Disclaimer: I don't own nothing. (Check out those double negatives!)
A/N: Yeah, yeah. I know that I didn't post this the next day. You're just lucky that I'm posting it now. I should wait until I get some more reviews. As promised, this is the last chapter and it's rather long. Enjoy and PLEASE review!!! I'm begging you! For the love of my ego!!!!!
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Chapter 6: Close Encounters of the Love Kind
After a few minutes they landed in Satan City Central Park on a stretch of grass near the lake. When they touched down, Goten folded Bra in his arms for a warm hug. While Bra appreciated the comfort of the hug, she was also very surprised. Considering how terrified Goten was of Vegeta (and rightfully so), the last thing that she expected was for him to initiate physical contact. When they finally pulled away, Bra looked at Goten quizzically. "What was that for?"
Goten just smiled down at her. "You looked like you needed it."
Embarrassed, Bra blushed. "Am I that transparent?"
Goten chuckled. "Only a lot." He wasn't going to mention the fact that he always seemed to have a knack for sensing how Bra was feeling. "Anything you want to talk about?"
Bra shook her head. "No. I just want to forget about everything tonight."
"Alright then. So how was your day?"
Goten was completely dumbfounded when Bra suddenly burst into tears. "What? Was it something I said?" He didn't understand her reaction and immediately did what any guy would do if they were in his situation: he panicked. "Shhh. Shhh. C'mon baby. Please don't do that." he pleaded. He held Bra again, only this time very carefully, as if she was a ticking time-bomb that he was afraid was going to explode. And in a way, she was. People were starting to stare. Goten glared at them and the growing crowd scattered. 'Hmph.' he thought. 'Don't people have any respect for others' privacy?' Deciding that more definite action needed to be taken with the near-hysterical Bra, he sat down on the grass and pulled her into his arms, where he proceeded to rock her and stroke her hair, still trying to soothe her.
Now my momma told me in this dog-eat-dog world
You gotta work harder than a
man
In between sobs, Bra somehow managed to choke out the whole gruesome story of how horrible her day was, how much work she'd been doing, and how pressured she was feeling. When she was finished and her sobs had faded to hiccups and sniffles, Goten got up without a word and walked away, leaving Bra with a strange feeling of abandonment. Just when she was beginning to think that she'd driven him away with her tearful outburst and was wondering if he'd ever come back, he returned.
Goten took a seat on the grass next to her. "There's a vendor just down the path. I thought you could use these." He handed her a cup of water and a handful of napkins. "I noticed that you didn't have your purse and I'm not in the habit of carrying Kleenex with me." He smiled. "Although maybe now I will."
Bra grabbed a napkin and blew her nose. "Thanks." She gave a watery laugh which was interrupted by a hiccup. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten tired of me."
"Never." Goten's voice was quiet, but resolute and Bra believed him. Seeming uncomfortable with the heavy silence that followed his declaration, Goten handed Bra the cup of water. "Here. Drink it upside-down. It'll get rid of your hiccups." Bra did as she was instructed and handed the cup back to Goten who just stared at her with an unfathomable look.
Growing uncomfortable under his intense gaze, she broke the silence. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
Bra's words snapped him back to the present and Goten shook his head a little as if clearing his thoughts. He couldn't believe what he'd just been thinking about! Bra was a friend. "Actually, yes." he chuckled.
Bra felt herself blush. "Oh Kami! I must be a mess!"
"You look fine. Now hold still." Goten took the lid off of the cup of water and dipped a napkin into the remaining liquid. He scooted closer to her and took her chin in one hand while he started gently wiping her face with the wet napkin, erasing all evidence of her crying binge.
Bra silently cursed herself for forgetting her purse at home. She wished desperately that she had the make-up in it so that she could repair the damage done to her face.
As if sensing her thoughts, Goten said, "You know…I've never understood why you insist on putting all of that goop on your face. You're beautiful without it. Close your eyes"
'Did he just call me beautiful?' He had said it off-handedly, but it was still one of the greatest compliments that Bra had ever received. Her blush deepened. "I am?" she asked a little breathlessly.
Goten frowned a little. "Of course. You seem to have a self-esteem issue, but we'll work on that. You can open your eyes now."
'We?' she thought, awed. Bra tried to refocus her scattered thoughts and get herself back onto familiar territory, where Goten was a friend, although that thought somehow saddened her. "You know…my mom is usually the one who does this sort of thing--washing my face in public with a napkin."
