A little something for Day 1 of Gochi Holidays on Twitter - Pumpkins/Apples
Chichi hummed a small tune to herself as she finished off preparing treats for the evening's festivities. Halloween was only a few days away and tonight was pumpkin carving night, the first one in several years where all of her family would be present. Her little family did this every year, before and after Goku's death. They would carve their pumpkins and set them outside with little tea lights inside, and then all gather with blankets and hot drinks and enjoy treats around a camp fire with some spooky stories.
It was almost like tradition for them, and their way to kick start the countdown to Halloween; a favourite holiday for all of her boys. Chichi knew a huge part of their love for this holiday was down to the delicious treats she made - and Goku's absolute favourite - Pumpkin pie. And to make things even more exciting this year, Bulma was throwing a huge Halloween party at Capsule Corporation, and everyone were invited!
Chichi peered over her shoulder and smiled tenderly at the scene before her. Goku and Goten were busy gutting their pumpkins, giggling and throwing pumpkin guts at one another. Normally she would scold her boys for making such a mess, but not tonight. Tonight she didn't care.
This was Goten's first time carving Pumpkins with his daddy and nothing was going to ruin it, so help her Kami, nothing!
Chichi turned back to the task at hand, beaming proudly at her handy work. There were trays of sweet pastries, bowls of marshmallows and chocolate biscuits for smores, a selection of home made candy and decorated cookies and toffee covered apples with sprinkles. Yep, she sure was proud!
"Eew, daddy!" Goten giggled behind her, causing Chichi to turn and face them once again. She shook her head amusedly as Goku grabbed a handful of pumpkin guts and pretended it was vomit and 'threw up' all over the kitchen table, nearly hitting Goten. Honestly, she wondered who the child was sometimes.
Chichi set all the treats on the far side of the kitchen and began to clean up after herself. Gohan and Videl suddenly entered the kitchen, big smiles on their faces and a pumpkin in both of their hands, ones they had picked together on their little 'date night', though Gohan refused to call it that.
"Gohan! Come and see my scary pumpkin! It's got big sharp teeth like a monster!" he exclaimed, baring his teeth as if to emphasize just how big and scary the teeth were. Gohan walked over to his brother and ruffled his hair after seeing how good his pumpkin was.
"Wow, Goten, you have done a great job with that! I think it's the best one you have ever done!"
"Really? You think so?" Goten beamed.
"Yep, I bet it will look super scary when it's all lit up" he winked at his little brother and Goten smiled proudly at his work. Gohan glanced over at his father's pumpkin and cocked an eye brow.
"What's your pumpkin meant to be, dad?" Goku sniggered as he finished off the last touches.
"It's your mother". Gohan could barely contain his laughter. There was his dad's pumpkin, with an angry looking Chichi carved out on the front, razor sharp teeth and he had even carved hair down her face.
"What?" Chichi abruptly questioned her husband, hands on her hips accusingly.
"Well, we're suppose t'carve the scariest thing we can think of, right?" he grinned innocently, hand behind his head in his famous Son pose.
"Are you serious? You really carved me?" she questioned him again, eyebrows knitted together as she approached him at the table. Goku bit his lip, trying hard not to laugh as his wife inspected his work. Gohan had his hand over his mouth as he too tried to contain the laugher that was sure to erupt. Videl watched nervously as Chichi eyed up Goku's pumpkin and then eyed up Goku.
"Y'know, Goku, if you're going to make a joke out of me, at least do it properly" she sternly told him, "My eyebrows don't look angry enough" she critiqued, a small smile on her face as she walked away from the table. Laughter erupted from everyone, Gohan in complete shock at his mother's cool response. He wondered what evil plan she had in store for his dad later.
After everyone carved their pumpkins, they set them all outside the front door and Goten placed tea lights in all of them, their carvings really coming to life as the sky started to darken. Chichi had gathered all of the pumpkin inners ready for baking pumpkin pies tomorrow and then Videl helped Chichi bring out the treats whilst Gohan prepared the blankets and garden chairs. Goku started the fire, Goten perched on his lap helping his dad. The Ox King then arrived with more treats and lanterns for the garden.
