Puppy Love

Ch. 8

Disclaimer: Do not own.

A/N: Thank you ShadowMajin for betareading this chapter!

It was expected that ChiChi threw a fit when Gohan lost the match in the adult division. Who would have anticipated such a turn of events? That the boy had to face Vegeta in the first round? Not only that, but her son had ultimately thrown the match to save Mr. Satan's daughter from falling out a window. Nevertheless, the half-Saiyan managed to calm his mother down by reminding her of the fact that he won 15 million zeni for landing second place in the junior division. Although the adult division was cancelled due to the stadium ring being severely damaged by Gohan and Vegeta, the tournament still took the time to commemorate the junior division winners.

Gohan was relieved that it was finally done and over with. He was hoping for a better outcome, but the fact that he overestimated himself while under his transformation really blew the match for him. Even if Videl hadn't slipped and fallen, he wasn't sure if he was capable of winning against Vegeta within the circumstances of the tournament's rules. Maybe next year, he would enter again and be better prepared.

But, for now, the boy had to focus on other things, like his mother's wishes. ChiChi wasn't lying when she mentioned she wasn't going to go easy on him with his studies after the tournament was over. Indeed, the young half-Saiyan had a mountain pile of books waiting back at home to be read and studied. However, Gohan sat there at his desk, mindlessly flipping through the pages in a complete lulled state. Not once was he able to concentrate on his studies since he got home. It wasn't that he didn't want to study or anything, it was just the fact that something else was on his mind.

And that something was a person, someone he was finally able to speak with after the tournament was over.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan was lucky his disguise wore out just in the nick of time for the tournament's awarding ceremony. If he was still transformed as Nos, he wouldn't have been able to stand in the middle of the crater-pocketed ring to receive his prize money. After being rewarded with a silver medal and happily receiving a check for 15 million zeni, Gohan peered over to his left where Videl stood, ready to receive her gold medal and the grand prize of a check for 30 million zeni. He was glad the pigtailed girl didn't cast any suspicion towards him for disguising himself as Nos, especially since he had numerous interactions with the girl as his alias already.

It was then he recalled Videl telling Nos that she would forgive Gohan for underestimating her. The boy eyed the girl as she received her medal, remembering the specific way she said it – that because it was Nos asking her to forgive him she would. Gohan furrowed his brow. What did she mean by that? It didn't really make any sense to him as to why it mattered that it was Nos asking her rather than any other person.

Regardless, the half-Saiyan was relieved that the cerulean-eyed girl forgave him. But Gohan still wanted to apologize to her as himself, so he walked up to Videl after the ceremony was over.

"Congratulations, Videl," he coyly praised her, holding his voice back in slight hesitancy.

The pigtailed girl turned her head to the familiar voice. She then smiled, "Thanks! You too, Gohan."

Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as he looked down at his feet, the boy began, "I, uh, I'm sorr –"

"I'm sorry I was being like I was earlier."

Gohan shot his head up in surprise. Videl was apologizing to him?

"I just… I want to become strong. I want to beat anyone on my own. My papa trained hard and was able to defeat Cell by himself, so I want to train hard just like him. Someday, I want to be strong like my papa," she explained.

A revelation hit Gohan, and he was finally able to connect the dots. With her father declared as the strongest man alive, the World Champion who defeated that monstrous creature, Videl was up against some high expectations. She certainly looked up to her father without a doubt. He inspired her.

The half-Saiyan smiled warmly at the pigtailed girl, "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to put you down or anything. You were capable of beating that kid without my help."

Videl flashed a wily grin, "I beat you, didn't I? Of course I'm capable!"

Gohan didn't know how to respond to that aside from a small, sheepish laughter.

Pausing for a moment, Videl's brow furrowed in thought. She wanted to ask him about the red-haired man who saved her and finally piped up, "I didn't know you were friends with Nos, Gohan."

Eyebrows perked, the half-Saiyan nervously scratched his cheek, "Y-yeah, we are kind of friends, I guess."

A warm blush crept over her cheeks, "He's an incredible fighter. …A-and, for a moment, I could've sworn he was floating in mid-air during his match," she furrowed her brow as she reminisced.

"O-oh? Heh, is that so?" again, he wasn't sure how to respond.

