14

She lowered her gaze, a tiny smile curving the corner of her lips as her face took on a lovely cherry blossomed tint.

"I just… I figured you maybe had something to do with what happened today," Videl explained, her voice soft and soothing.

Something stirred in his chest. He had missed her… He missed her like crazy. Three months without this woman was simply too much. Gohan didn't want to keep going like this. He wanted to have Videl in his life, one way or another. He just needed her too much.

"You figured right…" Gohan scratched his hair uneasily. "I didn't realize the fight was causing such violent shockwaves… I haven't fought like that in a very long time."

Videl looked up at him, a glint of worry in her blue eyes. "Does that mean…" She swallowed thickly. "Did something happen…? Was there… some kind of threat again or something?"

He blinked at her, then a wince scrunched up his face. "I'm sorry, Videl, I made you worry over nothing." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "No, there's nothing like that. It was just me and Vegeta going at it."

Relief relaxed her features, but soon a soft frown of confusion and curiosity creased her brow as she tilted her head. "But he's stronger than you, right? That's what he told me at the gala, at least."

Gohan gave her a funny look. "How did you end up having a talk with Vegeta, of all people?"

"He came to me, after it was all over," she replied with a shrug. "He said I intrigued him and that I was… how did he put it again?" She tapped her chin with her index finger. She smirked. "Oh yeah, "adequate" for killing time."

Gohan chuckled. "Well, he has been quite bored over the years, so that doesn't surprise me all that much, in hindsight. Although now he's got a new goal so he shouldn't be that bored anymore."

She tilted her head to the side. "A new goal?"

Gohan leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms and gave a cocky smirk.

"Well, to answer your earlier question, Vegeta isn't stronger than me anymore. I've been training again since the gala, and I just kicked his ass."

Videl's gaze dropped and a bright blush streaked across her cheeks. Goodness, that smirk of his was having all kinds of effects on her. A confident Gohan was just so damn hot.

"Vegeta mentioned something about how you weren't really fighting anymore," she recalled, running a hand over the nape of her neck, her elbows on the table. "What changed your mind?"

Gohan gave a light chuckle. Videl looked at him again and couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips at the adorable look on his face.

How could he go from sexy badass to lovable dork in just two seconds? Was he trying to drive her heart crazy?

"Well, for one thing, Vegeta really got on my nerves at the gala and I really itched to take him down a peg," Gohan explained, scratching his cheek. "On the other hand, I kinda just realized that if something did come to threaten the planet again someday, Vegeta would be our best bet to save the Earth, and that thought alone terrified me." A serious frown creased his face and he leaned closer to her over the table. "You know, if not for him, Cell would never have gotten strong enough to be a threat. Vegeta helped him just so he could have a go at Cell in his Perfect Form, which of course backfired at him."

Something unpleasant churned her stomach. Videl swallowed. "He really did that?"

Gohan nodded gravely. "We've been lucky that the Earth had been at peace since Cell. I can't believe how careless I've been all these years… So I've been training as hard as I could for the last three months and I surpassed him – I surpassed everyone in the universe, really. That we know of, at least."

Her breath hitched. The mere idea was just so surreal. To think she was actually sitting with the most powerful being in the whole universe…

His gaze made her face flush. Videl felt her breathing become more shallow as she drowned in his pitch black eyes.

She loved the way he looked at her. She hated how much she loved it.

She hated how much she loved him. Despite everything, she was still so madly in love with him.

Videl leaned back in her chair, to put more distance between them, and massaged the nape of her neck uneasily. "So that was just you kicking his ass today, huh?"

"Yeah… I feel so awful. I was so caught up in the fight that I didn't even realize… and I even made you worry all day about a possible incoming threat." Gohan heaved a deep, guilty sigh and hung his head. "I'm so, so sorry, Videl."

"It's okay, Gohan. I'm just glad it wasn't anything bad. There were no casualties either. I mean, it was scary, but it wasn't that bad," she said with a smile. He peeked at her and his eyes softened. Videl felt her heart melt completely.

