December of Age 770, 8 Months after 17's Return
After the union back in April, the siblings wasted no time catching up. They spent the entire year together. The duo decided to live together again, choosing 17's current home in South City for that. 18 put her apartment up for rent, a source of passive income is always welcome.
Right after their reunion, 17 explained to his sister that he recently got a job as a park ranger. 18 raised her eyebrows at the revelation. He had always been a nature and wildlife guy, sure. But definitely not to this extent.
Blonde-haired twin questioned her brother about it. She felt a wave of nostalgia when 17 explained that he felt as though he had to protect what 16 once loved, also that he wanted to experience naturality, like before the old bastard kidnapped them and stole their humanity away.
18 had no doubts that 16's short existence on this world left a great mark. For the first time in their lives, they felt compassion, trust and love. The orange-haired giant loved nature more than anything else, he also sought to protect it at all costs.
She remembered his valiant efforts to hide her from Cell. He did his absolute best, going as far as beating the imperfect beast to the ground until 17's arrogance won and her brother was absorbed.
As traumatic as that experience was for both of the siblings, she couldn't help but notice how much 17 has changed. Of course he did, it had been 3 years. But 18 felt as though her sibling never forgot that particular event, where for a while, 18 thought he was gone, not dead, gone. Like he never existed in the first place.
Her thoughts were only amplified as after destroying the entire archepalego, Cell found her. 18 remembered those moments all too well. Her mechanically-enhanced brain did nothing to help her forget that day. It was truly like the old saying, "Forgetting is a bliss." A blessing she did not have. Gero's female creation remembered how much she shook in fear, anticipation of what was to come. A fate she did not escape from.
18 remembered in horror, the perfect view from inside of Cell. His eyes were her eyes, and yet her eyes were not her eyes. A nightmare she never thought she'd awaken from, eternally condemned to being nothing more than a battery for the genetic monster. She did not escape from the nightmares until he came.
Only 11 months ago did her savior came back to her life. Lazuli thought the day was going to be the worst in her life and yet in reality, nothing better ever happened to her. Maybe decapitating Gero could rival it. But just that.
He was genuine with his emotions towards her, never treating her as an enemy or anything but his equal. Gohan treated her with great respect, a respect she gladly returned. The hybrid became her best friend since 17's return, and she had no regrets.
Gohan helped 18 through her nightmares, meditation was the primary way. He did not allow her to bottle those emotions any longer, he forced them all to come out. It was painful, yes, but you can not heal the wound without taking the bullet out. The hybrid also asked her brother to be close, he figured his presence might help. It did.
18 was surprised to learn that the hybrid studied psychology, enough to give her effective therapy. 18 didn't realize how bottled everything was, and how badly she needed someone to share her emotions with. Her stupidly strong and caring friend who also just happened to be her savior? A great candidate.
The female cyborg needed time to heal, no wound is healed in seconds. Gohan was very patient with her, much to her pleasure and gratitude towards him. He let her take her time with everything. He knew forcing 18 might make things even worse, the last thing they needed was 18 being nervous and on-edge around him.
Around October, the nightmares were gone for good and 18 finally found closure for her past. She was a different person now. Calmer and more peaceful than ever, also enjoyed the small things in life more. The blonde cyborg still enjoyed a fancy dinner or looking to herself in the mirror after wearing a nice skirt or dress, but she also began to enjoy the nature more. Also developed a borderline-insane lust for tea, many cups per day. 17 calculated that she drank around 200 cups per month.
18 grew to expect everything from life. What she didn't expect, however, was Gohan inviting the both of them to a gathering with his friends. Friends that remembered the siblings all too well.
18 didn't think she'd meet them for a while. It was inevitable, sure, but she was content with Gohan's and her brother's company. She even mused that Gohan never had her meet his friends because he was worried they might do something to her. He wasn't the only person stronger than her.
Her assumption proved to be wrong, as according to Gohan's claim, he wanted to invite the artifical humans to a gathering at Capsule Corp. for a while. He just wanted to wait until all 3 of them were comfortable being around each other.
18's first reflex was to deny his offer, deeming it too dangerous. But of course, her brother replied before she could even blink.
