Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Gohan's Legacy ❯ Tiny and the Magic Beans ( Chapter 3 )

CHAPTER THREE

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It was without a doubt the most singularly exhilarating experience of her life up to that point. Not even galloping full tilt down the mountain on Otis could begin to compare with the sensation of being thirty plus meters in the air flying. The wind rushed over her and stung her eyes, but she absolutely refused to close them and miss anything as she hung on to Gohan's back, the forest spread out below them like a rippling green ocean.

"You doing all right back there?" He called over his shoulder. She nodded, and then remembered he couldn't see her.

"This is wonderful! Doumo, Gohan-kun." She called back. "I really appreciate you taking me to town."

"No problem."

She relaxed her death grip on him slightly, now that she was more comfortable with the entire flying concept. It had taken Gohan nearly thirty minutes to convince her to let him fly her down the mountain to Peartree Village and take the apples to market. She had been initially reluctant, he still wasn't fully healed in her opinion and no amount of argument on his part was going to dissuade her. It wasn't until he pointed out that what would take her two days to do if she rode Otis, they could accomplish in a few hours that she was convinced. Then there was the terribly awkward moment that followed when they tried to figure out HOW he was going to carry her, her rifle, and his crutch, down the mountain. Both of them blushing as he tentatively put his arms around her in several different ways, until her grandfather threw his hands up in exasperation. She had finally climbed onto his back, freeing his hands to carry his crutch. She was still blushing, and not just from the thrill of flight. She was all too painfully aware of every inch of her body that was pressed into contact with his.

He'd been having the most disconcerting effect on her senses lately - especially those times when her eyes would meet his and he didn't let them go. Making her feel like she'd stepped off a cliff in the dark. She didn't need this, this new element thrown into her ordered world. She liked things simple, the way they were: taking care of the orchards, taking care of Ojiisan, staying alive. Simple. She didn't need a new complication, certainly not a devastatingly handsome half-alien one with a death wish. Still, despite her mind's protests, she hung on to him a little tighter and stole glances at his profile over his shoulder until they reached Peartree Village.

***

"You have a real talent for barter Gohan-kun, I don't think I could have gotten two thirds what you did." She said with a smile.

Gohan put a hand behind his head and grinned looking embarrassed. "It was nothing. Not a drop in the bucket of what I owe you Lime-chan." She rolled her eyes at him and waved her hand.

"Not that again." She laughed, as they made their way down the crowded market street of the village. She strolled at a leisurely pace so Gohan could keep up on his crutch. Still stealing glances at him as they bought supplies. Gohan displayed even more skill as he negotiated the prices on the supplies she and her grandfather would need, plus enough extra to feed a certain hungry demi-Saiyajin. Lime secretly hoped he'd be around to eat it all. He was getting stronger by the day and she knew as soon as he was well he would leave; just like all the other injured strays she'd taken in. She'd never let herself get attached to those patients she cared for before…but Gohan was different. Not just because he was human, well…half human, it was because he was Gohan. Her friend. She'd gotten used to him being around, having someone her own age to talk to. She never realized how lonely she was with just her stoic grandfather for company. Yet she knew he couldn't stay, even if he didn't have to fight, he had friends and family far away. She would miss him when he left.

"-spend it or save it?" Gohan said, bringing her out of her reverie. She turned her head to look at him, her expression faraway.

"Nande ka? I'm sorry…I missed that." She apologized. They were nearly at the end of the market street, the huge fountain at the center of the village proper up ahead. "We can rest your leg over there." She told him, indicating the benches surrounding the fountain. Gohan nodded and headed toward them.

"I said: You have a fair bit of zenni left over Lime-chan…are you going to spend it or save it?" Gohan asked as they sat on one of the stone benches near the fountain. The wind was up and it blew mist from the fountain over them, and Lime turned her face towards it, enjoying the spray a moment before turning back to Gohan who was watching her with a small smile. She blushed slightly as she always did when he looked at her lately.

"I don't know what I'll do with it…probably save it. Maybe I'll bring Ojiisan back some candy if we can find any." She told him.

"You never think about yourself, do you?" Gohan asked her quietly. She looked at him sharply before he continued. "I've seen you, you only take food after your grandfather and I have eaten. You still sleep on the floor even though I'm more than healed enough to switch with you and give you your bed back. And so many other little things…you should do something for you." He said. She snorted.

