Love's funny that way, or Gohan's birthday present, part 2.

By Johnnyjosh aka Zoicyte Maxwell.

This is a request fic for my 6000^th visitor, Mara Jade. Enjoy chibi! *glomps*

Pairing: Piccolo/Gohan.

Warnings: Yaoi, Lime, slight language.

Notes: TWT, AU slightly, OOC, general insanity, SAAAAAPPPPP.......

A romantic comedy G/P get together, Gohan is divorced, and a little lonely on his birthday. Piccolo sees this as a perfect opportunity to express his feelings, but will it go as well as he hopes? Does it ever in love? *LOL*

A soft sound was heard upstairs as Gohan's eyes opened. The demi-Saiyan blinked, looking around blearily before absently running his fingers over his tingling lips, then quickly falling back to sleep.

The next morning......

Gohan raced around the living room, making sure he had everything he needed, so he could get his jobs done and get home by noon. "Oh man, I'm gonna be late if I don't move it..." He ran into the kitchen and grabbed two grocery bags stuffed with food, otherwise known as his midmorning snack, and bolted out the door.

Piccolo suppressed a laugh as he watched Gohan run out into the front yard, a piece of toast dangling from his mouth as he frantically tried to straighten his tie. As the demi-Saiyan shot into the air and flew toward the school, Piccolo turned and smirked at Icharus. The little dragon turned bright eyes to him and bounced excitedly. "Let's get to it." The Namek said, stalking across the yard.

"You got those flowers...good boy." Piccolo smiled as he took the huge bouquet of flowers from the dragon's mouth, and searched around for a vase. "A little mismatched, but they'll do. There...that's just what we need." He said as he set the vase of lilacs and goldenrod in the center of the table.

Piccolo gently set down the bag he had slung over his shoulder and opened it. Inside were every possible description of party decorations Bulma and her mother had managed to scrounge up. "I don't think these humans know the meaning of the words 'a few' do you?" He turned to the dragon and pointed at the large pile of streamers, signs, balloons, and party favors now scattered on the floor. Icharus looked at him and shook his head. "Me either." The Namek sighed, poking through the pile. "I think this should do it." He said, picking up a long happy birthday sign in brightly colored foil, and several multicolored streamers. "We don't want to go overboard with this, cause it will eventually have to be cleaned up." He scowled. "Hmm..." Piccolo took the decorations into the living room and set them on the couch. "Just thinkin.." He mused as Icharus tilted his head to the side and made a questioning noise. "We don't have a lot of time here, maybe we should make the food first, then put these up while it's cooking, what do you think?" He turned and regarded the dragon.

Icharus turned and bounded into the kitchen, tongue lolling out. "Figures you would pick that room first." Piccolo chuckled, following at a more sedate pace.

"Now let's see..." The Namek muttered, spotting a large, well worn cookbook sitting on the counter. "I remember Chi-Chi used to make something for his birthday almost every year..what was it called?" He thumbed carefully through the pages, stopping at every brightly colored bookmark, glad he had taken the time to learn to read after all. "Hey..this sounds like it.." Piccolo set the book down and read the recipe for souffle. "Hm..sounds easy enough, but I'd better make sure I have all this stuff first.." He read off the ingredients, and did a quick search of the kitchen, laying each item on the table. "Perfect.." The Namek purred as he set out the last of the ingredients. "Now...to figure out all these blasted measurements...." He set to work.

Forty minutes later, Piccolo slid six casserole dishes into the oven. "That should take the edge off his appetite until we make it to Capsule Corp. later for his birthday dinner." He smiled at Icharus. The dragon nodded enthusiastically and peered through the glass at the souffles. "Good thing I spent so much time around the Son house huh? Watching Chi-Chi cooking for two and three Saiyans taught me a lot." He grinned. "Now let's get those decorations up." He searched around for some tacks to hold them up with, and they went into the living room.

"Icharus...NO!!!" Piccolo shouted as the dragon balanced on the back of the couch, trying to push an end of the red streamer into the corner for him. His shout startled the poor dragon, and he flipped off the end of the couch and hit the wall, leaving an interestingly shaped imprint. "Oh shit!" He cried as he surveyed the cracked and dented wall. "Icharus! Look what you did! Now how are we supposed to cover that up?" The poor dragon put his head on the floor and covered it with his forepaws, making a soft keening sound. "Aw hell...come on, get up." Piccolo muttered. "Let's see if we can't find something to cover that."

Twenty minutes later, they had managed to re-arrange the living room furniture, moving the couch over in front of the dent, and placing a large fabric wall hanging of dinosaurs up above it. "Can you see it?" Piccolo asked, looking at the wall critically. Icharus stared at the wall intently for a few seconds, before standing on his hind legs and licking Piccolo's face eagerly. "Now cut that out!" The Namek scolded, mock scowling. "Can you see it or not?" He asked again. "Guess that's a no huh?" He chuckled as Icharus nearly lost his balance from shaking his head so hard. "Good."

"Hey...what's that smell?" He asked, as a scorched smell permeated the house, and smoke began rolling out of the kitchen. "OH NO!" He shouted as he and Icharus ran for the kitchen, bumping into each other and getting stuck in the doorframe. Piccolo grunted and fought his way free, quickly opening the oven door. He collapsed to his knees choking and coughing as thick black smoke erupted from the oven. "Oh no...." He groaned as the smoke cleared, revealing six casserole dishes with about three inches of solidly burnt on black goop stuck to the bottom of each dish. "It's ruined." He growled softly, putting on oven mitts and throwing the dishes into a sink full of hot water. "These'll have to soak for about a week.." He sighed. "Now, we have to air out this house, and clean up this mess...Oh Kami..." The Namek groaned as he noticed the flour, vegetables and other food splattered all over the counters, stove, and cupboards. He looked up at the clock in horror. "Oh no!" He cried. "It's 11:30! How the hell are we going to clean all this up in..." Piccolo's face paled as the front door banged open, and Gohan rushed in, attracted by the smoke pouring out of the windows.

