a/n- double update!

~~

The night air was cool against Y/N's skin as she tightened her stance, watching Goku across from her. The two stood in Capsule Corp's backyard, a vast open space perfect for sparring—at least, if they were careful not to destroy anything.

Vegeta stood nearby, arms crossed, watching with what could only be described as curiosity, though he'd never admit it. Bulma was beside him, rubbing her temples as she sighed.

"This is a terrible idea," she muttered. "Try not to blow up my house, okay?"

Goku grinned. "We'll be careful."

Y/N smirked, rolling her shoulders. "Ready?"

Goku's expression shifted into something more serious, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared.

Her instincts kicked in just in time. She ducked, barely avoiding the punch aimed at her head. The wind from his strike sent a chill down her spine.

She twisted, aiming a kick at his ribs, but he blocked effortlessly, his forearm absorbing the impact. Without hesitation, he pushed forward, forcing her to backflip away.

Vegeta watched with narrowed eyes, clearly interested despite his neutral expression.

Y/N barely had time to land before Goku was on her again. He didn't give her a second to think, launching a flurry of punches. She dodged and blocked as best as she could, but his speed was overwhelming.

Damn. I forgot how strong he really is.

But that didn't mean she wasn't going to fight back.

She suddenly dropped low, sweeping his legs out from under him. Goku hit the ground with a surprised grunt, but before she could capitalize on it, he shot up and retaliated, sending a fist toward her stomach.

She caught it.

Goku blinked, clearly impressed. "Nice."

Y/N smirked. "I'm just getting started."

The two clashed again, exchanging blows at a rapid pace. The air cracked with every impact, their movements blurring as they pushed each other further.

Bulma sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know why I bother."

She turned to Vegeta. "I'm going to check on Gohan and then head to bed. If you're staying up, make sure they don't break anything."

Vegeta scoffed. "I'm not doing that."

Bulma rolled her eyes and walked inside. A moment later, Vegeta followed her, leaving Goku and Y/N alone.

Neither of them noticed. They were too caught up in the fight.

Y/N lunged at Goku, her fist aimed at his face, but at the last second, he vanished. Before she could react, he reappeared behind her, catching her in a hold.

"Gotcha," he said with a grin.

She huffed, struggling for a moment before smirking. "Not yet."

With a sudden burst of energy, she twisted free, kicking off his chest to put distance between them. They both landed, panting slightly.

Goku chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "That was fun."

Y/N wiped the sweat from her forehead. "We should stop before we actually break something and Bulma murders us."

Goku chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, good call."

They sat down on the grass, catching their breath. The night was quiet except for the sound of crickets in the distance.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Y/N glanced at Goku. "How are you feeling?"

Goku exhaled slowly, leaning back on his hands. "Better," he admitted. "Fighting always helps clear my head."

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, I get that."

Goku's expression turned more serious. "But... I still don't know what to do. About Chi-Chi. About all of it."

Y/N listened as he continued.

"It's not just about me," he said, staring at the sky. "I don't want Gohan to stay in that house if it's always gonna be like this. I didn't really see it before, but... it's been getting worse for years, hasn't it?"

Y/N frowned, thinking back to all the times she had seen Goku and Chi-Chi interact. There was always tension, but she had assumed that was just how they were.

"Yeah," Goku murmured, answering his own question. "It has."

Y/N hesitated before speaking. "You don't deserve to be treated like that."

Goku blinked and looked at her.

She held his gaze. "I mean it. You're a good person, Goku. You're kind, and you always put others first. And she—she treats you like you're nothing."

Goku looked away, his hands gripping the grass. "I just... I don't get it. I try my best. I don't always understand things the way she wants me to, but I never meant to make her so mad all the time."

Y/N's chest tightened.

Goku gave a small, sad chuckle. "Maybe I should've seen it coming."

"Hey," Y/N said firmly. "You don't deserve to be treated like that."

He blinked, surprised at the sudden intensity in her voice.

"She's an idiot for treating you that way," Y/N continued. "You're one of the best people I've ever met, and you give everything to the people you care about. She should see that. She should appreciate it."

Goku stared at her for a moment, then, without thinking, he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.

Y/N stiffened slightly at first, caught off guard, but then relaxed, returning the embrace.

