Ok, second part. Not going to bother with author's note.
Disclaimer: see part 1
------The Clothes Off Your Back------
The next morning, Gohan woke up with a groan, not anticipating the day ahead of him. He knew it was going to be just as bad as the day before, if not worst depending on what outfit his mother had put together for him before she left. Gohan hadn't even bothered to look at it, not wanting to think about the resulting torture that his mind would be put through when he had things to do that evening.
Instead, Gohan had just scooped up the clothes and put them on top of his dresser, completely ignoring them for the rest of the evening. But, he had to face the music and just get out of bed, get ready, and put on the outfit his mother picked out for him. Gohan snorted slightly.
Kami, you'd think I was 5 years old again with my mom picking out my clothes, Gohan thought as he picked up the outfit and trudged into the bathroom to take a shower. He showered quickly and got dressed, groaning at the outfit once more.
"Is mom trying to kill me, or something?" Gohan asked himself as he checked himself out in the mirror. He wore a slightly loose pair of jeans. He supposed those weren't so bad since allowed him to hide a bit of his muscular physique. But his upper body was a completely different story. His mother had given him a white wife-beater with a short-sleeved black silk shirt over it. Gohan didn't even have the energy to button up the black shirt because he was so worried about the day ahead.
He walked downstairs and pulled two lunch capsules out of the box that Bulma had given them, one for breakfast and one for lunch. He opened up one of them in the front hall and immediately consumed the entire feast that was laid in front of him on the capsule table. Quickly finishing off breakfast, Gohan capsulated the table and put in the box of used capsules on the kitchen counter. He placed his lunch in his school bag, picked up his black pea coat, and took off for school, flying at the same fast pace he'd used the day before.
When he arrived at school, he was getting stares again, obvious because they were staring at his exposed frame again.
Why does my mother love to torment me? This is so embarrassing! Gohan thought, trying to melt into the woodwork as he slunk he way off to class. He entered his class room and sat down in his usual seat, the seat next to him now occupied by Videl. He removed his coat and laid it over his head, leaning against the desk. Videl chuckled as she watched Gohan try to hide; it was as if he were trying to use the coat as a shield from the outside world.
"You know, hiding yourself underneath your coat isn't going to stop people from talking about your body, you know that, right?" Videl could hear a moan come from underneath the coat and, seconds later, Gohan emerged.
"My life sucks," Gohan told her simply.
"Why, because you have to dress like a normal guy?" Videl asked. Gohan shook his head.
"No, because everyone is staring at me! I wish my mom had done my laundry yesterday like she said she would. But, no! She had to go shopping and leave Goten at Bulma's then decide to stay at Capsule Corp herself! Why me?" Gohan whined. Videl's eyes grew wide.
"You mean Bulma as in Bulma Briefs? The owner of Capsule Corporation?" Videl asked in hushed tones. Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, who else would I be talking about?" Gohan asked. Videl just stared.
"Gohan, don't you know that she's famous? I mean, she's only the smartest woman in the world who owns the world's biggest technology corporation," Videl whispered. Gohan looked confused.
"Well, I knew she was really smart and famous, but I didn't know she was THAT famous," Gohan said, his tone completely sincere. Videl felt like she was going to fall over from the shock. What was up with Gohan?
"Well," she said, changing the subject, "I guess you're going to have to wait until your mom can do your laundry today. So, you're going to have to put up with the normal outfit for one more day. Though, you know that your life here at Orange Star High is never going to be the same again, right?" Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fully aware of the consequences of yesterday and today's outfits. Please don't remind me," Gohan sighed, placing his jacket on the back of the chair and pulling out his notebook for class.
"At least I didn't get accosted by my, as you put it, Stripleaders," Gohan said, thankful for at least one thing. Videl chuckled.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up yet, pretty boy. You've still got the rest of the day to deal with. Especially lunch," Videl said, chuckling at the groan that Gohan emitted before banging his head against the desktop.
"Why me?" he said. Videl placed a comforting hand on his back.
"Don't worry," she said, "I'll protect you. I'm feeling generous today. But I'll figure out your secrets yet, Gohan. Remember that." Gohan lifted his head and flashed a smile at her, one that managed to turn Videl's insides to jelly.
"Don't worry. I won't forget," Gohan said before pulling out a pen and opening his notebook right before their teacher entered the class. Videl tried to calm herself down as class began.
What was that feeling all about? I'm not falling for Gohan, am I? I can't be! I told myself I would never fall for a guy, ever. But…Gohan is different…no! It doesn't matter! Videl mentally resolved, following Gohan's example and getting ready to take notes for class.
***
The dreaded lunch hour had arrived. Gohan, who normally counted down the milliseconds until lunch started, wished it had never come. Ever since Videl had mentioned the "Stripleaders", Gohan had feared the approaching lunch hour with every fiber of his being. Now that it had arrived, Gohan just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Videl sighed, an amused smile on her face.
"Come on, Gohan. Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be all right," Videl comforted. Gohan shot her a sullen look.
"Easy for you to say," Gohan grumbled, "You don't have the entire cheerleading squad chasing after you." Videl laughed, despite Gohan's condition.
"I should sure hope I don't have the cheerleading squad chasing after me. I'd have to worry about the sexual orientation of every cheerleader in this school if I did," Videl said, clearly amused by the concept of lesbian cheerleaders.
"Ha ha, very funny," Gohan said, his tone scathing.
"I'm sorry, Gohan," Videl said, tuning down the broad smile on her face. Gohan's mood did a turn-around to what it had been only a few moments before.
"Do you think they're out there?" Gohan asked, his eyes darting around in paranoia.
"Oh, I'm sure they are," Videl sighed, "But, don't worry. I'm here for you." Gohan smiled slightly.
