Disclaimer: In this chapter I don't own Dragon Ball Z, Canon in D, Redbull, Anthem Lights, This I Promise You, My Wish and Rascall Flatts
Warning: No proofreader for this chapter, I apologize ahead of time for any mistakes.
Chapter 20: Time for a Wedding!
Videl had to admit she was thoroughly enjoying her vacation in Hawaii. The warm sun, fresh fruit, clear water and relaxing atmosphere made for an amazing time. Even Erasa's bachelorette party had been quite enjoyable. Which was surprising for Videl since she didn't normally enjoy wild and crazy nights.
The two of them had begun the night in their hotel room, sipping on wine and chatting about life. Erasa had even surprised Videl by bringing the bottle of wine leftover from their dinner date all those weeks ago.
After downing a few glasses and loosening up a bit, they headed out into the night, hitting up several beach bars. They got to try a variety of fruity drinks from many different places. It was undeniable that she probably had a bit too much to drink.
She frowned, suddenly remembering what having too many drinks had led to. She vaguely remembered skinny-dipping with Erasa in the ocean. Probably not the best idea considering what both of their occupations were.
Videl leaned forward, stretching her arms towards the ceiling and then yawned. Surprisingly, even after a long night of drinking and staying up late, Videl didn't feel very hung over. In fact, the morning seemed quite peaceful.
"Dammit!" The frustrated shriek of a certain bride-to-be broke the quiet Videl had been enjoying.
Videl arched an eyebrow towards her friend questioningly while dodging a bottle of hairspray that Erasa had thrown in her general direction.
"I can't find my skin cream… my skin won't glow if I can't find my skin cream!" Erasa yelled frantically.
Videl held back a sigh and bit her tongue. She knew it was useless to point out that Erasa didn't need skin cream and that this "problem" wasn't the end of the world. It was better for Videl's own safety if she didn't cross Erasa at all today.
"What kind of skin cream do you use? Maybe I could go buy you some real quick." Videl suggested calmly.
Erasa shook her head quickly. "No, no, no. I need you here. You're my maid of honor. The makeup and hair lady will be here in ten minutes!"
Videl nodded slowly, resisting the urge to protest. She didn't particularly want her hair and makeup done, but once again wasn't about to cross the very frazzled bride. Videl stood up, and smoothed out her shorts. "I'm going to at least get us some coffee. I know I could use some."
Erasa was about to protest but then stopped herself. "Yes, actually, coffee sounds amazing right now."
Videl smiled, "don't worry, I'll be back in few minutes!" She began walking towards the door but was interrupted by the sound of knocking.
"What?! Is she here already?! But she's so early… we're not ready.." Erasa began mumbling.
Videl opened the door and a man with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers stood waiting. "Delivery for…" He grabbed the card off the bouquet and read the name. "The future Mrs."
Erasa was too shocked to move so Videl leaned over and grabbed the flowers from the poor deliveryman. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome!" The deliveryman said cheerfully. "Have a wonderful day!"
Videl shut the door and turned back towards Erasa. "Wow! There's a card here!" She grabbed it and handed it to Erasa. "What does it say? Who is it from?"
Erasa shakily grabbed it from her, unfolding the note.
"To my Beautiful wife-to-be,
I can't believe the day is finally here, the day I can finally call you my own for the rest of our lives. I've known from the moment I met you that you were something special. I've known from the moment I met you that our lives were meant to be intertwined forever. I've known from the moment I met you that I would someday call you my wife.
I know that you're stressed out, and you're probably lashing out at poor Videl. Trust me, I've been with you long enough to know how you get. But remember that today is a happy day and that it's the beginning of something new.
I will wait for you by the altar today; I cannot wait to see how beautiful you look.
Love,
Your Handsome Husband-to-be"
There was a silence between the two of them before Videl finally broke it. "Wow…" She finally managed. She definitely had a hard time accepting what Sharpener had written. "I didn't know he had it in him."
Erasa smiled, looking towards Videl with her eyes brimming with happy tears.
"Erasa? You okay? What's wrong?" Videl said, worried about her friend.
"I'm ready Videl, let's do this! I'm no longer stressed because I'm about to marry the man of my dreams!"
Videl smiled and nodded back at her friend. "Yes, let's do this!" She turned back towards the door once more. "But first, I'm going to go get us some coffee."
Gohan glanced around the grounds, amazed with how empty they were. Just about a month ago Capsule Corporation Satan City had been blown to rubble. Now the mess had been completely cleaned up, eagerly awaiting the reconstruction of the building. He turned and gave Bulma a smug smile.
"See? Not bad. The cleaning crew did a great job."
Bulma rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh please, Vegeta could have had this cleaned up in a minute tops. It's not that impressive."
"Yeah but Vegeta would have destroyed the surrounding buildings as well."
"Well I didn't claim there wouldn't be any causalities." Bulma winked.
Gohan chuckled and then cleared his throat. "So… what are the plans for reconstruction?"
It was Bulma's turn to smile smugly. "Well, let's just say it's already been taken care of."
Gohan arched an eyebrow. "Really?" He glanced around. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm a bit offended, I'm the president of this branch and I didn't even get a say?"
"Oh please, you were busy doing stuff all of last month. This is my business; I didn't have time to wait around for you while you played Super Saiyan. Besides, you got to take charge of the cleaning project." Bulma poked his chest several times to emphasize each point.
"Oh yeah, gee thanks…" He grumbled under his breath, pushing her playfully away. "So what's your big reconstruction plan? Are we suddenly not building here?"
Bulma smiled, reaching into her pocket and retrieving a large white and green capsule. The capsule was the largest Gohan had ever seen.
"I've actually been working on this project for years but now it's finally ready to launch. "
"What?!" Gohan gasped. "Surely you don't mean that you…"
"Oh yes, that's exactly what I mean. " She held out a hand, prompting Gohan to do the same. "Here you go Mr. Son, your new Capsule Corporation Satan City building."
"What!? Wow! This is AMAZING." Gohan said excitedly. "I can't wait to check it out!" He then looked down towards her hand, puzzled. "How could you fit such a large building inside this capsule?"
Bulma tapped her head knowingly. "Physics, my young apprentice."
"Wow…. but what do you mean you've been working on this for years? The building was only destroyed a month ago…"
Bulma reached out and grabbed his hand, placing the capsule into it. "Yes, but I've been working on this technology for years. What better time to test it then with the new building? A lot of minds went into designing this new building. Also, the amount of mathematics that went into getting something this big to fit into a capsule… well, let's just say I would be happy if I didn't have to do that again for awhile."
"Wow…" Gohan whistled, staring excitedly at the capsule in his hand.
"What are you waiting for?! Go for it! I'm excited to see if it works!"
Gohan nodded, and the two of them walked to the edge of the clearing. Gohan clicked the capsule, tossing perfectly in the middle of the open space. The explosion that occurred was loud, causing the half-Saiyan to instinctively cover his ears. Thick smoke and dust filled the area and the two of them coughed multiple times. Finally when the shroud of smoke cleared, a stunning and gigantic building stood before them.
"Wow! It really worked!" Bulma shouted.
