6Our Past Together
A/N: Hey guys, so this is a one shot that I came up with when prompted for a short story based on Krillin and Eighteen, and I thought that it would be interesting to delve into each of their characters' past and what that means for them as a couple.
Hope you all enjoy, and do let me know what you think, Literal.
Soaring through the brilliant midday sky, two figures flying side by side made their way across the practically cloudless expanse, both of them coated in the glowing white aura of their ki.
On closer inspection, one might remark on the oddity that was the duo in question, as from appearances alone they seemed the unlikeliest of people to be cruising through the air at speeds most planes would struggle to reach.
One was a beautiful young woman, her blonde hair swaying in the wind as she seemed to be hardly exerting herself even at the extreme pace, her casual attire and petite figure doing well to mask the incredible power that made up the former would-be killer, Android Number 18.
The other, a man whose appearance was certainly a stark contrast to the stunning looks of his companion, the lack of a nose as well as any hair on his shiny bald head being the most notable, was nevertheless quite well built and would easily put most professional athletes to shame, his orange training gi and turtle hermit insignia identifying him as the martial artist, Krillin.
As they travel high above the ground below, Eighteen would every so often shoot glances over to Krillin, her piercing blue eyes regarding him with curiosity as she awaited for him to give her some indication of their progress.
"Don't worry, we're almost at Korin Tower now Eighteen! Just a few more minutes by my guess!" Krillin said cheerfully as he finally looked over to address her, having noticed the frequent stares as he tried to reassure his sometimes anxious girlfriend.
"Good, but why exactly did you need me to come again? You were only picking up some Senzu beans right?" Eighteen said as she raised her eyebrows at him, Krillin simply smirking at that before responding.
"Well, I wanted you to come along because I enjoy spending time with you of course!" he said with a bright grin, to which Eighteen feels her cheeks flush slightly as she turns her head away in slight embarrassment.
Krillin just laughs lightly at her reaction as Eighteen then sends him a mild glare for making her blush, though it lacks any real anger as it eventually fades into a smirk instead, the cyborg woman soon giving up completely as she then shakes her head in amusement at the cute antics of her boyfriend.
The couple then take their eyes of one another as a narrow tower suddenly looms into view in the distance, the unbelievably tall structure stretching up into the heavens as they rapidly approach it's base.
"Woah, I kind of forgot just how high up this thing really is since I flew down from the lookout last," Eighteen remarked as she strained her eyes upwards, finding that even with her cybernetically enhanced vision that she couldn't catch sight of the top.
"It's pretty amazing right? Believe it or not, me and the rest of the guys climbed that thing without flying or any other techniques, just so that we could receive training!" Krillin commented as they began flying vertically, Eighteen quickly shooting him a shocked look at that information.
"You must be joking? How on Earth did you climb this thing without any assistance?" she said in disbelief, thinking what an insane task that must have been.
"It mostly involved holding on for dear life and not looking down!" Krillin exclaimed with a chuckle, "And honestly, just knowing that you'd have to climb the whole thing again if you fell off, really does wonders for your motivation!"
Eighteen stares at him for a few moments in awe, before smiling with a look of admiration in her eyes as she yet again finds herself impressed with the feats Krillin had achieved in his life.
"He sure is incredible for a normal human. If I wasn't a cyborg, there'd be no way that I'd have the will to do half the stuff he's done," Eighteen thought in amazement, before eventually switching back to focusing on the much easier way that they were ascending the tower now.
A short while later they finally arrive at a small nest-like building seated on the very pinnacle of the tower, Krillin and Eighteen slowing down as they come to a stop next to the railing around the edges of the structure.
A curious sight greets them as a large white cat holding a staff waves for them to come in, the clearly intelligent animal being accompanied by a rather overweight swordsman in a dark orange outfit.
"Well well, I was wondering who was coming to visit today! It's good to see you again Krillin!" Korin said amicably with his typically closed eyes, "And Miss Eighteen, I am Master Korin and I welcome you to my home!"
