Videl was his girlfriend.
Videl, the most amazing girl he had ever met, was actually his girlfriend.
Gohan still wasn't sure how it had happened. Yet there she was, on a date with him, holding his hand.
It happened on the day after the whole Buu fiasco. They had returned to school, and that morning as he sat in class, he perked up when she walked up to him. And then she said–
"We should go out. You and me."
His book slipped from his grasp and thudded against the desk as he stared at the blushing yet determined girl in front of him. He tried to respond, but only unintelligible sounds escaped his mouth.
"I like you, Gohan. And I'm pretty sure you like me too. You do, don't you?"
He still couldn't speak; his throat felt dry and constricted. So he settled for a nod.
Videl rewarded him with a stunning, beaming smile. His heart skipped a beat, and for a few moments he forgot how to breathe.
Gosh, she was so beautiful.
"Then it's settled. Let's go out after school – unless you already have plans?"
Gohan shook his head furiously. "I, uh, I'm free after school," he managed to say after several throat-clearings.
"Great!"
Then she slipped behind him to get to her seat, and the school day continued as usual.
Except Gohan could hardly focus on anything after that brief encounter. He was going out with Videl! It happened so fast that he had trouble believing it was real. Gohan had intended to ask Videl out eventually, but she had beaten him to it and wasted no time in making it happen. He loved that about her—her no-nonsense, take-charge attitude. Videl was not one to beat around the bush, much like how she had blackmailed him into entering the World Tournament and teaching her how to fly. When she wanted something, she just went for it.
Fortunately for Gohan, this time what she wanted was him.
And so there they were, a week into their relationship, enjoying each other's company on a Sunday date.
They were sipping drinks on the terrace of a café, and Gohan simply could not stop staring at the girl across from him. He loved how her short raven hair swayed in the breeze, and how her pale complexion contrasted perfectly with her bright blue eyes – fierce yet gentle. She had such beautiful, delicate features: her cheekbones, her jawline, her nose, her lips…
Her lips…
His face heated up, and his heart thumped frantically as he stared at Videl's inviting lips. They had been on several dates since she asked him out, and Gohan was taking things slow. Not on purpose, mind you – he just got too nervous. Whenever they faced each other at the end of a date and he thought about finally kissing Videl, he would just end up blushing and making a hasty exit with an awkward goodbye.
But that was fine. Sure, Gohan would love for their physical relationship to progress, but he was also happy with the way things were. They held hands, hugged, snuggled… It was all incredibly nice, and he wasn't in any rush to move things along. They were young, and they had all the time in the world. Videl was his girlfriend, and that was enough for him.
Then again, Videl was his girlfriend, so he shouldn't have been surprised when she decided to take the matter into her own hands – again.
She had been patient enough. Truly, Videl believed she had shown great maturity in waiting for Gohan to be ready.
But after two weeks – enough was enough.
They were saying goodbye after another great date, and as Gohan began to lean in, her heart leaped with anticipation. She closed her eyes, puckering her lips.
Alas, his lips landed on her cheek. Videl's face fell as Gohan pulled away, wishing her goodnight.
A kiss on the cheek was progress, she supposed, but it was just moving too slowly. Videl decided she had been patient long enough.
He was about to turn away when she called out for him to wait, making Gohan look back at her. Her face flushed as she contemplated what she was about to do, but there was no backing down now.
Grabbing his collar, Videl pulled the clueless boy down to her and shut her eyes as his mouth landed on hers. She felt him tense up, and she pulled away quickly, hoping this hadn't been a mistake. If Gohan wasn't ready yet, she should probably have waited for him to make the move…
But what if he just needed a push? What if… he kissed her again right now?
Her lips were still tingling from the brief contact.
Meeting his stunned gaze, she tried to convey her expectations with her eyes. Oh, she was blushing for sure – perhaps quite profusely – but she wasn't backing down.
She liked him – really liked him – and the past couple of weeks as his girlfriend had felt like a dream.
But she wanted more. She wanted him – desperately.
And Videl wasn't the kind of person to just sit back and wait for things to happen. She made them happen. Even if it was something scary, she pushed through and went for it.
So, maybe kissing Gohan before he was ready was a mistake, and it was certainly scary, but she wanted to kiss him too much to wait any longer.
Her heart skipped a beat when the light in Gohan's eyes shifted – deepened. His fingertips brushed her bangs from her forehead, and she closed her eyes at the tender touch.
And then it happened – what she had longed for all this time. Gohan kissed her, leaving her breathless. His lips were warm and firm, and Videl felt like her entire being was bathed in the most pleasant light. She was floating on a cloud, cradled in Gohan's gentle embrace.
Still in a daze when he pulled back, a silly smile glued to her face, she slowly opened her eyes and was met with Gohan's sheepish look.
"Took you long enough."
"Sorry…" he chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I get… really nervous around you, still."
She always loved how genuine Gohan was, how he spoke his feelings as they came. Videl took his hand with both of hers and beamed at him.
"It's okay, Gohan. You know me – I don't mind making the first move."
He laughed. "Oh, I know. I love that about you."
He looked so adorable at that moment that she completely melted. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down to her, and pressed her lips against his. This time, Gohan kissed her back right away, and Videl sighed in pure bliss against his mouth.
"I like you a lot…" he said softly, resting his forehead against hers, his arms holding her close.
"I like you so much…" she whispered in reply.
He sighed, and the moment felt simply perfect. They basked in the afterglow, savoring this new feeling.
He sighed, and the moment felt simply perfect. They basked in the afterglow, savoring the newness of their feelings.
Truly, Gohan felt lucky. If not for Videl's no-nonsense attitude, he probably would still be trying to figure out how to ask her out.
But then again, this trait of hers was one of the many things that had drawn him to her in the first place.
What could he say? He just liked a fierce girl. And no one was fiercer than Videl.