I sat down the other night talking to a great friend of mine and decided to write a new fanfic.  This'll be a chaptered one, soo woot for me.  AU Goten/Bra fic (what other couple do I ever use? ^_^;)  Bra and Goten went to high school together, but before high school they were never close.  Once high school came around, they ended up becoming the best of friends.  When they graduated, they decided to go to college together.  Nothing romantic ever crept its way into their relationship, but that's about to change.

AN1:  Mega Man X5 is a good game.  Play it.

AN2:  Full Metal Panic is a great anime.  Watch it.

AN3:  Straight and simple, Kublai Khan rules.

Disclaimer:  "The sky's all gray in the barracks, I know I'm a lousy hero."  CKy, Shippensberg

Sweet Dreams:  Chapter One: Greatest Friends

Goten sat nervously, absentmindedly flicking the tiny rope that dangled from his graduation cap.  He looked down at the navy blue gown he was wearing, and then up to the superintendent of Orange Star High.  The diplomas were being passed out finally.  He attempted a sidelong glance at his best friend Bra, who was a couple of names away from getting called herself to the stage to receiver her declaration of completion of high school.

Bra caught the glance with her aqua eyes and smirked back at Goten.  He smiled back and decided to give her a wink.  She winked back before turning her attention again to the stage.

Goten thought about the last four years of his life, and how he had such a tough time living with them.  His father was gone, and Trunks was head of Capsule Corporation.  Goten had seriously needed a friend, and the best one to fill the gap was the least likely, in his mind.  His best friend was Bra Briefs-Vegeta.

Goten was snapped out of his thoughts by the calling of Bra's name throughout the loudspeakers in the gymnasium.  He turned his head to watch her graceful steps toward the stage.  Each stride seemed to be glowing with radiant beauty, and each step seemed to sprout roses from where she had stepped.  She looked incredible at that moment, and not even Goten could miss that.  Her bright smile lit the room, and her turquoise hair draped her shoulders in such a way that it only framed her beautiful face.

She took her diploma from the hands of the superintendent, and shook his hand with her other, grinning the entire time.  Goten watched as she mouthed a thank you to the man, and started walking off.  Her eyes glanced in the crowd of students still awaiting their diplomas and met with Goten's.  Goten smiled proudly at her, and Bra's eyes seemed to make his smile wider.  She smiled back and gave another wink to her friend as she stepped down off the stage.  She strolled back to her seat and sat down quietly, still beaming and grasping the diploma in her hands.  Goten went back to thinking.

Bra had helped him so much throughout high school that he could never repay her.  Through broken hearts and new girlfriends, she was there for Goten at all times.  When his father had disappeared, she was there to comfort him even more than his own brother was.  He didn't blame Gohan for not being there because he had his own family to worry about.  But Goten still needed a shoulder to cry on.  Bra offered that shoulder, no questions asked.

Once again, Goten was snapped out of his pondering by the loudspeaker calling his own name.  He stood up and straightened his cap before stepping towards the stage.  He climbed the steps and walked towards the superintendent, just as Bra had a few moments ago.  Almost identically as Bra had, he accepted the diploma and started off the stage.  Unfortunately, he didn't make it that far.

The damn rug on the stage had somehow bundled up and created an inch high hill.  Goten, lost in his thoughts, didn't see this crinkle in the carpet.

He fell gracefully to the stage, and an uproar of laughter surged from the bleachers filled with parents and seats filled with classmates.  Bra looked on in surprise as Goten hit full force to the floor.

"Oh shit," were the only words to escape her mouth as she brought her hand to her forehead.  Goten lied in dismay as he thought of ways to play off the blunder.  He slowly pulled himself to his feet before spinning around to the superintendent.

Goten pointed a finger at the laughing man in a blaming manner.

"Don't trip me!" Goten yelled accusingly.  The crowd laughed harder.  The superintendent's eyes grew wide.  Goten smirked at the man to play it off before trudging back to his seat.  As he sat down, he glanced at Bra, who was giggling.  When she noticed Goten looking at her, she shook her head.

"Smoothe," she mouthed, and Goten stuck his hand behind his head while grinning.  And as suddenly as it had begun, Goten's and Bra's high school career was now over.  It had seemed like an eternity during the painful years for Goten, but now that it was over, he already missed it a little.  But he had his life to look forward to.

Bra and Goten had decided early in their junior year to go stateside for college.  Both had applied and had been accepted to the University of California and were planning on attending together next year.  Both were studying to be business majors, as both were planning on returning to jobs in the high rankings of Capsule Corporation.  Their life had been pretty much planned out, save for their love life.

