AN: Okay so here the last part of the interlude. Not going to lie, this was the hardest deadline I've ever had to make. But here it is. Hopefully this doesn't put me behind with the chapter 8 edit. If anything I'll be a day late, but considering there isn't much to edit in chapter 8, I expect it to get out on Friday. I'll see you guys then. Hope you enjoy and as always, feel free to skip the authors notes or the chapter altogether if you've already read it. The new chapter will be out in two to three weeks (chapter 9). Enjoy.
AN: So this chapter was supposed to be out for the end of May (my twin's graduation), but I was at least two weeks behind so I had to wait to post. Good news is I've had this done for a few weeks now and it's like super edited, bad news is I've got an August deadline I still have to meet. I guess that's more bad news for me and good news for you all things considering. Anyway, this is the final part of the interlude so enjoy. And of course happy fourth of July.
PS: Still don't own DBZ or any of the characters, if I did the whole mess that was post cell would not have happened.
PPS: Nothing has changed about this story, it still features a romance between two girls so if it's not your thing don't complain. Intolerance is a disease worse than the fabled plague.
It Was Meant to Be
Interlude-part three- To risk exposure
Videl swung her fists in another warm-up combo, stretching and flexing her muscles in preparation for the competition that was about to begin. Each punch leaving behind the hot, nervous energy that was currently clouding her mind and her senses, burning away the easy feel of the room around her. Working in her legs, she escalated her punching combo into a full body warm-up. Each kick stirring the hot air, sending torrents of flame like energy around the dojo, smothering what was left of the positive feelings permeating the area. It was a hell on earth, a hell of her own creation. But as her creation, the heat didn't bother her. It burned without scorching her. A hot distraction that she sorely needed.
It was a distraction from herself, from the warring factions of her mind and thoughts as she fought for control of her emotions. It felt like an endless battle. Like she was trapped in a war she could not win. A war she wasn't sure she wanted to win. And she hated it. Hated every second she spent trapped in this battle because she shouldn't have to feel this way. Angry and hopeless and lost and another emotion she wasn't quite ready to identify. She wasn't use to feeling this way. Didn't think she needed to feel this way, but she did. And she despised every second of it.
At least she wouldn't be bothered by her emotions for long. Well, that was her hope. She had somehow managed to convince her papa to let her work off each emotion against some of his prized students. The frustration, the anger, the pain, each and every emotion that plagued her, that was slowly destroying her would hopefully be defeated today. All of her named frustrations tackled so that the only feelings she'd have left were the ones she couldn't name. No, it wasn't that she couldn't name them. Those emotions, those feelings had names so recognizable that they didn't need an introduction. The names rang out loud and clear. Haunting her every night just before she closed her eyes and laid her head down to sleep.
They followed her everywhere, begging her to say them, to admit the truth. So yeah, she could place a name to them, but she wouldn't. She refused. She wouldn't name them because then she'd have to admit that this was real. And she didn't think she'd ever be ready for that. She didn't think she'd ever be able to face that truth. So today she would try to forget. She would lose herself in something she knew she was good at, knew she couldn't fail, couldn't fuck up. She would force her emotions to go away, to disappear for the few hours of this competition. At least, that was the plan. It all depended on her competition, but for whatever reason she couldn't shake the feeling that they wouldn't hold out as long as she needed them to. Of course she could be wrong. It wasn't like she could be right all of the time. She wasn't omniscient.
So here she was, getting ready to destroy, I mean test, her papa's students. She was going to beat them into the ground and make them beg for mercy. She was going to thrive off of their pathetic pleas for compassion. Something she hadn't been in the mood to give since that day on the rooftop with Son, the day she lost a friend for absolutely no damn good reason. She'd had her papa call in his strongest students, announcing this little competition to them. They'd been excited simply by the fact that he'd declared the winners a private sparring session with 'the Champ'. Of course he'd conveniently left off the little part about them fighting her. She would have never gotten any volunteers if he'd mentioned that. That was actually really annoying. You would think they were living in the Hunger Games with the way they shied away from fighting her. It wasn't like she was going to kill them. Either way, it was just easier if they didn't know which is why they weren't told. All they knew was that they would be tested individually allowing for multiple winners and a theoretical greater chance of them getting that private sparring session. That of course was highly unlikely, but again they might surprise her.
Walking out to the makeshift ring, Videl almost felt sorry for her papa's students, almost. But she really needed the distraction. She needed to think about something, anything other than Son. She needed to take her mind off of how she hadn't spoken to her in days. How she hadn't shown up to any crime scenes. Hadn't bothered to help her fight crime. How she barely even looked at her in class. She needed to forget how Son was avoiding her, hiding behind excuse after excuse just so she didn't have to see or speak to her. She hadn't known how much Son's presence meant to her. How hearing her voice had made her day. How having a goofy distraction at a crime scene made her want to smile. And it was pure torture to go without it.
She certainly wasn't looking forward to tomorrow where they'd have to train together. And she was positive they would still be training tomorrow. Even after all of this, all the avoidance, all the bullshit, Son still expected her to show up tomorrow. She couldn't really see why. Couldn't understand what Son got from this. What made her stay and keep coming back for more? Especially when all she could dish out was emotional abuse and bitter words. She couldn't really fault the girl for blowing up on her. In all truth, she probably deserved it. Probably deserved a whole lot more than just a few emotionally charged words on a rooftop.
She wasn't sure why she even cared to make the effort, but she did. And that was what made her feel even worse. Though she didn't show it, Videl could still tell that Son cared. She could feel her in the background at a particularly dangerous crime scene, lurking in the shadows. She may not have wanted to speak to her or even look at her, but that didn't mean she wasn't still there. And knowing all that, knowing that if she needed her Son would be there in a heartbeat. A blur in the sky as she intervened at a crime scene, a comforting hand on her shoulder if she was having a tough day. Knowing all that made her feel like a complete asshole, and she had no one to blame but herself. Well that fucking sucked.
Cracking her knuckles and shaking herself from her thoughts which had been centered on the very person she was trying to escape in the first place, Videl watched the first student enter the ring. He paused to look around, frantically searching for someone, anyone other than Videl in hopes that she was simply the referee. Videl let a smirk skate across her face as she silently enjoyed his terror with sick satisfaction. Reveling in it. She watched fear and hopelessness enter the face of her first living punching bag as his lips began to quiver and knew this was what she needed. She needed to have control over something, anything. It didn't even matter if that control was the manipulation of another's emotions. She needed this.
If memory served her right, his name was Michael. And unless the ranking had changed since the last time she'd helped her papa, he was the third highest ranking fighter in her papa's South City dojo. South City had a lot of competent fighters so if he'd not been faced with her, he probably would have done well in a Satan dojo tournament. Unfortunately for him, he was facing her. And he didn't stand a chance, hell he knew he didn't stand a chance. Which was why he was shaking, his eyes everywhere but his opponent as he cased the walls. It was like he was looking for an escape route, some way out that didn't go through her. Boy was he in for a huge disappointment.
"Okay Michael, all you have to do is last five minutes in a fight against me and you get a sparring session with papa. If you can last longer then you get an added session for ever extra three minutes in the ring," Videl announced to her shaking opponent. "Papa's really looking forward to sparring with his pupils so don't let him down," she finished her mini pep talk, trying to keep her voice level and not the hollow void she let it become before each fight as she eyed the clock on the wall. "Your time starts now," she announced after taking note of the time. She waited and watched as Michael steadied himself, taking a calming breath as he found his center, squared his shoulders, established his footing, raised his arms in front of him and…did nothing else. 'This isn't even worth my time,' Videl thought as she grasped Michael's strategy. 'I bet someone told him that I never attack first so all he has to do is stand guard and bide his fucking time. Pathetic,' she thought as she scanned her opponent.
'Let's see, about 6'1" and 280 lbs, slow turns and weak knees,' she observed by his slight movements. The way he shifted his weight told her about the turns which was good because he was trying to compensate for a flaw. If she was here as an advisor, an instructor, she would have praised him for being prepared. However that wasn't why she was here, and she planned to take advantage of every little weakness he unknowingly displayed. The knees were just a dead giveaway by his weight and height in conjunction with the muscle strain around his kneecaps. There wasn't a whole lot he could have done to hide that one. Sighing internally, Videl wasn't all that impressed with how easy it was to read the son of a bitch. He was already scared shitless as it was, just standing there with fear in his eyes, sweat dripping from his brow though he'd done nothing but stand there.
