A/N: HellloooO! Hi! It's been a while! (Who are we kidding?) Pretty happy with this chapter. It begins the idea of the next adventure and Trunks gets a little payback.
Also, I changed the rating to be on the safe side. Though so far this is fairly appropriate for most ages, rereading the guidelines made me want to make sure that this is safe because we do/will talk about sex and I don't know? I guess I just feel paranoid lol
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or anything related to the franchise.
- CHAPTER 4 -
Trunks had taken a small detour to the party when he heard two loud screams from down the hall. He kicked down the metal door to find Bra pinning down Pan with one hand as she pointed tweezers near her face.
"IT'S JUST AN EYELASH EXTENSION! IT'S NOT GOING TO KILL YOU!" the younger of the two screamed.
"YOU'VE POKED ME IN THE EYE TWICE!" the older grunted. They were unbothered until they noticed the confused boy standing on the knocked down door.
Bra huffed, "Trunks! What the heck did you do that for?!" He only blushed as his little sister's angered face reminded him so much of his mother.
"I, uh, um—there was screaming!" A small drop of terrified sweat dripped from his forehead. "I thought you two were being attacked!"
Only that response only angered them more. "And what?! You didn't think we could take care of ourselves?" Pan glared at him, but it only turned his rosy cheeks into a hot crimson.
"I didn't say that! I just—" he gulped, trying to think of a plausible excuse. He then put his hands on his hips. His eyebrows met in the middle in frustration. "Hey! Don't be mad at me for thinking you were in danger! This is not me being a sexist! Is it wrong I want to protect people who are important to me? I think not!"
The two girls blushed with their eyes wide. Trunks, despite inheriting his father's scowling looks, hardly yelled at them back. He usually rolled his eyes and let them return back to their screaming match.
"Well, uh," Bra looked at Pan before returning her eyes to her brother who was standing with his arms folded and looking taller than he was already abnormally. "I guess we didn't think of that."
"Yeah, um, Trunks," Pan muttered, feeling her cheeks becoming warmer. "I guess we forgot we're, uh—" she coughed, "—important to you. We're sorry."
He looked away pretending he was angry, but he had been embarrassed at his choice of words that had been repeated back by Pan. He coughed to make sure his voice didn't change pitch. "Well, you should be," he said, turning back to them. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to the party downstairs that we're all already late for."
The two blinked as he walked out of the room. He heard more screaming as he made it down the hall.
By four in the evening, the leaves in the trees were glimmering gold as everyone's glasses were stained red. Trunks always liked how much detail his grandfather built for the arborium—the plants, the type of wildlife, and not to mention, the artificial light that duplicated the sun on a perfect cloudless day. Around this time, it began to set like the real thing, turning the metal walls around them hints of pinks and lilacs.
Bulma spotted her handsome son and called him over by waving her half-empty green glass bottle. He flew over to her and his cheeks were the same color as her wine as she told the rest of her moms-only table, "Seee! Isn't he sooo cute!" She was drunk, but luckily, a happy drunk rather than her kind of ruthless drunk that poked at his father, demanding him to teach her how to fight. Trunks only became more red as she reached over to pinch his cheeks. "My beautiful boy! So smart, so handsome, so tall! Gosh, hooow did you become so tall?"
"Mother... please," he slightly groaned. Even at thirty-six, she still managed to make him feel like he was still the baby she carried around in battlefields. Bulma crashed into his chest and gave him a tight embrace. "Do you want some water? Maybe it'll help you feel better."
The older woman looked up at him and smiled. Then she quickly frowned. "When are you going to get married and give me some grand-babies!" she almost begged instead of scolded. His body temperature only rised at her request, making him sweat slightly in his turtleneck.
"Do we really have to talk about my love life? Marron and Goten are the ones getting married!" he tried to deflect, but it only caused the table to moan. Or at least, just the short man he didn't notice wedged between his wife and the mother of the groom.
"Oh, don't remind me!" Krillin exclaimed. Eighteen only looked at her husband and sighed.
"Weren't you the one who high-fived Goku when we caught them kissing by the lake?" she said in her usual monotone, pressing her check against her knuckles.
