Vulnerable
A/N: Hello! New chapter.
To the guest reviewer Ushindi. Thank you for taking the time to read. And yes, the cat is finally out of the bag. For Tysend99, thank you so much for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed the movie and I hope you'll enjoy the rest. Will wait for a new feedback. For the guest of 12-04, I understand what you mean and even thought the answer might be obvious, actually knowing it might hit different. And for the guest of 12-17, I'm really happy you're this excited. And don't worry, the rest of the story will be to your likings. I hope to hear from you again.
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ! However, I do own any new OC in this story.
Chapter 23: Not a monster
Hoshiko didn't remember the last time she saw Videl run this fast. There was the day of the 'meet your parents' at school, after Hercule failed to come to the meeting; and then once after they settled in a new country, Videl had a breakdown from being all alone and she rushed out of the house. And then, there was today.
The younger Satan let go of the papers, letting them fall on the floor, and she left the house in a hurry. Her mother barely had the time to close the door behind her and followed her in the direction that lead to Capsules Corp.
Bulma was happily humming to herself, sipping her hot cocoa while finalizing the tree decorations. Then Trunks entered, wearing a Christmas pajama, much to his mother's enjoyment.
She smiled at him and hugged him "Good morning sweetie. Merry Christmas."
The younger boy yawned and rubbed his eyes to wake up "Merry Christmas mum."
Then, a very grumpy Vegeta came into the living room, wearing only a towel around his waist, and he barked "WOMAN! Where are my clothes?"
Bulma stifled a laugh and smirked at him "On the bed."
The Prince barked again "Do you honestly think I'd wear this disgrace?" And he showed her a Christmas sweater his wife had the audacity to want him to wear.
Both Bulma and Trunks had tears in their eyes as Vegeta started grunting and swearing. When she was able to compose herself, his wife wiped the tears of her eyes and chuckled "Come on Vegeta. It's only one night and only the Son and the Satan are coming. Either ways, I hid all your spandexes, so… Unless you wanna eat naked in a towel, you have no choice."
Bulma then laughed when she heard Vegeta curse in probably a new alien language, before he left, smashing the door behind him.
Trunks excitedly smiled at his mother who winked at him.
They then saw the previously smashed close door getting smashed opened, while Bulma's secretary was following a very angry Videl and a sighing Hoshiko. The secretary went pale when she saw Bulma raise an eyebrow at her, and she tried to form a coherent sentence "D-Dr. I'm, I'm so sorry. I tried to tell her but…"
Bulma sighed and nodded at her "No problem. But next time, instead of following her, ping me so I know someone is coming. You can leave."
The secretary sighed in relief and left the room, leaving the two guests alone with the heiress.
Bulma then tilted her head at her guests "I don't mean to be mean but, aren't you a bit early? It's barely ten."
Hoshiko sighed "I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into her."
Bulma then winked at the younger girl "She must've been eager to see Gohan. Sorry sweetie but he's still at the mountains. They should be here in the afternoon."
Videl then firmly said "I'll wait for him. I have all day."
Bulma blinked at the girl's, not anticipating this reaction from her, before Hoshiko motioned at her to follow her, leaving a pacing back and forth Videl alone in the living room.
As soon as they got out of the room, Bulma shooed Trunks to his room before she turned her attention back to Hoshiko "I have to say, in all the times I've seen her, and given what Chi-Chi told me, this was a reaction I wasn't expecting from her."
Hoshiko scratched the back of her neck "Takes after her father and I hate it. She gets angry whenever she feels like she's been lied to. I'm really sorry." The bluenette looked at the second mother with a look that said 'please continue it doesn't make sense' and the latter sighed "I don't really know how to say this but, Videl discovered the truth about Gohan."
Bulma rose an eyebrow at her "She already knew he was Saiyaman and the Delivery Boy. It doesn't make sense for her to get angry about this now." But the look on Hoshiko's face made her understand it was more than this. Bulma then blinked before she rose both her eyebrows "You mean? Oh, wow. No way. Wait, what?" When Hoshiko nodded, Bulma tilted her head at her "Why do I have a feeling that you and I are talking about two very different things?" Hoshiko then shook her head, and when Bulma saw her biting her lower lip, something clicked in her head "What? How? When? How?"
The Satan mother then sighed "It's my fault. I've been suspicious of a lot of things for a long time now so I started to research the subject more. And Videl found my notes and made the link."
Bulma's jaw dropped to the floor at the mother's revelations. She then blinked at her "You mean, everything? Like, everything? His origins and ancestors?" Hoshiko nodded making Bulma sigh "Oh Dende! Oh Dende, why are you teasing us like this?" Bulma then ignored the questioning looks on Hoshiko's face at the weird name before she rubbed her temples "That was unexpected. And I don't think Gohan will enjoy this. He's been debating with himself how to tell her this himself for weeks now."
Hoshiko nodded at Bulma "Look Bulma, can I be honest with you? Sure, I'm ashamed of what I did but, can you blame me? Do you even realize what big of a secret this is? Gohan hid a big thing from us and the worst is, it's directly related to my daughter. You can't blame me for thinking about her safety."
Bulma nodded in response "I know. I understand how you feel but, it wasn't my secret to share. But I understand what you mean, trust me. And don't worry about Videl, it's nothing dangerous. It's the opposite actually. You see…"
Bulma then rose an eyebrow at the phone and rushed to it.
It was the private line the Son used when they needed to reach her urgently. And for them to use it, it must have been something very urgent. The last time they used it was when Chi-Chi went into labor and Gohan didn't know what to do. So, what could've happened now?
Trunks then rushed towards the room and looked for his mother "Mum, mum. It's Gohan. His Ki is flaring."
As if on cue, Vegeta rushed out of the company and Bulma quickly answered the phone "Chi-Chi?"
The other mother answered "Dende Bulma, I don't know what happened. Gohan was playing with Goten before he screamed in pain and literally punched his brother in the stomach. Ask the dumb Saiyan Prince what is going on. I can't get Gohan to answer me. He's not even answering to Piccolo."
Bulma nodded at her through the phone as if Chi-Chi could see her "Vegeta is on his way. I'll also send Trunks." And she nodded at her son who rushed through the windows towards his best friend's house.
Bulma then hung up and sighed before she turned her attention to a very anxious mother and daughter duo. The CC heiress then scoffed "And here I was having a good morning." She then looked at her guests "Can you imagine I even had Vegeta wear a Christmas sweater for tonight? Anyway, did you eat breakfast or not yet?" She then noticed both women blinking at her and she sighed "I don't know what's going on so I can't answer any of your questions."
Hoshiko didn't let Videl replicate as she caught her hand "We'll come back in the afternoon before dinner. Erasa might come back home any minute now. Thank you Bulma and sorry again for barging in. I will wait for your call."
The Satan mother then dragged her daughter out of the company, ignoring her protests.
Something in her gut told her that whatever was going on was something beyond their understanding. And overstaying their welcome wasn't going to resolve the problem.
Gohan had woken up today, over the moon. It was Christmas eve and he was about to spend this holiday with all the people he cared for. Moreover, he could finally be with Videl, and that alone brought a gigantic grin to his face.
Goten then woke up and both boys when to find their mother and grandfather in the living room for breakfast before the Son family made its way back its cozy house. Chi-Chi had a handful of meals to prepare and she would need any minute to finish everything.
And to avoid any distractions, she sent her two boys outside to kill off time. And she smiled when she saw them play together. She was so lucky to have a family this amazing. Everything was perfect.
That until she saw Gohan on all four, clinging on his stomach, before he started to scream in pain. And when Goten approached him to make sure he was okay, Gohan punched him, knocking the air out of his lungs.
She didn't understand what was happening when Goten was looking at his brother in both fear and amazement, or when Piccolo arrived and started talking to her eldest.