'If he's going to give me time to plan, then I might as well use it,' she thought as she visualized his movement options, mentally seeing a picture of all of the choices he could make while working out all possible reactions to every situation she could put him in from start to finish. If she could only incorporate this type of focus in her other day to day actions she'd be well ahead of the pack or at least one hell of a chess player. Either way it didn't matter because from what she could tell, this would be a quick finish. He was tall with a lot of reach but he was also fairly predictable, shifting his weight in a constant pattern, one she recognized and knew well. Hell, she'd probably taught the class that he'd picked that little trick up in. The guy hadn't even bothered to learn a different maneuver to protect himself. It really was unfair. She'd learned all his secrets and techniques in seconds, and he didn't stand a chance.
With a plan in hand Videl charged, startling Michael into acting without thinking. Videl watched his fist coming straight for where her gut would have been and had she not anticipated his reaction he might have scored a hit. Sadly she'd read him like an open book, his pages already flipped to the right section, the words highlighted in red. Videl shot out both of her hands allowing them to land one over the other on his out stretched fist, using her momentum she flipped over him while changing the grip she had on his fist, wrapping both hands around his wrist and she planted both feet on his large shoulder while twisting her body in the air. She pulled his arm behind his back while keeping her feet on his shoulder to add pressure, forcing his body in the opposite direction effectively pulling his shoulder out of the socket. After hearing the resounding pop and scream that accompanied the dislocation of his shoulder, Videl quickly let go of his wrist, hitting the ground with both hands before swiftly completing the flip to land on her feet. Not even a second went by before she was on her feet again, body already in motion as she sent a kick to his left knee. She took great pleasure in watching him crumble to the ground, his screams of pain only getting louder until Videl shut him up with a punch to the head.
"Pathetic," Videl murmured under her breath as she watched her papa's medics rush to the ring and load him up on a stretcher, his arm hanging limp and unnatural at his side.
"Pumpkin," papa called out as he walked towards the ring. "You promised me you wouldn't hurt my students too seriously."
"It's only a dislocated shoulder and maybe a couple of torn ligaments. He'll live papa," she replied as she stretched out her shoulders, arms raised above her head and pulled back to coax out a creek she'd developed in her relative inactivity.
"Still, if you're going to injure my students then I'll have to cancel the rest of this tournament," papa continued.
"But papa, I barely even touched him," Videl complained as she dropped her hands down to her side.
"No buts about it Pumpkin, some of these young men are working towards the world tournament. They need to be able to spend time training not lying in a bed healing," he admonished. "Now remember if the move is going to break something, dislocate something or tear a muscle don't do it."
"Fine papa," she ceded with a frustrated huff. 'With the way papa treats them you would think his students were porcelain dolls.' Videl thought as she waited for the next student. A stocky blond entered the ring. John Alan if she remembered correctly and the number one seat for the West City dojo. He was a 6'6", 355 lb beast that towered over her, quaking in fear. He didn't stand a chance. "Last more than five minutes and you get that personal sparring session with papa," Videl quickly explained, all inflections gone from her voice, leaving the hollow sound to echo around the dojo before cracking her knuckles. "Your time starts now," and with that she rushed him dodging the huge fist that came at her head faster than his size would suggest. With a swift side step she unleashed a series of punches to his side, hitting his gut and kidney before delivering an open palm strike to the side of his chest. He stumbled back several feet but Videl didn't wait for him to collect himself before following through not a second later with an aerial spin-kick to his massive chest, the sheer force of which effectively sending him across the room, his momentum stopped by the dojo walls as his back hit first followed by the resounding crack of his skull. He didn't get up.
'Unbelievable,' Videl cried in her head, frustrated with her opponents so far. Unwillingly her mind wandered to the girl she was trying to forget. 'Son's a fighter and from what I've seen probably better then papa, but most certainly better then these lugs,' she thought as she remembered the girl that had barely looked at her these last couple of days. 'Me and my big mouth,' Videl's anger began to grow with her frustration. 'Why can't I just be nice for once?' she asked herself as she began to circle the room, hands in her hair. 'Why can't I just say the things I want to say? Say the things I need to say.' But she knew why, she knew that she wasn't going to admit to anything, didn't want to admit it in her own head let alone out loud. But Son was making it hard for her to keep up her denial, her refusal to face reality and those few emotions she dare not admit to feeling. For once, Son was being the stubborn one. 'But I'm not being fair either,' she thought before shaking it away. 'I didn't have papa set this up so I could dwell on Son, and I don't want to waste my time thinking about her now. But Kami-sama, this is taking too long.'
"Papa how many are left," she asked impatiently as she turned back to him in her irritation.
"Seven Pumpkin, why do you ask?" her papa questioned.
"Can you just call the rest in and I'll fight them a little more fairly," she answered while stretching out her arms in anticipation. This had to be a better solution to her current dilemma.
"Fine Pumpkin, but I really wish you wouldn't crush my student's spirit so thoroughly," her papa replied as he left the room.
Not long after seven hulking guys entered the room, confusion littering their faces as they entered which didn't last long when they each spotted Videl. They shivered, and one guy started to cry which was pretty pathetic considering he was covered in tattoos and piercing, and had a vibrant green Mohawk cut low on the top of his head. It was pretty obvious he thought he was a bad ass mother fucker which just made it worse as he balled his fucking eyes out, another guy gently patting him on the back to try and calm him down as snot began to drip down his face. It wasn't working.
"Okay guys, we're going to make this fair," Videl began as she cracked her neck, the sound sending a shiver down their spines. "You've got to last seven minutes in the ring with me to get that personal spar with papa. There will be an additional sparring session for those that are left after every two minutes and to even the odds out a little bit it'll be the seven of you verses little ol' me." Videl looked at the clock on the wall, intentionally waiting an extra couple minutes before starting her time. What could she say? She liked to make them sweat. "You time starts…now," and with that she sat back and waited. If she was lucky, these seven guys would take her mind off of Son for at least five minutes, possibly even the entire seven minutes or better yet longer than that, but she wasn't holding her breath for that outcome. But that was alright. She just needed some time, any time to herself, where her thoughts were her own, her mind focused for a change. She needed peace even if it only lasted a moment. At least that moment would be a hell of a lot more time then she'd had so far.
…
It had totally been too long. Way too long, if the hideous dark circles under Videl's eyes were any indication. Erasa rolled over on the familiar violet bed, her head facing the closed door of the bathroom that her best friend had just walked through. Videl simply hadn't been anything like the same person she normally was for weeks now. Not to mention like the last few days which were just beyond horrible. Videl was snappier than normal, ruder than normal, angrier than normal, downright bitchier than normal and the worst part was she hadn't the faintest idea why.
'I'm her best friend. I should know why she's being down right awful to everyone,' she thought as she flipped her blonde hair, getting it out of the way. Despite popular belief, she wasn't an idiot. After all she wouldn't be student president if she was. 'I'm the first to admit that I sometimes ignore when Vid-chan is being mean to people, but even I can't ignore little Miss Grumpy.'
Of course it didn't take long to notice the type of mood Videl was in, even for someone who tried to totally ignore her bad attitude. All you had to do was spend like two whole seconds in the same room as her to see the extreme turn her mood had taken. She couldn't begin to count the number of crying teenagers Videl had sent running with gigantic tears in their eyes with only a few nasty words in just the last 24 hours alone. That was totally a new record she just knew Videl wouldn't want tagging along behind her for the rest of the trimester let alone the school year. But of course poor Videl seemed to be completely oblivious to the results of her own actions.
'What's wrong Vid-chan?' she asked herself as she turned away from the bathroom door, blonde hair spread across the violet colored fabric of the bed. 'What's been eating at you so horribly? You've totally never been like this before,' Erasa turned at the sound of the door opening, taking notice of the tired pull fixed in her shoulders and the completely terrifying red incasing her eyes. 'Well, whatever is bugging you, I'm going to make it one hundred percent better, no matter what,' and with that firm declaration, she sat up tossing her hair over her shoulder in the process as she faced her best friend.
"Soooo, Vid-chan," Erasa began a nervous finger twisting a golden lock of hair. "What's up?"
"What do you mean what's up? We see each other every day at school remember," Videl gave her normal sarcastic reply which Erasa just completely ignored. What could she say? She was a pro at totally ignoring her best friend's horrid attitude.
"Well," she said lightly. "That may be but we never get to have any totally awesome girl time anymore. You know just the two of us painting each other's nails and gossiping about the latest gag me issues at school, like how Katie's new hairdo is total gag material. What was she thinking cutting it that short? She totally doesn't have the proper bone structure to pull that off."
"Yeah, I think you have me confused with someone else," Videl began with an eye roll. "We never do any of those things. And I don't really care what Katie's hair looks like."
"Oh come on Videl," Erasa protested, a hand pushing the air aside as if the very action would push aside the notion of them not having girl time. "I use to come over all of the time for the sole purpose of taking out my many different nail polishes and gossiping."
