Season 1 Episode 5
"Get changed." Trunks bossed around his little sister the second she walked into the house.
"What? Why?" Bra whined not in the mood to deal with his dramatics.
"Because you're coming with me to a yoga class." Trunks told his sibling not asked.
"What. No."
"Yes."
"No. I just barely survived my community service shift. All I want to do is take a hot shower, scrub the grime off of me then lay down and go to sleep for like 16 hours." Bra shot down.
"I didn't want to do this but I'm cashing in on one of your several Selfish you owe me." Trunks brought out the big guns.
"What? No. You used them all." Bra strained to weasel her way out of it.
"No, I haven't! I'm constantly rescuing you from sketchy situations you get yourself into. Like when you flew to Belize alone to meet up with Henry Cavil but it turned out to be some popular veterinarian with a social media following." Trunks recalled one of the many blemishes in her long history of terrible dates.
"Okay, but he totally did look like Henry Cavil and he was actually super sweet. We had a lovely time for your information." Bra retold her version of the story.
"Then why did you call me begging me to get you the hell out of there?" Trunks fired back.
"Because I don't like the jungle!" Bra huffed.
"Anyways. I was there for you then, be here for me now." Trunks left her no room to argue as he tossed her workout clothes at her. "I need this."
"Fine!" Bra conceded begrudgingly changing and walking with him to the community center. She instantly regretted caving to her brother's demand when she saw the room filled with townies. Including two she didn't exactly want to see again.
"Trunks! I'm glad you came." Goten welcomed him with open arms. Literally, he had his arms out as if awaiting a hug that never came. "You brought a partner. Good. I couldn't remember if I told you, it was a couple's class." The instructor managed to hide his disappointment.
"Well, you didn't and –
"Ew! I'm his sister." Bra finished for him making a grossed-out face.
"Oh." Goten breathed out in relief. "In that case, we have another set of siblings you can partner up with if you're not comfortable doing this with your sister." He added motioning over at the town's infamous twins.
Before Bra could protest Trunks was already approaching the pair. Not wanting to be left alone she quickly followed just in time to catch 18 blowing him off with a "Not interested" brushing past him to find a partner that wasn't the new guy or her twin. She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding when the pretty blonde from the Café come up to her brother and asked him to be her partner. He said yes and they walked back to her yoga mat leaving Bra and 17 alone
"I didn't picture you a yoga guy." Bra commented attempting small talk.
"How did you picture me?" 17 asked a question that if it had been anyone else, she would have taken as flirting.
"I don't know maybe composting or washing your laundry in the river," Bra confessed then had to fight off the image of him doing those activities shirtless.
"Good evening everyone! Thank you all for joining me this evening. Looks like everyone's found a partner so let's begin with some basic stretches to warm up." Goten began class by demonstrating those stretches at the front of the class.
Though they never officially agreed out loud they would be partners for this class 17 graciously scooted over so Bra could use the yoga mat he was on. Standing so close together while doing something other than picking up trash felt different. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad was her final thought before it got awkward.
"Okay, now I want everyone to face their partners and get on their knees," Goten instructed in all seriousness unaware how wrong that sounded to those with dirty minds. Bra one of those minds who muffled a laugh as she turned to her partner and did so, finding him in the same position as her.
"Now put your knees together, grab your partner's forearms then lean back into a camel pose. Make sure to keep your chest open while flexing your core." Goten instructed watching all his students carefully do so. Some more reluctantly than others like Bra and 17 for example who were having difficulty touching each other. To avoid drawing more attention by being the only ones not participating they finally exchanged a look and reached out for each other at the same time.
"Relax your head and neck but be careful not to turn your head to the side," Goten advised as he walked around the room checking and correcting each couple's form. "You're flexing too far apart. It's better if you're touching from the waist down." He recommended placing a hand on Bra's lower back encouraging her to move closer to 17.
Damnit Bra cursed inside her head. Any closer and she feared she might feel things, lusty things. She had undeniably instantaneously attracted to his model good looks. Even his prickly personality only added to the intrigue at times. The problem was she doubted her usual sexy tactics would work on a guy like him.
"You're tense." Goten observed causing her to bite back a rhetorical "No shit Sherlock."
"Breath." A cool voice that wasn't their instructor motivated. It was near impossible to resist that voice as she was drawn in closer to him.
"Good." Goten praised them when they were finally in the proper position then moved on to help another couple in need.
At this point, seductress Bra would have made a cheeky comment about her partner's little partner happy to see her but she got the vibe that wouldn't have gone over well. Even though she would almost bet her no longer existing inheritance that she felt him stiffen.
