“Maybe,” Shego admits, also quiet. Like they’re sharing secrets. “But I’d want you as my co-ruler.”

Kim hopes that Shego can’t feel her heart pounding. “Y-you would?”

“Doy.”

Her heart swells, because Shego just admitted that, even if she had unlimited power, she would still want Kim. Not only that, she would want Kim to be with her, as her equal. She would want to share that power with Kim. “I love you.”

She feels Shego stop breathing behind her, and her hands go out on their own. “Say that again.”

It’s darker without the plasma, and Kim feels less brave, and she wishes she could she see her girlfriend’s face because she has no idea what she’s thinking right now. “I love you. And I know you’re evil and—”

“Kim,” Shego tries to interrupt, but Kim is nervous and she can’t stop rambling.

“—you aren’t supposed to care about anyone but—”

“Kim!” Shego’s voice is sharper, and Kim stops this time. “I love you too.”

Kim turns to face her, finally. “You do?”

“Yes.”

They stare into each other’s eyes for a few moments, and just as Kim thinks, Why the hell haven’t I kissed her yet?, Shego leans in and kisses her. She doesn’t think Shego has ever kissed her with this much feeling before. Honestly, she’s not sure if anyone has ever kissed her like this. Shego breaks away just long enough to say “I love you” again, and pulls Kim back in before she can respond.

When they finally separate, Kim doesn’t let Shego get too far, keeping their foreheads pressed together. “Remember when you said that you don’t date?”

“Mmhmm. Remember when you said that you don’t sleep with strangers in bars?”

“You’re not a stranger anymore.” She pauses, smirking. “But you’re still dating me.”

“This is exactly why dating is a bad idea. Because you fall in love with cute redheads who save the world.” Kim suddenly realizes just how unlikely this is, for a hero and a villain to be like this. For them to sit under the stars and date and kiss and stay in bed late on weekends and fall into each other’s arms at 2 a.m. For them to have anything other than their jobs. For them to have so much other than their jobs.

“I love you,” she tells Shego, and it feels magical.

And when Shego says, “I love you too,” it sounds impossible.

Her girlfriend kisses her again, but this time it’s soft and slow and one of her hands is on Kim’s cheek, holding her there. Kim might be going crazy, but she’s pretty sure she can feel every bit of Shego’s love for her, just from this one kiss. She hopes Shego can feel her love too.

Chapter Text

Kim is surprised that Shego suggested the picnic; she sometimes forgets how sweet her girlfriend can be. But now they’re sitting in the park, eating sandwiches — one of the few things that Kim can make without destroying her kitchen. Shego brought a blanket for them to sit on, and they found a nice tree with some shade. They eat and laugh and kiss, ignoring the looks from a couple parents who loudly tell their children to look away. In fact, it makes them laugh even more, because the fact that they’re both girls is definitely not the most scandalous part of this relationship.

It’s the first date they’ve had in two weeks — Kim has been overwhelmed with homework and missions — and they’re not going to let some bigots ruin it for them. Kim wants to make the most of their time together, but she’s so exhausted and it’s nice and warm outside, and she lays down with her head in Shego’s lap, looking up at her. Her girlfriend is so beautiful that it still takes her breath away. Some of Shego’s hair tickles her face when she moves, and Kim reaches up to brush it away.

“Do you ever think about cutting your hair?”

“No.” Shego looks hurt.

“I can’t imagine having to take care of so much hair. It’s beautiful, but I don’t think I could manage it.”

Her girlfriend smirks down at her, apparently mollified. “I guess you can’t do anything.”

“I also can’t cook.” As soon as the words are out of her mouth, she wonders why she said it; she’s just adding onto Shego’s point.

“You must be tired if you’re agreeing with me. Want to go home?”

“No, I’m okay.”

“Whatever you say, Kimmie.” Kim knows Shego is right; she’s exhausted, and they should probably leave. Instead, she falls asleep with her head in Shego’s lap.

She wakes up to the feeling of Shego running her hands through her hair, almost absently. She has no idea what time it is, but she’s less tired and the sky is definitely a little darker, so she probably slept for at least an hour, maybe even two or three. The whole time, her girlfriend just sat there, playing her hair, never complaining or waking her. “Hey Shego?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“You’re too nice to love someone like me.” Kim shakes her head but doesn’t say anything. Shego pushes her off her lap, so her head thumps against the ground. Kim scowls and sits up. “I’m serious, Kimmie. You’re, I don’t know, a hero. And I’m a thief. You should be with someone better.”

Kim feels her heart falling apart again. “Are you saying you want to break up with me?”

