A/N For a full Author's Note please see the original work on AO3. Happy reading :)

Friday's martial arts practice was coming to a close. As Gohan and Sahir packed their bags, Yamcha made his announcements.

"Great work today everyone! As you all should know, today is the last day for dues. I have a few receipts to pass out before I take payments. Next week—"

"Oh no," Gohan groaned. "I forgot to call my grandpa for dues." He was so distracted, he couldn't believe he forgot.

Sahir frowned slightly at his roommate. "Well maybe if you weren't acting as prickly as a cactus I could have reminded you." He spoke as he shuffled around his bag for his own dues. "But, maybe talk to Yamcha. I'm sure he'll understand."

"I hope so." He said as he watched their teacher walk over to the two of them.

"Thanks for your payments guys, see you next week." Yamcha said, handing them each a receipt with their respective names on them.

Gohan and Sahir looked at each other in equal confusion.

"I wasn't sure if you forgot or not, so I came this morning to check."

The roommates looked up, finding Videl looking down at the two of them.

Gohan stood quickly with Sahir following suit. "I'll pay you back as soon as I can—"

"You don't have to. I was happy to do it. I just want to talk to you."

Gohan nodded. "Of course. We can talk somewhere private."

"Can I pay you back before you go Videl? It was awfully generous to pay for my dues as well." Sahir spoke next.

"Oh actually, I didn't pay for your dues Sahir, I just dropped them off." Videl explained.

Sahir paused for a moment at her reply before nodding. "Thank you." He spoke before gathering his things. "Excuse me, I have to go." He said before quickly leaving.

Videl and Gohan watched as Sahir brushed past them to leave. "Hmm, I wonder what he's off to do." Gohan spoke, pulling on his backpack.

"Hopefully off to make a move." Videl said and grabbed his hand to lead him out. "C'mon, I still wanted to talk."

Videl led Gohan back to her dorm room. As she pushed her door open, Gohan looked around her room. It smelled like the red apple perfume she wore all the time. Her room was neat, but her desk was messy. Her bed was made, with a fluffy, baby blue comforter and pink satin pillows. Her sheer white curtains blew away from the ajar window.

"Erasa's at the dining hall. I thought this would give us enough privacy." Videl said, sliding off her bag and hanging it on her desk chair.

Gohan took a seat on the floor, sitting back on his legs. Her bed was so nicely made, and he hadn't showered after his practice yet. Videl followed suit by sitting next to him.

"I like your hair."

Videl looked over at him, almost surprised by the compliment. "Thanks. I kinda hated it at first, but I think it's starting to grow on me." She spoke, fiddling with her short locks.

"I think it fits you, plus I can't pull it anymore." Gohan spoke before wincing. "L-Like when we fight. I can't pull it anymore when we fight." He explained quickly.

Videl laughed at the blush growing on his cheeks. "I knew what you meant the first time, Gohan, but thanks for clearing it up." She said before thinking back to last Friday. Did he pull her hair when they..? "So um, have you had enough time to sort things out?" She asked, looking away to hide her own reddening cheeks.

Gohan nodded. "More than enough time. I wanted to apologize first though." He said looking over at her. "I'm sorry I couldn't communicate my feelings better, you didn't deserve how I treated you."

Videl looked back at him. "I forgive you. Sorry if I pushed you into something you didn't want to do."

Gohan shook his head. "You don't have to apologize for that. I made the decision in the action, I just handled the consequences poorly." He looked away for a moment. "We're so different Videl. I always thought my first girlfriend would be someone that attended King's Castle. A girl with a family like mine, and who had the same views as me." He smiled slightly in thought. "I hadn't expected to date a girl who has no religious views, and has the last name 'Satan.' But truly, that's the least of my worries."

Videl smiled slightly at his teasing. "So what have you been so worried about?" She asked.

Gohan thought again of his words. "I hadn't expected to initiate our relationship in such an intimate way. I know the feeling was mutual the night of, but the next day left me with a lot of uncertainty. I held myself to a different standard, and I was ashamed when I hadn't met it."

Videl had been confused. "Well I don't get it. There's no reason to be ashamed. It wasn't your first time, right?"

Gohan stammered to find an answer, his face flushing instantly. "Well-Um, actually, I-"

Videl's eyes widened. "Oh my God. Gohan, why didn't you tell me? I would have understood."

Gohan shook his head. "I told you, I made the decision in the action. It's what I wanted, I just should have been okay with whatever came next."

Videl looked at him for a moment. "And, what did you decide? What comes next for you Gohan?"

