hey guys! well, its definately been a while. Sorry about that. But, I'm back for the summer now - I'm now officially a History teacher. So my summer is going to be full of fanfiction, kink memes and tumblr. And of course writing for you guys.
One more into the breach!
Comments/ reviews/ theories and anything you want to ask me at all - feel free. I always read and always appreciate.
Chapter 11: also entitled 'Dancing in the Dark'
Don't you think about your actions?
Counter-weight dire reactions?
Zero soul, you're a loser's son
But don't you go away from here - Admiral Fallow
"What the hell are you doing?"
She paused and their eyes met.
"I…"
Che rubbed his nose and seemed to ponder the question.
"What should I do?" the demoness had asked; half to him, half to the wind. He didn't know what her relationship with this new man was – she hadn't really explained – but he was sure that she would eventually. The basics were, as he understood it, that the previous man – the ex – had left her expecting and she cared for this new man and wanted to let him know; of her affections and her baby. Balancing the two would be difficult.
"I think," said the Doctor, "I think that you need to let him know that you have some feelings for him. You need to tell him 'I like you' and just see how the chips fall."
"See how the chips fall? And this is your job?"
"Shush woman. Now. I doubt I can help you very much. I just think you should be truthful. You will have to tell him about your baby if you're serious about him…"
He scrunched up his face, struggling to come up with something useful. He was a company psychologist graduated and in business all of 5 years. This was a little out of his depth. The weirdest thing he had dealt with so far were those two 'robot' twins.
"You have to tell him. Be brave and to the point. Be truthful and tell him exactly what you want."
Brave. Exactly what I want.
Majon smiled and put her hand over his. "Thanks, I'll try it one step at a time."
"Just promise me you'll be sensible."
She still had her hand down the front of his boxers.
"I… I'm letting you know that I like you… I'm being…creative…"
"You're being crazy!" he backed away, pulling her hand out. His face was bright red, "this is… I mean… you don't need to do this Majon! For god sake!"
He looked pissed off and, well…
"You don't seem to mind"
He frowned, dropped his gaze and quickly sat down on his bed, hunched over. He looked at a loss for what to say… or just too annoyed to form sentences.
Majon was now kneeling on the floor in front of the bed looking back up at him. "But I thought that you liked me." She said softly.
There was something in her voice that caught Krillin's attention. Something in her face. He'd seen it in the mirror countless times. It was his heartbroken face. His feeling-sorry-for-himself face. His sad and lost face.
"Majon?"
"Why would you be so nice and sweet and let me think that you liked me back if you were going to just…"
"Majon," he was calmer now, "I didn't, I never… I do like you, but I, I mean…M-Majon?"
She wasn't paying attention, but was bowing her head; shoulders jerking up and down. Oh god, thought the monk, as he pushed himself off the bed and came quietly towards her, she's crying.
"Are you? I'm sorry –I'm so sorry."
She looked up at him, yellow eyes shining. "No," He went to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she held up hers to stop him, "No, don't be. This… this is my fault."
He looked confused. She shook her head.
"I I could've been a grown up. I could have been a demon about this – strong. Not cared. But it's not that easy. It's really… I'm not. I'm not strong enough – I'm such a coward. I'm so sorry that I pulled you into this. But I'm scared. I'm really, really scared."
Majon looked up at him and it was then that he saw it. She watched as confusion and then a spark of realisation flitted across his face. Krillin went pale as he figured it out. Figured out why he was chosen – why he was wanted.
She waited for the anger and the hate as he realised that he was being used. She waited for the disgust. The revulsion at being stuck with someone who had kept the truth from him, trapped him and was taking advantage of him.
She waited.
And she waited.
What she got was a hand on her knee, a tired sigh.
...
"How long?"
"Before we met."
"Before you made the bet with Roshi?" They were both sitting cross legged on the floor, backs against the bed. She'd stopped crying. She cringed, nodding.
