Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT.

Happy reading!

After more than an hour of cooking process that involved rigorous preparation and efficient workflow, the hungry had finally been fed. Judging from the mess on the table, the amount of food was nothing less than copious; one couldn't simply count how many plates were there, stacked on top of each other. Aside from some bones and inedible bits, absolutely nothing was left behind, thanks to the family's hearty trenchermen.

Videl herself couldn't believe her eyes when seeing how Goten, despite his little build, could stuff so much food into his tummy. It looked as though he didn't need to chew between his spoonfuls—or sometimes handfuls—of food! However, she recalled that he, just like Son and Gohan, weren't exactly human to begin with; his alien heritage must be where that appetite came from, although his elder brothers at least had the decency to eat with the provided cutlery.

Now that she had been fed to the point of satiation, Videl figured it was time to repay the kindness. She decided to help do the dishes in the kitchen before leaving for home, which Chichi accepted with gratitude. The grownup used this time to talk about her family, about Gohan and Goten, and went on to about how Son's presence had been a blessing for all of them despite it meant one more soul to feed. That was why she and Goku were considering using the land around the house to farm vegetables; although the family were still able to live off Ox King's fortune, she thought it was good to have a job and stable income to sustain everyone's needs in the long run. Plus, it made her feel that they finally got to live their lives like a normal family, one that could enjoy what life was all about without worrying about some space tyrant or dreadful android.

Much to Videl's relief, Chichi didn't mention Son at all during their conversation although she could have sworn she felt like being eyed carefully. Getting embarrassed yet again over being confronted about what she thought about him was way down at the bottom of her list of things to do. She had been afraid Chichi would bring him up at some point, but right now she was glad that wasn't the case.

And so, after the plates and cutleries had been placed in their rightful place which was the cabinets, it was time for Videl to go home. Once again she thanked everyone for being so kind as to accommodate her. She then proceeded into the guest room to retrieve the capsule containing her plane, since that was where she had left it before taking her bath… or so she thought.

Last time she checked, capsules were inanimate objects. Her plane capsule, however, seemed to defy the established norm; it had miraculously gained the ability to translocate. Long story short, it was missing.

"Um… Son, Gohan, Goten…" she said as she made her way back to the living room where the others were, "Have you seen my capsule?"

A little more than thirty minutes had passed since the search commenced, but so far their efforts had been fruitless.

Although all twelve eyes had been peeled open to the point of discomfort, the missing object was yet to be sighted. The Sons and Videl had scoured the room with careful scrutiny and even expanded their search to encompass the living room and kitchen as well, but it seemed as though the capsule always managed to avoid detection. Heaven knew where it was right now.

"That's strange… it's not like capsules can walk or something. Are you sure you put it on Gohan's table, Videl?" asked Chichi.

Exhausted and having lost the will to continue searching, Videl sighed acceptingly and shrugged. "It's okay… the plane's an old model, it's not gonna be missed. I guess I'll just have to fly back home."

"Huh? No, don't!" someone quickly responded. It was Son; on his face was a genuinely concerned look. "It's gotta be here somewhere… c'mon, let's look again. I'll help you, okay?"

Videl was touched by Son's kindness, but she had to reject the offer this time. It was getting late, and she really needed to get back home as soon as possible. Besides, "I've been troubling all of you by staying for dinner. I don't wanna trouble you any further," she said.

However, Son was stubborn. He insisted that they continued their search for just a little bit longer. "Who said you're troubling us? I was—I mean, we were glad you decided to stay, so please, just—"

"Son," Videl interjected. She subconsciously held Son's palm in hers while doing so, effectively silencing the boy—and eliciting an amused expression from Gohan. "It's okay, really. I'll be just fine. Don't tell me you don't believe I can fly well now!"

Indeed, it was true that she had proven herself more than capable of flight, but she just mastered the technique earlier today. Everyone knew Videl was strong in her own right—at least by human standards—but there really was no telling whether she would be able to cover the distance between Mount Paozu and Satan City without running into trouble. The darkness and cold air of the great outdoors at night weren't something to be taken lightly, and surely her journey wouldn't be an easy one thanks to them. It was because of this reason that Son had mixed feelings about letting Videl go just yet.

