Summary: Goku and Chichi are now empty nesters. That big life change along with it being a big birthday for Chichi has left her feeling a little down in the dumps. Goku tries to cheer her up.
Dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt and stiff dark grey pants, and dark red bow tie, I twiddled my thumbs where I stood in our living room waiting for Chichi. She fussed and fussed over herself in the upstairs bathroom. Occasionally, I heard an annoyed "Oh!" so things didn't seem to be going well for her. I had been ready to go for over an hour.
I braved approaching the half-open bathroom door and knocked. "Uh, honey? You okay in there?"
The door snapped closed in my face before I glimpsed Chichi, half-dressed and a makeup brush in hand, the displaced air whooshing around me. "I'm fine," was her short, somewhat muffled reply.
I grimaced. When Chichi said it like that, she usually was not fine. Quiet sniffles floated out through the closed bathroom door. I frowned. I raised a fist but thought better of knocking again—didn't want to make her angry. Chichi needed to enjoy our evening since it was her birthday—a big birthday at that. She had been a little out of sorts since Goten, our youngest son, moved out to start his own life and needed something to cheer her up. I suggested a picnic because she always liked those. Getting ready to go seemed to upset her even more. I sighed.
With nothing else to do but wait for her, I wandered the living room and paused in front of a wood-framed mirror hung on the wall in the entryway. Had to make sure my clothes were wrinkle-free and my tie was on straight. Otherwise, Chichi would fuss over me and then we'd never make it out the door. My clothes were in order so I leaned against the entryway wall and waited for Chichi. It was a long wait before a door upstairs finally creaked open and Chichi practically floated down the spiral staircase.
Her sleeveless, curve-hugging deep red dress flowed gently around her ankles with every step. A high slit flashed her strong legs and she had even let her hair down for the night. It tumbled around her shoulders in loose curls. I tugged at my too-tight shirt collar as Chichi left the last step and tried to make words come out to tell her how beautiful she was.
Chichi fidgeted with the strap of her black purse slung across her body. "Oh, I just knew I'm too old to dress like this." When her eyes welled up and she turned her back on me, my heart sank. "What was I—?"
When she took a step toward the stairs, I grabbed her hand, gently spun her around, and hugged her against me. I glimpsed wide eyes as I leaned down and kissed her. Our lips connected. She melted into me with a happy little sigh. I let my hands slide down the back of her dress and Chichi pulled back, eyes narrowed and an eyebrow lifted. At least she wasn't upset anymore.
I gave her my best, most innocent smile.
Chichi flicked my bow tie. "If you start that, then we'll really never leave."
I chuckled and grabbed the car keys off the key rack along with the large picnic basket Chichi packed earlier that day. Chichi grabbed our old picnic blanket and led the way to the car. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her dark-red dress hugged her hips and flowed over her skin as she walked. It was even harder to stay focused on driving with her dress's high slit showing so much smooth skin. It really didn't help when she let her dress slip over her leg, showing even more skin. That was no accident.
"You stay focused on the drive," said Chichi.
I swallowed.
We finally reached the old giant apple tree after a bumpy drive even in our aircar and putting some fresh scratches in the paint squeezing past some trees. Flying would have been smoother and faster but Chichi liked being driven and I wanted to make her happy. I put the car in park a little-ways from the tree and cut the engine.
"We haven't been here in a while with Goten moving out and all," said Chichi, leaned forward in her seat and gazing up at the tree.
I nodded as I leaned over the steering wheel. The big old apple tree was as big as it ever was. "Yeah, no kidding."
A few overripe apples littered the grassy ground around it. More shiny red apples hung from its branches far overhead. The apples that old tree grew were always the sweetest apples around. The hole Gohan blew through the trunk when he was a baby had long since healed over and only a rough, bubbled-out scar remained. I chuckled at the memory.
"That wasn't so funny then," said Chichi despite her smile as she gazed up at the tree, too. She lightly punched my arm. "We're fortunate Gohan took after you."
A warm feeling blossomed across my cheeks.
We unpacked the car and smoothed out the cream-colored picnic blanket on a flat spot in-between the tree's roots poking out through the grassy ground. Chichi lowered herself to her knees and pulled out plates, bowls, silverware, and, finally, the food out of our basket.
My stomach growled. "Can we eat now?"
Chichi shook her head but her eyes lit up with her giggle. "Same old Goku. Just a second." She arranged a few old-fashioned lanterns around the blanket in between serving dishes. "Light those, please."
Chichi made each of us a plate as I lit the lanterns' wicks with a few tiny sparks of ki.
–+–
I rubbed my too-full stomach as Chichi cleared the dishes. "That was great, babe! You really outdid yourself with this one!"
Chichi glanced at me and giggled. "You say that every time."
I laughed and flopped down backwards on the blanket, my fingers laced under my head. Patches of orange, pink, and gold shown through the apple tree's dense branches. Chichi settled next to me, her head on my shoulder. She hummed and snuggled into me. I pressed a little kiss on her forehead. We rested together until the sunset's colors faded into darkness and the stars came out. The full moon rose over Mt Paozu's pillar-like mountains. I yawned.
"Oh, you're not going to sleep yet," said Chichi as she stood up. She bent over me, her hands on her hips. "I need to work this off and you're going to help me."
I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and sat up. "Uh, help you? What do you—?"
I yelped when Chichi grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet like I weighed nothing to her. I forgot just how strong she was sometimes. Maintaining a grip on my wrist, she marched me off the blanket. I stumbled after her in the fading sunlight, still with no idea what she had planned.
"Stay here," she said as she pointed to my feet.
Chichi continued several paces ahead. When she stopped and flicked her delicate silver sandals off her feet, I had a pretty good idea what she wanted. I kicked my shoes off and tossed them aside with my socks as she settled into a ready stance. The little smirk on her face made my heart hammer in my chest. I got into a stance, too.
