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Disclaimer: Just-Plain-Hormones!


Chapter 17

Anchored Touch

"Speech" 'Telepathy' Thought

Nothing lasted for what felt like days, and provided her with a glorious sense of well being and peace. She never knew how soothing being free of one's awareness could be, so when she began to feel like she was returning into herself, Sofia harbored a minute sense of disappointment and longing for her restful oblivion. She found herself opening her eyes to darkness, but instead of wondering where she was, she intuitively knew it was the unconsciousness that lied within her.

The soothing quiet began to dull as her senses sharpened and clarity was once part of her. She stared calmly around, the feeling of expectation surging as a breeze that seemed to lick her incorporeal skin. Then, a shape of white began to appear from the darkness, and grow as it neared her. Slowly, the white spectral form began to take the shape of a figure she'd live through and once was.

Looming across from her— a sheer white aura enveloping her— was Kyouran, the woman she had once been. Her crimson eyes squinted from the closed-lipped smile she gave her counterpart, the shock that registered on her features a source of quiet amusement for the once intimidating demon slayer. As she drew nearer, the aura began to dissipate into an afterglow that dimmed behind her before disappearing completely. Tilting her head skeptically, Kyouran cracked a smile, the echo of her chuckle stirring Sofia from her slack-jawed expression.

"I understand the last thing you expected was me, but am I that much of a shock?" the woman clad in white gi remarked, her voice velvety, but with an earthy tone her dreams never truly revealed.

"I—well…" Sofia stuttered, her eyes focusing on the woman with all her will. "Are you what Nail is to Piccolo…? Why are you here? I don't understand—"

"All that in good time. First, I must say…" the other woman stated unflinchingly, her arms crossing as she widened her stance. "It sure took you long enough to break that pendant."

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Sofia stepped closer. "What are you talking about…?"

Sighing, Kyouran shook her head, her humor still present in her relaxed frame. "What do you think those dreams were intended for? I didn't want you to just know about me," she paused leaning close as if to compound her next point. "In order for you to have become transformed, you needed to go through a metamorphosis. Passing through the dimensional threshold was only one way, and one that takes too long."

Her eyes widened at that, stirring the inquisition within her to bubble up. "Then you manipulated your memories…to tell me a story; reveal a plot that you only knew in hindsight," Sofia whispered, earning a curt nod from her mirror image. "But then…what broke within the pendant?"

"That pendant is what ties you and I together. It's only a string. Nothing broke in the pendant…something broke out," Kyouran replied, her tone unwavering, but still forcing Sofia to find the answer for herself.

"…the truth. The past. And my…" Sofia trailed off, her eyes dimming in thought, not wanting to finish her stream of consciousness.

"Your future," Kyouran finished for her, her red eyes transfixing Sofia in her searing gaze. "One where I cease to be and become what is you. Everything that was me was held prisoner in that pendant. Inevitably, it would've broken out, and I would've been freed, but he was the only person that could free me, or end me…"

"Daimao…" Sofia felt the lump of anger swell in her chest. "That bastard—"

"Hah, was he really?" Sofia's gaze sharpened with incredulity. "The truth is, he and I were destined to tear each other apart. Whatever Hiretsukan saw as the future was only one string, just a path out of a million. The future is not predestined; Daimaou was a fool, and I was just the means to the real end…" Kyouran remarked, her eyes lowering in amusement as her hands came to rest on Sofia's shoulders. "You can't hold the past accountable. Live in the present from now on. The past only predicates the good and the bad you have to work with, not the choices you make or the future you create."

"Then if that's the case, why the hell show me the past to begin with?!" Sofia retorted, her eyes meeting Kyouran defiantly.

Smirking, Kyouran replied matter-of-factly, "Because what cut the string that binds you and I as separate entities was cut by the truth, and the rage that I submerged and the rage you freely expressed. Without knowing my past you couldn't be freed of it."

"Well…then what happens now…?"

"I fade into you. What was me becomes you, and you live on. And no, it won't be like what Piccolo and Nail have. I won't be present for you to call on for guidance. Instead, all you need do is look inside yourself, and whatever answers you need will be there," Kyouran answered patiently, her serene nature disarming Sofia.

Standing in the presence of her past self, Sofia reflected on the past few months, piecing together answers to questions that had been left to loom in the back of her mind. It was now obvious to her that the nagging figure in her reflection back at her room had been Kyouran shining through, leading her down the rabbit hole that was now her reality. If the necklace was the string that bound them, then it was an innate destiny that caused her to find it in her backyard, let alone for it to have been there to begin with.

"Oh…so that ritual Daimao had done spirited away the pendant and jewelry box away for me to find?"

"Yes. The incantation called for the box to find his twin star once she was reincarnated…only by then, he was no longer your twin star…" Kyouran trailed off knowingly.

"Piccolo…" Sofia's heart leapt in her throat, her chest constricting on the thought of him. She ached over the horrible things she'd said to him, her resolve wavering in front of Kyouran, who shook her softly by the shoulders.

