Disclaimer: Adult language, mild violence, sexual situations, and...oh just read for yourselves~
Well. Finally made it to the end of the road for this fanfic. I can't believe it's been over 10 years since I started writing it. Without this story, I wouldn't have had the gumption to write all the other fanfics I've worked on, both one-shots and full stories, so this story has a very special place in my heart. Thank you all again for your continued patience and encouraging support.
Chapter 23
Twin Stars
"Speech" 'Telepathy' Thought
The early morning sky looked like a kaleidoscope of wonder to her as she watched the twinkling of stars dissolve from the sun's rays reaching further across the horizon to claim the day for itself. Sighing, Sofia watched from her lounging position on the edge of the Lookout as clouds began to glow with the warmth of daylight. She had excused herself and went off to wander the grounds of the massive castle in the sky as her thoughts about the future and the wandering concerns of past events still plagued her mind.
Kami had watched her from his vantage point in the tower, knowing a moment of quiet was necessary for her after the whirlwind of decisions and discoveries she'd made in such a short period of time.
It wasn't until she went to sit at the edge of the Lookout that he wondered if there was anything else weighing her thoughts.
Staring sideways at the sky, Sofia sighed and let her arm dangle off of the edge, completely unafraid of the fall that awaited her.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Pausing, she glanced around over her shoulder, and saw Kami approaching her, his placid smile earning a meek smirk from her before she spun around to stand upside down on her hands and teeter back precariously close to the edge.
"I figured you'd just read my thoughts and skip asking," she mused after flipping high in the air to land gracefully in front of him.
Sweating and coughing self-consciously at that, Kami cleared his throat before dismissively waving her assertion off. "Nonsense! I've come to learn that it's quite rude to wander into people's thoughts without their knowledge. And anyway, I do enjoy conversing with you," he laughed sincerely, adding, "Now, there's something still bothering you."
"Hmph, what gave me away?" Sofia mused. "Besides my loitering about…"
"Well that, and since you've made the decision to stay in this realm, I'm sure you're concerned about the future state of events being affected by your presence," Kami shrugged, adding musingly, "So, come now. Talking it through might make you feel better."
Smirking wryly at that, she crossed her arms and leaned her weight on one leg. "You sure you didn't just read my mind and pick all that up?" she quipped.
Chuckling in a silly tone, Kami declared, "Honest!"
Dropping her arms to her sides, she relented. "I've been worried for a while about the course of things changing for the worse cuz of my just being here. Some stuff that happened before Goku got back to Earth…they weren't part of the natural sequence of events. My having to intervene to distract King Cold to stop my premonition from coming true really unnerved me…what if more stuff like that happens? I just don't know how much I should…I don't know, be part of. I don't want to make things worse…"
Pondering, Kami wandered over to stand beside her, glancing ahead at the skyline before replying, "What makes you different than the future traveler then?"
Brows furrowing, Sofia answered, "He's from this dimension. I'm not—so my involvement in events could be detrimental—"
"But how could it be any more different than the boy coming from a future beset with tragedy to a timeline he intended to alter? Sure, he didn't plan on intervening with Frieza and his father, but surely that was more consequential than what you did. After all, you have the advantage of knowing exactly what is to occur, so you know when to precisely intervene," the elder mused, giving her a glance when she looked away thoughtfully. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be concerned…but I don't think you should let it consume your thoughts. Sofia," he spoke, turning to regard her fully as he continued, "you're a conscientious person who is trying her best to do the right thing. That doesn't make you any more of a liability than anyone else."
Smiling wistfully at him, Sofia crossed her arms again and huffed in relief. "Thanks, Kami…I'll try not to spazz out, and just go with the flow." When the guardian of Earth nodded, she was suddenly reminded of something.
Seeing her eyes become unfocused, his countenance sobered. "Is there something else you're worried about?"
"Well…I'm not sure. It's just a couple of times, I saw the same kind of vision," she mused, her eyes squinting as she tried to recall it in detail. "I don't know why…but it's kind of faint, I just remember…seeing Kyouran, or maybe it was me…and a brand of something going up my skin…but it was more like a marking that came from within?" shaking her head bemusedly, she dismissed her description. "Never mind. It must've just been some weird hallucination thing. I can't even remember what even caused it," she remarked and smiled sheepishly at him. "I've taken up so much of your time with my neurotic worries."
"Not at all. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always at your service," the elder Namek smiled. "The Lookout is a place you can come to in your time of need. Popo and I always enjoy the company, after all."
Grinning, Sofia teetered on her heels and chimed, "Well in that case, when can I come and get some training?! Nothing like learning some sweet battle skills from the O.G. himself."
Laughing warmly, Kami knowingly looked across the expansive courtyard and smirked, "While that would be most interesting, I'm not sure he'd like losing you to my tutelage."
"Huh?" Sofia tilted her head in confusion at him before turning to glance at whom he was smugly smirking at.
Piccolo was stoically approaching them from the outer circumference of the courtyard, having landed at the Lookout a few moments before Sofia had sheepishly smiled at the elder Namek. His cape was fluttering with his long strides, the scowl slowly crossing his features as he gave Kami a sharp glare before boring his intense gaze on her.
Sweatdropping, Sofia sidestepped to lean over to Kami as she mumbled, "Jeez, he's always got the daggers for you."
"That he does," Kami huffed.
Shaking her head ruefully at that, she muttered, "Man, he's so sexy when he looks all surly like that…" she snickered, then added, "I was all up in my thoughts and feelings that I didn't sense him coming. So much for staying sharp—"
"Oh, he cloaked his ki. I told him you were here and to not make a brash arrival, but didn't tell him why, which could account for the glaring," Kami interjected simply, shrugging when Sofia balked at him.
"Ooo, Kami, you instigator," Sofia drawled mischievously.
'Why the hell do I have to hear this old goat ordering me around instead of hearing from you?!' was the growled telepathic snap Sofia received when Piccolo came up to stand in front of them and moodily crossed his arms.
'Uh…well, you see—'
"Good morning, Piccolo. So nice of you to come by," Kami serenely retorted, unbothered by the younger Namek's surly regard.
"You got a lot of nerve telling me what to do, old man," Piccolo groused, now glowering at his elder counterpart before sliding his intense gaze at Sofia. "So what's got you sneaking out in the dead of night to come up here?"
"Oh, Sofia!" Everyone turned to look at Mr. Popo, who was waving them down as he rushed over. "Before you head off, don't forget your satchel," the ebony genie called out and held her backpack out in front of him as he arrived.
"Oh man, I'm totally spaced out today! Thanks so much, Mr. Popo," she pleasantly retorted as she tugged the small backpack onto one shoulder. Turning towards Piccolo, she answered, "Remember what I told you last night? Well…it's tomorrow, and I decided."
Onyx gaze focusing intently on her, Piccolo dropped his arms to his sides. "You're staying?"
Smiling sheepishly, she murmured, "Yes. I already went back. I packed some more of my things; left a note…it's a done deal."
Glancing at Kami, Piccolo mused, "Let me guess. You were having a neurotic spazz out, and that's why you hung around here."
"Hey! C'mon, give me a little credit—"
"She did, but there's no reason to mock her conscientiousness, Piccolo," Kami admonished, steamrolling over Sofia's silly denial, and earning a sweatdrop from the red-eyed woman.
"Thanks, Kami," she impishly snapped, eyes becoming narrowed dots as she leaned back on her heels and huffed. "Anyway, there were still some questions I had that Kami was nice enough to answer, so that took up a good chunk of why I was here, ok, bossy pants?"
Rolling his eyes, Piccolo muttered sardonically, "Did that include you telling him any of our private stuff?"
Pursing her lips at that, Sofia chimed, "Nah, that was separate."
"Feh," he huffed, moodily giving her a once over before realizing she was pulling his leg. "Well if you're quite through, let's get going," he acerbically muttered and was about to turn and stalk off, but was thwarted when Sofia grabbed his hand.
"Thanks again for everything, Kami. Is it ok if I leave it here? I don't see the point in me taking it with me," Sofia asked Kami and ignored Piccolo's tense glance, squeezing his hand affectionately as a silent response instead.
"Yes. The mirror shall remain where it is. Now, go on and enjoy this glorious day, you two," the guardian of Earth offered and waved once she gave a curt nod and started walking away and pulling Piccolo in toe, who set his jaw broodingly about showing public displays of affection in front of his damnable elder counterpart.
"Bye, Mr. Popo!" she offered merrily and waved in farewell to the jovial genie as they made their way back towards the Lookout edge that pointed in the direction of the east.
Squeezing her hand, Piccolo grumbled, "We gotta work on quelling your PDA."
Rolling her eyes, she turned and sidled up to him seductively and purred, "Why? Are you embarrassed of how much I love you and want to make it known?"
