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Affairs Of The Heart

Chapter 3

Videl flipped the switch of her vacuum, reveling in the low hum that whispered 'yes, all is well in the world and I am ready to be used.' She competently pushed the lightweight Bissel around the living room with the ferocity of a warrior waging battle against her enemies.

Except the enemies were dust bunnies and dirt.

Her eyes wandered toward an even larger 'enemy' she wished could be sucked up just so, as he laid face down and passed out upon her plush blue sofa. The irritation was sharp and continued to sharpen when she zeroed in on the dark pool of drool forming below his mouth.

But because she was currently his hostess and had never before berated someone, Videl bit her tongue, then forced her mind to empty and her anger to lessen. She was, or at least had been a Satan, which denoted she be a quiet, unobtrusive female.

Videl tightened her hand on the thick plastic handle and gleefully rammed the cleaning instrument into the side of the couch.

Sitting up ramrod straight, his eyes halfway closed and the afghan that covered him sliding down around his waist, Gohan mumbled something incoherent at the jar. He then pushed a fist across his mouth, wiping the remaining drool from his lips. If it was possible, his hair was even messier, the spikes shooting in different directions and tangled quite badly.

He swallowed to get the saliva moving and blinked a few times before focusing on the woman standing before him.

Videl could only stare back in shock at the very naked, very strong looking chest of their house crasher. Cracking open her lips and slackening the grip on her vacuum, she wondered for an insane moment whether he bench pressed ocean liners or something of the like.

Then, quickly remembering her place, she scrambled for the falling handle and averted her eyes to the floor. The fluttery female inside her (which she would of course squelch in a minute) squealing, and unable to smother the awe.

Wow.

Sasuke never looked that good when he worked out.

Videl Satan Shell!

Shaking her head harshly at the admonition, a familiar warmth rising to her cheeks, Videl clicked the vacuum off. She then lifted her red face haughtily and spoke in clipped tones.

"Please dress yourself, Mr. Son, as you are not staying among animals, but civilized company."

Gohan chuckled darkly. Yeah, like he hadn't seen the blatant approval in those baby blue eyes.

Warning signal! Best friend's wife! OFF LIMITS!

Gohan rubbed his face then rolled off the soft couch in one smooth movement, grunting a little when he noticed Mrs. Shell pale and just as quickly redden again.

Bending over to dig through his bag for a shirt, he returned the vixen's cool comment with one of his own. "What? Did you think I was butt-naked underneath the blanket? Come on, I might've lived down on the farm, but I do have some sense of courtesy. Though, I didn't know going shirtless was the equivalent of stripping around here."

He turned to lock on her fitfully angry, then forcefully calm ocean eyes and delivered his coup de grace dryly.

"...Or maybe you're so hard up you were hopin' to get a free show."

Videl blanched. Never in her entire life...FIVE MINUTES with this, this man had her overhauling twenty five years of strict upbringing, for the one surging need to have a heavy implement.

Hands shaking, she refused to even justify his comment with another word. So, rolling the vacuum back into the closet next to the kitchen, she went to fetch her and Sasuke's laundry basket for cleaning.

Gohan sighed and swore softly at his loose tongue. Maybe he had taken it just a little to far with that last comment, but hey, she'd been asking for it!

Miss Cool as a Cucumber had woken him up from a particularly good sleep, one that he'd desperately needed after his little...binger. (binge plus r. it's a noun)

Gohan chuckled as he pulled on a dark blue tank top, recalling the interesting time he'd had with Sasuke the night previous, drinking and catching up about the years they'd been apart.

He'd asked a couple questions on how Sasuke met the cold fish Satan and had actually gotten a little more information then desired.

Yeah...Shell had never been a particularly good drinker.

But, out of respect, he'd keep any and all information which had popped up firmly to himself. The guy let him crash on his sofa after all this time when he could've just dropped his ass at a hotel.

There wasn't much Gohan could say about himself, but one thing that was unshakable was his loyalty.

Burrr-rring!

Tensing at the loud trill of a phone, Gohan had to firmly ease his shoulders from their instinctual 'combat ready' position. He then had to remind himself that South City was a long way from where he'd been before.

North City...

Yeah...and all the trouble he'd had there. But, as he tensed again when the soft steps of the lady of the house approached to answer the phone, he supposed that it was true what they said about 'old dogs' and 'new tricks.'

"Yes dear..."

Gohan's ears abruptly tuned in to the one sided conversation, not a whit ashamed of eavesdropping on her business.

"But, I..."

He frowned a little.

"Yes, Sasuke..."

Sasuke? Jeez, did he just issue the end of the world or something? Gohan slipped on his boots and figured since there was no way in hell he was gonna sit with Mrs. Shell all afternoon, he might as well go find regular accommodations. He would call up his friend later as they had some private business to discuss.

Heading to the door, Gohan was stopped short by that cool, utterly feminine voice calling his surname.

"Mr. Son? My husband had called to ask if you would like to be shown around the city."

He swung his bag onto his shoulder and turned around to face the five foot nothing little lady. "Naw. I mean, I've gotta get to findin' somewhere to sleep tonight, you understand."

Catching the little shift of air as she released her breath, and the subtle relief flashing across her eyes, Gohan slyly narrowed his own. Then, with a little smirk teasing his lips, he politely asked her a question. "Who, exactly, would be the one showing me around, Mrs. Shell?"

Her eye twitched, but she seemed not to have noticed.

"...That, would be me, Mr. Son."

Gohan gave her a face full of his family's legendary grin, and glanced down at the practical watch which adorned his wrist. "...And you know what, Mrs. Shell? It's only twelve o'clock, so I think I have just enough time for a tour. It won't take me long to find a motel room."

