I updated the wrong chapter earlier, I'm so sorry! x_x That was chapter 17 actually, so... sorry for the accidental spoiler? Anyway, here's the actual chapter 15. Sorry again, and hope you enjoy the read!

Chapter Fifteen

It Never Feels Like Enough, Does It?

The bell should be going off soon, so it was with a sigh of disappointment that Gohan pulled away from his girlfriend's lips.

He loved the way her blue eyes twinkled whenever she looked at him. Gohan cupped her cheek, a gentle smile forming on his lips. "Too bad lunch break's already over…"

Videl grinned. "We can always meet up after school."

And reality caught up to him yet again.

Gohan stiffened. He pulled away from her, unable to meet her gaze. He shouldn't have agreed to go out with Erasa after school, even if she probably meant it as friends. That didn't matter because he knew how she felt about him and what it meant to her. He should have just told her he was busy.

He swallowed. What was Videl going to say?

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"A… Actually…" Gohan clenched his fists at his sides, trying to gather his courage. "Erasa asked me out earlier."

"Oh."

Gone was the playfulness from her voice. Gohan felt his heart clench painfully. Why didn't he say no to Erasa? He didn't want to go out with her. Videl was the only one he wanted to go on dates with.

He turned to look at her, just when she averted her gaze, massaging the back of her neck.

"We actually talked about this," she said in a low tone. "I told her to ask you out."

His heart dropped. "Wh…What? Why would you…?"

She frowned deeply, crossing her arms. "I didn't know what else to say. Erasa said it's about time she asked you out, and I said yeah maybe she should."

He swallowed thickly. This was so complicated. "I could just cancel. I don't want to go out with her."

Videl shook her head. "No, it's best that you meet with her as promised." She finally looked back at him, her eyes conflicted yet trusting. "I know nothing is going to happen between you two, so I'm not worried about that. And I'm hoping it helps Erasa understand that you're not going to fall for her…"

His fingers trembled. Gohan took a sharp breath.

"What if she confesses to me?" he croaked out.

Right then, the bell rang. Both teens sighed in dejection, shoulders slumping. They started towards the door of the storage room. Gohan opened it and held it for Videl.

"If she does…" she murmured as they walked together along the deserted alleys of bookcases. "Just let her down easy, okay?"

Gohan pursed his lips. He stopped walking and grabbed Videl's wrist, making her turn her head to look at him. He stared deep into her eyes. "This isn't working, Videl. We have to tell her. We can't keep up this charade. And Erasa deserves to know the truth."

She was welling up, her lips trembling, and Gohan felt it like a slap in the face. He heaved a sigh and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around Videl.

"Gohan… Someone might see us."

"So let them see," he whispered hoarsely, stubbornly tightening his arms around her shoulders. "I don't want to hide, Videl. I don't want to lie. I don't want to go out with anyone other than you."

She leaned into him, responding to his embrace. "But I lied to her face… I lied to my best friend, who trusts me more than anyone. If she finds out I lied to her…"

"She'll find out eventually anyway, Videl," he mumbled into her hair. He closed his eyes. Her scent was intoxicating. "I know I was the one who suggested we keep it from her, but I realize now that I was wrong. We can't keep going like that, Videl, it's not going to end well. And I think Erasa will understand if we explain that we were trying to protect her feelings…"

"I…" Videl swallowed thickly, her hands clutching the fabric of his shirt. "I'm not ready to tell her yet. I know I'm being unreasonable and that you're right, Gohan, but… give me more time. I'm not ready for that."

The second bell rang, meaning that they were late for class. But Gohan couldn't care less about missing a period right now. This was much more important.

"We should get going… We're late again," she murmured, starting to pull away. But Gohan tightened his hold around her, letting his forehead drop against hers.

"I don't care," he whispered. "Let's skip together. I just want to be with you for a little bit longer…"

"Now you're being the unreasonable one." He could hear the mirth in her voice. Gohan cracked a smile.

"If I have to go out with Erasa after school, at least give me more time with you today."

She stroked his cheek. He loved how tender her touch was.