"Like what Gohan-kun? Get my hair and nails done? I'm not that kind of girl."

Before Gohan could answer a burst of shrill feminine giggles intruded. Lime looked up with a frown to see several of the young women from the village loitering a short distance away admiring Gohan. When Gohan turned to see what Lime was frowning at they started tittering and giggling again being coy. Flirting with him with smiles and demure waves. Gohan blushed in embarrassment, but gave them a little wave in return before turning back to Lime.

"One of those kind of girls." She finished, making her point by indicating the ultra feminine gaggle of girls behind him with her chin. Gohan smiled at her.

"What kind is that?" He asked her. Lime shrugged slightly.

"The kind that throw themselves at men. I mean if I wasn't sitting here they'd be all over you." She said with a scowl.

"Then I'm glad I have you here to protect me Lime-chan." Gohan said with a slight grin. Lime's eyes met his and they both blushed. Lime watched the girls as they moved around the fountain so they would be behind her and in Gohan's line of sight and could flirt with him some more. The most obvious of the group was a very attractive blonde named Eliza that Lime had seen around before. Lime watched them from the corner of her eye ready to shoo them off if they got too obnoxious. She shook her head at their obvious bids for Gohan's attention.

"You can't blame them really. There just aren't many men left in the valley anymore, no husband material. They all went to join the military and defend against the Jinzouningen. There's nothing but old men and boys left around here now." Lime told him thoughtfully.

"Is that what they're all looking for? A husband?" Gohan asked. Lime shrugged again, trying to ignore the way his gaze was making her feel funny inside.

"I assume so. What else would they want a man for?" Lime asked. Then widened her eyes in amazement that she said such a thing out loud and in front of Gohan. She furiously tried to backpedal out of the hole she dug herself into. "I mean, uh…since this is farm country and there aren't many um, jobs for unmarried women and so…oh I can't believe I said that!" She gave up and dropped her head in her hands mortified. Gohan chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder, patting her softly.

"Ii desu, Lime-chan. I know what you meant." He told her. She wouldn't look at him and when she raised her head she was still beet red with embarrassment. She had her hair loose and she let it fall forward; hoping it would hide her discomfiture. Gohan reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, and she turned toward him surprised at the gesture. He smiled at her warmly.

"So…Lime-chan. Introduce me to your new boyfriend." A voice said over her shoulder. Lime looked up to see Eliza standing next to her giving Gohan an appreciative going over with her eyes. Lime grimaced, could she be any MORE obvious? She might as well have been wearing a sign.

"This is my friend Son Gohan, Gohan meet Eliza. I'm sorry I don't know your family name Eliza-chan." Lime said with a raised eyebrow at Eliza's forced familiarity.

"Hajimemashite, Son Gohan." Eliza said coyly, ignoring Lime and offering Gohan her hand as she sat on the bench between them, squeezing Lime over to the very edge. Lime looked disgusted and grudgingly relinquished the space to the other girl before she got sat on. Ever the gentleman, Gohan shook her hand briefly giving her a polite, but tepid smile.

"Yoroshiku." Gohan replied.

"Where have you been hiding? I know I haven't seen you around here before…I'd remember." Eliza told him smiling. She had her back to Lime and missed it as Lime rolled her eyes at Gohan.

"I'm not from around here." Gohan said repressing a smile as his eyes met Lime's over the girls shoulder. Eliza didn't seem to notice, as she was busy taking in Gohan's muscular form.

"Well I figured that." She laughed, and turned her head to the side to speak to Lime without tearing her gaze away from Gohan. "Where ever did you find him Lime-chan?"

"He just fell from the sky." Lime answered grinning, and winked at Gohan. She turned her head away when she saw Gohan struggle to repress a laugh and stopped listening to Eliza's inane chatter. She looked across the village square her eyes idly sliding over the different people, human and animal alike as they shopped the busy market street. Her eyes had passed the mouth of a nearby alley and had moved on toward the other side of the square before her brain realized what she'd seen among the crowd. She was on her feet instantly, gray eyes narrowing.

"Doush'tano Lime-chan? Gohan asked her, looking to see what had so fully caught her attention.