"None of that. Once we're done here, you can go back and apologize. You won't have to, however," Sofia raised her brow skeptically. "Just because Kami-sama and Daimaou hold fault in him being utterly clueless, doesn't get him off the hook."

"What do you mean?" Sofia's head was spinning, her patience and ability to piece things together while being coached by her past life waning.

"After I was killed, Daimaou and Hiretsukan went onto some other plan. Whatever it was made Daimaou think he didn't need any help from that pimp Iyashii, so he disposed of him and went on to plot by himself. Kami decided on some drastic measure, and after taking some preventive measures, he wiped his own memory of the little saga, and since he and Daimaou are the halves of the same being, Daimaou lost all memory of Hiretsukan, me, and the twin star business…" Kyouran trailed off as she walked off to the side, as if her own recollections were rough to access.

"That's why Piccolo doesn't know what Daimao did…" Sofia realized as she began to hug herself absentmindedly. She had accused him of so much evil, and he had been the most innocent party.

"Yes. But Kami also went through the lengths of blocking out that part of Piccolo's consciousness, once you came into the picture, of course. Just in case he went looking for memories, or chasing ghosts," she paused. "I'm sure Piccolo is aware of that block, but hasn't put much together on the fact. Once you return to the surface, you can unlock it for him, if you choose so…"

"God, stop talking in riddles! Finish a statement and stop trailing off! I feel like I'm in the Lord of the Rings or something!" Sofia chided sardonically, earning Kyouran to whirl around with her brows raised at her.

"Well, if you don't like my answers, don't ask such asinine questions!" Kyouran barked back at her, her demureness frizzing as she bared her fangs in an exasperated sneer.

Snickering, Sofia raised her hands up in defense, shrugging her shoulders in acquiescence. "But I still have to ask some stuff…" Waving her hand in impatience, Kyouran gestured for her to go ahead. "How did he…you know. Get his faucet and plumbing?"

Rolling her eyes, Kyouran crossed her arms and huffed. "It's simple biology. Namekkuseijin are asexual beings. That means that because they lack the presence of females, the males regressed to asexuality in order to continue reproducing. When a Namekkuseijin is thrust into an environment for an extended period of time with a member of the female sex, it inherently causes the Namekkuseijin to regain his sexuality, or get the "faucet and plumbing", as you so crudely put it. However, the process cannot be effected by that alone. You had to cancel out his internal self-reproductive glands in order to effect the complete transformation."

"So then, when I sleep-walked-jumped his bones, I closed up the spot in his throat where the Namek eggs come from? Cool…" Sofia surmised out loud, which sparked yet another question. "Wait! Did you have something to do with that sex dream? Cuz I know it wasn't an actual past experience! And me jumping Piccolo like that was you too?!"

Scowling at the barrage of questions, Kyouran drummed her fingers on her bicep as she replied, "That dream was an actual occurrence for me, when I would go into my cycles of heat every few months. Since Daimaou was my twin star, I guess it was only fitting that he'd be my nocturnal lover…and yes, I played that dream while you slept in order to speed the transformation process between you and Piccolo. The more tension created, the more you'd change."

"So that's why you'd make your pilgrimages into the mountains..!" Sofia surmised.

Nodding curtly, Kyouran almost floated towards her. "You and Daimaou's kin are joined, with no strings holding you back but yourselves. Your own choices will influence your path now; don't worry about any other intrusions."

Nodding, Sofia stared off into the darkness, realizing she couldn't remain there for much longer. "Oh!"

Shaking her head, Kyouran grumbled, "What is it now?"

"If Piccolo's completely male now, then he can reproduce sexually…"

"Of course, so?" Kyouran barked, but when Sofia gave her a meek expression, she realized what she was getting at. "Oh, that. Yes, he can impregnate you. No, it won't be with an egg. If you do get impregnated, you will birth the spawn just as any other mammal. Lactation and such will be present as in human mothers, but the length of pregnancy will be much shorter, and since your mate is a Namekkuseijin you can expect to give birth in about half the time of a human mother, maybe even sooner than that."

"So…is there any birth control tips? Cuz I don't think Piccolo and I should be having babies…if he even touches me ever again," she laughed nervously, earning a startled glance from Kyouran.

"You really are in lust with the Namekkuseijin! Hah," she stated sardonically, adding aloofly, "well, do not worry about becoming impregnated. Once you surface, that will be taken care of. While in life, I affixed a high concentration of internal ki flow to act as a sort of inhibitor for the production of hormones responsible for making a woman fertile. This doesn't mean I was infertile, however. Just that I had a fool-proof organic birth control system that would never run out or fail, except…"

"Except what?" Sofia asked, riveted by the explanation.

