Chapter Twenty-Four

Her Evening with His Family

The delicious aroma tickled her nostrils when Gohan opened the door, and Videl found herself closing her eyes and breathing it in deeply.

"It smells so good," she hummed.

Gohan grinned and took her hand. "Wait till you taste it."

Videl chuckled. At that moment, Goten came rushing down the stairs to greet them. "Yay, you brought Videl!" he exclaimed happily, before jumping into her arms to hug her tightly.

Videl melted and hugged the little boy back. "Aww, Goten, you're so sweet."

She put him down and Goten beamed at her. "Gohan told us you guys get married in a few years! I'm so happy! You're gonna become my big sister for real!"

The girl's expression softened and she patted his head with affection. "I'm really happy that I get to be your big sister in the future, too."

Strong arms wrapped around her from behind her, and Videl flushed at Gohan's bold action in front of his brother. Normally he wouldn't be one to display his affection publicly like this, but with his newfound confidence, the young man didn't seem to care.

"And I get to be your husband someday," he added, his tone playful.

Goten's eyes lit up. "Oh, you two are already together?" He tilted his head in thought. "Since when? Did you keep that from us, Gohan?" There was no reproach in his tone, just innocent curiosity.

"No, it happened earlier today," Gohan answered. Videl felt her face grow increasingly hotter as her boyfriend didn't seem ready to let go of her, his arms bound securely around her waist. "I'd never keep something like that from you, Lil' buddy."

Goten grinned. "Oh, okay! Mommy is busy in the kitchen right now, so how about we play a game while we wait for dinner to be ready?"

"I'm going to greet your mother first. You guys decide what you want to play in the meantime," Videl said, and Gohan reluctantly detached his arms from around her. She smiled at his pout and kissed his cheek. "Be right back."

Gohan watched his lovely girlfriend go to the kitchen and sighed dreamily. If not for Goten, he would have kissed her just now.

"Trunks let me borrow his gaming console and a few games," Goten said happily. "How about we set it up while we wait for Videl to come back?"

Gohan ruffled his little brother's hair, a gentle smile on his lips. "Sure."

Videl knocked on the open door and cleared her throat, causing the woman wearing a tight bun to turn away from her pots. She blinked at the newcomer.

"Um, hello, I'm Videl. Gohan invited me for dinner, I hope that's okay…"

Chichi perked up and a broad smile spread on her lips. "Oh, you're Videl! I'm so happy to meet you!"

The woman ran to her and threw her arms around her future daughter-in-law. Videl responded awkwardly to the hug, not quite sure how to react to the more than warm welcome.

Chichi pulled back, beaming at the young girl. "I'm so glad Gohan's brought you over, I was so eager to meet you! You can call me Chichi ━ after all, you're going to be family soon."

Videl blushed at the implication. Even though it was her own visions that confirmed that as fact, talking about it so casually was more than a little embarrassing, especially with Gohan's mother.

"It's really nice to meet you, Chichi."

A pot started whistling and the Son matriarch rushed to the stove and lowered the fire. She shot Videl a smile. "Would you like to stay and help? Can you cook? If you're going to be my Gohan's bride, you'll have to learn how to cook in big quantities what with his Saiyan appetite and all."

This time the implication made the girl frown. Even though she now knew that she was destined to be Gohan's wife and the mother of his children, what Chichi said reminded Videl of the meek housewife she was never meant to become; the woman who would wait for her husband to come home from work every day with a hot meal ready on the table, happy to dote on him and cook for him and do everything else around the house, as long as he was comfortable and happy.

While there was nothing wrong with that in and of itself, and while Videl wouldn't mind doting on Gohan during their marriage, the image left her with a bitter taste in the mouth. It wasn't so much that the woman from her nightmares was happily caring for her family's every need, it was how her life revolved around that one role, how it was her sole purpose, how she had nothing of her own.

Of course, that woman was just the incarnation of one of her own worst fears, and Videl was relieved that she was never meant to become her. It had never been real.

She massaged the back of her neck and let out a sigh, some tension leaving her muscles.

"I know some basic stuff, like cooking an egg or making pasta, but I don't really cook, no."

She was overanalyzing what Chichi said. Videl knew the woman was just a bit old-fashioned, and, yes, in her mind the woman stayed home and took care of the house and the kids. She was the proof that you could be a housewife and still be a badass, though. Chichi certainly never lost herself in her marriage, that was for sure.

