Swimming (Original, amirite?)

Pairings: Megamind/Roxanne

Rating: T

Genre: Humor/Romance

Story © Phantom Misfit

Megamind © Dreamworks

Note: Pre-movie, possible OOC

Roxanne sighed as she sliced cleanly through the water, the scent of chlorine thick in the air and only the sound of her labored breathing echoing off the thick concrete walls.

As the reporter finished her lap, her feet touched the pool's edge and she bounced off, easily falling into a brisk backstroke. Staring up at the ceiling tiles, Roxanne's mind began to wander.

She came to the pool a couple times a year to do laps and relax. Whenever Megamind's kidnappings got too obnoxious, or her job grated on her, or she got a call from her mother asking if she was ever going to settle down and have a family, she would come here and work off her stress. All three of these influenced her decision to rent the local community center's poll for an hour to blow off steam. In the summer it was nearly impossible to get an opening, but since it was winter she was able to get a good spot, with no worry of families or screaming children.

Her fingers deftly touched the side of the pool and she turned, slicing through the turquoise liquid, shedding her worries as she did so.

As the reporter did her strokes and periodically came up for air, she heard the clicking of boots on the tiled floor outside the pool. It hasn't been an hour already, has it? Roxanne thought in disappointment, knowing her wandering thoughts often made her lose track of time. Then she realized with a jolt that Hank, the pool's manager, always wore flip flops, not boots with a heel that would click.

The footsteps stopped as she touched the side of the pool and she surfaced, water running into her eyes and making them blurry. She slicked her hair back and wiped her eyes, coming face to face with a grinning Megamind. "Hello, Miss Ritchi."

"Megamind," She gasped, and then her face darkened as the surprise ebbed.

"What, not happy to see your favorite kidnapper?" He taunted, rising from his crouch at the pool's edge. "It took me awhile to find you, Miss Ritchi," He sneered, "but there's no escaping from pure evil!"

"No, Megamind," Roxanne warned, pushing off the wall so she was floating safely in the middle of the pool. "This is my time; you are not going to kidnap me today!"

"Oh? And what makes you think you can stop me?" The alien taunted.

"Because I'm going to go ahead and guess that you forgot the knock out spray, since you didn't spray me as soon as I got to the wall." She grinned at his embarrassed look. "And you can't dehydrate me with your favorite gun since I'm already in water!" She floated easily on her back, hands folded behind her head nonchalantly. "You can't get me."

The alien gritted his teeth against her logic. "Or I could jump in and get you." He pointed out.

"But you won't," She replied breezily, "because then you'll ruin your precious leather."

Megamind's face was turning an interesting shade of purple in embarrassment and anger at himself for being so transparent. Roxanne chuckled fondly. "Okay, okay, don't blow a gasket. I'll come with you, my hour is almost up anyway." It wasn't, but he didn't know that. She swam to the wall and looked up at him with big, innocent blue eyes. "Will you give me a hand out of the pool?"

Megamind cursed his weakness for said eyes and rolled his own in an attempt to be condescending. "Fine, Miss Ritchi, but just know that I-aaugh!" Roxanne had clasped her hands in his in the guise of getting out of the pool, but at the last minute pulled him down into the chlorinated water, causing a great 'splash!' He flailed in the water, spitting out a mouthful of it, and Roxanne let her gales of laughter roll. He had gotten his footing in the slightly shallow water, and now looked like a drowned rat, his glower as hot as Metro Man's laser vision. His leathers were sopping wet and hanging on his thin frame, droplets dripping from his long jaw and eyelashes.

"Y-you should s-see your f-face!" Roxanne laughed, tears coming out of her eyes.

"Well I'm glad to be of some ah-mooz-ment to you!" Megamind barked harshly, turning and swimming away, his bedraggled cape following him. Roxanne's laughter died, surprise at his angry outburst taking its place. She swam after him, concerned. "Hey...hey, I'm sorry, Megamind." She said, feeling horrible. Minion had made those clothes for him, and what if his dehydration gun was ruined?

Roxanne brought herself up short. Wait, what was she thinking? No matter, she told herself sternly, He may be an evil alien, but he still has feelings and you hurt them.

He appeared not to have heard her, his shoulders hunched inward as he struggled to get out of the pool. She swam up next to him, realizing with alarm that his features were pinched and wan. "Megamind, wait!" She said desperately, but when he ignored her she fisted her hand in his cape and tugged, sending him pinwheeling into the pool with a shout of surprise. The reporter winced. Maybe not the best way to start an apology.

