"Chi-Chi, are ya sure we should be doing this? You're still injured. Why don't we meditate instead?"
"I'm fine Goku," Chi-Chi huffed, tired of arguing with him. "It's just a little bump—okay big bump," she amended upon seeing Goku's flat look. "But that doesn't mean we can't spar. If we waited for every bump or bruise I got to heal, we'd never train!"
"Yeah but those weren't on your head!" Goku argued. "Can't we at least skip the weapons? They're really heavy! I could slip and hit you and make it a lot worse!"
"It'll be fine Goku, I trust you."
Goku pouted, not liking this at all. If he could be trusted, she wouldn't have a massive bump on her forehead in the first place! Of course that had been because he'd been trying to kiss her, not fight her, but she didn't know that—and he was never gonna tell her because that would mean never kissing Chi-Chi and he wanted to kiss Chi-Chi eventually…someday…he had to if he was gonna convince her he wanted to marry her. Not that that was the only reason why…but he wasn't eager to risk trying again any time soon.
"You ready?" Chi-Chi asked, snapping him back to the present moment.
Was he ready? Goku's eyes widened in alarm. Could she have…no, no. He was being silly again. For a second he'd feared Chi-Chi had been reading his thoughts but her pose clearly indicated she was talking about fighting. He was always ready to fight. But was he ready to fight Chi-Chi?
"No." He shook his head and crossed his arms. "I don't wanna fight you right now. Not when you're hurt."
Chi-Chi growled, annoyed. "Well that's too bad Goku, cause I ain't given ya a choice!"
She threw her blade out, clipping several strands from the top of his head before he visibly scrambled to dodge but Chi-Chi knew better. Maybe before they began training she might not have seen it, but it was clear to her now that he had moved.
"Chi-Chi! Be careful with that!" He admonished patting the top of his head and making her scoff.
"Please! I saw you dodge that easy!"
"Really?"
Goku couldn't stop the smirk from springing to his lips. Chi-Chi had really improved since their last spar if she could pick up on that. He wondered exactly how much but testing her would have to wait. He wouldn't risk injuring her again.
"You can throw that at me as much as ya like. I ain't fightin' you Chi."
"We'll see about that," she muttered, jumping into an attack. She threw as much ki as she could manage into her limbs and punched but Chi-Chi knew he would dodge—the man was as slippery as an oiled up pig—so at the last second she swung her fist to the side, striking his knee as he blocked.
Good thing she'd expected this as well.
Chi-Chi used her free hand to throw out her blade but Goku vanished completely before it could connect. Her only warning was a slight surge of energy behind her and then Goku was wrapping his arms around her tight, pinning them to her side.
"I win," he muttered, leaning in close and pressing his lips right to her ear. Chi-Chi shivered at his commanding tone but she wasn't in the mood to give in just yet.
"Not this time," she growled. Her ki surged around her and into her sash, springing it to life like a serpent ready to strike. Goku had only a second to process what was happening before her blade was lashing out and he was forced to release her in order to dodge.
"Whoa!" He grinned, having fun despite the fact he'd been trying to end the match quickly. He wondered just how much control Chi-Chi had over her charged weapon and rose several feet in the air.
"Catch me if you can!" He hollered, dodging just as the blade went for his head again. "Yikes!"
Goku flipped back and then flew up and down, back and forth trying to trick Chi-Chi into knotting her weapon but was pleasantly surprised that she seemed to catch on before he could succeed. He really enjoyed sparring with Chi-Chi. She was clever and determined but he could tell she was tiring. She just couldn't control her ki efficiently enough once it was extended past her body and her current levels just weren't high enough to support these kinds of techniques for long.
He needed to end this and he knew just how to do it.
Goku let Chi-Chi's weapon chase after him a little longer and then slowed just enough for it to wrap around his ankle, halting him in mid-air and making Chi-Chi feel uneasy.
She knew she would never be fast enough to catch Goku. So why the heck was he letting her catch him? Remembering her fight with Hou Yi, Chi-Chi wrapped the end of her weapon tight around her fist but that was all Goku needed.
"Why did yo—"
Goku whipped into a tornado, winding the sash around his body and yanking Chi-Chi to him as he lowered to the ground.
"Gotcha," he smirked as he locked his arms around her. Before Chi-Chi could even get her bearings he was falling backwards and landing on his back with a solid thud.
Chi-Chi frowned and pushed herself up from his chest before looking pointedly at the length of sash tied all around him. "It looks more like I've got you."
"Nah."
