Greetings readers. A quick note for you about the chapter. This doesn't have much to do with the plot and is nothing but a lot of fluff. I know I promised we'd get straight to the action, and I have already started writing the next chapter, which will be out sometime next week. But I thought some of you might like to know just how Gohan and Zangya's first date went. Enjoy.
P. S. Someone asked in the reviews if Beerus and Whis will be in this story. The answer is yes, but not till after this coming arc.
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z.
Chapter 49.5
Gohan checked himself in the mirror for the eighth time. He was wearing a blue button-up shirt with a black tie and some tan slacks. These were some of his nicer clothes, and perfect for the night he had planned. He went to his desk and picked up a piece of paper with a list written on it.
-Greet at the door with flowers.
-Hold hands.
-Impress her with a fancy restaurant (don't eat like a Saiyan).
-Give her your jacket.
-Find romantic place to sit at the beach
-Arm around the shoulders
-M.O.
"Yeah. It's fool proof." Gohan muttered. It was a battle plan he had devised after lots of research and interviewing his friends. Now, he was confident that his first date with Zangya would end with the desired result of M.O. which of course was code for 'Making Out'. Sure, Gohan was a good kid and a gentleman, but he was also a teenager, not to mention a demon. The traits balanced each other out well enough, and he would be happy with just a good night kiss. But let's be honest here, they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, and M.O. was a reasonable goal. Gohan was nothing if not goal oriented.
The teen looked over at his clock to ensure he still had plenty of time. A bouquet of handpicked marigolds, zinnias, and of course, three red roses, were laying on his bed. The bouquet of orange, yellow, and red flowers had been carefully selected by Gohan after much research to express his feeling for the girl. It also looked cool in his opinion, like a ball of fire, just like Zangya. He looked again in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place. It was odd that the most powerful kid in the universe would feel so nervous about a date. Of course, this wasn't just a date. This was a date with Zangya.
"Ok." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm ready."
At that moment, his bedroom door slammed open, making the kid jump.
"Hey Gohan, ready to go?" the blue girl asked with a big smile. Unlike Gohan, the Hera was dressed in casual clothes. But something about the sleeveless white shirt and flowing wine-red skirt seemed to elevate her natural beauty and innocence to the point that Gohan felt completely underdressed in comparison. Her unrivaled cuteness only served to fluster the already nervous boy.
"Z-Zangya!?" the boy cried in a panic. "Wa-wa-what are you doing here? I thought we agreed I would pick you up?"
The Girl gave him a funny look. "Well, yeah, but we live in the same house. What, were you going to stand outside my bedroom door or something? Or were you planning on jumping out your window to ring the doorbell?" she teased him with that last question.
"But. Flowers. I. You…" he stammered out.
"Oh shoot! Do I still have flour in my hair?" she rushed to look in his mirror, completely ignoring the bouquet on the bed. "Nope, looks like we're good. Come on, let's get to the restaurant. I'm starving, so I can't imagine how hungry you must be."
She walked out of the room and Gohan followed, still flustered about the hitch in his plan. His plan. Her flowers!
"Wait! I forgot something in my room."
"What, your wallet?"
"N-no. Not my wallet."
"Then leave it. It's probably not important anyway." The girl shrugged and pushed Gohan through the hallway and to the front door.
"Yeah… I guess not." Gohan replied dejectedly.
"Hold it you two!" Chichi called out just as they opened the door. The couple turned to the Son matron and were unsurprised to see the family camera poised for a photo op. "You're not going anywhere until I get some pictures."
"Sure!" Zangya said with excitement. She flung her arm around her boyfriend's neck and pulled him in so that his cheek was squishing against the side of her breast. Gohan's face became a little red.
"Oh, this'll make a great photo. Come on, Gohan, Smile." Given his current position, the order was an easy one for the boy to follow.
"Alright." Chichi nodded after snapping several pictures. "Don't stay out too late. Have fun."
"Thanks Chichi. We will." And with that, they were out the door, leaving Chichi alone in the house.
The mother sighed with a hand to her cheek and a smile on her face. "Oh, my little boy. He doesn't stand a chance."
Break
The couple quickly made it to the West City coastal boulevard, and Gohan had slightly recovered from earlier. The first part of his plan was done for, but step two would happen no matter what it took.
