Sasei stood at the edge of the Lookout, his brow knit in concentration as he stared down at the world below. He didn't understand how Dende and Piccolo managed to do it. Either of the two of them could stand at that very spot, look down upon the Earth, and gleam any number of fine details about the goings on of the human race, yet he? All he managed to get from the experience was a headache and a better understanding of what the planet's cloud formations looked like from above. He supposed it was just a form of sight reserved only for Guardians, a position only marginally considered to be a low-tier God. Just enough divinity to sense the ki of Gods and grant them near-omniscient sight, yet even these small gifts would be out of reach for an unchosen mortal like himself. That wouldn't stop him from trying his damnedest, though.
"Sasei? Are you alright? Are you trying to look at something?"
The galactic cop glanced behind him when he heard himself being addressed. It was Dende, standing there with a somewhat quizzical look on his face. Sasei gave the Guardian a slightly embarrassed half-smile.
"I-I suppose I'd be lying if I said 'no.' I'd love to ask for your help in the matter, but I don't want to say too much aloud in case…" he trailed off softly, finishing his thought with a nod in the direction of Kami's Palace. Dende looked involuntarily, though he caught what the other meant without actually seeing the person he'd been referring to.
"Something you don't want Piccolo overhearing?" he replied in a whisper, though he knew it would do them no good. Whispering was as good as shouting as far as Namekian hearing was concerned. Still, the impulse was hard to resist when the subject grew secretive. "I think it's safe. He's still asleep, which is kinda weird in itself. He doesn't usually sleep this late."
Sasei nodded in confirmation. He'd noticed it as well. Piccolo had seemed more tired than usual, and he'd been sleeping in for the past week or so. He might have been a tad more concerned about it if it wasn't so fortuitous at the immediate moment.
"In that case, perhaps you can help explain something about humans to me. You've watched them ever since you arrived on the planet, so you'd know their culture pretty well, right?"
"Well, sure, but there's a lot to it. Is there anything specific you wanted to know about?"
"Actually, yeah. There is. What can you tell me about this thing the humans call 'marriage?'"
"'Marriage?'" Dende repeated, blinking in confusion. He then cast a glance back at the Palace once more, in the vague direction in which a sleeping Piccolo surely lay. He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head a bit.
"But why would you want to know about a silly thing like that? You two are both Namekians, and you're already mates as far as Namekian culture is concerned. Why bother with the arbitrary bonding rituals of another species?"
"Admittedly, I don't really have any practical purposes for it…" Sasei began to explain, looking away in mild embarrassment. "But Piccolo grew up here on Earth. He's more accustomed to human culture than he is our own, despite his misgivings with them. Call it sentimentality if you wish, but I'd like to solidify our relationship in a way he'd understand a bit better."
"Sasei, your relationship seems pretty solid as it is. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Piccolo loves you, and he's not about to change his mind about it anytime soon. But… Well, if you insist on learning more about it anyway, you're probably better off asking a human about it. Try some of the couples we know, like Gohan and Videl, Goku and Chi Chi, Krillin and 18… Even Bulma might have some information for you, though she and Vegeta never actually got married. Either way, you're sure to get a better idea from them than I could ever give you."
Sasei thought about it for a moment. Yes, that did make a bit more sense than asking another Namekian. He took a quick moment to check on Piccolo back in their bedroom, confirming that he was still asleep before taking off to start his little investigation.
Shortly after his preliminary discussion with Dende, Sasei found himself at the Son house, eager to gather as much information as he could in as short a time as was possible. Shortly after knocking, he was greeted at the door by Goten.
"Oh, hi Sasei. Where's Piccolo? Isn't he with you?" the young teen asked curiously, peeking around the Namekian's shoulder in search of the other. Sasei gave an apologetic smile.
"It's just me today. I was actually wondering if I could talk to your mother or your brother about something. If they don't mind, that is."
