Innocent Feelings

15

Parents

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Gohan asked again, his arms tightening around Videl, reluctant to let go of her.

"Yeah, don't worry," she said, though with an uncertain smile. "You'd only add fuel to the fire anyway. And besides, there's still a tiny chance he never saw the magazine."

Gohan sighed, leaning his forehead against hers, unwilling to loosen his hold around his girlfriend to let her climb in her de-capsuled jetcopter. They were still in the park, under that same tree; the sun was setting, and it was getting pretty late – but Gohan didn't want to part with her and go home. Why couldn't he just hold her some more?

The copter waited patiently while the young man relished every precious second he had left with the beautiful girl in his arms; he buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. Ah… The most delicious scent of all…

"Gohan, I really need to get going," Videl giggled, and the boy straightened up to look down at her, cupping her face with both hands.

"Okay," he finally relented, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. And then he closed the distance and planted his lips firmly on hers, kissing her long and deep, letting his mind shut down for a moment as the wonderful sensations washed over him. He moved his hands to her waist, pulling Videl closer against him, while she wrapped her arms around his neck, playing distractedly with his spiky locks, and let out a sigh of content against his lips.

When Gohan finally pulled back, a few stars had appeared in the sky, which was getting darker and darker. Gohan didn't notice; he only saw Videl's striking blue eyes, and her dreamy smile, and her cherry lips that he wanted to kiss again…

But he restrained himself and, finally, let go of her. Videl took a few steps, only to wobble and almost trip on her feet – if it hadn't been for Gohan's quick reflexes, that is. His arms were around her again, and she smiled up at him sheepishly, an adorable blush across her cheeks; her pigtails were falling behind her from the position – her, dipped over and him, towering over her, holding her firmly against him.

"Did I literally sweep you off your feet?" he teased, grinning as he watched her face grow even redder.

"Well, yes, I believe you did," she replied, mock-glaring at him. Gohan chuckled and straightened them both before loosening his hold around her.

"Will you be okay standing by yourself?" he grinned, and Videl rolled her eyes playfully.

"See for yourself."

She walked confidently to the jetcopter and hopped on. Gohan watched her with a pang as she got in the pilot's seat and waved at him. He waved back; the yellow craft took off to the sky, and Gohan was still waving as it flew away; his hand kept moving slowly even when it disappeared into the horizon. After some time, Gohan sighed to himself and took off to the sky – that part of the park was still deserted, so no one should've been around to see him. Besides, with how dark it was getting even if there'd been someone they had fat chances to make out who he was.

Gohan flew steadily to the mountain areas, his mind and heart still full of Videl's presence. His grin was back in a heartbeat, and his speed increased. He just couldn't believe how lucky he was. Since telling her about Saiyaman, everything was going so great between him and Videl. And to think, he really had nothing to worry about concerning his secrets, the clever girl had pretty much already figured it all by herself! His grin widened. Clever – that, she sure was. He loved that about Videl. She was amazing.

And she was only for him.

His speed increased again, along with the beating of his heart – he could barely contain his joy. He probably should worry about Videl's father's reaction, or even how his own mother was going to react when she found out for that matter, but really, after everything he and Videl just went through, Gohan couldn't imagine that anything could get in their way now. The bond they shared was stronger than ever, and Gohan believed that as long as they stood by each other, they could face anything together.

And besides, what was Mr. Satan going to do to him? Videl's father or not, if it came down to it, and if Mr. Satan really was against Videl and him being together, Gohan wasn't going to let that happen. He hoped he wouldn't have to actually fight the man, but if that was what it took, Gohan was ready to do anything to be with Videl. He would even turn Super Saiyan to show Mr. Satan who he was dealing with, if that was the only way. He was not going to let anything keep him from being with the girl he loved.

Love, he repeated the word in his head. I love Videl.

He felt a sense of peace wash over him as once again, he admitted it to himself. His love for Videl… It felt so strong – it was overflowing, it begged to burst out, and Gohan felt the urge to let it. So, for the first time, he tried saying it out loud.

"I love Videl."

Looking at the night sky wistfully, he pictured her beautiful smile and said it again, the corners of his lips widening. "I love you, Videl. I love you!"