Ah, that's where things get rough, Goten thought to himself.  He remembered the first time he needed Bra's help to get through tough times.  His freshman year, a girl had dumped him for some upperclassman, and he had a tough time dealing with it.  Bra called him up, sensing some sort of depression in him, and talked to him.  She ended up talking all night on the phone with him about not just the girl, but everything.  They ended up going to bed around five in the morning, as Vegeta was getting up for his morning training session. 

From then on, Bra and Goten were inseparable.  Every now and then, there'd be the occasional boyfriend for Bra and girlfriend for Goten, but they never dated each other.  They never thought of such a thing, and Goten sat there wondering why that was.

Bra and I get along so well, Goten thought, One would think that we were dating.  But her view on us is just friends, and I guess I should keep her views as well for the safety of our friendship.  He smiled as he gripped his diploma.  Goten slumped in his chair and closed his eyes.  His life was pretty good now.

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Bra made her way through the massive crowd of graduates as they gathered in the reception hall.  She had a tough time finding Goten, especially since he was suppressing his ki.  As she pushed her way through a few people, men were giving her wanting glances.  She could feel the eyes pour over her, but she didn't seem to mind.  That was until someone grabbed her from behind.

Bra flipped around, ready to punch whoever it was that decided to stop her quest of finding Goten and grope her without permission.  She stopped mid-punch as she realized who it was who grabbed her.  She immediately jumped into his arms.

Goten wrapped his arms around Bra as she laughed and cried at the same time.

"We finally did it, Goten!" Bra laughed, wiping a tear from her eye, "We graduated!  And you survived the four years of hell!"  Goten laughed as he spun around with Bra in his arms.

"I couldn't have done it without you, B-Chan," Goten said into her ear so no one else could hear, "You saved me."  Bra blushed a bit and smiled back at her best friend.  Goten put her down and Bra quickly grasped his hand.  She dragged him through the crowds towards the spot where her family and his family were congregating.

Man, Bra really can get pushy, Goten thought as he observed Bra pushing people out of the way to make a path.  Not even guys he knew could do that with such success.  Goten chuckled.

They finally arrived at their families and were met with a fury of flashbulbs.  Chichi and Bulma both were taking photos nonstop, stopping every few seconds to wipe their eyes with tissues.  Goten and Bra just grinned at each other as they struck different poses for the cameras.

"My baby has finally grown up!" Chichi wailed as she gripped her son in her arms.  Goten, being the usual guy he was, didn't know how to react, so he just grinned and rubbed the back of his head.  Bulma hugged her daughter as she complimented on how grown up she had become.

Trunks shook Goten's hand firmly.  Trunks and Goten were close, but ever since Trunks graduated high school, things haven't been the same between them.  Trunks was always busy with work, so Goten really couldn't spend that much time with him.  It was during this one year absence that Bra really took over the best friend spot in Goten's life.

Up until that point, Bra and Goten had been good friends.  Trunks and Goten did tons of stuff together, but over time Goten ended up doing more things with Bra than with her brother.  And Goten was happy it turned out that way.

Without Bra, Goten didn't know where he would have been at this point in time.  He didn't even think he would've graduated high school if she wasn't there to help him.  That's how great an impact she had on his life.

Even though Goten and Bra's status remained "just friends," they still did stuff that couples usually do.  Many often thought that they were together, and whenever one asked Bra or Goten if they were together, the two would just chuckle and not answer.  They had decided early on that mysteries in high school can be quite fun.

Goten and Bra went to prom together, and Bra couldn't have asked for a better date.  Goten treated her with the most respect any male had ever done, and Bra definitely filed away that prom as one of her most favorite nights of her life.  She even started feeling romantic feelings toward him, something she had never done during their friendship.  But the following Monday, Goten went back to being her friend and not her date anymore.

Bra didn't seem to mind, and she returned to her role as Goten's best bud.

And now they were graduated together.  Posing together for pictures, laughing together, crying together, and sharing memories together.  After an hour or so of mingling among former classmates, Bra and Goten decided to take a seat.

Goten sat in a chair and closed his eyes tiredly as he waited for Bra to pull up a chair next to him.  He was quite surprised to feel weight on his lap and arms wrap around his neck.  His eyes shot open quickly to find Bra sitting on his lap, resting her head on his shoulder.  Her eyes were closed, and Goten noticed that she was obviously quite tired.  He slowly crept his arms around her and hugged her while she rested.  She opened her eyes and smiled at him, and suddenly both were in a different world.

But the bliss of each other was shortlived, as more classmates came up to them to congratulate them on graduation.  Bra dismissed the feelings of romance between her best friend before jumping off his lap.

"I'm gonna go say one final goodbye to Mr. Buraiko, kay?" Bra said, smiling a little before backing up a few steps.  Goten just nodded before smiling at her retreating form.

That felt good, Goten thought, Really good.  Goten got up and shook his head, dismissing any romance between the two of them.

