A/N: Here it is guys, new chapter! Let me know what you guys think. I'd appreciate it.

Exhale
Chapter 9: Smile Like You'll Stay
DeepxWater

I swiftly opened the door and dumped my bags in the entryway. My shoulder was aching from the weight of the bag. It had been a long flight home and the jetlag was just now beginning to hit me. It was barely noon, but my body was telling me it was time to sleep. Goten had dropped me off at my house, but the conversation on the way here was seriously lacking. I knew he was just exhausted, who wouldn't be after returning from Vegas.

My parents would be happy to see me. "Hello? Mom, Dad? I'm home!" I bellowed. I rubbed the back of my neck as I glanced in the living room, looking for any sign of them.

"In here sweety," I heard my mother's merry voice call from the kitchen. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and hurried into the room anxious to see her. I was dying to tell someone, anyone, about my trip. As I walked in the kitchen I noticed right away that my mother was cleaning the dishes. As many dishes as there were, it could only mean that there had been a big Saiyan breakfast in the works this morning. I shook my head, she must have had her hands full. Usually, I was here to take on part of the work load.

"Here let me help, Mom," I offered courteously. I had done my share of dishes for the Saiyan men, I knew what a task it could be. "Thanks honey," she grinned. She welcomely handed me a wet plate and a knitted towel.

"So where is everyone?" I asked as I vigorously dried the dishes. "Hmm, let's see, your father is in the gravity chamber of course, and Trunks and Pan are upstairs I believe, working on plans for a new project. How was your trip?" she asked mischievously. I turned quickly enough to catch the glint in her eye.

"It was amazing, Mom! You have no idea. We saw so many tourist attractions and I took so many photos, I have to show them to you!" I gushed.

"Well, it is Vegas. Did you do anything… crazy?" she asked. I could since the curiosity in her tone. I chuckled, throwing the towel over my shoulder. "Oh yeah, Mom. You know me, crazy as can be. You want to see my tattoo or wedding ring first?" I jested. "Ha-ha, very funny Bra. I don't know. I just figured, you and Goten, alone in Vegas. I guess I'm just surprised nothing happened between you two." I thought for a moment about what she said. "He's with Paris, Mom. As much as I wish it was me, he's with her. And even if he wasn't with her, who's to say he would be with me anyway," I paused. I didn't want to tell my mom about Paris, not yet. I couldn't risk anyone else knowing until I told him myself. "I've thought about telling him, ya know, about my feelings for him. I just don't think I'm ready yet."

After drying the last dish, I folded the towel neatly and placed it on the countertop. I walked around the counter and hopped onto the nearby bar stool. This was my mother's cue to guide me. She stood in front of me, leaning forward as her elbows rested on the bar. "You can't wait forever, Bra. One of these days a girl could snatch him up for good, and you'll wish you told him sooner. Yes, he may be with Paris right now, but that doesn't mean he will be in the future. There's always a chance he could feel the same or maybe not. But you'll never know if you don't try," my mother comforted. She lovingly rubbed my arm and curved her lips. I was thankful my mom knew about my feelings for Goten. She was someone who was experienced with love, something I knew nothing about. I may be able to solve any problem or build any device, but when it came to love I was clueless. I reached over the counter and hugged her tight. "Thanks, Mom. I'll hold onto that advice," I concluded.

"Knock, knock. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Pan announced from the doorway. I quickly parted from my mother. "Panny, hey! I missed you," I said sincerely. I patted the bar stool next to me as an invitation to join us. "So glad you're back, B. Did Vegas treat you well?" she questioned. I preceded to tell Pan all about my trip. I almost forgot my mother was there. I had to tiptoe around mentioning the Paris ordeal, but promised myself to talk to her more privately later.

"Sure sounds like you had an amazing time. I'm jealous. I should talk Trunks into taking a vacation," she said, "Kami knows he needs it."

"Speaking of my brother. You sure have been staying over a lot," I joked, nudging her gently in the side while giving her a wink. She blushed. My mother and I chuckled at her expense. "I hope you guys are being careful," I added, poking more fun at her. She never liked being the center of our jokes. "Kami, Bra, shut up." We continued to laugh as she buried her rose-colored face in her hands. "You guys are too much, really," she groaned. She brought her face out of hiding and we lightened up on her. "I'm sorry, but you're just so easy to tease," I proclaimed. I hugged her lightly. "You better get used to it, you're going to be my sister someday." She smiled at my remark.

