When Videl finally woke up, she realized that she was alone in her bed. Without opening her eyes she stretched her arm across her bed, finding the spot bare and cold. Opening her eyes, she frowned, not finding Gohan. Turning towards her bed side table, she looked at her alarm clock, finding that it was now almost 1 PM.
Upon realizing that she was still sweating profusely, she sat up in bed, pushing the covers off of her. Her clothes stuck to her skin uncomfortably, and even the sheets below her were damp with sweat.
Still shaking, but not as badly as she was the night before, she climbed out of bed and made her way over to her closet. As she changed, she noted that she had a little more energy as well, yet she did still feel weak. Changing into fresh clothes, she then changed the sheets on her bed as well. Stuffing the damp fabrics into a basket, she realized that she needed to do laundry sometime soon. But as she started feeling dizzy once more, instead she walked back to her bed and climbed on top of the fresh sheets. Laundry could wait for a few more days.
Instead of laying back down, she leaned back against the wall behind her bed, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. She thought back to the night before, and how Gohan chose to stay. Butterflies started fluttering in her stomach and she could feel herself blush when she thought about it all.
The tears, the kisses, the way he held her and promised her safety. They were ridiculous promises, but they still did strange things to her heart.
Suddenly, the doorknob rattled a bit, and the door opened. Gohan peeked in and looked at her, before smiling and walking into the room, closing the door behind him. Videl couldn't explain the light, almost giddy feeling that she experienced at the sight of him, and she couldn't retain the smile that her lips formed.
"Hey," he said, walking over towards her, "how are you feeling?"
"A little bit better," she said in a scratchy voice, "but still pretty shitty."
He let out a laugh as he sat on the edge of her bed. "At least there's a slight improvement there."
"I guess so."
She sat still as he held the back of his hand against her forehead. "You still feel a little warm. You still cold?"
She hadn't given any thought to her body temperature until he mentioned it. Almost immediately, as if on cue, a cold shiver ran down her spine.
She wrapped her arms around herself as he grinned. "I'll take that as a yes." Standing up he walked over to the bathroom, and emerged with a glass of water. "Here," he said, offering it to her, "we need to get some fluids into you. Keep you hydrated."
She accepted the glass graciously, drinking half of the tall glass before setting it on the small table beside her bed. "Where did you go?" she asked, looking back at him.
"Well, Erasa stopped by around 9, so I've been up since then. I left a little while ago to change and shower."
"Wait, Erasa's already been here?" she asked, slightly uneasy at the thought.
"Yeah. She was here for a little while this morning. She said she'd be back after lunch though. So I'd guess that she'll be here again soon."
"And she saw, uh, you know… you here. With me?"
"If you're asking me whether or not she saw us in bed together, then no." He said, smirking, shooting her a wry look.
"When you word it like that it makes it sound worse than it really was."
"'Worse' implying that it was bad. That's not really the word I'd use to describe it."
"Well what word would you use?"
He thought to himself for a quick moment. "Nice," he said, smiling to himself. "It was nice."
Pulling her knees up, she hid her smile behind her legs. She felt like a stupid little schoolgirl, blushing and giggling at these silly words. Without the giggling, of course.
"But don't worry," he said, "I made sure that Erasa wouldn't find us like that. She merely checked to see you were alright, put a wet washcloth on your forehead, talked to me for a while, and then left."
"Where is she now?"
He paused for a moment, as if thinking to himself, "In the cafeteria. With a couple other people. I think it's her brother and then that other guy, Sharpner."
She looked at him blankly, "I'm never going to get used to that," she deadpanned.
He grinned, "You will eventually."
"Is there any way I'd be able to learn that? Or is it strictly an alien thing?"
"I don't know," he said, "I mean, I've known people who've learned how to do it. Full-blooded humans I mean. But they trained for years and years to learn how."
"Same with the energy lights, right?"
"Yeah. And with flying too."
"Would you be able to teach me?"
He made a face, "I don't know. I mean, I could try and show you one day. But I can't make any promises there."
"When I'm better, I'm going to force you to teach me," she said as she pulled a blanket around her, wrapping it over her shoulders and clinging to it in her lap. "So I'll be able to fly and shoot lights right along with you."
"Really now?" he said, teasingly.
"Yep. And then I'll kick your butt finally."
"Try to, you mean."
She leaned over and pushed him, making him laugh. "Don't underestimate me you ass."
"Underestimate? You? Never."
She stuck her tongue out at him, before pulling the blanket around her tighter, almost fully enveloping her in the warm fabric. He laughed at the sight, shaking his head. "You'll be the death of me," he said.
"Whatever you say," she said, smirking.
"But, for the time being, let's focus on getting you better."
"Good idea," she agreed, slinking back down so that she was laying in her bed once more.
Gohan scooted closer to her and reached out towards her, brushing some hair behind her ear. Looking down at her he smiled warmly, "You're starting to look a little better."
"You mean, I don't look like a corpse anymore?" she asked wryly.
"Nah. I'd say you look more like a zombie now."
She swatted his hand away from her head and glared at him. "You're not as funny as you think you are."
"Oh, you know I'm only joking, Videl."
Letting out a 'humph', Videl pulled the blankets over her head, hiding her face from view. "I'll spare you the pain of looking at the monster then."
"Videl," he groaned, pulling slightly at the blanket, yet Videl held on tightly, stubbornly. "I'm only kidding."
"Be quiet. I'm sleepy."
