"You ready for this?"

Gohan turned, smiled. "Been ready for a long time, Dad. After the Cell Games, I kinda thought we'd never get a chance to do this. I mean, the traditional way."

Grinning like a fool, Goku remarked. "Yeah! Ain't it great?! I remember you told me you wanted to take my title from me one day. Ya might get the chance to do that!"

Looking out over the crowd, cheering for the next pair of contestants, Gohan took in a deep breath. The World Martial Arts Tournament had always possessed a certain air about it, a feeling. The 25th hadn't been what Gohan expected (and not just because of Buu) but the 26th last year had been closer to what Gohan had imagined. Mr. Satan had insisted on moving them up to every year, stating there were so many strong fighters to celebrate.

He hadn't been one of them.

Videl hounding on her father and him reframing from entering had a lot to do with it.

He and the others had entered last year. Gohan had lost to Vegeta and Vegeta had lost to his father. Oh, Mom had been so happy that her husband now had TWO martial arts tournament wins under his belt!

But this year, Gohan had insisted would be HIS year for more reasons than one. It'd been two years since Buu and he was more certain than ever what his path was.

The ring in his pocket clinked a bit and a ton of his nerves returned.

He'd been debating, for months, how best to do this. Videl was special, one of the brightest lights in his life. He wanted to make this...his most important moment...just as survival. Traditional methods wouldn't do. They weren't a traditional couple.

Eventually after pouring over books and movies, Gohan had realized his best example of love was sitting right on front of him. His Mom and Dad. Ever since Dad was back, it was impossible to miss the love they gushed at one another. He'd not always caught it as a child.

"Gohan?"

Turning, pulled from his thoughts, he leaned into his father's grip. Gohan had only told one person about his plan and that was his father. The man had all but squealed and immediately offered to help.

There was a reason Chiaotzu was present when they were pairing up fighters. Dad said that apparently he'd done it before and he didn't consider it cheating, more...influencing.

"And now! Please welcome our next fighters to the ring! A rare treat we have today, folks! Please welcome to the ring not one but TWO descendants of World Champiobs! Videl, daughter of Mr. Satan, winner of the 24th and 25th World Martial Arts Tournament!"

The crowd erupted with cheers and applause use as Videl made her way into the ring. She'd since adopted her own form of gi: black with a white belt and flat shoes. Her hair had grown some but she still kept it close to that pixie cut Gohan loved so much.

Goku squeezed his son's shoulder. "Go on, son. You got this."

The warmth of both the encouragement and the voice helped soothe a few of his nerves. This was what he'd been planning for. Months on end.

Now, he just had to put it into action.

"And please welcome another familiar face to the ring. He was one of our quarter finalists last year and is the son of Son Goku, winner of the 23rd and 26th World Tournaments! Please welcome Son Gohan!"

Much like with Videl though perhaps not quite as loud, the crowd erupted. Gohan took heavy steps out and up the stairs to the ring. Well, what was left of it anyway.

Dad and Vegeta had been paired up earlier and Gohan was honestly surprised there was much of a ring left. It had been a long match, one that almost required a break before Dad had finally thrown the Saiyan Prince out of bounds. He'd heard, very faintly, as he did so—

"My Gohan needs a ring, Vegeta!"

Smiling at the thought, Gohan walked out, stopping a few feet from Videl with the Announcer in the center. The man had been so happy last year when the Tournament had returned more to its roots though Mr. Satan's influence was still felt.

Videl gave him her smile, the one she saved just for him. The kind that just lit up her entire face and shone out through her eyes.

He could lose himself in them.

"Now," the Announcer spoke out, interrupting Gohan's thoughts. "Remember, the match is over with a ring out, a knock out or of the opponent surrenders. Attacks to the vulnerables are grounds for elimination. Understood?"

Videl nodded.

Gohan nodded.

"Begin!"

Videl made the first charge, swinging a leg towards Gohan. He caught abs deflected it, jumping back before countering with his own pinch and strike. Videl caught his forearm briefly.

"Don't you hold back on me!" Her demand was sharp as she took to the air briefly and fired a ki attack at him. She'd been working on that for a while and despite it not being nearly as strong as some of the attacks Gohan could throw, it wasn't shabby.

Dodging, Gohan took to the air. Videl followed, striking out again. That was her style—raw power and strength delivered in bursts. If you weren't careful, it was quite easy to fall prey to how fast her kicks and punches came.

