EDITED - 05/01/2014
…
What? Another update? So soon?
Yes, yes, I know. :D You can stop twisting, my arm. ::wink:: Since this one came out earlier, I don't really know when the next chapter will be updated, but sometime next week probably, ok?
I wanted to begin by addressing the issues that Birdy pointed out in her/his last review (thank you so much, by the way!) regarding the ki suppressor cuff that Gohan's using, but as I began writing my response it got a little big and so you can find it by the end of the chapter (I didn't want to scare the other readers with a ton of bold lettered author's notes right at the beginning :D). So, for whoever's interested, just take a look down there.
This chapter is an important one! :D
Enjoy!
Nights like these always made him feel different, somehow.
His body temperature would go up by about one degree, and all the senses he'd normally associate with his Saiyan heritage would be overall enhanced during the three or so days that the moon was to its fullest. For the last couple of months, he'd tried to take notice of the Ki suppressor's influence on his body during the full-moon, but he was now convinced that it had none, although he wasn't exactly sure of how that made him feel. Certainly, he didn't want the thing to change him that much, but he couldn't refrain from wondering... Would the cuff keep him from turning Oozaru if he still had his tail? The transformation would come with a massive increase in Ki, as much as in size, so maybe the cuff would prevent it from happening.
Not that he would ever purposely try it out, that's for sure.
Maybe it was all in his head, but looking directly onto the moon was still pretty eerie, even after all these years had passed, so he tried his mightiest to avoid that connection. Keeping his head down, the two last cardboard boxes in his arms, Gohan followed Sharpner through the sidewalk that would lead to Videl and Erasa's new home. Thankfully, it was less than five minutes away from the student housing, so the whole moving process went down swift and easy, all done in the course of that afternoon. They reached the cast-iron gate and entered the small apartment complex - Melrose place minus the pool, was Gohan's first impression - and went up the right side stairwells to apartment two "F", just a little to the side.
The door had been left open from their last trip, so they entered to the common area, a long three-seater green sofa and a coffee table the first things that met the eyes. Those served a flat-screen television on the corner to his right, and to his left, a round dining table where Erasa was currently established, elbows-deep into a box. The whole left-side wall beside her belonged to the open-area kitchen and respective appliances and cupboards, though they would probably be all empty right now, since the girls had just moved in. Between the green couch and the table stood a wide archway that led to a corridor and the rest of the small house. Erasa had given them the tour earlier: a bathroom, two bedrooms - one at each end of the hallway - and a whole length's worth of storage room on one of the walls. Considering the amount of boxes these girls had managed to produce, they'd make full use of those cabinets, no doubt.
"Where can I put these, Babe?" Sharpner asked. With a gentle touch of his boot, Gohan closed the door behind them.
Erasa dropped what she was doing and studied the two boxes in her boyfriend's arms for the girly scribbles. "Both of those can go to my bedroom," she instructed. "And while you're there, wash up so we can go, okay?"
"Aww, Babe, can't we just postpone it?" Sharp whined and turned to his roommate. "Poor G has worked his ass off for you two today, and you're just gonna leave him all alone for the rest of the night."
Erasa frowned a bit, though out of hesitance more than annoyance. "But... it's the last day for the movie I wanted to see." Which was pretty much the reason for the guy's ultimate attempt at getting out of the latest chick flick, he was sure. The girl looked back at him now. "You don't mind, do you, Gohan?"
"Not at all."
That disapproving grunt and lazily-directed death-glare from his roommate did nothing but amuse him, after which, Sharpner did as he was told. Just as he laid a step on the hallway, however, aiming to take to the left for Erasa's bedroom, Videl's door clicked open to his right. "Damn, girl," Sharp hollered. "You look fine!"
"Why, thank you, good sir," he heard Videl say just before she came into view. "But I do believe your hot new girlfriend is right there, is she not? All blond and hot?"
"All blonde and hot, indeed," the guy responded playfully and continued on his way, just as Videl walked over to the common area, putting on her earrings and placing her black clutch on the table. He'd never been too good at analyzing those kinds of things, but he too had to admit: she looked "fine", although he thought the word a little vulgar.
Her fitted long-sleeved dress made her look much more sophisticated than usual, hip length and in a dark, rich red color that he found extremely appealing for some reason. He'd always say red was his favourite color because it reminded him of his father's gi, but maybe he just liked it that much better than he thought. On the other hand, Videl's big black heels reconfigured her whole posture, and he found himself captivated by the flowy curve of her enhanced calf muscles. It was the first time he'd seen her in a skirt, now that he thought about it.
"He's right, Babygirl," Erasa practically cheered. "You look amazing!"
"Come on, stop it. It's not a big deal," Videl pleaded, quickly turning her back on the blonde, probably to discourage any further words on the matter. Erasa was a really nice girl, but sometimes, when she'd set her mind on something, it seemed like she would never… stop… talking about it, goodness. Facing himself, now, Videl sent a really soft smile his way. "Gohan, you can put those down, you know?"
Put what now? "Oh, right," he said, the two huge boxes still in his arms, which he proceeded to place down carefully on the floor. If the damn things weren't so weightless, he would've noticed he was still carrying them and not seem like a moron. But then again, nothing was ever truly heavy to him, was it? Other than the gravity back at Bulma's, that is. "I should be going, anyway."
Videl's smile vanished at his words, and she dashed over to him. "Oh, no, you're staying. Rick won't pick me up for another thirty minutes." Her hands touched his chest and pushed him towards the couch, forcing him to sit down. "And… I have something for you." Her smile was back, though it seemed more like a contained smirk of sorts. With a playful wink and a series of clicks from her shoes, she went away towards the fridge, followed closely by his curious gaze. What in the world could she have for him in there? They'd spent the night here yesterday, he was told, but with most of their things still at their dorm room, he didn't think they'd gone shopping for food so soon. As she leaned down, though, he deduced it was either something heavy or fragile, considering how she took extra care in retrieving it from the bottom shelve.
It took him a couple of seconds to realize it, but when he did, his head whiplashed straight back to the yellow wall in front of him, as he did his best to concentrate on any random spot on its surface. Damn the moon… damn it so damn much. How wonderfully would Videl think of him had she known he'd been staring at her ass the whole time. Only three people in this whole world he dared call friends - his own friends, no prior connections to his dad - and he was ogling one of them like a freaking pervert. Some friend he turned out to be.
