Chapter 18: Bestial Acquiescence

The reality of exactly two hours had felt like double the painful equation, to a very restless Videl. Either time on this planet moved extremely slowly, or she couldn't last what she assumed to be half a day without the company of a certain Saiyan. Since their little chat, he'd flown off and not returned, leaving only the offering of fruit and abandoned armour in his wake. At first, Videl had taken some time to sit outside, where she had simply sat and breathed the fresh air. Of course, it hadn't taken her long to get bored of that activity. So then came the fretting and 'what ifs,' such as; 'what if Gohan didn't come back?' The she'd laughed at how silly she was being. He'd only just left, and no doubt needed to cool off and … what? Get used to the idea of her being a very nervous wreck?

The Earthling sighed loudly. What had she been thinking? What if another one of those wurm things attacked? Or better yet, what if a distant relative of the furry blue rug's former owner, came for revenge? She cradled herself with her arms, scratching nervously at the goose-bumps over skin. If this was Earth, she'd more than capable of handling herself. There would be homework to do and friends like Eraza to see, and if all else failed; the more lazier forms of home entertainment. The odds were just so piled up against her here, that she was now beginning to regret driving the damn Saiyan away!

"Get a grip!" Videl scolded herself loudly, followed by the heaving of a very irritated breath. She knew exactly what she needed to do to fix this though, and so she slid into her favourite training stance, and begun to punch at thin air. There was no doubt this would be part of her daily Earth schedule also, but even this couldn't sate her boredom forever. Perhaps she trained for an hour or two, before she finally hunched over and heaved exhausted breaths.

"Break time," came the self-declaration. Feet obeyed, launching her up to the stair-less cabin where she found the company of discarded fruit. It would do for a snack, but her stomach gave a wishful groan for something more substantial. A nice, juicy burger would be real swell, followed by the treat of a double sundae, since she'd been training so hard. Suddenly, the bitter, sweet and sour assortment of fruits she was mindlessly munching on, tasted a whole lot worse than before. Well, that taught her for wishful thinking. Hadn't Gohan said he'd bring meat later though? The sheer thought perked her up a little, and on cue, Videl's eyes wandered across the empty space of the room. Licking the fruit juice from her lips, she barely even realised the way she gazed at her sole target. Or the sudden pull that encouraged her to crawl on hands and knees towards it. But there was a very distinctive smell coming from the discarded armour plates, which she'd by now lifted to her nose. Videl didn't just sniff. She inhaled the entire scent; breathing in the gloriously musky concoction entirely. It made her skin tingle in an aftermath of just a sheer fraction of the ecstasy, to which the scent's owner could bring. Soon, she was instinctively nuzzling the side of her face against the object with quickened breaths, in the most feline manner possible. Yet the more she inhaled the scent, the more intoxicated she felt. The more she desired the real thing, rather than just the lingering presence. Promiscuous little fantasies flashed through her mind; short snapshots that had never owned a place there before. Only when she realised she was lying down with the armour cradled in her arms, did she suddenly snap out of it.

"What the hell am I doing?" Videl quickly spun into a sitting possible, taking a rather startled breath as she blinked in complete stupor down at the Saiyan's armour. She shook her head, as if that would ease away the memory of what she'd just done.

"I'm going insane!" Her hand lifted to comb lightly trembling fingers through her tousled hair. She'd blamed the Saiyan hair products for the way it seemed to be coarser and far more unruly than normal. Now she blamed the harsh water on this planet. While it had normally just naturally waved in fine strands, it was now tangling far more easily, always seeming to resemble more of a choppy 'bed-head' style. Spiky even! Slender digits rather roughly grabbed at the thick clumps however, as she bent forwards and rested her head between her knees. There was no way this was just a severe case of raging teenage hormones.

