After spending the night at Pan's, the two girls enjoyed a late breakfast and lounged around the Son's house aimlessly, savouring the leisurely life of teenagers on summer break. It was Saturday, which meant Bulla technically had early morning training with her father, but Bulma had convinced him to loosen the rules a bit since the teen was on holiday. The compromise was that training days were still strictly training days, but he would be open to shifting the time of day they'd commence. Sometimes.

Eventually, Pan suggested they get moving and dropped the heiress at home before meeting up with her uncle.

Flushed from her post-workout shower, Bulla sat down at her vanity still wrapped in her towel. She inspected her face carefully, wiping away a few damp strands as she surveyed for blemishes and discolouration. Through the mirror, her finely tuned eyes caught the tell-tale blink of a notification on her cell. She turned around and grabbed it eagerly. Yes! She squealed, unlocking the screen. There was a single text from Jett asking if she was free to chat. Without a second thought, she hit 'dial' and pressed the device to her ear.

Her heart was still aflutter when she put the phone down. A boy who actually calls the day after he asks for your number. Imagine that.

He had asked if she'd be interested in seeing a movie with him sometime, possibly grabbing dinner beforehand. She all but died on the spot. A date. A cute boy asking me on an actual date. Of course, she said she'd love to, but she'd need to clear it with her parents first. He said he understood and would wait to hear back from her.

She threw herself on her bed, wiggling her legs and squealing into her pillow. She flopped onto her back, gleaming manically at her ceiling before slowly drifting back down to earth.

How the heck do I convince my dad to let me go?

Closing her eyes and steadying her breathing, she sought out his ki. Kitchen.

Well, he's probably eating, so there's really no better mood to catch him in, she evaluated. May as well get this over with. And promptly hopped off her bed. She hurriedly threw on a pair of denim shorts and half-tucked a boxy white button down into it the waist before heading down the stairs.

"Hi daddy," she greeted, watching him carefully to gauge his current mood. He was in the middle of placing his dishes in the sink when he looked up at his daughter. Full belly. So far so good. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He raised an eyebrow and turned to face her. The internal door leading to the garage swung open suddenly, prematurely interrupting Bulla's process.

"Hey, guy. What's up?" Trunks greeted on entering, running his fingers through his hair.

"Bulla's about to ask me something," Vegeta stated brusquely, folding his arms and keeping his attention on his daughter.

"Right," Trunks muttered indifferently. "I was just gonna grab a drink." He headed for the fridge, aiming straight for the bottom shelf when a knock at the door caught all three Saiyans' attention.

No… Bulla's chest tightened.

Trunks placed his beer on the bench top, passing it on his way to the front door.

"Hey man," he greeted cordially. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey bro."

Immediately, Bulla dropped her head. Abort mission.

"I just had lunch with my niece in the city, so I thought I'd drop in since I'm in the neighbourhood," Goten answered.

"Dude, you live in West City," Trunks jabbed. "You're always in the neighbourhood."

Goten shrugged. Patting his friend on the shoulder, he invited himself in. "Hey Vegeta," he nodded before casting a glance at the young girl next to him. "Bulla."

She turned to leave but was grabbed on the arm by her father before she had a chance to reach the stairs.

"Where are you going? I thought you wanted to talk about something, Bulla," Trunks queried, popping off his beer cap. He raised his bottle up to his friend, tilting his head at it silently. The dark-haired halfling responded with a nod.

Throwing a brief glance at the newcomer, Bulla mumbled. "Uh, it can wait." She heard her brother snort in response.

"What, are you shy all of a sudden because Goten's here?" He asked from the fridge, throwing a beer to his friend. "Please, he's babysat you about as much as I have at this point. He's probably even changed your diaper."

"Trunks!" Bulla exclaimed, frowning at her brother.

"Speak girl," Vegeta cut in, startling her.

Dear God, why?

She briefly closed her eyes and exhaled. "Okay, well daddy there's this boy..."

Three sets of eyes landed on her in an instant. Jesus Christ.

"No." Was all the Saiyan had to say.

With a sigh, she headed for the stairs once again. "Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking."

"Bulla wait," Trunks called out. "Dad, maybe you should hear her out," he voiced cautiously, scratching his head before passing his hand over the lavender strands. All eyes were on him now. "She's been pretty diligent with training, which she went to you with on her own accord," he added. "Plus, you know, she's getting older." He lifted his gaze to meet his father's slowly, clearly wary of setting off the temperamental alien.

Vegeta eyed his first-born for a moment before returning his attention to the girl in question. "Tell me about this boy. Name. Age. How he dares to know you. And don't waste my time."

Bulla took her opportunity. "His name's Jett, he's nineteen and we met through a friend about six months ago." In the corner of her eye, she could see Goten observing her.