"Thanks," Gohan said, only slightly comforted by Videl's words. Happy to have Videl by his side to help avoid his new fan club, Gohan began walking down the hallway towards the courtyard, Videl walking with him. They were silent as they walked, Gohan holding the capsule the contained not only his lunch, but Videl, Eraser, and Sharpener's as well. A few seconds later, Gohan stopped as a faint noise reached his ears.
"Do you hear something?" Gohan asked, looking around. Videl's brow furrowed and she focused her attention to her sense of hearing. After a couple moments, she shook her head.
"No, Gohan, I don't. I think you're just being paranoid," Videl admonished. Gohan shrugged.
"I guess you're right," he sighed and the two began walking again. Several seconds later, the two both stopped, both of them hearing a noise.
"You hear that, right Gohan?" Videl asked. Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, I do. I don't think I was being paranoid. What do you think that noise is?" he asked. Videl shook her head.
"I don't know. But it sounds a lot like screaming," she said. The two of them turned around as the noise grew in intensity, eventually being accompanied by the sound of people running. The noise was nearly upon them and, before Gohan knew what was happening, he had landed on the ground on his back and was completely confused as to what was going on. Standing up, he rubbed the sides of his arms, suddenly feeling a little cooler than he had a few minutes ago.
With a gasp, he realized something and looked down. His black shirt was gone, leaving only the wife beater. He turned his head to see a large group of girls, huddling and fighting over something. Focusing on the action, Gohan was able to pick up what some of them were saying.
"It's mine!"
"No, it's mine. I grabbed it first."
"Yeah, well I saw him first, so the shirt should be mine!" A dozen or so girls were screaming and fighting over a shirt, Gohan's shirt to be exact. Gohan felt like crying. Videl was currently looking over at Gohan with amusement and awe.
Wow, look at those arms! It should be against the law to have arms like that, Videl thought to herself before shaking the thought away. She turned her attention over to Gohan, who looked like he just wanted to crawl underneath a rock and die. Walking over to him, she placed a small hand on one of the arms she had just been thinking about.
"Hey, are you ok?" Videl asked. Gohan jumped slightly at the feeling of Videl's hand pressed against his bare skin.
"No," he said, his voice holding a hint of a whine, "Now I only have this flimsy little tank-top thingy for the rest of the day. I swear, Kami has it out for me." Gohan mentally yelled a curse at Dende, knowing the young, Nameksei-jin guardian would be able to hear him.
I hope he's shaking in his boots, 'cause he's gonna pay if this is his fault, Gohan thought. Videl sighed and gave Gohan's arm a firm, yet comforting squeeze.
"I'm sorry, Gohan. Don't worry. Hopefully, your mom did your laundry today so you won't have to go through this again," Videl said. Gohan sighed.
"I don't think wearing my regular clothes again is going to be any help at all. I think I'm still going to have those girls after me," Gohan resigned. Videl couldn't help but smile slightly at Gohan's pathetic attitude. Moving over so she was standing in front of him, she placed her other hand on his chest, patting it.
"Don't worry. I'll be here to protect you, remember?" Videl said, throwing Gohan a little smile before walking into the courtyard. Gohan couldn't help but stare after Videl as she walked away.
What's gotten into her? Gohan wondered, trying to puzzle out Videl's strange behavior. It's like she was flirting with me…nah, that can't be it, Gohan thought before following Videl out so he could eat his lunch, leaving his black, silk shirt behind, giving it up for a casualty in this strange war for his clothing.
***
Gohan sighed as he flew home; another day over and done with. The rest of the day had been pure torture for the young demi-Saiya-jin. With the silk shirt having disappeared during lunch hour, Gohan had been left with only the wife-beater and jeans for the rest of the day and having to endure the constant glances and giggles pointed in his direction.
"Kami, what I wouldn't give sometimes to be somebody else entirely," Gohan muttered to him self. Continuing to think about the chaos caused by the day's outfit, Gohan's thoughts took him to another train of thought.
"I'm going to have a talk with mom about this whole outfit deal. I swear she's in league with Dende. She's really trying to torture me. All of this just to get me a girlfriend. Sheesh," Gohan complained, resolved to talk with his mother when he got home. As he approached his mountain home, however, all thoughts of speaking with Chi-Chi about important clothing matters disappeared as he noticed something weird. Noticing the added ki presence in his house, Gohan groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead.
"Great, now my day can't get any worse; Trunks is at my house." Gohan knew he was up for a night of little to no sleep as the two young half Saiya-jins would no doubt be up all night long.
"My life is a big cosmic joke, I swear," Gohan sighed as he lowered himself down onto the large grassy lawn in front of his house. The moment he touched the ground, the front door opened and two blurs came running out of the house at top speeds.
"GOHAN!" the twin cry was and, before Gohan knew what was happening, he was being tackled to the ground by Goten and Trunks, who seemed to want him to play with them.
"Hey, onii-chan, can you play with us? Huh, huh, huh??" Goten exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Trunks agreed, "It would be so cool of you would play games with us!" Gohan picked both of the kids up by the backs of their shirts and held them away as he peeled himself from the ground.
"After I do my homework," Gohan announced, a small smile tugging at his features; despite the fact that they were annoying at times, Gohan couldn't help but admit that they were quite adorable. Twin pouts appeared on both Trunks and Goten's faces.
"How long will that take, onii-chan?" Goten asked.
"Not too long," Gohan replied, "Only about an hour or so. I'm sure you two can find something to do until then. So, what do you want to do after I finish my homework?" Trunks and Goten looked at each other, smiling widely.
"We wanna spar," Trunks said. Gohan chuckled; they were definitely Saiya-jin.
"Yeah," Goten said, "We wanna spar with you like you spar with Vegeta." Gohan raised an eyebrow at that remark.
"I don't think you guys are quite at that level yet," Gohan explained. Gohan, over the years, had become Vegeta's number 1 sparring partner, seeing how as Gohan was the only Saiya-jin, half or no, to have reached the second Super Saiya-jin level. Vegeta sparred with Gohan all the time in an effort to learn how it was done, but he seemed to be getting nowhere fast.