The couch waved next to him, and his focus immediately faded from the safety of the wall to Videl, a big grin swelling up her pale-rose cheeks. She was holding a palm-sized mini cake that read, "Thank you!" in curly red letters. "Did you make this?" he asked her, a hint of a smile curling up his lips as he took it from her hands.
"I sure did. It's chocolate, your favorite."
Surely he was now grinning like an idiot, but for the life of him, he just couldn't suppress it. He actually felt like crying a little bit, provided he could actually still shed any tears, but it was just that big of a deal. It was teeny-tiny but his, and nobody had ever baked a cake just for him before. He always had to share it with at least his three little guys, and as much as he could inhale his part way faster than Mia, the wonder twins were a whole lot trickier. After a second of staring at the sample-size treat, his arm flew behind her shoulders, and his lips planted a small peck on her cheek. "I love it. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said. "Want a fork?"
He nodded furiously, making her giggle as she stood up. "Were it anyone else, I'd tell him to only eat it after dinner so it wouldn't spoil his appetite," Videl commented to Erasa as she stepped over to the kitchen, joining in her chuckles. Yeah, he was a big black hole where all food went to die, but… it was chocolate. There wasn't much in the world he knew he loved just as unquestionably as dark, delicious chocolate, and if she didn't want him to eat it, then she should've just kept it hidden from him. Even more so this close to dinner time; what was he, made of steel? No Saiyan could resist cake.
The cheerful tune of a text message slightly diverted Videl's course to the table for a quick check of her cellphone, which ended up not being quick at all. She stared at the thing for a few long seconds that felt like even longer hours. She wouldn't mind if he'd go get the fork himself, would she? Would that be rude? Well, it should be a little less rude than the alternative of stuffing his face and go at it like a pig, surely.
"What is it?" Erasa asked, but Videl didn't respond, just staring blankly at the device. Was the message so long she was still reading the text? Or maybe it was confusing and she kept re-reading it. "He's not coming, is he? Dammit, Vi."
"It's okay," the other said really lowly.
"It's most definitely not okay!" the blonde almost yelled. "What the hell are you still doing with him?" Wait, who were they talking about? Videl had been expecting Rick for their date; was he standing her up? "It's always the same with that dickhead! You had this planned for weeks, and ten minutes before, he sends you a text? What's his excuse now, huh? Happy hour at the strip club?"
"I don't want to talk about it, E." Her whisper was so incredibly soft and… weak, it weighed his whole face down into a scowl. This girl wasn't Videl. The Videl he knew was upbeat and lively, and really confident of herself, not weak in any way. What had that… that bastard said to her to remove her so much from her own personality? Carefully, he slid the cake onto the coffee-table, standing up just because it didn't felt right to be sitting right now, for some reason.
It was stupid. It was stupid and he knew it, but a warrior stands when on the battlefield. This isn't a battle, he tried to remind himself, but his gut clenched just the same. As did his right fist.
Erasa sighed. "Vi..."
Videl looked up; he'd never seen a smile so fake in his entire life. "You know what? It's fine. I wasn't really in the mood to go out, anyway." Well, that's just not true. She'd been cheery all afternoon, humming and hopping around all excited, and then excused herself earlier to "Go get pretty", as she'd put it. Now her eyes were sparkling like they were made of water, all because of that text message. His hand fisted harder, nails pinching his flesh.
"Don't lie to me! I'm your best friend." The blonde grabbed her own cellphone from the table and slid her thumbs skilfully around the screen. "You're coming with me and Sharp. I'll just call to add a person to the dinner reservation, and then we can buy an extra ticket for the movie when we get there."
"Don't even think about it!" Videl stomped her way and forced the cellphone down from Erasa's sight. "I'm not going to mess up your date night. I'll just put on my pajamas and catch up on my reading. I'll be fine." No. No, she won't. Gohan went to the hanger by the door and took the black jacket.
"You are not staying alone in this house if I have to drag you by the hair!"
"E, don't be..." Videl stopped talking when he shoved her jacket between the girls. They were both staring at him like he'd grow a second head, but he couldn't care. It had taken Videl one whole hour, at least, to get ready - her hair, her makeup, things she normally wouldn't spend so much time on, obviously - so no way was she okay just to stay at home; not after all that effort.
And he wasn't okay with it either.
"Put it on," he told her, as softly as he could considering he was actually demanding.
"Gohan? Wha…?" Confused as she might have been, she slowly manouvered to obey.
"I'll take you out to dinner." He picked up her clutch and handed it to her, gently pushing her to the door with a hand on her back. "Erasa, I'm taking Sharp's car." The keys were in his roommate's denim jacket, so he took them out. "You guys can use yours."
The blonde was silent for a moment, clearly in some sort of shock over his unusual behaviour, but soon rearranged her whole expression, beaming, "Sure thing, Gohan! Have fun, you two."
"But..." Videl started to say, just as they left the apartment.
"No buts." Gohan closed the door, continuing to command her towards the stairway. "You look too beautiful to stay at home, tonight." It had come from his lips without any sort of filter, but strangely enough, he was completely at peace with it. Maybe he wouldn't be the best person in the world to make that particular assessment, but he had eyes on his face just like everybody else, and he saw what he saw. Nobody could make him feel embarrassed for telling the truth.
From the corner of his eye, he could tell her lips were slightly parted, and then they were producing a smirk. "Did you just call me beautiful?" Videl teased. He'd feel the blush creeping up to his face, yes, and he'd throw an awkward smile into the mix just for the added pitifulness, just like she was probably expecting, but not with this. At least not right now.
"You're a beautiful woman, Videl. A blind man could see it." He made an effort to keep his tone straight, his shoulders squared, lest she'd see it as some sort of joke or a playful retort. It wasn't. Over the years, he became as blind to these things as they came, and even he could see it. It was all over her appearance just as much as her personality and the way she saw the world, so if that asshole couldn't see it, it was simply because he hadn't bothered to look. And then he truly didn't deserve her.
Gently yet assertively, he escorted his friend out the gate and onto the sidewalk, focusing on their path to the car like he was actually expecting some sort of invisible threat or something. There was no one around them, no detectable Kis, as weak as they might've been, and for a moment of sheer stupidity, he actually considered Androids… Why in the world was he making such a big deal out of this?