Goten gave her that incredible Son grin and she felt her heart skip a beat. "Yeah. My mom does the same thing. Only she spits on it. I could do that too if you want."
Bra made a face as Goten made disgusting noises as if preparing to spit. "No thanks."
"Suit yourself." he shrugged. There was a long lull in the conversation.
Wanting to fill the awkward pause, Bra spoke, " Listen….I'm sorry for all of this. I didn't mean to break down like that."
"It's not a problem." Goten said reassuringly. "I'm just glad that I could be here for you."
"Still….it was nice of you to stay."
"I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't."
'Friend.' Her heart sank a little at the word. Confused by the disappointment that she felt at the use of one word, and suddenly impatient for the night to be over, Bra stood up and offered her hand to Goten. "Come on Goten. Let's go get you that ice-cream I promised."
Oblivious to the irritation that edged her voice, Goten took the extended hand and pulled her back down on the grass. He wasn't ready to leave just yet. Bra's skin was still a little pale and she still had that fragile look that scared him, as if she was going to break any second. "Ice cream can wait." Bra looked puzzled by this out of character statement. "I want to watch the sunset." he said by way of explanation.
She'd say, yeah that's just what you need
Some romance book Romeo callin'
you at work
and messin' up your plans
Still a little baffled, she consented. "Okay then."
Goten wanted desperately to ease some of the tension that he saw flickering across her features. He pulled her a little closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. Bra immediately tensed up.
"Relax," Goten breathed as he began giving her a massage. Bra took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to clear her head of any invading thoughts. Slowly, she succumbed to his ministrations.
Night falls, I slow down
It wasn't long before her thoughts drifted back to Goten.
I start dreamin' of you comin' around
She was content to sit there and let Goten fuss over her like an over-protective mother.
"I suppose you haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately?", he asked. Those faint shadows under her eyes hadn't gone unnoticed by Goten.
"Hmmm," was her only response as she allowed herself to be lulled back to reality by the sound of his voice.
"I'll take that as a yes. I won't bother to ask if you've been eating enough. Saiyans don't skip meals. When they can help it." he added. "You need to start taking better care of yourself. Stressing yourself out, not getting enough sleep, and keeping it all in like that. It's a wonder you didn't break down before now."
"I don't like crying in front of other people. It shows weakness." Bra said coolly.
"That's your father talking and it's a bunch of baloney," Goten replied. "Crying's healthy. Nothing wrong with a good cry. Tears cleanse the soul."
Bra accepted the scolding. "All right!" she said. "I'll cry more often on one condition."
"What's that?"
"That you'll always give me a shoulder to cry on." She meant it light-heartedly, but there was a seriousness, a question behind those words.
"Always." Goten answered her unspoken request and the simple statement brought her astonishing joy. She leaned back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. They sat in companionable silence and watched the remainder of the sunset.
Bra was lost in the warmth of his embrace. His mere presence had a calming effect on her and nothing in her life had ever felt as right as sitting there with Goten did.
They stayed that way until the sun had disappeared behind the horizon and the last brilliant colors in the sky had faded to a tranquil blue. Then Goten gave her a final squeeze and leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "Why don't we go and get that ice cream now?"
Bra smiled to herself. She knew he would get back to the food. Bra allowed Goten to help her up and their hands remained linked until they reached the ice cream vendor's. Bra allowed herself to indulge in a triple chocolate cone while Goten had his usual, two scoops of everything. Bra turned around to pay the man and when she turned back, Goten's hands were empty. He had eaten the whole thing in one bite.
"Ow!" he moaned, clutching his head.
Bra looked at him questioningly.
"Brain freeze," he replied sheepishly. Bra laughed and they continued walking down the stone path. Somehow their hands had found each other again and as they walked, they talked.
It's just what I need on a night like this
A long walk in the dark, someone I can't resist
A little rendezvous, a little mystery
They discussed many subjects: school, history, art, travel, life, love, spirituality (Was there really a Grand Supreme Kai?), and other mysteries of the universe. There was an openness about the night that allowed the young Saiyans to talk freely and easily. The night seemed full of possibilities. The sky was a deep black, glittering with a thousand scattered stars and the lamps that lined the path were on in full, spilling their yellow light on the walkway, lending the night a secluded, romantic air. The silvery moon had risen high in the sky and was already beginning it's earthly descent when their discussion finally came back to all of the pressure that Bra was feeling.
