Hey. Thanks a lot for all the support/reviews etc...

So, Yunayuu pointed out that my chapters were short and I can't deny I'm a short-chapters temper in comparison with other authors. Yet, I'm a regular updater and Kalebxdd allowed me to update on a weekly basis so far. I promise I'll do my best to keep going on as long as he stands by my side - keep in mind he's also an author with personal works going on.

Another things is I have many chapters in store. For those who didn't check out already, this story has 38 chapters all together.


Chapter 9

Wary of Videl's prying eyes, Gohan decided to land some blocks away from her place. Rain was pouring again, soaking him mercilessly, and he had to run the rest of the way while cursing under his breath. He was about an hour late and he'd had no means to warn her. Sharp's battery had died during detention and Gohan couldn't use M's phone to call Videl. He was very uncertain about the way she would welcome him now.

When he came up to the right house, the gate was open. He made his way through the garden and as he reached the entrance, he noticed that the front door was ajar as if someone was waiting for him. He hesitantly stepped forward and found himself face to face with Hercule standing in the doorway. As a matter of fact, the champion was ready to go out. Behind him, Videl was standing in the hallway. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw Gohan.

Hercules frowned at him. "Erg, you're late, young man," he pointed out while clearing his way inside to get safe from the rain.

"I'm sorry. I had my appointment with the intendant and- well... it last longer than planned," he stammered.

"We thought you wouldn't come anymore," the champion mumbled in a disapproving voice as he closed the door.

Videl scowled at him and Gohan sensed her anger. "Do you want me to come back another time?" he offered sheepishly.

"Actually," Hercules resumed, "the maid is gone and, huh, I'm about to go out, so –" He sounded like he was debating with himself about the best answer to his question.

Gohan turned to him in wait for his decision but Videl interrupted her father brusquely. "It's fine. You can stay. Dad, stop it. I don't need anyone to watch me. This is Gohan. Do you remember him? You met him when you came for your demonstration at school."

For the first time, Hercule looked up at their guest. He gaped out of realization. Despite his efforts to look natural, Gohan couldn't help but harden his face when their eyes met. He offered Satan a handshake though.

"Of course, I do," Hercule murmured while repressing a grunt of pain.

Gohan had squeezed his hand a little harder than necessary. It was a discreet and satisfying way to remind Satan who he really was. A gleam of wariness had kindled in the champion's eyes, and Gohan realized that the man was dreading to see his secret revealed. Hercule knew that the young man could do it in a split second, and worse, he could do it here, in his house, and under his daughter's eyes. He could knock him out in the blink of an eye and prove that Hercule had never been the strongest man in the world nor anybody's savior.

Gohan liked the idea pretty well but obviously, he did nothing.

Videl perceived the silent conversation between her father and Gohan and she crossed her arms in an annoyed stance. "You're going to be late, Dad," she reminded.

The champion blinked as if dragged back to reality. "Right, honey. I have to go. I'd stay if I could but the mayor is a friend and you know I promised him to help him get re-elected."

"I know that already," Videl cut off. "Don't worry, it's just a physics presentation."

Hercule eventually brought himself to leave the house with a last concerned glance at his daughter. He was obviously wary at the prospect to leave her alone the whole evening with that boy he didn't trust. If he'd predicted that he would show up, Satan would have asked the maid to stay.

When he was gone, Gohan turned to Videl with a sheepish face. "I was in detention with Sharp, we –"

"Whatever," Videl interrupted him while whirling around.

She walked away wordlessly and he had second thoughts before following her into the house. Her voice was cold and sharp and she didn't give a damn about why he was late. Gohan was hurt and concerned by her attitude. As a matter of fact, her unusual distance twisted his guts even more than her exhausting pushiness. For the first time, he wondered whether he had done or said anything to upset her.

The splendor of the house left him no time to think further. The luxury and refinement in each room took him aback. Being a close friend of Bulma, he'd already had a glimpse at the world of rich people, but the heiress of the Capsule stood as a very simple person in comparison with Hercule's taste.