"Well, once you choose to become fertile, the ki flow will dissipate and the inhibition of the hormones will cease, allowing you to be fertile. So, you must be steadfast in your decision. The minute you decide to want to be with-child, you will deactivate the birth control system," Kyouran finished with a surly huff.

"Wow…"

"Yes, so make sure you know what you want."

"Oh, I damn will."

Long pause.

"So is that it?" Sofia piped up, her hands rubbing her arms absentmindedly.

"I was waiting for another barrage of questions. Otherwise, yes, that's it."

"Wow…this is it…I won't see you ever again?" she asked, receiving an affirmative nod. "Then what do I do now?"

"You wake up." Kyouran stated as she walked towards her and passed completely through her before disappearing completely into the incorporeal ether to assimilate into Sofia.

Sofia's "Oh" was drowned out by the rush of awareness that rushed over her and propelled her up into the waning darkness before blinding light shattered the safety of unconsciousness…


Her eyes flew open, and immediately shut from the blinding light that seared her pupils. Limbs still heavy with drowsiness, Sofia laid still for several moments as she tried to regain her bearings, her skin feeling hotter than hell against the cool fabric under her. Was she lying on a bed? It felt wonderful whatever it was, but most of all, the scent that clung to the fabric was soothing and familiar, lulling her into comfort as she experimented with opening her eyes to the harsh light again.

Slowly blinking, she was able to open her eyes into slits to see the domed ceiling looming above her, another familiar sight that relaxed her. So…she was back.

Her arms were working now, so she brought one to lie across her stomach and draped the other over her forehead.

Did everything have to be different now?

She knew it was a futile question, when even the pit of her stomach berated her for wanting to cling to the past.

The bed shifted, startling her.

Looking over her arm and shielding the light from her eyes, she glanced to the side and stopped breathing momentarily. Shifting carefully, she sat up in bed and stared at Piccolo's sleeping countenance. Propped up against the bed's headboard with his head lulled to the side, Piccolo slept with his arms crossed tightly over his chest; the light sound of his breathing the only other thing in the room. He looked handsome as ever, except strain tugged around the corners of his closed eyes, and his brow was furrowed in a way she could only classify as…worry?

How long had she been unconscious? The last thing she remembered was screaming at him, and rushing forward. Then the agonizing pain that sunk into her like thousands of needles all at once. Her mind was a jumbled mess of sequences and emotions, but the only one that nagged her longest was his expression when she told him about Daimao. The guilt from before resurfaced, and so did the constrictive feeling in her chest. Had he watched over her this whole time?

Stupid question, she mused, considering he was fast asleep for the first time in weeks and his whole body was taut with tension. Her heart tugged as she stared at him.

She didn't want him to know. The memories were so brutal and dark, and if she was the only one to bear them, so be it. She didn't want Piccolo to have another weight added over his conscience. And if he had to find out…well she wouldn't be the one to decide that for him.

He meant too much to her for her to hurt.

Snapping her head up in realization, Sofia dropped her hands into her lap. He meant the world to her…and not in the insatiable fangirl way from before. Sure she had the butterflies when she was around him, but that was synonymous to crushing on someone. But this…this was more than she'd ever recognized possible…and was it still possible?

Looking back at Piccolo, she felt the swell of hope rise from the pit of her stomach.

She stretched out towards him, making sure not to stir him into awareness. Leaning forward, Sofia brushed a soft kiss over his brow, murmuring something just under her breath before gingerly getting off the bed and shakily making it to the bathroom.

The click of the door was what definitely woke him.

Flinching up in the bed, Piccolo rubbed at his tired face, his mind trying to churn against the exhaustion of the past 2 days to reconcile if he was hallucinating. He could've sworn he heard her.

"'I'm sorry'?" he repeated to himself, dropping his hands to the bed before startling at the empty spot next to him. She's awake?!

He jumped off the bed and ran for the bathroom, his heart beating against his ribcage as he stood in front of the door, his body tensing before he could muster the resolve to slide the panel door open.

Meanwhile, Sofia stood incredulous from the reflection that stared back at her in the mirror. It was Kyouran…at least that's what her irrational self was telling her. Those red eyes were definitely an inheritance from her former self, but it was pretty much still all her, except much taller! At least she surmised from the level of the sink being parallel to her hip, when it was just above her waist the last time, she remembered.

This was it; her final state as an evolved being.

She touched her cheekbone, still shocked it was her at all, before she glanced down to her flowy white nightgown. Piccolo must've changed her out of the tattered and singed mess she had on from before. Sighing, she rubbed her arms, not used to the flesh she inhabited, even though she was sure it was the only thing that hadn't radically changed.

Exhaling her tension, Sofia closed her eyes, mustering her resolve. This drastic change made her worry…but as Kyouran said, she held her own fate, and no one was taking that away from her.

She opened the door, and effectively surprised Piccolo and herself, as they came face-to-face.

Piccolo's hand fell to his side when the shock of the door opening of its own volition wore off, leaving him to gaze at the transformed woman standing before him.