Letting out a sigh, he then opted to rub her back, trying to keep her warm. Videl found the motion soothing, and soon she was sure she'd be back asleep in no time at all. After a few minutes, she peeked out of her blanket cocoon and looked at Gohan.
Although his hand kept it's motion, rubbing her back comfortingly, he was staring at the wall, his eyes miles away, his thoughts probably just as far away. The look on his face was stern, almost somber.
Deciding that she didn't like him looking so sad and serious, she sat up, pulling the blanket off of her head, but keeping the rest of her body wrapped tightly. Sitting mere inches from him she looked at him, concerned.
Noting her movement, he glanced over at her, slightly confused, yet his face still held onto that serious expression. "What are you thinking about?" she asked sincerely.
He shrugged slightly, "Lots of things."
"Are you alright?"
His expression softened somewhat, "Don't worry about me," he dismissed, before turning back toward the wall.
"I think that if you're allowed to be worried about me, then I have every right to worry about you," she retorted, pulling the blanket tighter around her.
Although he wasn't facing her, she could see his cheeks lift, smiling.
"I'm trying to figure out how this can end well."
She frowned, "What do you mean by 'this'?"
"I mean this," he said, motioning vaguely between the two of them, "you and me Videl. I'm talking about us."
Slightly shocked, her eyes widened as the shock fell upon her. "Well… what even are we?"
"You know I care about you. I care about you a lot, Videl."
Hearing him say those words out loud caused her throat to constrict. Unlucky for Videl, she had never been good at voicing aloud her emotions. They sat in silence for a long moment. Gohan, still staring at the wall, took to moving his hand in lazy circles on the fabric of the bed beneath him. Videl sat there, unmoving, watching his hand trace patterns on her sheets.
Still unable to voice a reply for him, she did the next best thing she could think of. With a shaking hand, she placed her hand on his cheek, and turned his head toward her. Then, leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his, initiating a soft, gentle kiss. Gohan responded immediately, slinking an arm around her waist and moving his lips along with hers.
Without words, this was her way of responding. Her way of letting him know. She cared about him, too.
Pulling back after a short while, she looked into his eyes, trying to fully convey her message to him. "Why won't this work out?" she then asked, in a quiet, unsure voice.
"I'm just scared that you're going to get hurt."
She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, but instead, she held his gaze, "Gohan, I really don't see how you'd ever hurt me."
"No, not me. I'm afraid that they're going to hurt you. The androids."
Her blood ran cold at the mention of the two monsters, "They already tried to, and they failed. Now, I'm here, in the base. Where I'm safe."
"Yes, I know. But, Videl. If they ever find out that I'm involved with you in any way, they'll find you and kill you. Just for fun."
"How did you get so involved with them Gohan?" she asked, both shocked as well as terrified.
"It's a long story, Videl."
"Spare me that crap, Gohan. Please." He began shaking his head, only igniting her anger, "If I'm going to be put in danger by associating with you, I think I deserve to know damn-well why!"
He looked at her with a tired expression, then, after a long moment he sighed, "I'll tell you later. Erasa's on her way here now, she'll be here in a couple minutes. I'll need more than just a few minutes to explain it all to you."
Videl let out a frustrated sigh of her own, slinking back down into her bed, blanket and all. She was mad at him, and she had every right to be. If her life was going to be on the line just because she was spending time with him, she wanted to know why. She deserved to know why.
And although he didn't owe her much, he did owe her that.
But, like Gohan had predicted, not even two minutes later a light knocking on the door could be hear.
"Come on in," Videl called out from her spot on the bed. As she spoke, Gohan scooted down farther from her, seating himself at the foot of the bed. Noting this out of the corner of her eye, Videl frowned.
Erasa then opened the door, revealing Sharpner alongside her. At the sight of Videl awake, she quickly rushed to her side. Sharpner stood in the doorway a moment, noting Gohan's presence in the room as well, and strode in much slower, closing the door behind him.
"Hey Videl. How are you feeling?"
"Like crap," she mumbled, "Better than last night. But still crappy."
"You look a lot better," she placed a hand to her forehead, "but you still feel warm." She shot her friend a concerned look.
"Hey, I still have until tomorrow to get better, so don't go getting any ideas," Videl said quickly, trying to deter Erasa's thoughts.
"I just think that you'd get better faster if you let a doctor take care of you," she said a little defensively.
"Don't worry, I've got this knucklehead here nursing me back to health," she said, nudging Gohan with her foot. But as she spoke, and as Erasa let out a light laugh, she couldn't help but notice the way Sharpner was glaring at Gohan. What was up with him? Whatever it was, he needed to cut it out.
"I hope you've been drinking lots of water," Erasa said, sitting herself on the edge of the bed.
Videl rolled around and reached out for the glass on her side table. Sitting up, she then quickly finished the remaining water and held it out with a grin. "See? I'm keeping myself nice and hydrated."
Taking the glass from her hand, Erasa snorted and walked into the bathroom. As she refilled the water, Videl glanced back up towards Sharpner, only to find his eyes still locked on Gohan's form. Then, looking at Gohan, Videl noted that his eyes were now on Erasa, following her as she walked back into the room and held out the glass for her to take.
"Drink this whole thing and I'll stop nagging," Erasa said as Videl took the glass out of her hand.
Videl clicked her tongue and shook her head, before she began drinking the water. For a moment, she looked back at Gohan, who was shifting in his seat uncomfortably. For a moment his eyes met hers and she could see the uneasiness across his features.
