The Moment Her Heart Came Alive
It only took one moment – one single, life-changing moment, to turn her whole world around: the moment her heart came alive.
It started out like any other day, and like any other Friday in last period, Videl had P.E. It was by far her favorite class of the week, and while she managed to get decent grades in all of the classes, she aced P.E like nothing else.
She was running at the top of the line, way, way ahead of everybody else. Even those who were good at sports. Even jocks. Even those on the track team. No one could measure up to her level.
She loved running. She loved feeling the wind whipping at her face as she sprinted as fast as she could. She loved feeling the strain in her legs as she kept going even when her body protested. She loved the rush of adrenaline as her blood pumped like crazy into her veins and her heart hammered against her ribs, all ready to burst out of her chest.
Gosh, she loved running so freaking much.
Videl finished her laps way before the rest of her class, as expected. She turned around and snickered to herself at how far behind her classmates were. The P.E. teacher came up to her and congratulated her, having expected no less from her, and Videl smirked smugly as she thanked him.
Man, it felt awesome to be the best.
She looked back again at her classmates and chuckled. "I'm gonna run another lap. Bet I can still finish up first."
Her teacher smiled in amusement. "Sure, knock yourself out."
Videl jogged back to the running tracks then looked behind her to gauge the distance the faster runners had left. Smirking to herself, she got into position, before shooting off like a bullet.
Soon enough, she ended up at the end of the line behind the slowest of the group – but not for long. Videl waved at Erasa, who rolled her eyes and shot her a, "Show off!"
"You know it!" Videl called back over her shoulder, already speeding ahead of the slower runners.
The average runners were up next, and Gohan was among them. Videl slowed down as she observed the spiky-haired boy. Unlike the others around him, Gohan didn't look like he was struggling at all. In fact, even though his speed was quite decent and fast, Gohan looked as though he was just on a light jog. Not only that, but he wasn't even the slightest out of breath – he was just smiling contently as he ran with visible ease.
The dark haired teen turned his head in her direction and smiled, waving his hand at her. Videl couldn't help smiling back at him, even through the suspicious way he looked. She'd learned in those few weeks since he started school with them that Gohan's kind and friendly smile was too contagious to resist smiling back at him. Videl figured that the reason Gohan was well-liked among their peers, despite being a goody-two-shoes, and a nerd, and having no fashion sense whatsoever, was because of how nice and warm the aura that he gave off felt. It was like all negative emotions you might be feeling would just vanish in his comforting presence. Gohan was someone who was pretty much impossible to dislike and antagonize. And so, even though he was always acting suspicious or lying – albeit terribly – and even though her gut feeling had been screaming at her that, without a doubt, he was the Great Saiyaman – those things, which may have become a hindrance had it been anyone else, did not get in the way of them becoming friends.
Videl waved back at him – but then something unheard of occurred. Her feet made a weird move and she tripped and started falling. Videl was a martial artist, however, and knowing how to fall properly was part of the skills she'd had to master. But this all happened so fast. She hardly had time to catch herself, but still managed to do a quick flip before steadying herself in a crouching position.
And then she winced, holding her left ankle. Damn, she didn't land on her foot right.
She stayed in that position while everyone else ran past her, a lot of them shooting her curious or worried glances over their shoulder as they got ahead of her. Videl cursed under her breath and gritted her teeth. This was so humiliating. She was Videl, the one and only daughter of the world savior; she was a renowned martial artist and a damn fine crime fighter too. She was at the top of her class in P.E. for goodness' sake – damn it, she couldn't believe she'd just tripped on her own two feet like some clumsy idiot!
She blamed Gohan for distracting her with the suspicious ease he was running and that cute, infectious smile of his.
"Are you alright, Videl? Did you hurt yourself?"
And speaking of the devil…
Gohan crouched down beside her and touched her shoulder, a frown of concern blemishing his usually happy and cheerful features.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered stubbornly, trying to ignore the stinging pain in her ankle. To show him that there was nothing to worry about, Videl started to get up – but she winced in pain when she put too much weight on her bad foot.
