He awoke suddenly, sitting upright immediately with an inhuman quickness. One of the blankets was thrown to the floor, with two pillows falling quietly as well. His eyes, burning from a lack of oxygen and moisture, were struggling to focus. They darted across the dark room back and forth, looking for any threat that may be lurking. His heartbeat seemed to quicken by the second, anxiety coursing through his veins like a river. His breathing was harsh and desperate, his chest heaving up and down. Another nightmare. Geez, this was the third night in a row. He hoped he hadn't caused much commotion this time. Quickly turning to the right, he eyed the individual sleeping next to him with urgency-
Letting out a breath of air he didn't even know he was holding, Goku's hardened eyes softened at the sight of his beautiful wife sleeping peacefully. His breathing immediately started to calm, and his heart was given a much-needed slice of relief. Her hair splayed across her pillow, Chi-Chi was turned slightly to the left side facing her husband, her mouth slightly parted. Her snoring accompanied the sounds of crickets chirping outside their little home.
Her hushed breathing and snoring were so low in volume, most would have to strain their ears to hear them. Her mate simply never had such trouble though. For him, they were as loud as any siren, ringing slightly through his eardrums. However, while this might be troubling for most seeking rest, it bothered Goku very little. For one, he loved knowing that the love of his life was obtaining her rest, hopefully slipping into the most comforting of dreams. Two, he was quite a heavy sleeper anyways, so her snoring did very little to bother him. If anything, having her not snoring would probably incite a great deal of worry for her!
The young savior of the earth then proceeded to reach over and lightly brush away some of her hair from her forehead. Leaning over quietly, he left a soft meaningful kiss upon her forehead. His dark eyes gazed upon her form with the sincerest love in his heart. She truly was the gift that never stopped giving. He then rose from the bed, stretching as he did. He silently picked up the pillows and sheets and laid them upon the bed neatly.
Goku then slipped into the bathroom and began the task of washing his face of the sweat that previously covered it. He switched the faucet on and dipped his hands into the running warm water. As his wet hands cleansed his forehead and cheeks, he pondered why he was having such a rough time sleeping recently.
He usually slept with very little issue. As a matter of fact, he slept so well that his wife often struggled to wake him up in the early morning. From time to time, Chi-Chi had to slam the odd pot and pan together just to START waking him up!
His dreams were often pleasant, as well as comforting. His tired mind was usually soothed with the pleasant memories of odd adventures from his youth. Moments from the past like going toe to toe with the legendary Jackie Chun were some of the most recurring ones. He sometimes wondered what happened to that older fellow. He had been such a fun opponent to square off against! Goku wondered how much his strength might have increased in the time since then.
The absolute best dreams, however, were the ones with his grandpa. Those dreams were some of which he could feel his soul becoming lost in. It was reminiscent of being wrapped up in a warm blanket during winter. He always felt the highest level of comfort in having such dreams. Sometimes, after waking up from them, he would have stinging tears in his eyes, as well as a longing in his heart.
Goku's thoughts were then interrupted by the loud cries that erupted from the room adjacent to his and Chi-Chi's. Shoot, he thought, duty calls.
"Hey buddy, what's going on?" Goku shuffled into the room quietly, closing the wooden door behind him. The deafening wailing from the tiny little crib seemed to become higher in pitch as he approached it. The blaring cries made him wince. He hoped his wife hadn't been woken up by all the noise. Peering his head over the tall bars separating him from his son, Goku grinned at the tailed infant that was his son. The baby's blaring cries quieted then, instantly recognizing the being above him as his father. Goku's grin grew, and he reached out to lower his hand to rub his now whining son's soft cheek.
"Why are you crying?" He carefully wiped the tears from Gohan's face. He hated hearing his son cry so much. It wasn't because of the sound, though that definitely isn't a sound he LIKED hearing. No, it was because the sound of his own flesh and blood in distress made him unsettled to the extreme. It was very similar to the feeling of having his tail grabbed, at least when he had it.
Picking up his fussing son, Goku began to rock him back and forth gently. "It's okay buddy, Daddy's here", he whispered. He kissed his son's head softly, patting him on the back like his own grandfather used to do with him. Gohan soon became quiet, finally resting his head on his Daddy's shoulder.
Just as the baby's eyes began to close, his tail began to move. Goku's eyes slightly widened, realizing this. The brown tail slowly unwrapped from around the boy's waist and wrapped itself around Goku's finger. Gohan sighed one final time and then drifted swiftly into the world of dreams. Goku smiled at this, feeling his heart burst with emotion at this gesture from his son. It seemed like, throughout the few days he's had with this gift lying on his chest, his heart just continues to grow and grow. He had no idea one tiny little baby could conjure up so much affection! He never knew how much being a father could be so fulfilling. It was like fighting but viewed through a different lens. It had the same excitement of being in the throes of combat, but also the same fear.
For Goku, most of his life so far has been built upon seeking strength and strong opponents. This was different from that though. It was somehow even more complicated than fighting. Goku was simple in some ways, but fighting was something he knew a lot about. He viewed fatherhood in the same way. It might be extremely rough at first, but he was just going to keep on fighting. He made himself determined to raise this baby the same way Grandpa Gohan raised him.
The idea of teaching his son how to fight made Goku beam with elation. He couldn't wait to show his son everything! He could teach him how to catch fish, sense ki, and train him in the styles he knew! Well, at least, if Chi-Chi is okay with it. His son doesn't have to fight though. He may be disappointed if he can't show him ANY type of martial arts, but all that matters is that he's happy.
Goku's internal thoughts were starting to slow down though. He felt a wave of sleepiness hit his being. He looked at the clock and was surprised that it had been an hour since he entered his son's room. He slowly laid his son back in his crib and left the room as silently as he entered it.
Returning to his bedroom, Goku then quietly tip toed to the bed, lying down gently. As he laid back into the comfort of the soft sheets and welcoming pillows, he shifted so as not to wake up his mate. Closing his eyes, he let his brain drift into slumber's welcoming embrace. Instead of nightmares of darkness and pain, he dreamt of memories long since passed. He dreamt of his grandpa's warm caress, as well as his joyful laughter. And in those dreams, he dreamt of the two Gohan's meeting, grandsons and grandfather smiling at each other...