Cell looked at Frieza absolutely shocked, especially as the brother of the tyrant handed him a vile. "Two drops is enough for a restful night's sleep, never do more than that unless you want someone in a coma." Cooler laughed as Frieza chuckled at Cell's reaction. "How did you get this?" Cell asked, unsure if he wanted an answer or not. "We have ways, bug-man, now go off and do exactly as I said and this mystery subordinate of yours can completely submit finally." The two tyrants laughed as Cell backed away from the two, hiding the vile in a pouch he began to keep on him filled with slices of healing fruit in case training was too much. He flew off instantly to find a specific seam-maker from Frieza's army, something to reward Gohan for the last two months have been nothing but successful. Cell had kept up with the slight affection act for that long, and was finally ready to just rock Gohan's shit, but he couldn't exactly wipe the confused-daily face of the other when the hybrid finally let down his guard and stopped complaining. The hybrid was growing stronger as well, at least as much as he could without raising his power to recognizable heights, Cell was still trying to keep him alive for as long as he could.

He got bored of the whole thing and earlier caved to ask Frieza what made it all satisfying in the end, what was more rewarding than having the lower simply just obey or follow rules, and that's when the tyrant explained to him explicit things that he cringed thinking about, but also enjoyed the thought of having a completely submitted rival. Suppose he could sacrifice the ill thoughts in exchange for power over the runt, and ill thoughts stopped indeed the moment Cell touched down at the building he needed to get new clothes for his enemy. Although, he felt weird using that word now, with Gohan being more complacent than ever in either of their lives.

"Frieza already told me you were coming, so you need these specific measurements to be more- air flowing?" He asked with a smirk, the odd gilled humanoid with a shiny head and antennas asked up at the android from his seating position. "Yes, if possible. I need the boy to be too embarrassed to even wear one of the items, let alone the whole set." The humanoid cracked his knuckles and chuckles. "Give me a couple hours, I'll have a few sets done for you." Cell groaned and rolled his eyes, and decided he would meditate outside, after all his sparring partner could wait a few more hours for him to return and feed him, and tonight, the brat would sleep soundly while he thought about his next move.

—

Gohan's body was drenched in sweat as he meditated fighting, and keeping his power in check was making underneath the skin ache and itch with want to release it, yet he couldn't if he wanted to risk his soul being captured and destroyed. Not only that, but the length of his hair was scratching at his ears in an annoying way, and his mind was completely out of balance. The last two months were both a nightmare and a blessing. Cell gave him space when he went silent, the android brought him food once a day and even gave a small dessert if Gohan got a few extra hits on him during training, but the bug also played fight with him as well out of training, woke him up consistently without need for an alarm, Cell just knew when he needed to wake Gohan up, and it made him…

He was going to barf at the thought alone, but it made him feel 'comfortable.' As far as he was concerned, if he kept the act up by following Cell's word, he was rewarded and therefore, given a chance to get stronger and get the hell… well out of hell. Gohan despised every moment more and more as the days passed, and as he counted, it finally hit the moment where the first week on Earth was right around the corner, at least from his calculations that was the rough estimate. The saiyan growled and scratched at his own head, his thoughts were so loud he couldn't train in his head since Cell decided he was going to be weird for once today. The bug woke him up and told him to wait for him to get back, to occupy himself as he ran errands with the other occupants of hell, which really just translated to 'I'm playing a game of scat with my friends.' Although Gohan didn't mind the alone time, that said time allowed his thoughts to run rampant, and he really hated them right now. Gohan was like his father in some ways, believing in the good of everybody, even the most evil ones, but unlike his father, Gohan knew who to trust in the end, and while they ended lucky with Vegeta and the android twins, no one else was really that worthy of being an acquaintance.

Cell was making him think otherwise though, and the very thought churned his stomach more, and Gohan shot up to his feet and groaned loudly. As much as he wanted to scream, wanted to say hell with it and fly right up to the top of this universe, he couldn't. He wouldn't be able to see his family if he was seen as some hell-goer and as it was, he was already unrecognisable. He even avoided looking at his reflection in the water of the lake they visited frequently because his face just wasn't his own. Bags flooded under his eyes, which were as glazed over as a deadman's, and his skin was almost sickly pale, yet somehow more than alive enough, because the sun was fake in this world, there was no warmth but there wasn't a chill either, Gohan never had to worry about the climate. He hated the bed though, it made his back ache painfully and his legs feel like anchors in the morning, and he dreaded night after night that Cell was a hundred-percent watching him at times, and the bug knew when he was asleep too and sometimes he couldn't control his mind finally shutting down and letting him mentally rest just for a moment.

