#gohan is super saiyan because his glasses are on the table

[dailycupofcreativitea]

Here's this year's Secret Santa pic I made for a friend! Happy Holidays! 🎄🎁🃏

[sentinelpri]

Yukon (NSFW)

It’s half past one in the morning when Gohan pulls up to Piccolo’s humble abode in the shitty white pick up that the Namekian always rolls his eyes at. They can both fly, so he isn’t sure why the half-Saiyan insists on using a human vehicle, but he never questions it out loud.

Perhaps it’s one of Gohan’s many attempts to escape his capabilities and fit in with the other humans, or perhaps it’s a more convenient choice that Piccolo simply can’t wrap his head around. Piccolo is just thankful that Bulma thought to install a driveway for the tiny capsule house that she insisted on giving him to put in the middle of the forest by Goku’s home after the defeat of Cell. 

Piccolo has been antsy for the last half hour or so. He woke up to the feeling of Gohan’s intense ki heading his way and decided to wait by the window of his dining room. He doesn’t need to sleep, anyway, but without Gohan to train with and without any big space emperors or scary androids or pink blob monsters to defeat, the days go by too slowly for his liking. So, he sleeps through them.

As the Namekian sits at the window with a cup of hot tea and stares into the vast forest, a sigh falls from in between his lips. He knows that when Gohan comes to the door, he’s going to have to go out there and spar with him- not that it’s a bad thing, but it’s freezing cold and snow is falling from the clouds above them to cover the lush grass and trees in a thin blanket of white. It’s going to be a stark contrast to the mug of tea in his hands and the warm, cozy bed he was in less than an hour ago.

Yet, he finds that he’s excited about seeing his former protege, because when is he not? Even though he tries to hide it, he can hear Nail in the back of his mind, teasing him about just how fast he gets up from his spot at the table to answer the door. 

The door opens with a light swoosh from the wind outside. In front of Piccolo stands Gohan, who’s dressed head to toe in a beige winter set with a dark brown coat, a big beanie, earmuffs, and a matching scarf. Gohan’s square, silver-rimmed glasses compliment the little pieces of raven hair that peek out of the beanie’s hems as well as his big onyx eyes and rosily flushed skin.

“Piccolo-”

“Gohan-”

They both try to speak at the same time, only to stop. Awkward silence ensues.

Piccolo’s heart races.

‘Your feelings for him aren’t the same anymore. Something’s different. What’s going on with you? Your heart is racing.’

‘Shut up, Nail.’

Oh, how time changes things. 

“Do you wanna spar?” Gohan finally asks while scratching the back of his neck and averting his gaze.

“Sure.”

Piccolo steps outside into the bitter cold and follows Gohan out into the forest. The snow continues to fall, hard and fast, blown into their eyes by the billowing wind. They make it to a rather heavily forested area that offers them some protection from the harsh climate, and yet, Gohan still seems bothered by it as they start to dress down.

“Ugh, I can barely see shit,” Gohan complains with a small laugh. He continues to do so as he removes his beanie, glasses, gloves, earmuffs, and scarf. Everything else, as inconvenient as it is to fight in, he leaves on. Piccolo stays mostly dressed as well, only dropping his weighted gear before getting into a comfortable fighting stance. “This snow’s really heavy…”

Piccolo rolls his eyes. 

Gohan transforms in the blink of an eye, a smile on his face as he does. Kempt raven locks shoot straight up and glow platinum blond. That familiar onyx, darker than the night sky, shifts into a shade of seafoam that’s reminiscent of an emerald ocean. The calm pitch of dusk is momentarily interrupted by the flashes of gold and white that ripple from Gohan’s Super Saiyan form. 

Even after all these years, that form of Gohan’s still has Piccolo in awe at its beauty. 

Or maybe it’s just Gohan himself. After all, Piccolo has never gawked at Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, or Goten, nor has he found any of them haunting every dream and waking moment of his. He’s never thought of them as gorgeous golden gods like he has with Gohan. 

Fuck, he should stop. In fact, he should have stopped this years ago, but he hasn’t. 

The Namekian stands still for a moment, and then, Gohan is darting forward. 

Following a half hour of sparring, Piccolo and Gohan find themselves laying on the snow-dusted grass and staring up at the sky. Both of them are still much stronger than an average human, but they’re out of shape and out of practice. Ten years ago, they would’ve been able to spar for hours without breaks. Now, neither of them could last even one hour. Piccolo can’t help but laugh at that dim reality as the sound of the waterfall rushing down a few yards away echoes in his ears in perfect sync with Gohan’s breathy chuckles. 

They sit up at the same time. Gohan’s platinum blond locks and seafoam eyes revert back to raven and onyx. Piccolo dares to look Gohan in the eye and gulps when their gazes meet. Onyx burns into charcoal, and Piccolo swears he isn’t functioning right because of it. So, he looks away. 

Gohan rests his head against Piccolo’s shoulder. It’s warm and soft just like the half-Saiyan himself. When Gohan was younger, Piccolo would’ve either shoved him off and bitched about it or subtly moved away. Nowadays, however, he appreciates the gesture and goes as far as to encourage it by wrapping an arm around Gohan’s body and pulling the ravenette into his side.

The snow continues falling, a little lighter now. It starts to die down at the same time that Gohan starts to doze off.

Piccolo thinks back to a conversation he and Goku had a few years ago. They aren’t friends. They’ve never been friends, really- more like forced allies, two people who understood each other but could never agree on much aside from common goals. Brothers in arms, perhaps. Regardless of the odd nature of their relationship, they’ve had conversations as if they were the best of friends, because when you’re a warrior like Goku or an outlier like Piccolo, your choice of people to converse with is limited.

It was a weird conversation, mostly consisting of Goku going on a rare philosophical ramble about what love really means and asking Piccolo for his opinion after expressing that he himself once thought that love was some sort of food. Though the Namekian was tempted not to answer the inquiry at the time, he knew that Goku didn’t have any bad intentions, so he knew there was no harm in doing so. Hence, he told Goku what he thought love was.

And, to him, love is the only thing that motivates people to change. Love is something that makes those who feel it rearrange every little piece of themselves to make room for pieces of the people they love; for their loved ones’ hobbies, goals, wants, and needs. After all, Gohan is the only one Piccolo has ever bothered listening to talk about subjects as boring as quantum physics or advanced trigonometry. Gohan is also the only one that Piccolo would drop everything to spend time with, and the only one that Piccolo tries to make happy.

So, all in all, Gohan is the only one he’s ever really loved. That discussion with Goku so long ago made him realize that, but he’s shoved it all down into the depths of his subconscious in a failed attempt to make it go away.

Years have passed. Gohan is twenty five now. Things have changed and Gohan is living his life as normally as he can, teaching at some nice college, living with Videl in a nice home in a nice area just a couple miles away from his mother, and giving up fighting for nicer things like the rest of his friends and family should have years ago. 

Everything is different. Yet, Piccolo’s feelings for Gohan have remained the same since his former student graduated high school. 

It’s clear that Gohan is fast asleep based on the soft snores that fall from between his rosy lips. Piccolo pulls him down so that he doesn’t strain his neck or back. With a bit of adjusting, Piccolo has the back of Gohan’s head rested comfortably on one of his muscular thighs. He’s careful to lean forward to block Gohan’s face and hair from the remnants of the dying snow that falls upon them. 

Piccolo nips at his bottom lip with his fangs and stares at the half-Saiyan in his lap. Part of him wants to wake Gohan up and part of him wants to just leave him there. The emotions bubbling in his chest are embarrassing and scary. He can hear Kami and Nail piping up like volcanic lava in the back of his subconscious, both of them practically screaming at him about how badly he needs to acknowledge his feelings for Gohan out loud before it’s too late to do so.

‘You know, he’s not a kid anymore,’ Kami muses, to which Piccolo scoffs and silently replies-

‘No, but he was when we met and I’m the only good authority figure he’s ever had. Acting on these feelings would ruin that, and I’d be taking advantage of him.’

‘You guys are less than a decade apart! You haven’t been an ‘authority figure’ since he was a preteen,’ Nail argues with an indignant tone of annoyance.

‘We age differently than both Saiyans and humans. It’s not a fair comparison to make.’

‘Would you like to hear what I think?’ Kami questions, and though Piccolo is tempted to say ‘no’, Kami’s advice tends to be useful enough for him to at least consider it.

‘What is it, Kami?’

‘I think you’re using the whopping- what, four?- year age difference as an excuse to reject Gohan before he can reject you.’

‘He has a point.’

‘And why the hell would I need an excuse to reject him? It’s a valid reason, not that I have a chance anyway. So, why?’

‘Because you’re scared of rejection. You always have been.’

Piccolo blinks at the sensation that comes from those words. His stomach churns. With that, Kami and Nail fade away once more. Piccolo stares down at Gohan again and frowns. There’s nothing for him to do except sit there and stay silent, enjoying the younger man’s presence while he can. In a rare display of affection, Piccolo gently runs his claws through Gohan’s raven locks to get the tangles out while attempting to encapsulate this moment in his mind.

After all, what else is there for Piccolo to do when he has the whole world in his lap?

Rejection. Kami is silent now, but his theory echoes in Piccolo’s mind. More than two decades have passed since he last fought Goku, but naturally, his sins still follow him whenever he tries to go anywhere that isn’t in an empty forest or an isolated ice cap in the middle of the ocean. On the rare occasion that he’s in public, he gets stared at. He sees people look at him with fear in their eyes, and he hears everything they say when they whisper to each other about the fact that he’s a seven foot tall green ‘monster’ with talons and a turban. Here and there, older folks will recognize him from the martial arts tournament where he fought Goku or even mistake him for his father, which never goes well.

It’s embarrassing. Piccolo gave up on world domination when he threw his life away for Gohan in their battle against Nappa and Vegeta so long ago. The dragon balls would have been usable on the half-Saiyan, who was still so little back then, but Piccolo didn’t want him to have to go through that kind of pain; through dying. So, he sacrificed himself without a thought, for his first and only friend. He knew then and there that whatever evil streak he had left in him from his father was long gone. 

Unfortunately, not a lot of people know about everything he’s gone through since he last fought Goku, and humans are a species of people who are driven primarily by fear. Piccolo has fully accepted society’s rejection of him. 

He doesn’t want to hurt people anymore. He doesn’t want to scare them. He just wants to belong with someone. Unfortunately, he doesn’t belong with humans, Saiyans, or even with his own race. He never blended in with any of the Namekians he met after fighting Frieza, otherwise he would’ve gone back with them to New Namek. They’re all soft, peace loving people that have hobbies like gardening and studying medicine and collecting cute nick nacks. The warrior clans take their training even more seriously than Piccolo does, only training to defend themselves should any foreign invaders try to take over New Namek, never for catharsis or for fun. 

The only person who’s ever made him feel like he’s belonged somewhere has been Gohan.  

Gohan is the only one that hasn’t rejected him yet.

Piccolo isn’t sure what he would do if it happened. If Gohan were to reject him, he would finally be alone for the first time since he took the half-Saiyan under his wing. He remembers what it feels like to be alone, too, and he doesn’t want to go back to that- no, he can’t go back to that.

So, Kami is right, Piccolo decides.

He’s terrified that Gohan will reject him and leave him alone. After so many years of being friends, he’s terrified that he’ll lose that. The time since he and Gohan met feels like it’s gone by in a flash, over twenty years condensed into a slideshow of memories that Piccolo thinks of every so often. 

But right now, as he sits in the snowy grass staring down at the half-Saiyan, time feels so ungodly slow- so slow that it’s almost like they haven’t grown apart at all since Gohan left the countryside for college and then for his teaching career. 

Piccolo’s charcoal eyes go low, scanning Gohan’s face.

Then, the reality hits him that Gohan might be gone from him for the rest of their time left on this beautiful yet terrible planet. Piccolo thinks about them and about all of the pieces of his life he’s rearranged over the years to fit certain pieces of Gohan’s in along with it, only for it to all fall apart.

He tries to convince himself that he doesn’t mind. They’re both so much older now, and as much as he misses spending time with the half-Saiyan, he doesn’t miss when they were younger, constantly being thrown into fights they wanted nothing to do with to keep their loved ones safe, the anxiety that came with knowing that he was the only one who would bother keeping Gohan alive aside from Krillin. Now that they’re older, they’re free, and Piccolo knows that’s all Gohan ever needed to be happy.

A harsh gust of wind blows by and snaps Gohan awake in its wake. He sits up in Piccolo’s lap a little too fast with his cheeks even redder than they were before.

“Piccolo…?”

Piccolo tenses up. Was pulling Gohan into his lap to sleep too forward? Maybe he shouldn’t have done it.

“Yes, Gohan?” He replies.

“Oh, God, I didn’t realize I fell asleep on you like that!” The professor suddenly exclaims and sits up straight, pushing himself as far away from his former mentor as possible. He bows his head in an apologetic manner that Piccolo can’t help but find somewhat cute. “I’m so sorry, I-”

“No, you’re fine,” Piccolo insists while holding back a frown. He quickly misses Gohan’s warmth and supplements it by reaching forward to place a reassuring hand on Gohan’s shoulder. Admittedly, it’s not nearly as good as having Gohan peacefully sleeping in his lap. Piccolo manages to make due with it, even pulling back when Gohan looks at him with dilated pupils. Humans’ pupils dilating means they’re scared, doesn’t it? Piccolo is only half-sure about that, but he seems to recall reading it in an anatomy scroll while spending time on Dende’s lookout. He’ll have to look that up on his cellphone later to see if he’s remembering correctly. “You… You can even stay over if you want. I’m sure you’re tired and I’ve heard that operating a vehicle this late can increase your chances of getting into an accident on the road. The guest room is open for you any time.”