"Do you want something to drink?" Videl grumbled in an uncaring tone.

"That would be great," Gohan replied as he realized that he didn't even have time to have dinner.

The kitchen was huge, all marble and copper. Everything was shiny and immaculate. He felt impressed and couldn't help but study every nook.

"Soda. Is that okay?" Videl's voice snapped. She had already grabbed a bottle from the fridge without bothering for an answer. Then, she noticed his puzzled look and sighed in annoyance. "Earth to Gohan. Stop watching everything. We're not in a museum, just a kitchen," she grunted.

"Excuse me," he murmured when she handed him his drink.

As she made out the sorry shyness in his attitude, Videl couldn't prevent her mood from cooling. She was still angry at him, about all his lies and his secret girlfriend. He'd wounded her and she had decided that she would remain unresponsive to any warmness. Yet, her determination hardly resisted those sheepish eyes of his. "We didn't always have this much money, you know," she explained. "When I was younger, it was quite the opposite. But, as you know, my father earned everything we have at the cost of senseless effort and risk."

Gohan stared at her thoughtfully. He wondered if her speech was sincere or if she'd figured out her father's scam. She was so insightful when it was about Gohan's lies. Was it possible that she'd never suspected anything about Hercule's?

Gohan's eyes wandered once again through the amazing kitchen. He should have been the one inviting her into such a splendid house. Chichi should be the one to enjoy such a modern kitchen to cook her tasty dishes. Things had turned out differently though. The Son family had never claimed the credit from killing Cell. They had just chosen to mourn Goku, while he had decided that the family would make it through much easier without him. So, there they were and it was too late for sorrows or bitterness. Even too late to think about going back or to blame Hercule and Videl.

"I know the story," he replied.

She nodded. "Good. So, let's go to work and stop gaping at everything." Her voice was brusque again and he shivered at the sound.

He followed her wordlessly through the house and up to what seemed to be Videl's office. The atmosphere in this room was somewhat warmer and less sophisticated than in the rest of the house. The place was still spacious and modern though. Gohan couldn't help but compare it to his own workspace, also known as a wooden table stuck between his wardrobe and the window of his bedroom.

He found out with some surprise that Videl had already done some research about the topic. Truth to be told, Gohan was already able to spell out the whole presentation on his own. For some reason, sciences sounded so familiar to him that his mind dealt with them completely naturally. Rereading his notes and consulting some books at the library had been enough for his brain to grasp all the necessary knowledge and shape the basis of a complete presentation. This was why the teachers liked to say he was brilliant. Well, that was the way they named it. Gohan just knew things were like that and he had no credit in that weird ability. As a matter of fact, he regarded it as a curse sometimes - Just like his gift for fighting, which had forced him to stand on the front line of the biggest of his father's battles. It was the very same ability that caused the entire world to spin around him when he was only a child.

Thus, he was willing to appear as a normal student. Videl mustn't suspect that he already knew everything about their presentation, so he just took out the books he had found at the library and they went to work.

Videl had always found it hard to cope with physics but she did her best to hide that detail. Teaming up with Gohan made her feel uncomfortable and she still cursed Erasa for setting it all up.

First of all, she was well aware of Gohan's genius and she'd rather die than hint that she wasn't up to his brain. That was the reason why she'd studied the topic beforehand. The result was nothing near Gohan's knowledge but she refused to sound stupid to him.

Now, beside that matter of pride, she had to deal with the necessity to stay relaxed and focused while sitting next to him and reading the same books as him. That was a very special torture. She avoided looking at him as much as possible, her eyes always locked on their notes, but even so his scent was overwhelming. It was the very same scent she'd smelt on the stranger at the hostage taking, she was sure of that.

To add to her unease, his voice would trouble her at times, reminding her that' he'd already understood all the obscure things she was struggling to fathom. Despite her efforts to have no eye contact with him, he was everywhere and it was getting on her nerves.

