Not An Exact Copy [Gohan x OC]

Ch. 24

There were several reasons that was not an option.

One, he didn't want to get the wrong idea of love. His mother told him that she and his father spent a part of their childhood together, and didn't see each other for several years with the promise of marriage when they grew older. They met once more at the tournament, where she brought up their marriage and his dad had thought marriage was food, yet he still married Chichi. He was sure his father loved his mother, what with his presence being here along with Goten. Still, he didn't want to mistake his feelings for some kind of food.

Two, he didn't want to ruin what they had. They had a bond of sorts, having to go through so much hell in their early lives as children then growing up with trauma. He remembered the nightmares he had when he slept alone after the Cell Games. The reoccurring sight of his dad dying in front of him, the evil cackles of a certain cicada, his friends slowly fading away into existence... the sight of her bloodied body with a gaping hole in the middle... It was too much for him, and for several weeks, maybe even months, he had woken up with a silent scream and sweat covering his whole body, deep breathes, lungs in need for air. It was horrible.

He guessed at one point his nightmares had gotten so severe that his ki had risen up and out of control, and Piccolo was there in his room, yelling his name to get attention. That had gotten him out of his nightmares, and he had stared wide-eyed at the alien before he burst into tears and kept repeating, 'it's my fault, it's my fault!'

Piccolo hadn't known what to do, since he wasn't good with tears or even good with emotions, so he settled on rubbing the poor boy's head in a calming manner.

The next morning, he had a heard a knock on the door, and there, Nachi stood still in her pajamas and demanded he talked. He didn't know what she had been talking to before a throat cleared, and Piccolo had the decency to look sheepish.

Since then, he shared how he felt it was his own fault for Goku's death and that if it hadn't been for his cocky attitude, he would still be here and not miss out on his sibling's birth.

Nachi had bonked him on the head and gave it to him straight.

Since then, their friendship grew closer and intentionally or unintentionally, she was around him more, and he was grateful for that.

The third reason for not wanting to develop something more with Nachi is... well, did she even know what attraction and love was? He knew that she knew her parents were in love before Papri's passing, but other than that... she seemed oblivious to the idea of romantic feelings.

She mentioned that Saiyans had mated; a lifelong partner to the death, and usually, the other would gladly follow the other to death. However, Vegeta knew he had to raise his cub and refused to allow Frieza's hands on her, so he didn't kill himself after Papri's death. He did everything to protect Nachi.

According to Nachi, mates were much more special than the Earthling tradition of marriage. The Saiyans did everything to protect each other, making sure their partner were in good health and made sure they had everything they so desired.

She had also said that the mating process could also be painful, but it would be worth it in the end. Atleast, that's what her father had told her when he had to discuss the Saiyan birds and the bees.

He hated to think how that conversation went down, which brings him to his final point.

The fourth and final reason he couldn't possibly explore his feelings for the Saiyaness... was the danger that seemed to scream at him whenever he was around her. That danger came in the form of a 5 foot 4, strong, aggressive, and tempered Saiyan known as Vegeta.