Gohan's Cure
By Denim Jean
Summary: In a world full of angst, Gohan has never given up hope of finding a cure to his condition. He's a vampire with intact morals, unlike others. Join him in frying evil vamps with ki blasts and draining evil mortals who deserve to be punished alongside his friend, Sharpner. He's judge, jury and executioner, until he meets a female vamp hunter with special abilities and a secret. (Gohan/Videl)
Disclaimer: I don't mind not owning DBZ. This story is also inspired by Sharpner Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which I don't own either. I would be satisfied only if I owned a real-life version of Gohan (sigh).
Note: I will be using italics for thoughts and journal-writing, and the rest will be normal speech and narration. Enjoy the show! ;)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Chapter 1:
It was dark outside.
In present-day Tokyo, a grim vampire stood at the counter of a high-tech store staring at the employee who was working there. He had been patiently waiting his turn in the line, but now he had both his palms on the surface of the counter and grunted angrily at him. Neon lights were shining on his well-built body, badly concealed under a dark brown leather jacket and dark blue faded jeans, but the lights could not reveal the sombre look in his eyes because of his dark red sunglasses. His dark, spiky hair was dishevelled and wild.
"I never thought you had such a good company here, Sharpner." Gohan, the aforesaid vampire, venomously uttered those words with sarcasm to his dear human friend Sharpner, the employee.
"Look man, I'm about to close. Can't you just wait a couple of minutes to tell me off?" Sharpner, with his classic blond good-looking guy style, replied trying not to sound too hostile.
It was late in the evening already. The sun had set half an hour ago. The atmosphere was still nice and quite warm, though, because it was May.
Gohan was usually grumpy. That was what Sharpner had always seen of him ever since they had met: a hard, young man, chiselled by nasty experiences, crime-fighting, and premature deaths of beloved ones. Sharpner admired him for never being misled by any fleeting feeling of warmth or closeness with anybody. Gohan was a lone wolf, and proud to be one, devoted to a single cause.
A few years ago, one night Sharpner had been drinking at a bar with a loaded gun hidden in a holster in his black leather jacket. He had been nervous, that was why he was probably drinking too much. He knew the whereabouts of his mother's killer and was determined to hunt him down himself because the police had never made an effort to do anything right. It was true: the police forces seemed to be lax lately, as if they didn't care anymore. All over the country and for years on end, crime rates skyrocketed and nobody knew why.
Well, Gohan knew. He was like God, omniscient and omnipotent. He was there next to him, at the bar… Pure chance. He saw Sharpner's trembling fingers round the glass of whiskey. He saw his gun. He was nervous and afraid. And when Gohan began to talk to him into spilling the beans over what was troubling him, Sharpner told him the specifics of his mother's murder a few years back and confessed his future crime: a nasty revenge, he wanted to murder his mother's murderer, and make him suffer as much as possible. Far from being appalled, Gohan was even willing to help Sharpner get revenge for the ruthless killing of his mother at the hands of a highly-skilled criminal.
Because he knew the true identity of who had done it – and he hated the damned bastard to the core.
A vampire called Perfect Cell had been terrorising the country for centuries with his specific and highly elaborated torture and murder methods. Nobody could track him down successfully, much less face or defeat him. Gohan and he had history, a foul one in which Gohan's father and mother had been killed by him a couple of centuries ago. He had been forced to witness the whole thing. And then, when he was done with his father and his mother, he approached him and turned him into a vampire as well, convicting him to a troubled existence over decades and centuries. Gohan hated becoming a vampire like the criminal who had killed his beloved ones. It was a curse.
Sharing their personal stories at that bar that night allowed these two young hunks to bond. Their friendship became an epic one: Gohan offered Sharpner proper training, because a gun would be no use against a vampire, much less one like Perfect Cell, who wasn't a regular vampire, and they had fought together side by side over the years, improving their skills and strengths and killing vampires almost every night.
Sharpner had learnt a lot from him, specially how to create and throw ki blasts, and even though Gohan was a vampire himself, he was a good one who only fed on those individuals (both humans and vamps) who devoted their lives to crime and darkness, one who hunted bad vamps and killed them in the blink of an eye. His super speed came in handy. He might have lost his soul by becoming a vampire, but his morals were intact.
And that evening, at the high-tech store, Gohan was pissed off at Sharpner – really pissed off. Why?
Because of a single woman, a young woman with short blond hair and blue eyes called Erasa.
That was the 'good company' Gohan was referring to in his passive-aggressive comment towards Sharpner. Apparently, he had met that local beauty while working there, at the shop, a few weeks ago. He had caught her eye as much as she had caught his. Love at first sight – and Gohan abhorred it. He had seen Sharpner's puppy eyes while looking at her over the counter right when he had entered through the double glass doors of the shop.