Shaking his head and his brain awake, he clicked the remote for his roommate's blue hatchback as his hand broke connection to her back. She walked over to the front passenger's door and he followed suit, but then she looked over her shoulder and turned around, extending her hand for the keys. "Do you want me to drive?" Videl asked.
"W-Wha…?" he stuttered, completely stunned by the question. "No, I was just… opening the door for you."
Wasn't that the proper thing to do? It'd never crossed his mind not to open the door for her, but maybe… he had somehow crossed the line? She was in a relationship with another guy, asshole as he'd turned out to be, so even if he'd done it as common courtesy instead of any type of "date protocol", he'd hate it if it'd came across the other way around. Her friendship was really important to him, and maybe it was inevitable that it'd be more delicate than the one he shared with Sharpner, for instance, considering she was a girl, so maybe he should tone it down on the gentleman lessons?
"Oh… of course." She seemed so surprised, her eyelashes fluttering like he'd done some amazing feat of mankind right before her eyes. There was a sweet little smile on her face, though, so at least it didn't look like she'd taken it the wrong way. As always, he might've been overthinking things a bit. It'd be really weird not to open doors for her in the future, honestly.
Maybe she was just not used to those kinds of gestures, considering her inane boyfriend and all.
Videl took her seat inside the vehicle and he gently closed the door before walking around to the driver's side. Taking a glance inside through the windshield, her whole body looked tense and uncomfortable, her face etched with a soft frown that spelt disappointment, through and got to his seat and closed the door, proceeding to put on his safety-belt when it came to him: he was surely inept when it came to every other social interaction, but making people crack a smile when they were down had become a speciality of sorts over the years. It'd been proof tested only on little children, but maybe he could adapt it a bit.
In a stroke of inspiration, he asked her, "Where should I steer our fiery steed, milady?"
It made her giggle, instantly lightening the gravity inside the car and on her shoulders. Her grin pulled on his own smile. "To the town's center, my brave knight. We will feast on the premises."
"As you wish."
The hatchback came to life, and after a moment, so did the radio, a comfortable silence once more between them like so many other times before. Gohan was really glad Videl wasn't as talkative as Erasa, he had to admit. The blonde girl was simply too much for one person to take at any given moment, and she would always find another topic to address or another gossip to share with him. And honestly, with all the names she'd sputter around belonging to famous people he'd never heard about in his life, most of the times he wound up not understanding a word out of her mouth. Others he'd just tune out entirely.
But Videl was different. He'd always been really comfortable around her, even before ever learning her name. Unlike Sharpner and Erasa, she'd never once pressured him to share about his life or what was on his mind, which he was very thankful for. They'd just talk about regular stuff, like movies or music, likes and dislikes and their own views of the world. His past didn't define him when he was with her, and that's why, in a way, she was the most important to him out of the three.
Though he'd never hear the end of it if Sharp ever found out. He could just hear him whine about it. Stab my back, why dontcha? I thought I was your best bro, not her! Drama queen...
When he'd came to college and started hanging around people his age, girls would always make him feel uneasy in some way. He reckoned it was mainly because they required some forethought on his part while other people rarely did - he wouldn't get slapped if he was caught reading some random guy's t-shirt, surely. But still… Videl was different. True her tops didn't normally have words on them, but somehow he had a feeling she'd still get he wasn't just eyeing her up, and they'd probably just either talk about her shirt or disregard it completely.
It was easy being with her. A true measure of friendship, as far as he was concerned.
This specific silence, though, was just a little too... silent. There was no hum to the song that was on the radio, no movement, no growling to the other stupid, inconsiderate drivers. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and frowned instantly, his jaw clenching right along. Her glazed stare ahead was not something he was used to and nothing he'd ever want to see again.
They arrived downtown not long after. Gohan stepped out and walked around to help Videl, even though he knew she didn't need it. She briefly smiled in gratitude but he saw right through it. Her eyes spoke much louder than what she was trying to make believe, and what they said was making his blood boil. He tried not to frown, but there's no way he could ignore the sadness. "Hey." He gently tilted her chin up so her blue orbs would meet his. "I don't know who you are, sad eyes, but you better bring me my Videl back, right now." A soft grin graced her shiny lips. "Don't make me spank you."
A fire reignited on a cold dark night, her whole body lit up and laughed at his words, warming his heart with the way it sounded so pure and so real. Like his three crazy munchkins whenever he got them in the right mood, cackling and snorting like little piggies, rolling on the floor while holding their bellies. It was the only true way to bring him some self-pride, nowadays, so he went ahead and congratulated himself with an imaginary pat on the back, making his way towards the sidewalk. His stomach was second place on his mind right now, but making itself more and more noticeable with every minute that passed, so maybe they could speed things up and decide on a restaurant. What was he feeling tonight? Chinese? Italian? Maybe sushi?
His deliberation was interrupted by a surprise hug around the waist, one that he welcomed the very moment his body relaxed by the smell of green apples coming from her hair - false alarm, no Androids. This one was longer and tighter than ever before - her arms clenched tautly around him, her cheek against his chest - but he was more than okay with it. He could tell she need the contact.
"Thank you." Videl's words were whispered more than said, but in the very same way, he felt them more than he heard them. He softly planted a kiss on the top of her head, and his Videl looked up, not the other sad one, with a smile as bright as the blue sapphires she called eyes. "You must be starving," she said, and his pleading expression must've responded for him by the way she giggled while pulling herself out of the embrace.
"Where do you want to go?" Gohan asked. He'd go for anything really, his stomach wasn't all that picky, but even less so when it was nearing ready to growl for intake. Hopefully it'd stay put a while longer; the little bastard always had a way to embarrass him in the least favorable occasions.
Videl looked around the street in a contemplative manner, pouching her lips while pondering the options, ultimately saying, "Let's go for a burger."
The shock shot him in the face, his eyebrows skyrocketing in disbelief. "A burger? You're not serious..."
"I am, actually." The peacefulness in her expression was as much reassuring as it was confusing. A burger was for when you wanted quick and easy, not elegant and stylish like she was. How could he, in good conscience, take her to any place where your food was served in trays when she was dressed for five-star upscale instead?
"Of all the places you could choose," he said just for confirmation, "you want to go grab a burger?"
Like she was proud of herself, her lips widened to a grin and her chin lifted for a, "Uh-huh. And the greasiest one we can find."