How he loved her…

"I really am a bad influence on you," she joked. "You wouldn't have even thought of skipping class before, Mr. Genius."

"Well, if I am a genius, then I'll easily catch up on what I missed, won't I?"

He could feel her amusement growing. The pleasant glow of her aura was warming his heart. "Then what about me? I'm not a genius like you."

"Nonsense. You're the smartest girl I know."

She chuckled. "Am I now?"

He kissed her cheek, then bent lower to nuzzle her neck. Videl giggled at the ticklish sensation.

"You figured me out, not to mention you figured out that I was the boy at the Cell Games. You learned Buzan's methods with ease, and you're a quick study. You're definitely the smartest girl I know, Videl. You'll be fine."

"Thanks for the compliment," she murmured breathlessly. Gohan started kissing her neck, his arms wrapping around her once more, pulling Videl closer to him.

"It's… one of the things I've always loved about you," he whispered against her skin.

x

Videl smiled blissfully, her eyes falling shut as her body burned with electricity at Gohan's touch.

"It's also one of the things I love about you," she breathed out. "That genius brain if yours."

He chuckled against her skin. Videl felt the tremors in her whole being.

"I guess it's a good thing I listened to my mother and spent my whole life buried in books, then."

She grinned. That adorable dork. Gosh, she loved him so much.

"Is she going to kill you when she finds out you're skipping class?" she teased playfully.

But Gohan actually froze. He straightened up, looked sideways, and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, um…"

Videl put her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound of her laughter. "Oh geez, could you get any cuter?"

Gohan grinned, an adorable blush tinting his adorable cheeks. Everything about him was just adorable.

She grasped his collar and brought him down to her, showing him just how much she adored him through that kiss. She could feel his smile against her lips and it made her grin.

"I love you," she murmured, her voice so low she wasn't sure he heard her.

"I love you too," he replied in a breath.

Did he actually have super hearings?

Videl smiled up at him, staring into his loving eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

He raised his eyebrows, like he hadn't expected that request. "Yes, of course. What is it?"

"Do you have super hearing?" she asked, her face serious. He started laughing, his shoulders shaking, and put his hand over his mouth to muffle the sound.

"What? What did I say?" She tilted her head to the side, a light frown etched across her brow.

"Nothing." He giggled some more. "It was just so out of the blue, it made me laugh." A broad grin stretched his lips, his eyes sparkling as he looked down at her. "No, not really, I don't have super hearing. I do have sharper ears than average, though."

"Ah, okay. That makes sense." She nodded her head. "So how do you transform, anyway?" she followed with another question while they were at it. There was so much she wanted to know about him.

He took her hand in his and led her along the rows of bookcases. "Let's go to the roof to talk. Since we're skipping class anyway."

And so they went out of the library. Luckily, Mrs. Hutson wasn't at her office in the lobby where she could've seen them out of class well after the bell, and Videl suspected that Gohan was aware of that. He always seemed to know where people were and who was coming, somehow. She made a mental note to ask him about that too.

The fact that they didn't run into anyone on their way to the roof confirmed Videl's suspicion that Gohan had a kind of sixth sense about these things.

Once again, Gohan held the door open to let her through first, ever the gentleman. It made Videl crack a smile.

He walked to the edge of the roof and then turned around to look at her, leaning back with his elbows against the railing.

"So, you wanted to know about my transformation, right?"

She imitated him, leaning back against the railing beside him, and turned her head to keep looking at him. The girl nodded in response.

"My dad was the first to achieve the transformation." His brow furrowed and his voice lowered, and Videl felt something solemn in the air about him. She listened quietly as Gohan continued, "He did it for the first time when his best friend was killed right before his eyes."

Her breath hitched, her eyes widened; her face was aghast. "Oh, my god…"

Gohan cracked a small smile. "Don't worry, he was brought back to life later on."

She gave him a blank stare, and the boy let out a chuckle.

"Geez, there's still so much you don't know." He scratched his hair, a side-grin on his adorable face.

Videl listened avidly as Gohan told her about the Dragon Balls. Seven magical balls that were scattered all around the world, and once you reunited them, you could summon the ethereal dragon Shenlong who could grant you one wish.