Blushing violet, Piccolo encircled her waist and deliberately held her in place against him, barking, "No I'm not! But flaunting it in front of the old goat just annoys me. Such a smug, supercilious, snide—"
Leaning up to kiss him, she cut his berate off and earned a grunt from him.
Pulling away coquettishly, she drawled coolly, "It's just hand holding and kissing, silly. Not like he's gonna watch us get hot and heavy."
Flinching at that, Piccolo shook the urge to sweatdrop off and snapped, "Ugh, let's not even go there."
Laughing, Sofia let him take the lead, relishing the squeeze he gave her hand before they gazed out on the sprawling cloud-covered sky before hopping off the Lookout and taking flight, heading in the direction of Mt. Paozu; flying side by side as they jetted through the sky.
As soon as Sofia landed in the front yard, Goku and Gohan rushed out of the house, with an admonishing Chi-Chi in toe.
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late—"
Just as Goku and Gohan were coming up to greet her, they were both unceremoniously shoved aside by a stern-faced Chi-Chi.
"And just WHERE have you been?" Chi-Chi snapped, her hands on her hips and foot tapping impatiently while Goku giggled nervously and Gohan glanced expectantly at Sofia.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble. It's just—well, after giving it a lot of thought yesterday, I decided to go up to Kami's and ask him for some advice," she explained, quelling everyone's demeanor as they focused on her next statement. "I went back to my dimension and…well, I made it official. I'm staying permanently here—well, I don't mean permanently here at your house, but I'm not going back to my realm—" Sofia's ramble was cut off as Gohan and Chi-Chi suddenly rushed her and hugged her happily, cheering.
"Yay! I'm so glad, Sofia!"
"Don't be silly! You can stay here however long you need to!"
Smiling, Goku came up and put his hand on her shoulder. "We're really happy you're making our dimension home for real, Sofia," the congenial hero beamed, giving her his most cheerful expression as he added, "Now you'll definitely have the time to train that technique of yours and teach me how to do it!"
Laughing, Sofia gave him a wry smile and nodded. "Oh yeah. And that won't be the only technique I'll be working on, so get ready!" she challenged with an irreverent giggle.
"So, I take it she's decided to stay in this dimension for good?"
Everyone turned towards Piccolo, who was casually leaning against the side of the house with his arms crossed, offering them a sidelong glance.
"Hey, Piccolo! Yep – Sofia's gonna stay in our dimension. Isn't that great?" Gohan cheerfully retorted and happily rushed over to his friend.
Smiling inwardly, Sofia gave him a fond glance as he patted Gohan on the head and offered him a curt nod. "Good. Now if you're all done celebrating, let's get our training going," he mused in his cool baritone.
"Sure thing! But first, I'm starving," Goku chortled, rushing over to the house with Chi-Chi ruefully shaking her head and following him. "C'mon, Sofia – you gotta eat too!"
Snickering, she loped over to the house and followed Gohan, who skipped through the door excitedly, ready to conquer breakfast. As she passed Piccolo, she gave him a wink before phasing towards the door. "Alright, save me some toast and don't eat off my plate, Goku!" tossing her hair behind her shoulder, she glanced back at him from the doorway and said, "I'll bring you some nice cold water to drink. Sound good?"
Nodding yes, Piccolo also telepathically mused, 'And behave yourself when you come bring it, alright?'
Giving him an alluring glance as she wandered into the house, she purred, 'I can't make any promises.'
It was rare for Goku to sit on the sidelines of a fierce sparring session, but for once he wasn't complaining about having to wait his turn. From his vantage point in the shady grove on the desolately forested island, the two warriors looked like they were in a blistering battle; he was none the wiser that the two twin stars were actually enjoying themselves even if it appeared like a bruising tit-for-tat match.
"Sofia's style is really hard to anticipate, huh," Gohan piped up in distracted wonder, eyes glued to the fight.
"I'll say. It's great. Almost like it's ingrained in her DNA to constantly alter and shift techniques. From here, it looks like Piccolo's still one step ahead of her though," the wide-eyed hero mused and crossed his arms, head still craned upwards as the mid-air spar zigzagged above them on the clear tropical day.
Piccolo phased out of the way of her roundhouse kick, but didn't dodge quick enough to avoid her next punch. Recovering quickly, he did manage to avoid her next crane-palm jab that would've doubled him over with pain and countered by blasting her back with a well-aimed Masenko-ha.
'Ohhhh, you're gonna get it!' Sofia taunted with a fiery edge in her tone after she wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and phased back down to be floating across from him.
'Heh,' he snickered, smirking at her when he tossed off his weighted gear, clear indication he'd only been getting warmed up.
Not one to be one-upped, Sofia lifted her shirt and pulled off the weighted corset that was around her waist to let it drop thunderously down to the ground along with the booming thuds of his gear.
"Oh boy, now it's gonna get good," Goku cheered with glee over at Gohan, who was nodding in agreement.
The ensuing clash actually caused an air mass to reverberate violently overhead, stirring the palms to waver violently. Sofia and Piccolo's strikes caused firework-like flashes to blitz across the sky, their shouts and battle cries obscured by the ferocity of their speed and blasting energy fields.
Sofia's speed was always ascending leaps and bounds, but today she was in true form. Piccolo could all but fend her blitz attacks before she'd phase in and out of sight. It wasn't until she went to tackle him from behind that he managed to spin and catch her in a bear hug, tightening his grip around her and causing her to thrash violently. 'Gotcha!' he husked, smirking in her face when she blinked up at him.
"Whoa!" Goku and Gohan both gasped, impressed with Piccolo's unorthodox way of neutralizing Sofia's insane speed attacks.
'So, what was I gonna get?' he chuckled cockily at her over their rapport, his eyes narrowing in that gloating way of his as he squeezed his arms around her for good measure.
He expected to see her eyes flash with that competitive zeal, or even anger at his boasting, but instead, he watched as slowly a Cheshire cat grin pulled across her lips, showing off her wicked fangs as she suddenly pulled her legs up and wedged them between their torsos nimbly. Using the soles of her feet, she pressed them against his abdomen before kicking free of his grip to spin in the air gracefully and twist her body in order to snap her ankles around him in a headlock, using the momentum to propel him like a spinning corkscrew down to the ground.
Pulling himself dizzily out of the ground, Piccolo shook of his disorientation to watch her phase over across from him before giving him the peace sign. 'Yer gonna get a spankin', babe,' she teased goofily before phasing back out and appearing in front of Goku and Gohan, who were yards away.
Blinking up at her, the father and son duo marveled at her counter maneuver. "Hey, so while I was spinning in the air totally shocking and awing Piccolo, I found myself thinking about something. I know we should spend the whole day sparring, but I think it's something we definitely need to take care of," Sofia offered in a quipping tone.
"We're in the middle of a spar session that definitely isn't over, Sofia!" Piccolo shouted over at them as he stood and dusted himself off.
"Yeah it is!" she shot back over her shoulder before continuing smoothly, "I just think it's an important endeavor to get done and out of the way, and today might be a good day to start working towards it."
Standing, Goku gave her that openly wide-eyed expression of his as he hummed in rapt attention. "I mean – if you think it's important, I don't see why we can't take a break from training for the day," he retorted soberly. "Plus, you totally beat Piccolo. We saw it," the Saiyan comically leaned over and whispered conspiratorially to her, his hand up to shield his mouth so Piccolo couldn't read his lips.
"I HEARD that! And she did NOT beat me," Piccolo shouted tersely, stalking over to the group as he added gruffly, "She paused in the middle of the fight. No way does that count as beating me."
Goku just chuckled in that irreverent way of his as he nervously scratched the back of his head and grinned. "Sure, Piccolo. It's a time out in the fight that'll be continued," Goku chirped good-naturedly while Gohan stifled his giggles and sneakily gave Sofia a high-five behind his dad. "Anyway – what do we gotta prepare for?" he inquired over at Sofia when she slid back over to stand between the two taller fighters.
"Ah. It's another kind of training. One you two are definitely in desperate need of," she declared matter-of-factly, placing her hands at her hips as she gave them an appraising glance before adding, "The fate of our upcoming ability to get ready successfully for the coming Android threat rests on completing this endeavor…"
"I can't believe you talked us into this."
"Oh c'mon, guys. I wasn't kidding; getting this done and out of the way is definitely necessary so we can continue training unbothered. Plus – you gotta learn the basics and practice before we take the test."
Balking at the two arguing fighters, Goku crossed his arms and tilted his head comically. "Wait. You're gonna take the driving test too, Sofia?"
