Goku and Gohan (and a little bit of Chi Chi) fluff, but hopefully not enough to make them OOC. One-shot.
A/N: Italics indicate thoughts. Also, a few words of mine may be spelt slightly different to what many of you are used to since I am British, e.g. "colour" instead of "color". Just pointing out that it's deliberate. Likewise, some vocabulary may vary slightly.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own DBZ.
A steady breeze whispered through the branches of the tall, swaying trees, caressing the leaves and producing an almost satisfied rustle. Jewels of sunlight reflected off the crystal-clear surface of the river, enriching the natural beauty of the cool waters. Blazing happily down upon the landscape, the Sun shined as if beaming specially for the peaceful family of three below who basked in its warmth.
The family, young and naive lay in this perfect setting as if no-one or nothing could disrupt their perfect bliss. A topless, broad-chested man slouched against a solid oak tree, wild spikes of black hair framing his face, flickering slightly with the wind. His eyes were shut as he enjoyed the summer day and his breathing was steady; he was content. Adorning his bare pectorals were the silky locks of the raven-haired woman who snoozed against him, her hands lovingly grasping the muscular right arm which encircled her body in a loose embrace. Occasionally, one of the two pairs of heavy eyelids lazily opened to check on the third member of the family, the pride and joy of the youthful couple: their three-year-old son.
Pudgy hands clutched in vain at passing butterflies but the lack of success in catching them did not in the least seem to faze Son Gohan. Instead of becoming annoyed, he merely giggled at the thrill of the chase and ran around as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, a slight "oof" emitting from his mouth whenever he fell over due to dizziness. The next time the soft grass and his bottom made contact, the small child sat for a few moments, looking over at his resting parents and pondering (at least, pondering as well as a three-year old could) about what he could do next. His eyes were drawn to a patch of white amongst the green foliage; it seemed almost… out of place. Not bothering to stand up, he crawled over to the foreign colour and his eyes widened in wonder at the sight before him. Dozens of flowers, small and plentiful littered that side of the field, their petals snowy and tinted with purple. Although officially considered a weed, to Son Gohan the daises were the most beautiful thing in the world at that point. Thinking back to a children's program he had once seen on the television, a brightness graced Gohan's eyes as the makings of an idea came together in his mind. He set to work with a new-found vigour.
oOo
"Mommy? Mommy?"
"Mmm… What is it, sweetie?" Chi-Chi responded groggily to her son as he shook her awake. She straightened up slightly, disturbing Goku who in turn began to stir.
"Here you go, Mommy!" Proud hands presented her with a daisy-chain, large and fragile. Chi-Chi could see how some of the stems were shortened due to several failed attempts at trying to pierce a hole in them and she could see how some links in the chain looked ready to disintegrate yet to her, no one could have given her a better gift.
"Oh, Gohan…"
"It's a crown, Mommy, 'cause you're a princess! Daddy told me so. Put it on, Mommy!" Gohan's eyes were two shining, black, happy little orbs in his face as he watched his mother admire the chain and a crow of joy escaped from his mouth as she placed the ring on top of her hair, bright white contrasting with onyx.
Next to them, Goku chuckled slightly at his son's simple satisfaction and marvelled at his carefree innocence, so much like his own but even more so.
He sure is cute… It must have taken him ages to make that for Chi-Chi.
A squeeze on his hand brought Goku's attention to his wife, whose eyes were laced with happiness and adoration for Gohan.
"What do you think, Goku? Do you like my crown?"
"Yeah, Daddy! Do you like it?" Eager eyes anticipated Goku's response.
"Sure I do!" Goku's eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled at the gleeful expression which lit up his child's face at his approval. Then, turning to his wife, "You look beautiful, honey," and he lightly kissed her cheek, causing her to blush slightly.
Gohan watched this display with mirth as he basked in the praise from his parents. However, this happiness was short-lived and his eyebrows plunged into a frown and his face creased up as if he was about to cry. His eyes swerved around wildly, looking for something, anything. When he found nothing, tears indeed did begin to drip down his crestfallen face. Noticing this odd, sudden change in mood, Goku bent down to his son's eye level, quite nonplussed.
