The night passed into a new day again. Piccolo avoided the staff and anyone else the previous afternoon and now was content to stand beside Gohan who was searching through a book in the library.
Gohan wore a smile, his tail twitching as he flipped the pages. Piccolo had watched him bubble about all morning and commented, "There has to be a moment when you aren't so happy to read a book."
"It's not really the book I'm happy about." Gohan chuckled and hid behind the book a bit. He then closed it and started reaching for another higher above him. "Everything is just starting to look like we'll be ok. Dad's awake, I get to spend all this time with you, my friends and family are safe; so many things to be happy about. Even if mother has decided that I should get back to studying properly."
Piccolo was startled when he felt something rub his leg. He blushed while Gohan's tail slowly wrapped around his thigh as he watched Gohan reach higher, almost able to grasp the book he wanted. Piccolo turned to stand behind Gohan and gently grasped his tail as he had days before. He smirked as he watched Gohan shiver and slowly curl towards the bookshelves. He leaned over him to whisper. "Remember to be careful with your tail. Unless you've decided this is how you'll ask for something."
"I wasn't-" Gohan gulped down a gasp as he felt Piccolo stroke his tail. "I didn't know it was… sorry."
They both flinched when they heard the door behind them click, the heavy handle turning. Piccolo wasted no time letting go of Gohan's tail and reaching above for the book, playing off their closeness as if he were only assisting him. "You know they have steps and even a ladder for just this situation."
Gohan struggled to calm his heart down and gave an embarrassed chuckle as he accepted the book. "Thanks."
Gohan turned to see Videl standing at the door; brow raised, and arms crossed. He felt himself calm a bit knowing it was only her. "Good morning Videl."
"Good morning." Videl returned the greeting as her eyes shifted to Piccolo.
"What is wrong?" Piccolo asked.
"I know you swore you weren't upset, but you don't think you should be more considerate?" Videl asked as she closed the door behind her and approached them. "It's fine if you don't want to reciprocate him and I commend still being his friend, but you should think about what message your actions send. Gods, hanging over him that close even for something as small as reaching for a book. Look at how red his face is."
"Videl, it's fine." Gohan blushed deeper at the acknowledgment of his face.
"Don't say it's fine!" Videl argued. "He's teasing you at the least, even if he doesn't intend it. You were honest and upfront with your heart and feelings, and he should be respectful of them; not giving false hopes."
"I don't have false ho- Hold on. Did you both have some sort of confrontation?" Gohan asked picking up on the mention that Piccolo had sworn something.
"Yes, we had a talk yesterday." Videl confirmed. "I wasn't fully convinced he wasn't going to bully or trouble you, but he assured me."
"I appreciate the concern but he isn't-" Gohan started.
"She's right. One shouldn't lead on." Piccolo broke in as he crossed his arms.
Gohan glared up at him with lips drawn thin in disapproval. "But you don't-"
Piccolo looked into Gohan's eyes with a soft smile. Purple just barely tinging his cheeks as he spoke. "She already knows this much, and she hasn't gone off to anyone else about it. We shouldn't lead her around."
Gohan stilled at the suggestion. "Y-you mean..."
"I've been thinking about it all night anyway and I trust her. Besides, I already spoke to Tien. It's only fair." Piccolo said. "You can tell her."
Gohan instantly beamed with a contorted smile mixed between trying to keep the secret and now being so excited and happy to have permission to share. He opened his mouth but only silence fell out.
Piccolo huffed a quick laugh and placed his hand atop Gohan's head. "Breathe first."
Videl watched Gohan practically glow pink. She looked back and forth between the two with widening eyes. She pointed to Piccolo and slowly turned her finger to Gohan. "No…."
Gohan nodded. "Piccolo and I… we're together."
Videl covered her mouth in her surprise and leaned towards Gohan with smiling eyes and a soft squeak. She then gave a side glance to Piccolo. "And you were just going to let me be mad with you?"
Piccolo almost snorted as he turned away with eyes closed. "Are you ever just satisfied?"
"Would you tolerate me if I was?" Videl asked with a laugh.
"Hmm." Piccolo conceded.
"In truth, thank you for trusting me." Videl said, her playful smirk replaced with a genuine smile. She then headed to the door.
"Didn't you come in for a book?" Piccolo asked with raised brow.
"Right." Videl sheepishly smiled and aimlessly glanced over the nearest shelf.
"You could at least pretend like you're actually going to choose one." Piccolo said.
"Well, it's obvious now that you two were probably being affectionate when I came in and you don't need an audience for that." Videl explained as she pulled whatever book was under her finger and quickly left.