"Exactly, you paint and gossip. I just sit here and watch," she managed to point out.
"What about that one time? You remember, the blue nail polish, rocky road ice cream and us talking about Jennifer Medina's new boyfriend of the moment," Erasa countered with a finger resting on the side of her head as she remembered the very conversation. "As I recall, you were feeling extra mean that night because all of your remarks were covered in more sarcasm then should be legal in one nation let a long one home."
"I certainly don't remember that little get together," she denied, red slowly coloring her cheeks.
"Let me see… what did you say about him again?" she pondered, head halfcocked and eyes casing the ceiling.
"Erasa, I didn't…" Erasa cut her off before she could finish her blatant lie, I mean, continual plea of denial.
"That's right, it was something like, 'Jen's got horrible taste in men if she thinks Henry's even a four on the hotness scale.'"
"I did not…" but again Erasa interrupted her before she could let her completed protest past her lips.
"And that wasn't anywhere near the end of it. If I like remember correctly you continued with a horrid, 'He's so weak a two year old could kick his ass.' If he had been there you would have totally sent him away crying, again," Erasa gave her a pointed look. "Like I said, you were feeling particularly nasty that evening, and don't even try to deny it," she continued just as Videl was opening her mouth in order to launch another protest. "I was there. You were totally girly. Now get over it. Look Videl we're friends, best friends, we talk about this kind of stuff all the time."
"Yeah, well, I never talk about that kind of stuff. You know that," Videl sighed as she plopped down on to her bed, face turned into the violet fabric as she lay out across its surface.
"Well, maybe you should," Erasa declared. The nerves were back. This was the conversation she had wanted to start from the moment Videl had exited her bathroom. "There's nothing wrong with talking to your best friend about personal stuff. Sharing is good for everyone involved. You know sharing is caring. And of course you know I'd never tell another living soul about the things we chat about on pain of death."
"You sure about that? You certain you wouldn't tell your new best friend? You two talk about everything," the bitterness was thick in the air when she let that sentence loose.
'So that's what this is all about,' Erasa thought as she looked at her best friend, really looked to see the insecure girl in front of her. "Oh Vid-chan, you'll always be my best friend, the very bestest," she replied as she draped her body over the smaller girl. "And no, I don't tell Hanna-chan everything. Like I've never told her about the time I drunkenly made-out with Sharpner or the fact that from what I remember he was totally a good kisser."
"Yeah, still can't get over that fact," Videl added during the short pause.
"That's the point silly," she said in her attempt to get Videl to open up. "I tell you those types of things because we're best friends. Not new friends or old friends or good friends. We're best friends."
The silence that followed was deafening, but Erasa let it hang. Videl needed a moment to really let the idea of best friends sink in. She needed a moment to think and really let herself relax because now she knew she could. At least Erasa hoped she'd gotten through to her.
It took another few beats before Videl said anything but when she did, it brought a smile to Erasa's lips. "Well, I thought you said there would be nail polish involved," with that quiet statement, Erasa hopped off her friend and went for her stash. Of course it wasn't anywhere near as extensive as her collection at home, but the fifty different shades would totally have to do.
"So," she let the word hang in the air, drawing the one syllable out before continuing her thought. "What shade? And before you say anything, hai, I remember none on your fingers. We can't have the entire world know that Ms. Videl totally likes to act like a girl sometimes."
"I don't know," she said as she rolled over on her bed, arms extended over her head as she stretched out, getting comfortable for the night. "You pick something, but…"
"…no pink," Erasa finished for her. "I've known you for our entire lives, give me some credit Vid-chan. Plus, I wouldn't even get the satisfaction of everyone enjoying my handy work and master coercion skills with your toes all hidden away by those things you try to pass off as shoes. It would be a total waste of my time and gracious effort to try to convince you."
"Like you could convince me," Videl added as she kicked off her shoes.
"Need I remind you about Barrett's last party?" she warned as she skimmed her collection, picking out a dark blue. A quick glance at the bottle reviled it to be ultramarine. She liked that color.
"No, I don't need any reminders of that nightmare. I still don't know how you managed to get me in that," Videl complained as she glanced down at her best friend, slipping off her socks in the process.
"Come now Vid-chan, I can get you to wear anything I want you to with like just a little bit of elbow grease. I just choose to let you wear what you want most of the time," she said as she skimmed her collection again, looking for the perfect shade to put on her own nails. "The fact that I let you choose some of the time is a testament to how totally good a friend I am." 'Oh, I'm in the mood for bubble gum pink,' she thought as she plucked the bottle from her stash.
"How generous of you. Your real name must be Glinda the Good," Videl sighed in response as she finally propped herself up to a sitting position. "Kami-sama, I don't know why I put up with you."
"And now you're channeling Wicked. My work here is done," Erasa teased as she joined her on the bed, taking off her shoes and socks in the process. "But you know you do it. It's because you totally love me."
"Well, that has yet to be determined," she retorted before gesturing for Erasa's feet. "Come on let's get this over with."
"Don't pretend that you don't like our girl time," she replied ignoring Videl's snarky tone in favor of complying with her request. "Anyway, now that we've mentioned her, are you going to spill your thoughts on Jen's new boy toy or what?"
"Don't get me started on Tom, and here I thought Henry was bad. I really think he's gay, no straight man should fuss that much over his hair," Videl said as she took a hold of her friend's toes and started painting.
"Now Vid-chan, there is nothing wrong with a guy that worries over his appearance, but even if he is gay, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that either," Erasa chastised absentmindedly. "Love is not defined by gender or race, it's totally limitless."
"And how would you know that?" Videl asked sharply, a hint of anger lacing her words.
"I don't know. I just do," she replied a little miffed that she was being questioned on her personal opinions in the first place. "Do you ask yourself how you know how to breathe? It's just something I know. It's something that I've like always known and I don't appreciate your snappiness one bit little missy."
"…Sorry," Videl apologized softly after a moment, never stopping in her practiced motion of painting her best friend's nails. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I just don't get how anyone is supposed to know they're in love. I mean attraction I get, it's simple. If you think someone's hot or you want to make out with someone, then you're attracted to that person, but it can't be that simple for love, can it?"
The statement was said so sincerely that Erasa stopped the quick reply she'd been about to give. She really needed to treat this seriously. She just had to. Her best friend needed the absolute best explanation for love she could give. She was totally depending on her. 'I like had no idea you didn't know what love was supposed to feel like,' she thought as she carefully rolled her response over in her head.
"Hai, and no, love is and isn't as simple as attraction," she began as serious as she could, absentmindedly watching Videl switch feet. "Attraction is kind of like momentary. You're in it in one moment then not in the next. It's like what most of the girls have with Mr. Marshall. Yeah, he's totally dreamy, but no one's in love with him at least not real love. Love is kind of when you like totally can't get him out of your head. He's all you think about, but not just that. It's even more then constantly thinking about him. Love is like when even the weird quirky things his does make you blush or smile or even totally turn you on. But more importantly you know you're head over heels in love when you recognize his faults and still want to be with him. So yeah, it can be as simple as knowing you're attracted to him, but it isn't just his looks you're attracted to. It has to be like all of him."
"Ha, you make it sound so simple," Videl said bringing a slight frown to Erasa's lips as she listened to the slight hollow tone in her words. "Now enough about this boring subject, I distinctly remember the promise of gossiping with my nail painting."
"Hai, now give me your toes. It's your turn," she said still wondering what she had said to make her friend so totally uncomfortable.
…
Son's stretching was driving her crazy even from the other side of the room. The gravity chamber. While she'd only been in it once before, she remembered the impossible resistances it provided. The workout was amazing. Nevertheless, right now all she could wrap her head around was how Son's long limbs were stretching in ways that brought back flashes of dreams that had kept her up all night. Videl cringed as she felt her heart pound faster than she thought possible. Speeding up as her all too familiar desire filled her every pore, seeping into the very fabric of her being.
Looking at Son now reminded her of what Erasa had said last night during their girls' night out, well more like girls' night in but that was just a matter of semantics. 'I can't possibly be in love with Son,' she denied as she finished her own stretching, rising up from her bent over position.
"You know the drill," Son cold voice announced cutting through her thought process as she walked to the center of the room. "Same one as last time, we'll start out slow and work our way up."
Videl shivered at the cool tone as she felt the effects of the room on her body. She missed the warmth of Son's voice. The gentleness she'd used with everyone until she'd fuck it all up, big time. No matter what, it had always sent a warmth through her veins. Its caring tones so familiar and yet different all at once. Few people spoke to her with such genuine emotion. It had been refreshing while it lasted. Which was probably why she'd missed it, missed her, so much.
