"Look at that!"
Smiling, Gohan drifted forward to hover by Videl in the air. They'd been on several dates but this one was special. Well, not special as in any specific milestone or anything but Gohan had finally relaxed enough to make a date what it should be—an opportunity to grow in connection and get to know someone better. Videl made him smile and the more time he spent with her, the more often it happened.
Was this what being in love was like? Gohan had asked himself that multiple times over the past few weeks. He still wasn't sure. He'd never been in love before so he didn't have a lot of info to go off of. Books, movies, his parents. He hated this feeling of being lost.
"Gohan!"
Drawn from his thoughts, Gohan redirected his focus to Videl who had moved a bit ahead and was gesturing to the large range of mountains in the distance. "Isn't it great? That looks beautiful!"
The sun was just setting, casting an eerie orange and yellow glow over the peaks, dusting their snow capped tops with just a glistening of color. The trees around the base stretched out with shadows but there was an utter calmness to it.
But his eyes were directed elsewhere. The setting sun gave Videl's an otherworldly sheen and the look of awe in her eyes was intoxicating. The wind whipped her short hair around, but she stayed firm in place, solid as a rock.
She'd grown so strong. She WAS so strong. There was a beauty in that which nothing else could touch. All those princesses and damsels from the stories had nothing on his girl. She'd take on the dragon or troll or giant herself.
And win.
"Yeah," he finally said. "Beautiful."
Videl turning, caught his dreamy face, laughed out loud and pushed him lightly. "Not me, you dork!"
"Yes, you." He countered, flying up next to her, hands on her shoulders. "I call it like I see it and you're beautiful."
Videl eyed him but she saw no tease in his eyes. "And what makes you think I'm beautiful, eh?" She raised a brow. "I've heard that all my life." That much was true. Being the daughter of Mr. Satan, she'd never not had potential suitors, always calling out how wonderfully beautiful or pretty she was. They'd talk about her hair, her curves, her skin. The bolder ones would call her hot or sexy—at least until she threw a weight at them.
But this felt different. The way Gohan said it. The way he looked at her. It was all different.
"Your energy." He said finally. "Your ki. It just...well, you're like a star—so much energy and passion in you that it makes you shine." He rubbed the back ki of his head in that adorable way he had. "Sorry, that's cheesy, isn't it?"
Shaking her head, she laughed again, a lovely whimsical sound. "It is. But that's okay. I don't think anyone's called me a star before."
"Suits you." Gohan insisted. "Never met a girl strong like you. You've got a drive, Videl. When you see something's wrong, you go fix it. You don't just wait for it to blow over or think it'll fix itself. You take things into your own hands. You don't...sit idly by."
Raising one brow at him, she gently walked her fingers up his chest. "And you like that?"
Like it? It drove him nuts! Gave him a spark that he didn't understand and didn't know what to do with! A fire the boiled his blood and made him smile. Seeing her fight off a robber, verbally defend her point or even grow faster in flight—they all set every nerve in his body aflame.
"I do. You're fiery."
Videl grinned, a teasing grin. "And you like fiery girls?"
Shaking his head, he said simply. "I like you, Videl. Not other girls. I only notice you."
Videl had heard that several times—from potential interests or from the many boyfriends Erasa or the other girls had flirted with so often. But with Gohan, she believed it. If Gohan said no other girls crossed his mind, then they didn't.
It made her feel special, but in a way entirely different than what she'd felt before. This wasn't the case of thousands of people fawning over her without knowing so much as her name. This was someone who knew her—probably more than almost anyone else—and truly seeing her for who she was.
"Most people don't like a girl that's too rambunctious," She remarked simply. "Erasa said most boys were scared of me. They wanted girls that were all dainty and about curls and perfume." She scoffed. "I like some stuff like that fine but...I'm more than that. But I guess that's what most boys have wanted."
Thick country accent in full swing, Gohan remarked, "Most boys are idiots, Videl."
A smile painting her face, she said, "Well, it's nice to be thought pretty for me—like, real me."
Shaking his head, Gohan stated simply "Don't get why you'd wanna get to know a fake-you. That's like not knowing you at all!"
