Gohan: Development of a Hero
This is a Dragonballz fanfiction. To my eternal sadness, I do not own or in anyway profit from Dragonballz or any of the characters in this story. This fic, as you can guess from the title, centers on Gohan, and begins right after the cell games. It is an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.
Btw, from now on, when characters speak in Saiyago (the Saiyan language), the dialogue will be shown in Bold.
Part 17 – Gohan's First Date
Gohan landed softly in front of the house, and took a deep breath. He was here; Lime's house was only ten feet away. As he gazed at the two-story modest home, butterflies began to bounce around in his stomach as his heartbeat skyrocketed. He'd never been more nervous in his entire life; he'd faced Cell, Frieza, and more monsters than most people could imagine, but he had no experience with…girls. How was he supposed to act? What was he supposed to do?
Gohan absently ran his hands over his jacket, and smiled. He looked down at what he was wearing. He never wore stuff like this; almost all of his clothes were Gis. But he'd been 'convinced' by Bulma to wear a pair of khakis and a button-up black long sleeve shirt for the date. Gohan laughed as he remembered how she'd reacted when he'd asked for help.
"Bulma," Gohan commented. The two of them were alone, working on an upgrade for Capsule Corps main line of car capsules. If it worked, the fuel efficiency would be greatly increased. However, Gohan was more concerned with the fact they were finally alone, and he could get some help. Frankly, he was clueless as to what to do with Lime on Friday; he needed advice.
"Yes Gohan, what is it?" Bulma asked absently as she peered down at a schematic with a pensive look on her face.
"Um…can I have some money for Friday night?" Gohan questioned. He figured this would be a good way to introduce the subject.
"Why, you have a hot date?" Bulma teased as she picked up a few pieces and began to assemble them.
Gohan took a deep breath. It was time, "Actually…yes." He whispered softly.
Bulma froze, and the pieces she had in her hands fell to the table. Slowly, she turned to look at Gohan with a stunned look on her face, "What?" Bulma demanded quietly.
"Well, you see, I kinda met this girl, and we kinda became…friends. And she wanted to go to the movies, and I said if she was asking me out, and she said yes, and I…" Gohan babbled.
Bulma held up a hand, silencing Gohan with a gesture. Slowly, she approached Gohan, and looked directly into his eyes. After several tense seconds while Gohan wondered what she was thinking, Bulma squealed. She actually squealed. "OH, this is WONDERFUL," Bulma declared as she pulled Gohan into a hug.
Gohan gasped as all the air was driven from his lungs due to the technique he had dubbed the 'Saiyan Wife Hug'. "Bulma…can't breath…"
"Oh, sorry…" Bulma exclaimed as she released him. "I'm just so…this is wonderful Gohan. Of course you can have money; you can use as much as you want. So what movie are you going to see?"
"Um, I'm not sure…" Gohan responded, "To be honest, I'm not sure about well…everything." There, he'd said it.
"Need some advice?" Bulma questioned with a grin.
"Yes…" Gohan whispered quietly.
Bulma's grin widened, "You came to the right place. There are several things we need to go over. Let's start with your clothes…"
Gohan smile faded. There was no more time to waste; if he didn't do this now, he'd be late. Gohan took several deep breaths, and then rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, a middle-aged man with brown hair and a thick mustache answered the door. "You must be Gohan," the man stated.
Gohan nodded quickly, "Yes sir," Gohan replied nervously.
"Come on in," the man commented. As Gohan entered the house, he continued, "Lime's not ready yet, so why don't you and I talk in the living room?"
Dread filled Gohan; for some reason, he was suddenly very afraid. He followed Lime's father into a small room decorated with a few bookcases and three large recliners. Lime's father sat down heavily in one of them, and gestured for Gohan to follow suit. Gohan quickly took his place in one of the chairs as he tried to keep from passing out.
"So…tell me about yourself Gohan," Lime's father asked.
"Well, um…what do you want to know?" Gohan responded.
"Where do you go to school?" Lime's father pushed.
"Actually…I don't. I'm sort of home-schooled." Gohan commented.
