Piccolo slowly moved his hand away from Tategoto's forehead when he was sure the child was asleep. Just a few short hours before, he had admitted something that he never thought he would have to. He moved back and settled against a tree, crossing his arms and looking up at the clear star-speckled sky.

At first, Piccolo thought that he would just leave right then and tell Yasmine to get it over with, but something else in his mind told him to just wait. "This is crazy." He muttered to himself, lowering his eyes to the dancing orange campfire in front of him before picking up the little photo album that Yasmine had given to him since he didn't really look at it while she was there. Piccolo's expression softened a great deal, almost the way it did when he slept, as he looked at those images, actually seeing himself being gentle for once and realizing that there was no denying the 'inner' part of him anymore.

"Heh." Piccolo smirked a bit to himself when he saw the picture of Kami squatting down in front of Tategoto. "Crazy old fart." He brushed his long, pointed fingernail over Tategoto's image briefly before turning the page to see the image of himself hugging the child. That image seemed to shock him more then the rest, and his eyes turned from the photo on the page to the sleeping child next to the campfire.

Tategoto was on his back, snoring softly with his mouth halfway open and his cape wrapped around his torso. Piccolo chuckled to himself as he reached his large hand over and gently pushed Tategoto's jaw shut, thus ending the snoring. Then he turned his attention back to the photo album to see the last picture. It was an image of Tategoto alone, but he was standing there with his arms crossed and trying to look mean, but was only making himself look cute. The Namekian man carefully examined the image, "Looks like me as a kid…"

Piccolo's glistening onyx eyes slowly turned to Tategoto again. If it wasn't for him, I would have never met Yasmine in the first place…I would have never been as…happy…is this really what it feels like to be happy? He looked up at the sky and all the stars, which used to seem so distant and dim, were all brilliant and blazing orbs of glistening light. His eyes seemed to reflect that shimmer, and didn't seem so dark anymore. The inner glow within them wasn't so dull. Looking down at Tategoto again, Piccolo ran his hand gently over the boy's head, smoothing down the fabric of his turban down. "Thank you." He whispered simply, then moved away to settle under a tree so he could sleep.

When Tategoto awoke in the morning, Piccolo was still asleep, sitting up against a tree with his head back against the bark. Knowing that his father sometimes slept in until the sun hit him, the child went through his morning stretches so he'd be ready to start training when it was time.

Father looks happy…Tategoto thought to himself when he noticed the smile Piccolo was barely displaying as he slept, the photo album lying next to him. Grinning, Tategoto walked closer to pick up the photo album, and was met with a sudden fist in his side. "Aagh!"

Never trust your opponent when he is down or unmoving. Piccolo signed quickly, looking down at Tategoto, who was rubbing his sore side and sneering. Let that be a lesson to you. It also works both ways.

Both ways? Like a fake-out? Tategoto signed back, and received an approving nod from his father. The sun started to come up, outlining the tall figure and the smaller one in front of him, and their shadows seemed to stretch on forever. The wind caught their capes and caused them to gently rustle. The little boy just kept grinning innocently as Piccolo walked past him to start his stretches. The moment his father's back was turned, Tategoto rushed him from behind and spun around, his short leg sticking out to perform a sweep kick.

Piccolo heard it coming and quickly dodged it with a simple hop, turned and growled softly, then signed, Nice try kid. He smirked, then started into his stretches. When we finish our spar today, I am going to drop you off at Bulma's home.

Tategoto grinned and nodded in agreement, then waited for Piccolo to finish stretching so they could start their morning spar.

Bulma pulled her sea-blue hair back with a scrunchie as she settled Tategoto down in front of the TV and hoped the images on the screen would keep him entertained while she fixed Vegeta's lunch. Piccolo stood by the door with his arms crossed, just making sure that everything would be OK while he was gone. After all, it had been a while since he'd let the boy out of his sight for more then a few minutes.

"He'll be fine, Piccolo." Bulma told him as she clinked things around in the kitchen. "You go do whatever it is you need to do."

Genuinely annoyed, Piccolo just nodded his head and wrinkled his nose, glancing once more at the miniature version of himself. Then he turned around and left, levitating upwards until he was just above the tree-line. Once at that low altitude, he flew the short, colorful flight to Yasmine's place.

Yasmine's house was easy to pick out since it was the nicest one there, seeming set apart from the rest with it's nice flowers and brick walkway. Piccolo's cape flapped in the wind, then settled behind him as he landed gently on the front porch the way a gymnast lands after doing a routine. Once there, he just stared blankly at the door for a few moments, pondering the millions of chances that he still had to get the heck out of there. I don't even know what I'm going to say to her…this is stupid.

He turned away from the door just as Yasmine opened it, and music from somewhere inside filtered into the humid outdoor air. "Hi Piccolo! What are you doing here?"

No turning back now…don't be a coward. No fear…fear is for the weak! Piccolo steeled his nerves, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed and turned to face Yasmine again. She stood in the doorway like a dark shadow, her long hair a loose and flowing river of ebony down her back. Her dark eyes gazed at him curiously and her dark red lips held a slight smile. Finally finding his voice, Piccolo hesitantly replied, "I came to…talk…"

Yasmine smirked a little, pulled the door further open and stepped aside. "C'mon inside."

Flipping his cape over his shoulder with a sweep of his powerful green and pink arm, Piccolo loped through the doorway and stopped once he was inside, his arms assuming their usual crossed position over his muscular chest. He felt strangely jittery, perhaps even nervous. After all, admitting something about himself wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do.

