The Prompt: K/18

After 18 rejects him enough times, Krillin rebounds to 17. However, 18 eventually develops feelings for the bald midget and tries to win him back via sex.

The Fill:

At first, her instinct was to yell at Krillin to get right the hell out, what was he even doing after she'd already thrown both him and his bags out physically thrown the front door, had she not told him exactly how little she wanted to see that round empty face of his—then Juuhachigou could see how carefully he was attempting to slide through this window he'd tried creeping through countless times, sometimes carrying flowers or chocolate or something equally disdaining and ruining whatever peaceful apathy she might be residing in—then Juuhachigou could see the shock on her brother's face, this shifting trembling thing on Krillin's that she knew too well, it was his look for when she'd caught him out at something, staring sickeningly sweet at her, or when she would stop him up short before he could ask if she wanted to go out with him, just this once.

And that was her brother's look when he was caught doing something like breaking another wall in her room, or driving over her clothes with his motorcycle or when he'd accidentally blown up the fridge.

It was rather unsettling, how quiet it was in this kitchen.

Also unsettling: the mirror that she herself had placed besides the wall, so she could now watch them all going through this moment.

How short Krillin looked right now. The sad stubble that had only grown to a worse scrub of hair.

"What were you two doing?"

Krillin didn't dare even look at her twin.

"Are you sneaking him back into this house?" Juuhachigou could see it so easily. Her brother would move Krillin's things in, again, and they would continue on as they had for the last six long, long months.

"We went out." The small man was biting his lip, looking at her with huge borderline-watery eyes.

"And now you are going back out." Juuhachigou came within grabbing distance, while he flinched.

"It's my house too, Juuhachigou." Her brother sounded mild.

"So you're sneaking him in! Is this where you were tonight? You two were on a date?"

"No!"

"Of course not." But the dark eyes weren't meeting hers. Disgusting, how well she might know him. Knew him.

"We weren't on a date," Juunanagou promised. "I would never actually date him. Unlike you, I have higher standards."

The two cyborgs nearly snorted at one another, and Juuhachigou almost turned away to find the reprieve of her bedroom.

Until she heard Juunanagou announce, "I was just sneaking him in to fuck."

It was after another excruciating breakfast, Juuhachigou came to the point where the only thing to do was grab one of them, and demand answers. Obviously, even looking at her brother without wanting to strange him, Juuhachigou had to seek out Krillin, and shove him into a clapboard wall that he himself had painted during one of the endless months where he'd still been trying to impress her.

Another thing that had disappeared after she'd discovered them together.

"What the hell happened?"

"Huh?"

"Don't even play dumb."

"He was…."

"What?"

"He was nice. Sweet." Krillin was cringing, shrugging. "He said that since the day he met me…"

"What?"

"That he, you know, has been thinking about me. That he never thought I would—care for him. Juunanagou, he can be really sweet, deep down." They both were watching his hands twisting together.

Deep down?

"You're very cheap."

"I know." A euphoric grin sudden burst over his face. Eyes alive, and meeting hers, teasing. "But Juunanagou doesn't care."

If it had been someone else, Juuhachigou might have given a go at being pleasant. Teased and mocked them both, but without malice. Why had Juunanagou not gone for that scarred big one, like he said he might, that day so long ago, when they'd still had the world at their feet? That would have been funny. This was just disturbing.

And classless. Who went for their crushes' twin brother? Who went for their twin sister's almost-practically-sort-of ex? What sort of men did that?

The ones possibly in love, she realized, letting her hands fall and feeling a familiar mask close over her features. While Krillin sighed besides her, lost in some memory of what was certainly not he and Juunanagou holding hands.

Not that Juunanagou was capable of such. Perhaps. He'd only even leered at people, and had she had never actually seen him paying attention to one person with such fervor. Juuhachigou had thought less of her twin dating that she had of the amount of salt in the sea, or which of the fighters had the worst taste in clothes—Krillin, who also had awful taste in dates. To see him even approaching a certain kindness was an anomaly, a disturbance. The bragging, though, was par for the course.

Juunanagou might be becoming more smirky, but Krillin only seemed to be a little nicer. Or, rather, more pleasant to be around. He laughed more, and the lack of blushing was a relief for them both. Finding a certain peace that Juuhachigou had never seen him in before. His jokes, obnoxious and usually acidic, at least made an appearance where before Krillin had only stuttered and weighed every word said to her. Now, he might lead her places and they could sit with so much less between them.

They could just watch a movie in a darkened room, without her having to point stab a pitchfork and torch at Krillin. That the movies were uniformly all still crap was something Juuhachigou was learning to deal with. At least he'd stopped trying to use the sappy moves from these things. Or had stopped using them on her, anyway.

Why had he ever thought she might care, for any of that? As much as she hated getting butter on her face, there was relief to just throwing popcorn at each other when they grew bored with the worst dialogue she'd ever heard...and that was where he'd gotten the idea of leaving her a trail of rose petals. How she hated these people on the television screen, that gave her a ripe taste of a sour apple in her mouth.

"I don't really care about some random people 'falling in love'"

"You have no romance in you, Juuhachigou. That's why you're still single."

This said, with them falling into each other on the dying couch.

"Who could care about random people?"

When had they leaned so far into each other?

"They're not random. We've been watching them for over an hour."

"That still doesn't mean I care about them."

"You have no empathy."

He was nearly in her lap, for god's sake.

Looking at her, smiling at her and actually needing a haircut for once in his life, and Juuhachigou didn't blink when he tossed a kernel of popcorn at her face.

And it was all seemingly comfortable.

She'd never seen him like this before.

Her brother was yelling something, for once not breaking into some discussion where she'd been prepared to strangle him because she swore he'd been staring at her chest for the third time that hour, or maybe a debate over Goku's intelligence or about his friends' lives or whether or not the pancakes were burning. How many words had Juuhachigou exchanged with this man next to her, who could be as sincere as he was glib and cried over books while never discussing his repeated deaths, that watched so many terrible romantic comedies but never explained why he constantly would seek out her company. Was there anyone, even her twin now, that she spoke to so much?

"You coming to bed?!" Her brother was yelling, and she could taste something sour again, no matter how she swallowed, and smell him, corn and butter and laundry soap and sweat and shampoo. Really feel the fabric under her, and become conscious of the fact that they needed a new couch. And Krillin would be the one to pick it out and buy it, set it up perfectly a cover for it and never do anything but chide them as it slowly disintegrated like this one right here.

Krillin was jumping up, tossing the popcorn bowl onto the coffee table. "Oh. Yeah! Sorry, Juuhachigou."

He nearly scampered away, head slightly tilted towards his chest.

There were lots of shapes on the TV screen.

She wasn't smiling anymore.

Not like it had been the first time this had happened.