“...Okay, sure,” Gohan nods and stands up. Piccolo stands as well. He watches with curious eyes as Gohan pulls out his cellphone. Though Bulma bought the Namekian one a long time ago, he hardly uses it. Gohan and Bulma are the only people who bother trying to contact him anyway regardless of the fact that the rest of the Z-Fighters have his number. At most, he’ll get bored and use the stupid thing to watch nature documentaries or google something he’s curious about. “I’ll text Videl to let her know that I won’t be home tonight; don’t want her waiting up for me.”

Videl Satan. Piccolo finds that he likes the earthling, though Gohan doesn’t talk much about her. From his understanding, Videl is Gohan’s best friend out of all of the humans he’s associated with since attending high school. Currently, Videl is Gohan’s roommate, as paying for a nice house by yourself these days is apparently very difficult. Piccolo also knows that the two have been on a date that didn’t work out all too well, and Nail has teased him plenty for his jealousy of Videl over it. 

Piccolo doesn’t say anything at the mention of Videl, simply turning back and flying to his home. Gohan follows him inside, but not before shaking the snow off of his boots and dusting the flakes off of his coat. His discarded accessories from before they started sparring are awkwardly bundled in his large, pale hands as he enters the capsule house behind Piccolo and closes the door. 

Something that Piccolo appreciates about Gohan is that, while he’s eloquent and able to communicate very extensively with his words, they’ve come to an understanding about the fact that it isn’t always necessary for him to do so when it’s just the two of them. Gohan understands that Piccolo isn’t always very talkative, and just like the half-Saiyan has adapted to everyone else in his life and fit them in like the pieces to a puzzle, he’s learned to communicate with Piccolo wordlessly. 

So, when they enter the Namekian’s home, nothing is said for a while. Gohan knows to take his shoes and socks off on the mat by the door and to put them in the corner by Piccolo’s shoes. He also knows not to say anything about the obnoxiously large talons on Piccolo’s feet like he did the first time Piccolo had him over at the capsule house. He knows to set his things in the guest room before meeting Piccolo in the kitchen and sitting by the window.

Piccolo knows that Gohan is hungry. Hell, Gohan has never refused food in his life. Piccolo suspects that Gohan’s perpetual hunger is one of the only things he actually inherited from Goku. 

Despite the fact that he himself lives on water, he keeps human food around for Gohan’s visits and has learned to prepare it somewhat decently. Or, maybe his cooking sucks and Gohan is both too polite and too thankful for the effort to actually comment on it. Either way, Gohan always eats the food, so Piccolo never asks. He quietly prepares four servings of instant ramen and puts an abhorrent amount of spices in it since that’s what Gohan seems to like. Occasionally, he’ll glance back at the professor, who has shed his coat and left it on the back of the chair he’s sitting in. The lenses of his glasses glare with the shine of the moonlight pouring in.

Gohan’s muscles, still prominent even after all these years, shift and ripple underneath the white thermal shirt he’s wearing as he turns to stare out the kitchen window. His raven locks are still swept by the wind and Piccolo wants nothing more than to comb through them with his fingers again, but he doesn’t. Instead, he pours Gohan’s ramen into a bowl and makes both of them a cup of hot chai. Gohan’s is loaded with milk and sugar while his own is left as is. 

When Piccolo serves the food and the tea, he notices that something is off with Gohan. The younger man actually hesitates before gulping it down, and not only that, but he forgets to thank Piccolo for making it. At first, Piccolo doesn’t say a word about it, simply sitting down across from Gohan at the table and sipping his tea. He knew Gohan was feeling nostalgic or reminiscent or something tonight, as he probably wouldn’t have come over otherwise. Now, though, he’s starting to wonder if Gohan is upset.

“What’s on your mind?” Piccolo questions, eyes cast towards the window rather than Gohan.

“What?” Gohan stammers back with bright red cheeks.

“You’ve been off tonight. Is there a reason you came over? It doesn’t feel like a normal visit,” The Namekian clarifies.

“I, uh,” Gohan pauses. It’s clear that he’s nervous and trying to come up with some sort of excuse or lie. Piccolo just rolls his eyes at it, embarrassed at how bad Gohan is at this, even after having known him for so many years. Then again, that’s what he likes about Gohan. Unlike Goku who doesn’t think to lie and unlike Vegeta who would lie to his face with concerning ease, Gohan lies and is just embarrassingly bad at it. Piccolo has always found it amusing. “I just wanted to see you.”

“I can tell when you’re lying.”

“It’s not important, Mr. Piccolo,” Gohan insists with a dismissive wave. “I promise.”

Piccolo’s face scrunches. He hasn’t heard ‘Mr. Piccolo’ since Gohan was a preteen. The formal title makes him cringe as he’s reminded of just how much his feelings have changed in the last decade. 

“Why are you calling me that?” He demands and firmly sets his mug down on the table with a clink. “You haven’t called me that in years.”

“I don’t know, I guess sometimes I revert back to it when I-...” Gohan starts, talking a little too fast, only to cut himself off. Then, he mirrors Goku in how he offers a nervous chuckle and scratches the back of his head whilst looking away. The smile on his rosy lips is awkward at best and guilty at worst. Piccolo’s brow furrows at it. “Ah, never mind.”

“No, finish what you were going to say,” Piccolo argues, to which Gohan surprisingly relents.

“Sometimes, you make me really nervous, so I-”

“Don’t tell me I still scare you after all these years.”

Then, suddenly, Gohan overflows like mercury, tears falling from his onyx eyes and onto Piccolo’s dining room table as the half-Saiyan balls up his fists in his lap and sobs. 

Piccolo sits there, still in the dining room chair, still across from Gohan. Now, he’s just uncomfortable and awkward. Even Kami and Nail are completely silent, not offering any advice or even a joke about how he’s backed himself into this seemingly inescapable corner. He doesn’t know whether he should just sit there or get up and go over to Gohan to comfort him. He pauses and waits for the half-Saiyan to say something- anything.

But, between all the tears, Gohan says nothing. He simply wipes his eyes and laughs.

For whatever reason, Gohan is laughing at him. Piccolo owlishly blinks at the ravenette. 

“I revert back to it when I get nervous,” Gohan sniffles and stares down at the table. Their cups of tea as well as Gohan’s empty bowl of food are forgotten as Piccolo gulps and cautiously runs his eyes over the younger man. Gohan’s shoulders are shaking with a mixture of his laughter and his tears, and his eyes- such a dark shade of black and so haunting- are glowing with an uncertainty that Piccolo knows all too well. “You make me nervous, Piccolo. I don’t know how you still haven’t figured it out after all these years. I’m not good at hiding it, either. Vegeta knows, Bulma knows, Videl knows, mom has interrogated me about it for years, Trunks and Goten have even started making jokes… Are you really that dense?”

Piccolo thinks his heart might have dropped all the way to the bottom of his stomach. Suddenly, the air in his house is so hot that it raises goosebumps on his skin and there’s butterflies fluttering throughout his body. He’s nauseous and excited and terrified, all at the same time. He knows what Gohan is talking about, yet he finds himself unable to believe that the half-Saiyan would bring up how their dynamic has changed so suddenly… After all the time that’s passed, too.

Why now?

“What?” The Namekian whispers. Though his body remains still, the words that come out of his mouth are shaky. “What are you talking about?”

Finally, Gohan comes out with it.

“I’ve loved you for a long time,” Gohan confesses with determination in his onyx eyes.

Piccolo has thought about this exact scenario and about how it would play out in his head a million times over. He has fantasized time and time again about all the smooth words he would say to sweep Gohan off his feet. He’s thought about taking Gohan into his arms and connecting their lips in a frenzy of passion and relief. But now that it’s actually happening- Gohan sitting right in front of him, in the flesh, confessing his love for Piccolo so earnestly- he realizes he can’t go through with any of it.

Piccolo knows that he has to do the right thing here. Gohan is sensitive and emotionally vulnerable. What if he doesn’t know how to tell the difference between platonic love and romantic love? What if he’s merely confused? What if he’s just desperate and lonely enough to use Piccolo as an outlet because the older man is the one he’s most familiar with? What if it’s just a puppy dog crush that Gohan ends up getting over in the span of a few weeks? Young humans do that stupid shit all the time, according to Bulma and Chi Chi. 

“Gohan… You aren’t saying what I think you’re saying, are you? Tell me I’m reading this wrong, that I’m-” Piccolo clears his throat and averts his gaze before continuing. “-that I’m just missing some sort of human social cue and that you aren’t actually suggesting that you might be in-”

“No. Whatever you’re thinking I’m saying is probably right,” Gohan confirms the very thing that Piccolo feared. Then, the professor rests his elbows on the table and holds his head in his hands. “Is it really that hard for you to believe?”

“...Yes,” Piccolo nods. His heart is slamming against his chest. “Yes, it is hard for me to believe. You’ve been my student since you were a toddler, Gohan. What would your parents think? And your little brother? Your friends? Your students?”

Gohan shakes his head and starts to scramble for some sort of argument. Piccolo can see and feel the panic welling up. Watching Gohan right now is like watching a drowning man in the middle of an ocean, flailing his arms, hoping that someone will see and rescue him. Piccolo looks away in an attempt to just let Gohan sink in the sea of his unwise feelings.

“You’re not that much older than me and-”

“That doesn’t matter, it’s about the maturity gap and the power differential-” Piccolo starts to rebut, but Gohan doesn’t let him finish.

“Are we really going to sit here and pretend that you’re still stronger than me? That you still have some sort of power over me?” Gohan demands with a raised voice, slamming a single fist down on the wooden table. The force behind it is enough to leave cracks throughout the entire piece of furniture. Piccolo imagines Gohan in a day or two from now, frantically apologizing about breaking his table and offering to buy him a new one. Right now, however, the professor is red in the face and clearly angry. “God dammit, Piccolo, I’ve been an adult for seven years and you’re going to sit here and tell me that you can’t acknowledge my feelings because you’re afraid of what people will say!? Why have I always been old enough to defend the planet and murder aliens but not old enough to do anything else? You haven’t even taught me anything since I was a preteen! You’re not my teacher- you’re my friend, but I want more than that. Since when do you care what people think, anyway?”

“I don’t care what people think, at least not anymore, but I don’t want to be seen as a creep by the people you love. People already think I’m a monster… I’m not going to drag you down with me. You’re intelligent and you have a good career, a good education, and a pretty face. As long as I’m not too close to you, you’ll prosper with the other humans, and you’ll maintain the good relationship you’ve had with your family. I’m certain that if your mother were to discover these feelings of yours, she’d kill me or disown you, or both. I don’t even know what your father would say, and I can imagine Goten now; he’d never let you live it down. It’s more for your sake than it is for mine.”

“Does that mean you don’t love me back, then?” Gohan whispers with a frown that rips Piccolo’s heart in two.

Deep down, the Namekian knows he should lie. He should tell Gohan that he’s never had any romantic feelings for him and that he never will. 

And yet, he can’t.

“I didn’t say that, necessarily,” Piccolo mumbles the words, only to hate himself for doing so when he sees the hope that flickers up in Gohan’s eyes. “Don’t. Don’t do this to me-”

“So, you do love me back,” Gohan practically beams and stands up so fast that his chair makes an abhorrent screech against the tile floor. 

Piccolo recoils and places his hands over his ears.

“I didn’t say that either-”

“Which is it then?”

“I do love you,” He admits. “But we shouldn’t do this. Listen, Gohan-”

“No-” Gohan tries to cut him off, but Piccolo doesn’t allow it, standing up and looming over the professor from across the table so he can talk.

“Just listen, will you? If you’re going to listen to anything I’m going to say tonight, it needs to be this, Gohan. I love you very much, and I have for a long time, but you and I are both smart enough to know that we shouldn’t do this. This situation, it… It holds a lot more weight than you want to admit. If we’re together, your family life will be in shambles. Your parents will be disappointed, your brother will tease you to no end, and all of your father’s friends- Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Bulma, Vegeta, Master Roshi, all of them- will think lowly of both of us. You’ll never make normal friends, never have a normal family with children or grandchildren of your own. Everyone we know will judge us for it for a long time if not for the rest of our lives. Don’t you care about any of that?”

After what seems like an eternity, Piccolo finishes his ramble, practically drinking in the crisp air around them by the end of it. Gohan frowns up at him like he’s somehow offended. Meanwhile, Piccolo is standing there, shaking and purple-faced from the heavy blush that spreads across his cheeks. He doesn’t remember doing so, but in the midst of his frustration, he must’ve placed his hands flat on the table, because now Gohan is reaching forward and placing his palms on top of the backs of Piccolo’s hands.

“Nothing in my life has ever been normal, Piccolo. I don’t want normal, I want you.”

Piccolo swallows tightly.

“You want me.”

“I do,” Gohan reiterates with a nod, and it almost makes Piccolo give in.

Almost.

“No.”

“What?” 

“I said no.”

“But… I don’t understand,” Gohan’s face drops. He crosses his arms over his own body, almost as if he’s hugging himself. “I told you I don’t care about the consequences, I mean- we both love each other, what’s the problem?”

“I’m not going to ruin your life for this, Gohan. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy. I’ve worked incredibly hard to keep you alive for all these years, and your mother has done everything within her means to let you live your teenage years and early adulthood like a normal human- like you’ve always deserved to. I shouldn’t have taken you when I did. You never should’ve had to fight mine or your father’s battles, never should’ve had to fight to keep me and everyone else alive just because you happened to be strong. The least I can do to repay you for saving the planet so long ago and saving me is to let you live a normal life. I refuse to ruin the work we have all put into you for this potential relationship. So, no. I know you hate rejection, and you’re going to be mad at me for a while, and that’s okay, but no. I’m not going to do this with you. You’ll thank me in a few years when you find some human to settle down and start a normal life with.”

Gohan raises his hand. 

“But-”

“No buts,” Piccolo raises his voice so suddenly that Gohan flinches at the booming sound of it. Piccolo ignores the ensuing guilt in favor of turning and starting to walk towards his bedroom. Hopefully, he can lock himself in there for the rest of the night and sleep this off- or maybe he’ll wake up and this will be rendered yet another one of his dreams about Gohan. “I’m right and we both know it. You’re too smart to be dragged down into a life with me, into a life of fighting and isolation and solitude… It’s so lonely, Gohan. You don’t deserve to know how bad it feels.”

