The Mission: Beat Videl!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DBZ. Really, if I did I'd be in the Bahamas sipping on a pina colada with elves massaging my feet! I own the plot so please don't bite. Thanks!

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Valentine's Day; he couldn't believe that it was already Valentine's Day. It seemed like only yesterday that he was still at home, relaxing away from school and spending time with his family. Now it was Valentine's Day! He would have liked to think he managed to make plans, but he hadn't. With Chichi badgering him about studying, he completely forgot about his wonderful plan! What was that plan you ask? Well…

Ever since the defeat of Majin Buu, Gohan and Videl had gotten closer. There was something about that day in the look out that made Gohan realize he wanted to be more than friends with the girl who always seemed to make him nervous. Maybe it was the fact that he knew she'd died. He knew what it was to lose her and losing someone you really cared about, he realized, really brought out emotions that had only been lying dormant for the meantime. It was funny how things worked, he often laughed to himself.

He'd everything planned. He would ask her to go out on a date. Sure he'd only been in one but after watching endless romance movies that were playing over the holidays, he got the gesture of it. He had come to conclude that dates weren't really that bad. At least when they were with the person you really wanted to date… Not with someone who had blackmailed you. He'd planned going over to dinner, saving up money for it, then perhaps a walk on the beach underneath the pale moonlight… Sure it was a little on the cheesy side, but he wanted to melt this tough girl's heart so that she could be his. At least he hoped it was possible.

But now his plans were ruined. He didn't have time to make the reservation at the fancy restaurant; his money was useless but not only that, and the weather for the rest of the night was horrible! It'd been reported it would rain non-stop. And here he was, really looking forward to his first real Valentine's Day date only to have it all shattered. What could he possibly do now? He couldn't ask her out now! He couldn't just tell her out of the blue like that…

But she did like him, did she not? He often wondered. Lately she'd often be hugging him, clinging to him as they walked. Sometimes in class he'd catch her staring at him from the corner of his eye. To the naked eye, all these things were signs that she did reciprocate his feelings. They told everyone that she, Videl Satan, had a thing for the mysterious, cute, goofy Son Gohan. But with Gohan being half an alien… Well that never really did work out well.

Not that she'd ever admit it, but Videl was waiting. She was waiting for him to open his mouth and let all the things he wanted to say about how he felt about her come out. She wanted him to tell her he wanted to be more than friends because it was what she wanted. But it seemed waiting was the only thing she'd ever be able to do.

You're a super genius, but you can't figure out that I'm totally in love with you? What is wrong with that picture?! She demanded of him one day in class as she stared at him again in wonder. Of course it wasn't out loud. He couldn't hear her but she still needed to let that thought out. Just how did someone so smart miss such obvious signs? I'll never understand men. She finally concluded. Now it was Valentine's Day and she was still waiting. She was excited. She could feel he was dying to tell her things, to ask her out for he'd done nothing but stare at her for long periods of time. She hoped by the end of the day, they were no longer "just friends".

Her waiting was fruitless. He didn't ask. The school was almost empty, the classes were over and he still hadn't approached her. Fed up, she went to him instead. He was standing at his locker. He seemed to be muttering under his breath as he shoved text books in his bag. She cleared her throat loudly. He jumped back.

"Oh, h-hey Videl! I didn't see you there!" he laughed nervously. "What's up?"

"Well…" she looked down at the ground. Now's not the time to be shy Videl! Damn it! "Let's go hang out. I'm bored and I don't want to go home yet."

"Er, I'd really love to—" NO! STOP RIGHT THERE! WHAT ARE YOUDOING?! SAY YES! FOR DENDE'S SAKE SAY YES!

Yeah Gohan, Dende's thoughts broke into his own. Gohan fell back against his locker, earning a strange look from Videl. Say yes.

"Uh, sure. I guess I can always study for the Chemistry test over the weekend. Where do you wanna go?" he asked. Unfortunately, his stomach answered for him. He laughed sheepishly, looking down at the floor.

Ugh, why the hell do you have to be so darned cute?! "Well, I guess first thing's first. We've got to get you fed. C'mon." and the same feeling of being jolted with electricity went through her again as she took hold of his hand, leading him out of the school.

