Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Look at this room!” Chi-Chi squealed. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”

“Yeah, it sure is big,” Goku agreed.

“Big” was an understatement. The beachfront suite was practically an apartment. It had a king-sized bed, a living area with plush furniture, an in-room bar, a modern bathroom with walk-in showers, and their own dining area. They even had their own private pool—one of those fancy infinity pools that was built into the balcony, right next to a soaking tub for two.

The all-expenses paid stay at Seabreeze Resort was an anniversary gift from Ox-King. He originally was saving it for their tenth anniversary, which was still two years away. Yet after everything the family had been through with the Saiyans, Namek, and Goku’s delayed return from space, he didn’t think they should wait that long: “Consider it the honeymoon you never had!” he told them warmly.

“So this is a honeymoon place?” Goku asked Chi-Chi.

“Well, anyone can come here, not just newlyweds,” she explained, looking at the hotel brochure. “But it is a popular honeymoon spot.”

“Huh.” He looked around the luxurious suite. “Then how come we didn’t come here after our wedding?”

“Dad’s palace had just burned down,” she reminded him as she started to unpack their belongings. “I didn’t want him spending any more money on us when he needed to start rebuilding everything.”

“Oh.”

Something in his tone made her turn around. He was staring at the bed, frowning. “What’s wrong?” she asked, concerned.

“I just…” He rubbed the back of his head. “If you wanted to go to someplace like this, I would’ve taken you.”

She laughed. “Why? These resorts are so expensive.”

“Could’ve used the prize money from the tournament,” he mumbled, looking guilty.

“Don’t be silly. That money was better spent on our house. We took plenty of nice trips on Nimbus without spending a lot.” She pulled him into a warm embrace. “Besides, I didn’t care about going on some dumb honeymoon. I just wanted to start our new life together. And not all couples go on honeymoon. Some don’t even take one until they’ve been married for years.”

He smiled. “So better late than never, right?”

“Absolutely,” she reassured him. “Now, we’ve got a whole week to ourselves here. What do you want to do first?”

“Well…” He eyed the king-sized bed.

“Not so fast, mister,” she scolded playfully. She thrust the brochure at him. “This is a nice place, and I don’t want to just stay in the room.”

“All right, all right.” His face brightened. “Ooh, they’ve got five different restaurants here! And a breakfast buffet!”

Of course.

***

Seabreeze Resort had a lot to offer for its guests. On top of the five restaurants, it had a beauty spa, four pools (indoor and outdoor), a tennis court, an indoor gym, boat rides, outdoor water activities, and live music and entertainment for the nighttime. Chi-Chi was overwhelmed by the luxury of it all. There was no way they’d be able to try everything in only seven days! Still, she made a mental note to at least do some shopping before they left; she promised Gohan they’d bring him home a present.

For now, she was happy enough with a simple walk on the beach with Goku. The weather was perfect as they strolled through the sand, the sun shining over the bright turquoise waters of the ocean.

Everyone they encountered from fellow guests to the staff kept mistaking them for newlyweds. She didn’t mind. Despite everything they had been through, they were still a young couple. She still couldn’t believe it had been a year since Goku returned from space. Things had been rough at first, but they had gotten through it, reclaimed and rekindled their relationship.

So in that sense, they were newlyweds again.

She had the feeling that Goku was going out of his way to make sure this was a special trip for her. At dinner, he was uncharacteristically on his best behavior. He followed the restaurant’s strict dress code and donned the suit without so much as a fight. He didn’t fidget or complain about how tight or itchy it was. And while he polished off almost two of every dish on the menu, he ate less sloppily than he usually did.

“Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my husband?” she joked.

“What?” He stared at her in confusion.

“You don’t have to try so hard,” she told him gently. “I know you don’t like dressing up like this.”

“Well no,” he admitted, “but it makes you happy, so I’ll survive.”

She beamed through sentimental tears. He really was a good husband…

He pointed suddenly at an elderly couple sitting nearby. “You think they’re on a honeymoon too?”

“Goku, it’s rude to point. And no, they’re probably just celebrating their anniversary.”

“How long do you think they’ve been married?”

“I don’t know, maybe fifty years?” she guessed. They certainly seemed old enough, and fifty years was a special milestone.

“Wow.” He was awestruck. “So that’s what we’ll look like in fifty years?”

She couldn’t help laughing. “I’m not ready to be that old yet. I don’t want gray hair and wrinkles.”

“Aw, you’ll probably be a pretty old lady,” he grinned at her.

She snorted and shook her head. “I can’t imagine you looking old at all…”

Right as the words left her mouth, the candle at their table flickered then died abruptly.

Something about the sight made her shiver. It was as if an omen had been given. Her stomach twisted, and she was filled with an inexplicable sense of dread.

“Chi-Chi?” Goku had noticed her change of mood. “You okay?”

She blinked. What on earth came over her? Why was she upset by a silly candle going out? She wasn’t the superstitious type.

“I’m fine.” Quickly, she shook it off and gave him a reassuring smile. “How we go back to the room? I want to try out our pool.”

***

“It’s not as big as the hotel pools we saw.”

“I know. But it’s not really for swimming. It’s more for intimacy. And ambiance.”

“Ambiance?”

“The view, silly.”

Chi-Chi waded to the edge of the pool for a better look. It was a clear night, and the entire resort was set aglow by bright neon lights. In the distance, she could see the coastline. The ocean sparkled and palm trees swayed in the balmy breeze. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she sighed dreamily, leaning against the glass barrier.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, coming up behind her to kiss her neck.

