Untitled 2

by DetoxAngel

Sorry for the lack of a title. I'm not good at those. Anyway, no summary here, just know it's the good stuff ; Enjoy, and as always, review.

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ/GT nor do I make any money from this story.

A/N: Guys...read the author's note at the end. Important stuff down there. Look, you guys know me well enough to know that this is mostly unedited. I mean, look how long this is. Seriously? Not my lazy ass. Oh, and you might want to clear your schedule for this one. Enjoy. Perverts.

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One of the many downsides of being home-schooled by your mother was that when there was a problem you couldn't solve, said mother was nowhere in sight. Gone, to be exact. And not just out to the grocery store or on an errand or at a friend's house. Gone. As in not coming back. As in he either had to go without help or ask his father for it. There was a problem with that. His father would have no idea what he was talking about when he tried to explain the problem. He just didn't get that kind of education growing up. All he got was basics and the problem was much more complicated than basics could solve.

The last six of them were like this one and if he couldn't get past them he wouldn't get past any of them. The thing about doing college-level work was that when your own parents didn't have even a high school diploma between them you were often stuck finding the solutions the hard way or by yourself. Luckily, with Bulma as a friend he didn't suffer that too often.

"I guess that means I'm done for the day." He would have to go find Bulma later but she was at a convention in America and wouldn't return for a few more days yet. And not that his father was dumb or anything, but Gohan imagined that it wouldn't feel very good for the man to see just how much he didn't know and that he couldn't help.

"Okay," he mumbled and stood. If he was lucky he could catch his dad for a spar before he went to find Vegeta. Vegeta... Oh how he hated that man. The Prince was detestably cold and very much so to his father. Every time the asshole insulted his dad, Gohan wanted to beat his royal teeth into the back of his head.

He walked quietly into the living room, grabbing the phone off the wall as he went. Then he spotted a bowl. Picking it up, he wondered why it was there, but shrugged, deciding to just drop it off in the sink. He turned, looking down at the phone and began to dial the number for Capsule Corp, hoping to find Dr. Briefs.

He was startled enough to drop the phone and the bowl when he ran into something hard. The turn he had made was so direct and sharp that his face hit the hardness dead on and he stumbled back in surprise so quickly he tripped.

"Woah!" the thing he hit exclaimed with a laugh. When he felt the arm around his back to keep him from falling he jerked forward and hit the hard thing again.

Goku chuckled and caught the bowl with one hand, wrapping the other around his son's torso and pulling the boy into him. His smile widened at the surprised gasp Gohan gave.

"Aw, did I scare you? I'm sorry." The teen looked shocked for a moment. Shaking his head, he pulled himself back and opened his mouth to excuse himself when he realized that his father was still holding him. Closely. There was nothing he could do to combat the blush that arose in his face and he ducked his forehead down to hide it.

"Awww," Goku rubbed his boy's head then let him go to pick up the phone.

"Daaad!" Gohan growled indignantly through his teeth. His heart was still trying to calm itself after being scared nearly out of his wits. He hated when Goku did that. He didn't know what was up with the older Saiyan's habit of sneaking up on him. He would always say he was sorry and then would do it again a few days later. Gohan had told him that he didn't like it (he really didn't) and though his father always claimed that it wasn't his intention to scare him, clearly, it was. And it obviously amused him.

"I'm sorry!" Goku protested. He wasn't sorry at all. It never got old seeing the reactions Gohan had when he was caught off guard. He would then become flustered, because he fell for it every time, and depending on his mood would whine, hiss, or growl, "Daaad!" and it was so damn cute that Goku continued despite how much Gohan didn't like it.

"No you're not!" the boy snapped, rubbing the side of his head.

"I thought you were gone," he continued, taking the bowl and going past him into the kitchen, trying not to let the other see that he was still blushing.

"Were you looking for me?" Goku picked an apple up from a basket on the middle of the table and bit into it with a crunch so loud that Gohan actually winced. How the man kept catching him with his guard down was a mystery.

"Finish all your homework?" The voice behind him was obviously full of apple and it took him a few seconds to understand that he had been asked a question.

"Oh...well, I ran into a few problems...and..."

His father swallowed his bite of apple and looked at him.

Gohan was on the verge of blushing again. Why wasn't his dad saying anything?

"A-and..." He swallowed.

Goku silently waited for him to continue, holding the apple up to his face but not taking a bite.

'Crap', Gohan thought. 'I have to lie'

"I didn't want to bother you. Especially not if you're about to go spar with Vegeta." The lie felt terrible. He knew better; that Goku would drop everything in a heartbeat to help him with anything he needed help with.

Goku blinked. "Yeah," he said. "Uhhh...I'm not going to see Vegeta today. Is it anything I could help you with?"

'Oh man,' Gohan silently groused. "Um...you know...no, n-not really..."

"Okay. Wish I could help," his father said in a sunny voice and went back to snacking on the apple.

He didn't look offended, the boy noted. He didn't sound offended. Gohan wanted to sigh his relief but didn't. No good could have come from him having to elaborate.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go swimming with me down by the lake."

Swimming?

"Krillin will be there, too." he quickly added, seeing the brief flash of uncertainty in his son's eyes.

"Oh. Sure. I wasn't doing anything else."

"Cool." Goku smiled at the teen. Gohan was so adorable when he was nervous. Of course he knew that a lot of the stuff his son was studying were things he never got to learn (and had zero interest in) and that Gohan never wanted to upset him. Gohan was a good kid and there was very little the boy could do to make him upset with him.

Sometimes, he wondered if his son would be that way if he asked for a kiss. He would say, "Give daddy a kiss," like he used to when the demi-Saiyan was younger, and maybe he would be the one upsetting Gohan and rightly so, because he really did want to kiss him in a way that would upset a lot of people.

He went upstairs to take a shower and thought about what kissing his cute son would be like. Would Gohan blush? Oh yeah, definitely. Goku could always make him blush. Sometimes, when he was in the shower, or in his bedroom alone, he would think about why the boy blushed so much around him. He never did it so much around anyone else, not even his mother. Could it be so bad to fantasize that the teen might...Yes. It would. It would be terrible, because that was the sort of thing that he should never take advantage of, if such a thing could ever happen, which he refused to think it could. He knew he shouldn't be thinking such sick thoughts about a child, his own no less, but he couldn't deny his feelings and felt that as long as nobody, especially Gohan, ever found out, that it was no crime to accept them. That was the sort of thing that came and went, and the time in between should be left alone. Not, of course, that Gohan would ever feel that way, because if he ever blushed after a kiss it would and should be followed by a punch.

Finishing his shower, he stepped out and began drying himself off in front of the mirror. As he was dabbing the towel on his chest, he paused and stared at himself. He was 34 years old, but didn't look as old as he sometimes felt. Apparently, that was one of the perks of being an alien from a bloodthirsty fighting race.

He was tall, but he'd seen taller. His body was somewhere between bulky and lean and was hard and muscled from a lifetime of training. His face was... painfully plain. His hair was shorter now, because of a bad, fuzzy incident that mixed three things nobody should ever mix: a party thrown by Bulma, a lot of alcohol, and an electric razor. It wasn't so bad but he had gone for the first time in his life to get a haircut and found that he preferred it the way it was before. At least it made his pale face look somewhat more interesting.

He sighed. Gohan read those little colorful tween magazine things all the time and there were beautiful young girls his son's age on nearly every page. And the boys weren't exactly a burden to look at either, not that he was interested in young boys, however, what he was interested in was much more complicated than that.

He touched his face. There were times when he considered growing a beard or a mustache. His cheeks had seen nary one whisker in his entire adult life, but if Krillin could get hair on his head, then he guessed stranger things were possible. What stopped him was Gohan. A few months ago he had asked his son what he thought about the idea. Those big, shiny, dark eyes widened and his mouth dropped. "No way," he had said, and shook his head a little harder than Goku thought was necessary. "Nooo way." Well damn. He thought it was a good idea.

He looked at himself in the mirror a little longer. Then looked at his hands. They weren't exactly the hands of a lover. They were rough and calloused and dry at times. His fingernails...well, he bit them so often they looked as bad as the rest of his hands.

He didn't think he was a bad looking guy. Just plain. Normal. Average. But Gohan. That boy was going to break hearts when he got to be his old man's age, hell, he was capable of it now. He got his beauty and brains from his mother and inherited his brute strength and the not-so-wonderful ability to turn into a giant, violent ape from him. He sighed again.

His boy didn't go to school. He wanted to, and Goku was thinking about it, but ChiChi hadn't wanted him to begin until the tenth grade, which was practically around the corner but he wasn't too fond of the idea, sure that Gohan would be sucked into the realm of normalcy that he had never had and be lost to him forever.

Crap, now he was being dramatic. But he knew. He knew all about the parties and drugs and alcohol and sex and cruelty that came with being a normal teenager and though Gohan could surely take care of himself, the pull of a normal life, free from fighting aliens and being bored to tears at home with his old man and never having friends his own age...

How could he, twice the boy's age, an...old person in comparison...how could he beat that? Gohan was nice, always. He would never bother him for anything (not that he could) and Goku knew how much he wanted to go to school. He needed help with his studies and nobody was around to help him.

Goku bit his bottom lip lightly. He was pretty useless.

He quickly dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist and left the bathroom and was almost to his room, his hand on the doorknob, when who but his son caught him.

"Hey Dad, should I bring some lu...u-um...ahem... lunch? Sorry." He quickly turned around and as if that weren't enough, he put a hand over his eyes.

Goku stopped and made a face. Nobody wanted to see either of their parents half naked. Of course.

"Yeah, you could if you want to, but I was hoping we could go out to the city for lunch. We haven't been out there in a while." He hoped Gohan wouldn't mind hanging out. "Take out, if you like," he continued. "And then we can go to the fair. I heard it was out in Nickytown." Shit, a fair, really? Gohan was too old for that, he supposed. What teenager wanted to go to a fair with their dad these days?

"Really? The fair?" Gohan sounded excited and that made him surprised. Was he just being overly receptive or did he really want to go?

"I guess it seems kiddie-ish, but I don't know what teenaged boys do these days. The mall is pretty boring when you don't buy anything," he smiled, "Well it's boring period."

Gohan grinned from nearly the end of the hallway. He hadn't gotten any closer when he saw his father in just the towel. He had gotten the briefest of glances when he'd walked up the stairs and only turned away out of courtesy but he wasn't that courteous because to see his dad half naked wasn't exactly a hardship.

"I would never go to the mall to hang out," he said. It was hard not to turn and look at his father's chest. "The fair sounds awesome..." he trailed off. "Is Krillin coming with us there, too?" He didn't bother to hide the hope in his voice. It was bad enough he had to share.

Goku wanted to open his door, step inside, and talk to the teen from the safety of his room, but Gohan didn't seem to mind carrying on a conversation with him while he stood in just a towel. Even if he wouldn't look at him. "Well, no, I was kind of hoping it could be just us."

'Why can't it be just us at the lake'? Gohan didn't turn. It was like talking to a stranger, he felt so disengaged. He wanted to face Goku and talk, but if he did, he would make the grievous error of trying to see more than he should.

"Okay, Dad, let me just grab a shower and get dressed." He turned and dropped his hand. He had to look. Goku was standing there watching him, still half naked and still with his hand on the knob. He quickly drew his eyes down and up the man's form then disappeared into his room. He closed the door and began gathering his things for his shower. His bathroom was attached to his room, his room having been the master bedroom before his mother moved out, and he had never been more grateful for that.

Stripping his clothes, he looked over himself and wondered if his body would be like his dad's when he got older. He wondered if his dad even knew how beautiful his body was.

"I doubt it," he muttered to himself. He loved his father but the man was painfully naïve at times, especially about certain things. And that too was both a blessing a little bit of a curse.

He turned on the water and hopped in before it heated up.

Gohan hadn't spent too much quality time with his father since the Cell Games had ended and his mother left them alone. The very thought of seeing the man in swimming trunks spurred him to hasten. The sooner they started their fun day, the better.

As he scrubbed, his mind wandered. The air between he and his dad seemed so stiff nowadays. It was either awkward or nerve-wracking or worse yet, like there was some invisible divider between them, keeping his father out of his business and him out of his father's. He knew his excuse, but what was Goku's? The man spent a lot of time training or sparring with Vegeta or hanging out with his other friends, but he seemed to avoid being too affectionate with him.

Before they went to Namek and fought Frieza, Goku always played with him and hugged him and rubbed his head. They went camping, skinny dipped and took barrel-baths together. Then his father returned and he started letting his wife do the hugging and affection while he trained and fought. He let ChiChi do whatever she wanted and there were times when Gohan was disappointed in the man that he wouldn't let him have fun like they used to.

They had the 'you're becoming a man' talk three months ago and all through it he felt like they were drifting apart. Goku was being more distant than he had ever been in Gohan's life. It wasn't that he was ignoring him or not giving him any attention, but a lot of the time it was kind of...awkward around the house. He wasn't sure in what way it was awkward, but it was.

He knew what to do. Today, he was going to demand that they do more things together. He wasn't going to ask, he was going to tell. His father wouldn't say no.

Gohan spent the rest of his shower time thinking of activities they could do together. When he got out, he hurriedly dried off and snatched on a pair of trunks, denim shorts, and a tanktop and practically flew down the stairs.

Goku was already waiting, wearing beige lightweight khaki shorts and a sleeveless black t-shirt and black sneakers. "You sure move quick, son, you must be excited to go out."

Gohan smiled up at him. "It's been a long time since we have," he said, and walked over to the door to open it.

Goku's own grin slipped but he caught himself and asked, "Do you have your swimming trunks?"

"Yeah, under my pants." The boy turned from the open door and looked at him. Giving him the exact same look he received in the hallway, he said, "You look good, Dad," and walked outside.

Gohan squinted his eyes against the sun and took a deep breath of fresh air. It was a beautiful day, perfect for swimming. He, however, would have preferred to be alone with his father, but Krillin was a nice guy and was very funny. He wondered if Krillin did more things with his dad than he did. Probably. And if that was the case then it was a problem.

"Do you want to walk there?" The lake wasn't far from their house and it was a nice day. A little stroll through the woods wouldn't hurt.

"Okay." It was at least a fifteen minute walk and Gohan wasn't about to walk it all in silence. "Dad," he started, looking at the man.

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath and his imploring look morphed into a slight glare. "We're going to do stuff like this more often," he announced. "We're going to start going camping again, and having picnics and fishing, and hunting, and going to amusement parks and fairs, and the movies, and all that other stuff and we're going to have lots of fun and then come home and hang out some more. We're going to do it at least five days a week because when I start school this fall we won't have as much time."

"Okay?" he finished, crossing his arms.

Goku was surprised with the sudden demands his son was issuing. Where had all of that come from? Was Gohan trying to tell him that they didn't spend enough time together?

"Um...okay," he nodded, just wanting the frown to leave the teen's face. Did Gohan think that he might say no, was that why he put his request in the form of demands rather than questions?

"Great!" Gohan's face broke into a smile again and he hugged the older Saiyan tightly.

Goku watched him and grunted when the boy squeezed him harder. It appeared he wasn't the only one that severely missed the times they used to have together. He had been thinking that Gohan might have felt that he was getting too old to play with him and that he wouldn't even if he were asked. Clearly, he didn't know his son as well as he thought.

On the way to the lake they talked about Gohan's upcoming school year and new life as a high-schooler

and meeting girls and shopping for school supplies. The kid was ecstatic and Goku was happy to see him happy even though he was skeptical about it.

"Hey guys!" a voice called from a little ways in front of the them. Gohan squinted and made out the short form of Krillin, one of his father's best friends and a man he had personally come to like as his third favorite person.

"Krillin!" Gohan yelled and ran toward the little man. Krillin laughed and stood up. The boy barreled right into him and knocked him back down.

"Woah, little man, you're getting a little too big to be doing that. In case you haven't noticed, some of us haven't been blessed with sudden growth spurts," the noseless man complained half-heartedly.

The trio spent an a hour catching up and telling stories and though Gohan didn't have a lot to say, he enjoyed hearing his father laugh and Krillin do his crazy dances and voice imitations. Meanwhile, the sun was beating down something fierce on them and Goku suggested they go for a swim.

By the time they decided to get in the water, the teen was feeling hungry. He hadn't eaten since the early morning and was looking forward to going to get some takeout with his Dad. He was both pleased and a little regretful that Krillin wasn't going but he was more pleased.

"Listen, Goku, I don't want to play that shark game again. I don't appreciate being yanked underwater when I'm trying to relax. Besides, you always pull so hard," Krillin stated before they got in the water. Goku only laughed and for that the shorter man gave him a hot glare. His friend stopped smiling.

"Okay, okay, you got it," he said, and looked at Gohan. He winked and smiled and Krillin accused them of plotting something against him, though Gohan knew nothing of any plotting or why his dad winked at him.

"You better not encourage him to do anything that involves ruining my day!" But Gohan thought that very little could ruin the day and Krillin was just as dramatic as usual. They shed their clothing down to their trunks and each cannonballed into the lake.

An hour was spent frolicking about in the clear water, cooling and having swim races that of course Goku won all of. Once or twice the taller man attempted to ambush Krillin and drag him down underwater, but either Gohan's snickers gave it away, or every time the oldest lost sight of his friend, he would get worried and start looking around. The teen couldn't help but think that his father had a mischievous streak of some kind what with the way he liked to jump and ambush and scare people but was happy to see that it wasn't just him on the receiving end of such juvenile acts of mischief.

"I don't get to do this often," Krillin said, floating by on his back after having told Goku to cut out trying to drown him again, "Eighteen hates it that we still live with Master Roshi and demanded, not asked, mind you, demanded, that I build us a house. And you know, I'm all for that, but I've never built a house before. I mean, I guess it can't be that hard, I think all I have to do..."

Krillin about talked their ears off, or at least that was how Gohan felt. He liked Krillin, but the little man sure could yap. He guessed it was because he and his dad hadn't seen each other in a while and they had a lot to catch up on. Speaking of catching up, the more the noseless fighter talked, the hungrier Gohan got and all he could think about was catching up with his father in front of some delicious buffet in the city.

"Dad?" he cut in when Krillin took a moment to laugh.

Goku stopped grinning and looked at the boy as if he had just noticed that he was there. "What's up?"

"I don't mean to interrupt, but are we gonna eat soon? I kinda haven't had anything si-

"Grrrraaawwgg!" his stomach loudly interjected.

Krillin went silent. All that could be heard were the birds chirping. Then his father burst out laughing and Krillin joined him, then, after a hesitant moment, the source of the embarrassing growl giggled a little until the three of them were whooping with laughter.

"My goodness, Gohan, I haven't heard a stomach cry out for food that loud since the time Goku was training with Kami and couldn't eat until he had finished! It was almost a whole day!"

Gohan blushed but managed to hold in the snort of laughter.

The tall Saiyan chuckled and rubbed the boy's head. "Yeah, I did say we were going to eat, huh? Krillin, I'd like to invite you, but I know you'll be busy and Gohan and I kinda wanted to have some father/son time out on the town."

"Oh? Yeah, sure, I better get going now anyway before Eighteen gets into one of her...rougher moods," Krillin said with a grimace.

The short human jumped out of the water and pulled on his clothes. "But I hope you guys can come over for dinner sometime. Eighteen wants to see Gohan, you know, she likes him a lot, but I think she only wants to fight him, haha."

They said their goodbyes and then Goku turned to his son. "Did you have fun so far?"

The dark-haired teen nodded and picked up his clothes. He didn't want to put them back on. "Krillin is always fun and once I get some food in my stomach, I'll be having an even better time."

As they flew back to the house, Goku occasionally glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the younger Saiyan, observing his face as the wind whipped through his hair. It was the shortest Goku had ever seen it, but then again, after being teased in the park for looking like a girl (sadly it was true) when he wore his hair longer, he wasn't surprised that Gohan immediately chopped it all off the same day. Goku himself had never wanted to do anything with his own hair because he was never concerned about the way he looked, but having been forced to cut it, he didn't mind that their hair looked the same, but he thought his boy looked a lot better with the style. Then again, Gohan looked a lot better in anything.

Gohan meanwhile, couldn't feel that he was being watched, too busy enjoying the cool air against his skin. He was also occupied with thoughts of food and spending quality time with his dad and for the first time in a long time going out and having fun.

When they landed, the boy took off into the house and to his room to change his clothes in an excited rush and Goku went to do the same at a more leisurely pace, though he was a little excited too. In under five minutes they met in the kitchen and Goku put a black baseball cap on.

"I like these," he said, referring to the cap, "I don't get much excuses to wear them."

Gohan told him it looked cool on him. It was the first time Goku had worn a cap since he got his haircut.

As they flew toward Nickytown, it became clear to Gohan that Goku had nothing to say or wasn't going to say anything anytime soon. Almost half of the trip had been silent. He decided he would strike up a conversation.

"Dad." He turned to look at his father to see the man's eyes already on him.

"Yeah, son?" Goku averted his gaze ahead of him when Gohan caught him looking.

"I've been thinking; we don't really...well, you don't really talk to me a lot. And we should find more to talk about. We could go to the movies and watch T.V together and talk about girls and do guy stuff, you know? I want to be able to always have something to talk to my dad about, without having to struggle to come up with conversation. I'd like it if you made more of an effort to do stuff with me and talk to me, even if you think I won't like it. One day, just come up with something for us to do, out of the blue, stop me when I'm studying and take me somewhere, talk my ear off if you're lonely or just wanna vent about something. We could talk about anything, right? Because this," he said, gesturing between them, "is not okay. I don't know what happened with us since Mom left, but it doesn't have to be that way. We could be friends, I hope. I say, feel free to talk to me about anything. I'm 15 now. I'm not a kid anymore. It won't be long before I'm all grown up, and then you'll have missed the best years of my life. Do you want that, Dad?"

Goku shook his head. He didn't want that at all. He did want to do all of those things. But ChiChi didn't want him. His friends didn't talk to him much anymore, and his life lacked purpose and direction. He assumed that his son wouldn't want to hang around with someone as boring as he was, who didn't have a job, wasn't very smart, and couldn't keep their family together. And now the boy was demanding all of the things he didn't think he would want and he really didn't want to miss anymore than he already had. Gohan was beginning school soon and by default that would greatly reduce their time together and make things worse. If Gohan wanted all of that with him, then who was he to say no?

He wanted to say that he was sorry for all of that, but he knew that it wouldn't matter. All he could do was whatever Gohan wanted and enjoy him while he was around. He instead decided he would talk to him about why things had been the way they were now and how it was never his intention to deprive the kid of anything; just the opposite. He wanted Gohan to be happy.

They were descending on the city now and from about 1,600 feet in the air they could already see the ferris wheel from the Nickytown Fair. In a secluded forest park was where they landed and walked the short way to the street.

"I wanna eat at Burger World!" Gohan told him.

"Oh yeah, why there?" Goku asked.

"They say that Burger World has the shortest preparation and serving time, so not only will we not have to wait long, but we can have more food in a shorter period of time."

Now that was a Saiyan talking. Goku chuckled.

Burger World was not in the part of the city they were in, so they had to board a bus. Gohan had very seldom been on buses and liked this part of their day together just as much as he would have if they had driven there. His father paid their fare and they went to sit in the back, where the larger windows were and the entire trip Gohan was looking out of one, pointing and talking. Goku was pleased to hear the excitement in his voice and how interesting he found even the smallest things. At one point Gohan saw a cute little animal, a dog, and commented on how that might be a good thing for them to get.

"A pet...I've never thought about having one. Well, I guess we could if you really wanted to."

Across from where they were sitting, there was a girl about Gohan's age staring at his son as the boy chattered on. She seemed to be trying to get a frontal view of his face, but Gohan was still turned away and looking out the window. The girl looked to be alone as he didn't see anyone near her who looked like they knew her much less could be her parents. Gohan turned around and sat properly in his chair and inevitably caught sight of the girl watching him. He stared.

"L..Lime?" he said uncertainly, squinting at her. Goku watched them. His son knew this girl?

"Gohan... It is you!" The girl grinned and moved from her seat to a spot adjacent to them, closest to Gohan.

"Oh wow, Lime, I haven't seen you in like, forever! How have you been?" As they talked, Goku tuned them out and looked out the window. This was how it was supposed to be. Gohan was supposed to be talking to girls and whatever else boys his age did nowadays. As the two teens chattered on, he eventually got bored with looking out the window and looked at them.

"Lime, I didn't introduce you to my Dad," Gohan said. The girl smiled at him.

"I'm Lime. Wow, Gohan looks just like you."

To that Gohan said "More and more all the time, people say. Lucky me."

Goku laughed because he didn't know exactly what that meant or if there was any playful sarcasm in the statement. He wouldn't be surprised if there was. Why should Gohan want to look like him as he got older?

"Yeah, lucky you," the girl repeated, then jumped out of her seat. "My stop." She hugged Gohan. "I hope I see you around again soon, and it was nice meeting you Gohan's Dad." Goku gave her a smile and a short wave and watched her bound off the bus.

Gohan started talking to him about who the girl was and how the two had met. Goku only half listened. Gohan seemed excited about her and he was saying something about hoping the girls in school would be as cute as her.

"That's great, son. Our stop is next." He didn't want to spend all day talking about girls. Gohan stopped talking and they got off the bus. The bus had dropped them off right in front of a huge shopping district and they stepped off into a ridiculous crowd. People were rudely pushing past them in their hurry to get wherever it was they were going and they were the only two who seemed to be the least bit bothered by the hustle and bustle.

"I think Burger World is somewhere in this mall." He was pretty sure the mall had not been there the last time he'd been in the area with Bulma.

Gohan shrugged. With all the people squishing and pushing past them, he would have the perfect excuse to hold his father's hand. He did just that. "Let's stick together," he said. "I bet you could lose a house in this crowd." He felt like a little kid again holding his Dad's hand, but he didn't care, it felt good.

Goku felt the happy little rush go through him when his son's hand slid into his own. They hadn't held hands since Gohan was six years old and his boy's hand was soft as silk and felt small and fragile in his own, but he knew that those same hands were every bit as deadly as his own rough and calloused ones.

After some pushing of their own, they managed to get into the mall and the first thing they saw was the large scale model of the planet Earth with the words "Burger World" wrapped around it like an orbiting ring.

"Well, that wasn't very hard," Goku said.

"But look at all these people."

Goku looked. There were as many people entering and already inside of the place as there was outside of the mall. Back when Burger World was just a single, lone restaurant, perhaps just a third of the people there now was the customer base. Now the owners had expanded the eatery to more than triple it's original size to attract more people in the mall, effectively killing their lunch plans.

"Oh...yeah we're going to have to eat somewhere else-

"Great, let's have a picnic!" Gohan cut in eagerly.

Goku was surprised by how quickly Gohan responded. "A picnic, huh? After we came all this way...Sure!"

Gohan whooped and pumped his fists. If he seemed overly excited it was because he was. They were going to picnic near the lake, where they would get in the water and where Krillin wouldn't be around and he would have the sight of his father's yummy body all to himself.

"We could do that, but by the time we're done, the fair would be closed," Goku told him. It was true. It was Sunday and the fair would close at six and it was four in the afternoon.

Gohan didn't give it much thought. He shrugged happily and chirped, "Oh well!" and grabbed his father's hand again. "We can go on Monday. It'll still be around. Let's go to the supermarket and get stuff for our picnic. But preferably not this supermarket." They were still being pushed and if they went into the supermarket at the mall, they probably wouldn't get out until it was dark.

By the time they got the stuff for their picnic, Goku's stomach was crying out in hunger. He didn't know about his son, but he was far too hungry not to have a snack before they left.

"Hey, you want to get a couple of hotdogs. I'm almost dead of hunger."

"I thought I was the only one. I want shishkabob!" Gohan practically dragged him to a hotdog stand, where they proceeded to shut the poor vendor down with their order. The man looked at then like they were insane when Goku told him that they wanted all of the hotdogs and shishkabob in his kart and that these things were just a snack for them. He gave them their food and drinks in a cardboard basket and happily counted his money.

The two ate their small meal while they walked in silence, balancing their grocery bags and their food basket. When they were finished, Goku said, "Let's just fly back home. I don't have any more change for the bus."

Gohan didn't mind. The quicker the better.

When they got home, Goku loaded one of the sandwich-making servobots with meats and bread and started on a cooler of juice while Gohan filled four baskets with fruit, chips, and paper plates and cups. This was going to be fun, he thought to himself as he worked. He hadn't been on a picnic with anyone in years and he was ecstatic to spend the rest of the day with his Dad, half-naked and happier than he'd been in a long time.

They were at the lake in the next ten minutes where they proceeded to unpack the baskets of food and set them out on a cliché red and white checkered picnic blanket. They set up quickly so that they could eat and Goku took off his shirt and sat down. Gohan surreptitiously enjoyed the view as he started with an apple. He, like his dad, loved apples.

"This is nice," Goku said.

Gohan nodded. A lot of things were nice, but he was sure Goku was talking about being together. That was the nicest thing of all to him. He didn't want to have a silent picnic, so he figured he would start up another conversation, but then his father beat him to it.

"Do you wish you mother was here," he asked out of nowhere.

Gohan shrugged. Would it be mean of him to say he didn't care either way?

"I like it when it's just you and me," he responded and smiled to show his point.

It wasn't that he didn't miss his mother, he missed her a lot, but it was her choice to move to the city and find herself or whatever she was doing. She apparently decided she was wasting herself being the wife of a nice, but not terribly bright (or so she thought) man who just fought, died, hunted, and fought all the time in a tiny little cottage so far from civilization the world didn't even know she existed and she needed them to know that she did.

Goku let her go; what else could he do? What was good for the goose was not always good for the gander, he had said to Gohan about it. But Gohan was glad to be rid of certain idiosyncrasies his mother displayed when it came to him. She was a good person, but Gohan had doubts about that when it came to molding him into being anything that was nothing like his father, and he wanted to be like his Dad. He saw her often, but he tried to keep it at a minimum because she was still his mother and she still didn't want him to be like his father and she still wanted his life to be dominated by school and being a scholar and he didn't want that. She adjusted strangely well to breaking their family apart. Perhaps it was the Saiyan in him that managed to get on in spite of that, he didn't know, but he would rather things be the way they were now, him and his father alone, than the way it used to be. As far as he was concerned, he would always have a mother and as long as they kept in amiable contact, he didn't see the harm in keeping it that way.

"Me too. Say, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Gohan was chewing so he nodded.

"Would you mind having to fly all the way to school in the city everyday?"

The boy shrugged again, swallowing. He didn't care either way. Flying was okay and he didn't think he would like living in the city, if that was what his dad was getting at. If he did have a problem, the only way to solve it would be to move closer to the school and he wasn't sure he wanted that.

"Nope," he said, reaching for the basket. "Short of moving, what else could I do about it anyway? Did you want to move?"

"No, I was just curious." He watched the man drink one of the eight cans of beer that he brought. Goku's head was tilted back as he filled his parched throat with the liquid so Gohan was able to stare fairly unnoticed at his adam's apple as it bobbed with each swallow, the strong cords in his neck, his jaw, his closed eyes-

"Want some?"

'Man', Gohan thought, 'I didn't think he could see me!'

"Uh...no, I'm good." But he was curious. He did want some.

Goku looked at him for a while longer and then extended the arm of the hand holding the beer toward him. "Yes you do. You were watching me drink it pretty intently. Are you curious about the taste?"

Nobody could ever say his father was not observant. He hesitantly took the can and resisted the urge to sniff the contents. He glanced back up at Goku. Was he really going to let him drink it?

"Go on, a little won't hurt."

He tried it. His face scrunched up. "I don't see what's so good about it. It's kinda nasty. Why do you drink this?"

Goku smirked, then frowned, then shrugged. "No clue really. Master Roshi drank it a lot. Said real men drink beer. I guess I believed him at the time but of course I don't believe that now, I just drink it because I've acquired a taste for it. After you drink it long enough, it doesn't taste so bad, especially when it's cold."

Gohan shook his head and they ate their food in silence. When about half the baskets were empty, Gohan stood up and stretched. "Let's go swimming now!"

"Okay, I guess I've had enough for now. We could leave some for later." Without standing, Goku unbuttoned and unzipped his shorts. Gohan swallowed and looked away to take his own clothes off.

"It's probably going to be a great night. Good for skinny-dipping." Gohan turned pale. Skinny-dipping? With who?

Goku tossed aside his shorts and hat. "You okay, son?"

"Huh?"

"You looked a little...I don't know." He cocked his head to the side. What...of course. He said skinny-dipping and that must have inspired thoughts of seeing him naked and so Gohan obviously did not appreciate whatever pictures accompanied this suggestion. Poor kid.

"Oh, are you concerned about skinny-dipping? Oh, I wouldn't do that to you, son. I was just saying. I used to...nevermind. Hopefully a good swim will make you feel better. No one will be naked," he laughed. It wasn't his intention to mention skinny-dipping as a way of seeing Gohan naked or Gohan seeing him naked. He used to do it all the time. ChiChi always yelled at him for his "deplorable lack of modesty" and loudly assured him that not everybody was comfortable being naked or seeing other people naked. He didn't get it but perhaps it was a bad idea to suggest to Gohan now that he thought about it.

"Sorry." he said.

Gohan just shrugged and said, "It's cool. I just thought about how Mom never liked us being naked unless we were in the shower or in the middle of changing clothes. I haven't done it in such a long time, I'm just kind of surprised you'd bring it up. It's not bad, she isn't here to tell us what to do anymore. There's nothing to be sorry about." But God, that was close. To see his father naked was going to be too much to handle for him, especially if he were naked too. How would he hide his reaction?

It seemed like a green light to casually suggest it again, but Goku decided not to. Gohan was just being nice. Despite thinking this, he couldn't help but remember the way the teen had looked at him when they were talking in the hallway before he went into his room. He had gone from making every effort not to look to simply turning around and shamelessly allowing himself to get an eyeful. He wasn't about to jump to any conclusions about it, but it was odd. Maybe it was all in his mind. Maybe Gohan was thinking of saying something else to him, but thought better of it, or maybe he wanted to see if he had anything else to say to him. It would be stupid to think that Gohan wanted to look, then or now.

"Okay." He put on a bright grin and put one foot behind the other in a stance as if he were prepared to run. "Race you in." The lake was actually a few yards away. They had decided to eat in the shade of the trees and the trees were far enough from the water that they could have a little race there.

"You're on!"

They took off and for the first three yards, Goku was obviously winning. Gohan quickly devised a plan.

"Dad!" he yelled in alarm a yard away from the water. He stopped as abruptly as he could and knelt down. His father stopped quickly and spun around and instantly got into an alert fighting stance, eyes darting about for a threat before resting on his son.

"What's wrong?" Goku ran over and crouched next to the boy. A pained look was on his face.

"I...I..." he tried to sound as pathetic as possible. "I was running and..."

Goku put a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

All of a sudden Gohan sprung up to his feet and dashed toward the lake. "You fell for it, that's what happened! Haha!" He jumped off the edge and canonballed into the water with a high pitched whoop.

Goku blinked once, then twice, then his mind wrapped around what had just transpired. Why that sneaky little...

"Oh ho...good one," he muttered under his breath and walked the rest of the way to the water. Gohan was definitely going to pay for that one.

Meanwhile, Gohan was giggling in the water, leisurely back paddling to the middle of the lake. He was in a playful mood and it had been a long time since the two of them had played anything. He knew that revenge was brewing in his father's head and that he had to keep his guard up. Anyone that knew his dad knew that the man could be a surprisingly vengeful and cunning person. He had seen with his own eyes the things the older Saiyan did for revenge. Of course, Goku would never hurt him, but he could be sure that the man was plotting at the very least.

He hiked his eyebrows once at him and smirked deviously. He could be pretty cunning too, as his father just witnessed. At least he knew where he got it from.

"You cheated," Goku stated, stepping into the cool liquid.

"Did I?"

"Yeah. You did."

"Did I cheat, or did you fall for a trick? I tricked you. If you hadn't fallen for it, I wouldn't have won the race. It was your choice to fall victim to my ploy. So it's not my fault you lost, it's actually yours." Gohan's smirked never went away as he talked but he watched carefully as his father approached him slowly, calmly. Plotting.

There was only the tiniest hint of a smile on Goku's lips as he got closer to his son. By the look in the teen's eyes, he knew something was coming. He knew he was planning something. He was on the defense. But he couldn't be all day. He would expect for the situation to be left behind when they left the lake. But patience was a virtue, and he had plenty of that. So, for now, he was going to bide his time and wait it out and Gohan would never see it coming.

"You got me, son. I did fall for it, that was pretty gullible of me. I'll let you slide on that one, because that was a good trick. I still say you cheated, but I can live with it."

Gohan was still wary and didn't buy that 'you got me, let's let bygones be bygones' crap for a second. Revenge was coming to him. Be it then, later, tomorrow, it was coming. That meant that he would either have to be on constant guard, which he couldn't do, or simply wait to get what was coming to him. Yes, his dad was definitely a crafty one. Now all he could do was wait until Goku decided to exact his revenge.

He just watched as Goku got closer until he was in front of him. His father only splashed him playfully, but he flinched anyway. The little smile on Goku's face changed into a smirk.

"Hey, I'm not going to do anything to you." Yet. Gohan didn't look convinced. He splashed him again, and this time, he was splashed back. After a few increasingly forceful splashes it turned into a sparring match in the water, which lasted a short half an hour before they stopped to eat again.