Gohan was too awed by the building that he couldn't even speak. The building itself was incredible. It was sleek and modern. But he still couldn't get over how huge it was. It could easily fit thousands of employees. He wanted to look at the inside. "Wow…." He finally managed.
"You like it?" Bulma smiled. "I haven't even told you the best part. We installed a protective force field on the building. It probably wouldn't be able to stand up to repetitive Ki attacks from The Elite, but it would at least give you a fighting chance. Last time we were taken by such surprise that there was no chance to defend the building."
Gohan nodded eagerly. "Yes, I would like to be able to protect the people that work there too. We have no idea what The Elite are planning."
Bulma nodded as well. "So do you want to check out the inside?"
"You know I do!"
"Great, let's head inside." Bulma took the lead, glancing back to ask Gohan a question. "By the way Gohan, why are you dressed up like that? It's not like you have to go back to work today just because the building has been replaced."
"What do you mean?" Gohan said, glancing down at his clothes. It suddenly dawned on him what she was talking about. "Oh shi…. Bulma, I have to go!" He frantically glanced at his watch. If he powered up to Super Saiyan it would only take him seconds to reach Hawaii, but he still wanted to be early enough to check into his room on the resort.
"Uh what?! What could possibly be more important than seeing the new building?" Bulma growled, placing her hands on her hips.
Gohan looked around before scratching his head awkwardly. "Well uh… I have a date."
"WHAT?" Bulma shrieked, approaching Gohan and placing a hand to Gohan's forehead. "Do you have a fever? Are you delusional? Did I REALLY hear you just say that you have a DATE?"
Gohan shrugged her off, narrowing his eyes towards the blue-haired woman. "What's so weird about that?"
"Well it's not necessarily weird… it's just… in the entire time I've known you, I don't think I remember you ever going on a date."
Gohan grumbled. "I've been on dates before…"
"Well, maybe. But she has to be important for you to miss looking at this." Bulma gestured back towards the building.
Gohan frowned. "Well I do really want to look at the building but…"
"Yeah yeah, I know." Bulma waved him off. "The building will still be here when you get back. Go have fun." She winked at him.
"Thank you Bulma." Gohan bowed. "I can't wait to check it out. I will see you later." Gohan looked around, making sure no one was around before letting his Super Saiyan energy envelope him. "Bye Bulma."
She waved towards him as he began to float upwards into the sky. "Better hurry before anyone sees you."
Almost as soon as she finished her words, there was a loud popping noise and Gohan was gone. Traveling thousands upon thousands of miles per hour. As soon as he had taken off, he already had honed in on Videl's Ki. It was easier to locate a certain Ki to travel towards than attempt to locate the island by sight alone. As he approached the island he began his descent, shrugging off the transformation. He glanced around, using his superior vision to see great detail from afar. He looked for an isolated place and quickly landed. Lucky for him there was a lot of wilderness on the biggest island, Hawaii. He was only a mile out from the resort so he decided he would drive the rest of the way. Gohan reached into his pocket pulling out a container of capsules. He tossed one down and a vehicle appeared before him. He climbed in and began driving, reaching his destination only minutes later. He capsuled his car and approached the front desk of Aloha Bay Hotel and Bungalows.
Gohan cleared his throat before speaking. "Hello ma'am. I would like to check into my room."
"Name?" The front desk lady asked, bobbing her head but not looking at him as she busily navigated the hotel's system on her computer.
"Son, Son Gohan."
Realization struck the front desk attendant and she quickly glanced up to meet Gohan's eyes.
"Oh… oh! Mr. Son!" She stuttered, blushing deeply.
Gohan nodded eagerly. "That's me."
She glanced back down towards her computer screen, typing in a few more things before handing him the key card to his room. "Room 431. Sorry we couldn't get you a better room…"
Gohan chuckled. "This room is fine. I appreciate you finding one on such short notice. Besides, I don't mind the walk. I do need the exercise, don't you think?"
She smiled, laughing. "Enjoy your stay Mr. Son. Let me know if you need anything." She added the last bit flirtatiously.
"Well, there is one thing."
"Oh?" The lady arched an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"Could you tell me where the wedding for Erasa and Sharpener will be held?"
"Oh yeah, right outside on the resort's beach. You know Erasa and Sharpener? That's insane! I can't believe someone knows both the Satans and Gohan Son… wow."
"Thank you." Gohan bowed, ignoring her last comment. He walked away from the counter and towards the elevator. He punched in the appropriate floor and the doors closed. The elevator hummed as it took him up to the 4th floor. After exiting the elevator it was a short walk to his room. He scanned his card and entered.
He was taken aback by how nice his room was. A king-sized bed filled the main area and a sliding door opened to a balcony with breathtaking scenery. There was a desk in one corner of the room with easy access to the Internet. It would be nice to be able to get some work done even while on a mini vacation. He had fallen far behind due to his training lately.
Once again, Gohan reached into his pocket to retrieve the capsules. He pulled the capsule out that contained his suitcase and opened it. He decided to freshen up a bit by brushing his teeth before heading down to the wedding.
As time was nearing for the wedding to start, Gohan became a bit anxious about seeing Videl. He wondered if she would be excited to see him or if she really only needed him there to keep her out of trouble with Erasa. It was hard not to think about the sweet kiss they shared just days ago. The chemistry he felt with Videl was hard to ignore, he just wondered if she had felt the same thing.
It was also hard to keep the dark thoughts from creeping into his mind. Every time he thought of her, strong pangs of guilt washed over him. She almost died because of him. She had been scared and in pain because of him.
He concluded brushing his teeth and spit into the sink. He grabbed a towel from the wall, wetting it to wipe down his face.
Was it fair for him to be attracted to her? Was it fair for him to kiss her?
Gohan growled aloud at himself. He had such a nasty habit of losing control of his thoughts. He needed to stop thinking too much, if anything it would be nice to spend the evening not worrying about The Elite for once.
Gohan hung the towel back up and grabbed his room key, shoving it into his pocket. He gave himself one more once over in a full-length mirror, deciding his appearance was acceptable. He wasn't particularly a fan of the way his hair stood on end but there wasn't anything he could do about that. The jet-black, untamable hair was in his blood.
He turned and headed out the door, ready to face Videl for the first time since they kissed.
Videl couldn't fight the smile that found its way to her lips. Her best friend was absolutely beautiful. She couldn't look more perfect for her wedding day. After reading the letter, Erasa had become the picture of sophisticated and calm grace. She was no longer frazzled but instead ready to face her soon-to-be-husband with excitement.
"You look perfect." Videl whispered in awe. "How are you doing?"
Erasa smiled widely, tucking a loose strand of Videl's hair behind her ear. "So do you. Gohan is going to be absolutely blown away."
Videl blushed, pushing her friend's hand away playfully. "Seriously? Even as you're about to walk down the aisle you still want to talk about that?"
The blonde laughed. "I just like to give my sexy vixen of a friend a hard time."
"You do a good job at that." Videl shook her head slowly. "On the real though, how are you feeling?'
"Calm, actually. Not even worried."
"Good." In the distance, Videl could faintly hear Canon in D begin to play softly, signaling it was time for her and Sharpener's best man, Spencer, to head out. She turned, embracing Erasa one last time, giving her best friend a kiss on the cheek.