Oh my god! How long are we going to have to stay like this? Bra cringed feeling anything but relaxed which was the whole point of this class and exercise.
"Good. Now let's move on to a partner's yoga twist. Sit back-to-back with your legs crossed then reach across and hold on to your partner's leg for a deeper stretch." Goten taught. Before he finished his explanation Bra noticed other couples that perhaps attended this class regularly already in the position. With a deep breath, she sat down crossing he legs when she felt 17's back against hers she turned to her right nearly bumped heads with him due to him turning in the same direction.
"You go left." 17 instructed a little too bossy for her taste throwing her off her game, confusing her into turning right again this time inches from his face.
"Um." Bra had never been this up close and personal with him. It was hard not to get lost in his icy blue eyes that were even more piercing at such a close distance.
"Your other left." 17 rolled those ice blue eyes breaking her free of their trance.
"Okay!" Bra hissed flipping her hair as she turned quickly in the other direction. In her haste, she placed her hand on his upper thigh higher than appropriate for two relative strangers. Clueless to her error she began her twist her hand sliding ever so higher up 17's thigh.
"No no no." Goten rushed over having seen the inappropriate touching. "It's better if you just hold on to his knee." He said more gently as he moved her hand.
"Sorry!" Bra could have died of embarrassment on the spot as everyone looked over at them to see what all the fuss was about. The smug smirk on her brother's face made her wish she had superpowers so she could kill him with her brain at that very moment. She wished she could get up and leave but that would only make matters worse. So, she sucked it up and finished the class. Fortunately, the rest of the moves weren't so intimate.
Goten ended the class with a traditional prayer hand bow and Namaste adding that he would love to see everyone back next week while looking directly at Trunks. A move that didn't go unnoticed by Bra who quickly b-lined it to her brother unceremoniously dragging him out of there.
"Ow. Careful with the delicate merch." Trunks complained in pain as his sister's long self-manicured nails dug into his arm.
"You owe me big for this." Bra proclaimed as they began walking home.
"You certainly seemed to be getting into it with your partner. Maybe you owe me." Trunks grinned giving her a knowing look.
"Shut up!" Bra smacked his arm she had been gripping.
"Don't tell me you don't want to come back next week and do that again." Trunks gave her a hard time.
"No! But I'm sure the instructor wants you to come back. I bet he would looooove to give you a private lesson." Bra dished it back.
"What? No. He was just leading the class." Trunks scoffed.
"He may have been leading the class with his words but his eyes were leading you to the bedroom." Bra dropped that food for thought as she picked up her pace leaving him behind to ponder it…
"Ew! Ew! Ew!"
"Open your eyes."
"Ew nooooo."
"It'll make it easier to get it in."
"No. Ew."
"You're taking too long. I'll do it with my hands."
"Ew. What?"
Bra finally opened her eyes in time to witness 17 pick up the roadkill she had been aimlessly attempting to scoop up off the road with a shovel with her eyes close. With gloved hands, he effortlessly and quickly picked up the carcass by a limb and tossed it into the garbage bag he had been holding out for her to scoop it into. In hindsight, he should have known it'd be easier to just do it himself.
"You've been unexpectedly quiet today." 17 commented as they walked the familiar route performing their routine task. He speculated her change in conduct had something to do with the other night's touchy yoga class.
"Is that your way of trying to say you miss talking to me?" Bra teased showing she was still herself.
"Hardly." 17 burst her bubble. The hurt look that flickered on her bright face compelled him to add "Thought you might be sick or something." To lessen the blow.
"No just a lot going on in my life and my family's life." Bra gave a vague response setting him up to ask for details. Those being that her mom was having zero luck finding remotely interested buyers for the town and that her dad was going stir crazy which was negatively affecting the entire family.
"Right. First world problems." 17 didn't take the bait.
"Yea," Bra admitted. Failure to get offended and jump to defend herself raised a red flag.
"Okay, what's wrong." 17 stopped and looked at her.
"Nothing." Bra insisted but was less than convincing. "It's just that I'm used to having a booked social calendar and there's literally nothing to do around here. I mean what do young people do around here for fun?"
"You're asking the wrong person." 17 informed not surprisingly.
"Maybe I should ask your sister. I bet she was the fun twin." Bra mocked her previous misunderstand.
"If you consider having a record fun," 17 paused letting the fact that Bra herself had a record and that's why she was forced to work with him hang in the air.
"Is that how she met her husband?" Bra wondered out loud.
"Allegedly." 17 didn't deny it dropping the conversation which usually was a good thing but today he found himself uncharacteristically continuingly it. "I heard there's going to be a tailgate this weekend."