"Home-schooled? Why is that," Lime's father demanded.
"Well, I don't know. I've always been home-schooled. Plus, Aunt Bulma knows a lot, and I'm learning a great deal. We also do a lot of projects for her company," Gohan explained.
"Well, what do you do in your free time?" Lime's father continued.
"Harold, stop pestering the boy," a woman commented from the entrance. Gohan turned to see a woman with reddish gray hair and thin glasses standing at the entrance with a bemused look on her face. Like lightning, Gohan shot to his feet and nodded his head.
"Hello, ma'am."
"Please, call me Mrs. Punch," the woman commented.
"You can stick to sir with me," Harold mentioned from the couch.
"HAROLD!" the woman chided. She smiled softly at Gohan, and a strange thought came to him. She must be where Lime gets her smile. "Don't let my husband scare you. You look like a nice boy, and I'm sure you'll take care of my daughter."
"You better," Harold muttered, "If you hurt my little girl, it won't be pretty."
Gohan was spared from responding by the sound of someone coming down the stairs. He turned quickly, and fought to keep his mouth from dropping. Lime was walking down the stairs, and she looked…amazing. Though she was wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater, it was a vast change from the normal Gis. These clothes hugged her body and showed off her curves in a way that left Gohan's mind befuddled.
"Hello Gohan," Lime said.
"You look…wow," Gohan stuttered.
Lime blushed slightly as she smiled, "You look nice too Gohan. Come on, we'll miss the movie if we don't hurry."
Gohan nodded quickly, and made for the exit. As he left, he heard Mr. Punch shout, "Have her home early, and remember, I own a gun!"
"DADDY!" Lime shouted back before turning to Gohan. "Sorry about him. He's just a little…protective."
"It's okay," Gohan assured her. "I can understand protective instincts, believe me."
"So, are we flying?" Lime commented.
"Actually," Gohan answered, "I thought we'd drive. I got a car capsule for a birthday present, and I figured this would be a good time to use it." Without further comment, Gohan turned and tossed the capsule. It bounced twice before expanding outward, and Lime whistled.
"Nice car," Lime complimented.
"Um, thanks. It was a present from my grandfather." Gohan explained. He held the passenger door open for Lime, and then moved to the driver side as soon as she entered. Pretty soon, they were on their way.
"So, what movie are we going to see?" Gohan asked.
"It's a new movie that came out, and I really wanted to see it," Lime replied evasively.
"What's it called?" Gohan pressed.
"You'll see. It's a surprise, but I'm sure you'll like it," Lime remarked.
"Is it…a romance movie," Gohan asked hesitantly. He'd only seen one of them; Bulma made him and Vegeta watch it, and he still shuddered in memory. It was called "Ya-Ya" something, and it definitely convinced him that romance movies weren't for him.
"No. To be honest, I prefer a good action movie to something like that," Lime reassured him.
"Oh, ok." Gohan said in relief.
After a few moments of silence, Lime turned to Gohan, "You're not going to keep asking? You've giving up that easily."
"If you say it's a surprise and I'll like it, I believe you. I trust you," Gohan responded without thinking.
Lime blushed a deep crimson as she said softly, "I see…"
Further conversation was stopped as Gohan pulled into the theater. As he re-encapsulated his car, he took a look at the movie listing. He knew Lime was worried they were going to be late, which meant it had to be starting fairly soon. When Gohan saw the only movie with a playtime close to the current time, he laughed. "You're kidding me."
"I thought you'd like it," Lime remarked with a smirk.
Gohan shook his head as he approached the ticket counter, "Hello, two for 'Invasion of the Aliens'".
"Good choice, that will be $16.00" the clerk commented.
Gohan paid quickly, as Lime muttered, "16 bucks? God that's expensive."
"It is?" Gohan asked. It didn't seem like that much money to him; after all, Bulma told him to spend as much as he wanted.
"Are you kidding me, it's shocking how much movie prices have risen. Haven't you noticed," Lime remarked.