"Yeah!" her husband said nervously, pressing his two index fingers together. Trunks noticed his thinning and graying hair. After so long, Krillin wasn't going to have a choice to be bald or not, he thought. The suddenly, the older man's voice became sad. "But I didn't think they would be getting married so soon! I at least expected Trunks to get married first!"
Trunks turned to him in embarrassment. "Me?! Why me? Goten and Marron have practically been married since they were kids!"
"Now, that's true," Chichi sighed, running her finger in slow circles on the rim of her glass. "I know he's thirty-five, but I can't help but see Goten still as my little baby boy! He just decided on opening his own pet clinic last year, and now he's getting married! Soon, he and Marron are going to have babies and I'm going to be a grandma... again!"
"Well, at least, you still look just as great as you did when Pan was born!" Videl tried to cheer her up, but a thoughtful look took over her mother-in-law's face.
"And when Pan has a baby, I'll be a great-grandma," she said quietly, staring off to an empty space. Videl tapped her until she snapped back into reality.
"Please! I would love to be a grandma!" the Briefs woman retorted, sitting back down in her seat.
"Yeah, I guess the idea of another baby would be nice," Videl scratched her chin. "Now that Pan's twenty-two, I wished we had another one around. I mean, as long as it doesn't come out of me!" she laughed, causing the rest of the table to roar the same.
Bulma's smile then perked up, raising her index finger as she normally did when she had an idea. "I know!" She turned to Trunks, "How about you and Pan make us some beautiful grand-babies? Your eyes with her smile would be the cutest—"
"Mom!" he cut her off, blushing—once again, uncontrollably.
"Why not! Normal earthling women are getting too—"
"MOM," he said again. Just then, he felt an arm being hooked into his. The familiar perfume of vanilla and peonies scratched his nose.
"Mom! Leave Trunks alone," Bra huffed. "You're the one who gave him that fancy corporate job in the first place. You think he's going to find a nice girl you and dad approve of in that cramped office? Nope. Didn't think so." She didn't give the older woman much time to interject as she levitated away with her big brother.
"Thanks, sis," Trunks sighed in relief. She flew them to the small bed of flowers near the koi pond, away from the rest of the guests. The two siblings sat down, looking across the small body of water to the ongoing party. It was a life of its own.
Master Roshi as well as Ox King sat on a hill, sharing dirty magazines as Oolong sprawled out on the grass. Seventeen was talking to Marron, playing with the Briefs's old cats who joined the party. Gohan and Goku had Goten sat in a chair as they stood behind him, talking about the woes and benefits of marriage. Mr. Satan sat with Buu who had became his new caretaker, making sure he ate and allowing him to sit beside him to be more comfortable. Yamcha, Tien, and the currently indigo-haired Launch sat at a table laughing with Chiaotzu and Puar. Vegeta sat alone at his usual tree as Uub sat with Dende and Piccolo, quietly eating and talking among themselves. The table of mothers and Krillin cheered with refilled glasses of wine once again.
Pan floated to the pond where her and Bra's once legendary toddler fight had ended. She carried her large bowl of food in one hand and Bra's small box of sushi in the other. She landed between the two Briefs, laughing at something she overheard.
"My dad and grandpa think Goten's a virgin!" she quietly snickered, handing her friend her food. "They're giving him the bird and the bees, as if he didn't move out as soon as he turned nineteen!" She then stuffed a lobster roll in her mouth, chewing and laughing at the same time before choking. Bra tapped her friend's back, helping her digest.
"Please, the mom squad were practically asking Trunks when he's going to get a baby in somebody! Can you imagine this doofus as a dad?" Bra popped a piece of rice and fish in her mouth. Pan turned, looked up and down at him, and then swallowed her food so she could talk.
"I think Trunks would be a good dad," Pan said simply before biting into her sandwich. Bra noticed the small smile on his lips. "I mean, everyone thought Vegeta was a shit dad, but you two turned out alright!"
Trunks chuckled as he took a slice of grilled zucchini from Pan's bowl. Bra squinted her eyes slightly, expecting the older girl to yell. Taking food from a Son was dangerous! Yet, she didn't say anything. The two just quietly ate.
