Innocent Feelings

12

Now

The kitchen was silent, save from the sound of scrubbing and running water, as well as a faint scratching of pen on paper. While Chichi washed the dishes and Goten focused on drying them carefully, Gohan was sitting at the kitchen table and furiously jotting down answers on his math homework.

He tried to stay focused – after all he did promise his mom his grades wouldn't drop just because he had a girlfriend now – but he kept checking the time on his watch and found himself glancing outside at the darkening sky more often than not. It wasn't helping him finish this thing faster, but really, Gohan couldn't help it. He sighed, discouraged. Rhaa… he wanted to go see Videl already!

After dinner, he had barely reached the kitchen door when Chichi asked him if he had any homework to do. Gohan had actually considered lying so that he could just leave for Satan City, but with how bad a liar he was, and how sharp his mother was, deception was not an option. And so, grudgingly, he'd sat back and started working. It wasn't like schoolwork was hard for him but it certainly was time consuming, and right now time wasn't something Gohan wanted to waste.

He frowned at his notebook. Then he abruptly shut it and stood, gathering his things.

"I'm going out for a bit," he said, stuffing everything in his school bag.

"Where?" asked Chichi immediately, her back still turned as she handed a clean plate to her younger son.

"Can I come?" said Goten excitedly, his eyes lighting up. The little guy probably thought he was going on an adventure or something of the like.

"Sorry Goten, we'll play another time," he said, slowly backing up to the kitchen door. "Well, umm… I won't be long! Later!"

And he quickly rushed outside, took off to the sky, and cringed when he heard his mom screaming after him from the distance. Well didn't that go well…

But Gohan shook his head and his expression turned serious, staring right ahead. He sped up as he soared through the starlit sky. He would worry about the consequences of his brash move later; he had something more important to do right now. He checked the hour on his watch, and then pressed the red button.

The visor darkened his vision, but Gohan kept flying faster and faster, focusing on his destination. He'd wasted enough time as it was – not just tonight, but from the moment he got together with Videl. Even before that, actually, he'd already been considering telling her about Saiyaman.

Well, it was about time he did just that.

Gohan saw city lights from the distance and sped up even more, anxious to get to Videl. It didn't take him long to reach his destination, and Gohan stopped in mid-air to observe the impressive mansion. He could sense a lot of people inside, and quickly singled out the one ki signature he knew most.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then proceeded to hover around the luxurious home to get to Videl. The window was closed, but the curtains were pulled open and he could see light from inside. He moved towards it. Well, here goes nothing…

Floating just outside her window, Gohan didn't dare peer inside and cast his eyes downward. He knocked twice on the glass.

"Saiyaman?" He heard Videl's muffled, surprised voice exclaim from inside her room.

Rushed steps approached, yet he still didn't dare look up. The window was swept open.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in understandable disbelief.

"I…" he started, finally looking up, but then his voice trailed off and his face flared up.

Her hair was down, and she was only wearing a short-sleeved night shirt, the hem going just past her hips… and Gohan could not help himself staring. The wide collar had slid off her left shoulder slightly, and the strap of her bra was visible. Behind his visor, his eyes wandered up and down her figure, and the teen was quite thankful that Videl couldn't see them right now.

She looked so… desirable. He swallowed.

Videl was watching him expectantly, and Gohan forced himself to focus. She shifted her feet slightly, and tried to pull down the front of her shirt; it didn't move much and she looked annoyed.

It only made him more nervous and self-conscious of this awkward situation.

"M-May I come in?" he stuttered, and his face still felt pretty hot when Videl narrowed her eyes at him. Did she notice that he'd been staring?

"Why?" she asked warily, crossing her arms over her chest, holding on to her arms.

He let out a soft sigh. Of course, he shouldn't be surprised that Videl wasn't welcoming him with open arms when he had his disguise on, but it really wasn't making his task any easier.

"I need to tell you something important," he replied, his tone serious.

