Merry Christmas, everyone! I managed to finish these two chapters on time, so I thought I would post them on this day as a Christmas present for those who favorited and followed my story. I hope you all enjoy them and I'll see you all next year when I make more chapters!

Chapter 11

Goku didn't wake to his alarm like he had hoped. Instead, the sudden rush of cool air against his bare skin was enough to make him stir slightly. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced over to his bedroom window, the source of the insanely cold air. It was partially open, which explained why he was feeling so cold in the early morning. His attention shifted from the window and a tired smile appeared on his face when he caught sight of the sleeping beauty beside him. Suno had an arm around his waist and her head lay on his chest as usual, their legs and arms tangled together underneath their blanket sheets. He lifted an arm from the covers and pushed aside some strands of her hair to get a better look at her. Even while asleep, she still looked happy and at peace. As Suno slept in peace, Goku found himself listening to her steady heartbeat as he became lost in his thoughts. One arm lay on his pillow while the other was around his girlfriend's shoulder. He couldn't help but move her a little closer to him.

Looking out the window once more, he noticed that the village was quiet and deserted as nobody was out yet this early in the morning. Now was a good time for him to start on his clothes. Maybe he could find his way to the laundry room, figure out how to use the washing machine without his partner's help and save her the time and effort to teach him everything before they had to leave for the Sacred Land of Korin.

He felt Suno clinging onto him tighter and nuzzling his neck, not wanting to let go of him. As much as he enjoyed just laying down there with his love, he needed to get a move on before time was wasted. He stretched his arms and let out a quiet yawn, rubbing his face in an effort to rid himself of the sleep in his system. One hand reached out and shut the window, preventing any more air from coming inside. Without waking up his girlfriend, he managed to untangle his legs from her own and leave the bed without making any noise. He took his blanket and laid it over Suno's sleeping form before turning off his alarm clock to allow her more time to nap.

He put on a pair of jeans and made his way to the bathroom, brushing his teeth quickly. He carried his laundry basket to the exit but before stepping out of his room, however, he returned to the bed, bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead, holding her face in his hands. He watched with a loving smile as she grasped his pillow with both arms in a childish manner. After watching her for a few seconds, Goku slipped out of his room with the basket filled with his dirty clothes.

He soon appeared in the hallway, looking in all directions and trying to figure out where the laundry room was. He was on a blind search, opening and closing different doors but finding nothing in the process. The thought of giving up and just returning to his room crossed his mind, but he didn't want to do that just yet. After a little while of searching, Goku finally came across a door labelled, 'laundry room'. He sighed in relief as his hand touched the doorknob, turning it and finally opening it. He stepped inside and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The laundry room was quite small and had a nice, fragrant smell which was presumably the smell of different cleaning products. The décor was simple, but quite nice. Two machines sat in a corner of the room which Goku assumed was the washer and the dryer. Above the two machines were three huge shelves containing neatly organized cleaning products, baskets, bins, rubber gloves and aprons. The room also had a shining countertop to provide more space for folding clothes and cabinets containing more storage space for other items.

Goku now stood in the middle of the room, observing everything in awe. 'So, this is what a laundry room looks like.' His gaze was now focused on the two machines in front of him. He tapped his chin and wondered what to do, having never operated a washer or a dryer in his life. There were a number of different controls and settings on both machines but it all looked so confusing to him. 'What on earth do I do?' He thought about testing out both machines but he was afraid of screwing something up and damaging them. That thought reminded him of back when he was living alone in Mount Paozu. Guilt was returning as he remembered that awful experience there, and he shook his head several times to rid himself of that unnecessary thought. 'I shouldn't be thinking about that anymore.'

His attention returned to the machines and he quickly came to a decision. He would wait there for his girlfriend so she would teach him everything he needed to know. It shouldn't take too long for her to find him here, so the best thing to do was to wait for her. Sinking down to the floor next to his laundry basket, he laid his head against the wall and stared up at the ceiling in boredom. It didn't take long for him to eventually start dozing off again. So much for trying to figure things out.

"Goku?"

He opens his eyes and finds his girlfriend standing at the entrance with a fatigued smile. She still had on her pajamas and pink flipflops, her hair was a mess as a result of having just woken up from a long slumber and this time around, she was wearing a robe. He stood up to give her a proper greeting, though his movements were a little sluggish. "Good morning, hon. How are you?"

"I'm doing great! I can see that you've found your way to the laundry room," She commented, taking in her surroundings.

