Innocent Feelings

17

Stain

It wasn't that he didn't trust Videl to handle the robbery on her own – no, really, he did. Gohan had always admired her courage and her sense of justice, and he loved that about her too. He loved her fighting spirit, and her unwavering determination, and her natural talent in martial arts, and her will to do what was right. Watching Videl fighting crime was one of the things that made him fall for her in the first place; it was just so fascinating, seeing that girl beat the crap out of big, armed bad guys.

But he just had to make sure that she was going to be okay. He had to protect her and just be there. You know, just in case. And the steady drop of her ki was anything but reassuring.

As Gohan raced through the sky, focusing only on his destination, the consequences of what he'd just done kept creeping up to his thoughts. That is, throwing the chess match as well as his one chance at earning Videl's father's approval, not to mention turning into Saiyaman right in front of him. But Gohan pushed it all away and concentrated on Videl's unsteady energy signal. He gritted his teeth in impatience. Only a few more moments and…

Barely slowing down as he rushed into the bank, the Great Saiyaman broke straight through the front window, glass shards flying everywhere – and then in a gust of wind, all the bank robbers still standing dropped like flies, all at once.

For the people sitting on the floor, now saved from the hostage situation, the caped hero seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of Videl. The girl in question stared at him.

"Go… Great Saiyaman," she murmured, catching herself in time. "What are you…?"

She trailed off. Her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open, she seemed too befuddled to finish a complete sentence. But Gohan's attention was elsewhere. A sinking feeling weighed down on his stomach at the growing smudge on the right side of Videl's waist, crimson staining her white shirt.

"You're hurt." He took a sharp breath, trying to take control over his raging emotions. Gohan had to remind himself that he was the Great Saiyaman right now and not Videl's boyfriend – whom the whole city probably knew about for that matter thanks to that gossip magazine.

Videl looked down at the stain on her shirt and paused, as though she hadn't realized she was injured until now. Gohan's lips – the only visible part of his face under his helmet – pursed in a thin line. Just how reckless could that girl be? How could one not even notice something like that?

She actually had the nerve to shrug, as if she didn't have a freaking pool of blood staining her shirt. Videl frowned up at him. "What are you doing here? What about—?" She left the rest of her sentence hanging, but that was enough for Gohan to get what she meant.

"You're hurt," he said again, stepping closer to her with his arms outstretched, ready to pick her up. "Let's get you to the hospital."

She swatted him away. He could feel frustration and irritation rising in her aura if her narrowing eyes weren't enough indication. "What happened?" she asked in a low voice through gritted teeth.

The group of customers and employees still hadn't moved from the tiled floor of the bank, watching the exchange in silent awe. Maybe not quite grasping that they were safe now. And maybe a bit curious at the odd scene between their beloved heroes. And since the police force outside hadn't been informed of the development of the situation in the bank, they couldn't know that it was fine to come inside now.

"We'll talk later," Gohan muttered under his breath. "This needs to be looked at," he added, motioning to the worrying red stain on her shirt.

Videl scowled. "Fine," she gritted out. "It's barely even a scratch, but whatever."

She marched past him, not letting him pick her up, and Gohan had to admit that her injury didn't seem to bother her at all as she walked through the hole in the glass window that he'd made when he had barged in. Although, knowing her, she could very well push herself through the pain, just to show him that she didn't need his help.

Gohan jogged after her. "Just let me—" he started, coming up to her.

She rolled her eyes and puffed. "Fine. You're such a worrywart, I swear…"

Gohan pursed his lips, vexed that Videl would dismiss his well-placed concern so carelessly. As though her shirt wasn't getting redder by the second.

He picked her up and took off to the sky, trusting the situation at the bank to resolve itself from there. It wasn't like there was any danger anymore anyway, and he had more pressing matters to attend to. As in, making sure his girlfriend wasn't going to bleed out on him.

"Gohan." Videl's voice was firm and demanding as she said his name. "What happened with my dad?"

He didn't reply, keeping his sight focused on his destination.

"Gohan," Videl called him again. "What happened?"

He scowled. "I can't believe you don't even care that you're freaking bleeding out." Gohan glared at her, though the effect was minimized by his helmet. The frustration and hurt in his voice were unmistakable, however.

Videl sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I'm not bleeding out, Gohan. I told you, it's just a scratch. Some guy had a knife, but really, he barely grazed me. You saw me walk just fine just now, didn't you?"

The muscles on his face didn't relax. Videl touched his cheek and looked into his visor, behind which his eyes were hiding. "Gohan," she said again, her tone soft this time. "What happened?"