"Is this why you made the bet with Roshi?"
She nodded again. Krillin seemed to ponder on it.
"Thought as much. So that's roughly…"
"3 months-ish."
"Have you told your ex?"
"No. Not yet. I mean… I don't know if I –"she stopped when she saw the look he was giving her, "I'm gonna tell him."
The ex-monk ran his fingers through his still-growing hair stubble. He heaved a sigh. It was late and he was tired. But it made sense. It all made sense.
That's why she wanted a 'pet boyfriend' – she needed…someone. Someone there with her to hold her hand and support her. She was pregnant and freaking out.
Oh god that's why she had been so into the 'nice guy' ideal. Why her eyes had lit up when she'd met Gohan and saw the relationship they had. She wanted a father for her baby who wasn't a douchebag.
And the Demon Promise… Oh that Demon Promise. He was stuck without that impossible-to-find loophole. She had him essentially trapped.
And yet.
He wasn't terribly angry with her.
If anything he felt… defeated. But hey.
What else was new?
...
They talked well into the night and she explained. Explained why she did it, how she felt about it, when the baby was due. She even pulled out the sonogram.
"That's it – there."
"Really? That's it?" He remembered the similar picture Chichi had stuck to her fridge door.
"I know. It's kinda boring so far. Doesn't even look like anything yet."
Krillin scrutinised the image closer, a small smile playing on his lips; "looks like a bean."
"A bean huh? That's cute," She took it back off him and smiled at the picture, "Hi Bean."
The next morning he woke up with an officially pregnant demoness spooning him.
It took him a couple of seconds to remember what had happened last night. Majon. Inappropriate. Pregnant. Doomed.
Oh yeah.
Oh god.
This was it for him. He hadn't found a loophole and now this. This.
But why does this change anything?
Krillin bit his lip. This changes everything.
Shell shocked was probably the best word to describe Krillin as he sat at the kitchen table in the morning.
Oolong and Master Roshi had exchanged nervous and worried glances over cereal. The old man ventured forward and croaky "Are you alright?"
"Huh? Me? Um. Yeah."
"Are you sure."
"No – but I'll let you know later." He didn't make eye contact, but stared off into and through the wall over the top of his now cold cup of tea. "Is that oven gas or electric?" He forced out a hollow chuckle. Blinked and looked at this old master. "It's fine. Can I be… alone for a little while?"
Roshi nodded quietly, not wanting to cause the boy any more distress.
"Come on Pig – let's see if we can put the TV in the window and watch it from the deck chairs."
Krillin watched the ancient hermit hobble out and rolled his eyes. Returning to his previous occupation of having a staring competition with the far kitchen wall.
There was a thump as he banged his head on the table.
"FFFFFFuuuuuuckkkkkkk."
It was about 13 minutes after he had begun shouting at the table that he heard a small noise. Looking up, he realised that 18 was watching him from the doorway, thin eyebrows raised so high they were almost lost in her hairline. He sat up slowly, as if trying to regain some dignity.
"There's nothing more manly than a blazing row with pine."
He gave her his best unimpressed look and got up. Pouring his cold tea down the sink he tried to avoid her piercing gaze, at least for the time being. He was failing. He didn't want to discuss it – didn't want to discuss how and why his life was falling apart a piece at a time. Pregnant?
It wasn't even his baby. It wasn't his baby. Not his…responsibility. Not even a teeny tiny bit.
But.
But… if he didn't do something. Find a way out of the Demon Promise and out of her affections () then it soon would be. He'd be playing daddy in the demon realm.
Maybe he could make it work… hadn't he always wanted a family? Okay, so a demon family was a little outside the box… but -
"Krillin"
He noticed that the cup he had been washing was now just a handle. "Wait…what the…"
18 was now lounging at the kitchen table, her gaze alternating between her nails and him.
Krillin scrunched up his face. She frowned at him. He didn't look right. Something had happened – something bad. But of course she didn't ca- "Why are you so quiet?" Okay maybe she did. A little.