He knew Sharpner was watching him, yet he was trying to put for the extra effort and try to brush it aside and ignore it.
For a moment Videl wanted to snap at Sharpner and tell him to cut it out, but looking again at her friend and taking in his unfamiliar lethal expression, she held her tongue. She'd never seen him this way before. If he didn't cut it out though, she'd definitely be having a word with him…
Emptying the glass once more, she then handed it back to Erasa with a grin. "All done."
"Yeah well make sure to drink at least two of these an hour please," she said, flicking the rim of the glass a couple times for emphasis. Placing it down on her table, she then turned back toward Videl, shocking her by grabbing her face between her hands.
With her fingertips Erasa began gently feeling Videl's neck, causing Videl to jerk back and shoot her a strange look. "What are you doing?"
"Hush, I see doctors do this all the time."
"What exactly are you checking for?" she asked, barely holding back laughter.
"I see them do this in movies a lot okay, so it's got to be important."
Videl then couldn't hold it back and instead began laughing hysterically. Even Sharpner let out a light laugh as well, making Videl feel a little more relieved.
"Actually," Gohan spoke up, "Doctors do that to detect swollen glands, swelling in the thyroid, and circulatory problems. But unless you know what you're searching for, it's kind of pointless."
The occupants of the room simply stared at Gohan for a long moment. Erasa then laughed lightly, Sharpner rolled his eyes and reverted back to scowling, and Videl shot Gohan a strange look. "How on Earth do you know that?"
"I uh, wanted to be a doctor when I was younger," he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well then," Erasa giggled, "then I guess you're more qualified then I am to be doing this doctor stuff. Maybe I'll just let him continue nursing you back to health," she said to Videl, winking. Videl widened her eyes at Erasa in disbelief.
Really? In front of Sharpner? Was that really necessary?
"Is there anything else you wanted?" Videl asked almost rudely. She would never admit that Erasa's comment had made her slightly embarrassed, but as she laid herself back down and wrapped her blanket around her once more, pulling it up to her eyes, she hid her blush from the other occupants of the room well.
"Nothing that I can think of off the top of my head. But I'm sure if I think of something, I'll let you know."
"I'm sure you will," she mumbled.
"Oh stop it you," she swatted at her shoulder gently, shooting her a disapproving look. "If you think we got you some food up here, you'd be able to keep it down?"
At just the mere mention of food, Videl scrunched up her nose, "Ugh, no thanks."
"Well, later today I'll try to bring you up a little something. We need to get food in you sooner or later."
"When's the last time you've eaten?" Gohan asked.
Pausing Videl thought to herself. But when she couldn't come up with an answer, she merely shrugged from her spot on the bed, pulling the blanket back over her face.
"Videl!" Erasa scolded, "See? You must've been sick for longer than I thought." She let out a frustrated noise, but then took a deep breath, calming herself down. "I'm serious, if you're not better by tomorrow, to the hospital we go."
"I'll be better," she said dismissively. "I'm serious."
"Yeah, well you can't exactly guarantee that to us now can you?" Videl merely laid unmoving, and said nothing beneath her blanket. "I just want you better, okay?" Erasa said softly.
"Yes, mom."
Erasa pushed her once more, letting out a light laugh. "Oh shut up. Someone's got to take care of you."
Glowering, Videl pulled the blanket back from her face, "I can take care of myself just fine."
"Yes, yes, I'm sure," Erasa said with a grin as she stood up. "I'm gonna go now, if you don't mind. Sorry," she shot Videl an apologetic smile, "I don't really want to catch whatever it is that you have."
Videl nodded in understanding. Shivering once more, she pulled the blanket tighter around her, begging for it's warmth to consume her. "I don't blame you," she mumbled.
Casting her another concerned look, Erasa then turned toward Gohan. "What about you? Aren't you worried about catching whatever bug she has?"
Videl snorted, "You mean mister magic immune system?"
Gohan shot Videl a wry look then looked back towards Erasa, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Erasa looked at Gohan with a raised eyebrow before looking back at Videl, who was still wrapped in her blanket cocoon, "Whatever you two say," she said waving a hand in the air as she turned around and walked toward the door. "I'll be back in a few hours."
Sharpner stood in the same spot for a moment longer, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, glaring. Videl glanced over at Gohan and noticed that he was looking back at Sharpner, holding his gaze. The tension in the room was almost too much for Videl to bear, but she couldn't think of anything to say, so instead she just remained in her spot and waited for Sharpner to leave along with Erasa.
Eventually, as Erasa stood in the doorway, she noticed that Sharpner wasn't following her, "Sharpner?" she said, leaning back into the room. He then turned his head towards her, before looking back at Gohan once more and casting a quick glance toward Videl. Then, he turned and wordlessly walked toward Erasa.
Videl watched as she shot him a look as he walked passed her. Looking back in the room she shrugged, and the started shaking her head, closing the door after her.
Gohan spoke up after a long moment of silence, "I don't think your boyfriend likes me."
Videl sat up and looked at him, so he could see that she wasn't amused. "He's not my boyfriend."
"He doesn't seem to like the fact that I'm spending time with you. Or that I'm here at all."
"I've never seen him act like that," she said to herself quietly.
"Did I do or say something I shouldn't have?" he asked, confused.
Videl shook her head, "I don't know what's up with him, but he better cut it out."
"I don't think he trusts me here with you all alone," he said after a long silence.
Videl thought for a moment, "Maybe," she admitted quietly. "Whatever, he'll have to get over that then. And he's not my boyfriend," she said once more, with a stern look.
