Lone Survivor:
A.N.19/04/04 – Thanks for all the encouraging reviews! ^_^ My pc had major problem and I was eventually disconnected from the Internet *sniff* but meh, problem solved and I'm back ^_^ Yay! Heheh, back with another chapter too! Enjoy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
Chapter 11: Pizza: the food of forgiveness!
A luke warm shower instantly refreshed Videl, followed by brushing away the stale taste from her teeth, and finally changing into the clean underwear and spare clothes Bulma had placed on a chair; straight, worn-out jeans and a baggy, short-sleeved mauve t-shirt that reached her hips. She felt quite snug in the slightly oversized t-shirt and jeans that fit loosely around her slim waist. However, even though she'd revealed her secret to Bulma, her next big step wasn't confronting Gohan, not yet anyway.
He sat downstairs in the lounge, his eyes fixed on the numerous steaming pizza boxes on the coffee table infront of him. The tasty aroma drifted out of the boxes and teased his nasal senses.
"They smell sooo good," chirped Bulma as she walked into the room carrying 3 tall glasses of orange juice on a tray, placing them next to the pizza. She glanced at Gohan who remained silent, frowning at his sullen eyes. He looked like he wasn't even on the same planet anymore. "She'll be down Gohan, don't worry so much."
He wasn't so sure however. For starters, what was he going to say to her? What was SHE gonna say to him? Having an argument infront of Bulma really didn't appeal to him at all, and it wouldn't be very respectful either considering he'd kept Bulma up all night with his problems. He watched in silence as Bulma lifted the flap of the 1st pizza box to reveal a piping hot, extra large pizza, complete with a pepperoni topping with extra cheese, just how he liked it. She handed it over to Gohan, who just couldn't resist the temptation and dug right in. He hadn't eaten since his school lunch after all. As Bulma turned the TV on and began to channel surf for a good movie, Gohan started to remind himself of that day, well, yesterday's activities, considering the fact that it was 2:30am. He couldn't believe all that had happened, all in just once day! Was such a thing even possible? He started to hope that he'd wake up pretty soon and realise it was all just one really bad dream.
Videl stood at the top of the stairs, for how long, she didn't know. She thought about her two options; go downstairs, or, stay upstairs. However, even if she did choose option number two, she'd be forced to make the same decision again a few hours later, until she eventually did choose option number two. It was just one vicious cycle...er,....never mind.
"Ugh, I'm giving myself another headache! C'mon Videl, are you gonna let this guy push you around like this? Since when did you become so weak? All you have to do is march down there, say sorry to the twerp, and then dig in to that succulent, cheesy, hot.... Mmmm."
She began to drool, the smell of the pizza overtaking her entire senses.
"Stupid Saiyan appetite! But I haven't eaten in sooooo damn long! Neeed Fooood!!"
Her feet seemed to develop a mind of their own as she unconsciously began to descend one step at a time slowly, until there were no more steps left to take.
Gohan's ears pricked as he heard footsteps echoing off the wooden staircase. 'Either my mind's playing tricks on me, or that's Videl. Okay Gohan, stay calm, remain seated, just act cool.'
"Hi there Videl! Nice of you to finally join us. Want some pizza?" Gohan couldn't help grinning at Bulma's chirpy attitude.
'So far so good, just let Bulma do all the talking.' He side-glanced towards the door to see her standing there, looking a little timid. He turned to Bulma who raised an eyebrow slightly at him, and he cleared his throat. "Erm....I ordered your fave. Margarita with extra cheese, right?" He smiled to himself as he remembered Videl's first pizza, and how she'd been so amazed at the stretchy cheese.
Videl couldn't stop her eyebrows from rising at Gohan's comment. 'He actually remembered?' She couldn't quite figure out if it was 'sad', or sweet. But the sound of his voice reminded her how much she'd strangely, missed it. 'I think I'm slowly but surely going crazy.'
"Erm...thanks." She managed to mutter in a grouchy voice, and sat down in one of the armchairs, neglecting any manners she might've had as she put her feet up. A smile tugged at the corners of Bulma's lips, and she made eyebrow and eye movements at Gohan, trying to encourage him. But Gohan wasn't the only person in the room to notice the strange gestures.
"Bulma, erm, are you alright? I mean, your eyes keep twitching."
Gohan nearly banged his head on the table, 'great, can Bulma be anymore obvious?'
Bulma however, simply laughed nervously, running a hand through her blue hair as she thought of a response to Videl's comment. "Just tired honey..." Her voice drifted, and Gohan plucked up the courage to keep the conversation moving, he owed it to Bulma at least.
"So, erm, Videl?" She looked up, avoiding his eyes as she nibbled on her pizza. "Er...how, ....how are you feeling now?"
"Fine."
She had to give it to him, at least he was trying to make conversation. As she looked away to chew on the rubber like cheese, Videl began to think over her last words, or, word rather. 'Meh, maybe I should just play along with this stupid charade. If he's making the effort to please Bulma, guess I should too. We both owe her that.'
"Erm, thanks for asking."
He raised an eyebrow at her additional reply, but still had the 'is that IT!?' thought in his head. 'I spend my evening hunting her down, worry the hell outta my mom, carry her all the way over to Bulma's, sit through embarrassing conversations, worry about her, try to nurse her back to health, worry some more, then ALL I get is THAT!!?' He clenched his fists as he tried to control his rising anger and frustration. At just that moment, in perfect timing, the phone rang. Bulma slumped her shoulders and sighed, not wanting to leave them alone incase they were at each other's throats when she returned.
