While We Wait

by Reda

"When I first saw you, I saw love. And the first time you touched me, I felt love. And after all this time, you're still the one I love." [GoChi]

While We Wait

Pairing: Goku x Chi-Chi

Rated: NC-17

Words: 9,083

A/N: Happy birthday, Chi-Chi! (11/5) and also happy birthday to gokumammaries. And, whoo, yeah, special for all my reviewers on "A Thousand Years" for helping me reach 100 reviews! I started writing this after getting major feels from Episode 17 of Super. It wasn't meant to be this long or this smut-tastic but there it is. (It was only meant to be one scene, not SIX). I should be working on my original story for NaNoWriMo, but this had to come out. It's not planned. It's barely edited. It's just my feelings laid out raw. Apparently, I'm a pervert. Take it as you will. I don't even know if it makes sense. I just really wanted to get into Chi-Chi's thoughts and writing is the best way for me to connect with the characters so, here. Have it. Have all the GoChi smut. I wish I could wash my hands of this…

~!~

"When I first saw you, I saw love. And the first time you touched me, I felt love. And after all this time, you're still the one I love." - Shania Twain, "You're Still the One"

~!~

When he grabbed her hands and pulled her back, she knew the inevitable was coming. She could see it in his eyes. He was going to leave. After all she had worked for, all the effort she put into making him a decent grandpa figure for their little grandbaby, he was still going to leave. Everything had been so nice, too. Having him working like a normal person. Even with all the whining and complaining, Goku still did what she wanted, and she loved it.

But…

As he ran away from her, waving back and shouting an apology, she had to admit…

As he grabbed a hold of Whis and disappeared into the sky, leaving once again for training for who knew how long, she had to admit one little thing…

As she ran after the fading light and held onto the balcony railing, she shouted up at the sky, but when it was so clear that he wasn't coming back, that he'd finally gone off and done what he truly wanted, she was forced to close her eyes and finally admit…

It was better this way.

With a little giggle, she pulled back from the railing and laughed. "Oh, I suppose it was inevitable. That's just like him. He'll be back once he gets hungry."

This was the normal she was used to. This was the normal she liked. If she was being honest, completely honest, her household felt too strange when everyone followed the "perfect family" rules. Her Goku just wouldn't be the same if he didn't run off – training, saving the world, whatever the reason. As much as she had enjoyed the time spent with him and the fact that he was finally working and putting his training on hold, things had been a little different. A little too different. A little off.

And of course he would be back. He always did come home eventually.

~!~

She missed the days when he would work out in the house, when he would spend time waiting for dinner by doing push-ups on the hard wood floor. When she would step away from cooking just to watch him, whether he noticed her eyes or not.

She would leave the pot simmering on the stove and linger at the doorway, watching him doing such a simple exercise, listen to him counting under his breath. Sometimes she would even walk over and slide in between his arms, seeing how long she could sit underneath him before he would crack away from his focus...

~!~

She could feel the hard wood at her back, but she kept her arms down for now. His eyes met hers but his expression didn't change. He was focused. His mouth moved but only to mutter another number in his count. He came down and then back up, pressing against her in the process. She kept her eyes on him, didn't say a word, but she could have sworn there was a slight hesitation before he lifted up again that time. Maybe she was finally getting to him.

They had plenty of time before dinner would be ready, and she wanted to have a little fun. So the next time he came down, she waited for his mouth to open in his count and then she lifted her head off the floor to catch him in a small kiss. It didn't last long, of course, a simple little peck, but he did pause in his movements. She fell back to the floor and looked up at him, giving him a small, flirtatious smile, raising her eyebrows when he stared at her and didn't continue his movements.

After a moment of no words, he seemed to make up his mind and the push ups continued. She almost pouted at how easily he returned to the exercise. Even with all that effort to tease him, he wasn't budging. Men. How much did his work outs really mean to him? Was she just in the way?

Staying in between his arms, she looked up at the ceiling beyond his wild hair, and tried not to frown. When his body lowered itself in the repetitive movements, she hardly paid attention this time. Maybe he lingered, maybe he didn't. Maybe this was all a waste of time and she was just being awkward. After all, he didn't always catch on to her flirts.

Goku just wasn't that kind of guy.

The wet touch to her cheek brought her eyes back down. This time when he lifted for his whatever-number push up, he was grinning. For a moment, she stared back and blinked, unable to process the fact that he was flirting back. He was being just as playful, returning fire in the wordless game. When he came down again, she smirked and caught him just below the eye so that he was winking at her when he pulled up and looking a little flustered, too.

Her heart began to beat a little faster and holding her arms down to her sides became a chore all its own. She didn't want to be the first to break from her position, though. She wanted him to make the first move. She didn't want to force him to stop his training; she wanted him to stop on his own. But she would be in the way for however long it took. She would sit here and wait for him to crack, no matter how long it took.

His body came down again, and she could have sworn he pressed against her longer than earlier. Maybe time was slowing down. His little peck of a kiss caught her on her neck this time, and she felt a little tingle rush down her spine at the surprisingly perfect placement. When he lifted, he was licking his lips and then smirking down at her, his eyes shining. Her face felt hot, and when his next push up brought him down, she shifted around to kiss the edge of his ear and blow in it as he pulled away. Now he was blushing, too.

