Immortality

Chapter 6: Before the Song

Story by: Lady of Earth

And we don't say goodbye

And I know what I've got to be

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the song "Immortality".

Usagi woke up to the sound of knocking on her door. She got out of bed and opened the door, without a care that her hair was tangled up and is a total mess. The person who stood in front of the door was Gohan, who looked a little surprised. "You laugh and I'll kill you." She croaked out, walking away from the door at a snail pace.

Far from what Usagi thought, the scene left Gohan awe-struck. Most of the time he sees Usagi in the clothes she wears to school or "Tenshi" clothes. But there she was, in navy pajamas, with messed up hair and the only thing that was in his mind was that he had never seen such an adorable scene ever before.

She was walking into the kitchen, making herself a cup of coffee. She yawned as the smell of coffee began to fill the room. Gohan sat at the kitchen table, with a bewildered expression on his face. Usagi hadn't noticed this look until she had placed a cup of coffee in front of Gohan and had taken a sip of the brew herself.

"Nande?" She asked, frowning. He grinned sheepishly, realizing he must be gawking at her.

"Nothing. Just that...I've never seen you look so..." He couldn't finish. She smirked.

"Normally, I'd be really angry with that. But since it's this early in the morning the morning, I'll let this one slide." She said, before finishing her cup of hot coffee with one gulp.

"Ohayo Chichi-san!" Greeted Usagi as she and Gohan entered the Son's house. Chichi, who had been preparing breakfast in the kitchen waved for the girl to come in.

"I'm making breakfast, would you like some too, Usagi?" Chichi asked. Usagi was about to open her mouth, ready to decline, but Gohan had beaten her to it.

"Hai, she would, okaa-san. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet." Gohan said. Usagi threw him a look, which he returned with a grin. Shaking her head, she sat down on the table, where Goku was burying his face in a plate full of food.

"Ohayo Usagi!" Goku said cheerfully, looking up long enough to say the words to her and then going back to the food. Usagi giggled at the sight, then looked at Gohan.

"Nande?" He asked, when he caught her looking at him.

"I had wondered where on Earth did you get an appetite like that, but I guess I know now." She told, looking back at Goku who was eating happily.

"It's not easy, I tell you." Chichi said, placing a plate for Usagi and Gohan. "Having two men who can eat a whole elephant in one sitting." She sighed, as she watched Goku clean the last bit of food from his plate.

"Believe it or not, I had the same appetite when I was younger." Usagi told.

"Soo ka? I can't picture you eating like these two, Usagi." Chichi said, pointing at Goku and Gohan.

"Okaa-san, from the way you say it, you make sound as if otou-san and I are barbarians." Gohan said, frowning at his okaa-san. Chichi snorted.

"All Saiyajins are, if you ask me." She said, waving her spatula in the air, then going back to her stove. Usagi giggled, seeing Gohan's defeated look.

"Don't worry Gohan, I don't think you're a barbarian." Usagi began. "I just think that you have awful table manners." She teased. Gohan rolled his eyes.

"That's suppose to make me feel better?" He asked sarcastically. Usagi shook her head innocently. From the kitchen, Chichi could only watch with amusement at the two. As a mother, she couldn't be happier that her musuko has found a girl. Too bad that the girl just happened to be the Shi no Tenshi. And she had just recently heard that bit of information through Bulma. She knew why Gohan and Goku didn't want to tell her, but seeing the girl, she really couldn't see how one so…innocent could be given the job not even villains would be capable of doing for a prolonged period of time.

"Trunks, what exactly are you trying to do?" Asked Usagi, who had been watching Trunks and Gohan sparring. Trunks had Gohan in a headlock though he seems to be unsuccessful in keeping him in that position. Gohan's ki was rising and Trunks was having one heck of a time holding him.

"Trying...to...keep...him...from...breaking...Ack!" Trunks growled as Gohan broke loose from his hold. The three months older Saiyajin grinned at his lilac haired opponent.

"Told you that wouldn't work." Gohan said, unleashing a ki blast at Trunks. Trunks dodged it with ease, but he didn't see Gohan's fist flying towards his face until he looked up. But by that time, it was already too late.

Usagi grimaced at the sight.

Trunks, who had fallen to the ground opened his eyes to see Gohan towering above him. "Better luck next time, buddy." He told. Usagi walked over to the two guys.

"Daijoubu ka, Trunks?" She asked, frowning a little at the sight off the red fist mark on Trunks' face. Trunks nodded and Usagi extended her hand to help him up. If Usagi had been an ordinary girl, Trunks wouldn't have thought that she could pull him up. But knowing who she is, he took her hand and she pulled him up with great ease.

"Arigatou." Trunks said and moving to dust off his clothes.

"Good try, Trunks. Demo I think that move only works with someone who's not a Saiyajin." Usagi commented. Trunks sighed, glaring slightly at Gohan.

"Blame him, he dared me to try it." He muttered. Gohan was grinning broadly and a little ploy began to form in Usagi's head. She winked secretly to Trunks.

"Poor Trunks-chan!" She gushed and hugged him. Trunks was more than surprised to find the girl hugging him, but devilishly wrapped his arm around her waist.