"Um. I'm fine."
"I didn't ask if you were okay – I asked why you weren't chattering away like you usually do."
He said nothing; he didn't want anyone else to know for now. The blonde woman rolled her eyes and nodded at the chair in front of her.
"Look, just sit down"
He seemed to ponder this for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah okay."
She didn't really know what to say to him, his usually happy puppy-dog face now glum and rather drawn. She didn't like this turn of events. Not one bit. He didn't suit it at all.
18 decided to change the subject. "Do you know where my brother is?"
Krillin seemed surprised by the question. "No I don't. He… actually… I've been seeing him less and less. What the hell is he up to?"
"I have no idea… I've seen lots of car magazines around the house though…. Maybe he's been carjacking."
"How's the therapy working for him?"
"I think it is, you know. He hasn't flipped out or had a bad turn recently. He's renamed himself you know."
"Oh god –what to?"
"Fernando."
"Fernando?"
"Fernando."
They both then burst into hysterical laughter.
A few moments later, she was up and had clicked the kettle on. He had brightened up a bit after helping her mock her brother. She watched him as he fidgeted with the broken mug handle.
A few minutes later, she came back over to him holding two cups – one for her, one for him.
"Thank you for the tea."
"It's okay. You need it."
It took 18 a whole minute to realise just how close she was sitting next to him.
She didn't move.
At least not for a couple of minutes. Until she had finished her tea quietly. The android, when she had finished and failed to find a way of talking to him about whatever was worrying him, stood up and went to leave the kitchen – stopping behind the small monk, turning and regarding him.
18 then did something she later wouldn't be able to decide if she regretted or not. It could have been the emotions still readjusting. It could have been the therapy making her slightly more soppy – but as she stood quietly behind him as he sat; 18 reached out a hand to stroke his head and it tuned into an odd one-armed hug around his shoulders. Krillin felt a soft hand on his skull and then a lithe arm lock around his neck. With painful brevity and tenderness 18 rested her cheek atop his head and squeezed slightly before letting go – the embrace ending as quickly as it had begun.
She then left the kitchen, and Krillin to try and turn a shade lighter than scarlet.
Bulma swung open the door and looked down – as she often did, to find a bleary eyed Krillin looking forlorn and bedraggled in the rain. She knew that face. It was truffles, beer and oddly comforting head-to-boob hugs time.
"My life has turned to shit. Can I have a hug please?"
It had been a little while since she'd had to comfort a distraught Krillin. The aftermath of the Cell Games had been rough – he'd been quick to place the blame at his own feet. But here they were again, sitting on one of the Capsule Corp balconies like old times. He lay with his head on her lap munching quietly on chocolates she had pulled from her emergency stash. Nobody had spoken in at least 10 minutes after he had explained the changes in the situation. But that was okay.
Bulma nonchalantly stroked the fuzz on his head staring off into the horizon.
"Babies do tend to mess things up a bit."
"mmmrumph."
The scientist regarded her friend for those quiet moments. He was deep in thought, shoulders rising and falling as he breathed, resting on his best friend. She could tell he was worried, and she quelled a small but fresh wave of guilt as she realised that she hadn't taken the current situation as seriously as she should of. Sure, compared to the Cell incident, it was a minor hiccup – but this was her friend and his … well… his life at stake here. They hadn't been through all of this shit just to lose him here on a stupid drunken bet. They needed to help him find a loophole in the Demon Promise, somehow. Majon couldn't take him. She wouldn't.
But. This new piece of information that had come tumbling from his shaken lips. This complicated things.
It would make it far more difficult to shake her off or pawn her off to Che –because she had a motive and something to loose here. It also…. Krillin seemed conflicted. Bulma knew him; she knew he would feel guilty, torn even, about even thinking of 'abandoning' (if that was even the word) Majon and her baby. He knew it wasn't his – but that wasn't the baby's fault. She could see it in his eyes, that he couldn't decide whether he should take responsibility or not; give in and play the perfect pet boyfriend and caring parental figure.