As they got out of the water, Goku couldn't help but glance sidelong at the teen. For a moment he pretended to be rubbing his face of water while he did so as Gohan stood with his swimming trunks plastered to his legs, his hair slick and a light bruise on the left side of his face. God, he was beautiful. He was wet and huffing and smiling. He was... radiant, it seemed, in the descending sunlight. The boy turned his head and caught his eye and he smiled at him, then looked away.

He had to stop thinking about it. If he never got the thought of what it would be like just to run his hands down that young, firm, wonderful young body out of his head it was because of very unplanned and very painful moments like this. If Gohan hadn't been offed by the thought of skinny dipping, he would have been in real trouble. He cleared his throat and moved back to their camp to sit so that he could berate himself.

Gohan was also inconspicuously watching his father but didn't have to be to feel the man's mood shift negatively. They were having such a good time, he wondered what was wrong. Was his dad feeling nostalgic? Is that why he was looking at him and his mood went downhill?

"Dad?"

Goku had sensed that he was about to be questioned about his mood. Perceptive little guy almost never missed a thing.

"I'm fine, son. I just...sometimes I just think of silly things. Well, not silly, but...impossible."

It probably happens to lonely people all the time.

He had been alone for a long time. Even with ChiChi, he was his own person. He never felt like a half of a whole, it was always just him. When Gohan was born, it was supposed to be a fulfilling thing, having a baby. It was supposed to make him feel like a missing part of him was found. It did. For a long time. For years. Now he just felt empty and lonely and sick and he knew he deserved it. Maybe it was because he never took the dark-haired human woman seriously, because his son wasn't conceived out of love. He cared for ChiChi, at the time. He still, by the time they had their honeymoon, didn't know what marriage was, what being a husband and wife was all about, why having babies seemed to excite his childhood friend so much. The idea of settling down was too strange to comprehend.

He made a promise to her that he would try but he lasted all of five years before he broke his promise and almost fourteen years before he broke her heart. He should have felt guilty and ashamed to do such a thing. ChiChi was a good woman. But he never loved her. He had tried, but the feeling never quite stuck with him. Maybe this was a punishment. Of all the people to ever have these confusing feelings about, to want to touch and hold so bad it made his arms ache, to find so beautiful and perfect and never be able to partake in that. He had wronged this child's mother, but the boy never blamed him for it. Gohan always took his side. At what should have been the most crucial moment in Goku's life but wasn't, the boy took his side and refused his own mother the right to take him away. He took the side of the man that broke his mother's heart, took the best years of her life and made them a part of his own personal adventure, and barely wanted to bring himself to build any sort of relationship with him.

This is just wrong, he thought to himself. But he was lonely and always told himself that. How could he stop thinking about it? It was as difficult as it was wrong. Gohan just looked so wonderfully supple and sweet, was it so surprising that he wanted to touch him? Taste him? It wasn't like he wanted to rape the teen, for Kami's sake. That thought was too sick to comprehend, but every once in a while he'd allow the thought that Gohan might ever like his touch to enter his head. Just a innocent touch, on the back. Just to rub the silky skin there, feel the smaller body snuggle into his own and let it happen. Little touches on his arms, thighs, face, little harmless touches. But they weren't harmless. They were wrong and he had come to accept that but he still let himself think about it because it was all that kept him from just one day slipping his hand up the boy's shirt and feeling the heavenly soft skin of his torso and back or caressing his cheek like a lover would, just one little touch. One little touch was enough to drive Gohan away from him and the last thing he wanted was that. It helped to just let himself think about it instead of doing it or becoming more distant to compensate. But now his son wanted to spend more time together with him and now he had more battles to fight with himself about not trying to turn their hugs into a cuddle fest and their spars into some deviant little game.

Gohan wanted to probe and he could see that. He wanted to dismiss him and his concern but knew that it would only make it worse, so he said, "But enough about that. Just the rant of a lonely old guy, don't mind it. You want to finish this off and go for a walk?"

The younger one frowned. There was something he wasn't being told. He shrugged but didn't push it. Not yet.

They ate again in the silence of the setting sun. Awkward quiet had ensued. Gohan wanted to dispel the air of discomfort that had suddenly come over them but he wanted to wait until they started their walk. If there was something going on he felt he should know. Anything that was enough to make his father worry or upset or feel dejected was enough for him to worry about too. If there was anything he could do to help he wanted to know about it.

Once again he snuck peeks out of the corner of his eye as he ate. The man was completely oblivious to how handsome he was. Even with the displeased little frown etching his lips he still looked good. Gohan swallowed and quickly took another bite of his sandwich. He was well aware how messed up it was to think of his own father in such a way. The world was a messed up place, he told himself. If there wasn't a weirdo or two like him around it it just wouldn't be the world. And anyway, nobody could hear or see what went on in his head. It wasn't like he was a pervert or anything. So, okay, he wondered what it was like to kiss a man like his father, but he could hardly be blamed for that, the guy had some very nice lips and a stunning smile and he would like to meet the person who didn't want just one taste at least.

His dad was eating, but by the concentrated look on his face he wasn't tasting much. He took smaller bites than usual and ate like he'd have rather been doing something else. Which in itself was unusual.

Definitely something wrong.

When they were finished he was sure to remind Goku about their walk, in case the obviously preoccupied Saiyan had forgotten. Goku nodded absently, with a slightly confused look on his face that Gohan didn't understand.

"Yeah," he muttered, wiping the seat of his pants as he stood, "A walk." Gohan raised a brow. Something was clearly up and he intended to find out what it was. He decided he would initiate the stroll and quickly packed everything and put it at the base of a tree. Nobody was going to take it.

Goku took his time moving to clean up and put his shorts and sneakers back on. He jerked the cap onto his head and pulled the brim down as low as he could to guard his eyes.

"Ready?" Gohan was just buttoning his own shorts.

"Yeah." The pair slowly began their lazy evening walk and nothing was said for the first few minutes until they got deeper in the woods. Then Gohan pounced.

"What's up with you?" he asked, looking over. Goku's darkened eyes quickly fell on him, then moved away.

"What?" he asked back, as if he hadn't understood the question. His mind was rapidly working up some good B.S. to tell his curious offspring. He had set the boy off and now Gohan wasn't going to leave him alone until he got an answer he was satisfied with and Goku wasn't quite sure he could come up with one.

"This is how you stopped, all those months ago. When you stopped being my friend and for some reason decided to settle for being my bare-minimum Dad. I know there's something wrong and I think I should know because its affecting out relationship," he said emphatically, with a tone that made it clear that he was serious and that they were going to talk about something.

The older man shrugged carelessly. It was getting a bit more out of hand than he thought it would. If he lied now, it would have to be a lie that wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass any time in the future. He was never good at lying, but he knew that this time he'd better come up with a good one.

"I'm a divorced, single father with no job, no education, a son who is quickly growing up and will be living his own life soon and everybody else around me, all my friends, are getting married, settling down, finding the person or things that are going to make them happy the rest of their lives and I'm just getting off that bandwagon and I just feel kind of lost. You wouldn't understand, Gohan. You're a kid. You're too young to know what it's like and I hope you never find out. I just need some time to collect myself and figure out what I want to do with my life next."

Woah. Where the heck did THAT come from?

One minute he was prepared to somehow get Gohan to drop the subject and the next he was blurting out some of the silly little insecurities he had about his life to a mere teenager, as if he could understand. He sighed. What was said couldn't be unsaid and it did beat lying, which, again, he wasn't good at.

Gohan was staring at him a little bewildered looking, as if he were just as shocked at what came out of his father's mouth as Goku was. The man didn't say anything more and continued their walk, waiting for his son to reply to his outburst.

It was actually after some minutes had passed, when he thought Gohan just wasn't going to say anything, that the next shoe dropped.

"I didn't think you minded being divorced, Dad. Or...everything else you said. I didn't know that stuff bothered you. You always...well I guess you hide it well." He stopped talking again, for another few minutes, leaving the last thing he said hanging in the air like unfinished business, like he had more to say but was hesitant to open that can of worms. That would have worked for the tall Saiyan. If Gohan just found it all so awkward and didn't want to deal with it. After all, only adults had to worry about that stuff. Why waste his youth on the affairs of old people? He used the term old, because to Gohan that was what he was. To himself, he wasn't old, he was just too old to be considering a boy who wasn't even old enough to legally drive.

The teen was pleased that his dad was opening up to him. It was a conversation long overdue. "You don't seem to have any interest in getting back on the 'bandwagon', though. But I think I know what you mean. It's hard to enjoy life when you can't do or have the things you love and I know you love to fight. But no bad guys have come in over three years and I never thought about how that would effect life as you saw it, after Mom left.

The boy should be a therapist, Goku thought with dry humor.

"But you still have me, and I like to spar too. I don't care if you didn't go to school or you don't have a job. You're not stupid and we're not hungry or homeless so I fail to see the problem. You're a great Dad and you always will be. As for your friends, remember, they aren't like you. Vegeta needed Bulma, so that's not even an exception worth talking about. You used to live by acting like yourself, but now you feel you have to be human and settle down and do all the stuff a guy your age is supposed to do. I say do what makes you happy. If you were interested in dating again, so that you could have a second chance, you could always do that. Fighting makes you happy, but that was never guaranteed to be a constant source and you must have known that. And you're right, I guess I wouldn't know, but I'm glad we're talking about it. You just have to find someone and something you like, try new things. You don't get out much to meet people. You could meet a lot of nice people if you tried. I think your problem is temporary. Maybe you're having an early mid-life crisis. This is what happens when people start considering the course of and changes in their lives. They usually fix the problem by finding new sources of happiness and productivity both healthy and unhealthy. You could get a job if you wanted, you could get married if you wanted. You could be like them, if you really wanted. So what are you not telling me?"

Goku's head whipped toward him. What was he not telling him? How did he figure there was something he wasn't being told?

"I know just thinking about how you're going to go about getting all of those things is distressing in itself, but I think you're keeping something from me that maybe you think will upset me. I can't make you tell me, but I can let you know that I'm sensitive enough to your feelings to realize when you're not okay. I think we can be friends. I want to be friends with you. I don't have many friends, and even if you didn't want to be I'd still consider you my best friend in the whole world."

"What about Piccolo?" Goku blurted out.

He never admitted it to anyone but he'd always been rather jealous about the relationship his boy had with the tall and broody Namekian. He was grateful for Piccolo and the time he was there when Goku wasn't, but despite what Gohan said he had never felt he and his son were friends. If anything he thought Piccolo was Gohan's 'go to guy', the one he shared everything with, his best friend. He wanted to be friends with his son, but friends probably weren't supposed to think about falling asleep and waking up to one another, or touching them in ways friends didn't touch, or wishing that they weren't friends so that they could be something else.

"Piccolo is my friend, but you're my best friend." Then that gorgeous smile was on his lips, sincere and reassuring.

"I'm your friend?"

"Sure."

Goku nodded. It would have been a nice thought except he wanted to be more than friends with the boy.

"Cool, we're friends." He didn't know what else to say.

"And friends tell friends what's really bothering them."

Ah, he should have known that was coming. He started to walk a little faster, hoping to end the conversation sooner.

"Some friends need time," he told him. He just needed to keep stalling and eventually Gohan would start going to school, meeting new people, and forget all about it.

Yeah okay, Gohan thought. A stall tactic, obviously.

"So there is something you need to talk about."

Damn it. He fell right into that one.

"I guess so. It's nothing really. It will go away." It had to.

"Is it something that should go away?"

"Yes." Definitely.

"Is it bad?"

"Y..." he stuttered on the word when he realized he didn't want to say it but once the Y sound came out it could only be one response and he may as well have said it. "Yeah." Really bad.

Gohan grimaced. It was bad and affecting their time together. What could do that?

"Okay," was all he could say for now.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just enjoy our walk and talk about something else." Sometimes he felt so dumb and hopeless compared to his son. Gohan was gloriously intelligent and beautiful and so young he didn't have to experience what it was like to start over again, to not have too much to look forward to, to want something he couldn't have. But it wasn't like Gohan knew all of that.

The person in question was openly trying to read his eyes under the baseball cap in the dark, trying to find something. He pretended not to notice and kept moving, looking around everywhere but at him.

"I hope you tell me someday Dad, or if not, I hope it does go away. I hope you're not sick or anything like that because if that is what you're keeping from me I'll be very upset. It's not that, is it?" He increased his scrutiny to see if he could detect a lie in the little bit of the man's face that he could see.

Goku didn't answer immediately and he started to worry. Then his father said, "I'm not ill," and that was all. Gohan didn't see that he was lying but even that simple statement was a wall behind which there was something else, something that apparently needed to be hidden. The demi-Saiyan was more curious now than ever. He was going to get a little farther tonight and at least try and trick the man into telling him. He had to know. If it was so bad indeed then he just had to know what he could do to help.

"I'd like to be the person you can tell anything, Daddy." He never called him Daddy unless he was extremely excited, upset, or scared, which he was a little tiny bit of the latter two at the moment.

"Maybe I can help you, if you give me a hint. You obviously should talk to someone, and who better than someone you trust completely? I won't tell another soul anything we talk about. We can get through it together-

"No we can't," Goku suddenly snapped in the middle of his sentence. He gave the man a surprised and confused look. Goku was frowning tightly and looked to be more than a little agitated. The look on his face hurt the teen. His father didn't think they should or could get through his plight together. He was pushing Gohan away again, only this time he was doing it not only with actions, but words.

Goku grit his teeth. He hadn't meant to say that and not in such an angry voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." But Gohan's face was already falling though various the stages of a negative reaction. First confusion, then shock, anger, sadness, hurt, then resolution.

"I really didn't. I know you want to help but...what I'm trying to say is that you can't help me with this. I wasn't going to say it, but it just sort of...came out. I know you mean well. But you have to trust me, son. I'll be fine. All I need you to do is believe me. Believe that I can get through it, that's what you can do, as my friend."

Gohan looked away from him and said nothing. Goku sighed and didn't try to hide it. He figured he should just shut up before he made things worse. They continued walking in silence that was now far from companionable. The walk wasn't nice anymore. A palpable air of something went wrong was floating between them and it wasn't going to go away for a while. His mood had also gone sour and he thought he should suggest that they go home, but he didn't. He would let Gohan decide if he wanted to end their walk.

They moved on in silence for almost ten minutes before Gohan spoke. "Sometimes you don't need people to help, you just need them to listen. But I get it if you don't want to tell me. I shouldn't have pried."

Goku said nothing.

Gohan sighed. "Can we go home now?"

Before Gohan went to bed Goku had apologized to him again and Gohan hugged him and reassured him that they were okay. After his father left, the boy lie in bed thinking. He had been overly sensitive earlier. So what if Goku had a secret or whatever. There were some things he wouldn't tell his dad so he guessed it made sense that there were some things his dad wouldn't tell him. He was still curious about what it was but he wouldn't pry anymore. Tomorrow was another day.

When he woke up the next morning, he almost jumped out of his skin to see his father sitting next to him on his bed, watching him.

"Morning," Goku waved. He waved back confusedly.

"What's up Dad?" Why are you in my room?

"Nothing, just watching you sleep." He watched his father stand, trying to detect if something was about to be happen or if he was about to say something important.

"I was trying to decide if I should wake you up, if you wanted to come with me."

"Come with you? Where?"

"To register you for school. The closest school is Orange Star in Satan City and I hear it's good. Did you want to go? You don't actually have to be there, but I thought I'd ask."

Gohan was overcome with happiness so sudden and strong that he jumped up to his feet on his bed and leapt from the bed into his father's chest, flinging his arms around the man's neck.

"I wanna come with you! I'm so excited!" He jumped down just as quickly as he jumped up. "When do we leave? Now? I gotta get showered and dressed!"

Goku chuckled but the sound lacked mirth. "You have time for all of that. You woke up earlier than I expected." He looked at the watch on his wrist, the one Gohan's grandpa got for him for his 27th birthday that he had only worn once to try on. "You've got about two hours. I'll be downstairs with breakfast." Gohan moved like lightning to gather his toiletries and whisk away into the bathroom.

Gohan may have seen nothing but fun ahead of him but Goku wasn't quite as sanguine about it as he was. He knew teenagers were trouble and for someone who had never gone to public school Gohan was impressionable young meat for those promiscuous little vultures he would soon call school mates. Children were capable of being surprisingly cruel, as he learned when he checked out a few schools months ago when he started thinking it was a good idea. Orange Star was the least of all the evils, where at least the kids were more respectful of adults. He had only been exposed to a small portion of the real world, even though he'd seen more than most people did. Gohan was no exception. And the boy had a temper. If one of those kids pissed him off, he might snap and hurt somebody. They would have to talk about that of course. He couldn't say he wasn't happy not to have had to go to school when he was younger.

He was waiting about an hour and a half when his son came downstairs, fully dressed and still very excited. He had prepared a simple breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast for them and they sat down to eat. Goku watched Gohan as he eagerly wolfed down his food, feeling a little silly for wishing he weren't so happy about starting school. The boy had brushed his spiky short hair down and had chosen a pair of tan chinos and a brown button-down shirt with brown loafers to wear. Goku wondered what he would wear for his first day of school if he were so fashionable and passionate about a simple visit.

"Come on, let's go before too many parents show up and we have to wait. They said a good time was before noon." It was almost 9:30am. Gohan nodded enthusiastically and they cleared the table to leave.

Goku picked up a very thick portfolio-type folder from the shelf behind him. "This is all the stuff your mother and I collected to enroll you. It's got all of your work from age 4 to the most recent work you've done to show the principal. All of your tutor information is in here and everything has been sorted according to subject, difficulty, date, and tests. So all I have to do is show this to them, they'll see what a smart boy you are, be happy to have you, and then we can go to the Nickytown fair."

Gohan obviously liked that idea because he gave a big whoop and pumped his fists. Goku smiled. Gohan was too cute when he was excited like this.

They flew to Satan City and landed someplace discreet to walk the rest of the way to the school. Gohan was looking everywhere for it but when they stopped he was still looking.

"This is it," his father announced. He looked at the building. It was a large brick structure that looked a lot more like a church than a school. It was quiet and not many people were around.

"Is this a private school, Dad?" he asked, still looking at the almost deserted place curiously.

"No, public. Private schools cost money we don't have and I didn't think you'd want to go to a stuffy private school."

"You know me well," Gohan praised. The last place he wanted to be was with stuck up rich kids who wouldn't know what it meant to be nice if it were spelled out to them.

"Looks kinda like a church, doesn't it?" Goku asked, tilting his head to the side and squinting.

"Yeah, it does. Let's go see the inside!" The boy ran toward the building and up the stairs before he could even move. He followed and inside they were greeted by a secretary who directed them to a waiting room outside of the school administrator's office. They were the fifteenth family in line.

"Wow, and I thought we were early," Goku whispered and sat down in on of the chairs across from a family whose kid was staring very hard at Gohan.

"Imagine if we came later," Gohan replied, giving the kid an icier glare than the one he was receiving. There were only about six seats left and if too many more people came at the same time, some would have to stand.

"Yeah. Oh well, as long as we get seen." Goku noticed that a few of the parents were looking at him, as they were looking at each other, but they seemed to focus with particular intent on him. The kids were looking too, but they were looking at Gohan, as if they were assessing them as possible competition or threats. He shifted uncomfortably.

"I think if people stare any harder they'll stare holes right through us," the teen said loudly and many of the lookers found other things of interest to watch instead. Goku looked at him and smiled even though he was surprised. Gohan was obviously not there to be stared at and made it known. He was probably going to be able to hold his own but these were just a few out of hundreds of kids that he would be around everyday.

He gulped quietly. Even the parents were staring, like he had done them some kind of wrong just being there. They were scrutinizing the competition hard, maybe hoping it would scare some parents off but they weren't going anywhere and Gohan certainly wasn't swayed.

"Let's not say anything more, son. They feel threatened by us. I guess this is a more prominent school than I thought."

They waited for almost three hours despite getting there early and when they finally got to see the administrator they were more than ready to leave. Goku shook hands with the man and introduced himself and his son and proceeded to present the portfolio, which the man asked for right away. They sat quietly as the old man looked over his work, nodding and grunting. He closed the folder with a smack and leveled his gaze at Gohan, who looked back confidently.

"Mr. Son, your boy's academic history is very impressive," he said to Goku without taking his eyes off Gohan. "For his first time in a school setting I am at a bit of a loss as to where to place him."

Gohan's face didn't change, but he was starting to get worried.

"What do you mean, sir," Goku asked, also getting worried.

The old man folded his thin fingers together on his desk and took his eyes away from the boy to look down at the closed folder. He picked his hands up, opened them, and gestured to the portfolio. "As I said, this is very impressive, but it is excessive for a fifteen year old. Some of this is...college level work. At this point your son is to be entering the sophomore year ten, but with only two academic grades above that, he just barely will be challenged by sophomore work. I would like to consider putting him into the senior year twelve class. The thing is he would graduate high school in one year. He is quite a bit more intelligent than we usually get here at Orange Star."

The man paused to open the portfolio again and skim through it, as if to confirm what he was saying. Gohan's discomfort was in his face now. Was the old guy saying that he was only going to get a year in school? He looked to his father to see how he was taking the information.

Goku looked worried. "So...you're saying that you don't want to admit him because he could only spend a year here?"

The administrator shrugged. "I believe that should be up to you, Mr. Son. We could put him into the tenth year class, but he is not likely to be stimulated. He may not feel that he wants to sit and hear things that he already knows." His beady eyes darted over to Gohan. "Unless the boy doesn't mind and neither do you, I'm afraid it cannot be done any other way but to put him in tenth year or last year. We will not put him in eleventh. You have those two choices."

"I want to go to year ten," Gohan told his father. There was no hesitation in his voice. He wanted to experience school for more than a year and two and a half was better than one.

"Okay, it's settled," his father said. "I would like to enroll him for year ten."

The old man gave them a form to fill out and sent them back outside to wait while the secretary copied the documents in the portfolio. It was going to be a while.

When they finished the forms and sat waiting outside, even more parents and kids were there, some standing, some sitting, and many looking at them and each other.

"It sure is a dog eat dog world," Goku muttered. Gohan grunted in agreement.

After almost a half an hour, the secretary came back and handed Goku the folder with a smile. "We certainly look forward to having your son attend our school, sir. In the next three weeks you will receive in the mail dates and times for class registration, orientation, and parent teacher conferences. We do hope to see you at the parent teacher conference, Mr. Son. You two have a wonderful day." She shook each of their hands and the two left with jealous stares on their backs.

"Man, did you see some of them? They looked so mad," Gohan laughed.

"They're just jealous. Apparently this is a pretty competitive school. But you're so smart you barely even need to go."

"Meh," Gohan waved his hand dismissively. "You said something earlier about going to the fair."

"Oh yeah. Well, let's go home first and change clothes, then we're all set." Gohan was still excited and bouncy. On the way home they talked a little about school and a lot about the fair. Goku was glad the conversation never turned to yesterday evening. It took Gohan less than five minutes to zoom upstairs, change his clothes, and zoom back downstairs in an ecstatic blur. Goku was already wearing casual clothes so he just waited in the kitchen and when Gohan was ready the left and headed to Nickytown.

The fairgrounds were huge and people were bustling around everywhere, some with large stuffed animals and some with big clouds of cotton candy. Gohan almost rubbed his hands together when he saw the rides. The one that caught his eyes the most was one that moved vertically and had two seats per basket. It looked fast and dangerous and fun.

"Dad! Can we go on that one first?"

"You're like a kid in a candy store," his father laughed.

"No way, this is much better than candy!"

They made their way over to the ticket booth and waited behind four teenagers. One of the teenaged girls had turned around for some reason and after looking around for whatever she was looking for, her eyes landed on Gohan. She blinked. Then she quickly turned around and whispered to another girl, elbowing her and not-very-discreetly making her turn around to look too. The second girl's mouth dropped a little, then she too turned and giggled madly with her friend.

"He's cute!"

"I saw the guy with him a couple of days ago at the school. Ohemgee, do you think he's going to go to our school? Or maybe he has a brother or sister already there. That would be a shame..."

The chatted on while sneaking glances back at the two confused Saiyans who were trying not to look back at them.

Goku shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to mentally will the line to move so they could escape the giggling girls in front of them oogling his son. Gohan paid the young women no mind as he watched the line slowly get smaller. The seats on the ride, aptly named the 'Screaming Slingshot' were filling up and he was hoping that they would be able to get on for the current round instead of the next one.

As the line moved on it became apparent that they would have to wait until the next round. Gohan sucked his teeth.

"This seems like a popular ride," Goku said, putting his hands in his pocket and looking around. The other rides didn't have the same ridiculous amount of people waiting for it the way this one did. Gohan sure knew how to pick them.

Speaking of which, he could feel the boy's eyes on him as he looked around. "We can do whatever you want to do while we wait. It looks like there's a lot to do." He looked back at him and smiled. Gohan smiled back.

Meanwhile, the girls in front of them seemed to be getting rowdier. Two of them were excited and speaking in low quick voices and thanks to their wonderful Saiyan ears, they had the 'pleasure' of picking up what the girls were saying.

"Ask him, Kurenai! The worst he could say is no."

"His Dad is right there!" the other girl, Kurenai, hissed to her friend.

"So?"

"So? I'm not about to make an idiot of myself in front of not one, but two hot guys!"

"Who cares, he's too old for you anyway. You're going to miss him if you don't say something now!"

"Okay, okay! What should I say?"

Gohan turned fully toward his father so that he could hide his smiling face. He tried not to laugh out loud but the look on his dad's face was about to make him crack. Goku had his own hand over his mouth and was even less successful at keeping his laughter in.

"Dad...hehe...Dad, I think they want to ask me out on a date. But...heh..." He had to stop talking or he would laugh and they would hear him.

Then Goku's hand dropped from his face and his smile faltered. Gohan turned around. The girl was there, and they were all facing him.

"My friend has a question to ask you." One of them said. Kurenai stepped forward.

"I know," Gohan replied. We heard you.

"You do?" The brown-eyed girl looked surprised and scared all at once.

"Yeah, you guys were talking about asking me something. Not that I was eavesdropping, but you guys were kind of loud and kind of obvious."

"You idiots!" Kurenai lashed out at her friends. "I told you we should have waited til we got off the line! Anyway," she turned back to Gohan. "Do you go to Orange Star High?"

"Not yet. Why."

"Oh well we, my friends and I, were wondering about it because we saw your Dad there and..." she trailed off.

Gohan was getting impatient. There were tons of games he saw that he wanted to play and the girls were sucking away his time with his Dad. He stared expectantly at her.

"Are you going out with anyone? Like, dating?"

He shook his head.

"Well, I think you're cute. And there's this end of summer party the week before school at Oroshiro Beach in Star City. It will be us and some other kids from the school. I was thinking we could go together, like a date. I could get you acquainted with some cool kids and give you pointers and stuff."

Gohan thought about it for a second. It was a nice opportunity. He looked at his dad. Goku shrugged. He raised his eyebrows and the man shrugged again.

"That sounds pretty cool. Is there an address or do you have a phone number I ca-

"Here's my number," she said, handing him a slip of paper she had in her other hand. He looked at it.

"Okay. So do you want me to meet you there or-

"You can pick me up at my place," she handed him another slip of paper. Gohan took it, a little perplexed. It had her home address, the address of Oroshiro, and the time of the party.

"Okay. So I guess I'll see you the-

"Are doing anything today? Maybe we could hang out and go on some rides and get some food."

Gohan shook his head. "No can do. I'm with my Dad."

The girls surveyed the man next to him.

"He could come too, if he wants to supervise. It'll be fun."

He looked up at his father again and again he got a careless shrug.

"No, I'm spending my day with just him. But thanks. I'll see you at the beach in a couple of weeks." He turned before the girls could say anything else. "Come on, Dad, let's go play the basketball game first. Then the shooting games, then the whack-a-rabbit."

They walked away towards the games, Gohan yapping away as if what had just happened didn't happen. They hadn't been there a half an hour yet and the kid already had a date and was going to his first party. Goku wasn't going to stop him from having fun so he said nothing. Inside he was feeling jealous of that girl. She was able to legally, morally, and easily ask his son out on a date upon meeting him in line at a fair. He couldn't even ask.

This was the way it was meant to be. Of course Gohan would eventually start dating and living his own life, it was only a matter of time. That party was probably going to be the first day of the rest of his life.

"You okay, Dad?" Gohan's voice rang.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm great. Just thinking."

In a slow and cautious voice, Gohan asked, "Is it about that thing we aren't talking about?"

Goku made a face. "Maybe. You said you wanted to play this game, right?"

"Yeah."

"I've never played basketball before. I'm going to look like an idiot trying," the elder chuckled.

"That makes two of us." If his father didn't want to tell now, then hopefully he would another time.

Goku paid for 2 rounds each and Gohan insisted that he go first. The man running the stand came out from behind his counter to show him how to hold and shoot the ball. Goku was a quick learner.

"So just let it go off your fingertips and relax."

Goku nodded and picked up a ball to take the first shot. Gohan was watching him closely, not interested at all in seeing if he was going to make it. No, he was more interested in the way his dad's arm flexed when he raised it to shoot the ball. Goku was so concentrated on the game he didn't even see his son staring. Gohan thought his father looked good shooting baskets. He was too engrossed in watching to see that Goku missed 6 out of 8 baskets.

"Wow, that's harder than it looks!" Goku exclaimed. "Your turn, Gohan."

"Okay." The teen took the ball and the guy behind the counter instructed him on how to stand and hold the ball. After missing every shot but one, the two moved on to other games. Before it was time for them to get on the "Screaming Slingshot', Goku had won a large stuffed bulldog and handed it to Gohan.

"There you go, a little companion until we get the real thing."

The boy was so happy he gave his dad a hug and Goku felt better than he had all day.

"It's time! The ride is loading up, let's go Dad!" Gohan dragged him by the hand to the ride.

"Can you leave that here," the guy running the ride asked, pointing to the stuffed dog. Gohan handed it to him and leapt into a basket.

"Come on, Dad!"

Goku sat beside him and they got strapped in. He looked around and saw all the younger people and teenagers and knew that his ears would have nothing to thank him for later. Suddenly he felt a hand close around his forearm.

He looked over, but Gohan was messing with his safety belt with his other hand, as if he didn't realize he was holding Goku's arm. He didn't let go even when the ride started to move and when it did he still made no acknowledgment that he was touching him. Goku barely resisted the urge to touch the boy back.

The ride started slow, as most rides do, and cranked them up in their baskets to about six stories then stopped. Gohan's hand was still on his arm.

"This, Dad, is why this ride is being discontinued here and added to a theme park in Okinawa. They say this ride doesn't belong in a fair." The operator of the ride had apparently decided to give them a moment to think they were safe. "This is gonna be so mu—

Their basket suddenly dropped without warning. Gohan felt his stomach drop with it. Screams of elation, fear, and surprise erupted from their fellow ride mates as the line of basket carriages fell almost back to baseline, then shot back up to six stories. Goku had gulped and his eyes got big in surprise when they went down and sucked in a breath when they went up and his son was intently (as intent as one can get on such a ride) watching his reactions. He would have figured his dad to be too manly and strong to react to a human-made design but sure enough he seemed to be impressed with it. Not the he wasn't manly or strong. That could clearly be felt as the muscles in his forearm went rigid as he gripped the bar.

He still hadn't let go of him and didn't intend to until the ride was over because that would make it the longest duration he had ever touched the man. His skin was shockingly soft, as usual, and warm to the touch like the hot-blooded Saiyan he was. If he was asked he would say that he was so excited that he just had to hold to something and the something so happened to be Goku.

The older Son, meanwhile, was not making any sound and was losing interest in the ride. He was concentrating on the feeling of his son's small soft hand on his arm, the boy's long, thin fingers closed tightly around it. He had no idea why Gohan was touching him and frankly, he didn't care. He was trying not to look at him because he could feel that Gohan was already watching his face for signs of having fun. He was having enough fun, but distress was creeping up on him like a shadow in the night.

Everybody who cared to look could see them and he used that as his excuse for not touching the boy back. If he did touch him it would look weird and people might think he was a...well, for lack of a better term, a weirdo. Goodness knew what Gohan himself would think. Of course it was okay for him to be touching his father, but the other way around might not sit well with others so Goku stoutly kept his hands to himself and tried not to let his mind wander to the impossible reasons Gohan might want to touch him.

The boy looked away from his obviously conflicted father to enjoy the ride before it was over. He laughed and whooped and held onto his dad's arm until the ride slowed down and came to a stop where they had started.

"Wow," Gohan was saying, "That ride was eve-

This time they both let out startled cries as the ride jerked up faster than any other time and yanked itself back down just as quickly. Everybody else screamed and as the ride officially ended, some people could be heard crying and by the sound of frantic conversation, someone had peed their pants.

"That was AWESOME!" Gohan shouted happily.

Goku was not an easily startled man, but that last bit of the ride almost made him feel like getting out to blast the evil thing to pieces. He was trying not to appear moody. The day signified so many things to come that he just didn't like. It signified Gohan's ascension closer and closer to adulthood—and farther away from him. How stupid of him to think that he would be a child forever, at such a perfect age, shielded from others in the world and kept only to himself.

Shit, maybe if he got a life...

"Yeah, that last part surprised me."

They got the stuffed dog and went on to play a few more games and go on a few more rides, many of which Goku felt a bit silly for playing but Gohan was having a good time and he wasn't about to ruin it.

Because it was just a fair, it wasn't very large so in just under two and a half hours they ran out of stuff to do and decided to call it a day. Gohan snacked on a hotdog while he held onto his winnings and three other smaller stuffed animals while his father held the stuffed dog. They walked through the city, window shopping and talking about whatever came to Gohan's mind.

The boy was pretending he didn't notice Goku's quietness but he did. He didn't want to go home yet. There they would just drift apart like they usually did because his father was obviously not in the mood to bond. He wished he knew what the guy's problem was so that he could help but if Goku didn't want to tell him then he wasn't going to beat himself up about it.

When they got home it was around six and Gohan had some work to do before he planned what he was going to do with the rest of his night. Goku half-heartedly told him that he enjoyed their day together and asked him what he was doing for the night.

"Some reading and math I didn't finish from before. I think I got it now. Then I was maybe going to watch T.V. or something." He shrugged, thinking Goku didn't care but was just asking to be conversational.

"Want to watch it together?" The man offered and Gohan had paused on his way up the stairs in surprise. After the day they had the last thing he expected was for Goku to want to spend more time with him. As you might expect, he snatched up the opportunity.

"Sure. I think I'll be done at about 9, 9:30." He was tempted to ask what his dad's plans were up until then but realized that he didn't really care. It would probably involve brooding, which he seemed fond of lately.

"Look," his father began as he turned again to go to his room. "I'm sorry about today. I know I wasn't the best company. Just got a lot on my mind."

Gohan regarded him silently for a moment. Then he gave a slow, stiff nod. "Right." He turned and went up the stairs, leaving Goku alone and sighing.

The man stood in the living room for a long time. This was going badly, he thought. He hadn't intended to project his mood on his son but it looked like had. He sighed again. Perhaps there was a way he could let Gohan know what his issue was without telling him everything. Sure. That might work.

Son, he'd say. Your old man is...in love. And Gohan would blink owlishly and ask him with whom was he in love.

Son, he'd say. It doesn't matter.

Wait. He bit his lip. He couldn't say that. The boy was inquisitive and was sure to ask annoying questions.

Okay then.

Son, he'd say, again. Have you ever wanted something you couldn't have?

And maybe Gohan was a little more childish than he thought and would likely answer: yes, Dad, I have. After all, what kid didn't want something they couldn't have at some point in their lives?

So he'd say again, son, I want something...someone, I can't have. You know, it's hard to accept, but it does go away. That's all that's up with me.

That might work, he thought. Should he propose the talk tonight or tomorrow or never?

Maybe he should rethink the never. Gohan was growing up and he was soon to start school. If he didn't get attention from his father he could easily find it elsewhere. Goku could be replaced by anyone and it was the most unpleasant thought he had ever entertained. Tonight. He would tell his son the well masked, well versed version of his woes. Until the boy was finished with his homework he would train with himself outside to burn off some of the anxiety.

Three hours passed terribly slow for Gohan and too fast for Goku. They met in the living room and sat down. Goku turned the T.V. on and his son settled on to the large couch next to him, clear on the other side like he thought his father needed the space.

"Have anything you want to watch in mind?" he asked. Goku hesitated before he picked up the remote and muted the volume. Gohan said nothing, but looked to him curiously.

"Can we talk?"

Gohan shrugged. "Sure."

Goku had never thought much of the saying that nervousness sometimes felt like butterflies in people's stomach. It didn't feel like butterflies in his though. It felt like lead.

"I kinda...I've been weird these past few days and I just wanted, again, to apologize."

Gohan shrugged again, noncommittally. "Apology accepted." Then he turned back to the television and looked at the screen. "Do you want to watch The Office? That show is really funny."

Goku almost wanted to give in and let his nerve abandon him but he fought to reign it in and moved the remote from his son's reach. "Sure, but I've got to talk to you first."

The boy suddenly took an interest in what he had to say and oriented his body to face him on the couch. "Okay, Dad. I'm listening."

He was such a wonderful child. He was considerate, magnanimous, and patient (most of the time). Goku felt like a total curd for making him worry.

"Ah, well..." What was he going to say again?

Gohan just stared.

