Emancipation
"'Tis
better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all."
-Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892)
"What the hell do you mean she was shot?!" Boomed the stentorian voice, not showing even the least bit of consideration for the other hospitalized patients. The middle-aged nurse behind the counter was frantically shuffling through various papers, a fearful look on her round face.
"I…She was admitted…I mean…yes…today afternoon, at about…" Hercule's seething features rattled her body with fear, as she tried to find Videl's computer printout.
"WELL! What the hell are you waiting for?! What room?! My poor baby, she must be scared and alone! Hurry up will you!" As was painfully obvious, Hercule was not one to stay calm and collected in any sort of calamity, let alone defeat a bio-engineered killing machine without drenching his lower garments. Assuming the worst, Hercule grabbed a random white-coat from the steady stream of people in the hallway and lifted him clear above his head. For a human, Hercule definitely rested in the upper echelon of martial artists in the world today. In fact, since the super powered Saiya-jin Goku and his friends had not been entering the tournament for quite some time, he had won easy. Still clutching the collar of the cowering doctor, he screamed, "Where is my baby?! Is she going to live! She better, or else I'll play table tennis with your ba—."
"Room 1002!" The nurse exclaimed triumphantly, printout in her hand.
Hercule dropped the shaking doctor on the tiled floor, and snatched the printout from the nurse's pudgy hand. Without showing as much as a small token of gratitude, the lumbering oaf dashed towards the elevator. A small assembly of people, doctors and visitors alike, were patiently waiting for the metallic double doors to slide open. However, the Champion of the World had no need to engage in such menial activities as waiting. Patience, it seemed, is not a virtue pervasive in the Satan household.
"Out of the way! Champ coming through! Move!" Any poor soul that hadn't had the reflexes of a cat was literarily thrown five feet in the air by the rampaging braggart. Upon realizing that the elevator was still at the third floor, he started pounding viciously on the metal, leaving fist imprints the size of a salad bowl. If anyone had seen the Champ up close, they would have concluded that he was a scary sight indeed. His bulky physique, broad shoulders and hirsute arms portrayed the image of a Neanderthal savage. His utterly embarrassing afro did nothing to sway that image, but rather it contributed to it.
"Open up you stupid thing!" He hollered as his face contorted into a look of pure fury. Inevitably the doors opened, to reveal several people hunched up against the corners trembling in fear. "GET OUT!"
Scrambling for dear life, they scurried out of the lift, straying a hefty distance from the peeved father. Dashing in, he slammed the '10' button and glared at the people who also needed to use the lift. His obsidian eyes promised slow and painful death if anyone dared to venture into the elevator.
The trip was painfully slow, and Hercule had to refrain himself from bashing in its electrical console. But surprisingly, and unfortunately as well, he had realized that he would be locked inside this gravity-defying cube if he did. With a high 'ting', the doors slid open and Hercule dashed out, running over the poor laundry dude in the process. Not caring to apologize, or even help the downed hospital intern, he darted in to the corridor searching for the room. He found it soon enough, and barged in like he owned the place, which incidentally wouldn't be much off the mark.
"Are you in there princess! It's me, daddy!" Finding her scowling on the hospital bed, he approached her with a look of genuine concern on his face. "It'll be all okay now, daddy's here." He said, brushing her hair behind her ears.
"Dad, could you have been any quieter? I mean, I hardly even heard you come in!" Videl exclaimed, still scowling.
"It's okay now honey! Daddy will make it all better. How are you feeling?" Hercule had made no attempt to acknowledge the sarcastic comment his daughter had just given him, ignoring it as if it wasn't said.
"Don't worry dad, I'm okay." She sighed, her voice becoming soft again.
"Are you sure honey? You don't want me to call the best doctors in the world? I think we should take you to America for a check-up!"