"Yeah, I'm glad… I wouldn't be able to live with myself if my stupid carelessness got anyone hurt, or worse…" Gohan sighed once more, his shoulders slumping as he leaned onto his elbows on the table. He closed his eyes in a painful wince. "I was so worried… About you, especially. I know you can take care of yourself but I was terrified at the idea that something might have happened to you."

Her heart missed a beat. It wasn't like she needed any more proof, but hearing Gohan profess just how much he cared about her made her chest ache.

She wanted to be with him, damn it. Why couldn't her brain just agree and let her trust him again?

Looking sideways – his eyes were just too much – Videl muttered, "Well, as I said, it wasn't that bad, so you didn't have to worry so much…"

"I'm glad you're okay…" Gohan paused. "I'm glad I got to see you today. I missed you."

Videl didn't reply. To be more precise, she forbade herself to reply with how much she missed him too. She couldn't tell him how much his absence strained her heart, how much she longed for him, how much she missed his eyes, his smile, his warmth…

Telling him how she felt would accomplish nothing. It would only give Gohan false hope when she had so little herself. She couldn't do that to him, it was too cruel.

She stood, still avoiding looking at him. "I should go."

Gohan chair screeched as he followed suit and swiftly caught her wrist before she could slip away from him. "Wait. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't say things like that. Don't go already, please. Stay just a little bit more."

"What would that accomplish?" she murmured. "It's still too painful, Gohan. Seeing you just reminds me of what we lost, what could've been… I wish I could stay… I wish I never had to leave your side again. But it's over, Gohan. There's nothing else to add…"

"But…" She heard him swallow thickly. He still wasn't letting go of her wrist.

She turned her head to offer him a sad, wistful smile. "Thank you for your honesty, Gohan. I… enjoyed our little talk."

His hold on her wrist started to loosen. Videl's chest tightened as Gohan watched her helplessly, looking like a lost puppy as he slowly let her go.

"Well then…" she murmured, her heart protesting vehemently as she turned to leave.

Why couldn't she just choose to trust him? Why was it so hard to regain something after it was lost?

It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she just be with the man she loved?

"Maybe we could be friends?"

His voice stopped her. The mere concept felt so… foreign. Friends? With Gohan? When every second in his presence made her ache to touch him?

Videl looked at him over her shoulder, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"

Gohan took a step forward. "I just… I need you in my life, Videl, one way or another. Even if it's just as friends, even if it means I'll never get to kiss you again… I can't deal with losing you completely, Videl, I can't bear being away from you. I need you too much. I miss you too much."

She turned around to face him. Gohan took another step towards her, his eyes pleading, hoping… and so completely enamored.

Videl shook her head. "It won't work, Gohan. I look at you and I see how much you love me. We can't be friends."

"I can control myself," he declared, taking another step closer. "I'll do anything. Please, Videl, at least consider it."

She had to crane her neck to look at him now. She could even smell his intoxicating scent…

"I… I'm not sure I can," she muttered, averting her gaze. "Control myself with you, I mean…"

"Let us try," he insisted. "Please, Videl… I just miss you too much. I need you in my life."

She bit her lip. This was crazy. She felt too attracted, too drawn to Gohan to just be his friend. This was a bad idea. They were just going to end up even more hurt and heartbroken.

But…

She looked at him again, felt herself drown in his pitch black eyes, felt her breathing come short at the intensity with which he was gazing at her.

She missed him too. She missed him so much. She needed him in her life as well, even if it would only mean as friends and nothing more.

"It's a bad idea, Gohan," she murmured without much conviction.

"I don't think it is," he countered with a small smile. "I think it's what you need to learn to trust me again."

Her heart leaped with hope. She couldn't tear her eyes off his.

"We can't be friends. It won't work," she said again.

"It might. Aren't you curious to see if we could make it as friends somehow?"

That bastard. He knew exactly what to say to convince her, using her weakness against her. He knew her too well – she had always been too curious for her own good.

"It doesn't hurt to try, does it?"

Videl gave a wry smile. "I'm pretty sure it will."

He chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "Maybe you're right, but what if I am?" He flashed her a dazzling grin. "Let's be friends, Videl."

Her mouth twitched, itching to smile back at him, and Videl lost the battle, her eyes sparkling as she beamed.

"Let's… Let's have a test run first, then," she finally suggested. "You still have a few hours before you start your shift tonight, right? So let's hang out and see if we can make it work as friends."

This was bad. She was hoping again. It wasn't going to work. It couldn't work. She and Gohan could never be just friends.

He grinned wider, his eyes lighting up. "Sounds good to me. How about we go get some food then? I'm kinda starving after that major ass-kicking."

Videl snorted laughing into her hand. "Okay then."

They started toward the cafeteria exit.

"I'm not inviting you, since this isn't a date," he pointed out in a playful tone. Videl rolled her eyes through her grin. They were walking through the hospital hallways now.

"Right. I'm just glad I don't need to invite you, what with how much you eat and all."

He chuckled. "See? We're already bantering like friends. I told you it could work."

"Hold your horses, Gohan, we don't know what might happen later. I'm still very dubious it can work."

They paused in front of the elevator. Gohan felt his face flush and coughed into his fist. Videl lowered her head, her cheeks burning at the memory that the thought of being in an elevator with Gohan was bringing back.

"Let's take the stairs," he suggested wisely. Videl readily agreed.

It wasn't going to be easy for sure. It was probably going to backfire at them in the end, really.

Still, Videl wanted to try. She wanted to hope. She wanted to trust him again, and this might be the way to make it happen.

His eyes, his smile, his gentleness… He was making her heart melt completely. They hadn't even gotten to the fast food place and Videl was already feeling her resolve weakening. Her gaze stopped on his lips as he spoke to her and she swallowed hard.

This was never going to work. She was too affected by his very presence. She wanted him too much.

They were walking in a narrow alleyway when Videl lost it. She pushed Gohan against the wall, cutting him off in mid sentence, and stared at his lips impatiently. Her arms were extended on either side of him, cornering him as he blinked at her in surprise.

"I told you it couldn't work," she murmured breathlessly.

His face flushed and he swallowed. She cupped his cheek.

"Wait…" he uttered meekly.

But she was too far gone. Videl pressed her body all against his and nuzzled his neck, breathing him in. His scent was so intoxicating, so refreshing and masculine, and just so him.

He was grasping at the brick wall behind him, his fingers digging into the construction, making it crumble to the ground at their feet.

Videl pulled back slightly to look up at him. He was blushing deeply; his short breath tickled her face.

He murmured her name, half in protest, half in a moan of anticipation. Videl pressed herself closer against him, feeling his desire for her come alive. She ran her hand through his hair, pulling him to her, and lost all sense of anything when she seized his mouth avidly.

Gohan tried to resist, but it only took a few seconds for him to kiss her back just as passionately. He tangled his fingers in her hair and put his other hand on the small of her back, pulling her even closer against him.

Goodness… Three months without his touch… How had she been able to hold out for so long?

Gohan turned them around, pushing her against the wall and hoisting her up, his hands cupping her ass. Videl wrapped her legs around his waist and groaned into his mouth when he rubbed his hardening groin between her thighs. He started kissing her neck and Videl felt tingly and hot all over. Her chest heaved and she kept her eyes closed as shots of pleasure coursed through her being. She bit her lip, stifling a moan as she felt Gohan's member grow rock-hard between her legs, rubbing against her in just the right spot.

He ripped her blouse open, then unhooked her bra from the front before diving between her breasts. Videl gasped when he took a nipple in his mouth, his fingers playing with the other one.

She barely took notice when he unzipped his pants and tugged down at hers. Her eyes widened as she felt his thick erection rub her now bare crotch.

His lips were on her neck again, making her skin tingle with pleasure. "God, I missed this," he panted in her ear, still rubbing himself between her thighs.

She couldn't think straight anymore. They were in a public place, for heaven's sake; they could get caught – they could get arrested, even. She was a respected police detective, not to mention a public image. She couldn't let herself get caught in such a compromising position.