One second Chi-Chi was on top and then the next Goku had rolled them so that she and her weapon were pinned underneath him, much to her frustration.
Goku grinned.
"Say I win."
"What?! Why?" Chi-Chi glared. "You already know I can't move."
"Cause! Winners get a prize. Now say I win."
A prize? Chi-Chi blinked. Since when did they spar for prizes?
"What kind of prize?"
"The winner's kind."
Chi-Chi growled and tried bucking him off but Goku didn't move an inch.
"Be serious," she huffed.
"Who says I'm not? Now say it. Say I win."
"Fine! You win! Now will ya tell me what you want?"
Goku leaned in close until their noses brushed and grinned. "No more sparring until I say so."
"What?! But Goku!"
"Ah, ah, ah," Goku chided, sitting up and unraveling himself from Chi-Chi's sash. "I won, so you have to follow the rules."
"But I didn't agre—"
"Doesn't matter. I won. Now show me how you moved your sash like that."
Chi-Chi sighed, knowing when to admit defeat. Goku could be so stubborn at times. She reached down to pick up her weapon and cringed when she felt something seize up around her shoulder. Unfortunately her reaction didn't go unnoticed.
"What's wrong?" Goku demanded.
Great. Like she needed another excuse for him to delay their sparring. Chi-Chi smiled at him stiffly and waved him off. "Nothin' a little massage won't fix," she told him, rubbing the space between her neck and shoulder.
Goku brushed her hands aside and pressed a point on her neck. "Here?"
"Lower but I can—"
He pressed a little lower.
"No, lower but you don't—"
Goku dragged his thumb down just a little and pressed, hitting the right spot.
"Oh!" Chi-Chi gasped. "That feels…" She groaned as Goku pressed a little harder, kneading the knot in her muscle just right. It felt so good she wanted to melt right into the ground but Goku's strong arm was wrapped tight around her waist, holding her upright.
She sighed, enjoying his efforts, and leaned into his touch, making Goku smile.
He pressed a little harder, earning a humm as his fingers worked around her neck and shoulder to relieve the tension. Goku was happy that she seemed to like what he was doing and he liked the little noises she kept making. Really liked it. It stirred him to want to go harder, faster.
"Goku…that's too—"
He wanted to make Chi-Chi feel good. Wanted to make her feel like he felt when she kissed him. He had failed to do that with a kiss but maybe this was just as good? Goku pressed a little harder.
"Ah! Wait!"
If he made Chi-Chi feel good, maybe she'd finally agree to marry him, and if she did that maybe it meant she wouldn't let other people kiss her anymore.
"Goku stop!"
Plus it was making him feel good too. What did Krillin use to call it? A win-win. He didn't know why it made him feel good to massage Chi-Chi but he knew he wanted to keep doing it.
"I said STOP!"
His mind registered Chi-Chi's spiked ki before her words could penetrate through his brain but by that time that it did, it was too late. Chi-Chi's nails were digging into his arm and then she was hurling him over her shoulder straight into the nearest tree.
Goku groaned and put a hand to his aching head. It was weird that no matter how many times she did that, he never seemed able to avoid it. "Whaddya do that for?"
"You were hurting me!" Chi-Chi snapped, rubbing her tender shoulder carefully. "I told ya to stop but you weren't listening."
Goku looked up in alarm. He'd hurt her?! How had he done that? His shoulders dropped in defeat. Why was it every time he tried to touch her in some way he ended up hurting her? At this rate she was never gonna marry him.
"Sorry, Chi-Chi."
"It's alright," she sighed, putting a hand out to help him up. "But you gotta remember to be gentle about these things. Most human bodies aren't as tough as yours," she told him, knocking a fist against his chest as he stood to emphasize her point.
"You're right about that," he agreed.
Although why that was baffled him. It was probably for the same reason that no one else seemed to have a tail. He knew folks thought it was odd but he was grateful Chi-Chi never had. In fact she never mentioned it at all until she happened to tug on it too hard, draining him of all his strength. Heh. He guess this made them even.
"Do you want me to teach you?"
Huh? Goku blinked, confused.
"What was that?"
"Sit down," Chi-Chi instructed. "I'll show you how to massage a muscle properly." She pushed on his shoulders forcing him to the ground and then stepped behind him, placing her delicate hands along either side of his neck.
Goku straightened at her touch. For some reason it felt like every nerve in his body was focused solely on where her hands currently rested.