Chichi moved first, charged me, the wind pulling her hair wildly along behind her. The fierceness in her eyes made my mouth go dry. I ducked her right hook. Unperturbed, Chichi planted one foot on the ground and threw her weight into a kick. Her bare foot connected with my forearm with a satisfying smack. My forearm actually stung. She was incredible!
I couldn't help my wide grin as we dodged, countered, and defended against each other's hits while Chichi's fierce glare only deepened. Before long, I was laughing. Chichi's already flushed face turned beat red. She growled as she put all her momentum into another strong kick aimed for my gut. I sprang backward a couple paces.
My turn. I charged her. Her eyes widened for a millisecond before she dodged my attempt to take her down. In twisting out of the way and just beyond my grasp, that put her back to me.
"Big mistake, babe," I said.
I lunged for her again but she was ready. Her small but strong hands grabbed my forearm and yanked hard as she bent double. I flew head over heels and landed with an "Umph" on the grass.
I stared up at her as she crossed her arms and smirked down at me.
"Did you really just flip me?" I said through a chuckle. When Chichi closed her eyes and nodded, I took my move. With the help of a little ki, I sprang to my feet, swept her legs out from under her, cushioned her landing, and had her pinned to the grass by her wrists far faster than she could react. "You let your guard down."
Chichi blinked up at me. The light of the full moon shining down caught her eyes and made them sparkle. I brushed some stray hair out of her face. I married one strong, amazing woman.
"So, how did it feel to be flipped by an old lady?" asked Chichi with a mischievous little smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
I lifted an eyebrow. "Old lady? Old ladies can't fight like you just did."
Chichi's eyes lit up with her light laugh. "I guess you're right about that."
"You were incredible, babe!" I said, grinning again at her ferocity.
A little pink spread across Chichi's cheeks as she turned away. I hooked a finger around her chin and turned her face toward me. I couldn't resist that sparkle in her eyes. On instinct, I kissed her, earning a contented little hum. With the night cooling off, we decided to pack up the aftermath of our picnic and went home. Chichi hummed through doing the dishes and putting away the picnic supplies. Her light came back to her. With both of our boys out of the house and no threats looming over the Earth, we had time to focus on each other.
Summary: Goku and Chichi have just started their lives together in their little home on Mt. Paozu. Goku enjoys showing Chichi things he knows about the mountain and where the best hunting is.
FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14136278/1/Footsteps-in-the-Snow (super glitchy, trying to fix it)
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41691165
Snow had a unique way of muffling the noises of the forest. Even the birds were quiet, hardly making a peep. Deer moved silently through the trees ahead. Hoof prints disturbed the fresh snow at my feet and led toward the herd partially concealed by trees ahead. Large forms picked around the trees and undergrowth, barely visible through the bramble. A twig snapped somewhere to the side, sounding rather close. When I slowly turned toward the noise, a doe with her ears perked stared at me. I froze. The herd was bigger than I first thought and I was in the middle of it.
Something shifted in the treetops above where more of the herd grazed on the limited winter greens, much too big to be a bird. A shadow dropped silently out of the treetops. The herd bolted. Panicked deer sprang through the trees and bushes all around. I jumped for a tree branch above and swung my leg over it, lest I be trampled beneath their sharp hooves. Balanced on my stomach on the branch, I waited.
Branches shifted, bushes rattled and out stepped my husband with his fresh kill—a young buck—slung over one shoulder.
Goku turned his always-present, easy going smile up at me. "Heh, whatcha doin' way up there?"
Heat spread across my cheeks. "I, uh, didn't want to get trampled."
Goku dropped the dead buck in the snow and held his arms out for me. "Drop. I'll catch ya."
I hung by my hands and dropped. Goku caught me without so much of a grunt. Locked on mine, his big, dark eyes blinked. I pressed a kiss to his cheek before I could think better of it. He let out a quiet little giggle and set me on my feet in the ankle-deep snow, delightful pink blossoming across his cheeks. He lifted the buck, slung it around his broad shoulders and led the way out of the forest and toward home.
"We've been married three weeks today," I said, the realization throwing a little skip in my step.
Goku smiled over his shoulder and held his gloved hand out toward me. We held hands all the way home—except for where we had to hop over a frozen stream. Goku seemed happy living with me in our little home on Mt. Paozu. Goodness knew I was.
Summary: Set long after the events of GT. Chichi is old and dying and the boys are heartbroken. Their families are pretty torn up to for they know Mt. Paozu will never be the same without this woman in their lives. Angsty.
Even with so many grown adults and three small children crammed into my mother's bedroom, the crowded space was somehow eerily quiet. All present were focused on mom, propped up to a shallow angle on a small stack of pillows and covered with an old handmade floral quilt—one of mom's creations. Gohan and I sat on opposite sides of our mother and each gently held one of her frail, arthritic hands. She was the most relaxed if we maintained a point of physical contact, so we did. Gohan and I hadn't left her side and had no plans to even as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Hard to believe only a little over three days before, when we all gathered to be with mom, all was well. That was before Gohan found her slumped on her sofa, before her severe stroke. Another small one so soon after took any chances she had of recovery with it. She was only seventy-eight.
The kind middle-aged hospice nurse took mom's vitals. When she pulled the blood-pressure cuff off mom's arm with the distinctive sound of ripping Velcro, she said, "Won't be long now."
Gohan and I nodded, both still focused on mom as the nurse stepped aside.
Mom lightly squeezed my hand. If Gohan's small smile was anything to go by, she squeezed his hand, too.
"She knows we're here," I murmured.
Gohan nodded again and brushed a strand of silver hair out of mom's wrinkled face. "Yeah. We're all here, mom. Videl, Pan, Uub, their kids, and Marron and the twins, too. We're all here."
Her mouth moved with a single, silent word: Goku. She sighed in her sleep but even still, she smiled.
"Heh, I think she's dreaming about Dad," I said.
Gohan chuckled.