Gohan rushed to her aid, wrapping his arm around her back to give her support. "Don't lie, Videl. It doesn't look good on you."
She couldn't help grinning at him at that. "Now that's just rich coming from you."
He blushed in embarrassment and averted his eyes, so obviously understanding what she meant by that. Videl chuckled and leaned on him a little, allowing Gohan to help her this one time.
He cracked a smile, and then out of the blue he just picked her up with incredible ease and held her up in his arms, his smile turning into a playful grin at the look of astonishment on her face.
"Wh…What are you doing?" Videl blabbered, unable to force down the blush that suddenly burst on her face. What if people saw her? What would the others say, seeing a "nerd" carrying the famous Videl like a helpless princess? She had a reputation to uphold!
And then, Gohan looked at her and his smile turned so warm and gentle, and his eyes were so soft and comforting and beautiful – something inside of her crackled and then suddenly – her heart burst into life.
"Let me get you to the finishing line, okay?"
She was staring at him, her lips parted, her face deep red, and her heart racing so fast in her chest she thought for sure Gohan could hear it.
She stared at him and he just kept smiling that incredibly stunning smile of his, and Videl was simply unable to even think properly – let alone form an intelligible sentence to reply to him.
But Gohan just kept smiling. "You wanted to come out first, right?" He turned to look ahead and his smile turned into a grin. "I can still make it if you want."
Videl just kept staring. Something had happened. Something had suddenly clicked. It was scary and new and confusing, yet somehow it was also incredible and beautiful and exciting. She didn't quite grasp what was going on with her at the moment, but she knew, somehow, someway, that something amazing had happened in her and that nothing would ever be the same anymore.
"Can you really?" she whispered in disbelief, finally getting back her ability to speak.
He shot her a sheepish smile and shrugged. "I guess we'll see."
Tightening his hold around her back and under her knees, his expression turned serious and he shifted his stance, getting ready to take off running.
The breath was knocked right out of her lungs when Gohan started sprinting. Everything around them was a blur and out of instinct, Videl held onto his neck tightly and shut her eyes, lowering her head into the crook of his neck.
What the hell was up with that breakneck speed of his?!
Before she knew it, Gohan already passed the final line and skidded to a stop. He stood tall, still holding her up firmly against him, and as he looked behind him and grinned at the group of teenagers now running up the last dozens of meters of their last lap, Videl found herself, yet again, captivated by the dark haired young man.
How could she only notice now just how handsome and attractive Gohan was?
He turned back to her, and a nervous chuckle escaped his lips. "Don't draw any conclusion out of what just happened, okay?"
She just kept staring at him, and the words he said slowly began to register and make sense in her head. Then a knowing smirk made its way to her lips.
"Oh? And what kind of conclusions, exactly, could I draw out of you running faster than humanly possible? Now, I wonder what I could possibly deduce from THAT."
Gohan swallowed, then sighed in resignation and put her down, careful not to put any weight on her bad ankle; Videl bent her left knee slightly and stood mostly on her right foot. The faster runners then came up to them, finally done with their laps, and they all eyed Gohan suspiciously as they caught their breath, wondering when the hell he could have run ahead of them when they didn't even see him pass them.
Gohan slumped his shoulders and dug his hands into his sweatpants' pockets. Videl felt a pang in her chest for some reason, and, before she could understand what she was doing, put her hand on his forearm and offered him a comforting smile.
"It's okay, Gohan, I was just kidding. Nothing out of ordinary happened just now – right?"
He looked up and his lips parted slightly, his eyebrows shooting up on his forehead. "Wh-What?" he mumbled breathlessly.
"Besides," Videl added, turning away and skipping on her good leg toward a bench, "there's absolutely no way you're faster than me."
Gohan stood there for a time, dumbfounded, and by the time he came back to his senses the average runners passed the finishing line.
A wide grin then broke out across his face, and Gohan quickly jogged up to Videl and put his hand on the small of her back to help her walk.
"Yeah," he agreed readily, "there's no way I'm faster than the school's number one athlete."