"Dad, chill okay. The bullet wound has been completely healed. Look," she pulled up her gown, covering the exposed parts with the covers. The resulting effect was that the gown was scrunched up under her breasts, exposing the stomach underneath, while the white sheets covered everything from her hips downward. Hercule glanced at the unscathed skin and narrowed his eyes, suspecting foul play.
"How in the HELL did a bullet wound heal so goddamned quickly!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
"You don't need to SCREAM Dad!" Videl yelled in response, irritated at her Father's inconsiderate behavior. Her father though, would have none of it.
"Listen Videl! I am your FATHER and I can YELL if I WANTED to! You HEAR me?!" A vein was comically bulging out in his forehead as he angrily yelled at his bed-ridden daughter.
"Of COURSE I heard you! I'd be surprised that people in AMERICA didn't hear you!" Videl's anger was surging to the point of no return. It was funny how her Father decided to show his love for his only daughter by yelling at her in a hospital bed. That was either one perverted sense of paternal love, or a testament to their drifting relationship. Videl was inclined to believe that the latter professed a far more accurate assessment of her family life.
"Why you little INSOLENT b—," his enraged invective was cut short by a periodic ringing of a bell. Hercule glared at his daughter for a bit longer, who not wanting to be outdone returned a glower that would make Gohan shake in his boots. Reaching into his pocket he produced a sleek cellular, which had been undoubtedly the cause for the ringing.
"Yeah?…NO…yes of course I remember!" He glanced at Videl, who was scowling menacingly while she kept her hands crossed in front of her. "Yes, yes. Ok…Just wait a few minutes…Fine…" He snapped his phone shut, again concealing it in his front pocket.
She refused to look at him, or even acknowledge his presence for that matter. "Videl, I have to go now. I will be back later and we will settle this. It will give you time to think about what you've done." With that he spun around, and marched out the slamming the door behind him. Videl stared ahead at the whitewashed walls, trying to come to terms with this new development. She fought back the surge of tears, deciding this time that she had cried too much over her ailing relationship with her father. But try as she might, those wet droplets of salt water leaked out anyway, streaming down her soft cheeks.
Burying her head in the pillows she let the small tears leak out, wiping them off immediately after they poured out of her eyes. She didn't like crying. Crying was the sign of fragility. That fact was especially stereotyped upon women, like her, who were expected to cry over these sentimental developments in their life. She wasn't like that was she? She needed to be independent, or else she would be devoured. It wasn't so much that she wanted to be rough and tough, bitchy, and an all out attitude wielding bitter vixen. She needed to be it, or else she wouldn't survive. She needed to preserve her basic instinct of sentience, or else the world is going to eat her, chew her up, and spit her out alongside the trash. She had nobody. She didn't have the luxury to fall back on some other person, or know that that person would be there for her. As much as it stung, she wouldn't cry. If she cried now, all those years of valiant fighting for her defense would be rendered useless. She was alone. And no one would understand.
Gohan walked into room '1002' to find his beautiful friend sleeping. Or at least that was his first impression. Her face was buried into the white pillow, the covers pulled tight above her petite body. Walking up to her, he stooped down to make sure that she was really slumbering. He had his doubts though, for her diaphragm hadn't settled into a rhythmic methodical pattern yet. In fact, her breathing was getting progressively erratic, like she was tense about something. Slowly reaching his hand out, he pushed her shoulder to the side to expose her face. He was shocked to see that her eyes were streaked with red, like she had been crying before. On the other hand though, he could not make out any tears or any signs that indicated to tears. The pillow wasn't wet, and her cheeks didn't have any residue on them.
Gohan employed his remarkable skills of deduction to reason that she must have been crying, because her eyes had lost that spark and she had a forlorn look plastered on her face. He reached out and slowly brushed away one of her silky bangs, saying softly, "What happened?"
Videl stared back at him, feeling the urge to burst out crying yet again. Forcibly suppressing it she croaked out, "It's okay. N…Nothing really."
"Videl, something must be wrong. You can tell me." He reasoned with her, still brushing her soft raven hair.
