I changed the rating to M, because of this chapter as well as others, as I don't think the ratings guide is clear and I didn't want to risk it. There is a bit more swearing, but nothing too strong, and this is NOT a lemon, so don't expect it as you read it. It goes pretty far, but isn't graphic. You'll see when you read. I skimmed over some parts, which you may or may not notice, but they are trivial and don't really matter.


Chichi was slamming her fists on the door of her eldest sons bedroom, that he shared with his younger brother. Goten had been unceremoniously thrown from the room as he attempted to wake his brother, when he had first woken up himself. There had been no clue as to why he had tossed out of the door like that, but the fact that he had been bouncing up and down on the teenager's head probably didn't help matters much.

"Gohan, get up this instant!" She hissed through the door. "Your sister has already left for school, you're already late."

"I'm not going back! Leave me alone." He groaned back at her.

"What are you talking about, you can't just leave, what about college?"

"Oh, kill me now." He grumbled, getting into college was the least of his worries at the present time.

"Fine, I've had enough. After today you'll realise what a mistake you're making and you will be straight back tomorrow, I promise you." Footsteps could be heard leaving the doorway, and exiting to the kitchen. Chichi was confident a day with her would be enough to persuade gohan to go back to school. He was probably just having one of his off-days, things he had had plenty of down the years. Plenty of nagging at him would do the trick.

Deep under his covers, Gohan recounted the events of the night before inside his head. To his eternal surprise, he was almost angry at himself for running away like that. He knew why he had done it, he was falling into the trap he so desperately wanted not to fall into, to be attached. It was already bad enough he had his family that he cared for, he didn't want to extend that. But he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had not stopped it, had let it take its course. He even started having brief glimpses of a life bonded to another, in the way of marriage, very brief glimpses they were, of happiness and smiles, things he thought were long lost in his cold heart.

Sometimes he wondered why he couldn't just give it up, and give in to his body and mind's desire, succumbing to Videl's allure. That was why he wanted to stay away from school, at least to see if he could last without seeing her, but he was unsure as to the multiple onsloughts of his mother alone would be too much for him to bear.

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Mika flew to school alone, having also failed to get her brother to leave his bed. Something had obviously set him off the night before, during his stroll around the city. He didn't return home for hours, and when he did, he was in a foul mood, shunning contact and biting the head off anyone who tried to talk to him. He refused food and slammed the door in the face of his mother as she scolded him for his insolence. It almost seemed as though Goten would of had to sleep in another room if Gohan had not opened the door for him, allowing a brief window of opportunity to see what sort of a state he was in.

It had been a long time since he had done something of that sort, but it was not unexpected, school was a big upheaval for them all, particularly Gohan, who had taken years to settle after their father's death, much longer than any of the others. He still obviously felt guilty for that, despite reassurances from friends and family otherwise. Even the current and former Kami of the planet couldn't persuade him otherwise of his guilt. So, as she flew, she pondered what he could have encountered the night before.

It was possible that something reminded him of the Cell Games, Satan city was plastered with billboards with Mr Satan's face on them, and they served as a constant reminder to the people of the events seven years ago. But Mika couldn't really see how that would work, it would of had to be a very delayed reaction to those posters if it had only just affected him, he didn't seem bothered during the first few days of school.

Every thought she had of what caused his strange behaviour came to nothing, but one thing lingered in her mind. Gohan had of course been acting his usual, cold self towards everybody he met, but there were subtle differences between the masses and one person. And this was to do with Mr Satan. Gohan had been acting very strangely towards Videl.

He had tensed up when she entered a room, followed her every move as she walked and constantly had his eyes on her. And the on the first day he had just stared at her while they stood at the front of the class. Obviously Videl was very attractive, but Gohan wouldn't be too bothered about that, at least not to this extent, there were other pretty girls he could stare at for just as long as he wanted. Perhaps it was the fact that Videl was the perfect match for him, whatever mood he was in. Mika had wasted no time spotting that.

Even if Gohan was in the state of mind he had been before their father had died, at this point in time, a happy, jovial teenager, she would still be perfect for him. She hadn't at first thought Gohan had spotted this, but now she wasn't so sure. Maybe he had, and that was what had shook him up. Maybe he was scared. Scared of what this meant for him, and scared at what it might result in. Gohan hadn't forged a new relationship of any form since Goten was born. A relationship with that would result with Videl might be too hard for him to resist. It certainly seemed like he was trying though.