"Uh...I'll be right back."
She literally dashed to the phone, and Gohan used his heightened Saiyan hearing to listen in. From the nervous tone of Bulma's voice, it was probably ChiChi on the other end. Gohan slumped in his seat, placing the now empty pizza box onto the increasing pile on the coffee table, glancing at Videl as he did so. She was too busy munching to notice, but her cold expression remained, and she stared ahead as though she had a lot on her mind. Surprisingly, she suddenly turned, staring at him straight in the eye.
"You can drop the whole goody-goody act you know, now that Bulma's left."
"E-excuse me?" He couldn't believe his ears, had she actually said that!?
"You heard me." His eyebrows rose, but she didn't stop there. "I know you wanted to put a brave face on for Bulma, so I played along. But now, you can just cut the crap and act normal."
"But I w-"
"Don't worry about my stuff, I'll get Trunks to pick it up or something. I mean, I'll be too busy training to worry about pathetic items of clothing."
"WHA!?"
"Oh, and I'll just tell Orange Star that my vacations over, or something like that. I'm sure my not being there won't affect anything. You'll certainly be glad to see the back of me."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!"
Videl jumped back into her seat as far as she could as Gohan suddenly stood up with an outburst. She stared up at him with wide eyes, almost cowering since the chair made her even shorter and he was so tall.
"Enough Videl! Don't you know when to stop?" Her silence said it all, and so, he continued. "What the hell was all that about? Explain."
Videl cleared her throat, plucking up her courage again as she squared her shoulders. "I was talking about me moving here. I know that I'm not wanted back at your house anymore, especially after tonight"
"Excuse me? Who told you that!?"
"I took the hint...." He slumped his shoulders and sighed turning his eyes away momentarily to collect his thoughts. She was only slightly right, if and when ChiChi found out what had happened, she wouldn't be very pleased at all.
"And what, or who rather, gave you that idea?"
"You should know."
"Videl, we're not gonna get anywhere if you keep giving me short replies. How many times do we have to start over, huh?" She simply shrugged this time, bored of the whole subject. "It's always the same with you."
"What the hell do you mean by that!!?" This time she stood up with swift Saiyan agility, sending Gohan back a step. "I could say the same about YOU!!"
"Calm down or you'll make yourself ill again. I'm not in the mood to play 'nurse' all over again." She raised an eyebrow at the comment, resting a hand on her hip.
"Since when did you play nurse? The only person who gave a shit was Bulma!"
"Wrong. But you pumped your blood system with so much SHIT, no wonder you don't remember. Just, just what possessed you to do that anyway?"
"Why bother even asking? Don't you know by now that I don't answer to you?" He sighed again, this time louder through his heightening frustration.
"Because I care, that's why. Because, maybe I hoped, that just for once, you'd actually tell me something. I think I have a right to know after tonight especially."
She eventually calmed down at his words, leaning on the side of the chair. She hated it when people spoke about their emotions; it made her actually think about her own and that was a dangerous area. Videl kept her eyes averted, looking at the floor to the side of Gohan's feet. She smiled to herself; he was still wearing his geeky school clothes.
"I don't understand, how, you could care about someone, like, ....me." Her heart suddenly skipped a beat as she felt his gentle, warm touch on her chin. He turned her head to face him, which also forced her eyes to lock onto his, then dance slightly as she still attempted to avert his gentle gaze.
"And I don't understand, why someone wouldn't."
His words tugged at her heart, and she felt herself choking back tears, trying not to succumb to such weaknesses, but that was useless. Once the floodgate was opened, there was no stopping it. To Gohan's surprise, she suddenly flung herself towards him, letting his firm chest catch her fall as she supported herself by putting her arms around his neck. A hug: such a simply gesture, usually taken for granted. But for a child who was never hugged, it becomes something very special, only given and received in times of importance.
Gohan felt his cheeks grow warm as they coloured, and gingerly placed his arms tenderly around Videl's back as she trembled and sobbed into his chest. Of course, when the moment was over, and the tears had dried up, they would both feel awkward. But for now, they both relished in the moment, enjoying each other's company, for once. Whether it was the words exchanged, an animal attraction, or both, who knows, but the time for malicious words to be exchanged was strangely but hopefully over, for now at least.
Meanwhile, Bulma finally plucked up the courage to hang up on ChiChi's irritatingly loud voice. The consequences would mean another phone call and an addition to her aching ears, so she pulled out the plug as she walked back towards the lounge. However, the sight that met her eyes startled her; forcing her to take a step back slightly as she squinted her eyes to check that she wasn't seeing things. Who had hugged whom though, she wondered? Why weren't they at each other's throats? Not that it mattered, but Bulma silently cursed ChiChi for phoning at such a crucial moment, and wished she could've used the time wasted on the phone to spy on the two teen Saiyans.
'Well, at least the time alone was spent well. Best let them enjoy the moment.' Bulma grinned to herself as she retreated silently into the kitchen on her tiptoes. Meanwhile, Videl finally moved away from Gohan slightly, frantically trying to wipe her eyes as Gohan moved his arms from her back, his cheeks flushed slightly. Videl folded her arms across her chest as she kept her eyes focused on a spot on the carpet again, her lower lip trembling still and her head pounding slightly. Cue awkward moment. Gohan put a hand on the back of his neck as he too looked down, wondering what to say. However, Videl did the job for him, speaking in quiet mutters and avoiding his eyes.