Her eyes captivated him first, the emotion and essence he'd always seen in them still there, but dyed in a different hue now. And she was tall, with the top of her head coming up to his chin now when she had been barely up to his collarbone before. She was a transformed being, just like Kami had said she'd become. Before he realized his own action, Piccolo found himself gingerly caressing her warm cheek with his fingertips and the pad of his thumb, as if trying to make sure she was real and unharmed.

Sofia didn't flinch, but her body tensed ever so slightly, her eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion.

"You're alright…" his baritone mutter suppressed the relief deep in his tone.

Exhaling a small breath, Sofia leant into his fingers, her eyes closing as relief flooded into her as well. "Yes…"

"You scared the hell out of me."

Incredulous, Sofia focused her new gaze at him, meeting his earnestly serious eyes. She couldn't repress the small smile of tenderness his revelation stirred in her, so she nuzzled her lips against the palm of his hand before he pulled her against his chest and sighed into the top of her hair.

"Don't do it again."

Relishing his unprompted embrace, Sofia burrowed her nose into his firm chest as she nodded in amused compliance.

"Now…if there's nothing else, let's get going," Piccolo remarked as he detached himself from her and turned to walk towards the steps out into the void.

Blinking, Sofia piped, "Get going?"

Glancing back at her, Piccolo barked reticently, "To train, what else?"

Crossing her arms, she stared incredulously at his retreating back before huffing in amusement and shaking her head. Of course


Several days went by without much tension or verbal combativeness, which were normal practice before Sofia's change. For the first time in months, both were comfortable around each other, enjoying the presence of the other in their down time, fiercely competing in their sparring sessions, and relishing the comfortable silences with each other.

For Sofia, much of the time was spent trying to grow used to her new form, especially the new eyes she gazed out into the still blinding void with. Piccolo, on the other hand, found himself staring at her when she was preoccupied with the drudgery of their off time, or when she was just immersed in her own thoughts, distracted from the presence of his gaze on her.

He often caught himself thinking back on the tension and worry of those two days she was unconscious, when his mind was a tangle of emotions and his insides were knotted with concern. Nail had driven him crazy, demanding that he get help from Kami; that they exit the void immediately. Piccolo had stood his ground against the barrage from his counterpart, rationalizing that there wasn't anything the old goat could've done, and that it was simply a waiting game for her to regain consciousness. He didn't remember when he'd passed out from exhaustion, but he did remember the anxiety his unconscious had been inundated with. The distress of his dreams had been soothed into silence by her, however, something he thought to be silly and sentimental…but even so, he had felt the relief wash over him with the sound of her soft whisper, and had fortified that relief by touching and embracing her.

Piccolo knew it was no use lying anymore.

While Gohan had wormed his way into his heart, Sofia had blasted the doors open. It was probably why he'd resisted it for so long, but now it was all he could do to not stare at her and want more of something he couldn't really visualize or comprehend completely. He'd kept Nail out of the loop, and planned to for as long as he could get away with it. It wasn't going to serve anything— except the other Namek's ego— for his feelings to be revealed now. They had entered the chamber for a reason, and it wasn't romantic in the least.

He intended to keep it that way.

"Piccolo! Wanna have one more spar before we call it a day?" Sofia called out to him from where she was finishing up a round of kata practice.

Opening his eyes, Piccolo smirked as he stood from his meditative pose, cracking his back and popping his shoulders as he remarked coolly, "Fine by me, but I doubt either one of us will end up on top."

Stifling her giggles at his unknown use of a double entendre, Sofia stretched her arms over her head, causing the hem of her tank top to ride up her now totally lithe stomach.

Piccolo had become more practiced in silently appreciating Sofia's form, more so than he'd like to admit.

They met each other halfway before falling into their individual stances. An eerie breeze floated between them, stirring Piccolo's cape as well as Sofia's hair to whip around her slightly. Sizing each other up, both stood fixed on the ready, waiting for the other to make the move.

The surge of her phasing out and driving a fist against his block was quickly followed by the succession of combos and blocks that sent them skidding and flying all around the void, their grunts and battle shouts echoing in comfortable rhythm with the sound of their blows and their scintillating auras.

They were definitely evenly matched, and both knew it. Rather than resent it as he would've before, Piccolo felt a twinge of pride that he'd sculpted her into the fighter she was. And, rather than feel that nagging urge to one up him, Sofia was humbled by her ability to keep up with one of the most disciplined warriors to ever exist. However, this didn't mean they didn't want to beat the other, especially after months of stalemates. With that in mind, both slowly began escalating their attack combos, incorporating ki attacks and maneuvers to beat and impress the other at the same time.

After a flurry of kicks that just missed their target each time, Sofia gritted her teeth in a tense smirk before scandalously taunting, "You're not as fast as you used to be, sensei. How 'bout winner gets a kiss from the loser, eh?"