Once again, upon entering the city and approaching the school, Mika spotted trouble. It looked like a routine robbery, and the police vehicles had surrounded the building, but hadn't managed to make any progress, if they had even tried at all. She activated her disguise with the watch and swept down towards the building. If she acted brutally, but quickly, she could have it sorted out in an instant. The door was barricaded, she noticed as she plummeted to the ground, with a few men peeking out through gaps.

Heading directly for the door, she put a fist out in front of her and swept it in an arc to coincide with her descent. The impact of her fist hitting the glass crashed a hole right through, shttering the stacked up furniture, ans she continued her flight into the building. Instantly, she spotted there were no hostages, only a few armed men, two of which she had knocked unconscious when she destroyed the door. This would be easily enough. Soon enough, they were all out cold, and she was dragging them all back through the door.

Outside, the police were dumbstruck, having seen only a blur. One other was present however, who stood out from the police clad in their black uniforms. Videl stood there, with a similar look on her face to the rest of them, probably wondering what exactly just happened. She stood, wearing her usual overlarge white t-shirt and spandex three quarter lengths.

A cheer went up from the police force, after they all realised they would have yet another morning without a shoot out. Videl, however, simply stepped forward, a look of deep interest on her face, that was aimed at Saiyaman.

"Who are you?" She asked in an accusatory tone, as if Mika had been the one trying to rob the .

"Saiyaman." Mika replied in her fake voice.

"Couldn't your parents give you a proper name?" She laughed out loud, amused by the name.

"It is a proper name." She retorted, a bit annoyed that Saiyaman wasn't considered a 'proper' name by Videl, and it being laughed at. "What kind of a name is Videl anyway?" Mika didn't really have anything against the name, and certainly not against Videl, but thinking of anything to annoy her a bit back.

Videl stopped laughing now. "It's a perfectly normal name thank you very much." She stated very matter of a factly, realising halfway through that this one knew her name as well.

Mika decide it was time to take her leave, and floated a few feet off the ground, in readiness to take off.

"Wait!" Videl shrieked, surprised at the floating hero in front of her.

"What is it?"

"How do you fly like that? Is it just a trick?"

"Of course it isn't a trick. I'm sure even you could learn it."

"Will you?"

"If you really want to, I will."

"What? Honestly?" Videl was shocked this charcter was going to teach her to fly, if it wasn't just a trick that is, perhaps she would find out who he was.

"But only if you find out who I am." The voice said, amused. Videl's face dropped, he had gone.

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Mika stood at her locker alone, waiting for her friends, without Gohan of course. She saw Videl coming along the hallway alone, huffing and puffing. She looked annoyed and out of breath. She looked up at Mika, and noticed she was alone today. Where was Gohan. As she reached Mika, she swung her bag off her back and began opening it.

"Where is Gohan?" It seemed like Videl did take quite a bit of notice of him after all, if he was the first thing she thought of.

"He's at home. Having a bit of an off day. Why?"

Videl pulled a jacket out of her bag. Gohan's jacket. "He left this last night." Now her previous idea was cemented in Mika's mind.

"Left it where?"

"At my house, at the door."

"What!" This did indeed shock her. Why had Gohan been at Videl's house?

Videl obviously saw the need for an explanation. "I was chasing some druggie, Gohan stopped him. Then he insisted on walking me home and he gave me this to wear. I was freezing. But, he forgot to take it, that's all." She thought it best not to mention the fact that they had kissed, and then he had ran off.

This certainly was interesting, Mika thought. She would think about this later, best not to press the issue right now. "Why are you so tired this morning? It looks like you ran a marathon, you look a mess."

"Thanks." She said with a smile. "I lost my jetcopter last night, and I haven't been able to get a new one yet. I would have been alright walking to school, but the poice contacted me, 'cause they needed my help. I ran straight there, but by that time, someone had sorted it out. The jerk than had the nerve to just fly away from me!"

"Fly!" Mika feigned ignorance, amusement dancing in her voice.

"Yeah, I always thought that was a trick, my dad says it's lights and mirrors and stuff. Seemed real enough to me though."