"Well, I'm going to see what Daddy is up to," I said as I hopped off the bar stool. "I'll catch you guys later." "Okay, sweety," my mother said as she reached into the fridge to get a soda. I quickly turned around and mouthed to Pan that I would talk to her later. She nodded with a smirk.

I briskly walked down the long corridor to my father's gravity chamber. I knocked on the heavily bolted door and waited for him to answer. The one thing my father hated was to be interrupted during training, unless it was me. Only I possessed that privilege. I had definitely grown up a Daddy's girl.

The heavy buzz emanating from the room rapidly died down as the gravity returned to normal. He wouldn't overreact, he could sense it was me that deliberately disturbed his training session. I waited patiently until the door slid open, allowing me access to enter his personal haven.

"Daddy!" I shrieked, running into his arms. He hugged me back and let me rest in his arms until we parted. "Hey, Princess," he greeted, his voice gruff yet tired. He was drenched with sweat, but I missed him too much to care.

"I missed you, it wasn't the same without my favorite shopping partner," I teased. "Hmph," he spat, crossing his arms. I giggled at his expression. Oh, c'mon daddy."

"So what did you and Goten do while you were there?" he asked. He looked at me intently waiting for me to tell him all the details. "Don't worry Daddy, Goten took good care of me. I'm here in one piece aren't I?" I responded. I laid my hand on his arm. "We went sightseeing, hung out by the pool, saw some shows, and so much more." I went on and on for ten minutes about the trip when I realized I was talking his ear off. I managed to leave out the part about getting drunk, he definitely wouldn't have been too happy about that. Not after what I did last year.

"And Goten? He kept his hands to himself I presume?" I was taken aback by his question. "Daddy, really? He's with Paris, you know that. Besides, we're just friends.." I trailed off. For a moment, I thought I had a flashback to last night, but as soon as it hit me, it was gone. I furrowed my brow in frustration, trying my best to remember, but I couldn't. My memory just wasn't there. "Oh, don't play dumb with me, Bra. I know you love the brat," he alleged. I stared at him uncomfortably. "Daddy, what are you talking about?" I challenged. Had my mom told him this? No, she wouldn't have. That would have been too risky. I began to feel flushed with warmth and my breathing became more rapid. He's not supposed to know.

"You're my daughter and I'm pretty sure I know you better than anyone else. From the way you look at him, the way your ki spikes when he arrives, the way you always avoid him when he's with that thick-headed girl. I'm not blind Bra. Anyone with eyes can see how you feel," he voiced.

I felt the color drain from my face as he had so clearly put into words what I thought no one else knew. "Daddy, that's enough!" I protested. I crossed my arms as I felt my cheeks beginning to burn. I nervously brushed my hair behind my ear and glared at the wall out of discomfort. And then he did something completely unexpected, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me. It wasn't like him to initiate anything remotely caring, he always left that to us. But for the first time in a long time, it was exactly what I needed. I felt the tears begin to burn the corners of my eyes and finally let go the dam that I had tried so hard to build. I broke down in his arms, and sobbed heavily into his tattered shirt. He ran his fingers through my hair as he tried to soothe me. He held me tightly until I couldn't cry anymore.

oOoOoOo

The flight back had went faster than I had expected. I had just finished having a nice talk with my Mom and Dad about my trip and I was just now settling in. I laid my phone on the bed as I began to unpack my suitcase. I glanced at the phone while piling my clothes onto my bed. I wondered when Paris would be back. I couldn't help feeling guilty about what I had done. We had been drunk sure, but the feelings I had for Bra, they were becoming more real to me. What the hell am I supposed to do?

I tucked my empty suitcase into the back of my closet and picked up the phone. I began to dial Paris's number, but decided a text would suffice.

Hey Paris, call as soon as you get back tomorrow. We can talk about the trip.

