#kril18

“I can't believe he didn't pay the power bill.”

“I can't believe you almost trashed my guitar.”

“Krillin, I wasn't talking to -”

“Yeah, yeah, but you sure find it hard to have fun sometimes.”

“This isn't the time for fun! We don't have any power and most of the city is closed down right now. So -”

“So, we should try to lighten up with some music.”

“Hey, guys, do you have any extra cash? The pizza costs more than I thought.”

At the sound of Goku's voice, Yamcha looked up from his position where he was sprawled on the couch. Everything was dark as hell in the apartment now – of course – but after lifting his head away from the cushioned arm of the sofa he could make out the silhouette of his muscle-brained friend. Standing near the front door. The open front door. Where someone else was standing outside with a stack of pizza boxes.

Oh and that wonderful smell of freshly baked pizza that was beginning to waft its way through the apartment just from the doorway.

“Goku,” Yamcha murmured as his stomach rumbled. “You're a genius.”

Sure, the power being out was totally and completely Goku's fault. He'd tried reminding his friend multiple times to take care of the bill, but to no avail. After a hard day at work, Yamcha had come home to a dark and quiet apartment. No lights. No power. No way to cook food.

If he had thought ahead, he would have rushed back to the bar to cook something before they closed the kitchen completely for the night. But he hadn't thought ahead. He'd been too busy shouting at Goku for forgetting to pay the bill. It was his month to take care of bill payments and apparently he couldn't be responsible enough to handle such an important job.

In the midst of his tirade, Krillin had interrupted with a quick medley on his guitar. He didn't understand how his friends could take the situation so calmly. And the subject matter of Krillin's new tune made him turn on his other friend.

Yamcha wasn't sure why he put up with the two of them. Every month was a new story about how he'd grown exasperated with his roommates.

At the end of the day, they were still friends and it was all small annoyances that he could honestly forgive with enough time. Goku was absent-minded about these sorts of responsibilities. Yamcha probably should have expected as much. And besides, the guy had ordered pizza.

“I got a couple bucks,” Krillin said as he stood up and pulled a few dollars out of his pocket. “All I got in cash for today. It's not much. Wasn't exactly my best day, you know.”

With a groan that was echoed by the growl of his stomach, Yamcha crawled off the couch and pulled out his wallet. “How much more do you need, Goku?”

“Uh...ten should do it.”

“Ten bucks,” Yamcha sighed. “All right. Here.”

Walking over to the doorway in the dark wasn't too difficult. At least he could see his friend's silhouette in the little light they had coming from the moonlight through the window. And he could just imagine the grin on Goku's face when he handed his wad of cash over.

“Thanks, guys.”

“Mmhm,” Yamcha hummed as he crossed his arms and leaned against the kitchen counter. “How many did you get anyway?”

Goku didn't answer at first, though that was understandable considering he was paying the delivery boy. Once again, Yamcha was thankful that pizza places were open so late around here. His stomach growled again and he was reminded that he should have more food in the apartment, more food that didn't require power to cook and prepare. Of course usually ate up anything that didn't require cooking but moments like this…

“Honestly,” Krillin said, climbing up to sit on one of the bar stools. “I'm more interested in what you ordered.”

“Huh?” Goku asked, finally closing the door and holding a stack of pizza boxes. “Why?”

“I can eat just about anything but your tastes do get a little weird sometimes.”

“Hey, what? You're not gonna be eating my pizza, though.”

Yamcha narrowed his eyes. “What?”

Krillin laughed. “Ah hah. Very funny, Goku.”

“No, I'm serious,” Goku said, already walking through the dark to escape to his room. “I ordered this pizza. It's mine.”

With a scowl, Yamcha sprang away from the counter. He rushed through the apartment but barely missed grabbing his friend. Goku closed the door on him before he could do as much as snatch his shoulder. So, naturally, Yamcha pounded on the door.

It was ridiculous. He had just paid for some of that. What kind of logic did Goku run on thinking he could take all of that food back to his room like that? Without even explaining why he wasn't sharing after Yamcha and Krillin had pitched in?

“Goku, you can't keep all that for yourself. I paid for it!”

“And I already said thanks, didn't I? You guys didn't have to pitch in, but I'm real glad you did. Besides, it's not just for me. Chi-Chi gets some, too.”

The name made him hesitate, his fist a breath away from the door. The murmured sound of a female voice on the other side of the door, in Goku's room, made him freeze.

Before he could even put everything together, Krillin walked up behind him, phone background lighting up the darkness. “Oh, right. He did mention bringing a chick home. I forgot.”

Yamcha squeaked, finding it hard to get any words out of his mouth. Goku had a chick in his room. Goku.

“Anyway, I doubt he's gonna let us in now,” Krillin continued. “Lazuli says we can come to her place for dinner if we want, since there's no point in her coming here with power being out.”

“Right,” Yamcha murmured, pulling away from Goku's door with a sigh. “Sure. Why not?”

Goku had a chick. Krillin had a chick. His buddies were doing decent in life with their dreams, even while Yamcha was the one with a stable job. Even though it was Yamcha's dream to be married one day. And a stable job was supposed to help him with that, but here he was, the only single guy of his buddies now. If he could assume Goku's girl wasn't just a one night stand type of thing, but that didn't feel like Goku. Hell, having a chick at all didn't really feel like Goku.

But she was in there.

And Krillin – plays music on the side of the street Krillin – had a girlfriend.

Yamcha really was the one being left behind. No wonder life was feeling so stagnant.

