What Is It With You?
(Chichi and Goku 4ever... by Iyo Ichi; characters belong to Toriyama-sama, of course!!!)
{Dictionary: "sama"= a suffix form of "master"; "san"= Mr. or Mrs.; "kun"= familiar form of Mr.; "chan"= familiar form of Miss, also for children; "Otousan"= father; "Okaasan"= mother; "O-yasumi-nasai"= goodnight...}
"Goku-san," Chichi looked up at him from her task of setting the dinner table, "Do-"
"Why do you always call me that?" he interrupted, his fist holding up his cheek.
She lowered her brows in annoyance and then shrugged. "It's your name?" She laughed inwardly at his silliness.
"Nooo, I mean why 'san'," he said, his child-like eyes asking the question as well. "I've known you practically all my life and you still call me 'san'."
She set the plates down and looked directly at him. "I don't know why... I guess I've just always called you that."
"Even Bulma calls me 'Son-kun'," he seemed to be more thinking aloud than telling her. "But with you, it's Goku-san or sama."
She watched him gaze past her, lost in the unfamiliar territory of thought. "It's a habit. You never really have been so familiarly close to me," she slipped the words out of her mouth. She suddenly blushed and re-started her task of the afternoon.
Goku watched her, the words turning over in his mind. He did not like how sharply this thought was settled. So instead of mulling it over, he went out to train until dinner time.
Chichi watched him go outside, the pained look on his face. She could hardly believe she'd said that out loud to him. Never in her life would she have said that willingly. But maybe now he would understand how unloved and alone she constantly felt.
She left the rice to set on it's final boil and glanced down the hall to Gohan's room. He was giving himself a break from his studies to admire his father's lightening moves mid-air outside his window. She glided down the hall and slid behind him quietly, watching him as well. After a few moments, Gohan caught awareness of his mother.
"Okaasan!" he started. "Gomen nasai... I'll get back to
studying."
She smiled. "Shimpai shinaide kudasai. In fact, take a little break and go
out to your father."
Gohan shone and hugged her. He looked out the window wistfully at his idol, fighting against a gorgeous setting sun. "'Kaasan?" He partially tilted his gaze towards her.
"Gohan-chan?" she asked and squeezed his shoulder.
"He's incredible, isn't he?" he asked in awe, before throwing open the window and flying up to meet him.
She tipped her chin up in prideful agreement as she watched the two jewels of her life prepare for the future. The future that scared her. Future was a jewel thief always looming in her life's shadow-of-a-doubt.
Even in distant thought, Goku was a superb fighter. Although he was not focusing directly on the exercise, he still had his powerful son out-matched by far.
Does she really not love me?
The question echoed again and again in her mind, festering painfully among his usually happy thoughts. Too lost in that one track mind of his, a hit landed all too hard across his son's cheek. With a cry, Gohan thudded to the ground.
Goku snapped violently into the reality and shot down to his son's side. "Gohan!! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you okay?!"
Gohan sat up and rubbed the sore spot just below his left cheek bone. Being part Saiyan, it just might bruise, but even that wasn't definite. He was more than ok.
"I'm fine, 'Tousan," he said cheerily. Goku breathed his relief, but Gohan seemed to be worried too. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just great," he bobbed his head, lying through his teeth. "Let's go see if 'Kaasan has dinner ready yet?"
"Alright!" Gohan sprung to his feet again.
Dinner was relatively quiet for the Son household, unless you counted the constant chatter of their child. He could sense something amiss, but he tried to cover it over with a conversation.
Both Goku and Chichi acknowledged him and paid a token amount of attention. Chichi was still in shock at the bitterness of her statement and Goku was suffering deeply.
How could I say something so untrue?
She hates me. What could I have done? Been there?
Look at him. Look what you've done to him, Chichi
Kami, what can I do now?
Gohan realized his method was not working and this was a much deeper subject than could use his help. He stood up quietly, picking up his plate. "'Tousan? 'Kaasan? Can I go to bed now? I'm really tired."
"Sure, Gohan-chan," Chichi said absently and placed a goodnight kiss on his forehead.
Goku patted him on the back and ushered him out with, "O-yasumi-nasai."
Chichi tidied up the kitchen while Goku went to wash himself off of the day before bedtime. She slumped into a chair after all was in it's place and waited to only feel even worse.
She spoke aloud to herself, "What have I done?"
It's not what you have done, her conscience replied, it's what you can do about it now.
Goku leaned back against the warm metal in the hot outdoor bath. The water washing only a few trivial worries off of his mind.
His lovely Chichi didn't know him well enough. The only woman he'd even 'known'. He'd always known her.
And yet, she couldn't refer to him in anything more familiar than could someone who worked for him.
She checked in on Gohan before going back to the kitchen.
Her darling could always find a way to sleep, even when something was wrong. Whether he knew it or not, this was certainly a gift.
She settled into her chair and fingered the top frog-clasp on her dress. She decided what she had to do as the button fell loose.
Her chi had lessened down to a sleeping pulse.
He wanted just a few more minutes before he bothered her by joining her bed. Shutting his eyes tight. He sprawled his arms around the rim.
He caught her scent suddenly, as if in a memory. The presence of it overwhelmed him. He always loved the soft mix of kitchen smells and the jasmine and lavender perfumes she used.
He soaked in his reminiscence until he realized it was only getting stronger by the second.
His eyes slammed open to see his wife's head on her crossed arms, which were laid across the rim. Nothing but a smile glinted at him from that sweet face.
"Chichi!" he cried. He'd forgotten Chikyuu-jin fighters could suppress their chi to normal levels.
"Goku-kun," she murmured happily admiring him.
"B-b-but..." he stammered nervously until she stood up.
She was absolutely bare, except for the few strands of her loosed hair which fluttered against her body in the breeze.
He'd forgotten how sculpted her body was. A strong and beautiful fighter she'd always be.
She nimbly leapt over the edge of the tall, cylindrical tub and suspended herself right next to his body,
"I love you, Goku-kun," she whispered in his ear.
"I love you, Chichi-chan," he whispered back.
The End