"That baby… it isn't your responsibility you know… you're not… obligated."
"I know. I know."
He didn't sound too sure.
"Let's go get a drink." She nudged him to get off her – he was heavier than he looked. She supposed it was all of that muscle he hid under the horrific t shirts, pastel or luminous. They wandered back inside and Bulma popped open a bottle of wine, raising an eyebrow at how Krillin drank a large amount of the glass quite quickly.
"Quick," said the woman, pointing at the glass, "half-full or half-empty?"
He laughed.
Bulma prattled on about other things, Trunks, what big Trunks might be up to, the potential of Krillin's ever darkening head fuzz. However, the monk had noticed something on the table.
"What's this?"
"That? Blueprint. I'm designing an AI to look after the gardens."
"AI?"
"Artificial intelligence. Kind of a robot mind. The sprinkler systems and climate controls are all on an old system and I think this might make things easier to manage."
He never really understood the nitty gritty details of stuff like this – but god he liked listening to his friend talk about them. She explained what she wanted the AI to do and what voice she might use for it, and that she wanted it to be able to connect with its environment and all that jazz. Something that desired to take care of the gardens and life around it.
"Krillin?"
He was staring at the blueprints and then was shooting furtive looks out of the window towards the gardens. He had an idea.
"What is it?"
"I," said, grabbing a pen and pulling the blueprints towards him, "have a cunning plan."
"Cunning you say?"
"As cunning as a fox who has just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford."
"That is very cunning. Talk me through it, Frodo, talk me through it."
A couple of horse later, a thoroughly distracted Krillin sat watching as Bulma tampered with a box which looked like a security camera. She had told him it had millions of sensors and could respond and react to the world around it. In it, once everything else had been added and set up, an Artificial Intelligence. Almost alive. Sort of. Enough.
She soldered the last wire into place and attached the AI into a large solar batter. Switching I on, they both watched as the transferred a very important and delicate file into the AI's hard drive; she went about setting it up again.
Eventually, she stepped back and sat down on the grass in front of the AI. Krillin crawled further towards it and the camera eye suddenly sparked into life, taking in its surroundings. The audio device buzzing, Krillin waved stupidly.
"Hey. Remember me?"
Two and a half days later, 18 was somewhat surprised when 17 appeared at the front door of Kame House with a rather ruffled looking Yamcha in tow.
Sha Yamcha. 183 centimeters tall. Professional Baseballer. Scars on cheek and eye. Born in Diablo Desert region. Likes cats.
"What do you want"
"Nice. I'm here to see Krillin."
18 rolled her eyes and gestured wildly towards the kitchen, Krillin poking his head around the door frame, hastily removing a lilac pinny.
Yamcha bounded over and swiftly picked the smaller man up off the ground – enveloping him in a bear hug: "Bulma said you could do with some cheering up."
Krillin managed to wrestle himself free, red in the face.
"Let go, I'm fine I'm fine." He then noticed 17 regarding them both with a cool smile on his face, "wait why are you with him?"
Yamcha turned and looked at the android standing next to him.
"I found him in the video store on Red Street."
"There sure was a lot of porn in there."
"There's a lot of porn here" said a decidedly uncomfortable ex-bandit.
"I've brought you something to cheer you up!" 17 smiled that awful awful smirk of his. Like a cat watching a bird. Choosing the sauce.
Yamcha blanched and dived for the bag, but the younger man simply batted him aside.
"DONT"
"Whu-? What is it."
"HE'S NOT READY!" Yamcha was failing at the bag, as the android held him back at arm's length, ignoring his frantic pleas. He was talking to Krillin anyway.
"Something I'm sure you'll love."
"DON'T YOU DARE PUT THAT ON"
"It's the best thing I have every witnessed. And I was present for 18 handing Vegeta his ass."