I tossed myself onto the bed and lay there thinking. I had no idea how I would tell Paris. I wasn't even sure of anything myself. I loved Paris, but what about these newfound feelings for Bra. I let out a heavy sigh and rubbed my hands through my hair as if to push the thoughts into the back of my brain.

I shoved my phone into my pocket and took one last look at the photo frames near my bed. There was one of Paris and I on a couch, holding hands and snuggled quite closely together. It was taken last Christmas during the Son festivities, right before we had opened gifts. I studied the picture intently, we looked really happy, yet it was only 20 minutes after that picture was taken that Paris had to leave. She had been helping out as a producer for one of her modeling gigs and she had put off the preparations until the last minute. She ended up bailing on us, on me.

My eyes wandered to the photo frame sitting right beside it. This one of Bra. She was wearing a sundress that perfectly fit her petite body as it flowed in the breeze. It had been taken on a rather spontaneous road trip we took to the beach. I had been stressing over the first big fight that Paris and I had, and after confiding in Bra about it, she dragged me away to a secluded beach. She had even packed a surprise lunch for us. I remember sitting there with her for hours and talking as the sun went down. She had sacrificed so much for me that day.

Glancing back between the two pictures I realized just how much each of those photos summed up their personalities. Here was a girl who I was happy with, but always left me hanging. And the one who had been there for me the most was the one I wasn't even sure I could have. Bra was young, only seventeen, but had that been the only thing standing in the way of a relationship with her. It made me wonder.

My phone beeped and I knew it was Paris. I checked the message. Ok, Goten. She would be back tomorrow so I would just have to wait until then. I was eager to figure this whole mess out and move on with my life. It was beginning to weigh me down.

I should go talk to Gohan. Maybe he can give me some advice.

oOoOoOo

Pan had passed on the word of Bra's return and I was eager to see how she was doing. We hadn't actually sat down for a heart to heart in a long time. The last time we had, it was about me telling her about Pan. I only hoped she would tell me more about Goten. Ever since I had discovered that Bra was in fact in love with Goten, I couldn't get her out of my mind. I was shocked, worried, happy, but most of all, I was sad. I knew how much Goten loved Paris. And to imagine how Bra must have suffered alone with her feelings, it almost broke my heart. No one knew for sure how long she had loved him, but I was determined to find out. There would be plenty of time to talk about her trip later.

I quietly knocked on Bra's door and waited for her to welcome me in. "Who is it?" I heard her call. "Your favorite brother in the whole wide world," I shouted. I heard a faint scuffle from the room and then her door swung open. "You're my only brother, Trunks." I smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. I closed the door behind me and made myself comfortable on her bed. She sat down beside me and closed her laptop. I knew she kept a journal, and assumed she must have been typing away on it beforehand.

I didn't want to put off talking about Goten, but I decided it was best to ease my way into it as best as I could. "Look, Bra. There was something I really wanted to talk to you about," I revealed. The features of her face softened, and she looked fairly concerned. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice wavered. "Oh, nothing's wrong, nothing like that. I just.. I happened to hear something, about you." I tried to find the words. "What about me?" she inquired. "Well, don't get mad, okay? But Pan and Marron accidentally let it slip that you, uh, had feelings for Goten." I watched her intently. Her lips parted and she stared blankly at the wall. She wasn't expecting this. I had caught her way off guard. Nice going Trunks. So much for taking it easy, I cursed my eagerness.

"Uhm.." her voice trailed off. "I just want to know that you're okay," I added.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she insisted. "Look, Trunks… wow, this is really awkward," she laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess you could say that's true," she acknowledged. "Do you love him?" I blurted out. There I go again, I thought. She blushed at my question, but she slowly nodded her head. "Please, don't tell him," she begged. "I won't Bra. But maybe you should let him know." I let in sink in for her.

"How long, Bra?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. "Huh?" she retorted. She didn't know what I was getting at. "How long have you loved him?" I asked softly, as if the words would hurt her if spoken too loudly. She twiddled her thumbs from the uneasiness, but replied, "I've had a crush on him since I was a little girl," she smiled but shook her head. "But it was right after Bebi was defeated that I realized I loved him. The whole Bebi thing really shook me to my core, it made the reality of losing the ones I loved so real. It was almost unbearable. It made me realize how much I didn't want to lose him."