Then, Piccolo frowned and looked at her from the window. She didn't know how she understood what he wanted, but in this moment, she knew she had to call for help.
And less than two minutes later, she saw Vegeta outside her house and he started talking to Gohan. Chi-Chi then got out to see what was going on but Piccolo stood in front of her. The Namekian then held Goten and stopped Trunks before the boy landed and he ordered Goten to call Nimbus for his mother. And then, Piccolo, Chi-Chi and the two boys waited in the air.
They then saw Vegeta punch Gohan.
Chi-Chi then asked Piccolo what both Saiyans were talking about but the Namek couldn't decipher a word they said. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, they started talking in the Saiyan language(*).
On both Saiyans' side, Vegeta stood in front of Gohan, his defenses up "So brat, finally came to your senses? Did you decide what you want to be?"
Gohan didn't say a word and kept on looking at the Prince, his eyes slowly turning to teal. Vegeta smirked at him before he started to talk "Gaan jy nie voor jou prins buig nie?" (Aren't you going to bow to your prince?)
Gohan then smirked before he answered "Is jy regtig die moeite werd om my Prins genoem te word?" (Are you really worth being called my Prince?)
Vegeta then laughed at the boy "Kwakker sien ek. Dit lyk of jy tog een van ons kan wees." (Cocky I see. Looks like you can be one of us after all.) The Prince then smirked "Bewys vir my dat jy die moeite werd is om ons bloed te deel." (Prove to me you're worth sharing our blood.)
Gohan then scoffed before Vegeta rushed to him and punched him. But the halfling ducked and returned the punch right into Vegeta's guts. And the full-blooded Saiyan enjoyed it and looked at his opponent with a surprisingly proud look.
Gohan then spoke "Wat gaan aan?" (What is going on?)
Vegeta then nodded at him, a very serious look on his face "Jy word uiteindelik die moeite werd." (You're finally becoming worth it.)
Gohan then barked, preparing himself to attack, before he felt his back cracking. He didn't have the time to react until he received Vegeta's punch right in the face, knocking him out in an instant.
The Prince then looked at Piccolo and Chi-Chi before he nodded at them and held Gohan over his shoulder like a bag of potato and he left towards CC. The Namekian simply looked at Chi-Chi who hardly swallowed before she rushed to the house to close the door. Piccolo then glared at Trunks and Goten, as both boys understood they had to stay quiet, and they all followed Vegeta towards the company.
Gohan woke up with one of the harshest headaches he had in years. Even the punch he received from his father on the Lookout before the Cell Games didn't hurt this much. He slowly opened his eyes only to find himself inside the regeneration tank. He started to blink to clear his vision and saw Videl sitting on the floor, a book in her hands.
When she heard someone grunt, Videl instinctively looked at Gohan, making sure he was okay. And when she looked up, she directly got up the floor when she saw him awake. She then called Bulma before she stood in front of the tank, her head setting on the glass, before she sighed in relief and talked in a whisper "Thank Kami, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
Gohan blinked at her, not understanding at all what was going on, but the young girl only smiled at him.
Bulma then found them and she sighed in relief before emptying the tank and helped her godson get out. She handed him new clothes she had prepared then, without saying a word, she walked out of the room, as if telling Gohan and Videl to follow her. Both teenagers questionably looked at each other's before they proceeded to silently follow her towards the living room.
When they arrived, they saw the adults sitting on the couch, except for Vegeta and Piccolo who were talking in the back. When she saw her oldest enter the room, Chi-Chi rushed and hugged him tight.
She then smacked him in the head "Why do you have to be a delinquent? Do you enjoy making your mother worry?"
Gohan blinked at his mother, still not understanding a thing, before Bulma silently motioned at him to sit on a couch. The CC heiress then called her husband and Piccolo before she turned her attention to Gohan, who had never seen her this serious before "Sweetie, I know you're feeling loss. But first, I need to know. What do you remember?"
Gohan tilted his head at her "Umm… I, I remember being at home and playing with Goten. Then I felt like my stomach was killing me and I woke up in the regeneration tank."
The CC heiress nodded at him and looked at Vegeta "It makes sense. That would explain his behavior. Look kiddo, you have a lot of catching up to do. You should know that you actually fought Vegeta during the time you don't remember." The halfling blinked at her and she nodded at him very seriously "Yes. After your stomachache, you actually punched Goten out of self-defense and when Vegeta came, you tried to resist yourself from fighting him. You defended yourself when he attacked you but something made you stop the fight. But that's not the only problem. For one, you talked only in the Saiyan language as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And after Vegeta knocked you out to bring you here, you then woke up and attacked him. You nearly entered a real fight if it wasn't for Piccolo stopping you by cutting your tail."
Gohan's eyes opened wider then his stomach as he looked at Bulma, Vegeta and Piccolo "My tail? What tail? I don't have a…" He then unconsciously searched his back before he nodded "Yeah, not there."
Vegeta barked at him "It's because we cut it brat. Pray it doesn't grow back."
Bulma then rolled her eyes at her husband and looked at Gohan "Look sweetie, we just want you to know what happened. Because Vegeta told us this might happen again for a while. But we will find a solution together."
Gohan sighed before he looked at Vegeta in a way that said 'explain everything.'. The Prince then crossed his hands on his chest before he nodded at Piccolo "Do you have anything to tell the boy before I explain myself?" Piccolo then groaned and Vegeta took it as his cue to talk "No one better interrupt me."
He then stood near Bulma who nodded at him and he started to talk "Look brat, you already know us Saiyans are the strongest they are. And we spent our lives going from planet to planet. During our missions, some of us decided to fool around a little, either to induce fear or just for fun. And some idiots weren't very careful and left themselves in very compromising situations. Don't think that you are the first hybrid that ever existed. But I'd be lying if I said you aren't the first one that could physically be mistaken as one of us. Yes, Saiyans mate once in their lives but that doesn't mean they aren't fertile until the mating process is completed. And some lower-class warriors couldn't always find the perfect mate so they started to search elsewhere." Vegeta saw Gohan raise an eyebrow at him, as if telling him to get to the point, and he scoffed "At first, after taking control of the planets, we used to kill the population without exceptions. But after some of the lower classes started acting on instincts, we had to sell the old population as slaves until the hybrids were born."
Gohan then rolled his eyes and cut Vegeta "Why are you telling me this disgusting history lesson? Get straight to the point."
Vegeta then quickly barked at him "You should be lucky you're acting on instincts otherwise I would've sent you to visit your dad. I said no cutting." Vegeta then smirked "Besides, brat, it's not disgusting. Your father did the same thing. Wasn't he a low-class clown who found a non-Saiyan mate?"
No one understood how Piccolo had the time to pin Gohan to the ground before he attacked Vegeta, as the hybrid barked "You take this back! My father was more respectable than any one of your disgusting race."
Vegeta smirked before Bulma glared at him "Are you done talking ill about my friend or do you want me to smack your head?"