Snorting, Piccolo caught her ankle and used her momentum to swing her into the air before tossing her up, leading her to counter and flip in the air to land in a cat-like crouch. "I'd rather savor your expression when I wipe the floor with you," he retorted roughly, but his tone was deep and rugged, a fact Sofia couldn't linger on as he advanced at her with another flurry of attacks, which she managed to dodge or phase out of just in time.

"Well fine, but if I win I want a kiss, with no pouting or scowling! Hahaha," she quipped effervescently, countering his punch with a barrage of swift kicks and palm hits to his side before spinning out of the way of his retaliation.

"Not a chance!" Piccolo shouted before aiming a blow that went through air, causing him to slightly spin on his heel. Damn she's gotten fast!

The kick connected against the small of his back, bringing him back on the defense as she whirled around in effortless spin kicks, roundhouses, and flurries of kicks he could barely dodge.

Collecting a burst of ki, Piccolo used it to blast outwards into a sphere that pushed her skidding back. The sudden defensive attack knocked the wind out of her, allowing Piccolo to charge up a flaring attack he knew was weak enough for her to avoid. He hadn't expected for her to still be shaking off the dizziness his defensive blast had given her, nor did he notice she was charging up her own attack when she turned and barely jerked her body out of the way of the blast. Her energy blast misfired towards him, the energy flow unchecked and unstable. Piccolo shouted a curse before the sonic booms of their attacks roared and blew them back.

"Ah!" Sofia cried out, shielding her eyes with her forearm after recovering from the blistering blasts and booms that echoed around her. Getting to her feet, she staggered before falling hard on her butt. Biting her lip, she squeezed her eyes shut, the searing pain in her retinas shooting along her nerve endings and stinging her ocular tissue.

"Sofia! What happened?" she heard Piccolo say above her, but she couldn't open her eyes.

"Ugh…my eyes are burning," she ground out between hisses of pain, her eyes still squeezed protectively shut while she swept the water running down her cheeks. "They're still too sensitive—the energy was too bright."

Frowning, Piccolo crouched down by her. "You can't open them at all?"

"No…not yet. I think my retinas have abrasions or something…they really hurt!" she gritted, her hand resting over her eyelids as the other reached out for him, accurately landing on his torn and damaged shoulder pad on the first try.

"Can you stand and make it back to the palace?" he was close enough that she could feel his warm breath against her temple.

"Yeah…just give me a second to get my bearings…I'm trying to get a handle on seeing with ki sensing," she said slowly, her brow furrowing.

"Feh," she heard him huff before she was suddenly swept up into his arms and hauled up from the floor. Wrapping her arms around his shoulder and neck, she stiffened as she tried to face where she thought his face was.

"What're you doing? All I needed was a second—"

"Why bother when I can just carry you. Don't feel like watching you stagger like a blind bat," he grunted and she was surprised by how close his mouth must've been to her jawline.

"All bats are blind, Piccolo," she snickered, and felt him begin to walk back to the palace with his long strides.

"Don't get technical with me," he grumbled, but she could hear an amused edge in his tone. "How long will it take you to recover?"

"I'm not sure. I can feel them healing…so hopefully not too long," she mused, relaxing in his arms.

He hummed in response, the vibration in his chest a soothing feeling against her side. She was shifting slightly from side to side now, so she assumed he was climbing the stairs that led up into the main room from the void's tiled stoop. Her assumption was rewarded when he gently placed her onto the plush bed, her weight sinking into the cool satiny comforter. She heard the soft padding of his moccasins walk to her left and into the bathroom before the sink burst to life and was quickly shut. Water sprinkled into the sink before the sound of a cloth being snapped echoed in the room. Then his padding moccasin again before her chin was tilted up gently but firmly by his fingers.

"Here. Rest this over your eyes." The cool cloth was pressed gingerly over her eyelids for her before her fingers brushed his when she went to hold the cloth in place.

"Thanks," she breathed with a soft smile, receiving a grunt in response. A small silence passed between them after he walked a ways to the wall, where she assumed he was leaning back against it and watching her. "Are you ok?"

"Just a few scrapes. My weights and gi took the worst of it."

Humming, she kicked her boots off before shimmying back on the mattress, her eyes feeling much better the more she relaxed.

"How do I look?" she asked, earning a snort from him. "Shit, that bad, huh? I probably look like a hot mess…"

"You look tousled, but good."

Both realized his backhanded compliment, and a tense pause passed between them before she inadvertently sighed.

"…What," Piccolo asked, sounding a bit gruff and ruffled.

"Nothing…just thinking…"

"That's dangerous."

Gasping a laugh, she wadded up the cloth and threw it at him. "You jerk! What're you trying to say," she laughed, sitting up and directing a closed-eyed mocking pout at him.

He snorted, tossing the cloth back at her to land on her lap. "I'm saying that when you think, I end up screwed," he mused aloofly, but she heard the smirk in his tone.