"Hey, Zangya. There's still some time before our reservation. Why don't we walk the rest of the way?" the eager Saiyan suggested.
The Hera looked down at the street below and shrugged. "Sure, ocean views are kinda nice." As the two landed and started walking Gohan was already reaching out for her hand. Unfortunately, he met nothing but air, stumbling as Zangya had brought both hands up to rest behind her head. She noticed Gohan's stumble and gave him a weird look.
"You ok?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess I just tripped." Gohan rubbed the back of his head.
"Oh." That was unlike him. "Whatever. Let's get going." They continued on, Zangya looking out into the ocean while Gohan's focus was firmly on her hands, waiting for an opportunity to strike. A few moments later, he saw his chance as she brought her hands down to her side. He reached out, a little quicker this time, but the hand disappeared into her pocket. Once again, he only swiped air and nearly fell down after missing his target. Since when did skirts have pockets!?
Zangya looked at her boyfriend again with concern. "Are you sure you're ok? You're not usually this clumsy."
"Yeah, I'm great Zangya. I guess I'm just nervous is all. First date you know, haha." He laughed and tried to play off his failure.
Zangya blushed and smiled shyly. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I feel like I've been waiting so long for this, and I don't want to mess it up."
"Exactly!" Gohan agreed, happy that he wasn't the only one who felt this way.
"I feel like I should take the lead because I'm older, but I'm not really sure how." The Hera admitted.
"Well, I feel like I should take the lead because I'm the guy."
"No way!" Zangya said while laughing. "Bulma says a cougar's gotta guide their cute little boyfriends in matters of romance, whatever that means."
Gohan laughed too. "I'm willing to take cute, but little? I'm a lot bigger than you now."
"Oh yeah? Well, I may be short, but I've still got longer list of awesome techniques than you do."
"But I'm still stronger than you."
"But I've got a sword."
The playful conversation went on like this and transitioned into other topics, like the bakery, school, training and so on, until they got to the restaurant. Gohan was having such a good time just talking with his new girlfriend that he had entirely forgotten about trying to hold her hand. That is, until he was seated across from her at their table. As he watched her hands pick up the menu, he had to fight not to smack himself for forgetting his game plan. Letting out a sigh of frustration, he picked up his own menu and looked at the contents.
"Oh wow." Zangya said with a worried tone and Gohan lowered his menu to see what was wrong.
"What's up?"
"Well, I knew this place was fancy, but I didn't realize how expensive everything would be. I mean, fifteen thousand zeni for a salad? Are the lettuce leaves made of zeni? Are the croutons gold? Maybe we should go somewhere else." Zangya suggested after seeing the absurd prices.
Gohan on the other hand just smiled. "It's ok. I know it's pricey, but this is a special occasion, right? The food here is supposed to be really good too."
Zangya looked hesitant. "Are you sure?"
Gohan nodded. "Absolutely. Besides, I just so happen to have won ten million zeni at a tournament. I've got this covered."
Zangya smiled wickedly. "Oh, you're taking it there, huh? Just couldn't wait to brag about beating me, could you?"
"What?" Gohan panicked. "No, I wasn't trying to rub it in or anything."
Zangya continued. "Alright then mister world martial arts champion. Let's see if your wallet can take a beating as well as you can."
Just then a waiter appeared at their table. "'As ze appy couple made zer decision?" he asked with a genuine smile. The whole staff was overjoyed when they found out who would be dining with them that evening, and they wanted everything to be perfect for their heroes. He had won the waiting competition to decide who would get to serve the couple.
"Yes, I know exactly what I want." Zangya folded her menu and smiled sweety at the waiter. "I'd like one of everything on the menu please."
If the waiter was stunned, he didn't show it. This was a five-star establishment, and he was trained better than to balk at an order, especially one that promised such a large tip.
"Ohoho, excellent choice mademoiselle. 'Ow shall we prepare each dish?"
"Dealer's choice." Zangya said with a victorious grin back at Gohan.
"Very bold mademoiselle. Ze chef will be delighted. And for ze gentleman?" He turned to Gohan.
The teen wasn't too concerned about money. He didn't expect Zangya to pull that, but he probably should have. Especially after he had brought up his victory over her. His main concern, however, was ensuring he maintained his manners for the date. It would take all his willpower to not pig out on any of these delicious-looking dishes. He'd have to limit himself to something small to be safe.