Eighteen spares a terse nod for the cat whilst keeping her expression impassive, as despite getting along quite well with Krillin she was still rather subdued when it came to his friends.
"I'm Yajirobe by the way, thanks for the introduction Korin," Yajirobe muttered under his breath with a frown, though Korin simply ignores him as he continues to speak with his guests.
"So what brings you here then... ah, you've run out of Senzu beans from what I can see!" Korin said as he quickly read Krillin's mind, "We actually have a fresh batch ready downstairs, so please follow me!" he continued as he began walking over to the stairwell that led to the storage area below.
Krillin and Eighteen follow soon afterwards, and as they walk a short distance behind Korin, Eighteen leans down to speak quietly to Krillin.
"Did that old cat just read your mind or something?" she said in a hushed tone, to which Krillin just nods in response, causing Eighteen to frown at that information.
"Don't worry my dear, I won't read your mind if it troubles you so," Korin spoke up from the front, having heard the conversation with his acute hearing.
Eighteen glances at him in surprise before narrowing her eyes at him warily, feeling rather uneasy around someone with such an invasive ability.
"You can trust Korin, Eighteen. He only means well," Krillin said as he flashed a reassuring smile to her, the gesture quickly working it's magic as Eighteen visibly relaxes a bit at his words, an effect that only Krillin seemed to have on her.
Korin smirks as he descends down the last set of steps, finding the bond between the individuals behind him endearing as he then moves towards the place where the Senzu tree was kept.
As he shuffles into a small side room, the couple wait outside amongst the slight clutter that was the lower area of the building, Eighteen specifically taking the time to look around at all of the strange items of various makes.
"So what is all of this stuff used for? I assume it's not just a bunch of random junk," Eighteen commented as her eyes lingered on a set of large clay water jars, the strange patterns on their exterior making them look far from your ordinary storage vessels.
Krillin follows her gaze and catches sight of the three waist-height objects across the room from them, a small shiver going down his spine as he recalls a story Goku had told him about them several years ago.
"Um, well I don't know too much personally, but Goku swears that one time when he was a kid, a giant centipede came out of one of those jugs or something!" Krillin said as he shifted uncomfortably, earning him a brief look of revulsion from Eighteen as she cocks her head at him skeptically.
"That encounter was merely a vision of Goku's when he looked into one of the jars, that creature being an extreme manifestation of the danger he was about to face in his future," Korin said from behind them, quickly drawing looks of surprise as they had failed to notice his re-entry into the room.
Korin then holds out a bag of Senzu beans that Krillin grabs whilst commenting his thanks, Eighteen meanwhile continuing to stare at Korin curiously, his words having piqued her interest as she decides to press for more information.
"You said that Goku viewed the future? Can you see the past or present as well?" Eighteen asked in a monotone, attempting to hide the intrigue she was feeling at the prospect of one time period in particular.
"Indeed you can. However... whilst looking into the mysteries of time can answer sought after questions and reveal hidden truths, it can also show things that might be best left to history," Korin said with a solemn expression, catching Eighteen a little off guard at how easily he had seemingly deduced her intentions even without searching her thoughts.
"Though, if you wish to use them for yourselves, then I won't stop you. All I ask is that you be mindful of their magic, and what they are capable of," Korin finished cryptically, the centuries old cat then heading back upstairs, leaving his guests alone.
"Huh, I wonder what he meant about being careful? He was pretty vague don't you think?" Krillin said with a confused expression, glancing over to Eighteen who he sees is deep in thought, her arms crossed in front of her as she stared at the ground with furrowed brows.
Eighteen eventually picks up on his look and she just shrugs nonchalantly before walking off towards the jars, leaving Krillin to quickly follow after her with a concerned look.
"Okay, Eighteen is definitely bothered about something, I know her too well to know when something's up!" Krillin thought with a frown, feeling somewhat disconcerted that Eighteen was unwilling to divulge what was troubling her.