"Sumimasen, Gohan-kun…I'll be right back." She said absently and moved swiftly and silently through the crowd toward the mouth of the alley and a familiar pair of patched jeans and brown fur.

Catching the Kuma-jin by surprise she twisted his arm up behind his back and shoved him into the alley, out of sight of most of the crowd - and especially Gohan.

"Kimi wa dare ka? Who dares do this to me?" The Bear person growled menacingly as Lime pushed him face first into the wall. She understood the Kuma-jin, and the other Doubutsu-jin that lived in the area…they responded to dominance and aggression. To force, rather than politeness.

"You have something that doesn't belong to you. Something you took from a friend of mine, and I want it back…NOW!" Lime barked and twisted his arm higher behind his back, making him whimper quietly.

"I take a lot of things that don't belong to me, good scavenge. What thing?" He asked slyly. Lime smirked, she also knew the Kuma-jin thought they were good at bargaining if they thought something was valuable. Well she was better.

"Brown cloth bag with some beans in it." She said dismissively. The Kuma-jin snorted.

"Those worthless things? They wouldn't even grow…and none of the shopkeepers would take as trade. Tiny got the shaft on that deal." He harrumphed. Lime rolled her eyes…Tiny? The Kuma-jin was easily almost seven and a half feet tall.

"Then it'll be no trouble for you to give them back to me right now." Lime hissed. Tiny turned his head to the side slightly and she could see the sly look cross his face as he grinned, exposing his impressive fangs.

"What'll you give me for them foolish girl? Since you want them so badly?"

With a fluid motion Lime pushed away from the Kuma-jin, shouldering her rifle and pointing it at the Kuma-jin's head before he was even half way turned around.

"How about fifty zenni and I don't shoot you where you stand for being a thieving waste of air?" Lime snapped and cocked the rifle, the sound echoing off the alley walls loudly. Tiny's eyes crossed as he looked down the muzzle of her rifle.

"Only fifty?" He whined, knowing he was pressing his luck. Lime grinned as she sighted down the barrel of her rifle.

"It's fifty more than you've earned or deserve…I could just shoot you and take them. Good deal for Tiny." She pointed out, her heart pounding as she waited for the Kuma-jin to make up his mind.

She was playing a dangerous game. While the Bear people responded to threats and aggression, she was also treading on treacherous ground that the Kuma-jin wouldn't turn on her the minute the deal was done, or at some future point. It was a risk she was willing to take - even if it was for the means for Gohan to leave her sooner. She'd do almost anything for him, and that realization almost made her lose her focus. Seeing her distraction, the Kuma-jin took a chance and swiped a razor tipped paw at her head. Missing her by a hairsbreadth as she ducked. She swept her leg out, knocking his out from under him. It felt like kicking a pair of tree trunks and she felt the reverberation all the way up her leg to her hip. Tiny fell like a ton of bricks, hitting the back of his head on the hard ground, momentarily disorienting him. Taking the butt of the rifle she brought the stock down hard on the Kuma-jin's thick skull, knocking him unconscious. She leaned against the wall a moment before she reholstered her rifle and searched the Kuma-jin's pockets. Fortune was with her and she found the little brown bag in his pocket. Lime closed her eyes gratefully, relieved she wouldn't have to track down Tiny's mate and start all over again. True to her word, she pulled fifty zenni - half of her surplus - out of her jeans pocket and put it into his.

She tucked the little bag into her pocket to give to Gohan later and walked out of the alley. Gohan was still sitting on the bench, only now he was fully surrounded by young women. He looked helplessly toward Lime to come and save him. She chuckled to herself and walked toward them, smiling at Gohan. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw what she'd gotten for him. He'd be so pleased.

Gohan's eyes widened impossibly and he stood up quickly, knocking the admiring girls away in his haste. Where they scattered like tenpins, screaming in fear.

"Abunai yo Lime-chan!" Gohan shouted. Lime turned as if through water, a horrible roaring in her ears that she couldn't define. She heard people yelling, and girls screaming before she felt like she was hit by a freight train. She flew across the square like a rag doll, impacting the cobble-stoned surface smartly, her rifle digging into her back painfully as the whole world faded to inky blackness.

***

"Lime-chan? Daijouba ka?"

