Innocent Feelings

4

Date

As Videl led him through the school gates, Gohan kept glancing down at their joined hands, feeling his face heat up slightly. He still had trouble coming to terms with everything that had happened since lunch.

His gaze lingered on their linked hands for a bit longer, marveling at the contrast between his large, thick hand and her own, so much smaller and slender. He looked back at the pretty girl, pulling him down the street, and cracked a smile as he noticed that she, too, was blushing. They were both completely new to this dating thing, after all.

Gohan's face flared up intensely at that thought; the notion was slowly but surely sinking in. They were dating. He and Videl, they were actually dating. She was his girlfriend, she accepted his feelings, they were together now…

And they almost kissed.

It was like the memory of that fleeting moment suddenly hit him, and the boy flushed even more. Somehow, the idea of missing class had distracted him from thinking back about it. Now, however, it was like he simply could not think of anything else. The way Videl's big, beautiful eyes twinkled as she'd watched him silently, biting down her lip in that adorable way; how her skin had felt so smooth under his touch, and how that warm yet strange fluttering sensation in his stomach had become so much stronger while he had leaned in on impulse, his heart racing in his chest. Everything came back to him, and Gohan swallowed, his mouth getting dry. He shook his head slightly to try to clear his head, and looked about the streets, trying to distract his mind from that very vivid memory.

"Where are we going?" he found himself asking. Videl looked back at him and slowed down her pace, now walking beside him.

"I don't really know," she said with a shrug. "I'm just putting more distance between the school and us."

"Ah, okay."

I can't believe I'm ditching class… Mom is really going to kill me, Gohan thought dreadfully. He scratched the back of his head with his free hand as he glanced at the girl who persuaded him, his girlfriend, and felt his face heat up yet again.

Could this be considered… their first date?

This time, his face was burning badly, and the teen bit down his lip in hesitation.

"Is there… Is there somewhere you want to go? Or… something you would like to do in particular?" he asked her anxiously, his face deep red as he met her gaze again. Videl raised her eyebrows; then she averted her eyes as a reddish hue spread across her cheeks, obviously coming to the same conclusion as him, just moments ago.

"I… I don't know. I didn't really think about it," she replied quietly. "What about you?"

She looked back at him; her blue eyes were distracting, however, and Gohan had to look away in order to answer her properly.

"How about we just wander in the city?" he suggested after some thought, turning to her as he spoke. "I mean, I usually just go to school and go back home every day, maybe you could show me around some nice places? Would that be okay?"

Videl smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's a great idea."

He smiled brightly in response, and she chuckled softly. Looking about the streets, she seemed to check where exactly they were, probably thinking of where they could go first. Soon enough, she turned back to Gohan.

"There's an ice-cream parlor a few blocks away, how about we head there for a start?"

Videl smirked when Gohan's face lit up completely and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, great idea. I'd love some ice-cream."

"I figured that much," she said with an amused grin. Tugging at his hand, she started leading him again. "Come on, this way."

Gohan smiled happily, letting his girlfriend lead him to the ice-cream parlor. His grin got wider at the thought. Videl was his girlfriend. Videl, a girl he would never have imagined he could have, chose him, out of all the boys she could easily be with. And they were on a date now. His heart was soaring in joy.

"There we are," the girl in question stated, bringing him out of his daydream as she stopped in front of the parlor. The Son boy hardly had the time to really see the colorful sign before he was pulled inside. He glanced at their still joined hands, his ever-present smile never wavering.

As he and Videl moved to the waiting line, the young Saiyan looked around the parlor. He first noticed that it wasn't very crowded; not many people were standing in the line either. That was a good thing, as they wouldn't need to wait very long. Next, he took note of the decor; the shop was neither small nor too big, some posters were featuring the different kinds of ice-cream they sold, and circles of various sizes and colors decorated the walls. A counter and bar stools were set opposite to the shop window, along with several tables and seats, as well as a few booths in the corners, where some customers were settled in. Finally, the tall boy's attention quickly turned to the shop window, and his eyes lit up upon seeing how many different flavors of ice-cream and sorbet were displayed. There were also fresh fruits as well as various kinds of nuts and chips, and finally cups of different sizes were lined on top of the window. The teen grinned toothily: this place looked simply perfect.

Gohan heard a muffled sound and turned to the source, namely Videl, who was trying, and failing, to contain a sudden fit of giggles. He tilted his head to the side, confused as to what could be so funny all of a sudden. He didn't have to wait long to get the answer.

"The look on your face… I knew you would love it here," she grinned widely, her eyes shining with laughter. The tall boy blushed slightly and lowered his gaze in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck out of habit. Another giggle reached his ears, and then out of nowhere soft lips pressed on his cheek.

Stunned onyx met playful blue; a reddish hue colored her pale cheeks, while a shy yet broad smile decorated her lips. Gohan could feel his own face flare up as he stared at her, dumbfounded by the unexpected kiss. In that moment, the clerk called for their attention and Videl turned toward the young woman, tugging at his hand as she got to the front of the counter to make an order.

Tuning out what was going on, the Saiyan teen brushed his cheek with the tip of his fingers, and a small smile formed on his lips as he held her hand a little tighter.

Videl was his girlfriend. As much as he was having trouble realizing that it was actually happening, that he was actually on a date with the girl he liked, the thought of it was making his stomach do incessant flip-flops. It was a strange feeling; never before had it felt so strong, so oddly delightful.