The Prince growled at her before he mumbled something under his breath. He then rolled his eyes and looked at Gohan "Kakabrat, up. And listen to me. Where was I? Ah yes. Look, I'm telling you this because it concerns you. As far as I know, you are a hybrid. Unless the harpy here was a Saiyan in disguise." Vegeta then ignored Bulma trying to calm Chi-Chi and he continued "What actually happened after is important. At first, we used to sell or kill the halflings. We didn't need any soiled blood. But after a while, we started to notice that some of them developed very cunning Saiyan characteristics. Understandable since our genes are the strongest there is but still, the results were fascinating. This is when we decided to investigate this issue more in order to create the perfect warrior. You can say that the casual fooling around and knocking up a random alien girl quickly switched to scientific experiments." Vegeta ignored the disgust looked he was receiving and he smirked "And we reached very promising results. We even managed to find which alien races were the perfect match for us and started preparing special equipment that would help us dictated the gene poles as we wanted. Take the strong attributes from the other race to enhance ours." He then continued with disgust "That was until the annoying Supreme Kai fooled our plans. This being is the one in control of creation in the universe and he didn't approve of our ways so he decided to interfere. He couldn't stop the genes compatibility since the species were already created so he decided to block us. My grandfather, the previous King Vegeta nearly entered a war with him until they reached an agreement. 'Worthy trials'. The Supreme Kai couldn't allow for hybrids of any sort to exist because it would disturb the balance of the universe so he decided to eradicate them. But since he is in charge of creation, and he was very playful, he decided to create a game of sort. Each hybrid would have to pass a series of trials, random and unique to each, to determine which genes should be erased. The trial and trigger could be anything. And in the end, the dominating genes would make themselves known and the rest would be erased. The hybrid would then end up as a full blooded Saiyan or the second race. The genes would be erased using a special equipment that the Tuffles created. After we chased them off, we kept the technology hidden on a planet that even Frieza didn't know existed."
Bulma turned towards her husband and blinked at him "So you're telling me that you can actually erase genes?" Vegeta nearly grunted for an answer and she rubbed her temples "But I don't understand, what does this have to do with… Oh!" She then looked at Videl and Vegeta back and forth "But her? What is her role in all this mess?"
Vegeta then laughed "Because his dumb mate is the reason he is undergoing these trials. I told you, their trigger is random. We once had a hybrid who had his started because he couldn't divert an attack. And one while he was on cooking duty during a raid. And the trial is also random. It could be anything from inability to eat to the loss of one's senses. This brat here had his unlocked when he found his mate and his trial is to be weak."
Videl tilted her head at Gohan who didn't stop focusing on Vegeta. The halfling then spoke "So basically, when I became vulnerable, it was because my human part was dominating? And when I'm not, it's because my Saiyan part is stronger?" Vegeta nodded at him but it still didn't convince the hybrid "It doesn't make sense. Every time I'd become vulnerable, Videl would be near me."
Vegeta smirked at him "Coincidence. Last night she was near you and you didn't cut yourself when you stopped the blade that the youngest clown played with." And to prove his point, Vegeta took a random knife and tried to cut Gohan's forearm, only for the blade to break "See, coincidence."
Gohan then blinked before he frowned "I don't…Wait a second. You're telling me that my body is battling itself. I can't control what is going on?"
The Saiyan Prince shook his head "No. My guess for the sudden change in domination was your mate. She is the reason why your Saiyans genes woke up. Did your eyes change their color yesterday?" Gohan remained neutral as he nodded and Vegeta continued "I thought so. Your scent was stronger than usual. Because of this, your Saiyan genes were awake so you didn't cut yourself. You should consider yourself lucky, you have a good trial."
Bulma then intervened, knowing very well the twisted mind of her husband "What do you mean?"
Vegeta rolled his eyes at her "And here I thought you were smarter than that. We are warriors, we do not stop a battle under any circumstances. His trial is to prove that he can win a fight even if he's becoming weak. His genes are trying to knock some sense into him to make him realize how high his potential actually is. But he is dumb enough to continue to waste it."
Bulma then looked at Gohan who was clearly having an internal debate with himself. And then everyone stayed quiet while the young boy was thinking about the situation.
Gohan then blinked at Vegeta and started to crack his knuckles without noticing "So what will happen next? I will choose one of the heritages? And the other will be removed? What if I don't want that to happen?"
Vegeta smirked "Precisely. But it's not you who choose, your body will determine which is the best fit for you. You either lose your filthy Earthling part or you stop soiling your Saiyan genes. And with the loss of one, you'll lose all the attributes that come with it. The most notable difference will obviously be your transformation. And if you didn't mate, you'll lose the need to. If you already did, I have no idea what will happen to the mark but my guess is it won't recognize you anymore."
Gohan kept looking at Vegeta, his mind clearly elsewhere. The Prince noticed him and he scoffed "Look, when our race was eradicated and the Supreme Kai changed, I thought that it would be the end of these trials. So, I can't know for sure what might happen. I'm just telling you so you stop whining like a child and start acting as a man."
The spiky-haired boy started rubbing his temples before he asked "What about my tail?"
Vegeta groaned at him "If your Saiyan attributes keep on evolving, it might grow back. You are still a teenager in terms of Saiyan age, and you are in your mating process. All your hormones point to its growth."
Gohan kept on looking at Vegeta like he had seen a ghost. He then started looking at his mother and Vegeta back and forth. And Chi-Chi only shrugged, not knowing what to say to him.
He then focused back on Vegeta "Okay. Now what?"
The full blooded Saiyan merely shrugged "We wait and see." Vegeta looked at Gohan before she starting looking at the others, starting with Piccolo "Don't let your body down." Followed by Videl "Don't stop any instinct you might have." Then at Bulma "Don't overthink stuff." And finally, at Chi-Chi "And don't let anyone get in your head." He then looked back at Gohan "Don't battle any urge you might have, Saiyan or Earthling. It will simplify your process."
He then left towards the door "Woman, I'm going to train. Call me when the food will be ready." He then barked at her "You better not hide all my spandexes again."
Bulma then tried to stop her giggling before Vegeta left.
She then looked at her godson before he got up "I'm going to take a bath. Do you need help with tonight's dinner? I have a small errand tor run but I can help when I come back."
Both mothers shook their heads before Gohan left towards his room.
Bulma then looked at Piccolo "You're staying here, right?" The Namekian only growled his answer and Bulma looked at Hoshiko "I think it's safe to call Erasa now. You wanna help me in the kitchen? We can have put some music and enjoy ourselves."
Hoshiko only nodded her head, not understanding how Bulma was this calm about this whole situation.
The CC heiress then told Videl to find the kids in the recreation section and have fun before she dragged both mothers towards the kitchen. It looked like she was in a hurry to drag them so they could obviously talk in private.
Videl stood still for a while, waiting for the adults to leave. She saw Piccolo retreat to a corner in the room, paying her no mind, and she sighed. She then decided to go and find Gohan before he took his bath. Something in her guts told her he wouldn't mind the company at the moment.
She found his room and gently knocked, and she let herself in when she heard someone mumble inside. When she peaked her head, she saw Gohan sitting on his bed, his back to the door, and his head on his palms.
She bit her lower lip and gently whispered "Gohan? You okay?" And he slowly nodded at her before she continued "Want me to leave you alone?"
He nodded again but she nodded. Bu then, against her better judgment, something told her to stay.
She silently walked towards him and sat next to him, waiting for him to say something. She then started to soothingly caress his back, talking softly "Hey. Gohan, talk to me. You know you can trust me. What's on your mind?"
Gohan stayed quiet, and Videl started to gently caress his hair "You know a divided problem is easier to handle. Right? But if you're not ready to talk yet, I don't mind. But can I still sit here with you?"
Gohan simply nodded, as they both sat in silence.
It took Videl five minutes of uncomfortable silence to gather the courage to talk. She swallowed and restarted to caress Gohan's back, and she started her monologue "You know, when I woke up this morning, I didn't expect this day to pass like this. I was expecting music, a warm dinner, laughs here and there. Then, by mistake, I saw my mother's notes. Can you imagine my mom had been curious about you from the start? And she actually solved the riddle. She discovered you weren't totally human. She knew for a long time now, but she handled the news better than me. She never treated you any differently and she was always there to support you. But me, when I read her notes, I got angry and I dashed in here, ready to confront you. I was angry that you lied to me, hid something this big from me. I wasn't the friend I should've been. I was being selfish and didn't respect your privacy. It took me longer than it should've for me to understand why you hid the truth. I mean, how do you tell someone you're not fully human? I can't imagine how hard it must've been on you. We were always skeptical about your different abilities, and we didn't really make you feel accepted. We were at fault here, not you. I'm not gonna lie, it hurt, a lot, that you hid it from me but I can't blame you for not trusting me. Because any fear you might've had were justified; I wouldn't have known how to handle the truth. But I want you to know that I'll always be here for you. Always. I'll never leave your side and if you ever wanna talk, I'll lend an ear anytime. Alien or not, you're still the same Gohan."
