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To think that Goku would just pack it up and leave them all with his competitor shouldn’t have surprised Yamcha as much as it did. After all, Goku was hardly a guy to stick around for too long, especially when something more exciting was just around the bend. Still, as Yamcha began vacating the 28th World Tournament's arena he couldn’t say he wouldn’t miss the guy.
Weaving through the crowds and various vendors, he reminisced on the plethora of memories he shared with him- finding himself chuckling at a few and wincing at others. To cap off his thoughts, Yamcha looked to the sky. Perhaps he hoped to catch a glimpse of Goku one last time- or maybe he just wanted to get a gauge of what time it was. Regardless, with a few clouds beginning to roll in the sun was steadily becoming blocked out, yet he was still able to wager it was some time past noon.
As Yamcha’s gaze lingered on the lazy clouds above, he found himself starting to think once more. Sure, Goku leaving was no phenomenon, but it did remind him of how separated he and his friends actually were. They all cared for each other surely, yet it seemed like unless the world was on the precipice of destruction they hardly saw one other. But maybe that was to be expected: they were all well into their early fifties and for the most part everyone had families and careers to take care of, himself included. Still, what Yamcha wouldn’t give to be able to spend more nights at a karaoke bar or some in-the-wall restaurant with his friends. It wasn't that he wasn't happy living relatively alone, Puar being his only immediate companion. Perhaps he was just a bit selfish and wanted more people around him- maybe because he did sincerely enjoy everyone's company. Or maybe it was to distract him from the loneliness he only hesitated to really confront.
While Yamcha pondered more on places he and his friends should visit more while brushing aside his isolation, he thought of each of them and what they would particularly like. They were all a fairly unique batch with their special tastes, and some of those tastes contrasted with others. Maybe that was why they all didn’t go out so much…
But the more he went down his short list of close friends, he felt himself stop on one person in particular, his brows beginning to knit in thought.
When was the last time he had seen Tien? Yamcha’s memory was hazy as he broke free of the remaining small pool of people, now concentrated on his shoes while he wandered through the tournament grounds. Ten years seemed to have slipped right past him; the last time Yamcha could really recall spending time with the man was some time after the whole Buu fiasco had settled. Thinking more thoroughly about the little party, Yamcha couldn’t even remember seeing Tien leaving: the party had gradually come to an end, yet he couldn’t recall Tien saying goodbye to any of them or even Yamcha himself.
Yamcha could clearly feel the delicate patter of rain against his back but refused to look up as he continued walking, unbeknownst entirely to him his pacing picking up the more he thought.
Like Goku, it wasn’t abnormal for Tien to take off without telling anyone: the last time he had thought to do so was before he disappeared for seven years, at the very least warning the group that they might not see him again. It hurt a bit admittedly, but at least Tien was generous enough to prepare Yamcha for a life without him, and for a while he was content with that.
But then they had: they had seen him again. And until that little party Yamcha wasn’t aware just how much Tien’s absence had affected him. Even now as he walked by himself, he was starting to become overwhelmed with all of the moments he shared with Tien- moments he only now realized he took for granted. At the very least with Goku, he would have a reason to come back to see his family, so by some off chance he could run into him again. Yet as far as Yamcha knew it Chiaotzu was Tien’s only semblance of a family, and separating them was about as possible as parting the sea. Lamenting the past was something seldom Yamcha did: life was too short to live in the past and bemoan things that could have or should have been. But regret was very much beginning to weigh heavy on his shoulders the more he let Tien permeate his mind.
The possibility of seeing Tien again was slim to none. Yamcha already respected Tien's need to be by himself- he just wasn't much of people person. But now Yamcha only wanted to see him, even for just a moment. Just one, little moment was all he needed to know he even existed. Just one little moment of closure- just one little moment to let him know how much he really meant to him--
When Yamcha collided with the large figure in front of him, he felt his face burn as his thoughtlessness had caused him to bump into someone. He mumbled an apology, keeping his gaze downcast. He didn’t want to make awkward eye contact with whoever he just disturbed- he just wanted to keep walking and continue occupying himself with his brooding.
