(Moments earlier)
Quietly closing the door to Gohan's room, Lime slowly made her way over to the futon where the teen was lying. When she saw the young fighter lying under the covers with a tray of food sitting nearby along with a bucket of water, the casually dressed farm girl smiled and, tucking some stray hairs behind her ear, knelt down beside his head.
"Hello, Gohan," Lime whispered, getting comfortable before leaning forward to beam down at him. From the way he looked, eyes closed and his breathing steady, you wouldn't even think he'd gotten into one of the most spectacular fights the earth had ever seen. "I missed you at school. Did you get into some trouble again?" Even though she knew he couldn't hear her, the girl still held out hope that he was able to in some small way.
Staring at him for a few seconds and watching the boy dream away, the girl then blinked when she noticed something and reached over, placing her palm against her forehead.
"He's running a bit of a temp." It wasn't a fever. That much she was certain. It was probably from the climate seeping in from outside.
Glancing over at the wall, the girl quickly scampered over to it and switched on the overhead fan. Once she got the air circulating in the room, she then went over to the bucket, knelt down next to it, and plucked the towel from its edge. After unfolding it, she then gave it a quick dunk before twisting it between her hands and squeezing out the excess water.
"Days like this where the heat gets to you inside the house can be pretty annoying," Lime murmured, smiling as she slowly folded up the cloth. "I don't remember you ever coming home unconscious after a fight, Gohan. Every time you and your friends were done with an opponent, you always came back with a ruined outfit, but your body looking better than ever. The person you fought this time must have been absurdly strong." After folding the towel into a perfect rectangle, the girl sighed happily. "It must be tough being the hero." She then moved to place the cloth over the sleeping demi-Saiyan's head, only to realize her face was now only a foot above his. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Huh? When did I get this close to him?"
Swallowing nervously as her heartbeat quickened, Lime quietly laid the towel over his forehead and beamed.
"I wonder if he knows I'm here? Gohan-kun?"
The boy had the tendency to be surprising. Due to his unique and vast skill set, the girl wouldn't put it past him to be able to sense his surroundings, even in sleep. However, figuring that this was one of the only times he would be somewhat normal, the visiting teenager decided to throw all caution to the wind and moved a little bit closer.
Cheeks growing warmer by the second, Lime gripped the floorboards with her fingers tightly. "He always looks so cool when he's fighting and training. But seeing him like this…" Biting her bottom lip as her heartbeat quickened, causing her to press her hand to her chest, Lime murmured anxiously. "Aaahn… geez. His face is so cute. Maybe… since he doesn't know that I'm here. No… I shouldn't…" Straightening out his blanket, the farm girl tried to think about something else to distract her. However, after several fruitless attempts to move her thoughts to a different subject, the girl gasped. "Oh, the heck with it…" Thinking she was not going to get another chance like this, Lime then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and leant down till her lips were just an inch away from his. "Here I go-"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" a new voice suddenly shouted from behind.
In all her years of living, Lime had never moved so quickly in her life. Almost instantly upon hearing Videl's outraged voice cry out from the doorway, the farm girl found herself sitting stock straight on the other side of the futon a couple feet away from Gohan's pillow. When her owlish gaze fixed upon the entrance, she saw her red-faced, raven haired friend glaring right back at her, huffing like a wolf.
Taking in a deep breath, Videl stomped into the room and confronted the brown haired intruder. "The heck with what? What was that all about?!" Looking the startled teen in the face, the short-haired fighter narrowed her eyes, "And why in the world were you sitting so close to Gohan? Aren't you supposed to be nursing him?"
Swallowing nervously, the abashed visitor pressed her fingers together nervously and looked down like a scolded child. "Well… I was… but then…" Cheeks turning red, Lime smiled and glanced away with an expression that was just too pleasant for Videl's liking. "Things just started… happening…"
"Things… jus-?" Mouth opening and closing a couple of times, Videl then gritted her teeth and said in a very loud voice, "What are you even doing here? You just started at Orange Star High a couple of days ago! Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
Shuffling anxiously, Lime then gave Videl an inquisitive look of her own. "What about you? Why aren't you in school right now?"