"I will defeat this!" She suddenly exclaimed, her fists hammering down on the floorboards. In a heartbeat she was standing again, and returning to the river to resume her training. A little meditation and ki control might do the trick…

A large, bright blue and four-legged creature, lifelessly adorned the back of a certain Saiyan, as he brought his prize home. The slightly more aggressive member of the Bovinae species had proved to be an entertaining challenge, for the powered down teenager. He'd played around for as long as his patience had allowed, until he'd finally wrestled with the beast and snuffed the life from it with a simple arm choke and neck twist. There was something very pride nourishing about the hunt, and the sheer fact that he was supplying food for not only himself. Hopefully his intended mate would be pleased with the peace offering. Indeed, the way to a man's heart was often through his stomach, but for Saiyan's, the saying went both ways. Maybe if the human behaved more, he'd make her a blanket from the warm fur. The thought brought a light grin to his slightly dry lips. This was how his more savage ancestors had lived, before technology had fed their desire for conquering and dominating the universe. A part of their ways remained, and Gohan embraced what he felt to be the most natural feelings and instincts known to his species.

The dim, azure sun had already reached its' highest peak in the bland sky and started its' very slow descent, by the time the spec of Gohan appeared above the valley. He descended with the grace of an eagle, even with the large beast slumped over his back. Videl paused half-way through a quick punching jab, to stare wide-eyed at the sight of him. The Saiyan still wore only the bottom half of his body-suit, leaving his naked upper half to glimmer in a sheen of light perspiration. She had to avert her gaze rather quickly, briefly looking up to meet the way he stared back at her. Only the challenge of his eyes was accompanied by a hand-made rock knife, gripped by his teeth. In just a few hours, he'd been transformed into a barbarian. Suddenly tossing the large bull off his shoulders, a smirk found Gohan's lips as the knife found the safer grasp of his hand, and he sunk down to his knees. Videl suddenly came to her senses, as she realised what he was about to do.

"Oh Kame, no!… Don't d-!"

Too late. He'd already roughly stabbed the knife through the beast's fur, and begun the extremely messy task of separating meat from the bones. The smell and sounds brought bile to her tongue, and the human found herself running very quickly back into the cabin, with a hand secured over her nose and mouth. It was silly really. She knew where the burgers she loved came from, but seeing such a primitive yet very realistic way of acquiring the meat… Well, she wasn't quite so enthusiastic about that as the Saiyan clearly was. Videl could see it again; the way he'd smirked at her before getting stuck in with his gory task. Yet the worst thing of all, was how her stomach had, and continued to respond; with a very approving growl…

Meanwhile, in the outer reaches of space, two forces unknowingly battled against time, and therefore each other. On the Saiyan warship, a rather distressed Kari busied herself with the final programming of the one-man attack pod. The co-ordinates had to be perfect in lieu with the subjects location on Gelidus. Fortunately, she worked well under pressure. Sadly the same couldn't exactly be said about Kakarot. Of course, he had all the faith in his son when it came to defeating Nappa. It was now Kale and more pressingly, the other half of the mission that concerned him. So his hand had snatched at Kari's arm, and despite the way Raditz has swiftly found his feet, the words were quickly half growled and half spat at her receiving face.

"What did you do to my son Kari!"

Yet the female merely wiped away the small saliva particles that had projected onto her cheek, as she watched her loyal mate catch his younger brother in a firm and secure arm-lock. Kakarot scrambled to little avail against his brother's chest, while Kari maintained her overall calm countenance.

"Do to him?" A soft smiled breathed her amusement at the preposterous accusation. "I did nothing. He was merely gifted with what he alone, had the right to know."

On cue, Kakarot struggled harder, only to be met with a fiercer defence from Raditz.

"Oh my… you poor thing! You really think I would…?" Again, she lightly chuckled, surpassing the male's growling with her patronising whims. "We're family Kakarot. Your little secret, has always been safe with me. See? You have nothing to fear, when my lips are firmly sealed."

A simple nod to Raditz, and the prisoner was dutifully released. Kakarot stumbled forwards, heaving an only half-relieved sigh as he hunched forwards slightly. His question hadn't fully been answered. If anything, Kari had only supplied more riddles.

"I'm more concerned he suddenly knows something that I don't! Kari…" he trailed off with a desperately truth seeking growl under his breath, fists balling tightly by his sides. Raditz was swift to clamp a palm over his brother's trembling shoulder.

"Watch it, little brother," he gruffly warned. "I don't fancy the idea of losing two of my kin, all in just one day."