Oblivious to his distraction, Chi-Chi started moving her thumbs in small circles. "You start slow," she instructed, only to frown as she noted the stiffness in his posture. "You're really tense. I can't believe I'm saying this to you but ya need to relax Goku."
"S-Sure thing Chi," Goku gulped, though it was easier said than done. Her bumps kept brushing against his back, reminding him of that time on the dinosaur for some reason, when he'd been imagining kissing her naked. He thought maybe he could add massages to that mental imagery too and felt his weiner swell up just like that time before.
Was…was that supposed to happen? Did Chi-Chi know what she was doing to him?
"How does that feel?" she asked but Goku was too afraid to open his mouth. What if he accidentally told her what he was thinking and she smacked him?
Although he liked seeing her feisty.
There was something about the way her eyes sparked with rage…like earlier when he'd had her pinned underneath him. In fact…now that he thought about it, he liked that too. He liked having her under him with her cheeks all flushed and her dark silky hair splayed out all around her…he wanted to see her like that again.
"Does it feel good?"
"Mhmmmm."
"Good!" Chi-Chi beamed, kneading his shoulders one last time before pulling away. "You see? That's how a massage is supposed to feel."
Goku turned and reached for her, looking drowsy but determined. "My turn," he murmured but Chi-Chi stepped back with a smile.
"That's sweet of you Goku but I'm still a bit sore from your first attempt. Maybe another time."
Goku nodded numbly and watched her wander off to start on lunch.
He definitely wanted to do that again.
Better yet, what he really wanted was to kiss Chi-Chi…or have her kiss him. That was the safer option. He was waaaaay less likely to mess that up but Chi-Chi only ever kissed him when she was super happy. He didn't want to wait for however long that took. He wanted it now.
Really wanted it.
Goku rose to his feet and padded after Chi-Chi, his mind whirling.
What could he do to earn another kiss?
o0o
Chi-Chi looked up from where she was scrubbing pots and pans at the sound of the dishwasher being slammed shut.
"Goku?" she frowned, watching as he turned and marched straight into the bathroom. "What are you doing?"
"Just helpin' out!" he called back, occupied with who knows what.
Chi-Chi glanced at her dishwasher and then shrugged. They did need to be washed and her hands were busy at the moment.
Still…something strange was going on with Goku. It had started with little things, like Goku remembering to throw his clothes in the hamper or offering to clean up their cooking gear without being asked. She was crazy about the man but dear lord could he leave a mess when she wasn't watching his every move. He even started bringing her fresh fruit in the morning for their breakfast. Things she could appreciate.
But there were other things. Things like when she'd had a cramp in her shoulder and he tried giving her a massage only to end up bruising her instead. Or yesterday morning when she caught Goku trying to use the stove. He hadn't even managed to start cooking anything before he carelessly placed his hand on a burner and started screaming, waking her up and prompting her to teach him the way the appliance worked and how to test if something was safe to touch.
She wasn't sure what Goku was up to or why, but she knew there had to be a reason. The change was too abrupt for there not to be.
Goku slammed another machine shut and started it up, prompting Chi-Chi to look over her shoulder in concern. He'd started a load of laundry.
"Goku?" she called, rinsing off the pot she'd been working on so she could hurry up and inspect his work. "You remembered to separate the whites and colors didn't you?"
"Uh…"
She knew it.
Chi-Chi hurriedly dried the pot off and placed it to the side just as the washer started to shake violently. What the…
She rushed past Goku, determined to stop the wash, but before she could manage to open the washer door, the machine ripped free from its connectors and smashed through the wall, escaping outdoors.
"Goku!" Chi-Chi gasped in alarm. "Tell me you didn't put your weighted shirts in there too!"
His large gulp was answer enough.
"Ooooh, nevermind that now! Quick! We gotta catch it before it breaks completely!"
They scrambled after the washer that was already halfway to the river and Goku leaped to catch it the second he was in reach. But the washer wasn't prepared to go down so easily. Instead it bucked him off, forcing Chi-Chi to duck for cover as the door swung wide and spewed out half their clothes.
Goku growled, unwilling to be outdone by a mindless machine and jumped again. This time he managed to wrestle it under control and soon the machine was as docile as it was violent just moments ago.
Chi-Chi groaned and climbed to her feet, noticing their things all over the ground including…was that her underwear?!
She hastily snatched up her panties and the rest of the clothing and shoved it all back in the washer. She hadn't realized Goku had grabbed her intimate clothing as well! Chi-Chi slapped her hands over her face wishing she could just disappear. Didn't Goku have any decency?! Hadn't anyone ever told him not to touch a woman's undergarments?!
