Note: Don't expect updates often or soon. I'm swamped with preparing for my ARE (Architectural Registration Exam); one down, six to go. Hope everyone likes! The action will really begin next chapter.

Chapter 5 - Domesticated

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Well...I thought since you were letting me stay that I'd do some cooking...to...um...repay you..."

"By destroying my kitchen?!"

"I'm not destroying it; I'm using it. Something you seem unaccustomed to doing judging by the dust on this baking sheet."

"Stoppable I'm about a second from throwing you back out into that park I found you in!"

Shego snapped back as she surveyed her kitchen that had been so organized and shiny. Her frown deepened at the spots of mess that now adorned her counters and cook top. She'd never been the 'homemaker' sort and never put much stock in cooking besides toast in the morning and the occasional boiling of water for various things. Hell, half the stuff she owned she had gotten as housewarming gifts and didn't even know how to work them.

"Just trust me I'll get everything cleaned up once I'm done. If you don't like what I've cooked than I'll never do it again; alright?" Ron smirked as Shego stared him down for questioning her. Her eyes narrowed at him as he stared back in a silent bargain, and she couldn't help but think he was ballsy for it.

It had been two weeks since she had brought 'the stray' to stay at her place and, till now, he had been a polite house-guest. He cleaned up after himself...as much as a man did anyway; put the toilet seat down...most of the time, was fairly quiet, and had been looking for a job. He waited until the evenings to get online with her computer when she wasn't using it to apply over the internet but during the day he had been doing old fashioned pavement pounding. He even had a couple of on the spot interviews but nothing had panned out yet.

"Alright Stoppable, but if everything isn't how I left it this morning..." Shego let that hang as she lit a hand and buzzed Ron's throat with a shot that sizzled harmlessly upon the stainless steel back-splash behind him.

Ron flinched as he got the message and she smirked triumphantly as she turned and sauntered into the living room with a little extra swing in her hips. She still had it.

"Well I gotta say Stoppable, for once, I'm actually impressed by you." Shego announced with a slight wave towards their just begun steak dinner.

Ron was seated across from her at the small dining table in her apartment that was usually piled with reports and client files. Since she had never done much cooking she had not seen a reason to get a larger one, but at this moment she couldn't help but feel the table size made this dinner more intimate than she was entirely comfortable with.

For the occasion Ron had cleaned the table, carefully stacking her files in the office, and set it with the one crisp white tablecloth that she owned. To one side there was a small glass with a lit candle in it and each place was set for a 'proper' dinner...something she couldn't remember having outside of a restaurant since before the meteor strike had changed her family.

Still it had looked nice enough that she had retrieved a bottle of red wine from her small stash and was now lazily sipping on a glass, while carefully and systematically enjoying the meal Ron had prepared.

"What do you mean 'for once'? I've been impressive more times than that!" Ron exclaimed back, smiling slightly, indicating he knew she was just teasing.

"I wouldn't count loosing your pants all the time as an 'impressive skill'."

Ron blushed at the reminder of his past 'pants related problems' and ducked his head back towards his meal. While he knew she was again teasing, it was an especially embarrassing reminder coming from a female as attractive as Shego was.

"So where did you get all this anyway? Not that I don't appreciate it, but I gotta ask did you charge it to me?" She pressed on while arching and eyebrow, still smirking.

"One of the places I applied needed some errands run and I've done odd jobs for the owner before. He doesn't have enough business to employ me but I earned a little money and thought...well...I thought it might be nice to thank you for helping me out..."

She smiled slightly and nodded in acceptance of his thanks; she had to admit the guy really could cook.

"So...I know I've only been here a couple of weeks, but I gotta ask what's happened with you over the past few years?" Ron asked as he cleared the plates after both of them had finished their main courses.

Things had been busy the past two weeks he had been here. He had immediately jumped into trying to find a job and Shego had been surprisingly at ease with letting him come and go as he pleased. Besides talking the night she had 'retrieved' him from the park they had spoken relatively little other than the few short conversations in the mornings and evenings.

He had figured out that Shego now had her own business she ran as some sort of security consulting firm that kept her busy most of the time. Some days she would leave in the mornings and return late at night. Others she would sequester herself in her office most of the day.

Shego blinked at him and furrowed her brow while taking a sip of her wine before answering.

"Well, I already told you I'm out of the villain game and that Drakken also jumped ship. After the whole 'Lowardian' thing I started to think that it was time for a changer of pace. For awhile I stayed with Dr. D after he started working for the government just freeloading off him...but I got more bored than usual and decided to split. I spent some time just relaxing and then ended up back here in Go City and decided to start my own security firm."

"How'd that happen?"

"The security firm thing?...Well, I ran into a person I knew in college that works for a big company. After talking a bit she tells me about these security breaches they are having...she wanted to know if it was me. I got a little angry and told her under no uncertain terms it was not me, but that 'I could run circles around whoever it is'. She mentioned that if I was interested, her company might be willing to hire me to test their security systems so they can stop whoever was stealing from them. I thought it over and it sounded like fun to me. I could test out their stuff and steal things all legit, so long story short; here I am."

"That's...succinct."

Shego nodded as he walked out to retrieve whatever else he had smuggled away in her kitchen.

"So what happened with you and Drakken? I though you two were dating." Ron asked casually as he rounded the counter back into the kitchen; timing the question so that he might take cover behind a wall if needed...he may be rusty but that was not excuse for stupidity.

"Anybody ever tell you that you have a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong times?" Shego bit out while she considered his question. It had been two weeks since he had started staying with her and Drakken was someone he was used to seeing her with...she had to admit she had wondered why he hadn't' asked sooner.

Following her response Ron warily ventured back into the room holding the dessert he had prepared earlier and noticed Shego eying him with a baleful glare as he rounded the corner back into the dining area across from the kitchen.

"A couple of times..." Ron mumbled

"Look...You told me about the situation with you and Possible, so I feel obligated to return the favor...just NOT NOW." She grumbled as he set a dessert dish in front of her. He looked thoughtful for a moment but seemed to assent to that reasoning and decided to change the subject.

"My patented 'Seven Layers of Heaven!" Ron declared proudly as he plopped his lanky frame back into his chair across from her grinning.

"Don't take this the wrong way, sidekick, but I don't really know if I can eat much more." She declared sitting back sipping the last of her wine. As she let Ron's earlier question fade from her mind she eyed the dessert from afar.

Shego had rarely been so content in life as she was now. The wine and good food had dulled her senses so that she felt surrounded in a warm fuzzy full feeling that made the hard wooden chair she was sitting in one of the most comfortable spots she could remember in a long time, while the dimmed lighting and candles made just slightly sleepy and eased her tired mind by blocking out other distractions.

The odd 'too intamate' feeling that she had started dinner with had worn away as Ron had chattered on about is latest escapades in the 'great job search' and been replaced with the sensation of catching up with an old friend. She distractedly realized that Ron Stoppable might actually be considered something close considering the time they had known each other. She had begun working for Drakken just as they entered high-school and saw both him and Possible on almost a weekly bases for the next four-and-a-half years or so. Add to the fact both of them had done 'fact-finding' about the others and they knew her brothers and really he and Possible weren't far off.

Languidly she let her eyes wander down to the dessert again as Ron just smiled and started in on his. It did look good...one or two bites might not hurt...

"I might just have to keep you around just to make this..." Shego mumbled quietly as Ron grinned slightly across from her.