Goku let out a light chuckle as he walked towards her, leaving his laundry basket in the same spot. "I sure did. I picked up my laundry and brought it here, but I didn't have the slightest clue how to use the washing machine. That's why I decided to sit here and wait for you." Before she knew it, he was hugging her from behind, his arms encased around her torso and their cheeks touching. Leaning against him, she allowed herself to relax in his warm embrace.

"Figured as much." Suno said as she felt him kiss her cheek. "I woke up and wondered why you weren't in the room with me, and then I remembered making the promise to teach you how to handle your dirty laundry." She cocked her head back to face him with a smile. Her fingers dug deeply into his hair; she pulled him into a brief kiss before parting away. "Alright, let's get started! Bring your basket."

Goku picks up the basket from its current spot. "Hehe yeah, let's go." He followed his girlfriend to the washing machine and watched quietly as she opened it. She gestured to him to leave his laundry basket on the countertop, while she reached for two pairs of rubber gloves and aprons. "Put these on. We're bound to get ourselves wet as we're doing your laundry." He noticed that she was holding out the cleaning supplies towards him and he didn't waste a second in putting them on.

After tying the back of her apron, Suno rummaged through the pile of clothes with gloved hands and picked up one of his training outfits, lifting it up in the air to get a better look. "Let's put your clothes inside first." She tossed his gi inside the wide-open washing machine and then proceeded to pick up a pair of shorts.

He stood there frozen as he saw his partner putting his clothes inside the machine one by one and stopped her just as she was about to take another pair of clothes from the basket. "Huh?" She swiftly turned her head in his direction when she felt him grasp her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"Let me take it from here."

"Goku, it's fine. I can help you."

"Don't worry, I can handle it. Look." He lifted his laundry basket and threw the rest of his clothes inside the washing machine with no trouble at all.

She dug a hand through the washer and separated the clothes, clapping her hands after seeing that there was nothing wrong with how he did it. "Perfect!"

"So, what's next?" He asked, scratching the back of his head.

In response to his question, she bent down to a lower cabinet and took out a bottle of washing detergent and held it out in front of him. "Now we have to put soap inside the machine." She poured some of it inside while her boyfriend looked on attentively, almost like he was watching a demonstration at school or a tutorial video on the internet.

"See? It's quite simple, actually."

"It's simple for you, maybe. But for me this is a whole new world, actually hehe."

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."

"I'm sure of that. So, what's next?"

"Now we've got to turn this thing on and set the controls."

Goku looked at her in confusion while scratching the back of his head. "Whoa...now this has got to be the hardest part."

"Here, I'll show you." She pressed the power button on the machine and explained to Goku how to set the controls in the right order, telling him to set the controls by himself step by step. He had messed up the first few times, but Suno was there to correct every one of his mistakes until he could do everything on his own. Not once did she ever get angry with him each time he screwed up with the washing machine, but she showed a great deal of patience with him. Though he stupidly got himself and his girlfriend wet through his slip-ups, it didn't take long before he felt at ease.

Suno stepped back with a hand on her hip. "That's about it. Now we just have to let the machine do its job."

"Wow… I never thought it would be this easy."

"It is. And now the next step after that is to put it inside the dryer."

"Yeah, so the clothes won't be wet anymore." Goku nodded in understanding, looking down at his pair of jeans which were soaked in water. He started to laugh a little, "Now that I say it, we're both a little wet now."

Suno attempted to straighten her now wet hair, but to no avail. "Oh yeah, so we need to take a shower after this." She laughed along with him, brightening up the atmosphere.

"We sure do. Though I have to say…" He started off with a cheeky smile, "You look really cute when you're wet."

"GOKU!" Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she was soon fuming at her boyfriend. "Why would you-"

He smiled mischievously at her. "Didn't you call me cute yesterday on our way back home? Why are you so surprised that I'm doing the same?"

Suno didn't know how to respond to that, so she huffed and turned away from him. "Aw come on, don't be mad at me." He lifted her in the air and spun her around, one arm supporting her back while the other supported her legs. She tried letting out cries of protest as her Saiyan boyfriend had her trapped in his arms without her consent. "H-Hey, stop that!" He smirked and responded, "Not a chance." Ultimately, she gave in and just allowed him to have his fun. As the washing machine was doing its job, the couple had fun together. It was mostly Goku teasing his girlfriend, but they did indeed laugh and crack jokes together.

He eventually set his human partner back down not just so she could have the freedom to move around once more, but also because they weren't done with his clothes. "Seriously though, thanks for teaching me this, babe. Now I can take over the laundry work once I move back in with the kids." He didn't forget the fact that he needed to find a decent job before he could afford a washing machine, a dryer or anything new which would help in supporting both his sons.

