Think of Me as Only Me
____________________
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT.
A young girl sat, head on knees, in the shade of a weeping willow. A tiny smirk crossed her face. Weeping willow...how appropriate.
She stared into the lake at her feet, scrutinizing her reflection.
She wasn't terribly young, around seventeen. Old enough not to be mistaken for a child. It was vexing. If she was old enough to be clearly a teenager, an adolescent, nearly grown, why did everyone treat her like something delicate? Something to be directed, protected, and guided in every aspect of her life?
She was a fighter, damn it! She knew how to take care of herself! But no, it was always, "I don't think you're old enough..." "I'll come with you so you're not alone..." "You can make your own decisions when you're grown up."
And the worst part...him. He saw her as a little kid, a sister. That was all she'd ever been to him. That was all she'd ever be. It made her want to cry. It made her want to scream. It made her want to sob against his shoulder and then shake him and shout, "I'm not helpless! I'm not a child! I'm not a little girl, a little sister! I'm a woman, Kami help me, why can't you think of me as one?" Why couldn't he think of her as an adult...?
She'd talked to her friends, and they were right. She was too young for him. They'd known each other for too long for him to think about her as a young woman...She was just herself.
A ripple from a thrown rock shattered her image in the water, and she looked up, startled, to see him there. He looked gorgeous, as usual, the wind ruffling his clothes, and sifting through his hair. The setting sun was behind him, and with the added light effects he was so stunning that her heart ached.
Then, in a flash, she realized that she'd been crying. And that she had tearstains on her face. And that he'd probably seen. Too late, she whipped her arm across her eyes in hopes that the dusk shadows had concealed it.
He said her name. Asked her what she was doing out at this hour. She didn't reply. He walked over, then crouched next to her and encircled her in his arms, like he had in so many of the times when she'd been feeling low.
An older brother comforting a younger sister. That's what kind of relationship this was. That's what it always had been. He'd never see it as anything different. A bitter smile twisted her lips. But he was near her, so she wasn't complaining. She leaned her head on his shoulder and shook with silent weeping.
"Shhhh, it's okay. Calm down. Everything's fine," he murmured to her, his voice low. He patted her shoulder, and released her when the sobbing had stopped. She wiped her face again.
"Sorry," she muttered, sounding somewhat strangled. "It's really nothing." He smiled at her and shook his head.
"You never cry for nothing. Tell me what's wrong."
She closed her eyes and leaned back in the grass, hands behind her head, but her mouth stayed shut. He frowned, then grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Tell me or I'll tickle you," he threatened, raising his hands menacingly. Her eyes popped open and she stared at him, unable to suppress a giggle.
"No way!" she retorted, jumped up, and ran away from him. He smiled and shot after her.
She glanced back, and saw that he was gaining. Go figure. He was a lot stronger and faster than she was. Then she thought about his tickle threat, and gave a mental sigh. Just like a teasing friend.
He caught her, as she'd known he'd eventually would, and made good on his threat. She laughed until she was breathless and couldn't laugh anymore. She was rolling on the grass, clutching her sides, and he was laughing too, just from the fun.
"Really, though, what's the matter?"
She sat up, gaiety suddenly draining from her face. "I've gotta get home now. My parents are probably worried about me." He stood up too, alarmed.
"Let me drive you home, it's safer-" but she turned on him, face suddenly angry.
"No thank you," she spat. "I can fly just fine. I don't need a bodyguard." And she took off toward home.
She didn't look back, didn't have to look back. She could sense the hurt in his power signature, but she didn't care. That hurt was nothing compared how he'd hurt her over all these years. A few dozen more events like this, show her independence, maybe it would be enough payback. Probably not.
Eventually she slowed down, wearing out the steam of her anger. And she turned in the air back toward the park, where she could sense that he still was, unmoving from the spot where she'd flown away from him.
He'd never know. She couldn't let him. She wouldn't let him. It'd only end in heartbreak.
Rali: So whatcha think? I know it's not much, but I'm not done yet. Maybe, if I get 5 good reviews, I'll do the next chapter, and maybe you'll get clues to who it is. Maybe I'll even flat out tell you. Tell me what you think of this, and tell me what you think I should do for
____________________
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT.