"Sure thing, buddy!" They were in the wild, training. 17 replied as he was resting on top of a rock, clearly comfy. "It's about time we meet your folks outside of battles anyway. I think we owe them an apology." He admitted.
Both 18 and Gohan were shocked to see him accept his offer so readily. Gohan thought he'd need to do some convincing, maybe even a bit of verbal force. 18 on the other hand, was incredibly angry. Did her idiot brother not understand the consequences if they did something wrong? Those people were probably out for their blood.
Shooting daggers to her brother, 18 snapped. "Are you for real 17?!" She stopped as 17 got up and sat on top of the same rock,"Let's meet Gohan's folks outside of battles, yeah, great idea! You mean the same battles where we fought against them?" 18 stopped her rants when she saw Gohan's expression, clearly hurt.
18 sighed deeply, pinching her nose in an attempt to calm herself. No need to upset the youngest of the 3 even more, he had no bad intentions. "You two can't be serious. "We can't just appear out of nowhere with Gohan, them unaware of our past year."
18 thought she got them there, until Gohan smiled widely and began to explain, "That's not right, I already told them of you two." Gohan opened his arms, like he was revealing a great secret from his chest, and continued, "There is nothing to fear, they know you two are good people!"
17 grinned in amusement and walked up to his sister, the young man being a great help. "You heard him, sis!" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "There is nothing to expect besides a fun night with a bunch of old associates." He used a matter-of-factly voice.
18 saw that she was losing the argument and decided the proper action would be to get a bit more time. "So, Gohan. When is that gathering of yours?" She looked deeply to his eyes. They had an adorable spark to them. He clearly thought she was going to accept his invitation. "31st of December, we will be celebrating the new year."
Perfect for 18, she still had time to think over his offer. She didn't plan to accept it, that is if 17 doesn't change her mind first. Making up her mind, she offered, "Alright, there are still 12 days. Give me 3 to think about it. I'll call you about after that, alright?"
Gohan wanted to get an acceptance, though he couldn't force her. Her worries weren't justified. He just hoped that 17 might be able to convince him. He nodded his head, they all took their leaves; many hours of training clearly exhausting them. Nothing to do but to wait 3 days, he supposed.
3 days passed, and 18 slumped her shoulders in defeat. She already predicted this outcome, 17 bugged her so much until she accepted the invitation. She had a hunch that 17 discussed his strategy with Gohan, just a hunch.
17 grinned as they were about to call Gohan. His argument was that if Gohan's family knew of them and didn't kill them yet, they had no intention of doing so in the future. His sister was still worried and didn't understand how he was so indifferent to the invitation. Her eyes widened as he explained his logic, coldly and curtly.
If they want to kill us, we can't stop of it as improving our chances, the more they know us, the more they'll be fond of us. They're not bad people, either.
18 had not expected such a harsh tone from her brother, at least not towards her. He was clearly done with her. This was not just a discussion, this felt more like an ultimatum. Either face your fears, understanding the consequences, or don't move a step forward, in fear that you might fall.
She finally gave in after 17's forceful words, calling Gohan to notify him about it. The phone rang thrice before Gohan answered, "Son household, Gohan speaking." Gohan heard a deep breath on the phone.
Mustering up confidence, why was she so worried? She called him all the time, "It's me, 18. I wanted to say that we'll be at the gathering next week." 18's voice indicated that she was yet to lose all worries.
Gohan's eyes lit up, not that his friend could see them, "Oh 18! I'm happy to learn that. Thanks for taking up the offer." He raised his eyebrows, again not seen by 18, "I assume 17 has something to do with that?"
18 sighed in annoyence, "You had something to do with him?" Her voice gaining a bit of venom, "You know it's rude to meddle in family business."
Gohan grimaced, "No! I had nothing to do with that!" He laughed nervously, "I already guessed he'd be the one to convince you. I'm happy that you'll be there."
18 knew that, still satisfied with her teasing, "Alright. You got any proper clothes for the gathering?" She was yet to see him with 5 unique outfits,"To put it blunty, your wardrobe sucks, kid. From what I could tell."