"Uh-huh. And the boys are gonna be proud once they see how hard you're working for them," She encouraged.

"And then I'll have to learn how to cook," Goku added, remembering all the countless times he would burn stuff in the kitchen. It certainly wasn't a pleasant experience. "but that can wait until much later." He started to imagine himself behind the stove in the kitchen, cooking for himself and his two hungry boys.

"I'll teach you how to cook." Suno said, reassuring him.

"Sounds good, but I prefer to save that for when the court case is finally over and both my sons are with me again."

"I understand, but you could learn something while you're still with me and my family." She reasoned. "Not only could you learn how to cook, but you can also bake as well. Remember when we picked out fruits the other day? We can start using those so you can learn to make pastries like we agreed on."

"Great!" Goku shouted in glee, pumping his fists high in the air.

Suno giggled at his excitement. "I'm looking forward to teaching you. Now come on, we've got to dry your clothes." She pointed a finger at the machine. "It seems like they're done washing."

"That fast?"

"Uh-huh."

"Whoa! This beats me!"

She proceeded to open the washing machine and dryer, taking out her boyfriend's wet clothes from the washer. "Let's put it in the dryer and after that, we can fold them and put them in your dresser drawers. It shouldn't take too long for your clothes to dry off."

"If you say so."

Goku joined his partner in taking out his clothes and loading them inside the dryer. As soon as that was done and over with, Suno shut the dryer and explained how it was turned on and how to set the controls. It was a little complicated for the Saiyan, but he managed to get the hang of it in no time.

Suno leaned back against the shining countertop, gripping the edges with her gloved hands. "Now all we have to do is wait." Since there was no chair available in the laundry room, Goku opted to sit on the floor next to his partner.

"Sounds easy enough."

The two wait in silence as the dryer is doing its job, occasionally starting tidbits of conversations, and laughing together. They hear the clinging and clattering of silverware in the kitchen as they're waiting patiently. As much as Suno would have loved to make up for last time and provide a helping hand for her mother with the morning meal, she knew her boyfriend couldn't be left alone with the laundry. Before they knew it, a strange sound came from the machine, indicating that the drying process was complete.

"It's done already!" Suno announced, making her way over to the dryer and opening it. "Come take a look, it did a fine job."

"Finally!" Goku said in relief as he rose from the floor, stretching his muscles as he now stood next to his partner. He puts a hand through the dryer and grabs an old t-shirt which was now clean and dry, holding it up to his nose and sniffing it. "Woah… it's really different. And it smells really good."

"Now let's go to your room and fold them while my mother is preparing breakfast." Suno said, removing her apron and rubber gloves as there was no longer any use for it. "You might want to take these off now that your clothing is clean." He obeyed her, removing his own and placing it back neatly on the top shelf, earning a nod of approval from his significant other. They then put all the clean clothes back in Goku's laundry basket, before taking some paper towels from the lower cabinets and cleaning up the drops of water on the floor from earlier. Once that was done and over with, they hurriedly departed from the laundry room.

It didn't take long for them to appear in Goku's bedroom once again. Goku set his laundry basket on the bed and then him and Suno started to sort out everything. His various training gi's, his boxer shorts, jackets, scarves, t-shirts, jeans pants, sleepwear and every other piece of clothing was sorted out and folded neatly on the bed. During this seemingly long process, Suno taught her Saiyan boyfriend how to properly fold clothes and to keep himself more organized. Just like with the washing and drying process, his girlfriend helped correct any mistake he made. Once they were done folding all his clothes, they wiped away any dust from the dresser drawers, nightstands, and wardrobes.

Goku now had his jackets, scarves and shoes placed neatly inside the wardrobe, while his other stuff was placed neatly inside his cabinets. Their work wasn't quite done just yet. As soon as they were finished with that part, Suno left the room briefly to retrieve some new bedsheets, blankets, and pillowcases. Once she returned, she removed the old ones and explained to Goku how to make his own bed and stepped aside as he was doing it. He managed to do it without any trouble at all.

The Saiyan felt sweat dripping down his face. "Phew! I didn't think we'd be able to get all that done in the morning. But at least you were there with me through it all."

"Not a problem. And sorry if it was a little too much to handle." Suno apologized.

Goku took a step back and admired his hard work, impressed to see that his room was much cleaner than before. He now had new bedsheets and blankets. Everything was neatly placed in their appropriate places instead of just stuffing them in his travel bag, and they had even taken their sweet time cleaning the floor. "You don't have to apologize babe. I needed to learn this stuff, so thank you for taking the time to teach me." He pulled her into a gentle hug, their bodies pressed together. He felt her slowly returning the gesture by wrapping her arms around his lower part, and he slowly started to rub her back, feeling her relax against his embrace and enjoying his warmth.