Oh well. At least we're both keeping up our skills, Gohan thought, setting Goten and Trunks back on the ground.
"Now, you guys go and play for a while and I'll come find you when I finish my homework, ok?" Goten and Trunks both nodded before running off, leaving Gohan alone outside. Shaking his head in humor at the two kids, Gohan walked across the lawn and into the open door.
"Mom, I'm home!" Gohan announced, taking off his shoes before moving into the house.
"How was school, Gohan?" his mother's voice sounded from the kitchen.
"If only you knew," Gohan muttered under his breath as he entered the kitchen.
"It was fine, mom," Gohan said for his mom, not wanting to get her worried. He spotted his mom sitting at the kitchen table, a distinct frazzled look on her face.
"Trunks and Goten getting to you again, eh?" Gohan asked, a small smile encroaching his lips as he sat at the table next to Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi sighed with resignation.
"As always. But, I did agree to have Trunks over tonight. It was only fair since Goten stayed over at Bulma's last night," Chi-Chi explained, "Oh, by the way, Bulma and Vegeta are coming over for dinner." Gohan paled slightly.
"They aren't staying over night, are they?" Gohan asked, well aware of Bulma and Vegeta's ritual nightly activities, ones he didn't want to have to listen to as he tried to sleep. Chi-Chi shook her head vehemently.
"Oh, no, they've just coming over to eat dinner. You know Vegeta wouldn't ever sleep at this house unless his life depended on it. Maybe not even then," Chi-Chi said, chuckling slightly. Gohan sighed with relief.
"Good," Gohan breathed, "Well, I'm going to do my homework and then I'm going to play with Trunks and Goten for a while. Tell me when dinner's ready, ok?" Chi-Chi nodded and watched as Gohan stood and started walking out of the kitchen. That's when she noticed something strange.
"Gohan, where's the black silk shirt I gave you to wear today?" Chi-Chi questioned. Gohan froze for a few seconds before slowly turning around, an apprehensive look on his face.
"Well, you see, that's kinda a funny story. I wore it to school and all, but during lunch, a whole bunch of cheerleaders attacked me and stole my shirt. I'm pretty sure that it's probably in pieces by now," Gohan said, watching carefully for his mother's reaction. Chi-Chi looked for a second like she was going to lose it, but at the last minute, calmed down and sighed.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. At least girls are finally noticing you," Chi-Chi said. Gohan nearly fell over from shock and embarrassment. Shaking his head, Gohan turned to leave when question popped into his head.
"Oh, mom, by the way, did you do my laundry today?" Chi-Chi looked at her son, an apologetic look on her face, as she shook her head.
"No, I'm sorry. I had every intention of doing it today, I really did, but I've been handling Trunks and Goten all day and now I have to make dinner to feed four Saiya-jins. I'm not going to be able to do it until tomorrow. I'm really sorry, Gohan," Chi-Chi said. Gohan couldn't find it in himself to be mad at his mother so he pushed aside the issue.
"It's ok, mom. I understand. I'll be ok for one more day," Gohan said, partially lying. Oh, sure, he understood why his mom couldn't do his laundry; he just wasn't sure he could last one more day as poor, little exposed him. Chi-Chi smiled thankfully at her son, watching him turn and go upstairs to do his homework, thinking to herself that Kami had blessed her with giving her such a wonderful son.
***
A few hours later, at the Satan mansion, young Satan Videl stood in her private gym, beating the snot out of a poor punching bag that had done nothing except exist to be, well, punched. Videl felt her tension sliding away as she let loose every punch and kick. How such a simple thing as a punching bag could help Videl calm down.
But, the reason why she was so tense wasn't quite so simple. She had resigned herself to be utterly in love with Son Gohan and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it except hope that he felt the same way.
I can't believe I've fallen in love with him in almost a couple of days, Videl exclaimed mentally. But, she knew that was a lie. She had been in love with Gohan for a while and hadn't even known about it. What she had thought as a deep friendship with Gohan had actually been an attraction to his personality, a personality which complimented hers so well.
It hadn't been until the day before that she realized she was so physically attracted to him, that the sight of him made her feel a desire she had never before experienced. And it scared the hell out of her because she just didn't know how to handle it.
What am I supposed to do? Go up to him and tell him I'm in love with him? He'll laugh at me! Videl thought, knowing that wasn't true either, that she was just exaggerating. No, he'll probably be really sweet about it, but say that he doesn't feel the same way, Videl sighed as her punches and kicks slowed until the stopped all together. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Videl trudged up to her room to get cleaned up.
After a quick shower, during which she couldn't stop thinking about Gohan no matter how hard she tried, Videl dressed in pajamas and deposited herself onto her bed.
"Well, might as well do some homework. Maybe that'll get my mind off of Gohan," Videl mumbled. However, it wasn't to be that easy. Videl found that the only homework she had to do was her math homework, which she had completely forgotten to write down as she had been too busy staring at Gohan.
"Damn him, he's turned me into a love-sick fool!" she exclaimed as she reached over for her phone. Searching through her electronic phone book, she finally found Gohan's number. He had given it to her after she asked, claiming that if she ever needed help on her homework, Gohan would be the only person who could help her. Pressing the talk button, Videl held the phone to her ear, her heart pounding erratically as she awaited an answer on the other side.
***
Meanwhile, at the Son household, dinner currently held sway. Both the Briefs' family and the Son family were totally enthralled in dinner…well, at least those of them that had Saiya-jin blood were. Bulma and Chi-Chi slowly ate their food, practically picking at it, as they watched Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks eat like they hadn't eaten in a week, which pretty much summed up how a Saiya-jin always ate.
Suddenly, in the middle of dinner, the phone rang. Swallowing his food, Goten sprung up from his chair.
"I'll get it!" he exclaimed. Not too long ago, he had been given permission from Chi-Chi to answer the phone, a privilege he took joy in partaking of all the time. Practically bouncing over to the phone, he picked it up from its cradle and pressed the talk button.