Piccolo sighed and seemed to deflate when they were alone again. "New rule, affection only in a room we can lock."
"Right." Gohan agreed as he shook slightly.
"Gohan?" Piccolo asked in concern.
Gohan felt like he might cry as his heart refused to slow. He slowly looked up to Piccolo. "I didn't know how important it was to say it; how it would feel to have someone else know."
When Gohan saw Piccolo flinch slightly and turn purple, he worried how his words landed. "This isn't me saying I'm just going to tell everyone; I will still happily wait until you're ready, but when that time does come, I will be so proud and happy to declare you... as mine."
Piccolo's heart swelled at the comment. His cheeks burnt as he tilted his head and brushed a finger on Gohan's cheek, catching a tear. In a whisper he said, "And you as mine."
Gohan nodded and cried a few more tears as he leaned into Piccolo's touch, the happiness overwhelming him. Piccolo gently pulled Gohan to his chest, leaving a long and steady kiss on Gohan's head. Gohan gripped Piccolo's shirt and tried to gather himself before they were caught again, having already broken Piccolo's new rule.
Over a few days, Gohan was back to studying as Chichi's mood settled and they all felt relief and hope that once Goku was up and running, life would return to normal. Piccolo promised to check in on Goku every now and then, while Gohan tucked away in his room with essays.
Piccolo stood just outside of Goku's room, watching him slowly walk around his bed and stretching painfully. He was no longer attached to any tubes or lines that sustained him when he couldn't eat or breathe on his own. "That's 20 more laps than yesterday."
"But still too few." Vegeta barked from the other side of the arch to Goku's room. "Come now, we all know you can do better."
"He's doing just fine." Piccolo almost growled. "It's a miracle he's walking."
"There is a monster out there that needs to be dealt with." Vegeta argued.
"I haven't forgotten." Piccolo bared his fangs. "A cruel reminder, Goku should take as much time as he needs. We can revive everyone after Gero is gone."
"He's right." Goku sighed as he sat down on his bed.
Vegeta clicked his tongue and left. "Call me when you're ready to fight."
"He's just upset that he isn't enough to take out Gero on his own." Piccolo said.
"I understand him though. It's frustrating." Goku said. "I've never felt this weak."
"Don't say that. You have died before." Piccolo softly reminded.
"You would think that would be worse, but this is different." Goku gave a small smirk before it fell away again.
Piccolo hummed. "Give yourself time."
Days more passed when Gohan and Piccolo stood out on the yard beside each other, watching Goten and Goku try to run in short sprints. Chichi watched anxiously from the side as well, holding a cane that Goku had relied on while out of the medical room.
Only a few laps and Goku had to sit and catch his breath. "Damn."
Goten frowned but still bound over to his father. "Maybe you just need to eat. I always have more energy after food."
"It is almost dinner time." Chichi added.
Goku put on a classic smile as he pulled his son into a hug and laughed. "You're right. Food always fixes any mood."
"Come on Gohan." Chichi called out.
"I'll pass on dinner. I had too many study snacks earlier." Gohan grinned as he excused himself. Without any fuss from Chichi, he and Piccolo made way to his room. Gohan sighed as he collapsed onto his bed.
"Going to sleep already?" Piccolo asked, slowly closing the door.
"I just couldn't keep faking a smile." Gohan admitted. "It's a relief to see him walking around and even Goten finally gets to see him again, but I get this feeling that something's wrong. It's been a week but… I can't shake it."
"Perhaps you're in a habit to expect things to go wrong now. All the stressors back-to-back for months can do that." Piccolo suggested.
"I hope so. If it's all in my head, I can readjust." Gohan said more to comfort himself. He removed his vest and shoes and tucked under the blanket, pulling one of the books from the side table to bury himself in the pages and numbers. After a moment he looked back up to Piccolo, confused. "Are you going to stay by the door? This is your room as much as it is mine."
Piccolo glanced at the handle of the door, still resting his hand over it. "I might go have a talk."
Gohan stepped one foot off the bed to the floor, nearly standing to give his full attention to Piccolo. "Is something wrong?"
"Not with me." Piccolo smiled softly. "I thought maybe if I talk to Goku, I might help settle your concerns."
"You don't have to do that. I appreciate the thought though." Gohan sat back on the bed.
Piccolo approached him and leaned down enough to barely lay a kiss to Gohan's head. "It's been nice seeing you actually relax this last week and I want to keep it that way."
"It was a nice week, but I do wish I had maybe just a little more time away from family." Gohan whispered shyly as he tugged lightly on Piccolo's shirt.