With that in mind, Son spoke up. "I believe you, Videl… but—"

Again, Videl cut him off mid-sentence. "Then there's nothing to be afraid of. Don't worry," she said. At this moment she realised she had been holding onto Son's hand; she felt her cheeks blush slightly as she let go. "I can take care of myself. I'll be okay… promise."

Son just sighed since he could no longer counter Videl's words. He knew her; once she had set her sight on something, one would need more than just force to stop her. She was that kind of person… one of strong determination. With a weak nod that signified his acknowledgement of defeat, he reluctantly retreated to his bedroom and closed the door.

Videl felt bad for turning down Son's kindness, but she really didn't want to burden the family any further. If the capsule really was nowhere to be found, then it wasn't meant to be found and she might well just let it go. There were planes of newer models back home anyway, and now that Videl was able to fly she wouldn't need them as much as she did in the past, except for crime-fighting purposes.

Finally, she thanked the Sons one final time for their hospitality and made her way out of the house. Upon setting her foot on the turf just outside, though, she was taken by surprise by the bone-chilling air of the mountains at night. Her relatively light set of clothes and gym tights didn't help in fending off the cold either. The zephyr led her to think that finding the plane capsule might not be a bad idea after all, but she was quick to shove that thought aside.

Then, ready to tackle the cold and blast through the skies, Videl prepared to take off…

"Videl! Wait, I'm coming with you!"

… but the sound of Son's voice stopped her from doing so.

When she turned around, to say the least, she was surprised to see said youngster. Donning Gohan's oversized coat over his shirt, he looked warm and ready to go. Once again, this offer of kindness touched her, and she began feeling all tingly inside at the thought that was running in her head. True, she didn't want Son to go through all the trouble just to make sure she made it back home safe and sound, but the prospect of spending more time with him along the way—just the two of them—seemed too good to pass up.

"I told you I'm gonna be okay. You don't have to worry about me," she said in an attempt to hide her feeling of awkwardness, then smiled inwardly and thought to herself, 'But I'm glad he's not mad over earlier… and to think he's really gonna come along with me? Wow…'

"No, it's not okay. I mean, c'mon… you expect me to just let you go by yourself? It's not…" replied Son, but his voice trailed off for a second. It was obvious that he was no less abashed than Videl. "… it's not so gentlemanly, right? Yeah! Heh-heh…" he completed his sentence while rubbing the back of his head.

"But you actually don't have to do that, you know. I can—"

"Uh-huh, but I want to. After all… um, a teacher should make sure his student's fine, right?"

This time it was Videl who couldn't retaliate, although she was very much contented that Son had made the decision to accompany her. The smile which she had kept hidden from others eventually found its way to her face; she gave a nod of approval which Son reciprocated with a playful, heartwarming grin that was enough to make her feel pleasant instead of awkward.

"Okay, then it's settled. Wait here, okay?" said Son. He then entered the house again, told the others to just go ahead and not to wait for him if they were ready to hit the hay, and borrowed a pair of keys before returning to Videl. "Yup, we're all set now. Shall we go?"

With yet another nod Videl replied. She also took her time sincerely thanking Son for his willingness to go the extra mile, which earned her a gently delivered "you're welcome" as the reply. After that little exchange of gratitude, they blasted off to the sky, onward to the dark of night in the direction of Satan City.

Back at the doorstep of the house, the other two brothers were watching Son and Videl's departure. Goten had this slightly concerned look on his face and he mumbled loud enough for Gohan to hear, "Gee, I hope they're gonna be okay."

Hearing Goten's remark, Gohan squatted down beside him and told him nothing bad was going to happen to them. "They're gonna be okay, I promise. Why are you worried, hmm?"

"Well, if you say it's okay, I think it's really okay," replied Goten. Now feeling assured, his expression turned to cheerful again. "I just don't want Videl to get hurt. She's very nice and pretty… I like her!"

"Yeah? Then… do you think big brother Son and Videl is a good match?"

"Good match?" Goten tilted his head to the right and put his index finger to his temple, a telltale sign that he needed time to grasp the meaning behind some word, "Hmm… I don't really understand, but I think big brother and Videl look good together. Seeing them like that makes me happy!"