Videl could barely smother the sneer on her lips.

"...I'll bet."

After seven straight hours of museums and boring lectures, Gohan was seriously considering eating his words. He stared, eyes glazed, as Videl went on about how this and that painter had been lovers, and the reason why this painter had gone through a 'vibrant red and yellow period.'

"...So Magenta Bic, after three years, broke it off with Carver Lang. There had been some nasty rumors about him cheating on her with a guy, supposedly, but nothing had ever been proven. From there on, she used only blues, blacks and relatively cool colors. This period of her life had also been marked by activism, 'women's lib,' and 'flower power.' You can see a lot of the pain of betrayal in her paintings from the 1960's on."

Shaking his head to wake himself, Gohan glared at the messy 'Death of Mankind' painting in annoyance. "...You wanna know what I see? Some psycho bitch on PCP, with a grudge against anything with a dick. Shit, I thought we were gonna tour some stupid buildings, so I could watch you make an ass of yourself pretending not to hate my guts."

Videl hid her smile behind a delicate hand. "Oh my. So sorry to disappoint you."

He blinked and then took on a look of mock surprise. "Why Ms. Videl, did you just flirt with me? You know, I thought the act of even being nice was beyond your ability." He clicked his tongue. "Wonders never cease."

Pursing her lips in irritation, Videl turned to walk airily out of the South City Modern Art museum.

She had not just flirted with him! He's an idiot!

She stared down the busy street of 11th and Main, noting at once the far descent of the sun in the sky. Pure white stars had begun blinking into life, their fiery bodies nothing more than pin holes in the encroaching sheet of night.

Okay...So maybe she didn't think he was a total idiot now. The day had been...surprisingly...nice. Mr. Son had many intelligent, interesting opinions on art and Videl had found herself so much more talkative than she usually was.

Yes, it was obvious she had pissed him off with some of her purposely boring lectures, but she had really only done it out of amusement.

God...

...He hadn't expected her to be stupid.

He hadn't expected her to be boring.

He hadn't expected her to be quiet.

Heart speeding up a notch, Videl chose not to acknowledge the warm feeling of pleasure she felt over the simple fact that he'd listened.

You're happily married! That's all that matters, dummy!

Is it? No one ever listens...Not even Sasuke.

Videl frowned, angry at her head for making a good day into something more complicated. She never got out much because of cleaning, shopping...and cleaning.

Her frown turned into a scowl as she thought about how little her life meant in the scheme of things...how little it meant to even herself.

"Hey Ms. Videl, don't strain yourself now. You look so much more approachable when you smile."

Videl blinked at the tall, amused man standing before her. She bit her tongue, willing away the depressive tears tightening her throat and shoving all her daunting thoughts back into their little box.

If felt easier, if not better, to be a dumb china doll.

She looked at him blankly for a moment. "Excuse me?"

Uh-oh. Mrs. Shell was back.

Over the course of the day, Gohan had found himself easily interchanging her two names. She was such an enigma of a lady; it shocked him greatly that two souls could co-exist in so tiny a body.

One was friendlier, a little bit of a smart ass, and hot blooded. That one he didn't have a problem with, in fact...he liked that one quite a lot...

The other... He simply could not stand her! She was as frigid as the weather in North City and more boring than Mr. Popo while watering flowers.

"Excuse me, Mr. Son?"

Her little piping of temper stirred him, and he felt like the biggest asshole for even recognizing the attraction.

She's OFF LIMITS!

Yeah, but he was starting to feel sincerely sorry about that fact, and just a little jealous of Sasuke. The guy really didn't know what a find he had, and Gohan had just elected himself to smacking him upside the head and letting him know.

"...It's like making love with an ice cube, Gohan!"

He glared, ignoring the whirring words flitting about his mind, and concentrated on the conversation at hand.

"Nothing, Mrs. Shell, as always."

Videl felt the loss of his friendly smile profoundly, a little sick to her stomach that she even cared. She shouldn't care.

But she did.

Docilely following him as he hurried down the entrance steps, she noticed after a few seconds that they were headed away from their transportation, and towards a little corner club she had never seen before. Bright lights spewed from the open doorway and a harsh, but rhythmic base vibrated the air.

Suddenly unsure, Videl cleared her throat. "Um, Mr. Son? Maybe I should take you somewhere you can find a room...uh, but, if you wish to stay, I'll be leaving then..." She began to back up slowly, hoping to be dismissed, but also not hoping at the same time.

Gohan turned his head, smirked at her, and in a fast flash of movement grabbed her arm and began dragging her inside the painted brick building.

"I don't think so, Mrs. Shell. I was treated to one thrilling afternoon, and early evening, of boring as shit museums and historical architecture. I think you owe me one now. So we're going to listen to music, and I'm gonna find me a girl." He winked at her. "Then you can go home to Mr. Shell."

Videl blushed a little and before she was pulled inside the womb of lights, sounds and smells, she caught the name of the place on a hastily painted sign.

The Brass Cat.

Note - The name of the club, I don't own that okay? I just really thought it was a cool name and I wanted to incorporate it. HEY YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME FOR REVIEWING! Please do some more and I'll try and get out another chapter. This one might be a little less action packed, but the next one...wooo we got a lot more Gohan Videl stuff okay? Also, could you guys let me know if you think it seems a little to fast? I'm trying to keep it merely 'friendly' for right now, but something big's gonna happen soon...that's all I'm gonna say. One more thing, (I know I'm annoying, srry) let me know if you want Sasuke to become, say the 'bad guy' in this, or do you want me to go with the other idea I had, which will bring in another little foil. (That's a bad guy if anyone doesn't know, I know, I'm an ass for using weird words, hehe!) Alright guys, please review cause I love you!