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Bra fell onto her bed, tired from the whole graduation process.  Goten rolled her computer chair over next to her bed and sat on it backwards.  He grinned at her tired form.

"You know, B-Chan," Goten started, "There are quite a number of parties tonight.  Aren't we going to go to any?"  Bra forced open her sleep weighted eyes and shot Goten a glare.  Goten chuckled.

"I guess not," Goten laughed, "No need to get testy with me, ya know."  Goten smiled, and Bra had a tough time keeping her tough demeanor.  She smiled back before sitting up.

"So high school's over," Bra said, "Where'd the years go?"  Goten just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno, B-Chan," He said, "But I'm both happy and sad that they've become the past."  Bra looked at him quizzically as if she didn't know, but in all actuality, she knew exactly what he was talking about.  Goten picked up the quizzical look and began to explain.

"I'm not sad to see the bad memories leave," Goten said, "The hearteaches, the lonliness, you know."  Bra nodded as he continued.

"But it's sad to see that everything in our teenage years will be gone," Goten said, "Our friends will be moving away.  It just gets to me a little bit."  Bra smiled.

"Yeah I know what you mean," She said, giving a smile of assurance, "But soon we'll be in the states.  Together.  Just us two, and that's all we need, right?"  Goten smiled.

"Right."  Bra picked up her pillow and hugged it to her chest.  Goten looked at her and started to say something, but stopped himself before the words came out.  Bra caught him though, and questioned him on it.

"What were you gonna say?" Bra asked.  Goten shook his head.

"It's not important," He replied.  Bra didn't fall for it.

"Of course it is," She said, "I've always told you to speak your mind, so do it now."  Goten blushed a little bit.

"Well, I just was wondering," Goten started, "In all these years of high school, you haven't had one boyfriend.  I just wanted to know why."  Bra was taken aback a little by the question, but blushed a little hue of crimson.

"Well, I dunno," Bra said timidly, "I just never wanted one.  Most high school guys are too big of pricks to date."  Goten looked at the ground.

"What about me?" Goten asked, then quickly tried to clarify as he blushed, "I mean, I'm not a prick, am I?"  Bra laughed a little.

"Not even close," Bra said, "I don't even think you could be one if you tried.  You're too nice.  You're the sweetest boy I know."  Goten smiled.

"Thanks, B-Chan," Goten said.  Bra lied back down on her bed and closed her eyes.  Goten smiled slightly at Bra's dozing form and tossed a stuffed animal at her.

"Wake up!" Goten yelled, "It's too early to sleep!"  Bra managed a groan as she chucked her pillow at Goten and closed her eyes again.  Instead of meeting sleep, she was attacked with a fury of fingers tickling her sides.  Her eyes shot open to see her best friend straddling her tired body, tickling her into oblivion.  Laughter blasted throughout the room as Bra feigned an attempted at heaving Goten off of her.

"Stop!" Bra laughed, "No tickling!  Pleeeeease!"  Goten just continued his torturous assault before coming to rest and holding onto Bra's sides.  She brought her hands to her head and grinned up at the smiling face above her.

"Okay, B-Chan," Goten said, "I guess that's enough tickling for now."  He absentmindedly rubbed his hands up and down her sides, as if soothing the tickle wounds.  She blushed a little bit as she grabbed onto his stoking arms.

Both became lost in each other's eyes once again, and this time their lips met in a moment of bliss.

And as suddenly as it happened, the kiss was broken.

"What are we doing?" Bra asked.  Goten answered a quiet "I don't know" before slipping off Bra's bed.

"Maybe we shouldn't be doing it though," Goten said.  Bra looked down.

"Yeah," Bra reluctantly agreed.  Her heart screamed for more, though.  She wanted to keep Goten as close as possible without risking his loss, though.

They were best friends, and she really didn't want to endanger that from one simple kiss.

"I think… I'm gonna get goin'.  Call me tomorrow, okay?" Goten asked, lifting his eyebrows in a hopeful manner.  Bra smiled through her minor heartache before nodding.

"Sure thing," Bra said.  Goten walked over to the door of her bedroom and turned the knob.  It opened slightly.

"Sweet dreams, Bra," Goten said, "See you tomorrow, bright and early."  He smiled at her, wanting to continue what they had started, but knew he couldn't.  Bra smiled back, noting his affection in the used of her name.  He rarely called her by her actual name.  It was always "B-Chan."

"You too, Goten," Bra replied, "I'll make sure to give you a nice wake up call."

Goten laughed as he stepped out the door and closed it behind him.  Bra stared at the ceiling for a moment.

"Sweet dreams, Goten," she muttered once more before letting sleep overtake her.

End Chapter 1

Okaaaay!  How'd you like chapter one?  Chapter two should be out shortly.  This is pretty much just the set up to the story.  Now review like a good reader!