Kigo

8

Chapter 8: Table Manners
~o0o~

The sun was just coming up as Shego arrived back at the Possible's house, and she was feeling the effects of almost two nights without much sleep. Yawning profusely, she quietly parked her bike in the garage and made her way into the house. She stopped off at the downstairs bathroom to splash some water on her face, removing some of her tiredness and feeling ready to go wake Kim.

"Princess? Hey, Princess! Time to wake up."

Kim slowly woke from the most wonderful dream of emerald eyes, the memory of which skittered and danced away into forgetfulness. Rising from her deep slumber, she felt someone gently shaking her shoulder.

"C'mon, Pumpkin, time to wake up."

Her eyes finally opened at the voice, and she focused on the sea of emerald looking down at her. Emerald, she recalled, the thought floating through her sleepy mind and just as quickly slipping away.

"Hey there, Shego, is it time to get up already?" she asked sleepily. Gingerly stretching under the blankets, she looked around the room, her gaze finally settling on Shego standing next to the bed.

"That it is, Princess, now get your ass up and out of bed." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for a sleepy Kim to move. "Also, what you count as clothes are on the end of the bed, so hurry up. Daylight's a wastin'!"

Kim looked down at the clothes on the end of the bed and then back at Shego. She put two-and-two together, and grumbled, "You're waiting around to help me dress again, aren't you?"

"I am, but today's the last day I'm helping. Tomorrow, you can do it yourself."

"'Bout time," Kim huffed as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Throwing the covers off and sitting up in the cold morning air, she saw that Shego had set out extra warm clothes to face the morning chill, all in her favorite colors of pale pink and blue. She dressed quickly, grudgingly accepting that she needed the help, and soon found herself rugged up in her favorite tracksuit, complete with thermal underwear and ready to face the cold.

"All right, Princess, it's pain time," Shego announced as she picked her up and headed for the stairs.

Kim rested her head on Shego's shoulder as they headed downstairs, and a strong smell assaulted her nostrils. In fact it smelt like... "Why on earth do you smell like a bar?" She turned her nose towards Shego and sniffed.

"Hey! No sniffing the merchandise, Cupcake."

"Gawd, you stink of smoke, and is that alcohol?" She levered herself a little bit away from Shego to get a better view. "And you're still in your riding leathers. Have you even been to bed at all?"

"Enough, Pumpkin!" Shego bounced the nosy woman in her arms to get a firmer grip. "Let's just say I had a good night out and leave it at that." She stopped for a second, and looked at Kim. "Maybe if you're good one day, I'll take you out to play as well." Discussion over in her mind, she continued on down the stairs.

"As if, not old enough to drink."

"Oh, live a little, Kimmie," she fired back as they entered the kitchen. Placing Kim's feet on the ground, she walked over to the backdoor and slid it open. Instantly, the chilly morning air rushed into the kitchen from the heavily frosted yard.

"That is cold," Kim said as she tucked her hands into her tracksuit's fleecy pockets. She stepped outside onto the grass, feeling the frosted blades crunching under her shoes. Realizing she was alone, she turned to see Shego still inside taking off her riding jacket. "Won't you freeze?" she asked, astonished.