Please Friendzone Me!

Chapter 13

For Her Sake


The ocean was gone in a blink as Gohan zipped through the sky at breakneck speed. Videl tightened her arms around his neck, squinting at the blur of different colors whizzing by. The wind wasn't whipping at her face as hard as she would've expected, considering how incredibly fast Gohan was flying.

The words echoed in her head.

Gohan… was… flying.

Videl leaned the side of her head in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes – the blurry scenery was giving her a headache.

Gohan was flying, defying gravity and possibly breaking the speed of sound. It shouldn't be possible, and yet there he was, holding her against him while he soared through the air.

And there was definitely zero trick involved. Gohan could actually fly. Somehow.

It felt like he had grabbed her and blasted off just a split second ago – Videl was still trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

"How is it possible…?" she murmured under her breath.

"Sorry?" Gohan said, loud enough to be heard over the wind whistling in their ears.

Videl pulled back slightly and chanced a look around; they seemed to be much higher than earlier. Down below, she distinguished a city, and everything looked like ants.

She turned her frown at Gohan, who flashed her an awkward smile. He leaned closer to her, his lips almost brushing her ear.

"I know you must have a million questions," he said softly, his warm breath giving her a shiver. "And to be honest, I'm not really ready to tell you everything about me – but getting you to Satan City is more important than keeping my secrets, so here we are."

He pulled back and grinned at her – so effortlessly charming as usual. Videl felt herself blush despite herself. Now was really not the time to let Gohan sway her heart – not that she ever had a say in it.

"I'll try to explain as much as I can," he went on, raising his voice again to be heard over the wind. "But I'll leave out the parts I'm not yet comfortable sharing, alright?"

Her brow furrowed as she observed him. The way his eyebrows arched, the dimmed light in his eyes – Videl could tell he was worried and nervous about telling her even some of his secrets.

And yet… She touched his cheek, stroked it with her thumb, her expression softening. His lips parted slightly as he stared back at her.

And yet, Gohan willingly put himself in a difficult position for her sake.

His kindness was making her heart glow.

"I'll wait for the rest, then," she said. "I'm not going anywhere."

The way his whole face lit up was… everything. Goodness, she liked him so much.

"Alright! Let's kick it up a notch, then! We've got a place to be and someone to see."

And with that, the white aura around Gohan shone brighter, his arms around her waist held her more firmly, as, somehow, he picked up his speed and tore through the air even faster than before. Videl clung to his neck and hugged him tight, eyes clamped shut while her heart tried to leap out of her chest.

"We'll be there in a minute!" he announced.

A minute? Was he serious? A mere minute? Papaya Island was thousands of miles away from Satan City. How could it be possible to be that fast? Surely, Gohan was exaggerating…

I guess not, Videl thought as Gohan started descending toward the familiar city. She wasn't even sure it had been a full minute.

"Where's the hospital?" Gohan asked, his tone back to normal as he was flying a lot slower now.

Videl blinked out of her astonishment, shook her head, and focused on giving Gohan directions to the hospital. Soon enough, he touched down on the landing pad on the roof and let go of her.

Videl couldn't help staring at him. She could barely believe they crossed continents in such a short time.

"I told you I was fast," he said with an awkward chuckle. "Now, let's go see your friend. Ariel, right?"

Fear gripped her chest as reality caught up to her. Videl swallowed thickly and nodded, trudging toward the staircase house. Gohan's incredible feat had distracted her from worrying about Ariel, but now she had to face whatever awaited her in there.

A warm, comforting hand held hers. Videl paused and looked back at the much taller boy, smiling down at her in an encouraging way.

"She'll be okay." Gohan gave her hand a squeeze.

Her lips quivered. "You don't know that."

"I know she has to be a very strong woman if she's had to deal with you since you were a baby. People like that fight the hardest. Nothing's gonna keep her down for long, I'm sure of it."

A couple tears rolled down her cheeks, relieving some of the weight in her chest. Somehow… that was exactly what she needed to hear.

Gohan wiped the wet trails on her face with the back of his fingers, his gentleness making her heart melt. Then he cupped her cheek, tipped her head back slightly and leaned down, pressing his lips on her forehead.

Videl closed her eyes as his kiss lingered. She didn't understand how it worked, but this simple gesture gave her so much strength. She felt treasured, and safe, like nothing in the world could ever beat her down – not as long as this boy was by her side.

He pulled back, his eyes gleaming with kindness and warmth. "Feeling better?"

She cracked a smile. "Seriously, how do you do that?"

He chuckled softly and tugged at her hand. "Come on, let's go."