Yet she couldn't stop. She needed this, she needed him. She'd missed him too much. She wanted to feel him deep inside of her, she wanted to lose herself to him. She ached to get that sweet taste of paradise again.

He finally claimed her and Videl slammed her hand over her mouth to stifle her cry of pleasure. Her legs tightened around his midsection while Gohan made feverish love to her, his thrusts hard and erratic. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in the crook of his neck, his addicting scent invading her nostrils. She was getting so dizzy. It just felt so incredible, so mindblowing… The pleasure was suffocating.

"Vi… Videl…" he groaned, his teeth grazing her ear.

She was losing her mind. She could feel his thick, pulsing cock thrusting deep and hard inside of her, creating the delectable friction she had so desperately missed.

"Videl…"

She was so close… Videl shut her eyes tightly and hung onto Gohan for dear life. Ah, he was being so rough all of a sudden…! She moaned and gasped, and then she held her breath, her toes curling as her whole being quivered with delicious tremors.

"Oh, Videl!"

She felt him climax inside of her while her inner walls still convulsed around his dick. She was losing grip with reality…

"Videl…?"

She blinked her eyes at him, her mind still in a haze.

"Err… are you okay, Videl?" Gohan asked, his head tilted in confusion. "You looked completely out of it for a moment."

The young woman turned away, a bright blush streaking across her cheeks. She raised her hand to cover her nose, hoping to hide her embarrassment.

She knew this was a bad idea. They had only passed the narrow, deserted alley and her mind had immediately gone to forbidden places, picturing what it would be like to actually lose it, fantasizing about how incredible it would feel to be intimate with Gohan again.

She heaved a deep sigh. "Sorry about that… I'm just a little distracted."

She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, her heart racing at the thought that he might figure out what had been going through her head.

He scratched his hair, not looking any less confused.

"Um, okay… If you say so."

Relief washed over her being. God bless his cluelessness.

"So, um, where do you want to eat?" he asked. "Are you more of a Burger Champ or McSatan's kind of gal?"

"Burger Champ all the way," she chuckled, grateful for the change of topic. "The fries are so much better."

"I was hoping you would say that," Gohan agreed with a broad grin.

Her heart wouldn't stay in place as they gazed into each other's eyes.

Her throat tightened. This was never going to work. She couldn't be friends with Gohan because she didn't want to be. She wanted more. Deep down, she would always yearn to be more than his friend, even though she was the one stopping them from being together.

"After you, my friend," Gohan said playfully, holding the door to the fast food restaurant for her while bowing low for dramatic effect.

She couldn't help but grin at his silliness as she passed him and walked inside.

Still, she wanted to try. She understood what Gohan meant when he said he couldn't bear staying away from her, when he affirmed that he needed her in his life any way possible, even if it meant they could only be friends.

And maybe, just maybe… spending time with him could help her trust him again, little by little…

Ah, and here she was, hoping again… This was a bad, bad idea. It was going to hurt so much worse if they kept going this direction…

And yet… As she let herself drown in his beautiful onyx eyes, Videl couldn't refuse her heart this one wish. She wanted to try. She wanted to hope again.

She wanted to be with him, any way they could.

It was so hard to resist. This felt so much like a date – but it wasn't, and it couldn't be. Gohan wanted this to work. He wanted to show Videl she could trust him, that he was a man of his word. Deep down, he may always hope to be more than Videl's friend, but for now, this was better than nothing.

Now, he just had to control himself. It had only been an hour since they left his workplace yet every second was a constant battle against himself. How he itched to touch her, to pull her to him, to breathe in her scent, to kiss her skin, her lips… to kiss her everywhere… to bury himself deep inside of her while she writhed in ecstasy and moaned his name…

Gohan shook his head sharply. Videl gave him a funny look, quirking an eyebrow at him. He smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his skull.

"Sorry, it's just…"

He hesitated. He didn't want to lie to her and come up with some excuse to justify his weird behavior, but he couldn't possibly tell her the real reason if they tried to be just friends, right?