Yasmine shut the door and leaned on it with her arms crossed, regarding Piccolo's momentarily odd facial expression. "If you're mad at me about the photo album, I understand." She said, pushing off the door and heading towards the living room, flashing a small smile as she passed.

"I'm not angry with you Yasmine." Piccolo said carefully in an unusually soft tone of voice, his hands tightening into fists while imbedded in the crooks of his crossed arms. "I didn't get a chance to say thanks for it." He snorted a little, still not believing that he was doing this, and found that this small talk was all he could do to stall himself from saying what he really wanted to say. "I just…" He sighed and trailed off.
I've waited all this time
counting minutes as they pass
Searching for a sign
Wishing for the best
Upon hearing the sudden change in his voice, Yasmine turned to look at him. Piccolo was just half-leaning on the wall with his arms crossed and his head down, his face a pensive mask. She could tell by the look on his face that he was in deep thought. "You just what?"
And just when my hopes were wearing thin
You turned my heart to love again
Startled out of his thoughts, Piccolo lifted his onyx eyes and looked at her. "Nothing…"

"You're sure acting strange." Yasmine chuckled.

A sweatdrop ran down the side of Piccolo's head briefly as he growled slightly. How the hell am I supposed to say this?! "Don't rub it in OK?"

"Fine…" She walked up to him, and he closed his eyes for a moment as if to avoid looking her in the face. "Whatever it is, you can tell me." She didn't make it known yet that she suspected what he wanted to say, wanting to her him say it on his own.
Like a miracle out of the blue
You rescued me like the angels do
You shook the Heavens and cracked the sky
When you walked
When you walked into my life
Piccolo grimaced and clenched his fists tighter as he tried to force the shell around his heart open enough for him to at least look out. The struggle was visible on his face, the pain he had to face and the swirl of emotions that he was trapped in almost hopelessly. Wanting to help, Yasmine reached out and brushed her hand against his cheek, causing him to involuntarily press himself tighter against the wall. His eyes opened and fixed onto hers, as if the touch alone was pulling the shell off like a blanket. Seeing that he was open, she slowly slid her arms around his neck and hugged him, even though he didn't respond right away.
When you appeared
Like sight to the blind
Like music to my ears
Like a reason to a rhyme
"I came to tell you something…" Piccolo whispered almost against her hair, barely getting the words to leave his lips. "…I don't know how to say it…I…can't…" He sighed irritably.

Understanding now what he wanted to say, having been right in her suspicion, Yasmine pulled her head back and placed her fingertips against his lips. "Shhh…" She could feel him trembling like he was the first time they had hugged, as well as feel his quick, sharp breaths against her face. In fact, Piccolo was almost acting like a person with claustrophobia while they were trapped in a small space. In control of the fear, but still feeling it nonetheless.
Like a reason to a rhyme
And just when I thought my chance was gone
Love came to me with open arms
Piccolo could feel his heart hammering in his ears when their eyes met again, and he could feel himself trembling, afraid without knowing why.
Like a miracle out of the blue
You rescued me like the angels do
You shook the Heavens and cracked the sky
When you walked
When you walked into my life
Yasmine gently placed her hands on Piccolo's wrists and slipped his arms around her waist, never breaking the eye-contact while she did so. "I understand what you want to say." She whispered gently, slowly inching her face nearer to his. Piccolo's breathing seemed to quicken further, but he didn't pull his face away from hers this time. Yasmine's lips drew closer to his, and the closer they came, the more tense he became, his eyelids fluttering slightly.
You spoke my name
And the world began again
When her lips were about half a centimeter from his, she paused, wanting to hold this moment for as long as possible, and to give him a chance to pull away if he wanted to. Piccolo didn't move, and closed his eyes instead as Yasmine slowly closed the last bit of space between their lips. A jolt of electricity ran down the Namekian's spine as she kissed him, and he was stunned stiff for a few moments by the intense swirl of emotions that exploded within him with such force that it left no reason to doubt about his feelings.
You touched my heart
And it opened
With the gentleness he had only shown his son, Piccolo leaned into Yasmine's kiss, returning it as his hands moved up and came to rest on her shoulderblades to hold her there. Her lips were so soft, softer then he ever imagined anything could be, and for a moment she was the only thing that existed in the universe to him.
Like a miracle out of the blue
You rescued me like the angels do
You shook the Heavens and cracked the sky
When you walked
When you walked into my life
Yasmine put her hands on the back of his neck, wishing she could cry from the happiness she was feeling. Piccolo was totally out of that shell around his heart, and just like a butterfly, he was beautiful. The crying child in his heart was being comforted, and she could feel that when he slowly relaxed and broke the kiss to look down into her eyes, a little breathless.
You shook the Heavens and cracked the sky
When you walked
When you walked into my life…
Smiling up at him with tears in her eyes, Yasmine swayed gently with her arms still around Piccolo's neck. He swayed with her, totally lost within her, almost in a trance. "Guess what?" She whispered.

"What?" He whispered back, more like a sigh, as if speaking would shatter whatever was between them.

"You're dancing." Yasmine smiled, still swaying gently with him.

At that point, Piccolo didn't care. Yasmine had understood him, and that was all that seemed to matter at the moment. His only response to her comment was a faint smile as he continued swaying gently with her.

To be continued…