"I'm sorry Gohan, I'm so, so sorry." He suddenly stared at her, removing the hand from his neck in shock. "I don't know why I did what I did, or why I keep pushing you away either. But, I'm sorry."
"No, don't apologise Videl." She suddenly looked up to finally meet his concerned ebony eyes.
"Why? I owe you an apology Gohan. At lease let me do something right. Kame, I'm such a screw-up."
"No you're not. I won't let you take all the blame Videl. I owe you an apology as much as you owe me one, maybe even more so." She exhaled sharply, clenching her jaw as she struggled to put her words together.
"Gohan, don't be so stupid! Just let me apologise dammit, and accept my apology!" Sensing another argument boiling up again, Gohan finally submitted, slumping his shoulders as he sighed, pausing for a while before speaking.
"Fine," Videl raised her eyebrows at him as he finally spoke, leaving her time to calm herself slightly. "I accept your apology, if you accept mine. I shouldn't have forced you to open up to me against your will. I shouldn't have been so over-protective, and I should've respected your decisions." To his surprise, the corners of her mouth tugged into a weak smile, an expression that tugged at his heartstrings and made him feel all warm inside, like hot chocolate on a cold day. ^_^
"But, where would I be now if you weren't watching over me? True, you can be a real pain in the ass at high school, but look at all the detentions you got me out of!" Gohan's cheeks flushed red even more, and he returned a hand to the back of his neck again as he chuckled nervously. Videl couldn't help smirking at the 'cute' gesture he'd inherited from his father.
"Heh, not that many to be honest." He quickly struggled to change the subject before she embarrassed him anymore. "But, where do we go from here? I mean, are you really gonna move here? Because, well," he paused to exhale sharply, avoiding her eyes. "I don't want you to leave Videl. I mean, not over something like this. Of course, if you want to, then, by all means..."
"Gohan," Videl suddenly interrupted him before he rambled any further. "I've decided, not too leave. Not yet anyway. Gotta give that damn school another go, right? And, make some amends too."
"That's the spirit!" Gohan's smile soon faded however as Videl's words began to make more sense to him. "Wait, don't tell me..."
"Yup. You really think I'm gonna let those jerks get away? Hell no!"
Before Videl could continue, and way before Gohan could protest, Bulma's voice yelled from the kitchen, startling them both slightly.
"It's late you know, how about calling it a night? You guys want some hot chocolate before you hit the sack?"
"Yes please Bulma!"
"That would be great Bulma!"
The two Saiyans grinned at each other as they answered at the same time, and Gohan stifled a yawn as he collapsed onto the sofa, followed by Videl next to him.
"Man, what a day."
"Yup."
Gohan turned his head slightly to look at Videl, whose eyes were lightly closed as she calmly rested. He turned to copy her position, only to suddenly hear her voice as soon as he'd closed his eyes.
"Gohan?"
"Mm hmm?" She smiled, but kept her eyes closed, as did he.
"Did you really play nursemaid?"
"Uh huh." Laughter filled the room suddenly and the blush returned to Gohan's cheeks yet again as Videl giggled. "Wouldn't you do the same for me?"
Now it was Videl's turn to blush however, and she abruptly stopped laughing, opening her eyes to see Gohan staring back at her seriously.
"Well....erm...eheh, what kind of a question is that?" Gohan responded with a shrug, and once again closed his eyes.
"I dunno, ask yourself, I was simply returning your question." Videl raised an eyebrow as a smirk formed on Gohan's lips that even Vegeta would've been proud of. She couldn't help but tell herself how attractive he looked when he pulled that expression, not that he wasn't extremely good looking anyway. But right now was the perfect example of the witty charm he turned on every now and then that left her speechless and very embarrassed.
"Now, do my ears deceive me, or does Videl have nothing to say for a change?" Before she could retort to his comment however, Bulma walked into the room carrying a tray of three steaming mugs, which she placed on the coffee table.
"Here we are, careful, they're very hot." Videl and Gohan sat forwards slightly as Bulma nestled herself in an armchair. Too tired for words, the pair of them offered smiles now and then as they sat in silence. Bulma smiled like a Cheshire cat, trying to pretend that she hadn't noticed the friendly gestures.
'How ironic,' she told herself as she ushered the two of them upstairs, telling them they needed their rest. 'They just came together on their own. How cute! Aw, I wish ChiChi wasn't pissed with me! And where the hell is Vegeta when you need him!?'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
That night, Videl slept extremely well, so well infact, that when she eventually opened her eyes, the sun had already risen and was shinning through the drawn curtains. It would've been the perfect start to the day, since Videl guessed that it was way beyond morning, had it not been from the muffled shouts coming from downstairs. Videl could only match the fiery voice to one person: ChiChi. The thought of Gohan's feisty mother make Videl groan and pull the covers over her head, trying to escape from what awaited her downstairs. However, that did very little, if anything at all, to block out the shrieks from downstairs, and a little voice in Videl's head kept telling her to face her problems.
'Easy to say,' she told herself as she got up and stretched. 'Not so easy to do.' The thought of the grilling ChiChi would undoubtedly give her was already giving Videl a headache. 'Better get it over with then...'
Gohan sat downstairs, his back pressed against the sofa as far as it would go. Next to him sat his father, while Bulma desperately tried to calm the screaming ChiChi down as she yelled at anyone and everyone.
"ChiChi please, Gohan's recovering from a stressful day, and-"
"Oh, OH!! Well Gohan wasn't the only one who had a stressful day yesterday! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN. AND YOU BULMA!! HOW DARE YOU KEEP THINGS FROM ME!!!!"