Erasa could soon be seen strolling down the corridor, her apparent lapdog Sharpener at her heel. Giving her hellos to the other two, she noticed Gohan was missing. "Is Gohan ill?"

"Yeah, something like that." Mika replied, ill in the head it seemed.

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Later on that day, Mika and Videl were in one of their classes together, without the blondes. The teacher had been sent on a training course, so they were left to their own devices, him not bothering to think to set them some work to do. They were currently sat chattering about anything and everything, but there was a question Videl was itching to ask, one that had irked her for a long time, or at least it seemed like that, it was more like three days. She had simply been waiting for an appropriate time to ask it, without the blondes listening in, or Gohan, the subject of the question to be around.

"Why is Gohan so..." She was now struggling for the right words, even though it was like she had been rehearsing it in her head for such a long time.

Mika herself had been expecting such a question from the first day. "So cold, uncaring, distant, unfeeling and such a complete and utter bastard?"

Videl smiled, some of those words had been what she was looking for, but he seemed to be fairly emotional the night before. "Yeah, I guess."

Mika felt Videl was a person to be trusted. Plus, she thought she owed it to her. If Gohan liked her in the way she suspected, she deserved to know something about him."Gohan has had a troubled life. He's been through some shit, that's for sure. I think the main reason he is the way he is, is because of our father's death."

"I didn't know about your dad, I'm sorry, if you don't want to tell me about-"

Mika stopped her. "It's fine, I'm over it, people die, that's life. His death shook him up, they were close."

"I don't want this to sound too bad, but why is he like this and you aren't? You lost him too."

"I know, but it was the way he died. Gohan blames himself, which he shouldn't do, it wasn't his fault. And there's more to Gohan than that. He's been through so much himself. He was kidnapped when he was four for one thing. He didn't see his family for a year. A whole year. That is a long time when you are just a child." Videl's mouth was hanging open, she had not expected somthing of that sort.

"And he has been in fights, a lot of fights."

"With other boys?"

Mika chuckled, thinking of Cell and Gohan scuffling in a schoolyard. "No, real fights, battles. I can' really go into details, but thoses kinds of things really hit a person hard. Gohan was such a happy boy when he was younger, even after all the fights and kidnappings. It was dad's death that sent him over the edge. If only he didn't blame himself." Mika sighed, if only.

"Those fights, is that where he got all of those scars?"

Mika was taken aback. Videl had seen Gohan's scars? "When did you see them?" She questioned.

"After PE, the other day, Erasa stole his shirt."

"Good job it was her. A guy would be in hospital for that right now. Those scars he got in those battles, yes. As you saw, they certainly were fierce."

"What about the deep one, the really big one." Videl pointed to her collarbone where the most obvious one had been.

Mika looked out of the window and sighed. She remembered back to that day. "He got that scar saving a man's life. A friend, a good man, even though he wouldn't admit it."

"Who did it?" She was hanging on every one of Mika's words now.

"You don't have to worry about him, it doesn't matter."

"What happened to him though?"

"He's dead." Mika stated monotonously.

"Dead? How?"

"Gohan killed him." She said this while looking Videl directly in the eye, trying to gauge her reaction. She seemed shocked, but luckily not appalled. She didn't want her going round to their house and trying to arrest Gohan.

"Was he an evil man?"

"Very, the worst. You couldn't imagine the things he did." Videl remained quiet, and Mika allowed the new information to sink in.

Videl was thinking all of this material over. Gohan was a killer, plain and simple, but yet for some reason it didn't come as a surprise, he had that look about him. And from what Mika had said, it seemed to be in self defence, and a righteous act, certainly not a cold blooded murder. She wondered when it could have happened. What were these battles that had occurred. There had been no wars in recent years that she knew about, especially ones that child soldiers had participated in.

She had some recollection of a fight that had gone on when she was a small girl, perhaps four or five. Something about aliens who had landed. Apparently they were repelled eventually in a battle with a number of martial artists, some well known for their antics in previous Budokais. Some said a small boy had been one of them, but she couldn't remember, the cameras had been destroyed quickly, and in respect for those killed by the outsiders, the tapes were never shown to the public of what had been filmed, which was very little as it was.