When he surfaced he was no longer hurt, but angry. "What did you do that for?" He demanded.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to apologize," Roxanne said earnestly. "I shouldn't have pulled you into the pool."

He smiled a little bit, unused to being apologized to, and once more the spark of mischief came into his jewel-green eyes. "Aaand?" He drawled, cocking one coal-black eyebrow and folding his arms underwater.

"And for laughing at you," Roxanne admitted, chuckling at his silly expression.

Megamind grinned and patted her wet head. "Very good," He congratulated. "Tomorrow I'll teach you all about sharing and caring."

"Megamind!" Roxanne laughed, splashing him with water.

"Roxanne!" He mimicked, making her laugh again, and splashed her back. "And what's this? I'm in the po-ohl now, which means the kidnapping shall commence!" He raised a dramatic, wet gloved finger in the air.

"Not if you can't catch me!" Roxanne taunted, sticking her tongue out and splashing away, drenching the alien in the process.

"Why, you little vixen!" Megamind exclaimed, emerald eyes sparkling. Roxanne chortled and swam off, but a few moments later she felt a hand enclose her ankle. She squealed, turned around, and came face to face with a bare blue chest.

Oh, my. Roxanne thought dazedly. While whipcord thin and lacking giant muscles, his chest was hard and fit, showing signs of exercise in his bouts of hyper energy. He was ungloved as well, his hands as thin as the rest of him, but with long elegant fingers that were made for a musician or an artist. His legs were sticks, from what she could see from being distorted underwater, and he was wearing-

"Lightning bolt boxers?" Roxanne cocked an eyebrow and smirked, wondering why she was so weak in the knees after her appraisal. She saw his crumpled leathers dripping in a wet heap on the side of the pool, his boots slouched over like bags of flour and his de-gun glowing brightly.

Megamind pouted. "They match all my e-vil outfits."

"So what does that say about your taste level?" Roxanne bantered. She realized with a start that she was having...fun!

"It says that my taste level is im-peh-cabble!" Megamind tossed back with an evil grin. Not evil in the usual sense, but evil in a strangely good sense that made her heart flutter, the reporter thought to herself, then shook her head. Shut up!

"In any sense-" Megamind continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil, "I caught you, and since rules are rules, you are to be my kidnapping victim now."

"Since when does e-vil play by the rules?" Roxanne purred, blue eyes locking with green. "So in that case..." He was so mesmerized by her eyes that he didn't notice her hand moving toward the water until the torrent of water slapped him in the face and she was gone, swimming like a fish and giggling all the while.

"Oh, that's it!" He boomed, ready to get the upper hand. "You asked for it!"

He dove after her, having a fish for a guardian giving him very good swimming skills. She was always sneakily out of reach, letting him get close but not close enough, until finally he lunged for her. He hugged her, locking her arms at her sides, leaving her struggles futile.

"Hah!" He crowed. "I've got you!"

Just as he finished saying the words, Roxanne spit a mouthful of pool water into his face, sliding underwater and out of his arms as he spluttered.

"Gotta do better than that!" She cried, paddling away.

"Would you quit doing that?" Megamind exclaimed, wiping his face and diving after her.

Not able to see while swimming underwater, Roxanne crashed into the corner of the pool. She surfaced, rubbing her head with a wince, but dropped it with a gasp when she saw Megamind coming towards her, cornering her.

He smirked as he saw her tense, then relax into a deceptively calm manner, arms thrown out on the sides of the pool like her arms were around someone. "You're trapped, Miss Ritchi," he purred, drifting closer. "You lose."

"It seems so," She agreed, eyebrow quirking in soft amusement.

"You don't seem too worried," She commented, getting so close that she was nearly pressed against the wall.

She shrugged. "There's a benefit to losing," She philosophized.

"Oh, and what's that?"

"You get to learn from your mistakes!" In a lightning -fast move, she grabbed a water gun that she'd been hiding behind her and pulled it forward, squirting it in his face with a delighted squeal. She then ducked under his arm and swam away, shooting at him the whole time.

"What is it with you splashing me in the face?" Megamind exclaimed, swiping his face with his hand only to get drenched again. He grabbed a water gun from the bag of water toys that Roxanne had hid behind her.

"You're just too 'devilishly handsome'!" Roxanne laughed, quoting Megamind himself. "I had to lessen its effect!" She teased.