"Oh c'mon, you exaggerate," she said trying to repress her grin, and only earned another snort from him.

"You can't even keep a straight face," she heard his voice move to her right. "Can you track me?" she was startled when his voice rumbled over her shoulder.

"Not really…it sucks! Neither of us ever wins!" she abruptly changed the subject.

He grunted. "Yeah…I'm starting to think we might have to focus on our own training. This whole thing is starting to feel like a waste…"

Sofia inwardly frowned, not thinking spending time with him was a waste at all.

"Can you try opening your eyes now?" he said from across from her.

Her eyes fluttered laboriously before opening to slits. Blurry vision gave way to watery shapes and a slight sting. She gritted her teeth, but the more she blinked the better her vision got. Wiping her eyes, she gingerly opened them as wide as she could. The light settled to a bearable brightness in her eyes before she could truly see straight.

The first thing she saw was Piccolo, and a peel of giggles burst from her.

Scowling deeper than he had been, Piccolo crossed his arms and barked, "What's so funny?"

She continued to giggle, shaking her head as she gestured with her finger for him to come closer. Warily, Piccolo did so, his shoulders stiff and his lips tight as she sat up on her knees and reached for his turban.

"You look so cute with an antenna poking out of your turban, Mr. Piccolo," she giggled at him as she poked her finger through the hole on the top of his turban, wiggling the appendage comically at him.

Wrinkling his nose at her, he took the turban from her and cracked it in half between his palms effortlessly before tossing the pieces to the side. Sofia quirked a brow at him, pursing her lips as if to silently mock: 'Oh so macho of you.'

Then she saw the smudge of singed soot along his cheekbone.

"Wait," she said as she reached for his face and he jerked slightly away from the contact. "Let me get it," she soothed unconsciously, ignoring his intense stare as she rubbed the smudge off his cheek with the pad of her thumb. She held him in his spot with a hand on his tattered shoulder pad while she brushed the remnant of the smudge away with the tips of her fingers. "There…" she said, trailing off when she directed her red eyes to his intensely brooding onyx spheres.

His skin grew hot when she stared at him, his eyes hovering over her parting lips before roving her eyes deeper. She didn't even flinch when his hand came up to pet her mussed hair out of her face before running his fingers through the dark tresses, but she did breathe deeply when he brushed his lips experimentally over hers. Parting mildly, he stared at her, not knowing what he was feeling. Her eyes softened, and she closed the distance between them. He leaned down and met her half way. They kissed each other with a lingering passion still unsure but hungry to reach out.

The heat of his lips lingered tantalizingly before he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, causing her exhale of breath to breathe out her nose as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His tongue began to caress the soft tissue of her mouth, his frame pressing more and more against hers the longer he kissed her.

The flood of feelings and heat began to rush along her insides while his body grew less tense the more he felt her warmth against him. The torrent of doubt and emotions were there for both of them, but they couldn't hear them, or care about them over the thrumming exquisiteness of their pulses going wild and the undulating of months of repressed feelings warming their cores.

Parting from the kiss, Piccolo trailed his hands down the back of her arms and up her sides, his eyes hooded and alluring while her eyes stared heavily up into his, her lips bruised and her body swelling with excitement under his touch. Neither said a word, but their eyes spoke volumes to each other, urging and comforting as they were burning for more of the other.

Her hands roved up his torn and battered gi to slip under the weights on his shoulders, an action that petitioned him to get rid of the bulky and intrusive things. Piccolo complied, tugging the shoulder pads and cape off and letting them noiselessly drop from his grip before he returned his warm and calloused hands over her hourglass figure.

Sofia kissed his jaw, sighing when she could wrap her arms fully around his shoulders and feel the muscles and tendons flex under her touch. Tangling his hand in the back of her hair, Piccolo pulled her up to kiss him while his other hand snaked up the back of her shirt.

Gasping, Sofia shivered at his touch on her exposed skin, wanting so much to reciprocate. Kissing him again, she took the initiative and tugged his intrusive shirt out from the sash, caressing up his torso to feel the myriad of textures that wove his skin and wrapped around muscles and tendons. He hummed in his chest, a sensual and primal sound that sent shivers to flutter in her womb.

Tugging the shirt off of his head, Sofia anchored herself to him, forcing him to follow her down onto the bed, where he impatiently began kissing along her jaw and down her neck, so unsure of his actions and what to do next, but determined to make her feel like her touches and kisses made him feel. While he lingered on the spot just under her jaw, Sofia trailed her fingers along his shoulder blades before nudging him to lay on top of her with the inside of her knees gently squeezing against his sides. When his weight settled onto her, she sighed in sensual contentment, taking his attention from her neck to the sensual expression gracing her heated features.

