The teacher droned on, holding a textbook in one hand and chalk in the other. Videl copied down the sentences he wrote on the board as well as his symbols and notes that broke down the structure of the words. She wrote her own commentary and thoughts of the material in the margins. Literature was her favorite subject and she enjoyed learning about the theory, structure and themes..
She was so involved she didn't notice her friend throw the note that bopped onto her head, she pursed her lips and put her pen down. Her blue eyes looked over to the blonde to her left. Who did Erasa think she was fooling? The seat on the other end of her was empty and the other students around her wouldn't have the audacity to throw something at her. The blonde's textbook lay opened, and upside down, on her desk. Erasa raised her eyebrows at Videl and pointed at the paper ball on the floor.
Videl sighed as she reached down to grab it. She slowly unfurled it to avoid attracting the teacher's attention.
So where are you taking dr son on todays date? ;)
Videl's eyes narrowed as her face flushed at the hearts surrounding the words. She glared at the blonde who kept her gaze on the drawing she was working on in her notebook.
He's not a doctor, he's a PTA. It's also not a date.
You've gone out with us a few times, loser.
Videl grumbled as she wrote back. She glanced up and when she saw the teacher had his back turned towards them, she quickly placed the paper on Erasa's desk before going back to her own notes. A moment later a ball of paper hit her head again. She sighed and leaned over to pick up the paper.
suuuuure you two aren't, you doth protest waaaay too much
I'm not a loser (T.T) take that back you meanie!
I can see your blush from here, must be a hot date ;)
It's not a date, E. We're going to that new book cafe on main street.
Did you want to come?
You're more than welcome to.
She rolled her eyes and the flush did not leave her face as she wrote back. Her periwinkle eyes darted up. Good, the teacher still wasn't looking. She put the paper on Erasa's desk and jotted down the latest notes the teacher wrote on the board.
The paper ball hit her head just as she caught up. How did her friend happen to write so quickly and yet retain her neat bubble handwriting? Maybe she was just excited to throw something at her. She was a little too enthusiastic about it for Videl's liking.
books!? eeew! (x_x) no thanks!
sadly I can't third wheel my fave couple today, the art club needs me
I just like to keep up with my bestie and her love life :)
It's fascinating
Videl could hear Erasa chuckle. The extra hearts Erasa drew somehow made her face a deeper shade of red. Love life? Her? Wait, one of the hearts had 'G+V' in the center of it.
Haha. Very funny.
We're just friends.
She did not look up when she put the paper on her friend's desk this time. She noticed the teacher had written more on the board and she wanted to catch up. From her peripheral, Videl could see that Erasa had the note crumbled and ready to launch her way.
"Miss Rubber, whatever you and Miss Satan are talking about must be very important, since you couldn't wait until after class. Could you read your note to the class?" The teacher's voice boomed. Erasa squeaked in surprise and held the paper ball closely to her chest. Her eyes stared down at her doodled notebook as she tried to think of what she could do.
Their classmates had their eyes on them. Videl's thoughts raced through her mind and she tuned out her classmates' taunts. Her face was red so she hid her face in her hands. She swore smoke was leaving her ears. How could she not be mortified? She and Erasa had not been vague about Gohan in their note at all.
Videl had barely gotten out of trouble with her dad when the gossip rags put her and Gohan's faces on the front page. Now it was going to come out again and she wasn't sure if she could calm her dad down this time. At least then she was able to hide behind the fact he was acting as her physical therapist. She could just see her dad march into the physical therapy clinic and demand to see Gohan, there was no stopping it now.
"Well? It must be very entertaining if Miss Satan is acting like that." The teacher pressed, he leaned forward and the classroom became quiet. Erasa looked over at Videl who burrowed her face deeper into her own hands before she looked at the teacher. She knew what she had to do. She took a deep breath and winked at Videl, who dared to look up at her, before she shoved the paper ball into her mouth. Videl's jaw dropped with the teacher's. The classroom broke out into laughter and cheered. Erasa had hastily grabbed the water bottle off of Videl's desk to help her swallow it down better.
The teacher quickly picked up the textbook he had dropped. The bell rang loudly as he was about to chastise Erasa for her actions. The young blonde grabbed her items quickly and made a dash for the door. The class cheered and laughed as she held up a peace sign before she was gone. Videl rubbed her eyes and felt her phone vibrating in her bike shorts.
From Erasa R - 3:01pm
I expect to be the maid of honor for my sacrifices!
Have a good time with your doctor! xoxo
oOo
Gohan sat at one of the booths, surrounded by books. He was quietly reading his book, "A Compendium of Rhopalocera". A styrofoam cup was placed in front of him. He fixed his glasses before he looked up at the girl in front of him. Videl smiled back, she placed her copy of Enola Holmes on the table and sipped at her black iced drink as she sat herself across from him.