When he cleared his throat, she smirked. She was getting to him. Good. Because the room was starting to get really warm and sitting underneath him like this without touching was beginning to make her uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in a need-to-have-him-even-closer way.

After a moment, no doubt one he used to catch his breath, he returned to his exercise. Only this time when his lips found her, it was on her mouth. And he was definitely pressing his body against hers. A chill ran through her, a delightful chill urging her to move up against him. But she held still; it took all of her will power, but he eventually pulled away and she didn't make any sort of move.

A glance off to the side revealed his arms were shaking, though. Maybe a few more kisses. Just a few more and he would crack – or she would. It was almost at the point where she didn't care which of them gave in.

Finally, he came down again, and she caught him on the side of his jaw. She let her kiss linger, like his had the last time, letting her tongue slide against his skin. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his arms shiver. And then suddenly his elbows were on the floor and he was completely on top of her, his mouth finding hers to steal her breath.

As soon as she realized he had fallen, she let her arms move as they had wanted all along. Although she kept the kiss going, loving that feel of his mouth exploring hers, she also reached for the belt around his gi, working to tug it free from its knot. Breaking the kiss to shift his weight to only one arm, he then mirrored her action, working to undo her own sash.

"Goku," she murmured.

"Chi," he responded.

Their eyes met and without another word, he sat up on his knees and pulled off the top piece of his gi and the undershirt underneath. She answered the silent request by reaching for the ties at the top of her dress and working to remove her own clothing. When she was halfway out of her dress, he rolled off of her and began to remove his boots. Jumping up, she rushed to kneel in front of him and started to pull the boots off for him. Weighted as they were, he probably didn't expect her to ever do such a thing, but they really weren't that heavy for her; she had trained in martial arts, too, she could handle a little weighted clothing.

While she did this, his hands went to her shoulders and his fingers poked underneath the sleeves of her dress, slowly sliding the fabric away from her skin. Her face flushed despite the fact that she should be accustomed to the way he stared, but she really wasn't used to such silent admiration. She finished removing his boots and he made sure she slipped out of the rest of her dress. All without a word.

"Go-" she almost said his name but he had other plans, leaning down to catch her in a kiss, his tongue finding hers and tapping against it playfully all while he gently pulled the rest of her clothing away from her body.

His mouth left hers, only to travel down to her neck, and she found herself without the breath to speak a word. He was always so careful with her, so slow, so gentle. As his kisses continued lower, her hands found their way to his shoulders, and suddenly she realized he must have moved her into his lap. His mouth found one of her breasts and she hissed at the sudden warmth enveloping her. She moved a hand to his wild hair and tugged, getting him to groan softly as he continued his work.

"Goku."

Rubbing her body up against him, she got him to pause his ministrations and look up at her with one eye closed. "Hm?"

Sliding a hand down his bare chest, she reached his pants line and then tucked her hand below the one article of clothing he was still wearing – or two, really. She didn't say anything, but her teasing tickles as she traced circles in his skin there must have made her point. He groaned again, and then he was lifting her out of his lap. Before he could remove his pants on his own, though, she crawled back over to him and set her hands there to work him out of the clothing herself. A glance up revealed his raised eyebrow, one up, one down, his innocent confusion. Even now, his innocence was astounding...and adorable.

"Chi -" he murmured, cutting himself off with a gasp when her mouth wrapped around his manhood. "Ah!"

She didn't spend long. A few playful licks. A little time spent sucking just to get him to gasp her name some more. Even a moment where she wrapped her hand around the base, because her mouth couldn't go down that far without choking. Tugging and sucking and licking. Eventually, his hand touched her head and she knew it was time to pull back, so she slipped her mouth off of him and then crawled her way up to kiss his mouth once again.

His fingers slipped down her back, cupped her backside, and then slid into her wet hole. Of course she was wet. She'd been wet from the beginning, dying from the teasing game she'd started herself. She set a hand on his chest, tracing little designs around his muscles, as he lifted her to line her entrance up with his pulsing member.

Just as he lowered her onto him, she leaned down to catch him into another kiss. And another. And another. His fingers gripped her as he slid in, and she gasped at every twitch, every achingly slow movement pushing her further down. Deeper and deeper and still she kissed him. Kissed his eyes, his nose, his cheeks, his jaw, sucking at his neck, gasping and moaning into his ear when he finally jerked up against her.

They said each other's names as they moved. She danced and rocked alongside him. Clung to his sweating skin. Cried out as he picked up the pace. His fingers felt cool against her impossibly hot back, but his touch was so light even with the occasional tightening. While her mouth traveled around him, his did the same. Kisses to her neck and shoulders, around her breasts, even licking the area between them. Nuzzling against her before he picked her up and continued the pace.

On and on and on they went. Sharing their love on the hard wood floor, on the sofa, on the kitchen counter when Chi-Chi mentioned a need to check the simmering pot, and then making a mess of the table when she announced they still had time to waste.

