A Different Path to Happiness (GokuxOC)

Meeting a Friend

After brushing aside some disgruntled parents that had kids that lost in the junior division, I came to the back room just in time to see Goten throw Hercule over his shoulder out of the ring. The man landed with a loud thud on the grass, and looked dizzy from the move.

I snickered as the announcer looked dumbfounded before he hurriedly announced that Goten had won the match and would receive the prize money after the adult tournament. The boy spotted me in the back and came barreling towards my direction.

"Mom! I did it!" He shouted as I braced myself for his tackle hug. The force of impact was so great, that I had to take a step back to stay on my feet. He wiggled around as I moved to place him on one of my hips. "I won! I won! Now you have to teach me Star Shine!"

"That you did." I chuckled as I ruffled his hair. I shifted his weight as I started to walk out. He was getting to be too big for me to carry him like this, but he moved around until he was on my back with his hands on my shoulders and his legs and tail around my waist. "I'm so proud of you, Ten."

He just gave me a beaming smile until he saw where I was walking. I wanted to reward him with a sweet treat, but his stomach and mine had other ideas. His eyes got great big, and the boy launched himself over my shoulder. He grabbed my hands and started to pull me along behind him.

"Come on, Mom! I'm starving!" I laughed as my son pulled me in the restaurant and took a seat at a table close to the kitchen. It made me glad that competitors got to eat for free as the two of us could eat as much as all the people in that stadium in a meal. "Hurry up! Hurry up!"

"Alright, Goten. Settle down." I laughed as I grabbed the first worker I spotted and pulled the man along. "Bring us two of everything on the menu!"

"Er...Ma'am...are you sure you want that much?" The man asked, but he scurried away towards the kitchen when I gave him a look.

Within minutes, the whole table was covered in food, and we started to dig in immediately. I moaned at how good food is when you aren't the one that has to make it. I snagged a bowl of ramen and went to town on the noodles.

Goten was plowing through the food faster than I was. His father always was a big eater even by saiyan standards, and it looked like the boy inherited that aspect as well. I pushed a few trays of vegetables and fruits in his direction between bites. His dark eyes narrowed at me from above a set of chipmunk cheeks. I had to resist the urge to coo at the adorable face he made.

"You're still a growing boy, Goten," I started after swallowing my mouthful of noodles. No matter what species, kids will be kids. "You need to eat your vegetables."

My son huffed and stabbed his fork through a stalk of broccoli before eating it with more forceful chews then was necessary. I just rolled my eyes at his antics and grabbed a stuffed dumpling from the fresh plate the waiter had just dropped off.

"Hey, Mom?" I glanced over at Goten as I shoveled rice in my mouth. He pointed at several empty plates with the back of his chopsticks. I narrowed my eyes at the boy as he spoke with half a drumstick of meat in his mouth before I nodded. "Can we get some more pizza?"