"ChiChi, please, try to calm down and be more reasonable."
"REASONABLE? HOW DARE YOU!"
"CHICHI! I'M LOSING MY PATIENCE HERE!"
"WELL I LOST MINE 18 HOURS AGO! Goku! You tell them, tell them how much sleep I had last night!" ChiChi, who had just slightly calmed herself, placed a trembling hand over her forehead.
"Erm, well, I'm not quite sure honey. Heh, I must've fallen asleep straight away come to think of it." Gohan side-glanced at his father, wishing that sometimes, like now for instance, he could warn him before he said something stupid.
"GOKU!! YOU'RE MEANT TO BE SUPPORTING ME HERE!!" Goku slumped back in the sofa, slightly frightened, and then turned a little serious.
"Sorry ChiChi, I am being supportive. But, well, you haven't really given Gohan and Bulma chance to explain themselves. Isn't that a little, well, unfair?" He cringed as ChiChi shot dagger eyes at him, raising his hands as if to say 'please don't hurt me!' However, ChiChi sighed loudly and sat down on the edge on an armchair, folding her arms as she stared at both Bulma and Gohan.
"Go ahead then, explain yourselves."
Bulma and Gohan looked at each other, then started at the same time.
"Well, you see-"
"Well, you see-"
ChiChi's eyebrow twitched as the pair of them chuckled, then argued over who should start first.
"Okay Bulma, go ahead."
"Gohan, I really think you should go first."
"No really, I insist."
"But Gohan, it's your duty to explain this to your mother."
"SOMEBODY GET TO IT BEFORE I COMPLETELY FLIP!"
Bulma and Gohan once again looked at each other, but this time, Gohan lowered his head slightly, and then looked straight at ChiChi.
"Mom, this is, all-"
"It's all my fault Mrs.Son."
All eyes turned to the doorway, and Gohan gaped at the girl who stood there. Several eyebrows rose, but ChiChi folded her arms, frowning more than ever.
"I KNEW IT!" She suddenly stood up, and within seconds she was storming over to Videl, fists clenched. Goku suddenly leaped up to restrain his wife, while Gohan automatically went to Videls side. Bulma stayed in the middle.
"ChiChi, please, for Kame's sake! Let Videl explain herself before you make judgements!" ChiChi shot dagger eyes at her husband, how softly held her back with his hands at her arms. Videl stepped forwards, her voice almost monotonous.
"I got myself into trouble after school. It was all my own fault for getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. If it wasn't for Gohan, I.....I don't know where I'd be right now, or what mess I'd be in. So if you have to blame anyone, then blame me. I got Gohan involved; he was just worried about me, for leaving without a word. And Bulma, she was only trying to help. Please don't hold this against her. I completely understand if you want me to leave your place though."
"No," now Gohan stepped forwards, staring at the bewildered ChiChi. "I'm to blame too. I sad some things to Videl, before she left that is. I was completely out of order, so, if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't of left the house."
"I would've called you ChiChi," it was now Bulma's turn. Much to her delight, ChiChi had calmed down, her eyes slightly tearful. Obviously the stress and pressure had gotten to her, and being a mother herself, Bulma could completely relate to her. "But, Gohan and Videl needed to sort out their issues first. I didn't think you'd be that worried, seeing as I did tell you they were staying here."
Silence followed, but it didn't last too long as ChiChi suddenly flung herself at Gohan, hugging him tightly.
"Don't you ever, EVER, do that to me again Gohan!" She pulled away to shake his shoulders at the word 'ever,' then hugged him once again. Gohan sighed and relaxed. He never wanted to hurt his mother, but it was difficult when she worried so much. He knew that it was about time she came to terms with the fact that he wasn't a little boy anymore. But, now wasn't the time to bring up that. ChiChi pulled away once again, wiping tearful eyes. She glanced at Videl, who looked down at the floor.
"Videl, what exactly did you mean by, 'getting involved with the wrong crowd?'"
Videl swallowed hard. Bulma had briefly lectured her about drugs and alcohol abuse, and no doubt ChiChi would hit the roof. Before she could explain however, Bulma stepped in.
"It was nothing more than teenage experimentation and foolishness ChiChi. Videl didn't know what she was drinking at the time, but I doubt she'll be touching any alcohol for awhile."
An almost relieved smile tugged at ChiChi's lips, and her shoulders slumped slightly.
"Thank Kame!" She sighed then moved to stand opposite Videl, offering a sympathetic and mothering expression on her worn out face. "Well, I can't punish you for learning a lesson in life, but I hope you won't be so foolish in future. And what was all that about chucking you out?"
Videl lifted her head to stare at the smiling ChiChi, who suddenly pulled her into a short, mothering embrace. Gohan exchanged glanced with the smiling Bulma, both relieved that it was all over, well, for now anyway. No doubt ChiChi would bombard them all with more questions, once she'd rested anyway. Goku however, scratched his head slightly, his face a picture of confusion.
"So, what happened again? Who's shouted at who first? Man, I'm so confused."
Everyone chuckled at his dimness, and while Bulma and ChiChi patched up their friendship with an embrace, Gohan exchanged whispered words with Videl.
"Thanks."
"For what, telling the truth for once?"
"And for backing me up."
"Anytime Gohan."
The demi-Saiyan watched as Videl grinned and turned to leave the room, heading upstairs to gather her things. Gohan couldn't help but grin as he turned to watch Bulma and ChiChi try to explain things to Goku. For some reason, he had a feeling that things were about to drastically change.....