He led her into the staircase, and Videl couldn't take her eyes off him. She had never met anyone like Gohan, and she felt so lucky to have him in her life. His kindness was so pure. Just knowing he was there for her, that he was there with her, standing by her side no matter what – it was all she needed to face the world.


They found Mr. Satan on the second floor. Videl let go of Gohan's hand and ran to her dad, calling out to him to catch his attention.

The young man watched father and daughter share a tight hug from a distance, not wanting to intrude in their family time. He frowned as he saw Videl exchange words with her father, and she paled in response to something Mr. Satan said.

His chest felt tight as he looked on and Videl's father hugged her again and her shoulders shook with sobs.

Videl's friend… She was going to be okay, right?

Taking a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, Gohan stepped toward the pair. Upon reaching them, he cleared his throat to draw their attention. Videl pulled back from her father and sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"Oh, Gohan. Sorry, didn't mean to leave you out." Her voice was hoarse. Goodness, he hated seeing her like this.

"How… How is she?"

Her lips quivered and her eyes welled up again. "Not good. She's still in surgery…"

"What happened?" Gohan asked in a raspy breath. "Did she get into an accident or…?"

If it was an injury, no matter how serious, he would be out of there in a flash and make a stop at Korin's tower to fetch some Senzu beans. If only it meant Videl never had to cry again.

"No… She has a heart condition and she had a stroke…"

"Gosh, I'm so sorry, Videl… I wish there was anything I could do."

She managed a small smile. "Will you stay with me until she's out of the OR?"

He took both of her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere." He cracked a half-hearted smile. "And anyway, I'm your ride, so I can't leave without you."

She emitted a weak laugh. "Right."

Someone cleared their throat. Gohan frowned as Videl quickly pulled her hands away and shot a nervous smile at her father. Mr. Satan had his lips pursed in a tight line and his arms were crossed, his presence booming over them.

"Ah, sorry," Videl said in a haste. "I forgot to do the introductions. Dad, this is Gohan, a friend from school. Gohan, this is my dad."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Gohan said politely, holding out his hand.

But Mr. Satan didn't uncross his arms. He eyed the outstretched hand as though it insulted him. Gohan's polite smile didn't waver as he pulled back and straightened up.

"Dad, be nice," Videl berated. "It's not what you think at all – Gohan and I are just friends. Right, Gohan?"

Ah, so Videl's father was hostile because he assumed Gohan had impure intentions toward his daughter… The young man averted his eyes as blood rushed to his face.

Why did he have to remember his cursed dream and all the things he did to Videl in it now of all times?

"Yes," he mumbled in confirmation, though his heart wasn't in it. "We're just friends."

He wished he could forget about that stupid dream. He wished he could stop wondering if kissing and touching Videl would feel as intoxicating as it did in his subconscious. He wished he did only have pure thoughts regarding his friend who also happened to be an incredibly attractive young woman.

"What's this about him being your ride?" Mr. Satan questioned. "How did you get back to Satan City so quickly, for that matter? It's barely been twenty minutes since I called you."

"That's not important," Videl quickly deflected. "What matters is that I can be there for Ariel. And that wouldn't have been possible if not for Gohan."

Her father squinted at the boy in question. Gohan offered him an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Anyway, um…" Gohan mumbled after an uncomfortable silence, shuffling his feet. "I'm going to get some snacks. Do you guys want anything?"

"I'll go with you," Videl said. Then, to her dad: "We'll be right back."

"No funny business," Mr. Satan grumbled, his tone menacing. Videl rolled her eyes while she and Gohan started walking away.

"Yeah, yeah," she dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"That didn't go too well, huh?" Gohan muttered once they were out of earshot, scratching his cheek.

She shrugged. "It went better than I would've expected, actually. Dad's super protective of me so he's wary of any boy he sees me with. I'm surprised he didn't antagonize you or try to scare you off like he usually does. Maybe he's finally growing up."

Gohan chuckled slightly. "I suppose it could've gone worse, yeah…"

They reached a vending machine. Videl looked at the different options, but Gohan was quicker to make a choice. He put a bill in the machine and tapped a number on the keypad.

Videl raised her eyebrows as a bag of peanut puffs dropped into the slot. Gohan crouched down and slipped his hand through the flap to pick up his choice of snack.

Except, when he straightened up, he held out the bag to her.

Videl blinked at him.

"You like these, right?" he asked, a gentle smile on his lips.

She nodded dumbly and took the bag of peanut puff from him without a word. Staring at the logo on the wrapping, Videl felt her cheeks heat up as she recalled the very first time Gohan had made her heart glow.