The greasiest one? For a moment he just stared at her, not really sure of what to say, but ended up just letting out a smile. "I can't let that happen. You're too pretty to go to a burger joint."
She smiled as well, the peacefulness still surrounding her, her eyes lost in the distance. "Rick always wants to go to these fancy places around town. His father owns most of them," she explained. "Those kind of places where the food takes up a quarter of your plate, and you have a million utensils and glasses, only to leave hungrier than you came in." She paused. A shoulder rose and then fell. "I don't know. I guess, sometimes... a girl just gotta eat with her hands, you know?"
"You just don't want me to starve to death, right?" It was just half a joke, the other half actual supplication, but either way it made her giggle.
"Yeah, that too," she said.
Gohan brought his arm up to surround her shoulders, nudging her onwards to restaurant he had in mind. "You'll be the most well-dressed girl there, that's for sure."
"Well, that was my ulterior motive."
"I knew it."
It took them only five or so minutes to get to the place and take their seats, but it seemed like it'd been at least triple that time. He'd walked next to Videl plenty of times before, but tonight he'd found himself death-glaring more people than he probably ever did his entire life, and that's saying something. All of them men, of course, eyeing her up and down and some even licking their lips like freaking animals. Okay, so he too had stared at her ass for a few seconds back at her place, but it wasn't his fault he had Saiyan blood in his veins. The moon was super bright and imposing tonight, so it was only natural for him to act a little more raw and unrefined, considering what the moon was actually meant to do to his body had he had his tail. Those other guys didn't have an excuse!
Other than the fact that Videl was a beautiful woman, the little voice in his head reminded him. He told it to go sit in the corner.
"Do you think that's enough?" Videl's amused words brought him back from his crazy-man ramblings, index finger pointing at the five triple-cheeseburgers and the equivalent number of fries scattered across his tray.
"It'll do for now," Gohan responded, not even joking, though she giggled about it before nibbling at her microscopical burger. How could that thing ever fill a person's stomach? She wasn't on some sort of diet was she? Because he very much doubted there was a pound on that body that needed to be shed.
"So…" she started to say, "are you excited about your first real match next week?"
"Yeah." Though a little nervous too, if he was being honest with himself. Fighting for victory solo was one thing, since his actions and decisions were his alone, but when other people depended so directly on him to win, the stakes turned completely different. It's like his body was just a small part of a bigger one that was his team, and it was that bigger body that did the fighting. "Let's see how it goes." It'd be cool to win.
"What positions did coach Leon assign you to?"
"Wide receiver and strong safety, though I'm not sure for how long. He says I could do just about anything on the team."
"Oh, wow!" she beamed. "That's awesome! Even more so coming from him"
"Yeah, I guess." Coach Leon was well-know as being difficult to please. "I just hope I can step up to the plate."
"Oh, don't worry about it," she said, waving a hand his way. "I'm sure you'll do great."
That's good because he wasn't sure at all, though he'd always been a bit too hard on himself, ever since a little kid. "Thanks."
"At what time does it begin?"
"I'll have to be there an hour earlier but it starts at five p.m."
"Thursday, right?"
Gohan nodded for confirmation, though he'd already lost focus on the matter, frowning softly in a mix of concentration and annoyance while trying his best not to unstack the layers of his third sandwich.
"Cool," Videl continued to say. "Our shirts will be ready Wednesday afternoon. Just in time."
Did they do it on purpose not to line up these things? Because it didn't seem like rocket science to… Wait, what? "Your shirts?"
She chuckled. "Yeah. We've decided that since we're gonna cheer for you from the bleachers might as well look the part while doing it, so we had some jerseys made."
An incredulous smile crept up to his face. "Are you serious?" he almost squealed, but he didn't care. They'd ordered custom made jerseys just to cheer for him? Videl nodded silently, straw to her lips for a sip at her soda. "What are they like?"
"Well," she started, "we all have a different one, but they are black and golden with the little twenty-one on the left side of the chest just like yours. And then on the back, it also has a big twenty-one like your jersey, but it's mixed into a phrase with the word 'awesome' in big bold letters."
"Mixed into a phrase? What do you mean?"
A little enthusiastic giggle left her lips. "Oh, you're gonna love it! Erasa's says 'Two plus one equals awesome. Or three, but mostly awesome'. Sharp's is 'Twenty-one wins the hand and the match', because he was being a sissy and wanted to keep it short." It made him chuckle. "And then mine, of course, is the coolest of them all."
"Of course," he agreed playfully.
"It's an equation that reads 'Twenty-one equals life, the universe, and everything awesome, divided by two'."
His eyes went wide, recognizing immediately that specific phrase. "That's from-"
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," they said in unison, to which Videl added, "I knew you'd recognize it! I saw the book on the shelf back at your room, and I got the feeling it wasn't exactly Sharp's type of literature."
Well, it wasn't exactly his either, to be honest, considering he'd only bought the thing on a whim, with the sole excuse that he was probably one of the few people on this planet who had actually been a sort of hitchhiker that had traveled through the galaxy on his way to Namek. Turned out the book was actually pretty hilarious, hence why he'd since bought another one from the series.
There was really… absolutely nothing he could say with how completely flabbergasted he was. He let himself fall back into his seat, lips parted in awe. "You guys went to all that trouble just to cheer for me." It almost seemed like a statement but was actually a question, because he still couldn't believe it. Since when did people go so much out of their ways for something as menial as a football match? His football match.
"Of course, silly. We're your friends!" Her words were so simple and yet so amazingly unreal, but she'd said them like they were the most obvious thing ever. And they probably were, only not for him. Would Krillin ever do the same for his father, he wondered? Dad didn't really count because it was just in his nature to help and support people, as much as it'd divert him of his own way, but yeah, Krillin would definitely do the same for him, no doubt about it.
Gohan had his own friends now, ones that would do things for him just because he was him. Like Dad and Krillin. Dad and Yamcha. Dad and Bulma, and Oolong, and Master Roshi.
"Ha! I love it!" he blurted out despite himself, a grin so big stretching his face that it actually tingled the skin at his cheeks. Most of those muscles had probably been dormant for the past seven years, he mused, but he was sure they were delivering the goods now. Every time he thought about her words between a bite on a piece from his stash, another uncontrollable wave of chuckles would leave his chest, but he just couldn't control it. He couldn't wait for match day to see those jerseys in person.
