Author Notes: I wrote this as my May fic for my p.a.t.r. e. o.n users. Coincided with Mother's Day, too.
Characters: Chi-Chi, Gohan, Goten, Goku
Pairing: GoChi
Words: 2,019
Title: May Flowers
~!~
Spring was in the air and summer was drawing close, so Chi-Chi kept the windows open as she worked. Routine cleaning each day kept her house looking nice, leaving her little to worry about when she laid down for bed each night. She liked having things orderly in her house, though Goku often found ways to break that smooth sense of order.
He liked adventuring too much, always wanting to take her and Gohan out into the world. It was a wonder they hadn't visited his friends yet. Then again, the little family adventures didn't seem to go very far.
A stroll through the woods. An outdoor picnic. Camping in the wilderness.
Well.
That last one was something he did with Gohan. She'd had enough of that sort of fun in the first year of her marriage. Now that Gohan could walk, a little disturbance to his everyday routine was easier to deal with, and besides, a father needed to have special time with his son every once in a while.
Like now.
Chi-Chi was finishing up with the chores around the house and Goku was out with Gohan somewhere. Not camping or anything tonight, but they were definitely spending some time out away from the house. She did like pushing her son to study now that he was learning to read, but she didn't want to push too hard. Not yet. There would be plenty of time for that in a year or two when he had a better grasp on reading and had learned how to work through study problems on his own. They were almost there. He was almost old enough to really dig into scholarly pursuits, but for now little adventures with his father were good for him. Children needed those nice bonds with their parents and early ages were the most important time.
She was only glad that Goku had quit trying to sneak martial arts lessons to him. A little self defense knowledge was okay, but there would be plenty of time for that later. Gohan was still far too young to worry about any of that. She didn't want to see him growing up and neglecting his studies for the sake of training. He needed those good habits and sense of priorities now. Everything in the early years was so important. She didn't want to mess anything up.
With the window open, curtains blowing in the light breeze, it was no surprise that Chi-Chi heard her boys returning before they got to the front door. She set her duster down on the nearby counter and moved to the window to get a look of them coming down the dirt path, then through the grass. Goku was holding Gohan in one arm and laughing about something or other. His head lifted and caught her gaze, smiling over at her before nudging Gohan to get him to look as well.
Chi-Chi lifted her hand and smiled. A light wave. After a whisper from Goku, their son pulled a hand from his father's gi and waved back. Though there was still something in the boy's hand so the wave wasn't exactly open. Was that grass? Why was he holding onto a few blades of grass?
Before Chi-Chi could get a better look, Goku caught her attention as he called to her. She turned her smile to those expressive eyes of his, only then seeming to realize how much she was leaning on the window sill.
"Hey, Chi-Chi," Goku said as they got closer. "I know we're home earlier than you probably expected, but Gohan found something he wanted to give you."
"Really?" Chi-Chi blinked, "What did you find, Gohan?"
The toddler curled up against his father, tail clinging to Goku's arm. He must have been embarrassed now that the moment had arrived. Gohan really was a shy boy. Sweet but incredibly shy. It was nice that he didn't cry for attention so much anymore, but she had to hope he wasn't going to make a habit of hiding things from them.
"Go on, Gohan," Goku said gently. "You can show Mommy now."
Chi-Chi's heart swelled anytime Goku called her that when talking to their son – or when he referred to himself as Daddy for that matter – but her heart swelled up even more when Gohan revealed what he was holding onto. Shoving his arm out toward her, Gohan said not a word as the simple, small, common field flower waved in the breeze between them. What was normally insignificant became a precious gift when it came from her child. Chi-Chi let her eyes widen as she gasped and took the flower from him as if it was the most important thing in the world.
And at that moment in time, it kind of was to her.
"Oh, Gohan, it's beautiful!" She exclaimed. "You got this for me? Thank you, sweetie. You know just what your Mommy likes."
A little blush crossed her son's face even as he smiled and brought his now free hand to the hat on his head. Gohan already had a habit of hiding his eyes if he was scared or embarrassed, and he often went to the hat – or to Goku – when seeking a place to hide. The gesture alone made Goku laugh, but Chi-Chi continued to smile sweetly at her son to let her appreciation be known. A small flower, a gift from son to mother.
Little moments like this were what she'd always hoped for in a family, and she wasn't going to let herself forget anytime soon.
~!~
Almost every year after that around the same time, Gohan would find a flower and hand it to her as a gift. Whether Goku was there to encourage him or not. Whether Gohan was training or studying. Almost every year without fail, she would get a flower from her son.
Apparently, he'd managed to pick up and understand routines so much so that he implemented one himself. If a once-a-year tradition could be called a routine.