Videl then got up "I'll leave now. You wanted to sit alone and I came in and started talking. I'll wait for you in the living room, okay?"
And she gently kissed the top of his head.
But as she got ready to leave, she heard Gohan talk for the first time, and she turned around to face him while he talked "Ever since I was a kid, I saw humanoids everywhere. I was a little kid with a tail, I wasn't fully bear or dog, but I didn't mind. I never thought I was this different. Then, we discovered that my dad was actually an alien. Imagine the surprise. And the more I grew up, the more I noticed how people would look weirdly at different people. Even the humanoids and shapeshifters weren't always accepted. I mean, you rarely saw a mixed group of people in the street if you think about it. It was when I once saw people freak at Piccolo's differences that I understood that I would never be accepted as an alien. Even if I'm only half and I look exactly like any normal Earthling. Even before I was born, I was labelled a freak, even if people didn't say it to my face. Always breaking things, having inhuman strength, very sharp senses, eating a lot. I was abnormal from the start. And I guess, I just wanted to be accepted, you know? Not to feel different. I thought it was too much to ask for. So, I hid the truth. Can you imagine the nightmare my mother would live if people knew her kids weren't fully humans? I didn't want her to live in fear. I didn't want my brother to be discriminated and not having friends. I wanted to protect them, protect myself and the people I cared about. Just to be accepted and be seen for who we actually are. I never thought it would be too much to ask."
She harshly swallowed when she saw him exhale sharply and she waited for him to continue "Then, I met you guys. For the first time, I had friends. For the first time, I thought I could be normal. But when you came to the mountains, I understood that I was still different. And I got afraid. Afraid of being rejected by people I cared about, of not being accepted. So, I couldn't tell you the truth. And I guess the fear of being rejected grew when I fell in love with you. I was so afraid to lose you that I couldn't find it in myself to let you in on the truth. But when Bulma explained the mating process and everything, I realized I couldn't hide it from you anymore. But I didn't know what to say or how to say it. I was afraid you'd see me as a monster and be afraid of me. Then the lie got bigger, and everything degenerated. I mean, you said it yourself; how do you tell someone you're not fully human? Especially someone you care about so much."
Then, for the first time, he looked at her, his hands crossed on his lap "I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have let my fears dominate. I should've trusted you. It wasn't right to hide something this big from you." His voice then slowly turned down, and he continued in a whisper "I'm sorry. So, so, sorry."
Videl's heart broke when she saw him like this. This troubled, and worried. Just how much was he holding down? How much was he in pain from this? Something, even though it wasn't, he considered a lie. And most importantly, how hard was it for him to hide the truth from them? It was eating him alive, she could feel it.
And she didn't know what to say. She knew she had to say something, to make him understand that everything will be alright. But she didn't know what. Nothing she could say would make up for the lack of trust they showed him. They were at fault here, not him. They made him feel as if he couldn't trust them, that they would treat him differently.
But she wanted him to understand that she didn't care. Alien or not, he was still Gohan. Same old goofy, with a heart of gold, Gohan. But how could she make him understand that without making him think she was lying? She didn't want him to think she was forced to say this.
So, she did what she felt was the most natural thing in the world. She approached him, stood near him, caught his head between her arms, and hugged him tight. She wanted him to know that she wasn't afraid of him, or to be near him, or to touch him. He wasn't the monster he thought he was.
But her heart broke again when she felt something wet on her shirt. She didn't need to see it to know what it was, and she tightened her grip. She could feel her heart break when he silently sobbed, and she started to soothingly caress the back of his neck.
And then, Gohan spoke in a very soft voice. And her eyes widened. She was not expecting this from him. And his words kept resonating in her head.
'Don't stay this close, I'm afraid to hurt you.'
Don't stay …
Afraid to hurt you…
Afraid to hurt you…
He was afraid of being a monster. He saw himself like this. She couldn't believe her ears. He was afraid of losing control again.
How could she make him understand that he wasn't a threat? That he wasn't the monster he thought he was. That he was still the sweetest person she ever met, even with what he was passing through.
Then, he called her name in a whisper and she shook her head. She could not let him think of himself like this.
She then held his head between her arms and looked him straight in the eyes. Wanting him to see it for himself. To read it in her eyes. She wasn't afraid of him, she trusted him, and she accepted him; differences and all.
And she wanted to prove her point.
He wanted to warn her again but she then smiled at him. A sweet and gentle smile.
And before he could say a word, she pressed her lips on his.
He blinked at her when she let go but she kept on smiling, before she passed her hand in his hair, and she talked in a whisper "I'm not afraid of you. I trust you. You're still you, differences and all. And I love you for that."
He bit his lower lip at her, not knowing how to respond to that.
Her smile never left her before she leaned in and kissed him again. He felt her smiling and he relaxed a little, kissing her back. And when they let go, he finally had a light smile on his face.
He held her hand, intertwining their fingers together, as he gently pulled her towards him. She chuckled as she sat on his lap, her hand passed around his neck "Feeling better?"
He smiled at her and nodded "Yeah, thanks. But we still have a lot of things to talk about."
She nodded lightly at him "I know. But another time. It's Christmas, and I intend on enjoying it as much as possible. I'll wait for you to take your shower and then we can maybe go take a walk? See the streets and decorations? What do you say?"
Gohan smiled at her "Sure, we'll do that. We can maybe bring the kids with us, they'll have fun."
Videl chuckled at him "Sure thing. And I think that your mom would want us to take them. Unless you wanna end up without a dinner tonight." He chuckled at her and she balanced herself to get up "I'll let you shower. I'll be in the living room." But he stopped her, making her fall back on his lap, and she yelped "Gohan?"
He smiled gently at her "In a minute. Let me enjoy this moment with you." And he slowly moved his face towards her, his hand caressing her face, and he talked in a whisper with a voice becoming deeper "Just, one more minute."
She shivered when she felt his breathing this close to her, brushing against her skin. She found herself releasing a breath she didn't know she held. She then shut down her brain and nodded at him, also whispering "Okay. In a minute."
And she caressed his face with her free hand, while he caught her by the waist. And their lips met. Gohan then chuckled when she fell of his lap and he pinned her on the bed, pushing away the hair strands that were on her face.
"I love you."
And she smiled at him, holding his face between her hands, their eyes never parting, before she lowered him gently "I love you too."
And their lips met once again.
Hoshiko entered the living room, with straight instructions from Bulma on how to light up the chimney. Because of course, CC couldn't have a normal chimney like everyone else, it had to be special.
She then saw Videl sitting on the couch, scrolling on her phone, and the mother lost no time sitting next to her "Someone's awfully smiling. What happened? Help me light up the chimney while to tell me."
Videl blushed, turning a dark shade of red, while she followed her mother's instructions "Okay so I should put the logs like this… Nothing happened, we talked. I followed him to his room and we made things clear."
Hoshiko then nodded at her daughter "So you just talked?" And Videl turned very red while nodding, before her mother continued "He explained everything?"
But Videl shook her head "No, I told him we'd talk another time. It's Christmas and I didn't want him to feel worse than he already was. You should've seen the look on his face when I found him. I felt my heart break into a thousand pieces."
The mother nodded understandably "I'm just glad he was able to relax a little. If he needs something, he can always come and find us."