Truthfully, Gohan was exhausted, and he wouldn't lie, he wanted to kill himself. Yet, he was stubborn, more stubborn than anyone gave him credit for, and that was going to be the very thing that he knew would get in the way of escaping with success, leaving this coming out a stronger soul than before, and getting to hug everyone again, hear their laughters and go on… Gohan couldn't remember how he got to crying face up on the bed, sprawled out like a star. Whines escaped him and he rubbed harshly at his eyes to get the tears to stop before Cell inevitably came back, which his own stomach remembers the pattern in which he does now, meaning any second Cell could just-

"I'm home brat!" The bug smiled with pride in the cave as he hauled a small bag. "Since we didn't train, I didn't bring as much food but it's enough to keep you alive." Cell hardly looked up as he set the food on the makeshift rock-table, but he glanced a few times and recognized the pattern of Gohan's dishevelled face trying to hide. "Thank… thanks." Gohan hiccuped out, voice cracking trying to sound normal. Cell internally cringed but if what was going to happen was needed, then the boy being vulnerable made it even easier. "Were you crying?" The bug asked genuinely, a sound of a faint worry laced his voice. Gohan kept his head down and he awkwardly stomped to pick up a sandwich from the bag. "Nuhr!" He muffled out from shoving the sandwich into the mouth, still keeping his head down. Cell placed a hand on the top of his head after he swallowed, and firm yet softly gripped the others hair to angle their head up to look at him. "What's wrong? And don't lie because you have your face so open it's an unlocked book." Gohan felt more tears painfully prick as he did unfortunately look up at the android. "I-I just miss Earth." Cell released his head, letting it softly look down like it was falling with gravity. "Homesick huh? Well, tough luck brat, we got a little while before I can figure a way to get you and I out." That wasn't the first time he mentioned breaking both of them out, Cell was determined in the last month, increasing over time as well, with having Gohan and him fighting in the living world once he found a proper way out, since the saiyan would get them killed. The hybrid nodded lightly, and flinched feeling the hand ruffle his hair again. Cell sighed, and with genuine feelings coating the air he let out as well, he never understood the brat more in his life than now. "I will be back tonight, I have more business to take care of."

"Alright. See you tomorrow as usual then?" Gohan's soft sobs ended and left hiccuped words behind. "Yeah. Tomorrow as usual." The way he said it was threatening, but before Gohan could look at him to ask, Cell was already gone from the front of the cave.

"What was that?" He asked aloud, hoping for some answer, at least one in this whole confusing life he was living now. Gohan bit slowly and grudgingly into his next few meals, processing everything that had happened up till then to make Cell say what he had just done.

—

The android came back a couple hours after the sun had set, and as he entered the cave, Gohan was sound asleep on his side, unfurled after months he curled into an uncomfortable ball. The bug would need to find something else suitable for the human to sleep on so he didn't wake up so cranky, but that would come with risks, ones Cell couldn't have at the moment with being questioned why he needed proper bedding for he didn't sleep. He walked over after shaking the thoughts, and gently in the top corner behind the other's snoring head, placed a pile of three different types of clothing, each tagged with what they were for.

'Training.'

'Casual.'

'Night.'

Straightforward and plain, and one he knew Gohan would follow if he wanted to keep the clothes he was being rewarded with after stealing a whole new set of them a month prior, ones that were already tattered and torn.

He left the cave until it was time to wake Gohan up, which he would give him his morning water bowl after he was sure the brat was dressed and ready. He watched for hours the sky move above him, and he pondered about the next steps he was going to take, ones that could end up messy, but at worse, he'll use not even a full drop of the serum he was given, and make a complacent punching bag that way, although then there wouldn't be a raging fire he caught glimpses of still in his mentally-dying rival.

The next couple of days were going to be beyond fun, he thought as he wandered over the mental plans of what all could come from the knowledge he just learned today, and it was all going to come to use.