Kigo

3) Home is where the Heart is by Lhyaran

Chapter 3: Saturday Morning Twins
~o0o~

"Emerald," Kim mumbled as she awoke, not knowing why she had said it, but still too sleepy to remember that she had. Half-awake, she lay there in the warmth and comfort of her bed, olive green eyes blinking in the darkness. She Wondered why she had woken so early as she snuggled back into her pillow... then she felt it. There was a hint of danger and excitement radiating around her room. What it was, she could not explain, but it was there, and it had woken her up.

Gingerly sitting up under the covers, she hugged her knees to her chest and looked around the room. The dim light from her clock illuminated the darkness, enough for her to see by, but there was nothing in her room to account for the strange sensation that was causing her body to tingle. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, her senses strained and focused on the feeling that was all around her. There! her mind yelled, outside, it's coming from the back of the house.

Throwing off the covers, she tentatively stood up, hissing in pain through clenched teeth as her injured body made itself known. Hobbling awkwardly over to her window, she rested a hand against the wall and leaned against it for support. Making sure to remain unseen from anyone outside, she looked out into darkness beyond her room. On the horizon, the sun's rays were just starting to brighten the sky, but the world outside her window still lay shrouded in heavy darkness. The silent comfort of the early morning and the dazzling beauty of the sun broaching the mountains on the horizon were all lost on Kim as she spied the source of her peculiar feeling.

There, in the backyard, was a curvaceous silhouette that Kim would recognize anywhere. Shego, with her hands glowing faintly in the gloom, was going through her early-morning exercises. She now knew what had awakened her, what she had been feeling. It was the almost physical aura the woman was radiating as she flowed through her katas. Exhibiting a feline grace and agility that captivated Kim as she flowed through her routine.

As the yard slowly brightened, Kim was able to see that Shego was still in her pajamas, and they looked surprisingly like her famous catsuit, the colors spot on. Where on earth did she get those? Then another thought, what came first, the pajamas or the catsuit? She giggled at the idea that she had been fighting Shego in her pajamas for the last few years.

Kim found herself staring in rapt attention as Shego's aura flowed around her, tingling her skin. Eventually, she managed to blink, and realized she hadn't taken a breath since she had spotted her. Pushing those thoughts aside, she rubbed her sleepy eyes while stifling a yawn. Resting a palm on the window, she focused on the kata Shego was using, instantly recognizing it. In fact, it was one she often used herself.

Closing her eyes and relaxing on the windowsill, she let her mind drift as she visualized moving in front of Shego, and falling into a seamless partnership. A perfect ballet of bodies, arms, and legs. Humming happily to herself at the synchronized dance in her mind, she drifted back to sleep on the windowsill, a smile on her face.

~o0o~

Shego flowed through her morning katas, trying to calm her mind and relax her body from the previous night's ordeal. She had come out early to avoid any prying eyes, but was annoyed when an hour or so in, she felt that she was being watched. Not breaking stride with her exercises, she slowly spun in a circle, scanning the surrounding darkness. Focusing intently on the feeling, she found her gaze drifting up to the back window of the Possible's house, her Princess's room. Wait, what? Grunting in annoyance that Kim was out of bed, she went back to her exercises.

After a while, the feeling of being watched went away, and Shego guessed that Kim had left the window. Enjoying the peace and solitude of the morning, she watched as the sky slowly turned from inky black to a rich blue. Spending another hour on her exercises and calming her mind, she eventually felt relaxed enough to head back inside.