A VALENTINE’S GIFT:

He glanced furtively around, hoping that no one from school would come in to embarrass him. This was slowly turning into a major pain in the…

“Can I help you with anything, sir?”

Gohan jumped up startled and smiled wanly at the grinning blonde-haired cashier. “Umm…no…I think I have everything under control.” Yeah, right!

“Oh…” the girl said, rolling her eyes and snickering lightly. “It’s just that you have been standing here for the past half hour or so. Are you sure you don’t need any help? I know how hard it must be for you guys to find out the perfect gifts for your valentines, ne?”

“Umm…I…”

“Come on!” she said cheerfully, yanking his arm and leading him down the long aisle of cards. “I know just the perfect one for your girlfriend.”

Oh, crap!

“How about this one…” the girl said, pulling out the largest card he had ever seen. Decorated with flowers and balloons and all what not, Gohan wasn’t sure that it would do. “Too showy?” the girl asked, noticing the slight shake of his head. “Ok…how about this one?”

Ten minutes later and nothing doing, the girl finally gave up in frustration. “I don’t really know what you need, sir. I mean we have practically exhausted all the really neat ones. Your girlfriend sure is picky.”

“You have no idea…” came the mumbled reply. “Thanks for your help though. I guess I will just have to find something else. “

And giving her a quick wave, he left the gift shop in quick strides. Sticking his hands into his pockets, he kicked at a stone on the ground morosely. How was he going to do this? Every year it was the same problem. Valentine’s Day. A day for love and sharing between lovers and friends and yet he never had the resolve or strength to actually tell the one person he would have given up his life for.

Dammit! I have to tell him. I don’t need fancy cards and balloons to tell him how strongly I feel.

A quick image of Piccolo surrounded with pink flowers and balloons had him snickering and feeling a well of confidence rise up in him, he powered up and took off after the powerful ki he could have recognized even in sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Peace. Solitude. Serenity. What better way to spend the evening? Or was it? The Namek shifted restlessly and clasped his hands in front of him again, his face furrowing into an even tighter frown. The air seemed to be filled with that sickening earth emotion.

Hn. Love. What a joke.

It was everywhere. He had had to bear with couples coming towards his meditation site…to ‘make out’. Good Kami…the crap he had to put up with. Being very observant in nature, he had been unable to keep his eyes and ears away from all that had taken place today. For one thing, it seemed like it was a day that people showed each other this ‘love’ feeling thing. He had watched as men/boys exchanged flowers and gifts with their female counterparts, and the rewards that they received in turn, which somehow concerned the females having a need to connect their lips together. Obviously for some couples, one thing usually lead to another and by the end of the whole thing, he would have seen enough to last him a last time.

He shifted restlessly again. He tried to tell himself that he didn’t care. He had no need for these foolish earth emotions. He was quite content being on his own. He did not need anyone or anything. He did not need…

Gohan.

He snapped his eyes open guiltily, wondering if he had actually said the name out loud. It was shameful really, feeling this way for a boy he had practically raised. He was supposed to be a father figure to him. So why these other…deeper…need…longing within him? He knew that he would have gladly died for Gohan, no questions there. But, this was a whole lot more than just a mere display of loyalty. He…he…liked?…loved?…Gohan.

“No!” he whispered harshly to himself. “I cannot…love. I am a Namek and we do not have these stupid emotions.”

Nodding to himself in satisfaction at having squelched the doubt in his mind, it was quickly shattered as the familiar ki approached.

Oh, Kami. What now?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Gohan landed softly on the grass and stood still, not sure if he should disturb the meditating figure. Just being in his presence was doing a number on him. Sticking his hands into his pockets to hide his nervousness and the obvious bulge within his pants…he waited patiently for his presence to be acknowledged.

“How long do you plan on standing there?” came the gruff question.

“Umm…gomen nasai, Piccolo-san,” Gohan said sheepishly, his face going a dark red. “I thought you were still meditating. If I am disturbing you, just let me know and I will leave.” He held his breath, silently pleading for Piccolo to allow him stay.