She was right about Gohan's appetite, too. Videl had seen how much the guy could eat at school, and if she was to ever cook for a family of four part-Saiyans, she should definitely learn how to do it properly.

"Your sons are waiting for me to join them in a game before dinner," Videl said, turning to the open door. "Let me just go tell them that I'll be helping you in the kitchen instead."

"Oh, it's alright, don't worry about it." Chichi waved her off. "Go play with the boys, we'll have lots of other opportunities to cook together."

Videl cracked a smile at the implication. "Yeah, okay. I'm really happy I got to meet you, Chichi."

"Likewise," the Son matriarch shot at her over her shoulders while busying herself with the pots. "And I have so many questions! But that can wait, so go join my boys."

Videl chuckled as she turned away and walked back into the living room. Goten was kneeling near the TV, watching intently as Gohan set up a game console.

Gohan then put down the console and grabbed the remote, turning on the TV and changing it to game mode.

"It should work now, you can turn the game on," he told his brother, who eagerly obliged.

"Hey," Videl said softly, sitting on the couch. The brothers turned to her and she was rewarded with happy grins.

"How did it go with my mom?" Gohan asked, getting up from the floor to go sit beside her.

"Very well."

Gohan put his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled up to him, letting out a sigh of content.

"Hey, don't start cuddling!" Goten berated, standing with his hands on his hips and a cute pout on his face. "I just turned on the game and I wanna play!"

"I can play like that," Videl told the little boy with a playful smile. "Just give me the controller."

"Fine…" Goten picked up one of the wireless controllers and gave it to Videl. "It's a racing game, so it's on you if you're not focused and you lose." He gave another controller to Gohan and gave him a pointed look, as if to say, "That means you, too."

Gohan chuckled in amusement. "How about you play the first round against Videl?"

Goten frowned. "But we can have up to four players in that game."

"It's fine. I'll join you guys after the first race."

Goten grumbled as he sat on the floor and started the racing game, setting up a first race with two players as well as eight other computer characters. "You just don't want to let go of Videl," he muttered in bad faith.

Gohan chuckled. Guilty as charged, he thought, leaning his cheek against the top of her head. He brought his other hand around Videl and held her close.

"This is going to be tricky if you hold me like this," Videl said with an amused chuckle. "I have a better idea."

She pulled back and motioned to him to open his legs a little. Gohan did as he was told and Videl settled in between his legs, leaning back against his torso. Gohan wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her hair, his eyes falling shut as her intoxicating scent invaded his nostrils. She just smelled so good.

"I so approve of this new position…" he murmured in her ear.

She blushed. "Good. Now stop tickling me; I still need to focus to win against your brother."

"Ha! You wish!" Goten retorted with a competitive grin. "I'm so kicking your butt!"

"Don't sell me short so soon; I've been playing video games well before you were born." Videl focused her gaze on the screen as she browsed through the choices for her racing car, reading the stats carefully before making her decision. This one was fast but also quite light, so she would have to be extra careful when cutting corners.

"Only one way to find out!" Goten challenged her. "I'm all set. You ready?"

"Yep."

She felt Gohan's chest rumble against her back as he chuckled at their antics, but Videl forced herself to focus. There was no way she was letting Goten win; it was against her nature, even if Goten was just a kid. She loved to win way too much to give it up to anyone.

Videl groaned while Goten jumped in victory and cheered. Gohan laughed, but his girlfriend snapped her head around to shoot him a glare.

"This is all your fault! You distracted me!" she accused him.

"I told you to sit properly," Goten said with a shrug. "You can only blame yourself for losing against me."

"Well I want a rematch!" Videl stood to pull away from her distracting boyfriend, using her controller to set up a new race.

"Dinner's ready!" Chichi called from the kitchen.

"Ugh!" Videl grunted in bad faith. She shot Goten a challenging look. "This isn't over. Rematch after dinner. You're going down, kid."

Goten grinned in his carefree way and crossed his arms behind his head as the three headed to the kitchen. "You're on. But you're just going to lose again."

Flammes of determination lit up Videl's eyes. Gohan chuckled nervously and got in between the two, swooping in to hold Videl's hand. "How about we forget about video games for now? I don't know about you, but I'm starving! The food was pretty meh in the Kaioshinkai, so I can't wait to have Mom's cooking again!"