"I'm just distracted," he tittered, using her own excuse from earlier. Was that what she had meant? Was she thinking about him in that way too when she spaced out?

She leaned back on her chair and smiled at him, her eyes softening. Gohan felt his heart stir in longing. God, how he ached to touch her…

But this had to work. He had to control himself. He needed to keep himself in check. This was too important; he couldn't screw up, not this time.

"So… Apparently you're Raven's type? I wonder what that's like," he said in a joking tone before taking a bite of one of his many cheeseburgers. Videl laughed into her hand.

"It was pretty uncomfortable," she replied, shaking her head with a chuckle. She munched on her fries. "She sure is something, that Raven. I love her sense of humor, too. She told me a funny joke." Videl started giggling as she thought back on the silly pun the African beauty had made.

"The breakfast joke? Yeah, she's told me that one too," Gohan chuckled in amusement. "Actually, she said it was a little girl she had patched up who told her the joke. She was so impressed, now it's her go-to joke whenever she wants to break the ice."

Videl raised an eyebrow and smirked. "So you did hear us. Where were you hiding anyway?"

"Ehh… I don't really want to say." Gohan grimaced.

"Let me guess… Under the table?"

He stared at her blankly, and Videl burst out laughing.

"Don't look so surprised. Where else would you be in hearing range?"

Gohan laughed awkwardly, running his hand through his hair. "Right, almost forgot I'm dealing with the greatest detective of the city."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." She pointed a fry at him and mock-glared at him.

He tilted his head to the side and tapped his chin. "Is it flattery when it's true though?"

Videl rolled her eyes through a broad grin. "Just eat your food, it's getting cold."

"Yes ma'am," he said, sitting straight and saluting her. Videl giggled. He was just so silly.

They ate in comfortable silence for a few moments, sharing long looks and amused smiles. Gohan felt his heart glow in the warmest light. This was working. As excruciating as it was to restrain himself in her presence, it was absolutely worth it. Videl was worth everything.

"So," he started in a low voice, so as not to disturb the pleasant atmosphere, "this is working, right?"

Her eyes sparkled with playfulness. "Maybe."

He held out his hand to her over the table. "Friends?"

She bit her lip as she observed his hand, clearly still unsure this could work. Gohan didn't waver, watching her expectantly as he waited for her answer.

Videl wiped the salt off her fingers with a napkin. Gohan's heart leaped in excitement as she slowly reached for his hand. He felt pleasant sparks tingling his skin when she slipped her much smaller hand into his, giving it a firm shake.

"Okay then. Friends," she conceded with a gentle smile.

Oh god, he was dying to kiss her now more than ever. How was he supposed to pull off this friendship thing? Even a touch as simple as holding her hand was having all kinds of effects on him.

But he had to hold on. He needed Videl too much to afford screwing this up.

Erasa brought an iced tea to Videl before flopping back on the couch next to her. It was Delie's nap time so she finally had a few hours to herself. Being a new mom was so exhausting.

Videl sipped on her drink, humming happily to herself. Erasa raised an eyebrow. Someone seemed like they were in a good mood.

"So, what's new? What's the world outside like? Tell me everything, it's been so long since I've done anything other than change diapers or get spit thrown at me."

Videl chuckled. "Aww, but Delie is so adorable the rest of the time."

Erasa rolled her eyes, grinning. "Well, duh. Did you look at her parents? She was bound to be a cutie."

"It helps that she's a baby and all. They're usually quite cute."

"Nobody holds a candle to my baby," Erasa asserted, puffing out her chest. "She's the cutest cutie pie ever."

The two friends laughed together. Erasa smiled warmly as she observed the other woman.

"You look great. Did something good happen?"

The way Videl paused and looked away, as though she was too focused on her drink to meet her gaze… it made the young mom pause. Her brow crinkled.

"What? What is it?"

Videl bit her lower lip, still unwilling to look at her. "It's just… I know you're not going to approve."

Erasa's brow furrowed further. "What do you mean?"

Holding her tall glass with both hands, Videl let it rest on her lap and kept staring at it as she let out a soft sigh.