Could this be the type of battle Gohan had been involved in? Was he that little boy? And of course there were that group at the Cell Games, that boy had fought Cell, and was doing well, the announcer had told the world, after the camera had been destroyed, standing up to Cell himself. But he had gold hair and green eyes. Just like the guy who arrived in the city earlier in the week. Who uncannily resembled Gohan, and even dressed alike. Their arrival in the city had also coincided. Very strange indeed.

She looked to Mika, who was jotting some notes down on her paper, she seemed to be allowing Videl to immerse herself in her own thoughts, and was not giving away any more information. Perhaps she had given away too much already.

Mika thought the time might be right to ask a personal question of her own. "What is going on between you and Gohan?"

Videl turned back towards Mika, looking her straight in the eye. "I think I'm falling in love with your brother."

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Mika flew home as fast as she could, not wanting to hang around much longer. The bell had rung abruptly, bringing both girls out of their thoughts. Mika had been surprised at Videl's admission, and was actually quite pleased. She doubted whether Videl was truly in love with Gohan, they hadn't even known each other for a week, and hadn't spoken to each other a great deal. She didn't doubt that Videl actually thought she was in love though, she had stated it without hesitation or regret.

But maybe it was true love, surely a true, powerful love would be instant as this one had been. Some grew over time, some people took a long time to realise it, and some just knew it from the moment they first met. She hadn't had a chance to talk further with Videl over it, who had quickly become embarrassed, realising just what she had admitted, and departed the building. Maybe Gohan would return to school tomorrow and this would be resolved quickly, and hopefully, she prayed, happily.

She reached home in record time and stormed up to her brother's bedroom door, and began knocking furiously, as she had done earlier in the day. "Gohan! Are you not out of there yet?" All she heard was a groan.

"That's all I've had out of him all day." Her mother had joined her side, Goten in hand. "Even Goten can't get through."

"Yeah, he's been grumpy all day long." He huffed and lightly kicked the base of the door. All three of them could easily break the door down, unless Gohan was stood the other side of it that is, but to do so would be to incur his furious wrath, which none of them wanted to do.

"Let me speak to him alone, will'ya?" Mika pleaded. They nodded and went away. Mika lowered her voice so that she was sure only Gohan could hear. "Everyone was asking about you today." Grunt was all she heard. "They actually seemed a little worried actually, asked how you were. Don't know why, it's not like you'd do the same thing back, is it?" Another grunt.

"Maybe there is one person you'd be worried about though." There was no sound this time, he knew what was coming. "Videl asked a few questions about you too, today. The general theme was why you are such a jackass." Time for niceties was over. "Asked about your scars. So I told her about some of the fights. She also had a jacket for you, that you left last night, wonder what you two were doing?" She was actually enjoying herself now, taunting her brother like this.

"She said something very interesting. Said she thought she was falling in lo-" She was stopped mid-sentence as the door swung open, revealing Gohan, who was fully dressed, much to her surprise. She had doubted he had even moved out of bed all day.

"Don't say it. Don't you dare."

"In love with you."

"I told you not to say it. And she isn't, in love with me at all. Nonsense." He stepped back, shaking his head, trying to convince himself. "She just can't be."

Mika began pleading with her brother. "What if she is? Do you really want to mess up the one chance you might have at love?"

"I don't want the chance! I don't." He trailed off.

"Please, Gohan why won't you just accept it. Embrace it, it might just save you from this torture you've given yourself. Nobody should live like this. It wasn't your fault, and even if it was, you still wouldn't deserve this. Come to school tomorrow, and sort this out."

He sank back onto his bed, the options running wild through his head. "I don't want to lose anyone again Mika. I couldn't handle it. I've already let enough people get close to me, I don't need more. And I don't want to be the one to leave someone." He looked up at Mika, honesty etched onto his face, as if he was about to reveal his biggest fear to her, which he was. "What if we ended up together, married with kids, and I went out and got myself killed like dad. You saw how bad mom was, how bad you yourself were. This family was broken. I don't want to do that to someone"

"That's life Gohan. Shit happens, moThe nextre of it befalls some rather than others, but that's life." Mika thought to what Gohan had just said, he had obviously considered being together with Videl, and even kids. That was a start at least, he hadn't thrown the idea out completely, although he probably would never admit it in his current state of mind. "You could be happy Gohan. Imagine that Gohan, happiness. It must seem completely absurd to you these days. A smile a year seems to be your average. You would be happy with Videl."