Dad had been gone decades and she still never stopped loving him. She held out hope dad would come back some day all the way to the end. Gohan confided in me he had a feeling we wouldn't see dad again after he left with Shenron. Mom wouldn't hear it. I didn't want to admit it but on some level, I knew Gohan was right. Dad was really, truly gone.
We all—Gohan and me and our families—banded around mom after that. Marron and I built a house next-door to Gohan and Videl's place on Mt. Paozu right by mom's house. Mom seemed okay. She was strong but she missed dad deeply. Sometimes, I caught her gazing at dad's picture with tears in her eyes. When she'd notice me looking, she'd hurriedly set the picture down, wipe her eyes, and pretend nothing was wrong. We all missed dad but sometimes his bright, light-up-the-room smile came out in my girls, and his tenaciousness came out in Pan. That brought mom comfort and having us close by helped.
Mom's face scrunched up. A tear rolled down her cheek. Gohan and I exchanged a small frown. Was this…it?
Gohan wiped the tear off her pale cheek with a tissue and then froze mid motion. Something tugged at my ki sense. I shook my head and pushed the strange yet familiar warmth out of my mind. Surely, I was imagining things. Yeah, it was just wishful thinking. Maybe Gohan froze because mom's already rattly breathing changed. I glanced at Marron and out of the corner of my eye, saw Pan staring out mom's open bedroom door.
"Goten?" asked Marron.
All I could do was shake my head at her and stare at Gohan. "There's no way that's…?"
Focused intently on the open bedroom door, Gohan didn't respond right away. I didn't see anyone but I felt him.
A warm, golden glow flooded the hallway darkened by the setting sun and then faded. Footsteps approached across the hardwood floor, grew louder, and then there he was. A collective gasp spread through the room and no one dared move even a muscle. Dad stood in the doorway and looked around the room. He wore that same easy-going smile and that same orange gi he always did. He was in the prime of his life—or rather his death. A golden, glowing halo hovered inches over his wild hair.
His smile broadened. "Heh, hi everybody. Been a while, huh?"
"Goku," came a weak, raspy whisper next to me.
Dad's bright smile turned tender as his gaze slid to mom.
Marron, Videl, Pan, Uub and their kids stepped aside, clearing a short path from the door to mom's bed. Pan and Uub's three young children stared at dad. A blue-eyed girl with straight dark hair, the oldest by the name of Pumpa, pointed and whispered something to one of her younger brothers, curious about an incredible man they knew only through pictures and bedtime stories.
Dad took my place next to mom and took her hand in his. Another tear rolled down her cheek followed by a lot more. Dad grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears away. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Mom's eyelids twitched and then fluttered open but only half-way. She blinked a few times and then her rheumy-eyed gaze focused on dad.
The stroke stole her ability to speak but she did recognize and boy did her eyes brighten as they settled on Dad. Dad brushed his fingers lightly on the wrinkled skin of her cheek and she turned her head into his touch. She closed her eyes and her already barely-detectable ki dipped. Her chest stopped moving with her breath. Her ki disappeared altogether. Sniffles spread around the room and my eyes stung. I checked on my girls. Akina sobbed quietly into her hands and Keiko wrapped her arms around her twin sister. The young woman tried to be strong, as she always did, but she broke down, too. Marron stretched her arms as far as she could around them both and drew them in for the hug they needed.
At a tap on my shoulder, I looked to dad.
He nodded down at mom. "Watch."
A strange, soft glow enveloped mother but, beyond that, it took me a moment to even process what I was seeing. She changed right before my eyes. Her face was the first to change. Wrinkled skin smoothed and healthy color blossomed across her cheeks. Her short, thin grey hair turned dark and shiny from the root to tip and dramatically lengthened to what I remember from when I was a little boy. Knobby, arthritic fingers tucked in dad's hand turned slender and young. Transfixed, I almost didn't notice the halo that twinkled into existence over her head still resting on the pillows.
"Dad?" asked Gohan. "How in the world…?"
Dad glanced at Gohan and merely winked.
Mom stirred at dad's light touch to her cheek, took a breath, and opened her eyes.
She blinked and glanced around the room at the others all staring at mom with wide yet teary eyes. "That was… odd. All I remember is falling asleep."
Even her voice sounded young, just like she did in the prime of her life.
Her brow crinkled and then she looked up, pressing the back of her head into her pillows. "Oh." Dad chuckled as she glanced at her hand in his. Mom gasped and then pulled her hands out of his and Gohan's. She stared at her healthy, arthritis-free hands and then touched her newly young face next. She stared at dad, her lively dark eyes questioning.
Dad's soft smile broadened but as with Gohan, he remained tight lipped. Dad had his secrets sometimes.
"King Yemma is expecting her and you best not keep him waiting," said the short, squat Fortuneteller Baba from a corner of the room.
Fortuneteller Baba had a habit of that, slipping in and out without anyone sensing her arrival.
"Yeah, I know," said Dad without so much of a glance toward Baba. "We'll be up in a few minutes."
Perhaps it was that old fortuneteller who orchestrated dad's visit like last time.
I glanced at Gohan and his lips twitched up, perhaps having the same thought as me. Dad had explained the dead being allowed to visit the realm of the living was a very rare privilege granted only to heroes. If anyone deserved that privilege, dad did.
Dad stood and offered mom his hand. "Let's say goodbye to everyone while we still can." He glanced over his shoulder, toward Pan's family and at my daughters, too. "I have new grandkids to meet!"
Mom nodded, pulled the blanket off herself, and accepted his hand. Her ankle-length light purple nightgown had been replaced with a sleeveless light blue qipao with white pants and darker blue house shoes, the same style she wore my whole life. A lock of her long black-brown hair fell in front of her face. Mom grabbed it and lifted an eyebrow at dad. Her eyes narrowed. Uh oh.
Pink blossomed across dad's cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, what? You know I like your hair long."
Mom giggled and stood from the bed like it was nothing, like she didn't need assistance with that simple task for most of the last couple of years. The ease with which she moved seemed to surprise her, too. She glanced down at her feet and bent double to touch her toes.
