Author's Notes: This story takes place during Dragonball volume 9, when Goku and the gang are on Roshi's island and Bulma is trying to fix the dragon radar.

Kiss

Kuririn gritted his teeth nervously. Goku had been eyeing him for quite some time now. The bald fighter knew his friend well enough to know that Goku acted this way when something was bothering him but he did not dare to voice his thoughts. And Goku's thoughts were something that made Kuririn more than slightly uneasy.

"Kuririn?" Kuririn could not help flinching but he still tried to keep his eyes locked on the book he was supposed to be studying. He was hoping that pretending deaf would make Goku grow bored and go pester someone else.

"Hey, Kuririn." There was a poke on Kuririn's shoulder. So much for that plan then. With a sigh Kuriring closed the book and turned his face to Goku's troubled one.

"What?" he asked, trying not to snap at the younger boy.

"What's kissing?" Goku asked. The question had Kuririn blushing furiously and stuttering in his attempt to explain: "It's...uhh... When a girl and a boy love each other...no, wait. They don't have to love each other... It's...umm... When a girl and a boy are attracted to each other... Yeah, that's it. ...Hmm... Why are you asking this again?"

Goku smiled innocently as he replied: "I heard Bulma's dad mention it once. When I asked Bulma about it she got really angry and said it's none of my business."

"Well, it isn't..." Kuririn muttered but stopped then. He could not really let his first real friend wander about no knowing about something so trivial as kissing. "Ok, I'll try to explain it."

The disappointment that had come to Goku's face disappeared instantly before he cheered: "Really? Yay!" Kuririn groaned, not understanding how anyone could be so naive.

"Ok", Kuririn started. "A kiss is a sign of affection that two people that like each other share to show that they like the other."

"Like a hug?" Goku asked with a tilt of his head to the side.

"Yeah, like a hug", Kuririn said, grabbing the example that had been offered. "But it just means more."

"Ok..." Goku muttered thoughtfully. Then he asked excitedly: "What is it like?"

Kuririn gulped at the question and stuttered: "L-like?" He started to think about it. "Umm... Depends if you're talking about a peck or a real kiss."

Goku gave his friend a bright smile as he struggled to make sense. "What's the difference?" he asked.

"A peck is given on the cheek and a real kiss is given on the lips. A kiss is something you give a person you really care about."

There was a moment of silence as Goku thought about Kuririn's words and Kuririn feared that the other would still ask something and then he did: "How do you give a kiss?"

"Uhh..." Kuririn trailed off. "You press your lips against the other's or their cheek and...hmm..."

It was obvious to even Goku that Kuririn was having trouble explaining this one. "Why not show me?" the wild-haired boy asked.

"Huh?" Kuririn uttered.

"Show me a kiss", Goku said in a commanding manner. Kuririn flushed at this and started: "B-but-"

"But what?" Goku cut him off. "We like each other, right?"

Kuririn sighed as he conceded: "Yes, Goku, that's true. But that's not the kind of 'like' I'm talking about. I'm talking about love here."

Goku's brows furrowed as the boy thought about his friend's words. "Love?" he finally questioned.

"A feeling of really strong affection", Kuririn said, hoping that Goku would grasp the meaning. Then Goku nodded and said firmly: "In that case, I love you."

If Kuririn would have had something in his mouth at that moment he would have choked on it. "GOKU!"

"What?" Goku looked really confused. "You're my best friend Kuririn. I love you."

"STOP SAYING THAT!" Kuririn exclaimed in an almost horrified manner, and he actually was frightened.

Goku's eyes almost crossed as he thought hard. "Am I not your friend, Kuririn? Is that it? That's why you can't even show me how a kiss is done?" Kuririn groaned again as he growled: "You still don't understand what I'm trying to say here..."

"Then explain it to me", Goku stated simply.

Kuririn rubbed his forehead, trying to figure out a way to deal with the situation at hand. "You aren't supposed to say things like that so lightly, Goku", was all he managed.

"But it's the truth", Goku said in almost a whine.

"I know... It's just that love is probably the strongest word out there. It's supposed to be cherished, used for important things."

There was a hopeless look on Goku's face. "What are important things?" he asked.

"Important people", Kuririn replied, waving his hand slightly. "People you really care about. I'm just a friend Goku, you aren't supposed to waste that word on friends."

"I still don't get it", Goku whined. "You're my best friend. Isn't that important enough?" Kuririn paused for a moment and then finally muttered: "I'm not sure."

"I think you are important enough", Goku said in a firm tone, like he had just decided that. He grabbed Kuririn's hand firmly. "You're my bestest friend."

Kuririn did not know what to say at first. Goku was so stupid, but at the same time he was so wise. "Bestest isn't a word", were the first words Kuririn thought of. "...And you're my best friend too, Goku."

Goku grinned widely and Kuririn could not help but smile a bit himself. "So, will you show me that kiss thing now?"

