1 Falling Away From Me
1.1 Chapter six: Tender Loving Care
By Desertdweller.
Author's Note: Yay! I finally got enough homework done so that I could continue writing my stories. I don't know how they will end. I will just go with the flow that my muses direct me into. I have four to be precise. I have Goku-tenshi, Piccolo-tenshi, Gohan-tenshi and Vegeta-tenshi. My little angels tell me what they want and I merely write them down. Right now Gok- tenshi and Piccolo-tenshi are on my shoulders. Vegeta-tenshi and Gohan- tenshi are doing something weird in my book bag. ::looks into the satchel and quickly turns back to the computer screen.:: Oh.kay. Never mind. Anyway. Enjoy the story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Piccolo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sense of warmth surrounded me and faded to a comforting ebony. All I could feel was this golden heat spread through my wounded soul, repairing the numerous wounds that scarred it. I knew this was all a dream but. I didn't want it to end. For when it did, I knew that I would be forgotten and lonely again.
Sigh.
However, reality is a bitch. My internal clock, which has no sympathy for a wounded warrior, wakes me up rudely. My eyes snap open and I stare up at the dry-board ceiling, memorizing the miniature peaks and valleys. I turn my head to observe my alien surroundings. A false-gilt picture frame with the photo of a family stares happily back at me. I can see a man, a woman, and older child holding his younger sibling. I turn away, unable to soak in the comfort and peace radiating from the picture. I would never know so much peace or love in my lifetime. Born alone. Die alone. Cold hard truth.
I stare at the ceiling again, wondering why Son chose to come after me. Why he didn't leave me to die. Why I am still alive. The whys in my mind begin to knell.
I sigh again and try to lift my upper body off the soft mattress I lay upon. However, due to my very bad mistake of emptying half of my body of my blood, I am still too weak to do anything by myself.
That of course makes me angry. I am used to being self-dependent, now I have to be taken care of! The room spins and dips sickeningly. Suddenly my anger dissipates. I can't stay angry if I can't stay awake.
I lay back onto the soft pillows underneath my head. I look down at myself to see my torso clothed in new things. My black pants and jacket are gone. As is my white shirt. Now, I don a pair of faded blue jeans, and a loose black shirt bearing the logo "Pocky. Does a body good."
I throw back the covers and swing my legs out of bed slowly, so as not to dizzy myself. I brace myself against the wall and stay there, trying to get my equilibrium. I go to move when the door suddenly opens.
Son is standing there, looking at me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Goku~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After lying him down, I had went back into the living room to relax. And to sort out my feelings. Why was I feeling this way towards my best friend? Why was I suddenly noticing his scent, his grace, his voice.. I feel my face warm up and the heat spread throughout my body condensing down into the pit of my stomach. I jump out of the chair I had been sitting in and rush to the kitchen to get my mind off the being in the back room and what he was doing to me.
I search for innocent foods that remind me of nothing and begin to fix my lunch. I stop to stair out the kitchen window. The trees are all bare, a reminder that winter is fast approaching. I sigh. My mind turns of its own accord back to the person in the back room. I wonder if he is hungry. I decide that I will make him some chicken soup. Despite Chi Chi's belief.. I can cook. I had to subsist on my own fare for a while. One eventually learns how to cook and spice his food to his liking in the wilderness. I smile as I begin to prepare the ingredients.
Chicken minced finely.
Bits of celery.
Chicken Stock.
And bits of potatoes, chopped into small slices.
I take the chicken and boil it to get the broth. Once that is done I add the rest of the ingredients and spices. The smell makes my mouth water.
Mmmnmmmn.
Suddenly I hear a soft noise issue from the bedroom. I turn down the stove so that lunch won't boil over and race towards the wooden barrier that separates us.
Oh kami. I hope he is ok. Please don't let him be hurt. Or on the floor in pain.
I throw open the oak door and scan the room quickly with my eyes. They find him quickly.
He leans on the opposing wall, his lithe frame quaking like a flag in a stiff breeze. I rush over to him before he falls over. Swinging his arm around my neck I brace his weight on me. I slip an arm around his waist to hold on better. At least that is what I tell myself.
"Piccolo?" Concern slips out before I could squelch it. His glazed garnet eyes turn towards me and pin me with their intense stare.
"Hai?" His voice is shaky, but gaining strength as he stands. He leans on me as I help him walk to the living room.
"Gods I hate this.." I hear him mutter as I help him sit down. I smile as I listen. He is sounding more like his former self. I rush to the linen closet and pull down a warm blanket to cover him.
He looks at me with the ghost of a scowl on his face.
"You don't have to mother me Son. I am not that weak."