Gohan growled at her usage of "kid". Unbeknownst to her, the young hybrid began to see her in a less "friendly" light, which was a driving force behind his invitation. Not the only reason, but a significant one. He was trying to find ways to ask her out and seeked advice. He figured his primary sources, Krillin and Bulma, should know her a bit better. Even if the bald monk once had a crush on her, a crush long gone.
The only thing the half-saiyan was worried about was their age gap. 18 was quite fond of him, if their ages were closer, he had no doubts about her accepting his offer. But he did not know how old 18 was. He once asked her, and was surprised to learn that she didn't know it either. The cyborg siblings mused themselves to be early-to-mid twenties, but not sure. If this was true their age gap was 5-10 years. A long time for sure.
The Slayer of Cell had to find a way. Beyond her objective beauty, she also had a strong personality. Intelligent, powerful and fierce. 18 knew how to have her voice heard, not giving up a shred of her classy demeanor or calm face. Vegeta once explained to him that saiyans were always attracted to strong women, his mother and Bulma certainly fit the rule. No wonder why he desired the most powerful female planet Earth had ever seen.
Vegeta also explained to him that saiyans grew substantially around the ages of 14 to 16, during one of their talks about the Saiyan equivalent of puberty. Gohan could certainly confirm that, his growth rate was borderline absurd, around 25 centimeters per year. His expectation was that he'd be around 188 centimeters by the age of 18.
He mused that this insane rate of growth could be used to persuade 18. Their bodies were going to be at the same age 1 or 2 years from now. He grew rapidly as 18's mechanically-enhanced body didn't age at all. Promising for certain.
Gohan put his worries about his future with the blonde android and answered her question with a forced smile, "No, I'm good." He nodded to the back, like he was signaling his house,"I have a few fancy outfits I wear from time to time."
"Ad why didn't I ever see anything besides that white and green stuff or your purple gi, exactly?" frowned kid had actual clothes and didn't even bother changing to something else to meet her?!
Gohan rubbed the back of his head, nervous. "Hehe sorry. Those are too comfy." He was honest with his explanation.
18 sighed, considering her brother's long history of justifying the atrocious orange bandana as being "so fluffy sis" she was used to this type of explanation. Men had no idea of fashion, none of them.
18 made herself some tea and decided to end the phone call. Bidding Gohan farewell, they were not going to see each other for 9 more days until the dreaded day. She sincerely hoped that the Saiyan prince, and his right arm, forgot about her.
"Chi!" Bulma beamed and welcomed her fellow mother, who was carrying her second son. She hugged her friend warmly, it'd been a while since they've seen each other.
"Hey Bulma!" Black-haired mother responded in kind, holding her son close to her chest and giving Bulma a one-handed hug. Since The Cell Games, the two had become good friends.
"It's been so long, girl!" Bulma exclaimed as she pulled away from the hug. "You should visit more often."
Chi-Chi smiled apologetically at that, "Between the garden, housework and 2 kids, it's difficult to find any time at all." She pouted, "Must be nice, having robots do your work."
Bulma laughed at that, "You can always ask for a robot or two, you know. We've known each other for so long."
Chi-Chi kindly refused her offer, "I know, I know. But you know-"She shook her head, "It's not okay to burden you with our stuff. Gohan and I are enough. " She frowned irately as she spoke the last part.
Bulma caught onto it immediately. "I know what you mean." She raised her eyebrows, "And where is Gohan?"
Chi-Chi began walking to the bar, wanting to get a cup of water, her features showing annoyance. "He invited 2 of his friends," She groaned and filled her glass with cold water, "He'll be coming with them in a few minutes."
Bulma was shocked to hear that Gohan had friends that he did not speak to her about, and they were close enough to be invited to such a private gathering. She wondered, who were these people ? Important enough for him to be included in their little group.
Bulma asked, confused. "Who are those people?" Her eyes widened, "Don't tell me you don't know them." She knew Chi-Chi would hate not knowing any facts about her family. She must be aware of these people, surely.
Chi-Chi sighed, "Nope, he did not even tell me." She admitted and kissed her youngest's head, bouncing him on her lap and making him laugh, "He wants to surprise all of us, apparently. Whatever that means."