She sighed, closing her eyes. "It's just my father. He came. And we had another fight. We're drifting so far apart I'm afraid we're not going to able to reconcile later on. Then I'll truly be…" She stopped short, disgusted that she pitied herself so much, and in front of the man she was sure she loved.
Gohan just nodded in understanding. He wasn't about the broach the subject again, concluding that it would only make her more dejected than before. He needed to cheer her up after the trauma she had gone through today, so fittingly, he dropped the subject.
"Hey Videl, I got you your clothes." He then smirked at her, trying to lighten the depressed mood. "I was going to let you suffer in your duck gown, but decided against it."
She smiled weakly, deducing the obviousness of his plan. "If I have to spend one more minute swimming with these ducks, I'm gonna hurt someone." She then extended a wicked smile his way, "Specifically, you."
He gulped sarcastically, throwing her garments on her lap. "I think they were in the laundry basket when that guy spewed earlier today. Yeah, come to think of it. I am certain they were right at the top when he spewed!"
Gohan ducked as a hospital pen whizzed passed him, followed by other unidentifiable objects. "You're so sick GOHAN!"
"Okay okay. Chill. You might poke my eye out with these things," he exclaimed, holding up a white ballpoint pen.
"Here, hold this up while I change." She gestured towards the white sheets covering her lower body. Gohan blushed crimson, the heat once again rushing to his face. The simple notion of Videl being naked was dizzying, regardless if she was concealed from view behind some stupid bed sheets. Twilight was fast approaching outside, and the horizon shimmered with an orange afterglow. He held up the sheets as high as he could, averting his gaze to the floor, which seemed remarkably fascinating at this point. Sometimes his gaze would automatically divert itself back towards the bed sheet, her sexy silhouette boasting the smooth contours of her body. His blush would then intensify tenfold, as he would hastily avert his eyes back towards the floor. The cycle repeated itself for about a minute, until Videl called out from behind, "Okay. You can let it go now."
Sighing heavily in relief, some remorse clearly evident, he let go of the sheet and sat down trying to calm his spinning head. That, and something else…
"I talked to your doctor. He said that they could see nothing wrong with you. They wanted to hold you overnight for observation, but I convinced them that the best thing right now is for you to go home and sleep."
"Really? I get to go home. WOW! BIG WHOOP!" She exclaimed, sarcasm dripping from her lips.
Gohan snickered, "At least you don't need to eat hospital food now."
Her eyes brightened as she realized the implications of that statement. "YES! You're the best Gohan!" She flung herself off the bed and into his arms, hugging him with remarkable enthusiasm.
She must of really hated hospital food, Gohan surmised, blushing from the abundance of attention he was getting.
"Woah," Videl swayed a little, holding on to his shoulders for support.
"Hey Videl, you okay?" His face creased up in worry, as he stared at her small form.
"Yeah, yeah. Just a little woozy for some reason."
"Must be the morphine," Gohan cracked, grinning like an idiot.
"Shut up, you geek." She punched him on the shoulder, still holding on with her other arm for support.
"Well M'lady. Shall we leave?" He gestured to the door, mocking the English customs of old.
She giggled, as he bent down in genuflect, sweeping broadly with his arms.
"Yeah lets go." As Gohan turned to exit the hospital room, he felt her small hand grab his arm. He turned to see her squirming shyly, her eyes fixed on the floor. "Can we…Can you fly me home? I really want to know how it feels to fly."
He grinned broadly, watching her timid movements. "Whatever you want, M'Lady," he drawled, causing her to smile as well.
He walked up to her and picked her up in his arms, Videl squeaking at the sudden movement. She wrapped her arms around his neck to maintain her balance, although Gohan could have easily steadied her regardless.
With practiced movements, he hopped on to the ledge of the window, leaning forward a little as if to give Videl the impression that he would drop her. "Look Videl, we're nearly ten stories up. Everyone looks so tiny!"