The Namekian only gets a few steps in before he feels a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist from behind, trapping him there. He could probably throw Gohan off if he really wanted, but the thing is, he doesn’t want to. What he wants is to lean into the touch and give in already. Still, he tries to keep his resolve.

“Piccolo…”

“What are you doing?” Piccolo snaps and wriggles. Gohan doesn’t relent. “Listen, if this is some last resort of yours, it’s not gonna work on me. You may as well give up now.”

“Tell me you don’t want this,” Gohan practically begs and buries his face in Piccolo’s back. He can feel the half-Saiyan’s tears soaking through the back of his gi. Gohan’s voice cracks as he continues. “Please. If you don’t want this, that’s okay, but I can’t have you here wanting me as much as I want you only for you to reject me because you think I’m not adult enough to make my own decisions. Reject me because I’m not good enough for you, push me away. Tell me that you really don’t want this… That you don’t love me.”

Piccolo’s brow furrows. Gohan would rather be rejected for not being ‘good enough’ than for being too young and inexperienced. Piccolo supposes it makes sense, but still. Rejecting Gohan at all is proving hard enough. The last thing he wants to do is lie to the younger man and give him more self-esteem issues than he already has.

“I…” Piccolo begins, only to stop and shake his head. “I can’t. I can’t lie to you, Gohan.”

“What’s going on in your mind right now?”

“I’m scared that you don’t know what you’re doing and that I’m going to be taking advantage of you if we go through with this.”

“You’ve spent the last two decades protecting me, Piccolo. You can stop now,” Gohan murmurs, tone gentle and reassuring. The tension starts to seep out of Piccolo as the younger man’s long, nimble fingers dance across the blue sash around his waist. “You’ve made your amends. You’re not a monster anymore- you were never a monster to start with, just...”

Finally, something in Piccolo breaks. He turns around and pushes Gohan into the wall, keeping the professor there with an arm on either side of his head. Gohan seems to shrink underneath Piccolo’s gaze, appearing so small despite his impressive physique and stature.

“Are you sure about this?” Piccolo probes.

His eyes narrow, running up and down Gohan’s face. The utter determination laced through Gohan’s expression is astounding, to say the least. Piccolo tries to convince himself that this is just another really good dream and that he’s sure to wake up any minute now.

“I’m more sure about this than I’ve been about anything in my life,” Gohan confirms and reaches forward to place his hands on Piccolo’s chest.  “I want you.”

And that’s all it takes for Piccolo to crumble like broken rock underneath Gohan’s soft gaze and tentative touch. He leans forward and brushes their lips together, careful and unsure at first. When Gohan kisses him back so tenderly, Piccolo can’t help how he leans in to deepen it and clasps the half-Saiyan’s wrists in his hands. 

Gohan is built like the Greek gods that Piccolo has seen in all of the human mythology scrolls, tall and cut like stone, yet the beginnings of his toned arms feel thin within the confines of Piccolo’s awkwardly oversized fingers and palms. Gohan seems to pay it no mind, only leaning into the touch until their chests are pressed together and one of his legs is hiked up to rest on Piccolo’s sharp hip bone. 

Piccolo doesn’t know how or why this is happening, just that it is and that he doesn’t want it to stop any time soon. His heart is beating to the rhythm of Gohan’s drum as he lets go of Gohan’s wrists, only to then grab the underneath of Gohan’s thighs to drag him up. Gohan plays along seamlessly with how he wraps both legs around Piccolo’s waist and lets the Namekian whisk him out of the kitchen and into his bedroom. 

Right when he gently drapes Gohan over the cheap, fuzzy blanket that covers his bed, Piccolo opens his eyes and stops to process the fact that they’re actually about to have sex. While he isn’t the most educated about human or Namekian mating customs (or really about anything that isn’t fighting or wastelands), even he can sense the passion bouncing off of them; the sexual tension so thick he could cut it with his sharp talons if he so wished- the lust in the air that’s so heavy he can barely breathe in it.

“Gohan,” Piccolo gulps, eyes darting around the room before landing on the half-Saiyan. He slowly crawls over Gohan and flinches when the bed creaks at their combined weight. “Gohan, are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure,” Gohan nods. His onyx eyes run up and down Piccolo’s body with unmistakable desire. 

Underneath the calming hush of the dying snowfall and the moonlight that illuminates Gohan’s pale skin so beautifully, something clicks into place.

Piccolo thinks he might be dying. 

Two or three hours ago, he was convinced that Gohan would never fall in love with him in their lifetime. 

An hour or two ago, he was hellbent on rejecting Gohan’s newfound romantic advances no matter what it took. 

Half an hour ago, he had Gohan against the kitchen wall, their lips pressed together in a frenzy of pent up passion and love.

And currently, he has Gohan splayed out on his fuzzy blankets on his back. The half-Saiyan’s onyx eyes are full of desire and his cheeks are flushed a beautiful bright red from the closeness of Piccolo hovering right above him. 

“No, I don’t know what I’m doing. Not really, anyway,” Piccolo answers with furrowed brows. Despite all of his combat experience and the combined thirty-ish years he’s spent on planet earth since being created to kill Goku, he’s never trusted anyone enough to let them see past his harsh exterior and get to know him, let alone trusted anyone enough to have sex. He’s slightly familiar with how it works, but he isn’t confident in his knowledge of human or Saiyan biology- nor does he know which will be more prevalent in Gohan, assuming that the two are any different from each other. “I’m sure you’ll be surprised to hear this, but I’ve never… You know.”

“Had sex before?” Gohan finishes the statement for him. A half smile ghosts over his lips. “Actually, it’s not all that surprising when I think about it. Can you even…?”

Piccolo rushes to answer, a little embarrassed at the implication that he’s unable to have sex. He hasn’t done it with another person, sure, but he’s had enough alone time over the years to get the gist of how his body works. The only real problem is that he’s unsure of how sexually compatible him and Gohan will be.

“Uh, yeah- I mean, I can, and I think we can, but it may be a little different than whatever it is you’re expecting.”

“I haven’t done it with anyone before either,” Gohan confesses, to which Piccolo lets out a sigh of relief. But then, his stomach drops. This is Gohan’s first time. To humans, that’s an important milestone in life. He’s heard all of Goku’s friends like Yamcha and Krillin talk about it in such a vulgar yet sentimental manner that he’s able to understand just how prevalent sex is in human culture; especially the first time someone has it. What if he fucks it up for Gohan? Whatever anxiety he has about that is alleviated, though, as Gohan reaches up to place his hands on Piccolo’s cheeks. There’s a warm hand on either side of the Namekian’s face and a thumb gently caressing one of his high cheekbones. “It’s fine, though, I promise. We’ll figure it out together.”

A flurry of feelings hit Piccolo all at once. First, relief. Second, embarrassment. Third, utter love and adoration. He isn’t sure which to lean into, so for a moment, he just remains there, wordless and watching over Gohan with blush-purple cheeks and wide charcoal eyes. 

“I…”

“What’s wrong?” Gohan asks in a whisper.

“Nothing, this is all just really sappy of you,” Piccolo admits.

A beat of silence drums on, slow and romantic until Gohan interrupts it with-

“How do you wanna do this? Wanna just strip down and go from there?”

“Yeah, sure,” Piccolo swallows.

His throat is tight. His heart is beating out of his chest, and he can’t focus on anything but Gohan, Gohan, Gohan; Gohan, who is somehow in love with the monster that is him after all these years- Gohan, who is staring up at him so adoringly- Gohan, who is willing to be open and vulnerable with Piccolo, the monster that he is. 

At that thought, Piccolo hesitates. Gohan is a lot… Smaller than him. The younger man is roughly half his weight and two feet shorter than him, and quite a bit thinner as well. Not quite fragile, but not as sturdy as a Namekian, either. Though his Saiyan biology allows him to keep a frame that’s much more cut and durable than the average human man, Gohan has definitely lost some bulk since he stopped fighting to pursue his passion for education. Piccolo fears that he’ll lose control and shatter Gohan like glass with his own monstrous strength.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you really sure about this?”

Gohan’s brows pinch together in frustration at the same time that an indignant pout takes over his lips and cheeks. 

“I already told you-”

“I know, but it’s so sudden, and I don’t think you’ve really thought through the implications and the consequences of this- hell, Gohan, what if I hurt you?”

Surprisingly, Gohan stops. The frustration on his face fades to nothing as he reaches down to start popping open the buttons of his top in a way so tantalizing that it has Piccolo’s mouth watering.

“I’ve wanted this for a fucking decade, Piccolo. I want to give myself to you,” Pop, pop, pop. Gohan, who is usually so gentle and so careful, practically rips his shirt off and throws it across the room. It smacks into the wall before pathetically falling to the floor. Gohan continues, reaching up to undo the blue sash around Piccolo’s purple gi. Admittedly, Gohan slows down for Piccolo, which the Namekian is grateful for. His sash is removed with grace and dropped to the rug on the floor beside the bed. Gohan then tugs at the gi Piccolo is still wearing, clearly impatient but not impatient enough to rip Piccolo’s clothes off or pressure him into doing something he doesn’t want to do. “I want you to hurt me. I’ll be fine, I promise. Seriously.”

“...I’m not going to hurt you- at least not on purpose,” Piccolo mumbles and averts his gaze while shrugging his gi off of his shoulders. The garment falls down to his waist, caught on his sharp hip bones. The entirety of his broad chest and muscular arms are revealed to Gohan. He can’t help but feel self-conscious; his body is so much bigger, so much more different than Gohan’s. If not for the utter admiration in Gohan’s expression, Piccolo would be terrified of the half-Saiyan being disgusted by it. “If you’re sure…Then okay. Let’s do it.”

They strip the rest of the way down, Piccolo discarding his gi with his sash and Gohan taking care of the rest of his own layers. Most of it ends up on a pathetic pile on the floor, forgotten by the two men, who are busy staring each other up and down. Piccolo notices that Gohan’s thin, pale frame is like something carved out of marble or stone, unblemished and smooth like the peaceful life he’s been living. 

Unlike Piccolo, he’s not covered in scars or stretch marks from muscles built by endless decades of battle and training. Unlike Piccolo, Gohan isn’t naturally built to fight. The softness in his eyes reflects that, too. 

Gohan has broad shoulders and a narrow chest, a defined v-line and sharp abs. His chest rises and falls with each and every slow, heavy breath of his as Piccolo looks further down. Gohan’s muscular thighs are pinned between Piccolo’s knees, and briefly, the Namekian imagines what his head would feel like with the insides of said thighs crushing his head. He also thinks about the half-hard cock between Gohan’s legs, colored rosy like his cheeks, uncut and veiny. It’s not too different from Piccolo’s own, just smaller and… Well, not green with a ribbed pink base- nor is it accompanied by a slick pussy just a few inches below it like Piccolo’s is.

Piccolo’s eyes roam shamelessly. It’s the first time that he’s taken Gohan in like this and allowed himself to memorize every curve and dip and every muscle and vein without scolding himself for being such a monster afterwards. 

Tonight, he’s done being a monster. Tonight, he’s a lover instead, and hopefully, that’s what Gohan sees as well.

“Oh, wow, you… You have both,” Gohan suddenly stammers out.

It takes everything in Piccolo not to shrivel up and die from the embarrassment on his plush bed. 

“Excuse me? What do you mean I have ‘both’?” Piccolo demands with purple cheeks.

“I, um,” Gohan offers a nervous laugh that makes Piccolo flash back to where they were at the kitchen table just earlier with Gohan trying to insist that nothing was wrong when in reality, he was harboring the same deep-seeded feelings that Piccolo has had for years. “Sorry, that probably came off a little rude, but what I meant was… Female presenting humans tend to have a vagina while male presenting humans tend to have a penis. It looks like you have the Namekian equivalent to both. I think the technical term is hermaphrodite, but-”

“God, you’re a fucking nerd,” Piccolo spits out in embarrassment. He thinks he’s put the pieces together now between Gohan’s unsexy-sex-talk, the few bits of human sex he’s seen through human media, and the few things he’s heard from Nail and Kami about how both his and Gohan’s people procreate. “What do we do now?”

“I, uh…” Gohan wriggles on the bed, clearly anxious. His eyes flicker between Piccolo’s face and the duvet. “Do you wanna do me?”

“Don’t… Don’t you have to prepare for that sort of thing?” Piccolo murmurs.

“I already did.”

“Wait, what? Are you telling me you planned for this to happen!?”

“No? I mean, not necessarily,” Gohan stammers, and as he does, Piccolo’s heart skips a beat. The thought that Gohan anticipated for this to happen all along is actually somewhat comforting. It reminds him that no, he didn’t force this, and no, he’s not the monster that everyone has always made him out to be. Gohan wants this just as much as he does… Gohan actually wants him back. “But… I did want to be prepared just in case it did. I already douched in the shower before coming here, and if you don’t know what that is-”

“I think I’ll pass on the explanation. I’ll take your word for it, but so God help me, if this ends up backfiring somehow because you’re rushing it, I’m never going to let you live it down.”

“Okay, okay, I hear you,” The ravenette laughs and fumbles with his shaky hands to reach for his discarded pants. He takes a tiny clear bottle filled with a pink, gel-like substance out of his pockets. Piccolo can’t read the label because it’s in English, but he recognizes the shape of strawberries to the side of the brand’s logo. “Just, um… Here, I have some lube, I can stretch myself out to take you if you wanna watch.”

“What’s lube?” Piccolo asks, assuming that ‘lube’ must be the substance in the bottle the half-Saiyan beneath him is currently twisting the cap off of.

“It’s a liquid that you use to make things wet before or during penetration or grinding so it doesn’t hurt as much. It makes it a little easier.”