"You know…" Videl said, bringing a french fry from her tray to hover in front of her mouth. "You have an amazing smile. You should show it more often."
Well, there go the chuckles. The nervousness made him swallow the meat in his mouth a little too hard, and the intake of further food slow its pace down to normal - as in "almost static" in Saiyan terms. "T-Thanks," he told her, stuttering like an idiot. It wasn't that he didn't like to smile, he just never had any real chances to do so. No, that wasn't exactly true either. The chances had been there, his heart had not.
Something he'd realized a while ago was coming back to him at this moment, fruit of that "amazing smile" he wouldn't have produced otherwise. His friends were changing him. For the better. For what he used to be, hopefully, or at least somewhat close to it, considering there wasn't that much they could work with in the first place. It brought back his smile. The night had turned out way different than he'd anticipated but a really good one, nonetheless. And then the smile vanished again with the thought of why they were out together in the first place: Rick.
"Won't he mind?" Gohan asked very quietly, eying the half-eaten burger in his hands.
"Huh?"
"Rick. Won't he mind that you'll be wearing my number?"
"I did it for him too on his first game," Videl explained, "Minus the funny phrase. His sense of humor is a bit tricky."
"I just don't want you to make things worse because of me." It was obvious her relationship with her boyfriend wasn't completely stable and strong, considering tonight's events and the conversation they had on the roof of his dorm building. The last thing he wanted was to be the reason behind any further complications, and since he knew Rick wasn't exactly laid back when it came to who Videl talked to and hung around with - recalling when they'd first met, while he was trying to help her with her Economics - maybe it wasn't such a good idea that she cheered for him. The guy was on his team and everything, it seemed… weird.
"Gohan," she said, her tone completely serious, though he still couldn't look up from his hands. "You're one of my best friends, and I will cheer for you whatever happens. If he won't share, then I'll cheer for you alone. Serves him right for being a baby."
It didn't really help with the weirdness of it, but he still managed to produce a snicker at her words.
"Hey." Videl leaned over her tray, forcing herself into his line of sight, so he looked up at her. "Don't worry about him, okay?"
Well, she was the one who knew the guy better, he guessed. If she said it was okay… "Okay," he told her, letting out a smile when she did the same. With one final bite and swallow, he finished up with his food and cleaned his hands on a paper napkin. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yep," was her perky answer, so they started getting up. His mother's gentleman lessons included cleaning up after himself, even in greasy burger joints, so he grabbed both their trays and emptied them out on the nearby trash can, just as she added, "Thank you for this, Gohan."
Her words were so soft and meaningful, but he'd done nothing worthy of such praise. They'd had cheeseburgers, for goodness sake; if Mom ever found out that's where he'd brought a lady for dinner… "You're welcome," he told her politely as they exited the restaurant. "Are you tired?" He didn't really feel like going home just yet, but maybe she did.
"Umm, no, not really."
A harsh wind flew by them, and she closed her coat tighter around her torso and throat at the change of temperature. Instinctively, Gohan took off his own coat, sliding it over her shoulders in one swift move while asking, "How about some ice-cream?" His stomach would definitely approve of something sweet to-
"Gohan, you'll freeze!" Videl injected just as she realized what he was placing on her.
"No, I won't. I have a warm sweater." Not to mention an abnormally high body temperature, courtesy of the silver glow illuminating their path.
She took the garment from her back and handed it to him. "I'll be fine, really. Please, put on your jacket."
So stubborn… Goodness.. He took it from her hands and she smiled as if she'd had her way, but he just put it back on her shoulders again, grabbing her by the arms right after so she couldn't repeat the process. He looked straight into her eyes then. "Vi, you didn't ask me to do it. If I was cold, I wouldn't have given you my jacket."
"You would because you're a gentleman."
"God, woman! Don't overthink this. Can I buy you an ice-cream or not?" So fucking stubborn! It was windy outside, her own jacket was obviously too light to warm her properly, so there was nothing more to discuss. True that he'd probably give her his coat even if he'd been cold without it, but he wouldn't feel right not to do so.
Videl's hand came up to cover the giggles as they left her lips. Okay, so maybe he had a mild outburst there, one that didn't really fit the lukewarm personality he normally sported around, but at least it won him the match with the way she was staying put. It allowed him to return his hands to his pockets. "You can take me for an ice-cream but I'll buy it," she said, an obstinate frown and smirk letting show she didn't lose the argument, she'd simply let him win. It was fine by him, as long as it kept her warm. "You've already payed for my meal back there."
Gohan started strolling away and she followed suit, side-by-side towards this place that Sharpner had showed him the other day. It was really small but nice, right in the middle of the city's main public garden, not too far away. "I thought the guy was supposed to pay for everything," he said, knowing it'd come out as a tease but it had an underlying question. Was that still acceptable nowadays? He knew it was the proper thing to do, but as so many things today were showing him, his "proper" might have been a little outdated.
"Maybe last century," she said with a sweet smile.
"But what if I want to pay for everything? As a treat? Does that make me sexist or a gentleman?"
"If you don't mind when the tables turn and the woman does it as well, a gentleman. If you take offense in that, then a sexist."
Well, that made sense, he guessed. "I don't take offense. I just wanted to buy you ice-cream."
Her sweet smile turned an ever sweeter grin. "Okay, then. But next time's on me, deal?"
"Deal." And that was the end of it, he thought, but then he noticed her hand extended his way. Or more accurately, her little finger. "What...?"
"Ya can't have a deal without a pinky swear," she said proudly and cheery.
A… pinky swear? After a moment of staring and silence, it made him chuckle. Ya sure couldn't; a deal's a deal. He hooked his finger with hers, gave it a tug, and returned his hand to his pocket.
"Hey!" a strong shout reached them from behind then. They looked back over their shoulders.
"Rick?" Vi was the one to vocalize, really lowly from the surprise. Gohan was surprised too for a moment, since he thought Rick had been preoccupied with… Well, he wasn't sure what he'd be doing instead of going out with Videl, but if he'd sent her that text message, the young Saiyan assumed he'd be too busy to be walking around on the street instead. And with two buddies, apparently, the three guys stomping their way.