Eighteen meanwhile comes up to the first jar on the left, giving it a cautious look over as Krillin joins her at her side.
"Now, which one shows what? There isn't a way to tell so I guess I'll just start here," Eighteen murmured more to herself than to Krillin, as she then steps up to peer into the vessel in front of her.
Eighteen watches as the water inside ripples along the surface as if disturbed by something, and an image slowly comes into view causing her to lean closer to get a good look at what was being shown.
The rolling of waves onto a miniature island, along with the unmistakable sight of a pink house were dead giveaways as to what the vision was of, and Eighteen couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment as she stared at Kame Island being basked in the vibrant colors of a red and orange sunset.
"Not the one I was hoping for..." Eighteen thought as some movement catches her eye, and she quickly adopts a look of surprise as she sees herself and Krillin step out onto the beach in the setting.
They were holding hands and laughing as they seemed to be enjoying a pleasant evening together, the two of them going to lie down on the sand together, their expressions alive with warmth and affection as they kept their gaze locked with one another.
For the Eighteen watching however, there was one detail that really stood out as she focused on the Krillin in the vision specifically, the normally bald monk inexplicably sporting a full head of black hair that her counterpart was playfully messing around with her fingers.
"Wait, is that me with hair? But I never let it grow out!" Krillin exclaimed suddenly from the side, slightly startling Eighteen as she glances up at him, seeing that he too was watching the vision as well.
"You know, I think it actually looks pretty good on you. Perhaps you should try it out some time?" she commented with a smirk, to which Krillin quickly blushes as he rubs the back of his head bashfully.
"Well if you like it then of course I'll give it a shot! Besides if this is a vision of our future then I must be happy with it too," Krillin said with a smile as he held Eighteen's stare for a moment, before the water dissipating inside the jar averts both of their attention as they see that it was now completely empty.
"Hmm, it doesn't really show you that much does it?" Eighteen said with a frown as she looked to the other vessels, hoping that when she found what she was looking for that it would last longer than a few seconds.
Krillin nods as he looks up at Eighteen's troubled expression, desperately fighting the urge to say something as they walk over to the next water jar.
"Come on Krillin calm down! There's no need to get worked up about this, she'll tell you what it is when she's ready!" Krillin thought in a way to reassure himself, as he then joins Eighteen to look into the centre vessel.
Just like before the surface ripples as an image then takes shape, Krillin adopting a slightly surprised look as Eighteen just rolls her eyes with a small grin.
The vision is of a young black haired male seated on the porch of a small log cabin, the building surrounded by a forest of pine trees as he looks to be cleaning a hunting rifle on a bright sunny day.
"Of course it shows what my brother is up to at the moment, playing around with his silly toys like always!" Eighteen said as shook her head in amusement, watching as her brother suddenly perks up at her statement.
"Eighteen? Is that you? I swear I must be hearing things or something..." Seventeen said as he looked around in confusion, having faintly heard his sister's voice as if from far away.
"Wait, he can actually hear us? Maybe we should cut this one short before we freak him out too much?" Krillin whispered quietly to Eighteen, who nods as she steps back from the jug, the vision soon fading on Seventeen as he shrugs his shoulders whilst getting back to his weapon.
Eighteen's smile swiftly drops as she turns her attention to the last jar, a feeling of nervousness coming over her as she pauses for a moment to gather herself, knowing that what she would be seeing next was a glimpse into her past.
It was then that Krillin finally caught on to what had Eighteen so troubled, realizing that it was the prospect of seeing her past which had caused her distress, the memories from before she was forcibly converted into an android being practically non-existent.
"I understand what Korin meant by being careful now! Eighteen's life has been far from easy even as an all powerful android, who knows what other hardships she's been through before that?" Krillin thought as he watched Eighteen's expression carefully, seeing her mentally weighing up her options before committing to a decision.