Glancing at Goku, she chirped, "Yep! After all, if I'm gonna be here permanently, I'm definitely gonna have to drive a car—"
"No you're not! And neither do we," Piccolo glowered, stalking over to tower over Goku as he snapped, "Do me a favor and remind her that we can fly, so learning to drive a stupid car is completely asinine!"
Scoffing dramatically, Sofia teetered on her heels and tossed her hands up in the air. "It's NOT asinine! Look – while you might not need to, Goku definitely does or else he'll permanently be in the doghouse. Since I'm going for it, I think it's only fair you try again too. And anyway," she cut in before Piccolo could begin his next protest, and gestured towards the hover car parked in the front yard under the cheerfully sunny early afternoon as she added, "Ox King visiting today is the perfect opportunity to do some real practicing. He was even nice enough to offer his car up, ok?"
From the doorway of the humble cottage, the massively tall and stout Ox King congenially nodded and smiled. "That's right! Chi-Chi and I will just catch up while Gohan studies and you fellas practice. After all, practice makes perfect," the hulking man grinned before handing Sofia the keys and pushing a glaring Chi-Chi inside the house. "Good luck!"
Sighing, Goku crossed his arms, lifting his right hand to caress his chin thoughtfully as he mused, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try again. It'd sure make Chi-Chi happy—"
"Ugh," Piccolo groaned, slapping his hand on his forehead and dragging it down his face in exasperation. "This is absurd…but fine. Let's just get this over with," he sullenly declared, earning a fist pump from Sofia as she used her preternatural speed to phase into the driver's seat of the red convertible-style hover car. "Wait a minute—!"
"Less arguing, and more enthusiasm for learning, alright?" she interjected, adding, "You two hop in the backseat and watch me. I'll show you the basics."
Shrugging over at Piccolo when he gave him a baleful glare, Goku ambled over and hopped in the backseat. Frowning, Piccolo begrudgingly went over to do the same, snatching his turban and broad weighted and caped shoulder pads off in a quick motion before hopping to sit next to his former archrival. "Why're you so sure you can successfully show us the ropes anyway?" he groused, moodily crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at Sofia from the interior rearview mirror.
"I took some lessons and got my driving permit in my dimension," she replied simply as she snapped her seatbelt on easily and began assessing the dash before inserting the key in the ignition and starting the hover car. "While I've never driven a hover car before, the mechanics seem fairly similar."
Sofia went on to point out the different purposes of certain gauges, explained the importance of keeping an eye on the mirrors, and reminded them that pressing on the gas and the break should be incremental – not knee-jerk slams of their foot into the floor of the car. She put her instructions to practice by making the hover car lift and begin driving a smooth course down the dirt road that led out from the Son valley home. Wind tossing her hair languidly about, she showed them how to use the turn signals, the proper pace at which they should come to a stop if arriving at a light, intersection, or stop sign, as well as showed them how to look both ways and glance at the mirrors once more before continuing their drive.
Once she turned them around, Sofia put the hover car in park on the side of the road, unbuckled her seatbelt and slid into the passenger's side of the benchseat. "Ok, who wants to try driving back?" she asked, turning in her seat to glance encouragingly at the two nonplussed fighters.
Giving each other an appraising look, Piccolo and Goku waited for the other to volunteer, earning a sweatdrop from Sofia.
"Uhhh—not it!" Goku announced suddenly and touched his nose, causing Sofia and Piccolo to face-fault into their seats.
Once she cajoled Piccolo into the driver's seat, Sofia gently reminded him to put his seatbelt on, and adjusted his hand placement on the steering wheel. "Ok. Now, what do you do next?" she coached, smiling at him when he gave her a sharp glance.
"…Check the mirrors…" he muttered and went about doing so.
"Yep! Once you've made sure you have line of sight and checked your blind spots, you can pull out. But, we're parked on the side of the road, so, what should you do next before starting to pull onto the road?" she patiently asked, putting her seatbelt on and shooting a glance at Goku in the backseat that silently told him to do the same if he hadn't already.
Piccolo hesitated, glancing over at her before looking back down at the dashboard. Suddenly leaning forward and over the front seat's backrest, Goku eagerly offered, "Oh-oh! I know. You flip the blinker on, right?"
Glowering, Piccolo hunched away from Goku's intrusiveness and flicked the blinker on as Sofia bit her lip in a poor attempt of stifling a giggle. "Yep, that's right, Goku. And do you remember why we're using the blinker before pulling onto the road?" she asked smoothly and gave Piccolo a sidelong glance.
"Uhhh…" Goku scratched his head idly.
"To signal to any other drivers that you're pulling onto the road and avoid an accident," Piccolo answered in a grumble and shot her a smug look when she smiled and nodded.
"Oh yeah! That makes sense," Goku chimed and leaned back in his seat as he craned his head around at the deserted country road. "Do you have to do that even out here?"
As Piccolo signaled before smoothly pulling onto the road and beginning to drive at a low rate of speed back towards the valley, Sofia brushed her hair behind her shoulder as she turned to answer Goku. "For the purposes of the test? Yeah. Since most drivers are from super over congested cities, they'll be testing you based on your ability to follow the rules of driving with lots of traffic and people around," she remarked before glancing at the speedometer. "Case in point, the speed limit. Speed limits are different depending on where you're driving. For rural roads, you probably won't see it above 30-40 miles per hour, but on a highway, it could be 55-65 miles per hour. So, you can drive a little faster, Piccolo."
Easing into a cruising speed, Piccolo asked, "Alright, what about that parallel parking part? We didn't even get to that last time…"
Snorting, Sofia grinned and gestured with her hands to take it slow. "One step at a time. That's usually the last part of a driving test; it'll make or break your chance of getting your license, so that will be something I'm gonna need you both to really try your best at when we get to it," she offered, and earned a curt nod from Piccolo and a child-like look of confusion from Goku.
"So even if we don't crash or blow up the cars this time, if we don't parallel park right, we'll fail?!" the haphazardly spiky-haired Saiyan balked.
"But you won't fail, right?" Sofia coaxed, giving Goku a serene look when he lamely pouted. "C'mon, Kakarot! You're a warrior! The savior of the Earth half a dozen times over – you can parallel park a freaking car. Just think of it as a trial that's successful completion will insure the resolution of the ultimate feat you've ever faced: Appeasing Chi-Chi!" Sofia dramatically declared; eyes gleaming like rubies as the sun shone in them when she held her fist up regally at him.
Shaking his head ruefully, Piccolo grunted, "He'll never win that one."
"Ye of little faith!" Sofia pointed goofily at him and whirled back around to Goku. "I have confidence in both of you. After all, if neither of you get your driver's license this time, Goku won't make it to the battle with the Androids and Chi-Chi will probably rip your ears off, so…" she chortled with a comical shrug, earning a nervous laugh from Goku and Piccolo to hunch his shoulders with mortified tension as he drove.
Once they'd pulled into the front yard, Piccolo remembered to put the car in park before switching places with Goku. The usually jovial fighter was positively sweating bullets when he sat in the driver's seat and fastened his seatbelt, making the mistake of glancing over at the house and catching sight of Chi-Chi, who was staring out the window at him expectantly. Cringing, Goku chuckled in that silly way of his as he gave her a placid wave. Piccolo rolled his eyes from the back seat and crossed his arms while Sofia gently reminded him that just like martial arts, mastering driving was all about practice.
"Remember all the practice it took for you to get to the Kaio-ken? Just like that's about ki control, driving is about controlling the car," Sofia explained, deciding to use a tactic of terms and references Goku could relate to. "Just like you can't jump right to a Kaio-ken times 3 without working your way up to it, you can't hit the gas full throttle or slam the breaks willy-nilly. There's a natural progression to things when you're driving – sorta like falling in sync with the other cars around you the way you'd eventually be able to anticipate transitioning from one move to another. Does that make sense?"
Staring with wide, earnest eyes, Goku nodded and slowly smiled. "Yeah, it does!"
"Finally. Now can you put the car in gear and start driving already?" Piccolo drawled aloofly, earning a biting glare from Sofia.
"No backseat driving!" she admonished comically at him.
"What?! How come you didn't tell him that when he was doing it to me?" Piccolo barked, lip curled in a sneer when she dramatically huffed and threw her hands up.
"Heeheehee, oh—sorry, Piccolo—" Goku began to chortle good-naturedly, but was cut off by a snarky Sofia.
"Because he wasn't being a smartass, and you are," she shot back, crossing her arms with a tisk in her tone as she added, "So, in a supportive way, give Goku pointers on what he should do next?"
'Don't push it, Sofia,' Piccolo groused telepathically at her.