Gohan pours some of the slick gel onto his fingers and spreads his legs just far enough to pump two of his lube-covered digits into his tight entrance. The scent of artificial strawberry flavoring wafts through the air as the bottle is abandoned somewhere under one of the pillows. Gohan’s spare hand drifts to his cock, which he pumps slowly and teasingly, similar to how Piccolo would please himself were he alone. The Namekian realizes that he overthought everything all along- despite some minor anatomical differences, he and Gohan will end up being sexually compatible. 

They’ll be just fine.

Piccolo watches in awe while attempting to hide the relief and excitement threatening to break through his expression. In the midst of it all, however, he finds himself feeling guilty for just looming over Gohan with his jaw slack while the younger man does all the work. So, he reaches forward with shaky hands and speaks-

“I’d rather do it for you… If I can. I feel useless just sitting here watching you.”

“But Piccolo… Your nails,” Gohan freezes and reminds him. “Won’t they hurt?”

“I know, they’re sharp. I wasn’t planning on using my fingers. I’d rather not mutilate your insides with my talons tonight if we can avoid it… Not that I think I’d be able to cram the length of my fingers all the way up there anyway,” Piccolo clarifies with a small chuckle and shifts so he’s on his elbows and knees between Gohan’s legs. 

“O-Oh, um, okay…? Then what exactly are you planning?” Gohan whispers and props himself up on his elbows, seemingly to observe whatever it is that Piccolo plans on doing. The Namekian doesn’t bother warning him, just grabs his calves and places them over his shoulders before burying his face in the ravenette’s heat and prodding it open with his tongue. “Fuck…!”

At the exclamation, that of which is paired with a gasp, Piccolo perks his head up and looks at Gohan worriedly. 

“Is something wrong?” He asks between the flavor of strawberry lube and hot, sweaty skin on his tongue. 

Were the night not so intense, Piccolo thinks he would tease Gohan for both his desperation and the ridiculous choice of lube. He decides he can do that some other time and maintains eye contact with a flustered, trembling Gohan. 

“No, no, it’s just… I wasn’t prepared for you to do that, but you can keep going… If you want.”

“If I want? Really?” Piccolo shakes his head and gets ready to dive back in with a final remark. “I’ve been waiting years for this, Gohan. Of course I want to… You’re something else.”

With that, the older man resumes his motions. His long, thick fingers wrap around Gohan’s calves to keep them atop his broad shoulders as his slick tongue delves into the ravenette’s needy hole. It’s not for long that he gets to eat the half-Saiyan out, though, as he’s quickly interjected by Gohan saying-

“Stop, stop,” It’s breathy and rushed in a way that sounds almost panicked, so Piccolo immediately stops and peers up at Gohan with furrowed brows. “Oh, thank God.”

“Was I doing something wrong?” Piccolo, embarrassed, speaks and averts his eyes.

“No, I was just about to cum,” Gohan frantically objects with a nervous laugh and a heavy blush. “Or, finish, I mean- reach climax? I don’t know what terms Namekians use, but I’m sure you understand-”

“For the love of God, stop, you sound like such a nerd right now,” Piccolo huffs with a sort of half-smile. He meets Gohan’s eyes.  “Do I need to slow down or something, or did you just not want it to end until…?”

“The, uh, the second one,” Gohan clears his throat and anxiously fiddles with his fingers. “Don’t wanna cum until you’re actually inside me, y’know? It is our first time.”

“Yeah, okay. How do you want to position this?”

“I wanna be looking at you,” Is the first thing Gohan says. Piccolo wonders if that’s the custom for humans or Saiyans or both- if it’s somehow better that way, or maybe it’s just Gohan’s sentimental side coming out. He doesn’t dare comment on it, lest he scare Gohan back into his shy shell. “So… Maybe I can stay on my back like this and you can get between my legs? I’ll tilt my hips up a bit and wrap my legs around your waist so it’s not as hard for you. I think it’s called missionary…?”

“Okay, sure.”

They’re already pretty close to the position that Gohan described, so Piccolo doesn’t have to do too much adjusting to get them there. He simply sits up on his knees and pulls Gohan’s legs around his waist.

“You look good from this angle. Absolutely beautiful,” Gohan compliments with a sappy grin, but it flusters Piccolo too much for him to acknowledge it, so he changes the subject instead.

“Are you really sure about this?” Piccolo asks one last time while stroking his cock with a handful of lube and tracing some of the slick substance around the circumference of Gohan’s asshole, convinced that whatever God- Kami in his subconscious, King Yemma in the afterlife, King Kai on that sad little planet- is going to smite him for daring to touch such a pure, perfect, loving soul like this when he’s such a monster.

But he’s done being a monster, he tells himself. He shakes his head to clear it of the thought and hones in on Gohan’s response, which is a rather frustrated and aggressive-

“So God help me, if you ask that one more time-” The angry half-threat is promptly cut off by Piccolo lining the head of his lubed cock up with the outer rim of Gohan’s ass and cautiously pushing in. “Oh, God-”

Gohan cuts himself off and turns his head to the side, one cheek against the pillow. His kiss-bruised lips are parted in a moan. The rest of his expression is twisted in some mixture between pain and pleasure. He clenches down around Piccolo’s cock hard, so hard that the Namekian nearly doubles over from it. It’s somewhat uncomfortable but it also feels good in a way so intimate that he suspects his heart may burst. Then, Gohan’s eyes flutter open to meet his and Piccolo is confident that he must be dreaming- either that or dying.

Neither of those things prove to be true, though. He is very much alive and very much awake, he can tell by the blood drumming so quickly through his veins and his heart slamming against his chest, by the smell of worn off cologne and sweat coming from Gohan that’s too real to be a dream or heaven or anything but real, here, and now.

“Are… Are you okay, Gohan? What do you want me to do?” Piccolo questions.

“Move, please.”

So, he does. He pulls his hips back far enough that the only part of his cock left in Gohan is the head, and then, he pushes back in to the hilt. Gohan jumps at first. Maybe he’s just startled or maybe Piccolo’s size is somewhat overstimulating and somewhat painful, but he doesn’t complain, so Piccolo continues doing what he was told to do; move. 

Initially, part of him suspected this to be an hour or two hour ordeal. With it being their first time, Piccolo didn’t expect Gohan to rush into it, let alone allow penetration, but here they are. Piccolo isn’t complaining, either. The sensation that comes from Gohan’s velvety wetness squeezing around him so tightly is heavenly enough that he nearly cums after a few thrusts. It’s so intense that Piccolo has to clench his fists to keep himself from finishing too fast. 

It’s a little awkward at the start regardless of how good it feels because of his inexperience, but Piccolo manages to put together what Gohan does and doesn’t like in the bedroom from the noises he makes in response to the Namekian’s actions. At one point, he has to grab the abandoned lube once more and hastily pour more on so as to not hurt them with any sort of dryness. Eventually, he finds a good rhythm with slow yet thorough thrusts that drag his dick wonderfully along the length of Gohan’s gummy walls. He simultaneously balances his weight on one arm beside Gohan’s body on the mattress so he can have a free hand to reach down and stroke the half-Saiyan’s cock in sync with his thrusts. Gohan bucks into his hand with a whiny, breathy whisper of Piccolo’s name.

“Piccolo, I’m- I’m-” Gohan starts to stutter out, clearly desperate to communicate something but too overwhelmed by the pleasure to get the words out. Tears start to well up in his eyes and fall from the corners, the movements of his hips become progressively shakier, and his hands are scrambling to find something- anything- to grip onto for some sort of purchase. First, Gohan grabs at the bed sheets, then at the pillow his head is on, then at his own hair, and finally, those strong hands are placed palm-first on either side of Piccolo’s face. He looks Piccolo dead in the eye, so vulnerable and ready to fall apart, a picture of something so beautiful that Piccolo never thought he’d get to see in his lifetime outside of his dreams. “I’m going to cum…! I’m so close, Piccolo!”

Gohan cries out. Piccolo doesn’t get overexcited and pick up speed, nor does he get nervous and slow down. Instead, he continues the pace he’s been at for the last few minutes, pistoning his hips into Gohan’s in a way that’s slow yet rough. 

Gohan’s short yet sharp nails dig into the jade-hued skin of his back just hard enough to break skin. Piccolo refuses to acknowledge the pain. He’s too absorbed in how Gohan’s tight ass flutters around him so beautifully at the same time the ravenette tenses. Cum spills from Gohan’s hard dick and onto his own perfectly chiseled and pale abdomen.

“Do you want me to stop now?” Piccolo asks and slows down just a tad.

Gohan shakes his head.

“No, no, I want you to finish. Go ahead, keep going, please…!”

Piccolo wonders if Gohan’s sure about this or if he’s just saying it to be overly considerate, but he doesn’t ask. He’s too horny and too desperate to care, so he follows Gohan’s instructions and pulls his hips back before pushing them into the younger man once more.

When Piccolo finishes, it feels like fireworks, bright and loud and hot and overwhelming. The Namekian manages to give a few more sharp, focused thrusts before the new sensation of orgasm crashes over him and tears his world into tiny little pieces. With a couple more weak pivots of his hips, he comes to a slow still to fill Gohan up with his cum. All the while, the younger man clings to Piccolo like his life depends on it and lets out a weak whine that Piccolo tries to memorize the sound of.

And then it’s over. Piccolo collapses, all two hundred fifty pounds of him on top of Gohan’s thin frame. Were it anyone else, Piccolo would be afraid of crushing them, but he knows Gohan can handle it, so he makes no move to get up. Even with his ear against Gohan’s shoulder rather than his chest, he can hear the half-Saiyan’s heart slamming against his chest. As fast as Gohan showed up to spar with Piccolo and confess his love, Gohan somehow managed to lure Piccolo into bed with him. Not that he’s complaining, of course…

Looking up at Gohan, who appears utterly exhausted yet so blissed out and utterly in love, Piccolo doesn’t think he’d have it any other way despite him arguing against it so vehemently in his tiny kitchen less than an hour ago.

“You’re not going to make me go home now, are you?” Is the first thing Gohan says as they start to catch their breath.

Piccolo isn’t sure whether he should feel guilty or amused at that.

“Of course not,” Piccolo answers after a long pause to gather his feelings. Gohan seems to let out a sigh of relief, only to gasp when Piccolo lifts himself up with his hands on the bed and slowly pulls out. The noise that results is uncomfortable, an odd squelch sound that Piccolo is sure he’s never heard before despite decades of putting holes through bodies, breaking limbs, and witnessing violent deaths. He tries to ignore it by continuing to talk while flopping back onto the other side of the bed. “I’m not sure how happy your mother’s going to be about you not coming home tonight, but you know you always have a place here. You can stay as long as you’d like.”

“She’ll live,” Gohan shrugs, and then it’s quiet for a moment. The ravenette shifts his legs uncomfortable and Piccolo is confused until he remembers- “Do you have some, uh, wipes… Or something?”

Piccolo blanks. He’s covered with sweat and remnants of his own cum, and Gohan is covered in sweat and even more of his cum. Were he prepared for something like this to happen, he would have had a towel, wipes, napkins- literally anything other than nothing- ready for him and Gohan to use, but in their throes of passion, he neglected to take the clean up into account.

“No, not really… That’s my bad. We can take a shower, though, if you want.”

“Sure,” Gohan agrees and slowly tries to stand up, only to trip over himself immediately.

Thankfully, Piccolo makes it in time to catch Gohan and lift him up in his arms.

“Your legs gave out, didn’t they? I guess I’ll just have to carry you, but don’t get used to it. We’ll take a bath instead.” 

Gohan nods, and with that, Piccolo heads to the bathroom with Gohan in tow.

“You know I love you, right?” Gohan says, totally unprompted. It’s so sudden and unexpected that Piccolo damn-near drops him. “Really. I mean that.”

“Yeah, I know,” Piccolo responds with a half-smile and looks down at Gohan, who’s staring back up at him so earnestly. Relief washes over him like warm water, and for the first time in years, he finally feels at ease. Maybe acting on his feelings wasn’t such a terrible thing to do after all. “And I love you, too. Thank you, Gohan.”

“For what?”

“Loving me… Even though I’m a monster.”

“You’re not a monster, and how could I not love you? You’re all I’ve ever wanted. I meant everything I said earlier.”

“I know you meant it, and I know you love me,” Piccolo sighs and, in a display of true affection, leans down to kiss the top of Gohan’s head- sweat be damned. “And I love you, too.”

[elisajdb]

Son Family Week: Goten Day

Dreams and Fantasies @sonfamilyweek

 Day: Goten

 Party

  “Are you sure about this?”

 “It’s the perfect plan and the perfect time to do this.”

 Goten wasn’t completely convinced. “Wouldn’t a party make more sense at your house? It’s huge!”

 “Yeah,” Trunks didn’t deny that. His home would be better, but it wasn’t possible. “But my grandparents, my parents and lots of animals and robots are there. There’s always someone home!” Trunks saw doubt on Goten’s face. He didn’t need his friend to back out of this. Trunks put too much planning in for this to not work.

 “Come on, Goten. It’s the perfect time. Gohan has that conference to go to. This is the first time he’s taking Videl and Pan instead of leaving Pan with your parents. That’s three days. All we need to do is get your parents out of the house for one night.” He pulled out the answer from his pocket and waved it at Goten. “And your parents deserve this. When do they ever go out? Do you really want to keep this from them?”

 Goten looked at the white envelope waving before him. Trunks told him it was a trip to an exclusive island resort. It had nightly parties, fireworks and most importantly, food. Lots and lots of food and it was all free.

 “Mom, gets this stuff all the time. These places always give this to rich or famous people for free.”

 “Why free?” Goten asked. “They can afford it.”

 Trunks shook his head chuckling at Goten’s naivete. He had no clue how the real world worked. “Because if they are seen there or talk about it, it brings more people to the resort. You know how rich and famous obsessed this world is. Mr. Satan can promote a sports drink that’s more junk than healthy but millions would buy because of him.”

 That was true. Even Goten didn’t understand why people still believed Mr. Satan beat Cell.