"I won't be long." Piccolo blushed as he stood back up.
"I'm pretty sure last time you said that, something happened, and you didn't come back that night." Gohan put on a false pout.
"I don't think I have very much luck. The universe must have something out for me." Piccolo joked as he pat Gohan's head and stepped to the door.
"Then take some of mine." Gohan leapt from the bed and stood on his toes to plant a proper kiss to Piccolo's lips.
After his initial surprise settled, Piccolo leaned into the affection and returned the kiss. When they parted, he whispered, "Thank you." and then left.
Gohan burned as he looked at the door, and then buried his face in his hands. He was still embarrassingly excited whenever he got to kiss Piccolo. Even though Piccolo had told him it was fine for him to, he hadn't initiated anything and kept their affection to a minimum during the week; mostly due to not having the privacy to but he also still didn't want to make them all about such activities.
It had been more days now than he had fingers, but it still excited him that he and Piccolo had agreed to their courting. He smiled at his beating heart and returned to his bed and book, lazily reading it's contents as he allowed himself a little pride at his confidence of the moment.
Piccolo stood just outside Gohan's door a moment to gather himself.
"Should you joke about the universe's habit in granting your misfortune if you mostly, if not entirely, believe you deserve it?" The kind voice in his head asked softly.
Piccolo ignored it and headed downstairs. Goku was still eating, but he knew where he would be after everyone went to bed. Piccolo leaned against the side of the building outside, waiting where he had sensed Goku's energy exhausting itself further each evening.
"You can feel good about how nice things have been, but you still need to talk to someone about what's going on. Ask Kami about it or hell even Tien."
"I handled it, didn't I? He hasn't even surfaced all week." Piccolo replied.
"Do you think it has nothing to do with how you've been restraining yourself?"
"I haven't. I'm allowing myself to stay with Gohan. Why are you so concerned anyway? You're supposed to just drift off in the back of my mind unnoticed."
"Another side effect of your neglect for the issue. Forgive me for caring about the instability of my home." He returned with disdain.
"My head is not your home." Piccolo replied firmly.
"And what am I to call it then? My purgatory?!"
"Are you here to reprimand me?" Goku asked as he turned the corner of the house, pulling Piccolo from his thoughts. "I knew I wouldn't be able to hide it from you, but I was hoping you would just quietly let it slide."
"You're allowed to do what you want. Gohan was a little concerned about you and I'm just here to reaffirm that things are all fine." Piccolo explained. "I think the initial relief to see you awake again has worn off and he's turned full circle back to worry."
Goku sighed as he dropped into a few quick squats. "And what do you think?"
"About your condition?" Piccolo asked.
"Yes."
"You seem to be improving quite fast where I stand." Piccolo said. "Though, of course your family is still going to be concerned. That is what a good family does isn't it?"
"I'm not healing fast enough though." Goku leaned to stretch his leg kicked out to the side. Wincing at a slight pain in his chest.
"If this is about Vegeta again, you know better than to let him get up your ass about it. This isn't like a cold; it isn't just brushed off. No one but 17 and 18 can just jump up out of that state." Piccolo declared as his anger spiked.
"It's not just Vegeta." Goku said as he stood and held out his hand.
Piccolo waited for him to continue before he realized what Goku was demonstrating. "You can't manifest ki?"
"Whatever energy you sense on me now is all I have. It's not enough to manifest and I'm not suppressing any. I can't even breathe properly either. I'm fine at rest but if I run my lungs feel like they're seizing up." Goku explained. "I was only supposed to take a week, but I still can't fight Gero like this and he's still getting stronger each day we sit here."
"Then maybe a senzu." Piccolo suggested.
"I've already had three. Kami has even tried healing me." Goku explained.
"We still have time. Gero hasn't found us-" Piccolo started when they heard the gate of the estate clang open. He quickly jogged around the building and looked to the gate with Goku struggling to keep up behind him. Yajirobe stumbled through with one hand on the gate for balance and a bag clutched in the other. Oolong was beside him already collapsed to his hands and knees coughing, blood falling from a scrape on his face.
"Finally!" Yajirobe declared with a rasped voice as he spotted Piccolo and Goku. "Thank gods you're awake. We could only get six of the balls."
"What happened to you?" Piccolo asked as he approached the two.
"We tried to meet up with all of you at the church but imagine our surprise when we found it blown into the ground and not even a hint of any of you." Oolong choked out as he sat to catch his breath.
"We ran into some old alien guy and barely escaped. We had to leave the seventh ball just to stay alive!" Yajirobe explained.
"You saw Gero?" Piccolo asked, concern filling his voice.
