1 Falling Away from Me

1.1 By Desertdweller





Author's note: Just for the record, one of my favorite couples is Gohan and Piccolo. It is just right now. I am experimenting. If you do not like the pairing, then read my other story. I hope you like the way this is going. I may have a little love triangle going on here. One idea is to make Gohan break up with Vegeta and fixate on his old mentor. However even if Piccolo has feelings for Goku, he might rediscover those old feelings for his former student. I may do it I may not. When you review, please let me know what you think. I would be eternally grateful. Any one have any request fics out there? Coming up during Christmas, I won't have daily access to a computer. I use the ones here at college. But I DO have pens and paper. So if anyone has ideas that they might want sewed into a story or epic (as it seems these fics are going) I would be more than happy to toy with them. Well, as of today I have updated both stories. I will try to update them Friday or next week. However, the following week I have exams. So don't expect much. Ok? Thank you for all your support. Thank you Angie for the wonderful phone conversation and the ideas that followed therewith. I must depart for places unknown. Ja ne for now.

Desertdweller A.K.A. D.D.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Goku~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watch as the tears rain down his cheeks like dewdrops on a blade of swaying bamboo. His garnet eyes shine as his hidden anguish, pain and agony all come out like a wound that had festered for too long and had finally ruptured, spilling all the pain out, and leaving an open wound to heal.

He spills his troubles onto me. I do not mind. I have been witnessing the ache he had denied himself and forced down deep into his soul for far too long. Now he could rightfully rid himself of it. Plus. I had never seen him so vulnerable. I was so busy with my introspection that his last phrase startled me.

" I am a demon. born for all to hate and none to love." His voice choked on his own tears.

My mind is whirling light years a millisecond. I compare this fragile being in my arms to the warrior that graces the battlefield whenever we are called upon to defend this brittle planet. He must have been carrying this pain inside all the way from birth. Then when he started to have feelings for my son and they were not reciprocated. It just added to his anguish. He ducks his head in shame as he continued to sob. I know I have to comfort him. I just could not figure out how. I decide to follow my instincts. It was the only thing I could think of to do, because my working knowledge of comforting a near-suicide victim was scanty at best.



My voice comes out low and soothing. Something I did not know I was capable of.

"Not every one hates you, I know at least one person who loves you with all the breath in his body."

I watch as he jerks his head up and looks at me with disbelief and a tinge of hope in those smoldering garnet depths.

Then suddenly the hope dies and despair triumphs. He narrows his shimmering eyes and spits out a retort back at me. I can hear heavy self -loathing in his voice.

"Who could love me?"

The next instant seems like a hazy dream to me. Perhaps it is because I could not see myself doing that a year earlier. Now.. It just seems so.. right.



I lean in and close the miniscule space between us. I can feel the heat of his body and hear his pulse racing. For an instant I am hesitant, scared he will push me away in disgust and hate.

But. If I do not and he does like me. Then I will cause him and myself further anguish. It may cause him to try to commit suicide again. And that time, he may succeed.

The thought of this wonderful creature before me dying again makes up my mind for me.

I gaze deep into those windows of his soul and whisper a single word.

"Me."

I close the distance and gently, carefully brush my lips to his.





So sweet.

So.soft. Like rose petals on a bud that has barely bloomed early on a spring morn.

The kiss is long, but soft. Not passionate. I do not think he would have the energy for it right now and it would not be best to push this right now. I start to pull away, having second feelings. I shouldn't have done this. He nearly died! Now, here I am screwing with his feelings.

I try to pull away. However, something stops me and I feel the kiss shyly returned. I breath in deeply in slight shock.

The shock disappears and elation fills me. He feels the same way! As the kiss ends and he pulls away, I feel a small smile appear on his face. And to my surprise a small half smile graces his lean face as well.

A sudden blush flushes across his face and I feel one burn on my own face. His eyes suddenly drop down to stare at the floor. I continue to stare at him. He opens his mouth for a second and then closes it as if he were trying to say something but did not know quite how to phrase it. He narrows his eyes and then darts his head back to me.

"How long?"

His quiet but insistant voice startles me into speaking. I will tell him the truth, I could never lie to him.

" I do not know exactly how long, but I think it has been for a while. Since that fight with the Juuhachigou and Juannagou, I think. I think I always had, but it took that long maybe. to finally realize I wanted something that I didn't have. I could never. understand what it was until later."

I realize I am rambling and shut up. I sigh and run my hand through the spiky locks that grace my head.

"Actually. It makes perfect sense. Ever since my birth, I had this burning hatred. Not at you. but at life itself. You and Gohan taught me to live, and therefore have a life. I fixated on Gohan, thinking he was most like me and would return my affections. perhaps I am wrong."

He turned his garnet eyes onto me and a small smirk lit his features.

"Besides, I need to get my energy up. We have a show to do in a few days."

I look at him in amazement. Only a few scant minutes ago he was in the depths of dispair, now he was talking about a show!

Amazing. Then I smile, his flexibility and ability to handle any situation was part of my attraction to him. I understand that I may be scatter witted sometimes, but he is always grounded in reality. I appreciate that.

I feel another pang of affection send its cupid's arrow into my chest.

Out of the blue he suddenly yawns and I can see how tired he really is. I peer out the living room window and realize that it nearly night. We spent the entire day in the living room with each other.

His eyelids begin to droop and I run to the bedroom to get a downy pillow. I smile and give to him.

"Hey, Pic. Take a nap here in the living room. It's too much trouble to lift your heavy rear off of the couch and into the bed room." I smirk to him and wait for his retort.

"Hn.." He takes the pillow," Only to get you away from me. If we want to talk about heavy, why don't we weigh you. That is. If we could find a scale strong enough. I think one of the those weighing stations for eighteen wheelers oughta do it." Nevertheless he takes the pillow and tucks it under his head. Pulling the blanket up under his arms, he turns onto his side and closes his eyes.

Soon his breathing becomes soft and even. I smile again and head towards the kitchen to make us a late supper. He will be hungry when he awakens. I am midway through the meal when the door begins to open. I rush to the door.

Gohan is standing there with Vegeta.

He opens his mouth to say something, then suddenly looks past me. His eyes widen in shock and then narrow. He cocks his head and then utters a question. Vegeta's dark eyes mirror Gohan's shock.

"Otousan. What is Piccolo-san doing here?"

I usher the two in and then head to the kitchen. I turn the stove and microwave off and then rejoin the other two guests in the den.

"Follow me"

I lead them into the bedroom.

Vegeta looks at me with confusion in his eyes and Gohan is giving me the same quizzical look.

Taking a deep breath I simply say,

"You might want to sit down for this."



To be continued.