Videl's traits relaxed as she looked at her adorable boyfriend. She gave his hand a squeeze before letting go to go sit at the table. Chichi was already in her seat waiting for them, and Goten and Gohan took their usual seats on either side of their mother, leaving Videl to sit across from her.

"Wow, Mom, this looks amazing!" Gohan exclaimed, his eyes shining in anticipation as he took in the sight of the feast. "You really outdid yourself today."

"Well, you've been gone for two days and who knows what kind of food they fed you there," Chichi said with a pleased smile at the compliment. "And we have a special guest today, too. This is no regular day."

"Thank you so much for having me," Videl said politely.

"Can we eat now?" Goten complained, eager to dig in. The three grownups chuckled at the little boy; Chichi gave the go-ahead and Goten started stuffing his mouth with as much food as he could.

Videl blinked as she stared at the little boy inhaling his dinner, his hands moving so quickly they were blurry. She turned to Gohan who was eating normally, like usual, not forgetting his table manners even though he kept filling his plate again and again.

"Goten, mind your manners!" Chichi scolded her youngest son. "We have a guest, remember?"

Goten slowed down and swallowed what was in his mouth. He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Mommy, it's just so good I couldn't help myself."

Chichi chuckled, always happy to get praised for her cooking talents. "Well, don't get too carried away."

"Okay!" Goten then proceeded to eat slower and stuff his mouth a little less, obeying his mother.

Videl remembered that she had yet to taste her dinner. She focused on her plate and took a spoonful of rice. Her eyes lit up. How could such a simple dish taste so heavenly?

"Wow, it's so good!" she complimented the chef. "You're even better than our cook."

"Your cook? Does your father own a restaurant?" Chichi inquired in confusion.

"No, it's our personal cook."

"A personal cook? Your father must be quite wealthy… How many bedrooms does your house have? Ten? Twenty?"

"How many bedrooms?" Videl repeated in thought, tapping her chin with her finger. "I'm not sure… About fifty I guess?"

Chichi's eyes widened. "Fifty rooms!" My goodness, they're filthy rich!

Then the mother gave her son a look of disbelief. "And you're waiting five whole years to put a ring on her?"

Gohan froze, his fork staying still halfway to his open mouth. His face flared up. "Wh… What?"

Videl focused on her plate, feeling her cheeks burn at Chichi's comment. "Well, um, you know, we're only in high school…"

Chichi blinked and then she smiled sheepishly and put a hand on her cheek. "Oh, don't mind me. Of course, school comes first, and I wouldn't want to jeopardize Gohan's brilliant academic future by rushing into a marriage at his age."

The girl quickly forgot about her embarrassment, sighing in content with every bite of her exquisite dinner.

"So, tell me," Chichi started after some time, "You have kids in the future, don't you?"

Both Gohan and Videl blushed at the question. Videl cleared her throat.

"Yes… Gohan and I will have three kids."

She figured she might as well answer all of her future mother-in-law's inquiries about her visions. It concerned her too, after all, so she had a right to know. Videl could understand her curiosity, so she would have to just suck it up and tell her everything she wanted to know despite her embarrassment.

And hey, at least it was making Chichi like her more.

"Oh! How wonderful!" Chichi clapped her hands. "When will you have the first one?"

"She'll be born during the first year of our marriage," Videl answered, before taking another bite of chicken.

"She? Oh, you're going to have a girl?" Chichi chirped. "How wonderful!"

Videl swallowed what was in her mouth before continuing. "We'll name her Pan. Then when she's ten, Gohan and I will have a son and we'll name him Mark, after my dad. Then two years later, we'll have Mika, a girl, named after my mom."

"Oh, I can't wait to meet them! I can already see them ━ I'm sure they're going to be beautiful!"

Videl cracked a smile. "Yeah. Gohan and I will make cute kids."

"I've been wondering," Gohan cut in, tilting his head slightly. "Do you think Baba could show us what they'll look like in her crystal ball? Since you told me how you found Paige thanks to her, I've been playing around with the idea…"

"That's a wonderful idea!" Chichi exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm not sure it's possible, but I guess it's worth a try," Gohan said with a smile.

"It would be nice, yeah," Videl agreed, sharing a loving look with her boyfriend and future husband. "I would like you to see what our kids will look like."

