A/N We are post-party and back in character, though everyone has to deal with the blowback of the parties events. Happy Reading :)

The next morning Dende woke to the smell of pine and fresh linen. It almost smelled like Gohan, but not quite. His eyes fluttered open slowly as he turned over in bed towards his roommate who was already awake.

Chiaotzu looked up from his newspaper, and looked over at the other side of the room. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

Dende sat up in bed, groaning slightly. He was still in his clothes from the night before. The alcohol sweated out of his pores, making him nearly gag at the smell. He felt like he was dying of thirst. His neck was killing him, and his head was pounding. "I don't think I've ever felt worse." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I woke up with a headache, and couldn't go back to sleep. I tried watching my cartoons, but they were too loud, even on mute. I've just been reading the paper and waiting for my painkillers to kick in. Do you need some?" Chiaotzu asked, folding his newspaper back to its original form.

Dende shook his head. "No, I'll just need to shower and sleep." And perhaps a gallon of water would be nice as well. He pulled himself out of bed, sliding down onto the ground with another groan. He was worse than he thought. At this rate he'd be asleep all day, recovering, but first he had some business to attend to. "I'm going to give Gohan back his jacket, I'll be right back."

…

Gohan rolled over in his sleep, waking up when he hit another body in his sleep. His eyes opened to see a sleeping Videl laying next to him. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, compared to how tense she usually looked when awake. His eyes drifted down to her bare shoulder blades, which led to the rest of her naked form. Suddenly the previous night's events came flooding back to him. The emotional, passionate, lust filled events filled his mind.

To act so erratically and without thought…To consecrate the start of a relationship in such an intimate way…To soil the expectations of himself and his family…

Gohan didn't know if he felt more embarrassed or ashamed.

"Hey, good morning."

Videl's soft greeting pulled him from his thoughts. "Good morning." He replied with a nod. "You should get back to your dorm before it gets any later."

Videl sat up in confusion. "What's the rush? And I thought you were taking me back to my dorm." He had a strange look on his face. She couldn't figure out what could have been the problem, but she didn't like the outcome of it so far.

Gohan sighed as he sat up as well. "Sahir isn't back yet, and I'm sure Dende will be down here soon to give me back my jacket. I would just prefer if you were gone before either one of them got back."

A wave of anger washed over Videl, unsure if it was Gohan's words, or the bitter lens of sobriety returning. Definitely the former, but perhaps both. Instead of replying, Videl got up and hopped out of his bed, and started to slip on her clothes from last night. If she knew she was going to be treated maliciously in the morning she wouldn't have been so vulnerable last night. "Some way to talk to your girlfriend, jerk."

Gohan frowned at her reply. "I'm sorry, okay?" He said, looking away as she dressed. "I just have some things to sort out before I see you again." He said, unsure of how else to put his feelings.

"You won't even look at me, Gohan." Videl said, slipping on her shoes. The angrier she got, the more upset she felt. Now she just wanted to be back in the comfort of her own dorm, and out of this stupid boy's dorm. She grabbed her jacket, slipping it on quickly. "But whatever. Hope whatever problem you're having works out for you." She said, rubbing her tear-filled eyes before heading to the door to pull it open. She yelped when she saw the person on the other side of the door.

Dende startled at Videl's scream when she opened the door. He wasn't sure what he was more startled by; the door opening before he could knock, or Videl being on the other side of it. He smiled sheepishly as he gained his composure. "Um, good morning Videl, is Gohan around?"

Videl had been too fueled with anger to keep her cool with Dende. As much as he didn't deserve it, she folded her arms in annoyance. "Well this is his dorm, so yes."

"Right, I-I was just returning his jacket. Could you give it to him please?" He asked, holding it out.

Videl grabbed the jacket out of Dende's hand, and tossed the jacket on a nearby chair before sliding past him to leave.

"Videl?"

She stopped and turned around, a firm frown on her face. "What?"

