Chapter Twenty-Eight: Play Is A Child's Work
"C'mon Gohan!"
Gohan glanced up, feeling more than slightly irritated and more than a lot hurt. His father was running way ahead of him. Goku had opted to start the training with the basics and that included the same basic warm up that they used at home: a brief run, some stretches and a brief spar. The real training would be with weights and harsh new speeds and skills that Goku had mastered but Gohan had not. The idea was to somehow make Gohan Goku's fighting equal though the young half Saiyan doubted immensely that such a thing was possible.
"Gohan! You didn't fall asleep on me, did you?"
Gohan narrowed his eyes though it was common for the two to joke like that. Still, given his current position, it didn't much help his confidence.
He could barely stand as it was and the thought of walking was enough to make his legs protest immensely and go on strike. He felt like something was constantly tugging at him, forcing him down to the ground. He envied his father who seemed to be darting to and fro like they were playing in the backyard lake or something. He knew Father had trained in ten times this amount but it still irritated him.
He was almost a teenager after all and he was developing a little bit of a pride.
This being ironed to the floor was not doing wonders for it.
"I'm trying Dad!" he hissed, "You're not helping."
Goku landed in front of his son and knelt to his level. "you're trying to do too much at once." He noted simply. "Try focusing on just getting to your feet and walking. Get that down before you try anything else."
Gohna gave his father an irritated look "you know you're constant calling to me isn't helping."
Goku rubbed the back of his head and laughed "Sorry. I keep forgettin' you haven't gravity trained before."
Gohan found it hard to be angry at his father, even when it was frustrating to seem so far behind his father. The boy had managed to get to his knees and regarded his father as he walked about with complete and utter fascination. How he did it was still something Gohan couldn't fandom. It was making his lungs hurt right now because of the physical pressure and the lack of air. The thin air was not helping his efforts.
"Don't try too hard Gohan."
Gohan looked up, looking defeated. "But I want to get like you, Daddy!" he wheezed out between his breaths. Goku turned and gave his son a smile as he practicing a handful of punches and thrusts. He was not going to slow his own training but he did give his son any encouragement he could. He knew well enough that gravity training was frustrating when one first started. It had been a long time for him since he had trained on King Kai's planet but he still remembered the inability to move very far.
He gave his son a second smile "You just keep at it and see how long it takes you to catch me. When you do, I'll have something for you, depending on how fast you are."
Gohan looked up, his interest peeked "Like what?"
Goku shrugged "Who knows? I'm weird."
Gohan smirked "yeah, you are."
Goku laughed and took to the air, taking to throwing punches and kicks to the air. Gohan watched him from the ground a moment longer, bewildered as he always was. He knew how hard his father trained but it was still incredible to see how strong his father was, how fast he was. Gohan strived after that every moment of his life. He had dreams about it often, of growing as strong as his father was. It was his goal. Long ago, when ChiChi had sat down with him and asked him about his future and feeding him her own dreams for it, he remembered well enough her downcast look when he'd replied,
"I want to be just like Daddy!"
He didn't
understand the human woman most of the time. He loved her but she said she
supported him and loved him yet she always looked so angry and sad when he went
and trained, though it gave him a joy he just couldn't describe to her. He saw
her go against his Father doing it too though she knew how much he loved it
too. What could drive her to go against something that gave them both so much
joy?
Sure, it was dangerous but so
was anything in this world. Was it less honorable for him to train his natural
talents in order to protect? He shook his head. He shouldn't think on it while
he was here. He was with Daddy right now. Cell and the Androids were still out
there. He should have been focusing on getting stronger! To protect, that was
why he trained so hard! It was aiding others, even strangers that gave his
heart the most joy. Mother wanted him to use his brain to become a scholar and
help that way, she told him that often…
There he went again! He wanted to please her, he knew that much. He wanted to please his father by become the strongest he could be. He wanted to be like Goku, to be a worthy successor to his great achievements. He wanted to be a scholar for his mother, to make her proud of all the work she put into his homework and making sure he learned all he could.
But…
What do you want Son Gohan? We have discussed this before…
That voice…again…
"Shut up!" he hissed to himself.
Why? You will not attempt to answer it yourself…
"I said shut up!" the boy hissed again, this time out loud.
"Gohan!"
The boy looked up, finding his father less than a foot from his face, his eyes bewildered and baffled. His cheeks flushed red, suddenly embarrassed. He stood up, making his way to his feet. "Sorry, Daddy…"
"Who were you talking to?" Worry and concern dripped from his voice.
"Nothin…just babbling to myself."
Goku's eyes turned deeply troubled but Gohan took advantage of his father's lowered guard, grabbed the man by the top and pushed himself up and over his father's head, pushing Goku's head towards the floor. He had done it a great many times when training and sparring with Father in the yard and many more times than that when playing in the lake but here…
Here, he might as well had been tapping him.
Originally surprised, Goku had fallen forward but it was as if he were in his regular environment…no, more than that. He felt like he was on the moon, he felt so light here. It was a little harder than Earth's gravity but to one that had trained under one hundred times gravity, that was of little consequence. He caught his balance before Gohan got halfway over his head.
As for Gohan, that had taken most of his determination. He had leapt over his father many times like that, usually in play, occasionally when he was younger, to avoid a bath and promptly drive his father and mother nuts. He had planned this on a whim, thinking maybe it would give him some kind of edge and get Goku's guard down but as it was, he was only halfway over his father when his legs felt like they were coated in iron and that the weight of a thousand cars slammed onto his back.