"How do you know this is my favorite snack?"

Gohan paused mid-tap on the keypad and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh, it's your favorite?" He turned to the machine once more and finished tapping his choice. "I've seen you eat that snack so I figured you liked it, but I didn't know it was your favorite." He shot her a smile out of the corner of his eyes. "That's good to know."

Videl's expression softened. So Gohan really was just that observant.

"Thanks," she said softly.

Gohan glanced at her and gave her a wink, before turning back to the keypad. Videl chuckled slightly, fiddling with the wrapping. The machine whirred and another bag of snacks dropped into the slot.

"You're not eating?" he asked, eying the still closed bag of peanut puffs in her hold.

She gave a meek smile. "I'm not really hungry."

"Oh…"

Gohan frowned slightly as he resumed using the vending machine. A moment of silence passed.

"Do you want me to teach you how to fly?" he suddenly asked.

The bag almost slipped from her grasp. Her lips parted as she stared at Gohan.

"Wha…?"

"It's a martial arts technique," he said, not looking away from the keypad as he continued buying more snacks. "Anyone with the correct training could do it. And you could definitely learn. You've got the skills and the talent."

A can of juice dropped into the vending machine's slot.

"I could…? Seriously…?"

Gohan glanced at her, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yes, seriously. So, are you interested?"

Slowly, a grin started spreading across her face, digging into her cheeks. "Of course! I can't believe it! I could learn how to fly? And you're really going to teach me?"

He chuckled as he turned his attention back to the vending machine and tapped another number on the keypad. "Like I'd pass up the chance to spend more time with you. Besides, I've actually been wondering how much stronger you could become if I trained you, so I'm looking forward to watching your progress."

Videl felt the familiar tingling warmth spread in her chest. Her gaze lowered to the bag of peanut puffs in her hand, twisting a corner of the wrapping.

"You've been wondering about me?" she asked, her voice small.

"How could I not? You've really impressed me during our spar. You're as talented as you are passionate about fighting. It's inspiring." He shot her a smirk. "No wonder you've scared off most of the criminals of Satan City."

Videl beamed at his praise. For Gohan, who seemed to be ways above her level, to recognize her value as a martial artist… that meant so much to her.

And to think she was going to learn how to fly! She never thought such a thing could be possible – it had always been a dream of hers. And now, it was going to become a reality.

"Okay, I think this should be enough," Gohan said. He opened his satchel hanging by his hip and grabbed a neatly folded, reusable shopping bag.

That's so like him, Videl thought, chuckling to herself as the boy crouched down and filled his bag with all the snacks he had bought.

He straightened up and turned to her. "Do you want to go back to your dad, or would you rather sit with me for a bit?"

Videl averted her gaze, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "I think I'd rather stay with you… You have a calming effect on me, and I think I need that right now."

She picked up movement out of the corner of her eyes and looked back at Gohan. He reached for her head, his warm hand patting her hair softly, a kind smile on his lips.

Videl felt her cheeks tingle with heat. She couldn't take her eyes off him.

"I'm here for you no matter what," Gohan said, his tone gentle. He grazed her bangs with the tip of his fingers before pulling his hand back.

She felt breathless. The way Gohan showed his affection to her… She could feel how dear she was to him, and it made her heart swell.

"Thanks," she whispered.

Gohan took her hand and tugging at it slightly. "Come on."

She let him guide her along the hallway. Her gaze lowered to their linked hands and a soft smile formed on her lips. She didn't dislike how comfortable she and Gohan were becoming with physical contact – not in the least. It was almost second nature for them now – Gohan holding her hand, patting her head, or hugging, and even him kissing her forehead in comfort.

It was such a nice feeling, to be close to him in that way.

Finding a sitting area, pleasantly illuminated by large windows, the pair sat together on a sofa. Gohan set his bag full of snacks beside him along with his satchel. Videl followed his example and removed her crossbody bag to get more comfortable.

Gohan held her hand again and gave it a squeeze. Videl looked up at him, but her smile was weak and half-hearted. Her chest felt tight with worry. Even the excitement to be learning how to fly had worn down already.

She lowered her head. It wasn't fair. Ariel had such a big heart, she had so much love to give, and she was only in her forties. She had always been there for her, even after she got married and started a family of her own, she still took care of her like one of her own. And even when she'd had to retire early because of her heart condition, she always made sure to stay in touch and checked in on her at least once a week.

Why would someone so kind and caring get sick when the worst people in the world went about their lives in perfect health? How was that fair?

"Can I do anything?" Gohan asked in a hoarse whisper, holding her hand firmly.