"I can't imagine the day we become them," Bra said, referring to the group of adults who were now, for some reason, clapping.
"Oh, we will," Trunks sighed. "You're gonna be holding two wine bottles like Mom while Pan cheers you on, even though we all tried to stop you. Marron is going to be bawling like Krillin as Goten gives the same sex talk to his kid. I'm going to be scowling under a tree like Dad, while our actual father is taking care of Mom like Buu and the world champion over there. Master Roshi would still be looking at a porn even though it's a family event," he finished with a laugh. The two girls only rolled their eyes.
"Don't be so cynical, big brother," the little sister said, setting down her finished box of food.
"Yeah, it's a party!" Pan then set down her own finished bowl, and stood up to stretch. "Speaking of which, I think it's time we see my grandma do the Chichi," she giggled before flying over to Bulma, who thought it brilliant to turn on some music. Sure enough, lights flashed as Chichi began her famous dance moves. The crowd cheered, reliving their youth.
On the other side of the pond, Bra watched her brother stare at their mutual best friend flying around to bring people to the dance floor. She had gotten even Piccolo to waltz with her briefly.
Trunks laughed to himself as Roshi came behind Pan and she cleverly elbowed him away as she danced with Marron. Bra only squinted before a small smile came upon her lips to so, and then she turned away to look elsewhere. He felt her eyes, the same shade of blue eyes like his, and he only knew it meant she had something to say.
"What?" he said plainly.
"Nothing," she shrugged.
He rolled his eyes. "I know you have something to say," he rebutted.
Bra paused for a moment and then a smile curled on her lips. She only let out a faint laugh, "Wanna dance?"
And with that, the two Briefs children flew to the white-painted wood floor and joined their friends and family. As cultivated and graceful the well-trained Z-fighters were in their fighting moves, they didn't have the same fluid movements in their dancing skills. Every bulging muscle seem to only make them more stiff.
The older human women made small movements with their bodies, making sure they didn't strain themselves. They laughed and complained about needing senzu beans when a step went further than they expected. The younger generation seemed to jump more rather than dance. There was a mixture of mocking the chicken dance and just crossing their arms to make it seem like they knew any better. Nonetheless, dancing was a talent no one truly had. However, it was a moment everyone agreed was, indeed, fun.
Pan pulled Bra from his hands, and the two began synchronizing their hips to the beat. The two girls laughed, shimming their bodies toward each other and singing along with the wrong lyrics. The old pervert Roshi made his way to the carefree dancers—but not before Vegeta, Gohan and the now-blonde Launch smacked three large lumps on his head before he could even try.
Bulma only giggled as her husband looked down at the old hermit. She turned her head to watch the girls, feeling reminiscent of her own youth before all her iconic adventures turned to two kids and a grumpy husband that she adored. "You two better enjoy that Saiyan blood while you still can! Before you know it, you're going to be like me and Chichi over here!" The two older woman laughed.
Bra blushed as the thought of her becoming her mother tickled her brain. Pan only returned a smile, "Well if we end up looking like you both when we're older, good thing for us!" Now the older versions of themselves had painted rose cheeks, flattered at the compliment.
When it was finally considered night in the artificial room, the dancing became slower and glasses of champagne were now being served. Trunks stole a bottle and flew to the small area near the pond where his friends were. Goten had been laying his head on Marron's lap as Bra made a flower crown for Pan who stuffed herself with more food. He crashed down between the two pairs, handing them cups with generous amounts of glittering liquor.
"Thaaaank, yooou!" Bra snatched the bottle from his hand and gave him her glass. She then chugged a fair amount so he didn't want to steal it back.
"You know, any other older brother would've used this as blackmail," he grunted as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Pan sat up, sipping just an inch of the rim of her overflowing drink.
"Oh, please. You're the one who gave Bra her first beer in the first place!" She licked the lingering drops of alcohol on her mouth and they all laughed as flower petals were swallowed into her black hair. Pan finished her drink and put the cup in her empty bowl. "Speaking of beer, Marron," she coughed. "Who's your maid of honor? Bra may have an attention for detail, but she also can throw you a wonderful bachelorette party!"