"It sounds like what you really need to do is to start trusting yourself and make a decision. You can't please everyone. Remember that you're the one who has to live with the choice."
"Yes, but my mother…"
"Your mother," Goten interrupted, "will understand. She might raise a fuss over it at first, but she'll soon come to the same realization that mine did. That her baby is all grown up and has a life of their own. They're not always happy about it, but they come to accept it. Unconditional love. That's what family is all about. You need to do what you want to do and stop trying to live up to everyone else's expectations. I can guarantee that if you keep going the way you have been, you will eventually fail and end up miserable."
Bra nodded her head and mulled this new information over. For someone who usually glided through life without a clue, Goten had some pretty good insights. And in this instance, he was speaking from experience. It was no secret that ChiChi had wanted her second son to become a great scholar as well. Her hopes had been quickly dashed however, when it was soon learned that Goten's interests lay elsewhere. At first she had been disappointed when her son began working to open his own dojo, but she had quickly learned to accept the fact that Goten was his own man and had rallied behind him, even going so far as to help paint the place and make offers to come and help clean it once a week.
Bra then began to wonder if that same advice could be applied to another aspect of her life. One that was standing right next to her, staring down at her with dark eyes that held more than the warmth of simple friendship.
When I look at you I think that's just what I need
Bra looked at Goten with shimmering eyes and began to form a question. "Goten…" she began uncertainly, when Goten's wristwatch caught her eye.
She grabbed his arm and stared at the numbers in horrified realization. "Oh my Kami! Is that really the time?" Bra had known that the hour had been steadily growing later and had already reconciled to herself the fact that she was going to be pulling an all-nighter. In her mind, it had been worth it. But if she didn't get home soon, her studies weren't going to be the only casualties of the evening.
"Goten!" she cried desperately, "my dad's going to kill you!!" She grabbed his arm and tried to hurry him along, but Goten remained where he was, a determined look on his usually cheerful features. Bra looked at him, puzzled.
Moonlight, sweet bliss
Perhaps, Goten mused, it was the moonlight that made him move closer to her and take her other hand. He answered her question with an uncharacteristic smirk. "If I'm going to die," he said, "I might as well die happy." As he leaned in closer, Bra's heart began to race. Their lips met and her mind went immediately blank.
Melting with every kiss
The kiss deepened and Bra's entire body went numb. They eventually broke apart and gazed at each other with eyes that were finally able to reveal feelings that had been hidden for far too long. Words were not needed to communicate between the two demi-Saiyans, the deep and profound love that had just been discovered.
Dancin' real slow
When you hold me close I know
They held each other tightly and began to sway back and forth to the beat of a song that only they could hear. It was a primitive melody, one that dated back to the beginning of time. While it seemed common enough, only the lucky few ever heard it. It was the song of love.
As they danced in the lamplight, Bra was again struck by the sense of rightness of it all. She had found where she belonged.
It's just what I need on a night like this
A long walk in the dark, someone I can't resist
A little rendezvous, a little mystery
The new couple lingered in the night as long as they could, sharing kisses and embraces in equal measure. Eventually, they broke apart and flew languidly towards Capsule Corp and Bra's waiting parents.
When I look at you I think that's just what I need
After promising to see each other again as soon as Bra's parents would allow, the young lovers shared one more long, thorough kiss before parting ways. However, in their love-induced stupor, they both forgot about Bra's bedroom window and Bra went through the front door and right past the living room where her parents sat.
Ever vigilant, Vegeta set down his paper and rose, his murderous intent written clearly on his features.
"Sit down, Vegeta." Bulma ordered softly. Her daughter's radiant state had also not escaped Bulma's watchful eyes. "Bra is old enough to make her own decisions."
"But I can smell him on her.."
Bulma silently mouthed one word that halted Vegeta's further protests (and consequently saved the life of what she was sure was her future son-in-law): "Couch."
Just what I need
Completely unaware of what had just transpired in the living room, Bra again flopped down onto her bed. She ignored the persistent call of her textbooks for just a little while longer in order to fully savor the events that had passed that night. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling with eyes blinded by stars.
Just what I need
She sighed again, although this time it was not a sigh of frustration, but rather of profound joy that could not be expressed in words.
Oh yeah