She clung on to him tighter, peeking down at the ground below. She was sure she didn't have acrophobia, for she flew in her copter without a second thought. But being out in the open, nothing around to cover you, no seatbelts, did give her a slight feeling reminiscent to fear. Gohan lurched, letting his arms drop to his sides while Videl squealed, nearly choking him with the death grip she had on his neck.
"This is your captain speaking. We're experiencing turbulence right now, please cling on to any unsuspecting necks as tight as you can until it clears. Please be advised that the no smoking sign is on, and you should fasten your seatbelts. Have a nice trip and fly Saiya-Man!"
"Gohan!" He smiled and cradled her in his arms again, feeling the pressure being relieved from his neck. She smacked him hard on his helmet, exclaiming, "You do that again and I swear I'll make sure you wont be having kids any time soon!"
Gohan chuckled, and took off, feeling his neck again being squeezed as Videl buried her face in his chest. "Come on, Videl. The view is great from up here!"
She slowly peeked over her shoulder, and took a sharp intake of breath. He was right. The view was amazing, the dense clusters of houses and apartment complexes whizzing past them at a dizzying speed. Truly, the experience was everything she imagined to be and more. She felt like she was soaring, the spectacular view never ceasing to catch her breath every time her eyes ventured downwards. Even watching the fluffy white clouds zoom past them was in itself worth the whole trip. She was sure many people would sell their grandmothers without a second thought, just to be feeling the sensation of soaring through the open air, unhindered by glass panes and mechanical whirring. But alas, as all things, this had to come to an end as well.
She frowned noticeably when her father's all too familiar glamorous dwelling came into view, sticking out like a sore thumb in the municipality. She had to admit that the aerial view of her home was something to behold, regardless of how much she had begun to despise it. It had an enormous front yard decorated with various fountains and statues, giving the neatly trimmed lawn artistic appeal like no other. The twilight had receded into night, and the dazzling row of lights illuminated the lawn. The wrought-iron gates barred entrance to the driveway—which could pass for a small avenue really—leading up to the threshold of the extravagant veranda. What was even more impressive was the profligate selection of exotic vehicles neatly lined up on the side. Everything from Italian roadsters to sleek British luxury, and the lure of German engineering alongside Japanese dependability, could be seen in the vast collection.
Gohan wasn't one to be impressed very quickly. He was quite used to witnessing the affluent propagate their wealth by extravagant purchases and dwellings. All the times he had frequented the Capsule Corporation could attest to that statement. But Bulma Briefs was a much more conservative person when compared to the bulk of the Satan City aristocracy. Sure she had a huge mansion and many other paraphernalia associated with the insanely wealthy, but she had more of a tendency to do something constructive rather than engage in a vainglorious display of wealth and prestige. She preferred being locked up in her laboratory pondering upon the mechanics of her latest innovation over attending parties and balls.
"Hey Gohan, are you just gonna stare at my house gawking like a moron or are we going to go in?" Videl asked, amused at his reaction to her house.
"Huh?" He quickly snapped out of his dazed reverie, trying his hardest not to blush.
"That one right there is my balcony." She pointed to the west wing of the mansion, where a balcony protruded out from its second story. He nodded dumbly and proceeded towards it, still gawking at the plethora of automobiles parked down below. As he approached it however, he noticed that there was a minimal amount of decorative ornaments inside. The balcony door was already opened, letting in the cool fall breeze filter into its roomy confines.
Gawking in awe, Gohan entered her spacious room momentarily forgetting the position he had Videl in. The room was absolutely gigantic, its dimensions encompassing perhaps his entire house back in the country. Also, the errantly dispersed furniture were exquisitely carved from the finest woods he had ever seem. A large four-poster bed lined one wall, covered with satin sheets and two large pillows. It definitely was larger than any king size bed he had seen in those department stores. He felt someone poking him in the arm repeatedly. Looking down he saw Videl's expectant face, as if she was urging him to do something.
"What?"
