Chapter 2, A Beautiful Exchange.
Whis simply can't contain his curiosity anymore. Before, when he was swallowing down his dessert, it had been effortless to push his curiosity aside as though it wasn't there, so that he could freely enjoy his food without breaking concentration, but now that there's nothing left for him to eat, his curiosity refuses to remain shackled in. His curiosity simply has to be attended to, and so, he gently places his spoon on the table next to the now empty bowl to give way to it.
'I must know,' he silkily starts, 'how did you prepare these dishes?'
With Bulma, he only ever went to fancy eating places, and thus, gained sizable knowledge on gourmet dishes and exquisite meals. It's how he knows that the food that he just had the pleasure of eating, is nowhere near being gourmet. If anything, he would say that the food he just ate, is plain and ordinary, but, cosmically, he would give his life to wholeheartedly attest to its superiority to gourmet taste at any given time. This fact doesn't make clear sense to him, as he is under the understanding that professional chefs make the best food.
Without wavering in either demeanour or voice, Goku's wife answers, 'Pots and pans.'
Her answer doesn't offend him, much less make him believe her to be slow, rather, it leaves him a little touched. Her disregard to choose her words carefully, makes him feel normal for a change. On all the planets that he's visited and the people there discover who he truly is, they always tread lightly around him, but not this woman. This woman is treating him like an acquaintance, at least as per his silent observation, which warms him, to be honest. It warms him so much, that he closes his eyes for just a fraction to faintly smile at her.
'You misunderstand me,' he softly corrects as his eyes open to look at her again, 'I'm talking about the taste of the food. There's something different in your food, that I haven't had the pleasure of tasting before today.'
It's as though she puts a little more of something that all the other chefs don't dare to, because there's just that slight, yet very noticeable difference in her food, for the better of the taste. He couldn't even wiggle from side to side as he ate, for the fear that he might interrupt the taste of the savoury food melting in his mouth and then proceeding to smoothly slide down his throat.
Goku's wife only looks at him at first, her face giving nothing away, and then, at the exact second that he thinks to elaborate, she takes the seat across his before drawing her eyebrows together to clearly indicate her displeasure.
'Are you comparing my food to the food that Bulma serves you?' she asks, her voice laced with annoyance.
Apparently, without meaning to, he managed to send her the wrong meaning again. Where she thinks that he's narrowly sitting on the border of insulting her food, he really only means to compliment her as she duly deserves. No matter now, however, all that's left, is to rectify his miscommunication, especially if he wants to be kept in her good books.
'No,' he redirects, keeping his eyes on hers so that she can see that he's telling the truth, 'I'm not comparing. I'm rather looking for a difference, my dear. Your food can't be defined by a mere word, and I'm curious to know why that is.'
He watches her relax her facial features, and he just knows that she now understands what he means. This is a relief for him, because truthfully, he would've disliked it if she didn't grasp what he meant, and then threw him out of her house. That surely would've meant that he would never again have had the pleasure of having her food in his mouth.
'Well,' she starts with a soft voice, placing her elbow on the table to rest her cheek on her closed hand, 'to be honest, there is a huge difference between a professional cooking for money and upholding their reputation, and a simple housewife cooking for the people that she loves.'
Whis' eyes enlarge in curious wonder as he asks an intrigued, 'Oh?'
He'd love, love to hear more about it! He'd love to hear about this said huge difference between people of the same species and race that affects the taste of the food that they produce. He'd love to hear all about it indeed, but just then, he loses the chance, as Lord Beerus starts to call for him again.
'Oh, Whis!' his master drags his name to highlight his emphasis on it. 'I know you can hear me, so I'll tell you now, that if you aren't back within two minutes, I will start destroying all the planets I can.'
He should've known that ignoring his master would lead to this, Whis fondly thinks with a minimal frown. The frown isn't to digress on the fact that his master is resorting to blackmail to get him back, neither is it to show dislike of the fact that Beerus is cut through his time, instead, it's to fractionally lament over his unquenched curiosity.
'May I remind you that it takes twenty-seven minutes to get back, Lord Beerus,' he casually replies, 'And besides, I'm still waiting for Goku to show up.'
Really, Lord Beerus has the patience as short as a snail. If deities were elected on the basis of patience, he wouldn't have been on the list to become one.