Had it been a week? The days had crumbled together. Time had never been something she'd cared about before. And she still didn't care, really. It was worse when she turned the movie off and sat in silent darkness, listening. Drifting through the house, avoiding the holes in the floorboard out of habit and hating how close the kitchen was to her brother's room. Carefully keeping her sleeves out of the water as she cleaned a bowl over and over again.

Surprising, that Krillin hadn't been killed by her twin yet. Surprising that Juunanagou hadn't gotten bored with Krillin yet.

Not that she knew enough details to say that either would happen.

Thank god.

Neither of them were people she wanted to think about ever having sex with someone. Let alone together. But of course now she can, now she was unable to stop having a disgusting picture in her head, disgusting pictures and scenes and could not stop from wondering about certain facts. Right now, they were in there. Her brother was currently banging Krillin, at this very moment.

The very air was tainted.

And why, but to hurt—taunt—her?

How could either of them go through with it?

Resemblances she rarely consciously thought about were analyzed, until Juuhachigou was even more grossed out. Did her twin really enjoy tweaking his nose at her this much, to go through with such a thing?

Just to hurt her.

Krillin was still too short, and weak (though admittedly strong for a human) has the worst voice, was generally rather quick to put himself down and had no brains to be jumping into fights anymore, and really, he needs someone to look out for him as he is a sad puppy. Something for Juunanagou to play with and laugh at and order around.

As she had once done, and missed.

By the time she had realized it, it was already too late.

Just like stumbling to fall down a flight of stairs.

Now all that was left was finding a way to live with it.

It did not help when Juunanagou would twist the knife.

"Right there on the front seat. As I was driving."

"He's so good with that mouth. Just not when it comes to talking."

To say nothing of when she came home too early, she found them nearly in the act. Right on the damn couch, and near to where she would sit. Like it couldn't get a whole lot worse, seeing pants slipping down around Krillin's thighs, the way his underwear was falling down and she saw way, way too much of his pale round ass with its slightest dimples.

Like waving a red flag before a bull.

Her brother was a top.

Which was neither a surprise, nor anything she'd wanted to know.

None of this was anything she wanted to know, or experience.

Maybe it was making breakfast together.

No, it was probably the scavenger hunt Krillin had sent her, and technically, her brother on. That led nowhere and everywhere on the property, making her discover a barn that hadn't seemingly existed before. While reacquainting herself with the tire swing, what was under the floorboards, in her brother's messy room, and her own even messier one, Hating him and nature and the grass strains on her clothes and the dust in her hair, but knowing it was worth it to shove the paper into his face and demand the prize—'I was expecting Juunanagou to find them.'

'So?'

'Let's say the prize is—isn't something you'd like.'

'What, a dirtbike, a new gun?'

His eyes growing bigger. 'Please don't make me say.'

Pluck her own eyes out. '…that would explain the candles in here.'

'Oh, I just like them. And the electricity never works right anyway.'

Then she'd hopped onto his bed, stretching to grab his book and flip through it. 'Better find something for me, shrimp.'

'Are you taking my room hostage?'

'This is my house, after all.'

Krillin nodding, moving closer to sit beside her. 'True. Unfair, but true. Okay, what do you want?'

And had she peeked behind that book, all aware of what they might do right now, of Krillin's hands on his lap, of she wanted. Then he'd ran out, leaving Juuhachigou to stare at pages she couldn't care less about, to take note of the pictures on his wall that were of his friends—including snapshots of her, pouting and annoyed, this horrible one where he'd jumped out to try and give her a hug while taking a picture (the weirdo) next to ones of her brother whose face was nonchalant in every shot. Right next to each other. Right by the pictures of his old friends, practically family.

What do I want? Hm. A bland question that she had never needed to answer before.

And then he'd come back, with a handful of wildflowers she normally wouldn't have looked at twice. A lame present, they both agreed. It even fell to Krillin to water them, but they were still in her room, in a vase that also hadn't been chosen by Juuhachigou. Sitting by her bed to wake up to, and smolder under her pillow when she realized that he was regularly coming in to her room to water them. Then covering her face with the sheets when Krillin would come enter to do that job.

'I guess it's a good thing I didn't give you a gun after all.'

Which only now made her wonder if he meant that the flowers gave him an excuse to barge in and possibly see her underdressed. Interesting.

Because he must see it, deep down. That if he had to choose, it would be her. The one that would watch the romantic comedies he'd bring home, or the documentaries or bad action flicks. Who didn't talk about other men in front of him. Not the distant man but the one that had threatened to rip various part of his body out. The woman that had kicked him more than once with all intent to do damage and had made him morally compromise himself in some misguided attempt at sparing her from Cell. The blonde woman that had once punched him in the face when she'd been having nightmares and had told him nearly every day for months that no way would she sleep with him so don't even think about that occurring—not if the world was about to end, not if he was the last man on Earth, not if she hit her head hard enough to psychologically damage her. Krillin clearly needed someone that would fall asleep on his lap and spill mulled wine everywhere for him to clean up.

Because he had to find things like that adorable.

Prettier than her brother: that's what it came down to.

In the relative safety of her bedroom, hearing them in the living room having a conversation that was safe and boring, Juuhachigou could admit her plans. Hold them close to her, and go over them, like journal entries.

It was all there, written in her head, driving her to finding herself in her brother's room when he was gone probably off annoying and/or fucking Krillin, mesmerized by the bed. Horrified by the bed. Jealous, of the fucking bed.

These facts of her life that she could physically feel weighing her down. Horribly aware of who she was, of what she wanted, of everything from the neat part in her hair to her dark blue socks, uhhg, why had she chosen that color of all thing. Previous life gone, programmed to rule the world with an iron fist, now hopping around her twin's room trying to remove her socks, flailing and punching the walls. Unable to give herself the benefit of the doubt over the holes, and how many were aimed towards the walls he shared with Krillin.

To fall over, clutching socks, glad he couldn't see her, and wishing that yes, Krillin was here to pick her up and dust her off so they could laugh together.

Though, when she does here Krillin laughing, Juuhachigou felt most of her brain cells die.

Especially when she hit her head scrambling to get up. It didn't hurt, hardly anything on this planet could physically her, but the indignity smarted.

"So, what, I'm supposed to just insert my dick here?"

One of the strangest things she'd ever heard. Enough to loosen every thought and turn her head towards the wall.

"Do you always have to do stuff like this, Juunanagou?"

Right there. He could undo his pants right now, slid his penis through the hole, and cement that this was the oddest day of her life.

"I was going to get some things for dinner…unless you have other ideas."

How low his voice could drop.

The insinuation that was now trapped in her head.

And Krillin was still talking, moping already and wishing that Juunanagou would say something, because he hated the silent treatment, and it wasn't like Krillin would just take off and not return the favor, like that time in the movie theater—which was not his fault because you were the jerk then, staring at that other guy and it wasn't fair that he was always being the one punished.

Why now could she not be trapped in a fog of anger and self-absorbed boredom?