——

Fed, satisfied and happy, Gohan and Videl walked around the huge Satan City mall. Gohan could never understand why girls loved to shop, but now he could see many men in the place, roaming from one store to another, in desperate need of a gift. He wondered if he'd ever get the chance to be desperate for the perfect gift. He had been before, until he realized he just didn't have time. But it didn't matter how crowded the place seemed to be. The only thing he could focus on was the sweet scent of Videl's shampoo making it's way up to his nose. It made his knees weak. The scent reminded him of white sandy beaches with the calming sounds of the waves crashing onto the shore.

Ah… Paradise.

Hmm, Videl looked up at him. He seemed to be lost in his own world. I wonder what he's thinking about. Without meaning to, she leaned her head on his arm. This little action caused Gohan to snap out of his reverie and turn to her.

"What do you want to do now, Videl?" he asked with a smile. She couldn't think with him smiling at her like that.

"Um…" what exactly was there to do in such a place? She wasn't much of shopper and she doubted Gohan was either. She didn't want to drag him to different shops to make him look at clothes she didn't need. Think Videl think! Think of something… Fun!

"Hey! Check it out! It's a photo booth!" Gohan exclaimed running over to the small little cubicle like machine. "C'mon Videl, let's get our pictures taken! It'll be fun!"

She'd been pulled down onto his lap before she could reply. She certainly wasn't going to move away either. She smiled, the blood rushing to her cheeks as she wanted him put coins into the slot. He fixed it so that she faced the camera, but still sat on his lap.

"SMILE WIDE!" he said excited and a flash went off. "Peace sign!"

Another flash.

And another. And another. Videl stumbled out of the booth, dazed, confused. Black spots tormented her vision. As she steadied herself, Gohan pulled out the printed pictures. The first was of them smiling wide, as Gohan had shouted. The second was of them doing the piece sign. The third was still all right since Videl hadn't begun to feel dizzy yet. She had her arms around his neck, their cheeks pressed together as they stuck out their tongues. The last was rather odd. Videl seemed to have lost her composure then, becoming so dizzy her eyes began to droop. Her face looked contorted in the most horrible way while Gohan made bunny ears at her. He laughed at the sight.

"you look hilarious Videl," he said with a grin, waiting for another copy to print.

"Well… What now?" She asked once she'd managed to stand on her own two feet. She still felt slightly nauseas.

"Well, I already picked one thing to do," he replied. "Now you pick!"

"Let's just go for a walk. Maybe we can go to the wishing fountain or something," she really needed to sit down.

As several couples passed them by, Gohan couldn't help but wish he and Videl were just like them. Laughing happily, holding hands as if they didn't have a care in the world. He envied them and it was because of that envy that he decided he had to tell her today. Forget the fancy shmancy plans he had. Just as long as she knew… Well he felt that was enough. Unfortunately, his nerves began to act up as he thought of what to say.

Oh no, oh no! What am I going to say? Ugh it seemed so much easier earlier to think of something to say but now I can't think of a single thing! She's going to think of me as a total fruitcake if I go and say something lame!

Videl had sat down at the bench near the fountain. She looked up to tell Gohan to sit down but it was too late. He tripped over the ledge and fell right into the sparkling fountain. Videl jumped to her feet, ready to help but as soon as she saw him rise out of the water looking slightly aggravated, she laughed.

"Oh Gohan," she shook her head in between fits of laughter. Everyone else seemed to be chuckling at him too.

Humiliated, the young Demi-Saiyan sat at the bench looking very sour. Videl sat down next to him, still trying to stifle more laughs.

"Go on, laugh it up," he said. Then an idea hit him. Forgetting that she was Videl Satan, daughter of the great, "Champion Of the World", surrounded by hundreds of people, he jumped up, picked her up and threw her into the fountain as well. She jumped out, furious.

"GOHAN! THAT WASN'T VERY NICE! YOU ARE SO MEAN!" She shouted at him. He laughed, stumbling back with fear.

"G-gee Videl, I was just playing, heh, heh," he held his hands up on front of him. "Don't be mad."

And she wasn't. She could stay mad at him too long. She laughed and sat herself down back on the bench next to him. Now they were both sopping wet.

