Puppy Love

Ch. 9

Disclaimer: Do not own.

"…Gohan?" Videl peered over at the boy with a quizzical stare. What was he doing there?

"H-hi, Videl," the half-Saiyan stammered.

'Uh-oh. What do I do, now?' Gohan thought. He was caught red-handed.

"Funny meeting you here!" the pigtailed girl grinned, "I was just grabbing a bite to eat with Nos. He went to the bathroom, but he should be back in a second."

Maybe… he wasn't caught red-handed after all?

"O-oh, heh heh! Really, now? What a complete coincidence that we ran in to each other here… uh, all three of us, that is."

Elated and oblivious, Videl suggested, "Why don't you stick around? Nos ordered a huge meal. I know I won't be able to create much of a dent in it, and god knows how much that friend of yours can really fit in his stomach. Dig in with us."

"Um, I don't know…" Gohan began to contemplate. He wanted to jet out of that restaurant quick and find that missing flask of his.

However, as the boy took one more look at Videl, especially after seeing the slight pout on her face, it hit him. He thought, 'Wait a minute. I wanted to be able to hang out with Videl just as myself, and she's giving me this opportunity right now! It would be a waste if I didn't take this chance to have her get to know me instead of Nos.'

"OK," he quickly changed his mind.

With a big grin plastered on her face, Videl reached over for Gohan's arm, tugging him towards the table she was seated at. She then grabbed a chair from a nearby table and plopped it right beside Nos's seat, beckoning the half-Saiyan to sit down. Hesitantly complying, Gohan sat down and eyed the empty seat next to him, knowing all too well that Nos wouldn't be showing up anytime soon.

The two kids hit it off chatting about the tournament, particularly about Videl's victory. Laughs and giggles could be heard from the other side of the room, and even a playful banter was exchanged between the two fighters.

"A fluke? Sure, Gohan, whatever you say!" Videl scoffed as she stuck her tongue out at the half-Saiyan.

Retorting back at her exposed tongue with his own, the onyx-haired boy joked, "He he, yeah! C'mon, it's believable, right?"

"Naw, I beat you fair and square! Just admit it."

Although the boy thought otherwise, he decided to go with the flow. "Oh, fine. I can't win against you on anything," he laughed.

As Gohan leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head, he studied the girl in front of him. Throughout their conversation, Videl seemed preoccupied. Her blue eyes constantly shifted from him to the bathroom behind him, which the half-Saiyan immediately knew what was going through her head.

"Sorry for the wait!" the waitress came over with a cart full of food, "Here's your order!" The woman transferred a large cheese pizza, all 3 baskets of fish and chips, and a plate full of fries over onto their table. She then said, "I'm going to leave the rest of the food on this cart. Eat up!"

As the waitress was about to leave, she glanced over at Gohan. She stopped in her tracks and exclaimed, "Oh, it's you! No wonder that red-haired man ordered all this food. I thought it was strange that he ordered exactly what you always get. You two must be friends, right?"

"Y-yes!" Gohan quickly replied, hoping to mask the anxiety building up inside him.

She smiled warmly at him and Videl, "Well, enjoy your food!" Just as she was about to walk away for the second time, the waitress took a second to study the two kids. She then leaned over to the pigtailed girl and whispered with a wink, "Make sure he treats you good! He is a sweetheart, after all."

Videl turned around to catch eyes with the waitress, but the woman had already twirled around and walked off. Cocking an eyebrow, the girl could only think that was a little strange. She focused her eyes on the boy in question, and watched him pick up a slice of pizza to eat.

'What was that all about?' Videl inquired to herself about the waitress. She thought for a moment as she placed a slice in her mouth to take a bite. It then hit her like a brick, 'Oh! Could it be that she thought we're on a date? No way, right? I mean she knows Nos is here too…' she ran the waitress's whispered words through her head, 'Gohan is sweet, I guess.'

Videl studied the half-Saiyan as he engorged himself with a slice of pizza, happily grinning to himself. Although seeing Gohan eat it in two bites would leave many in complete bafflement, the cerulean-eyed girl couldn't help but giggle.

"Slow down! You're gonna choke. Don't you know what chewing is?" Videl laughed as she watched him pick up another slice into his mouth.

With the tip of the slice already in his mouth, Gohan looked up at her with flustered cheeks. He then slowly bit into the slice, carefully chewing it.

Videl chuckled as she shook her head, and picked up her slice and took a bite. Swallowing it, she then inquired, "I wonder why Nos is taking so long in the bathroom?"