"It makes me happy, too, Goten. It seems we're thinking in the similar wavelength, huh?"

"What's a wavelength, Gohan? I said don't use difficult words."

"Haha, I think you're still too little to understand," Gohan poked Goten's forehead as he spoke, eliciting a giggle from him, "Now c'mon, your favourite anime is starting. You don't wanna miss it, do you?"

Suddenly, Goten leaped from where he was and wrapped his arms around Gohan's neck, almost cutting his air supply in the process. "Piggyback!" he shouted.

"Oof! Easy there, Goten. Wow, someone's getting heavy here…"

"That's because I'm growing up. Someday I'm gonna be as smart and strong as you and big brother!"

Being recognised was awesome. Gohan couldn't deny that he felt really good when someone, especially Goten, looked up to him. It reminded him of those good times in the past when he would always admire the older version of the brother, the very person who had so kindly helped him to be who he was right now. Truly, to have met him was such a blessing.

Without knowing, he walked down the memory lane as he carried the lazy Goten back inside; he remembered the lessons he had learned from his brother and friend from the future, especially how to accept himself for who he was and always do his best for those he held dear in his heart. Most importantly, though, Older Goten had shown him that there was more to life than what was in the books and encyclopaedias, and that he had to have fun and be mischievous every so often to keep it interesting.

And by the way, speaking of being mischievous, he was actually in that state right now.

Once he got to the living room, he dropped Goten and told him to go ahead and that he would be joining him soon. The little boy agreed; immediately he made himself comfortable by lunging onto the cosy and comfortable sofa, switched on the television set, and set his eyes on the anime show that had just begun.

Gohan made his way into the kitchen and served two mugs of cold beverage—one for him, the other for Goten. He was ready to join his brother, but not yet… there was still something to be done in this room. No, getting some drink wasn't his sole objective. He needed to get something before prolonged exposure to low temperature rendered it useless.

With a knowing smile, Gohan opened the freezer of the refrigerator. He then reached into the very back of the compartment where meat products were being stored to prevent untimely spoilage, but it was obvious that food wasn't his target. After all, why would someone who couldn't even toast a slice of bread properly be interested in frozen meat?

After a while, he finally found what he was looking for, so he took it out and held it on his eye level. The object was a small, elliptical container shaped like a phial with a switch-like lid on top of it.

It was Videl's plane capsule.

Gohan grinned contentedly—it was a triumphant and sincere grin, not an impish one—and delighted at the thought of Son having to accompany Videl until she arrived back home safely. But that wasn't all; something bigger and even more interesting would take place. Somehow, he was very certain of it. He would love to spy on them, but Goten was still wide awake and there was no way he would leave him without anyone to play with.

However, all things considered, Gohan's scheme had been a success. When Son returned home later, he would grill him and force him to spill everything. It was going to be a very fun night for him…

"Have fun, Son. You can thank me later…"

Son and Videl's journey to Satan City was, contrary to what anyone would have expected, filled with silence.

Not even the normally bubbly Son attempted to start a conversation during the flight. After they had landed just outside their destination—they did so in order not to attract unwanted attention to themselves—neither one of them had the guts to break the comfortable silence.

Now since this was Son's first time in Satan City, he would sometimes slow down to allow Videl to lead the way. However, every time she noticed that he was lagging behind, she would turn back and wait for him. Yes, even though she wouldn't say it out loud, she wanted to keep walking by Son's side, and this just made the boy all the more abashed. He had to admit, though, that it felt really pleasant, and after that he stopped trying to slow down.

Finally, after several minutes of traversing the streets of the city, the two preteens arrived at Videl's house. And to say the least, Son was flabbergasted at the sight.

The building was actually more of a château than a house. It was surrounded by a very sturdy, secure looking wall that stood twice as tall as his height, its continuity broken only by some small decorative openings through which he could take a peek at the main compound. On the midpoint of the wall was a gate made of pry-proof reinforced steel, and an arch bearing the word 'Satan'—spelled with capital letters—sat proudly and majestically over it. And let's not talk about the compound itself; trees, though still yet to blossom, lined the pavement leading to the main house, whose façade was adorned by tall, beautiful windows.

