Chapter Six - Saiya-jin Instinct
The next day, Videl rested on her new bed silently. Both of her hands were placed underneath her head. She sighed, quietly questioning her place here. Though she would never admit it, she feared the androids and would like nothing better than to hide from them. She wouldn't, she couldn't. This was her chosen destiny. She also feared how close she was getting to Gohan. Her eyes twitched, 'He can't interfere.' It seemed that Gohan had the same destiny as herself. 'What a strange character he is. How could I feel so strongly towards someone I barely even know.'
Soft voices flowed through the walls drifting from the front of the small house. Videl stood up and pressed her ear against the door to hear. 'What am I doing? Eavesdropping, Videl? How rude of me.' She moved away and heard a door slam. Footsteps were heard outside her window. 'Now curiosity is a different story.' She slowly maneuvered her way across the room to peek out the window.
Gohan stood a few yards away from the front door. He kicked a pebble at his feet and looked out into the forest before him. If he had noticed her he made no sign of it now, moving into the forest and out of her peripheral vision. When he was gone, Videl silently crept over the windowsill and onto the ground outside. She quietly made after his trail into the dark woods. She moved through twigs and brush, carefully hiding herself. She watched as he made his way out of the thicket and towards the riverbank. Growth was scattered around the water's edge, and a waterfall, about twice her height, cascaded into the river a few hundred feet away.
Videl noiselessly pulled herself up into a tree and perched on a high branch so that she was out of sight. The branches and leaves were thick enough to hide her small frame and give her a perfect view of the young man below.
Gohan scanned the waters before him. He untied the sash around his waist and peeled off his clothing. Videl gasped quietly when his garb fell and he stood stark naked. Her eyes were glued, but all she could see was his perfect rear with his back to her. She covered her mouth with her hand. 'Kami, I hope he didn't hear that!' she thought. 'What am I doing acting like some peeping Tom?!'
He turned, giving her a full view of his proportion. Her blue eyes widened and she practically fell out of the tree. 'He didn't see me.' He must not have because he turned back and dove into the water. She released the breath she didn't even know she was holding. Her heart rate had sped up tremendously. A few minutes later his head popped out of the depth. She watched as he heaved a large fish onto the shore.
Unknowingly, a large boa constrictor slithered his way over the branches and across Videl's foot. She shrieked and lost her footing. A blur of color and she fell safely into the arms of Gohan. a very wet and naked Gohan. Her cheeks dulled into crimson and she struggled to get free from his grasp. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked shrilly.
He released her and crossed his arms over his muscular chest. "Me? What do you think you are doing stalking me?"
"I was not stalking you!" Videl snarled. "I was only curious as to where you were going. I had no idea it would turn into an X-rated show!"
Gohan showed no sign of uneasiness. His face remained obstinate, studying her. Suddenly, he smiled a very mischievous and un-Gohan-like smile. He took a small step forward. "Do you like what you see?" Another step. Videl twitched nervously and took a step back. She had no idea of what to do. He had her cornered and pressed against a tree. Her breath caught in her throat as his eyes met hers. "You didn't answer my question," he said huskily.
She had no time to react as he caught her lips with his own. She couldn't think as he kissed her deeply and more passionately. Her hands found their way through his dark mane as he moved his down her sides. Their kiss ended a moment too soon. He gave her a sexy smirk, turned, and dove back into the water. She whined at the sudden loss of his touch and the warmth turning in her abdomen.
Gohan came out of the river and tossed another fish next to the other. He flared his energy to dry his skin and dressed quickly. 'Where did that come from?' Gohan thought, 'It was like my Saiya-jin urges took over my train of thought. Luckily I stopped myself before I did something I would later regret.' He tightened his sash and grabbed hold of both dead fish by their tails. He started back into the forest and paused. He looked back at Videl, "You coming?"
'I wish' "Yes," she said and followed him. Both were silent during the walk back to the house. Videl stared at the ground as they walked through the brush. She softly touched her lips, his sweet taste faintly present. 'What is happening? What will become of the two of us?' She looked back up at Gohan, he seemed in deep thought also.
