Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo found themselves standing outside the large dome-shaped building of Capsule Corp.  The three exchanged glances, and Goku stepped up to knock on the door.

They waited, but no one answered right away. Gohan shifted nervously beside his father while Piccolo folded his arms, silently growing more impatient. After a few moments, the door finally swung open, revealing Vegeta, who looked a little... off.

Vegeta's face was set in his usual scowl, but something wasn't quite right. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and there was the unmistakable smell of alcohol hanging around him. He leaned against the doorframe, giving them all a disgruntled look.

"Oh great, more idiots," Vegeta grumbled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What the hell do you want?"

Goku, being Goku, didn't notice Vegeta's grumpiness right away. "Hey, Vegeta! We're looking for Y/n and her dad. Have you seen them?"

Vegeta blinked slowly, processing the question. "They're here."

Gohan's eyes lit up. "They are?"

Vegeta stepped aside, motioning for them to come in with a lazy wave of his hand. "Yeah, Y/n's inside getting drunk with me and playing cards. I thought you morons would've checked here first."

As they walked in, Piccolo gave Vegeta a sidelong glance, clearly unimpressed with the Saiyan prince's state. "You've been drinking?"

Vegeta smirked. "And?"

"Nothing." Piccolo huffed, shaking his head.

Vegeta led them through the spacious corridors of Capsule Corp until they reached the living room. Sure enough, there was Y/n, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a small table set up between her and an empty chair where Vegeta had probably been sitting before he answered the door. Y/n had a few empty bottles of liquor nearby, but she looked far more lively than Vegeta did. In fact, her face lit up when she saw Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo enter the room.

"Goku! Gohan!" she exclaimed, her face breaking into a wide smile. She quickly set down her cards and made her way over to them, pulling Gohan into a big hug. "I didn't expect you guys!"

Her eyes flickered to Piccolo, and with a grin, she hugged him too. He stiffened awkwardly, but she paid it no mind, holding him tight for a second before stepping back.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Piccolo!" she said, grinning.

"Piccolo was looking for you," Goku said, grinning. "He was worried."

Piccolo shifted, looking a bit embarrassed. "You didn't show up for training. Just thought I'd make sure you weren't slacking," he said, trying to save face.

Y/n smirked, taking a step back. "Sorry about that, Piccolo! Got a little sidetracked," she said, gesturing toward the card game setup with a chuckle. "But hey, looks like you guys found me!"

Bulma entered from the hallway, wiping her hands on a cloth. "Oh, you found her! Great!" She gestured toward a back room. "Her dad's resting in the guest room—took a beating, but he's recovering."

As the group settled into the living room, Piccolo gave a nod. "Now that I know you're alright, I'll head out. I don't have time for this... 'hanging out' stuff."

"Are you sure, Piccolo?" Gohan asked, eyes wide. "Can't you stay just a bit longer?"

Vegeta let out a low chuckle. "What's the matter, green bean, too good for a drink?"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed, but he shook his head. "No thanks." He glanced at Gohan, giving him a small nod. "I'll see you at training," he said before heading for the door.

After Piccolo left, Gohan turned to his dad. "Hey, Dad, can we stay a little longer? Y/n's here and all..."

Goku scratched his head, smiling. "I don't see why not!" He glanced back at Vegeta, who gave him a sly smirk.

"You know, Kakarot, while you're here, you could join us," Vegeta said, holding up a shot glass.

Y/n looked at Vegeta, raising an eyebrow. "Kakarot? You always call him that. What's the story with that, anyway?"

Vegeta paused, giving her a considering look, as if he were measuring whether she was in on the secret. Goku chuckled, scratching his head.

"Oh, yeah!" he said brightly. "It's... well, it's my birth name, actually."

"Wait, really?" Y/n asked, intrigued. "But... Goku is what everyone calls you."

"Yeah, that's because when I was sent here, Grandpa Gohan found me and gave me the name Goku," he explained. "Kakarot was my Saiyan name. I only learned about it later."

Y/n tilted her head, glancing between him and Vegeta. "So... you're both Saiyans?"

Vegeta smirked, his arms crossed. "That's right. Both of us are survivors of the Saiyan race, a warrior people from Planet Vegeta. Not that Kakarot cares to live up to it," he said, giving Goku a hard look.

"Oh, I don't know, Vegeta, I do my fair share of fighting," Goku said, laughing. "Just with my own style."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Hmph. I suppose that's one way of putting it," he muttered, though a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Y/n, noticing the relaxed mood, shuffled the cards with a gleam in her eye. "Well, speaking of styles, Gohan, how about you join my team this round? Vegeta and Goku, you two can try and beat us—if you think you're up for it."

Gohan's eyes lit up. "Really?" he said, excited to partner up with her. "I'm ready!"

The game quickly shifted from competitive to hilariously chaotic as Vegeta got more invested, grumbling every time Y/n and Gohan won a round. Goku was laughing so hard he almost knocked over the empty glasses on the table. Meanwhile, Bulma appeared now and then to collect the used dishes and check on Y/n's dad, who was resting peacefully in the guest room.

As the night wore on, the energy mellowed, and everyone got a bit more comfortable and a bit tipsier. Y/n and Gohan proved to be an unbeatable team, prompting Vegeta to grumble, "I'm done. You're cheating," before declaring his defeat and stalking off to bed.