Erasa squeezed her hand as Videl turned to leave. She looped her arm with Spencer's and waited for Erasa's family to process to their seats. When it was Videl and Spencer's turn, they stepped onto the beach. The sand felt nice on her bare feet. All eyes turned and looked at them as they approached the front, the photographer carefully snapping photos as they made their way to the front. The two of them parted and Videl gave Sharpener a smile.
Canon in D faded and slowly the bridal march began to play. Everyone stood and turned to face Erasa as she stepped out into the sunlight. Videl heard the sound of Sharpener's faint gasp and couldn't help but tear up a bit herself seeing Erasa approach the altar. When Erasa reached them, she handed Videl her bouquet and turned to face the minister. The music slowly faded out.
"Who gives the bride to be wed today?" The preacher asked.
"I do." Erasa's father spoke proudly before turning towards Sharpener. "Take care of my little girl."
Erasa approached Sharpener and he took her arm.
The ceremony continued on and could only be described as absolutely beautiful and perfect. Videl crying softly as her best friend of her entire life married the man of her dreams.
"Sharpener and Erasa, I remind you that marriage is a precious gift, a lifelong commitment, and a challenge to love one another more each and everyday." The preacher said knowingly. "Please join hands and look into each others' eyes."
Erasa and Sharpener slowly slipped their hands together, turning to face the other.
The preacher cleared his throat, facing first towards Sharpener. "Sharpener, with this in mind, do you take Erasa to be your wedded wife to live together forever in marriage? Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others to be faithful only to her, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." Sharpener proclaimed confidently, squeezing his bride's hand.
The preacher turned towards Erasa. "And do you, Erasa, with this in mind, take Sharpener to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep him, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others to be faithful only to him, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do!" Erasa said in her normal, cheerful fashion.
"May I have the rings please?"
Videl and Spencer stepped forward handing the rings over to the bride and groom.
"As you place the ring on each others' hand, keep in mind what the ring symbolizes. A ring is a never-ending circle and symbolizes committed and undying love."
After Erasa and Sharpener slipped on the rings the preacher continued. "Sharpener and Erasa, in your journey of life together, remind yourself often of the love that brought you together. Give the highest priority to your love. When challenges come, remember to focus on each other and remember the vows you made here today. You have consented together in holy matrimony before us, have pledged your vows to each other, and have exchanged rings as tokens of your love and commitment to each other. In accordance with the laws of the state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you husband and wife." The preacher smiled widely. "Sharpener, you may now kiss your bride."
Sharpener wrapped his arm around Erasa's waist, dipping her backwards and kissing her. She squeaked, surprised, quickly straightening up once he finished kissing her.
"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Sharpener Yuki."
The small crowd around them clapped and cheered. Videl handed Erasa back her bouquet as the bride and groom exited. Spencer and looped arms and followed them out. Videl kept her gaze ahead of them, but occasionally tried to sneak a peak at the small crowd. Her heart fluttered slightly, wondering if Gohan had been able to make it to the wedding.
Erasa, Sharpener, Spencer and Videl headed back out to another part of the beach to take pictures.
"As your best friend, I call dibs on wishing you congratulations first." Videl gave the couple a mock bow.
Erasa giggled at her friend. "Why thank you, Miss. We appreciate you being here."
The photographer approached the group of them, timidly interrupting. "I know you all are probably eager to get to the reception so we'll make this as quick as possible. I wrote down the list of poses and ideas and we'll just quickly move through them."
It took everything in Videl not to roll her eyes. If there was one thing she hated more than anything it was taking pictures.
After what seemed like an eternity of snapping photos and changing poses, Videl and Spencer were finally released from photography prison.
Videl headed back onto the beach, glancing around trying to locate her half-Saiyan friend.
"Hey sweetie." Videl heard her father next to her before suddenly being crushed in a bear hug. "You okay?"
Videl pushed her father away, embarrassed. "I'm fine, very happy actually."
"Good." He patted her head, slightly ruffling her hair. "It was a very beautiful ceremony. Your old man might have even teared up a little. Erasa is practically family."
Videl nodded in agreement. "Yes, I can't remember my life before her. She's pretty much my sister."
"And she's pretty much my second daughter." Before Hercule could continue speaking, someone tapped on his shoulder to ask him something. Videl took it as her queue to disengage from the conversation.
Videl continued looking around, weaving in between people. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest and she quickly grabbed a glass of wine off of a passing waiter's tray. Just as she began to take a sip, she heard the person she had been searching for.
"Videl."
The voice made Videl's heart skip a beat and she spun around, letting her excitement show more than she had intended. "Gohan…"
"Hey." Gohan said, shifting his weight. He stood casually before her, one hand in his pocket.
"You made it."
"Of course I did." He said, pulling his hand from his pocket and closing the distance between them. "You promised me cake."
Videl rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh… yeah. How could I forget?" She resisted the urge to hug him in front of everyone. "You look nice."
"So do you." He smiled. "Are you alright? You looked a bit emotional up there."
Videl scoffed. "Damn, you too? No one is going to let me live that down, are they?"
Gohan chuckled. "Nothing to live down. You have no reason to feel ashamed. Your best friend just got married. I would cry too if I watched my best friend just get married to Sharpener." He winked at her.
Videl's heart involuntarily skipped a beat at him winking at her. She internally growled at herself for her wimpy emotions. "So, how was your flight?"
"Short and sweet. Hawaii is gorgeous looking down from the sky. How about you? How was your flight in?"
"Ugh…" Videl groaned. "I hate you. Mine was long and awful. When are you going to teach me how to fly again?"
"Shhhh." Gohan shushed her, looking around cautiously. "You are very adamant about learning to fly, aren't you?"
Videl stuck out her tongue. "You just don't think flying is a big deal since you've been doing it practically your whole life."
He chuckled. "Well, I guess I didn't think about it like that."
"So? When are you going to teach me?" Videl batted her eyelashes towards him.
"Soon."
"Oh come on, that's not a very good answer. I know you'll just keep putting it off. How about next week sometime?"
Gohan leaned back for a moment, thinking briefly about his schedule next week. Videl was almost certain he was about to tell her no or that he was busy but he surprised her. "Sure, I'm free a few nights. We could at least start on the basics."
Videl's heart fluttered with excitement. She almost threw her arms around him.
Gohan chuckled, noticing the slight rise in her Ki signifying her level of excitement. "You are easy to please. Tomorrow I should take you out above the islands so you can see the view I was talking about."
"Wow… really?" Videl smiled. "Does that mean you're staying the night here?"
"Yeah, definitely. I'm not going to pass up a vacation opportunity like this. I got a room at the resort."
Videl took a sip of her wine. "Well, that's great. At least I'll have someone to hang out with. I don't to bother Erasa and Sharpener too much while we're here."
"And just what are you doing here?"
Hercule Satan appeared to come from nowhere, shoving a beefy finger in Gohan's face as he spoke.
"Good evening to you too, Mr. Satan." Gohan didn't particularly care for Mr. Satan and was having a hard time not knocking him right off his feet for getting in his face. Instinct screamed for him to put him in his place.