Bulma was very confused, this was not like Gohan at all. Not only that, but his guests were important enough to surprise them? Surely, the kid was cooking up something big.
Back in South City, a trio finally managed to leave the house, waiting 50 minutes for the lady in the group to perfect her makeup. She did not want to leave a bad first impression.
17 sighed, "Finally we managed to get on our way." He shot a look at his sister, "Things would've been easier if you did not spend so long getting all girly."
18 resisted the urge to punch him in the gut, afraid of instantly ripping a hole through his white button-up, "Sorry for trying to leave a good first impression." She turned her attention to the horizon as they flew, "We're only meeting the most important people in the world."
17 shrugged, "You do your thing, sis" He growled, his newly bought tuxedo uncomfortable, "You didn't have to force me to wear this fancy stuff,".
18 was still unhappy with his easy dismissal of her hard work to find the perfect outfit, deeming it "too classy for a simple gathering". She thought he understood that this wasn't a "simple gathering", evidently not.
Their younger companion chuckled at their bickering, "I think the both of you look nice", he said, looking directly at his crush,"Purple really suits you, 18."
17 growled in envy," You weren't forced to wear these stuff, of course it looks good to you." He didn't even see Gohan's pout to his answer.
18 however, blushed. Gohan didn't compliment her frequently, and he was always geniune. He complimented her more often nowadays, she figured that was because they were closer than before.
She smiled at him, "Thank you Gohan." And smirked, looking directly at him."Pink suits you, I'll say."
Gohan blushed deeply, his crush complimenting his looks did that. His choice of pink button-up and white cargo pants not helping either. He chuckled and offered his opinion, "The color of a man, pink."
They all laughed at his joke and sped up, they had a place to be.
The moment they landed, 18 fixed her brother's red tie, somehow pulling it out and wrapping it around his head during their flight. Not leaving a single word of her rant while doing so.
17 was unhappy, his grand plan of wearing the tie so badly that 18 would want to untie it completely did not work at all. He was jealous of Gohan, his outfit was more comfortable.
"Welcome to the Capsule Corp., Friends!" Gohan exclaimed, opening his pointed at the giant yellow half globe behind them, "A place of great technology, development, and some good tea." He pointed at 18, who shrugged at his nudge.
They went through so many hallways that 18 was sure he was purposefully taking the longest route possible, but sooner or later they managed to find the door. 18's scanners instantly took notice of a few great power levels, their enemies.
Her face went pale, though no one noticed it. Gohan opened the door and she gasped in amazement. The supposed gathering area felt more like a jungle in itself. So many wild animals were living in harmony, even a river was there. This was what she imagined as paradise.
Gohan called out, casually. "Hey guys!" He waved at his friends, who were chatting over some coffee," I'm here, and look who I'm with!" He nodded to the right.
Both the siblings grew incredibly nervous as Gohan drew all the attention to them. Even 17, after all his bravado, was very nervous. The entire room felt colder.
18 wasn't too different. Her face grew pale and eyes wide. She could not see Vegeta but everyone else, except for the lavender-haired one for some reason, were here.
Many gasps were heard from the table, everyone recognizing Gohan's "guests" all too well. Their similar hair lengths, icy blue and sharp eyes, thin yet powerful limbs.
The artificial humans.
The fighters stood up, their kis' rose, and stances were taken. Others quickly retreated to the furthest distance possible from the twins. Everyone was terrified of their presence. Why did Gohan bring them, here? Did they gain so much power that they could threaten Gohan, of all people?
They were not in their fighting clothes, 18 was in a nice purple dress, a pearl necklace and well-done makeup. She also wore glasses, she looked more mature that way. 17 on the other hand had a classic tuxedo, red tie and everything. The siblings looked like they really were here just for socializing. But they were not in clothes cut out for fighting the first time they met them, either. Can't be too careful with these two.
Piccolo yelled through the stunned courtyard, addressing the elephant in the room, "Gohan, get away from them!" His voice grew even louder as Gohan all but winced, "What are you still doing there?" The kid stood next to both of the cyborgs, not even bothering to transform into a super saiyan. Even his ki felt normal.
