The Bonds Of Time

By:
Ashley M. D.

WindGuardian87

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Dragon Ball Z Characters or anything else created by the very talented Akira Toriyama.

Pairing: Gohan/Videl

Rating: PG-13 (For Violence, MILD Language, and SOME Lemon)

Chapter Two

The bell for the beginning of school to start rang and the students of Orange Star High School headed towards their classes. Gohan had already been sitting down in his chair in his English classroom, with his eyes fixed straight ahead to the wall, not paying attention to anyone as they came in, especially Videl when she'd sat next to him.

His ignoring everyone was not completely intentional. He was not angry with Videl but he couldn't take his mind of certain things, one reason being that he did care for Videl, and he knew it, but he couldn't show his feelings for her. He knew because of his power, heritage, everything about him that the world didn't know, but a small group of people did, that there would be others out for power as well as out to kill him. And he didn't think he could take that pressure anymore, he would not go to any lengths to put Videl in danger.

Gohan was brought back to consciousness when his English professor yelled out his name, calling his attention to avert to the lecture his professor was giving.

"I don't know vhat is vrong vith you Gohan, but you have a veeks vorth of vodka to catch up on and I vill not tolerate any slip-up's." she said scolding him.

"Yes Ma'am." Gohan replied and began taking notes of her lecture.

The class passed in a slow motion, to where it seemed as if it would never end. And Gohan just sat in a kind of stupor, not really paying attention, and for the first time his mind was blank. But the second the bell rang for the class to leave he was brought back to reality.

His simple reality check angered him somehow. It was the first time in a while that he'd been able to get his pressing thoughts out of his mind, or at least to stop thinking about them for a while.

And though he was paying close attention in his next class, he was extremely tense, and there was one person in particular that noticed. The class ended and he let out a long breath or some form of relief. But little did he or anyone else know that this beginning of tense feeling was the beginning of something horrible yet, wonderful.

As the rest of Gohan's classmates left for their homes after school let out, he left for one of the empty unused classrooms. When he entered, closing the door behind him it was dark and somewhat dusty, the only light was being let in was from the cracks of the window that the blinds didn't cover. Gohan moved over to the darkest corner of the room, removed his bag and let it drop onto the floor and he slid down the wall and sat in the corner.

For every moment that had passed in the past week felt like an eternity to him, time did not pass fast enough, especially today, every second was torture that he could not get Videl out of his mind, his feeling for her were longed for, but he would not give into them, and for one reason, she would only be harmed, if not now, in the future. And feeling the pain now, in his mind would always be much better than the mere thought of her being harmed and ever let give in to his feelings and hurt more in the end.

And just at the thought of Videl being harmed, he took his head out of his hands, looked forward at nothing and clenched his hands, he not noticed how hard he was holding his fists until there was a soft rap at the door, Gohan unclenched his hands only to find that they were trickling with blood, which he wrapped in a handkerchief he took from his bag. As he'd finished wrapping his hands to stop the little blood trailing from his fists, the door opened and someone entered shutting the door behind them. He looked up to see who came into the darkened classroom, it was Videl.

"What do you want?" Gohan said in a shaky voice, not intending to sound rude as he did.

"Gohan, are you alright?" Videl asked kneeling down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder after she dropped her bag next to Gohan's'.

"I'm f – fine. Just g – go back to lunch, leave me alone. P – Please."

"Gohan you're not. You're trembling." Videl said worried as she watched Gohan as he was shaking a bit more violently than before. "What's wrong? Gohan, you can tell me!"

Gohan shut his eyes tight; he was breathing heavily now, and could not stop shaking. And what was more; he didn't know why any of this was happening. And though it didn't look it, he was in pain. And Videl became a little more worried at this sight.

"No..." Gohan said through gritted teeth as he brushed Videl's hand off his shoulder. He seemed to have to try to talk as he was having difficulty speaking. "I – I c – can't! W – W – Wouldn't understand."

Videl just looked at him for a moment, scared. He was in pain. He was truly in some kind of internal pain that he could not, though as hard as he was trying, stop at any rate.

"What wouldn't I understand Gohan? And why is it causing you so much pain?"

"It isn't all you, b – but the part w – with you is the only part I – I un – under – st – stand. I – I can't be with you Videl... Y – you'd be harmed, be – because you'd be n – near me... You'd be m – my we – weakness."

"Gohan, I don't care! I can take care of my self... You're my only concern right now... Don't worry about me Gohan, I am all right and I will be all right."

Videl said these words as if it weren't he speaking them. She knew it wasn't her for any second that spoke these words. For the person who had said them had cared for someone else as – as... well someone who meant more than anything to her.

It had begun here, it wasn't something much to be proud of... But the one person to have broken through her icy outer rim was the first, let alone the part not to be proud of was that, she was broken by another's pain. And by pain, anything by pain was never good, but it sometimes could have led to something good.

As she said these words, Gohan looked up at her. Confused at her words. But somewhat calmer, he not longer stuttered as he spoke.

"Videl... I couldn't do that. I won't do that. I won't put you in the path of inevitable destruction that finds me... that always finds me. If anything ever happened to you –"

"Nothing will happen. Take a chance Gohan... and if by some chance something did happen, it wouldn't be your fault, and it wouldn't be the worst thing."

"Yes..." Gohan said looking down at his knees. "Yes it would..." And as he lifted his head to look at the girl before him, he said "And that's why I'll never let anything happen to you. I'll steak my life on it."

They looked at one another, moving closer with every passing moment, hearts pounding, fear drowning, passion rising, and finally sealing the small gap between them with a passionate kiss. A kiss to where everything around them, every fear, every worry, just everything in the world... forgotten.

Gohan moved forward as Videl lay back... Everything became a blur from there... even if it was the shortest of times, it was still a wonderful blur. (AND FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO THING THEY'RE GONNA READ SOME HOT SEXY PASSIONATE LOVE SCENE THIS AIN'T IT! SO WAIT!)

AUTHORS NOTE: No nothing like you thought in this chapter. And I know it ain't very long but deal with it... I'm in school now and have to concentrat4e on grades, it's my senior year and I have to seriously buckle down... But thanks for the reviews of that last chapter... Review for me some so I know that you want another chapter... This is my first DBZ story so please no flames but I will accept constructive, non-vulgar, non-discriminatory criticism from any angle.

See ya next chapter...

WindGuardian87

Ashley