"Umm...You can let me go now."
Still surveying his surroundings in admiration, he hadn't noticed he was backing up nor did he notice that she was still in cradled in his arms. When he realized that there was a leather sofa behind him, it had been too late. With a short yelp they both tumbled down onto its cushions, Gohan in an awkward sitting position with Videl positioned sideways on his lap. They both blushed with embarrassment, stuttering incomprehensible apologies and whatnot.
"I…sorry. I wasn't looking." Gohan though, couldn't help but stare into the azure depths of her eyes, enchanted by their beauty. They had this amazing control over him, like the pied piper's tune had had on the mice. It was something resembling hypnosis. He lost himself in those eyes, and for some reason he didn't want to be found.
"Gohan." She said softly, staring back into his obsidian orbs. They were soft and inviting, their warmth alluring her forward. She inched closer, not so much by will, but by instinct, driving her on.
"I've never kissed anyone before, Videl," Gohan whispered, unaware that the gap between them was gradually decreasing.
"Neither have I."
"Does that mean you don't know how?" The night cast ghostly shadows across her room, some of them playing softly over her beautiful features. She looked pure and elegant, like the angel he knew she was.
"No. Do you?" The distance between them was reduced to about an inch. Gohan could feel her warm breath tickle the top of his nose, as he inched closer and nuzzled it faintly on her face.
"No."
"I can't think of anyone I'd like to try it with then you, Gohan." She closed her eyes and moved yet even closer, tilting her head to the side to try and bypass his nose. But when she did, his nose somehow had gotten in the way. Opening her eyes she realized that he had tilted his face in the same direction as she did, effectively canceling out her movement. Deciding to tilt the other way, she closed her eyes again and moved closer. But yet again his cute nose had obstructed her access to his lips. Peering at him she laughed, noticing that he had decided to tilt his head the other way at the same time she did.
"Can't get it right can we?" Gohan asked, smiling at her.
"We will…" She moved her hands off his neck and cupped his cheeks, slightly tilting it to the right. Slanting her own head the opposite way, she leaned forward as their lips finally met in a gentle embrace. Kissing her softly, Gohan could think of no other thing then how soft her lips were. Their lips lingered together for a few moments more, finally ending as they gently parted from one another.
"Wow."
"I've never felt this close to anyone before, Gohan. Not since my m—," she stopped herself again, lowering her gaze. Gohan reached out and stroked her cheek, absentmindedly brushing away some errant locks.
"Videl. You have to stop doing this to yourself. You can't continue on like this."
She looked back at him in slight confusion, not understanding why he had said that. He sighed, and pulled her in closer with a hug. Feeling herself being pulled into an embrace, she put her hands around his back, resting her head on his broad chest.
"I know it hurts. But you have to let it go, or else it'll stay locked inside of you forever." He was gently brushing his hand over her silky tresses of hair, soothing her as he reasoned with her emotions.
"Let me tell you a story about yourself. When you realize what you have been doing to yourself all these years, then perhaps you'll understand what I am saying. I know that before, you felt immensely loved and happy with your parents. You were their only child, and they pampered you with all the affection they could give you. You were happy. Genuinely happy, as most kids are at that age. Their only concerns were where they had left their favorite toy, or when their favorite show would be on. I can imagine that in your blissful state, you were never prepared to confront the next turn of events. When your mother died," he felt her hands clutch the cloth on his back, her embrace tightening as she buried her face deeper into him. He knew he was hurting her, to bring up all those emotions that were suppressed deep inside her. But he also knew that this had to be done, to set her free from her self-incarceration, her bondage.
"When your mother died, it devastated both of you. Not as much as it was because of death, but more because of the suddenness of it. Totally unexpected death. It caught both of you off guard emotionally. What that sudden death left in its wake was a shattered man, and a confused little girl. You didn't know why this was happening to you. Why your mother was taken at such an early age. I think you harbored the usual child conception that people die of old age only. What you needed then was the love and support of your father, to understand you and to soothe your worries and fears. However, it never came. He was too distraught over the incident to ever assess it with a cool head. Dejected and empty, he neglected his responsibilities and entered into a period of regression."