"Yeah.well, you almost fell over back there. At least let me help you until you fully recover." As soon as the phrase exited my mouth, I felt that it was almost a plea. For what. I have no idea.
But for reasons unknown I stand with my back to him waiting for a rejoinder.
I hear a soft sigh and a grunt.
"Fine. but only until I am strong enough to leave. Ok? All this saiya-jin stench is giving me a major headache." His tone is a mere shadow of the gruffness it normally holds but. it is getting better. I smile as I head off back into the kitchen to finish lunch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Piccolo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had just gotten to the wall when Son came in. He had this shocked expression on his face, as if he was expecting the worst. I turned my head quickly back to stare at the floor. That was a major mistake. The room suddenly spun dizzily and I felt my legs tremble as I begin to sink down to the floor.
An instant warmth suddenly rushes to my side and I feel myself buoyed up. A mat of unruly black hair brushes my face as this sudden angel braces my weight on himself and then looks at me with ebony eyes.
Son..
"Piccolo?" He asks.
I feel my heart jump into my throat. Memories of the dream fly through my already cluttered mind.
"Hai," I whisper.
I am slowly supported and walked down to the living room. I am deposited onto the soft couch and left there as Son fusses around me like a mother with a child. He rushes to a small alcove in the wall and pulls out a downy quilt. He wraps me like a mother wraps a babe. I shake my head ruefully and spit a phrase out to Son.
" You don't have to mother me Son. I am not that weak."
His reply was not one I expected. It came across as almost sort of a plea. I sigh.
Like Gohan, I could never deny him anything.
I agree and spit out an insult to his saiya-jin heritage for good measure. He grins as usual and heads back into the kitchen.
I stare at the wall in front of me. Bits of pain still float within my tortured soul. I still see Gohan walking away from me into the arms of that damnable Vegeta. My heart still wrenches as I see the warmth in Gohan's eyes directed not at me but his Prince. My soul still feels heavy and torn. I am not fully recovered. I am smart enough to know that. I also know that one of the reasons that Son is hovering around me is to ensure that I won't do a repeat performance of my last stunt. I probably will not, though. For some reason, Son seems to matter to me now.
I shake my head again. I sigh and stare down at the floor. Thinking of nothing seems to make me feel better now.
Son quickly appears out of the kitchen with a bowl of something steaming in one hand and a glass of cold water in the other.
"Lunchtime!" he says liltingly. His voice takes on a cheerful demeanor as he settles the food and drink down in front of me. " Eat up."
I want to tell him that I am not hungry and to leave me alone. But my stomach makes up my mind for me. It growls warningly, telling me that I have depleted nearly all of my body's resources and to step up on the intake of food.
I gently bring the bowl to my lips and sup. It isn't half bad. I eat it quickly with a hunger I didn't realize I even possessed.
I blush, noticing just how fast I had inhaled the food.
"Domo Airgatou." I say.
He merely smiles and goes to refill my bowl.
I marvel at his kindness as he places my needs before his own. I wonder what I have done to deserve this kind treatment. And I also wonder why this warmth always surrounds me when he is near lately.
He returns and hands me the full bowl. Our hands graze briefly and I could feel the silken warmth on the back of his hand. My face flushes briefly.
I eat more leisurely this time and Son sups with me. We sit in companionable silence. Once we both finish we set the bowls down. The silence was heavy. He suddenly breaks it with a question.
"Piccolo. When I found you in your apartment you were half dead. Why did you hurt yourself like that?" his voice is gentle, insistant.
"I.I." My throat closes up on me as the blood rushes to my face. To my utter horror, tears begin to etch their way down my face and I drop my head into my hands and sob.
"I. I couldn't stand living anymore. I . watched as Go.Gohan left with Vegeta. and never even gave me a backwards glance. I felt low. As.. if I were worth nothing. No.. Less than nothing. I didn't deserve to live. And.. I had nothing to live for. I am a sham. I took my father's name.. I don't even have a name all my own. I am a demon. born for all to hate and none to love." My voice jumps and shakes as I spill out my confession. All the anger, the hate, the agony and pain is let out, like lancing an infected wound.
I feel Son's comforting presence as he wraps his arms around me in a steady embrace. I am miserable to notice, otherwise I would have shoved him away. His arms steady me like the railing on a rocking ship.
His soft voice whispers soothingly into my ear as I let out my sorrow on his shoulder.
"Not everyone hates you, I know at least one person who loves you with all the breath in his body."
I look up at him with tear filled eyes. Someone? Loves me? I don't believe him for a second. And I retort back in a choked voice.
"Who could love me?"
He unexpectedly leans in close to me and brings his lips to within an inch of mine.
"Me."
He closes the distance and his warmth heals my soul.