Kakarot shrugged his shoulder aside, lifting his palm to ease again the back of his neck. Raditz stilled a moment, sensing the still stressed yet calmed ki, before moving to assist his mate with her preparations.

"And if this idea doesn't work?" He finally asked in a quieter voice. It all seemed like a long shot to him. Especially when they'd be landing on Vegetasei within the next six hours. Kakarot seriously doubted that the King was going to be very sympathetic to their ideas, or very pleased when he found out what they had already achieved. Vegeta despised those who acted against his wishes, especially when it interfered with his own plans.

"It will work," Kari simply replied.

"I should go in the ship," he stepped forwards to gain the woman's attention with the palm that slapped against the space-ball's outer shell. "This is madness Kari. I should be there, for my son! Damn it… What more can we lose, after what we've already done?"

The woman merely turned her back on the concerned father, ignorantly tapping her slender digits against the docking bay's control panel.

"The only madness I see, is your lack of faith, in your own offspring."

Apparently, making archaic drawings using a substance similar to chalk, was a very good way to pass the time. Videl had never really been very good at art, or any of the more creative subjects really. She liked to think it was her teacher's fault for not encouraging her enough, while her father had always pushed her towards the more academic subjects. She casually smiled to herself, as she clearly remembered just one of his many reactions to her education.

"My baby got an F in Art?" He'd exclaimed when reviewing her report card once, only to exhale his booming and genuine laughter. "Aaaaah-hahaha! What do you need Art for anyway? Tomorrow I'm calling your principle and getting you out of that class, you hear?"

The same solution solved her failing grades in Music, Drama and even English Literature class. Which had been a shame since she did like to read and escape to fantasy lands or historical places. Videl had just failed at the essay writing and more academic analysis. But now, she surprised herself with the way she'd so effortlessly covered the stones around the fireplace in intricate, swirling patterns. If her art teacher could only see this now, she'd most likely be swooning with the recital of names like Picasso and Kandinsky. The human only stopped her artistic rampage, because the smell of cooking meat had gotten stronger and stronger. Seeping through the unseen nooks and cracks in the shack's structure, to reach her nose and groaning stomach.

Honestly, Gohan was impressed that the human had lasted so long, all holed up in the shack with nothing but her own company. At last he felt her ki approaching though, and the more subtle hints of the 'door' being pushed aside, and feet landing behind him. He'd worked with deft speed and accuracy, diligently separating the best meat, and discarding of the unnecessary organs. The fur he'd skinned to be dealt with later; knowing it would take him awhile to tan it to the perfection required. Hopefully it would bring out what he felt to be the rather exotic colouring of the human's eyes. While also giving him something to occupy himself with, rather than thoughts of her.

"Oh Kame… this smells sooo good." Her voice brought a rather proud smile to his lips, which only continued to grow as she repetitively commended his skills.

"I can't believe you did all this, by yourself! And… so fast!"

Videl moved past the Saiyan, to kneel by the huge bonfire that cooked the meat skewered and draped over thick, sturdy branches. Almost as though she were now worshipping his work, from the way she leant forwards and gasped at the wonderful scents.

"I'm so hungry! Erm…D-Do you think it's cooked enough?"

"Almost," he mused, gazing down at her as she inspected his work further with her curious eyes. He was hungry too; fruit alone could hardly sustain a Saiyan, especially one that had spent a lot of his energy recently. So with no further intention of making himself suffer, he stepped around to crouch beside her, and cut some of the meat away. Large eyes followed the hand that held the meal, until it came towards her in an offering. Videl swallowed hard. There was something awkwardly breath-taking about that simple gesture.

"Why don't you try it?" He practically commanded with obvious persuasion, and she timidly obeyed. Smaller hands lifted; one resting its' fingertips against his palm, while the other took a firmer grip over the meat. Teeth carefully bit through a decent chunk, finding it to be cooked to almost medium-rare standards. Yet the meat was quite rough, and very chewy. Infact, it was better than the beef burgers she'd been fantasising all day over, and so she eagerly claimed the rest of the steak flank from him. Gohan breathed the lightest of chuckles, and reached for his own portion.