Suno looked up at him with a smile, her arms still around him. She closed her eyes as her boyfriend planted kisses all over her face and on her lips. "I think it's about time we get a shower."

"Yeah, now that we're done with everything."

They let go of the hug, and the human woman bent down to pick up the now dirty bedsheets, pillowcases, and blankets. "I'm going to put these in the laundry room so my mother and I can wash them at a later time. You can go ahead and take a shower so we aren't late."

"That's fine with me."

Goku stood there and watched as Suno left his room. He headed over to his drawers and carefully picked out some clean clothes for their date, making sure not to mess up his newly arranged stuff. The next stop was his bathroom. He showered as quickly as possible, knowing that time was passing by. He cleaned up inside a little bit before putting on his clothes as quickly as possible and leaving. At that moment, he heard a few soft knocks on the door.

"Goku, are you ready?"

"I am hon, I'm coming out!"

He rushed to the door and opened it to find his girlfriend waiting for him. He could tell that she had been taking her time looking as nice as possible for their date. Before he had the chance to compliment her, he heard Kaiyo call out to them from downstairs in the kitchen.

"Goku? Suno? Breakfast is ready! Come down and eat with us!"

"We're coming down!" Goku hollered back.

"Mom, we'll be down in a second!"

They hold hands and hurriedly make their way downstairs to join the rest of the family for a hearty breakfast together.

The romantic couple finally appeared in the dining room where they came into contact with the rest of the family. Kaiyo was bringing in hot plates of food from the stove and setting it down on the table while Eighter was arranging all the silverware. Hiroshi was already seated at the dining table, reading the daily newspaper, and drinking a warm cup of coffee. The sitting area's fireplace was doing its job effectively and keeping everyone warm during a cold morning. The elderly woman put on a pair of cooking mittens and opened the oven, taking out a tray of cookies and muffins. She had just set them on the table when she noticed her daughter and Goku standing there.

"Good morning, mother!" Suno chirps as she leaves her boyfriend's side and goes over to her beloved mom, giving her a quick hug and a kiss.

Kaiyo smiles as she returns her daughter's loving embrace. "Good morning to you too, honey."

"I'm so sorry I couldn't help you with breakfast." Her daughter says, looking apologetic.

"Hey, no worries. Eighter was here to help me and even your father pitched in." Kaiyo reassured, releasing her from the strong hug and held her shoulders. "No need to beat yourself up over it."

Suno was relieved to hear that. "I'm glad."

"Good morning, ma'am." Goku greeted, stepping forward.

"Oh, good morning Goku." The elderly woman greeted him back. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing great, ma'am. Suno and I were actually doing my laundry together. I mean, she was teaching me how to do it." He said, scratching his head. "And also, she taught me how to make my own bed."

"Aw, that's great."

"It really is." Goku spoke, proud of himself for what he had been able to achieve. "I never had the chance of learning how to do my laundry and keeping myself organized. Now that I'm on my own and I saw all my dirty clothes in a bag, I felt that I had to find some way to learn."

Kaiyo patted him softly on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll learn many new things while you're here!"

"That's what I hope."

Hiroshi chose this time to make his presence known, putting his newspaper back on the table. "It's good to see that you're doing well this morning, Goku."

"That's right, mister. Everything's been improving quite well."

"That's great. Now why don't you two have a seat?"

"Thanks!"

"Hey Goku!" Eighter called out, finishing up his job at the table.

"Oh hey, Eighter!" He greeted with a smile, offering his hand to the android.

The android shook his hand back. "Glad you're alright."

"Thanks a lot, buddy, Believe me, I'm glad as well."

Kaiyo cleared her throat and got their attention instantly. "You two should sit down now. Breakfast is ready!"

"Hehe, sorry." Goku apologized with a chuckle.

The four took their seats at the dining table, ready to start on their breakfast. Goku took a few slices of bread, some scrambled eggs, a few sausages, some pancakes, bacon, waffles, french toast, chicken, and fries. There were other varieties of breakfast foods but he didn't want to start off with too much on his plate. For drinks, he chose to have hot chocolate as usual. He took a deep breath while holding his fork, knowing that he was about to eat with his girlfriend's family but couldn't eat as fast as he used to. Not after impressing his girlfriend while they were having dinner on Papaya Island.