"What's that?" Bra asked distractedly.
"It's when people gather before or after a sporting event." 17 answered misunderstanding her request to have him repeat himself.
"I know what tailgating is." Bra rolled her eyes. "I dated several professional NFL and MLB players." She not so subtly bragged.
"I beg your pardon princess." 17 sarcastically apologized expecting a fiery comeback.
"Shhh. Do you hear that?" Bra shushed instead. He listened but only heard the sound of a passing vehicle. "It sounded like a baby animal." She described.
"There are lots of strays around here." 17 shrugged unexpectedly untroubled for a nature-loving Ranger. Usually, nature lovers went hand in hand with animal lovers.
"Well, this one sounds like a baby." Bra started following the sound making what sounded like kissing noises every time she thought she heard whatever it was responding. 17 simply stood by and watched as his overdressed helper ventured into some bushes. Shocked she never hesitated to ruin her expensive designer clothes. He was almost to the point of being mildly worried when he didn't hear her shriek as she was struggling to get through the thorny bushes by their movements. He was about to call out to her when she reappeared disheveled looking worse for wear.
"What's wrong?" 17 stepped closer expecting to find her injured or maybe bit by some type of poisonous animal. Instead of answering with words, she opened her hands to reveal a tiny chipmunk. It couldn't have been more than a week old. "Put that back."
Bra shook her head gazing at the tiny chipmunk in her hand as it let out a pitiful high-pitched cry that nearly broke her heart. 17 had seen this many times before and it hardly ever ended well. Overeager people assuming any baby animal found alone was abandon. Good Samaritans wanting to help by taking them when in reality the mom more often than not was nearby and they end up doing more harm than good. Separating them from their family and taking them to a rescue or worse trying to help them themselves when they lacked wildlife experience or knowledge. Inadvertently taking a baby from its mom was the worst thing you could do to a wild animal. Wildlife Rescue 101: leave it alone unless it's injured.
"It's hungry." Bra claimed genuine worry written all over her face her voice quivering.
"His mom and littermates are undoubtedly nearby and you're not helping by moving him from what is possibly his nest." 17 scolded.
"He was all alone. I didn't hear or see any signs of other baby chipmunks or a mom." Bra explained her actions. "And it didn't look like a nest either."
"Then she was in the middle of moving her babies or is out looking for food. Either way put it back. You don't know if he's abandoned." 17 reprimanded.
"And you don't know he isn't!" Bra fought back holding the tiny chipmunk to her chest protectively. 17 ran a hand through his long raven hair in frustration. He could tell the fashion diva was dead set on "helping" this critter. With a sigh, he decided to switch tactics.
"If the chipmunk is still here all alone when we finish our work then I'll agree he's most likely been abandoned and we can help him." 17 compromised.
"I'm not leaving him to get eaten by a wolf or run over!" Bra declared stubbornly.
"Wolves don't come this close to the road and he's too young to even walk." 17's calm cool exterior cracking.
"But there are predators that would hurt him." Bra countered.
"Yes, that's why his mother hid him in a bush. If you don't put him back, she will believe a predator got him and leave never to come back." 17 enlightened her on animal rescuing basics.
"Fine! I'll put him back but I'm staying nearby so I can keep an eye on him. If by nightfall no mom chipmunk appears then he was abandoned and I will be taking him." Bra finalized her plan squashing any chance to debate.
"You're going to stay out here all day? Until night?" 17 couldn't believe what she was stating.
"Yes." Bra couldn't see what was so hard to understand.
"You're not done with your hours." 17 pointed out.
"I'll make them up this weekend," Bra promised turning around to return the baby chipmunk to where she had found them hoping his mom and siblings if he had any returned so she could rescue all of them.
17 groaned knowing he was most likely going to end up doing something he would regret. Something that went against his basic instincts something that was out of character for him. He fought that urge and went on to do his job though he unsuccessfully got very far. He couldn't shake the image of her all alone watching over a tiny newborn animal. He knew then he had to do something. So, he did.
"Come on. Let's go." 17 commanded.
"I'm not leaving him." Bra reiterated her stance with determined defiance.
"I know. Bring him with you." 17 yielded.
"Really?" Bra looked over at him wondering if he was toying with her.
"Really." 17 asserted in a grouchy tone. Partly annoyed because she was skeptical of him but also because he didn't want to tell her the sad truth. That the mother most likely kicked him out of the nest because he was sickly with little chance of surviving. No, he would never tell her that. He may not be the nicest guy in the world but he wasn't an asshole that would crush her like that. "Now hurry up before I change my mind."