He shifted over her when he kissed her again, an exquisite feeling combined with the burning urge that was coiling into a knot in his gut. She arched against him, gasping when his hips pressed down on hers. Raising her hooded gaze to his, she caressed his cheek into her palm while her other hand guided him back down for a pure, toe-curling kiss before he snaked his arms around her and kissed her back with incredible vigor. In a daze, she barely noticed his hands working the hem of her tank top up her torso, his hands filled with purpose while his mouth scorched her from the inside out. She arched again, and this time Piccolo pulled her up with him, taking advantage so as to tug the garment off of her to end up with his discarded shirt on the floor. He paused and took in her semi exposed form, his breath whispering out his lungs as he reached out to touch and caress her almost reverently while she gasped at his touch and hungry expression. They sat up and clung to each other, simultaneously working to finish undressing the other while taking time to kiss and caress each other as more skin was freed from their intrusive clothes.

His sash fluttered to the floor, allowing his baggy gi trousers to hang around his hips. He pulled her to the edge of the bed, kicking the last of his clothes off and ending months of curiosity and replacing them with sensual appreciation and avid lust. Before Sofia could compose her wants to her actions, her hands skimmed down his torso, savoring how his muscles tightened and how his breath hitched when her fingertips traced his hardened flesh, lightly palming it and caressing it soothingly with her fingertips. All he could do was watch her, his mouth parted and his eyes heavy with curiosity and desire. When she leant forward to kiss his abdomen, he combed his tapered fingers through her hair, staring down at her crimson gaze when she glanced alluringly up at him.

He couldn't take it anymore. His pulse was roaring behind his ears, his apex was tightening with unknown need as his hands worked their way down her hot and responsive flesh and to come at odds with her pants. Suddenly hauling her to stand, Sofia braced herself against him shakily as he kissed her, his hands working on freeing her lovely hips and lithe legs from the confines of her pants before his fingers clumsily hooked into the waistband of her flattering undergarments.

Sliding her panties down her legs, he admired her soft and supple form, letting his hands linger on her thighs and hips before guiding her back to the edge of the bed. He was about to join her on the bed again, when her legs parted in anticipation for him.

His mind flashed to several weeks back, when she had practically molested him in her sleep. Gliding his palms along her inner thighs, he let his hands act out the wandering of his mind, remembering the heat and moisture he'd felt against his fingers the first time he'd touched her between her legs. She was trembling under his touch, a fact that aroused him even more.

When his fingers glided over her soft and moist womanhood, Sofia gasped and bit her lower lip, her body growing tight with excitement. He watched her react, licking his dry lips and leaning over her to kiss her while his fingers still curiously caressed her moist folds. Inadvertently, his still clumsy fingers parted her folds to glide and trace her warm and tingling entrance. She gasped in his mouth, her hands lightly gripping his forearm and comforter when his fingers brushed her swollen bud. He took notice of her reaction, and did it again, pulling back from the kiss to watch her face light up with nervous pleasure.

He shifted on top of her so as to watch her better, when one of his fingers slipped inside of her tight warm sheath. She cried out in surprise, her face heating with a light blush when his eyes darted to his hand and back to her.

"Did I hurt you—?"

"No…!" she gasped before he could finish his tense question, the blush growing over her cheekbones.

He seemed wary, though his fingers still experimentally touched her. Not wanting for him to shy away, Sofia reached for his thick and hardened manhood, palming the flesh gently before stroking it lightly. Piccolo stiffened from her touch, setting his jaw at the flood of pleasure that coursed through him and coiled in his stomach. He breathed out through his nose, not wanting to part his lips in fear of making a noise.

She watched his expression, loving how his lips tightened while his brows smoothened from the pleasurable touch. Her hand tightened around his shaft, stroking more firmly as he unsuccessfully tried stifling a groan. Encouraged, she sat up and started leaving butterfly kisses along his pecs and abs, stroking him while his tall frame shivered lightly from the undulating sensations. He felt so smooth and warm in her hand, his hard flesh twitching ever so slightly as she stroked him.

"S-Sofia…" he said in a hoarse tone as he stopped her hand and received a slightly disconcerted look from her. Not liking the hurt glint in her crimson eyes, he surprised her by picking her up and guiding her back onto the bed before settling between her legs, with his forearms resting on either side of her head, framing her under him as he kissed her with fierce passion.

She melted against him, their lips working against each other with fervor as he shifted on top of her. Sighing in pleasure, Sofia parted her legs further, her whole body tingling and flooding with unbridled excitement when his erection pressed against her inner thigh. Humming with need, she pulled him closer, loving having his weight pressed on her.

Piccolo took the opportunity and kissed along her jaw, his mind muddled with his arousal and the uncertainty of what to do next.

Sofia sighed as his lips scorched her already heated skin, lips parting to whisper his name with a hint of desperation. He shifted to look back into her heavy-lidded eyes, the inquisitive stare he gave her made her worry he'd stop. She kissed him softly before whispering against his lips, "I want you…"

His brow furrowed, but he returned her kiss before asking huskily, "What do you want…?"