Gohan swallowed nervously, avoiding her eyes. He focused on the sky ahead. "I could sense that you were in trouble," he muttered. "I couldn't concentrate on the game anyway."

She pulled her hand back and gaped at him, her eyes wide. "Please tell me you won…"

Gohan shot her a guilty smile. "Sorry. I transformed into Saiyaman in front of him and took off."

Dumbfounded silence followed, and Gohan winced in anticipation for what was coming.

"You what?!"

He turned his head to stare ahead of him again, his lower lip sticking out. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to win that game and let me handle the bank robbery!" she retorted heatedly. "Do you think so little of me that you can't even trust me to take care of some petty criminals on my own? Do you think that I'm some weak, helpless little girl who can't even save herself? That I'm some kind of damsel in distress just waiting for her knight in his shining armor to come rescue her?"

He gritted his teeth, slowing down to look around for the hospital. It should be close by now. "You got stabbed."

"Grazed," she corrected him stubbornly. "And I don't need to go to the hospital, actually. Just take me home. My first-aid kit will be more than enough."

Gohan stopped in mid-air and blew a frustrated sigh. He bit back the rant that begged to come out. About how much he worried about her, not just this time but every time she rushed off to save the day and put herself in danger; about how much he cared about her. He stopped himself from blurting out that he'd die if anything were to ever happen to her, because she meant too much to him and had become way too important in his life. That he needed her too much, and that he couldn't bear the mere idea of losing her. That he loved her – God, he loved her so much.

He was dying to let it all out and blow up on her, to pour his heart out to her; to make her understand just what she put him through each and every time her watch sounded off and she was called off to fight crime.

But… for her sake, for her own peace of mind – Gohan kept his mouth shut.

"Fine."

He took off again, turning in the direction of Videl's house this time.

Videl loved fighting; she loved stopping crime – and he loved that about her, too. Gohan wasn't going to be the one who got in the way of her doing something she loved, something that had shaped her into the person she was today, and gave her purpose in life. He didn't want to be that guy. He refused to become that kind of guy. He knew how much helping the police meant to Videl, and he didn't even want her to stop. Just, if she could be more careful maybe, and not so freaking reckless all the time.

Still, Gohan said nothing. He couldn't say anything. He wanted Videl to do the things she loved. Even if that meant keeping his feelings about all this bottled up and never breathing a word of how worried sick he was always going to be.

But… he knew what he was signing up for when he chose a girl like Videl – well, when his heart chose for him, really. And it wasn't like anything he would say could ever change her stubborn mind anyway. Gohan knew he just had to bear with it. Besides, as long as he could help her as the Great Saiyaman, he should be able to make sure that she was always going to be all right.

And she would be. He was never, ever, going to let anything happen to her. Ever.

ooOoo

He couldn't get over it. Hercule was staring ahead of him, a blank look on his face – his eyes still wide open and his mouth hanging.

That little shrimp… was a superhero? The one who could lift buses and stop bullets with his bare hands? The one who could fly and shoot bright blasts from his hands? The same one who had always given him a horrible sense of déjà vu?

He gulped. Man, this was bad. If Hercule was right about that scrawny-looking kid, then he was in big trouble. There had been only one occurrence where the champ remembered seeing the same type of superhuman feats, and if he was right, if that boy really was related in any way to that group of people who fought Cell, then Hercule was dead meat. Not only did it mean that his daughter's boyfriend may very well know what really happened at the Cell Games, but it also meant that he had no leverage against them dating seeing as that superhero kid was most definitely stronger than him.

But, the fact that Videl suggested the chess match may mean that she wasn't aware of that little bit of information, and the thought reassured the man. Being Videl's hero meant the world to him, whether he deserved it or not, and the last thing he wanted was to disappoint her.

… Tied with her dating a boy, that is. Damn it, how was he going to bring them apart if even his supposedly infallible rule failed him? Okay, sure, so that boy threw the chess match and rushed off to help Videl because of how much he worried about her, and clearly he cared a whole lot about her, which was a good quality in a boyfriend, Hercule admitted – but that wasn't the point. The point was, his little girl was way too young to start seeing boys. Superhero or not, boys were boys, and Mr. Satan wasn't going to let that one defile his precious Videl.

Although, he did win the chess match in the end, and if, indeed, Videl didn't know about her boyfriend's double life, then maybe that was it. The kid probably wouldn't want to fight him and blow his cover anyway, right? A cover that he did blow in front of him, for that matter, the man reminded himself. That meant he might have some leverage against the boy after all. Surely he wouldn't want his little secret to get out, right?