"It's about Gohan…"

Erasa's expression hardened. She willed herself not to jump to conclusions and asked very slowly, "What… happened?"

"Nothing like last time!" Videl said quickly, looking at her with a bright blush at the insinuation. She lowered her gaze to her drink once more and slumped her shoulders. "Not that I wouldn't want to…"

Erasa let out an exasperated sigh. Honestly, Videl just needed to get laid, and it didn't have to be with Gohan. So it was always mindblowing every time she did it with him – so what? Videl could just as well find someone else to let off some steam. Other men may not measure up to Gohan, but it didn't need to be that amazing to be fun and relieving.

"So what it is?" she grilled, trying to contain her hatred for the young doctor.

"Remember these weird earthquakes the other day?" Videl asked, finally looking at her.

"Yeah. They still don't know what caused them. What about it?"

Videl's hands fidgeted. "Well… I had a feeling Gohan had something to do with the shockwaves, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it because I feared it might be another supervillain like Cell."

"So you called him?"

Videl winced. "I went to see him."

Erasa blew out a long and slow breath, trying very hard not to lose her cool. Being a mom helped a lot, seeing as dealing with a newborn required quite a bit of patience.

"And?" she urged her stupid friend to continue, dreading to hear the rest.

"And… he confirmed my suspicions, but it wasn't anything bad. Turns out he was just fighting a friend of his and he didn't realize how much it was affecting the world."

"And…?" Erasa reiterated, coaxing her friend to stop beating around the bush and get to the point.

"And… Gohan asked if we could be friends."

"And you said no, right?"

"I did…"

Erasa started to smile.

"…at first."

She pursed her lips tightly. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Look, 'Rase, I know how much you resent him for what he did to me, but you don't know him," Videl tried to justify. "He's actually an amazing guy, and I… I really enjoyed hanging out with him."

But the blonde's face was still deeply scrunched up, glaring at her in silent disapproval.

"And I…" Videl's gaze lowered and she sighed. "I want to trust him again, and maybe that's the way to do it. Maybe it's not hopeless."

Erasa shook her head. "I don't understand why you would even want to see him again after what he did to you. If Matt ever did something like that to me, Delie wouldn't even exist right now. I wouldn't care how much I love him – it's just horrible. It's unforgivable."

"Maybe you don't love Matt as much as I love Gohan," Videl murmured.

"You take that back," Erasa demanded coldly, her eyes narrowing. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Maybe, but neither do you. Look, Erasa, I understand where you're coming from, but the bottom line is, you don't know Gohan."

"Well maybe I should," she retorted with a defiant look. "And since he's your "friend" now," Erasa made a point to use air quotes at the offending word, "you can introduce him to me."

"Sounds good to me. Don't blame me later when you fall in love with him and want to leave your husband."

Erasa rolled her eyes, but a chuckle slipped from her lips. "Yeah, right. I bet he's not that great, you're just blinded by your undying love for him."

"Tell that to the crazy ladies who almost got into a catfight while trying to win him at the auction," Videl smirked.

Erasa chuckled at the thought. Then she heaved out a deep sigh, sinking into the couch as she watched her best friend. "Are you sure you know what you're doing? I'm not going to have to pick up the pieces of your broken heart again like three months ago, am I?"

Videl looked sideways and ran a hand over the back of her neck. "I think it'll be alright… Sure, the attraction between us is pretty much insane, and my mind did go to crazy places when I was with him… But we're not animals, we can control ourselves."

"Suuuure, you totally didn't almost do it behind the curtains right after his auction, you can so control yourselves," Erasa said, rolling her eyes.

Videl flushed at the memory. "Well… we hung out the other day and nothing happened." She finally turned to Erasa with hopeful eyes. "That's progress, right?"

The blonde smiled, but she was unable to conceal the glint of worry in her eyes. "I guess. I still don't think it's a good idea."