A few minutes after she had left, Gohan was facing Sharpner with disappointment and anger, and Sharpner was just staring at Gohan and his special, dark red sunglasses from behind the counter at the shop, trying not to be heard by his employee, good old Mr Roshi.
"She's just a friend." Sharpner defended himself, referring to the beautiful Erasa.
"Didn't I say no friends, specially no women?" Gohan insisted whispering with anger, also trying not to be heard by Mr Roshi.
"I know, I know…" Sharpner tried to say apologetically, but both of them knew he didn't really mean it. He had fallen head over heels in love with her and he was not leaving her behind, although he perfectly knew it might mean trouble. A vampire hunter with a girlfriend was a hunter with a vulnerability.
"No chicks, Sharpner." Gohan insisted.
"Stop bothering me, man." Sharpner spat back at his friend.
"Do women treat you so meanly that you don't recommend their company to Sharpner, Mr…?" A sexy feminine voice playfully sang with mirth and a smirk right behind Gohan.
Having heard this, Gohan immediately turned around too rashly, wild and shocked as if he was under attack and had to get ready to fight back with his fangs.
The thing was that Gohan really thought there was no one left in the shop. He never risked talking to Sharpner about their mission in public places. He found himself outraged, deeply appalled, at himself for not noticing there was someone behind him. He was a well-trained vamp hunter, and he hadn't realized there was a young woman behind him in the line. That was odd, because he would've sworn to himself that he hadn't noticed anyone else in the shop but Mr Roshi, who was reading a porn magazine at the back of the store, Sharpner and himself.
But when he beheld the creature who had just uttered those words, his limbs suddenly relaxed and he froze. He was seeing the most dazzling beauty on Earth: a gorgeous girl in her early twenties, long dark hair, blue eyes, silky crimson lips, a blue spandex T-shirt and low-rider jeans. Her voice was bewitching and fit for an angel, but it was obvious that she liked showing her defiance and childish naught through her tone of voice. Her smell was rich and sweet, and so unlike everything else he had ever smelled in his whole existence. She was currently smirking at him, raising an eyebrow because she expected him to answer back at least. Seeing that he just didn't because he seemed to be thunderstruck, she went on thus:
"Not gonna bite you, luv." She said with a husky voice.
But I definitely would. –Gohan thought with lust, but he erased the sinful thought out of his mind immediately. No, he was not like that, although temptation was always lurking around in the shadows of his mind. He was a vampire after all, but he had trained hard and long to avoid committing a crime he would torture himself for for the rest of his life.
"Gohan… Just Gohan." Gohan whispered back to her quietly and seriously, but politely. "And women are shifting creatures. You can never have expectations on them." He added with coldness.
"I couldn't agree more. So don't expect me to, for example, apologize for interrupting your private conversation, Gohan." She chuckled. "So… Anyway, I'm not really in the mood for a fight with a prick. I'll just come back tomorrow to fetch the PS4 game I ordered, Sharpner." She told him.
"Yes, of course." Sharpner swiftly replied. "Your Horizon Zero Dawn will be waiting for you."
"K." She replied dryly.
The glass double doors of the shop silently opened and closed. She left the shop and began to walk down the street. Gohan couldn't take his eyes off her the entire time.
"Who the hell is this young woman?!" Gohan asked Sharpner all of a sudden and with exasperation. "You know her, don't you?!"
"She's a friend of Erasa's." Sharpner answered a bit sheepishly. Erasa's name on his mouth made him weak.
"Erasa is the bitch who's hunt you down, right?"
"Don't talk about her like that!" Sharpner answered back with determination and pride.
"I will if you stray from your path." Gohan chid him with mildly menacing eyes. He had lowered his dark red sunglasses to glare at him. "You're a hunter. Not a regular one. You're good, really good, Sharpner. Don't lose your mind over a girl." He added with contempt.
"You shouldn't speak about these things in public." Sharpner replied with anger too. "There's Mr Roshi over there! By the way, it's incredible! For a second I thought you didn't know she was there, behind you. She had come into the shop with Erasa. Then they parted, said farewell and next she was looking at some stuff over that isle behind you. Were you so distracted with your hate towards women that you didn't even notice her?"
"I didn't… I just… Anyway, will you focus?!" Gohan was madder at himself, a lot more than at his dear old friend. "What's the name of this female devil anyway?"
"She's not a devil… and her name is Videl Satan."
"I don't trust her." Gohan said bitterly. "And neither should you. I've got a weird feeling about her."
"Why are you that mad so suddenly?" Sharpner asked a bit pissed off and tired already. He wanted to close the shop and called it a day. "Luckily you're wearing your sunglasses. Your anger would've betrayed your true nature with those weird black and crimson eyes of yours. All this bitterness can't be only because I'm flirting with Erasa. Is anything the matter?"