"Gohan?" Videl looked up at the boy in a curious manner, "I want to meet with him. Is… is there any way you can ask him? It looks like Nos already left. I want to thank him again for saving my life."

"M-meet with Nos?" the boy stammered. This was not a predicament he prepared for in hindsight.

"You're his friend, right? You know how to contact him, right?" Videl pressed.

"S-sure, I can do that."

o (o) (O) (o) o

'I'm an idiot! Why did I agree to that?' Gohan scolded himself in reminiscence, 'Great, how am I going to keep up with this charade?' the half-Saiyan dropped his pencil down in between the pages of his textbook. He definitely wasn't going to be able to study at this rate.

Gohan had drunk the last of Uranai Baba's potion on the day of the tournament. He knew if he was going to keep his promise with Videl, he had to visit the fortuneteller once more for a refill. He just hoped that the old woman would be generous enough to take the time to concoct another batch for him.

"Mom, I'm gonna go to the city library," the half-Saiyan called out nervously as he walked down the hallway, "I, uh, need a certain book to finish this assignment!"

"OK, sweetie. Don't get caught flying, now," ChiChi responded without hesitation.

Gohan searched for Baba's Ki and found her at her home. After a long flight, the half-Saiyan descended and knocked on her door. The two exchanged greetings and the boy explained to her his situation – leaving out most of the details. He was glad Baba agreed to provide him with a potion when he needed one. She was just happy to serve him; after all, he was Earth's savior from Cell's destruction.

'Now that that's all set and done, I guess I just gotta wait until I see Videl again. She asked to meet Nos tomorrow afternoon after she gets out of school… I wonder why she wants to meet with him. She did say she wanted to thank him again for saving her… but there's gotta be more to it, right?' Gohan scratched his head in deep thought as he continued to fly home, 'Maybe I'm over-thinking it. Gosh, this whole 'Nos' business sure is a lot of trouble.'

o (o) (O) (o) o

Although it felt like endless years, the next day finally came for the half-Saiyan. Gohan took the time while Videl was at school to practice being his alter ego. Despite his level of maturity, the mentality of an adult was far different than his normal child-like attitude, and he wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to slip up at all during their meeting. The anticipation was nerve-wracking to say the least.

However, there were dormant feelings lingering within Gohan's mind about the pigtailed girl. Sure, the boy didn't want to slip up and reveal his identity, but he also didn't want to keep up with this scheme of his. Why couldn't he just enjoy spending time with Videl without the disguise? Why did she have to develop an interest for Nos, and not him? Not in a romantic way, but Gohan truly did enjoy spending time with the young fighter and he just wished he could do that without pretending to be someone else.

The half-Saiyan's mind drifted off as he was in auto-pilot mode, and it wasn't until he reached the outskirts of Satan City did he snap back into reality. Reaching a safe spot nearby the city park where he was supposed to meet Videl, Gohan descended and landed himself with a deep breath. He would be meeting the pigtailed girl as Nos in about 10 minutes.

Hiding behind a building, surrounded by bushes, the boy made sure to scan the area for any pedestrians. With no one in sight, Gohan pulled out a change of clothes— his late father's leisure attire – from his messenger bag and slipped the outfit on. He then pulled out the flask of Baba's potion and took a gulp of it. A puff of smoke engulfed his figure before he emerged as Nos. The disguised half-Saiyan rustled his red hair and took another deep breath before stepping out from the hidden corner. He walked into the park and sat down on a bench to wait for the cerulean-eyed girl to show up.

o (o) (O) (o) o

The school bell rung and the student body was dismissed from Orange Star Junior High. Videl leaped out of her seat and rushed out the door, excited to see the man who saved her life again. Her heart felt light as she jogged down the sidewalk towards the city park.

Yes, she was certainly elated to meet up with Nos, but it suddenly occurred to her that she wasn't sure how the day would pan out. She told Gohan she wanted to thank Nos again. But was that it? She wanted to think so. However, for some reason, there was something lingering in her mind that that wasn't the only reason she wanted to see him. Why was she so infatuated with this man? Why did he remind her so much of someone, but just couldn't quite put her finger on it? Videl did recall pointing out the similarities between Nos and Gohan's personalities, but something about that correlation didn't quite add up. Sure, they're friends, but she only started to get to know Gohan. But then again, that was the same case with Nos, as well.