“What the— no, Kim. Never. But I don’t understand why you want me when you could have someone better.”

“Why would I want better when I already have the best?” It sounds cheesy, but she means it; there isn’t anyone she’d rather be with.

“I’m not though. I’m not the best, I’m not even okay. I’m—”

She’s cut off when Kim kisses her, one hand wrapped around her neck to hold her close. Kim is sure that at least one of those homophobic parents is probably saying something right now, but her focus is entirely on Shego. “Don’t talk about my girlfriend like that.”

Shego blinks a couple times, trying to clear her head. She recovers enough to say, “You don’t have the best. I do.”

Kim blushes. “You’re sweet.”

“Just trying to keep up with you, Cupcake.”

Kim almost laughs because here they are, a hero and a villain, probably two of the most dangerous people in the world, and they’re having a picnic and flirting and blushing.

Kim has never been a light sleeper, so she doesn’t wake when her front door opens and closes in the middle of the night, or even when her bedroom door opens and clicks quietly shut. In fact, she only wakes when her blanket is pulled away, leaving her cold. Before she can open her eyes, she feels a warm body against her back, and the blanket falls on top of her again.

“Shego?”

“Go back to sleep, Princess.”

“Why’re you here?”

Normally, Shego might tease her, ask if she should leave. Instead, she answers honestly. “I couldn’t sleep. It’s easier like this.” Shego cuddles her a little closer.

“Am I a teddy bear or something?”

“Mmhmm.” Shego nuzzles her face into the space between Kim’s shoulder and neck. “Now stop talking and sleep.”

“’Kay.” She snuggles back against the warm body behind her and closes her eyes. She understands why it’s easy for Shego to fall asleep like this. The other girl feels so safe. Shego is wild and free and impulsive sometimes, but she’s also soft and considerate and loving, and the arm wrapped around her is heavy with possession and protection. “Love you,” she murmurs, right before she falls back into her dreams.

She doesn’t hear her girlfriend answer, “I love you too.” And Shego lays there, just enjoying Kim’s presence, until she falls asleep too.

“What is this?” Shego asks, holding the bag that Kim gave her.

“It’s a present.” Shego looks at her doubtfully. “C’mon open it.” Kim is practically bouncing in excitement. She reminds Shego of a little kid on Christmas morning, except that she’s giving a gift instead of receiving one.

Shego pulls out a single black t-shirt with the phrase ‘Come to the dark side, we have cookies,’ and a drawing of some chocolate chip cookies. She feels tears welling up in her eyes, and tries to blink them away before Kim can notice. “Thanks, Kimmie. I love it.”

“What’s wrong?” Dammit. She really doesn’t want to explain this, but it’s too late now.

“It’s just been a really long time since anyone gave me a gift. I don’t talk to my family anymore, and Dr. D—”

“Only spends money if it will help him?”

“Yeah. No one buys me anything just because they want to.”

Kim wraps her arms around her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” She knows her evil reputation would be ruined if anyone ever heard Kim say that, but she can’t help how warm and fuzzy it makes her feel.

She lets Kim hold her for a little longer, then pulls away gently. “Do you want me to try on the shirt?”

Just like that, the little-kid-on-Christmas expression is back. “Right now?”

“Sure.” She starts to pull off her shirt, then pauses. “No peaking.”

“Why? It’s nothing I haven’t—”

“No. Peaking.”

Kim rolls her eyes. “Fine.” She turns around, and Shego quickly takes off her shirt and pulls on the new one. It fits perfectly, and she wants to cry again. She’s never worn graphic tees before and she’s not going to start, but she really does like this one. It’s just so her, with its evil message and the font from Star Wars, which she’s secretly obsessed with. Kim giggled and called her a nerd when she found out about that, then kissed away her offended look. She looks down at the shirt again and smiles.

“You can look now.” Kim turns to look at her, and her eyes light up, and god, Shego is so in love with her. “Do you like it?” She has no reason to be this nervous. Kim bought the shirt, of course she likes it.

“It’s cute.” Shego can’t help it — she blushes. She still gets those butterflies when Kim calls her cute. She’s not sure if they’ll ever go away. “You should wear it to work.”

Shego looks at her incredulously. It doesn’t sound like she’s joking. “I can’t let Drakken see me in…in this.”

“Why not?”

“Princess, I have a reputation.”

“And that requires a skin-tight catsuit?”

“Yes.”