"Hey there, stranger," she joked. He slipped the bookmark in before he closed the book. He palmed the drink in one hand as his finger traced her name that was printed on the top of the lid. The barista even attempted to draw a little devil symbol next to her name.
"I could have gotten the drinks this time, you always buy," Gohan said softly. She smacked her lips and waved her hand. She placed her drink onto the table and cracked open her book to where the bookmark lay.
"Well your mom always finds some way to feed me, I'd feel like a bum if I didn't try to pay you back in some way," she hummed. "I heard the hot chocolate here is actually pretty good." He took a sip and felt the drink warm his chest, there was a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg which was strangely nice.
"Yeah, it's actually really good." He placed it down in front of her and she looked up from the book when she realized he was holding it out to her. "Want to try some?" She blushed and his face turned red as well. He was still getting used to their one on one rendezvous and he hoped that he hadn't committed some social slip up.
He felt relief when her hand brushed his and she took a sip of the drink.
"Yeah, it's pretty good. I was worried it would be too sweet." She held up her black drink towards him. "Want to try mine? It's an iced black cold brew." He grabbed it and took a sip. His face scrunched up and she laughed.
"Wow, that is bitter," he chuckled nervously. "You drink that for fun?"
"It's a nice leisurely drink, yes. I like to drink it when I need a bit of a wake up," she admitted bashfully.
"You can nap like last time if you want," he snickered at the memory. Suddenly Videl's watch started to crackle.
"Miss Videl, are you there?" Some tables around them glared over and she squeaked in embarrsement. Quickly putting the bookmark in her book, she apologized and she hightailed it through the glass door next to their booth. His eyes followed her as she walked down a bit and focused a little more on her form.
"Yes, Chief?" Videl asked, her arms raised to her mouth. She glared at the loud machine next to her, the thin glass wall barely masking the noise. She brought the watch closer to her face.
"We just got a call that criminals took a bus! We could use some back up." She pulled the watch back to look at it. Soon her watch blinked to life as the outline of a green map appeared. A red dot was slowly moving.
"Alright, Chief, I'm on my way," she responded. Her watch stopped crackling and she made her way back inside to her companion.
Gohan watched her with expectant eyes, his hands twitched near his watch. Videl sat down and took a leisurely sip of her drink. A moment passed and she could feel Gohan's stare. She stared back at him and did her best not to laugh as he began to sweat just a bit. He pulled at his collar and scratched his cheek.
"Hey, Videl? Didn't the cops just call you?" He asked. She nodded slowly. "I'm guessing you need to go to help them out with something?"
"The chief wanted me to come to the station to help identify a criminal, I don't think I need to rush," she said. She took another sip as his eyebrows came together, confused, and his head tilted to the side.
"What? I thought a bus was hijacked," he said. She took another sip of her drink as she regarded him.
"Oh yeah, you're right." She slowly enunciated. "How'd you know that, Go-han?" She emphasized his name in a way that caused him to turn pale.
"W-w-when you were outside!" His voice went up an octave and he flinched. She nodded and continued to sip at her drink. He coughed into his hand and tried again. "When you were outside just now, I could hear your watch. The chief can sure be loud!" He tried to laugh at his own joke. Someone shushed him and he deflated, he didn't realize he had gotten so loud. He turned around and quickly apologized, he missed the smirk that came and went on Videl's face.
"Oh wow, Gohan, I'm surprised you could hear him. The coffee machine went off when he was talking." He froze again, he didn't remember hearing that. He should have paid attention to his surroundings instead of just her. Videl stared straight into his eyes and he felt pinned down somehow. "Your selective hearing must be insanely good if you heard my watch over the espresso machine, Mr. Son." He squinted his eyes, she knew he hated being called that.
"I guess it's a perk about being a mountain man," he nervously chuckled. She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm so used to the silence that I guess I'm just more sensitive to voices." She took another sip of her drink, she finished her cold brew and stood up.
"I guess that makes sense," she relented. He sighed and she smirked at him. "I'm off to kick some butt! I'll be back, okay?" He relaxed and nodded. She walked outside and decapsulated her copter. It didn't take her long before she was up in the air following the GPS location on her watch. He grabbed their books and placed them in his bag before throwing away his drink. Walking out the door, he dipped into the alleyway and transformed into Saiyaman behind one of the trash cans
Once he was in the air, he followed Videl's ki and it wasn't long before he saw a bus on the road. His eyebrows raised when he realized there were passengers, the chief never mentioned civilians.
He could see Videl on the top of the bus, slowly crawling her way on the roof. Her short hair rustled in the wind and her dark long sleeves contrasted against the bright color of the bus. His eyes widened when he saw her scuttle away from bullets barreling out of the roof.