"Is he Erasa's?"
Videl paused, "No. Well, kind of. A little?" She shook her head, "I don't know. They're both weird."
"So I can shoot energy beams and fly, but they're the weird ones?"
"Yep," she said laying back down. "We're all a little weird. You're just weird in a physical way. Erasa on the other hand, is completely bonkers," she said, tapping her finger against her head.
"I think she's nice. She's just worried about you."
"A little too much for my liking."
"That just means she cares Videl," he said smiling softly, "Do you think that I'm annoying when I worry about you?"
"You just haven't made a habit out of it yet. But if you do, then yeah, you'll probably be just as annoying." She then pulled an extra blanket over herself. "Now shh, I'm sleepy."
"Do you want me to go?"
Videl peeked up at Gohan, who was now standing by her bed, seemingly unsure if she wanted his presence or not. She had to admit, his manners were adorable.
"You can stay, if you want," she said quietly. "If you don't mind," she added as an afterthought. He sat himself back down on her bed, but that wasn't what Videl wanted. She then reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling on him lightly.
Then, he laid himself down next to her once more, allowing her to cuddle up against him. Wrapping his arms around her he held her close. She let out a slight shiver at the feeling of his warm body so close to her, causing him to hold her a little tighter, rubbing her back slightly.
"You're right," she mumbled quietly after a few minutes, "this is nice." She let out a contented sigh, emphasizing her words.
Yet, soon after she spoke their silence was interrupted by a strange gurgling noise.
Lifting her head she looked at him strangely, "Was that your stomach?"
He let out a frustrated sigh, "Yeah."
She frowned, "What have you eaten today?"
"Don't worry about it Videl - "
"Gohan…"
He sighed again, "I haven't had the chance to."
"Gohan, seriously? Go to the caf and get something to eat, now."
He opened his mouth to let out a retort, but before the words came out, his stomach growled again, effectively cutting him off. "I don't know…"
"I'll be fine for like a half hour without you, okay? Now go," she said, sitting up and just about pushing him up and out of bed.
"Alright alright," he said, standing up and straightening out his clothes. "I'll be back in a little while though."
"Seriously, take your time. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you get back."
"Okay," he hesitated for a moment, but then leaned down to her and gave her a quick kiss, "I'll be right back," he whispered.
Videl merely nodded numbly as the kiss stunned her, leaving her momentarily speechless. She then waited until he left the room, before laying back down on the bed, almost entranced.
She then quickly decided to try and get to sleep before he returned, so she closed her eyes tight and let the thought and memory of his kisses lull her to sleep. About twenty or so minutes later, she was just barely conscious, on the brink of being completely asleep, when the door opened once more.
Too tired to open her eyes she just waited, then after a few seconds, the feeling of his warm hand was on her forehead.
"You weren't even gone that long," she mumbled sleepily, "And I doubt I've gotten better since you left."
"Doesn't hurt to check," he replied quietly.
Cracking and eye open, she looked up at him. He caught her gaze, looking down on her with a gentle smile. He then placed his hand on the side of her cheek, rubbing the smooth skin with his thumb. She let out a contented sigh before pulling on his arm once more, inviting him back into her bed.
And once more they resumed their innocent embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, and she snuggled up close to him, his chin resting atop her head. She was asleep within minutes.
Videl didn't know how long after it was, but the sound of a door closing softly, almost roused her from her sleep. Scowling, she shifted slightly, but upon realizing that Gohan was still by her side, arms still wrapped around her, she halted her movements, and instead settled back in to sleep
It took another couple moments for her to react…
As her eyes shot open, she turned toward the door, only to see Erasa standing there, hands over her mouth. Videl could see the enormous grin that she was hiding and quickly sat herself up, pulling herself out of Gohan's hold on her.
"What are you doing?" she demanded in a scratchy, sleepy voice. She could tell her face was bright red and tried to avoid Erasa's direct gaze.
"You have no idea how badly I wish I had a camera," she said, grinning widely.
"Shut up," she hissed, slowly yet carefully crawling out of her bed.
"That was probably the cutest thing I've ever seen in my entire - "
Reaching her friend, Videl slapped a hand over Erasa's mouth, shooting her a deadly look. "Seriously. Hush. Now." Looking back behind her and towards her bed, she watched as Gohan shifted slightly on the bed, and fell back into his deep sleep. Then, looking back at Erasa, she grabbed her hand and yanked her into the bathroom after her.
Turning on the light and locking the door, she faced Erasa, face still red-hot and gaze still unforgiving. "What are you doing?"
"I'm checking up on you, you dope. I told you I'd be back."
"And you didn't think to knock?"
"I didn't want to wake you up. Besides, if you had woken up I wouldn't have gotten to see that," she said grinning, gesturing back out in the room where Gohan still lay sleeping.
"That was nothing. Now let's stop talking about it. For forever please."
"So are you two like, together now?" She asked giddily, ignore Videl's embarrassment and hoisting herself up on the side of the sink. "You didn't do it, did you?" she asked with a light gasp.
"Shh!" she hit Erasa's knee, shooting her another glare, before walking over to the door, peeking out at Gohan, and closing it once more. "I don't think you could be any louder if you tried!" she whispered.
"Sorry, but you can't blame me here! I just want the details please."
"There are no details. Nothing is going on. Now stop asking."
"Oh my god you did do it didn't you?"