"You know Gohan, when you make a wish, you use nickels, dimes or pennies. Not a whole person," she teased.

"Well I figured if what I threw in was alive, my wish would have better chances of coming true." he smiled.

"What'd you wish for anyway?"

"If I told you it wouldn't come true!"

"Oh, don't give me that. C'mon. Tell me. You know you want to tell me. You have to tell me. You know you're going to tell me eventually because you're going to get annoyed because—"

"FINE!" Gohan shook his head as he rolled his eyes with a smile. "You really know how to get me to fess up. I wished for courage."

"Courage? You've fought against monsters and androids, why in the world would you need to wish for courage? If you ask me, you don't even need it!" she said in disbelief.

"Well, yeah sure, but this is tougher than any monster or android. I've never had to face this before."

"What is it?"

He cleared his throat. "My feelings."

Videl blinked. Oh my gosh! "What… Feelings?" she asked slowly.

"My feelings…" he gulped, "towards you."

"M-me?"

He turned to her, his face held nothing but seriousness, his eyes burning into hers as he spoke the words he spoke next.

"Videl, I'm really glad we're friends and I'm really, really glad that you and I have gotten closer these last few months but…"

Oh my gosh! He's going to say it! He's finally going to say it!

She waited expectantly, her heart pounding hard now. She felt so giddy, she wanted to jump up and dance while screaming happily at the top of her lungs. She sat stiffly, awaiting the thing she'd been waiting for.

"Oh, hey look! There's an arcade!" Gohan exclaimed in excitement. "I've only been in one of those once when I was just a little kid!"

Videl's head sank in disappointment, along with her body posture. She felt her eye twitch with irritation. She smiled as sweetly as she could.

"Gohan, you were saying…?" she prodded him.

"Wow! Check it out! They've got that crazy fighting game! We should play Videl," Gohan ignored her question.

Videl's annoyance with the young Saiyan grew. She cleared her throat.

"Gohan, what were you going to say?"

"Oh," he blinked at her, as if unable to recall what it was he going to say. "Oh, right. Well—" now he really didn't know what to do. The words he'd been planning to say had suddenly disappeared. Stupid arcade distracted me! He thought bitterly. Laughing nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, I uh… I forgot."

Videl clenched her hands into fists. Well, fine. "Oh, well," she said stiffly. "Okay then."

Gohan could tell by the silence that passed between them that she was mad. As to why she was mad, he had no clue. He was still trying to re-think what he'd wanted to say. It had to be perfect.

It doesn't have to be perfect, said a little voice in his head. He frowned. Where was that coming voice from? Just tell her already. Say what you can muster at the moment. Come on. Say it! SAY IT!

"I love you," he blurted out and was then surprised at himself for saying something just like that. "Uh…" he looked down at the floor, his face beet red. Videl turned to him, her eyes wide.

What the hell?!

And then he heard the voice.

Hahaha! Oh, Gohan. You're so easy to manipulate sometimes.

"Dende!" Gohan muttered.

"What?" Videl frowned with confusion.

"Oh, ha, er, nothing."

Videl didn't have to look in the mirror to know just how red her face had become. Now that she'd heard it, she had no idea what to say. Do I say it back? Should I wait? Oh, damn it what the hell do I do? She glanced at him, seeing that he was looking straight ahead deep in thought. She wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but she was too afraid. Not only that but what did it mean exactly? Did he love her more than a friend or did he love her as a friend?

"I love you, Videl and… I'd really like to take you out on a date. So… Go… Out with me." Gohan said meekly.

OH! He's so CUTE! Videl wanted to squeal.

"Like… On a date?" she asked just as quietly.

He nodded slowly, his nerves getting the best of him.

"Well…" she smiled. She was about to say yes when a thought hit her. He had slightly teased her. She had to return the favor as well. She smirked. Revenge is so very sweet. "C'mon, let's play!" she jumped up, taking his hand and dragging him to the arcade.

Gohan frowned in confusion. What was going on? Why hadn't she answered him? Did she not feel the way he felt? He was dragged to a game he'd never seen before. The controls were plastic guitars, the screen as wide as an actual TV screen. His frown deepened. He turned to Videl to ask her, but she'd already opened her mouth to explain.

