Secret Heart

Chapter 8

Videl froze, her breath cut.

"I'm in love with her."

No, it wasn't possible, she must have heard wrong… Gohan couldn't be…

The two brothers' conversation kept on.

"Why don't you tell her?" Goten asked.

"Well… I don't think that it's reciprocated." Gohan replied.

There was a brief moment of silence. "Reci… what?"

Gohan chuckled. "It means she doesn't share my feelings."

"Oh!" Goten said, finally understanding. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah… She hardly even considers me as a friend."

"Oh… Too bad, I'd have liked her to become my big sister. She's kind and very pretty."

"Yeah, I know. Although she's not always kind to me." He added with a small chuckle.

The conversation seemed to be over, and Videl resumed her walk toward the bathroom, still all moved by everything she had just heard.

"I'm in love with her."

She couldn't sleep, not being able to stop thinking about it.

He's really in love with me… I still can't believe it… Why? Why does he love me? I was so mean to him, and he, he loves me. It doesn't make sense.

She sighed, turning to the side. What did she have to do, now that she knew his feelings for her? She lied on her back, now staring at the ceiling.

"This is pointless. I won't be able to sleep." She said to herself. She got up from the bed, and then got out of the room, going to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water.

What a surprise it was when she saw him, seated at the table, eating a huge piece of meat. He lifted his head when he heard her enter, and their eyes met. Videl felt her cheeks flaring up suddenly, without really knowing why.

Gohan blushed in seeing her like this; her hair down, a bit tousled, wearing a rather tight tank top and pyjamas pants. He found her extremely beautiful, like that.

But he pulled himself together and asked her:

"Why are you up? Can't sleep?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I was a bit hungry."

"A bit?" She asked, eyeing the huge piece of meat he was still holding.

He laughed, and would have scratched the back of his head if his hands weren't already busy holding the meat. "I have a big appetite."

"I noticed."

"Err… You want some?" He asked.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"You're sure? You didn't eat during diner, and my mom's cooking is the best. You're missing something."

She laughed. "Why not, after all."

Gohan grinned, glad to see her laughing, and not mad at him. But he still wondered why what he said during diner affected her so much, whatever she said about it.

Videl sat down next to him, and helped herself to all the dishes Gohan got out. And he hadn't lied; she had never eaten something so good.

"It's delicious." She said.

"I told you so."

She smiled, and continued to eat her delicious meal in Gohan's company. She still had a hard time to get used to the way the young man ate, but concentrated on her meal, trying to ignore it.

Nonetheless, I wonder how he does to eat so much without gaining weight. She thought. She looked at him, devouring his food like it was his last meal.

And to think he loves me…

"Ah… I ate well!" Gohan said, rubbing his belly.

Videl stared at him, wide-eyed. "And you call that being a bit hungry? You ate enough to feed an army!"

He scratched the back of his head with a small embarrassed smile. Videl smiled. He was so cute when he did that.

Whoa, what the hell am I thinking? She shook her head, trying to dispel this thought from her mind.

"Everything's alright, Videl?" Gohan asked when he saw her shake her head suddenly.

"Yeah, don't worry." She said.

She looked at him, and then started to laugh suddenly. Gohan blinked, not understanding what was making her laugh like this, although he found her really beautiful when she laughed.

"What, what's it?" He asked.

"You gave rice all over your face!" She said, keeping on laughing.

He blinked once again, and then started to laugh too. Her laugh was contagious.

"Here, let me do it." She said, finally calming down.

She took a napkin and approached Gohan, starting to clean up his face. He blushed, but couldn't take his eyes off of the girl. She finished cleaning up his face, then felt his gaze on her, and lifted her eyes up toward his. She blushed at his gaze's intensity, her breath caught in her throat. She swallowed, incapable of taking her eyes off of his. Gohan's hand seemed to move on its own, and came to stroke Videl's cheek. She held her breath, as he was approaching his face to hers, closing his eyes, and she also closed her eyes, waiting for the touching of his lips…

"What are you two doing up at this hour?"

They moved away from each other abruptly, blushing to the ears. Chichi blinked, and then she smirked.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Mom! Nothing happened!!" Gohan protested.

"But if I hadn't arrived, something would have happened, wouldn't it? Ah, how I regret to have interrupted you! To think you nearly kissed!"

They blushed even more. Videl couldn't believe it. They had really been about to kiss, and this time it wasn't to escape, nor was it to unmask him. She had wanted him to kiss her. She was dying for him to kiss her, actually.

What's happening to me? Since when do I want to kiss boys?

Not any boy; Gohan. She wanted Gohan to kiss her. This realization hit her. Hard.

"By the way, you still haven't answered my question." Chichi reminded. "What are you two doing up at this hour?"

Gohan rubbed his neck. "I was a bit hungry."

"I see. You're lucky I always leave a few dishes in the fridge, in case you or Goten were 'a bit hungry' during the night, which happens quite often." She then turned toward Videl. "And you, Videl, were you also 'a bit hungry'?"

"Well actually, not really." Videl replied. "I had just come down to fetch a glass of water, but Gohan proposed me to join him. And I have to say that your cooking is really the best I've ever tasted."

"Why, thank you, Videl." Chichi said with a smile.

"And you, Mom, what are you doing up?" Gohan asked in his turn.

"I heard noises, so I came to see."