Without a second thought, Krillin reaches out and smoothly interlocks his hand with her own, and Eighteen looks down at him in surprise to see him smiling up at her resolutely, letting his expression say what words could not as he lightly squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Eighteen adopts a grateful look at that as she feels a comforting sensation come over her, pushing aside her worries as she then releases a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, feeling thankful for Krillin's presence as she finally feel ready.
Keeping their hands locked firmly together, they step up in unison to see what the water had in store for them, the couple staring intently as the water ripples once again, slowly revealing a memory from long ago.
The image that forms causes the duo to gape at what they saw, the vision displaying a pair of children no older than the age of seven or eight, sitting in a large yard of overgrown grass and cracked pavement, a weathered looking wooden fence encircling the area that looked to be amongst several city blocks.
"But where would we go if we ran away? Who's going to look after us?" the little girl with blonde hair asked, her clothes plain and stained with flecks of dirt as she looked to the boy with a worried expression.
The boy, whose clothes were in a similar state, chuckled a bit as he smiled at her, his raven colored hair and piercing blue eyes striking a resemblance that was practically identical to hers.
"We don't need anyone to look after us sis, we can watch out for each other! We'll go anywhere we want, and no-one will tell us what to do!" the boy said with childlike confidence that matched his age, the girl however frowning doubtfully at that as she flicks a few strands of hair behind her ear.
"I'm not too sure about this Lapis, how are we going to get food? What if people out there are mean to us?" the girl said back, and the boy known as Lapis just rolls his eyes as he leans forward to put his hands on her shoulders.
"People are mean to us here Lazuli! And I'm sure that out there we can get food that is way better than the crap they have at this place!" Lapis said as he gestured towards the large, rather rundown building conjoined to the yard, the faded sign on the entrance reading Orange City Orphanage.
"Look, if I'm going you'll have to come with me! Twins like us have to stick together right?" Lapis added with a smirk, knowing that his sister would have no choice but to agree.
The girl identified as Lazuli quickly nods in agreement, and she offers a grin of her own as she then pulls her brother into a hug, the siblings sharing a caring embrace for a few moments before Lapis begins tickling his sister, Lazuli quickly adopting an annoyed look as she fends him off by lightly whacking him on the head.
It was at this point that the vision slowly fades from view, the jar emptying like the others, except this time accompanied by dead silence from it's observers.
Eighteen had an almost unreadable expression as she stared at where her younger self had just been moments ago, the cyborg clearly taking a moment to process what had just played out in front of her eyes as she blinks a few times in disbelief.
"My name... is Lazuli? Somehow that feels about right... and me and Seven... err, Lapis. We were orphans who tried to run away?" she thought as she held a hand to her head, the swirling of emotions making her feel queasy as she squeezed her eyes shut to try and think clearly.
"That was really me, back when I was fully human there's no doubt about it! But I need to know more, I have to see more!" Eighteen thought determinedly as she then snaps her eyes open, a desire held deep within her being finally coming to the forefront as she gazed intently at the now empty water jar, hoping beyond hope that it would reveal more of her past life.
Krillin is taken aback by the abrupt change in Eighteen as he notices the intensity of her gaze, the short man gulping slightly before mustering up the courage to ask if everything was okay.
Before he could utter a single word however, the vessel that they were standing in front of begins glowing with a mysterious white light, tendrils of luminescent energy flowing upwards from it as Krillin and Eighteen just look on in complete bewilderment.
The light continues to grow and expand before it soon becomes too bright for either of the onlookers to view directly, the two of them covering their eyes with their free hand as the other remained securely in each other's grasp.
Soon their vision is obscured completely, and a strange sensation of falling hits them as the light then fades to nothingness.
Eighteen sat up with a start as she glanced around in a slight panic, her eyes adjusting to the dim atmosphere of what looked like a back alley of some sort.