Videl frowned at him, looking as suspicious as ever, and Gohan felt a trickle of sweat roll down his temple. What should he do if she didn't let him in? Should he just take off his helmet right there and now, floating outside her window?

"Pfff…" she chuckled ironically, placing curled fingers over her mouth. "What, you're finally going to tell me who you really are?"

He gave an awkward smile and scratched his cheek. "Well, actually…"

Videl froze, staring at him, her lips parted. Then her eyes widened and she leaned forward onto the window sill. "Wh-What? For real? You're really going to tell me?"

Gohan tried to calm his nerves and his frantic heart. He needed to do this. Videl had to know. His throat felt dry and he swallowed, willing himself to find his voice. "Can you let me in Videl, please?"

"S-sure, come in," she replied, moving back to let him inside with no hesitation this time, albeit somewhat nervously.

Gohan climbed through the window and hopped onto the purple patterned carpet, his red cape falling slowly with his movement. The young man couldn't help glancing around a little, after all this was Videl's bedroom, and his first time setting foot in it. He didn't linger much though, didn't want to invade her privacy, and turned to Videl. She swallowed, staring at him anxiously. Well, she'd always wanted to know his true identity after all; no wonder it was making her nervous, too.

"You should sit down, Videl," he said softly. He wondered if Videl noticed that he wasn't faking his voice anymore.

"R-right…" she mumbled, casting her eyes to the ground as she walked past him to go sit on her bed.

Gohan stood there for a moment, watching her. Videl glanced at him but averted her gaze quickly. She tried to pull down the front of her night shirt again, and Gohan felt his face heat up once more as his eyes unwillingly wandered to her bare legs. So beautiful…

Snapping out of it with a shake of his head, he rubbed the nape of his neck, and pondered on what to do next. Should he just take off his helmet now? He took a few steps towards Videl, and she looked back at him.

Then, on a whim, he closed the distance between them and kneeled down in front of her. The sudden closeness made his heart pound even faster. Her scent reached his nostrils and he breathed in softly.

"Um… S-So…?" she stuttered, uncertain and even blushing a little, avoiding looking at him. She tucked raven tendrils behind her ear, and Gohan refrained himself from cupping her cheek with his gloved hand.

"Take it off," he said suddenly, making her look back at him with raised eyebrows, her lips parted slightly. He reached over to unclasp the strap of his helmet, leaving it dangling from his jawline. "My helmet. You've been trying to take it off of my head, right?"

She looked speechless; her pupils were dilated, and her mouth closed and opened a few times. Then she swallowed, her fingers curling on the comforter on her bed.

"C… Can I really?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes," he nodded, and lowered his head towards her slightly for emphasis. "I want you to. Take off my helmet, Videl, I won't dodge this time. Go ahead."

He watched her carefully. Was she… hesitating? But wasn't it what she'd wanted ever since he first became a superhero? Maybe she just couldn't believe it… She swallowed again, and then nodded her head, sweat trickling down her cheek.

"O… OK…" she said slowly, reaching for his helmet.

Her hands were on both sides of the orange headgear, and Gohan didn't take his eyes off of her. As scared as he was to see her reaction, he needed to see it. He needed to know whether Videl accepted the truth.

No, actually, he needed her to accept it. He didn't even want to think what would happen if… No, he wasn't going to dwell on it, especially not now, when it was too late; when Videl was slowly lifting his mask.

Clunk, clunk. The helmet slipped from her grasp and dropped at her feet. Her hand moved to her lips.

"Oh my god… Gohan…"

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He'd wanted to say so many things, had rehearsed this moment in his head so many times before, and yet now his mind was completely blank. All he could register was Videl's shocked blue eyes.

She swallowed, and slowly, cautiously, traced his face with the tip of her fingers. "It's really you," she whispered, as if she could barely believe he was in front of her.

