Welcome to DBZ Love Garden

The sun was slowly sinking toward the distant horizon, throwing its colors at the world in a myriad of reds and pinks and violets, a final attempt to prove its sovereignty over the sky before night descended. The clouds were a blend of colors as well, reflecting the sun's light and casting light and shadows that danced on the earth below. Even the waterfall soaked up the setting sun's hue, its swirls and mists taking on a rosy tint. There, near the pool below the waterfall, a lone figure sat as still as the boulder upon which they were perched. Dark eyes stared out at the landscape, not really noticing the beauty of it or the fact that it was getting late.

A sigh escaped his lips and Son Goku leaned forward, his gaze falling on his reflection in the water, the stream's flow distorting his features. He dipped his hand into the stream gently, watching himself disappear and the water glide over his fingers like silk. The man's usual expression was gone, replaced by a darker, more pensive look, his brows turned downward as he was lost in his thoughts. Did they even know that he could be pensive? Or retrospective? His frown deepened. Probably not. Looking back on the previous week, year...he was certain. He wondered, did they care at all? The more he was around, the more signs he was seeing that indicated a less than positive answer to that question. His wife barely tolerated his very presence in the room, much less her life. He supposed his sudden return a year ago had something to do with it, but it had become so bad that he rarely even spoke at home unless spoken to. Otherwise, he would be bombarded with a string of insults. Baka. What were you thinking? Do you ever use your head? What kind of husband/father are you? Why can't you do this? Why can't you be this? Why can't you be normal?

The Saiya-jin's eyes burned. Because he was not. He never would be. And it was not just Chichi. Gohan had his own life—high school, friends...since his son had moved out to the city, he rarely saw him anymore. His youngest son, Goten, was also gone most of the time. He had a wild spirit like his father, and when he was not with his friend Trunks, he was off exploring. He still avoided Goku like the plague. Even his old friends had outgrown him, Yamucha with his social life and Krillin with his family. He did not resent them for it—he was happy for them. But it did not make him feel any less alienated. He had hoped that one…

Earlier that day he had been sparring with Vegita, something that had become more common since his return to this world. Somehow, though, he had angered his prince. He could not even remember what the reason was—had he said something? Was he not trying hard enough? In any case, Vegita had released his anger on him like a spray of bullets, cruel words striking him right in the heart. He had heard worse, had never really let it affect him before, but for some reason this time it had. He had hoped that maybe—finally—Vegita had at least accepted him as a friend. Why? Vegita was his prince and he respected him. Why was he always so cruel to him? Feeling even more alone, one of the last foundations crumbling beneath his feet, he had felt the sting of tears in his eyes and after giving some lame excuse, he had fled, not really caring where he was going. He had ended up near this waterfall, collapsing to the cold stone and wondering what was wrong with him.

"Son."

The deep, rumbling tone of Piccolo's voice startled Goku out of his musings and he turned to face the Namek. "Piccolo."

Piccolo descended to the ground, his cloak billowing behind him as the breeze gently tugged on it. His arms were crossed in their usual fashion and his brows were furrowed into a scowl that never seemed to leave his face; this time, however, his expression held concern. "What are you doing here, Goku?"

"Nothing," Goku mumbled, turning away from him so that the Namek could not see the lie that would be clearly written across his face; he had learned long ago that he was not able to hide his emotions very well. Goku tensed slightly when Piccolo sighed, a sound that came across as a rumbling growl, and moved to stand behind him, close enough that he could catch the Namek's scent, a cross between freshly turned earth and flora. Strange...he had noticed it before, but now, with the alien so close to him, it threatened to overwhelm his acute senses.

"What happened?"

Goku could not fight the automatic reflex of tensing up when he felt his old enemy place a strong hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. This was Piccolo. He was no longer his enemy. And though they were not what Goku would consider friends, the Namek had saved not only his life, but also the life of his son countless times over. He sighed. "What makes you think something's wrong?" he asked innocently.

The grip tightened on his shoulder. "I know you, Goku—more than either of us would like to admit—and I can tell when something is bothering you." There was a pause. "Not to mention you were sitting on MY rock."