Meanwhile, Goten was too focused on eating to hear what was going on around him. He didn't forget his manners this time, however, and was eating cleanly.

The food was exquisite indeed. Videl sighed in content yet again as she had some fried vegetables. Everything was so good that she never wanted to stop eating. She had long sated her hunger, but the girl kept having more because it tasted so good.

Well, Videl supposed she could always have a workout later to burn off the extra calories. This meal was so worth it.

Gohan was sitting on the couch while Videl and Goten were on the floor, playing the same racing game over and over again. Sometimes Goten won and sometimes it was Videl; it seemed that the two were pretty evenly matched, and they didn't look ready to call it quits.

Gohan was happy just watching them. He had never been that big on video games; they didn't even own any gaming console, and the only times Goten got to play was when he was over at Trunks' or when his best friend would lend him his games. He supposed Videl owned her share of video games because she was no novice at playing. She did say earlier that she had been playing video games since she was a kid, so it was safe to assume that she still did from time to time.

"Yes! I win again!" Videl cheered, throwing her hand holding the controller up in the air.

Goten slumped his shoulders and pouted. "Fine, you win. I'm tired of playing anyway."

"Aww, don't be like that, Goten." Videl wrapped an arm around the little boy and hugged him, pressing her cheek against his. "We had fun, didn't we?"

He smiled and hugged her back. "Yeah. You're fun to play with, Videl, and you don't let me win like Gohan."

"Hey, that's not true!" the older boy protested, making the hugging pair turn around to look at him. Gohan shrugged, "I'm just bad at these games."

"Yeah, I believe that." Videl giggled.

"Well, now that you guys are done playing, care to show your boyfriend some affection too, Videl?" Gohan opened his arms, expecting his girlfriend to cuddle with him.

"I think I'mma stay with Goten for now," Videl taunted him, hugging the little boy tighter. "He's just too cute."

Gohan pouted and crossed his arms, and Videl bit her lip at the familiar jealous expression on his face, struggling not to burst out laughing.

"I thought that now that we're together I wouldn't have to be competing with my own brother for your attention."

"Sorry buddy, but I still need my Goten fix."

The little boy laughed as Videl squished him against her, his cheek pressed against her chest. Gohan's expression darkened as he watched the pair.

They were taunting him on purpose, he was sure of it. Well, okay, maybe not Goten, but Videl was one hundred percent guilty. She shot him a smug look, which only confirmed his deductions. He crossed his arms tightly as he watched his girlfriend hug his little brother.

Videl giggled and finally let Goten go, but not before giving him a big smooch on the cheek, making the little boy blush. She got up and went to sit beside Gohan on the couch. But her boyfriend didn't uncross his arms and turned his head the other way, not very forgiving of her teasing.

"Aww, come on, Gohan, don't be like that…" She put her hand on his arm, rubbing his muscular bicep; the sparks were still there, and the girl was hoping to use them in her favor.

"You're mean."

"But you knew that already." Videl scooched closer and kneed on the cushions; she wrapped her arms around Gohan's head and made him turn it to squish his cheek against her chest. "Here. Isn't that better?"

He blushed as her breasts were pushing up against his face. And then he melted and wrapped his arms around her waist, his face sinking deeper in her voluptuous chest. This felt so nice…

Videl chuckled and pulled back. Gohan pouted as he looked up at her, and she responded by sitting more comfortably on the couch and snuggling up to him. Gohan chuckled in defeat and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"So, when are you getting married again?" Goten asked innocently, his arms crossed behind his head as he stood between the coffee table and the TV, one leg folded over the other.

The couple blushed at the question.

"In about five years," Gohan replied.

"And you have three kids, right?" Goten went on. "I think I heard you talk about it over dinner."

"Yeah," Videl said. "Pan, Mark and Mika. Two girls and a boy."

"That's cool! I wonder if they'll like me."

"They're going to love you, Goten, no question asked." Videl chuckled. Goten grinned happily. "And you'll be good to them too, right?"

"Oh, yes! I'll read them bedtime stories and help them with bath time!"

Videl and Gohan smiled at the adorable boy. "That'd be perfect, Goten," she said. "You're going to be a great uncle."

Alas, the moment was broken by the familiar beeping noise of Videl's communicator watch. She cursed under her breath and sat up properly, reluctantly answering the call.