"Well, it's two wishes now, Dende made them more powerful before the Cell Games," he explained. "And the Dragon Balls are currently at Bulma's, in case something happens and we need to use them, just to be on the safe side."

"And Bulma is…?"

Gohan grinned. "One of my dad's best friends. She's the one who started it all, from what I've been told. They met when they were kids when she was out looking for the Dragon Balls, and my dad had one of them."

Videl felt a smile form on her lips. "It sounds like an amazing story. I would love to meet your dad one day and hear it from him."

"Ah… Well…" He looked sideways and scratched the back of his head. Videl frowned. Why was he nervous all of a sudden? "That's gonna be difficult…" Gohan swallowed, so thickly that she heard it as clearly as if it were her own. "He died at the Cell Games…"

Her heart sank. She had always felt that something had happened to Gohan's father; he would always refer to him in the past. But she had hoped… She had wished that it wasn't because Gohan lost a parent. Videl knew all too well how that felt, and she truly wished that Gohan didn't.

She moved in front of him, between his legs, and looked up at him, feeling herself well up.

"I'm sorry…"

He touched her cheek, looking at her with grief and regret. Videl swallowed. She wished he would smile at her instead. She wished she hadn't brought it up and made him sad. She wished she could wash away his sorrow.

She kissed him, hoping to relieve some of his pain. Gohan's arms wrapped around her, holding her close. Videl held his face between her palms, pulling him closer.

x

Gohan felt Videl's love wash over him and, little by little, mend his wounded heart. It was amazing how one kiss could melt away the pain. No wonder he had managed cheer her up this way, too. It was like magic.

The most delectable magic spell.

He kept his eyes closed and pressed his forehead against hers; her arms moved around his neck and Gohan kept his around her waist, relishing the way their bodies fit so perfectly together.

Videl let out a soft sigh, tickling his lips. "So that's why… That's why you were so down at the Victory Festival…"

He cracked a mild smile. "Yeah. And you were down that day because you knew the truth about your dad, right?"

She leaned into him, resting her cheek against his broad chest, and hummed in reply. Gohan let his chin rest onto the top of her head, his eyes sliding shut. This was so nice. He loved holding Videl close. He loved feeling her against him. Her mere presence was like a tranquilizer to him. Her aura felt pleasant and warm and comforting. He smiled to himself. He just loved this girl so much.

"I lost a parent too," she whispered. "My mom died of cancer when I was eight. It's like a part of you that you lose and can never get back."

Once again, reality caught up to him. Gohan winced painfully. The guilt stabbed him through the chest and grasped his heart, slowly crushing it in its suffocating hold.

Videl had lost her mother, and because he had let Mr. Satan take his credit for winning the Cell Games, she couldn't forgive her father for his lies to the world.

She'd already lost her mom, and because of him, she may as well have lost her dad too.

He refrained from saying anything about it. He knew Videl didn't see it that way, that she didn't blame him for what happened, so there was no point in telling her how terrible he felt about all this.

If only he had just talked to Mr. Satan before letting him take the credit. If only he had made sure everything was okay, that no one was suffering from the decision he made. If only he had seen further than his own nose. He had been too caught up in his own life, what with finding out his mother was pregnant and dealing with the grief of losing his father.

But that was no excuse. He should have thought it through before letting Mr. Satan take the credit for killing Cell. He had been so relieved to be off the hook, to not have to deal with the media, not to mention the rest of the world, that he didn't even think about the consequences.

He hated what this had done to Videl. Because of his carelessness, the girl he loved had no parent she could trust. She may as well be an orphan…

"I… had no idea," he croaked out, his chest tight and painful. "I'm sorry. That's something I wish we didn't have in common…"

"Yeah, tell me about it… But, at least, it's nice to have someone who understands."

He tightened his arms around her, burying his nose in the crook of her neck. "Yeah…"

They fell silent, simply enjoying the feeling of holding each other close. Gohan breathed in deeply, soaking in Videl's intoxicating scent.

"So, tell me," Videl murmured, snuggling up closer against him, "do you have like a sixth sense that makes you know where people are or something?"