A figure suddenly stood up in front of her line of sight. Looking up from the ground, Videl beamed as she laid her eyes on the red-haired man. She had been so deep in her own thoughts that she hadn't realized she had brought herself to the park, not to mention right in front of Nos no less.

"N-Nos…"

"Hi, Videl. How are you?" he gently smiled at her.

Videl could feel the butterflies swarming her stomach. She quietly replied, "Good," and cast her eyes down to her feet, abashed. There was a quiet pause between the two. Nos peered down at the girl while she stood there fidgeting with the seam of her shirt. Her lips finally moved as her tiny voice finally came out, "T-thanks. I wanted to see you to thank you for saving me at the tournament," she looked up at him, "I don't know what would've happened if you didn't."

Gohan couldn't help the blush that swept across his cheeks.

"D-don't sweat it," he replied.

Another long moment of silence.

'Was this really all she wanted to see Nos for?' Gohan thought to himself.

Scratching his head, Nos looked up and around – for no particular reason. He didn't seem sure of what to do or say at this point.

A sudden gargle then echoed through their ears.

Eyebrow raised, Videl looked up from her feet. There it was again. That inhuman noise grumbling from… from Nos? She peered up at the red-haired man and questioned him with her eyes. She watched his face turn beat red and another stifled grunt emitted from his belly.

Nos rubbed his stomach and muttered in embarrassment, "Heh, kinda hungry…"

The pigtailed girl couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh. She was kind of glad his stomach decided to speak up. The atmosphere was too quiet for her liking. Her lips formed into a smug smirk, "Why didn't you say so? Let's go to eat! I know a great restaurant nearby – they'll treat us good since I'm the World Champ's daughter."

"Really?" Nos beamed, grinning ear to ear.

Videl nodded and grabbed his arm, dragging him to follow her. As she pulled him out of the park, Gohan quickly regretted his display of excitement. How could he let that slip his mind? He should be treating her to food, not her! Who lets a kid treat an adult?

Pulling his arm out of her grasp, Nos stepped in front of the pigtailed girl who then curiously peered up at him. Putting his hands in between the two, he suggested, "Why don't I take you somewhere, instead? It wouldn't be right if I let you treat me."

Videl felt the heat rise to her cheeks as a heartfelt smile spread across her lips. Happily, she agreed, "OK!"

Their roles reversed and it was now Nos's turn to lead. With a nod, he beckoned Videl to follow him. A short walk led the two to a hole-in-the-wall pizza parlor. With a quizzical expression, the pigtailed girl raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"We're gonna eat here?" she eyed the tiny building – its brick walls were worn down and the blue pigment of its awning was fading out. The parlor's sign was missing a letter in its name, and the specialty menu was written in white chalk against a black board. Fingerprints and smears made it quite difficult to make out the Soup of the Day.

Nos smiled with a nod, "Yup! This place may not look like much, but their food packs a punch! Trust me."

The two walked through the shabby door and seated themselves at an empty table. Videl picked up the menu and began to read through their selection. Nos placed his hand in between her and the pages and gently ushered it back down onto the table. He winked, "Don't worry about it, I got it covered."

As if on cue, a waitress walked up and greeted, "Are you two ready to order?" as she placed a glass of water in front of each of them.

"Can I get 4 large cheese pizzas, 3 baskets of fish n' chips, and 2 servings of your sweet potato fries?"

Hearing the monstrous order, Videl's mouth fell agape. She stared at the man in utter shock, forgetting to blink.

The waitress stood there, staring at the red-haired man for a moment. She then finally managed to comment, "Wow, you know, I only know of one other customer who orders the same thing you did! He's a kid, too. About your age," she pointed at Videl with her pencil.

Quick to react, Nos let out a nervous laughter, "Heh heh, is that so? Gee, what a strange coincidence!"

The waitress left to put in his order and the pigtailed girl seemed to finally find her voice box. She inquired, "That's not gonna be all for just us, is it?"

Rubbing the nape of his neck, he tentatively chuckled, "I kinda have a bit of an appetite."

Videl gave him a skeptical stare then sipped on the straw to her drink, scanning the area around her, "Do you come here a lot?"

"Occasionally. I don't come to the city often. But when I do, I stop by from time to time. Their food's great!"

"You're not from Satan City?" her curiosity peaked, "Where are you from, then?"