They sat down on the bench next to each other. Gohan smiled in content, leaning back with his hands on the stony surface of the bench, looking up at the sky with a peaceful look on his face.
And Videl found herself staring at him with her lips parted slightly and her face flushed – yet again.
"I mean," she went on in a hushed voice so as not to be heard by anyone else, but also because a sudden feeling of breathlessness had taken over her. "Unless you're Saiyaman…" Gohan froze and his face fell; he sat upright instantly, his whole body tensing up. "But that's impossible, right?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and swallowed audibly. "That's what you keep telling me, at least."
Gohan turned to look her in the eye, a serious and distressed expression staining his handsome face. Videl felt her heart clench in guilt and, despite herself, cursed herself for provoking such a dreadful and distraught look on Gohan. And then she cursed herself for feeling that way when he was the one in the wrong.
"Listen, Videl…" he started pleadingly. "You can't…"
Out of the blue, Videl leaned over and pecked Gohan on the cheek, and when she pulled away she quickly looked down, unable to meet his eye and blushing intensely at her bold and incomprehensible action.
"Don't worry," she whispered, staring intently at her knees. "I won't tell anyone."
A smile full of relief and gratefulness broke out on Gohan's blushing face. "Thank you… Thank you so much, Videl."
She couldn't help smirking at him, watching him sideways. "You admitted it."
His smile grew playful, and Gohan chuckled. "Admitted what?"
She rolled her eyes and shook her head in amusement. Had it always been so much fun to hang out with Gohan?
"But… Um… Err…" he mumbled uneasily after a while, a bright blush forming again across his face as he scratched his hair. "What was, uh… What was that kiss for?"
Her face flared up and Videl stood, dusting off her fitting sweatpants. "Well, since you're so smart, why don't you figure that one out yourself?"
Gohan's eyebrows shot up on his forehead, his deep blush only spreading more and more. He looked utterly lost.
"Uh…"
Videl shot him a smile, a true smile that she scarcely showed anyone. Gohan's face grew even redder, and his eyes softened in such a way that it made her heart flutter with warm and fuzzy feelings.
"Figure it out, okay?" she said softly, reaching over to graze his soft, spiky hair with her fingers, brushing away that lone lock of hair that didn't spike up naturally and fell over his forehead.
Gohan just stared at her in confusion and wonder and awe, still blushing deeply, and Videl kept smiling at him, a hopeful glint in her eyes, as she lowered her hand to touch his cheek with the back of her fingers.
Just then, the P.E. teacher whistled and called everyone to gather around now that the last of the runners had finally made it to the finishing line. The moment broke and Videl took her hand away and made her way to their teacher, skipping on her good leg.
Her face was crimson red. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. What on earth had gotten into her? She'd pretty much confessed to Gohan, and she wasn't even sure how she felt about him! Gosh, it was all so confusing. Ever since Gohan made her heart come alive out of the blue, she barely even recognized herself. She even let him off about lying all this time and denying he was Saiyaman! Geez, what was going on with her?
As the teacher started telling the class about what they would be doing next week, Videl's heart suddenly jolted, her heartbeat picking up when Gohan came up to stand next to her. She peeked up at him. He was looking at the teacher and listening carefully – and yet his face was redder than ever.
"I think I figured it out," he whispered, still looking straight ahead. Videl felt a rush of dread and excitement and hope all at the same time.
And then, slowly, tentatively, his fingers brushed hers – and Videl's breath came short and her heart skipped a beat at the contact; it started hammering hard in her chest when Gohan took her hand into his and held it firmly.
"Did I get it right?" he breathed out.
She turned to look at the teacher, but any word he was saying fell on deaf ears. She swallowed, and tightened her hand around Gohan's much larger one.
"Yes."
Suddenly had this idea today and I just HAD to write it, but I had to go to work so I managed to write bits of it here and there in my notebook until I finally got home and completed it, and then typed it all up and edited it. It's unbeta'd, for that matter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to tell me what you think and leave me a review~
August 2, 2016