Gohan cracked a smile, tightening his arms around Videl. "Pretty much, yeah. I can sense people's life force or, as we call it, ki. The stronger the person is, the easier it is to pinpoint."

Videl pulled back slightly to look up at him, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "You mean you can assess a person's level with that skill?"

His smile turned into a grin. She was so clever. He loved how quick her brain worked and put two and two together. "Exactly."

She tilted her head to the side in the most adorable way. "Does that mean you can actually tell how strong I am?"

He nodded his head. "When you're fighting and your ki flares up, yes. And I can tell you're stronger than your dad, by the way."

She frowned at the mention of her father. Gohan's throat tightened. Was there no hope to work things out between Videl and her dad? There had to be something he could do, surely…

Gohan promised himself, in that moment, to do anything in his power to patch thing up between them. This was his mess, his responsibility, and it was up to him to make things right again.

"Can we not talk about him?" she asked in a hushed tone, averting her eyes. "Thinking about my dad has a knack for souring my mood."

"I'm sorry," he said, his chest tight with guilt. Would he really be capable of helping Videl forgive her father?

He had to. No matter what, no matter how hard or hopeless things looked – Gohan had to make it right. He just had to.

She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his back, letting out a soft sigh. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

Gohan disagreed, but kept that to himself. He put his arms around her and brought her closer, letting his mind shut down for a bit as he held the girl he loved against him. He sighed in content at the delicious feeling. He wished they could just stay like this; he wished it was just him and her, that nobody else was involved in their story, that nothing could burst their little bubble.

If only things could just be… simple. How did it all get so dang complicated?

Ah, well… There was nothing they could do about it. Things were the way they were and they just had to live with it.

But, for now, Videl was in his arms; her soft body was all pressed up to him, her addicting peachy scent was tickling his nostrils. Gohan nuzzled her neck and breathed in deeply, swallowing her unique fragrance, letting it soothe his troubled soul.

This, right there… it was the best feeling. It was peaceful and warm, like snuggling up under piles of blankets on a cold winter night, while looking out the window at the falling snow.

"So…" Videl mumbled after some time, bringing him out of his daze. "Are we skipping next period too or was this hour enough?"

"It's never enough," Gohan replied in bad faith, his arms tightening around Videl a little more. "I wish I never had to let go of you."

She chuckled in amusement. "You're so sappy."

"Only with you."

"Good to know." He could feel her grin as she said that, and it made Gohan crack a smile. "You didn't answer my question, though."

He frowned slightly, thinking it through. "Do you have anything important in the next period? Like a test or something?"

"Not really, no. I have PE, which I do happen to enjoy a lot, though."

"Oh…" Gohan let out a deep sigh, reluctantly letting go of his girlfriend. "I guess it's best you don't miss that class then."

x

Ah, those puppy eyes. Videl could feel her grin widen. She grabbed his face between her hands and pulled him to her for another kiss. He was just too cute to resist.

"Silly you. I enjoy being with you so much more," she giggled when she pulled back.

He let his forehead drop onto hers, a relieved smile on his adorable lips. Videl wrapped her arms around his neck once more. "But maybe you should still go. I should probably go to my next period as well. I can't keep skipping like this…"

"Getting reasonable again, aren't you?" She pulled back slightly to look at him. "Well, it's probably best we go back to class. It was fun playing the delinquent with you though," she added with a wink.

Gohan made a face, his head leaning to the side. "Never use those words in front of my mother. That's her worst fear come to life."

Videl laughed into her hand, her shoulders shaking. "Oh, geez… I hope you don't get in too much trouble when she learns about it."

He blanched. "Oh man… She already gave me an earful when I skipped a whole day last week…"

Videl felt bad for laughing at his expense, but it was just too funny. The look on his face alone…

"Well, that's what you get when you don't play by the rules," she teased.

He ran a hand over the nape of his neck. "Oh, well…" Then, a gentle, loving smile formed on his lips as he gazed upon her; Videl felt her heart skip a beat when he cupped her cheek. "It was worth it. You're more than worth it."