He dipped down and smashed a hole at the head of the bus. The criminal driving gave a shout when Saiyaman landed on the bus near him. Before he could do anything, Videl had flipped inside and knocked the driver unconscious. The hostages on the bus screamed as the vehicle veered onto the gravel. Videl was quick to toss the man's body on the ground and quickly started driving.
Saiyaman focused his attention on the two men who held guns and had masks on. He rushed towards one of them and heard the other one shoot at the front windshield. The crowd screamed again as Videl swerved slightly. She had put her arm in front of her eyes to prevent the glass from hitting her. Angry, Saiyaman took the other guy down quickly but not before he shot out another bullet. The screams around him seemed to get louder and he turned around. Videl kept shoving her foot onto the brake pedal with no affect.
"That idiot couldn't hit a girl right in front of him," she grumbled, "but managed to hit the brake line? Seriously?" A gloved hand squeezed her shoulder but she kept her eyes on the road. "What's your idea?"
"I'm going to stop the bus myself," he told her. He turned around and raised his voice. "Everyone! Hold on!" He hoped his voice was louder than the screams. He flew out and put his body in front of the bus and glanced at Videl.
"Brace yourselves!" Videl turned slightly and shouted again. She saw the passengers behind her hold onto each other and whatever bar they could grab. The bus lurched forward in protest as Saiyaman's boots hit the ground. The wheels screeched and Videl couldn't separate what was metal grinding on pavement or the screams she heard from behind her. She did her best to keep the bus on the road. Eventually, the bus stopped moving and she sighed, leaning against her chair.
"Is everyone alright?" There it was, his ridiculously deep super hero voice was on. It always came back on once the immediate danger was gone. The people cheered, thankful that Videl and Saiyaman had saved them. Another win, in her book. "Are you alright, Videl?" She looked up at the black shades and gave him a thumb up.
"Of course, do you know who you're talking too?" She chuckled but he didn't smile back like normally. Her eyebrows knitted together. His lips were turned down in a frown.
"You're hurt." His tone was somber and she suddenly missed his fake hero voice. She looked down at her arm and saw her shirt was torn and there was something red on her skin. She brought her forearm to her face, she rubbed at it a little bit.
"It's just a cut, I'm pretty sure I'll live, Saiyaman," she said. He frowned and his gloved hand was on her forehead. She blushed and slapped it away, eyes glanced nervously at the other passengers. "Ever heard of personal space! What gives?"
"Your forehead is bleeding," he told her. She looked up in the rearview mirror, and sure enough she was. Now that she saw it, she could feel it trickle down her face. She ripped the rest of her sleeve off and dabbed it away. It was just a small cut but she kept bleeding. In the corner of her eye, she saw the cop lights blaring over the horizon behind them.
"It's just because it's a forehead wound, it's not a big cut or anything." She held the black cloth to her forehead and stood up. Saiyaman frowned as he followed Videl. They tied up the three criminals together, Videl smiled and responded to the citizens while Saiyaman frowned at her. He even followed her as they led everyone off of the bus. The cop cars stopped nearby and an officer stepped out.
"The three perpetrators are inside," Videl started as she held the black cloth on her forehead. Suddenly, Saiyaman scooped her up.
"Everyone else seems to be fine. We'll be on our way, sir," Saiyaman finished. Before the officer or Videl could say anything, they were up in the air and cheers followed them.
"I'm sorry, but I don't recall giving you permission to grab me." Videl snipped out sarcastically, she struggled out of the bridal grip. He narrowed his eyes at the stubborn woman in his grasp.
"You're bleeding, I'm taking you to the hospital."
"Hospital?! Why would I need to go for two small cuts!" She struggled harder than she meant to and fell out of his grip. Her stomach lurched as her body was momentarily in free fall. He circled his arms around her waist in an ironclad grip. They hung in the air, standing in their suspended state, and he could hear his own heartbeat pound in his ear. She was pinned to his side and she felt uncomfortably close, he smelled like oak, familiar spices and flowers.
"Be careful, I almost dropped you," he reprimanded. Her face felt warm and she looked down embarrassed. His voice was low. "Look, you were shot at and you're bleeding. I'm taking you to the hospital, okay?" She shook her head and he sighed.
"Take me to a clinic or to my house, anywhere but the hospital. I just have two cuts, a little antiseptic and bandage would be fine enough." She mumbled as she kept her eyes on her shoes.
"Fine," he sighed. The air felt still and his toes flexed. She blinked. His toes? Her gaze shifted to his feet that were exposed. His boots must have rubbed away from the friction of stopping the bus earlier. But how could his toes be out? She had always thought his boots were how he could fly. Maybe some sort of Capsule Corp technology that allowed him to float. His toes weren't even bleeding! They looked fine at this angle. She placed her arms around him now and roughly groped his back. "H-H-Hey!" He blushed furiously. "What are you doing?" She thought she would feel anything unusual, but all she felt was smooth muscle.
