So here it is, like I promised. I had trouble with this, I won't lie, and it's probably severely lacking humor and whatever else the previous chapters had. It's also the end, so there had to be some awkward tenderness in there. And of course, for the first time ever, I can honestly say that there is gay contact in this chapter and, if that makes you squeamish, you should probably turn around right now. Please read and review. And I'm sorry if this wasn't up to your standards. Please forgive me.

Disclaimer: If I owned Dragon Ball Z, my life would be a lot better than it is. So, suffice to say, I do NOT own, never will. Don't sue.

Chapter Ten: An Ending by Way of Beginning

Goku didn't stop until they had hit the ground outside of Capsule Corp, though even then he left two grooves in the ground with his boots. Videl hopped off his back, looking a mixture of triumphant and guilty when he turned to look at her, and Vegeta and Bulma, who had landed awkwardly a few feet away, righted themselves with no small loss of dignity in the way Bulma intentionally elbowed her husband in…

Well, Goku knew it hurt and, judging by the way Vegeta clenched his fists, his teeth, and just about every other muscle in his body, it was taking every bit of self control he had not to blow her to smithereens.

"Well," Bulma folded her arms and ignored her fuming husband, "Here's to that working."

Goku scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, I hope so. Gohan's been so worked up about that whole thing lately."

All three of the people surrounding him turned stunned looks on him and Videl even went as far as letting her mouth hang open around her knees. He blinked back at them, not quite getting why they were so shocked and, if Vegeta's expression was any indication, horrified about what he had said, but surely one of them would explain it soon. Sure enough, Bulma broke the silence in a slow voice, "You…knew?"

He chuckled, "Of course I knew! He's my son!"

There was a pause, during which there was more stupefied staring and Goku started to get uncomfortable, because really, these three were just a little too caught off guard by his knowledge. Surely they didn't think he was that stupid.

"But," Vegeta said, his expression one of disbelief now, "How?"

Evidently they did. Goku folded his arms and scowled at them all, annoyed that they would honestly think so lowly of his intelligence. Just because he wasn't the scholarly type like Gohan didn't mean he couldn't pick up on things! And Gohan hadn't gotten all of his intelligence from Chi Chi!

"I'm not stupid, you know," he snapped in a very un-Goku-like way, making Videl flush, Bulma blink, and Vegeta glare, "And he is my son, and I've known the two of them longer than any of you, and you know, Piccolo's a good friend and Gohan's loved him forever and it was kind of obvious when it turned into something more than platonic feelings."

The other three gawked again, Bulma and Videl because Goku was actually aware of the emotions of people around him and Vegeta because he hadn't thought Goku knew words as big and complicated as "platonic". The Saiyan's scowl didn't lessen any as a result.

"And I'm positive they'll work it out," he finished coolly, "Because I know them both and I know they won't let this ruin their relationship. So just you watch. Gohan will come back happy and Piccolo will finally have someone romantically."

They were still staring at him, their eyes falling out of their heads. Goku groaned and turned away. He really needed to work on his reputation.

Gohan and Piccolo were still floating, still awkward, and still silent after fifteen minutes alone.

This, Gohan decided, was a problem.

Of course, this wasn't really his area of expertise. He wasn't one for romance; after all it had been Videl, not him, who initiated things between them in the first place. The truth was, when she had offered it, he had sort of just played along, not really thinking outside of "it's what's expected of me." A foolish reaction, considering the fact that he had gotten the idea that he was attracted to Piccolo long before that day. And he had known the second she approached him with the concept of being "more than just friends" that he didn't love her and, judging by the way his stomach had dropped in disappointment when she looked at him with that almost frightening adoration, could never. Not really.

And looking at Piccolo now brought a fiery longing to his veins that he had never experienced even a fraction of while he had been with Videl.

But still, he wasn't good at these sorts of things. He would be the first to admit he was hardly smooth like Yamcha, or broody and cold like Vegeta, or even strangely and charmingly cute like his father. Gohan was just plain awkward and he was very aware of it and thus also intensely aware of the very large chance that he was going to mess this whole thing up somehow.

Piccolo was watching him carefully now as he struggled with possibilities.

Gohan tried and failed not to watch back, although he did do it subtly. At least, it was subtle in his opinion, despite the way Piccolo began to flush the second he began to return the scrutiny. Anything could have been causing that. The proximity. The electricity that was blooming between them as they floated there. It was a rather hot day.

And still the silence hung between them like the sweat that plagued the air in the training chamber at Capsule Corp. Suffocating.

The demi-saiyan was well on his way to breaking down and doing something stupid. He probably should have realized it too, instead of fixating on the way Piccolo's left hand was clenched over his right bicep. Maybe then he could have prevented what he did in that next moment.

He turned and attempted to high tail it out of there.

Vegeta twitched and turned to stare at Goku, whose eyes were fixed on the sky, in the direction they had just flown in from.

"Is your son a complete moron?" he demanded.

Goku stared blankly towards his son's moving energy for a long moment, frowning, before his face did a complete one eighty and split into a grin. He turned to Vegeta, ignored the vicious look, and said, "Maybe a little. It's a good thing Piccolo's not."

Bulma looked between them, her teeth grinding visibly in frustration, "What are you talking about? What are they doing?" she hissed, jamming her fists into her hips and exchanging a dark look with Videl, as both men seemed either to have gone temporarily deaf or had decided the question hadn't warranted an answer, "VEGETA!" the blue haired woman roared and Goku turned a confident smile on her.

"Don't worry. Gohan nearly messed it up, but Piccolo's got this under control."

