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A Wish Your Heart Makes
By Koinekid
"What would you wish for if you could wish for anything?"
Krillin looked at Eighteen askance. "We have access to a magic dragon. I could wish for literally anything."
"That wish to turn me and my brother human didn't work."
"Almost anything, then."
"Come on, Krillin. I'm bored. I want to play."
They were sitting on the beach in their swimwear on a rare day when they had the island to themselves. Their roommates left to attend a beer festival the day before, and to celebrate, Eighteen insisted Krillin take them both shopping for new swimsuits. Upon their return, she grabbed their beach towels and practically dragged him onto the sand.
"We could go for another swim," Krillin suggested.
She flicked sand at him. "You have one wish, and you have to use it for yourself. There's no crisis to avert, no one needs to be resurrected, and no one's around to guilt you into wishing for 'the right thing.' What is Krillin's no-holds-barred-i'm-finally-being-selfish-for-once-in-my-life wish?"
He looked away, uncomfortable. "Can't you ask something else?"
"Not now, I can't. You've got me intrigued."
"You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Not a chance. Come on, Krillin. You promised to tell me the truth, remember?"
Krillin sighed. Lying wasn't an option with Eighteen. She had experienced enough deceptions and manipulations in her life already, and he promised himself long ago to always tell her the truth. He also made the mistake of once telling her that, and ever since, she brought it up whenever it was convenient for her.
"What I want," he said, "is something I couldn't wish for. Because if I did, it wouldn't come true."
She rose onto her knees and crawled across the sand to join him on his towel. Breaching his personal space like this was no longer an act of intimidation but a sign of their growing comfort around one another. She also liked to see him squirm. Just a little. "Please."
"You'll think it's depressing."
"Depressed is better than bored."
"Fine." Krillin huffed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
"By now, I can't say you didn't annoy me."
He closed his eyes briefly, taking a moment to summon his courage. "I would wish for someone to…to genuinely love me."
Eighteen sat up on her heels, a horrified look on her face. "Ha-have you made that wish?"
"What? No! If I did something like that, it wouldn't be real love." He busied himself brushing sand off his towel so he wouldn't have to look at her.
She gave a hollow laugh, relief evident in her tone as she said, "I guess, if it's fake love you're after, you could always ask for money or fame."
"Or to be taller or to"—his voice hitched—"have a nose."
"Oh, Krillin." She laid a hand on his bare shoulder.
"Believe me, I've thought about it. But if I changed my appearance like that, it wouldn't be me they loved, just some fake version of me. And I'd always know that." He released a heavy breath. "Sorry, I told you this would be depress—"
Eighteen enfolded him in a hug. Her own voice choked with emotion, she assured him, "Anyone who didn't love the real you would be unworthy of you."
He placed a hand on her back. "Thanks, Eighteen."
Withdrawing from the hug, she took his face in her hands and pressed her lips to the spot where a nose would be. "Someone who loves the real you might not be worthy either, but she'd like to—"
The sound of an air car speeding over the waves broke apart their embrace, and she scrambled back to her own towel. As their roommates arrived, ogling Eighteen and wilting under her threats to keep their eyes to themselves, Krillin pondered her words—and treasured them. That night as he lay in bed, a knock sounded on his door. She entered and continued where she had left off. When she had poured out her heart and said the words he longed to hear, he drew her into his arms and tearfully said them back. The best wishes, he reflected, don't need a magic dragon to make them come true. They only need two people willing to let down their barriers and speak honestly to one another.
Word Count: 718
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