A.N.19/04/04 – Thanks for all the encouraging reviews! ^_^ My pc had major problem and I was eventually disconnected from the Internet *sniff* but meh, problem solved and I'm back ^_^ Yay! Heheh, back with another chapter too! Enjoy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
Chapter 11: Pizza: the food of forgiveness!
A luke warm shower instantly refreshed Videl, followed by brushing away the stale taste from her teeth, and finally changing into the clean underwear and spare clothes Bulma had placed on a chair; straight, worn-out jeans and a baggy, short-sleeved mauve t-shirt that reached her hips. She felt quite snug in the slightly oversized t-shirt and jeans that fit loosely around her slim waist. However, even though she'd revealed her secret to Bulma, her next big step wasn't confronting Gohan, not yet anyway.
He sat downstairs in the lounge, his eyes fixed on the numerous steaming pizza boxes on the coffee table infront of him. The tasty aroma drifted out of the boxes and teased his nasal senses.
"They smell sooo good," chirped Bulma as she walked into the room carrying 3 tall glasses of orange juice on a tray, placing them next to the pizza. She glanced at Gohan who remained silent, frowning at his sullen eyes. He looked like he wasn't even on the same planet anymore. "She'll be down Gohan, don't worry so much."
He wasn't so sure however. For starters, what was he going to say to her? What was SHE gonna say to him? Having an argument infront of Bulma really didn't appeal to him at all, and it wouldn't be very respectful either considering he'd kept Bulma up all night with his problems. He watched in silence as Bulma lifted the flap of the 1st pizza box to reveal a piping hot, extra large pizza, complete with a pepperoni topping with extra cheese, just how he liked it. She handed it over to Gohan, who just couldn't resist the temptation and dug right in. He hadn't eaten since his school lunch after all. As Bulma turned the TV on and began to channel surf for a good movie, Gohan started to remind himself of that day, well, yesterday's activities, considering the fact that it was 2:30am. He couldn't believe all that had happened, all in just once day! Was such a thing even possible? He started to hope that he'd wake up pretty soon and realise it was all just one really bad dream.
Videl stood at the top of the stairs, for how long, she didn't know. She thought about her two options; go downstairs, or, stay upstairs. However, even if she did choose option number two, she'd be forced to make the same decision again a few hours later, until she eventually did choose option number two. It was just one vicious cycle...er,....never mind.
"Ugh, I'm giving myself another headache! C'mon Videl, are you gonna let this guy push you around like this? Since when did you become so weak? All you have to do is march down there, say sorry to the twerp, and then dig in to that succulent, cheesy, hot.... Mmmm."
She began to drool, the smell of the pizza overtaking her entire senses.
"Stupid Saiyan appetite! But I haven't eaten in sooooo damn long! Neeed Fooood!!"
Her feet seemed to develop a mind of their own as she unconsciously began to descend one step at a time slowly, until there were no more steps left to take.
Gohan's ears pricked as he heard footsteps echoing off the wooden staircase. 'Either my mind's playing tricks on me, or that's Videl. Okay Gohan, stay calm, remain seated, just act cool.'
"Hi there Videl! Nice of you to finally join us. Want some pizza?" Gohan couldn't help grinning at Bulma's chirpy attitude.
'So far so good, just let Bulma do all the talking.' He side-glanced towards the door to see her standing there, looking a little timid. He turned to Bulma who raised an eyebrow slightly at him, and he cleared his throat. "Erm....I ordered your fave. Margarita with extra cheese, right?" He smiled to himself as he remembered Videl's first pizza, and how she'd been so amazed at the stretchy cheese.
Videl couldn't stop her eyebrows from rising at Gohan's comment. 'He actually remembered?' She couldn't quite figure out if it was 'sad', or sweet. But the sound of his voice reminded her how much she'd strangely, missed it. 'I think I'm slowly but surely going crazy.'
"Erm...thanks." She managed to mutter in a grouchy voice, and sat down in one of the armchairs, neglecting any manners she might've had as she put her feet up. A smile tugged at the corners of Bulma's lips, and she made eyebrow and eye movements at Gohan, trying to encourage him. But Gohan wasn't the only person in the room to notice the strange gestures.
"Bulma, erm, are you alright? I mean, your eyes keep twitching."
Gohan nearly banged his head on the table, 'great, can Bulma be anymore obvious?'
Bulma however, simply laughed nervously, running a hand through her blue hair as she thought of a response to Videl's comment. "Just tired honey..." Her voice drifted, and Gohan plucked up the courage to keep the conversation moving, he owed it to Bulma at least.
"So, erm, Videl?" She looked up, avoiding his eyes as she nibbled on her pizza. "Er...how, ....how are you feeling now?"
"Fine."
She had to give it to him, at least he was trying to make conversation. As she looked away to chew on the rubber like cheese, Videl began to think over her last words, or, word rather. 'Meh, maybe I should just play along with this stupid charade. If he's making the effort to please Bulma, guess I should too. We both owe her that.'
"Erm, thanks for asking."
He raised an eyebrow at her additional reply, but still had the 'is that IT!?' thought in his head. 'I spend my evening hunting her down, worry the hell outta my mom, carry her all the way over to Bulma's, sit through embarrassing conversations, worry about her, try to nurse her back to health, worry some more, then ALL I get is THAT!!?' He clenched his fists as he tried to control his rising anger and frustration. At just that moment, in perfect timing, the phone rang. Bulma slumped her shoulders and sighed, not wanting to leave them alone incase they were at each other's throats when she returned.