“Will you at least wear it for the rest of the day?” Kim gives her a puppy dog pout, which is completely unnecessary — Shego was already going to agree. Kim takes her hand and pulls her out of the house, and Shego just laughs, doesn’t even ask where they’re going. Because her girlfriend loves her and gives her gifts and hugs her when she cries, and Shego is pretty sure she would follow her to the ends of the Earth if she had to.

“Hey Kimmie?” It’s late at night and they’re both naked, and everything feels so slow and comfortable. Kim has heard of pillow talk before, but she never understood it, not until she was laying with Shego, cuddling and whispering secrets, being close to each other in every way.

Kim turns to look at her, and the other girl reaches over to brush some hair from her face, her fingers gentle on Kim’s skin. “Hmm?”

“What’s in Area 51?”

“Why do you think I know?”

“You do, don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“You know, I could always find out on my own.”

“You shouldn’t tell me that. Then I’d have to stop you.”

“Oooor,” Shego draws out the word, rolling to lay on top of Kim, “you could just tell me now.”

Shego’s body is warm against Kim’s, and everything still feels soft and slow, and she decides to tell the truth. “Aliens.”

“You’re kidding.”

Kim shakes her head. “They started the rumors themselves. Because if it ever gets leaked, everyone will think it’s a joke.” She looks up at Shego, smiling slightly. “You know, I shouldn’t have told you that.” She doesn’t even pretend to be concerned.

“It’s okay. I can keep a secret.”

“I know. But we should go to sleep before I tell you anything else.”

Shego settles next to her again, without even an eye roll or a sarcastic comment. At times like this, Kim sees a different side of her girlfriend, a kinder, more gentle side, and she loves it. Shego is so open and trusting, without the persona that she usually wraps around herself. Kim rolls to face her again, and the other girl smiles at her, still soft. Kim closes the small gap between them and kisses her, slow and gentle. When they separate, Shego is still smiling. She raises an arm, inviting Kim to move closer. “Come here, Princess.”

Kim gives in to the request, shifting towards Shego and resting her chin on her girlfriend’s shoulder. The other girl lets her arm fall against around Kim’s waist as their legs tangle under the covers. Everything is still slow and comfortable, and Kim sinks into the feeling. She just told Shego a government secret, but she can’t bring herself to care. It was idle curiosity, not an evil scheme, and she trusts Shego more than anyone in the world. Right now, they’re close enough that she can feel her girlfriend’s chest move as she breathes and somehow, she feels so at home. “Can I tell you another secret?”

“Sure.”

“I think I’m in love with you.”

“I think I’m in love with you too.” Even though she can’t see her girlfriend’s face, Kim knows she’s smiling again, that same soft, beautiful smile. “Now let’s go sleep, okay?”

“Okay.” And she sleeps.

Chapter Text

“I am going to kill Drakken,” Shego growls.

Kim isn’t sure if she should discourage Shego or offer to help. The lair is collapsing around them, and not because of a self-destruct button this time; the pieces of Drakken’s ray weren’t held together properly, and it spun out of control. She knows Ron and Drakken are okay — they weren’t near the collapse. But this piece of the lair is literally falling apart, and Kim and Shego are struggling to stay alive. Her girlfriend shoves her out of the way, protecting her from a chunk of rock that would have flattened her, and Kim swears under her breath. Shego catches it, and smirks in spite of the situation. She pauses for a moment and kisses Kim. Kim knows she should pull away, should insist that they need these precious seconds to escape. She doesn’t. “I love you,” Shego tells her.

“I love you too. Tell me again when we get out of here.”

“Yeah.”

Kim takes her girlfriend’s hand, pulling her forward as she runs. She can see Ron and Drakken ahead of them, so close, but she can also see the rocks above them, and she knows what has to happen.

Before she can overthink it, she shoves Shego hard. The other girl stumbles forward, away from her, and Kim springs backwards. Shego starts to reach for her, and then the ceiling comes crashing down, forming a wall between them.

Kim leans her forehead against the rubble, imagining Shego standing on the other side, still so close. The stones tremble against her forehead, and Shego feels suddenly feels so far away. Kim wonders, almost idly, how long it will take for this pocket of air to collapse.

She exhales slowly, shakily. She knew this would happen, knows there’s no way out now. But she’s Kim Possible, and she doesn’t give up. She turns around and starts searching for another escape, even though she knows it doesn’t exist.

She’s glad that she let Shego kiss her.

Shego is standing there, staring at the rocks, trying to pry them out of the way, trying to get to Kim. Drakken grabs her, tries to pull her to safety, but she’s screaming now, and crying, which she never does and certainly not in front of Drakken.