"I think I'll go with the 40 oz ribeye. Medium rare, with a potato and the vegetable medley."
"That's it?" Zangya asked in shock. "Come on Gohan, that will barely get you started."
"Mademoiselle is correct monsieur. Ze chef has 'eard of ze gold fighter's legendary appetite. We are more zan able to meet any order, no matter 'ow big."
Gohan blushed. He didn't realize how famous his appetite was. "Alright. I guess I'll have the salmon as well."
"Oh, come on." Zangya grabbed his menu. "He'll have double what I ordered." The waiter nodded and took the menus.
"Ohoho! Ze gold fighter 'as impeccable taste." The waiter said, referring more to Gohan's taste in women than his order. "Ze food will be out toot sweet." He snapped his fingers, and another waiter lit a candle while a violinist started playing a soft and romantic melody.
"Wow, this is a nice place." Zangya looked at the musician in appreciation, while Gohan suppressed a groan.
'It's ok.' He thought. 'All I have to do is eat everything like a normal person. Should be easy, right?'
Break.
As his last dish was cleared away, the other restaurant patrons were clapping at the impressive display that they had witnessed from the Gold fighter. Never before had they seen so much food put away with such speed and voracity. Zangya was only about halfway done with her meal while he had finished everything. Gohan held his head in his hands, shamed by his own self defeat.
"Is everything alright Gohan?" Zangya asked with growing concern. "You were eating kind of slow. Should we call it a night?"
"No!" Gohan yelled, whipping his head up. "I-I mean, no, that's ok. We still have dessert and the movie."
Zangya eyed the teen with suspicion. She didn't know why Gohan was acting so weird, but she'd let it pass for now in the name of dessert. She quickly finished what was left of her many meals, with almost as much gusto as her boyfriend. "You know, I can understand why you eat like a wild boar. It's kind of satisfying." Gohan went red. "Now, what kind of dessert do you think this place has?"
"If I may, mademoiselle?" The waiter popped up out of nowhere. "Ze chef is a personal fan of your bakery and has created a special dessert in preparation for your visit tonight. 'Ee would consider it an honor if you would try it."
Zangya was flattered. "That's awesome! I'd love to try it."
No sooner had she said this than a golden tray with two little 'Z' shaped cakes were presented to herself and Gohan. It was a delicate and moist looking golden sponge cake, layers alternating between cake and creamy merengue. The top was covered with succulent red plumbs that glowed in the candlelight and each was served with a side of freshly whipped cream.
A portly man with red hair and a toque had set the trey down in front of the couple and beamed at the woman with childlike excitement.
"Ich freue mich sehr, dich kennenzulernen! Ich liebe die Drachenbäckerei, sie ist so kreativ und lecker! Ich liebe es auch, wie du das Verbrechen bekämpfst und dieser neu Zweihänder ist so cool!" the man acting out his last sentence by punching the air and swinging and brandishing a spatula like a sword.
Zangya smiled wide, not understanding a word he spoke, but appreciating the energy. "Thanks! I think."
"Danke." Gohan said and the chef nearly fainted at their gratitude.
"Das Red Z Girl essen meinen Pflaumenkuchen und bedanken sich bei mir!?" The man cried. He quickly rounded on Gohan. "Hören Sie, Herr Goldjunge! Sie behandeln meine Backkönigin besser gut, sonst werde ich... Ich werde..."
"Gustave!" The waiter reprimanded the chef. "Let ze couple romance in peace."
Gustave nodded and bowed, then gave Gohan a distrustful look all the way back to the kitchen.
"He seemed nice." Zangya said cheerfully. "Did you understand what he was saying?"
"A bit." Gohan looked worriedly at his piece of cake. "He said he likes your sword."
Zangya grinned while spooning some cake into her mouth. "Mmm! And this is delicious! This is the best date ever!"
Gohan laughed. At least she was having a good time. He could get back to his plan later.
Break
"I wasn't seriously planning on making you pick up the check on all that food Gohan. I was just trying to mess with you." Zangya said apologetically while they made their way to the movie theater. When the check came, it ended up being almost all the prize money that Gohan had won including the tip. She tried to pay for it, she had more than enough since the bakery was doing so well, but Gohan wouldn't have it. "You should have let me pay for it."