"It's nothing." Gohan whispered while staring out the glass double doors as if he was feeling defeated.
"Are you any close to finding a cure to vampirism yet?" Sharpner asked him out of the blue.
"No." Gohan replied seriously. He sighed. "I don't think I ever will."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Wet, tight, dark leather trousers and jacket and a white shirt. A bun of dark hair. No heels, just muddy boots. And silver sword shining under a hellish rainy sky full of lightnings… A lone hunter. And a lone vampire.
"Bloody rain!" Videl complained to herself, whispering to herself under the rain. "Great. Now my hairdo is absolutely ruined."
True: her hair was no longer nicely tied in a bun. It was messy. But the vampire she had got trapped, wounded and exhausted right beneath her, forced by her to lay flat on the muddy ground beneath her feet, just raised an eyebrow at her comment. Even though she looked wild due to the fight and the rain, she just looked as sensual as ever.
A lock of her beautiful long dark hair fell right beside her cheek as she quietly exhaled. Then, she tightened her grip on the hilt of her silver sword and swiftly chopped off the vampire's head, allowing him to meet his true death. Next, she put that rebel lock behind her ear and sighed. She took the vamp's head with one hand and grabbed the vamp's foot with the other and took him to the graveyard, where she dug a grave and buried him.
Now that was amazing! – Gohan thought as he was spying on her. – Her strength doesn't match with a human being's. She's daring and hot. What the hell am I doi-…?! Focus, Gohan! She's obviously a hunter. Is she a vampire as well? Like me? That would explain many things, her unusual strength for example. Yesterday at Sharpner's shop I wasn't able to notice her. Maybe she is. She might be able to move as swiftly as I do. I must find out for sure who she really is.
Gohan followed her around town until he lost sight of her near the mayor's house. Gohan's lost her sweet peachy scent and had absolutely no idea where she could be. It couldn't be far, but he decided to give it up for that night.
Who the hell is she? – Gohan thought with amazement.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Over the course of the next few days, Gohan had got obsessed with Videl.
During the day, he acted like the polite civilized man he socially claimed himself to be, but he kept a prudent distance. Yes, vampires could hang out during daylight, contrary to popular belief. Gohan had always thought humans were either too dumb to notice or too bewitched by old tales.
He walked about town and tried to hang around the places she was in, or the places Erasa, the mayor's daughter, hanged around. Sharpner had said these two girls were friends. Gohan didn't want to be open about that issue, about getting information about Videl, although he was desperate to know more about her. His eagerness and interest might have been easily misunderstood in such a highly conventional social network, since Erasa's family was well-off. Apparently, Videl lived in a high-class social environment, too. On top of that, her beauty was beyond striking. If he went on asking about her, people might start thinking he was after her in a romantic sense. He kept asking anyway. But he wasn't able to get much information, or the kind of information he was interested in. Such impressions were all that he was able to portray in his journal. Little was known about her, except the fact that she was temporarily living with the mayor's family because she was a close friend of Erasa's, but nothing more.
At night, he cloaked himself in the shadows and observed how she proceeded with the vampire hunting. He wondered how she got to know about vampires, why she decided to become a hunter and who had trained her (or had she just been training on her own?). Too many doubts and hypotheses about her roamed freely in his mind.
Videl, you're a mystery to me – Gohan thought unable to figure her out. –, but I promise I'll get to the bottom of this. I need to find a way to speak to you about this and show you that, even though I'm a vampire myself, I care about humans and goodness in this world. Would she take me down if she knew I despise vampires as much as any regular criminal? Or will she try to put me down when I tell her I'm a vampire?
Several hunting nights went on like that: Gohan following Videl around town, ignoring Sharpner and leaving him to flirt with Erasa as much as he pleased, and spying on her with such eagerness and obsession that he thought about whether she already knew he had been around all the bloody time. If she did, she could've easily tried to hunt him down (and yet she hadn't), because she was actually great at hunting vampires. Therefore, Gohan decided that it was high time he'd come clean to her. He needed to spill the beans. The sooner, the better.
A really hot June night, Videl came to the mayor's home and climbed the tall tree that led to her window. The sky was clear and the full moon was shining brightly. Everyone was asleep in the house. She easily broke into her own room and closed the window right after she sighed and gently smiled at the moon.
Gohan was still spying on her and, when he witnessed this brief scene, he felt as if his heart would skip a beat. He recognised the feeling. If only his heart had been able to beat like before…
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Gohan, I was sure I would find you here. I'm told you were inquiring after me." Videl gently (but proudly) informed Gohan when she crossed the threshold of Sharpner's shop.