"We didn't exactly catch his name! He certainly kept himself busy turning one town over the next and we were just trying to keep his attention off of us!" Yajirobe yelled.
"Please tell me you can beat him Goku." Oolong begged, looking up to his old friend.
Goku turned to Piccolo before slowly walking to the house. "We don't have time anymore."
"You can't go against him in this state." Piccolo stated as he followed.
"I know and I won't be." Goku agreed.
"Then who? Vegeta and I might have the slimmest chance if we can work together but-" Piccolo said.
"No. If you could barely manage before, you won't survive now." Goku stopped and glanced back to Piccolo. "It has to be him."
Piccolo felt his blood turn cold as he studied Goku's eyes. "Clarify yourself. NOW!"
"You and I both know he could be much stronger than any combination of us on his own." Goku said.
"We SWORE! You made a DAMN PROMISE!" Piccolo howled as he gripped the collar of Goku's shirt and held him up and close.
Goku choked as he attempted to pull Piccolo's hand off. "You had the same thought... back in the basement of the church."
"And I shut him up! I regretted it and I only told YOU in confidence that you would agree with me that we still wouldn't!" Piccolo argued through his fangs. "I was exhausted and weak when I had that thought."
"Woah! Hey!" Tien called out as he and a few others came running out of the house. He put a hand on Piccolo's arm, hoping to convince him to release.
"Let him go!" Chichi screamed as she ran up to her husband.
"Come here. Please let go." Gohan said in a forced calm tone, trying not to cry at the scene he found. He pushed on Piccolo's shoulder to step back from everyone and got him to release his father. Gohan turned to check his father but stopped when he felt Piccolo's arm around his waist.
"Get your hands off of him too!" Chichi yelled as she supported Goku. Her eyes pierced into Piccolo's.
Piccolo stood firm as stone. In a lowered tone he said, "I refuse to let him send Gohan to fight Gero."
"What?" Gohan asked as he looked between Piccolo and Goku.
Chichi shook as she stared at Piccolo, hoping now for any hint of the lie. She looked to Goku. "You didn't."
"Gohan, you're the only one who can get strong enough to end this." Goku said as he looked to his son.
"No he is not." Piccolo growled.
"You saw what I saw. You can't-" Goku argued.
"I will not let you kill him!" Piccolo yelled as he stepped to Goku.
Tien moved between them. "Take Gohan and go. Just go."
"Wait aren't you going to fight him?" Gohan asked his father.
"I can't." Goku winced at the truth.
"Vegeta and I will fight him!" Piccolo argued.
"You're going to put Gohan through that again?! You would make him watch you die again?!" Goku yelled.
Piccolo tensed. "Yes."
"Hold on!" Gohan pulled Piccolo's arm to face him.
Piccolo trembled as he looked at Gohan. "I know I made that promise, but I would rather die again than to repeat that mistake."
Gohan felt tears in his eyes as he fought the imagery. He turned to Goku. "Are you sure I can get strong enough?"
"No!" Piccolo pulled Gohan's arm to keep him close.
"If I can prevent-" Gohan gulped. "I'm an adult now so it's alright."
"It isn't ok in any amount." Piccolo said with his fangs bare, fighting the emotions boiling in his heart and skin. "It isn't your responsibility to save everyone."
"So it's yours?" Gohan asked.
Piccolo opened his mouth to speak but couldn't say his words. They muddled together in his head like rocks floating and melting in the lava of his anger. He clenched his hands as he turned and quickly walked away.
"Go talk to him." Tien said calmly to Gohan who nodded and followed Piccolo. Tien glanced at Goku. "You had better be damn sure about this."
Gohan walked slowly. He didn't need to keep up with Piccolo to know where he was going. Piccolo's energy was heavy as it rippled in thick waves from the tree he had sat in a week ago. Gohan leapt up the branches and stilled when he saw Piccolo curled into himself, his arms crossed over him with hands braced and digging into his shoulders as his head was buried in his arms. Gohan gently put his hands on Piccolo's when he spotted the blood. "You're hurting yourself. Please stop."
Piccolo remained silent but slowly pulled his claws from his shoulders. Gohan tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he noticed Piccolo softly heaving; he was crying. He gently pulled Piccolo's arms open and slipped himself into them. "I'm sorry."
Piccolo pulled Gohan onto his lap and into his hold, pressing his face into Gohan's neck. In a hollow whisper he said "It is different now but not because you're grown. Not because you might have more power now or can elect yourself. It's because I love you too much now."
Gohan's eyes burned in his tears. He pulled Piccolo tighter to him as they each cried into each other.