And now, would he drop his pants, and she could picture him from the back, his little squeals (they would be puppy moans and whimpers), his ass tightening with every little thrust against the wall. Not thinking about anything but what was between his legs (as usual). Would he even notice, if she moved towards that voice and lowered herself, making enough noise for him to know someone was there. Juuhachigou could see her hand wrapped around him, practically taste him, feel him slipping into her mouth. Run the side of her thumb against this cock, all the while touching herself, hearing him. Krillin would probably get overeager and just recklessly start fucking what was wet and eager.

Smell him, and choke on him when he got thoughtless in a way he could later apologize for. He would finish, obnoxious and loud, and it would be in her mouth and down her chin. Then she could, what, shove down her own pants, and Juuhachigou could nearly feel her hands on her waist, fumbling with the belt and zipper. But that would have ruined the entire thing, since that might be enough to tip Krillin off.

A whole new fantasy, one she hadn't even thought about yet.

Could she imitate her brother's voice?

No, she couldn't, and for so many reason.

He would know. Hear her, as she was already a second away from masturbating as it was. Imagine if her twin came home at this moment. Explain why she'd done such a thing, when she could only sit here panting and thinking about what she might do to him. Hand cupping herself, seeking relief without a thought that this was completely idiotic; all it would take was him ducking to look into that hole to see what the holdup was.

Wait…that had been her fist that had made that hole, that was new, right?

When Juuhachigou twisted, she couldn't see any hint of ridiculously colored baggy pants.

Where was he? He wasn't even whining anymore about Juunanagou ignoring him and about how frustrated he was going to be walking around the store now.

Left, gone and gone, and hopefully not with the knowledge that his 'boyfriend's' sister was a total pervert. Why was she in this room at all, and still touching herself, and fantasizing about blowing Krillin, of all people, of all things?

Because this has gone on all too long, and become way too fucked up.

Juuhachigou made it to her room, before collapsing into the bed to properly touch herself and get that out of the way. Glad that no one was here for so many reasons.

Now, all that was left was to begin scheming.

##

It was pitiful how easy it was to get Juunanagou out of the house.

Leaving her alone with his boyfriend slash not-boyfriend.

Because he trusted her. And Krillin.

That made her pause, staring at the blue eyes she saw every time she looked in every mirror, or at her only brother. Putting on lipstick. Making sure her cleavage was just slightly visible. Putting on perfume that wouldn't even matter, and worrying about her hair. Because she was preparing to seduce her brother's boyfriend.

Classy as hell.

Or Juunanagou didn't care.

He had no leash on Krillin. Would even make comments on other men, while in Krillin's presence, to everyone's discomfort. 'Fine, I guess he's okay. Not my type.'

'So picky.'

'Right. He's not so desperate to go for anyone that looks at them, even sideways. While squinting.'

'Jealous?'

Hopefully, her hand going into Juunanagou's skull distracted Krillin from that entire strand of conversation. As would her ending up on top of him, wiggling, while attempting to strange her twin.

Such a good sister—but who was he to have complained, after having stolen her toy for his own sick purposes? If she was ruining some sibling code of honor, what did that make him for doing it first? The worst brother, that was what.

Maybe it was that wish, or when he'd stepped on that remote, that was what set them down this path.

Juunanagou didn't appreciate Krillin. And now she was every horrible pop song about the misunderstood girl on the sidelines, watching the skanky cheerleader make out with the clueless but magically worth-it-all boy. Why didn't she just mope around more, and write poetry about it? Get a guitar and write shitty songs because the angst of a guy not liking her was clearly the worst thing ever.

Still, her twin didn't pay much attention to his boyfriend, or whatever nefarious term they used for one another. Nothing she wanted to think about.

Krillin needed someone willing to play along. And Juuhachigou was apparently down for that sort of nonsense.

He stole him first. I'm just taking back what's mine.

ugh, where's the guitar? Just end it now.

A cliché and possibly a stereotype.

…who would sing about stealing their twin brother's boyfriend though? Besides her. Insane. Downright disgusting, in some way, to think about sharing so much with Juunanagou, whose shoes she didn't even like being next to hers. If she had a guitar, she would have smashed it over her own head.

But she still found herself all but drawing out a map and diagrams of her plot. None actually put down on paper, because she wasn't stupid enough to leave evidence.

No one thought twice when she grabbed Krillin's wallet, right from his pocket of the pants he was still wearing, to go shopping. All she got was a funny look from the small human from having slightly groped him, if such a thing could be done 'slightly.' There was nothing suspicious about what she'd bought either, aside from certain cuts of fabric that she had never wanted to wear, and that might have been chalked up to make something for her brother, to mock him or as a gift. That, and the sewing equipment when before she had never given a thought to doing her own tailoring.

Holding the clothes though, feeling the sturdiness, glad for her strength after having stabbed herself a dozen times with a needle (and now having a dozen bent needles), it really cemented how Juuhachigou felt. How close she was coming to her plans fruitions, and wondering if it was too cliché to throw her head back and cackle at this late hour. And then giving in, until Krillin was knocking politely on the wall, and asking if she were alright.

"Of course I am."

"Alright? Good night."

And then she realized that the knock had come from his own room, and it really did feel like he was giving her the green light. Given that no one could see her, Juuhachigou felt secure throwing a clench fist into the air in victory. It would all be worth it. Slowly, the two of them were moving apart, and she could swoop in and save him from her tacky ridiculous brother. Now, at least, he would look at her again. For better or worse. Take it all in, see what she had done for him, and then Krillin would decide who he preferred after all.

But then she remembered their makeshift glory hole, and died a little.

Opening his eyes, Krillin saw the bare walls that weren't his and the clusters of clothes on the floor that he wouldn't have thrown there. A clutch at his throat, that loosened when he heard snoring somewhere behind him. Right. This wasn't his room.

Rolling over, he saw light tan skin, untouched by scars or hair. Nothing like him, and that still made him smile.

To just sit up and admire the straight nose and full mouth that was relaxed in his sleep, a high forehead, that jawline; he could spend hours thinking about how perfect those eyebrows were.

It was still strange to wake up in this room. In this house.

Besides this guy.

Krillin could also spend hours contemplating how he'd ended up in this place. This place being Juunanagou's bed. Without pants, especially.

Another strange turn his life had taken, since he'd set off from Orin Temple, with only the clothes on his back and the porn magazines in his bag. At least this one didn't turn into a red slaughter, yet.

-though, sometimes Juuhachigou looked at him like there was only a shred of restraint keeping her from homicide. And that restraint was shredding at every quiet evening he spent with Juunanagou. Not that there were many, given how she hated seeing them together.