'Don't be all salty cuz he's not as quick-witted and brilliant as you, Piccolo,' she chided, but her tone was slightly teasing. 'I'm not worried about you. Goku, on the other hand, needs all the help he can get with anything that doesn't involve beating the shit out of someone—'
Huffing and diverting his gaze, Piccolo muttered, "Remember not to floor the accelerator—just ease your foot onto the pedal, and try to measure when you should start pressing the break when you want to stop so you don't have to slam your foot on it."
Having been blinking at them as they'd intensely glared at each other silently for the terse moment, Goku ended up grunting and nodding in understanding. "Well, ok…here goes," the easygoing Saiyan put the hover car in gear, and off they went, kicking up dust in their wake as Goku accelerated a little faster than he'd intended. "Whoops—sorry!" he shouted and concentrated on gingerly applying the breaks, succeeding in coming to a smooth stop a half mile up the road.
"It's ok, Goku. That was much better," Sofia encouraged. Piccolo took the opportunity from the back seat to stare at his twin star openly, inwardly admiring her level of patience with the lovable-yet-perpetually-dense fighter next to her. Her tank top strap was taut from her arm being pressed into the backrest, the wide necked blush-colored long sleeve top exposing a hint of her clavicle and collarbone as it drooped asymmetrically off her shoulder. He absently thought about wanting to kiss a trail from said shoulder across her exposed skin up to her neck, imagining how she'd sigh sultrily and pull him close to do some teasing of her own. "—right! I think the big issue was they expected you to get in the car and NOT treat them like bumper cars, haha," Sofia's amused quip made him focus on their conversation again. "Do you think you can try to drive down the road, turn, and head back to the house?"
"Only one way to find out," Goku laughed congenially before turning to look forward with the same earnest and sober conviction in his expression as he'd take on in the heat of battle. "I will not fail again!"
And with that resolute declaration, he drove, and was able to remember Sofia's instructions to complete the practice drive and return them – and Ox King's car – home in one piece.
A few days later, the 3 warriors entered the driving school grounds, surprising a lot of the staff members who remembered Goku and Piccolo from their last disastrous driving lessons. Unlike the last time, however, Goku was focused and resolute in his goal, sparing only curt nods and waves of acknowledgment to the people who balked at them as they waited their turn to meet their driving teachers.
"You got this, Goku," Sofia mused, giving the taller man an encouraging pat on the back. "You're gonna knock Chi-Chi on her ass—in a good way—when you show off your license and take her for a drive in the country. Just keep that in the back of your mind when you get nervous."
Smirking, Goku nodded. "Right. Thanks for your help, Sofia. Oh, and thanks for these," he piped and gestured to his cool yet comfortable outfit. "These are just as comfy as my training gi!"
Giving him a once over and lopsided smirk, Sofia shrugged humbly. "It's nothing—just a snap, literally," she replied coolly.
Fashioned by Sofia's magical styling, Goku was wearing the lightest pair of baby blue wash jeans ever, a white wide collared t-shirt that seemed even softer than cotton, and a comfortable unzipped orange and black-sleeved hoodie, with a pair of navy and royal-blue trimmed high-topped Converse sneakers with white laces and soles. On the back of the hoodie was his iconic kanji symbol, a fun homage to his gi.
"You look pretty snazzy too, Piccolo – better than wearing my hand me downs, huh," Goku grinned goofily when the taller warrior shot him a glance from the spot he was standing in under the shade of auburn-leafed tree.
"Not quite…but they are comfortable," even though the jeans are his, Piccolo said and thought, glancing at Sofia, who looked quite attractive in the long sleeve lilac tunic, army green crop jacket, black leggings, and brown lace up mid-calf boots she was wearing. She looked statuesque and curvy, earning lots of stray glances from some of the men that walked by. The amber-tinted sunglasses she was wearing, which made her look cool and casual in the early autumn day, obscured her exotic-yet-scintillatingly crimson eyes.
"If you'd like, I can snap you into that trusty 'Postboy' ensemble," Sofia drawled playfully as she took the chance to give him an appreciative glance before wiggling her eyebrows at him. While his Namekian features would always have him stand out in a crowd, Piccolo was definitely dressed comfortably and coolly in the jeans that somehow fit him like a glove, black and white converse sneakers, black crew neck t-shirt, and soft long sleeve red flannel shirt, with a backwards turned blue baseball cap to conceal his antennae. She'd cheekily added the Nirvana smiley face logo to the front of the cap, but Piccolo was none the wiser.
God, he's dead-sexy… She pined while Goku snorted at her joke and Piccolo rolled his eyes.
"Ok, next up for the examinations are…oh no, it can't be!" the elderly instructor began as he strolled out of the driving school building before balking down at his chart and croaking in protest; looking up at Goku and Piccolo. "You two?! But-but—!"
"Oh, it's misters Goku and Piccolo. How nice to see you both so soon," Cynthia, the brunette cheerful female instructor chirped as she cut the distance and dragged her elder colleague along with her.
"Hiya!" Goku offered congenially. "Don't worry. We've gotten lots of practice since last time, and we're here just to take our tests," he assured when the older man looked about to have a conniption.
The female instructor smiled. "How nice! Well then, I suppose we should get started—"
Sofia slid in between the woman and Piccolo when the not-so-secret speed demon went over to lead her twin star away to the waiting driving test hover car. "Actually, I'd like to go first, if that's alright," she mused and gave the other woman a cool smile while Piccolo blinked confusedly behind her and the instructors gaped in wonder up at her.
"Sure thing! I like your confidence," the shorter woman offered and led the way.
As she walked away, Sofia shouted over her shoulder, "This won't take long if you wanna watch me Ace the test!"
Giving each other a mutual look of awe, Goku and Piccolo rushed to follow, with the old man protesting cantankerously behind them.
Sofia hadn't lied. It took her 10 minutes flat to clear the test course, wickedly giving the overly-friendly Cynthia a taste of her own medicine by showing her how to drive like a true speed demon. When she arrived at the part of the course where she'd have to complete the parallel parking portion of the test, the other woman was laughing goofy with spirals in her eyes – her clipboard gripped in her manicured hands and Sofia's score sheet checked off with passing marks in every section.
Piccolo and Goku found themselves holding their breaths as they watched her parallel park and smoothly put the car back in gear to drive and park in her starting spot. Posing coolly in the car while Cynthia quickly stamped "PASSED" onto her score sheet, Sofia tipped her sunglasses down and winked at them.
Smirking, Piccolo found it incredibly sexy, especially when she hopped out of the car and ran her long fingers through her hair before shooting them a brilliant smile.
"Because of the high insurance we had to take out from your last disastrous tests, we'll be taking turns in the same vehicle," the elderly instructor barked before pointing his cane at Piccolo. "Alright, young man, you're next. And please…try to keep your competitive streak in check this time!"
"Good luck, Piccolo!" Goku offered and jovially waved as his former archrival got in the driver's seat and began his exam. Glancing over at Cynthia, who was still wistfully teetering in place off to the side, Goku whispered over to Sofia, "Uh, is she gonna be ok?"
"Oh yeah. But I think she's out of commission for the rest of the day as far as driving exams are concerned," Sofia snickered and thought, that'll teach her for trying to get all flirty with my man.
Before long, Piccolo drove up to the parallel parking section of the course, and methodically completed the final task, smirking confidently when he pulled up to the curve and Sofia was cheering while Goku clapped enthusiastically.
When he loped over, he flashed his "PASSED" stamped score sheet before slipping it into his back pocket.
"Well, I guess it's my turn…" Goku's enthusiasm slightly waned as he nervously smiled over at them. "Wish me luck, you guys!"
"Goku," Sofia clamped her hand platonically on the taller man's shoulder. "Don't be nervous. Just remember," she paused for emphasis before adding comically, "Chi-Chi will kill you if you fail, and then you won't be able to fight the Androids!"
Piccolo sweatdropped behind her before ruefully shaking his head as he barked, "You call THAT encouragement?!"
Blinking at her, Goku was focusing on her red eyes as they peeked at him over the rim of her tinted sunglasses. He saw the warmth and affection, and most importantly, the reassurance he needed. Offering her a lopsided smirk, the fighter curtly nodded and went over to hop into the driver's seat.
"What if he can't parallel park?" Piccolo rumbled stoically to her when he crossed his arms while he watched Goku begin to drive off smoothly.
Shrugging noncommittally, Sofia chirped, "We'll beat up the old man."
Grunting with humor, he drawled, "I'm serious."
"I know, and I'm not worried. He's freaking Goku. You know better than anyone not to underestimate that dude," she teased, shooting him an amused glance over the rim of her sunglasses.
Sure enough, they eventually watched from their vantage point as the haphazardly spiky-haired savior of the Earth and universe at large pulled up to the notorious final section of the driving exam. Taking a cleansing breath, Goku focused with all his might on the task, recalling acutely all the mishaps and close calls of running over the practice cones the last few days. Expression chiseled in concentration, the happy-go-lucky Saiyan put the hover car in gear and began to parallel park, ever so slowly.