Her body adjusted surprisingly quickly to the added resistance as she allowed her thoughts to continue to wander, hovering around the girl standing across from her, flirting with the new concept of love. 'I can't be in love with Son,' she continued to deny as she lowered herself into her stance. Son wasn't likely to strike up any form of conversation so she didn't worry about the prolonged silence forming between them.
The first sets of forms flew from her with practiced ease as she thought about her feelings towards Son. It was something she didn't particularly want to do. And while she didn't want this to become a habit, she thought that for at least this time she should indulge herself. She needed to think this through. 'I know I'm attracted to her though I haven't the slightest idea why,' she thought as she finished her first set and moved on to the next, slowly increasing the speed. 'She's the hugest nerd I've ever known and don't get me started on Saiya-girl. I'm not sure who lied to her and said that was cool, but whoever it was should probably be punched. I mean come on. That costume. The persona. It's a complete joke, a dorky joke,' she thought as she continued on only half focusing on each form. 'She's geeky and surprisingly uncoordinated when it comes to everything that isn't fighting. She hasn't got a clue on how to properly interact with normal people. She has absolutely no fashion sense. I mean, her normal school outfit looks like her mom dressed her which after meeting Chichi, she probably does. She has a tail for kami-sama's sake,' she ranted internally as she shot a quick glance over at the girl across from her.
'She's the weirdest, strangest, most alien person I've ever met and yet I still want her,' she nearly growled in frustration. 'This doesn't make any sense. Her very personally goes against most if not all of my basic instincts. She's kind and caring to a fault. We shouldn't fit. We don't fit. But… she makes me laugh,' Videl thought as she put everything she had into her last set, going as fast as she could with as much power as she could muster.
'And okay, Saiya-girl's antics are kind of cute and endearing,' she thought as she neared the end of her last set. 'And her clumsiness is a little adorable. And shit, I've always had a soft spot for nerds. And her regular goofy self never fails to brighten my day. Now if only I could get her back to that,' she thought as she remembered the cold, dark and lonely girl that had been occupying Son's body for the last couple of days. 'She shouldn't have to suffer on my behalf, ever.'
Suddenly, she felt a warm heat heading towards her back. 'Holy shit,' she thought as she allowed her body to move out of the way, and watched the ki blast fly by her. 'Damn,' she thought as she again felt the warm warning of a ki blast, allowing her body to take over and silencing her mind she flipped out of the way. Videl frowned. 'I'm moving a lot slower than normal,' she thought as her feet touched the ground only for her to push off again to avoid another ki blast. 'How high is the gravity,' she asked herself as she subconsciously powered up. Finally her mind caught up to her body and she noticed the effects of her power up. 'This could work,' she thought as her body twisted out of the way of a duel ki blast. 'If I can get close enough, Son will have to start fighting without those fancy blasts,' she thought as she performed a front hand spring out of the way of another blast. The blasts were coming fast as Videl sprung, flipped and twisted out of their way all the while moving closer to Son while pushing her back into a corner.
With a final flip, Videl planted herself in front of Son swiping her extended arm out of the way while delivering a right jab to Son's abdomen. Her fist never made it to its destination as Son effectively blocked the strike with a quick downward sweep from her left arm. Reacting quickly, Videl ducked under the fist that Son had sent her way by dropping low to avoid the head shot. Taking advantage of the position she found herself in Videl completed her drop to the ground and swept her leg under Son in an attempt to knock her down. Her leg sweep met air as Son jumped to avoid it before aiming back down bringing a fist down where Videl had just been and rocking the floor with its intensity. Rolling to her feet Videl sent a kick to the back of Son's exposed head her own body twisting in the process. Son rolled to the side before using her momentum to deliver a knee to the body of her opponent.
Videl barely managed to block the knee, the sheer power behind it sending her sliding back. Son pressed her advantage after regaining her footing and followed up with a right hook heading straight for Videl's head. The punch was easily blocked with a quick back step and upward sweep from her left arm to stave off the tail end of her attack. Son's arms were a lot longer than she was use to with such as fast fighter. She quickly followed it with a right body hook which again met only air as Son side stepped, staying close enough to slide under Videl's guard. Videl only managed to dodge a few of the punches aimed for her torso, sliding back with each successful hit as Son continued to throw her volley.
Quick thinking saw Videl complete a series of back flips just outside of Son's range. Not stopping when her feet hit the ground, Videl did a front flip out of the way of the ki blast she was sure was to follow. She wasn't wrong. Another forward flip which had her twisting in mid-air found Videl to the left of a slightly startled Son, obviously not use to opponents that could anticipate moves well in advance. The swift leg sweep caught Son unexpected, but was slow enough for her to dodge. However, Videl wasn't attempting to get her on the ground. She wanted her in the air which was exactly what she got when Son smoothly jumped over the sweep and right into a ki blast, courtesy of one Miss Videl Satan.
While not powerful, the blast hit Gohanna dead in the face having the added effect of temporarily blinding her. The result being that the next thing she saw was the incoming left hook coming right at her. Only years and years of battle hardened reflexes allowed her to catch the fist in her right hand, similar reflexes catching her right fist in her left hand when that too came at her. The sheer power Videl was putting into her punches brought them within inches of each other.
"Come on Son, show me what you've got," Videl nearly snarled, their faces close enough that her warm breath beat across Gohanna's face with every word.
"I'll show you alright," she sneered as she slowly over powered Videl.
It happened in a flash and she wasn't sure who initiated the first kiss, but Gohanna found herself pushed up against Videl, her long slender hands holding Videl's smaller ones above her head as she penned her against a wall. It soon became a battle between wills as tongues fought for dominance. Videl coming out on top as Gohanna lost herself in the moment, hands loosening as they began to trail down the smaller body before her. Videl's hands found their way to the front of Gohanna's gi top as she fisted the top, pushing the taller girl back and forcing her against the wall. Their heated kiss broke momentarily as their positions flipped, Videl closing the gap again the moment Gohanna's shoulders hit the wall.
The loud moan that escaped Gohanna's lips echoed across the gravity chamber and brought her back down to Earth. 'What am I doing?' she thought as she slowly came back down. Fighting with herself to break the hold Videl had on her. A moment later, she brought her hands down to Videl's shoulders and gently pushed, breaking the kiss.
"What?" Videl nearly snarled when her attempts to restart the kiss were blocked.
"What are we doing Videl?" Son asked as she took as step back.
"I thought that was pretty obvious," Videl replied, sarcasm her familiar fall back.
"Did you forget everything that happened on the rooftop? Did you forget everything I said?" she asked the plea evident in her tone. "Or have you changed your mind?"
"Son…I…" the hopeful tone was killing her and she didn't know why she could just say hai. 'Kami-sama, it's just one fucking word,' she thought as she watched the hopeful light that had begun to glow in Son's eyes dim back down. 'Just say it!' she screamed in her head. "I…" but it never came out.
"That's what I thought," Son said and Videl watched as her eyes began to glaze over. "You know Videl as much as I want to keep training with you. I think we're going to have to take tomorrow off at the very least. I'll tell you if next weekend's session is cancelled during the week at school." And with that Son turned to leave. The 'you know the way out' left unsaid as she walked to the center of the room to deactivate the gravity, then walked right out.
"Damnit!" Videl yelled as she fell to the ground. 'Why can't I just say it? Say what I'm feeling,' she asked herself as she ran her fingers along imaginary patterns on the gravity chamber floor. She was asking herself, but she already knew. She knew, but like usual, she refused to say it. She refused to even think it, so instead she got herself up and headed for the door. 'Fuck,' she thought upon exiting the gravity chamber. 'What now?'
…
Sharpner plopped down next to Videl in the grass several feet from the track. After a record fast, at least for him, three mile run he was beat. Normally he wouldn't bother with attempted speech, but something was bothering him and he couldn't let it go. 'Damn, never seen Videl move so slow,' he thought as he remember the little running test they had just finished. Videl had only just beaten his three mile time, a complete first. 'Normally she out strides me by at least a minute especially on long distance runs,' he thought as he moved to start on some cool down stretches. 'Girl's got mad stamina. Well, she normally does. Just not lately. Geez, just looking at her is making me tired.'
"Videl, what the heck. Don't you know how to sleep?" he asked. There was no point in beating around the bush. "You look like death and not even the warmed over kind. I've never seen you run so slowly before either. You were like dead on those feet of yours."
"Still beat your ass," she grounded out between clinched teeth, not bothering to look up from the hole she was burning in the ground with the intensity of her glare.
"Not by much," he continued quickly. "No, but really, what's up?" His concern must have been evident in his voice because Videl dragged her gaze away from the ground to finally look him in the eyes.
"It's nothing, really," she added when she noticed the skeptical look in his eyes.