"Are you okay? You seem really upset." As confused as he was about the situation he just walked into, it didn't feel right leaving it between the two of them. The least he could do was offer help or a listening ear.

Videl stared at Dende. After teasing and mocking him all last night, he was willing to offer her help? What did it even matter to him anyway? She wasn't Gohan, why would he care about how she felt? He should be ignoring her for the rest of the school year, but instead he was standing before her, concerned about her wellbeing. It almost made her feel bad.

She felt tears prick at her eyes again.

It did make her feel bad.

Videl turned away from Dende. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Dende noticed her clouded eyes. Asking only made it worse it seemed. He hadn't known what to do, but the willingness to offer something was greater than offering nothing. "Well if you ever want to talk, I'm more than happy to. I'm very easy to find."

Videl didn't think she deserved even that much grace, but she almost felt the need to take him up on it.

"Thanks."

With that, they both went their separate ways.

Videl walked back to her dorm with nothing but last night and this morning on her mind. She couldn't figure out what changed Gohan's mind. He seemed so certain last night, but unsure the next morning. She didn't think it was something she did, but maybe it was? She couldn't think of any other reason for him to treat her that way.

Videl used her campus card to enter her dorm building. How could he treat her so carelessly? She hadn't expected that from him. She climbed the stairs to her dorm floor. Did he treat every girl he had sex with like that? Like they weren't worth his time? Why did he even ask her to be his girlfriend? Because she told him to? Videl growled in frustration as she turned down her hallway.

She was smarter than this. She knew when a boy just wanted her for her body from a mile away, yet Gohan flew under the radar. It was infuriating to her. How could she be so stupid? How could she fall for false charm and naivety? How could she be so vulnerable to someone who didn't deserve it? Videl thought he was different, and it was foolish of her to think. Boys were all the same. No matter how sweet, or genuine, or different they seem.

Videl fished out her keys as she approached her dorm door. "I swear the next boy I see is getting castrated." She muttered as she inserted her keys, but before she could turn the lock the door pulled open.

"Oh, good morning Videl—"

"Sahir, get the hell out of my room."

"Okay." He spoke with a quick nod before sliding past her and taking his leave.

With a sigh Videl went into the dorm room, locking the door behind her. She was glad to be back in the comfort of her own room, in a women's dorm. Not surrounded by boys staring at her while leaving the building. She needed a long, hot shower and more sleep in her own bed. Maybe after that she could start to feel a little better, and start to forget about last night.

Videl walked past their shared vanity mirror, stopping in her tracks when she saw her disheveled appearance.

Her makeup was smeared around her eyes and lips, her hair was wild and tangled from last night's events, and she walked halfway across campus looking like this. She could have screamed, she could have cried more, she didn't know what to do. All she knew was that this was the last straw.

Videl grabbed her brush, attempting to work her way through the knots and tangles of her hair. Tears started to fill her eyes again as she brushed her hair. She hated sleeping with her hair out for this exact reason.

Every night, Videl faithfully slept with her satin bonnet to keep her hair from getting tangled and knotted at night. It was too thick to brush through tangles every day, covering it at night made for less tangles in the morning. But spending the night with a stupid boy meant sleeping with her hair uncovered and waking up a rats nest of a mess the next day.

Videl slammed her brush down on the counter and began shuffling through one of the drawers in front of her. She couldn't take it anymore, she had been humiliated enough.

Videl pulled out a pair of stainless steel scissors. She looked at herself once more, watching the tears flow down her face. She lifted the scissors to one of her ponytails, and started to cut above her hair bobble.

The sound of hair sliding against the sharp blades filled the silence of the room.

Videl pulled the now detached ponytail away from her head, her eyes widening at the shock at what she had done.

"Oh my God Videl what did you do?"

Videl spun around, finding Erasa behind her, looking at her with disbelief.

Videl looked around for an answer, but she didn't have one. "I-I don't know…"

Erasa quickly went over to her, grabbing the hair and scissors out of her hand. "Can you explain to me what's going on?"