She slowly realized how much he impacted her mood, just by standing by her side. Rather oddly she wished him both to vanish and to never leave and thus, deep down her mind she had to admit that Erasa was maybe right. Maybe Videl was in love with him. How embarrassing was that?

When Videl had figured out a few days before that Gohan had a girlfriend, she had decided that it would be best to stay away from him - except of course if it was about unmasking the Golden Ninja. Yet, that was something easier said than done as she was enduring the restlessness of her mind begging her to get closer to him. Her self-esteem on the other hand wouldn't bear such indignity and Videl found herself stuck in a mighty whirlpool of feelings, struggling over the best decisions to make.

Her pride had always prevailed so far and she kept regarding her attraction for Gohan as a form of strong curiosity that would end up fading away. However, sitting a few inches from him, she was getting unsure and all her convictions were cracking. She was successful at hiding her doubts though and she managed to look focused on physics and act distant.

Meanwhile, Gohan kept pretending to discover magnetism. He waited for her to understand at her own pace. Yet, without knowing it, he sometimes corrected her, just like a teacher would have done and thus, he unwillingly unveiled the knowledge he was not supposed to have. He felt Videl was nervous and tense but he didn't understand the reason.

After about two hours, they were done with their work. Videl finished noting the last ideas while Gohan stretched out with a yawn.

"You already knew everything, didn't you?" she grumbled, still focused on her writing.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" he replied in bewilderment.

"About magnetism, what else? You didn't learn anything tonight and I'm pretty sure you already had an idea of how our presentation should be like when you came," she stated coldly.

He bit his lips. "Of course not. Why would you say that?"

"Because I'm getting to know you, or at least a little bit," she replied, looking up at him for the first time.

Anger flared again in her eyes and Gohan stared at her with some sadness. "Videl – Is something wrong with you? It's like you're not the same anymore since that day you went to the police. Tell me what it's about. Maybe I can do something to help."

She froze. Rage washed over her although she couldn't say why. Eventually, things were getting out of control. "You're a liar, Gohan Son. A huge liar! That's what's wrong," she spat bitterly.

He gaped in astonishment. "What? What- What did I do?"

His face was again the puzzled, innocent one and she couldn't take it anymore. "Liar! You're trying to have me believe we just did that work together while you did it on your own – Lie. You're trying to have us believe that you're a poor weakling while you're able to punch my father out all by pretending it's an accident – Lie. You try to have me believe that you are not the Golden Ninja and you are - yet another lie! And above all, you try to have me believe…"

That there is something special between us, and there is nothing since you already have a girlfriend. She broke off abruptly and ended her sentence mentally, shocked that she'd been so close to saying it aloud.

Gohan kept silent. Videl had just summed up his whole existence. He was an excellent fighter and pretended to be a creep in sports, a guy who was bullied by Sharp. He had saved the world and pretended to be a great admirer of Hercule. He was the Golden Ninja and pretended to be a simple student. Most of all, he was a professional killer and he pretended to be a good son to his mother and a hero to Videl. He was a liar every minute of his life. He was a freak craving for a normal life. He lowered his eyes and sighed. "Erasa, Sharp and you are my only friends. I'll never do anything to hurt you, you can believe me," he replied softly. "Before I came to school, before I met you…"

He interrupted himself. Videl felt he was going to confess something. For the first time since she knew him, she sensed his walls cracking down. She shut up and stared at him in hope. When he looked up, she saw a face she'd never seen before. It was a mix of calm and sincerity.

He had a weak smile as he found out that the anger in her eyes was gone. "Before I met you, I never felt like I was really myself. It's like, huh, I can't explain. What you say is true, I understand and remember all the things that are taught to us the minute the teacher explains it. I can't help it but I don't want you to regard me as a freak for that because when I'm at school or even the other night when we went to ride bikes, I felt so good with you. It's a sort of carelessness I never knew, as if I just have to enjoy my time and be myself. You are my only friends."

Videl's eyes widened. She didn't expect that kind of speech. It sounded like Gohan was a hundred years old. However, she couldn't deny the authenticity resounding in his words. "Your only friends?"