'Forget Goku!' Lord Beerus' voice gruffly barks –Whis can almost see the wagging tongue and sharp teeth expression that he makes when he loses his patience like that- 'I want to take a bath, so you had better get back here soon.'
Sighing and simultaneously closing his eyes to savour the effect, Whis smoothly answers, 'Yes, my Lord, I will be there soon.'
It's true, he's lingered for far longer than he was supposed to. It isn't fair that he keeps Lord Beerus waiting more than he has to. It's time that he went back home, he supposes with another sigh. This last sigh, however, being one oddly saddened by the prospect of leaving already makes him wonder...
'And don't think I don't know that you've been stuffing your face with food all this time,' Beerus adds in a warning tone. 'I know you, Whis. I know there's no other reason than food for you to ignore my call.'
'Guilty,' Whis laughs in slight embarrassment, immediately getting on his feet and silently summoning his staff to appear from thin air.
There's precious little that he can hide from his Lord, not that he ever wants to keep anything important from him, though...
'In that case,' the destruction god tones down his wayward temper, 'I will not accept for you to come back empty-handed.'
'I wouldn't dream of it,' Whis replies and a small grunt follows from the god, before the communication line between them dies.
At that, he looks over at Goku's wife, who is now also on her feet to ask, 'Do you perhaps have any more food for me to take back to Lord Beerus?'
'I have food left,' she answers, 'but I'm afraid that I have two Saiyan stomachs to feed. I know Goku will be starving when he gets back. And Goten too. I'm sorry.'
Although a shame that she can't spare food for Lord Beerus, Whis doesn't think it's appropriate for her to be apologetic for putting her family first in place of gambling with an unlikely chance to get into good graces with Beerus. He does appreciate that she's sorry for not giving him what he wants, though. However, he only files that away without mentioning it to her, as he supposes that it won't do her any good to hear.
'A pity,' is what he chooses to say to her. 'I just know Lord Beerus would've loved to have what you made.'
Exactly like before, she doesn't answer him at first, but only considers him. Her eyes go from one side of his face to the other, and then right into his eyes, before her mouth finally opens.
'What's it like being the servant of a god?' comes from her mouth. 'I only heard one end of the conversation, but...'
A curiosity formed inside her, he mentally completes what she verbally doesn't. Hearing only his end of the conversation must've caught her attention enough to make her reach a conclusion that she needs either confirmed or denied.
'Hmm,' he ponders for the best way to satisfy her curiosity in the same way that her food satisfied his taste buds. 'No one has ever asked me that,' he absently realises out loud.
He looks off out of focus, to think well and hard about it and then only gives his answer to her.
'Well, how can I say this?' How can he explain his relationship with Lord Beerus to her indeed, in a way that she will understand? It's not as cut and dried as it appears, and so he doesn't really have the right way to begin explaining it. Plus, he's never had to explain his relationship with Lord Beerus before, but okay, he'll try. 'It's that even being stronger than him, and having to deal with his insatiable tendencies...' he trails off for a second.
It's in that same second that Goku's wife completes his sentence without hesitation. 'There's nothing else in the world you would rather be doing?'
Precisely, Whis thinks, snapping his eyes out of focus to evenly set on her.
It's more her confident, yet relating tone than it is what she said, that makes him feel the need to look at her. When their eyes meet, he feels an incredible tug on his heart. The tug is so profound, that he places his hand over his heart to feel it over his majestic robe. He's never felt so keenly connected to someone, the way that he feels connected to Goku's wife at the moment.
In her complete, barely-uttered understanding of what it's like to have Lord Beerus as his master, a tight thread invisible begins all the way from her to him, to especially connect them. For that reason, Whis smiles at her, not only to answer her, but also to tell her that he's gathered that she's in the same situation. He can't imagine that she's physically stronger than Goku, but surely, she must be some type of strong to be able to tame Goku. From what he's seen, Goku is only normal, because something keeps him grounded, because otherwise, he would be a lose and wild ball of energy. Now, Whis can understand that she's the leash around Goku; his tamer.
Softly chuckling, he ponders; who would've guessed that being Lord Beerus' servant could be equalled to being Goku's wife? The universe is a place filled with treasure-like mysteries indeed!