Her vision was blurry when she looked back at him. Gohan reached over and wiped a tear before it slipped from her eyelashes. She sniffed.

"I hate seeing you like this," he murmured, his hand moving to cup her cheek. Videl closed her eyes as she let his warmth quell the tightness in her chest.

"There's nothing anyone can do until she's out of surgery…" she said, her voice weak. "And that's gonna take hours. If she doesn't make it, I… I don't know what I'd do."

Gohan pulled her to him, wrapping her in a tight hug. Videl felt her shoulders relax. His scent, his strong arms, the heat radiating from his body… It was all as intoxicating as ever.

She needed this. She needed him – so much. She needed him to swallow her whole, to make her forget everything outside of the steady beat of his heart vibrating against her cheek.

She clutched his shirt, keeping her eyes tightly shut.

"I wish I could do more…" he murmured into her hair. "But this is all I can offer…"

"It does help… thank you." She took a shaky breath.

"Is her condition really bad? Is there really a risk she won't make it?"

"I… I don't know. Ariel never really talked to me about her heart condition. But there's always a risk with surgery…"

Gohan held her closer, rubbing her back in a soothing motion.

"Is there anything you want to ask me? I'll answer whatever I can," he offered. "If it can help you get your mind off all this even a little bit…"

She chuckled slightly. "You'd really do anything to help, huh?"

A shiver coursed up her spine as Gohan nuzzled her hair. Videl felt her face flare up.

"I'd do anything for you. You are very, very precious to me, Videl…"

She swallowed. Her stupid heart was acting up, purposely misinterpreting Gohan's words, foolishly hoping he meant more than he actually did. That maybe, just maybe, his attachment to her did run deeper than friendship.

She pursed her lips in a tight line and scrunched up her whole face – forcing herself to remember what Gohan said when he unequivocally put her in the friendzone.

"And I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I really, really hope that we'll have the kind of friendship that lasts a lifetime."

That's right, she reminded herself. He just wants to be best friends. Gohan would never see me any other way.

A tired sigh slipped through her lips as she snuggled closer to him. She may have no choice but to accept that Gohan would never see her in a romantic light, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy his platonic marks of affection.

"Alright, let's see…" she mumbled, focusing on Gohan's generous offer.

She didn't have to think hard about what she wanted to ask, even though she highly doubted Gohan would be ready to answer her with the truth just yet.

"Can you still not tell me what your "unfair advantage" is?"

"Ah, that's…" She felt an echo in his chest as he swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry, Videl, that's the one thing I can't… I really wish I could answer that but I just…"

"It's alright," she said softly. "I figured you'd say that, but I had to try at least."

He gave a nervous chuckle, making his chest rumble against her cheek. "But if there's anything else…"

Videl gave it some thought. "What else can you do? Apart from flying."

"Now, that I can answer." She could tell he was smiling from the tone of his voice.

And so, without letting go of each other, Gohan told her about ki, the life force that was in everyone and everything that lived. How the most skilled martial artists had learned to hone its power, to control it, and how they eventually used it to develop deadly techniques.

"My dad's signature move was the Kamehameha. There were a few paintings at the exhibit yesterday where he was depicted using it. It looks like a mini rocket was shooting out of his hands."

"I remember these paintings… So it really was all real," Videl mumbled against his chest. "I always had my doubts about if my dad was right about whether it was all just magic tricks, but to think he was just utterly wrong from A to Z…"

"I guess saying it's not real is easier than admitting there are people who can do things you know nothing about."

Gohan twirled his fingers in her hair absent-mindedly. Videl let her eyes slide shut and sighed in content. She felt so safe in his arms.

Still unwilling to pull away from the comforting embrace, they continued talking about ki and all the things Videl would be able to learn with Gohan's help.

"You'll have to forgive me," Gohan said softly, "but I won't be teaching you how to sense other people's ki for a while. I'm just… not ready for you to be able to sense mine."

"I don't see why not. I mean, what difference does it make? I get that you're way stronger than me."

"I… don't think you do. Not really… I doubt you could ever imagine just how… powerful I am," he finished in a whisper.

Videl frowned. "Would it be that bad if I knew? What's holding you from telling me?"

"I'm just… scared," he mumbled into her hair. "That you'd look at me differently. That you might start… fearing me."

"That could never happen," she stated point blank. "Even if you had the power to, I don't know, obliterate a whole continent or something, I would never be afraid of you. You're literally the kindest, sweetest guy ever, so even with all the power in the world, I know you would only ever use it to do good. That's just who you are."

He fell silent. His heart was erratic – she could feel its strong beat pounding against her ear.