"Oh, I've met him," he spoke up suddenly, keeping his gaze on the teen. The recent guest now had his chance to fall under the microscope, facing the scrutiny of the Briefs household.

"You've met Bulla's boyfriend." Trunks questioned sceptically, folding his arms, unintentionally mirroring his father.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"He's not her boyfriend."

Bulla and Goten spoke simultaneously, causing the two to exchange a brief glance before he looked to his friend. "Or at least, he wasn't when I met him," he added.

"So what can you tell us about this guy?" Trunks queried.

Vegeta had yet to respond, carefully observing the interactions between the three half-Saiyans.

Goten took a sip from his bottle before answering. "Seems like a decent kid," he shrugged. "He was pretty respectful. Offered to give me a hand with something before we were even properly introduced. I mean, I don't know him all that well," he declared, taking another drink. "But I'd give him a chance." He glanced at the heiress out of the corner of his eye while she stared at him dumbfoundedly.

After a few excruciating moments of silence, Trunks turned to face his father. "Dad," he began, causing his father turn his head. "Goten wouldn't lie about something like this. Maybe you should let Bulla see this guy. He sounds alright, and it's a regular part of growing up."

"No," he stated once more, this time to his son

"Daddy, please," she begged. "Trunks is right. I'm almost a legal adult, but my life has been so sheltered, how am I meant to learn anything? Isn't it better for me to make mistakes now, while I'm still at home, rather than when I'm out on my own in the big wide world?" She was holding onto his folded forearms, looking up at him pleadingly.

With a sigh, he finally spoke. "Tomorrow," he asserted. "Here, six-thirty. If he's a minute later, the offer is rescinded."

Her eyes grew in disbelief. "Thank you thank you thank you," she bounced gleefully before wrapping her arms around her father's neck and kissing him on the cheek. He finally broke and loosened his arms, returning her embrace briefly. She hopped over to the brother and hugged him tightly, kissing him on each side of his face repeatedly until he started pushing her away with a chuckle. She turned to face Goten, still glowing. He was smiling at her, evidently happy for her and her little victory.

Thank you, she mouthed to him, dropping her arms from her brother's high shoulders. He offered a quick wink before he took another swig from his bottle.

The heiress exited the kitchen, wondering if this was some crazy fantasy-daydream. I can't believe how well that went. She opened her bedroom door, closing it behind her as she entered and dashed for her phone, eager to share the phenomenal news with Pan and Madison. She hopped onto her bed in celebration for the second time that afternoon, smile unfading.

In her elation, she almost missed the knock at her door.

"Yeah?" She called out absently. Keeping her eyes on her phone, she hadn't realised who had entered until she peeked up.

"Goten," she uttered, barely masking her surprise as he closed the door behind himself. She turned onto her back and pushed into her hands. "What are you doing in my room? If my dad finds you in here, he'll kill you. And that's without him having any idea about-"

"That's actually what I came here for. Can I sit down?" He asked, nodding at the end of her bed.

"Uh, okay?" She stammered, staring at him blankly. What the heck is going on right now?

"We really need to talk about what happened," he exhaled, joining her on the mattress.

Now?!

"Why?" She asked, a touch defensively, coming up onto her knees.

"Because I fucked up and I need to make things right."

The heiress reared in confusion. "You do realise that happened, like half a year ago, right?" She responded icily. "Why are you here talking to me about this now?"

"Like, I said. I fucked up," he groaned, wiping his hands up his face and through his thick black hair. "I couldn't even look in the mirror, let alone face you or your brother, or your fucking parents. Especially with how much your mother carried on about what a hero I was. It made me physically sick."

She felt her throat pinch as she continued to observe him. "What exactly is the part that makes you sick?" She asked reluctantly, voice starting to lose its steadiness.

Leaning his elbows into the tops of his thighs, he took a deep breath. "Bulla, I'm a grown man who was given the simple job of protecting you and I couldn't even keep my hands to myself for three fucking days. You were sixteen years old," he cursed, face scrunching in disbelief. "Not only that, but I've known you since you were a baby." He turned his head to face the heiress. "You were so vulnerable that weekend: you were assaulted, uprooted, your parents were off planet and Trunks was MIA. I had no business doing that to you."

"Is that really how you see it?" The heiress questioned, eyebrows converging. "That you, like, took advantage of me or something?"

He dropped his gaze to the bedroom carpet and tensed his jaw.

"Are you forgetting that I'm the one that kissed you? And basically begged you not to stop." She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks at her own words. Self-consciously, she glanced at the door. Lowering her voice, she continued. "I wanted it, and you know what? I enjoyed it. Besides," she added. "Barely anything happened. It's not like we had sex or anything."

