Thinking of You

Part 3

The next day, Goku and Vegeta trained on Lord Beerus's planet.

They threw punches packed with power, and Goku forced himself to think only of fighting, and nothing else. And it worked. Keeping his brain on track, he actually managed to stay focused, and their training proceeded as it used to. He actually worked up a good sweat. Whis watched their bout from a few feet away, but the Saiyans paid him no attention. They fought as if they would die otherwise, dodging and flying around and ducking under wide swings. It was like a dance, so to speak. A dance that only Goku and Vegeta knew. It felt familiar, like an important aspect of their lives. The more he threw each practiced punch, the more Goku realized how much he had missed fighting. Not just enemies like Cell or Majin Buu or Frieza, but fighting Vegeta as well. The time he had spent distracted and dazed was time he wad wasted, and his body wasn't as sharp as it had been months before, and it was evident in his fighting now.

He threw punches as hard as he could, though they often missed their intended target and either hit a tree or hit the air. Vegeta didn't speak on these mistakes, but instead packed more heat into his swings, hitting his target perfectly. One hit nailed Goku in the face, sending him flying into a grove of trees. Usually, Goku would have been able to dodge such a blow, but due to his recent slump in fighting, it was unable to be done.

He hit the ground hard, rolling across the dirt and leaves. The only thing that stopped him was a tree. He groaned and slowly sat up, blinking. Ow. Of course Vegeta wouldn't hold back, even a little bit. That hurt. He rubbed his cheek, then stood. I really need to get better at dodging.

Goku started to head back when Whis came up before him, a smile on his face. He reached out and wiped dust off of Goku's shoulder. "That was quite a blow, Goku."

"Yeah, Vegeta sure hits hard, doesn't he?" Goku chuckled. "I thought he'd be here to yell at me by now."

"He wanted to, but Lord Beerus is speaking with him about Bulma's cooking. He's very hungry, as I'm sure you already know."

"Oh, yeah, I know." Goku laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. Well, at least he's distracted now. He'll probably yell at me later, but now I can maybe think up some excuse in the meantime.

Whis took in Goku's exhausted face, and tilted his head to the side. "I must say, Goku, I have been concerned about your fighting recently. Have you become ill?"

Goku quickly shook his head, stepping around the Angel to exit the trees surrounding them, as it began to feel suffocating. "N-No, I'm fine! I'm not sick, trust me."

"Then why is your face red?" Whis asked, following after him.

"Because...uh...I don't know, why is your face blue?" Goku said, then kicked himself for saying such a stupid thing. I know I'm dumb, but I didn't think I was THIS dumb.

Whis blinked, comprehending what Goku said, then laughed. "Goku, you must know a secret is not easily hidden from an Angel. Whatever is on your mind that is forcing you to suddenly struggle with basic training?"

Goku stopped walking, then sighed. Maybe I should tell Whis. I mean, maybe it would help, having an outlet and all. Plus, I can trust Whis not to tell anyone. He's smart and dependable. And he might be able to give some good advice about what to do. I'm struggling enough as it is, so maybe venting to Whis wouldn't hurt. From all the time he had spent with the Angel, Goku had never had to confide in him about such embarrassing topics, nor any topic for that matter, other than training. It had never occurred to him that Whis wasn't just there for fight training, but also there for support. He was a kind soul, really, and perhaps it was a good time for Goku to take advantage of it. Whis knew just about everything, so Goku had no doubt in his mind that he would at least have some advice to give about Goku's current dilemma.