"Dad, seriously? Stop. You're drawing attention over here." Videl grumbled. "I'm the one that invited Gohan. Don't make a scene."
"You… invited him here?" Hercule asked.
Videl smiled slyly and then closed the distance between Gohan and her. She slipped her fingers through Gohan's, surprising the half-Saiyan as much as it did her father. "Gohan is my date."
"You… I… he…" Hercule growled, getting more and more flustered.
"Well talk about this later." Videl said sternly. "Don't you dare make a scene. I won't forgive you if you ruin Erasa's wedding over something as silly as this."
Videl clearly knew how to get under her father's skin. Gohan watched as the World Champion turned beet red with anger. Beads of sweat began running down his face. Hercule Satan looked downright terrifying. After awhile, he turned and walked away, deciding his daughter was right. Now was the time or place for this.
"Sorry." Videl chuckled. "It's too easy to get him worked up."
Gohan laughed softly. "He does fluster easy. I hate to admit it, but I enjoy watching him get all worked up. Imagine how he would act if he knew who I was."
Videl attempted to imagine it but couldn't. How would he react? Would he be angry? Ashamed? Terrified? She shook her head after awhile, giving up on the idea. Videl glanced down, suddenly remembering that she still held Gohan's hand. "Oh, sorry… I…" Videl tried to slip her hand out of his but he stopped her.
"Come on Videl. I thought I was your date. We have to make it look convincing." He winked at her again causing Videl's heart to thud against her chest.
Gohan could hear her heart pounding in response to his words. The way she reacted to him was intoxicating. His desire to kiss her began clouding his thoughts. If only they weren't in the middle of a crowded wedding reception.
Videl hated the way she felt so powerless around Gohan. She never got crushes in her life. She never let herself be in a relationship. She never let herself get close to anyone.
And yet now…
"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Sharpener Yuki!"
Suddenly everyone stood up and began clapping cheerfully. Videl used this opportunity to remove herself from Gohan's grasp, weaving through the group of people to reach Sharpener and Erasa.
Erasa and Sharpener broke away from each other, politely greeting their guests one by one. Eventually Erasa was able to meet back up with Videl.
"Goodness, this is awkward as hell. I'm exhausted already." Erasa sighed. "I need a drink." She admitted quietly to her friend.
Videl chuckled. "Let me get you a drink. I'll be right back." Videl disappeared back towards the bar to retrieve her blonde friend a drink. She wanted to keep the bride as calm as possible to prevent any casualties.
"A glass of red wine, and a Redbull with a double shot of vodka." Videl said upon reaching the bar. The bartender nodded his head before starting to assemble her order.
Videl sighed in irritation with herself. She was not handling this whole 'liking someone' thing very well. It had been a bad idea to invite Gohan to the wedding. It has been so long since Videl had even left herself emotionally vulnerable to anyone. She wasn't sure how to handle it.
'But… Gohan is so kind… I can't believe I ditched him like that.'
She sighed again, shaking her head. Just a month and a half ago she was living a very normal life. Oh, how things have changed since then. She had learned about good and evil. If anything, she should be terrified of Gohan but for reasons unknown she was attracted to him.
The bartender set her drinks down in front of her. Videl scooped them up and headed back to her friend. To her dismay, Gohan was currently chatting away with Erasa. There was no avoiding him again; she had to make conversation like a big girl.
"Thanks babe." Erasa said upon Videl handing her a glass of wine. "But why do you get the hard stuff and I have to sip on wine?"
Videl rolled her eyes. "Hey, I'm not the one who wanted to go off and get married." She took a large swig of her drink. "You have to be sober so you can make boring conversation all evening."
"Gee, thanks." Erasa muttered and turned back to Gohan. "Would you like a drink as well?"
"Sure, I'll take a beer."
"Any preference?"
"Surprise me."
Erasa flagged down a waiter, telling him Gohan's drink order. The waiter scurried away to retrieve his beer.
"So how's all of that rebuilding stuff going for Capsule Corporation?" Erasa asked.
Videl was also curious to know. The destruction had been quite a mess. Surely it would be at least a year before they could rebuild the building.
"Great, actually. We just finished the new building today. I'll be able to go back to work in a week or so."
"What?!" The two women gasped in unison.
"That's impossible…"
"Seriously, how?"
"I'm honestly not sure. I mean, I don't even fully understand it myself. The Briefs really are geniuses."
"What do you mean?" Videl asked.
"Well, Bulma was able to create a capsule capable of holding the entire building."
Videl scoffed. "There's no way. None of the capsules currently in existence can hold anything even remotely as big as that."
Gohan smiled at the two girls. "Well, it's the truth. You ladies will have to come see it once we open it up to the public!"
"Wow…" Erasa whistled. "Any chance I could bring my students by to check out the place?"
Gohan nodded. "Fine with me."
"Erasa! Honey! Aunt Barbara would like to speak to you! She came all the way from Alabama!"
"Coming mom!" Erasa yelled back before turning back towards her friends. "Sorry guys, got to do all this boring wedding stuff and talk to some relatives." She pointed towards Gohan. "I will see you soon, and you better not forget about my students. I mean it."
Gohan mockingly saluted. "Yes ma'am. Seriously though, congratulations Erasa! Thanks for letting me come."
"Oh don't sweat it. I'm just glad to see there's hope for Videl after all. I was starting to think she was playing for the other team, if you know what I'm saying."
Videl's mouth flopped open in shock. "Erasa…" She started, but the blonde had already skipped away.
Gohan chuckled, looking back towards Videl. "Hope for you, huh?"
"Meh… don't listen to her…" Videl grumbled. "Say, you hungry at all?"
Gohan seemed to perk up at the words.
"Sheesh. Why do I even ask? Of course you're hungry." Videl gestured behind her. "If we head back inside the hotel they have a fruit buffet set up. Let's head in there! I'm a bit hungry myself."
Gohan could only nod, his head bobbing up and down with excitement.
The two of them headed into the hotel, and once inside approached the fruit buffet.
Gohan had to admit, the scene before him was something he had only dreamt of. Many different fruits were laid out across multiple tables. Apples, oranges, bananas, passion fruit, grapes, pineapples, blueberries… you name it and it was there. There were sliced fruits, whole fruits, and chopped fruits. To drink there was another whole table of just a variety of different juices. Could Gohan have died? This certainly seemed like heaven to him.
Videl rolled her eyes. "Close your mouth. I can see you drooling right now."
Gohan noticed his mouth was indeed open and quickly shut it. He didn't hesitate any further to begin piling his plate to capacity. After stashing enough fruit, they both headed to a table to sit down at.
"Whath wrongth Bidel?" Gohan said, his cheeks full of food.
Videl blinked, deciding he looked like a chipmunk with his mouth filled to the brim like that. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
Gohan quickly swallowed. "You're not going to get anything? You're not hungry?"
Videl bit her lip, glancing quickly around. "Of course I'm hungry, but you're attracting a lot of attention with that fruit pile over there. I'm trying to make it look like we're sharing." Videl quickly swiped a grape from his plate and popped it in her mouth. "See? I'll eat something occasionally and it won't look suspicious—Gohan?!"
