How Much I care

"Wake up, Hon, you're going to get sick."

Chichi groaned as she opened her eyes to watch the blurry form before her.

"What's going on…?"

"Come on, let's get out of this rain…"

Chichi sat up, leaning against the tree. Gokou smiled, holding out a hand for her to take while holding an umbrella out with the other. She frowned, shaking her head somewhat.

"Son Gokou, just where do you think you've been? Taking my son off and training without saying anything! It's been a week! I thought you'd both been killed!"

She wanted to yell, but her voice was sore and she could hardly bear to scream into the remorseful eyes of her husband. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know… I'm sorry, Chi. I know you don't want Gohan to end up like me."

Chichi stared at her husband through his sad smile for a moment.

"That… that isn't true at all."

Gokou blinked. She was always worried about Gohan-she always said she didn't want him to end up like him.

"I say that too often, don't I?"

Chichi looked down sadly.

"What do you mean?"

Gokou cocked his head to the side. The rain was getting louder but the two were unaware of anything. All they saw was each other.

"Gokou, it would mean so much to me if Gohan ended up as kind as you are. As selfless and sweet. I'm just always so worried. What if he gets himself killed playing hero? What… if you get yourself killed?"

Gokou wanted to embrace his wife but he was so excited-so happy to hear such gentle words of confession from his Chichi, his Chichi, that he was sure he'd nearly squeeze her to death. His smile broadened.

Gokou saw now that he'd searched for what was not important and unable to be found anyway.

"Chi… Is that what's been bothering you lately?"

"I'm very worried. But you're so carefree; you don't understand how hard it is to see you leave. I try to trust my confidence in you…"

Goku bent down and smiled to his wife, no longer afraid of getting wet. His arms wrapped around her and his lips brushed against her ear as he spoke kindly.

"I have to fight. But I will never leave you. I will die to protect you and our son, Chi-Chi…"

Chi looked up to stare into her husband's sincere eyes. Gokou now took the chance to ask her another serious question, looking at her straight in the eyes.

"Do you regret you married me, Chi-Chi?"

"Never."

Chichi almost gasped at the question.

"I love you more than anything Gokou… please never think I don't. I waited for you all of my life and it is you that I will always wait for."

"I'm afraid sooner or later you will stop waiting for me."

"Never."

\Her lips hesitantly touched his and he leaned into her, a gentle kiss with nothing but sincere love into it.

All doubts vanished. Gokou stood up, taking the umbrella once more though it did no good as they were both soaked.

Chichi's nail followed the carving in the wood he'd made when they were so much younger.

"Do you think if we had a chance to see ourselves now that we would've gotten married?"

"Absolutely."

Gokou nodded.

And that was that. There was no huge climax where Chichi shrieked at Gokou and broke into tears. There were no hostilities or secrets. They shared everything with each other for those moments under the tree.

"All I wanted was to know how much you cared."

Chichi admitted, looking up at him

"More than anything in the world."

There was silence as Chichi tried to recollect herself as his words… she was finally at a certain peace.

"Gohan is asleep in bed."

"Good… He has a long day of training ahead of him…"

Chichi nodded. Gokou loved her all the more for trying to support them a bit, even though he now saw that it was his wife's fear that he would get hurt during battle.

"It's raining…Maybe he can stay in tomorrow… maybe we both can."

Chichi smiled against herself. He didn't care about the weather; he wanted to stay in with her. She never asked herself 'What next?'. It didn't matter. She understood him as no one else did. Her fears just got in the way of it sometimes.

And now… he understood her as he never had before.

"We should try to get out of this rain."

Gokou outstretched his hand again.

Chichi took his hand.

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