AN: This story is set after Battle of Gods and Resurrection F, but before the Goku Black / Future Trunks saga.
Chapter one - Welcome to the Anzen hotel
"C'mon, what's the worst that could happen?"
"Knowing you, everything."
Tien glared over at Yamcha. The two had been friends for several years, and he knew Yamcha well enough to know that he would manege to mess something up, no matter that their original plan was. Today was shaping up to be no different. Yamcha had flew over, walked in the house and started talking about baseball. Tien knew he played, and if he hadn't known that Yamchas team, The Taitans, were in the final playoffs, he certainly knew now, as it was all Yamcha talked about for nearly a half hour. By the end of his little speech about the games meaning, he put on his best puppy dog eyes, and begged Tien to go with him.
"Listen, even if I went, I still don't know the first thing about baseball." Tien argued. Yamcha took a few steps closer.
"I can teach you! It'll be fun! And... you're the only person available." he said, a tad sheepishly. Tien sighed, rolled all three of his eyes, and nodded.
"If it will shut you up about it, then fine, I'll go. But if I don't like it, I'm flying right back home, you got it?" he said. Yamcha beamed.
"Got it! Thanks a million Tien. Pack a bag, and I'll see you Friday." he said, giving Tien a quick pat on the shoulder before heading out of the house. Tien sighed again as he watched Yamcha leave.
"I swear, he's going to get himself killed someday..." he muttered. Chiaotzu floated up behind him.
"You know, it means a lot to Yamcha that you're going with him, no one else has agreed to go before besides Puar." he said. "And..."
"And what?" Tien asked, turning to face his small friend. Chiaotzu hesitated, looking a tad guilty, and took a deep breath.
"Well... it's not for me to say. It's a secret. I know I shouldn't have pried into his thoughts, but he's very loud, even in his own head." he explained. Tien was silent for a few moments.
"So, you're not going to tell me, because it's private? That's fair. If he wants to tell me, he will, and I won't pry." he said eventually. Chiaotzu smiled, relived.
"Thank you Tien. Don't worry, it's not anything bad." Chiaotzu assured him. "If you'd like, I can pick up a book on baseball from the library for you."
"If it will make this trip any easier, then sure, go ahead."
That Friday...
"So... your position is... center field?" said Tien, his nose buried in his library book, "The ins and outs of the outfield."
"Yeah! It's a breeze, really, but sometimes I let the ball pass me so I don't seem suspicious." boasted Yamcha.
The two were flying side by side, on their way to the city, and Tien was attempting to remember everything from his book. Memorizing the text was easy, but Yamcha had a few slag terms that were harder to learn, and the line between the two was starting to blur.
"And you're the last one "up to bat" because you're stronger than the other humans." Tien concluded confidently. Yamcha smiled at him.
"Exactly! You're getting the hang of it. I'm proud of you." he said, teasing Tien slightly. He received a triple eye roll in response. They flew in silence for a while.
"So... have you ever been to Southwest city before?" asked Yamcha.
"No. I don't travel much." said Tien.
"Well, you're gonna love it! I know my way around, due to family visits and such, so I can show you all the places worth visiting." said Yamcha.
"I never said anything about being a tourist. I'm going to watch your game, and nothing more." stated Tien, shutting down the conversation again.
Eventually, they landed just outside the city limits, and began walking towards the downtown area. Small suburbs turned into high rises as Yamcha directed them towards the hotel they had reserved a room in. Tien stayed quiet, as per usual, but he found himself a bit more distracted than he thought he'd be. Southwest city was a bustling hive of human activity, with the sidewalks filled with people, and the roads teeming with vehicles. The crowds were inescapable, and hard to navigate, so Tien shelved any complaints he might have made when Yamcha grabbed his hand and led him through the chaos. He breathed a sigh of relief when they finally made it though the hotel doors. After a few seconds, they both noticed that they were still holding hands, and unanimously let go. Yamcha hefted his suitcase over his shoulder nonchalantly and made a beeline for the front desk, motioning for Tien to follow.
"Um... shouldn't we be in line?" asked Tien, looking confused. Yamcha laughed slightly.
"No need for the normal line. We've got VIP treatment today." he said, leading Tien through a set of velvet ropes. The old man behind the counter grinned widely as he recognized Yamcha.
"Yamcha, my boy, what brings you here today?" he asked jovially.
"Hello to you too, Komai, and you know full well why I'm here." said Yamcha, shaking the mans hand. The man, Komai, laughed softly.
"I do indeed. Congratulations on getting to the finals again. I'll be sure to have the lobby televisions tuned into the game tomorrow." he said. A few taps on his keyboard later, he handed Yamcha a small card in a paper sleeve, and double checked his computer screen.
"Your reservation says for one, but..." he leaned to the side to get a better look at Tien, "I believe I see two."
"Oh, well, this was kinda a last minute change." said Yamcha, hurriedly adding " And not in that way!" when Komai raised an eyebrow. Tien had enough self control to suppress a blush.
"Well, whatever the circumstances, he will be accepted here. May I ask your name, young man?" said Komai.
"It's Tenshinhan."
"Welcome to the Anzen hotel, Mr. Tenshinhan, I hope you enjoy your stay." said Komai holding out another small card. Yamcha passed it over to his companion.
"You can just call me Tien." said Tien, a tad confused about what the small plastic rectangle he had just received was, but staying composed none the less.
"Thanks for everything, Komai! I'll see ya tomorrow." said Yamcha with a wave, walking towards one of the many hallways, Tien close behind him.
"Anytime Yamcha." said Komai cheerfully, returning the wave. Tien simply nodded. He then returned his attention to the small card in his hand.
"I feel really stupid asking, but what is this thing for?" he said.
"It's a room key." explained Yamcha. "The doors have this little slot, you put the end of your card with the arrows into it, and bam! You're in."
"So... the rooms don't have locks?"
"Oh, they do on the inside, but the room key is still safer." said Yamcha. After a few seconds in the elevator, they arrived on the 21st floor, and headed to their room.
"Here we are!" Yamcha declared, setting his bag down. Tien surveyed the room, but his eyes stopped once he saw the bed.
"... Why is there only one bed?" he asked. Yamcha blushed and grinned shyly, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head.
"Well, when I booked the room a month ago, I didn't know that you would be coming with me." he said, slightly embarrassed.
"It's fine. I'll sleep on the floor." said Tien.
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me, I've slept in worse places." he reassured Yamcha.
"Well, if it will cheer you up a little, there's a great restaurant nearby." said Yamcha, perking up at the idea of food. Tien shrugged.
"Sure. It's not like I know were to go." he said. Yamcha smiled and went about unpacking as quickly as possible.
After a few more minutes to change into more suitable clothes for finer dining, the two set off, waving to Komai again on the way out.
"That guy sure is friendly." Tien remarked, gesturing towards Komai.
"Well, he does own the place."
"He does? Then why was he the receptionist?"
"He likes to meet his customers first hand. He's a really relaxed guy too, so don't worry about being formal around him." explained Yamcha. Soon they had reached the restaurant.
"You ever been to a restaurant before?" asked Yamcha. Tien shrugged.
"I know what they are, and I've seen them, but I've never really been in one." he said. Yamcha grinned.
"Don't sweat it. I'll cover paying. And besides..." he said, reaching for the door handle.
"What could go wrong?"