"Damn... what the heck happened?" a familiar voice came from beside her, and she looks over to see Krillin sitting up whilst rubbing his eyes in discomfit, Eighteen feeling a measure of relief at knowing that he was still with her.
"I'm not too sure, perhaps this is another vision that it's showing us," Eighteen said as she stood up, holding out a hand for Krillin who gladly takes it to stand up as well.
"Hurry up Lazuli, we have to get out of sight!" came yet another familiar voice as Eighteen spun around to look at who it was, seeing Lapis in his early teens sprinting down the alleyway towards her, closely followed by the past version of herself as well.
Eighteen stares mutely as the twins stop right next to her and Krillin, the two of them paying no mind to the onlookers as they instead shoot each other pleased grins whilst panting from the running.
"So how much did we make this time? Do you think it'll last us a few months?" Lazuli asked curiously as she glanced down at the bag in her brother's hands, the opening revealing several stacks of cash piled inside.
Lapis just nods confidently before he perks up at the sound of police sirens in the distance, and he quickly motions for his sister to follow as they then continue running further down the alleyway and out of sight.
Eighteen just stares after them with a stunned expression, as yet another revelation about herself threatens to overwhelm her as she takes another moment to mentally go over what she had just seen.
"We were thieves... street punks, taking from others so that we could survive a few more weeks," Eighteen thought as she felt a twinge of sadness within her, realizing what a depressing existence she and her brother used to live.
Before she has time to dwell on it much more, the buildings and everything else aside from Krillin morphs around her, a series of multiple images and visions soon appearing, all of them quickly cycling through everything that made up Eighteen's previous life.
"These are all moments from my past. Of me and Seventeen hiding out in abandoned buildings, stealing, running... from the authorities... from everyone mostly..." Eighteen thought as she tried to take in everything at once, her mind going into overdrive as it worked hard to process the flurry of information.
Krillin is equally overwhelmed by all of the glimpses into Eighteen's life all around him, and though some of it was rather disheartening for the easily affected man, he thought nothing less of his girlfriend as he knew that her sometimes less-than moral actions were for her own sake.
"Eighteen may have done some troubling things as a teenager, but that doesn't change the way I feel about her! Besides, it looks like she and Seventeen refrained from seriously hurting anyone, so that's good!" Krillin thought before spots a particularly distressing image, finding himself unwilling to take his eyes off of it as all of the other images then pause in unison.
Eighteen glances over to Krillin as she goes to ask a question, her sentence catching in her throat as her eyes fixate on what it was that had gotten his attention.
"Please, can someone help me! My brother is hurt, he needs medical attention!" the Lazuli in the image cried out to a few passers-by, the poor girl struggling to hold up a badly injured Lapis, who seemed to be barely conscious as his head limply rested on his sister's shoulder.
The people seem to mostly ignore her pleading however as they make a habit of turning the other way or skirting wide around her, the ones that even bother to look only giving off cold stares of indifference to her plight.
"She looks exactly like me now. A young adult, barely out of her teenage years," Eighteen thought as she stared blankly at what was a mirror image of herself, as a sudden sense of dread comes over her as she realized what that meant.
"Excuse me young lady, but did you say your brother was injured? I'm a Doctor, and am willing to help," came a voice that instantly causes Eighteen to tense up, her eyes flicking over to glare at the man responsible for all sorts of horrors in her life.
Dr. Gero walks up to Lazuli as she glances at him in relief, the coincidence of a doctor just happening to be there seemingly lost on the desperate young woman who turns to face who she assumed would be her brother's savior.
"I don't have any money though, but please just help him in any way that you can!" Lazuli said impassionately as Gero stared at her with an eerily calm expression.
"Don't worry my dear, money isn't necessary, I could hardly stand by and let a pair of young ones suffer now can I?" Gero said with a chuckle, though there was little humor in his voice as his eyes seemed to hold a calculating aspect to them.