“We have to go back, we have to get her out.” She’s ignoring every rule they made about these things, but she doesn’t care because Kim is trapped under a giant pile of rock, and nothing is more important than that. They need to find her, need to make sure she’s alive. Kim can’t die, she can’t be dead, she just can’t. Shego pulls away from Drakken, almost violently. “We have to get her out!” She jabs a finger into his chest. “You did this, so fix it! Get Kimmie out of there!”

He’s staring at her like she’s crazy. Actually they all are — Drakken, Ron, and even Rufus, whose name she’s finally started to remember. “Ron, don’t you have some sort of monkey magic? Use it!” He’s still staring at her, probably wondering how she even knows about that. Either that, or wondering why she called him by his real name. Maybe both. She considers slapping him if he doesn’t answer soon.

“Y-yeah, I can try.”

“Don’t try, just do it!”

He stands there for a minute, clearly concentrating, then turns to her, defeated. “I can’t…it doesn’t work when I’m stressed. I can’t save her.” Shego wants to scream at him, but it’s obvious that he’s already beating himself up more than she ever could.

Drakken, who has fortunately realized that he should not ask why they’re trying to save Kim Possible, clears his throat. “I think I may have an idea.”

Shego would normally refuse any suggestion from Drakken, but she’s desperate. All she can think about is Kim laying on the ground unconscious, maybe dead. No, she’s not dead. Kim isn’t dead. “What is it?”

“Oh, now you listen to—”

Shego grabs him by the front of his suit. “What’s your plan to save Kimmie?”

“Well, I still have a shrink ray which—”

Ron cuts him off this time. “Not cool man, we are not using your—”

Shego shoves Drakken to the ground and glares at Ron, hands blazing. Her jaw clenches painfully, and she barely keeps her voice steady. “Shut the fuck up. We’re doing whatever we have to to save Kimmie.” They’re still looking at her with wide eyes, like she’s crazy. She doesn’t care. She’s not dead she’s not dead she’s not dead. She turns back to Drakken, who’s still cowering on the ground. “What’s this about a shrink ray?”

“W-well I was thinking that we could use it to shrink the rocks on top of her.” It’s risky, Shego knows. It means they have to trust one of Drakken’s inventions, and if it blows up, they’re all dead. But if it doesn’t…they can save Kim. That’s worth any risk.

“Do it.”

Logically, Shego knows that Drakken is moving as fast as he can, probably because he’s terrified of her, but it feels like it’s taking forever. Her breathing is coming quickly now, and she sits down, pressing her face into her hands. She’s never been like this before, and certainly not in front of anyone but Kim. But Shego loves her more than just about anything and—

She stands abruptly and walks over to the pile of rubble. Right here, she feels just a little closer to Kim. She starts to pull the rocks away, almost desperately, hoping to at least make a dent in the pile, and also because she’s losing her mind. She has to do something because she stood there while Kim got buried, and she can’t just watch while other people save her; she can’t be that helpless. She’s vaguely aware of Ron hovering nearby, too afraid to come near her. He doesn’t get it. None of them do.

When Drakken says he’s ready, Shego stands out of the way. The shrink ray hits the first rock, and it drops down to the size of a pebble and lands on the ground. Nothing explodes, and he does a second one. A third, and some of the rocks shift and collapse more on themselves. Shego screams, but there’s nothing she can do. She hates feeling so useless. A few more rocks, and she can see Kim laying on the ground, curled into a ball, covered in dust.

Ron tries to get to her, but Shego shoves him out of the way, crawling through a hole in the rocks. The space is tight and a rock cuts a line across her shoulder, but she doesn’t feel the pain. She just drops to her knees next to Kim. “Kimmie?”

Kim’s eyes open and blinks a few times, trying to clear away the dust, and she coughs weakly. The tightness in Shego’s chest loosens. Kim is alive, and she’s awake, and that’s all that matters. “Shego? Is it over?”

“Y-yeah, it’s over. You’re okay now.” Her entire body is trembling, she realizes. Kim sits up slowly and Shego pulls her in, just holding her tight. Kim’s arms wrap around her, holding on just as tight. Shego buries her face in Kim’s shoulder, ignoring the dust. She’s still crying, but now in relief. “Don’t you ever do anything that stupid again.”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You would’ve done the same for me.” Shego just cries more. She doesn’t know if she’s cried this much in her entire life, but she came so close to losing Kim… “We’re both okay.”

“I wouldn’t have been okay. If you died…I-I wouldn’t be okay, Kim. I can’t lose you.”

“I promise, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere.”

Shego pulls back and looks at her, only inches from her face. “No more sneaking around. I love you, and I’m not hiding it anymore.”