He laughed in pure joy, tearing through the sky faster and faster. Before he knew it, he was already home. Gohan barely paused when he landed by the front door and burst in, almost breaking the door off its hinges.

"Gohan! What do you think you're–" Chichi started yelling, but she was cut off by her overjoyed son picking her up and twirling her around.

"Mom! I'm going to tell her!" Gohan laughed. He couldn't contain his excitement – he had to let it out! "I'm going to tell her I love her!"

He let go of Chichi and she wobbled on her feet slightly. Goten ran to his brother with a big grin and his arms up, signaling that he wanted to be twirled around too. Gohan readily complied and the little boy laughed in glee, his arms outstretched to mimic a plane.

Chichi stood there, watching her boys playing and laughing, seeing Gohan happier than she'd ever seen him… and she smiled in resignation, her shoulders slumping slightly. She had lost the battle before it even began. In the end, Gohan's happiness was all that mattered, and that girlfriend of his was obviously good for him. Chichi sighed deeply. Ah, well. She would let it slide for now.

ooOoo

Videl stood before the tall gates surrounding the luxurious mansion, growing more and more nervous. She knew the late hour wasn't going to be in her favor, especially if her father was waiting on her, and she was almost completely sure that he'd seen the photos, one way or another. She wouldn't be surprised if they were all over the media by now, so there was no way Mr. Satan could have missed it.

She groaned, and proceeded to unlock the gates. This sucked. She knew she should have been more careful, and she had meant to keep her relationship with Gohan a secret in the beginning, but with the whole thing in the school's yard and her blurting out her feelings to Gohan in frustration in front of everyone, there didn't seem to be a point to sneak around at that point. And besides, since she was still only sixteen years old and a minor, she was supposed to be safe from paparazzi. She hadn't accounted for the kids at school. Someone had taken the shots and sold them to the highest bidder, and Videl felt profound hatred for the bastard who was responsible for the mess she was in.

She walked along the white-stoned pathway towards the oak front door, passing the numerous statues representing Mr. Satan in various victorious poses. She stopped at the door, and took a deep breath, gathering her courage. Whatever happened, she had to endure it and get it over with. This was bound to happen eventually after all, wasn't it? She couldn't have hidden Gohan from her dad forever, as much as she wished she could. She just had to be strong and stand her ground, no matter what. If Gohan could muster the courage to reveal to her all of his secrets, then surely she could confront her father about having a boyfriend, right?

Thinking about Gohan gave her some strength, and Videl smiled slightly to herself. She unlocked the front door and cautiously stepped inside the mansion. The heavy oak door clicked shut behind her as, right before her, a teary-eyed Mr. Satan rushed her, clutching some rolled-up glossy paper in his fist. She froze.

"It's not true, right!?" the grown man bawled in desperation, grabbing both her shoulders though still holding the crumpled pages. "Someone touched up the photos, right? It's Photoshop – that's it, right? Just a bunch of tricks! It can't be you with that scrawny kid! You don't have a boyfriend, right? You don't! You can't! Tell me it's not true, Videl!"

Her throat was dry and she tried to swallow. She was put on the spot and she felt trapped by her father's panicked sputter and blatant denial. Videl opened her mouth, tried to say something, but the desperate blue eyes staring back at her took away her words. She averted her gaze and hung her head in shame, and Mr. Satan took a step back, horror taking over his tanned, ill-shaved face.

"No… My little angel… I can't believe it…" he choked up.

Videl winced as her father started wailing like a baby, the loud shrill ringing in her ears. If she didn't know him so well she would have tried to explain herself, but when Mr. Satan was in such a state there was nothing she could do to calm him down, and her only option was to wait it out.

Heaving out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat – she did just that.

ooOoo

Chichi wanted to bring up the photos from that gossip magazine, but as she watched her two adorable sons happily wolf down the delicious dinner she had cooked, the Son matriarch didn't have the heart to interrupt them and possibly dampen the mood. Still, she told herself that she absolutely had to have a one-on-one with Gohan about his not-so-mysterious girlfriend, and decided to address the matter after dinner. When Goten wouldn't be in the way, too.

The opportunity presented itself while she was washing the dishes: Gohan came up to her side and started helping out without being asked, smiling dreamily as he hummed to himself. Goten, in the meantime, had gone outside to play, as he would often do after dinner. The coast was clear.