Chi-Chi released a muffled scream as Goku eyed her warily.
He sure had done it this time. It was a miracle she hadn't started yelling at him yet but he knew she would. Unfortunately Goku watching her die of embarrassment didn't exactly help his situation.
"What are you lookin' at?" Chi-Chi demanded once she finally managed to pull her hands away from her face. She stomped to one side of the washer and lifted it up. "Grab an end already!"
"Uh…Chi-Chi, ya know I can just lift that whole thi—"
"WHAT was that?!"
"Nothing!"
"That's what I thought," Chi-Chi huffed. She started lugging her end of the washer back towards their capsule home before she stopped short at the sight of bubbles gushing out of the new hole in the wall.
'Oh,' she thought woozily. Goku must have put laundry detergent in the dishwasher.
Goku felt Chi-Chi's ki spike so sharply that he knew something was wrong but before he could even glance her way she was crashing to the ground.
"Chi-Chi!" He threw the machine to one side and knelt beside her, lifting her as gently as he could into his arms. "Chi-Chi? Chi-Chi?" He was tempted to smack her cheek but after headbutting her the other night, and now this, he was afraid he'd do more harm than good.
"Mmmm…" Chi-Chi slowly opened her eyes, much to Goku's relief, but that relief soon turned to fear as she recalled everything that had happened.
"GOKU!" She snapped, sitting up and shoving him away. "What were you thinking?! Look what you've done! Where are we supposed to sleep tonight with a giant hole in our home and bubbles all over the floor?!"
"I-I'm sorry Chi-Chi! I was just tryin' to help!"
"HELP! Does this look like helping?!"
Goku flinched and squeezed his eyes shut as Chi-Chi raised her hand. He knew he could always dodge but if hitting him would make her feel better…he'd take his punishment head on. He deserved it for destroying their home and making Chi-Chi mad.
And Chi-Chi was more than mad. She was furious! And yet…Goku looked so positively guilty kneeling there with those big sad eyes and downturned lips that she felt herself losing steam.
She let loose a heavy sigh, pressed a hand against his face and kissed his cheek.
'What the—'
Startled, Goku's eyes flew open to find Chi-Chi's face inches from his own, and blushed at their proximity. He was in this mess in the first place because he'd been trying to earn a kiss but he had thought he'd blown it considering how angry he'd made her.
"I'm sorry I yelled," Chi-Chi murmured, dragging Goku's gaze away from her lips to stare up into her deep brown eyes. " I know you were just trying to help and I appreciate that, I do." she insisted. He smiled back nervously, sensing a 'but' which Chi-Chi noticed. He wasn't wrong but it wouldn't do to lose her temper with him again.
She gave him a frustrated smile and added, "But now we have to replace two machines and fix the hole in the wall. It means we'll have to pause our trip and work some more."
"I have money," Goku offered eagerly. Chi-Chi could have it all if it would fix his mistake and make her happy with him again. "The announcer guy gave it to me when I went to ask about gettin' the tournament reinstated. We can use that to fix it."
Chi-Chi blinked, having forgotten that he probably had prize money, but she couldn't let him use that.
"No, that's yours, you earned that." she told him, shaking her head. "Besides, if we get married we can use it to build our home. For now we should just work it off."
"But workin' means takin' more time away from training. We've wasted enough time these last few weeks," Goku argued.
"That's true…" If it had been just one thing maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, but all together it would take awhile. "Maybe we can split it? Use some of your winnings to fix the machines while we work to pay for the wall?"
Goku frowned. He really didn't want to put off training any longer. "Are you sure we can't use the money to fix it all?"
"Consider it your penance for all the damage you've caused," Chi-Chi told him, raising a single brow.
Goku couldn't help but flush under her no nonsense gaze. There was something he really liked when she looked at him like that…even if it was because he had messed up.
"Alright," he agreed.
Chi-Chi nodded, feeling like the discussion was over, but there was one last thing she needed to add.
"Oh and Goku?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't ever touch anything again without checking with me first."
"Ehehe…sure thing Chi-Chi," he laughed rubbing the back of his neck.
o0o
"This is the last of them," a stout, middle aged man in a white hard hat told Goku as he patted the pile of drywall. "Get those to Neiru an' help him put 'em up. That should keep even you busy til quittin' time."
"Can do!" Goku grinned, lifting the heavy drywall pile with ease.