Lazuli picks up on the edge in his voice and she hesitates for a brief moment, however when Lapis groans in agony into her shoulder she shakes it off as she motions for the man to help her, Gero quickly stepping over to the other side and placing his shoulder under Lapis's arm.
The three of them then walk down the street towards a van which Gero opens up the back of, and he quickly helps Lazuli to lie her brother down on the floor inside before ushering her in as well.
The last look that anyone would ever see of Lazuli was of her somewhat frightened expression as Gero slowly pulled the back door shut, the doctor having an evil glint in his eye as he sealed the fate of his victims.
Eighteen was clenching her fists so tightly that the knuckles had turned white, her whole body shaking with rage as she closed her eyes, the anguish inside of her core having flared up whilst watching the vision and was now threatening to explode as she felt her ki flicker wildly.
"I just had to see that right? I should have expected this, but no, I wanted to see for myself... how stupid!" Eighteen thought as she felt her self-control begin to wane, her regard for anything else deteriorating as she was about to unleash all of the pain and anger building within.
A pair of arms encircling her waist quickly causes her eyes to snap open, as she sees that Krillin had pulled her into an embrace with his head resting against her shoulder, the short man having his eyes tightly shut as he held an expression of anguish not unlike her own, causing her to pause as she stared at him in shock.
"Krillin… how could I forget about him? He was right there with me the whole time... and he saw everything too," Eighteen thought as she looked down at him, realizing that he would have been affected by the vision of her abduction as well.
Eighteen then places her arms tightly around him as well, resting her head on top of his as she takes a deep breath in, the comfort of the person she loved allowing her to steady herself as she closed her eyes again, feeling the hurt lessen somewhat as her emotions began to settle down.
The two of them remain in their heartfelt embrace for a good while, neither of them saying a word even as the scene of the city street soon fades around them, ignored by the couple who's only focus was each other.
The laughing of several kids causes Eighteen and Krillin to finally open their eyes and slowly break apart from their hug, the duo glancing around at what looked like the exterior of a large temple-like building.
"Where are we now? Actually, come to think of it, this place does look quite familiar... wait, don't tell we are-" Krillin thought as he halts that thought in its tracks, his whole body freezing as his mouth hanged agape, his gaze fixated on a group of half a dozen kids clustered in one of the open squares nearby.
"Ha ha! You're pathetic! Everyone knows that you're the weakest monk, but it's still funny to see just how useless you really are!" a young teenager remarked with a smirk, his bald head and six dots being identical to Krillin, an appearance shared with the other kids alongside him, all of them staring at one small boy sprawled on the ground at their feet.
The boy lying down struggles to push himself up, but before he can do so he is kicked in the chest by one of the other monks, shoving him back down where he falls in a heap, earning more mocking laughter from his peers.
Once it becomes apparent that the smaller kid was done, the gang of bullies disperse as they then move off to find something else to entertain themselves, a couple of them throwing in a few more verbal taunts towards their victim for good measure before finally leaving.
The boy on the ground lies there for a short while on his back before eventually dragging himself back to his feet, the kid wiping a few tears from his eyes as he then walks right past where Eighteen and Krillin were standing.
"I'll show them... one day... when I become a strong martial artist! Then they'll be sorry!" the boy muttered as he moved by, his face leaving no question as to who he was.
Krillin felt a cold sensation sweep through his core as he couldn't help but tremble at the vision of his past, tears threatening to seep out of his eyes as he took in shaky breaths, the trauma of his childhood being difficult for him to face again.
He is soon brought out of his stupor when he feels Eighteen drape her arms over his shoulders from behind, the short man looking up to see her giving him a sympathetic look that made his heavy heart flutter with warmth.
"Thanks Eighteen... I'm sorry you had to see that after your own-" Krillin started before Eighteen shushes him quietly, the cyborg woman not allowing him to apologize when he had done nothing wrong.
"Those cruel little brats, how dare they treat him like that! I have half a mind to find this place and make them regret ever messing with my Krillin!" Eighteen thought vehemently as she felt her blood boil from witnessing the suffering Krillin had once endured.
