Cover image title: Familia Briefs, Artist: salvamakoto; DeviantArt
With Trunks and Goten out of the house for the evening, Bulla felt a little more at ease. Now she didn't have to worry about awkward pleasantries and introductions, and they could all go straight to enjoying the night.
This time, when she heard the doorbell, she knew it could only be her much-anticipated guests.
"Hi!" Bulla answered enthusiastically, beaming at the three young men on her family's doorstep.
The first one to walk through was tall with tanned skin, dark shoulder length hair and grey eyes. He was reasonably muscular and clearly the most self-assured of the three.
"Hey gorgeous," he greeted, leaning down to kiss Bulla on the cheek. "Nice place," he added as he took in the foyer.
"Thanks, Krowe," she blushed, barely containing herself. "Remind me to give you guys a tour later." He just kissed me on the cheek without a second thought! God he's smooth, I bet it's cause he's older.
So maybe Bulla hadn't been the most upfront with her brother earlier. He assumed they'd be friends of hers from school and she didn't try to correct him. Six years is nothing, really, she assured herself, quietly bristling at the age gap between herself and her crush. People that far apart get married all the time. And besides, I'm not marrying him anyway.
"This is Reis," Krowe gestured toward one of the figures in the doorway. Like Krowe, Reis was tall. Taller in fact, with dark skin. He wasn't as muscular, but had impressive definition, reminding Bulla of a basketball player with his lanky build and long face and, soon to be discovered, great smile.
"Good to finally meet you, Bulla." He offered a broad grin. "Krowe hasn't shut up about you since he met you."
Bulla was positively spinning inside.
"And this is Jett," Krowe introduced the final member of his trio. Jett was fairer than the other two with silky black hair, blue eyes and shorter stature. Bulla found herself admiring his great bone structure and flashed him a smile.
"Great to meet you all. Madison and I are just hanging out over here." Bulla lead them through the archway into the living area where the two girls had started the party early.
After everyone had shared their introductions and been invited to make themselves comfortable, Bulla slipped off once more, proclaiming she'd be on the hunt for extra drinks.
When she returned, she noticed that Madison and Reis had already started chatting on one of the two-seaters while Krowe sat on another with his arms stretched along the spine. Jett was standing near the fireplace looking at the collection of photos Bulma insisted on displaying.
Bulla placed the drinks on the coffee table and sat down in the armchair she'd inhabited from the start of the evening. "So Reis, what do you do?" the heiress asked, attempting to get some conversation going between the two unacquainted groups.
Reluctantly, Reis shifted his attention from Madison, clearly enjoying her company. "Like Krowe, I'm in construction," he answered easily. "All three of us work together."
"Really?" She held her bottle to her lips. "I must not have seen you when I first met him."
"Yeah, I was on the other side of the job site with Jett at the time. I remember it pretty clearly because he was dead quiet when we got back. That's not typical of Krowe, you'll learn," he answered playfully.
"So you're in construction too then, Jett?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Sure am," Jett answered, speaking for the first time since he'd entered. "I haven't been in it as long as these two though."
"Jett's actually in school right now getting his degree," Reis added, a teasing look in his eye as he gazed at the seemingly youngest member of the trio.
"You are?" Bulla enquired curiously. "What are you studying? How do you fit that all in?"
"Engineering," he answered, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I attend classes a few nights a week and work during the day."
"Oh my god that sounds so busy. I should hook you up with a job at my mom's company when you're finished." She nestled further into her seat, gradually growing more comfortable. "They're always looking for driven people like you help inject new life and ideas."
"That'd be amazing actually," he responded with a boyish smile. "I've always dreamed of working for the Capsule Corporation. Just being in this house is kind of surreal."
"Why don't you join me here Bulla," Krowe interjected. "I saved this seat for you earlier."
Judging by the quickly diminishing space between Madison and Reis on their loveseat, Bulla was keenly aware that joining Krowe would render Jett the fifth wheel way too early into the evening.
"I'm sort of happy in my little chair already," Bulla replied regretfully. "Jett, why don't you make yourself comfortable?"
He turned away from the family portraits and joined Krowe on his two-seater, grabbing a drink as he sat down. "Your family is really photogenic," Jett stated, popping off his bottle cap.
"You think so?" The teal-haired teen asked, crinkling her brow. "I hate most of those photos, they're so embarrassing."
"You look great. The camera likes you."
Bulla smiled shyly, appreciating being complimented by what appeared to be the most reserved of the three guests. "Thank you."
Krowe gave Jett a quick look, steel eyes tensing. "So what are we actually doing tonight?" he asked the heiress.
Before she had a chance to respond, Madison exclaimed. "Guys! How long has it been since you all played spin the bottle?!"
Bulla threw her friend a sideways glance. Seriously? How old are we?
"I dunno Maddie," Krowe responded with a smirk. "I don't like to wait for a bottle to dictate my destiny. When I want to kiss someone, I just do it."