He even brought Goten up on the tradition, too.
When Goten was still a baby, Gohan would take the younger boy out into the wilderness. Much like how his father would do for him at that young age. Chi-Chi had to wonder what the boys could possibly be learning or exploring out there, but she trusted her oldest son to take care of his brother. Gohan had grown up a lot over the years.
One day in the middle of a late spring afternoon, her boys returned from their outdoors adventure filled with excitement and laughter. At the first sound of their voices, mostly Gohan's as Goten babbled along in an attempt to copy, Chi-Chi moved to her kitchen in order to have a quick assortment of foods available to them for a snack. Her boys may not eat as much as Goku, but they could still handle small healthy snacks before dinner. As long as they were home with enough time to spare of course. Gohan would like the fresh fruit slices alongside sweet crackers and Goten would be satisfied by the cereal pieces that his gums and few teeth could handle.
"Hey, Mom," Gohan said, opening the door and interrupting her quick preparation. "We're not home too late, are we?"
Chi-Chi shook her head with a smile even as she focused back on the snack plates in front of her. "No, you're fine. A little later than normal, though, isn't it?"
"Ah, yeah," Gohan laughed. "I, uh, I wanted to show something to Goten and then we got distracted."
"Distracted, huh?"
Kids. Not too much different from their father. Goku would barely plan anything out for his day. She'd probably pushed him into habits and routines by sheer force of stubborn will to have supper on schedule every day. He'd quickly learned when to come home if he wanted her cooking. And he did love her cooking…
"Mom?"
She blinked, chuckling to herself as she shook off past memories. "Sorry, Gohan. My thoughts got a little distracted there for a second."
Far too easy to do that these days.
"It's okay," Gohan said. "But, Mom, Goten wants to show you something."
"Oh really?"
She turned around to face her boys, her question on the tip of her tongue. The words were swallowed in a bright gasp at what she saw. A hand covered her mouth, eyes tearing up a little at the awfully familiar image. An image that hit at the back of her memory.
Gohan was holding his little baby brother in much the same way that Goku had held him. Goten was holding out a simple flower picked from the field in much the same way Gohan had done ten or so years ago.
Except Goten tried to speak. "Mama Day."
Smiling gently, Chi-Chi took the flower from her youngest son's hand. "Thank you, Goten. Are you going to be joining Gohan in giving me a flower every year?"
"Mama Day," Goten repeated. "Mama Day! Mama Day!"
Apparently, that was her only answer, as a look to Gohan resulted in a grin without explanation. So be it, then. Whatever her boys wanted to do for her, she would treasure. Forever.
~!~
Several years down the road, time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. It felt like only yesterday that Chi-Chi had received her first flower from her first born son. Eventually, she had planted a garden outside the house.
A flower garden. One flower each to represent all the flowers her children had given to her throughout the years. They had grown up and moved out, both with families of their own, but she would always have these visual reminders of the gifts they had handed to her. Even if they weren't exactly the same, she would never forget.
A bout of boyish laughter had Chi-Chi turning to look over her shoulder. She smiled at the sight of all three Son boys walking toward her to where she was kneeling in the dirt by her garden. Her children had one flower each in hand. And Goku…
She frowned. Why was Goku walking with his hands behind his back?
She opened her mouth to question but was interrupted by both of her now fully grown children. Goten plopped down in the dirt next to her, holding his flower out straight away. Gohan simply squatted, pushing his glasses up with one hand as he handed her a flower of his own. One each. On either side. They didn't even say a word, merely smiling as she took a flower in each hand.
And then Goku spoke from above her. "Hey, Chi, I know it's the boy's thing to give you a flower every year, but -"
"Goku, wha -"
As quickly as she cut him off, she was cut off as well. Tilting her head back to look up at her husband revealed the raining flower petals coming from his arms. So many of them. Of all different colors. Falling on her face, her shoulders, her lap.
All while Goku caught her eye and grinned. "I figured I had a lot of years to make up for."
Tears hit her eyes but she couldn't look away from his smile. Couldn't look away as he leaned down to give her a quick kiss. In front of their kids no less.
"Hey, Dad," Goten whined. "You're stealing our moment."
Goku laughed as he straightened up and left her to blush. "Sorry. I just like making your mother happy."
Heat rising in her face, Chi-Chi cleared her throat as she tried collecting all the assorted flower petals into her lap. "You all make me happy. Being together like this is all I really need. I'm very happy right now."
All three of her boys, children and husband, chimed in at the same time. "Good."
Followed by Gohan's mumbled whisper that she just barely heard over Goku and Goten's playful laughter. "You deserve it, Mom."