Sometimes, Juuhachigou acted like he was just here to spite her. That was funny. As though he hadn't fled—no, been pushed—into Juunanagou's considerate, thoughtful arms. Albeit, only partially as the taller man had made his intentions all too clear, but still. There was genuine affection there. Juunanagou wasn't the type to set his flowers on fire, or his bed, or taunt him about wanted to have sex with long horribly embarrassing diatribes and monologues. No teasing and leading him around, only to pull that football away and leave him on his ass. Usually quietly crying and perhaps still locked in some fantasy; sometimes he'd have his pants down then too.

To further cement how little she had cared for him romantically, Juuhachigou had no complaints about him seeing her brother. After the initial outburst, literal and figurative (both of which sent Krillin running away and dodging her for a week), she seemed to have accepted it. Was annoyed by it, as she was with everything her twin and especially Krillin did, but okay. Made peace with it, even as she gagged when seeing Juunanagou's hand sliding under the table or catching Krillin sitting on the dark, taller man, a few quick movement away from getting literally fucked.

Accepted, if not understood, because Juuhachigou was a good person. No matter what Trunks had said, and still might say about her potential for violence, Juuhachigou forgave and trusted and moved on. Right now, he'd never felt so close to her.

His friend. His good friend now. Juuhachigou was someone he laughed with, that he had slowly built a repertoire with, and had developed inside jokes with. She was a friend now, yes, and a good one. And you couldn't (shouldn't) imagine bending that friend over the couch, ripping off whatever she might be wearing at that unforgiveable moment (that denim skirt?) taking her by the waist that begged for hands around it, and finally, finally-you couldn't.

That moment before was what caught him, what choked him. Right before he would be pressed into her, sliding into her, in her and a perfection that had swirled in his head, grown and dwelled there, since the moment of that kiss. Perhaps before there had been a dim flicker. Even afraid of her, terrified as more moments slipped passed and the battle finally came to a head, Krillin had seen her prettiness. No one couldn't, and that was part of the problem, and part of her strength. There must have been a reason to pick a set of twins.

A friend that he wanted to see naked, still.

But, why, what was in him that made him wish for her despite there being no sign of her wanting him, and that Krillin himself hadn't been able to wait for her or hadn't been able to fully move on…

Because she might throw one of her legs over his (her legs) and smile and watch his response as she played her new game. Now that Krillin was uninterested (yes, uninterested, goddamnit) Juuhachigou loved to tease him as she never had after he'd shown up with flowers and a dream. That dream that had lasted longer than the flowers she'd burned to a crisp before telling him to fuck off. Lasted too long, really, still moldering and making him flinch when another man would stare at her as he must have done.

Because it had been a week of sleeping in his own bed, alone.

Because he was desperate enough to go for her, then her twin who didn't grimace at his touch, and then back to her because it was still her, and who was he kidding?

Everything was pretty much alright, though.

No, really, it basically was alright, as he began to extract their lives, and almost the sense to not wind up alone and therefore pinning Juunanagou for a change.

It was okay, until finding Juuhachigou on his bed. On what he thought was his bed, as he took a step back and closed the door.

But that was his white painted-splattered door.

But that had been Juuhachigou, sitting on his bed. Wearing…

Krillin opened the door again, to properly confront her old, old outfit, of that striped sleeves and black shirt, those boots, black stockings. Legs crossed, impossibly long and spreading just the slightest bit as he watched. Her eyes. How they ate him up as they never had before, hungry and greedy, and not even Juunanagou had looked at him quite like that, not even that first time, outside when the cyborg had pushed Krillin into a tree and told him that they'd all had enough of this crap and had dropped to his knees to 'help him.'

There had been very little he could do in either direction, it seemed.

He had gone back in time. A portal to another dimension right in this house. Why not? Now he was back in time, where the androids hadn't been murderous or cared much for killing Goku, but instead wanted to dominate and beat the fighters in a very different manner, Kami willing.

Juunanagou had gone, where was Juunanagou…?

"Get over here."

Still kind of scary, that command that sent him shivering and moving forward. "What are you doing here? In that outfit? Reliving the memories? Wasn't it messed up when you fought Vegeta?"

How she leaned forward, all seriousness. "I wanted to redo some of the choices I made earlier."

"Like not killing Vegeta."

When she smiled, it still, still, sent a tingle through his stomach. "Not entirely just that."

"Then what?"

Goku was already dead, Gero was dead, even Juurokugou no longer existed…did she regret not doing enough damage, especially to Vegeta's crushed ego? Not going shopping enough? What did Juuhachigou regret, when she and her brother so often acted outraged at the thought of re-thinking their earlier actions, as though they'd never done anything wrong ever, those strangers and bikers all deserved it, and fuck the cops. Things that Krillin himself had learned to make peace with.

"Probably not fucking you when you first showed up, begging bowl in hand."

His tongue was between his teeth. This hallucination stuff should have ended months ago.

"I'm sorry. What was that?"

"You're such an idiot. You know what I said. What I'm doing!" She grabbed and tugged at her jacket, as though that were an explanation.

His friend.

Another game for them both. He was just a way of keeping score. His body was the scoreboard.

His new friends.

The pretty ones that were attracted to them were always insane, hadn't Yamcha whispered to him that, at both age fifteen, and at thirty-one? And Bulma herself, hissed about her own insanity for dealing with Yamcha. True in both their cases. Chi-Chi showing up to marry Goku based on an old promise, when the man hadn't known what marriage was, and Goku agreeing to this? Going after a dangerous android, then her colder brother: insanity. Craziness abound. Because you'd have to be, wouldn't you.

Even Juunanagou had told Krillin how lucky he was to have never dated his sister, that there was real rage under that bored surface, remember what happened to the car? 'You dodged a bullet.' 'Oh, did I?'

He had.

"Why I'm waiting on your bed, for you."

"You like me?" It shouldn't have been audible. It shouldn't have been said at all. It shouldn't be happening.

"Like you?" The eyes growing almost serious. How little Krillin understood her, in so many ways, the corners and closets that had been closed off. So much of what he did know was superficial, things that she could cast off as easily as the boots she threw at his head.

"Maybe."

That bullet had just been flying about, ricocheting about, and was now going to crash into his skull and smear his brains against the wall.

"I like you enough to sleep with you, anyway. That I could use, not your flowers or chocolate or poetry bullshit. Like I care what you compare my eyes to. We both know that you only went to Juunanagou for a replacement.

How could she even say his name, with what they were doing?

"So what if I did like you." Unsettling, when she looked away, mumbling to herself. Those incomparable eyes wild. "But it wasn't because of that stupid wish you made."

Krillin had to sit down, next to her. Wanting to touch her hand, to pat her head. It felt almost like a breakthrough for her, in general, to admit caring for someone else. Hug her, and be glad of this connection, but that would only further spur her on, and touching her still made him mouth go dry. As Juunanagou never had exactly, and that nearly made the short man squirm in shame. A dry run, is that all Juunanagou had been, a dark replacement as Juuhachigou claimed?

A pale hand went to his thigh. A threat, a promise.

"If I wanted that, just that sort of thing, I'd just go to your—nevermind."