“Hey, buddy, I know that look,” Krillin said, nudging his arm. “We'll get some beers at Lazuli's place and you'll perk right up.”

“Heh,” Yamcha sighed. “Right.”

Cause wasting his worries away with alcohol was definitely the best option. Honestly, at this point, he didn't even care. He'd worry about the power bill later, too. It was always something, wasn't it? He had to crack a smile and shake his head at the thought. Things never changed. It really was just another night in Apartment 4D.

Krillin sighedas he followed his wife towards the next section of clothing, lazily pushingthe cart through the narrow pathways while looking down at his cell phone. “I’mpretty sure he wouldn’t be sending me these pictures if he thought you’d beable to see them.” He cringed as his phone buzzed with a new message. A quickswipe across the screen and soon the short fighter found himself looking at apicture of his daughter being precariously balanced on her uncle’s knees, herface showing nothing but joy as her arms stretched out to graze the cloudsaround her.

“My brother maybe reckless,” 18 began as she sorted through a stack of jeans, “but he’s notstupid. He knows that whatever he shows you would eventually come back to me.Or, at least, he should.” She smirked as she finally found the size she hadbeen searching for and quickly tossed the jeans into the cart. Her eyeslingered on her husband, who was staring hard at his phone with his eyebrowsfurrowed, and she made the last second decision to snatch it from his grasp.She ignored his indignant “Hey!” as she quickly scrolled through the variouspictures. “What is he doing?”

Krillin huffedand crossed his arms, resting them on the cart’s handle as he leaned forward.“Apparently Marron asked him to take her flying. Uncle 17 knows all the cooltricks.” He rolled his eyes, his heavy sarcastic tone bringing out a smallsmile on his wife’s lips.

The smilequickly gave way for a frown as her eyes fell on the most recent picture. Shecocked an eyebrow as another message came in, containing a photo of Marrondangling high above a skyscraper, laughing and smiling brightly, with 17’s facepeaking in on the left side of the picture, a devious smirk on his face. “Heshould know that I’ll see these, and that if anything happens to Marron I’llkill him,” she grunted as she closed the picture and tossed the phone back toKrillin, who caught it with ease. “Why is he sending them?”

Her husbandshrugged as he reopened the app to look at the most recent text. “To get a riseout of me, probably. Maybe you as well.” With a sigh, Krillin shut the app andpocketed his phone, meeting 18’s gaze briefly before the two of them began tomaneuver to a different section of the store. “Honestly, the fact that he knowsyou’ll kill him is why I’m not too concerned. Plus, the way he spoils her, Idoubt he’d let anything happen to our little girl.”

18 gave aslight hum in agreement as she wandered through the isles. “True. I have littledoubt that 17 would protect Marron… But that doesn’t mean that I agree withwhat he’s doing.” She ran a hand through a rack of shirts before suddenlyspinning around to face Krillin again, a somewhat sinister smirk lighting herfeatures as she leaned over the cart in order to be eyelevel with her husband.“We should get him back.”

He stared ather for a moment, a blank look on his face as he processed her words. “Get himback?” he repeated, bemused, before grinning wildly and laughing a little. “Imean, sure! I’m for it. But…how?”

18 frowned,pushing herself away from the basket with a huff. “I don’t know how yet,” shegrumbled as she went back to looking at the nearby shirts. “But I’ll think ofsomething. Trust me.”

Krillin chuckled and nodded. “Oh believe me, I trustyou. You’re the best at revenge schemes.” He then let out a loud groan as hisphone buzzed again.

Personally, 18 had never seen or fought Frieza before, but she knew the story of Namek well. Years before her and Krillin had met, he’d gone up against that vile lizard tyrant on a distant planet. He’d been brave, as always, but in the end he’d become yet another one of Frieza’s casualties.  

And yet, when he’d received his friends’ beacon, he didn’t think twice. He quickly donned his fighting gi, asked her to shave his head for him, and then he was gone, bravery instilled in the smile that he’d flashed his wife and little Marron before he took off towards the skies.   

Towards the battlefield. Towards war. Towards that monster that had already been the death of him once. 

18 crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. A warm smile spread across her face as she looked down at her husband’s still form in the center of their bed. His legs were sprawled apart, one under the blankets and the other bare. He hugged a pillow tightly to his face with his arms, and he was whistling soft snores as he breathed. 

Chuckling lightly, 18 made her way to their bathroom to prep for bed. Then when she emerged minutes later, she walked up to the edge of the mattress and leaned over, putting a gentle hand on Krillin’s back. 

“Scootch,” she murmured quietly, rubbing circles on his skin to rouse him. After a moment, he sighed, scrunching his face tiredly as he rolled over once to give her room. Smirking fondly, 18 slipped into bed next to him, covering them both with the blanket. 

Instinctively, they met in the middle, Krillin snuggling up to her in his sleep and 18 draping an arm over his waist. Almost instantly, Krillin’s breathing evened back out, and 18 simply stared at him for a while, taking in each and every detail of his features that she had already committed to memory.

One more smile tugged the corners of her lips as she let her eyes slip closed. Standing by her words from earlier that day, she whispered them once more, as easily and quietly as breathing. 

“You’re so cool,” she murmured into the space between them, finally succumbing to a peaceful sleep. 

And though she’d never know it, behind her closed eyelids, her husband grinned, the tiniest shade of pink tinting his cheeks. 

He pulled his wife closer, and with a smile on his face, he followed her into rest.