“Oh, Yamcha.” Such a gravelly voice could hardly belong to anyone else, Yamcha’s suspicions being confirmed as he looked up into the three eyes of Tien. “I was hoping I’d run into one of you guys. Is the tournament still going on?”
Opposed to answering the question, Yamcha just stared at Tien dumbfounded- he only had curiosities for him in turn. Honestly, Yamcha almost wanted to be mad at the fact Tien had just nonchalantly approached him and didn’t seem to acknowledge his decade-long absence.
Ultimately, he could only do what seemed right to him: he pulled Tien into a firm hug and resting his chin on top of his broad shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.
“Tien!" Yamcha beamed. "When did you get here!?” Laughing, he forced himself to push Tien away to look at his face again, though he couldn’t bring himself to let go of Tien’s arms: he feared that he’d just run away again if he did.
Tien didn’t appear too phased by the greeting, though a smile did tug at the corner of his mouth. “We just got here a few minutes ago.”
“‘We?’ So Chiaotzu’s here too then…” He wasn’t sure why he even inquired: trying to imagine Tien leaving Chiaotzu alone for more than a few minutes was near impossible.
Tien nodded as he looked behind him, presumably in the general direction of Chiaotzu. “I asked him if he could get us some food. It took a while to get here.”
Lightly punching Tien's shoulder, Yamcha felt his smile widen. “I bet it did! Where did you guys come from, anyway?”
Looking around briefly, Tien began to usher Yamcha away from what little people remained around them. That wasn’t too surprising: he was always a more private person than most. Not to mention catching up in the middle of the area didn’t seem too ideal.
“Just up north. We got word about the tournament and thought to stop by.” Tien smiled down at Yamcha once the two settled in the confines of an alleyway. “We also heard Goku was participating. We didn’t miss him, did we?”
They had been talking for nearly five minutes at this point, yet Yamcha could still hardly believe Tien was actually standing in front of him and talking to him so casually. Finally having Tien in front of him let Yamcha truly feel the locked off emotions he wasn't aware had been festering for the past few years, feeling his chest tighten and his smile shake. Once Tien had brought up Pan’s inclusion in the tournament, it was becoming difficult for him to hide the tears budding in his eyes.
“Yeah, sorry. You guys kinda missed the whole thing…” Yamcha noted, his head starting to droop. He felt bad enough that Tien missed the whole tournament, but he wasn't sure he was ready to tell him that Goku was going to be absent for... a while, hopefully. To that Tien’s smile faded a bit whilst he hummed his acknowledgment. Would this mean he and Chiaotzu were going to return to whatever the north had for them? It hadn’t even been half an hour and Tien would be out of his life just like that again…
Yet feeling Tien’s calloused fingers urge Yamcha’s head to look up at him, he could clearly feel his heart skip a beat. His fingers holding Yamcha in place, Tien seized the opportunity to really look over Yamcha’s face. It seemed that only now he realized how long it had actually been since he’d seen him.
“You look older,” Tien muttered, his thumb caressing Yamcha’s scarred cheek. He should have been offended, but Yamcha was too fixated on just how mournful Tien sounded at the observation. Yamcha could only bitterly hope that Tien, too, had regrets on their time together- or the lack thereof. Taking a few extra moments to evaluate Yamcha’s face, Tien slithered his hand to behind his head and pulled his hair free of the low ponytail he had tied it in. Instinctively, Yamcha shut his eyes and ducked his head enough for Tien’s hands to run through and fluff up his hair, breaking it free from its uniformed look. Seemingly content with his work, Tien took hold of Yamcha’s face again, visibly more pleased with his appearance. His hair was nowhere near as voluptuous or curly as it was when he was younger, but the wilder look brought a smile back onto Tien’s face nevertheless.