"What the hell are you doing here, Videl?" Rick almost shouted, and then the surprise was out the window, replaced by a frown Gohan was trying to keep soft and contained. But that tone in the guy's voice… the way his body was all tensed up and his hands fisted… Tell-tale signs of anger; he'd recognize them anywhere.
"What am I doing here?" Videl responded back in the very same volume, pointing an accusing finger at her boyfriend. "You were the one who ditched me to go watch some game at your friend's house!"
"And you took it as permission to dress up like a tramp, and go out with the first guy that would take you!"
His gut jerked. A what? What the hell did he call her?
"Excuse me?" Videl said, really slowly.
"Hey, man, calm down," Gohan decided to add, lifting up an unthreatening hand to show he meant no harm, though taking the opportunity to slide a step nearer to Videl. The guy was just too worked up, and that word... His other hand fisted on its own.
Rick's blue eyes almost seemed milky white as they stared his way now, blinded by rage. "Take off, newbie. I'll kick your ass!"
Yeah, well, he could always try.
Videl stepped over to stand between them, and it brought back the surprise that undid his frown for a moment. Earlier, her stubbornness might've been slightly unnerving, but it was the same one that now was enabling her to stand up for herself. It was admirable considering the fury she was facing; stronger people would cower for less.
"Gohan is my friend, and you will leave him out of this," she said, calmly but it escalated right after. "As for me, you can kiss this 'tramp' goodbye, because we're done! Leave me alone, and go find some other gullible little girl wealthy enough to satisfy your bloated ego! See if they want an inconsiderate scumbag that treats them like shit! You're nothing but a pathetic little boy!"
It wasn't even a second before it happened, but it was slow-motion in his eyes. Rick's scowl deepening, his upper-lip receding, showing his teeth. The veins on his neck bulged out, as did his blue eyes, and his arm moved back and up for momentum. His palm was open instead of fisted, at least; that would've been too low, even for the guy. Slapping a girl was already dishonorable as it was, but punching one would be even worse. With a tightening of his bicep, his hand flew to Videl's face, and her body instinctively hunched away, anticipating the contact.
Never. Not her. Not in his presence.
Casually, Gohan grabbed the other's wrist, holding it stationary half way to Videl. Slowly, she looked back up to them, just as Rick let out a constrained grunt at the realization that no force was proving enough to release the grip. Normally, Gohan's own hand wouldn't even be shaking with the other's attempts to break free, but apparently the Ki suppressor cuff was doing its job as it was supposed to. Good to know.
"This is none of your business," Rick threatened, his teeth so gritted they seemed ready to shatter.
It really wasn't, but he was his father's son. He wouldn't stand for injustice, and he damn well wouldn't stand for further hostility. Not to anyone, much less his friend. "I don't have anything against you," he told Rick, calm and collected, "but if you don't leave her alone like she asked you to, I'm gonna have to make it my business." Rick didn't respond, groaning while trying harder to shake his hand loose, even bringing his other hand to attempt unclasping his fingers one by one. It was indeed pathetic, as Vi had put it, but he had to give the guy a break on that one; he didn't really know who he was dealing with. "Say it."
"W-What?" Rick whined.
"Say you'll leave her alone," Gohan insisted.
"I will! I'll leave her alone!"
A couple of seconds were allowed for the words to sink in, and then the young Saiyan let go of his hand. Instantly, Rick stumbled back towards his buddies, rubbing his right wrist like it had been shackled, breathing heavily and staring even harder towards Gohan. He then looked back at Videl. "Your father won't be happy about this."
"That you tried to hit me?" she yelled. "No, he really won't!"
The trio left in a hurry, directing one last supposedly-menacing look his way, and then disappearing behind a building. And that's when he heard the shaky breath Videl let out. When he looked to her, her chin started shaking, a thin river of nervous tears went down her cheek, and then her hands flew up to cover her face. "Shit," she whispered to herself.
It urged him to grab her and pull her body onto his, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Vi. You'll be okay."
"I can't believe he tried to fucking hit me!" Her words were muffled against her hands, but the intensity was palpable.
"It's over now. Just breathe, you'll be okay," he repeated. His mind took him back to the mountain side, not even two weeks ago. His words to Trunks had been the very same as was the incredible sense of pride he felt. She'd done amazingly well, considering it'd been so obvious the great deal of self-control it took not slap her boyfriend in the face. A control he quite frankly didn't expect of her. And now, these tears were out of scorn, he was sure, towards a guy she once had feelings for, and not out of fear or helplessness. Not his Vi.
Her nervous sobbing continued for a minute or two, until it gradually died down. Gohan patiently rubbed her back in comfort, and smiled warmly when she looked up. Her chin's final quivers were kind of adorable if it weren't for the circumstances, but not only that… there was something in her eyes, something he'd never seen before. Something in the way they were shining, but that wasn't from her tears, since it seemed… deeper. It wasn't nervousness anymore, and it wasn't embarrassment either; what was it? Suddenly, softly, she closed them, and the movement snapped him out of it, only to acknowledge that her lips were inches away from his.
So he leaned back.
It was an absentminded gesture, but his brain quickly rationalized it to be the right thing to do, considering how she wasn't exactly herself right now. Her brain, on the other hand, apparently freaked out, making her eyes widen and her hands cover her mouth. "Oh, God..."
"It's okay, Vi," he told her immediately.
"No, it's not! It's not okay!" Her hands covered her whole face now, her whole body hunching and turning away from him in embarrassment. "Shit, I'm so sorry."
"Vi..." He followed her movement so she wouldn't hide from him, but she wasn't letting go.
"I'm sorry, Gohan."
"It's okay," he insisted. "Look at me." She didn't comply, so he grabbed her wrists and pushed her hands away from her face, chasing her eyes as they fled from his until she reluctantly surrendered. "You're nervous and upset and you're extremely overwhelmed," he explained calmly. "You would kiss a turtle right now."
A modest smile managed to transform her gloomy features. "A turtle?"
He grinned widely at his achievement. It was true; people would do all manner of crazy stuff when their minds would freak out. Kissing nasty little critters - or him for that matter - would constitute a whole deal of crazy, that's for sure. "Yes, a turtle. A big, mossy green turtle."
She giggled now. "And why a turtle?"
"What? Did you want a rat or something?"
"No, I didn't want a rat!"
"Then what are you complaining about?" His expression was dead-serious but only for a couple of seconds, giving place a humorous smirk.