A young girl sat, head on knees, in the shade of a weeping willow. A tiny smirk crossed her face. Weeping willow...how appropriate.
She stared into the lake at her feet, scrutinizing her reflection.
She wasn't terribly young, around seventeen. Old enough not to be mistaken for a child. It was vexing. If she was old enough to be clearly a teenager, an adolescent, nearly grown, why did everyone treat her like something delicate? Something to be directed, protected, and guided in every aspect of her life?
She was a fighter, damn it! She knew how to take care of herself! But no, it was always, "I don't think you're old enough..." "I'll come with you so you're not alone..." "You can make your own decisions when you're grown up."
And the worst part...him. He saw her as a little kid, a sister. That was all she'd ever been to him. That was all she'd ever be. It made her want to cry. It made her want to scream. It made her want to sob against his shoulder and then shake him and shout, "I'm not helpless! I'm not a child! I'm not a little girl, a little sister! I'm a woman, Kami help me, why can't you think of me as one?" Why couldn't he think of her as an adult...?
She'd talked to her friends, and they were right. She was too young for him. They'd known each other for too long for him to think about her as a young woman...She was just herself.
A ripple from a thrown rock shattered her image in the water, and she looked up, startled, to see him there. He looked gorgeous, as usual, the wind ruffling his clothes, and sifting through his hair. The setting sun was behind him, and with the added light effects he was so stunning that her heart ached.
Then, in a flash, she realized that she'd been crying. And that she had tearstains on her face. And that he'd probably seen. Too late, she whipped her arm across her eyes in hopes that the dusk shadows had concealed it.
He said her name. Asked her what she was doing out at this hour. She didn't reply. He walked over, then crouched next to her and encircled her in his arms, like he had in so many of the times when she'd been feeling low.
An older brother comforting a younger sister. That's what kind of relationship this was. That's what it always had been. He'd never see it as anything different. A bitter smile twisted her lips. But he was near her, so she wasn't complaining. She leaned her head on his shoulder and shook with silent weeping.
"Shhhh, it's okay. Calm down. Everything's fine," he murmured to her, his voice low. He patted her shoulder, and released her when the sobbing had stopped. She wiped her face again.
"Sorry," she muttered, sounding somewhat strangled. "It's really nothing." He smiled at her and shook his head.
"You never cry for nothing. Tell me what's wrong."
She closed her eyes and leaned back in the grass, hands behind her head, but her mouth stayed shut. He frowned, then grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Tell me or I'll tickle you," he threatened, raising his hands menacingly. Her eyes popped open and she stared at him, unable to suppress a giggle.
"No way!" she retorted, jumped up, and ran away from him. He smiled and shot after her.
She glanced back, and saw that he was gaining. Go figure. He was a lot stronger and faster than she was. Then she thought about his tickle threat, and gave a mental sigh. Just like a teasing friend.
He caught her, as she'd known he'd eventually would, and made good on his threat. She laughed until she was breathless and couldn't laugh anymore. She was rolling on the grass, clutching her sides, and he was laughing too, just from the fun.
"Really, though, what's the matter?"
She sat up, gaiety suddenly draining from her face. "I've gotta get home now. My parents are probably worried about me." He stood up too, alarmed.
"Let me drive you home, it's safer-" but she turned on him, face suddenly angry.
"No thank you," she spat. "I can fly just fine. I don't need a bodyguard." And she took off toward home.
She didn't look back, didn't have to look back. She could sense the hurt in his power signature, but she didn't care. That hurt was nothing compared how he'd hurt her over all these years. A few dozen more events like this, show her independence, maybe it would be enough payback. Probably not.
Eventually she slowed down, wearing out the steam of her anger. And she turned in the air back toward the park, where she could sense that he still was, unmoving from the spot where she'd flown away from him.
He'd never know. She couldn't let him. She wouldn't let him. It'd only end in heartbreak.
Rali: So whatcha think? I know it's not much, but I'm not done yet. Maybe, if I get 5 good reviews, I'll do the next chapter, and maybe you'll get clues to who it is. Maybe I'll even flat out tell you. Tell me what you think of this, and tell me what you think I should do for