PART 8 Yamucha Gets His Chance



Aeka visited Capsule Corp. and traveled with the help of her

guardians, Azaka and Kamidake. She greeted Dr. and Mrs. Briefs

and apologized for bothering. Then she asked if they knew

Yamucha's whereabouts. Aeka went to the Kame House to find

Yamucha.

"Excuse me?" she asked, poking her head inside.

"Oh? Who is it?" asked a voice.

"I'm here to visit Yamucha." Aeka said.

"Come in! Come in!"

Aeka stepped inside and saw and old man and a pig in clothes

watching TV. The old man looked at her and stood up.

"Oh, I remember you!" the old man said. "Aeka, right?"

"Yes. And you're Master Roshi." Aeka said.

"So good to see you again!" Roshi said. "So? Looking for Yamucha,

eh?"

"Well, I just need to tell him something." Aeka said, blushing.

"Sorry, Yamucha's out today. He went to get some items for

me. But I'M here and if you ever get bored..."

"I'll wait."

It was almost nighttime when Yamucha and Puar came back.

"Hey! I'm back!" he called out.

"Finally! What took you so long?!" said Roshi.

"Why dontcha look at the list you gave me!" Yamucha said, showing

him a six foot long list.

"You're a fighter! Can't you just do a simple errand?"

"Since when did getting a mountain of stuff become a simple errand?"

"Since I said so."

"*sigh* Well, I'm too tired. I'm going to bed."

"Don't think of sleeping while your girlfriend is waiting for you!"

"Huh? I got a girlfriend?!"

"Yeah. The princess."

"What princess?"

"The one that you've been messing around with!"

"I never did."

"The pretty one!"

"What in the heck are you talking about?!"

"The purple haired gal!"

"Aeka?"

"That's the one!"

"Why didn't you say so?!"

"How many other princesses do you know?"

"How should I know? For all I care, they all seem like princesses

to me."

"Well, she's waiting for you."

Yamucha went upstairs to see Aeka.

[What in the heck would she want to see ME for?] he thought.

Then when he opened the door, Aeka was sleeping on the bed. On the

bed, waiting for HIM. His first instinct was to wake her up but she

looked so peaceful in her sleep. He knew what troubles she had

dealt with in the past and if he woke her up, he'd be giving her

more misery. So he sat down next to her and watched her sleeping.

He could have gone downstairs and watch some TV with the others but

seeing Aeka so relaxed made him release his tension also. He got

sleepy and decided to rest his eyes for a moment and he lay next

to Aeka but kept as far away as he could from her.

When he awoke, it was already morning and Aeka was snuggled up

close to him. He felt very hot and gently got away from Aeka's

closeness. He wiped away some sweatdrops.

[Boy, that was TOO much!] he thought to himself. [WAY too much.]

Yamucha went downstairs.

"Good morning, Yamucha." Puar said.

"Hey." Yamucha replied.

"Yamucha, why are you blushing?" Puar asked.

"Eh...just the heat. He he. He he."

He sat down to watch TV.

"What a fine morning!" he heard a deep voice say.

"It's a beautiful day!" a higher voice said.

"Yeah! Yeah! I know." said the annoyed Roshi. Yamucha looked

behind him and found Master Roshi coming down with two large logs

behind him.

"So? Decided to wake up in the now morning, huh?" Yamucha teased.

"These two woke me up!" Roshi said.

"It's such a fine day!"

"Very fine!"

"Just shut up, will ya?!"

"A beautiful, beautiful day!"

"Lovely morning!"

"Quit it!"

"Azaka? Kamidake?" a girl's voice asked. Then Aeka came down.

"Good morning!" said Roshi.

"Eh..." Aeka said. Then she realized where she was and blushed.

"I'm so sorry! I did not ask you to stay!" Aeka said, bowing and

bowing.

"Oh, it's alright!" said Roshi. "As long as you're pretty and

promise to stay again...in my room."

"Eh he he he... Well, I have to go now!" Aeka said, running

out the door. But as she reached the shore, she suddenly stopped.

[What am I doing?] she thought. [I have to get what I came for!]

"Hey! Wait up, Aeka!" she heard Yamucha say. She turned around

and Yamucha went up to her.

"I...um...Master Roshi said you...um...wanted to talk to me

'bout something." he said, blushing.

"Well, I did want to tell you something but it's been so long

and I don't...really think you need to listen..." Aeka said.

"Uh...I'll listen. I have tons of time."

"Well...my mother...really likes you and...I...remember that

time a...a few years ago?"

"...I think so."

"Rememeber when...um...you and me..."

"What are you tying to say, Aeka?"

"I d-don't know how to say this..."

"Do you mean...that date?"

Aeka nodded.

"What about...the date?"

"I want someone to be my Asahi's father."

"Who's...Asahi?"

"My...son."

"You have a son?!"

"Y-yes. But I don't want him to know who his real father is.

Please say that you're his father! I don't know what to tell him!"

"But Aeka, I...this is too fast! I-I c-can't..."

"Please! I'll do anything you want me to!"

Yamucha liked the thought. But he couldn't make Aeka do things

she didn't want to do.

"I-I'm sorry, Aeka. I just couldn't have that much power over

you..."