"Uh...I'll be right back."
She literally dashed to the phone, and Gohan used his heightened Saiyan hearing to listen in. From the nervous tone of Bulma's voice, it was probably ChiChi on the other end. Gohan slumped in his seat, placing the now empty pizza box onto the increasing pile on the coffee table, glancing at Videl as he did so. She was too busy munching to notice, but her cold expression remained, and she stared ahead as though she had a lot on her mind. Surprisingly, she suddenly turned, staring at him straight in the eye.
"You can drop the whole goody-goody act you know, now that Bulma's left."
"E-excuse me?" He couldn't believe his ears, had she actually said that!?
"You heard me." His eyebrows rose, but she didn't stop there. "I know you wanted to put a brave face on for Bulma, so I played along. But now, you can just cut the crap and act normal."
"But I w-"
"Don't worry about my stuff, I'll get Trunks to pick it up or something. I mean, I'll be too busy training to worry about pathetic items of clothing."
"WHA!?"
"Oh, and I'll just tell Orange Star that my vacations over, or something like that. I'm sure my not being there won't affect anything. You'll certainly be glad to see the back of me."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!"
Videl jumped back into her seat as far as she could as Gohan suddenly stood up with an outburst. She stared up at him with wide eyes, almost cowering since the chair made her even shorter and he was so tall.
"Enough Videl! Don't you know when to stop?" Her silence said it all, and so, he continued. "What the hell was all that about? Explain."
Videl cleared her throat, plucking up her courage again as she squared her shoulders. "I was talking about me moving here. I know that I'm not wanted back at your house anymore, especially after tonight"
"Excuse me? Who told you that!?"
"I took the hint...." He slumped his shoulders and sighed turning his eyes away momentarily to collect his thoughts. She was only slightly right, if and when ChiChi found out what had happened, she wouldn't be very pleased at all.
"And what, or who rather, gave you that idea?"
"You should know."
"Videl, we're not gonna get anywhere if you keep giving me short replies. How many times do we have to start over, huh?" She simply shrugged this time, bored of the whole subject. "It's always the same with you."
"What the hell do you mean by that!!?" This time she stood up with swift Saiyan agility, sending Gohan back a step. "I could say the same about YOU!!"
"Calm down or you'll make yourself ill again. I'm not in the mood to play 'nurse' all over again." She raised an eyebrow at the comment, resting a hand on her hip.
"Since when did you play nurse? The only person who gave a shit was Bulma!"
"Wrong. But you pumped your blood system with so much SHIT, no wonder you don't remember. Just, just what possessed you to do that anyway?"
"Why bother even asking? Don't you know by now that I don't answer to you?" He sighed again, this time louder through his heightening frustration.
"Because I care, that's why. Because, maybe I hoped, that just for once, you'd actually tell me something. I think I have a right to know after tonight especially."
She eventually calmed down at his words, leaning on the side of the chair. She hated it when people spoke about their emotions; it made her actually think about her own and that was a dangerous area. Videl kept her eyes averted, looking at the floor to the side of Gohan's feet. She smiled to herself; he was still wearing his geeky school clothes.
"I don't understand, how, you could care about someone, like, ....me." Her heart suddenly skipped a beat as she felt his gentle, warm touch on her chin. He turned her head to face him, which also forced her eyes to lock onto his, then dance slightly as she still attempted to avert his gentle gaze.
"And I don't understand, why someone wouldn't."
His words tugged at her heart, and she felt herself choking back tears, trying not to succumb to such weaknesses, but that was useless. Once the floodgate was opened, there was no stopping it. To Gohan's surprise, she suddenly flung herself towards him, letting his firm chest catch her fall as she supported herself by putting her arms around his neck. A hug: such a simply gesture, usually taken for granted. But for a child who was never hugged, it becomes something very special, only given and received in times of importance.
Gohan felt his cheeks grow warm as they coloured, and gingerly placed his arms tenderly around Videl's back as she trembled and sobbed into his chest. Of course, when the moment was over, and the tears had dried up, they would both feel awkward. But for now, they both relished in the moment, enjoying each other's company, for once. Whether it was the words exchanged, an animal attraction, or both, who knows, but the time for malicious words to be exchanged was strangely but hopefully over, for now at least.
Meanwhile, Bulma finally plucked up the courage to hang up on ChiChi's irritatingly loud voice. The consequences would mean another phone call and an addition to her aching ears, so she pulled out the plug as she walked back towards the lounge. However, the sight that met her eyes startled her; forcing her to take a step back slightly as she squinted her eyes to check that she wasn't seeing things. Who had hugged whom though, she wondered? Why weren't they at each other's throats? Not that it mattered, but Bulma silently cursed ChiChi for phoning at such a crucial moment, and wished she could've used the time wasted on the phone to spy on the two teen Saiyans.
'Well, at least the time alone was spent well. Best let them enjoy the moment.' Bulma grinned to herself as she retreated silently into the kitchen on her tiptoes. Meanwhile, Videl finally moved away from Gohan slightly, frantically trying to wipe her eyes as Gohan moved his arms from her back, his cheeks flushed slightly. Videl folded her arms across her chest as she kept her eyes focused on a spot on the carpet again, her lower lip trembling still and her head pounding slightly. Cue awkward moment. Gohan put a hand on the back of his neck as he too looked down, wondering what to say. However, Videl did the job for him, speaking in quiet mutters and avoiding his eyes.