The Saiya-jin could not help but chuckle then, the taller man's attempt at breaking the tension in the air somewhat successful. He glanced back at Piccolo to see the corner of his mouth twitch in amusement before turning once again to look out over the stream. "Piccolo… have you ever felt… out of place?"

The other man's frown deepened. "What do you mean?" he asked gently.

"I dunno… Piccolo, do you think there's something wrong with me? I mean, is there something I'm missing—something I need to be doing?" He turned to look up into Piccolo's dark eyes, waiting for an answer.

Piccolo snorted and Goku blinked. "There is nothing wrong with you, Son Goku—what gave you that ridiculous idea?"

Goku flushed and looked to the side. "I'm not normal, Piccolo. I try to be whatever it is I guess I'm supposed to be, but it's not enough… I… sometimes I feel like no one cares. What… what am I not doing right? Can you tell me?"

The Namek simply stared at his old rival, his eyebrows raised slightly in astonishment and curiosity. Then his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who has been saying these things to you?" he asked, grabbing Goku's chin and forcing him to meet his gaze. Goku's eyes widened in alarm.

"No one," he said while stepping back.

"Bullshit .Is it Chichi? Or that bastard Vegita? Who is it, Son?!"

"I—"

Piccolo stopped his advance, the panicked expression on Goku's face forcing him to restrain his anger. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, nearly a whisper. "Goku .There is nothing wrong with you. You are not human, you are Saiya-jin—and no matter how much you try, you will never BE human. After all these years, this should be something that your friends have accepted." Goku said nothing, only stared at the ground beneath their feet as if some part of it held a particular fascination for him. Piccolo stood directly in front of him and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Son—Goku… you are the strongest person I have ever known, yet you have a kindness and an innocence about you that I will never fully understand. But I accept that—I accept you for who and what you are. If any of the others cannot grasp that concept, then they are not worthy of your friendship and it's their loss."

"But Piccolo… they're the only family I've ever known. I have no where else to go… I'll be even more alone than I am now," Goku whispered, still not meeting the Namek's fierce gaze, which he could feel aimed at his bowed head.

"You are not alone, Goku. You will never be alone." Piccolo felt something tighten inside him when Goku finally looked back at him, his eyes shimmering with what he guessed were unshed tears. He had the strangest and most disturbing impulse cross him, wanting him to pull the shorter man into his arms and comfort him… "Have you anyone to spar with, Goku?" he asked as both a diversion for Goku and himself. His eyes narrowed again when he saw a quick flash of pain flicker across the other's expression; so he had been correct with one assumption, at least. He bristled with anger.

"Anou, um… I don't know. No, I don't think so," he mumbled out.

Piccolo breathed in a deep breath, trying to calm his rage. It would do nothing to help Goku, nor would it change anything. "Good .Then you can meet me here, tomorrow, and we'll see how well you've improved."

Goku grinned, a ghost of his usual expression re-exerting itself. "Okay .Piccolo, thank you."

Piccolo smiled. "No problem. Without you and your son, I would have been lost a long time ago."

Goku returned the smile, nodded, levitated into the evening sky, and was gone with a flash of white light. Piccolo frowned in his wake. He had never seen his old enemy like this and he knew that he would have his hands full… But it was worth it, he told himself. Goku was worth it.

* * * * * * *

Over the next few weeks, Piccolo did indeed have his hands full. The Saiya-jin had improved tremendously since the last time they had sparred, but this came as no surprise to the Namek. Goku had always been an extraordinary fighter. No, the hard part was seeing the man arrive every morning with a smile on his face, then see the look of unhappiness that he could not fully hide when it was time for them to part ways. Finally, one day the younger man's mask seemed to crack and he collapsed to the ground, silent sobs shaking his frame. Piccolo was unsure of what to do and it made him uneasy… what was he supposed to do? He was not good with emotions…

"I should never have come back," Goku choked out. "I… I wish I'd stayed dead. There's no reason for me to be here… why did I have to come back?"

Reacting on instinct, Piccolo reached down, and yanked him into his arms. Goku let out a surprised gasp and became still against the Namek's large chest. Piccolo felt himself tremble and he threaded his left hand into the silky strands of the other man's wild hair, leaning his head back slightly. He looked at Goku's face, his gaze memorizing every minute detail before coming to rest fully on his eyes. "No, Goku. There is a reason for you to be here. The earth is incomplete without your spirit here among us."