~!~

Sometimes, when her temper pushed her to do things she shouldn't have done, she remembered the good times...and the bad.

After the incident with the Saiyans, everything changed. She was mad at him. She felt betrayed. Their precious son had been put in danger and he didn't seem to care at all. But then in a single night, she finally allowed him to talk to her, and he apologized. Apologized for something that really wasn't his fault at all, and she caved, realizing how far her anger and frustration had taken her.

Forgiveness, she quickly learned, was hard. Brutal, almost. He promised to never leave her alone, but then did it anyway. A journey to Namek, a fight taking him away – and taking their son, too – to some distant planet far, far away from her. So far away. Leaving her with his friends to sit and worry. And then…

With everyone else coming back, or being wished back to life, she'd expected to see him soon, too. But he stayed away. For another agonizing year. This time she had Gohan, he would say when he returned. This time, she hadn't truly been alone like the first time, the year of his death. He would try to explain further, not ever finding the right words to completely convince her, but her heart caved once more.

Because she loved him and nothing made her happier than seeing him home safe and sound.

~!~

With an exaggerated groan, she let herself fall back into his patient arms, but not without sending him a sly grin of her own. "All right, Goku, I trust you. But you're going to have to help me get you out of this absurd costume."

His relieved laughter filled the house and she realized how empty the place was without it. And how much she had missed him and his laughter and his silly big grins that could light up every room. It was good to have him back.

"Okay, yeah, I'll help," he chuckled as he leaned down to kiss her once more. "I guess it is pretty complicated."

He took her hand gently in his and guided her fingers to the strange body armor. Without saying a word, he traced the little clasps that held it all together. She lifted both hands then to unclasp one, then the other, all while he dropped his hands down to her lower back and watched her with his big grin.

As she took the strange armor off, she glanced up at his eyes and felt the lust-filled gaze following her every movement. She tossed the armor to the floor, letting it join the textbook she had dropped earlier. He didn't say anything. Just stared and held her close, rubbing at the small of her back with light strokes. With the armor's chest plate removed, she realized the single shoulder pad was on its own and simple to separate after the one major piece had been taken off, so she did that much without asking for help or huffing about his silence.

When she set her hands at his sides and traced her way down to find the edges of his shirt, he actually interrupted her by leaning over and burying his face in her hair. She stopped, letting her fingers hover over the strange sash at his waist. He reacted by pulling her in even closer, pressing her against him only this time she could lean her face into his shirt and smell the scents of him much clearer.

"I missed you, Chi," he murmured, his voice a rumble in his chest. "I missed you a lot."

It was hard to feel bitterness when he said such things, but they'd already gone through the act of repentance and forgiveness. Now she just wanted to feel him like they hadn't felt each other in years. Knowing that Gohan was out of the house bolstered her own lust and her body ached for him in ways she wasn't prepared for.

"Hush, Goku," she grumbled into his shirt, only then realizing she was squeezing at the fabric in her hands and trembling ever so slightly. "Hush and help me."

He laughed a little and left a quick kiss on her head before pulling back to help. Or rather do it himself, unsnapping the extra belts, letting them fall to the side since she was dropping everything to the floor, too. When he tugged at his shirt, untucking it from his pants, she reached over to place her hands over his, getting him to stop and give her a raised eyebrow in question.

"Wait," she murmured. "I can do the rest. Why don't you help me in other ways instead?"

His eyes blinked, once, twice, three times before understanding lit up his face and he snapped his hands to her waist. With a bit of a rush to his movements, he untied the sash around her middle and let it fall slowly through the air to nestle at their feet. Then he was working her out of the top portion of her latest outfit, his movements rougher and faster than normal. She bit her lip and tried to respond in kind, but getting his shirt – and that obnoxious thing around his neck – over his head was proving to be quite the difficult task with the way he seemed so focused on unclothing her.

"Goku," she said, moaning slightly when his hand found and squeezed at the flesh of her breast. "Goku, hel-"

She was unable to put the desire into words, and he continued his work on her. His mouth found her neck even as his hands roamed over bare flesh and she shivered and gasped because it had been so long and he felt so nice. Never mind the fact that he was rushing through the warm up. Never mind the fact that she couldn't get him out of those alien clothes. He was going to push through and get what he wanted, and her body said to hell with her minor complaints of wanting slow and steady. She supposed she could chalk up his desire to a Saiyan need, an animalistic urge, but when his mouth started leaving marks on her skin and his hands started reaching lower, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and twisted, hoping to have some of his flesh in her grip to wake him from his mad desire.

Thankfully, she got through to him. He yelped and nearly dropped her in his haste to pull away. "Chi-Chi, what are you doing?"

"Listen, mister," she managed after a few quick gasps to get her breathing back in control. "It's your own fault it's been so long, so don't whine to me about wanting to make it quick. I want to enjoy this, too, you know."

His eyes went wide, then blinked. "You do?"

Her mouth dropped open. How could he even think she wouldn't? What went through his brain? Had he been on some alien planet for so long that he'd forgotten all about what she liked?