"I had no idea," I confessed. Hearing her admit her love for him after all these years, I wanted so badly to scan all of my memories and grasp everything I had missed that would have told me she had felt this way. How did we not know? How did he not know?

"It's okay, really," she insisted.

"Pan told me about Paris. When are you going to tell him?" I asked.

"I plan on telling him tonight. I'm really nervous about it though. I know he's not going to handle it well," she faltered, shifting uneasily.

"Well, whatever happens, we're all going to be here for both of you. I know this isn't going to be easy for you to do, but he needs to know," I encouraged. Bra nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I should get it over with," she sighed. I knew this wouldn't be easy for her. None of us could expect how Goten would react. But it had to be done, and it was best coming from her.

oOoOoOo

I was eager to find out what exactly Bra's plan was. I really needed to talk to her. I knocked on her door and she yelled for me to come in, I was surprised to see Trunks had beat me to the punch.

"Hey, guys what's up?" I asked cheerfully. Bra flung her arm around Trunks's neck. "Having a heart to heart with my brother," she said, a weak smile plastered on her face. I noticed she looked rather pale, almost as if she was coming down with something, but her behavior suggested that wasn't true. I scratched the thought from my mind.

"I'm guessing Trunks told you about our slip up then," I recalled. That's the last time I tell Marron anything, I thought with a smirk. Bra laughed it off and said, "Really, it's okay. I don't think I ever would have told him myself." She brushed her silky blue hair behind her ear. "What? Why not?" Trunks asked. "I don't know, you used to be best friends with him for one. I thought it would be weird for you to hear," she responded. "Well, I'm glad to know now, you don't have to keep it to yourself anymore, we're hear if you want to talk about it," Trunks offered kindly. "I know, thanks guys."

Bra's phone beeped. She leaned over to see who had texted her. "It's Goten," she sighed.

"Are you going to tell him about Paris?" I asked. "Yeah, I'll tell him to meet up with me tonight." She grabbed her phone and tapped out a quick text. She placed the phone back in its previous spot and buried her face in her hands. "How am I supposed to tell him?" she wondered out loud. Trunks rested his hand on her leg and Bra removed her hands. "There's really no easy way to do this Bra. Just start from the beginning. Tell him what you and Panny saw, okay?" She nodded her head, she understood.

Her phone beeped again. She read the message, "West City Park, 7pm," she announced. Bra laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling. "This is going to suck so much," she added.

We were all anxious to know how it would go. We got lost in our thoughts as we tried to imagine the scenario that would take place.

oOoOoOo

Can we meet up tonight? I need to talk to you.

Bra's text kept replying in my mind. My stomach was in knots, what if she remembered what happened last night. Fuck, why did we get drunk, I thought. I waited outside on the back patio of Gohan's place. Videl was visiting her father and Pan was at the Breifs' residence. So it was just the two of us. He was the only person I really felt I could talk to about this. Normally, I would go to Bra, but that was out of the question now. I wondered if I had ultimately ruined our friendship. I had crossed the line, as did she. But she had no recollection of what had happened, I did.

"Here ya go, Goten," Gohan placed a hot cup of tea on the table and took a seat next to me. "So what brings you here, you sounded a little confused on the phone. What's up?"

"I have this situation that I kind of need your advice on." "Sure, but don't you usually go to Bra with this kind of stuff?" he asked over the slurping of his hot tea. "Well, yeah," I began, "but that's kind of why I came to you. It's about Bra," I confessed. His eyes widened and his cup parted from his lips. He placed his cup on the table, revealing that his mouth had dropped open. I stared at him awkwardly. "What?" I asked. He leaned back in his seat and smiled up at the sky, releasing his breath as he shook his head. "Seriously, what?" I asked again. "You love her, don't you?" I almost knocked over my tea at his forthright response. Now I was the one with my mouth open, yet I had no words to respond with. "You spend a lot of time with her, ya know? She was younger before, too young for you, but now she's coming of age, Goten. Videl and I always knew you guys would develop feelings for each other. It was inevitable. When I see you two together, I don't see friends. I see more than that, I always have." I was shocked to hear all of this coming from my brother. I had no idea he saw us like that and it made me wonder if everyone else felt the same. He did have a keen sense of intuition, he was a Saiyan after all. And like Vegeta, they both seemed to be more aware of this than Bra and myself.