When she was just about to make some form of comeback, the tomboy then stopped when she realized exactly what she was going to say next and blushed. "I… uhh…" Taking a moment to rethink her options, not really wanting to spill the beans so early, Videl pulled away and cleared her throat. "Well… since I'm Gohan's best friend and his partner in Satan City's police force, it is my responsibility to make sure that my co-worker is doing alright. It's also customary that I check up on him whenever possible."
Lime, not too convinced by the girl's stuttered reply, narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Uh-huh."
Deciding to prove that she was here solely for medical intentions, the raven haired teen reached over, plucked the cloth from Gohan's forehead and dunked it in the water. "Let's start with cooling him off. You have to make sure the towel is properly ringed out before placing it on the patient's forehead-"
"I already did that," Lime said, her frown growing little by little as she watched the girl trying to maintain a professional air squeeze the cloth dry. "Just want to point that out."
Huffing irritably, Videl hastily laid the towel over Gohan's forehead and, after pulling away his blanket, took his hand in hers. "I wonder how his pulse is-"
"You know, you shouldn't move him so much when he's sleeping," Lime interjected a second time, her mind working out that Videl wasn't just here for business and that she had, in fact, ulterior motives in mind. As Videl's face became even more flustered, the farmer's daughter knew that she was right on the mark. "Plus his mum says he's fine, so you don't need to…"
Sweating even more, Videl then set the boy's arm down and checked his face, "His air duct is clear, and his pulse and temperature are normal-"
"We're not in a hospital," Lime interrupted, now staring oddly at the girl desperately trying to save face with the audience. "And I don't recall you training to become a nurse, Vi."
Now feeling really silly, the crime fighter stared ahead of her quietly for several seconds. When that time eventually passed, the girl threw her fists up and punched the air in frustration. "What-what-what?! I just came out here to see him, that's all!"
A smirk of triumph formed across Lime's lips as she watched the girl lose her composure completely, "Too bad. I got here first."
"Why are you treating me like I'm some sort of criminal?!"
"Because you're acting like one. That's why."
"Well… it doesn't matter! Gohan and I are a couple now," Videl stated, glaring across at her competition heatedly. "He asked me out two days ago!"
"So?" Lime asked, not at all shaken by this, "That doesn't mean you two are officially together. As long as he isn't tied down, he's still ripe for the picking." This was Gohan they were talking about after all; earth's greatest champion and her savior. There was no way she was going to let the greatest guy in the world and the boy she'd fallen in love with slip away so easily. "Just because he's partnered up, doesn't mean he's been taken off of the board."
Even if she had to go through Videl Satan herself, she didn't care.
"Besides… I knew him first."
"Well… I kissed him first! That means our relationship is two steps ahead of yours! So there!"
"What, are you bragging now?"
Just as electricity started to crackle between the pair and two clouds of unsettling auras began to waft off of their bodies, any and all potential for a catfight was quickly killed when the sound of someone's throat being cleared drew their attention towards the door. When Videl and Lime looked across the room, they saw a casually dressed Zangya wearing a purple turtleneck and a pair of jeans standing behind them with her arms crossed.
Leaning comfortably against the doorframe gazing in, the orange haired Hera shook her head when she looked upon the startled looks of the two girls. "Aren't you guys being a little bit too noisy in here? Gohan's trying to sleep."
Stiffening slightly at the serious look the young woman threw at them, the teenagers then watched as the newcomer slowly eased her way into the chamber and knelt down on the other side of the futon next to the demi-Saiyan.