Videl laughed and lifted her head up to the sky, taking a deep breath before returning it down. "I could really go for that ice-cream right now."
"Thank God, I'm starving," the young Saiyan blurted out, throwing a hand around her back and clasping her arm while they resumed their path. Again, he was only half-joking, but her cheerier disposition was a wonderful side-effect. Crying was beneath her, he decided, those tears drying on her cheeks an attack on him personally, because that laughter right there, that's how she was supposed to be at all times.
And if someone else tried to make it otherwise, then he'd surely make it his business as well.
They arrived at the city park, moving towards the soft-serve ice-cream stand that flooded a handful of intricate cast iron tables and chairs with fluorescent white light. They were all full that night, so Gohan instructed her to take a seat on the wooden park bench across from the store instead, and she complied in a robotic way, numb from all that was going on through her head.
She'd loved that guy, once. At least she thought she had. The first few months with Rick had been some of the happiest in her life, as ludicrous as that seemed right now. He was never that much affectionate or funny, but he had been respectful and had cared about her once, she could tell. And the sex was good too, admittedly, though they hadn't done it in a while. For some reason, she was never in the mood anymore, but now she knew it was because things had become different between them.
It'd been her body telling her it deserved better. "Better" being not having to rush through the pleasure just to get to an orgasm or end up not having one at all because he was done. Inconsiderate even in bed, the bastard.
She'd spent over a year on him, trying to improve their relationship, trying to adapt to his needs, but now it was so clear that he'd never done the same for her. The things one only saw in the aftermath of broken dreams...
"What the hell are you still doing with him?" Erasa's words returned to her, stinging her limp heart a thousand times harder. What the hell indeed... Had she been blind this whole time? Had she been feeding an already dead relationship, wasting all her resources to keep nourishing it in vain? And most importantly, did she have anything else within her or did he leave her dying with a shriveled soul?
Her head was shaking unknowingly from side to side, her body trying to deny it for her. She was still young, she'd find love eventually. The dawning of adulthood struck her now like the loud tones of a pendulum clock, though, showing her the true face of love. The overly romanticized crap was clearly only movie worthy; real life didn't get to experience it, apparently. Her inner confident woman told her inner little girl that it was okay, that she didn't need romance and that she didn't want it.
She really didn't. Right?
After a moment, she spotted Gohan coming back and realized she hadn't even told him what flavour she wanted. He sat down next to her, holding a chocolate ice-cream cone and what she assumed was a vanilla one. "Pale and freckled, right?" he asked with a sweet smile.
Videl smiled back at him, yet another tear escaping her and probably making an even bigger mess out of her smudged eyes. How lovely she must look... But Gohan was the one to blame with these random acts of kindness. As it turned out, she wasn't used to boys actually hearing what she said, like he did, her words dissolving the very minute they reached their ears. But, then again, this was no "boy", was he? A tired sigh escaped her. "Thank you."
"Are you okay?" Gohan asked very softly.
Silently, she licked her ice-cream, not really sure on how to respond, letting her head slowly fall to the side to support itself on his shoulder, a pillow much harder than she was expecting but she didn't mind. There was no way she could look him in the eyes right now, the floodgates holding up way too much pressure and way too many tears still to shed. She'd already sissied out quite enough for one night, thank you very much.
Gohan was one of her closest friends, had always been extremely nice and caring towards her, ever since they'd first met, and she was overwhelmed back there, he'd said so himself. It'd been extremely respectful of him not to take advantage of her in that state, but that was just like him. Any other man, though… "Thank you, Gohan."
"For what?"
A long list of possible answers presented itself to her, but she decided to go with, "For being a true friend."
"You did it all by yourself, Vi," he said. "Your self-control was amazing. I'm really proud of you."
"You did more than you know," she concluded mostly to herself, wrapping her arms around his strong one and whispering one more heartfelt, "Thank you."
How she managed to surround herself with amazing, supportive friends like Gohan was beyond her, but at times like these, it gave her the strength to be faithful to herself and carry on carefree and happy, like she knew herself to be. Starting tomorrow, at least. Tonight, she would have to get rid of all the negativity Rick had left behind, in the form of pitiful tears she was still feeling within her eyes.
"Y-You're welcome." It made her smile. He was so cute when he stuttered like that, all nervous and innocent.
In a heartbeat he finished his chocolate ice-cream, and grinned like a little kid when Videl offered the final half of hers, knowing all too well how food of any kind held a special place in his list of priorities. She didn't really understood why, but her mouth started talking on its own, knowing he wouldn't ask for an explanation but feeling she owed him one, anyway.
"My father introduced us," she told him. "He has this stupid rule that I can only date guys who can win against him in a fight. I never followed the damn rule, but since Rick managed to give him a pretty good workout, my Dad decided he'd be a good boy for me to date."
Gohan didn't say anything, which didn't surprise her. He'd always been a wonderful listener.
"He was right, my father won't like it," Videl added after a while.
The statement surprised him, to say the least, since it made him shift his whole body to look at her, though she still wasn't ready to do the same, anchoring her eyes on the ice-cream stand in front of them. "You can't be with someone that makes you feel worthless," he said with conviction. "He'll understand that, right?"
She could only shake her head, no expression on her face. "To tell you the truth... I don't really know. Once upon a time, sure, but nowadays... He's changed too much. I hardly see him. He calls me every other weekend or so to check up on me and... and that's it." The pitchy tone of her last words really annoyed her, and she blamed the stubborn knot in her throat. Her burning eyelids closed to drop another lonesome tear down her cheek.
No, dammit. Stop crying.
In the very next moment, she felt Gohan's arm fly over her head, bringing her to his chest in one swift, hurried motion. No, she couldn't cry anymore, she wouldn't, but her tears didn't listen, so once again, she found herself sobbing in his arms, fisting his sweater with as much force as possible just for a hint of control over herself.
She felt his face on top of her head, his warm breath and a kiss at her hair. A soft hand caressing the back of her neck, really gently, really soothing.
An hour passed like a minute.
They slowly walked up the stairs in thoughtless silence, stopping when arriving at Videl's front door. After an emotional roller-coaster of a night, all she needed was a hot shower and a long night's sleep, although he was mostly sure she would only get one of those.
Standing by the door, she turned around to face him. "Thank you again, Gohan," she said, her eyes rapidly sinking to the keys in her hands.