The look of betrayal across the half-Saiyan's face was clearly evident.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS? Is food that important to you?!" Videl growled, realizing what the sudden look was about.
Gohan swallowed another bit of food, nodding slowly. "M-Miss Videl…. You're attracting a lot of attention right now."
"Huh?" She whipped her head around. Sure enough, all eyes were suddenly on them and the room had gone quiet. Videl's face turned beet red and she laughed nervously. Videl shot Gohan a murderous glare.
In response, Gohan gave her his best "what-did-I-do" look.
Videl held her tongue, deciding any further words with him wouldn't be worth it. She snuck another piece of fruit, not daring to look the half-Saiyan in the eyes.
"Would everyone gather around? It's time for the newly weds' first dance!" The DJ announced loudly.
Videl was glad to be saved from an awkward Gohan situation for the second time this wedding. She scurried to the designated area for dancing; eager to watch Erasa and Sharpener take the floor. Gohan came up behind her, still munching on his plate of fruit.
A piano began playing the soft melody of Anthem Lights' cover of This I Promise You. Videl couldn't help but notice how happy they both looked as they danced around the room. Even Sharpener had the biggest smile on his face as he looked at his beautiful bride.
Videl sighed happily. She was glad the two of them had finally tied the knot. They had been dating for years. Everyone knew they would eventually get married; it was just a matter of when.
'Good thing Sharpener finally manned up and asked her.'
"They look perfect. They definitely belong together." Gohan noted behind her.
Videl smiled and nodded. "I agree."
After the song concluded, they moved right into the father-daughter dance. Erasa's dad approached her and gave a bow. Erasa giggled and did her best curtsy. Her father grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dance floor. Slowly the melody for "My Wish" by Rascall Flatts began to play.
'I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads where you want to go.'
As if to add to the overall emotion of the moment, Erasa's day began lip-syncing all the words as the moved around the dance floor. Videl felt like tearing up all over again.
'My wish for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to; that your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, you never need to carry more than you can hold.'
Erasa's father twirled her around as he sung to her. Erasa had tears running down her face.
'And while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you and wants the same things too, yeah, this is my wish.'
"And at this moment, we invite all the father and daughters to join them on the dance floor." The DJ announced loudly.
'Oh crap…' Videl mentally squeaked, glancing around for a hiding spot. 'I hate dancing…' She suddenly prayed with everything she had that her dad was off posing obnoxiously and bragging about his battle with Cell. Unfortunately, she wasn't that lucky. Her dad spotted her and gestured for her to follow him to dance. She sighed loudly.
Gohan chuckled. "Oh come on, it won't be that bad." He mused out loud, as if he could read her thoughts.
"Oh shut up." Videl resisted the urge to punch him in his perfect teeth, and then stepped out onto the dance floor to meet her father. Luckily as they began to dance, her father led. Her dancing skills were nonexistent, even in slow dance situations. She was glad to avoid the embarrassment.
"You doing okay?" Hercule asked his daughter quietly as the moved around the floor.
"I'm fine."
"You look like you're about to start crying again."
Videl frowned. "Shush."
"You know Videl, I really am sorry about everything."
"Huh? What do you mean?" She looked up at her father, confused.
"Well, about… everything. The lying… for one. And also for your childhood. I know you're not really the type to like being in the spotlight. That was kind of forced on you. And also because I couldn't protect you."
Videl paused for a second before resuming the dance. "It wasn't your fault. You have no need to apologize."
"But… you're my daughter. I feel like none of this would have ever happened to you if I hadn't pissed off that group of magic people back in the day."
Videl chuckled. "Magic people, huh?"
"Or… whatever they're called. Look, I really am sorry. No one should have the life that you had. We had all the money we could ever need, and yet you were so unhappy."
Videl shook her head. "You're wrong. I was happy. I hated the spotlight but I was never miserable. I love you, dad. You should know that. You and I are family."
Hercule's lip trembled. "You know just how to make an old man cry."
Videl smirked, "If you cry I will punch you."
He laughed, twirling her. "That's my girl."
The music faded away and Videl broke away from her father. She waved a goodbye to him and walked off of the dance floor. The DJ resumed his normal music routine and put on an upbeat hip-hop song. She glanced around before locating Gohan again. The half-Saiyan was casually leaned back in a chair, resting one arm on a table, while the other clutched his beer. He eyed her as she approached him.
"Enjoying yourself?" She mused.
He glanced down towards his beer and then back up at her. "I'm not complaining. Free booze." He gave her a half smirk. "Your dancing really isn't that bad. You did fine, I don't get why you're so nervous about it."
She shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I just don't like the thought of people staring at me and judging my every move. Or in this case, my lack of dance skills."
Gohan's smirk widened. "That's all in your head. No one really pays attention to those around them. Mostly they're concerned with their own dance partner. When we have our dance, the only one that is going to be paying attention to you is I. Er… and probably your father too. He'll probably be preoccupied in his desire to murder me on the spot though."
Videl groaned. "I was hoping you would forget about the dance."
"Oh come on, I flew all the way to Hawaii for that dance. Do you know how many miles that is?"
Videl rolled her eyes. "Oh please, that distance is nothing for you. And I was under the impression that your main motivator was the wedding cake."
Gohan took a sip of his beer before setting it down on the table. "Well, the cake is definitely important to me but my priority here is the time spent with you."
Videl suppressed a squeak, biting her lip. She could feel her face turning red and her heart beating loudly in her chest. She hated the way he was making her so weak. She couldn't remember the last time a guy had said such things to her. His main priority was to spend time with her? Ever since that kiss, Gohan seemed to be putting his charm on overload.
Gohan turned away from her and took another swig of his drink. He didn't want to stare at her too long. He was afraid she might have a heart attack the way her heart was racing. He could feel her Ki rising slightly in her excitement again. The way she reacted to him was slightly intoxicating. Her innocence was adorable. The tough front she always put on was adorable. He was having his own inner battle not to stand up and kiss her again. He was ready for this damned wedding to be over so he could be alone with her again and not put on a silly, goofy front for the rest of the people there.
Gohan realized suddenly that the beer bottle in his hand was about to shatter in his hand from all the pressure he was putting on it. He took a deep breath and eased off, regaining control of his strength. Videl must have also won whatever inner battle she was having, because she finally rejoined him at the table.
"Fine, I will dance with you."
Gohan smiled slowly, tilting his beer back and then finishing it. "Of course you will, you already agreed to it. Besides, stop stressing. You know I will lead the entire time." He stood up, gesturing for her to do the same. Once she followed him, he placed a hand on our waist, guiding her to the dance floor.
"What! We have to dance now?!" She squeaked her protest.
"Oh come on, there's no better time than the present." He mumbled into her ear, his breath tickling her. When the reached the floor, he softly spun her around, placing her hands on his shoulders. He rested his own hands on her tiny waist.
As if on queue, the upbeat song that had been playing faded out and another slow and cheesy song started to play. Normally this type of music was enough to make Videl vomit, but considering her preoccupation with the half-Saiyan she didn't pay it much mind. She could feel her heart racing again and suppressed the violent thoughts she was having of murdering Gohan. She couldn't believe she was actually dancing again… in front of people, no less.