Gohan shook his hands rapidly, trying to save the situation. "No, no! You got it all wrong! 17 and 18 are my guests. We're friends!" He looked into his nervous mother's eyes, who was trying to stop Goten from crying, "Sorry I didn't tell you folks. I figured a surprise would've been nice."
18 suddenly found her voice and scolded him, "They didn't know that we were invited, seriously?!" She was furious with the young warrior, "Who gave you the idea that this was a good idea?!" She regretted her reaction immediately as the entire courtyard fell into a tense silence.
18 reasoned that she should say something, anything."Uhh, sorry for that. I had no idea Gohan hadn't told you about us. Her voice soft, apologetic, "We've been friends for a year now. He helped me find my brother." 18 fixed her glasses, she wanted to be at her best.
Bulma frowned in understanding, "Gohan told me about it back when he wanted to get the dragon radar." She sighed, "I wish he told me more." She was also trying to comfort her crying son. It was only natural that the babies cried in such a tense environment.
Gohan took a bow, facing both of the groups. "I apologize for not saying anything sooner. I assure you that 17 and 18 are good people." He stood up, smiling at them. "They mean no harm to us. I wanted to reintroduce them to you. I figured they'd fit well in our group."
"And brat, tell me why it is that "good people" machine friends of yours make everyone look like they've seen Freeza's ship landing all over again?"
Gohan and 18 froze in unison. The prince himself arrived. He was wearing his armor as per usual, his sweat indicating he had been training, ready for battle. He was known for being quite protective of his wife, and said wife being incredibly terrified was a recipe for disaster.
18's reasons were much more personal. She remembered the beating she gave to Vegeta all too well, right after their reactivation. She enjoyed it greatly, and even reminiscened with her brother during a breakfast. Today was no day of joy like that one. She may not know the prince well, but well enough to know that he would not be forgetting a defeat that bad.
Gohan cursed himself for trying to surprise them, the prince was the worst of their worries. "This is a misunderstanding Vegeta!" He tried to justify his idiocy, "I invited them today and didn't tell about them to anyone. I wanted to surprise you guys. A bad idea, clearly. "He snorted at the end, unexpectedly.
Vegeta glared at him and snapped, "I could not give less of a shit about your relationship to the damn machines, brat." He pulled Gohan's collar, harming his shirt, "Either fix this shit, or get out.
Gohan was visibly hurt, it'd been so long since Vegeta used that tone. He had nothing to say, so responded in kind. "I'm not going anywhere, Vegeta. "He glared back, "And neither are my guests."
No one could deny the ominous feeling coming from the saiyans, and Gohan was aware. He instantly felt the punch Vegeta shot at him and blocked, responding by giving his senior saiyan an elbow to the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Vegeta spat on him, shot daggers and left. Both knew their next spar needed to be outside of the gravity room.
Gohan watched prince's leave, took a deep breath and turned to the larger group. "Please give them a chance." His eyes and features were begging them to do so, "You'd enjoy their presence, please trust me on this."
18 was touched by the sight. He was begging his family and closest friends for their sake? She certainly got lucky in the friends department.
Bulma was the first the reply as she sighed, "Alright, kid. We'll get to know more about these friends of yours." She looked deeply to her godson's eyes, "If they harm any of us, you're not getting out of it lightly."
Gohan felt so bad. Being yelled at by Vegeta was one thing, being scolded by Bulma was far worse. She had always been so soft towards him. Still, he did not know why he expected anything less. 17 and 18 were his friends, their enemies. He forced a smile, in actuality he was upset and everyone knew it. "Thanks."
18 had not felt this awkward in a long time. The group of warriors were giving them a small chance, but their animosity was still present. The twins were not welcome here. She figured she'd get herself a cocktail, the alcohol should help her nerves.
She mused that she should speak with Bulma and Chi-Chi before anyone else, they were the only women except herself and weren't too far off from her age, probably. Their motherhood instensified the age gap, unfortunetaly.