"Well, I think that's everything" Chichi pondered, before pulling out large roasting sticks from her apron pocket. She handed them out to everyone, her husband receiving one last. He smiled up at her and motioned for her to sit down in the chair next to him, to which she did instantly. They all took their roasting sticks and began adding their treats to roast over the fire.
"You be careful, Goten" his mother warned next to him as he reached over the fire to cook his treats.
"I will, momma" he told her, his tongue sticking out as he concentrated on his snack. Goku chuckled at his youngest and carefully started to roast his own treat.
"So, what kind of spooky stories have you guys told each other over the last few years. I bet I missed out on some good ones" Goku mused.
"Well, we told the story of the flying Dutchman last year, and the scary arm inside the closet" Gohan chuckled.
"Oh, the scary arm?" Goku questioned.
"Yeah, dad, two kids were playing hide and seek and one of them goes to hide in the closet and feels someone grab him, but when he looked there was no one there" Goten declared enthusiastically.
"Oh ... what happened next?" Goku urged his son to continue.
"The other little kid comes in and says "you didn't find a hiding spot yet?" and then suddenly an ice cold hand grabs the other kid and pulls him into the closet!" Goten jumped up, acting out the scene for his dad.
"No way!" Goku exclaimed.
"Yeah, and then they both try and pull free from the scary arm in the closet and when they finally do, they look again and there's no one there!" he told his dad in an eerie voice.
"I won't be looking in no scary closets tonight" Goku told his son, making his wife chuckle.
"Aw, it's okay, daddy, it's not real" Goten told his dad.
"Still ... I will get your mom to look". Everyone laughed at his comment.
"Come on dad, your turn. You must have heard some good stories up in Other World" Gohan guessed.
"Hmmm ... I might have one, but it's pretty scary" Goku told his son.
"How scary?" Chichi questioned him unsurely. Goku reached over to pat her leg reassuringly.
"Don't worry, honey, I will look after you" Chichi snorted and slapped his arm teasingly.
"Not for me! For Goten!" Gohan giggled as his father grinned at his mother.
"I was kidding! But Goten will be fine, right son?" Goten nodded his head enthusiastically. Goku started his story in a low dramatic voice.
"Okay, so, back hundreds of years ago, legends say there was a creature who was half man and half beast, but you wouldn't know at first because he wore a hooded cape ... like this" Goku mimicked a cape by wrapping a blanket around him, shielding half of his face, making everyone chuckle.
"The half man half beast creature couldn't speak, and walked with a limp as he was missing half of his leg. Rumour has it, he ran into the devil himself ... and he ate half of his leg off" he whispered at Goten who gasped in shock.
"Goku, that's disgusting" Chichi murmured.
"Sh!" he told his wife playfully, "anyway, this creature was spotted lurking around at the dead of night, looking for a leg to steal, but he couldn't find the right one ...but one night ... he finally spotted the one ..."
"Who's was it?" Goten almost screamed out in suspense.
"Well, he crawled out from his dark hiding place, dragging his half eaten leg behind him ... and reached out his arm ... and then ..." Goku trailed off in suspense.
Suddenly he grabbed his wife's leg and she screamed in fright, everyone falling over in hysterics whilst she sat and scowled at her husband.
"GOKU!" She yelled, "That's not funny!" she pouted at him, a frown perched on her face.
"Aw, Chichi, you should have seen your face!" Goku howled.
"He sure scared you, mommy!" Goten giggled at his mother. Chichi eyed up her youngest son.
"Oh, you think that's funny, do ya?" she grabbed her little son and pulled him into her lap, tickling him, roars of laughter erupting from his little belly.
"No, mommy, stop! Daddy, help me!" Goten begged his father amongst his giggled. Goku grabbed his sons tiny hands and pretended to try and pull him free from Chichi's grasp.
"Ah, Goten, I can't! Your mom's ... too ... strong" he strained his voice, his acting skills were really on fire tonight, Chichi noted.
"But daddy, you defeated Majin Buu!" Goten laughed out.