Gohan was quiet for a minute. "I thought that maybe we should break up. I thought that would rekindle my spirit, and get my mind off of temptation."

Videl looked away, and nodded in understanding. "Right, I get it…I'm sorry for leading you to temptation. I just thought it was something we both wanted." She looked back at him, a small smile on her face. "But for what it's worth, being one with your flesh, even for one night, was the best gift I've received."

Gohan looked over at Videl, smiling as well. She seemed to understand how he was feeling better than he thought. Videl seemed different, and it wasn't just her hair. He wondered what kind of week she's had. She was calmer, and more confident than she's ever been. It was different from her pensive and paranoid attitude she always carried. Whatever she had been through, it seemed to have changed her for the better. "I don't want to break up Videl."

Videl's smile grew. "Really?"

Gohan nodded. "I know I didn't meet the standards I set for myself, but I can't go back and change anything; and I don't regret anything I've done with you." Gohan moved forward to move closer to Videl. "It's all I've thought about, you are all I've thought about. Sharing my body with you was a gift to me as well, and I don't want to stop."

It seems her roommate was right, time is a great healer. It seems that Dende was right as well, someone was always listening to prayers. Videl grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer. "Well we should pick up where we left off." She said and closed the gap between them by pressing her lips against his.

Sahir pushed the door of the greenhouse building open. Instantly, he was greeted with rows of flowers and unfamiliar faces. He scanned the room, finding the familiar face he was looking for. Sahir crossed the room over to the familiar face, stopping in front of their work station. "Hi Chiaotzu." He greeted politely.

Chiaotzu looked up from the bouquet of flowers he had been arranging. "Hey Sahir. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to pick up a flower arrangement. Do you have any made?"

"I'm still working on some, but I don't mind making one for you. What are you looking for?"

Sahir thought for a moment. "I don't know, something that says 'thank you.' Something that a girl would like."

Chiaotzu raised an eyebrow. "A girl? What girl? Surely not Erasa."

"Actually yes, that's exactly who I'm sending them to." He said with a nod. "She paid for my Martial Arts dues, and I just wanted to send something to show my gratitude."

Chiaotzu hopped off his work stool and came around the workbench. "You should be showing your gratitude with a date." He said walking off to find his materials.

Sahir followed after him. "Erasa wouldn't want that. She told me she wasn't looking for a relationship."

Chiaotzu stopped in front of the yellow tulips. "Really? Well it seems awfully nice of her to pay for your dues." He said pointing to the flowers.

Sahir noticed his pointing. "Do you need help getting the flowers?"

Chiaotzu blinked. "Oh, right. You're not Dende. He's pretty good at knowing what I want when I'm pointing. Yes I'll need some help, three of those please."

Sahir carefully picked the flowers before giving them to Chiaotzu. "It is very nice of her, which is why the least I can do is thank her with flowers. I know she likes to keep fresh flowers in her room whenever she can." He said, thinking about the withered flowers he remembered seeing in her room.

Chiaotzu moved on to the white tulips. "Are you sure she doesn't like you? I mean, it sounds like you like her."

Sahir plucked the flowers and gave them to Chiaotzu, smiling slightly. "Erasa's like a magnet. It's hard not to gravitate to her." Spending so much time with her this week hadn't made it any better. It just made him want her more. "But, I'd rather respect her wishes than give into mine."

Chiaotzu walked to the pink tulips. "Well no one spends zeni if they don't have a reason to. Paying for your dues seems like a sign."

Sahir shook his head. "I don't want to think about it too much. I just want to show my gratitude for what she did."

After having all of his collected flowers, Chiaotzu went back over to his workstation. "Give yourself a little more credit. Erasa is very pretty. Blonde hair, blue eyes, she could have anyone. I mean she's leagues above you."

Sahir sighed slightly. "I know."

"I mean by like leaps and bounds—"

"Okay Chiaotzu. Can you make your point?"

"All I'm saying is, she paid for your dues. You may not think it means anything, but it means something."

"Good night Sharpner, see you tomorrow." Erasa said as she continued down the hall to her shared dorm.

"Night E, tell Videl I'll see her tomorrow."

"'Kay." She responded before stopping at her door, smiling at the gorgeous bouquet of flowers lying against the frame. She crouched down, a small card was inserted in the center. Erasa grabbed the bouquet and opened the door to her dorm.

Upon hearing the door open, Videl poked her head out of her room. "Hey E, did you go to the flower shop today?" Erasa shook her head. "No, I've been too busy to go into town." She held the bouquet out to show her roommate. "This was sitting outside the door, I think someone sent it."