Gohan chuckled, leaning in. "I can hear your heart racing. Relax. No one is paying attention to us."
'Oh, great. Just lovely. Of course he would have inhuman hearing. He can hear my heart racing? Wonderful. As if this couldn't get any more humiliating and awkward.' Videl thought sourly. She glanced around, and noticed there were quite a few other couples on the dance floor. The people still at their tables paid no mind to the couples dancing. Maybe Gohan had been right. But still… "G-Gohan… not so close. My dad will murder you on the spot if you get too close. He won't care that there is a live audience."
"Videl, you know I'm not afraid of your dad." Gohan's eyes flickered upwards in thought. "In fact, if he knew who I was, I bet he would be pretty scared of me."
Videl playfully smacked his shoulder.
"Ouch! Hey."
"I still don't want him causing a scene. He's so hotheaded and you're so stubborn… that doesn't seem like a good combination to me. Besides, what are you 'ouching' about? I happen to know that didn't hurt you."
"Did too." He protested.
"Did n—Eeep!"
Gohan interrupted her speech by twirling around suddenly, and then dipping her down in one solid motion.
"G-Gohan stop! You're going to drop me…"
He chuckled in response, effortlessly lifting her back into his arms, this time just inches away from his body. "Oh please Videl, after everything you've seen me do, you actually think I would drop you?"
Before Videl could respond, she noticed Gohan's face suddenly scowl in annoyance.
"That's enough boy. I'll take it from here."
Videl realized what the sudden cause of annoyance was as her father's voice bellowed next to them.
Gohan reluctantly released his hold on Videl, backing away and then heading off the dance floor. He allowed himself one last death glare before sitting back down.
"Seriously dad?" Videl rolled her eyes, dodging her dad when he tried to dance with her.
"Yes, seriously. I don't like him." He grumbled. "And I don't trust him. He is manipulating you."
Videl blinked a few times in confusion. "Manipulating me? In what way?"
Hercule growled some more. "I'm not sure. But I know that kid is no good. Anyone that uses magic practices the dark arts."
Videl sighed, getting very tired of her father in the present moment. He was ruining the time she was having with her date. "You are too overprotective. Please, just stop. I don't want any drama at Erasa's wedding, but you're making it harder and harder for me to bite my tongue." Videl huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking back towards Gohan. She was beyond frustrated, not sure what to do anymore.
"I'm sorry." She whispered once she reached the half-Saiyan.
"No need to be sorry. I understand. Your father doesn't like me."
She sat down next to him. "Yeah, well, just don't take it personally. He doesn't like any guy that talks to me or gives me any sort of attention."
"I don't take it personally." Gohan said calmly, looking her in the eyes. "You'll just have to make it up to me sometime."
"Make it up? How?" Videl narrowed her eyes. "If you say another dance I will murder you. I don't care if you're some superhero alien. I will find a way to kill you, whether it be silver bullets, a wooden stake…"
Gohan laughed. "You are so feisty about the dancing thing. Fine. I won't ask for another dance from you."
"So then? How can I repay the 'debt' I owe you?" Videl held up her hands and made quotation marks.
"Hmm." He thought carefully. "I haven't thought of that yet. I will let you know as soon as I think of something."
'Attention everyone! Please gather around! Mr. and Mrs. Sharpener Yuki are about to cut their cake!' The DJ suddenly bellowed over the microphone.
Gohan couldn't help the smile that graced his lips.
"You're sure then?" Bulma muttered into the phone.
"Yes I'm sure. I wouldn't be calling you on this damned thing if I wasn't sure." The grumpy voice of the prince of all Saiyans growled.
"No need to get an attitude with me. Can you keep an eye on them?"
"Yes, I'm already on it. I won't let them out of my sight."
"Good. They must be up to something. I don't understand why they're in Los Angeles though." Bulma nervously nibbled on the pen she held.
"I'm not sure either."
"Just be careful. Don't be reckless. Don't try to take them on by yourself. We don't know what they're capable of. We should come up with a plan."
"I know that."
Bulma sighed. "I know you, Vegeta, seriously. Just lay low."
"Are you going to tell the boy?"
She thought carefully for a moment before replying. "I'll tell him first thing in the morning."
"What? Why? Tell him now. I'm not sure how long I can keep an eye on them."
"Because he's busy." Bulma said stiffly, setting the pen down. She was probably being stupid, keeping it from Gohan for the night. But she knew he was probably enjoying himself for once. She had confidence her husband would be able to keep an eye on The Elite he discovered. If anything this would give him time to gather some intel on what their plans were. It seemed strange to her that they would be hanging out in LA of all places.
"Dammit woman. What could possibly be more important than this?"
"Trust me. It's important. I will call him first thing in the morning. Just keep your distance."
"You've said that already."
"Love you."
Vegeta growled something unintelligible into the phone before hanging up abruptly.
Bulma also needed sometime to think. It seemed incredibly strange that The Elite would allow themselves to be discovered. From their experiences up until then, they seemed incredibly careful. It just seemed a bit suspicious they would allow themselves to be found so easily. It seemed eerily like a trap. She didn't want Vegeta jumping them by himself.
The blue-haired genius stood up abruptly and headed towards the cabinet. She needed a drink if she were to get through the night.
"Wow."
"What?"
"I'm just surprised is all."
"About?"
"Well, after all that talk and you didn't even eat my piece of cake."
Gohan rolled his eyes. "You really thought I was serious about that?" He folded up the last of the chairs, before loading them into a truck.
"Well, yeah. That's the main reason for coming, right?"
"You keep saying that. I've already told you what my main motivation for coming is."
Videl couldn't help but blush, looking away. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and most of the wedding guests had already left for the night. Erasa and Sharpener were long gone, and the area held a peaceful feeling under the night sky. Gohan had offered to help Videl clean up after the wedding so it was now just the two of them left. A wave of tiredness washed over her and she yawned. "I'm getting really sleepy, that whole wedding thing was an exhausting roller coaster of emotions." She turned and gave him a sleepy smile. "I think it's about time I turned in for the night."
Gohan frowned, obviously disappointed. "Really? Already?"
"Yes, really. I had a ridiculously long day. I just want to sleep. Besides, it's not early, it's almost nine o'clock."
Gohan shrugged. "True. But how often are you in Hawaii?"
Videl rolled her eyes. "Touché."
"Come on, let's go for a swim." He said eagerly. "It's been a long time since I've gone swimming at the beach."
"What? But it's dark outside. Not a big fan of the whole swimming when I can't see anything."
"Oh come on Videl, what's the worst that could happen?"
She narrowed his eyes towards him. "Oh, I don't know. Sharks? Jelly fish? Crabs? Drowning?"
He chuckled. "You worry too much. Come on, go and change and meet me back down here in ten."
"I don't think I recall ever saying yes to this whole swimming thing. Hello, tired here." She pointed at herself.
"So you're saying no?"
Videl sighed, standing up slowly and stretching her arms. "Fine, you win. I'll go change and meet you back down here." She turned to wave at him and realized he was already gone. "Freaking Saiyans." She muttered under her breath.