"Gosh, I haven't been able to do that in a long while," she said as she straightened.
"You're back in your prime now, babe." More softly, dad said, "You'll be like this for forever."
Mom led dad first to my girls. My daughters held each other even while being hugged by their mother. After murmured introductions, small smiles spread across their faces and they both stepped out of their embrace to wrap their arms around dad. Dad wrapped his arms around them, too. Despite both being almost as tall as Marron now, Dad hugged them so tight, he drew them right off their feet. Akina and Keiko laughed as dad set them on the floor. His hands lingered on their shoulders for a few extra moments.
"Ya know, you girls have your mother's eyes but your dad's smile. You got that from me," said dad with a laugh.
Akina and Keiko laughed despite the tears still rolling down their cheeks.
"So we've been told," replied Keiko with a sniffle.
"I can tell you two are super strong, too. Keep your dad on his toes for me, okay?" Dad beamed with pride. He always said he knew Marron and me would get married someday. I knew he'd love them, too. Dad and them would have made a great team. I chuckled to myself for the first time all day.
Akina nodded, wiping her nose. "Kay… thanks Grandpa!" She said and hugged him again, until Marron had to break them apart.
Mom stepped forward to hug my girls, too. That was one hug neither wanted to break, complete with lots of sniffles and tears all around. Keiko and Akina were so close to mom. The twins grew up on Mt. Paozu like Gohan and I did and Mt. Paozu just wouldn't feel the same without their grandmother. It wasn't going to be the same for Gohan or me, either.
Pan approached with her three young children in tow and Uub just behind them.
Dad pulled Pan in for a big hug, too while the kids lingered back. Dad put his hands on Pan's shoulders and grinned. "Just look at ya, Pan. You're Chichi's spittin' image!"
Pan let out a noise somewhere between a giggle and a sob. I chuckled, too.
"They really do look almost identical," said Gohan as he approached dad, mom, and Pan. "Especially now."
Dad laughed. I missed that sound. The wild spikes of dad's hair bobbed as he looked down at the three small kids hiding behind Pan's legs.
"Well, hi there!" said Dad. Though his back was to me, it wasn't hard to picture his bright smile, the same one he gave me when I first met him.
Just like Mom had when I first met Dad, Pan stepped aside and urged her kids to go meet their great-grandfather. The youngest was hardly more than a toddler and quickly darted behind his mother's leg again. Pan's only daughter ran to her great-grandfather first and dad scooped her up. "I'm Pumpa and I'm eight years old!"
The middle child pulled his baby brother out from behind Pan by the hand and led him to meet their great grandpa together. "I'm Jin! And this is Goku!"
"Goku, well, little Goku, definitely has your hair," said mom through a giggle.
Dad chuckled, too, and scooped the two little boys up with their sister. He wrapped his arms around them all, squeezing them to his chest.
"Can you stay with us?" asked Jin.
Dad shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't but maybe someday, great-grandma and I can come visit you. Would you like that?"
Jin nodded. "Yeah!"
Mom and dad hugged Marron and Uub and then came the part I was dreading the most: it was my turn to say goodbye to my parents. Mom and Dad wrapped their arms around me and I was delightfully sandwiched between them. Even with the hope of another earthside visit during my lifetime, goodbyes were hard. A large, painful lump formed in my throat. Tears stung my eyes. Mom wiped her thumb across my cheek and then reached for Gohan when he came to stand with us, too.
"Oh, my sweet boys," murmured mom.
Tears gathered in her eyes as she and dad hugged Gohan between them like they did me. Gohan's eyes grew glassy, too. I swore dad's were, too. They watched us and we watched them as her and dad vanished in little bubbles of light, almost like the fireflies that appeared on Mt. Paozu every summer. Even those little bubbles disappeared, too. I couldn't feel either of them anymore at all.
I smiled through the tears sliding down my cheeks. "They're finally together again. Forever."
Gohan's voice cracked as he said, "Yeah. And no one deserves it more."
Summary: Set post Majin Buu. A silly little oneshot about Chichi discovering a minor health condition during the years Goku was dead after Cell and how Goku processes this when he comes back to life. Chichi's POV.
Streaks of golden, early morning sunlight streamed in through the little gap in our bedroom window curtains. My alarm clock read two minutes to six in the morning—the time my alarm was set to go off. I flicked the switch that turned off the alarm and squirmed and shifted under the warm weight of Goku's arm draped over my waist.
My sweet husband snorted in his sleep, mumbled something, and pulled me closer to him, pressing my backside against his front. I stifled my quiet giggle. He was still out cold and I wanted to keep it that way. After the ordeal with Majin Buu, Goku needed sleep. Still, my husband and my sons were often up not long after me and always hungry and ready to eat first thing in the morning. Saiyans needed their food. Still, I couldn't quite make myself get out of bed. Goku was so warm and awakening next to him again after so many years apart was a dream come true.
Oh, breakfast could wait a little longer. I rolled to face him and kissed his nose. Goku cracked an eye open and gave me a sleepy, lopsided little smile and a return kiss on my lips which he followed with wandering hands. A light, warm touch slid lower down my hip. I gasped and squealed when he gave my bottom a gentle squeeze.
The muffled noise of a squeaky door hinge carried into our room, through our closed door.
"The boys are awake," I hissed with a frown, twisting to get away from my mischievous husband.
Goku only chuckled but let me go.
He knew better than to try something like that with the boys awake. The way he gazed at me with those big doe eyes and that lopsided smile that left me a little weak at the knees made him impossible to stay mad at and he was well aware.
I shook my head but turned away from him to hide my smile as I dressed for the day. Seated at my simple white vanity, I brushed my hair and pulled it up into my usual tight bun while Goku got out of bed. As was habit, I opened my nightstand next to my side of the bed and withdrew the small brown pill bottle containing my morning medication. A quick count of the tiny, light violet pills confirmed I missed the previous morning's dose. I grimaced but realized I had a good reason. It was only Goku's second morning home since the battle against Majin Buu. Missing one day's dose didn't cause too much harm.