"What about you?" the blonde laughed.
"You know Pan is just trying to get out of it," Goten sat up to finish his champagne. "Too bad though, we've already decided who's going to be what."
"Oh, yeah! I forgot about your text." Trunks scratched his nose, remembering Goten asked him to get ordained before the wedding. The two clueless girls looked at him, trying to read his mind. Unfortunately, he was more concerned about how to snag another bottle of champagne from his mother's grasp.
Marron looked at Bra and smiled, "We want you to be Goten's best man—or woman, if you prefer."
The younger girl blinked, repeating the request. "Y-you want me... to be the best man?" She looked at Goten who had already been smiling. Pan noticed her best friend's hesitation and the thought of Bra crying earlier suddenly clicked. She opened up her mouth to speak, but the Briefs girl quickly cut her off. "I would love to!" she agreed, hugging Marron.
"Pan, you're my maid of honor—but don't worry, your main job is to just show up," the blonde said past Bra's shoulder. She couldn't see the slight frown she tried biting her lip to stop. She wanted to cry, to have an excuse to leave—but for the first time within the past day, she couldn't. She only smiled.
"Yes!" exclaimed Pan before turning to Trunks. "Wait, what the heck are you doing if you're not the best man?"
"I'm officiating the wedding!" Trunks nervously snapped, seeing her glare. Her face softened and he sighed in relief.
"Well, geez, don't get your panties in a bunch," Pan laughed as well did the other three friends.
Goten rolled his neck, yawning after a long day of mingling and saying thanks to everyone's best wishes. "I also forgot to mention, we don't want a bachelor or bachelorette party." Bra, Pan, and Trunks looked at him. "Well, not in the traditional sense. What's the point of celebrating our last night of being single? Our stories are always better together, as the five of us," he said, lost in his own thoughts.
Bra stared at him carefully, wondering what was going through his head. He was watching his parents slowly waltz as everyone else watched. A part of her thought it was honorable that neither of them wanted one last hurrah, but another part of her sunk into the grass. She knew he wanted to get married as soon as possible, without the nonsense and typical traditions. He was already done with all the trials of wild parties that she remembered he and Trunks ran through. She couldn't help but feel awe for the man she knew she was falling for, even though she also knew better not to.
"I definitely want to invite Uub so we'll have an even number—but hey, what do you guys say? Let's spend the summer gathering the Dragon Balls!" he said, turning to the rest of them. "It's going to take a while to have my pet clinic completely finished and Gohan already said he'll drop in to see the progress. Marron's school is out so she doesn't have to teach until the fall again. Trunks, man, you can definitely get out of your office," he added a laugh. Then the lavender-haired man only rolled his eyes. "I think we could ask your mom to step in for a while! Pan, you could start that job in Hercule's gym in the fall and it's not like he's going to argue you about it. I can get Uub on board if I ask my dad to go look over his village while he's gone. So how about it? We'll leave in a month to make sure our bills and stuff are taken care of, but c'mon, I don't want our parents to be the only one with a story."
"You do realize we could fly and pick up everything in one day right?" Pan interjected.
"Where's your sense of adventure! Plus, this would be your wedding gifts to us. I mean, you three are all stinking rich and could at least buy us a new toaster—but we're fine with this," he explained.
"What would we even wish for?" Trunks asked. Truthfully, he didn't care. He liked the idea of spending a summer tracking down the balls. Imagining all the trouble the would get into—camping under the stars, exploring random cities, meeting different people—it was all he had been missing in the last seventeen years. A part of him wanted to begin right now!
"Whatever we want! It doesn't matter. We could tell Shenron to have a nice day, for all we care. I just want to spend time with you guys," Goten told him. "And of course, with Uub too."
All three of them looked at each other, as if they were telepathically debating what to do. Bra furrowed her eyebrows as Trunks squinted. Pan glanced at the both of them as she was sandwiched between their eyes. She then pushed their faces away, and gave her uncle a friendly smile. "Well, I already know where the four star ball is! We could end our trip there," and with that, everyone agreed to their new summer adventure.