"Hello?" he asked. On the other side, Videl was slightly taken aback. By all the responses she had been prepared to receive, she hadn't been expecting the voice of a little boy.
"Um, is this the Son residence?" Videl asked slowly. Goten smiled and nodded.
"Uh-huh, it is," Goten said. Videl sighed audibly, relieved that she had the right number.
"Is Gohan there?" A mischievous smile spread over Goten's face.
"Yeah, hold on," Goten said, pulling the phone away from his ear, "Gohan! The phone's for you. It's a girl!" Videl blushed slightly as she heard Goten's voice call out, able to hear the entire conversation on the other side of the phone; it sounded like there were a whole bunch of people over at Gohan's house.
"Who is it?" Gohan asked.
"She didn't say. I bet she's one of your girlfriends," Goten teased.
"Oh, Bulma, isn't that great! Gohan has a girlfriend!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. Bulma giggled slightly.
"And before you know it, he'll be getting married," Bulma supplied.
"And having children! Ahh, grandchildren…" Chi-Chi sighed.
"Mom! Bulma!" Gohan exclaimed, "You guys are way jumping to conclusion. I don't have a girlfriend and I'm way too young to think about marriage and children."
"Yeah right, Gohan," Trunks said, joining Goten in the teasing, "I bet she's your girlfriend. Ooh, kissy, kissy!" Gohan rolled his eyes as he stood up.
"Very funny, Trunks," Gohan said as he took the phone from Goten, aware that all eyes in the kitchen were on him.
"Hello?" Gohan said. Videl jolted back into reality at the sound of Gohan's voice.
"Hey, Gohan. It's me, Videl," she responded. Gohan blushed at his end of the phone.
"Oh, hi Videl," Gohan said.
"You have a very interesting family, you know," Videl said, amusement clear in her voice. Gohan's blushed deepened.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Gohan sighed, "And they're not all my family. But they're embarrassing none the less. I mean, mom and Bulma are always pushing about girls and Goten and Trunks are always thinking up another prank to pull on me when they're not begging me to play with them." Videl paused as she realized something.
"Wait, Bulma Briefs is at your house? Eating dinner with you?" Videl asked.
"Yeah," Gohan answered, "She and her family come over all the time. It's not that big of a deal, Videl."
"Maybe for you, it's not," Videl grumbled. There was a short pause during which neither of them knew what to say.
"So," Gohan finally spoke up, "Why did you call?" Gohan was painfully aware that he had stuttered during that question and felt the blush spread over his cheeks. Before he could hear Videl's answer, however, his eyebrows raised in question as Vegeta stood up and walked over to where Gohan was standing.
"Vegeta, what are you doing?" Gohan asked. Videl stopped mid-sentence as she realized that Gohan wasn't listening to her anymore, that he was addressing a mysterious third party, a person named Vegeta.
"I decided to get myself involved. I have to find out what girl you've picked to be your mate," Vegeta said matter-of-factly.
"What?" Gohan exclaimed.
"Well, I surmised from the way you were blushing that she's to be your mate and I have to talk to her," Vegeta said, a smirk evident on his face. Gohan knew from that smirk that there would be no good if he let Vegeta talk to Videl. On Videl's end, she was blushing to the roots of her hair. Even though she was a little confused as to why this Vegeta person used the word "mate", she understood the basics of the conversation.
Gohan gasped as Vegeta moved with super-speed and grabbed the phone. Gohan grabbed the phone, not able to get it away from Vegeta, but still preventing Vegeta from placing the phone to his ear.
"Hey, brat, what do you think you're doing!" Vegeta exclaimed.
"Give me back the phone, Vegeta," Gohan demanded. Videl could hear the anger in Gohan's voice as he spoke those words. Vegeta, meanwhile, pulled the phone closer to him.
"Like I would ever take orders from you, brat. You should let me have the phone as I am your prince and don't you forget it." Gohan pulled the phone as well, pulling Vegeta towards him until their faces were inches apart. Gohan fixed his best glare at Vegeta and found that he meant it.
"Vegeta, if you don't give me the phone back right now, I'll kick your fucking ass from here to the moon and back, got it?" Gohan threatened in a low voice so those in the kitchen wouldn't be able to hear him. Videl was shocked at Gohan's words; she had never heard Gohan so pissed before. Vegeta regarded Gohan for several moments before relinquishing his hold on the phone.
"Fine, brat, you have the phone back. I don't need to talk to her after all. The way you're acting makes it all clear," Vegeta said with a wave of his hand as he walked back to the table and resumed eating. Gohan sighed in relief as he pressed the phone back to his ear.
"Sorry about that. Vegeta's a pain in the butt," Gohan said, moving into the living room to separate himself from the rest of the group.
"It's ok," Videl stuttered slightly, "You sure sounded mad, though."
"That's because he knows all the right buttons to push and he does it expertly. I guess you could say it comes from years of practice, being married to Bulma and all," Gohan said as he sat down at the couch, "So, back to why you called. Do you have a question or something?" Gohan asked.
"Well, kinda. You see, I forgot to write down the math homework in class today. You think you could give it to me?"
"Sure thing!" Gohan exclaimed as he rushed upstairs, "Just let me get it out." After finding his homework, he relayed that night's math assignment over to Videl. Thanking him, Videl let him get back to dinner and hung up the phone.
Gohan sighed as he turned off the phone and walked back downstairs. Replacing the phone in its cradle, he walked into the kitchen and was relieved to see that his dinner hadn't been touched. As he sat back at the table, Trunks and Goten looked over at him, mischievous smiles on their faces.
"Kissy, kissy," they both laughed.
"Oh, shut up," Gohan grumbled before focusing all his attention back onto his food.
------------
Heehee...poor Gohan, tortured mercilessly by friends and family. Hey, this is a Gohan-Torture story, so it's allowed!