Apparently taking his chuckle to be a positive response, Goku's wife warmly smiles back at him, appreciatively saying, 'I like you, Whis.'
Oh my, he draws in a secret breath.
That was brazenly forward. He didn't expect that she would say that to him, in spite of the evident bond that has just magically sprouted between them, to join them as lone comrades with similar differences, in similar wars. Nonetheless, he is not perturbed by it. As a matter of fact, he rather feels more connected to her now, because there isn't any hint of hope for beneficial gain in her confession. She didn't sound like a woman with her own agenda when she said that. which is how he knows that she isn't telling him that, to butter him up, but she is simply telling him the truth from a deep feeling of having a kindred in him.
'I like you,' he heartily returns with a delighted smile, 'Goku's wife.'
'Chi-Chi,' she corrects him. 'You can call me, Chi-Chi.'
And so he will, he decides on the spot as he nods. She will be the one and only being in all his life, that he will forever remember as the one whose sincerity and shared experience unlocked a desire for friendship within him. Sure, Lord Beerus and the Oracle fish had been enough for him until just a minute ago, but not anymore -oddly so. Earth seems to have a lot of surprises to yet reveal to him.
'In that case, Chi-Chi,' he carefully poses, tingling with an excited warmth, 'may I propose something?'
For an answer, she nods for him to continue.
'I love the taste of Earth food, and you just happen to have the power of the taste of food in your hands. Doesn't that in itself clearly outline that we should assemble as often as we can from now on?'
Heaven knows that since he doesn't sleep, he gets bored, so it would do him good to visit her now and then, he reasons. She is after all, the only person that understands his position, which could mean that perhaps they could trade management strategies...
'I would like that,' she agrees. 'With Goku gone half of the time, and Goten off with Trunks, I'm often bored here at home.'
'Well then,' he excitedly announces, 'it's settled, I will come by more. Thank you for the exquisite food... Chi-Chi,' he carefully says her name at the end, because he likes that he can say her name freely. In a way, there's an unexplained sense of familiarity in calling her by her name.
'I'll tell Goku that you stopped by.'
Speaking of Goku, he suddenly remembers, he still needs to get something for Lord Beerus to eat. He can't believe that he forgot so soon. It's not like him to forget to secure something edible for his Lord. A little ashamed of himself for forgetting, he clears his throat as though to rid himself of the shame.
'May I bother you for just a little?' he asks, bringing his index finger and thumb closer together. 'I need to take something back to my Lord, what do you suggest?'
Where he expected that she would eagerly give him a list of dishes to get and jump at the opportunity like Bulma would've done, she instead flashes him a smile that is almost daring him to ask her that again, but not in a dangerous way. This Chi-Chi... he thinks as he looks at her, she's not at all what anyone would immediately conclude her to be, upon seeing her.
'Do you cook?' she asks, her daring smile still present on her face.
'Who, me?' he exclaims in surprise before adding, 'Oh dear, no!'
The idea of him cooking, is laughable! Well, he's tried to cook on several occasions, but Lord Beerus was never patient enough to wait for him to actually start the cooking. He has yet to use a pot to make food.
'Well, you're going to cook today,' she tells him, leaving him with no option of refusing. 'I have ingredients and recipes for you to take back.'
He can hardly picture Lord Beerus patiently sitting as he waits for his meal to be done, but, ah, the prospect excites him to the point of shudders spreading all through his body.
'That should be interesting,' he considers.
'If Beerus is as bad at waiting like Goku is, it should be more than interesting,' she heartily promises. 'Wait here, I'll be right back.'
What does she mean that it should more than interesting? Is it an experience that brings immense pleasure, he wonders, that she would say it in a way that makes him believe that it's a very fulfilling process? While he wonders all this, he follows her with his eyes as she goes through some cupboards and just about then, the door bursts open.
Not bothered one bit, Whis doesn't turn to the door to see who just entered, but then he doesn't even need to, because the person at the door announces his arrival anyway.
'I'm back, Chi-Chi,' Goku lets them know.
So he might be able to take Goku back with him, after all, Whis reasons to himself. He hears a small gasp and then suddenly, Goku's standing in front of him, his eyes full of innocent wonder.
'Oh, hi, Whis!' Goku smiles at him, 'What are you doing here?'
Whis only smiles as an answer.
Chapter 3, Beautiful Crime.
