Notes: This story gets really adult-themed later on, which is why I will only post those parts in my AO3 account & probably have a censored/downplayed version here. (For those who don't know yet, FFnet does NOT welcome MA-rated works, that's why.)

Warnings: Lots of fluff, but the angst outweighs it. Scattered bittersweet lemons (which denotes "interspecies sex" since our 2 main protagonists are from the alien species, after all) and even some non-consensual violent ones eventually. Gothic-erotic, dark themes & tragedy (the character death kind). Definitely NSFW & only for mature-minded fans.

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball/Z/GT/Xenoverse/Super/etc. belong to their respective owners. Dragon Ball Retro, however, is my derivative brainchild, created for my personal pleasure & sublimation. I own nothing except this derivative fanwork which I do not profit from.

Story #3:

"The World Is The Distraction"

Like sun and fire. Like dream and sleep.

Like a dark bird's flight- through a forest deep.

Two streams, we die. In the open sea.

Like destiny-

Like destiny.

-Fever

(Rivermaya)

A flash of brilliant colour in his peripheral vision makes him forget.

Forget to keep on running; forget that he shouldn't be stopping to look back—

Completely forget not to let his curiosity get the best of him.

By the time his eyes recapture what has seduced his mind, he was already deeply entranced by the batting of spritely yellow chartaceous wings, anointing its ethereal green perch with flurried feathery kisses.

Long forgetting that his lips shouldn't be parted in soundless awe, nor should his feet be rooted to the spot; body tethered by an emphatic gust of wind, drowning all of him in sweet nostalgic petrichor.

And even the need to breathe, he doesn't remember-

As in that eternal moment, he altogether forgets forever…

The existence of a world beyond clear translucent lapis-lazuli delicately being unveiled…

-x-

It's been over a month since his first year of senior high school started at Orange Star Intergalactic Academy. Being younger than most students in the same level because of his exceptional academic achievements didn't dampen his popularity one bit. And he was not only smart and popular; according to most of his admirers (and his mother), he wasn't at all bad looking either.

Truth be told, he didn't really care much for any of those things. Up until a month ago, he has always believed that he's lived a rather normal, and even frightfully uneventful life. And though the routine bored him to death at times, he didn't really mind as long as his parents were happy, and the world was at peace. He knew that this "peace" they were now enjoying was far from perfect, but it was the most of the word that the Planet Earth has been proudly able to realize, after being buffeted by centuries of brutal wars. The world they lived in now has gone a long way and part of the reason for this newfound order was the strictly enforced eradication of any form of bigotry and violence. The history books he so obsessively poured over were enough to make him bear and tuck away the occasional restless desiderium for what exactly– he didn't really know, and couldn't quite pin down just yet. He just knew that he was grateful for and satisfied with his life. He had to be.

But that was a month ago; before that day he was running late for the very first time in his whole monotonous life, and saw a stranger seated beneath the shade of a late-blooming cherry blossom tree; book in lap. A month ago, when entirely by chance their eyes met and time stood still. And though it was that same day a month ago wherein for the first time he didn't make it to class before the morning bell rang— he couldn't bring himself to care about anything else except the fact that the said stranger happened to be their new classmate.

And since then, everything that once was his featureless unremarkable life- has now become pure inscrutable internally supercharged chaos.

- - - - -x- - - - -

0
Flutterby'd

- - - - -x- - - - -

"Why don't you talk to him?"

Gohan Son Jr. is startled out of his reverie.

"I think everyone knows about your not-so-little "crush" on him by now, except well… you."

At that, the ebony-haired youth balked flustered, shushing her. "He'll hear you!" he hissed. "Nameks have very keen ears!"

Videl Satan studied the said Namek across the room who had his eyes closed albeit his upright posture and crossed arms.

"Is it a secret?" she whispered back.

"I- I…" Gohan honestly couldn't put together a coherent sentence in his mind, so he settled for a sigh. After some moments, he gives up, deciding to simply speak his mind. "I don't know if you can call it a crush… I just think he looks really cool, that's all…"

Videl only continued to eye her classmate expectantly, somewhat amused at how he couldn't seem to stop fidgeting. She felt that he was terribly understating the facts. His actions for the past three weeks were consistently that of a goo-goo eyed lovesick girl. She would know. Gohan was always ogling at their Namekian classmate the way his lovesick admirers were always ogling at him (she– secretly being one of them).