Well, it was Mr Roshi's, but he hardly ever worked. He spent all day and night watching lightly-dressed women in magazines or on TV. Then, she went on:
"Am I to understand that you wish to speak to me or will you just keep pushing people around and boring them to death speaking about me all the time?"
Her daytime clothes were socially acceptable, as it was the case then, so unlike the dark, skin-tight, leather attire she wore at night when she went out to hunt vamps. The gentle light of that June afternoon enhanced her beauty – or that's what Gohan believed right then. He was not so hostile to her. Time and patience had softened his opinion of her.
"You are clearly exaggerating, Miss Satan." Gohan replied with serenity and seriousness, although seeing her so suddenly startled him, just like the first time. He had not noticed her presence until she had spoken to him. Again. "I've done no such thing. I'm sure I don't bore people to death."
"Are you sure?" She asked boldly, raising an eyebrow. "Erasa can confirm this. I think you've been quite careless, but that's just my opinion anyway. Our neighbours are mad about you. And Erasa gets all the bullets for me as regards this issue, poor girl." She and Sharpner chuckled a bit. "And she obviously feels responsible for it, somehow. That's why she's organised a party and…" She took an invitation out of her bag and handed it to Gohan in a perfectly polite way, smiling broadly. The paper was thick, well designed, and therefore expensive. "… she wishes you to attend. I'm in a hurry right now. Can't stay. You may just have the perfect opportunity to speak to me then, before you make the entire town go mad."
Once she had said this, Gohan took the invitation from her hand while he stared deeply into her eyes. She answered his gaze in the same way, intensely, daringly, although she could not see his eyes due to his dark red sunglasses. Then, silence set in but it didn't really feel uncomfortable as it was usually expected to be.
The chance to speak to her that I was hoping for is finally here. – Gohan thought. – I hope I can find a moment to speak to her alone. Nobody should hear us talking about vampires.
Gohan swallowed once, and then she turned around and left the shop.
"What was that, Gohan?" Sharpner finally whispered to his dear old friend.
"What was what?" Gohan asked back a bit naively, not knowing what he was talking about.
"Do you really fancy her?" Sharpner asked with naught.
"No!" Gohan replied aggressively.
"And yet every single word she's uttered is pregnant by this meaning." Sharpner smirked at him. "After all that lecturing about girls and flirting you gave me that day! I don't know about you, but I don't want to end like Mr Roshi, becoming a pervert, obsessed with boobs and tight asses I won't have for myself. I want to get laid sometime! And I bet that so do you. And yet you came in all pissed off at me. And then you went out and became her stalker for days! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"
"Stop it this instant!" Gohan threatened him. His eyes were glowing with red and black hues behind his dark glasses. He wasn't able to control the beast in him when he was too angry. Sharpner was incredibly lucky that that shield made of dark-coloured glass was set right before Gohan's eyes. If not, he'd definitely fear the look in them. "And erase this bloody smirk from your face! Sharpner, I swear to God that if you don't stop, I'll…"
"You'll what? Bore me to death as you speak about Videl?" Sharpner smiled and made a crucial pause while Gohan clenched his teeth. His fangs were beginning to show. "Anyway, why were you asking about her in town? What do you want to know about her anyway? You've never told me."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Dear journal,
As I'm writing, I feel the burden of conventions. Society is a ruthless network of ill-intentioned people. My fear has eventually become true: now everyone takes for granted that I am deeply 'interested' in Videl in a romantic sense of the word. I shouldn't have inquired so much about her around town. I'm an idiot. I should've let it go and hit the road, as I usually do. She is obviously going to mean trouble for me – and not because of social conventions, of course. The fact that she is a vampire hunter and that I keep spying on her may lead me straight to the grave, and yet I have to know her. There's something pulling me. I have to tell her the truth. And I fear I need to know her truth as well.
I need to find a way to tell her that, even though I'm a soulless vampire, I still care for my humanity. I'm good and I want to help her to defeat and erase all the evil from the surface of the Earth. I hope she doesn't hate me for feeding on human blood, only from criminals and loathsome people, of course. I hope she'll understand.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The mansion where the mayor, Erasa's father, lived was otherworldly. The man was loaded. He could afford boasting of having practically anything. Golden lights and switches. Thick marble pillars, and endless marble floors. The largest glass windows Gohan had ever seen in his lifetime. His wife was dressed in the best Dolce & Gabbana dress she could ever pick. And so was Erasa. She was a dream come true.
"I'm glad you came, Gohan!" Erasa greeted with joy Gohan when he arrived at the party at her home. She was wearing a mischievous smile. Naturally she was overexcited about it, poor child. The tone of voice she was using betrayed her. She was like an open book. "Sharpner, hello… handsome. Nice suit. You look… perfect." She bit softly her lower lip. "Please come in and have a drink. I'll be with you in a minute."