 “All we have to do is convince your Mom. Your Dad will go along with anything your Mom wants to do.”

 That was true, but it didn’t mean Trunks’ plan will work. “Even so, Mom won’t let me be in the house by myself. She’ll send me to Grandpa for the night.”

 “Don’t worry,” Trunks smirked. He thought of that, too. “Leave that to me.”

 ****

 “Are you looking forward to the conference, Gohan?”

 “It’s no different from the other ones,” Gohan commented as he finished his lunch. He meant to talk to his parents about his trip but couldn’t say no when his mother insist he stay for lunch. “The good thing is Pan gets to come with Videl and me. Videl’s already planning places we can all go when my conferences end for each day.”

 “Well, it’s sad Goku and I won’t watch Pan this time but I’m glad Pan gets to go with you.”

 “Food!” Goten cheered as he and Trunks came downstairs.

 “Do you want to stay for lunch, Trunks?” ChiChi asked the young man.

 “No. I gotta get home. Before I go, I have to give you this.” Trunks handed ChiChi an envelope. “Mom wants you to have this.”

 ChiChi opened the envelope. She read the contents. “Wow!”

 Goku looked up from his food. “What is it?”

 “It’s a free trip to those fancy island resorts Bulma talks about. All you can eat, lots of shopping and games. Oooo,” ChiChi pulled out a card. “According to this, there’s over 100,000 zeni on it. She’s giving me spending money? But we have money now.”

 The money card was something Trunks added. Mr. Satan gave the Son Family enough money to live on. Trunks thought it was extra incentive if he gave them that card. “That’s a gift from the escort. Sometimes they give it to Mom to ensure she comes. She rather spend someone else’s money instead of her own.”

 ChiChi frowned as she read more information. “We can only use this on the 17th and it’s only for two.”

 “It’s for you and Goku,” Trunks explained.

 ChiChi placed the contents back in the envelope and handed it back to Trunks. “We can’t use it.”

 “Why not? My Mom wanted you to have it.”

 “Gohan will be gone for the conference on the 16th-18th. This resort is a one-day pass on the 17th.” ChiChi growled irritated. “Why did Bulma give this to you when it’s going to expire in two days? If we had more time, perhaps we could’ve changed the date.”

 Trunks saw ChiChi reaching for her cell phone. If she calls his Mom, his plan will blow up in his face. “It’s my fault!” Trunks blurted. “Mom gave this to me to give you a month ago but I forgot.” Not true. Trunks has been planning this months and always intercepted mail for his mother looking for free things like this. “Please,” he begged ChiChi. “Don’t tell her. She’ll get mad at me.”

 ChiChi pulled back from her phone. “I won’t but Goku and I can’t use this unless we send Goten to spend the night with Grandpa and he’s getting older. It’ll be more like Goten watching him.”

 “Why can’t I stay home by myself?” asked Goten. “I’m sixteen. I’m old enough to stay home alone for a night.”

 “Goten,” ChiChi said kindly, “you’re sixteen but you’re not ready.”

 “Why not?” Goten’s voice raised at the rejection. “I’m not a baby. I can be home by myself for one night. Gohan did it.”

 “No one’s calling you a baby, Goten and it’s not fair to compare yourself to Gohan. Things were different then. You never had to be by yourself.”

 “I know but I feel like you don’t trust me or you think I’m a baby. You and Dad have this great trip from Bulma and you won’t go because you think you have to take care of me.”

 “Oh, Goten,” ChiChi put a hand on her chest. Was her decision so hurtful to Goten that he thought she didn’t trust him? “It’s not like that all. I never thought to make you think---”

 “I know I never went through all the things Gohan did. Some of the stuff you still won’t tell me about but I can do this,” Goten insisted. “I can stay at home for one day. I can hunt fish. I know how to handle those salesmen calls and not answer the door to anyone.”

 “All right,” ChiChi gave in. Maybe she was being too judgmental. “You’re right. You’re sixteen. You should do this. Your brother was playing superhero at your age. If I let him do that, I should be able to let you stay alone for one day.” ChiChi ruffled Goten’s shaggy hair. “Sometimes I see you as my sweet little baby but you’re growing up into a young man. I have to start letting you go.” ChiChi hugged Goten. “Can you forgive me for wanting to keep you as my baby a little longer?”

 Goten wrapped his arms around ChiChi. Trunks grinned at him. It worked! “Sure, Mom.” Goten assured her but felt a lot of guilt for what he just did.

 ****

 Gohan and his family left for his conference and Goku and ChiChi left for their trip as scheduled. Goten received calls from ChiChi and his Grandpa checking on him but Goten assured them everything was under control.

 For a while, it was. Trunks had everything planned out and brought everything they needed. He brought a capsule jacuzzi, sound systems that will have music blaring for miles, games set up outside and lots of food. Trunks thought twenty of his friends from school will be enough but he shut down Goten’s idea of inviting his friends. Most of Goten’s friends came from Gyumao’s village and their parents knew Goku and ChiChi. It was that issue that prevented Trunks from letting Goten invite them.

 “But they’re my friends,” Goten argued.

 “Yeah, and their parents know yours and your Grandpa. It’s a good chance one will let it slip about the party and your family will find out. No,” Trunks shook his head adamant. “Only my friends can come.”

 “But it’s my house,” Goten argued again. “And I don’t know your friends.”

 “So, this can work, we need to invite people who have no ties to your family,” Trunks explained again. “I’ll introduce you to them. Trust me. They’re cool and the girls I have coming are hot and experience.”

 Some of Trunks’ friends were cool and the girls he brought were beautiful. It was fun being around them that Goten thought Trunks was right about not inviting his friends. He was still having fun but after an hour, things went to great to spiraling out of control. More people showed up. Trunks’ friends invited friends of their own and brought amenities to liven up the party more: alcohol and drugs . What started as a group of twenty expanded to a group of nearly one hundred and they were all partying in or outside Goten’s home.

 “I’m in so much trouble,” Goten murmured. Outside boys and girls were soaking or making out in the  jacuzzi. Naked girls were being chased by half naked boys. There were groups of people drinking excessively. One drunken teen vomited in ChiChi’s garden.

 And this was outside!

 Inside was worse. The house was filled with teens dancing, eating and making out. There were a few broken glasses and dishes. Two end tables were broken because teens danced on it. The coffee table was broken because two muscle bound jocks broke it while celebrating an arm-wrestling victory. Upstairs was off limits but of course being teens, they didn’t listen. They broke through the locked doors for their own entertainment.

 Goten was horrified to see groups of people in his parent’s bedroom have a blow job party. He told these strangers to stay downstairs but instead of listening, they broke in his parents’ bedroom and did things only his parents should do in here. Add on to the trust his mother had in him and knowing he broke and the party not turning out how he wanted, it angered Goten to the point he flared into Super Saiyan as he screamed.

 “GET OUT!!!”

 Goten was angry. He was angry at these people for disrespecting him in his home. He was angry he couldn’t invite his friends and he was angry at his best friend Trunk using him.

 Girls sucking on their boyfriends pulled away stunned and frightened at the golden hair teen screaming. Boys pulled up their pants and girls scrambled to their feet as they rushed out to escape the gold menace.

Somewhere in the sea of people was Trunks. Goten promised to find him and tell his friend the party was over. Shockingly, Goten felt Trunks’ Ki in his bedroom. He pushed open the door and found Trunks kissing a girl besides his bed.

 “Trunks, what are you doing in here?! You have a girl in my room before I got a girl in my room!”

 Trunks broke away from the girl startled. “Goten! What the hell are you doing? Why did you turn into a Super Saiyan?”

 “WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM?!”

 “What’s a Super Saiyan?”

 Trunks and Goten looked at the confused pink haired girl that had her tongue down Trunks’ throat moments ago. “Give us a minute.” The girl fixed her clothes, gave Trunks a kiss and flipped off Goten as she brushed past him. “I know it’s wrong to bring her in here but I’m your friend, so I thought it was cool.” Goten’s Ki spiked higher at the explanation. “Goten, could you calm down? I know there’s a lot of people and maybe it’s getting out of hand but we can fix this.”

 The music that blared in and outside of the house since the party started. immediately stopped. It was followed by an angry voice that rocked Goten and Trunks to their core.

 “OUT!! EVERYONE OUT!!! RIGHT NOW!!!”

 “Oh, shit,” Trunks cursed.

 Trunks and Goten could hear the sounds of multiple footsteps leaving his home and the sounds of capsules popping. From his window, Goten and Trunks saw many airships leaving at a frantic pace.

 “GOTEN!!!!”

 “Oh, shit,” Trunks cursed again.

 Goten could feel sick to his stomach at that voice. It was over for him. He will die tonight. Why couldn’t evil Majin Boo come back or some other bad person willing to destroy the planet?

“Don’t make me come up there and get you, Goten!! Get….down…. here… NOW!!!”

 Trunks wiped his forehead. He wasn’t called. He was spared.

 “I know you’re up there, Trunks!! Get down here, too, and don’t you even think of escaping!”

 “Dammit,” Trunks cursed again.

 Goten and Trunks left the room. They slowly walked downstairs ready to die. With the house empty of people, it looked even worse. The sofa had stains of food, alcohol and cigarette marks. Trash littered the floor. There was a stench of smoke and weed in the room. The kitchen was a mess as it was stained with food. In the center stood Gohan, dressed casually, without his glasses, arms crossed and furious!

 Goten witnessed anger from his brother a few times but he had never seen him this angry before. “Big brother, what are you doing here? How did you know?”

 Gohan glared at Trunks. He knew he was the mastermind behind this. “You are definitely Bulma’s kid, Trunks. Your con job on Mom was so bad even Dad noticed.”

 Goku? Trunks couldn’t believe that. “That’s impossible! Your Dad’s—"

 “A lot smarter than you think and he’s known your Mom a lot longer than you. He’s seen this con job before and maybe if Goten didn’t display that temper tantrum he’s old enough to be in the house by himself, Mom would’ve noticed that, too.”

 “If you knew about this, why didn’t you stop us?” Trunks asked. Instead of being scared, he was upset. “Did you set us up?”

 Gohan wanted to laugh. Was Trunks trying to turn this on him? “I understand the need to have parties. I went to a few in college but I didn’t say anything because I thought you two would have it under control. My mistake in trusting you.”

 Goten lowered his head ashamed. He never thought he would lose his brother’s trust.

 Trunks admired Gohan but he didn’t like this scolding from him. “So, what are you gonna do?” he challenged, “Snitch on us?”

 Gohan shook his head. Trunks didn’t behave like the Trunks he knew as a child. It was unfortunate. “I won’t. Mom deserves this break and I won’t have her crush to think she can’t trust her child. We’re gonna fix this.”

 Gohan stepped away from them. He opened a drawer and pulled out ChiChi’s notepad and pen she used when making the grocery list. Goten and Trunks looked curious as Gohan wrote down what was broken in the kitchen. He went to the living room and made list there. Then he traveled to every room in the house writing more things down.

 When he returned, Gohan had a list of two pages. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a capsule. He gave the list to Goten and the capsule to Trunks.

 Trunks read the capsule model number. “This is one of our large airship capsules.”

 “What do you want us to do?” Goten asked as he read the list. He was ready to do anything to earn his brother’s trust again. “You want us to go shopping for all this?  What if they don’t have it?”

 “There’s a storage warehouse in Satan City at 510 Western Ave. It has everything we need. There are duplicates of everything in our house. Every utensil, glass, dinnerplates. Even furniture. It’s all bought and paid for. Don’t worry about the sofa and futons. I broke that in so it doesn’t have a new furniture feel to it. Mom won’t know it’s been replaced. Just get it and get back here as soon as possible.”

 “Hold on.” There’s a story behind this and Trunks wanted to know. “Why do you have duplicates of everything in a warehouse?”

 “Dad still breaks stuff around the house. With all that money Mr. Satan gave us, Dad thought we should get duplicates of everything so Mom would stop getting angry every time he broke something.”

 Goten did remember his Mom being a little frustrated at his Dad for breaking things but that hasn’t happened for….. “You mean this has been---”

 “Going on for years,” Gohan finished. “Yes. You two need to get going. I’m gonna start cleaning up what I can.”

 “Okay but Mom and Dad don’t need a new bed.” Goten pointed to the list. “It’s not broken.”

 “I don’t know all of what went on in Mom and Dad’s room and my nose isn’t as strong as Dad’s but I know something went on in there that shouldn’t have. Dad’s nose will pick it up. You’re getting a new bed and futon.”

 Goten agreed with his brother. He saw what went on and he will take that to his grave. “Dad suspects something but he doesn’t know about the party right, Gohan? You don’t have to tell him.”

 Gohan wished that were true. “I don’t want to but I have to. Mom will want to leave first thing in the morning and I don’t think we’ll be finished covering this mess by then. Dad needs to know so he can stall Mom.”

 Goten accepted that. As long as Mom didn’t know.

 Gohan pointed to the door. “Get going. Mom and Dad will be back tomorrow. We don’t have a lot of time and I have to get back, too. Videl doesn’t know about this.” Gohan squeezed the bridge of his nose as he thought of how to resolve this. “When you two come back, you need to get rid of everything broken and clean this house top to bottom. Make sure the outside is taken care of, too. I’m not needed at tomorrow’s conference but I’ll let Videl think I’m going and come back here and make sure everything is in correct order.”

 “I want to help,” Trunks started, “but I can’t. I have curfew in three hours. I broke it twice and Mom will ground me for the next month if I’m late again.”

 “Then you better get as much done as you can before curfew,” Gohan warned as he approached Trunks. No way will this instigator get out of the mess he help create. “Tomorrow, you’re gonna come back here and help me and Goten clean this mess because if my Mom finds out, after my Mom and your Mom deals with you, you’re gonna have to deal with me. Understand?”

 Trunks swallowed. When Gohan got mad, really mad, he was scary.