He took a bite out of his muffin and slowly chewed on it, making sure not to talk with his mouth full. Then he dug into the other options on his plate while wiping food residue from his mouth and was extra careful to not make any messes while eating. If he did, he wiped it up quickly so neither Suno nor her mother had to clean it up for him. He wanted to keep his side of the table neat. Goku continued to eat and drink at a slower pace while listening to the chattering amongst the whole family.

"Goku, would you like to have some extra porridge-" In both hands, Kaiyo held a pot full of the creamy liquid in front of the Saiyan guest, inviting him to take more if he wanted to. But she didn't quite get to finish her sentence as she saw something which caught her attention.

"Mom, are you okay?" Suno asked, noticing that her elderly mother was stuck in a trance.

Her mother didn't reply as whatever she was seeing right now was quite a sight.

"Is this the old Goku?" Hiroshi questioned out of the blue.

That left Suno confused. "Huh, Dad? What do you mean?"

"He's not eating the way he used to…" Eighter's voice trailed off in shock.

She turned around to her boyfriend to find the change in his table manners. He was eating just as slow as they all were and he was so focused on his food that he hadn't noticed that all eyes were on him. He had managed to keep his spot clean while devouring his breakfast at a much slower rate. Suddenly realizing what left her family gob smacked, a smile formed on Suno's face. She watched proudly as he took a napkin and wiped some food crumbs from his mouth.

"Goku?" Kaiyo uttered out, still shocked.

He looked up from his meal with food in his mouth but didn't give a reply on the spot. He carefully chewed and swallowed his breakfast, setting his fork down on the almost empty plate. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Y-You're not eating the way you usually do."

"I know. And believe me, it's not easy at all trying to change an old habit."

He was flashed a bright smile by the elderly woman. "Aw, we're proud of you for trying your best."

"Well…" The Saiyan looked over at his girlfriend, as she was the one who got him to break this habit of his. She gave a slow nod, giving him the green light to say what he needed to say. "someone told me yesterday, 'it's alright if you love the food. But you should eat more properly". I know many people were disgusted by my old table manners and this always left a bad impression on me. That's why I'm trying to change it."

"It's very impressive." Hiroshi commented with a smile.

"And I'm even more impressed than you are."

"Your friends and sons will be proud of you." Eighter said.

"Keep it up Goku!" Suno encouraged, strengthening her grip on his hand.

"Thanks, I'll do it!" He then lowered his voice at her which didn't go unnoticed by the family. "I appreciate you helping me become a better person."

"Hey, you're the one who's putting in the effort."

"But still darling, you've been helping Goku out a lot since he moved in with us." Her mother said softly. "I'm proud of you also."

"Mom, it's nothing."

"So…" Hiroshi gazed at the couple clasping their hands together and fought to hide his smile. "are you two going to finish your meals or what?"

Their faces turned deep red when they realized that they were holding hands right in front of the whole family. The flustered couple immediately pulled away, eating their food as if nothing had happened. They finished their breakfast and everyone started to stack up their dirty plates together. When Goku and Suno were done with clearing away the last of their greasy silverware and piling them up in the sink, the younger woman turned to face the rest of her family. "Mom, Dad, Eighter, do you guys need help with the dishes before Goku and I leave?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah, I would like to help with the dishes."

Kaiyo waved her hand at them, shooing the lovebirds away. "No, No, you two run along. We can handle everything here."

Goku started to look a bit concerned. "Are you sure?"

"We're absolutely sure." Hiroshi insisted, knowing the couple just wanted to have some alone time together. "You two can go along to wherever you need to be."

"Alright if you say so." Goku glanced over at his partner, wanting to make sure she was ready. "We should get going for Korin's Sacred Land, don't you think?"

"Yeah, we've already showered, so we can leave right now."

"Alright, let's go! Oh, and thanks for the food." He said, addressing his partner's mother who worked so hard to put food on the table for them.

"Don't mention it. Now run along before you're late!"

He grinned, waving at them as him and Suno were leaving for the door. "We will! Thanks!"

"Bye everyone!" Suno bid her beloved family goodbye, her gloved hand touching the doorknob. "We'll see you all later!"

After bidding farewell to their folks, she swung the door open and stepped outside first, the frigid air breezing against her face. She stood next to a snow castle as she waited for her boyfriend to come outside. He was out in no time and closed the door behind him, holding out a hand for her to take. She held it as they started their walk through the rough snow, through the route they normally took every time they wanted to leave the village. Once they reached a more secluded area, Goku called the Nimbus and after they were both comfortably settled on it, the yellow cloud sped off for the Sacred Land of Korin.