The strongest female on earth walked to their table with a mojito in her hand, trying to show the kindest expression possible. They were terrified of her presence, for a good reason. 18 finally reached her destination, around the time Chi-Chi and Bulma finished their heated argument on which saiyan baby was harder to nurture and raise.
Dear Lord, this was awkward. 18 took it to herself to began conversation. "Uhh hi, I hope you don't mind me being at your table?" She knew they minded it a lot, but she had no other choice.
Both mothers tensed up immediately, they weren't surprised that the cyborg chose their table but were still unhappy with it. Bulma tried her best to be kind, "Hello 18. How has life been treating you?" The trio hoped the most basic questions could spark an actual conversation.
18 sipped her drink and replied, politely. "It took a while to sort everything out after the Cell Games, but since finding 17 things have been getting better." She turned her attention to Chi-Chi, "I must thank you for letting Gohan help me, ma'am. He's been a great help and even better friend." Praising her son was low, but she had no other choice.
Chi-Chi gave Goten to her father and took the praise with grace, "I'm sure that he has been." She raised her eyebrows, probably forcing her chance,"And how did you two meet, exactly?" Her tone was expectant, the implications much more clear than Bulma's bland kindness.
18 gulped, this story was too personal. That day, back in January, was no joyride. "This is a too personal to answer fully, I am sorry. "She took another sip, alcohol helping her bit by bit. "I was too emotional that day, and Gohan helped me through all that. That's how we've gotten close."
The older women were quite surprised by this. Neither knew 18 well, but from what they heard before, she wasn't one to share her emotions with others. But Gohan of all people managed to get so close to her that she shared her strongest sorrow with him. This woman might not be all bad, they mused.
17's first job to do was to shake hands with Piccolo. 4 years after their fierce battle, neither had forgotten each other. He figured Gohan would appreciate him not being enemies with his precious mentor. So 17 got a beer and walked up to the namekian.
Piccolo was keeping a close eye on both of the artificial humans, so he was 17 coming the moment he began walking. He had a really good guess as to why the cyborg wanted to talk with him, of all people.
"17."
"Piccolo."
"The both of you are back."
"Appearently, yes."
"And you are not nervous?"
"You would have killed me already if you wanted to.
"Good guess."
"Indeed."
They shared a chuckle at their curt exchange. Their personalities were quite similar, probably a reason why Gohan gets along so well with the both of them. Both wanted to address their fight and get over with it, and neither had any idea how to get to that particular topic.
17 wanted to try his chance and spark a conversation, so he began casually. "It's been a long time." And took a large gulp of his beer.
Piccolo saw what he was doing and decided to get over with it. "4 years, since our fight." He didn't need anything besides water, but always had a soft spot for some calming tea. Quite similar to another associate of 17.
17 chuckled, "And what a glorious fight it was. "I take you've gotten stronger since then?" 17 inquired.
Piccolo shot back, "And I take so did you." Both of them smirked at the same time. If the ices were broken, these two would get along swimmingly.
After 2 hours of playing with Goten and Trunks, trying to stop Roshi from drinking so much until he forgets all reason and tries to hug his friend's, or worse, mother's, chest and listening to old stories of his enourmous grandfather, Gohan wanted to find his guests. He had not seen them for a while, he hoped that they fit somewhat.
What he did not expect was a table of 18, his mother and Bulma, the pink hue on their faces indicating they drank way too much, quite happy with each other and gossiping like there was no tomorrow. He definitely had a lot of advice to take from Bulma for the blonde godd- 18.
Gohan hid the glass of vodka handed to him by Yamcha, who himself drank surprisingly carefully, claiming that: "You beat Cell as a kid, you get to drink as a teenager. That's how it works." His logic was infallible, said no one ever.
The hybrid thanked his lucky stars that he had really good ears, he managed to get all the recent gossip. For all his innocent personality, Gohan was quite the gossiper. Mostly about Vegeta with Bulma.
Bulma huffed, "Saiyans" She whined to her companions. Gohan had no idea when did they get this chummy, he thought 18's cold demeanour would drive them away from her. His guess was wrong, clearly.