Her face flared up; her lips parted slightly. How did he do that? How could he make her feel so flustered with just one word, one look, one smile, one touch? Would she ever not feel nervous in his mere presence?

The bell rang then. Gohan sighed in disappointment. "Well, we better get going, I guess."

He took her hand and guided her to the door that led to the staircase. Videl felt her heart clench at the thought of parting with him.

It was silly, really, and quite unreasonable indeed. They just got to be together for most of the lunch break, then they skipped an entire hour of class just to spend more time just the two of them. Not to mention, they could always see each other again after Gohan's date with Erasa. And there was always tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that…

But Gohan was right. It never felt like enough. Every second they were apart felt like a waste of the precious time they could be spending together.

She stopped walking, making Gohan pause as well; he turned to her, tilting his head in confusion.

"Let's just skip the next period too," she requested, giving his hand a squeeze. "A little more or a little less, what does it matter anyway? And I could probably get you a pass if I say you were a key witness to some crime I stopped or something so that you don't get in trouble."

x

As much as he appreciated the sentiment, her suggestion made Gohan frown. "That would be a lie, Videl."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I've come to terms with it. Lying is inevitable, and it's like you said, it's part of being human. I was stupid to think I could be the one exception."

"You were honorable to try," he affirmed vehemently. Gohan moved closer to Videl, looking deep into her eyes. He cupped her cheek with his spare hand. "Videl, just because you had to lie to Erasa doesn't mean you can't still keep your values. It's one of the things I've always admired about you. Yes, lying is inevitable, but you always did your best to be as honest as possible." He brushed her bangs out of her eyes and tucked the strands behind her ear, giving her his most genuine smile. "You may be a good liar, Videl, but you're even better at being honest."

Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Gohan felt a light pang in his chest, but he knew these weren't sad tears. He leaned in to kiss her lips.

"Let's go to class," he murmured just over her mouth, his breath mingling with hers. "We have all the time in the world to be together."

A smile formed on her lips. Relief soothed the ache in his chest, and Gohan smiled back at Videl.

"Okay."

Still holding her hand, Gohan tugged at it and proceeded to reach the door once more. "Let's hurry, we're going to be late again."

She grinned in amusement. "We always end up being late when we're together, did you notice?"

He chuckled, his hand pausing on the doorknob as he looked over at her. "A pattern is forming. I hope we don't make a habit of it, though. I mean, I wouldn't care so much, as I said I've got no trouble catching up when I miss a class or just the beginning when I'm late – but, you know, my mom…"

Videl snickered. "Yeah, I got the gist. Let's go."

Gohan opened the door and they walked down the first flight of stairs together, still holding hands. However, when they reached the top floor, they had no choice but to let go of each other's hand. Gohan felt a pang in his chest as he watched Videl go on her way to the sport yards. She gave him a smile over her shoulder as she kept going down the stairs. He sighed in longing, wishing they didn't have classes to go to.

But, more than that, Gohan wished they didn't have to hide. He hoped that they would be able to tell Erasa everything as soon as possible. He understood how hard it was on Videl after she had to lie to her best friend, but the more they waited, the more betrayed Erasa was going to feel when she found out about them – not to mention, the more they risked getting caught, making things a thousand times worse.

"Let's hope it never gets to that," the boy murmured to himself as he walked in the almost empty school hallways. He picked up the pace, hoping he wasn't going to be too late for class. His teachers were usually lenient enough with him since he was the top of his class and was always respectful and well-behaved. Still, he didn't want to make his case any worse. It was bad enough that he actually skipped class again…

Hopefully, his mom wasn't going to scream her head off at him this time… He winced in dread. As if that was likely at all…

Ah, well… It had been worth it anyway. Videl was definitely worth getting in trouble for. A grin dug into his cheeks as his thoughts filled with images of his beautiful girlfriend.

He couldn't wait to be with her again. It really did never feel like enough, no matter how much time they got to be together.

ooOoo

She couldn't believe it was actually happening. Erasa could not wipe the grin off her face as she watched the boy sitting across from her. They were in a pastry shop to get snacks after school, just the two of them.

Just the two of them.

On a date.