"I know…" Videl sighed deeply, her eyes closing. "I just need him so much. I miss him every second he's away from me. I can't handle being apart from him any longer. It's just too hard. I need him in my life, and I want to try to be friends…"

"Oh, my poor baby." Erasa pulled her dear friend to her and hugged her tightly. "I understand, Vi, I do. I just hope it doesn't end in another disaster. He's hurt you so much already…"

"I know, and if I'm honest… I'm terrified. I don't know what to expect from him anymore, and though I want to believe he wouldn't hurt me like that again… I can't shake the feeling that he still might, even without meaning to. I know he never meant to hurt me and that just makes it more terrifying."

They pulled back from the hug. Videl sighed softly, casting her eyes downwards.

"So, you actually want to meet him?" she asked tentatively, like she wasn't sure if it was a good idea anymore. She chuckled uneasily, scratching the side of her head. "You know, I was only half-joking about you falling for him. He'd totally be your type."

"I'm a married woman, Videl, don't you worry about me." Erasa grinned playfully. "Besides, I'm not a nun, I can still look. As long as I don't do anything stupid, there's nothing wrong with admiring the merchandise."

Videl cracked a smile. "I guess that's true."

A moment of silence passed as they sat together on the couch. Erasa eventually broke it, hoping it was finally the right time to bring up this particular subject.

"What about Adam, though? You never called him back since the gala, did you? I know you weren't in the right state of mind back then, but now maybe you're ready?"

A frown blemished Videl's fine features. Erasa grimaced; her friend didn't look too enthusiastic at the idea.

"I don't know…" she mumbled. "It's been three months. He probably has a new girlfriend now anyway."

"You won't know for sure unless you call him. Or could it be you're still hoping something may happen between you and your new friend?"

Erasa made a point to make the question sound innocent and didn't even use air quotations, despite how ludicrous the idea that Gohan and Videl could be just friends was.

And as she had feared… The young brunette bit her lip, her cheeks flushing. Erasa sighed in aggravation.

"You are, aren't you? Even after everything that happened? How can you still be hoping to get back together with Gohan?"

"I just want to see how things evolve between us first, is that so wrong? Yes, I do hope I can learn to trust him again, but you know I can't help how I feel, and I just love him so much…" She sighed, her back hunching as she sunk deeper into the couch. "And wouldn't it be cruel to lead Adam on when I'm hoping to get back together with Gohan?"

"I think it could help you, actually. If you let yourself go with Adam and have some fun with him, then you'll be less frustrated whenever you hang out with Gohan." Erasa shrugged. "Just make sure to tell Adam you're not looking for anything serious, I'm sure he won't mind. Most guys would love to have a casual thing with a hot girl."

Videl bit her lip, her eyes shifting from side to side. She looked torn. Good. That meant she was considering it.

"I just… I can't imagine getting intimate with anyone else," she breathed out, her cheeks flaring up. "Gohan is the one I want…"

"But you're just friends now. Or did you decide to be friends with benefits?" Erasa asked with an eyebrow raised.

Not that Videl saw her skeptical look, since she was still not meeting her eyes.

"Of course not…" Videl mumbled, her face growing even redder.

"And you're planning to keep seeing him when you're sexually frustrated? Videl, that's just a disaster waiting to happen. You have to find some way to let off some steam, and if not with Adam, then anybody else could do the job. It doesn't have to be mindblowing, it just has to be fun."

Videl leaned back on the couch, raising her head and closing her eyes, her voice lowering to a whisper. "Have you ever felt this way with Matt? With anyone? The kind of chemistry I have with Gohan… Is it so wrong that I can't imagine myself with anyone else but him? I don't just mean the physical chemistry, either. It's everything… When I'm with him, we just click, and it's always so much fun."

Erasa rubbed the nape of her neck. "Well… You know Sharpner did a number on me too. I was so crazy about him, and I thought he felt the same."

"He did," Videl said, smiling at her in sympathy, leaning the side of her head against the couch. "He loved you. He just couldn't keep it in his pants…"

Erasa sniffed, wiping her tears. Even after all these years, it still hurt horribly to think about her high school boyfriend. A part of her wished they had never gotten together back then. Before they had become an item, Sharpner had been one of her best friends. She and Videl had known him their whole lives. The three of them had been childhood friends, an inseparable trio. And while Sharpner started to show an interest in Videl at first, he and Erasa slowly grew closer and eventually fell for each other. Or maybe they'd always loved each other but just didn't know any better.

