Not In A Million Years
Chapter 53
We lay there for a while. Capsule Corp was dark and quiet, and for once no one was asking anything from me. So I let myself relax and listen to the soft sound of Kakarot breathing beside me. Bulma was going to be a nightmare when she found out what we did to her bed – the sheets and blankets were totally ruined and more than half of the springs and support beams had been broken – but for the moment, I didn't really care.
Sleep was a novelty we didn't have the authority to indulge in, however, so after resting for a few minutes, we got up and peeled the brutalized bedding from the mattress, tossing it in the garbage and straightening the bed reasonably.
Kakarot glanced at himself and grimaced, "We should probably take a shower before we head back."
I nodded and followed him down the hall to Capsule Corp's huge bathroom. I kind of felt like an intruder here, which was strange because barely two years ago this had been the closest thing to a home that I'd ever had.
The hot water pouring down my shoulders and back did nothing to clear my mind, and I slipped into a kind of haze, where memory and reality mingled until I wasn't sure which one I belonged in. I felt Kakarot's gentle hands smoothing soap over my chest, but my skin also remembered the touch of lips and teeth, and I could blend the sensations together in my mind.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" my mate asked, slicking my tail with suds.
...You're just that good... more... I need more of you... words from before echoed in my mind, and I shifted slightly, remembering.
"You," I muttered, skating a hand over his shoulder and coating it in lather.
A simple smile came to rest on his lips as he touched them to mine, and I had to remind myself as that moment stretched that it couldn't last forever.
X
We returned just before dawn, and everyone was sound asleep. The air was very peaceful, and I reveled in the silence. It was such a rarity nowadays. Goten and Trunks were sleeping in their room – which they shared now – but as I glanced into Gohan's room it was a different sight from his usual solitude.
Gohan, Tess and Veito were all curled up together, fast asleep. I assumed Veito had been unwilling to let go of Gohan and had been stuck to him since I left, but I did wonder about Tesserot. Maybe he'd gotten scared in the absence of his parents and crawled into bed with the older demi. Or maybe Gohan had invited him. Regardless, all was well here and the scene was pretty damn adorable, I'll admit.
Kakarot's tail twined with mine and he leaned against me, obviously seeing what I had.
'We're all one big family now,' he murmured, 'It's really nice.'
I agreed silently, and then joined him in our bed for some much-needed sleep.
X
The next day the weather was fair, and Bulma stopped by... not just to rant at Kakarot and me, I learned – though there was quite a lot of ranting – but to invite us to come to the beach with her and Yamcha. By us, she meant everyone, even Veito. Obviously it was too cold to swim or anything, it was still March, but she said it was just a chance to hang out and get some fresh air. While I didn't fancy spending the day with the idiot Yamcha and the irritating woman, apparently I got dragged into it by default since no one else was opposed.
Well, it wasn't that bad, actually. The breeze was nice and it was good to be out of the house. Gods know the younger demis needed an outlet for their energy, and apparently chasing each other in the grass and sand was a good way for them to let loose. Gohan read in the shade, and I joined him there with Veito on my lap as Bulma and Yamcha did... whatever it is they do when they're alone together, honestly I don't want to know. After a while I noticed that Kakarot and Tess were missing, but I relocated them quickly and found that Tess was receiving a flying lesson from his father, who was teaching him how to manipulate his ki to give proper propulsion and how to stop without crashing into something. I was glad Kakarot felt better and wasn't so tense and miserable now. Maybe one night of freedom was all he'd needed.
"A lot's changed, hasn't it?" Gohan asked from next to me, marking the page in his book and watching his younger brothers.
I nodded absently.
"I remember when you two wouldn't even speak to each other," the demi went on, obviously meaning Kakarot and me, "And now look."
I exhaled a short laugh, "Yeah, I used to want to crush him under my boot and force him to bow to me. You too. And everyone else."
"What happened?" he asked, "To make you different? To make Dad different?"
I shrugged, "Who can say? But we're here now and this is the way things are."
My fingers sifted gently through Veito's hair as he stirred slightly, but he didn't wake up.
I remembered back two years ago, when I'd felt so lost and confused. When I'd thought the world was completely against me and made some... pretty bad choices... purely because I didn't know what else to do. Gohan was right, it was so different now.
"Gohan..." I said after a moment, curiosity edging my voice, "Do you miss your mother?"
I'd had no fondness for the harpy of a woman to begin with, but since she'd kept butting in between Kakarot and me and saying some really terrible things, I'd labeled her an enemy. But I had to wonder about the kids, namely Gohan and Goten... did they think of her the same way? I knew I couldn't replace her position in their lives, but I just wanted to know...
He tilted his head slightly, a furrow of thought between his eyebrows, "Sort of. I remember the good times we had together, and she's my mom, so I guess it's an obligation to feel something for her. But... I don't know... I know she made some bad choices and got some bad luck, but she could have gone about it better than she did. And she hit Goten, so I can't say I think she's responsible at all. Really, I just wish she'd let it go and move on."
I fell silent, thinking about what he said. It didn't really answer my question, but then, I hadn't voiced the whole thing. What I really wanted to ask was whether the demi even thought of me as a parent, or just... someone who showed up in his life and tried to synchronize with it.
"Why do you ask?" Gohan queried, seeming genuinely interested.
"Well..." I stammered, thinking of how to put it, "Since Kakarot and I... have you.. what did you...?"
He seemed to understand the fragments of questions better than I assumed he would, and he thought about it again. That was one thing I liked about Gohan; he never just blurted anything out or said whatever jumped to mind. He considered things and took people seriously.
Eventually he just smiled, "I'll admit I was a little weirded out at first. But remember there was a lot of drama beforehand about you and Dad even getting along, let alone... what I mean is, I had a lot of time to get used to the idea. And it wasn't like you were a stranger, anyway. You've kind of always been there, so it wasn't a huge adjustment to start thinking of you as family. Though I did wonder whether I should call you Dad or Mom at first."
I growled slightly before realizing he was kidding.
"And Tess and Veito have been worth it all, if you need any further reassurance that you're one of us now." the demi said with a grin.
One of us. I don't know why, but those simple words brought out a new kind of pride that I didn't know I had. A feeling of belonging. I wasn't tied to Gohan or his brother by blood or by bond, but I was still one of them... because I chose to be, because they let me be.
And I had to wonder as I looked out at my family in all its glory why I had ever thought I wanted anything more out of life than this.
TBC
((Short chapter. Sappy chapter. Also the LAST real chapter in this story...Now all that's left is the epilogue and then on to the sequel. Geez, I just won't let anything end, will I?
Thank you all, as always, for your patience and support.
-Shinsun))
