This is Goten, he said when he arrived at the Kami's Lookout, his baby brother in his arms.
He looks just like Son, Piccolo said. He paused. Still has a tail, even. He turned to Dende. I wonder if this is his reincarnation? The timing seems right.
Dende shook his head. Son Goku's spirit is still in the underworld, and the baby's blood isn't fully Saiyan. Similar aura as Gohan, but not exactly alike. This is a new human being.
A piece of information from a long time ago resurfaced. He was five when he heard it. Dende, is it true there are no female Namekians?
That's right. Why do you ask?
Because, both me and Goten are half Mom and half Dad. If there are no female Namekians, I wonder if that means you're just like your Dad, and Piccolo is just like his Dad?
. . . I'm nothing like him, Piccolo pointed out quietly. He had begun to feel ashamed of King Piccolo's reputation.
Sort of, Dende answered the question. Namekians are born through asexual reproduction. We share the same basic genetic materials as our Dad, but those materials were configured differently at our birth so we're not exactly like our Dad. That explains why Piccolo is a lot kinder than his Dad.
Piccolo snorted.
Gohan played back Dende's response in his head. There was a word he didn't understand. What's asexual?
Sometime after lunch, a thought distracts Gohan.
A polaroid picture. Tucked between the pages of a book inside his desk drawer (locked, the key with him), not the one at the bottom of the stack, because it would be too obvious of a hiding space.
For the rest of the day, he can't think straight in his classes. So as soon as he gets back to his bedroom (his? a temporary space at Mr. Satan's place while he's attending college), he closes the door, locks it, and puts a cabinet against it as an additional safety measure to prevent anyone from barging in.
Then he goes to the windows, locks them together, and draws the curtains closed (he's on the second floor, but you never know).
After feeling reasonably covered, he takes the desk drawer key out of his bag and proceeds methodically. Unlock the drawer, pull out the book, find the right pages, take out the picture. The very thing that was distracting him in his classes.
The picture is one of Videl where she. Is. Nude. Her modesty is strategically covered (she knows how to keep it classy), but still she is clearly and fully nude, with little left to the imagination.
Use this in case of emergency, she's told him as she handed over the picture to him. He dropped it right away upon the realization of what it was showing, face practically burning.
She picked it up for him patiently, used to how easily flustered he can be. Be careful, she said, don't let it fall into the wrong hands. He only nodded. If nothing else, he would safeguard it as she'd requested.
Now in his sanctuary, Gohan sits on the bed. A sock by his side (of course he's prepared), he starts to unbuckle his pants.
Put simply, Dende said, asexual means reproduction without fusion.
Dende had been fascinated with earth after his brief visit a few years earlier, so much that he started to study earthlings even before he knew he was going to become their Kami.
You see, human beings express love in four different ways.
First, there is familial. The basic form of love that human beings receive as soon as they're born. It's what your Mom and Dad had for you when you were a baby, and what you have your baby brother right now. Without familial love, human infants will die.
Next, there's platonic. This is what human beings feel for other living beings as they grow older and meet other living beings outside of their family. It's what you have for your friends. Without platonic love, human beings will feel lonely.
Then, there's romantic. It is when two human beings enjoy each other's company more than they enjoy anyone else's. It can happen instantaneously, but often it's an extension of platonic love. Without romantic love, human beings will feel incomplete.
Finally, there's sexual. This is a manifestation of the human need to temporarily fuse to create a new human being, which is processed through a human female's pregnancy. Without sexual love, human beings won't survive as a race.
Sexual reproduction has its advantages, but it requires a lot of time investments before and after the fusion. Namekians find this method far too inefficient; thus we prefer to reproduce by spitting out eggs instead.
Sex wasn't something he was interested in. A late bloomer, he once heard Bulma describe him. Just like his Dad. He was perfectly okay with that description, proud even.
Then came high school, and then Videl, whom he liked. Just as a friend at first (platonically), then as a girlfriend (romantically), then as someone he'd want to hold or kiss whenever he could (sensually—still within the romantic umbrella). Never sexually though.
He understood the sexual innuendos his high school classmates made (at least some—the rest went over his head), but just didn't get the hype, thought he was too young for all that (when you're used to being THE kid, you can't stop thinking of yourself as a kid even when you're all grown up).
Then sometime after high school was over, he and Videl had sex. That changed something within him. Yes, he didn't feel comfortable at first, felt like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing, but then . . .
. . . the more they have sex, the more curious he becomes, the more he craves for more, the more opportunities he wants to experience something similar, whether or not Videl is available.
Maybe Videl noticed? (The reason she gave him that picture, right?)
It took him a while, but nowadays he's able to look at it without (completely) feeling like a peeping tom. Not a pervert. This is NOT the same as looking at dirty magazines with women who don't even know he is . . . right?
His desire is only for Videl. And Videl knows about this.
Everything then goes in reverse. Picture hidden, drawer locked, curtains opened, windows unlocked, cabinet moved back to its intended place, and door unlocked.
Another sock to wash goes into the hamper. Nothing to see here.
So Piccolo, Gohan asked, if you can give birth at anytime, do you think you'll have a son, then? Maybe he could play together with Goten and Trunks.
Piccolo snickered, thinking about his own childhood. I don't think it'll work out like that. It seems Namekians grow at a faster rate than human being. My son wouldn't be able to be their playmate for long.
That's not necessarily true, Dende replied, knowing where Piccolo's comment was coming from. I believe you were a special case because your Dad wanted you to take revenge on Son Goku without too much delay. He accelerated your childhood to be able to accomplish his goal.
Hmm, Piccolo grunted said after a period of silence. Another thing to dislike about the creature who gave birth to him. But either way, he really couldn't be bothered with his own offspring to take care of, as if he didn't have anything better to do. Maybe the next time I feel like taking over the world I'll do that then.
Gohan and Dende gave each other a look.
Even so, Piccolo, I think you would make a great Dad, Gohan said encouragingly. I'll bet a lot better than your Dad.
Piccolo smirked. Right back at you, kiddo. Just have your Mom cut off this one's tail, okay? We don't need another destruction when one could've been prevented so easily.