"Have you ever..." His voice came out like a frightened whisper, like someone telling a scary story around a campfire. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Have you ever wanted something," you shouldn't want "I mean, someone you couldn't...couldn't have?" God, that sounded much more pathetic out loud than in his head.

And, like he imagined, Gohan blinked once and stared. Then his mouth moved, and no sound came out at first, but eventually he said, "Yeah."

He continued in a soft voice, trying to impress upon the boy how much this meant to him. "Well, that's what I'm going through now. It's like I said. It's just a passing phase," but he didn't believe that "It will go away in time. I like someone."

The demi-Saiyan's eyebrows rose toward his hairline. His father...had a crush on someone?

"So yeah. That's it. Sorry to bother you with it, but it's no big deal."

It probably wasn't but Gohan was now extremely interested in everything about this person. "Why don't you think you can have h-this person, Dad?"

Goku shrugged as if the answer didn't matter. "They don't like me is all. I mean, not like they dislike me, they just don't like me...like that."

"Oh." Then things went silent and the air turned awkward.

"Well...how do you know they don't like you?"

His father made a face that was a cross between confused and saddened. "I just know."

"That's not an answer," the teen replied quickly. "How do you know? Or do you just assume that?"

Goku frowned. "I know," he said defensively.

"How?"

"Look-

"You know what that's like?"

"No, but I-

Gohan continued as if he weren't talking. "That's like me assuming that you were being distant with me because you wanted to push me away because you felt that I was holding you back like Mom was."

The room went cold and still and quiet. Goku's mouth fell open and his eyebrows nearly met. He was shocked. Push him away? Holding him back? How could Gohan think such terrible things?

"You...you thought that...?"

The boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Just an assumption."

But Goku's mind was reeling. His son thought that he thought that he was holding him back and was pushing him and away and worse yet thought that he would meet the same fate his mother did. He didn't think Goku wanted him in his life.

"How could you think something like that?"

"It was just an assumption, Dad. People make them all the time, doesn't mean they're right. You're doing it."

"It's not the same!" Gohan winced when he yelled.

"It's not. The same."

"Sorry," his son muttered, looking away shamefully.

"Come here," Goku demanded. Gohan scooted closer and he pulled the boy into a tight hug. Gohan's arms hung limply at his sides.

"Your assumption is not true. Never assume such a ridiculous thing ever again. And if you ever do, please talk to me about it, don't just go on feeling that way. I'm really very sorry to make you think that. I didn't know."

"It's okay, Dad," came the voice from below his chin. "I'm just glad to know what it is that's making you so down. Thanks for telling me."

Goku let him go and he moved to pick up the remote.

"Now let's watch The Office."

Goku stared.

"You're not going to ask who it is?"

Gohan flipped through the silent channels and muttered, "You're not going to tell me."

The man's head tilted down and to the side and his eyebrows flecked up with a thoughtful frown. Yeah, that was true.

"The Office. What's this show about?"

Gohan explained it to him and though he didn't hear anything that might indicate it would be funny, he looked forward to seeing it. He didn't watch much television and didn't have a favorite movie or show but he liked watching it with other people, especially when other people were Gohan.

"That person is lucky to have your affections," the teen said out of the blue, without looking at him.

"Even if they don't want it."

He managed to summon up a tight, plastic smile and hoped his son didn't see the sadness behind it.

What a painfully nice thing for him to say. "Thanks."

It was Gohan's first day of school and he was so excited he was practically a blur the whole morning. Goku had woken up to see him off, making sure he had his capsule lunch, books, supplies and...

"Wait, here, I got you something." The boy stopped in mid blur.

Then his eyes widened to a comical size when his father pulled out of his pocket a small Samsung cellular phone.

"Oh my God!" The boy gasped. He reverently took the little thing and stared at it in mute shock.

"Call me anytime if you need anything at all or just to talk. I got one for me too. I put the instructions manual in your bag. We can text, go on the web, play games, all that stuff that I have no clue yet how to do, hahaha." He never had a cellphone before but knew that a lot of teenagers had one and that his son would appreciate one of his own.

Gohan felt tears well up in the back of his eyes. For his father to go out and get him a cellphone, and one so nice at that so they could keep in touch while he was at school warmed him to his core. He never needed reminding about how great his father was but it was gestures like this that reinforced his belief that his dad wasn't just great, he was perfect.

"Thank you, Daddy!" He jumped into the man's arms and hugged him fiercely, blinking back the tears.

His father caught him and hugged him back just as hard. "You're very welcome, Gohan. Just promise you'll text a lonely old man every once in a while."

"I'll text you everyday, I promise!" Goku rubbed his hair and bent to kiss him on the forehead.

"Now run along. You might need the extra time to find your classes," he chuckled. Gohan didn't move. He blinked.

"What?"

His son was just standing there, looking down at his feet, his face rapidly shading to pink. He looked back up at him, looked away to the side as if he were contemplating something. Then he started shifting his weight from leg to leg. Goku patiently waited.

Then the boy raised himself high on his tiptoes and hugged him again and before he could hug back, planted a soft, shy kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks again, Dad," he whispered, pressing their cheeks together, "You're amazing." He turned and quickly ran out of the house and took off into the air before his father's reaction could manifest itself.

Goku stood in mute surprise. It wasn't surprising that his son had kissed him on the cheek, even though he hadn't done it since he was four. What threw him was the fact that what the boy was doing fidgeting around beforehand was getting up the nerve to do it. That blush he loved to see so much had precluded the sweet little peck to his face. His cheek actually tingled from the sensation and he brought his fingers up to it but didn't touch it.

Today was already a great day. Now he would just learn to use the phone and look forward to a text message from his boy.

Though it was his first day, as Gohan walked down the hall a few people he had met at the beach party stopped to greet him. The party had been very rowdy and fun but he hadn't stayed long. When alcoholic beverages were produced he knew he shouldn't stick around. There was no shortage of scantily clad, beautiful girls to keep his attention and entertain him, but he couldn't dance and he didn't know how he felt being grinded up on and kissed. When Kurenai kissed him out of nowhere, a flare of anger rose up in him. How dare she, he thought. He wasn't ready for it but she thought it was cute that it was his first and delighted in being the one to take it. He withdrew from her for the evening to hang out with some of the boys until it was time to leave.

He left the party thinking he had made one solid possible-friend. A boy with long hair dark hair and dark eyes like him had cracked him up through their whole conversation about television shows and manga. The boy's name was Daniel. He wasn't Japanese but had a perfect accent and knew about a lot of things. He didn't drink and stayed clear of the girls, like Gohan, and had a girlfriend named Mikoto who was just as nice and funny as him.

Gohan didn't see him walking down the hall and didn't know if he would see him the whole day, but if he did he had a new cell phone to take his number so that maybe they could hang out.

"Gohan!" He paused and turned. He groaned. It was Kurenai and her friends. She was wearing a very short and tight version of the school uniform and platform shoes imbedded with heels that clicked with every step she took. He wanted to turn and run but he didn't.

"Hey," she stopped in front of him and hugged him. "Where's your first class? Mine is in room 307B. I have to walk all the way up the stairs with these heavy books."

Knowing where she was getting, he said, "Oh really, my class is on this floor, room G32. Sucks you have to take the stairs."

"Yeah, uh huh," she continued. "The bell doesn't ring until five after and from what I saw at the party, you're fast. Surely you could help me upstairs and be back down here in time before the bell rings."

Gohan's eyelids drooped at her coyness. He smiled. "Surely I could. But those books don't look very heavy."

Kurenai looked around at her friends, who looked amused. She looked back at Gohan with a pretty pout. "Oh but they are. My arms hurt just carrying them. And as my strong boyfriend, you wouldn't want me struggling up those long stairs with them, would you?"

Boyfriend? A dark eyebrow rose.

"Well, if I were your boyfriend, which I am not, I wouldn't want a weak girl who couldn't carry three textbooks, a notebook, and a cellphone up three flights of stairs. You seemed to have a lot of energy at the party. What happened to all of that?"

The hallways erupted in a instigating "Ooooohhh!" as if he had insulted her. He looked around. Already it was a confrontational day.

"You are my boyfriend, silly," she said, recovering from the enraged glare that passed across her face a second ago. "Sorry if I didn't make that clear. You have my number, my address, and we kissed, so that makes you my boyfriend."

Gohan wanted to leave, but decided to wait until the bell rang, then he would have a real excuse not to help her.

"Well, for that to be true, you would have to have MY number, which you don't, MY address, which you don't, and I would have had to kiss you back, which I didn't because I didn't ask to be kissed in the first place. But now that you mention that you're my girlfriend, allow me to take this opportunity to formally break up with you. Now you have no choice but to carry your own books." He wasn't interested in coy, manipulative females and had no issue reporting that.

Kurenai went red and her eyebrows touched in anger. "You little imbecile! You were lucky I even invited you to the party! You'd be a nobody if it weren't for me!"

"I am a nobody." he cut in.

"And you're an asshole, too! I mean, what kind of teenaged boy goes to the fair with his DAD and turns down hanging out with girls to hang out with his loser father?"

Gohan felt something in him tighten. "Listen, bitch, call my Dad a loser again and you'll lose some teeth!"

The kids in the hall yelled and whooped loudly, encouraging a fight. He knew he couldn't hit this girl, but that skank took it a step too far with what she said.

"Daddy's boy, daddy's boy, daddy's boy," she started chanting. The kids in the hallway gradually joined her. She was obviously popular and had considerable influence among the students. Gohan looked around as they chanted and then looked at his watch. He waited until they settled and Kurenai said, "I run shit here, little boy."

"Am I supposed to care that you're teasing me? My Dad will always take priority over a bitch like you."

"Oh really," she spat, "You know you wish I was your girlfriend, I saw the way you were looking as I came in. You want me, you little-dicked bastard!"

"Not while there are dogs in the street," he said nonchalantly, and turned on his heel to head to his first class, leaving her seething. Many of the students burst into laughter, including some of her friends.

"Thanks for inviting me to the party." The bell rang and as he walked down the hall, some people were patting him on the back and cheering him on for telling Kurenai off. He smiled. He had made some enemies and some friends all on his first day. This was it it was like to be a teenager in high school.

He liked it.

Goku fiddled around with the phone on and off for four hours before he finally learned how to text a full sentence. Perhaps, he thought rather belatedly, he should have gotten a simpler phone. He was so busy trying to impress his son that he didn't think about how he was going to figure out how to use such a complicated device. He supposed if Gohan had time that he could help him when he got home. He didn't know how the texting thing worked but apparently all he had to do was wait for it to pop up on the screen. That was easy enough. Gohan had his number and he had his son's as a part of the plan. Maybe Gohan would have time at lunch to learn how to contact him. He hoped it wasn't too hard. But his boy was smart, he'd probably learn everything about the phone in a heartbeat.

Goku chuckled to himself. It really was a good thing Gohan didn't take after him in the brains department.

It was nearing twelve thirty and he was done messing with the phone for the day. It was lunchtime. Instead of fixing himself something in the kitchen, he decided he would go to Capsule Corp and spar with Vegeta and have Bulma's mother's cooking for lunch.

As he got in the shower, he wondered how Gohan was doing on his first day. Unlike some parents, he didn't have the pleasure of seeing his child off to school at the tender age of five. Gohan was thrown into a world a thousand times more different than the one he grew up in without the gradual preparation of kindergarten through junior high school. Goku knew he shouldn't worry, Gohan was a good, smart kid, but he couldn't help but imagine people picking on the boy, calling him names, provoking him into fights. Oh well, he thought. He would just have to wait.

Washing up at a leisurely pace, he let his mind wander to Gohan and the girl he had met at the fair. She was pretty, he wasn't going to lie. She was instantly taken with his boy and it was no surprise. But Gohan...didn't seem that interested. He nodded and went along with her invitation without any real excitement or anticipation. As he dressed for the party, he didn't rush or anything. He didn't seem at all as if he looked forward to seeing her again. He had never given the girl their phone number and never asked to and as far as he knew, his son never called her. He returned that day as placid as when he left, reporting that nothing spectacular happened but he met a new boy he thought might be a good friend. Nothing happened with the cute older girl. At least nothing he was told about.

Goku was happy about that and he didn't try to hide it. He took his son out to dinner and it seemed that Gohan was more excited about that than he had been about going to the beach party.

His new cellphone was on the sink when he heard it make a vibrating 'bi-bing' noise. He froze. Was that a message? A text? He hurried to finish washing up, hopped out of the shower, dried his hands and picked the phone up.

It said '1 New Message from 902-258-5523'.

He carefully pressed the 'read' button and the message opened.

'Hey Dad. I'm having lunch. Just wanted to let you know I'm okay. So much happened already. Don't know if you're up for talking. Or you can just text me back. But I'd like it if we could talk. I love you.'

A huge smile rented his face. Then it disappeared. So much happened already? Like what? Was it bad? Did someone try to fight his son? He put brought the phone back to his room, neglecting his towel and padded naked to sit on his bed.

With inexperienced fingers, he painstakingly made his way through a response message.

'Hi, son! Sure, I'm up for a call. Just got out of the shower.'

He hit the send button and went about drying off and finding clothes to wear while he waited. About a minute later his room was filled with the gayly melodic sound of his preassigned ringtone. He answered the phone.

"Hey."

"Hi, Dad." Gohan sounded a little agitated.

"What's up, is something wrong?"

"Besides the fact that Kurenai and her friends have been giving me crap all day about what happened this morning, everybody and their dog wants to talk to me and girls are breathing down my neck in every class so far. I'm heading outside to eat my lunch someplace where hopefully nobody will find me."

Goku frowned. "What happened?" he asked, trying not to sound as if he was concerned.

Gohan proceeded to explain to him the whole Kurenai debacle and how he had shut her down in front of a hallway full of people.

"She told me that I knew I wanted her, and called me a, excuse my language, 'little-dicked bastard', not that she's ever seen it. I told her I wouldn't I want her as long as there are dogs in the street."

Like the kids in the hall, Goku started to laugh.

"You said—hahahaha-you said as long as there were-hahahahaha- there were dogs in the street?" He was glad he was sitting down because he didn't think he had ever laughed so hard in his life. Tears were in his eyes he was laughing so hard.

"Oh my God, son! Hahahahaha!" He tried to get more words out but every time he thought about saying something, he thought about why he was laughing and laughed harder. Whenever he tried to catch his breath, Gohan would talk.

"Far as I know, dogs don't make demands or complain, so I was like..."

Goku started cracking up again. He had never heard anything so funny in his life.

"Where did...haha...where did you even get that from?" He could practically hear his son's shrug through the phone.

"It just popped up in my head. Seemed like the thing to say at the time."

It took almost another five minutes for Goku to stop laughing long enough to talk coherently.

"So what about all these people following you?"

Gohan sighed and finished chewing his food. "Some people hate her, no surprise there. I stood up to her and now the other half thinks I'm cool. Meanwhile, her friends, some guys on the football team, have been harassing me all day about it. One of them pushed me. Good thing the teacher came along because I was fixing to beat his eyes out." Goku couldn't help the snicker that escaped.

"I'm glad you didn't do that, son. Remember that these kids are not like you. They will do anything to get a rise out of you. Be the bigger man and don't let them. Succeed where they fail and they'll leave you alone. If not, we can arrange for something to happen to them if you know what I mean." The mischievous hint in his voice told Gohan exactly what he meant.

"Oh yes, Dad. I've already plotted to take the tires from his car and leave it on the concrete. If he thinks he can mess with me, he better think again. Speaking of which, Kurenai called you a loser and I told her that if she dared repeat that she would lose some teeth. She didn't. Which was good because I know I couldn't follow up on that threat. Instead she chose to get the kids in the hallway to call me a Daddy's boy. Every once in a while, someone will call me that on my way to class and I've been hearing it all day."

With his amusement now gone as Gohan continued, Goku pulled on his shoes and stood. "Don't listen to them Gohan. Kids are so cruel. Besides, you only have two years there and I know you'll make friends. Focus on the good parts and if you don't like it, it's not like you need to be there."

"I know. But I don't care. So what if I am a Daddy's boy? I like that, and if people feel like pointing out the obvious, then that just makes them look stupid. Anyway, I have to go now, Dad, lunch is over. I'll text you when I have gym. If you're not busy, maybe we can talk again? I like talking on the phone with you, though of course, it's better in person."

His heart warmed at his son's words. The boy was just so good and sweet he was so lucky to be his father. "Okay, son. I'll just be sparing with Vegeta. When is gym, so I know when to expect your call?"

There was some ruffling of paper and voices and bustle before he responded. "Ninth period at...2:05 to 3:40. I love you, Dad."

"Ditto. Thanks for calling."

"No problem. Later." With a click, Goku was thrust into silence. The house seemed so empty without Gohan around, so devoid of life. He couldn't wait until his boy came home. He hadn't been keeping his promise about being close very well, but he was going to have to try harder now that Gohan's school life was picking up the way it was. He had to enjoy all the time he could with him before he made real friends and decided that it wasn't cool to hang out with your dad anymore.

It was so nice that Gohan called him. Obviously it took no time at all for him to learn how to use the phone. He probably did it on his way to school. It surprised him though, how quickly Gohan had attracted trouble there. That Kurenai girl was a real brat and he was happy that Gohan didn't like her, otherwise she'd have had that boy carrying her books all day long, waiting hand and foot on her like a slave. No son of his was going to be treated that way by anybody.

He looked at his watch, a digital one he had bought for himself along with the phones. He would have about an hour to spar with Vegeta, which was good enough for him. He would eat afterward so that he didn't miss his son's call.

As he flew toward West City, he contemplated the idea of asking Gohan if he wanted him to pick him up from school. He figured every father should be able to do that at least once but maybe it would be too embarrassing for the boy. Well, it was worth a try.

After lunch, Gohan was feeling much better after his talk with his father and went off to philosophy class with a small smile on his face. He head some jerks cough 'Daddy's boy' as he passed, but he just flipped them the bird and kept it moving. He was better than them. And he had great photographic memory. The 'cougher' over there had locker number 63 and Gohan would be visiting it on his next bathroom break for sure. He entered the lecture-style classroom and slid into a seat all the way in the back. He didn't like the thought of these mean kids behind him in a stationary setting so he sat himself with his chair against the wall, high above the class, surveying the sour glare one of the birds in Kurenai's flock was giving him, as if he did her some kind of wrong.

"Okay class. My name is Mr. Nawaki and I've just gotta put this out there. I'm not here to take your shit. I will fail you in a heartbeat if you disrespect me, and your chances of getting an A in my class are slim to none. Keep hoping you're one of the ones with a slim chance, and you'll do all right here."

Gohan liked this teacher already. Some of the students groaned and started to whisper to their friends their regrets for having a douchebag as a teacher.

"Miss Simon, you have earned yourself a zero for the day, compliments of the douchebag. You can leave my classroom. Go play out in traffic or whatever it is kids do when they're not in school, but you get no points today and you will not be marked absent."

The girl who made the douchbag comment looked up, startled. "W-what? I—

"I, Miss. Simon," Mr. Nawaki interrupted, "have excellent hearing. You have made your first mistake with me. Make sure it's your last. Goodbye." He turned and began writing on the board, ignoring the stuttering girl and her excuses and pleas.

Gohan was smiling in the back. He and this man were going to get along. He just wished all of his teachers were like this. Oh well, he mused, watching the girl stomp out of the class and just about break the door on the way out.

"Zero for tomorrow for damaging school property," Mr. Nawaki murmured to himself, notating it in his book. He looked up.

"Like I said, no shit here. I am a mean SOB and I will delight in showing all who act out how true this is. Rules. No cell phones. If I so much as hear one vibrate, you get a zero. If you're clever enough to hide a bluetooth, then more power to you, you're going to need it. Texting is obviously a no-no. Chatting with your neighbor is also not tolerated. If it's not about the work and you aren't willing to share, you and your friend can share a zero. Textbook. Edition 4 of History and Systems. Can't afford it? See me after class. Notes. I will not be writing on a board all day. That means it is up to you, the studious student, to take notes in my class. No laptops. If I can't have one, you can't have one. And last but not least, homework. You will have it. Everyday." The whole class minus Gohan groaned.

"Luckily most of it will be reading." A collective sigh. "Each and every one of you will participate, every class session, and discuss the reading in detail, so if you think you can bullshit me and skimp on the assignments, I've got bad news for you. And for those of you who can't answer the questions correctly, for any reason other than you were dying the day before, with proof, then you get a zero for the assignment and a zero for the day. Two zeros drop you a whole letter grade for the class, so watch out for that, it's a doosie. And yes, I know I'm an evil man. This school doesn't pay me to be good. I'm not your friend here. I don't call parents if you act up. I hand out fails like pink slips. That's what I'm good at. Your parents will call me. Now, I expect you all to have the textbook by Wednesday, and like I said. Can't afford it? See me after class. Wanna get cute and wait? Zero for not having it by Wednesday barring extenuating circumstances. Today we're going to..."

As the class went on, Gohan could see that he was the only one enjoying this man and his teachings. The others all glared bitter holes into the poor guy while he had his back turned. He had two more classes after this one and the next one was gym. He was looking forward to talking on his new phone with his dad. His mother would have never allowed him a cell phone, just one more reason why he had the best father in the world. Sure, these other kids probably got anything they wanted without asking for it or being surprised, but Gohan appreciated every little thing his father did for him. He knew that they couldn't afford to be too frivolous but his dad wanted him to be happy and went out of his way to ensure that.

His father was such a good man and Gohan knew he got lonely and had some issues with himself but all he wanted to do was be there for him. Even though school was surely a turning point in his life, it didn't mean he had to leave his dad out of the equation.

When that girl Kurenai had kissed him he was so upset because she stole what he wanted to give to someone else, someone more important. He knew it was stupid to think that his father would ever want to kiss him, but he always liked to imagine that he was the person he'd share that special thing with. And she ruined it. And what nerve she had to call his dad a loser. Like, who was she? Today he had used profanity for the third time in his life because of her. If she had repeated it, he would have called her out of her name in several other colorful and obscene ways, but he was glad she didn't.

His father hadn't responded any particular way about it, but over a phone he didn't know how the man was really reacting. At times he sounded as if he were holding something back, but it could have just been his imagination. And of course no girl was as important as his dad. No person was as important. Call him obsessive, but nobody had done anything for him to take his father's place.

That morning, when he was given the phone, he hadn't ever been so touched before. After he was kissed on the forehead, he fought with himself about whether he should kiss him back. The very thought of putting his lips on the man's skin made him so nervous and excited and he knew he was blushing but couldn't do anything about it. He had almost backed out, but convinced himself that there was no harm and that it wouldn't be so out of the ordinary and just did it. When his mouth touched the older Saiyan's soft cheek he almost moaned in happiness at the feeling. He could smell the man, and God's he smelled nice for not having taken a shower yet. He beat it out of there before his dad had any time to react and spent the whole trip to school with a smile on his face.

He couldn't wait to get home. He knew his father was lonely. Sometimes he sparred with the short Prince or went to see his friends but the older Saiyan wasn't always willing to spar with him nor did his friends always have time for him. He could see how that could make a man dissatisfied with the quality of his life. But his father had so much going for him. He was extremely kind, gregarious by nature, clever, caring, forgiving, warm, fun, funny, strong, and of course wicked gorgeous.

What didn't he have that somebody out there didn't want? He had everything Gohan never knew he wanted until he turned eleven in the Room of Spirit and Time and fought Cell and his father put the fate of the world in his hands without hesitation. When his mother left and his father came downstairs one day and just stood in the kitchen for several minutes, alone and still reeling from the loss, Gohan knew he loved him. It was foolish to deny it when he could never kid himself.

Like anyone else, he hoped his feelings would go away. Maybe he was mistaking intense respect for love. Maybe it was just a phase. He was in school now. He would meet some nice girl or guy and that would be the end of that. Maybe his dad would meet someone, too. That would be good. That was the way it should have been.

He didn't care about the same things his father cared about. So he didn't have a job, so what? He didn't go to school. Gohan was living proof that you didn't need school to learn and he knew that the most important things in life were not taught in a classroom. His father was plenty smart to him. He could afford his awesome new phone and they always had food. He was never wanting. It was all in the man's head. And he, like a good son, would help his father get passed those unhelpful cognitions and get him to see himself for the wonderful man he was. He was trying, but it didn't seem to be working.

It upset Gohan to think that he couldn't help, no matter how hard he tried. And this person his father was in love with? Who were they? Were they good looking? Were they nice? Would he like them? And most importantly, did he know this person? Were they married or taken? Was that why his dad knew he couldn't have them? Yes, that would complicate things a whole lot. He wanted to know so bad but every time he brought it up his father got uncomfortable and instantly shut down, refusing to talk about it. Just bringing it up ruined his mood for the day, it was so bad.

He had to find out who this person was. Just who was it that was making his father so miserable and him so jealous? They must have been very special to produce such a reaction in his usually upbeat dad. Part of him wanted to somehow hurt this mystery person for making his father so dejected but he couldn't do that if he had no clue who they were.

The ringing bell pulled him from his thoughts. It was gym time, which meant he could call his dad. He would wait until half past two to do it. They would be going outside and just standing around or playing softball. He wasn't going to be participating in those activities for the obvious reasons unless he had to. Today, they were being assigned activities and uniforms and were left to their own device when the teacher finished speaking. When two thirty rolled around, he slunk away to the a lonely spot at the top of the bleachers and took out his phone.

'Hey, Dad!' he texted and waited for the reply.

He looked down at his schoolmates playing and talking and laughing and wondered why he really wanted to be a part of that. Maybe he wanted to normalize his life. What normal teenaged boy was enamored with his father, who wasn't human and had saved the world several times? He didn't care about those things, but somebody did. He couldn't stay home and hope to gain his father's affections by simply being around. The man would never want him anyway, for the obvious reasons. What was he getting by staying around? He wasn't benefiting by not going to school and finding himself friends and having new experiences. He had accepted ages ago that the things he'd often dreamed about and wanted more than anything in the world could never happen. With time he would get over wishing they would and that started with being in school, among all those normal kids his age, and finding someplace to fit in. He would never abandon his father, but he had to move on. His dad would always be his dad but sadly nothing else. He would still always be the most important person in his life, regardless of if he did meet someone.

A dull 'ping' noise alerted his attention.

'Hey, Gohan. Just eating lunch. Call me.'

So he did. On the second ring his father picked up.

"What's up?"

"Nothing, just outside for gym. Not much to do. Found a good spot alone on the bleachers and I hope no one wants to join me anytime soon."

"Aw, son, don't let me stop you from having fun. You can go and mingle with the other kids, you don't have to talk to me. We can talk when you get home." Gohan didn't know if he meant it or if he was just feeling guilty. Would he sound weird if he said all he wanted to do was talk to him?

"No, it's okay Dad. It could just be for today. We can just text from now on. I can call you every other day or so if you want. Or maybe if that's too often, we can just text once in a while." Maybe his dad didn't want to hear from him so often, maybe he thought it was silly seeing as they lived together and would see each other when he got home. On the other line, things went quite for a few seconds.

"Dad?"

"Y-yeah, I'm here. It's just...you really don't mind talking to me when you could be making friends? I mean, when we could talk when you get home?"

Gohan chuckled. "No, Dad. I don't mind. I could never mind talking to you. Besides, I like hearing your voice." Two points for creepiness. "I've got one more class before I'm done for the day. Maybe if you're not busy or if you don't mind, you could come pick me up and we can hang out in the city for a bit?"

He heard his father suck in a small breath and prepared to hear that he had other obligations but he said, "Sure, I could pick you up. Is there any specific place you want to meet? I mean, I'd understand if you don't want to be seen near the school with me, what with this whole Daddy's boy business."

Gohan scowled and once again cursed Kurenai in his mind. "Of course I don't mind. I told you, I don't care about that. I'm proud to be a Daddy's boy and I want everyone to know it. If they don't like it, they can kick rocks. How could I not want to be seen with someone so awesome?"

"Nobody can tell that I'm awesome by looking at me, Gohan," his dad laughed.

"You look awesome."

"Haha, how?"

Gohan was glad nobody, especially his father, was around because after he realized what he'd said and then was asked to elaborate, an embarrassed tint rose in his cheeks.

"Um..."

"Hey, Gohan!" a voice called from the bottom of the bleachers. Below, Daniel and Mikoto stood waving for him to come down. He smiled. He was saved, but he was still busy talking to his dad.

"Just a minute, guys, I'm just talking to my dad," he called back.

They nodded and walked away together.

"That your friends?"

"Yeah, the ones I met at the party."

"Okay, you have fun with them and I'll see you after school, okay?"

"Okay, Dad. I love you. See you at 5:15."

"Alright sweetheart, see you then. Bye."

Gohan sat with the phone to his ear after the conversation ended. It was kind of quick, but he was certain his father had called him 'sweetheart'. He had never called him that before. It wasn't a strange gesture but it seemed so intimate. Like something someone would call their significant other or a girl. His blush deepened. He hoped his dad called him that again. It was nice being his sweetheart.

He went to join his new friends, who wanted to talk about his day and tell him some things he didn't know but might have guessed about Kurenai.

"She's wealthy and used to getting what she wants. I mean, she's not super rich, but she obviously has more than most of us have. Ignore her and her stupid friends," Mikoto was telling him, "They eventually get bored with fresh meat, especially when it fights back. They're a bunch of pussies."

Mikoto was a slight, red-headed girl with huge blue eyes. She was prettier than Kurenai and nicer to boot. She and Daniel made a nice couple, even though Daniel was almost a whole foot and a half taller. They had been going out for a year and had been friends since they were six. He hoped he would get to hang out with them all the time. They seemed to like him.

"Hey, Gohan, what class do you have next?"

"Calculus?"

"With who?" Daniel asked, pulling out his already rumpled schedule.

"Mr. Mifune."

"Yes!" Daniel and Mikoto high-fived each other excitedly.

"Us too!"

Gohan smiled broadly. His day was definitely looking up.

"Wanna exchange numbers?"

"Sure." Gohan pulled out his phone and Mikoto whistled.

"Wow, you got a Samsung Galaxy? Sweet." Gohan didn't know much about cellphone brands but his phone was apparently as cool as it looked. They each exchanged numbers.

"Yeah, my Dad got it for me for school. He's the best."

"Oh yeah," Daniel said, "That would explain why you looked like you were about to bitch-slap Kurenai into last night when she called him the big 'L'." He laughed and he and his girlfriend slapped fives again.

"Her enemy is our friend, buddy," he went on. "Anyway, are you doing anything after school? Me and Miko were gonna hit the arcade and get some pizza."

Gohan replied, "Yeah, my Dad's picking me up. We were gonna hang out too."

"Can we meet him? I mean, if it's cool with you."

"Sure!" He couldn't wait to show his dad his cool new friends.

They walked around the tracked and told each other about themselves. Daniel and Mikoto both loved The Office and loved watching and reading anime, like he did. They lived in West City three and a half blocks away from each other and they took the bus home. Gohan was hoping they didn't ask how he got home. His dad didn't have a car and he couldn't very well let them find out he flew. At some point they were going to ask where he lived and how he got to and from school. He didn't know what he was going to tell them yet, he was just too happy they were talking to him.

Their teachers called for them to go inside and the three of them walked to their last class together.

"Had Mifune last year. He's a weird old dude, but he's cool. Mega boring. He likes to make the cool kids answer really hard questions and make them look stupid, it's hysterical." They entered the class and Gohan sat down first and Mikoto sat next to him and Daniel in front of him. Daniel turned around.

"Hey, Gohan, you got a Facebook?"

"No." He didn't want to say that he had no friends to talk to on Facebook and therefore had never bothered to get one. He had a computer at home that he practically lived on but never was drawn to social networking sites. Now he might have to consider getting one.

"Oh." The other boy sounded disappointed. "What, you don't use it, or don't like it or something?"

The demi-Saiyan shrugged. "Just never really was interested in getting one. The thing is, this is my first time in school."

Mikoto's head snapped to the right to stare at him. "Seriously? You were home schooled?"

"Yeah." He felt sort of embarrassed by telling them that but if they were really his friends they wouldn't care.

"I see. Well, if you make a Facebook account, we can all talk to each other over the web. There's a bunch of stuff we could do."

Gohan didn't have a problem getting a profile and was definitely looking forward to chatting with his new friends online. They had a lot in common and he had never interacted with another person over the internet.

"Cool."

"Alrighty, kids." The teacher walked into the room and put bag down and the whole class shut up.

The man was old and mean-looking with a eyesore of a tweed jacket on with lapels and patches and non-matching pants and shoes. Despite that, all the kids in the room gave him their undivided attention, even though some, like Gohan, had no clue why.

"Today is the first day, obviously. Not gonna ride you about homework or textbooks, but you better have the text by Wednesday and expect homework that night. Today we're going to learn what calculus is, for those of you who don't know, and some basic principles. If you're good, I'll let you go early—

"Yes!" some people hissed.

—but that's not a guarantee. You should take notes, though it's not required. Everything I'll teach you is in the book, but it would behoove you to do so just to get a jump on things."

Gohan knew calculus very well. So far none of his classes impressed him. According to his the curriculum, he was not going to be taught anything he didn't already know, but that was expected from the beginning. As long as he had his friends near him, he was likely not to bore to death too soon.

"Psst!" His head jerked up at the quite hiss. Daniel smiled at him.

"You know this stuff," he asked and Gohan nodded and shrugged.. He didn't want to come off as bookish and nerdy, but he wanted Daniel to come to him for help if he needed it. At least he would be doing something productive.

"I know who I'm going to for tutoring," the other teen said and turned back around in his seat. The class went on and Gohan zone out until the bell rang. When it did, he had only seen people in mortal danger move as fast as the students to get out of the class.

"Dang," he said, watching.

"Yeah," Mikoto said from his right, "Nobody wants to bore to death before school is done for the day."

Gohan nodded. He had seen some student nodding off in there.

"Okay, I'm going to call my dad and see where he is."

"Cool," Daniel said, following him out with Mikoto.

He dialed his father's number and waited through six rings before it picked up.

"Hey," the man greeted.

"Hi Dad, are you here or on your way?"

"I'm in the front near the first yellow bus."

Gohan walked, scanning above people's heads for his tall father. Spotting him was easy. Daniel and Mikoto were still looking around, not knowing who they were looking for.

When they stopped in front of Goku, Mikoto bumped into her boyfriend's back as he abruptly stopped.

"Dad, I'd like you meet Mikoto and Daniel. This is the one I met at that party and this is his girlfriend. Guys, this, is my dad."

Mikoto was staring at him. "Didn't I see you at registration?"

Goku smiled at her and shrugged. "I don't know, maybe."

"Can't forget seeing a guy like you," she said.

Goku extended his arm and Daniel shook, then Mikoto shook with a blush.

"You're tall," she said.

The man chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so."

Gohan was beaming. It looked like his friends liked his dad, not that he had expected otherwise.

"Dad, Mikoto and Daniel were going to go to the arcade and for pizza. Since we were going to hang out anyway, can we go with?" he asked, looking up at his father. Goku rubbed the top of his and nodded to the other two teens.

"Sure, we can do whatever you want."

Daniel said, "I don't know if he told you, but Gohan flipped today when this girl said you were a loser. I thought he'd tear her a new one! He said you were awesome, and you sure seem pretty cool."

"You look awesome, too," Mikoto put in, earning her a elbow to the side from her boyfriend.

Gohan withheld a snicker. Of course, she was right. The tall Saiyan was wearing a black wife-beater which loosely hugged his muscled torso to perfection, and tan cargo pants with black sneaker-boots and his baseball cap. He looked great.

"Okay guys, I'm following you, so lead the way."

The four of them started away with a bunch of people when Gohan spotted Kurenai, her friends and some jocks leaning up against a truck and chatting. He made eye contact with one of the members of the jock flock and raised a brow and smirked. The boy glared at him as they passed.

"Funny how they have nothing to say now," Mikoto spoke up, also looking at the crew.

"That's because they're all pussies," Daniel stated absently. When he realized what he had said, he slapped his hand over his mouth and looked back at Goku. "Oh man, I'm sorry, Gohan's dad, I didn't mean to just blurt that out."

Goku laughed. "It's cool. If those are the kids that were giving my son crap today, then what you say is true. Just don't make it a habit of cussing when I'm around. I know I can't stop you guys when I'm not there."

"Yes sir," Daniel said, relieved.

"And you can call me Mr. Son."

"Okay, Mr. Son," Mikoto said. The arcade was just a few blocks away and the pizza shop two more stores down.

"This place is great. They have Pac-Man, Bust-a-Move, Street Fighter, Capcom vs. SNK, all that stuff. I bet I can beat you in every game," Daniel boasted.

Gohan wasn't sure if it would be uncool to tell them that he had never played any of those games before, but decided again that if they were really his pals, they wouldn't care.

"You probably could, but I'm a quick learner. By the time we leave, I'll at least have beat you once."

"Oh really," the other boy challenged.

"Yeah."

They looked around. At the moment all of the games were occupied so they went to get pizza while they waited. While they were ordering, the two Saiyans tried to keep it light so as not to freak out Gohan's new friends.

While Goku placed their order and Daniel went to get condiments, Mikoto poked Gohan's arm and leaned into him and said in a quiet voice, "Don't tell Danny I said this but holy shit your dad is hot!"

Gohan laughed. He couldn't help it. It was especially funny because Saiyans had excellent hearing and his dad was close enough, if he were paying attention, that he could hear her. He wasn't about to tell her that, though. Instead he replied, "I knew you were going to tell me that sooner or later."