Wringing her hands together, Sofia silently stressed while Piccolo crossed his arms tighter in anticipation for the crash he waited for that never came.
Instead, Goku inched slowly inch by painstaking inch into the spot before adjusting the wheel and straightening out the car. The instructor was in awe, jaw dropped and staring up at him in wonder as he managed to carefully pull out of the parallel parking section and return them in one piece back to the starting point of the exam.
When he put the car in park and shut the engine, Goku openly looked over at the instructor. "Well…was that ok this time, sir?"
Tip of the pen frozen on the last check mark of the score sheet, the man stared down at the clipboard before definitively checking the box as pass. "It's miraculous…I've never seen this level of improvement! Congratulations, young man!" And with that, he stamped "PASSED" on his sheet and handed it over.
"YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!" Sofia shouted unabashedly before leaping in the air and fist pumping wildly. "HELL YEAH! YOU DID IT, GOKU! WOOOOOOOO!" she continued to celebrate, zipping around comically while Piccolo stood in the same stance, shaking his head ruefully at the display.
Laughing, Goku thanked the instructor eagerly before hopping out to run over to his friends. Sofia immediately glomped him and squealed merrily, continuing to praise him. Once they finished their silly celebrations and posed for their driver's license photos, they each picked up their glossy license and marveled at it. Sofia leaned over Goku's shoulder and gave him a thumbs up at his photo while Piccolo kept trying to keep his away from her eager gaze and fast hands as she tried to phase about in attempts of snatching it out of his grasp. After relenting and showing them, Sofia smiled at the stoic yet handsome photo he took – sans his backwards-turned hat – and flashed hers to their scrutinizing stares.
"Oh wow, bet that's the first time they ever had to write 'red' next to eye color," Goku chuckled good-naturedly as they walked out of the license office out into the crisp afternoon air. "Well, it's a good thing we all passed," Goku announced as he began to dig into his hoodie pocket before retrieving a capsule. "Means we get to drive back in this!"
When he clicked the capsule and tossed it to the curbside in front of the building, a big burst of smoke obscured their vision before dissipating to reveal a compact, white 2-seat hover car with a convertible top.
"Whoa…" Sofia rushed over to check out the car, pushing her sunglasses to rest on the top of her head so she could admire the interior; watching as the roof folded down with the click of a button when Goku reached in and pressed it on the dash. "Where'd you get this?"
"Oh, Chi-Chi's dad helped me pick it out…and pay for it. It's sort of a belated wedding gift," the jovial Saiyan explained before hopping into the driver's seat. "Do you think she'll like it?"
Smiling, Sofia teetered on to the balls of her feet before declaring, "She's gonna love it!"
"Are you really gonna drive it back to your house?" Piccolo inquired, crossing his arms and glancing at Goku's wide-eyed expression. "I mean, why not just give her the capsule," he added and glanced up at Sofia, who was giving him that look that was almost a pout and sneer. "What?"
"He WANTS to be ROMANTIC and pull up in the car all, "Hey, honey. Let me take you out for a long drive and show you the stars," Piccolo," she acerbically shot back, now crossing her arms and raising a brow at him. "So handing the capsule to her isn't the most exciting way to go about that, obvi."
"Heeheehee, yeah, I just think it'll be great to see Chi-Chi's face when we drive up," Goku chortled as he started the car.
Both glancing at him, they asked in unison, "We?"
"Yeah! We're all driving back together," the Saiyan retorted affably. "Sure, it's a 2-seater, but I figured you'd ride shotgun, Piccolo, and Sofia could sit on your lap—"
"Whoa, why in the hell would we all cram into this car and drive back? I mean—if anything, you 2 can drive back, and I'll just fly—" Piccolo's rational complaint was interrupted by a frowning Goku.
"Aww, c'mon, Piccolo. If it wasn't for you guys and all your help, I wouldn't have been able to pass the test. You both are just as much part of me being able to surprise Chi-Chi with this new car, and it'd just be really nice to have our first official drive all together, that's all," Goku explained in that endearingly wonderful way of his that even made the likes of his former foes wane in conviction. It also didn't help that Sofia was melting at the sweetness of his petition, leading her to gaze over at him in that way that made something in his chest flutter warmly.
Huffing and dropping his arms to his sides in defeat, Piccolo grumbled, "Oh alright…but couldn't you have gotten a car with enough seats?"
"Piccolo!" Sofia admonished, opening the passenger side door and holding it open, her glare to be nice earning an eye roll from her twin star as he rounded the car and sat next to Goku. After shutting the door, Sofia effortlessly hopped in and landed firmly in Piccolo's lap, earning a grunt from him and his eyes to grow wide momentarily. "See? We fit! I don't appreciate you acting like I'm a behemoth or something—"
"I was not implying anything!" Piccolo groused, hanging one arm over the open window panel while the other was tossed behind the backrest as to accommodate her to lean back against his chest. "This is a tight fit, and you know it, that's all—"
"It's not that bad. You're just trying to be too cool and don't like having your style cramped even just a little," Sofia cut in argumentatively and adjusted to be more comfortable in his lap, which caused her derriere to be firmly pressed against his crotch. Feeling him stiffen slightly, she made a big show about pulling the seatbelt on for both of them before smiling cheerily at Goku. "Ok! Let's get this show on the road."
"Alright!" Goku offered affably as he buckled up, started the car, and drove them home.
Which was a 40-minute drive away.
Jaw clenched tightly, Piccolo gripped the backrest tightly to hide his growing anxiety about being pressed so close and against Sofia while she chatted pleasantly with Goku as they drove.
Just don't think of sex. Ignore it. Forget she's sitting on your lap. Think of stuff you hate, Piccolo recited mentally to himself to quell his rising libido, but was thwarted every time they hit a bump and Sofia pressed and rubbed against him more from the jostling. When she idly gripped his knee and adjusted again, laughing at something Goku said, Piccolo internally groaned, fixating on how the thin leggings she wore felt against his ever-tightening jean-covered crotch. Shit…! She's gotta be doing this on purpose, he mentally fumed, breathing a quiet intake of air through his nose and closing his eyes as he tried to stifle the blush that was creeping up his neck towards his cheeks.
'You're quieter than usual,' she mused innocently over their telepathic rapport, shooting him a quick glance and flirty smile when Goku was trying to concentrate on getting over the necessary lanes towards the off ramp he needed to take to head home.
'I know what you're doing,' he grumbled bitingly, eyeing her sharply before glancing at their aloof driver. 'Quit it right now—'
'Quit what?' she feigned sweetly before playfully grinding her backside against him. 'This?'
He could feel his half-erect member throb to full hardness at that. It took all his willpower not to grip her waist and reciprocate her wanton tease. 'Sofia—!' he warned in a husky growl.
"You sure are quiet, Piccolo. Is my driving still that bad?" Goku cut in distractedly as he focused on pulling off of the highway onto the country road that led up into Mt. Paozu.
"…I'm just enjoying the scenery," Piccolo managed to mutter levelly, coughing to conceal his blush so he could turn to look over Sofia's shoulder at the scenic views.
"You're driving great, Goku. I think when we get home, you should take Chi-Chi out for a drive. Piccolo and I can watch Gohan," Sofia offered, elbowing her twin star platonically as she chirped, "Sound good, Piccolo?"
Exhaling noisily through his nose, Piccolo muttered tersely, "Sure." Chi-Chi's harpy-like yelling; Bulma's self-centered nagging; Vegeta's stupid smug face—, he recited to himself things that completely grated his nerves and in turn, would cool his arousal. Nail's hassling; Kami telling me anything; the old goat in general…
Luckily, they mercifully made it to the cottage, pulling up to park across from the front door just as it was opened and Chi-Chi eagerly rushed out, eyes wide as saucers.
"Hey, hun! Guess what—" Goku was interrupted as he hopped out of the car and was rushed by an excited Chi-Chi.
"Oh, Goku!" she tackled him and showered him with happy kisses, tears in her eyes as she realized that not only had he accomplished the goal, but came home in what was clearly their new family car. "I love it! Oh, you're the most wonderful husband. I love you," she gushed, hugging him sweetly while he smiled and gave Sofia and Piccolo a thumb's up.
Hopping out of the car, Sofia went over to Gohan and showed off her license, while Piccolo took his time getting out of the car and wandering off from the happy celebrations to conceal his still-riled frame.
After celebrating the achievement with a dinner feast and posing for an obligatory group photo where the 3 fighters showed off their hard-sought after prizes, Goku and Chi-Chi went for a sunset drive together while Sofia, Piccolo and Gohan stayed behind to spend time together. Taking advantage of the crisp fall air, they hung out in the living room with the windows open and played cards for a while until Piccolo announced he'd be heading off for the night.