 ****

 Goten and Trunks went to the warehouse and brought back everything on Gohan’s list. Trunks went home to meet curfew. This left Goten to spend the rest of the night tossing out the broken furniture and cleaning the house from top to bottom. Trunks returned early the next morning to help. Gohan arrived an hour after Trunks. He inspected in and outside the house for anything Goten (mostly) and Trunks missed in before giving his approval and leaving.  

 Trunks and Goten were in the kitchen eating when Goku and ChiChi teleported two hours later. Both were carrying bags of items from the resort. Goten could see stuffed toys for Pan in one bag. There was another bag filled with clothes and games that looked to be for him.

 “Look at that, ChiChi. The house is in one piece.” Goku squeezed ChiChi lightly. “And you were worried.”

 “I gladly admit to being wrong.” ChiChi looked around her kitchen inspecting everything with a sharp eye. She opened and closed the refrigerator, eyed Goten suspicious before stepping in the living where a lot of damage was done. ChiChi walked around before staring at the sofa, the end tables and coffee table that were replaced. Goten and Trunks exchanged nervous glances. Did they miss a spot? Did ChiChi notice something.

 “Goten!”

 Goten jumped! Did his mother know the furniture were replaced? Gohan inspected everything! He said everything was good.

 ChiChi ran to Goten and threw her arms around him. “Oh, sweetheart. You cleaned the house and shopped for food.”

 Goten laughed nervously. She didn’t notice. He wasn’t going to die today. “I wanted to surprise you. I felt bad about my temper tantrum and---”

 “Ohh!” ChiChi kissed his cheek. “Oh, you’re such a sweet child.”

 “He’s a good kid,” Goku ruffled Goten’s hair. “With a lot of energy. Gohan’s getting so much busier now with his work and family he can’t spar with me as much anymore.” He lightly jabbed Goten’s face. “You’re getting older and slacking off a bit. I think we need to increase our training.” Goku grinned at Goten. “First thing in the morning and after your school lessons are done, we’re gonna train and we’re going to train harder than before.” He jabbed Goten’s face again. “And don’t think I will go easy on you because you’re my son. I know you don’t want that.”

 More training and even harder? They already train four days out of the week. Goten loved it when he was kid but getting older and discovering girls, Goten wasn’t interested in fighting like he used to be. He looked at his mother to bail him out. “Mom?”

 “Oh, I know you can handle it, Goten. You don’t have to ask for my permission. You’ve balanced school and training with your father and you haven’t fallen behind.” ChiChi grabbed a couple bags. “I’m gonna unpack and wrap these gifts for Pan. I can’t wait to show these to her.”

 This left Goku, Goten and Trunks in the room. Trunks looked at father and son. Goten looked frightened at his Dad’s scary smile. He didn’t know what will happen but Trunks knew he should leave. This was Goten’s problem. Not his. “Well, I’m gonna go home. Nice to see you again, Goku.”

 “Bye, Trunks,” Goku kept his eyes on Goten. “Say hey to Vegeta. I haven’t seen him in while but I talked to him this morning. He’s waiting for you.”

 “Shit,” Trunks banged his head against the door. He was a dead man. If Goten’s father was going to increase their training, he could only imagine what his Dad will do to him.

 And then there were two. Goten kept his head bowed. He knew his father wasn’t the yelling type but he felt something was coming.

 “Shall we go?” Goku asked. “Might as well get started.”

 Goten saw his father walking towards the door. Was this it? Was his Dad not going to acknowledge what he did? He knew Mom handles the punishment but this time with Mom not knowing, Goten expected something from his Dad. “Dad, aren’t you mad?”

 “The house is still here and your Mom’s happy. So, no.” He opened the door. “Let’s go.”

 Goten followed his Dad outside. He didn’t understand. The house was a wreck because of his party. He should be punished. “Didn’t Gohan tell you what happened?”

 “He did.”

 And he still wasn’t mad?

 “Listen, Goten. You know I’m not the yelling parent. I trust my kids to do the right thing and when they do wrong, I trust them to fix it. Gohan told me how ashamed you were last night. When he came by this morning, everything was spotless. The house was cleaner than it was when we left.” He put an arm around Goten. “You really felt bad for that party and what happened to the house.”

 “Yeah,” Goten nodded. “I didn’t want to do it but Trunks convinced me and….” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Trunks is my best friend but I shouldn’t listen to him all the time.”

 “That’s true,” Goku agreed. It was something he and ChiChi knew for a while. Goku was glad Goten was starting to see that.

 “I’m really sorry, Dad.” Goten never wanted last night to happen again. ��I let you and Mom down.”

 “Nah. You didn’t let us down. You proved to us we did pretty good as parents. You saw you made a mistake and tried to correct it. You didn’t try to get away with it. So, I’m happy.” He winked at Goten. “It’ll be our little secret from Mom.”

 Goten hugged his father. “Thanks, Dad.” His mother’s love and father’s approval meant a lot to Goten. He had that, risked losing it last night and vowed to never let that happen again.  

[the-ash0]

surviving paradise ch 29 venison

For three consecutive days she ambushes me on my way to bed, and for three consecutive days I try out her massage. I’ll admit it feels good. Not just during, but after as well. As for any advantages in training, I’m less convinced. The following morning it is harder to pull myself out of bed, harder still to drag myself to the GR and bury myself in the intense gravity. When I take a break for meals I always catch myself procrastinating after taking my fill, like something buried deep within me thinks doing nothing is the best thing ever.

It could just be that nagging voice in the back of my head counting down the days. Telling me I’m running out of time, and if I have failed to achieve Super Saiyan when I’ve trained for over a year while Kakarot did it in little over a week... I never will. Yet thinking that way is counterproductive. So, I’m going to blame the woman and her crazy methods instead.

Sadly, my giving in has not dampened her enthusiasm at all, and when I tell her ‘no’ on the fourth night, she argues at my door until early morning. I’m not sure what she’s trying to achieve; if I didn't know any better I’d think she’s the one fighting for her birthright here. Her tenacity is annoying, stupid, and completely impervious to reason. It makes me sick with anger.

No; I’ve humored her long enough, and I’m definitely done being pushed around. Though in all honesty, I’m lost on how to fight something that I cannot... fight? I’m well aware that one good shove would kill her, and where would that leave me? On a spaceship with my tail between my legs, back to that familiar vacuum. And yet, not so long ago I would have counted any outcome with me alive at the end of the day a victory. It is strange but right now, I’m not sure I could stomach it.

In a last effort at decency, I return to my room in the cover of early morning light for my blanket and mattress and resolve to sleep in the GR instead. It gets a little chilly in the morning hours, but now I only need to leave for food and a shower. As for cleansing facilities, there are several scattered across the compound, and I can easily chose a different one if I sense her lurking about. I’ve taken to eating my meals with the family because, foodtime is sacred even with you humans, and so as a rule the bitch only starts nagging at me when she has cleared her plate.

It should not come as a surprise that the woman thinks up a different sort of trap the next week. I suspected something was up when those silly little trees started popping up all around the house. It seems as if every room is required to have one. Next, the contraptions were decorated with all sorts of junk and flashing lights. When I asked why, I was told that everyone does it, and it’s a tradition. You people must really hate pine trees to cut off their roots and dress them up as they slowly wither and die.

I can smell the trap the moment I walk into the kitchen; there are too many places set at the table, and the family is too well dressed. Again, the timing is perfect. In the millisecond it takes me to debate grabbing a plate before beating a hasty retreat, the mother has enveloped my arm. She steers me to a seat right next to the smelly little tree, because even the kitchen apparently needed one. At least there are no flashing lights on this one.

The mother explains. “Here’s your place right at the corner, Vegeta! Right next to my Bulma, you lucky devil!”

The ditzy thing sits opposite to me and serves me a plate filled with chunks of sweet smelling venison and more. The food is even more luxurious than usual. My mouth starts to water when she suggests I start early because I must be famished. She’s right, of course. And why should I retreat when such a meal is presented? No, I will not. The woman can go fuck herself. I do resolve to eat fast, and then go back to training. I’d like to avoid whatever the Briefs are getting their panties twisted in a bunch over, but this food here is mine.

I’m only three bites in when she sits down next to me, wearing a short little black dress despite the bad weather. Bulma plops down on her chair hard, boxing me in at the table. I’m sick of the stalking, and I cannot help but wonder if she somehow forgot what she is chasing after. For I know this is no mistake; no coincidence. I glare at her while I finish my plate.

My warning slides off of her like water, an uneven grin on her face as she leans an elbow on the table then pours me a glass of bubbly liquid. “Have some champagne, Vegeta! It’s time to celebrate.” She laughs at my confused frown, spills a few drops. I can smell the drink on her breath already, imbibed and fearless. How I hate her.

I’m sick of it. Sick of her, and her games. I’ve been a good, courteous guest.. or as well as can be expected of me. I’ve bend to her wishes, but it seems the woman has decided to push harder every time. Seems like she’s wondering just how far she can push before I snap. Well, how about I push back a little? Just a little shove. I raise my left hand, I’m so tempted... Yet some instinct stops me, and I shove the glass back at her instead as I continue to eat. She scowls at me, no doubt with some nasty observation on her lips, but does not get beyond a frustrated sound.

“Bulma!” It’s the bald little thing, the one that keeps dressing up like Kakarot, although the clown-suit he’s now in would probably even make that third-class blanch. The gnome comes walking right into my kitchen. Or at least, hers. -No; I’m eating here. I have a claim. Comes walking in with a wide grin, smooths down its weird black suit, perhaps somewhat aware of how ridiculous it looks. “Merry Christmas. I’m afraid Goku and Gohan won’t be making it —training hard, I guess.”

“Oh, Goku is hiding is he? Can you imagine that, Vegeta? A Saiyan, hiding?”

I stop mid-chew. What is she implying and why does she try to pull me into her inane banter with this hairless midget? I snarl; and the gnome at least has a working brain cell, because it yelps then jumps behind Bulma’s mother.

The bald imp tries to cover its reaction with another laugh. “But I did bring someone desperate to get out of the house!” It grins too widely over Panchy’s shoulder as Kakarot’s banshee wife enters, all decked out like she’s part of a circus parade.

I click my tongue for a moment at the odd exchange between Bulma, her mother and the woman. Somehow, all three end up apologising for the food, showing up, and generally existing. Why are these guests here, apart from annoying me? The gnome I can understand; he’s a decently proficient fighter for a human, but what is the purpose of bringing the witch? Insurance? Pathetic; I suppose killing this Chi-chi woman might cause me a headache in the form of her husband, but any more of one than if I just blasted Bulma? I’d think Kakarot would show up fast enough either way. Maybe annoyance, in and of itself, is the goal. The banshee is loud and whiny enough for it.

“Yamcha's not coming either?” Kakarot’s wife turns in her seat at the far end towards Bulma with an air of sympathy, her ornate hairstyle swinging. Apparently the pair had hoped for even more guests at the table. But with the parents, Bulma, the midget, and the banshee, that’s five other people at the table and the cacophony drains my appetite. Seriously, I’ve eaten at larger gatherings, but usually those present knew to shut up as long as there was food in front of them.

Next to me, the blue minx throws herself back in her chair with an uncaring shrug. “One of those cleansing journeys of his. He’s not answering any phone calls or messages, so I guess he’s busy too. Or maybe he’s running. I don't know; what do you think, Vegeta?”

I chew, then swallow. Pause, then take my next bite. Bulma keeps looking at me so I glare right back. Running and hiding? Oh yes, I can hear her accusation. I’m so fucking sick of her games, her useless theories, and this entire planet. I’m just about ready to end her, consequences be damned. In the silence, the atmosphere cools, and the conversations stutter to a halt.

“Never mind, Bulma, who needs them anyway. Men, right?” It’s Kakarot’s wife, she seems a little too pleased about Scarface not showing. Then her face darkens. “My Goku is always like that. Disappearing. Not showing up when he promised. And all this while we all agreed this would be the last chance to celebrate Christmas together, because next year will be too close to the androids arriving. Fah. Men.”

Across from me, the midget laughs weakly “We’re right here…” He trails off and looks my way with a near-hopeful expression.

Well, I don’t give a fuck, you gnome. I’m just here to take what I want, and get the fuck out. I’m not fucking hiding or running. Screw you all. To illustrate my point, I shove my empty dish out of the way and pull an ornate plated bird towards me. I know it’s meant as a shared meal, but I dare anyone to say anything. They don't. No one would dare. Except Bulma, and she’s ignoring me now as she listens to the wife’s animated rant.

I cannot help but listen in between mouthfuls. The banshee puts Kakarot down at every turn. I’m not sure how I feel about that. It’s kind of nice to hear someone hate on him for a change, and one cannot deny her spunk is entertaining. Yet I’m pretty sure mates are supposed to have your back, and it sounds like this woman would rather that Kakarot never fight again, but instead  work in a field like some common laborer. She mews about the only job fit for a Saiyan like it’s something bad. “It’s been awful, Bulma! Training, it’s all he talks about, all he does. Except for eating. He’s even pushing Gohan to fight, and I told him school is more important...”

The midget coughs. “Aah, there is that thing where we all die if we cannot beat the androids... ma’am.” The little thing seems to regret speaking up. He turns to Dr. Briefs at the far end, who seems wisely preoccupied by his meal. The monk swallows again, before turning my way. “How’s your training going, Vegeta? It’s got to be going better than mine, right?”

Training is the last thing I want to talk about. The last thing I want to think about… I snarl, but the woman answers for me, touches my knee as she does, patting it. Her overstepping her bounds—in public, no less— shocks me into silence. I hear that misplaced conviction in her voice again.

“We’re getting somewhere, I know we are. It’s slow going, and frustrating. But we’re getting there, mark my words.”

Oh yeah. We are definitely going somewhere: a highway to hell, that’s where. I turn a nasty smirk at them both. “Remind me why I should help you humans again? Killing the androids might be fun, but orbiting the planet and watching from space as you all get murdered might be even better…”

The smirk turns into a full leer as I turn from the midget to the woman. The only sound in the room now comes from Dr. Briefs cutting his meat as he continues his meal undisturbed. I can feel the accusational stares from the others. All except the mother, who keeps her happy expression blank and beyond any understanding. Yes, how would that feel? I really could run. I have no fucking honor anyway. No pride, no birthright. Screwing you all over would be worth it. Maybe. Surviving another failure might not be.