Son was so dumbfounded he didn't notice Videl was actually trying to talk to him. When he finally did, he apologised with a shy smile. "I'm, uh, sorry, Videl… I think I should've paid attention, huh?" he said, "So this is where you live… it's even bigger than Capsule Corp! You must be so happy to have a huge, beautiful house."

"Yeah, this is my house," replied Videl. However, she didn't seem to agree thoroughly with Son; she looked as though she didn't want to go inside the house just yet, so while the boy she had been admiring was here with her, why not procrastinate by talking a little bit longer with him? He wouldn't notice. "But you know, to be honest, I think living in your house is much more fun."

"Gee, really? I'm living in the middle of nowhere, you know that," said Son again, "Even the nearest grocer is around ten kilometres away. Why wouldcha live somewhere like that?"

"It's way quieter. You don't know how hectic it can get here sometimes?"

"You're right, but there's no fun back home. At least there are lots of restaurants, some malls, swimming—"

"At least you don't have a city to protect."

With that remark, Videl seemed to have hit the nail on the head. However, only several moments later, Son realised that they had actually been entrusted with similar responsibilities; being the city's second strongest and as part of her training, Videl had to help maintain peace and order by fighting crime. The same applied to Son, but instead of a city to protect, he had the earth, and instead of petty thugs and robbers, his adversary would be some freak of nature capable of levelling an entire city with just a flick of the finger.

"A plate of steak says you won't like protecting the earth from some freak green robot with a stinger at the tip of his tail," came the reply. Videl wanted to respond, but couldn't; she pretended an irritated face to let Son know he had won the argument, triggering a silly grin from him. "Anyway, what's wrong? I get the impression that you're getting tired of fighting baddies."

"Well, not really," Videl shrugged, "Crime-fighting can be fun sometimes, you know. It's just… sometimes people don't learn from their mistakes."

"Lemme guess, repeat offenders?"

"Exactly! Man, those people can really get on your nerves. They need to be kicked in the groin before they finally learn."

Son cringed and made a funny face at the thought of being at the receiving end of Videl's punishment. "Uh… that's a surefire way to teach them a lesson, I can tell you that. I wonder if Goten and Trunks will stop pulling pranks on me if I do that to them…"

"No, you don't do that to them! That's domestic violence, and social workers will take the kids away if they find out."

"Heh-heh… sounds like something they would say to Gohan," replied Son, "But anyway, dontcha think it's about time you got in? It's getting colder outside and, um, you know… you can catch a cold."

This was it. Son had spoken the words, and it meant it really was time for them to cut short their conversation and part. He was also telling the truth; currently Videl wasn't wearing her coat or jacket or anything that helped in fending off the cold, and the air was getting colder by the second. With a soft sigh she nodded and prepared to go inside the house…

… but not yet. She still wanted to spend the evening together with Son, and since today was only Saturday, no one would mind them getting back home late, right?

"But before you go home… I know a coffee stall that sells delicious hot chocolate near here. Do you wanna come with me?"

"A stall? That means it's open air—Videl! Hold up!"

"C'mon, I won't take no for an answer. I'll wait there for one minute!"

Before Son could even respond further, Videl had darted into the distance and rounded the corner. The boy was left speechless by this action, and left with no other option, he sighed as he too made his way to where his friend had gone to earlier. He wasn't quite sure what to think; for one, he felt glad that Videl had invited him to spend more time together, but on the other hand, he was concerned that the air temperature would do a number on Videl. Now he would have to catch up with her and lend her his coat, although it meant he would have to bear the chilling power of the night wind.

Videl was being playful. She would wait at a corner, and as soon as Son saw her, she would run ahead and wait at the next junction. It eventually came down to somewhat of a game of tag that continued for the next ten minutes when they had finally arrived at Videl's favourite place to hang out with her friends.

It turned out that the coffee stall didn't only sell drinks, but hot dogs as well. A quick look at the menu also revealed that their items were budget-friendly and appealing especially to students, perhaps owing to the fact that it was conveniently situated not that far away from the compound of the most prestigious educational establishment in the city: Orange Star School. As for the stall itself, it really was nothing to brag about; with only a three-by-three square metres of space where the attendants did all the work, it was as simple as could be. There were some moveable chairs and tables around, and patrons could help themselves to arrange them for dining in.