A weight sank into the mattress next to me.
"Medicine? You're not sick, are ya?" asked Goku.
I glanced at him and smiled at his slight frown. "No, sweetheart. I'm not sick."
"Then why're ya takin' that?" he said with a nod at the bottle in my hand.
I swallowed one of the tiny pills with a swallow of water from the water bottle kept on my nightstand and said, "While you were gone, I had to see a doctor for a little problem I was having. She gave me this medicine." I returned the bottle to my night stand drawer and closed it with a quiet snap. "My mother had this and, apparently, it can be hereditary."
Goku jumped to his feet. "B-but your mother's dead!"
"Yes, she is," I said as I stood and crossed my arms.
Goku grabbed my shoulders, his slight frown more intense. "Don't tell me you're dyin'!"
My mouth fell open. I stared up at him while Goku stared down at me with his eyebrows pinched tightly together and his full lips turned down into a childish pout.
I laughed and shook my head. "No, sweetheart. I'm perfectly fine. This isn't anything to worry about, okay?"
Goku nodded slowly but still didn't look entirely convinced as he pulled me in for a tight hug. "Promise?"
I pushed myself up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips on the corner of his mouth. "Promise. Now, I need to start breakfast. I know you're hungry and I'm sure our boys are, too."
Big eyes blinked down at me as a light blush blossomed across his cheeks. I touched his cheek and drew him in for another short kiss, that one leaving him with a dazed, crooked smile.
I giggled.
Goku followed me downstairs into the kitchen and watched me cook our breakfast like he had his first morning home with us, his elbow braced on the table and his face resting in his palm. He was just too sweet sometimes. He always was protective of me. That was my Goku.
Prompt: GoChi week, Day 5. Sweet Name that Made My Heart
Summary: Goku is equal parts mystified and fascinated by this woman he married. He has no idea what he got himself into. All he knows is her smile makes his heart flutter.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/41751189
Quiet humming drifted out through the open kitchen window along with clinking dishes and a running faucet. Humming as she cleaned was one of Chichi’s little daily habits, like brushing her hair every night before bed.
“Hi, Goku,” said Chichi through the open kitchen window when she glanced up. “You’re home early.”
My heart sped up at her little smile. The way she said my name made my heart do weird stuff, too. I kicked off my muddy weighted training boots outside because Chichi liked that—she always kept our house neat and clean. I leaned bo staff against the outside wall next to the backdoor and went inside. Chichi stood with her back to me, her hair let down.
Chichi pulled off her dishwashing gloves and draped them over the center of the empty, shiny porcelain sink and turned toward me. “You hungry? It’s too early to start dinner but I could make you a snack.”
When I shook my head, Chichi blinked once and crossed her arms. She lifted an eyebrow. “You’re not getting sick, I hope.”
I shook my head again. “Heh, nah, I’m fine.”
Chichi nodded slowly. “Well, okay.”
She turned and opened the cabinet under the sink. Chichi withdrew a feather duster and walked around me. I caught a whiff of the shampoo she liked that reminded me of the wildflowers growing in a field by our house. She smelled nice. She always smelled nice. I couldn’t help but smile at her happy humming while she dusted the few pictures and decorations around our house. Her hands went to her hips when she looked my way.
A slight frown as she moved in really close and then her hands were on my face, “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
I swallowed and nodded. Her frown softened. There was that sparkle in her eyes she sometimes looked at me with. I rubbed the back of my neck as a strange feeling of heat spread across my cheeks. Chichi blinked and something flashed through her eyes. She grinned so bright my heart missed a beat. A high-pitched giggle and then she flitted around the house, dusting with a pep in her step. I lifted an eyebrow. There was so much about this marriage thing I didn’t know. I liked that I made Chichi happy even though I didn’t know what I did—or why my heart did weird stuff around her, for that matter. All I knew was that I liked being around her. Maybe someday, I’d find out what that all meant.
Summary: Over the WavesChichi just isn't her self when her sons leave for the day during the summer vacation from school and has a surprising request for Goku.
Prompt: For @gochiweek, prompt #4
https://archiveofourown.org/works/41751120
“Bye, mom! Bye, dad!” said Gohan as he ran out the backdoor.
“Have a good day!” Chichi called after him as I yelled my goodbye from the kitchen table.
Through the open kitchen window above the kitchen sink, I glimpsed him kick into the air and rocket far out of sight in a matter of moments to go spend the hot summer day in Satan City with Videl.
Goten walked into the kitchen, dressed in a powder-blue rash-guard and bright red swim shorts. He had a red backpack slung over one shoulder with supplies for a day of swimming and a sleepover with Trunks at Capsule Corp. Chichi packed it for him earlier that morning.
She ran her fingers through his thick hair that looked just like mine. “Have fun with Trunks! And be sure to go to bed at a reasonable time.”
Goten nodded. “Yes, mommy, I will!”
“Bye, Goten!” Chichi and I said in unison.
With that, he ran out the backdoor, too, and flew off toward Capsule Corp.
Chichi tossed the dishtowel she had used to dry our breakfast dishes on the counter and sighed as she stared outside. There was an uncharacteristic slump in her shoulders.
I got up from the table and went to her. I rubbed her back. “You okay, babe?”
Another sigh, a nod, and, “Yeah. I’m fine.”
That wasn’t very convincing. Chichi always got a little mopey when the boys left for the day. She loved it when we were all home together. Between the heat, the boys leaving, and her hardly ever leaving the house since summer started, she was a little off.
I hummed. “Why don’t you and me go out? We could go for a swim in the lake if you want.”
Chichi hummed, too, but didn’t respond right away, her gaze still focused on something outside the window. “Work needs done around the house.”
“That can wait.” I reached for the neat little bow behind her neck that held up her white apron. I pulled the bow open and did the same to the one holding her apron to her waist. “How about it, honey?”