Videl nodded as he mother lit up the fireplace, before the mother and daughter duo hugged.
Hoshiko then kissed her daughter's forehead, and jokingly pinched her nose "I love you monkey."
And the daughter smiled at her.
They then saw Gohan enter the room, freshly showered, surprisingly wearing a jean but only a flannel. He smiled at them before looking left and right. Hoshiko then started chuckling, before she looked at him "Looking for something sweetie?"
Gohan blushed and scratched the back of his neck "I, umm… I can't seem to find my shirts."
And Hoshiko started laughing at him, and she wept a tear forming in her eye "You should go ask your godmother."
And Gohan turned an even darker shade of red.
He then chuckled and smiled at Hoshiko who nodded at him. She then whispered something to Videl who left towards the kitchen. The mother then smiled at Gohan and hugged him "I'm glad you're okay. When we saw Vegeta carry you back, we got really worried. Are you okay?"
Gohan nodded at her "Yeah, thanks. But what happened?"
Hoshiko then invited him to sit down "Videl came in here looking for you after she accidently discovered the truth. But we'll talk about this later. That's when Bulma received a phone call from your mother and Vegeta left in a hurry. We decided to come back later on, once everything calmed down but, on our way back, we saw Vegeta flying back, carrying you on his back. But then, you woke up and you attacked him. We didn't understand what happened, you were too high for us to see clearly. But we saw Piccolo rush to you and he snatched out something from your back. That's when you lost consciousness. We saw Vegeta carry you back to CC and we came back and waited when Bulma put you in the weird tank. And well, you know the rest."
Gohan nodded at her, knowing he will get the full story from Piccolo or Vegeta, before he looked at Hoshiko in the eye. But the mother bested him to the talking "You don't have to say anything. You don't have to explain. You had every right. Because I know that you would've told us when the time would've been right. And I want you to know that nothing will change, okay? You are still the same Gohan. Nothing will change that. So stop worrying this much. Okay sweetie?" He nodded at her and she smiled "I love you kiddo."
She then hugged him, kissing his forehead. He had a tear forming in his eye as he spoke "Thank you. Really. It means a lot. And for what it's worth, I wouldn't have let anything happen to Videl."
She whispered him an "I know." as they got up.
Hoshiko then chuckled at him before she teased him "Be careful not to catch a cold."
The boy blushed when she winked at him before he rushed towards the kitchen.
There, he was welcomed by the aroma of freshly prepared food. The aroma of rice, noodles, chicken and vegetables was overwhelming. And he saw a weird poultry on the table, and Hoshiko explained "That's my treat. I thought I'd let you try something more European. It's a stuffed turkey, that we serve with rice, and a cranberry sauce. I also prepared a roasted lamb and pork meat since you are heavy eaters. Did you know that Americans actually eat this dish on Thanksgiving? We learned the difference while we were abroad. You'll let me know what you think. And we kept the traditional Japanese meal your mother divinely prepares. And of course, the KFC Japanese tradition. Never gonna change that."
Gohan almost salivated at the amazing combination of food. This Christmas was going to be amazing.
Bulma then chuckled at him "Do you need something? Because if you touch the food before dinner, I'll personally put you back in the tank."
Gohan gulped as he shook his head "Um, no. Just, Mrs. Hoshiko told me you might have an idea where my shirts are? I can't find any."
Bulma then deviously smiled. And she handed Gohan a bag.
He opened and looked towards the sky "Oh, Kami!"
Gohan and Videl were sitting in the front of the fire, talking happily about this and that.
"You really want me to believe that Goten and Trunks managed to pull that dumb prank on you?"
Gohan laughed with her "Yeah. I didn't believe that Vegeta was in on it too. He hates this kind of stuff. So when he told me to try the boots for Bulma, I genuinely believed him. I didn't think I'd slip like ten meters and into a wall because of them."
Videl tried to compose herself, wiping a tear from her eye, before she heard someone squeal.
Erasa then entered the room and rushed to hug her "Kami, where were you all day? Someone forgot their promise to tell me everything about the gala. Hmm?"
Videl chuckled before she sat back on the couch, cuddling into Gohan's arms.
Erasa then playfully rose an eyebrow at her. Her best friend was sitting with her legs curled up on the couch, while she settled on Gohan's chest; who had his arm around her. It didn't take her much to put two and two together.
And Erasa squealed "Oh Kami! Oh, my Kami! I can't believe it. When did this happen? I want details. Now!"
Videl chuckled at her friend who eagerly sat next to her, waiting for her to talk. She then looked at her boyfriend who smiled at her, kissing her forehead, before Videl spoke "It happened yesterday. Gohan took me out on a walk in the garden and I don't know, it kinda happened. We spoke and walked in his village. Then a kid laughed and pointed at a mistletoe and we just went for it. After that, we talked and we don't know, we kinda became a thing."
Gohan blinked at first before he nodded at Erasa who couldn't stop screaming.
Videl then looked at Gohan and smiled at him. She knew she was lying, and she never did it before but, it was their moment. She didn't want to share it with her best friend right now. Especially in front of Gohan. That discussion would wait for an alone time, because Kami helped her Erasa would pester her to know every, single, detail.
The young couple then smiled at Erasa as Gohan talked "Hey, we wanna go walk a little in the streets. See the decorations and everything. Wanna come? We're bringing the kids too."
Erasa then quickly shook her head "No mister. You're not taking the kids anywhere. Bulma asked me to finalize the decorations and they're gonna help. You both can go but be sure to be back before seven so Videl and I can prepare ourselves before the tree lighting."
Both teenagers blinked at her before they saw Trunks and Goten rush into the room, each one of them holding a box of decorations.
Goten then started jumping in place "Hey big brother. Look, we're gonna decorate with Erasa. Look at this cool garland. It's so beautiful."
Gohan smiled at him while he held him "It's amazing squirt. I'll tell you what. I have something I need to finish. Then I'll come and we'll decorate together. What do you say?"
Goten eagerly nodded before he hugged Gohan.
The latter smiled as he put him down and held his hand to Videl, promising Erasa to come back soon to help her. And they both left the company.
They walked in a peaceful silence for a while, fingers intertwined together.
Then Videl playfully looked at him "So, what's the errand?"
Gohan only shrugged at her "You'll see tonight. "
Videl then tilted her head at him as he went and found a man in a park.
Gohan then shook hands with him as he gave him a medium sized package and the Son boy smiled at him before he capsulated the packet.
He then turned at Videl and smiled "I wanna show you something. Come."
He then caught her hand and took her towards a dark street. Gohan then looked at his watch and waited. He saw Videl tilting her head at him and he smiled, counting slowly "Five… Four… Three… Two… One."
And then the street lit up all at once.
They saw the decorations scattered in front of the houses, with matching light garlands hung up on the exterior of the houses. Snowman with winter clothes, illuminated deer and dwarfs on the snow-covered grass, and decorated trees showed the pathway to the whole street.
Videl's eyes lit at the view and she smiled at Gohan "That was amazing. How did you know about this?"
He then smiled at her, his arm passed around her shoulder "I read about it when I finished my bath. I figured we had to come. Kill of time before we come back. The others will wait for us so we can all go to the tree lighting."
She smiled at him, her hand passed around his waist, and they stayed in silence for a while.
She then smiled and dragged him towards a hot chocolate stand. They both took their orders and they started to walk in the streets, laughing at the Santas scattered left and right, and smiling at the kids who were posing for pictures or playing with the snow.
Then, Gohan started talking "It's nice to see that kids can finally live a normal life, without fearing that something might come and kill them at any time." She didn't understand what he was saying and he chuckled "I'm sure you don't understand what I meant. Let me tell you a bit more about my family. Since my father was twelve, him and his friends would go on adventures. You remember Krillin and Yamcha from yesterday? They were inseparable. And there was Bulma of course. But they would get mixed up in a lot of things. Back then, the Crane school was evil, the Red Ribbon Army sought world domination and King Piccolo almost took God's place. If you think about it, the planet was never at peace. People just didn't know about it. You never knew about any threat that reached the Earth except for Cell maybe."