"Kinda like not admitting you're half alien and defeated a giant monster that my Dad took credit for?"
Face suddenly red, Gohan stumbled a bit in the air, "Well, that...I...uh..."
Laughing again, Videl floated up a little so she could be eye level, stretching out like she was reclining on a bed. It'd taken some doing to get the hang of that but once she had, it made flying even better. "It's cause you needa be proud of who you are. Your parents are. Your brother is. And _I_ am. So why can't you be?"
Nervous, he played with his fingers a little. "I...I dunno. I guess I'm...well, I wanna make people proud and happy and..."
"What about making YOU happy?" She tilted her head. "What about that?"
Caught off guard he said, "I guess...I could work on that a little."
A little? "You needa work on that a lot." Resting her chin on her hands, Videl added "Gohan. The you that's shy and sensitive and wants to be a hero and loves to eat and play in the mountain streams and grind like an idiot every time we see something new and laughs when you accomplish something hard and would risk anything to make someone smile...I love all parts of you, okay? All of it. I just want you to love them too."
Gohan looked at her. This wasn't anything new. It was something his father had tried to help him with and his mother and even his little brother to some extent. He was significantly better than he used to be...but apparently he still had room to grow.
Videl's eyes shone like lanterns, the wind ruffling her hair about so it framed her face. But it was more how she looked at him. As if he were the only person that existed in the world.
I love all parts of you, okay? All of it. I just want you to love them too
What an odd statement to focus on but there was so much genuine...love? in it. Gohan drowned in the words a minute. "I...guess I still need to work on that."
She smiled. "I'll help you. Me and your family. Just let me get it so that you love you as much as I do."
She loved him. It seemed such a weird realization. It wasn't that he DIDN'T know but was more like...when had it come to this? It had snuck up on them and yet it felt like it'd always been that way.
"Okay." He said finally. "We'll work on my self...love a bit." He gave a weak smile. "I bet between you and my parents, you'll get me believing I can conquer the world before too long."
Not amused, Videl took hold of his cheeks, pressed herself close. "I'm serious, Gohan. When I see you thinking so...low of yourself. It hurts. I want you to see what I see." She paused, seemed to think and for a moment, Gohan saw nervousness enter her eyes only for it to flee a moment later. "Gohan...can I show you what you mean to me? Can I...kiss you?"
Wha...wasn't he supposed to ask her? Was he doing it wrong? Had he waited too long or...or...
Her eyes were luminous, alluring and he saw nothing but utter and complete confidence in them. It pulled him in, like an irresistible connection.
"...sure," He stumbled out.
A moment later, her hands were deeply clutched in his hair and her lips were on his. Softness with such a deep passionate force centered behind it that electricity all but passed through his entire body. So much said was so little. She would walk through hell for him, if it was needed, but he'd never ask her to. She'd do it anyway though.
The way she looked at him, the way she laughed, the way the entire universe dulled in comparison to her eyes.
When she pulled away, he was left both full and empty at the same time. Needing and wanting more yet feeling so electrified that he didn't really know what to do with it.
"Do you get it now?" She asked. "Do you understand?"
He ran his hands down her cheeks, held them gently. "I understand I want more of that." He smiled, "May I?"
She returned his smile. "Are you gonna work on yourself? On loving yourself like that?"
He didn't know if he could to be frank. There was so much genuineness in that kiss, how could he possibly look at himself with that same kind passion?
"I'll try." He shook his head. "No. No. I will." He faltered a bit. "Might need a little help, though."
She brushed her hand up to his cheek. "That you've got."
"So...can I...kiss you...back?"
Eyes alight and her face painted in the colors of twilight as the sunset behind them faded to blues, blacks and purples, she nodded. "You can."
Gohan did, pulling her in and trying push as much love into his kiss as he'd felt from hers. He didn't know if he succeeded or not but it didn't really matter.
She knew. Because the way she responded, cupping his face and closing her eyes and pushing back, erupted so much energy between them it felt like an electric storm. A faint white glow—his Ultimate form—came out and when they pulled away, pulling in air, Gohan moved back in as soon as he could, saying with that deep voice, still painted with the country boy tint, "Can I do it again?"
"You may."