He was so proud of her.

"I'd never hold back on you," he promised as they moved in the air. Back and forth, like a dance almost. "You've grown so much and wouldn't be fair to do that!"

Strike.

Dodge.

Punch.

Kick.

Deflect.

Up and over.

"Hard to believe how far we've come, isn't it?" Gohan asked her even as he took a punch to the cheek. The crowd roared and he grinned, feeling his Saiyan blood tingle. "Look at us!"

Her face contorted into a smirk. "Look at you, Mr. Sentimental."

"Can't help it," he said as he dodged another strike, landing behind her as he gathered his ki to stay both level and launch a barrage of blasts her way. "This place is always gonna be sentimental."

Videl dodged a few blasts and cut the others down with strikes of ki from her own arsenal. By now, the crowd was losing it but they only had eyes for each other. "Why here? I mean, I kinda blackmailed you the first time."

Laughing, he threw a masenko without the command, taking her to the ground before she recovered and rejoined the fray, this time splitting a ki blast in half as she launched it, singeing the side of his face. "Ooo! That's a new one!" He commended.

"Thanks," she countered even as she charged forward with another flurry of kicks and punches—some connecting, some not—"I've been working on it. The kame wave is your family's thing."

Such a little thing but it made him smile so broadly. To take that into account. "You can use it too, Videl, you've earned it."

"Naw, that's like your family's signature."

Gohan dodged again as they drifted a bit lower, closer to the ground. "Well, thus kinda fits then cause when we're done...I got something—" he avoided her next blow. "—I wanna ask you."

"Ask me now." She said simply, throwing a punch. "And why here? We had lots of time before the match."

Nerves came again and it took all his focus to just stay airborne and avoid her strikes. "Well, see...my parents got engaged at the 23rd Tournament. It was kinda-" Dodge, ki, punch. "-a symbol of the promise they made as kids and how far Mom was willing to go for him. She chased him down."

Videl laughed and went up and over Gohan's head, landing on his shoulders. This time, he was ready for that move though. "Well, your mom knows what she wants. And your dad said yes?"

"Yeah. Cause he said even if his brain doesn't always understand, his heart does." Gohan flung her off and hovered there, punch at the teddy. "So I try to be both—know what I want and go for it and let my heart talk when my brain clams up."

"Good plan." She focused, gathered her ki into a small but focused blast. "So..."

Fumbling with his free hand, Gohan pulled a silver ring from his gi, the light green emerald and sapphires sparkling in the sunlight. "Will you be my wife?"

Videl dropped like a stone, slamming into the grass just outside the ring.

Gohan winced and dropped down beside her, even as the referee shouted, "Out of bounds! Gohan advances to the finals!"

She laid there a moment more before she sat up then stood up taking the hand Gohan offered her as he pulled her back onto the ring.

"Did...did you say?"

"I did." Getting down on one knee, he held the ring out to her again. "Would...you be my wife?"

Oh, the Announcer went nuts.

"What a twist and what a reflection, folks! Son Gohan has just proposed marriage to Videl! Those of you that remember will recall his father did the same at the 23rd Tournament!"

Videl just had eyes for Gohan. She stared at him, at his petrified face and at the ring in his trembling fingers. "You...mean it?"

" I do. I can't guarantee an easy life," he admitted. "My life's never been easy or boring. But...I can promise you that I'll love you and protect you, with all I am."

There was a pause only a moment more before Videl all but clawed his face, digging her lips into his with so much passion it all but took his breath away.

Laughter became apparent not too long after as the Announcer remarked to the crowd "I...guess that means yes!"

Pulling away, her eyes suspiciously wet, Videl took the ring and slid it onto her hand. "Yes! Yes!" She flung her arms around Gohan and the boy took to the air, spinning around.

She...she said yes! Gohan couldn't believe it. He'd planned, until he couldn't sleep at night and now it was here, it happened and she said yes!

She said yes!

"Videl's gonna be my wife!" He declared, shouting at the top of his lungs. He spun around, addressing the crowd. "She said yes!"

Laughing, Videl lifted her hand, ring sparkling. "I said yes!"

In the stands, ChiChi sobbed.

Goku gave his son a grin and thumbs up from the ground.

Gohan pulled his Videl, his fiancée, in close and locked lips with her soft and firm with no care of who saw.

They were all that mattered right now. This was the start of their journey—together.