Chapter Text
Since Majin Buu's defeat, life seemed to have returned to normal fairly quickly. It was as if all the explosions, fears and deaths had never happened. Well, that was true for most of the population, after all. But it was certainly not the case for Videl Satan. She saw everyone, Erasa and Sharpner included, talking about this and that, about upcoming exams and student parties. As if nothing had happened, because after all, for them, none of it had. But fortunately, Videl could count on Gohan for that. And for other things too, to be honest. They had decided to keep training together, it was the logical next step for them. Videl was still bitter that she hadn't been able to help against Buu, not to mention Spopovich, she was frustrated and disappointed at herself. Gohan wanted to give his friend all the tools she needed so that she would never find herself in danger again, as she had been against Spopovich, and he was still angry when he thought about it.
Outside of training, Gohan had resumed his school routine as if nothing had happened, and Videl couldn't help but stare at him. How was he able to resume a normal life after all that? Well... He must be used to it, unfortunately. She knew he had defeated Cell, which was no small feat, and yet there he was, sitting two seats away from her, listening attentively, taking notes, studious, serious, focused. She could probably learn more from him anyway, given how quickly they had grown closer over the last few days. She was troubled by this closeness, even though it made sense, something seemed off.
His profile was silhouetted in the light from the window, dark strands of hair falling slightly over his forehead as he leaned over his notebook. He frowned when something intrigued him, then immediately relaxed, as if his mind was always moving faster than the rest of the world.
She shouldn't pay so much attention to these kinds of details. And yet, she noticed them all. She noticed the width of his shoulders under his shirt, the way his forearm stretched out when he wrote, the almost unsettling concentration that isolated him from the rest of the class. He seemed both so close and infinitely far away.
They had grown closer in recent days, there was no denying it. The more frequent training sessions, the conversations that stretched on after class, the silences that were no longer awkward but charged with something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Once again, it all seemed logical, even natural.
And yet, every time he turned to her with that gentle, sincere smile, she felt that strange tightening in her chest, that slight dizziness that had nothing to do with physical exertion. Something had changed. And that something made her dangerously aware of him.
*****
Later, at the end of the afternoon, they met at Mount Paozu for their daily training session. The sun was setting over the mountains, bathing the clearing in a warm orange light.
When Gohan stood behind Videl to correct her posture, she immediately felt his proximity even before he touched her. The diffuse warmth of his body against her back, his silhouette enveloping hers. His hands rested on her hips with his characteristic studious assurance, adjusting the angle of her pelvis, guiding the movement without the slightest hesitation.
The gesture was precise and controlled, after all, he knew what he was doing. But the slowness with which he removed his hands... did not seem quite so controlled.
She felt his fingers slip before coming away, and that tiny detail was enough to upset her balance far more than any attack could have done. Her breath caught in her throat, without her wanting to. She became brutally aware of everything: the pressure of his palms a few seconds earlier, the solidity of his chest against her back, the way he leaned slightly towards her to check her alignment.
- You have to relax here... otherwise you lose power. He whispered close to her ear.
His voice was low, focused. And close, way too close.
Videl seethed as emotions assailed her, emotions she didn't want, emotions she even feared existed. She decided that ignoring it would be the best option, at least for the time of the training session, right?
She then resumed the fight without even warning Gohan, stringing together combinations. Gohan, for his part, contented himself with parrying with one hand, with disconcerting ease despite his surprise when Videl started attacking again, all with an almost distracted air. This detachment drove Videl crazy. She knew he was infinitely stronger, but it was that little smile of encouragement that was starting to get on her nerves.
- Videl, you lower your guard on the left when you chain your attack. He said softly.
Videl didn't bother to respond, too furious, and tried a feint, a move she had practised alone for hours. She dove to the ground, swept her leg through the air to force him to jump, then used her momentum to propel herself upwards. But Gohan, with his Saiyan reflexes, anticipated the move. He pivoted, grabbed her wrist with disconcerting gentleness, and, to prevent her from losing her balance, wrapped his other arm around her waist.
For a few seconds, time froze.
Videl found herself pressed against him, her face a few inches from his. She could feel the heat emanating from his body, the smell of the forest mixed with the sweat from exercice, and above all, she could feel the steady beat of his heart against her chest. She looked up and met his dark, pure and slightly surprised gaze.
- Are you okay? Are you hurt?
Videl felt an electric shock run down her spine and her heart raced. She should have pulled away, insulted him for his distraction, or resumed the fight. But she stood there, frozen, realising with horror mixed with fascination that this boy had completely disarmed her. Not with a Kamehameha, but with a simple glance.
No, no, no, I'm not falling in love with Gohan.
The initial panic gave way to bitter frustration. She, the daughter of the richest and, supposedly, most powerful man in the world, couldn't just succumb to such a vulnerable feeling. Especially with Gohan, who didn't even seem to be aware of the effect he had on her. She pulled away abruptly, nearly tripping, and turned her back on him, pretending to adjust her gloves.
- I'm fine! Stop treating me like I'm made of sugar!
- Sorry, I just didn't want you to fall... You made a great move, though! He said, scratching the back of his neck.
Videl took a deep breath. She felt her pride as Satan taking over again. If she loved him, she couldn't just wait for him to notice it. With his pathological shyness, it would take another ten years. No, he had to break down. He had to be the one to lose his composure, to stammer, to confess first. Because of course, she would never confess first, she was already having a hard time admitting it to herself.
She turned abruptly, a predatory smile on her lips.
- Tell me, Gohan... She began, slowly approaching him, swaying her hips more than usual, in an almost feline gait that was unusual from her.
Gohan blinked, taken aback by this sudden change in attitude and atmosphere.
- Yes?
Videl stopped right in front of him, much closer than the usual safe distance between a teacher and her student. She raised her hand and, with her fingertips, brushed away the stray strand of hair that fell across the young man's forehead.
- You're all sweaty... She murmured in a lower, almost sweet voice. It's strange, you never usually sweat during such... simple training. Am I really that good?
The result was instantaneous. Gohan's face turned crimson, a colour that clashed violently with his purple gi. His eyes widened, and he began to stammer sounds that no longer resembled any language known on Earth. He then backed away abruptly, enough to avoid any physical contact between them.
- I... um... the humidity! Yes, the humidity of the mountains! And then, I... I sped up my metabolism to... You know...
- Oh yes, of course! The humidity of the mountains, I hadn't thought of that. Videl snickered, savouring her small victory. You should go cool off in the river, Gohan.
She picked up her water bottle, gave him a fiery wink, and walked away towards the path, leaving him alone in the clearing.
Gohan stood motionless, his arm still half-raised in defence. His genius brain, capable of solving complex equations, had just suffered a total short circuit.
What just happened? Why did she look at me like that? Did she... no. It's Videl. She's just... like that.
Yet, as he watched her disappear into the woods, he felt a strange tingling sensation in his chest. It was a feeling far more unsettling than any battle he had ever fought against any enemy.
It was as if war had been declared, and for the first time in his life, Gohan had no idea what strategy to adopt.