"We only met a few days ago, and I'm sixteen Mika, too young for a serious relationship." He didn't sound too assuredby his own words.

"No, you aren't Gohan. Take this chance before she walks out of your life. She isn't going to wait around for ever. You've almost completely wasted the last seven years of your life, don't waste the rest." She got up to leave the room, leaving him to his own mind's thoughts. Shutting the door, she let out a sigh. Some progress had been made, now she had no doubt in her mind that the two wanted each other, it was just matter of prodding Gohan a little, and letting him get on with it. Hopefully, soon enough he would realise that there is nothing he could do to prevent it from happening, and simply allow it. She only wondered how serious it would get, and how quickly.

That night, Gohan was left by his family to himself. Mika didn't breathe a word of Gohan's relationship with Videl to her mother, she would only complicate things. The next morning, Mika once again left for school alone. Gohan had allowed Mika in for a word, after a night spent alone in his room. Mika had persuaded Chichi to let Goten sleep in her room, to let Gohan cool off a little more.

During their little talk, Gohan had expressed his wish for another day of peace. The calm before the storm perhaps. One more day away from school. Then he would return after the weekend, and begin to settle this mess, if you could call it that.

She had agreed to this, and also planned not to bring it up with Videl during the day. She would step aside and let them deal with it themselves. Hopefully, Videl would be too embarrassed to talk of it either. Videl didn't seem the type of girl that was well versed in relationships, and had shunned them aside, much like Gohan had done many years earlier.

As planned, throughout the day, Videl acted as though the previous day's last lesson had not even taken place. However, at the end of the day, Videl caught up with Mika as she walked down a deserted street after school, who was looking for somewhere to take off from, after finding the roof inaccessible from the school buildings.

"Mika, wait!" She shouted. The girl turned to face Videl. "I just wanted to ask you, how is Gohan?" She sounded concerned, not for his physical well-being, which wasn't in any danger, but for his mental stability She knew it was something of that sort that was keeping him away. "How is he coping?"

"He's fine." She answered. "He'll be back on monday."

"Umm, about what I said yesterday."

Mika held up a hand to stop her. "That is between the two of you, you need to settle this between yourselves."

Videl nodded her head in response. Then, without warning, she flung her arms around Mika in a sisterly hug, embracing the friend she had only known a week, but what seems like so much more. However, in doing so, she managed to collide one hand with Mika's wrist, still held up. A button on the girl's watch was pushed accidentally, and a green tunic began coming into view on the girl, along with a bandana and sunglasses. Saiyaman!

"Mika, it's you!" Somehow, she knew this wasn't a trick or just a copycay costume. Mika was Saiyaman!

As the Saiyan realised what had just transpired, she hurriedly pressed the button to deactivate the costume, scolding herself for being so irresponsible with it, she should of taken better care.

Videl, however, had immediately become the happiest girl ont he planet. "I'm gonna learn to fly!" She chanted, the deal Mika had made, in the hope she would never find out who it was, had come to fruitition, at least for Videl. She sighed, she would have to agrre, she had always been a woman of her word.

"Fine, fine."

"And you'll enter the Budokai? You have to, it's only in a month."

Mika thought this one over. It could be good to participate, as her parents had done so many years earlier, and to try to get the others to join too. Plus, Videl had some dangerous information, which she didn't want spread about the city, although she didn't think she would do such a thing.

"Yes, I will." She stood there pondering for a while. "But, I'll have to take the next month off school, I haven't trained in a long time. And when you come over to learn to fly, you will have to see Gohan then and sort things out."

Videl nodded, she had also planned to take the month off, after getting the year started at school. She had a question to ask though. "Is Gohan the other guy, you know, with the hair."

Mika thought it best not to lie, and besides, Videl probably thought it was just a disguise like Mika's, not that he was a transforming alien. And the Cell Games thing would come out if they were together long enough anyway. "Yes, he is. Come over monday, all right, get our address from school, I'm sujre they'll give you it. I have to go now, I'm sorry, but I'll see you Monday." She slowly rose into the air, as Videl was the only one present, and sped off towards home.

Videl stood there, dumbstruck. She was about to learn to fly. But more important things were at hand. On monday, she would be seeing Gohan on his turf. She desperately wanted to tell him how she felt, but was afraid he would reject her completely. She took out her new jetcopter capsule, opened it on the roadside where there was enough room, clambered in and took off for home, she had a weekend to prepare herself.