The other girl nods, and says, “Okay.” And then Kim kisses her, even though the rest of the rocks are gone now and Ron and Drakken are right there, staring at them in shock. It’s easily the best kiss of her entire life. “I love you too.”

Drakken clears his throat pointedly. Ron and Rufus are both unconscious on the ground, and Kim and Shego still haven’t separated, not even an inch. Shego doesn’t want to let her go.

“Shego, why are you kissing Kim Possible?!”

Kim laughs, leaning her head against Shego’s shoulder. She wants to be annoyed, but she can’t. Kim is alive, and Kim loves her, and she doesn’t care who knows. She looks Drakken square in the eye. “What, I can’t kiss my girlfriend?” Ron has just regained consciousness, and he collapses again.

Drakken stares at them, slack-jawed. “You— Your— What?!”

Before Shego can answer, Kim’s hand is on her cheek, drawing her back in, whispering “I love you” in the brief moments when they break apart.

A few minutes later, Ron wakes up again. “I must have hit my head hard in that collapse, because I had the strangest dream…” He looks up and sees Kim and Shego still wrapped around each other. He turns to Rufus. “Not a dream, buddy?”

“Nuh-uh, nuh-uh.”

Shego reluctantly pulls away. “Let’s get out of here, okay?”

“Okay.”

Shego takes Kim’s Kimmunicator out of her pocket. The screen is cracked and it won’t turn on, but she shakes it a few times and it flickers to life. “Hey Kim— oh, uh, hi Shego.”

“Hey Nerdlinger, Kimmie’s sidekick needs a ride home.”

“And Kim’s going home with you?”

“Ye— Wait, how do you know about that?”

“I didn’t know for sure…but I had a pretty good idea.”

“Whatever, just get a ride for the buffoon.”

“Sure thing.” He signs off, leaving Shego to wonder how the hell he figured that out.

Kim is surprised when Shego picks her up, one arm going under her knees and the other behind her back. It makes her feel…well, like a princess. But she knows Shego is doing it because she thinks Kim is weak and injured right now, and she’s not having any of that. “I can walk on my own.”

“Too bad.” Shego throws the Kimmunicator at Ron. “See you, buffoon.”

“I know you know my name.”

Kim smiles and waves, wrapping an arm around Shego’s neck. “Bye Ron.”

“Uh, yeah, bye KP.”

Shego carries her to her car, then sets her gently on her feet so she can get in. Instead, Kim pulls her in and kisses her. She’s trying so hard to act calm for Shego’s sake, but she almost died. It felt so close. And she would make the same choice again, but laying there with those rocks falling around her…there were so many people who she thought she’d never see again, and now Shego is right here. Kim pushes her back, pressing her hips into the car. She wishes her girlfriend was wearing anything other than this catsuit, because she needs to be closer, needs to feel more of her.

But the other girl pulls away, so gently. “Princess, you’re covered in dust. After you take a shower, I promise we’ll do whatever you want.”

Kim smiles mischievously. “You’re covered in dust too. Maybe we should take a shower together.”

“Yeah, I think that could be arranged.” Shego’s voice is a little rough this time, and Kim kisses her again.

Shego always drives fast, but today, it’s just not fast enough for Kim. She wants to be with Shego right now. She tries to tear off Shego’s clothes as soon as they’re through the door, but her girlfriend won’t let her. “I don’t want dust all over my house,” Shego explains. “Let’s go upstairs.” Kim practically drags her into the bathroom, then tries to yank her clothes away. Still, the other girl resists.

“Why now?” she whines.

Shego kisses her softly. “This will be better.” Her voice is so soft, and Kim loves her so much. Shego ignites her plasma carefully, burning up their clothes without touching Kim’s skin. The ashes fall in a neat pile on the ground. “Now we don’t have to worry about the dust getting everywhere.”

“I also don’t have anything to wear.”

Shego smirks. “An unintended bonus.” Right now, her girlfriend is so confident, and it’s so hard to remember that this is the same person who hugged her and cried and whispered that she couldn’t lose her. But if Kim squints, she can see Shego whispering secrets late at night. Can see her blushing and toying with a necklace. Can see her carefully taking her hand and pulling her into a gentle kiss, so new to this relationship, so fragile. Kim can see that girl hiding just beneath the surface, looking out at her with so much love, and she wants to claim every piece of her.

And so she kisses her again, and the other girl finally lets her push her backwards into the shower. Shego’s back hits the tile, and Kim is right there on top of her, pressing kisses down her neck and along her collarbone, ignoring the dust on her skin. Shego gasps. “W-wait.”