She headed off the beach and back into the hotel. She entered the elevator and punched the appropriate floor in. Videl yawned again, feeling a little agitated that he had convinced her to go for a night swim.
The elevator dinged, signaling it had reached the inputted floor. She exited, reaching into her purse and pulling out the room key. She swiped it and entered her room. Videl glanced down at her phone, noting the time. Gohan had only given her ten minutes to get changed so she had to hurry. She dug through her bag and retrieved her bikini, instantly regretting that she hadn't packed a one piece or something at least less revealing. She was still pretty self-conscious afnd wasn't sure she was ready for him to see her half naked. Videl stripped down out of her bridesmaid dress, putting the bikini on after. She tied her hair up in a ponytail and then grabbed a towel before heading out the door. When she finally reached downstairs, Gohan was already waiting for her. Her heart fluttered again at the sight of him. He wasn't wearing a shirt.
'Ugh… of course he wouldn't have a shirt on. We're about to go swimming. Dammit Videl, keep it together. Apparently he can hear your heart beating.' She subconsciously wrapped the towel around her body as she approached.
"Ready?" He asked, his stupid charming smile reaching his features again.
She sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be. Not looking forward to being potentially eaten by sharks. Does this mean my debt is repaid to you?"
Gohan smirked at her, throwing his towel over his shoulder. "Nope. I still haven't decided how you're going to repay me. This little favor is out of the goodness of your heart."
"So this is optional?"
"Hardly. Would it make you feel better if we just hit the hot tub or something?"
"Honestly, yes. I'm not sure I'm a fan of the whole open dark water scenario. Won't that disappoint your beach swimming dreams?"
He laughed, walking ahead of her to lead the way. "Nah, the beach will still be there tomorrow. Besides, the resort has an outdoor bar by the hot tubs and pools."
"Ooo." Videl smiled, following him. "Well at least there's a silver lining to this little excursion. At least alcohol will be involved."
The two of them eventually reached the pool and hot tubs. The area was mostly deserted except for a few wait staff and bartenders. They approached the bar and ordered some drinks. Gohan opted for a beer himself, while Videl ordered a piña colada.
"Room number?" The bartender prompted, as he handed them their drinks.
"431." Gohan said, grabbing their drinks and then handing Videl hers.
"Gohan." Videl said sternly. "You didn't have to pay for my drink. I can handle that myself."
"I'm well aware of that. But if it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be down here right now. Am I right?" He reasoned.
Videl sighed. "I'm never going to win these battles, am I?"
"Nope." Gohan smiled widely. "But you're welcome to try."
The hot tub they approached was completely empty. Videl swallowed a lump in her throat, weary of taking the towel off. She suddenly wished she had ordered a much stronger drink.
"I'm going to turn on the bubbles." Gohan said, setting his beer on the edge of the hot tub.
Videl saw her opportunity when his back was turned, and quickly slid into the water. The water soon started to bubble, massaging her tired body. "Mmm." She muttered, relaxing her shoulders and sliding deeper into the water.
"Enjoying yourself?" Gohan asked, entering the water as well.
She smiled, her eyes still closed. "Mhmm. This whole hot tub thing was a good idea. My legs were so sore from all the standing and walking around today."
Gohan took a swig of his beer and set it back down. "Nothing beats a hot tub when you're feeling sore. I'm still achy from taking that beating from Frostburn."
Videl opened one eye, peering over at him. "You're still sore from Frostburn? I thought the healing tank helped?"
"Well, sure it helped. But that doesn't mean I'm still not a bit sore." He rubbed his ribs subconsciously. "I think Bulma is still perfecting that tech anyways."
Videl noticed that Gohan's skin had reddened slightly in the heat, causing a huge scar in particular to stand out. It started on his shoulder and ran the entire length of his arm. She knew it was rude but she curiosity got the best of her. She had to ask. "What happened to your arm?" She blurted.
He seemed taken aback and confused, glancing down at his arm. "Oh." He shrugged. "That's from Cell."
"Oh." She said lamely, unsure on what else to say. She took a sip of her drink nervously.
He chuckled, sensing the awkwardness she felt. "I told you. You never have to feel nervous asking me anything. If anything, this scar serves as a reminder of what happens when you lose your head in battle. My cockiness got my father killed."
"How does it serve as a reminder though?"
He took a drink of his beer and then took a deep breath. "After Cell had killed my father, he turned on the rest of our group. I was absolutely devastated with the loss of my father. Cell created an energy blast powerful enough to kill Vegeta as well. Right before Vegeta was struck, I came to my senses and dove to protect him just in time. I lived, but my arm was broken and mangled. I barely was able to defeat Cell with just one arm. If I hadn't played around fighting Cell, my father wouldn't have died. I wouldn't even have this scar."
Videl was quiet, unsure of how to respond. She hadn't heard about that part from her father. Gohan had saved Vegeta's life. The defeat of Cell hadn't been easy for Gohan at all. "Hm." She finally said.
"What?" Gohan tilted his head curiously.
"I just can't get over the fact that you, a child, endured all that."
Gohan sighed. "Well, to be honest I was used to being on the brink of death. Most of my childhood I was fighting alongside my father."
Videl frowned. "I'm so sorry."
Gohan reached out, gently touching her chin with his fingers and making eye contact with her. "Videl, you never have to be sorry. I am half-Saiyan. I was born to fight. As much as I try to live in denial and run away from my destiny, I am who I am." He moved his hand to cup her face.
Videl couldn't help but shiver under his touch as his rough, calloused hands cupped the soft skin of her face. "But…" She reached up, grabbing his hand with her own. "You don't have to do it alone. You are still just one man. It isn't fair."
He lowered his hand and shrugged. "You should know from your own personal experience that life isn't fair."
She smiled. "Maybe. So what's with the sudden clarity? You didn't seem this eager to step up and fill your role as Earth's guardian just a few short days ago."
He nodded. "Well, some things have changed since then." He was mainly referring to the reappearance of the Kais and their mission to revive his father. Right now his only goal was to find Dende so he could create the dragon balls and bring Goku back to life. His fear of seeing his father again was still strong, but bringing him back would be for the greater good of the planet.
"Such as?" Videl urged, curiously.
Gohan sighed. "It's actually a long story."
Videl arched an eyebrow. "Oh, it's one of those kinds of things. Fine, I'll leave it alone." She smiled. "So how does the whole flying thing work?"
Gohan dunked his head underwater and then wiped the water off of his face. "You just won't ever leave it alone, will you?"
"Nope." Videl smirked.
"Fine, I suppose we could at least go over the basics and I could explain to you how it all works." He grabbed his beer and took another drink before setting it back down. Gohan slowly raised his hands, cupping them together as if holding an invisible object.
Like magic, Videl watched as a glowing light manifested itself in Gohan's hands. She couldn't keep her mouth from flopping open, still shocked by the existence of Ki. Instinctively, she whipped her head wildly around to make sure no one was watching.
Gohan chuckled. "Don't worry, no one is watching us."
Videl's gaze moved back towards the light in Gohan's hands. She couldn't help but stare, completely fascinated. "That's…"
"Ki." Gohan said, making the Ki float slowly up from his hands a few inches. "As we discussed before, all living creatures contain Ki." The ball of Ki suddenly vanished, and Gohan brought his gaze back down to Videl. "In order to fly, you will need to learn to call upon your Ki first."