"O-oh! I, uh, I don't know…" the onyx-haired boy immediately slouched into his chair.

"Maybe you should check up on him, Gohan."

"M-me?"

The pigtailed girl cocked an eyebrow at him, "Of course, you. I can't go into the men's bathroom."

"O-OK…" Gohan put the pizza slice down and stood up from his chair. He gave Videl a nervous grin as he rubbed the nape of his neck then twirled around and headed for the bathroom.

'Now what?' the half-Saiyan furrowed his brow as he thought in a panic, 'I can't transform into Nos without that potion! And even if I did have it on me, it's not like I can show up as both him and myself! Damnit, I really dug a hole for myself on this one.'

After taking another moment to think about his situation, the half-Saiyan took a deep breath and decided to hell with it. He opened the door and smiled back at the curious gaze on Videl's face.

Rubbing the back of his head, he explained, "Sorry, Videl. It looks like Nos feels a little sick. He, uh, he thinks he should go home."

The pigtailed girl stood up from her seat, concern washing over her face, "Oh, no, is he OK? Does he need help? I can call one of my papa's workers to come pick him up –"

"N-no!" Gohan burst out in a frenzied panic, "T-that's OK! Really! U-uh, he actually told me that he's kind of embarrassed about it…"

"…About being sick?"

"Y-yeah… he doesn't want you to see him like this…" the boy stammered an excuse. Looking down at his feet, he scratched the top of his head and continued hesitantly, "He was wondering if you could step out for a minute?"

Baffled, Videl stared at Gohan for a moment. Cocking an eyebrow as one corner of her lips tugged into a small smile, she complied with a chuckle, "OK, sure. I never imagined Nos to be the type to get embarrassed about that." Shrugging her shoulders, she took a few steps towards the door. She called back to him, "I'll be waiting at the park, OK?"

"S-sure!"

'Whew!' slumping his shoulders, the half-Saiyan sighed in relief.

o O (O) O o

Videl walked through the city park's entrance and plopped herself under a tree to cool off in the shade. As she gazed up at the dancing leaves above her, she wondered about the red-haired man.

'I hope he's OK…' she then giggled to herself as a small blush swept her cheeks, 'Kinda funny he didn't want me to see him all sick, though. Ordering all that food and didn't even get to eat a single bite. At least Gohan got to enjoy it.'

She then looked down at the ground and circled her finger along the blades of grass beneath her. The blush still tinting her cheeks, her lips curled into a small, coy smile.

Never did Videl imagine she'd have so much fun being around Gohan. He really was an interesting character. So full of cheerfulness and goofy smiles, and the fact that he was so naïve at times only made him that more fun to talk to. He truly was a great friend to hang around with. She felt so comfortable being around him. She didn't have to keep that 'World Champ's daughter' façade up in front of him. She could just be herself.

It even caused a warm feeling to arise within Videl as she thought about the half-Saiyan some more. However, within those warm swirls of emotions, the pigtailed girl also found something off about him. Why did he always seem so nervous at times? Now that she thought about it, Nos got nervous at times too, just like Gohan. The two boys were so similar in some ways.

'I guess that's no surprise. They are friends, after all,' Videl reasoned.

The girl's ears suddenly perked at the sound of nearby bushes rustling. The wind certainly wasn't capable of creating such a ruckus, so she turned around and craned her neck to see what exactly was crawling over there.

Videl jumped in place when Gohan's head suddenly popped up from behind the bushes. Eyes widened in befuddlement, she questioned, "…Gohan?"

Immediately noticing her gaze, the boy flashed a wide grin as he nervously laughed, "H-hi, Videl! Heh, I was just, uh, looking for my wallet. I dropped it around here," he then raised his hand, waving his wallet for her to see, "I found it, though!"

Little did Videl know the half-Saiyan had just retrieved Baba's potion.

"I'll be right back, OK?" Gohan called out as he hopped out from the bushes, "I'm just gonna go pay for the food and come back out."

"W-wait, you don't have to pay for that," Videl protested.

"Don't worry about it," he grinned, "I ate it all, so the least I could do is pay for it. Uh, Nos didn't eat any of it, and he's sick on top of that."

Before the pigtailed girl could utter another word of objection, Gohan dashed over back into the restaurant, leaving her slightly flustered.

Cocking an eyebrow in disbelief, it then registered to her, "W-wait. He ate all of it?"