Chichi giggled and tossed the apron on the counter on top of the dishtowel. “Okay. Let me grab a few things and then let’s go.”
~+~
Our bare feet dangled in the lake’s cool water as Chichi and I sat side-by-side on the lake’s edge. I had on my black swim shorts and Chichi had on a pink one-piece swimsuit with a simple white wrap tied around her waist. She let her long hair down to dry in the sun from the swim and I couldn’t resist sliding my fingers through her long soft hair. She smiled at me before a small flock of ducks took off out of the lake. Chichi watched them until they were almost out of sight.
“Goku?”
“Hmm?”
“I want you to teach me how to fly.”
I stared at her with wide eyes. “Y-you want to learn how to fly?”
I didn’t expect that!
Chichi met my gaze and nodded. “Yes.”
I grinned. “Want to start now?”
“Sure.”
I pulled my legs out of the water, stood, and offered Chichi a hand. She accepted it and we walked to a soft patch of grass.
“You know how to do this,” I said as I cupped my hands in front of me and summed just enough ki to form a little pinpoint of light over my palms.
Chichi’s energy surged as she summoned her own tiny ball of light in her hands, held it a moment, and let it fade.
“Yeah, that’s it,” I said as I nodded. “Well, flight isn’t too different from what you just did. Instead of bringing my energy into my hands, I kind of just push it up. Give it a try!”
Chichi nodded slowly, murmured, “Push it up,” and closed her eyes.
I watched her with baited breath. Chichi was strong. If anyone could fly, she definitely could. Chichi’s energy built and flowed gently around her. Her long hair billowed with the air her energy displaced. Her bare toes lifted off the grass. She eased a couple feet higher and opened her eyes. She grinned as she stared around herself, directed that smile at me, and my heart fluttered. Chichi had complete control but I held my arms out for her just in case.
Her feet touched down gently in the grass and she blew out a breath, still not losing her grin.
Chichi threw her arms around me. “I did it!”
I laughed as I held her. “Yeah! I knew you could do it, babe!”
I stepped away to give her space to try again.
Chichi narrowed her eyes and floated off the grass. She flew higher, that time almost level with the treetops. The swimsuit wrap around her waist came loose and fluttered away on the breeze. She reached for it but missed.
I smiled. “Will yourself forward and you’ll go forward.”
Chichi moved forward, slowly at first, and I stayed right with her. She wobbled, dropped a few inches, and recovered. Her wide-eyed gaze sought mine.
“Don’t worry, babe. I’m right here. I’ll catch you if you fall,” I said.
Chichi relaxed with that and her flight stabilized.
Chichi looked off toward her white swimsuit wrap, not much more than a small speck over the trees. “Oh, I’m never going to catch that.”
“You’ll get this in no time, babe. All you need is practice. I’ll be right back,” I said with a wink.
I flew after the little white speck floating over the trees, snatched her soft knitted wrap out of the air, and rejoined Chichi all in only a few seconds. I gave it to her.
Chichi smiled as she tied it around her waist with a double knot. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
Chichi sank toward the grass and I followed her down where we both landed. She bent double and braced her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
“That’s a little hard to hold at first, isn’t it?” I said, remembering my struggles with my first flight.
She straightened and nodded. After a short break, she was right back at it again. That was my wife! When there was something she wanted, she never gave up.
~+~
Chichi flew fast circles around me and zigzagged through the air above our house. I chased after her.
“I feel completely weightless!” she yelled through a laugh as she swooped in low over our house. “This is amazing! I should have asked you to teach me ages ago!”
I chuckled as I chased her through the air. “What’s even more amazing is how fast you mastered this!”
I married one incredible woman!
Chichi landed on our roof. “Let’s go to the coast.”
With no warning, she took off again, angling to the south. I flew after her. We lived pretty close to the ocean so we reached the glittering expanse of sea only a few minutes later. I breathed in the briny air. We overflew a remote, untouched beach and out over the surprisingly calm blue water. Chichi skimmed her fingers along the glassy surface and then gained some altitude.
Small, sleek shapes darted around just a little too deep to make out. A fin sliced through the surface, followed by a lot more. Shiny grey dolphins leaped high from the glassy water, twisting in the air to get a look at Chichi and me.
Chichi clapped her hands together. “Oh, look at them! There has to be at least fifty!”
“Hey, watch this!” I yelled over the splashing and whistling dolphins. “I’m going to give them something to chase.”
I dove low over the seawater, almost skimming the surface. Just like I thought they would, the dolphins kicked their powerful tails and stayed right on mine. They porpoised after me, taking breaths of air every time they breached the surface. The dolphins stayed with us a good long while but eventually the group grew bored. They veered away and I quickly lost them in the endless expanse of blue. All that was left of them was choppy water and a frothy film clinging to the surface.
“I think the dolphins liked that,” said Chichi as she slowed to a hover some ten feet over the water.
“Remember when we saw dolphins from Nimbus when we were young?” I asked.
Chichi’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, how could I possibly forget?” She touched her cheek and sighed. “And then we got married.”
I floated closer to her. “Mm-hmm.”
I smoothed a strand of hair out of her face and moved in for what was supposed to be a little kiss. When we came up for air, I was breathless. Chichi’s cheeks were flushed and she batted long eyelashes at me. The breeze carried a distant foghorn. The day was almost over. Chichi cupped her hands around her mouth and called for Nimbus. The little yellow cloud found us in no time just like it always did before.
Chichi made herself comfortable and patted for me to join her. “Let’s watch the sunset over the ocean like we did when we were young.”
I sat beside Chichi on Nimbus’ soft, fluffy surface. When Chichi shivered as the temperature dropped a little, I pulled her onto my lap. The sunset painted bright pink, orange, and gold all over the water and I was sure I spotted the pod of dolphins leaping on the horizon. Chichi snuggled into me and, together, we watched until the last of the sunset’s bright colors faded with the last of the daylight and night took over. We took Nimbus home. When the boys were both home, we surprised them with a flight out as a family.