Kim leans back a little. This is so unfair. “What the fuck do you want now?”

The other girl laughs. “Close the shower door, Princess.” Kim blushes and reaches behind her. Shego reaches out with one hand and turns on the water, instantly dousing them and washing away the dust. The water that lands on the shower floor is a filthy brown, but neither of them notices. Kim’s entire body is pressed against Shego’s again, firmly holding her in place.

“Is there anything else?” Her tone makes it clear that, even if there is, she’s not planning on stopping.

“Nope, that’s it.” Shego barely gets the words out before Kim claims her lips again, rough and insistent. And even though they’re both covered in dust, it takes a long time for either of them to get clean.

Chapter Text

Monique visits near the end of the semester, and invites Kim and Ron to dinner at Bueno Nacho. She tells Kim to bring Shego, insists that she wants to meet her BFF’s GF now that the secret is out. Shego doesn’t want to go anywhere near ‘the buffoon,’ but Kim gives just a hint of the puppy dog pout, and she reluctantly agrees.

Kim’s friends are already eating when they arrive. Ron freezes with his naco halfway to his mouth, eyes wide with fear, and Kim doesn’t process the smirk on her girlfriend’s face until a moment too late. Shego is already sliding into the booth next to Ron, already throwing an arm around his shoulders. “Hey.” Ron looks like he’s about to pass out, and Rufus squeaks and dives into his pocket. Kim knows she should protect Ron right now, but Shego catches her eye and grins, and Kim has to bite her lip to hide a smile.

“Shego, can you switch with Monique?” Her girlfriend is ready to protest, so Kim leans into her side and adds, softly, “I want to sit with you.” Shego all but melts, immediately giving in to the request. Kim presses a kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek as they settle into their side of the booth. “Thank you.”

Ron glares down at his food. “Blech, cootie alert.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh, cootie,” Rufus echoes.

Monique jabs him with her elbow. “It’s cute.”

“I’m not cute,” Shego insists, scowling. Her hand tangles with Kim’s under the table.

“Okay, fine–” Monique’s lips twitch into a mischievous smile “–you’re not cute. Kim is cute.”

Kim knows it’s bait, and Shego falls for it completely, muttering something about Kim being hers. Kim remembers the first time Shego admitted she was jealous, the way her heart fluttered in her chest. The same way it’s fluttering right now.

Dinner is uncomfortable. Kim and Monique try to keep up a conversation, they really do, but it’s so hard when Ron and Shego refuse to interact outside of glares and thinly-veiled insults. Eventually, Kim drags Shego off to the bathroom. “Why can’t you be nice to him?”

Shego looks away, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like, “He’s your ex.”

“Are you jealous?”

“Of the buffoon?” Shego laughs. “Like hell I am.” But she doesn’t meet Kim’s eyes, and her cheeks are bright green.

“You are jealous.”

“Okay, fine.” Shego loops her arms around Kim’s waist, tugging her closer. “Of course I’m jealous, Kimmie. He’s your best friend, and your ex, and he’s known you for your entire life. And it drives me fucking crazy, because you’re supposed to be mine. But you’re also his, and I don’t like it.”

Kim is speechless, stunned by the sudden emotion. Then one of her hands comes up to rest on her girlfriend’s cheek, so gentle. Shego’s eyes are so serious, so insistent, and kissing her feels like more of a necessity than a choice. So Kim gives in. “I promise you have nothing to be jealous of. He’s my best friend, but I’m in love with you.” Shego still hesitates, searching Kim’s face carefully.

Shego remembers Ron’s voice on missions. I’ve got your back, KP. She looks at the girl in front of her, who sounds so certain of everything. I’m in love with you. “Promise?”

Kim sees how vulnerable Shego is, but she doesn’t understand it, doesn’t understand how this amazing girl could be so insecure, could even believe that Kim would ever want anyone else. “I promise.” Shego’s arms tighten around her waist, pulling her even closer, and Kim sinks into her warmth. And when Shego kisses her again, Kim melts into that too.

“Just so you know,” Kim says, “you’re a much better kisser than him. And,” she adds in a whisper, hands sliding down Shego’s body, “you’re better at other things too.”

Shego laughs softly, dropping her chin onto Kim’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She wants to stay like this forever, just wrapped in Shego’s arms. But there are other people waiting for them, so she has to pull away. “Are you ready to face Ron?”