“Better.” Twice that evening Yamcha was left speechless due to Tien’s unpredictability, though he couldn’t say he was exactly upset about that. As the rain above them began to pick up, Yamcha fruitlessly attempted to hide himself in his jacket- the back of his collar hardly made it past his ears, let alone the whole of his head. Let Tien be his savior then, making quick work of his cape to shield the both of them from the building downpour as Yamcha was pulled to Tien’s chest. There came no resistance or even question as Yamcha was held close to his friend, enjoying the heat radiating from Tien's body in contrast to the cold rain.
It was such a quick series of wordless moments, that now that Yamcha was allowed to settle into Tien’s hold, the rain pattering aggressively against his cape above, he couldn’t help but smile again. Wrapping his arms around Tien’s waist, he found himself start to laugh: here they were after being apart for so long, yet they had already become comfortable enough to be so close to each other again. Maybe Tien realized the interesting set of circumstances, for soon Yamcha was able to feel his chest rumble with a low chuckle.
Looking up, Yamcha could just barely see Tien through his gradually-dampening hair: although the cape did an adequate enough job to cover parts of them, the direction of the rain made it so a few drops slipped beneath the cloth and ultimately onto them. Gliding his arms behind his neck, Yamcha pulled Tien into another hug and nuzzled into his shoulder. At this point he didn’t bother to hide his tears anymore, crying freely into Tien’s neck. If anything, he could just blame it on the rain.
“I really missed you.” Yamcha could count on his hand how many times he openly cried in front of someone, let alone Tien. So he couldn’t help but grimace at how unfamiliar his shaky voice was. “I really, really…”
Feeling Tien’s hand plant against the back of his head and start to pet his hair, Yamcha took a deep breath in and out, eventually calming himself down. He could feel Tien’s lips just barely press against his temple while he held him closer, opening his mouth seemingly prepared to say something. But Tien always seemed to come up short when he needed to speak during quieter moments.
Forcing themselves away for a moment, Yamcha placed his hands on Tien’s cheeks, taking his turn to look intently at his friend. Everything really was happening. He hadn’t hit his head leaving the stadium and this wasn’t some splendid dream he was doomed to wake up from. Even if it was only for a few more minutes, Yamcha was able to spend a few serendipitous minutes alone with Tien- minutes he would do well to cherish. Letting his eyes flicker between Tien’s and his lips, he inched one of his thumbs to the corner of Tien’s mouth. He hadn’t totally acknowledged it, but as Yamcha looked at Tien’s glistening face he steadily realized there was something he wanted to do while he had him there with him. In all honesty, Tien wasn't particularly conventionally attractive. That didn't mean he wasn't, however- and the way the rain water highlighted his hardened featured did well to enhance that unexpected beauty.
To test the boundaries, Yamcha delicately urged Tien’s face closer to his own, making sure to look back up at him to ensure what he was doing was alright. Apparently, Yamcha had been taking too long; with Tien’s hold on the back of Yamcha’s neck becoming more firm, he bridged the gap much quicker than whatever pace Yamcha was going at and brought their lips together. The rain made it easier for the pair to slip seamlessly together, allowing the two to take a sweet moment to fully appreciate the other's embrace. Tien’s cape didn’t seem to be doing too well of a job in the first place, but once he dropped his arm to cup Yamcha’s face the two were fully exposed to the relentless rain. The notion that either of them would stay remotely dry was laughable in retrospect, the two dissolving into a series of titters at the concept as they occasionally pecked one another on the lips. Every so often strands of Yamcha’s hair would fall over his face, resulting in Tien hopelessly brushing them back behind his ears. Laughing at Tien’s endeavor, Yamcha gave the tip of his nose a small kiss.
“Maybe it would’ve been better if my hair was still tied back.”
Tien was quick to shake his head, planting a long kiss onto Yamcha’s lips. “It looks better this way.”
It didn’t seem possible for Yamcha’s mood to be so easily uplifted just from Tien wandering back into his life. Yet as kissed Tien again and again, the prospect became much easier to accept. Even if the heavy rainfall was sure to get both of them sick- let alone leave their clothes disgustingly damp, it was all ultimately worth it if it meant being in each other's arms again.