It was a hijacked bus this time. Goten was listening eagerly, skipping from one foot to the other, unable to stand still. The Great Saiyaboy would be making a new appearance tonight! He loved playing the superhero with Gohan, and it was even more fun when Videl was fighting crime with them, too!

"I guess I'll go say goodnight to your mom," Videl said with a sigh when the call ended.

"We'll be coming with you!" Goten announced excitedly, a broad grin on his face.

Videl smirked at him over her shoulder as she went to the kitchen. "I figured as much."

She walked into the kitchen, where Chichi was sitting at the table. The countless dishes were sparkling clean and drying. Videl felt bad that the mother of two cleaned up everything all on her own, but Chichi had refused their help and insisted that they lay back and relaxed after dinner. They had a guest to entertain, after all.

Chichi perked up when she saw the girl and Videl smiled.

"I got a call from the police, so the boys and I will be going to take care of that."

"Oh, that's a shame. But don't let me keep you ━ at least I know you'll be safe with the boys by your side."

Chichi got up and went to Videl to give her a hug goodbye. "It was so nice meeting you, Videl. Gohan couldn't have chosen a better bride."

The crime fighter blushed. "Thanks, Chichi. I'm really happy to have met you, too. But I really need to be going…"

Chichi pulled back and beamed at her. "Of course. Come by anytime you want. You'll always be welcome here."

"Thank you."

As Videl turned away, her chest felt light. Meeting her future mother-in-law couldn't have gone better. Maybe they were always meant to get along. While there was no way to know for sure how their first meeting was supposed to go, how things should've turned out had Videl never had her tainted visions, the girl was happy with the way things were going.

Gohan and Goten were waiting for her outside, already transformed into their superhero suits. Goten was grinning wider than ever. Gohan opened his arms in an inviting way.

"Would you like a lift, Miss?" he asked in a deeper voice, as though he was trying to change the way he sounded so that she wouldn't recognize him. Videl chuckled, musing that maybe if Gohan had thought of doing that at his first appearance as the Great Saiyaman before her she might have had a harder time recognizing him.

She was pretty sure she would have still figured him out though, one way or another. The memory of how easily she had tricked him brought a grin to her face.

Gohan picked her up and carried her in his strong arms, then he and Goten took off to the sky and flew towards Satan City.

"Goten, how about you get on my back?" the older brother suggested. "We don't have time to waste, and I can get to the city in just a few minutes."

"A few minutes? No way!" Goten exclaimed in disbelief. He quickly did as he was told; he got behind Gohan and held him around the neck. "Show me!"

Gohan chuckled, and the low rumble made Videl blush. He sounded kinda… cocky, and it was having all kinds of effects on the teenage girl.

"Hang on me tight ━ here I go!"

With a burst of power, Gohan zipped off faster than the speed of sound. Videl felt that breathless pull in her chest, as though she was on a roller coaster ride. Goten cheered in glee, and Gohan chuckled in that cocky way again.

They arrived in a matter of minutes, true to Gohan's predictions.

"Wow, Gohan! You got so fast!" Goten said in admiration when his brother slowed down to look for the hijacked bus.

"How about you go on ahead and stop the bus, Goten? I mean, Saiyaboy." His sidekick let go of him to fly beside the pair. "I can't really show up with Videl like this, it'd look suspicious, so you might as well get a headstart."

"Okay! I'll make you proud, Saiyaman!" Goten's grin got even wider, and then he shot off like a bullet after the hijacked bus.

"Good thinking," Videl approved while her disguised boyfriend flew over to a rooftop. He landed and put her down. Gunshots could be heard from the distance. "Go on ahead, I'll take my plane."

Gohan nodded his head and was turning away to take off to the night sky, but then he paused and came back, placing his hand behind her head to pull her to him for a short but passionate kiss.

Videl felt completely breathless when he pulled away. He was smirking, and the girl felt blood rush to her face.

Goodness, she was so goddamn attracted to this guy. His disguise, ridiculous as it may be, somehow made him all the more desirable. Or maybe it was the fact that she could only see his lips, curving into that sexy smirk of his.

And then he was off, and Videl just stood there, still breathless after his kiss, needing some time to cool off and compose herself from the impossibly insane chemistry between Gohan and her.