He rubbed awkwardly his head and lowered his head again. "I know. It sounds weird and somewhat freaky. We've only known each other for a month and you certainly think I'm a weirdo, but save for my family and my parents' friends, I never had any real bonds with anyone. Well, maybe a dinosaur or two."

She beamed softly. Contrary to what he thought, it had nothing to do with his humor though. She smiled because of what he said. I never had any real bonds with anyone. It could only mean that there was no girlfriend in his life. Her twisted mind had made up the whole story. An unexpected relief washed over her. It was like a rock had been crushing her heart for the whole week and Gohan had just removed it by wording his true feelings.

Gohan couldn't explain why he'd confessed so much to her. Words had spilled out in a rush when he'd perceived the anger in her eyes. Hearing her calling him a liar with such ferocity and with such trueness had scared him and he'd somehow lost control. He'd believed he was about to lose her. She had seen through him. She had glimpsed at his darkness and she'd felt betrayed. Gohan had been panic stricken at the thought that she would end their friendship once and for all and something in his mind screamed that he had to let her know how much he needed her.

As her features eased off, he was overwhelmed with glee. He felt like hugging her as if he hadn't seen her in a very long time. Yet, instead of that, his stomach gurgled loudly. He pressed a hand on his belly in an attempt to silence it.

"Sorry, I didn't eat anything tonight," he explained shamefully.

She burst out in laugher and it sounded wonderful to his ears. "Pack your stuff and join me in the kitchen, I'll make you a sandwich before you leave," she offered.

He did as he was told and when he entered the kitchen, he didn't miss that she was no longer cold and annoyed like she'd been the whole night. She looked uncomfortable though. He felt awkward too as he was embarrassed for having spoken up about his feelings. Maybe it was just because he wasn't used to telling the truth but still, he was trying to forget how pathetic he'd sounded. He had never been so honest with anyone and Videl might be the worst person to confess anything to.

They kept quiet until she was done fixing the sandwich. He didn't dare point out that it would never be enough to fill his stomach. He grabbed the sandwich and claimed that he had to go. She looked at him with some surprise, but she didn't object and walked him to the door.

As he was about to leave, she grabbed him by the wrist and held him back. "Gohan."

He looked down at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Never mind. See you on Monday," she just sighed.

He nodded and gave her a soft smile. "See you on Monday, Videl."

As soon as he was out of her sight, he rocketed to the sky and headed to the Capsule. He needed to get some stuff before flying back to Mount Paozu. He landed in Bulma's garden and made his way for his house. The picture of Videl's smile was still floating in his mind and he felt incredibly good.

He got startled as he made out Vegeta's figure standing in the shadow next to his door. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" the Saiyan asked.

"God, Vegeta, you scared me! What the hell are you doing here at this hour?" Gohan exclaimed.

"I live here. What about you? Aren't you supposed to be waiting on pathetic people?" Vegeta replied with an unaffected face.

"I – huh - I left earlier tonight," Gohan mumbled.

"Did you? You work very irregular hours."

Gohan frowned in annoyance. "What do you want? Are you spying on me?"

"Spying on you? What the hell could be so interesting in a kid's life like yours? You train so little that you get startled by anyone hiding in the shadows," Vegeta huffed.

"Oh, training. So, that's what you want. Listen, I'm exhausted and I have to go home to my mother right now. So no thank you, no training tonight," Gohan sighed.

"I know you wouldn't train tonight. It wasn't the reason why I came. I came to remind you to be on your guard and as much as I can see, I did well."

"On my guard? Why should I be on my guard?" Gohan asked. "We're in peace and I go to high school, so what should I be aware of?"

The Saiyan glared at him. "You really don't see? Too bad for you," he growled as he walked away, leaving him behind.

Gohan frown went deeper while watching him head for the Capsule's main building. He rolled his eyes and decided that the best thing to do was to forget Vegeta and his freaky behavior. Best was to think back of Videl actually.

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