But then she did the funniest thing. With her eyes rolling back, just falling over, like he had the remote again and had used it. He wished he was the type of person that didn't notice how her chest moved with such a motion, the shape of her hips and stretch of legs. Laying there, staring at the ceiling, and that expression was both new and old. Self-pity and despair that Krillin saw (or felt) often on his own face, but it didn't belong on Juuhachigou's own pale and lovely visage. Enough to make him move closer, and touch her shoulder; she should never have to look like this.

"We're messes, aren't we?"

That at least made her smile.

It was hard not to love Juuhachigou, when she smiled. When it touched and shifted her eyes, and was genuine and sweet, nothing like the clownish rictus grin that might bloom when she fought that flattened her face into ugliness and created a sickeningly hollow beneath her eyes.

Had it been someone, anyone else, she would have broken their jaw for looking at her like he probably was.

Juuhachigou.

Krillin could almost not regret touching her shoulder still. "But I'm seeing your brother."

She moved like that. Frightening, and dimply exciting how much strength there was to her. Not inhuman, but beyond simple human capacity, and he could touch her stomach and feel the leanness and know that no matter how he might shove, Krillin could not overpower her. But there was a thrill to that now, scary as it was—the pleasure that maybe others felt when seeing a lover's muscles defined. Learning over him, and pushing him down onto the sheets that probably should be cleaned now that he thought about it. "Don't care."

Personally, Krillin had always preferred women that were softer and rounder, not the hard bones and thin frame. Maybe skinnier men though, those that would awake some urge to protect regardless. And never mind the jokes Juunanagou and Juuhachigou made about him and Goku. "Ever since we met, you've had this hold on me. It's unhealthy."

She had his ear between her teeth. Less than a second, and now Krillin might understand how Vegeta might have felt fighting her. "Didn't keep you from looking at other people."

"Well, I guess there was that woman at the airport."

"Who? What?"

"Before. A long time before. Nothing happened."

Tongue against his ear, circling the entrance, the folds of it. Nose in his hair, sniffing. "Didn't screw that one?"

"Of course not. She was a stranger, and Cell was coming after us. I never even got her name. Her little brother was right there, too."

"Your mind's been clearly tainted from all that time with my brother. I'm afraid I'm going to have to lock you in my room and undo all that damage."

"Are you the person to do that?'

"Afraid I'll make it worse?"

"Yes. You are the worse. Everything . Since I met you. Everything's…." Fallen apart and put together in the most wondrous way. Saved. Then doomed, when she turned her back. Loving the curve of her back and hair against her cheek that would be pushed back so carefully. Her in sunlight, and bright in the middle of the night.

"Terrible?"

"Different. Like I'm going to crash any second. I have. You don't know what you do to me. Did. It hurt, being rejected. So many times."

Easy to push him again onto the bed. "I told you, I'm going to undo damage."

To straddle him. "This seems like an awful idea."

To feel him straining, Juuhachigou must love all that. Spreading her legs, and so aware of her actions. Planned this.

"I can't do this to Juunanagou. How can you do this to him?"

"He doesn't care. You know how many times he told me to fuck you and leave you in the woods to die? Before and after."

Ah, that skirt she was wearing. The shadow between her legs, and it reminded him with shame of being thirteen and unable to not stare at every pretty girl that he saw and spent enough time in the bathroom to confuse Goku and make Oolong and Master Roshi laugh. That secret spot of fascination that he'd never known intimately, even now. Of the difference between their body, and how little and often it preoccupied his mind, just the existence of it.

"But you care?"

"Enough."

"To what? Have sex with me?"

"Would you prefer we cuddle? That I leave you blue-balled all night? Isn't that exactly what you didn't want?" The weight of her across his chest. So close.

"Stop. I do. I do just want to hold you." Just as he had, or a parody of that, after Cell had spat her out

"Yeah, I'm sure you do. That's what you and Juunanagou were doing. That's what that hole in the wall was for. Hand holding."

The hole. The hole.

"It was you!" It was you. I was so afraid, but you acted like nothing happened, I thought it was just Juunanagou messing with me.

"I came this close to fucking you that day." Cupping him, only briefly. "Didn't I?"

"Oh my god, you are crazy."

Forehead rubbing, painfully. Other parts too, being rubbed painfully. Nearly purring, and so smug, knowing that she was adorable and terrible and that he loved her, all of this. A sadist.

Juuhachigou was kissing where his nose might have been. Biting his chin, avoiding his mouth, and slipping

downward.

A masochist.

Kissing his stomach, through his shirt, and oddly feeling cherished. Pawing at her hair, to her annoyance, only slightly aware of what she might do, and more intent on touching her warm forehead. Was it strange to outright ask someone to kiss you?

Especially when they were now nuzzling your penis through your pants, commenting on the state of his hardness and the way she could apparently smell him and how wet she herself was. Scary, how she simply ripped his pants off at the zipper, less than tearing tissue paper for her. A frightening girl stronger than any he'd ever kiss before, and meaner than his only lover so far.

Juunanagou, who had him on his back, in bed or outside atop fallen leaves and grass, sometimes with his legs spread and pushed to his chest, maybe with fingers or a particular device. Lubed up so carefully. Moments of physical closeness, with a brightness to the 'I'm not hurting you, am I?' Always oddly polite during these moments. Once or twice, only a few times of that. Usually a mouth or hand, and always hopefully returned in kind; thankfully, whenever Juuhachigou walked in on him practicing, she just seemed to assume he was a pig when it came to eating bananas.

Not like Juuhachigou, with her hands on his hips keeping him still.

"We shouldn't do this."

No matter about the claim of having no claim on each other, Juunanagou couldn't be pleased by this. And what did it say that he would be so easily taken in by a cute face that showed interest?

On the other hand, it wasn't like he could move her, and Juuhachigou ignored every word.

It wasn't like Juunanagou would even call him his boyfriend. But would Juuhachigou? Both of them, and nothing but sex and the thirteen-year-old version of himself would not believe that his life would come to this and that he might ever complain about it. Not even thirty-year-old him would have believed himself possible of such interest, and such ungratefulness.

She was pushing herself closer, nose actually touching him, and such a crazy feeling. Sight. All that cornsilk hair spread into his lap. How one hand was trying to tuck the falling strands behind her ear. Pushing aside the folds of his underwear with her nose, using her tongue to part them, and then lick. Just doing that, over and over again, and looking at him. So many hours spent thinking of this moment, of this one fantasy, and her mouth on him, kissing. Knowing that it was her felt nearly as good as the sensation itself.

Stopping only so say: "I would have thought I'd do this when you were still bald."

The vibration of that.

Juuhachigou had planned this well. It really was something out of his fantasy, to have her like this. That skirt and those tights could belong in any fantasy, any movie that he might watch when alone on the island with one hand on his erection and the other on the remote controller. She had even sown a Red Ribbon insignia, crooked, and heartbreaking to the back of her jacket. Would anyone else have done this for him? Juuhachigou had done this for him.