"Then I take it you found the answers to your questions."

She only mumbled a pleased sound that probably pleased him even more. The tricks of the trade on how to seduce a female, had been passed from father to son for many generations. Kakarot hadn't failed in making sure his own son knew exactly how to keep a female interested, as his father had been sure to tell him. Securing the bloodlines was an important investment in their culture.

"Don't just prove to her your strength as a warrior. You must show her your other skills; your hunting prowess and your ability to survive against all odds. Above all else, you make sure she knows that you can take care of her. Even if she claims full independence. Make sure she's always well fed and protected against others. A female will never mate with a weak man. And remember; a woman expects you to conquer her. If she can overpower you, then you've lost her."

Those were probably the wisest words Kakarot had ever bestowed upon his son, and so now Gohan silently uttered his gratitude. For his chosen woman was delighted by the meal, as she ate with such enthusiasm. Even stopping to lick her fingers clean in what Gohan found to be a deliciously enticing spectacle, before she reached for more. He ate much slower than he normally did, seeming to be devouring the sight of her more than anything else. It really was spectacular to see her embracing the beast within.

"Oh Kame!" Videl finally slouched back, patting a hand over the rather full swell of her stomach. "That was amazing!" The Saiyan only wished she'd expressed similar words that morning…

"You're welcome," he smugly retorted, having even finished his own rations before her. She'd eaten like a true Saiyan, and was barely even aware of it. The only thing that mattered to her, was how satisfied her appetite was.

"Ugh!" She had to sag back even further however, stretching very much like the cat who just got the cream. "Wow! I'm so … stuffed!"

Pride wasn't just the only raised sensation Gohan seemed to experience, as the female flaunted herself in the most irritating manner. She even tilted her head back and laughed in such a carefree and happy release of pure satisfaction. Maybe he wasn't quite done eating after all, as he quickly snatched at the distraction of another meaty flank.

"I thought I was going to starve to death." He cocked his head slightly; the woman's voice had suddenly carried a dreamy quality to it. Videl kept her head tilted back, as she stared up at the dimmer skies. It wasn't quite a full sunset yet, but it was slowly getting there. The overhanging trees certainly helped keep the river area in constant shade though. A rare smile lifted her pout, and she once again chortled lightly. "Or eat so many of those fruits that I'd eventually just…turn into one!"

Gohan furrowed his brows. She certainly was twice as attractive right now, and he was struggling to remain civil. He'd vowed to himself that along with this meal, he'd make her eat her previous words. Yet his silence clearly grabbed her attention, and with the light tilting of her head, she cast her smiling eyes on him.

"Thank you Gohan." The Saiyan visibly winced, as the unexpected words caused him to viciously bite into his tongue, rather than the steak.

Luckily, Videl had already bashfully looked away, as her cheeks had burned bright pink. For it had dawned on her that this Saiyan didn't have to do any of this for her. As he'd stated before; he wasn't her caretaker or bodyguard. He could've just cut his loses and abandoned her and yet he hadn't even come close to that suggestion. Instead, here he was, making sure she was well fed and protected from the dangers of the planet. It made her beam uncontrollably, as she realised it could only mean one thing. He did care. Genuinely. It was such a simple and basic way of showing it, but it was clear to her now. Or, so she thought. Even, dare she think about it; how he'd handled her last night. It hadn't been a forced ravaging, though she had to bite her lip slightly as she corrected herself. It had definitely been ravaging, just not completely wild. More importantly, it hadn't been a selfish experience. He'd been so focused on pleasing her, and had taken her further rejection afterwards, extremely well. All things considering. Or maybe she was just being too hard on herself? Didn't he deserve just a little bruising to the ego?

While the female blushed to herself thoughtfully, Gohan had already stood up and started to douse the fire. There was enough meat left for a possible snack later, but he was certain it wouldn't stay fresh for much longer. It was fine though, as there was plenty more where this one came from. In addition to water beasts and even the mountain wurms if their taste buds needed some variety. Food stocks would never be a problem, even if she was devouring almost as much as he did. He was aware of her eyes on him, but that didn't prevent him from getting his tasks done. In fact, he got it over and done with quicker. When he was finished, he just ignorantly and silently stepped towards the calmer flow of the river, and managed to hold his indifference as the freezing water swept over him.