"Your mom is way stronger and scarier than Majin Buu, son. I ain't messing with her". Chichi frowned at Goku, his grin only spreading wider at her expression.
"You should be scared!" she decided, letting Goten go and crossing her arms, "You have to share a bed with me tonight"
"I'm bunking with you guys tonight" Goku told his boys, who laughed as their mother pushed Goku so hard, he fell back in his chair.
"Don't mess with me" She told her husband, a glimmer of playfulness in her eyes as she looked over at him on the floor. He couldn't help but smirk back at her.
It was now completely dark and Goku had just added more logs to the fire. The little family had told stories to Goku from the past 7 years that he had missed out on, Videl merely listening in complete fascination, so excited to now be a part of this family. It was a crazy family, but she already loved everything about it. The Ox King told a few scary stories from his time at his castle and by now, everyone had wrapped themselves up in their blankets.
Goten was snuggled up to his Grandpa as he continued to tell his story, Gohan was sat closely to Videl with a blanket wrapped around them and hot chocolates in hand, and Goku had pulled Chichi into his lap to snuggle with her. Goku closed his eyes and rested his head against his wife's shoulder, a relaxed and content look on his face. Chichi gently chuckled at Goten as he asked his grandfather an array of questions about his scary story, making it not so scary at all.
"Hey" Goku whispered to his wife, her head turning slightly to look at him.
"Are there any toffee apples left?" he asked her. She rolled her eyes and leant forward, her husband holding her to steady her, and she grabbed a toffee apple. Goku opened his mouth, Chichi giggling at him as she held the apple to his mouth for him to bite it.
"Mmmm" he murmured as he munched down the piece of apple, "I missed your toffee apples. They are the best". Chichi smiled warmly at him.
"Daddy" Goten suddenly called, Goku turning his head, the only part of his body you could see from amongst the blankets, to look over at his son.
"Yeah, buddy?"
"There's not gonna be a monster under my bed, like at grandpa's castle, is there?" he asked anxiously, twiddling his thumbs.
"Of course not. The only scary thing you will see in this house is your mom when she wakes up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom". Gohan spat out his hot chocolate, Videl barely containing her laughter next to him.
"Son, there will be no coming back with the Dragonballs after this one" The Ox King chortled at his son in law. Goku sniggered into his wife's shoulder, just waiting for her sassy come back.
"Yeah, that's right, you hide in my shoulder" she told him calmly.
"You're gonna kill me later, aren't you" Goku lowly spoke into her shoulder.
"You will be lucky to survive the night" she sassed.
It was late at night and everyone but Goku had headed inside. Chichi ensured her boys and Videl were all snuggled up comfortably in their sleeping bags on the floor, Goten's idea to have a sleepover in the living room. Her father then took Gohan's bed. She wandered back outside to find Goku still wrapped up in his large fluffy blanket, eyes closed, slouched down comfortably in his chair.
"Comfy?" she gently questioned her husband as she approached him. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.
"Come here" he called to her, his hands poking out of the blanket for her. She snorted and made her way over to him and climbed back into his lap. Goku wrapped the large blanket around his wife and nuzzled his nose into her neck.
They both sat in silence for some time, just listening to the crackling of the fire, the glow of the lanterns around them gently bouncing off their skin.
"This was my favourite pumpkin carving night ever" she whispered to him.
"Mine too" he whispered back.
"You still bunking with the boys tonight?" she quietly asked him, her eyes watching him intently as he opened his.
"Nah, we gotta protect each other tonight" Goku decided.
"We have?"
"Yeah, you gotta keep me safe from the scary arm in the closet, and I gotta make sure the beast man don't get your leg". Both of them giggled childishly at each other.
"Deal" she whispered. She cupped both of his rosy cheeks in her hands and pressed her lips gently onto his. He hummed contently against her lips, his hands finding her hips under the blanket and pulling her closer to him. She broke the kiss but her lips ghosted over his as she affectionately rubbed his nose with hers.
"Mmm" he murmured against her lips, "My little pumpkin pie".
His lips found hers once again in a soft kiss.
Yeah, this was definitely the best pumpkin carving night ever.