Dragonball: Unforgotten

Chapter 64

Dragonball: Unforgotten
Chapter sixty-four

"Gohan..." you said softly, fighting through your embarrassment as you sat up. That way he'd take you seriously. "Look, I'll figure something out with Broly and your dad okay? I don't know what right now but I will figure it out. It's my burden to bare, my price for this second life. Not yours. You have your own issues and adventures. I won't take those away from you and I won't give you my burdens."

Gohan frowned in confusion as he looked at you. After watching you practically roll around with anxiety and embarrassment, this was strange. It was like there had been a switch in your head that flipped after you asked if he'd ever kissed anyone. What was it about that which made you turn a 180?

"What are you talking about?" Gohan asked as he tried to stuff away the embarrassment of a moment ago, just like you were trying to do.

"Thank you for offering to help. But I won't do that to you," you told him as you clenched your jaw, being unable to meet his eyes. "I'm not going to be that selfish. You never wanted to get tangled up in this mess. I know you just wanted to have a normal life with normal experiences. Things like your first kiss, falling in love. Stuff like that. Creating a baby just to spare me what might be a painful experience and to keep two people from fighting...that's not normal. That's not how you should experience your firsts."

You had your chance to do all of that. You had your first kiss, fell in love, and lost your virginity before you deteriorated too far. You'd done all that in your first life as it were. Your second life should not revolve around sapping Gohan's experiences.

"Wait, so you're saying no because I haven't..." he couldn't bring himself to say it on the first try.

Gohan clenched his fists as he tried to push through the awkward embarrassment of the situation. It was really strange; he didn't know why this was so hard to talk about. The only answer he could come up with was the fact that it had never been talked about at his home. Nor had he grown up around other kids his age. The whole subject was such a taboo that somehow everything else in the world was easier. Even planning on how to take care of a family, rapidly aging, and saving the world was easier to talk about than his lack of romantic experience.

"Look, I'll study. I'll figure it out. I mean it can't be that hard. Everyone has been doing it for eons."

You looked at him with your face scarlet. That was not exactly what you meant.

"...I wasn't meaning it like that Gohan," you mumbled. The idea of Gohan reading sex books just to complete what he saw as a challenge was just weird. "I don't want to make you regret not getting to experience everything for the right reasons. Your first kiss...your first time...you're probably going to remember those for life. They should be with someone you trust. Someone you're attracted to and care for. You shouldn't have to have sex for the first time just because it's the lesser of evils. That's not normal. And you deserve to live that normal life you've been trying to chase."

"Oh."

Oh was right. You tried to conjure a smile for him. It was just that the situation was awkward.

"Thank you, though," you told him honestly. "For trying to look out for me. It's nice."

"That's what friends are for."

______________________________

"Oh wow, Gohan, you're back!"

Gohan smiled nervously at Erasa as she looked at him from her spot. "Yeah. Though I guess there's not much left of this year huh?"