She was obviously nervous, because she was obsessed by becoming the perfect host. So many expectations on her! She could be the perfect Barbie Girl if she wanted to. And, of course, she was nervous because there was Sharpner present. He entered right behind Gohan. It was quite obvious that Erasa and Sharpner really liked each other but they hadn't told each other about it yet.
Videl was looking at the scene from the top of the stairs and smiled tenderly as she thought of poor Erasa and her sheepish attempts at bringing two young people together, namely Gohan and herself.
You're so kind-hearted, Erasa! If only you knew the truth! – Videl thought with melancholy. – But I really welcome your naïve attempts at making me feel absolutely normal. They feel so good! But you can't play on broken strings, dear Erasa. The song that comes out of me is corrupted, lacking basic notes, and it chills my own bones sometimes. I'd rather be alone, but I guess I can have some fun first…
Videl's half smile didn't fade away, not even when Gohan chanced to look up the stairs and accidentally spotted her. He became instantly thunderstruck by the sight of her: she was wearing a skin-tight, golden Versace dress with diamonds on her shoulders and neckline, with long sleeves and a short skirt, which displayed her graceful neck and almost fully exposed legs. She had barely done her hair: basically, she had just ironed her long, dark hair, and it was hanging gracefully over her shoulders and back.
When their eyes met, she decided it was time to come down the stairs to meet him face to face. Thus, she made her way down the stairs in an imposing, mighty and self-conscious way as if she were a luxurious ship making its glorious entrance at a port. Soft jazz music was currently being played by a string quartet and a piano, the air smelt like gin tonics and exotic fruits, and the soft but warm night breeze came in through the door so gently that it made you think you were already in paradise.
"I'm glad you could make it." That was how Videl welcomed Gohan: with a classic sentence, literally fit for the occasion but uttered with irony and displaying half a naughty smirk on her face.
She was obviously trying to veil it, because she didn't mean any harm but she was not completely successful at it. She was too amused by the situation. In the meantime, Sharpner had made himself scarce (he didn't want anything to do with those two). She went on thus:
"Now I'm sure the entire city can go on gossiping about us. Poor things! What would they do without you, Gohan? You've provided a rather amusing gossip in their boring high-class social environment."
"I'm quite sure they enjoy you and your smiles a lot more than me, Miss Satan." Gohan stated quite formally. He wasn't bothered by the way she addressed him, using his name. He had actually not bothered to tell her his surname, so she didn't have a choice.
"And I'm sure they couldn't possibly pick on any other social weakling like you, Gohan." She answered back and left the spot to attend some other guests in the house. She left him when he had expected her to stay.
Gohan couldn't help but wondering where the hell that sharp tongue and mind of hers came from. No other girl or woman had ever talked to him like that. But Gohan had bigger issues to attend to right now: he needed to speak with her and make sure no one could overhear their conversation, but if she was socially active, she might not be as available as he had expected her to be.
Videl was talking to a gentle old lady when suddenly a purple-haired tall young man with even darker glasses than Gohan's approached her and they started talking quite amiably. Well, more than that actually. His smile was bewitching, as much as his pose and his white shirt and black trousers. He was slender, but well-built. Gohan felt as if they already knew each other all their lives. As they talked, her smile broadened in a manner he never thought possible, so warmly and heavenly that it felt like a black hole in Gohan: absorbing everything around it, even all light. Gohan froze on the spot. Out of the blue, that young well-built man got her hand, gently kissed it like a good old gentleman, she chuckled and then he led her to the dance floor, right at the centre of that huge room. Gohan made his way past some other guests and stared at the scene developing right before his glass-veiled eyes as if he just couldn't believe it. They danced an exquisite tango wonderfully, flawlessly, too sensually. It left all the guests thunderstruck.
Oh-oh… What's this? – Gohan thought. – Why should I care if someone else enjoys her smiles, dances with her and makes her happy? Why am I suddenly feeling jealous? Why do I feel the need to hate this young man, who I have obviously never met and who could perfectly be a good man? Why do I clench my teeth so badly as if I couldn't stop myself? And why does he wear dark glasses like me?
"So, aren't you going to introduce me to this splendid young man, Videl?" Erasa's father, Mr Nakamura, gently and happily asked Videl when the tango finished and they stopped dancing. Gohan was overhearing the conversation. He was barely standing at a few feet's distance, but vampire hearing skills were much more accurate than any human's.
"Mr Nakamura," She politely said. "this is my friend, Trunks…" She made a slight pause as she glanced his way and tried to suppress a giggling sound. "Trunk Briefs. Trunks, this is Erasa's father, Mr Nakamura, the mayor."