Disclaimer: see part 1
------The Clothes Off Your Back------
The next morning, Gohan woke up with a groan, not anticipating the day ahead of him. He knew it was going to be just as bad as the day before, if not worst depending on what outfit his mother had put together for him before she left. Gohan hadn't even bothered to look at it, not wanting to think about the resulting torture that his mind would be put through when he had things to do that evening.
Instead, Gohan had just scooped up the clothes and put them on top of his dresser, completely ignoring them for the rest of the evening. But, he had to face the music and just get out of bed, get ready, and put on the outfit his mother picked out for him. Gohan snorted slightly.
Kami, you'd think I was 5 years old again with my mom picking out my clothes, Gohan thought as he picked up the outfit and trudged into the bathroom to take a shower. He showered quickly and got dressed, groaning at the outfit once more.
"Is mom trying to kill me, or something?" Gohan asked himself as he checked himself out in the mirror. He wore a slightly loose pair of jeans. He supposed those weren't so bad since allowed him to hide a bit of his muscular physique. But his upper body was a completely different story. His mother had given him a white wife-beater with a short-sleeved black silk shirt over it. Gohan didn't even have the energy to button up the black shirt because he was so worried about the day ahead.
He walked downstairs and pulled two lunch capsules out of the box that Bulma had given them, one for breakfast and one for lunch. He opened up one of them in the front hall and immediately consumed the entire feast that was laid in front of him on the capsule table. Quickly finishing off breakfast, Gohan capsulated the table and put in the box of used capsules on the kitchen counter. He placed his lunch in his school bag, picked up his black pea coat, and took off for school, flying at the same fast pace he'd used the day before.
When he arrived at school, he was getting stares again, obvious because they were staring at his exposed frame again.
Why does my mother love to torment me? This is so embarrassing! Gohan thought, trying to melt into the woodwork as he slunk he way off to class. He entered his class room and sat down in his usual seat, the seat next to him now occupied by Videl. He removed his coat and laid it over his head, leaning against the desk. Videl chuckled as she watched Gohan try to hide; it was as if he were trying to use the coat as a shield from the outside world.
"You know, hiding yourself underneath your coat isn't going to stop people from talking about your body, you know that, right?" Videl could hear a moan come from underneath the coat and, seconds later, Gohan emerged.
"My life sucks," Gohan told her simply.
"Why, because you have to dress like a normal guy?" Videl asked. Gohan shook his head.
"No, because everyone is staring at me! I wish my mom had done my laundry yesterday like she said she would. But, no! She had to go shopping and leave Goten at Bulma's then decide to stay at Capsule Corp herself! Why me?" Gohan whined. Videl's eyes grew wide.
"You mean Bulma as in Bulma Briefs? The owner of Capsule Corporation?" Videl asked in hushed tones. Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, who else would I be talking about?" Gohan asked. Videl just stared.
"Gohan, don't you know that she's famous? I mean, she's only the smartest woman in the world who owns the world's biggest technology corporation," Videl whispered. Gohan looked confused.
"Well, I knew she was really smart and famous, but I didn't know she was THAT famous," Gohan said, his tone completely sincere. Videl felt like she was going to fall over from the shock. What was up with Gohan?
"Well," she said, changing the subject, "I guess you're going to have to wait until your mom can do your laundry today. So, you're going to have to put up with the normal outfit for one more day. Though, you know that your life here at Orange Star High is never going to be the same again, right?" Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fully aware of the consequences of yesterday and today's outfits. Please don't remind me," Gohan sighed, placing his jacket on the back of the chair and pulling out his notebook for class.
"At least I didn't get accosted by my, as you put it, Stripleaders," Gohan said, thankful for at least one thing. Videl chuckled.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up yet, pretty boy. You've still got the rest of the day to deal with. Especially lunch," Videl said, chuckling at the groan that Gohan emitted before banging his head against the desktop.
"Why me?" he said. Videl placed a comforting hand on his back.
"Don't worry," she said, "I'll protect you. I'm feeling generous today. But I'll figure out your secrets yet, Gohan. Remember that." Gohan lifted his head and flashed a smile at her, one that managed to turn Videl's insides to jelly.
"Don't worry. I won't forget," Gohan said before pulling out a pen and opening his notebook right before their teacher entered the class. Videl tried to calm herself down as class began.
What was that feeling all about? I'm not falling for Gohan, am I? I can't be! I told myself I would never fall for a guy, ever. But…Gohan is different…no! It doesn't matter! Videl mentally resolved, following Gohan's example and getting ready to take notes for class.
***
The dreaded lunch hour had arrived. Gohan, who normally counted down the milliseconds until lunch started, wished it had never come. Ever since Videl had mentioned the "Stripleaders", Gohan had feared the approaching lunch hour with every fiber of his being. Now that it had arrived, Gohan just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Videl sighed, an amused smile on her face.
"Come on, Gohan. Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be all right," Videl comforted. Gohan shot her a sullen look.
"Easy for you to say," Gohan grumbled, "You don't have the entire cheerleading squad chasing after you." Videl laughed, despite Gohan's condition.
"I should sure hope I don't have the cheerleading squad chasing after me. I'd have to worry about the sexual orientation of every cheerleader in this school if I did," Videl said, clearly amused by the concept of lesbian cheerleaders.
"Ha ha, very funny," Gohan said, his tone scathing.
"I'm sorry, Gohan," Videl said, tuning down the broad smile on her face. Gohan's mood did a turn-around to what it had been only a few moments before.
"Do you think they're out there?" Gohan asked, his eyes darting around in paranoia.
"Oh, I'm sure they are," Videl sighed, "But, don't worry. I'm here for you." Gohan smiled slightly.
"Thanks," Gohan said, only slightly comforted by Videl's words. Happy to have Videl by his side to help avoid his new fan club, Gohan began walking down the hallway towards the courtyard, Videl walking with him. They were silent as they walked, Gohan holding the capsule the contained not only his lunch, but Videl, Eraser, and Sharpener's as well. A few seconds later, Gohan stopped as a faint noise reached his ears.