"I'm sorry Gohan, I'm so, so sorry." He suddenly stared at her, removing the hand from his neck in shock. "I don't know why I did what I did, or why I keep pushing you away either. But, I'm sorry."
"No, don't apologise Videl." She suddenly looked up to finally meet his concerned ebony eyes.
"Why? I owe you an apology Gohan. At lease let me do something right. Kame, I'm such a screw-up."
"No you're not. I won't let you take all the blame Videl. I owe you an apology as much as you owe me one, maybe even more so." She exhaled sharply, clenching her jaw as she struggled to put her words together.
"Gohan, don't be so stupid! Just let me apologise dammit, and accept my apology!" Sensing another argument boiling up again, Gohan finally submitted, slumping his shoulders as he sighed, pausing for a while before speaking.
"Fine," Videl raised her eyebrows at him as he finally spoke, leaving her time to calm herself slightly. "I accept your apology, if you accept mine. I shouldn't have forced you to open up to me against your will. I shouldn't have been so over-protective, and I should've respected your decisions." To his surprise, the corners of her mouth tugged into a weak smile, an expression that tugged at his heartstrings and made him feel all warm inside, like hot chocolate on a cold day. ^_^
"But, where would I be now if you weren't watching over me? True, you can be a real pain in the ass at high school, but look at all the detentions you got me out of!" Gohan's cheeks flushed red even more, and he returned a hand to the back of his neck again as he chuckled nervously. Videl couldn't help smirking at the 'cute' gesture he'd inherited from his father.
"Heh, not that many to be honest." He quickly struggled to change the subject before she embarrassed him anymore. "But, where do we go from here? I mean, are you really gonna move here? Because, well," he paused to exhale sharply, avoiding her eyes. "I don't want you to leave Videl. I mean, not over something like this. Of course, if you want to, then, by all means..."
"Gohan," Videl suddenly interrupted him before he rambled any further. "I've decided, not too leave. Not yet anyway. Gotta give that damn school another go, right? And, make some amends too."
"That's the spirit!" Gohan's smile soon faded however as Videl's words began to make more sense to him. "Wait, don't tell me..."
"Yup. You really think I'm gonna let those jerks get away? Hell no!"
Before Videl could continue, and way before Gohan could protest, Bulma's voice yelled from the kitchen, startling them both slightly.
"It's late you know, how about calling it a night? You guys want some hot chocolate before you hit the sack?"
"Yes please Bulma!"
"That would be great Bulma!"
The two Saiyans grinned at each other as they answered at the same time, and Gohan stifled a yawn as he collapsed onto the sofa, followed by Videl next to him.
"Man, what a day."
"Yup."
Gohan turned his head slightly to look at Videl, whose eyes were lightly closed as she calmly rested. He turned to copy her position, only to suddenly hear her voice as soon as he'd closed his eyes.
"Gohan?"
"Mm hmm?" She smiled, but kept her eyes closed, as did he.
"Did you really play nursemaid?"
"Uh huh." Laughter filled the room suddenly and the blush returned to Gohan's cheeks yet again as Videl giggled. "Wouldn't you do the same for me?"
Now it was Videl's turn to blush however, and she abruptly stopped laughing, opening her eyes to see Gohan staring back at her seriously.
"Well....erm...eheh, what kind of a question is that?" Gohan responded with a shrug, and once again closed his eyes.
"I dunno, ask yourself, I was simply returning your question." Videl raised an eyebrow as a smirk formed on Gohan's lips that even Vegeta would've been proud of. She couldn't help but tell herself how attractive he looked when he pulled that expression, not that he wasn't extremely good looking anyway. But right now was the perfect example of the witty charm he turned on every now and then that left her speechless and very embarrassed.
"Now, do my ears deceive me, or does Videl have nothing to say for a change?" Before she could retort to his comment however, Bulma walked into the room carrying a tray of three steaming mugs, which she placed on the coffee table.
"Here we are, careful, they're very hot." Videl and Gohan sat forwards slightly as Bulma nestled herself in an armchair. Too tired for words, the pair of them offered smiles now and then as they sat in silence. Bulma smiled like a Cheshire cat, trying to pretend that she hadn't noticed the friendly gestures.
'How ironic,' she told herself as she ushered the two of them upstairs, telling them they needed their rest. 'They just came together on their own. How cute! Aw, I wish ChiChi wasn't pissed with me! And where the hell is Vegeta when you need him!?'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
That night, Videl slept extremely well, so well infact, that when she eventually opened her eyes, the sun had already risen and was shinning through the drawn curtains. It would've been the perfect start to the day, since Videl guessed that it was way beyond morning, had it not been from the muffled shouts coming from downstairs. Videl could only match the fiery voice to one person: ChiChi. The thought of Gohan's feisty mother make Videl groan and pull the covers over her head, trying to escape from what awaited her downstairs. However, that did very little, if anything at all, to block out the shrieks from downstairs, and a little voice in Videl's head kept telling her to face her problems.
'Easy to say,' she told herself as she got up and stretched. 'Not so easy to do.' The thought of the grilling ChiChi would undoubtedly give her was already giving Videl a headache. 'Better get it over with then...'
Gohan sat downstairs, his back pressed against the sofa as far as it would go. Next to him sat his father, while Bulma desperately tried to calm the screaming ChiChi down as she yelled at anyone and everyone.
"ChiChi please, Gohan's recovering from a stressful day, and-"
"Oh, OH!! Well Gohan wasn't the only one who had a stressful day yesterday! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN. AND YOU BULMA!! HOW DARE YOU KEEP THINGS FROM ME!!!!"