"Sure, I don't see why not. Mom's cooking lunch in the kitchen with Videl. I can go get Gohan for you if you want."
"I'd appreciate that, thank you." Sasei said with a nod, stepping into the large, circular house, closing the door gently behind him as Goten headed upstairs to retrieve his older brother. The Namekian made his way towards the kitchen. Since the boy had made a point of telling him where the matriarch of the family could be found, he assumed it was an invitation to go find her for himself.
The kitchen greeted him with a symphony of smells as he entered. The two women were indeed in here, and they were busy cooking what must look like a feast for fifty to a normal human. To a Saiyan household, he'd learned that this was merely a normal lunch. So used to cooking ten things at once without so much as batting an eyelash, Chi Chi didn't seem at all perturbed when she looked up from the stove to see that they had a guest. That the guest was a Namekian didn't bother her, as it perhaps would have fifteen years earlier. She'd long since settled any grievances she'd had with Piccolo, and his mate had proven himself to be decent enough. At least he had a respectable profession rather than being preoccupied with mindless fighting all the time. Sasei bowed his head slightly in a show of respect to the head of the family.
"Pardon my intrusion, Ma'am. I didn't mean to bother you while you were busy."
"Pfft, this?" Chi Chi shook her head good-naturedly, giving a light laugh. "This is nothing. When you have to cook for three Saiyans, you start being able to prepare food like this in your sleep."
"I see. That's quite the skill you've developed." He complimented politely, giving Videl a nod of greeting when she was able to look up from her own task of chopping vegetables. It seemed she was still trying to get used to the formidable task to feeding the gluttonous Saiyans.
"I was actually wondering if you'd be able to help me with a bit of research I'm doing on human culture."
"Well, I'm no sociologist, but I might be able to answer a few questions. What do you want to know about?" Chi Chi asked, her attention never quite leaving the giant pot of stew she was working with.
"Could either of you tell me about the human marriage ritual? You two are each married, and for differing lengths of time." He began, hesitating only a moment before adding to the request. "I would be particularly interested in hearing how one goes about asking another to marry them."
Both woman instantly stopped what they were doing to look up at him, staring with wide eyes. They cast a quick glance at each other, as though questioning whether they heard right, before returning their attention to the tall alien.
"Y-you can't be serious…" Chi Chi eventually muttered, unsure if she knew exactly why he was asking such a thing. Videl had no such hesitations about the accuracy of her guess, her bright blue eyes sparkling in excitement.
"Oh my gosh, are you going to ask Piccolo to marry you?!"
Sasei couldn't stop the light blush that peeked out from around the edges of his dark tattoo.
"In a manner of speaking, I suppose I am." He began. He was prepared to explain further, but was stopped when he felt something bump lightly against the back of his leg. He glanced down to see a young girl – almost old enough to be considered a toddler, but not quite – reaching up to cling to the back of his tall boot. Sasei smiled warmly, reaching down to gently ruffle Pan's dark hair.
"Unca Piko?" she asked in that tiny squeak of a voice she had. Sasei chuckled lightly, shaking his head.
"Sorry, no Uncle Piccolo today. I promise he'll come to see you again soon, though." He said softly, recognizing the child's little nickname for her godfather. She gave a little whine of dissatisfaction at being told 'no,' not understanding that one could not magically make a person materialize out of nothingness simply by willing it so. However, she didn't get a chance to protest further, as she was soon scooped up into her father's arms.
"Hey, Sasei. What brings you out here on your own?" Gohan asked with a smile of greeting, quieting his daughter with a gentle rub on the back.
"Sasei's planning on proposing to Piccolo!" Videl interjected excitedly before the one being addressed had a chance to respond. She'd rather fallen in love with the idea, it seemed. The Namekian had taken note that this seemed to be quite the popular subject with the females of the species. Why it should interest one gender more than the other when both were equally involved was something he wasn't likely to ever understand. Just another quirk of a bi-gendered race, he supposed. Gohan, despite being the gender he'd observed to be less interested in such things, seemed suitably elated at the prospect.