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Gohan was sat in his room, his anxiety building. He had spent two days without seing Videl, and much to his surprise, he was not managing well. Her image was emblazoned onto his mind's eye, but that wasn't good enough for him, he wanted to see her now, this instant. How could he hold out for another two days. As soon as Mika had returned home, she had told him everything of what Videl had said about the Budokai. He wasn't sure what to think of it. Either way, it didn't matter, two days left. It was now dark out, he was looking out of his window.

His resolve was cracking though, he didn't know how long he would last without going to her. He knew where she lived, it would be easy to find her bedroom and enter through a window. Just what he was going to do when he got there was anybody's guess, he didn't want to think too much about it. His bodies desire to procreate was weakening him, he was about to crack.

A second later, his window was open, and he was away towards Satan city. He didn't even bother putting shoes or socks on, this couldn't wait. The wind rushed past his ears as he powered up so far he was nearly forced to transform. He didn't want to do that though, he didn't know how much 'saiyan-ness' it would bring out. He quickly navigated his way to her father's mansion, and tried sensing her ki. Following that, and the sweet smell his nose was picking up that could have only be her, he found her bedroom.

She had a balcony, with French doors out onto it, that were wide open. As silent as was possible, he descended to the balcony, and slid through the crack in the doors. He was now in her room, where he spotted her sitting away from him. She was sat brushing through her hair, facing a mirror, at an angle to him, so she didn't see his reflection.

She still hadn't heard or sensed him at all. Almost silently, he whispered her name. "Videl." She jumped at the almost inaudible sound and stood up, jerking her body around.

She gasped. "Gohan?"

He gazed longingly at her. She was so beautiful it was hard for him to look at her like this.Her hair was out of her pigtails, and hung loose and free around her shoulders. She had a white tank top on, that bared a great deal of her flat stomach to him, as well as other body parts that it was stretched tightly across.. His eyes trailed down to her legs, where a pair of very short, baggy training shorts graced her hips. Her long, slender legs were revealed almost completely to him, and he stood in awe of her. Her attire left little to the imagination, the majority of her unblemished, ivory skin was uncovered before him.

He moved forward, until there was hardly a gap between them. Without thinking, he grasped her round hips forcefully in his large hands, fitting perfectly in to his palms. She gasped once again as she was brought up against his body. "What are you doing here?" She breathed, biting her lip and looking upwards to his eyes, where she saw nothing but lust for her. The last time she had seen those eyes they had looked old and weathered as he fled from her front door, but now were youthful and powerful with his new found emotion.

"I'm here for you. I can't take this any longer." He removed one hand from her waist, and brought it up to her face. Her hair fell in strands over her eyes, knocked out of place by his forcefulness. He brushed it away from her eyes, being gentle this time. She closed her eyes, sensing what was coming. He slowly moved down to her, much like he had done a few days prior, and kissed her softly on her lips, but this time did not pull away. The kiss deepened, and she found herself giving him what he was giving her in return. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth, and lifted her up, both hands around her waist again, and set her on a set of drawers so she was at a more accessible height for him.

He pulled back from her. "We shouldn't be doing this." Videl murmured.

"I know." He replied. "But I can't stop." It didn't matter that he was far too young to be doing this, or that they had known each other a wekk. All he knew was that he wanted her as his right now.

He captured her lips once again, and she reached up to his shirt, and began unbuttoning it, completely taken by the moment that had befallen them. Once she had undone it the entire way, she pushed the white shirt from his shoulders, and began lifting the black t-shirt that had been underneath over his head. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies, neither able to stop.

Gohan moved his hands up her stomach and ribs, causing her to quiver under his touch. He pushed his hands further up, bringing her tank-top with them, while grazing his hands over her now bare chest. Their chests were now both bared for the other to see, and were pressed close together, the contact sending them both reeling.She gasped once again, these were things she had never been particularly interested in until now, even in the future she had never expected much in the way for relationships, she never thought she would have time. But she had time for Gohan, and him for her.She realised she had been waiting for the right person.

He grasped her thighs in his hands, and lifted her off her perch. Slowly, he lowered her back onto her bed.


If you are a bit sensitive to this sort of thing just pretend that they went to bed hugging.