"Mr Briefs, what a curious surname, isn't it?" Mr Nakamura points out. "I haven't ever heard it before. Are you foreign? Oh, well. Never mind me! I can be too nosy sometimes, but I don't care at all! May I invite you to have a whiskey with me, Mr Briefs? I want you to tell me how you met this little angel, dear Miss Satan."
"I'll be delighted, Mr Nakamura. I see you're the perfect host: generous, amiable and cheerful. Tokyo is lucky to have you as mayor." Trunks answered in a perfect polite way which made Videl smile tenderly.
"Oh, Lord! What a glorious depiction you make of me! If I was a young lady, I'd be dying to get your attention, Mr Briefs!" Mr Nakamura cheerfully said and he swiftly took Trunks away to get the aforesaid whiskey. "You're a highly interesting specimen amongst men, believe me. Look at you: I'm sure you're second to no other bachelor in the city!"
Videl stared at them as they left her alone. She was smirking to herself wondering whether Erasa's father, with all his comments and gossiping, could actually erode Trunks' patience and formality. Then, Gohan approached her from behind and said:
"I see you enjoy his company very much, Miss Satan." He said with no undertone, no subtle second meaning.
"Are you suddenly jealous, Gohan?" She said smiling.
"No, I just comment on a perfectly clear fact. Is he your fiancé?" He asked quite normally, although he was irrationally expecting her to answer no.
Videl just chuckled and shook her head amused by the comment.
"What? Have I just made a fool of myself?" Gohan suddenly smiled at her.
"Yes, you have." She said as she smiled back at him.
"Then, why… Forgive me for my straightforwardness, but" Gohan swiftly added. "why is he here? I mean… Why are you so close? And why do Erasa and the entire town believe that you and I…?"
"They can say whatever they want, Gohan. I wouldn't pay any heed if I were you." She sweetly told him. That attitude struck him as odd, since she had always treated him daringly and defiantly until now. "Trunks used to work for my father in New York. That's how we met years ago. That's why we're quite close. We're friends. And yes, Erasa invited him because I specifically told her." Then her eyes got naughty again, set on his.
Gohan then stared at her and he just couldn't see where that conversation was going.
"What now, Gohan? Look, let me come just clean to you." She whispered using a hot husky voice that, in combination to her sexy attire and slender body, made the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end with anticipation. He swallowed as she got a bit closer, fearing that she would make the first step and admitting that she was a vampire hunter right on the spot, in the middle of that crowded room full of perfectly human guests. "I have a wicked plan…" Oh-oh, here she goes. "… to end all this nonsensical gossip about you and me: that's why I brought Trunks over, to make them fall head over heels in love with him. No offense, but he's a better suitor than you." She said playfully and naughtily. "You can't stand a chance against him. He's perfectly lovely and nice. Not grumpy and dark, like you."
When she finished talking, he sighed, relieved that she hadn't spoken about vampires in the middle of that highly-crowded party. For a second, he had thought she would.
"You look relieved, Gohan. I knew you don't really fancy me." She said with pride and a smirk.
Even though that was not the true reason behind his sigh, he didn't correct her. Not yet, at least.
"Miss Satan, does he know your purpose at least?" He inquired.
"Sure. I know I can be quite cruel and straightforward sometimes (I should control my temperament better, I know)," She said using a soft voice, which strangely cracks at the end of the sentence as if she was having second thoughts, and she finishes it off as if it were a mere whisper. "but I'd never be that bad…"
"May I just ask you why you have such a sharp-edged tongue only when you talk to me?" Gohan was pushing it, but he couldn't help it.
"That's how I am." She just chuckled and left him alone because the pianist required her immediate attention.
Apparently, Trunks had managed to get rid of Erasa's father and had convinced the pianist to play for Videl and himself. He wanted to sing along with her while the musicians played Broken Strings, by Nelly Furtado and James Morrison. They sang beautifully and, although the song was about broken hearts, the audience was beyond delighted to listen to their powerful voices and lyrics. Then, at the end of the song, she gave Trunks a peck on his right cheek and smiled like a Barbie Girl like Erasa would. Gohan wondered how far Videl was willing to go tonight to make the people in Tokyo believe that Trunks was pursuing her and her affection. It was more than obvious that she had planned all this: his coming there tonight, his charming attitude calling everybody's attention, her blinding smiles and all the dancing and singing with him. Suddenly, Gohan found himself wishing he could sing along with her.
"She will be greatly missed around here, don't you think, Gohan?" Kaoru Nakamura, Erasa's mother, whispered to Gohan when he was in de midst of thinking and pondering. They knew each other even before he had started to inquire after Videl.
"What do you mean, Mrs Nakamura?" Gohan asked point blank.
"Well, isn't it obvious? Videl was telling everyone a few minutes ago that her intention is to go back to New York…" She pointed out with naught and then she sighed. "… where Mr Briefs lives and works."