Videl struggled to find words. "I- Gohan asked me to be his girlfriend last night, and the next day he said he had some things to work out, and he made me leave. And I don't know what I did, or said. I told him how I felt and now I feel stupid for doing that. I feel like I wasted my time, likehewasted my time. I walk across campus looking like I just left a street corner, and like someone's dragged me by my hair. I'm brushing out the knots and tangles but they're not budging, and the only thing I could think about was cutting it." Though she lacked emotion in her voice tears still continued to stream down her face.

Erasa frowned as she listened to her roommate's story. "Oh Vi, I'm so sorry." She spoke gently, wiping away her roommate's tears. Erasa turned Videl around and held up the scissors she took from her. "Doesn't seem like Gohan to treat a girl like a one night stand." She spoke as she started to cut the other ponytail.

The touch of her trusted roommate put her at ease and comfort. She watched as Erasa cut her hair. "I know, I'm just as surprised as you. I feel like such an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Videl. There's nothing wrong with expressing your feelings. Maybe things just went kinda fast for Gohan and it scared him. You know he's pretty slow to stuff like this."

Videl was quiet for a moment as her mind replayed last night. "I don't know, he could have fooled me."

Erasa paused her cutting for a moment. "What do you mean? Like he's done this before?"

"I really don't know if he's ever had a girlfriend before, but what I experienced last night didn't really give me the impression of that being his first time."

Erasa placed her other detached ponytail down on the counter, and picked up her brush. Finally, Videl was free from long hair. She brushed through her roommates' short, detangled hair. "Oh, wow, that's something I don't think I wanted to know about Gohan. I felt better thinking he was a virgin. He plays that innocent card really well."

"Yeah, I know." She muttered. Videl may have been young, but she's had a fair share of partners, and Gohan had been the best so far. He was gentle, yet passionate. He seemed more interested in pleasuring her than receiving pleasure himself. Not to mention that his motivation extended to the bedroom, because the way he talked her through it—

"Are you thinking about going back for another round? I can see it in your eyes."

Videl looked back at her roommate incredulously. "After being humiliated beyond belief? After doing a walk of shame over a boy who prays for good grades every Sunday? Cast my pride aside for some pillow princess treatment? Please, I can get that from anywhere."

Erasa started shaping Videl's new haircut into a style with the scissors. "Well that's true, you can get that treatment from anywhere, but is that something you'd want to do?"

Videl was quiet for a moment. "Of course not. I've invested my time, and now my body, into Gohan. Despite him treating me like an asshole, maybe I should give him the time he asked for?" She asked.

Erasa nodded as she styled, brushing out the final result. "Time is the best healer. Maybe he'll be a different person after you give him some time. You'll certainly be a different person the next time you see him." Erasa spun Videl around, revealing her new hairstyle.

Videl was shocked to see herself in the mirror. Her long wavy hair was gone, with only a bushel of hair left in its place. She looked so different without her ponytails, it was almost too weird to look in the mirror. She observed the awkward pieces of hair that now stood out, and how her bangs fell differently in her face. "I look ten years older." She finally spoke.

"Yeah you do." Erasa agreed with a smile.

"I meant it in a bad way."

"Oh."

Videl sighed as she fiddled with her short hair. "I'm trying to like it, but I keep feeling regret."

Erasa put her hands on her roommate's shoulders. "You're just going through the stages of grief, all girls go through it when they cut their hair. You look beautiful Vi. It's super different from your ponytails, and you look older in a good way. Plus, it totally fits your badass cop aesthetic you wanted for your career."

Videl simply hummed in response. The jagged haircut did give her an edgier look. It was perfect for her criminal justice career. She looked at herself in the mirror again. As much as she wanted to feel relief from her new haircut, relief was the last thing she felt. People cut their hair to signify change, or that better things were coming.

But cutting her hair didn't make her feel better, it just made her feel worse.