The midget laughs weakly again to cover up the uncomfortable silence. “There’s only sixteen months left, and not even Goku’s thinks he’s progressed enough to win. The mystery boy said we’d need to be much stronger than he was... We’re all going to die, aren’t we..?”

Sixteen months. That’s how much time is left? Fuck, that little time’s all that’s left? I swallow, I knew that. I had kept count somewhere in the back of my mind. But to hear it out loud... You’re all going to die in sixteen months, human. Oh, I know you’re not worried. Kakarot will save you all, but it doesn't really matter to me because by that time I need to be off planet either way. After the androids come, there is no longer any reason to stay. Actually, if I do not become Super Saiyan soon there never was a good reason... Now that we’ve passed the halfway point this seems very likely indeed. I should run. I should hide. And yet the idea leaves a dirty taste in my mouth. Somehow, throwing myself at those androids even if it means certain death is more appealing.  

I could, theoretically. It’s a comforting thought, for what it’s worth. At least, it is to me. Fucking people over, turning tail at the first chance I could find has been my goal for so long. But once upon a time, I believed warriors didn't run... didn’t hide... and it’s not like I have much to live for. I could do that. I could, if I wanted. It’s my life, I can waste it any way I damn well please.

Or, I could fuck you lot over, and abandon Earth at the last moment. I think I’ll leave it up in the air, keep this lot on their toes. The woman does get particularly weird at the thought of me getting hurt, after all.

An uncomfortable silence has settled in, but I just keep smiling. Good. Finally things are as they should be, with them uncomfortable and unsure and me fucking with them. Very good. I’ve gotten the initiative back. Turned the table on them, so to speak. Yes, very satisfying.

“That reminds me, Vegeta.” Bulma casually places a hand on her chin to lean on as she turns my way a little unsteadily. “It might be a little early to start with the gifts, but this is for you. Merry Christmas.” She digs down her cleavage with her free hand, and with a triumphant sound fishes something out. I’m loathe to touch it, because I know where it came from. Yet she pushes the little thing towards me, held between her thumb and index finger, until I either take it or have it shoved in my eye.

It’s a capsule. A rather big one, I notice. Intrigued, I shake it.

“It’s your own spaceship. With GR, of course.”

I freeze and nearly drop the capsule in my hand. I cannot help but stand and bend over her with what I hope passes as a grin. “Oh? How thoughtful. What made you think I’d need it?”

She blinks up at me lazily, then sits back so she can keep her eyes focused on me. “So you can, you know, dump us and run away without having to steal my shit.”

There is a collective intake of breath. Kakarot’s banshee is wide-eyed and frozen. The dwarf has hidden behind the father, who finally has abandoned his meal. Even the mother is shocked, hand over her mouth in a silent gesture.

Only Bulma remains calm. She stares at me with one eyebrow raised, challenging me. Fuck her. Hey, you know what? Maybe I won't become a Super Saiyan. That doesn't mean I can’t raise havoc. I’m fucking death incarnate! So, hey. Maybe I should take her up on this? Yeah, it’s on. I’m going to ride this pony for all it’s worth. And then, when the time comes, I’ll disappear somewhere among the vast reaches of space. Don't you dare think I have nowhere to go. I can go anywhere.

“A heartwarming gesture.” I toss the capsule into the air, then catch it. Then, I start to squeeze. It groans, more loudly than such a small thing should, and makes loud pops that push back against my hand. Yet I push harder, further, balling my fist until it fizzles out. I toss the smoking ruin in my still-filled champagne glass. “I won't be needing it, though.” As I turn, I grab the nuisance of a woman under her armpits and hoist her up until she’s at eye-level. “Because I aim to take whatever’s yours when I feel like it.”

With that, I lift her up higher and shove her butt onto the table so I can pass. Without deigning to acknowledge the rest, I leave, ready for some serious training.

The Krill-thing laughs again. “Yeah, we’re all going to die.”

Oh, he’s right. He’s definitely right. But I won't be pushed around. I’d rather die. I’d rather kill her.

rest is on: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15338988/chapters/35590152

[joan-frias]

Seven Years After

A Gohan x Videl Fanfiction

This fanfiction is written in a format that mimics the anime/manga. The dialogues are on script format, and locations are written for ease of reference.

Photos credit to the owners.

ORANGE STAR HIGH SCHOOL, SATAN CITY

EXAMINATION ROOM

SON GOHAN just finished answering his entrance examination. He looks happily at his paper, then outside of the window by his left side. The sky is blue, the day is sunny.

Gohan is now 16 years old. He's grown into a fine teenager. He resembles his father a lot, and if only his hair has the same spiky haircut then he could pass as Goku's twin. But he decided to have his hair cut short. He's also not much into wearing a gi, though he's wearing something that Goku used to wear. He has Goku's orange jacket, something he decided to wear to somehow give him the confidence he needs for today's entrance exams and interview. Underneath the jacket is a white shirt, just like his father. He completed the look with black pants and black sneakers.

Gohan looks at the woman in front of him. She is a TEACHER. The middle-aged woman is wearing a matching blue skirt and blazer suit. Her greying hair is tied into a bun, and her eyes are aided by a white-rimmed eyeglass.

TEACHER: Are you done?

GOHAN: Yes, Ma'am.

The teacher stands up and walks to Gohan. She takes his paper, then gives him some instructions about what he'll do next.

PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE

Gohan is sitting on a chair as the principal is currently conducting an interview with him. The PRINCIPAL is a middle-aged man wearing a black-rimmed glasses and blue suit.

PRINCIPAL: So Gohan, tell me about yourself.

GOHAN: I'm Son Gohan, 16 years old. I live with my mother and little brother at East District.

PRINCIPAL: What about your father?

GOHAN: My dad... (holds the hem of his jacket) he's not with us anymore.

PRINCIPAL: I'm sorry to hear that.

GOHAN: It was seven years ago, so we kind of moved on from that already.

PRINCIPAL: I'm glad to hear that... So Gohan, you live quite a distance from the school.

GOHAN: Yes. Actually, Sir, this is the nearest school from our place. That is the reason why I was home schooled since I was young.

PRINCIPAL: I see. What made you change your preference?

GOHAN: My mother thinks that it will be better for me to go to a real high school. This is also to help me learn how to be with other students.

PRINCIPAL: I see... Well, it seems your home schooling has been good. You aced all your entrance exams.

Gohan smiles shyly.

As Gohan is taking his interview, CHI-CHI waits outside the principal's office. She's in her usual purple dress with her orange scarf. Her hair is tied in a neat bun. She is sitting at a gang chair and can be seen nervously looking at the door as she waits.

After what seems like forever to her, Gohan goes out of the door. Chi-Chi immediately walks to him.

CHI-CHI: How did it go?

GOHAN: (blushes) I... got in. I made it!

Chi-Chi bursts in glee. She hugs Gohan by his neck, making him stoop down because he's now taller than his mother.

CHI-CHI: Oh! I'm so proud of you.

GOHAN: Mom! Take it easy.

CHI-CHI: (lets go) So when can you enroll?

GOHAN: They told me to come back next week to process my enrollment. Then I'm good to go to class the week after.

CHI-CHI: That's great! Now… I know you're hungry. Let's go and eat lunch. Since you did great with your entrance exams and interview, I will treat you and you can have anything you want.

GOHAN: You don't have to, Mom.

CHI-CHI: Oh, come on! This does not happen quite often, so let's make the best out of it.

Gohan smiles at her.

.

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, SATAN CITY

The downtown district is the home for all commercial, cultural and entertainment establishments in Satan City. There is also an abundance of Mr. Satan's billboard all over the streets.

Gohan and Chi-Chi entered a luxurious restaurant and is given a table for two.

GOHAN: Are you sure about this, Mom? This place is quite expensive.

CHI-CHI: Oh, don't be silly! We can afford something like this once in a while. I told you, this is my treat since you did well in school. So order what you want and don't worry about the bill.

GOHAN: I wish Goten is here to celebrate with us.

CHI-CHI: He'll be fine. I'm sure Bulma can feed him more delicious food than what they serve here. Her mom's the best cook in West District.

GOHAN: I have to agree with that.

CHI-CHI: I will just cook a nice dinner tonight. Then, we can celebrate again. Oh, my dream of you becoming a scholar is about to come true! What a great future you'll have, Gohan.

Gohan looks at his mother who is obviously very happy. Gladness took over his face.

CHI-CHI: (realizing Gohan is staring at her) What is it?

GOHAN: I'm just happy you're happy, Mom.

CHI-CHI: I'm sorry if I have been hard on you. I just want you to have the best life and future.

GOHAN: I know, Mom, and I'm thankful for that.

CHI-CHI: Oh really? (raises an eyebrow) You'd rather be studying than training?

Gohan lets out a nervous laugh as he scratches the back of his head. Chi-Chi looks at him fondly. Gohan notices that look.

GOHAN: Huh?

CHI-CHI: You really look like your father when you do that.

Gohan smiles back.

CHI-CHI: I wonder what he would say about you going to high school. He might argue with me again and insist that being strong and training hard is better that being a scholar.

GOHAN: You miss Dad so much, don't you?

CHI-CHI: Well, don't you?

GOHAN: Everyday, Mom. Everyday.

Tears are starting to form on Chi-Chi's eyes. She blinks them out and takes a deep breath to compose herself.

CHI-CHI: Oh well! Let's not be sad. He died saving the world making sure we will be safe. I just hope more people appreciates that. Cheering for a fake champion? They don't even realize that Mr. Satan is fooling them all.

GOHAN: Mom, you realize we're on the city where he lives, right?

CHI-CHI: I don't care! Your father is not here with us because of that sacrifice he made and people are cheering for that pretentious champion who makes martial arts look like a circus. I bet I'm even stronger than him.

Gohan looks around nervously.

The food is served, and Gohan eats voraciously. Other customers started looking at them, but Chi-Chi just tolerates it.

CHI-CHI: Don't forget to save room for desserts.

GOHAN: Yes, Mom.

After lunch, Gohan and Chi-Chi strolled along the city.

CHI-CHI: Gohan, somehow you need to familiarize yourself with this place.

GOHAN: Don't worry, Mom. I'll be just fine.

The two of them see a billboard of Mr. Satan.

CHI-CHI: Ugh! Do they really need to display his face all around the city? It's quite annoying already.

GOHAN: Mom! Please don't say that. Someone might here us.

CHI-CHI: Hmp!

A gunshot fills the air. Gohan and Chi-Chi look around and see a robbery happening inside a jewelry store nearby. Some bystanders have gathered outside to witness the fiasco.

BYSTANDER #1: Those crooks! They don't even care if this city is where Mr. Satan lives.

CHI-CHI: (sarcastically) Oh, for sure they're not bothered!

GOHAN: Mom! (smiles awkwardly at the man)

The police started arriving. They park outside the jewelry shop, assess the situation. But before they could come in the jewelry shop, one of the robbers exits the store with a female hostage.

ROBBER #1: Just try to make a move and her brain will explode.

The police were not able to do anything.

CHI-CHI: Let's go, Gohan. We don't want to get tangled with this mess.

Gohan looks at the store, but decides to follow his mother. He was about to walk away when he hears someone cry out. He looks back at the scene, and sees the crook taking the hostage with him on the car.

HOSTAGE: Please, let me go, Sir. Please, I beg you.

ROBBER #1: Shut up!

Gohan feels like he cannot let this to just pass by. He looks at his mother, but instead of following her he goes to the other direction.

GOHAN: (to himself) I'm sorry, Mom. I just really need to do this very quick.

Gohan enters a dark alley. He looks around making sure no one is there to see him. Then, he gathers his power and transforms into a Super Saiyan.

.

At the jewelry shop, the other robbers came out as well. Robber #1 still has the hostage with him inside their getaway car. Suddenly, a glowing man appears in their midst, surprising them.

GOHAN: Release the girl and give back all that you took from the shop.

ROBBER #2: And what if we don't?

GOHAN: I am giving you one last chance to give back everything that you've taken from this shop. Please cooperate or I'll have to force you.

The people around start to notice Gohan.

BYSTANDER #2: Who is that punk with golden hair?

BYSTANDER #3: He looks like an angel.

BYSTANDER #2: Maybe he is. He suddenly appears out of nowhere.

CHI-CHI hears what the others are talking about. She turns around and looks back at the crime scene, seeing Gohan on his Super Saiyan form.

CHI-CHI: Gohan!

Meanwhile, the robbers are still not cooperating with Gohan's orders.

ROBBER #3: You fool! You think you can scare us with that cheap trick of yours? You're not even half as strong as Mr. Satan's.

GOHAN: So you won't listen, huh? Well then, you leave me with no choice.

Gohan disappears. The robbers are surprised, but are more shocked when the door to the passenger seat of their getaway car suddenly fell down. The three of them look at it, as Gohan swiftly takes the hostage from the first robber then brings her to the police officers.

GOHAN: Officer, please keep her safe.

POLICE #1: (dumbfounded) O-Okay...

Gohan looks back at the crooks who are still not comprehending what is happening.

ROBBER #2: Where is he?

Gohan jumps and lands behind the two robbers in front the jewelry shop.

GOHAN: Looking for me?

The two men turn around and see Gohan behind them. Before any one of them can answer, Gohan went ahead and kicks Robber #2. The robber falls to the ground a few feet away.

ROBBER #3: You punk!

Robber #3 charges to Gohan, but the young Saiyan was quick to respond. He did not dodge, but instead anticipates the blow catching the robber's hand.

ROBBER #3: Wha-

Gohan twists the man's arm sending him excruciating pain. Afterwards he lifts him up and throws him beside Robber #2.