To be continued.
1.1 Chapter six: Tender Loving Care
By Desertdweller.
Author's Note: Yay! I finally got enough homework done so that I could continue writing my stories. I don't know how they will end. I will just go with the flow that my muses direct me into. I have four to be precise. I have Goku-tenshi, Piccolo-tenshi, Gohan-tenshi and Vegeta-tenshi. My little angels tell me what they want and I merely write them down. Right now Gok- tenshi and Piccolo-tenshi are on my shoulders. Vegeta-tenshi and Gohan- tenshi are doing something weird in my book bag. ::looks into the satchel and quickly turns back to the computer screen.:: Oh.kay. Never mind. Anyway. Enjoy the story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Piccolo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sense of warmth surrounded me and faded to a comforting ebony. All I could feel was this golden heat spread through my wounded soul, repairing the numerous wounds that scarred it. I knew this was all a dream but. I didn't want it to end. For when it did, I knew that I would be forgotten and lonely again.
Sigh.
However, reality is a bitch. My internal clock, which has no sympathy for a wounded warrior, wakes me up rudely. My eyes snap open and I stare up at the dry-board ceiling, memorizing the miniature peaks and valleys. I turn my head to observe my alien surroundings. A false-gilt picture frame with the photo of a family stares happily back at me. I can see a man, a woman, and older child holding his younger sibling. I turn away, unable to soak in the comfort and peace radiating from the picture. I would never know so much peace or love in my lifetime. Born alone. Die alone. Cold hard truth.
I stare at the ceiling again, wondering why Son chose to come after me. Why he didn't leave me to die. Why I am still alive. The whys in my mind begin to knell.
I sigh again and try to lift my upper body off the soft mattress I lay upon. However, due to my very bad mistake of emptying half of my body of my blood, I am still too weak to do anything by myself.
That of course makes me angry. I am used to being self-dependent, now I have to be taken care of! The room spins and dips sickeningly. Suddenly my anger dissipates. I can't stay angry if I can't stay awake.
I lay back onto the soft pillows underneath my head. I look down at myself to see my torso clothed in new things. My black pants and jacket are gone. As is my white shirt. Now, I don a pair of faded blue jeans, and a loose black shirt bearing the logo "Pocky. Does a body good."
I throw back the covers and swing my legs out of bed slowly, so as not to dizzy myself. I brace myself against the wall and stay there, trying to get my equilibrium. I go to move when the door suddenly opens.
Son is standing there, looking at me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Goku~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After lying him down, I had went back into the living room to relax. And to sort out my feelings. Why was I feeling this way towards my best friend? Why was I suddenly noticing his scent, his grace, his voice.. I feel my face warm up and the heat spread throughout my body condensing down into the pit of my stomach. I jump out of the chair I had been sitting in and rush to the kitchen to get my mind off the being in the back room and what he was doing to me.
I search for innocent foods that remind me of nothing and begin to fix my lunch. I stop to stair out the kitchen window. The trees are all bare, a reminder that winter is fast approaching. I sigh. My mind turns of its own accord back to the person in the back room. I wonder if he is hungry. I decide that I will make him some chicken soup. Despite Chi Chi's belief.. I can cook. I had to subsist on my own fare for a while. One eventually learns how to cook and spice his food to his liking in the wilderness. I smile as I begin to prepare the ingredients.
Chicken minced finely.
Bits of celery.
Chicken Stock.
And bits of potatoes, chopped into small slices.
I take the chicken and boil it to get the broth. Once that is done I add the rest of the ingredients and spices. The smell makes my mouth water.
Mmmnmmmn.
Suddenly I hear a soft noise issue from the bedroom. I turn down the stove so that lunch won't boil over and race towards the wooden barrier that separates us.
Oh kami. I hope he is ok. Please don't let him be hurt. Or on the floor in pain.
I throw open the oak door and scan the room quickly with my eyes. They find him quickly.
He leans on the opposing wall, his lithe frame quaking like a flag in a stiff breeze. I rush over to him before he falls over. Swinging his arm around my neck I brace his weight on me. I slip an arm around his waist to hold on better. At least that is what I tell myself.
"Piccolo?" Concern slips out before I could squelch it. His glazed garnet eyes turn towards me and pin me with their intense stare.
"Hai?" His voice is shaky, but gaining strength as he stands. He leans on me as I help him walk to the living room.
"Gods I hate this.." I hear him mutter as I help him sit down. I smile as I listen. He is sounding more like his former self. I rush to the linen closet and pull down a warm blanket to cover him.
He looks at me with the ghost of a scowl on his face.
"You don't have to mother me Son. I am not that weak."