Hercule sat back on his chair and smiled, crossing his arms. So he did have a way to stop Videl from dating that boy, after all. Who was stronger didn't matter – it was all about leverage.

ooOoo

Videl pointed at the window to her room, which had been left open. Not that Gohan needed directions. He stopped in mid-air behind the wide rectangle – and had a brief flash of the night he came to see Videl to show her he was Saiyaman.

It was hard to believe it had only been a few days. It felt like a lifetime ago.

He pushed the glass with his shoulder to open it wider as he passed through the window sill, and walked to the king-sized bed, still carrying Videl in his arms. He sat her down gently on the mattress, and as he straightened up, pushed the red button on his watch to turn back into his everyday clothes. She paused and watched the small device strapped to his wrist with interest.

"Where is your first-aid kit?" he asked her. Videl blinked and looked up at him. When his question registered in her mind, she started to get up to show him, but he put his hand on her shoulder to keep her on the bed. "Just, sit and let me get it for you, okay? Humor me."

Videl rolled her eyes, but she wasn't able to fight down the twitch on the corners of her lips, smiling despite herself. Gohan dropped on one knee in front her and smiled back, brushing away her bangs from her eyes. He had another flash, of the moment just before he kissed her for the very first time, and the memory tied his stomach into tight knots. Unable to resist, Gohan leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, ever so softly.

She was smiling blissfully when he pulled back, her eyes fluttering open. "In my bathroom, the cabinet under the sink."

Gohan nodded, then he got up and looked around to spot the bathroom door at the other end of the bedroom, facing the bed. This time, Gohan allowed himself to observe the room more carefully, noting the many Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan movie posters hanging on the walls. He smiled to himself as he walked to the bathroom. Videl had good taste. Well, she did choose him, after all, he joked to himself.

He passed her desk and a bookcase on his right by the window, then a recreation spot with a red couch and some bean bags facing a flat screen. There was training equipment to his left in the corner of the room: a punching bag, a wooden dummy, as well as a running mat and a foam roll spread out on the floor. Her walk-in closet was on the right corner of the room; it was large and included a full-length mirror on one of the sliding doors.

He pushed the door to the bathroom open and let out a whistle as he looked around. It was spacious and luxurious, with a large tub with golden faucets and marble everywhere. Must be nice to be so wealthy, he chuckled to himself as he walked over to the sink. Gohan crouched down, opening the cabinet. He found the first-aid kit easily, the big red pouch with its white cross being a dead giveaway. He grabbed it and straightened up, then walked out of Videl's own personal bathroom.

He smiled at her, showing her the kit as he walked to her.

"Okay, give it to me," she said simply.

And then Gohan froze in the middle of the room, staring in bewilderment as Videl took off her blood-stained shirt. She just took it off nonchalantly, like it was nothing, as though it was the most natural thing in the world to be shirtless in front of her boyfriend.

Noticing him just standing there and staring at her with wide eyes and a bright blush across his face, Videl rolled her eyes. "What? I'm wearing a sports bra." And it was light blue with gray edges, Gohan couldn't help but notice. "I go out running like that all the time, you know."

"You what?" he sputtered, almost strangling himself, and forcefully pried his eyes from her cleavage to look at her.

She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "It's a very common workout outfit, you don't have to look so shocked."

"But… That means… I-I mean…" He gulped and motioned to her body from head to toe with his hand. "You look so… And other people see you?"

She smirked and walked up to him. "I look so what?"

Hot, he answered in his head, but preferred to keep that to himself. Instead, he focused on the red gash and the dried blood on the right side of Videl's waist. "Let's fix you up."

"Sure." She had that little, satisfied smile as she said that, and for some reason, it caused Gohan to blush even brighter. It made him feel self-conscious of his own thoughts, feeling as though Videl knew exactly what was going through his head.

She sat back down on her bed, while Gohan unzipped the red pouch he was still holding, taking the last few steps to Videl. She held out her hand, expecting him to give her the first-aid kit so she could fix up her wound by herself, but instead, Gohan kneeled down in front of her again.

"Let me," he said softly. His face was still pretty red, because being so close to Videl always had that effect on him, and her current attire, or lack thereof, was certainly not helping… But his eyes were serious. It would be uncomfortable and impractical for Videl to do it on her own, given the location of the injury, and, with his experience at mending wounds, Gohan was more than qualified to patch Videl up. And he wanted his girlfriend to have nothing but the best medical care possible.

She smiled in amusement and didn't protest, and Gohan got to work. He cleaned the blood around the gash, and as her skin cleared, Gohan had to admit that it didn't look so bad now. Videl had been, indeed, only grazed by the blade aimed at her, and while the amount of blood had scared him, it wasn't too bad either in the end.

"You were lucky," he muttered, his focus on his work. Carefully, he dabbed the disinfectant-soaked cotton on the gash, and Videl winced slightly.