Gohan tightened his grip on the fish. 'I don't know what I would do if she refused my feelings for her. If she ripped my heart to bits and laughed at my distress, all because she was only playing a game with me, it would kill me.' He shook his head. 'No, Videl would never do something like that. That's not the kind of person she is.' He side-glanced at her and saw her lightly touching her lips. He smiled a little. 'She is so beautiful.' His foot caught on a rock and he fell flat on his face. 'And if I had been paying better attention, I would not have just made the biggest fool out of myself!'
Videl dropped to his side. "Are you okay, Gohan? You took a nasty spill."
He stood up and rubbed his face. "I'm okay, just a little ruffed up." 'I'm such an idiot. Good way to get the girl, make her think you are a complete jackass.'
His cheeks burned red as she giggled at him. "G-gomen-nasai, Gohan-chan. You just look so funny and cute."
'Funny?!' his mind fumbled, 'Wait, she said cute too.and she called me Gohan-chan.' He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, we should be getting back now before my mom has a cow." She nodded and followed as he walked.
Upon their return, Gohan disappeared again and Videl helped Chi-chi prepare the dinner. Videl was chopping vegetables as Chi-chi skinned and cleaned both enormous fish in record time.
"You and Gohan seem to be getting quite close lately." Chi-chi stated without pausing in her work.
Videl paused and blushed a little. "Well, I."
"Don't worry about it. You're a decent girl and it would be nice for the both of you to marry. You two make such a darling couple."
"Marriage?!" Videl cried. "I. I don't know what to think about that."
"Don't tell me you haven't thought of the possibility?"
"Well. Yes, but I don't know if Gohan feels the same way about me as I do for him." Videl sighed and continued her chopping.
Chi-chi smiled to herself. "If that's what you think."
Videl turned to look at her. "What do you mean by that?"
Chi-chi put on an innocent face. "I don't mean anything. Just do what you feel is right."
Videl shook her head lightly, a confused and thoughtful look upon her face.
Gohan released his breath and moved slowly away from the kitchen window and more towards the front of the house. He stepped in through the front door, making his presence known. He walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face and greeted the two women.
The next day, Videl rested on her new bed silently. Both of her hands were placed underneath her head. She sighed, quietly questioning her place here. Though she would never admit it, she feared the androids and would like nothing better than to hide from them. She wouldn't, she couldn't. This was her chosen destiny. She also feared how close she was getting to Gohan. Her eyes twitched, 'He can't interfere.' It seemed that Gohan had the same destiny as herself. 'What a strange character he is. How could I feel so strongly towards someone I barely even know.'
Soft voices flowed through the walls drifting from the front of the small house. Videl stood up and pressed her ear against the door to hear. 'What am I doing? Eavesdropping, Videl? How rude of me.' She moved away and heard a door slam. Footsteps were heard outside her window. 'Now curiosity is a different story.' She slowly maneuvered her way across the room to peek out the window.
Gohan stood a few yards away from the front door. He kicked a pebble at his feet and looked out into the forest before him. If he had noticed her he made no sign of it now, moving into the forest and out of her peripheral vision. When he was gone, Videl silently crept over the windowsill and onto the ground outside. She quietly made after his trail into the dark woods. She moved through twigs and brush, carefully hiding herself. She watched as he made his way out of the thicket and towards the riverbank. Growth was scattered around the water's edge, and a waterfall, about twice her height, cascaded into the river a few hundred feet away.
Videl noiselessly pulled herself up into a tree and perched on a high branch so that she was out of sight. The branches and leaves were thick enough to hide her small frame and give her a perfect view of the young man below.
Gohan scanned the waters before him. He untied the sash around his waist and peeled off his clothing. Videl gasped quietly when his garb fell and he stood stark naked. Her eyes were glued, but all she could see was his perfect rear with his back to her. She covered her mouth with her hand. 'Kami, I hope he didn't hear that!' she thought. 'What am I doing acting like some peeping Tom?!'
He turned, giving her a full view of his proportion. Her blue eyes widened and she practically fell out of the tree. 'He didn't see me.' He must not have because he turned back and dove into the water. She released the breath she didn't even know she was holding. Her heart rate had sped up tremendously. A few minutes later his head popped out of the depth. She watched as he heaved a large fish onto the shore.