- LATER -
The party died down once Vegeta had carried his vomiting wife back inside their home. The sweet Launch carried Chiaotzu as Tien and Yamcha carried leftovers and Master Roshi. Goten and Marron left before the fifth round of drinks were passed around, while Goku used Instant Transmission to take Chichi and Ox King back to their village. Pan was helping Bra and Trunks pick up things before the robots came.
Videl thanked Buu for taking her father home, and waited until Gohan said his goodbyes to Pan. The poor father had practically been building a shrine to her old empty room since she left the day before. The quarter Saiyan blinked as Gohan stood in front of her pouting.
"Dad, are you—" He cut her off with a tight embrace. Bra and Trunks looked over to the pair, trying not to giggle. There were a lot of differences between the Sons and Briefs, but neither of them could ever get how much affection Pan's family shared. The girl herself was struggling out of her father's grasp as she patted his back.
"Come home sometime! I miss you!" he pleaded rather than said. Since her abrupt goodbye in a scribbled note on a ripped napkin, Gohan was sure he would never be able to let her properly go. She would always be his little Pan, the one he first held in the hospital. For the past month, he had been giving her bogus apartment deals to stall her from leaving home, but that was until his father-in-law gave her a penthouse that was so far away. The last two days only reminded him of her leaving without contact again.
"Dad. Dad," Pan let out a laugh, rubbing his back. "Dad, I've literally only spent one night at my new place! It's not like I'm that far away. Once I get everything decorated and cozy, you and mom can come over and stay the weekend! We'll have brunch with everyone, including Gramps, Grandpa, and even Grandpa Piccolo!"
"Brunch?! What happened to us wearing our pajamas and eating a bowl of cereal in front of the TV?" he asked, finally letting her go.
"Dad, I said brunch, not a full-course meal. We could sneak in the cereal before everyone comes and yes, I'll wear pajamas too," she comforted him. He couldn't stay angry at her.
Gohan sighed, "Alright, but you have to come home too once in a while, you hear me?"
"Psh, you think I would stay that far away from mom's cooking? I thought you were supposed to be the intelligent professor," she joked, but promised anyway. Gohan and Videl then left, leaving the three to finish waiting for the cleaning robots.
Trunks said good night to the two girls as the floated back to Bra's room. The younger Briefs was unapologetically tired and ready to catch up on two night's worth of sleep. Pan guided her to her bed before leaving to the guest room she always stayed in when she spent the night at their compound.
Trunks stripped himself of his clothes as soon as his bedroom door closed. He walked over to his bathroom, rinse himself of the sticky alcohol that seeped through his shirt when he tried to wrestle the second champagne bottle from his sister. With his soften skin, he shaved the small hairs that peeked through his upper lip, and smothered his face in aftershave and unscented lotion as his mother told him to do every night.
He used his ki to dry off the excess water, and then scrummaged through his drawers for pajama pants. Once he was comfortable, he jumped onto his bed and reached for the PDA that was plugged in on his nightstand. Ms. Olive had emailed him his schedule as usual, but this time, he didn't go through the files she normally attached with it. He simply put it in his drawer so he wouldn't fiddle with the device.
He was about to turn off his lamp light when he heard a familiar pat, pat, pat on his balcony door. Trunks rolled off his bed, and smiled at the the silhouette blurred by the glass. He opened the door and leaned against its trim, crossing his arms and looking smug.
"What do you want, loser?" he asked, but she simply waited for him to come outside to join her.
"I can't sleep. Let's go swimming," Pan said, jumping on top of the white table on his balcony. She had changed to shorts and a t-shirt (that covered her torso), and was now waiting for his answer.
"Can I change first?" He stretched his arms, elongating his sculpted torso. Pan focused on his eyes, not making the same mistake inside the infirmary.
"Why can't you just swim in your underwear?" She crossed her arms.
"That would require me wearing some in the first place," he scratched the back of his head. Pan turned her head sideways to avoid staring at him.