Gohan found himself wrenched backwards and then, inexplicably, he was hanging upside down. He felt a familiar hand wrapped firmly around his left ankle and looked up his body to find a rather annoyed looking Namek glaring down at him from between his feet. The heat exploded in his cheeks and Piccolo's scowl grew to dangerous levels.

"And here I was thinking you were braver than that, Gohan," he said coldly. Gohan squirmed nervously, but Piccolo showed no signs of wanting to release him just yet.

"But. I mean, you hadn't said anything and I thought that maybe Dad was wrong-!" he began, but Piccolo cut him off in a flat voice.

"Your father's a lot more perceptive than the world thinks."

There was a pause as the words sank in and, when they did, it still took a moment for Gohan to properly react. The demi-saiyan hung there a moment, wide eyed, before jerking upwards, effectively bending himself in half, and attempting to meet Piccolo's gaze full on, "You mean he was right?" he gasped in his awkward position and Piccolo's eyes darted away.

"Of course he was right, boy," was said under a breath and so quietly Gohan had to fold himself further to catch it fully. Then he was blushing again, simply because there it was, the thing he had been longing for, and for months: a love confession from Piccolo. And here he was twisted like a stupid pretzel because, like a coward, he had tried to run away because, well, he was a coward. And once again, Piccolo had had to pick up his slack.

The Namek seemed to be in his own state of horrible embarrassment, because his fingers slipped off of Gohan's ankle, allowing him to right himself. The distance between them, while actually only about six inches, suddenly felt like the distance between New Namek and Earth. Impossibly large. Gohan swallowed, hanging his head on his slumped shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and saw Piccolo's feet, the only part of the other man his posture allowed him to see, jerk, "I've been awful. First by dating Videl for so long and forcing you to acknowledge it every time I was around you. Then by just letting things fall back into that weird, pseudo friendship we had while I was with her, which probably only made things worse, and then trying to run away a few seconds ago and I'm such an idiot, Piccolo, you don't deserve this and I'm so sorry and I'd understand if you hated me and-!"

There was suddenly a strong hand clamped over his jaw, blocking his stream of words. Gohan looked up at Piccolo nervously, watching as those dark eyes softened on him and for a second, he was sure there was a hint of a smile on the taller alien's face.

"I don't hate you, kid, don't be stupid," he murmured, "You were confused. And probably horrified when you discovered you had feelings for a tall, green, male Namekian. Hardly the ideal mate, especially not in your mother's eyes." His hand slid off Gohan's jaw and fell to hang limply at his side.

Gohan flushed at the mention of Chi Chi before shoving her out of his head. Outside of her desperation for grandchildren, he knew that all she wanted for him was happiness. And, looking at Piccolo now, he knew there was only one way he could have that. And, though he knew it would be hard for her, she would accept that. She did love him, after all. And she did have Goten.

He smiled weakly up at the Namekian, who was watching him with a fondness that, while similar to the old look he had worn when Gohan was younger, had heat to it that definitely had not been there before. This time, when he blushed, it had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with nervousness. This wasn't like being with Videl. It was stronger, more unpredictable, more intense.

It was better.

"So," Gohan coughed awkwardly, "Are we…together now?"

Piccolo surveyed him for a moment, "That's your decision, Gohan, I'm not about to force you into anything."

The demi-saiyan could feel himself starting to grin that trademark Son grin, "I'd hoped," he reached out and, bracing himself, laced his fingers with Piccolo's, watching his blush echo itself in the green cheeks before him. There was a short pause as he searched for words, "I'm not going to the prom, you know."

Piccolo lifted one eyebrow ridge, trying to hide his own awkward, remarkably adolescent, and strangely attractive insecurity behind his normal, detached façade, "What the hell is a prom?"

"A high school dance. It's supposed to be the best night of your life, a time to spend with someone you love."

Piccolo's confident mask failed him and he blushed spectacularly, "Really?" he asked weakly and Gohan smiled, trying desperately not to sweat his nervousness into Piccolo's hand.

"Yeah. So…I was thinking I'd have my own…"

This time the Namek didn't respond, he merely nodded. Gohan took a moment to pluck up the courage.

"So…you'll…uh, you'll be my…date, right?"

Piccolo's voice sounded rather shaky, "A date is…your partner?"

Gohan nodded, "Something like that."

"Then I will join you at your prom…"

The demi-saiyan had been fighting a losing battle to be calm and controlled and adult about this up until that moment and his hormonal, excited teenage self took over easily upon hearing Piccolo's agreement. He threw his arms around the Namek and pushed his lips against the other's in a short, chaste, and soft kiss. Seconds later he drew back, horrified by his own impulsive actions, to find Piccolo's wide eyes staring into his own, stunned.

"I…uh…"

They gazed at each other for a long moment, each struggling for words. Gohan's mouth was actually opening and closing, making him bear remarkable resemblance to a gaping fish.

The silence, unsurprisingly, was broken by Piccolo.

"So…this prom…where will it be?"

Gohan stuttered, trying to get his act together, "I was thinking the…woods, or something?" he was blushing again, "You know…it's more private."

"Very well. I will find you, for this prom."

Gohan grinned.

Up on the lookout, a rather grudging Dende slapped one hundred yen into his smirking gardener's hand.

"I told you so," said Mr. Popo. The humbled Guardian of Earth scowled, folded his arms, and turned away.

THE END

I don't know where that stupid ending came from. It just sort of happened last night when I finished this at three A.M. and I'm too lazy to remove it right now. So. Read and review. Please don't flame, but let me know if it fell short of your expectations.