“The things I do for you…”

Kim smiles and takes her girlfriend’s hand, tugging her out of the bathroom and back to the table. Ron stands as soon as he sees them. “I have homework,” he announces bluntly. “Monique, I’ll see you later. Shego…try not to hurt my friend.” Kim notes that he’s not angry anymore, just tired. Maybe he’s tired of hating Shego.

He walks away, leaving his half-eaten naco behind. Kim sits, a little shaky. “That sounded almost like approval.”

Monique shrugs. “So…do you want to go literally anywhere else?”

“Please and thank you!”

Apparently, when Monique said ‘literally anywhere else,’ she just meant ‘Kim’s apartment.’ Kim tries to direct them to a bar, insists that it’s not late and they could have a couple drinks. Monique smiles, agrees, “It’s not late, we should grab some drinks. Kim, is there a liquor store near your apartment?” Kim groans, muttering that this is not a good idea, even as she leads the way.

They get to the store, and Shego tells Monique to go in by herself, says that her and Kim will wait outside. Then Shego grabs onto Kim, covering her face with feather-light kisses that tickle more than anything. Kim squirms out of her grasp and runs, weaving between people on the sidewalk, ignoring their surprise. Staying close to the liquor store, but still out of Shego’s reach. She glances behind her, locks eyes with her girlfriend, and, remembering what she learned from Ron’s ninja friends…she disappears.

She sees her girlfriend pause, turning in a circle, looking for her, trying to find out where she went. And Shego is so unprepared to feel Kim’s weight against her back, Kim’s arms around her shoulders. Kim laughs into her ear, feeling light and free and happy. “Looking for me?”

Shego turns in her arms. “You need to show me that trick.”

“Mmhmm.” Kim is full of energy and excitement from their game, and she pulls Shego into a fierce kiss, channeling that passion, so unaware that they’re still standing in the middle of the sidewalk. It’s just her and Shego, and her girlfriend’s arm wraps around her waist and Kim’s hands hold onto her shoulders, and Kim is drowning in her.

And suddenly Monique says, “I’d tell you to get a room, but I don’t want to drink this by myself.” They break apart abruptly, and Kim’s face is so red. “How do we get to your apartment? And can the two of you try to keep your clothes on while I’m there?”

Kim can’t remember ever being so mortified. But she glances over at Shego, with her infuriating smirk and, in spite of everything, she wants to kiss her again.

Instead, she turns back to Monique to give directions. As her friend starts walking away, Kim meets Shego’s eyes for just a moment. She remembers how nervous she was just a few minutes ago, how she was so unsure and uncomfortable and certain that they were making a mistake.

Now, she feels comfortable and confident and so alive. She remembers how it felt to catch Shego by surprise, the pure joy she felt at that moment, and she knows why she’s so confident right now. She mouths, “Thank you,” before walking after Monique.

Her girlfriend’s smile is radiant.

Shego and Monique get along so well, and it’s so much easier without Ron. Maybe it’s because Monique always knew Shego as Kim’s girlfriend, well before the word evil came into play. Or maybe it’s just the alcohol. Either way, Kim just leans into Shego’s side and lets them talk.

She jolts awake at the sound of her Kimmunicator, but Shego answers before she can even reach for it. “Hey Nerdlinger.”

“Hi Shego.” He’s so calm, so comfortable, so willing to see Shego as a person. (Kim isn’t supposed to know that they play video games on Tuesday nights, but Shego doesn’t hide things from her. Never again, they decided.) “I need to speak to Kim.”

“Tough. Kimmie’s not feeling well.”

Kim tries to sit up, but Shego pushes her back down. “I’m fine.”

“Mmhmm, but are you sober?” Shego asks.

Kim stops fighting, snuggles back into her side, and admits that Shego might have a point. “Shut up.”

Wade cuts in again. “It’s pretty important. Monkey Fist is—”

“Don’t know, don’t care. I happen to like my girlfriend, and I don’t want her to die because someone wants her to jump out of a plane while she’s drunk.” Shego glances at the other girl, whose eyes are wide and innocent. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but Kim looks so young and trusting right now, and Shego has a powerful urge to protect her from the world, even though she doesn’t need protection. It’s probably stupid. She doesn’t care. “You can call Ron or the Cyclops or whoever the hell you want, but Kimmie is staying right here tonight.”

“Kim, are you seriously okay with this?” Wade asks.

Kim shrugs, still out of sight of the camera. “She’s protecting me. It’s cute. And I may be just a little drunk.” Monique laughs, but she gives Shego a look of approval.

“There’s your answer, Nerdlinger. Have a nice night.” She tosses the Kimmunicator across the room without waiting for a reply.

“Maybe you should’ve been a little nicer,” Kim says, without any real worry behind it.