Kuririn sighed. Why was it that this was the one matter Goku could not be distracted from? "Fine, I'll show you. Just, stay still."

Goku sat on his knees, completely frozen in place. Kuririn put the book in his hands to the floor and took a deep breath. He gently took hold of Goku's chin and leaned in towards to other boy's face. The kiss he planted on Goku's cheek was small and quick. Just as quickly as he had pecked his friend's cheek Kuririn leaned back to sit on his original spot, his cheeks lightly red.

Goku waited for a moment and blinked once, then twice. "Was that it?" he finally asked. That was the second time Kuririn almost choked. "With the way you were acting I was waiting for something big!"

Kuririn turned his face away from Goku. "It's not like someone like you would understand", he growled. "You were raised in the woods, after all." Kuririn heard some movement behind him. Two arms soon wrapped themselves around him and the bald budoka was pulled against a chest.

"I'm sorry, Kuririn", Goku said quietly. "I just... It was so much different from what I had thought..." Goku's head came to rest on Kuririn's shoulder. Kuririn only felt the other's breath on his cheek for a moment before a small kiss was planted there. "That's a peck, right?"

Kuririn felt his face burn as he replied an affirmative.

"I want to try a real kiss now, please."

Kuririn did not really have time to say one way or the other before he was whirled around his Goku's grasp. "Please", the raven-haired boy begged again. Kuririn nodded mutely before he realized what he was doing.

Goku smiled softly at his friend before leaning in. He brushed his lips against Kuririn's first lightly, then he pushed them together more firmly. Kuririn quickly returned the kiss, realizing that this was both his and Goku's first kiss.

The kiss was not all that good and it was definitely not long but for some reason it left Kuririn breathless and blushing furiously.

"That wasn't very good, was it?" Goku asked, bringing Kuririn back to reality.

Kuririn shook his head. "Not even for a first try", he admitted.

"Wanna try...again?" Kuririn nodded.

Kuririn moved his hands up to cup Goku's face. Somehow this felt better that having his arm hang limply by his sides. Goku also caught on the act and brought his hands to Kuririn's shoulders. Then Kuririn leaned in, taking lead of the kiss this time. He covered Goku's lips with his own, showing the other how he thought a kiss was supposed to be done.

In no time Goku was answering to Kuririn's actions. Kuririn's head was spinning and his mind was a mess but he could still manage enough rational thought to notice that it was not only martial arts that Goku learned quickly.

As the two pulled apart to breath Kuririn could not prevent himself from gazing into Goku's dark eyes that were now sparkling strangely. It seemed that Kuririn was not the only one who had been affected by what just happened.

"I love you, Kuririn..." Goku whispered quietly, not able to raise his voice. Kuririn's breath was caught in his throat. He never would have guessed that doing this would lead him to feeling like this. "I love...you too", he whispered, his voice cracking in the middle.

Goku closed his eyes and leaned in, brushing his lips against Kuririn's. The bald boy had to resist the urge to show his friend how to kiss with tongue. He would never kiss the other again. Not after feeling something so strongly. He did not want to lose control like that.

Kuririn finally pulled away from Goku. "There", he said. "I showed you, happy?"

Goku was quiet for a moment. "Yeah", he then said. "Very happy. Thank you, Kuririn." The wild-haired boy smiled then widely. "I wouldn't mind doing that again!"

"No", Kuririn replied firmly.

"W-why not?" Goku asked sadly. Kuririn could not face his eyes and turned his head to the side as he replied: "It's not allowed."

Goku continued protesting but Kuririn ignored his words, picking up the book he had abandoned before. "We will never do that again", he said. Goku grew silent.

"Is it really that wrong?" he asked in a lost manner.

"Yes. You have to kiss a girl, Goku. We're the same gender, we..." Kuririn closed his eyes to stop his tears. "Let's just...not even talk about it, ok?"

As Kuririn turned his attention back to his book he could feel Goku's gaze linger on the back of his neck. The other boy wanted the same Kuririn did, but would never go against the other boy's command to stay away. Kuririn felt kid of bad for being so harsh towards the other. There was no way Goku could truly understand what they had done.

"Come here", Kuririn said to Goku, not meeting the other's gaze. Goku crawled as close to Kuririn as he possibly could and Kuririn allowed this. He did not once look up from his book, not even when Goku laid his head on his shoulder and whispered: "I love you, Kuririn."

That was exactly how Kamesennin found the two boys; Kuririn studying busily and Goku napping next to him. The old man could not help but smile. The two boys shared such a precious bond, that could not have been said about many people in the world of that day. He was slightly envious of the boys' purity; they were in their own little world, safe from the darkness of the world.

Owari

Ending Notes: This was originally going to be a happy little story about how far one would go for their friends, but then the story just decided to turn sad. And then Kamesennin walked into the story, all oblivious to the boys' pain.