Having said that, she shut up and left Gohan alone. Then, Trunks insisted Videl to dance a paso doble with him. It is pointless to say that all the guests were thrilled to witness such a lovely unwed couple flirt like that in such an open, chaste and charming way. Therefore, Videl agreed and got hold by him tightly with a slight blushing on her cheeks. Gohan even felt as if the vibration from her feet could rise from the floor to his legs and torso, softly trembling due to her might and numbing splendour.
Is she really going to New York? – Gohan thought. – Or is it just part of her naughty performance? Why does this sudden news blast feel like a heavy toll on my chest? If she left, she wouldn't hunt vampires at night around here. I wouldn't be able to see her. Why do I have the feeling that I'm just a little puppet for her tonight? She's definitely smart, a lot smarter than any other young lady in this country. I've never witnessed such a thing in my entire life. If she left, I'd never have the chance to listen to her wonderful voice again…
Once she was done dancing with Trunks, the audience clapped their hands enthusiastically and Videl blushed a bit and briefly bit her lower lip. Then, she turned around to tell the piano player to proceed with other songs. When she left him, she was looking for Trunks, but he was busy attending a huge multitude of female fans who had madly fallen in love with him already. Far from jealous, she just chuckled and shook her head lightly.
"Is the plan going as you expected?" Gohan suddenly startled her.
"Sure. You don't need to worry." She said matter-of-factly. The piano music overwhelmingly filled the room, but her voice was second to no other sound around her.
"May I have this dance, Miss Satan?" He gently offered his hand to her as he said that.
She stared at his dark red sunglasses and she swore she had caught a glimpse of his eyes behind the glass. Then, she politely and silently accepted his offer. She had nothing better to do. Her plan was going on smoothly, so why not?
Once she put her hand in his, he led her to the centre of the dance floor. Gohan made sure that Trunks saw them. He put his other hand right behind the small of her back and swung her through the air while they were dancing a waltz. Her dress slightly rustled as they spinned. Gohan liked the sound of it and he didn't know why but he felt like dancing more daringly with her as time went by. It was obvious that she had seen his intentions, but she didn't take it badly. It was like a challenge for her. She just raised an eyebrow at him and giggled as he led her while dancing. He was a better dancing partner than Trunks, that was clear by then. He had something that Trunks didn't have… something she couldn't put her finger on. Something addictive. Gohan's style was a lot more sensual and daring, obsessive even. She really enjoyed dancing with him, quite as much as the guests who were staring at them.
"Your smile is wonderful, wider than before. Are you feeling happy right now, Miss Satan?" Gohan asked whispering as he locked his eyes into hers.
"Absolutely." She used that husky voice he adored. "I really enjoy your jealousy." She said raising an eyebrow and smirking freely.
"You're a Machiavellian mind, dear Miss Satan. You enjoy playing with men." He said as if words were daggers.
"Oh, yes, and you let me do it. And now what?" She said with naught, leaving Gohan thunderstruck. "You're ruining my show! Look at all the gossipers around town making small talk about us right now. How should I disentangle this mess you're creating by dancing like this with me?" She made as if she was thinking about a great master plan.
He made her spin once (her hair floating around them freely) and then she suddenly gasped and said thrilled as if she had just had a brilliant idea:
"I know!"
Gohan was startled because she made her body almost collide with his, her face was suddenly right in front of his, barely at a couple of inches' distance. Her hands were resting on his shoulders and he was holding her by her waist. Her smell was amazingly powerful at that short distance. She made sure he was staring directly at her eyes and said:
"I should make sure that someone sees me steal a kiss from him!" Then, she just smirked at Gohan and left him alone, growing roots in the centre of the dance floor on his own, frozen by her straightforwardness.
She made her way through the crowd with the intention to snatch Trunks and take him to a private area, maybe the back garden or the kitchen, no matter what, and kiss him while someone 'accidentally' saw them. Nevertheless, she didn't notice that Gohan was rushing to get her before she performed the dirty deed: he grabbed her right wrist and forced her to follow him to the back garden without saying a word. She couldn't believe it! She was appalled by Gohan's sudden reaction and let her jaw fall slightly. Trunks had seen it all, like a bunch of other people.
Once Gohan and Videl were outside in the back garden, he closed the door with vehemence and crushed her back forcefully against it. He put his hands on either side of her body, not allowing her to escape anywhere. His arms, legs and neck were tense with anger. The moonlight beautifully shone on them, giving Gohan a halo all around his body from behind. He looked stunning like an avenging angel.
"What do you think you're doing?!" She asked him enraged.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing!" He answered also in anger.
"You're mad! Now let me go!" She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him from her. She didn't use all her strength, although she was really angry at him.