Goku wrapped his arm around Gohan's waist and flipped him right back over, pinning him to the ground.
"You think that was clever, little man?" Goku gave Gohan an evil grin, so out of place on his face. Gohan winced, squirmed backwards just a bit. Goku grinned again, that evil, cunning grin he sometimes had. He pinned his son down, hard against the ground and attacked his son's side with his fingers. The child yelped, kicking at his father but his legs barely moved, pinned by the extra gravity. Gohan was able to move them a little but they were so slow that Goku could have blocked them without thinking.
So, he squealed instead.
"Cheater!"
"No cheatin' in a battle, son!" he replied simply, laughing. But he let up and jumped backwards a bit, giving a bit of distance between them. Gohan sat up and Goku grinned and clapped his hands "C'mon, come and get me Gohan."
He took off in a blast of light.
Goku glanced backwards and grinned. Gohan was making his way to his feet slowly. He darted back, zipping close enough that Gohan had a good chance at grabbing him but slipped out of his range just at the last second. Gohan nearly lost his balance but caught himself and Goku grinned at him "C'mon, Gohan! Catch me!"
Gohan grinned at his father, his eyes having lost their frustration. It may have been serious training but Daddy was still Daddy. He was always good at making things fun, especially if they were hard or painful or unwanted.
He was playing with him.
So…he would play back. Taking steps were painful but Gohan forced himself forward and pursued his father's signature on foot. Occasionally, Goku would slip close enough for Gohan's fingers to barely graze his hair before he zipped away again. Gohan laughed and with each attempt, he got steadier on his feet and faster. It was like Goku's training on King Kai's planet except this time Goku was the monkey.
But, well, it was working. Gohan was getting faster though he still wasn't attempting to fly against the stronger gravity.
Goku chuckled, watching him with both amusement and pride. Gohan was the same, no matter how old he got. And it was nice to know his tricks still worked.
Six Years Prior
"No!"
Goku even looked exasperated.
"Gohan," he said with a sigh "go get a bath. Your mom even made
you one with bubbles and toys!"
"Nu uh!" he stuck out his tongue. Goku sighed deeply and wondered, for the second time that day why there had to be such a thing as toddlerhood. He had endured the Red Ribbon Army, Pilaf, and even Piccolo Daimaio. He had trained hard and conquered every obstacle thrown into his path, growing stronger with each trial.
Yet, all those battles and life threatening situations were nothing compared to this "father" thing.
ChiChi walked in "Let's go, Gohan."
Gohan jumped up and through her legs and through the house. Goku got up and followed him, as did ChiChi. They entered the sitting room and split up, one exploring the left side of the room and one the right. ChiChi heard giggling and pulled aside one of the curtains only to get a three year old plowing through her legs. Goku darted after him himself but the agile toddler laughed and ran out of the room and into the kitchen.
Goku followed and found his toddler hiding under the table. He dropped to the ground
"Gohan…"
"Catch me! You it now!"
Goku paused then laughed "chichi, this is a game to him."
She frowned "I don't think it's funny."
Goku nodded and then pulled her over and whispered something to her. She blinked then burst out laughing but nodded.
Gohan watched this from his spot under the table with interest. His parents spoke a little then Goku got down on all fours, like he did when he was going to play Horsie with him. Gohan was about to crawl out but ChiChi beat him to it, sitting on her husband's broad shoulders, draping her hair over his face. Goku chuckled and lifted up a little, like he did with Gohan and ChiChi, easily catching on, laughed.
This, young Gohan did not like in the least. He was always the one playing with Daddy like that. Not Mother!
"hey!" Gohan stood and ran over "My turn!"
"Oh, but you didn't want to come take a bath remember?" ChiChi responded. "So Daddy and Mommy are going to."
"No, no! I wanna ride the horsie!" he ran over, tugging on his father's hair. "My turn!"
"Oh, I dunno…" he grinned at ChiChi. "Whatcha think? Should I let on another rider?"
"hmmm…" she pondered this a moment.
"My turn, yes, lemme on, lemme on!"
Goku eyed ChiChi "Whatcha think? We have room?"
"hmmm…why not?"
Goku knelt down and Gohan squealed and climbed up onto his father's shoulders, holding on his hair "Mush!"
ChiChi considered telling him that wasn't how you commanded a horse but opted against it. Besides, if it kept going as it was-
Goku grinned and sat up on his knees, calling out while waving his arms "neigh!" and darted down to the indoor bath where the bathwater was still warm. She grinned and whispered "better hold on Gohan, I think horsie is getting rough."
Gohan laughed and tightened his grip.
Goku took his wife's cue and started to sit up more and more and then dart around the room on all fours again, occasionally calling out "neigh." Gohan squealed, calling out
"Faster Horsie!" he grinned widely. "Faster!"
"neigh!" Goku called out again, sitting up and waving his arms again before standing up, completely, wrapped an arm around each of the "passengers" on his back and fell into the bath, sending warm water over the sides. ChiChi came up, her kimono soaked through but she laughed. Gohan popped up between them both, a mound of bubbles on his head. He looked up and grinned
"Horsie wins."
Goku grinned and blew some of the bubbles off his son's head. He caught one on his finger and plopped it on his son's nose. "Pop."
Present
Goku yelped as he felt a hand grab his foot when he flew by Gohan that time, snapping him from his memories. He looked down and found Gohan hanging onto his foot.
"Caught you."