A few minutes passed and the onyx-haired boy came back, adorning the same grin he left with.

"T-thanks," Videl smiled. She then queried, "So, what happened with Nos?"

"I, uh, helped him out of the restaurant, and then he said that he would be OK walking home by himself."

"I hope he'll be OK."

Gohan peered over at the cerulean-eyed girl, and took note of her distant and worried gaze. He then gently smiled at her, patting her on the shoulder, "Don't worry. He's a strong guy; you saw him at the tournament, right? He'll be OK! Trust me."

Looking back up at him, Videl smiled in relief at his assurance. Her expression then changed, quizzically questioning him, "So, Gohan, did you really finish all that food?"

Red as a beet, he sheepishly nodded.

Letting out a chuckle, she responded back, "Wow Gohan. You and Nos both! You two sure do have an appetite."

The two then began to stroll down the park, side by side. They talked and laughed for a while in sheer enjoyment of each other's company. Videl got to learn more about Gohan: how he had a younger brother, how his mother was overbearing when it came to his studies, and how he enjoyed his free time in the wilderness on Mount Paozu. It amazed her how happy this boy was with such a simple life. Of course, little did she know about the hardships he had to face in the past.

Gohan also got to discover a little more about Videl, about her love for fighting, and her ambitions to serve justice. Although the boy knew that she idolized her father for fighting for his loved ones, he truly got a sense of her pride as she spoke more about Mr. Satan as well as her own ideologies. It was then, the half-Saiyan noticed how much alike she and he were. Before Gohan defeated Cell, he really wasn't fond of fighting. Regardless of how natural it came to him, he had an immense distaste for it. If only there was a way to resolve Earth's threats without violence.

Is what he thought at the time.

However, after defeating Earth's biggest danger, Gohan had come to cherish the time he spent training to hone his skill in fighting. Sure, he wanted peace first and foremost, but he learned that fighting was a necessary evil, especially when it came to protecting the ones he loved. Now that his father was gone, Gohan knew he was the one who had to protect this planet from any harm. And that's why he loved training. So much, he would sneak behind his mother's back in order to do it. Like Videl, he too felt the love and ambition for justice.

As the two walked, Videl spotted a playground equipped with a slide, jungle gym, swings, and everything in between.

She looked over at Gohan, and grinned, "Race ya to the swings!"

Caught off guard, the half-Saiyan watched the pigtailed girl giggle as she ran passed him. With a light-hearted smile, he followed behind, running to catch up with her.

It was then, Gohan's onyx eyes widened at an uneasy vibe. Brows furrowed, he stopped dead in his tracks.

He could feel a presence. A strange, yet weak presence. Someone was coming, and he was sure that whoever it was, it wasn't going to be very welcoming. The boy scanned the area with his eyes, honing his senses on the Ki that was approaching. Make that two.

Videl caught notice of Gohan's stiff composure, and stopped to turn around to see what exactly he was acting upon.

"What's wrong, Gohan?" she asked.

"Don't move, Videl," he sternly commanded.

The pigtailed girl gulped at his change in tone, complying nevertheless.

The half-Saiyan then violently swung his head towards one of the Ki approaching them. His brow scrunched up at the sight. A large man wearing a red brimmed hat and a checkered handkerchief covering his mouth slowly stepped towards the two, armed with a pistol pointing right at Gohan.

"You. Stay where you are, kid," the man gruffly spoke up.

Shocked, Videl froze up in place. Her eyes glued to the gun in the man's hand, she trembled at the sight, her bottom lips quivering as her teeth rattled.

Gohan honed his senses on the other Ki approaching.

An even larger man adorning an identical handkerchief as his comrade's popped out from behind a tree and approached with a pistol in hand.

"…G-G-Goh-han-n…" Videl shook in fear. She watched the large hulking bald man aim his firearm at her as her muscles involuntarily tensed up.

"What do you want?" the half-Saiyan demanded.

Cocking an eyebrow, the hatted man guffawed, "You got some balls, don't ya, kid? Tough luck, this ain't your day. 'Specially ain't Satan's daughter's either!" He then pointed at Videl with his free hand, directing his partner, "Bobba, grab her."

Immediately, the large bald man grappled Videl, tightening his hold on her with one hand, the other aiming his pistol at her.

"H-hey! Let her go, right now!" Gohan yelled.

If it weren't for the handkerchief sheathing the hatted man's mouth, Gohan would've seen his lips curl into a cunning smirk. "Like hell we will. We're taking your little friend with us. I wouldn't think about trying to stop us. You'll only… well, die. Ha ha!"