"I've tried telling you," he said, grateful that his voice was working again. "I even…" He averted his gaze and blushed. "I even forbade myself from kissing you because I wanted you to know the truth first."

She didn't say anything, so Gohan chanced a glance at her. His heart sank when he saw her frowning. Was she mad at him? Oh, what was he thinking? Of course she was mad at him, he'd been lying and hiding from her since the day they met!

"I… I'm so sorry Videl."

He hung his head, feeling dejected and miserable, and shut his eyes tightly, his fists clenched against his thighs. Why couldn't he have told her sooner? Was it really too late now?

His chest gave a painful pang. Was he… was he actually going to lose her?

Smooth, small hands cupped his face, and Gohan opened his eyes, dreadfully looking at Videl. Yet, her eyes were soft – as gentle as her touch. His heart skipped a beat; his lips parted, his breathing deepened.

"Didn't I tell you?" she said softly. "Stop making that face. I really hate how your eyes look when you're beating yourself up like that."

He gaped slightly, his eyes wide in disbelief. "You… You're not mad at me?"

Her eyes lowered, along with her hands, to his green tunic; she frowned slightly, thoughtfully. "You tried telling me today, didn't you?"

He nodded his head. Her blue orbs shifted back to his face.

"And that other time, too. When we were making plans for our date."

"Yeah…" he said softly. "But every time I tried…" He sighed, scratching the hair at the base of his neck. "Every time… the words just wouldn't come out."

She nodded her head, seeming to ponder on something. "And last night, when you didn't come back to the restaurant."

"I… I couldn't face you. I didn't want to lie to you again… I was so sick of pretending – I even regretted ever creating Saiyaman." He looked her in the eye. "I never wanted to lie to you, Videl. I hated lying to you more than anything. You have to believe me."

She looked back him thoughtfully, her brow furrowed slightly; her hands clutched the collar of his tunic then, and her eyes shifted down to it again. Her voice was but a whisper. "You made me cry, you know."

Something inside him shattered. Gohan blanched, his eyes widened, his breathing hitched; each of his heartbeats became excruciatingly painful. He… He made her… He made Videl… His precious Videl… She actually… Because of him…

"You… You cried… because of me… I actually… I actually… I'm so…" The words had trouble coming out. He closed his eyes. His hands, his shoulders were shaking. "My god, I'm so worthless. How could I…? Making you cry… I can't believe I… I…" He swallowed hard. "I'm supposed to treasure you."

Arms flung around his neck; her scent washed over him as Videl cradled his head on her shoulder, holding him close against her.

"Please stop," she whispered hoarsely, burying her face in the crook of his neck, her hold around him tightening. "Stop beating yourself up. I shouldn't have told you."

"I shouldn't have made you cry," he muttered, sniffing. Eh…? He's gotten her shirt wet…? When did he…?

"Well, now we're even, aren't we?"

Gohan wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly against him. Desperately.

"I'm so sorry, Videl. For everything," he whispered helplessly.

"It's OK, Gohan, I'm not mad."

He pulled back slightly to look at her, wiping his face with a gloved hand. "You're not?"

She shook her head, smiling at him softly. "I know you've been trying to tell me, it must've been hard on you… I was just upset when you… pushed me away. Why did you go and decide by yourself not to kiss me, anyway?" she suddenly asked, frowning slightly. "Shouldn't I have had a say in it?"

He blushed and gave a nervous smile. "I just thought… I thought you should know who you were dealing with first, you know? That maybe… well, that you might change your mind about me, once you knew."

Her arms, still around his neck, pulling him closer. "Well, obviously, you were wrong."

Gohan felt the weight slowly lift from his shoulders. He smiled in relief, touching her forehead with his. "I was so worried that you'd hate me."

Pink tinted her cheeks, and she muttered, "I can't hate you, Gohan. I like you too much."