The next day, Dende awoke at his usual time on Sunday morning. After a much needed shower, and filling up on water, Dende spent the day sleeping, recovering his sore body from Friday night's party. He didn't think he'd sleep the entire day, but maybe it was more needed than he thought. Dende sat up in bed, looking over at his roommate. "Good morning Chiaotzu." He greeted.

Chiaotzu looked over at Dende, a slight look of surprise on his face. "Oh, good morning. I thought you were in a coma. I'm actually glad to see you awake."

Dende chuckled slightly. "Sorry if I scared you."

"You were asleep for 24 hours, it could have scared anyone. Do you feel better at least? I know you said you just needed a shower and sleep, I just didn't think it would be that long."

"Oh, I feel great. I'm going to get ready to leave for the Worship Center now." He said pulling the covers off of himself and climbing out of bed. "Since I slept through Saturday; I didn't do any homework, so I'll be going to the library after I leave the Worship Center to start it."

Chiaotzu still had been at a loss for words. All day yesterday he had been waiting for Dende to wake up so he could talk about Friday's party, just for him to sleep through the day and return to his usual chipper self. He felt cheated almost, and jealous too. He wished he could just sleep off a hangover. Instead he spent the day eating saltine crackers and drinking ginger ale.

"Chiaotzu? Are you listening to me?"

Chiaotzu looked over at his roommate again, noticing that he had been dressed for the day already. "Yes, I was listening. You're doing homework after you leave the Worship Center."

"I also asked if you wanted to go to the dining hall after I left from the library."

"Oh, sure that's fine. Enjoy the Worship Center with Gohan."

Dende collected his Book of Kami and his journal from his desk, placing them in his messenger bag as he spoke. "I'm not sure if I'll see Gohan today. I didn't see him yesterday to give him back his jacket."

Chiaotzu looked at his roommate strangely. "Well who did you give his jacket to? Sahir?"

"No, Videl."

"What?" He asked in surprise.

Now Dende had been looking at his roommate strangely. "Yes, she was leaving his room yesterday morning, so I gave it to her to return to him." He explained pulling on his bag.

This was why he needed to talk with Dende about yesterday. This was why he felt cheated. "Well what happened next? Was she still wearing the same clothes? How was—"

"Chiaotzu, I can explain more when we go to the dining hall, for now I have to go. I'll see you later." He said, and with that, Dende bid his roommate a farewell and left the room.

Chiaotzu sat back in his bed with a sigh. "Great, left on a cliffhanger."

Dende arrived at the Worship Center, surprised to see Gohan already sitting in their usual spot. He went to take his seat next to his friend. "Good morning Gohan, it's good to see you this morning."

Gohan looked up from his reading. "Good morning Dende. It's good seeing you as well."

"Have you been to the altar already?" He asked, taking his books out of his bag.

"I came early to go to the altar. I had a lot to talk about." He said as he continued reading. Besides, he hadn't wanted Dende listening in on his very intimate conversation at the altar with his grandfather. It wasn't that his friend listened intentionally, but it happened more often than Dende probably thought.

"I see. Well I hope your time at the altar helped with whatever is bothering you." Dende wasn't sure what was bothering Gohan, perhaps whatever made Videl upset on Saturday. Gohan didn't seem upset, but he seemed more quiet than usual. More solemn. "Where are you reading from?" He asked curiously.

Gohan spoke without looking back up. "The story of One's battle against the Kanzentai. Thought I'd re-read it."

"The Kanzentai, the Perfect Being." Dende thought aloud as he flipped to the story in his own book. "Has anything changed for you since reading it again?"

Gohan thought for a moment, still looking at the scriptures. "I'm not sure yet. One is non-violent by nature with the exception of rageful outbursts caused from an extreme emotion. When his father Zero chooses him to defeat the Kanzentai, he has to…" He trailed off unexpectedly.

"Rise to the occasion?"

"Fall to temptation."

Dende blinked in shock at his words. He almost didn't want to ask, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, One had to be pushed past a limit. He had to give in to the temptation of violence and destruction, when he avoided it for so long. It was a boundary he wasn't ready to cross." He paused before speaking again. "And when he does finally reach that limit, he snaps, and it feels like a point of no return."