Lime opened her eyes to Gohan's concerned upside down face as he leaned over her. Eliza, and several other girls crowded around behind him along with other curious onlookers. She frowned and tried to sit up, her head felt like she'd gone ten rounds with Juunana-gou and her body HURT. Gohan pushed her back down gently with a shushing noise and she realized her head was in his lap. He had a cold wet cloth pressed to her forehead as well.

"What happened?" She asked, embarrassed more by the scrutiny she was receiving from onlookers than her current resting place.

"You were blind sided by a raging Kuma-jin." An older man with a black moustache told her, his uniform indicating he was the constable of Peartree Village. "He attacked without provocation - we have several witnesses, including your young man here if you want to press charges. We have the beast in custody, and I have to say I hope you do…we can't have him running around loose attacking other young women in broad daylight."

Lime frowned disoriented, she was still hearing the roaring noise, and realized it was Tiny - currently being restrained by six of the constable's men. She sat up again and this time Gohan helped her, letting her lean against him. She wondered how even six men could have caught the Kuma-jin if he didn't want to be.

"No…let him go." Lime said. "Tell him to check his pocket…I paid him." She said fuzzily. She felt like she wanted to sleep forever. Lime closed her eyes as the crowd murmured in surprise and the constable sputtered about her civic duty. She shook her head without opening her eyes as he ranted on about rampaging Bear people and hardheaded women being the downfall of his spotless arrest record. She could both hear and feel Gohan's deep voice from where she leaned against him as he told the constable he wanted to take her home before they released Tiny. Remembering her earlier curiosity she opened her eyes.

"How…?" She queried. The constable smiled admiringly.

"That's quite the young man you have there Miss. He took that Kuma-jin down with one punch."

"Truly! He was amazing! You should have seen him Lime-chan…he was absolutely spectacular." Eliza fawned leaning over Gohan's shoulder to see her. Lime looked up at Gohan who looked embarrassed by all the attention and she smiled weakly.

"Kimi ga tenshi desu…" She said quietly as everything kind of grayed out again.

When she awoke again and opened her eyes it was again to Gohan's stern face and the blue sky. He was carrying her in his arms as he flew her back up the mountain. The wind rushing over her.

"Gohan-kun." She said with a wince, her back was absolute agony and the position he was carrying her in was only making it worse. Gohan looked down at her frowning. "Hurts." She whimpered. With a nod he lessened his altitude and landed in a small clearing, setting her down carefully. She squeezed her eyes tightly against the pain, tears leaking out the corners of her eyes. She felt Gohan's hand on her forehead brushing the hair off her face.

"Lime-chan, I need to get you to your Ojiisan so he can help you…what do you want me to do?" Gohan asked, concern stamped all over his face.

"Give me a minute…maybe I'll pass out again." Lime joked weakly, although considering the pain she was currently in she wouldn't mind that much if she did. She looked up at Gohan again, sitting beside her with his cast stuck out awkwardly and her rifle over one powerful shoulder - the strap being too short for him to carry it on his back. She chuckled softly. "Aren't we a pair now?"

"What happened? Why did that Kuma-jin attack you?" Gohan asked her. She didn't answer, just fumbled in her pocket and fished out the little brown bag and dropped it next to her.

"I got your magic beans back for you Gohan-kun." She smiled, even though it felt like more of a grimace. He looked at her in stunned amazement a moment before scooping up the little bag and hurriedly untying it. He fished a senzou out of the bag and held it to her lips. She shook her head slightly. "No…don't waste it." She demurred. Ignoring her, he pushed the senzou past her lips and into her mouth despite her protests.

"Don't argue with me Lime…eat it." He told her firmly. She held the bean in her mouth a moment, letting it soften before she chewed and swallowed it making a slight face at the flavor. Gohan grinned at her.

"They're kind of nasty going down, but they're worth it." He chuckled. Almost immediately the pain left her body and she felt as good as new, better even. She widened her eyes in surprise; she didn't know what she had expected of Gohan's magic beans, that perhaps they only worked on him. She was torn between feeling grateful she was healed, and concerned that he'd wasted one of the precious beans on her - who knew if he could get more? That one bean might make all the difference if he was injured in a battle.

She watched as Gohan ate one as well, his cast exploding off his lower leg as he released his power. "Ah! That's better." He said with a satisfied sigh. She stood and stretched expecting to feel stiff or something, but she was perfectly limber as she pressed her forehead to her legs. She straightened and found Gohan watching her intently.