She then titled her head at him "Wait, so after King Piccolo?"
He chuckled "Yeah. I was four and a half the first time it happened. My uncle came and he was the one who told us we were actually aliens. He was the first threat and my dad and Piccolo fought him together. Then, it was the Alien Invasion of West City. People don't actually know this but there was a very heated battle that happened at the time. But it was better this way, it was more secure and we didn't want innocent people to die. Then there was a guy called Garlick Jr. He managed to release a control mist on everyone on Earth that drawn out all their bad intentions. Everyone not pure hearted became a monster. I would never forget him." And he shivered when he remembered the look on Chi-Chi's face when she started to attack him.
And Videl blinked "I remember that. I saw it on TV. I remember that my dad locked me in my room and then I passed out. What happened back then?"
Gohan only shrugged "We fought him and won. Then we used something called sacred water to remove the effects of the mist." He waited for her to process the little information he gave her before he continued "Actually after that, there was a tyrant called Frieza. He was an alien and he came to Earth for revenge. But that's a story for another time. Thankfully, he was stopped before he had the time to do anything. And after that, there were actually five androids before Cell. I guess that's pretty much it. There were some other small things but you don't need to go into all these details."
She blinked at him, trying to process what she just heard "All these? Kami, it's a lot. And there's more? No wonder you're this strong."
He smiled at her "Sometimes, being strong is the only choice you have. I never enjoyed fighting. I find it useless. But I saw my dad sacrificing himself more than once to protect the planet. And I knew I had to follow in his footsteps. I won't accept have innocent people die because someone is greedy for useless powers."
She had a dry smile at him as she caught his hand and squeezed it gently "You know that you don't have to do this anymore. You said it yourself, we're finally at peace. Thanks to you and your dad and all your friends. It's time for you to live your life like a normal person and enjoy a little normality."
He slowly nodded at her, a tear hanging in his eye while he looked at kids playing in the snow "I know. But I made a promise to my father and I will not let anything disturb our peace. I owe it to him to continue his life's duty. And hopefully, I'll live enough to see my kids and I'll be able to see them grow in a world that doesn't have to worry about anything."
She hardly swallowed at his words, stopping a tear from rolling on her cheek, before she got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek "You'll live and you'll see them. Stop worrying this much."
He smiled at her and squeezed her hand.
He then held her hand as they started walking and he gulped. She saw him hesitant about something and she squeezed his hand "Something on your mind?"
He then blushed "Um, yeah. But I don't know if it's appropriate to say it now. Since we opened the subject of kids and all."
She then laughed "I don't think anything you'll say will be weirder than what we already heard. If you wanna talk, I'm all ears."
He then took a big inspiration and nodded "You remember Vegeta mentioning something called mating?" She nodded "And you remember when you asked me why eyes were blue yesterday?" She smiled, encouraging him to continue "Since I'm part Saiyan, I also have the same behaviors. Saiyans search for a mate to spend the rest of their lives with. There's only one mate for each Saiyan. And um, when they find him or her, their eyes um… They turn to blue."
Videl blinked at first, before she turned a very bright shade of red "You mean…"
And he nodded, also red as a beet "Yeah. I know it's way to early to think about this but yeah… You are the mate I've been searching for."
The young girl blushed before she squeezed his hand "So, w-what… What'll happen now?"
He then turned very red "I, um… When a Saiyan finds his mate, he has the need to mark her. To show that she is his. So yeah."
She then rose both her eyebrows at him "Why do I have the feeling there's more?"
Gohan started to bite his lower lip as he gathered the courage to talk "When a Saiyan marks the mate, it's like a marriage license. The mark is by a bite to the neck. The problem is that if someone else tries to bite the same place, or even kiss it, the mate's heart would stop beating. It's considered cheating."
Videl's mind then froze. She stood still, not knowing what to say, before the words stuttered "I, w-wha? I, I don't… Give me a minute. What you mean is that if you mark the girl, in our case me, and we split up, I'm doomed to live my life alone? Because if someone touches the mark, I'll die? I got it right?" Gohan gulped at her as she bit her lip and said jokingly "So basically, if it happens, we won't split. That's pretty easy. I mean, if you think about it, it's kinda dumb to celebrate milestones with your partner. In a way, you either stay with the person or split. It's like a fifty-fifty alternative. No?"
He didn't understand what she meant, blinking several times, until he saw her lip shiver and he quickly hugged her "Oh, Kami. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"
She then stopped him "It's okay. I was just surprised. I wasn't expecting this. Don't worry, I'm fine, really. I'll just need time to wrap my head around it." He then let go of her and she looked at him "But I have to ask. How do you mark someone?" Gohan turned very red and she blinked "Gohan?" And then, her mind clicked "Kami! Gohan!"
He quickly started moving his hands in every direction "I didn't say… I swear… Oh Kami!"
She then noticed people were looking at them and she lowered her voice "I have a lot of questions about you Saiyans. But right now, I'd rather pass the history lesson and go see the tree."
He then chuckled at her and nodded as she held his hand.
Videl then called her mother, telling them to find them at the lighting site and both teens run towards it. But when Gohan noticed they were alone in the street, he stopped abruptly and pulled her towards him, hugging her tight.
She then rose her head, looking at him surprised "Gohan? Everything okay?"
He then gently nodded, hugging her tighter "Yeah. I'm just glad to be with you. I still can't believe you're here with me."
She then hugged him back, her head in his chest "Of course dummy. My life's been a blast since I met you." He then looked at her, very surprised by her choice of words, and she smiled "Yeah. I read it. And I think I should be the one to properly thank you. So, thank you Gohan, for everything. And for trusting me enough with your secrets. I can't wait to know you better and live even more adventures with you."
He swallowed, a tear hanging, and he talked in a whisper, his voice barely coming out "Thank you. For everything."
She nodded before she kissed him, a gentle peck on the lips "Now come. We're gonna be late."
He chuckled as he let her go and they both run towards the city center.
They found their families already waiting for them, as Gohan quickly held both Goten and Trunks on his shoulders. He silently chuckled at Vegeta who was obviously forced to come and he detected Piccolo's presence in a retreated corner. Then, the tree lit up, as bells started to ring in all the city, and everyone wished each other a merry Christmas. Gohan smiled at Videl and Erasa, passing a hand around their shoulders, and the trio of friends stood in a comfortable silence.
Gohan got out of the kitchen, a pile of food in his hands. And the aroma was killing him. It smelled amazing and he couldn't wait to dig in. Bulma had trapped the kids in a room and she even managed to get Vegeta to wait and eat with them at the table. All the mothers were busy finalizing everything in the kitchen, while Videl and Erasa were in a guest room, getting ready for the night.
He put the last plates on the arranged tables and smiled at the decorations. He could spot which decorations were put by the kids and which were Erasa's. But the whole spirit of the room was amazing.
The tree just needed to be lit and the star to be put on top. Several garlands were hung left and right, and Erasa put artificial snow on the shelfs, along with chandeliers and Christmas ornaments. There were stocks hung on the chimney, filled with candies and small gifts, and the kids glues snowflakes stickers on the windows.
He chuckled at the festive atmosphere and put on the music as Bulma instructed. He the found Piccolo in a corner and he smiled at the Namekian who looked at him neutrally "What are you wearing?"
Gohan then scratched the back of his neck "It's a Christmas sweater. Bulma hid all my shirts so… But it's not bad. I thought it'd be uglier." And he chuckled as he saw the green and red with deer flying sweater he was wearing.