Unknowingly, a large boa constrictor slithered his way over the branches and across Videl's foot. She shrieked and lost her footing. A blur of color and she fell safely into the arms of Gohan. a very wet and naked Gohan. Her cheeks dulled into crimson and she struggled to get free from his grasp. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked shrilly.
He released her and crossed his arms over his muscular chest. "Me? What do you think you are doing stalking me?"
"I was not stalking you!" Videl snarled. "I was only curious as to where you were going. I had no idea it would turn into an X-rated show!"
Gohan showed no sign of uneasiness. His face remained obstinate, studying her. Suddenly, he smiled a very mischievous and un-Gohan-like smile. He took a small step forward. "Do you like what you see?" Another step. Videl twitched nervously and took a step back. She had no idea of what to do. He had her cornered and pressed against a tree. Her breath caught in her throat as his eyes met hers. "You didn't answer my question," he said huskily.
She had no time to react as he caught her lips with his own. She couldn't think as he kissed her deeply and more passionately. Her hands found their way through his dark mane as he moved his down her sides. Their kiss ended a moment too soon. He gave her a sexy smirk, turned, and dove back into the water. She whined at the sudden loss of his touch and the warmth turning in her abdomen.
Gohan came out of the river and tossed another fish next to the other. He flared his energy to dry his skin and dressed quickly. 'Where did that come from?' Gohan thought, 'It was like my Saiya-jin urges took over my train of thought. Luckily I stopped myself before I did something I would later regret.' He tightened his sash and grabbed hold of both dead fish by their tails. He started back into the forest and paused. He looked back at Videl, "You coming?"
'I wish' "Yes," she said and followed him. Both were silent during the walk back to the house. Videl stared at the ground as they walked through the brush. She softly touched her lips, his sweet taste faintly present. 'What is happening? What will become of the two of us?' She looked back up at Gohan, he seemed in deep thought also.
Gohan tightened his grip on the fish. 'I don't know what I would do if she refused my feelings for her. If she ripped my heart to bits and laughed at my distress, all because she was only playing a game with me, it would kill me.' He shook his head. 'No, Videl would never do something like that. That's not the kind of person she is.' He side-glanced at her and saw her lightly touching her lips. He smiled a little. 'She is so beautiful.' His foot caught on a rock and he fell flat on his face. 'And if I had been paying better attention, I would not have just made the biggest fool out of myself!'
Videl dropped to his side. "Are you okay, Gohan? You took a nasty spill."
He stood up and rubbed his face. "I'm okay, just a little ruffed up." 'I'm such an idiot. Good way to get the girl, make her think you are a complete jackass.'
His cheeks burned red as she giggled at him. "G-gomen-nasai, Gohan-chan. You just look so funny and cute."
'Funny?!' his mind fumbled, 'Wait, she said cute too.and she called me Gohan-chan.' He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, we should be getting back now before my mom has a cow." She nodded and followed as he walked.
Upon their return, Gohan disappeared again and Videl helped Chi-chi prepare the dinner. Videl was chopping vegetables as Chi-chi skinned and cleaned both enormous fish in record time.
"You and Gohan seem to be getting quite close lately." Chi-chi stated without pausing in her work.
Videl paused and blushed a little. "Well, I."
"Don't worry about it. You're a decent girl and it would be nice for the both of you to marry. You two make such a darling couple."
"Marriage?!" Videl cried. "I. I don't know what to think about that."
"Don't tell me you haven't thought of the possibility?"
"Well. Yes, but I don't know if Gohan feels the same way about me as I do for him." Videl sighed and continued her chopping.
Chi-chi smiled to herself. "If that's what you think."
Videl turned to look at her. "What do you mean by that?"
Chi-chi put on an innocent face. "I don't mean anything. Just do what you feel is right."
Videl shook her head lightly, a confused and thoughtful look upon her face.
Gohan released his breath and moved slowly away from the kitchen window and more towards the front of the house. He stepped in through the front door, making his presence known. He walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face and greeted the two women.