"Fine. Go ahead." She waited until he came back in the black shorts she saw him in earlier. The two in then jumped off the balcony's railing and headed to the east backyard of the the Briefs' compound where the pool was. Trunks jumped in as Pan peeled off her t-shirt and shorts to reveal the only modest bathing suit Bra kept for the quarter Saiyan.
Pan leaped into the pool, swimming towards the bottom of the deepest end. This was where she usually sat and lost her thoughts.
Most nights, she didn't really sleep at the Briefs' regardless how many times she was actually there. When she was a kid, she would simply walk around the vast house until Bulma or Vegeta caught her and escorted her back to her room. If she got up again, Bulma would let her sit in the lab or in the kitchen with her if she too was having a restless night. Vegeta would simply threatened her, which didn't work but it meant she would stay inside the room until her mind bore her.
As she got older—and more importantly, learned how to hide her ki—she found herself either sneaking some training in the GR or swimming in the Briefs' pool. Bra was a heavy sleeper so they never hung out during her late night adventures. Trunks, on the other hand, was somehow always awake like her. That's how they became friends.
She remembered the sleepover the day before Bra's sixteenth birthday party. Since Marron got a job as her history teacher, the Briefs heiress had two celebrations for her milestone: a sleepover with her and Marron, and an actual party for her high school peers. Pan had just come back from her first year of college, and wanted nothing more than to have a nice night in with her closest friends she hadn't seen in so long. It was a face mask and painted nails kind of night—or at least, that had been the intention before Trunks and Goten bought a case of beers for an impromptu guys-only barbecue on his balcony.
Pan had convinced the girls to go crash their small get-together, but truthfully, her crush got the best of her. She hadn't seen Trunks since she left and wondered if he changed while she was away. They had flew from Bra's window and followed the smell of roasted hotdogs, causing the two boys in sweatpants to jump. It was the year that Trunks had let his hair grow to his shoulders, and she had chopped hers short again.
"You two do realize that your wieners are burning, right?" she said, leaning against the railing. Marron had already found her way to Goten's lap as Bra sat on Trunks's chair.
"Hmmm, I wouldn't know, sir. You do look like a friend of mine though," Trunks huffed. Pan gasped before flipping him off. He let out a small laugh before walking over to hug her. "Welcome back to West City, Panny!"
She rolled her eyes at the nickname. "You're gonna offer me a beer or what?" He glanced over to Goten who had been surprised as well. Before college, Pan hadn't been much of a drinker. She didn't have time to be. She had trained at Gramps's gym in the morning, went to school, got out, trained with Vegeta, and then went back home to do her homework. She repeated the same routine every day, even paid for some random classes at the local community colleges so she would have the study element on her weekends.
However, when Pan got to her university, her routine changed dramatically. She was on new territory and most of her training had stopped. She couldn't work out at the school's gym because people either heckled her for being Mr. Satan's granddaughter, or steered clear from her for being the four-year-old girl who beat up the large Wild Tiger. She couldn't fly or use any of her ki because she couldn't risk her family's privacy.
Though her new routine provided her more time to study, all she became was unfocused. Her classes became boring then overwhelming. Her free time was spent making appearances at frat parties that wanted to be friends with the world's savior's granddaughter. Nonetheless, she was barely making a passing grade—and she was pretty sure her professors let her slide because of who she was. The only thing she did learn while she was away was how to finish a beer in a matter of seconds.
"I'm waiting," she crossed an arm around her body and used the other to lend out an open hand. Trunks looked to Goten who merely shrugged, and that's when he passed her a cold beer.
"If Pan's drinking, then so am I!" Bra interjected as the two held opposite ends of the drink. Trunks stared at Pan for a moment, wondering what had changed. Sending her off to college was supposed to be a happy experience—yet, she seemed... worn out.
When he finally let go, he looked over to his little sister who had crossed her arms in a huff. "You're not drinking, Bra," he told her, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"You might as well let her first experience be with you than at her party tomorrow with all those strange boys and girls who want to take advantage of her status." Pan gulped the whole can and crushed it, wiping the excess from her lips. "I mean, she'll hate it anyway and you'll be able to look after her."