"Nothing can ruin this face!" Megamind countered, carefully aiming the gun. "Except maybe water in your eyes!" He squirted and hit her directly in the face, causing her to wipe her face and grin, challenge glittering in her blue eyes.

They did this for some time, exchanging banter and shooting at each other. Megamind got steadily closer until, with a war cry, he lunged for her, snatching the gun from her hand. Roxanne let out a moue of distress as Megamind tossed the guns off to the side of the pool, then backed her up against the wall. She didn't have any water to spit at him, and his arms were on either side of her, caging her in and not allowing her own arms to come up to splash him. She could slide under his arms, but something within her didn't want to.

"Nice to see you again, Miss Ritchi," Megamind smirked, expressive eyebrows quirking.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," Roxanne quipped, and the absurdity of the whole afternoon finally hit them. They dissolved into laughter. Roxanne wiped her eyes after laughing for a good two minutes straight, feeling Megamind's rumbles subside as well. She grinned and was about to say something until she looked up and saw his face. He was looking at her intently; head tilted slightly, emerald eyes curious.

"What?" She asked self-consciously, smoothing wet bangs back from her face. Absurdly, she felt shy.

"It's just...I just realized I've never heard you laugh before." The alien explained, green eyes still on hers.

"Yeah, it's been awhile. It feels good." Roxanne said bashfully, looking at him from beneath damp eyelashes.

She didn't know how long they floated there, his arms still keeping her in place, not that she wanted to leave. She found herself gazing at his blue lips, a rush of longing streaking through her. She didn't know who leaned forward first, but her hand slid up to his bony shoulder and their lips were just about to brush...

"Miss Ritchi, your hour is up!"

With a gasp, Roxanne pushed Megamind underwater. As her head whipped toward the hallways leading to Hank's office, she thanked God that the L-shape of the pool hid them behind the kid-targeted water slide and the manager couldn't see Megamind thrashing underwater.

"Thanks, Hank! I'll be out in a minute!" She forced out, trying to stay calm as he rounded the corner and he looked at her worriedly.

"You okay, Miss Ritchi?" He asked, concerned, and she nodded vigorously.

"Oh yes, just peachy!" She said quickly. "Can I just have a minute?"

"'Course," He replied, still looking at her strangely. "The next group will be here soon, though."

"No problem!" She said cheerfully, her cheeks beginning to hurt. "I'll just be going in a sec!"

He nodded, giving her a worried look, then ambled back down the hall and back into his office.

Roxanne let go of Megamind, who popped out of the water and onto the side of the pool, gasping for air. "What was that for?"

"Sorry," She said quickly, feeling guilty as she patted him on the back to help him breathe. "Hank, the pool's manager, came by to tell me my hour was up. I couldn't let him see you here."

"Ugh." His top half collapsed onto the side of the pool while his bottom half was still floating underwater.

"Are you okay?" She asked, hand on his back to steady him.

"Yeah," He mumbled, then lifted his head, smiling tiredly at her. "Thanks."

She laughed. "That's not what people usually say after they've been half drowned."

He chuckled along with her. "Well I guess I don't know post-drowning protocol." He teased. With a grunt he lifted himself out of the pool, sitting on the side with his feet in the water.

"Help me up?" Roxanne asked, and held back a laugh when he looked at her suspiciously. "I promise I won't pull you in again." They clasped hands and he hauled her out of the water. She sat down next to him, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Sooo...I guess you caught me." She said slowly. "Will you wait for me to get dressed and then kidnap me?"

He shrugged, smiling at her. "Kind of a bust now. I'll just go and recover from my drowning."

She smiled back, punching him gently on the shoulder. "Thanks, softie." She murmured, feeling at a loss now that they were about to part. "And...I had a nice time."

"Me too." He replied, watching as she got up and grabbed her towel from a bench set up against the wall, vigorously rubbing her hair and then wrapping it around her frame.

She walked over to the dressing rooms and smiled at him, disappearing behind the door.

"Sir, what happened? Where's Miss Ritchi? Why are you all wet?" Minion pounced on him as soon as he got to the lair.

Megamind grinned, knowing he looked like a drowned rat in his sopping leather. "We had a deal," He explained, stripping off his shirt as he walked past the anxious amphibian, "and I let her win."

Would this ever happen in canon? No way. Was it fun to write? Hell yeah! I had a lot of fun writing this because I kinda went with the flow of my thoughts instead of planning it out with details like I usually do. My first Megamind fanfic in months...hope it's alright! Oh, and I hope the banter is okay. :)

-PM

EDIT: Proofread and fixed.