In his years of studying The Book of Kami, Dende never thought of the character that way. It was a bit chilling to hear Gohan's perspective, it sounded rather personal. "You have excellent insight on One, he must be relatable to you." He commented.

"Yes, more than I thought."

Dende flipped through the pages in his book. "Well, One does discover a new transformation when he goes beyond his limit. That is the form used to defeat the Kanzentai."

"And in light of his new transformation, further chaos unfolds at the hands of One."

Another astute observation.

"The transformation does give him the power he needed to defeat the Perfect Being, but in return…It gives him false confidence, and an inflated ego. His friends can no longer predict what he is going to do next. He stops listening to his father. He forces himself on a path—"

"He cannot return from." Dende finished. They both knew how the story ended. With self-destruction, and sacrifice.

He could vaguely understand how Gohan was feeling now. On a path of no return…Perhaps a feeling of loss? What could Gohan have lost to have made Videl upset? It was still too nebulous. "Despite not being able to return, I still think the battle made One a better warrior overall. He saved the planet, and became the next warrior to protect the Earth." Dende said before hesitantly putting a hand on Gohan's knee. "And maybe One wasn't meant to return to his former self after the battle. I think the transformation was meant to be a lesson for future experiences."

Gohan finally looked up from his Book of Kami and over to Dende. He put his hand on top of Dende's. "You know, One becomes the new warrior of the planet under the new guardian of Earth. I think that's pretty comforting in all of this." He added, "I know what you're trying to do. As much as I love your input, I'd really appreciate reading quietly today."

After giving him nearly a sermon on the story of One's battle, Gohan suddenly wanted to stop sharing? He must have been closer to the answer than he thought. Dende put a hand on top of Gohan's. "I understand…But could youpleasetell me what you did to Videl to make her so upset?" It would eat away at him all day if he didn't know.

Gohan recoiled from his friend in offense. "I didn'tdoanything, Dende. The things I said to Videl upset her before she left."

Dende had been more than surprised at his reaction. If anything, Dende didn't feel sorry for Gohan, but rather was suspicious. Even the sudden shift in mood made him more defensive. "So what did you say to upset her?"

Gohan covered his face in frustration. "Dende, I came early to the altar for a reason, I'd rather not explain the situation to you."

Dende frowned slightly at his friend's disgruntled reply. "Well, I just wanted to help. Videl seemed very upset when she left your room yesterday, I was concerned."

Gohan looked at his friend with disbelief. "Concerned? Videl has no concern over you, so why would you have concern over her? She is not your friend. The situation between the two of us does not involve you, so you have no reason to be concerned at all."

Gohan's words had never been so cutting. He wasn't sure if he was more hurt or insulted. Nevertheless, Dende began to gather his things. "Perhaps the situation doesn't involve me, Gohan, but it has made your spirit rather spiteful and condescending. I can see what made Videl so upset." He stood with his things packed in his messenger bag. "Have a good week Gohan." He spoke before taking his leave.

Sundays were rather peaceful for Chiaotzu as well. In the few hours of Dende being gone, Tien would come for a short visit. He'd replace Dende's water bottles, take Chiaotzu somewhere to eat, and they'd talk until it was time for him to take his leave. It was something to look forward to every Sunday. Though, this Sunday was a bit different.

Instead of making conversation about his classes or receiving updates on Mifan, Chiaotzu vented about Friday night's bonfire. Tien wasn't one to gossip, as Chiaotzu knew very well, but he was an excellent listener. So Tien allowed Chiaotzu to rant passionately without interruption. He allowed him to go into explicit detail, from the walk to the party, to the walk back. He told him about the next day of his hangover, and his roommate's day-long slumber.

Chiaotzu paced around the room as he spoke. "Now I have to wait for Dende to finish studying in the library to get more information, but really, how much more could he tell me? He doesn't gossip either."

Tien watched him walk back and forth from his desk. "Well, do you at least feel better telling me everything you knew?" He asked.