"Thank you," he murmured.

She smiled softly. "Anytime."

After a moment, Goku pulled back, rubbing the back of his neck. "We should probably head inside."

Y/N nodded. "Yeah."

As they made their way back toward the house, Goku glanced at her. "I need to check on Gohan."

"He should be in my dad's room," Y/N said. "He wasn't sleeping well, so I told him he could rest there. It's a lot more comfortable than the couch."

Goku smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Y/N. That means a lot."

Y/N lingered outside for a few moments, staring up at the night sky. The weight of everything that had happened tonight pressed down on her, but at the same time, she felt oddly at peace.

Things were changing.

And whether for better or worse, only time would tell

~~~~~~~~~

The early morning light seeped through the curtains of Capsule Corp, casting a soft glow across the sleeping household. Most of the residents were still sound asleep, catching whatever rest they could after the events of the past few days.

Y/N, despite being a heavy sleeper, had been tossing and turning all night, haunted by the weight of everything that had happened. Even Goku, normally able to sleep through anything, had barely gotten any rest.

So when a loud knock rattled the front door, disturbing the morning stillness, the last thing anyone wanted was to be dragged out of bed.

Bulma groaned from her room, shifting under the covers. "Who the hell is knocking this early?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes.

The knocking came again, more insistent this time.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" she snapped, throwing the blankets off and stomping out of her room, grumbling under her breath.

Y/N was still curled up in her bed, having managed to sleep through the first few knocks, but the sound of Bulma's irritated muttering had her cracking an eye open.

Bulma reached the front door and swung it open without checking who was there, her expression dark with annoyance. "Who in their right mind—" She stopped mid-sentence, her irritation quickly giving way to surprise.

Standing at the door was Yamcha.

Bulma blinked, momentarily thrown off. It had been a while since she'd last seen him, and he hadn't been around much at all recently, not that anyone really knew why.

"Yamcha?" she asked, folding her arms. "What are you doing here?"

Yamcha shifted awkwardly, his expression tense, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. "Hey, Bulma... is Goku here?"

Bulma raised a brow. "Yeah, why?"

Yamcha hesitated, jaw clenching slightly before he exhaled. "I need to talk to him."

Bulma narrowed her eyes, sensing something was off. Yamcha had never been this tense around Goku before.

"Goku!" she yelled, making sure her voice carried through the house.

The sheer volume of it was enough to shake the walls, ensuring that no one—not even the heaviest sleeper—could ignore it.

Y/N groaned from her bed, burying her face in her pillow. "Ugh, I swear, I could sleep through almost anything, but not Bulma."

Down the hall, Vegeta sat up, scowling. "Does she always have to be so damn loud?"

Goku shuffled out of the guest room he was staying in, rubbing the back of his head. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion—he clearly hadn't gotten much sleep.

"Bulma, why are you yelling so early?" he mumbled, suppressing a yawn as he made his way toward the door.

When he saw Yamcha standing there, he brightened, the usual warmth in his expression surfacing despite his tired state. "Hey, Yamcha! It's been a while!"

But the moment his eyes met Yamcha's, the excitement faded.

Yamcha's face was grim, his shoulders tense.

Goku's stomach twisted slightly. He knew that look—it wasn't one of casual conversation. It was the look of a man carrying a heavy burden.

"What's wrong?" Goku asked, his voice gentle but cautious.

By now, Y/N and Vegeta had both made their way toward the door, lingering nearby, sensing the tension.

Yamcha opened his mouth but faltered, looking away for a moment, his hands tightening into fists. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure.

Then, finally, his walls broke.

"I... I have to tell you something, Goku," Yamcha said, voice strained. He looked directly at him now, eyes filled with guilt and shame. "I can't keep this in anymore. I feel horrible. And you... you deserve to know."

Bulma frowned, her annoyance gone, replaced by concern. "Yamcha, what the hell are you talking about?"

Goku was silent, just watching, waiting.

Yamcha inhaled deeply, his entire body tense. Then, the words came out in a rush, like they had been clawing at his throat for too long.

"Chi-Chi and I... we've been seeing each other behind your back."

Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

The air in the room grew thick, suffocating.

Y/N froze, her stomach dropping. Vegeta's expression darkened. Bulma's eyes widened in shock before they narrowed into pure, unfiltered rage.

Goku just... stood there.

For a moment, it was as if his mind refused to process the words. As if the meaning behind them simply didn't make sense.

Then, it hit him like a punch to the gut.

Chi-Chi. His wife. The woman he had tried so hard to make happy. The mother of his child.

With another man.

Goku inhaled sharply through his nose, his hands twitching at his sides. He wasn't angry—not in the way Vegeta or Bulma were. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling. It was a mix of emotions—shock, hurt, confusion—swirling together in a mess he couldn't quite untangle.

Yamcha's voice was hoarse, filled with regret. "I never meant for it to happen, man, I swear. I didn't go looking for it. I was just... I was weak, and she was there, and it just happened." His hands trembled slightly. "I know that doesn't make it okay. I know I hurt you. And I hate myself for it."

Bulma, who had been standing there, stunned, suddenly exploded.

"You absolute bastard!" she shrieked, lunging at Yamcha.

Y/N reacted fast, wrapping her arms around Bulma's waist before she could get her hands on him. "Bulma, wait—!"

Bulma, was ready to commit murder.

"You absolute, no-good, pathetic excuse for a human being!" she raged, trying to step toward Yamcha with murder in her eyes. "You SLEPT with CHI-CHI?! Behind Goku's back?! Do you have any idea how much of an IDIOT you are?!"

Yamcha didn't even try to defend himself. He just stood there, taking it, his head bowed in shame.

"Let me go, Y/N! I swear I'm gonna kill him!"

"Bulma, calm down!" Y/N struggled to hold her back. "Killing him up isn't gonna fix this!"

"LIKE HELL IT WON'T!"

But Y/N wasn't paying attention to Bulma anymore. Her focus was on Goku.

He still wasn't moving.

Was he breathing?

His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his eyes blank, unfocused. He didn't even seem to notice the chaos around him.

Y/N was about to say something when Goku suddenly stepped forward.

He reached out and pulled Yamcha into a hug.

"...Thank you for telling me," he said quietly.

Yamcha froze.

Bulma stopped struggling. Even Vegeta looked stunned.

Yamcha's entire body shook. "Goku... don't—don't thank me. I don't deserve that."

But Goku just held onto him for a moment longer before letting go and stepping back.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

"Goku—" Y/N started.

But he didn't stop.

He just kept walking.

Bulma, however, was still furious.

 "Let me go, Y/N!"

"Vegeta," Y/N grunted, still holding onto the furious woman, "a little help here?!"

Vegeta smirked darkly. "Nah. This is amusing."

"VEGETA!"

With an exasperated sigh, Vegeta finally stepped forward and grabbed Bulma by the waist, pulling her away. "Calm down, woman. You'll get your revenge later."

Y/N turned on her heel and quickly went inside.

She had a feeling Gohan might have heard all of that.

And she was right.

She found him in her dad's room, curled up on the bed, his fists clenched tightly around the blankets. His face was red, his breathing shaky.

He looked up at her the second she walked in.

"...I hate her," he said, voice trembling.

Y/N's chest ached at the sheer hurt in his expression.

"...I can't believe her," he whispered, his hands gripping the blanket so tightly his knuckles turned white. "She—she accused Dad. She yelled at him. She made him feel like he was the worst person in the world, and all this time she was—" His breath hitched. "I—I hate her."

Y/N walked over without a word and pulled him into a tight hug.

Gohan didn't hesitate.

He buried his face in her shoulder, his whole body trembling with barely contained emotion.

Y/N ran a hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry, Gohan..."

His breathing was ragged. "How could she do this?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. "How could she do this to Dad? To me?"

Y/N just held him tighter.

They stayed like that for a long time.

Eventually, Gohan's breathing slowed, though he never fully stopped shaking.

Y/N pulled back just enough to look at him. "I know it doesn't fix anything," she said softly. "But you're not alone in this, okay? I'm here. Your dad is here. And we're gonna figure this out."

Gohan wiped at his eyes, swallowing hard. "I don't wanna go back."

Y/N nodded. "I know."

They sat in silence for a while.

Eventually, Gohan exhaled shakily. "Do you think Dad's okay?"

Y/N's stomach twisted again.

"...I don't know,"