He gave Hanma a wave and then made his way inside the large home to where Neiru was waiting on the third floor. It wasn't as big as Bulma's place but it was still larger than most homes he'd seen. He wondered if Chi-Chi would want to build a home this size. She and her father did live in a castle…but Chi-Chi also seemed content with their current capsule home.
"Goku! Over here."
Goku turned upon hearing his name, swinging his large load and almost taking out another construction worker carrying up some floor tiles for the bathrooms.
"Watch it!"
"Oops, sorry." Goku cringed, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. He hurried over to Neiru and dropped the pile on the floor while the older man watched on in amusement.
"It still astonishes me how much you and your lady can lift. Alright, grab one and hold it here and I can nail it in place."
Goku did as instructed and they quickly put up the wall around the room before spackling the seams and nail holes.
"Whoo," Neiru sighed, wiping his brow. "Good work. I think that's about it for the day. You and your missus coming back tomorrow?"
Goku grinned.
"Nope!" He was happy that today was his last day. He liked working with Neiru, Hanma and the others but he was eager to get back to training. "Chi-Chi said the washers should be fixed today and we finished the last of our home repairs last night. So today's it."
"I still can't believe she agreed to marry you," Neiru laughed. "You'll be lucky if you don't end up divorced in a few years."
Goku frowned, unfamiliar with the word. "What's divorced?"
"That's the right mindset!" a scrawny tanned man called from the next room. "Can't get one if you don't know the meanin' of it!"
"Can't get one if you never get married either Mita!" Neiru hollered back at him, making the other man laugh.
A tall, dark man with bleached blonde hair pulled up beside them and handed Neiru some paperwork. "Whose getting married?"
"Me," said Goku, pointing to himself. "And maybe divorced?"
Neiru laughed as he scrawled out his signature. "No a divorce isn't something you want. That's what happens when a marriage ends."
"Marriage can end?" Goku gasped. "I thought it meant livin' together for the rest of your life!"
"It should," growled the blonde man. He snapped up the paperwork before stomping away while Goku just stared after him wondering what he'd done now.
"Don't mind Renga," Neiru told him. "He went through a nasty divorce a few years ago and is still bitter about it. But to answer your question, that's what marriage is supposed to be but more and more people these days don't want to put in the effort it takes to make a marriage work. So they end things."
"You mean if I break enough stuff, Chi-Chi won't wanna live with me no more?"
"Maybe," Neiru told him honestly, patting the young man on the shoulder. "But I also don't know many women who would do back breaking work like flooring just to help fix something her man messed up. You got a good woman there but you gotta remember to treat her right."
"But every time I try I mess somethin' up!" Goku whined. That's why he was here in the first place!
Neiru nodded, easily believing him. Goku may be strong and a hard worker but he could be a little unaware of his surroundings. A recipe for disaster if he ever saw one but it wasn't all bad. The boy had a good heart.
"As long as she knows you're trying, I think you'll be fine. In fact," Neiru snapped his fingers. "There are some hot springs just west of here, near Jusenkyo. I'm sure taking her there would earn you some points, especially after doing construction work the last several days."
"Really?!" Goku grinned, "That's a great idea!" Chi-Chi had said that she'd forgiven him but even he could tell she was still a little miffed. "I'll go tell her now. Thanks!"
Goku said his goodbyes to the crew and then ran off to find Chi-Chi as a tired older man watched him go. "He sure seems more energetic than usual."
"That's because I told him about the springs just west of here. He's gonna surprise his lady with a visit to them," Neiru told him.
The old man frowned. "You mean the ones north of town."
"No, west. There's supposed to be a tho—hey wait! Sanda what's wrong?"
Sanda didn't have time to explain. He chased after Goku, spotting him and his woman talking to Hanma—no doubt getting their final pay— but he wasn't as young as he used to be and before he could catch his breath to call out, the pair was hopping on a cloud and zooming off.
"Well shit," the old man muttered. He wiped his brow and then shrugged. "I guess it don't matter. Don't last more than a day anyways."
o0o
"Oh my," Chi-Chi gasped as she stepped off Nimbus. When Goku had told her about the hot springs she had thought there'd just be one or two. She hadn't expected there'd be an entire mountainside of them! There had to be at least a thousand individual springs, all steaming hot and inviting. And yet there wasn't another soul in sight besides her and Goku.
"Are we allowed to be here?" she asked nervously. Maybe this was some kind of protected land and they'd missed the sign because they'd flown in.
"Why wouldn't we be?" Goku grinned, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Wanna hop in?"