18 opened her mouth to offer her agreement, but was stopped by the black-haired lady. "You don't have the experience we do, 18." Her face fell slightly, a little upset even with all the alcohol,"Put saiyan husband and kids into the mix, that's true work."
18 just shrugged, Gohan mused as though her artificial body handled alcohol better than her counterparts,"I am yet to have that experience, I guess." Gohan's eyes widened, could it be? "But with all the single saiyans being babies plus Gohan, who can I even have that experience with?" Gohan wanted to find the biggest hole on planet Earth and break the ground with his head.
Bulma sighed dreamily, "Who knows, maybe you'll be with Gohan in the future?" and then giggled. She did notice the way Chi-Chi's eyes lit up the moment they talked about Gohan's possible partners. Not even the most potent liquoiur in the world could stop that woman from fantasizing about grandkids.
18 found their suggestion weird, but not disgusting. Maybe it's the alcohol, but Gohan wasn't the worst partner possible. She wouldn't ask him out though, he might not be comfortable with being in a relationship with someone older. If he came to her, then maybe. She should get her brother's opinion on the matter.
Blonde shrugged, indifferently. Slight blush from alcohol on her face making her seem more embarrassed than she actually was, "Who knows, maybe? He ain't bad, I suppose."
Bulma's eyes would've been larger than Mr. Popo's, if not for the 7th cocktail she drank that night. Out of all the answers 18 could've given her, she did not expect this one. In her confusion, the blue-haired woman blurted out, "You are kidding?! Wait are you serious?!"
18 simply took another sip from her cocktail, Gohan was worried about her, and replied calmly "Yeah, why not? There aren't many suitable men for me, anyways."
Both Bulma and Chi-Chi were shocked to see 18 talk like this, she kept her classy demeanour throughout the night, definitely still in control of her words and actions. Was she really genuine about getting into a relationship with Gohan?
Gohan on the other hand, could've sworn that his heart was about to leap out of his chest and run around for a while. 18 didn't hate to be in a relationship with him, that's much better than his own expectations! He must ask her out immediately, when she's drunk beyond reason and might accept. It was a low to abuse her state, but all's fair in war and love.
Around 90 minutes later, Gohan was ready. He took the advice from his male friends and knew what he was going to do. Ask her out, plan the details later. He wasn't willing to stoop that low.
The hybrid catched her right before she left, but right after her brother left. Everything was planned, the perfect date.
Gohan approached her, fidgeting nervously. This was second the first time he tried to ask someone out, first time for someone as mature as 18. He hoped that today would end with him trying to plan the date out, and not like the previous one, where his little crush on Lime ruined their friendship.
18 smiled sweetly, "Yes, Gohan?" She raised her eyesbrows, as cute as he never imagined her being. "You wanted to ask me something? You know we need to leave." She was still 18, drunk yes, but 18 nonetheless.
Gohan wanted hell to open and swallow him whole. He felt so nervous! He barely gathered his courage and asked her, bluntly. "I was w-wondering if you'd" He resisted the urge to gulp,"You'd go out on a date with me?" By the end, his words were barely a whisper and spoke like he was running a marathon.
18 stood motionless, her face expressionless. Gohan nearly began to shake, the rejection was coming and he knew it. But just when he was about to mutter his apology and walk away, 18 finally showed some emotion and laughed, much to the hybrid's chagrin.
The Saiyan knew that she'd have a much more dramatic response to his question if not for the alcohol in her system ,but his entire plan was around that alcohol. Everything was going to the plan.
18 waved her hand, dismissing his nervousness, "Sure, why not?" She looked directly into his eyes, Gohan suddenly felt so small under her sharp eyes, "Call me tomorrow night, we'll plan it. Alright?" Then without even waiting for him to nod, she left the compound.
Gohan was left there, standing, dumbfounded. It was either too easy to be real or her intoxication was that bad. He waited a few minutes, to ensure that the recent events were no dream, and then left. Nothing to do but to plan a date, he supposed.
Thank you for reading the chapter! Due to the recent changes in my personal life, the best I can do is a chapter per week. I'll do my absolute best to reach that, also thank you for all your support. Don't forget to review please, the reviews mean the world to me!