"Don't stay up too late, kid. I'll see you in a couple of days," he waved as he left the house.
Left to idly play with the cards, trying to stack them into houses, Gohan finally piped up, "So…do you still have a crush on Piccolo?"
Snorting, Sofia raised an aloof brow at him as she retorted, "I've never had a crush on Piccolo."
"Uh-huh," Gohan replied with conspiratorial expression as he added, "You guys don't really fight anymore."
"So?" she asked before watching her house of cards crumble after he placed an ace on the top. "That doesn't mean anything more than…well, that we're friends now. I mean, remember how he constantly yelled at you? But overtime, you two grew to be the best of friends," she mused, smiling at Gohan when he nodded in agreement.
"I guess so…I just thought you guys would be more than that, is all," he explained as he yawned.
Snickering, Sofia shook her head ruefully. Changing the subject, she pulled out one of her favorite books and began to read it to him as he lounged on the couch, ensnaring his avid attention for a while until he slowly succumbed to sleep. When she realized he was in deep slumber, she picked him up and carried him to his bed, tucking him in before going back out to clean up the kitchen and living room just as Goku and Chi-Chi returned home.
Seeing the sparkle in the older woman's eyes as she stared lovingly at Goku, Sofia knew that her buddy was guaranteed a night of marital bliss. "You two have a great family day tomorrow. I'll be heading out in a few once I've finished tidying up," she offered pleasantly as she continued to put away the cards and right the pillows on the couch.
"It's so late, Sofia. You should stay here tonight—" Chi-Chi began, her arms wrapped around Goku's as she affectionately cuddled him.
"It's alright! Don't worry. I'll see you guys later," Sofia offered as she picked up her backpack and headed for the door, pausing before she walked out to offer them a knowing smile as she added, "Have fun."
There was nothing more fulfilling than having people you care about. Let alone who care about you in return. I never knew how that really felt, but after deciding to remain in this dimension, I looked back and wondered why I ever struggled with the idea of staying to begin with. The time since making my choice was a whirlwind, but now as I stared out at the sprawling landscape in front of me, I took the time to reflect on every moment, cherishing the sensation of genuine happiness that filled me. Clearing the clouds to approach where Piccolo and I have shacked up in on the fleeting occasions we had to be alone together, I landed on the ledge of the cave and went in, idly rubbing my arms at the fall-like chill in the night air.
I totally expected for him to be back in his usual threads meditating the stress of the day away, so I was surprised to see him sitting lotus style by the fire, still wearing the outfit I'd snapped for him. Not only that, he had one of my favorite books of short stories and poems balanced on one knee while he wrote in a small notebook propped on the other. Blinking at the sight, I took off my jacket and tossed it to the side before wandering closer to the fire.
"Hey," I offered tentatively, not sure what mood he was in after all of my unfair teasing in the car earlier.
"Took you long enough," he groused tersely, still writing in the notebook. "I take it Goku and the harpy will both be in great moods when we go back to train?" he mused in that level baritone of his as he closed the book and tossed it over to my little reading nook before glancing up at me.
"Oh yeah. I think Chi-Chi will manage to not bellow at him for anything for at least a week," I chuckled before going over to sit and cozy up next to him. "Whatcha writing?"
I totally expected him to be squirrelly and not want to share, but was surprised when he offered me the notebook and shrugged. "I've just been practicing. Gohan had a spare," he explained aloofly and leaned back on his hands as he watched me open the notebook and peruse his writing.
Skimming a page, I realized he'd been copying down excerpts out of the book. I read a few before flipping pages, noticing that his once jumbled handwriting seemed more practiced now, and more notably, that his grammar was no longer the rudimentary stringing of phonetics it'd once been. I also realized that not all the writings were copied excerpts.
I don't know why, but this one stands out: here is the deepest secret nobody knows…higher than the soul can hope or the mind can hide…this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart. I carry your heart; I carry it in my heart, I read, smiling before glancing up at him. Never would I have thought he had a penchant for poesy.
"Turn it to the last page I wrote in," he murmured, his onyx eyes lowering in that musing way of his that made me want to fawn.
Flipping through the rest of the pages to get to the one in question, I read out loud, "What is worse than having the woman you love in secret pressed against you in front of your old nemesis? Having her grind against you when you can't reciprocate the way you want. Like by caressing her body as you tease her right back." Feeling my cheeks burn, I looked at him and started giggling innocently. "Well, to be fair, you don't have to love me in secret, you know," I sing-sung to him as I went to cuddle up against him.
"I wasn't going to take you right then and there in front of Son, you crazy woman. Secret or no secret," he huffed at me, but pulled me onto his lap as he tossed his hat aside and seductively ground me down on him. "But if you think I'm going to let you get away with your wanton teasing, you're very mistaken," he purred hotly against my throat when I gasped and gripped his shoulders as I arched in surprise.
"Mmmm, oh no, just how mistaken am I?" I murmured playfully as I began to push his flannel shirt off. "I mean, I really wasn't teasing at all~," I purred, slipping my hands up his black shirt to caress his firm pecs.
"Is that a fact?" he husked in that velvety tone that sent fluttering excitement down my body. "Then I guess there's no need for me to reciprocate," he said offhandedly before shrugging and letting me slip off his lap as he went to stand.
Snagging him by the belt loop of his jeans, I stopped him from loping away and propped myself on the sitting pillow in a kneeling position. When he stared down at me with feigned composure, I gazed up at him through my lashes before batting them at him. "Well, just between us, I will admit: the idea of you wanting to take me right then and there?" I drawled sultrily as I began to unfasten the button of his jeans, adding, "That's exactly what I fantasize about, so is it a wonder I teased you the way I did?" Caressing my hand up his thigh as I watched his expression change from slight intrigue to heated interest, I continued in a smoky tone, "But even more so, the constant desire to get you out of these jeans has distracted me all day…" As I said that, I slowly unzipped his fly.
BUT! Before I could continue into the foreplay session I'd been fantasizing about all day, Piccolo pulled me up from my kneeling position and quite frankly, made short work of undressing me and himself before taking me to bed. Tossing the last of my clothes aside as he pressed against me in our kneeling positions from behind, I leaned back against his chest as I pulled his arms to encircle me. With a sigh, I tossed my head to the side to meet his jaw and entice him to lean close for a kiss. When he did, I nipped playfully at his bottom lip before humming seductively at his hands trailing possessively up my curves to caress me as he bucked cheekily against me.
"Is this what you wanted to do to me in the car?" I purred, reaching my arms backwards to anchor around his neck so I could press myself flush against him.
"No," he husked, surprising me when he groped his strong hands down my body to grip my hips as he undulated his pelvis in such a way that it caused him to grind his hard cock teasingly between the valley of my thighs before he growled hotly, "this is what I wanted to do in the car every time you'd fidget and rub your ass against me. Which, by the way, was cruel."
Gasping and shivering at the erotic onslaught of his actions and words, I began to reciprocate his ministrations by grinding slow circular motions back against him, driving his manhood to be exquisitely close to pressing inside me. "Cruel?" I mewled drunkenly, tilting my head sideways when he nudged his cheek against my temple as he slowly trailed one of his hands to slip between my thighs.
"Yes! You're a damn…what's it called again?" he huffed in a gravelly tone against my ear as he began touching me with expert prowess.
"…a cock tease?" I sighed absentmindedly, too enthralled by his ministrations to care.
"Yeah, that," he grunted in that sexy way of his before surprising me by wrapping his arms around me and pulling us both down to land sideways on the bedroll. Kissing the back of my shoulder as we spooned, he caressed my body with his strong yet gentle hands, causing me to rock with pleasure against him. I was dying to have him inside me after so long without being able to feel his skin against mine. "You were driving me crazy," he growled hungrily against my jaw as he kissed along it, causing me to sigh and gasp as I clutched his arms. When I ground my excited flesh wantonly on his lap, he hummed with pleasure before pulling me against him as he began to press his hard, throbbing shaft into me. I cried out, mewling softly when he gripped my hip and began making love to me in the way I imagined he'd been fantasizing about the whole drive home while I'd teasingly ground myself against his crotch.