"That's not how dates are done." Gohan replied sternly. "The guy is supposed to pay." He really didn't care about the money as long as the date went well. Besides, food was one thing a Saiyan never grumbled about spending money on.
"Are you at least gonna let me pay for the popcorn?"
"No."
"Fine. I'll just sneak the money into your savings later. Like with that merchandising contract." She muttered to herself. Luckily, Gohan didn't hear her.
The boy was wrapped up in his own thoughts for the moment. 'Popcorn… That's it! The plan is back in action!'
At the movie theater, they had got their tickets and made their way to the snack bar. "One large popcorn please." Gohan asked the teen behind the counter. His plan was simple. Reach for the popcorn at the same time as her and 'accidentally' grab her hand. It worked all the time in movies, so he didn't see any reason why it shouldn't work out in a movie theater.
"Make that two please." Zangya added and Gohan's face fell.
"Two? But, um, Zangya, why don't we just share?" Gohan tried.
"You always eat it all before I get a chance." She explained. "I actually want to enjoy the popcorn throughout the movie."
The whole way to their seats, Gohan was trying to think of a way to hold her hand. Only one thing came to mind. As the previews played, the Saiyan hybrid munched away at his popcorn, handfuls at a time.
"Huh, looks like they're trying to make a sequel to the movie Koti did." Zangya said quietly. "I wonder if they'll bring back his character. It'd be cool for him to visit again. What do you think Gohan? Gohan? Oh, come on!" she whisper-shouted when she saw that his popcorn was completely gone. "The movie hasn't even started yet."
Gohan shrugged with a smile on his face. "It's about to though."
"And now, for our feature presentation." The screen went dark, and a deep husky voice with a slight Hispanic accent spoke as the intro to the movie.
"It was a time before time. A time of crime, and… Time… tables. There was only one man who could take on the time, this time. And so, it was time… For Dangeresque! Dodo, chigachuchigachu, dodoDoodo, dodo."
Gohan let the movie go for a while before he thought it was safe to enact his plan. Dangeresque had just rescued Cutesy Buttons and he was gonna have to jump, when the teen saw Zangya's hand reaching for more popcorn. As casually as he could manage, he went to grab the popcorn so he could accidentally hold her hand. Before he could, Zangya moved the popcorn away from him. He tried again, but she took it further. A third attempt was made, and she raised it with both hands over her head. The two locked eyes and a battle quickly ensued. Both sets of hands were flying around, Gohan trying to capture her hand in his, while Zangya was valiantly defending her popcorn. Finally, Zangya gave up.
"Geez, fine rice ball. If you want it that much just take it. Not much left anyway." She shoved the bucket into her boyfriend's lap and folded her arms in annoyance. As for Gohan, he kept his eyes fixed on the bucket with a gloomy expression and remained that way until the end of the movie.
Break
"That was a great movie." Zangya said after exiting the theater. "Probably would've been better with popcorn," she shot Gohan a fake angry look, "but I still liked it."
"Hn." Gohan hummed in response. Looked like hand holding was not on the menu for him tonight. Might as well move on to the next thing.
"It's a bit cold tonight." He commented as they walked along the boulevard staring at the stars glittering on the ocean. "Would… would you like my jacket?"
Zangya stopped and spun to look at him. "Ok, Gohan, what is going on with you? You've been acting weird all day."
"I-I don't know what you mean." Gohan lied.
"First the stumbling, then only trying to eat a small steak for dinner, then the popcorn thing." She rattled off. "Now you're saying it's cold and you're offering me your jacket."
"What's wrong with that?" Gohan challenged.
"Well, first of all, I'm an alien that can survive the deepest reaches of space, so I don't ever feel cold on Earth. Secondly, you aren't wearing a jacket!"
Gohan looked down at his torso, then up, then down again. Finally, he smacked himself in the face.
Zangya sighed. "Come on, let's head home. It's getting late and we don't want Chichi to worry too much. I don't want to be grounded again."
Gohan sighed. He supposed as things were going so poorly, he might as well give up and try another time. "Yeah. Ok, let's head home."
It was a quiet flight back to the Son home, neither person sure of what to say. They landed on the lawn and, seeing that all the lights were out, opened the front door as quietly as possible. They crept through the house until they got to Zangya's room.
"You know." The Hera whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "Even though you were being really weird, I still had a great time."