"Hey, Zangya," Videl greeted, watching nervously as the newcomer tended to the half-Saiyan, "We were just… uhh…"
"Oh. His towel slipped off." Fixing her attention squarely on the spiky haired man under the blanket, Zangya picked the cloth up, folded it, and laid it out across his forehead. While she did so, she then proceeded to chastise the frazzled teenagers. "Geez. What are you two girls doing arguing so much? You lose points…"
It was that little remark at the end that had Videl and Lime stare at the alien strangely. "L-Lose points?" they both thought.
What exactly did she mean by that?
"And here I thought you were trying to make a good impression on him. But judging from the way you two are carrying on, I think you guys are going to need a bit of work." As the two confused martial artists were trying to decipher the woman's cryptic comments, Zangya sat back on the wooden floor and smirked across at the pair kneeling side-by-side. "Still, I am genuinely curious as to why I could hear you and Lime practically screaming at each other from the other end of the hallway. Since you're both in Gohan's room and looking like you were about to rip each other's throats out, I have to assume it has something to do with him." She then gestured to the young man in emphasis of this fact.
Not knowing what to say at the start, a stammering Lime spoke up, "Well… w-we were just…"
"Talking about how we should be looking after him so that he can recover faster," Videl hastily replied, knowing full-well that it was a shocking excuse. "Yeah. If he doesn't get up soon, he's going to miss out on a lot of important stuff at school, so… you know…"
And of course Zangya didn't buy it for one second. The Hera chuckled at the disconcerted expressions on their faces before looking across at them with a calm aura falling over her. "There's no need for the double-glazing. I know exactly why you two are fighting." Seeing the pair suck in their breaths gave the exact reaction the orange haired fighter was looking for. Upon sizing them up, the former mercenary looked down at the sleeping Saiyan in front of her and, after getting a good look at his face, a warm smile tugged at her lips. "It almost seems like forever since I first met Gohan on that island. When I saw him standing in the middle of that courtyard dressed in orange and blue, I didn't think much of him. I just saw him as some over-confident brat with a silly haircut…"
Glancing across at their would-be rival, Lime and Videl gave each other a confused look before turning back to stare at the newcomer. At first they thought the alien fighter was going to admonish them for making so much noise or tease them for being childish or something. But as the hands on the clock continued to wind around, they soon realized the full depth and seriousness of the circumstances they found themselves embroiled in.
"But then I got to spend time with him… and as the days rolled by… things started to change. I enjoyed hanging out with him here in his home, watching him work, and after weeks of training together and talking, we soon became good friends," Zangya exclaimed, her eyes reflecting a very familiar glow as she gazed fondly down at the sleeping teenager. Tempted to reach down and brush that signature bang of hair that sat over his forehead, the woman reframed from doing so as she continued to speak her mind. "Every time I look at him I always think to myself how such a tough, powerful guy, who's more than capable of turning an entire galaxy into a cloud of dust, could be so kind and gentle at the same time."
Lime, hearing this loud and clear, smiled warmly, "Easy. Because he's Gohan." She too then looked down at the teenager, leaning forward and resting on her hands so that she could get a good look at his face. "It's the kind of person that he is. He's always so brave when he steps out onto the battlefield to fight for his friends. But when he's like this, inside and away from all the action, he looks just like any other guy… only cuter." Pressing her legs together and tensing up slightly, a shade of pink then appeared in her cheeks as she said her next bit with both confidence and certainty. "Maybe that's why I like him so much…"
Caught off guard by the girl's words, Videl remained quiet as she stared across at the teen who was now regarding Gohan with the utmost respect and admiration. "Lime is open and easy to read, so I know exactly how she feels about Gohan." The realization that her friend from the mountain village had also developed strong affections for the demi-Saiyan put a knot in her chest unlike any she'd ever felt before. Though the situation wasn't at all surprising and sat well within the realm of reason, the thought still left her with a gut-wrenching sensation that filled her with both anxiousness and unease. "I can understand her completely. But Zangya…" Videl continued, her eyes panning over to the elven woman and fixing upon her smiling face. "How does she feel about Gohan?"