"Really? That's great! When are you planning to pop the question? And do you have any specific plan as to how you want to go about it?"
"Well, that's why I came here in the first place, as a matter of fact. I have no clue on the subject and was hoping one or more of you could help steer me in the right direction." He replied, to which Gohan could only blink in slight confusion.
"Why ask us? Don't Namekians have their own ways of proposing to one another?"
"Actually, we don't typically have to propose at all, at least not in such a way as I've heard you humans do it. If a Namekian wishes to be the life-partner of another, so long as the other reciprocates the desire, they simply become mates at the point of agreement. There's no ceremony or ritual to it. It just is."
"But you guys are already living like that now. You're already mates in the Namekian sense, so wouldn't proposing sort of be redundant at this point?"
Sasei gave a somewhat sheepish smile, rubbing at the back of his neck as he avoided eye contact.
"Dende said virtually the same thing when I first brought the subject up to him. By the Gods, I must be sounding like a raving lunatic to all of you… It might not make much sense on the surface, I'll admit as much. He's a Namekian, and I'm a Namekian. It makes sense that we would do things the Namekian way. However, Piccolo was raised here on Earth. He's had nearly a thousand years of human culture impressed upon him, yet he's only just begun learning about our own culture. Since humans put so much emphasis on the importance of asking one to be their life-partner, I don't want Piccolo thinking perhaps I don't care as much as I do by not giving it just as much importance between the two of us. I'm more than willing to do things the human way, if it'll make him happy."
"N'aww, that's so sweet!" Videl commented softly as the explanation drew to a close. Even Chi Chi couldn't help but give a warm smile at it all.
"With an attitude like that, it seems to me you could teach the men of this planet a thing or two about romance, not the other way around." The matriarch replied, unable to contain a wistful sigh.
"Well, I suppose proposing couldn't hurt anything, in any case." Gohan began, growing thoughtful. "But proposing to Piccolo? Man, that's a tough one…"
Sasei's brows furrowed in confusion at that last statement from the half Saiyan.
"A tough one? How so? Why would it be so tricky for me to ask Piccolo specifically?" he asked, growing even more confused when Gohan seemed a bit embarrassed about having to explain.
"Because, well… Here on Earth, it's usually the man who asks the woman to marry him. It's not asking him that's the problem, I'm more worried about how he would feel about being asked in such a way. Since it's something one only typically asks a woman, wouldn't it run the risk of making him feel a little… I dunno… demasculinized? He might not be a male in the strictest biological sense, but if what you say about human culture affecting him is true, then he'll still have the mentality of a human male. He might not appreciate being treated like a woman."
"Oh, wow, I didn't even think about that…" Videl said with a sigh, her excitement seeming to wilt away at the realization. Sasei hadn't thought of that either, but he was quick to come up with an alternative.
"But surely there are exclusively male couples here on Earth, albeit not nearly as common as the male and female couplings. How do they go about proposing to one another?"
The other three adults seemed rather taken aback at the question, glancing tentatively between one another as though trying to form a collective answer between them. Finally, it was Gohan who managed a reply.
"Sorry, but I have no idea. I've never seen one man propose to another, and I don't really know any gay guys to ask. I really wish we could be of more help, but I'm afraid that's all we got."
It was well into the evening before Sasei started heading back to the Lookout. He'd exhausted just about all resources available to him on the subject of human marriage. Krillin and 18 hadn't been much more help than Gohan's family, Dr. and Mrs. Briefs had both started to ramble on about personal stories and experiences that proved to be entertaining, but utterly useless, and Bulma had merely advised him not to propose by getting Piccolo knocked up, something he had come to know that she'd learned from personal experience. All amusing, but none of it particularly enlightening.