"Goten had a playdate at Bulma's today," she started, getting her son's attention. "Krillin brought Marron, too."

His eyes softened. "That's nice."

There was a moment of silence as Chichi averted her gaze, looking down at the plate she was scrubbing. Seeing Gohan in that exceptionally good mood didn't make her want to possibly spoil it. What he said earlier when he got home echoed in her head, and the mother sighed softly, feeling her resolves weaken.

"Is something wrong?" Gohan asked, his head tilted to the side. As she turned to him, Chichi realized that he had run out of soapy dishes to rinse.

"I know you're dating Videl Satan," she blurted out suddenly, watching him carefully. Gohan, however, only smiled in embarrassment, catching himself in time as he almost brought his wet hand up to scratch his head.

"So you saw that magazine too, huh."

"Is that why you wouldn't tell me her name?" Chichi carried on, a frown creasing her forehead. "Did you think I would judge her?"

He blinked several times, then gave a nervous chuckle as he turned off the faucet. "Uh, not really. I just didn't want to give people more reasons to tease me, heh."

Now it was Chichi's turn to blink in surprise. "Oh."

"But you know, she's really nothing like her father – and she's so smart!" His eyes took that particular glint as he talked excitedly about Videl, and Chichi felt her heart tighten slightly at the thought of her baby boy growing up. "Actually, earlier, I was telling her about me but she'd actually figured out almost everything by herself! And she doesn't even mind. At all."

Chichi gaped at her son. Wait, what?

"You… told her?" she asked slowly, trying to process that new bit of information. "Everything? Already?"

Gohan gave her a sideway smile as he resumed washing the dishes by himself since his mother was too befuddled by the bomb he just dropped on her to do her part.

He looked down, his eyes softening in such a way that it made her want to cry. "Well, I love her," he admitted quietly. "And when we got together, I made the decision not to hide anything from her. She fights crime too, after all, so she actually interacted with the "Saiyaman" me, and I didn't want to lie to her."

Chichi stood silent for a while, watching as her oldest son kept on his task while she tried to process everything he said. Was it really that serious with that girl? They were only sixteen, they were just kids… Okay, so she wasn't one to talk since she kind of got engaged at twelve, but Gohan… He was her baby. He wasn't ready for that kind of commitment… Was he? Chichi sighed and turned to the sink to finish up the dishes with her son. She knew she could be overprotective, overbearing and unreasonable at times… most of the time, maybe… probably… But with the childhood Gohan had, or didn't have, who could blame her? He was only now starting to have a more normal life – well, kind of; he was still playing the superhero – and like Bulma and Krillin had pointed out, it was a good thing that Gohan was doing stuff his age like having a girlfriend.

She was still wrapping her head around the fact that her son actually found someone he cared so much about that he told her about him. He actually told her.

She really must've been nothing like her father, that Videl Satan. Or perhaps they had misjudged Mr. Satan. If he was the man who raised the girl that Gohan was so completely taken with, he couldn't be all bad, right?

"Well, as long as you keep up your grades," Chichi concluded in a deliberately nonchalant tone as she passed Gohan a glass to rinse. From the corner of her eye, she saw the widest grin stretch out on his lips.

"Of course!" he beamed. She smiled back.

His good mood was infectious.

ooOoo

When Mr. Satan was sort of starting to calm down, yet not quite, Videl took the opportunity to lead his whimpering form past the entrance hall and to the living area. She sat him on the black leather couch and he continued to cry softly into his hands. Videl heaved out a tired sigh and settled down in the adjacent armchair.

And again, she patiently waited for it to pass.

Videl sank lower into the cushion of the chair, her chin pressing on her clavicle. Her father's excessive reaction wasn't the least bit encouraging, but it was to be expected coming from him. He'd always been a bit of a drama queen, wasn't he? She hoped she would be able to reason with him. It would have been easier if she could tell him who Gohan really was – that she was dating the one guy who actually met his conditions – but she'd promised to keep Gohan's secrets. If things got out of hand, Videl supposed that they could tell Mr. Satan as a last resort, that is, if Gohan was okay with it.

