Rise and Shine
By Duran the Gladiator
Chapter 8: Drifting to each other
Pan ran into Goten at the shopping centre, while he was frantically searching for something to wear. He seemed very pleased to see her, but didn't seem to feel like coming to her. Instead, he motioned for Tora to judge his choice of clothing.
"What do you think, Tora? The black shirt or the dark blue one?"
"Eh, they both look like black to me…", said Tora, never having been asked a question like that. Pan laughed while she judged her uncle.
"The dark blue one, uncle, definitely the dark blue one."
"Thanks Pan. Lucky you have a sense of fashion, or poor Tora will look abominable this evening. By the way, where were you yesterday? I had to stay in town, came to your place to ask if you had a spare room left, but you weren't there!"
"I was just out, that's all." Pan said. Goten raised an eyebrow, obviously not really convinced, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it some more.
"Oh… it's really nice to see you're still alive. I thought you two had studied yourselves to death!"
"Hey, don't worry, we can take care of ourselves.", said Tora, scratching the back of his head. "Although I'm really weak and worn out. Pan sure can tire someone!" That made Goten blink.
"You didn't…", he said to Pan, which earned him a punch in the side.
"Goten! We studied throughout the night! What did YOU think?!" Goten blushed and sought for words. Pan laughed and said bye to her uncle as she helped Tora pick out something. She looked him over.
"Hmm… I think you should wear a tight T-shirt, you know, just to show off your… eh…", said Pan, unconsciously running her tongue over her lips slowly as she searched for the right words, "your improved physique…" She eyed him again, amazed at how a year's training had made her friend more handsome than he had already been.
"You really think so? I'll follow your advice. Like Goten said, I have no taste at all… This one?", he said, showing her a black stretch T-shirt.
"Perfect! Now, you should wear a white jacket over that… This one will do just fine!", she said, walking casually through the aisles of clothing, picking a white jacket with black stitching. "Or no… let's turn around the colors! White shirt, black jacket and pants. Can you search them out, Tora? I'm going to shop for myself a bit. I'll be right back, 'kay?" Tora nodded, wondering what she'd buy for the party.
Twenty minutes later, Pan was back with a few bags. She paid for Tora's clothes and dragged him to a pizza place.
"Say, Pan, I'd like to go into the forest this afternoon.", he said as they sat down.
"Cool. Sounds like a good idea. It's really calm there, and it'll soothe your senses a bit after studying. You were right, you do seem very tired, and so must I – a little relaxation could do wonders…" She ordered two large "quarto stagione" pizzas for herself, Tora took three small pepperoni pizzas. "You'll simply never want to relax any other way anymore. It's vast, and completely natural – unlike the forests you've known on Vegeta."
"Yeah. Try eating a few young, juicy twigs when all the trees are carefully monitored.", he sighed. He had never felt as carefree as he did at that moment. The pizzas were brought by the waiter, who looked at the two curiously before taking the addition. Pan smiled and gave the man a very generous tip. She ate her two pizzas at a very fast pace, while Tora ate his slowly, enjoying the taste.
"Liked them?", asked Pan after he had eaten the last piece.
"Yes, thanks."
"Okay, then we'll go home, put these bags there, and go into the forest. Or no – I've gotta call dad first. I still don't know when the party is…"
Gohan was reading his newly bought book, "They were once our enemies – Saiyan rise to glory", when the phone rang. He didn't feel like picking it up, so he called Videl.
"Videl honey, phone…"
"Okay, okay, I get the point, don't bother leaving your book…", she said sarcastically as she went to the phone.
"Hello, Satan and Son residence… oh, hey dear! Yes… oh, he was indeed. The party? Half past eight, I think. But to be sure, be there at nine. Sure… Tora? Yes, your father told me about him already… If I'm upset about it? No… in fact, I think it's very good to see my daughter has taken a liking to someone… sure, it's not like that… Really not? Hah, just you wait… Okay, see you tonight dear!" She put down the receiver and went to her husband.
"Did she tell you where she was yesterday?"
"No. Why should she? She's a Son, you know. Goten sometimes disappears for days on end! And you used to fly off to me every day, leaving your mother behind to worry, remember? She said she's going to the lake with Tora. The one where you taught me how to fly, remember?" Gohan worried more and more about it. "Gohan, let it go already. She's growing up into a beautiful, responsible, independent woman. You've got to let her go sometime…"
"Yes, but why does it have to feel like I'm losing my little girl? Besides, she doesn't even know this Tora guy!", he said, putting down his book.
"She does. Remember how we instinctively liked each other? We sensed each other's character. Besides, hasn't Goku given her the thumbs-up the other day? If he doesn't see any harm in it, why should you?"
"I guess you're right… but still, if he takes advantage of her, I'm going to kill him!"
Tora took in the beauty of the forest gladly. He couldn't believe his eyes: he ran his hands over the branches, smelled the scent of the hundreds of flowers on one of the open spaces in the forest, and when she took him to a rock that overlooked the lake, he nearly didn't dare to breathe.
"It's all so beautiful! Now I know why you told me about this – it's breathtaking!"
"Yes… unfortunately, there's so little of this beauty left. Goku supports a nature preservation plan, but I think it's too late already – most of the forest is gone by then…"
"I'd hate to see that happen!", said Tora, sitting on the edge of the rock, enjoying the view. Pan lay down on her back, looking at the clouds: Tora quietly went to lie down beside her. "How very soothing…", he said as he started to fall asleep.
"Let's get some rest.", said Pan as she drifted off as well. She dreamt of clouds, and of swimming in the lake. In her dreams, she and Tora were more, so much more. Every night in the Chamber, ever since her illness, she had dreamt of him. She had been very disappointed to wake up alone in her bed, but found comfort in the fact that Tora was near her. She felt happy since she had met him. There was something gnawing on her from the inside, however, something that urged her to explore a dark and unknown corner of her heart. It had to do with Tora, she knew it, but what? What was it that made her feel attracted to him?
Tora, in his dreams, dreamt of his past. How lonely and cold the days had been on Vegeta. He had only known Fern, and their friendship was strong. But then the spaceship had landed and Pan had come out: it had changed his life. He had gotten another chance. She had fed him, clothed him, given him an honest job, given him friendship: in a way, she had saved his life as he had saved hers. And now Tora started to get the feeling they were about to give each other something else, something unknown to the both of them. It scared him, but fascinated him beyond belief. He had instinctively felt the need to take care of her, just like she had. He knew the "sleepwalking" hadn't been just that. He felt it, just like he felt things were about to change.
They woke up from their nap when Pan's watch beeped.
"Six already?! Boy, what is it with this place, does it have some magical characteristics or something?!", she said to no one in particular. Tora rose to his feet, brushing dust off his clothes.
"Well, we should head back to the road, shouldn't we? Eat, get a shower, go to the party…"
"Yes. You just wait and see what I've bought! You'll not believe your eyes."
"If you make me any more curious, I'll not be able to wait…", said Tora with a grin. He had seen himself in the mirror as he had tried on his clothes. He would look handsome enough to make every woman faint. A quick glance over to Pan made him realise she had been looking at him all the while. He smiled.
"Yeah, but you'll just have to deal. I want to surprise you."
"Okay. The more mysterious you are now, the more I'll like it!"
AN: It turns out I had more to type than I thought, so the infamous lemon will be next chapter (the party!) and maybe it'll even be an extra long chapter as well. Thanks again to all you faithful reviewers, especially to Parron_de_gekke_meid because she has reviewed every single chapter. And as always, anyone can and may drop comments/questions/random kawaiiness in a review. Greetings! (And see you soon for… the lemon!)