Angel

Hi, people. I'm back with another one. I don't really know why I'm writing this, but I just felt inspired to write this short little one-shot about Krillin and the way he felt at the end of that three-year waiting period. And, I'll confess, it's the way I've felt a lot lately. But, my creativity keeps tugging at me to write this, so here goes.

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The stars shone brightly in the night sky, their light reflecting softly off the calm surface of the open sea, only occasionally distorted by a few fish deciding to peek near the surface in search of food. A light breeze began to blow, relieving some of the heat from the still-warm tropical air. All in all, it was quite a beautiful night.

All this went unnoticed, however, by a certain young man sitting on the beach of a small island; he seemed to be intensely focused on his feet rather than the sight before him, a look of extreme concentration on his face. Finally, he raised his eyes to the night sky, eyes that were filled with anticipation, anxiety, and perhaps most of all, pain and sorrow.

He knew he should be focusing on something else at the moment; the day he'd been waiting for for the last three years had arrived. The Androids that kid from the future had warned them about would be arriving tomorrow. Not to mention the fact that his best friend could come down with some sort of heart condition at any moment, and though Goku himself seemed to think he wasn't really going to get sick, he couldn't help but worry. But even all that had been pushed to the back of his mind for the moment as he focused on one thing.

He knew it was stupid to do so. It had been nearly three months since it had happened, but he still couldn't shake the one thing that plagued his mind.

Maron.

A few months before, she had come back. She had given him this sob story about how miserable she was without him, how she needed him. And, fool that he was, he had believed her. So much so, in fact, that he had planned out a special Valentine's Day dinner for just the two of them at the fanciest restaurant that he could find.

Before they'd even arrived at their destination, he'd felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he shook it off, believing that it was just nerves. After all, he was finally going on a date again for the first time in three years. Who wouldn't be nervous?

They finally arrived at a beautiful open air café on the outskirts of the city. He'd managed to procure a table that allowed them to see the full moon perfectly. He smiled at the memory of that; Bulma had wished it back not more than a year ago, insisting that it was impossible to be romantic without a moon. 'Well,' he figured, 'at least Chi-Chi and Goku had vowed never to let Gohan's tail grow out again.'

After they'd been seated he noted that Maron seemed to be in a bit of a hurry to order; he assumed it was just hunger. For some reason, that woman nearly starved herself to maintain her 'perfect figure' and he had no doubt in his mind that she hadn't eaten a thing all day just so she could eat here Oddly, enough however, she ordered only a salad. 'If she isn't hungry', he thought, 'why'd she seem to be in such a hurry to order?' Even stranger was the way she kept pressing him to order specific items on the menu and, though he wasn't too particularly fond of them, he figured he'd do it if it made her happy. Besides, they weren't exactly terrible. He wasn't, however, too particularly fond of having to pay for his meal beforehand.

Shortly before their food had arrived, however, she seemed to panic about the fact she'd forgotten her purse. He agreed to go get it, walking down the stairs to the lot, which happened to be near their table, when he heard Maron giggle and stopped dead in his tracks. Looking up, he saw his worst fears come true as a tall, good looking guy was seated in his chair. 'No. Maybe this isn't what it looks like,' he thought.

That last ray of hope was crushed, however, when he heard her say, "I'm glad you made it. I ordered your usual."

No! She'd… she'd PLANNED this?! This was her goal from the beginning?! She'd used him AGAIN! How could he be so stupid?! Suddenly, he noticed that she was staring down at him, flashing him a smile; not her usual, dopey, air-headed smile, but a wicked, malicious grin. She had intended to break him the whole time. He continued to walk down the stairs to his car, silent tears running down his cheeks. 'Well, Maron… looks like you win.'

Now, three months later, he sat, still stuck on that very issue. Why did it seem that no woman would ever want to be with him? Why couldn't they see past his face, past his height? A small chuckle rose at the irony of that last statement. Seeing past his height was no large task; he'd been literally stepped on more than a few times. But why did it seem… it was as if no human being could love him?

That one last statement lingered in his mind before he finally accepted it as truth. No human being could love someone like him. It was true, plain and simple. The only one that could ever love him would have to be…

He pulled out of his daydream long enough to whisper into the night sky. "I know, I'm asking for a lot …but maybe… maybe you could spare an angel for me?"

He sat there silently, as if waiting for a reply. None came. He slowly picked himself up off the ground and walked inside to his room. He had a big day ahead of him.

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As he lay there in his bed, Krillin had no idea why that particular memory had played out in his mind. Perhaps as a means of reminding him of what had led up to this moment.

He turned slightly to look at the other occupant of his bed a smile crossing his features as he regarded her; she looked so serene like that, her beautiful blue eyes closed in sleep, though he could still see them clearly in his mind's eye, her blonde hair, which by some miracle seemed to be impervious to being disheveled even after being slept on all night… she was nothing less than perfect.

Yet, in spite of that, in spite of everything they had been through, she had been the one to seek HIM out. Things hadn't been too easy between them at first, but as time went by, she had made him feel something he never thought he could feel again. She loved him; she'd even told him so on several occasions. And, for some reason beyond him, she'd picked him, HIM of all people, to spend the rest of her life with.

He was pulled from his thoughts by his wife, who began to stir in her sleep. Slowly, she opened her eyes to gaze at her smiling husband, allowing a smile to creep onto her own face before she closed her eyes and returned to her own dreams.

Krillin couldn't help but hold her a little closer as he smiled, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He new beyond a shadow of a doubt his prayer had been answered.

He'd found his angel.