She was on a date with Gohan. After all this time, after dreaming about it for so long, she was finally getting her shot at the boy she was completely crazy about.

Well, okay, she didn't actually spell it out to him like that. But it was still a start. And Gohan agreed to hang out with her, just her, even if she didn't specify that she meant it as a date. They could get into that later. For now, Erasa was just happy enjoying his company.

He was sipping on his milkshake. A few empty plates were pilled up on their table. As for Erasa, she had ordered a smoothie with no sugar added, as it was much lighter and healthier.

"The strawberry pie was so good," she commented. She'd been feeling so nervous in his presence that they barely exchanged a word since they sat down – since they met up at the school parking lot after class, really.

Gohan smiled slightly, not looking directly at her. "Yeah. I loved the donuts too. And the scones. The cookies were delicious too. And the apple pie, the lemon pie…"

She grinned. He was such a glutton. "And the brownie."

His face lit up. "Yeah. The brownie was so good. It melted in my mouth. I think I'm going to order another one…" He added, looking around hoping to catch a waiter's attention.

Erasa giggled. He was just too cute. "How do you still have room for more after everything you just had?"

He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in that adorable way of his. "I just can't say no to sweets. It's my weak spot."

"I can see that." She leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table and cupping her chin into her hands. "You're lucky you don't get fat easily. Some people aren't so lucky. Me, I always have to be careful otherwise I could gain weight reeeaally fast."

"That's a shame." He shrugged his shoulders. "You look good though. Surely you do something to stay in shape, right?"

He thinks I look good… He's noticed that I'm in good shape…

Erasa was over the moon. A blush tinted her cheeks as she replied. "I do yoga, and I jog, but not in the mornings like Videl, I prefer to go running when the sun's setting."

She suddenly froze and swallowed, realizing her slip-up. She shouldn't be mentioning Videl when Gohan was still heartbroken over her… Erasa winced slightly at her mistake.

"That's nice," he replied simply. She tilted her head to the side. Either he was that good at concealing his feelings, or he wasn't that bothered to talk about Videl.

Then again, he'd been texting her last Saturday, hadn't he? Despite how he felt about Videl, they had managed to stay good friends.

That was a good sign, right? That probably meant he was getting over her, or, at the very least, that he accepted that he couldn't be with her.

Erasa felt her heart pick up as he smiled at her, his gentle eyes only on her.

Damn. She was falling deeper and deeper in love with that boy. He was just so perfect, so pure, so kind, so handsome. He was the most amazing guy she had ever met. She loved everything about him.

"What about you?" she asked with a sheepish smile, her blush still burning her cheeks. "I've seen you with short sleeves. You're not as scrawny as you'd want us to think, are you?" she added in a teasing tone.

"I do martial arts," he replied simply. "I have for most of my life. I don't really like it, to be honest – at least, I don't like using it to hurt people in a fight – but I guess I keep doing it out of habit." He shrugged his shoulders. "I like having friendly spars though, it can be fun. I've been sparring more often with my friend Piccolo. He's the one who taught me how to fight."

Erasa blinked. She certainly hadn't expected that kind of answer. Who knew sweet, kind Gohan could actually throw a punch?

"Are you good?"

He gave her a mysterious smile. "Hmm… Am I?"

Her face flushed even more. Good gods, how attracted to this guy could she be? Who knew Gohan had such a sexy smirk?

"I don't know," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "That's why I'm asking."

He chuckled. "I'm pretty good, yeah."

"Think you could give Videl a run for her money?"

He grinned in amusement. "I'm pretty sure I could take her."

"Yeah, right! Did you know she won the Junior Championship when she was only nine years old? She had to beat kids who were almost twice her age! The age limit was fifteen. And Videl was nine."

Gohan raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know that…" He let out a chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "Geez, at only nine? Maybe you're right. She'd probably kick my ass."

Erasa laughed into her hand. Oh, this was going so well. And there was no awkwardness in the air when she mentioned Videl. Maybe that meant Gohan was getting over her. Erasa couldn't help the light of hope flickering inside of her.

If things kept up this way… she might just get the boy of her dreams after all.

June 17, 2021