"We should change into our swimsuits first," Chi-Chi told him, tossing the capsule home away from the springs but Goku didn't see the need. They'd just bathe and change into fresh clothing after this, so he decided to just strip to his boxers while Chi-Chi changed.
Chi-Chi nodded that she understood and went inside while Goku began stretching out his limbs, weary from the long week. There'd been very little time to relax after working all day and then fixing up their home in the evening on top of all their chores. He was looking forward to this as much as he'd been hoping to please Chi-Chi.
He yanked off his boots and added the rest of his clothes sloppily on top of them, hopping lightly up and down when he was no longer weighed down. It was always so fun to feel how light he was after he took everything off. In fact…
Goku flew into the air, spinning and twirling around before soaring straight up into the evening sky and bursting through the clouds only to be greeted with the sight of the full moon. He hadn't realized it was there. The clouds had been too thick from the ground.
He stared, feeling a strange energy run through him. It had been awhile since he'd last seen a full moon…even now he was wary because of the danger it presented.
Goku lowered back to the earth, scanning his surroundings. He knew Chi-Chi had figured the monster lived on Mt. Paozu but years of vigilance kept him on edge regardless. Speaking of…what was taking Chi-Chi so long? He crossed his arms and began tapping his biceps. If Chi-Chi wasn't out here in ten more seconds…
Chi-Chi opened the door to the capsule house to find a restless Goku standing in nothing but his boxers looking agitated.
"Goku?"
Goku's sharp gaze slanted towards her sending a shiver down Chi-Chi's spine. It was bad enough that such a handsome man was practically naked in front of her but did he have to look so intense at the same time? Her heart wasn't strong enough to handle it!
"Shall we?" Chi-Chi asked nervously, trying to take his focus off of her. She tightened her grip on the towel wrapped around her as Goku merely raised a single brow instead of responding.
Why wasn't he saying anything?
She gulped but made her way towards the springs, feeling flustered as they walked in silence. Goku wasn't acting like his usual happy self but she didn't think that he was angry. What he was, she couldn't say, but Chi-Chi chose to ignore him for now, instead searching out the perfect springs. She settled on one of the more secluded pools of water, finding it cozier, and placed her bathing things on a small boulder as Goku pulled up silently behind her.
"Ok," Chi-Chi growled, swinging around. "What's this all ab—eek!"
One second she was preparing to lecture him about the unseemliness of lurking the next she was jumping into his arms.
"Get it away! Get it away!" she screeched, burying her head into Goku's shoulder as she pointed to the deadly vermin.
Goku just chuckled as the mouse darted off, slipping his hands under Chi-Chi's strong thighs to support her. "Don't tell me the mighty Ox princess is afraid of a little mouse."
"Oh you're one to talk!" Chi-Chi snapped, shoving as far away from him as she could although Goku's firm grip made that all but impossible. "You threw a tantrum over a needle! Do you know how many diseases those things carry?"
But Goku didn't look like he cared about that. He hadn't even flinched at the mention of needles! Chi-Chi laughed uneasily as Goku squeezed her closer and breathed deeply, making her realize their positions. They were in nothing but swimwear and she had her bare legs around him! What had she been thinking?!
"S-Sorry," she stammered, struggling to get down but Goku seemed oblivious to her efforts as his grip on her tightened. "I probably smell real bad after working all day. Mind lettin' go?"
For a second she thought Goku was going to say no but eventually he relaxed his hold and Chi-Chi slipped down, taking a step back as soon as she was able. She laughed nervously, still unsure of what to make of this serious, silent Goku.
"I-I guess I overreacted."
Still no response.
Chi-Chi swallowed and then spun around, unable to face him any longer. She didn't know what was going on with him but it was making her nervous!
She moved to test the temperature of the hot springs with her foot when she felt him run his fingers through her hair. Chi-Chi stiffened as she felt him lean in close.
"You're wrong."
"W-What's that?" She gulped, startled to hear his low voice directly in her ear.
"You're wrong." Goku breathed in audibly and groaned. "You always smell amazing Chi-Chi but right now…" He pulled her back against him. "Right now you smell delicious."
"What?" Chi-Chi squeaked. She spun back around and stumbled back to get some distance between them but Goku just stalked forward as if she were prey. "G-Goku? You feeling alright? You're actin' a little strange."
Goku grinned, making Chi-Chi nervous. She knew that look. It was the same one he used whenever he was about to outsmart an opponent.
"I feel great," he told her, stepping forward. "But I wanna feel even better."