Lacing my fingers with his, I gripped his hand as our bodies rocked in rhythm while his other hand slipped between my thighs to cause even more havoc on me. "Oh god," I gasped desperately as his fingers caressed my eager flesh before pressing teasingly against the source of my heated pleasure. "Oh god, Piccolo—please!" I whimpered, feeling so close to bliss in his arms. His fingers tightened around mine as I tipped my face upwards towards his to capture his lips in a hungry kiss, tongues and lips caressing lustfully as we continued to make love. When his other fingers began to skillfully circle my excited flesh in time with his strokes in and out of my quivering heat, I felt myself stiffen and curl against him, awash with my climax and a hearty cry of pleasure. Before long, I was gasping at the feel of his hard cock throbbing for release inside of me. I wanted more of him; wanted him to lose control and climax just as powerfully as he'd driven me to. I could feel his pulse throbbing against me, his skin growing hot as he pressed against me with a husky groan coming from his chest. There was nothing like feeling him at that delicious point of unselfconscious desire and hunger that caused him to growl and hum with pleasure. He was close, and I could feel him trembling with the will to not lose control, battling against his need to prolong yet coax pure bliss out of both of us. "Mmm, Piccolo," I whimpered just as we began to quicken the pace of our lovemaking. "Oh god, please don't stop!" I cried out when I could feel that same wave of pleasure and titillating excitement coil in my core again; his gruff groans and gasps becoming hoarse grunts as he nuzzled my neck.
He wasn't much of a talker during sex, so when he did say anything, it was the biggest turn on for me. Especially when he said it in that gravelly baritone that caused my body to flush and tingle with excitement.
"Dammit—Sofia…!" he growled as he began to thrust faster, his hands caressing my body possessively as he groaned and pressed his next thrust deep inside of me. "Hnh…ah—!" he tensed when I cried out at the sensation of him nestled against the most tender and excited part within me, causing me to climax even more powerfully than the first time. The tensing and quivering of my body clenching him so possessively drove him wild, causing him to continue to thrust harder and quicker before he bit back on his groan and climaxed, burying his face against my neck as he achieved bliss. Panting and exhaustedly entangled against each other, we relaxed in the afterglow of yet another mind-blowing session of lovemaking. My skin was tingling, my core vibrating with sated pleasure, hyperaware of the sensation of his different-textured skin brushing and pressing against my body as we spooned. I absently realized after a short while that he was languidly combing my mussed hair back and away from my face once he leaned down and kissed my cheek. When I craned my head sideways and smiled drunkenly up at him, Piccolo gave me an accomplished smirk before gloating, "Nothing better than getting you so satisfied that all you can do is look at me like that."
It was true. I was so over the moon, I just couldn't muster words. All I could manage was telepathically purring, 'Imma tease you like that every freaking day for infinity!'
In the darkness of her subconscious, she felt herself sink into a fitful dream that was unlike all the others that had preceded it. Her unconscious seemed to tremble with the confusion she felt, but all at once, Sofia felt something deep in the darkness begin to call out to her.
We are waiting for you to awaken
She pulled herself away from the sensation and began to rush forward, fear not compelling her to escape, yet something in the whispered voices that carried over from the darkness sounded viciously impatient and demanding of her. When she turned back towards the darkness, she blinked at the shift of her surroundings. The dark subconscious was replaced by a seemingly arid plain that glowed almost violet from the swaying grasses and the vermillion soil—distant trees rustling with fuchsia leaves in their canopies under an orange sky.
Sofia stood alone in the sprawling landscape. It was deftly quiet around her, save for the pulsating of a voice from somewhere beyond.
We want our True to awaken…come forth—bringer…this vessel is not yet enough—we are the blood of stones—
The voices carried over in a disorienting cacophony to Sofia as she whirled about in the alien landscape, her pulse racing as the voices kept echoing into her very marrow.
I will awaken
The breathy whisper silenced all the other voices and left Sofia frazzled before the landscape plunged into a well of darkness around her, and the same voice hissed laboriously at her from the recess of her soul like a ravenous feline creature that was prowling for dominance.
WAKE UP
Sofia snapped herself awake and sat up in bed, her brow covered in sweat and a slight panic rising in her chest when she struggled to remember where she was.
Gripping the blanket around her nude form, she gazed about until her frenzied vision focused on the dark walls of the cave illuminated soothingly by the dying glow of the embers in the fireplace. The warm form pressed against her shifted with a sigh before rolling on its side and exhaling softly. Glancing down at Piccolo's sleeping features, Sofia realized she'd had a terrible dream. Once she felt her racing pulse calm, she laid her head back on the pillow and took a cleansing breath. Turning her head sideways, she watched Piccolo sleep peacefully, and was glad she hadn't stirred him awake with her fitful slumber. She watched him for a few moments before trying to reconcile the snippets of the nightmare she was still able to see in her mind's eye.
The whole dream had felt eerie and divorced from her; as if it'd been meant for someone else. She wondered if it was anything to ponder on further, but unlike her past dreams, this one hadn't stirred a foreboding dread. It was a vision of something that escaped her awareness, but kept tugging in the back of her recollections.
Unable to go back to sleep, she snuck out of bed and into a set of thermal leggings and sweater before picking up her boots and stealthily exiting the cave.
A long while later, she absently stirred herself out of her idle thoughts to glance about at the splendor of the world around her from atop of the plateau she was standing on. The dream sunk into the recesses of her subconscious, the calling whispers forgotten, for now.
Watching the sunrise, Sofia hugged herself against the early morning chill and took a calming breath as the breeze made her hair flutter languidly about.
"What're you doing up here?"
Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Piccolo land on the plateau she was standing on. He was free of his turban and shoulder pads, looking devastatingly handsome as the morning rays caught the contours of his face.
"Nothing. Just wanted to come watch the sunrise. Didn't want to wake you," she answered him as she continued to absentmindedly rub her arms. When he stood next to her, she was pleasantly surprised when he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his side. Sofia curled lovingly against him, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Isn't it lovely?"
He gazed across the horizon, his onyx eyes shining warmly as he smirked and nodded. "Yeah. I've seen it countless times…but this is the first time I've seen it with someone," he murmured, his baritone cool and serene as he spoke against her temple. "Instead of sneaking out of bed next time, just wake me. I shouldn't be sleeping past dawn anyway," he drawled as he encircled her waist with both his arms.
She turned in his arms and kissed his jaw. "Alright, tough guy. Mmm, you're so warm," Sofia murmured as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his neck. He grunted, nudging her head affectionately so she'd lean up and meet his kiss. Smiling against his lips, she pulled back and gazed up at him. "So, what do you wanna do today?"
Giving her a lopsided smirk, he drawled in that gravelly tone that she found to be such a turn on, "If you'd stayed in bed, we'd be doing it right now."
Feeling weak in the knees, she managed to raise a brow and playfully purred, "And I'm the insatiable one?"
"Damn straight," he countered wryly before glancing back at the sunrise. "I'm content to hang around here. Unless you have something else in mind?"
Humming, she trailed her hands up his chest to idly caress his collarbones as she clicked her tongue in thought. "How 'bout we go back down to the cave, and we get you into those sexy jeans so I can get you out of them?" she wiggled her eyebrows at him and earned a snort as he rolled his eyes sarcastically at her proposition.
"See? Insatiable," he groused dryly while taking her hand to lead the way down from the plateau, glancing over his shoulder as he offered matter-of-factly, "They're gonna notice I never gave those damned jeans back in the first place eventually, you know."
They used their agility to slide down the side of the plateau to arrive at the lip that jutted out to reveal the entrance of the cave. Once they landed on the perch, she pulled him into the cave, her purr echoing around them. "I snapped Goku a replacement pair and hung them on the laundry line a while back, so they're none the wiser…"
His warm chuckle echoed around them as they got into their humble and secret abode. "Of course you did," he grunted glibly as he flicked a small ki ball to ignite the kindling in the fire pit, instantly illuminating the cave.
"Yep! So no need to worry; no one will ever know the things I've done to get you in and out of those fabulous pants, so you're safe," she murmured off-handedly with a shrug.
Taking her hand when she made a dramatically dismissive gesture, he affectionately trailed his fingertips up her arm to her shoulder. He admired her dazzling gaze as he murmured, "I know it annoys you to keep things under the radar from the others, but you know it's only cuz I don't think anyone should know our business, right?"
Rolling her eyes sarcastically, Sofia pulled her thermal sweater off and tossed it at him. "Well, to be honest, that was the plan before when we didn't know if I was going to stay in this dimension or go back," she replied gently as she stripped out of her boots from the day before and the thermal leggings. Now completely nude before him, she casually sauntered over and crawled back into bed, and only after she was pleasantly tucked under the warm blankets did she add musingly, "It's wholly up to us whether we wanna keep sneaking around, or, not."
Raising a brow ridge, Piccolo went about stripping out of the few clothes he wore to join her under the covers, and only after settling on his side and propping himself up on his elbow to stare down at her did he thoughtfully reflect on why the subject seemed to bother her. "You think I'm embarrassed to be public," he mused, his antennae vacillating when he tilted his head to the side, adding, "I'm not, you know."