And so, Videl and Son ordered two cups of hot chocolate and—unheeding of the cold—sat down at the table farthest from the stall. There, they slowly consumed the beverage, all while enjoying each other's company.

"You know, you're right," said Son right before he made his final chug of his beverage. Considering how good the insulation system of the cup was, it was a miracle that he didn't scald his tongue and throat in the process. "This hot chocolate is great! Do you think the owner is willing to open a branch near my house?"

Hearing Son's words, Videl couldn't help cracking a smile. Really, this friend of hers could be so random sometimes. "She might, if you can help her find a place for the kiosk. And the money to build it. And the manpower, of course."

"Hey, I was just kidding," replied Son, "Besides, if it's only chocolate drink, mom can make a great one, too… with cream. For free."

"Your mom, huh…" Videl's voice trailed off as her gaze began to fix on something in the distance, "It must be great to have a mom who can do all sorts of things just for you."

Son didn't miss Videl's sudden change of expression, but then again, who would have? Not more than a minute ago she was still cheerful and all, but now, all of a sudden, she seemed to have slipped into a sullen, sad mood. He figured he might have touched a topic that was not the best to talk about right now, and hoped to spare Videl from further unease. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Videl acknowledged with a nod, but what happened next was contrary to Son's expectation. The situation became more uncomfortable; previously, they had been enjoying their respective cups of chocolate in comfortable silence, sometimes stealing glances when the other wasn't looking. Now, though, the silence was awkward, causing Son to mentally slap himself for spoiling the perfect mood to enjoy the evening together.

However, being a curious boy he was, he found it hard to just ignore what was it that was bugging Videl. Of course, it must have had something to do with her family in general; he could even be more specific and guess it was concerning her mother. Yes, he knew better than to meddle in other families' affairs—Chichi had made sure of it—but if there was something he could do to relieve Videl, he would very much like to do so. Perhaps he could lend her a listening ear, for a start.

"She's no longer with us."

"Huh?"

That was a surprise. As though answering to Son's desire, Videl spoke her mind out, although it really wasn't the kind of answer he wanted to hear. "My mom," she continued, "She passed away when I was four."

Now feeling bad about reminding Videl of something she clearly didn't want to remember, Son apologised. "Oh, I see… I'm sorry about that. I didn't know—"

"Silly you, there's nothing for you to be sorry about. You didn't do anything wrong," Videl cut him off mid-sentence and sighed, "I miss her. Since she was gone, things got quite hard for me…"

And so, without much thought, Videl revealed her backstory for Son to hear. Just like she had said earlier, she was forced to live without her mother since almost ten years ago. The absence of a mother—or even a mother figure—slowly but surely took its toll on her; as a result, she grew into a tough, bold, and daring girl that some people might perceive as stubborn.

With her father constantly immersed in the glory of his own wealth, Videl's only source of solace was school. Even then, her classmates would usually think twice before interacting with her, which was understandable. At their age, they expected girls to be tender and nice, and she happened to be right at the other end of the spectrum. Hence, in order to make use of her talents, she offered to help the city police in apprehending criminals and foiling their shady activities, an activity that she fortunately was passionate about.

Be that as it may, she wanted to not be seen as an outlier among her chums. And although crime-fighting was fun and she admitted it, it went without saying that great power begets great responsibility, and sometimes it could be outright overwhelming. What she had actually been longing for was to live a normal and quiet life; that was why earlier on, she had expressed jealousy of Son's laid-back lifestyle that was supported by the environment he was living in.

Son was amazed that the outwardly tough girl had been keeping all those things to herself all this time. Who would have thought so? "Wow, you've gone through a lot, alright…"

"Yeah, my dad has money and everything, but I really don't think money can buy happiness," said Videl in a sombre tone of voice, "That, and friends, I guess."

"Huh? Friends? Whaddya mean?"

