Gohan completely forgot to take any notes during math, and zoned out, unable to believe what was happening. Seeing Tora again was uncanny, especially as he hadn't changed at all, and he had thousands of questions as to why he was here. Not that he was unhappy about it, so much had happened ever since they last saw each other. Did Vegeta know? What about little Trunks and his baby brother?
Thankfully despite it being two hours long, math had just been an introduction to what was going to be expected of them for the semester, so he would be able to catch up.
Next class was a free period, then history, but before that, the entire grade had a lengthy recess, and of course, Gohan wanted to spend it with his long-time friend. Unfortunately for him, Videl, Mr Satan's daughter, with her black pigtails and her loose white tunic, and the two blonde, fit and popular twins Erasa and Sharpner were just as interested as he was, for other reasons, and he couldn't really bring himself to be anything but a pleasant classmate. Other classmates didn't see them go, else they would have surely followed.
Tora more or less had to accept, hands in pockets. It's what her mother asked of her, and truth be told she wanted to spend time with Gohan, catch up. The teenagers all went to enjoy recess in the courtyard, around a picnic table. As much as Gohan observed, he couldn't see how his friend had aged. If anything, Tora looked just about the same as seven years ago, with perhaps a little longer hair. The older half-breed was reserved, perhaps a little tense, but so was he, so he couldn't really see if anything was wrong. Tora was never a social person. If he was back to warn them all about something, Gohan guessed Tora wouldn't have hesitated to take him away to talk alone, and not bother with coming to school.
"So two new nerds join in the middle of the program and expect us to believe they're randos." Sharpner was cautious, but incredibly curious.
"Well Tora-kun's a Brief, so clearly they can break some protocol, but acing that math final test no sweat, that's something," Erasa wondered.
"Weird thing, that a Brief wouldn't have been enrolled since the start," Videl was suspicious and inquisitive.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen any paper mention Bulma Brief had a brother and a nephew. Only that weird unknown trophy-boyfriend of sorts and her kid." Erasa was the most knowledgeable of celebrities and gossip. Gohan paled a little, and Tora chuckled at the idea of Vegeta as a trophy-anything.
"That's because my mother and I were off-world for a while," Tora brushed it off.
"My sister says the kid has been the worst kind of rowdy in school, and he only goes when he fancies," Videl frowned. The Briefs were trouble.
"You are more informed than me," Tora shot a deathly stare towards Videl and Erasa. "As I was saying, I was off-world, but it is unwise to insult my family in my face."
"Don't be nosy like that, Tora-san's family isn't for us to pry into," Gohan tried to redirect, and Tora gave him a thankful look.
"So what are your hobbies, both of you?" Erasa asked, and if Tora knew any better, her eyes looking at her and Gohan up and down like that was a clear sign of interest.
Gohan and Tora exchanged a look, they could answer that without being too weird, hopefully.
"I, uh, like foraging in the woods."
"Oh right, you live all the way in the sticks. Country boy much?" Sharpner was half-interested. Gohan had painted himself to be a boring naive rural kid.
"What about you, Tora?" Erasa asked and Tora ticked at the familiarity.
"Listening to the radio. Old music, mostly. I play, sometimes, too."
"That's so boring, you don't go out? Movies, concerts?"
"Era, he was off-world." Videl rolled her eyes.
"What does that even mean?"
"Space."
Erasa got wide-eyed, and Tora just shrugged.
"We returned this morning and she decided enrolling me here was a great way to get me to work on my 'social' skills."
While Gohan knew for a fact Tora wasn't in space, the fact that Capsule Corp was working on a space program wasn't a big secret. The excuse to explain his friend's existence worked, but Tora's mention of 'we' is what intrigued him the most. 'Tora came back with Bulma?!'
"We.. you mean, your mother is here?" He had to know.
"Yes, she is the one who decided to come…" Gohan realized Tora had to choose his words carefully to give him information under the noses of the other three.
"So you were schooled in space?" Videl raised an eyebrow.
"More or less. I am not allowed to say much. NDA." Tora huffed, disliking being the center of attention and denied giving further answers.
"I thought you had to be incredibly physically apt to go to space. You look pretty small under those layers," Sharpner put his hand on Tora's shoulder and gave it a heavy pat, to emphasize their size difference.
Gohan couldn't react in time. Sharpner would have given a second pat, but he didn't get the chance to. The next instant, the blonde teen was on his belly on the ground, with both arms painfully locked behind his back. Tora acted on instinct, and hissed a warning, pressing the knee down the Earthling's shoulder blades.
"Damn! Tora-san, let him go. Don't injure him," Gohan might have reacted too late, but he was quick to try and pry Tora off the teenager. Videl joined him to try and stop it all from turning sour.
"Touch me again and you will lose a limb." Tora let out a threatening growl, eyes demanding blood, but Gohan's warm touch forced her to release her prey. She let go and moved away swiftly.
"Is that a threat?" Sharpner stood and fought the pain, he was just taken by surprise, that's all, Tora was a shrimp, he couldn't win against the best boxer of the school, could he?