Continuing to beam at her sleeping sparring partner in silence, Zangya suddenly sprouted a grin and nodded towards the hybrid with an air of respect, "Fearless on the battlefield… kindhearted in life." Settling her jumbled nerves, the Hera-seijin tilted her head at the boy. "Changes like that… have the ability to pull women in."
These words and the look that appeared in the female warrior's eyes caused Videl to react in momentary alarm. "W-What does that mean?" She was so stumped by the woman's remarks that she was having trouble gathering her own thoughts together. With so many alarm bells going off here and there, it made the task of maintaining her composure all the more complicated. "D-Does Zangya also…?"
Before she could get a word in or finish her train of thought, the orange haired fighter glanced in her direction with a sly looking smile. "From the way you two are acting, I'd say both of you have been well and truly hooked by this guy's claws… especially you, Videl." She then grinned at the crime fighter. "And it seems like you've sunk your talons into his skin as well."
Acting restlessly, the raven haired girl retreated a little and looked down at the floor, "Y-Yeah… I guess I have." A sweet smile then formed on her face.
Seizing her opportunity to land a few jabs, the sweater wearing Hera leaned back on her hands and threw the pair of teenage girls a mischievous glare. "I suggest you hang onto him tightly. From what I can see… you've got some serious competition coming in that might give you some trouble." She then eyed Lime in particular, who quickly turned to stare back at her in confusion. "Why don't you two go outside and finish your little argument girl-to-girl. I'll stay here and watch over him until you're done."
Slightly taken aback by the woman's words, Videl and Lime took a few moments to analyze the situation before fixing the sneaky orange haired fighter with a glare.
"Oh-ho! No way!" the former shouted.
"You think we're going to leave you here alone with him after what you just said?!"
Zangya quickly threw up her hands, "Hey, hey. I'm just thinking about what's best for Gohan here. I believe a little bit of peace and quiet can go a long way for him." She then lowered her arms and raised her head, "Not to mention some pleasant company as well."
From the tone of her voice, those words could have meant a whole lot of things. To the girls sitting right next to the boy, they only heard one thing… and they didn't like it one bit.
"If it's a friend he needs, then it's going to be me!" Lime stated firmly.
"No way!" Videl shot across at the brown haired girl, sneering when she saw her turn in her direction, "I'm his girlfriend now! So if anyone's going to be staying with him, it will be me!"
"In your dreams, hawk girl." She then snapped in the direction of the blue-skinned woman and pointed at her. "And you! Go away and do something else for a while!"
Zangya shrugged, "Why? I don't have anything important going on. Where should I go?"
"I don't care! Anywhere but here!"
Just before the fight between the women could escalate into anything more, they were suddenly interrupted by the echoing of footsteps rushing down the corridor. The instant all eyes in the room turned towards the entrance, they suddenly saw a shockingly familiar person appear in the doorway. It first took Videl and Zangya a moment to recognize the silver plug suit with glowing blue nodes, but once her long, glowing hair floated out of the way, both young women backed off and gawked at the newcomer in disbelief.
"W-What the heck-?" Zangya balked. It was like she was staring down an old nightmare.
"GAH! It's you!" Videl also shouted, scooting back a bit while Lime stared at their newest visitor in puzzlement. "Y-You're that alien that attacked my father!"
Looking incredibly on edge, as soon as Kana's eyes fell upon the group of people in the room and spotted the half-Saiyan lying underneath the futon, a gasp soon emanated from her lips before she dove for his side. "Gohan! Are you okay?" Instantly dropping to her knees next to him, the Seirei wasted no time in thrusting her hand out and activating her suit's inbuilt scanners. As soon as the orange hologram jumped up and began relaying her all sorts of readings and numbers, namely medical based results, the newcomer allowed a relieved grin to form across her face. "Oh, good. You're alive." Sighing, the alien then glanced up at the other three people in the room. Blinking a couple of times at the stares she was receiving from the collection of females, a pleasant smile then appeared on her face. "Hello."
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