The duo stay like this as Eighteen allows her presence to comfort him just like he had done for her moments before, and her efforts are soon rewarded when Krillin then smiles gratefully towards her, the man displaying all of the love and appreciation he had for the woman who had stolen his heart.
The vision of the temple then fades away, and just like Eighteen's past Krillin's history soon plays out in front of the couple, all of the triumphs, hardships and moments that made up his colorful existence.
Eighteen takes particular interest in all of this as she stands upright to watch it all unfold, keeping her hands on Krillin's shoulders as she witnesses for herself what she had only ever been told about.
"Those are the tournaments Krillin participated in when he was growing up... and they must be all of the foes he's faced over the years," Eighteen thought as she saw the many villainous faces appear before her, causing her to scowl slightly at how they would often hurt him quite badly.
"He sure has been in a lot of tough situations, even dying to that green freak and that alien bastard Frieza! But, even after all that he still kept fighting, trying his best no matter what!" She continued as a smirk formed on her face, a feeling of pride coming over her as she saw the bravery Krillin would display despite the odds against him, the same bravery that had won her over when they had first met as well.
As if to confirm her point a specific series of images takes centre stage in front of her and Krillin, both of their eyes going wide as they relive the memories that had brought them together not so long ago.
"Good luck, bye!" the Eighteen in the first vision said with a smirk, looking quite amused by Krillin as he adopted a baffled look, the cyborg woman allowing her gaze to linger on the him as she then casually strolls away from the man whom she'd just kissed.
The vision soon changes to the moment a shutdown remote clattered on the ground of a deserted island, earning a shocked look from the Eighteen in the image as she watches Krillin smash it to pieces.
The next one was of Krillin keeping unconscious android safe whilst the beam struggle between Cell and Gohan raged in the distance, the bald fighter glancing over to her with a sad smile before shooting up into the air to join the others in their efforts to help Goku's son win the battle.
The last vision was of the lookout high up in the atmosphere above Earth, with the two individuals of the previous scenes locked in a staring match as several others watched on curiously.
"Just because you made the wish to remove the bomb from me doesn't mean you've won my heart baldy!" Eighteen cried out with a seemingly irritated look, though what she was actually feeling on the inside was much different from her outward appearance.
Krillin sags his head in shame at being once again turned down by the woman he had fallen for, but as he slowly glances up to see her back turned to him, he is caught by surprise when she looks over her shoulder to stare right into his eyes once again, an almost unreadable expression on her face as it lacked the annoyance she was displaying before.
"See you later," Eighteen said quietly before taking a running leap off of the side, leaving a dumbfounded looking Krillin staring after her, likely wondering if he would ever see her again.
Krillin adopts an embarrassed expression as he is confronted with all of the things he had done for Eighteen, knowing that many people would think him a fool for trying to help someone who he barely knew, and not to mention at the time was technically his enemy.
His thoughts of self doubt are swiftly cast aside when he feels Eighteen twist his shoulders around so that he was facing her, and he is surprised when he sees the warm smile on her face as she looks down at him fondly.
"You know, I may not have shown it back then but I did appreciate what you did for me," Eighteen said as she slowly places her hands on the sides of his cheeks, before lowering her head slightly towards his.
"I think the reminder as to why I love you so much was just what I needed after all this," she said in a playful tone, Krillin barely being able to respond before he feels her lips firmly press against his own, immediately stripping him of all cognitive thought as he is lost in the moment of pure bliss.
Eighteen closes her eyes as she allows herself to be pulled deeper into the kiss, her heart beating like crazy as she feels her body temperature soaring from the passion that was alight within her, all of her pent up emotions coming out in the act of affection.
Neither of them break off even as they faintly notice the world around them shift once again, the visions and the toll they had taken on them a distant memory as they ignore anything that wasn't the person who was currently at the centre of their world.