"No! Erasa, stop it! I didn't do anything. Okay? We didn't," she let out a quiet, frustrated sigh, trying to collect herself, "we didn't do anything. We're taking a nap. Well, we were."
"Aww, that's so cute," she all but squealed, trying to keep her voice down. "You've kissed him haven't you?" Videl said nothing, yet her blush increased tenfold. "That means yes. Aww Videl this is precious."
"Stop cooing at me, I'm not a baby," she said grumpily, sitting herself down on the floor, crossing her arms.
"It's so sweet though. Lucky girl, he really is a cutie too."
"Oh yes, lucky me. The one guy I find that I actually like is a freaky alien with superpowers. What are the odds of that happening?" she deadpanned.
"Only you would fish out an alien for a boyfriend," Erasa said with a light laugh.
"He's not my boyfriend," she grimaced. "What about your boyfriend? What the hell was wrong with him earlier?"
"What?"
"I'm talking about Sharpner. He was being such an ass earlier. Don't tell me you didn't see him staring Gohan down like he was going to attack him or something."
"You noticed that too, huh?" she asked, letting out a long breath of air, "I don't know what's up with him. Every time Gohan's name is brought up or every time he's around Sharpner just gets so… odd. I can't really explain it."
"It's like he hates him," Videl said, nodding, "I don't know why though."
"Maybe he doesn't trust him? And that he's worried he'll hurt one of us?"
Videl thought for a moment to herself, "That might be it. But if that were the case I don't know if he'd ever even allow Gohan and I to be in the same room together for any extended amount of time."
"That's true," Erasa admitted, deep in thought. "Wait! Maybe he knows him? Not as in personally knows who he is, but maybe he's seen Gohan before. Or he recognizes him from somewhere."
"Yeah, but Gohan's not a bad person, even if he had seen him, why would he hate him so much?"
"Who knows?" Erasa said, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"You should talk to him about it."
"I tried to. Kind of. Earlier I asked him if he was alright but he just shook me off."
"Try to actually get him to talk about it. I mean, about why he was so mad at Gohan."
"Why do I have to do it?"
"Because I said so. And because he likes you more than me. That's why."
"Maybe," she said, making a face. "He's been so odd lately though. And I hate to bug him when he's still dealing with Melissa in the hospital and everything."
"Still, that doesn't give him an excuse to be an asshole."
Hearing the bed creak from the other side of the door, the two girls shot their heads toward the noise. "Videl?" a sleepy voice called out groggily.
Erasa looked at Videl, flashing her a smile and hopping down from her elevated spot. "Your boy is awake," she said, merely laughing as Videl rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Opening the door, Erasa walked out of the bathroom and back into the room, smiling at Gohan as she watched him sit himself up in bed and rub at his eyes groggily. Videl followed closely behind her. "Hey there sleepy head."
Looking up at the girls, Gohan yawned. "How long was I out for?"
"It's almost 7."
"Uh oh," he mumbled, ironing out a kink in his neck with his hand, "I shouldn't have slept that long." Climbing out of Videl's bed, he straightened his clothes once more and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Videl asked, trying to mask her disappointment.
"I was supposed to be at the hospital wing an hour ago. I've got to check in with them before they come looking for me. You know, the whole daily update thing I have to do with them."
"Shouldn't you be wearing your boot?" Erasa asked. Videl followed her friend's gaze before realizing that both of Gohan's feet were bare.
"Eh, I don't really need it. But… I guess I should go get it before I head over there," he stretched once more, before walking towards the door. As he passed Videl, he placed a hand lightly on her hip, before making eye contact with her. "I'll be back in a little, alright?"
Trying to swallow the knot in her throat, and reminding herself that Erasa was standing just a couple feet away, she nodded her head. "Get something to eat while you're out too. It's around supper time anyways." She forced the words out of her throat, trying to remain clear-headed.
He nodded, still not moving his hand, "You want me to bring you anything?"
She shook her head, grimacing, "No, food just doesn't sound very appetizing to me right now."
"You sure?"
"Yes, now go before they send out a search team," she said, pressing her fingers against his arm, pushing him lightly toward the door.
"Alright. I'll be right back."
"Take your time," Erasa chimed in, "I'll keep an eye on her for ya," she winked at him before grabbing Videl by the arm and pulling her toward her bed. "Now get out. You've been hogging her all day."
Smiling at the girls, Gohan then left, closing the door behind him. As soon as he was out of sight, Videl let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and Erasa let out a high-pitched squeal.
"Oh my god you are so gone."
"What?"
"Gone? As in, you're totally head over heels for this guy."
"No I'm not."
"Denial isn't healthy, Videl."
"Neither is getting a pillow shoved down your throat, but that's about to happen to you in about 3 seconds if the subject isn't changed."
"Threaten me all you want. But you are blushing like a little kid."
"Leave me alone," she grumbled, flopping back onto her bed, face first.
"You can't honestly tell me you don't like him."
"I do okay! There," she said grumpily, pressing her face into her pillow, "I said it."
"He adores you, you know? Is the most obvious thing in the world."
Videl had to try and hide the hopeful expression that crossed her face at hearing Erasa's words. Sure, Gohan had just about told her the same thing, but hearing it come out of someone else's mouth made the entire ordeal that much more real to her. As if it were helping her realize that it really was happening.
"I'm just happy for you, Videl," Erasa said quietly, smiling down at her friend. "And I'm so excited that you've finally found someone who can handle your… unique personality."
"You mean my bat-shit craziness," she grumbled.