"What? How?"

"Daniel didn't elbow you for nothing. You weren't too subtle with the looks and the whole 'You look awesome' thing. You stressed the word 'look' enough for us to get the hint."

She blushed and put a hand over her mouth dramatically. "You think he noticed?"

"Yeah." He wasn't going to lie. Besides, it was funny to watch her face turn different colors.

"My dad is pretty perceptive. Not that you have to be with the way you were going on, haha. It's fine though, he doesn't care. Girls drool over him all the time. He never really notices though. But that's why I could tell you thought he was cute."

"You like any of this stuff?" Daniel's voice broke in on their not-so-secret conversation and Mikoto stepped away from him to the safety of her boyfriend because his father was turning around with their food at the same time.

Gohan held back a snort.

"I got this, kids," Goku said, bringing two trays full of hot pizza to a vacant table.

"Really? Thanks, Mr. Son!"

They sat down across from each other in pairs. Goku was sitting facing Mikoto and she was rapidly turning pink, even though the man was paying her no mind.

Daniel obviously noticed because he leaned over and whispered something in her ear and she went pinker and tried to hold back a smile. Gohan was so happy at that moment that he couldn't stop smiling. It was his first day and not only did he already make two good friends, but his dad had met and them and approved of them and had treated them to pizza. It was great and fun and normal. He was looking forward to school the next day and hopefully chatting with his friends on Facebook that night.

When they were finished eating, they headed back to the arcade and only the Pac-Man game was free.

"My favorite," Daniel said, quickly heading over before anyone else could.

"Ever play?" he asked. Gohan said no.

"It's easy, but you gotta be quick. Miko and I are about neck and neck for scores. Nobody has been able to beat them yet."

Gohan looked at his dad. "You wanna play, too Dad? We could learn together, haha."

Goku started to put his hand up and shake his head, but then stopped and nodded. "You know what, why not? I'll suck, but I'll try."

Gohan's day just kept getting better.

It was around a little after seven o'clock when Mikoto reported that she had to get going and Daniel left with her.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Son. Thanks again for the pizza. You're a Pac-Man natural. Hope we get to hang again soon," Daniel said before he departed.

"Yeah, thanks Mr. Son. See you tomorrow Gohan. I'll text you my Facebook."

"Okay." The duo left to go wait for the bus and Goku and Gohan had an early dinner at a buffet before they made their way to and uninhabited part of the city so they could take flight.

"This is why I'm not to fond of the city. You have to take so many precautions so that people can't see you fly away," Goku said. "Oh well, it was worth it to come. Your friends seem like good kids, and I'm glad you had fun."

Gohan was still smiling slightly. "Today was a really great day. It was only so good because I got to talk to you twice and we played our first arcade game together and you hung out with me and my friends. Thanks for the pizza, Dad. That was cool of you."

"No problem. So, you got any homework?"

"Yeah, I have to write a two page essay on why I chose to take my Biology class and I have to read a chapter for economics. That's all. I'll be finished that within an hour. Then maybe we could do something?"

Goku still couldn't help but find it cute and a little surprising that his son always wanted to do something with him. Such a thing wasn't guaranteed to last, now that he had friends. He had been trying to take as many opportunities to hang out with the boy for the past two months as he could and most of the things they did was initiated by Gohan.

When they got home, Gohan retired to his room to do his homework and Goku went to read a book in the kitchen. He felt that reading would somehow make him feel better about his intelligence at first, but it really wasn't so bad when the book was good. He was reading Clan of the Cave Bear which was a story about the lives of early hominids and how their more modern human counterparts were making their continuance obsolete. He didn't know anything about evolution but Gohan had explained it to him one day and he was so interested he took a book out at the library and had been engrossed in it since last week.

He didn't feel much different reading, but he could see why people liked to do it. Though he considered himself and earthling, he wasn't a human. It was interesting to see the evolutionary perspective and development of the human race. He wondered if Saiyans had a similar history. He wasn't about to ask Vegeta, who would throw it in his face that he knew nothing about his own race.

He had been reading for a while before Gohan came back downstairs and announced that he was finished with his homework.

"Hey Dad, let's look up funny stuff on the internet."

Gohan loved going on the internet. It was some kind of teenager thing. He himself wasn't interested in exploring the web-based world, but his son insisted it was great and had information on just about everything and anything he cared to think about. He was proficient enough using a computer, but he preferred sparring or watching television to surfing the net.

"Daniel and Mikoto want me to get a Facebook account so I could talk to them online. I wouldn't usually do the whole social networking thing, but I think it's a small price to pay for friends like them. Say, Dad, let's forget about that for now. I'll do it later. Can we play a game?"

"What kind of game," his father asked.

"It's called would you ever."

"Would I ever what?"

Gohan laughed. "That's up to me. So, you wanna play?"

"Sure, why not?" It wasn't like he had any ideas.

"Okay." Gohan beckoned him to the living room and sat on the couch facing Goku with one leg on the seat and folded into his lap and his arm over the back.

"So, like I said, the game is called would you ever. Some kids were playing it at gym, that's where I got it from. Anyway, so I get to ask you if would you ever do something and you have to tell me yes or no or whatever your answer is and then tell me why you would, wouldn't ever, or why it might depend."

"Okay..." Goku wasn't sure he liked the sound of this. If Gohan learned it in school, who knew what those kids asked each other. But he would play along anyway, because Gohan looked pretty excited about it and he was already rapidly formulating questions in his head that he could ask.

"Now, these questions are all, of course, hypothetical. Nobody would suggest you would or would not do anything or why. You can ask me anything, and I'll ask you whatever. If you don't feel comfortable with the question, you could skip. In school, skipping led to being teased or hit, but I won't do anything like that. In the school version, after any number of questions, the questioner would ask the person being questioned if they would like to 'up the ante', which means, if they would like more difficult, personal, uncomfortable, or embarrassing questions to be asked. You can choose not to up the ante, but the game ceases to progress after a while if you continually do that. We don't have to, I'm just explaining. Upping the ante is for really daring people. If you asked me to up the ante, I'll say yes, to keep it interesting, but you can say no, that way the game will last longer. I played a round but I was too afraid not to skip so I was weeded out of the game. So, still wanna play with me?"

Goku was nodding along the whole time, getting more and more anxious as his son explained the object of the game. Gohan could very well use this game as an excuse to ask him questions about who it was he was interested in. It was good to know he had the option to skip questions and avoid more personal ones. Still, he was interested in asking some personal questions of his own and with Gohan willing to be daring, it would be unfair for him not to be. If the boy didn't ask him about that person, any other questions should have been fine. Really, what would Gohan ask him other than that that could make him uncomfortable?

"Okay, I'm game. Who goes first?"

"I will," his son said. "Start each question with 'would you ever'. So, Dad, would you ever...drink a cup of gasoline?"

Goku made a disgusted face. "Ugh, no. But I guess it depends..."

Gohan put a hand up. "I forgot to mention that you can ask would you ever in conjunction with motivators. Motivators are things like 'for money', 'to save your own life', 'to get a date with someone you like', etcetera etcetera.. You don't have to, but it depends on the question and could make the game more interesting. The person being questioned or the questioner can specify a 'no motivation condition' in which answers will only be yes or no and why, no maybes, or it depends. Most people already consider motivators when answering questions, likely leading to the response 'it depends', like you just said. Some things are more cut and dry. Now, tell me which is your answer and why."

His father replied, "Well, it depends, like you said, on the motivator. If I had to drink it rather than drink or do something worse, I'd pick that. Or if I had to drink it to save the Earth, or you, or any of my friends. But for nothing? No."

"Okay," Gohan nodded. "Your turn."

Goku smiled a little. There were so many things he could ask. He felt it waste of time asking childish questions like Gohan had asked, but for a start he supposed it was okay.

"Would you ever...and this is a no motivation condition, as you called it. Would you ever hug Vegeta?" He laughed.

Gohan snorted. "No. Way. Not. Ever."

Goku laughed harder at the way he responded. "Why not?"

"Hugging a cactus would be better. And it's Vegeta, why WOULD I hug HIM? I don't even like him!"

"Okay, my turn again." Gohan looked up in thought and put a finger to his cheek contemplatively.

"Wanna up the ante?"

Goku pursed his lips and swallowed. Gohan sure got around to that quick. Should he risk the possibility of being asked about that person or skip and be a pussy? Or was that being wise?

"O-okay. Let's up the ante. I could skip on this, right?"

"Right," the boy confirmed.

"Okay, shoot."

"No motivation condition. Would you ever..." Gohan had this telling little half-smirk on his face that spoke of something embarrassing he was about to ask. Goku braced himself.

"Would YOU ever hug Vegeta?"

Goku blinked and his mouth dropped open. That was the last thing he expected to be asked. What kind of question was that? Why would he ask him the same question he was asked a moment ago? Then the man pursed his lips again and almost rolled his eyes. His son thought he was coy. He must have been trying to narrow down who he thought that person could be by asking if he would ever engage in friendly intimate activities like hugging with them. He did spend what could be considered a substantial amount of time with the Prince. He guessed it was harmless. After all, the boy could never narrow it down to himself because hugging him only meant that he loved him like a father should. He was safe. For now.

"Not a chance. Why? Because it's Vegeta, I'm a guy, he's a guy, he hates me, I'm not quite best buddies with him, and anyone who found out would begin to wonder to about me."

Gohan cheered a little inside. So it wasn't Vegeta. Thank God for that. And now, as he understood, it might not have been a guy. So it was a female. He plotted his next question carefully while he waited his turn.

"Okay, son, that was an uncomfortable question, and now for me to return the favor."

The demi-Saiyan simply smirked. "Bring it on, Dad."

"All right. Would you ever kiss another boy?"

Gohan almost burst out laughing. He had no idea his father had it in him to ask such a question. So he wanted to play like that, huh?

He shrugged. "Sure, if he's cute and I like him. I can appreciate both genders equally."

His dad looked surprised for only a second before he smiled. "Well that backfired," he said. Gohan was watching his reaction but could not see anything that indicated that he found his little confession upsetting in any way. He hadn't expected him to care, him being Goku, but it was a relief for it to come out that way. Besides, he had asked.

"Okay, Dad. So I'm getting that you wanna play hardball. So right back at you. Would you ever kiss another guy?" He was trying not to look too eager for the answer but it was the most exhilarating question he had ever asked the man.

Goku hadn't taken his cap off when that got in and did so then to run a hand through his hair, unknowingly making his son more interested in his response.

"Well, I've never done it before. But I would. If I found this guy attractive and if I liked him, sure. Like you, I can appreciate both sexes." As an afterthought, he added, "He'd have to be pretty special though."

The younger Son was definitely thinking this person was a woman. Now he had to gear his questions toward narrowing down who, which was going to be no easy task.

"Okay, my turn," Gohan announced.

Goku stopped him. "It's after nine so you're going to have to get ready for bed soon. Dinner is leftovers from last night so fix yourself a plate if you want and get ready for bed in a few minutes."

"Okay." Darn, the boy thought, just when it was getting interesting.

"All right, last one then." He had to make this one count. "Would you ever tell someone you had feelings for them even if you weren't supposed to? I mean, have feelings for them?"

Goku squinted suspiciously and turned his head slightly to the side. "What do you mean?" If Gohan was fishing for answers then it was better he was direct so that Goku knew what he was about to skip answering.

"You know, like...let's say you like your best friend's girlfriend or boyfriend or if you liked your distant cousin or someone close like that or if you liked someone twice your senior or junior. Those things are taboo, but if someone really felt like they had to get it off their chest, would you ever condone them doing so?"

It was a question from hell. He stared at the boy, who looked serious as a heart attack. The question wasn't specifically aimed at finding out who he liked and yet, it was. It was an obviously well-thought out question. All of his problems were summed up in that one inquiry. Hell, it sounded a lot like the question he'd asked when he told the boy about his problem. How could it be that Gohan would come to ask him something like without having a clue who he was interested in? Did Gohan himself have a similar problem? Did he have feelings for someone he wasn't supposed to have feelings for?

"Um..." he balked. He could say yes, but what would happen then? Would he be giving the boy the green light to profess his love to someone they knew or worse, a stranger? An older stranger? Well he hadn't said it was a no motivation condition. He would have to explain his answer but Kami knew it depended.

"Well, uh...I think that it depends. Since this is all hypothetical, I'll just say that if a person liked, for example, someone related to them," and it was a great example, "like you said, a cousin, or someone close, then it would depend on how open the other person is. If they are non-judgmental, than I say you should go for it with extreme caution and finesse. If it's a stranger, or someone older but unrelated, again, be cautious. For strangers, you would have to build rapport with them first, then they wouldn't be strangers anymore and then the next step is seeing if they can be trusted. All I can tell you is it depends. I could answer better if I knew some things to be true, like an actual scenario. Personally, I think if the person you have feelings for is someone you know and isn't likely to hurt you for your feelings, then tell them. It couldn't hurt and it wouldn't mean doing anything that would be considered wrong."

The teen sitting next to him looked away. For a minute he said nothing, then he took a deep breath. "Okay. Cool. It wouldn't mean anything, is what you're saying?"

"No, that's not quite what I'm trying to say. It would mean something, I mean, how could it not? I'm saying that it wouldn't mean that anything typical should follow, like dating or anything like that. You said tell, not do, so telling is harmless and doesn't even involve touching. And I would never say that having feelings is wrong. Loving someone, no matter who they are or how you love them, should never be a burden or a crime or wrong. It's just...sometimes, other people don't understand. It's all about the world we live in and we live in a world where things like that are looked down on. I really wish..."

If Gohan was speaking in strict hypothetical, then it wouldn't hurt to air his feelings hypothetically, either. He felt good and yet anxious talking to his son about his inappropriate feelings without having to admit to anything. It was taking a load off his mind to know that Gohan was so open, like himself. He was happy that he had raised such a perfect child, who didn't judge people or blindly follow the crowd.

Gohan was watching him with such intense interest and adoration in his eyes that Goku knew that continuing was the right thing to do. Even if the situation were real, and his son did like someone he wasn't supposed to like, he knew it wasn't him and he also knew that to criticize his young, innocent feelings was the worst thing he could do as this boy's father.

"I really wish it weren't like that, you know," he went on. "If we lived in a world where people were just people, where feelings were feelings and not curses or abominations, where you could love anybody you wanted and not have to think twice about it, that would be great. But like you, I grew up here and I expect not to see certain things, not to hear about certain thing, and not to feel certain things for certain people. It's sad that it ever came to be that way and I don't know much about the human race and I haven't really lived my life in places where I could see multiple social rules operating at once. I had to be told by people I met along the way what was right and what was wrong. It was confusing then and it's confusing now. I don't know, maybe it was different on Planet Vegeta, maybe that's why I feel that these rules here on Earth are erroneous and ridiculous and serve no real purpose. Then again, there are good people and bad people and some things really should never happen no matter what. I don't believe people do anything that could potentially hurt anybody else with the best of intentions. There's always some sliver of malice or selfishness in their actions. Forcing your feelings on someone is an example. Just because you feel a certain way, physically or emotionally, about someone, it doesn't mean you should hurt them to show it. It's at times like that we decide how we want to use our free will, and people don't always us it for good." Was it strange that he had so much to say about that?

But his son said, "See, Dad, that's why you're so great. You're forgiving and understanding, yet at the same time you are willing to stand up for whatever you believe in regardless of what the majority supports. I agree with you on every point, so I guess that's where I get that from. I'm glad to be more like you and less like Mom. There are some things I know she could never hope to understand. But you, you...heh..." he paused. Goku waited. He was surprised, then, when a blush rose on his son's face and the boy shifted in his seat to to force himself to look him in the eyes.

"You know, if you were about 17 years younger or I was 17 years older and we weren't related, I'd have the hugest crush on you."

All the man could do was blink and swallow. Gohan was still blushing and fidgeting and seeing the look on his father's face, hastily added, "With you I know I can say that and you won't freak out. It would be awesome to find a boyfriend or a girlfriend like you. They say that people typically date or marry others that are like their parents, I guess that's true. Then again, who wouldn't want someone like you? You have everything going for you, even though you think you don't. I mean...I'm not trying to say anything about you and that woman you have feelings for, I was just saying that, well, I think she's lost her mind if she doesn't like you, at least, in which case it isn't healthy to be attracted to a crazy person. To be completely honest with you, because I've been wanting to talk to you more about it, I think you put yourself down too much. I remember some of the stuff you said and it doesn't sound like you at all. We both know you're not perfect, but you're closer to it than anybody else I've ever met in every way. So I'm thinking; this person must be extra special if you think you aren't good enough for them. And I'm not trying to butter you up but I really can't imagine who you aren't good enough for."

The younger Saiyan's face was serious and Goku's head was down and his eyes were in his lap as his son spoke. This wasn't the way he thought this game would turn out. He didn't think he would ever speak about that person with his son again. A part of him knew it was stupid to focus on only the negative things about himself because it was so impossible for anything about him to be good enough for the person he wanted. By nature he was already flawed by being older and related and all the things that came with that. When he considered those things, he couldn't help but think about his life compared to that of others.

Sure, ChiChi could have done worse, but she definitely could have done better and it hurt that it took 13 years for her to figure it out. He just felt empty inside, like something was missing, though he had everything that meant anything to him in his life. He had his son but he didn't have him the way he wanted him and he certainly couldn't keep him. Once Gohan was gone, he would be the only person in his group of acquaintances without a spouse. He lived in the middle of nowhere because he didn't like the city and never gave it much thought to move anywhere else. He couldn't think about finding another wife because he had the most unpleasant fault of being in love with his son and he just didn't want anyone else. He loved the boy for the very same reasons and characteristics Gohan described about him and yet he felt that they were miles apart.

He wished he could heed the boy's words and learn from them, find comfort in them, but he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. It was like he was drowning in these inappropriate feelings and there was nothing else going on in his life but them. How could he get over them when the object of his every desire was always there? Always making him feel lucky and happy and sad and nervous and so low about himself? When the threat that that person who made life worth living would someday leave him and find someone that made his life worth living. He would not always be the most important person in Gohan's life, even if the boy said that now. He wasn't sure he could accept that.

And now the teen was talking about how he would date him if not for everything that made it wrong, if he weren't his son, if he weren't so old, how could that not upset him? The despair and shame he felt was compounded the longer his son talked. The longer his son hinted that it was time for him to move on and find someone, the more his pain increased. How could he tell this child that the only person he wanted was him? And they had just finished establishing that telling should not have to lead to doing and he wanted to not only tell Gohan, but he wanted to be with him. To hold him, kiss him, and make love to him. Those things could never be and he felt so stupid and overly sensitive about even beating himself up over something impossible.

"You taught me to always reach for the sky. I know that sometimes when you do all you get is a handful of air, but who knows, once you may touch the sun. This sun wouldn't burn you because it's been waiting for you. Remember when you told me that, Dad? When I thought you'd have to be crazy to reach out and touch the sun even if you could do it? But crazy is not reaching. Not trying. When you don't know what will happen, making assumptions is not always the best way to go about it. I understand that there are just some things you know, some things that are just wrong, but you said so yourself, feeling isn't wrong. Sometimes it's the doing part that hurts. Sometimes it isn't. Words can hurt, but they can heal, too. I guess that's what I'm trying to do. I asked you that question I did because I knew how you would answer, because I know how you are. So I'm trying to get you to follow your own advice. Tell her. If she is a good person, then she won't be offended. I take you for the kind of guy that would fall for a woman that mirrors your personality and attitudes. But if you did happen to fall for someone who is the opposite of that then I'm begging you to forget about her. You know what? Or him. Whoever it is. If they don't have at least some similar qualities to you, then they probably are not the person you should hurt yourself over. I know you can't help who you fall in love with, believe me, I know, and it's terrible when you want someone you just can't have. I'll tell you something you didn't know about me."

He stopped and waited to see an expression of interest. His dad picked his head up and looked at him. Then he continued. "I asked that question also because I want to know what I should do about the person I like. I like someone I shouldn't like. Just like you. But unlike you, I think, there is a socially stigmatizing basis for why I haven't and probably won't tell them. I don't know if it's the same for you, but I know what it's like to want, more than anything, to just feel like your feelings are normal and wanted, that someone won't hate you for them. I just don't let it get me down. I just know that there are some things that are not meant to be. The way I see it, I shouldn't dwell on the impossible. I have to grow up someday and that day is fast approaching. Like you, I wish things could be different. But they aren't, are they? You don't have to tell me who they are, I don't really care anymore. I just care about you and how you feel and what you've been doing to yourself. This is what happens when your own wisdom comes back to haunt you. I say go for it and tell them, and maybe you'll at least get closure and be able to develop positive attitudes about yourself. You never know, there could be a bunch of reasons they don't seem to like you or share your feelings, it wouldn't always have to be because you aren't a likable person. It could be anything and that is why assumptions will get you nowhere fast."

His father's eyes were open wide and his mouth was slack. He looked stupefied and extremely anxious. He sat staring at him as he talked, as if he couldn't believe that someone shared the same problem he had. Was that good? Would that make his dad feel that he wasn't alone in this and that they could get through it together?

"Do you want to know who I like?" Gohan asked shyly. His father closed his mouth, swallowed, and then looked away. He solemnly shook his head 'no'.

"Why not?"

Goku didn't speak but something happened to his face and he just shook his head again.

"I guess it doesn't matter, huh? I can't be with them. And if I tell you, you don't have to tell me who your person is. I don't...I don't really want to know who it is you like."

Goku's face then turned grave. Should he tell him? What would happen? Would he freak? Would he be sickened? Would he accept it? One thing was for sure. He wouldn't feel the same. He shook his head again. Now was not the time for this.

"It's time for bed, son," he croaked out in a hoarse voice and rubbed his hands down his face.

Gohan didn't say anything or move. He just watched his father sigh in distress. Why was he so distressed anyway? They were just talking. He was trying to make the man feel better but it looked like he made him feel much worse.

"I'm sorry," he said, getting up. "Goodnight, Dad." He turned to go and left his father there sitting alone and hoped that the man would call him back and apologize but he didn't. He went to his room with his head hung and sat on his bed with a sigh. Why did it seem that every time they talked about that person his father would get more upset than the last time they talked about it? Was it just him or did it seem as if he was somehow exacerbating his dad's negative feelings simply by bringing it up? How could that be? He was sincerely only trying to help and he couldn't for the life of him think of anything he was doing or saying that could hurt anyone, least of all his father. The man didn't even care about his own problem or who he liked. Gohan knew it wasn't about him but the look Goku had on his face as he was speaking about his very similar issue got worse and worse the more he spoke. He rapidly shut down afterward and then dismissed him in such a cold manner the boy would think he had insulted him or worse.

Why was this happening? He wanted nothing more than to help fix his father but he just added fuel to the fire. But Goku never stopped him or interrupted. He hardly spoke at all after answering his initial question. And then, sometime after he said the thing about having a crush on him if he weren't his father, the older Saiyan looked just a tad stunned and then like he just lost his best friend. Somehow, it was something he said, that had to be it. Or maybe it was everything. His dad never gave off the impression that anything he was saying was negative or wrong or anything he didn't want to hear, he just sat there and listened, truly absorbed in the one-sided conversation. He was listening. He was especially interested when Gohan stated that there was something about him that he didn't already know. So it was something he said after that. Did he somehow make it seem like putting action to his feelings for that person was wrong? No, it couldn't be that. They had just finished talking about the correct circumstances and since he didn't know what the circumstances were between his father and his special person, he had nothing to say about that.

If had told his dad that it was him he had romantic feelings for, would that have made it worse? It was impossible to know without knowing what the problem was in the first place. A part of him wanted to stomp back down there and demand the he be told what the hell the deal was. Of course, he couldn't make Goku tell him anything and he might somehow make it even worse.

Gohan felt terrible. His father always said he was such a good kid but apparently there was something bad about him. Something that could make a man like his dad so upset like that indicated that there was a flaw in his own reasoning concerning what was helpful and what was not. He just couldn't fathom what it might be. Would it do more harm than good to ask? How could it?

Maybe it wasn't a good time though. He did have to go to bed and he probably wasn't wanted in his father's vicinity right then. He decided he would give the man his space and wait until hopefully things went back to normal. He went to sleep with a mind full of troubled thoughts and a heart full of hurt and it took him two hours to do it.

The next morning, as he came down the stairs on his way to school, his father was sitting in the living room, ready to intercept him on his way out the door.

"Hey, Gohan, could you come here a minute?" The man pleaded as his son passed him in his brisk walk toward the kitchen.

The boy in question glanced at his watch without breaking his stride. "Negative. I'm running late. I have to get to school now. Bye."

Without so much as a look in the older Saiyan's direction, the teen hastily bolted out the door and was in the sky in under five seconds. He flew at break neck speed toward Star City. He really was going to be late thanks to not getting enough sleep because he was too busy worrying over what had happened last night.

His icy, dismissive attitude had surprised him as much as he was sure it surprised his father. His feelings were hurt last night and he vindictively felt like returning the painful favor. Maybe if his dad knew how it felt to be treated like that, he would be more cognizant of his feelings the next time around. And there would be a next time around because at some point all of this would come to a crescendo that likely would involve shouting and some more pain. Not that he thought it was going to be a huge deal, but to have this problem stem from the one he and his father already had what with not spending much time together and being more distant than they should was surely a sign of something bad.

He didn't have too much of what anybody would call a relationship with his mother, who had obviously decided she wanted nothing to do with Son Goku and his overly heroic ways which he had passed on to his son, and he didn't want the same to happen between him and the most important person in his world. He was always afraid that he would lose the man to some outer space entity with outrageous power or something like that heart disease he had a few years back and he wouldn't be able to be wished back and Gohan would left with nothing.

After the Cell Games, he had begun having vivid nightmares of losing his parents and friends for months and had managed to keep it from everyone to this day. He just wanted to protect them, to protect his father, and of course, to selfishly protect himself from pain. Apparently he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

On top of that, he felt bad for shunning his dad the way he had before he left the house. Landing behind a closed boutique, he rushed into the school building and made it into his classroom just as the bell rang. Sighing in relief, he slouched to his seat, noticing right away the rampant whispering of his classmates as he sank into the chair.

"Quiet down class. Denkou, quit riding the boy with your eyes and pay attention. Everybody else, save it for when you're anywhere but here," Mr. Uruhara said.

Gohan didn't even care right then. He took out his notebook and pretended to be taking notes but his mind was miles away from Uruhara's boring lecture. He wasn't going to call or text his father at lunch or gym today and it already made him feel lonely and sad. He also doubted he was going to be receiving a text or call and was sure that today was not going to be a good day.

"Mr. Son."

Gohan's head popped up and he simultaneously felt every pairs of eyes in the class on him.

"Tell me, what is the term used when cells divide or reduce in s-

"Mitosis and meiosis," he responded boredly. The class began whispering again.

"Oh," the teacher said. "For a moment there I was concerned that you weren't paying attention." Not that he sounded convinced.

"Nope, just multitasking," he said with a brittle smile. Then he gave a glare like dry ice to the onlookers. Today was not the day for him to be messed with. He didn't want to get into any trouble and make the tension between him and his father worse, but he certainly wasn't taking any shit today so they had better leave him alone.

The class ended and he was the first person standing and the first person out the door, though he was not the closest to it. He just wanted the day to blur by so he could spend some time someplace quiet and lifeless where he could think and be away from his father until dinner time. He had his cell should the man worry.

"Hey, Gohan," someone called. He didn't recognize the voice so he didn't turn around, he just kept walking. But the person was determined to talk to him and jogged to catch up. He looked blankly at the boy. He didn't ever remember seeing him anywhere.

"I'm in your gym class," the kid clarified. Gohan squinted and waited for him to explain why he was wasting his time.

"Hey man, I was just wondering I saw you with your dad yesterday and I could swear I saw him somewhere else before. Is he like, a martial artist or something?"

"Yeah, why?"

"My dad does the martial arts tournaments every once in while and he says he fought your dad and lost. He didn't remember the guys name. Did your dad fight in a tournament?"

Gohan nodded. "A few of them since he was kid. He won three of them. He doesn't always participate. Not too many challenges out there. He hasn't been in any tournaments since I was nine."

"Oh," the boy said. He was short, like Gohan, and blonde with blue eyes and a friendly face. "I...I heard about the stuff in the hallway yesterday. It was tough of you to stand up to 'Kurenai the Cunt'."

"What?"

"That's what we who hate her call her. Nothing short of true. You must be strong like your old man. I was thinking of trying out for the tournament in a year and a half and was wondering if your Dad...knew anybody willing to train me? My dad said he was about the strongest guy he ever fought but my old man has heart problems and can't train me himself."

Gohan shook his head. He wanted to help the boy but didn't want him near his father. "Nah, my dad is too busy to take a student now. I didn't even think about the next tournament. I don't know if he'll participate. Sorry, man."

The kid shrugged. "Oh well, it was worth a try. I'd at least like to know how he keeps in such great shape. He must eat really well."

"No," Gohan said. "He eats what he wants and a lot of it. He just has a really high basal metabolic rate, I guess." He tried to show that he was done talking by walking away.

The blonde boy moved with him. "That's cool. Wish I was like that. You seem cool. And you're friends with Danny, right?"

"Right," Gohan muttered.

"My name's Yahiko. Sorry, I asked Danny your name. He and I hang out a lot. A friend of his hopefully could be a friend of mine, too."

Gohan gave a smile. "That sounds cool. I'm going to my History class now. I guess I'll see you at gym?"

"Yeah!" The other boy sounded excited and looked as happy as Gohan felt to make a new friend. Maybe this day wasn't going to be too bad.

History class was probably the most interest class he had. It was actually called Social History but fulfilled his history requirements. The teacher was a beautiful young woman named Mrs. Samurakari. She had a melodic voice and a soothing countenance.

"Today we're going to set some boundaries," she announced happily.

Mrs. Samurikari told most of the students to do something strange. She had told them to each do something different, like knock another student's belongs to the floor, stand in the back of the room facing the wall with their heads down, or to throw their belongings in the trash. As she was telling them to do these things, she got meaner, raising her voice to make them do as she commanded. When she told them all to settle down so that she could explain, half the class was confused, some were angry, and others were amused.

"The reason I told you guys to do those things was because I knew you would if I told you to."

"Nuh-uh," one kid piped up. "You can't make us do anything you say."

"Ah," she said, holding a finger up. "And yet you, Kinsuke, threw your notebook in the garbage and then fished it out on my command."

"That's because I wanted to see what would happen," he argued indignantly.

"What did you think would happen?" she asked, sitting on the edge of her desk and crossing her legs.

The boy shrugged. "I don't know, that's why I was waiting."

"Nothing is going to happen, but you already knew that. I told you to do something and you did it. But now, the question is, why did you do it? Hands up, please."

A few hands rose. "Kari."

"Cuz you're the teacher," the girl answered.

"Exactly. I am the teacher and you are not."

This was why Gohan liked this class and the teacher. She made things interesting and it was the only class in which he learned new and interesting things. The bell range in the middle of another social experiment that Gohan himself was included in.

"Okay class, be sure to read the handouts I provided and answer the questions on the back. See you all tomorrow."

The day went by a little differently from yesterday, with the occasional idiot calling him 'Daddy's boy' and kicking the back of his chair. When lunch time came, he thought about if he should text his father and apologize for what had happened that morning. He wanted the man to know that he was hurt but lowering himself to such a level wasn't going to make it better. However, when he pulled out his phone he saw that he had a voicemail waiting for him.

He listened to it as he gathered his lunch, ignoring the looks of other students as he took what was obviously more than was considered normal. The voicemail was from his dad and he was apologizing for last night. He said that he deserved what Gohan had done that morning and that he wasn't upset at him.

"I hope you'll let me talk to you when you get home. I love you. Later."

Gohan gnawed on his lip as he debated calling him back. He didn't know what to say. He would say sorry, his dad would say sorry, and then what? Should he just leave it alone? Was he supposed to ignore his father's misery and just move on? Maybe that was all he could do. It was worse when he tried to talk about it than when he left it alone so maybe that was what he should do. Surely the guy couldn't be miserable forever. If it was anything like a midlife crisis or temporary infatuation then he would get over it with time. He didn't like how this person his father was so into was pushing them apart but Gohan had to accept the fact that there was nothing he could do about it but make more trouble. Hopefully his dad got over that person soon so they could go back to having normal lives.

He wondered what they would talk about when he got home. It probably wouldn't be different from the last time the man wanted to talk so all he would do was listen, nod along as if he understood, and then go do some homework. It was also probably a good idea to find other things to do after school so that he wouldn't be stuck in the awkwardness that his house was becoming. He was almost sixteen, for Kami's sake, he didn't have a lot of time left before he reached adulthood and set out for a life of his own. All he wanted was to spend as much of that time with his father as possible, having fun, being happy, not being distant and cool.

But apparently that wasn't up to him or his dad. It was up to this special person that was taking the man away from him. He wished desperately he knew who they were, so he could give them a piece of his mind and make them aware of what they were doing to the only family he had left.

It was too bad, it really was.

"Hey, man, you gonna eat all that?"

He turned to see Daniel standing alone with his own tray. He hadn't known the other boy had lunch the same period.

"Oh, hey Daniel." He looked down at his overflowing tray. "Yeah, I am gonna eat all of this."

"Yo where do you put it?" The brunette laughed and sat down next to him. They were the only two people on that side of the table.

"I eat a lot. I can eat a bunch more than this, but I have to leave some for everybody else."

"Wow... You eat at home?" the other boy sounded suspicious.

Gohan chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I eat at home. But I didn't have breakfast this morning because I was almost late. So this is the first thing I'm eating. It barely suffices as a snack."

"Monster," Daniel laughed and started in on his own tray of just three items.

The talked about his dad for a few minutes and Gohan asked when Mikoto was. "She had something to do with her Mom. She didn't come to school today but I'll see her after when I go to her house. She has a really cool mom and dad and a huge house. She has games and stuff, it's pretty fun hanging out at her place. You should come over sometime so we can introduce you to her folks. They'd like you for sure."

Gohan wasn't hesitating to consider it. He said, "Is today cool?"

"Today's fine," Daniel said, squeezing a pack of ketchup on his burger and sucking his finger clean.

"And call me Danny, man. I hate being called Daniel."

Gohan smiled and nodded, starting on his food. They talked and ate until the bell rang for seventh period. He didn't have Global with Mr. Nawaki everyday, only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

"Gym time. Maybe you can work off all that food."

"Nah, I'm good. That was nothing. I'm nowhere near full but at least I'm not hungry anymore."

Danny just stared at him and shook his head. "Grocery bill at your digs must be crazy."

"We budget for it well. My Dad eats more than I do."

"Damn," the other boy said. "Guess you ain't exactly poor."

"Not exactly," Gohan said.

They had gym indoors that day and Danny managed to convince him to play a game of one on one basketball with him.

"So what if you suck, you can learn," the boy said, handing him the ball. "Know how to dribble, right?"

Gohan nodded. There were dozens of crappy attempts at shooting the ball into the basket before he found some semblance of rhythm. Daniel cheered him on and they shot around until the class was over. They had eighth period calculus together so they walked to class and Daniel took his seat in front of him.

"I bet you we have a test at the end of the week. Mifune always does that. But I bet you're ready, huh?" he asked cheekily, smirking.

"Of course," Gohan replied with just as much sass.

Goku was down by the lake, sitting with his legs in the water, watching the wind make ripples in his somber expression. He liked going there to think because it was so quite and peaceful and sometimes he just needed to be anywhere but the house. The events of the morning was the reason he was there today, conflicted as hell and feeling like everything was spinning out of control. He had certainly deserved it but it still made him feel pretty crummy. All Gohan was trying to do was help. How could he know that he was partly responsible for his father's misery? Even if he did know, what was he supposed to do about it?

The way he was looking at it would seem to anyone else like he was ignoring something big and obvious. Gohan seemed to like everything about him. According to his son, he was as close to perfect as anyone he had ever met. So what was the problem? There was still the matter that perhaps he was only almost perfect as a father, not as a potential partner. Gohan had said if they weren't related and so far apart in age, he would like him, but the fact was, they were related and he was more than twice the boy's senior. Gohan wasn't a child anymore and he was capable of making tough decisions but he would never decide to be with him. He had said all of those things to make his old man feel better and it would have worked if he didn't feel so low about himself. What hurt the most was that Gohan was willing to give him so much but he was too afraid to take advantage of it. The boy would probably never trust him again if he kissed him. Their relationship was very open and considerate but that was probably as far as it would ever go.

The only way to fix this was to suck it up. There was nothing he could do about it and he wasn't getting anywhere wallowing in self-pity everyday. Gohan had feelings for someone else so it would always be one-sided. He didn't know why the boy felt the need to tell him who this person he liked was. All knowing would do was make it worse for him. A part of him did want to meet the person, just so he could compare himself to them and see that his son was getting everything he would never be able to give him.

Maybe one day Gohan would get together with this person and introduce him to this girl or boy and bring them home for dinner. Goku would be expected to like this character and be nice but he wasn't sure he could. Sure, he'd be hospitable enough, but he wanted no part of their cuddly teen happiness. It would upset Gohan that he didn't have his father's full support but he didn't know what he was going to do about that and frankly he didn't want to think about it.