"Did we wake you? I'm sorry." Gohan said.

"I wasn't sleeping. I was reading a book. I didn't see the time pass; I didn't realize it was already this late." Chichi replied. "Well, I see that you've finished eating, so go back to bed now. It's late."

They nodded, and got up from the table, getting out of the kitchen, leaving Chichi alone. She went to fetch a glass of hot milk.

"To think they nearly kissed…" She said to herself, before her glass of milk. "If I hadn't interrupted them, I could have already been a grandmother! It's really a shame!"

Gohan was lying on his bed for a good while now, but he couldn't sleep. The "nearly kiss" scene was replaying over and over in his head. Because it really was that. A "nearly kiss". They had really nearly kissed, and he had seen clearly that she had wanted it as much as him.

She had wanted to kiss him…

When she woke up, Videl took a few moments to realise where she was. Then, she remembered what happened last night, and she blushed instantaneously.

To think we nearly kissed… She thought. I still can't believe it… I really don't understand what's happening to me lately.

"I'm in love with her."

She blushed even more, thinking about the conversation she had overheard between Gohan and his little brother. She shook her head, wanting to dispel this thought from her mind. Then she sighed, and got up from the bed. She took what she needed from her bag for her morning wash then got out of the room, walking toward the bathroom. In her way, she met Gohan…

…Who only wore pants, a towel around his neck, his hair still wet.

Videl's cheeks took fire. Oh… My… God…

"Oh, hey Videl. Did you sleep well?" Gohan asked, completely ignorant of Videl's gaze that was detailing each of his muscles.

"Videl? Videl, do you hear me?" Gohan said, shaking his hand in front of her face when he saw that she wasn't replying.

She jumped, and blushed even more, realizing what she had been doing. What's wrong with me, suddenly?

"Err… You were saying?" She asked, concentrating her gaze in his eyes, and not on his God's body.

He sighed. "Nothing important. Were you going to the bathroom?" He asked, noticing the bathroom stuff she was carrying in her arms.

"Yes. And I will be going now." She said. "See you later."

Videl hurriedly went to the bathroom, which she locked as soon as she entered. She took her face in her hands.

I can't believe I was… I was checking him out!

Because it really was what she had done: she had checked him out. But could you really blame her? How can one not check out such a body.

Thanks God he didn't notice anything… It's a good thing that he's so naïve, after all.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the image of a shirtless Gohan from her mind. Without much success. She decided that a shower would do her good. A very cold shower.

Once again, Videl had a hard time concentrating on her meal with the two brothers devouring their breakfast, while Chichi was eating like it was nothing.

She shook her head and started to eat. It was ever as good. She decided that this would be a good opportunity to know a bit more about one of the world's strongest women.

"Tell me, Chichi," She started, attracting Gohan's mother attention. "Where did you learn to fight?"

Chichi smiled, glad to have someone to talk to during the meal for once. "It's my father who taught me martial arts, himself being the Turtle Hermit's disciple. So I'm using the Turtle way of fighting."

"The Turtle Hermit?" Videl asked, surprised. "I've read somewhere that Son Goku was also the Turtle Hermit's disciple. It this how you two met?"

"Not exactly." Chichi replied. "We met a little before he became his disciple, and we were searching for him."

"You were searching for him? Why?"

"The Turtle Hermit had in his possession a magic fan which could put out any fire, and because the Frying Mountain was preventing my father and myself to enter our castle, my father sent me to look for him. And I met Goku on the way."

"The Frying Mountain? Your castle? What is your father's name?"

"Gyumao. Why?"

Videl gaped. "You… You mean that you're the Ox King's daughter?"

"It's true that he's a king, I tend to forget it." Chichi said.

"But that means… that Gohan is a prince!" Videl realized.

Gohan lifted his head from his meal when he heard his name. He blinked.

"I'm a what?" He asked.

"You're a prince!! How come you never told me??"

He blinked again. "I am a prince?"

"Yes! Your grandfather is a king, which makes you a prince!"

He scratched his hair. "Really?"

"It's impossible to be that ignorant! You are a prince and you didn't even know it??"

"Well… I knew that my grandfather is a king, but I never thought about the fact that it would make me a prince. Although it seems logical, in the end."

"Does it mean that I'm a prince, too?" Goten asked innocently, lifting his head from his meal.

Gohan smiled at his little brother's innocence. "Yes Goten, you are a prince, too."

"Wait till I tell Trunks! He doesn't stop saying that he's a prince because his father is the prince of Saiyammmfff…"

Goten couldn't finish his sentence because his big brother had just put his hand over his mouth, preventing him to keep on. Gohan looked nervously at Videl, who was looking at them with a frown.

"Saiya… What?" She asked.

"Err… Don't mind it, it's not important." Gohan said, laughing nervously.

Videl looked at him, narrowing her eyes.

"By the way, what are you going to do today?" Chichi asked, distracting Videl's attention.

She blinked. "I don't really know… I hadn't thought about it."

Thanks, Mom. Gohan thought.

"What would you say to go swimming in the lake nearby?" Chichi proposed.

"But… I didn't bring a swimsuit…" Videl said.

"It doesn't matter; you can borrow mine, if you want. What do you say? And you can take Goten with you. I'm sure you will have fun."

Gohan and Videl looked at each other, and then shrugged.

"Why not."

To Be Continued…