"You're just as sane as the rest of us," Erasa said, poking her moping friend in the ribs.
"Which means I'm hardly sane at all."
"The point I'm trying to make is that I can tell that spending time with him is making you happy. And trust me, that is so nice to see. You deserve this."
"He's scared that something bad is going to happen," Videl mumbled, turning her head to cast a sad look at her friend, "with his association with the androids and all."
"How exactly did he get involved with them?"
Videl shook her head, "I still don't know. He better tell me soon though."
"I'm sure he will. But I don't think you're in any trouble. What's the worst that could happen?"
"According to Gohan? Apparently if they find out we're 'together' or whatever. they'll find me and kill me just for fun. Neat huh?"
Erasa's frown deepened. "I didn't realize it was that risky."
"Neither did I. But, well…" Videl paused and though to herself for a moment, "I guess I'm willing to take the risk."
Upon hearing Videl's admission Erasa offered her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm sure everything will be fine."
Although she didn't voice her agreement, Videl did nod before flipping onto her back, resting her arms behind her head and staring up at her ceiling. Erasa laid herself down next to her, staring up at the ceiling as well. Glancing at Erasa out of the corner of her eye, Videl sighed. She'd known this girl for most of her life, and she'd been friends with her for seven years now. She was more like a sister to her than a friend. They were even closer than most siblings.
"It's been a year," Videl said after a few more minutes of silence, "since Dad died and all."
Erasa nodded, "It was a year yesterday, yeah."
For a moment, Videl was almost shocked that she'd known the exact date, but before he shock could register on her face, she realized how dumb she'd been the day before. Walking around and moping like the melodramatic teenage girl that she was. Without even taking into consideration that Erasa might have been upset as well.
In the months following their arrival at the base all those years ago, Videl's father had taken Erasa and Michael under his wing in a way. He was far too busy and gone far too much to ever be able to take guardianship over them, so they stayed in the community home with the other orphaned children, but he was just as kind to them as he had been to Videl.
"I miss him," she whispered quietly, almost too afraid to admit it out loud.
"I know you do. I do, too." Erasa grabbed Videl's hand and simply held it, offering her all the support she needed.
They laid side by side for a little while longer, occasionally bringing up a memory and reminiscing on old times together. They were laughing at one particular story when the door to Videl's compartment opened slightly, and the face of Gohan peeked through.
"Hey there!" Erasa called, sitting up and still giggling. "How was your check-up?"
"They took my stitches out," he said, pointing to the side of his head as he closed the door behind him, "and then they talked more about how strange my recovery timing was; for about the twelfth time. But that was it."
"I see you decided to ditch the boot again?" Videl asked with a pointed look at Gohan's feet.
"I mean, they told me to keep it on for a couple more days, but seriously, I don't need it. It feels fine," for emphasis he hopped up and down on it a few times. "See? All better."
Erasa let out another light laugh as Videl merely rolled her eyes and suppressed a smile. "I don't think I can say the same for our patient over here," Erasa said, elbowing Videl gently in the ribs.
"Hey, at least I'm up and talking. Just watch. I'll be good as new tomorrow."
"Unless you have the same weird alien powers as Gohan, then I doubt that," Erasa teased, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Anyways, I've got to get going. I told Michael we could go play ping pong later."
"I hope he kicks your ass." Videl said as Erasa walked across the room.
Erasa merely waved her hand in the air, dismissing her comment. Then, approaching Gohan, she patted him on the shoulder a few times as she passed him, "She's all yours, stud."
"Erasa!" Videl smacked her hand against her forehead. "Ugh, just shut up and get out."
With a final wink directed at both of the dark haired teenagers, Erasa closed the door behind her, leaving the two alone once more. After a few seconds, Gohan began to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"I think I understand it now."
She narrowed her eyes at him, "Understand what?"
"Why she does things like that. You know, embarrasses you and all."
"She does not embarrass me."
"So, the fact that she's repeatedly voiced her implications out loud between the two of us doesn't embarrass you?"
"I have an idea, let's talk about something else now." She said, turning away from him, grabbing her empty glass, and walking over toward the bathroom.
"She embarrasses you because it's so easy."
Videl snorted from the bathroom, "Please. No it's not."
"Maybe not under normal circumstances. But now she has something to tease you about."
"And I'm assuming that 'thing' would be you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow as she walked back into the room, taking sips from her glass.
"Pretty much."
She shot him a dry look, "Don't flatter yourself." Gohan merely laughed and walked over to her bed, seating himself besides her. "I know what we can talk about now," she said, turning to face him, crossing her legs underneath her, "how you're involved with the androids." All traces of humor immediately disappeared from Gohan's expression, causing Videl's to because serious as well.
"Are you sure? It's a really long story. And I mean that."
"If I'm going to be getting myself put into danger by simply associating myself with you, then I think I deserve to know why," she said sternly.
He sighed, "Yeah, you're right." He looked up at her, before cupping her cheek in his hand, "But remember: I'm never going to let them harm you, okay? I'm just trying to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into."
"You can't promise me that," she said quietly, placing her hand over his.
Gohan's expression hardened, "I can, and I just did. I swear, they'll never hurt you, Videl. Not as long as I'm alive to stop them."
"You can't be by my side at all times though. I mean, I have a job to do. You can't just follow me around, city to city, just to make sure that I'm - "
Gohan cut her off abruptly by kissing her. For a moment she hesitated, still wanting to let him know that what he was promising her was impossible, but all-too-quickly her thoughts grew distracted and her mind focused on other, more occupying, thoughts.