He snatched her around the waist but Chi-Chi was so tense that the second he moved she grabbed his arm and tossed Goku over her shoulder towards the many pools of water, losing her own balance in the process.
Chi-Chi spluttered as she righted herself and tried to wipe the water out of her eyes but for some reason her hands weren't working right. She shook the water off and then looked around, wondering where Goku had landed. She couldn't see him at all…in fact…everything looked really weird…bigger and wider and…noticing her feet weren't touching the bottom anymore, Chi-Chi glanced down at the water only to be met with a duck's reflection.
She screamed.
"Chi-Chi?! Chi-Chi what's wrong?!"
Was that Goku? His voice sounded so much higher now. Which made sense. Of course things would sound different now that she had somehow turned into an animal?!
"Imma duck! A duck!" she wailed, flapping her wings wildly. "I can't be a duck! I don't know how to be a duck! How did this even happen? What do I do?! Goku help!"
"Ch-Chi-Chi? Is that really you?"
"Do you know any other talking ducks?!" she demanded, swinging around to glare at him but Goku was nowhere in sight. Instead there was a squirrel with very wild hair sticking every which way exactly like a certain wild boy she knew. Chi-Chi screamed again.
"GOKU?! You're a rodent! You're a rodent and Imma duck! We're gonna be stuck like this forever!"
"Chi-Chi calm dow—"
"Calm down?!" she shrieked, flaring her wings out and stomping forward. "Calm down?! If you haven't noticed, I'M A DUCK!"
Chi-Chi punctuated this by flapping her wings so wildly that she lost her balance and toppled over into the hot spring to her right with a large splash.
"Chi-Chi!" Goku scampered up to the edge of the pool just as a monkey burst out of the water. "Chi-Chi?"
Chi-Chi patted herself down, momentarily relieved to have hands again only to realize that they were covered in fur. She whimpered and curled herself into a ball while Goku just stared as Chi-Chi's tail wrapped around herself.
He knew Chi-Chi wasn't herself right now—heck he wasn't himself right now—but seeing her the way she was now…he couldn't help but wonder what normal Chi-Chi would look like with a tail.
Goku blinked and then shook his head hard, forcing his focus back on the issue at hand. Somehow these hot springs had the ability to turn them into animals. Surely one of them could turn them back?
"Good thing I'm fast," he muttered before hopping into the nearest pool.
At the sound of splashing water, Chi-Chi looked up for the creature she knew to be Goku but all she could see was a bat diving into a hot spring and then popping up as an elephant before jumping into the next one. Surely he wasn't going to test every single one? There were so many! And yet one by one Goku did just that, diving into the pools and coming up as some new animal. First a snake, then a panda, then an owl and a rabbit. He moved so fast it made Chi-Chi dizzy.
It was on his three hundredth and forty second attempt that Goku finally met with some success. He popped out of the water and froze, noticing his human hands and feet, before falling back into the waters with a grin. He'd done it! He was human again! Ten figures and ten toes…and…four stubby little limbs?
Huh.
Goku checked his reflection in the water and realized he was a child again. He blinked, taking that in for a moment and then shrugged. Oh well.
"Hey Chi-Chi! Chi-Chi!" he called. "Over here!"
Chi-Chi spotted the child-size Goku and scrambled over as fast as her furry legs could take her.
"Goku? You're human again!" Although not quite back to normal, it was definitely an improvement. She examined the hot spring, eyeing it dubiously. "Is it really okay?" she asked, looking cautiously into the water. She wasn't eager to be a child again but she'd take it over being a monkey.
"Sure, just hop in!"
Chi-Chi nodded and slipped in, making sure to get completely submerged so she didn't somehow end up with a monkey head on a human body. When she popped back up for air she was Chi-Chi again, only Chi-Chi the size of when Goku first met her.
"I'm me again!" She cheered, latching onto Goku and pressing a dozen kisses to his cheek. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Tha—Goku! Where are your clothes?"
"Uwah…" A dazed Goku slowly looked down at himself only to realize he was naked. "Oh. I guess I lost them somewhere along the way." He looked up and noted Chi-Chi's bare shoulders and pointed towards them. "Your clothes are gone too."
"Wha—?" Chi-Chi shrieked, realizing Goku was correct, and then spun away covering her now nearly nonexistent chest. "Don't you dare look!"
Right. He wasn't supposed to see Chi-Chi naked until they were married.
Thinking fast, Goku turned his head to the sky, "Nimbus!"