Bulma managed to have the last word in the end.
Piccolo then simply nodded "Are you okay?" Gohan then nodded back as the Namekian continued "We'll start your training after the holidays. It's be better for you to control yourself more. You can't lose your control like today."
Gohan nodded at his former mentor before they started to plan his training regimen.
Bulma then found them, wanting to give her opinion on the subject, as the remaining mothers finalized the table and got the kids. Then Gohan forgot how to breath when he saw Videl. She was wearing a black skirt with high boots and a red V-neck linen shirt. She kept her hair low and wore enough makeup to look natural.
He blinked at her before Bulma punched him on his back "That beautiful, huh?"
He blushed as he nodded, never stopping looking at her. Both girls then approach them as a blushing Videl mouthed a light "hey" to which Gohan also responded silently.
Erasa saw the exchange and playfully rolled her eyes "They've been together for only a day and it's already peaches and roses. Teenagers, I swear."
Everyone laughed at her comment as they all sat on the table to eat.
The dishes were passed on and everyone had a good time, trying both the European and Japanese dishes. They sung to the music, much to Vegeta's displease, and prepared baked potatoes to roast in the chimney.
Then, Hoshiko's phone rung and she answered "Hello? Hey, merry Christmas. Why didn't you tell me you were coming? A surprise, seriously? No, we're not home. I can come if you want, it'll need around ten minutes. You can't stay alone. I'll tell Videl. Wait for us."
Hoshiko then nodded at Videl who retrieved from the table "You father wanted to surprise us. He's waiting at home. Do you want to come or do you prefer to stay here? I don't mind both."
Videl wanted to answer until she felt someone put his hand her shoulder. She turned around and saw Gohan smiling at them "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But I couldn't let you both leave. May I?" And he waited for Hoshiko to give him her phone.
She gave it to him, a smile on her face, as he opened up the dial "Hello? Mr. Satan? It's Gohan, Videl's friend." He felt Mr. Satan's breath stop and he chuckled "I take it you remember me. Mr. Satan, do you have a car or do you want of us to come and get you? We're all at CC. I insist, please. It's Christmas. We'll be waiting for you. Okay perfect. Be careful of the snow." And he gave Hoshiko her phone back.
Both Satan girls had a big smile on her face, as Videl's hugged him "Thank you, Gohan. I'll never forget it."
He then smiled at them before Vegeta spoke "Brat? Did you seriously invite the buffoon to our home?" And when Gohan didn't answer, the Saiyan Prince got up and glared at him "I asked you a question."
The halfling then spoke "I heard you the first time. Yes, and I want him to feel welcomed."
Vegeta then walked towards him, ready to punch him "And if I don't want him here?"
And Gohan surprisingly answered "Then you can leave. It's your problem. And, it's not the buffoon, it's either Hercule or Mr. Satan. You can choose. We owe him a little respect. So, we treat him as a normal guest. Krillin and his family couldn't come so we have a little extra food. It's no big deal. And we'll wait for him to open the gifts. I'll go ask some of the staff to keep the food warm." And he smiled at his mother "It's Christmas. Is it okay, mother?"
Chi-Chi smiled at him and nodded from afar "I'll prepare a fresh batch of noodles and potato salad. And I'll put the first cookies batch in the oven."
Gohan smiled from afar before Vegeta spoke "Here I thought the brat was finally becoming a man. Your human genes are disgusting. Any respected warrior would never accept to have his credit stolen by a lower-class clown. And even less invite him to have dinner with him. Maybe you should become a full-blooded human, stop being a disgrace."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Gohan growled at Vegeta and pinned him down in an instant "I'm gonna make your disgusting race extinct. You take this back right now."
And Vegeta smirked "Or what? You don't have what it takes to be a full Saiyan. You're too kind."
The Saiyan Prince then growled at Piccolo, stopping him from interfering, as Gohan's eyes switched to blue and he spoke "Ek gaan jou spyt maak wat jy gesê het." (I'm gonna make you regret what you said.)
Vegeta smirked "Dis aan." (It's on.)
Bulma tried to call her godson but the latter kept pinning Vegeta down. She then looked at Piccolo who nodded as he tried to catch Gohan who stopped him and returned his focus to Vegeta, both of them waiting for the other to make the first move.
Piccolo then swiftly sneaked in on Gohan and managed to shoulders lock him, making the halfling growl. Bulma then carefully approached and put her hand on Gohan's shoulder, talking to him very calmly "Kiddo? Listen to my voice. Focus and listen to me. Don't let Vegeta get in your head. Now, calm down and refocus. Mr. Satan might be here any minute now."
Then Gohan shook his head, his eyes returning to their onyx color, as Piccolo let go of him. The halfling then cleared his throat as Vegeta got up and lost no time barking at Bulma "Woman! I told you to let his instincts dominate."
But Vegeta forgot that his wife also had a temper and she quickly glared at him "I'm gonna follow my instinct and kill you myself. We never agreed on this."
Vegeta then stood in front of Piccolo and glared at him and his wife "Do you want this process to be over with? You have to let him behave as he wants. He'll never control himself unless we leave him alone. You just ruined the perfect opportunity for his body to see if he'd enjoy a challenge." And the Prince made his way out "Call me when the rest of the food will be ready. And don't let the brat near his mate. He might not be able to control himself."
Both teenagers blinked at each other, trying to ignore Erasa's questioning looks.
The blonde girl looked at Videl who nodded, a look that said 'I can't explain now but trust me.' And Erasa nodded back.
And being her usual cherry self, she quickly changed the subjects "What do you say we reorganize the table for the champ and play a game while waiting."
The kids quickly jumped excitedly and sat around the central table, waiting for Erasa to bring the games. The adults chuckled as they called the maid to organize the table and they all sat and waited for Hercule to come. They needed things to come back to normal, and Erasa was the perfect person for this.
And around fifteen minutes later, they saw the door of the living room open; and a maid, followed by the champ entered the room.
Hercule thanked the maid and stood at the door, not knowing what to do. Hoshiko smiled at him as she approached him and hugged him, wishing him happy holidays. And Videl rushed to him, making him drop the bags he was holding on the floor, and he hugged her tight. Videl then held his hand and dragged him towards the center of the room where Bulma was waiting for him. She greeted him happily, inviting him to sit with them on the couch. The maids then lost no time putting together the table in front of him, filled with fresh and hot food.
And moments later, Gohan entered the room, wearing a new set of more formal clothes and he smiled at Hercule "Mr. Satan! Welcome. Merry Christmas, I hope the road was okay."
The champ gulped a little and nodded "Euh, yeah! Thanks, kid. Merry Christmas to you too."
Gohan smiled at the champion as Chi-Chi got out of the kitchen, a hot portion of turkey in her hands "And that's your wife's turkey. We're sorry the food is reheated. If we knew you were coming, we would've waited for you."
The champ then stuttered "I-It's euh, it's no big deal. Thank you for having me."
The Son matron politely smiled at him before she sat next to her oldest who was texting on the phone.
She quickly rose an eyebrow at him and whispered "You know it's not polite to text while we have guests."
He then blushed and whispered back "Sorry, I was just texting Midori. Wishing her happy holidays."
His mother smiled and held his head down to kiss his forehead.
Gohan smiled before he got up and clapped "Goten, Trunks, wanna light the tree?"
Both kids nodded excitedly, making all the cards in their hands drop, and they stood near Gohan. The boy chuckled and smiled at Bulma "Can you call Vegeta?"
Bulma didn't have the time to react before Trunks rushed towards the GR to call his father.
They then saw him hold a very grumpy Vegeta by the hand before the young boy stood next to Gohan. The oldest halfling then smiled at his guests "Before we light the tree, we still have something to do. Mr. Satan, if you and your family could do us the honors?"