After about a minute, he pulled away, looking her in the eye and saying once more, "I promise."
Biting the inside of her cheek, Videl simply nodded once. She'd let him have his promises for now. She's just have to make sure to remind herself that they weren't set in stone, no matter how much he swore to her.
"In order to fully understand what's going on, you need to know a little more about me, too. All my life, I've been surrounded by fighting," he began. "Both my parents were martial artists. That's actually how they met, and how they got engaged." He let out a light laugh. "They actually got married right after fighting one another in the semi-finals of the world martial arts tournament."
"Really?" Videl asked, wide-eyed, "My father won the last one they held. It was right before the attacks."
"You don't say," Gohan said, slightly surprised, thinking to himself. "Is that how you know how to fight?"
"Sort of. I trained a little when I was a kid. I got pretty into it after he won. But I didn't start training hard until after we'd arrived at the base. But we're getting off topic here, go on."
"Well, my parents were fighters, and most of their friends were all fighters as well. My father actually didn't find out that he was an alien until I was four."
"How do you not know that you're an alien?"
"When he landed here as an infant, he hit his head and lost his memory."
"Um, okay, hold on," she shook her head, trying to make sense of his words. "Why would it matter if an infant lost his memory? I mean, it's an infant… what should it matter? It's not like they'd remember anything as a baby anyways."
Gohan sighed, before inhaling deeply, "Saiyans were known as a very powerful warrior race. Very strong, very brutal. Years ago, the Saiyan race was… employed, in a way. The weakest, mostly infants, were sent to distant planets with only one purpose: to purge it."
"You mean, to… kill everyone?"
"Yes," he said frowning, "but when my father hit his head, it must have caused more damage than just a faulty memory. It was as if all of his instincts, to conquer and destroy, were just wiped completely. He lived most of his life as a very happy, positive, carefree person. He was very powerful though, more so than any other person around. When I was young, we got an unexpected visitor: my uncle, my fathers brother. That's when we found out about the Saiyans.
"That family reunion didn't end well though, and both my father and my uncle died that day. I was then taken and trained by another alien, from a planet called Namek, named Piccolo. My uncle wasn't alone though, and a year later, two more Saiyans came to investigate. That visit didn't end well either. Lots of us fought, and some even died while in battle, but eventually my father came and helped and the fight ended."
"Wait. I thought you said your father had died?"
"That's where things get a little more complicated," Gohan said, scratching the back of his head. "And that's where the dragon balls come in."
Videl raised her eyebrow, "The dragon what?"
"Dragon balls. They're seven orange, magical orbs. Once a year, you can collect them together and they grant you any wish you want. Like, restoring the life of someone who has passed on."
"Okay, Gohan. I'm trying to keep an open mind here, and I mean I'm really trying, but that sounds completely ridiculous." For a moment she almost thought that maybe Gohan wasn't as sane as she'd previously thought.
"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true," he insisted. "My father had told me stories about the dragon balls when I was very young, but I didn't even believe it until I saw him, standing before me on the battlefield. Alive and well and ready to fight."
"But Gohan, it's impossible to revive someone who is dead…"
"Three weeks ago, if someone walked up to you and told you that aliens existed, that humans could fly, and that energy could be sensed as well as manipulated, what would you have done?"
"I would've laughed in their face and told them they were crazy. But I only believe that because you showed me it was all real."
"I haven't lied to you yet Videl," he said, grabbing her hand and looking her in the eye, "and I wouldn't start now. I know it might be hard to believe and a little far-fetched, but just trust me on this."
Looking into Gohan's honest eyes, she nodded. "Okay. I'll try."
He smiled, "That's all I ask. Now, I'd tell you what happened after that, but then we'd be sitting here for a few hours, so I'll try to shorten it a bit. A few of us had to travel into space to visit another planet to use their dragon balls, and we ran into more trouble while we were there. Then, after that, we came back home, used our dragon balls to wish our friends back, and went on with life. After a couple years, things went back to normal. All of our friends were alive and well, and things were going good.
"Sadly, my father passed away a few years later. He caught a heart virus and died when I was 10. Since he died from natural causes, we couldn't use the dragon balls to revive him. It was barely six months later when the first whispers about a pair of people wreaking havoc near North City reached us. A few of our friends went to investigate, Tien and Chiaotzu, and they both died. After word reached the rest of us, we tried to form some sort of plan - clearly we weren't dealing with the average set of crooks. But another person, the only remaining living Saiyan, Vegeta, had different plans.
"He tried to take them down on his own, thinking he'd be able to do it, but he died as well. It was hardly a week after his death when the rest of us went to find these monsters. That was hard to do, since we couldn't sense them. But after we realized they were androids, it made sense. I remember that day clearly. It was early morning, the sun had just come up and the sky was the brightest shade of blue. There was four of us; Yamcha, Krillin, Piccolo and myself who fought them." Gohan paused, closing his eyes as he relived the memory. "I was the only survivor."
"But, you were only a little boy," Videl gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "How were you not killed?"
"I got lucky. They thought they had killed me, but in reality they only knocked me out. The only reason I survived was because the building they threw me at collapsed around me, and instead of crushing me, it only shielded me. When I woke up, a day and a half later, the entire city was in ruins, and there were bodies everywhere. No one in the entire city survived that day, besides me."
Releasing his hand, she then scooted herself closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped an arm over her, pulling her closer, placing his head on hers.