Goku's eyes widened even more, his surprise at Piccolo's actions quickly turning into confusion as the Namek's fingers gently brushed through his hair and he felt his body relax against the other's, the warmth of the embrace reassuring his senses. Despite himself, he felt his body grow warm as well, the blood rushing to his cheeks a moment before the unthinkable happened.

Piccolo's grip on his hair and his waist became very firm and he was suddenly pulled even tighter against the Namek's form. Goku's gasp of shock was lost when Piccolo's mouth descended upon his, devouring his lips before delving inside to taste him, the taller man's tongue exploring him deeply. Goku struggled ineffectively, one arm weakly pushing at his captor, while the rest of his body trembled with the sensation of Piccolo's tongue nearly down his throat.

When they broke apart, both were panting and Goku's cheeks were flushed a deep crimson as he took in great gulps of air. "P-piccolo?" he gasped.

Piccolo stared down at the Saiya-jin, almost as surprised by his actions as the other obviously was. He did not relinquish his hold, however. In fact, the more they stayed that way, the more it seemed natural to the Namek...right. As he looked upon Goku's glowing cheeks and felt his body move against his own, he felt an emotion he had not felt in a long, long time. Desire… love? He was unsure. All he knew at the moment was that he wanted to consume this light that had come into his world, forcing him to leave the darkness and look upon the world as if for the first time. Yes, this is what he wanted. He slowly lowered his face to the other's, waiting for him to fight back with all of his strength. To his surprise and delight, when he moved to taste him again, he found Goku's lips open and waiting and he did not hesitate to take the offering.

Goku released a moan of pleasure as Piccolo kissed him again, heat spreading across his body like a wild fire. After a moment's hesitation, he met Piccolo's roaming tongue with his own, breathing deeply through his nose as they battled. He felt both of the Namek's hands move to his waist and he gasped as his body was rocked forward to meet the compact, muscular one before him, his growing arousal becoming hard as it brushed Piccolo's own hardened member, nothing but the layers of their clothing separating them. "Piccolo," he panted, the Namek's tongue now exploring the salty flesh of his jaw and neck, sharp canines brushing dangerously close.

"Mmm?" Piccolo mumbled against his shoulder as he was sliding the pale blue fabric out of the way, his mouth eager to explore the pale flesh beneath it.

"W-what...haa..." he gasped as one of Piccolo's hands began to knead his buttocks, rubbing him with agonizing slowness against the taller man's body. He felt himself suddenly lifted, still held firmly against Piccolo as the Namek moved to a large boulder and proceeded to sit against it, drawing Goku into a position that was practically in the other man's lap. Goku moaned and his body jerked reflexively when he felt Piccolo's thigh go between his legs to brush against his erection. "Piccolo...."

Piccolo impatiently untied the sash that held both Goku's tunic and gi in place and tugged the upper half of said garments off, baring the muscular chest and abdomen of the Saiya-jin. Reverently, as if seeing his body for the first time, Piccolo's eyes followed the movements of his hands and fingers, down the slender neck, across shoulders, and down to a narrow waist. His fingertips and nails lightly brushed Goku's skin on a journey back up to his chest, goose bumps rising on his skin.

"Haaaa..." Goku moaned as Piccolo's roaming hands found his nipples and proceeded to massage and tease them to peaked little mounds before taking one into his mouth and suckling gently. The Namek's other hand went to Goku's backside, rocking Goku's body against his own, causing both of them to moan. Goku panted as he felt Piccolo remove the rest of his clothing till he was seated, nude in the other's lap. Suddenly impatient, he pulled Piccolo's head down for a deep kiss, pulling at the Namek's clothing as he did so. In moments, both were gloriously free of all barriers, humanoid flesh pressed intimately against the smooth, unique contours of Piccolo's body. Strange, he had seen the Namek's figure before, but had never given it much thought. He decided to make amends for that, his hands reaching out to do a little exploring of their own, as if he were trying to memorize every line and curve by touch alone. Piccolo's body trembled slightly with his caresses, a deep, resonating sound that Goku assumed was the Namekian equivalent of a purr escaping his lips. He grinned and redoubled his efforts, palms pressing firmly against alternating green and pink skin, slowly traveling south. Before he reached his destination, however, Piccolo stilled his hands, grabbing his wrists and raising them to be kissed.