"Ha ha!" the bald man imitated his partner in crime, "Yeah! We gotta borrow her for a bit, OK? We not gonna hurt her, we promise!" The sarcasm in his voice was all too prominent. "We just gotta contact her daddy and ask him a favor. Don't worry! Haw!"

"B-blackmail?" Gohan gritted his teeth in anger, "You two are scum. Let go of her right now, before it's too late."

The two men took a moment to stare at each other after hearing the boy's threat. They then burst into laughter.

"Ah ha ha ha! You're kidding, right? Ha! You really do got balls, kid! What a riot! You listening to this, Bobba?"

"Ha ha! Yeah, Greg, I am! Funny shit! You should be a comedian, kiddo!"

Gohan merely smirked at their boisterous laughter. His eyes then darted over to Videl, who was shivering like a Chihuahua in Bobba's threatening grasp. He could see her quivering lips mouth to him, 'Help me'.

The smirk on Gohan's face quickly disappeared. A frown commandeered his expression, and he steadied himself into a fighting stance. He then muttered, "Fine. I warned you."

The half-Saiyan suddenly vanished from sight. The two criminals widened their eyes with their mouths agape in utter shock and befuddlement as to where the boy suddenly disappeared to. Before the bald man could manage to gasp, Gohan appeared in front of him, inches from where he stood. The boy quickly backhanded the pistol, swatting the firearm off of Bobba's trigger finger. As the pistol skidded across the playground, Gohan ducked down and landed a hard blow at the large man's stomach. Spit spewed from the culprit's mouth, and his grip loosened around Videl's tiny body. As he tumbled down to the ground, Gohan turned his attention towards the hatted man.

Too shaken and stunned to move, Videl watched her friend turn his back to her as he faced the remaining criminal. Greg trembled in place, shocked and terrified that a mere kid was able to knock his partner down with one punch. Somewhat recomposing himself, the man re-aimed his pistol at Gohan.

"D-don't move! I'll sh-shoot you! I'll shoot your friend too!" he nervously laughed as he cocked his gun, "W-what will the almighty Mr. Satan think when he sees his precious little daughter's dead, huh? All cuz you couldn't just be a good boy and listen!"

Despite the man's threat, Gohan continued to advance towards the man.

"N-not only that, you'll hafta deal with my boss, you know! A-and he won't be happy, nuh-uh!" he continued to nervously chuckle.

Greg's eyes widened in fear as he watched the boy push off with his feet, hurdling himself towards him. In a frenzied panic, the man pulled his trigger finger before he was blinded with pain as Gohan bashed his elbow right into his face.

A shot rang through the air and Videl instinctively ducked for cover.

Slowly, the pigtailed girl unsheathed her cerulean eyes.

A little startled, Videl jumped in place to see Gohan standing a foot away from her. She then peered passed him and glanced at the knocked out criminal who lay on his back, his nose bloodied from the boy's attack.

Gohan reached his hand out to her and asked, "Are you OK?"

Unable to find her voice, Videl nodded shakily, blindly reaching out to take his hand. The half-Saiyan helped her up and smiled in relief. "Glad you're not hurt. Man, that was some ruckus!" he sheepishly laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

However, Gohan was suddenly enveloped by Videl's arms. She threw herself to him, embracing him tightly. Tears began to shed and cradle within the crevices of her eyes. Gohan could feel her body tremble against his, and he couldn't help but hug her back to comfort her.

Words did not need to be exchanged. The onyx-haired boy knew. He could tell how scared Videl was just by looking at her.

Gohan couldn't help but blush. The only thought that ran through his head was to comfort her. What was he to say? He just didn't know in a situation like this. Should he say anything at all?

Just as he was about to attempt to relay a few words of assurance, he felt Videl shift around in his embrace.

She quietly muttered against his shirt, "Thank you…"

End, chapter 9.

A/N: Sorry, guys! I know I am updating slower than usual. Like I mentioned before, it's the end of the semester; my studies and work have been occupying most of my time. I hope you understand, and please stick around for future chapters! Once next week is over, I will have time for about a month to make up for it, until I have to start yet another semester (sigh!). I also apologize that this chapter and the previous are a little short, but again, I hope you guys understand!

This chapter was slightly rushed, but I hope you enjoyed reading it, regardless.

I appreciate all your reviews, comments, and criticisms!

Thanks for reading!