Grabbing his shirt near the would-be collar, she pulled him down as best she could and shoved her face into his. "Of course I do!"

"Chi-Chi, I -" his eyes closed as he grinned at her. "Sorry, sorry, I guess I just got excited."

She huffed at him and dropped her grip, crossing her arms underneath her bare breasts as he rubbed the back of his head in that sheepish apologetic motion. "Well, just as long as you remember to keep it gentle."

"Oh, I wouldn't forget that, Chi," he said back, as he worked to finally remove his own shirt, revealing the beautifully sculpted chest beneath the clothes. "It hasn't been that long."

Before she could snap about how two and a half years was a damn long time, he picked her up, spun her around, and then rested her bare bottom on top of Gohan's study desk. Her eyes widened when she realized they would be ruining her son's latest study project. "Goku, wait, this isn't ah-"

But her husband wasn't going to hear any of it, not anymore. His mouth attacked even fiercer than before, finding the little spots that always sent her reeling for more. The heat of the moment enveloped her completely and she threw her arms around his neck, scratching at the little hairs back there as he continued his journey around her body. At some point, he returned to her mouth and sucked her in, one of his hands pulling one of hers down to press it at the edge of the desk and squeeze gently, all while his tongue did little dances with hers. When his other hand slid up her leg in multiple slow strokes, she moaned into his mouth and arched up into the touches. Wanting, needing more than what he was giving.

Though some of his decisions had become faster, and rougher, he still managed to remain calm and relaxed through the whole act. And her body begged for more, her eyes slipped closed as he worked, and she clung to him tightly as every fast-but-gentle touch took her even further over the edge.

~!~

Later, they fought about training Gohan, and she eventually caved to him again. All throughout the next three years, he spent time with their son so she didn't really have too much to complain about. He was home most of time. Always coming back with sweaty clothes needing to be washed and focusing most of his attention on Gohan, but the nights between them were some of the sweetest yet.

He would pay extra attention to her then, as if wanting to make up for all the lost time, and her heart remembered the times of peace and learned to long for him even more.

~!~

Lying in bed, she rested her head against his bare chest and hummed softly as she listened to his heart beat. His hand absentmindedly rubbed her back and brushed through her hair. The nights were the most pleasant part of having him home. All those times spent sleeping with his side of the bed empty, and now that he was back she was able to cuddle up close more often than ever before. Almost like he seemed to want the contact, too.

They didn't even have to experience a wild ride under the sheets for this to happen. Like tonight. Once they were in bed, sometimes he even pulled her up close to him without any indication from her. When previously, she had assumed she had to initiate all intimate contact, now he was clinging to her all on his own.

Maybe because the time apart had gotten to him, too. Maybe because his fights on Namek had brought out another side. Maybe because he had finally realized how much a married couple was supposed to mean to each other. Maybe the absence affected him as much as it affected her.

Oh, he still didn't kiss her or hold her when they were in any sort of company. Not even in front of their son. Especially not in front of their son. But once they were alone, behind closed doors, all the little touches would suddenly grow into more. Not that she was complaining. It was a new side and she could appreciate it because she needed him, too.

"Goku."

"Hm?"

She closed her eyes as he continued to run fingers through her hair, massaging the back of her head and neck before moving elsewhere. "I want Gohan to spend tomorrow studying only."

Almost instantly, his movements froze in place. "Huh? But I thought we agreed he could spend these next three years train-"

"That's the problem," she murmured, still keeping her eyes closed and her voice soft; this wasn't the time or place for a heated argument. "Three years is a long time to go without studying at all. It's been a week already. I don't want him to get too far behind. We should compromise. Give me a day."

"Uhm," he muttered. "A day?"

"Yes, a day," she repeated. "One day a week. Or two, if you really want to make me happy."

She could feel him grunt, feel the rise and fall of his chest as he took a breath and let it out slowly. She wasn't yelling. She wasn't demanding. She was asking. In a way. "Okay, so...he can train during the week but take the weekend to study?"

She smiled against his chest, lifting a hand to make circles in his skin, letting her thoughts dwindle down in order to fall into dreams. "Perfect. See, Goku? I knew we could compromise."

"Hm," he murmured. "Just like it when you're happy, Chi."

~!~

She slowly accepted the fact that her husband was always going to be saving the world, that his calling in life was to stand up and protect the planet from any incoming evil forces. She was upset with how he was dragging Gohan along into danger all the time, and her frustration over the issue of what to do with their son brought them many conflicts even in times of peace.

Still...when he suffered in front of her, when the heart virus came and she discovered how helpless she was to stop it, how helpless even he was to disease, she was reminded of how much she really did love him. All the silly arguments over Gohan suddenly mattered little to her when she was forced to face the idea of losing her husband for good.

When he recovered from the virus, there was happiness for a time. Sweet relief, sweet moments spent together, spent with the family. Even if her husband and son came back with the strange hair, the "Super Saiyan" state, she enjoyed the time they had before the incoming fight with Cell. She knew she would have to say goodbye to them at some point, that she would have to accept Gohan fighting, that Goku would be off to save the world again, but they had time for each other beforehand and she loved every second.