Things had been going great for two years. Then high school ended and she went off to college while Sharpner started working in his family business. Long distance relationships were rough, but the hopeless romantic that she was had wanted to believe that they could make it work, that their love was stronger than anything.

It wasn't. It wasn't stronger than Sharpner's sex drive, in any case. He'd been sleeping around for months before she caught him red-handed. She had come home early, all excited at the idea of surprising her boyfriend… Sharpner certainly hadn't expected her to arrive so soon, still busy humping some girl he'd picked up.

He had begged her not to leave him, swearing to her that it was only sex and that it didn't mean anything to him. Crying as he assured her she was the only one he loved and that he never meant to hurt her. Trying as hard as he could to hold her back, begging her to forgive him, swearing to her that he was going to change, that he would never betray her trust again if she just gave him a second chance.

But Sharpner had broken her trust and there was no getting it back. What Gohan did to Videl may not be the same, he may not have actually cheated on Videl, but he had deceived her all the same and the end result was no different.

Erasa eventually met other men and then found the second love of her life in the form of Matt. She understood perfectly what Videl was going through, but she also knew first-hand that even if it felt impossible right now, Videl could still get over Gohan and fall for someone else. If that weren't true, Delie wouldn't exist right now.

"But that just proves that you can have more than one big love story, Videl," Erasa went on. "I know you love Gohan, I get it. A part of me still loves Sharpner and always will, but I'm over him, and I'm happy with my new love story. I want you to have the same thing, Videl. Can you at least try? For me?"

Videl chuckled. "So I should sleep with Adam… for you? That's pretty twisted."

"Well, I'm never going to sleep with anyone new again, so I have to live vicariously through you, obvi," Erasa stated with a playful grin. "Come on, just send Adam a text. And if he agrees to meet with you, which I'm sure he will, just be honest with him. Tell him that you're still getting over a bad breakup and you're not looking for anything serious right now."

Videl chewed on her lower lip, staring at her hands resting in her lap. "I guess… that doesn't sound so bad."

Erasa smiled, feeling a rush of relief wash over her. Finally, she was getting through to Videl. Now her friend might actually start getting over Gohan. She herself only began to forget about Sharpner when she met other guys. She had kept it casual at first, feeling too fragile to get into anything serious again, but eventually, little by little, step by step, she slowly started to open her heart again.

And then she met Matt and fell in love for the second time in her life.

It was possible. People got over heartbreaks all the time, herself included. Videl would get over hers as well. She would meet her own Matt some day and fall hopelessly in love once more. Gohan may not be a bad guy, but he had missed his shot. He had broken Videl's trust, and no matter how much they both hoped he could get it back, Erasa just couldn't imagine it ever happening. Just like she never could forgive Sharpner for cheating on her.

She felt awful about the way things ended, still. He and Videl had been very close too, but because Videl had to choose between them after the breakup, she had lost a dear friend in the process. And it wasn't like she had many of them, either. It used to be just two, and now it was just her.

The worst part was that Erasa knew, deep down, that Sharpner did love her with all of his heart, that he never meant to hurt her. But the damage was done and nothing could ever fix it. Still, she often found herself thinking about him and wondering what he had become. Despite how much he had hurt her, Erasa did hope he had moved on and found happiness with someone new, like her with Matt.

And she hoped Gohan could move on as well. She wasn't heartless, despite how much she resented him for the horrible way he had hurt her best friend. And if Gohan did eventually find himself a new girlfriend, he could finally stop going after Videl and allow her to move on as well.

Well, one thing at the time. Erasa's smile widened as Videl got her phone out and stared at the text chain between her and Adam, biting her lip in hesitation.

"Just one text," Erasa encouraged. "If you want, I can write it for you."

"No, it's fine, thanks… I can do it on my own."

Videl took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a second. And then she started typing.