"I.." I stopped. I couldn't think of anything to say. I was literally at a loss for words. Gohan laughed at my expense. "I know this is a lot for me to be throwing on you right now Goten, but I think you needed to hear it." He took a sip of his tea and waited for me to recollect my thoughts.

"I.. I love Paris Gohan. I've been with her all of these years now, and I.." I stopped as I realized what I had not been able to admit until now. "I wish it was Bra." Tears began to form in my eyes. I squeezed my eyes tightly as the tears threatened to fall. I didn't want to cry over this. Not right now. "Goten, if that's really how you feel, you have to end things with Paris," he comforted. "Bra loves you," he said tensely. "How do you know that for sure?" I asked him. "I can tell when she's around you. I was the same way with Videl when we were friends. It's in the little things, Goten. I remember last year, she came over here one day, and she wanted to get the perfect birthday present for you. Every time we talked about you, she would smile and her eyes would light up like I had never seen before. And you know Bra, she took after her Dad. She used to be just like him when she was younger, and then she started hanging out with you. You rubbed off on her a lot Goten, we could all tell. You were her better half. You.. completed her," he said.

"Gohan.." I didn't know what to say.

"I think it's time you gave her a chance, Goten." Deep down I knew he was right. Paris and I had been together for years and only recently did it feel like the spark in our relationship just wasn't there anymore. I wasn't afraid to lose Paris, but Bra was a different story. If I lost her, I wouldn't know what to do. Just the thought of losing her as a friend scared the hell out of me.

"I'm meeting her in a few hours at the park, she said she wants to talk," I breathed.

"Is everything okay?" he questioned.

I sighed heavily and sulked into my chair. "I kind of did something stupid in Vegas Gohan.." I declared. I rubbed my forehead, annoyed with my stupidity. He raised his eyebrows at me suspiciously. "What did you do Goten?" I went on to tell Gohan about everything that had happened, doing my best not to leave out a single detail. We sat in silence pondering over what I had said. "Man, Goten. You better hope Vegeta doesn't find out." He seemed just as nervous as I was.

"Yeah, tell me about it. He'd blast my ass into outer space." I said. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of Vegeta getting his hands on me.

I looked at my watch and saw that an hour had already flown by. "I should really get going Gohan, I'm meeting Bra in an hour."

"Okay, 'Ten. If you need to talk again, I'm always here," he reminded. "Thanks, Gohan." I gave him a pat on the back and flew off towards home. I need to think a few things over, alone.

oOoOoOo

I arrived at West City Park, a place Bra and I had hung out many times. It was on the edge of the city near a beautiful lake, perfect place to watch the sunset's demise. Usually the park was very busy, but not tonight. Most people were at home, cuddling near the warmth of their fireplaces as the chilly weather moved in.

I spotted Bra on the swing set near the edge of the lake. It was the best seat in the house to watch the sunset paint colors across the sky. I walked up behind her and touched her lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, B." I greeted. I walked around to the empty swing next to her and sat down. "Hey, Goten," she replied.

It was late November, the air was crisp and the cold was quickly falling over us as the sun began making it's descent to the horizon. I studied her face, I couldn't help noticing she looked pale in the sunlight, almost ill even. Despite that, her cheeks had a hint of red to them. I reached over and pressed my hand against her face. "Are you okay? You look kind of sick," I worried. She nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's probably just the jet lag," she replied. She didn't sound sure of herself, but I accepted her answer. She combed her feet through the rocks and gave herself a light push.

"So what did you want to talk about Bra?" I asked, trying to hid the nervousness in my tone. I prepared myself for the idea that Bra had remembered what we did the in Vegas. What else could it be about?

She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Have you talked to Paris yet?" she asked. I was thrown off guard. "Uhm, no, she gets back tomorrow. Why do you ask?"