~!~

"Hey, Chi-Chi!"

She turned from her current work at the sound of his voice, setting the potted plant down on the window sill without a true care for its placement. He stood just behind her, grinning as he brought his fingers down from his forehead. While his teleporting greetings had grown more frequent, her heart still raced at the sudden appearance. At least he had learned not to touch her and to keep somewhat of a distance so she didn't instinctively lash out and accidentally hit him.

Not that a blow from her could really hurt him, but it was the thought that mattered.

When her brain accepted his casual appearance, she stepped away from the window and then narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Where's Gohan?"

His hand went behind his head, behind those huge golden spikes that she really didn't like as much as his normal hair. "Oh, I left him at the lookout. He'll be fine. He's got books up there to study and he's with an old friend to help keep him company, too, so we don't need to worry about Gohan at all."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, and then felt herself slowly smiling at the only reason that Goku would purposefully kick Gohan out of the house. "So you're here by yourself because..."

His green eyes caught hers and she knew then without a doubt that his plans for the evening were anything but innocent. "I wanted to spend some alone time with you, Chi."

His voice dipped into that lower octave and her body shivered as she closed her eyes. So much for changing the house decorations. At least she didn't have to worry about preparing a meal, or worry about their son accidentally hearing something. A part of her worried about Cell and the menace her boys would have to face in the near future, but Goku didn't seem worried at all so she quickly let that fear slip through her mind without lingering.

He was here because he wanted her. He'd already spent time as a normal family. Going for a picnic. A drive through town. A beautiful birthday party for their boy. Fun times and wonderful memories all within a few days. And now he had left Krillin and Gohan behind. Left them behind and come back to her, only her.

The longing in his eyes – even if they were that ugly shade of green instead of his usual sweet dark brown – had her moving closer to him when he reached a hand out for her. When he took her hand gently in his and then set his other hand at her waist, she blinked. When he twirled her around and hummed a bit as his feet led them in a strange waltz around the room, she felt her heart constrict as old memories came to the surface. It was a good ache.

"Goku," she murmured as he hummed to music in his head and danced around the bedroom; his eyes weren't even watching her, probably too focused on the steps in his mind. "This was our wedding dance."

"Yeah," he said, eyes opening. "I know."

Except his movements were more polished than before – still clumsy because it wouldn't be Goku if it was perfect – but she loved him all the same. She had no idea what brought about the sudden affectionate choice, but when he twirled her around on her tip toes and then bent her back, eyes shining as they stayed staring at each other, she laughed and squeezed his arm.

He grinned back at her before letting her fall to the bed, which he must have danced over to on purpose without her realizing it. "I thought you might like that."

"Oh, Goku," she sighed as he climbed on top of her and kissed her deeply. "I love you."

His mouth went to her neck, muttering a response between all his tongue action, and she pulled her arms around him, clinging to the jacket he was currently wearing. The pillows and bed felt nice beneath her back, and his sweet touches were starting to make the fire burn within her. Straddling her, he lifted from her neck and then brought his hands to her clothes, starting to work through all the ties holding everything together. She watched his face without a word, noticing his look of concentration as he worked to be as soft and gentle as possible. Ever since her husband and son had returned home in their "Super Saiyan" state they had broken more household items than she could count. She and Goku had yet to attempt sex since his new transformed state, but she still trusted in him not to break her.

Until he ripped through the fabric of her dress. "Oops."

Her eyes narrowed as his sheepish grin immediately asked for forgiveness. "What do you mean 'oops?' Is it really that hard to control, Goku?"

"Kinda, I guess," he said, "But I think I got it now."

His hands went back to the task of removing her clothes and then once more ripped through the fabric. He made a somewhat fearful noise when the sound of torn clothing echoed through the bedroom, but she was done playing games. She put her hands on his chest, hesitating slightly at the feel of his muscles beneath the thin white tank. With a determined air, she glared up at him.

"Get off."

"Aw," he whined, even as he complied. "But Chi, I promise I can -"

"No," she huffed, continuing her glare as he stood up next to the bed and then she followed shortly, taking a few steps around him. "I'll not have you damaging it anymore. Who knows what I'll have to do to fix up what you've already ruined."

"Sorry."

After walking around him to where he was now between her and the bed, she smirked at the dejected look on his face, set her hands to her hips, and then gave him an order anyway. "Sit."

He blinked, tilting his head slightly at the sudden change from her. "Huh?"

She growled and gestured with her finger this time as she raised her voice. "I said sit down, Goku!"

"Yes ma'am!" His hands went up defensively, his whole body tensing up as her voice raised in pitch, but he plopped his butt down on the edge of the bed anyway, looking up at her in both respect and honest confusion. "Can I ask why, though?"

She allowed herself a satisfied smirk as she began removing the tattered remains of her dress. She was aware of his eyes following her. Aware of how he kept having to close his mouth and swallow as she slowly stripped in front of him, all while he was allowed to watch and not to touch. She'd never really done this for him before – mostly because Goku usually took the lead in their love making, especially after he learned what to do and how to make her happy. However, desperate times called for desperate measures and she would not have him accidentally ruining her clothes – or hurting her, for that matter. After all she'd seen and experienced now she wasn't so certain he could control this Super Saiyan strength as much as he assured.