"OK, go and kiss him if you want! For all I care!" He clenched his teeth angrily, but then he asked her point-blank. "But do you even love him?!"
"No, of course not!" She said matter-of-factly.
"Then, why are you pushing this whole thing onto him?" He demanded to know with fury.
"He agreed to help me. He'll gladly do it! And yes, for all you care, you should leave me alone."
His body got tenser as a response to her angry words. He knew that private conversation was not what he was precisely looking for before he had come there. He locked his eyes into hers and hesitated. He clenched his teeth. He could feel his fangs starting to come out due to his anger.
"Gohan," She whispered with a husky voice, that time with a deadly twinge. Both their faces were quite close to one another right then, barely at a two inches' distance. "I know who you truly are. Or should I say 'what' you are?"
Gohan froze on the spot for a couple of seconds.
"You're a vampire." She decisively added.
Then, he swallowed and spoke his mind as seriously and deadly as her.
"And I know who you really are, Videl Satan."
She laughed wholeheartedly then, a bit malevolently.
"I doubt it, luv." She said smirking at him. "Who am I?"
"I know you're a vampire hunter." He said seriously.
"I am." She admitted as if she was having fun right then. "But I'm so much more than that… Some women are real shifting creatures, you said. You don't know who I really am. But you are the nosey guy that hangs around every night I go hunting. Spying on me. Stalking me. Like a pervert."
"You noticed me, didn't you?" He said slightly amazed to know the truth about it and ignoring her last few words. "I knew it!" Then, he smiled a bit before he proceeded thus: "At the beginning I thought you were a vampire like me. Your strength is beyond human, so it doesn't make sense to ask you whether you're human or not. You're not human, are you? But when I touched your hand tonight while dancing, I realised that your skin is not ice-cold like mine. What are you, then?"
"Why should I tell you, pray?" She said defiantly.
"Right. It's not my business really…" He whispered back. "Does Trunks know? I bet he does."
Videl crossed her arms and stared at him with a proud and angry expression on her face, as if telling him that he was asking too many questions.
"Oh, come on! I know that those dark glasses he's wearing are not normal. Like mine." Gohan added pushing her to tell him the truth. "They're not meant to be fashionable. They serve a purpose, right? What is it?"
"You have no right to ask about it." She said angrily.
"Well, in fact I do." Gohan pushed her whole body with his as he leaned a bit closer to her. She could feel all those flawless abs on her stomach. "You come to this city, where I was peacefully living by the way, you unexpectedly hunt vampires down and kill them although I was doing quite fine until you arrived here. Yes, I hunt vampires too. Surprised?"
"Nope." She replied with joy.
"OK. You definitely know quite a few things about me, probably more than I'd love to admit, but then you refuse to tell me anything about you when I ask. A bit unfair, isn't it?"
"Gohan, if someone told you that life should be fair, this person blatantly lied to you." She said bitterly.
They fell silent. That sentence could be related to too many bad memories from the past, both Gohan's and Videl's. Gohan could see how she bit her lower lip and didn't look straight at him right then, as if she was already regretting having said that. He could sense how those same words had hurt her as much as they had hurt him.
"Trunks wears those glasses because he's got no eyes. Well, not regular eyes." Videl suddenly whispered back, with a twinge of sadness in her voice. "He's… Anyway… Don't even think of defying him, Gohan. I wouldn't mess up with someone who's a lot older and more powerful than you." She said deadly seriously.
"What do you mean 'older than me'?" Now he was keenly interested. "How do you know whether he's older than me? Who is he?"
"Ask this very same question to your darkest nightmares, Gohan." She used that sexy husky voice again that spurred his animal instincts within him. "I bet they can answer this question better than me."
They fell silent again. Gohan feared to ask any further. He was truly afraid, like never before. If that apparently young man was older and more powerful than him, he must be an extremely fearful thing to behold. The mere knowledge of his condition might mean dementia for Gohan – or that was the feeling he got right then. So he just stared blankly at her inviting, half-parted lips under the moonlight of that warm summer night.
"And now tell me, Mr Know It All:" She said using the same deadly husky voice as before. "you know that I'm a vampire slayer, so… why do you think I haven't beaten you and hunted you down yet?"
They fell silent as they stared at each another for some seconds. Gohan did not dare to say a word.
"Because…" She suddenly used a softer and gentler tone of voice, so unlike before. Any words would sound lovely and charming with that heavenly voice of hers. She was staring right into his eyes as if she could reach his soul (if he had any, of course), which left Gohan dumbstruck. "… I know that, even though you're a vampire, and a pain in the ass by the way, I know that deep within you're good, Gohan. So unlike your kind. That's why I haven't touched a single hair of yours. Otherwise, you'd be dead right now."