"A promise," Tora's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Gohan recognized the Saiyan gaze, the same gaze which Vegeta had when he was about to murder someone.
He and Videl promptly stepped between them, Gohan, focusing on Tora and Videl on Sharpner. Erasa joined Videl to try and keep the long-haired blonde calm.
"Tora-san, it's ok," Gohan did his best to catch Tora's eyes and keep them on him, putting both hands on shoulders and blocking their mutual line of sight. It was much easier, now he was taller than the time traveler.
"Take it easy Sharp, you should know better than to pick a fight with other students. You want to risk another suspension?"
"Save it for the ring, bro," Erasa added.
The two in conflict huffed a little as they calmed down, Tora taking a moment to put a hand on one of Gohan's, appreciating the touch and comfort. Gohan couldn't help but notice how cold Tora's hands had become, compared to the memories he had of them, and he questioned with a glance. Was his friend alright?
"That's crazy skills there, Tora," Sharpner offered a compliment for peace's sake, but Tora just glared back, holding onto Gohan's hand a little more firmly.
"Just survival," Tora conceded. "Just. Do not touch me… unless I offer."
Tora finally released Gohan's fingers and moved away from his hold, ready to accept the olive branch for what it was. Sharpner accepted the handshake, and gave a firm and energetic one. Tora didn't flinch, the cold stare reminding the other teen about other looks he'd seen before. Tora only briefly glanced down when letting go of the hand, noticing the dog tag the muscular blonde was wearing. With that, they made peace.
.
Free period with the whole class was mostly spent gossiping about teachers and other personnel of the school, forming little groups and discussing whatever latest movie came out. Gohan and Tora were both lost when it came to culture, so Erasa and Sharpner were more or less eager to integrate them and teach them about everything.
"And so for the last couple of months there's been this Golden Warrior showing up and stopping criminals before Videl could even get there, it's wild!" Inx, a sort-of fox-girl explained to the newcomers.
Tora more or less choked on her water and cleaned herself with a handkerchief as she heard it while Gohan laughed nervously. Their glances communicated silently; 'it's you, isn't it?' ; 'how did you know?' ; 'well, it is not Vegeta, is it?'
"Well that's.. interesting." Gohan ventured nervously.
"My dad says those stories remind him of the Golden Defender, you know.. Back then?" Another student chimed in.
"Weren't those tricks one of those phonies used? My mom says that someone flying like that had to be fake, that it was just staged by Cell, with lots of explosives. Thank Kami Mr Satan put an end to it all."
Tora listened with a neutral face. She had to act as if she knew nothing about it, and Gohan was in awe seeing his friend's ability to not react. After all, he was his world's Golden Warrior, and he had to act as such when interacting with other Earthlings.
With everyone now discussing past events, Tora took the opportunity to get away with Gohan and exchange a few words without prying ears.
.
The first thing Tora did was to reach and give a little ruffle of Gohan's hair. She wanted to hug him so tight, but couldn't due to other students being present in the classroom and she had to wait it out. Her smile was sincere, the boy-turned-teenager looked well and light-hearted.
"You've grown taller than me, Gohan-san." A solid five centimeters, at the very least.
"Well, it has been almost seven years," he blushed. "How long..?"
"Five months. May 784," she answered in a hush. "Mother's decision. But I am.. not unhappy to be here."
They were promptly interrupted by Erasa who slid near Gohan, perhaps a little too close considering how he visibly stiffened.
"Well since Gohan-kun can't take me home because his ride is one-seat only, maybe you can take me home, Tora-kun? What do you drive, where do you live?"
"I.. I'm staying in West City."
Tora didn't really answer whether she would drive Erasa home or not, this was a strange request and she didn't want to socialize more than necessary. She also wanted to go to Capsule Corp faster than with her car, because she had other things to do and didn't like leaving her mother alone.
The bell rang, and everyone scattered when the teacher made her presence known.
.
History was a strange class, and Tora didn't have a book yet, so she shared with Inx, who sat behind Videl, Erasa, Sharpner and Gohan. She also didn't have any school supplies but she pulled out her computer out of her capsules to take notes. As much as her writing wasn't great, she was good with regular letters and note taking, even if she had to glance over to the book to check for spelling.
The class was about Piccolo Daimao's coup, over twenty years prior, when the king was dethroned and a monster of past times took over for an entire month, killing countless people and bringing the army down to its knees, until, allegedly, a brave unnamed boy killed him. A miracle happened when all those who died were revived soon after, not unlike the miracle from a little under seven years prior.
"Those are heroes of legend, of course, repeating a similar exaggerated story to the one five hundred years ago when the demon king was sealed away by the combined forces of all martial artists at the time. However, do not forget real heroes exist! And I am excited to announce that in the next class, Mr Satan himself will come and tell us all about Cell's defeat, so you'll hear it directly from the person who lived it all!"