Summary: Set in between Dragon Ball and Z, when Goku and Chichi have only been married a few years. They get to go away on a quiet night out while Ox King watches Gohan.
Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35768233
"C'mon, Goku!" said Chichi as she waved for me to join her out on the busy, outdoor ice-skating rink.
Balanced only on the thin blades of my ice-skates, I wobbled and steadied myself on the low wall surrounding the rink.
Chichi slowly slid backward on the ice, glancing behind her now and then to make sure she didn't hit the other people. She lifted one skate off the ice and spun in a graceful circle and smiled as she adjusted her fluffy pink earmuffs. I couldn't help but smile back when she smiled at me like that.
"Well?" she asked.
I nodded and swung one leg over the threshold, rested the blade of one skate on the ice and put my weight on it. My skate slid forward over the ice without me and I grimaced as I grabbed the low wall to regain my balance. Somehow, I managed to get my other foot off the rink's carpeted entrance and on the ice only for my skates to slide away from me again.
"Too slippery," I muttered as I clung to the wall.
Chichi giggled. "Of course, it is, silly! It's ice! Here." She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the wall and the support it provided. "With me."
She pushed off first with one skate, and then the other, keeping her movements slow but graceful. Chichi pulled me along in a straight line, toward the middle of the ice-skating rink. I frowned as I did my best to follow along with her. We glided over the ice together—well, she glided while I just tried to keep my ice-skates under me. My skates kept trying to slide off in all different directions besides forward and Chichi's support was the only thing keeping me from falling.
The ice was slippery but I wasn't about to give up. Besides, Chichi got so excited when she saw the ice-skating rink in the snowy mountain village we visited while our three-year-old son, Gohan, spent the night with Ox King. Chichi said she'd only been ice-skating a few times as a kid. She begged me to take her and, well, there was no way I could say no to that smile. It took so much convincing for her to leave Gohan for a night. Still, she worried. It was nice to see her finally relax and enjoy herself.
A little more focus and I found my balance—figuring out the trick was to stay on the inside of the blade. Tilt my ankles too much and the skates took my feet out sideways, but just enough of an angle kept me balanced. Skating was a little like learning how to control my energy. It just took focus. My skates moved more smoothly over the ice as Chichi continued to pull me along. I followed her slow rhythm of pushing off first with one skate and then the other.
"Hey! I think I'm getting it!" I said with a glance and smile in her direction.
"Yeah! That's the way!" said Chichi—only for her encouraging smile and sparkling eyes to snag my attention for a little too long.
Movement out of the corner of my eye and I swerved right into Chichi, narrowly missing a small group of little kids enjoying themselves on the ice. The movement threw both of us hopelessly off balance. My skates slid sideways out from under me, throwing my body the opposite direction, right into Chichi. We both went down with yelps. I landed on top of her but somehow managed to catch my weight enough I didn't hurt her.
"Chi? You okay?" I asked as I scrambled to get off of her—even that was hard on the cold, slippery ice.
She answered with a nod as big, dark, sparkling eyes blinked up at me. I fell on her but her eyes sparkled as she looked into mine, and then—was she actually laughing? Maybe she hit her head too hard on the ice. Her giggle spread to me and I couldn't help but laugh, too—which made trying to get up even harder. Still, I somehow managed to give her space to sit up.
Fresh snow flakes dusted her hat and her exposed hair and the skin of her face. I reached out, brushed the cold bits of snow off her cheeks, and Chichi's eyes went back to sparkling. My throat went dry at the way she looked at me. I swallowed. Chichi moved closer, leaned in, and warm lips touched against mine as her hand settled on my thigh. All too soon, she pulled away. Chichi stood and pulled me up with her—standing up on ice was really hard but she was strong.
I definitely didn't mind the whole ice-skating thing—especially not if it meant I got to see more of her smile.
Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478639
"Thanks for breakfast, babe! It was great!" I said as I rubbed my very full stomach.
Chichi's cooking was always amazing.
She smiled over her shoulder at me as she scrubbed our dishes. "You're welcome, Goku."
I stood from my seat at our kitchen table. "I'm going to go train! I'll back later today."
Chichi spun to face me, her eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute! Don't tell me you forgot about today!"
"Uh. Today?"
Chichi sighed as her shoulders slumped. "Never-mind," she said as she turned her back on me.
Gohan stared at me, his eyebrows raised. I glanced at Chichi to make sure she wasn't looking, and winked at Gohan. He smiled.
"What's today?" asked Goten.
I looked at him and shook my head.
I knew full well what the day was. Chichi's little sighs and the slump in her shoulders made me question my plan. Truth be told, I had far more than that little bit of upset to make up to her—missed anniversaries, missed birthdays, and missed Valentine's Days.
I had to make this one the best Valentine's Day ever for her and I knew exactly what to get her.
I went upstairs, grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a tan sweater Chichi knitted for me. Chichi liked me better in street clothes but I didn't want to mess them up while I set everything up for the evening.
"Now, I need some zenni," I murmured.
I grabbed the envelope containing money from our farm's first vegetable harvest. Chichi didn't know about that money yet. I promised Chichi I'd get a job when I got better from the heart virus and make us some money. Took me a while to keep that promise but I did. I stuck the envelope in my gi pocket.
I heard a creak outside our closed bedroom door and ran to our open window, wide-eyed. I dove out of it and landed on my feet on the grass as I heard our bedroom door open. I grimaced before I realized that was my chance to run into the kitchen and grab what I needed there.
Thankfully, the back door was unlocked.
"I thought you left already," said Gohan with an eyebrow raised.
I threw a look at Gohan I pressed a finger to my lips as I glanced at the hallway.
Gohan chuckled.
"I wont tell mom."
I had no idea when she would come back into the kitchen so I worked as fast and as carefully as I could. I grabbed our picnic basket and carefully stacked several dishes and a couple sets of silverware in it.