"Guess that means you won," Goku said, stretching and giving a happy sigh. Gohan grinned triumphantly, his eyes heavy with sleep.

"You're a great card partner, Gohan," Y/n said, patting his shoulder. Gohan tried to smile back but ended up stifling a yawn instead. He couldn't hold out much longer and eventually curled up on the couch, dozing off with a small blanket.

Y/n chuckled softly. "Guess that's our cue to call it a night, huh?"

Goku smiled, glancing at Gohan. "He's wiped out," he agreed, looking fondly at his son. "Kid's been working hard. Think he deserves it."

Y/n took a sip from her glass, looking at Goku. "You're proud of him, aren't you?"

Goku nodded, his eyes softening. "More than anything. He's a great kid. Smarter than me by a long shot," he laughed. "But he's got a good heart."

She smiled, leaning back in her chair, relaxed but still holding her drink. "I think he gets a lot of that from you."

They fell into a comfortable silence, a warmth settling over them that neither felt the need to break for a while. Y/n swirled her drink, watching the reflections in the glass. After a moment, she glanced over at Goku, feeling an unusual sense of calm with him sitting there.

"You know, I haven't really told a lot of people about my dad... or what it was like growing up in the village," she started quietly, her voice contemplative.

Goku looked over, his gaze attentive. "What was it like?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Y/n hesitated a little but found herself wanting to share. "It was... simple but good. My dad and I lived out on the edge of the village, so it was kind of quiet. Upa and I got into a lot of trouble as kids. There wasn't much to do out there, so we'd make our own fun. And, well, let's just say we didn't always stay out of trouble." She laughed softly, a nostalgic smile playing on her lips.

Goku grinned. "Like what? What kind of trouble?"

"Oh, you know, sneaking out to catch frogs, hiding fireworks in the older villagers' shoes," she said, chuckling. "There was one summer we decided to have a sparring match right in the middle of the village square. Broke two benches and a statue—my dad was furious."

Goku laughed, clearly picturing the scene. "I can see that. Sounds like you had a lot of fun, though. A little bit like me and Grandpa Gohan when I was a kid. He was always trying to teach me things, like fishing and hunting, and I'd be wandering off trying to catch squirrels or pick fights with trees."

Y/n laughed, covering her mouth. "With trees?"

"Yeah! Well, back then, I thought I was training." He chuckled, shaking his head at the memory. "I didn't know much about anything except fighting, honestly. But my grandpa always tried to keep me on the right track."

Y/n's expression softened, hearing the way he spoke about his grandfather. "Sounds like he really meant a lot to you."

"He did," Goku said quietly. "I still think about him a lot. Even though he's gone, I can still feel him looking out for me..." 

They shared a moment of comfortable silence, both slightly tipsy and basking in the shared warmth of old memories. Goku's gaze drifted to her, studying her in a new light. Something about being around her felt easy and natural, like he'd known her a long time, though he knew that wasn't the case.

"So, you and Upa... still close?" he asked gently.

"Oh, yeah," Y/n replied, her face lighting up. "He's practically family. The two of us have been through a lot together. Even now, he still watches over everything when we can't be there." Her gaze drifted to her half-empty glass. "Losing my mom was... hard. Upa and his dad have been the closest thing to family for us since then."

Goku nodded, the look in his eyes somber. "I can't imagine losing someone like that. I didn't know my parents, but I always felt lucky that my grandpa found me."

Y/n glanced at him, curious. "You don't know anything about them?"

"Not really," Goku admitted. "I only found out about them a little while back. But they sent me to Earth to protect me... So, in a way, I guess I feel close to them. Like they're out there somewhere, keeping an eye on me too."

Y/n smiled, her gaze warm. "I think they'd be proud. You've got a way of making people feel safe."

Goku rubbed the back of his neck, a bit bashful. "Thanks... I never thought about it that way."

They fell quiet again, the room bathed in the soft glow of the lamplight. The gentle rise and fall of Gohan's sleeping breaths added a comforting rhythm to the stillness, and Goku found himself feeling unusually at peace.

After a few moments, Y/n spoke up, her voice soft and a little uncertain. "You know, it's funny... I didn't think I'd ever find myself sitting here like this, talking about all this stuff."

Goku chuckled, his eyes meeting hers. "Yeah... same here. But I'm glad. I like hearing about it."

Y/n's gaze softened, and she felt a warmth spread through her chest, something unfamiliar but not unwelcome. "Me too," she said, barely above a whisper. "Guess it's not often you get to just... sit and be."

"Yeah," Goku agreed, his eyes still on her. "Feels... nice."

A quiet understanding passed between them, something gentle but unspoken, as if they were sharing more than just words. For a moment, everything else seemed to fall away—the worries, the fights, even the usual sense of duty they both carried. They were just two people, sharing a quiet night and pieces of themselves they didn't often reveal.

Eventually, Goku broke the silence, his voice soft. "Maybe we could... do this again sometime."

Y/n looked at him, her eyes thoughtful, and smiled. "Yeah... I'd like that."

As the night drew on, they sat together, talking about everything and nothing at all, the warmth of their conversation lingering like the fading glow of the lamplight, as both felt the spark of something just beginning to bloom.