Was now licking his cock like an ice cream cone, and still slightly scary and too powerful. Not using her hands until he begged. Then reminding Krillin anew and anew of her strength, that she could rip him to shreds with such little energy and that once, she might very well have. From his stomach, that heat, that old building pleasure that never got old. Never, never. Her hands, fingers.

She kissed him then.

Her tongue in his mouth, tracing over his teeth.

Krillin could have broken the entire wall. The entire house. They could destroy so much property together.

He wondered how she felt, touching that, having it in her palm, warmth that he knew well. Everything had been a game until this, no matter how much Krillin had said otherwise to those few in his past love life. None of it, even the image of her in his head compared. It hurt, to know that. So much of him consisted of her.

Her stretched out, alongside him, alive and beautiful and hair mussed. Nearly purring. "You're always a bottom, aren't you? Just lying there. You make me do all the work."

Since that kiss.

It hurt, to cuddle against her, given her tendency to grind and shove against him. Possessive, dare Krillin dream. And her, wiping her hands on his sheets that most definitely had to be changed now, perhaps she might be his, in some way, in only his mind and never spoken aloud to her out of fear of maiming.

Since we met, you've had me locked up, and how is it possible I can touch you? Why don't you recoil, turn away when I smile? How are we kissing?

At least Juuhachigou might bite his tongue, and hold him painfully in place while, yes, ravishing his mouth. This way was much more pleasant than pinching himself to see if this were a dream or not. Her pulling away, an inch from his face, just looking at him. Not horrified to find herself so close like when she'd opened her window to find him right outside, about to knock on her face. Or opening the door, and to nearly walk right into him and teach Krillin to appreciate the difference in height.

Her ear, warm, soft, lovely for an ear between his fingers. The fine hair, wavy when wet and how scary it looked when she finally let it fall into her face while screaming at him to get out and admitting the dearest hope that he would die for the third and last time. The wonderful pale eyes that he was learning to read, so slowly.

"I love you."

"Why are you still dressed?"

This is how it was going to be then. Purposeful dodging and pretending she didn't understand what he was saying. Wiring mis-crossed. Still, Krillin peeled off his shirt and nearly tore the collar. Then tried to not breathe and to flex at the same time, which was not an easy thing to do. Maybe he hadn't trained as thorough as he had when waiting for the androids, but he certainly hadn't stopped completely. In some grim half-understood hope of enticement. Yes, he didn't have carved cheekbones or pretty eyes or a good rugged chin or nice stubble, but he did have these. His best feature, all agreed.

Especially Juuhachigou, given the way there was a smile on her face, and how she ran a finger down his stomach. "You shouldn't even bother with a shirt."

"But when I walked around shirtless, you said that it was making you go blind."

"I was just saying that. I didn't mean it." Coquettish, twitching when he ran a hand down her lower back to bring to closer.

Juuhachigou had to take that upper hand, and slide back down to kiss his stomach. "Ohfuckit." A tongue in his bellybutton and that was definitely new, how she licked upward, wanting to lick all of his stomach apparently, his chest. Outright playing and sucking on his own nipples was also very novel a sensation.

That voice. "Your goddamn chest."

Her scary eyes meeting his. She was shallow, in some ways, while still being attracted to him.

A pervert, worse than him even, and wasn't that a delight.

Grabbing his own ass again. "Do you have any idea how good you smell?"

So she did like the cologne he sometimes put on and had thankfully applied liberally earlier.

"Take off your pants. Why are you still dressed? Maybe I should just stay fully clothed then too."

She could keep that skirt on. Then this really would turn back the clock to that time chasing after Cell, when Goku had been alive if sick, and Krillin had worried and wondered where the androids were, and how much murder they were committing at this very moment. None, it turned out, and astounding how low and high his standards had changed in those three years.

On one hand, she was the prettiest woman he'd ever, but also an android. Had beaten the living hell out of his friends, but had no murdered anyone. Had the loveliest laugh and marvelous eyes, but c'mon, robotic parts under there. I want her, but only if she hasn't killed anyone—anyone lately and sort of regrets it and won't do it again.

Krillin dropped his pants on her command, and listened to her going on about his back while folding his clothes neatly.

There was nothing more blankly sexually exciting than seeing her lifting her shirt. No movie or magazine or fantasy was as good as the sound and gradual reveal of her stomach. The way her back arched. Of course Juuhachigou loved being watched, didn't she. Simply adorable, how could she make a short strip tease cute? His reward.

He had noticed her face first, the bright eyes and high cheekbones, the hollow beneath her mouth. Her mouth. That mouth. Perfect eyebrows. Her high forehead, square and begging for kisses. Sharp nose, she actually had a gorgeous nose. Ears close to her head with these delicate earrings. Of course the hair, cornsilk under sunlight and tarnished gold in the shadows.

Long legs that he'd noticed very quickly. Skinny, and going all the way to her neck, really, those legs, they were her height. He'd wanted forever to put his head between her thighs. Hips that were too thin, and that Krillin now knew were utterly satisfying to put your hands on. Of course, her ass, pert and bony and it made her laugh, now at least, to have that part of her groped. Even those shoulders, round and part of her apparently daintiness, along with the long thin arms and flat stomach with an adorable bellybutton that might be where she ticklish given how she squirmed when he kissed her there.

And her chest, that part of her body he tried purposely not to think about so much. Because it would lead to his hand down his pants, thinking about what they must look like under that tight t-shirt she might wear in the morning, worn and comfortable, and seemingly bra-less underneath. That part that Juunanagou hadn't provided. Small and perky, and looking sweet, reminding him in some dim way of peaches. Another part of her he never expected to see.

Juuhachigou didn't so much as wear bathing suits around him.

A black satin bra, with that skirt and those tights and boots. Smirking at his dumb empty drooling face. "So, are you new at this?"

"Only with pale women."

"Shut up. Ugh, I'm the virgin here."

"I'll be gentle."

"Wait. 'Pale' women?"

Best to kiss that nose and tickle her until she was growling and cursing him. Onto her back.

Juuhachigou, raging, as he kissed her neck and rubbed her back. "Who haven't you fucked, Krillin? Is this someone else I know? Did you find a sister of mine?"

"Like this. Exactly like this."

"This is how you screwed her?"

"This is how I want to make love to you."

"Don't even call it that." Juuhachigou said, venom in her voice. But taking off her bra, and further cementing the deep and passionate love Krillin held for her, the longing and attraction. Stronger men would have wept, to see a shirtless Juuhachigou. Nipples a paler pink than Krillin had thought they would be. Her breasts, heavy, at this angle, the softness and shape, and was it some strange fate or wonderful coincidence that he was so short that when they stood, he could practically fit in-between the cleft of them.

"I love your—"

"My what?"

"Eyes."

