Chapter 12: The Hyperbolic Time Chamber: Year Two

            The first year went by quickly, with nothing very eventful. Gohan had the nightmares almost every night, but he took care to do something about the noise he made. He trained every day, and would have trained nonstop had Videl not intervened with thrown objects at Gohan’s head (she had very good aim). They always fought, but there were times when they were friends as well, but there was something more between them. Gohan always thought of Videl instead of meditating and Videl always stole glances of his bare chest while he trained. Each one dreamed about the other every night. The days passed into weeks, weeks into months, and finally, a year passed.

            “Gohan, stop meditating and get your ass over here. I just finished making dinner! GET OVER HERE!” Videl screamed at Gohan, who was ‘meditating.’

            “I’m meditating! Do you want to get killed by Cell or something, because I can easily let him kill you before we fight,” Gohan threatened.

            “I don’t care! Just get yourself over to the table and eat your damn dinner!” Videl snapped.

            “Normally I’d say yes, but not now. I need to meditate now. Now please be quiet,” Gohan said, blocking out her voice and bringing in visualizations of her face and smell.

            “Asshole,” Videl muttered under her breath.

            “Don’t think I didn’t hear that!” Gohan called, and then went back to thinking about her.

            Videl shook and sighed.

            I wish we didn’t argue so much…but I don’t think he feels…like I do… she thought.

            Little did she know that Gohan was thinking almost the same thing.

            Why do we have to do this? I wish she would love me…like I love her… he thought.

            Gohan looked back to look at Videl…and as soon as he saw her, he noticed that she was staring back.

            The remainder of the day was mostly an uncomfortable silence. Gohan said nothing to Videl and it was the same the other way around. They didn’t even look at each other to spare the embarrassment of the earlier incident. The silence was only broken when both were in bed, trying to sleep.

            “Videl,” Gohan said.

            “Yeah?” Videl replied blankly.

            “What…I mean…what happened back there, when I was meditating?” she asked.

            “What do you mean? Nothing happened,” Videl lied.

            Gohan remained quiet for a moment, and then replied sadly.

            “Oh…must have been…my imagination or something. Forget I mentioned anything…”

            They said nothing more, only waited quietly in their beds for sleep that would never come.

            That next morning, Gohan got tired of pretending to sleep and went to train. He went out into the blank white world beyond their little home and pushed himself harder than he ever had before. He shot tons of blasts and took their hits, and within an hour he almost to the point of death.

            Videl had waited silently, pretending to sleep, and listened to Gohan’s strains. She had stopped herself many times from running to him and dragging him back to his bed. She heard his small cries of anguish, and only when they stopped completely did she look up.

            Gohan was unconscious on the ground, blood covering his burned body. She gasped involuntarily and jumped out of bed. She ran out to him and tried to pick him up, but he was too heavy.

            “Gohan, wake up,” she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.

            Gohan didn’t move. His breathing was very slow and labored, but he was still alive. Videl tried to wake him up but he stayed senseless. She finally let her tears fall, landing on his bloodied face. Gohan stirred momentarily, but still didn’t wake.

            “Gohan, you have to get up!” Videl cried. “Wake up, please!”

            Gohan stirred again, and this time, he woke fully.

            “Uhh…” he groaned in pain, putting his hand to his head and blinking a couple times.

            “Gohan, you idiot, you almost got yourself killed! Why the hell did you do that?” Videl demanded.

            “I was training,” Gohan said bluntly.

            “Fine,” Videl said, dropping his head.

            “Ouch!” Gohan cried, and sat up.

            Videl stood up and looked at him.

            “Go take a shower, and I’ll make something to eat. Just go,” she said, pointing to the bathroom.

            Gohan looked down and then stood up, a little shakily.

            “Fine,” he whispered, and walked toward the bathroom.

            Gohan closed the door behind him and leaned his head against the door. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

            I…I don’t know what to think anymore, Gohan thought.

            He closed his eyes and swallowed. Discarding all other thoughts, Gohan undressed and stepped into the shower, the warm water washing away all of his worries…for the time being.

            More months passed. Videl and Gohan didn’t speak with each other as much as they used to, and they tended to avoid each other as much as possible. It was finally within the last month of their two-year (or one-day) stay in the Time Chamber. Gohan was training, pushing himself to new limits every second. Videl watched sadly as he pushed himself further and further. She looked at his eyes and seemed to, for the first time, notice something strange…his eyes reflected pain. It wasn’t physical pain, to which he obviously paid no heed. It was more an emotional or mental pain…almost regret. Videl could feel the pain in her own heart as well.

            “Gohan, please come down here,” Videl said, staring up at the half-Saiyan.

            “Videl, I need to train. Time’s almost up,” Gohan retorted.

            Videl yelled up at him, “Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?”

            Gohan looked down at her. She obviously wanted to talk to him about something. He said nothing…only dropped to the ground and waited for her to speak.

            “You’re talking to me now?” Gohan asked after she said nothing.

            Videl took a deep breath and looked Gohan straight in the eye.

            “Gohan, you better shut up, because this is hard enough to say as it is,” Videl said, tears brimming in her eyes.

            “Then say it,” Gohan said.

            Videl looked down, taking long, deep breaths, as if preparing for something.

            “Gohan,” she whispered.

            “Yeah?” he replied.

            She looked up at him. She looked deep into his ebony eyes and saw that he felt as she did…but the question was: would he admit it?

            “I…I didn’t want you to go and fight Cell without you knowing something,” she began.

            “What is it?” Gohan asked impatiently. “You can tell—“

            Videl interrupted, though, with a cry.

            “I love you!” she blurted, covering her mouth right after and regretting that she said that to him.

            Gohan looked at her with total surprise.

            She…she does feel the same way… he thought.

            When he didn’t say anything back, Videl was crushed. She started crying and ran into the bathroom.

            Gohan ran after her. She slammed the door just as he reached it, leaving him to knock on it loudly and beg to come in.

            “Videl, you have to let me in!” Gohan cried desperately.

            “Why?” Videl sobbed.

            “Because…because I love you too!” Gohan yelled.

            There was silence behind the door.

            “Videl?” Gohan asked quietly.

            The door opened slowly to reveal Videl’s tear streaked face. She smiled slightly. Her sharp, ice blue eyes gazed into Gohan’s midnight ones.

            “You…” she started, but never finished.

            Gohan reached down and lifted her face to meet his.

            “Yes,” he said, and moved to kiss her.

            The only reason he didn’t was because the Time Chamber suddenly shut off.