Videl's head was swimming at this point with the sudden insurgence of emotions. How did he understand her innermost thoughts? How did he know she felt these things? How did he understand her? No one could understand what she went through, she was sure. He was reading her life like a book, written somewhere on her like an autobiography.
"You tried valiantly to bounce back from her death. You tried to divert your attention away from her, but every attempt to catch your father's attention failed. When your mother died, you lost them both."
She clutched him tighter, feeling her eyes well up with tears that were begging to be shed. They needed to be shed. But as was her policy, she couldn't cry. She had to resist it, no matter how much Gohan tried.
"After that realization, you cried your heart out. With all that was happening, the little girl couldn't deal with it anymore. Not alone. You sought refuge in tears, until one day you couldn't cry anymore. You just couldn't, you were totally exhausted from it. You were rendered bitter and cynical, at the tender age of ten. You concocted this notion that all this was happening because of you. You loved them too much, and now that they were gone, you had nothing. You decided that there was nothing more painful than the hurt of losing someone you loved, and you couldn't bear to go through with it anymore. Not again. The only way you could do that though, was if you didn't love anybody anymore. You couldn't get close to people, or else you would inevitably come to care about them. As a friend, or as a lover, or even just as another authority figure, you couldn't get close. But you knew…You knew that if you let the real Videl be shown then there would be no way to stop people from getting close."
"You are too likable, too affable to maintain any state of emotional aloofness. Even if you tried your hardest to stop caring about them, you would eventually weaken. So you had to stop being pleasant. You had to create this alter personality. This pseudo-Videl. One that was always bitter and indifferent to the worldly happenings. It was sort of like erecting a firewall around yourself, one that was self-sufficient and can handle the task of social interaction. Sometimes we would see glimpses of the real you, only to be subsequently quelled by your new persona. What was more, this pseudo-Videl became as much a part of yourself as was the real you. The first two years, I surmised, were probably the hardest for pseudo-Videl to be established." He had most "affectionately" dubbed her wall of protection "pseudo-Videl", not wanting to actually brand the real Videl with that sort of derogatory insinuation.
"You had to forcibly maintain this new persona during the bulk of your day, and consequently, after a couple of years of this routine you sub-consciously integrated it into your personality. Soon, being pseudo-Videl wasn't a difficult task to do. It just came naturally, like instinct. You had locked yourself away deep inside, imprisoned yourself in a cocoon of sorts. You know when you complained to me earlier that you wanted to be recognized for your own merit, and not because you were the daughter of Hercule? Well how could you expect people to identify you, when you don't show them the real you? Pseudo-Videl, she was too two-dimensional. Videl, you can't force yourself like this. Love is irrational. The brain will never be able to gauge the dimensions of love properly, that is the heart's job. You can't love with your mind. You have to stop concealing your heart in this cocoon. You have to love with your HEART and not with what your mind is telling you!"
He knew he was getting through to her, as he felt a little wetness in the middle of his chest. But she still was restraining herself, holding back. She still harbored that baseless principle that crying was for the weak.
"Videl, your Mother has died! She's gone, but you live! And she would never want you to live like this! You have to realize just as I, that it is better to have loved and then lost than never to have loved at all! Your mother would have wanted that," he said softly at the end, his pitch sharply contrasting his previous tone. Finally, that had done it. It had ruptured that façade of aloofness that had plagued her since her traumatic childhood. It had freed her from the clutches of her cocoon, like a butterfly gaining emancipation.
She broke down into violent sobs, wailing loudly on his chest. Her body convulsed fiercely as she bawled her heart out in his warm embrace. He didn't say anything, nor did he interrupt her. As much as it pained him from the inside, to make his love cry like that, he knew that it had to be administered.