"Somehow I seriously doubt that, but if you don't want to tell me about it that's cool. I'm not going to sit here and push you," he stated as he bent backward, finishing his cool down stretches with a lazy grunt. "It would be a waste of time knowing your stubborn rear."
"Glad you finally learned something from our time together," she sneered, but it paled in comparison to the normal level of intensity. He cringed anyway, but for an entirely different reason.
"So, you don't want to tell me why you can't seem to catch some much needed z's at night, and I don't want to sit here and join you on your quest to drill holes into the ground with just my gaze. Whatcha want to talk about instead?" he asked as he frowned at the dark circles under her too red eyes. 'I'm not sure what's worse. Seeing her helpless on a hospital bed, or seeing her slowly destroy herself. Man it just feels like our pillar is cracked for some mysterious reason,' he thought as he waited for her answer.
"You know there is this one thing that's been bothering me," she began as she looked over to the track and watched as the long distance runners from the school men's track team began to finish. "Why have you never asked Erasa out?"
He paused, completely caught off guard. 'I didn't realize I was that obvious,' he thought as he struggled to regain his balance. "Did she tell you to ask me that?" he finally managed to ask, but he couldn't find the strength to look at her. That would be too much.
"Kami-sama no, she doesn't have a clue about your liking her," she replied with a small wave of her hand, her head still pointed away from him as she continued to watch the runners on the track. "I've just always wanted to know."
"The truth," he began with a heavy sigh as he finally found the nerve to look at her. "The truth is I'm absolutely terrified to ask." He gave off a small, short laugh at his admission. "Hai, I know. Big tough Sharpner, afraid to ask a girl out on a date. I know how pathetic that is," he added when he saw the barely controlled disbelief color her face.
"Well, if you know it's pathetic, then why the hell don't you just man up and ask her the fuck out. It would save me a hell of a lot of trouble," she nearly demanded as she watched a group of the long distance track girls finish along with a couple of random guys.
Sharpner looked up to see Gohanna was a part of that group, but didn't bother to wait for her to come over to their little group. It wasn't like she was going to make her way over here until Erasa finished anyway. He'd noticed that lately. It had been at least a week of her only joining the little group if both he and Erasa were there. And each time she did managed to come over there would be this awkward tension between her and Videl. They didn't speak to each other, they didn't look at each other, and they, or at least Gohanna had begun to find better places to be in any situation where she might have to work with just Videl. Whether they were fighting or not he wasn't sure, but he also didn't think that was his responsibility to find out. It felt more like an Erasa issue so he'd wait until she addressed the problem with the girls assuming she'd noticed already. But this was Erasa his was talking about, she was probably too distracted by Videl's worsening attitude to notice the deteriorating relationship between the two girls. He'd give that situation another few days to work itself out before he brought it to Erasa's attention.
"That's easy for you to say," he managed to reply once he'd focused back on the subject at hand. "But at least I'm man enough to admit I'm afraid. You don't see me hiding behind excuse after excuse for why I'm not with the girl I want." He glanced over at her before continuing. "I'm scared shitless, but at least I'm willing to admit it to myself which is a lot more than most of the guys at this school are willing to do."
"But what do you have to be afraid of," she asked softer than he'd thought she would. It shocked him for a moment.
'That was not the reply I thought I was going to get,' he thought as he turned to get a better look at the girl sitting next to him. He didn't often get a chance to see her like this, open and genuinely curious. Normally they worked in sarcasm and sibling-like rivalry. They had never really been confidants to each other, but on occasions like this, when it was just the two of them, they'd have their moment. So instead of giving some bullshit about real manhood and evading the question altogether he sighed and gave her the truth.
"Everything," he began heavily, for once happy that Erasa was far slower than any of them. "Every little aspect, every little detail, every little mistake I can make, and every little opportunity I'll miss. Videl, I'm afraid of everything."
"But why?" she asked finally turning away from the track and giving him her full attention.
"Because she means everything to me," he said as he ran his hands through his long blond hair. "She so beautiful and funny and sweet and smarter than anyone gives her credit for. She's this amazing girl that's way too good for me."
"Come on Sharpner, you're just as smart. I mean look at you. It's only the first trimester and you've already got universities after you. The teachers love you and anyone of them that you ask is going to write you a letter of recommendation. And don't even get me started on those entrance exams. Knowing you, you'll blow them out the damn water. And you know the best thing about all of that," she pause for a second, watching as he shook his head. "You got this far without the help of a name backing you. You got this far on your own."
"Man, don't even go there Videl," he was quick to defend. "You know you're more than your father's daughter. I'm not sure why I of all people have to remind you, but you're more than that. I just wish that you could see it too, see what everybody else sees because sometimes it feels like the whole world knows it but you. But that's beside the point. You still don't get what I have to be afraid of, well I'll tell you. It's so much more than just the uncertainty and the fear of failure. You know what they'll say if she did agree to go out with me. They'd say 'oh another dumb blond couple, better sterilize them before they dumb down the gene pool again' or they'll start calling Erasa a slut because she's with me and I have a horrible reputation or worse."
"But those are just words…" she began, but he cut her off.
"Yeah well, words hurt Videl. You should know that more than anyone else," he interrupted. "But again that isn't the only reason I'm afraid," he said as a blush started to form on his face. "We both know that you're the only virgin in our little trio, not that it's a bad thing considering you've got a lot more pressure on you then either of us, but you also know as well as I do that when we get to that point she's going to compare me to him and that scares me. No don't interrupt, you're a girl, guys don't really compare we count and despite what you might think, my count's not that high. So go ahead and call me a coward, but remember I'm at least man enough to admit I'm afraid. That makes me ten times the man than any of these other guys in our school."
"I still don't get why you're more afraid of all that and not the possibility of Erasa finding someone else," she said as she began to get up. A quick look at the track confirmed that Erasa had just finished.
"I'll always be there Videl," he said as he got up too. "I can wait."
"But why be afraid in the first place," she asked as she started in the direction of the finish line.
"We're all afraid of something Videl, even you whether you want to admit it or not," he answered as he followed close behind her. "Just remember, the longer you take to admit what you're afraid of, the longer it will take to get past that fear. At least I'm that much closer to being with her. Look at all these other guys," he said with a wave of his hands. "They're no closer to overcoming their fears and I think they're worse off for it." They'd reached the other half of their group of friends as he finished his statement and he didn't notice Videl pause and recoil as if she'd been struck.
…
Vegeta completed his quick trek to the kitchen which despite popular belief was not his favorite place to be. That title belong to his mate, well inside of his mate fucking her senseless, but the kitchen was a close second. Well anywhere he could get food would be a close second, but that was beside the damn point. The point was he was bloody hungry and he wasn't about to wait another thirty fucking minutes just to eat. So here he was attempting to order the damn cooking bots to move faster so that he could eat the piss poor food they deemed appropriate to serve the Prince of all Saiyans when a damn brat enters his fucking kitchen unannounced.
"Who the fuck are you and what the fuck do you bloody think you're doing in my damn kitchen," he growled out already pissed because the woman had obviously reprogrammed the fucking cooking bots to ignore his orders, again.
"Fuck off asshole, I'm not looking for you," she replied as she strode past him in her attempt to get to one of the several hallways connected to the kitchen.
"Wait, I remember that fucking scent," he turned to the short girl, stopping her progress across the room. "You're the brat's bitch. Finally come to finish the job, about fucking time."
"Yeah, whatever pencil dick, I'm not here for you so go blow a bar of soap. Kami-sama knows you'd need to deep throat it to even begin to clean that filth you call a mouth," she stated offhandedly as she turned around again attempting to ignore him.
"Why you little cocksucker," he fumed as he attempted to stare her down which would have worked a whole lot better if she'd just turn the fuck around and bloody cower in fear like the pathetic puny human shitbag she was. "Just go fuck the brat already so the bitch can get her damn head screwed back on correctly and finally spar seriously." Having dismissed the slip of a girl in front of him he turned back to the cooking bots to finish telling them where they could shove their tinny robotic heads, except he never got the words out.
"What the fuck did you just say little man?" the brat's mate fucking growled at him. 'Dende's bleeding dick, what the fuck is with brats and fucking growling at me? I'm the damn Prince of all Saiyans,' he roared internally as he turned back around, steam nearly rolling out of his ears.
"Are you ears just as pathetic as the rest of your weak fucking race?" Barely restraining himself, he was moments away from yelling.
"Look you fucking asshole. You had better watch what comes out of that damn mouth of yours. No one bad mouths Son." She had the nerve to threaten him. Now he was well past mad, he was livid.
"You dare threaten me, the Prince of all Saiyans!" he roared, his eyes meeting hers for the first time. The rest of his sentence was lost as he met the fury that fucking burned in her eyes. If he hadn't seen similar gazes as a boy under Frieza he would not have been able to stop the flinch that wanted to escape from his body. He'd seen a gaze like that before.