So that's when Trunks gave his fifteen-year-old sister her first beer—and as predicted, she spat it out the moment it touched her tongue. "Why would you bother drinking that?!"
They weren't sure when the developed a taste for it, but they continued until they last can was being passed between the last two standing. Goten and Marron found their way to inside of his room, probably making out or whatever Trunks wished they didn't use his room for. Bra went to rest before her big day, telling everyone not to wake her up or be too loud that Vegeta woke up. When it was midnight, the four of them held her tight and told her to enjoy her party tomorrow. Now it was two hours later with just them. Pan and Trunks sat at the edge of the balcony with their legs between the railings, drinking whatever was left. He tied his hair as she settled down the empty beer can.
"Gosh, I missed being home," Pan said, but not to him. She had been staring off to the dark sky and thinking about the relief to be in the presence of people who cared less about her family and who she was. Trunks stared at her for a moment, feeling slightly warm from the abundance they drank.
Any other girl than his sister and Marron, he would've kissed, fucked, and never called again. That had been his routine since he took over the company a decade before. It wasn't that he prided himself of necessarily being a player—to be that, you would actually need the skills to talk enough to persuade—but he didn't need to talk for sex. In fact, all it really did take was his name and that was enough for whoever he was with. They didn't care about anything else other than who he was, and he didn't bother leaving his number or remember their names. They usually didn't bother him at his house anyway. Though, he figured they didn't even think to look for him there.
He thought about it with Pan—to kiss her and take her right here on the balcony. No one was around, and she was of age now. Then he decided against it. Not only did she know where he lived, she had the strength to leave him bleeding. He looked away, staring at the same sky she was.
"So, are you going to tell me why you can drink as much as I have and not feel a thing?" he asked, burping into the back of his hand. She laughed at he started to hiccup.
"Hold your breath for a ten seconds," she glanced at his small ponytail and let out a chuckle. "Are you going to tell me why the president of the most affluent company in the world can't afford a haircut?"
He rolled his eyes to her and then nudged her with the side of his shoulder. "No, seriously," he told her, "you can tell me. I am your friend."
Pan furrowed her eyebrows and scoffed. "No, you're not," she replied. He didn't fail to return the same look. It was the truth. She and Bra had been friends, not her and Trunks. They may have saw each other at breakfast on some mornings, trained together on some days, and had family get-togethers on some nights—however, they weren't friends. They were mere acquaintances at best.
"You don't think we're friends?" He admitted he was offended.
"To be friends, we would actually need to hang out and talk. Me and you? We don't hang out and talk. This is literally the first time we have!" Pan fell back on the white concrete and rested her hands on her stomach. "Don't be too upset. As much as I would've liked to be your friend sooner, it would be pretty off-putting for a thirty-year-old man to hand out with a sixteen-year-old girl. So relax."
He didn't notice his hiccups were gone until he had his back against the concrete. He checked his watch for the time. It was now three in the morning, but he didn't feel tired. He looked over to Pan who was feeling the same thing. "So we aren't friends. Do we have to be in order for you to tell me what happened to you in the past year while you were away?"
"I guess not," she tilted her head to the side. "But it could be a starting point." Then she told him about her boring first year of college, and how she was dreading on going back. He listened to every word she said, and didn't even notice the sun was rising. The only reason they got up was because Vegeta spotted them and insisted they train with him that morning. It was safe to say, they both got their asses handed to them.
Ever since that night, whenever she couldn't sleep at the Briefs' compound, she simply went to go bug Trunks. They had been close friends since that night.
Trunks swam around the dark hair that flowed around her. He almost found it amusing how much hair she had. When he was able to reach her, he poked her stomach and swam to the surface. She didn't hesitate to follow.
"Can't really call this a swim if all you do is sit at the bottom of the swimming pool," he splashed her.
"Hey!" Pan yelled, attempting to block her face. She made a wave with her hand to hit him back, but he only laughed. He moved closer to grab her wrists but found her palms instead.
"Hey," she said softly, feeling their fingers intertwined. The water between them tickled their stomachs as it rushed against them.
By now, Trunks was so close that they only way she was suspended in water was because he didn't let go of her hands. She felt her legs against his, tangling together like fish being caught into one net.