"I mean, just because I'm stronger than girls normally are, others at school think I'm weird. How am I supposed to—"

This time, it was Son's turn to interject. "No! That's not true!" he said defiantly, firmly believing what she said was untrue. His lifted his head and locked his gaze into the depths of her azure eyes. "Videl, you're not weird, okay? You're the same as everyone else, and nothing's gonna change that."

"Son…"

"Let's see, now… if you're weird just because you're strong, what does it make me, hmm?" asked Son, "I think I'd be a heck of a freak show. I'd better travel around cities and make extra money by bending iron bars and swallowing swords."

"W-well… you've got a point there…"

"Yeah! So don't worry, okay? If anyone ever calls you weird, just ignore them, because we both know I'm even weirder. I'm not even human… at least I wasn't, but hey! I don't have problems with that."

Everything Son had said was plain truth. For all intents and purposes, considering the magical circumstances of his birth and rebirth into the world, he was more of an anomaly then she would ever be. He never let it bother him, so why should Videl about her problems with friends?

"Um… if you ever get tired of school and work, you can drop by my house," Son added, "I'm sure the others won't mind, too."

"But you don't have to do that! I mean, I'll be a burden…"

"Ah, that's okay, really. You don't know how often Trunks comes and sleeps over. It's either that or Goten goes to Capsule Corp. And listen, Videl…"

"Yeah?"

"Dontcha dare think no one wants to be friends with you. Gohan and Goten would be sad if they know it."

That was right. Even though Videl had only known the Son boys for two months or so, she had always been a welcome presence in their midst. They had no qualms about her being a tough girl, perhaps thanks to the fact that they themselves weren't exactly normal either. She felt glad beyond belief that she had met Son who saw the good in her, and not just him; Gohan, a very intelligent and kind boy, and Goten, a child she had grown to like as her own little brother, too.

When she finally felt reassured and consoled, Videl sincerely thanked Son for his trouble. However, she soon realised she had taken a significant amount of his time. "Gee, what was I thinking? I'm sorry, Son. I didn't mean to drag you into my problems."

"Whatcha talking about? It's okay, really," Son just shrugged in reply, "I like listening to people so I can help them with their problems. Gohan loves doing it, too."

"Hee-hee… nosy brothers," Videl retorted with a mischievous smirk, triggering a funny unamused look from her friend. After her giggles had died down, she carried on, "You know, you're the first person to hear about all these things. I never told anyone else, but I know I can trust you."

"Really? I feel privileged."

"You should."

To Son's relief, the atmosphere had reverted into its normal, relaxed state. That meant he had succeeded in easing Videl from her emotional burden! He discreetly produced a triumphant smile, glad to be of help to his friend.

The next three minutes were spent in silence with Son waiting for Videl to finish her beverage. When she finally did, it was time to return home; the clock had struck ten, and normally, kids their age wouldn't be able to roam outside at such a late hour simply because they weren't allowed to. With that in mind, and before Hercule got unnecessarily worried and started frantically calling his only daughter's phone, they stood up and prepared to leave the coffee stall.

Just as they left, though, a chilly breeze picked up from nowhere and caught the two off-guard. Even the coat-donning Son was taken aback by the cold, let alone Videl who was clad only in light clothes and tights. "Wow, it's cold, alright… I should've taken my own jacket before coming here."

Son noticed that Videl was actually shuddering, and figured that the constant zephyr was slowly taking its toll on her. He wanted to do something to help her fend off the cold, and he knew what exactly he had to do: lend her his coat. As a boy, he was expected to be gentlemanly, so it was only a natural course of action to take.

Having said that, he didn't have the guts to do so. He wanted to say something, but it seemed as though he kept choking on his words. Heck, even the thought of doing it was enough to make him blush furiously! It was as though steam was coming out of his ear, and for a moment there he felt extremely hot in spite of the chilly air. Perhaps it was thanks to the fact that his heart was beating so rapidly, thus forcing blood to his face and creating an illusory sensation of warmth.

For the next two minutes he walked in silence, torn between making his move and not, all while trying to suppress his embarrassment. He soon realised, though, that the more he tried, the more restless he became. Even though he was at first reserved about making his move, he kept feeling this urge to just go for it.

Finally, having rallied his courage, Son spoke up. "Hey, um… Videl…?"