"Hey, what's wrong, kiddo? Have you hurt yourself?"
His question was met by a small shake of the head.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Chi-Chi's voice was filled with motherly concern. Gohan responded substantially more to her query than to Goku's and after a few minutes of coaxing, he whispered in her ear.
Meanwhile, Goku sat beside them, cross-legged and worried about Gohan's behaviour.
What's up with that? He usually talks to me, no sweat. Have I done something to upset him?
He scrutinized his memory of the last few minutes of his behaviour and came up with nothing to explain Gohan's mood change.
"Oh, Gohan…" Chi-Chi's voice broke into her husband's thoughts. Goku looked at her and saw she was holding the small boy, shaking her head fondly. She turned to Goku, a slight smile playing at her lips. "Goku, he's upset because he doesn't have a present to give you."
Relieved that it was nothing more serious, a slight chuckle was audible in Goku's words.
"Is that all, Gohan?" The toddler peeked out at his father from above his mother's chest, yet he still shied away, shamefaced. "Gohan, you don't need to get me anything. You know why? Because I have the best present ever in the world right here! Do you know what that is?" Gohan shook his head. "It's you! Now, c'mere little buddy and give Daddy a hug."
A much happier Gohan scrambled across into Goku's waiting arms and snuggled into his torso. Despite the fact that the reach of his arms barely matched the breadth of his father's chest, he still managed to employ a fierce and loving hug to the one who never doubted him as Chi-Chi watched the precious scene before her. Much larger, much more developed arms returned the hug firmly but gently, one hand coming to rest on Gohan's back and the other ruffling his hair slightly. Love filled eyes looked down at the tiny boy, an unusually strong fatherly sense coming over Goku.
"Daddy, let's play!" The hug was replaced with some kind of wrestling match between father and son, both trying to floor the other one through intense pushing. Gohan's face was flushing bright red with frustration and concentration as he tried his hardest to topple his father's seemingly immovable body. A slightly wistful look crossed Goku's face as he effortlessly withstood his son's hardest efforts.
I don't expect him to be able to move me now, of course but it saddens me to think that he'll never be able to, due to Chi-Chi's plans for him to become a scholar. I guess I sort of understand where she's coming from and I know she just wants the best for all of us…but still…
He flopped backwards onto the ground as he let Gohan win, his eyes cast skywards and a sigh escaping his mouth. Suddenly, his view was blocked by his toddler's face looming above him. Chubby arms snaked their way around his neck and happy eyes gazed into his own, eternal adoration seeping from the core of the boy's soul. Gohan placed a confident kiss on the end of his dad's nose and as he did so, all previous concerns were erased from Goku's mind.
Ahh, what the heck. Whatever he lacks in fighting skills, he more than makes up for it with his innocence and love. As Master Roshi once told me, love conquers all…You may not conquer evil villains like Piccolo, but you've sure conquered your daddy's heart, little man.
Smiling, Goku picked up Gohan, stood up and swung him around, his own laughs creating a euphoric harmony as they mingled with his son's squeals of joy and Chi-Chi's chortles of amusement. Many carefree hours of pointless family fun ensued, laughter ringing true in the trees as the three experienced the love that is shared between only true family.
oOo
The sinking Sun showed three figures making their way back towards Mount Paozu. A broad-chested man walked with an arm around the waist of a raven-haired woman, whose body was pressed against his. Adorning his shoulders was the sleeping body of a three-year old boy whose black spikes mingled with his own. Not only was the boy the pride and joy of the couple, he was also an essence of innocence, a symbol of purity and an unconditional beacon of love which filled his parent's hearts to the very brim. As Goku strolled back home in the devoted company of his family, a conclusive thought crossed his mind.
Yep, Master Roshi. You were right… Love does conquer all.
A/N. So… what do you think? Too much fluff? Not enough? OOC? IC? Please be so kind as to leave a review and let me know your opinion!