She glanced at the weeping grown man and frowned slightly. It was sad to admit that she wasn't all that surprised that her father turned out to have lied to the world, taking the credit for a young boy's accomplishment in the process. Gohan insisted that he didn't care about all that and was actually glad that things ended up the way they did, but the fact remained that the whole world believed a lie and worshiped the wrong hero. She may have had her doubts in the past, but it was different to know it for certain.

Sighing softly, Videl reminded herself that her dad wasn't a bad person. He had helped tons of people with his status and wealth, and after the terror of Cell the world did need a hero to look up to – and Gohan was certainly not up for the job. Although, had he been willing to play the role, he would have been amazing, she thought to herself with a small smile.

She was glad she had been able to keep her own promise to be open-minded about Gohan's revelations. The corner of her lips twitched slightly as she tried to repress a grin that the mere action of thinking about Gohan was provoking – given the current situation with her dad, it wouldn't have been in her best interest to break out in a silly, enamored grin. She pressed her lips together in her attempt to force the smile down, but the fresh memories of the kisses they had shared since last night were making it difficult to keep a straight face. At least Mr. Satan wouldn't be able to tell in his current state, now in a fetal position as he cried to himself on the leather couch.

In retrospect, she felt a bit silly. To think she'd dismissed her first suspicions about Gohan only because she saw him take a punch from some crook – and get up from it without a scratch, come to think about it. She had decided then that he couldn't possibly be Saiyaman, because surely the superhero should have been able to easily handle a couple of petty criminals.

Sure, in the back of her mind, her suspicions had remained, but she was never quite certain what to make of Son Gohan. And when she realized that he liked her, and later developed feelings of her own for the boy, those doubts about him only faded further and further into the back of her mind, far from being a priority.

So, in some way, Gohan had pretty much distracted her from her investigation and her goal to unmask the Great Saiyaman. Her eyes softened as she thought that in the end, she did unmask him herself, though she never expected him to let her do it. Her chest tightened slightly as she imagined how hard it must have been for Gohan to muster up the courage to tell her the truth about him – all the truth – and how he'd struggled to let the words out on several occasions. How could he have expected her to be mad at him, despite the lies, when he really, really tried to do the right thing from the moment they got together? And he went so far as to forbid himself from kissing her so long as he didn't tell her… Thinking back on their numerous, failed first kiss attempts, it all made so much sense now.

She fought down a blush as her thoughts traveled back to their late afternoon in the park, under the tree. Shaking her head swiftly to clear her mind, Videl looked back at her father and squinted to make sure he was finally done crying, even though he was still lying on the couch in a fetal position and hugging himself. Really, he was being overdramatic. Okay, so she had a boyfriend, but it wasn't the end of the world – said boyfriend had prevented that, for that matter.

"Daddy?" she called cautiously, straightening up in her seat. She let out a sigh when he didn't respond, staring blankly ahead of him. "Daddy, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she attempted. "I didn't choose just anyone, you know. He's a great guy." She cracked a smile. "He's the kindest person I've ever known, and I…" She bit down on her lip when Mr. Satan finally sat up and faced her, a scowl creasing his chin and furrowing his brow.

"You know the rules, Videl," he finally said, crossing his arms in a conscious effort to appear intimidating, any trace of his earlier tantrum nearly all gone. "I told you that you can't date unless it's someone who can beat me."

Videl frowned. She knew for a fact that Gohan could easily beat her father in a fight, and he'd even said that he would if he needed to, for that matter, but she made it her mission to protect Gohan's secrets no matter what – even if it would make things much easier to just show her dad who he was really dealing with. But Gohan was trusting her with his extraordinary life story and there was no way she was letting him down.

But the issue remained, and Mr. Satan was actually smirking at her, visibly convinced that he had her with that silly rule of his. Videl frowned deeply, and she was tempted to wipe that smug look off his face by blurting out that she knew the truth about Cell. He was lucky that she cared too much about Gohan to make that mistake.

An idea came to her at that moment, and slowly, a cheeky smile formed on her lips. Oh, she loved loopholes.

"So he has to beat you, right?"

Her father was taken aback by her sudden confidence, and narrowed his eyes at her warily. "I'm the world champion, Videl," he huffed, puffing out his chest – as if he hadn't been crying like a friggin' baby just minutes ago. "You know there's no way anyone could."

Videl shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "He could beat you at chess."

February 11, 2021