"It wasn't luck," she stated. "I dodged the guy's aim. That's skill."

Gohan couldn't help but chuckle. As scared and worried as he'd been for her, he was relieved that there had been more fear than harm.

This time, a little voice in his head added, filling him with dread despite himself.

But Gohan focused on his task. He applied betadine on the wound, and winced in empathy when Videl's body tensed. He looked up at her and offered her a sympathetic smile. "Sorry."

But she smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It just stings a little. And you're really good at this, too. Not that I'm surprised," she added with a chuckle.

Gohan found himself staring dreamily at the beautiful girl he was lucky enough to be with. She was so breathtaking. And he was so hopelessly in love.

She gave him a look, an eyebrow arched at him, and a light pinkish tint on her cheeks. "What?"

He cracked a sheepish smile and shrugged, before focusing back on Videl's injury. He took out a big enough bandage from the first-aid kit, and his brow furrowed in concentration as he carefully stuck it over the gash – unaware that Videl was watching him with a dreamy look on her face. He's so cute when he's serious.

Gohan smiled at his work, then looked up at her. "All done."

Videl leaned in and kissed his cheek, and Gohan found himself blushing as though it had been the first time. "Thanks," she said softly, smiling back at him.

He scratched his hair and chuckled awkwardly. Geez, why was he so nervous? After what happened yesterday afternoon in the park, you'd think a simple kiss on the cheek wouldn't make him so flustered.

He got to his feet and offered her his hand. "Well, um, I think we should go back to your father now."

Videl took his hand and let him help her up. "What should we do about him, for that matter? He'll never be okay with the two of us dating," she said with a frown.

Gohan shrugged. "He knows I'm Saiyaman now," he reminded her. "And I figure he must have realized I'm stronger than him."

"Yeah but…" she trailed off, looking to the side thoughtfully, and her frown deepened. Gohan squeezed her hand, catching her attention and making her look at him. "Knowing him, he's not going to leave us be without a fight, and now he knows your secret, too…" She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "What if he uses it against you?"

Still, Gohan wasn't worried. "Did you forget that I know his secret, too? And his is way worse."

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. "You'd go that far?" she breathed out. "You'd even tell him about that?"

Gohan interlaced their fingers and pulled on her hand, bringing Videl closer to him. He cupped her cheek with his spare hand and looked deep into her eyes. Ah, those gorgeous eyes of hers. They were going to be the end of him.

"For you?" he murmured. "I'd do anything."

There had been many moments like this one since they got together. Moments where Videl could see and feel so clearly how much Gohan cared about her. Moments where that special glint in his eyes would shine so brightly and with so much tenderness as he looked deep into hers. Moments where his gentle smile would make her knees go weak, and yet fill her being with so much strength and happiness and complete trust in this boy.

In moments like these, Videl would feel all her insecurities and fears for their future together melt away without a trace, as though they had never been there in the first place.

She slid her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest, feeling a wave of gratitude that she'd somehow crossed path with this wonderful, beautiful young man.

"You're the best, you know that?" she mumbled into his shirt. Hmm… She was so addicted to his scent.

Gohan cracked a smile, shifting his arms around the petite girl's shoulders as he rested his chin on top of her head. "Thanks. I try, heh."

As his arms moved, however, his hands made contact with Videl's bare skin. He felt a sparkle, and the boy kind of froze. He suddenly remembered that he was currently hugging his shirtless girlfriend, and his face flared up, his body tensing up.

He cleared his throat and pulled away, avoiding eye contact as he scratched the back of his head – trying not to think of how warm and smooth and electrifying Videl's skin had felt, and how much he wanted to touch her again. "Um…" He cleared his throat again, coughing into his fist. "You should probably, um, put on a new shirt." His face was burning up more and more. "Before we go see your dad, especially."

Videl smirked to herself, amused by Gohan's adorable awkwardness. She was tempted to tease him, but the girl decided against it. Instead, she took a step forwards and reached up to plant a soft kiss on his cheek, letting her lips linger on his skin. When she pulled back, Gohan had somehow gotten even redder, his bright, crimson blush taking over his whole face and even going down his throat and the base of his chest, continuing past the fabric of his shirt. His shoulders were tense, and so were his fists hanging at his sides.

Videl beamed up at him. He was just too cute.

"Sure," she said simply, grinning gleefully.

And then, there it was again – that look. Gohan's eyes softened in that particular way again as he gazed at her, and Videl felt like an ice statue left forgotten in the most blazing sun.

She was utterly, helplessly, most definitely crazy about that boy. Like you wouldn't believe.

February 21, 2021