She laughed and leant back into his chest. “That’s a cheesy line, and you know it.”

“But you are.”

She knew he wasn’t just flirting with her. He may have matured over the years, but he still had that stubborn streak of innocence that never completely faded. With him, there was no such thing as empty words. He never said anything that he didn’t mean.

Kami, how she missed that. And to think she nearly lost him forever…

Trying to distract herself from those dark thoughts, she looked up at the sky. It was harder to see the stars out here than it was at Mount Pouzu. Probably because of all the city lights. Still, she could make out a few.

“Look at that planet!” she exclaimed, pointing upward. “It’s so bright!”

He squinted upward. “You think it’s Yardat? Or Namek?”

“I thought those were too far away to see.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” A thoughtful expression crossed his handsome face. “It’s weird, isn’t it? That there are a whole buncha planets out there that we’ve never heard of?”

Goosebumps prickled her arms. She tried to rub them away. “I guess.”

“Sure would be cool to see more of them…” He kept staring up at the stars, his eyes agleam with wonder.  

A hard knot grew in her stomach. “You’re not going back to space, are you?”

“What?” He was startled. “Why would I go? I just got home!”

“Good.” She relaxed slightly.

“But…” He shrugged his muscled shoulders. “I dunno, it might be fun to do someday.”

A chill went down her spine. There it was again, that strange foreboding.

She cleared her throat. “It’s getting kind of cold. I’m going to go inside—”

“Wait, hang on.” He caught her by the arm. “What’s wrong now?”

“Nothing,” she replied quickly.

He shook his head. “You keep looking at me like I’m gonna die or something,”

The words chilled her to the bone. “Goku…”

“There! You just did it again!” he complained.

“No, I didn’t.” She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go.

“Chi-Chi.” His tone softened. He laid a hand on her cheek, coaxing her to meet his gaze. “C’mon. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

“I…” She bit her lower lip. “I just don’t want this to end.”

 His brow furrowed in confusion. “It’s only our first night. We’ve still got a whole week here.”

“Not our vacation. This.” She threw up her hands in a helpless gesture. “You. Me. Gohan. We’ve all been so happy, but I keep…” Her eyes smarted with irrational tears. “I keep thinking something bad is going to happen. Again.”

Things had been so perfect in their first five years of marriage. It was like they were in their own little bubble that kept them safe, right up until that damn reunion that took Goku and Gohan away from her. After that, the bubble was gone, leaving them vulnerable to crisis after crisis…

Now they were together again. Gohan was safe and thriving in his schoolwork. Goku still trained, but he was earning money and had even gotten a driver’s license. Their marriage was stronger, and they were talking about having another child. Against all odds, their little bubble was restored.

Except a bubble wasn’t steel. It was soap and air, ready to pop at a moment’s notice.

Anything could happen, and terrified her. She barely survived the past ordeals. She wasn’t strong enough to go through another.

He cupped her face in both of his hands. An uncertain smile tugged at her lips as she waited for reassurance. Sweet promises that they were safe, that nothing was going to happen…

“Bad things are always gonna happen, Chi-Chi.”

That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She recoiled. “Goku…”

“I’m not done.” His eyes held hers steadily. “We can’t stop whatever’s gonna happen…but that doesn’t mean we won’t be okay.”

“How do you know?” she whispered.

“I don’t,” he admitted. “But look at everything that’s happened. We went through all that, and things still turned out okay.”

She shrugged halfheartedly. “We got lucky.”

“We did,” he nodded. “And even if we weren’t…well, that just makes us need good times even more.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” He cocked his head to the side. “When I was on Yardat, trying to control my transformations, I couldn’t stop thinking about you and Gohan. I was so scared I’d wouldn’t be able to come home. Or that I’d be gone too long, and you’d forget about me…”

“Never!” she gasped, horrified.

“I know, I know. But that’s what I thought back then,” he went on. “The one thing that kept me going was remembering how happy we were. It made me work harder to get it all under control. And I knew that when I came home, we’d be able to make more happy memories together.”

“Oh, Goku…” Overwhelmed by his heartfelt confession, she reached up to kiss him.

He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss with more passion than her vulnerable state was ready for. Her knees went weak, and had his strong arms not been holding her upright, she might have fallen backward into the water. Yet he was here like a lifeline always keeping her afloat.

When they broke apart, she laid her head against his chest and let his heartbeat fill her ears. Time itself seemed to stand still.

A different premonition came to her. No fear, only an instinct that told her to remember this moment. Remember how safe she felt in his embrace, the warmth of his skin and the strong beat of his heart. Keep it safe with all her other memories, hang on to them for whatever was to come.

Tension eased from her body. I’ll remember.

“You know what?” He lifted her out of the water and into his arms.

“What?” she whispered, holding on to his neck.

“I think we need bad times. To help good times feel even more special.” He chuckled. “But that doesn’t make sense, does it?”

Her Saiyan husband never failed to keep surprising her. He was so naïve, and sometimes still clueless…and yet in moments like these, he could be incredibly wise as well.

“No,” she murmured back. “It makes perfect sense.”

He carried her out of the pool and back into the room. As he lowered her onto the soft mattress, she willed herself to forget the past and future. The only thing that mattered was this moment, now.

***

Years afterward, when the world was in ruins and Chi-Chi was in her darkest moment, she remembered that night—along with countless happy memories. And just as it had been for Goku, it would give her the strength to keep fighting.