Gohan then opened the last box present on the floor, and he held the star in his hand.
He smiled at Hercule as he gave him the final ornament and the champ blinked "You want us? You want us to?"
Gohan nodded at him "Yes, please. You're our guests."
Mr. Satan stuttered for a while before he saw Bulma smile at him and he got up and held his wife's hand. Videl and Erasa then joined them as the champ held his daughter to pick her up. Gohan quickly reacted and helped Erasa as both girls happily set the star on the top of the tree. Gohan then winked at Goten and Trunks who lost not time lighting up the tree, and everyone wished the others a merry Christmas.
Goten then started to jump in place "Big brother, big brother. Can we open our gifts now? Please!" Gohan smiled at his brother who couldn't hold still "Oh boy! Yey!"
The oldest halfling chuckled as he retrieved a capsule from his pocket and threw it on the ground, and all the gifts then popped.
Trunks and Goten quickly started searching for their gifts and unwrapped them, as both kids lost no time playing with the action figures they got. Then, Goten turned around when he heard his name being called again, and he started jumping up and down as Videl and Erasa handed him two small packages.
The younger Son quickly unwrapped and gasped at the figurines and he quickly hugged both girls by their legs "Thank you! It's so cool. They are better than my brother's." He then looked at his best friend "Did you see that Trunks? Did you? Wanna play?"
Trunks smiled at his friend and quickly joined them, matching the figures they had to start a war between them.
Gohan then had a big smile plastered on his face as he called his brother, and gave him a capsule "Squirt, this is also for you. But, you play with Trunks. Okay?"
Goten couldn't hold still anymore as he threw the capsule on the floor, revealing a rectangular and wrapped package.
The boy then opened this and started screaming when he saw the new gaming set "Big brother, it's so cool. Thanks."
And he rushed to Gohan who held him tight.
Chi-Chi smiled at her oldest, mouthing him a thank you, as she tried to hold her tears when she saw Goten this happy. Gohan then nodded as he let go of Goten who rushed to set up the game.
But, the boys were interrupted again by Mr. Satan who didn't know how he managed to form a coherent sentence "I brought some smalls gifts, just as a thank you. But I didn't know what the kids wanted, so I actually got them these."
And he handed them wrapped boxes. The boys quickly opened them and had a big smile plastered on their faces when they saw 4x4 remote controlled cars.
They thanked the champ and Trunks looked at his brother "Let's try them in the snow. Come on."
Goten then held the car and followed his friend outside, both ignoring their mothers' protests.
Bulma and Chi-Chi sighed before they thanked the champ for his gift and the latter gave both of them a wrapped box "It's nothing. Just as a thank you for having me."
The women thanked him and proceeded to open the boxes and found two craft scarfs in them.
Chi-Chi had stars in the eyes as she tried it and she quickly smiled at the champ "Thank you. You didn't have to."
Mr. Satan stuttered again "Um, n-no. Yeah. It's nothing. You deserve more than this for everything. But there weren't many opened stores this late."
The Son matron nodded "Don't worry. Besides, it's not the time and place to talk."
Both Hoshiko and Hercule nodded, making her understand that they had a lot of things to discuss together. And the champ was not going to back down.
Since the kids were out playing, everyone decided to postpone the dessert a bit and they divided themselves into small groups. Gohan smiled at Videl and Erasa and invited them to follow him to his room. And once they reached it, Erasa lost no time making herself comfortable on his bed.
Gohan chuckled at her as he opened his closet and retrieved a small box from it. He opened it and smiled as he gave Erasa a small package "Merry Christmas."
She jumped excitedly to the border of the bed and opened it, retrieving a makeup bag from it. She opened it and saw an eye shadow pallet, mascara tubes, lip gloss, and several other basics.
She squealed at Gohan and quickly hugged him "That's amazing. Thank you so much, it's fantastic."
He chuckled at her as started to dismantle the bag, stars in her eyes.
Erasa then chuckled "My gift feels stupid now. Wait here."
And she left the room.
Gohan chuckled as he tidied up his room a little, ignoring the smirk on his girl's face. She then waited for him to turn around and he tilted his head "What?"
And she tried to hide her laugh "Nothing." He blinked at her and she then laughed "I was just imagining you with Bulma at the mall trying to decide which bag you should get."
Gohan then turned a very bright shade of red but soon followed his girlfriend in laughter.
Erasa then entered, a wide rectangular box in her hands, and she gave it to him "Here. Merry Christmas."
He smiled and he opened the frame, and he swallowed. Hard.
It the last picture they took before Videl's departure. The one where he was holding her on his shoulders, with Erasa laughing next to them. Erasa had it framed. He bit his lips, a tear hanging in his eyes, before he hugged his blonde friend tight. She hugged him back, herself trying to hold her tears, before Gohan let go and hung the picture above his desk. It was the best place he could think of, in front of his bed. This way, he could see it every day, morning and night.
The rest of the night then passed very smoothly. They all gathered around to eat the desserts and pass the rest of the night together. And eventually, the night came to an end and the Satan household left to their house.
Gohan waited for everyone to fall asleep before he texted Videl, making sure she was still awake. When she answered, he left from his windows towards her house. And after he landed on her balcony, he silently knocked on the door. He saw the night bed light lit up, before Videl opened the curtains and door, inviting him in.
She then talked in a whisper "Gohan? Everything okay?"
He nodded and handed her a wrapped box "I didn't want to give you this in front of everyone. And I was to eager to wait for tomorrow. So here, merry Christmas Videl."
The girl swallowed as she took the package from his hands "You didn't have to. The necklace was enough."
He shook his head and she proceeded to unwrapped the present.
She recognized the brown box he went to retrieve with her and she tried to glared at his laughing face. She then opened it and saw a snow globe with three figures inside; a representation of her and her parents on a snow trip when she was younger. Her father had thrown her in the air, while her mother while smiling at them. She swallowed as Gohan held her hands and shook the globe, making the snow move.
And she tried to hide her tears. It was one of the best memories she shared with her parents. And Gohan made it immortal.
She then hugged him tight, a tear rolling, as she whispered "Thank you, Gohan. I don't know what to say. It's the best thing anyone got me."
He chuckled as he hugged her back, his head in the crook of her neck, and he inhaled her scent. Kami, she smelled amazing.
She then let go of him and opened her drawer, retrieving a small box, and she handed it to him "Erasa was right, our gifts can't compare to yours."
He blushed at her and proceeded to unwrap the box. Inside, there was a leather bracelet with the inscription 'To more magical moments' hidden inside, just for him to read.
He smiled as he put it on, and he rested his forehead on hers "I promise you to make each day magical. As long as I'll live."
She smiled in content, as she passed his arms around his waist, and rested her head around his chest. She was happy and nothing could make this moment better.
Gohan then passed his hands around her face, making her look at him. He had a bright smile on his face, and his eyes were shining. She could see all his love engrave in them. She lost herself in them.
And when he closed them, she lost no time mirroring him. Her hands rested against his broad chest, while his were still rested around her face.
She was wrong, Gohan managed to make this moment even better. Because her breath hitched when their breathes mingled. She then felt him tilt her head a little more.
And he sealed his new promise with a kiss. And she just melted.
A/N: The Saiyan language (*) is actually Afrikaans. I didn't want to create something from scratch, I found it useless, so I searched for a language spoken in a deep voice and I found it best. I don't mean to be disrespectful but it was an amazing fit. Especially considering it's a somehow rare language only spoken in the native country.
I would really enjoy some feedback on this chapter. And I hope you won't hate me. A new intake on the Saiyan culture, I hope you loved it. If some people felt they didn't have all the answers to their questions, it's normal. They are still things to uncover. But I am happy to discuss anything that won't spoil the rest of the story.