By the time Korin's Tower was in sight, he still had no idea what he should do about the whole thing. It seemed he was no better off now from when he'd started this little investigation earlier in the day. Well then, he'd just have to fly blind, wouldn't he? He was far too stubborn just to let it go at this point. He'd make something up on the spot if he had to, but it would be done.
Piccolo already seemed to be waiting for him when he touched down on the edge of the floating platform they called home. He wasn't wearing either his cape or turban, and still looked a bit weary despite having slept late. Sasei gave him a lopsided grin, hoping desperately he wouldn't be asked about his absence all day. He hadn't yet had the opportunity to devise a convincing enough story. But Piccolo asked nothing, merely stared at him for a long moment, studying him. Then, he turned on his heel and started back towards Kami's Palace.
"Come with me a while, Sasei." Piccolo called out when his mate didn't immediately follow behind. The tattooed Namekian couldn't help but feel like he was back in primary school and was now being called to the Elder Instructor's office to be punished. A quick glance in Mr. Popo's direction offered no explanation, the genie's expression remaining blank as ever. He let out a small sigh before finally giving in and heading after his mate.
Sasei found Piccolo already sitting at the edge of their bed when he got back to their room, his arms folded across his chest and one knee hooked over the other. His face gave no hint as to what was going on. At least, not until the door was closed and the two of them finally had some privacy. At that point, Piccolo's lips twisted into a smirk.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find out what you were doing down there? Dende's horrid at keeping secrets, you know." He teased lightly, inviting the other to sit next to him with a small sideways nod of his head. Sasei sighed in relief, eagerly taking the seat next to the other and wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him close.
"Dende told you, did he?"
"Not exactly. I'd asked where you had gone after I woke up and he'd tried so hard to avoid the subject that I felt I should find out for myself. You may not be able to observe the world from up here, but I still can." He replied, his smirk fading into a warm smile as he allowed himself to be pulled against his mate's side. "I think I should tell you now that your idea, while extremely thoughtful in theory, isn't necessary at all. If I needed some silly gesture such as having you go down on one knee and profess your love for me to know that you care, I'd probably be far too shallow for your tastes. As it stands, you've already given me all I could ever want."
Sasei let out a chuckle, shaking his head to himself. So, it had all been a fool's errand after all? And to think, he'd been so careful to only speak of it when he was sure Piccolo couldn't overhear, yet he'd forgotten that he could easily find out what he was doing as simply as looking off the edge of the Lookout. He'd been stupid to think the other wouldn't get curious about his absence. He couldn't help but blame his own eagerness for the lapse in judgement.
"But surely I can give you yet more." He replied, his smooth baritone lowering into a purr as he moved in to press his lips against Piccolo's. The latter didn't resist at all as he was gently pushed back against the bed, his arms wrapping around Sasei's neck as he slipped rather easily into the mood of intimacy. Any hesitation he had about such things had been destroyed once and for all months ago, and he was no longer concerned about looking like a fool in front of his mate. He didn't mind at all when the other began loosening his sash for him, tossing the length of blue fabric aside before slipping a hand under his shirt, teasing at his abdominals.
Suddenly, Sasei jerked himself out of Piccolo's loose grasp, holding himself up on his hand and knees as he stared down at the perplexed figure laying underneath him. His one hand remained underneath Piccolo's shirt, resting lightly on his lower abdomen. His eyes widened, staring blankly at nothing in particular.
"Piccolo… Suppress your ki… Lower it as much as you can…" he breathed out in an odd tone which Piccolo couldn't quite place. The utterly confused Namekian stared up at the other for a long moment, concern now mixing into his expression, but he did as he was told. Sasei practically held his breath as he felt his mate's ki fade away until it was only barely sensed. He drew in a sharp gasp once it was low enough to confirm what he thought he'd sensed a moment before. Hiding there inside his mate's abdomen, just under where Sasei's hand lay, he could sense it. It was tiny, barely able to register against Piccolo's massive ki, but it was there.
It was a second ki.