Yet Gohan had been saying that he couldn't be with the person he wanted but he never said why not. Who couldn't his beautiful son have? Was the person older? In a relationship already? Those two factors could have been the only things standing in his way as far as Goku knew. So it was more likely an adult because Gohan hadn't met other kids his age until yesterday and that was too soon to form strong feelings about someone. This was a person he already knew for a while. But how long?

Now he felt like he had to know. Gohan was not like him and would tell him if he wanted to know. He might ask what changed his mind.

"Oh no reason, really, I just wanted to see if I could help you get your dream person so you wouldn't be hopeless like me."

Right. He sighed. He was such a loser.

When the bell rang signaling the end of the school day, Gohan debated whether he should text or call his father and let him know he was going to Miko's house. An evil, sore part of him that was still upset about last night didn't want to, but he did anyway.

His father hadn't picked up so he left a voice message and nodded to Daniel.

"Let's go. He won't mind." The two boys caught the bus downtown to the second to last stop and got off in a comfortable-looking neighborhood. It was quiet but a few kids could be seem walking down the street, laughing and joking, obviously on their way home from school.

"I live that way," Danny pointed off to his left down a block with fat, squat houses and striking green lawns. "Miko lives another block up this way. Not far from the bus stop."

The walked until Daniel suddenly turned and crossed in front of him to open a gate. Mikoto's house was big and long stairs leading to the front door. Before they got to the door, Mikoto opened it and came out of her house and jumped into Daniels arms from four steps away. Luckily the boy caught her.

"Hey, missed you today, babe. I bought Gohan along. Your folks home?"

Mikoto let go of her boyfriend and gave Gohan a friendly hug. "Hey. Yeah, my Mom is here. Dad'll be home at six today. Come on." She led them inside and Gohan looked around at the wide hallway and starch white walls.

"Take off your shoes, my parents won't let anyone past this hallway with footwear." Daniel had already kicked off his sneakers and he took his own off and carefully put them by the door with the other pairs there. Daniel was used to being in the house because he looked at home there and Gohan felt awkward and anxious as he followed her to a huge den area that the was furnished with beige couches and a big wooden table. One of of the couches sat a woman who was looking directly at them as they entered. She stood and walked over to Gohan and extended her hand.

"Gohan? Hi, I'm Miko's mom, you can call me Mrs. Kurai, or Mrs. K, whichever you prefer." His friend's mother was a gorgeous woman with blonde hair and huge clear, blue eyes, an angular face and small pouty lips that held a graceful smile that Gohan couldn't help but respond to with one of his own. The woman knew he was coming and had prepare snacks for all three of them.

"I hear you eat a lot," she said. Gohan glanced at Daniel, who just smiled and hiked a shoulder.

"So I made more than usual. I hope it's enough. I don't know exactly how much you eat."

They walked into a ridiculous kitchen and on the center island counter was the snacks. There was three trays of vegetables with four types of dip, several trays of mini whole wheat bread sandwiches, countless rices cakes, and two coolers of beverages.

"You better believe all that is for you," Mikoto said with a giggle.

"I don't condone unhealthy food here, so there are no chips or cakes or other junk. There's ice tea and water in coolers. The sandwiches are whole wheat, low fat, lean meat and swiss cheese with no mayonnaise. The rice cakes are vegan organic, apple cinnamon and of course, the vegetables are all organic and raw. I hope you eat this stuff. If not, sorry."

"No," Gohan said with a shy smile. "This all really great. Thank you. I'm sorry I eat so much, it's just always been like that."

"I know why you eat so much," The woman winked at him. Gohan blinked.

"You do?"

"Yes, I am friends with Bulma Briefs and I've seen a man that could only be your father around. Her husband eats a lot. She told me why, and well, the man isn't exactly shy about it."

"Y-you didn't tell—

"Oh no," she said, holding her hands up. "No, you can do that. Miko won't care. I don't think Danny will either. They're great kids."

"Huh?" Daniel turned to his friend curiously. "Tell us what?"

"Later," Gohan mumbled. He didn't know if he should divulge that information without his father's consent.

"Leave him alone, Danny, he'll tell you when he's ready," Miko's mother scolded. "Now run along and play or go on Facebook or whatever it is you kids do in your free time. But, of course, you have to do your homework before you get to have any fun. Did you bring Miko's work, Danny?"

"Got it," the brunette confirmed.

The sprawled out in the living room, which was separate from what Miko called the den and took out their books.

"You already know I'm asking you about calculus homework," Daniel said.

"Calculus is a piece of cake for me, I can help you with whatever you need. But I'm not just gonna give you the answers, I'm going to help you get to them."

"Uh..." Daniel grinned. "Of course. I knew that." All three of them laughed together and started on their homework.

Goku had left his phone back at the house because he didn't remember to bring it and was too fuzzy minded to think about it until after five o'clock when he realized that Gohan should have been home from school by then and wasn't. He was about to call when he noticed the message. His son was at his friend's house and would be back in time for dinner. He sighed in relief. He wasn't quite sure he was ready to talk even though he suggested they do so when Gohan got home. Now he had more time to think about what he was going to say.

He would make some spaghetti and meatballs with salad and rice balls for dinner to keep himself occupied while he waited for his son to come home.

Dinner was finished in under two hours and Gohan still hadn't come home. He wasn't going to hound the boy by calling him so he just put the food in the oven and on the stove and went to the living room. He turned the television on but didn't watch it, rehearsing in his mind the conversation he was going to have with his son.

He hoped Gohan didn't blow him off like he had that morning. He could tell that he had hurt the boy's feelings and he wanted to make amends before things got any further out of hand than they already were. At the rate Gohan was bonding with his friends, he would likely be spending time with them after school a lot more. After school would come to include weekends and weekends would turn into overnight stays and suck away all of his time with his boy. Not that he was making the most of the time they had together now, but he was going to make a more conscious effort to try so that Gohan would not end up wanting to be with his friends all the time rather than at home. Not that that wouldn't be all his fault.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the screen door slam, announcing that Gohan was home.

He tensed up. Was he going to be ignored? Was Gohan not in the mood to talk? Maybe he already had dinner and would just be going to bed.

His son entered the living room and spotted him. He almost looked away but found that he couldn't because Gohan was walking straight to him, briskly. He started to say something but the boy already reached him and flung his arms around his neck, burying his head in his collar without a word. He froze for a second before he hugged back, a little confused.

Gohan didn't say anything for at least a full minute. He just clung to him silently.

"Hey," Goku whispered, breaking the silence. "Hey, is everything okay?" he asked, worrying that something had happened. He felt the head in his collar nod yes, but no words came.

He didn't know what to say to start the dreaded conversation, so he said, "I made dinner. Some spaghetti and meatballs. It should still be hot if you want to eat now." He swallowed. Gohan hadn't let him go and time was ticking by and the boy still wasn't saying anything. He was really worried that something was wrong. He just held on and started rubbing his son's back soothingly, hoping that he could ease the teen's nerves if it was necessary. A puff of air against his neck was Gohan's sigh of content and the arms actually tightened their grip on him.

As he was rubbing his back, he could feel the bumps of his spine and shoulder blades through his thin long-sleeved uniform shirt. His torso was broader than it had been a year ago and his muscles were more compact and firm. His boy was growing up fast. Soon he was going to be sixteen and he was going to start being less cute and more handsome when all the baby fat melted from his pretty face.

They spent almost five minutes sitting there hugging before Gohan finally pulled away.

"I'm sorry I blew you off this morning, Dad. I was just upset."

Goku shook his head. "No, it should be me apologizing. I blew you off first. I didn't mean for it to happen like that. I was uh, hoping we could talk. Do you want to talk after dinner or now?"

"Now." It didn't matter to Gohan. Nothing much would be said anyway. They'd probably get to eat in just a few short minutes. He was practically been in the guy's lap while they were hugging so he moved over a bit and sat next to his dad as the man took a deep breath and scratched his head.

"Yeah. So...I'm really sorry about last night. I just want to clarify something. You didn't do anything wrong. I know you were only trying to help. I was just being...I shouldn't have taken it out on you." Gohan just stared at him. He looked off to the side away from the boy and went on. "I don't expect that my apology will make it all better because it won't. I just don't like to talk about it."

"I gathered that," Gohan said.

"Last night..." he paused a second. Would it be fair to ask when he didn't want to share? "Well, you were asking me if I wanted to know who you liked. I said no. But I didn't...I shouldn't have. I want to help you as much as I can. You're young and maybe this is your first crush? I don't know. I want you to know that I'm here to talk about it and give you advice whenever you need it. We can talk about anything you want. You're almost a young man now and you need to know start handling things as a young man should. So if you want to talk about it, and I understand if you don't anymore, I'll never turn you away again." He turned back to his son and watched the teen watch him with a rigid expression.

"It doesn't really matter, like I said last night."

"But you never told me why exactly you haven't told this person how you feel." Goku didn't want to prod in the boy's business, but he would have done anything to not have his son turn out like him and if there was even then possibility that he could, he wanted to stop it somehow.

Gohan shrugged carelessly, looking down at his lap. What did it matter if his father knew? He was too caught in his own romantic woes to worry about his son having some ridiculous, childish crush on him. He would probably just pass it off in his mind as some strange phase kids go through and assure Gohan that he must be confused. It was better than being mad at him for it. It could bring no worse harm than talking about who his father liked. Goku was distant enough; this couldn't make it much worse, if anything changed at all.

"Can we talk over dinner, I'm hungry," he lied. He just wanted something else to occupy his attention so that when he said it he could be as nonchalant as possible.

He went to his room and took a quick shower then changed into a different thin long-sleeved white shirt and blue shorts. He took a deep breath and entered the kitchen, where his father was already waiting.

"Did you get your homework done," he asked him. He nodded and sat across the table as far away as he could. It was okay because they usually ate dinner at different ends of the table, Gohan occupying his mother's previous spot after he and his dad began to grow apart.

"You don't have to tell me," Goku said. He had already shared out his portion of food and waited until Gohan came back down so they could eat together. Gohan said nothing and helped himself. It didn't seem right that the boy should tell him, after all, he didn't want to share the identity of the object of his infatuation so it made sense if Gohan wanted to keep it to himself.

As he was twirling the spaghetti around on his fork, the boy said. "He likes someone else," and speared a meatball and stuffed the forkful into his mouth without looking up. Goku's eyebrows rose, then lowered in pity.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I have a question. Feel free not to answer it. If its none of my business you can say so, I won't be upset." Gohan chewed slowly and nodded, still gazing boredly at his plate. He seemed to be avoiding something or trivializing the conversation for some reason. Goku thought it was pretty serious, but Gohan didn't look like he even cared all that much.

"Is this person older than you?"

Gohan simply served himself another forkful of spaghetti and meatballs and nodded yes. Goku felt his jaw clench.

"Would it be too intrusive to ask how much older?" Yes. Of course it would be.

"Couple years," Gohan mumbled with his mouth full, and reached for his glass of water. He washed his mouthful down only to quickly take another one, as if he wanted to keep his mouth occupied.

Goku didn't push. Gohan was smart and must have known he wanted a more direct response. He didn't want to tell him. The older Saiyan wanted to ask the question in a different way to see if the boy would or could avoid answering but didn't. It wouldn't be fair.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Then he asked, "How do you know this person likes someone?"

Gohan shrugged again, taking a sip of his water. "He told me." Goku nodded silently.

Pretending the fact that it was a male didn't bother him, Goku continued, "So you already tried to tell him about how you felt?"

"Of course n—I mean, no, it wouldn't matter because he likes someone else."

Goku's eyes narrowed suspiciously. His son's response had started out with a definite adamant tone to it, like his question was somehow ridiculous. He felt his curiosity rising.

"Okay. So, if that weren't a factor, would this guy's age be a problem?" It better had been. He waited while Gohan took his sweet time pouring dressing on his salad and crushing a rice ball up and mixing the whole thing together, tasting it, finishing off his glass of water, and pouring himself another one.

"Not for me. I guess it would be up to him." The boy never once looked up from his meal. He was intentionally engrossing himself in his food, but Goku didn't know why.

"Do I know him?" Gohan finally looked up at him. He stared at him for a while, then looked back down.

"I don't want to answer that," he muttered, going back to focusing his attention on his food. Goku frowned.

"Well, okay, that's fine. But were you really going to tell me last night?"

"Sure," his son replied.

"So..." he left the word hanging, knowing that the boy catch the hint. But Gohan stayed silent.

"Is it because I won't tell you who I like?"

"No."

"It's okay if that's why. It's only fair." He wasn't going to say that he was glad that the guy was interested in someone else so that he couldn't get his paws on his son but knowing it made him feel better.

Gohan said nothing so he decided to leave it alone and they finished their meal in quietness. Gohan offered to do the dishes and rebuked his help when he offered it so he left to go to his room and give the boy the space he obviously wanted.

It was strange how he had walked into the house and right into his arms but at the end of the night he grew so cold. Gohan was doing exactly what he always did and to have the effect reversed on him felt as bad as he was sure his son did when he did it. He had never considered what it was really like for Gohan, but now that he had a taste he had to say he didn't like it at all. And he had done it to Gohan multiple times.

"Fuck," he whispered to himself. He had blown his chance at finding out who the mysterious man his son innocent feelings were for. He blew his chance at meeting the guy he wished was him. If it were him, he could never turn the boy away. Who could this man be to afford the attentions of a boy so young?

Gohan was a level headed person, even for a teenager and for him to fall for an older person, knowing how futile it would be, knowing how taboo it was, must have meant that this person was no ordinary person. This person must have spent considerable time with his son, otherwise how else could it happen? Which meant it must have been someone Goku knew.

Now he had to start guessing.

It wasn't Vegeta, unless Gohan lied to him and he was sure he hadn't. He wasn't very fond of Yamcha, though he was nice enough to the scarred human. It couldn't be Krillin because Krillin was married and Gohan expressed no odd behavior when they were at the lake, if anything he was happy to see the short man off. Gohan didn't know Tien all that well and he highly doubted it was the three-eyed man's small friend, Chiaotzu. Bulma's son from the future had not been around in years and his son had no reason to hide his identity if it were him.

Could it be Piccolo? It would make a lot of sense except he wasn't sure Piccolo could have romantic feelings for another person. Last he heard Namekians were asexual. Still, the green man was the most viable possibility. He was the only person Gohan spent a lot of time with at any point in the recent past. He had known the man since he was four so it wasn't that outrageous to consider. Gohan might not tell him if he had feelings for his mentor at the risk that Goku might confront the other fighter, which he couldn't say he wouldn't do. And he probably wouldn't tell Piccolo either.

So that was the only person he could come up with. Now what? He knew Piccolo wasn't going to allow Gohan to pursue him, therefore the other warrior was not a threat. But Gohan was almost always around the guy. He hadn't been for almost a year, but it wouldn't be long before they would reunite again. Though Piccolo was the only person he could think of, Goku just couldn't imagine his son being in love with him. It wasn't because he was green—let's get that clear. But he was...Piccolo. Whatever would convince anyone that they should harbor a crush on a brick wall like Piccolo? Sure, one could do worse, but the tall alien was at times a bit more like Vegeta than anybody would care to ignore. He was cocky like the Prince, moody, kept to himself, and was at one point preoccupied with fighting him to the death someday. Could his son like someone who once wanted to kill him?

Well you know what they say, you can't help who you fall in love with. He sighed. That was for sure. He waited until he heard his son return to his room before getting in the shower and getting ready for bed. It was almost nine o'clock and it was a little early for the teen to be going to bed. He wanted to drop in and say good night but he decided to just stay away until morning, where hopefully Gohan was acting less weird and quiet and careless and more like himself.

He didn't have a bed time and he wasn't tired. He didn't feel like reading or training or watching television. He could only think so long about his situation. He was bored. He wished he could do something with Gohan but the boy was probably chatting with his friends online and didn't need his annoying interruption. They had a second computer in the living room, but he had no desire to surf the net.

Meanwhile, in Gohan's room, the demi-Saiyan was not only bored to tears, but he was conflicted almost to the point of pain by his emotions. When they had been talking in the kitchen and his father had been asking him those questions, every part of him wanted to just blurt out 'It's you! It's always been you!' but he just couldn't. Last night he thought he was prepared to go all the way and just say it, but was he really? Would he really have told his dad that it was him he had his insane crush on? He had told him yes in the kitchen but wasn't sure it wasn't a lie. He knew nothing could go wrong by telling him, but what would it do? Goku was already so in love with some nameless somebody that the last thing he needed was for a child to be fantasizing about what it was like to kiss him. He always managed to somehow make things worse between them when talking about that topic, though he had no clue how, so theoretically the news of his feelings for the man could also somehow make things worse.

He laid awake for more than an hour. It was almost midnight when he sat up in bed. He had been trying to ignore the strong urge to see his father but realized that fighting it was keeping him awake. He didn't want to be alone tonight. Just once he wanted to sleep next to his beautiful, miserable, lonely dad. He had never slept with him before, not even when he was a kid. When they went camping, they slept in the same tent but in separate sleeping bags. Would his dad want to be alone for the night? Was this a bad time? He had read somewhere that divorced people who sleep alone were most lonely and depressed at night. Maybe he would welcome the company.

He got out of bed and crept out into the hallway. He stopped in front of his door and listened for sounds downstairs. All of the lights were off in the house, as usual this late at night, and his father was in his room, he could feel him. Leaving his door open, he slunk silently down the hall on his tiptoes. At the end of the hall was the bathroom. He had a personal bathroom but his dad didn't. There was about twenty five feet between his room and his father's and he slowly closed that distance on his tiptoes until he was standing right in front of the door.

He stopped again and strained his ears to hear for signs that his dad might have been awake. He could hear the light snoring and smiled eerily in the darkness.

Slowly and carefully turning the nob, he pushed the door open a crack and peeked inside. He could make out in the dim light coming from the window the man's shirtless form on his back, arms spread out. He opened the door wide enough to squeeze his body inside and softly closed it behind him. He made his way over to the king sized bed and stopped at the edge to stare down at its inhabitant.

A warmth rose in his chest as he sucked in a quiet breath at the sight of his father's fully exposed chest. He had seen his dad shirtless a billion times, and each time was better than the last. God, his dad was so awesome. He had the face of an angel and an incredible body, the lower half of which was covered by a thick sheet. It was a warm August night so there was no need for the comforter just yet. The king sized bed was obviously made for two but of course it was just his dad alone in it for almost four years.

Despite that, there was more the enough space next to him for another person to lay and smiling, Gohan gently, so as not to wake him, took advantage of that. He slid into the space and helped himself to some of the sheets, scooting his body over and resting his head down on the sleeping man's chest. Goku didn't stir.

He put his hand cautiously on his father's chest and relaxed into him, tucking himself under one strong arm. It felt incredibly good to be lying there, even though the man was unaware. He wished he could do it every night, with permission. The older Saiyan's skin was hot to the touch and very soft over the hard muscle of his pectorals.

Right in his field of vision was one dusky pink quarter-sized nipple. He licked his lips, stilling his hand. He wanted to reach over and touch it so bad but he fought the urge. His head was currently resting on the other one. He picked his head up and looked down at it. If he kissed it and his father woke up, he would have some explaining to do. Instead he just rubbed his cheek against it and sighed. He felt comfortable there, in the sleeping man's arms, in his bed, like it was meant to be that way.

Suddenly he also felt very tired and let out a huge yawn. Who knew all it would take to calm his nerves was to climb into his daddy's bed. He almost giggled at the thought. If his dad didn't wake up and freak out, then everything would be fine. He snuggled in closer and sleepily pressed a kiss into the skin near his lips, too tired to care about being careful. Of course, the kiss didn't wake his father up. With another yawn, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

In the middle of the night or sometime very early in the morning, Goku became aware of the fact that he was not alone in his bed. At first he stiffened and looked around to confirm that he was still in his room and seeing that he was allowed himself to relax. The thing that alerted him to the second presence was the pressure on the right side of his chest, arm, and leg.

Gohan was there, cuddled up to him, his head on his chest and one arm wrapped around his middle, sleeping.

"Awww," he whispered.

The boy must have come into his room some hours ago and managed to get in bed with him without waking him up. The sight of his son curled up against him and sleeping was the cutest thing he had ever seen. The boy's face was more feminine than usual when he was asleep, his long eyelashes shining in the moonlight and his pink, soft-looking lips parted and puffing air on his skin as he breathed. He looked so much like his mother then and he felt a pang go through him at the thought of his ex-wife. He dismissed it and reached his other hand over to softly stroke his thumb across the boy's cheek. Gohan didn't move. His other arm was under the smaller body and he flexed it and enclosed his son in it, bringing it around the little frame and holding him even closer. He bent his head forward and kissed the boy's forehead softly. He wondered why he was there. After the previous night the last thing he expected Gohan to do was crawl into bed with him.

Maybe he was lonely too. At his side, the teen stirred, getting more comfortable on his chest and pulling his leg further up his thigh. Luckily he stopped before he got anywhere critical and descended deeper into slumber with a small moan. Crap, he was adorable. He had tucked his head under his father's chin and Goku settled his chin in the downy spikes that were his son's hair and soon joined the sleeping beauty.

He awoke to the feeling of something touching his back. Rubbing, to be more exact. His eyes cracked open and he blearily shifted his head to see his father gazing down at him with a tiny smile.

"Good morning sleepy head," he was greeted. He smiled back and sat up, immediately missing the hand that left his back as he did so.

"You purr like a kitten." He gave the man a questioning look. Purr? Him?

"You started doing it when I was rubbing your back to wake you up. Don't worry, it's cute." He blushed and quickly turned to get out of the bed, stretching and yawning. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay in bed with his dad all day long and cuddle. The man's hand felt great on his back and waking up to him had made his day already.

He was about to head to his room, but before he did, he climbed back on the bed and gave his father a hug. Goku seemed startled by it but hugged him back. He moaned happily and placed a kiss on the elder's cheek.

"Thanks for letting me sleep with you, Dad." He smiled at him and hopped off the bed and stretched again. He hoped it was early enough for him to get some breakfast. As he padded to his room to get ready for school, he thought about finding a way to sleep in his dad's bed again tonight. He could sneak in after than man went to sleep again and wake up to another wonderful backrub. Yes, that sounded really good.

It was 6 o'clock so he had an hour and a half to clean up and grab something for breakfast. He took a quick shower and pulled on his school uniform. He packed the appropriate books into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. When he got downstairs, his father was already there with bacon and eggs cooking, toast in the toaster, and the table set for one. It would take too long to make a meal for both of them at the same time so Goku usually ate breakfast before or after his son left.

His father said, "I'm going to spar with Piccolo today," and watched him for a reply. Gohan looked up from wolfing down his breakfast.

Chewing and swallowing, he said, "Piccolo? Really? Aw, I wish I didn't have school so I could go. Tell him I said hi." Then he went back to scarfing his meal with no other expression of interest. Goku couldn't tell anything by it.

"I wonder if he gets lonely," his dad continued. He was just sitting there at the table, talking to him while he ate.

"I don't think so. Piccolo likes being alone. It suits him, I guess."

Goku stopped talking. His son stood, grabbed his bag, and crossed the table. He bent and dropped the second kiss for the day on his cheek.

"Gotta go, Dad. Text you later. Love you." And then he was gone out the door in a rush and Goku was left lightly touching his tingling cheek. Gohan was making a habit of kissing him on the cheek. He hadn't done it since he was a child and today he had already gotten two of them. Not that he was complaining. First he got to wake up twice with the most amazing person in the world in his arms and then those silken lips graced his cheek with two kisses in the space of two hours. The day was going great so far.

He hoped he didn't ruin it again, like he always did. It was never Gohan that pushed them apart; it was always him. He should just quit whining about his troubles and let his son love him. He was lucky he was waking up to him and getting any attention at all, especially after what he had done the day before yesterday.

When he was alone, his thoughts instantly went to his son's reply about Piccolo.

'Piccolo likes being alone. It suits him, I guess' he had said. He knew the Namekian best, not that you had to to know that he was a solitary being. He had not, however, reacted in any way that would hint that he wanted to ease his mentor's loneliness. That led him to the puzzling conclusion that it wasn't Piccolo his son was interested in.

Then who was it?

Gohan had chosen not to answer when he asked if he knew the person, so he couldn't say for certain that he actually did. Maybe he didn't. Maybe Gohan figured that would make him upset to know that he was crushing on a stranger. Maybe the man was a stranger to him but a close acquaintance to Gohan. He didn't know how that could be unless Gohan was sneaking away at some point in the day to meet this fellow somewhere secret and he doubted he was doing that. But he wasn't certain. How would he go about finding out?

Goku was so sure that it couldn't be him that he didn't even consider the possibility.

Gohan strutted through the halls in a mood so great the other students could feel it as he passed.

"Hey man," Yahiko greeted, catching up to him. "What's got you so up in the air?"

Gohan smiled. Not so distant memories of the night and morning filled his mind. Oh yeah, he was up there. "I'm just feeling really good about today," he replied vaguely. The blonde nodded and asked him about how he liked Miko's mom.

"She really cool. You met her before?"

"Of course. She's my aunt."

Gohan head whipped toward him. "Yup. Miko's my cousin."

They walked to class together and split off, where the other boy headed further down the hall and he stopped at room G32. He was a little early but he wasn't the only student in the class. They were sitting around, yapping away and boldly sitting on the teacher's desk and chair.

He took his seat and pretended to engross himself in a book while he treated himself to the remembrance of the feeling of his father's hard, wonderful body underneath his head and his hand. How he woke up to the man petting his back. He said he was purring and as a strange as that sounded, he'd believe it as good as the stroking had felt.

Nobody who saw that he was in a good mood knew why nor cared. They didn't bother him that morning, nobody whispered and stared, nobody cared. He hoped it would stay that way, not that their stupid childish teases could ruin his high but he he was feeling in just good enough spirits to happily cuss someone out today.

"Off my desk you little monsters," a voice grumbled.

The students all scuttled to their seats as the teacher placed his suitcase on the floor. It was his English teacher, Mr. Inoue. The man was mean and old and obviously hated kids. He glared at his desk as if it had some vile bacteria on it with a deep, wrinkled frown. The he reached into his bag and pulled out disinfecting wipes and began to wipe down the whole of his desk and chair. The students watched him and muttered amongst themselves about what a weird old dude he was.

"I don't know what you little cretins have, what with you entertaining your promiscuous teenage activities," Mr. Inoue muttered, more to himself than to his students.

"If I catch you touching my desk or chair again you will earn a demerit. This is not your lounge, it is a classroom, I am the teacher, you are nothing but mindless children and you would all do well to remember your place here when you are in this room." Gohan cringed inwardly.

This guy was a fruit short of a basket case. Why did people like him decide to teach 'mindless children' especially when he obviously did not like it? Did they really pay this bitter old hag to insult them? He hoped to find no confrontation with the guy, who eerily reminded him of a nasty tutor he had when he was nine that his mother had thrown out of his bedroom window for striking him.

When lunch time rolled around for the day, he was quick to whip out his phone and start texting as soon as he left his fifth period class.

'Hey Dad,' he texted. 'I hope your day is going as good as mine is.' He hit the send button and put his phone away. He entered the lunch room and looked around for his friends, spotting Daniel and Yahiko on line and Mikoto at a nearby table. He joined the other two boys on the line and waved to Miko.

"Dude, I hear you're parading around looking like the cat who ate the canary. So what's up, is it a girl?" Danny smirked.

"No, I'm just in a good mood. I guess you could say I got up on the right side of the bed." Indeed he had.

"So Gohan, when are we gonna be able to come to your house?" Daniel asked, shoving french fries into his mouth.

"I don't know," Gohan said nervously. "I kinda live far away."

"You take a bus?"

Gohan knew that this kind of thing was coming someday. They were going to want to know how he got to and from school if he didn't take a bus and didn't have a car. He couldn't lie about either of those things because if they were persistent enough he would be caught in the lie and who knew what would happen then. He had to talk to his dad about at least letting his friends know he could fly.

"No," he muttered.

"You don't have a car, I know that," the brunette continued. "Does you mom or dad drive you to school?"

He sighed. This was sooo gonna come back and bite him in the ass. "No."

He could feel all three of their attentions on him, curious. He pretended not to notice as he ate his own lunch.

"Then..." Mikoto started. "How do you get here?"

"Could you guys give me a minute?" he said instead, standing.

"Oh, you don't wanna tell us," Yahiko sounded as if he were accusing him of something.

"No, it's nothing like that. I just have to go to the bathroom. I'll tell you when I get back. Watch my food and don't eat any of it, Danny, I see you eying my fries," he laughed and quickly left the cafeteria like he really had to go.

When he got out into the hallway, he pulled out his phone and called his father on the way to the boy's bathroom. Making sure he was alone, he paced in front of the sinks and waited. His dad picked up after about seven rings.

"Sorry, son, I was just coming in from the grocery store. What's up?"

"My friends are asking how I get to and from school everyday. I couldn't lie and tell them I get driven here or take a bus. Could I tell them I can fly? I mean, I can't really hide it and I don't want them to think I don't trust them, dad, they're my friends. And Miko's mom knows Bulma and made a hint that she knows Vegeta isn't human because Danny told her I eat a lot and she said she knew why." All of this he blurted out in one rushed, hushed breath.

Goku just listened to the boy ramble on and waited until he finished his distressed mini-tirade before he replied, "It's up to you, Gohan. If you want to tell them you can fly, I agree that you should. As for your friend's mother, if she's okay with it and won't doesn't go around announcing it to the world, then it should be fine."

"What if they ask how I know how to fly?"

"It's a sacred martial arts technique that you learned from me and you don't know who I learned it from. Half of that is true," his father chuckled. Gohan sighed in relief. He knew his dad would know what to do.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm at lunch and ran away to the bathroom when they started asking questions. Now I'm going back. How's your day going?"

He heard something in the back ground rustling around before his father replied. "So far so good. I think I broke an egg here," he mumbled. "All right son, you go on back and wow your friends, I'll see you when you get home. Are you going anywhere after school?"

"Nope, I'll be straight home." He wanted to be near his dad as soon as possible and hopefully get to steal another kiss.

"Okay. See you then."

"Okay Dad. I love you."

"All right. Bye."

Gohan heard the click in his ear and frowned. Just once since he talked to him on the phone had the man said 'I love you' back. He supposed he didn't have to but it would have been nice if he did say it more often. He washed his hands and returned to the lunchroom and all three pairs of eyes where on him.

"Sorry about that," he said, sitting. "And to answer your question, I fly to school."

Mikoto blinked. "You have a jet?"

Gohan laughed and almost spit out his juice. "No, I fly."

Yahiko put his sandwich down. "So...you have a hang-glider...or something?"

Gohan, looking down at his food, shook his head. "No, I fly."

"No, we're asking what do you fly," Daniel snapped with annoyance.

The demi-Saiyan looked up. "And I'm saying. I fly. I can fly. I don't fly anything but myself."

Mikoto snorted derisively. "No you don't. Tell us how you get here. We wanna know the way to your house.

"I live on Mt. Paouz."

"What," Yahiko said in a deadpan voice.

"You do not!" Mikoto rolled her eyes.

"I do. And I fly to get here and back. If you don't believe me, I can show you after school," he said.

"You gotta be shittin' me." Daniel still didn't believe him. Who the hell that lived on Mt. Paouz went to school so far away and flew? His friend was bullshitting him. If he didn't want them to know where he lived all he had to do was say so.

"Wanna bet?" Gohan said, holding out a hand with his pinkie extended. "If I'm lying, you own me ten yen."

"You're on."

Gohan smirked. He was about to be ten yen richer.

"I wish school was over now so we could see. I think you're lying," the blonde boy said matter-of-factly, giving him a thin glare.

He shook his head.

"So did you really go to the bathroom?" the red-headed girl asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, but not to use it." No use lying about it. "I had to ask my dad if it was okay to tell you."

"Is that what my mom meant when she said that you would tell us when you were ready?"

"What, you eat all this food for fuel?" Daniel snorted.

Gohan lied. "Yeah. But that has nothing to do with why I eat so much. I just like to eat."

He avoided their stares for the rest of the period. Too bad he had both Miko and Danny in his next class. Hopefully the teacher would be paying enough attention so that they couldn't ask him anymore questions during class.

It was not to be. The teacher had them work in groups and with the two sitting around him, naturally they formed a whole group by themselves.

"So Gohan," Mikoto said. "Even if you could fly, which is ridiculous, how would we get to your house? We can't fly and you live too far away to drive."

"Don't know," Gohan whispered, hoping nobody else was hearing their conversation and wishing they would focus on their work instead of him. He really didn't think about them coming to his house, knowing that he lived too far away for it to be a plausible possibility. "And keep it down, I don't want to world to know."

They were still giving him looks that said they didn't buy a word of what he said. He was a little nervous about showing them. What if they started to ask more questions? Although they were his friends, he really didn't know them that well. He wanted to to trust them but that would come later, when he was sure they wouldn't freak or tell anyone with ears about his abilities.

When the bell sounded, the two of them were still laser piercing him with their eyes. They didn't have gym on Wednesdays so there were only seven periods. It was the moment of truth.

They all walked outside and Gohan led the way to his landing spot. "You guys have to promise you won't tell anyone else. I'd rather not have other people knowing my business."

"We can keep a secret," Daniel spoke for them all.

"Where are we going?"

"To my spot."

"Your spot?"

"Well I can't just drop in from the sky into a crowd full of people. When I come to school, not all of the stores are open so I can land in alleyway or something but when I go home I have to walk all the way over to the back of the park up the street. Since people are around now, I might only be able to show you for a little while."

They were too excited to argue and followed him six blocks to the park. It was a dog park, so not too many kids were there and those people that were there were with their pets and stayed away from the forest in the back unless they were of the more adventurous population. The kids looked around cautiously before sneaking into the forest. They didn't want adults to see them and assume they had gone there to do something illegal or inappropriate. He really had to take the time one day and find a better spot.

When they got to a clearing deep in the brush he stopped and turned to them.

"Nah, I was just joshing you all, I can't fly," he said with a huge grin. Their faces went blank.

"You...brought us all the way out here...for nothing?" Yahiko started looking around frantically. "Did you bring us here so you could molest us?" he yelled.

Daniel looked pissed. "Hey man, what the fuck?" He pushed Gohan and Mikoto started yelling at him.

He held his hands up defensively. "Okay okay, I was kidding. Hahaha, I wouldn't do that to you. Haha. Yahiko..."

Before they could get anymore upset he levitated into the air above their heads. Mikoto's mouth unhinged and her eyes popped out of her head.

"Woah!" Daniel shouted and backed up. His eyes were as far out of his skull as his girlfriend's were. He floated into a backflip and flew around them in a circle before landing.

"How is it you're doing that?"

"It's a special martial arts technique my Dad taught me," Gohan answered, blushing.

"Your dad taught you how to fly? Teach us!"

"Yeah, show us how to do it!"

"I want to fly!"

He put his hands up, trying to slow them down but they were very excited.

"I can't. You have to know how to control Ki and I don't know how to teach you how to do that."

"Your dad can teach us," Yahiko offered.

"He won't."

"Why not?" Miko asked.

"Because it's not a circus trick and not everybody can do it. I highly doubt you guys can."

"Oh really? And what's that supposed to mean?"

Gohan sighed. This was what he wished he could avoid. "You guys aren't martial artists. If you have too little ki or can't control ki, then you won't be able to do it."

"What's ki?"

"It's energy."

"I have plenty of that!" Daniel boasted.

"Not that kind of energy. It's spiritual energy. It takes time to learn to harness it, if you even have the ability, which not everyone does. Look guys, my dad would never teach you. He hasn't got the patience and you haven't got the ki control. I'm not saying you can't possibly do it but me nor my dad will be the ones to help you find out."

"Wow," Miko murmured. "It's just so cool."

"When did you learn to fly?" Yahiko was nearly in his face in his excitement.

Gohan backed away. "When I was five."

"So you can fight?"

"Yeah."

"Kurenai is lucky."

"Not really," he said, turning to head back out of the forest. They followed him.

"You'd have wiped the hallway with her!"

"I can't touch her. Not only because she's a girl, but because she's weaker than me. My dad would beat my ass if I hit a girl."

Miko cringed. "He's big, too. I bet it'd be some beating."

"For sure."

The trio exited the forest and some of the adults were giving them suspicious looks. He ignored them.

"All right guys, I have to go home," he said when he dropped them off at the bus stop.

"So you have to walk all the way back to the forest?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah. I really gotta find a better spot."

"Sucks for you man, but at least you don't have to walk to Mt. Paouz!"

"Yeah, whatever, instead of money, Danny, get an extra tray for me at lunch tomorrow. See you all later."

The three of them said their goodbyes and he ran back to the forest, eager to escape all the noise and people in the city and get home. He was in the air inside of five minutes.

Goku was standing in the front of their house doing warm-down katas when his son got home.

"Hey Dad!" The boy rushed up to him and attached himself to his sweaty body.

"Hey there, woah, son, I'm sweaty and smelly from training so you might not want to—

"I don't care. I miss you," Gohan said, hugging him tighter. It was especially hard to care when the man smelled so good.

Goku awkwardly put his arms around the boy, trying not to rub his face into the sheet of sweat on his chest. He was released and Gohan stepped away and went into the house, saying that he was coming right back out. He continued his katas while waiting and when Gohan came back out in a white wife-beater and thin basketball sorts he stopped.

"Can we go fishing, Dad?" he asked with the cutest hopeful look he could muster.

"Why you read my mind. I was just thinking of catching some trout for dinner. Maybe we could eat it at a campfire instead of in the house?"

"Yeah!"