Gohan approached with the neatly folded family picnic blanket in hand. He handed it to me. "Thanks, son."
Goten watched us from where he sat at the kitchen table, drawing a picture.
"Don't tell your mom I was here, okay?" I said.
Goten nodded. "Okay. But why? Where are you going?"
I chuckled and said in a quiet voice, "You'll understand when you're older."
I heard the bedroom door open.
"Uh oh," I murmured.
I slipped out the way I came in with one last wink at the boys. I kicked into the sky and took off toward Satan City to find my first gift to her. While out on a recent family shopping trip for new clothes, Chichi stopped to admire a ruby necklace with a delicate silver chain in a jewelry store's window display, a small smile on her lips.
The shop was easy to find again, the same necklace still on display. Good thing I had enough zenni for it. The clerk placed it in a red velvet box the same shade as the ruby and put the box in a silver gift bag with a red bow matching the box. He bowed as he handed the bag to me.
Then it was off to Bulma's. I needed to ask her if Goten could stay at her place with Trunks, anyway.
+++
The dragon ball radar beeped in my hand, showing me the location of the last dragon ball right under my feet. I was somewhere deep in a hot, sandy desert wasteland. Something glittered in the ground right in front of my clothes. I pulled the last dragon ball out of the sand, put it in the chest Bulma had given me to carry the dragon balls in, and took off toward home.
I landed in front of the giant apple tree. In addition to the radar and a nice chest for the dragon balls, Bulma had even given me lanterns for the sunset picnic. I smoothed the blanket over the grass and set the chest on a corner. I set the lanterns around our picnic blanket and lit them with tiny sparks of ki.
Once that was done, I changed out of my dirty gi and put on the sweater and jeans I grabbed earlier.
I nodded at my handiwork. "Now, we all we need is food."
I flew back to Satan City and got some takeout from one of our favorite restaurants. Our food was still nice and hot when I got to our apple tree with it. Instant Transmission really came in handy sometimes. I set out the meal and placed the lanterns around the picnic blanket, lighting them with tiny sparks of ki.
I flew home and climbed in through our open bedroom window. In the hallway, I knocked on Goten's door.
He opened it
"Hey, buddy. You want to go spend the night with Trunks tonight?"
Goten grinned. "Yeah!"
I chuckled. "Pack a bag. We'll leave as soon as you're ready."
"'Kay!"
Goten hurried around his room, stuffing clothes and toys into his backpack. He pulled on his shoes. "Ready!"
"Where do you think you're going, young man?" asked Chichi.
I winced and so did Goten.
"Oh. Ch-Chichi," I stammered. "Ah. Heh. Goten's going to go spend the night with Trunks. I already cleared it with Bulma."
Chichi put her hands on her hips. "Is your homework finished?"
Goten nodded as he turned big, pleading eyes on his mother. "Yep! Can I go, Mommy?"
Chichi's stern frown softened. "Oh, I suppose."
"Yay!"
Goten dashed past Chichi and me and into the living room.
"Where's Gohan?" I asked.
Chichi sighed. "He left to go take Videl out tonight."
I nodded. "Good."
I walked past her and then winked over my shoulder at her. "Oh. And don't worry about dinner tonight. I want you to relax."
Her narrowed eyes softened.
"Let's go, daddy!" called Goten.
"I'm comin'."
+++
"Thanks again, Bulma," I said.
Bulma smiled. "No problem, Goku."
I locked onto Chichi's energy and found her putting away chopped up meats and vegetables. I snuck up behind her, reached out—
Chichi spun around, a shoved slender a finger into my chest, and glared up at me. "You haven't been training. You're not even wearing that gi you always do."
"Heh, babe, I'll never understand how you do that."
Her finger dropped away from my chest. "Huh? Do what?"
"Know when I'm sneakin' up on ya."
Chichi's lips twitched up. "Oh, a woman has her ways." Her eyes narrowed again. "Now, what have you been up to?"
I took her hands in mine. "Why don't you come with me and find out?"
I led her outside and scooped her up. Chichi yelped and giggled when I kicked into the air. The flight to the apple tree only took a few seconds. I set her on her feet just off the blanket.
"Oh, Goku," said Chichi as she folded her hands at her chest. "This is what you've been doing?"
I nodded. "You do so much for us. I wanted to do something for you."
Her eyes welled up and my heart raced. I always panicked a little when she cried—even if she was happy. Chichi threw her arms around me before I could decide what to do or say. My arms settled around her and she turned her face up to me. Chichi pushed herself up on her tiptoes and pressed her soft lips on the corner of mine. My heart flip-flopped in my chest.
A growl echoed around the mountains and it took me a moment to realize the growl came from me.
Chichi laughed. "We better not keep that stomach of yours waiting."
I scratched the back of my head and chuckled.
After our meal, I handed Chichi the gift bag. She untied the bow with great care and opened the bag. With a glance at me, she held up the red velvet box and opened it.
Chichi gasped. "Oh, Sweetheart!"
She lifted the necklace out of the box and cradled the ruby pendant in her hand, letting the delicate chain dangle from her fingers. She undid the tiny clasp and put it on. Chichi asked me to put a necklace on her once when we were newlyweds and I broke it. I didn't dare try to help her now.
"It's beautiful!" said Chichi.
"You're prettier," I said.
Chichi giggled.
"One more thing," I said.
I picked up the wooden chest and set it in front of her.
One of Chichi's hands went to her chest. "What in the world?"
"Open it up."
Chichi opened the latch with a quiet click and lifted the lid. Her mouth fell open. The dragon balls' glow danced in her eyes. Her eyes welled up again, a hand going up to cover her open mouth as her gaze darted to meet mine.
I reached over the chest and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I want you to wish for whatever you want, Chi. Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry I missed so many."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
I moved the chest aside and scooted up to her. I wiped her tears away.
Chichi wrapped her arms around me. "Just having you home is enough."