"Well, I don't really go to the movies," Gohan explained bashfully. Suddenly, his head jerked up as his nose caught the aroma of food. He immediately moved; no Saiyan could resist food after all.
"Hello, what can I get you," the concession's stand worker asked.
"Um…want to share a popcorn?" Gohan asked slightly. The thought of sharing food made his Saiyan side scream in protest, but Bulma had said it was the polite thing to do.
"No thanks. I'll just take a small popcorn and a soda." Lime remarked.
"Okay. We'll take a small popcorn, a soda, one Mega-sized popcorn no butter, and one Ultra-Size cup of water."
"That's be $19.75" the worker priced.
Gohan nodded and over the money. As the worker got their order together, Lime leaned over and whispered, "I thought you said you ate a lot more. Are you feeling okay?"
"Well, um, I kind of ate before I got you," Gohan explained softly. "I've been told my eating can disturb people, so I thought I'd tone it down some,"
"Good thinking," Lime complimented. "Is that enough food for you?"
Gohan merely shrugged as he grabbed his popcorn and drink. They easily made it to the theater, and chose seats near the back. Gohan was slightly puzzled by this, but he figured Lime knew best. She had been to more movies than him. As Lime nibbled her popcorn and he inhaled his, Gohan watched the people entering the theater. Before he could start to talk, the lights began to dim.
"Looks like we made it just in time," Lime whispered.
"Looks like," Gohan agreed. Conversation stopped as the previews and movie began. Gohan quickly became bored; one of the reasons he saw few movies was he found them boring. He'd faced monsters and battled since he was a child; compared to that action on a screen was extremely dull. Though he did find the movie's interpretation of how alien's invade privately amusing, it didn't counter his boredom. Gohan was too polite to make an issue of it however; instead, he passed time by trying to figure out what alien race he'd encountered or been told about most resembled the 'invaders'.
About an hour into the movie, Gohan felt flesh touch his hand. Glancing down, he saw Lime resting her hand over his on the armrest. Gohan flicked a look at Lime, but she seemed to be looking at the movie. Slowly, Gohan's pulse rose as he turned his hand over and clasped her hand in his own. It was pleasant, and Gohan enjoyed the contact. Suddenly, Lime leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. Gohan swallowed convulsively; his heart began to beat faster than it ever had before, and Gohan struggled to keep still.
Suddenly, the lights began to turn on. "Huh, what's going on?" Gohan asked.
"The movies over," Lime commented as she sat up and smiled at him.
"It is…" Gohan questioned. He looked at the screen, and sure enough credits were rolling. It seemed like only a second since Lime had put her head on his shoulder; how had over an hour passed so quickly?
"You didn't notice," Lime mentioned in bemusement.
"Well, I was…distracted." Gohan said softly.
Lime blushed, "Oh…"
As they left the theater, Lime asked, "So what now?"
"Actually, I was thinking we could go somewhere. We'd have to fly there…actually; I've got a better idea. Close your eyes," Gohan stated firmly.
"What, why?" Lime asked.
Gohan didn't answer; instead, as soon as they were out of sight of other people, he scooped her into his arms and blasted off into the sky.
"GOHAN, what are you doing," Lime demanded as a blush formed on her cheeks.
Gohan said, "It's a surprise…trust me."
Lime didn't say anything, but Gohan felt her nuzzling into his chest. Gohan felt his heart-rate skyrocket, as his face got hot; he'd somehow missed the fact that she would be nesting against him for this plan. Still, it felt nice; Gohan automatically held her tighter so she wouldn't fall.
They flew for close to ten minutes before Gohan saw what he was looking for. Slowly, he landed and set Lime down, "Okay, open your eyes."
Lime did, and smiled, "The meadow…"
"You remember the first time we were here, don't you," Gohan asked.
"Of course, how could I forget…" Lime mentioned.
As Lime collapsed panting, Gohan landed softly, "You're doing better, but you're still over-extending your punches when you get excited."
Lime didn't say anything for several moments, and Gohan finally asked, "Are you okay?"
"Gohan, can I ask you something," Lime wondered.