"Did you do your homework?"

"Not yet."

Goku would let him slide on that one. After all, he didn't want to be like his ex-wife. "So how'd it go with your friends? Did you show them you can fly?"

"Yeah. They got overexcited and started asking about getting me or you to teach them but I convinced them that it wasn't possible and they seem to be cool enough with it. They want to come here but I don't know of a way that would be possible either. It would be cool to have my friends over but we live so far away from the school."

Goku gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, son."

The boy waved his hand. "It's fine Dad. It can't be helped. It's not your fault. I like living here. They understand."

The older fighter watched his son start to stretch.

"I bet I can hit you in the face in under five minutes," Gohan said. He clasped his hands together and pulled his arms behind his back. Then he spread and stretched his legs, one each. Then he dropped into a split.

"I haven't had a good stretch in a while. I feel so stiff. But give me a minute and I'll be ready," he grunted, twisting his upper body.

Goku watched everything he did, his son unaware. It wasn't that he was checking him out, well, he kinda was, but he was trying to see into Gohan's excitement and determine if the boy would get upset if he started to talk about his little crush. He didn't want to ruin his night, especially not when they were going to bond by a campfire later. Gohan would want no part of that if he were agitated. He felt like such an idiot now. He had missed the chance to find out when he had it because he was to busy moping like a girl about his own issues. Now he wanted to know more than ever.

Gohan stood up and slid into a fighting stance. "Let's go Dad. Less than five minutes, I can land a hit. Wanna make a bet?" He smirked mischievously.

Goku smirked back. "You've been out of commission too long, son. I wouldn't make a bet like that against me if I were you."

"Then it's a good thing you're not," was the smart-ass reply.

"Okay. I'll entertain you. What do you get if you win."

Gohan had to force his mouth not to mirror the words in his head. A kiss. No chance that was ever going to happen. He wasn't serious about the bet and his father didn't really have anything he wanted that he was willing to give him or that he couldn't just ask for.

"How about...Ah!" He had an idea so perfect it begged to be suggested. "You let me sleep with you every night for the rest of this week." His mouth gaped into a wide grin.

His father looked only a little startled by his condition. "And what do I get if I win?" Too bad Gohan didn't know that he was going to win something no matter what.

"You can have anything you want. You chose." The teen cracked his knuckles. "But you'll be surprised how much I stayed in shape."

Goku wasn't about to argue with that. The boy looked as good as ever to him. "Okay, so, when I win," he heard a snort from the other, "You'll have to..." How tempting it was to say that he should be told who his son's crush was if he won, but that probably wouldn't fly. Then again, there was one thing that might serve as a punishment for Gohan but a prize for him.

"You lose, we go skinny dipping after dinner." He remembered the look on his son's face when he had suggested it last time. It couldn't hurt. Gohan seemed confident he would win anyway so he probably wouldn't think he'd have to do it.

Instead of looking disgusted or indignant, he was surprised when Gohan gave him an exact duplicate of the look he had given him a few months ago in the hall after their half-naked-in a-towel conversation. He swept his eyes from his face to his feet and back up, quickly, but slow enough to get an eyeful. Then he blushed.

"Okay," Gohan said, hating that he became flustered. He almost wanted to lose on purpose. Five nights in his father's bed, who would be gloriously half-naked the whole time, he hoped, or a few hours at best of fighting himself not to ogle the man's delicious, fully nude body? Funny thing though, that his dad would suggest that.

Goku, who was wearing a pair of simple, light-weight khaki shorts and some sneakers, set the timer on his wrist watch and took a defensive stance. "Ready when you are."

The second he started the timer, Gohan attacked him head on with such a startling amount of energy he almost got hit on the third exchange of blows. Damn, he thought, either the kid was serious about those sleepovers or he really didn't want to go skinny dipping. It was most likely the latter more than the former.

He thrust his foot out and almost caught him in the midsection but Gohan dodged right out of the way and missed him with a left hook by a hairs breath. Goku had expected him to be at least a little rusty, enough to lose the bet but the boy was going at him as if he had been training. As far as he knew, Gohan hadn't done any fighting of any kind but the, what, two times they sparred in the last few months, yet he had a surprising amount of force behind his hits. He had to be careful or he would lose.

Gohan really wanted to spend the night in his father's room for the rest of the week. Sleeping with him and waking up next to him, holding him, watching him unhindered, just being close to him for hours was such a spectacular feeling, and to experience it five more times was just too good to pass up, especially on the weekend. Of course, losing would be no kind of terrible hardship either, but he wanted to impress his dad by winning and earning those five nights. Besides, he couldn't very well stare at him naked, and that was a punishment far more than it was a reward. He had to win.

It was a good thing they didn't bet about what would happen if he got hit because his dad got in a solid uppercut that couldn't be avoided because he was fast. If he was going to win he had to rely on strategy rather than speed.

The time was ticking away but if Goku looked at his watched he might have gotten hit. Five minutes hadn't gone yet but it was close.

"You've got about a minute to hit me," he said. Hearing this, the intensity of Gohan's strikes increased. He was almost smirking because it was apparent that Gohan was going to lose. At least he would lose knowing he gave one heck of a fight.

Gohan couldn't lose. Yeah, his dad was very fast and very skilled but he wanted to win too bad for him to lose. There wasn't much time left. He had to pull this off right or he would have one awkward night ahead.

He swung his left fist and blocked his stomach with his right. Raising his leg, he delivered a roundhouse kick with no intention to connect and as soon as his other foot touched the ground he swooped down into a side split and Goku's punch missed his head. He slammed his palm into the inside of one of the older Saiyan's knees, causing the leg to be pushed outward. Goku retaliated by trying to roundhouse him with the other leg, which he avoided by pushing his torso to the ground. When his father returned to the position facing him he made like he was going to punch up. A punch was all he could be expected to do in such a position, anything else would have been too slow. Well, it would have been if his opponent was expecting it.

But Goku wasn't. He grabbed the fist aimed at his midsection and heaved upward to throw his assailant but Gohan used the momentum to get to one foot on the ground, pulled his arm back and, while still in his father's grip, bent forward and brought his other leg up from behind, over his shoulder and thrust his foot into the man's face. The entire move took less than two full seconds and Goku's head whipped back from the impact, making him release his son's arm and staggered back in surprise.

Gohan smirked and stood up straight. It was going to be the best five days of his life.

Goku wiped the blood from his nose with wide eyes. He knew the boy was flexible but not that flexible! He hadn't seen even the hit coming! When Gohan went down he thought that maybe the boy wanted to hit him in the balls or something to weaken him but the demi-Saiyan faked a punch to what was the second most vulnerable section in that orientation, his midsection, and then used his own move against him to ensure his victory.

He smiled. He was so proud of his son. He didn't mind losing. It had been a very pleasant surprise to find the boy in his bed that morning and five more such occurrences were no real kind of punishment.

"So Dad," Gohan said with the same victorious smirk. "I guess you're gonna be my pillow for the rest of this week. By the way you make a great pillow." He laughed teasingly.

"Fair enough. You got that." He was curious to know if his son had been training without him or if he was really just that good after almost three years of inaction. Of course he knew his boy was strong and it wasn't a surprise that he won, but Gohan knew he would win.

"Though it still would have been nice to go skinny dipping." His father had such a wistful look on his face that Gohan nearly groaned. He knew his dad loved to skinny dip, thanks to his complete absence of modesty and blissful inexperience of the embarrassment being nude brought. But he couldn't promise he wouldn't stare. He couldn't just say that, though, because then he would be asked why that was the case.

"Sorry Dad," he said. "But you lost and you have to take this loss like a man." As much as he wanted to say yes, he knew no good would come of it.

"Okay." Oh well, Goku thought, at least he tried.

"I'm going to do my homework now. Then I'll be ready for fishing!" Then he would be ready for bed. With his father. Half-naked. Oh yeah.

When Gohan got to his room, he took a shower and started on his homework. It didn't take long seeing as he knew most of the material already. His phone rang just as he was finishing up. It was Daniel, calling to talk more about what he had showed them in the forest.

"Dude that was crazy! I still can't believe you can fly! I didn't even know people could do that. Anyway, I'm sorry man, but Miko was so excited she told her mom."

Gohan frowned. "What did her mom say?" If that woman knew anything about Vegeta then it wouldn't surprise her.

"She didn't even bat an eye. She was like 'Of course, some people can fly'. Of course I'm like, 'what the heck?' Miko is mad at her for not telling her the awesome news that people can fly. I'm just happy to know someone who can. So anyway, dude, what are you doing now?"

"Finishing homework. Then I'm going fishing with my dad."

"Oh..." Daniel sounded disappointed.

"Why?"

"No, I was just thinking you could show us again. I mean, it was just so awesome!"

The demi-Saiyan rolled his eyes. What was he, a circus act?

"Yeah man, but I'm not gonna keep doing it. I'll show you guys one more time, but you have to find a better spot for me to do it."

"Okay. Miko wants to know what it's like. Could you like, hold her, and fly?"

"I could..." But he didn't really want to.

"Cool. All right, buddy I'll let you go fish with your dad. Tell him I said hi. See you tomorrow."

"Bye." he hung up the phone, put it on its charger and stuffed it under his pillow. He wouldn't be needing it for the rest of the night.

Dressing in another pair of sweats and a t-shirt, he bounded down the stairs. His father was in his room, showering probably, so he waited on the couch until he came down and entertained himself with The Simpsons. A whole episode passed and his dad still hadn't come downstairs. Either that was some shower he was taking or he was doing something else. He decided he would give it until seven o'clock before he went looking. He passed the time flipping through the channels and watching a little bit of everything he was interested in until Goku stuck his head in through the living room door.

"Hey, ready?" he asked, and ducked back out.

The stream they caught fish at was farther away from the lake so they decided to fly some of the way and walk the rest. As they flew, Gohan glanced sidelong at what his father was wearing. Well for one thing he didn't have a shirt on, which made him feel kind of silly for wearing one himself. They wouldn't need shirts to go fishing. All the man had on was a pair of cotton shorts and no shoes. He felt over-clothed.

They landed a little past the lake and walked to the stream to which it was connected. The sun was distant and red in the sky and the day was very warm. The birds were chirping, the water was glistening, and there wasn't a single cloud to be seen. It was a great evening. Next to him, Goku was talking about what kind of fish they would have and how they would need to gather firewood to cook it and how it might not be a bad idea to bring some home. While the man talked, Gohan slipped his hand into the larger one.

His father stopped in the middle of what he was saying for a second when he did that. Awww. Gohan smiled at him and he smiled back and continued talking. The teen was just happy to hear him and said nothing himself, enjoying the feel of his dad's hand in his when the older warrior held his hand back.

When Goku felt the smaller hand slide into his own he was a little taken aback. His son was in a very good mood today he supposed. Lately the boy had taken to kissing him on the cheek, hugging him, wanting to sleep in his bed with him, and holding his hand. He was awfully touchy-feely in an unusual way. He would think that with the boy making friends and approaching the age of sixteen he would, like any other teenager, be more distant and less affectionate to him.

Soon there was sure to be a girl in his life and maybe then all of this would stop but there wasn't and he guessed maybe that was why. As soon as Gohan had a person he consistently dated, he would grow out of always wanting to be by his father's side and transition into a life of his own. Why was he even thinking about his son's behavior being strange when he knew it wouldn't last and he enjoyed it? He should just take what he could while he could until the inevitable day came. It wasn't that he didn't want Gohan to meet someone and be happy; he wanted grandchildren someday, but it would have been nice, even if for a short time, to feel what it was like to be in the position of someone lucky enough to gain the boy's romantic affections.

He understood that his son wanted to spend more time with him, maybe because he knew that day was coming too, and he appreciated that more than anything. Gohan was always considerate and he was the only thing the boy really had left so he supposed it was normal for him to want to cling. They walked on in silence, just taking in the beauty of the evening, spotting animals and rare flowers. Gohan hadn't let go of his hand and he hoped he wouldn't until they reached the stream.

The boy held on until they got to the stream and let go to take his shirt and pants off. Goku watched as his son stripped to his briefs. He dragged his eyes away when Gohan looked at him and asked him if he wanted him to get the firewood.

"Sure, you do that and I'll wait for you to come back so we can fish together." His son beamed at him and took off into the trees in his underwear. A loud "Hiyah!" was heard and a tree was felled nearby. They needed a lot of wood for the fire they were going to have.

Meanwhile, Goku got in the water and back paddled around while he waited. It wasn't long before Gohan returned with an armful of wood and dumped it near the stream. He made three trips to get all they would need and had a long stick of timber and had fashioned two Y-shaped pieces for the spit. They had been camping enough times when he was younger to learn from his father how to make a spit to cook their catch on.

Goku climbed out of the water and went to help him set the spit and the wood pile up so that all they would have to do after they caught the fish was gut it, clean it, light a fire, and cook it. To light the fire Goku was well practiced in using stones. He could use his ki but he wanted it to be natural so that the genuine camping experience could be retained.

"Alright son, let's catch some fish! Woohoo!" he yelled, jumping high in the air and diving into water. Gohan added to his battlecry and bellyflopped in. Under the water, he saw his dad, who was pointing to his left where a school of fish had swam away in fear when they sensed danger. He swam after him and they quickly gained on a group of small fish that were surrounding a much larger one. The larger fish turned around and swam in front of the smaller ones and gave the two intruders a glare.

He isn't going down without a fight, Gohan thought. That was good because he liked his food to give a good struggle before he caught it and he knew his dad did too.

The smaller fish took off on the wag of the larger one's tail. He was their opponent. It was a catfish bigger than the two of them combined several times over. This one would be big enough for dinner and leftovers.

"I remember you," it said to Goku. Gohan blinked in surprise. His father could only nod.

"You said you would come back for me someday and I suppose today is that day. Well, I'm not going to make my capture easy for you, you understand." Goku nodded again. Gohan backed away. This was between his dad and the fish. His father turned to him and waved a hand for him to come closer. He nodded and looked at the fish. He wanted them to take it down together. Gohan smiled happily. He thought he wasn't going to be able to help.

"So you got your boy with you, huh? I should like to eat him the way you ate my offspring. Prepare yourself!" the fish growled (growled?)

His dad sent him a serious look. 'Be careful' he said without words and Gohan nodded.

There was a reason he hadn't caught this fish yet and that reason became apparent when it attacked. It was fast. Gohan dodged out of the way as a pair of needle sharp teeth nearly bit his head off his shoulders. The fish twisted around and went for Goku, simultaneously swiping his tail at the smaller swimmer. Gohan caught the tail, stopping it from chomping his dad and Goku slammed his fist into the fish's head. They floated to each other and the fish simply shook the blow off and lunged at them again.

sLittle did the catfish know, Goku was stronger now than he was the last time he tried to catch it and he Gohan was also very powerful. It didn't take long for the fish to get exhausted and slip up, allowing Gohan to shoot a Special Beam Cannon through it's head. It was fun while it lasted.

Together they gutted, cleaned, cut and speared their dinner on the spit and Goku started the fire. While it cooked over the fire, Gohan asked him about his past with the fish and he laughed the whole time getting the story out.

"But I'd never seen a fish get as angry as he did that day," Goku laughed, turning his dead opponent over on the spit. They were both shirtless and damp and though the sun was on its way down it was still seasonably warm and the air was still.

If there was anything he loved doing it was fishing with his dad. They always had such a good time and today was no exception. They told jokes to each other and his father even let him entertain him with some of the more mature jokes he had heard. He just laughed and asked for more. He didn't know very many racy jokes, but Gohan would be sure to introduce him to the internet to find some he hadn't already heard of just so they would have some to tell in the future.

They cooked and ate more than half of the fish and hung out for a while longer before they headed back. They had been there about three hours and Gohan had school tomorrow. He would go to bed whenever his father did because he didn't want to miss falling asleep with him.

Goku was enjoying his time with his son. The boy's personality was worth falling in love with. He was funny, kind, generous, understanding, strong, and very intelligent. He knew he could find those qualities in a person who was not his son but Gohan was there first. ChiChi had left him with a perfect being that was only all too easy to fall for. In every vulnerable moment he had since becoming a father his boy was there, in his heart or right there in front of him. He was the center of his universe. Who better to have such intense feelings for? He knew it was wrong, but it just happened.

One day he realized that Gohan was or would be, unbelievably, almost too good to be true, honest to God, the kind of person he wanted and before he knew it he became that person. He couldn't shake the feeling he got when he looked at Gohan, still just a child then, really. When he looked at him he sometimes shamefully wished he wasn't his son and that he were a kid again himself. It was okay to think of it that way at first, when he just imagined what it could be like if things were that way.

A year or so passed and without realizing it until it was too late, he didn't care about that anymore. Gohan became the person he wished he could kiss when he got home and when he woke up and he didn't care. He hated himself for it but even more he hated everything about himself that made it impossible for his son to feel the same.

No, he didn't regret being blessed with the boy for a son, but he would have liked things to be different. It would have been the only way he had a chance. It was hard to explain how it felt to have Gohan always clinging to him and favoring him and being so affectionate, how it was everything he wanted, and yet it wasn't. Gohan just didn't feel that way about him. He would always be a great son, but he wasn't interested and never would be.

It was nice to be kissed on the cheek, but he wished it was the kind of kiss that denoted a lover's affection. Of course he wanted to be the teenager's lover, but he wanted to be his father too. When he thought of it that way, it sounded sick, but he understood it now and that was all that mattered. Everything would have been all right if his feelings were returned. Nobody would have to know. Love was love. It was sad that it was so subjective, that one could fall for anyone, but he didn't regret falling for his son. How could he?

When Gohan smiled at him, hugged him, kissed him, slept next to him, and vied for his affection he couldn't help the feelings that arose. Maybe things would have been different if his ex-wife wanted him but she didn't. She loved Gohan, but she would have rather given him up than wait for him to die, she said. She hadn't told them where she was going, but it was easy to find her. Gohan visited her from time to time, but she would never let him spend the night. The boy had no desire to stay with her, preferring to stick with his dad, which made him happier than he knew how to express but Gohan was not just the source of his content but of his misery as well. He was constantly reminded of his feelings and that he couldn't express them every time he looked at him. And Gohan was so young but he was wise beyond his years. He was no ordinary fifteen year old boy. He was a man in his own right and very mature and capable. Goku wasn't making excuses for why it was okay, it was just the way he was.

Knowing that Gohan was so understanding and open and nonjudgmental often made him wonder if telling the boy how he felt would be so bad. He wasn't sure getting it off his chest would make him feel better, but he knew for sure it had the potential to make him feel much worse. He sometimes thought about dropping hints, doing things to make the demi-Saiyan realize but he didn't want to scare the teen away. Gohan may have thought he was great but it might not stay that way if he started hitting on the kid. He had said that if he was not his father and not so much older that he could be attracted to him.

Could he say something like that back and not freak his son out? In theory, he thought could. In practice, he wasn't sure. He could imagine Gohan laughing that off in his mind, but would that be the case in real life? Why wouldn't it be? He didn't know why he thought it wouldn't be okay, he just wanted more than anything not to frighten the younger one.

And who was to say that Gohan wouldn't find a girl he liked in school or somewhere? Then it wouldn't matter anymore.

Knowing his son wasn't taken calmed him in his turbulent thoughts about the boy's future but it would not always stay that way. There were times when he felt hasty, like time was running out, like a chance he'd never had was slipping away, and he wanted to kiss Gohan breathless just once, just to do it, against the boy's will. But that would be molestation of a sort and he could never bring himself to do it.

As he watched his son eat, he made up his mind. He had to try something. He had to talk to him again. He was stuck on the conversation they had about Gohan wanting to date him if everything wasn't the way it was. He had to find out how much reality mattered to him. He had to know what Gohan would say if he thought there was a chance that he could have his cake and eat it too. It would just be some innocent questions. After all, Gohan was the one who brought it up, he figured it was harmless to pursue it. He knew he would have to be extremely careful how he went about it because he didn't want the boy to know that it was him he was in love with until he could confirm that there was a chance. Not that there ever could be but if he didn't try he would continue to be miserable and he didn't want that.

It was decided, then. Before they went to sleep he would ask his son about it. Hopefully Gohan wouldn't have too many questions of his own about why he was asking.

"Dad?"

He was pulled from his deep thoughts by the very person he had been staring at for who knew how long. "Oh, sorry son I was just thinking."

"Yeah, I could tell, you totally spaced on me." His son looked worried. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm good. Let's go."

Gohan was aware of the staring far earlier than he let on. He thought for the first minute or two that his father was going to say something to him but he didn't. He just stared, looking slightly bothered about something but never saying what it was. He had waved his hand and stared back for a while but it seemed the man had spaced out while looking in his direction.

They flew all the way home because they had the large piece of fish so he couldn't hold his dad's hand on the way back. That was okay though because it was almost bedtime and it was all he was looking forward to now. It had been a fun day and it was going to be an even better night. He couldn't wait to feel the strong, smooth chest under his face and hands again and the protective arm around him. And, since he was a teenager with healthy sexual desires and that wasn't entirely his fault, he couldn't wait to see his dad half naked again. He didn't get to see what kind of underwear he slept with, but maybe he could, tonight.

He almost blushed at the thought. If his dad ever found out how he felt or what he thought, who knew what would happen. He was just nice enough not to make him feel terrible about it but even he wouldn't be able to control his discomfort if he felt it afterward. He wouldn't understand. That was understandable. No one expected their own kid to be attracted to them. He would probably go the rest of his life feeling like no matter who he found to love, his father was the first and he probably wouldn't feel as strongly for anyone else. He couldn't say that for certain, but it felt like that now. Right now it was not just a strong crush, he thought.

After what his mother had done, all he wanted to do was fix the man. He was damaged, despite how strong he often appeared on the outside. Gohan had seen and heard it first hand. In his heart he knew it was wrong to want to but he did. Goku, his father, was just a wonderful person. He was everything Gohan wanted and wanted to be. It wasn't so strange to find yourself attracted to such a person so that he was didn't really surprise him.

It happened gradually enough that he never had to fight with himself about it. He never had to wonder what kind of person it made him to think that way about his own father because that didn't matter. It wasn't like he was making it obvious. How could he battle with his feelings and remain rational? That was everything but rational to him. Nobody blamed him in his mind or in his heart. There was no voice telling him that he was going to be punished for his thoughts. How could he be punished if nobody knew? His dad was very understanding, even when he told him that he was everything Gohan wanted in a significant other. He hadn't been made to feel bad about it, as that wasn't his father's style. But the fact of the matter was that Goku's feelings were for someone else. It wasn't him, and though he was curious about who it was, he wouldn't be forever. It wasn't going to matter for the rest of his life. He was glad it wouldn't.

Sometimes his father felt less like his father and more like his friend, a friend whom it was okay to tell every worldly secret he'd ever had but it wasn't. That was too bad but he would enjoy being the most important person in his dad's life even if he wasn't everything the man wanted. It was selfish and mean of him to be happy that the woman his dad liked didn't return his sentiments but he was. He was happy because it meant that he didn't have to think that there was a person out there that had what he wanted more than anything.

If he couldn't have him, nobody should.

Not that he wasn't aware that things were apt to change, but as long as they didn't that was irrelevant to him. It was him that would be in his father's bed and even though they wouldn't be doing anything it was him and not her doing nothing in his bed with four or so articles of clothing between them.

They got home and put the fish in their huge refrigerator. It was sixteen minutes past ten o'clock and to get a sufficient amount of sleep he needed to be in bed by eleven.

"When are you going to sleep, Dad?" he asked, hoping it was soon.

"Whenever you do. I don't have anything to do tonight but lay in bed and think." But he wasn't going to just be thinking. They were going to talk. "Let's get a shower and you can come when you're ready."

Gohan went to his room to get ready and he made the bed comfortable for two and went to the hallway bathroom to take a shower. When he got out, Gohan was just walking into his room. He made sure to be clothed in a pair of boxers as he usually returned to his room after a shower in just his towel. Gohan had on some cotton shorts and a wife-beater for the warm night. He didn't seem to be bothered that he was just wearing his underwear like he always did for bed so they got in without a word and as soon as he laid down on his back Gohan latched on to him and put his head on his chest. Geez the boy was cute when he did things like that.

He turned out the bedside lamp and laid completely still for a moment. Gohan silently laid on him, ready for sleep and he wanted to start talking before the boy drifted off on him but he was thinking of a way to start.

"Hey," he said softly, rousing the teen.

"Huh?"

"Do you remember that day when we were talking and you said that people tend to date people who are like their parent of the opposite gender?"

Gohan's confusion was immediate, but he responded slowly. "Yeah..." If Goku didn't know any better he would say his son was worried or scared by the sound of his voice but he was sure he was imagining that because that was the way he felt right then. Silence passed between them for a moment before he continued hesitantly.

"And you remember what you said right before that?" He wouldn't mention the words Gohan had used, in case he misinterpreted it but if he was right Gohan might eventually confirm it. He could actually hear the boy swallow before he replied.

"Did that freak you out?" Gohan asked instead of answering the question directly. Goku felt the hands on his arm go stiff and the weight of his head get lighter, as if he were ready to move away if it became necessary but he stayed where he was.

"No no, I just had a question."

Gohan didn't say anything, waiting for him to ask. Under no circumstances had he expected that time to come back up. He thought his dad had forgotten what he'd said that day and never expected to be asked about it. He wondered it things were about to get awkward or what. What would he want to know about that?

"Is it okay for me to ask?" his father inquired softly.

He hadn't expected that either. "Okay," he said neutrally. He wondered if this conversation was what his dad had been thinking about earlier when he was staring at him. Had he planned this talk in advanced?

Goku took a generous breath. He had to be careful how he proceeded because his son was already uncomfortable and he didn't want to make it worse. He sensed the boy shutting down like he had the last time he tried to talk to him about this and wanted to get his question out there before he blocked him out completely.

"How much do you care that I'm your father and I'm older than you?"

Gohan went still for a second, then slowly raised his head to look at him in the dark. "What?" he asked, stunned by the question.

"I mean, how much do those two things you mentioned matter?" Goku wanted to know if Gohan could be attracted to him despite that. That the boy was his son and much younger didn't matter to him. Did it matter to Gohan?

"Oh," his bedmate muttered. If he wasn't out of his mind, his father was asking him if it was possible to have a crush on him even though he was his dad and more than twice his age. What should he say? Should he tell the truth? Should he lie?

I should lie, he thought immediately. But he was curious as to why he was being asked. What train of thoughts had led his father to conclude that they should talk about this? Answering the question with a lie would leave him without answers. He would have agreed to tell him on a condition but the only condition he could think of wouldn't be accepted and then it would really be awkward.

Impasse.

"I remember saying that." He sat up in the bed and looked at his father in the dark. He could see him enough in the weak, filtering moonlight. "But you're my dad, and it does matter. Your age doesn't matter to me, but your relation does. I mean, if you didn't care, I wouldn't, but you do because you're my father. That was just stupid rambling that day."

"Stupid rambling?" his father repeated.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd remember. You were upset and I was making a point."

"What point was that?"

"That you can't help who you like, what you like about them, or why. I was trying to make you feel better."

"So you were joking?" Goku managed to keep his voice devoid of upset.

"No. I was being stupid."

"Stupid? Why?"

"Because I shouldn't have said it because now its back to haunt me in the form of your curiosity," the boy answered dryly. "And you know what?"

Fuck it, he resolved, he would just say something to give the man something to think about. If his dad got to inquire about his personal business then he was going to kick it right back to him. "I don't think it's weird to want someone just like you. It can't be you because you're my dad so I want a person with a personality as close to yours as possible. I don't think it will be very easy to find anyone with the looks to match, but I'd probably be happy enough with them because looks aren't everything. So to answer your question, if I had it my way, those things I mentioned wouldn't matter. But I don't so they do." He held his breath and sat still, waiting to be told that it wasn't a good idea to be in the same bed anymore but his father was quiet.

Fear sat like a stone in his gut. What had he just done? Had he just done some kind of damage to their relationship? Had he made his father feel like he couldn't be trusted to sleep in the same bed as him without him trying something? Had he changed his father's view of him?

Meanwhile, Goku's felt a hope rising that was so intense it almost stung in his chest. He felt his heart constrict and slow down, skip a beat, then begin to pound. He almost couldn't breathe. Gohan was treading extra carefully around his question but his final answer was a cautious but confirming variation of what he wanted to hear. What was Gohan's way? What would happen if he had it?

Ask!

"So what would happen if you had your way?"

The teen put a hand on his face in embarrassment. Why had he said that? He really needed to use his brain better. His dad was rather curious about this all of a sudden. It made no sense why he would even care but he seemed very interested, much more so than he had been when he originally told him these things that were coming back to bite him in the ass. But why?

"Give me more credit than you're giving me, Gohan. I can tell you're thinking of something bad, but you're not in trouble, I'm just asking is all. You don't have to answer my questions, but I'd like it if you did." He almost said 'please' at the end. The dark figure's head turned toward him and he knew his son was watching, probably looking for signs of sincerity. Hopefully he knew he was always sincere.

He saw the figure shrug. "Nothing would happen that was up to me. What I meant was..." He suddenly released a harsh and frustrated sigh. "Okay, look, Dad, let's speak hypothetically, because this is purely hypothetical. If you liked everything about me the way I like everything about you and felt that nothing short of being with me—

"Being with you..."

"Dad!"

"Okay, sorry!"

"As I was saying, if you felt that you didn't want a shoe-in for the real thing, in spite of the aforementioned obvious facts, and felt in your heart that you didn't care about that and wanted to express in some way that you were interested..."

Goku had moved up on his elbow and faced him as he talked, no doubt making the boy even more uncomfortable but he couldn't help it. Never had he dared hope that he would get this far, that there was some inkling of a chance that his son could want him but it was starting to sound as if there was such a chance.

He listened with keen rapture, hoping Gohan wouldn't stop talking now and shut him out. He knew it was an unsettling subject and that teenaged boys didn't sit in bed and talk about possible crushes they might have on their fathers but he still hoped against hope that Gohan would say what he'd wanted to hear for over a year.

"Well, if you were interested in me, I might be interested in you. Since you're not, I'm not going to say that I am. This is all hypothetical. It's not real, it's just an example of what I was trying to say that day. You don't know why that special person of yours doesn't like you. Maybe it's because they think you don't like them, did you ever think of that?"

Goku turned his head away with wide eyes. What was his son trying to say? Hell, he never thought of it that way. Gohan was here, saying that he would want him if he expressed that he felt the same. He was sure to stress that his response was hypothetical, and it was, but could that be same thing as saying he wasn't going to admit anything until he knew his feelings were going to be returned?

"So..." he said. "Hypothetically, if I told you that I was interested in you, you would tell me that you're interested in me?"

"Yes. I mean no! Wait! Hypothetically, if you showed in some way that you were attracted to me, I might show you, hypothetically, that I was also attracted to you. All I'm saying is that if you show your special lady, in some way, that you are interested rather than assuming that she isn't, you might find that she actually is. How could she know if you never show interest? Maybe her thoughts about it are just like yours and she's assuming you can't like her either."

It was painful to be giving this sort of advice to his father, accepting that the hypothetical could never be the reality. But he had to say something. The hypothetical was not about the girl, it was indeed about them, but his dad didn't have to know it. He was too afraid to say directly what he had meant that night. He was just talking like a fool, never realizing that this could ever come back. He had once told his friend Mikoto that his father was a perceptive man and yet he failed miraculously to take that advice to heart himself. Way to go Gohan, he spat in his mind to himself.

"So you're saying," his father was facing him again after he had looked away. "That if I did something like...kiss you, you wouldn't slap my eyes out, you'd kiss me back?"

"No, no," Gohan hissed frantically, "If you kissed her, she might kiss you back!"

"But I'm not talking about her."

The young fighter felt like clawing his face. WHY was he being asked all of these questions?

"Dad, I'm not going to molest you while you sleep!" he snapped. "I promise." He rolled his eyes angrily. "Can we go to sleep now?" He was done with this evil conversation. Another question and he'd be putting it all out there and there would be no going back. He had no idea what the man was trying to find out but he had no intention of telling him.

"I didn't say you were going to do that," he father's level voice said. He didn't sound at all put off by what he was hearing, he just had a lot of questions. "We can go to bed, but can you please answer one more question?"

"Oh my God, really Dad?"

"You don't have to."

Okay, if it was going to be like then he should be able to ask some questions of his own, if fair was fair. He would dig his grave and then find out who had his father's heart and spend the rest of his life hating the person. It sounded about square to him.

"If I answer, you have to answer any question about your 'dream girl' that I want to ask. And I get to ask more than one question. And if it's uncomfortable, too bad, then you'll know how I feel now."

Goku took the gamble on that one. He was so close to something he could feel it and he wasn't about to let go now. "Deal."

He hadn't expected for him to take the bait but his father wouldn't cheat him out of a deal. The time had come. It was small price, he guessed, to find out this person's identity.

"So, would you say you could ever have a harmless crush? On me? You can tell me. I won't be mad."

So direct! He cut right to the chase! Well, he had to make the question count, Gohan supposed.

Say it, Goku chanted in his head, sitting up fully. Come on, son, you can say it. Please say it.

"If I say yes, can I still sleep with you? Wait, that didn't come out right..."

"You can still sleep in here, yes," his father chuckled.

Gohan would have liked to find the humor in this.

"Okay. I do like you. And it is harmless, I promise. I just like to be close to you, not to be a pervert or anything."

Goku didn't hear anything after 'I promise'. He was drowning in his excitement. His heart was ready to burst right out of his chest if he didn't calm himself. He was absolutely stunned speechless, deaf, and immobile. In his wildest, most hopeful, farfetched, and most intimate dreams had he never, ever fathomed that Gohan, even after what he had said, would have any romantic feelings whatsoever for him at all. He wasn't dreaming. He had never dared to dream this; it would have been too painful to wake up. Happy was a poor word to use to define how he felt. He was on the verge of tears.

"Dad?"

Gohan leaned over to get a closer look in the dark at his father, who had gone rigid like a statue. Damn, was it that bad? Of course it was bad! Why else would he look like that?

"Dad," he said again, in a smaller voice, filled with fear. The man still didn't respond. He gulped, feeling like he was going to cry. His dad said he wasn't going to be upset, but he didn't say he wouldn't be thoroughly appalled. He had to go back to his room or else he would start crying but he wanted to ask his questions first because he had to know or he wouldn't get a single second of sleep.

"Dad!" he yelled. His father turned his head at last.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to...I was just...surprised. I..."

Gohan cut him off angrily. "Why did you make me tell you that?"

The tall warrior was dizzy with happiness. He was glad he was sitting because he was feeling a bit faint. But he couldn't die from excitement now, not before he answered all of his son's questions.

"Because I had to know."

"Why?"

"Because it's important."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

"Okay...don't know what that has to do with anything. Now who is she? And I want a name, Dad."

Goku smiled a smile that felt like it might split his face in half. "He."

The boy sucked his teeth. "Whatever," he snapped. "Who is he?"

Goku started to laugh. He couldn't hold back anymore. He was too excited to keep it in and he didn't have to anymore. He didn't have to pretend anymore. He didn't have to lie anymore. He didn't have to hide, despair, or want anymore. The impossible was now possible and he could hardly believe it.

"Are you jealous?"

A spark of anger popped within Gohan. "What? What kind of..." Surely his father could not be so cruel as to ask such a mean-spirited question of him. "Are you serious?" he seethed in disbelief.

Okay, that was a bad choice of words, Goku thought. "Okay, no, that was a poor joke. 'He' has been driving me crazy for the past year and a half. He's just so cute and lately he's taken to kissing me on the cheek, hugging me, and holding my hand a lot."

Gohan didn't know whether to be very disturbed, very happy, or very sad. He had been doing all of those things lately but it couldn't possibly be him his dad was talking about. Yet, nobody that didn't like the guy would do those things. His eyes started to get big. He had stopped breathing.

"And I could never tell him how I felt because I knew he didn't feel the same but I was wrong."

The demi-Saiyan's head whipped to focus his tearing eyes on Goku. "Dad..."

"Like I said, it was important for me to know if you were attracted to me so that I could finally tell you what I thought I never would be able to. Because I love you. You."

"M...me?" Gohan repeated dumbly.

"Yes."

Hot wetness overflowed his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. The person it upset his father to even talk about, the one who made him feel so inadequate and miserable, the one who he thought he had no chance with...was him? He put a hand over his mouth the muffle the strangled gasp.

"Hey," his dad said softly, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?"

But Gohan couldn't speak. He just started to cry. His father took him into his arms as he sobbed out loud.

"Aww, honey, why are you crying?" he asked, rubbing his back gently.

"Because," the crying teen said,"I made you feel so bad." He had never felt more terrible in his life. If he could have spared his father that pain and misery he would have done so at any cost. Had he known he would have confessed immediately. It was so horribly sad he just broke down and cried.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered, holding on to Goku almost desperately. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he dad was telling him. "You didn't know."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "...so sorry. I didn't think...I didn't mean..."

His head was being moved and raised by his chin. It was brought eye level with his father's face, which he couldn't see in the dark through his blurry tears.

"Don't be sorry. It's okay now." Goku felt like he should be the one crying. The elation he felt was enough to make him want to sob. But he felt he could cry for other reasons, like being too dense and miserable to see what was right in front of him the entire time.