"The androids didn't know I was still alive until I went and sought them out a few months later. They were almost shocked to see me, and I was furious over the death of my friends. I could have died that day as well; I was merely throwing angry punches and randomly shooting off energy attacks, too irate to see any sort of reason. But instead of killing me, they simply began toying with me. They taunted me over the death of my comrades and teased me over how weak I was. Then after they had their fun with me, they knocked me around until I was barely breathing, and left me alone.
"That's when I became their toy. Their play-thing. Something that they could knock around that wouldn't immediately break - or in this case - die. They wouldn't kill me. Even now, if I went to fight them right this moment, they probably wouldn't kill me, even if they had the chance to do it right before them. Even if I were lying on the grass beneath their boots, bleeding and oblivious to the world around me, they wouldn't do it. Once I'm gone, they won't have anyone to toy around with. And let's face it," he let out a cold laugh, "killing me would be too easy for them. There's no fun in destroying your favorite toy."
Feeling him stiffen under her hold, Videl tightened her arms around his torso and buried her face in his side, squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn't imagine the things he'd been through, or the terrors that he'd seen. She thought she'd seen plenty of pain and suffering in her life, and in her line of work, but that barely covered a fraction of the things Gohan dealt with on a regular basis.
"That's why they can never ever know about you."
"They already do, don't they?" She asked quietly, looking up at him, "That very first morning? When they almost killed me?"
"Yes, but as far as they know, you're just a random civilian who I managed to rescue. That's all you are to them right now. But if they found out about this," he said, squeezing her shoulders with his arm once, "they'd kill you. And it wouldn't be as quick as an energy beam to the chest either."
Suddenly frightened, Videl held onto Gohan tighter, practically molding herself to him. She then remembered the morning she had faced the androids. The way the male had aimed his attack at her, ready to kill her on the spot. She didn't even want to begin to think about any sort of prolonged death at their hands.
Feeling her shiver, Gohan kissed the top of her head. "That's never going to happen though. Never Videl."
Nodding quickly, Videl did not relinquish her hold on him, and still kept her head down and her eyes shut. Honestly, the thought of facing the androids again terrified her, and the fact that she might be bumped to the number one spot on their priority list almost petrified her, leaving her unable to speak, or move.
"I'm telling you this because you need to know what you're getting yourself into." As he spoke, he pulled her away from him, making sure she was looking at him as he talked. After she locked eyes with him, he continued. "It's all up to you whether or not this whole thing will continue. If you want to keep doing… well, whatever it is we're doing, then alright. But if not, just say the word and I'll go, and you'll never see or hear from me again. Either choice you make, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe, so there's no need to worry about that."
"Wait, so you're telling me that you'd leave?"
"If that's what you wanted, then yes. I'd do it. I'd never forget you, and I'd still work hard to make sure you always stayed out of harm's way, but for the most part, I wouldn't interfere with your life."
As Videl gawked at him, she found that she was still unable to speak. Looking away, she played his words over in her head once, twice, and then a third time, making sure that she was soaking up every bit of his statement. Minutes passed and they both sat there, as silent and still as stones. Then looking back up at his eyes, which remained transfixed on her, she realized that he was giving her a chance to say no, and to stop their relationship before it even really began.
Although she was horrible at expressing herself, and she found it nearly impossible to put her feelings into words, she knew that if there was any time and place during her entire life to pull herself together and force herself to reply, it was here and now, sitting on her bed, and facing this boy.
"I don't think," she paused, searching for the right words. "That having you leave is an option here." She kept her gaze locked with his, and grabbed his good hand, holding it tightly. "I'm already too far in to look back now."
"So, you want this to continue?" he asked, his expression both a mixture of hopefulness as well as apprehension.
Leaning forward, she kissed him on the lips quickly, before pulling back slightly, "I'm ready to take this on. So yes, let's continue."
She smile that spread across his face as she spoke those words could not be rivaled, "Really?"
She couldn't help but smile, too. A big, uncharacteristic smile that reached her eyes as well. She nodded fervently, "Yes, really."
Letting out a victorious laugh, Gohan stood up, bringing her with him. Then, wrapping his arm around her waist he lifted her into the air, and spun around in circles. Although initially startled by this, she then wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as he twirled them, even letting out a small laugh herself. When he finally set her back on her feet, she stumbled a bit.
"Oh, sorry about that. I shouldn't have done that. You alright?"
Holding her head, she took a deep breath and let out another giggle. "I'm a little dizzy. But I'm okay." She looked up at him, still smiling, and when she met his eyes, which were positively glowing, all she could think was how she knew this was the right decision. Everything just felt so right.
Leaning up to kiss him, the two shared a sweet embrace before pulling apart, and sitting back on Videl's bed. Videl snuggled herself back into his hold, slinking her arms around his torso once more, unable to remove the smile from her face. Gohan wrapped his arm around her and held to close to him, closing his eyes and resting his head atop hers. The were both positively content in their bliss.
"You know, I've been on plenty adventures in my life, but this one might be the craziest one yet." Gohan said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
He met her gaze with a smile, his eyes bright and happy. As she gazed at him, Videl knew that she would never be so sure about any other decision she'd ever make in her entire life. And some strange, small part of her, hoped that as time went on, he'd be there by her side, to face all of the other obstacles she'd come in contact with. Studying his face, she knew that this decision was the right one.
"That so?" she said, a smirk of her own on her face. "Lucky for you, I'm always up for an adventure."