"Alright Gohan, I'll go out with you, IF you can beat me at this game, I'll go out with you. If you don't, too bad," she grinned. I'm going to enjoy this!

Gohan began to worry. "Uh, but… But Videl I don't know how to play!"

"That's what makes this so much fun!" she thrust one plastic guitar at him. "Now, c'mon. What you do is you press the corresponding buttons to the colors on the TV as they come at you and you hit that little switch there. Got it? Good." Videl grinned her widest. "Let's go!"

Gohan awkwardly held the controller in his hand. "This is ridiculous! C'mon Videl, you can't be serious?!" he'd never played video games before in his life. With the way things were going he'd probably never get that date, or the girl that he loved.

"Hmm, what song should we do…" Videl browsed through the list. "Well, considering it's your first time, we should do something easy! How about… Sweet Child O' Mine? That song has a good guitar riff."

"What?"

The game had started. Videl was on a roll, not missing a single button while Gohan on the other hand struggled to keep his fingers in their spot. He couldn't believe how much difficulty he had hitting buttons to the rhythm of a song! Becoming frustrated, Gohan let out a sigh. At this rate he'd never win.

"Oh, wow Gohan, you're not very good at this," she laughed at him.

Great. Now she's mocking me! I have to win! "You're going down," he said and waited for the next string of buttons. He managed to get most of them, timing it perfectly so he hit the strum bar on the guitar just in time. Once he got the hang out of it, he was on a roll too, catching up to Videl in points.

"Whoa," Videl said as she struggled to keep up with her high score. "How'd… How'd you do that…"

"You forgot. I'm smart." he grinned triumphantly.

The two continued to go at it, Videl's score rising up one minute and then dropping the next. Gohan's results were similar.

"this is it!" Videl exclaimed. "We're hitting the last few strings of notes!"

"You're going down," Gohan said moving his body so that he could reach all the right notes. "Oh! Oh! Look at that! Perfect!"

"Yeah? Well I'm just about the same! Ha! In your face!"

Gohan focused hard, making sure he caught all the right notes. He was doing wonderful. hitting all of them, not missing a single one. He glanced over at Videl's half of the screen. She couldn't handle the quickness of the lights coming at her. Her fingers were to short to reach the last and final button that she needed to hit them all properly. He could hear her cursing under her breath at him. He lost track for a moment, missing a string of notes. This caused her to laugh. She groaned when he caught up again, beating her score. The last few strings were long chorded notes. He got one. She missed two. He missed two. She got three. It was close.

"Last two!" she exclaimed.

He was ready. So was she. Or so she thought. She got through the last two long notes. Where she missed the next series of notes, Gohan got them all. Her score went down. His went up. He was going to win!—Until she pulled off a special trick and ended up beating his score at last. Gohan let out a cry of anguish.

"NO!" he fell dramatically to his knees.

Videl jumped up and down in joy. "Wahoo! I beat you! I beat you!" she started to do a little dance. "I beat you, I beat you."

Gohan sighed, his head hung low. Just great. He brushed himself off, trying to look not so disappointed.

"Well, congratulations. You won." he said rather bitterly. He was surprised when she jumped on him. "Uh…"

"You didn't really think I was serious did you? Oh, come on! Gohan, I love you. Of course I'd go out with you, no matter what! I just did that 'cause you teased me before telling me the truth. Payback's a bitch. So they say." she explained as she planted a kiss on his nose.

"So… So you made me go through that horrible ordeal… For… For nothing?!" he dropped her. "Oh, gosh. Sorry Videl." he helped her up.

"Yeah. You kind of went through that for nothing but… It's really sweet that you tried. Now come on, that wore me out. I'm famished!"

Gohan laughed. "Me too"

And hand in hand they walked out of the arcade.

Author's Note:

Well, I'M BACK!!! YAYERZ! Originally I was going to post this up just in time for Valetine's Day but wouldn't you know it, work got to me and I totally procrastinated! But now that it's up... You'll have to forgive me. I'm a little bit rusty when it comes to writing DBZ fanfics now. I don't know if this is a real comeback or anything... I sure hope I can write another long DBZ fanfic... But we'll have to see! So please, please review and let me know what you think now that my writing skills have dwindled!

MarauderWormtail89