"Yeah, Son?"

"Are you… cold?"

"Why, me? A bit, but… it's okay," replied Videl. However, another breeze picked up from out of nowhere, and she contradicted her statement by shuddering even more. Son noticed this, and Videl silently cursed her luck. "Aw, c'mon, nature. It's already spring and the temperature is supposed to be warm—"

Videl was cut off mid-sentence when she felt something enshrouding her: Son's coat. Before she could even form words, an arm wrapped itself around her shoulder, yanking her ever so tenderly and gently toward the owner. The next moment, she found herself leaning on her friend's torso. The entire process took less than two seconds; Son bit his lower lip and quickly shifted his gaze to the right, preventing Videl from seeing his face which was now even redder than a cherry.

Little did Son know, she was actually in the same state as him. Surprised beyond belief, Videl's eyes dilated; she couldn't believe she was in direct contact with the boy she had been dying to spend time with! Her heart started to thump furiously in her chest, but she could also feel Son's beating in an even more rapid pace.

"S-son…! Why… you're gonna catch a cold…!"

"Well, uh… you're cold, right?" Son stuttered in forming his words, "I think it's better if the one catching it is me… instead of you."

Videl was rendered speechless by that statement, but deep down inside, she was extremely happy because Son had gone out of his way to ensure her well-being. It was warm and very comfortable under the coat, and leaning on his chest felt so heavenly… she felt safe in his protection, and it was as though nothing could harm her now.

The same went for Son. His heart seemed as though it wanted to force its way out of his chest, but he felt blissful. Although now he was sharing his coat with Videl, he felt no less warm than before; whether it was due to the blood rushing to his face or his friend leaning onto him, he didn't know. However, one thing was certain: never before had he experienced such a wonderful feeling before, and to tell the truth, he enjoyed every last bit of it.

When they had finally arrived at their destination, they took a seat on the metal bench right by the majestic gates and spent some moment of silence, just the two of them. His arms still locked around his friend's shoulder, Son acted out of courage—or was it just him being foolhardy?—by gently stroking her cheeks that were starting to get red due to cold.

This time, Videl was relaxed, although she still couldn't quite control the pace of her heart beat. It was evident that she was enjoying Son's action. To ensure him of it, she seized his free hand, holding it tenderly in her palms. At first it surprised him to no end, making his gentle strokes feel more like scrapes, but he soon regained his composure and recovered from his shock.

Son turned his head to find Videl resting hers on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks blushing, her lips formed a slight smile; it was as though she had experienced the touch of heaven. As he continued to study her countenance, he subconsciously entwined his fingers with Videl's. 'She sure has a cute face,' said Son inwardly.

Right now, Son was isolated from the outside world. He lifted up his head to see the night sky littered with stars, thinking about the girl sitting beside him. Nothing else was in his mind right now; he simply couldn't find anything to divert his thoughts to, and even if he did, they would just stubbornly home back to her.

When Son returned his gaze to her face, a sensation he had never experienced before coursed through his body. There was something from within, something he had been keeping to himself in the dark for a long time. Something that Gohan had been nagging him about. Something that right now was urging him to let it out.

This was it. This was the moment of truth for Son. Videl's responses served as proof for him that his feelings had been reciprocated. He really wanted to say those magic words. Here. Now. He wanted to let Videl know that he was looking to move to the next level. More than friends. No turning back.

He was ready.

"Hey, Videl."

"Hmm?"

Son opened his mouth, but upon seeing Videl's eyes slowly opening, he found himself unable to form words. It was so close! He slapped himself mentally for his last-minute cowardice and cursed inwardly. "… uh, never mind," he said instead.

Little did Son know, Videl saw right through him. She gave out a light chuckle laden with anticipation and nervousness. Oh yes, she was well aware of what Son was going to say. "It's okay. You don't have to say it."

"H-huh? What?" Son blinked several times as gears started spinning in his head.

Videl inhaled and then sighed audibly. Just like what Son had done earlier, she looked up and counted the stars in her heart. When she felt she was ready, she fixed her gaze on Son's and tightened her grip on his palm.

She would be the one to say the magic words first.

"Me too, Son. I really like you… more than just a friend."