"ChiChi, please, try to calm down and be more reasonable."
"REASONABLE? HOW DARE YOU!"
"CHICHI! I'M LOSING MY PATIENCE HERE!"
"WELL I LOST MINE 18 HOURS AGO! Goku! You tell them, tell them how much sleep I had last night!" ChiChi, who had just slightly calmed herself, placed a trembling hand over her forehead.
"Erm, well, I'm not quite sure honey. Heh, I must've fallen asleep straight away come to think of it." Gohan side-glanced at his father, wishing that sometimes, like now for instance, he could warn him before he said something stupid.
"GOKU!! YOU'RE MEANT TO BE SUPPORTING ME HERE!!" Goku slumped back in the sofa, slightly frightened, and then turned a little serious.
"Sorry ChiChi, I am being supportive. But, well, you haven't really given Gohan and Bulma chance to explain themselves. Isn't that a little, well, unfair?" He cringed as ChiChi shot dagger eyes at him, raising his hands as if to say 'please don't hurt me!' However, ChiChi sighed loudly and sat down on the edge on an armchair, folding her arms as she stared at both Bulma and Gohan.
"Go ahead then, explain yourselves."
Bulma and Gohan looked at each other, then started at the same time.
"Well, you see-"
"Well, you see-"
ChiChi's eyebrow twitched as the pair of them chuckled, then argued over who should start first.
"Okay Bulma, go ahead."
"Gohan, I really think you should go first."
"No really, I insist."
"But Gohan, it's your duty to explain this to your mother."
"SOMEBODY GET TO IT BEFORE I COMPLETELY FLIP!"
Bulma and Gohan once again looked at each other, but this time, Gohan lowered his head slightly, and then looked straight at ChiChi.
"Mom, this is, all-"
"It's all my fault Mrs.Son."
All eyes turned to the doorway, and Gohan gaped at the girl who stood there. Several eyebrows rose, but ChiChi folded her arms, frowning more than ever.
"I KNEW IT!" She suddenly stood up, and within seconds she was storming over to Videl, fists clenched. Goku suddenly leaped up to restrain his wife, while Gohan automatically went to Videls side. Bulma stayed in the middle.
"ChiChi, please, for Kame's sake! Let Videl explain herself before you make judgements!" ChiChi shot dagger eyes at her husband, how softly held her back with his hands at her arms. Videl stepped forwards, her voice almost monotonous.
"I got myself into trouble after school. It was all my own fault for getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. If it wasn't for Gohan, I.....I don't know where I'd be right now, or what mess I'd be in. So if you have to blame anyone, then blame me. I got Gohan involved; he was just worried about me, for leaving without a word. And Bulma, she was only trying to help. Please don't hold this against her. I completely understand if you want me to leave your place though."
"No," now Gohan stepped forwards, staring at the bewildered ChiChi. "I'm to blame too. I sad some things to Videl, before she left that is. I was completely out of order, so, if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't of left the house."
"I would've called you ChiChi," it was now Bulma's turn. Much to her delight, ChiChi had calmed down, her eyes slightly tearful. Obviously the stress and pressure had gotten to her, and being a mother herself, Bulma could completely relate to her. "But, Gohan and Videl needed to sort out their issues first. I didn't think you'd be that worried, seeing as I did tell you they were staying here."
Silence followed, but it didn't last too long as ChiChi suddenly flung herself at Gohan, hugging him tightly.
"Don't you ever, EVER, do that to me again Gohan!" She pulled away to shake his shoulders at the word 'ever,' then hugged him once again. Gohan sighed and relaxed. He never wanted to hurt his mother, but it was difficult when she worried so much. He knew that it was about time she came to terms with the fact that he wasn't a little boy anymore. But, now wasn't the time to bring up that. ChiChi pulled away once again, wiping tearful eyes. She glanced at Videl, who looked down at the floor.
"Videl, what exactly did you mean by, 'getting involved with the wrong crowd?'"
Videl swallowed hard. Bulma had briefly lectured her about drugs and alcohol abuse, and no doubt ChiChi would hit the roof. Before she could explain however, Bulma stepped in.
"It was nothing more than teenage experimentation and foolishness ChiChi. Videl didn't know what she was drinking at the time, but I doubt she'll be touching any alcohol for awhile."
An almost relieved smile tugged at ChiChi's lips, and her shoulders slumped slightly.
"Thank Kame!" She sighed then moved to stand opposite Videl, offering a sympathetic and mothering expression on her worn out face. "Well, I can't punish you for learning a lesson in life, but I hope you won't be so foolish in future. And what was all that about chucking you out?"
Videl lifted her head to stare at the smiling ChiChi, who suddenly pulled her into a short, mothering embrace. Gohan exchanged glanced with the smiling Bulma, both relieved that it was all over, well, for now anyway. No doubt ChiChi would bombard them all with more questions, once she'd rested anyway. Goku however, scratched his head slightly, his face a picture of confusion.
"So, what happened again? Who's shouted at who first? Man, I'm so confused."
Everyone chuckled at his dimness, and while Bulma and ChiChi patched up their friendship with an embrace, Gohan exchanged whispered words with Videl.
"Thanks."
"For what, telling the truth for once?"
"And for backing me up."
"Anytime Gohan."
The demi-Saiyan watched as Videl grinned and turned to leave the room, heading upstairs to gather her things. Gohan couldn't help but grin as he turned to watch Bulma and ChiChi try to explain things to Goku. For some reason, he had a feeling that things were about to drastically change.....