She shook her head, fighting down her blush, and rummaged through her pocket for her capsule box. She found her plane capsule and pushed the button on top before throwing it on the rooftop, making her sleek aircraft appear in a cloud of smoke.

Her heart was still racing, her lips still tingling from Gohan's kiss, but Videl forced herself to focus. She slapped her cheeks with both her hands, as though to wake herself up, and while she was unsuccessful at fighting down her blush, she frowned as she focused on the task ahead.

Her plane took off after the Great Saiya-Team. Not far from there, the bus had been stopped, a small dent the size of a small child on the front of the public transportation; however, the criminals were still inside and pointing their guns at the passengers.

Videl landed behind the bus, but her arrival didn't go unnoticed and she dove to the side to avoid a flood of automatic bullets. But as she made a flip to land on her feet in a crouched position, a red cape phased in right in front of her and the Great Saiyaman caught all the bullets with a single hand.

"Thanks," she said with a smirk.

"There's three of them," Gohan told her, his tone serious. "They're too close to the hostages, though. I'm not sure even Saiyaboy is fast enough to get them before they have a chance to harm anyone." He turned his helmeted head at her over his shoulder. "Mind if I take care of them myself?"

She didn't like just standing there and doing nothing, but Videl knew the safety of the innocent people was their priority, so she reluctantly agreed.

"Thanks," he threw at her with a smile; it turned into a smirk as he added, "I promise to make it up to you later."

Videl flushed. Damn that boy, always making her feel flustered. That sexy smirk of his was going to be the end of her.

Flashes went off from all directions as the superhero duo took various coordinated poses and introduced themselves while assuring that they had once again beaten evil and that everyone was safe now.

Videl grimaced in embarrassment at the brothers. While they looked like they were having the time of their life, she couldn't help thinking that they looked absolutely ridiculous. Did they have to do this every time? And it seemed that they had been practicing their routine, too. Videl sighed in resignation. To think she would be part of their family in a not-so-distant future…

"Great Saiyaboy!" an eager reporter called, throwing a microphone to the disguised child's face. "Can you tell us where your powers come from? Where did you learn these magic tricks?"

Videl cringed at the question. Of course the common people would think their skills weren't real, what with the garbage her own father had been feeding the world for seven years.

"I can't do magic tricks," Goten replied in his usual cheerful voice. "But my brother scared off an evil wizard a few days ago!"

Gohan cleared his throat. "I think it's time we get going."

"Do you know the Golden Fighter?" another reporter asked, not ready to pass up the chance to get a scoop. "He was seen at the tournament a couple days ago and he's shown the same kinds of powers you two have. He seems to be able to change his hair color from black to blond."

Goten turned his helmeted head towards his brother, an awkward smile on his lips. "Umm…"

"Some people think you might be the Golden Fighter yourself, Mr. Great Saiyaman," the first reporter speculated, pushing his microphone towards the older superhero. "Do you have any comments about that hypothesis?"

"He had been recognized as a high school student named Son Gohan," the second reporter went on. "Does that name sound familiar to you?"

"I'm sorry, but we really have to go," Gohan said, placing his hand on his little brother's shoulder. Goten nodded at him and then they both took off to the sky, creating a powerful gust of wind with the burst of their energy.

"Mr. Saiyaman, Mr. Saiyaboy, wait!"

But the superhero duo never looked back even as much as the reporters called after them.

And then the swarm of journalists noticed Videl standing aside and they all rushed at her, peppering her with questions.

"The Golden Fighter showed himself during your fight at the tournament," someone asked. "We got intel that he's a boy in your class. Do you confirm that information?"

"No comment," Videl kept saying, stepping away from the rabid reporters, but they wouldn't leave her alone.

And then the Great Saiyaman came back and swooped her up in his arms before flying off. Videl sighed in relief and relaxed in her boyfriend's arms.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I figured I might as well save you from them, even though it might just start more rumors about us."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and snuggled up to him. "They seem to have figured out pretty much everything though…"

"At least they're not sure I'm the Golden Fighter." Gohan sighed. "I told Goten to go ahead and fly home. I'm flying you back."

She cracked a smile. "Well, my balcony window is still unlocked."

He chuckled, his chest rumbling against her cheek. "Sounds good to me."