Eighteen and Krillin quickly sit up with a start, both of them taking deep breathes of air as they glance over to each other, the tingling sensation on their lips still on their mind as they both went a shade of pink in their cheeks.
"So um... that sure was something!" Krillin finally said after a short silence, chuckling a bit as he rubbed the back of his head, Eighteen merely snorting at him with a smirk as she crosses her arms.
"You better be referring to that last part, otherwise you won't be getting another kiss anytime soon!" Eighteen stated with a half-serious look, earning her the desired reaction from her boyfriend as he hastily waves his hands in front of him in a panic.
"I'm only joking you dork! But still, don't get too used to those, I'm not always going to be in the mood you know!" she said with a smile, to which Krillin relaxes a bit as he returns with a grin of his own, the two of them sharing a loving look before they then catch on to their surroundings.
"Hey we're back at Korin Tower!" Krillin exclaimed as quickly he stood up, helping Eighteen up as well as she glances around in confusion.
"That must have been everything that the magic jars had to show us. Honestly I'm kind of glad it's over," Eighteen said as she looked over her shoulder towards the vessels, a frown on her face as she felt mixed emotions about everything she'd seen.
"I agree with you on that, though... if there was anyone I would have wanted to go through my past with, then it would be you Eighteen," Krillin said as he caught Eighteen's uncertain expression, and she quickly diverts her gaze over to him with her eyebrows raised.
"Oh really? Well I suppose I didn't mind having you along as well then," Eighteen commented with a devious grin, earning her a mock look of annoyance from Krillin, the joy in his eyes betraying his true feelings as Eighteen then shakes her head with a small laugh.
"But seriously, I'm glad that I got to see our past together, even if it was difficult at times. There's no-one else I'd rather have by my side than you Krillin," Eighteen said as she then leaned down and briefly planted another kiss on Krillin's lips, earning her a surprised look from him even though it was clear he appreciated the gesture of affection.
"I thought you told me not to get used to that?" Krillin asked with an amused grin, though Eighteen quickly waves him off as she turns to walk back over to the stairs.
"Well then, you should just consider yourself lucky that I'm in a really good mood at the moment," Eighteen said matter of factly as she then paused by the railing next to the stairwell, glancing over her shoulder as she waited for Krillin to accompany her.
Krillin smiles brightly as he swiftly comes to her side, slipping his hand within hers as they then leap into the air, the happy couple cloaked in a combined aura of white energy as they soared off into the distance.
As their energy trail fades off into the distance, watching from the balcony above, Korin smiles with a genuine look of joy at what he had just seen, having witnessed the incredible love and care that Krillin and Eighteen had for one another during the trials of the visions.
"Those two sure are a heart-warming sight to behold, as despite the many hardships of their past the fact that they now have each other means that they can look past that to a brighter future together!" The wise old cat finished with a slight chuckle, glad that the journey into the past had only served to strengthen the powerful bond between the adorable duo.
A/N: And that's the story! Definitely a bit longer than what I had originally planned, but since Krillin and Eighteen don't get enough attention as a couple, I think this extended one shot gives them some much needed focus that they definitely deserve.
If you were wondering where the magical water jars thing comes from, it was from a small section of filler in the original Dragon Ball anime and is introduced when Goku first climbs Korin tower, coming across the three jars that can show different time periods.
I expanded upon this for plot purposes, and I feel that it isn't too out of the realm of possibilities considering all of the other time related stuff that exists in the Dragon Ball universe, not to mention it was a unique prospect that I couldn't resist exploring so hopefully you don't mind me taking a few liberties with the material on this one.
Anyway this one shot was written as part of the Chestnut Festival 2021, which is a community event celebrating Krillin and Eighteen as a couple, hosted by the FanFiction author Cj4Dj on Tumbler and Twitter during the month of September, so do check out her profile and the other participants if you're interested in more K18 stories like this one, and thanks for reading!