It was glaringly obvious now that he thought about it, that his son had strong feelings for him. Hand holding, cheek kissing, and hugging were not indicators of romantic interest but when it started as suddenly as it had he should have thought about it in more detail a lot sooner. He was just so convinced that he couldn't be that lucky, that the odds of two people wanting to be in an incestuous relationship, two males no less, was too slim to even consider. He didn't even try to pretend that such a thing was possible. Gohan had practically spelled it out for him but he was just too blind to see it. Now his son was crying in his arms and he was the fool who caused it.

But it was going to be okay, he thought, leaning forward toward the boy's face in the dark. Gohan hiccuped softly and sniffed, his whimpers petering out. He pulled the tear streaked face to him and gently pressed their lips together for the first time. His son gave a gasp of surprise and went still for a second. He pulled away, looking into his wide eyes.

"I guess I should have waited until later to do that but I just couldn't." He thought he'd waited long enough. He pulled Gohan down to lie on top of his chest and stroked his hair.

"I love you, Dad," he whispered sluggishly. The crying and the late hour must have made him tired. In the morning, they would probably talk more over breakfast so he wouldn't keep him awake.

"I love you, too, Gohan." Those five wonderful words were the last thing the boy heard before he drifted off to sleep, the happiest person alive.

The next morning Gohan suddenly sat up in bed so fast it actually caused Goku to jump in surprise. The boy's head whipped around to look at him with wide eyes and a rapidly reddening face. Goku smiled a little.

"What's wrong," he asked, already knowing the answer. Gohan just continued to stared at him, a little stunned and a little embarrassed.

"I was...I think...it was..." he looked away, glancing down at himself, then back at his father, still blushing.

"Had a bad dream?" Goku asked.

"No...it was...it felt..."

"Real?"

Gohan's eyes darted to his. He smirked.

"How do you..." Then his lips formed a silent 'O' of realization. Last night had in fact been very real. He hadn't dreamed confessing his feelings, finding out that his father was in love with him, crying like a girl, and being kissed. His dad had kissed him, right before he went to sleep. It was all...

Goku watched his son's mind working over the details of the previous night with a growing smile.

"So am I gonna get a good morning kiss or are you just going to sit there and stare off into space?"

His son's eyes got even bigger and his face redder. He blinked cutely, looking at him, asking with his eyes if he was serious. He waved an arm toward himself, motioning the boy over. Gohan scooted over to him and as soon as he got close his father grabbed him by the face and tilted his head up, gently but firmly bringing their lips together. The younger one sucked in a breath through his nose and moaned in surprise and pleasure. Goku almost chuckled into the kiss at the reaction he got as he slid his lips over the younger, softer, more inexperienced ones.

Gohan, meanwhile, was reeling. He had a felt a spark of the same thing last night, but he was too worn out to appreciate it. But now he was quite alert and quite amazed by how good it felt just to kiss his dad. He wished he could say it was his first, but a certain stupid bitch, whom he would not name even in his mind, had stolen it. It didn't matter though, because it still felt like the first kiss he ever received. What that...female...had done was not a kiss compared to this. He had been disgusted by the feel of her cool, wet lips on his, even though it was brief. The moment his father kissed him, however, his insides went up in flames. The warm, dry, soft bulk of the man's lips was the most incredible thing ever. And the way he had kissed him! He just grabbed him and laid it on him like he had done it a million times.

He groaned and reacted, bringing his body closer to his father's and melding them together as best as he could. He felt the hand crawl up the back of his neck and in his hair, pulling him closer than ever. He wasn't surprised to eventually feel the slick muscle of a tongue poke against the seam of his lips and he opened up eagerly for it, letting it inside and meeting it with his own tongue and a breathy moan. His hands came up and around Goku's neck and he moved closer until he was in the man's lap.

It was surreal, almost, how it felt. He had thought about it before; kissing his father. Nothing came close to the reality of it, though. He supposed kissing someone you loved should feel this way, so intense and fulfilling. His father held him so tenderly as they shared in each others taste. Passion was not something he knew a whole lot about but he felt like it defined their kiss. He was making out passionately in this wonderful man's bed and nothing short of the world's destruction could make him want to stop. It didn't feel wrong at all, just like he had always surmised. It felt disturbingly right. He whimpered when he felt his father slow down and the real world forced itself back into focus.

Goku pulled away and rested his forehead against his son's, watching as the boy's eyes remained closed, his lips parted to release his slow, deep breathing. The joy he felt couldn't be described. He had woken up early, as usual, and just watched the perfect little being next to him sleep for several long minutes. He wasn't sure if the teen was more beautiful asleep or awake. When he opened his eyes that morning, instant reminders of last night filled his head and he just smiled for the longest time.

He replayed it all like a movie, turning each scene, the words, the reactions, the emotions, everything, over in his mind, inspecting it from every angle, mentally picking out the best parts. The part when he came to see that he was the world's biggest fool. The part where he finally told his son that he loved him and that it was okay. The part where his angel started to cry. The part where he took Gohan's flustered face in one hand and kissed his boy for the first time ever. The part where the teen fell asleep in his arms, the way he'd always dreamed of it.

And it just got better. He knew that he had fallen hard when he kissed Gohan for the second time and his son kissed him back because it was the first time he had ever felt that kind of heat and emotion inside himself. ChiChi had never brought that out in him, not that he ever expected her to, and he knew that no other ever could but Gohan. He had spent what felt like a small eternity feeling like he was sinking in his feelings for the boy. Every time his mind went to thoughts of what it would be like to have those feelings returned in any way, he quickly pushed them out, not daring to believe such a thing could ever happen, deeming it impossible and therefore impermissible to even think about. He could never bring himself to see Gohan's obvious hints as the signs they truly were because he had convinced himself, so so terribly well, that it could just never happen. It became unfathomable to imagine, yet it never left him alone. He fought against himself constantly about what he should do when Gohan kissed his cheek or told him how great he thought he was. He beat himself up for letting his foolish brain even begin to conjure up images of showing the teenager how he felt.

No! he yelled at himself, sometimes out loud. You sick, unworthy bastard! No! No! NO! He learned to beat his head against a mental wall hard enough to knock those ridiculous thoughts of grabbing the boy and devouring his mouth against his will right out of his head. He had bruised himself on the inside and on the outside he was just miserable. It hurt every single day for months on end.

It had started out so strange. In fact, he often accused it of creeping up on him like a sneaky ninja in the night. It was before ChiChi left him. He had come back from Yardrat a new man, but undeniable the same old Goku. He hadn't seen home in a year. He missed his wife and son and friends, but the last person he thought of, the last thing he could remember before Namek exploded was Gohan. When he returned to Earth, he had planned to approach his child alone and reunite with him before he saw the boy's mother but it was not to be.

As he stepped out of the ship, every one of his friends minus ChiChi had been there, informed of his location by the mysterious boy from the future who turned out to not be so mysterious a few minutes later. On the way home with his son they stopped some where remote and irrelevant and talked all about the year he spent away from his family. The kid was excited just to have him back and admitted to him that he kept asking him questions because he felt as if he couldn't get enough of hearing his voice. Goku laughed then. His boy missed him and it was a great feeling. His wife had collapsed in happiness and hugged him and kissed him and when all of the pleasantries were done with, she yelled at him and cussed him and hit him.

And that was the beginning of the end for them.

He felt a change in her after he explained what Trunks had told him about the coming of the androids. She fought against him letting their son battle with them but he eventually got her to see it his way. At least, that was what he thought at the time. It was really just her making a decision which would manifest itself almost six years later and change his life forever.

In the mean time, Gohan became obsessed with wanting to spend every waking moment with him, scared to death that he would disappear if he didn't pay enough attention. When he would go out with Piccolo, he would come home and immediately look for his father and for the first few weeks after he came back, the child would look relieved when he came home and saw that he was still there. Things went back to the way they were with him and ChiChi. She went back to treating him like a child and he went back to ignoring it and enjoying life as usual.

The time came, after three years, on a warm May day and he was eager for a fight. He joined his friends at the rendezvous place and located the evil machines against whom the battle for the continuance of humanity would be fought. He was amped up with excitement but he could tell his son was scared. He felt great and had forgotten all about the heart condition Trunks had warned him of.

As he was gleefully beating the fat android into the dirt it became obvious that he should have heeded the lavender-haired boy's warning better. Everything began to plummet from there and as the roles were reversed with the android, he could hear his son screaming at him.

"Daddy! Daddy, what's wrong? Get up!" But he couldn't. He felt weak and in terrible pain. His chest and arm burned and he knew what was happening then as he was plundered by the enemy.

Then Gohan jumped into the fight, knowing he couldn't win but wanting to protect his father. Such a good boy. It was a good thing the Saiyan Prince came along otherwise Gohan would be in bad shape. Krillin helped the small boy carry him home. Gohan was reluctant to leave after he dropped him off but he convinced him that was needed out there and the little warrior left with a vow to make 'that fat droid bastard' pay. The ten-year old was angrier than he had ever seen before.

When ChiChi said that she couldn't remember what she did with the antidote, Gohan spat out at her that she had better find it. The unsaid threat hung in the air as he rushed back out to assist the other Z-fighter against a threat bigger than them all. His wife cried and ripped the house apart looking for the medicine and when she found it she hastily fed it to him.

He felt no better for hours on end. Nightmares of the androids killing his loved ones plague him. He worried endlessly about his son out there, wondering if he was okay, if he was even still alive. He was too weak to search for his ki and ChiChi was sick with fear and didn't know anything.

When he got better, the first thing he did was go right back out to the battlefield, wherever it was. By the time he got there things were so messed up. Gohan explained the dire situation to him and fretted over if he was healthy enough to fight. When Cell became perfect, thanks to Vegeta, they went to train in the hyperbolic time chamber for a year. Gohan turned eleven years old in the whiteness of an entirely different dimension and they celebrated his birthday with a simple day off. It was all they could do but Gohan had been so happy.

He realized, as they trained to save the world, that his son was more important to him than his wife. The boy needed him so much. He trained hard for him more than anybody else. Even if he lost his life, he had to make sure that Gohan lived on. He knew he was tough on the kid but he also knew that Gohan could take it. All the boy wanted to do was please him and make him proud.

Every time his adorable little face set with determination as he peeled his broken little body off the ground and demanded that they do it again, he felt his love and respect for the child increase. He imagined his wife, at home, worrying but angry and all he could think about was that she had nothing to worry about because he would give his life to keep their son safe. Sure, he would give his life for any one of his friends but he would make sure his little one was safe before he did that. Gohan's life was the most important thing in the world.

He trained the demi-Saiyan into the ground for months until he became a Super Saiyan. He spent more time honing the boy's skills than he had his own and Gohan noticed this. Goku told him that it was important that it be that way but his son didn't understand.

He put Gohan to the test against Cell, scared out of his mind but outwardly confident in his boy. In the end, Gohan surpassed him and escalated to wonderfully powerful heights and he did what he had to to keep him alive. It was suicide, how he did it. But he did it for Gohan. His friends had faded to the back of his mind and his concern for his son led him to his death. His cries of anger and despair followed Goku all the way to Otherworld.

At a point several months before, he had considered staying away from Earth because it seemed every threat to the planet was aimed at him and it inevitably brought his friends and family into the line of fire and he couldn't let continue to let that happen.

He had remained dead for all of a year and four months when he visited his son in spirit and the twelve year old told him he would kill himself if he didn't come back.

Goku knew without thinking about it that he was telling the truth. There was stark pain in his eyes and fierce determination to get his father back.

'I'll kill myself like you did' he had said.

'Please, Gohan, don't do that.'

'I can tell you now how I'll do it. I'll kill myself. I'll do it, I swear.' His voice was hoarse and serious.

The next day Goku allowed himself to be wished back. Gohan pushed his mother out of the way to reach him first and jumped into his arms and planted a big kiss on his cheek. He cried like a baby with everyone watching and Goku held him, feeling terrible for making him cry. His wife was crying too, but all he was focused on was making his son feel better. After his crazy threat he didn't want to leave the boy again.

He had never had anyone need him so much, not even his wife. It felt nice to be needed like that and he found himself liking it when Gohan sought him, wanted to be close to him, incessantly talked his ear off about nothing and everything. His son's visits to his green-skinned mentor dramatically decreased and he spent more time with his father.

He always wanted to do something whether it was fish, swim, play tag, camp, of just cuddle under a tree. This kid was so fixated on everything he did and he didn't mind the lack of privacy when Gohan always showed up wherever he was, wanting to be with him. He was so cute when he pleaded with him to let him ditch his studies for the day. He gave in more often than was prudent and he and his wife argued constantly about it but it was always worth it to see his son happy.

The way his eyes lit up, the way he was always watching him, the way he felt in his arms, those things became apart of his daily routine to feel. While he and his wife were drifting away from each other, he and his son were growing ever closer. When ChiChi kicked him out of the bedroom in her frustration with him, Gohan always somehow knew he was on the couch downstairs and slept there with him in a sleeping bag on the floor, refusing the couch. When he was angry with ChiChi's overreactions and went out to vent in nature, Gohan always went with him and kept quiet, already knowing what was wrong.

They just walked on for hours, not saying anything and he always felt better on the way back even without talking about it. His son's presence had a calming effect. His marriage was quickly deteriorating but Gohan was always there with a smile and comforting words, and his warm little body to provide a hug. Before long he looked to the pre-teen to make feel better when his day was shitty and his boy never failed. He was angry at his mother and once said that he hated her for always hurting him.

Don't say that, Goku told him. She's still your mother. She'll always be your mother.

But she wouldn't always be his wife. In the winter of Gohan's thirteenth year ChiChi told him how she felt about him and their life together. She told him she would always love him but theirs wasn't the life she envisioned for herself. She was sick of worrying, sick of arguing, sick of wanting more, better. She left him three days later.

The shock of it was strong enough to stop him in his tracks. Everything stopped. He stopped going out for weeks, stopped training, stopped spending time with his son. Gohan was always around but he wasn't always with him. They stopped hanging out the moment his wife left him. He could feel the boy's anger with her. There had been no closure; not for him. She had gone and left just her blessings behind for her child because it pained her too much to have to explain, to know that she would be blamed. But she hadn't given her son enough credit because Gohan did understand. She had been right about his father and he didn't want the boy to suffer the fate of having an unreliable person such as himself for a parent and appealed to the teenager to go live with his mother. Gohan vehemently refused.

A year later, when he was feeling low on the anniversary of the end of his marriage, he had asked the boy to be honest with him and tell him why he refused to stay with his mother, what about him made his son choose him.

'I don't feel the way about her that I do about you'

He never asked what way that was. He just assumed that the boy simply loved him more. It was obvious after all. The boy did everything he could to get his attention but he didn't believe that he deserved it and rebuked every attempt. Such a good kid shouldn't waste his affections on him. Gohan was too good. He was perfect. He did everything for him. He cooked, cleaned, and went out of his way to cheer him up. He didn't deserve it.

One day, as he was watching his son bustle around the kitchen to make them dinner, he realized that Gohan was everything he wanted ChiChi to be but wasn't. Gohan made him feel good without saying anything, without touching him, without fail.

Something changed one day, when he ran into his son in the hallway after he had left some linens in a basket outside of his door. Gohan looked stunned at first when he was grabbed by the shoulders after bouncing off of his father. Then he blushed and excused himself. Goku stared hard at the wide-eyed teen, noticing, not really for the first time, that Gohan was shockingly pretty for a boy. He looked just like ChiChi, yet there was a good bit of himself in there, too. Gohan's beautiful dark eyes stayed on his the whole time while he gazed down at him.

Nobody did more for him than his son. It was almost as if Gohan had replaced what his wife had represented. The boy loved him unconditionally, he was always there for him, he did everything he could to please him and all Goku could think about as he took in the demi-Saiyan's expression was that wanted to kiss him. That thought made him reel back more than a full minute after he allowed it to enter his mind.

Holy shit, he remembered thinking. What the hell was that?

Gohan hadn't moved the entire time. He didn't look weirded out, just his eyes were wide with...with what might now be called anticipation. Of something. Did the thought cross his mind that his father looked like he might have wanted to kiss him? He remembered trying not to look as if anything had happened and walked passed the boy, who was still standing there, mute and unmoving.

It was then that he knew that he had a problem. Since that day, he watched his son whenever he could without the boy's knowledge and the urge to kiss him came again and again. Dear God, he had thought, what the hell was wrong with him? How could he think such things about an innocent child? What kind of sick person was he? Surely he wasn't so desperate for love after ChiChi that he would find it in the first person he saw.

Unfortunately, he quickly saw that it was no use fighting the thoughts. He couldn't help it when he saw the boy. Gohan went on as usual, oblivious and suffering from a lack of attention and affection. Goku knew what he was doing to him. He wanted it to stop but after that time in the hallway he was afraid that if he got too close, if things got too intimate, he would kiss him. It scared him so bad that he might accidentally violate the teen in some way and lose his trust and respect. Under no circumstances could that happen so he stayed away.

As time passed, those evil little feelings got stronger, as if he wasn't fighting as hard as he could against them. They were a powerful adversary, one against whom the battle was lost the moment it began. Every night he was alone in bed he wished he wasn't. He could envision perfectly what his son would look like sleeping in his bed but he couldn't imagine how he would feel. He guessed the boy would be as soft as he looked and warm like he always was, but how would it feel to hold that small body against his own? He would never know and it was supposed to be that way.

Months wore on and reality made his despair that much worse by simply being so obvious. Gohan was his son and everything was wrong. He was a man, a 34 year old adult who had a growing infatuation with a teenaged boy. Fate was cruel and reality was crueler. He never wished Gohan was anybody or anything else because if he was Goku wouldn't be falling for him. It was the fact that Gohan was always around, called him Dad, and was a gorgeous fifteen year old boy that had drawn him in and it was disturbing and shameful and he hated it. What hurt the most was that there was nothing he could do about it. Gohan would never know that his father was falling in love with him for everything he was.

Goku kept it to himself, knowing that it would hurt his boy more than he could stand to know that he couldn't be entirely safe in his own home. He would never plan to lay hands on him, of course, but it was hard to resist taking his young body into his arms and kissing the breath out of him and that was a problem.

That was the way it stayed up until last night, when the glorious truth came out and everything he thought he would never experience was happening. He was tasting heaven in this boy's mouth, feeling it in his skin, seeing it in his eyes. He was happy. Gohan was happy. If he had known that their suffering was unnecessary he would have remedied it right away but it was so delicate, how could he have known? He felt foolish, but he was also proud that he had taken the chance he had last night. Things could have gone back to the way they were, when either of them would keep the other out about their feelings for each other and they would have never known it.

God, the life he had been prepared to accept...it made him shudder to think of it. To think he might have been miserable for the rest of his days, watching Gohan grow up and leave and get married. There was still a chance of that happening, it was only natural. He would not keep Gohan from finding a woman, but he wanted a chance. They would start slow and see where it went from there. If Gohan chose to spend his life with him, then it would make him the happiest person in existence. But if he chose to get married, that was fine too. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't want to keep his place in the boy's heart. As shameful as it was to admit, he would gladly be that person his son had an affair with behind his wife's back. He would only be so lucky if Gohan retained his feelings throughout his life with his woman. Goku never wanted to complicate things for him but if it ever came down to Gohan choosing between him and his wife, he would want to be picked even at the expense of this woman's feelings. As far as he was selfishly concerned, he had been there first. He wanted to be his son's first everything.

"Oh, Dad," the boy breathed against his lips. "Please don't make me go to school today."

They both laughed. "Baby, believe me, I don't want you to go either."

It was settled. He called his son's school and told them he would be out sick that day and the two of them lay in bed in each others arms until Gohan's stomach ruined the moment with a cute growl.

"I'll make us some breakfast," Goku said, getting out of bed. If they didn't eat so much it would have been breakfast in bed.

He stood by the edge of the bed and stared at his son. Gohan stared back and smiled before crawling to the edge on his knees and putting one hand behind his neck. His small fingers rubbed the hairs there before he leaned forward and meshed their mouths together. His father's hands dropped and fell on his waist as he deepened the kiss, lashing his tongue out and then he used his teeth. Gohan jerked in surprise and whimpered, pressing his chest against Goku's. His father nibbled along his lips, causing delicious trills of pleasure to race up his spine.

God, how he had wanted this for so long. The strong, hot lips against his felt so good it was like he had died and gone to heaven. Never would he have thought that there was a chance of this happening. Back when he had first thought about it, in the room of spirit and time, he instantly knew that it could never happen. That didn't stop him from thinking about it.

Before his mother was driven away he was already aware of his growing fascination with his dad. Gohan was no ordinary child. He was mature beyond his years and understood the dynamics between a male and a female early on. He was nine when he learned about the human anatomy and got curious about sexuality. No surprise then that he was able to interpret the changes in his own body without having to ask his parents about it.

He knew that his feelings for his father when he came back from Yardrat were not what they used to be. He was afraid that he would leave again and clung to him every chance he got. None of that would have been a problem if not for that one time in the chamber.

He and his dad had just finished training until they could barely stand and after putting his son to bed, Goku set to leave to his own quarters. Gohan had been having nightmares about Cell as of late and begged his father to sleep with him in his bed. The man was reluctant and he didn't try to hide it. He put on his best pout and whine and his dad finally gave in but would only stay until he fell asleep. Fair enough, Gohan thought at the time.

As Goku went to go to his room to change and clean up, Gohan got up and followed him, talking to him all the way. He was always looking for an excuse to be close to him. They limped to the other side of the tiny island together and Gohan sat on his father's bed, venting his worries.

Then the man began to struggle with the chest armor he had over his suit and Gohan ended his sentence short.

His father said something to him, but he didn't remember what it was because his right arm was broken and he asked Gohan for help taking the chest plate off of him and unzipping his spandex jumpsuit. He did, however, remember gulping hard enough to nearly choke when he was asked. Luckily his dad was turned away and couldn't see his face as he, with trembling hands, carefully pulled the armor up over the tall Saiyan's head and unzipped the suit all the way down to his tailbone.

"Thanks son."

"Huh?"

It didn't matter what he had said because he began to strip right then and there. Gohan had snatched all the air he could get into one breath and held it as he watched his father divest himself of the tight suit with one hand, bringing him down to his white boxers. Gohan supposed that was what he got for wanting to follow him to his room. Then his dad turned around and his eyes became their own beings, slowly looking down the man's body and then fixing his gaze to the floor. He forced himself to come up with anything in his head that would stop the blush from coming and had just barely succeeded.

There were more awkward moments like that, where he would have sworn that any other man would know what was going on but his father did not. He was too naïve to even notice let alone plan such instances. Gohan always felt like it was a dirty little secret that he thought about what it would be like to run his hands over every inch of his father's body. He was just a kid and had no business wanting to feel up adult men. That didn't stop him from wanting to though. Quietly accepting those unconventional thoughts was easy, as it turned out. All he had to do was never tell a soul and he was good at keeping secrets, especially his own.

He had always admired his father; who wouldn't? That guy had everything. He was the most powerful, nicest, most generous man Gohan knew and he was attractive like hell to boot so who would blame him for wanting to slip his hands down the back of the man's pants when they hugged?

That one time, when he was fourteen and had been especially excitable all he wanted to do was touch his dad. So he hugged him and got lost in the feeling of the powerful, hard body against his own, the way he smelled, and when he came to his senses his hands had drifted of their own accord to the small of the taller fighter's back and he almost yanked them away in shock.

But his dad hadn't said anything about it and he just stood there with his hands dangerously close to his father's perfect derriere and he remembered wishing he could just slide his hands under the waistband of his pants and squeeze. He withdrew with a blush, thanked the man for the hug and took off to his room to get some much needed time alone. He spent the rest of the day until dinner time wondering if his dad noticed what he was doing but dinner came and went and he didn't mention it. Gohan didn't want him to think he was a pervert or anything because he wasn't. Really. Even a nun would barely be able to resist.

Despite all that was going on with him and his dirty thoughts, he noticed that his father was changing. He couldn't quite say when it started but it was sometime after the Cell Games, after he had told the man what he had to to get him to come home. Then his mother left and whatever was going on with his dad got worse.

He was different in an obvious way. His friends hadn't seemed to notice much considering they were busy with their own lives. Maybe it was because he was divorced and lonely. But that wasn't it, either. His father was withdrawing from the person he used to be. He was still the same no doubt, but he was different too. And it wasn't in a particularly good way. He was quiet and kept to himself a lot. He didn't go out as much and when he did he always just went to spar with Vegeta, who couldn't possibly have been making him feel a whole lot better. He and Gohan didn't do much together anymore. The boy understood that he wasn't a kid anymore but he still liked camping and swimming and wrestling just as much as any other son would. Did his dad think of that?

So another year went by before he got tired of the man's sulky attitude and lack of attentiveness. That day, a few months ago, he simply demanded that things go back to the way they were even though he had no idea why anything had changed.

At first he didn't think Goku noticed the direction their relationship seemed to be going in but it became increasingly apparent that he indeed had. It perplexed Gohan why he would be allowing it to happen, but he just went on and tried to bring his father back his own way. How was he to know, as he had come to in the last twelve hours, that all of that was his fault?

But it was okay now. It really was. He finally knew what it was like. He was fifteen years old and sucking on the tongue of a thirty-four year old man and nothing felt wrong with that. He loved his father and if he had to be kissing some older guy it would only be him. He knew he was young and that there were a lot of things that his father might not allow to happen yet but he was content with this. More than anything, this was okay.

Their kiss ended and he just slid down and clung to his dad, savoring the man's heartbeat against his ear and the warmth of his body.

Goku smiled and ran his fingers through his son's hair. Yesterday they could never do it like this. The feeling wasn't the same yesterday. The dawning of something new was on them and it shined down warmer and brighter than the sun gleaming through his window.

What was next?

"I'll help make breakfast. Then maybe we can go skinny dipping," Gohan said. Goku bit his lip and smiled. So that too, huh? The boy was never put off by that idea after all. He probably wasn't put off by a lot of things, which he would be sure to explore in the coming hours. There was still much to be discussed but first they had to get some food in their stomachs before one of them keeled over.

Together they made a huge meal and sat the morning in. Gohan sat on his dad's lap as they ate, laughing and feeding each other. He had never felt so close to the man as he did now. He wondered if he ever would have if it couldn't be this way. He smiled to himself and took a bite of an offered forkful of eggs. It didn't matter, he supposed. Now he had everything and his father was happy too.

It was like an out of body experience; like he was on the outside looking in, like it wasn't real but it was, like it wasn't him that got so lucky but it was. It was strange, he admitted. This was so crazy. After all they had been through since his mother left and all his father had been through because of him it was hard to imagine that it could ever get to the current point.

He sat atop the older Saiyan's knee like he used to when he was younger, when they were close. Now they were closer than ever and it felt unreal; that such happiness could exist, like this, like in his dreams and his father's, felt so ethereal as if it didn't belong on Earth, but in Heaven.

"I love this," he said after finishing his bite.

"I'm so happy that you do," his father murmured against his shoulder, one arm around his son's waist.

There was a question that kept forcing itself to the forefront of his mind. He wanted to ignore it, to leave it alone until he was ready to deal with it but it wanted to be addressed and he was curious.

"What now?"

Goku's fork stopped mid-scoop. Then he lowered it very slowly and gently to the plate and let it go. His other arm tucked around his son's waist and he tightened his hold. The question had scared him.

"I don't know," he whispered. But he did have an idea.

The boy wriggled in his grasp to turn sideways on his legs so that he could make eye contact. "Do you think...how long..." he paused and bit his lip shyly, trying to word his question in a way that didn't sound mushy and dumb.

Goku just watched him, waiting for the inevitable issue to arise. Gohan was a teenaged boy after all and was too smart not to consider the implications of their relationship. He had thought about it himself, a lot. His son was young, but not too far off from being an adult who would someday get married and have children, if that was what he wanted. They may have had a limited amount of time to share their love with each other, as far he knew. Unless Gohan could bring himself to love two people at the same time and keep a secret better than a wall.

His little koi must have been trying to bring that up. It was the only things that stood in their way, whether as obstacles to be surpassed or insurmountable odds.

"I..." Gohan wasn't sure what to say next. As a Saiyan, their relationship didn't have to end when he turned eighteen, because he didn't have to worry about time working against him the way it worked against humans. He could probably shack up when he was 50 and it wouldn't make much of a difference. But did his father want to be with him that long? And when were they going to have sex?

"Just don't think too much about it. Just go with it. It's up to you more than it is to me."

Gohan nodded. But what about sex?

"But what about..." He may have been young, but he was past puberty and alive and he wasn't going to pretend he never thought about it. All too often he had, in fact.

"What about what?" Goku asked, an almost imperceptible smile on one corner of his lips. Only the topic of sex could bring out a blush that deep.

"Um...well, I know I'm young...a-and all. But I wasn't thinking about dating anybody to eventually marry until most girls my age are old and going gray. So I was thinking we have a lot of time. Together. And I want to stay here with you, of course and go to University. So...well, I...you..."

The tall man leaned in to his ear. "Everything is up to you, hun," his father said, and pulled back again.

The blush on his face was so hot it nearly burned all the way up to his ears. If only Goku knew what he wished were up to him. Well...

"I-I was just saying..." Great now he was flustered. His father smiled at him. The look he was being given at the moment could only be described as quiet. It was serene and calm and warm and in a single word, quiet. But there was something else too. Was it just him or was there a hint of teasing in that look?

Gohan felt a wariness rise in him. Something told him that he was being invited to something. Something in the man's eyes was inviting him to do something. Daring him. And if he was wrong about that then he wouldn't know how to begin to explain what might happen if he took the bait.

Well, you see, what had happened was...' probablywasn't going to cut it.

He looked away and got off of Goku's lap. "I'm gonna go shower now. Maybe we can go skinny dipping?" This he suggested with a smile and a wink, to which his father reacted by truncating his smile into a small and witty smirk.

"Sounds good. We could save time," he said, returning to the last of his unfinished meal and putting away a forkful of eggs and sausage.

Just like he knew he would, Gohan cocked his head to the left and asked, "Save time? With what?"

His Dad didn't answer right away because his mouth was full but as he chewed he stared at him, the way one person stared at another after telling them something they wanted them to elaborate on themselves. But Gohan didn't get it and expressed this with raised eyebrows.

When Goku finished chewing he said with the same smirk, "The shower."

Gohan regarded him silently, trying to understand what he meant. He would shower as fast as he could, of course. The sooner he saw his dad naked, the better.

"We could save time," Goku said again, "By showering together."

Gohan's mouth slid down and open.

"If you want, I mean." The older Saiyan shrugged and went back to the rest of his meal, leaving it up to his flustered son.

"Oh." That would save time. And anticipation. So which one did he want, instant or delayed gratification. Goku looked up, chewing, intense black eyes calm but daring. Daring him to choose. It made perfect sense then, of course, that he would choose the wonderful pleasures of instant gratification. But not because he was impatient. You see, the water at the lake was clear, but not that clear. In the shower, the view would be uncompromised and magnificent and therefore the best way to look upon his father's nakedness. He wondered if his father knew that.

"Yeah," he agreed, sitting down in a chair adjacent to his dad because he thought he had to sit on something more flat. "We could save time." He'd never cared more about saving time in his entire life.

He stared at Goku while he ate and carefully pulled his own plate to him, helping himself to some food. His dad had expressed that there were things he didn't like about himself. Maybe all of that was because he thought Gohan didn't like those things. Maybe it wasn't. But he wondered if the guy knew how good-looking he was? Surely with the look he was being given now, his father had some idea of the appeal he held, if not of the appeal Gohan found in him.

"I understand if that's too fast or uncomfortable right now. We don't have to. I just thought I would suggest it." Though the suggestion was a bit less innocent than just that. He was hoping Gohan said yes. If the tension between them was as obvious to the boy as it was to him then surely they shared the same desire of finally getting that long-awaited eyeful-

"No, I'd love to share a shower with you." Took long enough.

The boy pushed his food away and waited for his father to finish. Goku resisted the urge to smile at the excitement his son was trying to hide. He didn't want to keep him waiting so he stuffed his mouth with two more forkfuls of food and pushed his chair back. Standing and holding out his hand, he said, "Come on."

Gohan knew his hand was shaking as it slipped into the larger one but he couldn't do anything about it and didn't care. His heart felt like it was flipping in his chest as he quietly ascended the stairs behind his dad. When they got to the top, he nearly yelped when Goku suddenly put his arms around his waist and yanked him into his side.

Looking up he met with the man's smirk. The spit dried up in his mouth. The smirk was practically wolfish. Oh man, he thought. It finally occurred to him that when they were naked he would be hard and extremely uncomfortable and want to do things that he knew they weren't going to do and it was going to show because he was a pervert and had waited forever for this and-

"We don't have to do this, Gohan. But it's just a shower-

and that was kind of sad.

"-and if you changed your mind it's okay." Goku smiled reassuringly at his son, who was so preoccupied with his thoughts he had stopped in the doorway of his room and stared at the floor with growing alarm. He was scared. Goku was slightly disappointed but only because the boy didn't seem to trust his intentions. Or maybe he was realizing how crazy and sick this all was and had a change of heart. Which would be...devastating.

Dark eyes stared up at him in surprise. Gohan said, "Huh? Oh, no, dad, I haven't changed my mind. I was just thinking."

"Oh. Care to share?" Goku was afraid that whatever he was thinking was bad to cause that look of mortification to come over the teen's face.

A dark blush spread across his son's cheeks like a forest fire and he looked at his feet. "Ah, well, that is...I...it's nothing really, I just kinda spaced out." As he went to go to the bathroom to hide his telltale blushing Goku caught him by the shoulder and stopped him. Lifting his chin so that their eyes met, he caught the same predatory smirk he had seen earlier and his eyes fractionally widened.

Maybe this showering together thing wasn't such a good idea so soon. He was only a teenager. How was he supposed to control his hormones in the face of...this?

"Sure it was nothing? That cute blush says it is something."

"Um, Dad, can we just...go in?"

"Oh sure," Goku said, ever-so-slowly dropping his hand from his chin. "You don't have to tell me. I think I'll just pretend I know."

Gohan's eyes raced to his. "What do you think I was thinking?" he asked in a rushed breath.

"Sweetheart," his father began, reaching down. "I'm an adult. I'm not really that smart but I think I know when my son is thinking inappropriate thoughts." He grabbed the waistband of his briefs and lowered them three inches. Gohan confirmed his statement by following the motion with wide and anticipating eyes. He stopped. "You can't go into the shower with clothes on, honey." he quipped.

The boy muttered a small "oh" and hauled his shirt over his head hastily so that he could return his eyes to his father's crotch in case the man took his briefs off. They both stood in their underwear and stared at each other. Gohan was still colored profusely about the face and wasn't thinking about dropping his underwear first.

Goku rolled his eyes. "Okay, let's do rock paper scissors to see who goes first seeing as you don't want to and I enjoy messing with you."

Gohan shrugged. It seemed fair enough, he guessed. Until his father said, "And whoever wins gets to take the loser's underwear off," with the predatory smirk again. He didn't know whether to be excited or worried. If he lost who knew what might happen.

If he won, on the other hand...

"Okay. Let's do it."

They shook their hands and at the same time struck. "Ha!"

Goku's smirk never went away. "So you won. Guess that means to can take these off of me." He lowered his hands to his sides and watched his son. The teenager's face took on a disbelieving look. He looked up at him.

"You'll really let me?"

"You won."

The demi-Saiyan gulped quietly. He was sure his hands were shaking again. In his mind he saw himself reaching for the tight cloth covering the tall man's hips but in reality he couldn't move. Goku rolled his eyes again. His little one was more shy than he thought. Maybe he needed a little help.

Right, he thought devilishly. Help.

He made sure to move slow so as not to scare him and took Gohan's lax arms and slid down until he held the boy's hands. Gohan was still silently staring in shock but made no move to oppose him. This was interesting, and fun, Goku thought, now guiding the trembling hands to his own hips and setting them there flat.

"You can just say no, if you don't w—

He stopped talking when the hands on his hips started moving. Glancing down, he watched Gohan's fingers hook into the waistband and gently tug. The hands were still shaking but by the look on his son's face it was mostly growing excitement. Gohan, meanwhile, could hear his heartbeat thudding in his ears. This was...he let out the breath he had been holding and licked his dry lips.

His eyes were attached to the center of his father's body for a while before they came back up and looked into the man's eyes. Goku smiled at him and put a hand on his head, running his fingers through the short spikes before settling on the nape of his neck.

It wasn't that he didn't want to take them off. No. The problem was what he wanted to do when they were off. He couldn't pretend even if he tried not to notice that there was a now more than noticeable rise in those tight briefs and that it slowly seemed to be killing him as he hesitated. Apparently his dad thought it was okay to be aroused by this. So would it be okay to...

When he finally pulled them down and let them drop his eyes were on his father's and then he looked down. He took a long look and then looked further down at the older fighter's feet. Letting his gaze slide slowly back up, his breath was shallow as he drank in every perfect line, muscle, cord, and curve.

Vaguely he registered the shudder go through him like a thin knife. His forehead met the hardness of his dad's chest as he took a small step forward. He loved him so much and to think that he would ever be sharing a moment like this with the man of his oh-so-sinful dreams was practically strangling him with it's almost unimaginable intensity; its reality. His hands slid up and around the strong back and they were hugging, both knowing that the other felt what was going on in between and wanting just that.

"Dad," he breathed, afraid that if he talked too loud the man would realize that things were getting a little out of control and stop.

"Sweetheart, I think...I think we better get in the shower now, sound good?"