His heart gave a joyous jolt at her words. Gohan grinned, closing his eyes, and let this wonderful feeling wash over him. Having her so close against him, hearing her say these words… And her sweet scent, her breath brushing his face, her soft body pressed up to his…

His throat tightened.

"Videl," he breathed out, his chest heaving in and out in anticipation.

"Hm?"

"I'm going to kiss you now."

"About time…" she whispered, sounding as breathless as he felt.

He tilted his head to the side, placing his hand against the nape of her neck, and slowly closed the distance between them… Their lips touched for the first time, shyly, gently – and Gohan felt like the world had stopped. Everything… everything became meaningless, unimportant, insignificant – everything but Videl. And her lips.

Ahh… How could she make him feel so… so alive, with such a simple touch? He'd imagined many times what kissing Videl would feel like, but this… This didn't compare to anything. It was indescribable, undefinable. Unimaginable.

It was stronger than anything he'd ever felt.

Gohan pressed his lips more firmly to hers, holding Videl closer against him. His heart was fluttering madly, and his lips, his whole being was tingling delightfully with Videl's touch. And he wanted more of it, more of her – all of her. Kissing Videl… it was only making him crave her more and more.

So he kept kissing her – again, and again, pulling back only a few short moments every time, gasping for air. Their lips were getting swollen, but Gohan didn't care; he just wanted to keep kissing Videl, and to keep her against him, in his arms; he wanted to show her just how much she meant to him through his kisses. Nothing else mattered to him.

They had no idea how long they had been kissing like that, but eventually, reluctantly, Gohan started to pull away – only to have Videl closing the distance again, visibly as unwilling as him to break apart.

"Videl, I –" he started, only to have his voice muffled by Videl's lips. He easily gave in, responding to her enthusiastically. He didn't really want to go home just yet anyway…

Sometime later, Gohan forced himself to turn his brain back on. He tried to focus on the trouble that no doubt awaited him at home, but even the prospect of getting grounded and yelled at didn't seem all that bad if he could just keep kissing Videl for a little longer.

"I really… should go…" he panted between kisses. Yet he only held her closer.

"I know," she breathed against his lips.

He kissed her deeply, avidly. He really couldn't stop. She was too addicting.

They somehow managed to get up while still exchanging kisses, and clumsily backed up towards the open window. But even when they reached it they still wouldn't pull away, as if they were glued to each other.

"Man," he said, leaning over to press his forehead against Videl's, breathing hard. "I really don't want to go. I don't even care anymore."

She giggled, and got on her tiptoes to kiss his nose. "We'll see each other tomorrow."

He captured her lips again before she could pull back, gently brushing her bangs out of her face. She grinned up at him when they finally broke apart, and Gohan reluctantly turned to climb on the window sill.

"Wait, your helmet!" Videl suddenly remembered, rushing back to the foot of her bed to pick it up.

Gohan gave an embarrassed smile and scratched the back of his head: he had completely forgotten he was still wearing the Great Saiyaman disguise. Videl walked up to him and handed him the orange helmet with a bright smile and gleaming eyes.

His heart swelled in joy. Seeing her look so happy… He really couldn't ask for more.

"You're gonna need that, Mr. Saiyaman," she said, grinning at him playfully. He chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, Miss Videl," he said in a low, teasing tone.

It amused him that after all the kisses they'd shared tonight, a simple peck on the cheek could make Videl flush so much. Unable to resist, Gohan leaned in one last time, taking his time savoring her lips.

"See you tomorrow, then," he whispered, brushing his fingers through her silky black locks.

"Yeah."

He put his helmet back on, and turned to the window, placing his foot on the sill. Before he hopped out, however, Gohan looked at his girlfriend over his shoulder and grinned. She beamed back at him, and Gohan had to refrain from turning around and pulling her to him again.

At last, the young man took off to the night sky, feeling lighter and happier than ever. Even when he got home and got an earful from his mother, Gohan simply could not unglue the silly grin from his face.