"What the...Piccolo..?" The demi-Saiyan screeched to a halt in the doorway to the kitchen, and stared. The walls, floor, and the stove were covered in food, dirty dishes littered the kitchen table, and black smoke still hovered in the air. Icharus lay down on the floor, whining pitifully, and Piccolo stood with his back to Gohan, hands covering his face.

"Piccolo...what the hell happened here?" Gohan asked softly, stepping forward and placing a hand on the Namek's shoulder as he reached down with the other to scratch Icharus' back.

Piccolo sighed and dragged his hands down his face. "Well...I...we.." He turned and looked down at Icharus, who nuzzled his side, as if encouraging him to go on. "I wanted to do something for your birthday, so I went to Capsule Corp. and asked Bulma what humans customarily do." He pointed to the decorations on the living room ceiling. "She gave me those, told me to decorate the house..but ah..we kind of had a little accident.." The Namek said, blushing as he walked over and pulled up the wall hanging, revealing the huge dent.

"Oh no..." Gohan winced. "Are you guys okay?"

Piccolo nodded. "So then she said I should prepare a meal, and a birthday cake..although...after the way the souffle turned out...I don't think I'll be making any cakes for a good long time..." He sighed. "I'm sorry Gohan, I just wanted to surprise you, we both did." He laid a hand on the dragon's head.

"Well you certainly did that!" Gohan grinned, glomping his longtime friend. "This..you went to all this trouble for me..I never expected this from you Piccolo." He gazed up at the taller man affectionately. "I don't care that it didn't turn out perfect, the fact that you tried to do all these things for me means more than you could know." The demi-Saiyan hovered up in the air and kissed Piccolo's cheek. "Thank you." He said, laughing as a dark flush spread across the Namek's face.

Suddenly Icharus bounded over to the table and snatched up the vase of flowers.

"Icharus what...oh no...no Icharus STOP! I'M ALLERGIC TO LILACS!" Gohan cried, but it was too late as the dragon all but shoved the flowers in his face. The demi-Saiyan backed up, eyes closing as his nose crinkled. Suddenly papers flew across the room, and the curtains billowed with the force of his sneezes.

"Shit...you okay Gohan..?" Piccolo knelt beside him and gripped his shoulders, while Icharus cowered in the corner. Piccolo's eyes widened in alarm as Gohan's eyes nearly swelled shut, and his nose became red. "What can I do?"

"Id de badroon cubberd....adihisdanine..." Gohan groaned, voice strained. He gasped as Piccolo swept him up in his arms and raced upstairs to the bathroom.

He gently set the demi-Saiyan down and watched anxiously as Gohan pulled out a small bottle and took two pills from it, swallowing them dry. "You gonna be alright?"

Gohan nodded, trying his best to give his friend a smile. "Yeah...jus ged rid ob de vowers.."

Piccolo nodded and made his way downstairs. "Sorry buddy, but these didn't turn out either." He said as he dumped the flowers out the back door and incinerated them with a small ki blast. He turned and walked into the living room to find Gohan sitting on the couch, and Icharus curled up on the floor in front of him, staring up at the demi-Saiyan mournfully. "I'm sorry Gohan...this has turned out to be such a mess...." The Namek slumped beside him.

Gohan turned and blinked, and Piccolo was relieved to see the swelling and redness were almost gone. "Piccolo, no...don't be sorry." Gohan said, snuggling up to him. "You guys blew me away today, I mean..the flowers, the decorations, the food..." He hugged the surprised Namek tightly. "I don't care how it turned out, this is still the best birthday ever.."

Piccolo stared down at the man. "How can you say that? We destroyed the kitchen, put a huge dent in the wall...and made you miserable with those flowers..." Piccolo trailed off, blushing as Gohan's finger ran over his chest.

"No, you showed me how much you care about me, and don't want me to feel lonely on my birthday.." Gohan smiled up at him, a strange gleam in his eyes. "All that's missing is a birthday present.." He smirked evilly.

Piccolo sweatdropped. "I knew I forgot something..." He said softly, eyes widening at the look his friend was giving him. "What do you want for your birthday Gohan.." The Namek meeped as Gohan lunged forward and pushed him onto his back, the demi-Saiyan darting his head forward and kissing him hungrily.

"That's a good start.." Gohan said, dropping his head and giggling as Icharus bounded into the kitchen and curled up in the corner, putting his paws over his eyes and blushing. "Sorry Icharus..." He chuckled. "Now...." He grabbed Piccolo by the hand and pulled him up off the couch.

"But...what about the dishes..and the wall...and..." Piccolo began, blushing furiously as he was lead up the stairs.

"Piccolo..." Gohan turned and grabbed him, flinging the shocked Namek over his shoulder and striding to the bedroom. "They'll still be there later." He said as he kicked the door shut behind him.....

The End.

Well, what did you think? I know, it's a bit of a change for me, just a little lime, no lemon...but I felt that a lemon would ruin this one. I actually enjoyed doing something a little different for a change...not that I don't like doing lemons...*grins* Anyway, let me know how you liked.

Johnnyjosh