When Videl turned around to ask him what he wanted, she wasn't able to stop the heat that rushed to her cheeks as she saw the dazed, faraway look on his face. She had acted on impulse and hadn't thought much when she kissed him on the cheek – but he was just so damn cute! How was she supposed not to be affected by his adorableness? That was just impossible.

She tugged at his hand to get his attention; he blinked a few times, looked around him before refocusing his onyx eyes on her. A gentle, innocent smile formed on his lips in silent inquiry.

There it was again. The adorable look. The girl could already feel her insides melting at the sight.

Oh boy. She really had it bad didn't she?

ooOoo

Last period was always the most frustrating. Being so close to being done with school for the day, while time seemed to be slowing down somehow, was rather unsettling. Today seemed to be worse than usual, with what Erasa had learned about her best friend earlier.

She couldn't wait to be out of there and call Videl, so that she could finally know all the details of what had been going on with her and Gohan the past week, as well as where she was right now. Could they be together somewhere now? From what her classmates said, Videl had run away after her outburst and Gohan had gone after her… Had he managed to catch up with her? She couldn't be sure, as Videl was quite the fast runner, and Gohan was… well, he didn't look very strong. Then again, neither did Videl, so she couldn't really know. Had they managed to clear things up? Or did Gohan lose sight of her and was trying to find her?

The blonde sighed heavily, resting her chin on her crossed arms, on the desk. She didn't like not knowing what was going on with her friends, and this boring class wasn't helping either. At least in the previous period the teacher had been quite lenient and didn't mind letting them chat, but now, with Ms. Skware, no one dared make a sound. It made waiting for the last bell all the more tiring… At least when they were talking time passed faster.

She was still somewhat upset that her friend would keep all this to herself. Did Videl think that she couldn't keep a secret? They were best of friends since forever, and Erasa had never hesitated sharing everything and anything with her; and yet Videl had kept something so huge all to herself. Videl actually liked a boy, at last, might she add, and it was none other than the sweet, innocent and super cute Gohan. That really was huge news. But why would Videl keep silent about it? To her?

Yes, she knew Videl wasn't the girly type, at all, but the short haired blonde had liked to think that she would be the first to know when her best friend finally crushed on someone. It was disappointing that Videl had never even mentioned it to her; but, she hoped that she would at least get to hear the details about everything that happened when she called her.

Well, if this class was ever going to end. It sure didn't feel that way…

ooOoo

Gohan was just starting to make an order when the all-too-familiar, and currently unwelcome beeping sound went off. He turned to his girlfriend, who looked at him apologetically. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand and reached for the button on her wristwatch. Pausing as she was about to press it, she looked up at him with a disappointed expression.

"I'm really sorry, Gohan," Videl said with a resigned sigh, before pushing the button to answer the call.

Listening to the situation, Gohan felt more worried about her than disappointed; although, he was pretty bummed that their first date was already coming to an end. But there was no helping it…

"Okay, I'm coming right away." Ending the call, Videl sighed again as she turned to him. "I'm so sorry, Gohan. I have to go…"

"It's okay," he said with a somewhat sad, yet understanding smile. "It's your job, I get it."

"Erm, excuse me," the clerk woman called for their attention. "Should I cancel the order…?"

They turned to the woman behind the counter, then glanced at each other, a bit embarrassed. Videl sighed. Why did the police have to call her now, of all times?

"You take care of it, I'll be back later. Wait for me here, okay?" she said hurriedly. Glancing at her watch again, she took a few quick steps to the exit – only to be stopped by a firm, yet gentle hand grabbing her wrist, making her look back at the spiky-haired boy.

"Be careful, okay?"

His eyes reflected his worry and the conflicted emotions he must be struggling with. It was obvious that he didn't want her to go, yet he wasn't trying to stop her. He respected her choice and the way she lived, even though he looked so worried about her. Videl felt a pang in her heart for having to leave him behind while she was out in dangerous situations, but she was also extremely grateful that he was so understanding. Although, right now, she could've gone without that police call…

Pulling her arm backward to drag him down towards her a bit, Videl pecked him on the cheek.

"I will; I promise," she said quietly, while she pulled back. Trying to ignore the burning feeling on her cheeks, she turned around and hurriedly left the ice cream parlor.

Gohan let out a deep sigh as he watched her go. He scratched at his hair, a reddish hue also coloring his cheeks from her kiss.

"So, um… should I cancel the order after all?" the clerk asked, a little embarrassed. As the young man turned to her, he suddenly realized that their little display had had an audience, and the burning sensation in his face deepened instantly.

That was the second time today… Hopefully, it wasn't going to become a habit.

"Yes, please. Sorry for the inconvenience."

He hastily walked out the parlor, keen to escape the curious glances he was receiving. But more importantly, Gohan had to make sure his favorite crime fighter was going to be safe. The young Saiyan knew that he would have to tell her about his superhero alter ego soon, though, as he couldn't be with Videl and act as somebody else in disguise at the same time; that would be just wrong of him. Besides, he had been seriously considering telling her about it as of late.

Finding a secluded spot, he pressed the red button on his watch, waited until his special outfit replaced his regular clothes, and took off to the sky, his red cape flapping behind him as he flew towards her ki signature.

As he neared his destination, Gohan promised himself that he was going to tell her about Saiyaman as soon as possible. Keeping up with this lie was no good.