Gohan suddenly perked up. "You did? You really mean that?"
Zangya smiled. "Absolutely. I loved my first date with my super awesome boyfriend." She got up on her tiptoes while pulling his head down to meet hers and brought her lips lovingly to his own. "Goodnight Gohan." She opened her room and swiftly disappeared through the doorway, leaving Gohan with a goofy smile on his face.
Maybe nothing went according to his plan, but he still got to hang out with Zangya. He got to hear her laugh and see her smile. He especially liked her outfit. The best part of course was that despite his awkward attempt at a plan, the night still ended with a good night kiss. That was more than enough. He got to his bedroom and flicked on the lights, undoing his tie. 'Maybe making out isn't all that important.' He thought to himself. 'Maybe it's just as good spending time with the one you love.' He turned around and his eyes met a sight that made him jump.
"ZANGYA!"
"Shh. Chichi's sleeping." The blue girl was sitting on his bed, already in her purple pajamas, and holding the bouquet that he hadn't had the chance to give her.
"What are you doing in my room?" Gohan said quieter, but still just as shocked.
The girl started playing with her hair. "Well, it just seems like the date ended sooner than either of us wanted it to. I just thought that maybe we could, I don't know…" She gave him a shy look. "Cuddle for a while?"
A deep shade of red started to creep onto both of their faces. Zangya tried to play it cool, but the long pause was making her nervous.
"If you don't want to…"
"Yes!" Gohan nearly shouted. "I mean, I'd like that."
"Great!" Zangya closed her eyes. "Hurry and change, I won't peak."
"Done." Gohan responded immediately. Zangya opened her eyes to see Gohan in his sweats and a tee shirt. Judging by her expression, she may have been disappointed that she didn't even get a chance to peek. Gohan turned out the lights before he crawled in the bed and made himself comfortable. Zangya smiled and snuggled her back into his chest.
"Goodnight Gohan." She closed her eyes as he wrapped his arm around her.
"Goodnight Zangya." The younger teen took a deep breath and paused. "Zangya?"
"Yeah?"
"I… I love you." He paused again. Maybe he said it too soon. They'd known each other for several years now, but they only just started dating. What was he supposed to do if it was too soon?
"I love you too Gohan." Zangya replied quietly, and the boy finally relaxed. For her part, the Hera was at least grateful that the darkness covered her bright red face.
'I was supposed to say it first! Beating me to it is just cheating! At least I have one way to fight back against this attack. Don't leave ammo laying on your desk.'
"Hey Gohan?" She whispered.
"Yeah?"
The older girl smirked. "I'm sorry that your plan didn't work. I would have loved to make out with you if you had just asked. Maybe next time. But I like this just as much as M.O. Don't you?"
Unfortunately for Gohan, the darkness did nothing to hide the glowing red blush that this comment left on his face. It seemed that Chichi was right after all. He didn't stand a chance.
End chapter.
Well, what do you think? Was it similar to any of your first dates? Some of you might be wondering why there was a French waiter and a German chef. No real reason. Also, the type of cake that they had at the restaurant is based on a German dessert my grandma used to make. It starts with a Z, so I thought it was a perfect fit.
The movie was based on something from a website that all nerds should be familiar with. . It's how I pictured 'Dangeresque III: the criminal projective' to start.
If anyone is interested in the symbolism of the flowers in the bouquet, three red roses means I love you, zinnias mean lasting affection, friendship, and endurance, and marigolds mean purity and divinity.
The German used in this chapter translates roughly as follows.
1 "Ich habe mich sehr darauf gefreut, Sie kennenzulernen! Ich liebe die Drachenbäckerei, sie ist so kreativ und lecker! Ich liebe es auch, wie du das Verbrechen bekämpfst und dieser neu Zweihander ist so cool!"
"I have been really looking forward to meeting you! I love the dragon bakery, it's so creative and delicious! I also love how you fight crime and that new zweihander is so cool!"
2 "Das Red Z Girl essen meinen Pflaumenkuchen und bedanken sich bei mir!?"
"The Red Z Girl is eating my plum cake and thanking me!?"
3 "Hören Sie, Herr Goldjunge! Sie behandeln meine Backkönigin besser gut, sonst werde ich... Ich werde..."
"Listen here, Gold boy! You better take care of my baking queen or I'll… I'll…"
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.