"Well I guess no one here's doing it for you then," Madison countered playfully. "'Cause I haven't seen you kiss anyone yet."
"Don't speak too fast now," Krowe muttered, striding towards the young heiress. Placing his hands on the armrests either side of her, he leaned in and kissed her unashamedly.
Bulla had to admit, she enjoyed the sensation, but soon found herself overwhelmed as he upped the intensity. Abruptly, she turned her head and threw her hand over her mouth, face turning bright red.
"Okay, I was not expecting that!" Madison laughed, mouth agape. "Way to go Krowe, I've never seen Bulla so flustered before."
He didn't take his eyes off of his prize, however. "You didn't like that?" he asked quietly, face still inches from her own.
"Oh no I did, it's just..." She was still struggling to get her brain back. "Well, we're not exactly alone in here..."
"We could be alone," he replied smoothly. "Why don't you show me your room."
Bulla's face became even more flushed. "I have visitors Krowe," she responded quietly. "It'd be pretty rude of me to just disappear halfway into the evening."
"Hey we haven't actually had that tour yet," Jett interrupted suddenly, standing up from his seat.
"Oh you're right," Bulla exclaimed, grateful for the distraction. "Follow me and I'll show you guys around." Krowe backed away from the armchair, allowing her to get up and head towards the exit.
"You guys go on," Reis replied from the two-seater without so much as a glance to the rest of the group. "Maddie and I will stay here."
"So you guys have seen the entrance hallway, obviously," Bulla stated, passing through the archway with her two guests. "Here's the kitchen."
The Briefs' kitchen was the first room you entered once you came through the foyer. The fridge, stove top, oven and various appliances were against a wall opposite the front door. A large granite bench top dominated the centre of the room, giving plenty of workspace and room to eat. Kitchen stools stored under the granite allowed a casual seating arrangement for coffee or breakfast. The kitchen was almost certainly the central hub of the CC residence.
On the right-most side of the room, past all the appliances, was a door leading to the garage. "This is where my mother and brother like to keep some of their favourite cars," Bulla explained, uninterestedly while her guests took a moment to admire the flashy rides.
On the opposite side of the kitchen, to the left of the whiteware, was a set of stairs. "So here's a bathroom if you guys need one. I probably should have mentioned this earlier huh?" She gestured to the door to the left of the stairway. "If you follow me up these stairs, they lead to our bedrooms."
Once upstairs, the three found themselves in a large hallway. There were two doors on the left, two doors on the right, and one door on the opposite wall, facing the stairs.
"This room's mine." Bulla gestured to the first door on the left. "There's a bathroom in there if you need it." Pointing to the next room over, she continued. "And this is Trunks' old bedroom. Since he moved into the pool house, it's mostly been used as a spare. That's usually where Goten sleeps when he crashes here."
"Who's Goten?" Krowe asked.
"He's my brother's best friend," she answered, spinning around, already on to the next one. "He basically grew up in this house."
Moving clockwise around the main passage, they reached the large room opposite the stairs. "That's my parents' room but they're not in the country right now. My mother had some business to attend to overseas and she dragged my dad along with her." While not the complete truth, it was close enough.
"This last room is basically just a big recreational space. There's place to do yoga, dance, exercise, whatever takes your fancy."
"You mentioned a poolhouse, I assume that means you've got a pool?" Krowe asked with a hint of optimism.
"Oh right! I nearly forgot to show you the outside. Yeah, there's a pool and a jacuzzi too. Follow me."
Back in the main living room, Bulla passed through a set of sliding doors that lead to the backyard with Krowe and Jett in tow. It was completely dark by now, but the pool was well lit, water clear and inviting.
"Man the water feel great," Krowe remarked, dipping his hand in.
"The temperature's controlled throughout the year. We can swim if you guys would like to?" The heiress suggested with a shrug.
"I would, but I didn't expect to be getting wet tonight," Jett responded, hypnotised by the light dancing off the water's surface. "I don't really have anything appropriate to swim in."
"Fuck, this water feels so good, I'd swim naked," Krowe uttered bluntly.
"No need," Bulla giggled, trying not to imagine what exactly that would look like. "We have plenty of Capsule Corp. swimming gear. I can get you guys some shorts and towels, just give me a minute. I'll go tell the others."
Bulla emerged from the sliding door and headed toward the pool in a mid-thigh length, satin kimono-inspired robe, spotting Krowe was relaxing against the pool edge while Reis and Jett were goofed around with a squealing Madison.
As Jett held his arms out, preparing to catch her, he suddenly twisted. Seeing his dark-haired friend's attention and expression shift, Krowe turned too.
Both faced Bulla as she slipped off her satin robe, exposing her red, barely-there bikini. "Fuuuuck," Krowe muttered under his breath, before a grin appeared on his face. "You are an absolute goddess, you know that? C'mere."