"Besides I don't want to scare him with something as stupid as that," Gohan added ducking his head low as if the action made his whispering any less conspicuous.

"What's so stupid about being in love?" And besides, she thought sparing the brooding Namek another furtive glance, it certainly didn't seem like he was the type to scare easily.

"…L-l-love?!" Gohan sputtered a bit too loudly, causing several heads to turn in his direction (those that weren't already on him), including that of his teacher's.

"Mr Son, I take it you've already completed your seatwork?"

"Errr…"

"Come forward and write the answer to question number one through five on the board for us, if you please."

Gohan stood up stiffly, and head hanging low, made his way to the front where the blackboard was.

It was at that moment that Piccolo Daimaoh Jr. opened his eyes, training them on the board; intending to see if they had the same answer. Inevitably his eyes wandered to Gohan himself, or rather– Gohan's back- and his tall lanky form. It was impossible not to notice by now, how for some reason this boy was always staring at him. He knew that even if a melange of races had been co-inhabiting the Earth for some decades now, he still tended to stick out like a sore green thumb at times. He could only surmise that it was because he was much taller than average –Earthling, Namek, or otherwise (especially since he was only thirteen years old). Or possibly because Nameks of his class were so rare. Even when he was younger he was forced to get used to exorbitant attention from other aliens –both the flattering and not-so-flattering kind. But rarely did any of those who took interest in him ever come from the human-esque species such as native Earthlings, Tsufurujins, or Saiyajins. His curiosity about why the popular boy would be exceptionally interested in him was piqued. Was he a specimen to the brainy boy? Did he want to study him? Or did he simply find him atypical? He inwardly snorted. Not that he wasn't used to that by now. People giving him condescending –if not scared– looks. But then again, the look he often caught on the boy's face was not that kind of stare. It was strangely specific— the kind that was akin to the looks past suitors would give him. He felt mortified as a hot blush crept into his cheeks, and he mentally shook his head. Though he didn't mean to, he heard a good deal of the conversation that just transpired between the boy and the human female. Still, he found it beyond belief that any human could like him that way. Impossible.

Gohan –head still lowered- shyly returned to his seat, as Videl was called for the next answer. And the other students were then called one after the other. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He had to get it together! But the idea that the girl sitting behind him had put in his head (Veedee, right? He was bad at remembering names)— the idea that he didn't even dare consider, was growing faster than a virus in his mind.

Love…

Oh. Oh. It couldn't be. He tried to mentally laugh it off but immediately snapped to attention when Piccolo's name was called and the said Namek coolly stood up to write the final set of answers to the seatwork problem on the board.

Gohan instinctively held his breath as Piccolo passed his aisle seat in the centre of the room. He could almost feel his heart leap out of his chest when he caught a whiff of fresh tulips and sweet morning dew. A scent he knew so well by now; always infallibly enraptured by it. It triggered a churning warmth in the pit of his stomach that set the usually caged extremely on-edge butterflies amok. He blinked rapidly, feeling a bit of difficulty catching up to his pulse. What was happening to him? He sunk a little lower in his chair, feeling mildly delirious and giddy all at once.

Could it be? That I'm in love with him? The thought was practically boxing his ears in, and it was deafening. Breathing was becoming even more laboured now, as a lump seemed to be growing inside his chest— which shot up to his throat when Piccolo turned back after leaving his answers on the board, and their gazes directly met. Piccolo's clear lapis-lazuli orbs regarded him an entire second longer than usual, with an expression no less than masterfully neutral.

Gohan on the other hand, felt the lump expanding… expanding… and he scrunched his eyes tightly, as one thought engulfed his mind and all of his senses…

He is so beautiful.

Oh. Oh. Kamisama. He winced, catching the renegade thought.

I…

He stole a glance at Piccolo across the classroom, two rows behind; the Namek's gaze was now blithely transfixed on something beyond the window. The mere sight caused Gohan's heart rate to shoot up all over again in a fevered frenzy. He swallowed once more, but the lump refused to go down.

I'm in love with him.

End of Prelude.
Continued in Chapter 1: Stalkerazzi…

(This work was first published in my old FFnet account & simultaneously x-posted on AO3: 2016-04-17)