Students cheered, and Gohan hid behind his book, and Tora quietly chuckled. Videl didn't know about it, but she wasn't surprised, this was exactly the type of stunts he'd do, especially as it coincided with the inauguration of the new gym.
.
"Aren't you excited to meet the greatest hero alive?"
The twins questioned Tora, while she was waiting for Gohan to exchange books in his locker. Tora felt his ki change as he tried to hide his expression behind the locker door.
"I am not.. very invested in celebrities," Tora tried to play it off as ignorance. "It will be an experience."
"Tomorrow we start with sports, what a bore." Erasa complained to no one in particular.
"We'll see what you're made of, I can't wait," Sharpner added, clearly intending to show them who's the school's top dog in such things.
"So you're driving me home, Tora-kun?"
"Nope." Sharpner stepped in. "I'm not letting you in the hands of a random new guy like that. You're gonna have to wait until my practice is over and we'll go home together."
Tora was silently thankful for not having to refuse directly, and somewhat appreciated this guy looking out for his sister. Erasa wasn't too happy about it, and Gohan had a slightly confused look, he didn't understand what was the big deal with being driven home by a classmate.
"Tora-san is trustworthy, you can believe he's a safe driver," he chimed in, and Tora couldn't help but smile at how innocent her friend was.
"You two really know each other then? How come, if you were in space?"
"Eh, we—"
"We were childhood friends, before I left. I was already learning how to pilot at the time," Tora cut in, seeing how nervous Gohan looked about trying to come up with a story.
That looked like enough of an explanation, even if Videl, who had been putting away her own books, found it suspicious, due to Tora being a Brief and Gohan being a homeschooled 'Mountain boy'. How did they even meet?
They parted ways after quick goodbyes, but Videl was far from convinced. And that Tora-guy.. looked familiar.
.
Tora and Gohan walked on the sidewalks of the rebuilt neighborhood, and they discussed some matters more freely until Gohan was at a safe enough distance to be able to call the Flying Nimbus. Unbeknownst to them, they were followed from afar.
"'Golden Warrior', uh?" Tora first teased, and Gohan got beet red.
"I didn't.. want to steal the name."
"Oh no offense taken, it was never mine to begin with. I am just happy to see some things do not change." Tora gave a gentle pat on her friend's arm, approving. "I met your little brother and Trunks this morning."
"You did? Oh, that's why I felt their ki spike, you fought them?"
"They challenged me while our mothers talked."
"Oh they play rough, I hope it was ok?" Gohan was alarmed. The kids were a little too much, sometimes.
"It was fine. Father has been training Trunks, hasn't he? And your brother.. He looks so much like you.. Apart from the hair." Tora took out her wallet to show the photo she had shown Goten and Trunks. Gohan leaned in and nodded, seeing the same photo he carried in his wallet, his heart all warm because his friend had kept his gift like that.
"Everyone says he looks like our father, but yes, he looks like me, when we first met.. back then, right?" Tora confirmed with a nod. "And everyone says Trunks looks like you. I just don't see it."
"Well, we are related, so it can't be helped."
Then something caught his attention, as they were far away, almost near the outskirts of the city. They were being followed, no doubt about it. Tora noticed as well, seeing Gohan's change in demeanor, and they turned a corner before disappearing atop a building when Videl came running, afraid of losing them. The two new students had just vanished.
.
".. Mr Satan's daughter, uh?" Gohan looked down from the building, then moved back, in case she looked up.
Tora kept quiet, taking out her car from a capsule. How strange was it, that Devil was in the same classroom as Gohan? Intriguing. And then she remembered something, something that neither her version of Gohan, nor the 787 version knew.
"Ah, before I forget. Mother is using another name, 'Tights', and I remain 'Tora'. We did not want to confuse the children. And I was born in November 21st 756, even if I am almost nineteen..."
"I figured Bulma-san had planned it all for you to enroll." Gohan took the information in and nodded.
"With Dr Brief's help, both my mother and Bulma-san did what was needed so we could function, as long as we are here. Say, something I noticed... Gohan-san, are you warmer than usual?"
"I thought you were colder, actually!"
Tora got closer, reached up and put a hand on Gohan's neck, to feel his temperature and pulse. Then she touched his forehead with hers, closing her eyes, to feel the difference. Tora confirmed that Gohan had become so much warmer.
However, without any witnesses, Gohan felt safe enough to indulge and put both arms around his friend and hugged close, nuzzling on the collar and inhaling the scent he missed. Tora didn't smell like tobacco anymore. And before he could realize he might have been rude to do so, plagued by the memories of that other Gohan Tora had lashed out against, Tora hugged him back with just as much enthusiasm.
Sure he hugged his mother and Goten often, and even Trunks, but Tora felt different due to their unique bond. Even as he remembered Tora's acceptance of his feelings.
"I missed you," Tora admitted easily, finding comfort in an uncanny hold similar to the one Gohan she once knew usually gave her, but also so different, as this wasn't her Gohan. Nor was he like 787's Gohan. However, Gohan was about to turn seventeen, and Tora knew what it meant, when coupled with his higher temperature.