Her eyes gleamed in understanding, her lips tugging alluringly and mesmerizing him with that smile he secretly cherished from her. "I want you...to make love to me," she breathed out with lustful meekness, her knees tightening on either side of his hips.

His lips parted, but the question died in his mind before he could utter it. For some reason, he comprehended. He shifted, his hand gliding nervously down her side to her hip before slipping between them. With veiled determination, Piccolo guided himself to her moist entrance, watching her expression as she anticipated his next move.

When his tip pressed into her, she cried out, her legs quivering around his hips and waist while he groaned at the exquisite heat that slowly closed around him. She clung to his shoulders from his next thrust, biting her lip from the mix of pain and rush of sensation.

Pausing above her, Piccolo trembled slightly as he read the tension in her face. "Am I hurting you?" he said in a steady but hoarse voice, his antennae brushing her forehead from how close he was to her.

"No…please don't stop, Piccolo," she breathed out in a searing whisper that sent a jolt down to his core.

Nodding slightly, he kissed her as he entered her deeper, her body tensing while her hands tightened behind his shoulders. His hips pressed fully against her, his shaft completely sheathed inside of her tight heat as he nuzzled a groan against her neck. She kissed his temple, panting slightly as her body adjusted.

His hand squeezed her thigh when she mewled and shifted under him, her body throbbing for more friction. He loomed up above her when he inadvertently bucked his hips at her movement and they both responded with hearty cries of pleasure. She gripped his forearms, her eyes gleaming up at him when he repeated his thrust and earned a cry of approval from her and a hitch of breath from himself.

She whispered his name, arching up when his next thrust was more fervent than the last. Her body was clenching around him, while his hardened flesh throbbed inside her, the sensations pulsing wildly and spurring their passions.

"Mm, Piccolo…" she murmured between gasps as his thrusts gained rhythm and confidence.

He growled in his chest at the noises she was making, sending him into such a state of arousal that he could barely keep his composure. Burying his face against her neck, he moaned for the first time, a sound so passionate and full of feeling she clung to him and whimpered sultrily.

She nipped his earlobe when he thrust hard into her, earning a gasp from him. He sat up and kissed her roughly, his tongue parting her lips and delving into her eager mouth hungrily as his hand reached between them to fondle her firm and supple breast. Crying out in pleasure when he squeezed her breast, Sofia arched into him, wrapping her legs around his waist to encourage him.

His mouth closed over the spot under her jaw when she cried out, his hand slipping to the small of her back for more leverage as he began bucking in and out of her more erratically. Her body was growing taut with bottled up excitement from how close she was on the brink of climax.

Piccolo was dully aware of her warm heat contracting and tightening around his throbbing shaft, a sensation that made his loins throb and the knot in his stomach flood with pleasure, an impending feeling of bliss he wasn't too sure he wanted to reach overwhelming his senses.

Her cries were becoming more heated and frequent as his pace quickened and his thrusts became more pounding in his increased state of hypersensitivity. Then he felt her shiver and stiffen under him before she cried out his name in a hearty moan, clinging to him as her orgasm flooded her body and sent jolts of bliss across every nerve ending.

The heat that flooded around his sex tore another fierce moan from Piccolo, his body tingling with every desperate thrust into her trembling form.

Sofia was overcast by the sheer bliss she was in, the aftershocks of her orgasm reverberating throughout her body just as Piccolo was reaching the edge of climax. His body was shivering on top of her while his thrusts grew to a feverish pace, his eyes clenched shut against the incredible sensations undulating throughout his body.

"S-Sofia…I—" he mustered hungrily and nervously against the rising onslaught he was holding back, his hands digging into the disheveled bed in a desperate fight to keep his control.

Wrapping her hands around his neck, Sofia kissed his tense features, whispering for him to open his eyes. When he did, he almost lost his control at how beautiful her smile and how soft her gaze was. "Let go…I want you to," she whispered, brushing her lips against his as she bucked her hips against his.

Piccolo groaned, exhaling harshly as he kissed her with open longing. Sofia sighed a moan before gasping with his next powerful thrust, gripping his shoulders tightly as he groaned gruffly with his efforts. Before long, he tensed above her, growling out her name before thrusting desperately a few more times as he orgasmed. He clung to her as he moaned against her neck, his hot essence flooding into her still trembling form as he collapsed on top of her.

He panted raggedly against her neck while his body slowly relaxed, kissing her hot and sweaty skin while she sighed blissfully and rubbed his shoulders soothingly. Mustering the energy, she turned her head to glance at his relieved and relaxing features. His eyes opened into drowsy hoods, his lips parted as he hungrily regained his breath.

They kissed each other tenderly then, completely oblivious of time and space and only anchored to each other. Before long, their comforting kisses and blissful cuddling lulled them both to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms and tangled in a mess of bed sheets and comforter, she tucked under his body protectively while he buried his face into her soft hair.

Then, peaceful unconsciousness ignorant of the future to come…

TBC


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