"Yes, but as much as I do know, I feel like there's so much I don't. How did he sleep that long? Who sleeps through a hangover?"

Tien narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you're concerned about?"

"Yes! I was in misery yesterday. I had no one to talk to, my head was pounding, my stomach felt like an ocean, and Dende just got to sleep it off!" Chiaotzu spoke before screaming with his mouth closed.

"Chiaotzu calm down. Screaming won't fix anything."

"Then why does it help?"

Tien sighed. "Look, it sounds like you should be talking to Dende about a lot of this. I know he probably won't give you the response you're looking for, but you're better off talking to him, than venting to me."

Chiaotzu stopped his pacing and looked back at his friend. "If you were just going to tell me that from the beginning, you could have spared me two hours of pacing."

"You had a lot of energy to burn off."

Chiaotzu rolled his eyes at the reply before taking his route to hop into his bed. "I can talk to Dende without being a gossiping chatterbox. He said he would tell me more anyways, so I'll try not to be so…feral." He muttered.

Tien stood from the desk chair. "With your energy depleted, it should be easy." He stretched his arms out, and Chiaotzu climbed in Tien's arms for a warm hug. "Besides, a little school drama tells me that university is going fine. Nothing for me to worry about."

Chiaotzu hugged his friend tightly. Tien knew Chiaotzu better than anyone. Even after ranting, he felt a lot better, and calmer. He didn't even realize he had so much emotion bottled up from just Friday. Hopefully his new found clarity will help with talking to Dende.

After pulling away from his hug, Tien placed Chiaotzu back in his bed.

Chiaotzu grabbed his tablet. "Well, now that I'm done screaming, I can focus on my homework. So if you're not sticking around to do it for me, beat it."

Tien smiled and put a hand on Chiaotzu's head. Chiaotzu smiled back.

"See you next week."

With that, Tien dismissed himself from the room.

Moments later the door pushed open again, with Dende entering the room.

"You're back early from the library." Chiaotzu commented.

Dende looked over at his roommate, a perturbed look on his face as he spoke. "I didn't go. I just need a moment to collect myself before I start anything else."

Chiaotzu noticed the strange look on Dende's face. "You look like you've got a lot on your mind. Did you write in your journal at all today?" He asked. Dende was normally one to vent through extensive writing in his journal, so to see him emotionally on edge after his visit to the Worship Center was unusual.

Dende took the question into consideration as he placed his messenger bag on the floor and sat in his desk chair. "I didn't, actually." He said before briefly thinking that journaling would make him better. He could see the pages now. He shook his head. "But I don't think that's enough. I need to talk, actually, I need more than talking."

"Praying?"

Dende could feel a sudden frustration build up at the mere suggestion. He shook his head again. "No. I don't need gospel, I need gossip."

Chiaotzu's eyes widened at the request. "Oh, you wanna gossip?" After just depleting so much energy he could feel it instantly build back up at the thought.

"I know it sounds bad, but I feel like I have so much to say. It would be too much to journal, and not very virtuous in my opinion. Can we please talk?"

"Yes, of course! We have so much to unpack Dende." Chiaotzu hopped off of his bed and went to his desk to turn on his electric kettle. "I'll brew you a cup of tea to help you relax."

Dende blinked at the sudden offer. "Oh, thank you. That would be nice."

"It's no problem, we both could use some." He said before hopping in his own desk chair to talk. "So, should we start from Friday?"

Dende nodded.

"Okay, first: How did you enjoy the bonfire overall?"

"I had fun before purging."

"Right. So…"

"The bathroom?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so, after finishing Erasa's drink, Videl and Erasa asked if I wanted to go to the bathroom with them. Of course I didn't have to go, but they were rather insistent that I go with them. So we find the lines for the bathroom, and stand in them. Videl says she wants to ask me a personal question. At this point I mistake nausea for anxiety, and she asks if I have a crush on Gohan."

Chiaotzu narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. And I'm assuming that's when you..?"