Sure, Gohan thought, that sounded okay, as long as clothes weren't being put on. Goku took his hand and led him out of the room and to the hallway bathroom. A minute ago he could have sworn he was going to jump the boy and almost deluded himself into thinking that Gohan might not have minded and nearly did it right there. He had to control himself better than that. Gohan had to trust him. They had to get to know each other as mates before anything like that happened. Perhaps he'd been imagining it but his son seemed to have been as excited as he was. That didn't mean he was ready at that moment.

He turned on the shower and the two stepped in. A bath would have been nice too, but that would take longer than either of them wanted to wait and there was plenty of time for that later. They huddled under the spray and Gohan wrapped his arms around his dad and hugged him again. It was the most intimate contact he ever had and he loved the feeling of his father's smooth skin and hard muscles against his own. His heart was level with Gohan's ear and he stood there and listened to the rhythmic sound for a few moments before he pulled away so that they could begin to wash up.

A minute ago, he wouldn't deny, he was in trouble. He knew that it was a good idea to wait for it, but he didn't have the willpower then and he didn't have it now and if he could just get through this shower he might escape with enough dignity and self-control to get through the rest of the day, which had only just begun.

He surreptitiously glanced sidelong at the older warrior's body as he let the water soak him. He almost forgot that he wasn't supposed to be caught looking when those strong, muscled arms rose to comb long finger through wet, black hair and several muscles flexed in response to the motion and Gohan nearly moaned at the sight.

This was bad. Really bad.

Not that Goku wasn't well aware that he was being watched. What else could his son be doing just standing there motionless and silent? His sentiments mirrored the boy's exactly. This was bad. He had felt so strongly for this young, gorgeous, powerful, smart, kind, loving little man for so long without

ever even imagining the possibility that one day something like this could happen and now that it had he just wanted to indulge in all the things he once believed were out of his reach.

But could this last? How long? Was it better to try and get the most out of this as soon as he could rather than wait? Gohan was still very young and the potential to meet another mate was still present and would not go away easily if ever. He would take what he could get but what if when he decided to take the next step it was too late? What if this was just a crazy crush the teen was having that would someday pass? Someday soon? Gohan was a kid in terms of years but not wisdom, not maturity, not intelligence, and not passion. He was every bit a man Goku was himself though he had yet to gain more experience. One day he would. He already gained more experience as a boy than most males did as men. He took those things in stride as indicated by his powerful nature.

Would it truly be so wrong to show him how he felt? What could make it wrong? His age? That was not a relevant factor considering who Gohan was. Him being the boy's father? Well, they had already established that you can't help who you're attracted to or love and now that they were together he certainly wasn't going to pretend to care about that little detail. So what else? Was Gohan maybe less mature than he was assuming?

He gave a quick glance the boy's way and caught him absentmindedly staring at him with glassy eyes as he washed, unaware that he was being observed. Goku may not have been the smartest dude around but he knew his son and he couldn't think what else the redness of his skin or look in his eyes could mean.

Well, he decided, lathering up his stomach, he would just do a little test to confirm. Then he would move on from there. Any day now a new threat to Earth could come and take either of them away and render all of their time spent waiting pointless. He wanted this more than anything he'd ever wanted in his life and it felt right to go for it so he was going to try. If it didn't work out then he had no choice but to wait and he could do that if he had to.

Gohan ran his soapy hands across his body as he watched his father shower beside him. Though the water was warm, he had broken out into goosebumps and was shivering a little at being so close to such an arousing entity. His willpower was draining through him like a sieve. He had heard that teenage hormones were crazy but this was ridiculous. If he didn't find something else to do he was going to just move over there and lick the water drops from one of those delicious-looking nipples and he wasn't going to be able to explain that without saying something purely inappropriate.

Just as he was about to look away and grab the shampoo on his left, his father's hands moved from his stomach and went lower and Gohan instantly forgot about that shampoo. He opened his mouth to say the first thing that came to his mind, 'Oh my God', but found that he couldn't speak. He did succeed in dropping the bar of soap in his hand.

His father was never a modest man, he knew that, but he was just standing there slowly soaping himself down there—all over—without even so much as turning around for privacy! What was Gohan expecting? He had to clean down there. Seeing the guy naked was a given but seeing him touch himself?

Gohan felt suddenly lightheaded. And this time a moan did tumble out of his mouth; a soft, airy "oh" that was all arousal. The heat moved down to his crotch like it was racing to get there and he already knew what was happening and couldn't even think to stop it.

The older Saiyan couldn't help himself and allowed a full-on smirk to creep across his face. He had the boy's undivided attention now and he was just getting started. Smirk still in place, he pointed down to the fallen soap bar and turned fully to Gohan. "You dropped the soap."

It took a few seconds for the teen to blink and force his eyes away from the wet, painfully sexy image of his father and down to the lonely bar that was slowly sliding toward the drain between them. He gulped, and looked back up. If he went to pick that up...

The man gave him a less predatory grin and in one fluid motion bent and snatched up the soap bar and handed it to him.

"Be more careful next time." At that moment Gohan couldn't take it anymore. His father loved him. Surely he wouldn't mind too much if he took just one lick, one taste. It wouldn't be entirely his fault; not when that hand was still occupying itself in the place his hands wanted to be and the other held out that damn soap like he cared about that.

"Dad?" he inquired softly, managing, just barely, to keep his right hand from batting his father's away and taking over without permission. All he needed was a green light. He was being teased and he knew it. Gods, just to touch him...

Goku took his son's right hand. "How nice of you to offer to help me," he said, not really knowing why he did. He was quite sure Gohan was more interested in helping himself at this moment. The demi-Saiyan stepped closer and allowed his shaking hand to be guided to the sudsy place he had sinfully dreamed of seeing and touching. He swallowed a gasp when it made contact and could feel his erection throb hotly and a heavy feeling that was possibly a swoon coming on. His heart was pounding as he closed his trembling fingers around the hardening flesh of his father's manhood and let them slowly be dragged up. The man was staring directly into his eyes and he couldn't look away.

"That's it," he murmured, letting go of Gohan's hand as he spoke, "Touch me." He hadn't meant to sound like such a pervert just then but the teen's hand on him felt deliciously nice. Gohan's mind, meanwhile, was beginning to reel. He could feel it getting harder in his hand and that alone was disturbingly hot. He felt his will disintegrate. Maybe they were supposed to wait, maybe this wasn't supposed to go very far, but he didn't want to wait and he wanted to go all the way right then and there.

He opened his mouth and started babbling, "Dad I know I'm young and you might want to wait to do some things but I'm ready now and I want to so bad and I love you and I'll do everything I can to make you feel good and if you le-

His rambling was pleasurably silenced by a forceful kiss on the lips that made his whole body grow weak. He felt himself being lifted and brought both of his arms up to wrap them around his father's next and a second later felt the wet wall against his back.

"Mm, yes," he moaned, opening his mouth and letting Goku drive his tongue inside. The hands on his waist squeezed him and roved down his hips and ass to his thighs, gripping each one and hauling them up around the man's waist. The lips on his were surprisingly warm, hot almost, moist and delectable and when they moved down to his equally hot neck all he could do was whine helplessly, "Oh Dad," and tilt his head to the side to give him more room.

I'm probably moving too fast, Goku thought, trying to control the frenzy his hands were going into all over his son's body. Gohan had indicated that he wanted to do "some things" but he never specified what those things were and if they were anything like the unspeakable things Goku wanted to do to him then there was no way to avoid what was going to happen next. Right now his main objective was to molest the boy in every possible way he could think of.

There was no opposition to what was happening so far so he decided that it was time to take it up a notch. How long he had wondered what it would be like to run his hands over ever dip, ridge, bulge, and curve of the supple body between him and the wall. Gohan's skin was porcelain perfection, unmarred by battle, unlike his own, tight and silky and creamy off-white in complexion. Just to be able to touch him now was a dream come true. The whimpering noises he made when he nipped the skin of his neck, the moans when he sucked, the too-hot gyration of his lithe body... Goku inhaled audibly. They were about to cross a very thick line but to him it was effortless.

Gohan's world had been reduced to hazy heat, pleasure, and the sounds of his own moans. Coherent thought was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and his cock pressing against his father's abdomen was killing him in a not-so-slow fashion. If he didn't find the words to tell his dad that he was close he was going to come before they had really done anything.

The sharp nips and sucks on his Adams apple continued and he had just settled into the urgent rhythm of rocking his hips against the man's stomach when Goku suddenly pulled him down by the waist and ground his cock against his own.

And that was it.

Goku heard him gasp and watched the boy's eyes widen and knew what was about to happen. He put one hand up supine against the wall behind his son's head and gave one more sharp thrust and growled in pleasure. The demi-Saiyan's head whipped back into his palm and his back arched off the wall, his legs tightening as his orgasm hit, cries high and ecstatic, his body jerking and cock shooting between them and Goku managed to clench his teeth and ride out his son's climax without triggering his own but just barely.

Damn he was sexy like that, and those cries... The hand cradling the boy's thrashing head secured its hold and he leaned forward and buried his tongue in Gohan's slack mouth.

He couldn't await any longer if he tried. "Dad," he gasped out against the man's lips, "Please, now. Please." There were so many other things he wanted to do but right now he was dying to have his father inside him. He watched dazedly as Goku's hand reached out and fumbled for the nearby bottle of shampoo. He squeezed his thighs around his hips and held on as Goku uncapped the bottled and squirted some of it on his fingers. He looked up into the teen's eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Goku handed his son the bottle and Gohan helped himself to some. His dad's hand went down to his ass to prepare him and his hand went to the older fighter's cock and slowly lubed it up. Goku hissed and pressed his mouth against his neck, feeling the small, hot hand on his dick just as he sank a finger into the boy's virgin hole.

"God," he groaned, not able to help it. Yesterday he had accepted that this moment would never come. It felt every bit as wonderful as he had imagined it would. No, it felt better. The feeling of his sweet son's ass tight around his finger and the hand on his dick was heavenly. He was glad Gohan wanted him just as much because he didn't know if he could leave that shower without being inside of him.

Gohan made a soft noise when he felt one thick digit slide into him. It didn't hurt at all but the slight stretch made him immediately imagine two. He wriggled his hips and pressed down against it. "More, Dad," he commanded breathlessly. He had to get the man's dick in him as soon as possible or he would lose his mind.

Goku, however, could barely stand the wait. He didn't want to hurt Gohan but it had been so long for him. He had waited for this moment for a long time and now that it was here he could hardly control himself. "Sweetheart, I..." He swiftly entered another finger and earned a sultry whine. Shit.

Nevermind a third finger, Gohan thought hastily. He needed it now. "Now Daddy, now!" he moaned wantonly and crashed his lips against his father's. He felt the fingers leave him and his body being moved into position. He was almost tempted to demand it be rammed in but he had enough common sense left to refrain. The hot bluntness of his father's erection pressed against his hole and their eyes met again.

"I don't want to hurt you," Goku breathed.

"I know." But he probably would. Gohan didn't care. He was dizzy with arousal. There wasn't anything in the world he wanted more right then but to feel his father balls deep inside of him. He pressed his heels into the man's lower back just as Goku pushed his hips forward.

Goku, who was biting his lip, groaned when the tip slipped in and tight heat assaulted his senses. Damn. His son grunted and wiggled and he had to hold his hips tighter to keep him still. "No," he gasped. "Don't...move..."

Gohan whined. There was a bit of pain but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. "Please, Dad. I'm ready." He pressed harder with his heels and more slid into him. He moaned, head falling back softly against the tile. The older fighter made a strained noise in his throat. If Gohan kept going on like that he was going to shove it all in in one go and he wouldn't be so eager then. "No baby, keep still, I don't want-

But Gohan had waited entirely too long for this. He bucked his hips hard enough to displace the man's hands and and used his feet to yank him forward. He heard Goku's satisfied growl as he sank halfway into him. "Uh!" he grimaced at the stinging pain. Okay maybe he shouldn't have been quite so hasty.

"Oh damn Gohan," he choked out. His eyes squeezed shut as the amazingly snug orifice closed and suctioned around his dick and rested his forehead against the boy's chin. Gohan's whole body went rigid and he stopped, almost panting at how good it felt. His needy body screamed for him to move but his son's pained expression and whimper was enough to strengthen his control. He hoped Gohan adjusted fast because it was slipping and very soon he would be at the mercy of his desire.

To distract himself he indulged in Gohan's lips again, swallowing the soft whine. He wanted to show him how much he loved him and he figured he probably wasn't a very good kisser but he poured everything into that kiss; how beautiful he found him, the pain he felt knowing it wasn't to be, the pleasure of simply being with him, touching him, hearing him speak, the joy of last night, how it felt to know he had a chance, how it felt to be taking that chance right now, the ecstasy of being inside of him, the love, everything.

"I love you," he murmured between sucks of his new lover's tongue, "I love you so much."

Gohan felt the prickle of tears in the backs of his eyes again, hearing the sincerity and emotion in his father's declaration. The pain had subsided and he was more than ready to feel it too. Nothing was more right than this, he was sure of it. Finally they both had what they needed and there wasn't single doubt in his mind that this was right. "Dad, I love you more than anything. Please take me now. I'm all yours and I'll never leave you." He gently cupped the man's face and showed him how he felt with his own measure of passion, taking his time to map the man's mouth with his tongue. Kissing his father was amazing. To him, it would always be the number one way to show him how he felt.

Goku pulled away from him and smiled genially. The kiss had calmed him up until Gohan started talking. Never leave him. For some reason that made him even more aroused, he could feel the pulse go through his cock when he heard those words. He pulled his hips back and withdrew to the tip.

"Ready," Gohan whispered, staring into his eyes. His son had beautiful eyes. Heck, he had beautiful everything.

With a soft hiss he re-sheathed himself halfway and when he saw that his son was okay he pushed until his pelvis touched the boy's cheeks. Both of their eyes closed. Goku let out a strangled moan and the noise Gohan made was something like cross between a sob and a growl. To Goku it was the best sound in the world. Gohan's ankles were wrapped tight around his back so he let go of him and put both hands against the wall.

He was already panting when he looked down. He stared for a moment. Never had he dreamed of it like this. Sometimes, when he was feeling really lonely he would think about what it would be like for them to make love. How Gohan's naked body would look against his own. What his face would look like twisted in pleasure. Just clips and images; just enough before he shut it all down and dismissed them.

And now...here he was and he had it all. Inside and out Gohan was spectacular. His skin was soft and perfect, his physique was stunning, his face, his personality, his voice. Absolutely everything he wanted was in this boy and Goku was going to love him until they were exhausted. Bracing his hands against the wall, he turned his slow gentle thrusts into shorter, faster movements. With satisfaction he watched the teen's eyes widen and his mouth fall open.

"Ohmygodthat'sgooood!" he gasped in a rushed breath and Goku had to kiss him. Every sound Gohan made into his mouth just made him even more crazy. He held him with one hand and kept the other against the wall and drove into him harder and faster.

"Daaad!" The demi-Saiyan's body arched with a scream, his fingernails breaking the skin on his father's back. Maybe it would have been more romantic if they had waited a couple of days or weeks but Gohan didn't care. They had waited long enough and this was their reward. All he could think about was Goku. How wickedly good it felt to have the man pounding into him, how his mouth tasted, how his muscles felt under his hands and between his legs, how perfect he was.

It occurred to him that what they were doing couldn't exactly be described as love-making but love was what he felt. In every thrust he felt how his father felt about him, how much he loved him and in his screaming and thrashing he responded and bared his feelings too. His dad was the perfect lover; Gohan never had to ask for more. He was attentive to his every desire and made both his love and lust go through the roof. Oh how it felt to be stretched and touched so deeply by the man he loved so much; it was almost ethereal how good it was.

He moaned and cried and held on until the second orgasm approached and when it arrived, at first there was a rapid breaking down of the little bit of coherent thought he had followed by a building up his senses. Then there was a wonderful heat and an unwinding of the tightness of his stomach and groin and his whole world shattered.

"YES, YES, YES, OH DAD, OH GOD, OH GOD, OHMYGOD- The screams were muffled by Goku's lips and an especially hard thrust that made all the breath go out of his body. The fire of the older Saiyan's mouth left his and went again to his neck and his eyes stopped seeing when he came. He released the loudest scream yet that broke down into sobs because there wasn't anything else he could do. The pleasure was insanely great and he wasn't prepared for it to be that way. All he could do was hold on and cry as the thrusts became harder, shorter, and faster than he thought was possible.

Goku growled and used both hands to hold the boy's waist and keep his hips in place. Gohan was thrashing and bucking so hard he was practically fighting him. He was aware of his son's crying but for whatever reason that turned him on even more. Plunging into Gohan's depths with all the strength he could use without damaging his son, Goku's grip tightened so much the teen gave a pained moaned.

"Oh my goodness, baby, I fucking love you so much!"

When Gohan's silky hot tightness clamped down around him he lost it. With a yell of his own Goku pressed his mouth into his son's neck and surrendered to the most powerful orgasm he had ever had. He closed his eyes and was sure he saw every color in the spectrum flash before them. The bliss of finding such a satisfying release in the perfect body of his beautiful boy was celestial.

"Oh yes that's amazing," he gasped into Gohan's collarbone. Inside him, Gohan could feel every shot like a pulse, hot to the point of almost burning him, filling him until it leaked out around his father's dick. The man ground into him, pressing him painfully against the tile, growling as the last of his orgasm subsided and he pulled him away from the wall and turned off the shower. His whole body tingled with satisfaction and his head was still spinning. There was an obscene grin on his face as he was put down on numb and wobbly legs.

"Can you stand?" Goku asked, grabbing the soap. Gohan nodded and held onto his arm for support. He carefully cleaned them up and then carried his love back to his room and gently placed him on the bed.

"Are you tired?" Goku asked, standing next to the bed and looking down at him.

"Well, I'm very..." Well-fucked, he was thinking, but maybe he shouldn't say that. "Dazed, but I'm not too tired." He looked up and his father gave him a leery grin. Then he climbed onto the bed on top of him.

"Great. Because I was hoping we weren't done." Gohan's smile stretched wider. They were still very wet but neither of them cared. Goku watched him for a moment before smiling nervously.

"What is it?" Gohan asked curiously. The man moved back and held himself up on his elbow.

"Do you mind trying a new position?" That smile is so cute, Gohan thought.

"Sure, Dad." He wrapped his arms around his father's neck and said softly into his ear, "We can do whatever you want," sucking the lobe into his mouth. He was pleased to hear the sharp inhalation of breath. "You can have me whenever," nip "wherever," lick "and however" suck "you want me."

"Gohan," his name was whispered. He moved down to the thick, corded neck and ran his tongue over the skin before latching his teeth on and sucking hard. Goku hissed and tilted his head up.

"But first, let me try something new." Opening his mouth wide against his father's neck he closed it and gave it one more passionate suckle, earning himself a moan, before pulling away and pushing the Saiyan onto his back.

Goku let him, laying himself out on the mattress and watching his son get between his legs and push them apart. He wasn't exactly sure what the boy had in mind until he moved his head down toward his lap. He pulled in a breath and held it as those pretty onyx eyes gazed up into his and his head dipped so low he could feel the warmth of the teen's breath on him. He moved up onto his elbows again and peered down. His own mouth opened when Gohan's did and he almost choked when those beautiful lips closed around his aching dick.

"Ohmy— he gasped, fingers digging into the mattress. "S-sweetheart..." Where did Gohan get the idea to do this, he wondered distantly. Wherever it was, Goku knew he shouldn't be so happy that his son did pick it up someplace but he was because wow it felt good. Watching those lips around him was perversely one of the most beautiful, erotic things he had ever seen. The way Gohan sucked him with his eyes closed like that, slow and firm, he could swear he felt the love in every stroke of his baby's tongue, every time his lips tightened on the way back up to the head, the way his teeth scraped softly against the crown.

"So beautiful," he moaned putting one hand on the side of Gohan's face. The boy pulled back and smiled up at him.

"Is this okay, Dad? Am I doing good?"

Goku hadn't ever thought about receiving oral sex from his son. Having never experienced it before, he really didn't know what he was missing until now. As far as doing a good job...

He pulled him up and kissed him. "You're doing great, baby." Gohan smiled and said, "Good, because I wasn't sure you'd let me do it." He ran a hand through the teen's hair reassuringly and kissed him again.

"Don't worry, honey. I like it."

Gohan really was happy his dad didn't mind that he wanted to do something so kinky. He had been thinking about it and was ashamed to desire such a thing but it looked like everything was okay. Having a cock in his mouth didn't feel as weird as he thought it might. Maybe because it was the man he loved. If he had to describe it... it didn't feel dirty so much as it felt like an act of love. Well, it felt a little dirty in a very nice way. When he had first put it in his mouth, his father's reaction nearly scared him. He was afraid he had done something wrong but when he wasn't pushed away he figured he should ask to make sure. Now that he thought about it, perhaps he should be a little more clear on what he wanted.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, babe?"

His new pet-name made him feel extra warm and fuzzy inside. Putting on his most imploring pout, he laid out his proposal and closely watched the man's face. He hoped his dad didn't say no. He couldn't assume that Goku was as adventurous as he was but it didn't hurt to try.

"Are you sure...about that, baby?"

"Positive. I mean, you don't have to..." Goku nodded and moved his hand to the back of his head. He said, "You can have whatever you want, sweetheart," and Gohan almost swooned. He was only too happy to continue. His father hissed when he went back down, taking his cock halfway into his mouth and sucking him even more vigorously than before.

Goku wasn't sure how far his control could go in a situation like this. It hadn't last long before and it wasn't lasting long now. He didn't want to choke his son but he had the strong urge to push his hips up and get more of his cock into his mouth. He was happy that Gohan loved him back but he hadn't expected that the boy would be as sexually attracted to him as he was. He looked like he was enjoying it enough. Oh, but the way it felt was incredible. His little sweetheart's mouth was like a wet, hot, suctioning, torturously awesome heaven and the way his dark head moved up and down, dragging those lips up and down his dick was ripping his control to shreds. And if Gohan moaned all long and hot like one more time he wasn't going to be able to help giving in to the desire to feel all of his cock in the boy's mouth. When his son slurped up to the tip and gave it an especially hard suck his head dropped back and he almost went beside himself with pleasure.

"Mmmm," Gohan moaned, sliding his hands up his father's thighs to his stomach and chest. His own erection had started to hurt a little but he continued to ignore it, feeling like he had to feel more of his gorgeous father, more skin, he had to get more of him in his mouth somehow. He had never felt like this before. The only way to describe it was...well, he was hot. And not temperature-wise. Something just felt so deliciously...kinky about this. Even though he was doing it to show his dad how he felt about him it still made him feel so sexual in a way he never had before. It was beautiful, especially that he could experience this with the most important person in his world.

When he had to go back to school tomorrow he was going to suffer the time until he came home again to his father's loving arms. Until then, Kami, he was hot. Sucking his dad's cock was hot. Feeling his muscles under his hands was hot. The sounds the man made was hot. The look on his face, the way he bit his bottom lip and grunted and growled and moaned, the way his eyes rolled up, the way his thighs tensed, and the obvious way he was struggling not the thrust up into his mouth was all so sexy. Yes.

Pausing, he pulled it out with a wet pop. Looking up he licked his lips and gave a small, nervous smile. "I think you're very sexy," he said and couldn't help the blush at the man's surprised look. "I just...thought you should know."

Goku, still dazed, sat up, chuckled a little, then outright laughed. "Really?"

His father petted his head and then did something Gohan didn't expect. The smile turned into a predatory smirk and then there was an insistent pressure on the back of his head. Gohan's eyes widened. Never expecting such an assertive action, he didn't move until the head of his father's now dripping dick pressed against his slightly parted lips.

Dear. God.

"Give me your hand," Goku commanded and he gave his right one. His hand was wrapped around the base and held there. "Move it up and down." He did as he was told and felt his head being pushed again. His own erection started throbbing it was so hard as he allowed his father to push up past his lips and into his mouth again.

A wild, exquisite kind of feeling at seeing those full and pretty lips gliding wetly down the shaft of his cock went through the man and for a single but solid moment he wanted to feel them pressed up against the hair at the base of his crotch. That urge was so strong he almost pushed the boy off him but was stilled by the captivated look in his son's eyes. He moved his hands and used them to hold him up

Through the heavy glaze of lust in the fifteen-year old's dark orbs he could read the desire loud and clear. He grabbed the sides of Gohan's head with shaking hands and started pushing. There was a muffled gagging noise and he stopped but the boy's look never changed. So he went on, ignoring the gagging, though the more he heard it the more he liked it, pushing until he could feel the resistance of throat muscles. His son's eyes widened and he nodded his head once.

Go for it.

This was something kinky, Goku thought. All he had originally wanted was to make love to Gohan, ravish him and satisfy his every desire. But this... he had no idea he could do this. No idea he wanted to. He allowed Gohan a few moments to even out his breathing through his nose and then thrust forward sharply on the next inhale. For a wonderful moment he swooned intensely and only a small, short gasp left him and the rest was silent shock for almost three full seconds.

Bringing his knees up for leverage he struggled to keep his focus on the boy's face, watching the way the tears welled up in his eyes and he fought to control his reaction to the intrusion in his throat. Goku held his face in place with his still trembling hands for a few seconds then very slowly pulled it up all the way, groaning at the strings of saliva connecting them.

Gohan gulped down air, taking just five deep breaths before surprising Goku by wrapping a hand around his dick and quickly engulfing him again. He sucked hard and fast almost as if he were suddenly desperate for more, repeatedly taking him halfway and pulling him out with wet, obnoxiously sexy popping noises but Goku thought he'd never seen anything hotter.

"Oh God, Gohan, damn that's good. I'm gonna give you what you want. Real soon; just keep doing it like that. Ooooh yes, like that. Juuust like that."

All his life Gohan wanted to please his father. For years that was an innocent want. But now it was a wanton need. How fast it had turned into that, when all he wanted was for the man to lay him down and make extra-passionate love to him. Occasionally he'd think of doing this, wondering how his dad would react, how he'd look, the sounds he'd make. Doing it, however, was beyond anything his imagination had ever conjured up. His father looked, sounded, felt, smelled, and tasted amazing. It made his blood rush hotly all over his body and there was nothing in the world better than savoring the gorgeous man's equally gorgeous body.

The sex between them earlier was too good to be described. The man had always been so pure. Taking that purity and giving his own at fifteen years of age...he didn't care if they were fucking or making love or whatever as long as they were doing it, as long as they loved each other, as long as it continued to feel so good, Gohan didn't care what anyone thought of their activities together. So he was between his father's knees, fiercely sucking him off and liking it more than he knew was possible and he couldn't care less how obscene that was. He loved this man more than life itself and everything in his world revolved around him. When the older fighter pushed his cock into his throat again and growled between his teeth with pleasure it truly was all he could to keep from coming all over the sheets.

"Now! Now, Gohan! Yes! Oh yes! Yes, yuhh, yeaahh—

He had to release Gohan's head and move his hands down to his shoulders as they clenched with the onset of his second orgasm.

"Guh-uuhh!" His head whipped back into a pillow and his hands went to fist the sheets underneath them as he plunged into a mind-blowing climax that made his toes curl. Gohan recoiled a bit at the volume and opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. He kept his eyes on his dad's reactions while he directed the shots all over his face and tongue, occasionally sucking lightly on the almost hyper-sensitive head just to hear the man whimper.

Watching his father have an orgasm was the most beautiful sight. He was so happy to be the one to make him look and sound and writhe like that, hoped he would be the only one who ever would. The bliss in his face and the thought of what caused it made Gohan's heart palpitate. If only his dad knew how happy he made him. One day he would tell him. For now, Goku's climax was subsiding and his face was drenched with come like some cheap ten yen whore.

Panting, Goku rubbed his son's head gently, basking in the afterglow. That was one hell of an orgasm, he mused dazedly. With a smile, he looked down. Though he had known what he would see the smile still disappeared in surprise. Gohan looked up at him innocently.

"Gohan..." The creamy white goo was everywhere. It dripped off the teen's eyelids, ran down his cheeks and forehead, and painted his lips. The picture his fifteen-year old made was astonishingly perverted but so sexually arousing it made his cock jump.

The boy moved up and sat back on his haunches. Goku watched, almost hypnotized as his son scooped some of the stuff off his face with a finger then stuck that finger into his mouth.

"What uh...what's that stuff taste like," he asked curiously.

Swallowing, "Oh. Well, it tastes kind of like..." Gohan's face scrunched cutely. "I don't know. Salty. A little sweet too. Like..." He shrugged. "I don't know, but I like it. Thanks, Dad."

Thanks? For coming all over his face and in his mouth? Um...

"No problem, baby."

He watched silently as Gohan cleaned himself up, scooping and licking and sucking the come off his fingers until it was all gone. Damn.

He sat all the way up and grabbed him by the sides of his face. "Tell me you love me. I want to hear you say it again."

A warm smile and a tender, but emotional stare preceded the precious words. "I love you, dad." The man kissed him and it was like the first one all over again. It was surprisingly chaste but reminded him of the calm before a storm.

It was clear from the beginning that Goku dominated their kisses and Gohan liked that. He let his father lay him down on his back and kiss down his chest, the kisses getting hungrier and less chaste the further down he went. A shiver of anticipation went through him when his chest was licked, right before his dad took one of his nipples into his mouth.

"Ssshh!" Goku looked up at the hiss and smiled.

"Do you like that?" They had already done so much how he could still blush at this point was a mystery. "I'll keep that in mind."

Goku noticed, after tending to both of the teen's pink little nubs, that his son was beginning to squirm and was trying to get him to make contact with his cock. Aw, he thought, peering down at Gohan's cock. It was flushed a dark pink at the tip and looked hard enough to break something. Poor little guy.

Wanting to return the favor he moved down his lover's body and situated himself between the hybrid's shaking legs.

Gohan watched him, watched as he nipped his way down, nibbled teasingly on his hipbones, and licked each inner thigh. His stomach was heaving up and down with his shallow breathing and in addition to the shaking the older Saiyan could tell how aroused he was. Idly he wondered if Gohan knew how he felt about him. He hadn't really told him anything. Before he knew what would happen next they were having sex. It felt right, it really did. On the surface, he was worried that this wouldn't last, that Gohan would go back to school and realize that what they did was bad, that he would want to take back all the things he'd said, regret all the things they did. If something like that could happen then right now, while he had the chance, he would show his son how much he loved him and if it didn't work out then he would always have this moment and he would never forget it. He would enjoy it while it lasted.

Gohan jerked when his father's lips kissed the base of his cock. He couldn't help it when his eyes closed at the feel of his tongue there too. They slammed back open when the head of his erection was sucked into a hot wet place that felt good beyond description. Though he had just been on the giving end of this wildly arousing activity it was very different on the receiving end. On the receiving end it certainly was a feeling he couldn't say was anything like he'd ever thought of. This was one of those things you had to feel to believe. A broken moan was all he could utter as he stared raptly as smooth, firm lips took him in, very slowly, until half his cock was in there and he had to grab and hold onto the sheets to keep himself grounded to the bed.

"Oh Dad," he groaned, trying to keep still. "Oh my goodness." When he gave his father oral sex, reciprocation had never even crossed his mind. This was better than he gave the act credit for. As his cock was nursed Gohan stared down, blinking only when absolutely necessary, trying not to squirm too much. Though it was the most erotic thing to ever happen to his dick for some strange reason seeing his dad down there sucking him only made him want that cock in a different place. Besides, the bed would be more comfortable.

"W-wait," he croaked weakly. The request went unanswered. "Dad."

Goku looked up. "What's up?"

"Can we..." His eyes darted away from Goku and a telltale redness spread over his nose. "Have sex?"

"Huh?"

Goku smiled. "Of course." A moment of silence passed between them and then his smile melted into a smirk. "You like sex with me?" Gohan said that he did and it made him feel giddy in an almost childish way, happy that he wanted to try it again and so soon.

On the nightstand there was a bottle of cocoa butter, which he grabbed before they worked their way in to missionary position. Goku slicked them both up with the slow shakiness of the very turned-on, eyes and fingers occupied as he prepped his son. Gohan wiggled around and he ignored it at first, enthralled with watching his index finger sink to the second knuckle and contemplating adding another.

"Dad," he heard. His head came up.

"No more of that," Gohan said, taking hold of his hands and pulling up. "Please."

His son clearly didn't want to wait and that was just fine with him. He planted both hands down on the mattress and felt the boy's legs tangle around his own. The second time inside that unbelievable place was just as awesome as the first. This time around he would make it last. He rocked his hips forward as steadily as he could, already feeling the twist in his stomach. A drawn-out, satisfied moan came from the teen and it was even better seeing the look on his face. It was different than the one he had as he was experiencing oral sex for the first time. It was obvious he liked this better.

Without the weak roar of the shower in the background, hearing every change in the pitch and tone of his son's voice was better than he knew it could be. He was very responsive, very passionate. It was like a dream. To think that someone else could have had this...the very thought. With a grunt and a sharp thrust, their skin slapped together and brought dual moans of bliss from both of them. Gohan was his now. None of that mattered. Not now anyway.

"Faster, Daddy, faster!" The demi grit out through his teeth.

Gohan's ass felt like it was swallowing his cock, there was a depth in the boy's ass that, when a bit more than half his cock went in, it was like entering a new hole within, tighter than the previous entrance. The pleasure was so great it almost seemed like he was hallucinating. So great it was like ChiChi never happened.

"Ooohh yes! More! Harder! Deeper!" His voice was breaking down into clipped words and animalistic sounds and laborious breathing.

His father gave him what he wanted at a savage pace, the bed creaking and smacking against the wall like the whole world was shaking and he almost couldn't catch his breath. His dad slammed dead-on into his special spot with the most delicious precision, a few drops of sweat raining down on his neck and face as the man heaved over him, beautiful and strong, working for their pleasure. The vision alone was enough to send him over the edge. It started with a scream but cut off midway due to breathlessness upon his entrance to an entirely different world. His body thrashed uncontrollably as the world whited out and everything went numb for a while.

Goku grabbed his son's arms as they flailed out and almost hit him in the face and held them down. Seeing Gohan enjoy sex so much with him made it better. Watching him convulse and lose his breath and sweat...there were so many things he had never expected to see or experience with this boy. What he was doing was more than slaking his lust. Granted, they were far from making love but he was hardly using the boy. And who cared if Gohan was using him, which he highly doubted. Nothing else mattered except seeing, hearing, tasting, and feeling Gohan. He even smelled great.

They were loud and rough and beyond themselves with ecstasy, rolling and twisting and flipping into as many positions as either of them could think of and exhausting themselves into the latter part of the early afternoon. Gohan dropped on top of him, knocked out and panting and he laid there in the afterglow still feeling like he was luckier than he had a right to be. It didn't last long.

Afternoon passed into late evening as they slept. He dreamed of waking up and continuing this wonderful procession of perfect events. Everything was how he always wanted it to be. No, it was better.

Gohan awoke with a smile on his face, glancing blearily up at his father. All he could think was that the sex was spectacular. His dad was spectacular. He kissed the skin under his head softly, running his hands up and down the man's sides. This day was one he would never forget no matter what happened the next. He had everything he had ever wanted. Literally. Nothing could make him happier.

Quiet conversation about what they were going to do now and how they felt up until then took place in the same position they woke up in. Gohan happily agreed to sleeping with his father from then on.

"You're my boyfriend, you know," he said. The pale warrior grinned.

"I am?"

"Yup."

"Then it's settled." He already liked being his son's boyfriend.

EPILOGUE

When he figured out that he was being pursued by Videl, the first thing he did was tell his father. Goku just gave him a conspiratorial smirk and said that it was cute.

"Is it?"

Goku shrugged. "Sure. It is what it is." Gohan cocked his head and regarded him with an expectant stare.

"By the way, what is it?"

"It's nothing. I'm going to turn her down. Tell her I'm taken."

Honestly, he didn't much care for that girl. At all, really. She wasn't his type and reminded him far too much of his mother. The sixteen year old was well into his friends at school and even more so into his father. Goku had been worried that he would lose interest the way teenagers tended to do when the novelty and excitement bled out of an experience but Gohan remained interested, if you could call it that. He was keenly pleased with their relationship and he liked to let him know this once in a while. Not that it was necessary. If Gohan could fake his reactions and feelings with so much ease and spontaneity than he had it coming.

But that wasn't a thing to worry about. He wasn't worried. He didn't have to be. The boy jumped him multiple times a day when he could, was always staring at him and touching him, and clung to him like glue when he wasn't in school. A few times even, he had cut school in the middle of the day just to come home and feed his crazy teenaged hormones and Goku was only too happy to oblige.

Everything was perfect. For now. And if Gohan decided one day that he wanted to meet a girl and start a family they had discussed how their affair would persist. It remained to be seen how far it would really go but Goku wasn't waiting to see. He would enjoy what they had while they had it.

"You make me happier than anything ever has in my life. You always have and you always will, Dad."

And of course, that statement was followed by heart-palpitating sex on the kitchen floor.

END.

I know the end was rushed (and mostly unedited cuz I'm lazy) but I was dying to finish this story. It will be my last. I thought I'd just throw up this last hail-mary for all to enjoy before I took my permanent leave. I apologize to all that wish it isn't so. But it is. I'll miss you guys! Thanks for being some of the most awesome people on the planet. You've made my day and night many days and night :) Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I hope you enjoy this one. Of course, it could be better, but I'm getting too caught up in life to continue this. I hope you guys enjoyed and as usual, review!