'Much better,' he soothingly told himself, as he breathed a quietly shaking breath and closed his eyes.

Videl meanwhile sat very still on the embankment, keeping her dutiful gaze on the Saiyan, as he waded out into the waist-high level of water. He hadn't bothered to strip, but instead focused on washing away the evidence of his taxing day from across his chest. It hadn't even bothered her that his hands had been blood stained, and he'd stunk of the animal he'd been cleaning out. Pursing her lips together, she found her feet with a light, tormented sigh. Could she really entertain her rather odd idea, of attempting to date this Saiyan? In moderation of course, and given the circumstances, well… They wouldn't exactly be the conventional dates she'd always dreamt of. Then again, Videl knew she wasn't exactly the most conventional girl. The glove fit, even though the notion of trying to date an alien was quite preposterous. Or was it? Hadn't his mother been a human also? That proved it was possible, plus what had already happened between them. With another sigh that lifted her shoulders, she glanced back to the shack, half-defeated. The main problem was, could she do this, and trust herself to stay within the boundaries of first base? Could she trust him?

Ears pricked to the sound of the disturbed waters, together with the light ripples against his waist. 'Nah,' Gohan chastised himself quickly. It had to be something else invading his space, and certainly not the Earthling. Not step by step, slowly moving through the water, getting and closer and closer towards his location. He suddenly froze, his hand still resting over the left square of his chest. It was the human. She stopped behind him, her tell-tale breathing suffering slightly under the cold conditions of the water. But that didn't stop her from slowly reaching out, and resting her palms and splayed fingertips very lightly across his back.

Videl had prepared a very hastily put together speech, that would declare all her intentions and lay down the golden rules of their arrangement. But now, as she felt the way the Saiyan inhaled a deep breath from that simple touch, she was quite lost for words. Had she startled him? Her lips parted, but only to inhale a startled gasp of her own. Encouraged by the way he remained frozen in front of her, she stepped a little closer. One hand slowly moved to the central dip of his shoulders blades, probing for another reaction with the lifting of her eyes to the back of his skull. He stiffened slightly in stubborn silence, but then relaxed the tense muscles with the eased drooping of his shoulders.

"I've been thinking," she just about managed to say, before another much needed breath seized her. Gosh, he smelt so good, and without realising yet, her face leaned closer, until the tip of her nose touched the thick skin. The Saiyan heaved another deep breath, as he felt the Earthling begin to nuzzle at his back in her wonderfully feline ministrations. She really was playing with fire, and if she wasn't a little more careful, she was going to get burnt. As if Videl had heard the taunting for the challenge, she lowered her other hand, trailing down the spine. All the way down, until a certain, furry appendage blocked her path. The Saiyan had barked at her not to pull the tail, so now she tried something different…

Gohan's breath caught in the cage of his fully expanded chest, and his dark eyes widened considerably to the human's devilish touch. Nostrils flared, while he had to suddenly clench his fists very tightly in the water. She was being very careful with the way she ever so slowly ran her hand down the bristles of the very still limb. It didn't matter that it all happened underwater, because he could feel it all. Especially the way she added to the sensations, with the pressing of her chest against his back. Muscles contracted. Was she trying to drive him completely crazy? Some kind of malicious study of his control? Because he was very close to losing it entirely. Or was that the answer she craved?

What had she been meaning to say? Videl blinked serenely with her own questioning, remembering there had been words on her tongue which had failed to roll past her lips. Even the river no longer nipped at her skin in freezing prickles. The Saiyan suddenly flicked his tail from her light grasp, splashing against the calm waters a moment. Enough of that, he told her without needing words. She found herself softly smiling at her little victory, deviously in fact, as her hand found his under the blanket of the river's surface. He was reluctant to react against the way her fingers slid between his, and kept his arm quite rigid, even as she lifted it. All in order for her to duck under the pit, and slide around his waist. Videl found his face to be completely stoic, as she circled around to his front. Stubborn yet very focused dark eyes, stared directly ahead into the trees. The only sign of his feelings, were the subtle twitches of his brow and jaw muscles.