Videl leaned against her doorway, smirking. "I think I can guess who."

Erasa rolled her eyes slightly and plucked the card out of the flower's center. She quietly began to read the card.

"You're not gonna read it out loud? Wimp."

With a sigh she read, "'If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever.'" Erasa flipped the card over. "'Thank you for everything, Sahir'"

Videl blinked. "Oh wow, I didn't think Sahir had such a way with words."

"His mother studied poetry. He reads the books she left behind." Erasa answered. She re-read the card silently, and her heart skipped a beat. Just as it did when she read it aloud.

"Why did you even pay for his dues? I thought you didn't like him."

Erasa put the card down, and leaned against the vanity. "I don't…Well I thought I didn't."

Videl raised an eyebrow. "You changed your mind?"

"Well, the day after the party, before he left, I told him I didn't want a relationship. I was on magic mushrooms the night I met him, and thought I was in love then. But the next day, when I was sober, I didn't feel the same…Then we spent almost every day together this week. We talked, ate dinner, and walked to classes together. We have so much in common, but I don't wanna date him just because he's your boyfriend's roommate. It seems cliché."

"Who cares about cliché, dude? If you like him, you like him. If you don't, then you don't. It's up to you, no one else. At least you got some flowers out of it."

"Yeah, and they're beautiful." She thought the card was lovely as well. She was happy to keep both. "How did it go with Gohan? Did you guys make up?"

Videl smirked. "Yeah, a couple times."

"That's both good and gross to hear." Erasa grabbed the flowers to take them to her room. "I need some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night."

Once in her room, Erasa replaced her dead flowers with her fresh ones. She smiled as she admired their beauty in the vase. The flowers were thoughtful, and a better 'thank you' than a date. She could easily reject that, but she could never reject something as beautiful as this.

With a sigh, she went over to her desk. She had some questions, and needed answers. Erasa looked down at her tarot deck. A card reading sounded too serious, and she felt too emotionally imbalanced for it. Instead she picked up her magic 8-ball. Something a little more lighthearted will do for now. Erasa climbed into her bed with the little black ball. "Good evening magic 8-ball, are you awake?" She asked the ball before vigorously shaking the ball. Beyond the hazy purple liquid, revealed an answer.

Definitely.

She smiled at the response. "So the boy I paid the Martial Arts dues for, sent me flowers as a 'thank you.' They're very beautiful, and the card he sent me made my heart skip a beat. I don't actually like him, do I?" She shook the ball and waited.

Ask again later.

She frowned slightly. Too early to ask? Was more to come? "Well I'm happy being single, how different will dating Sahir be?"

Concentrate and ask again.

She thought again about her question. "Will dating Sahir make me happy?"

Signs point to yes.

The flowers and card were both good signs, but early signs. "The outcome seems positive, but too early to tell. Will I know more as time passes?"

Outlook good.

Erasa sighed. "The 8-Ball has spoken." She said before putting the ball back down on her desk. Her answers from the ball seemed vague. She certainly got a clear 'Yes.' this morning about paying Sahir's dues, but asking about a relationship was so nebulous. Videl was right, it had to be her choice, she just didn't want to make the wrong one. For now, she'd enjoy the beautiful flowers sent to her, and let time pass as intended.

Sunday came, the start of the new week. Dende looked forward to making amends with his friend from last Sunday, but his journal entry distracted him from those thoughts.

I had a dream different from my recurring dreams. I dreamt of the campus greenhouse. I was alone, in front of a bed of roses. They hadn't been dethroned, but I picked one anyway. The thorned rose didn't hurt when I picked it, but it burned in my hand. The rose burned in my hand, and withered into ashes.

It was such a strange dream. I was uncomfortable to the point of fear. I am asking Kami for protection, I believe I'll need it.

"Are you done with your journal entry?"

Dende looked up from his writing, and closed his journal, now giving Gohan his attention. "Yes. How was your time at the altar?"

"It was fine, not as long of a visit today." He placed his offering box aside and picked up his Book of Kami. "Sorry about being a jerk last Sunday, I hope you're not too mad at me."

Dende chuckled a bit. "It's hard staying mad at you, of course I'm not upset anymore. I'm sorry for being so involved in your situation with Videl. You're my friend Gohan, and I care about the people that care for you. I wanted to help you both in the situation as friends, but knowing now of your relationship, I shouldn't have been so concerned."

