Gohan was going insane. The last three weeks since the massive injuries he suffered and almost went paralysed with, and Cell was equally as much losing his mind. Cell was slowly during their training sessions actually aiming to get Gohan to increase his strength, speed, and defence, but what was even weirder was his threats were lessening, and becoming playful, and Gohan wanted to rip his hair out. How he spoke was similar to Piccolo, and even Vegeta, and the hybrid had no clue what to think about. He hadn't even had a proper change of clothes since the start of this whole thing but yet Cell somehow was acting- kinder. Less harsh was more fitting to say instead. He could hear Cell stepping through and since they finished training for the day, he had brought food with him. "You know it's getting harder to sneak saiyan sized meals from the central hub." Cell teased and Gohan was about to stand up but was surprised instead when Cell sat beside him, handing him a box of his first meal. Gohan muttered thanks under his breath and began to eat, and was immediately shocked by a rough, calloused hand briefly rubbing his hair before leaving. "I need to see the other hell-goers, keep up appearances now that I am back from my 'hellish mental retreat,' behave yourself, I'll be back in the morning at the latest." Cell stood up after that and left out the front, not even bothering to let Gohan know exactly what he did. It took multiple beatings to warm up to where they are now, Gohan managed to land a punch on him earlier, so he decided that was reward worthy, Cell even made sure to steal a slice of a pastry from the hub for the hybrid in return for such a quickly made feat.

The teen didn't know how long he sat there slowly eating the single meal in processing what just occurred, everything bright red, blaring alarm told him to go now before things got weirder, go find an ogre and risk the demon-soul stealer just to find his dad, but he couldn't, he couldn't see his family again if he risked it all just because of one, extremely weird situation. He couldn't even find himself able to sleep after eating, and the cheesecake slice he found made him even more unruly. Gohan knew he couldn't keep up the obedient display for long, but now he was scared what would happen if he did. Would he lose food again? Maybe Cell would go and stab him again and paralyse him.

—

"Ready brat?" Gohan readied his fighting position, putting an arm in front of his body and turning to ready the other power-arm to his side. Cell prepared as well, leaving himself wide open in his usual stance, one that screamed to come at him, and to him Gohan went. The hybrid rushed forward with a yell and right when Cell was about to reel for his gut, Gohan surprised jumped up the moment Cell's arm swung, and the teen reached above his head toward Cell's and grabbed the stuck-up helmet sides of the bug's head, swinging Cell over him and swapping places on the ground. Cell landed and twirled himself to rebalance, aiming forward to Gohan's back and taking an elbow to the centre of his spine. The teen yelped in pain as he was sent flying forward, a hand placed quickly onto the ground to spin around and kick the head of the oncoming attacker. Cell was sent into the side of one of the random mountains surrounding their special, private plane. The bug rushed out of the crater created in the terrain's side and grabbed the face of the other, taking Gohan's entire body into the ground, which only a split second into the crater passed before the victim kicked straight up with both legs, sending Cell flying into the air.

The android stopped himself in time to block the next leg attack coming at him like a torpedo from the ground, and he grabbed both the ankles of the other and spun him around, letting go and launching him at the ground. When Gohan didn't get up immediately, Cell landed next to the small crater and waved around to get the dust to move away and settle elsewhere.

"Alive in there?" He chuckled.

"Ab-so-lute-ly PEACHY, bastard!" Gohan yelped in anger as he got up, but immediately hesitated to stand straight, as it was the first outburst, even if tiny, since beginning the training. Cell strolled forward and Gohan flinched away as a hand raised from the other, except he was met with a laugh and another soft tussle of the hair. "Keep the spirit up, it'll make our fights longer and even stronger in the future. Now let's get home, I need to get you food for another successful training session, I may even try to find you two desserts for the kind of stunts you pulled today. Although watch your mouth next time, I would hate for you to spoil your appetite with a rotten mouth." Although Cell talked a lot, Gohan found himself a lot more affected than usual with how he was being talked to recently, and it irked every fibre in his being as to what Cell was up to. The teen shook the thoughts out of his head, already seeing Cell ahead of him in the sky waiting and followed quickly not to test the patience of the other. As Cell watched the other tagalong behind him, he couldn't help but wonder just how long it would take for the other to warm up to the idea that instead of being a regular rival… Gohan would be his personal hell play-mate, at least until all of it comes crashing down. He even took note of how long Gohan's hair had gotten, a few extra centimetres since the last he took notice, meaning time was passing as usual, and barely anything in the real world, which he had to wonder… just how did the brat he hated so much get to hell in the first place? Especially with no one seeing him, or him dying? Was it a wish? Who would wish him there?

It almost made Cell pissed to think Gohan had another rival or enemy, and with Goku dead still there would be no reason to try and get Gohan out of the way without a fight unless they didn't want attention. Just what exactly was going on, on Earth to have such a thing pass by anyone?

Both fighters' thoughts ran rampant until they appeared at the cave. Thanks to the influx of bodied souls in hell, no one questioned the extra energy anymore, although Gohan couldn't power up past a certain percentage, only making the fights more fun for Cell, it made hiding him easier. "I'll be back, you know the rules."

"Yeah yeah, behave and what not." Gohan crossed his arms and roamed mindlessly into the cave, not caring to watch Cell off this time. The attitude pissed Cell off but he began his take off with the thought that all of it would come full circle, but he couldn't lie that seeing the fire still in his enemy made him delighted beyond belief. Everything would fall into place soon, and as Cell flew to the centre hub, he reminded himself as such.

Frieza happened to be more observant this day as he tracked Cell's energy, and once hidden on a perch he watched as Cell entered and exited the ogre's common lounge for food, yet no one needed to eat when they were dead, and it made him think back to all the questions he had asked. Frieza was sure Cell would come back to ask again soon about something more in depth, and he already had a clue in mind for it.