"Purged, yes."

"Okay, so let's go a little further back to piece everything together. Upon meeting Videl, how did you feel about her?"

"I felt better after meeting her. I didn't feel jealous, anxious, or nervous at all. I was just glad to have finally met her." All of Gohan's friends were nice, as well as his roommate. But, he couldn't help but feel like Videl had something against him, and he wasn't sure what. "Was she that passive-aggressive with you when you met her after the World Tournament?"

Chiaotzu looked at Dende with disbelief. "No! Of course she wasn't Dende. She was nice, pleasant and sweet. She only treated you and you specifically like that. That's why you saw me so upset."

Dende frowned. "But I don't understand. I didn't do anything to Videl. I was pleasant to her, despite her being less pleasant to me. I even offered to talk to her the next day when I saw her leaving."

"Right. You saw her leaving Gohan's room. She was upset? Why would she be upset?"

"I don't know. That's why I was asking. I was concerned about her."

Chiaotzu gave an exasperated groan. "Why are you concerned about someone that could very well hate you? Has she not made it clear enough how she feels about you?"

"Ugh, you sound just like Gohan." He replied in frustration. "Just because someone has no concern over me, doesn't mean I don't care about them. Videl doesn't have to be my friend to talk to me. Kindness does not stop with the people you have relationships with. It should be extended to everyone. Those who like you and those who do not."

Chaiotzu sat back in his seat in near defeat. "I can't believe you knew she was being mean to you on purpose, and you just let it happen. Then you had the nerve to stop me from telling her off."

"Responding to someone's negativity with more negativity doesn't make for a positive outcome, Chiaotzu. I don't have to regret the things I say, or how I treated someone. Positivity does not leave the conscious guilty." He thought about his words before sighing. "Like today, at the Worship Center. Gohan and I had a disagreement, and I left before coming to a solution. I didn't like doing that, but I was too upset to not leave."

The sound of the kettle's soft whistle filled the room. Chiaotzu stood to prepare their tea. "I'm sorry you got in an argument with Gohan about Videl."

"It's fine. I was concerned about him as well. He was so quiet today. He said he went to the altar early because he had a lot to talk about, so I figured he just had a lot on his mind."

"I'm sure he'll be fine when you see him next week." Chiaotzu said. "I know you care about Gohan and Videl, but if what's bothering Gohan is between the two of them, you probably shouldn't get involved."

Dende sighed. "I suppose you're right. My care has got me caught in some crossfire."

Chiaotzu looked back at Dende as he poured the tea. "I guess I shouldn't be so hard on you for caring. I just—ahh!" Chiaotzu suddenly shrieked when he felt the kettle's boiling water pour onto his hand.

Dende stood from his seat to be at his roommate's side. "Are you alright?" He asked, grabbing the kettle from Chiaotzu and then taking his blistering hand.

Chiaotzu sniffled as tears started to collect at the rims of his eyes. "No, it hurts." He spoke in a whine.

Dende observed the reddening hand, and put his hand on top of it. "It's okay Chiaotzu, don't cry." He reassured his roommate.

"I'm not trying to cry, it just hurts too much not to." He spoke between tears. "Can you find my aloe ointment and get some ice please?"

"If you still need it when I'm done, I'll grab it for you."

"Done with what?"

Dende pulled his hand away from Chiaotzu's. The reddening and blistering had disappeared from his hand completely. Chiaotzu didn't even feel pain from his hand anymore. Chiaotzu looked at his hand in awe. "How did you do that?"

Dende pulled his handkerchief out of his altar robe, and started to dry Chiaotzu's tears. "I don't know how I'm able to do it. I've been able to do it for as long as I can remember. Do you feel better?"

Chiaotzu looked up at his roommate. "Yeah. Thank you." He said before thinking back to move-in weekend. He always thought Dende helped Gohan by stopping the bleeding with his handkerchief, now he knew that he actually healed him.

What a beautiful gift for a beautiful soul.

"Wait, is that how you got over your hangover?"