"At least do me this favor..."

"Aeka, why won't you tell him about his real father?"

"Because I don't know if he cares about him."

"Didn't you ask him?"

"I know that he doesn't care."

"Who is he?"

Aeka was silent. Her head was turned away, as if it would be the

biggest shame in her life to mention his name. Yamucha saw a

sparkle in her eye. It went down her cheek. He lifted her chin.

"Who is he?" he asked in a softer, calmer voice. Aeka closed

her eyes.

"Vegeta..." she whispered. Yamucha couldn't hear her clearly but

he could read her lips carefully. He understood why she didn't

want to tell her son who his father was. It would break his

heart to know that such a heartless beast like Vegeta. Yamucha

could see that Vegeta broke Aeka's heart already and she didn't

want her son to feel the same pain. Vegeta had already married Bulma.

How could Aeka stand it? Aeka buried her face in her hands.

Yamucha knew that he should pity her but inside, he was angered

by Vegeta's actions. He stole Aeka's heart and smashed it on the

floor. Just seeing Aeka's sadness made Yamucha feel as if a everyone

that he fought in his life came back and hit him with all their

power and he was helpless. He held Aeka close to him. She soaked

his clothes but he didn't mind. Yamucha almost felt tears coming

to his eyes to see his beloved Aeka in misery but his manliness

held them back with full force. He also felt like killing Vegeta

for doing this to Aeka. Anger and pain were in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Aeka but no matter how much you cry, I can't lie

to a child who wants to know their true father." he said. Aeka

cried harder and harder.

"I can't. Even though it is Vegeta. It's not right." he continued.

Then he lifted her chin to face him. She was still crying but her

eyes managed to open.

"But I promise that...you won't be crying about that anymore."

For a few weeks, Yamucha had visited Aeka frequently. Sometimes

they met at the Masaki shrine or somewhere outside of their houses.

Yamucha met Asahi and Asahi became very fond of his mother's new

friend. But sometimes, it felt as if this friendship was...much more.

Then one day, it was official. It was a very cold winter day

but they were still outside. They were by the lake near the

Masaki shrine. It was so cold that the lake froze but they were

still outside.

"It's freezing out here." said Yamucha.

"But the lake is beautiful." Aeka managed to say. She was right.

The lake had a lovely sparkle.

"Y-y-yeah." Yamucha said. He looked really cold.

"We should go inside." Aeka said.

"You really want t-to?"

"It is pretty cold."

"Well, if you really want to..."

Aeka reached out and felt Yamucha's lips.

"You're cold, Yamucha. We must go inside." Aeka said. Yamucha felt

Aeka's lips.

"You're not." he said. Then he felt her cheeks. "And your cheeks...

they're very warm."

Aeka felt Yamucha's cheeks.

"Your cheeks are warm too." she said. Then she placed her fingers

on Yamucha's lips.

"But your lips are frozen." Aeka said.

"We don't have to go in just yet." Yamucha said.

"Alright." retorted Aeka. She turned her attentions to the lake.

Yamucha looked down at the hands that touched Aeka. She was so

warm. His hands had been frozen a second ago and now they were

burning. And so were his cheeks. He felt his lips. Frozen. They

were as cold as ice, no, colder. But hers was so warm. Then

he had some thoughts about why it had been.

[Should I...] he thought. Then he looked at Aeka. [I can't! I

have to hold it back no matter how I feel...]

Aeka stepped forward and leaned towards the lake. She found a

rock in the snow and threw it down onto the lake hard. The rock

just chipped off some ice and slid to the middle of the lake.

Aeka stepped on the lake. She tapped it with her foot. When she

saw that the lake was stable enough to support her, she went onto

the lake of ice.

"Come in." Aeka called out.

"Well, 'kay." Yamucha replied, going to the ice.

"It's kinda slippery..." he said.

"Are you scared?" Aeka teased.

"Ha! No way." Yamucha replied. Then he started walking towards

Aeka. He felt unbalanced. Even with ice skates, he was bad on ice.

But he didn't want to make a bad impression. He went faster then

slid to Aeka and fell on the ice, face up to Aeka. Aeka looked

down at him.

"Are you alright?!" she asked.

"Eh...yeah. I'm OK." Yamucha replied, sitting up.

{CRACK!}

"Was that a..." Yamucha started to say. Then he looked down and

saw the ice cracking and starting to fall apart. Then he quickly

stood up, carried Aeka and flew away. They both looked down and

saw the ice on the lake separate and plunge into the water. Aeka

stared at Yamucha.

"Um...sorry?" Yamucha said. Aeka smiled.

"Thank you." she said. Yamucha felt himself blush. He flew

down to safety and let Aeka down.

"Well, better go back inside..." Aeka said, walking towards the

house. Yamucha followed. Then Aeka suddenly turned around to say

something and when she did, her's and Yamucha's faces were so close.

They looked deeply into each others eyes. Aeka looked down.

"I..."

Then she was stopped by Yamucha's cold lips. She quickly responded.

This was completely different from the first kiss that they had

years ago. Aeka only wanted to thank him for being so nice to her.

But now, this kiss meant something. That they were falling in love.