In Quiet Darkness

By Agent Malkere

Disclaimer: Yup, definitely not mine.

18 stared up at the ceiling. The room was draped in heavy, nighttime shadows, but if she concentrated, her enhancements still allowed her to pick out the thin lines where someone had cut through and then patched the ceiling in order to fix a leaking pipe. Technically, 18 could go for over a week without sleep if she wanted, but sleeping regularly made her feel that much closer to being human. Just like making sure to eat something at least twice a day even if one of those things was only a piece of mochi or a cup of coffee. They were such little things, but she held them close. Dr. Gero had kept her like a doll in a box for so many years. Each little piece of life she took back was an act of defiance, brought her a touch closer to the fully human woman she wished that she could remember being.

Next to her, the other occupant of the bed stirred and shifted in his sleep. 18 turned her gaze from the ceiling to the man next to her. Krillin's jaw was ever so slightly slack, one bare shoulder peeking above the covers. He'd started to let his hair grow out, and a fine, black, peach fuzz now covered his scalp. 18 liked running her hand over Krillin's new hair when he was awake and watching his face turn red with embarrassed pleasure.

Things with Krillin had started out as another act of defiance, another experiment to see just how much of her humanity was left – how many emotions had Dr. Gero left her. When Krillin had managed to stutter his way through asking her out, she's said yes much to his surprise. Two dates, she had decided in her head. That would be enough to satisfy her curiosity and give her a taste of the normality it seemed her life would never have and also keep him from getting too attached. She'd always thought Krillin was cute. After all, she wouldn't have kissed Tien or Piccolo on the cheek if things had worked out a little differently during that first fight. Two dates with Krillin certainly wouldn't be a chore.

Their first date started off as suitably awkward, because neither of them were really sure what they were supposed to be doing. If 18 had ever been on any first dates before, she certainly didn't remember them. They had ended up at an aquarium, watching peaceful jellyfish with tentacles like lace streamers. 18 had made an offhand comment that they looked elegant. Then Krillin had looked up at her and smiled, bright and wide. 18's mouth had involuntarily pulled up into a small smile as well, and she'd realized that she felt… happy. Happy in a way that she hadn't even been sure that she was able to feel any more. It was a bright, warm feeling that glowed in the center of her chest.

From there everything had snowballed from an experiment into an honest to goodness relationship. A relationship where Krillin brought 18 the bright sea shells that he sometimes found washed up on the beach around Kame House because she'd once confessed that she preferred shells to the fleeting beauty of flowers. A relationship where 18 made Krillin his favorite peach oolong tea on the days when he was quiet and his eyes were shadowed with thoughts of his dead best friend. A relationship where Krillin sometimes fell asleep leaning against 18's shoulder on the couch and laughed as he taught her to juggle eggs – a skill he'd apparently learned from Yamcha. A relationship that had been going for more than eight months now and made 18 so happy inside that it… scared her.

Not because she was afraid that Krillin would hurt her. Far from it. Krillin was, quite possibly, the nicest, most decent person alive. No, it was because- because-

Because 18 knew that Krillin was the strongest, fully-human person on the planet – he could take an astonishing amount of damage and get back up again – but compared to her, he was so breakable. He'd already died twice before she'd even met him. What would she do… if she lost him? Even if she didn't lose him to violence, what if she simply outlived him by decades and decades? After all, who knew how long Dr. Gero's cybernetics would extend her lifespan. She wasn't even entirely sure how much of her body had been replaced by mechanisms.

18 sighed and pushed the gloomy thoughts aside. For now, the future could take care of itself. Turning onto her side, 18 gathered the sleeping Krillin up in her arms and pulled him against her chest. She tucked his head under her chin.

"Hmm? Wha?" mumbled Krillin, blinking open bleary eyes.

"Go back to sleep."

"M'kay." His breathing evened out again after a moment.

18 closed her eyes and allowed the beat of Krillin's heart beneath her palm to finally sooth her to sleep.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Krillin suggested the aquarium for their first date, because he wasn't sure if 18 could still eat and was trying to think of something that didn't involve food.

Credit to Tie-Dyed Trickster for Yamcha being able to juggle eggs.