"All this time, it wasn't the suit. It was you." She whispered as she looked up at him. "Can you actually just fly, Gohan?!" His face whitened when she said his civilian name.
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Videl!" He blustered, he did his best to deepen his voice like usual, but it sounded scratchy and nervous. She huffed some of the short pieces of her hair out of her vision.
"Cut the crap, Son, I've known it was you." Her expression was flat. This man was unbelievable. He gave out a fake laugh and she looked down, her eyes landing on his watch.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital, Miss Videl?" He tried again, his voice almost sounded like it usually did. She pressed the black button on his watch, it just beeped back at her. "What-", she pressed the red button and he was back in his clothes. A loose white button down, brown slacks, and his side bag. She looked back up to stare at him blankly. "Uhm. It's not what it looks like?"
"Really?" She pushed his glasses up his nose so they wouldn't fall off. "So I'm not looking at one Gohan Son?" His lips pursed and he paused for a moment.
"Who's Gohan Son?" He tried. She punched him in the arm and he chuckled nervously, keeping one arm around her and bringing the other one up to rub the back of his head.
"Are you serious, Gohan?! I literally unmasked you midair and you're trying to tell me I'm wrong?!"
"I'm processing here, let me process." Gohan sighed, he frowned as her forehead kept bleeding. "Could we go to West Clinic? I know where we keep first aid kits there and it's the closest."
"Sure, anything's better than the hospital," Videl shrugged. He shifted her in his arms and carried her bridal style again. He started flying back towards the city. "So you have the ability to fly."
"I have the ability to fly," he repeated. She looked up at him with stars in her eyes.
"That's so cool!" She shouted and her good mood put a smile on his face. "Can you teach me? Or is this some superhuman thing only you can do because of some freak lab accident?"
"Lab accident? I wasn't in a lab accident, Videl," Gohan laughed.
"Okay, I can cross that off my list of possible origin stories now." She poked his ribs. "Is it something you can teach then? Because I'm looking to learn."
"I have to teach you about ki first but yeah, I could teach you," he said. She actually whooped and fist bumped the air. Her thoughts only focused on the fact she'd soon be able to fly herself.
"Let's start training right now! I'm ready to go!" She shouted. The red on her forehead had a grip on his heart.
"I'm almost close to the clinic. Let's handle your cut first," he chastised. She groaned in protest but didn't press her luck. He took a deep breath. "Okay, okay, I think I've processed. So you knew I was Saiyaman? How did you know?"
"The first time you helped me, I recognized your voice immediately. And your build looked the same, but I wasn't sure," Videl admitted. "Back when Chobi was kidnapped was when I knew for sure. I saw you press a button on your watch and transform in the locker room of the clinic. You should be more careful, Gohan."
"Since Chobi?!" Gohan exclaimed. "You've known all that time? And you didn't say anything?"
"Well, I know you, Gohan. You're a good guy who likes to help people, I thought you got Bulma to make you that suit so you could fight with me. Besides, it was fun to tease you, you're such a terrible liar."
Gohan quietly took in her words. It was quiet for a moment, Videl enjoyed the feeling of the wind rushing through her short hair. He could smell cherries and vanilla, he flushed realizing how close they were.
Soon they landed in an alleyway a couple doors down from the physical therapy clinic. She followed him out, smiling brightly at him as they walked down the sidewalk.
"So, we gotta train after you bandage me up!" Videl cheered. "Where's our training ground going to be, Sensei Son?" He thought about it for a moment before he answered.
"I guess I could take us back to my house? Goten's been wondering where you've been and Mom misses your company at dinner." Gohan suggested.
"Okay, sure, Sensei," Videl sighed. "Where's that first aid kit at?"
"Follow me." He grabbed her hand and led her through the clinic door.
A/N: So the head cannon for this is that Videl and Gohan met in a different way. (If that wasn't obvious.)
Gohan is a PTA at a clinic and Videl ends up being a patient there because she severely hurt her leg. (Or legs I hadn't worked out the timeline to say the severity.) He gained her trust when he helped rehabilitate her leg. When she's better and helps the police again, he decides to be Saiyaman. She instantly knows it's him but decides to respect his identity. And she liked messing with him.
But a girl's gotta learn to fly and what better teacher than the man who helped her walk again?
I couldn't think of a full on story or plot. It felt like a better way to write drabbles and have a character study of sorts. I sort of want to do a Gohan dedicated chapter for backstory on how he ended up being a PTA in Satan City. I honestly don't get how characters like him think and it would be a good exercise I feel.
-Maju Murchadha