"Um, sure. What do you want to know?" Gohan answered.
"How come you're so strong? I mean, you're the strongest person I've ever seen, and you're not even 15. You fought against the monster Cell when you were even younger. It's unbelievable." Lime stated.
Gohan hesitated. He didn't want to lie to Lime, but he also didn't want to tell her he was an alien. "Well, I've been training my whole life, and my dad was a strong martial artist." That was true; well, partially.
"Will I ever be as strong as you?" Lime asked.
Gohan swallowed, "Well, that's…complicated."
"Forget it," Lime stated suddenly. She turned and blasted off into the air without another word.
"Well, that was a little strange," Gohan, muttered. He felt guilty, not telling her the truth. She was his student, and Gohan trusted her. But, this was a big secret; it wasn't everyday you find out you've been talking to an alien. She might not be able to handle it; Given the way Vegeta and Nappa acted when they arrived, it's no surprise that most people on Earth are terrified of aliens. Gohan couldn't bear for her to become afraid of him, but did he have the right to keep this from her?
"I can't just leave it like this, I'll at least find her and make sure she' s okay," Gohan stated aloud. Decision made, Gohan tuned his senses outward and tracked her down. She was quick a distance away; apparently she'd been flying full throttle. In fact, as Gohan focused, he could feel her ki seemed to be in distress, as if she was hurt.
Gohan erupted into the sky as he blasted after her. If she was hurt, she could be in trouble. He had to get to her. Trees began to blur beneath him as Gohan pushed as fast as he dared after Lime. He had to be careful; too much power would draw attention from the other Z-fighters, especially Vegeta. As long as he kept his ki controlled, they would most likely assume he was simply training somewhere. But if he ascended, the others would definitely investigate, and that could lead to some awkward questions.
As the minutes passed, worry seeped into Gohan. She was really moving quickly; perhaps she was running from something? If that was the case, she could be in more trouble than Gohan thought. Gohan pushed his senses out, trying to figure out if there was someone chasing her, but he detected nothing. That was all that kept him from going Super Saiyan. After a few more minutes, Lime's ki stopped moving, and Gohan breathed a sigh of relief.
When he came in sight of her, Gohan found she had landed in some sort of meadow. There were a few trees at the edge, and Lime was sitting beneath one with her head resting between her forearms on her knees. Gohan landed softly, and approached quietly, "Lime, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, go away," Lime muttered in a muffled voice. As Gohan got closer, he could smell distress and sadness on her, and the smell of water. Was she crying?
"Lime, look at me. What's wrong?" Gohan asked softly as he kneeled in front of her.
Lime looked up, and Gohan saw he had smelled correctly. She was crying. "It's nothing," Lime remarked as she fought to keep her sobs under control.
"It's obviously not nothing if you're crying," Gohan countered. "Come on, you can tell me anything."
"But that only works one way, right," Lime commented bitterly.
"What?" Gohan stated in confusion.
"You really don't understand, do you?" Lime mentioned, "Gohan, you're more than my teacher; you're a friend. I do feel I can tell you anything, but do you have any idea how much it hurts to know you don't feel the same? To look at you every time you train me and know that you don't consider me enough of a friend to let me in? I'm just…sick of it Gohan. I'm sick of being held at arm's length." Lime's tirade ended as fresh tears began to flow down her face.
Gohan felt wretched; she was right. He had been keeping her out, keeping her from knowing pretty much anything about him. He'd always assumed it was better that way; letting her know would only put her at risk or cause problems. However, he'd never considered how she would feel about it, and that was a serious error on his part. Though his mind knew what to do to fix this, his soul rebelled. Could he really let another person past his defenses?
Gohan took several deep breaths, "You're right Lime, and I'm truly sorry I didn't tell you the truth, that I didn't let you in. It's just…hard for me to let anyone new in." There as no turning back now; he had to do this, he had to try and explain or they might never go back to normal, a fact that disturbed Gohan greatly and gave him the push to get his next words out, " Lime, my dad abandoned me, and soon after, my mom did the same. All my friends were friends with my dad first and foremost, and they see me as his carefree happy son. I just got so used to wearing that mask and hiding what I felt that I forgot how to take it down."