Gohan shook his head. "It was wrong of me to say what I said to you Dende. I appreciate your concern, we both do. Videl told me you guys talked this week, and that you're working on a friendship." Gohan laughed at the thought. "She kinda chewed me out when she found out what I said, and she wanted to make sure I apologize. So please, don't feel bad about anything. You're a good friend to the both of us, Dende."

Dende smiled brightly at his friend. He was glad all was well. Friction between friends can be so unbearable, and leaving Gohan with so much tension between them left him feeling uneasy. "Well I'm happy we fixed everything, now I can start my week off on a much more positive note."

…

The two lingered in the sanctuary for longer than normal, not wanting to part ways so soon. Their conversations were casual, and full of tangents. It was good for Dende, as it distracted him from that horrid dream. Gohan was certainly in a better mood after making up with Videl. All was well for now.

"Have you talked to your family lately?" Gohan asked.

Dende shook his head. "Not recently. I received a letter from my brother Cargo a few days ago, but it's been a couple of weeks since I've called home."

"Well at least you call often. The last time I talked to my family was…" He drifted off trying to remember the last time. It had been so long, maybe too long.

Dende looked at his friend suspiciously. "Gohan, have you spoken to your family at all since University?"

"I have, I just haven't spoken to them since move-in."

Dende's look of suspicion turned into a look of disapproval. "Gohan—"

Gohan put a hand on his leg to stop his chastising. "I know, I know. I should do better in calling them, I know they're probably worried. It's just, the last time I called it didn't set the best expectation. I didn't even get a chance to talk to my dad, Goten's attention span is too short to even hold a conversation, so that just left my mom to rant to me about her expectations for me in school. If I'm going to go through that every time I call, I don't see a reason for calling often."

Dende put a hand on top of his. "Yajirobe always asks me about the food in the dining hall. He knows I don't eat much, but I still take note of it to tell him. Korin always asks me about what I learned in class. Mr. Popo always gives me cryptic advice that I can never decipher. Cargo talks to me for so long sometimes I have to end the conversation for the both of us. My father tells me the things I've missed at Sunday service, and I never get to talk to my Uncle. I understand if your call wasn't what you expected, but it shouldn't discourage you from calling. I'm sure your family would rather have you on the phone for a few minutes than to not hear from you at all. Would you please try to make a better effort in calling your family for me?"

His concern for him and his family was so sweet. He couldn't say no to such a gentle request. Gohan fought the urge to cup his cheek, and instead grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. "Since you asked so nicely, I'll try calling more. Thank you for your concern." He said and released Dende's hand. "You have a lot of family at home to call. That must be nice."

Dende shook his head as he collected his books. "They're not all my family. Korin and Yajirobe are members of the temple. Mr. Popo isn't related to me either. My only family is my father, brother and uncle. My father once told me that we come from a big family, but our relatives are very distant."

Gohan pulled his reading glasses off, tucking them away. He began collecting his things before he spoke. "Hmm that's interesting. My parents come from really small families. My dad was adopted, and my mom is an only child. My dad grew up with a couple of friends that are close to us like family members, but I think Bulma would kill me if I called her my 'Aunt.'" Gohan laughed at the thought.

Dende smiled at his laughter. "Perhaps you should give them a call as well. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you." He spoke standing up.

Gohan stood as well. "I will. I'm sure Trunks has plenty to talk to me about." It was strange, he seemed to relate so much better to the eight-year-old Trunks than his own seven-year-old brother. Gohan offered his arm to Dende. "Do you have any plans after this?"

He shook his head, and looped his arm around Gohan's. "No. I'm caught up on my studies. I was thinking about playing some Solitaire to pass the time." Or perhaps he could play Blackjack with Chiaotzu. He was feeling a bit lucky today. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

Gohan shrugged as he pushed the sanctuary door open for Dende. "Probably hang out with Videl. I told her I'd come over after I was done at the Worship Center."

"How fortunate that you found such a lovely partner." He said thinking back to their talk over lunch. Videl was very sweet, completely different from the night they first met. Chiaotzu hadn't been very convinced in her change of heart, but Dende saw how genuine she was for himself. "I'm sorry we've spent longer than usual here today. I didn't mean to take your time away from Videl."

Gohan looked over at Dende as he pushed the door open to exit to the Worship Center. "You didn't take anything away, Dende. You're just as important to me as Videl. Nothing can take away from our time in the Worship Center. Besides, you had me first." He said with a teasing wink.

Dende couldn't help but giggle at the reply. It was very reassuring, and so coy to the point of making him blush. It was nice to know how important he was to Gohan, as Gohan was just as important to him.

"Silly of me to forget. I won't forget again."