"You're welcome," Gohan responded, really softly. It amazed him how she could still look so beautiful with a smudged dark face and puffy eyes. He took a step towards her and cupped her face with both hands, bringing her tired gaze up, since she'd been extremely determined to avert her eyes from his after the near-kiss thing. The commanding tone that started this whole night returned to his words, because just like before, he wouldn't take no for an answer. "Call me. If you he gives you any trouble, if you feel threatened, just... call me."
Videl pressed her lips together and nodded.
"Any time, any day," he insisted. "Promise me."
"I promise," she whispered.
It was of the utmost importance that she knew he was serious, that she wouldn't feel like burden so as not to call him at four a.m. if she needed. He brought his face an inch closer and stared even deeper into her eyes, repeating the instructions through them also via stern frown. It lasted for less than he wanted it too, naturally softening when he took notice of how the blue in her eyes was enhanced by the redness around them. Like hell enhanced heaven, the latter wouldn't seem as precious without the former.
Leaning over the rest of the way, he kissed her forehead, embracing her once more and as strongly as ever. She responded by resting her forehead on his chest, lazily hugging him around the waist, in a gesture they came to practice more times than expected that night. His chin rested on top of her head for a moment, the scent of green apples from her hair surrounding him and making him close his eyes.
She let out a deep sigh; it seemed of relaxation, so it relaxed him as well.
After a couple of minutes, she looked up at him. "You and Sharp are coming over tomorrow for dinner, okay?"
"We are?"
"Yes. I'm cooking."
It made him smile. "Sure." He kissed her forehead for one last time, slowly parting their warm hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
Videl smiled too and nodded, slowly removing his jacket from her shoulders and silently handing it to him. She opened the door and entered the apartment. "Good night, Gohan."
"Good night."
Tell me what you think!
Ok, so now for my response to Birdy's awesome review.
You do bring up some important issues and thanks again for that. :D
First: yes, I do agree that ki is linked to the body and, as such, training would not only increase your strength but also your overall ki.
The way I envisioned the ki suppressor working, is more of a switch that turns off your ki into a dormant state. I stated in the "Go Tigers" chapter that his power level decreased to about 1%, but, in my view of things, the cuff doesn't decrease your power to 1% of itself (whatever it actually is, initially) but HIS specific power was decreased to 1% and if it were Goku's (for example) it would've decreased not to 1% of HIS power, but to the actual ki value equivalent to Gohan's 1%, the dormant state I was referring to (imagine Gohan's power being 100, the cuff would've repressed it to 1, but if Goku's was 150 it would also repressed it to 1).
That being said, in regards to speed and him still being monumentally fast, I do agree that he is faster than the average human, even with the cuff on. Before I came up with the percentage values of his decreased abilities (power, speed, ...), I did make some calculations (yes, I know. I'm a total geek. :D, but for instance I estimated him to run a little faster than the fastest recorded top speed) and the problem is, there ARE records of some power levels at some points in the DBZ story line but not many and they stop after the Frieza saga (the last one being of when Frieza arrives on Earth). Gohan's last official (calm) power level was 200,000 on Namek . I did increased it A LOT, in my calculations (since his intense training in the HTC and SS transformations) to it being around 320,000 with the cuff on (totally fabricated number). But, that's not really as important to me when it comes to the ki suppressor.
In my imagination, if you took the ki out of the picture (all of it, not just by using the cuff), Gohan's body would still make him superior to his team mates, of course (if only because of his saiyan DNA), but not overly so as to being able to kill them with a punch (put them in a coma, maybe :D). If you do bring ki to the picture, he would most definitely have to control his punch so as not to kill someone. That being said, in my view of things, the suppressor not only decreases ki but (and most importantly for my story) it decreases his resistance. Not only physical endurance, like being tired after running a marathon, but also body resistance, like being able to be cut by paper. My thought process for this was, first, because I would imagine his body trying to constantly and fruitlessly tap in to the ki, resulting in increase tiredness when he pushes himself harder, and second, because ki would also normally act as a natural shield around his whole body, and if he doesn't have it (at least not to the normal degree) his body is most likely to be vulnerable to cuts and bruises he wouldn't be otherwise.
As for the second part of your review, and it's one of the reasons I LOVE readers reviews, is that I have to admit to never have considered that. In my story in particular, I don't think that Gohan would pretty much care about him being hit by a bus, as you suggested, even if that meant that he wouldn't be there to protect the planet against threats, because of his state of mind at the moment (it's begining to change, but when he started using the cuff he was in a darker place). Even if you consider he would have wanted to be there to protect the kids, when you're in such a depressed state of mind, things you feel are important don't always manage to snap you out of the hole you're in (not all the times, at least). But Bulma... yeah, you're probably right, although, they've been in peace for a very long time AND she does understand that he wants to feel normal.
But, as I considered this, the fact that his speed is still high, AND his innate abilities are not compromised (ki sensing, focus, discipline, instinct, and so on), I don't see something like that happening to him. Not that he couldn't get caught off guard, since that IS going to happen to him (spoiler? :D), but it would take him being completely focused elsewhere for it to happen and I don't think that my Gohan would be the type of person to not be aware of his surroundings enough to begin focusing his mind elsewhere when his body is in a position of danger.
On the other hand, after that first weeks where Gohan was testing the cuff out, Bulma would probably have suggested him to use it mainly when in football practice or matches, but he would have kept it on most of the time, regardless, because of the lightness it provides. For example, he wasn't using it when the kids were sparring in the last chapter. He would most definitely take it off every time there's sparring or training involved (his or the kids') so he could be in control and assure everyone's safety. Since he knew (and thought about it when on the roof with Videl) he could only levitate when the cuff was on, he wouldn't want to take the chance of not being able to fly if the need arises.
To sum it up, as I see it, the cuff has a much wider effect on Gohan's body than just the decrease of his power, speed, etc. I've painted the overall picture of what I wanted it to do but that doesn't mean that it won't be misused throughout the story (as a lapse on my part). On the other hand, the mix of saiyan DNA/ki suppressor would bring a whole variety of possible effects on Gohan's body, and because of those two aspects of the whole 'power suppressing' issue, I welcome every and any review/comment/PM that you consider throwing at me. This is OUR story, even though its in MY head. :D
What do you think, guys and girls? What are your opinions? I'd love to read them!