Gohan felt sadness rise in him, but he shoved it down brutally. He would not cry; he'd sworn never to cry for them again, and he would keep that promise. But it was hard; the words felt like salt pouring onto raw wounds. It took several seconds, but Gohan fought his sadness down and regained control. When he looked up again, he found Lime staring at him.
"I'm so sorry Gohan," Lime began.
"No, you have nothing to apologize for," Gohan interrupted. He had to change the subject now, or he might lose control. "What I'm trying to say is I'm done hiding who I am. Its time for me to take my mask down, and let you know who you're teacher really is. You wanted to know how I became so strong? Well, I told you part of the truth: I have been training my whole life, and that helped. But that wasn't the main reason."
"What was it?" Lime questioned softly.
Gohan took several deep breaths. This was it, the moment of truth; "The main reason I'm so strong is the alien DNA in me."
Lime didn't speak for several seconds, before she finally asked, "You're an alien?"
"Half," Gohan explained, "My mother was human, but my father came here from another planet. He was from a race of warriors called Saiyans, and their strength flows through me. It's why I'm so powerful, and also why you can never be as strong as I am. Don't get me wrong; you can still be incredibly strong, and with my help, you will most likely become the strongest human on Earth. But I wouldn't be boasting to say there are few beings in existence that could become as strong as I am, and you are not one of them. It's not your fault; it's just genetics, something beyond your control. I'm truly sorry Lime; I wish you could reach my strength, but that won't ever happen."
Lime was silent for a long time, and Gohan tensed. He had opened up to her, and now he was sure she was going to push him away, or run screaming. "Well, we'd better get back to training," Lime finally stated.
"What?" Gohan asked in surprise.
"If you're going to make me the strongest human on Earth, I want it to happen as soon as possible. So let's get back to work," Lime added.
"You're not mad or upset?" Gohan questioned.
"I've always known there was something special about you, ever since you blocked General Tao's blast. It would have destroyed my grandfather, and you stopped it effortlessly. While I never suspected you were an alien, I won't hold it against you. As you said, it's genetics, and beyond your control. Besides, you don't act like any of those mean aliens we hear so much about. I do have one question though." Lime explained.
A sense of relief filled Gohan as Lime spoke. "What do you want to know?" Gohan wondered.
"I know you were at the Cell Games. Who defeated Cell?" Lime questioned.
"I did…" Gohan answered.
Lime smiled, "Then let me say thank you on behalf of all us humans. Now, I'm feeling well rested. Ready for another spar?"
A smirk settled on Gohan's face as he entered his fighting stance, "Of course. Remember to watch how far you extend your punches."
"This is where I told you the truth about me, and it just felt appropriate to come here tonight," Gohan mentioned.
"I couldn't agree more," Lime mentioned. Time seemed suspended for several seconds, and Gohan felt something shifting inside him. As he gazed down at Lime, he felt his instincts rising. Slowly, Gohan leaned forward and tilted his head. To his intense delight, Lime tilted her head in response and followed suit. Inch by inch, their faces got closer and closer. The air seemed alive with anticipation, and Gohan's heart raced.
When their lips touched, an electric shock seemed to flow through Gohan. Instinctively, he brought his hands up and wrapped them around Lime. Lime countered by draping her hands on his neck. Seconds, minutes, hours could have passed; time was meaningless for Gohan. Finally, Lime pulled back to get some air, and Gohan smiled softly. "Wow…"
"Wow…" Lime agreed. Words seemed superfluous; Gohan found himself lost in her eyes, and it seemed Lime felt the same.
The silence was finally broken as Lime whispered reluctantly, "I should probably head back, before my dad gets too worried."
"I'll escort you home," Gohan promised with equal reluctance in his voice. The flight to Lime's house seemed far too short for Gohan's liking; it seemed like only moments before they were back at her house. Gohan walked her to the door as he saw a light on waiting for her.
"I had a great time," Lime whispered.