Once she stood before him completely naked, she took a glance down his entire body and noted the tent in his pants. Another smirk and she stepped forward, hand going for his belt first. When his arms started to trap her in an embrace, she growled and batted them to the side.

"No," she said, meeting his slightly hazy eyes. "Let me, Goku. You know you can't control your strength as well as you'd like to now, so let me."

"But, Chi," he whined, as expected. "I wanna touch you."

Narrowed eyes always got him to listen. "I said no."

He whined but did as she wanted, pulling his hands back to his side. She lifted her hands from his belt, then, and went for the jacket instead. He followed her unspoken wish and worked with her to remove the article of clothing, though she left the particularly tight tank top. That could stay. For now, at least. His eyes kept darting around her, and he started biting his lip, his hands dropping to the edges of the bed and gripping the sheets in order to make himself be good.

She smiled patiently and crawled up into his lap, keeping one foot on the ground, a leg in between both of his in order to keep herself steady. A knocking sound started to become apparent as she sat on his leg, and it only took her a moment to realize his leg was bouncing against the bed, making it shake in his impatience. She tried not to giggle as she wrapped an arm around his neck for leverage. His eyes closed as she turned attention to his belt, releasing the latch and sliding it free enough so that she could unzip the khaki pants and touch him through his boxers only.

A low moan escaped him as he leaned his head against her. "Chi-Chi, I wanna touch you."

"Be patient, Goku," she said in reply, running a finger up the little tent in his boxers and making him groan. "I might let you touch me, if you promise to be gentle."

His voice came in a whisper, and she could feel his breath against her chest as he breathed her in. "I'm always gentle."

"I know, sweetheart," she said, grabbing a fistful of his golden hair to make her point. "But you're different now."

Still, he grumbled in protest. "'m not that different."

"Different enough to ruin my dress," she countered, getting a sheepish smile from him with only one eye open as he looked up at her. "But I'll stop teasing if that's what you want."

His eyes lit up and he nodded, like a child being given a promise of the perfect birthday present. "Yeah. I still wanna touch you, Chi, but -"

Climbing off his lap, she tapped his nose. "Stop asking and maybe I'll allow it. If you promise to let me take the lead, meaning you can touch but that's it."

He blinked as she stepped away from him, his hands lifting from the bed and trying to follow her before remembering he wasn't allowed to pull her back. "H-huh?"

"I'll explain in a minute if I still need to, but for now..." she swallowed as she stared at him, sitting on the bed looking so disheveled and drowning in his lust but still being good and following her wishes. "Why don't you strip yourself?"

She blushed even as she said it, and even his face heated a little at the words. They never really asked or demanded such things from each other; it just happened. Maybe a few cries to help get each other out of certain clothes, but never something so straight forward. Even though the words had left her tongue, they sounded a little strange in the air, but Goku didn't let that hold him down for long.

Almost springing from the bed, he quickly shuffled out of his pants and boxers, tossing both to the pile of clothing on the floor. The tight tank went over his head next, and she couldn't decide if she liked the way he looked with it or without it; the teasing suggestion of muscles underneath the white shirt was almost better than his chest laid bare. Almost.

"Okay," he said, taking a step towards her before stopping at a glare. "Now what?"

She smiled. "Lay down, of course."

"Huh?"

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "On the bed. You first. Go on."

He shrugged and then did as she said, falling back to lay down on the bed, situating himself to a comfortable position so his legs weren't hanging off the edge. "Okay, Chi-Chi, but I don't really -"

He cut off his words and complaints as soon as she crawled up on top of him. She put her hands on his chest and straddled him, much the same way he did to her so often. Oh, she'd been on top before, but not with him completely down. He'd always been sitting up and holding her close in his lap, and usually not for long, either. This was different. New. And it made both of them blush as the heat in the room doubled.

"Chi-" he tried again to speak, only to cut off when she leaned down and captured his lips in a heated kiss.

Closing her eyes, she melted against him and strangely enough felt him following her lead, too. There weren't many times that she could control the kiss, but he seemed to be letting her have it her way now, as if a little insisted instruction had turned him completely. So, she took the little hint offered to her and dominated as much as she could, rocking her body back and forth against him until she felt his strong heat brush across the wet place between her legs.

He gasped, breaking the kiss and staring up with his eyes only opening halfway; even his voice was tighter than normal when he whispered. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" She asked playfully, as she moved to kiss his jawline below his ear.

Another rocking motion and he hissed, his hands snapping to her hips, holding her still, or maybe trying to make her repeat the motion. "Th-that."

Throwing aside the rules of not touching, she allowed him to hold her there. Mostly because his eyes were so unfocused she knew he couldn't think straight if he wanted to. Humming softly, she kissed down his neck and whispered. "We could do more, you know."

"Hnng."

She had to stifle a giggle at his response. Holding back for so long must have driven him so crazy he could barely form words anymore. The things he suffered for her sake. Best to stop teasing him so much, then. As fun as it was to have the strongest man in the world forced to heel to her command, even in bed.