"Those beans of yours are quite amazing, I've never heard of such a thing. Where do they come from?" She asked, trying to make conversation since the butterflies in her stomach were back at being caught in that enigmatic stare of his. Gohan put the bag in the pocket of his borrowed pants and put his hands on his hips.

"Would you believe they are grown in the Ivory Tower to the west by a very wise old Neko-jin who's also a minor god?" He asked her. She looked back at him unblinking.

"Yes, since you told me. Anyone else and I'd think their cheese had slid off the cracker." She said frankly. Gohan chuckled softly.

"It's all true. Karin-sama is the only one who grows the senzou beans and the crops are very small." Lime made a face.

All the more reason you shouldn't have wasted one of them on me. She thought, and turned away to pick up her rifle from the ground where Gohan had set it. She settled it on her back and stared at the ground as the enormity of what had just happened sunk in. Gohan was well…which meant Gohan would leave. Her shoulders slumped despite her best effort to not let them. Who knew if or when she'd ever see him again?

"Lime-chan?" He said softly. She took a deep breath to steady herself, hoping that the stinging in her eyes was just pollen and not a precursor to her doing something completely humiliating like crying in front of him. She turned and faced him, giving him a bright and forced smile even as her eyes went no higher than his mouth.

"We should get going…if you drop me off you can be home with your mother by dinnertime." She told him. He put his hand on her arm to stop her, as she started moving around behind him to climb on his back. She hesitated looking at his hand on her arm.

"Chotto matte, before we go… there's something I want to say without your Ojiisan around." Gohan said hesitantly.

"Yes?" She said softly, when he hadn't spoken for a minute. She finally raised her eyes to his. The expression on his face was cool; enigmatic. But she could sense the turmoil going on behind his fathomless black eyes for the first time. There was a longing in them she'd never seen, or perhaps never noticed before now and it hit her all at once. He was as lonely as she was, and he would miss her as much as she would him. She bit her lower lip with a soft oh.

"Brave Lady…" Gohan said quietly. His fingers slid into her thick russet hair to cup the back of her head as he leaned down, his mouth finding hers. His lips were gentle and warm and she leaned artlessly into his kiss, tilting her head up. Her blood rushed in her ears and her extremities tingled like a low-grade shock. Oh…this will only make it harder when you go… She thought miserably, even as her heart leapt and belly flip-flopped. He rested his forehead against hers when he let her lips go, his hand still on the back of her head.

"I've wanted to do that for a month…" He told her, in a near whisper. She smiled, despite feeling her body trembling like a leaf.

"You've only been here three weeks." She corrected him, closing her eyes. She felt the vibration of his low quiet laughter as much as heard it. He closed the distance between them catching her lips in another tender kiss as he pulled her into his arms, holding her against him. Again she leaned against him and parted her lips willingly when he deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing her lips in a feather caress. Despite the surge of longing, of loneliness, of need…that rose in her - almost painful in its intensity - she sobbed silently into his kiss before reluctantly breaking away. He wavered in her tear-filled vision. And her mouth worked with no sound, trying to find a way to tell him that she couldn't…couldn't let herself get more attached when she might never see him again.

As if he knew what she was thinking he reached out and took her hand, looking pale and delicate in his larger one, despite her short nails and calluses from picking in the orchards.

"I'm not going away forever Lime-chan. I'll come and see you, as often as I can…I promise." He told her. She lifted her chin dubiously, looking at him from beneath her eyelashes. Two paths were before her, she was wise enough to recognize - but which should she choose? Her brain wanted the safe and logical - her simple ordered world. But her heart…her heart wanted to run down the dark path to the unknown, to possibly fall headfirst into the abyss. To be reckless.

"You'll break my heart won't you? I just know it…" She whispered to him. Gohan shook his head, stepping closer to put his arms around her and tip her chin up to look at him. His expression was gentle, yet the frown lines between his eyes never fully went away…even when he smiled. He was too young to look so old.

"Your heart is safe with me Lime." He said softly, and lowered his face to hers again. She met his kiss eagerly…damning herself for a fool as her heart made its choice.

And the second time in her life that Lime fell in love with Son Gohan, turned out to be a very short fall indeed.

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