"SHE WAS MINE!" She exclaimed through sobs, "THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO TAKE HER!" Her body broke into even more convulsions, as she shed all the tears that had accumulated over her years of regression. "THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO LEAVE ME ALONE! She left me…" Her wailing had stopped, but that hadn't ceased her crying. Gohan clutched her tightly, letting her weep as much as she wanted in his embrace. No matter what, he pledged, he would be there for her in her time of need. He had to. She believed she had nobody. She now knew, though, that she had him.
It seemed like she had cried for hours and hours on end. Her weeping had receded into a small and faintly discernable sobbing. That too, though, had to end some time. And when it did, she felt a little awkward. She had been crying so long, that she had nothing left in her to fuel the sorrow. She had nothing left to cry over. She was finally free, feeling a heavy burden lifted off her shoulders rendering her light as a feather. She now knew that death and birth are part of a cycle, and it's not these things that one should learn to fear, but the duration in between that one must make worthwhile.
She slowly eased out of Gohan's grip, wiping her eyes with her sleeve in the process. "Sorry."
"About what?"
"That." She pointed to his drenched shirt. If one had wrung it over a bucket, there would assuredly be enough water to overflow its quarters.
"Wow. My personality must be rubbing off on you."
She looked at him curiously, trying to comprehend its implications.
"You're now apologizing for things that don't need apologizing," he pointed out, smiling broadly. Reaching out his strong hand, he wiped off the remnants of the salty tears from her soft cheeks. She blushed, averting her gaze downwards in an insanely cute manner. He always observed that whenever she got shy, which was not often mind you, she had the tendency to look cuter than ever before.
"Gohan. I…I have to tell you something."
He chuckled heartily, earning an indignant stare from his beautiful friend. "It's just…Before you were dogging me incessantly to tell you "something", and now you want to tell me "something"!"
She smiled, still fixating her eyes on his chest, avoiding eye contact. "Over these past few weeks, you broke that "firewall" that you had been talking about. I mean, you got close to me as no one had ever done before. I…I was taken by surprise. I didn't know what I was feeling, and I didn't even know if I wanted to be feeling these things. But now I know, without a shadow of a doubt. I know that I…I love you."
Gohan reeled back in shock. Although his mission was to set her free from her emotional confines, he never knew that this would be its aftereffect. In fact, if he did know that this would have resulted, he would have done it much sooner!
Discouraged by his shocked demeanor, she quickly averted her eyes again. She knew she may have cried, but right now she was totally spent. She had to face rejection dry, and everything Gohan had worked for was practically rendered useless. She felt empty again.
"I'm sorry for ruining our relationship. I'm so sorry." She whispered dejectedly, searching her emotions again for something worthwhile to latch on to. She found nothing. Her heart, her soul, even her mind was telling her that Gohan was the one.
"How dare you! How dare you even say something like that?!" Videl felt fear gripping her, as she came to the realization that she had damaged their special relationship irreparably. How could she have been so stupid?
"How dare you say you're sorry for the best thing that ever happened to my life?" She jerked her head up, staring into his obsidian eyes a faint glimmer of hope evident.
"Gohan?"
"Videl. I've loved you, well, ever since I met you. I honestly can't remember a time when I hadn't." He grinned goofily, and swept forward to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. At first her eyes had widened with surprise, but when she realized what was going on, she gave in to temptation. She kissed him back, sucking on his upper lip with newfound enthusiasm. They broke off, desperately trying to inhale enough oxygen to satisfy their screaming lungs.
"You had to make it as melodramatic as possible, huh Gohan? You couldn't just say you loved me and got it over with?"
"Nah, it would bore the people."
"You're such a geek!" She squeaked as he grabbed her waist and pulled, compressing her petite form into his as he ravaged her mouth with a crazed fervor.
(A/N-Alright, that was…different. Frankly I think that that was a shallow attempt to instill some depth into Videl's character. Bah humbug.)