"I don't give a fuck about who you are," she countered bringing him out of his internal musings as she took a threatening step towards him. He didn't flinch like he suspected she was used to seeing, but she wasn't deterred. "Don't fuck with Son and we won't have a problem."
Just then he felt his mate's rapid approach. "Vegeta I told you to leave the cooking bots alone," she admonished before entering the kitchen. "Dinner will be done in a…oh Videl. What are you doing here?" Her insistent chatter was distracting him from sticking his damn foot up the brat's ass.
"I came to talk to Son," the brat responded as she temporarily broke eye contact.
"Leave woman, I'm about to show this brat where she can stick her fucking threats," he growled. He wasn't about to have a weak Earthling threaten him and live to tell the tale.
"You will do no such thing," the woman demanded. She was beginning to test his patience. "Look Videl, I'm sorry about my husband. He can be a pain in the ass. Anyway, we just finished a good section of our little project so she should be in her room. Do you need help finding it?"
"No, I've got a good memory," the brat replied completely ignoring him.
"Worry about Kakarott's damn spawn later. Your fucking problem is with me now," he snarled as his anger returned full force at the prospect of being ignored.
"I can take you any time asshole, but I have more important places to be," she countered before leaving the kitchen. It pissed him off further that she actually did know what direction to go in instead of getting fucking lost in the damn maze of a compound. She couldn't have fucking been here more than three damn time and she already knew where the fuck she was going. Dende's bleeding eyeballs, it took him weeks to find his way around. He wasn't just pissed, he was furious.
"Vegeta, what in the HFIL do you think…" the woman went into her own little rant which he ignored. But those eyes, they reminded him of something, something he'd seen a long time ago. 'What was it that the woman asked me about again?' he asked himself as he leaned against the counter, getting comfortable while his mate continued to bitch at him. All walking away and blatantly ignoring her would get him was a cold fucking night in his damn gravity chamber. He liked sleeping in his own bed. 'She said something about non-stop thoughts or something like that. Not really a Saiyan thing, but has been known to happen in extreme cases. Now what were those extreme cases again,' he thought as he continued to ignore his woman's attempts to imitate Kakarott's harpy.
The knock on the door was a little unexpected, Gohanna was still getting use to the fact that Bulma had started to knock on her door before coming in. But given everything that had happened, she couldn't really complain. "Bulma you know I'm in here alone," she called out as she turned back to her desk. She'd been thinking of a couple changes she could make to the extra gravity chamber to increase efficiency. Now was always a good time to start drawing out the plans. That's probably why the sight of Videl in her doorway startled her. "Geez Videl, you can make a noise every once and a while," she said as she watch Videl close her door.
"Sorry about that Son," Videl apologized as she took a step forward, resolve covering her face.
"Why are you here Videl?" Gohanna inquired as she turned in her chair, not bothering to get up from her seat. Everyday it got harder and harder for her to manage. Her Saiyan side wanting her to take everything Videl was willing to give, but her human side not allowing her to be used. She wasn't sure which side was going to win out in the end, but having Videl in her room right now wasn't helping much.
"Look Son, this isn't exactly easy for me so if you would please just sit there, quietly, until I'm done that might make this go by a little smoother," she demanded, it was familiar and undoubtedly hot so Gohanna let her take charge. After all, she'd thrown the ball firmly in her court.
She gave a short nod and Videl continued. "I…" she began, but paused as if that wasn't the way she wanted to start this conversation. "I'm just…I'm just going to throw it out there," she paused again, at this rate it might take awhile. "…I'm scared."
That wasn't what she was expecting. She wasn't sure what she thought Videl would say to her, but an admission of fear had not even been a contender on the list. She opened her mouth to comment, but was stopped.
"Don't, I'm not done," Videl stated before Gohanna could interrupt. "I'm scared of what people will say when they find out. I'm afraid of what my papa will say and Olivia. I'm afraid of what Sharpner will think and what Erasa will say, but most of all I'm afraid of being with you. No, don't interrupt Son. I don't know why I want you and that scares me. That freaks the crap out of me because I've never felt this way before about anyone. When I kiss you my head spins and all thought escapes me. I think about you constantly and that scares me. I can't sleep because every time I close my eyes, there you are." She paused and this time Gohanna didn't try to interject.
"I'm afraid and I've never known a fear like this," she took another breath as she finally turned to look Gohanna in the eyes. "I've stared death in the face and not flinched, accepting that my time had come only to be saved. I've watched my mother die and my father crumble because of it and not cringe. I don't get scared, I get angry, but someone recently reminded me that everyone has something to fear and I can't continue to deny that I'm scared because I am. But I don't want to wait until I'm not scared anymore. I can't wait because every second of every day that I can't touch you is killing me, and fuck that scares me too. I want you Gohanna and no matter how scared I am I want you now." And with that declaration Videl quickly span the short distance separating them, one hand on her gi top while the other grabbed the back of her head, pulling Gohanna towards her and connecting their lips in one swift kiss.
Gohanna fell into the kiss, her hands bringing Videl as close as she could, maneuvering her in between her legs. She pulled back from the kiss, unable to stop herself from reassuring the girl that she was so enamored with. "That's all I could ever ask for Videl," she confessed but was unable to say anything more as Videl force her back into a heated kiss. Gohanna didn't complain.
…
Erasa power walked down the halls, searching each classroom as she went. 'You would totally think that Videl would be able to remember a simple appointment,' she thought as she turned another corner with a frustrated huff. 'What part of 'let's meet up during free period and talk more' did she like not understand?' Erasa's frustration grew with every step she took as she continued her search for Videl. 'I totally sure I'd been pretty clear with my statement. I mean like how else does she think her totally awesome birthday party is going to get planned?' She peaked into another classroom only to find it empty. 'Fiddlesticks, now my best friend is making me curse. I like never curse.
'All I want is to plan the best birthday bash for my bestie's eighteenth birthday and I'm totally like failing at that. She's completely AWOL in her free period room. She like nowhere near any of the bathrooms. Oh my gosh, she's not even in any of the classrooms I checked. Like where could she be?' Erasa thought as she stopped to lean against the nearest wall.
"Oh kami-sama," came a muffled cry, almost too soft to hear.
"What's that?" she asked herself aloud as she moved closer to the nearby supply closet. A strangled moan escaped from the small room. "Oh dear, the indecency, and in school. They have no shame," she said aloud as she slowly rose from her spot. 'You know, I bet that's totally Stephanie and her boyfriend John. They can never keep their hands off of each other,' she thought as she walked closer to the door. 'Heaven forbid they ever managed to wait until they got off school grounds to start. Well, I can't like let them continue. It's like totally my responsibility as student president to ensure that every student has an awesome learning environment,' she paused as another thought occurred to her. 'Well, not that awesome. Oh the gossip this will create,' and with that thought she walked the rest of the way to the door and grabbed the handle.
Opening the door in one swift motion, she called out. "This is totally not the…oh…oh dear. I'll…I'll just be going," and just like that she shut the door and bolted, running to the nearest empty classroom to catch her breath.
"Oh my," she softly exclaimed after managing to get her heart rate back down. She most certainly wasn't expecting the scene she'd been privy too. "Now that totally explains a lot," she finished as she thought back to the scene in the supply closet. She had just caught her two best friends, girl best friends making out inside that supply closet. 'I'm like not totally sure what's worse, the fact that I caught them making out in a supply closet of all places or that fact that they were so totally preoccupied that I'm not one hundred percent sure they even notice I was there,' she thought as a blush burned her cheeks. No she certainly wasn't expecting that, but she couldn't say she was completely surprised. Not if she just totally sat there and thought about it. They were like complete opposites but Videl was definitely at her best when Hanna-chan was around. They just kind of fit together.
Awhile later a flustered Videl was at the door, hesitantly entering the classroom. Her shirt was a little twisted and wrinkled and her breath was coming out in short, heavy pants of which Erasa couldn't be sure if that was from running after her or from her previously, ah, activities.
"You know you could have totally just told me about you two. You know I don't judged," she stated sadly a little disappointed that her bestie didn't trust her.
"Erasa, I trust you I do," Videl began as she ran her hands through her newly shortened hair. "I…it just…this is just," she couldn't seem to find the words and seeing her friend so flustered about the whole situation was kind of sweet.
'Ahh, my bestie is totally nervous. That like never happens,' she thought as she slowly uncrossed her arms.
"Look, it's still kind of new and we don't normally do that type of thing," she finally got out as the red flush finally started to die down.