After several gut-wrenching minutes, the reply of ‘Stay’ made him release it with a rush. “Thank you,” he muttered softly, walking over and sitting right next him, Indian fashion.

Nothing was said as the two of them stared out at the dying sunset in the horizon. Piccolo gripped his hands tightly and found himself incredibly…

Frightened.

Frightened of these feelings he had always harbored for the young demi-Saiyan. Frightened that it would make him less of a teacher and friend to the younger man. Frightened that it would make him lose all sense of rationale thinking.

“Piccolo-san?”

“Hai, Gohan,” he replied, cursing himself for how snappy his voice sounded. He was damn too jittery. Little did he know that his companion was no better.

Gohan swallowed tightly. Now or never.

“Piccolo-san…umm…do you know what today is?”

Piccolo slid a wary glance at the blushing…blushing? Boy, wondering if this was one of those trick questions. “Hai, I know what day it is Gohan. It is that foolish earth festival of some sort. Valentine’s day, right?”

Foolish…

“Hai.” Gohan replied miserably, lowering his head and staring at the grass beneath him. So Piccolo thought it was foolish. Well, why shouldn’t he? This was all stupid. He shouldn’t have come. “Hai, it is a foolish celebration. Foolish for those who think that they might actually have someone who really cares about them and would gladly give up everything to be with them and…”

He couldn’t continue. It was as if the most God awful lump had been stuck in his throat. Mumbling something akin to ‘I am sorry’, he got up quickly and began to walk away.

Piccolo blinked at the display. Had he said something wrong? Getting to his feet, he stopped the drooping figure with a strong hand on his shoulder. “What are you sorry for?” he asked, in as soft a voice as he could manage. “Did I offend you in anyway?”

Gohan swiped the stray tear that had fallen down his cheek angrily, thankful for the growing darkness. But he knew that Piccolo knew, after all he was fused with Kami. “No, Piccolo-san. You have not offended me in anyway. I just thought that maybe…maybe…” He shook his head and withdrew from the warm grasp, hopelessly aware of how his body had sprung to attention at the touch.

“That maybe I would share in these earthly…emotions…”Piccolo replied, a slow warmth of something he refused to think as happiness and relief flow through him.

Gohan spun around and stared at the tall green-skinned man with all his emotions clearly blazoned across his face. “Hai, Piccolo-san. I…I…just thought that…maybe…we could…beemmmphff!”

What happened next shocked and surprised both parties to the core of their beings. He had done it purely on instinct and partly from what he had learned today…and he found out that it wasn’t so bad…this connecting of lips together. It was quite pleasant actually. In fact, it was doing something to him that was very hard to define. A low groan snapped him out of his dazed countenance and he released Gohan reluctantly, wondering if he had hurt him in anyway. He noticed that the demi-saiyan’s face looked flushed, his eyes were still closed and those lips…Kami, he wanted to taste them again.

Gohan slowly opened his eyes, thinking that he had probably killed the moment. He noticed the puzzled look on the Namek’s face and he tried to stifle a laugh.

“Did I do something wrong now?” Piccolo asked, his face contorting into a frown. “I saw everyone else doing it, so…”

Gohan leaned up and brushed his lips against Piccolo’s again, slowly getting giddy at the desire and need that surged through him. “No, Piccolo-san. You did nothing wrong. We just kissed that’s all. Everyone does it.”

“Oh. Well…don’t think that I am going to continue with this kissing stuff,” Piccolo said gruffly, withdrawing from him and going back to his sitting position on the grass. “This was just an experiment.”

Gohan grinned and sat down next to him, allowing the companionable silence to fall. After several more minutes of an inner struggle, he finally made up his mind…and slowly waited for the reaction.

He stiffened as the arms were suddenly wrapped around his waist. Such bodily contact…was not supposed to happen…but he liked it. This was Gohan. The boy he would have gladly given up his life for. The boy he…loved.

“Piccolo-san?” Gohan mumbled softly, burying his face within the soft folds of the white cloak.

“Hai, Gohan?”

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

The Namek allowed a grin to cross his stern features and wrapping his arms around the demi-Saiyan, he whispered back.

“Hai, and a happy one to you too, Gohan.”