"I know you're not keen on being public…but I don't think it's out of embarrassment. I just," she paused, sighing because she didn't like how he might react. "Never mind, it's stupid—"
'Sofia, c'mon,' Piccolo cut in telepathically, brushing the backs of his knuckles affectionately along her cheek.
Crimson eyes twinkling up at him, she exhaled her tension. "I think you're afraid of being public—of what it will mean for everyone else to know you're not the loner with no sentimental attachments weighing him down anymore—no longer free of the trappings of publically loving someone and having something that can be used against you in battle. And no, it's not the same as your friendship with Gohan," she interjected before adjusting to lie on her side to face him more. "Listen, I'm sorta afraid too…but I think being with you is a strength; gives me more reason to fight and not be held back," she explained soberly before adding dismissively, "Doesn't matter. After all, I highly doubt you'd ever profess your feelings to another soul anyway, so…"
Huffing his exhale through his nose, Piccolo tried to submerge his scowl. It always disarmed him just how much she really knew him—how he felt and thought. Now as he thought about it, that was pretty much exactly why he was ambivalent about the whole thing. But he'd be damned if he left her thinking and feeling poorly about things between them because of his selfish concerns.
"Alright, get dressed, and let's go," he suddenly declared, tossing the covers away and grabbing his typical attire before hurriedly getting dressed.
Blinking in shock, Sofia watched him get dressed before finally inquiring, "Why? Where are we going—?"
"You'll see. Just get dressed. I'll wait for you up top," he stated resolutely before stalking out the cave and floating up to the plateau at the top of their cave.
Sweatdropping, Sofia hurriedly snapped her fingers and materialized a burgundy thermal sweatshirt, black jeggings, and her lace up boots before snuffing the fire out with a telekinetic burst before heading out.
When she floated up to the top, Piccolo had his trademark turban and caped shoulder pads on. Giving her an appraising glance, he simply gestured for her to follow him as he hopped in the air and took flight. Confused, she did so, relenting in her skepticism thanks to her complete trust in her twin star; a trust he'd come to earn implicitly.
As they flew, she admired the scenic early morning landscape. The cool blue sky was filled with docile clouds as they ascended further beyond them. Dimly, she realized they were flying further and further up into the sky, an ascent that could only mean one destination.
When the top of Korin's Tower came into view, Sofia glanced with furrowed brows at Piccolo. 'Why're we going up to the Lookout?' she inquired, her eyes narrowing goofily at him when he offered her a cool glance.
'You'll see,' was all he responded before jetting faster in his ascent towards the base of the Lookout's dome.
Barreling after him, Sofia caught up and they both burst through the clouds to descend to a graceful landing virtually at the same time. Mr. Popo was merrily watering some daffodils in one of his favorite courtyard plots when he paused and turned, noticing the new arrivals. "Oh, hello you too! It's so nice of you both to visit again," the ebony genie offered, coming over to greet the twin stars as they walked across the center courtyard in route to the palace.
"Hey, Mr. Popo!" Sofia greeted with a pleasant smile.
"Where's the old man?" Piccolo asked, skipping the pleasantries.
Now Sofia was truly confused. Piccolo was willingly coming to talk to Kami? And it wasn't under chaotic circumstances?
"I'm right here, Piccolo. No need to be so rude, though," Kami's sage tone echoed over to them as he exited the palace, his expression stoic, but gaze betraying his confusion at their sudden arrival. "While it is nice to see you both so soon, I'm curious to know what's motivated this visit," the guardian of Earth mused as he walked over to join them in the center courtyard.
Fists balled up at his sides, Piccolo inhaled a sobering breath before exhaling it through his nose; features set in an unreadable mask as he regarded his older half before glancing over at Sofia. Extending his hand to her, he caught her off guard, but when she took his hand, she let him march her over to Kami until they were mere feet away from the elder Namek.
When Kami just blinked in confusion, Piccolo finally sighed. He was ready.
"I brought Sofia here to let you know that I love her. She thinks I'm afraid to let it be known, but I'm not. I don't particularly want to deal with the stupid trivial curiosities of others, nor do I really care what people will think. I'm content with it being just she and I indefinitely. But, she doesn't think I have the guts to profess my love for her to anyone, and I wanted to come up here, and tell you, of ALL people, that I profess my feelings for her, because I want her to know I'd do anything for her, no matter how exasperating it is."
Everyone's eyes were wide and mouths hung agape in surprised awe at the declaration, but none were more knocked over than Sofia, who was holding his hand and staring at him like he'd done the most amazingly heroic thing she'd ever seen him do.
When a few seconds of silence reigned, Piccolo finally turned towards her, took her other hand and barked tersely, "There. Are you satisfied?"
The shock slowly melting away from her features, her eyes becoming glossy garnet stones brimming with love for him. "Yes. I am…and I love you too, with all my heart, especially right here, and now," she breathed, her smile softening her features as she tossed her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.
Piccolo pulled her close, encircling her waist as he kissed her unselfconsciously in front of his know-it-all elder half, something that only a day ago would've been a cringe-worthy display to him.
"Well, in my entire tenure as Kami of Earth, this is a first," the elder sage grinned when they parted from their kiss to stare affectionately into each other's eyes. "Thank you for sharing this special moment with me, Piccolo. I'm very happy for you both," Kami offered genuinely, smiling at Sofia when she leaned against Piccolo and offered the guardian of Earth a silly wink.
"Not as happy as me right now, Kami," Sofia offered serenely before glancing up at Piccolo and musing, "Fine. This totally bought you a reprieve from telling anyone else for a good while."
Grunting, Piccolo took her hand and offered Kami a cursory glance over his shoulder before saying stoically, "Thanks, old man."
And with that, he led Sofia back down the center courtyard, his hand squeezing hers affectionately as she turned around and cheerily waved goodbye to Kami and Mr. Popo.
My word…those two were truly made for one another, and I'm glad.
As they approached the edge of the Lookout, Sofia relished the sense of fulfilled love that washed over her as the breeze languidly tussled her hair and fluttered Piccolo's cape. Once they neared the edge, Sofia snickered playfully, "Remember the first time you brought me up here?"
Smirking, Piccolo gave her a smug glance. "Yeah. You were such a snarky bitch that I dropped you right here," he murmured glibly, giving her an amused smirk when she mockingly pouted and shot him a sharp glance.
"True, but I was hoping you'd point out just how full circle we've come, yah Green Bean," she teased derisively and swung their conjoined hands between them goofily. "Feels like it was ages ago that you and I were sniping at each other for supremacy, now look at us now," she added sardonically and gave him a serene smile, continuing musingly as she leaned against him affectionately, "I loved you from as far back as then, sure, but never did I think…well, you know."
Exhaling an amused huff, Piccolo gave her a heated glance as he mused, "I felt the same thing the first time you told me off at Gohan's…so yeah, I know, but I didn't know it then. So, guess there's still a lot more to learn with you. Even if you are pervy, incorrigible and insatiable hentai."
Her crimson eyes widened with surprise before softening humorously. "You're so romantical, Namek," she sing-sung and sighed flirtatiously, slinking up against him before leaning up to kiss him chastely on the lips.
Taking her hand again and leading her close to the edge, they stood gazing out at the splendid sky before them. Before they resolved to hop off and take flight, she squeezed Piccolo's hand and glanced up at him, smiling lovingly at him as she murmured, "No matter what, I want you to know that I will always remember this. You and I – well, we'll always have this moment, just you and me, literally on top of the world, looking forward at the unknown, together."
Smirking, Piccolo laced his fingers with hers and warmly gazed at her, his onyx eyes softening. "It isn't the unknown as long as we stick together, so, let's get on with it then," he mused debonairly.
The affectionate mirth that filled her cresting eyes softened her features as Sofia gave him a curt nod and smiled. "Right."
And with that, they both took to the air, hand-in-hand, side-by-side and ready to pursue their joined paths as twin stars into an uncertain, but hopeful future.
The End.
THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!
The partial poem quoted in the story is E.E. Cummings' [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]
I am so happy to have finally completed this story! Many thanks to the other writers who encouraged me throughout and gave me pointers on my journey writing for this story. I also want to thank all the fanfiction authors who inspired me to write my own - albeit snarky Mary Sue self-insertion - story incorporating the wonderful characters and universe of Akira Toriyama. While you can bet your asses that during my long lapses in writing and posting, the amazingly ridiculous content of TFS and now the AWESOME latest series, Dragon Ball Super, have kept the fire of DBZ stoked in my heart, the overall motivator were the wonderful messages I've gotten from readers - even after YEARS of inactivity on this story. Thanks again!
P.S.
There's still a WHOLE LOT of story between Sofia and Piccolo, but right now, I'll let them chill in my imagination and see what you guys think. Let me know if you'd put up with more from the twin stars in the future.
-ROGUEFURY