"Yeah.well, you almost fell over back there. At least let me help you until you fully recover." As soon as the phrase exited my mouth, I felt that it was almost a plea. For what. I have no idea.
But for reasons unknown I stand with my back to him waiting for a rejoinder.
I hear a soft sigh and a grunt.
"Fine. but only until I am strong enough to leave. Ok? All this saiya-jin stench is giving me a major headache." His tone is a mere shadow of the gruffness it normally holds but. it is getting better. I smile as I head off back into the kitchen to finish lunch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Piccolo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had just gotten to the wall when Son came in. He had this shocked expression on his face, as if he was expecting the worst. I turned my head quickly back to stare at the floor. That was a major mistake. The room suddenly spun dizzily and I felt my legs tremble as I begin to sink down to the floor.
An instant warmth suddenly rushes to my side and I feel myself buoyed up. A mat of unruly black hair brushes my face as this sudden angel braces my weight on himself and then looks at me with ebony eyes.
Son..
"Piccolo?" He asks.
I feel my heart jump into my throat. Memories of the dream fly through my already cluttered mind.
"Hai," I whisper.
I am slowly supported and walked down to the living room. I am deposited onto the soft couch and left there as Son fusses around me like a mother with a child. He rushes to a small alcove in the wall and pulls out a downy quilt. He wraps me like a mother wraps a babe. I shake my head ruefully and spit a phrase out to Son.
" You don't have to mother me Son. I am not that weak."
His reply was not one I expected. It came across as almost sort of a plea. I sigh.
Like Gohan, I could never deny him anything.
I agree and spit out an insult to his saiya-jin heritage for good measure. He grins as usual and heads back into the kitchen.
I stare at the wall in front of me. Bits of pain still float within my tortured soul. I still see Gohan walking away from me into the arms of that damnable Vegeta. My heart still wrenches as I see the warmth in Gohan's eyes directed not at me but his Prince. My soul still feels heavy and torn. I am not fully recovered. I am smart enough to know that. I also know that one of the reasons that Son is hovering around me is to ensure that I won't do a repeat performance of my last stunt. I probably will not, though. For some reason, Son seems to matter to me now.
I shake my head again. I sigh and stare down at the floor. Thinking of nothing seems to make me feel better now.
Son quickly appears out of the kitchen with a bowl of something steaming in one hand and a glass of cold water in the other.
"Lunchtime!" he says liltingly. His voice takes on a cheerful demeanor as he settles the food and drink down in front of me. " Eat up."
I want to tell him that I am not hungry and to leave me alone. But my stomach makes up my mind for me. It growls warningly, telling me that I have depleted nearly all of my body's resources and to step up on the intake of food.
I gently bring the bowl to my lips and sup. It isn't half bad. I eat it quickly with a hunger I didn't realize I even possessed.
I blush, noticing just how fast I had inhaled the food.
"Domo Airgatou." I say.
He merely smiles and goes to refill my bowl.
I marvel at his kindness as he places my needs before his own. I wonder what I have done to deserve this kind treatment. And I also wonder why this warmth always surrounds me when he is near lately.
He returns and hands me the full bowl. Our hands graze briefly and I could feel the silken warmth on the back of his hand. My face flushes briefly.
I eat more leisurely this time and Son sups with me. We sit in companionable silence. Once we both finish we set the bowls down. The silence was heavy. He suddenly breaks it with a question.
"Piccolo. When I found you in your apartment you were half dead. Why did you hurt yourself like that?" his voice is gentle, insistant.
"I.I." My throat closes up on me as the blood rushes to my face. To my utter horror, tears begin to etch their way down my face and I drop my head into my hands and sob.
"I. I couldn't stand living anymore. I . watched as Go.Gohan left with Vegeta. and never even gave me a backwards glance. I felt low. As.. if I were worth nothing. No.. Less than nothing. I didn't deserve to live. And.. I had nothing to live for. I am a sham. I took my father's name.. I don't even have a name all my own. I am a demon. born for all to hate and none to love." My voice jumps and shakes as I spill out my confession. All the anger, the hate, the agony and pain is let out, like lancing an infected wound.
I feel Son's comforting presence as he wraps his arms around me in a steady embrace. I am miserable to notice, otherwise I would have shoved him away. His arms steady me like the railing on a rocking ship.
His soft voice whispers soothingly into my ear as I let out my sorrow on his shoulder.
"Not everyone hates you, I know at least one person who loves you with all the breath in his body."
I look up at him with tear filled eyes. Someone? Loves me? I don't believe him for a second. And I retort back in a choked voice.
"Who could love me?"
He unexpectedly leans in close to me and brings his lips to within an inch of mine.
"Me."
He closes the distance and his warmth heals my soul.
To be continued.