"OH GOD."
"This one's such a drama queen."
Krillin eyed the bag suspiciously, "Whats going on. Yamcha, what's going on?"
"Okay okay okay…I was in the thrift video store in west city, I was trying to find Die Hard.. " his friend replied, glaring at the cyborg. "I was in the store. Turns out 17 was too."
"That's me."
"Anyway. He talked at me and then he decided it would be hilarious to try and shoplift certain films form the adult section of the shop. Or… more specifically, sneakily put the videos into my trousers and watch me get tackled by security. It was at this point we….Krillin… we found something…. Something terrible."
At this, dramatically, 17 removed the video from the bag and put it into the video player.
"Yamcha?"
"Is that a dirty movie?"
"yeeesssss..."
The pre-feature adverts played.
"Is...is that an all-male dirty movie?"
"Yeah. But that isn't the worst part. We kind of spotted it from across the aisle... and had to get it... out of what I can only describe as bile-fascination." He looked guiltily down at his feet.
"oh yeah...how so?"
"...You know how some famous movies or major sports events, competitions...or say... tournaments are parodied or used as a basis for adult interest films..."
"Uh-huh."
"You seriously don't know where I'm going with this?"
Silence. He handed his friend the video case.
"Oh dear god- what? Is that? Longest under the heavens? Oh god why? Who- who – is that. Oh god that's Goku! And that's supposed to be me?"
"Yup and I think so."
"Bloody hell!"
"Yeah, I just... had to see what they'd done" The three men stared at the screen, "...I ...regret it now."
"Which tournament is it based on?"
"23rd. See you can tell – (Yamcha tilted his head and squinted at the screen) that's supposed to be Tien and Goku's ...fight. To be honest they were pretty imaginative with the split form technique," there was more silence as they watched the muted scene with both horror and fascination, "apparently it won a couple of 'awards' for special effects and makeup" he said, looking at the back cover.
"Makeup? Why make-wwhhhhhooooaaaa!"
"Oh that is going to haunt my dreams. God look at you two go at it. I wont be able to look him in the eyes again...are we going to watch all of this? I mean we know how it ends..."
"I'm curious now. Curious. And dead inside."
18 had wandered back with the aim to annoy the guys and scare Yamcha. It took her a couple of seconds to process what she was seeing, before she backed silently out of the room; heading for the bathroom to go wash her eyes out completely after having witnessed the final round of Longest under the Heavens.
"I cant say that that cheered me up, in all honesty there Yamcha, 17."
The younger man put down the pillow he had been clutching to his chest, "It wasn't SO bad."
"17, I've just witnessed a porn film that involved an actor portraying me and another guy in green body paint doing dark and terrible things to one another. I don't think I can come back from that."
The ex-bandit remove his face from the sofa cushions. He seemed to have remembered something.
"Birthday"
Krillin looked at him and then clicked, "Oh, yeah. You're going to be old."
"That's why I came here. Yeah. What are you doing on Saturday?"
Krillin counted off a list on his fingers. Noting that apart from packing and crying – probably nothing.
Yamcha sat up straight, the questionable porn film promptly forgotten. He explained that since he was getting old, this was probably his last chance to go out and drink like a teenager without looking sad and pathetic.
He wanted to go out. Loud music. Alcohol. His band of merry men.
"I've already managed to get Tien to come out for a couple of drinks. And Bulma. Come out and plaaaaayyyyyyy"
Krillin thought for a second. Did he want to stay in on Saturday night, thinking about the abyss of the Demon Promise – or did he want to get drunk and forget the whole thing?
"you want to come out?"
"Definitely."
"Awesome."
Yamcha sprung to his feet. Happy with the plans made, before heading to the door however, he looked pointedly at 17.
"You're invited too, you know."
"…Am I?"
The other man nodded. The impassive mask of 17's face faltered for a moment and he agreed.
Piccolo was way out of his comfort zone.