"So did I," Gohan responded, "You want to train tomorrow?"
"Of course," Lime remarked. An awkward silence started to arise as the two of them stood next to each other. Suddenly, Lime leaned forward and kissed Gohan gently. "Good night, Gohan."
Gohan simply stared as she entered her house. His body couldn't move as his mind replayed over and over the night. Finally, Gohan shouted, "YESSSSS!!!!"
Dogs began barking throughout the neighborhood, and Gohan saw lights coming on down the block. I guess that was a little loud Gohan mused in embarrassment as he took off. Gohan's embarrassment couldn't stay long as his thoughts trailed back to the night. Absently, Gohan landed in front of Capsule Corps and headed inside. He was functioning on autopilot as the majority of his mind played back the night. There are times I love my photographic memory Gohan thought as he began to remember his first kiss.
"Have a good time?"
It took every ounce of will Gohan had not to jump in surprise. Gohan turned and saw Bulma waiting for him at the kitchen table. "What?" Gohan gasped as he tried to figure out how he'd missed her ki when he entered. I guess I was a little more distracted than I thought.
"Your date, did you have a good time," Bulma continued.
"It was…fine," Gohan finally mentioned.
"Nice try, but you getting away that easily," Bulma warned, "I want details."
"Not tonight," Gohan answered. As Bulma began to protest, he added, "I'll tell you in the morning, I promise. But I want to keep it private, at least tonight."
Bulma gazed at Gohan for a long time before saying, "Fine, but I want details first thing in the morning. No sneaking off. If you try, you won't eat for a month."
"I'll tell you first thing tomorrow. Good night Bulma," Gohan promised. He turned to go, and made it to the stairs before Bulma's voice stopped him.
"Gohan, just answer me one question." Bulma requested.
Gohan turned and tensed. He knew this question could be bad; he expected anything from how the movie was to what happened. However, nothing could have prepared him for what she asked, and the questioned filled him with both dread and horror.
"When do I get to the meet this girl?"
TO BE CONTINUED…
I'M BAAACCCKKKK!!!!
First of all, I wanted to sincerely apologize to all my fans. I know it's been a long time since I've updated; I can only offer an explanation and hope you'll forgive me. I had to prepare for the LSAT, and so my writing unfortunately had to be put on hold. However, I have finished the exam, and through the liberal use of chains, my muse is back where it belongs and my creative juices are flowing. To apologize, I made this chapter longer than normal, and I promise to have another chapter out very soon. I'm back for the long haul.
With that said, I also want to make the following announcement. I'd been considering it for sometime, and I used the time since my last chapter posting to work on my outline. Due to both the quantity and quality of reviews, and I am expanding my storyline. Now, instead of one story, this will be a trilogy. My tentative titles are as follows:
Gohan: Development of a HeroGohan: Development of a Man
Gohan: Development of a Legend
There is only one downside. After reworking my outline, I regret to inform those fans that are reading this for the Gohan/Videl scenes that you will need to be patient. Though Development of a Hero will go through the Buu battles, the primary Gohan/Videl action will not be until the second part of the trilogy (one of the things I'm changing in my AU). Rest assured, there will be Gohan/Videl, it will simply be a little longer now. I hope you can be patient, and I've already changed the story description to show that fact.
Despite the fact it has been a while, I will now answer some reader comments:
Luna's Meow: You have my permission to use the Saiyan ceremony. I only ask you mention you got it from me, and you tell me what story you are using it in so I can read it and see how you use it.
Syn Shenron: First of all, I want to apologize. I did not mean to misstate your comments on the Gohan/Lime relationship. As to your question about why now, it was mainly because in my opinion, 16 is a coming of age year. Having passed 21 at this point, I can honestly say no birthday has felt quite like a coming of age since 16. It is why I focused on that particular birthday and not any of the ones in between. I also apologize about the fact that Lime somehow found out about Gohan without it being written; that was an oversight on my part, one I hope I fixed in this part. Thanks for the suggestion of using flashbacks.
As always, please read and review. I greatly enjoy reading the reviews, and I'll have the next part out soon.