"What do you say we go out tonight, Usagi-chan?" He suggested, with the dramatic emphasis on the 'chan'. He could see Gohan's face glowing green with envy by the minute and by the way he was making his way to the two of them, he was going purple with rage too. Trunks knew one thing, it was fun to make Gohan angry, but the after effects are terrifying. He let go of Usagi in a blink.

Usagi turned around and looked at Gohan, pasted the most innocent look she could muster and said, "Is there a problem, Gohan-chan?" There and then, the color drained from Gohan's cheeks and a pretty shade of pink stayed there. To have Usagi calling him "Gohan-chan" was enough to keep him from strangling Trunks. Though the lilac haired fighter picked this moment to burst out laughing.

"Buddy, I didn't know your face can turn into the different colors of the rainbow...Green, purple and pink!" His howls of laughter was soon joined by the soft sound of Usagi's giggles. Gohan groaned, desperately trying to hide his red cheeks.

"Gohan?"

"Hai?" Gohan paused his flight and hung in the air, looking at her.

"You're not mad about what Trunks and I pulled earlier, are you?" She asked. Feeling guilty was part of being the Shi no Tenshi, although never the kind of guilt she was feeling at that moment. The vision of the betrayal on Gohan's face as she hugged Trunks was in her mind. Even though she didn't exactly see his face at that time.

To her great relief, he smiled and shook his head. "Of course not, Usagi." He said. Though when he saw her sigh in relief, he added quickly, " I'm used to bad sense of humor."

Instantly relief was erased from her features and she pouted. "That was mean." She said. The vision of her dressed up in her pajamas flashed by his mind. He had called that adorable? That vision was nothing compared to the pouting face she was making then. That was perhaps the only time he had seen her looking genuinely innocent. For a moment he couldn't breathe, just watching her in wonder.

"Gohan, daijoubu ka?" She asked, seeing his distant expression.

"H-hai." He stammered, snapping out of his slight reverie.

"For a moment there I thought you were on cloud nine or something."

"Iie. I'd say we're around cloud three or four." He said. Usagi groaned.

"And you said Trunks and I have bad sense of humor!" She exclaimed.

"Hey! Don't you dare insult my sense of humor!" He warned.

"Like you have one." She teased, before taking off at top speed.

"That's it! I'll get you for that!" He shouted, as he left in pursuit of her.

"I won." She said breathlessly as she collapsed on her couch. He followed her, collapsing on the floor drawing ragged gasps of air.

"I let...you...win." He managed to choke out in between gasps for air.

"Liar." She muttered, smiling slyly. He lifted his head off the ground to glare at her.

"I heard that."

"You were suppose to." She retorted.

"Next time we play tag, you're it!" He declared, as he closed his eyes for a moment, catching a brief rest. Luckily for her he had closed his eyes, for he would then see the sadness that flickered in her eyes at that moment. There will be no next time.

She glanced his way, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he slept...or at least look like it, on the floor. She smiled softly, watching in tranquility at his handsome features. At the peace and quiet, she too closed her eyes. But she didn't drift to sleep. And as she did, Gohan opened his eyes and look to her.

'Beautiful.' He thought softly, but then turned to stare at the ceiling.

"Still tired?" She asked suddenly, her eyes still closed. He smiled.

"Iie. I don't really need much time to recover." He said. She sat up, eyes wide open as she looked at the clock.

"Didn't your okaa-san say she wants you to come home early?" She reminded him. He nodded and got up slowly.

"Hai. I don't want to worry her." He said with a sigh. He turned to her and offered her his hand. She took it quickly, without hesitation. He smiled at the change.

"Since I won't see you tonight, Oyasumi, Usa." He said to her. She shook her head and giggled.

"Honestly, Gohan. You can tell me that before you go to sleep tonight." She told him. To her surprise, she shook his head.

"Doubt it. Okaa-san wants me to help her out with something, so I'd probably flop down on my bed and fall to sleep straight away tonight." He told. He stood in perfect balance on the railing.

"S-Oyasumi, Gohan." She said. She didn't want to say goodbye to him. She shouldn't or else he might be suspicious. And she knew that he would do everything to prevent her, if he knew what she was up to the next day. He waved at her and she waved back, pasting a fake smile on her face that faded as soon as he was out of sight. She let out a broken sob as soon as she did, closing the door behind her, leaning against it for support.

She didn't know it would be so hard, to look at him for the last time and acted as if she would still see him the next day. Even though in truth, they will never see each other again.

It was around midnight when he finally was able to go to bed and he suddenly remembered about what Usagi said, that she would be able to hear him. He didn't know if she was still awake or not, but he was willing to give it a try.

'Usa?'

For the longest time, there was no answer and when he was about to give up, thinking that she probably was asleep after all and wasn't able to hear him...she replied.

'Still up Gohan?'

'Uh, just to say...Oyasumi, Usa.'

She giggled and let out a sigh, he could picture her shaking her head.

'Oyasumi, Gohan.'

And he fell asleep, a smile on his face and no nightmare to plague him.

Usagi, however was not as lucky. She couldn't sleep, though how many times she tried to. But after Gohan called her, the sadness seem to have built up. There in the dark, with no one to hear her, she cried into her pillow. She was going to drown again and yet again...she had no choice but to drown alone.

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