"I was… wondering," she attempted to talk again in a faint murmur. It was all lost to the way she nuzzled against his chest though, and Gohan was forced to glance down at her. Perhaps it was time to test the waters?

"You said that already," he half-lied. Well she had been talking nonsense since the day started, and no doubt she'd initially planned on boring him further with useless prattle.

"I… did?" Now he had to smirk, as she gasped against him. The woman was thankfully beyond the help of her over-taxing mind now.

"Oh," she half-heartedly and vocally shrugged, as her hands came to rest at his waist. Shoulders lifted to her ears, as she breathed against his skin, lifting her grip upwards to his ribs. Gohan was faced with a decision, which was easily swayed to the easiest choice, as she lightly dug her nails against his sides. In a heartbeat, he lifted her up against him. Much to his needed satisfaction, her thighs automatically wrapped across his waist, and squeezed. He wouldn't even need to hold her there, but he did, even as she preoccupied herself with the taste of his lips. It would be perfect. They would have each other under the sky, with the breeze kissing their bare skin, just as nature intended it. Then they would put each other out of this useless misery, and finally accept the bond…

…Yet Gohan had barely stepped out from the river, when something else interrupted his plans entirely.

Something rippled through the air around him; a distant interference that had ripped through the planet's atmosphere, and now disturbed the very ground he stood on, upon its' swift impact. The completely oblivious Videl mistook Gohan's sudden tensing and refusal to meet the demands of her lips, as a sign to move elsewhere. But her attempts to trail away to his jaw, were met by the sudden turning of his head, and rather stern voice.

"Enough."

"…Wha…" She couldn't even finish the barely uttered word, as she completely froze. Was he seriously rejecting her? Brows shot together, and she finally pulled back to face him, eye to eye. "What?" When he only answered with the furrowing of his dark brows, she responded with a light smile. Surely he was joking? Well one way to test it, as she attempted to claim his lips again…

"I said enough," he repeated with an agitated growl. Hands pushed at her thighs, forcing her to drop roughly back to her own feet. Her arms followed, dropping to her sides as he turned, shrugging her grasp away from around his neck. Videl was more than just lost for words, as the swelling of her wounded pride rose with both anger and confusion in her tightening chest. Before any words could escape from her gaping pout, Gohan had abruptly moved past her completely. Authoritative words were cast over his cold shoulder, in an oddly dark tone.

"Get in the shack and stay there."

"B-but -!"

There was nothing else to say though, as he was suddenly launched upwards in an explosion of raw ki. Videl had to stumble backwards slightly, as the sheer force caught her by surprise. Tilting her jaw, her wide eyes followed him, until he shot through the embrace of trees, and disappeared past the valley's constraints. Startled by the suddenness of everything that collapsed around her, her arms instinctively wound around her. Standing there a moment in disturbed silence, she hugged herself, as she forced herself to calm down. There was no immediate logical explanation to how she knew that this was nothing to do with her. Videl just knew, and the finger therefore pointed to an unwelcome intrusion. A vague possibility, that they'd both previously shrugged aside.

"If there are any others, they are most likely waiting for us to make the first move."

Her ki levels instinctively lost control with her staggering emotions. He'd told her to stay in the shack but, couldn't she help him? Wasn't it just a little dangerous to split up like this? Or had he already found a signal to track? Again, she heard the Saiyan's voice in her head.

"Always keep your ki levels under control." They were the instructions he'd given her when she'd first been learning about ki, and now reciting them over gave her the great comfort she really needed right now. "It's easier for your opponent to sense a trembling frequency, or worse, a sudden surge in power. But it you keep yourself levelled, then you'll be well camouflaged. A true warrior knows how to bait their opponent, without even trying."

Gasping lightly, Videl ran forwards at once. There was no need to question this any further. Something else had landed on the planet. Something big. More importantly, it was something she would be no match for. Not this time… The honour belonged to the true Saiyan, and she would simply await his return without any interference. So why did she feel concern and instinctive doubts nudging at her twisted gut, as she firmly pushed the door shut?

To be continued…