"I…" Gohan trailed off and swallowed thickly. "You know, I… initially planned to wait at least six months to tell you everything about me. I figured we'd be super close by then, so that you'd be sure to accept me for who I am… and what I am… no matter what."

Six months…? It was a bit long, but Videl figured Gohan had a point. If they were already so close after just a few weeks, by six months they would be best friends for sure. She wondered why Gohan thought he had to wait for them to get to that point to tell her more about him. What was it that he believed she might not be able to accept? Videl honestly couldn't imagine anything he could ever say that would be able to sway the way she felt about him.

"But…" he went on, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm starting to think… Maybe we don't need six months. Maybe it doesn't matter how long I wait because we… we're already…"

He sighed and slowly started pulling back, just enough to look at her. He cupped her cheek, his eyes so full of affection and tenderness.

"I care so much about you already, and I know you do too – and maybe that's enough. Maybe you'll accept me no matter what. Maybe there's no point in waiting."

Her stupid heart was hoping again.

"Then… you'll tell me everything?" she uttered.

He cracked a nervous smile. "I think I should, yes… I trust you, Videl, and I don't want to hide anything from you anymore."

Her lips parted slightly. Her face felt hot and tingly. She couldn't take her eyes off of him.

He trusted her. He wanted to be completely honest with her. Even if it hadn't even been a month since they became friends, the connection they shared was already so strong. Just from the way he looked at her, Videl could tell she had a very special place in his heart, that Gohan cared deeply about her.

He cared about her so much that it was easy to mistake his affection for something more. But Videl wasn't going to let her heart fool her, not this time – she knew better.

His friendship was all she needed anyway; it was all she wanted. Having such a special person in her life, it was more than she could ask for. Gohan truly was the most gentle soul in the world – nobody could ever convince her otherwise.

But the gleam in his eyes made her chest feel tight. The crinkle on his forehead, the quivering tug of his lips… Videl could tell Gohan was still worried about telling her everything about him. And yet… for her sake, he was willing to go through with it.

How could she not melt completely at the way he cherished her?

She reached up, flicked the lone bang that hung over his forehead, traced his temple, his cheek with the tip of her fingers. She smiled as his face pigmented with pink. He was so cute when he blushed.

"You don't have to force yourself if you're not ready yet," she said softly. "I can wait if you need more time… I mean, maybe not six months, but it doesn't have to be right now."

Gohan let his head drop on her shoulder and let out a long sigh. "I… appreciate that. I do want to tell you, but I just…"

"I know." She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back. "It's okay. I mean, sure, I want to know what you're keeping from me, but I'd rather you didn't force yourself for my sake. It means a lot that you'd want to open up to me already, that you trust me… For now, that's good enough for me."

Gohan held her closer, almost crushing her against him. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"After everything you've done for me… it's the least I could do."

They fell silent, enjoying each other's warmth. Videl let her head rest on Gohan's shoulder blade and breathed in deeply, drowning in his masculine, intoxicating scent. This could never get old…

"How about this," he mumbled into her hair after some time. "I'll start by teaching you how to sense ki, and then I'll show you my full power. And once you see it for yourself, I'll tell you everything."

She blinked at the proposition. "That… sounds good to me."

Gohan finally pulled away and flashed her one of his effortlessly charming smiles. He tucked a few stray strands behind her ear. "Then it's settled. I figure it'll be easier to fathom if you can have a clear idea of how strong I am first."

She barely registered the things he said. His thumb was stroking her cheek now; the tender touch was turning her into goo.

"It'll be fun, too, teaching you all I know about ki. I can't wait to see you reach your full potential."

He was so casual about it, too. Like it was the most natural thing to show his attachment to her in such a way.

Was he like that with all his close friends? Videl wanted to believe she was special, that Gohan was only like that with her.

She let out a dreamy sigh. The way he smiled at her was going to be the end of her someday…

"With my help, you'll be sure to be the next world champion," Gohan babbled on. "I mean, you were already the top candidate, plus you've already surpassed your father. But once I finish training you, you'll have no competition."

His words took a moment to reach the comprehensive part of her brain. Videl blinked the daze out of her eyes.

"Wait… I'm stronger than my dad?"

Gohan laughed. He pulled her to him once more, wrapping his arms around her, and let his forehead drop against hers.

"Did you really not know?"

Videl flushed. Why was Gohan so damn cute?

"AHEM!"

The teens turned their heads toward the source of the loud fake cough, and Videl paled as the seething shadow of her father loomed over them.

Uh-oh.


Hope you liked it! Would love to read your thoughts about the chapter! :D


December 18, 2022