As they began to let the water move them instead, the night air brushed against their wet skin. Cooling down what had been clenching to their saturated shoulders, and teasing what had been freed from the chlorine. He moved their fused hands to her forehead, using the tip of his thumb to unmask her face.
"Hey, yourself," he muffled in a brass tone.
He could've kissed her. If he wanted, he could've let go of his hands from hers and held her face barely close enough so she could only imagine what he tasted like. He could've explored her mouth with his tongue as his hands roamed her fragile spine and freed her from the skin-gripping fabric she was in. He could've pushed her body against the cold tile of the pool, lift her body to the edge, and let his mouth make marks along her entire body as if he was mapping his way to her center. He could've licked her on his lips after she cursed his name under her breath.
Trunks could've done a lot, but he decided that this was not their moment. When he kissed her, he wanted to know she wanted to kiss him back too.
For now, he would only return the favor from the infirmary. He let go of her hands and dunked her head into the water before swimming out of the pool.
"You can't let your guard down!" he laughed, pushing back his wet hair from his face. A shadow under the water moved towards his edge and emerged only its arms.
"Trunks, you doofus!" Pan blew her soaked strands from her face, resisting the urge to jump out of the pool and land a punch to his gut.
"What? Oh, I get it! You wanted to kiss me, right?" he winked. She rolled her eyes and turned her head to look away from him. Pan would not admit to such a thing.
Suddenly, the lights came on from the highest floor of the building next to them. The window pushed open and all they saw was an angry waving fist matched with an angry and wavering face.
"DO YOU TWO KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?!" Vegeta yelled, vibrating the trees around them.
Trunks looked up to his father, bare-chested and only in a pair of white briefs. He looked over to Pan who had hid her face in the water.
"Sorry about that, dad!" Trunks yelled back. Vegeta only grunted and closed his window. The two swimmers then left the pool to fly back to their rooms.
A/N: I was honestly cursing myself about the last insert because I just wanted a chapter just purely the engagement party and just be a small cute chapter because I know I've been gradually writing longer and longer chapters... but I thought why not let Trunks have his fun?
Plus, I really wanted to establish the fact that Trunks and Pan didn't start becoming friends until she was 18. I don't know it's just a personal preference, but it was always irked me in story flashbacks, they'll have a fully grown Trunks kissing a prepubescent Pan and then suddenly, he's counting down the clock until she's legal? Like, that just made Trunks feel like a predator to me lol. I wanted their earliest memory of being friends/close as something casual, kind of intimate, but far from making you feel like you're questioning your morals.
PenguinsHockey14: You're welcome and also hello again! I hope the story is going to your liking!
trunkspanlover89: Thank you so much and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter too! I swear I had your review in my mind when I was debating whether or not to have Trunks tease Pan back. I was thinking of making him suffer a bit longer, but then, a game gets boring when
Charismatic Beauty: Hi again! To answer your question: yes, Bra is upset over the entire Goten/Marron engagement. I would like to think that, you know, she is jealous a bit and just overall sad about it because even though she did help them get back together, she never really had a chance to get over their brief time together. It was rushed and unexpected, but at the same time, it was something they both needed. There's this song that I based their relationship on called Somebody Else by The 1975, which I feel like is where Bra is at. It's like, she knows she should move on but there's a little bit of bitterness of at the sight of them engaged that confuses her and how much she does care overwhelms her a lot that she doesn't know what particularly to do about it. However, I do promise that it does get resolved and more or less, there will be a Goten and Bra-because at the same time, I haven't fully explored Marron enough yet for you guys to love her as much as I do. Krillin and Eighteen were always my favorite random pair and I don't expect their daughter to be less than great. So I promise, Goten and Marron aren't a bad pair; I just haven't been able to let them grow in this story yet.
Next chapter won't be the beginning of the Dragon Ball hunting summer, but it'll be two weeks before they do leave and are making arrangements. Since this chapter did mention that Bra's birthday being around the time Pan returned back home from college in the summer, I decided that her birthday is at the end of May and we'll have another nice Pan/Bra moment!