Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball z and am making no profit from this work. All of the Characters in this fiction are 18 or older.
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It had been exactly one year to the day since the events at the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament, when the Z-fighters faced off against the wizard Babidi, and destroyed his evil monster, Kid Buu. To celebrate the anniversary of their victory, Bulma was hosting one of her famous parties.
It was an event of special magnificence and the heiress, having spent the previous months planning it, had spared no expense in its preparation. For days beforehand, all of Capsule Corp had been set to preparing the great domed house for the festivities, even erecting a makeshift stage in the heart of the garden on which the entertainments would perform. A latticed web of fairy lights twinkled merely seven metres overhead. A master gardener had transformed the tall shapeless rosebushes into a menagerie. Moreover, fifty of the world's finest caterers, as well as a small army of waiters and other supporting staff, were hurrying this way and that; trying to keep up with the insatiable appetite of two Sayain Families.
Gohan sat alone at his table, deep in thought and nursing a glass of champagne, only half listening to the band play on stage while watching the flurry of colour as the guests mingled around the Brief's rose garden. Searching through the sea of familiar faces, his keen eyes took note of their cheery expressions and felt a surge of relief. It had been a long time since they had all been this happy. Even Vegeta appeared to be having difficulty hiding his smirk as he and his rival engaged in a furious eating contest. Watching the duo for a moment, Gohan couldn't resist grinning as he watched Goku nearly swallow a boar whole. It felt good to have his Dad back, and it was even better to know, for once, he intended on keeping it that way for a while.
Abandoning the spectacle to continue his search, he felt a genuine smile play across his lips as he finally glimpsed Videl amongst the group, a refilled glass of orange juice in hand and avidly swapping pleasantries with his mother.
'Kami, she's gorgeous... ' he thought dreamily, unable to resist giving her the once-over. She had made a special effort for this evening and had come clad in an elegant gown of sky-blue silk that flowed down to knees and clung to her alluring hourglass figure, its deep V-neckline accentuating the swells of her bosom. Once upon a time, the very idea of Videl wearing such a thing would have made the Sayain laugh, but in the time they had been dating, Videl had grown more confident of her femininity and had tried to dress as, well, a girl. Though she still favoured her oversized tops, jeans and closefitting shirts had become regular recreation garments, as well as a few skirts and dresses that had accidentally found their way into her wardrobe.
As if she could sense his gaze, Videl glanced in his direction and Gohan felt a blush touch his checks as he realised he'd been caught staring. Smiling playfully, she quickly ended her conversation with the older woman, saying something that made them both giggle heartily before turning and making her way through the crowd towards him, exchanging quick words with anyone who addressed her specifically.
'Mmm... that shirt was made for him.' Videl mused, her lips pursing with delight as her eyes drank in the vision of her boyfriend. Though this was not the first time she had seen him dressed in a suit, it always seemed odd to see him without his preferred navy GI or the baggy garments he wore to hide his bulging muscles. Indeed, she'd expected him to feel ill at ease in the black tailored Italian suit and its matching crimson shirt, but he wore it as easily as a second skin and Videl thought he appeared to be a modern day Adonis. Yet, she also longed to remove it from his person, and she inwardly hoped to have the festivities done quickly, so that they might have a chance to celebrate in their own fashion.
Their eyes met as she placed her glass upon the table, and Videl felt her breathe catch in her throat. His lips moved, but she heard no words over the fluttering of her heart "huh... pardon?"
"I said you look beautiful tonight." Gohan repeated, his smile faltering. It wasn't like Videl to miss hear him, quite the reverse in fact.
A sudden blush burning her cheeks, she tore her gaze from his and moved into the vacant seat opposite Gohan's, sipping purposefully at her orange juice to hide her embarrassment. Even so, she could feel the heat of his eyes upon her flesh, watching her, scrutinising her. Did he know she was hiding something? Perhaps, that brilliant mind of his was guessing her secret, ferreting out the truth. A knot of fear tensed in her stomach and her eyes shifted towards the crystal in her grasp, the fruity beverage within already half emptied.
Swallowing her nervousness, she drained the glass with one last swig and placed it back down on the table before turning to face him, hiding her fears behind a playful smile.
"So are you going to dance with me or what?" she said, not really asking, before rising up from her seat once again. Yet now it was Gohan's turn to look away, suddenly as white as a sheep, with an expression of pure terror on his handsome face. "What`s wrong Gohan?" she asked, her tone softening as if she were talking to a frightened child.
Turning to face her, he tried to imitate his father's infamous grin while scratching the back of his head but he couldn't meet her gaze. "Well, you see... Videl... Umm... well I don't... actually know how to... you see I've never had to... um dance... maybe... you should... " He looked so cute, Videl couldn't help giggling.
"Why Gohan, surly you know how to dance?"
Turning bright red, he looked down at his feet in shame, meekly whispering "No."
"Aaahh... Gohan, don't worry, it's not all that hard, come on; I'll show you." she soothed, curling a finger through his spiky hair before taking his arm and dragging him out of his chair, through the crowd and across the Garden towards the improvised dance floor. "Just follow my lead and don't step on my feet... " However, before they could even set a foot upon the platform, a very large amount of banging and crashing from within the Capsule Corp facility murdered the serene ambiance.
Whirling around, they had just enough time to witness a mass of golden fur exploding out of the kitchen and rushing by them with Goten and Trunks hot on its tail. Unfortunately, it wasn't just Gohan and Videl in its path and an elderly waiter, who had been walking close by and carrying a tray of appetisers, leapt out of his skin as the beast raced past. The tray went tumbling, turning end over end and spilling its contents into the air.
With only a moment to react Gohan's battle honed reflexes kicked in and he spun Videl around, throwing himself in front of her as the foodstuffs splattered across his head and Armoni dressed torso.
The clatter of the tray hitting the ground filled the night, drowning out the music and causing all of the Z-fighters, or at least those who were not already watching, to turn and stare at the splattered youth. Too embarrassed to speak and blinking as various condiments dripped into his eyes, Gohan raised a hand to wipe away a trail of mustard running down his neck before turning to Videl. She had escaped unstained, but all thoughts of dancing had vanished from her mind and it was plain she was fighting hard against the laugher now trying to burst free as she looked him up and down.