"What do you mean Videl? We've got a long standing appointment in that supply closet twice a week, every Monday and Thursday," Hanna-chan stated as she entered the room. "And an appointment in the empty chemistry room once a week on Wednesday. Tuesdays you normally drag me to the rooftop or another one of those empty interior classrooms which replaced the biology room because you didn't want to make out with the dead pigs, something about the smell of formaldehyde making you too queasy to kiss me. And Friday we're always in the empty room next to the student council meeting room so we can make out after your meeting. Still not sure why they have student council elections so late in the trimester, but that's okay because the meetings tend to be short," Hanna-chan admitted, her long list turning Erasa's face red along with Videl's.
"Why thank you Son for both calling me a liar and divulging all of our intimate secrets," Videl snap but it didn't look like Hanna-chan cared.
"But Videl I didn't say anything about…" but before Hanna-chan could continue to rat Videl out said girl interrupted.
"And you won't tell her about it," Videl nearly yelled.
"Like how long has this been going on," Erasa asked completely baffle on how her bestie could keep something that appeared to be a frequent activity from her for so long.
"Ah, that would be a trick question," she answered hesitantly.
"Oh come now, how is that like a trick question?" she asked a little shocked by the response she received.
"Well, I'm sure Videl probably wants you to clarify," Hanna-chan answered this time. "Did you want her to tell you when we started making out or when we started dating because those are two vastly different dates."
"Okay, so like how vast is the difference?" Erasa asked as she palmed her hair in frustration.
"Well, we've only been dating for like two weeks, but we've been making out for about five weeks by now," Hanna-chan stated simply. Erasa looked over to her bestie to confirm the dates only to see Videl with her head in her hands her exposed neck red with embarrassment and what totally looked like an old hicky.
"OMG, Videl how could you not tell me," Erasa exclaimed. "This is definitely not a new relationship."
"Well, I didn't say we've been making out continuously for that long. We only made out like three or four times those first three weeks and we weren't talking for one of those weeks," Hanna-chan corrected.
"You can stop any time now Son," Videl pleaded behind her hands.
"Hehehe, you two are like the cutest thing I've ever seen," Erasa laughed, unable to stay shocked and upset with how red Videl was getting. "Well for what it's worth, I'm like totally happy for you." Erasa got up from her spot, a smile on her face as she headed for the door, but she was stopped by a hand on her wrist.
"Erasa, you can't tell anyone." She paused as she looked into her bestie's eyes. "I mean it, no one. We…I haven't exactly told anyone about us," she continued as she pointed between herself and Hanna-chan. "I don't think I'm ready yet."
It broke her heart into tiny pieces to see her bestie like this, so insecure, but she watched as Hanna-chan put a hand on her shoulder and could see it in her stance that she was itching to wrap her arms around the smaller girl. "You know me Videl, when it like really counts, my lips are totally sealed," she said as she dragged her fingers over her lips to imitate a zipper. She left the room but stopped after closing the door, turning around to catch Hanna-chan wrapping Videl in her arms, her head tucked down against Videl as she whispered what she could only imagine were encouraging words. 'It definitely looks like I don't have to worry about you so much anymore,' she sighed as she turned to leave. 'You've totally got your own personal protector now Vid-chan.'
…
Gohanna smiled at the familiar morning routine as she watched Videl run through her forms. They had added the early morning sparring sessions three weeks ago to combat Videl's increasingly aggressive behavior. 'I mean just the other day she made two guys cry just for calling me a nerd. I guess I should be happy because that was at least a heck of a lot less than the number of people she cut down before our regularly scheduled sparring sessions. But it's hard to be happy when your girlfriend is making your classmates cry, underclassmen and upperclassmen alike. And I guess it wouldn't be so bad if Videl wasn't such a hypocrite. I mean it's not really fair of her to take offense on my behalf over a name she manages to call me every chance she gets,' she thought as she continued to watch Videl move from one form to another. 'But the strangest thing is I actually kind of like it when she gets all protective and aggressive over me,' she added with a blush. 'It's totally hot.'
Gohanna began her own stretches in an attempt to distract herself. She needed to at least try to keep her hands to herself for at least another ten minutes. They were here so Videl could blow off steam not get even more frustrated. But it didn't take long for her eyes to wander and focus back on Videl's lithe form, her fingers itching to run against sweat soaked skin and tangle in the short lengths of silky black hair. She smiled at the sight of her short hair. 'I still can't believe she cut her hair just because I'd mentioned how hot she'd look with short hair,' she thought as she absentmindedly continued stretching. 'I'm just glad she didn't take offense because I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to tell your girlfriend how she can look hotter. Actually, I'm still not sure why I'm still breathing considering she's snapped at people for a lot less. I mean really, why snap at a kid just for staring too long?'
With a quick mental shake of her head, she focused back on her girlfriend. She was still getting use to calling her that. 'My girlfriend,' a large goofy grin broke out onto her face as she thought the words. 'I love the way that makes me feel,' she thought as she looked over, absentmindedly noticing that Videl had nearly reached the end of her final set.
'Good, I don't want to wait any longer,' she thought as she began to power a ki blast. She always liked to start off with dodging mostly because it forced Videl to move in ways that made her blood boil and heart pound. Another plus was it made her work that much harder for what she really wanted, a close combat spar which given how all of their previous sparring matches had gone would end in an extremely heated make out session which would likely end in further frustration instead of the much needed release they both seemed to need. Gohanna's cheeks burned red as she thought about what she really wanted to do to Videl.
Their daily make out sessions just weren't enough. If she really thought about it she had to admit that they had never been enough and the frustration of not being closer to Videl was getting to her. But every time they even got close they would get interrupted. It was as if the universe was tormenting them, never allowing them enough time to truly be with each other the way that they both want to, no need to be together. If they were in her room here at Capsule Corp., Bulma always had something she needed to tell Gohanna whether dinner was ready or something interesting she had found or just any random tidbit of information that she really could wait to tell her later at a more appropriate time. 'Well, at least she knocks now,' she thought as she let loose a volley of ki blasts.
At school they really didn't have enough privacy or time always worrying that someone might catch them. 'You would think that we'd at least have enough privacy here in the spare gravity chamber, but with Trucks and sometime Goten wanting to train with us, we never have enough time,' she thought as she released another set of blasts, admiring the nimble way Videl managed to dodge them. Her heartbeat quickened after a particularly flexible maneuver. 'It really wasn't fair,' she thought with a shake of her head before she let loose another barrage of ki blasts.
Videl had her tongue so far down Gohanna's throat that Gohanna thought she might drown, but she couldn't help thinking that it would be the best way to go so she didn't protest. Nor did she protest the hand that was pulling urgently at her gi top, in fact she felt obliged to help in its removal. It was really just getting in the way. Her undershirt was next which was a lot harder to get off considering neither one of them wanted to break the kiss a second time. Gohanna managed to pull back for a moment in order to get her shirt off an opportunity that Videl didn't let go to waste either as she discarded her weighted workout tank to the far corner of the room. They were back together in seconds drawn together like magnets.
Gohanna let her hands run up Videl's bare neck bringing her as close as possible, but it still wasn't close enough. She protested when Videl broke the kiss, trailing kisses and bites down her jaw and down her neck, stopping at the junction for where her neck met her shoulder. It was her favorite place and Gohanna was just glad that Videl never used enough force to leave a permanent mark. That would be all she needed, a giant hicky on her neck were everyone could see. She'd already made the mistake of leaving a couple on Videl and that had been nearly impossible to hide and explain away. She'd have an even tougher time explaining away one on her own neck.
She moaned when she felt Videl's lithe fingers burn a trail down her body, stopping momentarily at her breast as she squeezed and pinched and teased before dragging her nails down her stomach stopping at the top of her gi bottoms. Videl began to tug at the fabric but like clockwork just as she managed to get a firm hold on it a buzz sounded at the door and a small voice could be heard over the intercom.
"Hanna-nee-chan, can I come in and train with you and Videl-nee-san?" they heard Trunks' voice sound over the spare gravity chamber room. Videl growled in frustration.
"Damnit Son, that's like the hundredth time your little brother's interrupted us," she complained as she lifted up from her position on top of the girl below her. Her hands placed firmly on strong abs as she straddled the body underneath her.
"I'm sorry Videl," she apologized as she began to sit up. "But you know he's not really my little brother."
"For how annoying he is, he might as well be," she replied as she rolled off of Gohanna to begin her search for her shirt. "Hanna-nee-chan this and Hanna-nee-chan that and can I train with you Hanna-nee-chan please," she mocked as she grabbed her top and tugged it back on. She walked back over to Gohanna, helping her girlfriend get her gi top back in place. "Well next time I'm not going to stop," she whispered directly into Gohanna's ear as she pulled her down to her. Her hands trailed down the front of the other girl's top as she took a step back leaving her speechless.