"Do you hear something?" Gohan asked, looking around. Videl's brow furrowed and she focused her attention to her sense of hearing. After a couple moments, she shook her head.
"No, Gohan, I don't. I think you're just being paranoid," Videl admonished. Gohan shrugged.
"I guess you're right," he sighed and the two began walking again. Several seconds later, the two both stopped, both of them hearing a noise.
"You hear that, right Gohan?" Videl asked. Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, I do. I don't think I was being paranoid. What do you think that noise is?" he asked. Videl shook her head.
"I don't know. But it sounds a lot like screaming," she said. The two of them turned around as the noise grew in intensity, eventually being accompanied by the sound of people running. The noise was nearly upon them and, before Gohan knew what was happening, he had landed on the ground on his back and was completely confused as to what was going on. Standing up, he rubbed the sides of his arms, suddenly feeling a little cooler than he had a few minutes ago.
With a gasp, he realized something and looked down. His black shirt was gone, leaving only the wife beater. He turned his head to see a large group of girls, huddling and fighting over something. Focusing on the action, Gohan was able to pick up what some of them were saying.
"It's mine!"
"No, it's mine. I grabbed it first."
"Yeah, well I saw him first, so the shirt should be mine!" A dozen or so girls were screaming and fighting over a shirt, Gohan's shirt to be exact. Gohan felt like crying. Videl was currently looking over at Gohan with amusement and awe.
Wow, look at those arms! It should be against the law to have arms like that, Videl thought to herself before shaking the thought away. She turned her attention over to Gohan, who looked like he just wanted to crawl underneath a rock and die. Walking over to him, she placed a small hand on one of the arms she had just been thinking about.
"Hey, are you ok?" Videl asked. Gohan jumped slightly at the feeling of Videl's hand pressed against his bare skin.
"No," he said, his voice holding a hint of a whine, "Now I only have this flimsy little tank-top thingy for the rest of the day. I swear, Kami has it out for me." Gohan mentally yelled a curse at Dende, knowing the young, Nameksei-jin guardian would be able to hear him.
I hope he's shaking in his boots, 'cause he's gonna pay if this is his fault, Gohan thought. Videl sighed and gave Gohan's arm a firm, yet comforting squeeze.
"I'm sorry, Gohan. Don't worry. Hopefully, your mom did your laundry today so you won't have to go through this again," Videl said. Gohan sighed.
"I don't think wearing my regular clothes again is going to be any help at all. I think I'm still going to have those girls after me," Gohan resigned. Videl couldn't help but smile slightly at Gohan's pathetic attitude. Moving over so she was standing in front of him, she placed her other hand on his chest, patting it.
"Don't worry. I'll be here to protect you, remember?" Videl said, throwing Gohan a little smile before walking into the courtyard. Gohan couldn't help but stare after Videl as she walked away.
What's gotten into her? Gohan wondered, trying to puzzle out Videl's strange behavior. It's like she was flirting with me…nah, that can't be it, Gohan thought before following Videl out so he could eat his lunch, leaving his black, silk shirt behind, giving it up for a casualty in this strange war for his clothing.
***
Gohan sighed as he flew home; another day over and done with. The rest of the day had been pure torture for the young demi-Saiya-jin. With the silk shirt having disappeared during lunch hour, Gohan had been left with only the wife-beater and jeans for the rest of the day and having to endure the constant glances and giggles pointed in his direction.
"Kami, what I wouldn't give sometimes to be somebody else entirely," Gohan muttered to him self. Continuing to think about the chaos caused by the day's outfit, Gohan's thoughts took him to another train of thought.
"I'm going to have a talk with mom about this whole outfit deal. I swear she's in league with Dende. She's really trying to torture me. All of this just to get me a girlfriend. Sheesh," Gohan complained, resolved to talk with his mother when he got home. As he approached his mountain home, however, all thoughts of speaking with Chi-Chi about important clothing matters disappeared as he noticed something weird. Noticing the added ki presence in his house, Gohan groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead.
"Great, now my day can't get any worse; Trunks is at my house." Gohan knew he was up for a night of little to no sleep as the two young half Saiya-jins would no doubt be up all night long.
"My life is a big cosmic joke, I swear," Gohan sighed as he lowered himself down onto the large grassy lawn in front of his house. The moment he touched the ground, the front door opened and two blurs came running out of the house at top speeds.
"GOHAN!" the twin cry was and, before Gohan knew what was happening, he was being tackled to the ground by Goten and Trunks, who seemed to want him to play with them.
"Hey, onii-chan, can you play with us? Huh, huh, huh??" Goten exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Trunks agreed, "It would be so cool of you would play games with us!" Gohan picked both of the kids up by the backs of their shirts and held them away as he peeled himself from the ground.
"After I do my homework," Gohan announced, a small smile tugging at his features; despite the fact that they were annoying at times, Gohan couldn't help but admit that they were quite adorable. Twin pouts appeared on both Trunks and Goten's faces.
"How long will that take, onii-chan?" Goten asked.
"Not too long," Gohan replied, "Only about an hour or so. I'm sure you two can find something to do until then. So, what do you want to do after I finish my homework?" Trunks and Goten looked at each other, smiling widely.
"We wanna spar," Trunks said. Gohan chuckled; they were definitely Saiya-jin.
"Yeah," Goten said, "We wanna spar with you like you spar with Vegeta." Gohan raised an eyebrow at that remark.
"I don't think you guys are quite at that level yet," Gohan explained. Gohan, over the years, had become Vegeta's number 1 sparring partner, seeing how as Gohan was the only Saiya-jin, half or no, to have reached the second Super Saiya-jin level. Vegeta sparred with Gohan all the time in an effort to learn how it was done, but he seemed to be getting nowhere fast.