She combed her feet through the rocks again and stared up at the array of colors splattered in the sky. The sun was just on the horizon. "You love her?" She said. It was a statement disguised as a question. I thought about what Gohan and I had talked about, but I wasn't ready to admit my feelings for her. I would wait until everything with Paris blew over.

"Yeah.." I was astounded by how hard it was for me to say, part of me wasn't sure anymore.

"Goten, I have something to tell you and I know you're not going to like it," she blurted out. It wasn't what I was expecting, but she had probed my curiosity. Her face seemed even more pale now, but it had to be the lighting.

"Go ahead," I insisted. My stomach turned as she tried to form the words I knew were coming. She must have remembered.

"Paris is cheating on you," she claimed. I sat there staring at her in awe of what she had just said. She looked at me sadly, her eyes were glistening with what little sunlight there was left. The streetlights began to illuminate.

"What did you just say?" I retorted. My mind didn't register what she had just said. I was expecting to hear something totally different.

"Goten, I saw her with someone else," she said quietly.

I stood up out of the swing and stared at her in disbelief. I couldn't believe she would stoop so low to make such and outrageous acquisition. She looked up at me fearfully, waiting for my reaction.

"You have some nerve, Bra. Paris would never do that. I can't believe you would even accuse her of something like that. What the fuck's your problem?!" I yelled. I had never talked to her like that. She was shocked. I suddenly became filled with anger, I pushed past the swing, and began to storm off.

"Goten.. I'm not lying." she emphasized. I turned around to face her. The sun had gone down and the florescent light from the a nearby lamppost barely lit up her face. Her expression filled with concern, she almost looked heartbroken. The anger was hastily building inside of me. I couldn't hold it back another second.

"No, I don't want to hear it Bra! You've never liked her! From the beginning you never even tried to get to know my girlfriend! All you cared about was yourself! Just because you don't like her doesn't mean you can go around making up this bullshit about her! Grow the fuck up," I barked at her. She stood up out of her swing, holding onto the chain tightly.

"B-but Goten, Pan and I saw her-"

"Save it for someone else Bra. I don't want to fucking hear it." I blasted off before she could even finish what she had to say.

She was the last person I wanted to be with right now.

oOoOoOo

I watched as Goten blasted off through the sky with lightning speed. I sulked back down into the swing and felt the sting of tears beginning to penetrate my eyes. I had never seen Goten so mad before, about anything. And the worst part. He didn't believe me. I was his best friend and he didn't believe me.

What would he do now? Would he go to Paris and confront her about it? How could he possibly think I could make something like that up? I had never been anything but honest to the man. I looked back up in the sky, he was long gone now but stars were twinkling brightly in his place.

I quickly took out my phone and texted, I'm sorry. I knew he wouldn't reply back. I slipped the phone back in my pocket and headed home. So many thoughts began to rush through my head, I began to feel slightly dizzy. Hopefully, he would realize the truth and we could put this all behind us. Unknowingly, I would need him now more than ever, more than I could ever imagine.

oOoOoOo

I stared out my window into the night sky. I had overreacted, I knew that. I had never yelled at Bra like that, I had never yelled at anyone like that. I was the guy who always kept my composure. But why had she accused Paris of cheating? Better yet, why was I so mad at her for telling me if I didn't think it was true? Paris couldn't possibly cheat on me, could she? Why would it matter if I was planning on ending things with her anyway? There were so many questions that I just didn't know where to begin. My emotions and thoughts were colliding in a storm of confusion. My head was killing me.

Paris would be back tomorrow afternoon. I would clear this up as soon as she got back and then confront Bra about being wrong. Then, everything would go back to normal, and I could slowly break it off with Paris. I loved Bra sure, but I was still mad at her. It was too soon to be with her, we would have to take things slowly, and this isn't how I wanted to start things off.

I looked at my clock, it was almost ten. I had too much on my mind to even think about sleeping. I climbed out of my window and inhaled the cold air deep into my lungs. I wish I could go back to yesterday. Things were much simpler then.

A/N: Well, there it is folks! I hope you enjoyed it. I wonder what will happen next. ;] I'm going to take a few days off from writing. Tomorrow is my birthday so I'll be spending time with family and friends for the next few days. I've already outlined the next chapter so I know where it is headed. Look for an update next week! Thanks for reading.