She sat herself down on the edge of the shallow side of the pool, swaying her legs in the water as Krowe swam up to her, emerging between her knees. Lightly, he touched his index finger to the underside of her jaw and rested his thumb on her chin, tilting her head up to his.
"I've been dying to do this again," he breathed before gently kissing her on the lips.
Averting his gaze, Jett headed towards the pool exit. "I'm gonna grab another drink."
Inhibitions loosening, thanks in no small part to the numerous drinks she'd already had tonight, Bulla allowed the poolside kissing to continue. The feeling of his lips on hers was nothing short of magical and the sensation of his warm, strong hands gliding up her torso sent butterflies all through her body.
The sound of a car pulling up outside her family home abruptly pulled her out of her dream-like state, however. "Shit," Bulla hissed. "I think my brother's back early." Quickly, she jumped up and headed toward the sliding door. "I need to clean up all those bottles before he freaks out on me."
"I'll help you," Jett offered, following her inside. "I've already dried myself off."
He began gathering the empty bottles, intermittently throwing them into the black rubbish bag Bulla had hastily grabbed from the kitchen.
"Thanks, Jett, this is really sweet of you."
"Don't mention it," he smiled, returning to her and throwing the last remaining drink into the bag. "You've been a great host tonight. Wouldn't want you getting into any trouble."
The duo was interrupted when the front door flew open violently.
Bulla looked up in surprise, not expecting such a noisy entrance and soon saw Goten's silhouette. It seemed strange somehow, head tilted and body hunched. The recent arrival looked up to see Jett and Bulla staring at him through the archway but past his face, Bulla saw something even more alarming.
"Oh my god, Trunks!" She dropped the sack and ran towards her brother. "What happened? What's wrong with him?!"
Goten had entered supporting Trunk's slumped form, with the lavender-haired Saiyan's left arm over Goten's shoulders while Goten's right arm hooked under his armpit.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine," he answered, readjusting the unconscious hybrid. "I think he just had too much to drink a bit too quickly."
"Hey, do you need a hand?" Jett asked, coming up behind the heiress. "He looks pretty solid. I'm Jett by the way."
Goten hesitated a moment as he looked between the two.
"Thanks man," he responded after a few moments. "I appreciate it but I'll be alright." Turning back to the worried teen, he continued. "I'm gonna take him to the spare room, would you mind helping me set it up for him? I'd take him to the poolhouse, but I don't want to attract too much attention."
"Of course," Bulla replied quickly, still in shock at seeing her brother so incapacitated. "Oh sorry Jett, this is Goten. I mentioned him earlier. My brother's friend?"
"Yeah yeah, I remember," he nodded. "I'll let you two do what you need to do and I'll just get back to... what we were doing before." He passed a knowing glance to Bulla, earning himself a smile as she thanked him.
"Lead the way." Goten nodded towards the stairwell.
As she ascended the steps, Bulla became painfully aware that she was still wearing nothing more than her tiny red bikini, Goten now behind her now with a full view. Oh my god, she cringed.
Once she'd reached the spare room, Bulla opened the door and quickly readied the bed for her brother. She opened the covers and grabbed a couple of towels and a waste bin, in case he woke up suddenly needing to purge his guts.
Goten placed him carefully on the bed and began untying his shoes before moving onto his belt. Bulla slipped off Trunks' jacket, unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and loosened his cuffs.
Once she'd pulled the covers back, she began to speak. "I don't understand how this could happen." Her voice started to quiver. "His tolerance isn't like other humans, right?"
"Bulla, it's okay," Goten reassured her. "I told you, he'll be fine. He just needs to sleep it off." Despite his words, he was still watching the oldest hybrid with clear concern. "You're right, his tolerance is higher. I wasn't exactly with him all night," Goten admitted before continuing. "I didn't see how much he had to drink. He was already passed out when I found him."
"But, why?" she began to frown. "This isn't like him."
Before he could respond there was a light tap at the door and they exchanged a brief glance before she got up see who it was. Inching the door open, she found Jett standing in the hallway looking decidedly out of place. She slipped out, lightly pulling the door behind her.
"I thought you might want this," he said quietly, averting his gaze slightly while he held out her kimono-robe.
Touched by the thoughtfulness behind the simple gesture, and admittedly overwhelmed by the recent events, Bulla impulsively threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, you've been so thoughtful all night." He hesitated for a few seconds before placing his hands on her back and returning her hug as she kissed his cheek. "You're such a great guy."
With the door only pulled on, there was enough light in the passage for Goten to see the two embrace but he looked away, instead focusing his attention back on his best friend.
Post story notes:
A sincere thank you to those who have reviewed, followed and favourited this story so far! It's really encouraging for a non-writer like me to get such positive feedback. I hope you've enjoyed the latest update.
Till next time, take care of yourselves :)