Oh well. At least we're both keeping up our skills, Gohan thought, setting Goten and Trunks back on the ground.
"Now, you guys go and play for a while and I'll come find you when I finish my homework, ok?" Goten and Trunks both nodded before running off, leaving Gohan alone outside. Shaking his head in humor at the two kids, Gohan walked across the lawn and into the open door.
"Mom, I'm home!" Gohan announced, taking off his shoes before moving into the house.
"How was school, Gohan?" his mother's voice sounded from the kitchen.
"If only you knew," Gohan muttered under his breath as he entered the kitchen.
"It was fine, mom," Gohan said for his mom, not wanting to get her worried. He spotted his mom sitting at the kitchen table, a distinct frazzled look on her face.
"Trunks and Goten getting to you again, eh?" Gohan asked, a small smile encroaching his lips as he sat at the table next to Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi sighed with resignation.
"As always. But, I did agree to have Trunks over tonight. It was only fair since Goten stayed over at Bulma's last night," Chi-Chi explained, "Oh, by the way, Bulma and Vegeta are coming over for dinner." Gohan paled slightly.
"They aren't staying over night, are they?" Gohan asked, well aware of Bulma and Vegeta's ritual nightly activities, ones he didn't want to have to listen to as he tried to sleep. Chi-Chi shook her head vehemently.
"Oh, no, they've just coming over to eat dinner. You know Vegeta wouldn't ever sleep at this house unless his life depended on it. Maybe not even then," Chi-Chi said, chuckling slightly. Gohan sighed with relief.
"Good," Gohan breathed, "Well, I'm going to do my homework and then I'm going to play with Trunks and Goten for a while. Tell me when dinner's ready, ok?" Chi-Chi nodded and watched as Gohan stood and started walking out of the kitchen. That's when she noticed something strange.
"Gohan, where's the black silk shirt I gave you to wear today?" Chi-Chi questioned. Gohan froze for a few seconds before slowly turning around, an apprehensive look on his face.
"Well, you see, that's kinda a funny story. I wore it to school and all, but during lunch, a whole bunch of cheerleaders attacked me and stole my shirt. I'm pretty sure that it's probably in pieces by now," Gohan said, watching carefully for his mother's reaction. Chi-Chi looked for a second like she was going to lose it, but at the last minute, calmed down and sighed.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. At least girls are finally noticing you," Chi-Chi said. Gohan nearly fell over from shock and embarrassment. Shaking his head, Gohan turned to leave when question popped into his head.
"Oh, mom, by the way, did you do my laundry today?" Chi-Chi looked at her son, an apologetic look on her face, as she shook her head.
"No, I'm sorry. I had every intention of doing it today, I really did, but I've been handling Trunks and Goten all day and now I have to make dinner to feed four Saiya-jins. I'm not going to be able to do it until tomorrow. I'm really sorry, Gohan," Chi-Chi said. Gohan couldn't find it in himself to be mad at his mother so he pushed aside the issue.
"It's ok, mom. I understand. I'll be ok for one more day," Gohan said, partially lying. Oh, sure, he understood why his mom couldn't do his laundry; he just wasn't sure he could last one more day as poor, little exposed him. Chi-Chi smiled thankfully at her son, watching him turn and go upstairs to do his homework, thinking to herself that Kami had blessed her with giving her such a wonderful son.
***
A few hours later, at the Satan mansion, young Satan Videl stood in her private gym, beating the snot out of a poor punching bag that had done nothing except exist to be, well, punched. Videl felt her tension sliding away as she let loose every punch and kick. How such a simple thing as a punching bag could help Videl calm down.
But, the reason why she was so tense wasn't quite so simple. She had resigned herself to be utterly in love with Son Gohan and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it except hope that he felt the same way.
I can't believe I've fallen in love with him in almost a couple of days, Videl exclaimed mentally. But, she knew that was a lie. She had been in love with Gohan for a while and hadn't even known about it. What she had thought as a deep friendship with Gohan had actually been an attraction to his personality, a personality which complimented hers so well.
It hadn't been until the day before that she realized she was so physically attracted to him, that the sight of him made her feel a desire she had never before experienced. And it scared the hell out of her because she just didn't know how to handle it.
What am I supposed to do? Go up to him and tell him I'm in love with him? He'll laugh at me! Videl thought, knowing that wasn't true either, that she was just exaggerating. No, he'll probably be really sweet about it, but say that he doesn't feel the same way, Videl sighed as her punches and kicks slowed until the stopped all together. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Videl trudged up to her room to get cleaned up.
After a quick shower, during which she couldn't stop thinking about Gohan no matter how hard she tried, Videl dressed in pajamas and deposited herself onto her bed.
"Well, might as well do some homework. Maybe that'll get my mind off of Gohan," Videl mumbled. However, it wasn't to be that easy. Videl found that the only homework she had to do was her math homework, which she had completely forgotten to write down as she had been too busy staring at Gohan.
"Damn him, he's turned me into a love-sick fool!" she exclaimed as she reached over for her phone. Searching through her electronic phone book, she finally found Gohan's number. He had given it to her after she asked, claiming that if she ever needed help on her homework, Gohan would be the only person who could help her. Pressing the talk button, Videl held the phone to her ear, her heart pounding erratically as she awaited an answer on the other side.
***
Meanwhile, at the Son household, dinner currently held sway. Both the Briefs' family and the Son family were totally enthralled in dinner…well, at least those of them that had Saiya-jin blood were. Bulma and Chi-Chi slowly ate their food, practically picking at it, as they watched Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks eat like they hadn't eaten in a week, which pretty much summed up how a Saiya-jin always ate.
Suddenly, in the middle of dinner, the phone rang. Swallowing his food, Goten sprung up from his chair.
"I'll get it!" he exclaimed. Not too long ago, he had been given permission from Chi-Chi to answer the phone, a privilege he took joy in partaking of all the time. Practically bouncing over to the phone, he picked it up from its cradle and pressed the talk button.