All the bystanders are amazed at what they are witnessing. Except for Chi-Chi. She is actually mad at what she's seeing. She clenches his fist and looks fiercely at Gohan.

Robber #1 goes out the car with his gun. He points it at Gohan.

ROBBER #1: Die, you monster!

Robber #1 fires his gun at Gohan. The latter did not dodge, but instead catches the bullets with his bare hands. The gun runs out of bullets. Gohan lets the bullets fall to the ground.

ROBBER #1: You're impossible!

GOHAN: And you're going to jail!

Robber #1 tries to get back in the car, but Gohan moves swiftly in front of him. The thief looks at the golden-haired fighter.

GOHAN: You still won't surrender?

ROBBER #1: N-No! I-I'm… doing what you said!

Robber #1 takes all the jewelry they took, then hands them back to Gohan.

ROBBER #1: Here! Take all that we got. I'm not fighting you.

Gohan takes the bag from Robber #1. He looks at the police officers.

GOHAN: Officer! Please take this loot, then restrain these three.

One of the police officers moves closer to Gohan. The young Saiyan gives the loot to him. Some of the police goes to the crooks and put handcuffs to them.

POLICE #1: Thank you so mu-

Gohan suddenly disappears.

POLICE #1: Where'd he go?

Gohan goes back to the dark alley and transforms back to his normal form.

.

VIDEL arrives at the crime scene. She's a sixteen-year old girl dressed in long white t-shirt and black tight-fitting shorts. Upon seeing her, the police officers went to her and told her what happened.

POLICE #1: Videl!

VIDEL: What happened? (looks around)

POLICE #1: Everything was taken care off.

Videl sees the three crooks being handcuffed and taken inside the police vehicles.

VIDEL: (quite amazed) You were able to get them this time.

POLICE #1: No. Actually, someone helped us earlier.

VIDEL: Huh?

POLICE #1: A golden-haired guy suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He was super strong. He took these three all by himself in minutes.

VIDEL: Golden-haired guy?

POLICE #1: Yes. His hair looks like flames. He seems so strong and confident, quite cocky I should say.

Videl looks around, trying to search for the golden man the police is telling her about.

POLICE #1: He's not here anymore. He just disappeared suddenly.

VIDEL: Disappeared?

POLICE #1: Yes. He comes and goes instantly.

VIDEL: Strange...

.

Meanwhile, Gohan goes back to his mother, who is really furious about what happened.

GOHAN: Mom...I uh-

CHI-CHI: Yes, I know! I saw everything!

GOHAN: Eh!

CHI-CHI: Let's talk later!

CHI-CHI turns around, leaving Gohan behind.

GOHAN: Mom! Wait for me!

Gohan follows his furious mother.

.

CAPSULE CORPORATION, WEST CITY

From Satan City, Gohan and Chi-Chi proceeds to the Capsule Corporation. They were met by Bulma at the reception area. The Capsule heiress has matured through time. Her hair was cut short, and right now she's in her working clothes with brown pants, yellow long-sleeved shirt and moss green vest. She removes her brown lab gloves as the mother and son approach. Gohan is still trying to appease Chi-Chi who cannot seem to let the matter pass by.

BULMA: Oh! Hi guys!

CHI-CHI: Bulma! Do you know what this young man just did earlier?

BULMA: What? (looks at Gohan)

GOHAN: Well...

Gohan smiles shyly as he scratches the back of his head.

CHI-CHI: He tried to play superhero!

BULMA: What?

GOHAN: W-Well, you see, there was a robbery at a jewelry shop in Satan City. I just...

CHI-CHI: He fought with those bunch of crooks at Satan City!

BULMA : (quite confused) What's wrong with that?

CHI-CHI: Didn't you hear what I just said?

BULMA: Gohan fought with the crooks.

CHI-CHI: And you're asking what's wrong with that?

BULMA: Chi-Chi, Gohan beat Cell, and I'm positive those crooks are not anywhere close.

CHI-CHI: (frustrated) Ugh!

BULMA: Chi-Chi! Calm down already. I'm pretty sure Gohan just wanted to do the best at that situation.

CHI-CHI: I know! I know!

Chi-Chi breathes deeply to calm herself..

BULMA: Besides, what's important is that Gohan is safe. He's unharmed. Those men don't stand a chance at him. Believe me. Someone in here actually trains day and night just to be as strong as he is.

GOHAN: Huh?

BULMA: You guessed it right. Hah! If only I could disable that Gravity Room to stop Vegeta's madness... or maybe, I could.

GOHAN: (grimaces) I don't think you should.

CHI-CHI: I don't care if they are the lamest criminals on the universe. I just want Gohan to live a normal life like a normal teenager should...

GOHAN: Mom...

CHI-CHI: I'm just afraid that what happened to his father might also happen to him.

Gohan and Bulma look at Chi-Chi, both speechless. Chi-Chi's eyes start to tear up, and sadness is evident on her beautiful face. Upon realizing what is about to happen, she takes a deep breath and tries to compose herself again.

CHI-CHI: Now, where is Goten? Is he playing those video games again? He never gets tired, does he?

BULMA: They're in Trunks' gameroom.

CHI-CHI: I'll go get him now so we could go home.

Chi-Chi leaves. Bulma and Gohan looks at her.

BULMA: She still can't say his name, huh?

GOHAN: Yeah...

BULMA: I guess it still hurts.

GOHAN: It wasn't easy.

BULMA: It sure isn't... Gohan, I think you should just follow what she wants. It will make things easier for her.

GOHAN: Yeah... I guess so.

.

SON RESIDENCE, MOUNT PAOZU

FIVE DAYS AFTER

Gohan is preparing to go to Orange Star High School for his enrollment. He's wearing a green shirt and black pants. His mother comes forth, wearing her usual cheongsam, this time it's blue, and black pants underneath.

GOHAN: What? You're coming with me?

CHI-CHI: Of course I am! Who will drive for you, silly?

GOHAN: But Mom, I can ride Nimbus to school. That is how I plan on going to school everyday, remember?

CHI-CHI: Yes I know. We talked about this and Nimbus seems to be the fastest way to go to school. But you're not yet schooling. You're about to enroll yet and you need to look like a normal teenager.

GOHAN: I won't let anyone see me on the Nimbus. I promise.

CHI-CHI: I know, I know. But, I also need to make sure you don't mess up again just like what you did during your exams.

GOHAN: Mom...

CHI-CHI: Now, where's Goten? We need to drop him off to Bulma first before going to your school.

Gohan lets out a sigh.

.

ORANGE STAR HIGH SCHOOL

Gohan and Chi-Chi are at the registrar's office. The school REGISTRAR is a plus-sized woman on her late thirties, with greyish curly hair and round red-rimmed eyeglasses.

REGISTRAR: Now, here is your school badge. (hands the badge to Gohan) You don't have a uniform here, but you need to wear that badge whenever you go to school.

GOHAN: (takes the badge) Understood, Ma'am.

.

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, SATAN CITY

After the enrollment, Gohan and Chi-Chi decided to walk along Satan City.

CHI-CHI: I think the dumpling house is along here on this road...

Two cars dash out of the road. Everyone's attention was caught by this raging vehicles.

CHI-CHI: What's wrong with those people? Don't they know how to drive?

Some police cars arrive. They stopped at a bank nearby. One of the bank employees comes out of the bank. He approached the police officer.

BANK EMPLOYEE: You're too late! They're already gone.

POLICE #1: Pardon me Sir, but it seems you informed us quite late than you should have.

BANK EMPLOYEE: The crooks didn't allow us. They were able to shut down our automatic distress call. I think they have someone who disabled our system before they came in.

POLICE #1: Where did they go?

BANK EMPLOYEE: That way.

A guy on his forties comes out of the bank.

MAN: Please, Sir! Please help me take back my money.

POLICE #1: We'll do everything we can.

The police officer deploys some of his men to go and follow the bank robbers.

CHI-CHI: Another robbery? Is that a daily happening here in Satan City?

MAN: (to the police) Please, help me! I need that money for my wife's treatment. Without that, she'll die because of that stupid virus!

BYSTANDER: Is that the heart virus that everyone is talking about?

BYSTANDER #2: Maybe. He said treatment, so probably it is.

Gohan is alerted by what the two bystanders were talking about. He remembers that time when his father was infected by the heart virus.

GOHAN: (on his mind) Could it be... it's the same heart virus?

MAN: That money is the what's left to us. My wife is… My wife is going to die…

GOHAN: Mom...

CHI-CHI: Hmn?

GOHAN: I'm sorry. I promised I won't do this again, but I just can't let this pass.

CHI-CHI: What do you mean?

Gohan starts to run away.

GOHAN: I'll go back when I'm finished!

CHI-CHI: Gohan! Come back!

Gohan continues running. He goes to a secluded area, then transforms into the legendary Super Saiyan. Then he flies to the direction where the crooks proceeded. It did not take long for him to track them down. He stops them by releasing an energy beam on both cars.

The trucks roll over. The thieves scramble to get out, only to be greeted by a certain blond guy.

GOHAN: Give back all that you've taken and I will spare you.

ROBBER #1: And who are you to tell us what to do?

ROBBER #2: Hey… wait! I think I know that guy.

ROBBER #1: Huh?

All the others look at Robber #2.

ROBBER #2: That… that is the guy that took care of those thieves at the jewelry shop!

They all turn to Gohan.

GOHAN: Now, are you going to do as I say? Or do I have to take you down by force?

ROBBER #3: I don't care who you are! I'm not giving you back the money!

Robber #3 fires his gun at Gohan. The Super Saiyan catches the bullets with his bare hands, throwing them aside.

GOHAN: You want it the hard way, huh?

Gohan charges to the four crooks. He kicks and punches them beating them all. After making sure all the four guys are beaten up, he looks around and speaks to one of the spectators.

GOHAN: You! Tell the police the thieves are here.

SPECTATOR: Y-Yes...

The spectator takes his cellphone out to contact the police. It didn't take long for them to arrive.

GOHAN: (to the police officer) Make sure the guy from the bank gets all his money back. His wife needs it.

Gohan flies back to the downtown district of the city.

.

Meanwhile, Chi-Chi is sitting at a bench by the sidewalk. She is looking at the crime scene, which is a few meters away from where she is. A news reporter is covering the robbery that just took place. She is now interviewing the man who cried for help from the police officer earlier.

REPORTER: Can you tell us what happened earlier?

MAN: I withdrew our money from the bank. I had to pay for my wife's treatment. She has this heart virus that's been going around lately...

CHI-CHI: That heart virus, huh? Somehow, they found a way to treat it. A very long and expensive treatment. If only Trunk's medicine was already discovered.

Her face turns sad.

CHI-CHI: Isn't it ironic? We were able to save you from the virus, but you still died that day... Is it because it was destined that you should die?

FLASHBACK to before the Cell Games. Goku and Gohan on their Super Saiyan form spend the remaining days with Chi-Chi before the Cell Games as if they are a normal family. They eat together, go on a picnic together, celebrate birthdays together.

BACK TO PRESENT.

CHI-CHI: I wonder... do you already know that time that you're not coming back? Did you spend those times on purpose, leaving us happy memories because you know… you know…

Tears flow through Chi-Chi's face.

CHI-CHI: Do you know how scared I was? How can I raise Gohan on my own? Then, there's Goten… Do you know how scared I was that I won't be able to raise them on my own? Why did you have to leave me like that? Why did you have to leave me alone?

A police officer approaches the reporter.

POLICE #1: We receive a report from a citizen that the robbers were already apprehended.

REPORTER: (to the camera) We just received a report that the police was able to stop the robbers and take them down.

POLICE #1: Actually, it was the golden-haired guy.

REPORTER: What do you mean?

POLICE #1: The golden-haired guy who also took down the robbers on the jewelry shop.

Chi-Chi smiles upon hearing that. She wipes out the tears on her face.

CHI-CHI: Maybe... maybe you let yourself die because you know we can make it. You know I can raise the two boys, and Gohan can be strong and mighty on his own. (takes a deep breath) Seven years… how strange? It still feels like yesterday sometimes… I guess because it seems you never left us. You are still with us. In us. In Gohan. In Goten… He kind of looked exactly like you… (giggles) And Gohan... I guess he has your superhero complex. Whatever I do, he still will do everything to save others. Oh, Goku! Did you pass on the throne to him when you died? I guess I can't do anything about it anymore. After all, he has your blood, Goku…

Gohan arrives. He sees his mother smiling.

GOHAN: Mom...

CHI-CHI: Did you get them?

GOHAN: Yeah...

CHI-CHI: I knew you would… Did you have a hard time? Did you get hurt?

GOHAN: No, I'm… I'm good, Mom.

Chi-Chi stands up and turns to Gohan.

CHI-CHI: Gohan, the next time you do that, promise me you won't get hurt. I know you're strong, but sometimes you let your guard down. That might be a problem.

GOHAN: How did you know?

CHI-CHI: Your father told me that before he died. He believes in you so much, that you are a good fighter. I guess I should start believing in that now, too.

GOHAN: So, you mean to say it's okay for me to help others?

CHI-CHI: As if I could do anything. You're Goku's son, after all.

Chi-Chi smiles at Gohan, and the young Saiyan smiles back. Somehow, he feels like everything has finally settled down.

CHI-CHI: Come on! Let's look for that dumpling store to buy some for Goten.

The two of them walks on.

CHI-CHI: I think we should buy some for Bulma and the others as well. Do you think Vegeta likes dumplings?

GOHAN: I'm not so sure. We're not really that close.

CHI-CHI: I guess I should ask Bulma next time.

Back at the jewelry shop...

Videl looks at the facade of the store. Some police officers are still there wrapping up the scene, while the reporter is still trying to get the whole story behind the robbery and the mysterious golden-haired fighter as well.

VIDEL: Golden Fighter... Who are you, really?

Videl continues to look on as the people around her goes on with their business that sunny day at the Satan City.

https://joan-frias.tumblr.com/AWonderfulKindOfDifferent