He didn't really know why he had agreed to this. He hated social events. Hated crowded places, loud music, large groups of humans. He hated the snug jeans that Bulma had conned him into wearing.
But yet there he was, out with the Scooby gang in the city. Being sociable.
But the sad thing was that he knew why he had agreed, really.
Krillin had showed up at the Son household and after a rather suspicious conversation with Gohan, had hunted him down in the garden.
"So we're all meeting at 10pm at Capsule Corp."
"Hmm?"
"For Yamcha's birthday. Saturday. Suit up."
He had been confused. "What?"
"We want you to come out with us for Yamcha's birthday. With the rest of the guys."
Piccolo had felt a rather odd sensation in his chest.
He was only going to stay for an hour anyway.
And so Yamcha's epic birthday night out had begun.
It had all started out well enough, 17 and 18 involved in the shenanigans too. The music was good, the drink was flowing and everybody was in good spirits.
Krillin smiled as he noticed the effort his friends were making with 17 and 18. It was the small things that counted, and a usually incredibly uptight Tien laughing with the dark-haired twin was just something wonderful to Krillin. He noticed Yamcha and Bulma flirting aggressively with one another – their favourite pastime when they weren't arguing. 18 was cooling watching the bar around her, gorgeous and aloof in a summer dress and sandals.
And apparently Piccolo had no concept of his alcohol limits, thought Krillin, as he noticed the huge namek loosen up slowly but surely. The frown fading away as the rum took effect.
His phone buzzed as a text message came through.
As the night progressed, the empty glasses and bottles cumulated on the table in front of them and around them and conversation had degenerated into horrific stories of drunken incidents and truths, old tales from way back when (the story of how Yamcha and Bulma had clumsily lost their respective virginities being a big hit) and 'you swore you'd never tell!' declarations. Words were becoming slurred and babbling incoherent.
Yamcha threw an empty bottle at Krillin, who had been fiddling with his phone.
"What are you doing? You're missing drunk Piccolo. Look at how awesome he is!"
Krillin looked up to see Drunk Piccolo had acquired a Hawaiin Lei and a cigarette.
Yamcha made to grab the phone from his friends hand, but Krillin knocked them away. The birthday boy raised an eyebrow.
"Whatever man. Look. Just go talk to 18 some more. She might have drunk enough to kiss you again."
"oh haaaa haaa" replied Krillin, as his feet took him towards the blonde cyborg, drunk also. Swaying slightly, she scowled at him.
"Uh oh, what have I done?" He slurred at her.
She shook her head violently and slumped down in the seat next to him. "I wish I knew," she said as she rested he head on his shoulder.
Sunlight.
Sunlight steamed in through the window, penetrating the room and soaking it in a warm glow. Krillin scrunched up his face against the light.
Oh god his head hurt. That dull aching thudding in his brain, turning it to mush and ensuring that if he so much as moved a muscle then he would projectile vomit all over the bed.
Bed.
He opened his eyes slowly to find himself in his own bedroom, its familiar smell mingling with another oddly familiar scent. The stale scent of last night's bar, sweat and something else.
Perfume?
He froze.
Oh god oh god. He turned slowly in the bed, pushing himself up tenderly to avoid the feeling of nausea, noticing the outline of a person in the bed with him. The outline moved and he found his own dark eyes meeting bright blue.
Oh no.
"Morning sleepy head! How are you feeling, Krilly?" came the sing song voice of the woman next to him.
Oh.
Well.
Fuck.
"Hey Maron."
soooooo yet another fabulous (and horrifically predictable) twist. Come one, this is a rom-com. You cant leave the ex out. I'm planning to get doodling - some sketches and character designs for the story and stuff like that - so keep an eye on the Deviant art link on my bio. Adieu for now, kids and kidettes. xx
anyhoo. As per usual - any theories/comments/ reviews/ constructive criticism/ questions - throw them my way. I love them.