Her girlfriend kisses the side of her head. “Shut up and go back to sleep.”

Monique catches Shego’s eye again. “Remember what I said? Cute.”

This time, Shego rolls her eyes, the corners of her mouth tugging up into a smile. “Yeah, whatever. What kind of villain is named Monkey Fist anyway?” Kim buries her face in her girlfriend’s arm, hiding her grin.

At the start of the summer, Kim finally brings Shego home to meet her parents. It’s hard to know which of them is more nervous. Her parents try to make Shego sleep in the guest room, just like they would for any boy, but Shego’s never been one for following rules, and they never tell Kim where to sleep. So Shego stays in the guest room, and Kim slips out of bed to join her. They stay up late at night, just whispering and giggling until they fall asleep together, and Kim doesn’t even mind her parents’ looks of disapproval in the morning.

She knows that, even if they pretend, they’re not really okay with her dating a supervillain. They think Shego is a bad influence and has no right being around their daughter, but they’re polite towards her, and her father calls her ‘young lady,’ in the same way that Kim has heard him say ‘young man.’ Shego even nods seriously while he threatens to strap her onto a rocket and send her into a black hole, even though she’s struggling to suppress her laughter.

Kim’s mother sees them one day, fighting over the TV remote. Sees Shego practically crawl on top of Kim to steal it from her. Sees Kim throw her off the couch, and watches them roll around the living room floor, laughing. Sees Shego kiss Kim so passionately — she almost walks away here — then snatch the remote from her daughter’s hand while she’s distracted. Hears Kim accuse her of being evil, hears Shego agree wholeheartedly. Then sees Shego switch to the channel that Kim wanted to watch, letting Kim rest her head in her lap. She sees her daughter’s smiles, her laughter, how gently Shego touches her. She leaves before they notice her, and decides that, against all common sense, she approves of this.

Kim shows Shego around Middleton, bringing her to the mall and Club Banana and Bueno Nacho and telling her about all the places she used to hang out. “But you were never holding hands with a beautiful girl when you were here,” Shego comments at one point, when they’re in the park near her house.

“And I’m not holding hands with one now.” She drops Shego’s hand before the other girl can be offended. Shego smiles and wraps an arm around her waist and kisses her, and Kim doesn’t care who sees. She breaks the kiss as Shego intertwines their fingers again. “Now I’m holding hands with a beautiful girl.”

They keep walking until they find a bench, and they sit with their hands hanging between them. “So who were you holding hands with?” Shego asks.

“Does it matter anymore?”

“As long as it wasn’t the buffoon.” Kim gives her a warning look, and Shego rolls her eyes. “Fine, as long as it wasn’t Ronnie.”

Kim sighs. She’s trying to get Shego to stop calling Ron a buffoon, and it’s working…kind of. She’s not sure if ‘Ronnie’ is an improvement; Ron certainly doesn’t think it is, but that just encourages Shego more. “It was sometimes Ron,” she admits, “but it was usually Josh.” She bites her lip, then adds, “But they weren’t as beautiful as you.”

“Very few people are.”

“Are you admitting that there might be someone who’s more beautiful than you?” Kim teases.

“Hmmm, I don’t know. Kiss me again and I might tell you.”

Instead, Kim raises their joined hands and kisses the back of Shego’s hand. Her girlfriend flushes deep green at the gentle action, and drops her head onto Kim’s shoulder. The silence between them is calm and comfortable and perfect. The park is so peaceful right now, with everyone still in school, without shrieking children and groups of teenagers. It’s just open and empty and quiet.

“Shego?” Kim feels her girlfriend’s head lift off her shoulder, and her lips twitch into a grin.

“Yeah?”

Without warning, she jumps off the bench, calling, “Catch me if you can!” as she runs away. Shego quickly catches on and gives chase. Kim runs around the park, taunting Shego, daring her to catch her, and in the back of her mind, she’s aware of how free this feels. As she sprints through the grass, she’s overwhelmed by this feeling of freedom, this feeling that belongs entirely to Shego.

Kim isn’t sure how long it takes for Shego to catch her. When the other girl gets close, Kim considers turning this into a sparring match, but she lets her girlfriend tackle her to the ground instead, the soft grass pressing into her back. Shego falls on top of her, breathing hard from the chase. “Gotcha.”

Kim looks up into Shego’s eyes, those same electric eyes that trapped her on that first night in the bar. She doesn’t feel trapped now. “You got me,” she confirms. And I’ve got her, Kim thinks as Shego’s lips descend on hers. I’ve got her. She’s mine.