Before Nos could reply, their conversation was interrupted. "Sorry! I forgot to ask," the waitress suddenly popped in, "did you guys want anything to drink in particular?"

"U-uh, a cola, please," Nos answered with a shaky voice.

"I'll take a cola, too," Videl responded.

"OK, great! I'll be right back with them," the waitress smiled and walked off.

Nos suddenly bolted from his seat, standing upright and rigid, "U-um, I'll be right back – I need to use the restroom."

Before the pigtailed girl could say anything back, he slipped away.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Hurrying into the bathroom, Gohan closed the door behind him and slumped his back against it. He exhaled deeply and rubbed his palms against his face, cursing himself under his breath.

'I really gotta watch what I say when I'm Nos. Videl will figure out that it's me if I'm not careful, for sure!' he then furrowed his brow, 'What am I supposed to say? If she asks me again, should I just lie to her about where I live? I have to, right? She already knows I live in the East District. If she found out Nos lives there too… Well, I suppose it wouldn't be too suspicious. We are supposed to be friends, after all. But still, I would think that's too much of a risk for me to take.'

As he continued to ramble in his head, Gohan's vision was suddenly clouded up with smoke. Feeling a bit disoriented, the half-Saiyan looked down at his hands and noticed they were swimming in the sleeves of his jacket. He violently swung his head around and looked into the bathroom mirror. The boy's mouth fell ajar as he set his sight on his spiky jet-black hair and his onyx irises.

"Uh-oh," he gasped.

Quickly, he shot his hands down to open his messenger bag and rummaged through in search for Baba's potion. He flung his clothes out of the bag, emptying it of its contents.

"Oh. Shit…" he gasped once more.

'Where is it? Oh, this is bad. This is really bad,' Gohan panicked. He had to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, so he flipped his bag upside down, shaking it a few times to ensure that it was completely empty. And it was.

Nervously, the half-Saiyan bit his lower lip. What was he going to do now? He must've dropped the potion behind that building when he transformed into Nos earlier. He had to go grab it, somehow. And he couldn't afford to have Videl notice. But how? The girl was actually seated so she faced the restrooms – leaving his chances of sneaking out undetected slim to none.

'I just might have to rely on my super speed,' Gohan assessed. He changed out of his father's clothes and into his own before he cracked open the door slightly, peering out to see if Videl was looking his way. She seemed occupied with the decorative pictures hung up on the wall to the left of her. The boy furrowed his brow, 'OK. All I gotta do is zip by. I'll be so quick the wind won't even hit her.'

Swallowing hard, he took one last glance in the direction of his escape route, and then took another hard stare at Videl. He then dashed for it. Like a bolt of lightning, Gohan whizzed past Videl without causing any rhyme or reason for her to glance towards his direction. With his eyes trained on the girl, the half-Saiyan grinned to himself due to his success –

Or maybe not.

Gohan suddenly crashed into a body of mass and fell to the ground. Rubbing his back, he winced and scrunched his face up in complete stupefaction. Finally composing himself, he looked in front of him and saw a waitress flattened to the ground. Food was splattered all around her, and a large serving tray was still in the midst of wobbling along its rim, spindling down to a rattle until it lay still on the floor.

Videl swung her head towards the commotion.

"I-I'm sorry, miss!" Gohan stammered as he got up. He lent the woman a hand to help her get up, "Are you OK?"

"…Gohan?"

The half-Saiyan rigidly turned his head towards the voice he hoped he would avoid hearing. At least until he was transformed back to Nos.

As Gohan helped the waitress up, his lips twitched into a nervous smile, "H-hi, Videl."

End, chapter 8.

A/N: Thanks for your patience, guys! The closing of the semester is causing a hectic schedule for me.

Thank you for all your input! I understand this story may not cater to some folks, and I take no offense. I actually appreciate hearing complaints/issues and whatnot about my fic, so that I know what I'm doing right and doing not so right. But do keep in mind that this story is listed under the romance genre, and not action. :) (Not to say that I don't enjoy receiving complimenting reviews, though! Who doesn't? :P )

Also as a quick side note, I took the time to doodle a drawing of Gohan and Videl as pre-teens. If you're interested in taking a looksee, feel free to visit my profile. It's the last link on my bio.

I hope you all enjoyed reading – I will update as soon as I am able to!