She sneered. Magnificent, to see that expression and in those clothes. Made Krillin even feel younger. "My eyes."

It was so irrelevant to compare them to her twin's. Like already that door had been slammed shut without a backwards glance. Something that had happened to him so often, Krillin would have thought he'd be unable to do the same should it ever happen

(and it wouldn't, couldn't, because he was nothing, had nothing, would never have anyone)

Could she ever understand how much she'd ripped away, and for the better, no matter what might happen?

"They're beautiful. You know that."

"What else?"

"Oh, oh, your face. Your nose. Your mouth. I love your mouth."

"You are such a goober."

"I like that outfit. Despite the bad memories. You like nice in blue. And your skirt. You look…"

Like a punk. Like someone that Chi-Chi would sniff over, especially given that blonde hair while Goku would just point and say that his hair turned almost that color when he went Super Saiyan. Someone that Master Roshi and Oolong would stare at, then flinch at the evilness of her gaze—as would Krillin. That Bulma would roll her eyes over and claim was trying too hard but she did like those boots.

A bad girl.

"What?"

"I love your belt."

"Weirdo. This is why I didn't jump you when you first showed up, Krillin."

"And your hair."

"Aren't you even going to properly touch me? Tell me again why I'm even here?"

Fair, and very true. He had to return the favor, after all. To give into the insanity of that urge, the funny insane urge that had occurred to him roughly around the time he'd used that wish, and seen her standing there yelling at him with her legs apart to better call insults to him. Recalling them that he, Krillin, had held her. Wanting to back her into a pale obelisk and settle to his knees before her, ask and receive forgiveness, feel a gloves hand against his head as she directed him, to make her happy and touch warm denim while she rocked against his face. Hear her little pants, the muffled sound of her jewelry. If Juuhachigou had known what he'd been thinking, she would not have left him on such a good note.

A brief startling thing, a flash, beneath his relief that she wasn't so angry at him and that Juunanagou was her twin brother, and not a boyfriend. That she was single, and beautiful, and that it might be okay to more than love her from afar and to not necessary bury all the other feelings that had needed to be held tightly in check because Juunanagou was her brother and…

Oh, hell, how had it gotten so messed up?

Juuhachigou's fault, too, for being so stubborn. His own, for not holding out. They were going to destroy this house.

But for such an obstinate woman, she had no problem spreading her legs at his touch. Laughing at looking at him upside down as her forehead hit the pillow. Squirming when he nearly ripped off her leggings. ("You're buying me new ones, Krillin.") Though, given how quickly she took to riding on his fingers, Krillin could guess that this all had to be part of her plan. Nearly as messy as when she had first kissed him, clothes torn and jacket gone.

All her fault that they were this way. Thus, Krillin could not entirely be blamed for pushing her forward to roughly bury his face into her, wet already for his tongue to lap at her. How utterly smooth she was and it nearly undid him right there. Taste her, shocking himself at how human this all was, more intimate than Juunanagou, unfairly or not. Another fresh reminder that she was a woman. This was Juuhachigou, supposedly a cyborg, hidden somewhere inside where he couldn't touch. What he'd wanted all along.

Not exactly what he'd planned, but better this way. If he slid under her, she would have ridden his face and probably broken something vital. Juuhachigou would have too and they could never explain it to Dende or the doctors. Better to have the heel of his palm against her pelvic bone for her to rock against, and hear her little moans, complaints, and general insults.

Especially when Krillin moved away, his own chin and mouth damp. Moving away and making her outright state that she hated him, had never hated him more.

"I'm going to kill you—"

Had his penis ever looked more absurd, redder, than against her pale skin, against the denim skirt and remnants of her leggings? Grabbing what little of her skirt he could, trying not to rip it, as he pulled her back and on him. How perfect that was, that sensation right before, then of the tip pushing past hot skin, almost too wet, almost sliding out of her, past her. Almost painfully tight, while Juuhachigou groaned. Oh, Kami, the heat, downright hot as not even licking her had not fully prepared him for. Whenever she would try grinding against him, trying to make him fall back so she could settle on top of him, Krillin would just stop. Grab her ass outright and try to stop her, while she would literally hiss at him. Impossible to mark her, no matter how Krillin tried to keep a good grip on her.

She was sweating, and when he turned his head, every thrust sent a shiver through her, moved her breasts, and her face, all flustered. Eyes half-lidded, and looking back at him. The part of her hair looked mussed, for the first time ever. Spreading her legs further, watching himself enter her, too bad Juuhachigou couldn't see this, because she would love it.

Years of this, of her and him in whatever position they could think of. Over and over. There could be dates, meals, baths in the future, showers. But what about Juunanagou? She is what he had come to this place for, no matter what he might have recanted with bark against his back or in leaves or against a wall. Enough to make him pause, and to have his ass scratched by an angry hand. Awareness of what they might look like, of their own smut that was so similar to the magazines.

His underwear was roughly around his knees at this point. Unbearably warm, a subtle twitching, tightening? Another stroke, another five. Better this time, his own orgasm, almost painful, almost flooding out of him, out of her when he looked. Her neck must hurt, Krillin realized, for being in this position.

Soft, not mewling anymore. "Stay."

They were too far apart suddenly, too much distance, and he was glad of what little strength he had to roll her over, grab her calf and pull her closer. Juuhachigou, who in Krillin's expert opinion, looked rather freshly from either a battlefield or a bed. Hair sticking to her face, a rosy flush to her face, looking far more tired and pleased than even that fight with Vegeta. The light in her eyes and smirk, at odd with the gentle hand cupping the back of his head, running over his short hair.

Easy to give in and trust her. Believe that Juuhachigou would not stick his hand in a bowl of lukewarm water or shave anything or steal his clothes or throw anything out the window. Sleep, to sleep together, and to have her holding his head close to her chest, fretting and loving, as he might have during her own weak moment, though she had never known of that and hopefully never would.

Juuhachigou tilted his head back, guiding him now. Arms around on his shoulders. Looking into his eyes. Looking for something. Then she let him fall over, and he really became aware of the fact that they were both dressed partially. Especially when she finally yanked off his underwear and threw it somewhere. So she could further comment on his pale muscles, and proceed to grope him as though checking for ripeness. While he lay there like a wounded animal.

"Do you have any idea how perfect your back is? You have these dimples, right here." She kissed the nape of his neck, practically nuzzling against his too-short hair. Kissing his ears and finding an obvious place on his neck to leave a loud and obnoxious hickey; she had to leave some mark.

"Oh, what, is that all it takes to tire you out?"

He knew that he'd been wrong, after he'd let the remote finally slip from his hands like a wild animal. Infatuated, curious, wanting to protect her and know more about her, but it hadn't quite been love yet. Not even as she insulted him on the platform, while his friends looked disbelieving. Or when she said that she'd see you later and Yamcha had assured him that he had a chance, not a large one considering that she was an android and a cute one, but maybe. Or even spotting her again, out of context from all their other moments, and nearly running into her arms.