His arms tightened around her as he flew her home. Videl knew he was going a lot slower than he was capable of, considering he could cross thousands of kilometers in a matter of minutes, and she supposed Gohan didn't want to part from her just yet. She knew how he felt.

Much too soon, they spotted the luxurious Satan House from the distance, sparkling in the night. Gohan found her balcony and landed; he put her down, but like earlier, he was unwilling to let her go and kept his arms around her. Then, with a flash of light, his colorful disguise was gone and she was met with his loving coal eyes.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed in deeply. Videl felt herself flush as his sighs tickled her skin and his arms tightened around her waist.

"I wish I didn't have to leave you at all," he murmured. She smiled, held him tighter around his back and pressed her cheek against his broad chest.

"We'll see each other tomorrow for our date," she reminded him.

He hummed in reply. "Can I stay a little longer still?"

She giggled. "Of course. I'm not in any rush to see you off."

He nuzzled her neck. "Good. Because I'm not ready to let you go just yet."

She relaxed completely in his arms. "Yeah. Me neither."

They didn't know how long they stayed like this, but neither was ready to pull away. Which was more than fine with Videl. She had never felt safer than right here, in Gohan's arms. She felt so loved and treasured. She wished he could stay with her tonight.

Her face heated up at the implication. Well, Gohan spending the night didn't necessarily mean they would be doing anything. It was perfectly possible for two people to share a bed and not get physical. Even if they were so hopelessly in love and had mad chemistry between them.

Videl was glad Gohan couldn't see her face because of how much her thought process was making her blush. She couldn't help recalling the steamy dream she had had about Gohan. The thought of getting intimate with her boyfriend made her nervous, but at the same time, she just wanted him so damn much. She was completely crazy about him, and the slightest touch from Gohan could make her feel so breathless.

And now, in his embrace, the girl felt herself melt into him. Feeling him so close, it was just so intoxicating.

Gohan started to pull away, and Videl felt her heart sink at the thought of him leaving. It was stupid, really. They would be seeing each other again the very next day. And it was getting late anyway, so she should get ready to go to bed.

He smiled down at her, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He tucked her bangs behind her ear, and then he leaned in and kissed her lips.

Videl melted. Completely. She clutched his shirt as she opened her mouth to let his tongue in, deepening the kiss. Gohan held her close, pulling her all against him, and Videl thought she might faint from the overload of endorphins.

"I'm so in love with you," he whispered breathlessly between two kisses.

Videl cupped his face in her hands and angled it better as they kept kissing. She was completely lost in all these addicting sensations. The sparks were exploding left and right, blinding her with the intensity of their fire.

Gohan pulled back after a long while that still felt too short, and he pressed his forehead on hers as they both tried to catch their breaths.

"I don't want you to go," Videl whispered.

Gohan chuckled. "Yeah, I don't want to go either."

But she wasn't just saying that. She wanted him to stay for the night. She wanted to be with him; she wanted him, all of him. In her bed. All night long.

He kissed her cheek and pulled away from their loving embrace. Videl wrapped her arms around herself at the loss of his warmth in the cool evening air. She averted her gaze, her face still quite red from her lustful thoughts.

"See you tomorrow, then," he said, seemingly clueless as to what was going through her head right now. "Pick you up at nine?"

She ran a hand over the back of her neck. "Yeah, okay. Sounds good."

A few moments passed in silence, and Videl felt Gohan's questioning gaze on her.

"What?" she asked, her tone harsher than she meant.

"I don't know. Is something on your mind?" He didn't seem to care about her tone either way.

Videl pinched her lips together, her face turning a deeper shade of red.

"What is it?" Gohan asked, taking a step towards her. He tipped up her chin to make her look at him and offered her a gentle smile. Videl felt herself swoon.

She gave a wistful smile. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." She got on her tiptoes and kissed his lips for a few seconds. "Good night, Gohan. Can't wait for tomorrow."

He chuckled through a light blush. "I'll try to think of something better for us to do than bowling. Not that it's not a good idea, but I'm sure I can come up with something more thrilling for our first date"

"You do that," she said with an amused glint in her eyes.

He brushed her bangs with the tip of his fingers. "Good night, Videl."

He turned away and took a few steps. Then he looked back at her over her shoulder and his gentle eyes made her heart glow.

"I love you," she murmured.

Gohan beamed. "I love you too, Videl."

And then he was off.

June 24, 2021