"W-What?" Videl stuttered. "Are you sure I can do that?"
Gohan nodded. "Positive. Videl, you have a lot of latent Ki stored within you. I can sense it."
Videl nodded and slowly brought her hands upwards out of the water. She cupped them together in the same manner Gohan had earlier. "So… how do I bring my Ki out?"
"Close your eyes." He commanded softly and Videl obliged. "Relax and completely clear your mind."
Videl nodded and tried to relax.
"Now try to find your Ki. You'll be pulling directly from your life energy. Try to imagine that you'll be reaching for your own soul within your body. It will feel slightly tingly."
Videl closed her eyes tighter as she focused, trying to feel for the sensation Gohan spoke of. A tingly sensation? She certainly didn't feel anything even remotely close to that. How could Gohan be so sure she had Ki when she didn't feel anything that he was describing?
Gohan's chuckle broke her concentration slightly. "Videl, relax. You're straining yourself. It should be natural."
She nodded again, taking a deep breath. She let her shoulders slump forward as she relaxed fully. Videl tried to focus on the feeling of her soul.
And then she finally felt it. It was a tingly feeling indeed, but so dull and hidden she hadn't been expecting it. This was her Ki?
"I… I think I found it." Videl said quietly. "Now what?"
"Now bring it out. Focus on that energy and then will it into your fingertips."
"Okay." Videl relaxed once more, focusing on that energy. She pulled at it and pushed it towards her fingertips. Videl suddenly heard a sound. It was quiet at first, and barely audible but it grew in intensity. Videl's eyes flew open and she couldn't help but gasp. In her hands was a tiny ball of energy.
"Gohan! Look!" Videl excited squeaked. Her excitement broke her concentration and the ball of energy immediately disappeared. When Gohan said nothing, Videl's eyes wondered back towards him.
Gohan's mouth was agape in shock. "I… I saw."
"Wow! I can't believe I was able to do that!" Videl said excitedly, still feeling very pumped. "Why do you look so shocked?"
"I'm just impressed is all. I can't believe you were able to do that on your first try."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Videl splashed at him.
He shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that in an offensive manner. It's just, you made it look so easy. It's never easy for anyone their first time. It usually takes at least ten days of constantly trying to manipulate one's own Ki before they can finally get it to manifest itself." Gohan crossed his arms, letting his eyes flicker upwards in thought. "I wonder if it's because you're already so adept with martial arts. You probably already use your Ki during your fights and you never even realized it."
Before she could respond, her vision suddenly became blurry. Videl suddenly felt very weak.
"Videl?" Gohan asked concerned, reaching an arm out to catch her in case she fell. "Are you okay?"
Videl rubbed her temples, trying to fight the sudden feeling of weakness. "I'm… I'm fine. I guess my body wasn't ready for me to try using Ki after— EEK! GOHAN!"
Gohan had lifted Videl's petite body from the water. He held her bridal style and exited the hot tub.
"Gohan! Don't make me hit you." Videl growled at him. She suddenly felt very, very exposed.
"It's not safe for you to be in the water while you feel like that. You should probably go back to your room and lay down. I don't want you getting hurt."
"I'm f-fine! Really! What about our drinks?"
"I'll come back and take care of them. You need your rest." Gohan began walking towards the hotel and Videl found it useless to protest further. He made sure to grab her towel and key card before exiting the pool area.
"What's your room number?" Gohan asked as they stepped into the elevator.
"227." Videl said gruffly, still unhappy that he was treating her like a weak damsel.
The doors closed and the elevator began to hum upwards. "Come on Videl, don't be so angry with me. I'm only thinking about your safety."
"I can take care of myself, you know. You're always like this and it bugs me!"
Gohan seemed taken aback by her words. "I'm always like what?"
The elevator dinged and he stepped out, still carefully carrying her. "You're always treating me like I can't take care of myself. You never let me pay for anything and now this!"
Gohan arched an eyebrow at her but said nothing. They finally reached her room and entered it. He calmly walked over to the bed and laid her down. When Videl continued to give him a death glare he sighed softly.
"I'm sorry Videl, I never meant to offend you."
Videl tried to respond but Gohan continued.
"I don't know how to atone for what happened to you because of me. I just don't want to ever see you get hurt again. Too many people have been hurt or died because of me."
Videl bit her lip before hesitantly speaking. "You don't need to pamper me because you feel guilty, you know."
Gohan frowned, sighing again. "Well, that's the thing. I don't 'pamper' you because I feel guilty; I treat you like that because I like you. I know that is incredibly selfish. A guy like me shouldn't have anyone close to him. There is too much risk that you could get hurt. Honestly, I keep debating whether or not I should leave you alone. But… I keep finding myself drawn to you." He turned towards her to look her in the eyes. "Videl, you don't like the way I treat you because you don't trust anyone. You keep thinking I have some ulterior motive because most of the time guys are just interested in your dad." Gohan chuckled. "Videl, stop worrying. I don't even like your dad."
Videl tried to respond but her mouth was suddenly dry. Her heart began racing in her chest and she couldn't figure out how to respond. 'Dammit… dammit… There he goes again. He keeps saying he likes me. He keeps saying all of these kind words to me… does he really like me?' As if he could read her mind, Gohan laid down next to her and carefully turned her to face him. He leaned in and captured her lips, cupping her face gently with one hand.
Gohan could hear her heart pounding in her chest and it was driving him mad. His intention had been to give her a reassuring kiss and then break the contact. Videl was proving to make that impossible by being so damn intoxicating.
He tilted her head slightly in deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue gently into her mouth. Videl squeaked in surprise but then made her own tongue meet his.
It was taking all of Gohan's self-control to keep his hands off of Videl's very exposed body. The way she was reacting to the kiss was driving him mad. He wanted to rip the bikini off of her body and have her right then and there. Videl wasn't helping his resolve either, her own hands were wandering over the bare muscles on his chest.
Gohan had to stop it now before he did something he would regret. He really liked Videl; it would be disrespectful for him to have her so early on. He wanted her to feel special and cared for, not just there for his pleasure.
He reluctantly broke the kiss, both of them panting heavily. Videl's glazed over eyes looked at him with both curiosity and disappointment. Her eyes widened in shock when she noticed his eyes were a glowing teal color.
Gohan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to relax himself. His eyes slowly fading back to black. "Now do you believe that I like you?"
Videl nodded quietly, still blushing furiously.
Gohan leaned in once more, kissing her forehead softly. "Good night Videl. I will see you in the morning."
"Good night Gohan." Videl replied quietly as she watched him exit her room.
Wow! It's been over 2 months since I updated! This chapter took quite a long time to write... it's by far the longest chapter I've written! 12,317 words!
Things were getting pretty hot and heavy for Videl and Gohan at the end. Don't worry, I still intend to keep things PG-13! I hope I didn't offend anyone with that little moment.
Until next time readers! Thank you for your continued support.
Next Chapter: The Elite are in Los Angeles! Gohan and Vegeta, prepare for battle!