"Piccolo?"

The other man leaned in to caress Goku's lips with his tongue. "Later," he murmured, smiling into Goku's half-lidded, dilated eyes before rocking his hips upward to meet Goku's own. He chuckled at the sharp cry of pleasure it caused and moved both his hands to grip the Saiya-jin's buttocks firmly, pulling Goku against him again while simultaneously massaging the flesh in his hands. He growled low in his throat as Goku began to moan and pant almost constantly, the soft sounds arousing the Namek to the point of pain. Kami, he had never felt such need before.

"Aaa...aaa..." Goku gripped the Namek's shoulders tightly as Piccolo thrust their bodies together, each contact adding to the blaze that was threatening to destroy all coherent thought in the Saiya-jin's mind. He could do nothing but respond, moving his hips as well, increasing the agonizing friction as their erections caressed each other. He gasped in both arousal and alarm as he felt Piccolo's fingers tease his entrance, slowly circling and pressing against the sensitive area. Goku whimpered slightly as he was stretched, the pain lasting for only a moment before giving way to the feeling of fullness. Piccolo thrust his tongue into his mouth, tasting the Saiya-jin again as he began stretching his soon-to-be lover even more, two fingers scissoring and moving in and out in a steady rhythm that left Goku gasping for breath.

Piccolo knew immediately when he found the other man's pleasure center, Goku's body arching against him fully, a scream of ecstasy escaping his lips. Piccolo grinned at the shocked look on Goku's face before continuing his assault.

"Haaa! Aaah! ....Piccolo!"

After a few more minutes of teasing his lover, Piccolo positioned himself at Goku's entrance, the shorter man's legs wrapped around his waist, his hands clinging desperately to his shoulders. He looked down at Goku's pleasure-flushed face, pausing again, silently waiting for acquiescence. Goku answered by rocking his hips forward, a desperate move that buried the Namek's throbbing erection nearly halfway.

"G-goku!" he gasped in alarm and pleasure, the hot, tight channel of the Saiya-jin's body leaving him trembling. He moved back again, despite Goku's whine of protest, before giving into his primal instincts and slamming back into his lover's body.

Goku cried out in pleasure as Piccolo's erection brushed something inside of him that made him see white. "Piccolo !Again...aaa!" His lover complied and he was reduced to a language of loud moans and gasps as he was continuously stoked. He buried his face into the soft skin of Piccolo's neck, licking and nibbling the flesh between each cry that escaped his lips, his own erection pressed deliciously against the Namek's rock-hard abdomen. So completely absorbed by the mind-blowing pleasure, he almost could not feel the scrape of Piccolo's nails as they bit into his flesh, or the prick of sharp fangs as they delicately marked his flesh again and again. None of that mattered, for he was leaving his own marks on the larger man, he was sure of it. Suddenly, one of Piccolo's hands found the base of his spine and he screamed, jolts of pure ecstasy rolling across his body in waves as he climaxed, his body's muscles contracting again and again as Piccolo continued to stroke him both inside and out. He was barely aware of Piccolo's own cry of pleasure as he came, emptying his warm seed inside his lover's body. Both men collapsed to the warm rock beneath them, gasping for breath and trembling with the aftershocks of their lovemaking.

Neither moved for quite some time, Piccolo gently stroking Goku's back and nuzzling his wild, sweat-drenched hair affectionately. "Goku," he whispered softly before pulling him up for a kiss. They gently caressed each other's lips for a while, each content with the slow, leisurely exploration.

When they finally pulled apart, Goku smiled warmly at him before curling up on his chest and closing his eyes, a sigh of happiness brushing across Piccolo's skin. Piccolo simply held him for few minutes before his acute hearing picked up a peculiar sound… He blinked down at the drowsy Saiya-jin. He was purring. Piccolo smiled and waited till his lover had drifted off to sleep before retrieving his cloak and wrapping them both in its soft folds, settling to the green earth below and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he succumbed to the pull of sleep with joy in his heart.