"B-b-but Videl," Gohanna croaked out. "He could walk in on us."
"And your point being?" Videl called over her shoulder as she walked towards the center of the room intent on shutting down the gravity regulator.
"I don't want to be like Bulma and Vegeta," she stumbled as she started for the door. "You won't believe how many times I've walked in on them and I don't even live here. And not to mention I never enter their bedroom without knocking, loudly, and waiting to be let in. It's mortifying and traumatizing, and we just can't be like them," she pleaded with Videl as she reached the door.
"Okay, fine, you've convinced me. Just don't give me that look," she scoffed on her way towards the door as Gohanna opened it, all the while mouthing the words 'what look' to the girl behind her.
Videl rolled her eyes at her as Trunks came bounding in, a grin taking over the majority of his face. "Took you long enough," he complained with a fake pout.
"Sorry squirt," Gohanna apologized as she ruffled his hair.
"We were busy you little runt," Videl added as she too ruffled his lavender colored hair.
"Anyway," Gohanna cut in, a light blush covering her face. "What do you want to work on today?"
"Ah, I don't know," he shrugged his little shoulders. "What were you guys working on before I got here?" he innocently asked, bringing a blush back to Gohanna's face.
"Some grown up techniques," Videl answered smoothly, completely unfazed by the question.
"Aw that sounds cool," he pouted. "I want to learn them."
"Sorry you little runt, only grown ups get to learn and use these techniques," Videl quickly covered, easily ignoring the blinding red that had become Son's face. Son was nearly hyperventilating over the conversation that she had stopped being apart of a while back, and Videl could almost hear the mental plea to change the subject that seemed to scream from Son's very being. "Anyway, you wouldn't want to over do it before the big tournament tomorrow would you?" she asked successfully changing the subject and inwardly smiling at the utter relief that painted Son's face like she'd answered some unspoken prayer.
"Naw, I want to show everyone how strong I've gotten," Trunks bragged as he flexed his little muscles. "I'm totally going to beat Goten and then dad's going to be so proud of me," he finished with a nod of his little head.
"Hey squirt, it doesn't matter how well you fight tomorrow or who wins," Son began, her embarrassment seemingly completely forgotten as she crouched down to his level. "I'm already proud of you and I'm sure Vegeta is too. You've done great with your training and you've certainly impressed me so remember that squirt," she continued with a firm hand resting on his shoulder.
"Okay Hanna-nee-chan, but can we still train today?" he asked with an even brighter sparkle to his blue eyes.
"Of course squirt, but let's keep it simple," she added as she slowly stood back up. "Videl, would you mind turning the gravity back up?" she asked as she turned back to her girlfriend.
"Sure Son," she replied, heading back to the center of the room, ready to get back to training. 'Still can't believe how you can still surprise me Son, but you do,' she thought with a slight shake of her head.
…
She had absolutely no idea what she was doing. The logical part of her was reminding her that she had a tournament tomorrow and therefore needed what little sleep she could get. But the other half of her, she was sure was all Saiyan instinct, had her flying towards Satan City at just after midnight. Gohanna had to get to Videl, it was what her Saiyan instincts kept telling her. Not allowing her to relax until Videl was in her arms. She needed to touch her, run her fingers down her waist and over her hips. She needed to taste her, kiss her deeply and she needed to do it now, not later when she'd see her at the tournament. Now, right at this very second. So here she was racing across the sky, waiting the agonizing minutes it would take to reach Videl's balcony. She'd only seen it a couple of times, but even with that limited knowledge, she was able to pinpoint the proper area, the right balcony to land on. And for some strange reason, she knew that when she tapped at the closed balcony doors, Videl would be waiting to answer it and let her in. She wasn't disappointed.
"What are you doing here?" Videl asked as she opened her balcony door and made room for Gohanna to slide past her and into her room.
"I couldn't sleep," Gohanna said as she made her way to Videl's bed, sitting on the violet feather comforters.
"And what if someone saw you," Videl demanded while she walked back over to her bed, taking off the blue robe she had put on to open the balcony door.
"You mean those guards that secure the perimeter," Gohanna replied as she took off her shoes and socks, she never slept in her socks. "They didn't see me, if that's what you're worried about."
"No, what I'm worried about is the surveillance camera that probably saw me letting you into my room," Videl replied tiredly as she helped Gohanna out of the top of her gi.
"Oh, I didn't see a surveillance camera. My bad," Gohanna confessed with a small sigh as she took off her gi bottom, leaving her in a light tee-shirt and a pair of panties. 'Now I'm getting Videl in trouble,' she thought as her shoulders dropped.
"Hai, it is your bad and mine too as the surveillance crew assigned to watch my balcony has probably already contacted Olivia," Videl began as she gently placed her hands on Gohanna's shoulders, clearly trying to lift her girlfriend's spirit. "But don't worry too much, she's either going to bust through that door momentarily," she added with a light lift to her voice as she pointed to her door across the room. "Or she'll wait until tomorrow morning before she starts her interrogation. She'll want to know who was in my room almost the entire night after all."
"Entire night," Gohanna repeated, raising an eye in question. "You're not going to kick me out?"
"Does it look like I'm kicking you out?" Videl asked as she gently pushed against the shoulders under her warm hands, pushing Gohanna's back onto the plush bed beneath her.
"No, I don't think you are," Gohanna replied as she wrapped her slim arms around Videl's waist, her tail worming its way from around Gohanna's waist to Videl's.
"Now shut up and kiss me," Videl nearly whispered as she leaned into the embrace.
"Yes, ma'am," Gohanna giggled out as she happily obliged, bringing her lips down against Videl's in a gentle kiss.
"Now go to bed," Videl commanded breathlessly after breaking the kiss and leaning her head against Gohanna's chest, feeling her soft bosom beneath her and hearing her strong heartbeat beat a steady rhythm in her ear. It's soft cadence lulling her tired body to sleep.
Elsewhere in the Satan mansion Olivia was pacing. 'Videl, what are you doing?' Olivia was confused, not quite angry, but pretty damn close. At approximately zero dark thirteen a figure landed on Videl's balcony, knocked, and then was let in by Videl herself. It was now zero dark thirty seven and surveillance team Alpha had yet to report back with any additional updates.
"Mr. Frances, has there been any further movement on the balcony?" Olivia asked from her video screen that connected her directly to surveillance team Alpha. She had six such monitors, one for each surveillance team, three connecting her to various security guard units, and one connecting her to Hercule so that she could give him important updates.
"No ma'am, there has been no further movement from the balcony or any other camera feeds that we're assigned," the red haired man replied with a nervous look, she could just see the sweat begin to drip down his freckled face.
"Good, keep me posted on any new developments." Olivia was clip with her response, but given the situation, it couldn't be helped. 'Now I have to deal with a hormonal driven teenager who can't seem to sleep alone tonight,' Olivia sighed, she didn't know what to do. It wasn't a life threatening situation, if it had been then the specter wouldn't have knocked and Videl certainly wouldn't have let him in. And Videl did deserve a little privacy even if it could only be for one night. She was a hormone crazed teen after all, what could one expect?
"I guess I should have seen something like this coming," Olivia spoke aloud as she continued to pace the room. 'The restless nights, irregular appetite, and increase in her violent tendencies, it all points to love problems, but couldn't Videl and her beau have waited or at least gone to his domicile. It would have been easier because then Hercule wouldn't have to know most of the intimate details. Now he'll need to know everything, well maybe not everything,' Olivia thought as she stopped pacing, heading over to one of the six monitors in her room.
Reaching her hand out, Olivia stopped before connecting with Hercule. 'Does he really need to know right this moment?' Olivia asked herself as she retracted her hand. 'Sure he'll be angry when he finds out how long our guest stayed in Videl's room but it won't hurt anyone if I let Videl and her mystery man have their fun for the night.' Olivia got up from the seat in front of the monitor and headed back to her bed. "I just hope this specter has the good sense to leave before breakfast." Olivia got back into bed and snuggled under the covers. 'Although I wonder what type of man can capture Videl's heart so thoroughly that she'd risk exposure and to such extremes.' It was her last thought before she drifted back to sleep with images of tall, dark figures floating around her head.
AN: So that's the end of the interlude. Hoped you all enjoyed it. I'm not going to lie, this interlude took way too long to write. I just kept getting idea after idea and it was impossible to link each of them together without more writing. But now that the boring, but extremely important part is out of the way I can get on with the real show. Hope you folks didn't think that the point of this story was to get them together. I mean look at the title, it's kind of implied. Anyway, I look forward to seeing you in August (it's my twin's birthday present so I can't disappoint) and remember read and review. We authors live for feedback.
BloodRed13