"Hello?" he asked. On the other side, Videl was slightly taken aback. By all the responses she had been prepared to receive, she hadn't been expecting the voice of a little boy.
"Um, is this the Son residence?" Videl asked slowly. Goten smiled and nodded.
"Uh-huh, it is," Goten said. Videl sighed audibly, relieved that she had the right number.
"Is Gohan there?" A mischievous smile spread over Goten's face.
"Yeah, hold on," Goten said, pulling the phone away from his ear, "Gohan! The phone's for you. It's a girl!" Videl blushed slightly as she heard Goten's voice call out, able to hear the entire conversation on the other side of the phone; it sounded like there were a whole bunch of people over at Gohan's house.
"Who is it?" Gohan asked.
"She didn't say. I bet she's one of your girlfriends," Goten teased.
"Oh, Bulma, isn't that great! Gohan has a girlfriend!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. Bulma giggled slightly.
"And before you know it, he'll be getting married," Bulma supplied.
"And having children! Ahh, grandchildren…" Chi-Chi sighed.
"Mom! Bulma!" Gohan exclaimed, "You guys are way jumping to conclusion. I don't have a girlfriend and I'm way too young to think about marriage and children."
"Yeah right, Gohan," Trunks said, joining Goten in the teasing, "I bet she's your girlfriend. Ooh, kissy, kissy!" Gohan rolled his eyes as he stood up.
"Very funny, Trunks," Gohan said as he took the phone from Goten, aware that all eyes in the kitchen were on him.
"Hello?" Gohan said. Videl jolted back into reality at the sound of Gohan's voice.
"Hey, Gohan. It's me, Videl," she responded. Gohan blushed at his end of the phone.
"Oh, hi Videl," Gohan said.
"You have a very interesting family, you know," Videl said, amusement clear in her voice. Gohan's blushed deepened.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Gohan sighed, "And they're not all my family. But they're embarrassing none the less. I mean, mom and Bulma are always pushing about girls and Goten and Trunks are always thinking up another prank to pull on me when they're not begging me to play with them." Videl paused as she realized something.
"Wait, Bulma Briefs is at your house? Eating dinner with you?" Videl asked.
"Yeah," Gohan answered, "She and her family come over all the time. It's not that big of a deal, Videl."
"Maybe for you, it's not," Videl grumbled. There was a short pause during which neither of them knew what to say.
"So," Gohan finally spoke up, "Why did you call?" Gohan was painfully aware that he had stuttered during that question and felt the blush spread over his cheeks. Before he could hear Videl's answer, however, his eyebrows raised in question as Vegeta stood up and walked over to where Gohan was standing.
"Vegeta, what are you doing?" Gohan asked. Videl stopped mid-sentence as she realized that Gohan wasn't listening to her anymore, that he was addressing a mysterious third party, a person named Vegeta.
"I decided to get myself involved. I have to find out what girl you've picked to be your mate," Vegeta said matter-of-factly.
"What?" Gohan exclaimed.
"Well, I surmised from the way you were blushing that she's to be your mate and I have to talk to her," Vegeta said, a smirk evident on his face. Gohan knew from that smirk that there would be no good if he let Vegeta talk to Videl. On Videl's end, she was blushing to the roots of her hair. Even though she was a little confused as to why this Vegeta person used the word "mate", she understood the basics of the conversation.
Gohan gasped as Vegeta moved with super-speed and grabbed the phone. Gohan grabbed the phone, not able to get it away from Vegeta, but still preventing Vegeta from placing the phone to his ear.
"Hey, brat, what do you think you're doing!" Vegeta exclaimed.
"Give me back the phone, Vegeta," Gohan demanded. Videl could hear the anger in Gohan's voice as he spoke those words. Vegeta, meanwhile, pulled the phone closer to him.
"Like I would ever take orders from you, brat. You should let me have the phone as I am your prince and don't you forget it." Gohan pulled the phone as well, pulling Vegeta towards him until their faces were inches apart. Gohan fixed his best glare at Vegeta and found that he meant it.
"Vegeta, if you don't give me the phone back right now, I'll kick your fucking ass from here to the moon and back, got it?" Gohan threatened in a low voice so those in the kitchen wouldn't be able to hear him. Videl was shocked at Gohan's words; she had never heard Gohan so pissed before. Vegeta regarded Gohan for several moments before relinquishing his hold on the phone.
"Fine, brat, you have the phone back. I don't need to talk to her after all. The way you're acting makes it all clear," Vegeta said with a wave of his hand as he walked back to the table and resumed eating. Gohan sighed in relief as he pressed the phone back to his ear.
"Sorry about that. Vegeta's a pain in the butt," Gohan said, moving into the living room to separate himself from the rest of the group.
"It's ok," Videl stuttered slightly, "You sure sounded mad, though."
"That's because he knows all the right buttons to push and he does it expertly. I guess you could say it comes from years of practice, being married to Bulma and all," Gohan said as he sat down at the couch, "So, back to why you called. Do you have a question or something?" Gohan asked.
"Well, kinda. You see, I forgot to write down the math homework in class today. You think you could give it to me?"
"Sure thing!" Gohan exclaimed as he rushed upstairs, "Just let me get it out." After finding his homework, he relayed that night's math assignment over to Videl. Thanking him, Videl let him get back to dinner and hung up the phone.
Gohan sighed as he turned off the phone and walked back downstairs. Replacing the phone in its cradle, he walked into the kitchen and was relieved to see that his dinner hadn't been touched. As he sat back at the table, Trunks and Goten looked over at him, mischievous smiles on their faces.
"Kissy, kissy," they both laughed.
"Oh, shut up," Gohan grumbled before focusing all his attention back onto his food.
------------
Heehee...poor Gohan, tortured mercilessly by friends and family. Hey, this is a Gohan-Torture story, so it's allowed!