But when she'd poured pancake batter on his head and screamed that she never wanted to see him again, that time she'd chased him up a tree and made him forget about the fact that she too could fly so large was his panic, drinking beer and her threatening to sodomize him with a broken bottle should he creep closer, when he ran up to almost hug her only to be thrown back as she thought she was being attacked at first then him being chased through the store when she realized who it was, the first time that Krillin knew he had a real and true effect on her that wasn't solely rage: when she threw a modified destructo disk at him and made him fall down that hill behind the house, rolling until he was in a ravine, and when he looked up, believed he might have seen worry on Juuhachigou's face.

These were the moments that Krillin knew he loved her. Her, and not the image of her that was so scared and needed help, his help. And a hug and possibly his penis. All things that she was quick to dissuade him about. The real her, with anger and boundary problems of her own, and preferred waffles and mostly wore jeans aside from some adorable flannel sweatpants and the occasional dress and skirt. Her handwriting and grumbles in the morning and color of her sheets when he did the laundry. These things that Krillin now knew about Juuhachigou, important and frivolous. His girlfriend, now, maybe.

There were pieces of her leggings, black scraps, all over the bed.

"Aren't you going to touch me?" Cupping herself, covering her nipples. They were admittedly small, but perfect, those breasts. Not what he normally would have found—yes, they were beautiful, and Krillin would have gone through hell for a chance to see Juuhachigou naked. But she was not what he imagined he would fall for, tumble face-down for the sake of, who would wound him for in a way he had never recovered from. There are hiccups in his dream, minor bumps (like someone meaner, Juunanagou, had once referred to her chest as) that Krillin has to acknowledge. All skinny, boyish hips, leans muscles, on the flatter side Roshi had pointed out one day, out of the blue as Krillin choked on rice. That mean little gleam in those pale eyes.

And I wanted to marry a cheerful giggling woman. Exotic hair, dark. Love at first glance. Mutually.

Not that I'm exactly what she probably expected to end up in bed with. Didn't she say as much, so many times.

But here she was, here he was.

Her straddling him, mouth lapping at her nipples, trying not to bite down, having to hear her saying these things to him. About him. All the things they were going to do to each other, and where they were going to do it.

All he could do was play defense. "I don't think Chi-Chi would like it if we had sex on her living room floor."

Later, maybe he could add his own thoughts.

Now it was starting to hurt, and tomorrow, Krillin could guess there might be some chafing. A reminder.

As they had to make up for lost time.

Easier, this time. Her, just grinding against him. Her hand was still sticky. Could feel it on his neck. "I can't wait until your hair gets longer. Then I can tug on it. See your neck."

The hair he'd grown out for her. Shaved for so long because of tradition and fear of someone doing exactly what she had just threatened.

"Don't pretend you're not liking this. I want to hear you."

He could bite her, sink his teeth into her shoulders, and not leave a mark. All flawless skin, but not the color of weak tea. Still smug, though. But still not getting him to say anything more.

"This is right exactly where you belong." Moving his hands to her hips.

"Don't even move."

"I won't."

Could not sit up, if he wanted. He was the bottom.

"Say it."

"Say what?"

"That I'm who you wanted."

"You are the worst."

Her own hands on his stomach, bracing herself. "Say it, or I'll stop."

"It was you I wanted. Fine then."

Krillin had his fantasies, and so did Juuhachigou apparently.

To look someone in the face right at this moment was startling. Personal. As intimate as a touch.

Her face above his, perfect, eyes closed and how she shivered. That bright hair touching his own face, a curtain of it. Mouth finding his, slowly, dry and firm. The best kiss. Remembering little things, her in a tank top and seeing the corners of her bra, and wondering if she noticed that fact, if she cared that he stared. If she might like it when he stared, maybe, just a tad just like how he got a nervous sick rush when catching her eye.

Cared for.

Once, Krillin had thought that the pinnacle of his life might be when holding Maron's hand. Then it was being stared down by pale eyes, and the slowly draining hostility, how everything got hazy and fuzzy around the edges, her not blinking and him almost feeling…like his fingers were the lightest things, head swimming, could have fallen over in shock, and joy. Even seeing her again, the delight and relief, and remembering the straight part in her hair or how she always wore denim.

None quite comparing to kissing her now.

The lack of oxygen made it all the more intense. Removed the lines.

When the door opened, Krillin hardly noticed.

She had least had time and sense enough to pull on basically all of her clothes. Before getting into the worst argument she'd ever had with her twin—and despite the hair-pulling and scratching, they usually didn't not get along. Twins.

He was the first person in her life, truly there. Nothing could undo that.

Juuhachigou had seen her brother angry, displeased, pissed off. Sometimes at her. But not anything approaching this.

Finally, some border had been crossed.

It hurt more than getting luggage thrown at her head.

Especially since that luggage was empty.

She sat there, very still, as quiet as the deer that would sometimes approach. One with the filthy forest around her, mud staining her boots, without socks. As usual, Krillin had to disturb everything, with either trying to pet it or feed it.

"Juu? Honey?"

"Don't even."

"Would it help if I apologized?"

"What do you think?"

The cyborg wanted to strangle him, just the thinnest threat of control that keep hers hands still and away from the man with that stupid hair and look of—like he was going to cry. It pinched his eyes and turned the corners of his mouth downward, as they never were when Krillin was around her.

"It will be alright."

Liar.

"He'll be mad for a while, but you two will patch things up. You always do."

"Juunanagou has never thrown me out before." That was her job.

To Krillin, usually. And she was never besides him, looking at the front door.

For Krillin. Because of Krillin.

This was not altogether unexpected now, was it?

Her own fault.

"Do you—we could go back to my place. I mean. If Juunanagou doesn't open the door, you don't have to be stuck here. Juuhachigou? Do you want to come back to Kame House with me?"

"No. What I want is to go back inside my own house. I want you to leave and I wish you'd never been here! I wish that you'd never used that stupid wish and—don't touch me.

"Why didn't you just keep it in your pants? Why are you so desperate?

"Of course I don't want to live with you."

Krillin's head was in his hands, and she could see his years then, and know where the wrinkles and furrows would deepen with age. "Alright. You're right. We'll wait here. Until he forgives us. We owe that to him."

"I don't even think he wants to see us."

"I'm the one that messed up. Not you."

But they were both terrible. They had both done what they'd done, and this was their punishment. To be together, with her brother locked out. She wanted to tell Krillin to leave, to just leave them both alone, but it was much too late. There was some reality where she had done so, and he had left and there was her brother by her side. But here was only this now. It didn't matter if she stayed out here, if Krillin remained as well or left, if Juunanagou even let her back in. She couldn't go back to just the two of them, with all others outsiders. It was just too late.

Juuhachigou hardly noticed when she stopped staring down the door, and turned to take in Krillin. "Maybe we should leave."