The fluffy cloud was by his side in a flash and Goku hopped on before it could even come to a stop. He swooped over to where they had left their things and quickly swiped up several articles of clothing before flying back over to Chi-Chi.
They did the best they could with what they had, seeing as their things were now much too large for them, but eventually they managed to cover themselves to Chi-Chi's standards. It was only as Goku helped her up onto Nimbus away from the magical hot springs that he noticed something else.
"My tail!" It was back! He'd missed it. He turned to show Chi-Chi excitedly when he noticed her fiddling with her hair. "Chi-Chi?"
"Don't look!" she cried, slapping her hands over her head, but Goku had already spotted what she'd been trying to hide.
"Chi-Chi what's that?"
"It's nothing! I told you not to look!"
He gently pried her hands away and blinked. "Chi-Chi you have horns!"
"I do not!"
"Chi-Chi," he chided, clicking his tongue. "Don't lie."
Chi-Chi's shoulders slumped as she looked at him with tears in her eyes making Goku uncomfortable. Somehow seeing this version of Chi-Chi cry was much, much worse!
"Fine," she sniffled, making Goku's tail bristle. "I have horns, are you happy?"
"Well sure! I think they're cool!" Didn't she?
"Really?"
"Really," Goku grinned. Chi-Chi stared at him for a minute, as if trying to test if he was being honest, but she must have believed him because she wiped her eyes and smiled a small little smile that made Goku's heart rate pick up. Strange…he didn't remember her being able to do that when they were younger. In fact…there was a lot he didn't remember.
"Did you always have horns? I don't remember seeing them when we were kids."
Chi-Chi blushed and looked away, still uncomfortable that her secret had been exposed but Goku didn't seem to think it was weird so she didn't mind talking more about it. "I hid them under my helmet until my dad finally let me get them removed."
Goku's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would you want that?"
"Because it's not normal," Chi-Chi whined, covering them with her hands again. "Isn't that why you removed your tail?"
"Nah! I love my tail. I only did it cause Kami wanted to bring the moon back."
Chi-Chi blinked. "What's that got to do with the moon?"
"No clue," Goku shrugged.
"Huh."
"Yup."
They both sat pondering this for a bit before Chi-Chi decided she had enough.
"Goku, I'm tired. Let's go to bed. We can figure out what to do about being children in the morning."
"I guess I messed up again, huh?"
Chi-Chi paused at the door and turned back to face him. "Why would you say that? There's no way you could have known this would happen."
"Well, no…" Goku agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But if I hadn't messed up our home in the first place we woulda never had to find work and then we never woulda come here."
Well…that was true…still.
"Accidents happen," She shrugged, stepping inside their home. Sure she had been pretty angry but she was mostly over it now. "Besides, you don't mess everything up. Sometimes you get it just right."
Chi-Chi blushed, recalling all the pretty places he'd shown her or the way he'd held her the night Kasumi had been attacked. He really could be just so sweet…
"So ya ain't gonna divorce me if I keep breakin' stuff?"
Wait, what?
Chi-Chi turned with a frown.
"Well we'd need to be married before I could divorce you," she pointed out since he seemed to have forgotten that little detail. "But I wouldn't do something like that just cause your clumsy!"
"But you would do it for something else?" Goku asked, looking so worried that Chi-Chi couldn't help but tease him a little.
"I would."
"Really?!" Sweat beaded down Goku's forehead as he gulped. "Will…will ya tell me what that is? I swear I'll never do it but I gotta know what it is first!"
Chi-Chi debated telling him something outlandish like she'd divorce him if he failed to bring her oysters every day or didn't fluff her pillows twice an hour, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. There was only one thing that would drive her to such an action and she knew Goku was a man of his word even if he took it too far at times.
"You don't have to worry about that," she told him instead, leaning against him shyly. "As long as ya want me around, I'll be here."
Goku grinned.
"You mean it?"
"Of course!" Chi-Chi scoffed. She was a woman of her word too! Or given her current state, it would be more accurate to say she was a girl of her word. Speaking of…she pressed a kiss against his boyish cheek and giggled as he turned bright red.
"Thanks again," she smiled, feeling her own cheeks go red. "Even if I have to grow up twice, I'm grateful that at least I get to do it as a human and that's because of you, silly. So don't worry about messin' up too much. 'Kay?"
Goku smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his head as Chi-Chi headed into the bathroom to freshen up. He wasn't sure where they'd go from here or if their journey would have to be put on pause until they grew up, but he knew that even if they did have to wait until they were adults again, this time he wouldn't be forgetting Chi-Chi.