Lifting her body, she ignored the feel of his hands trembling at her hips. It took more than one try, but she eventually managed to find the right angle to lower herself onto him. His fingers tightened and his eyes slammed shut as she came down, and to be fair she gasped at the feeling, too. The angle allowed for a deeper position and once he was all the way in, she had to sit and wait for the little ache to relax and accept the intrusion. The blissful, wonderful intrusion.

"Chi -" he whined again, his voice cracking slightly, and she met his half-open gaze, feeling her breath catch in her throat the minute she recognized the raw emotion for what it was. "Please, Chi, can I -?"

Finding words was suddenly incredibly difficult, and her world fell to just the two of them. After a tense, quiet moment where only their short, gasping breaths could be heard, she nodded. His lips lifted into a smile, his green eyes lit up, and even his golden hair seemed to glow brighter for a moment.

When he gripped her and helped her move and rock against him, it wasn't rough. His fingers weren't too tight. His pace wasn't too fast. Sweat beaded on his face and his chest and she moaned along with him like never before, but he kept it slow and sweet and took extra care with any contact at all. At some point, she fell into him, unable to focus on anything but the act and the raw emotion that filled her own being merely because she knew how much effort he had to put into keeping her safe in his hold. She should have known better. He was the strongest man in the world, but he had perfect control when it came to her.

Glasses could shatter when he held them too tightly, tables could crumble to pieces when he knocked into them too hard, and clothes could rip at an accidental tug of too much force. But when it came to her – when it came to making love – he was the slowest, softest, gentlest person she knew. And shame on her for doubting him.

~!~

And then the worst news possible came back to her. Only one of her boys returned from the fight with Cell. Her husband was gone, and this time he wouldn't be coming back.

She cried herself to sleep for months. Discovering she was pregnant was a bittersweet revelation. Another child, one last thing left to her from her husband. A child that would never know his father. She cried herself to sleep even once Goten was born, leaning on Gohan for help in raising the boy, the boy who looked like a mirror image of the little Goku she had fallen in love with so many years ago.

She did her best to move on, to push through the grief, and eventually she managed to structure her life around her two little boys without needing their father to fill in the pieces. She still had little moments of imagining Goku in the house, especially early in the morning when the children were asleep. Day dreaming of memories where he'd come home and suddenly pick her up in his arms, holding her close without any explanation. Of those times when he'd teleport in and scare her half to death all while grinning at his little games. Sometimes, in the very early stages of the morning when the sun was just rising and she was just starting breakfast, she could picture him on the hard wood floor, counting his push ups under his breath.

The tears became easier and easier to push to the side with each passing year, and before she knew it seven years had gone by and her oldest was running off to high school to experience education with his peers. The news of Goku's one-day-back brought all the longing to the surface and her excitement for the special day carried her through the nights until she could see him once more. Of course the day turned into a disaster, as her planned special moments so often did, but by the end of the frightful confrontation with evil the most amazing miracle came true.

Goku was alive again.

~!~

Once they returned to their house, she went straight to the kitchen. Her boys went off together to wash up and change clothes. The crazy events were over and now it was time to settle in to their new life together. All four of them. All four…

Tears wanted to hit her eyes again at the reminder, but she held them in as she started pulling out as much food as possible to prepare for the additional mouth to feed. The addition that would have a bigger appetite than all of the rest of them combined. Her heart soared as she worked, and she danced on the clouds as her fingers went into routine. As much food as possible. Anything and everything. He wouldn't care, but she wanted to give him all she could.

With her attention on her work over the counter, chopping vegetables, she didn't even have a chance to hear him come up behind her. Arms encircled her waist and his body pressed against hers from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder while he smelled her hair as if it could possibly have a pleasant scent after all the excitement of the day.

"Goku," she murmured, her heart fluttering when he hummed in her ear in response. "I'm not -"

"Missed you," he interrupted, kissing her neck softly.

She giggled like a little girl, as if she wasn't old enough to have a son in high school, when he left a trail of little kisses all over her neck and shoulder. "Goku, really, I'm trying to cook."

He hummed again. "Don't care. It can wait."

She paused at that. Since when did he not get excited at the idea of her cooking? Normally he had always jumped on the prospect of food as if he was always starving for more. Especially over little intimate moments. If his stomach growled, he could think of nothing else.

Setting the knife down amid the chopped vegetables, she turned around in his arms to face him. His big grin nearly brought her to tears again. It had been so long. So many years of having only memories and pictures. Now he was here in front of her. He was real. He was home.

And he was just as happy to be home, too.

"Goku," she whispered his name again. Any other word was impossible to form right now. Her voice would have none of it. Just his name. "Goku..."

Tears began blurring her vision without her permission, and she caught his frown before he pressed his forehead against hers. His eyes met hers, just as soft and sweet as she remembered. With her back to the counter, he leaned in further. He must have noticed her hands trembling against the wood because his hands covered hers and rubbed across her skin ever so gently.

"Hey," he said. "You don't need to cry anymore, Chi. I'm home."