She could see his lip curling slightly as he kept his eyes on the floor, shaking his head once more. "You have no idea how hard it was for me to keep it that way." He muttered so softly, she almost didn't hear him. Instantly, her cheeks reddened at his candidness. "But it doesn't change the fact that I shouldn't have done what I did." He exhaled audibly, furrowing his brows. "I don't know what I was thinking. I should have had more self-control."

There it is, she closed her eyes, swallowing a lump. Just like you've been worrying all this time: He regrets it.

Her eyes began to prickle. "Why did you come here, Goten?" She asked quietly. "To tell me it was a mistake? That you're ashamed of yourself for getting with me?"

She watched his expression fall as he took in her own, the corners of his eyes dropping. "Bulla please," he frowned. "Don't take it that way." He lifted his palm to wipe an escaped tear making its way down her cheek.

"Don't," she choked, pulling away abruptly.

He dropped his hand in defeat and tightened his fist, the veins in his forearm bulging visibly.

"Maybe this isn't what you want to hear," he sighed, watching remorsefully as the heiress dragged her fingertips across her cheekbones. "But if I had kept myself in check back then, you wouldn't be sitting here crying right now,"

"The reason I'm upset," she explained coolly. "Is because of how easily you forgot about me after everything we went through that weekend." Squeezing her eyes shut, she turned away to glare at the adjacent wall. "I actually had so much fun staying with you." The heiress shook her head. "I fooled myself into thinking that things could be different between us, that we could be friends. When you showed up at my party, I thought for sure that meant everything would turn out okay, but you just disappeared after that. I knew that what happened between us before you dropped me off at Kame House was one-time thing," she added with a brief glance. "But it still felt like you cast me aside. Like I was just another meaningless hook-up to you." She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm such an idiot."

He straightened, eyes unwavering for the first time in their painfully uncomfortable conversation, and locked on to her teal orbs. "Please never think that," he urged, reaching out to her, but quickly thinking better of it, instead leaning his palm into her comforter. "I'm the idiot here." She could feel him watching her as she frowned at her clenched fists. "You're not just some girl, Bulla."

"Then why did you just leave me in the dust?" She whispered, barely concealing the frustration and doubt that had built up over the past few months.

"I needed to stay away for a while," he answered with another exhale. "Take some time to get my head straight. I couldn't risk Trunks catching on that something was up, so I threw myself into my work, signing up for all these overseas projects. After getting some breathing room, I realised how much I overlooked how you might feel about the whole thing. Time kept passing, making it harder and harder for me to bring it up. When I ran into you at Gohan's, and saw the look on your face, I knew I had to stop making excuses and set things right.

And I mean what I said last night," he added, tilting his head to meet hers. "I really do care about you. I've always cared about you."

Yeah, right. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious," a faint smile crept onto his lips. "I watched you learn to talk, and walk, and dance, and sing and play those silly instruments they make kids play in elementary school. I've attended your ballet recitals and school productions. I've seen you cry from falling off the monkey bars at the park, and then immediately laugh as Trunks and I got chased by swans." At this, her lips curled too. "Maybe you don't remember much from back then, but I do. And I remember you. You were adorable and so innocent."

"And now," he sighed, expression gradually warming. "You are this sweet, beautiful young woman who should be out fooling around with boys your own age while I protect you from guys like me."

She finally lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.

"I never meant to hurt you, Bulla, truly. I don't ever want to see you hurt," he added soberly.

The two halflings regarded each other quietly for a few moments before the teen threw her arms around him, hugging tightly. He brought his hands to her back, returning her embrace as she buried her face into his neck.

"I'm sorry, Bulla," he whispered.

"It's okay," she breathed. "I'm sorry too." A smile finally cracked on her lips. "You know, in all these years I've known you, Goten Son, I never expected you to be the type to brood," she teased, sniffing into his collarbone.

"Well it's news to me too," he admitted, tilting his head down to smirk at her. "You're a special one, Bulla Briefs." He pulled back, finally allowed to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "So we're good?" He asked, looking into her teal eyes warmly. "We can put this behind us?"

"We're good," she nodded, resting her palms on her thighs.

He pressed his hands into the tops of his legs and rose up from his seat. "I should probably get going in that case. Trunks thinks I'm asking you something about my niece. A conversation like that can only be so long."

Bulla inclined her head in acknowledgement and he walked towards the exit.

"Hey, Goten?" She lilted while he clutched the door handle, causing him to pause. "Thank you for putting in a good word about Jett. I don't know if the other two would've have gone along with it if you hadn't said anything."

He flashed his signature grin. "I've always got your back, princess." And clicked the door behind him.

Post chapter notes:

Surprise! I was so pleased with the reviews and responses from the last chapter, I thought I'd get the next one out early as a little thank you to you all. (Plus it was just sitting there staring at me, couldn't really wait to let it go :P)

I'd love to hear your thoughts!