Having him say it out loud only made her want to cry more. She knew he didn't like seeing her cry, but the emotions were too powerful to fight and she was too happy to have him back; she just couldn't stop herself. His kiss swallowed her sobs and she slipped her eyes closed as she slowly let his touch calm her down. Slowly let the feelings course through her. Slowly got her heart and her breathing back under control.

When he pulled back, he offered her a little smile and she gave a shaky one in return, but before either one of them could say anything at all, another presence joined them in the kitchen. "Daddy!"

Goten came running in, his father's mirror image, dressed in his night clothes and prepared not only for dinner but bed as well. She watched as he went straight for Goku, clinging to his father's leg the second he got the chance. There was something in his other hand, but she couldn't make out exactly what, especially when Goku leaned down to pick their little boy up and rest him in one arm so he could still touch her even as he grinned at the boy who had grown up without him.

"How ya doin', kiddo?" Goku said, blinking when he too noticed Goten holding something. "Hm? Whatcha got there?"

Grinning just like his father, Goten held up the object for all three of them to huddle around. "It's a picture. Of you and Mom and Gohan."

Chi-Chi glanced at the picture, the one that had sat next to her bed for years, and then stole a glance up to her husband. His eyes had grown soft, like he was being flooded with memories just at the image. A photo taken when they were still very young. Before life could attack them with one thing after another. Just him and her and their first little boy. She missed those carefree days with all her heart.

"Dad?"

As if the picture had summoned him, their first little boy walked into the kitchen, except he wasn't so little anymore. His height almost rivaled his father's and he even had a girlfriend of his own now with a bright future full of options ahead of him. Gohan could do anything he wanted. His life had been uprooted at a very young age but he'd persevered and grown into such a wonderful young man that she was so proud to call her son. Even with all the turmoil in his life, he hadn't ever lost his smile.

Much like his father. "Come here, son."

While Gohan came closer, Goten tugged on their father's shirt, begging for more attention. "Daddy."

"Hm?" Goku responded, still grinning, even as his sons demanded he spend every second entertaining one of them.

Chi-Chi tried to sneak away from her husband's arm, so that he could have more space for their sons. After all, she could have all the time she wanted with him tonight. But he refused to let her go, pulling her in closer and pressing her against his chest, hugging her in front of the kids. She blushed, not expecting the close contact when their children were watching, but he didn't even seem fazed by the new action on his part. Bringing her in closer allowed him to pull Gohan in, too, for a nice, warm, family hug.

Goten laughed when his older brother was pulled into the group hug, and then pointed at the photograph he was still holding. "I want a picture with everyone. Me and Mom and Brother and Daddy, too!"

She felt her heart skip a beat at the request. Of course Goten would want to be included in such a thing. He'd always loved looking at pictures of his father, but she'd never thought he would even imagine himself in one, too. Goku's hold on her and Gohan relaxed as soon as the words left their younger son's mouth. He let them go and turned attention just to the little one. Chi-Chi shared a glance with her oldest while her husband brought their youngest in for a more personal hug before setting him back on his feet.

"Of course, Goten," Goku said. "But let's worry about the details later, okay? I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

Laughter instantly filled the house, bouncing between all four of them, and as Chi-Chi turned back to her cooking she sent a sly glance to her husband, reminding him it was his fault the food wasn't ready yet. He sent a sheepish grin back to her, eyes shining in the light, and at the hidden emotion she saw there, her heart melted for him all over again.

~!~

So of course when he left to go off training again, she couldn't even hope to be mad at him. It was just like him. He was a free spirit and he loved martial arts. He loved pushing himself to bigger and better heights and no matter how much he gave in to her demands he would always love the thrill of fighting more than anything else she could give him.

But it didn't bother her to see him go. She didn't need to worry. Not at all. As much as he loved training and fighting, he loved her, too. The proof was all around her in their past experiences. So of course when he put his foot down and insisted he get what he wanted this time, she had to laugh and watch him go with a smile.

Because he always returned home to her, no matter what.

~!~

A/N: I wanted some after-the-fact commentary. The italicized parts I don't count as scenes, just in-betweens (funny story – I wrote most of that first and just filled in scenes as I sat fit). So yeah, six scenes.

First scene: straight up the end of Episode 17 of Super.

Second scene: starter idea comes from blackandbluehoney – I said I was going to write it, and I did! Just took a bit, that's all.

Third scene: I pulled the last few paragraphs from chapter 16 of my "A Thousand Years" fic and wrote the smut that would have come afterwards. If I'd felt like writing smut back then.

Fourth scene: oh what, no smut, boo, hiss, but really just a short interlude of them discussing things in bed. Sweet fluffy couple stuff.

Fifth scene: Ah hah, not the Super Saiyan smut you were expecting, was it? Honestly, surprised me, too. But I love it and it's a new headcanon hah.

Sixth scene: I like the idea of Goten clinging to Goku even when Goku is trying to get alone time with Chi-Chi.
Thanks for reading! This was a journey! Definitely an unexpected "little" thing – all from Chi-Chi's pov. Happy birthday, Chi-Chi!